Note: § symbol is used to show parseltongue.

Heracles was sitting in his chambers with his wife, Hebe, and their twins telling them about the young Asgardian prince and how much he reminded him of himself as a child, "I wish Chiron could train Harald as I was."

"Why can't he?" Hebe asked.

"HERACLES!" Hera screamed, making Heracles stand up and look towards his wife before he rushed out of the room, Hebe and the twins hot on his heels.

~LGCHB~

Heracles, Ares, Zeus, and a contingency of guards arrived in Harald's sitting room moments after Hera screamed. Hebe and the twins squeezed into the room and promptly sat down, trying to stay out of the way. From where Hebe sat, she could see her mother battling a massive snake, using her lotus-topped golden staff to keep a snake from biting the little Asgardian prince.

"Hera, get out of the way!" Heracles cried out as he attempted to enter the bedroom.

§Stay away! This morsel is mine!§

The snake reared up to attack the little godling, but Hel appeared and grabbed its head before it could strike.

§Stop!§ Hel yelled at the Viper. §Do you know who I am?§

§Lady Death§, the Viper, replied nervously. §Let go of me!§ the snake hissed as well as it could with its jaws held tight by Hel.

§No,§ Hel hissed back to the snake.

§My big sister§, Harry replied happily simultaneously, §can you let go now? Your hug kinda hurts.§

§Your big sister?§ the Viper reuttered fearfully.

§Yup!§ Harry said happily as the snake uncoiled itself slightly, its' head still held in Hel's hand. §Thanks for the hug! Are you my new friend like Skogkatt?§ Harry looked around for his Asgardian cat and saw his standing between the bed and Hera hissing, all his fur sticking up

§I'm sorry, but I've been ordered to kill the little speaker,§ the snake responded.

§Have you been ordered to hurt him? Or to kill him?§ Hel asked.

§Kill him. I don't want to cause the little hatchling pain,§ replied the snake.

§The thing is, the boy you have been ordered to kill is an immortal Godling. You can bite him, hurt him, but you will never be able to kill him. Even our brother Jörmungandr could not kill him. You have been given an impossible task,§ Hel explained as she let go of the snake.

The snake sat there and flicked its tongue out. §Your brother is the Great Snake God Jörmungandr? Is that how you can speak the snake language?§ the snake asked, confused.

§Yes,§ Hel replied.

§And how does the hatchling speak the snake language?§ asked the snake.

§Jöry, my brother too!§ Harald hissed and wiggled, still trapped in the snake's coiled body.

§You are brother to the snake God?§ the snake hissed, flicking his tongue to Harry's nose, tasting him. The rest of the Greek Gods crowded in the doorway, and the other room sucked in a breath of fear. Tasting the Godhood on the hatchling, the snake reared back and uncoiled himself from the babe. §Why would the one-eyed God tell me to kill another God? I am not powerful enough to do this.§

§Because our grandsire is an abusive arsehole!§ Hel hissed back, and Harry giggled.

§Arsehole, Hel said Arsehole!§ Harald hissed and bounced in his bed, clapping. Hera being one of the few Greek Gods who could understand and speak, Parseltongue slapped her hand to her face and groaned at the toddler swearing.

~LGCHB~

Hel stormed into the throne room in Asgard with dozens of Asgard's finest warriors trailing her. Of course, as an Asgardian Princess and Goddess, they couldn't keep her from the throne room without the help of the royal family. However, at the same time, as an immortal race, anytime the Goddess of Death appeared made the warriors nervous. They might be immortal, but they weren't impermanent. Their bodies could be killed by something strong and powerful, but their souls would be forced to live in Niflheim Hel's domain unless Odin called them to Valhalla.

"Your scheme failed, old man," Hel said as she threw a giant dead snake that had been wrapped around her shoulders at Odin. Frigga stood at Odin's left-hand side while Loki stood two steps down at Odin's right. Thor was nowhere to be seen; Frigga watched as Hel entered the room, her eyes wide at the sight of the snake before she turned to glare at Odin.

"No matter. I will try again and again if needed," Odin responded with a sneer ignoring his wife's glare and Loki's confused look.

"You will fail," Hel replied as she turned and left the throne room.

"Father, what are you up to?" Loki asked as he started to clean his nails with a small dagger. "If you wanted someone assassinated, you didn't need to send a serpent."

"What I am up to is none of your business," Odin replied hotly.

"You didn't try to assassinate Hel, did you?" Frigga asked, glaring at Odin.

"BWAHAHAHA," Odin laughed, "No. It is far too late to attempt to assassinate the Goddess of Death. No only another death God would even have a chance."

"And they all love her," Loki said with a smile while he bent over to study the dead snake. Then, poking it with his dagger. Frowning, Loki waved his hand, the dead snake disappeared, and he retook his place at Odin's side while Odin resumed his version of Guds domstol or Court of God.

~LGCHB~

Frigga rushed into the infirmary and waved her hand at Eir; not only was she trying to get her twin sister's attention, but she was running a diagnostic on her. Eir looked at herself glowing; knowing what that meant, she waved her hand at Frigga and saw she, too, was glowing. The two women silently left the main room for Eir's office, where they could and would put up protection charms, anti-eavesdropping spells, and some heavy-duty wards to keep anyone…cough…cough…Odin, out. Something wicked was afoot in Asgard.

~LGCHB~

Sandraudiga entered Zeus's hall, where a Rhapsodes told the Greek Gods of Olympus the story of the Little Godling Harald and the vicious Viper. A Heraclesian trial of a baby versus a snake. According to the Rhapsodes, Harald killed the snake just as Heracles killed his. Sandraudiga looked over to where Hera was sitting on the throne with the Little monster on her lap. She was surprised to see Hera blushing in embarrassment. Odin had decided with the new knowledge that the baby was a Godling that he would back off the assassination attempts for now and that Sandraudiga was to return to Olympus to be his spy. Of course, she was to follow Frigga's orders and teach the Little Monster, but at least she now had the reward of becoming Odin's mistress.

That wasn't to say all assassination attempts were gone, but Odin would have to be more circuitous.

~LGCHB~

Earlier

§Little hatchling, I want to be your friend, but I need to go home now. I have my eggs that I should be sitting on and protecting,§ the snake hissed.

§I will take you home, but first I would like to make a copy of your body…your dead body, so Odin doesn't go looking for you and punish you for failing,§ Hel replied.

§That is most wise, Lady Death. After my eggs hatch, I will take my hatchlings and move to a different location. Then, if he comes looking for me, he won't find me,§ the snake responded.