Ah ha! We're back with an update! I'm sorry this is so long overdue, but I did two updates for Partners In Crime and this chapter required a major rewrite thanks to something Akkon said - which is no bad thing at all, it's made the chapter far more interesting! Thanks as ever for all the reviews.
Mystique1515 - Why thankyou!
Linzi - The dead bodies were kind of icky, weren't they?
Ms Croft, I Presume - Well, I'm not that good at updating, as I've just managed to proove! We readers don't hate you at all, we just intensely dislike having to wait so long for updates to such a great story as Salvation! LOL Just kidding, but please get Chapter 13 up soon!
Odd Little Turtle - Thanks for that! I totally didn't realise that they'd be all decayed until you said so! Had to use a quick get out clause for that one.
Godavari - Thanks again! Make the most of your summer!
Akkon - As I already said, you're responsible for a major part of this chapter, because until you said I didn't remember that Minos was the name of the King who had the Minotaur. D'oh! I actually named the character after the brother of a Greek friend, and intended him to not be seen again, but that's all changed now, thanks to you. And I'm glad you enjoyed No Man's Land - I got your review for that, thankyou very much. Bryce is rather lovable, isn't he? Please try not to get sacked!
SilverDragon- The mysterious second Lara strikes again. Hee Hee. And there's a nice bit of revenge for Kurtis here, just for you.
Lara-is-my-role-model - Hmmm...a Maria/Bryce romance? Maybe...would you like one?
Buried
As they left the village of the Elysian Fields, Kurtis conjured up the light once more, surrounding himself, Lara, Travis and Gareth as they walked back through the Underworld towards the adamantine entrance gates.
Gathered loosely together, their weapons holstered, the Helmet of Invisibility tucked safely under Lara's arm, the raiders and the demon hunter chatted amiably, pointedly excluding Travis who was becoming increasingly annoying with his attempts to befriend his saviours before they changed their minds about leaving him. Kurtis was making very sure not to so much as look in his direction, anger towards him simmering quietly below the surface.
Approaching the gates, it became steadily darker as they left the meagre illumination of the lavas of Tartarus and the fires of the Elysian Fields until it was once more pitch dark, the inky blackness falling in on them oppressively against their thin shield of magical light.
Their boots crunched over the shale and rock towards the River Acheron once again, the rowing boat mysteriously tied up at the dock on the other side again, where Lara and Kurtis had found it but not where they'd left it.
"So assuming you do make it past Cerberus to escape the Underworld, you still have to be able to swim," Lara quipped.
"Who's Cerberus?" Travis asked.
"Shut up, you imbecile," Fishman said irritatedly. "Y'know, I'm really beginning to wish I hadn't saved you."
"What have I done!" Travis complained.
"Would you like an example or the full list?" Kurtis countered. "Shut it."
"Maybe we could drown him. Right here," Lara suggested.
Travis looked at her, shocked and frightened. "I'll be quiet. Please. I promise, I'll be quiet. Not another word out of me. I'll be as silent as the grave, you won't even notice me, I sw-"
"Shut up!" Kurtis bellowed. Sighing, he turned back towards the river and the shadowy form of the boat on the other side. He raised his hand, palm outwards, and the mooring line flicked, untying itself instantly. He then turned his hand, beckoning the boat, and it quietly but quickly slid across the water towards them, smoothly turning to float stationery in front of them parallel to the bank.
"Oh, you think you're so impressive," Lara chided light-heartedly.
"I know I'm so impressive," Kurtis grinned. He climbed in, the boat rocking as it took his weight, and sat at the end. Gareth clambered in next, leaving Lara to take the oars as he muttered something about not having eaten properly in weeks. Lara just smirked.
"What about me?" Sunderland asked, eyeing the full boat. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"
"No," Kurtis said shortly, and then he thrust his palm towards Sunderland and then immediately made a sweeping motion with his arm across the river, his telekinesis throwing Sunderland clean across the water. The man screamed, and Kurtis pulled his hand back sharply at the last moment, the action abruptly slowing Travis' body enough for him to hit the bank without too much injury. He landed with a painful-sounding thud and then skidded noisily a few feet over the loose rocks, a cry of dull pain escaping him.
Lara raised an eyebrow.
Sunderland was still lying there when they hopped out of the boat at the pier, clutching his arm and groaning quietly. "I could have swum," he moaned.
"Well it wouldn't be very nice of us to let you get all wet, now, would it?" Kurtis smiled acidly.
Lara grabbed hold of him and pulled him to his feet, shoving him forwards ahead of them as they began walking into the blackness from which they arrived.
"So how do we get back out?" she asked Kurtis.
"Not long after the gods left and the Styx became the Dnister, a Lux Veritatis gave his life to guard the doorway. He was the best there was at contacting the dead, the strongest at magic. He was the only one who could open the doorway from the other side to let people back into the world of the living. He volunteered to come down here and stay, so that anybody who managed to open the gateway in the future would be able to go back. He'll send us back to the Earth plane."
Lara's brow furrowed in thought. "That's his tomb buried at Tyras, isn't it? Unmarked apart from a rough inscription, archaeologists have said it was a drowning victim."
"That's him," Trent smiled. "The real reason behind his death needed to be kept secret to protect the Order and the doorway, but they couldn't let him go without thanks so a couple of warriors were sent to chisel the inscription in the middle of the night."
Lara smiled, quieted by the sentimental gesture. "That's nice," she said.
Continuing to walk forwards through the darkness, shallow water splashed underfoot as Travis stumbled into a stream that was no more than a trickle.
"This is it," Kurtis said as the other three drew up behind Travis and stepped into the stream themselves. "The doorway should bring us out close to the tomb. It's sort of a focal point for his magic in the living world."
"What's his name?" Fishman asked, intrigued. Kurtis sighed, his eyes dropped to the ground.
"I don't remember," he answered quietly, a little guilty. "A great man like that and I can't remember his name."
"Ok," he said, composing himself. "Let's do this."
He got to his knees, the slight water wetting his pants legs, and folded his hands in his lap. His head tipped back, his eyes closed, and he began to chant, the words breathy and quiet but recognisable to Lara and Fishman as Latin.
"Erm," Sunderland whispered to Fishman, "do you hear something?" Fishman glared, a silent demand to shut up and let Trent concentrate. "No, really," Sunderland persisted, looking nervous. "I can hear something…like hooves. It's coming from over there."
"Shut up," Lara hissed.
An orange glow separate to the one still hanging in the air around them from Kurtis' spell began to grow, sourcing from a point in front of the Lux Veritatis warrior and growing outwards in a vertical plane, living tendrils of light unfurling and snaking around, contrasting sharply against the blackness behind them. The three observers jumped back in surprise as, between Trent and the wisps of light, a ball of fire suddenly burst into existence, the size of a melon and floating in mid air. Burning in place for a moment, flames licking over its surface, it attracted their attention as something mystical and seductively dangerous before it exploded, huge flames leaping out in all directions whilst Kurtis, fallen into some sort of trance, ignored the danger completely. As fast as the inferno had grown, it imploded, flames dragged back in again by some gravitational force particular to them alone, and then it dropped out of existence, leaving a man standing before them.
Frozen in place by wonder, Lara, Travis and Gareth regarded him. Long black curls fell around his face that was marred by the scar of what had once been a long, deep cut across his cheek. Highly decorated metal gauntlets ran up to his elbows, the protection continued above the joint by long strips of leather wound around his upper arm. The hilt of a massive sword protruded above his shoulder, apparently held in some sort of back brace that manifested itself across his chest as crossed leather straps over a deep red length of cloth wound around his torso as some sort of makeshift, sleeveless shirt. His black trousers were slightly baggy, allowing movement whilst not being a hindrance, tucked into calf high boots inlaid with metal. Apparently, the ancient Lux Veritatis had been the much more traditional warrior.
He looked to them. "You wish to return?"
"Y – yes," Lara stammered.
"She told me you would be coming." The warrior looked to Kurtis, assessing him, and Lara was about to ask what he meant, but he spoke. "He is weak," he commented. "It is all he can do to conjure me. He is like a child. I will not be able to hold the doorway open for long with such a poor warrior to draw from."
Lara's consternation at the insult made her forget her fear before the commanding presence. "He is an excellent warrior!" she protested.
The Lux Veritatis smiled, warmth clearly showing in his eyes. "Forgive me. He is the last. Without the strength of other warriors to draw upon from his mind, he does the best he can. I commend him."
He strode over to the orange light, floating patiently, its tendrils wafting softly as though in water. Drawing his sword, he took hold of it with both hands before drawing it back, ready to plunge it into the centre of the glow.
"Wait!" Lara cried. "What's your name?"
He looked to her, slightly surprised. "James," he said. "James of Cottam." Waiting no longer, he drew the sword back once more and then thrust it into the light. Immediately, shards of blinding white light shot out from the impact point, reaching a point before shrinking back inwards again with equal speed. They returned back to their source at the tip of the sword, and then, a sound like thunder tearing through the air, the orange glow ripped open in all directions, a jagged floating window left in its place that framed a perfect white. It fought against the sword in its centre, the warrior visibly struggling to hold the weapon in as an invisible force pushed it back out like a repelling magnet.
With a cry, Kurtis was released from his trance, falling forwards onto his hands and panting heavily.
"Kurtis!" Lara cried, rushing over to him. "The door's open! Come on!" Fishman and Sunderland darted forwards towards the doorway, but a sound from behind them caused them to slow their steps as horror crept over their faces. Turning slowly, they both gasped.
"Lara," Fishman began. "Run."
Bryce, Hillary and Maria were still sitting despondently yet slightly hopeful in the cavern underneath the Dnister housing the Tomb of the Forgotten Warrior. The water of the underground tributary lapped at the land beside it and the bodies of their dead comrades lay silent at their feet, still wet, their eyes glassy.
Without warning a low rumbling took up in the cavern, shaking the ground underneath their feet and rattling the radio that had earlier been their line of communication to Lara.
"What the hell?" Maria cried, jumping up.
"Earthquake!" Hillary shouted over the noise. "Get back to the surface, quickly!"
They began to run towards the entrance tunnel, Maria getting there first and falling to her knees to crawl in, but they were interrupted by a sudden bright flashing behind them, strobing around the cavern in white light and shadows. Startled, they turned to find short sparks of lightening arcing out from a point above the Tomb, leaping out in all directions forward of the source but never behind it.
Unable to speak, they backed up against the wall and shielded their eyes against the light, bracing themselves against the uncontrollable shaking of the ground.
Above the crackling and the roar, the radio sparked into life, the familiar voice coming out of it this time loud and clear, no longer hindered by static.
"It's the gateway!" Lara's voice shouted to them. "It's going to collapse! You have to hold it open for them!"
"Lara?" Bryce yelled. "Hold it open how? What's happening? Where are you?"
In a blaze of white light, the lightening suddenly arced out further and more fiercely, and then it had ceased, a tear in space-time in its place, wide and gaping, showing nothing more than pure, blinding white inside.
"The sword in the Tomb!" Lara screamed over the radio, desperate to be heard above the din. "Push it into the gateway!" Thinking quickly, Hillary ran to the huge stone tomb and wrapped his fingers around the partially open lid, pushing hard. It was heavy, and it was hard to put strength into moving it whilst shying away from the rippling white window above, but with Bryce and Maria helping it eventually slid across the tomb, the low scraping of stone on stone almost inaudible over the continuous rumbling of the cavern. Inside was indeed a sword, lying in the shadow, tagged with an archaeology label, the skeleton of its owner long since removed for tests. Hillary snatched it up, nearly dropping it from the surprising weight, and dropped it onto the floor with a clang. Together, they heaved the coffin lid back across and then Bryce jumped on top, taking the sword from Hillary and, groaning from the weight, holding it to the gateway. The gateway resisted, pushing back, but Bryce called for help and Hillary and Maria clambered atop to join him, wrapping their hands over his and lending their strength. Slowly, their muscles shaking from the exertion, they inched the sword forwards until the tip pierced the white gateway, but no sooner had it broken the surface then it shoved back with an almighty force, the sword falling from their grip, the three adventurers falling to the floor.
Lara and Kurtis barely had time to look up at Fishman's warning before a huge, white horned bull leapt towards them from out of the darkness. Screaming, they each flung themselves to opposite sides, their previous positions occupied only a moment later by the hoofs of the massive beast. The legendary Minotaur.
The event barely registered with the ancient Lux Veritatis warrior, still fighting to keep the doorway open with his sword, but the others were completely consumed by the sudden attack. Sunderland only stood, transfixed in fear, as Trent, Fishman and Croft drew their weapons, the two with guns opening fire. The beast snarled as the bullets rained down upon it, but it did not fall. Instead, snorting, it turned and charged towards Kurtis. He dived out of the way, scraping his arm painfully on the rough rock. Losing its target, the Minotaur stopped, stamping its hooves in place a moment and eyeing the people with black, glittering eyes as it tried to rethink its instinctive strategy.
Bellowing, it charged for Lara. Thinking quickly, she turned and sprinted for the wall behind her, planting one foot upon it as she reached it, the beast dangerously close behind her. Pushing hard against the wall, she rebounded, giving herself extra height and distance as she jumped through the air, placing her hands on the Minotaur's back and using it as some kind of vaulting horse, landing behind him and spinning quickly to open fire, Kurtis' weapon blazing also now that Lara was out of the line of fire.
"Minos!" Fishman screamed. "I know you're here! Call it off! This isn't the way!"
Sunderland suddenly made the connection. "Minos? King Minos! The king from Greek mythology that had the Minotaur in a Labyrinth and fed Athenians to it? That Minos? And you argued with him? Are you insane!"
The bull charged again, moving faster this time, angered by Lara's escape. Their bullets were having no effect, and Fishman didn't dare try and attack it with his only weapon, a small knife.
"Minos!" he called out again, diving to safety as the Minotaur directed its attack on him, "I can't stay, you know that!"
The Minotaur, nostrils flaring, cried out again and ran for Sunderland. Less of an athlete than the others and certainly not as used to facing terror in the form of certain death, Sunderland only stood and screamed. Fishman sprinted towards him, shoving Sunderland to safety as the Minotaur butted its head towards them. The massive curved horns pierced the skin of Fishman's stomach, taking hold enough to pick him up and fling him through the air as the beast tossed its head.
"Fishman!" Lara cried. In desperation, Kurtis threw a telekinetic push at the bull, but it served only to anger the beast more and detract its attention away from Lara as she took the chance to race to Gareth's aid.
The Minotaur charging towards Kurtis in raw vengeance, the target took a moment to glance across to the doorway. The warrior was struggling desperately to keep it open, his face grimacing in exertion as he fought to keep the sword in place. "Sunderland!" Kurtis cried, wanting the man gone if only to avoid the need for another self-sacrificing rescue attempt of the man who probably didn't deserve it, "Get through the doorway! Now!"
"I….can't!" Maria complained, her strength failing as she, Hillary and Bryce continued to fight to hold the sword in the doorway at their own end. Her muscles eventually gave out and, panting, she fell back onto her heels.
"We've got to!" Bryce got out through gritted teeth, but his own strength was fading, and so was Hillary's, and the push of the window against the sword was gradually beginning to win out.
"Oh my god!" Maria screamed, leaping off the tomb and backing into a corner. A moment later her action was explained as two hands curved over Bryce and Hillary's, a body adding its own substantial strength to their cause. Hillary gasped as his eyes travelled up the wet, pale arms, the horror of the body's identity already in his mind before he saw their face.
It was Lara.
"Lara!" Bryce cried, forgetting to push as he looked up to her, standing over his shoulder. "Lara, it's you! You're back!"
"No," Lara said, her eyes still dead but her voice the same as ever. "I'm not who you think I am. Push. We have to help hold the doorway open for them."
Hillary, Bryce and Maria could only stare at her words, momentarily shocked, but as the sight of Lara's body working so hard against the gateway sank in, they did the only thing they could and helped.
Sunderland didn't listen. The Minotaur, though charging on Kurtis, was between him and the doorway and he didn't dare cross its path.
"Gareth!" Lara gasped, putting her hand to the wound on his stomach from the Minotaur's horns. "Come on, we'll get out of here, don't worry." She helped him up, hooking an arm around his waist and resting his own over her shoulders, limping them towards the doorway.
At the last possible moment, Kurtis dived to safety. Landing on his side, he directed his free arm towards the ceiling and pulled, using his telekinesis once again. A crumbling, shaking sound echoed from the darkness above and then a rock fall plummeted down, landing squarely on the Minotaur. It howled as the heavy rocks and smaller stones pelted down on its back, its legs bending helplessly underneath the weight.
"Come on!" Kurtis yelled, racing over to Sunderland and grabbing his arm, pulling him over towards the doorway. He threw Sunderland through, the man swallowed up in white light, disappearing completely. Trent then ran to help Fishman and Lara, Fishman coughing uncontrollably and trying to bat away his rescuers.
"No," he croaked, "I'm not coming. Just go, the doorway won't stay open much longer."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Lara scolded.
The sound of rocks and stones falling against each other sounded once more, and, horrified, they looked over to see the Minotaur rising from its grave. Spurred on by the sight, Kurtis and Lara put even more strength in dragging Fishman to the doorway with them, but he was pulling back, protesting between coughs and splutters, the blood seeping out across his clothes.
"I can't go!" he maintained. "I died fairly! It was my time! I can't go back!"
The Minotaur, now fully free of its rocky prison, scraped its front hooves across the ground.
"What?" Lara asked, amazed that he wanted to stay.
"I said I can't go back!" Fishman yanked himself free from them, standing freely but clutching his stomach wound. "I'm not supposed to be here but I'm not supposed to be there, either."
The Minotaur snorted and then charged.
"I'm supposed to be in heaven, that's what I've always believed. But I got dragged down here whilst the gateway was open after I was killed."
The Minotaur approached them, thundering across the cavern.
"I stayed long enough to help you, but you have to leave me now. I can get myself out of here, to where I'm supposed to be."
There were only feet left between the Minotaur's horns and its targets.
"Tell Maria…I'm proud of her."
The danger suddenly registered, and all three leapt to safety, the bull missing them by centimetres.
"Lara, leave him, he has to stay," Kurtis shouted to her, taking her hand and running with her to the doorway. "He can get out of here, he'll be ok."
"Hurry!" the warrior from the doorway cried, "I can't hold it!" The sword was wobbling dangerously as the balance between the push of the doorway and the warrior tipped back and forth, neither holding the advantage for long.
Fishman was panting, blood pouring from his wound now. The Minotaur charged, racing towards him as Fishman only stared the beast in the eye.
The doorway was only feet away as Lara and Kurtis sprinted to make it through before the warrior lost the battle and it collapsed, trapping them in the Underworld. A cry sounded behind them and Lara unthinkingly skidded to a halt, gasping in horror as she looked over her shoulder and saw Fishman on the floor, the Minotaur standing above him with his horns buried deep in his victim's shoulders.
"Lara! No!" Kurtis cried, struggling to stop running as she pulled her hand from his, but he couldn't and as she ran towards Fishman, guns blazing, his arm outstretched for balance touched the doorway and he was engulfed in light.
A deafening bang sounded in the cavern and Bryce, Hillary, Maria and Lara were thrown backwards through the air, the sword pushed out of the doorway as it collapsed, the white tear in the fabric of space knitting back together in a short second of unimaginable force.
"Lara?" It was Kurtis' voice. He and Sunderland was scrambling to their feet, their bodies suddenly and strangely regenerated to look as healthy as they had before, the only signs of their watery grave the wetness that was still dripping off their skin and clothes.
"You're back?" Amazed, Bryce stood up. "Lara's already – " He looked down to Lara's body, but she was lying where she had fallen, still, as pale as before, her eyes still open and staring.
"No. No, No, No," Kurtis complained, resolutely refusing to admit what he knew to be true. "No, the doorway can't have collapsed without her, it can't have." He shook her shoulders, slapped her face, pulled the wet hair away from her face and cupped her cheek. "No. No!"
"Kurtis! What happened?" Hillary demanded. "Where's Lara?"
Kurtis didn't answer, just stared towards the Tomb Of The Forgotten Warrior, sitting silent and passive.