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IF THERE WAS ANYTHING AELIA VIDAL was more scared of than her nightmares, it was the slithering venomous creatures that moved on the ground like worms, only bigger and more vicious.
When she was around 4 in Mount Ida she encountered a snake that eerily resembled the ancient texts of Python. It said things to her, whispered in her ear. She never knew danger as a child, so when the snake wrapped around her torso, she thought it was hugging her instead. The nymphs and Charites that had been taking care of her that day appeared to have handled the python, but afterward they would not talk about it. It was like some forbidden topic in Mount Ida, and when Aelia asked them about it after a couple of months they looked at her like she was crazy.
"Demigods have nightmares, do not fret, little Venus."
As she grew and learned of the world, the python became nothing but a distant memory that tended to visit her every few years or when she encountered a wild snake on duty.
She once read a book that said that all spiders descended from Arachne, the Greek woman that challenged Minerva's Greek alternate, Athena. Aelia almost wanted to stop and ask the snakes whether they were all children of Python or of the ugly giant that had dropped them and abandoned them here.
Right on cue, the grass behind them started to hiss. She stood still for a moment, wondering whether she could take all those slimy little creatures at the same time, and wondering whether a bite from them was fatal.
"Go!" Frank yelled, urging them on.
Aelia, who had her arm around Percy for both moral and physical support, stumbled slightly when the boy tripped on a rock.
"Perdam te!" She cursed at Percy, as Hazel and Aelia helped him with his footing. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the first steps of the porch.
She half expected the store to burst out rainbow light that would evaporate them and burn them into oblivion, but nothing seemed to happen. Aelia let out a sigh of relief as she composed herself with Percy still leaning onto her arm.
It irritated her, and she was about to say something too, but then she heard Frank speak.
He had actually managed to detach himself from the group and was currently staring down at some bright multicolored circus snake.
"Nice creepy reptile," Frank said, very aware of the driftwood in his coat pocket. "Nice poisonous, fire-breathing reptile."
"Frank!" Hazel yelled behind him. "Come on!"
The snake sprang at him, which made Aelia flinch and lose her grip on Percy slightly. The snake sailed through the air so fast, there wasn't enough time to fight back. Frank swung his bow and smacked the monster down the hill. It spun out of sight, wailing in misery.
