Elizabeth untied the mooring lines in silence. The boat rocked gently beneath her as she stepped aboard, an old thing, scuffed by salt and time, but thanks to some teaching from Hecate and Lucas, she could cast some simple wards onto the boat to help serve her purpose.
Elizabeth checked each one with practiced care, fingers brushing over protective wards and activating the illusion wards. Once everything was checked and she was certain it would work, she pushed the boat off from the dock. The city lights gradually faded behind her, leaving her alone with the sound of the waves at night.
The cold wind pulled at her collar, making her want to adjust her coat, but she restrained that desire, instead remaining carefully still. While the wards she cast could help in passing Scylla, it wasn't as powerful as Lucas' own, causing her to need to hold her breath and stay still. It seemed luck was on her side, for there was no movement when she sailed under Scylla's pass; most likely, Scylla was asleep. Hopefully, this would be the case when she had to return through here as well.
Soon, Elizabeth spotted the Island on the horizon, a smile breaking out on her face. Even in the dark night, the Island was alive with activity. Warm lights were scattered, keeping most of the darkness at bay without being too bright to cause discomfort to the eyes. The nymphs laughed and giggled as they walked along the mosaic paths, heading to different areas of the spa.
It was exactly as she remembered it, the last time she was here with Lucas. So when the boat docked and an attendant appeared, she wasn't reserved.
"Daphne!" With a squeal, Elizabeth hopped off her boat and jumped onto the attendant, wrapping her in a hug that nearly crushed the attendant. Though caught in an unexpected and tight embrace, the attendant, Daphne, only gave a wry smile and used what little room she had to pat Elizabeth's back.
"Ok, Ok. Can you let go now?" As she was released, Daphne took a quick step back to prevent another such hug, and a more lively smile now adorned her face. "It's been a while. What brings you back here? And without that boy of yours?"
During Lucas's stay on the Island, Daphne had been the one to help Elizabeth settle. With a year of communication, they had become close friends. Elizabeth even used the occasional Iris message to contact Daphne, exchanging gossip.
Hearing Daphne's question, Elizabeth was brought back to the present.
"Ah, that, I need to meet with Circe, I'm on a quest that needs her help."
Daphne raised a brow as she saw Elizabeth push out her chest in pride at being on a quest, but regardless, she had Elizabeth follow her as she brought her to Circe's office.
There, Circe lounged on a divan wrapped in sunset-colored silks, enjoying some wine and reading a book. Hearing the attendant enter with a knock, Circe frowned, lowering her book. But seeing who she brought, that frown turned into curiosity.
"So," she said, examining Elizabeth and noticing she was alone, Circle gestured. "Sit. Speak. What has my student done since the last time I saw him?"
Elizabeth sat down on her own divan while Daphne silently retreated from the room, closing the door behind her.
Elizabeth spoke without embellishment. Of how Lucas had left the island last time and nearly died due to Poseidon. How he had built a sanctuary, Elysian. How he was changing things.
Circle listened. Her face was unreadable even after hearing her student's journey.
When Elizabeth finished, Circe sat back. "So. What brings you here? I did say last time I would not join your little group."
Elizabeth didn't hesitate. "I need a fang from Charybdis."
The room chilled. Circle furrowed her brows, unsure whether this was some kind of joke.
"Do you even understand what you ask?" Circe stood. Her voice dropped, no longer casual but serious.
"She was not born a monster. She was a giant. A daughter of Gaia and Poseidon. Born in the deepest and darkest depths of the sea. She devoured the land to make room for her father's waters, expanding his empire without restraint. Entire coastlines vanished. Zeus, wary of such actions, struck her with his lightning bolt, and still she did not die. All he could accomplish was to bury her body in the seabed, making sure she couldn't continue her efforts of devouring the land."
Circe sat on her divan, but remained seated upright and rigid. Her demeanor did not relax when talking of Charybdis. "She is the Abyss, a gaping maw of destruction and gluttony. I dare not approach her, nor do any other gods. Strength matters little in front of the Abyss. So no, you will not find a fang of hers with me or with anyone else, all those who attempted are dead."
Elizabeth nodded. "Then I'll go alone."
Circle studied her, "You did hear what I said, right? Charybdis is not something to take lightly; it isn't bravery that allowed the dead to attempt to get her fang; it was foolishness. You will die if you try.
Elizabeth did not blink. The threat of death was less important than helping her friend, and Circe saw this determination in her eyes.
"I will not risk my nymphs nor my demigods for the hopes of an idiot."
Elizabeth rose to leave, having gained nothing, but Circe's voice stopped her.
"However, I do not mind risking my own."
...
They sailed just before morning.
Circle summoned her sea-chariot, one made of coral and crystal, led by a creature of foam resembling a horse; a summons that had no fear of death, just right for what they needed. Circe stood at the helm guiding the horse, while Elizabeth stood beside her, watching the horizon.
The waters grew darker as they neared the place. The sea flattened. No waves, no seagulls, no fish. Only a stretch of water that was void of life.
Charybdis's domain.
"She wakes three times a day," Circle said. "We descend just before. If we're not out by the next breath... we drown if we're lucky, eaten if not."
"Isn't it better to wait until she rises to the surface? Surely her mouth will be open then. That should be easier."
Circe scoffed at Elizabeth's idea. "That is when she devours everything, now she is asleep, just go in, tear off a fang, I can use my power to quickly teleport you back to me before she fully awakens and attacks you. After that, let's just hope we can get away before she devours us."
Circle cast the tether. A runed cable tied their craft to a fixed point, like an anchor, directly above where Charybdis rested.
"Due to the depth, I can only teleport you from here, but that means it will be much harder to escape; so do not make any mistakes, and don't wake her up until after the fang is in hand; otherwise, I will have no choice but to flee for my own safety, leaving you. Understand?"
Elizabeth nodded, taking out some chocolate Circe had prepared back at the spa. As she ate it, she dived.
When her body touched the water, he legs gradually connected, growing small prismatic scales. Similar to some types of sirens, thankfully, Circe was very experienced in transfiguration; otherwise, Elizabeth wouldn't have been able to swim at all due to her donkey leg and bronze leg. Not only that, the necklace she was wearing was enchanted to help her breathe underwater for the next thirty minutes, enough time to dive and acquire the fang.
The descent felt endless. Light vanished long ago, causing her to use the special ward on the necklace to help her see in the dark depths, but even that was only a few feet in vision.
And then she saw it.
Charybdis.
A massive serpent-like creature with an enormous mouth
Her maw was open even now, lined with teeth like obelisks. Her body stretched in every direction, still bearing signs of burnt flesh, and some chains of orichium pinned her to the seabed. Stopping the serpent from moving.
Just being near the monster led her to feel like she was being devoured. The unconscious pressure radiating off the monster was enough to cause her to break out in cold sweat.
Elizabeth swam closer, into the mouth; here, she saw that even the walls of the throat were ridged with fangs that seemed to grow from the inside out.
She took the shears Circle had given her and picked a fang. A jagged yellow spike with dried blood and some wood stuck against it, probably remnants of a ship Charybdis had devoured.
The fang cracked but didn't budge, requiring another cut.
Then the walls moved.
Charybdis stirred, although not in pain, the cutting did wake her.
Elizabeth screamed through the water, pulling on the fang in an attempt to remove it from the maw.
The fang finally came free.
A pulse of suction began. The ocean itself reeled towards the maw, entering Charybdis' stomach.
Above, the chariot jolted. Circle shouted something, casting magic into the air. With a golden brilliance, a drenched Elizabeth landed in the chariot, holding the fang. Circe didn't check if she was alright, already releasing the tether and ordering the summon to get them away from here.
The sea tried to swallow them whole. The maw of Charybdis broke the surface, attempting to create a whirlpool to devour them.
Circe, prepared, cut her wrists with magic, using the golden ichor, her blood, as fuel to further enhance her spell. Creating another whirlpool with an opposite pull, layered onto the one Charybdis caused. While this whirlpool soon broke under the power of Chrybdis, it was enough to allow a moment of pause that Circe's foam horse used to get them far away from Charybdis.
Elizabeth laughed, hoarse.
Circle wiped the dripping ichor from her nose and smiled.
They succeeded.