Day 12

Midnight. Not that anyone would realize, down here in the darkness. The only light down here is from local sources.

Glowing jellyfish.

Anglerfish.

Viperfish.

Myself, the squid.

The thirteen foot tall humanoid woman posing like a Greek goddess, stark naked.

Uh... the last one is different I'll grant you. She has legs for one. Human ones...

In fact the only part of her that is inhuman beyond the size as far as I can tell is that her eyes are glowing. A swirling red and yellow light within the eyes trying to fight for dominance and ending up in a cycle.

That and she's talking underwater, two miles deep, without a care in the world.

Her hair is white. Not some faded white... but purest white, so clean it hurts the eyes.

Her breasts are bountiful and perky.

Everything about her is so perfect and beautiful it is oppressive.

I keep waiting for the catch...

“A demigod and a titan, here in our domain. If we had known we'd have rolled out the red carpet... not that we have one.” [Mystery Woman] “So here you are, so very, very young, intruding in my area of repose. Well I have no issue with you, so far. That depends on exactly why you are here, godling.”

(Grrr.) [Kraken]

“I'm actually not too sure, to be honest... something about earthquakes coming from nearby. I'm just the errand boy... I'll be out of your pretty hair as soon as I know what is going on and crush it.” [Squid] “Also while I myself am nameless, I would like to ask yours.”

She looks at me with a quirked eyebrow and a small smile. “Manners... interesting. Well as you might have guessed the one behind me is my friend, a kraken. He has no name as he cannot speak, an unusual specimen. As for myself I am Charybdis. Not 'a' Charybdis, 'the only' Charybdis. I am often called a titan, but that is mostly based on legend... what I am is the last original titan. Your whale there and my kraken are both new bloods. I have ripped asunder gods and trampled demigods. I am as old as the ocean itself.” [Charybdis] “... and you dear, what is your name?”

“Uh...” [Francis]

“Come now dear, that won't do at all. Surely you have a name.” [Charybdis]

“Uh...” The terrified whale remained tongue tied.

“Her name is Francis. From the sounds of it, you don't intend to hinder us. Then I would like to wish you well and leave. Even I'm not stupid enough to pick a fight with you. My sixth sense is damn near making me deaf. It is screaming that I'm an ant facing a tiger... or perhaps you would prefer a crab facing a kraken?” [Squid]

“I understood both, thank you. As to you, I have no issue with you. However you are on an errand... who provided that task?” [Charybdis]

“That ass, the god of frozen aqua.” [Squid]

“Oh. I see. Well in that case, I'll have to kill you.” [Charybdis Cheerfully]

“...” [Squid]

“If you're curious... well I have had several skirmishes with the bastard over the past dozen millenia. Never in person, or he would already be dead. No he sends his 'chosen' in my direction to annoy me and destroy the competition. Either way I help him but at least he will still suffer somewhat from this encounter as his power wanes from this disaster you were sent to avert.” [Charybdis] “Kraken, heel.”

(Whine.) [Kraken]

“Francis... go to the surface. This is something well out of your league. Besides, you're only here as a favor to me, I don't want you killed on my behalf.” [Squid]

“But...” [Francis]

“I said leave. You will die. I can feel it, with my sense... my own fate is not as certain.” [Squid]

“Leave, you will not even survive the crossfire.” [Charybdis]

“Francis... please. I cannot use my full potential if you are in the way. I need it here.” [Squid]

“But... I got this strong to help you... and now you say I am anchor? I can help. I can take that giant octopus...” [Francis]

“I know you can... but he will never fight. Charybdis wants to fight alone. She will destroy you.” [Squid]

“I... I'm sorry I'm a burden...!” The sobbing whale cries as it leaves.

“Hey, Charybdis. I had nothing against you, I feel the same way about the damn god I serve. But you made me hurt Francis like that... I hope you're prepared. Because bitch, I won't hold back.” [Squid]

“Bitch... a female dog? Is that some modern insult? Fascinating...” [Charybdis]

I send a permafrost spear at the woman. She watches as it comes. She watches as it strikes her chest. She watches as I send shards of ice spreading from the wound, cutting at her vitals. She pulls the spear free.

“I'm immune to cold, ice, water, heat, fire and to magic.” Charybdis states without a care.

“I know the story about you... you are a living whirlpool, a waterspout or a tornado. Whatever form you currently wear is obviously an idealized delusion.” [Squid]

“The stories were wrong.” [Charybdis] “I am the embodiment of the void. Also your thoughts are wrong. I have no form but what I choose. This is me, nothing more or less.”

“The 'void' I don't like the sound of that...” [Squid]

“Experience it and begone. I devour you, squid as I do all of existence.” [Charybdis]

She opened her mouth and pearly teeth. Behind that was... nothing. Endless darkness. The ocean burst into movement, drawn toward the depths of this gap in reality.

Shit! She has a literal tear in the fabric of space in her mouth!

No wonder she destroys gods... that is a one-way ticket to oblivion.

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I can at least control my movement in the water enough to keep out of the direct path of the suction.

She is practically a miniature black hole! A continent scale vacuum cleaner.

The water is being ripped away... I reach out with water dominance and resist the flow. Full force I can only blunt her power, it is far superior.

She seems frustrated.

She stops her suction, switching to a direct attack. Perhaps to use her power point blank.

I send a scouring surge of water carrying sand at her. She steps back, annoyed.

I finally find what I need, as I send the sand at her by the ton.

Buried beneath the detritus of ages I find solid objects.

A giant in my form made of permafrost rises at my side. She smiles at the novelty of the sight.

I send it at her, a hundred foot Colossus in the shape of a squid.

She doesn't evade, treating the arms as 'merely' ice.

Her face looks puzzled as she feels pain and looks down at the injuries.

The bones of whales and large fish pierce her body, as the claws of my puppet.

“Bones! Sand! Marvelous!” [Charybdis screams]

Don't tell me... she's a battle junkie?!

Her body warps and twists, the bones drawn into the same nothingness as the one in her mouth...

Holy shit! She is entirely a thin shell around that anomaly!

All my collected bones are gone, the ice statue, little more than an obstruction is swallowed too.

I need more weapons. My knowledge gives me the answer.

Sea water... is not a clean substance.

It is not a pure solution of salt, water and oxygen. It is a cocktail of so many ingredients it is amazing.

If water won't do it... I form a spear made from the dissolved gold in the water as I blind her with a blast of sand that would scrape the bones off a whale

She opens her mouth and takes all the sand and water with her power. I run her through from behind as she does.

She stops, surprised by the gleaming metal emerging from her right breast.

I jam a thin blade formed of iron into her left eye.

She laughs, echoing maniac glee.

I thrust a harpoon of calcium down her temporarily normal mouth.

She gags but continues her laughter.

This thing... how do you kill her?!

I draw a bubble of pure water and distill from the sea pure sodium in metal form. Several pounds of the highly energetic, soft metal. I place it on her back and flee, igniting it with a second bubble of oxygen.

The blast sends her flying apart, in a wave of intense light and heat.

Yes!

The pieces stop and return to the point of origin.

No!

She is still there with a smile like a blood thirsty angel...

“Fun...” [Charybdis]

“Eh?” [Squid]

“You are fun!” [Charybdis]

“...” [Squid]

“Who cares about that stupid god, who can't even make me feel alive? I have you... you are mine.” [Charybdis]

“Wait... who are you to claim ownership of me?! I own you and I'll blow you to pieces and tear you apart until you understand it!” [Squid]

“Fine, fine. I'm yours then... It is same thing.” [Charybdis]

Wait... did I just get played like Daffy Duck during rabbit season?

“Either way... we'll be together forever...” [Charybdis] “Imagine the battles we'll take part in, the gods and mortals we'll obliterate... oh I'm getting wet...”

“I think that's because we're in the ocean...” [Squid]

“You're funny too... I'm really happy right now.” [Charybdis]

“You aren't happy often?” [Squid]

“No, I've had so few things that last or do things that surprise me... but a weird, young demigod seems to be exactly what I need...” [Charybdis]

“So you have had other boyfriends?” [Squid]

“Some... but they die, or I kill them because they try to kill me... it is all so dull. I can't have children, being what I am... so I just explore the world to pass the time.” [Charybdis]

“Well at the very least... I can help there... if you want one child or a school of them.” [Squid]

“I cannot have children with any male.” [Charybdis]

“I just had a child with an uncooperative man, I think I impregnating a willing female will be easier. Besides it is a supernatural power rather than a biological one.” [Squid]

“How did you gain such a strange power?” She asked edging closer.

“That damn god of the sea wanted to bully me.” [Squid]

“Hmm. Well, you still will have to complete the task you were given if you want to be a god yourself but how about after that we go find the god of the sea and destroy him?” [Charybdis]

“It's a date.” [Squid]

What we learned this chapter:

The god of frozen aqua just tried to murder squid via Charybdis.

The god of frozen aqua is now boned.

New, scary, unstoppable girlfriend. With pet pooch.

Also... yandere...

What we didn't see...

Kraken cowering pitifully...

Squid Jr talks Yumi into trying to fight another sea creature... she chooses a large sponge. The current whips it into her face.

Masochistic sole tries to get stepped on by the twins... becomes their dinner, to his delight.

... well there you have it for the week folks. Tune in for remaining five chapters... things are about to heat up...

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Next chapter late sunday/early monday...