Wonders of an Ancient Glory A Tomb Raider Fiction Story Starring Lara Croft

By Ryan Foley

PROLOGUE Silently, a shadowed figured sat on a cold, dark throne. Drumming his fingers on the stone armrest, he felt the tremors in the fabric of reality. He let a soft sigh escape his lips, oblivious to his crystal surroundings. It had been so long since he felt those tremors and now he dared to hope. Hope that he would be released from his infernal prison... and back into the world of men.

CHAPTER ONE: HATRED REKINDLED

High in the Tomalanbec Mountains in southeastern Europe, a lone figure rose from a jagged peak to witness the dawn of a new day. Her eyes were the first to view the isolated valley in over 400 years. With the wind at her back, her trench coat flapped in the steady bluster of chilling wind. Viewing the virgin land, a slight smile cracked from her ruby lips as she realized her prize was close at hand. The long hours in the cramped private jet and constant dull roar of the cargo plane were long forgotten. The long process of dealing with local customs agents and negotiating with the various departments of antiquities now seemed years passed. Alone and on the cusp of a great adventure, she was now truly in her element. Quickly securing a taut nylon line to a stable outcropping of stone, she prepared to make her descent into the undiscovered. She double-checked to ensure her trusted pack was securely strapped to her back. Her knapsack was one of the few items she had not replaced with upgrades over the years. Although she never fell prey to superstition, the adventurer believed that in her own mind the trusted pack gave her bit of luck. This was the same pack that had been with her in the quest for the sacred Ark of the Covenant, the mission for the scion, and through the canals of Venice. It wasn't something she could just part with. Rested low on her shapely hips were her pair of .45 caliber magnum pistols. While experienced with many types of firearms. The magnums were clearly her weapons of choice. With some of the creatures she encountered, she needed the extra wallop the magnum's packed. Especially after she had taken the time to stockpile a variety of ammo: mercury tipped, hollow points, tracer bullets, and Teflon-coated bullets for armor piercing. In the past she had used a pair of Uzi submachine guns, but the rapid rate of fire never gave her the control she had wanted. Thinking back to her training with Dane Hawkins, a retired British SAS special force operative, she remember his wise words. "A true marksman doesn't need a ton of bullets unless he has a ton of opponents. A well-placed shot is better than a random spray of fire. It saves your ammo and it doesn't give away your position." She had tried to heed the old warrior's advice but she was also quite sure the good colonel had never gone head to head with a T-Rex or a pack of wild velociraptors. For those special occasions, she made sure her trusted 12-guage shotgun was securely fastened along her backpack. Keeping the sawed off weapon along her pack kept the bulky weapon out of her way for dexterous actions but also kept it easily accessible. With her weapons secured and all her items tucked away in a safe location, she attached the nylon rope to a clasp on her belt and began the long descent to the lost valley below. Quickly rappelling down the cliff face, her senses came alive. She felt the warm sear of the rope under her finger-less leather gloves. She sensed the solid impact of her soles against the heavy granite. She felt the mist of the jungle against her face as she entered into the thick tangle of undergrowth. He lungs drew in the thick syrupy air. With less than a dozen feet to go to the valley floor, she reached the end of her rope. Releasing her grip from the nylon cord, she quickly plummeted to the ground, shedding the leather trench coat in mid-air. Landing onto the previously undisturbed earth, her custom leather-hiking boots stirred up a light cloud of dust. Slowly taking off her patented Ray-Ban sunglasses, she observed the valley down the gentle slope below. She easily drew her right magnum pistol and took in the surroundings. Adventure was in the air and secrets of ages past were on the brink of discovery. To her, this was one of the greatest parts, next to actually accomplishing a mission. Lara Croft had arrived.

* * *

Croft moved quickly through the foreboding landscape. It was strange indeed that this lush tropical chaparral could exist in this high isolated mountain range, but in her worldwide travels she had seen many wonders. She also learned not to question. Just to do the job. Making her way through the jungle, she splashed through a small stream, vaulted over fallen trees, and kept up a quick enough pace through the thick vegetation to make a seasoned tracking hunter proud. Keeping an eye out for possible predators, Lara kept her magnums at the ready. Luckily, the path seemed clear. After spending years getting into and out of tight spots, she almost expected a wolf, tiger, or giant gorilla to burst from a concealed hiding place. The lack of life seemed most disturbing but she shook the thoughts from her mind. Have to stay focused on the job at hand, luv, she thought to herself. Her father always told her, "In all things, heedlessness is more dangerous than any threat or enemy." After almost an hour of moving through the undergrowth, she finally came upon the object of her search. The Well of Shan Zanar lay just ahead in an obscured clearing. Most of the trees in the valley seemed to grow as much out as they did up, so the canopy of trees with their dense foliage provided a great deal of cover. While the clearing was probably more than fifty meters wide, less than half that would be visible from an aerial view. Unlike most of her escapades into the unknown, most of her missions usually began with a large temple opening with intricate statues or impressive door frames or even precious jewels embedded in the stone face. This structure was surprisingly simple. The well was possibly six to seven feet in diameter, carved from what appeared to be a solid piece of alabaster, and bearing no distinguishing marks whatsoever. Running into the clearing, Lara easily vaulted onto the one-foot lip of the well. Perched like a modern day gargoyle, the young adventurer surveyed her surroundings. The forest seemed clear and moving into a vulnerable position, the last thing she needed was a hungry predator looking to make a quick meal. The well continued down far out of the light, but the moving floor suggested some amount of water located within. Producing a hiking gun from its holster on the underside of her lucky pack, Lara quickly fired two pitons into the earth, as there was no ledge or lip to secure a line to. The trees were too far away and would cost valuable rope she may need later. Threading a second nylon line through the pitons, Lara was prepared to face the unknown. She stood momentarily on the edge of the alabaster well and peered into the undiscovered land. From one of her hip pockets, she drew out a small plastic tube. Cracking the foot long tube in her hand, she quickly shook its fluidic components together, causing an eerie greenish glow to form. She tossed the "glow stick" into the well. The tube illuminated the well like something out of an old science fiction movie until it splashed into the water below casting a ghostly jade reflection on the smooth milky walls. Poised at the edge of the abyss, she drew a deep breath. For the first time she noticed the humid density of the air. Her tight cotton shirt clung to her breasts and her feet felt warm in the thick socks and hiking boots. She hoped the discomfort was from the climate and not the nervousness she felt in the pit of her stomach. No matter how many times I do this... she thought silently and leapt into the Well of Shan Zanar. Had she taken one last look around, she may have noticed the dark figure silently arriving at the edge of the clearing. She may have noticed the glint of light on steel. And she may have noticed the eye staring at her through the crosshairs.

* * *

Lara splashed into the watery depths of the Well of Shan Zanar. Quickly locating her glow stick, she guessed the water was almost twelve feet deep. Resting at the bottom of the surprisingly clear water was a rusted iron hatch complete with a submarine-style wheel to open the cover. Feeling her lungs cry out for air, she left the glow stick and surfaced. As she gently swayed her arms back and forth, Lara felt like she had taken a bath in bottled mineral water. How could a well in the middle over nowhere remain so clear and clean? Taking another deep breath, she returned to the cover. With a rough tug, she felt the hatch turn and unlock. Grasping the edges, she began to pull the hatch open. Her lungs began to burn. The activity would have been tough on dry land. Attempting to open the hatch underwater was almost too much. After having to surface twice, Lara began to grow angry. Even more determined and fueled with the adrenaline of anger, she was able to finally pull up and push the hatch open. Just as she finally accomplished the daunting task, she realized her terrible mistake. The room below the hatch was not immersed with water as she had anticipated. As a result, all the water quickly rushed into the lower room, threatening to take Lara with it. In a mad scramble, she managed to grab the lip of the opening by her fingertips and hold on for dear life. Abruptly, the water flowed into the lower room. In the half-light, roughly ten feet below her was a collection of very large and very menacing spikes. One of which glowed with an odd greenish fluid as her glow stick had been punctured and still remained skewered on the spike. Securing her grip, Lara began to rock her hips back and forth, building momentum. With sufficient force, Lara released her grip and swung herself to safety, just beyond the spikes. Looking back at the deadly intrusion insurance, she felt somewhat vindicated. If someone would go to this much scheming to arrange such a menacing booby trap, then there must certainly be items of value within.

* * *

Looking over her shoulder, Lara let out a deep breath in relief. Twelve pressure sensitive arrow traps, ten dead ends, eight angry vampire bats, six rigged column supports, four trip wires, three lava pits, and two collapsible ceilings after she entered the well, she had arrived. Lara giggled audibly and sang out with her light British accent, "...And a partridge in a pear tree." Lara gazed at her final goal. Resting in an immense cavern was the object of the search that had brought her half way around the world. The cavern itself was impressive. The large arched ceilings must have been over fifty feet tall at its zenith and the ceiling had small holes carved into the surface allowing a high amount of natural light to filter into the underground chamber. The holes had obviously been drilled with a layout in mind, as the natural light shined on some of the most impressive structures of the room. And the circular orientation of the holes allowed the light to shine on the structures despite the time of day. Intricately carved statues of what must have been heroes adorned the support columns of the room, adding a feel of history and tradition from the long dead culture. After surveying the large underground cavern, Lara began to decide where she would have put the traps had she designed the room. Traps that would have been hidden death to a common observer suddenly came alive, larger than life to the seasoned tomb raider. She saw the pressure plates disguised in the floor's scrollwork. She noticed the rigged steps and now too obvious collapsible hand holds. As she acrobatically made her way through the room, she took the appearance of a warrior ballerina. She moved with a grace and skill that would have served the most graceful of dancers and the control and poise that rivaled the greatest Olympic gymnast. Avoiding the rigged vines that would have surely activated another hidden trap, Lara side flipped to a safe position behind the golden coffin of Lord Talanmarna, forgotten sage of the lost nation of Schracon. Here was the final resting-place of the long dead savant. Lara steadied herself as she moved her hands over the coffin face, keeping her palms a few scant centimeters off the actual surface. The gold and deep stained wood cast an ochre glow upon Lara's face, and she smiled a triumphant grin. Lara produced a small metallic device from her pocket, roughly the size of a traditional fountain pen, and activated one of the three black buttons running along the shaft. From the tip, a bright burst of blue light erupted and began burrowing through one of the coffin's sidewalls. The powerful laser easily cut through the aging wood, with no vibrations or disturbance. With a hole roughly the size of a dime cut through the coffin wall, Lara replaced the pen-laser with a retractable fiber optic cord attached to a small electronic signal relay. Placing the fiber optic cord within the coffin, she proceeded to move the cord in all directions, taking a full scan of the coffin and its contents. With her mission objective before her, she rose from her crouched position and began re-securing her equipment. Looking down to put away her pen-laser, she noticed a strange glowing crimson dot on her shirt resting right between her breasts. Just over her heart... Lara Croft barely dropped behind the cover of the coffin before the entire room was filled with gunfire. Bullets ricocheted around the cavern striking the sarcophagus and it's raised dais. The bullets never seemed to end, as Lara continued to wait for the precious time her assailant would need to reload. But the cavern itself seemed to be rocking unnaturally. The ricocheting bullets were beginning to activate the snares of the room. If Lara didn't get her opportunity soon, she wouldn't have to worry about the bullets finishing her off; the traps of the forgotten tomb would do the job for her attacker. She drew out her magnums and was poised to make her move when she looked to the back of the room. From the bullet holes of her unseen antagonist, water began seeping into the chamber. Spinning and jumping up from her crouched position, Lara began riddling the entranceway of the final chamber with dozens of bullets. As she ducked back down behind the coffin to reload, she swore she heard a grunt of pain. Reloaded, Lara returned to her attack position only to find her assailant had disappeared. Most of the top of the coffin lid had been shredded by the gunfire. Looking into the casket, she saw a variety of jeweled necklaces, bracers, and an elaborate crown. Unable to pass up what was literally a king's ransom, Lara reached in and snatched up the baubles, placed them in a pouch on her hip, and began to head out of the cavern. More and more water began to pour into the chamber through the bullet holes. From the darkness of the entrance, three grenades were lobbed into the chamber. Disregarding the traps of the tomb, Lara took off in a dead sprint for the passage. A massive explosion ripped through the chamber, destroying the back wall. Lara looked back to see a massive rush of water rolling into the chamber flooding the entire area. If she couldn't make it back to the well, she would never make it out alive...

* * *

With a great burst of air, Lara erupted from the overflowing alabaster well. Her hair was matted to her head. Her clothes clung about her body. And her lips were turning blue from lack of oxygen. "I guess it's a good thing most of that tomb ran up hill, huh baby?" came a deep baritone voice. With her arms resting across the lip of the well, she looked up into the eyes of leather clad testosterone. A large man stood over Lara from her vulnerable position in the well. He was dressed in black from head to toe, mostly in military style fatigues, with high boots, and a leather trench coat. He had a large fully automatic assault rifle slung over one shoulder and a pistol currently trained on Lara's forehead. "Victor Tagladaro," Lara managed to hiss out through clenched teeth. "What rock did you slither out from under?" The large man let out a little bit of a laugh. Despite his handsome visage with square jaw and chiseled features, his confident smirk under his five o'clock shadow made him positively galling to Lara. "Oh darling, really. If you keep making comments like that I'm gonna think you don't like me." Picking up nerve, Lara went to hoist herself out of the well, only to have Victor's Luger press against her forehead. "No, No, No, little mermaid, I prefer you in the water to keep your hands and feet occupied. Besides, it really accentuates your best... assets." Lara couldn't help but feel his penetrative eyes move to the waterlogged shirt clinging to her chest. "Drop the mags outta their holsters if you please, " Victor requested after pulling Lara's shotgun off her shoulder. "I can't believe you, Victor. How can you even call yourself an explorer or an adventurer? You are nothing but a scavenger" Lara swore, trying to remain calm after complying with his order. "You just exploit what other people have done. You are only standing on the shoulders of giants." "Who cares, Jiggles, as long as I produce results? Now, your stash bag if you please." Staring into a pistol, she realized she had little choice. Grudgingly from under the waterline, she produced the leather sack with the king's adornments. "Thanks again, baby. Now just to make sure you don't get any smart ideas and try to follow me out of here, I'm gonna fire a full clip into this well. It'll be like shootin' fishes in a barrel; that is unless you swim to the bottom and seek shelter in the lower room. Besides, it'll give you a chance to recover those weapons of yours. Lord knows those guns don't come cheap and it looks like your outta pocket on this little expedition, huh?" Lara began to contest her rival but Victor began a very quick countdown starting from 5. Seeing no other way out, Lara took a quick breath and dunked back into the chilled water. Just as she cleared her way into the lower room, making note to avoid the spikes, a haze of bullets rained down the tube of the shaft. Once the hails of bullets stopped ringing through the watery tomb, Lara picked up her magnums from where they had fallen among the spikes and returned to the surface. When she finally pulled herself out of the well, Victor had disappeared as covertly as he arrived. His only evidence that he had ever arrived was Lara's 12 gauge careless tossed to the ground but carefully left unloaded.

* * *

Several hours later, Lara Croft made her way down the mountainside to the only plateau stable enough to support a light helicopter. The black two-man craft glinted with the glow of metal in the noonday sun, standing out prominently against the cold gray rocks. Next time, I have to remember to bring along some sort of camouflage covers, she thought to herself. No wonder I was so easily found. Opening up the hatch to the underbelly cargo bay in the rear of the aircraft, she took off her equipment and stowed it away neatly. She checked the most important item, the laptop computer her electronic signal relay was linked to. With the fiber optic camera, Lara had successful obtained an undisturbed three dimensional digital map of the coffin. Speaking to the wind, Lara said, "Next time Victor do your homework. The jewels weren't even the real treasures in the tomb. Well, as they say, he who laughs last..."

CHAPTER 2: RACE FOR POWER

"Digital image is clean. Nice 3D rendering. Details are better than I anticipated. This is a pretty good job, Lara. I'm impressed." "Well thanks, Hans. Coming from you that's a pretty big compliment," Lara smiled. The middle-aged man with salt-and-paper hair raised up from his laptop computer and spun in his high-backed office chair. "Hopefully, the computer will be able to convert this into an image that the VR system can analyze," Hans said showing almost no German accent. "Did all your equipment work out okay? How did the auto pilot fly? Any bumps?" "No. I even got a chance to sleep part of the way back. That really helped out," Lara called out from across the room as she examined one of the designer's many lab tables. "I can imagine. So who is this Victor Tagladaro anyway? Competitor?" "Not one I would consider to be serious competition, but he is devious," Lara sneered as she placed an odd shaped crossbow with an enormous scope back on the Formica countertop. "He waited for me to disarm all the traps and then stole the goal." "You'd probably like that little number. That's a Hans Warsteiner original. The arrow is attached to what I call my 'filament cable.' Light, durable and twice as strong as your nylon. Scope even helps with trigonometric angles. Sounds to me like your boy's watched too many Indiana Jones movies." "Originality was never a strong point for him." Lara agreed. "So what's the next move, ace? By the way you're eyeing my new design I have a feeling that prototype may be out for a field run." "Can this thing anchor to stone or metal? Like the side of a building or an elevator?" Lara asked of the crossbow. "With the right arrowhead; sure," Hans responded confidently. "Why?" "I've decided to strike back at him in a way he should be familiar with." "I don't like the sound of that, Lara." "Neither will he..."

* * *

The Teranix Corporation. New York City. Most of the building was empty on the cold Sunday evening. Victor Tagladaro was just on his way down to meet one of his many arranged limousines to escort him about for the evening, as he shut his computer down. Clicking the light off in his spacious corner officer, he cinched up the belt on his trench coat and headed for the elevator. When the chrome doors opened to the luxurious lift, he stood face to face with Lara Croft. His eyes expanded in surprise and before he could react Lara burst from the elevator and slammed him into the wall of the hallway. As Victor looked into the eyes of the feral adventurer he quickly composed himself. "For a woman who raids tombs for a living, I guess I shouldn't bother asking you how you got past security, huh?" "Shut up you piece of sh-" "Ah, ah, ah, Lara. Those aren't the proper manners for a lady. Now, how can I help you? That black top of yours very nice. Lycra spandex?" Feeling his eyes move over her toned body made her feel even angrier. Lara sneered as she slammed him against the wall once for good measure. "And those jeans to wonders for your hips. Shapely and alluring, yet not too much so. What are those? Versaci? Guess? No, no, no. Chic! Do they make you feel like a natural woman?" She pounded him against the wall again. "How did you tag me at the Tomalanbecs?" "Is that all, Lara? And I thought our relationship was beyond that questioning stage. Heck, I was just getting ready to ask you if you wanted to get naked." Lara's magnum leapt out of the holster hidden behind her back and jammed under Victor's right eye. "Okay, okay. I guess I'll cancel the trip to Cancun. Really, Lara, you need to get a corporate sponsor. It's done wonders for my career." "What are you babbling about?" "Think about it, Lara," Victor replied losing some of his usual blustering cockiness. "You're one of the best in the world. Of course people are going to follow your work. Everything is networked now. God bless the Information Super Highway. When you check through customs, how hard do you think it would be for a hacker to locate that info? Fuel invoices, equipment sales or rentals, credit card receipts. You're a good law abiding citizen. I'm sure those weapons are registered firearms. So when a certain law abider purchases hollow point armor piercing rounds with depleted Uranium casings and laced with the patented Teflon no-stick formula, people tend to notice. Or maybe I just have real lucky guesses." Stunned by the revelations, Lara slowly lowered her weapons and released her nemesis from her hold. He quickly righted himself and adjusted his trench coat. "Are we finished here, Lara? I was just on my way to the Giants game. They're playing the Lions. Barry Sanders, Jason Sehorn, and I've got seats right on the 50 yard li-" Victor never saw Lara's black gloss magnum swing at his head. He barely had time to register the impact. He never even felt his head hit the floor. He never saw Lara retrieve the prototype crossbow from the elevator. And as he swam into darkness, he never saw Lara heading for his office to switch on his computer.

* * *

"Lara, I gotta tell ya, I don't like the looks of this," the young Italian girl said as she waved the CD jewel case in her hand. "You want me to crack the encryption codes of the Teranix Corporation, one of the most technologically advanced businesses on the planet?" "Trust me, Vanessa. It's not as bad as it looks." It was almost hard to believe but this small three-story brownstone in Soho was home to one of the most brilliant computer geniuses on Earth. Amid the cozy down-home atmosphere filled with cow pictures in the kitchen, comfortable couches, and stained carpets were some of the most advanced personal computer systems in the world. "I burned this off of a separate system. It wasn't connected to the main system of Teranix. I know Victor. He likes everything to be nice and organized before he presents a business opportunity. My guess is he works on his proposals on a stand-alone system and then transfers the files to the connected computer. He said the company was full of hacks and chances are the stand alone was the only place he could ensure his information couldn't be perused through until he wanted it." "Good idea," Vanessa agreed running her fingers through her thick black hair. "Well, let me toy with it for the evening and I can send what I unlock over to your equipment designer." "Sounds good to me. By the way, thanks for showing me how to upload those financial statements. How long do you think it will take the accountants at Teranix to notice the funds funneled into a bank account owned by a certain adventurer-on-retainer?" "I'm not sure. But Mr. Tagladaro is going to have one heck of a time trying to explain that he doesn't have an account at NY 1st Federal." "Well, like Vic said, God bless the Information Super Highway." The two women shared a hearty laugh.

* * *

Lara arrived at Hans' workshop after traveling almost an hour from Vanessa's place up in Soho. "Lara, you just got some e-mail from someone named V-No. It says it needs voice verification from you. Top secret stuff I guess." After clearing Vanessa's encryption, Lara accessed the file. She quickly ran through the document. The information included maps, satellite photos with thermal resolutions, ancient text diagrams, and a curious artist's rendition of a unique prize. Looking over Lara's shoulder, Hans let out a low whistle. "Man, this can't be right. I thought that old man was just a myth." "I don't consider anything a myth, Hans, until it has been confirmed by fact proving otherwise," Lara responded. "Imagine if he's not." "Pascal's wager, ja?" "Pascal's wager, indeed. Hey do you still keep in contact with that old librarian friend of yours out in Westchester?" "Sure. He's retired but he'd still help me out. Why? You need some research done?" "Not exactly," Lara purred, looking at the computer screen. Pointing to part of the screen she said, "I'm going to need a little fabrication." And a shark-like grin spread across Lara's face as the plan began to form.

CHAPTER 3: WONDERS OF AN ANCIENT GLORY

The dark, black lids snapped open to reveal blood red goat-like eyes. The beast continued to salivate. Soon, very soon, the time would be at hand...

* * *

In the dark gray fog, the speedboat bobbed lazily in the calm ocean off an isolated coast of the British Isles. The moon was in its new phase providing no light and although a myriad of stars graced the sky, they did little to penetrate the dark. The dashboard was aglow with various LED readouts ranging from Doppler radar, depth ranges, global positioning system, weather patters, etc. The deck of the boat was lit up very softly against the night. Lara Croft was dressed in a classic wetsuit, armed with various knives and underwater gear. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun to keep her hair away from her face. From the captain's chair, Lara scanned the horizon through a pair of night vision binoculars. Comparing notes with her GPS system, Lara found her target. The small island was not particularly interesting. There were no distinguishing marks to separate it from any other island in the area. The small island had sparse vegetation, a few trees, and rocky beaches. But, this was the location that Victor's notes should have indicated. His calculations had just been incorrect. She double-checked her scuba tanks and the special waterproof compartment located between the canisters. A very special item rested within its hold and if Victor thought of doing another double cross, this time she would be ready. Lara activated her satellite communication system to contact Hans in his lab in New York. With the link activated, Hans' face blinked on to one of the many TV screens on the boat's dash. "Roger, Lara, I have you on SATCOM and my GPS telemetry shows you are right where you should be. Radar looks clean, sweetheart. No surface or sonar contacts. It's all yours." "Thanks Hans," Lara said as she lifted her scuba tank onto her shoulders. "Unless I miss my guess, I'll probably lose contact with you after I enter the structure, but I'll be in touch." "Right, Lara. Good hunting." "Good hunting, indeed." And she splashed into the dark water.

* * *

The darkness was completely enveloping. Lara continued to kick in the general direction she knew she should be heading but the darkness was like swimming in an inkwell. After a good solid ten minutes of kicking, Lara punched in several key commands on the miniature waterproofed keyboard on her left forearm. Through Hans' specially designed goggles, she saw the ocean illuminate with the computer generated map overlays. She had practiced with this system several times in pool and simulators but she had never actually used it in the field. The luminous green lines formed geometric shapes and patterns that she had learned to recognize as three-dimensional objects. This must be like flying a plane using only radar Lara thought. This kept Lara from using light for vision, yet it also kept others from seeing her in the darkness. Smoothly cutting through the water, Lara recognized the structure she was looking for, a series of concentric circles extending deeper into the earth. As Lara headed for the mysterious cavern, she felt a shiver run down her spine. At first she thought she had just swam through a current of colder water, but this was something different. Like a bit of pure evil had brushed past her. Making her way to the edge of the cavern, she studied its structure. The circle was cut in almost perfect symmetry. It was nearly ten feet in diameter yet did not seem that it was man made. It was almost as if the rock itself had molded to the desired shape, as there was no evidence of drilling or cutting. Switching off the computer map, Lara drew out a glow stick, casting the cavern in the eerie green light she was becoming accustomed to. Moving into the subterranean passage, she pushed herself along the ceiling finding several handholds in cavities permeating the rock. Just at the edge of her peripheral vision she saw a flash of deep green racing at her from out of one of the cubbyholes along the tunnel's surface. Barely able to pull her diving knife from its sheath on her thigh in time, Lara severed the head of the moray eel. The eel was almost a foot in diameter, making it one of the largest she had ever seen. As the blood from the eel began to fill the passageway, Lara quickly began to kick. Fearing the blood would attract any nearby predator; she wanted to get away as quickly as possible. After continuing further down the passage, she noticed a hole in the ceiling of the tunnel and an odd white glow from the opening. She estimated that the hole was located in the exact center of the island. Surfacing quietly, Lara's mouth hung agape, dropping her scuba mouthpiece. Looking around in complete amazement, she gently pushed herself over to the edge of the opening and lifted herself out of the water. Still bewildered, she slipped the scuba tanks off her shoulders and stripped away all her unnecessary gear. Setting the tanks near the edge of the entrance pool, Lara opened the watertight compartment and drew out her magnum pistols and holster belt, along with her trusted backpack. Raising from her kneeled position, Lara surveyed the room like a boxer surveying an opponent. It was like she stood within the center of a giant geode. Every surface was a gleaming crystal; some polished so fine they had a mirror-like appearance. The room was bathed in a soft magical glow that was very inviting. It wasn't the harsh light of technology or the bursting light of the sun. By contrast, it was superior to the dim glow that candles or torches provided. The room was surprisingly warm. Compared to the blustery wind on the boat or the chilly water in the passage, the room was a perfect temperature. The ceiling must have stretched up fifty feet and the entire room must have been over 100 yards in diameter. Like the entrance cavern, this room too had the almost perfect circular shape. Breaking the mirror-like surface of the floor stood various crystal formations, ranging in marble size height to over seven feet high. Along the edge of the domed structure were various items of significance: gold candelabras with scented red candles, nickel-plated torch holders with blazing torches still resting within the brackets, iron stands with platinum braziers burning fiercely, even stands adorned with various jewels and object d'art. Curious, Lara moved first to the torches and then to the braziers. Having torches lit in a place thought undiscovered for hundreds of years normally would have worried her. But examining the torches they burned with no heat. Growing bold, Lara ran her fingers through the flame, but it did not singe her. This cold fire must have been one of the many enchantments left around the domicile. Finally her eyes settled on the objective of her mission.

* * *

A high-tech gloss blue cigarette boat with more chrome engines than hull screamed to a roaring halt. The massive wake rocked the watercraft and the other anchored near by. In the darkness, a figure quickly strapped on all the necessary scuba gear. As he placed his goggles over his head, he winced in pain. It had been five days but the nasty welt on his temple still hurt and persisted to give him headaches at night. Oh, how she was going to pay. Locking away all his gear, he dived into the frigid water before cursing under his mouthpiece. "Get ready Lara. Cause I am going to put you out of my misery, you fuc-" And he disappeared into the light-less depths.

* * *

Stepping gingerly closer, Lara found the object of her search. The raised dais and alcove on the northern most point was an object of beauty. The walls seemed to be made of molten gold and the very fabric of time seemed to teethe with power. As she stepped up to the alcove, she wondered at the various objects of power. She long believed this place to be a simple tale, a fable, a myth, a legend. And yet, here was the final resting-place of the great magician Merlin. Looking around, she saw a large ornate book roughly the size of a modern day encyclopedia, a mysterious staff with a large ruby set into both ends, and an assortment of robes all adorning a magnificent coffin. Slinging off her pack, Lara gently placed the delicate book into her rucksack, next to the item she had petitioned the old librarian for. She then bundled the robes of the sorcerer into a small ball and placed them within the pouch as well. Hefting the staff, she tried to decide how she would carry this cumbersome rod out to the boat without hindering her movements. Cocking her head ever so slightly, she thought she heard the misplaced dripping of water. Spinning on her heal, Lara saw Victor Tagladaro. His impressive six and a half foot athletic frame was covered in his form fitted diving suit revealing his broad shoulders, muscular chest and rippled stomach. His thick black hair was slicked back against his skull. And his hands easily rested on a fully loaded MP-5 submachine gun and his laser sight was trained right on her. "Oh jiggles, this is going to be sooo sweet." "Victor..." Lara whispered stepping out and to the right of the alcove, with her hands raided non-threateningly. "SHUT UP!" he screamed. "What else did you rob from my private files at Teranix, you bit--!" And the room echoed with quick gunfire. Dropping her pack and the staff, Lara dove for cover behind one of the larger crystal structures, somersaulting to safety. Ricochets riddled the cavern. "Victor stop, the ricochets will kill us both!" "Shut up, liar! You've ruined me! This discovery was going to be my crowning achievement, but you had to take my goal away because of petty revenge." "What about the Tomalanbecs, Victor. What do you call that?" Lara screamed back in protest. "That was just objects, Lara. Gold to be sold off to museums. Small trinkets in a big game. This is POWER. You have no idea about what you got in here." Victor screamed, betraying his usually cool exterior. The irony is so thick here; I could cut it, Lara thought as she dove to another crystal formation making her way closer to the furious gunman. Last time it was Victor who had no idea what secrets the Well of Shan Zanar held. Now the tables had truly turned. More bullets ricocheted around the cavern. "So what do I have here?" Lara asked, trying to keep Victor talking to keep him distracted. More bullets rained in. "That's the biggest insult, Lara. You don't even realize the power at your finger tips," Victor replied. "But isn't odd that I did make it in here so easily? The only trap I encountered was an angry eel. Weird, huh?" More bullets showered the area. "Doesn't it seem strange that the most awesome magical force in the world would leave his most precious items so easily found?" "EASILY FOUND! I've spent years piecing together clues to this location and you think it's easily found!?!" Victor shrieked. More bullets rained in. If I counted correctly, he should be empty in five more shots, Lara thought. "But any Joe Shmoe could have scuba dived in here by accident just like we did." Three more bullets fired as Lara dove closer to her target behind the cover of the crystalline formations. Closing in, Lara continued to taunt, "Am I wrong Vic? That seems to be awfully simple logic." Another stray round fired off. Betting the odds, Lara rounded the crystal she was hiding behind and charged the adventurer, still standing at the entrance shaft edge. Victor managed to fire off one shot before his clip ran out. The round barely grazed Lara's right shoulder but skimmed with enough impact to knock her off-balance. She continued to charge. The empty clip dropped from the weapon. Lara drew closer. Victor pulled another clip from his belt. Lara drew closer. He slammed the clip home. Lara drew closer. He manually loaded in the first round. Lara was upon him. Screaming, Victor shoved the gun forward and fired on full auto. Luckily, Lara slid in low avoiding the initial burst of bullets. Grabbing the barrel from underneath and shoving upward, the gun raised in a clean arc showering the ceiling in a spray of bullets. As the two wrestled over the weapon, both plunged down into the watery depths.

* * *

Silently, the figure watched the spectacle and waited, drumming his steepled fingers together. A deep smile split his lip as the two tackled each other. The spray of gunfire riddled upward and spider web cracks began to form in his crystal stockade. Finally, the magic had been weakened enough and colossal black fists began hammering away. As the wall broke away, the prisoner had finally found...

* * *

"FREEDOM!!!" The two adventurers looked up from the surface of the water and watched an immense black form burst from the ceiling in a shower of crystal. Its frame was impossibly large standing over ten feet in height once it finally landed. The naked humanoid was formed of rippling black flesh with odd red horns sprouting from various locations on its body. Huge bat-like wings rested from his shoulder blades measuring over twenty feet in wingspan. Huge claws like butcher knives extended from his fingertips and toes and his needle-like teeth dripped with an odd green fluid. An evil demon had escaped its long imprisonment. Scrambling out of the water, the two explorers seemed taken aback. Bones popped and muscles stretched as the monster adjusted to his newfound freedom. Instinctively, Lara drew out her magnums, wishing now she had brought her shotgun. The demon turned to the two humans, sizing them up with red goat-like eyes. As the demon spoke, they half heard his voice and half felt his presence within their mind. "When pure heart doth make its way to my abode; only then will secrets hidden be told. HAHAHAHA" the demon laughed. "Thank you, my dear, for fulfilling Merlin's final prophecy. And to you," pointing at Victor, "your greed and quest for vengeance has freed me from my prison. Allow me to thank you both accordingly." In a large sweeping bow, the demon knelt before the two awe struck humans. But just as quickly the demon snapped up and fired a tremendous fireball from the palm of his hand. Barely reacting in time, Lara sprinted to safety behind a crystalline structure and Victor dove into the water. Lara had guessed correctly and the crystal was impervious to the demon flame, or he could have used the fireballs to escape his prison long ago. Victor was probably already half way out of the water tunnel by now. She would have to tackle this beast alone. She loaded her mercury tipped bullets into both magnums and switched both to full auto. Raising up from behind her crystal, Lara drew a bead on the huge target and emptied both clips. She drew a ray of hope as the bullets slammed into the demon's face and upper torso finally knocking him to the mirror floor. She let out a breath of relief, until the demon rolled over and got back to his feet. No blood flowed from the wounds. The physical force of the bullets had knocked the demon down but did not harm him in any way. Drooling even more profusely, the demon chuckled, "So the princess has teeth. Good. I haven't eaten in almost seven hundred years and I bet your flesh is sweet." The demon charged in hoping bursts at Lara, half running half flying. Knowing she couldn't beat him with physical force, Lara did the last thing the demon would expect: Charge right at him. In the demon's leaps to close the distance, he easily overshot his target as Lara somersaulted in between his legs. The demon swung his spiked prehensile tail at the pesky human but she managed to roll underneath its swing. Loading her weapons again, Lara continued to fire. She knew that the bullets wouldn't harm the demon but at least they might keep him at bay. She began making her way back to Merlin's alcove. Keeping the demon in her sights, she continued to fire away but the demon vanished in a wash of reality. She never had time to recover as the demon tackled her from behind. Her face slammed into the mirror floor and her vision shrank to a small dot. Lara fought to keep conscious as the demon rolled her on her back. Perched over the top of her, she could smell the demon's fetid breath on her face and his hand pinning her down by her most private of places. "I think I'm going to enjoy this. Maybe toy with you a little before the grand finale," the demon hissed as her ran a sharp talon down her cheek, neck, and between her breasts. The demon raised a claw to begin his torture but was blasted on his flank by repeated gunfire. The endless barrage knocked the demon from his squatted position over Lara. Scampering to get away, Lara's heel was almost snatched up as the demon made a grab for her, only to have his clawed hand riddled with bullets. Rolling into an upright position again, the demon faced his newest attacker. Victor Tagladaro and his MP-5 floating in the entrance pool. Moving with impossible speed for a creature of his size, the demon charged as Victor descended into the water. Unfortunately, the demon's grip was longer than Victor's swimming speed. The devil snatched up Victor by his ankle and produced him from the pool like a proud fisherman. Slinging his catch across the room, Victor slammed against a crystal formation with a sick wet thud. Before the demon could deliver the killing blow, he heard a shrill cry, "Freeze, Hellspawn!" Looking over his shoulder, Lara Croft stood, cut, bleeding, bruised, and injured, but ready to fight. Seeking to finish this quickly, the demon fired off another fireball from his palm. But unlike last time, Lara never budged. She looked poised to take the fireball head on. Amazed at the frail human's courage, the demon could not look away. At the last minute, Lara produced Merlin's ruby tipped staff from behind her back. The demon's jaw dropped in stark horror at the sight of the artifact. The fireball hit Lara square but the ruby end of the staff absorbed the demon's magic. The staff began to glow with a strange azure aura, as the magic seemed to travel down the shaft to the other ruby. The precious jewel began to glow with a great light, radiating both a red and blue glow. Screaming in anger, Lara spun the glowing stone at the demon releasing the magic. An icy blast ripped through the demon, covering him in glacial cold. By the time the magic had died, the fiend was encased in waves of ice, frozen to his core. Lara ran to Victor, staff in hand. "That was really cool, Lara," he said through a hacking blood cough. "Cool is kind of an understatement." Lara laughed. Raising to his feet, Victor drew out his .45 caliber side arm and trained his sight on the frozen demon. "You know I have to say it," he smirked. "You Americans and your love of action movies," Lara sighed and shook her head. Smiling a true grin of happiness, Victor sighted in the demon and voiced in a very bad imitation, "Hasta La Vista...Baby." And fired.

CHAPTER 4: EPIC CONCLUSIONS

What happened when the bullet hit the frozen form of manifested evil was completely unexpected. The demon exploded in a massive concussion wave. The cavern began to rock in a massive quake as crystals began to fall from the ceiling. Wide eyed in horror, Lara sprinted to the alcove to recover her pack. As the crystals continued to rain down, Victor sprinted to recover both of the duo's oxygen tanks. Looking at Lara in the distance, Victor watched her produce Merlin's fabled spell book from her backpack. She studied the book for a moment as Victor screamed over roar of the collapsing cavern, "This is no time for introspective thoughts, Lara." Nodding in agreement, she tossed the book into one of the burning braziers. Yelling protest, Victor watched the book go up in a tremendous purple cloud as she joined him at the exit hole. "Are you insane woman?" Victor exclaimed with his hands slapped to his forehead. "Pascal's Wager, Victor. Pascal's Wager." Lara replied as she slammed her bag into her watertight compartment. The two dived into the chilling water as the tomb of the great wizard Merlin collapsed behind them.

* * *

"Freeze Hellspawn?" Victor asked with an arched eyebrow. "With a dry cool wit like that you could be an action hero." "Well, it was all I could think of. And besides who would have guessed that the staff would have responded to that phrase?" Lara replied. Together, the two watched the island crumble into itself and disappear within the ocean depths. Many a great treasure would never be recovered now. "Pascal's Wager?" Victor asked. "What?" Lara questioned, shaking her vision from the disappearing island. "Pascal's Wager. You said that as we were leaving. What is that?" "Well, simply put, what if that spellbook contained more of the magic that summoned or created that demon thing? Or what if it was completely worthless? If it was worthless, by keeping it we gained nothing and by losing it..." "You mean burning it," Victor interrupted. "By me burning it," Lara continued, "we didn't lose anything. On the other hand, if it was real and we could have deciphered the magic. We could have brought new power to the world. Or greater evil into it. I weighed all beneficial options against all the harmful the options and decided I would have rather lost all the good magic rather than risk bringing forth more evil." "Very noble, Lara. Stupid but noble. Imagine the money we could have made..." Victor whispered letting his thoughts trail off. The two stared at the frothing fountain of bubbles where the island had once been, sharing a long uncomfortable silence. "Why did you come back for me?" Lara asked staring out into the dark blackness, unable to face her savior. "I almost didn't." Victor admitted rather flatly. "But I realized that no matter how much you hated me, you wouldn't have left me to that demon. So I couldn't leave you." "If I didn't know any better Victor, I'd say you were growing a sense of honor." "Well, don't let that get out. I've spent years developing my reputation as one tough son of a bitch. One moment of nobility could screw up years of hard work." "Your secret is safe with me," Lara smiled turning to look into his deep dark eyes. Before she could react, Victor grabbed Lara around her waist and pulled her body to him. He firmly planted a deep passionate kiss on her full lips and surprisingly, Lara could not pull herself away. Without saying another word, Victor boarded his boat lashed along side Lara's. "The staff is yours. You've won this day. But next time I won't be as nice," Victor grumbled with a smirk. It was difficult to tell if he was joking or not. Before she could even respond, he gunned the engine on his boat and sped off into the night. Letting him leave, Lara drew up her anchor and slowly tolled away from the final resting-place of the great magician Merlin, wondering what treasures she was leaving behind. The sea was now silent after swallowing her prize, leaving behind no trace the island ever existed. Deep below the surface, a few stray bubbles made their way to the surface. A few pebbles rolled down the steep bluff, disturbed from underneath. Under the rubble, small pieces of inky black flesh began to knit back together. And deep below the surface, an evil hatred began to seethe...

EPILOGUE Lara collapsed into the plush leather couch, finally able to relax. She began undoing her long braid of chestnut hair and snuggled into her thick red velvet robe. The warm glow of the fire in the enormous fireplace combined with the feel of the plush robe against her naked flesh was so intoxicating it almost made her forget about the many hardships she had endured over the past few weeks. Her hot chocolate still steamed on the end table but she was just too comfortable to stretch out to grab it. She folder her hands in her lap and closed her eyes, smiling at the warmth of the raging fire against her face. She released a deep sigh of contentment as she let her guard down and relaxed. Finally, she reached for her hot chocolate and the book on the end table. After sipping the delicious drink, she placed the steaming cup aside and rested her hand upon the ancient tome. She trailed her fingers along the thick leather, sensing every groove and pattern in the dragon flesh. The intricate molding on the corner guards and locking clasp was truly exceptional. She ran her thumb along the closed pages of the book feeling the significance of every gold dusted page. The gold symbol felt cool even against the roaring fire. She assumed that was proof enough that power still ran through the book itself. Victor never realized the truth. The brash adventurer would go to his grave probably believing her convincing charade. And that alone may have been worth all the trouble. Lara's ever-present butler shuffled into the den with her portable phone. "A Mr. Warsteiner from New York, madam." "Thank you," she replied as the butler shambled off. "Hello?" She heard a very distinctive voice on the other end. "Lara, I take it everything went okay?" "Like clockwork Hans. Like clockwork. Tell your librarian friend his book was perfect. How did you get that purple smoke to billow forth like that?" "Trade secrets, my dear. Anyway, the real reason I was calling. You are not going to believe what I pulled out of the VR images from that coffin. How soon can you get here?" "I'll be there day after tomorrow," Lara responded and hung up the phone. Lara stood up and walked across the expansive den. As she walked passed the various suits of armor, swords, and other object d'art, her bare feet made a cold smack against the black marble floor. She padded over to a small photo of her with her dad on safari in Africa. Removing the picture, she quickly spun the combination to the simple lock and opened the heavy steel door. Inside the small space, she placed the ancient text. Smiling to herself, she slammed the door shut and spun the tumbler, locking inside the famed Spell book of the Great Magician Merlin. Mission accomplished.

Tomb Raider and Lara Croft are copyright (c) and trademark EIDOS Entertainment. This story is copyright (c) and trademark RMF Enterprises. "Wonders of an Ancient Glory" is a profit-free printing. The author has received no compensation for its publication and seeks only to spread the story to the widest possible fan base.

This is a work of fiction. All character, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Notes for this Fiction & the Author

Author: Ryan M. Foley E-mail Address: okfoley@earthlink.net From: Adair, OK; USA Sex: Male Age: 23 Marital Status: Married with one child

Thanks for taking the time to read my piece of fiction. I am very interested in reader feedback, so please e-mail me a response and let me know what you thought. Which parts did you like (or hate) and why? Give me full review. Reader response will help motivate me to continue these stories. On your response, answer a few questions for me:

1) Name (Real Names please, not chat room aliases) 2) E-mail Address 3) Homepage Address 4) Location (City, State) 5) Sex 6) Age 7) Do you read Image Comic books? 8) Would you read a "Tomb Raider" series? 9) Have you read other "Tomb Raider" Fictions? 9 1/2) If so, how did this one stack up? 10) Would you like to see future stories? 10 1/2) If so, what would you like to read about? What artifact should Lara go after next?

Please feel free to post this story in any format you see fit or even distribute the story to other people on the Web. If you can, send this story to five other Tomb Raider fans you regularly exchange mail with. The only stipulations I ask are to keep the format in its original context (with the exception of small changes for editing mistakes I may have missed), and please ask all readers to send a review response to Ryan Foley at okfoley@earthlink.net. If you have any space on your web site to post my stories please e-mail me so we can set up a conference to distribute my stories. I WILL respond personally to all intelligent inquiries and refined reviews, although it may take some time. I live in a town of troglodytes where we don't even have a local access phone number for the Internet. =( I know it's unbelievable but it's true. =( My e-mail address actually belongs to my parents, so sometimes it takes a little time to catch up on my mail. So trust me, I will get back to you; it just may take a little while. Thanks for all your help and hopefully together we will help expand the Tomb Raider fan base into new mediums.

Ryan Foley Tomb Raider Author

Wonders of an Ancient Glory Ryan M. Foley

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