Between Scylla and Charybdis

Chapter 19.

Pain. Again. Accompanied by a feeling of helplessness and dread. Then silence. The sliding of stone against stone eventually stopped, along with the wailing of nearby Mer. Whether that meant the stone blocked out their screams or they were crushed, Charybdis didn't know.

He pulled the tiny female closer until she stirred against his chest. That sign of life was enough to calm at least some of his nerves. He only just got her back, losing her again wasn't an option. Orange bioluminescent marks scattered across her arms, tail and face lit up the narrow space they were in. Stone surrounded them from all sides. This was bad...

'Are we alive? Is it over?' Scylla whispered when the rumbling ceased for a long enough time.

'It would seem so. For now at least.' If this was an earthquake, there could be aftershocks. If it was an earthquake. Charybdis had his doubts.

Scylla raised her head, taking in their little cell. Her ears drooped as she realized what he already knew. They were trapped. What little room they had, was barely enough for them to turn around in, let alone swim. Her hands brushed up against the rocks, smoothing over the cracks and checking for an opening.

'Do you think we can dig ourselves out?' Her eyes met his. Hopeful.

'Which way is out?' He sighed. 'Besides, we can't dig through stone...'

Unperturbed, Scylla pushed a claw against his chest.

'Well, can't you do something to get us out?'

'Something?' Repeating her words back, Charybdis cocked his head to the side, staring at the little female.

'You have fancy blood magic, don't you.' She grunted, trying to suppress any anger still very much in her system. He took her anger as a positive sign. It meant she wasn't scared.

Ah yes. He was a blood witch now. A renegade mer gifted with dark magic. That might have been accurate at one point in his life, except at some point, all blood witches die. They burn fast and bright, leaving chaos in their wake, only to curl up and perish when they inevitably run out of strength and their bodies crumble.

Not him.

He lived. For hundreds of years now. Growing stronger beyond any scope a blood witch could hope to accomplish. How? Charybdis liked to think he was smarter than the others. Self sufficient and cunning. Though in truth, his body was probably better suited to handle the strain. Or maybe he just got lucky.

It was probably best if Scylla didn't know that though. She seemed equipped to handle the idea of him being a blood witch. Handling it relatively well even, despite the circumstances. Or perhaps she hadn't processed it yet. Either way, She didn't need to know of his status as a hag just yet. It was safer that way. Definitely.

Staring at the wall of stone in front of them, he didn't know how much of it there was between them and freedom. Diz wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He wasn't even sure if Charybdis could...

'I'm not sure. Let's wait for the rocks to settle. I don't want any of them to slide on top of us.'

Picturing that happening, Scylla instinctively recoiled away from the wall. And into him. The feel of her dorsal fin against his abdomen sent a shiver up his neck, but now definitely wasn't the time. He'd let his emotions get the better of him today already. Not a mistake he was about to make for a second time.

'Then what do we do?' She sighed, clutching her arms to her chest.

'We wait. Maybe help will come from the outside. You are to be the matron after all. They'll be looking for you. Knowing Agathis, she'll personally look underneath every stone if that's what it takes...'