Searching for a Legacy

Chapter 1: Changes

It was late, the rain had just stopped and Jak was silent. Well, Jak was always silent. He always emoted with gestures and facial expressions, but now he was silent. Daxter knew his friend well and knew that he felt guilty, but now Daxter was mad. He didn't care how guilty Jak felt, in fact he felt as though Jak deserved it. Daxter looked down at his small paws and his strange foreign body. His tail, he couldn't even fathom having an actual tail, shifted back and forth. It was Daxter's fifth time to get really angry.

"FIX ME", Dexter screamed at the mute.

The boat swayed with his scream. Jak sat calmly and pointed behind Daxter. Then Daxter saw the mainland and Samos's house. The light was still on.

"What in great tarnation do you two want", yelled Samos, the green sage.

He was a very short man with green skin and for some reason had a log wrapped up in his hair.

Daxter began to explain in a frantic sort of way, but Samos cut him off.

"Let me guess! Instead of simply watching for the strange lights on Misty Island, you two nitwits had to go exploring?"

Jak simply shrugged. Daxter however went on the defensive.

"You sent us out there! And I didn't want-"

Samos ignored him and continued, "Then, you Daxter finally took a much needed bath, in DARK ECO!"

"Look, old man! Are you going to keep yapping or change me back?"

Jak sighed and looked at his feet.

"I'm going to keep yapping", said Samos, "Besides, I couldn't help you if I wanted to."

"What", Daxter screeched.

"There's only one person who has studied Dark Eco long enough who could return you to your previous form. Gol Acheron, the sage, but he lives far, far to the north."

"Then teleport me outta here!"

Daxter made a run for the circular blue portal, but the green sage knocked him out with his staff. Jak looked horrified at his friend.

"Believe me Jak; I saved him from a far worse fate from going through there. None of the other sages have turned their portals on in quite some time, ever since the schism."

Jak picked up his friend threw him over his shoulder. He nodded to Samos that he would take him to his home. On the way down the hill of Samos's house, Jak ran into Keria. She had possibly the most annoying voice he had ever heard, but it was better than no voice at all. Jak noticed that she had a new outfit on, a tight white shirt and leather purple pants. He imagined her running all of her fingers in an upward motion through his hair.

"Jak", Keira exclaimed, "How are you? How did the missionary- I mean mission go?"

Jak lifted up his friend the ottsel.

"Oh, I see", Keira glanced down at Daxter, "Well, I'm glad you're okay, do you want to see my new dishwasher I made?"

Jak shook his head and shook his friend indicating that he had to bring him home to bed. Keira understood and Jak walked away. He felt like a jerk. It may have been an accident, but it had been Jak who knocked Daxter into that tub of Dark Eco just two hours ago and he had to fix it, not flirt with some, girl.

Yet Keira was more than that. Keira was also an accomplished mechanic and maybe she could make something that could help him get across Fire Canyon. Jak thought some more as he brought Daxter back home. Daxter's parents had gone on a visit to Rock Village almost ten years ago and just hadn't made it back yet. So, he left his friend in his bed and went home to his Uncle's house.

Uncle Explorer is what Jak called him. Everyone else called him the Explorer because he was too busy exploring to really want to be called anything. Even now, on his third year of retirement in Sandover Village, he never said his real name and always talked about going on another trip.

Jak opened the door to chaos. He saw his home, his uncle's home, torn apart with blood everywhere. He ran over to the remains of his uncle's mangled body. There was a giant cut in his throat and Jak knew that he had been dead for awhile. Jak knew that Lurkers were the ones responsible for this crime. He was so angry and sad and he tried to make a noise. He tried to scream.

"Unc", the only syllable Jak had ever even uttered.

He began to sob.