Within moments, we were off and sailing through the ocean in a convoy. Ares had been happy to supply a steady crew of quality soldiers to supply the ships, rather he was once he realized I was with the expedition. Something about his smile always put me on edge, but maybe that was the constant feeling of bloodlust that followed. Everytime he got near me I felt like killing enough people to warrant a one way ticket to Tartarus, or maybe just being one body short.
"Turns out The Spanish did lose a war," Leonidas said, looking at the old frigate's enclosing us from all sides.
"Yes, yes they did. Good job Leonidas, we'll make a history professor of you yet," Andromeda said, rubbing her eyes, her dark circles forming once more.
I held back a laugh as Jason was staring at him, almost like he couldn't believe Leonidas was a Son of Ares. Or rather that he could, but couldn't process that a son of a War God didn't know War; Even it was one Jason didn't hear of. Jason sighed deeply looking over the deck of his once great ship.
"Feeling nostalgic Argonaut Jason?" I smiled.
"Happy to not be dead yet, everytime this ship has been summoned I suffer the same fate over and over," He pointed up at the mast. "That mast always falls on me when my service is up."
"Oh…" I said looking up at the mast. "Is that how you-"
"Yes. No hero gets a happy ending, we all die and cross The Styx. For better or for worse, Misery loves company and Heroes drown in Misery's embrace towards the end. The ink ends where we die, but the mind remembers stories," Jason stood straight.
"You should consider Poetry, Jason," Andromeda stepped up to the helm. "Or atleast writing a book."
Like clockwork, Andromeda had another energy drink in her hand. I don't even know where she got it or how anymore, but it wouldn't surprise me if I went below deck and found a garbage bag or suitcase filled with them. Maybe a summoning circle for the canned drink god, that or an angry Hekate with tape over her mouth summoning them for her. Andromeda never did tell me how powerful she was, but I knew that the moon's phases influenced it. The less Helios reflected light off of the moon, the greater her power though I had seen her pull some powerful spells off in broad daylight. I also knew that most other kids of Selene were horrified of her, even kids of Nyx, which is why she wasn't friends with most other magic users. I'm sure if I could sense magic I would avoid her as well, which is a blessing in itself that I can't. I can't imagine a life without her, let alone a life where I was afraid of her.
"How would I publish a book when I'm dead?…" Jason asked, looking towards Andromeda.
"Haunt the living," Andromeda smiled.
"Possess a mortal!" Leonidas shouted.
"Ask a god for help?" I shrugged.
For a moment, the four of us stared at eachother. I don't think the difference in our problem solving was as visible as it was before now. Andromeda's solutions usually involved mischief or magic, if I didn't know her Divine Parent I would've guessed she was a Daughter of Loki. Leonidas offered the straightforward answer, breakthrough it instead of wasting time finding a way around it. I did my best to give the most reasonable and less time consuming answer, though I often took their approaches and found a compromise. Jason looked horrified at the varying responses though, he just shook his head and looked down.
Suddenly, I saw his facial expression change. Leonidas turned around and started shouting commands as the convoy tightened, straight ahead of us were two mountains with a narrow strait between them. Scylla and Charybdis waited there calmly, like they were watching our every move. Scylla, a being cursed by Circe to be a hideous monster that could drive men mad, would be more problematic of the two. Charybdis was a different beast, a creature of the sea who Poseidon couldn't control. Seeing the beast could make one blind, but not many lived to tell the tale of the never ending whirlpool.
Now my struggle was which mountain was which, I turned to Jason who sat there calmly as his nails dug into the wood of his ship.
"Which mountain belong to Scylla!" I shouted, shaking him.
"It doesn't matter! Just watch for Charybdis, Scylla will find us on her own terms!" Jason shouted back, watching the water closely.
What did he mean by that, I thought Scylla was—
Singing, I heard singing, coming from the water. Soft, silky singing that was as sweet on the ear like honey. Was that Scylla? The woman cursed to an existence worse than death, the sea became glass as the wind was cut short like Aeolus himself was scared to come near. The ships came to a standstill, breaking out oars to start rowing.
"ROW DAMMIT! ROW!" Leonidas shouted, standing on the railing.
The ironclad pushed forward, as the singing intensified. Growing closer and closer, breaking through the water. I drew my weapons but Jason put his arm infront of me, the singing sounded like it was under us. Finally, I was able to make out words. A song about Circe pierced the air, filling the atmosphere with dread.
Cursed by the Princess of The Sun, never to be one on land.
Bound to the water for my years.
String to never be touched by the Morai, I wander by my mountain.
Just beyond the reach of the sand.
Death has found you.
Lurking under the water.
You will be one with The Styx.
You will be one with me, soon.
"Leo! Command the ship behind us to light torches! Andromeda, keep us —"
She breached the water, a, large, beautiful woman with black hair that dropped past her chest. Her eyes were a sickly green, and her torso was replaced by six monstrous heads. Four of which were eels the size of skyscrapers, but the two in the middle had dragon heads of the same size with scales smoothed back.
"Hello~" she smiled, with large, razor sharp, teeth the size of a person. Two snake fangs the size of our mast, shot out adding on to her hideous smile.
Scylla, often regarded as the undisputed Queen of The Realm of Monsters was before our ship. She towered over it, as her heads flailed about. A hand with claws that were almost as long as the ship pointed towards us, and her hair flared about like a cobra's hood.
"Feast, my children." She smiled wider, her mouth opening up further showing more teeth. Her jaw unhinging like a snake's, this was the true horror of the strait. Being stuck between Scylla and Charybdis.