THE BLOODY CROWN/ LA CORONA SANGRIENTA

Chapter 1 (ENGLISH)

It was easy to see that the temple had lived better times. Especially considering the leaf litter and the dust that had accumulated on the different ornaments found in the niches that had been carved on the walls.

However, what caught Arthit's attention the most, had been the light footsteps that, in some points of the ground, could still be observed.

"Someone has been here ... recently ..."

With a sigh, he placed the bag he was now carrying on his right shoulder more comfortably. For a few seconds he frowned, thinking about how much it weighed when he was only carrying a couple of extensions and some matches they had found near an old candle located in a corner of the altar. Near a beautiful statue of gold and precious stones that adorned the room they had arrived at as soon as they entered the temple.

It was really splendid... and very expensive.

However Arthit, pulling Kongpob with him, had not even lost a few minutes on the statue. His eyes had been fixed, on the contrary, in a small half-destroyed hallway that disappeared into the interior of the mausoleum.

A corridor through which both  of them entered, one with a determined expression on his face while the other was growling as he demanded to be released.

- "Let me go..I am telling you to let go! - Kong exclaimed as he tried to force Arthit to stop walking - "I want to wait here!".

Arthit, after just walking for some minutes down the corridor, started to look closely at the walls which, with each step they were making, grew narrower while displaying an intriguing mosaic that ... was causing alarm signals to leap into his head...

"I do not like this... they are so similar..."

Many times he had heard his father comment on how dangerous were the traps that protected the places where, hundred years in the past, people of a certain rank and prestige were being buried.

However, when they had discussed how to disable them or at least escape from them alive, he had never imagined that he would have to face one of those damn traps without Korn's help. Completely alone excepting for a prince who undoubtedly he had to get him out of that hellish disaster if he wanted to be alive and well. The man sighed, regretting once again having decided to enter the tunnel with empty hands.

His footsteps finally stopped, causing Kongpob to collide with his back. The young man looked at him with a frown and thousands of words about to come out of his mouth. However, Arthit barely gave it any importance. His mind was too busy with the reliefs that, among the worn figures of the mosaic, were beginning to appear on the walls of the hallway.

"Those holes in the wall ... I don't like them at all..." he tought as, next to him, Kongpob was looking at the narrow hallway with a curious expression while frowning.

- "Arthit ... I don't know if ..."

The latter, however, did not turn to the man, just put a finger on his own lips and asked him to be quiet. Moments later he knelt down and looked at the flagstones in front of him.

His eyes carefully followed the lines half covered in dust until he found one of the small switches that were half hidden among the reliefs on the tiles.

- "Ok ..." - he muttered as he stood up and turned to his companion - "my prince, we must ..."

- "Kong ... I have already told you not to call me that..."

Arthit sighed and, after a few seconds in which he saw the young man's determined gaze, he nodded slightly.

- "Whatever ... Kong" - he finally whispered with slightly reddened cheeks, which made Kongpob smile despite himself.