Free Rampage! by Leo ; Julia; Hartas Wills Page B

stripes flashed past like a zebra’s tail. He quivered his pink tongue gleefully. ‘We helped protect Medus-s-s-a for c-c-centuriesss! Picking up the s-s-scentsss of intrudersss ––’
    ‘Their vibrationsss,’ continued Viper, ducking as Cobra began to wheel round happily.
    ‘Their nas-s-sty s-s-swordsss and intentionsss,’ muttered Adder, unfurling his brown, diamond-patterned body backwards as the old snake spun by.
    ‘And made s-s-sure s-s-she didn’t trip over all their los-s-st s-s-shields in the dark,’ said the little green one.
    Alex smiled. Grass Snake was the only non-venomous serpent in the gang and had always been more of a ringlet than a tress in Medusa’s terrifying hair-do.
    ‘S-s-so,’ said Viper, narrowing his yellow eyes as the doddery cobra twirled past yet again. ‘Where are we going?’
    ‘The Amazon,’ said Athena.
    ‘A new battle!’ hissed Krait and stretched bolt upright. Beneath him, the asps squirmed and rasped, twisting over each other in a tangle of knots. ‘Attention! Let’sss make a s-s-start!’
    ‘Cherry tart?’ said Cobra, stopping abruptly to regard the other with dim, clouded eyes.
    ‘No!’ Viper prodded the old snake rudely with his snout.
    ‘Besidesss,’ explained Adder importantly, ‘tart, cherry or otherwise-s-se, is a refres-s-shment enjoyed for lunch or s-s-supper. Were you to turn your aged s-s-snout towardsss the beach, you might s-s-scent how low the tide isss, clearly making it the middle of the afternoon.’
    ‘Already?’ said Alex, shocked. Snatching up the writhing shield, he looked at Persephone. ‘We have to go. Which door is it?’
    ‘This way,’ she said.
    Alex and Aries turned away from the syrupy chirrup of goodbyes for Jason, and followed the queen to the pooled blackness at the back of the caves. Stopping at the foot of the last stairway, she flicked her long plait back over her shoulder and reached for the hoop of keys hanging from her belt. For a moment she fumbled beneath the guttering torchlight until she found the right one and unclipped it from the others. It was a large iron key attached by a chain to what appeared to Alex to be a strange-looking wooden bird with blue feathers, but which we would have recognised as a parrot.
    ‘This key opens the door to the Amazon,’ she said,looking earnestly into their faces as Jason caught up with them. ‘From the Underworld to Earth and back home again from the rainforest. So, whatever you do, don’t lose it!’
    ‘We won’t!’ breezed Jason, plucking it from her fingers and leaping onto the staircase.
    Flying up the steps, taking two at a time, he then sprinted over the walkway, pausing for a moment to stand beside the portal, hand on hip, waving the key over his head.
    ‘See you all soon!’ he announced to the cheering crowd. He glanced down at Alex. ‘I’ll lead the way! You, boy, bring the luggage!’ Then turning, he vanished through the door behind him.
    ‘Luggage?’ snorted Aries. ‘Boy? Did you hear him?’
    ‘Come on,’ urged Alex, looking into the ram’s furious eyes. He unfastened the sword – the heaviest of the gifts – in the hope of reducing Aries’ now dismally sagging back and, turning away from the goddesses, leaned closer to whisper in Aries’ ear. ‘Remember, this is all for Rose.’
    Aries nodded and, clearly summoning up his last remaining scraps of dignity, turned away and thundered up the surf-slicked steps. Rams are amazing climbers, with tough hooves able to snag rocky cusps and soft pads as grippy as any climbing shoe, and I’m delighted to tell you that happily the craggy steps gave him no trouble at all. Soon at the top, he glanced back over his shoulder at Alex before turning and clattering along the boardwalk.
    Relieved to finally be leaving, Alex followed him up the stairs, clutching the sword and shield tightly. How he wished that his parents could see him now. He smiled, remembering how proud they’d been that morning, their faces pink