Chapter Twelve - Between Scylla and Charybdis
Hey guys! I'm back with another update, to make up for my disappearance! ^-^ Let's find out what's happening to Mina now, shall we? Please note this chapter might be longer and a bit more "violent" in the sense that there are killer monsters in this. So, if you don't like that, you may want to skim. You have been fairly warned. c;
09Who knew90 : Haha, yes, Nix is alive. c; I'm glad there were no errors! And I'm also glad that Nix is lovable, and that you're glad he's here! And ah, well, you don't have to worry about Nix dying there. That was a dream. X3 However, being held captive in the manner they are might make things worse. And ah, yes, poor Mina keeps getting strangled. Sadly for her, I don't think that'll stop anytime soon. I'm glad it's appreciated though! xD I'm glad the cliff hangers are good, and I'm glad that you loved the chapter! And no grammar errors twice in a row? :O Woah, go me! cx And ahhh, yes, Nix is being un-Nix like? Interesting. Perhaps we'll get the answer this chapter? And hopefully this helps with agony of waiting! As for why the ships wall broke, well, we'll just have to find out, won't we? Maybeeee we'll be finding out this chapter? c; And ah, yes, a Jared/Teague/Nix chapter would be fun, but that'll have to wait for awhile as that would give too many spoilers right now.
Evx : xD Wow, I'm glad my updates are good enough to be read that late at night/that early in the morning! And ooh, I've stumped you. Wonderful. :3 Now you'll have to wait in suspense. And, as you said, pray that Mina's dream doesn't come true. Whether or not it will will be coming into play eventually.
If you guys know anything about me, I like to include mythology in my stories. Readers of Counting Stars will definitely know this, with the different creatures in there. People seemed to appreciate/like this, and since I find mythology very intriguing, I've included some in this story as well. Perhaps you guys know what I'm including from the title of this chapter? Let me know in the reviews if you do! I'll be impressed. c;
Also, when I refer to anyone as "wolves" in this chapter, they aren't actually in wolf form unless I say that specifically. Mina is just calling them all wolves.
Also also, I wrote a ton of this chapter and spent at least an hour writing it, only to accidentally click a link and have it delete everything I'd just added to what I'd drafted. It was really infuriating, and I'd been so happy with what I'd written, so I might've cried a bit because I had just thought "I should really save this to make sure nothing happens to it." So this would've been out sooner if it wasn't for the stupid computer and the fact that this website won't recover what you just did if you push the back button the instant you do it. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter now, as I was super happier with the earlier version. I'd like to think it's even better, but I don't know. ;-;
But enough about all that. It doesn't matter, seeing as there's no way to recover it. On to the chapter, right? (Sorry that that above section was so long! If you skipped it, I understand completely and won't mind. Not that I'd know.)
Now, I can imagine the grin on his face - although I don't know if he'd actually grin in this situation - and my heart dully aches again. "Well, they've given me chains fit for a Fae. I can't preform any magic. You, on the other hand..." He trails off. "That is, if I've been right all along, and you're full Fae."
"Fine. I'm a full Fae Siren, Nix, and I'm the chosen Grimm." This doesn't seem to throw him off as much as I thought it would, and I have to ask, "That doesn't throw you off?"
"I figured that out before this, I just didn't tell you." There's a hint of a shrug in his voice.
"How?" Confusion lights up in me, as well as curiosity. Has he been paying closer attention than I think?
I hear the rattle of chains as someone - probably Nix - shifts positions. "Look, we can discuss how later. I need you to try and use magic."
"You want me to use magic when I can only transform sticks and stones into legitimate weapons?" I ask, a hint of ridicule in my voice.
"I want you to test your chains, and if they're normal, I want you to drill a hole in the ship and make it start to sink." That's a scary thought.
I hesitate. "Shouldn't I just remove our chains and then we run for it?"
"I don't know if you can do that, Mina." He says in response.
"Then I'll be sending us to our doom!" The alarm in my voice makes me speak a little louder than intended.
"You seem important. I'm banking on them saving us, or at least you, since that's the case." His response sounds simple, and very un-Nix-like.
I shake my head. "No, we won't do that unless absolutely necessary."
And it turns out it's not, because that's when the wall of the ship - is that even what it's called? - a few cells away from me is suddenly smashed open, and water comes crashing in. Naturally, I do the first thing anyone should do.
I scream as loudly as possible and pray that someone comes to help.
Mina's Point of View
"Mina!" Nix shouts as the water roars in. "You have to try and use your magic!"
I shake my head, sounding rather pitiful. "I can't!"
Nix doesn't respond. Instead, I hear a loud clank of chains dropping to the ground from his direction, and a minute later I hear the rattle of chains being picked up. Before I can ask what's going on, one of the men from before - a wolf, according to Nix, I believe - runs in. As he does, a crimson tentacle flings itself through the hole, probably the thing that broke the ship in the first place, and he leaps over it. I can't tell what he's trying to do, till he rips the bars of my cell away and chucks them out the hole. I'm not sure how on earth he managed to throw them, but he did, and the tentacle pulls back as if it's in pain. The water is now touching my feet, and I'm afraid, seeing as I'm forced to sit due to the chains. He rips the chains off, picking me up as if I weigh nothing and throwing me over his shoulder. The water has risen a little, and I can see from my new vantage point that now it's touching Nix's feet.
"Nix!" I reach a hand out towards him, but the man carrying me heads for the exit. "Wait, we have to go back for Nix!"
"No, we don't." The wolf snarls. "He's of no importance to us. They're asking for girls that look like you, not boys that look like him. He can die. You, on the other hand, can not."
Tears spring into my eyes. "You have to go back for him!"
He doesn't try and argue, and just continues up till she's on the deck. There's the lady from before - I can tell seeing as she's still wearing the red heels from before - and a few other wolves are around her. Now, I get a good look at what's happening to the boat in the straight we're in, and I become even more afraid for Nix. His biggest worry might not have to be the fact that the ship is sinking anymore.
On the left, a large whirlpool spins round and round, and above it a fig tree in full leaf somehow grows. Teeth jut out from the water in rings, looking very frightening, and them seem to spin along with the water. Netting and bits of rubble - and possibly the remains of creatures - seem to be stuck to the teeth.
On the right, I see an even more frightening creature. There's a cliff on that side - and probably a cave up there as well - and twelve, large, long crimson tentacles drape down from it. They appear to be almost like legs, and I can tell that this must be the monster that broke the boat open. The red reminds me of blood, which is even more offsetting. It seems to recline against the rocks as if it's propped up on it's back, and it's even more hideous than I thought when I get a closer look. A large, cat tail that's white and wet hangs down along with the tentacles, although it's a bit shorter than the tentacles. It swings around a little, moving the tentacles around as it does. Six necks sprout from the body, each looking rather scaly and deathly pale. The heads on five of them look like fair maidens at first. I see one with black hair, one with platinum blonde, one with strawberry blonde, one with light brown, and one with red. However, at second glance, I see why these five heads aren't fair maidens. While their eyes look like they're closed at first glance, I then see that they've actually been sewed shut. It's disturbing, not to mention they also have scaly patches on their face, and a few warts and pimples here and there as well. The last head is the worst though, even though it doesn't have any warts or pimples. It's bald and has scaly patches it's on face, and four eyes adorn their face. The top left eye is emerald green, and the top right eye is chocolate brown, reminding me of my own brown eyes. The bottom right eye is light pink, like cotton candy, and the bottom left eye is blue, much like Prince Teague's. That stings a little when I think about it. This head grins, revealing three rows of sharp teeth, and the other heads smile in suit, revealing they too have the same amount of teeth. What's even worse about this creature is the fact that where it's stomach would be is six more, long, black, scaly necks. They sprout out and weave back in fourth angrily, and their heads are the heads of dogs. These dogs are the same as the necks, although they are furry and not scaly. They look to be a mix of dobermans and wolves, and have glowing, red eyes. They bark, howl, snarl, and growl as they move, seeming to grow impatient.
It's a very frightening sight, especially when I'm already having lots of trouble. This is what I get for being careless. I never should've let us fall asleep on that beach. Now I'm paying the price.
The lady and most of the wolves - besides the one that's steering the ship - seem to be conversing, but the wolf holding me doesn't seem to care all that much in joining in. He just seems to be listening. So, I decide to risk talking to him.
"What's happening?" I ask nervously.
The wolf heaves a sigh. "Stupid Claire decided we'd take the quicker route to the port city we intended to get to, so she took us through the strait we're now in instead of around it. She decided to tell us after it was too late to shift routes that this strait happens to contain two deadly sea monsters. Charybdis," He jerks his head to the left slightly, "and Scylla," he then jerks his head to the right slightly, almost tapping me with it seeing as I've been slung over his shoulder like a rag doll. "Surely you know who those two beasts are?"
"I know now." I say bitterly. I vaguely remember those two names being mentioned in a Greek Mythology elective I took, but I don't remember anything about them besides that. It's a shame really. It would've been helpful for this situation. "But I thought they were fake. That's the reason it's called mythology, isn't it? And even if they aren't fake, why aren't they in Greece?"
The wolf chuckles rather harshly. "People always say things they haven't seen are fake. You should never believe the majority. Those are normally the believers. As for why they're here, well, that's the Prince's doing." Yet again something reminds of Prince Teague, and my hands curl up around the fur as I cling to the wolf to try and ignore the fact that the ship is sinking. "He pulled them into the Grimorie. Some Fae say it was for the safety of other Fae, because they existed on the Fae plane and not in Greece. Other Fae say it was a punishment for the monsters. Lots of Fae inside here say it's a punishment for the Fae who are trapped in here. I myself believe that he put them here as an obstacle and punishment for the Grimm girls he sends in here."
That strikes me hard in the heart. The Prince might've put them in here to cause issues for my ancestors and me. That's awful.
"Why are we going so close to the one on the right? Scylla?" I ask, almost afraid to know, although I'm more afraid that I might already know.
"Charybdis is a whirlpool, so we'd likely all die and the ship would be destroyed if we sailed close to her. Claire decided it's better to sail closer to Scylla. Each of her dog head's pulls one person from the ship away and only one, so we'll only lose six Fae that way. We weren't expecting her to smash the ship, although I suppose you can guess why she did. Most likely she intends to pull someone away from down there. Or she's gotten smart and decided she might as well kill us all." That horrifies me.
His prediction comes true a few seconds later, because I watch a dog head go closer to the water, hovering above it before ducking under. It comes out slowly, pulling someone out with it. Someone with red hair. Someone with beautiful, green eyes that meet mine. Someone who's my best friend.
"Nix!" I scream his name, starting to struggle to try and get away, but I just get held captive tighter so I can't squirm away. "Nix, no!"
He shakes his head slowly, a look of pain on his face. He doesn't want me to be hurt by what's happening. He doesn't want me to go after him, not that that sways my choice in the least. The dog head begins to pull him away, and Nix tries to call something to me, but I don't hear it.
"No, Nix, no!" I howl the words, and my dream comes back to haunt me.
I run over, and instantly I wish I hadn't as I sink to my knees, covering my mouth to try and muffle my scream. Nix is laying in the stream, coloring it red with the blood from a wound on his neck. His red hair is all wet, and that's not even showing his clothing.
As I begin to cry, I try to shake him. "Nix! Nix! Nix, answer me! Please!"
There's no response from him though, and then the stream bubbles into a river, pulling him away.
"No, Nix, no!" I scream, standing waste deep in the water as his body is ripped away. "Nix, come back! No! Please!"
"He's not dead yet." I try to whimper the words to myself, trying to give me some sort of hope to cling to. But I know deep down that it's ridiculous to hope that he's not about to be slaughtered.
"Claire, if you don't come up with a plan soon, we'll all be fish food no matter what, because one of these sea monsters will get us either way!" The wolf at the helm - who I now recognize as the one who was holding me captive yesterday on the beach - shouts, but Claire ignores him.
A minute later, a head snatches that wolf - was his name Lonetree? - away, and then another head goes for Claire. She shoves another wolf into its mouth though, and that wolf is also pulled away howling. I can feel my captor's hold on me slacken a little as the next head comes in, pulling someone in front of us away. Now he's properly distracted.
Four people have been taken. Two more to go.
I seize the opportunity of distraction, elbowing my captor in the head. I would apologize, but he's keeping me from getting to Nix, and so I can't be bothered to feel bad for hurting him. He drops me and I land gracefully on my feet, running towards the side of the ship as the next head swoops down, grabbing another head.
Five Fae gone. Only one more head will come.
Suddenly, I'm overwhelmed as a voice that's not my own enters my head, loud and feminine. What's this? The girl smells as if she's a cursed water Fae, much like myself.
Get out of my head! I sink to the ground, and because it hurts my head, I try to cover my ears. Who are you?
My name is Scylla. The beast says, and I realize that it's the monster up on the cliff that pulled Nix and the wolves away already. I'm not a monster. I'm merely cursed and trying to survive through it, much like you. She pauses, and then says, How can you hear me?
I don't know. I get the words out painfully.
What type of Fae are you, girl? She asks that next.
I'm almost surprised she asks, seeing as she knows I'm cursed. Then again, pretty much everyone seems to know that I'm cursed when they're Fae. I'm a siren.
She seems to chuckle. Now it makes sense. Sirens are normally able to understand all sea creatures. I'm surprised you didn't start understanding me sooner. Of course, you probably didn't even know I was speaking. Only those stupid canines can even hear the wavelengths my sound comes at. You could probably Charybdis too, if she was speaking.
You've met sirens before? I ask, suddenly interested.
In the background I hear someone saying, "Get up!" as they shake me, but I ignore them.
Indeed. I could tell you many stories. I can tell you are very uneducated when it comes to your kind, and Fae in general. Give me a chance to do so. She says, and I frown, confused.
"What do you me-" I say out loud, but then get my answer as a dog head weaves forward, waking me out of the 'trance' of sorts that I was in.
The wolf that was holding me captive shoves me out of the way, trying to save me, but the dog head shoves past him, grabbing me instead. It doesn't bite in, and instead drags me upwards gently, as if it means to not hurt me. Maybe it doesn't mean to.
"Mina!" The wolf howls my name, and I turn my head to look at him in surprise, unsure of how he knows that.
My surprise quickly turns to horror when I see his eyes. I didn't seem them before. This is the first time I do, and it hits me hard. The right eye is blue. The left eye is gray. Slowly, they transform into a form I know better. The form of Prince Teague.
It was him all along.
He transforms into a griffin, taking into the air. At first, I think he's going to come after this dog head and try and pull me away. Instead, he flies upwards and away, leaving me alone to face whatever I'm about to face.
The head releases me on the cliff, and I turn to find me staring upwards at the hideous, bald head of Scylla. "Where's Nix?" I can't stop myself from asking, but I instantly regret it.
She doesn't respond verbally. Instead, she responds with an imagine. I see Nix, bleeding out of his neck just like I imagined in my dream. The raven-haired head approaches quickly, and right as I realize that it's about to eat him, I shoo the image away.
"How could you?" I wail the words, tears pouring out of my eyes.
My head pounds a little. I told you, Mina. I'm cursed, just like you. I have to survive, just like you.
I sink to my knees, crying as I watch the remainder of the ship sink, and the floundering Fae below either go under or get dragged towards the whirlpool. "No, you killed my best friend!"
The edge of the tentacle pokes me and spins me around to face the bald head once more, and it grins a little, once again showing it's three rows of teeth. Now now. I saved your life. You're extremely entertaining, and I'd like to learn more about you. You can ask me any questions you want, as well. However, if you try to escape, I'll have to kill you sooner rather than later, as I'm currently planning. After all, my one head hasn't eaten yet.
I gulp, realizing that everything is much worse now, and shove my head into my hands as I begin to full out sob. I was abandoned by the Prince. I lost my best friend. I'm going to be eaten by this evil, maniacal, insane monster. None of this is okay.
Woah, that's a lot going on! And that was actually kind of sad too, although not as sad as some character deaths I've written. Were you guys prepared for that, considering how often I warned you with that dream, or was it still unexpected? Now that two things from the dream have come true, what exactly are you guys thinking about the rest of the dream? I asked before if you guys thought it was all symbolic, all literal, or a mix of both. Since we know it's not all symbolic, do you guys think it's all literal or a mix of literal and symbolic? Also, what was your reactions to all that?
It only goes downhill from here. c; I mean, uhhhhhh, everything will get better. Haha, ya, that's exactly what I meant. xD Please review guys, and let me know what you guys think! I'm super excited to update this and show you what other twists and turns I have coming! :p
~ Dagger