Shangri-la Part 1

While I was asleep, I felt someone was washing my face. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a white dog licking my face. I quickly got up and wiped my face from all the dog's drool.

Chan: "I see that you are awake." After wiping my face, I looked around and saw Chan feeding the fire with wood. Scanned the place we are in and saw that we are in a cave. I looked towards the entrance of the cave and saw a massive storm. "Here, drink this, my friend.."

Chan came towards me and gave me something warm to drink. I didn't think twice and drank it to warm myself. I then felt the dog cuddling next to me and rested his head on my lap. I petted the dogs while he slept on my lap.

Chan: "the dog is fond of you. He would not leave your side when you were asleep." Chan went towards the back near the campfire and handed it to me. "Here, all your gear."

I opened the bag and dumped all the contents inside onto the ground. I then saw my arm and put it on. I scanned the remaining items on the ground and found my iDroid communication device. I wanted to call someone, but I saw that there wasn't getting any signal from here.

So I tried to use the radio function to pick something up. I only heard static noises coming off from the device. I was going to put down the equipment, but suddenly I heard a familiar voice coming from the radio.

???: "...Joseph… *static noise* we are heading *static noise* Shangri-la…" when I heard this familiar voice, I quickly tried to talk to me.

Joseph: "Lara, can you hear me…" I said desperately towards the radio, but I only got static noises coming from the receiver. I was going to leave the cave to go after her, but Chan stopped me.

Chan: "don't worry about them, my friend. It will take your friends time to find the entrance." he then threw another dried wood to the fire and looked at me. "And besides, where are you even going to start looking? You have no clue where the entrance of Shangri-la is right now."

Joseph: "But the Dragon Emperor is looking for that place. I need to find them and stop them from going there." chan pause for a bit before staring at my eyes. I just stared back at him with conviction. Chan sighed right afterward and went back to feeding the fire with dried wood.

Chan: "don't worry about going now. I can take you to the entrance of Shangri-la using my route going there. And besides your hurt…" but before he could finish his words, he saw my wounds on my legs were fully healed.

Chan: "Hmmm… that's surprising I didn't remember you giving you any medicine when we came to this cave. Well, whatever, maybe I forgot due to my old age." I then looked at Chan suspiciously and asked him a question.

Joseph: "how do you know the route towards the entrance of Shangri-la," I said while my guards were raised towards him. Chan just laughed at my suspicion towards him and continued feeding the fire with wood.

Chan: "hahaha! You could say that I have lived in this mountain all my life… I just so happened to know where the entrance of Shangri-la." I then went back to the campfire and sat near it. I looked at Chan and asked him one final question.

Joseph: "who are you, Chan, you are not just some old geezer." chan smiled at me and answered my question.

Chan: "I am just an old doctor living his life..."

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---Lara pov---

I looked at the tall mountain, the cold wind hitting my face. I looked behind me and saw the plane that has the wolf logo. I could not believe that someone could pilot a plane through a storm and came out unharmed.

I then looked at the new communication device that they gave me. It looked like a radio, but at the same time, it looked like a smartphone. I just used the equipment to contact Joseph, but I only got static noise.

Williams: "Lara, are you sure about this; you know that there is something there is protecting the entrance of Shangri-la." I then looked at the tallest mountain in Kunlun mountains with conviction in my eyes to look for Joseph.

Lara: "I am sure of it, Profesor, that Joseph is here in these mountains looking for something or someone." I said while looking at the snowy mountains. Professor Williams looked at me and sighed in defeat.

Jonah: "Hey, Lara, we have a problem.." Jonah walked towards us together with another person. I was surprised at who I saw walking beside Jonah. The little girl ran towards me and hugged my waist.

Haru: "mommy, please take me with you…" she said with her puppy eyes. I looked at Jonah confusedly and saw Hana looking guiltily at me.

Hana: "sorry, Lara Haru 'convinced' me to take her to our expedition. So I hid her in one of the crates when we took off." she said while avoiding my gaze.

Haru: "mommy, don't get mad at aunty Hana. I was going to sneak in the plane without anyone's permission." she then looked at me with her puppy eyes. I was going to say yes.

But I remembered professor Willaims telling me about the creatures that are guarding the entrance of Shangri-la. And how it almost wiped out my Dad's and professor's entire expedition team if they hadn't pulled out. I looked at Haru's glossy eyes and went down to my knees to explain to her why she could not come with us.

Lara: "Haru, it's too dangerous to come with me; you have to stay here with the rest and wait for me to come back with papa, alright." when Haru heard my words, her eyes teared up and ran away from me.

Haru: "You're the same as papa, you don't trust me enough to take care of myself." she cried while she ran away towards the plane. I could only sigh in defeat while Jonah came towards me and patted my shoulders.

Jonah: "good thing you are immune to her puppy eyes, or you would have said yes to her requests." Jonah laughed while I just sigh in defeat. I then shook my head and talked to the professor.

Lara: "Professor, are you sure that this is the right mountain that leads us to the entrance of Shangri-la" I looked at the professor who is looking at a map while scratching his head in confusion.

Williams: "I think so it has been a long time since I was on an expedition… Maybe I will jog some memories if we start climbing the mountain." when I heard his words, I wanted to yell in anger, but Jonah grabbed my arms. I turned around and saw him shaking his head.

Jonah: "my brother can survive in any situation, so stop worrying that my brother is not strong enough to survive." he then walked towards the professor who was walking ahead of us. I looked at the mountain and started following Jonah and The Professor, who had already begun to climb the cliffs.