disclaimer : Jak and Daxter are property of NaughtyDog Inc.
I pulled my goggles over my eyes as I mounted the Zoomer parked outside the Hideout, recalling the strange behaviour of Samos the Sage and Torn just moments ago.
They're hiding something from me, only letting me in on bits and pieces of the situation at hand, and I don't appreciate it. Vaguely, I was aware of Daxters presence around my neck, clinging tightly as I pushed the motor of the Zoomer to its maximum capacity as we weaved our way through Haven City towards our current destination; Haven Forest.
"Jak, I have a mission for you, and it is of utmost importance." I gazed into the inky eyes of the young Samos as he spoke, not surprised by his choice of words.
Lately everything had been of 'utmost importance' but it hadn't changed anything. We're still losing the war to not only Praxis, but the Metalheads as well. "And?" I knew I was being disrespectful, but at this point the ancient man had done nothing to earn my respect.
"Deep in Haven Forest, at the base of the Tree of Life, there are Ruins. The center ruin has a secret passageway beneath it, that leads to a subterranean chamber. Within this chamber, the Chamber of Tranquility, rests a great source of power. I need you to venture into the Forest and retrieve the power source, bringing it back unharmed and undetected."
The voice of the man who would become my mentor was dire, and I felt a sense of foreboding as I walked up the uneven steps and towards the door.
"Jak." This voice was that of Torn, leader of the Underground movement. "This is a very serious mission. If you need backup, let us know. An escort will be waiting on you when you leave the Forest." His face was grim. I nodded and turned to continue out up the staircase.
I could still hear voices as the doors slid open and I stepped out into the unforgiving weather of Haven City. "Let's pray that he can do this, it very well may be our last hope." I slammed the door and strode to the waiting Zoomer, firing the engine up and taking off.
"Jak! Slow down!" My head snapped up of its own accord at the sound of my best friends cries, and I realized I had been drawing unwanted attention from the Krimzon Guard with my driving. Slowing to a more socially acceptable speed, I took in the change from the smog-ridden industrial zone to that of the fresh, clean agriculture district.
The yakows brought back unwanted memories of Sandover Village, and I gunned the throttle the rest of the way to the entrance to Haven Forest.
"Whaddya figure this 'power source' thingamadookie is?" Daxter crawled behind my neck to my left shoulder, voice shrill with anticipation.
"I dunno, Dax." There wasn't any reason to be short with him, but it came out sounding that way, and silence filled my ears as I jumped through the Warp Gate at the Base of the Mountain Temple, and continued until we reached the base of the Tree of Life.
Circling, I analyzed the center ruin, looking for any hint of a door or passageway, and found none. I growled in frustration and jumped atop the ruin, laying on my back.
The clouds were dark and foreboding, even this far from the city. I was already soaked to the bone from the drive here, and the relentless sheets of rain certainly weren't helping.
Things felt different, the air held a sense of despair that I had never felt in Haven Forest. The place had always been so peaceful and calm, like a sanctuary in the middle of a war zone. But this place, it was haunting. The trees were bending to the point of breaking in the unforgiving gale, water white-capping and beating mercilessly against the shore. The beginning of the end.
A loose sigh escaped my lips as I hopped down from the top of the ruin, thinking about giving up on something that very well could be a wild goose chase. "Well Dax, looks like there's nothing here." Silence greeted me. "Dax? Dax?" Panic began to well up in the pit of my stomach, bubbling and churning, leaving a nauseous feeling in its wake.
I continued to yell, voice rising and then falling as my throat grew hoarse. The panic began to ebb, leaving fury in its place. With fury, I felt the Dark Eco beginning to emerge, rising like a tide from the darkest corners of my subconscious. Soon it had consumed me, laying atop my inhibitions like a thick blanket on a hot summer day.
Stifling. Smothering. Suffocating.
A guttural snarl clawed its way my esophagus as I wheeled on those God forsaken Ruins. If we hadn't come searching for some stupid power source then Daxter and I would both be in our beds in the Hideout, sitting out this hellacious storm. Nails, purple and venomous, extended into the Ruins.
I ripped them back out, preparing to smash it to smithereens with a Dark Bomb, when it began to glow.
"What the fuck?" Stepping back, my boot slid on the mud, and I felt myself tumbling to the ground, only to have my fall broken by Daxter. "Where the hell have you been?"
He looked at me for a moment with confusion written across his face before motioning to his ears and mouthing that he couldn't hear me. I sighed, and picked him up, looking back to the Ruins. Five beams of ominous light were radiating from the center of the stone, the exact places my nails had penetrated.
Looking to my companion for support, I reached out a tentative hand, placing it within the violet beams. Immediately, I felt a tug, and couldn't remove my hand. Slowly, the light began to spread, beams connecting in some predetermined design.
A star, with five points, within a circle. I didn't recognize the symbol, and went to pull away again, only to have my hand jerked forward. The weathered stone gave way, and the sound of stone grating against stone reached my ears over the roar of the wind.
The doorway was wide, and what little light there was illuminated carved stone steps circling down beneath the Earth. They were moist and covered with moss, but seemed sturdy enough.
"Uh, Jak, we're not goin' in there, are we?" Daxter leaned forward to look into my eyes, worry written across his face. "Listen, let's think this through…"
I chuckled, my 'courageous sidekick' bringing some humour to the situation with his cowardly antics. "C'mon Daxter, where's your spirit of adventure?" With a wicked grin I stepped forward into the dark of the passageway, Daxter clinging tightly to my shoulder.
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