Tomb Raider: Forgotten Savior

By: The Odd Little Turtle Named Froggie

Disclaimer: Tomb Raider, Lara Croft, Kurtis Trent and a few others used in this story belong to EIDOS. The original story belongs to me as well as a few characters that are made by me, such as Ahmed Istathir and Arba.

A/N: OMG – has it really been almost 3 years since I've done anything with this story?? I'm not going to apologize. I've got excuses (no time, working on my science fiction novel, moving three states away, computer crash, lost notes, writer's block, life... HA! so there...).

Thanks MadameLeRouge for the kind PM. I played the game again and I've decided to get it in gear and give a little update. . . wait, did I just say "little"? Let's try this again: The story line has completely changed from my original plans. Chapters up until 3 are the same with a few grammatical errors fixed (or perhaps made worse?) and a sentence or two added here and there for clarification. Chapter 4 is where the major changes take place. Before reading this chapter, I would suggest going back over it again. I've added Alister and Zip just because I enjoyed their banter whilst playing Legend. Thus far they are the only reference to Legend (I think). I may add a few other references, but so far I've left it alone and focused on AOD.

BTW – Forgive the shortness of the chapter – I didn't want to reveal too much… Another chapter coming this weekend.

Flashbacks are in ITALICS, little dashes delineate change of scene. . . And, I am still terrible at flashbacks…

Chapter Five: Magic Carpet Ride

Last Time: Gunderson gives Kurtis some time off as it appears Lara was never in Turkey. So who has the Martichoras Notebook? Kurtis goes to England to get his Chirugai only to find that Lara has gone on another excursion. Zip, Alister and Winston aren't very helpful. Winston phones Lara to let her know that a bleeding visitor has arrived.

Lara arrived at the manor nearly crashing through the iron gate that stood between her and her home. At the last minute she pushed the remote button and the gate creaked open, the Ashton Marten nearly losing its side mirrors at the closeness of it.

One couldn't really say that she parked the car. It was more of a stopping, slamming the gears into park and jumping out of the car. She reached under the seat and withdrew a Wilkes and Hawkins Black Demon .32 followed by its twin. Knowing that they were loaded, she clicked off the safety on each gun and took a cleansing breath to calm herself before the storm.

She raced up the steps to her front door, her pistols out in front of her. The door opened, surprising her. Her aging butler was just as surprised.

"Oh, my!" he gasped.

"Winston!" Lara holstered her weapons. "What's going on?"

Winston, taking a breath to regain his composure, told her, "A Mr. Kurtis Trent stopped by, Miss." He allowed her entry, gesturing graciously. "He stayed for several hours out back before climbing the gate into the garden."

"Is he bleeding mad?" she asked, noting the blood on the Foyer Persian rug, more irritated than concerned. Her mother had bought that. "How did he get into the Foyer?"

Alister filled her in as he came to greet her with Zip. "Apparently, he scaled the wall into the front. It was most difficult getting any information from the man."

"He fell as he was comin' down," Zip said.

"Mr. Trent punctured his abdomen on a sharp corner of a statue," Winston told her. Lara blinked. Scaled the wall? Fell? Punctured? This did not sound like her partner at the Strahov.

Alister continued, "Kurtis knocked on the front door and when Winston answered it, he promptly fainted."

"He's been patched up and is resting in the East Wing," Winston finished.

"'Patched up?'" Lara inquired, eyebrow raised incredulously. "He's not hospitalized?"

"He refused to." Zip shrugged.

"Yes," Alister said. "Apparently he's been in and out of the hospital for the past year. Something about an impaling in Prague."

"Impaling?" Lara was confused. She had shot Kurtis in the shoulder in the Strahov, thinking she could save him and not give the up the painting. Instead, things had turned out for the worst.

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"My patience wears thin, Ms. Croft," Eckhardt rasped angrily, shaking his gloved hand at her. She gazed up at the madman, wanting everything to be over and done with. The past few days were beginning to catch up with her. The doors began to open, the darkness behind them making her uneasy. What looked like a human was cocooned just under the belly skin, only its hideous head gaping out at her.

"I will kill Mr. Trent, Ms. Croft," Eckhardt warned. Gunderson shook the unconscious form of Kurtis. Kurtis's blue eyes opened, met hers.

"Don't give him the painting!" he shouted. "He can't be allowed to—"

Eckhardt struck Kurtis across the face, effectively silencing him momentarily. "You worthless piece of dross! I will get that painting!" He turned and shouted to Lara, "Throw me the painting or the Lux Veritatis monk will die!"

"He's already stolen one painting from me," Lara said, eying the creature as it made its way toward her. She leveled her right gun at it, the other she aimed at Kurtis's shoulder. In order to save the village, burn the village, huh? Kurtis' voice brushed her mind intimately.

Forgive me, Kurtis, she told his presence in her mind.

There's nothing to forgive. Get it over with. Then destroy the painting.

She hesitated, noticing something in her peripheral vision.

Mueller!

With a speed she didn't know the fat botanist had, he hit her over the back of the head with something blunt. Both guns went off simultaneously, the right gun's bullet catching the monster in the mouth. It roared as she went down. It swiped the air where she'd stood, impaling the obese scientist behind her. He soon disappeared to its ravenous appetite. She saw stars, her vision cloudy.

"Joachim! Get that painting from her before Boaz eats her!"

Heavy boots landed beside her head. "Easy, Boaz." She heard nothing more after that as blackness overcame her.

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Reviewsalways welcome. I love constructive criticism. I want your honest opinion and if I've made any spelling or grammatical errors (so embarrassing!). If it completely tanks, give me your opinion on what should be done to fix it. (Not a guarantee it will/can be fixed.)

Up next? Chapter6, of course. You didn't think I'd reveal anything did you?