Catacombs
Kurtis was just lighting a flare as Lara stepped beside him. It was utterly dark, she could just make out his figure, and even the light from the flare offered only a soft glow. Lara lit her own, trying to determine where they were.
They'd descended into a small rectangular section of a tunnel which continued off opposite of where they stood. It was tiled in the same, cold gray stone as the church above. Archways protruded from the ceiling at specific intervals, providing support to small tunnel. Lara was inspecting a wall looking for any clue as to how to proceed, when she was interrupted by Kurtis who was doing likewise on the wall behind her.
"There's something written here, looks like some kind of Lux Veritatis script. It's too dark to make it out though, even with the flare."
"Right." Lara's eyes trailed her wall, suddenly noticing a small groove midway up the wall. She smiled, recognizing a trick she'd read about before. "Can I borrow your lighter?" she asked.
"Lara, I don't think now's really a good time to smoke."
"Lighter." She said again, more forcefully; loosing patience.
"Alright, alright." Kurtis complied, tossing it to her. She caught it, flicking it and creating a flame before holding it to the groove. Like magic, the flame caught in the groove and spread along the wall, effectively lighting the room and tunnel. "You don't honestly think I'm pathetic enough to smoke, do you?" she teased, taking advantage of his temporary awe.
"Hey, you assumed that I am?"
"I saw you smoke in Paris. Filthy habit."
"Yeah it is. Can I have my lighter back now?"
"No. No lighter, no smoke. You'll hate me, but you'll thank me." Lara smiled as she pointed to the wall with the symbols. "Now, what does it say?"
Kurtis grunted, turning to the wall, "Not much, basically just follow the tunnel to the painting, but stay alert, 'for ill intentions do not suit the protectors of the future'"
"Wonderful, let's get going." Lara smiled as she started to walk down the now lit tunnel, Kurtis behind her.
The tunnel was just tall enough for them to stand straight, and although they could clear even the areas were the archways swooped somewhat lower, instinctively they ducked. The continued following the tunnel for a time, it was not long before it veered right, suddenly opening up into a larger, long rectangular room, shelves carved out of the stone with long boxes on either side.
"Catacombs," Lara explained, although Kurtis had guessed what they were. "From the black plague. It looks like these have been down here from one of the earlier waves, perhaps early fourteenth century." Kurtis merely shrugged as he examined one of the more prominent sarcophaguses.
"1307, actually." Kurtis told her, slightly surprised at the sarcophagus he was examining. Lara, also surprised that Kurtis new the exact date, had moved to stand by his side and examine the coffin. "It's Charles De Molay. He was among the blood lines to the Grand Master of the Knights Templar. He was a member of the Lux Veritatis, but his relations to the grand master Jacques De Molay at the time cast suspicion over him. He was arrested and interrogated by King Philip in his successful attempt at destroying the order. He was tortured and eventually killed, despite his mere blood relation to the Knights. The Lux Veritatis stole his body; burying him in the catacombs in the hope his body couldn't be further desecrated. He must have also been a protector of the sixth painting."
"Sounds like somebody was paying attention."
Kurtis thought he heard the faintest emphasis on 'was', as though she were reading his thoughts. He chose to enlighten her. "Yeah, unfortunately it was one of the few times. I didn't even know he was in this catacomb."
"I just hope he doesn't have an incarnation like Brother Obscura. Come on, the painting has to be around here. I'll look—"
"No, you don't have to look. It's here. Help me with this, will you? We have to move it." Kurtis grabbed one end of the coffin, sliding it to the side. Lara understood, and immediately grabbed the other, successfully pulling the coffin off and onto the floor, revealing a small crawlspace into the wall of the catacomb.
Kurtis eyed the crawlspace suspiciously. Lara, however, dove into it immediately, lighting a flare and crawling. In no time at all, the hole opened up into another tunnel, not unlike the one they'd first entered. Lara's hands instinctively searched the wall, finding the familiar groove and snapping Kurtis's lighter so the flames kissed the wall, sending a ripple of light down the tunnel.
Kurtis now stood behind her, facing the newly lit tunnel in dismay. "I'm getting the feeling they didn't want us here."
"I know. Isn't it wonderful?" Kurtis turned to her, surprised to realize she wasn't being sarcastic in the least bit. Cautiously but confident, Lara stepped into the corridor. She didn't jump but eyed cautiously as blades sprung out from various holes in the wall, intersecting to form a grid, before retracting and shooting again in the same, lethal rhythm.
She eyed the lances, measuring the patterns they followed and carefully planning a maneuver.
"They have a distinct speed," she explained to Kurtis but eyes focused on the blades. "We can carefully time a run past them. The question is, can you keep up?" she turned to Kurtis, flustered at seeing his amused face. "What!" she cried. He only laughed.
"That won't be necessary. They obviously don't mind if the painting is found by Lux Veritatis," he said before waving his hand and stopping the blades from their deadly assault. Lara stood awestruck for a moment before gaining control.
"Humph. Shame we can't all be superman. Some of us do happen to get along quite fine, however, without magic powers," She teased.
"Yeah, but it sure makes it a hell of a lot easier." He shrugged, understanding that her inquisitive gaze demanded more. "Lux Veritatis. I was sort of born with it, sort of trained for it. Hated it for a long time, but if it saves your neck, I'm thankful for it." he laughed before crossing the threshold were the blades once penetrated, and Lara, now convinced that it was safe, quickly ran up; she would never be second to enter into the unknown.
It was not long before the tunnel intersected another, forming a cross, and leaving Kurtis confused as to where to move.
"Oh, so I guess these superpowers can only do so much?"
"What can I say? Best let the tomb raider do her job."
"Well I have some powers of my own."
"Oh?" Kurtis asked, unsure if she was being serious or not.
"Yes. All women do. We're fearless of asking for directions." She smiled at him as she withdrew the engraving from her backpack. Kurtis laughed in spite of her jest at his gender. "Seems we ought to take a right here. Then a left at the next intersection."
"That should take us to the painting?"
"Well, that we'll just have to wait and see."
A/N: Just for the record, in 1307 there was a crackdown, if you will, headed by a King Philip against the Knights Templar, fearful of the growing wealth and power of the order. At the time, Jacques De Molay was the Grand Master.The character and plot concerningCharles De Molay I made up and, at least to my knowledge, he never existed.
Alright, i'll keep updating now that i'm back on my computer. Thanks to all the reviewers who have read this, and to everyone else do likewise!
NFI- can i email you my next chapter to beta read? (it said on your account you would prefer notto recieve emails, so i thought i would check first)i would really appreciate it, just let me know by reviewing!