After emerging from the cave, I saw Etzli get captured by hostile forces and was forced to make a desperate escape. Upon returning safely, Lara met Unuratu and revealed the news. Together, they examined the serpent key and devised a covert plan to breach the barracks and rescue the kid.
Lara emerged from the dark cave through the back entrance, expecting a quiet exit. Etzli was waiting for her outside, but the moment he saw her, he signaled with a hand gesture for Lara to stay back and hide.
Hostile forces had appeared suddenly, moving in to attack and capture him. As the situation escalated, Lara was forced to come into the open. The attackers quickly dragged the boy away.
With hostile men swarming the area, Lara knew she could not save him right then. She had no choice but to make a run for it, as they were coming after her too.
What followed was an intense escape run through dangerous terrain. I was taken down once after misjudging the timing on a leap, but luckily I respawned near the last checkpoint and kept push ahead.
Even when I thought I was safe, more enemies appeared around every corner. At one point, someone pushed me off a high ledge.
The attacker either fell to his death or passed out on the ground above, which gave me a momentary breather to gather my thoughts and plan my next move.
After surviving the brutal chase, I finally managed to escape the area completely. Jonah called Lara over the radio, asking her to return quickly because she was needed for an important matter. I began making my way back toward Unuratu's home.
Along the journey, I could not help but slow down and check around the environment to stay alert and look for anything useful. I knew Unuratu would be worried sick about Etzli, and I had to be the one to deliver the heavy news that her son had been taken.
When I arrived, Lara met Unuratu and told her that Etzli was captured just to hear she already knew. She informed Lara that the cult was holding him at the local barracks and that her people were already working on a plan to rescue him.
Lara then showed her the serpent artifact, which served as a key. Unuratu recognized it instantly, noting that it was connected to the nearby mountain temple located right next to where they were holding Etzli.
Lara wondered if the box of Ix Chel was tied to the barracks, which would explain why the cult was guarding that temple so heavily. Unuratu explained that the main entrance was heavily guarded, meaning any rescue attempt had to be subtle and silent.
She mentioned an old back path near the salt mines, though it had deteriorated over time. Lara said she could manage the difficult path.
Their plan was set: I would break in through the back way and clear a path for her group. Unuratu suggested that Lara should go after the box while she'd focuse on securing her son.
