AN: First off, a million apologies for updating this story so late. Real life sucks, sometimes. That being said, I'm apologizing in advance if this happens again. I just have some personal stuff going on at the moment. :/ I have not abandoned the story! I promise to continue updating as soon as I can. :)
Second, has anyone out there gotten stuck in Reaver's mansion? I did and actually stopped playing because of it. :( This sucks! It totally ruined my Fable 3 experience!
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Sorry for any mistakes…I pretty much finished writing and wanted to upload quick. A shout out to iNf3ctioNZ and quantumparadigm who encouraged me to update!
Lara took a deep breath, fighting hard to maintain a calm front. The darkness crept into her skin sending a chill down her body that had nothing to do with the temperature. She could feel it whispering around her, taunting her, accusing her of leaving Walter behind…leaving him to die.
She shook her head. She couldn't let it get to her. Instead, she tried focusing on something real. She flexed her right hand, relishing the burning pain in her knuckles. Walter had been on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Her usual teasing insults to divert his attention from his fear hadn't worked. So she had reverted back to something she hoped would do the trick.
Lara had punched him.
Right hook to the side of his face, leaving him with a black eye and her with a bruised hand. It had worked, too…until the darkness came and took him away.
Lara shook her head again. She couldn't think about it. That's what the darkness wanted, and she wasn't about to give in. She walked quickly through the cave, Ares quietly whimpering at her heels. Her sword was gripped tightly in her hands, the pain in her knuckles a reminder of what was real and what wasn't.
"You wish for the black void. You tire of your travels, your burdens…the cries of the helpless, the cries of your dead."
A horde of shadowy creatures surrounded her. Block, roll, swing. Just like Walter taught her.
"You too will be swallowed. You are a fragile thing."
She grit her teeth in frustration, concentrating on her movements and trying her best to ignore the raspy voice that grated her ears.
"Accept death now. It is so much easier than what is to come."
"Never!" Lara hissed, as the last creature evaporated in a puff of dark smoke.
Walter was alive, he had to be. And Ben... Lara forced her thoughts to focus on the task at hand - finding a way out of the cave. She vaulted down a small overhang making sure Ares remained at her side. If only she had done the same with Walter, if only she had forced him to jump first...
Stop it! she chastised herself. You have to stop thinking about -
"Walter!"
Her heart caught in her throat. He was covered in the same black substance that littered the cave. Painful groans escaped from his mouth. She ran to him, afraid to touch him and cause him even more pain. Walter looked so frail and helpless...
She took a step back, her heart piercing with every painful moan. She thought of Major Swift. How the brave man had given up his life so that she could have hers. And then, she thought of Ben. Those blue eyes had been so full of life...
Suddenly, something in Lara snapped. She had had enough. She wasn't scared anymore. No, what she was feeling was much stronger, much more fierce.
She was pissed.
Lara turned around, and it felt like everything was in slow motion. She forced Ares to stay back, ordering her loyal dog to stay near Walter. The adrenaline rushed through her veins, and she gripped her sword in one hand and her pistol in the other. There was a moment of eerie silence. Then, almost as if on cue, the statues around her came to life.
Fueled by anger, Lara set about defeating them. Four of them advanced upon her,and she quickly rolled out of the way. She fired off a couple of shots, bullets seemingly useless against the creatures' metal exteriors. Lara threw her gun to the side and unleashed an ice storm on the statues, momentarily stunning them. Gaining speed, she ran at the nearest one, jumping up high in the air and slicing her sword down full force. Two creatures exploded in a puff of dust.
Every time she defeated a creature, another seemed to step in from the shadows to join in the attack. She weaved her spells, sending out a waves of shock as ice rained down upon her enemies. Her sword sparked as it came in contact with the statues' bodies, and she swung it around in a low arc, slicing the legs off of two of them.
Her adrenaline high made her oblivious to any pain from the creature' blows. She continued her battle, slashing and rolling her way through the throng of enemies until they all evaporated in clouds of smoke. Lara remained still, trails of blood running down her arms and down one side of her face. She was breathing heavily, but she was far from exhausted. If anything, the fight had left her even more determined to kill the creature that had trapped them inside the cave.
Lara heard a low thump behind her, and she turned around to find Walter on his knees. The black substance that had been holding him up pooled in front of him and then oozed over to one of the larger statues. The tar enveloped the sentinel, washing over it and bringing it to life.
"The dark guardian shall come and protect us." That morbid voice filled Lara's ears again. "And all that is flesh and light shall die."
"No!" Lara shouted, her strong voice echoing in the cave. "This ends now!"
She rushed at the guardian, only to be thrown back. Lara landed with a low grunt. Her mind quickly changed tactics. She sheathed her sword, scrambling to get up as the black liquid started to form underneath her. She managed to roll out of the way just as a spray of energy cascaded through the floor.
Lara took a few steps back, hastily wiping away the blood from her brow that had trickled into her eye. The sentinel continued to lash out at her, sending out waves of rock to smash into her every time she stayed in once place too long. There was nothing Lara could do but continue to roll out of the way and chip away at it with her will spells.
A horde of shadow creatures caught her off guard. While she quickly dispatched of them, a wave of rock hit her. She flew in the air, landing hard on her side right onto the hilt of her sword causing her to lose her breath. Lara let out a few coughs, her eyes watering at the pain.
She clutched at her side. Lara felt the sentinel walk toward her, his staff raised high in the air. She glanced over at Walter. She couldn't see his face. He was kneeling, his body hunched over. The blood was now rushing from her brow, blinding her in one eye.
She thought to the last time she had been in the same predicament. Lieutenant Simmons towering over her about to finish her off. If it hadn't been for Ben...
Lara closed her eyes, Ben's image flashing in her mind, giving her strength. She let out a growl, her eyes still closed as she kicked out. The sentinel's knee gave a sickening crunch as her heel made contact. The creature stumbled, and Lara took advantage of it's momentary setback. She grabbed the hilt of the sword, unsheathing it in one swift move and lancing it up. Her eyes opened just as the blade sliced through the sentinel's neck.
It's head lobbed off, falling back as the sentinel fell to one knee then crashed forward to land right next to her. Lara coughed, a puff of dust rising into the air around her. She got up as quickly as she could, grabbing her sword as she stood. She winced in pain as the adrenaline began to wear down and the various cuts on her body began to sting. She ran to Walter, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stand up. The force field that had been blocking the exit to the cave had disappeared, and Lara wanted to leave the cave before the creature came back.
"Wait," Walter's gruff voice, called out in alarm. "I can't see! That thing...it blinded me. I can't see!"
Lara felt a pang in her heart. What the hell had it done to him? "It's okay," she replied, forcing herself to keep her voice strong. "I'm right here, Walter. It's going to be okay."
She placed his arm around her shoulders, leaning to one side to bear his weight. Walter circled his arm around her waist for support, and she had to bite down on her lip to keep from crying out. She had probably broken a couple of ribs in that fall.
They walked away, Lara continuing to reassure Walter that they were going to be okay, while Walter fearfully repeated that the creature was still out there somewhere. A bright light caused Lara to squint, and she brought up a hand to shield the sudden brightness. It was as if a cover had been placed over the sun and it had been suddenly removed. One second, there was darkness, and the next they were stepping outside into the sun-basked desert.
"Are we out?" Walter asked, as the warmth of the sun washed over them. "Did we get away?"
"Yes. We're safe for now," Lara replied, letting out a small sigh of relief.
But the feeling was shortlived. Other than the ruins they were standing on, the desert seemed to go on for miles. There appeared to be nothing else in sight.
"What can you see?" It was almost as if Walter had read her thoughts.
Lara hitched Walter up against her side again, still supporting more than half his weight as he was too weak to even walk. They walked up a few steps, but still, there seemed to be nothing around them.
"There's nothing," she finally said, trying not to let the disappointment show in her voice. "Just a desert."
Walter grunted. "Are there no signs of civilization?"
Lara used the back of her hand to wipe the blood from her brow again. She squinted, barely making out something into the distance.
"I think there's something...a statue, I think, in the distance. Might take a few hours to get there."
"Lara, whatever that thing did to me sucked all the light from inside of me. I still can't see anything." He let out a weak cough, leaning into her even more. "I'm not sure...I don't know how far I can go. I'm too weak. I can't do this."
Lara frowned, tightening her grip around Walter. "Of course you can. Come on." She walked forward, half dragging Walter, who was now relying solely on her to keep himself upright.
"No, Lara, stop. I can't. You have to leave me behind."
"No!" Lara said forcefully.
"Listen to me. I can't see...I can barely stand. I'll slow you down - get you killed. You have to go on without me."
"I'm not leaving you behind," she said through gritted teeth. She pushed on until Walter suddenly collapsed, almost taking her down with him.
"Leave me!" he shouted, using the last of his strength to reprimand her. His body grew limp in her arms.
"Walter!"
Her heart beat wildly in her chest. He was unconscious, but still breathing. She knelt beside him for a few minutes, hands on his chest while she deliberated what to do. She looked out into the expanse of desert again. The quicker she got to that statue, the quicker Walter would get help.
Lara glanced back at Walter, cradling his head in her hands. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her final decision weighing heavily on her heart. She leaned down to kiss his forehead.
"I'll be back," she whispered. "I promise."
OoOoOo
The scorching sun beat down on her, sweat running along her skin, mingling with blood. Her mouth was dry, lips chapped. The pain at her side was worsening with every step she took. And yet she forced herself to continue...the statue in the distance her only hope for obtaining the help Walter so desperately needed.
He was okay for the moment. She had left Ares with him, but she knew her faithful dog could do nothing for Walter's condition other than keep watch over him.
A silhouette in the distance almost made her stop in surprise. Her heart rose to her throat. She moved faster, almost running as she got closer to what looked like a person sitting down at a table. Until she noticed that it was Walter...
Lara had to blink a few times as she slowed to a walk and approached the table carefully. It was Walter...but he looked different somehow. She frowned, quickly glancing behind her to the spot where she had last seen Walter, and then back to the man sitting before her.
Then, that horrible voice. "I'm blind! I can't see! Help me!"
The sky turned dark, and a cold wind swirled around her. Lara ran ahead. She pushed past another image of Walter.
"You abandoned your friend to die. He's calling for you."
Lara fought to ignore Walter's cries of pain. He wasn't real. She needed to keep pushing forward.
"Don't leave us! Don't leave us here forever and ever!"
Her feet felt heavy as she ran through the sand. Walter appeared in front of her, but she didn't stop. The darkness was playing with her mind.
"You try to run away, but you are made of sand. You are falling apart between our fingers."
But Lara didn't turn back. She continued running, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Walter's voice filled her ears. He walked past her, carrying a torch. He was relaying some sort of story. Pinned down by the enemy, being stuck in a cave...Lara covered her ears.
"Stop it!" she cried out.
The disembodied voice laughed triumphantly. "There's nothing left. You are gone. All gone."
Lara sank down to her knees, her hands over her ears, still trying to block out the voice. Walter stood in front of her, torch in hand.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, finally letting the exhaustion overcome her.
OoOoOo
Lara groaned. Her body felt stiff and sore. She opened her eyes, her vision a little blurred. The sky was clear, the sun shining brightly again. A woman's face came into view.
"She's still alive. The other can't be far away."
Lara frowned, opening her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Whether friend or foe, Lara didn't care. She wanted to scream out, to let the woman know that Walter was still out there. Then, another face appeared...one she had come to know quite well.
"Taking a nap in the sun? Typical royalty," Ben quipped, kneeling down and running a hand along the side of her face. His eyes were darkened with worry, though a smile was slowly creeping into the corner of his mouth. "You had me worried there for a while."
Lara reached out, and he grabbed her hand, gripping it in his. "Ben," she whispered hoarsely.
"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe now." Ben squeezed her hand in reassurance. "They'll find Walter. They'll bring him back."
She nodded mutely, still trying to figure out who "they" were and what exactly was going on. But knowing that Ben was alive was enough for her. The rest would come later. She gripped Ben's hand tightly, almost as if confirming to herself that he was real.
"Ben," she whispered again. He leaned down, his face just millimeters above hers. His warm breath caressed her skin. "Don't let go."
His face became blurry. Lara could barely make out his features. Her eyes grew heavy, and she closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her. Far away, deep into the recesses of her mind, floated one word.
"Never."
Awww, Ben is such a sweetheart! 3 And because I always suck at review replies (again, sorry this is late, guys!):
emberlies: Haha, Lara needs to start listening to herself. I think she'll find out some pretty interesting things… :) Thanks for the review!
Pinned back Wings: Walter and Ben are such great characters. Their voice actors did an amazing job of bringing them to life. Thanks for the review! :D
Diko: Thanks! Lara can be detailed when she wants to be…even if she doesn't notice it, lol. :)
atheirin: Thank you! I hope you continue to read. :D
Kenzberry: Lara has a heart in there somewhere, lol. Ben's gonna have a hard time chipping away at that block of ice surrounding it. ;) Thanks for the review!
Sam Belk: YouTube's helped me out a lot since I stopped playing. It's just a matter of actually finding the right videos, though. Thanks for the review! :)
Ekurian: Thanks! My friend, iNf3ctioNZ, helps me out with Ben…which works since they're both cheeky bastards, haha. :)
Alice Shadowrunner01: We'll be seeing a lot of Ben in the next chapter. :D Thanks for the review!
wildcat717: Thank you! Hope you continue to enjoy the story! :)
Tintosha: Haha, thank you so much! :D
RainDancer823: Thank you! :D
PookiedaWuzzle: Don't worry! I have a lot planned for Ben and Lara so this won't be dying soon. Thanks for reviewing! :)
A big THANK YOU to everyone that has read, reviewed, favorited, and put this on story alert! Seriously, I am in awe at the amount of support this story has gotten. I know I keep repeating this but, really, THANK YOU! :D
Next chapter: Ben comes to a realization…or does he? ;)