Diving Into You | Fred Weasley

71 | Scylla's Rock

The wooden floor boards of the deck were damp from the crashing waves. Not only seconds ago, Naia nearly fell overboard when the sea monster, Scylla decided to twist their wards one way like a giant crystal ball. As a result, everyone had fallen and slid towards the down side of the deck.

"Ventus!"

"Ventus Maxima!" George and Fred yelled one after the other as soon as they resumed their footing. The plan was to keep the shield up while the others blew strong gusts of wind towards the direction of freedom. With their wards entrapping them within, it would blow the entire ship away from the clutches of Scylla.

If only Naia had her gift, she could have frozen the damn monster and blow them away into safety. But she didn't. So she grit her teeth and chanted "Ventus Maxima!" over and over again to get themselves to slip from Scylla's grip-like hold.

The monster shrieked, her heads biting and chomping on the wards desperately to devour them all. Maria winced from her position on the sail view, feet above her friends below her. Her task was to keep the ship from toppling over by casting unmoving charms.

"Stabilis Momentum! Stabiliendum statera!" She cried repeatedly, directing her wand to tips of the ship that rose up and rocked them backwards. Matty and Ardeas remained on the open deck, muttering the shield incantations to seal each crack made to their wards- which was now appearing every second.

"Bloody hell, how many arms does this bitch have?!" Fred cried out when another tentacle wrapped around their wards right in front of him. He winced in disgust at the sight of the giant slimy suckers. "Bah, disgusting!"

"This is ruining sucking for me," George groaned, chanting another wind spell.

"Blow harder!"

"I'm trying, Daddy!" George mocked, causing Maria to squeal in laughter from above them.

"And this is ruining blowing for me." Naia groaned.

"Don't say that, babe! We haven't even gotten to our honeymoon!" Fred chimed.

"IF YOU FOOLS DON'T CONCENTRATE YOU WON'T BE ALIVE TO SEE YOUR HONEYMOON!" Matty bellowed.

Scylla gave another powerful cry, causing all the wizards to clutch their ears. Naia's brows furrowed in confusion as she heard it.

"Son of Aeaea! You will pay! Circe will pay!"

Ardeas didn't seem affected by the cry, given he was probably unaware that the monster was shrieking about him. She called upon the ship's captain, voicing out her concerns. She was curious to know why Scylla was so angered by him.

Ardeas blinked at her inquiry, completely dumbfounded that she understood Scylla's cries. He sighed, "She wasn't always like this, you know. She was beautiful once."

"You're JOKING," Fred scoffed.

"I'm not, she was once a beautiful maiden, cursed to become this way."

"What did she do that was so bad to be turned into this- this thing?!" George questioned, casting another wind spell that jerked them forwards.

"Nothing, really. Just be beautiful. Most beautiful maidens at that time were usually cursed or turned into beasts... you know, jealous goddesses and all that. Glaucus, a mortal turned immortal prophetic god of the sea fell in love with her."

"So who was the jealous goddess that turned her into this monster?!" Naia asked. She couldn't believe that this terrible beast used to be a harmless woman.

"Well actually, it was Circe..." Ardeas uttered sheepishly.

"WHAT?! The sorceress we're visiting to ask for a FAVOR?!" Maria cried.