15- Why Is It Always That Complicated?
It was the first rays of sunlight and their gentle warmth that woke him up, just before he heard the sound of footsteps climbing the ladder outside. The mercenary opened one eye after the other. Just as he straightened up, the little boy reappeared at the entrance to the hut. He waved at him and smiled broadly. Lara slowly awoke in turn. Although slightly groggy, she felt invigorated. These few hours' respite had been beneficial.
Without giving them time to think, the little boy turned around and climbed down the ladder as quickly as he had climbed up. One after the other, the two adventurers followed him outside. The storm had finally subsided, giving way to a great, comforting sunshine that illuminated the entire clearing and its rice paddies. The dewdrops shone brightly around them.
They found the little boy in the middle of a heated discussion with the old woman they'd seen earlier in the night, who was presumably the grandmother he'd mentioned. He waved his hands in rapid, sweeping gestures. Lara and Kurtis stepped forward cautiously, and stood back at the foot of what appeared to be the grandmother's house, not daring to go any further for fear of angering the old woman again. When the boy gestured in their direction and her gaze fell on them, they leaned forward slightly to greet her. Her deep, penetrating gaze, hidden beneath a cloud of wrinkles, was clearly wary, but unlike the first time she'd seen them, she didn't shout at them at least.
For several long minutes, the little boy seemed to explain the situation at length. Other villagers soon gathered around, keeping a respectable distance from the two strangers who had awakened them in the middle of the night. The grandmother was content to listen without moving or showing the slightest reaction, until the boy asked Lara for her phone, with the help of the notebook.
The Englishwoman selected the photo of the poem and handed them the device. The old woman hesitantly picked it up. Beside her, her grandson began to gesture with his hands again, trying to explain something to her. Then, for the first time, the woman addressed them. They needed the little boy and the notebook to understand: "looking for what?"
"A friend entrusted me with this poem, hoping I'd be able to understand what it's about," the young woman then explained. The little boy translated with his hands as she spoke. "He thinks the words refer not to a story, but to a place. A very specific place, related to Genghis Kahn."
She paused briefly, scrutinising the reaction of the grandmother, who remained perfectly stoic. As for Kurtis, he watched the few villagers who had gathered around them. At first glance, they all seemed harmless, with their makeshift huts lost in the middle of the jungle. They were probably not very well-to-do people, given their living conditions, but experience had taught him to stay on his toes despite sometimes deceptive appearances. More especially in unfamiliar territory.
"As I was explaining to your grandson, we're researchers, we're just passing through," Lara continued. "We're not looking for trouble, and we don't want to attract any for you. We simply want to know if the place mentioned in this poem rings a bell, or if you've heard of it. From the clues we've gathered so far, it looks like it could be somewhere around here."
The old woman nodded gently, her gaze still fixed on the young woman. Lara noticed she also glanced quickly at the vase she was holding. She then turned to her grandson and whispered something to him, before he went back to writing in the notebook. He showed Kurtis and the adventuress the words "why?" and "find".
"The friend who gave me this poem was attacked and killed by the Universals. It's highly likely they too are looking for the sanctuary we're looking for, but not for the right reasons," Lara replied very seriously, holding the Burmese woman's gaze.
The crowd around them starting murmuring. The woman looked at her blankly, her lips tight.
"We intend to find this shrine and destroy it, so that the Universals don't use it for evil," intervened Kurtis, who took a step forward.
The old woman's black pupils turned away from Lara to focus on the mercenary. For a split second, he had the strange sensation that her piercing gaze was passing right through him. Then, slowly, she turned to her grandson, who nodded gently, as if to confirm what the two adventurers had just said.
The Englishwoman then unfolded the paper recovered from San's body and showed it to her. Some of the villagers suddenly opened their eyes and took offence, others even recoiling when they recognised the demon.
"That's what they've been looking for all these centuries, isn't it? This demon and the shrine it's been locked up in?"
The old Burmese woman, who had remained almost impassive until then, shook her head sharply. Fear had crept into her eyes. After a few seconds, during which she seemed to struggle against the obvious, she finally regained her composure. After glancing at her grandson, she nodded in the direction of the two adventurers.
"That's why we have to find this sanctuary before those men do," Lara insisted. "Before they succeed in awakening the demon Akuma."
The villagers stirred around them, clearly worried. The murmurs of protest were louder this time. The Lux Veritatis knight watched as the old woman addressed them in a calm, confident voice. One man shouted at the old woman, pointing a finger in his direction and that of the adventuress. She answered some of the questions patiently, for what seemed like an eternity, but it was clear that their arrival was causing concern throughout the village.
It was not difficult to guess the reason for their debate and agitation. They were suspicious of them, and that was perfectly logical. The two adventurers let them talk to each other, hoping that this would ease the pressure they were causing. When calm had returned, Lara took a few steps towards the Burmese woman.
"This may seem out of place, and I'm truly sorry for that, but I have a request to make of you."
The adventuress held the vase she was holding out to the old lady. The last gasps of protest died away immediately. The Burmese boy translated to his grandmother, who frowned for the first time since this strange conversation began. Intrigued, she beckoned the young woman to continue.
"I know this isn't easy for you. You don't know us and we don't know you. But I want you to understand we didn't know any of this before we came here. We didn't even know about the demon. I started my research at my friend's request, thinking I'd find a lost tomb, that of Genghis Kahn. Now we're up against a group of men who are looking for exactly the same thing, but not for the same reasons, and who will do anything to achieve their ends."
The woman stepped forward to meet the Englishwoman. Another gleam, difficult to decipher, suddenly crossed her powerful eyes at the sight of the enormous Ruby hidden inside the vase.
"We know it may be a lot to ask of you, but we need you to keep this stone hidden for us, if you agree," added the young woman in a calm voice.
The Burmese looked at the inside of the vase once more, doubtful. Then, slowly, she reached out to grab it.
"This stone obviously has a direct link with what we're looking for, and with the demon. Obviously, the Universals mustn't find it. It needs a safe place," added Lara, full of hope but also apprehension. "And, in a way, this will prove our good faith."
"If the Universals ever find us, at least they won't have the stone," said Kurtis, looking determined.
The old woman looked up at him. Something seemed to have changed in her attitude and in the way she looked at them. She stood still for several seconds, as if silently reflecting. Then, slowly, she glanced around at the other villagers, then turned to her grandson. He nodded again, confidently. After a long silence, she began to speak again to the boy, who translated as she went along.
"She says she's heard of a place that might be like the one described in the poem, but it's only a legend?" Kurtis asked as he discovered the series of words the Burmese boy had written in his notebook.
The two Burmese nodded at the same time. The boy wrote a few more words.
"If it's what she thinks it is, it could be dangerous?" Lara added, reading aloud.
"No surprise," grumbled the mercenary, exchanging a brief glance with her.
Another nod, then new words on the notebook: "know not where".
"Even if she doesn't know exactly where it is, knowing which way to go or which direction to take will be a huge help to us," replied Lara, giving the old lady a hopeful look.
The boy translated for his grandmother. She leaned towards him, answering in a whisper, to which he in turn responded with a vigorous shake of the head, as if to contradict her. A very heated discussion started between the two, with hand movements and arm gestures, but also with the grandmother raising her voice. Fearful murmurs rose from the crowd gathered around them. The two adventurers remained petrified, not daring to move or intervene.
Then, all at once, the old woman calmed down and finally fell silent. Her grandson explained something to her with his hands, casting a few glances at the American and the Englishwoman. At the same time, he addressed the other villagers, who looked at him attentively. Then the boy finally turned to Lara and Kurtis, and held up his notebook.
"I show you", he had written.
The two adventurers looked stunned.
"Would you agree to take us there?"
"We don't want to put anyone at risk," interrupted the Lux Veritatis in a very serious voice. "If it's too dangerous-"
But the little boy protested forcefully, shaking his head. He shrugged one shoulder in a childish gesture, tinged with a very slight arrogance. A petty smile played on his lips.
"I can do it", he wrote on the notebook. Then he continued: "grandmother, old", "others want not".
"If your grandmother agrees, then yes, we'll let you guide us," Kurtis retorted, his gaze reproving and serious, yet unable to hide a certain amusement, like when his own daughter stood up to him despite her still young age.
He turned to the old Burmese woman, who gave him a small nod. Her slightly furrowed eyebrows betrayed her apprehension, but she did not protest in the face of the boy's determination.
"How long would it take to get to this place?" Lara asked.
The boy asked his grandmother for confirmation before answering with the help of his notebook: "1 day". The Englishwoman nodded back in agreement. Mere suppositions based on a legend were hardly a real breakthrough in what they were looking for, but one day would be worthwhile - as long as the Universals didn't find them if they were looking for them.
The grandmother disappeared for a short while inside her little house, and returned with a backpack which she filled with various things - one or two items of clothing, water and above all food - before helping the boy to put it on his shoulders. The two of them exchanged a few words in a low voice, and a few signs. The old woman looked a bit nervous, and a certain apprehension could be read in the expression on her face. Lara suddenly felt guilty about doing this to her. But the little boy seemed quite sure of himself, excited at the prospect of this unexpected escapade. Before they could even voice the slightest objection, the little boy set off. The two adventurers watched in amazement as he meandered away between the small houses, before entering one of the paths that ran alongside the rice fields. He was already a mere silhouette in the bright light of the rising sun.
"Let's see where this gets us," muttered Kurtis as they both set off too.
—
To their surprise, the little Burmese boy was moving fast and with disconcerting confidence. In just a few minutes, they had left the hilly fields of rice and were back into the deep jungle, with its much more hostile landscape.
As the afternoon drew to a close - judging by the position of the sun and the diminishing intensity of its rays - the terrain became increasingly and hardly walkable. The soft hills of the jungle gradually gave way to wilder, steeper, rockier landscapes. The trees and rocks were indicative of an environment much higher up in altitude; they had probably reached the mountains bordering the city of Mandalay.
The sun finally disappeared completely behind the grey clouds that were coming back in force. The air was heavy, almost stifling under the trees. They followed a stream that threaded its way between rocks and moss. The slope was steep, the rocks slippery, but the adventuress and the mercenary continued to advance relentlessly, still without knowing exactly where the little boy was going to lead them. After climbing a small cliff, they caught up with the Burmese, who had stopped somewhere near a kind of archway carved directly into the natural rocks of the jungle. Various creepers and roots had wrapped themselves around its tall columns over time, and green moss had replaced the natural colour of the stone. The upper part was carved in basic, undecorated shapes. At first glance, there was nothing special about this 'door' - it was nothing more than a vulgar ruin lost in the middle of the jungle - but Lara couldn't help the shiver that ran through her body as she observed it carefully.
A passageway to another world, Kurtis couldn't help thinking.
The little boy pointed in the direction of the arch, giving the two adventurers an insistent look. An ancient path, now covered by the forest floor, could be made out between the trees and led down into the mountain, following its contours. The two went forward and passed under the stone arch. However, they soon realised that the little boy was not following. When Kurtis turned to him, he hadn't moved. He just stood on the other side of the gate.
"No come with you", he wrote on the notebook.
"Your grandmother doesn't want you to go any further, does she?"
He nodded shyly. A certain disappointment showed on his face.
"Other world", he wrote after the other words.
His gaze darkened abruptly, as thunder echoed far behind them, somewhere above the jungle. The Englishwoman and the American exchanged a very serious look, aware that they were perhaps close to their goal.
Kurtis turned back to the little boy and gave him a sympathetic smile. He walked back to him and crouched down to his level. He laid a hand on his shoulder.
"If your grandmother asked you not to go any further, it must be for a reason. You've gotta trust her."
"You may not have the right to follow us today, but maybe one day you'll go and see for yourself what's hidden at the end of this road," added Lara with a knowing smile.
The boy nodded again, smiling this time.
"Tell me", he wrote in his notebook.
"We'll tell you, I promise," Lara replied, looking at him with compassion. "I'm counting on you to keep an eye on the stone while we're away."
He gave a thumbs-up to confirm. The mercenary straightened up.
"'Guess there's no need to ask you if you'll be okay finding your way back to the village," he said mockingly. "But be careful anyway."
The Burmese shook his head and raised one of his arms. He contracted and inflated the biceps that were barely visible on his thin arm. He arched his chest and pouted, which amused the mercenary and the aventuress.
They turned around and set off again along the barely visible path. After a last look back and a wave of hand, they finally went out of sight between the trees.
—
And so they walked, almost without stopping, through the thick, dark night. The following morning, when the sun finally rose, the environment around them began to change little by little. The vegetation, the very few traces of life became rarer, and the rocks became more numerous and bigger. Despite the protective dome formed by the trees, the air became cooler and the terrain steeper. As they progressed, they climbed the hostile slopes of a mountain range, its peaks barely visible in the high altitude mist.
In some places, the water from the repeated monsoons had rushed into the rocks cracks, which had finally given way to veritable giant crevasses, thus wiping out all traces of the path they had been following. Several times, they wasted time getting around the obstacles in the hope of finding a passable point. Not to mention the slippery roots, the unstable stones and the mud that slowed them down.
As the day drew to a close, the wind suddenly picked up and began to blow in huge gusts. The sun's rays gradually disappeared, replaced by heavy grey clouds. The air became charged with electricity and thunder began to rumble in the two adventurers made as much progress as they could through the jungle, until darkness enveloped them. A bright light tore across the sky, and thunder sounded, this time just above them. Before they could react, the few drops of rain turned into a veritable curtain, drenching them instantly.
Kurtis immediately stopped, more annoyed by the now reduced visibility than by the water itself.
"Maybe we should try to find shelter for the night!" He shouted over the noise of the storm.
The adventuress, who had stopped a few metres away, hands on hips, let out a loud, annoyed sigh. Her gaze met the mercenary's.
"We can't see a thing, there's no point in carrying on like this," added the American.
Lara nodded, pointing to something behind the young man. Through the heavy raindrops that were streaming down in a deafening din, he spotted a cluster of uprooted trees, suspended on rocks. There wasn't much space, but it would be enough for the two of them. They trimmed a few large fern leaves to form a roof that would provide a minimum of protection from the rain, then settled into the shelter. Sitting on the ground, they unpacked the few provisions the boy had left them. Kurtis handed the young woman a piece of bread. After a doubtful glance at the soggy crumb, Lara finally grabbed it willingly.
"Still no news?" She inquired after a long silence punctuated by flashes of light and loud noises outside.
The American shook his head with a tiny movement.
"And even if we did, there's nothing to tell us it wouldn't be a trap on the part of the Universals," he finally replied after several long seconds. "Assuming they're still alive, of course..."
He fell silent. Lara didn't hold out much hope for the fate of the other mercenaries, but she refrained from commenting. They ate in silence, without really looking at each other. Above their heads, the trees shook vigorously, buffeted by the storm winds. The branches that served as their roofs creaked and heaved in places, but their shelter seemed to be holding firm.
"I'm sorry about Lance," said the adventuress suddenly.
The Lux Veritatis's torso and muscles tensed, then relaxed. He sighed, and shrugged a shoulder.
"We're all aware of the risks we run when we embark on this kind of mission," he replied in a distant tone. "It's part of the game, unfortunately."
He stared into space, as if addressing the darkness. Lance wasn't really a friend, so to speak, but he was a loyal man who had always wanted to do things the right way, despite his pig-headed nature. He'd had a dignified death in battle, which couldn't have been more theatrical. That was just like him, after all, and this thought warmed the lux Veritatis's heart slightly.
"Any news from Croft Manor?" He then asked in return.
The Englishwoman's heart skipped a beat despite herself. She frowned.
"About what?"
"Well, I suppose you got in touch with Winston, didn't you? I guess you must have asked him to take a look at your archives or whatever other book in case there might be clues somewhere about the Universals, the stone, or at least something to do with Genghis Kahn?"
A heavy silence followed the American's words. Seeing no reaction from her, Kurtis frowned in turn: she was bound to have made contact with Winston at some point, especially as San's boat had means of communication that were not modern, but at least functional.
"No," she said abruptly, in a sharp voice that didn't sound like her.
The mercenary watched her with a certain surprise.
"What d'you mean, no?"
"I've had no contact with Croft Manor recently, that was your question, wasn't it?"
The young man gently shook his head in astonishment. She seemed suddenly absent. He searched for her elusive gaze, but sensing she wasn't telling him everything, he decided to do what he'd refused to do until now: mentally probe her. His eyes rounded in surprise.
"Damn it, Lara, don't tell me that-"
Kurtis paused abruptly, unsettled by what he detected buried deep inside the young woman: a strange mixture of shadows and memories, successive waves of appeasement, then sorrow.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" He said, incredulous. "Winston is... dead?"
"You didn't a have the right to do that…" she retorted as she turned to him.
"For fuck's sake, he's dead, and you didn't tell me? Why didn't you warn me?"
The adventuress remained silent. Kurtis felt anger surge inside him, but controlled himself as much as possible.
"What happened?" He insisted.
"He's dead, that's all. It was bound to happen, that's how it is," replied the young woman in a distant voice.
Stunned by this news, or perhaps by her unemotional tone, Kurtis remained motionless too, not knowing what to say, and took the hit.
"Lara, what happened?"
"He's dead, and that's about it."
"Alright, that's about it... And so, that's it? Is that all you've gotta say to me?"
"What more do you want me to say?"
"You're right, it's obviously just a detail..." replied the American with an ironic pout.
"It's absolutely not a detail."
"Yet 'seems like so, since you didn't think this was necessary to tell me about it."
"You weren't there, Kurtis," Lara replied coldly.
"Winston was part of the family, I may not have been the closest person to him, but I had affection for him... I had the right to know…"
"Now, you know. You can only blame yourself, I'm not the one who left overnight and disappeared."
"You could've had the decency to warn me at least!"
"Whether you like it or not, things happened while you were away," Lara added.
Stunned, he recoiled slightly.
"Okay, so, is there anything else I should know about?" The Lux Veritatis retorted bitterly. "Are there any other nasty surprises I should expect? D'we need to talk about that businessman, for example?"
Lara looked at him in surprise, not immediately understanding what he was referring to. Then the implication suddenly hit her hard, like a most absurd revelation.
"What are you talking about?" She asked with some kind of disgusted pout.
"I dunno, I understand you spent some time in a luxurious villa lost in the middle of nowhere, almost all alone with him..."
"I was under contract, Trent," the adventuress interrupted, suddenly raising her voice. "What exactly does that have to do with this conversation?"
"Maybe it's just a detail, too, after all?"
"I've got nothing to say to you. I certainly do not have to justify myself on something that's completely professional, and which is none of your business anyway."
"Judging by the way his eyes devoured you, not sure it was completely professional on his part."
"Well, cheer up, he's dead, you should feel better now," Lara hissed through clenched teeth. "But you're right, while we're on the subject, maybe we could talk about these so-called comrades-in-arms you never talked about before?"
Kurtis shook his head sharply. His gaze glinted in the darkness.
"Since when d'I need your approval to socialize with people?"
"That's not what we're talking about here, don't twist my words."
"So what? These are people I trust."
"Oh, so you have nothing to tell me about Yanis being a hitman?"
"And what am I supposed to tell you about that? We all had a life before we got here, I don't see what that changes for the mission."
"It changes that this kind of person is absolutely unreliable, and loyal to no one. They only work for themselves, for the lure of gain. I have a problem with that from the moment it can pose a threat to me, or to others."
"Spending time alone with him didn't seem to bother you too much the other day."
Lara let out a nervous laugh in turn, partly covered by the sound of thunder. She watched the mercenary, seemingly impassive, but betrayed by the gleam of obvious jealousy that shone deep in his eyes.
"What are you-"
"Should I be wondering about that too?" the mercenary said, as serious as ever. "I'm obviously not up to date on everything, so maybe I'm in for some nasty surprises here too..."
"Are you seriously making a scene?"
"I dunno, maybe I should?"
"Do you really want to play that game? Alright, so let's talk about that new girl friend of yours then."
The Lux Veritatis's eyebrows furrowed in incomprehension.
"What the hell are you-"
"Maybe I should be worried about this sudden closeness to this woman you've never told me about?"
"What, Els?"
"Yes, unless there's another one hidden away somewhere?"
"You can't be serious..."
"Yet you seemed perfectly serious about Khin, and Yanis."
"That has absolutely nothing to do with it," the mercenary cut her off, waving his hands in annoyance. "How can you-"
"Oh yes, of course, you have the right to invent a scenario in which I'm being seduced by a wealthy businessman or your mysterious new partner, but I'm not allowed to say anything about you getting close to your intrepid, seductive partner who's flirting with you right under my nose?"
"Are you seriously jealous of Els?"
"Absolutely not," retorted the young woman, feeling the red rise to her cheeks.
"See, I'm not the only one making a scene obviously. We're at the same level, aren't we?"
"Well, I think we're not anymore."
Kurtis felt his heart clench painfully in his chest, as if someone had just thrust a molten blade into it. The sensation was so unpleasant that for a moment he thought it was real, and that his heart was about to crumble. As the feeling became unbearable, he picked up his belongings, stood up and disappeared outside. Lara straightened up at once and hurried after him. The rain had stopped, at least for the moment, but the storm continued to roar. It was inky black, but she spotted right away the young man's silhouette, a few meters ahead.
"May I ask where you're going?" she shouted.
"Since you can't stand me anymore, I'm taking my distance," he replied curtly over his shoulder.
"You wanted a chat, didn't you?"
"Once again, it leads nowhere."
"Is that what you told yourself last time too?"
He stopped abruptly. Tension contracted his muscles slightly, and he clenched his jaw, as if this would help him cope with the blow. Above them, the storm rumbled again, announcing its return, even louder. The earth shook slightly beneath their feet. The atmosphere grew heavier. The first raindrops began to fall. A few, then more. When Kurtis turned around, his gaze locked immediately with that of the adventuress, which burned with an incandescent glow that was terribly destabilising and penetrating. The tropical heat was compressing his chest, or maybe it was that strange bitter-sweet feeling, like a wall formed by a tidal wave about to crash down from all its height.
"Did you honestly think it was going to make things better to just run away?" Lara said through the curtain of rain.
"It's not a question of running away, but of simply accepting that we disagree. We might as well not make things worse."
"Well, it looks like your strategy has worked very well so far indeed, as it has the other times too, for that matter."
"I strive to make things easier for both of us."
"Except it's not only about the two of us, Kurtis."
A new flash of light ripped through the sky, illuminating the surrounding area, bringing to life the trees and their twisted roots drowned in the night. But what the young man saw most of all was the look in the young woman's eyes. Exactly the same as the one she'd given him that night, a few months earlier. And for a moment that seemed like an eternity, he saw himself back in their room at Croft Manor, snuggled together in bed. And the stabbing remark she'd made to him. The discussion that had followed, so harsh, so brutal, festering almost instantly, inevitably. Tones rising. The hurtful words and her cold, emotionless voice. The same incomprehensions. The nothing that ignites it all. The very same downhill slide that offered no way out except that of the inevitable. Then his departure, the absence, and above all, the silence. Those long months of silence.
"It's more complicated than that, and you know it," the American replied, chasing away those bitter memories.
"That's what you tell me every time. Aren't you tired of always using the same argument and hiding behind it?"
"It's a reality Lara, it's complicated for me, and for her."
"You're her father Kurtis, you don't have the right to let her down," replied the Englishwoman, taking a step forward.
"Are we really having this conversation again?"
"Were you planning to avoid it for the rest of your life?"
"You really want me to be the story's bad guy, uh?"
"If you were capable of taking responsibility for your choices, we wouldn't be in this mess," Lara said, her gaze piercing.
"I wish I'd had the choice," he replied, his jaw clenched.
"I never asked you to choose. You had no reason to react the way you did."
"I had every reason to, and you know it."
"You can't ignore what she is, you can't blame her!"
"Damnit Lara, I never said I blamed her! I know for a fact it's not her fault!"
The rain thickened with a resounding thud after another flash of lightning. He took a step forward too. The usually rebellious locks of hair stuck to his forehead and gave him a terribly wild look.
"So why? Why did you behave like a boor?" Lara exclaimed, taking another step forward without realising it.
"I already told you I don't wanna do it, Lara, there's no question of it."
"There's nothing she can do against it, Kurtis! And neither can we. She didn't choose to receive these gifts."
"We've been over this. I refuse to drag her into this."
"We can't just sit back and do nothing... she's only two years old, you saw for yourself the extent of these abilities... just imagine what it'll be like in a few years!"
"She doesn't have to go through that!"
"What she will suffer most of all is your indifference. I thought that's exactly why you hated your father."
The mercenary's fists tightened despite himself at the thought.
"I'm certainly not him."
"Then prove it!"
Kurtis took another step forward, coming dangerously close to the adventuress. His chest heaved to the rhythm of his jerky breathing, and she could now make out with precision the angry lines distorting his face.
"Just try to understand that all this is behind me. The Lux Veritatis no longer exists, and all that went with it. I'm the last of a line that's going to die out, there's no legacy except vague rumors about what we've accomplished over the centuries, and that's just as well. The order has had its day. I have no intention of re-founding it, nor of founding a new one. It's out of the question to enlist my daughter as my father did with me. And it's out of the question for her to go through what I went through."
"But she's not you!"
"She may not be me, but she'll suffer the same fate."
"Not if you decide otherwise. You don't have to do what he did to you."
"You make it sound so easy... What d'you think? That it's a piece of cake to end up with such gifts?"
"That's exactly why she needs you. No one else can understand her as well as you."
"There's nothing you can do about a fucking curse, Lara."
"Gosh, that sounds like a line straight out of a low-budget TV movie... aren't you tired of being so negative?"
"I'm just being realistic, and a lot more realistic than you in this case."
"Dodging the issue by walking away has nothing to do with being realistic," the young woman retorted coldly.
"We're back to the same problem. There'll be no more order. And I won't be training her."
"Bloody hell, I'm not asking you to refound the Lux Veritatis, or whatever secret order! Nor to train her like your father did with you! Nor am I asking you to turn her into a warrior with superpowers!"
"Just try to understand that I don't wanna make her collateral damage."
"Morgau was collateral damage."
The memory of the very young woman, mutilated and tortured by the sordid experiments and hold of Karel and Eckhardt crossed his mind. He remembered her frail figure, from which all human traces had been erased. He remembered her strength, her incredible determination, forged by the deep rage that gnawed at her. And her hatred, so dark, so abysmal, just like the very one he had himself felt sometimes towards his indifferent father, during all those years of vain hope. The hope that he would be something other than an order-giver and executioner. He'd wondered if Eden would ever feel that way about him.
And the answer terrified him to the core of his being.
"So what? What are we supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?"
"You can also do things your own way, by simply being there for her."
"That's risky and you know it," retorted the young man unequivocally.
"Risky for who? For you or for her?"
A flash of lightning illuminated the sky for a fraction of a second. He stared straight into her eyes. All he could see were those two flames devouring him. He couldn't even feel the rain on him anymore, as if anesthetised.
"Don't you see that what's risky is leaving her with no way of understanding and taming her abilities?" the Englishwoman insisted. "You should understand that though."
"It's precisely because I know that I don't want to, Lara. If you'd been through what I've been through with the Lux Veritatis, you'd understand."
The adventuress shook her head in exasperation.
"You're so damn stubborn..."
"You're definitely not in the position to tell me that."
"You can't stand admitting that I'm right," cried the young woman, pointing a finger at him.
The Lux Veritatis knight took another step forward. A wave of shock ran through him from head to toe as the young woman's finger made contact with him.
"You've got your faults too, Lara."
"Oh, and may I ask exactly what they are?"
"I agree I may not be a model father, but at least I don't put my expeditions ahead of my family..."
"That's too easy," retorted the Englishwoman, her teeth clenched. "Don't try to reverse the situation. Don't try to make me out to be something I'm not..."
"I'm just saying I've got my faults, but you've got yours too. But as usual, you're over your head, and you don't wanna hear anything. It's like talking to a wall."
"So I guess we're even on this point, aren't we?" Answered Lara. "Yet if I hadn't said anything, we'd probably have gone without saying anything to each other for the next twenty years, wouldn't we?"
"Maybe you'd like me to thank you for the shouting match we're having right now?"
"Well, maybe I do, because at least I've been able to tell my husband what an idiot he's been!"
She took another step forward, her finger pressing a little harder against his chest. Now they were only inches apart. Lara could feel his short, quick breath through the curtain of rain. She plunged into his limpid gaze, which shone as she'd never seen it shine before.
"Well, like husband, like wife, right?" Kurtis said in an ironic voice.
"You really exasperate me..."
Out of her wits, the adventuress took a final step forward and pressed her mouth against that of the Lux Veritatis. The destabilising and powerful heat that poured into her at that moment almost made her head spin. Her heartbeat suddenly quickened, amplified by the mercenary's own heartbeat, which she felt vibrating against her. For a moment, she thought her heart was going to rip her chest open and get out. In her mind, it felt like an explosion, with everything intermingling, from the blackest anger to the purest ecstasy. His lips tasted like cold rain, but the heat was incredibly intense underneath. She felt him react with eagerness, as if he couldn't take it anymore either.
But her lips suddenly abandoned him. She grasped his face, and planted her gaze in his.
"By the way, for your information, your buddy is a bit too rude, has absolutely no manners and has far too big an ego for my taste."
"And for your information, in the best-case scenario, Els would end up with the beautiful but so fucking stubborn archaeologist instead."
Lara opened her mouth to retort something, then thought better of it, suddenly understanding. For the first time in ages, she felt... foolish, unsure of how to respond to this revelation she hadn't expected at all. In the American's eyes, she saw some kind of amusement, perhaps even a certain satisfaction, which irritated her all the more.
Before she could say anything, Kurtis hastened to silence her by savagely closing the distance between them. He played with her lips, savored their taste, intoxicated himself with her scent, breathing at the same vibrant pace as hers.
"Why does it always have to be that complicated with you?" He asked in a desperate whisper, as if out of breath.
"You should know by now that easiness has never been my thing."
He pulled her forcefully against him, gripping her waist with his warm, strong hands. The young woman shivered violently as she felt his fingers slide down her back, and sighed as he roamed her hips, then her buttocks and pinched them. As a response, Lara pressed her whole body against his. Kurtis reacted immediately. He pushed her hard against the nearest tree. The Englishwoman let out a little scream as her back hit a thick vine, but she paid no attention to it. There was only the heat, and this unbearable tension, so intoxicating. Her hands sought out his belt and undid it in a split second. And she didn't resist when he stripped her of her shorts and underwear.
She wedged him between her legs. A hoarse sound escaped them both as he eagerly plunged into her. His lips pressed against hers again, as if he were trying to breathe in her moans. She arched her back, her fingers digging deeper into his back as his hips pressed harder against hers. His hands gripped her thighs and buttocks firmly as he held her against him, his eyes locked with hers. A pain tingled his lip as she bit him, and he moaned with her.
Soon the storm rumbled again, and the rain came down even harder.