This story is rated PG. I hope that you find it an interesting tale. 
[ffstory]Somewhere in the English countryside: Lara Croft walked through a wooded area. Birds whistled in the treetops. Lara's boot-clad feet broke twigs that lay on the floor with a loud snap. It was rather dark and seemed to grow darker as angry clouds gathered above. The wind rustled the leaves above, sending dead ones twirling to the ground. She looked at a hand-drawn map, held loosely in front of her. A gust of wind forced its way through the wooded area, lifting the map from her grasp. She grabbed at the air before her as the paper fluttered in front of her. Leaning forward, she caught it just in time before it was lost for good.
Lara's reasons for being here stemmed from the receiving of a mysterious letter earlier that morning at Croft Manor. She remembered it now; the smooth beige envelope with her address printed on. She recalled how she peeled it open with curiosity and found a strange letter composed of pieces cut out of paper. Her heart skipped a beat at that moment when she entertained the notion that she may have attracted unwanted attentions of a stalker. However, the most worrying component was the final sentence; "arrive unarmed."
She would take no such chances and as she remembered the morning's events, she patted her pistols strapped tightly to her thighs to make sure that they were still present, although she recalled putting them their. She exhaled a shallow breath of relief as she made her way cautiously to the fringes of the woodland. For a moment, spears of light cascaded through the skies as the clouds momentarily gave way to rays of warm sun. She watched a bird as it flew through the light, its plumage briefly illuminated gold. Lara outstretched her hand into sun ray to feel the warmth on her palms that was rudely interrupted by the arriving clouds. It was a warm day anyway; hence Lara's attire was made up of her usual khaki shorts and green top. She adjusted the strap on her backpack and stepped outside the woodland.
She was stood on top of a hill that sloped down into a green carpet of moorland. Straight in front of her was the structure that she had sought. Two abandoned green steel buildings distracted Lara's view from the beautiful greenery. They stood on a plain of cracked concrete that spread beneath them for a few metres like a grey spillage. Its perimeter was lined with a high fence topped with razor wire. The two buildings appeared to be some kind of plane hangars. A gate on the fence was only just attached by a single rusty hinge that creaked in the wind. Stems of bind weed were streaked across the rusting mesh like bolts of leafy lightening. The whole area seemed totally deserted. Even the birds seemed to quieten down as she cautiously crept to towards the metal buildings. The long grass brushed against her legs tickling her.
Lara looked up at the fence and it had a sign on it. The red words that read "keep out" were printed against a white sign. A crack went down this sign, splitting it into two. Oxidised nails held the sign firmly in place. Four lamps stood in the corners of the fenced piece of land. She placed her hand on the cold steel bolt and pulled it. She knew not who or what awaited her inside. She began to hear her heart thudding in her ears against a backdrop of rural solitude. Lara became more in tune with her breathing and as her hand departed from the bolt, she could see that her warm hands had left marks of sweat that faded away in the breeze. She felt her palms becoming moist as she prepared to confront the mysterious sender of the morning's mail.
She pushed the gate, trying to retain the silence, fearing that even her skin against the steel could stir a waiting foe into action. She entered the premises, gently closing the gate behind her. The wind began to pick up again. Lara heard a sudden rustling sound and drew her pistols. It was just a piece of white paper brushing the tarmac and whispering. The metal on the lamp posts banged as if trying to scare away someone. Lara gulped and advanced towards the door of the left-hand building. On the ground, plants forced their way up through the cracks. The plants were green lilies on a pond of tarmac.
Lara tried in vain to silence her footfalls but in her heightened awareness, every footstep was audible for miles around. A crack of thunder from above made her jump and made her stomach swim with an even greater sense of foreboding. She reached the door and saw that the lock had been taken off. She pulled the metal handle and peered into the still and dark room. She slowly edged inside, drawing her pistols and softly closing the door behind her. Flattening herself against the wall next to the door, she stared straight ahead, both to survey her surroundings and to let her eyes adjust to the dim light. The only light sources were four windows that allowed in just enough sunlight to see outlines, creating rugs of light on the concrete ground. Iron stanchions held up the roof and it was clear that these were perhaps not hangars but some kind of storage places.
Lara's ears began to ring with the sound of silence and the beating of her heart. A flash of sheet lightening heralded the start of very heavy rainfall that lashed the buildings. Everything had gone from almost total silence to the hammering of raindrops and rumbles of thunder. She was even more nervous now and could feel her calf muscles shaking with fear and anticipation. The added sounds meant that she was unable to hear the footsteps of anyone else. She darted for the first stanchion and leaned against it. Each lightening strike briefly illuminated the building and she could see a few piles of wooden boxes. Their separate tops on the ground showed that they had obviously been emptied at some point. She hopped to the next stanchion and kept watch for the person who had summoned her here.
She looked ahead to where there was one final stanchion before she'd be facing the wall. Lara saw that she would have to run across to the next place. She decided to stay around the edge of the building in the hopes that perhaps she could hide and check out any potential threats before they found her. A loud crack of thunder startled her and she waited for the next flash of lightening to illuminate the room before going. She took a deep breath and dashed for the next stanchion. As she did, she could just make out a dark shadow that swooped from the stanchion that she had just passed and pushed her hard into the wall. She grabbed her pistols and pointed them to the head of her mystery assailant.
"What the HELL were you doing and who the heck are you?" Lara shouted sternly.
"Hey don't shoot me!" came a nervous, foreign voice struggling to be heard over the beating rain. "Didn't I tell you to come unarmed?" The figure backed off with his hands raised in submission and a strike of lightening from one of the windows presented enough light for Lara to make out that he had dark skin. She put her pistols back in their holsters.
"Arrive unarmed? No one in the right mind would meet a stranger in a dark place without some form of defence! So you're the guy who asked me to come here? Why the cut-out letters?" Lara enquired, her voice still tinged with anger.
"When I said arrive unarmed, I wanted it to be a meeting, a civil meeting," continued a still nervous man. "My name is Azar and I come with something of great importance. I cut the letters out cos I was afraid of someone finding it's my handwriting. There is big demand for ancient and priceless artefacts. I protect myself."
"It better be important, dragging a girl out this far!"
"Please, come closer to the window so that I may show you what I bring. I have contacts in Egypt and we found something. Excuse the rough handling, I didn't know who you were but just know I don't want anyone else to get this before you."
They both walked to the window and Azar was clearly visible. He was a young man with short hair, a faint moustache and dark skin. He wore blue jeans and a red and white chequered shirt over a black T-shirt. The rain outside was starting to die down a little. He rummaged in his jean pockets and produced a white and crumpled piece of paper.
"Here you go. It's a rubbing of some hieroglyphics we found in the desert. What do they mean?" Lara took the piece of paper from Azar and unfurled it, realising that it was an A3 sheet and larger than she expected. She ran her hand over the pencil rubbing. Lara squinted at the array of hieroglyphics and concentrated as they began to rearrange themselves and make sense in her mind.
"In the desert lives a demon called Sharlay who drives the travellers to madness. She will entertain with shimmering waters and visions that are delightful but not real. Her beginnings were mortal but her end cursed and immortal. Sharlay was the beautiful and wealthy wife of a prestigious scribe Azwen. The two were very deeply in love and whilst Azwen held value in love, Sharlay chased only after power. Sharlay had won hearts as both a woman scribe and a very talented artist. She was outwardly a pleasant girl but hid a heart blacker than night.
One day, Sharlay was looking into the Nile at her reflection when a mysterious traveller wandered past her, sobbing and poorly dressed. He told her that he had been lost in the desert and that everything that he owned was stolen by demons. Sharlay seemed to feel pity and helped the man. She clothed him, fed him and fixed up some basic lodgings with her wealth. Sharlay once again achieved prestige in the eyes of those around her as a caring soul. That was all she wanted. Time went on and the traveller and Sharlay became very close friends, sharing many things.
Sharlay went to the river on a day with a difference. As she sat there alone, she was shocked and honoured to see Thoth rise from the waters. And Thoth spoke unto her.
"For you have been so kind, I feel that I must grant you a reward in return for your hospitality to those less fortunate. I grant you with a gift. Dream and draw what you will and it will be so. You must not show anyone else your new gift and use it only for good."
Thoth picked up a reed and fashioned it into a writing instrument. He held it in his palm and made it glow golden. It was handed to Sharlay.
She took the reed and etched a picture in the sand of a prepared fish. She gasped astounded as it came to be before her and her touch confirmed that it was so. Sharlay returned to her home and noticed something. All the people had taken to the warm heart of the traveller and he was rapidly gaining status. Sharlay's black heart spoke and she grew very jealous. She could not let this happen. She had known that he had long had a fear of scorpions.
Sharlay prepared a banquet of great luxury and invited the traveller along. In another room she had used the reed of Thoth to draw a giant scorpion. The creations would obey whoever was the creator. The traveller arrived and was led to face his fear. Sharlay stood and laughed, watching him cower and lose all control. As this happened, a flash of light appeared from above and there stood Thoth, his face darkened with rage.
"You were tested for your warm soul and I now see you offer nothing but darkness. For abusing your power, I will cast you into the desert where you will roam as a demon. You will have no company apart from deluding the weary traveller. Your only visitors may come at the dawn of The Nile flood."
When Azwen had heard what had happened, he was inconsolable and wanted to build her a fine tomb. Ashamed at her deeds, he was ordered to build the place well into the desert where this mark unto Egyptian society may be forgotten. He built her a wonderful tomb and buried with her the reed, too overcome with sorrow to question it. He then left and died of grief shortly after. I put this stone in the desert perhaps to save you, oh weary traveller from the demon Sharlay. She brings forth the temptations that are not real, she teases your imagination and leads you into death. Beware, my friend."
Lara raised an eyebrow and turned to Azar.
"I have never found any other reference to this legend... she was obviously a very naughty girl." smiled Lara. "So what is your involvement in all of this?"
Azar smiled "I work for the Cairo museum."
Lara eyed him with an air of suspiscion. "Well I never remembered you."
"I have not long worked for them. It was one of my first excavations."
Azar's reply seemed to make sense to Lara and she felt more at ease.
"So have you got the exact details of the location of this place?"
Azar paused a moment before answering Lara.
"Fly to Cairo tomorrow and meet me by Giza. There is a friend willing to take you into the desert."
Lara grinned. "You bet I'll be ready and waiting."
The next day following an uneventful and rather banal excursion to Giza via plane and taxi, Lara arrived in the city. The morning's warm rays bathed plain housing and balconies, many festooned with drying laundry like festival flags. She thanked and paid the driver of the cab, before stepping out. The streets were not the usual rowdy medley of tooting car horns and voices and the early hours made it a lot easier to reach one's destination without being harassed by local market traders. She stepped out of her cab dressed in a Bedouin galabeya, her face obscured with only two expressive eyes shining from a cloth covering. This was to conceal both her identity and her armoury.
The nightclubs of Pyramid Street were dark and only the faint clink of glass and the chattering of the last revellers to leave the nightclubs filled the air. Muslims awoke to say their first prayers at this time but being inside their own homes, their presence went undetected. It was only a few hours ago that this stretch would have been a vibrant and colourful setting alive with chatter and music.
Her attire was white cotton and she walked slowly and elegantly. Her flowing fabric danced in a warm breeze and she walked totally unlike a woman on a mission. Lara's dress gave the impression of mystique and for a moment it was as if she had captured the very sprit and essence of the far lands of Egypt. She walked along the almost silent streets until she reached the edge of the ruins surrounding the pyramids. She stopped, her gaze directed towards the newly rising sun, her head filled with the same wonder that she had possessed as a child. Lara adored Egypt and it never ceased to reach into the very depths of her heart. The ancient stories and ways bore deeply into her soul. The great masses of stone architecture towered in front of her and the pyramids took centre stage and were a testimony to the talents and skills of a lost civilisation. The pyramids were great stone teeth that seemed to swallow up the background and consume her thoughts like some great structural beast. She marvelled at the sun, a total antithesis to the weather back in England.
Lara then stirred from her silent reverie and was aware of the time marching swiftly on. As if a switch had been flicked, she transformed from the dreamy and beautiful lady to a woman who was determined to get her prize. She darted along the sand, her every step hindered by the soft ground and looked frantically for her contact. Her eyes scanned the horizon and she began to feel concerned that perhaps she'd not be there in time when she saw a silhouette of a man leading two camels. She shouted to him and waved her arms. This didn't seem to hasten his approach and she continued hurrying towards this figure that seemed to cruise towards her.
At last, she was close to the man who instantly knew who she was.
"Azar send you?" asked the man in a slow and soft voice.
"Yes," gasped Lara. "And you are?"
"I'm Mohammed and I'll take you out to where this tomb is but then I must turn back. I trust that you're well equipped to return?"
"Absolutely," said Lara with an upbeat tone.
Mohammed was not an overly tall man and he seemed a little plump. He wore a plain white shirt over a black T-shirt and dark trousers. He commanded the camels to lie down and gestured to Lara to climb on the back of her camel. The camel grunted and Lara approached it, gently stroking its head before seating herself upon its humped back. Mohammed mounted his camel and commanded them to stand. Lara braced herself for the jolt as the animal stood on its long, hoofed legs like furry stilts.
Mohammed led the camels around the edge of the great pyramids. They continued deeper into the desert and Lara watched the pyramids recede slightly into the distance. The camels maintained their steady pace, swaying to the same rhythm and gait throughout their journey as if to the beat of a silent drum. In front was a sand dune and Mohammed led the camels to the summit to get a better view. Mohammed stopped the camels and both he and Lara scanned the horizon for Sharlay's tomb. It was already getting warm and Lara had packed a few bottles of mineral water. She knew that July in Egypt baked the sands and drained the energy of all who experienced it.
As Lara looked around, her eyes were momentarily captured by a hazy and shimmering shadow on the horizon. It was a building unlike any she had ever seen in the Egyptian desert. Its roof was flat and the perimeter lined with stone pillars.
"That's the place Mohammed!" Lara said with a tangible excitement.
Mohammed nodded with agreement and turned to face Lara.
"We will be galloping to the tomb so that we get there before the sun is too high."
Lara gripped the saddle tightly as the animals ran. The ground below seemed to shoot past them in a haze of golden brown shades. Lara was not used to being on a camel and going so quickly. Even Lara thought that she may fall from the camel.
The camel raced and swayed side to side. Lara struggled to get her breath as she gripped her hands around the saddle, her knuckles as white as her galabeya robes. She wasn't worried about the fall hurting her as much as falling off and missing her sole chance this year of reaching the fabled tomb of Sharlay. She screwed her face up in a show of determination when she saw the distant structure fast approaching. There was no way gravity would claim her before she claimed her prize. The distant building had started out as a small speck but was now a great wall. This was no ordinary tomb but then its supposed occupant was hardly run-of-the-mill. The camels decided to stop and their sudden slowing of pace nearly threw Lara clean off the saddle to which she had clung to so tightly.
The camels lowered themselves unexpectedly as if obeying a silent call. Mohammed looked puzzled and tried frantically to make the camels do as he said but they obstinately maintained their positions. They grunted and moaned but refused to come any closer to the building.
Mohammed looked rather embarrassed as he turned towards Lara.
"We've come to the end of our journey, my friend," Mohammed explained sheepishly.
"No worries," answered Lara in a more upbeat tone. "Not far to walk from here." Lara climbed off the back of the camel and patted its head. She then walked over to Mohammed and shook his hand.
"Good luck with locating the artefact. May you return in one piece and may Allah bless you." He smiled before bidding Lara farewell and preparing to ride his camels back to civilisation.
Lara knew that she had a few moments to spare examining the outside of the unique tomb before the daylight would obscure it from view again. She looked at the pillars on the outside, which were all plain and smooth. She run her hands over the grainy surfaces, that appeared so immaculate and as if they had only recently been erected. She rubbed her fingers together and examined them. Nothing odd there. The pillars themselves were a light yellow colour and slightly lighter than the stone used to make the tomb itself. To look at on the outside, the building looked as if it was just seven metres by five metres but Lara knew that rarely were tombs concealing great artefacts created as small buildings. That would be too simple for would-be intruders.
Lara made her way to the front of the building where she could see what appeared to be an open gap for a door. Above it were hieroglyphics. She squinted and began to read them:
"Here rests Sharlay. Though cursed in life and forsaken in death, may your spirit always remember my love for you as your husband Azwen. I could not bury you close to me but may you know that you are forever close in my heart"
The message held a kind of melancholy longing and anyone reading it could not help but feel for lovesick Azwen.
Lara now had confirmation that she had reached the correct tomb. She now prepared to step inside the gaping entrance that was a stone mouth in on a sandstone face. The darkness created an air of excitement with Lara, who was now brimming with the curiosity and enthusiasm of a child with a new toy. Lara discarded her galabeya and threw it just inside the entrance up the corner. If it was there when and if she returned via this route, all the better. If not, she was still well equipped to cope.
Lara slowly put her head into the darkness, pausing for a few moments to allow her eyes to adjust to the less-than-generous helping of light. In her ears, she could hear the bellowing of the air rushing through the open chamber. She took another step inside and figured that the lack of daylight warranted a flare. She reached into her bag and lit a flare, its glow illuminating the path in front of her. The flare hissed like a snake. She waved her source of light in front of her from side to side. There was nothing but a passage of cold stone and a sandy floor. Lara went ever forward, the light from outside receding with her every step.
The darkness swallowed her up as if she was in the belly of a stone beast. She could hear only the wind, her footsteps and heart beat. For the first time, she knew that she was totally alone and away from any outside help. The black passage made her cautious of bats or any other creature that may have been eking out an existence. Her awareness heightened and each thing started to sound that little bit louder as she strained her ears to listen for any signs of danger. Her feet crunched on the sand and the smell of musty air invaded her nostrils. Lara took her time as she walked, checking for any signs of life.
Lara's flare began to flicker. As it gave off its last spark, she discarded it and reached for another. She lit it and its emanating green light showed her that ahead was a double door and next to it, a lever. The door itself was grey and plain. Lara smiled, knowing that it was straight forward-pull the lever and walk through the door. She grasped the cold, metal lever and pulled. The lever groaned and set off cogs whirring. The doors slowly opened, giving way to a brighter, torch-lit staircase. The crackling of burning fuel and the bright glow comforted Lara to a degree but experience had taught her never to be complacent about what appeared to be a serene environment-there was always calm before a storm in this job.
Lara followed the winding staircase, running her hands over the grainy walls, feeling each individual brick. It was as if she was sweeping her fingertips through stony silk, each rough patch was a beautiful feeling. For her, ruins and tombs were a playground and she enjoyed them now as much as the first time that she had ever encountered them. The staircase glowed a golden yellow in the torch light. The staircase wound like a pig's curled tail. When she reached the bottom, she saw that the brickwork gave way to a torch lit cave, not as well lit as the stair case. It seemed a very quiet place where only the wind whispered through the cave. Nobody had entered this tomb since it was built. Lara felt excited at the prospect of being a pioneer and every footfall was a mini-adventure in itself. The floor was lined with soft desert sand, crunching beneath her soles.
It is so easy in such a place not only to lose yourself in the deep corridors and clandestine caverns but also to meander deeply into one's soul. Lara knew that she could easily lose sense of space and time, to enter a reverie as deep as the tombs and catacombs to which she was accustomed. This brief meditation was brought to a swift close when Lara heard a deafening "whoosh." Directly in front of her, she was leaning against a pipe that jutted out of the wall as part of a lethal dart trap. Startled, she jumped back and a row of darts ahead began ejecting their metal arrows in perfectly straight lines.
"That was close" whispered Lara in a sensation of relief and shock. Just when she had brought to mind the risks of complacency, the ambience of the whole experience had sucked her in like a vortex.
Stepping back, Lara squinted as her eyes fully adjusted to the difference in lighting and she could see the darts extending a good few metres ahead. They were fired from the pipes in rapid succession, too fast to consider merely sprinting. Lara got down on the ground and army crawled her way, her arms pressed against the rough, rocky ground. Although slower and more effort than sprinting, it was the only way to advance unless one wanted to be skewered. The sound of the darts above echoed in her ears and was almost deafening. Quite a contrast to the serenity of a few moments previously, in which enjoyed the whistling wind and footfalls of her boots.
When Lara had cleared the corridor of darts, she slowly stood up and made sure that she had seen the end of darts. Their sounds had stopped now that Lara was clear of them. It was not that she realised that this place, like the demon Sharlay was there to lull an intruder into a false sense of security before turning on them. Ahead, nestled against the wall was a blade, still as polished and shiny as the day it was installed by the builders of the tomb. Whoever had designed this tomb obviously never wanted anyone to leave. Lara edged closer to the blade, teasing it as if it were a dog behind a fence. It was not long before the metal blade gnashed and snapped, attempting to devour Lara's limbs. Taking a moment to calculate where she would land, Lara then jumped back again and made a running jump, lifting her legs high to clear it.
She decided to halt progress once again to take a look around her to see what else this corridor could throw at her. Lara looked towards a part of the ceiling that was lower than the rest of the cave and knew that it was consistent with the boulder traps of this age. She began to search for a suitable alcove in which to hide from the boulder's path. On the right was a darkened patch, which Lara only hoped would be an opening. When dealing with boulders, she knew that there were only two options-to find a suitable place to jump out of the way or simply hope that the boulder could be out run. The third option was death.
Inhaling deeply, Lara made a run for it. The boulder hit the ground with an almighty thud and she picked up pace to ensure she reached the alcove. The boulder was a giant marble, seemingly placed there by Sharlay in her game of torment. The dark patch was only a piece of darkened rock, sending Lara into a panic. Her lungs ached from heavy breathing and her body began to shake as she endeavoured to outrun the spherical object. There had to be another alcove or her tomb raiding days would be over, thanks to a wall in front of her. She ran as quickly as her legs could carry her, fighting for breath through physical exhaustion and sheer terror. Her head spun and she felt a nauseating feeling well up in her stomach.
To her left, she saw a genuine alcove, or at least it would have to be, as there was no way back. She dived and to her relief, went into the alcove and watched the boulder rumble past. She took time out to get her breath back and calming down. Lara jumped, as the boulder broke down the wall with an almighty crash. Bits of rock littered the floor as the wall was reduced to rubble. The sickly feeling slowly extinguished and her Legs began to feel sturdy again. The beating of her heart that had flooded her ears slowly gave way to almost total silence again. Slowly getting back to her feet, Lara walked out of the alcove and to the new path that had been cleared ahead.
The path ahead had no lighting what so ever. It was coal black and warranted the lighting of a flare. All seemed still again, except for a scratching sound from above. She lifted her flare and saw descending from the ceiling was a cloud of bats. She dropped her flare and began shooting. It was so dark that only after each shot lighting up the room, did she see the black bats that were not illuminated by flare light. Their squeaking was drowned out by the gunfire and she fired until every attacking bat had pirouetted to the ground like sycamore seeds. When she was satisfied that every flying mouse was exterminated, she put her pistols away and went to retrieve her flare but it was already fading. She lit another one and scanned the area, her eyes darting like those of a hunted rabbit. On the ground, she could see a row of holes. She looked at them with a puzzled expression and edged her foot ever closer, thinking that maybe they were pressure switches for another diabolical trap.
She had edged her foot almost right on top of them until she realised what they were. Thrusting out of the holes were sharp spikes that appeared then disappeared, repeating this cycle constantly and so quickly that the air could be heard rushing past them. They thrust up and down, their ends encrusted with the blood of unfortunate victims from days gone by. Lara was expecting something to happen but this still startled her. However, more shocking was that just past these spikes was a skeleton, rags still hanging off it and totally devoid of flesh. She could see by the fabric that he was not a recent addition to the tomb and was most likely one of the builders who tried to raid it shortly after its building. In front were more spikes, a new row placed at every metre for as far as the eye could see by flare light.
Lara jumped over the first row and gave the skeleton a wide berth, just on the off chance that it was under a curse and could come to life. The skeleton didn't rise and she jumped over the next set. She felt like a show jumping horse jumping over fences, except fences never go back into the ground like the spikes did. When she had got halfway through these spikes, she saw that as if by magic, several torches lit up on either side of the wall. Before her was what looked like a drop. She jumped over the rest of the spikes before walking towards the edge. Her investigations revealed that it was in fact a slope, one steep enough for her to slide down. Small pieces of rock dislodged by her foot went tumbling down the slope, scratching the smooth stone as it fell.
Lara looked at the walls of the slope, checking for any dart traps. Then she stepped onto the slope and bent her legs slightly as she glissaded down the slope. It seemed very long and was amazingly straight given that it was thousands of years old. The sound of her boots sliding down the slippery, sandy slope grated in her ears. As she slid, she could see an opening and a single torch, flickering in her vision. As she reached the bottom of the slope, she slipped over a small pile of sand that had obviously slid down the slope. She looked around the huge room in which she stood. The walls were lined by arched alcoves, above which stood a single torch. The floor in front was a large, gaping cavern.
Lara walked to the edge of it to take a look at what was below. A path snaked from the side of the gorge closest to her across a deep gorge towards a large opening on the right. The walls furthest from the path were also lit by torches. The path was a large rocky serpent, whose head began at a wide cavern that was black. Lara tilted her head to one side and thought about what she saw ahead of her and decided that there were likely to be traps in this cavern. The path was typical of one which would collapse under someone's feet, sending them plummeting to the ground.
The path nearest to her and to where it ended on the left was solid and could be reached by climbing down. Before she did, she lit a flare, dropping it into the chasm before her. Lara watched the light receding like a motorbike speeding away into a distant abyss. She could not hear it hit the ground but could see that it illuminated sharp, spiky stalagmites that could easily impale any who were unfortunate enough to lose their grip. Cautiously, Lara climbed down to the centre part of the path that was solid rock and wider than the curling and fragile looking path that snaked with many twists and turns. As she put her feet onto the platform, she turned towards the dark cavern on her left and took a step towards it. As she did, a pack of five jackals with fiery eyes sped out of the hole and began snarling, their teeth like steak knives and their black hackles raised, fur bristling. Lara took out her pistols and fired as they began to advance towards her. Her pistols lit up their cruel smiles like a macabre night light. Their claws clattered on the rock.
The huge room echoed so loudly that Lara felt the sound waves through her arms, down through her boots, each shot a ringing alarm in her ears. As one of the jackals was killed, it fell from the edge with a piercing final yelp, Lara winced as she heard its body squelch and impale itself on the stalagmites below. She shot at all of the other jackals. The second kill lay in the middle of the rocky platform, red blood glistening in the torchlight and flowing from every bullet hole, matting the animal's fur and collecting beneath it. The third jackal got close enough to snap at her legs, its teeth just skipping her shins but still grazing her leg. It jumped, its jaw snapping like a bear trap and its evil eyes fixed on its prey. Lara disposed of it with a point blank shot to the head.
The fourth jackal was closely behind and was shot several times in the body as it snarled and also snapped close enough to graze her and also scratch with its bestial claws. The fifth, running close to the edge was shot very quickly so that like the first, it hurtled down to the spikes below and making an unsavoury squelch, as its interior organs were pierced by rocks. Lara hated killing animals unless she had to but in this way of life, it is either kill or be killed yourself. It was a lesson Lara would never forget and was always being re-taught.
She felt a warm sensation, like warm water flowing down her leg. Looking, she saw a bright red cut on her shin, the blood river flowing down towards her sock and making a lake of a stain on the white fabric. She touched the blood and rubbed it in her fingers, before taking off her backpack and placing it on the ground. She carefully opened the bag, knowing that the phrase "you'll wake the dead" really does apply in ancient tombs and rummaged for a medi-pack. Opening it, she selected a bandage to halt the flow of blood from her wound.
As she had completed this, she went towards the cavern from where the jackals had emerged and felt a rumbling. It felt like another boulder. Lara felt the ground shake so violently that she bent her legs and held out her arms to steady herself. It could emerge from any alcove above or even from the cavern in front. Her heart picked up speed and her breathing got shallow. Lara's legs began to shake in anticipation and fear. She kept gazing above and behind, as the low but very loud rumble filled the air. It was times like this when Lara knew her life was in her own hands and dependant on her own judgement that Lara felt alive. She fed off the sensation of adrenaline like a leech off blood and with every heartbeat, her senses got more acute and her body prepared for a fight or flight response though in terms of boulders, only flight was possible.
Lara gasped as looking directly in front, she could see a boulder in the dim light outside the entrance. She turned tail and began running on the winding path as the boulder followed closely behind. The path crumbled and crashed loudly to the ground as the weight of both her and the great boulder made it fall. Lara had no time to look for any clues on this stretch and her eyes were trained solely to the path as she out her heart and soul into running the full length. Her palms sweated and she felt as if she'd vomit at any second. She felt her sense of control slowly slip away like the ebbing tide and she knew that she had to stay focused to avoid the descent into panic. She skidded around a corner as the boulder followed closely behind, every tendon and muscle in her legs stretched to full running capacity. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow.
Lara skidded around a bend in the path, not daring to look behind in case it cost her a single second of her time. The path had many twists and turns, each counting for a major feeling of fear and suspense, teasing all who decided to run along it just like Sharlay would have wanted it to be. At each turn, there was a bit of negotiation involved, creating the extra nervousness with the worries of falling onto the spikes below. Even if you didn't get spiked, the drop was so sheer and the ground so hard that fatal injury was inevitable. The path created a wall of sonic confusion as each falling slab of stone made a terrifying bang upon contact with the rock below. Lara begged silently for the exit to grow nearer and each metre brought with it a greater sense of hope. Lara's footfalls were rendered silent by the cacophony of stone falling like rain but landing like the stomps of a giant having a tantrum. It was deafening and this aspect worsened Lara's anxiety.
The events seemed to go in slow motion, as if it were a video tape shown in frame-by-frame. Finally, she saw the exit just a few metres away and ran for it. She saw a depression in the ground as she ran that was lined with spikes. Executing a forward somersault, she landed just inches away from falling into the hard grip of a trap and becoming a curiosity for the next tomb raider to gawp at. The boulder fell into the gap that she had just cleared, with a satisfying slam. Lara paused to catch her breath.
The blood swam in her ears and head, making Lara feel sick. She retched and spat on the floor but there was nothing but bile. She never had her food too close to tomb raiding time, as she knew that it would never be a relaxing walk in the ruins that she had planned and aside from the possibility of wearing her last meal, there was the certainty that a bloated archaeologist would not be able to run as fast or as far. The path ahead was pitch-black and with a sense of uncertainty, Lara lit a flare and walked into the tunnel. She waved her flare from side to side, surveying the area with due caution in response to her experiences so far in this tomb.
For a moment, the wind rushing through the tunnel seemed to whisper, as if it was speaking to her. Her ears were tuned in to the sounds and her mind was a radio, scanning for a clear voice amongst the crackles. It was at times like this, isolated far from the surface that the solitude and distance from civilisation hit home, creating a creepy sensation. For a moment, she had the inkling that somehow in the darkness, a pair of eyes were watching her. She tried to shake these thoughts off by telling herself that she was adequately armed and agile enough to escape any attack thrown at her. She would have asked who was there but knowing that there was the possibility of animals as well as the undead hearing her, she kept quiet.
The path got lower and Lara soon found herself bent into a stooping posture. She looked to the wall on the left and could see a set of hieroglyphics. She shuffled towards them like a crab and was about to read when the flare went out. Typical, she thought before hastily lighting another. She held the flame close to the carefully carved message and began to read each word slowly, deciphering their messages in her mind.
"For he who gets this far, you are blessed by the gods. Your fears can become your prison and your only way out is with faith and the blessing of Thoth."
Lara began to think about the message as she proceeded. How powerful was or would the demon Sharlay be? She bent down and began to crawl on her hands and knees. The floor was cold and rather uncomfortable to kneel on but Lara as usual was undeterred. Ahead, she saw that there was a drop along the way and that the only way now was down. She shuffled so that her feet were facing the opening and groped with her feet for any foot holds.
Deciding that there were none, she dropped her flare down and was relieved to find that it was a short way down. She gently lowered herself, relieved to be standing upright again and rubbed her knees to get rid of the numbness and to rub the dirt from them. In front of her was a room supported by long columns of stone. The floor was made of sand and there seemed to be nothing remarkable about it. The room was brightly lit by torches that crackled in the empty room. Arches of white marble stone at the beginning and end of the room supported the roof, which was decked out with a splendid design of Egyptian art. The roof depicted Thoth with a quill and was created in the most intricate detail.
Surrounding Thoth were what appeared to be hollow stars. On the walls were the familiar designs of the final judgement and of Anubis weighing the human heart against a feather. Lara admired the ceiling with awe and on this occasion, Thoth took the form of an Ibis. His eyes were set with two blue sapphires and seemed to glare with a suspicious undertone. The eye of Horus sat above his head and was also placed as if watching those who set foot into the room.
Lara walked into the room, her boots hitting the soft sand almost silently. After a few yards, she heard another rumble and looked around for any boulders. There were none. She stayed as still as a statue and watched for any sign of falling rocks from above. The sand in front of her in the centre of the room began to gather into a mound and from it, rose three platforms that were like dog show podiums. They were sandstone and the highest podium in the centre appeared to have a scroll seated above it. Lara shrugged and began to edge closer to it, keeping a look out for any enemies that may attack. All seemed to have fell silent, even the familiar wind appeared to be absent.
Lara heard a low sound and two panels on the left and right walls opened. Strange moaning followed, along with two perfectly preserved corpses, their bodies bronzed with age and giving off a stench of decay. Their mouths hung open in a deadpan expression and their eye sockets hollow as they dragged their emaciated remains towards Lara. They were organic puppets manipulated by an unseen source. Bodies left out in the desert were often preserved like this by the heat and perhaps it was appropriate given that Sharlay was a desert demon. Lara wrinkled her nose in disgust at the aroma then drew her pistols and fired at them, making putrid blood and pus seep out of the bullet holes. The corpses dropped to the floor and Lara gave a sigh of relief. She walked over to the opening on the left and peered inside. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a lever and pulled it. She looked for any sign of motion but found nothing, shrugged and went over to the panel on the right pulling a similar lever. The whirr of cogs sounded but there seemed to be no result. Lara's next priority was to reach the scroll.
As she walked to the centre of the room, a huge blade swooshed through the air straight for her, making Lara crouch. She was slightly shocked but so used to handling blades that it didn't bother her. She opened her eyes and looked up only to see the blade go straight through her head. She screamed with her hands over her ears and face screwed tightly and then opened her eyes the second time to find that the blade cut the air straight through her skull yet she couldn't feel it.
At last, the passage about "faith in Thoth" seemed to make sense-these illusions were here to test faith and only the brave would be able to proceed. Lara stood up straight and stood in the path of the blade with a childlike smile, laughing. She was a girl with a new toy and even as a grown woman, she had to admit that the novelty of blades that wouldn't hurt was something to be enjoyed and toyed with. She took a few steps forward and saw another blade but kept her gaze purely in front of her as if she was a racehorse in blinkers, heading solely for her goal. Although only illusions, they looked very convincing and she was sure that they would be a very good deterrent to anyone even tempted to get this scroll.
When she reached the podium, Lara hauled herself up onto it and climbed towards the scroll. She bent down to pick up the papyrus scroll and opened it.
"For Sharlay is a cruel illusionist. Thoth banished her here within. The faith that made you go this far will surely help you defeat the fallen demon of the desert for she is the dry waters when you are thirsty and the rancid food when you are starving."
Looking ahead of her, Lara could see a door opening. She put the scroll in her bag and continued on her quest for the golden reed given by Thoth to Sharlay. She went towards the door and peered within before she carried on. The passage appeared to have a channel inside it for water. Lara stepped inside it and found that it was wide enough to run in the hollow part. Behind her was a stone pipe that protruded from the beginning of the channel. Once again, the familiar torches lined the walls and showed the way.
Lara heard a trickle and thought that it was just water, until she noticed a peculiar smell. She thought about it and as the trickle turned into a gush, she realised that it was not water, it was... oil! Lara knew of the fire traps used by the ancients and ran as fast as she could. In front of her, she noticed the torches tipping out hot ash onto the ground. She could not stop to stamp it out, as the thick oil was gaining on her. As the oil flowed over the hot ash, it was a fiery dragon roaring into life, hunting Lara down like a blazing pack of hell hounds.
The fire snaked around corners and covered the width and breadth of the oil. Lara ran as fast as she could, her legs aching from fatigue and her mind racing with fears of being roasted alive. Lara was increasingly worried when she had to slow down and turn corners. The passage was a winding snake but Lara could not go back.
Lara could hear her heartbeat in her ears but it was mostly drowned out by the hissing, crackling and roaring of the fire. She ran and felt herself go forward, falling to the ground. Without a single thought for how close she was to death, she stood up in a flash, her mind locked purely into survival mode. In front of her to her relief was a ladder with an opening at the top. She jumped as high as she could and scurried upwards like a rat up a ship's rigging.
She pulled herself through the opening and heard the fire completely engulf the path below. Catching her breath she could see a few metres in front of her, what looked like stone bumps all together in one row. The walls were painted with an image of an anthropomorphic Bastet and her kittens to the left and geese to the right. The floor was cobbled with stone and seemed totally devoid of sand as if it has been purposely swept away at some point by the tomb's builders.
Lara approached the bumps and saw that they were cylinders and that beneath them was oil turned to fire. Pieces of wood ran through them and seemed to be an axis. The cylinders were too high up for the wood to catch fire and it was clear that even if one could survive burning from oil, it would be too sheer and deep for them to climb out again and live to fight another day. She figured that just to make it more challenging and dangerous, the cylinders would spin beneath her.
Beyond the cylinders were two double doors and next to the cylinders was a lever. Lara gripped the cold metal and pulled downwards. The doors opened and as predicted, the cylinders in front began rotating. They groaned and whirred as she began to prepare herself to jump across to the other side. Taking a deep breath, she hopped across rapidly like a rabbit springing along grass. When she got to the other side, she walked towards the gaping entrance to another part of this rather elaborate tomb.
If there was one thing that Lara was fast being reminded from this mission, it was that traps can come in the most unpredictable ways and that things are not always as they seem. What appeared to be a stone building in the desert that one could easily look around in a matter of hours and perhaps minutes, turns out to be a quite large underground tomb filled with surprises, some pleasant and some not. She bore this in mind as she drew her pistols to walk the next ancient path. She put her back against the wall and peered around into the room, which was about tem metres by ten metres. Seeing and hearing no signs of life…or after-life, Lara stepped inside.
A sarcophagus lay on a raised, grey platform and in all four corners were vases as big as Lara and all were navy blue with a gold ring around the necks. The walls were sandstone with inscriptions and the roof was a grey colour like that of the usual underground cave. Guarding the sarcophagus at either side of the platform were two golden jackals, their eyes made of red rubies. The room was as brightly lit by torches as the staircase down which she had come. On the left hand wall was a cartouche bearing the name of Sharlay.
Beneath it was another inscription:
"For he who disturbs the demon Sharlay will be driven crazy by mirages and lost to her irresistible charm with a sting as painful as any scorpion. May the gods favour who so ever meddles with evil best left alone."
It was well known that the Egyptians believed the desert to be a mysterious place filled with demons and perhaps this was their explanations for the mirages suffered by the lost traveller made thirsty by the searing heat. The interior of the tombs were rather cool compared to their outside.
Inevitably, Lara went to investigate the sarcophagus but was stopped by the sound of scratching like scurrying rodents. She drew her pistols and saw that coming from holes around the platform were scorpions, hundreds of scorpions spilling out like a fountain of pincers and stings. Lara shot at them as she ran to the platform, climbing up out of harms way. The floor was soon a sea of scorpions, leaving open a question of escape. Their pincers snapped and legs scuttled over the floor and over eachother.
She looked at the sarcophagus, which was a golden replica of what appeared to be such an innocent and aesthetically pleasing young woman, gripping a reed in her hand that lay by her side-confirmation that she was not royalty. However, this reed was not the golden reed that she was looking for and Lara knew that since Sharlay obviously liked to toy with people's minds, the artefact would be located elsewhere.
She looked at the side of the sarcophagus at yet another cartouche bearing Sharlay's name and hieroglyphics, which read: "Here rests the body of Sharlay, wife of Azwen and a talented artist and scribe."
Just to be sure that she had missed nothing out in the sarcophagus, Lara pushed the heavy lid with all her might, groaning at the weight of it with sweat beading on her brow. She pushed it only halfway from off the top and looked inside. Inside was a mummy with its arms by its side as shown on the lid. Lara looked again at the cover and pushed it back on. She took a moment to gaze into its mournful eyes and an expression that was tinged with rueful nuances. Lara could see how in life, Sharlay could have captivated with her beauty yet hide a dark streak of jealousy.
Now the priority was to get out of the room. She walked around the sarcophagus to the other side, triggering a pressure switch that made a T-shaped section of flooring rise. The scorpions feeling the vibration scuttled clear of it as the platform rumbled into place, a heaving stone whale in an ocean of scorpions.
The horizontal part of the T-shape stood furthest from Lara and a door opened in the wall. When the stones had finished pushing themselves into place, all went quiet except for the scorpions below. Lara made her way across the walkway, making sure that no scorpions were on the walkway. She took one last look at the scorpions that climbed all over each other like fans diving off the stage of a rock concert and being carried across the crowd. The platform spanned the few metres to the door and she was eager to find out what was in the next room.
The door to the next room was not very large and Lara stepped inside with her pistols drawn. All was totally black and as the door closed, Lara couldn't even see her own hands in front of her face. About the reach for a flare to see where she was going, a red flame suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, lighting it up enough for her to see that it was a room entirely devoid of inscriptions and was merely a hollowed out cave adorned by nothing, not even a single statue of the gods. The dancing of the flame entranced her and was a fiery dancer moving to a soundtrack of crackles and burning. As she looked into the flame, four other flames appeared in each corner on the ceiling, making the room now clear for her to see.
The sound of stone against stone was audible and loud as a pedestal appeared in the centre of the flame. The red flame appeared to grow and extend above the pedestal like a glowing spire of a church. Within this spire of light, Lara could just make out a glowing figure of a human. The figure walked with a cat-like grace to the edge of the flame and stepped out. Lara gasped as her eyes made contact with a pair of deep brown eyes that seemed to show depth and innocence, tanned skin that gave the impression of an exotic temptress and a pair of full lips that broadened into a smile of almost perfect teeth. Lara immediately knew that she was face-to-face with the demon Sharlay. She looked at the glowing figure and saw her shoulder-length hair and Egyptian dress blow in a wind that seemed to come from nowhere. Lara held her pistols, which were not yet full trained upon Sharlay, as she was immediately taken in by her beauty that could suck in any onlooker like a vacuum. Sharlay appeared to be about twenty-years-old.
"You come this far?" Said the demon with a grin and a thick Egyptian accent.
"You... speak in English?" Asked a stunned Lara.
"Why yes, I take on any tongue that will confuse and lose who will not give me what I want. I like to keep people as mine and make them do what I want." Sharlay put her hands on her hips and stamped her feet, giving the impression that she was a child and not a grown woman. "I want you to be my new servant cos you seemed to have killed my old ones. I lead people deep into the desert and kill them. I sometimes keep them in the after life, bodies and souls."
"So... you did that to them?"
"Yes, they thought I'd let them drink but I didn't. Sharlay began to giggle. "I let their pathetic bodies shrivel and they were mine."
Lara looked long and hard at Sharlay, trying to fit together how a woman with the innocent appearance of a china doll could perpetrate such evil.
"You're truly evil, Sharlay" said Lara sternly.
"You'll never ever have my pen. It's mine, mine, mine! As a demon I'm still powerful." Sharlay dropped her hands and laughed loudly in a high pitched cackle.
"Try me then" Lara retorted through gritted teeth, with a tough determination that had won her the prize in so many other adventures.
"I will give to you one of my creations to play a nice game with. Not scared of bugs are you?" Sharlay ran and jumped up onto her pedestal. She raised up her arms and from the ground came a gigantic scorpion, its beady eyes were trained on Lara and its pincers snapping like scissors. Its sting thrashed wildly from side to side as it moved its huge, clawed legs that clattered loudly like the dropping of cutlery. The scorpion was a red colour, unlike the small black ones that she had just escaped.
Sharlay stood on the pedestal. Lara scanned the room and there seemed to be no way out until she had defeated the monster. She trained her pistols on it, trying to hit its eyes and head. She fired and fired but there seemed to be no effect upon the scorpion. The scorpion could not pounce but its size and quick scuttling made running out of harms way a challenge. The scorpion took up most of the room so Lara had to keep running from small space to small space, firing at every opportunity.
"Having fun?" Screamed a hysterical Sharlay.
Lara dived out the way of the pincers, which took huge swipes like they were swords. The gunfire was deafening and filled her ears, each bang amplified by the acoustics of an empty cave. She ran around the monster's side, firing and jumping out of the way of its clawed legs that were animated streetlamps with huge claws, dwarfing her. Lara began to breathe quickly and every heartbeat counted as she was using up her rapidly dwindling supply of ammo. She ran and got close to the monster, running and flipping her way like a gymnast around it with her guns in her holsters before drawing them again. She appeared on the outside more like a circus act than an adventuress trying to survive but inside, she was getting more worried about the bullets that to any tomb raider could mean a difference between life and death.
The spent bullets could be heard hitting the ground and ricocheting from the walls, often drowned by Sharlay's laughter and the scorpion's movement. Demonic laughter and the light from gunfire made the battle look like an apocalyptic scene. The gunfire was lightening in a storm of determination and a battle of mental strength. Inside, Lara felt trapped but compelled not to look afraid in front of the demon that thrived on suffering and also because despite her fears, her determination and desire to be the winner were a lifeline and a good thought to cling on to. The scorpion reared up on its rear legs and Lara shot at its underside in the hope that it would weaken the beast. No such luck.
Lara watched her last bullets disappear and began to frantically dodge the scorpion, hoping that somewhere there would be a pressure switch. She could feel her heart in her mouth as she wracked her brains for any way of escape between flips and somersaults. Even though she was not around in the days when Sharlay had lost good relations with Thoth, Lara was determined to take what she should never have been given in the first place and to put it in a museum where it could do good and shed light on the lives, legends and culture of ancient Egypt. She did not want to die being squashed like a bug by a bug. Sweat dripped from her flushed face like rain.
As she tried to evade capture, she suddenly remembered the words of one of the inscriptions…Sharlay created mirages and was an illusionist. With this in mind, she took a deep breath, trained her eyes on the pedestal and walked towards it. Everything slowed down but this gamble with life was essential, as when she was out of ammo all she would be able to do is run until she collapsed from sheer exhaustion. She walked through the scorpion, making beams of light emanate from it like a star around her body as she passed through and out of its tail, another light appearing like an exit wound just under the tail as Lara passed unscathed and with a smile.
"Thought you were so clever, Sharlay?" Gasped an exhausted Lara.
Sharlay screamed and Lara put her hand through the red flame to pick up the reed. The demon appeared at the side of the pedestal and began crying, screaming and stamping her feet like the spoilt brat she was. Her cries were more like that of someone being murdered and she tried to grab Lara but her hand went straight through.
"You see Sharlay, Thoth made you only able to trick people and as long as we know you cannot hurt us and aren't afraid of you, you can never win."
The cries and screams rang in Lara's ears and as Sharlay stamped, pieces of the roof fell and a passage appeared. A rock fell next to Lara and she lifted out her hand-it was tangible and she knew that she had to escape this time or else she really could be seriously hurt.
Rocks crashed around her and the sounds of the screaming, shouting and rocks together made an unbearable din. Lara began to wish that she had brought the ear protection that she often used when training with certain weapons. Lara ran for the exit, leaving Sharlay to have a tantrum. She gripped the golden reed tightly in her hand and for a minute took a glance at it, seeing that it was in fact pure gold. She ran her fingers over the smooth, straight artefact, jumping out of the way just in time as a rock fell right on the spot where she stood. Feeling that this was her wake up call, she decided to save admiring the artefact for when she was safe from harm. She raced for the passage, which was dark. Lighting a flare, Lara ran into the passage to find that it was in fact also falling down.
The path continued uphill and she could see light at the end of the tunnel quite literally. Sharlay's screams receded but the sound and danger of the raining stones were still present. Before she could run into the open again, she felt a very heavy knock on the head which made everything go black as a rock smashed down hard. Lara was knocked out and no one knew where to find her or be able to reach her until the next Nile flood.
However, she was not able to worry, as she was unaware of what was going on around her.
A few hours later, Lara began to open her eyes. The hazy sun beat down on her face and she shielded her face from its rays with her right arm. She felt the hot sand beneath her along with her backpack as she lay on her back. She began to wonder whether all this business with Sharlay was in fact a dream. Did she even have the reed? Clenching her left hand, she felt something hot and metal. She gave a faint smile, realising that she had in fact got hold of the reed. She slowly sat up and to her astonishment, her galabeya rested at her feet intact but covered with sand. It was as if it all never happened until she felt the pain of her wound twinge as she moved.
Looking around, she could see that as told in the scriptures, the tomb had disappeared. Not even a brick was in its place. Lara stood up, sped by the hot sand on her bare fingertips and brushed the sand from her body, before shaking it from her galabeya and donning it once more. Reaching into her backpack, she secured the reed where it would not be lost and found her sunglasses.
Lara looked around at the huge desert, a vast nothingness of sand and the hazy heat making mirages. Behind her were the pyramids in the distance and the city of Cairo. It was then that Lara remembered her equipment to get back. Rummaging in her bag, she found a small Tupperware box that kept a mobile safe and dry. She got the phone out and called up the Cairo Museum who were usually happy to help Lara as much as she was happy to be out looking for the artefact. She smiled and laughed as she spoke into the phone.
"I told you I'd have the equipment to get back so could you please give me a lift? I've struck gold!"
Lara was on very good terms with the museum and knew that a small favour would not trouble them. Lara dragged out a bottle of mineral water from her bag-a vital addition to anyone's gear if they are out in the desert. All that she had to do now was stand around and wait. At least her attire would afford some protection whilst she was awaiting a lift. It was now midday and the sun was at its fiercest. Lara could feel the sand beneath her boots and she moved her feet to feel the soft grains between the grips of her boots. She looked at the distant city and could see the same dune on which she had stood on camel back that very morning, itself looking like the hump on the back of a sandy camel.
As Lara stood, she could see a jeep approaching like a green blot on the horizon, its revving engine getting more pronounced as the vanishing distance made it grow in size. The jeep was an open top jeep and Lara could see that there was only one person sat in the vehicle. Before long, the car had pulled up beside her and the door opened. In the driving seat sat the warm and familiar face of Azar. He smiled as he motioned to her to sit in the front seat, this time wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. Lara took off her rucksack and climbed in, placing it onto her lap before fastening her seat belt.
"So Lara, you've got another addition to the museum?" Said Azar in a friendly tone.
"You bet," grinned Lara like the cat who got the cream.
The jeep sped off and Lara watched Cairo grow nearer, a comforting sight after a day being isolated in the Sahara Desert. As they entered the city, Lara saw that it had come to life. People filled the streets and cars clogged the road, tooting their horns as they went. Vans filed with people, some clinging on to the outside crawled in the traffic queues and traders tried to sell their wares to whoever would stop and take interest.
Azar held an object in his hand that he picked up from his dashboard and handed it to Lara with a smile.
"Free pen?"
Lara looked in horror then laughed as she realised that there would be no more cursed writing implements.
"Oh dear, no more writing kit after today, please!"
Azar was also amused by the whole thing. Lara and Azar eventually reached the Cairo Museum and handed the reed of Sharlay to a place where it would be forever safe. Lara was once again happy at the success of an adventure and also of the fact that her income was once again secured with the selling of the archaeological evidence of Sharlay's existence. Lara returned home not long after and was soon in search of yet another adventure that would take her globe trotting in an ever-lasting search for the truth.
[/ffstory]
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