Iron Man's Daughter

Chapter 59

They had docked the ship at the harbor Piraeus, Blossom was checking weapons, and armor.

" Um....Blossom?" Piper called, her, Annabeth, and Percy came to her side. They saw snake people coming toward the ship.

" Oh, great," Blossom breathed.

" Dracaenae," Percy groaned.

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

" She's right," Blossom nodded.

" These look more human on top too," Percy noted. " Not all scaly and green and stuff. So do we talk or fight?" Two of them appeared to be guards. Their shields had a large Greek letter K.

" Permission to come aboard?" a raspy voice requested.

" Who are you?" Piper asked. The leader's eyes focused on her.

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

" A trick?" Piper glanced at her friends.

" Probably," Annabeth said.

" At least he brought cake," Percy smiled. " Welcome aboard!" The guards were left on deck with Buford the table as Kekrops was brought to the mess hall for a meeting.

" Please sit," Jason offered.

" Snake people don't sit," Kekrops wrinkled his nose.

" Please remain standing," Leo said, he cut the cake and shoved a piece in his mouth. " Dang! Snake people know how to make Bundt cake. Kind of orangey, with a hint of honey. Needs a glass of milk."

" Snake people do not drink milk," Kekrops informed. " We are lactose intolerant people."

" Me too!" Frank said. " I mean....lactose intolerant. Not a reptile. Though I can be a reptile sometimes-"

" Anyways" Hazel interrupted. " King Kerkops, what brings you here? How did you know we'd arrive?"

"I know everything that happens in Athens," He answered. " I was the city's founder, its first king, born of the earth. I am the one who judged the dispute between Athena and Posideon, and chose Athena to be the patron of the city."

" No hard feelings," Percy muttered.

"I've heard of you," Annabeth said as she nudged Percy. " Kekrops. You were the first to offer sacrifices to Athena. You built her first shrine on the Acropolis."

" Correct," Kekrops sounded bitter. " My people were the original Athenians-the Gemini."

"Like your zodiac sign?" Percy asked. " I'm a Leo."

" No, stupid," Leo said. " I'm a Leo. You're a Percy."

"Will you two stop?" Blossom demanded as she eyed the cake in suspicion. " I think he means Gemini like doubled- half man, half snake. That's what his people are called. He's a geminus, singular."

"Yes," Kekrops leaned away from Hazel and Blossom. " Millennia ago, we were driven underground by the two-legged humans, but I know the ways of the city better than any. I came to warn you. If you try to approach Acropolis aboveground, you will be destroyed."

 " You mean...by you?" Jason stopped nibbling his cake.

" By Porphyrion's armies," he answered. " The Acropolis is ringed with great siege weapons-onagers."

"More onagers?" Frank protested. " Did they have a sale on them or something?"

" The Cyclops," Hazel guessed. " They're supplying both Octavian and the giants."