To InsanePirate624: You have been reviewing my other stories and I'm glad you are reading them. It's been so long since I posted to this one I hope you haven't forgotten what the heck it was about! LoL. Anyway, here is an update and I really hope anyone who reads it likes it! hopes you like it especially

Chapter Seven: Treasure-Keepers

Gwen realized quickly that they wouldn't be able to go far unless they found a torch of some sort. To her great surprise, the tunnel was lined with them. Looking back at the dim figures of her companions, Gwen gestured toward the walls.

"Someone have a light? We will need some of those."

Jack produced the same flint he had used to light the parchment earlier and held it to one of the torches. Surprisingly, it appeared to be doused in something flammable because it lit right away and did not immediately die out.

Will and Elizabeth exchanged glances. This is almost too easy, Will thought to himself as he followed Jack and Davies, who each had a lit torch now. Gwen was directly in front of him and from the looks of her stiff posture; she wasn't thrilled with this tunnel.

Elizabeth shuttered beside him. "This reminds me of that cavern with Barbossa," she muttered darkly, clutching his arm a little tighter. Elizabeth wasn't a coward, but that ordeal with cursed pirates had gotten to her.

Suddenly, Jack drew them all to a halt. The tunnel ahead of them broke off in two directions. One of them was filled with cobwebs and looked unused; the other was open and left plenty of room for them to walk side by side.

"Which do we take?" Will whispered aloud, not really expecting an answer.

Gwen glanced between the two paths, confused. It sure looked like the left path had never been taken since it was built, but then again, maybe that was why the treasure was as yet unclaimed.

"Shall we vote on it?" Gwen joked.

Jack shook his head. "I think we best take the road less traveled, mates."

His companions exchanged chagrined looks. But they did not argue, each had thought the same themselves. Jack took the lead and Davies now took up the rear. Pushing aside cobwebs, they entered the left tunnel.

There was silence as they walked down the pitch black tunnel. It wasn't until Davies stopped short that they realized they were not alone.

"We are being followed," the Corinth captain said, moving alongside Jack. "I don't know who it is, not someone from our ships though, that I'm sure of."

Jack nodded, peering into the inky black as if he was trying to see their pursuers. "We keep going then. Perhaps they will show themselves eventually."

Turning on his heel, Sparrow continued down the tunnel. Gwen frowned. She didn't like that someone was following them. She had a sense of foreboding all of a sudden and was not fond of the feeling.

She fell back beside Will and Elizabeth and whispered, "I don't like the way this feels. Something is not right here, you best be on your guards."

Nodding in agreement, Will's hand fell to his sword hilt. "I agree, whatever hunts us is close."

Almost as the young man finished his sentence, there was a shrill, blood-curdling screech from behind them in the tunnel. Everyone froze and drew weapons, even Elizabeth had a dagger out.

Waiting tensely, they listened to the sounds of what seemed to be hundreds of small feet. "What in the world?" Jack grunted, not believing his ears.

Soon they saw their pursuers and it chilled the blood.

Small in stature, only about two feet tall, they resembled miniature demons. With long tails and pointed ears, their skin falling off in places, the creatures did not seem to be alive. But they surely weren't dead, the group knew, because they were brandishing sharp swords and barbed clubs.

Jack's eyes widened. "What in the blazes are they?" he asked as he sidestepped a sword aimed for his gut and swung his own blade toward the small being. It connected and severed the head from the body, yet to his astonishment, the creature kept coming minus its head.

The pirate's eyes widened. "Me and bloody curses! I don't believe the luck!"

Gwen jumped backward to avoid a club, slamming into a wall in her haste to move. She cursed loudly, lunging to the side to avoid a lunging sword. The others were similarly engaged in deadly dances and it seemed like their attackers would never stop coming.

"Nasty little blighters?" Jack muttered darkly as he severed another head and glanced around at the legion of headless demons now attacking him. "These things are worse then Barbossa's men; at least they were incapacitated for a second when they lost their heads."

Will and Elizabeth frowned. Jack couldn't have been more right. Nothing seemed to stop these creatures. Will, frustrated now, hacked at one particularly bold demon until there were little more then five inch pieces tottering across the ground.

Seeing this, Gwen smiled lightly. I see impatience runs in the family, she thought idly. Then, an idea struck. "Maybe if we cut off anything capable of wielding a weapon they won't be able to attack us any longer!"

Sidestepping another headless creature, she hacked at its arms until there was nothing but a torso on legs. In this state, the creature could do nothing to hurt her except perhaps kick her in the shins.

Following suit, the others worked at disarming, literally, all the creatures. There were a lot of them though. Jack, who they seemed to have singled out, was having a time of it and Gwen noticed this.

Frowning, she hurried over, landing a solid kick to a creature about to decapitate the pirate captain. Jack spun on his heel, saw her and the creature, and flashed a toothy grin. "Thanks, mate!"

"No problem, I owed you one for killing Barbossa," Gwen answered as she smashed the pommel of her sword onto a creature's back. "You think this was the right passage then?"

Jack laughed. "Yes, it think it might be. Can't imagine why else they buggers would attack us."

Gwen was about to answer when she heard a cry of pain. Spinning around to find its source, she saw Will on one knee. Blood was spilling from his thigh from a nasty slash and he was trying hard to hide the pain.

Elizabeth, while she was a good fighter, wasn't able to do much with her dagger and was having a time protecting him while he struggled to stand. Gwen, seeing Jack was no longer in danger for the most part, hurried in their direction, catching Davies in the corner of her eye. He seemed just fine, in his element.

Reaching Will and Elizabeth, Gwen swatted at the nearest creature, glad to see that they were waning in number. All of the pirates were tiring and it would do them no good if more of these things were to appear.

By now, Will was wobbling, but on two feet. Gwen saw him totter and reached out to steady him. In doing so, she left herself open and it probably wasn't her brightest move of the day.

"Look out!"

Letting go of Will, Gwen spun around, swinging her sword like a club. It connected with creature flesh just as the creatures own sword connected with Gwen's uncovered left side. She had seen the blade a split second before it hit, giving her just enough time to throw herself backward and avoid the brunt of the blow.

Still, the slash was deep and she stumbled back into Will, sending both of them to the ground. Elizabeth hurried to cover them, as did Jack and Davies who saw what had happened.

Will looked at Gwen, saw the blood and her grimace and immediately reached out to help her. Reluctantly, she accepted the hand up, but only because it was not the time to argue. There were soon no more creatures scurrying around that could harm them, though a few headless ones were still banging into walls in an attempt to find their way from the tunnel.

Davies immediately turned his attention to Gwen and Elizabeth turned hers to Will. Oddly, Gwen and Will were each interested in...other things.

"Will, are you all right?"

"Gwen, are you ok?"

Both had spoken at the exact same time and as soon as the words were out of their mouths and the tunnel was thrown into silence; Will and Gwen burst out laughing.

"Now I don't see how that was so funny," Elizabeth whispered to Jack.

The pirate shook his head in confusion and threw up his hands. "Me neither, mate, me neither."

The laughter quickly died down, however, when both Will and Gwen started to feel the pain of their wounds and began wavering on their feet.

"I don't feel so good, I think I better sit down," Gwen muttered, tottering dangerously. She was pale and looked ready to pass out. Will didn't look much better.

Jack, eyes narrowed, moved to Gwen and pulled aside the bloody jerkin. His eyes narrowed more. The cut was nasty, but in itself it was relatively harmless. He knew Gwen had seen worse wounds.

Now his eyes widened in recognition and he pulled his bottle of rum from his hip. Quickly, he used it to clean the wound, surprising Gwen who didn't have time to protest before the spirit stung.

"Jack!" she cried, jerking away in anger and pain. "What are you doing?"

He sighed, moving to Will and doing the same thing he had just done. "Poison mate. Those aren't just ordinary cuts, you are too sick too soon for comfort. Trust me, Gwen. This will hopefully wash off most of it."

She was silent now, too dizzy and weak to care.

Will wavered again, swaying. Then, he toppled over, unconsciousness stealing him away. Gwen was right behind him.

The others exchanged glances and immediately tried to rouse their companions. But the Turners wouldn't wake.

A/N: Uh-oh! Will and Gwen aren't looking too good are they? Well, hopefully someone is still reading this. If so, please drop me a review so I know that and I don't assume I have forever to dawdle before I update. Otherwise, I might forget this story again because of my other two...

-Gwenneth