Chapter 1: Misery of the Tomb
Lara Croft carefully navigated herself through the ruins of an ancient abandoned castle. She knew that there was more to this ancient ruin than what she was seeing. She continued to climb up and down again, trying to find something.
"Lara, are you sure that there is something here?" Said a voice. Lara stopped and put her hand to her earpiece.
"I've done this sort of thing before Alister. There is something here. I can feel it," She said as she began to search around again.
"Well, all I see is a bunch of rubble," said another voice. Lara rolled her eyes and went over to a set of stairs that led up to a broken throne chair.
You can't always trust your eyes Zip. Sometimes," She said as she went behind the broken thrown and pulled a precarious lever that had been revealed. The stone brick wall behind her raised up in a slow grating motion, revealing stairs that led downward. "There is always a secret to beheld."
"Well, I'll be damned," Zip said with an amused chuckle.
"Great job, Lara," Alister praised. "Looks like there is more."
"I didn't want to say it, but I told you so," Lara said happily. She hears the two laugh a bit and then she turns to the passage. "Now, let's see what's down here shall we?" She turned on her flashlight and began to walk down into the darkness of the tomb. After about an hour of exploring the tomb, she came to an area with tall walls and a bunch of what looked to be cells.
"Whoa, talk about a medieval prison," Zip said with a bit of a nervousness to his joke. Lara walked over to one of the cells that was open and poked her head in.
"It looks like this is where people who committed treason to their kingdom were kept, but that's only a guess. This could have been used to house anyone from petty theives to prisoners of war," She said as she looked over the cell. "But why keep these cells hidden, when there is a dungeon to this castle that is accessible to anyone."
"Maybe this is where they kept the lunatics," Zip said with a small chuckle. Lara looked up and notices something odd.
"Alister, are you see what I'm seeing?" She asked as she continued to look up at the odd ledge like spot.
"What do you mean Lara, I don't see anyth- My god," Alister said as he too sees what she is looking at. "That is the ancient symbol that is used in nearly every ancient ritual, even kingly coronations, but what is doing up there and not on the ground like is properly supposed to be?"
"Maybe no one wanted it to be noticed," Lara said as she walked up to the wall and looked up towards the symbol again.
"Why would they want that since it's an almighty symbol?" Zip asked curiously.
"I guess we're about to find out," Lara said as she firmly grasped the a bit of the wall and began to slowly climb up. She got to the the ledge where the symbol hung above and pulled herself. "There now, let's see what they are so keen to keep hidden." Lara turned on her flashlight again and walked into the big room. She looks around at the spacious room and she see what she can only be described as a sacrificial ritual room.
"So, this is what they were hiding?" Zip said. "A bunch of scary knives."
"Those aren't just knives Zip. Those are sacrificial daggers. This place was used for blood rituals and spells. Things that needed some sort of sacrifice," Alister said. "That's why there are cells down here."
"To keep the soon-to-be sacrifices in until they were needed," Lara said as she looked around at the walls. She turned her head slightly and some on the ritual table caught her eye. "Ello, what's this?" She approached the table and looked up on it's many items. The one that caught her eye was ancient amulet of sorts. It had a golden chain with small diamonds scatter throughout it and the center gen was a green emerald surrounded by eight diamonds that were slightly bigger than ones on the main chain.
"Looks like someone left their expensive jewelry lying around again," Zip said.
"That looks like an ancient amulet not older than the 16th century. It's in brilliant condition for its age," Alister said. "Lara, I know you usually don't like taking things from it's tomb, but could you bring that back so I can take a better look at it. I might be able to identify what sort of amulet it is and it's purpose."
"Alright Alister, only because you asked so nicely," Lara said with a small smile. She picked up the amulet carefully, worried that it might be more fragile than it appeared. She put it in her bag was gently as possible. She then looked ahead of her and saw something that actually scared her. "Well, I didn't see that when I walked in." It was a corpse being held up by it's arms by chains wearing a long blue dress that was now in tatters.
"Oh wow, that's some seriously crazy stuff right there," Zip said. "Didn't they usually burn their witches?"
"She doesn't to appear to have been accused of being a witch because otherwise she would have been drowned," Lara said as she approached the corpse to better examine it. "No, it appears she was used for a ritual."
"Why do you say that Lara?" Alister asked curiously.
"She appears to be stabbed in the heart according to the tear in the dress," Lara explained. "This poor girl was used for a sacrificial ritual."
"My god, what king would allow this?" Alister asked in an almost angry tone. Lara looked over and saw a skeleton with a rusted crown next to its head and walked over to it.
"One that was a sacrifice himself," she said.
"What happened here is unspeakable. To sacrifice someone is one crime, but to sacrifice your own king is a death sentence.," Alister said in an almost worried manor. "Be careful Lara. I have a bad feeling about this place. Black magic like this never ended well, especially when it worked." Lara nodded and turned back to the exit.
"Well, let's see what else is down here and then I'll head out," she said. Lara walked out, but stopped short of going down when she heard footsteps. She backed herself against a wall and held her breathe.
"Has it responded yet?" Said a voice.
"Nope, the spirit is still unresponsive. I may have to do another spell to make it speak," Said another voice but it sounded more feminine.
"Well, do whatever you have to do. I believe Revereck came earlier because he left the door open again.," Said the voice. "He's lucky that no one comes here because they think it's cursed." The female voice chuckled.
"Yes, he is indeed," The voice said. "Well, in that case I am going out to gather some things for the spell. I will get it to talk." Lara looked down and sees to figures part ways. The female figure went the way Lara had come and the other went the opposite direction.
"Did you catch that?" Lara asked.
"So there were witches down here," Zip said.
"Lara, get out of there it's too risky," Alister said. "We've seen what black magic does. If she can really do it then, it's not worth the risk. Especially, if it involves that amulet."
"More the reason to keep it then," Lara said. "And your right Alister. It is too risky, but it looks like I am going to have to find my own way out." She looked down to see if anyone was down below her. When she saw no one, she jumped down and began to cautiously continue into the ruins. After awhile, she entered a very spacious room, which was more like cave.
"Lara, up there," Alister said. Lara looked up and sees a peek of sunshine coming through a rather large gap in the upper part of the wall.
"The outside. Well how we getting out then if that is up there?" Zip asked. Lara walked over to the wall and looked up at the opening.
That's easy, Zip," Lara said as she grabbed one of the ledges. "We climb." She began to climb up the wall with ease and was soon looking out from the opening.
"Whoa, would you look at that view," Zip said. The sun was setting over twin mountain peaks and the lake was shimmer with the last of daylight.
"Whoa, would you look at that view," Zip said. The sun was setting behind twin peaked mountains and the lake shimmered with the last of the sunlight. Lara looked downward at the lake and they all see how high they really are.
"Perfect time for a swim isn't it," she said as she looked upon the lake. Before the two could even protest to the idea, Lara swan dived off of the ledge and down to the water. She successfully hit the water and swam up to its surface.
"Don't. Ever. Do That. Again," Alister said with a deep breaths nearly in between each word.
"Yeah, Alister almost fainted when you did that," Zip said with a slightly concerned, but joking tone. Lara laughed a bit and swam over to land. She got out of the water and reached into her bag, pulling out the green gem amulet.
"Whatever this is, I have a feeling I'm glad I took it," Lara said as she turned back to where she dived off. "And I have a feeling that we will be seeing that woman again, especially if she needs this."
"Well, for now, let's get you home. Just head to the extraction point and we'll get you outta there," Zip said. Lara nodded and turned back away from the cliff face. She then began her journey home, unknowing what she carried in her satchel.