You'll Learn to Love Me

Chapter 80: The Final Stretch

Laylana was terrified. Today, one way or another, their journey would end. 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. Laylana and Piper were on watch while their friends geared up for combat – checking their weapons and armor, loading the ballistae and catapults. Piper had noticed the hickeys on Laylana's collarbone as she had Piper help her with suiting up in her celestial bronze armor. Laylana refused to answer her questions, telling her she didn't want to talk about it. Piper knew from her expression though, that it was Leo who made them. Of course it was, who else on the ship could have? And when Piper glanced at Leo, she caught a glimpse of a mark on his own collar. The boy had done a pretty good job of keeping his neck covered. His shirt was buttoned tightly and he had his army jacket on. His posture was already shit, and he was hunched over his control panel as usual. So far, no one else seemed to notice the marks on either of them.

Laylana overlooked the landscape, scanning the crowds. Her weapons were tied to her belt around her breastplate, which she fiddled with every now and then. That's when she spotted the snake guys slithering along the docks, winding through crowds of mortal tourists who paid them no attention.

"Um... Annabeth?" Piper called. Annabeth and Percy came to her side.

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

Laylana shrugged. "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," Percy said. "These look more human on top, too. Not all scaly and green and stuff. So do we talk or fight?"

The snake man held his head high. His face was chiseled 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. The two guys behind him 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 voice was raspy.

"Who are you?" Laylana asked, staring hard at the creature.

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

Laylana and Piper exchanged looks. "A trick?"

"Probably," Piper said.

"At least he brought dessert." Percy smiled down at the snake guys. "Welcome aboard!"

Kekrops agreed to leave his guards above deck with Buford the table, who ordered them to drop and give him twenty push-ups. The guards seemed to take this as a challenge. Meanwhile, the king of Athens was invited to the mess hall for a 'get to know you' meeting.

"Please take a seat," Jason offered.

Kekrops wrinkled his nose. "Snake people do not sit."

"Please remain standing then, your majesty." Laylana grumbled, not too pleased at having them aboard the ship. Next to her, Leo was cutting the cake and stuffing a piece in his mouth before they could warn him it might be poisoned, or inedible for mortals, or just plain bad.