Idyll's End
A solemn calm settled over the two as they drove on in silence. The clouds had mostly parted as the afternoon sun broke through and bathed the island in it's warm glow. Anna remained focused on the bumpy cobblestone road as she guided them through a shady field sheltered by tall trees. Meanwhile, Elsa chose to lean against the side of the door as she gazed out at the scenery around them. Neither of them dared to speak, unwilling to pierce the idyllic quiet that this portion of their journey afforded them.
The castle loomed ahead, and as it grew closer and closer, Anna thought she should have been excited and eager as she normally would be. Instead, she found that a growing sense of unease was building within her. Her thoughts turned to Elsa, and though she was seated next to her, she felt as if she were miles away. The distance had been closed somewhat after their discussion in the desert, and Anna understood that Elsa had blamed herself for the misfortune she had endured, nonetheless it didn't assuage the remaining doubts floating in her mind. The more she tried to ignore it, the more it filled Anna with disquiet.
She was only trying to protect me, but how do you do that by pushing someone away? Doesn't she know how much that hurt me?
Anna felt helpless. She had spent so much of her youth angry and clueless at Elsa for barricading herself away. Now that she had more answers, she found herself with more questions.
Why did she kiss me? Sister's don't kiss each other. At least, not like that. Why am I not more weirded about it? I should be… right?
She knew that siblings could be close, but that gesture of affection that Elsa had shown hinted at something far deeper that she was still hiding. Anna should have felt shock, confusion, even revulsion, but when she replayed the event in her mind the only feelings that came to her were of warmth, calm, and even pleasant surprise. Much as she tried to rationalize and distance herself from the event, she found herself thinking about how it had felt for Elsa.
While they drove, Elsa thought of Anna as she always did. She rotated her head slightly, and glanced at her through the corner of her eye. Anna remained focused on the road, and seemed to be lost in her own head as well. Every now and again, an errant ray of sunlight would occasionally make its way through the treetops and shine on them from above. For a few seconds each time, Anna would glow bright and radiant and pure as life itself. That was what she looked like all the time to Elsa, and yet she felt unworthy of her resplendence. Like the sun, it was something Elsa always admired and yearned for, but knew she could never have.
You've forgiven me for the past, but how can you still put up with me for how I've been? How I continue to be. Sometimes… I wish you could forget all about me, Anna.
It was bitter, but she thought it was true. If Elsa was never in Anna's life from the beginning things would have turned out differently. She might have had parents who doted on their only daughter and never would have left her alone. She might never have fallen into that pond. She wouldn't have had to to grow up with fear. She never would have had to deal with an older sibling who harbored unnatural feelings toward her.
You're a coward. You only say that because then you wouldn't be to blame. You're so afraid of how you feel, you'd do anything to avoid having any responsibility at all. You're weak. And you're a monster. You can't face her, you can't even face yourself.
Elsa swallowed thickly. She knew it was true and yet she loved Anna all the same. Anna brought her joy, and she gave her happiness so selflessly and earnestly that Elsa nearly felt criminal by taking advantage of it, if only to provide meager subsistence for the love she truly desired. Where Anna was warmth and light, Elsa was cold and darkness. So many of their years had been lost and spent apart from each other that Elsa didn't know how to make it up to Anna. She wasn't certain she ever could make it up to her. Not after everything she had done and not after everything she failed to do. Elsa was haunted by her past, her present, and her future all at once.
"Anna? Come in, Anna," Kristoff's voice crackled through the radio.
Both siblings snapped out of their thoughts, grateful for the sudden distraction that Kristoff provided.
"We're here Kristoff. Go ahead," Anna held the radio up with one hand as she drove with the other.
"I've got us a ride out of here, managed to steal one of their boats."
"Great!" Anna lit up. "You didn't have too much trouble did you?"
"I drew most of them away and led them on a merry old chase. Had a little trouble losing them in the forest, but I managed to get away. How's everything on your end?"
"We hit a few snags, but we're okay. We're definitely on the right trail though, we're heading towards the castle."
"Castle? Wait, wha- did I hear you say castle?"
"You heard right. In fact we found a whole- well," Anna glanced over to Elsa and grinned. "I'll let Elsa explain it to you."
Elsa took the radio from her hand and spoke. "She was right," she glanced over as a triumphant smile spread across Anna's face. "There was some kind of colony, or a settlement here. The ruins are definitely from the middle ages."
"I'll be damned," Kristoff chuckled at the other end. "Can't wait to see it."
"We're headed to the north side of the island right now," Elsa continued. "Find a place to dock there, we should be there soon."
"Got it. Be safe you two, I'll see you guys soon."
"You know us," Elsa said wanly. "Over and out."
"So, what do you think happened to Sir Bors?" Anna asked after Elsa set the radio down. "We know he had to have been at Sarras, and we know he supposedly returned to Camelot, but I still can't put my finger on how he and the grail factor together."
"It's hard to say," Elsa said. "Depending on which version you pick, Bors could have succeeded Arthur as king after his death, or that he went into exile with Lancelot after their rebellion. You still think Bors brought the grail here?"
"I don't know, but nothing else could explain why the grail wasn't at Sarras," Anna replied. "Why go through all the trouble of building the tomb, the traps, and all those tests if the grail was never there to begin with? No, it must have been there. Bors was the only one who knew where it was. If we find him, we'll find the grail. I'm sure of it."
"How sure?" Elsa asked.
"I don't know, like at least... sixty percent sure," Anna said. "Look, there's bound to be more answers at the castle."
"Hmph," Elsa chuckled. "That makes me feel so much better."
Anna smiled encouragingly at Elsa. "Have some faith! We made it this far haven't we?" she said.
"Well, I hope you're right," Elsa replied.
They carried on the rest of the way to the castle in silence, passing by ancient ruins that testified to the existence of a lost history. When they came upon a hilly section of the road, their jeep consistently stalled and slipped down the muddy slopes.
"Come on, come on!" Anna hissed as she floored the accelerator.
The jeep stalled in a patch of mud then slid all the way back down the hill, jostling the occupants around.
Elsa leaned out the side and peered down at the muddy tires. "Anna, you need traction," she said. "The mud is too slippery."
"I know, I know. Here we go," Anna reversed the jeep and corrected their approach.
Once they were angled towards a dry, gravelly incline she accelerated the jeep forward. As the tires found purchase, they steadily climbed up the muddy hill until they reached the top.
"Ha! Piece of cake," Anna cheered.
The castle now stood before them, looming ahead in imposing silence just beyond a stone bridge that spanned the width of a deep and jagged ravine. Much of the original moat had fallen away into a fissure in the earth that appeared over time.
"Think it'll hold?" Elsa eyed the foundations doubtfully. "That thing is hundreds of years old."
"Must of worked for Hans's goons," Anna peered over the hood and found tire tracks in the mud. "See those tire tracks?"
"Alright, just go slowly."
"Easy does it," Anna said as she began to steadily inch the jeep forward over the bridge.
The foundations held until about halfway when they abruptly cracked and began to come apart. Beneath them, the bridge buckled and groaned while large pieces collapsed into the ravine below.
"Gun it!" Elsa yelled. "We have to get off this bridge!"
"Not good! Not good!" Anna yelped as she stomped on the gas pedal and raced forward to safety.
Just as they reached the other end, their jeep lurched forward and dropped violently, caused by a portion of the bridge that had collapsed just below them. The front half of the vehicle caught the ledge and balanced precariously over the deadly drop beneath.
"Quick!" Elsa yelled as she unbuckled her seat belt and leaned forward on the dashboard. "Shift your weight towards the front!"
The jeep dropped again and began to teeter backwards as the tires spun uselessly in the air.
"It's no good! Get out, quick!" Anna yelled. "Oh, I hate bridges!" she stood up on her seat then leapt over the hood before jumping off to safety.
Elsa made to climb over the hood when the jeep leaned further back at a near vertical angle and lurched downwards, causing Elsa to fall down back into her seat. Behind her, the bridge continued to collapse and she was seconds away from plummeting into the ravine below.
Anna pushed herself to her hands and knees and crawled to the edge in panic. "Elsa!" she cried out and extended her hand.
Despite her wounded shoulder, Elsa shifted in her seat and leapt up, catching the windshield and pushing herself up before climbing up the front of the hood. At the last possible second before the jeep fell, she jumped off and caught Anna's hand with her right arm and hung in mid-air. Below them, the jeep crashed against the side of the ravine before tumbling over and striking a jagged set of rocks. A ball of flame erupted from the jeep as it impacted and exploded, sending up a shock wave of heat and smoke.
"Whoa!" Elsa exclaimed as she shielded herself from the blast while she hung from Anna's hand.
Anna strained and clasped her other hand around Elsa's then pulled her up. Once Elsa was back on land, they both fell back on their backs away from the edge as they caught their breath.
"Whew," Anna sighed and laughed. "That was a close one."
Elsa rose and winced from the pain in her shoulder. "Looks like we're walking," she rubbed her right hand over it until the pain subsided, then glanced down the ravine to the burning remains of their car.
"Come on, let's go," Anna said as she helped Elsa to her feet. "Before something else explodes."
The front gate of the castle was open, not that it would have been necessary to gain entry, given how much the outer walls had deteriorated. It would have been just as easy to walk over the rubble and pass through any one of the holes that appeared over time. Nonetheless, Elsa and Anna walked through the gate, which stood between the remains of two impressive statues of snarling dragons.
After they passed through the gate, Elsa and Anna found themselves in the outer bailey. Here, the air was eerily still, absent of any wind nor any other sound of wildlife as if the castle was insulated from the island.
"That's odd," Anna gazed about warily, searching for any signs of trouble.
"That we haven't been shot at yet? I thought so too," Elsa replied then reached over her back to confirm she still had her shotgun.
"I thought those guys said another group came here," Anna turned and swept her arms in a wide arc. "So where are they?"
"Maybe they went to a different castle?" Elsa joked.
Anna snorted. "Now that's wishful thinking. Still, we should keep our eyes peeled," she muttered.
Once they made sure they were clear of any danger, the pressed forwards through the outer bailey towards a second set of gates. The gate to the inner bailey rose up before them along an incline as they proceeded up the sloped path. It was sealed shut, and since neither Elsa or Anna had brought a battering ram, they would have to find another way in.
"Hey," Anna poked her head into a large and narrow crack in the wall. "I think there's a way around through here," she said while she pressed her back against one side and shuffled in.
"It's a tight squeeze, Anna. Be careful," Elsa cautioned as she squeezed into the narrow space after her.
Anna laughed dismissively. "Be careful, she says. Come on, I'm always- gah!" she hadn't been paying attention and banged her head against a low hanging section. "Alright, I did not see that!"
"Told you," Elsa chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, blondie," Anna grumbled and rubbed her forehead.
The crack they shuffled through led to a wide hallway lined with dusty barrels and shelves. The walls were heavily dilapidated and damaged in some places, letting in slim rays of sunlight that gathered in golden pools scattered across the rough stone floor. Here and there, vegetation grew across the floor and along the walls, permeating the air with the scent of damp overgrowth.
"We must be inside the inner wall now," Elsa said, walking forward into the dimly lit hallway.
Anna peered into the remains of a rotten barrel and found nothing but weeds growing inside. "What do you think this place was?" she asked.
"Some kind of larder perhaps? Or a storage building," Elsa replied.
"So, definitely not a place to keep ancient relics then."
"Definitely not."
At the far end of the hallway, the ceiling had collapsed, allowing them to ascend to the next floor above them. There they found much more of the same, until they encountered a stairway that led upwards to open air.
"Ooh, I think we can get up on the wall from here," Anna said as she walked towards it.
They ascended the stairs and at the top, they stood upon the battlements of the castle. Ahead of them, they could see the entire valley stretching away before them, filled with rolling green fields, interspersed by pastel blue streams. It was paradise on earth, lost to time and now, rediscovered.
"I still can't believe it. It's like we stepped into the past!" Anna giggled and bounced on the balls of her feet before skipping down the wall.
Elsa smiled warmly at Anna as she skipped along the wall towards the remains of a round tower. She watched the way her crimson locks danced and waved through the air behind her like a flash-fire spreading across the way. In her own heart, the spark that existed there blossomed into a small fire as Anna breathed life into it.
How could I have ever doubted you? Elsa asked herself. I should never have left you, Anna.
"Come on, slowpoke!" Anna called out. "It's rude to keep a lady waiting!"
"At once, milady," Elsa bowed low and fell in step behind Anna, causing her younger sister to giggle at her silliness.
After they passed through the tower, they reached another length of battlements that stretched towards the keep, linking up with it through a small postern entrance. There they found themselves in a hallway that was brightly lit by sunlight that bled through arrow slits in walls. Inside, the air inside the keep was cool and stale as idle motes of dust drifted lazily about and caught the light.
They followed the hallway deeper into the keep, passing through empty rooms before entering one at random. It was a simple space, lit by soft light filtered through a tall window and held bare bare furnishings and tattered tapestries that hung from the wall. Set against the center of the far wall was the remains of a wooden bed frame.
"I wonder who slept here," Elsa wondered aloud.
Anna wiped dust away from the ancient glass window out to a view that overlooked the inner bailey. "Maybe a nobleman of some kind," she turned away from the window and glanced around the room. "Or a lady of the court. I can already picture it. She'd stand right here by this window, gazing at a dashing and handsome knight in shining armor in the courtyard, fawning over him," she grinned as she pressed both hands together over her heart and mock-swooned.
"You're silly," Elsa said sweetly. "Come on, let's keep looking around. If it pleases milady," she added.
"Yes," Anna's eyes lit up. "Let us make- maketh haste, to court! Good ser, if you would, um, bestoweth upon me the… err… the honor of lending me your hand!" she giggled gleefully at her own impersonation of a medieval noblewoman and stretched out her hand for Elsa to take.
"The honor is all mine, milady," Elsa bowed again and gracefully accepted Anna's hand. "Come, let us away," she felt a pleasant tingle shoot out from her fingers where they contacted Anna's and raced up her arm, settling warmly in the gray matter of her brain.
Anna brightened, feeling utter delight at Elsa's repeated usage of the term of address she employed as well as how easy and comfortable it felt to hold her hand.
This is nice, Anna thought. This is the Elsa I missed.
How could something so simple bring her so much joy and fulfillment? Anna felt as if her heart had doubled in size, swelling with the adoration she had for Elsa. There was something else there, something stirring deeper within that she could not yet identify.
After they departed from the sleeping quarters, Anna happily allowed Elsa to lead her by the hand down the long corridors, not that either of them had any idea of where they were going. Eventually, they passed through the entrance of what appeared to have once been a great library.
The library was massive and rectangular in shape. Tall windows lined one wall, lighting up the room in broad shafts of daylight. Large bookshelves that were more resilient to the passage of time were strewn about, lying against each other or toppled over on the floor. Their contents were spilled all over the library; all manner of books and tomes that had disintegrated into mulch. Above, a tall vaulted ceiling stood over them, covered in broad swashes of color and shapes that reached down to the opposite wall that held the entrance. The fresco painting had chipped and faded in some places, but despite its age, it was remarkably well preserved and the scenery it depicted remained breathtaking.
"Okay, I gotta say it," Anna released her hold on Elsa's hand and walked in front of her. "Coolest. Trip. Ever," she grinned ecstatically.
Elsa missed the touch of Anna's hand immediately and felt bereft of her sister's warm touch. She unconsciously clutched it with her other hand over her chest, then played it off by running her fingers through her hair. Even so, Anna's enthusiasm and smile was infectious, and Elsa couldn't help but feel her own heartstrings thrum in response.
"That's a bold statement," Elsa pursed her lips and tried to look neutral but couldn't stop the smile now spread over her own face as well.
Anna shrugged as her face settled into a whimsical expression. "Well, I have a bold personality."
They spent some time exploring the library, starting from one end of the fresco and working their way towards the other, recognizing many of the scenes shown. One showed Arthur, surrounded by his peers as he stood before a chiseled stone and holding the sword, Excalibur, in his grasp after he pulled it free. Another scene illustrated the lady of the lake, a pale woman draped in flowing cloth and cradling the baby, Lancelot, in her arms.
On and on these scenes went, portraying the mythology and the history of King Arthur as well as the deeds of the knights of the round table. Great acts of courage and bravery were commemorated before them and regardless of how much of it was true, neither Elsa or Anna could deny the imagery of the stories they loved as children fully realized before them. Eventually, they reached the section of the fresco that was most relevant to them, as it depicted the quest for the grail.
"Look!" Anna said as she pointed out three knights journeying towards a broad desert. "There's our boys. Galahad, Percival, and Bors."
Elsa frowned in thought when she saw that none of the knights were carrying the grail as they proceeded towards Sarras. "Wait… they don't have the grail with them," she murmured. "Why is that?"
"You're right," Anna said. "Could we have been wrong?"
"Or maybe the stories weren't actually what they turned out to be," Elsa replied, then swept her gaze over the fresco until she found the next part of the tale.
The scene in question held a mass of people prostrated before the three knights, bowing before them reverently as if in prayer. Galahad stood in front of them as he held the grail in his hands and presented it to the people. A heavenly light shone down upon him, and Galahad's eyes were closed in rapture.
"So… they found the grail in Sarras and presided over the people until Sir Galahad ascended to heaven. Figuratively, um, I'm assuming," Anna cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes. "And I guess that lines up with why the grail wasn't in Sarras when we got there, but that still doesn't explain how it ended up here. If it ended up here that is."
Elsa pointed out another scene on the ceiling that showed two armies clashing against each other. In the center of it all were two men who fought one another. One man wore a crown on his head and held a bright gleaming sword in his hands.
"There's Arthur, wielding Excalibur," Elsa said as she pointed. "And that must be Mordred when they fought at the battle of Camlann."
Anna nodded along, then shifted her gaze to the next scene. King Arthur was lying on his back upon a ship that sailed across a stormy sea towards an island. Behind his boat was a fleet of other ships following them. At the helm of the leading ship stood a familiar figure. Sir Lancelot led the vanguard of the rebel army as they pursued Arthur across the Celtic sea.
"Okay, okay. There's Arthur after he was wounded," Anna said then began pacing down the length of the scene. "But, there's an army following him. Is that Sir Lancelot?"
"Arthur's army must have been routed after he was wounded," Elsa said. "So they chased him across the sea, back... here."
The following scene showed Lancelot's army gathered outside the walls of the castle they were currently in as they laid siege to it. Standing next to Lancelot upon the battlefield was Sir Bors, who held the grail in his hands.
Slowly, Anna shifted her gaze back and forth over the fresco until she began to piece the narrative together. "They were never returning the grail to the holy land," she said softly. "They were retrieving it."
"You're right," Elsa said. "Galahad and Percival died, so he was the only one who could have brought it back. But why all those tests then?"
"Because they had to prove their worthiness!" Anna said. "Right? Just like they reacquainted the people of Sarras with Christianity to prove their holiness!"
"Galahad and Percival must have been wounded by the traps. That was why they were entombed in the grail's resting place," Elsa said. "So then Bors returns from Sarras with the grail, and then he supports his cousin during the rebellion against Arthur."
Anna nodded eagerly then together they other went over to the end of the room where the final scenes of the fresco played out. The first scene showed a deceased Arthur lying upon his deathbed. His armies were scattered and his castle was captured by the rebels. The second scene showed Bors as he knelt before Lancelot, who placed a crown on his head. The remaining knights of the round table were gathered around the two, prostrated on their knees as they bowed their heads in recognition of their new king and swore their fealty. Finally, the last scene of the fresco showed King Bors as he provided over Castle Avalon and a united round table. In his hands he held the holy grail and Arthur's sword, Excalibur.
"Guess we finally know what happened to Bors now," Elsa said. "He became king after Arthur's death and ruled this island. Which means-"
"Holy motherfucking shitballs," Anna said slowly as she placed both of her hands on her head in realization. "Elsa! Do you know what this means?!" she held her by the elbows as she began to shake her older sister.
"I was just about to say, will you stop shaking me?" Elsa protested.
Anna submitted to her request by bouncing up and down in place instead. "It means the grail is here! It's here! On the island! There's nowhere else it could possibly be!" she said excitedly. "I knew it, I just knew it!"
Elsa nodded though she had already come to that same conclusion moments ago. "That's great!" she gently took hold of Anna's own elbows to try and calm her down. "Why are you yelling at me?"
"I don't know, I'm excited!" Anna shouted jubilantly, unable to control the energy in her body. "I was right!"
As she continued to spring up and down, Anna was too caught up in her excitement to notice the pair of metal canisters that fell from above and clattered across the floor behind her. Elsa looked over, and her eyes widened in alarm when she saw the two grenades.
"Anna, move!" Elsa yelled as she started to run towards the nearest cover, dragging Anna behind her.
"Woah, what's goi-" Anna started before Elsa tackled her with her right arm behind a heavy wooden bookshelf.
A second later, the grenades detonated, exploding with a concussive burst that shook the room. The bookshelf wobbled then teetered over above where Elsa was covering Anna's body with her own, knocking into the adjacent bookshelf and starting a chain reaction as they tumbled over.
"We have to go, Anna. Get up!" Elsa exclaimed as she pulled Anna up to her feet, holding her hand tight as she led them out before they were crushed. "Come on!"
"Ah crap!" Anna yelled as they ran. "Just once, I'd like something to not explode!"
Above them, windows began to shatter as mercenaries burst through and took aim with their weapons. Elsa looked up and spotted one mercenary holding a narrow metal tube on his shoulder pointed in their direction.
"RPG," Elsa eye's widened in recognition. "RPG! Move!" she yelled as she held Anna close and raced towards the exit.
An audible and distinctive pop sounded then something whistled through the air. The rocket slammed into a nearby pillar and detonated, shattering the base into thousands of rocky splinters. Another rocket exploded nearby, sending Elsa and Anna flying back from the shock wave.
Elsa's ears rang and she looked around in a daze until she realized she was on her back covered by dust and rubble. Anna struggled and rose to her feet first, looking around until she found Elsa and pulled her up.
"These guys sure love to blow shit up don't they?!" Anna shook Elsa out of her daze and took off running with her in tow. "Come on, Elsa! Gotta keep moving!"
Behind her, the pillar that was hit by the rocket began to lean over and fall down directly on top of them.
"Look out!" Elsa shouted, then let go of Anna's hand and pushed her free of the descending mass of stone and rubble.
It crashed through the floor, opening a wide hole between her and Anna that was too far to jump.
"Jesus Chr-!" Anna was cut off by another rocket that whistled through the air above them and slammed into the ceiling.
Daylight broke through as pieces of the fresco they had been admiring earlier began to fall down around them. The chasm that had opened up between them widened further as the chunks of the ceiling crashed through the floor.
Desperately, Elsa waved Anna off. "Go, Anna! Go, don't stop!"
"What about you?!" Anna flinched from another nearby explosion.
"I'll cut around! Don't wait, just go!"
Anna nodded and then reluctantly turned and ran down the length of the library towards the exit. Meanwhile, Elsa leaped over a fallen bookshelf and ran along the opposite side of the library. Parts of the ceiling continued to rain down as explosions rocked the entire castle and bullets ripped through the air around them.
"Over here, Elsa! This way!" Anna pointed to a tall stack of fallen rubble that Elsa could use to leap over the gap.
Elsa spotted and sprinted towards it as fast as she could. "I'm coming!" she cried out.
As she ran towards the stack, she jumped out to Anna's position and flew through the air like a shot out of a cannon. She landed safely on her feet and tucked into a roll on her right shoulder to cushion her fall.
"I think they've had enough of us!" Elsa panted as she caught up to Anna.
"Gee, what gave you that impression?!" Anna replied.
They reached the exit to the library and turned down the hallway, running with all their speed. All around them, they could hear mercenaries shouting and giving chase.
'This way! Follow me!" Anna turned a corner and entered a large foyer.
"Follow you?" Elsa asked hurriedly. "Do you even know where you're going?"
"No idea! But anywhere is better than here!" Anna's voice echoed throughout the large and empty foyer.
At the far end of the foyer stood a tall set of double doors which suddenly exploded off its hinges and fell to the ground in a deafening thud. Elsa and Anna immediately stopped in their tracks.
As the smoke cleared, a pair of figures clad head to toe in thick plates of ballistic armor stepped through. One wore a menacing full-face helmet that had a white skull painted on it and carried a hand-held belt-fed minigun. The other wore a yellow ballistic face mask with black eye slits above a thin black smile and held a large drum-fed grenade launcher in his hands.
"Holy shit," Elsa said in shock as she spotted their new foes.
"Oh motherfu-," Anna turned around and started running towards an adjoining corridor on the other side of the foyer.
The one with the minigun spooled up his weapon as the barrels began to spin with an audible whir. A second later, the air was filled with unending deluge of bullets as they flew through the air and slammed into the ground and walls near Elsa and Anna as they ran. All around them, stone and wood was blasted and pulled apart as easily as cotton candy.
'-cking crap!" Anna cursed as they neared the other corridor.
The one armed with the grenade launcher took careful aim with his weapon, pointing it up slightly in the air and slowly tracking the pair as they ran. He made a quick decision and adjusted his aim so that it was slightly ahead of them to compensate for their speed.
'Don't stop!" Elsa cried out as her feet pounded against the stone floor. "Whatever you do, don't stop!"
A single grenade shot out from the launcher, whistling through the air and then slammed into the floor between them. The high-explosive detonation shook apart the floor, thrusting Anna forward and knocking Elsa on her back. Elsa began to slide down the incline as the floor collapsed into an undercroft just behind Anna.
Anna rose to her hands and knees then scrambled over to the edge. "Elsa!" she yelled.
"I'm fine!" Elsa was on her back and rising to her feet. "They're coming! Don't wait for me, just go!" she looked back above her and spotted the pair of armored figures making their way towards them. "Go on, get outta here!" she waved Anna off and ran further into the undercroft to lose their foes.
"Damn it!" Anna pounded her fist against the floor.
Before she could do anything else, the air was once again filled with a riptide of bullets, forcing her to flee deeper into the keep.
