Chapter 22

Lara stared with dread as the form of Kurtis appeared in the isle beside her. His body was unprotected, greeting bullets to tear him apart. A strange feeling entered her mind as he continued forward, continued toward his death.

"Kurtis!" Lara screamed with fear and sadness. Her throat blistered from the force.

Time slowed from frightful anticipation, and Lara watched Kurtis, the man she lov-she would not allow the thought to finish. She changed it,-the man who would save the world, the man who had to survive. The forbidden thoughts returned as the demons raised their automatic guns. "No!" Lara screamed once more. Kurtis couldn't die. "I love him!" shouted throughout her mind. She refused to hold it in any longer. "I love him!"

She felt her arms push the floor, lifting her to a stand. Her feet pummeled forward. She rushed toward him, her heart beating faster with every motion, waiting for the moment he would meet the floor with death.

Kurtis watched the human forms before him, and he was not afraid, not afraid of the weapons they held, or the smirks upon there lifeless faces. He had to have faith.

Anxiety was forced upon him however, as a figure appeared beside him. "What the fuck are you doing!" Kurtis shouting as Lara stood at his side, her face lined with fear and worry. He felt her body against him, pushing him away, trying to move him back. He forced her aside, wanting to protect her just as she was trying to protect him.

"Why are you doing this!" Lara cried out, pushing his arms away. She didn't understand what he was thinking. Why was he trying to die?

He stared forward as another wraith aimed its machine gun toward him. He felt Lara push her weight against him once more, frantically trying to move him from the line of fire. He remained still.

Lara stared at the wraiths, and then to Kurtis. The priest's words sounded in her mind. "It is a test for you as well!" The wraith was about to fire. She lowered her head, knowing her destiny. Kurtis was all that mattered.

Kurtis watched fearfully as Lara placed her body in front of him, trying to shield it from the wraiths defense. He forced his arms forward, trying to move her away from the danger. "No!" he screamed as the guns fired.

----------------------------------

Lara could hear nothing; the silence overtook her. All she could think of was Kurtis; he was in danger! She wanted to scream. What had happened? Was he dead? Was she dead?

"What was that?" she thought as a sudden movement grazed against her skin. It was familiar, warm and comforting; it was Kurtis. He held his arms tightly around her, slightly moving his body back and forth. She forced her eyes to open, forgetting her fear.

They were on the ground, sitting upright. Kurtis was behind her, his face buried in her shoulder as though he was crying, but wasn't. She looked upon her body, expecting blood, expecting death. There was none.

With fear and anticipation, she brought her eyes upward, remembering the wraiths. What she saw forced her to jump back with disbelief. Her movement caused Kurtis to stir from his mournful captivation. She heard him gasp and knew that he had seen it too.

Before her, levitating in the air, was a row of bullets. They stared at her, mere inches from her forehead. She watched them, unable to move from fear that their stall would be disrupted. She felt Kurtis's arms grip tighter around her body as they pulled her upward.

She felt her feet upon the ground, but her eyes remained fixated on the lead rounds now hovering at her stomach. She couldn't move out of terror and disbelief, pulled back only by Kurtis's motions to lead her to safety.

The two were still together. Kurtis's grip tightening around her waist as he realized what had happened; she was still alive. He smiled, despite the fearful awe than ran throughout his mind. His eyes gazed forward, upon the creatures that would've taken her life. He clenched his fist as he stared at them. His brows where arched and his nostrils flared with hatred. He was ready to kill, he was going to kill. He gently released his arms, and carefully helped Lara back to the ground, the disbelief still holding her mind prisoner.

He grabbed the churigai at his waist, it ate into his hand as his grip became unhuman. He began toward the monsters, now fearfully reloading their guns, confused by the previous events. Bullets shot forward and stopped in mid air as the demon's pulled back the automatic triggers. Kurtis ignored them as the vile creatures became closer.

He instantly thrust the weapon forward, greeting flesh with metal, abandoning his test of faith with anger.

Lara could hear the cold shrills of death in the distance, but her eyes remained focused on the lead rounds before her, the bullets that would've ended her life without the helping of some unseen force. She had never been a believing individual, but she had been wrong. Something had saved her life only minutes ago, something that wasn't of her world, but a higher one. She sighed as she closed her eyes.

Kurtis's rage continued as he gruesomely killed the evil before him. The churigai sliced through a throat, and them a stomach, killing, destroying the demons that would've destroyed Lara. He wanted to smile as every one of the creatures fell, collapsing into a pool of blood that grew bigger and bigger upon the marble floor.

He kicked away the final monsters gun, and sliced the blade across it's chest. The beast fell. Kurtis mouth lay open, gasping lightly for air as the slight exhaustion took his body. He stared at the floor, at the five bodies before him, all dead.

The elevated bullets fell.

Kurtis looked to Lara, her form slightly coming back into existence. He ran toward her.

Lara felt a warm touch against her face followed by a "Are you ok?" spoken in a male's voice. She looked toward the sound, the blue eyes meeting her own, filled with worry. She closed her eyes once again as her mind returned. "What just happened?" she quietly asked, picking up one of the angelic bullets from off of the floor.

"We had faith." Kurtis simply replied.

Lara stared at him with confusion at his words."That was the fucking test?" she asked with disbelief.

Kurtis smiled. "Yeah." He began. The smile faded. "But I fucked it up."

Lara looked to him. "What do you mea-" she stopped as Kurtis pointed to the main doors of the room. Her eyes met the massacre, the five dead bodies ripped apart by his ancient blade.

A simple "Oh." left her lungs, and Kurtis was surprised by her un-angered response. She looked to him as he explained the meaning of his barbaric actions. It was simple, they had tried to kill her. Lara looked away once he was done. She smiled.

She brought her eyes upward once again, and starred into Kurtis's. She felt strange as he gripped her hand, her recent confession plaguing her mind. Did she love him like she had told herself?

Their eyes didn't move, completely fixed into one another's. Reoccurring thoughts of the night at the motel returned to her mind as she felt Kurtis's hand against her back, pulling her toward him. She stared at his eyes, completely absorbed as he came closer, his lips meeting hers.

Her mind began racing once again as she placed her hands upon Kurtis's neck, pulling him in and changing his movements to her liking.

Did she? Did she love him? She felt confused by her thoughts. Nevertheless, she opened her mouth wider as Kurtis's body pressed hard against her own, feeding her with slight pleasure, and leaving her wanting more as he parted their lips, and slowly backed away. Lara felt herself exhale loudly as she opened her eyes and met them with his.

They stared at one another, both contemplating the other's action. Lara, that Kurtis had kissed her, and Kurtis, that Lara had actually let him kiss her. Kurtis was surprised as Lara's mouth slightly curved into a smile.

Their eyes finally parted as a loud noise erupted throughout the room. Kurtis gripped his blade and stared at the statue that had just fallen from it's platform, creating the stirring noise.

Lara suddenly looked down as she felt a presence against her. She was taken aback as she realized that Kurtis had gripped her hand during the disturbance, and for once, she felt safe and-though she didn't want to admit it-loved.

"That happened for a reason." Lara stated, something telling her that their test had been completed.

Kurtis walked toward the broken figure at her words. His fingers still tightly locked with hers. He and Lara studied the structure, searching with hope that it was a sign instead of an accident caused by the previous conflict.

Kurtis let loose Lara's hand as he stared at the figure on the ground, the statue of the Virgin Mary he had spoken to before walking to his faithful death. He looked into the figures eyes, knowing that she had answered him.

"It's hollow." Lara stated, breaking Kurtis's spiritual moment. She stared into the marble base of the structure, which formed into a dark and lifeless pit. She looked to Kurtis and smiled, grabbing a flare from her backpack. She handed it to him. "I guess you didn't fuck up after all."

Kurtis bit his lip with anxiousness as he took the flare from her grasp. He quickly supported himself onto the waist high structure, and pulled his legs over. He released his weight and his body fell into the darkness.

Kurtis ignited the flare. An immense green glow shined at its end, lighting the room and forming the walls. The space was small, barely ten feet wide. The hall continued forward however, so much that the green light did not reach the end. Kurtis started down the path, his anxiousness making it hard to be cautious. He wanted the next directions to the vial, to his next test. He wanted to scream at the word. They had tortured him enough with these faith and honor deeming missions.

He felt his heart race as a slight green reflection shined back at him, a wall. He rushed forward as a podium appeared before him, upon it lye the ancient scroll, again preserved by an unspeakable power, the same power that had saved his and Lara's life. He smiled at the though of her, and at the thought of them together.

He quickly grabbed the scroll and rolled it up, placing it in a small knapsack at his hip. The flare in his hand suddenly began to flicker as the chemical reaction inside of the plastic tube started to ware out. He quickly began back toward the entrance, the flare burning out only feet before he reached it.

Lara heard his steps, and quickly dropped her arm into the ancient tunnel. She felt a hand grip her own, and she quickly pulled her weight upward, helping Kurtis out of the darkness. She watched with intent as he brought himself to the marble edge, and climbed out. He came to her, the slight edges of an ancient scroll showing through the creases of his knapsack.

Lara smiled.

A/N: Opposite of before, those 2 are probably my favorite chapters, but anyway, trying to finish quick so I can start on Advent Tension and then on the sequel to this one!