This is the 10th chapter. I don't own the series of Helluva Boss or the game of Tomb Raider.
Master of Luis: Who knows, no telling what's going on with Alastor.
A Friend In Need
After Antauri, Lara, and three imps were captured by the Stormguard, who confronted the Solarii, they were able to make a discovery at the tomb of Himiko and learned the dark truth about the Ascension Ceremony, and Sam being the Sun Queens descendant is about to be used for the ascension to bring Himiko back. Lara felt horrified at that, but Antauri and three imps just scowled after finding out of Mathias' true purpose in order to get out of the island. They're about to leave the chamber, until...
"There!"
The sudden shout in the stillness of the tomb snapped their attention upwards where a few Solarii had found them.
"Oh no!" Lara groaned.
"Oh, fuck me!" Blitzo adds, annoyed.
"Take them!"
"Like hell you will!?" Antauri and Millie growled as the few Solarii descends down and go after them.
Antauri grabbed the trench shotgun while Millie grabs her knife, Moxxie and Blitzo pulled out their pistols and with several quick shots and stabs, the Solarii men lay dead strewn around the tomb.
"What the hell is going on down there?"
They heard a voice from above them and quickly hides. At first, Antauri and three imps wondered if he meant the tomb, but then a familiar deep growl was heard which made his blood run cold. The memories of the men being attacked and killed by something rushing through his head.
"What?" Lara said softly, causing Millie and Moxxie to shush her as the monster's shadow looming over them briefly before supposedly going after the remaining Solarii. "What the hell is that thing?"
"I remember when Mathias ordered us to be killed where we first found Jessop. I regained consciousness after we were knocked out long enough to see the Solarii being attacked by something. Several large something, actually. I heard someone call them 'the Oni' and then 'the Guardians'. That must be one of the Guardians." Antauri replied after he and the imps looted from the dead bodies. "Looks like they'll attack anyone here they don't trust while guarding the place. We better keep our heads down and avoid them like plague."
"Best idea I've heard all day." Blitzo agrees with a nod. "'Cuz neither of us want to get fucked by those samurai assholes while that Sun bitch here waits for us on a slammer!"
With that, they ducked low to inch down an enclosed tunnel. Along the way, they heard more Solarii nearby.
"Hey! I found a way down here!"
"But the woman, a man, and those freaks...we gotta find them."
"The Guardians can have them. I'm getting the hell out of here now!"
"Goddamn it...okay...okay wait! Help us open the gate!"
A moaning echoed off the walls, followed by...
"Shit...Shit...they're here!"
"Hey, hey! What's going on? Come back! Don't leave us, you coward! Come back!"
They then make camp, taking a breather while Antauri works with his shotgun by upgrading the barrel shroud, a slotted barrel that improves gun handling for increasing the damage.
"Where did you find that shotgun?" Lara asks, glancing over at Antauri.
"From a dead soldier, just did a test run in order to see it still functions." Antauri answered with a chuckle. "And it's still works."
Lara just giggled a little.
"And from the looks of what we heard, it looks like the Solarii are having their own problems." Moxxie stated. "At least it saves us for the trouble."
"But not for long, 'cause those dipshits and Mathias are still looking for us." Blitzo points out. "And don't get me started on those Guardians you told us about."
"Then, sir, how are we gonna get out of here?" Moxxie asks in annoyance. "We can't just waltz in and go gun blazing wherever we go!"
While Moxxie and Blitzo argued of how to get out, both Lara and Antauri just glance each other since it's not getting anywhere. The white hellhound then stands up and blast the barricade with his shotgun which revealed the outside, causing them to stop arguing and decided to press on.
"Be careful. Looks like the winds have really picked up again." Antauri called to them as Lara, Moxxie, Millie, and Blitzo nodded with acknowledgement.
They had barely got out onto the planks when the winds ripped away what was left, leaving them scrambling onto the thin ledge against the wall.
"Son of a bitch!" Antauri cursed over the howling wind.
"Goddamnit! That bitch is making harder for all of us here!" Blitzo yelled angrily as he flips off. "Fuck you, Sun Bitch!?"
They inched along the ledge with extreme caution. They paused each time the wind brought down more debris. Upon reaching a gap, Antauri inched around Lara and jumped first, followed by Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie. Antauri turned and held out his hand to her. Gathering her bearings, she jumped, reaching out for his outstretched hand. Grasping it, he pulled her up when she stumbled on the weak boards. The fallen plank behind them made for a makeshift ladder and they quickly climbed to a more stable part against the wind. Climbing through a hole in the wall of the building, they discovered the Solarii they'd just heard conversing.
"Can't...get this thing...open."
"Forget it. We need to break it with something."
"Look out...they're here!"
One of them saw them, who are creeping closer. Antauri, Moxxie, and Blitzo drew out their pistols while Lara grabbed her bow and Millie grabs an axe.
"Hey, guys! Don't shoot! Let's be friends! The Guardians will kill us for trespassing."
"Yeah, after all that shit you assholes put us through? Fuck you!" Blitzo shouts, shooting a man in the head.
"Don't waste your time, kill them!"
"That's not likely, either!" Antauri stated, shooting the man as well.
Antauri and three imps have had it with the Solarii and wasn't above killing them. After all, that's all the Solarii had been doing with the people from the Endurance and who knows what other wrecks had unfortunately landed here. For the tense moment, there was only an exchanging gunfire with Millie rushing over to kill them with her axe, which it's quickly over. Moxxie then noticed the gates below them, which made him realize a way out.
"Guys, the way out of here is right below us." Moxxie told them.
"Okay, but how are we gonna get it open?" Blitzo asks as Lara looks up.
Antauri, Millie, and Lara can tell that Moxxie is right and apparently, it's currently blocked. Looking up at the bell, the white hellhound had an idea.
"Lara, we need to drop that bell." Antauri suggested. "That should break open that place in the floor and give us a way through."
After the climbed up to the next floor, Antauri decided to give her a hand by using the axe and turning to wheel in order to get the blinds open while the wind blows the bell at the support beam. Lara then used her rope arrow, pulling the bell, and destroy the support beam. However, the place is starting to break apart and they've gotta work fast if they want to get out alive. Antauri then closes the wooden blinds, tossing an axe to Millie as she grabs it and turning the wheel while getting the wooden blinds open on the other side. Lara used her rope arrow, pulling the bell, and destroying the other support beam.
"This place is falling apart!"
"Up there! They're on the second floor!"
"Oh, give me a break!" Blitzo grumbled in annoyance. "They just don't fucking quit!?"
"That's asking way too much!" Antauri agrees. "Lara, keep working on dropping the bell! We'll keep them off your back!"
"Alright, let's give those shitheads 'hell's bells'!" Blitzo said as they quickly dispatched the men, which Antauri fired his shotgun at the armored one and killed him.
Lara uses the rope arrow one last time to hit the bell. With the support beams destroyed, one solid hit and the bell went crashing into the floor. The reverberations caused Lara to lose her balance and she went spiraling through the new opening.
"Lara!" Antauri, Millie, and Moxxie called as they and Blitzo dives from the upper floor in after her.
They ended up next to her, not seriously hurt.
"You really gotta stop giving us heart attacks." Anturi joked which made those three imps chuckled and Lara managed a breathy laugh before they staggered to their feet.
"You alright?" Millie asks, earned a nod from her when the inhuman roar cut into the conversation.
"It sounds like we won't be for long if we don't get moving!" Moxxie suggested in panic.
"No...no! Ahhh!"
"The Guardians are here!"
"Alright, come on, come on, move it!"
"Get out...move it! Move!"
"Ahhh!"
"Run for your lives!"
Antauri seized Lara by the arm and pulled them back against the wall, somewhat hidden in the shadows, and they silently watched the Solarii run past with the Guardians right behind them. They quickly realized that they had to run as well, because everything was starting to collapse.
"Run!" Antauri yelled as he, three imps, and Lara took off.
They ran, jumped, and dodged the falling debris as they sprinted for the exit. As they reached the end, they jumped and landed on the bridge, but were far from safe yet as the bridge gave out and they continued the fall. Breaking through another small bridge that didn't even slow them down, they hit the slope and began sliding. Realizing the blockades along the slope, Antauri pulls out his trench shotgun and began firing while continuing their downward slide. They reached the end of the slope and plummeted into the river. Lara, Millie, Moxxie, and Blitzo broke the surface, coughing and gasping for air. As they look around their new surroundings, they realized Antauri hadn't surfaced.
"Antauri?" Lara called, but no answer.
"Antauri?! Where are you?" Blitzo shouts, still no answer.
Millie and Lara are starting to get worried, diving back into the water in an attempt to search for him while Moxxie and Blitzo helps the search. But with the water being too dark, they relied on their hands to search for the white hellhound. After a moment of searching, her hands brushed something that felt like clothing. Grabbing it, she and Millie pulled it to the surface with Moxxie and Blitzo given them a helping hand.
"ANTAURI!"
It was him and Lara was able to find his pulse, alive and unconscious. With the water taking off a lot of his weight, they pulled him over to the bank. After getting him situated on the back so he won't slip off into the water again, they hauled themselves up out of the water. Taking a moment to catch their breath, Lara next realized Antauri wasn't breathing. Panic is setting, she began the CPR.
"Come on, Antauri. Breathe." Lara said. "Don't you do this to me! Breathe, you bastard! BREATHE!"
He gave a barely audible groan, so she gave him a few extra compressions. On the last one, he coughed and expelling a large amount of water before he started gasping. Rolling over to his side, he alternated gasping for air and coughing out of the water he'd swallowed. After a few moments, he calmed down and rolled back on his back.
"For a minute there, I thought you're worried about me." Antauri said in a raspy tone.
"Now's not the time for one of your sarcastic jokes. You nearly gave us a heart attack that time!" Lara cried, slapping his shoulder lightly, about to break down and cry hysterically as the white hellhound slowly sat up.
"It'll take more than that to get rid of me." Antauri told her. "You should know that by now better than anyone."
"That doesn't mean you should make a habit of it." Millie retorted. "One of these days, you won't be so lucky."
"She's right, you really had us worried." Moxxie agrees with his wife. "No matter how many times you got injured after the fight, you're just lucky! You should know it won't last!"
"Fair enough." Antauri said. "I think I bumped my head when we landed into the river. Good thing you guys were around, otherwise I would've drowned."
"Well again, consider it a payback for all the times you've kept me alive through this nightmare." Lara said.
They glanced at each other and shared a smile. Then, the radio crackled to life and scared voice of the last person they expected to hear came through.
"Hello? Hello?" The voice of Sam called which it got their attention.
"Sam!" Lara gasped as Antauri looked on with disbelieving eyes while Millie, Moxxie, and Blitzo were shocked in disbelieve as well.
"Hello?" Sam called again.
"Sam, it's Lara!" Lara cried on the radio.
"Oh God, Lara...it's good to hear your voice." Sam said with relief.
"Yours too, Sam." Lara replied. "Is the rest of the crew with you?"
"No, I just managed to steal this radio off a guard." Sam told her.
"A guard?" Lara wondered.
"What do you mean, Sam?" Antauri asked her, joining the conversation.
"Carl? Oh good, you two are together. I've been kidnapped." Sam answered.
"What?" Lara said.
"Where are you, Sam?" Antauri asked.
"I don't know...some old Japanese palace. They keep talking about a 'fire ritual'." Sam explains. "Guys, I'm fucking terrified...shit, someone's coming. I've got to hide this thing." Sam said, ending transmission.
"Sam...Sam!" Lara cried, waiting for the information and it made her worried, but Sam ended the transmission. "A fire ritual...Like the mural in Himiko's tomb..."
After they stood up, Antauri practically ripped the radio from his belt.
"Roth, are you there?" Antauri asked through the radio.
"I'm heading towards the palace. The others are held there, too." Roth answered.
"Lara, Millie, Moxxie, Blitz, and I will catch up with you and we'll all go in together." Antauri replied and ending the transmission.
"Guys, through there." Lara called, indicating a tunnel that leads outside.
"Let's go. We don't have much time." Antauri said as he lead the way out.
They made a quick camp outside by the bridge before they press on.
'Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse.' Antauri mentally thought while Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie thinks the same thing.
They take a recap of what they've learned at the Japanese palace, the Guardians dressed like the Stormguard while killing the number of Solarii since they couldn't trust anyone without any hesitation, Mathias revealed his true colors as the leader of Solarii after gathering his followers for a number of years, and Sam being held captive after she mentioned about the fire ritual. And now, with them able to escape by the Solarii and the Stormguard, they'll have to get Sam back and find a way out.
After a few minutes of a breather, they decided to split up to gather some materials they need, but Lara gave him the submachine gun since he'll have to upgrade it. Luckily, the white hellhound was able to do that with some help from Moxxie. However, everything is too quiet after everything happened and it's still happening. Lara fired her rope arrow at the wooden post, they crossed the river and were making their way around the cliff when more voices of Solarii were drifted to their ears.
"Damn. This is the good stuff."
"If you show up to the ceremony drunk, Father Mathias will cut your throat."
"I can hold my liquor, as long as you hold your tongue."
"I heard they picked up some women in the round up."
"Yeah, Mathias chose one for the test."
'He must've meant the fire ritual Sam mentioned.' Antauri mentally thought.
"Well, maybe she's the one? We might finally get off this rock."
"Don't get excited, it always ends the same way. Some poor girl burns, then it's business as usual."
"Man, I am sick of this damned place. I just want out."
"Listen, brother, we all do. But it's not gonna happen. The storms will never let us leave."
"But what if we-"
"What if nothing! You want outta here? There's a cliff. Go ahead and jump. Now let me finish this bottle in peace."
"Cynical, even toward each other." Antauri commented lowly. "Okay, don't know about you guys, but I'm done hearing their hopeless talk. Ritual or not, they're not leaving this island alive. Time for you to work your magic with that bow, Lara."
She nodded and with three well-aimed arrows, the men lay dead on the rocky ground.
They made their way down the stairs and jumped over the area where the men lay. After looting, Lara made them a zipline and upon reaching the other side, Antauri repaid the favor with a well-placed blow from the trench shotgun to the blockage in front of them while found some shotgun ammo.
As they're walk through the hut, Sam's voice came from their radios.
"Oh God, that was close." Sam said in panic. "Are you guys there?"
"We're here, Sam. Are you okay?" Lara asks after answering to her.
"What do they want with me, Lara?" Sam questioned. "A fire ritual? This is so fucked up!"
"Listen, we're coming to get you. We're going to get you out of there!" Lara said.
"Please, please help me, Lara." Sam pleads.
"I promise...I promise, Sam." Lara replied, but was short-lived when the guard's voice came through the transmission.
"Hey! She took your radio!"
"No/Shit!" Lara and Antauri breathed quietly as they listened helplessly.
"Oh no!" Sam said in panic.
"Sam? Sam?!" Lara cried into the radio, worry etching her tone and expression.
"Aaah! Aaah! Help me! Please!"
"Stay away from her, you bastards! Stay away!" Lara screamed.
"No! No!"
Then, the transmission has ended.
"Fuck!" Lara gasped, pacing anxiously.
Antauri seized her by the arm, effectively stopping her pacing.
"Lara, look at me. Look at me!" Antauri said, making Lara paused and looking at him, who turns into a hellhound form. "This is far from over, you understand. We will get her and we will save her. And then, once everyone is safe, we'll make sure these psychopathic bastards get everything coming to them. Alright? Now is not the time to panic. Keep a level head and keep moving."
Lara's panicked expression calmed and she nodded with an edge of newfound determination. Blitzo jumps down next to them with an ancient scroll on his hand.
"While you guys are busy tried to get Sam not to panic and the bunch of dipshits caught her, I found this." Blitzo told them. "What do you make of it?"
Antauri then looks through the ancient scroll, telling him about Hoshi, the Sun Priestess, standing above all others in the court. She's being instructed in languages, etiquette, history, warfare, etc. Himiko puts on a mask by showing her fake expression while Hoshi felt disquiet, questioning herself as to why and what is it they all feared.
"It seems Hoshi is on to something about Himiko while being trained, but the Sun Queen puts on a mask to hide her true intentions." Antauri said while Millie shows another one of the scrolls.
"I found this back in the mountain village inside of the hut. Though, the blockage are no match with my trusty axe." Millie told him.
He then grabs it with a chuckle, reads it. It's about the Stormguard General swore an oath to Himiko as his first Stormguard General and his armies, swore to serve her unconditionally and protect the lands of Yamatai and all her people. He will stand for the remainder of days, relinquishing his post only at her command. If the Stormguard General should fail, he'll forfeit his life.
"This is about the Stormguard General swore an allegiance to Himiko." Antauri commented. "Talk about a real kiss-ass."
"Yeah, bunch of assholes just sucking dicks around that Sun bitch and shit." Blitzo adds, crossed his arms with a frown. "Should we get moving?!"
With that, they then move on by jumping over to the ruins of a neighboring hut and ziplined down to the structure. They didn't anticipate the off landing and crashed through the roof.
"Whoa, what the hell was that?"
"I don't know...Another part of the plane?"
"Keep working. I'll go and check it out."
The armored Solarii went inside of the ruined hut to investigate.
"Nothing here! Damn ruins...falling apart all over the island."
Once the armored Solarii leaves, they climbed up and hide when the gasp was heard while the gas is spilling from the wreck.
"Whoa, paydirt! The tanks full!"
"Don't let it bleed out, man! That stuff is gold!"
Antauri then pulls out his pistol and fires at the tank, causing it to explode and killing the three men.
"What the hell's happening up there?"
"Gas got exploded, that's how." Blitzo said with a smirk.
"They're probably heading at our direction after the noise. Let's go deal with those stranglers." Antauri said as they nodded with a reply.
But once the two arrive to investigate, Millie and Moxxie came from behind and slit their throats with knives while looting for materials. They head down the stairs and duck underneath the plane wreck where they saw the Solarii looking for the fuel and the other guarding. Blitzo jumps up and into the wreck as Lara fires the first one while he pulls out his flintlock, fires the other in the head. He then slowly walks at the edge and noticed the third one below, readied his knife and leaps down, impaling him in the head.
"Death from above, bitch." Blitzo said with a smirk, flips him off while looting for materials or ammo.
After sweeping up, they kept their pace, hoping they won't be too late again at the end of this. They reached the raging river.
"No way around. We've got to cross." Lara stated.
Antauri, Millie, Moxxie, and Blitzo weren't sure it was safe, but Lara has a point. There's no way around.
Lara went first, hopping through the rapids from post to post with Millie, Moxxie, Blitzo, and Antauri behind her. The third one she reached, however, came loose and Lara went careening down the river.
"Lara!" Antauri, Millie, Moxxie, and Blitzo yelled, immediately diving into the rapids after her.
The white hellhound caught up to her quickly, hoisting up onto his shoulders while the imps tried to help him, but unable to swim back as the currents were far too strong even for them. For several long tense moments, they flew down the river on the white rapids, avoiding being impaled on sharp, pointed object or being rammed headlong into the blockades. Finally, they stopped briefly after being rammed almost completely through the wreckage of a plane body.
The currents, on the other hand, weren't through yet, and the wreck twisted and turned before stopping again. Lara was against the windshield of the plane that's beginning to crack under her weight, and Antauri was few feet above her, reaching carefully for the parachute. Millie snatched it and tossed it to him while the white hellhound quickly grasping Lara's outstretched hand as the glass gave out under her and they plummeted downward.
Pulling the first release cord, the parachute detached itself, leaving them still freefalling through the air. Antauri frantically grab the other cord which released a backup parachute and thankfully, was still attached. They then went from freefalling to freeflying as Antauri swerved viciously to avoid multiple trees they were rapidly descending through.
The badly fraying then snapped, and they went crashing violently through the trees, hitting multiple branches on their way down. They hit the ground hard, leaving them stunned and dazed, especially Lara, who's holding her side and gasping for air and in pain. Antauri noticed as they staggered to their feet.
"You guys alright?" Antauri asks.
"Just peachy..." Millie groaned in pain. "Shit, that really hurt!"
"I've got bruises everywhere!" Moxxie adds.
"Fuck, I've never been in pain so much in my entire fucking life!" Blitzo said in pain, rubbing his head. "Not to mention a very bad landing..."
"Lara, are you alright?" Antauri asks her.
Lara tries to nod, but ended up collapsing against the tree, stepping forward, and tripping on a root. Antauri gently took her arm and pulled her back to her feet. That was when he saw the small stab wound in her left side which Millie took notice.
"What happened to your side?" Millie questioned.
"It's the night we were shipwrecked here. As I got myself loose, I fell and landed on a thin piece of metal." Lara explains. "It went almost completely through my side but stopped only halfway."
Antauri and three imps cringed, sounded painful just hearing about it. They then glanced up and saw where they ended up.
"Lara, look. We're here." Antauri said.
Sure enough, she looks up and they saw the old Japanese palace and the city everyone has been describing.
"Let's go. Roth has to be here somewhere." Lara gasped in pain as they start heading to the city.
That's it for the chapter.
Here are the scrolls.
Hoshi: At Her Side
I want for nothing now. As a Priestess of the Sun Queen, I stand above all others in her court. I am being instructed in languages, etiquette, history, warfare...all the skills needed to rule. And the Queen has been like a mother to me. Warm, attentive, loving. But it all feels false, like some kind of performance. When I talk to the other Priestesses, I sense disquiet. Some of them feel as I do, perhaps all of them. But why? What is it that we all fear?
General: The Oath
My Queen, as I stand in your light, I swear this oath of allegiance to you. As your first Stormguard and General of your armies, I will serve you unconditionally and protect the lands of Yamatai and all of your people. I will stand by your side for the remainder of my days, relinquishing my post only at your command. If I should fail in my duties, my life is forfeit. My heart beats at your command, my breath is drawn at your pleasure. From this moment onwards, I answer only to you.