Prologue

 

         It was A.M. 7:00 o'clock For the streets he/she ran a cold air that provoked that a lot of people stayed in her house, in the bed, without making anything.
         Lara went down to the kitchen and it was surprised when not seeing the breakfast. He/she remembered when some minutes passed: Winston had gone to the funeral of an old friend.
         Suddenly he/she listened something. Some steps on the outside. The youth that distributed the newspapers. It left quickly and he/she paid it to him with a dollar, although later, when seeing that the front page was not too attractive, he/she left it in the table of the living room.
         The morning passed in the gym until a scream of Álister startled it.
         When it arrived at the living room he/she noticed the article that Álister had just read:
 
Some archaeologists discover strange ruins in Rome
         In the leaf an image was shown in the one that a stone platform appeared in the one that five columns were held, all in circle around a town square. The whole platform had in the floor inscriptions and mainly, one highlighted: an arch around the town square.
-Álister, is as.
-As the ruins of Bolivia and Nepal - Zip said entering in the room.
-How do you know it?
-I have read it in my laptop computer, for that reason he/she lowered to be it but good, you already know it.
         Lara continued eying the article, the archaeologists were single two men: Jason and Paul Crankcase.
-How strange. he/she doesn't give more information than their names and the picture.
-And that it has been in Rome - Álister clarified
-Good already. But Rome is enormous. And above for the picture the ruins seem underground.
-Calm, in less than one hour I will know it all envelope the archaeologists - Zip said.

PART I

LIES

 

Chapter 1: Roma

        

 The following day Lara arrived in Rome in its private airplane, in which brought a moto, with the one that drove until the outskirts, to the Mansion Crankcase.
         When it arrived he/she played the bell, but nobody answered. He/she observed a little for the other sides and it was missed when seeing all the closed windows.
         When he/she gave an entire turn and it returned to the front he/she noticed in that the main door didn't have pomos, but yes marks that at some time there was some. Surprised for this reason, he/she hit him/her a kick to the door without being completely convinced of it will pass it.
         The door gave and he/she remained silent to the floor. Lara went into lifting the guns a little. It rotated the head toward the sides and he/she observed that the whole stay was dark. Something logical since all the windows and were doors closed but. why?
         He/she lit their lantern and he/she started to explore. As it supposed, he/she didn't take in finding the cadavers of the Crankcase inside a closet in the third plant.
-Who will have made them that?- Zip asked from the mansion, through the headphone and camera that it connected it with Lara.
-I am not sure but. I believe that Amanda.
-Lara - Álister began - they have stabbed them many times and they have shot them. Amanda doesn't know how to manage firearms and you/he/she is not so. bloodstone, for this way to say it.
-If, but then. who?
-Good.
-At the moment simply I have suspects. One in short. And he/she won't stop to be Amanda. Not until the opposite is demonstrated.
-Well, neither you should forget her.
         He/she called to the police and he/she left, very mad, without knowing that to make.
         One hour later he/she had left the parked moto and he/she started to walk near the Coliseum, until a shot almost crosses him/her the leg.
         Startled, it was rotated and he/she looked to the high of a building. There was a man hooded in the roof, aiming him/her with sniper's Dragoonov.
         With the commotion that was formed, the one masked the it lost of view. So Dragoonov left and it took out a 99-mm. It walked down the stairs of fires and he/she entered for an alley where he/she believed to have seen Lara hide.
         It was amazed when it checked that that alley, as narrow as a corridor, he/she didn't have exit.
         Suddenly, the one weighed of another person on their back he/she made him/her fall to the floor, Era Lara. It immobilized her and it removed him/her the mask.
-Amanda! He/she knew it.
-The. what did you know Lara?- their enemy asked with pain when having the flat arm against the floor of the fall that had just had.
-That you killed to the Crankcase. You should already know where it is the similar ruin to those of Bolivia and Nepal.
-Is the Crankcase already dead? What annoyance!
-Do you take me for idiot? You that you were you.
- No, Lara. I was not me.
-How do you want him to believe you? He/she makes so alone one month that almost kill me with your bug that.
-By the way, How is my. "bug?"
-I have destroyed the stone. He/she won't allow to have to that alive aberration.
-It supposed it. He/she looks, I have something like that like an alibi so that you believe me.
-And which is it?
-You that you lodge in the hotel "Fillange" and that you have Excálibur in the room 401 in a bag with guitar form.
         Lara was pensive and concerned.
-How do you want that in two days after the article has come out, have arrived in Rome, discovered where you lodged and where you had Excálibur, killed to the Crankcase and almost to you? Hey?
         The few seconds that Lara was doubting they were good Amanda to throw a bomb of somniferous gas and to escape.
         He/she woke up to the five minutes, thanks to Álister and Zip screaming him/her with the headphone.
         Did he/she incorporate and did he/she begin to run, did it arrive to their moto and did it put heading for the hotel, would Amanda have stolen him/her Excálibur?
 

 

Chapter 2: The Colisseum

 

        

It arrived to the few minutes, he/she entered in the room almost without encouragement and it was surprised when doing the bag with form of closed backpack, and stiller when still seeing inside Excálibur. It passed him/her the hand for if it was a hologram and until it proved to throw a ray with her. It was the authentic one.
-He/she can that Amanda has not still arrived.- Álister said
-That is impossible - Lara clarified - it took me many minutes of advantage.
-But you have gone in moto.
-Alone there is a road to arrive to this hotel disgust. He/she would have seen it for the road.
         Suddenly it sounded the door. Lara looked for the peephole and he/she could see a lady that looked little more than 60 years and dressed so that he/she seemed to have enough money, all full with jewels decorations.
         At the end, he/she opened the door and the woman asked with a very shy voice.
-It is you Miss. Croft?
-Yes, I am I, and you are.
-Rowena Crankcase.
-Does he/she have relationship with the.?
-With the murdered boys? Yes, I am their mother.
-Y.?
-Can I happen? I have to count him/her and to give him/her something important.
-Clear, clear, put on comfortable.
-Well. It is possible that you don't remind me but me. I am their father's friend.
-No. I don't remember it.
-He/she will see, when their mare died, its father and I were really good friends. I consoled him enough times. He/she gave a lot of pain.
-A moment. you that such one is. Row?
-Yes! Their father called this way me.
-Yes, already you who it is you. Good that he/she had me that he/she had to tell me or to give?
-Before they killed them, my children gave me this - he/she said pointing out a bracelet that seemed to be taken a bath in gold although, some strange paper balls that hung of her for threads made it seem an imitation jewelry.- they told me that they were in danger. That somebody will kill them.
-Did they already know it?
-Yes. Take.- he/she gave him/her the bracelet.
         Lara stayed inspecting it until he/she discovered something very interesting. An engraving that had:
"Under the blood"
-Under the blood?- Lara lifted the look to ask to Rowena, but he/she had already left.
-What do you believe that it means?- Zip asked.
-Not him you. A segundo.- had just noticed the paper pellets. They could open up and one of them had a letter signed by the Crankcase. He/she said that I "lower the blood" it meant "under the Coliseum."
-Under the Coliseum? Are the ruins low the Coliseum?- missed Álister asked.
-That is what we will discover.
         One hour later, was in the center of the square of the interior of the Coliseum. He/she imagined how many gladiators they would have lost the life there.
         During the following two hours it inspected the ground floors, where it is supposed that the gladiators got ready, but he/she didn't find anything.
         It returned to the square and he/she was happened an idea. Miró to the floor and he/she noticed that something was rotten.
         You ascended to the tiers and it threw a grenade. As it supposed, an entrance that didn't drive opened up to where it had already been, since the rooms where the gladiators got ready they were to the sides.
         It lowered and it arrived at a cave in corridor form. Very long and I narrow.
         Before he/she could light the lantern, they lit some chandeliers. It continued walking until it arrived to their destination, the platform with the columns, but, since it was not connected with the corridor for where he/she came, he/she had to give a great jump.
         The platform was in the center of an enormous room to circulate, in which the floor was not sighted.
-Impressive, hey?- he/she told a voice that resonated in the whole stay, preventing to know of where it came.
         Suddenly, behind Lara a well-known figure appeared: Rowena Crankcase.
 

 

Chapter 3: The abism's Caves

  

-You! He/she knew that I should not trust of you!
-What did you know it? But if as soon as you knew who was really until you allowed to fall to Excálibur to the floor!
-How do you know it?
-Him you everything on you, Lara. Is it certain that I consoled your father but. without any objective? Undoubtedly not! As soon as we made ourselves friends we really begin at a lot of time to happen together. We will have dinner to restaurants of category, we danced. it was a pity when I poisoned him.
-What.?
-Wait, Lara! Don't interrupt me. The poison didn't affect him/her at once, clear. Neither a minutes, neither a hours. But yes he/she went him/her removing some life day after day. until the expedition to Cambodia destroyed it.
-No! You are a sow!
-Precisely for that reason you will pick up Soul Reaver for me.
-What devils do you say?
-I have your friend Anaya in a very special building, the same one that publishes the newspaper with which I have attracted you until here. The same one with which I attracted to kill two stupid men that served me as dead children. And you swallowed yourself everything. it has been too easy. Good, to what went. That I have Anaya in that building with a couple of hoodlums. If he/she doesn't make what I tell you he/she will die.
-It is a streetlight.
-And will you take a risk?
         Lara didn't know that to make. Was it very possible that Anaya had been kidnapped but if it was not certain. What would Row that made want?
-It is well, I accept. What do I make?
-Not him you. You have to make something in this cave, as I have discovered. There is an old passage that he/she says that it is necessary to arrive to the abyss.
         In that moment Zip dared to say for the headphone:
-Do you understand it, Lara?
         Lara was rotated, he/she looked at Row and he/she told him/her as if he/she had just discovered something important:
-I won't take.
         In that moment, Lara jumped of the platform, going into in a dark fog. It was not able to see the floor; it was very deep. He/she began to believe that he/she had made a mistake. That it should not have been thrown.
         Suddenly it felt that it braked that he/she stayed in a similar position to which would have adopted if it had arrived to the floor, alone that in the air. Then, their alone body rotated until incorporating it.
         It was in a cold and really dark stay. Absolutely anything was not seen.
         Suddenly it felt as if something touched him/her the body. Would a hallucination be? As soon as the close contact took place a couple of times more he/she discovered that nr. Something was very near her. Surrounding it.
         Afraid, it took out their guns and he/she started to shoot to all sides, not to give to anything, if not to try to be able to do something with the light that provoked when shooting the bullets but, of the guns anything didn't come out, it is more, they passed over him/her the body and they fell to the floor as if it was an illusion spice.
         It felt the close contact again, he/she was already worrying really but, he/she remembered Excálibur. It drew it and it began to throw rays, this time yes to give to something and, it got it. He/she lit a brand and for the first time he/she could see their opponent.
         It seemed a hooded man. With a black enormous tunic that covered him/her the whole body, but what really gave fear was to see their hands: it was a cadaver in decomposition.
         Lara shot him/her more rays with Excálibur, and it got him to throw something behind. He/she made it again and he/she repeated the same result. It continued repeating the process until the light disappeared, the same as him cadaver.
         Suddenly something grabbed it for the neck, era the cadaver. It put it against the wall and the brands lit again. Before it nailed him/her their bones, Lara was able to nail him to Excálibur that made it fall to the floor.
         Without previó warning, Lara woke up as of a dream again in the platform. He/she had in their hands a sword very escalofriante. The mango was a skull with two nailed daggers and the leaf went making a strange zigzag.
-Soul Reaver!- Row screamed when seeing the weapon.
-Lara, what has it happened?- alarmed Zip and Álister asked.
-I believe that anything - it almost pronounced whispering.- How ago that sword, Row?
-It is the same as Excálibur. it Allows trasportarte to Ávalon but in a more controlled way.
-To Ávalon?- Lara asked showing a sorisa
-Yes, Lara.
-But how in a more controlled way?
-You will already see it - he/she said introducing the sword - I will bring you to your turn mother. Come closer.
-Do come closer? Won't it be you go away that not to also go your to Ávalon?
-Make what I tell you, damned it is!
         Lara advanced distrustful. When he/she made it Row he/she said:
-Lara, I lied. This sword won't allow your mother to bring.
         Suddenly Rowena Crankcase extracted the sword and a red intense light wrapped them.
         Lara felt as if its skin and the interior of its body separated. Then it felt like he/she fell in something similar to the grass. Next, before fainting, he/she saw some men fight.
         

PARTE II

RE-MEETING

Chapter 1: Arrival to the Paradise

Lara woke up. It was on something very soft and warm, it didn't distinguish the how since anything it was not seen of the dark thing that it was. For a moment he/she remembered the place where that stranger sword got. He/she thought it a moment and it was not able to remember the name of the weapon.
         Returning in yes he/she got off what supposed that it was a bed and he/she started to sound for a stone walls until he/she found a window. He/she opened it and it took a look to the room in which was:
         It was round, I eat he/she had already noticed when sounding, and of stone. Of gray hard stones. The bed where he/she had been sleeping it was a bunk with curtains. The rest of the room was decorated with objects and furniture lilacs, except a carpet in the floor that also had something of red and green.
         Suddenly, surprised, he/she noticed the carpet again. The green thing was Excálibur, combatting with. Soul Reaver! He/she called this way himself. S.R. it was the red thing and the bottom was the lilac.
         They called to the door and a woman dressed with some very old robes it took their clothes. In that moment he/she noticed that they had dressed her with a nightwear.
-To-here he/she has their clothes - the very shy woman said.
-Hey, thank you.
-They wait for it below in the central room.- before Lara could ask where it was that the woman he/she left and he/she got dressed when not having another alternative.
         After a while exploring what discovered that it was a castle it arrived at the central room, where it was a woman and a man speaking. To the man he/she didn't meet him but to the woman he/she knew it very well: he/she was their mother.
-Hello mom.
Amelia rushed on her giving him/her a great hug.
-Lara! My God.
-Ejem ejem - the man coughed.
-Oh - Amelia exclaimed - this she is Jonathan. He and I are two only people that we have crossed the portal of Excálibur before you but you. you are special.
-Why?- Lara asked believing to already know the answer.
-Because you have brought with you to Excálibur.- Jonathan said. Their voice was serious and high.
-And what does it pass with that?
-Lara. who was that man that came with you?
-Man? Will you mean woman. do you know who is?
-Lara, you are making a mistake. The soldiers did a man with the stone skin.
-But did they survive?
-Not but. one arrived before dying and he/she told us something.
-It would be confused.
-Good and your second question? Who is?
-He/she is the murderess of. of. of dad.
-How? Is your father dead?
-Not you why but. I believed that you knew it in some way.
         There was an uncomfortable silence that Jonathan broke counting Lara that if Excálibur and Soul Reaver is meetings in Ávalon, its payees should fight with the swords to death.
-And that why?- he/she wanted to know Lara.
-Because Excálibur is the sword that represents for this way to say it to the good and Soul Reaver to the wrong.
-Already, and could not another fight with Excálibur?
-No. If you give up to fight you will die.
-Je. Go plan. Good, I don't believe that to fight against an old one is very difficult.
-I continue convinced that you make a mistake Lara. Would not a man be?
-No, it was not it.
-Good, it will be better than your daughter it begins with the training.
 

Chapter 2: The Fight

        

Two weeks later, thanks to a messenger, Lara it was located in front of Row in the center of a circle because everybody had made an enormous ring around them.
-Are you prepared, Lara? Afraid?
-More wanted, disgusting vixen.
         Before he/she realized, Row gave an incredible jump and almost it cuts him/her a leg to Lara.
-How devils have you made that?
-Have not you still discovered it?- he/she said putting a very serious and masculine voice that Lara already knew.
         Suddenly the body of Row changed for that of a tall man with the gray skin, as hard as a stone full with inscriptions.
-Carel!- Lara screamed beginning to understand the confusion of the soldiers.
-There is there is there is. Did you believe that I had died in Strahov, truth?
-The truth is that yes.- taking advantage of this distraction Lara threw him/her a ray with Excálibur that made it throw back.
-I already see that you have learned!- Carel threw him/her another ray that he/she left it in the floor and, before it could get up, Carel arrived until her and, raising Soul Reaver, he/she got ready to kill her but, before it was nailed in the stomach of Lara, a figure intervened, making that Lara screams with all its forces:
-Mom!
         Then, Lara rose and of its body a green intense wave that made Carel disappear came out. Then, it was rotated, and it returned toward their mother's inert body.
-God, nr.
         Jonathan posed his hand in his shoulder.
-I sit down it, Lara.
-Now that we had rediscovered ourselves - he/she said beginning to cry - it is dead. I swear that I will kill Carel. I swear that I will make it to him to pay in the more painful possible way.
-You will have to return to your dimension, Lara.
-How do I make it?
-I can make it. But you should be sure.
-He am.
         Said this, in the same way that it had arrived, the painful same sensation of the skin separating the bone, it disappeared.   
 

 

PART III

THE END OF AN ERA

 

Chapter 1: Joint

   

      Lara appeared in the ruins of Rome holding among its arms its mother's body. Some seconds passed and it was surprised when seeing Amanda approaching to her with a 9mm aiming it.
-Lara?
         Lara looked at it with sad expression. Then, Amanda looked toward the cadaver and she asked him/her who was.
-It is. my mother.
-Been able to ace to arrive to Ávalon?
-Yes.
         Both were missed when seeing that they were maintaining a conversation without to fight neither to discuss.
-Amanda, a woman. a man. he/she has Anaya.
-To Anaya?
-Yes. And I believe that it will kill her. We have to save her.
-Do we have?
-No matter how much we hate ourselves the life of one of our best friends it is in game, and not alone his. For sure if we don't stop that man there will be a massacre.
-A massacre?
         Lara related him/her the confrontation with Carel in Strahov and its vivencias in Ávalon, until a hoot the desconcentró. It came from the connected headphone to the Mansion Croft. Lara had not noticed that he/she had not had sign in Ávalon.
-Zip? Álister?
-Lara! We already think that you were dead!
-Have you listened my conversation with Amanda?
-Yes, and we agree. Carel is too dangerous. And more with Soul Reaver.
-The bad thing - Amanda began - you/he/she is that we don't know where you/he/she can be hidden.
         Some hours later, when arriving at the mansion Croft, to Lara he/she was happened an idea.
-And if it is in the building where it is supposed that it publishes the newspaper that the article of the ruins made?
-It could be. Tonight we will explore.
         To the time, Lara and Amanda they entered in what should be the writing plant. It should be it, clear, since in fact it was a laboratory divided in a heap of connected rooms with glass doors.
-Lara!
         Lara was rotated and he/she saw Amanda enter after a door. It followed it and inside of he/she found Carel threatening to cut, with Soul Reaver, the necks of two women. Both were same. Two Anayas!
         Lara pointed to Carel that directed him/her a smile. Followed act, gave to a lever that activated a machine that will nail needles in Anayas.
-Well, Croft. You have to shoot one of them. If you shoot to a, you will liberate to the other one. If you shoot me, both will die. Idem if you don't shoot none. Also, I have made that your view believes that both are same although neither I should forget to stand out that I have injected them a poison that he/she will leave them without speech near 6 hours.
         Lara looked well at the two women. Would you be an Anaya and another Amanda? Would one be Anaya and the other one a hologram or the same thing with Amanda? It was surprised when seeing as the needles they came closer to their heart. What could he/she make? Although alone there were 2 targets, there was an enormous quantity of alternative.
         He/she noticed their faces. They were looking at it. One of them made an expression. He/she moved as if he/she was affirming something. Up and below. And a while was this way. At the end, Lara understood that he/she didn't mean yes, but the letter "I." "I" of Imanu. That era Anaya! In case it failed the it felt for Amanda, but she had tried to kill her. So it shot the one that had simply stayed looking at it. To the moment, their silhouette became that of its better old friend, Amanda.
         Lara contained the tears. But worse it passed it when, the other needle, was nailed with a good blow in the heart of Anaya.
 

 

Chapter 2: The most difficult decission

 

         Lara covered his mouth with the hands. It could not contain it more and it took out Excálibur. He/she wanted to kill Carel.
         As soon as Lara moved some meters, Carel drew Soul Reaver and the combat began.
         Alone Lara attacked with anger, he/she didn't think that ago. Alone he/she thought of killing their opponent.
         The battle continued during hours and hours and, every minute that happened, Lara filled with a dozen more than courts. But he didn't care it. Crying was almost. He/she not even heard the desperate screams of Zip and Álister for the headphone. When he/she got tired it removed them and it lost the communication with The Mansion Croft.
         Carel threw a ray that impacted on the stomach of Lara, making him/her fall to the floor with great pain. But it was full with adrenaline. It didn't take more than some seconds in to get up and to return to the load. Every time it fought worse and their enemy took a step more toward the capacity to kill her.
         After half hour more, Lara fell again. This time it had broken a leg. He/she saw as Soul Reaver it was nailed in their chest. As he/she bled. He/she was dying but, he/she didn't end up making it. Suddenly, Excálibur became an enormous mass of green light that entered in the body of Lara, curing its wounds. Then, as it had passed him/her in Ávalon, their body became a green luminous rock with its silhouette that shot an enormous and potent ray against its opponent, pulling up him/her the head and leaving in two its body. Then, the building exploded.
.....
 
         Lara woke up later some hours. Zip, Winston and Álister were looking at it.
-Y. how's it going he/she knows the sword?- Zip asked sketching a small smile in its face.
-Of what do you speak to me, Zip?-
-They have found the radiation that Excálibur removes inside your body.- Álister intervened - in fact, the whole interior of your body is formed now, by that radiation and.
-And what?
-It is killing you.
         Lara stayed remained silent a while. Then, very sure, he/she said:
-Boys, I will return to Ávalon. For sure with this energy I can teletransportarme. For sure that such Jonathan can be treated.
-And if you die there?- mad Winston asked.
-At least I have avenged my mother and my father. That that if I will make it is a testament so that you inherit my empire. I don't want that my uncle Errol keeps everything. It is a cretin one and he/she doesn't deserve to have the last name Croft.
         The following day, Lara arrived to the ruins of Tiwnanako. He/she put on it accuses of the stone where inserted Excálibur should go and. it disappeared.
 

 

EPILOGUE