Chapter 4 - The Underground Vault
Arthur pushed Marianne behind him and raised his sword to face the mercenaries.
He fought with the desperate ferocity of a son trying to save his dying father.
He struck down the first two attackers before they could even draw their weapons.
Marianne used the distraction to grab a torch from the wall and throw it at Eleanor's feet.
The sudden burst of flames forced the remaining mercenaries to step back in panic.
Arthur grabbed Marianne's hand and pulled her down the dark stairs into the catacombs.
They ran blindly through the twisting, damp tunnels as heavy footsteps echoed behind them.
They followed the parchment map until they reached a massive, solid iron door.
The door was covered in complex gears and lacked any visible handle or keyhole.
Arthur pushed against the heavy metal, but it refused to budge even a fraction of an inch.
He heard Eleanor's mercenaries shouting just a few corridors away.
Marianne frantically studied the map and noticed a small drawing of a leaf.
She pressed her hand against a blank spot on the iron door that matched the drawing.
A tiny, familiar keyhole suddenly popped out from the rusted metal surface.
She inserted her grandfather's key and turned it counterclockwise.
The massive gears groaned as the iron door slowly rolled open.
They rushed inside and pushed the heavy door shut, locking it firmly behind them.
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Arthur turned around to look at the supposed treasure vault that would save his kingdom.
Instead of gold or a magical cure, the room was filled with a massive, ticking mechanical bomb.
