Kain was intently studying the designs on the gate. Raziel moved over to him.

"Thinking something on here will give us a clue?"

"Hoping, Raziel, just hoping."

"In my experience, boys," Lara's voice said from the other side of the clearing, "the answer to a puzzle is never right next to it."

Both men looked after her to see she was heading down the other path, Desert Eagle out and ready. She didn't glance back to see if they were following. Kain sighed deeply and Raziel let a hand drift up to cover his eyes as he shook his head.

"We have a very . . ." Raziel began.

"Eccentric," Kain supplied.

". . . Woman on our hands."

Kain looked at him for a moment. "You found her."

"You didn't kill her."

Suddenly, Lara leaned back around the twist in the trail and looked back at the two of them.

"Are you two coming, or not?"

Raziel walked after her quickly and Kain just watched him, amused. He had never thought he'd see the day that Raziel would answer to whims of a human woman. He shook his head slightly and followed after the pair.

Lara glanced back to watch Raziel move up to where she stood. She still couldn't get over the fact that he was the person from the mural in the temple. It was more of the fact she hadn't known what she was getting into when she complimented him. Although, strangely enough, out of seeing him both ways, she preferred the way he was now. It just seemed to fit him better, even if it was the less human of the two. But, then, what humans did Lara ever seem to get along with? Was it really that strange she would find a good companion in a Soul Reaver and a master vampire? … Naaahhh.

Raziel silently noted another of Lara's sidelong glances. Hadn't it been the other way around not two days ago? He had been the one studying her, not the other way around. She had sized him up, decided how she viewed him, and hadn't changed it since. Now it was apparently changing, and he didn't know why.

Kain stood behind the two, an amused smile dancing across his face as he glanced from one to the other. Though this had nothing to do with saving his world, this was probably the most fun that he had experienced in years. He was usually manipulating the world and it's affairs, but why not take a break and play matchmaker for a while? It could be most amusing.

The path they were travelling down suddenly opened wide to show a smooth cliff face. Embedded in the stone was a huge door with no markings or designs of any sort short of one: a large spiral engraved in the stone with the words Only full-blooded life may open this, only with the heat's kiss. Lara walked up to it, looking at the words, then at the spiral.

"Full-blooded life," Raziel murmured. He glanced at Kain. "A human or still-living creature."

Kain nodded mutely and met Raziel's gaze. "And we have only one of them with us."

Lara, on the other hand, was completely ignoring them. This was far more her forte than ending the threat of humans (though that came in as a close second). Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the obstacle in front of her. Full-blooded life . . . Well, her Soul Reaver and master vampire companion did not count as that, so that meant it was for her to figure out. But only with heat's kiss? Was she supposed to kiss the center of the spiral? She peered at the center of the spiral and saw the image of what looked like a human heart. A heart? Of course, it was what made her human, a living human, not like the talking corpses that were vampires. And what made that difference? . . . Blood! Her blood pumped through her veins, unlike the vampire behind her. She grabbed her combat knife out of her boot and cut the tip of her finger. Watching the ruby red color well up, she placed it on the beginning to the whorl and made sure her blood coated the stone as her finger traveled its way to the center. At the core, her blood spread to fill in the heart and the door shuddered in response. The red liquid coiled away across the door and again the door quivered, but much more strongly. She felt gears churn on the other side and the gate moved back and slid into the stone to the right. She looked back at her companions to see they were staring at her.

"What?!" she demanded. Raziel just blinked at her and Kain shook his head. She blinked in confusion at them, then shrugged as Raziel walked past her into the hallway beyond. She fell into step behind him and settled into a calm walking pace, letting her eyes fall on Raziel's wide shoulders. She did have to admit it was fun traveling behind him. She let her eyes drop to watch the muscles play across his back under his wings and fully intended to stop there. Yet, even then, she found her eyes dropping far lower than modesty allowed. She brought her eyes hastily back up, realizing that she was being totally out of character around Raziel, especially now since the last crystal. What in hell was wrong with her?! She wasn't attracted to anyone!

. . . Well, that was a lie, really, but never had she acted like some teenager with a crush before! This was above and beyond the call of duty! She needed to get out of here and away from Raziel's presence soon, otherwise she didn't know what hell could break out . . .

She shook her head quickly to bring herself from her musings as she realized her eyes had dropped again.

'Mental note to oneself,' she thought to herself grimly. 'Either stand in front of Raziel or stand behind Kain. One of the two.'

Raziel glanced up at the walls around them. Like so many of the ruins he had found, this one was crafted by the winged races' hands. But it had been built to let a human in, not the Wielder of the Reaver. That caught his curiosity. As did the murals on either side. As always, the ever-present image of the Reaver was everywhere, but there was a new image here, one he hadn't seen before. It was small and set in the upper corner as if to be seen only by those who were supposed to see it. The image was of a pair of dark glasses set against a pair of crossed weapons much like the ones strapped to Lara's legs. He glanced at her to see she had seen the symbol and was staring at it with a perplexed expression. She turned to him.

"Was someone expecting me?"

"Not to my knowledge. But, then, I didn't build this place."

She glared at the image accusingly. "I hate prophecies and I hate it when people know I'm going to be someplace before I do. I've come very close to being killed multiple times because of that."

"You certainly are pessimistic."

"No, just cynical. It keeps me alive."