DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Jak and Daxter series. If I did I would be a lot richer and a lot happier.

Verin: Let the gamers begin!

Jak: Don't you mean games?

Verin: NO! What the hell you talkin' about Jak? It's the gamers who are reading this…not the games. They don't have eyes after all.

Jak: O.o You are so weird.

Verin: Says the Dark Eco freak!

Jak: *changes form* What did you call me?

Verin: O.o A whoopee cushion?

Dark Sand

Chapter 2: Gambles

Symera wiped the precipitation from her forehead with one gloved hand. She sighed, placing her hands on her hips as she inspected the Sand Shark before she heard the large metal door that led into the city open and close.

"Woo Wee! Would you get a look at those puppies!" said a familiar voice. It was the orange rat from the arena. Symera turned toward the two intruders in her domain as the Blondie was turning around in circles looking around the garage.

"Like what you see, boys?" Symera said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uh…Kleiver said we could drive one of his cars," the boy said.

"'His' cars?" Symera said with a frown.

"Uh…they are his…aren't they?" the boy leaned away from Symera as she got in his face.

"The only thing that pedophile owns in this city is his own balding head," Symera hissed.

"Uh…ok…then who do I talk to about using the cars?" he asked.

Symera leaned back and put her hands on her hips. "The name's Symera. I'm the mechanic here. If you want to start driving like a Wastelander," Sym said turning around, "you can start by proving yourself with the Dust Puppy over there." Symera unclipped the keys from her belt and tossed them at the boy.

"Uhm…thanks. My name's Jak, by the way," blond boy said.

Symera turned back to look at Jak. Her golden eyes pierced him with an observing glance. "Hmm…" she said and began to circle him. "I saw your arena battle today, Jak. I'm curious to know how exactly you came to be a Dark Eco channeler," Symera said, coming to a stop in front of him.

Jak held his hands out. "I've been a channeler since birth," he said, looking at his hands. "I got the Dark Eco powers from when the Baron of Haven City held me prisoner and injected me with Dark Eco." He looked back up at Symera. "Why?"

"No reason," Symera shrugged.

At that moment, Kleiver walked into the garage with his grotesque smirk. He walked up to the two teenagers and rat and stood beside Symera. Symera frowned at his closeness and flinched when she felt his hand approaching her.

"Kleiver," She growled. "Do you ever want to get laid again? If so…KEEP YOUR GRUBBY HANDS AWAY FROM ME!"

Kleiver's smirk grew wider as he let his hand fall to his side and turned his attention to Jak and his rat. "You boys up for a little wager?" he said. "If you win I'll let you keep that puppy over there for as long as you live." Sym glared up at Kleiver but kept her mouth shut. "And if you win?"

"I don't have anything," Jak said, holding out his hands to prove that he was broke.

Kleiver rubbed his chin in thought then pointed at Jak's orange rat. "I'd say that yappy rodent of yours is a bit bony," he said. "But skinned and buttered," he continued, moving his hand in a way to show a knife being used, "he'd make a nice treat. My vehicle against him." Symera shook her head in annoyance.

"Forget it buddy! Jak would never…" the rat began to say.

"Done!" Jak declared, earning a shocked expression from his orangey friend. "What? Don't worry," Jak said, "If there's one thing I can do, its race."

Symera sighed and set her hands on her hips as she watched Kleiver move away. She approached Jak who was looking over the controls. Leaning over the side of the car she helped him figure them out. "Hey," she started, getting the blonde's attention. "If you beat Kleiver, I will let you keep the car. I'll also see if I can get Damas to give you some jobs around the city, got it?" She held out a hand for him to shake.

Jak looked up at her and smirked with a nod. "Yea, you got yourself a deal," he said shaking her hand.

"Alright, Jak," Symera said, stepping away from the vehicle. "Show me what ya got!"

With that, Jak sped out of the garage.

Symera walked over to Damas' palace and walked into the building to board the elevator. As it rose she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot in impatience. She needed to speak to Damas quickly and soon.

Finally the elevator reached the top and Symera approached the rock throne. Damas sat there staring over the seal of Mar that had been passed down through his family for eons. A sad and forlorn look covered his face. She watched him as he stroked the red precursor amulet with his thumb. Symera knew the sadness he felt. Her thoughts began to wander to my loss…

She shook my head quickly to clear it of those traitorous thoughts and cleared her throat to let Damas know of her presence.

"What is it, Symera?" he asked without looking away from the amulet. Symera was one of the only people he let himself show this side to.

"It's about the newcomer, Jak," the girl started.

Damas paused in his ministrations and looked up at her. "What about him?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the ground briefly to collect her thoughts before speaking. "He has entered into a race with Kleiver. I told him if he won I would let him keep the Dust Puppy and talk to you about a few jobs for him to do," she looked up at the king. "Also, I want to know how you feel about letting two Dark Eco monsters run around in your city without chains."

Damas sighed and placed the amulet in his hand away in a hidden slot of his armor. "I agree with giving him a few jobs to do. In fact, there is a storm coming soon. I'll have him go out to find some artifacts for us. As for your concerns of your and his positions, do not worry Symera. The reason we are better than the fools in Haven is the fact that we give our people a chance to prove themselves," he said as he moved forward. He stood in front of the mechanic and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry over such things, Symera. You have nothing to fear for you are like a daughter to me," he said with a smile.

Symera smiled back slightly and nodded to him to show him that she thought of him as her own father. "We should go to the garage soon," she said. "No doubt the newbie has already beaten Kleiver's slow ass."

Damas let out a hearty laugh, another luxury that Symera was entitled to see and hear due to her close relationship with the king. "I suppose we should," Damas said and led her away.

Symera and Damas stood outside of the city door that connected the garage to the desert town. Pecker sat on Damas' shoulder as Jak skidded up to them in the Dust Puppy.

"Nice wheel work!" Damas said, complementing Jak. "My advisor here says you have vehicle experience."

"I can hold my own," Jak said, shrugging the complement off.

"This one will be of use to us, Damas," Pecker said. "I think you should keep him for now." The bird-monkey said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Can it, Pecker!" Daxter said, jumping on to the chaise of the vehicle.

"There are a number of artifacts to be found in the Wasteland," Damas said moving forward. "Fresh storms churn the sands and reveal items that have been buried for centuries."

"You can take the Dust Puppy and pick up the prizes," Symera said, standing beside Damas. "Just be careful. I don't want you to complete destroy my vehicles. Bring her back in one piece and I'll repair any damages, got it?"

Jak nodded and began to get into the car again when Damas stopped him.

"One more thing," he started. "If you get caught in the storms, they will tear the flesh from your very bones."

"Oh, great. Thanks for the pep talk," Daxter said sarcastically.

Jak rolled his eyes at his friend and got into the Dust Puppy before starting up the engine. He sped out of the sandy garage, leaving Damas and Symera to watch him go.

Symera furrowed her brows in thought as she stared after Jak. Damas saw this and gave her a questioning look.

"What is wrong, Symera?" Damas asked. Pecker turned his gaze to the girl as well.

Symera shook her head and glanced up at Damas before turning away from the king and moving over to one of the cars to get to work. "It's nothing," she said as she moved away, "he just reminds me of someone I know."

Damas looked up at Pecker then looked back over at the mechanic. "And who does he remind you of?"

Symera stopped in her tracks before turning around to look at Damas. "He reminds of Aaliyah," she said before turning back to her cars. Leaving Damas stunned in his spot. And why shouldn't he be, Aaliyah had been his wife after all.

Verin: And I leave it there!

Jak: Where did you come up with the name Aaliyah?

Verin: I couldn't think of a name so I went on my favorite name site :D ! Her name means "to ascend" or "to go up"

Jinx: I like it. She sounds really sexy! *perverted grin*

Verin: *sweatdrop* you think everything is sexy unless it's name is Krew.

Jinx: Not true. I don't think Jakkie-boy is sexy. Only women, bombs, and women with guns and beer.

Verin: O.o

Jak: O.o