When I see Nathan a few days after the revelations about my grandmother, I'm in Schafer's house looking over a map alongside yours truly.
I look up at the sound of the door opening and give a gracious smile. It's good to see our main adventure man back on his feet.
"Well damn," I chuckle. "Schafer wasn't kidding about Tibetan medicine. You look like a million bucks."
"Almost feel as good as I look, too," Nathan jokes back as he and Elena approach, a slight wince in his steps.
Schafer wastes no time greeting Nathan, nor Elena in introducing the older man, who heartily grabs Nathan's hand in turn.
I can tell, though, that Nathan's still out of sorts when he replies to the old man's inquiry as to his well-being before sitting down to join us. I also notice Nathan set a clothed object on the table, a familiar one if the shape is any indication.
"You, Noah, and I all have something in common, Mr. Drake," Schafer continues as he retakes his seat too.
Nathan eyes me weirdly, not quite following.
And so, Schafer and I collaborate on relaying the story to Nathan: how my grandma and Schafer both came here seventy years ago on their own respective expeditions, only to both wind up the sole survivors and be nursed back to health by the village.
How both of them had been hired by their respective expeditions to find—
"— the entrance to Shambhala," I finish. "An ancient civilization and paradise built around the Cintamani Stone, the real target."
"So, tell us, my friend," Schafer continued as he unraveled the clothed object Nathan had set on the table to reveal the Phurba dagger. "Where did you find this?"
Nathan looks around at us, mystified. "In Borneo. Why?"
Elena leans over to look Nathan in the eye with a significant look, gesturing to the dagger as she does. "This is the key to Shambhala."
"And the one thing Lazarevic's scrambling to get his hands on," I add. "Otherwise, no Stone. Not that he's aware yet."
Nathan scoffs. "Oh, I think he's plenty aware."
From there he tries pretty hard to quit and back out of all this, much to my and Elena's disbelief, although Elena herself is more exasperated. I can take it this isn't her first Nathan Drake-patented tantrum.
Fortunately, Schafer can see right through Nathan's bullshit, even jovially calling him out on his wounded pride.
But Nathan is still a stubborn ass.
"Yeah – y'know people are always telling me how lucky I am," he snaps back. "But the truth everything I touch turns to shit."
"Nate," Elena tries to intercede.
Nathan ain't having it, standing up and even telling her and me to do the same.
Too bad for him we ain't having it either.
"I'm not moving anywhere except towards that stone," I state in a plain yet firm voice. "Wimp out if you want, but God knows Lazarevic sure won't."
Before Nathan can retort, Schafer once again swoops in. "I would heed young Collins' words, Mr. Drake. Your opponent will not stop until he possesses the thing he desires."
"Oh yeah? Well then, more power to him!" Nathan retorts.
I hang my head with a frustrated sigh while Schafer scathingly implores Nathan to consider the true nature of the threat Lazarevic's hunt could pose.
Because that's what all this bore down to: power. Raw, undeniable power – and God knows that sick bastard Lazarevic already has enough as is.
That's why he has to be stopped.
All the while, Elena is doing her best to convince Nathan, although judging by the look on his face I can tell he still needs convincing.
Luckily, Schafer has just the solution as he directs us to follow Tenzin outside.
"Find the remains of both my expedition and Sara Collins', and you will have your proof."
I nod in understanding as Tenzin and I go further out towards the gate, my mind racing a mile second at the idea of finally finding closure on whatever happened to my grandmother.
The only question would be: would I like what I found?
"Hey uh, Noah?" Nathan asks, suddenly beside me and sounding a little humbled, making me jump a little. I never noticed him lagging behind us. "Sorry. You wouldn't mind translating, would ya, pal?"
I smile in return. About time he came around, no doubt thanks to Ellie.
"OK, but no complaining if I mistranslate by accident. My Tibetan still needs work."
XXX
So…aside from our trip into and through the mountain's caves involving Nathan being bad at charades, me having to pause every ten seconds to translate Tenzin's words, and a few perilous death gaps solvable through Tenzin's grappling hook tossing skills, the trip's pretty uneventful so far.
The ice walls are gorgeous, though. Well worth some quick pictures.
Could do without the tiny gaps, forcing me to suck in my gut every time we push through them.
And the dangerously narrow paths.
Some of which are collapsable (at least when Nathan gets on them).
Yeah, this cave is very unfun to traverse.
Fortunately, a few boosts up, some clever maneuvering along the walls, and a few demonstrations of the power of teamwork later, we reach a relatively less death-gappy section of the cave.
And that's when the noises start. The decidedly non-wolf noises.
"What the hell was that?" Nathan uttered, matching my rattled thoughts perfectly.
Things only get worse once we come across all the mangled wolves. My heart breaks at the sight.
And then my heart nearly drops into my stomach while we're climbing a wall further up ahead because I swear my peripherals caught something big and beastly leering down at us from higher up.
Yeah, I need a few moments to let my nerves settle as I wait alongside Tenzin near the edge while Nathan looks around the cave for a way forward.
("I know I should have probably asked this before we came in, Tenzin,") I speak up in Tibetan, wrapping my arms around myself for comfort. ("But what kinds of legends concerning these caves should we know about?")
Tenzin strokes his small beard, contemplative. ("There are a few tales among my village that tell of beasts, monsters once men, guardians to Shambhala that destroy all who cross their paths.")
Well, didn't that just sound sweet and cuddly?
I tilt my head back with a deep breath to calm myself. No use in getting worked up (yet).
("Here's hoping Nathan finds a working gun back there. Otherwise, I will resort to tearing off the nearest icicle.")
Tenzin chuckles at my half-joke. ("Better than no weapon at all.")
A few gunshots go off in the distance, alarming us at first – until it turns out to just be Nathan shooting his way through a wall of icicles.
Ah, so he did find a gun. Good for him.
Actually, screw him because Tenzin and I barely take a step forward before a fucking demon yeti comes barreling at us, likely attracted by the noise!
Screw this, where's the nearest icicle?!
"Oh my God! What is that?!" Nate shouts.
"How about we find out after this thing is dead!" I scream back as I tackle Tenzin to get us both out of the way of a double-fisted slam.
Already Nate is letting bullets fly, except they're barely doing anything to this thing!
Oh, and about my idea to use icicles on this thing? Uh yeah, the thickest one I could snap off and throw shattered against the thing's hide.
What follows is quite frankly the scariest game of tag I've ever played.
On the bright side, I'm (barely) fast enough to keep a good distance from that yeti-sasquatch while Nathan keeps doing minimal damage with his bullets.
Thank God I took up track in high school.
Tenzin isn't quite as lucky as it doesn't take long for the beast to grab him and slam the poor guy down like a ragdoll.
"TENZIN!" Nate and I scream out in concern, only to draw the monster's attention.
Crap.
Between Nate playing long-range and me chucking whatever icicles there are, we manage to keep the beast at bay.
It's not foolproof, though. In fact, I'm pretty sure both of us wind up with possible fractures since the thing managed to grab and slam each of us at least once, although Nathan probably got more punishment than me.
At one point, I jump onto the monster's back while its attention's on Nathan and pierce a smaller icicle into its neck, which apparently has thinner skin cause that actually wounds it!
Right away, the beast starts swinging wildly until I'm sent flying into Nathan. It doesn't help that icicles aren't favorable to firm grips.
What's worse, our collision sends the gun clean out of Nathan's hand.
Even worse, our angry furry friend is right on top of us in seconds.
It grabs and lifts us by the fronts of our jackets, ready to smash our heads in – only for Tenzin to dive to the rescue, leaping onto the monster's back like I had and stabbing it in the neck with his knife, causing the beast to drop Nathan and me!
Hell yeah, man!
Not that the blade killed this godforsaken thing but at least it convinced that nightmare to finally leave, sending Tenzin soaring to the floor as it did.
"Seriously," I gripe as I barely manage to stand up, wobbly. "I hate this cave."
"You and me both, buddy," Nathan moans as he gets up too.
XXX
Fortunately for everyone's anxiety, the rest of the cave trek is nowhere near as bad.
In fact, my heart lightens at seeing the fractured remains of spiraling stairs. Looks like we're finally getting somewhere!
That somewhere turns out to be some temple's staircase, complete with scary décor and leading downward into a very interesting-looking (and massive) chamber.
Chasm? Chasm-chamber?
In any case, I notice the big floor button immediately and take a step on it.
"Hey, Tenzin!" I call out. "Stand on that other switch!"
When he does, the wall of pillars before us lowers immediately. Ah ha.
"Nice," Nathan compliments as he regards what just happened with interest before taking the revealed path. "You guys come around the other way. I've got this."
I give him a thumbs up, trying my best to keep my optimism up cause I can tell the other side is going to be just as treacherous.
("Try not to die,") Tenzin calls out, much to my amusement, as I join him on the other side. I try my best to hide my wince.
Nathan scoffs. He doesn't need a translator to detect the sass. "Easy for you to say."
No really, Tenzin and I reach the switch on our side pretty easily, much to my relief, so we just have to wait on Nathan a few moments to reach his switch. Once he does, he and I pull the switches at the same time, lowering the giant climbing bells.
Yeah, you heard that right.
Oh, and also some giant cogwheels with about 90% of the original framework missing from what I can see of Nathan's portion of the cave. Jesus, what I wouldn't give to take a picture of all this in its original glory.
Jai would have loved it, I bet.
The thought of him makes me sigh - louder than I realize I'm being.
("Is something wrong?")
I jump at the sound of Tenzin's voice and blush at the attentive gaze he gives me. I shake my head and walk ahead to reach the next switch.
"Sorry," I answer in a glum tone. "I was thinking of someone back home. He's a really good friend of mine, and…our near-death encounter back there may have reminded me how not a game this all is."
By this time, Tenzin and I have reached our switch, and Nathan is generous enough to un-dead end us by hitting the switch that lifts up a double arm bridge for us.
No accounting for architectural taste here, apparently.
I continue my heart to heart regardless.
"Not just the cave" – I wave a hand out – "but this whole adventure. There's been so many times when I likely would have died. If that thing had killed us—"
("Except it did not,") Tenzin interjects in a calm tone as he pulls the lever on our side. ("You worry too much over what could go wrong, my friend.")
Without warning, the bells on Nathan's side fall off and plummet clean into the chasm. Tenzin and I merely stare down at the icy abyss, stunned.
Seriously, I'm starting to wonder if God has it out for Nathan.
"You sure about that?" I sigh in exasperation while gesturing a hand to the recent bedlam. Already, I'm hopping onto one of the climbing bells and climbing across, still talking like this is normal. "Everything that could go wrong has except me dying before I could tell Jai I'm sorry for not telling him my real reason for coming to Nepal in the first place!"
After leaping onto the nearest trail with Tenzin not far behind, I sigh at the thought of all those chances to tell Jai the full story, all those times we spent together, when I could have easily spilled my guts out.
Especially after I'd gotten on his case for keeping secrets.
Tenzin puts a hand on my back out of comfort yet also nods at the path ahead, encouraging me to keep moving.
"Maybe," I continue as we walk, pensive. "Maybe I was scared he'd try and dissuade me from going. It's not like he's overprotective or anything, but he's kept something major from me once before."
Then the memory of when Jai came clean to me in the park so long ago, back when he confessed his fears, comes back at full force, making me pause as I realize the truth.
"Because he didn't want me to cut ties with him." I register how my words sound and turn to Tenzin with a blush. "P-Platonically I mean! And I don't want that either."
My eyes drift to the snow-laden stones, feeling shame.
"I really messed up, didn't I?"
Tenzin pats my back with a huff. ("Yes, but that's no reason to think it's over. If you wish to apologize to your friend, then focus on surviving so you can tell him that yourself. Whether he chooses to break things off is his choice, but at least then you'll have nothing left to hold you back.")
Not the most comforting thought, but I let it stick.
At this point, we've rendezvoused with Nathan at a chasm-chamber full of pillars with horizontal poles sticking out, the sight a doozy enough to make me and Tenzin pause.
I close my eyes for a brief moment and take a deep breath.
Nothing left to hold me back, huh?
Alright then.
The moment Tenzin and Nathan step on their respective floor buttons, the pillars start rising.
After everything I've seen so far, I waste no time hopping across, careful not to corner myself while keeping the middle pillar in sight, Tenzin not far behind me while Nathan does the same on his side. Sure enough, the pillars behind us lower back down, set on a timer apparently.
Fortunately, the three of us reach the middle, no problem (well aside from Nathan needing a lift up by both of us but hey no biggie).
"Good reflexes, guys," Nathan pants as he stands up.
"Nice airtime," I joke back.
Once Tenzin and I step on the floor buttons, massive pillars in the shape of people bearing platforms on their heads rise from the waters. My button and Tenzin's both start rising to reveal themselves as pillars, but Nathan is quick enough (and barely slim enough) to hop on with me, and I'm even quicker to grab him by the waist on so the two of us can fit.
"Sorry, tight squeeze," I apologize, trying hard not to blush at the feel of Nathan's muscles under his shirt.
"Eh, it's cool."
Which was a lot more than we could say for the extremely intimidating Buddhist statue at the end of the path that turns to face us, red glowing gem included.
Yeah, my black person instincts are saying now's a good time to run.
Despite our clumsy three-legged jump, Nathan and I manage to hop onto the bigger platforms alongside Tenzin and start booking it because these platforms also happen to have a timer!
Thankfully, athletics save us once again because we reach the outside ring of the temple, the entranceway and its downward staircase leading to a panopticon-like room filled with yet even more scary faces.
And bodies. Bodies, bodies everywhere. Could these be…?
I barely register the sound of the way we came in through sealing shut behind us, let alone Nathan's attempts to push it open.
Instead, I kneel down next to one of the bodies and get a closer look at the uniform. This one was definitely American. And wait – I stare down at the visible wounds – had this guy been shot to death?
And what were all these blue stones all over the ground?
I pick one up and feel the texture against my fingers. It…sorta feels like amber.
And this other person was — the symbol on the shoulder stops me cold.
A swastika.
"This must be them." Nathan's mystified voice breaks my stupor. "Your grandma's expedition. Schafer's too."
He approaches one of the bodies and kneels down to pick up some kind of clasped box. Despite myself, I join him as he pries the box open to reveal deposits of the same blue material.
"What is this stuff? Resin?" I ask in wonder.
"Yep," Nathan confirms. "Just like in that Mongolian oil lamp Harry and I snatched from some museum in Istanbul, not to mention at Borneo where Marco Polo's men all died."
Oh wow. Elena and I must have missed a lot before running into Nathan.
Then I notice something off and tap Nathan's shoulder and point at the anomaly. "You might wanna look at this."
Nathan looks where I'm pointing, the forehead of the dead body, and notices the hole there – the bullet hole.
"Hello there," he murmurs before standing and backing away, panning to take in everything. "Tenzin, these men were all shot."
As I stand up as well, I notice Tenzin approach us with an aged document in his hands.
("Hey, what is this symbol here?")
Nathan takes the document so he and I can examine what Tenzin's talking about. It looks like some kind of tree.
"Uh, it's Irminsul, it's the Life Tree…"
Oh Lord, I can already tell where this is going, especially when he opens the book to a page that has German on it.
One word in particular catches Nathan's attention, however, as it does mine.
"The Ahnenerbe? Oh Jesus…"
"S.S.," I state in a low, grim tone, all my dread finally at the peak. "Schafer's expedition was S.S."
Tenzin cocks his head at us, clearly confused.
Nathan frantically sweeps an arm to indicate half of the bodies around us. "Nazis."
Tenzin repeats the word to himself, clearly not familiar with the term.
("Very, very unpleasant people,") I explain before I grip my head in one hand, the other on my hip, still processing.
Let me get this straight. Karl Schafer, the old man who had welcomed us and even given Nathan a sorely needed morale boost, had been a Nazi – and my grandmother, the woman I had looked up to since my time in diapers, saved him.
After Schafer's own expedition laid hers to waste.
I'm not sure what to feel right now, but at that moment I notice something about the dead Nazi: his teeth are all black. I look back to the dead American I'd already examined and realize his teeth are the same way.
Right then, a sudden thought hits me.
"Hey, Nathan? Marco Polo's men. Were all their teeth by any chance…?"
Nathan looks up from the book to give me a solemn nod. "Yeah, all black."
He shifts his gaze up to the monstrous figure etched into the side of the stairs. His voice fills with dawning dread. "What would a man become…?"
Just then, something Schafer told me came flooding back.
She saved my life, even when she would have been well in her right not to.
My eyes shoot back between the corpses, American and Nazi alike, realization starting to sink in.
That is why Sara never left; she could not bear the thought of leaving the safety of all to chance, let alone yours.
"Nathan," I speak up at last, my voice low. "They did this. My grandma and Schafer."
Though he doesn't face me, I can tell the gears are spinning in Nathan's head. "They killed them."
Tenzin looks between us, perplexed. ("Killed them?")
I nod fervently, floored as I gesticulate frantically. ("Y-Yes! Killed them! My grandma and Schafer worked together to kill their own expeditions!")
Tenzin rears his head back in clear shock.
Nathan shakes his head, sighing. "It was the only way to stop them."
As if on demonic cue, a familiar growl echoes from down the hall – and it's multiplying.
OK, time to pick up some guns.
While Tenzin and I scoop up whatever firearms we can find, Nathan, who's already armed himself, rushes up the back stairs and discovers a switch there.
"Alright guys," Nathan calls to us as he pulls the lever. "One escape route, coming up!"
Right away, we can hear stones and chains creaking as a lift starts slowly making its way down to us.
So do our monstrous friends apparently because right away they literally start crawling out the stonework, scrambling down to get a piece of us.
Once again, Nathan sums up my thoughts perfectly: "Ah crap…"
On the bright side, guns this time. Not so bright side, these jerks are throwing whole-ass boulders and pillars at us now.
Thankfully, the three of us are quick to strategize by forming a loose circle, back-to-back so that we can watch each other's sixes but dodge easily enough so that we're not one big target.
After what feels like an eternity, the lift has finally lowered enough for us to jump on.
"All board!" I scream as I start scrambling my way up the stairs, Nathan and Tenzin right behind me – as are the whole army of demon yetis.
The three of us waste no time jumping onto the lift, Tenzin almost not making it only to be saved by me and Nathan grabbing his arms just in time.
"Wait, the switch!" I shout. Nathan promptly aims and shoots the lever, causing the lift to rise back up immediately.
We all peer over the edge at our snarling hosts, all of them no doubt upset at us leaving so soon.
I breathe a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the Lord…"
Nathan claps me on the back with a smile and chuckle. "Amen to that, buddy. We're almost out…"
Without warning, one of the yetis tackles Nathan from scenic nowhere, sending us all nearly flying off, the dumb brute's weight causing the lift to tilt dangerously. Tenzin manages to grab a hold of the lift in one hand and me in the other while I have my grip on Nathan.
Who of which our unwanted hitchhiker has a footful of.
Luckily, a few bullets to the face from Nathan are enough to make the beast lose its grip and plummet with a snarl to the floor below, when it leaves behind a hole that winds up turning into an even bigger hole.
Yeah, I think we've made our point.
Like that the lift is even again and we are well on our way out of here.
And into a whole new fire.