Charybdis

Rayne wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to be looking at.

Whatever it was wasn’t much bigger than a very large hound—the woolly, grey kind that hunted big game and were kept by lords in very fine manor houses. Only this wasn’t a very fine manor house, his employers weren’t lords and whatever that thing was, it definitely wasn’t a wolfhound. The creature certainly drooled enough for one, though. In fairness, the thing had two mouths so expecting it to produce a normal amount of drool was unrealistic. Indeed, it appeared to have two of practically everything; two mouths, two paws, two hooves, two sets of eyes and two sets of horns…that were infused with glowing pink shards of something for some reason.

Its face however, was still remarkably canine. Judging by the way its burning pink eyes regarded Rayne with amiable stupidity, it didn’t appear to be in any pain, either. It merely cocked its shaggy head before loping over to sniff Artus’ boots.

The tall man bent to pet the creature’s coarse black fur and Rayne caved.

“…What is it?” He asked finally, pretending he was as undisturbed by all this as his companion.

“It’s supposed to be a chimera.” Lathae said defensively, shrugging deeper into their tattered robes.

“That is not a chimera.”

“Don’t you think we know that?” Odile demanded and Rayne could practically feel the Necromancer rolling their eyes behind the skull helm they wore.

“Where’s its mane?” Artus glanced up from where he was scratching the creature’s jaw long enough to ask the question before almost immediately losing interest.

“We couldn’t find a lion.” Lathae explained.

“—Or a snake.” Odile butted in. “So we had to make some substitutions.” That Rayne was the only one who was perturbed by this was not surprising.

“…With WHAT!?”