Dark-Hair, Sea Eyes

11

Percy now had two girls and a god, under his care. Along with several dozen horses.

Reyna and the girl had both been gagged when Chaos had given them to him, and Apollo was a silent as he was when Percy had met him. "So where to next, Perseus?" Chaos asked.

Abyss and Tyson had left this planet long ago, as Percy had been gone for more than two days, and Percy was anxious to get to his brother. It would be just like his brother to get lost somewhere, even with a dragon by his side.

"Why do you need to know?" Percy asked his now-former but also his future employer. "I just want to be able to contact you whenever the need arises," Chaos said, throwing his hands up in defense. "Use the network just as anyone else would," Percy said.

He'd ordered transportation for the several dozen equines that he now owned.

"You guys are going to be in a box for a few hours. Does anyone have a problem with that," Percy asked them, to which everyone agreed to the box. "I'm not anyone else, Perseus. I'd like a name for where you are going," Chaos said almost warningly.

If Percy didn't want to shoot Chaos before, his trigger finger was definitely itching now. "Careful Chaos. Don't get shot," Percy warned the strange man, raising his eyebrow. Chaos scowled-- more like pouted, actually-- but accepted that Percy wasn't going to tell him his next destination.

Percy wouldn't put it pass Chaos to follow him or even put some tracker on him simply because the guy gave Percy the creeps. The transportation finally got there and Percy looked among the people as they worked. "I've some mines that need a few workers," Percy started, gesturing towards the people of Marcao. "You really are in the trade of people, Perseus. They go for cheap here, so how many do you want? However, my limit is five," Chaos said.

"Give me five then," Percy said, pulling out five gold coins to give to Chaos in exchange. "No, Perseus, when I said cheap, I meant one copper could go for all five of them," Chaos said. Percy instead just gave him one gold coin. "I don't keep copper on me," Percy explained.

He let Chaos bark his orders at Zeus, the god dragging four young boys and a middle-aged woman out of the crowd of people. They weren't natives, as they were lacking the horns. "Will they suffice?" Chaos asked. Percy nodded to him, taking in their condition. He didn't care whether they were good workers or not, but from the way that they looked, Percy could tell that they could work for a long time.

"Should I load them into the carrier with your horses?" Chaos asked. Percy didn't want to answer until he assessed the size of Apollo's chariot. He didn't want them to ride with the horses, but he very well didn't want one of them to fall out of the window if they didn't fit. He could ride with the horses, but he also had to save face in front of  Chaos. If his action was the seed that sprouted the idea that Percy was weak, he didn't know how Chaos would play on it or any other client.

"I want the woman to stay in the front. The boys will stay with the horses," Percy said, making his decision. He'd be able to talk to the woman and if she'd be willing to take in the younger boys once they got in. Granted one was at least his age but it was still a question worth asking.

"And Chaos, I can find trackers effortlessly," Percy said, grabbing one of the boys by the back of their shirts as they were marched to the carrier. He pulled the small tracking device of the back of his shoulder and tossed it back to Chaos. "No doubt I'll find more, but it's not as if they will amount to something," Percy said. Where they were going, not many signals actually got through.

**
The woman stayed silent for the first few minutes of the ride, which was ideal for Percy since he wanted to be a little away from the planet before starting a conversation. The two girls, Reyna and the other demigod who hadn't shared her name sat upfront with Apollo.

"Tell me their ages. Of the boys," Percy started light, not digging into the questions he wanted to ask. She didn't answer, instead, she clenched her jaw and ignored him. "I'll have to return you to Chaos then if you're not going to answer," Percy said, his eyes connecting to Apollo's. The god looked panic, not realizing that Percy's threat was empty, and would've turned the carriage around had not the woman answered. "The youngest is maybe 9 the oldest about 16," the woman said. "Thank you for answering. Their names?"

"They don't have names. They'll answer to whatever you decide to call them, sir," the woman said. Percy saw the look of physical pain on her face when she choked up the word 'sir' and nearly laughed. He held the laugh at bay but didn't try to hide his amusement. "You don't have to call me sir. Percy is fine unless of course, you're in the same room with someone I know professionally. Then I'd prefer Perseus. Anyway, do you have a name?"

"My name is Phoebe," she said. "Okay, Phoebe. How many gods does Chaos have?" Percy asked, going to the bigger questions. "He's been collecting our gods--both greek and roman forms-- and putting them together so he can utilize their full power. There aren't any gods that are not captured by either him or his sister. They have other pantheons too, to increase power."

"Our gods? You're a demigod?" Percy asked. "Of sorts. I'm a hunter of Artemis, the maiden goddess," Phoebe said sadly. Percy detected a flicker of hopelessness in Apollo's expression before the god began to smooth it out.

The mention of Artemis being a maiden goddess suggested dark thoughts as he recalled the lack of young females mining on Marcao. "Where are the girls on that planet?" Percy asked, his mind skimming over the many things that could be happening with them. "They're in the palace. Not only does ridding them of their maidenhood strip them of their independence and will to resist, he uses them to breed," Phoebe said. 

Giving him a nice supply of demigods, Percy thought. Just as last time, Apollo's carriage cut the intended time down, and they arrived onto the ancient planet much sooner than Percy expected. It was an old Earth, one tucked away from other planets. No signals got through the atmosphere unless the signal originated on the planet, so any trackers Chaos had put on him would've got lost at the last planet they passed. 

The country they had landed in were one of the biggest in this world, all of it owned by one man. Upon arrival, skeletal soldiers greeted Percy before he could even step out of the carriage. "Take us to the di Angelo's," Percy told them, his command rattling the soldiers and making them hurriedly unload the carrier and escort Percy and his passengers to the edge of the city. The streets were busy but the people all cleared a path for the soldiers who huddled around Percy and the others, keeping everyone inside their protective circle effectively out of sight.

They reached two large golden gates with a single yellow eyed dragon guarding the entrance. Percy knew that behind the gates there was a horde of hell-hounds, and the abnormally large Mrs. O'Leary was leading them. He also knew there was a large uninviting mansion with ebony doors which housed the di Angelo siblings. 

Passing the aforementioned beasts and entering the mansion, the home lightened up. While passing a mirror, Percy had noticed his eyes were a deep ocean blue, indicating that Nico had kept these oceans clean. 

Good.

They were lead into a large room where a pale figure stood next to a pretty but intimidating bow wielding woman, obviously made aware of Percy's presence. With them stood the healer William, who quickly went to his work with Reyna's jaw and any other injuries the others might have. He tried to help Percy, but Percy waved him off, indicating that he himself was fine and to tend to the others.

"Welcome back Percy," the pale figure said, his head full of black hair that contrasted greatly against his skin. His dark eyes held a light of amusement as he took in everyone Percy had arrived with. "Come out back. We've got some things to discuss."

OK that took forever but I hope you enjoyed this part!