Chapter 7 - Tomb Raider
Lara Croft hadn't come all this way to give up now. Remembering how they had got into the monastery in the first place, she began searching the room for a hidden switch of some kind, pressing the walls in various places and standing on every slab of stone in case it was a pressure plate. Eventually she sat down on the cold floor and leant back against the wall. The stone moved ever so slightly, causing Lara to laugh out loud. She quickly got to her feet and shoved with all her might until the section of wall slid back to reveal a small hole in the floor. It was just big enough for Lara to put her hand in tentatively and find and handle, which moved when she tugged it hard enough. A creaking sound indicated that the huge doors were opening. She cautiously peered into the next room and saw a single shaft of light coming through a gap in the high ceiling. The light fell on a wooden dais in the centre of the room, and on it sat what looked like a pair of stone cylinders with handles on each end. Lara looked around suspiciously before advancing into the room and picking one of the objects up, turning it in her hands. It was intricately carved with Chinese symbols all the way around, except the ends which were covered in beautiful patterns. Lara couldn't guess what it was she had found but she would certainly find out, for the round stones must have been important judging by everything that had been used to protect them. As she carefully lifted the other from the plinth a door slid open to her right which Lara hoped with all her heart was the exit. She opened her bag to place the artifacts carefully inside but was stopped by a voice behind her. "You'd better give those prayer wheels to me, Lara." She turned to see Alex leaning against the wall by the door she had entered by. Lara breathed a sigh of relief, but then thought about what he had said. "Why? I found them," she said obstinately. "They're not yours, you can't take them." Lara eyed him suspiciously. "These are what Palmer sent you in here for, aren't they? Why didn't you tell me? What's the big secret?" she held the stone cylinders to her chest possessively. Alex sighed. "They're.an important artifact," he said, stepping towards her threateningly. Lara looked down at the beautiful objects, of course they were prayer wheels. But she had found them, not Alex and not Robert Palmer. Whatever their significance, she had found the way in to the monastery, and found her way through all those traps and puzzles protecting the wheels before Alex had. She was a better tomb raider than he was and he had no right to take the prize from her. Lara looked sideways at the door that had opened, judging whether she could outrun the man to the darkness that lay beyond. A metallic clicking noise caused her to look back, and she found herself staring into the barrel of his gun. Lara's jaw set. "Are you going to shoot me Alex?" she asked with disbelief, more surprised than afraid. "I hope I won't have to," he said, moving closer until he was standing inches away from her. He pressed the gun against her chest and Lara looked up into his eyes, not quite sure why she was feeling excited and turned on by this situation. "You have to let me win this one Lara," he said quietly, his face inches from hers. Lara looked at him steadily, then calmly placed the prayer wheels back on the plinth. She nodded, "but never again," she said, then turned and strode out of the door without looking back.
Lara Croft hadn't come all this way to give up now. Remembering how they had got into the monastery in the first place, she began searching the room for a hidden switch of some kind, pressing the walls in various places and standing on every slab of stone in case it was a pressure plate. Eventually she sat down on the cold floor and leant back against the wall. The stone moved ever so slightly, causing Lara to laugh out loud. She quickly got to her feet and shoved with all her might until the section of wall slid back to reveal a small hole in the floor. It was just big enough for Lara to put her hand in tentatively and find and handle, which moved when she tugged it hard enough. A creaking sound indicated that the huge doors were opening. She cautiously peered into the next room and saw a single shaft of light coming through a gap in the high ceiling. The light fell on a wooden dais in the centre of the room, and on it sat what looked like a pair of stone cylinders with handles on each end. Lara looked around suspiciously before advancing into the room and picking one of the objects up, turning it in her hands. It was intricately carved with Chinese symbols all the way around, except the ends which were covered in beautiful patterns. Lara couldn't guess what it was she had found but she would certainly find out, for the round stones must have been important judging by everything that had been used to protect them. As she carefully lifted the other from the plinth a door slid open to her right which Lara hoped with all her heart was the exit. She opened her bag to place the artifacts carefully inside but was stopped by a voice behind her. "You'd better give those prayer wheels to me, Lara." She turned to see Alex leaning against the wall by the door she had entered by. Lara breathed a sigh of relief, but then thought about what he had said. "Why? I found them," she said obstinately. "They're not yours, you can't take them." Lara eyed him suspiciously. "These are what Palmer sent you in here for, aren't they? Why didn't you tell me? What's the big secret?" she held the stone cylinders to her chest possessively. Alex sighed. "They're.an important artifact," he said, stepping towards her threateningly. Lara looked down at the beautiful objects, of course they were prayer wheels. But she had found them, not Alex and not Robert Palmer. Whatever their significance, she had found the way in to the monastery, and found her way through all those traps and puzzles protecting the wheels before Alex had. She was a better tomb raider than he was and he had no right to take the prize from her. Lara looked sideways at the door that had opened, judging whether she could outrun the man to the darkness that lay beyond. A metallic clicking noise caused her to look back, and she found herself staring into the barrel of his gun. Lara's jaw set. "Are you going to shoot me Alex?" she asked with disbelief, more surprised than afraid. "I hope I won't have to," he said, moving closer until he was standing inches away from her. He pressed the gun against her chest and Lara looked up into his eyes, not quite sure why she was feeling excited and turned on by this situation. "You have to let me win this one Lara," he said quietly, his face inches from hers. Lara looked at him steadily, then calmly placed the prayer wheels back on the plinth. She nodded, "but never again," she said, then turned and strode out of the door without looking back.