Chapter 2: A Spirit's Cry
Lara was soon home with her teammates Alister and Zip at Croft Manor. They sat down on the couch talking about the whole endeavor and talking about the castle itself. Zip was lying on one of the couches and Alister was sitting at his feet in the proper sitting. Lara herself was sitting on the couch across from them with her satchel on the the coffee table in front of her. Alister looked down for a second not saying anything for a good fifteen minutes on the matter. He stood up and walked over to Lara. She turned to him and looked up at him curiously.
"Lara, may I take a look at that amulet you found down there?" Alister said as he sat down next to her. Lara smiled at him and grabbed her bag.
"Sure, Alister. Besides, I did bring it back for you," She said as she reached into the satchel. She carefully pulled out the amulet. Alisters eyes almost lite up as he saw the magnificent artifact.
"It is more beautiful in person," Alister said as he saw it. Lara giggled and handed the artifact to Alister. Alister took the amulet carefully and turned the gemstone towards himself. "This is an astonishing gem. It's condition is superb. Oh, I wish it could tell me how it lasted this long." Zip chuckled at his friends reaction to the necklace. The necklace had a slight glow to it, but no one seemed to notice it due to them laughing at Alisters reaction.
"Hello?" Said an unknown voice. Everyone jumped at the sudden greeting and they all began to look around for the mysterious guest. Lara stood up and looked around the room, grabbing one of her pistols for protection.
"Who's there?" Lara called out into the room. When no one responded she pointed her pistol and slowly began to scan the room. "Don't make me ask twice." Alister stood up and looked around. He noticed the amulet in his hands now had a slightly glow to it and became curious.
"Hello?" He asked as he looked at it.
"Can you hear me?" Said the voice in response. Lara slowly turned to Alister as the voice came from where he was standing. Zip looked to Alister to as his confused and nervous look.
"Did that rock just talk?" Zip asked as he looked at Alister. Alister looked at his friends and then back at the glowing amulet.
"Yes, can you hear me?" He said as he spoke to the green glowing emerald. The gem glowed more as if it was more excited.
"Oh, thank-goodness. I thought I would never be able to speak again," Said the voice. That's when the three friends realized that the voice was coming from the amulet itself.
"Ok, what is going on?" Zip said as he sat up, looking at Alister. Alister shrugged and looked back at this amulet in his hands.
"Um...pardon me, but I'm a little confused on this," Alister said as he brushed his hair back a bit. "Ok, um….may I ask how you are talking to us?"
"I am a spirit that's been trapped in this amulet for millennia," The voice said. Alister sat back down on the couch with this amulet and looked at Lara. Lara sat down next to him and looked over the stone curiously.
"How did you get trapped in there?" Lara asked. The voice didn't respond, which caused Lara to ask again to make sure the voice heard her. There was still no response. Aliser, becoming a little worried, looked around and then back at the amulet.
"Hello?" He asked as he waited patiently and hopefully that the voice hadn't left.
"Yes?" Said the voice. Alister sighed out of relief and then straightened himself up. "Did you not hear Lara ask her question or did something happen?"
"No, nothing happened. I didn't respond because you did not ask," The voice said. I am responding to only your voice."
"What the heck does that mean?" Zip asked as he looked at Lara. Alister looked at Zip with a stern look and then back at the amulet.
"What do you mean by that exactly?" Alister said calmly.
"I vowed when I was trapped in this amulet that I would only respond to the one whose spirit and heart matched my own," The voice said. "I still have no idea why I was trapped to this very day though. I do remember how I got trapped." Alister looked at Lara with a look of confusion.
"Oh, I have an idea then," Alister said. "If my friends write down questions and I ask them to you will that be ok?" At first there was no response, but the stone glew again.
"That can be accepted," The voice said. Alister smiled and looked at Lara and Zip. Zip sighed and grabbed a nearby notepad and slide it to Lara, who grabbed a pen. Lara wrote down a on the notepad and pointed it to Alister.
"Ok here is Lara's question, how did you get trapped with the amulet?" Alister asked as he looked at the necklace.
"I kinda figured one of you would ask that sooner or later," The voice said. A sad sigh is heard and the gem glowed a bit more. "I was the daughter of king, who ruled with kindness. We had a royal mage that would do spells and entertain us. The mage was actually a dark sorcerer, a witch. She had a secret lair where she would sacrifice poor people to gain more power. One day, she found a way to make her power even more great. She...she sacrificed my father. I saw it happen. She then noticed me and chained me up, she was happy I was there. I was what she needed." Alister's eyes softened at the sad story and he felt pity for this poor spirit.
"Then, she sacrificed you." Alister said.
"In a sense yes," The voice responded. "She made me vow many things. I can't remember half of them. I just no before she grabbed her knife I thought of a way to stop her dead in her tracks. I vowed that I would only respond whose heart and spirit matched my own and I would be awakened by the very touch of that person. There would be no other way to awake my spirit. She became outraged and sacrificed me anyway vowing she would find this person and continue her plans."
"You poor thing," Alister said. "I can't begin to imagine what that must have been like for you."
"I have a question," Zip said as he reached for the notepad. Lara handed it to him and he began to write. He turned it to Alister.
"Zip's question, even though it's kinda off topic, is what is your name?" Alister asked.
"I don't remember my full name, but I remember my first name," The voice said. "My name is Vianca."
"Well Vianca, you're in safe hands. I won't let anything happen to you," Alister said.
"Um...may I ask on what I call you. I know the names of Lara and Zip, but you have yet to say yours," Vianca asked. Alister realizing he has yet to exchange his formalities with her slapped himself on the forehead.
"Oh forgive me for my manners, I should know that formalities comes first," Alister apologized. "My name is Alister."
"Alister….I like that name," Vianca responded. Alister rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I'm glad that you found me before she found you." Alister looked back down at the amulet curiously.
"What do you mean by that? Surely, the which is long dead by now," He said reassuringly to the amulet.
"No, she's still around. She's been trying to get me to speak for millennia," Vianca said.
"Wait, that woman, Lara," Alister said.
"She must be the witch, I knew there was something about her that I didn't like," Lara said as she got up and began to pace around.
"We have to help, Vianca," Alister said as he got up. "There must be some way to separate her from the necklace and keep her from that…..that...well witch."
"You'll….you'll help me get out of this?" She asked. Alister looked back down at the amulet and a kind smile.
"Of course, you've been through so much. You deserve to be free," Alister said. The gem glowed brightly.
"Oh thank you!" Vianca said happily. Lara looked over at the window. What was that witch after, who was she, and why did she need this girl trapped in the amulet?