[Somewhere in the Frontier] Rituals Old

What is a word? By definition, it is a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing. Something that has depth and purpose. Parts of a sentence that would bring everything together. Words and language were possibly the most crucial parts of any culture in defining identity. Telling stories, expressing oneself, documenting events and so forth. Many words have different meanings in various languages, yet they have distinct definitions nonetheless. This is why in certain contexts, words in a text have to be interpreted in a different manner than one typically would. Hidden subtexts and metaphors were everywhere, begging to be found by inquisitive readers, to have their secrets discovered. Luckily for her, Lara Croft was among the best in her field. Her skill and curiosity knew no bounds. Which is why she had been tirelessly rummaging through her father's documents, again and again, to find any and all additional clues about the artifact she was seeking.

Lara had been in her office for... possibly days. Reading every piece of paper she came across an ungodly amount of times. She was so certain that Richard had hidden something additional within his texts, something that wouldn't come up in initial readings. Richard wasn't a poet or a philosopher, he rarely (if at all) spoke in riddles. He was matter-of-fact and tried to give everything its clearest meaning. Yet, Lara wasn't convinced. He had deliberately hidden information before. It was why she learned about the supposed location of the Scion piece in the first place. Now, she was determined to find anything additional regarding that piece or any of the other two still out there. Winston occasionally replaced Lara's cup of coffee or tea, whichever mood she was in at the time, and let her be. If needed, Lara rested in the chair or crawled to bed for a couple of hours, only to immediately get back to work afterward. The others had seen her exit the room perhaps once, to get additional books from the library.

Over time, the words she read started to become meaningless. Lara had gone through Richard's journals and documents so many times that at certain points, the words seemed like gibberish. But she couldn't stop. She was too close. Lara would have to take a short reprieve, however, as Conrad Roth entered the office. Roth and Lara had known each other for years, him being the first of the team to have joined her. He often acted as a father figure or a mentor to Lara, though the two were equally viewed as peers. He had his classic stern look on his face when their eyes met, seemingly not letting out any clear intention. She knew exactly what he was trying to do though.

"You would have found something by now."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps father hid his secrets better than I thought."

She looked exhausted. He didn't even have to look at her to know that, her tone was enough proof. Roth knew how much her quest meant to her. Finding the Scion was everything she had been thinking about for a long time. It was clear that obsession ran in the family. What Richard left, Lara took over, in more ways than one. It hurt Roth to see her that way, though it was even more painful that Lara herself couldn't see what she was like. Still, she needed to have her mind on one thing at a time right now.

"We can get back to this when we've found the first piece. You need rest, Lara. The team is going to function much worse if you're in a state like this."

"The team? No. I'm going alone."

Lara couldn't help but sigh. He was right about getting sleep. If she couldn't perform, all of her work would have been for naught. She was still so certain that there were details she had missed. Still, she had enough intel to know where to go and what to look for. It would have to do. Lara noticed Roth's disapproval over her statement of going alone. They were a team, after all. She hadn't forgotten that. But Roth's words would do little to persuade her otherwise.

"You need the backup. You don't know wh---"

"This is not up for debate, Roth. I am not risking anyone's life but my own. Not for this."

Her answer was resolute. Everyone knew why Lara was chasing after the Scion. They knew her loss. It was difficult not to understand why she needed closure and, most of all, the truth. Perspectives certainly change when things get personal. These circumstances were no different. Even more so, she would be going into uncharted territory. Her skills would possibly enable her survival, she couldn't say the same about everyone else.

Roth finally understood the situation and Lara's, often infuriating, stubbornness, he reluctantly agreed. He only requested that she be on comms the whole time. Lara agreed, giving the man a warm smile and then sending him to finish preparations. Ms. Croft herself proceeded to take a long, warm shower and went to bed, as there was still some time until her departure.



For the several hours that she had been driving to her destination, Lara was thinking about her quest. Really it was the only thing on her mind nowadays if any other missions weren't keeping her occupied. There was still plenty of exploration and tomb raiding to be done, but her main pursuit was still the Scion. There were times when she thought that it was not worth pursuing. Sometimes you just have to let things be. However, this was something that kept haunting her. She would see nightmares of what happened to Richard and Amelia. She would see nefarious forces, trying to hunt her down. Lara had certainly made a lot of enemies over the years, though she had crossed most of them out, as they knew little about her past. Most were simply treasure hunters, who cared little about who she was. Personal gain was the name of the game. Lara knew that she certainly fit that type as well. She wasn't delusional. Though she did believe that her adventures were more about preserving what she could while exploring the various cultures and civilizations of old. But perhaps some treasures weren't meant to be taken. At the same time, why were they created and left to be found? She would never know the true intentions of the people that came before. Suddenly, her earpiece crackled and Zip's voice could be heard shortly after.

"You should be arriving right about now. Sam and I could only map out small parts of the ruins since most of it is deeper underground than we thought. Expect the usual death traps that you love so much."

"Excellent. I would be dreadfully bored without them."

"Sometimes, you really worry me."

Lara couldn't help but chuckle. Even in the midst of the most dangerous and personal situations, Lara rarely lost her humorous side. It was that and Zip's own natural charisma that kept often kept her from losing herself in the field. Particularly when facing dire circumstances. She had to do this on her own, but Lara couldn't put into words how much her team meant to her. They kept her alive for the most part. They were something she could come back home to. For a time, it was simply her and Winston. It was certainly liberating to be in a large mansion with just your butler, but even for someone like Lara, the emptiness would get to her. Not to say that Winston wasn't a grand company. Quite the opposite. He knew her better than anyone. Nobody else could match the history those two shared. Yet still, when she formed her team, the mansion (and by extension, her life) felt more filled, more alive. It was something she would be eternally grateful for.

She was now in the Frontier's unknown jungle, thick foliage covering everything the eye could see. The distinct sounds of insects, reptiles and other creatures enveloped the space. Her motorcycle had most likely scared off the larger predators, but she still had to keep her guard up. Never know when a wild animal was unseen nearby, ready to pounce. What had the majority of her attention, however, was a vine-covered stone arch that she stopped in front of. It wasn't particularly large, possibly because most of it had been swallowed by the ground. There was a set of stairs and a doorway leading underground. The whole thing was inconspicuous enough by foliage and vines that unless you knew what you were looking for, something like this would seem like just another ruin in the jungle. There were plenty of those around, or so Lara could speculate. The Frontier was still vastly undiscovered, so who knew what sort of mysteries it was keeping. Lara was currently focused on the one in front of her, however. She shot and cut down the vines blocking the entrance, and stood at the entrance, turning on her light. Looking below, Lara saw a significant drop ahead. But she still managed to see an additional doorway at the bottom. She placed her grapple on the ledge she was standing on, firmly attaching it to the stone and proceeded to rappel down.

Reaching the bottom, Lara looked around, with unremarkable stone walls greeting her. So far, the promised traps and obstructions were nowhere to be found. There was only one doorway, however, meaning she would have to go through it. Going into the unknown was something that had lost its fright a long time ago. Everything she did predicated on the fact that she was willing to explore the unexplored. To set foot where no man or strange furry creature had set foot in for possibly a millennia. It was certainly a privilege for Croft. One which she knew too well. Even with her selfish desires playing a big role this time, she saw this opportunity as one of learning. Why was the Scion created? What does it really do? There were plenty more questions in her mind, but she had to focus on the task at hand.

However, one thing that had been bugging her during the journey and her brief time in the jungle was the fact, that someone may have followed her. She couldn't confirm it herself, as it may have just been a wild animal, but her instincts kicked in after having entered the jungle. It was like a tingling on the back of her neck, even as she was driving. Perhaps they began following her before the jungle, but she couldn't be certain. The only thing she knew was that if whoever it was (if there really was anyone), they wouldn't want to get in her way.

"Zip, has someone been following me?"

It was mere curiosity that lead Lara to ask for Zip's expertise. She was hopeful enough that nobody would follow her down in the ruins, yet possibilities know no bounds in this world, as she had learned over the years. Of course, curious minds were welcome to join her, as long as they didn't get in her way, but Lara was always cautious about working with people she didn't know. Too often people had ulterior motives, ones that conflicted with her own ideologies.

"Other than wildlife, haven't noticed anything too weird. What are you thinking? Rival hunters? Indigenous people?"

"I'm not sure. Just keep track of any additional anomalies. I can't have anyone jeopardize the mission."

"Will do. Good luck, Lara."

With that well-wish and a cautious attitude, Lara stepped forward into the dark doorway, leading into a corridor. She wasn't sure where it would lead, but it was the only way to the Scion's first piece, so that's where she needed to go.