Sea Monster Charybdis - (2)
Charybdis, Poseidon’s daughter, had incurred Zeus’s wrath due to her insatiable appetite. She devoured ambrosia and nectar without restraint, and even sucked entire ships down into the depths, swallowing them whole.
"Poseidon, exactly how large is your daughter?"
"Not very large, really. She’s tiny compared to Typhon’s waist."
"In what world is that ‘tiny’?"
Typhon, whose shoulders reached the heavens and head brushed the stars, was a true giant. Comparing her to Typhon only made it clear just how enormous Charybdis must be.
Given her size, it’s no surprise she had an endless appetite. Zeus’s reaction to strike her with lightning in a moment of anger was understandable.
"Could you send a message to Olympus and request Demeter’s presence?"
"Demeter? Why her?"
"If I simply order her to curb her appetite, she’s not likely to listen. But if we arrange to provide her with blessed grains from Demeter, she may stop attacking sailors."
"Hmm... that’s... well, I’d considered that too, but would Demeter agree to help my daughter?"
Poseidon stroked his beard, turning his head slightly away. The last time Persephone went missing, he’d tried to do something involving Demeter—attempting to approach her in a way that, in all likelihood, was not exactly honorable.
Perhaps he tried to force a relationship, but either way, relations between them had turned icy since then. Convincing Demeter would take some effort.
"Hah. This is all because you looked at Demeter with those lecherous eyes last time, isn’t it?"
"Lecherous? I was just offering her ‘comfort’..."
"Comfort? Who offers ‘comforting looks’ to a grieving mother searching for her missing daughter?"
"Ahem! That’s enough, let’s move on from the past!"
This is utterly exasperating. Should I just beat some sense into Charybdis myself and order her to stop devouring people? No, she’s already been struck by Zeus’s lightning, and as Gaia’s daughter...
"Just tell Demeter you owe her a favor."
"Debt? Isn’t that a bit much?"
"Don’t want to? Fine. Then let Charybdis continue devouring humans and taking their curses along with it. Since you always grow soft with your daughter, I’m offering to discipline her myself. But if you dislike the idea of a debt to Demeter that much, I guess that’s that."
"...?"
"Mortal sailors pay tribute to you for safe passage, yet if Charybdis keeps swallowing entire ships, there will be talk of the sea god who can’t even protect his own dominion. No wonder you lost the city to Athena. If I were an Athenian, I’d have chosen her too. Tch."
My taunts seemed to work; Poseidon’s expression darkened considerably.
"A god of the sea who turns a blind eye while his child devours every sentient creature she finds... that’s..."
"Fine, I get it! I’ll consider it a debt to Demeter if that makes you happy!"
"Good. The humans will sing of your mercy."
A bit more prodding, and he gives in easily enough. But that should do; if I go on any longer, he might lose his temper.
"So, you summoned me from Olympus while I was resting peacefully?"
Demeter had arrived in the depths of the ocean, glancing between Poseidon and me. Her gaze showed complete bewilderment at being summoned by two of the Three Gods of Olympus.
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"Yes, since there’s an opportunity for Poseidon here to owe you a favor, I thought you might be willing to help."
She looked at Poseidon with a look that was hard to read—one that seemed anything but pleased.
"Hmph. So, you’ve finally decided to manage your children? Let’s hope that commitment lasts, Poseidon."
"Well... I would’ve preferred to let her be, but Hades made some valid points."
"So what exactly do you need me to do?"
Thankfully, it seemed Demeter was willing to cooperate. Though she did throw the occasional irritated look our way, she was clearly tolerating this for the sake of my connection with Persephone and Charybdis’s recent actions. Poseidon, too, seemed aware of this and kept his thoughts to himself.
"By using your blessings of abundance to produce food..."
"Demeter, you embody the opposite force of the goddess Limus, the deity of hunger. So..."
"I will instruct humans passing near Charybdis’s domain to offer sacrifices in the sea to appease her hunger."
"If even a small amount fills her, that should keep her satisfied."
"Poseidon, couldn’t you just go and convince her yourself?"
"I still feel it’s best to let her act as she wishes..."
"It’s no wonder Charybdis turned out this way."
Thus, Poseidon, Demeter, and I discussed ways to appease Charybdis. Using brute force would be difficult given that her parents were both titans in their own way.
Demeter would channel her blessings of abundance to produce food that would be stored in temples. Poseidon would issue an oracle, instructing mortals to offer this blessed food whenever they sailed near Charybdis’s domain. Additionally, we would regularly deliver ambrosia, nectar, and sea food to Charybdis.
Finally,
"I cannot swear by the River Styx, but... I promise by my trident."
"Good. I’ll call on you when I need a favor, Poseidon."
With that, Poseidon now owed Demeter a debt. Though he wouldn’t be obligated to fulfill extreme demands, she now had the right to ask for a favor from the god of the sea.
"Finally, it’s all settled. Now let’s go have a word with your daughter."
Poseidon closed his mouth with a bitter expression. This could all have been avoided if he had disciplined his children earlier. Well, at least he was showing some sense now.
Riding on the back of a divine dolphin provided by Poseidon, I made my way to Charybdis’s location. The sea was calm, with a light breeze, and in the distance, I could see a ship sailing by.
The dolphin carrying me came to a halt, so I stepped onto the water's surface and looked around. It seemed we had arrived. Below, I could sense a powerful aura—Charybdis herself, no doubt.
In terms of power, she seemed to rank above Triton. Then again, her mother was Gaia, and she herself was a goddess.
"Hmm?"
As I considered my approach, I noticed the surrounding water starting to flow downward. No, it was more like Charybdis herself was rising toward the surface, pulling the seawater down with her.
A whirlpool formed in the middle of the ocean as a massive figure began to emerge. The whirlpool was Charybdis.
In the center of this whirlpool, lined with enormous teeth, everything was being drawn inward. And naturally, the human ship sailing nearby was no exception.
"Aaaagh! L-Look! A sea monster!"
"Our ship’s being pulled into that whirlpool, into the monster’s mouth...!"
"Lord Poseidon, please save us...!"
"Are we going to die here? Row, faster!"
"I’m already rowing as hard as I can!"
The mortals aboard the ship were in a panic, praying desperately to the gods and gripping their oars so tightly their hands bled in their effort to escape. Some were weeping in resignation, while others stared with bloodshot eyes into the whirlpool.
Whoooosh
I am the god of the underworld. I cannot command the sea and water as Poseidon does, nor can I soar through the air like Hermes to rescue humans, nor open a rainbow path like Iris to evacuate them.
But I do have enough power to stop Charybdis from sucking down the sea.
Sorry, Poseidon. I’m going to have to rough up your daughter a bit.
The captain of the unfortunate ship, caught in the waters where Charybdis resided, clenched his teeth. He had heard stories of disappearances in the area, but to discover the cause was a sea monster...
If only he’d known, he would have chosen a different route entirely.
Whoooosh
But... was that really just a monster?
The whirlpool, with sharp teeth as if devouring the sea itself, displayed a divine ferocity.
"Sob... M-Mother!"
"We should never have boarded... Am I going to meet Thanatos here?"
"Didn’t we offer sacrifices to Lord Poseidon before setting sail? Then why..."
"It must be that Poseidon found our offering unworthy!"
The crew was in complete despair, some letting go of their oars entirely.
Who could blame them? How could ordinary mortals possibly escape this monstrous vortex, consuming the surrounding seawater and everything in its path? Even the strongest demigod would feel helpless before such a mythological creature.
The captain closed his eyes, praying to Poseidon one last time. He was seventy years old, a devout follower of the sea god his entire life, calling out to him now with all his heart.
"O gods of Olympus! My lord Poseidon! Please, have mercy on us!"
The shouts of the crew, the sounds of sobbing and wailing... And then...
■■■■■■!!!!!
A thunderous roar...?
The captain opened his eyes, his hands instinctively covering his ears, and his eyes filled with tears as he gazed at the miraculous sight.
The captain and the crew fell to their knees, joining their hands in reverent gratitude.
"I will guide you to a safe place."
A towering black pillar rose between the sea and sky, obliterating everything in its path, and before them stood a god.
"It is not yet your time to come to the underworld."
They were saved.