Before I continue writing I just wanted to thank those of you who posted comments on the last four chapters. I appreciate both thanks and suggestions and will try my best to implement them (the suggestions). Please continue reading and sending feedback, the more I receive the more I write...
...And now please enjoy the fifth and final chapter of Tomb Raider: Uncharted -
INYOTEF ;)
*
Previously in Tomb Raider Uncharted:
Sailing her expensive yacht on the sparkling seas of Miami, Florida served as a luxurious diversion for Lara Croft as she waited for a gangbanger who carried an ancient Assyrian key she required.
On boarding the boat with gangsters and drug dealers Ms Croft acquired her little trinket by force, and when she went below deck, she found a man who had been beaten up there; that man was an adventurer in his own right, Nathan Drake, descendent of famous explorer Sir Francis Drake...
On freeing Drake and entertaining him on her yacht Lara told him that she required the key to free a friend then left the conversation hanging in the air as she retired for an evening of "private time", but not without Nathan getting an eye full...
Lara then told Nathan he would accompany her to Egypt to free her friend Professor Von Croy from an Arab arms dealer and Jihad leader.
Lara and Nathan then made their way to Atbara, Egypt, where she met Abdul bin Adlah in the town square. A gun battle ensued ending in a narrow escape from an exploding chopper. Seeing as how Adlah thought Lara and Nathan were killed in the blast he took off leaving the two to enjoy some R&R in a small house...
Now free, Werner Von Croy took Lara's sea plane and flew to India. Meanwhile Lara told Nathan that the coffin of Artaxerxes the Assyrian king lay in India. Nathan learned that what was in the coffin was the scepter of an ancient god-king of Acadia and the two took off in Lara's private jet to find it.
On arrival in India Lara and Nathan found a new player in the game, Someone from Lady Croft's past; the mercenary, Larson Conway. Once again Lara's passive-aggressive demeanor saw a volatile situation defused. And Larson and his men retreated...
Lara had figured out that Von Croy was the one that hired Larson, a fact that he confirmed. He then revealed that his whole capture by Adlah was a rouse orchestrated to coax Lara into obtaining the key to Artaxerxes' coffin.
Since Werner was the one who knew how to get to the coffin Lara had no choice but to work with him; so Lara, Nathan, Werner, and Larson started their journey into the Jungles of India.
Almost immediately the group was in danger as they were attacked by a man from the Vash'i tribe who unleashed his Bengal tigers on them. Again the group escaped; Nathan using his unorthodox abilities, and Lara pulling off fluid acrobatics and marksmanship with her dual pistols...
After finding a place to camp, Lara had a little trouble with Larson sneaking into her tent in the dead of night, and then they were off again, finally reaching the Tomb of Sheik Mohinder Sudesh...
However the group again found themselves in a perilous situation as a huge statue of the Indian goddess Kali came to life, wielding swords in each of her six hands...
____________________________________________________________
Lara Croft dug her heels into the ground placing her hands on her guns ready for action as she looked up at the living statue of Kali. In front of her lay the split body of one of the mercs, next to her was the head of another who had been decapitated.
Nathan Drake was firing off rounds from his desert eagle, rolling around on the ground and dodging the swishing swords, as the statues six arms swung at the men.
Lara looked up at the granite face seeing the large ruby on its forehead.
"There we are, that should do it", she said to herself.
She took in a breath as she tried to center herself setting her mind on her task. She sprinted toward the colossal image timing the in coming sword. She leapt into the air somersaulting and landing on the surface of the sword, kneeling to maintain her balance.
Werner Von Croy looked up at the tomb raider's acrobatic display as she moved, his eyes roved to the large ruby...
"That's it, she's onto it, the ruby must be removed", he yelled at the men.
Nathan looked up at the ruby, then at Lara. He steadied himself ready to follow. Meanwhile Larson Conway grabbed an AK47 and fired up at the ruby; his shots were on target but had no effect; he yelled loud as he dived out of the way as a sword swung at him, cutting into the ground.
Lara held on as the sword she was on flung through the air, she focused then ran to the tip of the sword and jumped off, twirling her body midair she touched on the edge of the sword in the images left hand then immediately back flipped onto the statues arm.
"She's almost there", Werner said to Larson, "when this thing is out of the way, we go in and retrieve the Scepter."
Lara skid down the arm then flung herself toward the images face; the image swatted a huge hand at her and she found herself falling to the ground...
"LARA!" Nathan yelled grabbing her hand, "got'cha!"
Lara looked up at him balancing on one of the swords as he held onto her hand, her body dangling in the air. She looked as the image tried to fling them off itself. "Swing me!" she yelled up at Nathan.
He swung his arm back then flung her forward toward the face again. Flying through the air, Lara maneuvered her body and grabbed a knife from her backpack; she placed it between her teeth as she reached out and gripped onto the ruby just making it. Taking the knife from her mouth she lodged it in the groove that the ruby was attached to and broke it out...
There was a loud grumble followed by multiple cracks as the image started breaking apart. Nathan jumped off the sword and landed on the ground in a roll, he turned on his back to see the sword falling out of the statues hand plummeting toward him; he rolled sideways twice and covered his face as the sward crashed next to him in a thick cloud of dust that mad him choke and cough.
Lara held onto the ruby as she dropped onto the statues arm, she slid and ran down the length of the arm as it broke apart behind her. In front of her the sword was balancing on its point on the ground as the statues hand crumbled. Lara jumped onto the top of the handle and tilted forward letting her weight cause the sword to fall forward. As it neared the ground she leapt and somersaulted off it, landing gracefully.
As the statue crumbled into a thousand pieces behind her Lara dropped the ruby into her backpack and patted the dust off her clothing. She smiled at the men in front if her. The thick clouds of dust behind her cleared to reveal the entrance of the tomb.
"Gentlemen, shall we?" she motioned.
*
There were dozens of rats crawling around in the dark, dank cave...
Lara turned on the personal lighting device attached to the shoulder of her backpack. Nathan was behind her with a torch.
"Rats", he moaned, "I hate rats."
Larson shoved his shoulder as he moved passed him cocking his shotgun, "let's keep it moving ya yellow git."
"You know before we're done here I'm gonna drop that asshole", Nathan gritted.
Lara smiled, but ignored the remark, "rats are sacred to the Indian religious community."
"Yeah, well if reincarnation is true, then Sheik Mohinder should come back as a cockroach for the life he led."
"Oh come now Nathan, everyone has their good points, the Sheik did dote on his daughter and provide everything she wanted."
"Is that a touch of sentimentality in your voice Lara?"
Lara blushed; she hadn't realized she was being so transparent, "reminds me of my father, that's all."
The remained quiet as they continued deeper into the ancient tomb. The walls were covered in all kinds of pictographs of the many Indian gods that had been carved by hand; Lara admired the work as she walked.
"We are entering the inner chamber of the royal burial place." Werner informed them.
Lara pursed her lips and blew up the strands of hair flinging off her sweaty brow. She was trying to figure out what exactly she'd do after they reached the coffin having no doubt that Werner and Larson would have no more uses for her and Nathan.
"You're right in thinking what you're thinking Lara."
Nathan startled her as he came up and whispered in her ear.
"When we find that Scepter, Itchy and Scratchy'll try and off us."
Lara was going to respond, a little surprised, and impressed at how Nathan had read her so easily, but the swishing sound up front distracted her.
The group froze as the came to a narrow hallway that was illuminated by some lit fires, they stared at the giant blades that swung like pendulums from side to side.
"Fuck me two ways and call me Susan", Larson blurted out.
Lara smiled, "at last, all this boring walking was driving me absolutely mad."
She didn't wait, she timed the swing of the blades and ran pushing her body and calling on her gymnastic training she twisted her body and flipped over the first blade. Landing she looked back at the group.
The loud rumble caught her by surprise as the ground beneath her started to open revealing large wooden spikes eight feet below.
"The floor", Said Werner, "there are pressure plates on the floor."
"LARA WATCH OUT!" Nathan shouted. He went after her moving his body and throwing himself over the blade.
"This makes things a bit trickier", Lara said. She got up and moved as the ground opened up beneath her feet, Nathan right behind her following. As the second blade swung, she leapt and stepped on the top of it then somersaulted through the air, landing gracefully in a roll.
Nathan threw himself on the ground using his momentum to slide underneath the blade, passing it; he bent his knees lifting his legs just in time as the blade swung.
"Ha, ha yeah", he yelled getting to his feet and running. The two adventurers were poised on opposite sides of the gaping floor as then ran toward the final blade.
Nathan moved first jumping reaching then swinging off the handle of the massive pendulum. Lara was next; she timed the swing and twisted her body in a back flip. As the floor opened completely she landed with her heels on the edge trying to balance.
Nathan quickly grabbed her as she lost her balance falling forward; he swung her around and pulled her into her arms holding her close. Startled she looked up into his eyes flustered.