Chapter 7: Trouble In Paradise
Lara sat there in the car that Winston, her butler, came and picked her up in. She sat there looking down at the journal that they found in the ruins. She couldn't believe that this has all happened before, that it was just a repetition of events until it happened to poor Vianca. The necklace glew and Vianca appeared in the seat next to her.
"What is this?" Vianca as she looked so confused of the new environment. "I've never seen this sort of contraption before." Lara chuckled to herself and put the book back in her bag.
"This is known as a car, Vianca," Lara said as she looked at her. "It can be drove by one person, with no need for much effort except for what the machinery in the car does. I believe Alister told you about cars at some point." Vianca thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Ah, he did. He told that these are your versions of carriages. They operate without any use of a horse at all," Vianca said as she looked out the window. "Are those...skyscrapers?" Lara laughed again at her amusement and smiled at her.
"No, those are just houses and some of them being apartments. We aren't in a city yet, so you won't see any skyscrapers til we get there," Lara said. "I am so glad that you are having fun, Vianca." Vianca looked at her and smiled.
"It's nice to be able to smile every now and then," Vianca said. "I just can't wait to be back. We have so much to do and who knows how little time we have to do it." Lara nodded and they sat there just talking for the rest of the voyage. They soon arrived at Croft Manor, but something didn't seem right, mainly because the doors looked to be wide opened. Lara stepped out of the car and Vianca followed.
"Something's not right here…." Lara said as she pulled out her pistol. Vianca sat there looking around questioningly, but suddenly everything around her became quiet. She could hear Alister, yelling as if he was hurt. She gasped as she came back out of the trance-like state.
"Lara, Alister is in trouble," Vianca said with a worried look. Lara looked at her and then looked back at the mansion.
"Winston, stay here and stay down," Lara called back. "Come one Vianca!" They both ran into the building and they could clearly hear the people moving around. Vianca soon went in front of Lara with that veil like shield again. Gunshots sounded from in front of them. Vianca looked back at Lara.
"It's those guys from before," Vianca said as she kept the veil up. Lara looked and sees that she's right. Those were the same guys from the ruins, well not the same ones but they worked for the same person. Lara pulled out her other pistol and began to fight. They eventually made it over to the desk where they found Zip laying there.
"Zip!" Lara said as she lifted him up. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"About time you showed up," He said as he chuckled. "Don't worry, they just beat me pretty good. I think they were about to shoot me when y'all showed up."
"Good, at least your not dead," Lara said. Vianca looked around trying to see Alister. She stopped moving and focused. The world went silent around her again, but this time she could see where he was. He was hiding in some sort of cabinet, holding his leg. He seemed to be bleeding. The trance-like state stopped, causing her to gasp again.
"Lara, Alister is hiding in a cabinet, he's shot," Vianca said. "We need to find him." Lara nodded and managed to get Zip under the desk more.
"You stay here until I come back and get you," Lara said. She handed him one of her pistols. "Shoot anyone that isn't me." Zip nodded and took the gun. Lara stood up and looked at Vianca. The two ran to go find Alister. They ran into more of those men and managed to kill them. Vianca came into a room looking around frantically.
"Alister! Where are you?!" Vianca called as she looked around more. Behind her she heard the closet door open. She looked and walked over to it. Vianca then opened the closet door and sees Alister sitting there holding his leg as she saw in her vision. "Alister!" Vianca hugged him. Alister was surprised by the sudden hug, but smiled and hugged her back gently.
"Looks...like you and Lara found me...just in time," He said with hints of pain in his voice. Vianca let go of him and had a look of worry on her face as she sees his leg.
"It's ok, we'll have you better soon," Vianca said as she placed a hand on his knee. "Lara, I found him! He's bleeding hurry!" Lara soon came into the room and sees Alister.
"Alister, are you alright?" Lara said as she came over. "It looks like they got you pretty good." Alister nodded and looked back down at his leg.
"I'm alright...it just hurts a lot," He said. "The bullet went clean through my leg. I just couldn't really tend to it." Vianca was about to say something when she stood up and turned around. Her eyes flared a more green color and she raised her hand up towards the doorway.
"Go away!" She yelled as she shot a green aura-like ball at one those guys with guns who was standing at the door. Alister's eyes went wide seeing this and looked up at Vianca. Vianca calmed down and her eyes went back to normal and she let her arm fall to her side again.
"You didn't say you could do that," He said as he looked up at her questioningly. Vianca looked at him and realized what she did too.
"I...I didn't know," Vianca said as she looked at her hand. "There are a lot of things I can do that I didn't know about previously." Lara went over to the door and looked out. She sees a few more them skulking around some the rooms that they had. Lara took off the amulet and threw it to Alister, who in turn caught it.
"You need her here more than I do," Lara said. She looked over at Vianca. "Keep him safe and make sure that no one kills him, alright." Vianca nodded and Lara snuck out of the room, closing the door behind her. Alister sighed and put the amulet back around his neck. Vianca sitting there with him as they waited. Vianca couldn't help, but look at the gunshot wound that Alister took to the leg.
"If we were here just slightly faster, then maybe none of this would have never happened," She said as she looked down. "If I had been here, then you wouldn't have been hurt." Alister notices what she is saying and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Vianca, this isn't your fault," Alister said reassuringly. "There was no way of you knowing that they were coming here." Vianca looked back down at his leg, which she could see was stilling bleeding. She looked around and sees some small towels sitting on a table. She quickly went over and scooped them up. She came back over and sat down next to Alister with them. She manages to get his pants leg rolled up enough to see the wound and takes one of the towels to it. As soon as she touched his leg, Alister winced in pain, causing her to look at him.
"I'm sorry," She said as she continued with what she was doing. She wrapped the towel around his leg and held it there. "I….I wished I was here…" Vianca closed her eyes as she felt the guilt wash over her. Her hands began to glow and Alister felt a slight pinch of pain come from his leg. He was going to tell her to stop, but then the pain went away. The glowing faded and Alister just stared at her.
"Vianca, did you just?" Alister asked as he looked down at his leg. Vianca looked up at him with a confused look.
"Did I what?" She asked. She looked honestly confused about the question.
"Did you just...heal my leg?" Alister asked as he looked down at it again and back up at her. "It doesn't hurt anymore." Vianca eyes widened and looked down at his leg too. She unwrapped it carefully and sure enough the gunshot wound, that was bleeding so much, was gone.
"I can heal…." Vianca said as she looked at her hands. Alister smiled at her as he straightened himself up.
"Well, you learn something new everyday," Alister said with a small chuckle. Vianca smiled at him and hugged him again. Alister laughed and hug her too. After a while, Lara walked back in and sees Vianca and Alister smiling.
"That should be all of them," She said as she came into the room. "You look like you're doing better for someone who got shot in the leg." Alister smiled and managed to stand up.
"Luckily our friend Vianca here can heal," He said. "I probably wouldn't have survived the blood loss if it wasn't for her." Lara looked at Vianca.
"Ok, you can make a shield like veil, you float, sense when we're in danger, you can shoot like energy blasts, and you can heal," Lara said. "Is there anything you haven't done yet?" Vianca laughed at her comment, but then remembered Zip.
"Is Zip alright?" She asked. Lara nodded in response to the question.
"I went back and got Zip. He's laying on the couch in the library," Lara said. "If you two want you can go see him, he should be awake. I gotta go make sure Winston is alright." Alister nodded and Lara left them once again. They went to the library where Zip was sitting and went over to him.
"Zip, are you ok?" Vianca said as she sat down in front of the couch. Zip smiled at her and then looked over to see Alister.
"Alister, you're alright," He said. "How's the leg?" Alister looked down at it and then back at him.
"I'm just fine, Vianca here can heal," He said as he gestured to Vianca. Zip looked at her and she smiled at him.
"I can try to heal you if you like. I don't know quite how I did it, but I can try," Vianca said. Zip didn't really have time to answer as she set her hands down on his chest. Vianca closed her eyes and focused. A few seconds past, but her hands began to glow and soon the pain went away for Zip.
"Man Vi, you really do come in handy," Zip said with a laugh. He manages to sit up and Vianca smiled up at him. "I'm glad you're on our side."
"I'm glad I can help," Vianca said. They all talked for a while. Vianca mainly asking what happened. Lara soon came in with Winston and walked over to the group.
"Well, that was exciting," Lara said as she approached. "We got some work to do."
"What do you have in mind?" Alister asked as he waited. Lara pulled out a phial of black liquid.
"We need to figure out what this is," She said said. She then pulled out the journal. "We also have a journal from someone who went through this as well and we need to decipher it." Alister took the journal and looked through it for a second.
"I can handle this. I know more about the old English language than most do," He said. Zip reached for the phial and Lara gave it to him. He swished the liquid around in the glass container and nodded.
"I got whatever this stuff is," Zip said. "I'll get this thing figured out in no time." Vianca smiled at them and looked at Alister
"I hope the next place that I have to go isn't as….sorrowful," Vianca said as she looked at him. Alister placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm hoping that it isn't either," Alister said as she smiled at her. Vianca nodded and looked down. Vianca felt like something was wrong. It chilled her and she didn't like it. Except, she didn't know where this strange ominous feeling was coming from.