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Chapter 6: Pine and Beach Sand

Jak felt hot and dehydrated. Where was he? What happened? All he could remember was talking to Samous. Jak curled his fingers to find them numb. His chest hurt, and it felt constricted. He tried to sit up finding it easier for some reason. Jak rubbed his eyes and opened them slowly letting them adjust to the bright light of the room. He looked around to find him in his old house in Damas' bed chamber in the Spargus Palace.

He looked down to his chest to see it rapped in bandages. He got up to go to the bathroom to take the bandages off. His chest only started to bleed more and he winced, grabbing on to something for support. Why did he feel so much lighter? Not in the head, but in body weight. He made it to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

He tried to untie the knot that held it together but it wouldn't budge. Eventually he just got frustrated and used his claw to cut it. Hey, just cuss he cut them to look like nails doesn't mean they weren't sharp. His mouth dropped at what he saw in the mirror. The eco crystals in his chest were gone and replaced with gashes. He would've fainted if it wasn't for the sudden rushed of adrenalin. Then he realized someone had to take his shirt off and do this to him. The question was who was it? The only person who would probably be able to do that would be Samous, Daxter, or Torn. He still felt like something else was missing. Some sort of weight should be around his neck. That's when it hit him. His seal!

Jak rushed back into the bed chamber looking everywhere for his seal. Nightstand? No. Bed? No. Closet? No. Couch? No.

Okay. Now was a good time to panic. That's when Daxter walked in with a new pair of clothes for Jak.

"Oh, Jak your up-"

"No time, Daxter. Where is it?"

"Where what?"

"My seal!" he said angrily.

"Oh, that. Sheesh, you couldn't wait for me to give it to you. By the way, got you some new threads." Daxter said as he dug into his pocket and handed the seal to Jak. Jak quickly snatched it away, holding it tight and falling back onto the bed. He put his arm over his eyes and took in a shaky, deep breath. "Jak? You alright?"

"I thought I lost it." he whispered. Daxter sighed and went into the bathroom. Jak sat up and followed in there to see what he was getting into. Daxter pointed back towards the room while rummaging threw the closet.

"Go sit back down on the bed. I'll be right out." Jak huffed and went back to sit on the bed. Daxter came out with a box of bandages. "If your wondering Torn cut the crystals out. Apparently the guy had some sort of medical training while in the krimzon guard." Jak looked down shamefully. "Hey. Don't be like that. You don't have to hide all these changes. Dark eco does stuff to ya. Trust me, I know. My true form is still a two foot tall rat." Jak blushed and smiled a little. "That's better." Daxter said as he started to bandage Jak's torso. Jak just sat there waiting for Daxter to finish. His adrenaline was still going from the thought of loosing his seal, and high adrenaline ment being mute for a while. Daxter finished bandaging Jak and tied a tight not. He pushed Jak down onto the bed and laid next to him. Jak gave the redhead a questioning look. "Just let us stay like this for a while, okay?" Jak smiled.

He closed his eyes and relaxed into Daxter's touch. He could smell the pine from his hair again, but there was something else. Like sand. Not the desert sand though. Like beach sand. Like the beach back home. It had been so long since he thought of that beach. He couldn't even remember the name of it, but he remembered playing there all the time. Especially on is 9th birthday. Not the most pleasant experience with wumbees. "Are you sniffing my hair, Jak?" Jak snapped out of his thoughts. How long was he thinking? It must've been an hour or two.

"Uh, what?"

"Were you sniffing my hair?" Jak blushed and looked away.

"No." he said calmly. Wow, he didn't know he could manage that. Just then, Daxter's communicator beeped and flew around his head as he sat up.

"Hey, chilipepper." Sig greeted, "Don't forget about dinner now."

"No problem. Me and Jak will be down there in a few."

"Oh, Jak's finally awake? About time. Even old green recovered faster than him. Tell I said hello." and with that the communicator flew back to Daxter. Daxter turned to Jak.

"Well, better get ready."


Mary and Sig stood in the throne room looking out the window.

"It's good to see you again, Mar. Me and Damas thought you were dead."

"Sorry. Me and Mar tried to find a way back but then we got separated in Haven."

"Ya. If I remember you two followed your dads out here even though you guys personally weren't banished."

"Who would take care of us? I was only ten at the time. I couldn't protect Mar, let alone me."

"So, why do you go by your last name?"

"I forgot my first name, but Torn calls me Mary. He says Mar is more of a boy's name."

"Ya. It kinda is." Sig smirked.

"I heard Uncle died recently. He wouldn't be the type of person to give the throne up because of old age. Even though he was only in his late thirties."

"Ya, but Damas went out dying in battle. How he always wanted to. Of what I know one of his last words was it about being good day to die." Mary bowed her head in regret.

"I wish I was there with him. He told me once that one day I would rule beside Mar. I couldn't imagine what it would be like. I wasn't the ruler type. I wan't to go out in the desert and collect artifacts and kill metalheads like you." she said as she smiled at Sig. Sig smirk grew into a smile.

"Ya'know. Why don't you get out of that nasty Freedom League armor. You're in the wasteland, you don't need all those layers in the desert." Mary looked back out the window.

"Ya."

"Oh ya. Damas wanted me to give this to you. He gave Mar's armor away. But he wanted you to have this when he passed on."


too be continued...