This chapter's kinda short...

Disclaimer: No merfolk or authors were harmed in the making of this fanfic. (Though I might've stolen a couple characters to study...but I definitely don't own them!)

Ch 8

LUKE

Annabeth delivered. Just like I knew she would. I stood at the helm of my ship, pondering on what to do if the merfolks' parents showed up. Maybe they wouldn't show up at all. They were on Annabeth's ship for awhile, and she never mentioned their parents doing anything. They've been on my ship for two days, and no sign of mommy or daddy so far.

A sound near the tanks made me realize that my time for figuring out what to do was up.

"Perseus Jackson, you are in so much- Percy!"

I raced down do the tanks, where an Iris Message was facing Percy, who sat struggling against the chains, trying to spit words around the iron gag over his mouth.

"Poseidon, what's- Piper!" a woman's voice shrieked from the mist.

I stepped next to Percy, in clear view of the Iris Message. "Why hello."

They were clearly merfolk. "What have you done to my son!" a man with hair and eyes much like Percy's yelled.

"Poseidon, I assume?" I quipped. "It appears that I have, ah, come into custody, shall we say, of your son. And his friends."

Poseidon growled. "Let. Him. Go." He grabbed his trident, and slammed it into the ground. Immediately, the sky clouded over, and the ship began to rock furiously.

I pulled out my sword and held it against Percy's throat. Percy tried to back away from the blade, but I grabbed his hair with my free hand, forcing him to stay there. "Stop the storm, Poseidon. Or the death of the mighty Percy Jackson will be on your head."

Poseidon slammed his trident on the ground again. The ship stopped rocking, and the sun shone again. "Take that sword off my son's throat."

Instead of doing as he said, I pressed the sword until a line of red appeared on Percy's throat. "If you or anyone else sends anyone or anything after me, I will not hesitate to take your children with me to the Underworld." I pressed the sword a little more, and a bead of blood ran down Percy's throat. "Understood?"

"Understood." Poseidon opened his mouth to say more, but I swiped my hand through the mist, effectively cutting him off.

*********************************time lapse (of roughly three days)**********************************

"Land ahoy!"

The magnificence of Jupiter City rose above the horizon. Finally. "Get this ship docked," I told Octavian.

He nodded, then ran off, to order the crew about the ship. The Andromeda pulled into the docks in no time at all.

I walked down to the tanks, where Ethan and some of the crew were putting the merfolk in iron cages to be carried to my estate, where they would be sold. All of them were struggling, making it difficult for my crew. I drew my sword.

The response from Percy was instantaneous. He went limp, and Ethan scooped him up and dumped him in the cage, slamming the door, and looking Percy inside.

I grabbed Hazel. "Quit your struggling," I threatened, putting my sword against her throat. This action of 'sword on throat' was becoming second hand, I had done it so much in the past week.

Nico snarled beneath the iron gag, but stopped kicking his tail. Marcus took that opportunity to throw him in a cage. Michael Kahale grabbed Leo and placed him in a cage (gentler than I would have liked), and Michael Varus locked Piper in a cage. I gave Hazel to Bryce, and he stuffed her in a cage.

"Octavian!" I shouted. "Get these merfolk off my ship!"

"Aye aye Captain!"

I walked down the gangplank into Jupiter City. Crowds of rowdy sailors and merchants roamed the cobbled streets, and the rise of buildings at the horizon was a nice change from the monotony of the sea.

"Luke!"

I turned towards the shout. "Lord Kronos!" I answered in surprise. The middle-aged lord walked up to me. He was one of my best customers. Perhaps I could sell the Children of the Council to him.

Lord Kronos shook my hand. "A new shipment? Might I get a sneak peek, eh?"

I laughed. "Apologies, my lord, but I must make it fair for all. Come to the auction in two days time, then you'll see them."

"And perhaps buy them, eh, my boy?"

"Yes, Lord Kronos."

Not really sure that came across as mean as I wanted it to come across…but I guess it worked. Sort of. IMPORTANT: Kronos is just a lord, not a titan or anything special. I'm probably going to introduce more characters later, I just haven't really found a good place to. Oh, and Marcus isn't meant to be a Marcus from the books; he's OC. Sorry if there is a Marcus in the books.

By the way, my name's- gotta go! *jumps over railing* *poof!*