Got bored, really, so started working on this chapter. DAMN IT! I AM committed to posting new chapters quickly, as 'Lady Lara Croft' would say.
The Odd Little Turtle- Here's the update, you wont have to wait. Thanks.
Synestra- Only if we people have given Core Design more time, the game would have been better than this. Read on.
AcidRush- Here is you chapter 6, or 5. I liked writing the pixie part myself. Wait till the hearing if you're looking flirtation J.
Ellethiel- I'm sorry, NO SEQUEL on this. I will continue it after Eckhardt's Lab but no sequel. Thank you and please keep on reviewing.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Ending
Chapter 5: The Lost Domain
Both gracefully slid down the sandy slope till they came to a stop. Lara regained her balance and so did Kurtis. In front of them were two short tunnels. Taking left, they saw a lever, and a door at the far end of the room. There were a number of stone platforms, probably remains of what was once a huge gray stone floor. At some points, the floor level was higher than the others. "You want the honor?" Kurtis asked, pointing to the lever.
"Sure thing," Lara answered. Tensed muscles pulled the lever, and the door opened. Kurtis ran up to jump but Lara stopped him, "Let us see for how long will this door remain open," she said. He sighed, long and hard. 'Why did I ever sign up for this, WHY?' he thought to himself, and asked God at the same time, with an innocent expression on his face.
The door hardly stayed for 12 seconds. Their run had to be fast, yet careful. The abysses looked deep. Lara pulled the lever again and made a sprint for it. She kicked her hands and feet in the air whilst making her second-last jump and performed a diving roll to reach the door. Kurtis joined her, moments later, panting hard. Lara told him something that she wanted to for a long time. "Quit smoking, and you wouldn't need to pant your lungs out," she calmly advised.
"Can't," he answered. They both followed the passageway to a huge room, with a lava pool, and stone platforms a large distance away from them, standing high in the middle. On the far end of the room were two statues, with their left hands aimed for a small staircase that led to a huge door. On the statues' hands was a radiant glow that showed trouble clearly to Lara. They neared to catch every single detail of the place, but hot flames started dancing around them, missing them by inches. Scared, both the partners backed away. Then, Lara noticed a broken bridge at the top of the room. Warm brown eyes scaled the bridge that was connected to a wooden ladder. Somehow, Lara didn't know what, the bridge stood perfectly straight, and looked strong enough to take their weight, but she could clearly see that it was attached from the rope, but the planks were broken and facing down towards doom.
Lara tugged on Kurtis' shoulder, who was busy staring disbelievingly at the statues. He did not notice it. He seemed to be staring in front of him, at nothing particular. She waved her hand in front of his deep azure eyes, but he paid no heed to her. "Kurtis?" she loudly asked to gain his attention; no such luck. Lara's blood boiled, but she found an alternative way to gain his attention. "Demon Hunter?" she said, in a far-away voice. He snapped to reality, and took a moment to register what she had said. He looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "What?" he managed.
Lara pointed to his chirugaii. Scraped uneatly with a sharp thing, or a blade were the words 'Demon Hunter'. Lara saw it first in the air lock, before throwing his chirugaii back there, she took a moment to look at it. She had never called him that, thinking that he might get a bit flirtatious. But there was no need now; he had proven himself quite a flirting guy about lately.
"Yes?" he asked her, giving in all the attention she needed, and adding lazily, "Tomb raider?"
"We cannot jump that high and reach the platforms, or if we do, the jumping flames will kill us. Our only way is the ladder. We-"
"Even with my powers?" he asked.
"Kurtis, get used to this fact; I am not a toy of yours that you can transfer anyway, anyhow," she sternly told him.
"It was for your own good," he muttered to himself.
"Sorry?" Lara asked.
'It's so nice to hear the word sorry from your mouth, wish it was vice-versa,' Kurtis bitterly thought, but sweetly replied with a smile, "Nothing."
"Okay, then, let's go," she said, thinking she had explained what she had to. The raider led the way, and climbed the ladder, followed by another one. She reached the top of the bridge, and waited for Kurtis to join her. After so, they jumped the missing planks of the bridge, and followed it to the end of it. A part of it, hung down on the left side, and formed a steep slide. Below the slide was a stone platform, and in front of the slide was a small lever, standing on a ledge. "So?" Kurtis asked her. Lara threw him a dangerous look. He put his hands in front of him, protectively, "Hey! You're the tomb raider," he said with a grin.
"We'll split up, for now," Lara answered, thoughtfully.
'Oh, you have no idea how long I've waited to hear those lovely words,' Kurtis' one side thought, but the other half objected, and said that he must stick to Lara. Kurtis chose the first one and nodded to Lara.
"I'll need help from your powers," she reluctantly said.
"Won't you feel being 'toyed around' that way?" he asked, tilting his head.
"No," she boldly answered, "Help me get to the other side; the lever." She made a jump, and with a swift wave of his hand, Kurtis forced Lara on the ledge. "Now what!" he yelled to her.
"You go down, jump onto a stone platform, I don't think the flames will come around that way," the bossy raider answered.
"You're telling me to be the bait, again!" he said to her, horror fully.
A smile graced the tomb raider's beautiful features, "Yes."
"No, no way I am going to do it," Kurtis stubbornly said, and crossed his arms on his chest and shook his head.
"Well, I'm up here now, you don't have a choice. You very well know we have to get Eckhardt before he revives the Sleeper," Lara called to him.
"Women," Kurtis muttered to himself, "Too bossy for anything." And reluctantly obeyed. He jumped down, to a stone platform, and hopped from one to the other, avoiding falling in the lava pool. He reached the staircase, sighed a sigh of relief and began to make his way up.
Razor sharp blades came up from the last step, and twisting and turning, made their way to the first. Kurtis, backed away, he still thought he was too young to die. Lara saw the oppurtunity, and pulled the lever. The blades went down to the earth, and didn't come out again. The radiant glow coming from the statues' hands faded away.
"THANKS," he yelled to her for her action. Lara got off the ledge and taking on his route, joined up to him, minutes later. As they raced up the stairs, the huge oak door in front of them unlocked itself. An electric blue liquid got in it's craved design from somewhere, and vanished. The door opened and invited them in. "This is the entrance to Eckhart's lab," Kurtis said, seriously.
Lara smiled, "Welcome to Prague."