Free Rampage! by Leo ; Julia; Hartas Wills

forgotten it’s my birthday at the end of the week?’
    ‘How could I?’ said Jason. He held a petal playfully to his lips and gazed into her eyes. ‘Shall I test them?’
    ‘No!’ squeaked Aphrodite, plucking it from his fingers.‘Just one nibble and you’ll be hopelessly in love with the very next person you see.’
    ‘Impossible,’ cooed Jason, ‘when I’m forever in love with you.’
    ‘You are?’ said Aphrodite, delighted.
    ‘Of course he’s not!’ barked Hera, barging forward and pitching Aphrodite sideways into the surf with a wallop of her hips. ‘Never mind all that lovey-dovey stuff,’ she went on, turning to the scabbard hanging from a belt on her dress and slowly drawing out a wide double-edged sword. ‘This belonged to Achilles !’
    ‘Achilles?’ said Jason.
    His eyes lit up as he took the leaf-shaped sword from her and expertly twisted it in the air, its blade glinting like a swarm of fireflies in the flickering torchlight. The goddesses stared adoringly. And even Alex, who was desperately willing them to hurry up and stop sighing like harpies with tail sag, felt a sharp twinge of admiration, imagining what it must be like to be that confident, that sure of yourself. More than that, his mind added, for everyone else to be so sure of you too.
    ‘Ladies!’ Jason smiled broadly and laid the sword down with the other gifts. ‘You’ve all been so generous, but,’ he turned down his lip in regret, ‘much as I’d love to stay here with you, I think it’s time we loaded up the beast of burden!’
    ‘Beast of bur––!’ spluttered Aries, whose voice was immediately lost under a ringing slap as Artemis walloped him on the rear.
    Ignoring his furious cry, she dragged a tangle of ancient leather straps and buckles from her bag. ‘I thought this might be useful,’ she smiled, holding out the crackled old harness from her chariot of nightfall.
    Back in old Greece it had been her evening duty to draw the moon over the sky in her chariot, pulled by two magnificent stags. Now, even from where he stood, Alex could see how grubby the harness was, stained with sweat and deer doo doo. But before even Aries could complain – which gives you some idea of just how fast she was – her hands had buckled the heavy bellyband under Aries’ stomach, secured its back strap along his spine and tightened the breeching around his rear.
    Aries grimaced, jutting out his lower jaw as the others hurried to tuck the gifts into the leather strapping on either side. Fingers fluttered all over him; cold metal and tickly feathers twitched his skin; giggles rang loudly in his head.
    ‘I’ll take that,’ smiled Jason, plucking the purse of infinite wealth from the last saddlebag and tucking it into his back pocket. Grinning, he gazed round at the goddesses. ‘After all, I’ll need something to buy you all souvenirs of my trip!’
    As the others laughed and clapped, Alex looked over the gifts and, feeling a fresh stab of worry, turned to Athena.
    ‘We’ll need something to protect us against the sorceress,’ he said.
    ‘Protect us?’ laughed Jason. ‘But that’s my job!’
    Feeling his face grow red with embarrassment, Alex looked back at the loaded harness. Perhaps lyres and thunderbolts, horse-feather fans and love potions had their uses on a quest (although being a thirteen-year-old boy he had seriously big doubts about the last one), but didn’t the goddesses understand?
    They were going back to Earth to face Medea .
    ‘Alex does have a point,’ said Athena finally.
    Alex glanced up to see her smiling indulgently at Jason.
    ‘After all, we don’t know what she’s up to in the jungle and we want you back safe with us.’ Solemnly, she stepped forward and set her aegis down on the rock. ‘That’s why I’ve decided to lend you this.’
    Everyone gasped. Eyes grew wide in the grey light. Even Alex felt his breath catch as he stepped forward for a closer look.
    Athena’s shield was the most revered