"Where are they taking us?" Jack asked.
"To their 'Place of the Gods'." Lara said. "So the Gods may see their victory."
As Lara spoke, the pair rounded a corner and came face to face with the 'Place of the Gods'. It was natural amphitheatre bordered on three sides by sheer rock cliffs. But it was the Lara stone dais that caught everyone's attention. On it was a large carved stone altar like the one Daniel had been trying to decode. And floating above it was a glowing spirit.
As Alvis and his warriors entered, they bowed low to the spirit and shoved Lara and Jack forward. Lara glared at them and tried to keep her temper under control. A glance at Jack told her he was having the same problem.
It was then that Lara noticed the other people seated near the left rock wall on a small ledge about halfway down the cliff. There was a large, broad shouldered man seated in the stone throne in the centre of the ledge. It was to him Alvis spoke. After a short conversation, Alvis turned and spoke to one of the other men. He said a few words, before turning and walking over to the ledge.
The man, named Tyr, inclined his head towards the dirt ring underneath the ledge. They stumbled forward, and Lara shot a glare at the man in the throne, who was watching everything with cool blue eyes. They soon reached a small area just beyond the ring. Tyr spoke, his tone arrogant and condescending. Lara said something in reply and the man's face turned angry. Tyr spun and walked off in the direction of the ledge.
"He said we have an hour to prepare before they take us to the altar." Lara said.
"And what did you say?" Jack asked.
"I cast aspersions onto his parentage." Lara said.
"You insulted him?" Jack asked. "Are you sure that was such a good idea?"
"No." Lara replied. "But it felt damn good!"
Jack chuckled softly at the feeling behind her words and Lara smiled in return. The pair sat down against the rock wall behind them and Lara wished their captors hadn't taken her backpack. But at least it had stopped raining.
"So how is this going to work?" Jack asked her as he tugged on one of the canteens that he had tied to his belt.
He took a long drink before handing it to Lara and resting his head back against the wall tiredly. Lara gratefully accepted the canteen and took a large gulp. Water had never tasted so sweet. When Lara had finished the water she joined Jack leaning back against the rock wall. It was rough and cold against her back.
"It will basically be a street fight." She said tiredly. "No rules except for two: no one's allowed in the ring except for the four of us and to win your opponents have to be unable to fight back."
"So we don't have to kill them?" Jack asked.
"Theoretically: no." Lara said. "But in reality? Probably."
Jack nodded and shifted, wincing slightly, and Lara caught it. "Jack what is it?"
"Nothing." Jack replied. "Just a few scratches."
"Show me?" Lara said in a tone that tolerated no argument.
So Jack did. He turned so his back was to her and took off his T-shirt. Along the length of his back was a deep gash that still seeped blood and covered in dirt and grit. "This needs to be cleaned." Lara said.
Jack just nodded and handed her his T-shirt and the remaining water bottle. "You can use this." He said.
Lara took the offered objects and sighed. "I've still got two knives that we can use in the fight if we have to." She said as she tore Jack's T-shirt into strips. "But my guess would be that they would take them if they found them."
"You think they'll have weapons?" Jack asked.
"Probably." Lara answered him as she washed one of the strips of cloth. "They don't look like they like losing."
Jack nodded and then winced as Lara began to clean his cut. "I guess it would be too much to ask for something easy." He muttered.
"But what's life without a little challenge?" Lara asked.
"Peaceful?" Jack shot back.
Lara chuckled and laid her cheek against Jack's shoulder. "You might have a point." She said softly.
Jack turned and looked at Lara. "That doesn't sound like Lara Croft." He said.
She sighed. "I don't always want adventure, you know. Sometimes it would be nice just to see the sights."
Jack knew exactly what she meant. Sometimes he wished someone would stop be the SGC to say hi, instead of with their problems. He smiled softly at her. "You sound like you need a holiday." Then his smile turned cheeky. "Remind me to take you fishing sometime."
"Fishing?" Lara echoed, arching her eyebrow.
"Yeah. You'll love it." Jack replied.
* * *
The Chief sat on his stone throne and watched the two strangers share an intimate moment. They had done well to elude his best warriors for two days. He would be interested to see them fight. His son was still you and arrogant. Perhaps they would be able to teach him something. But the Chief did not doubt his son would win.
He watched the man slowly begin to untangle the woman's hair, and noticed the tenderness in his movements. The woman seemed very special to him. He could also see that they were tired and injured, but they hid it well. The both had the spirits of warriors. That the Chief could see in their strength and temper. Yes, it would be interesting to see them fight.
The Chief nodded at his son. The time had come.
* * *
Lara smiled gratefully as Jack finished braiding her hair. She had already washed her face with some of the remaining water - as had Jack - and was feeling more awake. "You might want these." She said, offering Jack two strips of his black T-shirt.
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question. She smiled at him and showed him how she was wrapping two more strips around her fists. "Ah." Jack said in understanding as, he too, wrapped the strips around his fists.
He looked up as Tyr approached them, and stood. "Looks like it's time Lara." He said.
Lara smiled grimly and stood to face Tyr. He spoke, once again the arrogant warrior. Lara replied, and he motioned the pair forward. Lara turned to Jack, so her face was hidden from everyone, and bit her lip. Jack looked concerned at her anxious expression. "What is it?" he asked softly.
"We're fighting Alvis, the Chief's son." She looked up at Jack. "Whatever you do, don't seriously hurt him, Jack. If he dies, then so do we."
"Of course." Jack said wryly. "Things were just too easy before."
The pair shared a glance, before turning to face Tyr. They walked into the arena with an arrogant and almost predatory stalk. If they had to fight, then they'd fight. And they would win - they had to.
"To their 'Place of the Gods'." Lara said. "So the Gods may see their victory."
As Lara spoke, the pair rounded a corner and came face to face with the 'Place of the Gods'. It was natural amphitheatre bordered on three sides by sheer rock cliffs. But it was the Lara stone dais that caught everyone's attention. On it was a large carved stone altar like the one Daniel had been trying to decode. And floating above it was a glowing spirit.
As Alvis and his warriors entered, they bowed low to the spirit and shoved Lara and Jack forward. Lara glared at them and tried to keep her temper under control. A glance at Jack told her he was having the same problem.
It was then that Lara noticed the other people seated near the left rock wall on a small ledge about halfway down the cliff. There was a large, broad shouldered man seated in the stone throne in the centre of the ledge. It was to him Alvis spoke. After a short conversation, Alvis turned and spoke to one of the other men. He said a few words, before turning and walking over to the ledge.
The man, named Tyr, inclined his head towards the dirt ring underneath the ledge. They stumbled forward, and Lara shot a glare at the man in the throne, who was watching everything with cool blue eyes. They soon reached a small area just beyond the ring. Tyr spoke, his tone arrogant and condescending. Lara said something in reply and the man's face turned angry. Tyr spun and walked off in the direction of the ledge.
"He said we have an hour to prepare before they take us to the altar." Lara said.
"And what did you say?" Jack asked.
"I cast aspersions onto his parentage." Lara said.
"You insulted him?" Jack asked. "Are you sure that was such a good idea?"
"No." Lara replied. "But it felt damn good!"
Jack chuckled softly at the feeling behind her words and Lara smiled in return. The pair sat down against the rock wall behind them and Lara wished their captors hadn't taken her backpack. But at least it had stopped raining.
"So how is this going to work?" Jack asked her as he tugged on one of the canteens that he had tied to his belt.
He took a long drink before handing it to Lara and resting his head back against the wall tiredly. Lara gratefully accepted the canteen and took a large gulp. Water had never tasted so sweet. When Lara had finished the water she joined Jack leaning back against the rock wall. It was rough and cold against her back.
"It will basically be a street fight." She said tiredly. "No rules except for two: no one's allowed in the ring except for the four of us and to win your opponents have to be unable to fight back."
"So we don't have to kill them?" Jack asked.
"Theoretically: no." Lara said. "But in reality? Probably."
Jack nodded and shifted, wincing slightly, and Lara caught it. "Jack what is it?"
"Nothing." Jack replied. "Just a few scratches."
"Show me?" Lara said in a tone that tolerated no argument.
So Jack did. He turned so his back was to her and took off his T-shirt. Along the length of his back was a deep gash that still seeped blood and covered in dirt and grit. "This needs to be cleaned." Lara said.
Jack just nodded and handed her his T-shirt and the remaining water bottle. "You can use this." He said.
Lara took the offered objects and sighed. "I've still got two knives that we can use in the fight if we have to." She said as she tore Jack's T-shirt into strips. "But my guess would be that they would take them if they found them."
"You think they'll have weapons?" Jack asked.
"Probably." Lara answered him as she washed one of the strips of cloth. "They don't look like they like losing."
Jack nodded and then winced as Lara began to clean his cut. "I guess it would be too much to ask for something easy." He muttered.
"But what's life without a little challenge?" Lara asked.
"Peaceful?" Jack shot back.
Lara chuckled and laid her cheek against Jack's shoulder. "You might have a point." She said softly.
Jack turned and looked at Lara. "That doesn't sound like Lara Croft." He said.
She sighed. "I don't always want adventure, you know. Sometimes it would be nice just to see the sights."
Jack knew exactly what she meant. Sometimes he wished someone would stop be the SGC to say hi, instead of with their problems. He smiled softly at her. "You sound like you need a holiday." Then his smile turned cheeky. "Remind me to take you fishing sometime."
"Fishing?" Lara echoed, arching her eyebrow.
"Yeah. You'll love it." Jack replied.
* * *
The Chief sat on his stone throne and watched the two strangers share an intimate moment. They had done well to elude his best warriors for two days. He would be interested to see them fight. His son was still you and arrogant. Perhaps they would be able to teach him something. But the Chief did not doubt his son would win.
He watched the man slowly begin to untangle the woman's hair, and noticed the tenderness in his movements. The woman seemed very special to him. He could also see that they were tired and injured, but they hid it well. The both had the spirits of warriors. That the Chief could see in their strength and temper. Yes, it would be interesting to see them fight.
The Chief nodded at his son. The time had come.
* * *
Lara smiled gratefully as Jack finished braiding her hair. She had already washed her face with some of the remaining water - as had Jack - and was feeling more awake. "You might want these." She said, offering Jack two strips of his black T-shirt.
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in question. She smiled at him and showed him how she was wrapping two more strips around her fists. "Ah." Jack said in understanding as, he too, wrapped the strips around his fists.
He looked up as Tyr approached them, and stood. "Looks like it's time Lara." He said.
Lara smiled grimly and stood to face Tyr. He spoke, once again the arrogant warrior. Lara replied, and he motioned the pair forward. Lara turned to Jack, so her face was hidden from everyone, and bit her lip. Jack looked concerned at her anxious expression. "What is it?" he asked softly.
"We're fighting Alvis, the Chief's son." She looked up at Jack. "Whatever you do, don't seriously hurt him, Jack. If he dies, then so do we."
"Of course." Jack said wryly. "Things were just too easy before."
The pair shared a glance, before turning to face Tyr. They walked into the arena with an arrogant and almost predatory stalk. If they had to fight, then they'd fight. And they would win - they had to.
