Lara grunted in an unlady-like manner.
She let Aren guide her through the maze of hallways. "Where exactly are you taking me?" she asked curiously.
"In case you're really wondering, the library." Aren replied.
"Oooooo…I'm so excited!" Lara exclaimed sarcastically.
"Seems like our High Lady here has lost all interest in saving the world." he observed smugly.
"This had better be good." Lara mumbled as she followed the hurrying Aren down the many passages.
As they burst into the cracking, old library, Lara found herself suddenly surrounded by a very loud quietness. The old library was hardly ever used, nowadays. Whatever information was needed was searched for in the new one on the main floor. All this library held were old history books, textbooks, and the Prophecies of the Southwest…
As if reaching into her mind, Aren explained to Lara, "The Prophecies are exactly what we're looking at, Lady Croft. Help me look for the Zhen Chronicles. It has to be in this old junkyard somewhere."
"Hmmm…that's highly unusual, Sir…by the way, what exactly is your family name?" she asked inquiringly.
"Oh, yes, I've somehow lost all of my manners." he apologized dazedly, as he walked around the room. "My full name is Aren Jamiz Corte Parami."
"Uuuuhhh..ookey then. Are you part Dymerian or something?" Lara questioned.
"Yeah, my father was. You're pretty quick, for a girl." he said with a smirk on his face. Then he sighed. "Because I am not full blood, as are my brothers and sisters, the Nobles are taking it to their advantage to somehow convince our subjects that since we're not 'pure' enough, none of us can take over when Father leaves." He turned his attention back toward the books.
Anyways, Sir Parami, the Zhen Chronicles are nothing but a bunch of ramblings from far-seers, who aren't very reliable, may I add. Plus, they are taken from 874, or so, BL…"
Lara stopped in mid-sentence as she realized it was no use talking sense into Aren. She sighed. "I'll help anyway, I guess." she mumbled.
The hours dragged on as the pair dragged down each, heavy book, only to discover it not to be what they were looking for. At last, Lara called Aren over.
"Hey, look what I found!" she yelled.
"Is it the Zhen?" Aren asked as he walked over across the room.
"I'm pretty sure, it was a long time back when I studied it…here, look." She said as she pointed out a passage.
"Time shall go by, and Ages come to happen,
when the world shall be Renewed, and given the Second Chance."
Lara recited. "Yep, this is what we're looking for."
"It's not the passage I want to show you." Aren replied as he leaned over. Lara could distincly smell
his musty, yet sweet, scent, a scent she would remember and treasure the rest of her life.
"Here." Lara said as she handed the book over, "Be my guest."
Aren flipped a couple of pages, his expression searching and determined. At last his eyes rested on a particular section. He started reading:
"And when in turn the city destroyed,
the feared Dragon King shall have his last breath,
naught shall the spirit go untouched,
trapped in its own making…"
"And what exactly does this have to do with us?" Lara demanded. She was getting annoyed with him. I have a fighting lesson in 20 marks and…"
"Shush it and listen." Aren interrupted. He continued:
"Then it shall come to pass, that disturbed from his dream,
the mighty Dragon King shall once again rule, unless of one mighty Hand.
And in this Hand shall exist the Strange Fighter, the Hero of the Mountains, the Pointing One, the Man of Humanity, the Thief, and the One of Many Faces.
If it comes that one misses from this gathering, the very Earth shall tremble at the awakening of the King of Dragons."
Aren concluded dramatically. He stared at Lara straight in the face.
"So, I know that I must be one of those people, but I'm just curious…who am I suppose to be?" Lara asked in a wondering tone.
"Hail Strange Fighter!" Aren bellowed with a sweeping bow.
"Strange?!? Humph. And what are you?"
"I'm assuming the Man of Humanity…"
Lara burst out in a fit of giggles. "Mmmmaaan?? Of HUMANITY?!?!? Chahahahaha, this is just too much!" She chortled, as she collapsed into her seat, clutching her stomach.
"Hhmmm…you're right, the name doesn't seem to fit…" Aren said thoughtfully, "How about the One of Many Faces?"
Lara started laughing even harder. "Boy, one of your faces is enough to shock even the most pathetic people into a paranoia, but something like SEVEN?!?"
Aren grinned and poked Lara's stomach.
"Aahh!! No, stop, please!!" Lara gasped, as she backed away. Aren started tickling her, and together they ended up laughing uncontrollably. As their laughter died away, both looked slightly embarrassed.
"Huh, well…anyway…" Lara smiled. "What led you to believe I was meant to be part of this group?"
Aren shrugged. "I dunno. Guess intuition or something." he answered vaguely. Lara had noticed that whenever they started discussing certain things, Aren got quiet. Lara frowned. Didn't he trust her?
"Tell me all about it, then! Why exactly do these certain people have to meet? To do what?" she demanded. In her heart, as if she knew he would understand her, she was calling...
"What's so important to make you come bursting into my life at exactly the wrong time?"
She let Aren guide her through the maze of hallways. "Where exactly are you taking me?" she asked curiously.
"In case you're really wondering, the library." Aren replied.
"Oooooo…I'm so excited!" Lara exclaimed sarcastically.
"Seems like our High Lady here has lost all interest in saving the world." he observed smugly.
"This had better be good." Lara mumbled as she followed the hurrying Aren down the many passages.
As they burst into the cracking, old library, Lara found herself suddenly surrounded by a very loud quietness. The old library was hardly ever used, nowadays. Whatever information was needed was searched for in the new one on the main floor. All this library held were old history books, textbooks, and the Prophecies of the Southwest…
As if reaching into her mind, Aren explained to Lara, "The Prophecies are exactly what we're looking at, Lady Croft. Help me look for the Zhen Chronicles. It has to be in this old junkyard somewhere."
"Hmmm…that's highly unusual, Sir…by the way, what exactly is your family name?" she asked inquiringly.
"Oh, yes, I've somehow lost all of my manners." he apologized dazedly, as he walked around the room. "My full name is Aren Jamiz Corte Parami."
"Uuuuhhh..ookey then. Are you part Dymerian or something?" Lara questioned.
"Yeah, my father was. You're pretty quick, for a girl." he said with a smirk on his face. Then he sighed. "Because I am not full blood, as are my brothers and sisters, the Nobles are taking it to their advantage to somehow convince our subjects that since we're not 'pure' enough, none of us can take over when Father leaves." He turned his attention back toward the books.
Anyways, Sir Parami, the Zhen Chronicles are nothing but a bunch of ramblings from far-seers, who aren't very reliable, may I add. Plus, they are taken from 874, or so, BL…"
Lara stopped in mid-sentence as she realized it was no use talking sense into Aren. She sighed. "I'll help anyway, I guess." she mumbled.
The hours dragged on as the pair dragged down each, heavy book, only to discover it not to be what they were looking for. At last, Lara called Aren over.
"Hey, look what I found!" she yelled.
"Is it the Zhen?" Aren asked as he walked over across the room.
"I'm pretty sure, it was a long time back when I studied it…here, look." She said as she pointed out a passage.
"Time shall go by, and Ages come to happen,
when the world shall be Renewed, and given the Second Chance."
Lara recited. "Yep, this is what we're looking for."
"It's not the passage I want to show you." Aren replied as he leaned over. Lara could distincly smell
his musty, yet sweet, scent, a scent she would remember and treasure the rest of her life.
"Here." Lara said as she handed the book over, "Be my guest."
Aren flipped a couple of pages, his expression searching and determined. At last his eyes rested on a particular section. He started reading:
"And when in turn the city destroyed,
the feared Dragon King shall have his last breath,
naught shall the spirit go untouched,
trapped in its own making…"
"And what exactly does this have to do with us?" Lara demanded. She was getting annoyed with him. I have a fighting lesson in 20 marks and…"
"Shush it and listen." Aren interrupted. He continued:
"Then it shall come to pass, that disturbed from his dream,
the mighty Dragon King shall once again rule, unless of one mighty Hand.
And in this Hand shall exist the Strange Fighter, the Hero of the Mountains, the Pointing One, the Man of Humanity, the Thief, and the One of Many Faces.
If it comes that one misses from this gathering, the very Earth shall tremble at the awakening of the King of Dragons."
Aren concluded dramatically. He stared at Lara straight in the face.
"So, I know that I must be one of those people, but I'm just curious…who am I suppose to be?" Lara asked in a wondering tone.
"Hail Strange Fighter!" Aren bellowed with a sweeping bow.
"Strange?!? Humph. And what are you?"
"I'm assuming the Man of Humanity…"
Lara burst out in a fit of giggles. "Mmmmaaan?? Of HUMANITY?!?!? Chahahahaha, this is just too much!" She chortled, as she collapsed into her seat, clutching her stomach.
"Hhmmm…you're right, the name doesn't seem to fit…" Aren said thoughtfully, "How about the One of Many Faces?"
Lara started laughing even harder. "Boy, one of your faces is enough to shock even the most pathetic people into a paranoia, but something like SEVEN?!?"
Aren grinned and poked Lara's stomach.
"Aahh!! No, stop, please!!" Lara gasped, as she backed away. Aren started tickling her, and together they ended up laughing uncontrollably. As their laughter died away, both looked slightly embarrassed.
"Huh, well…anyway…" Lara smiled. "What led you to believe I was meant to be part of this group?"
Aren shrugged. "I dunno. Guess intuition or something." he answered vaguely. Lara had noticed that whenever they started discussing certain things, Aren got quiet. Lara frowned. Didn't he trust her?
"Tell me all about it, then! Why exactly do these certain people have to meet? To do what?" she demanded. In her heart, as if she knew he would understand her, she was calling...
"What's so important to make you come bursting into my life at exactly the wrong time?"