Silver Spirits

It had been four weeks since they had left the Ghost Cay. They were swiftly approaching the Cave of Sorrows, and Ben was growing frustrated.

"Captain, we need to go around the cave."

"So we can waste more time, have our supplies dwindle, and pass right by a port? Terribly convenient for you I'd say. Come now, Commander. Surely you can do better than that."

"Captain this is not some half brained escape attempt. The cave is dangerous. We should go around or-"

"Griffith, I asked you for the directions described on the map. I did not ask for your opinion. Percy, steer us into the cave."

"Aye, Captain."

Ben gritted his teeth and strode away from Scarlett, who stood on the small balcony outside her state room looking like she didn't have a care in the world. Ben knew she was still feeling triumphant about cozying up to Emily. Ben found it tremendously ironic that Scarlett had scolded him for underestimating Emily and yet she clearly didn't realize how clever Emily truly was. She had been taking advantage of her new freedom to learn everything she could about the ship and its new upgrades. Her innocence and charm made her perhaps the most valuable member of Ben's crew in their current predicament. Though he still immensely didn't like having her out of his sight so much; he didn't trust the men of Scarlett's crew and he certainly didn't trust Scarlett. Emily was a smart girl but also a sweet and slightly naive one. She may not realize that Scarlett was using and manipulating her.

Emily was sitting outside the galley, peeling potatoes for Cook. Ben crouched beside her.

"Em, I want you to stay on high alert when we get into the Cave of Sorrows. Do you remember the fencing lessons I gave you when you were younger?"

She frowned. "Of course. Ben, what's going on?"

"If you can get a sword, take it, and use it. If you can't, get off the deck. Understand?"

"Yes, but what-"

"Just trust me on this, Em." He planted a kiss on the top of her head and went in search of his other crew members. He gave them all the warning in a hushed voice. As they neared the mouth of the darkened cave, Ben approached Scarlett again.

"This is your last chance to change course and go around. Captain Rose, I truly recommend that we not enter this cave."

"I truly recommend that you shut up." Scarlett faced him and crossed her arms over her chest. Ben met her steely state without blinking.

"This is a bad idea," he insisted.

"Are you afraid of the dark, Commander?"

"It's not the dark you need to worry about. It's what lurks in it."

Not everything on the map was written in English. Fortunately for Ben he was a bit of a linguist, and he had deciphered from the map that there were multiple obstacles one must pass before they reached the map's final destination. The storm had been number one. As they sailed into the Cave of Sorrows, they would encounter obstacle number two. Broken pieces of long forgotten ships stuck up out of the water like jagged teeth. Percy steered carefully at the helm, and Ben noticed with some displeasure that Emily had abandoned her potato peeling to join him. It seemed the two of them were spending rather a lot of time around each other since Scarlett had let Emily out of the brig.

There was an ominous silence inside the cave as the shadows lengthened. At first there was only the faint creaking of the ship, but then Ben's ears picked up another sound. A soft, eerie music. The men down on the deck looked around worriedly, hands on the hilts of their swords and hovering near holsters. The song steadily grew louder, echoing off the cave walls. It reached a nearly deafening crescendo, and then abruptly ceased, the final note lingering on. It faded, and the men on deck seemed suddenly relaxed. One of them even started to laugh, and that's when they struck.

Half woman, half sea creature. They had teeth like sharks and their scaly tails whipped across the deck quick as eels as they vaulted out of the water. Ben cursed, leaping over the edge of the balcony to land on the deck below. The man beside him was being gutted by a siren, his gun lying on the ground beside him. Ben grabbed it and fired two shots into the siren's head. She collapsed, body twitching and mouth stained with blood. Ben frantically searched the mass of bodies for Emily. He saw her still near the helm, back to back with Percy, who was still steering the ship. She had a sword in her hand and was slashing at every siren who crept near her, face ashen.

The Silver Spirit was a cacophony of noise. Falling bodies, cries of pain, bloody gurgles, gun fire, the hissing and singing of sirens. One caught Ben's ankle, grinning as she sank her fangs into it. Ben winced and fired aether into her skull, bits of bone and blood splattering the ship. Men screamed as they were pulled from the ship into the water below. There were sickening cracks as a few of them had their chests ripped open. Ben dodged through the fray, shooting anything with scales and fangs. He reached Emily, helping her cover Percy. The giant man was grim faced and determined as he expertly turned the helm and guided the ship among the rocks and ruins.

"Emily look out!" Ben whirled to fire his gun but the siren had already slithered up to Emily and sunk her fangs into Emily's forearm. Emily screamed in pain and Ben sent a shot through the creature's eye. Emily held her arm against herself as blood gushed from the wound. Ben tore a sleeve off of his shirt and wrapped it around her arm to fashion a tourniquet.

"Are you all right?" Percy shouted over the noise. Emily nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Percy swore as another siren reached for his leg. Emily slashed her in the face with the sword, but the distraction made Percy jerk the helm. The ship lurched, smacking against a rock and nearly sending them all tumbling to the ground. Percy grit his teeth and righted the Spirit. The end of the cave was in sight. More sirens concentrated their efforts on trying to attack Percy to prevent the ship from reaching it. One slashed Ben's calves with razor sharp nails before Emily cleanly severed its head.

Another rock scraped the side of the ship as they burst free of the cave and back into the sunlight, the ship jolting hard and knocking Emily off her feet. Ben helped her stand up again as he surveyed the damage.

Scarlett had lost some of her crew, again. Blood and bodies littered the ship; it didn't seem anyone had gone unscathed. Keeping one arm around Emily, Ben searched for his own crew. He found Simon nursing a blow to his head.

"Is everyone accounted for?" he asked. Simon looked solemn.

"We lost Frederick," he said. "One of those bloody creatures pulled him right over the rail."

Ben closed his eyes for a moment, feeling pained.

"Everyone else is alive, but I think Foley and Pensworth are injured pretty badly."

Ben caught sight of Scarlett ascending the steps to the balcony, where she stood staring down at her wailing and moaning crew.

"I need to know whose accounted for," she called. She started rattling off names and men called out who was alive and who was dead.

"I saw Nosebleed take a tumble over the side," one man said. Scarlett didn't seem displeased with this announcement but then a voice called out.

"I'm here Captain!"

Scarlett looked disappointed as Nosebleed crawled over the side of the ship and flopped onto the deck.

"I was able to catch hold of the anchor as I went down," he said proudly.

"Well isn't that wonderful," Scarlett muttered. "Percy set a course due south of here and keep going."

"Yes ma'am."

"Tend to the wounded," Scarlett continued. "Patch yourselves up and throw the dead overboard."

"Watch Emily," Ben instructed. He set off after Scarlett, catching her on the balcony and shoving her against the door of her state room.

"Unhand me this instant," Scarlett hissed.

"Your arrogance is going to get us all killed long before you make it to that treasure," he said in a low voice. "I told you to go around."

"I damn well know what you told me!" Scarlett drew a breath. "Get out of my face, Griffith. I don't need any lectures from you."

Ben noticed blood staining her left sleeve, as well as her side. "You're losing a lot of blood," he remarked. "You should let me help with that."

"I don't need nor do I want your help," Scarlett said with disgust. She placed her hands on his chest and started to shove him away but he caught her wrists. They stood glaring at each other for a few moments.

"I don't need your help," Scarlett repeated. Ben shook his head, releasing her wrists and taking a step back. Scarlett made to storm angrily off to her quarters but it lacked flair because she swayed slightly and nearly keeled over.

"Are you quite certain you don't want my assistance?"

"I'd rather kiss one of Nosebleed's rats."

"I didn't offer any kissing," Ben pointed out. "I was just offering to help clean and stitch your wound."

Scarlett huffed as she walked away. "I really can't wait for this to all be over so I can shoot you."