Chapter 2:

Apollo Sun

Nico ended up being swamped by Percy and Annabeth ganging up on him. Apparently it wasn't fair of Nico to tag Percy. Nico didn't think fair came into it and Percy's pride just couldn't handle being surprised. Being one of the greatest heroes of Half-Blood City had its moments.

Sufficiently tired and ready to float down for a nice chat, Percy, Nico and Annabeth headed back to the body of water underneath The Apollo. The boats shadow had quickly become the three's favourite hang-out.

Bubbles blobbed out of Percy's mouth as he yawned. Nico rolled his eyes and swished his tail through the water. The current smacked Percy's cheek and burst the rising air. Annabeth chuckled at them as Percy flicked his hand and sent Nico spinning away. Being a son of Poseidon, controller of the currents, Percy had a power over water. It made for some interesting fights since they were virtually surrounded by the stuff.

Nico's tumble sent him closer to the ship.

"It is on, Jackson!" he called, flapping his tail fluke to straighten himself out before raising his hands. But nothing happened.

Nico then found out it's very difficult to concentrate on shadows when the sea all around you amplifies a sound that, for all the world, could be a million birds shrieking in high pitch.

Will quickly took his fingers out of his mouth. His crew unplugged their ears and set to work immediately.

Will Solace was a son of the god Apollo. A pretty blessed son, too. He was good-looking, like his father, with blond hair and bright blue eyes and a killer tan. His abilities included archery, vitakinesis – meaning he could heal people by singing to them – a variety curses and a small power to manipulate light.

But his favourite was a skill he called audiokinesis.

Will could make a sharp, painful whistle sound that will stun any being who heard it. It was that that had just frozen the three mermaids below his ship. Sound travelled through water at an amplified rate, so they wouldn't be able to move for a good while.

Will knew there was at least one mermaid closer to The Apollo than the rest. It was this one he intended to catch.

Running to the side of the ship, Will leant over and raised his hands past his head. The sun, high above him, started beating down with extreme force on the one spot Will could see was darker than the rest of the ocean. The ray of light slimmed and concentrated, eventually lighting up a figure at least ten meters below the surface. Will could see that the blurry figure had its arms up, like he was. Vaguely wondering what that was about, Will called over his shoulder.

"Everyone, move! There's one just next to the boat, about ten meters deep. Lou, I need you up here!"

Lou Ellen, by some standards a witch, to Will a close friend and magician, ran from her position and stopped beside him. In her hand was a long coil of steel chain, which she had spent the last little while enchanting.

"Do it," Will said, and Lou dropped the metal over the side of the boat, letting it splash into the sea. Then she closed her eyes, held her hands out in front of her, and breathed.

Nico couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could barely inhale any water through his gills. Not far away from him, Percy and Annabeth were having the same difficulties. Percy looked wide-eyed at Nico, panic written across his face.

Suddenly a bright white light lit up the sea around Nico. He blinked, stars clustering his vision. He couldn't see out of the brilliant circle that seemed to be encasing him, and he could barely make out the stunned forms of Percy and Annabeth.

A few seconds after the light began, Nico felt his muscles relaxing. Whatever had frozen him was starting to wear off and soon he could swim away from whatever was happening. Nico narrowed his eyes, trying to see Percy more clearly. He saw the sea-green tail of his friend twitch. Their movement was coming back as well.

A little too late though.

The next thing Nico felt was something heavy, cold and metal touch his wrist. He sensed it trail across the back of his hand until he could feel the last links of what he now knew was a chain. Suddenly it started winding around him.

It circled his wrist before dragging his immobile arm through the water. Nico felt the sides of his hands press together tightly as the chain started coiling around them. He couldn't move to stop it.

Then it started snaking down his right arm. It twisted along his skin like a living thing, spiralling past his elbow and his shoulder and eventually going a single loop around his neck before continuing down his chest, wrapping three times until it reached his waist. Now the metal was moving rapidly, twining around and around his tail several times before tying itself off in the neck before his fluke fin.

Nico finally felt feeling crash into him and he tried pulling at the chain, silently demanding it let him the hell go. The only pulling that was working though, was the one that was bodilessly dragging him toward the surface.

"Nico!" Percy yelled, his face finally unfreezing. Nico set his eyes on his two best friends.

"Get out of here!" he shouted at them. "Go! Don't let them get -"

He didn't get to finish. Nico was cut off trying to save the lives of the two people he loved like family by his head breaking through the top water. The last word dripped from his lips like the water running off his body.

"…you."

Being dramatic is a talent of mine, really.

Lol nah. Sorry for breaking your eyes with my writing.

Jasmine Out!