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Posted 19/10/2006 11:51:30
Posts: | Kk, here we go!
Remember, I will post new chapters as soon as I write them.
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Jordan Noton presents…
THE TALISMAN OF RULE
Prologue
In the dead of the night, Lara Croft slept soundly despite the thunder and rain pouring down on the house and the grounds. Winston Jeeves, her butler, was downstairs reading the paper and drinking some tea. Then, a buzz emitted from the switch to the left of the door. Winston walked over to it. He flicked the switch and wondered, “Who’d want to come here, in this weather and at this time of night?” The gate opened, and a figure ran to the door limply. He banged on the door, slowly but hard. Lara ran downstairs, with an artefact that looked like a throwing star flying after her. She leaped over the banister and opened the door via the switch to the right of it. A body fell into the house, blood running from it’s shoulder. The artefact fell next to the body, and didn’t move. Lara rolled the body so he was facing her, but she knew who it was already. The brown hair, soaked in the rain, and his blue eyes rolling around in his head. Kurtis Trent, who had assisted her in the incident in Prague, was dying from a bullet wound, in her house. She snapped at Winston:
“Winston, get the medipak, quickly!”
Winston hurriedly brought the medipak from the closet in Lara’s bedroom to her. She looked at Kurtis, removed his shirt and took a scalpel from the medipak.
“Relax Kurtis, it’s ok…”
“R…ru… rule… they’re after rule…” Kurtis mumbled and stammered, but maybe he knew who had shot him. Lara made an incision with the scalpel into his shoulder, and pulled out the bloody piece of lead. She cleaned the wound and stitched him up. She drew a tear, saying “You’re ok now…” over and over…
Chapter 1
Kurtis opened his eyes, and rolled over to see the sun shining through the blinds. He looked at the bandage on his shoulder and pulled it down, looking at the already healing wound. Lara had saved him again. He’d not saw her since the whole Eckhart thing, but he was happy to see her, even if it was while he was dying. He rolled off of the bed, put his red ‘Korn’ top back on and ran downstairs. He looked at Winston, Lara’s butler and introduced himself.
“Hi, I’m Kurtis, Kurtis Trent.”
“Ah yes, Lady Croft talks about you a lot.”
“She does?” Kurtis looked surprised.
Then, Lara walked into the dining room. She was in a black vest, grey camoflage shorts and black buckle-up boots. She looked stunning, Kurtis thought as he could see her through the doorway. Lara wiped her forehead with a towel, and placed it onto the back of the chair in the dining room. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed Kurtis, and gave him a big hug. She took his hand and brought him into the dining room, then sat him down at the table.
“Um, hello to you to?” Kurtis joked. Lara giggled.
“Kurtis, you must sit down and have a bacon muffin. Winston does the bacon to perfection!”
Kurtis smiled and nodded. “I would love to Lara.”
Winston brought in the muffins, with perfectly cooked bacon and barbecue sauce in there as promised. He brought it to his mouth and ate it. It was yummy, just as Lara had said.
“Winston, this is lovely. Thank you for making me a guest here.” He looked at Lara, who began to speak:
“It’s OK Kurtis. I help my friends out whenever they need it.” Lara smiled, and began to eat herself.
When Kurtis had finished the muffin, he walked over to Lara.
“Can you show me around when your finished Lara?” He looked around the kitchen, admiring the cleanness of it.
“Of course Kurtis, I’d love to.” She finished up her muffin, gave Winston a peck on the cheek and skipped off with Kurtis, showing him all the little secrets of Croft Manor. Winston smiled as they chased each other through the house. He hadn’t really seen Lara this happy. He was happy himself for her.
Then, Lara sat down with Kurtis on her bed. She asked him about who had attacked him. He sighed, and said his memory was a little hazy.
“They were men, tall men in trench coats and fedoras, brandishing Tommy-guns. They said something about the Talisman Of Rule, and then shot me. I don’t think they intended to kill me, but I think they knew about us, when the whole Prague thing was in the papers.”
“Maybe you were a message, warning me not to go in search of this talisman. The name reminds me of something a friend once told me. Hang on…” Lara pondered.
“What’s the matter?”
“Kurtis, I’ll have to goto Hong Kong for the week. Stay here, and heal up, OK?”
“Sure Lara. Be careful.” Kurtis looked deep into her eyes.
“Don’t worry about me Kurt, I won’t be long, just a week.” Lara laughed.
“Don’t call me Kurt, I hate that name.” Kurtis chuckled.
Lara ran upstairs, and packed up all her stuff and called for a taxi to the airport. She waved at Winston and Kurtis as her taxi pulled away, through the grounds of the estate.
Chapter 2
Lara walked through the streets of Hong Kong, looking around at the stalls of food, and of other things. She approached a building called ‘Lei’s Dojo’, and walked into it. A middle-aged woman stood behind the desk. Lara smiled at her, and asked her in Chinese:
“I’m here to see Lei. It’s Lara Croft.”
“Ah, Ms. Croft. Lei is in his office. Go straight in, my Lady.”
Lara walked over to the door, and slid it to the left. He looked up at her, and smiled.
“Ah, Ms. Croft,” he said in English, “how are you today?”
“Fine, thank you. And yourself?”
“I’m good, but what is it you want to ask me?”
Lara looked at him, and said:
“The Talisman Of Rule. You know about it?”
Lei adjusted his wire-frames and looked up from his paperwork at her.
“I told you about it a while ago, in a conversation.”
“Yes, but could you explain it to me? What it is, where it is and what it does?”
Lei began:
“The Talisman Of Rule, well, it’s an artefact lying somewhere on an island near the coast of China. No-one has set foot on the island, because of the ancient tribe that is rumoured to live there, protecting the item. It is a talisman that gives it’s owner immense strength and invulnerability. You thinking of looking for it?”
Lara looked around the room, seeing his Karate coloured belts, framed on the wall in order of rank. Lei had taught her some of his personalised fighting manoeuvres, along with Karate, Kickboxing and Jeet Kun Do fighting skills. She looked at him:
“Maybe, are there any competition for it?”
Lei laughed. “Isn’t there always?”
Lara cocked her pistol jokingly at Lei. “Then they’ll wish they never bothered.”
“Lara, you love danger, don’t you?”
“Of course. You know me Lei, your regular trigger-happy Lady.” Lara holstered her pistol. “I’ll leave you now. Thanks for the info Lei.”
“Anytime.”
She walked out of the doorway, and headed out into the streets again.
Chapter 3
Lara breathed in the air, and set off. She stopped to pick up her cell phone, and flipped the handset open. Kurtis’ energetic voice spoke down the phone:
“Hiya Lara, it’s just me.”
“Hi Kurtis, how are ya?”
“Well actually Winston wanted to ask you the same thing. And well, so did I.”
“Aww, you gentlemen.” Lara looked up at the rooftop neighbouring Lei’s Dojo. A thug walked over his own steps, holding an AK-47 by his side.
“OK Kurtis, got to go, send Winston my love. Bye.” Before Kurtis could reply, she put the phone down, and into her backpack. Lara ran up the bamboo fire escape on the dojo, running onto the temple-like rooftop. She whipped her pistols to her sides, and looked up at the slightly higher rooftop. She aimed with one pistol, and capped the thug in his kneecap. She did a running jump to the fire escape on that building and ascended up to the top of the roof. The thug grabbed a switchblade from his pocket and flicked it open. He slashed for Lara’s leg, who kicked it from his hand. She placed a foot on his chest, and drew the pistol against his head. She cocked it, and sighed:
“You tools never learn, do you? Tell me, what’s an armed guard doing here?”
“You little--” The guard cursed.
“Wrong answer.” Lara fired a shot right past his head, leaving a hole in the floor next to him.
“OK, OK, OK! Wang Lin Ji sent us here, to get the Talisman Of Rule. That’s all I know, I swear!”
“Us? Lara looked behind her, and jumped in time to dodge the broadsword-wielding goon behind her. His blade landed in the other thug, and killed him. Lara ran away from the swordsman, and then flipped around and shot him dead. A helicopter appeared, flying over Lara. She darted towards the dojo, only just outrunning the hail of M60 fire from the chopper above. She leaped off of the rooftop, landing into the fire escape. Then, the bullets pierced the bamboo ladders, collapsing and crumbling under Lara’s feet. Lara leaped over to the other fire escape, and then dropped into a load of cardboard boxes beneath her.
She rolled out of the mess, and darted to a car. She shot out the windscreen and slid over the bonnet, landing into the seat. She took a small knife which had a short, narrow blade from her right boot and used it as a key to start up the car. She looked up and saw the copter closing in on her, the gunner at the ready. She took off, speeding down the narrow street, turning off at the end to the freeway entrance. She sped along the freeway, dodging traffic and weaving her way through a string of cars, trucks and motorbikes. The seemingly endless machinegun fire ripped through the slew of vehicles, causing pile-ups and crashes behind her. The concrete road was soon turned to pulp, rubble shooting through the air like cannonballs. Two black saloons pulled up on either side of her, emptying Uzis on her vehicle. She had to do something, or the car would be totalled, so she slammed on the brakes, letting the cars in front slip away. She aimed one pistol out the window, only just seeing the red laser dot on the pursuers’ exhaust pipe. She fired away, hitting the left car’s exhaust pipe, blowing it up. The flames showered down on the right car, which span out of control, dazzled by the explosion.
Lara knew where she was, and zoomed up the lane nearest to her, and navigated the main street, pulling up just outside her hotel. She ran into the building, and up to her room. She had lost her keys, so she kicked down the door, sending sawdust and splinters everywhere. She looked around the room, and dragged a suitcase out of her closet. In it was a rocket launcher, with a rocket loaded in it, and another in the case. She ducked behind her bed, as the copter hovered outside her window, shooting it out with it’s endless assault of lead. She rolled out from cover, and sent the rocket propelling towards the chopper. Bang. It tore it apart, sending flames gliding down from the sky above. Lara sighed, dropped the weapon to the floor and curled up onto the bed, picked up the phone and rung room service.
“Bring me a bottle of champagne, please.” Lara curled up on the bed and turned the TV on.
Chapter 4
Lara returned to the peacefulness of Croft Estate, where Winston was teaching Kurtis how to play chess. Lara was a little surprised, because Kurtis always came off like the ‘rough’ guy. The bike and leathers guy. Not a guy who’d play chess with his friends butler. Winston was teaching Kurtis a winning move when Lara came out from her room, with her hair down and in a blue silk gown, She sat next to them in the dining room, and watched them play.
“Hey Lara, what’s up?” Kurtis asked, as he kept looking at the board, watching Winston’s move carefully.
“I’m bored.” Then, Lara stood up and run through the doorway to the gymnasium. Then she leaped up onto the obstacles. She soared through the air, diving over ramps and dancing in the air. Kurtis stared at her, amazed at her acrobatic skills. She flew gracefully through the air, and landed on the ground like a feather, almost silently. Her gown floated in the air like a cape, and she was a superhero. Then, she ran over to a mannequin in a knight’s armour, and took the sword. She slashed and stabbed at invisible targets, and glided over them. At this point, Kurtis had let his jaw drop to the ground. She was one good fighter. Then, she ran over to the table, and sat down. Kurtis just stared at her, and he looked back at Winston, who had already finished explaining his winning move.
“Like to have a game, old chum?” Winston smiled.
Kurtis, who hadn’t paid attention, bailed out:
“I need some rest. See you tomorrow.”
He ran upstairs to the room he had slept in last night. When he walked in, he saw a wardrobe open, and Lara’s stuff in it. Lara’s glasses were on the table, and the closet behind the bed had all guns and ammo in it. He’d slept in Lara’s bedroom all night. “Where’d she sleep then”, he thought. Then, she walked in. That beautiful woman, who just stared at him. He didn’t know why, but he felt more than just friendship for her. He felt real compassion, and he’d never felt like this before. She walked over to him and cuddled up to him. She looked into his eyes, and he looked into hers. They didn’t have to say anything to each other, because they were in love. They both knew it, and words weren’t enough to sum it up. Lara looked up at him, and said:
“Feel’s weird, doesn’t it?” Lara looked a little nervous.
He knew exactly what she meant.
“I’ve never felt like this before… I don’t know what to say--”
“Shh…” Lara put her finger over his lips. “Just… hold me Kurt.”
He didn’t complain about his name, he just lay back, and held her close to him. They fell asleep together, in each others arms…
Chapter 5
Lara opened her eyes, and rolled over on the bed. Kurtis was holding her, and he was still asleep. She brushed her hair from her eyes, and lay back into his arms. He opened his eyes, and got off of the bed. He kissed her, and sat next to her.
“So… what you been up to?” He joked.
“Mmm… not much. And you?” She giggled, and she got up too. She went into her wardrobe, pulled out a t-shirt and looked at Kurtis.
“K, I’ll go…” He laughed and went outside. He went downstairs while Lara got changed. Winston wasn’t up yet, and Lara would be down in a moment. He picked up his jacket from one of the balustrades, and pulled a big wad of money from the pocket. He shoved it into his trouser pocket and ran upstairs. He knocked on the door, and Lara beckoned him in. She was wearing an aqua leotard with light brown shorts, and some brown lace-up boots. She was just tying up the last few red laces of her left boot when she looked up at Kurtis.
“Haven’t wore this for a while.” She giggled. Kurtis smiled and said:
“Suits you.” Lara looked over at the mirror.
“I used to wear this all the time. I don’t know why, but I just loved it.” Kurtis went over to her and kissed her on the neck, and whispered in her ear:
“You’d look gorgeous in rags. That’s how pretty you are Lara, you are plain and simply stunning.”
“Aww, how sweet!” She pecked him on the lips and sat on her bed. “Well, I’m going to New York. You know that Wang Lin Ji character?”
“Oh yeah, the guy after the talisman?” Kurtis put his leather gloves on while he talked.
“Well he’s on the 10 most wanted list. He’s reported to be in New York.”
“That’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack Lara.”
“Well not really Kurt, because my friend in NY, Kate, said she saw him in a swanky hotel. I’ve made a reservation for two, if you want to come.”
“Sure, but you aren’t going dressed like that are you?”
“Nope, but I will wear this again soon.” She giggled, and got changed into her casual clothes: A black tee, brown jeans and a brown leather coat which looked a bit like a trench coat. Kurtis was wearing a white tee, a black biker jacket, some dark gray jeans and some brown boots. He had brown biker gloves on, too. They said goodbye to Winston and headed off for the airport.
New York, New York, here we come, Lara thought. The cabbie stopped at the traffic lights and said how honoured he was that she was his customer.
“I’ll give you this ride free, Lady Croft. I’m a big fan of your work.” He brushed his hands through his greasy comb over, and he winked at her. Kurtis raised his brow:
“Just drive, James Bond. No womanising acts today, ok?” Lara laughed when Kurtis said this. They pulled up outside the airport and ran in, they were a little late. They were on the plane in a matter of minutes, and they were off once again after ancient artefacts. |
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kurtis u dont wanna no wat id like 2 do 2 him!
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