9

Emerson, Caleb, and Vanessa agreed to go on ahead with Typhon in search of Pandora's box.

Keith stayed back with Mason until he came to.

Mason blinked up at him and slowly sat up. "What the-?"

"You're ok. You just passed out. Can you walk?" Keith asked, getting to his feet. "Caleb and the others already went ahead to find the box."

"I think so." Mason pushed himself up to his feet. "Sorry if I gave you guys a scare. I saw things that I wish I could forget."

Keith cocked his head. "Hm. Typhon did tell us that you went into the cave of fears. How bad was it?"

Mason stared at him for a moment before he turned away. "It was torture."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that Mason."

"I saw you."

Keith blinked at him.

"My deepest fear is that I'll lose you. I saw you die so many damn ways, Keith." Mason looked down at his hands. "I was powerless to do anything about it."

Keith grabbed his hand and squeezed. All he could think to say was, "I'm sorry."

Before Mason could respond a scream tore through the caves and Keith jerked his head in the direction their friends went.

He released Mason's hand and raced toward the sound, pulling his sword out in the process. Mason ran after him.

In the distance, he saw a tall creature holding Emerson in her claw. She had a woman's head and two long legs with claws longer than a man's arm. In her other hand was her staff.

Typhon slid toward her and one of his heads bit her on the neck.

She road, but wouldn't release her grip on Emerson. Caleb was slumped up against the wall.

"Mason, go get Caleb!"

Mason nodded and raced toward his fallen body.

With a roar, Keith raised his sword above his head and charged.

***

When Mason reached Caleb he was groaning, trying to pull himself up to his feet.

"Hold on, Caleb. I need to check for broken bones."

"I'm fine, Mason. Just a little winded," he muttered.

Mason ignored him and got to work. He sensed some broken ribs.

He muttered a spell under his breath and fixed the broken ribs. Caleb yelped.

"There." Mason pushed himself up to his feet.

"Mason, wait." Caleb sighed. "I know that I hurt you all those years ago and I'm sorry. I know I can't fix it but I didn't want to leave you. That was my father's idea, he didn't want me to see you so he wouldn't let me go to the surface for two years."

"So who was the other boy?"

"That was the kid my dad pushed on me. I didn't like him." Caleb pushed himself to his feet. "I know it doesn't fix what happened, but I would like it if we could be friends."

Mason turned toward Caleb. He didn't know how to take this information.

"I know I can't heal the relationship we once had, but can we be friends?" Caleb held out his hand.

Mason stared at it for a moment before he slowly nodded and took his hand and shook it. "Come on, we have to help our friends."

Mason and Caleb raced toward them.

Keith summoned electricity from his hand and placed his palm against the creature's leg, sending the electricity over her body.

She screamed and dropped Emerson, who fell to the ground unmoving.

Caleb ran toward Keith and Typhon. Mason went to drag Emerson away from the fight.

"M-Mason? You-You're alright."

He pulled her behind a large rock and check her body for broken bones or fractures. He placed a hand on her chest and sensed three broken ribs. She had two fractures in her arm and a sprained wrist.

He muttered the spell and healed her body. Emerson groaned and gripped his wrist. "Mason-Mason. It-It hurts."

"It's alright. It'll be over in a moment."

She gritted her teeth and then fell back against the rock.

"Better?"

Emerson shrugged. "Dunno. Help me up."

Mason stood up and pulled Emerson up with him. Emerson stumbled and put a hand on the side of her head.

"Dizzy," she muttered.

Mason over at his friends and saw Caleb climbing up the creature's back. Keith was trying his best to dodge the creature's claws.

Typhon reached out his snake-like body and wrapped it around her. He started to tighten it his grip up the creature gasped.

She glared over at him. "You have betrayed Kronos."

"I have never been loyal." he gripped her tighter, and she gasped. Her eyes glazed over and she went limp.

Caleb, who had been climbing onto her back, jumped onto Typhon's tail.

Emerson gasped. "You killed her!"

"I did not. Just knocked her out. Now go find what you were looking for before she wakes up." Typhon lowered his tail so Caleb could jump down.

"You heard the man!" Caleb exclaimed. "Let's go."

***

It felt good that Caleb had been able to fix his broken friendship with Mason. At least he didn't have to glance over his shoulder to see him glaring at him.

Vanessa appeared beside him. "So, how'd things go with Mason?"

"Fine."

"Fine? Fine as in good fine-"

Caleb glowered at her. "Fine, as in, he agreed to be my friend."

"Well, that's a start. Better than being bitter enemies, yeah?"

"I suppose." Caleb shrugged.

They stepped into the cave and in front of them was a huge temple made of marble. Four columns were outside, holding up the roof. A set of stairs led up to the huge, white double doors.

Mason, Keith, and Emerson caught up to them and gaped up at the white building.

"Woah," Emerson whispered. "This looks cool."

"Not all of us can go inside, right?" Keith asked, glancing over his shoulder. "I'll stay out here. Emerson, are you going with Caleb and Vanessa?"

Emerson folds her arms. "I'll stay out here."

"Are you guys sure this is a good idea?" Mason muttered. "You guys do remember what happened back at the cave, right?"

Caleb turned toward his friends. "Did you hear about the roof? Never mind, it's over your head." he rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a worry wort, Mason. We'll be ok."

"So it's decided then?" Vanessa said. "Keith and Emerson will stay out here and keep watch. Alert us if anyone comes into the cave."

Keith gave her a thumbs up. "You got it."

Caleb turned toward the temple and gasped. His mother was standing in front of the two large double doors.

"Caleb, what is it? You look like you've seen a ghost." Vanessa said, voice rising to a squeak.

Caleb didn't answer her as he race up the stairs. He threw open the doors and searched the dimly lit room for his mother.

The room was wide. Made of marble on each side of the room were four columns and a waterfall on both walls. His mother was nowhere in sight.

The door opened behind him. Mason and Vanessa raced inside.

"What happened back there, Caleb?" Mason asked. "Did you see something?"

Caleb looked around the room again. "I thought I saw my mother. She was standing in front of the double doors." he wrapped his arms around himself. "I haven't seen her since I was four."

"It's alright," Mason said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Vanessa cocked her head. "You're a child of Hades, no? How could you not have had contact with your mother?"

"My father wouldn't let me. I was able to see her ghost when I was five and I was punished." Caleb frowned slightly. "Apparently, my parents had an argument when I was born. My father didn't want me, so he threatened to drown me in the bathtub. The next day, my mother left, taking me with her. When he finally found us I was four. My mother had fallen into a deep depression." a tear slid down his cheek. "He killed her in front of me. He stabbed her in the chest. And I was forbidden to tell anyone about it."

In the middle of the room was a tall statue of Pandora. She was wearing a long dress and her hair was done up in a bun. Her hands out outstretched as though she was holding something.

"I'm sorry to hear about that, Caleb," Mason muttered. "If I could hurt Hades I would. You didn't deserve that."

Vanessa pointed up at the statue. "Look, I see something in her hands."

Caleb shared a look with Mason. "Want me to go get it?"

"Naw. I got it."

Mason stepped toward the statue and started climbing. He pulled himself up onto her arms and held up a golden box. "I think it's Pandora's box."

Before he could start climbing down, the ground started shaking; the statue started sinking into the ground and Mason jumped down and rolled to his feet.

"What's going on?" Vanessa stammered.

When the statue had sunk into the ground and the ground stopped shaking, Caleb stepped toward the hole. "I don't see any-"

Something reached up from the hole and wrapped itself around Caleb's ankle. Before he could cut himself free, it yanked him toward the hole and dragged him toward the darkness.

"Caleb!" Mason cried.

Before Mason could reach him, Caleb was gone.