Chapter 14 – Secrets Revealed - Part 1

The Siddhivinayak Temple…

West India

Lara stood on the stone balcony connecting to her room, which overlooked the sacred gardens of the temple's monks. The sun was setting, spreading its scarlet fingers across the horizon. The gardens below were filled with chanting monks, their voices like spirits gliding through the bushes and exotic flowers. The air smelled sweet and heavy, and Lara felt at perfect peace. Smiling, she went back into her room. It was a large room, elegantly furnished in deep reds and royal blues. The stone floor was covered in beautiful carpets that Lara placed date-wise around the early turn of the last century. A gilded vanity had been stocked with all sorts of feminine extras. Floral perfumes, bathing salts, scrubs and powders, even freshly wrapped incense. The vanity was accompanied by a cushioned stool with Siva intricately carved on the right side. Her bed was a monstrous thing, yet luxurious-looking. It was done in indigo with fiery shades of burgundy here and there, like subtle undertones. Pillows sat everywhere, all clumped together into pleasing shapes. Lara sat for a moment, feeling the humidity in the air creep through the room. She was still a little achy from the trip across time zones and continents, but she was used to it. She had tried to catch a nap after arriving at the temple, but Bryce had called her about something he wanted to install back at the home-front. She had told him to go ahead and do whatever he wanted, though now she regretted it. In the past when she had allowed him to do as he pleased, she had later discovered mysteriously large purchases on her credit cards…

A figure appeared at her doorway. It was a monk, dressed in the ceremonial orange sarong, his head shaved and glistening with beaded perspiration. He smiled at her in that quiet way that the monks smiled, making her feel even more at home. He had, strangely enough, one blue eye and one brown eye. He bowed to her in respect, smiling as she leapt off of the bed, running to him.

"Ishan!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a big hug. The monk smiled, returning the embrace. The looked at each other for a moment, and tears welled in Lara's eyes. She had to fight to control them.

"Ishan! How long has it been, my friend?" The monk only smiled that same, warm smile, a hand still on her shoulder.

"Too long, Keshini. Too long," the monk replied in a near whisper. Lara giggled, a small tear escaping down her cheek.

"I can't believe you still call me that."

"I have not forgotten, Lara. You still have beautiful hair." Lara touched her braid, blushing.

"Ishan. I am so happy to see you again."

"And I am pleased to see you, Lara Croft. Though your visits never bode well for the rest of us." Lara laughed, wiping the stubborn tear from her cheek.

"No, no I don't suppose they would. I'm always imposing on you poor men. I hope to someday repay all your kindness."

"Keshini, you have nothing to repay. We are called to give to our fellow men. You have given us enough in exchange. All the many wonderful treasures you have recovered for us. The history you have preserved with your work in our temple. By all laws, you are free of debt." Ishan stared at her lovingly with his two-toned eyes. Lara remembered the first time they had met, how they had journeyed together on a spiritual pilgrimage into the sacred mountains above the river. They had both been younger. And they had both been less troubled.

"I have come to speak to Chiranjeet, Ishan." Ishan dropped his gaze.

"I know what you have come for, Keshini," he replied solemnly. "I am here to take you to him. He has finished his prayers to the gods and has requested your presence." Lara sobered, reaching out to take Ishan's hand.

"You are troubled, my friend. Please tell me what weighs on your heart." Ishan looked at her again, his one blue eye like a sparkling gem in the fading sunlight that bathed the room.

"The man you have brought to our temple. The older one."

"Mason?"

"Yes. Him. I sense terrible blackness when he is present. I wish you would reconsider your standing with him. He is not of a pure heart."

"I know, Ishan. I know. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it. He is who he is. I agree that there is something dark about him."

"Not just him, Keshini. Deep inside of him. His soul." Lara nodded, rubbing a hand across the nape of her neck. Her skin was suddenly very dry.

"I sense it too, Ishan. But you must trust me. I will take every precaution."

"Lara, I'm afraid your desire for treasure will bring you to ruin. You must be careful."

"Thank you for your concern, Ishan. I will be. I promise." Ishan nodded, turning to lead her out of the room.

The two walked through a main passageway, lit by glimmering oil lamps dangling from the ceiling. The sun was gone now, and the creeping purple of evening was rising in its place. The air was cooler now, and Lara could smell incense burning from the monks' night prayers in the surrounding rooms. She walked close to Ishan, standing a good foot taller than him. But that had never mattered. He had always been a faithful companion, and a guiding light during her times of trouble.

Ishan led her down a twisting set of ancient stairs, the stones from the walls softened with age. Wax candles lined the wide stairs on either side, dowsing them in a warm glow. At the bottom of the stairs, the passageway merged into a long hallway flanked by chanting monks. The lamps burned low here, and smoke from the incense had settled about the room in a bluish haze. Lara bowed to the monks out of respect, and they nodded in return. Ishan led her down the hallway, the haunting sounds of the monks' voices echoing in the darkness. On either side of the long hall, windows had been cut out of the natural stone, and Lara could see millions of stars like chips of diamond nestled into the night sky.

The hallway ended at an ornately carved wooden door. More wax candles bordered the doorway, casting eerie shadows across the ancient inscriptions. Lara's stomach suddenly jolted, her nerves standing on end. No matter how many times she had met face to face with Chiranjeet, it still gave her goosebumps to be in his presence. Ishan bowed before the monks guarding the door, and they nodded. They opened the great wooden door, and a gust of scented air swept out from the inner chamber. Lara could see that Mason was already inside, waiting for her. Chiranjeet's inner chambers were sparse, but what furnishings were present were incredible to say the least. The room was nearly dark, as the old man preferred staying in the shadows. The moon was visible through one of three windows on the far right side. A large round bed sat to one side, decorated in the same royal blues as Lara's own room. An ancient stone table stood on the left, illuminated by a small oil lamp. The table was covered with odds and ends, pieces of parchment, and incense that smelled of pressed lavender. Chiranjeet himself sat in a large wooden chair, called the Seat of the Elders. The chair sat in shadows beneath a large tapestry illustrating Siva on the sacred mountain. She could barely make out his features, but she knew them well enough by now.

Mason came to her side, touching her arm gently. He was wearing pale cream slacks, probably silk, and a loose, white shirt.

"So good to see you Lara. Have you rested?" Lara could see something sinister glimmering behind the stormy grey of Mason's eyes. She didn't trust that look. It was as if he were extremely excited. Too excited.

"No rest for the wicked, Mason," she replied, pushing his hand away. For a moment, his eyes went black, solid. But in an instant it was replaced by that same, glimmering grey of a man running on adrenaline.

"Of course not! Shall we speak with the elder?" Lara frowned, hating that he was in the room with her. But it couldn't be helped.

"Mason, the Elder Chiranjeet will only speak to those he approves of. We have spoken many times, and he will see me. But only me, you understand? You must show respect by staying away from the inner circle," she said, pointing to a circular cluster of colored stone surrounding the Seat of the Elders. Mason nodded, but with little enthusiasm.

"I understand." Lara nodded.

"Good. You must not cross the circle unless he has summoned or invited you to cross. That is his space, and it is very holy. We will get nothing from him if his authority is not recognized by all present. Is that clear?" She watched Mason turn and glare almost menacingly at the old man covered in shadows. Her gut clenched again, a little uneasy about his behavior tonight. He turned back to her, and his face had regained its usual composure. Solid but blank.

"Of course, Lara! Perfectly clear."

Ishan took her hand, whispering to her.

"Lara, he only wants to speak with you."

"I know Ishan. I've already told Mason."

"He wants him to leave the room," Ishan replied, casting a nervous glance at Mason, who was watching them with cat's eyes. Lara nodded, relieved that someone else wanted him out of the room besides her. There was something odd about his demeanor this evening, something she had never sensed in him before. It was as if leaving London and his finely tailored suits behind had released something maniacal. Something Lara didn't want to see unleashed.

"Alright. You take him to the antechamber, and ask him to wait for me there. Try to explain the situation to him. He won't give you any trouble." Ishan didn't look too convinced, but he did as Lara asked anyway. Mason threw her a confused glance as Ishan asked him to follow him into the antechamber. When Lara nodded to him, he let Ishan escort him from the darkened room.

The heavy wooden door closed with a thick thud, and Lara was alone in the room with Chiranjeet. She approached him where he sat, bowing low with both hands clasped together in a symbol of prayer. The old man rose from the Seat of the Elders, shuffling into the glow of the lamplight. He touched Lara's shoulder, a loving gesture for one so powerful. She looked at him, their eyes locked. He was a short man, but with broad shoulders and thick arms, despite his age. His head was shaved out of custom, but it had once been the richest of blacks. Like ravens' wings. His eyes were dark and solid, kind but firm. They belonged to a man who had seen many troubled years, and lived through many prosperous ones as well. His face was blocky and square, but it was full of kindness and understanding. He wore a brown sarong covered by a rich robe braided with beads. Around his neck was a medallion, large and ornate, dangling from a thick gold chain.

He offered Lara his hand, and she reached up to take it.

"My child," Chiranjeet said, his voice rich and melodic. "You have come a long way to seek answers."

"I have," Lara replied, her flesh squirming at the sound of his voice. It was beautiful, like a river running through the jungle forests. Chiranjeet nodded solemnly, as if thinking something over.

"I suppose since you have come all this way, it would only be fair to give them to you." He motioned to the large stone table covered with odds and ends. Two chairs were set up closely to each other, and he invited Lara to take a seat in one of them. Once she was seated, he took his place next to her.

"Now," he said, looking her full in the eyes. "What brings Lara Croft back to our temple?"

"I think you know the answer to that more than I really do, sir." He smiled, patting her hand.

"I know you are seeking treasure. You have that sparkle in your eyes. The one you only get when there's something lost you intend to find." But Lara couldn't smile back. All of a sudden, she didn't want to ask Chiranjeet about the amulet. She wanted him to have nothing to do with it. Suddenly, she felt like a traitor.

"I'm looking for the Amulet of Immortality, Chirnajeet."

He stopped smiling. In fact, he nearly stopped breathing. Lara watched as his face tightened with anguish and frustration, something she had never seen there before.

"Lara….."

"I know I shouldn't have come here looking for answers, but I didn't want anybody else knowing we were looking for it!" she nearly shouted.

"You mean the others?" Lara let her head drop.

"Yes. We're all looking for the amulet. Mason hired us all."

"Even you?" There was a pause, and Lara could barely answer.

"Even me."

Chiranjeet sat back in his chair, looking at her with sadness clouding his eyes.

"You were never one to sell your services, Keshini." Lara winced at his use of her nickname. The nickname he had given her.

"I'm not. But this….. this is different."

"How is it different?"

"I don't know. It just is. For one thing, I would be a fool not to take the opportunity to find one of history's greatest treasures. And I just…. I just feel like I have to. Like something inside me needs to find the amulet." Lara put a hand over her eyes. What she had just said made hardly any sense to her. But she expected Chiranjeet to understand perfectly. He was quiet for a long time, almost five minutes. Lara sat there, her face buried in her callused hands, waiting for him to tell her to leave.

"This world is all connected, Keshini," he finally said. It wasn't what she had expected him to say, and she stared at him for a moment. "Do you remember that from your pilgrimages?"

"Yes. Yes, I do," she replied in a quiet voice.

"The world is connected on many different levels to everything in and around it. It is how we survive. Thriving off of one another. It is the way things are meant to be." Lara nodded. She remembered the teachings of the Elders, monks who led pilgrimages into the sacred mountains.

"Sometimes, Keshini, the world severs these connections. The spirits of the earth cut themselves and everyone else off from certain objects or events in order to maintain stability within the realm of the living." Lara watched him. He began to stare off into space, his hand still on hers. "That is what happened with the Amulet of Immortality."