Best Left Undiscovered…

Wonders of an Ancient Glory: Part III

A Tomb Raider Fiction Story

Starring Lara Croft

Preface

The Best Left Undiscovered…story is the third part of the Wonders of an Ancient Glory story line. If you haven’t read Part One or Part Two yet, you may want to stop reading and do so. You will more than likely be able to find Part One and Part Two at the same web site that you found this story or E-mail me to receive a copy in Microsoft Word format. While most these stories are complete within themselves, they are connected together and will eventually form a full-length novel story. This story in particular is an integral for the coming events for our sexy adventuring heroine.

I would love to hear your opinions of these stories, so feel free to E-mail me at okfoley@earthlink.net and let me know what you think. Also, pass along a few words of thanks to the webmasters who were nice enough to support this endeavor of mine. They are integral in bringing these stories to you, so lend them a few words of thanks as well.

I hope you enjoy the third ongoing installment of the Wonder of an Ancient Glory. More segments are already underway and will be presented soon. Also check out Method to the Madness. It’s my own little editorial section I’m planning on putting in at the end of every story.

So let’s get on with it. Ladies and Gentlemen, stand by for action!

Ryan Foley

To Sue and Brandon

You guys make these stories presentable to the public.

Thanks for helping me out with all the errers.

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.

Echoes of Courage

Prologue

Somehow, defying physical odds, the creature had managed to pull itself into a small cave on the wave-pounded shores. It had contrived to reform its skeletal structure and cover its body with a thin layer of ebon skin, but its muscles were not fully formed yet. The raven flesh hung loosely across its bones and pointed claws were beginning to sprout from its fingertips.

Every bit of movement as it dragged its body across the stone was pure agony. The newly formed tendons strained and popped from each new movement, sending shocks of pain coursing through its body. Its red eyes raged with a deep anger and splatters of anguish-induced spittle smacked against the cold gray stone.

Its freshly molded lungs pulled in ragged asthmatic gasps of sickly wet air. Exhausted, the form collapsed to the stone, flopping onto its back. Anger raged out of control. The seething hatred aided the demon in repairing its body, focusing its concentration and fueling its power. But its trek into this confined space to heal had taxed it more than it had expected. Its healing was going to take longer than it had anticipated.

Perhaps a little help would be required. It swore on all that was unholy that she would pay for her transgressions. Its revenge could not come soon enough.

Chapter 1: I Want to Be a Part of It…

The jumbo 747 jetliner screeched to a halt on the busy runway of New York City’s JFK Airport. As most of first class passengers began to disembark, she calmly collected her belongings and headed off the plane. Her PathForger hiking boots made hollow steps against the jet-way as she made her way onto the arrival pad of the international airport. With a deep sigh, she took in the madcap scene.

Through her rose-colored glasses, she watched the massive amount of people moving in a terrible hustle and bustle with a cacophony of noise that seemed to make no sense at all. Hitching her carry-on bag over her shoulder and pulling tight the lapels of her old fashion 40’s style bomber jacket over her black form-fitting shirt, she set out to make her way through the maze called New York.

Lara Croft had arrived.

As she set to make her way through the jumble of people, she heard a voice call out from behind her, "Hey, Lara!"

Casting a long look over her shoulder, she saw the attractive man lightly jogging up the jet-way. His charming smile and dimples hidden under his five o’clock shadow made him even more attractive. He was sliding into his leather coat and shouldering his carry-on bag. "Hold up and I’ll help ya navigate through this mess."

"I don’t know George. The paparazzi tend to leave me alone. Walking with you might get my face plastered on all the tabloid newspapers," Lara said with a smile. "Lately, we British tend to avoid those vultures."

Cocking his head slightly to the right, he smiled his charming smile, making him even more attractive to the young adventurer. "Well, I can think of worst people to be seen arm and arm with." And the two headed towards baggage claim.

After picking up their respective baggage, the two made their way towards the exit. "Boy, it is good to be back in the good old U.S. of A. I might be able to get some decent food now."

"Oh yes," Lara laughed sarcastically, hinting at her British accent. "That movie catering food is just so atrocious. Like acid in your mouth I’m sure."

"I know I probably sound like I’m complaining but really there is just something intangible about the U.S. that I just love. New York especially."

Lara couldn’t help but notice the many fawning looks cast at the man as they walked through the crowded airport. She admitted to herself that she was a little embarrassed by all the extra attention but at the same time she couldn’t help but enjoy it. "So are you staying here long?" Lara asked.

"I’ll be in town for a few days to do the movie premier but then I’ve got to go out to LA to keep up the production schedule for the TV show," he said with another boyish smile, again revealing his dimples.

"Busy man. Is it tough to go from a shoot ‘em up action star to the caring pediatric doctor?"

He laughed a closed mouth chuckle. "Nowhere near as difficult as what you do I’m sure," he said with a sly look as they exited the busy airport.

The massive crowd was actually helpful. By the time most people figured out who they saw, they had already walked past preventing autographs or gushing admiration from all the love struck females. She had certainly witnessed enough of that from the flight attendants on the plane.

As he headed for the limousine with the driver sporting his name on the card, he took her hand and smiled that boyish grin again, cocking his head to the right. He handed her a business card and said, "If you ever make it out to LA, I want you to come by and have a look around. I’ll introduce you to Tony, Eric, Noah and the rest of the gang. I’m sure they would love to meet you."

"Well, I’ll definitely try to fit that into my agenda. If I remember my schedule, I believe I have a museum dedication coming up out there soon."

"That would be great. And maybe you could watch a few episodes of the show so you know who I’m talking about."

"Have your office send over some copies on video and I promise to watch them."

"Right," he said and extended his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you Lara."

"You too George," she replied. The shaking of the hands was somewhat unexpected. Despite the contradictions to her aristocratic upbringing, she felt an uncontrollable urge to shove her tongue down this man’s throat. Instead, she simply shook his hand. "Good luck on the next season of ER."

The two exchanged smiles and he loaded into the limousine.

As the limousine pulled away, she blew out a deep breath and attempted to regain her stately composure. Turning to find her ride, she saw an equally impressive black stretch limousine waiting at the curb with a sign reading "Lara Croft."

After a brief twenty-five minute chauffeured drive through the city, Lara arrived at the new Carter-Sackheim museum. The impressive museum was not officially opened to the public yet. Instead, private tours were available to private investors and important contributors. Lara’s foundation had contributed a hefty sum to get the new museum on its feet, ensuring a profitable place for her collected artifacts to be displayed.

She walked up the massive stone steps, leading into the second floor. Most visitors would have to climb the steep steps, allowing them to enter the museum through the second floor. While different, it allowed the visitors to view the open area down into the first floor, where many priceless artifacts and treasures were located. The overhead view from the balconies added a majestic feel to the state-of-the-art facility.

At the railway of the observation deck, the curator of the Carter-Sackheim museum met Lara. Professor Graeme Murray stood with an air of majestic royalty. His impressive frame and rugged good looks had not deteriorated with age, and he was still as spry as Lara remembered him from her days at the University of Chicago. He could have easily passed as a muscle bound body double for Charlton Heston.

"Lara, what a pleasure it is to see you again," he said with a vigorous pat on Lara’s shoulder.

Lara surprised her old instructor with a firm hug. Smiling, he gave her an equally strong embrace. With Murray towering over Lara by nearly a foot, it almost seemed like a daughter squeezing her dad. He responded to the hug deeply, engulfing Lara in his bear like arms, "Sorry, in this age of Political Correctness, a hug like that can get you slapped with a harassment suit."

"I think the whole world’s gone PC, Professor. I personally find it ridiculous," Lara said honestly.

Professor Murray laughed a deep belly laugh, "Leave it to my young go-getter to buck the trends of society and blaze her own path. I remember when you confronted that famous archeologist about… what did you call it? ‘Flagrant misinterpretations’ in his hieroglyphic studies. Embarrassed him to no end, and in the middle of a crowded amphitheater!"

"Well, it got the world to go back and rethink its policy on certain symbols," Lara said, justifying her actions.

"But shattered him in the process."

"Ah, he was an idiot anyway. Way off base. And he probably just stumbled upon his dig anyway."

Professor Murray erupted in laughter and led Lara down the hall.

The two entered the expansive office of Professor Murray as Lara asked, "I got your E-mail on the plane ride over. What’s up?"

"Well, I heard you were going to be in the area," Murray explained lighting his pipe and settling into his chair, "and I wanted to get your opinion on some recently uncovered artifacts."

Her curiosity piqued, Lara took a seat.

"Do you remember Robert Mandel?"

"Sure, he was in my graduating class." Lara looked up thinking, clicking her teeth. "Canadian student if I remember correctly. He came down to UC to jump in the archeology department. Had some pretty outlandish ideas about digs. I haven’t really heard anything about him since graduation."

"Ever heard of Qavar Kaimen?" Murray asked, leaning back in his chair.

Lara let out a curt, disbelieving laugh. "The Emperoress Qavar Kaimen? Forget it Prof. She doesn’t exist. It’s a spook story; a legend."

"I wouldn’t think the woman who hunted down Bigfoot would so easily dismiss a archeological legend. Indulge me. What do you know?" he said slipping into his old teaching mode.

"Well let’s see," Lara said, pausing to collect her thoughts. "Uh… Qavar Kaimen was a supposed leader of a lost nation. The name of the kingdom was never confirmed. She was said to be remarkably cruel, killing subjects like I change my socks. Her rule was kept in check because she was believed to be a witch, or a sorceress. Her rule was deposed when a group of seven yellow glowing angels came down from Heaven and killed her in a bloody war. Like I said: a myth."

"Why?"

"No evidence supports the existence of the nation."

"Why would that be?"

"Well let me see, again." Lara stewed over the possibilities and final began thinking out loud. "The common people probably rejoiced at her death… Freedom was granted and they would spit after evoking her name… So to remove any of her future influence," Lara’s eyes lit up, "they would have destroyed any likeness of her. That’s why there is no physical evidence!"

Professor Murray helped continue Lara’s postulations. "This was the theory Mandel was trying to prove. His research team uncovered a variety of artifacts and even had some sent back to here to have them authenticated."

"Sent back from where?"

"Southeastern Iraq."

"So let me make sure I have all my ducks in a row here," Lara said analyzing the situation while pacing back and forth. "Mandel smuggles himself into southeastern Iraq when political tensions are at an all-time high. War is about to begin at the drop of a hat, but he decides to tromp not only himself but an entire team into the desert in a hope to recover lost artifacts from a kingdom that may or may not have ever existed."

Professor Murray raised a hand to interrupt, but Lara continued. "Yet somehow, either by stupidity or just dumb luck, Mandel actually finds the burial chamber and smuggles out several artifacts. But now, contact has been lost. He hasn’t been heard from. His colleagues fear the worst."

She paused slightly for effect but not long enough for Professor Murray to get his thoughts in. "So now, you want me to head into southeastern Iraq, just before the opening curtain is drawn to begin Desert Storm II and rescue this old cohort."

Lara spun on her heel to face the Professor, "Does that pretty much cover it?"

Murray lowered his feet from the desk and slowly stood. He smoothed out his clothes as Lara continued to stare. "Perhaps a little proof would be in your best interest."

"These have been authenticated right?"

"I wouldn’t have called you if they weren’t"

It was very rare that Lara was ever taken aback. Especially by an archeological find. After witnessing what she had experienced in her previous adventures, it took quite a bit to cause her pause. But these items were spectacular.

In the cold, dark room, only a single light glowed from overhead, illuminating a long research table. The spotlight effect helped enhance the items and she was certain Professor Murray had intended that specific effect. With the light shining on only the table, everything else seemed inconsequential.

She slowly made her way past each object. The rare items were neatly separated, tagged with descriptions, and accompanied with clipboards and various research notes.

Lara’s hawk-like gaze passed over several ceramic bowls with intricate carvings and patterns. Quickly glancing over the notes, she could see the researchers believed these bowls were used to hold specific organs in sacrificial rituals.

As Lara moved along the other objects, Graeme Murray folded his arms across his barrel chest and watched his most prized student operate. Her eyes had thinned to narrow slits as she scanned each object. Despite her quick glances, the aging professor knew she was taking in every detail. In all his years of teaching archeological science, Murray had never found, and feared he never would find, another student more capable than this British woman in front of him.

Several students had been smarter than Lara. Several had more ability. But Lara Croft was the complete package. She had intelligence, wisdom, willpower, and determination. He could often find a student who could beat Lara in one category… but never more than two.

As she reached the end of the table, Lara picked up the heavy gold and platinum ceremonial dagger. As she hefted the blade, she saw its only purpose. "She’s heavy and unbalanced; crude but intricate. The only real threat from this knife is a straight plunging shot. Designed to be sunk into the chest of a offering to the gods."

Pointing to the symbol on the circular pommel, Lara raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "The symbol of Qavar Kaimen?"

Professor Murray nodded and said, "Come on. There’s more."

After a brief flicker of snow, the VCR began to hum and the picture snapped on to the large 50" TV screen. Lara watched as unsteady and swinging angles from the camcorder displayed the new archeological find of Robert Mandel’s research group.

There was Mandel in the harsh glare of the camcorder’s light, blonde hair unkempt and unshaven. He had clearly been operating in the field for many days, yet due to the newfound success he was grinning like an idiot and waving his hands around while explaining the theories of the workings of the chamber.

Frustrated, Lara snatched up the TV’s remote and mashed the "Mute" button. She looked beyond the pompous posturing of the eccentric researcher and into the world behind him. The videotape quality was poor and the details were grainy but she could make some rough preliminary judgements. And then, they caught her eye…

After a quick rewind and pause of the tape, she saw two symbols that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Two symbols, seeming to belong to the surrounding ornamentation, yet distinctly out of place for the trained observer. The first was a symbol she was growing very familiar with and the other was a supposed hieroglyphic symbol of a slender, attractive, woman believed to be a depiction of Qavar Kaimen. The drawing was no different from many other hieroglyphics of the era, except one distinct difference. The woman wore an uncanny gauntlet on her right hand.

Lara’s jaw dropped at the revelation. Perhaps this tomb was best left undiscovered. She could only squeeze two words from her breathless lungs.

"Holy God…"

Chapter 2: The Devil’s Playground

In the dark office, the lone figure flipped through the contents of the manila folder on his desk. He quickly perused through the various articles, hand written notes, and pictures. He casually tossed the folder on to his desk and propped his feet up.

Reclining back in his chair, the man turned his thoughts inward. Approaching this candidate would take the greatest diplomacy. Recruiting such a high profile personality could be detrimental to the group, drawing unwanted attention.

He pulled his address book from one of the side drawers and thumbed through the pages. Finding the right phone number, he picked up the phone. After a few brief rings, the spoke into the receiver, "Father, I need a favor…"

Lara had to admit the accommodations at the Waldorf Astoria were very impressive. The museum had definitely gone all out to accommodate her for her expertise. Taking off her leather bomber jacket, she sat down on the bed and cradled her head in her hands. She had to wonder at the mysterious chain of events she had been through.

The Well of Shan Zanar was just supposed to be another target, a wealth of past information and a maybe a few baubles to display in the museums. Who would have thought the adventure would lead her to the final resting-place of Merlin, famed sorcerer of the Arthurian legends? She couldn’t turn down the opportunity to explore the unknown. But who would have thought she would have come to face to face with a real life demon?

The quest had taken her into the search for Merlin’s library, conveniently located under the waters of Loch Ness guarded by a prehistoric sentinel. The battle for Merlin’s collection of books had not been easy and she had barely escaped with her life.

And now, she had stumbled upon information about a deposed witch who now appeared to be connected somehow with Merlin. She had sent a copy of the videotape to Vanessa in Soho, hoping the computer expert could clean up the images and give her more details. She remained optimistic that her meeting with Hans in the morning would help shed light on some of her questions.

Tired and suddenly realizing her hunger, Lara ordered a small meal from room service. The kitchen was backed up slightly, so she decided to take a long hot shower. The steam of the hot water and the pulsating jets really helped Lara relax. In the field, simple things like shaving your legs didn’t always come on a regular basis, so tonight was a good night to take in the luxury and try to feel human again.

After the long hot shower, Lara stepped out and dried off. She pulled her long chestnut hair back into a simple ponytail and smelled the room service from the main room. Under the shower of water, she must not of heard the bellhop’s delivery knock at the door. Wrapping up in a complimentary red silk robe, Lara padded into the main room and reeled back in astonishment.

"Victor!"

Victor Tagladaro sat in one of the many plush chairs of the main room casually snacking from the silver platter left by the bellhop. His feet were propped up on one of the coffee tables and he looked downright comfortable. "Bacon cheeseburger with fries, chocolate milkshake and a brownie? Really Lara, with that body I thought you’d be one of those health food freaks. If most women ate this kind of stuff it would go straight to their butts. I guess it just goes straight to your chest."

Not flattered by his sexist remarks, Lara kneed his feet off the table and snatched up her plate from his lap, unwittingly giving him an ample look down her robe. Looking up, she felt his piercing eyes sleazing over her body. She quickly hustled away and sat as far away as she could from the scoundrel. "What do you want Victor?" she asked.

"Can’t two friends who are indebted to each other simply enjoy a nice conversation?" he replied stroking his new goatee. His arrogant attitude had not changed. His obviously handsome features could charm almost any woman, yet Lara could not look past his blatant lack of morals and mercenary attitude to think of him as attractive. Victor has no such compunctions.

"We don’t owe each other anything. You we’re the one that said we’d be enemies if we met again. As far as I’m concerned were even," Lara said sternly, popping a french fry. "So what is this really about, Victor?"

Tagladaro’s expression became very serious. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and stared at Lara from under his eyebrows. He spoke rather softly, almost appearing human. "Has he visited you?"

Lara looked on rather quizzically. By his change in mood, Lara knew Victor was deadly serious and his question seemed of grave importance. "Two nights ago, I saw him in my dream. I didn’t actually see him but I felt his presence. I had never felt anything like it before, so I knew who it was. No mistake. He’s still alive. And he’s pissed."

"Who?" Lara asked, her voice just above a whisper.

She already knew the answer but she didn’t want to believe it. When Victor spoke the words she dreaded to hear, her blood ran cold.

"The demon."

Lara lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She tried to block her conversation with Victor out of her mind. It couldn’t be true. She had killed the demon with the magic in Merlin’s staff. She saw the body explode into a million different pieces. Nothing could have…survived that… Nothing…

And she drifted into sleep.

Lara snapped her eyes open to a foreign world. There appeared to be no shape or form, just a dull gray mist. Lara looked to her body. She felt naked but not in a vulnerable sense. Her skin glowed with an odd white light, almost as if her body was illuminated from the energy of her soul. She floated in the void, finding no way to propel herself through the vast unknown. Finally, she simply willed herself to move.

It was odd and a bit awkward but she steadily began to gain the hang of it. As she moved through the void, she began to notice other shapes within the fog. Luminous beams of light seemed to crisscross and interconnect with one another. Some seemed intertwined while others passed through each other at single points. Even others danced around each other and then went there own separate ways.

The more she tried to make her way towards a luminous beam the farther it pushed away. It was as if she couldn’t find anyone. Then her momentum started. Faster and faster, Lara seemed to be pulled through the boundless void and then she saw the form. It was not a radiant glow like the others. This source seemed to absorb light. Its very presence was plethora of malignancy. And Lara knew what it was the minute she saw it.

Struggling, she tried to will herself away, but all efforts were futile. She swam and kicked and thrashed, but the harder she fought to get away the more she was pulled in. Finally, the two forms merged.

Lara was immersed in an impenetrable gloom. Her consciousness seemed to be intertwined with the demons as they shared each other’s thoughts.

"What do you want!" she screamed in her mind at the brink of sanity.

"I just wanted to meet you," the voice said in a calm, deep voice. The tranquil demeanor made the being even more frightening. "You are a very interesting woman, Constance."

"My names Lara."

"Perhaps in this life. Your name has changed throughout the generations but you are always an explorer. Kind of gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘what goes around comes around’."

"Reincarnation?"

"Call it what you will. Your soul is a precious one, Gabrielle. Sometimes, when ‘the man upstairs’ needs a special soul to handle certain situations, they get to make another run at it. Luckily, our side can do the same thing."

"I don’t get it. What are you tal-"

"Bah, human comprehension is so limited. But never mind we can discuss life eternal at another date. You have a new enemy, Lara. I’ve brought you here to warn you not to interfere with my plan."

"What plan?"

"I’ve been separated from my home for a long, long time. It is time to take my place back on my throne. You damaged me more than I’ve experienced in about six millennia. Impressive… Most Impressive. Obi-Wan has taught you well."

"Get to the point. Are you gonna kill me or what?" Lara said. She tried to sound angry in an attempt to mask her fear.

"Lucky for you, we can’t harm each other here, contrary to most of those ridiculous Elm Street movies," the demon said, seeping his soul into Lara. "I’ve found the key to the Great Bloodshed. If I can’t get to Hell, I’m gonna bring Hell to me. So steer clear, little lady. This devil’s gonna have a new playground." The demon let out a soft chuckle. Suddenly she could see his pointed tooth grin form in the void.

"Papa’s got a brand new bag."

And Lara snapped awake.

Chapter 3: A Meeting with Hans

Warsteiner Dynamics wasn’t anything impressive on the outside. The huge building was as big as three football fields stacked beside each other and large enough to accommodate almost three stories. With huge bay doors and few windows, the stark black tin walls of the industrial building was not the typical exterior for a multimillion dollar company less than three years old.

As she sneaked through the employee entrance, Lara couldn’t help but draw hellos, waves, and handshakes from workers. As the number one unofficial spokesperson for Warsteiner Dynamics, Lara had worked with the conceptual design with many creative design teams.

She passed the Aquatic Transport Division and noticed how empty it seemed. Mark Snow must have already taken his crew to San Diego to do research on the Great White Shark.

She made her way past the ORV Design Center, the Thermal Apparel Concepts, and other countless departments. Hans had his fingers in quite a few pies here. He couldn’t have been making any money personally due to the massive amounts of cash he was funneling to expand the business.

She pushed through several other divisions and was held up as a young Japanese designer bumped into Lara coming out of his testing wing. "Lara! Hi! We didn’t know you were coming in today. Got a minute?"

"For you, Kim? Sure." Lara always found it hard to turn down Jason Kim.

The young designer was one of the top firearm-designing specialists in the industry. He slapped a light yet sturdy pistol into Lara’s hand as they entered into a shielded firing range. She quickly put on a pair of ocher tinted safety glasses and a set of earmuffs and leveled off the chrome pistol. She squeezed off two rounds, paused, fired off three quick shots, and a final slug for good measure.

She spun the gun to face the handle out and handed the weapon back to Kim. "Still kicks to much," she said flatly and proceeded through the warehouse.

Kim shook his head wondering how a body like that could be obsessed over the proper mechanics of firearms. He smiled and headed back to the drawing board.

Lara strode into the upper level of the warehouse style office building where Hans Warsteiner was sitting at his desk going over some computer circuitry schematics. Looking up from his work, he smiled deeply like a child who had a precious secret.

Coming around the desk the two exchanged a deep hug. "Its good to see you Lara. How was your flight?"

"Oh you know, as good as can be expected," she replied as she settled into a deep sectional couch. She took in Hans’ office, admiring the lack of pomposity that most C.E.O. offices had. Sports memorabilia adorned the walls, from baseballs on the desk to jerseys on the wall. While most executives would hang expensive art from long dead painters on their wall, Hans’ favorite piece of art was an authentic Chicago Bulls jersey worn by #23 in his last world championship. "The flight was fine, it’s the airports I hate; all the crowds, the pushing, the noise. Uhg."

"Well, trust me. What I have will make this trip worth it. Your trip to the Well of Shan Zanar was definitely deserving of your talents."

Hans Warsteiner was the best in the business. He was once the best equipment designer in the industry, drawing contracts for the Solution Syndicate, Inc. from independent contractors, universities, even mercenaries employed by the CIA. After several contract disputes and arguments about creative licensing, Hans was fired from his well paying staff position at SSI.

What the design firm failed to account for was Warsteiner’s independent spirit and determination. Fueled with the anger from his dismissal, he started Hans Warsteiner Dynamics and drew many of SSI’s clients away from the corporate juggernaut. Signing up to be the exclusive exploration outfitter for the Lara Croft Foundation propelled Warsteiner Dynamics into the limelight. Ironically, SSI declared bankruptcy six months after Hans was terminated.

The two continued to chitchat over coffee until they were ready to get down to business. After exiting the office and clearing through several security stations, the two entered into a large darkened room with wires and several computer consoles all aglow. The floor appeared to be a highly polished polymer with illuminated green hexes across the floor. The octagonal shapes gave the appearances of stop signs laid one beside the other on the reflective black floor. And it was intensely cold. Lara rubbed her arms and shivered, "Goodness Hans, it’s like a bloody meat locker in here."

Walking over to one station, Hans produced two helmets that looked like something from a space age suit of armor. Wires trailed from the back of the helmet and the visor as a solid piece of dark plastic material. "We have to keep it colder in here. It helps keep the equipment from overheating. Now, before we start there will be some disorientation," Hans warned while outfitting Lara with an ear-piece. "It’s normal and once the system fully comes on-line and you get adjusted, it will pass."

As she put on the surprisingly light helmet, her only proof of vision was a small blinking cursor in the upper left-hand corner. Suddenly, the screen expanded wildly and millions of pixels began to form various objects. In front of her she saw a polygon version of Hans dressed in a red jumpsuit. He smiled and waved his hand.

Surprised, Lara looked down to reveal her own polygon body dressed in a bright yellow jumpsuit. "I never thought yellow was my color," she said hearing only a slight computerized distortion in her voice.

"Don’t worry about it," Lara heard Hans say through her earpiece. "The scanners in the room analyze your basic body structure and put you in these jumpsuits as opposed to your actual clothing. It saves on memory and keeps the speed high."

Hans reached up and appeared to type on an invisible keyboard and winked another image into existence. Lara was surprised by the pixel image of the coffin of Lord Talanmarna, forgotten sage of the lost nation of Schracon, discovered in her mission to the Well of Shan Zanar.

"The images from the fiber optic scans you made allowed us to make a virtual 3D model of the coffin for analysis," Hans explained. "Now hold on a second…"

Hans typed more on the invisible keyboard and the image expanded five times in size. "Wow," Lara whispered.

"In this format, you can really study the details more. The craftsmanship is excellent. I’d think that even with the tools of today a craftsman would have a tough time producing such fine results. We still are having a difficult time figuring out how they made this thing."

"After my last adventure, I have an idea," Lara said.

"Care to enlighten me?" Hans asked placing his hands on his hips.

"I’ll tell you later," she replied raising an eyebrow. She thought this would be the wrong place to explain to this technological genius the metaphysics of magic.

Nodding an ‘okay,’ Hans ran and jumped into the coffin, causing a distortion ripple where his body had passed through the structure. "Come on in Lara. The water’s fine," she heard Hans yell through her headphones.

Shaking her head in wonder, she jumped through the outer wall of the coffin. She stood slack jawed in utter amazement. She had only seen the majority of the coffin through her video monitor when she scanned the image. She had no idea the artistry on the coffin was so elaborate. The scroll work and jewel placement was even more intricate on the inside.

Even the body of the sage was inside. Luckily it was just a rough jumble of polygons. She certainly didn’t want to see the hundreds of years old body in five times its normal size. Hans was waving at her from his position atop the body’s chest. "This is the real kicker, Lara."

Lara saw on the lid of the coffin an odd symbol. A circle with six points, all highlighted with gem encrusting. "I’m not sure what to make of this," Hans said.

Lara observed the diagram for several minutes studying every angle. Puzzled, she looked back at Hans shaking her head. Hans shrugged and said, "I’ve come to a hypothesis but I hope I’m not right."

"Go on," Lara insisted.

"Well, technically, we missed a major portion of the coffins surface. Under the body. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that sooner but part of the key to dissecting this puzzle could be in a section of information that we don’t have. Now I think I may have found something else…oomph!"

Hans never finished his sentence as he tumbled backward out of the coffin. He didn’t slip and fall. It was like he was shoved out. But nothing had happened to cause that in the virtual world. That must have meant there was something outs…

Lara quickly flung off her VR helmet but was broadsided by a massive body tackle. She managed to turn before hitting the floor, facing her attacker and getting her knees between herself and the assailant’s body.

When she hit the ground, she used the momentum and her knees’ leverage to throw the body off of her. As she snapped up into a ready stance, she was surprised at the two antagonists. They looked like small impish demons. They had mottled gray skin pulled taut against long exaggerated bones. The had small leathery wings protruding from their shoulder blades but they barely looked strong enough to support themselves in flight.

One attempted to correct himself after being flung across the room but the other was still atop Hans punching him in the face and torso. The demon hitting Hans barely turned in time to see Lara’s size 6 Pathforger boot slam into his skull. Her running kick managed to knock the demon clean off Hans.

Dragging the designer’s helmet off, she saw blood flowing freely from Hans’ nose and mouth; he was dazed but okay. "What the hell just happened!" he said sitting up to stare at two demons regrouping to make their second attack.

"We’ve got to get out of here," Lara demanded, hauling Hans to his feet. If these demons were even a quarter as powerful as the last demon that she faced and she went into battle unarmed, they would both be slaughtered.

Making their way towards the exit, she saw a small panel with "Fire Alarm" printed in glowing red letters. As she punched the panel, the room filled with massive amounts of carbon dioxide, obscuring vision down to almost two feet.

Luckily, the Virtual Reality Simulation Room was just off the experimental weapons wings. Hans was still dazed and she new it was only a matter of time before the demons made their way to the exit of the VRSR. She pushed Hans into a side chair as the designer tried to collect himself and stop the flow of blood from his nose.

She grabbed the first weapon she found on the design table. The chrome weapon was bulky with several exposed circuit boards and internal mechanisms but the weapon appeared functional. Hefting the weapon in both hands, Lara slid back the pump handle and asked, "What is this? Does it work?"

Hans looked up holding his nose and stared wide eyed, "My God, Lara, that’s a Neutron Implosion Grenade Launcher. It works but it hasn’t been tested with live rounds and…"

"Grenade launcher? Sounds good to me," Lara cut the designer off and aimed the weapon at the door of the VRSR. As the first demon exited, Lara squeezed off a round.

The launch of the grenade was very smooth. The weapon only rocked slightly, amazing Lara at the lack of recoil. But what happened next was even more amazing. The round embedded itself in the belly of the frail demon, slamming it against the wall. There was a sudden boom of air and the demon collapsed.

The second demon emerged from the misty room and took a round to the chest with the same results. Lara rested the weapon on her shoulder and walked to the demons’ bodies to examine the wounds. There was no blood and the entry wounds looked almost cauterized. Squatting down to examine the bodies closer, she heard the sound of Hans' approach.

"Well, I’ll be damned. The son of a bitch does work. We knew the unit was operational but the ordnance was still in the test phase," Hans explained. "The superheated grenade impacts within a solid object cauterizing flesh on contact and imbeds itself with micro polymer hooks. The grenade then gives off a microburst of lethal radiation. The radiation destroys the internal organs but remains contained within the body."

Lara could tell by the tone of Hans’ voice that he was giving standard business style facts for a weapon of mass destruction. He never approved of the weapons division but it was the biggest cash cow, supporting four other less profitable divisions. But this was unbelievable. It could be the next weapon of soldier combat.

"I can’t bring myself to manufacture it," he said quietly, taking the weapon from Lara’s hands. "I’m thinking about scrapping the whole thing."

"Well it saved our lives, today," Lara said.

The designer tossed the weapon back on the drawing board, "But how many lives would it cost, tomorrow?"

The two sat in Hans’ office as the two emergency medical technicians on staff with Warsteiner Dynamics finished their checkup. "You should be fine, Mr. Warsteiner. You aren’t experiencing any symptoms from radiation exposure, so you’re all clear," one of the EMTs said.

As they left, Lara and Hans exchanged a long meaningful look. They had shared that look before, just after they had agreed to become partners in their exploring adventures.

"Would you lie to me, Lara?" Hans asked, his voice lowering an octave and becoming deathly serious.

"What? Of course I wouldn’t," she responded quickly, with a hint of ire in her voice. "What type of question…"

"Then I need you to level with me. We never discussed what you found in that underwater cave. You cancel a trip over stateside and tell me to send you my best aquatic field research team to look for, correct me if I’m wrong, a library underwater. Now, I’m attacked in my place of business by to creatures that boiled into thin air when they died."

Hans stared deep into Lara’s eyes. "You know I have and always will back you up one-hundred percent. But I have to know the whole truth. What the hell were those things, Lara?"

Lara replied with a raised eyebrow, "Demons."

Hans quickly pounded back the shot of single malt scotch and chased it with a big gulp of beer. "Okay, one more time from the top. Not that I don’t believe you, I just want to make sure I’ve got everything straight in my mind."

He settled into the chair across from Lara in the fancy, high rise, rooftop restaurant. Being a silent partner in a fancy restaurant had its advantages, Hans had always said. Especially when you had the keys and could offer the staff one hundred dollars each for preparing a meal after hours.

With the meal finished and privacy assured, Lara prepared to run down the past month of adventuring. She looked out to the quiet skyline of Manhattan. It was amazing how beautiful and tranquil the city could be at night high above street level.

Hans didn’t push her. He could tell she was just looking for a place to start.

"Ironically, this mission started out as a quest for revenge. It was petty, I know. I’d never done anything like this before. But I was so mad…"

"Victor had me at a complete disadvantage when he had me in that well. He could have easily killed me and ended this whole thing. That idea never set comfortably with me. So I had to seek revenge. When I stumbled into his private files, I thought it was a joke," Lara said with a slight twitter of laughter.

"I’d never read the Arthurian legends as a kid. Sure, I’d seen the movies and knew the vague concepts behind the legends. But really… Merlin? It seemed like a joke. Anyway, I wanted Victor to feel what I felt when he stole my items from me."

Lara continued with the story of uncovering the burial chamber of the ancient sorcerer. She told of the unleashing of the demon by accident, and told of how she and Victor had to combine forces to defeat the demon. She finished by telling of how she had pulled the switch with the spellbooks, leading Victor to think it had been destroyed.

She took a sip of wine and continued. "I began studying the pages but most of the book was in a very ancient form of Latin. But there were some words I couldn’t translate. I assumed that it was a ‘wizard language.’ I needed more pages to study and analyze in order to decipher the meanings and context of some of the words. That’s when I came across the reference to the library."

Hans placed his hands in a steeple and look at Lara intently, absorbing every word. "And this library was located in what was called the Locked Nest. Right?"

"Right," Lara continued. "The books were salvaged from Loch Ness and sent to your people to be scanned onto disk, and deciphered so we could work from a database."

"I recognized one of the symbols within the coffin, near the top of the lid. The symbol belongs to Merlin. I wouldn’t have known that had I not been so involved with his work. So now is where it gets tricky."

"Last night, Victor Tagladaro paid me a visit at my hotel. He said he’s been having nightmares about the demon we destroyed in Merlin’s tomb. I wouldn’t have believed him, but I had a similar dream."

Hans’ eyes grew wide, "And we were attacked by… Were those things like the creature you fought?"

"Nowhere even close. If those little imps were simple houses, the demon we fought would be like the World Trade Center."

"My God," Hans whispered.

"The demon told me he was going to bring Hell to him. Apparently, Merlin had something to do with a war where this demon was a general for the other side. Luckily, good triumphed, but now the demon is back and ready to fight again."

Hans shook his head, "But all the good guy players are retired. Where have all the wizards gone?"

"That’s a good question. In a topic that I thought was unrelated, Professor Graeme Murray and I had a meeting yesterday about an archeological dig in Iraq, going on right now. Or at least was going on. The expedition has been declared lost, but several items and a videotape were sent back stateside before the group disappeared."

"On the tape, in an ancient structure in Iraq, I saw two symbols I immediately recognized from my personal experiences. Two symbols that shouldn’t have been in an ancient Middle East burial tomb. One was the symbol of Merlin. The other symbol was actually a picture on a vase. It was a woman wearing a strange glove or gauntlet."

"What’s so odd about that?"

"I saw the same gauntlet six months ago on a police detective who works right here in New York."

Hans could only respond with a look of disbelief.

"You ask where have all the wizards have gone? And I answer…"

Chapter 4: She of the Blade

The phone roared for a seventh time. Sliding across the silk sheets, she finally fumbled her way to the gloss-black cordless phone. The phone seemed louder than a rock concert and the receiver must have weighed more than twenty pounds. The aftereffects of the liquor and the impossibly late night rampaged through her body.

As she placed the phone to her ear, she looked to the digital clock, the only source of light in the apartment. 6:30 am! This better be good.

"Pezzini," she coughed out grumbling in a sleepy voice, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes, I’m calling about the reward on a special watch."

"What? What watch?" she said trying to clear her head of the sleepy fog.

"It was our understanding you were in possession of a particular antique watch. We’ve located one of the former owners and would like to discuss a meeting about the item."

She finally recognized the voice on the other end. Adrenaline began to flow and life streamed into her body "When and where?"

"New York’s finest eatery. Noon."

"I’ll be there."

The extra couple hours of sleep and the hot shower had helped wash some of the night’s previous activity off of Sara Pezzini. She slipped into her undergarments and jeans and headed to the closet. Walking past the long full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door, she paused briefly.

Staring at the reflection of the woman looking back at her, Sara exhaled a deep sigh. By her standards, she was completely normal, except for her wrist. Attached to her right wrist was a curious band of interwoven silvery-gray metal. The metal was currently in its dormant state, the form it typically chose to remain inconspicuous.

She thought back to the fateful day in the Rialto Theater when she had first made contact with the…"thing". Now, her normal life was shattered on a daily basis due to the presence of this "thing". Had she really wanted this life of adventure and intrigue?

Now, this extreme archeologist claimed to have found evidence of a previous owner. Did she really want to know about this thing’s past? Her last partner, Michael Yee had said ignorance was bliss. Yet she could not leave the mystery alone. She had to know the secrets of this Witchblade.

Lara glanced down at her watch, as she stood outside Gray’s Papaya Hot Dogs, finishing off her third frank. It was almost a quarter after noon and she was beginning to worry that maybe Sara wouldn’t be coming.

"Your addiction to junk food is astounding. How do you keep in shape with all that garbage?"

Lara turned to see her former "partner" lean up against the wall beside her. Sara Pezzini was some piece of work. She was a typical New Yorker, tough and full of confidence. However, she clearly could have been a movie star or fashion model with her athletic, shapely frame and stunning eyes. Lara still found it hard to believe she was a New York Police Detective. Lara laughed, "You know you’re the second person to comment on my eating habits in the past week."

Lara noted she wore a long sleeve turtleneck shirt to sufficiently cover her wrists. Her loose, baggy jeans looked like they could slide off her hips at any moment, but Lara was sure she wore them that way to accommodate her traditional six-shot revolver.

Lara pitched her trash in one of the receptacles and took the last drink from her lemonade before throwing the cup away as well. The two headed down the slightly crowded street and began to talk. The early afternoon was settling in but the streets had not packed with workers heading home yet. The two were able to walk smoothly down the street and talking without yelling to be heard.

Sara and Lara had met almost six months ago when their paths crossed while Sara was investigating a murder and Lara was attempting to recover stolen property. The detective had guessed their paths would cross again, just not this soon.

"What’s with the cloak and dagger routine, Lara? Why all the secret codes."

"I felt discretion might be in your best interest. I didn’t think you would want me shouting over the phone lines about a mysterious mystical gauntlet you have fused to your hand."

Sara nodded in agreement but thought, and people think I’m paranoid.

"So, what’s this about a former owner of my ‘watch’?" Sara asked pushing her long, dark cinnamon hair out of her face.

Sliding on her glasses, Lara said, "I believe I may have found evidence of a former owner. If I did, would you be interested?"

"Definitely. Any history of past owners may help me figure out what this thing is."

"That was my idea, too. How about we take a ride and I’ll show you what I’ve discovered."

Back at the Carter-Sackheim museum, Lara Croft and Sara Pezzini went over the data Lara had pieced together. Sara had watched the videotape and Lara handed the young detective still pictures she had computer-enhanced. The magnified sections clearly showed the vase with the depiction of a woman wearing a mysterious gauntlet.

"So where is this located, exactly," Sara asked looking up from the photos.

"Iraq."

"That’s one of the last places an American wants to be right now."

"Relax. We take a flight over, HALO jump in, get what we need, and hump it out to an extraction point," Lara explained trying to make the operation sound easy.

"It sounds like a freakin’ military operation. I’m more like Starsky and Hutch, not GI Joe."

"I know this is a difficult, Sara. I hate to ask you for a snap decision. But the research team is lost. If they have been captured by the Iraqi military, doubtful but it is possible, they could be held hostage or even executed. One of them is my friend. Despite the odds, I have to try to save him."

Lara could tell Sara was mulling over the possibilities. She hated not telling Sara the whole truth. She was usually very forthright but this situation was heavily based on theories. She needed Sara on this one. Despite their past adventure together, telling a grounded-in-fact police detective that she planned to hunt down keys to an ancient demon’s plan to destroy the world seemed less plausible than preventing a hostage crisis.

"I’m in," Sara said.

"Great!" Lara gave Sara a firm thump on her shoulder to give her confidence she had made the right decision.

"Just one question," Sara said. "What’s a HALO jump?"

Epilogue

If the demon could forge speech, it would have howled in rage. It had wasted precious power summoning the idiotic imps. They had accomplished nothing more than making Lara wary for future attacks. But still, her awareness would only make the kill more difficult, but all the sweeter when it bathed in her blood.

It flexed its first fibrous layer of muscle and extended the butcher knife like blades from its fingertips. The slaying claws were still not big enough yet nor had they reached the level of sharpness it had achieved before. Without being able to regain its power in its river of tortured souls, time could only repair the damage done.

Time. This foreign concept left it feeling vulnerable. It could sense it would never reach its previous level of power while remaining here in this realm. How much longer could this creature exert its power and still find rechargeable reserves? Time was truly against him now.

But soon its plan would come to fruition. Then, not only would Lara Croft become subject to its torture, the entire world would be made to suffer. The demon lolled its head back against the cold stone floor, and laughed…

The Joy of the Internet

I have to admit Wonders of an Ancient Glory has turned out to be much more satisfying than I originally intended. I’m really having fun with this series and I hope that comes across in my writing.

First and foremost, I tried to make this series smart. I hate cheesy movies with no plot, poorly motivated villains, and brainless dialogue. That is everything I’ve tried to avoid with this Tomb Raider series.

The reason for the drive to have this series be intelligent is to break away from the video game stereotype. I want people who have never played the game to enjoy this fiction but at the same time I’m trying to stay true to the character for the fans.

One of the main reasons I enjoy Internet publishing so much, besides the worldwide distribution, is the creative freedom. I’m planning on bringing in several established characters, like Sara Pezzini of Witchblade in this chapter. Are there any particular characters from comics, movie, or TV you’d like to see Lara get hooked up with?

You may also keep your eye out for homage references throughout the series. I’ve yet to get any mail about my X-Files references. Every member of Lara’s research team in Part II was named for a person working for the X-Files. Keep your eye on the credits at the beginning of the show and you’ll see a few names you’ll recognize. There’s no telling where the next references may come from, so keep your eyes open. References to Star Wars, Spawn, and other creative joys of mine are sure to surface.

Now I know Part III was a bit of a down act and to be honest I felt it needed a little something more (that could have led to part of the delay in its posting), but these elements are necessary to show the establishment of the saga. Basically, it’s a big lead in to Part IV which will show up shortly (possibly within the week). And I’ve got to get pumping out Part V because when you read the end of IV, you’ll demand V as quickly as possible.

Keep your eye on this space. More commentary and inside information tidbits will follow. I hope these columns will provide an insight into the writer. After all, if you like me, chances are you’ll like my stuff even more. I’ve got to stop writing this to go write the series and I know that’s what you really want to read. Later.