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Old 09-04-10, 20:57   #41
Dia2blo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawrence Croft View Post
Nice work.

That could definitely be beefed up to a full blown novella - very legendary mythical theme. “Lara rising from the ashes”. Nice take on an old classic.

Just wondering though, does Chase kill himself to offer his blood for Lara’s resurrection, or does he just kill himself out of despair?

Good job
The former as far as the concept goes. But I guess it was a combination of both; he was supposed to be in love with her.
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Old 12-04-10, 21:29   #42
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ok my entry is done. in it she uses the sun as a key and weapon.

ok enjoy:

The Mayan Vampire

Lara has solved many ancient puzzles, riddles and mysteries. She also has used ancient weapons to beat her foes. But she never expected that an ancient civilization managed to include the sun as a key and weapon.

Her adventure starts one day at her mansion. Lara was trying to find a place for her latest discovered relic. When her doorbell rang. Lara opened the door full of suspicion because it was exactly and I mean exactly 0:00 am. And when she opened she said “OK tell me what you want before I blast your brains out!” The man at the door was shocked by the reaction and said something barely intelligible but the gist of it was that he just got of his flight and that it was early afternoon in his country. Lara could believe that and his timing probably was pure luck. She invited him in, offered him a drink but he refused. The conversed about Lara's job. But it was long and tedious so I won't bore you with it. After it a piece of paper was hastily pushed in Lara's hands. The man left and went sightseeing. That is according to his words. Lara unfolded the piece of paper and seemingly random numbers where written on it.

Lara typed them in a GPS device. IT was a long-shot but Lara went to the coordinates. And there she found some ruins. There were many spin-able poles and a few had intact mirrors. That was enough for Lara to know she probably needed to replace the broken ones. She examined the other structures that where relatively intact. One of them had a hole with a red gem in it. There also was a sundial table but the part that casts the shadow was missing. And there was a slab with a few words readable. “… … … Reflected light … … … 3 past high sun.” is what she could make out of it. And she figured it meant she had to correctly spin the sun light using the mirrors and she had to finish it before 3pm. Lara got the mirrors and replaced them. She looked around trying to find the point she needed to reflect it to. A few moments later she found what looked like hole where she could direct a beam of light to. And below it was a double door. She twisted and turned each of the mirrors and hoped her modern mirrors didn't reflect the light too well. A few hours later she was satisfied about how she taught the path would be. Then she waited until 3:00 PM the time she taught what the slab said. But nothing happened Lara had enough patience to wait another 10 minutes. Lara walked back to her camp while trying out figure out what could have gone wrong. And while later it hit her Daylight Savings Time she forgot to add that to her calculations. but now that she added them it was too late so she decided to go back the next day.

The next day at 3:55 PM Lara returned to the ruins. After 5 minutes the sun reached the point where the gem could bundle some of the light which reflected by the mirrors. But the doors didn't open. She followed the path with her eyes and discovered that she only had to make so minute changes to the mirrors. After that the doors slowly opened. After the doors where open far enough Lara walked trough them. At the other end the path she walked was dimly lit by the light she guided to that hole herself. And the beam was reflected by a simple puddle of water which where the ancient mirrors. Allong the path she saw some statues drawings and relics which where Mayan by origin. At the end of the path she found the unmistakeable evidence that this was a tomb. Human remains and a lot of them. There was however 1 corpse that was separated from the rest. And it was on some sort of altar. The altar was placed in a way to ensure the crossover to the afterlife. Lara had seen it in many ancient cultures. However the corpse on it was surprisingly intact. There wasn't even a sign of natural mummification. But it was rather pale for something that possible could be living. However it could be a sign of the undead and Lara fought them before and thus didn't let her guard down. She got a little closer and then the corpse started sniffing.

And he said “Aah fresh meat. I hadn't had a good meal in centuries.”
Then he sat up and smiled with a grin clearly showing his fangs.
And Lara said “Then how did you survive? Because not eating that long even Vampires won't survive.”
On which he said “Feisty and good looking too. I'm so gonna savor your blood.”.
Lara got angry and fired once at him.
At which he said “Can't you take a compliment woman?”.
Lara fired another shot and said “Just answer my damned question!”
He wasn't paying attention and said “I'm so gonna enjoy your blood more then the rats and bats.”
Satisfied with the answer Lara started shooting repeatedly at him.
However the vampire wasn't slowed down at all. It only got a bigger grin and said “I do enjoy a meal that can put up a good fight.”
Lara kept shooting and shooting until she figured it had no use. So she started thinking what her other options where. Garlic? No she wasn't too fond of that herself. Wooden stakes? Nope none where lying around. Holy crosses? She never carried them around. So her only option was that reflected beam of sunlight. Fortunately she her shades had decent reflective values. She held it in the beam of red light trying to hit the vampire with it. It took a few moments but when she hit him he hissed. But still it barely seemed to hurt him. It was simply too weak to seriously harm him. So she reflected it towards the ceiling there she could make out some seemingly loose tiles. She fired her pistols at them. It took a few clips but eventually she managed to get the tiles lose. They came plummeting down with a loud crash. With that a pool of light lit the room making it a lot easier for Lara to navigate.

The vampire tried to evade the pool of light at all costs. But Lara lunged at the vampire while avoiding his fangs. The vampire grabbed Lara's shoulders leading her neck to his fangs. But before he could bite her Lara kicked his feet. And fortunately the pain impulse was stronger then his desire to feed on Lara. After that she gave hem another good kick almost sending him in the sunlight. The vampire got up and transformed into a bat. Bat Lara gave him a good punch reverting him back into his human shape. And rendered him somewhat dizzy. Lara kicked him again this time sending in the pool of light. He hissed a lot and ran out of the sun. And Lara could clearly see the smoke coming from his body. Though she hoped it'd kill him instantly. Unfortunately it didn't. So she knew she had to get him in it again. After the vampire left the pool of light he lunged at Lara. But Lara punched him in the face. Tearing a hole in her glove. She was glad it only made a hole in the glove. And she gave hem another good kick and he landed back in the pool of light. This time he walked out of it. After that he heavily panted. Telling Lara one more time should do the trick. Lara tried kicking him again but this time the vampire grabbed her leg and sank his fangs in it. And he started drinking some of her blood. A moment later her pulled his teeth out. As a result of the feeding Lara's leg was numb. And Lara was furious and kicked him with her other leg with all her power. He landed in the pool of light and made his way out but even before he could get out Lara kicked him back. And this time he burst into flames before hoe could even reach the floor.

Lara walked back to the entrance. And by nightfall she reached it. Though the doors where closed she could see a pulley attached to the opening device. So she used it to open the doors. She went back to her camp and packed up sped to the nearest hospital because her wounds were more serious then her basic survival medical knowledge could heal. At the hospital they immediately recognized the symptoms of massive blood loss. The gave her some blood-packs in her blood-type. But her paleness didn't reduce. And Lara felt the incredible urge to sink her teeth in the doctors neck and blood-pack. But she managed to resist though it did alarm her. Several blood-packs later Lara felt better. But she still was as pale as the moon. She thanked the doctor and left the hospital ignoring the doctors advice. She climbed back on her bike and drove to the airport and flew home. Though she usually enjoyed watching out of the windows this time she didn't want it at all. A few hours later she was home. There she went straight to bed and woke up the next evening. Which she found alarming too. Because that was the second hint of the dark gift. And everyone reminded her of her paleness. And later Lara grew tired of it and wanted to see it herself. She she grabbed her mirror and was terrified at what she saw or rather didn't see. And thus she screamed “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!”. Now she know without a doubt she was a vampire. She threw her mirror away shattering it then she ran towards her computer and scanned the internet for possible cures. And there she found some rumored non fatal remedies but finding those is a completely different adventure.

The end?.

I hope you've enjoyed it and that you don't mind that Lara is undead herself for now. and feel free to write a sequel if you want. that is after voting. and i hope you don't mind the cliffhanger as you probably know i love those. and for those interested in this can't of facts it is 1699 words not counting the title(and i won't add just 1 measly word to make it a round number ). and as usual any non destructive criticism is welcome.
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Old 25-04-10, 02:48   #43
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I have a story done. I just need to tidy it up a bit tomorrow morning if WD can be kind enough to keep this thread open long enough, please.
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Old 25-04-10, 04:21   #44
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This isn't the whole story I want to tell, but is as much of it as I can condense into this contest. Hope you enjoy it.

*****

Palaniakaza

She will see the sun again. She will see the sun again, and one day, no matter how long she must wait, she will hear the songs of crystals drowning out the wind on a cloudless day. This oath she swore to herself long ago when the sun was first taken from her, and it is the one thought keeping her sane now that it has been taken from her once more.

In the dark, the crystals around her could barely reflect what insignificant orange light managed to creep its way through the rock, much less sing. But these crystals could not sing, and never could. That time was long past. The palaniakaza was forgotten.

She remembers the sound of crystals singing in the sun. The piercing and tightly-focused rays from the sky, bathing the smooth crystalline surface with their heat and light, would generate the tiniest of hums, the frequencies of which varied from crystal to crystal. This sound was far more subtle than most people suspected, certainly nothing like the vulgar thrum of electrical current as it moved through a building.

No, that was far too loud; one could be kept awake at night listening to it. She had made a habit of shutting off the circuits in her bedroom at night, relying instead on the sun to wake her in the morning on the nights she found it necessary to sleep. Electricity was far too raw and untamed, even in its current degree of scientific enslavement; the sound it created was nothing at all like that of crystals.

The best singing crystals were what most New Age mystics referred to as lasers; their particular angled tip tended to bend the solar energy along the length of the crystalline structure better than any of their brethren, resulting in a high-pitched chime that was, for all purposes, inaudible to all but the most-expertly trained ears. It was exquisite and without equal. No soprano, stringed instrument, or bell could hope to match the quality of the tone. Other crystals would also sing, of course, and their respective tones would carry similarly pleasing and textured melodies.

Of course, the crystal itself could not sing alone. The sun's light was the unique source of this delicate music; without it a crystal was still useful but the singing was sadly absent. The truth was the singing was a side effect of the solar energy collection and focusing but not the intended result.

Since most people could simply not hear the frequency, it was often dismissed as a mere myth. She understood that some people couldn't hear the singing and devices were fashioned to allow those people to hear it, but that was never the same as actually hearing it yourself. The same thing could be said of the many, many compact discs that tried to deliver the sound of ocean waves crashing against sand, or the wind whistling through the branches of thickly-leaved trees. A poor replication of something far more beautiful that delivered only the barest of what the authentic experience gifted the observer, and such devices were often dismissed as frauds. Occasionally, the claims of fraud extended so far as to include the people who could hear the singing, that those individuals were either mentally troubled or deliberately deceiving everyone else.

Worse than that, however, were the people that claimed they could hear the solar music but in reality were just as deaf to it as they blind to ultraviolet waves of light. Their words carried credibility with those just as deaf as their bearers but were painfully obvious as lies to those who capable of hearing the singing.

She remembers one dilettante clearly, even now, dressed in fine white robes that did nothing for his figure as he walked through the central garden in the City of the Golden Gates. She had been a mere child at the time, accompanying her mother on a warm day's walk.

Oh yes, I can certainly hear the tone, she recalls him offhandedly saying to a companion she does not remember as clearly. It is very rich, like a creamy orange infused with just enough yellow to make it glow.

Even then, she knew the man had been lying. No one who truly heard solar energy captured by crystalline chimes ever spoke of it in terms of color, never even considered comparing it to such. He was simply observing the color of the sun as seen through the massive library crystal that made up the centerpiece of the garden and passing it off as something greater.

Library crystal was just as misleading a name a laser, but she did not wish to dwell on that at the moment. She had been reminded of the singing crystals by the fractured selenite shards just barely within her eyesight. They had been ripped from their moorings in the massive obsidian columns when the room collapsed and were now scattered about the chamber like twigs after a thunderstorm.

That's not entirely true, she knew. She thought of nothing but the singing crystals since the sun was taken from her, but the selenite around her was a constant reminder of it.

Selenite did not sing; it wasn't a crystal capable of it even the sunlight could somehow find its way into the ruined chamber. Not all crystals could sing, after all. That was another common misconception amongst the frauds who claimed to hear them. While many crystals were utilized for solar engines and machinery, only certain crystalline structures were capable of singing and selenite certainly wasn't one of them, not with its long, fragile form that tended to shear easily.

In truth, while she recognized the stone as having the label of selenite that was not the name she knew it by. Despite having lived several decades in the United States, her mind still tended to think in her native tongue and lesser-spoken English words occasionally required a moment of deliberation to recall. The name she initially thought of when she saw the crystal shards around her was kublianitz, and she can't recall the last time she had heard it spoken aloud.

On the other hand, she remembers quite clearly the day she realized she had stopped hearing the solar music, the palaniakaza. She had been walking through the crystal garden of the City of the Golden Gates with her brother, the same garden she had encountered the lying dilettante countless decades earlier, on a day where no cloud obscured the sun's light. As she drew nearer to the singing crystals, the palamenitz, the absence of the palaniakaza caught her off guard.

She had paused in front of the intricate crystalline growth and looked skyward to confirm the clarity of the sky and the position of the sun.

"Something wrong?" Her brother had stopped walking when she paused. He could not hear the palaniakaza and never had been able to. Unlike the skeptics, however, he had always believed she and others like her were capable of doing so.

She had nodded to him. "Yes. The palamenitz is silent. On a day such as this, and during this season, I should be able to hear it over any wind when standing this close."

He had looked up then as well, and then over to the palamenitz. His expression, she remembered, had been even and unreadable.

Finally, he had turned to her and replied, "This is not the first I've heard of this."

She had tilted her head in curiosity, and he elaborated without hesitation.

"I brought you here to verify the rumors. I've heard the whispering throughout the city. The palaniakaza is lost to us, they say. The oracles say this is a precursor of something darker, but the word of oracles is always suspect. One stray cloud splits the full moon in half and it intimates doom for everyone."

He then sighed and shook his head sadly.

"That's the peril of failing to see the world dynamically. Change doesn't mean ruin. It merely means change."

"Ruin is subjective," she had replied softly. "Whether or not change brings ruin depends on how vast the coming change is."

"Even ruin is change, my sister," he had placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "It's merely change that comes quickly rather than gradually. Change follows that as well, as things stabilize."

"True enough," she had agreed. She had already anticipated his answer, but nonetheless asked, "What manner of change are you anticipating?"

"Too early to be certain," he had turned back to the garden. "If the palaniakaza can no longer be heard, we might one day see a time when the palamezelianitz themselves fail."

Exactly as she had feared. The palamezelianitz, the crystalline solar engines, were not as delicate as the palamenitz even if many of them could employ palamenitz in their operations. However, if the sun's energy could no longer bring forth the palaniakaza, the palamezelianitz might also cease to function. Since the majority of the continent, not just the City of the Golden Gates, was dependent upon that technology, it would cripple everything until a suitable replacement could be developed. If such a new technology could be developed in time.

Her brother had continued speaking, more to himself than to her. Enjoying hearing oneself speak was a common fault to people of their position.

"Changes in climate and atmosphere are part of the natural evolution of the planet. The air transforms subtly and suddenly the wavelength necessary for the palamezelianitz simply no longer reaches the surface, or fails to reach it in concentrations sufficient for functionality."

"If what you say is true," she had replied.

"Obviously," he then shrugged. "It is far too early in the process of such a change to say anything conclusively. The evidence points towards such an end. If it is meant to be, it is meant to be. Change happens. It cannot be stopped. The wheels of kathar are in motion."

That had been the beginning of everything. That conversation had led her here, to this moment, as assuredly as kathar itself had a hand in it. The palaniakaza was never heard by anyone again except on the devices created to play it back. The palamezelianitz eventually failed, just as Qualopec had predicted, and far earlier than even he expected. They argued passionately about how to alleviate the fallout in the wake of that failure. Her solution was deemed inhumane, the preservation of the palamezelianitz technology was abandoned, and its knowledge stored within her third of the Scion. She agreed to follow the scheme agreed upon by Qualopec and Tihocan.

Atlantis fell regardless, and she decided to carry out her solution in secret.

She failed.

And the sun was taken from her. She swore she would one day see it again. Even as she defiantly threw her brother's words back in his face as he stood in judgment upon her with Tihocan, she swore this oath to herself.

When she next saw the sun the world was a very, very different place. She had hoped that evidence that her people's technology had somehow evolved into a newer form in the modern world existed, but it appeared to have vanished as though it had never even existed. The palamezelianitz was remembered as nothing but myth, and poorly told myth at that. What passed as palamezelianitz in the current world was still in its infancy, and would likely never reach the level Atlantis once knew.

Qualopec had been correct; the planet in its current shape was not capable of supporting palamezelianitz technology, or truthfully, much of the ancient machines. Some technology could be reinvented; the kizamezeliaquix was an obvious choice, but the kizamezeliaquix was only useful in locations near volcanic activity. There was always the simpler and toxic eitr mechanisms, but those had fallen out of favor before she had become part of the Order of the Three.

Comparatively speaking, the current silicon-based technology had barely begun to harness the power of the sun, and had nowhere near the potential of the palamezelianitz. She was horrified that despite the almost unfathomably large population occupying the planet that their energy sources were eventually going to ruin them. They were destructive and careless.

Starting over, as she had suggested to Tihocan and Qualopec, would be a blessing to the world. A chance to erase the mistakes of the present and learn from the mistakes of the past.

Correct them.

Certainly, it would a very long and somewhat violent process, but that's the advantage of immortality. One is allowed to think long-term instead in the greedy, paltry terms of those whose lives are not even acknowledged by the cosmos at large.

So close...

So close to setting things in motion to change everything, to one day standing in the sun and hearing the palaniakaza once more.

It would have been glorious.

Except for one uppity Englishman and his short-sighted daughter.

The name burned into her as memory as assuredly as the melody of the palaniakaza continued to do.

Lara Croft.

The woman who stole the sun from her.

It was one thing to have it taken from her by of the Order of the Three, and quite another to have it come at the hands of one ignorant mortal wretch who took advantage of a single unstable column in moment of desperation and left her trapped beneath the remains of her ruined ancestral home.

Leaving her with only the shattered kublianitz for company.

Whatever superficial wounds her body suffered when the chamber collapsed upon her had long since healed, but the weight of the fallen stones trapping her was far too much for her to move alone. All she needs is for one minor tremor to shift the rubble above her; one volcanic surge to break apart the integrity of the Pyramid. Her wings can support her. She will have her opportunity again.

She will see the sun again.

She will see the sun again, and one day, no matter how long she must wait, she will hear the songs of crystals drowning out the wind on a cloudless day.

Last edited by Ashnod; 05-05-10 at 05:54. Reason: spelling
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Old 25-04-10, 13:46   #45
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It was a long arduous trek across the sand dunes made all the more difficult by the scorching sun beating down furnace like temperatures. Lara had to stop often to take a swig of water from the bottle she'd attached to her belt. If only her jeep hadn't gotten blown up (with Lara barely managing to escape with mere seconds to spare) after being shot at by – well, Lara didn't know who the men were or, more importantly who they were working for. What she was clear of was the fact that her opponents were quite obviously determined to stop her. Why this was, she no doubt would find out in due course, but Lara had a sneaky suspicion it had something to do with the sun talisman.


So, where is this allusive temple and what on earth would a temple be doing in the middle of the desert, away from any civilisation? She wondered. She was certain it should be close, having been walking for well over an hour now. Lara checked her compass to make sure she was still on target. Yes, it seemed she was still traveling north east just as she'd been instructed to do by a nameless informant . All this secrecy was annoying. So much better to be upfront about these things. Nevertheless, after receiving the tip-off about the temple – the suspected home of the talisman she'd been searching for, Lara had felt compelled to go in search of it.


Lara paused to wipe sweat from her forehead. She looked ahead, squinting a little to see through the haze created by the heat. She un-hooked the water bottle from her belt and sipped at the liquid which was warm, but still refreshing. There was only a little left, just enough for another mouthful. Damn! Maybe she'd reach a water hole soon with which to refill the bottle. She moved on, her feet sinking into the soft sand with each step. She'd barely gone a few steps when the sight ahead caused her to stop, her hand covering her brow so as to see more clearly, concern crept over her features. There was no doubt about it: a sand storm was headed her way – fast! With nowhere to take cover, Lara steeled herself to wait it out hoping it wouldn't be too strong and would pass quickly. Lara took off her cotton shirt and covered her head with it. She then lowered herself to the ground, laying face down, her hands securing the shirt over her in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the full force of the storm. Wind whipped around her thunderously, sand pelting down covering her exposed body. It felt surprisingly heavy against her back.


Just when she thought it would never end, the wind subsided and the swirling sand settled enough for Lara to feel confident enough to raise her head a little to peep out from under the shirt. The storm finally over, Lara raised herself into a kneeling position, a thick layer of sand falling down her back as she did so. She coughed spitting sand while more of the fine stuff worked its way down her shorts and strappy top, in her boots and through her hair. Ugh, she hated how it felt all grainy against her skin. She stood and shook as much of it off her as she could before inspecting her equipment which had luckily come off better than she had.


As preoccupied as she had been with brushing the sand off herself and her things, Lara had failed to notice what lie ahead – until now. What she saw before her, visible behind remaining clouds of sand took her breath away. A magnificent temple stood proud and majestic against the Egypt sky. It appeared to be made of sand like an elaborate sand-castle, but Lara could tell it was as solid as she was. The marble like doors were guarded by larger than life-sized lion statues in the same sandy textured stone. The front of the temple was lined with tall pillars etched with hieroglyphs.


Lara approached the building with caution, a little apprehensive that the vision may disappear before her eyes before she could reach it. Experienced as she was with the marvelous and surreal, Lara knew that anything could happen. It did: The two lions flanking the entrance burst to life, roaring ferociously at being disturbed. It never ceased to amaze Lara when seemingly inanimate objects did this. Their emerald eyes gleaming from the sun, the lions leapt from their stone bases and bounded in Lara's direction in easy strides lifting the sand with their massive paws. Lara was ready for, pistols aimed ahead. She used her athleticism to full advantage to avoid the sharp claws and teeth of the creatures, pelting them with bullets as she gracefully ran and jumped out of their reach, deftly cartwheeling through a gap as both lions came within inches of her. A few choice shots to the head of the first and it crumpled merging into the sand it had materialised from. A large claw scraped her hip, Lara yelled out with the pain of it, but quickly recovered. Two more bullets to the lion's belly saw it, in turn, return to sand.


A glint of green in the sand where each lion had fallen revealed the whereabouts of the emeralds, the only remains of the lions. Lara strode over to each stone in turn and picked them up. Thinking they may prove useful, Lara placed them in her backpack. She approached the heavy doors at last. On each side was a small eye shaped niche. Two of the emeralds fit neatly in their new homes. “Well that was easy,” thought Lara aloud as the door slid open. The remaining two jewels would be needed later perhaps.


More towering pillars similar to those outside adorned the sides of hall Lara had just entered. An elaborately painted mural depicting Egyptian scenes in bright reds, greens, golds and blue surprisingly preserved despite its age took up much of one side of the room. Four large stone lions sat proudly in each corner. Scratches at the front of each lion suggested that the statues were movable – or had been. Lara couldn't immediately see an easy way to do this, so she scoured the room looking for a switch or lever, using her torch so that she could see into the shadows.


With no visible switches anywhere in the room, Lara found herself feeling the walls looking for loose bricks or a hidden door. Along the far end of the room, a large square of rock looked ever so slightly out of place, being paler in colour than the surrounding bricks. Lara couldn't find any trace of a handhold, so leaning her shoulder against the block she pushed with as much strength she could muster. Slowly, the block moved backwards. Eventually a space the same height and width of the block had been uncovered, the block wouldn't budge further. Lara followed the narrow path, which turned left and then right. Lara couldn't help wondering where it would lead. After several minutes walking, the path forked off in two directions. Should she go straight ahead or to the left? She chose left, which led to a dead end. Exasperated, Lara retraced her steps and took the other path which widened into a proper corridor, lined by more paintings but these had faded, cracks in the walls gave away the places age here.


Turning a corner Lara was greeted by a trap: several blades were sliding in and out of the walls, slicing through the air at alarming speed at different heights. Passing them would require a lot of thought and careful maneuvering. Human bones lay strewn across the floor as if some poor soul had taken his chances at sprinting past them. Lara surveyed the rhythm each pair of blades were moving in, calculating the speed and distance between each set. Lara could tell there was just enough space between sets for someone of her build to stand without being sliced. As the first set slid back into their slots, Lara stepped forward. Ducking a second set, she managed to just step over a third, the bottom of her foot dangerously close to the sharp blade of the higher of the two. She stood completely still between two sets for a moment. Re-assessing their rhythm. The next set of blades could be stepped past, but she knew the next set would be a tight squeeze, being too high to step over and too low to duck under easily. Turning slowly so she was now facing one of the walls, shortening the gap between herself and the sets of blades, Lara carefully lowered her body flat against the floor. One perfectly timed roll under the blades and she was free to stand once more. Lara sighed heavily and straightened up. She stepped over another set and did a funny sort of wriggle to get through the last three blades, One of which nicked one of her leather boots; Cursing silently yet still grateful the sharp point hadn't penetrated her skin.


Finally able to move freely she dashed down the remaining corridor and rounded the bend ahead. She stopped suddenly steadying herself with a hand against the wall, the floor had given way to a steep slope. Seeing no other way to go except back through the blades or forwards, there was nothing for it but to slide down. With the balance and poise of a professional skier, she was sliding down the slope, almost enjoying the 'ride' when a deep rumble from behind told Lara that speed was of the essence. Nearing the end of the slope, she propelled herself forward and landed cat like on the floor before cartwheeling sideways into the next path. The massive boulder thundered past, missing her by inches and crashing into the dead-end at the bottom. Lara took a few deep breaths to calm herself; her heart was beating rapidly.


Lara turned to face the stairwell ahead. It led to a darkened archway. What lay waiting for her in the room beyond Lara didn't know, but she hurried down the steps, her pistols again ready. Lara entered the gloomy room with caution. Nothing jumped out at her, so she stopped, holstered her pistols and took out her torch and compass so that she could get her bearings. She was in a long narrow room that Lara guessed was directly under the grand hall. Walls that disappeared into the darkness suggested that this was a very tall room. The beam of light produced from her torch illuminated the walls enough to make out a frieze bearing paintings of ancient Egyptians going about their daily lives that snaked around the entire room. As Lara approached the far wall, A painting of a lioness came into view. The beautiful creature's eyes niches similar to those by the main doors. “Just as well I kept those spare emeralds then,” Lara mused as she retrieved them from her backpack and placed them into their sockets.


A scraping noise and small square of light coming from high above alerted Lara to a trap door in the ceiling. Lara used her torch to search for a way up. Ridges carved in the left wall formed a ladder of sorts. Lara started to climb. Up and up she went, clinging to the ridges with her fingertips and toes. The ladder seemed to stretch on forever, but Lara never wavered as she continued upwards. As strong as she was, her thighs we aching painfully as finally she reached the trapdoor. Emerging from the darkness into the light, she heaved herself up over the edge and rolled onto the floor of the room above. She had guessed correctly. Recognizing the hall she'd started her journey through the temple maze-like corridors from, Lara inspected the lion statues. As she'd expected would happen, each lion had slid forward by several inches. She turned her attention to the rest of the room and was startled to realise the mural had slid aside to reveal an opening to another chamber.


Lara gazed in awe at the statue within. The goddess Sekhmet in all her fine glory: sixteen feet of gold and painted in reds and greens and adorned with semi-precious stones such as onyx and jade stood majestically before her. Perched on her head was the solar disc and cobra crown, her neck was decorated with the sun talisman Lara was searching for, a single quartz crystal in its center. Two golden lions accompanied the goddess, along with other treasure such as vases and pots. The walls as the others in the temple featured paintings and hieroglyphs.


Lara stepped up to the magnificent statue and feasted her eyes on the talisman. Hmm, how to reach you? She thought. Looking around the room, the tomb raider noted round panels attached to each wall. The ceiling had a small skylight. Lara inspected the panels more closely. They each had reflective surfaces and could be adjusted to tilt at any angle. Moving each panel to face the skylight had the required effect: narrow sun beams hit the panels one by one. Lara carefully tilted one of the panels so that the beam was directed toward the talisman. She went round the room doing the same to the remaining three panels. There was a loud 'click' as three spikes retracted from the talisman's oval ridge. Lara jumped back in astonishment as Sekhmet's statue lowered several feet until she was just a little taller than Lara. Lara wasn't sure how the plinth had lowered, but she didn't care at this point as the cobra from the crown had come to life and was now slithering down the statue towards her. Impulse took over and Lara shot at the creature, but the bullets bounced off it. What to do? She wasn't about to run away – not without the talisman. She shot at the snake once more with no effect. The serpent was curling around her boots and up to her ankles. And yet it did not attempt to sink fangs into her. Lara quickly grabbed the thing and flung it hard against a wall; it crumpled to the ground, dazed but still alive. Lara ran to the statue, and gently removed the talisman from its neck. Lara hurried out of the room just in time; the snake had roused once more. As luck would have it, it didn't seem able to leave the Goddess's chamber. Lara watched as it slithered back to its mistress and lowered its long body back in place on the crown turning solid once more.


Lara sighed with relief and walked casually toward the main doors. Through the haze created by the heat, six or seven figures stood in waiting. “I think I'll have that, Miss Croft.” One of the men demanded of her. Lara cupped a hand over her eyes. “No, I don't think so, it doesn't quite match your eyes.” Lara hastily tucked the talisman into her shirt pocket.
“Don't be smart with me, Lara!”
“You were right the first time. It's Miss Croft to you.”
“GIVE ME THE TALISMAN!” Sweat was dripping down the man's forehead. His face red from heat or anger, perhaps both, Lara wasn't sure, or cared. “That is no way to talk to a lady,” she said, before diving to the side to avoid a torrent of bullets. “How rude. Your men should learn some manners.” Lara returned the gun fire, hitting her target between the eyes.


The ensuing battle was over soon enough. Lara left the gang leader to last. He was knelt on the sand, looking rather disheveled and whimpering loudly, his hands behind his head. “Oh do get up. I do so loath whimpering. It's quite unseemly.”
“What are you going to do with me?”
“You're going to tell me who it is your working for.”
“Th...that's all?” Lara put on a thoughtful expression. “Hmm, I haven't decided yet. Now, up you get.” The man did as he was told. “Well?” Lara prompted.
“I work for a man called Werner von Croy.”
“Werner? But that's impossible. Werner is dead, I saw it with my own eyes.” And yet, it does seem typical of the old man to let me do all the work while he does nothing, expecting me to hand over the artefact willing, the old grudge resurfaced. Lara pressed a pistol against the man's temple. “Let's try again. Who are you really working for?”
“That's the name I was told, I swear!” The man was really sweating now, it was pouring off him and he was shaking uncontrollably. “Fine, I believe you. For now.” Lara lowered her pistols and the man reached for a gun that lay on the sand nearby, but Lara was faster. She kicked the gun away and shot at the both the man's hands: He lay in the sand screaming in agony. Lara holstered her own weapons, placed the talisman into her pack and walked away.

Behind her sand was swirling high around the temple obscuring it from view once more.

The End

I hope you like it.

Last edited by Rai; 25-04-10 at 13:50.
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Old 25-04-10, 19:28   #46
Ward Dragon
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Does anyone else plan to enter? If anyone else wants to, say so now and I'll leave the thread open another few hours. Meanwhile I'll post my own entry at some point later today but I don't want to win again so I won't include it in the voting
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Old 25-04-10, 21:04   #47
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i'm looking forward to your entry a small shame you won't include it in the voting though(but i will mention wich place it would've had if higher then no 3 )
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Old 25-04-10, 21:10   #48
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Last Light

I arrived at the site fairly early in the morning, but the sun was already rather intense. I shielded my face in annoyance, wishing for clouds or even rain to cool the area down but I knew not to expect any relief. The weather forecast had predicted that the day would only get hotter from here on out. I sighed, thinking that at least once I was down in the tomb I wouldn’t have to deal with the brightness. Hopefully I could go in, locate the artifact my employer wanted, and be out before anyone knew I was here. With that cheerful thought in mind, I lowered myself down the pit and into the cave leading to the tomb.

As soon as I left the circle of sunlight at the bottom of the pit, I was struck by how dark it was down here. I crept slowly through the darkness, the cone of light from my flashlight barely illuminating the rough tunnel before me. I was making slow progress. I was anxious about triggering any traps so I compulsively checked the walls, floor and ceiling every few steps. Suddenly I stopped, alert, straining to hear any noises around me. I could hear my own breathing and feel my heartbeat racing in my chest, but other than that everything was silent. I was tempted to dismiss what I had heard as the product of fear, but I was too afraid to do that. What if it had been real? What if someone else was down here with me? That seemed implausible, but I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

I wasn’t even sure what the artifact was supposed to do, but I knew it was very expensive because of how much I was being paid to retrieve it. I had little experience exploring tombs legitimately, let alone robbing them, but I desperately needed the money so I took the job anyway. I knew what the artifact looked like – a small totem topped off with a carving of the sun – and that was all I needed to know to complete my job. But what if someone else knew more than me and was already here, trying to get it before I did? I couldn’t let that happen. My little brother was counting on me.

I picked up the pace while I tried to ignore my driving urge to be more cautious. From what I had read about this area, it seemed unlikely that any complex mechanical traps could have been built, so I tried to focus on that thought to calm me down while I jogged through the tunnels, pausing only at intersections to get my bearings. The artifact was supposed to be at the far side of the tomb, so I avoided any tunnels that looped back towards the entrance.

After nearly an hour of this, I stumbled into a larger chamber and stopped to look around. On the back wall, I could make out what looked like a body, so I assumed I was in the right place. The room seemed mostly empty other than that and a few bits of debris, so I figured it had already been cleared out by previous grave robbers. Hopefully the totem I needed was in a hidden area. I gulped, wondering what would happen if it was already gone, and I rushed forward to examine the only thing left behind in the room.

The body lay in the bottom half of a coffin which had already been opened. The top half was missing, so perhaps it had been covered in gold and was consequently stolen along with everything else. However the body itself looked unharmed, so maybe the grave robbers had fled before they could do anything to it. I shivered in disgust, not wanting to be that close to a dead body, but it was my only lead so I had to at least examine it. It was completely covered in linens with little lumps to indicate where the arms were crossed over the chest. But wait… I looked a bit more closely and realized that the arms weren’t actually crossed over each other. Rather it looked like the body was clutching something against its chest.

I had a really sick sinking feeling in my stomach, not liking what would come next. I took several deep breaths to steel myself, then removed a pocket knife and gingerly cut through the top layer of linens to see what was beneath. Sure enough, the arms were individually wrapped and the top layer had only been to keep the arms in place and hide what the hands were holding. I took a few more deep breaths and then carefully reached down and pried the totem out of the dead man’s grasp. Great, I had what I came for, now it was time to leave. I stashed the totem in a large pouch on my belt and turned to leave. It was the work of another few hours to find the entrance again.

I was so happy to see the way out that I ran forward towards my rope, eager to climb up and never return here again. Suddenly I felt something hard hit the back of my head and I fell to my hands and knees. Gasping in pain, I looked behind me and saw a woman with a crowbar just before I passed out. I had a brief moment of clarity what must have been a few minutes later. I was lying on my back with my head turned to the entrance. She was standing in the circle of sunlight, stuffing my totem into her backpack. As she climbed up my rope, I idly thought that her tank top was such a pretty color – what was it called? Cyan? No, maybe teal. Then I laughed at myself for focusing on something so stupid. I had just lost everything, and here I was wondering what to call that blue-green color. I vaguely heard a loud crashing sound as I slipped back into unconsciousness.

When I awoke, it was completely dark. I moaned in pain and scrabbled around on the ground until I found my flashlight. I turned it on with shaking hands and wildly swung it around, trying to see where I was. As my eyes settled on the cave-in at the entrance, my memory came back to me. Whether it was done deliberately or not, that woman had trapped me down here after stealing the artifact. What was I to do? I had no way of calling for help, I couldn’t remember when I had eaten last (I had been too nervous for breakfast this morning), and I didn’t have that much water left either. I had an inkling of an idea, but just then I got distracted by my flashlight as it began to flicker.

I began to frantically shake the flashlight while muttering, “No, no, no, no, no…” but that didn’t help any. The flashlight died completely. I managed to pull a pair of spare batteries from my pouch, so I sat down to try to replace the batteries. In the dark I had a lot of trouble unscrewing the flashlight and removing the dead batteries. Then as I tried to insert a new battery, my finger slipped and I dropped it. “No!” I couldn’t find it. I crawled in the general direction I thought I had heard it roll, but it was no use. It was so dark down here that I couldn’t even see the outline of my hand when I held it right in front of my face. What was I going to do? I missed the sunlight so very much in that moment.

I considered exploring for an alternate exit, but I didn’t think that I would get anywhere in the dark. My mind kept moving back towards the cave-in, thinking that maybe I could dig my way out or at least create an opening for light to come through so I could find that battery. It didn’t matter anymore that I had lost the artifact. If I could just get out of here alive, I’d find another way to get the money. I just wanted to get back home to my little brother and forget I’d even heard about this stupid job. I blindly felt around for the area with the rockfall until my hand settled onto a loose rock. Then I passed out again.

I wasn’t entirely sure that I was awake when I regained consciousness. The darkness felt the same as unconsciousness, or at least I thought it did. I wasn’t even sure of that anymore. I was having trouble focusing. It took a full two minutes before I remembered where I was or what had happened. I slowly dragged myself to my hands and knees and began crawling up the rockfall, trying to feel my way to the top.

Once I felt the ceiling above me, I stopped to catch my breath. I began running my hands over the highest rocks, trying to test for a loose rock that I could remove. They all seemed stuck pretty tight, so I didn’t know what to do. I tried to stop and think, but my mind felt completely blank. Would I ever get out of here again? I had been down here for hours, maybe even days. I wasn’t sure anymore. The darkness was really getting to me. I couldn’t take it anymore. I screamed and pulled on the nearest rock with all of my weight, trying to pry it out of the wall. I braced my feet against the other rocks for leverage and pulled with everything I had. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen so I was truly surprised when the rock popped free and I found myself falling through the air.

I had trouble comprehending what was going on as the rocks suddenly tumbled free and started rolling down towards me. I had no time to move, and no energy left even if I had the time. I hardly noticed the rocks as I looked towards the opening that had just been created. Sunlight streamed down into the tomb, blinding in its brightness. My entire vision burned white at the sight. Faintly in the back of my mind I knew I wouldn’t get to see my little brother again, but at least I had gotten to see the sunlight one last time.
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Old 26-04-10, 18:09   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by merder View Post
i'm looking forward to your entry a small shame you won't include it in the voting though(but i will mention wich place it would've had if higher then no 3 )
I ended up including it anyway since there weren't as many entries as I thought there were I still want to let someone else have a turn at coming up with a theme so if I do win again I'll just ask for ideas and pick one for the next competition (I could still do the busy-work of making the thread if they wanted though )

Anyway, the voting thread is up

http://www.tombraiderforums.com/show...20#post4553520
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