Chapter 1: The Icy Mountains
Welcome! This is weird for me. This story I haven't finished writing. So at some point, the chapters will come out once they're edited. The reason for this is…the game is 16 hours long. Even if I'm cutting back on unimportant bits like traversal or tombs that don't fit with the story I'm crafting, I still add in stuff from other games, new scenes for the character's involved, and DLC (Downloadable Content). Also, while writing, mom and I got sick and passed it back and forth for a bit, I got the worst case of writer's block I've had in a long time (Pintrest helped but was also a distraction), and also had to completely change what stories I'd be telling.
So, here we are. This is the Continuation of Kat's Story and her impact on both the World Of Tomb Raider and Resident Evil!
I don't own anything. Resident Evil belongs to Capcom and Tomb Raider belongs to Core Design, Crystal Dynamics, and I think Square Enix. The only thing I own is the changes made to the stories of the Tomb Raider games/comics and Resident Evil games/comics/CG movies, the Government branch S.P.E.L.L., the person that has taken over Kathrine Warren's life, and Rose Warren. This story also will be bloody, violent, and have cursing. It's rated T for Teen.
Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Near Kitezh, Place: Mountain Border, Area: Climbers Camp, Month: November, Day: Saturday 25th, Year: 2000, Time: 07:02 KRAT…
What makes someone reach beyond the boundaries of human experience—to face the unknown?
The landscape was a frigid cold expanse of white. Snow spiraled up into the air to mix with the fresh falling snow to form wall after wall of blurring white from the heavy gray clouds above.
As children, we question the world around us. We learn, we accept, and gradually, we lose our capacity for wonder.
The wind that blew cut thought clothing to settle deep in the bones. Manmade marker flags snapped and waved in the increasing wind. The sound of the tent's fabric rubbing against tent pole filled the air with an eerie scratching sound. The air was so cold, frost formed on tools, fabric, skin, and hair.
But some do not…the explorers, the seekers of truth. It is these pioneers who define the future of mankind.
Lara Croft stood on a crest overlooking the white expense. The wind blew through her ponytail and frosted it up along with the fringe that peeked from under her thick beanie and ski goggles. Her keen dark eyes took in every point and peek of the mountain before her. It was very tall. But it did not and would not deter her. The 23-year-old had climbed taller. She smiled softly as she felt the thrill of the challenge run through her.
Kathrine Warren shook her head, as she stood next to her friend, gloved hands on her hips. Her blonde hair was in a short braid on her back. Her hair was also gathering a bit of frost, along with her lashes. Her mouth was covered by her bright orange scarf. Her light eyes took in the icy world before them. It was bringing back old memories. Cold harsh winters in the dark ages and vague memories of the frigid hell Jotunheim.
Leon Kennedy and Jonah Maiava walked up to the pair of young women. Their legs protected from the snow by snow pants, boots, and Gaiters. Frost gathered on their hair as well. Leon looked at the mountain with an expression of pure wonder. In the two years since he had become an agent for STRATCOM, this right here was the most amazing thing he'd seen. Jonah looked at it with a more apprehensive expression as he tugged the pack on his back higher.
"The others…" Jonah began, looking to Kat and Lara. "They're done." He informed looking back at the icy peeks that stretched high. "No amount of money is gonna get them through those mountains."
"The Lost City is up there." Lara called out to the wind. "Somewhere."
Leon tore his eyes way from the white points to look at the group. "Hell of a climb for a beginner, huh?" He joked.
Lara looked from Jonah to Kat, then last to Leon. "I'm not going back." She told them firmly and determinedly.
Jonah, Kat, and Leon all smiled. "We know."
Lara nodded then tipped her head behind her. "You all should stay here, with them." She said, referring to the other explores that refused to go any farther for a myth. "Leon's just a beginner climber after all."
"Not a chance." Jonah smiled as he shook his head.
"I might be a Rookie with mountain climbing, but I'm a quick learner. Kat has had me working on a climbing wall." Leon said. "And finding a lost city? Sounds fun."
Kat snorted. "It is from an areological standpoint." She looked at Lara. "And you really think you can ditch us in this? Hel no." Kat then said something in Norse that made Lara smile and nod.
The three walked away from her and down the few feet to the camps to check their gear so they would be ready to begin the new climb later that morning. She looked back at the peeks, her smile of appreciation fading. This would be a long and hard climb.
Country: Russia, State: Siberia, City: Near Kitezh, Place: Mountain Border, Area: Mountain Side, Month: November, Day: Saturday 25th, Year: 2000, Time: 08:14 KRAT…
Lara's right climbing axe sank into the icy wall she was climbing. The hood of her thick red parka shook in the wind and threatened to blow off her head. Axe over axe, boot crampon over boot crampon, she climbed with Leon. For a beginner at using climbing axes and ice climbing, he was a quick study, just like when Kat had taught him how to swim.
"You're almost there." Jonah called from above them next to Kat.
"Just wait till you both see this view. So much better than a painting or a postcard." Kat called to them smiling at the view.
Jonah leaned over and held out a hand to the one of the pair that was closest, that being Lara due to her experience. "Take my hand!" He called over the wind.
Lara hooked one of her axes to her belt and reached for his hands with her newly freed one. He took hold and pulled her up onto the ledge. Leon was next and panted on the cold air, fixing his hat as he and Lara looked out over the view that stretched out before them.
"Thanks." Lara said as she looked at the tall dark rocks and white icy snow.
It stretched high into the air. The colors ranged from dark browns for the rocks to the silvery white of the snow and ice in the few sunrays that peeked through. The sight was broken up by mist made from both low clouds and snow flurries. Just beautiful to look at.
"Look at that…" Leon breathed awed by the sight.
"Just beautiful." Lara nodded.
"It's amazing…" Jonah smiled.
"So much better in person." Kat sighed.
Jonah turned serious though. "But the snow coming off those peeks is a bad sign." He informed.
"Why's that?" Leon asked looking to the New-Zealander.
"It's a sign that the snow's unstable. Meaning an avalanche could happen." He told the young agent. "We'll have to be careful."
Leon swallowed as he looked up at the peeks. "Right." He nodded as they started trudging through the snowy path.
"That trail leads up the mountain." Lara called out as she moved ahead of Kat and Leon. "We'll have a good view of the valley from the summit."
"We'll take it easy. Don't want to exhaust ourselves. Especially with Trinity around." Kat called. "They've gotten here before us. I remember that much."
Lara looked over to Kat. "Is there anything more you can tell us that won't cause some kind of time rift or something?"
Kat nodded. "Yes, but it is not the right time. Remember in my memories, Leon and I were not here. We have already changed things. I just don't know how much yet."
Just then a heavy gust of wind blew at them and forced them to slow. They all lifted their arms to shield their eyes from the icy wind.
"This wind is crazy!" Jonah yelled over said wind.
"Just need to keep moving!" Lara yelled back in encouragement.
"Right!" Leon and Kat called at the same time making them look at each other and then look away.
That had been happening a lot in the last two months. Saying the same thing at the same time, thinking the same way. It was much more obvious to each other after Leon and Claire had broken up after nearly 8 months of dating.
"Hey…" Jonah's voice drew him back out and he realized he had gotten ahead of Lara and Kat. "Even if we don't find anything up here, your dad would be proud." He said, aiming his words to Lara.
Lara smiled sadly as the wind died down. "I know." She called. "But I have a good feeling about this. And Kat saying we'll find it, that helps."
They continued until the ground suddenly gave out on their left. Broken ice and snow fell with the rumble. They let out yells of shock just barely managing to regain balance.
"Everyone okay?" Jonah asked them all.
"I'm good, just shaken!" Kat called out.
"Lost my footing, I'm fine!" Lara assured.
"Waiting for my heart to stop racing!" Leon joked as he held his chest a moment.
They continued forward. Another few paces, and another collapse happened. This time Lara and Kat lost their footing fully. Both yelled as they started tumbling in the snow.
"NO!" Leon and Jonah yelled as they spun around.
"Lara!" Jonah yelled.
"Kat!" Leon called out.
Kat and Lara pulled out their axes and sank them into the ice they slid down. After a few feet they both fell over the edge but were anchored in place by the axe points. They both panted and hung there after grasping the edge with gloved fingers.
"Fucking Hel." Kat gasped as she shook her head, sending her purple hood off her head.
"Damn. That was close…" Lara agreed.
They looked up at the partly relived faces of Jonah and Leon farther up.
"Lara! Kat!" Jonah called down to them. "Are you alright?"
They both started moving for the next ledge lip. Lara first, swinging her body for momentum. She landed and tightened her hands on the new ledge across the icicle gap. Kat moved closer but looked up that the men.
"We're here! In one piece, guys!" She assured them, filling them both with relief.
"We'll climb down and help you back up!" Leon called out, already getting his axes ready. "Jonah, I'll need some rope."
Jonah nodded started to get some rope ready.
"No!" Both women called back up as Lara moved to another ledge, Kat moving to the one she was previously on.
"It's too dangerous!" Lara called up to them as she moved out of their sight and started climbing up the rocks side.
"We'll climb back up!" Kat called and was out of the guys' sight as well, making them feel uneasy.
By then Lara was over and onto solid ground, arm at the ready to help Kat up to her.
"Are you sure?" Jonah called out unsure.
"Just stay put!" Lara called as they stood.
They walked over to an icy wall that was just a few strides from the edge they'd just climbed up. They pulled their axes and began the climb. Leon and Jonah moved forward a bit when they spotted Lara's red coat and Kat's purple one. The two paused as the women made it to the top but had a small gap they'd have to jump to get to more ice, then jump over to the guys.
"You're carrying more. You go after me." Lara told Kat, eyeing the spear strapped to the blonde's back.
"Okay." Kat nodded as she moved down a bit to give Lara more room to maneuver.
Lara shifted her body, then threw herself to the left. She let out a grunt as she sank her axes into the ice after crossing the gap. She shook a bit from the landing, then anchored her boot's crampons in before looking to Kat. Kat had climbed back up to where Lara had just been and was waiting for Lara to move.
Lara climbed up the ice to give Kat enough room to jump and land. The moment the landing spot was clear, Kat threw herself over the gap, letting out a small yell. She hit the wall and slid a bit but had made it. Leon and Jonah relaxed a bit at seeing both make it over the gap.
"We're going to have to jump across!" Lara called to the guys as she came to the end of the ice wall above Kat.
"Yeah, okay…now grab my hand!" Jonah called as he moved to catch Lara.
Lara holstered one of her axes and prepped for the jump. Then she leaped from the wall. Her free hand outstretched for Jonah's. He got her and dropped down into the snow as she fell a bit more over the edge as the jump had been a bit far. Leon rushed over and grabbed a hold of Jonah's pack to help keep him on the solid ground.
"Gotcha!" Jonah called smiling with joy that he had done it.
Lara smiled as she holstered her other axe and took ahold of Jonah's hand better. With both men, it wasn't hard to pull her up. They all then turned around as Kat was next.
"You got this, Kat!" Leon called out to her as Jonah got ready to catch her as he did for Lara.
Kat then swung herself from the wall, one axe holstered like Lara before her. Jonah caught her just like Lara. With the added help of Lara and Leon, he didn't fall as far forward. Kat smiled at them as she holstered her axe and grabbed Jonah's other hand.
"We've got you." Lara called.
They all pulled Kat up and over the edge. They all laid into the snow for a bit, the release of adrenaline, gave them pause to catch their breath. Lara and Kat could've died just then and that was terrifying.
"Shit, you two." Jonah huffed out cold air and shook his head. "If it's possible, you both are going to give me two separate heart attacks." He joked as they all stood up again, dusting snow off.
"Are you two okay?" Leon asked them as he stepped forward to check Kat over properly.
"Yeah." Lara nodded.
"Nothing like a shot of adrenaline. Better then coffee." Kat joked with a little smirk as part of her loved the thrill.
"We should get moving again." Lara voiced, as she and Jonah shared a look, smirking at how Leon and Kat were getting closer.
As they hiked a bit forward, Jonah came to a rock wall and saw a tunnel. "Looks like we're going to have to go through."
They clambered over some of the smaller rocks to get to the tunnel entrance. Once inside they were out of the wind. It was still cold, but they didn't have the unforgiving wind taking bites out of their bones.
"Not bad." Leon said as he rubbed his black gloved hands together. "If the weather turns bad, we could hold out here." He looked from Lara to Jonah then to Kat. "Right?"
Lara struck a flare, filling the cave with a red tinted light. "We could." She agreed.
"I know you said the lost city is here, but what if you're wrong?" Jonah asked looking to Kat as he struck his own flare, making it brighter in the cave and giving a bit of heat.
They kept moving through the icy tunnels. Movement and the flares would keep them warm. Staying still was what brought the biting cold back.
"Even without Kat's memory, that old tracker said he saw ruins in these mountains." Lara called, her voice echoing off the walls.
Suddenly a tremor went through the tunnel as they came up to the exit. Ice bits fell with some larger rocks, the ice still on the walls and ceiling of the cave rattled making a haunting jingling sound, like chilled glass trembling together. They paused for a moment, then quickened their strides when it stopped.
"Well, I guess if I was going to hide a lost city," Jonah called out. "This might be the kind of godforsaken place I'd do it."
They came to the exit of the tunnel and had to shield their faces again as the wind blew at them with harsh tendrils of frozen air.
"I just hope we got here before Trinity this time." Lara called out as they trudged into the outdoor snow.
They made it outside and paused for amount to look at the peeking sun, but also the rapidly approaching storm clouds. They turned to the left and walked along the small ledge of the mountain.
"Storm's getting closer!" Leon called out eyeing the dark gray clouds.
"We have a couple hours at most." Jonah agreed as he stopped moving for a moment.
Kat and Lara kept walking forward with their heads down in the wind. Lara looked up to the sky to gage the clouds and the wind. She turned her head a bit as she called back to Leon and Jonah. "Should be enough time. We're almost at the top."
Kat paused looking at the way ahead. She was able to pick out a few places along the ice-covered walls where they could get hand and foot holds.
Lara pushed her hood off her head taking it all in. This was going to be tough. She shared a look with Kat, she could see the worry in her eyes. She looked at Leon, seeing his concern as he looked over the ice. To him, a beginner climber, this had to be the most daunting climb he had ever seen.
"What do you think?" Jonah asked as he and Leon stood next the pair.
Lara looked over at Jonah with a determined smile. "We're close to something, Jonah. I can feel it." She said, her air puffing in the chill. "Just this last stretch to the top." She assured.
"All right." Jonah nodded looking at the climb before them.
"Let's see what's up there." Leon agreed as he swallowed.
"Can't be any worse than a giant croc in an undead infested sewer, eh?" Kat joked to Leon, elbowing him.
He laughed, the tension lessening. "Yeah, can't be worse than that."
With that, they all linked up to each other with ropes and climbing equipment. If any of them fell, the others would be able to catch them, then together, pull them back up. They triple checked knots and gear then as a group they approached the wall of ice and pressed themselves to the rock wall to shimmy along the path that reduced to just a few feet. Lara took the lead as the more experienced climber, Kat followed so she would be able to point out hand holds to Leon who was right behind her. Jonah brought up the rear as the strong anchor should anyone slip.
"Stick close to the wall, right?" Leon called out trying not to look down. "Even if this feels pretty solid."
"Right!" Jonah, Lara, and Kat agreed as they moved along sideways. The crampons they all wore helped their feet grip the slick ice as they all moved along slowly, keeping the rope between them all slack.
Lara stopped moving as the ledge ended. She looked down at it as some snow fell from the edge. The fall was several 100 feet down. Some larger chunks of snow hit the rocks and broke apart. If any of them fell and the ropes didn't hold, they'd would be broken up like the snow.
She looked back up to the ice wall in front of her. "Looks like we climb from here." She called out.
"Keep your eyes open for falling ice." Jonah called from the back. "Hey, Leon." When Leon looked over he continued. "Remember, kick in hard with your toes to set the crampons deep. Small steps if you have to. We are not in a rush."
Leon took a deep breath and gave him a thumbs up as he looked up the wall again.
Lara nodded as she pulled her axes out. "Right…" She looked to the three behind her. "You all ready?"
Jonah nodded as he slackened the rope more so that Lara had enough for the jump. "Let's do it!"
Lara turned back to the ice wall as Kat and Leon threaded the rope to be slacker for Lara. She let out a grunted yell as she threw herself into a jump from the edge, sending snow flying and falling. Her axes sank into the wall as she slammed them home. She rooted her boots to the wall as she looked to the rope, checking it. It was loose enough to let her climb higher, but tight enough to keep her from falling.
She moved up a bit as Kat, Leon, and Jonah moved closer to make their jumps. Once she was high enough, she looked to Kat.
Kat nodded as she braced to make her jump. She threw herself forward as she shot off the edge, letting out a yell to bolster herself. She hit the wall and sank her axes in like Lara before her. Once she rooted her boots, she checked her rope. Nodding she and Lara both took a step up to give Leon room.
Once the pair were high enough, it was Leon's turn. He looked up at them as they both paused their climb. He then looked to the ice wall. He pulled his axes out and took a few quick breaths. He jumped with a grunting yell. He just barely managed to sink his axes into the ice but he kicked hard with each foot, digging in the crampons. He trembled a bit as he anchored into place, giving each axe another good swing to dig them in deeper. He took a breath as he looked up. "I'm good!" As Kat and Lara moved up a few steps he did as well to give Jonah room to jump. They all paused to look over to Jonah.
Jonah gave a few little hops in place warming up for the jump. With a final dip he let out a grunt as he pushed off the ledge and flew towards the wall, axes ready to dig in. He slammed each crampon into the wall and took a moment to get a breath then looked up and nodded at the others. "Good!" With that confirmation, they all got back to climbing again. The ice just below Jonah cracked off and fell away. All their axe impacts had cracked it and the ice couldn't hold up anymore.
"Whoa!" Jonah yelled as he pulled his legs up sharply, looking down and watching the ice below crash and crack on rocks. "There's lots of loose ice up here."
"G-great!" Leon called out shaking a bit as even he could feel how loose the ice was under him.
"Let's take it slow and steady." Lara called down to the three. "Just stay with me."
They all looked up at a loud cracking sound echoed around them. Part way up, the ice above them had broken off a slab and was falling out and down the wall.
"Look out!" Jonah yelled as he ducked his body and head closer to the ice.
Leon, Kat, and Lara followed suit as the ice chunks fell. Lara raised an arm to shield herself from the ice chunks. Kat tightened her grip on the axes. Leon did the same and pressed himself to the ice, praying. They all felt air rush passed them from the large slab of falling ice. They could feel small rock sizes hit the top of their hoods and shoulders. The thick padding of the jackets protecting them from the impacts.
"Shit." Lara breathed as she lowered her arm after the worst had passed.
"Fucking hell!" Leon called out as he looked up from the wall. "That was way too close!"
"Yeah." Kat and Jonah agreed at the same time.
Lara nodded after looking down at them. "Everyone's okay though, yeah?"
"I'm good." Jonah nodded.
"Better then facing a Licker!" Leon called joking to keep the fact that those ice chucks could have ended any of them a moment ago.
"Not a scratch!" Kat called as she snorted at Leon's joke.
"Good." Lara nodded and looked back up. "Our impacts from the axes might be sending small shock waves through the whole wall. We just have to be careful."
She climbed a bit higher and found a ledge. It was too thin to pull herself up to stand on, but she could use it as a hand hold. She just had to jump up to it. She holstered her right axe then pushed herself into a jump. Her right hand grabbed the edge as she quickly holstered the left axe. She spun a bit as she hung there, but got a grip with her left hand, stabilizing herself on the edge. She looked down as he hung there.
"The ice runs out. You'll have to jump to the ledge I'm on!" She called down then looked up and started to shimmy to the left, getting out of the way as Kat climbed up.
"Gotcha!" Jonah called.
"Okay!" Leon nodded.
"See it!" Kat said as she got to the end of the ice.
Once Lara was out of the way, Kat holstered her axe and mimicked Lara's jump. She gripped the ledge with huff and put her other axe away before grabbing with both hands.
"Okay. That was hard." She looked down to Leon as he came up to the end of the ice. "Be careful, Leon. It's a far jump."
He nodded. "Okay."
Lara came to the end of the ledge and saw a wide gap. On the other side of the gap, she saw another ledge. The gap itself seemed to be four feet wide. She looked to Kat.
"This is bigger than the other gaps." She warned her.
Kat peered around Lara and her eyes widened. "Crap."
"I'll go first." Lara said as she looked back at the gap.
She propped her feet to the rocks and let go of the ledge, hanging on by one arm. Lara then jumped with a grunt to the other ledge. She grasped the ledge, sending snow off it and falling in clumps. She gasped from the landing and looked back over to Kat as Leon jumped up to the first ledge. She saw Jonah moving up and under the upper ledge.
Leon grunted as Kat moved to the end of the ledge. "That wasn't so bad." He said then looked at where Kat was and saw the gap. "Oh…"
"Don't worry. Lara and I have the ropes. We'll be anchors if you fall, same with Jonah on this side." Kat assured him.
Leon nodded. "Yeah…I'll just be a Yoyo then."
Kat snorted as she turned back to the side as Lara shimmied to give Kat room to land. "You'll be okay. Trust me."
"Famous last words." Leon joked.
Kat rolled her eyes. She then jumped the gap with a yell. She gripped the ledge tightly and smiled as her heart raced. This risky climb was as good as battle. She looked over at Leon who moved to the end of the ledge as Jonah joined him on his ledge. Leon's eyes looked from the ledge Kat was on, to the gap, to the ledge he had a grip on. He was running the calculations. But it was daunting.
Lara by then had moved from the ledge to the ice wall above her and Kat. Her axes sank into the ice, and she started to climb up it a bit so Kat could give Leon room to jump. Kat shimmied over then looked back to Leon. He took a breath then jumped. He threw his arms forward and grabbed the edge of the ledge, he tightened his hold as he grunted, feeling his fingers slip a bit.
"Shit…Slipping." He hissed and fixed his grip.
"You good?" Kat asked from next to him, her hand ready to grip the rope between them.
"Yeah. Yeah, I got it." He smiled at her before looking over to see Jonah moving to the edge of his ledge.
Kat nodded and looked up as Lara moved up and to the left on the ice wall. Kat then jumped up to the ice from her ledge. Her axes sinking in as Leon shimmied over. Jonah jumped over the gap, bringing the four back together on one wall. One by one the four ended up on this new ice wall, moving slowly but steadily to the left. The only sound was the thudding of their axes into the ice and the lighter thuds from the crampons as she kicked and dug them into the ice as they moved.
Just as Lara sank her axe on the wall at the halfway mark, she froze as several cracks' spider webbed outward. The sound of cracking ice echoed around all four. All movement stopped as they listened and held their breath.
"Oh, no!" Lara gasped as the ice then shattered and started falling apart. "No, no, no, no!"
She moved her axe away as they all watched as piece by piece the ice wall ahead of their path, shatter and start falling away from the wall to the rocks and snow below.
"Jonah, Leon, Hang on!" Kat called out as she and Lara re-anchored themselves.
"Shit!" Both guys called as they hooked their boots and axes deeper in as the whole wall seemd to give a shudder, like a living being was trying to shake them off the wall like ants on a tree trunk.
When they all looked back, they were shocked to see that the ice hadn't be on rock at all. There was now a wide-open gap letting wind through. Seeing it Jonah shook his head in amazement.
"I'm gonna dig in." He called to Lara, Kat, and Leon. "Can you make it across?" He asked as he dug his boots and axes even deeper into the ice wall.
Lara looked to the gap and the ice on the other side of it.
This was father than the four feet they had leapt over before but was also lower down. Six or maybe seven feet away. Lara looked at her unhooked axe, thinking it through. They could. Maybe if it was just her and Kat. Leon and Jonah were heavier, and it would be better if the pair waited for them to get to a better spot. Maybe set a climbing hook somewhere for them to follow without worry of falling.
"Kat and I can make it!" Lara called looking back at them.
Leon nodded and looked to Kat. "It's pretty far. Good luck." He told her as he dug in like Jonah had.
"Thanks, we'll need it." She said, bringing back a phrase she used a lot back in Raccoon. 'Gods, that was almost two years ago. Should I feel old yet?'
Lara turned to look to the ice wall. She then jumped with a grunting yell. She sailed through the air, seeming to fly for a moment. Then she was falling at an angle. Leon, Kat, and Jonah froze on the ice wall as the ropes sailed through the climbing clamps on their hips. Then Lara hit the ice wall and sank her left axe into it. She spun to the right a half circle as the momentum of her leap kept her body moving. She kicked out her left leg to get her body to swing back around to the left so she could sink her right axe into the ice.
"Holy shit!" Jonah called as Kat moved to the edge Lara had just leapt from. "I don't think I can make a jump that far!" He said as Leon nodded his head in agreement.
Lara nodded. "All of you stay there!" She called to them. "I'll anchor a line for you at the top!"
"You sure?" Kat called down to Lara.
"Yes! Just stay there!" Lara called back.
"All right, we'll give you some slack!" Jonah called as he and Leon moved closer to Kat to add more slack to the ropes between them.
Lara nodded and started climbing, slowly going up and around the pillar of ice and rock. Just as her red coat vanished around the side, she was close to the top.
"Almost there!" Kat called out encouragingly.
"You got it!" Jonah joined in as Leon let out a whistle of encouragement.
Lara let out a laugh. It was fun to have them with her. 'And to think I had wanted to do this all alone.' She thought. She looked up at the gap between the ice. She paused as she heard thunder. She looked out at the sky and saw as lightning flashed in the gray clouds. The storm was almost upon them.
She looked up and jumped to the next part of the ice wall, sinking her axes into it. She hooked her boot crampons to the ice and began the last bit of the climb. She pulled herself up onto the top of the cliff and her eyes widened. She could see it in the distance. Nestled among trees, and rocky structures, was what appeared to be old ruins. Ruins that had more of a Greek look to them than of Slavic or Russian design.
Her smile and laugh came back out. Her joy at finding it bubbling up. She looked down and at the three. "Guys! We made it! I see the ruins!" She called out smiling the biggest smile of the year. But then another rumble rattled through the rocks and Lara lost her footing, her legs dangling over the edge, her arms sank into the snow to get a hand hold. "Oh god!" She gasped as she looked around.
"Lara!" Her friends called out in concern.
The lightning above cracked and flashed with the thunder. The storm they'd been watching was upon them faster than they had expected. The sound of ice and rocks crumbling hit their ears. Lara struggled to keep a hold of the pillar, but it was breaking. She let out a yell as it shook and found herself falling.
The sound of her rope was the only thing that partly assured her she was okay. But then before she fully knew what was happening, she slammed into the side of the cliff below her friends. The hit made her bounced off the icy rocks, her head pulsed, her vison danced, her ears rang.
"Shit!" Kat yelled as she, Leon, and Jonah gripped the rope tightly.
All struggling to keep Lara from falling farther.
"We gotcha!" Jonah assured with a strained vice as he and the others could only use one arm to hold onto the rope.
"Hold on!" Leon called out as he felt his heart beat faster in fear of Lara's fall. From his angle he could not tell if she was conscious. She hit the wall hard and she seem dazed or knocked out.
Lara spun at the bottom of the rope and held the side of her head, where she's hit it. She struggled to clear her head of the buzzy fluffy feeling and get her ears to stop ringing.
"Lara, can you hear me?!" Jonah asked as he watched her slow movements.
Lara nodded slowly as the ringing dulled. "Yeah…"
"We'll pull you back up!" Kat called to her.
"There's three of us." Leon and Jonah agreed and all three started to try pulling Lara.
But even working together, they all were doing it one armed. Suddenly, Jonah lost his grip and the rope slipped through Kat and Leon's hands. They cursed as Jonah got hold again, Lara lowered three feet though. Kat and Leon's hands could feel the friction's heat through the winter gloves. Not great when trying to keep a hold of a rope or pull someone up. It wasn't like they could switch hands either. They would have to let go of the rope, switch which hand had a hold of the climbing axe, then grab the rope again. It could be done, but it would mean the others working harder to hold Lara up as each one took a turn to switch hands.
Lara knew this and looked around with her clearer head. She saw it. In front of her another ice wall was there and if she could swing to it, she could anchor in, and the others could slowly swing over too. She nodded. It could work.
"There, over there!" She called out nodding to the wall she could see. "Quick!" She called out as Kat's arm started to shake. "Swing me over to the other side…"
Leon grunted a nod as Kat suddenly felt like Captain America stopping Bucky from flying away in a helicopter. The painful strain was harder on her then Leon or Jonah. She was closer to Lara and was taking a lot of the weight.
"Okay…" Jonah nodded as he looked to Kat. "Kat, you're gonna have to start the swing!"
Kat nodded. "Here it…goes, Lara!"
Kat started to move her arm back and forth. Lara helped the swing by moving her body and angling it so she would swing more toward the ice wall. After two swings Kat's arm fell from its holding spot by her chest.
"Fuck!" Kat yelled as she felt her arm straining. "Lara, hurry up! May arm's about to fall off!"
Lara nodded as she swung toward the wall. She swung her axe at it, hoping she was close enough. But she was just shy of it and swung back and away from the wall with a small spin.
"Shit!" Lara hissed as she swung away.
Kat growled at the strain. Leon pulled a bit on the rope, trying to take more of the weight on. Jonah doing the same. Both grunting and hissing with the effort. Lara turned herself as she started to swing back. She gritted her teeth and threw her arm forward, this time with the momentum. She growled a yell as her axe finely sank into the ice.
The ice however crumbled and fell away. Lara yelled with the others as she swung back from the wall with no anchor. Kat hissed as her hand started to loosen involuntarily.
"Shit! Lara, the rope's slipping!" Kat yelled to her with gritted teeth, knowing this was supposed to be Jonah originally, her and Leon hadn't been there before. "I can't hold on!" Her Norse accent was getting thick as she gave another yell and started to chant something in Norse.
"Just two more swings! Try for two more!" Lara called up to them as she gripped her rope.
Kat closed her eyes from the strain, she had to tune out the pain and just hold onto her friend as she prayed to Oden to give her strength.
"We'll try!" Leon called out as he pulled on the rope more, looping it around his arm to try and help Kat.
Lara swung toward the wall but didn't move to swing her axe at it. She had a better idea. It was a risky one as she swung back and away from the wall. But it was the only one she could do with how much strain she could feel on the rope. She started to swing back at the wall.
This time she let go of her rope. She pulled her other axe. With a yell, Lara slammed both into the ice wall. She got rooted to the wall and just like that, Kat's hand gave out. She, Leon, and Jonah panted as Lara hooked her boots to the ice wall. The pain in their arms made their muscles throb with each beat of their hearts.
"Climb!" Jonah called out as Kat shook her hand.
Lara smiled as she got to the top. She stood up and turned around. "Okay, Kat, you're next!" She called out as she hooked her axes to her belt and grabbed her rope tightly. "I've got you!"
Kat nodded. She then gripped her rope again and took a breath. She looked at Leon and Jonah. "See you boys on the other side."
"See you soon." Leon nodded as he and Jonah gripped their ropes again.
"We've got you, Flower." Jonah smiled.
Kat nodded then jumped at an angle form the wall. She swung down and at the wall. Lara hissed as she dropped to her knees, pulling on the rope. Leon and Jonah grunted as they pulled on their ends. Kat yelled and sank her axe into the wall. She pulled her other axe, climbing axe point over axe point until she could get her crampons anchored in.
"Keep going!" Jonah called out as Leon peered around the side of their ice wall.
"You're almost there!" Leon encouraged.
Kat reached the top and Lara helped her onto the ledge. They both panted for a moment then turned around. Kat opened her mouth only for the storm to intensify. The rumble that rocked the mountain made the pair look up. Their eyes widened.
"Avalanche!" Kat yelled seeing the rolling snow at the top.
It looked like a tidal wave of white was coming at the pair. Lara quickly untied the rope from her belt and Kat yanked it through her loops, letting it fall back to the guys.
"Oh, shit!" Jonah yelled at the same time as Leon, neither disagreeing with Lara and Kat's actions with the rope.
"Move! Godamnit!" Jonah yelled at the women.
"Go back, guys!" Lara yelled with wide eyes as she and Kat backed up.
"Get to shelter!" Kat yelled. "Back to the cave!"
With that, the two pairs split up. Leon and Jonah, speed climbing back toward the cave or to a better out cropping to anchor too. Lara and Kat, running the other way. Lara and Kat came to a broken cliff road that ran along the side of the mountain. From the age of the weathered wood, it looked like it had been there for decades. Sections were missing and what remained looked unstable, but they had no choice. They both ran and leaped for the first section.
Some wood splintered apart but they pulled themselves up. They ran then jumped from that small section to another, they kept running and saw that the next part was six feet away and below them. They didn't stop, they needed to keep up their momentum to make the leap, with guttural yells as they jumped. Their chests hit the wood and their fingers sinking into gaps in the planks of wood as they hit. Behind them the first wave of the avalanche hit, ripping away the sections of the road they had just leapt from.
They pulled themselves up onto the ground then stood and struggled to run as the ground under them vibrated from the impacting of the snow and ice in the avalanche. But now they had made it back to deeper snow. It was up to their shins and when they ran, it bunched up to their knees. They hissed at their slow progress but kept going. A loosened rock tumbled down the side and sent much of the side before them into broken pieces.
A long bar was sticking out of the side of the cliff, it looked stable enough to take their weight. The snow thinned out and they were able to pick up some speed. In a fast sprint, Kat just a few steps behind Lara, letting her take the lead since she had the faster reactions. Lara dove for the bar and flipped her weight forward as she spotted a cable line. At the top of her swing, she let go of the bar and grabbed out her axe to loop it over the line to slide down the cable. Kat was just seconds behind Lara so she was ready to grab out her axe at the top of her swing to begin her slide down the cable.
They slid along the makeshift zipline, just as they once had on Yamitai. They both could see that the cable was ending at another bar sticking out of the wall and just across from it was a wall of ice. Just as they were mere feet from its face, the cable snapped, and both were falling at an angle for the wall. They crashed through the ice with pained grunts as their combined weight shattered it. They found that they were sliding on a solid icy slope. Lara rolled onto her stomach along with Kat, both struggling to find a hand hold to stop their progress.
Both pulled their axes up and slammed them down. The metal on ice was an ear ringing sound and they slid still, slowing their progress but they were still sliding to the edge. Just as Lara went over the edge, her axe found an edge of harder ice or stone and it finally bit in and stopped her falling into the crevasse below her. She had just enough time to get a better grip on the edge when Kat slid to a stop just at the edge. Lara looked to see that Kat had taken out her spear and drove it into the ice and rock. Her feet were just inches from Lara's face.
"That was close. I can see that this ledge goes around to another one. I'm going to follow it around." Lara explained quickly as she began to shimmy to the left.
Kat pulled her spear free and slung it onto her back as she slid over the edge and started to shimmy along with Lara.
The rocks and ice rumbled as the next snow wave came barreling forward. They each pulled an axe and jumped to the ice wall just below the ledge instead. It would be less risky than having the snow's pressure on their fingers as it tumbled over their heads and into the darkness below. When it stopped, they pulled themselves up to look up the slope to see that it finally slowed to a stop. But the ice path the led to the side started to crumble. They quickly shimmied over so they could just drop onto the path and began running along it, not sure where it was going to go. Just following their gut.
The ground they ran on was breaking apart with every step. They had to jump huge cracks as they formed in front of them. They stumbled, slipped, and jumped as they raced against the crumbling path. Kat could see solid ground ahead and put on a burst of speed. "There!"
Lara felt hope crack as the solid ground in front of them collapsed but she saw another wall of ice. "Wall! Jump!" Was all she had time to get out before pulling her axes and made the jump to the wall. Lara being ahead of Kat, hit the wall first. Her axe points sank into the ice as Kat landed just below her, her axes sinking in as well.
They took a moment to catch their breath, then looked to their left. Their eyes widened. The rest of the avalanche was coming. Th two tried to dig their axes in. But the snow hit them and hit them like a semitruck. Their axes broke free from the ice, and they were both sent tumbling from the wall. The world spun and flipped as they tumbled in a wash of white.