When I dived into the T-shaped pool for the second time, the water was less
of a shock. I swam forward and down and noticed the fan was now still. So
that was what the valve was for!
I swam downwards and into the small opening right next to the grate that separated the fan from the rest of the chute. As the bottom of a slight ramp, the passage widened into a hexagon-shaped tunnel. I continued forward and veered through a small opening on the left when I spotted it.
My lungs began to burn as I followed the passage until I finally spotted an opening above me. And not a moment too soon! I broke the surface of the water and took a large gulping breath of musty, stale air and then another. When I caught my breath I surveyed the room I had surfaced in. It was empty.
I ducked back into the water and followed the passage back to the wide tunnel. This time I went the opposite way to before, and followed it as it turned right. Ahead of me were two large fans like the one I had seen before. To the right of the fans was a small square opening, but the current was too strong for me to reach it when I tried.
So instead I let the current carry me until I reached the wall opposite the two fans. I noticed there was a place to surface above me, so I swam upward until I reached it. I took another breath of stale air and eased my oxygen-starved lungs.
I climbed out of the water and found another red machine with a valve wheel. I turned it, but nothing I could see changed. The fans, then. I returned to the water, took a deep breath and swam back to the fans. Sure enough, they were now still. I swam through the square opening, and followed the passage as it twisted and turned.
When I finally found another place to climb out, I cautiously climbed out of the water. A faint breeze chilled my wet skin, and my clothes were plastered to me. I noticed the doorway on my right so I started forward and whirled when a grate shut off the entrance - or exit - behind me. I stepped forward and shook it, but it didn't budge.
Uh oh. In the room beyond I heard a sinister sounding grinding noise. From where I stood I could see the kneeling centurion statue in the room straighten up and raise its deadly looking sword above its head. Not good.
As I watched, I saw a bright greenish-blue light surround the blade until it got to bright for me to look at. I turned my head as the light flashed, and heard the statue jump out of its alcove and land on the floor. I ran into the room, drawing my pistols as I ran.
When I had enough space to maneuver, I turned to face the statue and began pumping him full of bullets. Slowly the statue lowered its sword at me and let off a blast greenish-blue light from its tip. I flipped to the side, barely missing it. Definitely not good.
The statue took a large step towards me, and then another. I continued firing at it until my guns were empty, and it had almost reached me. As it tried to blast me again with the greenish-blue energy, I dropped and rolled through its legs, ejecting the empty clips from my guns as I did.
Before it could turn I rolled to my feet and back flipped up onto the ledge where it had been, and fitted two new clips into my pistols from the bandolier tree fitted into my backpack. I sent a blessing to Bryce, who had been the one to fit it for me.
Again I began to fire my pistols as the statue began to walk towards me again, until it finally crumbled and slumped to the floor. When he did, the window at the alcove shattered, and I threw my hands up to cover my face.
After the window shattered, I climbed up onto the window still and found myself on top of a ledge above and opposite the pool with the waterfall that I had entered through before. I smiled carefully dropped to the street and then jumped into the water.
I swam down and to the left, and grinned in triumph when I saw the gate was open. The last stone! I swam down and picked it up, and swam straight into the next room. When I surfaced I found myself in the small pool off the garden with the gatehouse.
I climbed out of the water and walked back out into the early morning sunshine. I walked towards the gatehouse itself, and caught a flash of red to my left. I drew my guns, smiling wickedly. Larson. "Come out, come, out, wherever you are!" I called.
Larson emerged from behind the left side of the building. "Heck, this ambushin' ain't what it used to be." He muttered in his cowboy twang.
I aimed my guns at him, as he approached. "Not when you're involved, no." I replied.
"Practice makes perfect, I'm reckoning." He drawled at me.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and say, "A lot of practice", but just barely. "Whatever." I said instead. "We seem to be missing someone."
Unless Pierre was hiding in some corner, waiting to leap out. I grinned wickedly at the thought. "If you're talking 'bout Frenchy, he's kind of . . . indisposed." Larson said.
"And you thought you might just help yourself to his share of what's behind that gate? Unless of course this is just a social visit." I was not surprised.
Larson grinned at me. "Well, you know I's always pleased to see a little belle like you, Lara." He said. "Be more pleased to see those last stones, though, if you'll be wantin' to hand 'em over."
I didn't bother replying. Instead I opened fire, and a startled Larson dived behind the building. "That ain't supposed to happen." He protested softly.
This time, when he jumped out from behind the building, he came out firing. I somersaulted to the side, and returned fire. He yelped as one of my bullets caught him in the leg, and he went down. I grinned menacingly and walked towards him.
But then I stopped when I saw the three gargoyle heads behind him begin to move. They began to grow forward, and I could see long necks extending out from the face of the building. "Larson! Behind you!" I warned.
"I may be a dumb ass, but I ain't falling for that again." He said.
"No, really . . . behind you." I told him as the gargoyles got closer.
"Behind you! Behind you!" Larson mocked in a falsetto voice.
He stared in absolute shock as gargoyles wound themselves around him. Larson screamed in horror when one of the gargoyles took him in its jaws and threw him across the garden. He landed in a heap and didn't move. I swallowed nervously as the turned to me. Uh oh.
I swam downwards and into the small opening right next to the grate that separated the fan from the rest of the chute. As the bottom of a slight ramp, the passage widened into a hexagon-shaped tunnel. I continued forward and veered through a small opening on the left when I spotted it.
My lungs began to burn as I followed the passage until I finally spotted an opening above me. And not a moment too soon! I broke the surface of the water and took a large gulping breath of musty, stale air and then another. When I caught my breath I surveyed the room I had surfaced in. It was empty.
I ducked back into the water and followed the passage back to the wide tunnel. This time I went the opposite way to before, and followed it as it turned right. Ahead of me were two large fans like the one I had seen before. To the right of the fans was a small square opening, but the current was too strong for me to reach it when I tried.
So instead I let the current carry me until I reached the wall opposite the two fans. I noticed there was a place to surface above me, so I swam upward until I reached it. I took another breath of stale air and eased my oxygen-starved lungs.
I climbed out of the water and found another red machine with a valve wheel. I turned it, but nothing I could see changed. The fans, then. I returned to the water, took a deep breath and swam back to the fans. Sure enough, they were now still. I swam through the square opening, and followed the passage as it twisted and turned.
When I finally found another place to climb out, I cautiously climbed out of the water. A faint breeze chilled my wet skin, and my clothes were plastered to me. I noticed the doorway on my right so I started forward and whirled when a grate shut off the entrance - or exit - behind me. I stepped forward and shook it, but it didn't budge.
Uh oh. In the room beyond I heard a sinister sounding grinding noise. From where I stood I could see the kneeling centurion statue in the room straighten up and raise its deadly looking sword above its head. Not good.
As I watched, I saw a bright greenish-blue light surround the blade until it got to bright for me to look at. I turned my head as the light flashed, and heard the statue jump out of its alcove and land on the floor. I ran into the room, drawing my pistols as I ran.
When I had enough space to maneuver, I turned to face the statue and began pumping him full of bullets. Slowly the statue lowered its sword at me and let off a blast greenish-blue light from its tip. I flipped to the side, barely missing it. Definitely not good.
The statue took a large step towards me, and then another. I continued firing at it until my guns were empty, and it had almost reached me. As it tried to blast me again with the greenish-blue energy, I dropped and rolled through its legs, ejecting the empty clips from my guns as I did.
Before it could turn I rolled to my feet and back flipped up onto the ledge where it had been, and fitted two new clips into my pistols from the bandolier tree fitted into my backpack. I sent a blessing to Bryce, who had been the one to fit it for me.
Again I began to fire my pistols as the statue began to walk towards me again, until it finally crumbled and slumped to the floor. When he did, the window at the alcove shattered, and I threw my hands up to cover my face.
After the window shattered, I climbed up onto the window still and found myself on top of a ledge above and opposite the pool with the waterfall that I had entered through before. I smiled carefully dropped to the street and then jumped into the water.
I swam down and to the left, and grinned in triumph when I saw the gate was open. The last stone! I swam down and picked it up, and swam straight into the next room. When I surfaced I found myself in the small pool off the garden with the gatehouse.
I climbed out of the water and walked back out into the early morning sunshine. I walked towards the gatehouse itself, and caught a flash of red to my left. I drew my guns, smiling wickedly. Larson. "Come out, come, out, wherever you are!" I called.
Larson emerged from behind the left side of the building. "Heck, this ambushin' ain't what it used to be." He muttered in his cowboy twang.
I aimed my guns at him, as he approached. "Not when you're involved, no." I replied.
"Practice makes perfect, I'm reckoning." He drawled at me.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and say, "A lot of practice", but just barely. "Whatever." I said instead. "We seem to be missing someone."
Unless Pierre was hiding in some corner, waiting to leap out. I grinned wickedly at the thought. "If you're talking 'bout Frenchy, he's kind of . . . indisposed." Larson said.
"And you thought you might just help yourself to his share of what's behind that gate? Unless of course this is just a social visit." I was not surprised.
Larson grinned at me. "Well, you know I's always pleased to see a little belle like you, Lara." He said. "Be more pleased to see those last stones, though, if you'll be wantin' to hand 'em over."
I didn't bother replying. Instead I opened fire, and a startled Larson dived behind the building. "That ain't supposed to happen." He protested softly.
This time, when he jumped out from behind the building, he came out firing. I somersaulted to the side, and returned fire. He yelped as one of my bullets caught him in the leg, and he went down. I grinned menacingly and walked towards him.
But then I stopped when I saw the three gargoyle heads behind him begin to move. They began to grow forward, and I could see long necks extending out from the face of the building. "Larson! Behind you!" I warned.
"I may be a dumb ass, but I ain't falling for that again." He said.
"No, really . . . behind you." I told him as the gargoyles got closer.
"Behind you! Behind you!" Larson mocked in a falsetto voice.
He stared in absolute shock as gargoyles wound themselves around him. Larson screamed in horror when one of the gargoyles took him in its jaws and threw him across the garden. He landed in a heap and didn't move. I swallowed nervously as the turned to me. Uh oh.
