This is honestly my least favorite chapter so far. It's an area I don't really like, it felt clunky and I feel like my word choice was at the worst. On the plus side, I got the draft written in three days compared to two weeks for a chapter draft. I hope you guys still enjoy this chapter despite the flaws that I see in my writing.
The sun greets Jak and Daxter as they run to meet Erwen at the entrance of Boggy Swamp.
"Finally here, huh guys?" Erwen jokes, putting her hands on her hips to offset the smile on her face. Jak rolls his eyes while Daxter blows a raspberry at Erwen. She laughs and walks to the Swamp, Jak following with a pout. They stop at the branching path. Erwen and Jak look down the vined path and up at the platform.
'Your choice,' Jak motions. Erwen groans and glares at Jak. Erwen groans and glares at Jak.
"You're a jerk," she snaps, pouting as she looks down the paths. After a moment of silent, Erwen turns and jumps on to the higher platform.
"I'm going this way! Be careful guys!" Erwen calls, running across the platform.
"Oh yeah! Thanks for giving us the annoying path!" Daxter yells after her as she runs out of sight. Jak smiles and sighs before gathering some yellow eco and firing at the steel boxes, a motion he remembers Erwen practicing before almost hitting them when they were younger. The yellow eco shoots out, destroying the boxes and releasing precursor orbs.
"Huh! So, yellow eco lets you shoot stuff!" Daxter comments. Jak smirks and nods while gathering the orbs. He then turns and jumps on the rocks to get over the vines. Spying the bats flying overhead and the rats nearby, Jak takes another charge of yellow eco and fires at the creatures. Once the area is clear of enemies, he destroys the armored boxes, releasing the precursor orbs from within. Letting the yellow eco run its course, Jak jogs to the blue eco vent, bringing the precursor orbs to him. He then jumps onto a jump pad, launching himself and Daxter over a thorny wall.
"UUUWAAAH!" Daxter yells as they land on the other side. Jak hits both rats before breaking open the red crate, collecting another scout fly. Getting another full charge of blue eco, Jak jumps back over the wall with another jump pad.
"We need better transportation," Daxter groans, encouraging a laugh from Jak. Jak runs past an alternating gate, gathering some yellow eco to destroy a rats' nest. Jak turns to try and shoot a frog only to skid and fall into the muck.
"This… is disgusting," Daxter gripes, shaking to get rid of the mud as possible.
'When we get out, we are going to swim in the waterfall,' Jak offers, trying to wipe off the grime only to spread the mud more.
"That is one of your best ideas," Daxter sighs, as Jak gives up on cleaning himself and swings over a small wall of thorny vines. Ignoring the frog, Jak runs past another alternating gate to grab a small charge of yellow eco to blast away a rock, opening a yellow eco vent. Charging up on the yellow eco, Jak destroys the two rats' nests and the rats living in them. He then fires at a tether, snapping the vine holding a blimp in place.
'What is that doing here?' Jak motions at the blimp, collecting the precursor orbs nearby.
"I dunno," Daxter replies with a shrug, squinting up at the blimp. Jak collects the powercell from the platform before heading back toward the frog, ignoring it again to get into the cave on the right. Jumping over an alternating gate, Jak charges up with yellow eco to destroy another rats' nest, freeing a blue eco vent.
"There are way too many rats here," Daxter whines as Jak takes a full charge of blue eco and leaps to a small section using the jump pad. Releasing another scout fly, Jak changes to a yellow eco charge to destroy yet another rats' nest, freeing another blue eco vent.
"WAY. TOO. MANY!" Daxter snaps as Jak hits each rat.
'I know, Dax. There's not much I can do about it,' Jak motions, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, well… Try harder?" Daxter asks, getting a huff of laughter from Jak. Jak recharges with blue eco and leaps back to the main area of the swamp, jogging over to a vine and leaping over. Absorbing a charge of yellow eco, he fires at more armored boxes around a pontoon, releasing more precursor orbs. A switch to blue eco and he jumps on to the pontoon to gather the orbs easily.
"Let's go, let'sgo, LET'SGO!" Daxter yelps, as Jak jumps off the sinking pontoon, narrowly avoiding the dark eco infused mud. Landing on the platform, Jak looks over to the other side and groans.
'I have to do more swinging,' Jak motions to Daxter.
"Welp. Better get started," Daxter chirps, ignoring Jak's mock glare. Jak sighs and swings across, wincing at each creak and near slip. Finally reaching the highest platform, Jak spots another tether. Breaking the boxes on the platform below him, Jak fires a shot of yellow eco at the tether, snapping the vine.
"I think Erwen got the other tethers," Daxter comments, looking up.
'Why do you think-' Jak stops, watching the blimp drift away. Jumping to the platform the tether was on, Jak and Daxter collect another power cell and jump down, over another alternating gate. Landing on the other side, Jak and Daxter jolt in surprise as an armored box explodes near them.
"Oh shoot! Jak! Dax! Are you two alrig-!... What happened to you guys?" Erwen asks once she's closer, looking at the muddier duo.
"We took a swim in the muck," Daxter snaps. Erwen puts her hands up defensively.
"On the plus side, we can go to the waterfall?" Erwen offers. Jak nods and walks back to the entrance, Erwen close behind. Traveling through the village, the trio end up at the waterfall, only pausing to take off their bags, before diving in.
"So, tomorrow, we'll get the Oracle's powercells and defeat that lurker. After that, we'll fly over to the red sage's lab," Erwen plans. Jak frowns and shakes his head, swimming closer to Erwen.
'I'll fight the monster. You can keep an eye on Keira and Samos,' Jak insists. Erwen sputters while Daxter looks up in surprise.
"Wha-Bu-! Fine… I'll learn to say no to you one of these days," Erwen huffs, pulling herself out of the water and ringing out her hair before picking up her bag and jumping up to the Blue Sage's lab.
"Why didn't you want Erwen to fight with us?" Daxter asks, paddling over to Jak.
'She needs to rest,' Jak explains. Daxter looks to where Erwen disappeared to before nodding in agreement.
"She needs a break," Daxter agrees, lazily floating in the water. Jak grins at his friend and drifts, idly wondering what the next day would bring.