Chapter 9: Seeking the Truth
It was a long run for both of them, until they fall into a river and dragged along the rogue stream. Not long after the long stream, Nathan managed to get out from the river with Lara on his shoulder. Now they're trying to find a shelter. Finally, they found an old slum house of the WW2 era with a pack of wolves crawling around it.
Nathan quickly pull out his gun and shoot 3 times to the sky to scare off the wolves. Spontaniously all the wolves fleeing from around the house. So they're have a night on the house, and lit a fire on some old combustion fireplace. With the fire lit up, and the feeling around the room became warmer because of the cozy fire, they starts to chat about what did they just saw.
"Lara, actually I didn't mean to show them the Eye, but-"
"It's okay Nathan, I can take that. Beside, what other choice that we have on the events like that? Don't feel sorry, Nathan. Just make it count."
"What I mean is, actually I can't lose you now. Not in this place Lara, you're the only people that I can't lean on while we're on this island. You got a great instinct, Lara. That's why I can't let you die on this island."
"I don't want another people dead Nathan. I have accidentally killed too many friends, first in Yamatai, and the second one is in Kitezh. I just can't stop thinking why I'm still alive right now. Mark my word Nathan. If we get caught like that again, I want you to kill me. I have killed too many friends and I feel I don't deserve to live for another day." Nathan then realised that Lara was a women with a broken heart. Nathan know that Lara can't accept herself for everything that happened to her friends, so he start to reflect Lara about why all her friends must sacrifice for her.
"Lara, do you ever think why you have to watch your friend sacrifice for you? You just don't know the difference about sacrifice and lost Lara, and you only know about Lost. Sacrifice is a choice made by you for everyone. And lost is a choice made by everyone for you. No one will choose to lost their friend just for you Lara. Sometimes the world push us to do the choice that we don't want. But that's the point why you keep live until nowadays. You have to keep live because you're the only one who can tell a story of their sacrifices story. But you won't know this if you keep blaming yourself for what has happened. So you have to stop blaming yourself for what has happened, start accepting yourself Lara. Think that you worth of their sacrifices. Just keep in mind that everything that has happened, just let it be." Nathan explain as he join hands on Lara's left palm.
"Will you accompanied me, Nate? Help me find my own reflections, and create my own mark in world? I know I couldn't do this alone Nate."
"I will always at your side to assist you in your journey finding your true reflections, and to help you create your own mark in this world someday. You can do this Lara. You always did. Anyway, you're a Croft."
Lara, then step out from the house to get more branch for the fireplace. And when she get back to the house, she found Nathan slept in sitting position with his back againts the wall, and his gun wielded on his chest. Lara just smile a little at Nathan as she knee in front of Nathan, and start kissing his forehead, followed by she holstered back Nathan's gun to his holster. Then she walked away to the fireplace to start burn those branches that she just found. The next morning, they ready to leave the house and head back to the jungle, to seek the truth.
But when they're on the run. They found another river on the waterfall as it edge and the river have a rogue stream that have to be crossed. In order to cross the river, the have to built some bridge to start crossing them. Until then, Nathan found an idea how they could cross the river.
"Lara, these roots can be used to cross the river." Nathan Then pickup some dried roots by the edge of the river.
"What do you mean by these roots? These roots aren't strong enough."
"They were, but we can stack them together and use it as a rope to cross the river. Is that even possible Lara?"
"Well, this might work Nathan." Then Lara starts to pickup another roots and craft those roots to become some makeshift rope."
Finally the rope is complete. They have about 10 meters long rope that could be used to cross the waterfall. Nathan then create the lasso knot at the edge of the rope to be attached at another edge of the waterfall.
"Alright, here it goes." Nathan starts to lasso to some pole at another edge of the waterfall. Luckily, the lasso attached at the pole. After the lasso's done, Nathan tighten the rope to make sure the rope stong enough for them both.
"Nathan, let me go first, I'm lighter than you." Sid Lara as she jump and attach herself at the rope, and start crossing the waterfall. Soon after, Lara made it at the other side of the waterfall. And wave at Nathan to indicates she managed to cross the waterfall.
"Nathan! It's your turn, come on start crossing!" Lara shout at Nathan because the stream sound was to loud.
"Alright here goes nothing." Nathan then start to cross the river.
"But when Nathan on the way to the other side of the waterfall, one of Locke men managed to find Nathan crossing the waterfall. So the man call the others to the waterfall.
"Hey, there they are, go! Cut the rope!" The man shout at the others as another man pulls out his machete and start to cut the rope while Nathan still crossing."
"Hey stop it, don't you cut the rope! Lara, shoot them!" Nathan then pulls out his pistol and start shooting at the man who cut the rope. But the stream was to rogue, and Lara was busy dealing with some of Locke's men on the other side of the waterfall.
"Lara, get out of here, go! Tell the others to find Locke and k–" Before Nathan done talking, the rope was completely cut and Nathan fall into the waterfall.
"NATHAN! NOOOOOO!" Lara can only get out from there with full of guilty feelings and with a heart full of vengeance to Locke. While she walked through the jungle alone. He remember what Nathan taught her to not blame herself again, if anyone sacrifice for her. Now she's doing what she's can do, yet find the rest of the group and try to rescue Nathan together.
While Nathan was dragged alongside the rogue stream, he managed to grab a strong tree roots at the side of the river and get himself out from the river. But when he get out from the river, he was attacked by Locke's man and hit with a rifle stock on face, until Nathan passed out. Then, Locke's men drag Nathan to be imprisoned at Locke's fortress. While on the fortress, The princess and Locke was in the control room together.
"Arep apa koe nguripna nyong maning?" The princess ask Locke in Hanacaraka language saying: 'why do you rise me again?' Locke then replied to the princess.
"Koe iso ngoweih wong pada nang kene dalan metu sekang ngene. Koe iso nggawa kabeanne ming arah sing lewih apik. Nyong arep dadi wong kepercayaane kowe." Locke told the princess: 'You can give us our freedom, and you're the one who can lead this world to a better place. I want to be your trusted men.' As Locke tell the princess, the princess turn around to Locke and start talk.
"Wong sing nyong wawuh karo sing nyong percaya wis wani nglomboni nyong karo ndadikna nyong kaya kie dadine. Nyong ora iso Metu dadine sekang bebendune iki. Saiki nyong mesti adus nang empang sing kramat nang jero goa. " The princess told Locke in angry accent: 'My most trusted men has betrayed me and turn me just like this. I can't escape this curse. I have to take a bath in a sacred pool under a cave.'
"While Locke and Jonggrang having a chat about the sacred pool. One of Locke men told Locke that Nathan is captured and now ready to be interogatted in the interogation room. So Locke left the princess alone, and head to Nathan. When Locke found Nathan, he saw Nathan was beat down by Locke's man that beat him up.
"That's enough, leave us alone." Locke told his men to stop beat up Nathan and left the room. Locke start to see private things that carried by Nathan. But Locke interested by a small pocket note, with a name written on the cover : 'NATHAN DRAKE'
"Drake. Nathan Drake. You're the outsider who killed my people?"
"I'm not an outsider, I'm an explorers"
"I take that as yes." Locke then start to offer Nathan a cigarettes. Of course Nathan refused the offer.
"You're right. You're explorers don't smoke anymore. And a person like you, is interesting for me. You just have boring life, not an extraordinary life, live long but dull. Just join me Nathan, and we'll get out from here alive." Locke tried to influence Nathan as he starts to smoke.
"What do you want from me, Locke?"
"We have taken you as prisoners, and we will use you to push down rebels side. Without no kill anymore to anyone. Anyway no one will ever know that you're here."
"My team will never negotiate with you, just to get me."
"Then perhaps, you and me can negotiate, huh? Americans to Americans." Nathan just shake his head left and right indicates 'no' to Locke.
"I have no power here, Locke."
"Of course not. You have the power to find, but not negotiate. In Kemujan, capturing outsiders is negotiate. Do you really think if you have a great plan, you could doctrine all of my men, and just told me to forget what I have done in the last 10 years? Listen to me Drake, you'll just become one of us, nothing more nothing less. It's just a matter of time until you understand that ressurecting Jonggrang is the only way to get out of here."
Locke then leave the interrogation room and told his man to take Drake too the prison cell. Directly, Locke's men release nathan from the chair and drag and placed him on the prison cell.
"That Locke guy treat you badly huh, kid?" Nathan feels like he's know that voice. It was Sully who talked to Nathan on the other side of the cell.
"Sully? How did you end up in here? I think you're in the group." Nathan scoffs at Sully as he gave smirk to him.
"We sacrifice ourself, so the girls could escape from Locke. They managed to escape but turns out they never come here to save our ass." Sully explain to Nathan why he end up at Locks's compound.
"Our? Who were you with?" Nathan confused because Sully said 'us' to Nathan.
"With me, kid." Suddenly, a man came out from the prison shadow and show himself to Nathan. It was Travis who says 'with me, kid.'
"Ah, you're the rescue pilot. Anyway, we haven't known each other yet. I'm Drake. Nathan Drake. Just call me Nate, or Drake." Said Nathan to Travis, introducing himself.
"My name's Travis. Captain of the wrecked aircraft 325. This is my co-pilot Mason, Nate." Travis shake hands to Mason side-by-side on prison bar, followed by Mason doing the same thing too.
"Now what it actually happened in here kid? I heard somekind of crazy-ass petrified princess statue that came to life because of Locke ridiculous-ritual act to the statue." Sully ask his question about Roro Jonggrang to Nathan
"You're right about Locke and the petrified statue, but it's complicated. I can't tell right now. I'll tell you when we get out from here. I mean everything." Replied Nathan to Sully, as he start to sleep on the hard-surface bed. But when, he's ready to sleep, his roommate woke up, and saw Nathan. Not long enough, the're introduce each other.
"I haven't see you before. Are you the new outsiders?" Ask the roommate to nathan.
"Yes, but don't call me outsiders. I'm sick with those calls."
"Sorry about that, anyway my name is Eddy. Eddy Bokur. It's nice to meet you." Eddy shake hands with Nathan.
"I'm Drake. Nathan Drake. Call me Nate, or Drake. By the way, you're a natives Indonesian right?"
"That's right, I'm from central Java. We're stranded on here, because a giant waves washed out our ship and incapacitate it on the north beach."
"Right, but why you get imprisoned in here?"
"Because we attacked Locke's compound. Anyway, I'm not alone in here, In the left prison there's Sray, Guntur, Gio, and Ron."
"So you guys were some kind of a rebel of Locke?"
"That right Nate, FYI this privateers that belong to Locke is joined in a somekind of a cult called the Antisoth. But are you in our side Nate?"
"Of course I'm in. That Sully, Mason, and Travis, we're all the same like you. Rebels, but now we got to find a way out from here. How long you been in this cell, Eddy?"
"Umm, about a month we get captured by Locke."
Back to Lara, She was wandering around on some pine forest, until she founded by Sam and Kaz, while they both set up a camping ground on there.
"Lara! You made it!" Sam exclaimed to Lara, as she gaves her a warm hug with Kaz together. But Lara looking sad when she met them both.
"Are you okay Lara?" Kaz ask to Lara anxiously. Firstly, Lara didn't answer anything, but when she get comforted by Sam, she start to tell everything that happened, as she told her story, three of them sit around a campfire.
"He won't be dead, Lara. He's the descedants of the great Francis Drake. There's no way he's dead because of accident. He's just missing, Lara." Kaz starts to comfort Lara.
"I know, but I still have feeling that I'm letting him down. Anyway, where's Sully?" Lara ask to them both.
"Sully got caught up with Travis and Mason, three of them try to let us escape from the Antisoth. He's now being held on somekind of compound owned by a man named Locke." Sam tells everything about what happened to the three of them.
"Huh? Who is Travis and Mason, and what is this Antisoth?" Lara confused by the story that Sam tell to Lara.
"Travis and Mason is our pilot, but this Antisoth just like the Solarii. Their created and managed by a man named Locke." Kaz tell Lara about Travis and Mason and the Antisoth.
"I know about Locke, I know everything about that man. He's the one that ressurecting a petrified statue back to life. I tell you everything what has happened."
So Lara tells everything what has happened from the beginning she explore this island with Nathan. Sam and Kaz start to understand why they can't get out from these island until now.
"It's unbelievable Lara. I feel some feeling of De Javu about the Yamatai. It's like the Yamatai Lara. But this new 'Himiko' is looking for a sacred pool, not a new transfer body." Sam explain her oppinions to Lara, about Lara's story.
"I know Sam, but right now we have to save those man, we need to find the compound and get the out from there at soon as possible." Lara explain her plans to both of them.
"I know the compound locations, I know where it is. It's just on the northwest of this island." Kaz tell Lara about the compound locations, not long enough, three of them start their rescue mission and start walking to the compound. About an hour later, the arrived at the compound.
"There it is, but this area is heavily guarded. We have to sneak in." Said Kaz to both of them.
"I've seen some possible entrance from this compound." Lara then point the dried old sewer grate at the edge of the compund.
"Are you serious, Lara?" Sam start to scoffs at Lara's recommendation.
"What other choice do we have, Sam?" Replied Lara to Sam. Three of them then start sneaking to the sewer grate. The sewer was stink as hell, but they managed to enter the compound without being detected. When their entering the inner compound, they starts to find the prison cell. Where Nathan and those man being held. Luckily, they found the prison cell.
"Lara?! Is that you?!" Nathan exclaimed at Lara.
"Oh my God, Nathan. You're alive! How's this possible?" Lara hug Nathan from the prison bar.
"It's a long story Lara. Quickly, get the keys, they're hanging on the cabinet." Nathan then point the key cabinet at the edge of the room.
As soon as possible, Lara managed to free all of the prisoners in there. Most of them are the rebels who get imprisoned by Locke, and Lara have about 15 people released from the prison. Then Nate get his gear back that placed on the interogation table, as Lara, Sam, and Kaz get to know each other in the prison.
"Alright, so what's our next move?" Nate ask his question to the others.
"Armory, the armory, we ain't getting outta here without guns. It's a long way back to the base and it's impossible to stay survive without guns." Eddy talks about armory and his homecoming plan.
"I see some armory outside this prison, I can take y'all to there. Stay close to me." Lara answer Eddy question about his armory plan.
Soon they sneaking to the armory without get detected by Locke's men. After they arrived at the armory, they're geared up themself with weapons and armor. Nathan and Lara has the same thing to do to. Nathan equipped himself with the Saiga AK-47, while Lara with the H&K MP5 SD6. But when they all try to get out from there, they're get caught by Locke's men.
"Hey, the prisoners escape! Sound the alarm!" One of Locke's men start to turning on the alarm. The alarm sound blaring around the compound and alerting every one of Locke's men.
"Get out of here! All of you! Lara, you're going with me!" Nathan starts to grab Lara's hand as they running through the compound but, they didn't know that Nathan and Lara run to the mine field, suddenly a mine blow near Lara, until knock down Lara, and incapacitate her for temporary. Luckily, they stranded on the edge of the minefield, so Nathan lift Lara and take her to the safe spot outside the mine field. It was a tough job to escape the minefield, but Nathan always listening to his instinct, for mine sensor sound and his feeling about nearby mine.
"Nath..an, ...get, out from...here."
"NO! We'll pass this together. Stay with me, don't leave me alone now, Lara. SULLY! I need you over here!" Sully then appear with a WW2 Willys jeep, with Eddy and his men on a WW2 carrier truck. Nathan starts carrying wounded Lara to the Willys, as Eddy and his men covering them from the gunfight.
"Oh God, what happened to her?" Sully ask Nathan about how Lara get wounded.
"She step on one of the mine, give me some help in here, Sully. Sam, keep pressing on her wounds. Kaz, do the drive by to the attackers, now!" Nathan starts to command as he pull out his guns and start shooting at Locke's men. Not long enough, they're managed to get from the compound.
"Eddy, do you see any man following?" Sully ask to Eddy via the radio.
"I don't see any headlights behind. We're safe for now." Eddy replied to Sully, then Sully gave a positive respond to him.
"How bad is her wounds?" Nathan ask Sam as he starts to help Lara.
"Its bad Nate. Stay with me Lara, you're gonna be fine." Replied Sam to Nathan as she comfort Lara, while she press Lara's wound.
"Nat..han..."
"Don't talk Lara. You're bleeding."
"If... I can't..make it...out, from here..."
"I don't want to hear it, Lara."
"...Just...listen Nate, I... want you, to..keep my neck..lace, if I failed... in here." Lara then give Nathan her necklace. That was her first find, and Lara want Nathan to keep it for her, if she can't get out alive from the Kemujan. Nathan the refused the necklace, and start comfort Lara.
"You will always live Lara. You always did. I don't want to keep it, because you'll still alive. You can survive this Lara. Because you're a Croft."
Finally, they arrived at the base. Then everyone come out to bring an emergency hospital bed, and place Lara on it.
"Where's Dr. Graham? Call him Now!" Eddy command his men to call Dr. Eric Graham, the paramedic of the rebel forces. Not long enough, Dr. Graham shows up, and check up on Lara on the patient room. Nathan wait outside the patient room, waiting until Dr. Graham coming out from the room. Finally, after 1 hours waiting, Dr. Graham comes out and tell Nathan the great news.
"How's her condition Doc?" Nathan ask to Dr. Graham anxiously.
"Thanks to God and Eddy, she's getting perfect. She's start to wake up now." Answer Dr. Graham to Nathan, as Nathan exhales full of thanks to Dr. Graham.
"Thank you doctor, thank you. Can I see her now?"
"By all means, you have your rights son, but she need some rest. Don't stay on her for too long." Dr. Graham absolutely grants Nathan wishes. Directly, Nathan go to the room, and he saw Lara lying on the bed exhaustly. Slowly, Lara open her eyes, and Nathan start to talk to Lara.
"How do you feel?" Nathan ask Lara, as he starts to get closer to Lara.
"Beat up." Lara scoffs at Nathan
"You know, I learn so much from you Lara, you got great instinct. Such an extraordinary girl you are."
"You'll learn much more if you get knock out by a land mine." Nathan then scoffs laughly at Lara, as Lara scoffs laughly back to Nathan.
"You're gonna be fine. I'm here Lara, I'm with you." Nathan starts to stroke Lara's hair slowly.
"Don't ever let me go again, Nathan. Promise me."
Nathan then start to move his face toward Lara's face. Lara know what is going to happen. Soon, both of them start locked in a kiss, as Nathan kiss Lara's lower lips. Slowly, Nathan release her kiss, and saw Lara closed her eyes, then continue her sleep, as Nathan get out from the room, and go to Eddy. To start talking about his payback to Locke.