Chapter 6 – The story of Demetria
The path was full of rocks, mosses, cobwebs… That staircase should has, roughly, the same age that the Olympic city, and the bottom of the stair was far away.
After they reached the underground floor, Lara could notice a rectangular hall similar to the one at the entrance; a huge room with a yellow light at the end. There was something that looked like a fountain, adjacent to the wall. Curiously, that fountain didn't had any water, but a beam of light coming out of the wall, also yellow, but as if it was faded gold or something like that. The beam of light was very diffuse and almost unreal. Around that room, there were some stone benches, skeletons lying on the ground and drawings and inscriptions on the wall.
- What happened here? – Von Croy asked in a horrified tone with skeletons on the floor.
- There's something written on the wall. – Lara said without looking away from the wall - Don't touch anything until I read it.
Jeffrey stepped away from Lara and Von Croy, a little scared, staring at the wall.
- "Once Heraklion was on the brink of war. Blue army was against the yellow army. But the great goddess Hera chose a mortal to be worthy of Iris' power, worthy of being a new messenger. Her name was Demetria. She won the…" – and then Lara's voice disappeared for few seconds – "…the transport… the vehicle of Iris" – and Lara realized clearly that it was written Ίρις μεταφορά, and that was written in Angkor Wat too, That "Ίρις με" was missing the "ταφορά".
- Hum… - Von Croy said.
- "Demetria became the new messeger of Hera and Iris. She used the transporter to Heraklion to avoid the war, but it was useless. And Demetria was missing since then, just like the transporter. I'm afraid that she died and the transporter stolen. Dioros." – Lara finished reading – So the real name of the Iris is like… transporter. The fact that she died so early caused her to be almost erased from the greek history.
- But that doesn't explain why the Iris landed in Cambodia. Why there were words in greek in that pedestal - Von Croy said.
- It was stolen. Imagine how many times this happened to it! Look around and count the skeletons at this room! Robbery after robbery, it must have stopped at Angkor Wat to be hidden or something.
- Now… what is that? - Von Croy said while he was approaching that strange fountain with yellow light where it was possible to see dust passing through it. – There's something written here too. "The transporter is limited. Power must be restored, but only if used properly". I'm getting tired of these stupid warnings.
Lara took the "transporter" and walked until that strange fountain. She positioned it under the light and took her hands away. The Iris was spinning naturally, defying the laws of physics, but its thin red part on the silver plate was changing color. That faded red was becoming yellow, almost like neon, as if the Iris was being recharged, as if it was some battery. She took it from the light.
- Unbelievable… - Jeffrey said approaching – so this yellow light will make it teleport again? – he asked curiously.
- I think so – she said.
Jeffrey started to laugh almost uncontrollably.
- Can't you see what that means? – he laughed more – Let's get rich forever, Werner! Forget all those machines! We are facing a supernatural power that only we have! Imagine what we… - and then he paused to think.
- You're not serious, right? – Lara said - I think you are not aware of the seriousness of this subject.
- What do you mean "we"? – Von Croy started to talk – The Iris, or the transporter, whatever, is MINE! Do you two get it? Mine! I personally don't care about money. I just want to be the best. Now, Miss Croft, pass me MY artifact.
- I'm sorry, Werner, but I won't do it. – Lara said seriously, clutching the artifact that wasn't spinning by her interference.
- I think I can solve this problem, darling - Jeffrey pulled a pistol that was hidden in his waist. He pointed the gun to Lara with his right hand and now he was raising his left arm. He was at a two meters and a half distance from her.
Lara was in shock. Her guns wasn't in her holsters that is usually tied on her thighs as she always does when travelling alone to some forest in the world. She didn't know what to do at that time.
Jeffrey approached, but Lara started to step back.
- What do you think you're doing?! Pass me this damn thing right now!
And then Lara closed her eyes and was teleported. Jeffrey shot, but the shot just hit the opposite wall. The indignation was visible at his face. Meanwhile, Von Croy was in a position between down and standing, frightened by Jeffrey's attitude.
When Lara opened her eyes, she was in the hall of her mansion. She looked around and could see Winston sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, reading the book "The War of the Worlds" by H. G. Wells.
- Winston?
The old man was startled, almost dropping the book on his lap. He glanced back and could see Lara there, with the Iris in her hands.
- Milady! You scared me! – And then the old man got up from the sofa.
- Winston, I have no time now. I need to back to Greece fast. I used the Iris to come back home – she explained finally.
Winston looked at the way she was clutching the artifact.
- Why did you came and why did you have to go back quickly?
- It's Jeffrey, that partner, friend, whatever, of Werner's. He went crazy. And probably Werner can go crazy too. I don't have time to explain – she said while she was walking fast towards the stairs. She ran directly to her room.