Okay, this…well…this one's a little bit cruel, but the Snowy Mountain area of Precursor Legacy (upon which I many, many times sent Jak to his screaming death *grumbles* stupid long jumps, timed platforms, ice, etc.) definitely has the ability to bring out that aspect of my personality. =^_^= Thus, well, this story…its twisted, and sad, and I don't think its ever been done before. Just…don't expect a happy ending.
On the Mountain
LH-chan '03
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Snow slid and crunched beneath Jak's feet as he ran through it, waist deep at times, cold ice chilling his toes. Gusts of blizzard wind whipped down off the tall peak of the Snowy Mountain. Cutting into him and his companion Daxter—the furry creature riding on his metal shoulder-guard; currently burrowing his way into Jak's unruly blonde hair for warmth.
The pair reached the frozen river they had been making for with relative ease. Jak, not overly bothered by the cold, executed a showy little spin as he jumped out onto the ice, skating along on his boots for a moment before bounding back onto the snow.
In this way, the two friends moved forward, making next for a stand of trees in the distance. The dull-witted miner with the canary had told them of a hidden passage behind those trees that morning. Full of confidence after outracing the flying lurkers on the Zoomer the previous evening, they felt certain that the passage would yield more powercells.
Grinning recklessly, Jak faced a troll-like Lurker on the ice. Dodging and skating, he dispatched the creature in a few swift movements.
"These guys are nothin', eh Jak?" crowed Daxter, from the burrow he'd made of his friend's hair.
Jak grinned up at him and ran forward, ambushing and dispatching a spiky-looking ice Lurker, laughing along with Daxter in the face of danger.
The trees were just ahead. Nothing would stop them now.
The snow bank ahead of them seemed to explode outward. A snow-white troll Lurker bursting from it with a roar, striking Jak across the face with a blunt-clawed paw.
Jak staggered, recoiling, and collided with a second, identical Lurker.
In Jak's ear, Daxter yelped in shock, just as Jak grunted in pain, the Lurker dealing him a resonating blow to the shoulder. Jak dodged away nimbly, trying to put some space between himself and the Lurkers; to give himself enough room to fight back.
Instead, he found himself dodging into the waiting claws of yet another Lurker, identical to the others.
Again he dodged away, Lurkers pressing his back to the solid rock wall of the mountain.
"I don't like this, Jak!" exclaimed Daxter.
Their eyes met for a moment, and there was no doubt in Daxter's mind that Jak felt the same.
Jak's eyes darted from one side to the other, seeking a way out, a place to make a stand, to fight back; finding only hard stone cliffs. And Lurkers, four now, five—more approaching perhaps. Shadowy forms in the blowing snow.
The massing Lurkers struck out at him, blows raining upon him from all sides.
Dazed, trapped against the rock, he stumbled and fell. Daxter tumbled from his shoulder, and landed hard in the snow—sinking in deeply, nearly trampled by heavy Lurker feet.
With all his slight strength, Daxter hauled himself free of the snow, numb and dazed; he forced muscles to respond, and leapt, landing on Jak's chest in a bound.
"Jak!" he exclaimed, with all the volume his big voice could muster, startling the Lurkers for a moment.
They stepped back…but it was only a step.
Jak was perhaps the only one on the mountain who didn't hear Daxter's shout. He was out cold, completely unconscious.
Daxter slapped his face, shook him by his tunic front, shouting at the top of his lungs—anything he could think of to bring his friend around.
"Jak! C'mon, wake up!" he cried. "How'm I gonna get changed back! What will Kiera say?"
His eyes cast around wildly, through the forest of thick, furry legs surrounding them, seeking an escape, an answer, anything.
The Lurkers began to close in once more, growling, their heavy, hot breathing rising as mist around them.
"Ja~ak!" panicked Daxter, shaking his friend once more by the tunic front.
Jak's head lolled, he did not wake.
Daxter's heart hammered in his chest, beating out the rhythm of his terror.
He couldn't fight them. He couldn't run, and leave Jak alone in the snow with these monsters.
The Lurkers drew closer, their breath hot against the fur of Daxter's neck.
"Jak!" he cried desperately.
Then there was silence, punctuated only by a sharp growl.
* * * *
Owari.