Chapter 10: The Truth is Out There

Outside the doctor's place, Nathan try to find Eddy. He has been circle the base for twice, and looks like Eddy really gone. So Nathan ask one of the rebels about where the hell is Eddy. Turns out Eddy was scouting Locke's compound from a hill that not far from the base. Nathan then walk to the hill to talk with Eddy.

"What do you see, Eddy?"

"They're rigging themself with weapons and war gears. They got so many gears that we don't have, like the anti tanks artillery. And Locke have manpower about 200 people, each of them completely equipped with weapons."

"Then how many men that we have, Eddy?"

"About 90, 11 temporary incapacitated, including your friend, I mean Lara. You got any tactics againts them, Nate?"

"Well, we could used their own power and positivity."

"In English Nathan, please."

"They's over confidence Eddy, we used that advantages to take them down. Anyway, they're trying to summon the cursed one. I heard Locke trying to find a sacred pool that located somewhere in this island. Locke must be heading to the pool with his men. We have to find the pool first before Locke do. Now any ideas about the pool?" Eddy then starts to exhales at Nathan's question. Looks like Eddy is going to tell something big about this ideas.

"3 months ago I was exploring this island with one of my tracker. While we exploring the island, we found an old den that filled with ancient stuff and worship gear and an altar. The den itself was decorated with a demonic dummy that made of banana tree rod, and decorated with white cloths. Us, native Indonesian never want to explore that cave. Because if you believe in legend, you could get cursed by the 'guardian' that stay in that place. Anyway, you're free to try that den, Nathan." Eddy explain about his story of the sacred den.

"Point taken. Where's the den?"

"About 2 miles to the southeast of this base." Nathan then starts to walk to the den that rumoured have the secret about the sacred pool, but before, Nathan starts walking, Eddy call Nathan back and give him something.

"Nathan, you earned this. You're one of us now." Eddy gives Nathan a jacket with small red stripes on the right side of the jacket. It was the rebel jacket for Nathan."

"Thank you Eddy. I will fight for us now."

"It's for her too, Nathan." Eddy gives another jacket to Nathan. The second jacket was fit for Lara. Now both of them has officially the rebels of Locke's men.

10 hours from Nathan received the jacket, Lara's finally revived too from her wounds, and met again Nathan, while Nathan gear himself up with his weapons. Absolutely, Nathan explain to Lara about the sacred den.

But Lara got no compromise about it, she just told Nathan to accompanied her to the den, even Nathan has warned her about the 'guardian' of the den, Lara never stop to find the den, finally, they found the den, on the old small trench.

"It must be the den. There's an old demonic dummy on the front of it."

"Lara, you sure you want to enter it?"

"Don't tell me you're afraid of ghost, Nate." Lara scoffs at Nathan, as she heard Nathan's question.

"Okay Lara, okay. Let's enter it." Nathan start to enter the den with Lara leading the way.

Both of them starts to enter the den. The den itself isn't very big. But they're surprised about what they saw in the den. It was the house of the old hermit, and the hermit itself died in praying position. The hermit hold a scrolled paper. It might be his testament before he died. Lara open his testament and read it in hanacaraka translation.

"The mighty Bandung has rage upon the princess trick. His rage curse the beloved princess to become one of the 999 stupas of Bandung. Now the princess is a half-life. A soul trapped in a petrified body. Her vengeance become the illusion for everyone near her. To summon the princess, she must take a bath on the pool of purity under the great waterfall."

"A soul, and I heard someone said no one leaves in ancient java before the Travis plane crashed. It's all linked to Jonggrang, Nathan. To escape this island, we have to destroy the princess body, because her vengeance of Bandung become the illusion for all of us. But she's a perfect if she take a bath on the pool of purity."

"So now we're know why Locke want to find the pool so bad."

"I don't care about him Nate, We have to find the pool before Locke do."

"Yeah, but beneath the great waterfall, how if there's nothing below the waterfall Lara? We can't have another waste."

"What other choice do we have Nathan? We have to trust this hermit."

Both of them then get out from the den, and head back to the base, but they're surprised saw Locke, and the princess, also with his men are marching to the great waterfall to find the pool of purity. Quickly, Nathan and Lara head back to the base to tell everything they saw on the den and about Locke.

"Eddy, Locke and Jonggrang has march to find the pool on the great waterfall. Locke armed himself for about 50 men behind him. He's trying to summon Jonggrang." Eddy then starts to go to the his rebels barracks and start his speech.

"My fellow rebels. Our biggest nightmare has summoned. The princess is seeking for purity. Today, we stop her. Today, we stop Locke. And today, we claimed our victory, and prove to Locke, that ressurection will never save him!" Everyone cheers at Eddy, as they start to pack themself with weapon. Lara and Nathan then head back to their room to pack and gear themself with ammunition and weapons.

When Nathan pack up, his pocket notebook fell to the ground. Lara pick it up and give it to Nathan. Suddenly, a small photograph of a woman with blonde hair fall of from the notebook. The woman is about 20-25 years old. Lara try to give it back to Nathan, but he refused. Now Lara know that Nathan was a broken man.

"Nathan, do you miss her?" Nathan nodded at Lara's question

"But I can't get back to her, Lara. It's over. I don't want this conversation."

"Can't or won't Nathan?"

"You have no idea what I been through, Lara. We used to be a happy couple. And since the events of Madagascar, its over. Me and Elena. It's impossible for me to reunite back with her. I just can't forget her, and I don't even know why I still keep her picture." Nathan then start to sob about his past. Lara then starts to understand that Nathan can't forgive his past. He live in the new world, but he still bury his feeling about Elena. Lara the starts to reflect Nathan about his past life.

"Because you won't forgive her. You should have a heart to forgive Nathan. She may not forgive you, but you can start make up your life by forgive her Nathan." Lara starts to hold Nathan hands as he lock her gaze on Nathan presence, followed by Nathan start to cry and hug Lara, just like a brother and sister.

"Lara, I never had a family. I never had a brother who know my feelings. But you just like my little sister Lara. You're just like my perfect family of my dreams." Nathan starts to release his hug, as he start to sit down and pull his lighter. Nathan learn that he must forgive every people that once broke his heart. Slowly, he used the lighter to burn Elena's photograph, as he slowly saying his forgiveness to Elena.

"Elena, I forgive you." Nathan slowly drop the burning photograph, while he starts leaving the room with Lara and head to the barracks, to hear the attack briefing from Eddy.

"Alright, we're going to do this by ambush option. We'll going to dressed in a gillie suit and stay on the side of the waterfall, then wait for them to enter the waterfall. Once they enter the waterfall, we're going to take them out quickly by manpower and by mortars on the top of the hill, take out the princess to if possible. Any question." The tactics are quiet clear and the rebels has started to do the operations. While Lara, Nathan, Sam are going to operated outside the waterfall. Meanwhile Kaz, Sully, Travis and Mason going going to with the rebels to the waterfall. After all of them done in the gillie suit, they start to walk to the waterfall and wait for the spotter signal. Not long enough, Locke just about 2 km from the waterfall. So they started to operate in position.

"Alright, here it is. I want this done on quick and clean, y'all hear me? Quick, and clean." Eddy speaks throught the radio to his rebels down the waterfall. After that, Locke's finally arrived at the front of the waterfall.

"Nyong arep bocah-bocaheh kowe ngurusi nang curuge disit. Arep ndeleng kowe iso apa karo nyong." The princess speak to Locke in ancient Hanacaraka. She told Locke to clear the waterfall first before she entered the pool. And she wants Locke to prove himself to her, that he capable to summoning her from the curse. Locke then just bow down at the queen as he giving his order to his men.

As soon as Locke's men entered the waterfall area, the rebels move in and kill every men in the are. To make sure everyone death, some mortar round has been shooted to the waterfall area, killing most of Locke's men. About 6 minutes, the gunfight blazing on the waterfall arena. Victoriously, the rebels did to push back Locke's forces. So Eddy's liutenant give Eddy some victorious message.

"Eddy, we got the upper hand in here. They failed, they falling back. But I can't find the princess, wha? Take her ou-!" Suddenly, guns sound back to blazing at the waterfall. Turns out Locke's back with the brute forces and heavy gunner.

"Liutenant? Hey! Answer me?! Alright, we're going down there to help. Mortar crew stay here and keep firing the mortar. C'mon lets move people move!" Eddy rage out as he carry his AK-47 and running down the hill to help the rebels with Lara, Nathan, and Sam.

Soon after, they made it to the waterfall and crushing heavy gunners in the area. Even Locke's get wounded in that area, so the princess step into the waterfall, and start walking to the waterfall, as the rebels shot at her, the princess start her rage. Her eyes become burned, and suddenly, every rebels that saw her eyes become petrified slowly into statue, and sadly, very sadly. Kaz was shooting at the princess and accidentaly look her in the eye. Suddenly Kaz starting her body become fully incapacitated, can't be moved, as her skins slowly hardened and become rougly turned into stone.

"KAAAZZZ!" Lara runs to Kaz as the princess walk slowly to the waterfall.

"Laaaarrraaaa..." Kaz try to speak with her melancholy sounds, as she endure every pain that come from her skins.

"Kaz, no Kaz, I'm so sorry Kaz. I'm so sorry."

"Laaaraa, let..me join...my brother..."

"I never gave you a chance to become a tomb raider Kaz. I'm so sorry Kaz."

"Don't...feeeel...sorry...Lara. It's...okay...In...my...whole..life, I just...want...to...be..extraordinary...as you are."

"I'm not extraordinary Kaz. We all equal and same. The only difference just our fate. I just want to make a diferrence."

"You..already...have, you..just...need...to know it." Kaz saying her last word as her face become petrified, leaving Lara in tears in front of Kaz.

"Lara, let her go. We can't stay here, or we all die." Sam goes to Lara, as she grab Lara's hand and getting out from there. More Locke's trooper then head into the waterfall, and kill every rebels in the area. Leaving the waterfall filled only with dead and petrified people, and also Locke's men.