My Anchor (Lara x Fem!reader)

The Path

Y/N's P.O.V

Looking at the courtyard we found ourselves in, once we climbed down, I could tell it's a puzzle. A puzzle we have to solve if we want to continue up ahead.

-"Almost there." Lara said after we jumped down to the courtyard. -"You've been saying that quite a lot." I chuckled, trying to descipher the puzzle. -"Well, this time I believe it." She replied, also taking a look at the puzzle.

Infront of us there was a giant acient bell. But it was trapped between stone mechanism of some sort. -"Hey, 10 bucks we're suppose to ring that." I pointed at the bell. -"No shit. But how do we remove the stone around it?" Lara replied. Walking closer to the bell. Runes were inscribed on the stone around the bell. -"I believe this is your speciality, love." Lara took a few steps back as she jokingly bowed to me. -"I believe it is, love." I walked to the bell to read the runes. -"Hmm, that's weird. It just says one word over and over." I said, checking again, to no different outcome. -"What's the word?" Lara asked. -"Jörmungandr, the wo-" -"The world's Serpent." She interrupted me.

-"Yes. But that makes no sense. He's often connected to water. But how would we get the bell underwater?" I asked, purely thinking out loud. -"Maybe those pipes?" Lara pointed at four pipes, each in one upper corner of the courtyard's balcony. Next to each pipe there was a lever, hopefully to get the water running. -"Okay, let's flood this place." I told her and we both climbed to the balcony. The levers needed to be pushed, not pulled. And with a slight nod to each other we pushed them. Water started flowing from two of the pipes next to us but it wasn't enough to flood the courtyard. -"Put the climbing axe in the lever's mechanism! We need to jam them in place!" Lara told me and I did what she said. Still having that one climbing axe she gave me.

We both hurried to the other levers on our side. We both pushed the levers again. But this time my lever snapped just as I pushed it. I lost my balance and fell to the courtyard. Luckily it was filled with the water so my fall was safe. That's what I thought until a big piece of stone landed on top of me and pulled me down to the bottom, where it pinned me. I fought to get out of it, to no avail. It was too heavy. I couldn't even wiggle free. Soon I felt a pair of hands around my waist. Lara was trying to clear the rubble a little before attempting to lift the stone.

I could feel that I don't have much oxygen left, I fought for every bit I got left. That's when I felt that Lara freed me. Everything already seemed dark and I felt really light. Lara grabbed me by my waist and swam up as fast as she could. I ressurfaced and finally took a breath. I took a very sharp one and then just tried to steady my breathing a little. -"Are you alright?" Lara asked me, still supporting me in the water. -"Yes. Just a bit shocked, that's all." I replied, pulling away so she could focus on her swimming.

I took a look at the bell. The stone has fallen to the bottom. The bell was free now. Me and Lara climbed back up to the coutyarďs balcony. It was easy, now that the water was at it's level. We both went to retrieve our climbing axe. After we did the bell started rising from the water, revealing a perfectly preserved hallway. The water was right under it so it wasn't flooded. We walked to the hallway, it seemed safe, leading into another room. -"I bet this is gonna be a series of trials." I told Lara. -"What was this trial suppose to represent then?" She asked. -"My guess. To ensure neither of the kings would bring an army with him. Openning the door now would end badly." I replied. -"Great. At least Trinity will have a hard time following us."

-"Don't underestimate them. A little water like this isn't gonna stop them." I told her, looking back at the courtyard. -"I know. But it will slow them down, that's exactly what we need. Let's go." She hurried me to the hallway. I took one last look at the big wooden door on the other side of the courtyard. It's not gonna hold them long. Just hope they won't be standing too close when the door breaks.