Silver Spirits

Holding Scarlett again was the sweetest kind of torture. Knowing that he eventually had to let her go was killing Ben, but he put up a good front. He told her about the plants he recognized, and speculated about the ones he didn't. Simon always called him a walking, talking encyclopedia but Scarlett seemed content to listen to him ramble. He didn't know if walking next to him was more comfort for her before they potentially met a grisly end, but he supposed even if it was he'd do his best to keep her comforted until she no longer needed him.

There was a rustling in the bushes and everyone glanced about nervously. Ben kicked one of the foul little shelled creatures away from him as it tried to pinch his ankle again. The rustling calmed but no one relaxed. Ben noticed the bright yellow and purple flowers that lined the path and thought there was something unusual about them. They were incredibly large, nearly six feet tall and almost as wide. He nearly jumped out of his skin as one unfurled and snatched a man right off the path. He disappeared inside the bloom with a startled yell, nothing left of him but his sword.

"You have got to be kidding me." One of the plants made a move on Percy and he stabbed it. Everyone set off at a run, dodging carnivorous plants left and right. Three more men were lost, and then, as they were clearing the copse of yellow flowers, one of them gobbled up Nosebleed. This turn of events actually gave everyone pause. The flower began to shudder, reminding Ben of a dog who was about to be sick. With an odd squelching noise, the plant unfurled its leaves again and spat Nosebleed back out. He sailed through the air and slammed into the ground face first.

"And Percy thought I had remarkable luck." Ben snorted.

"How many times has he almost died on this journey?" Scarlett asked in a low voice. "Why aren't any of them sticking?"

Nosebleed scrambled to his feet, the only one thrilled by his uncanny ability to cheat death. Ben nudged Scarlett.

"Look. There's the entrance to the labyrinth."

What remained of the crew clustered together, eyeing the stone archway with a wide variety of emotions. Percy was the one to move forward and stand beneath it, waiting for the others. They moved forward almost as one, crossing the threshold into the labyrinth. The archway collapsed behind them, the echo of crumbling rock sounding eerie and definite.

"I guess the only way out is through," Ben said, blinking in the darkness. Slowly sconces on the walls lit up of their own accord. Ben traded an uneasy look with Scarlett.

"Well we've come this far," Scarlett murmured. "And obviously there's no going back now. So, onward, men."

They all walked close together, no one speaking. The place was like a crypt. They came to a fork.

"Which way?" Emily whispered. A low growl echoed from the left side.

"Right," someone muttered. No one seemed to have any objections, although Ben doubted tunnel two was going to be any better than tunnel one. They wandered further in, backtracking when they hit dead ends and trying to keep track of there they turned left and right.

"What's that sound?" Percy asked, cocking his head. A deep rumbling reverberated through the labyrinth walls.

"That," Ben said after a moment, "is a giant boulder. And it's heading right toward us. I'd suggest we run."

The rock was as tall and wide as the labyrinth corridors, and it was beating down on them with alarming speed. They took Ben's advice and ran. They turned the first corner they came to, which was of course another dead end. They shoved themselves up against the wall as the rock thundered by, and Ben found himself pressed quite close to Scarlett. Her blue eyes looked up at him, wide with fear. Ben took her hand.

"We didn't come this far to be taken down by a rock, Captain. I wouldn't stand for it."

That got a smile out of her. "Idiot," she murmured. They felt the whoosh of air as the boulder passed, but no one was flattened. They slipped back into the corridor and continued on. They passed almost an hour with no incident.

"Do you think we're almost there?" Scarlett asked. Ben shrugged. "It's hard to say."

Something brushed past him and he spun around to peer behind him. Movement flashed at the end of the corridor. Something was moving, following them. Ben caught Scarlett's arm.

"There's something else here," he said. The shadows cast by the wall sconces distorted before their eyes, crawling off the floor and down from the walls. Breathless, whispering giggles filled the corridor. A shadow looked above one of the men, dragging him upwards with a scream. There was a crack and his body fell back to the floor, his head twisted backwards. Emily gasped in horror. The shadows swarmed around them and some of the men bolted. Screams of terror surrounded them as the shadow creatures gave chase.

Ben banged his head on a sconce as he backed up and winced. Then a thought occurred to him. He wrestled the lantern out of the sconce and brandished it at the shadow nearest him, which was tugging at the hem of Scarlett's dress. The shadow hissed and shrank away. He didn't even have to say anything; those who hadn't fled into the darkness seized lanterns and held them like swords. They edged down the hall, waving the lanterns to chase the shadows away. One slunk up behind Emily and grabbed her ankle, knocking her to the floor. Her lantern clattered away and she let out a shriek as the shadow tried to drag her away.

Percy brought the lantern down on its head and scooped Emily up with one arm, holding her close. Ben caught Percy's eye and nodded in thanks. He didn't know that it was entirely necessary for the man to be holding Emily so close, but he had saved her and Ben had to be thankful for that. They found themselves at another dead end with a veritable army of shadows riding up before them in a black, whispering wall. Emily cringed against Percy's chest and Simon looked grim. Scarlett reached out to grasp Ben's hand.

"Oh I can't look!" Nosebleed moaned. He backed into the corner and covered his eyes with his hands. His elbow bumped against a knob in the rock, and suddenly they were all tumbling backward as the wall behind them vanished. The shadows didn't follow them as they slid wildly down a sheet of rock, all landing in a tangled and confused heap of limbs at the bottom.

"Look," Emily whispered, pointing. Ben raised his head and saw it. A vast pile of treasure and at its center, a large golden amulet hung suspended in the air. They had found Scarlett's treasure.