Chapter 1 - The Guardian

Alexa Munroe, the 20 year old red-head, sat at her computer, fingers poised over the keys. She was busy hacking into some secret files, regarding a lost artifact, and a mystic person known only as "The Guardian".  According to these files, The Guardian would come into power on his/her 21st birthday, and have the power to do anything.

"Wow!" thought Lexa.

"What a fantastic thing! That's bloody brilliant.  I wonder if there's anything else about this?"

Lexa was staring at the screen..

"According to this" she said, mumbling to herself, "an ancient artifact, lost thousands of years ago, brought power to the Guardian, the one chosen by destiny. The Guardian was believed to be the protector of the known universe, (when documents were translated by an anonymous user who hacked into Government files), and was supposedly blessed with immortal life, until a more suitable Guardian was found"

"Nice for the One, till he got kicked out!"

"During one equinox, however, something went wrong, and the mystical artifact, known as the "Miran" was lost in the depths of the Silver Sea. It has since been discovered that the Guardian was not, in fact, the Guardian of the known universe, but the unknown universe."

"Great!" Bloody brilliant!"

"No-one has discovered it since, not looked for it, but it is said that the Miran and its worshipers, the people known as the Miranis, are only waiting for the right one and the right time when destiny chooses a new Guardian."

"Whoa!  That is some heavy shit!  My God, that's amazing. What!!!!  Oh Bugger!!"

The message "Illegal Connection Detected" flashed across the screen of the computer. She leaned over to the cables protruding from the back of it, and pulled out the telephone connection cable. 

Knowing security in Government systems these days, if there were any problems with her tracer system, it wouldn't take the Agents long to track her down.

It was time to leave!!

Lexa stared down at the letter beside her, wondering whether to place the letter in safekeeping or take it with her.  She read through it again:

à Alexa Munroe

à Sender - unknown

ReseArcH    MiRaN   and    ThE    MirANis

ThE    WaTCheR    is    CoMIng

ThE    GuarDIAn   WilL    reTurN

She admitted defeat to herself.  Who would send this to her, and why?  She needed help and she knew it. There was only one person she could think of, someone who had interested her for years -

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

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Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters in this story, except for Alexa Munroe.

If you wish to use the name in one of your stories, please contact me at athlete@talk21.com

All characters are fictitious. Any similarities to real people are purely coincidental.

Please review my story. Your reviews will help me to write this story more quickly.

This story is dedicated to my best friend, Jaina

Always, Lara

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