Triton didn't know what to think. The angel called him a siren. A siren, of all things. Triton had thought that the angel would understand what it was like to be judged. To be feared. But he was wrong.

He had been called a siren by the first non-oceanic person had he had talked to in a very long time. He had also said that sirens killed all those mortals.

Sure they may have been the cause of the death of those mortals but all merfolk live by a code. Only sing above the surface if it's clear with no mortals in hearing distance or if those on the ship deserved to die.

If they were those that took life, just simply because others were in the way. Ones that kill oceanic creatures for no reason. Those that try harm merfolk. The real monsters.

Monsters aren't those with sharp teeth or scales or claws. They aren't the ones that look different than the rest. Monsters aren't the odd ones out. Monsters are those without mercy. Without a soul worth saving. That live a life that isn't worth living.

Merfolk only like to sing. Same as a fish likes to swim. That is their nature. To sing. Not to kill. Not to seduce. Not to harm.

It's not the fault of the mermaid if idiotic sailors drown trying to reach them. It is not the fault of the mernix if they are testing their voice and draw in some cruel pirates. If a merman sings and a lustful god is listening, it is not their fault.

The foolish actions of others have forced all merfolk to live a life of exile. Not being able to enjoy singing while above the surface. Sound resonates far more beautifully above water than within it. However since mortals and gods can't mind their business, merfolk have been branded as killers. As flesh eaters.

Which in itself is disgusting. Some merfolk have eaten flesh, but most rather to feast on aquatic plants. All sea life is to be respected. They are not food. The merfolk that eat flesh only do so when it is a land-dwelling animal. They are not of their realm, therefore merfolk have no qualms about killing it to eat.

It confused Triton. Why would the angel use such a dusgusting word to refer to him when Triton had been nothing but polite to him.

"Hey Triton how was your date?" Kymopoleia said swimming along beside him.

Anteros came up at his other side, "It looked like it was going well, when we went past."

Triton ignored his siblings and just kept swimming.

Kym and Anteros shared a look, before swimming in front of Triton. Blocking him off.

"Tri what happened?" Kym asked softly, seeing the annoyed look on her brothers face.

"He called me a siren."

Anteros gasped and moved back slightly.

Kym on the other hand was fuming, "He called you a siren? That filthy walker! Who does he think he is? I'll grab his fin-less ear and drag him down and throw him to the Octoleí. I'll let them do what they want! It'd what he deserves!"

Anteros stared at Kym wide-eyed.

Triton looked at his sister, "He's afraid of water."

Kym grinned and rubbed her hands together.

Triton continued on, "He was terrified that I would push him in." He matched his younger sisters grin. "Would be a shame if he were to fall in."

"Tragic," Kym said happily.

Anteros just looked between his siblings, utterly gobsmacked.

Triton saw the look on his brother's face and his grin fell, "No we can't do that."

Anteros sighed in relief, "Thank Aphrodite's seashells, you had me worried for a second there."

Triton smiled at his brother before starting to swim away.

"Triton," Anteros called.

Triton turned around to face his siblings who wore matching grins.

Anteros swam closer to him and rested an arm upon his shoulder. "We should be a lot more discrete about taking him down under."

Triton's eyes widened, "What?"

"We shouldn't do it ourselves of course," Kym continued.

"We should do something that definitely wouldn't lead back to us if he happened to have someone that would miss his absence," Anteros finished.

"No. Stop talking about this, it's not a big deal."

"Yes it is!" Anteros inisted.

"No it's not! Stop talking about this."

Kym thought for a second, "I won't make any promises about not talking about it, but I will not harm him for this."

Triton eyed his sister sceptically, not sure about the wording of her promise. He knew Kym was particular about her promises, she always kept them. She had never broken a promise.

Triton cast the thought out of his head. Swimming back to his father's palace his siblings in tow, they had a meeting to attend to.

* * *

The meeting was interesting. A common meeting with annoyed sea deitys that were pissed with more mortals sailing across they're waters. Annoyed with the filth that mortals dumped into their waters.

Mortals just went past on their flimsy ships and threw everything over the side. It was disgusting! Utterly disgusting.

The sea deity's wanted to kill the mortals that dared to taint their waters without remorse. They hadn't minded in the olden days when they would get offerings and sacrifices as an apology for harming the water. Now mortals are too selfish to care about anything other than themselves. No prayers. No sacrifices. No offerings. No apologies.

Triton, Kymopoleia and Anteros were all for going for this. Kym wanted to roam free, causing storms and slaying idiotic sailors that believed they could tame the wrath of the sea. Triton wanted freedom for all merfolk. For them to be able to sing above the sea level again. So what if mortals died? They should have minded their own business and sailed past. If they couldn't, then that was just too bad. Anteros believed that merfolk had a gift. One they should enjoy instead of being forced to hide it as him and Eros had been forced to hide themselves.

Anteros and Eros were forced to turn themselves invisible while they worked as gods kept trying to get close to them. To force them to do what they didn't want to, under pressure that they had to live up to it as love gods. As a result of this, Eros and Anteros had to hide. They had to work invisibly, not even able to tell others where they had to go in fear that someone was listening.

Anteros didn't want that for merfolk. This injustice and discrimination had been going on too long, it was time for change. All sea deity's were willing to fight for it. If other gods didn't like it, then that was their problem. Not a problem for the merfolk that had been given the short end of the stick for millenia.

All sea life had been given the short end of the stick. They had to hide and be branded killers. So what the deity's wanted was that if they were going to be branded killers- why not show them how terrifying the sea can really be? Why not become the stereotype that had been forced onto them?

The last one was Corla's idea, she was the representative of the Octoleí. A race of merfolk that prefered violence to slove problems rather than waiting for a peaceful solution. They used to be a peaceful race, they still are but anger has affected their mood. Their eight tentacles turning dark, their singing voices becoming haunting.

Poseidon groaned, "I'm sorry Corla but we cannot just attack mortals and gods without prompt. It would cause a war."

Corla's eyes flashed, "Then what are we waiting for. Everyday mortals ruin our waters with their filth, everyday disgusting gods seek out merfolk for pleasure. If that isn't what you would call a prompt then I'd say you were protecting those that harm us all everyday."

Murmers spread around the council lile wildfire. More and more deity's and merfolk representives were being swayed to Corla's side. Sick of being forced to run and stay in the shadows.

"I agree with her," Kym said, surprising everyone by speaking up. Usually she preferred to stay to herself during these meetings, only speaking when someone specifically asked for her opinion. "This has been going on too long Father. Why should we back down and swim away anytime something happens? When can we be free again?"

Poseidon sighed, "Kymopoleia you know what would happen. My younger brother would fear the power of the sea and start a war."

"I don't see the problem with that," Corla said, working with Kym without question.

Triton faintly worried about that duo but knowing Kym ot would turn out a lot worse than anything he could expect. So he just put it to the back of his mind, making a note not to annoy them.

"We should fight back," Kym said powerfully. All attention being drawn to her. "We should show them that if they want to fear us, they have good reason to. We should show them that we will not be quiet any longer."

Corla grinned, "If they want war, we can give them war."

Anteros spoke up, "I'm with them."

Poseidon looked between Kym and Anteros, "What has gotten into you both? You never spoke at these meetings before."

The two siblings shared a look. Anteros decided to talk since Kym was notorious for not having a filter.

"It has come to our attention that the land and sky dwellers will never come to respect us if we do not show them that we deserve it."

"They should be punished for all the pain and discrimination that has came our way for millennia. We should show them that we will not back down no more," Kym said, finishing for Anteros.

Corla looked at the two siblings with newfound respect.

"And what is the cause of your realisation?" Amphitrite asked.

Kym quickly glanced at Triton. "Triton went to the surface and met a sky dweller."

Several gasps were heard from the council and many looks were thrown Triton's way.

Kym continued on as if she had never been interrupted, "I don't know how many times they met, but I saw them twice. Triton how many times did you two meet?"

"Twice."

"Alright then they met twice and on the second time Anteros and I showed up and saw them together," Kym kept going on, taking all the reactions in her stride.

Corla raised an eyebrow, "What were they doing?"

"Oh just talking," Anteros said.

Triton rolled his eyes, "But apparently those two did not get it because they started chanting kiss, kiss, kiss."

Corla choked and Kym decided to move on with her story.

"Not long after Anteros and I left Triton came down looking very annoyed and insulted. He told us that this sky dweller had called him a siren!"

The gasps that resonated around the room outnumbered the ones from before by at least triple the size.

Corla stayed silent watching Kym to see if she would say anything more. Kym didn't say anything else, just simply watching the reactions of all the seafolk in the room.

Anteros stayed silent as well, reverting back to his hiding ways.

Triton glared at the two, which wasn't hard because they were right beside each other.

Poseidon's calm look was broken, replaced by a look of shock. Amphitrite hand her hand over her mouth.

Corla spoke, looking at Kym instead of Poseidon or to the room. "It's settled then." She faced the room. "A sky dweller insulted our prince. They used a stereotype against him, against us! I don't know about all of you, but I think that it is time the sea started getting the respect it deserves. I think it is time we all got the respect we deserve! No more hate towards us, no more shame put to our names. We should show them that we deserve their respect as much as any land or sky dweller! I say it is time we stop letting them get away with everything. They insult us on a daily basis, so what do you say Lord Poseidon. Does this count as a prompt?"

"Corla-" Poseidon started.

"No Father, she is right," Kym said butting in. "They should start respecting us. Not just because of you, but because we are living beings that deserve respect no matter what. It is time we stop swimming away from them. Triton and I are not even allowed on Olympus anymore because they call us monsters. Do you think it is time that should change?"

Everyone went silent, staring intently at Poseidon. To see whether their leader would allow them to strike back, or tell them to swim away.

Poseidon started again, "What I was going to say was that she shouldn't act without being prepared for the consequences."

Corla brightened up, "So you agree with us, we should strike back."

"Yes I do, but we should be prepared. You all can sing above the surface again, everywhere, but be sure you can escape quickly is things were to get messy."

Corla's tentacles lightened a shade as a wide grin came across her features, "Thank you Lord Poseidon."

Poseidon nodded, "Try not to sing all at once immediately after this, try to gradually sing more above the surface. It would not be ideal for the gods to take notice before we are prepared."

Triton raised an eyebrow, "Prepared for what?"

Poseidon made eye contact with him, "Prepared for a war, in case the gods do not take this lightly."

Triton looked around and saw the grin on Kym's face.

I'm not dealing with her, he thought. Not ready to resign himself to stopping his sister from slaying all the mortals that would come across her path.

She would probably try do that anyway, but Triton wouldn't stop her. Why should he? She had been waiting a long time to be able to roam free again. It would be cruel to limit her. It would be cruel to limit any of the merfolk.

They had already been limited enough. Already had their freedom taken away. Now was the time to take it back.