𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

166

Hadrian wasn't surprised when the snake people arrived.

He'd learnt his lesson early on: never assume you're safe, and never, ever tempt the Fates by announcing that you think you're safe.

So when the ship docked at the harbor in Piraeus, on the outskirts of Athens, Hadrian resisted the urge to breathe a sigh of relief. Sure, they had finally reached their destination. Somewhere nearby – past those rows of cruise ships, past those hills crowded with buildings – they would find the Acropolis. Today, one way or another, their journey would end.

But that didn't mean he could relax. Any moment, a nasty surprise might come flying out of nowhere.

As it turned out, the surprise was three dudes with snake tails instead of legs. They reminded him weirdly of the Dracaenae he'd seen during his time with Luke, but not quite.

Hadrian was on watch while his friends geared up for combat – checking their weapons and armor, loading the ballistae and catapults. He spotted the snake guys slithering along the docks, winding through crowds of mortal tourists who paid them no attention.

"Um... Percy?" He called.

Annabeth and Percy came to his side. Percy rested his chin on Hadrian's shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to his neck. Annabeth either already knew about them, or she was good at hiding her surprise.

"Oh, great," Percy said. "Dracaenae."

Hadrian, a little pathetically, snapped up to look at him. Their brains worked a little too similarly sometimes.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so. At least not like any I've seen. Dracaenae have two serpent trunks for legs. These guys just have one."

"You're right," Hadrian said. "These look more human on top, too. Not all scaly and green and stuff. So do we talk or fight?"

The man in the lead was... Hadrian felt weird to say- a little hot. The snake man held his head high. His face was chiselled and bronze, his eyes black as basalt, his curly dark hair glistening with oil. His upper body rippled with muscles, covered only by a Greek chlamys – a white wool cloak loosely wrapped and pinned at the shoulder. From the waist down, his body was one giant serpent trunk – about eight feet of green tail undulating behind him as he moved.

In one hand he carried a staff topped with a glowing green jewel. In his other, he carried a platter covered with a silver dome, like a main course for a fancy dinner.

Percy groaned, "Please don't tell me he's ogling the snake dude" Hadrian's head snapped back to look at Percy who was pointing at him and looking at Annabeth exasperated.

"What?" He shrugged, "He's hot"

"I have to agree with him on this, seaweed brain" Annabeth and Hadrian shared a high-five as Percy frowned.

The two other snake guys behind the hot one appeared to be guards. They wore bronze breastplates and elaborate helmets topped with horsehair bristles. Their spears were tipped with green stone points. Their oval shields were emblazoned with a large Greek letter K – kappa.

They stopped a few yards from the Argo II. The leader looked up and studied the demigods. His expression was intense but inscrutable. He might have been angry or worried or terribly in need of a restroom.

"Permission to come aboard." His rasping voice was unpleasant, not at all as hot as Hadrian expected.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Hot guy fixed his dark eyes on Hadrian. "I am Kekrops, the first and eternal king of Athens. I would welcome you to my city." He held up the covered platter and took off the lid. "Also, I brought a Bundt cake."