AN: Hey there! Thanks for all the wonderful comments everyone left after
the first chapter. I'm working hard to get this story finished and
uploaded. I am, however, also surrounded by schoolwork and extra
curricular activities up to my ears, so it is a real challenge! I also
have the pressure of other fics, but I'm trying to equally balance them
out. Anyways, here's the second chapter. A few of you pointed out that I
had some grammar errors and my writing style needed work *sigh* yeah, I
know. I'm not a very good author. But it's only a past time activity for
me. Something I do when I go through one of my 'artist blocks'. Anyway, I
hope this chapter suffices. R&R if you like it (or if you're just in a
nice mood :D )
Jak and Daxter: Legend of the Lost White City
Chapter two: The Return
Xema felt pretty uneasy as they reached the boarder line of the city. Ahead of her were sparkling towers stretching beyond the sky, twisting and twirling around the tall pillar like trees that grew around it. To the three strangers behind her, who had never seen the city before, it was an amazing, glorious place. But to her, she was dreading it. She knew what would happen when she was returned to her father's care. Yelling and complaints, yelling, scolding, and more yelling to follow. Xema cringed at the thought, and desperately wished she could find a way to escape.
"It's beautiful!" Keira cooed, gazing at the tall palaces before them. Jak nodded his head in agreement. Daxter just mumbled something undecipherable. He had fallen asleep, bored from the trip, and was now curled up on Jak's shoulder. But at least he wasn't making a scene. Well, not YET anyway.
The group gently floated down onto a floating marble platform, which hovered beside what must have been the tallest pillar. The guards carrying Jak and Keira lowered them to the floor, and the two stretched their stiff muscles. Meanwhile, one guard gently took Xema on each arm and started to lead her into the pillar. She regretfully allowed herself to be taken inside, and another guard insisted Keira and Jak follow them.
The inside of the buildings was even more spectacular than the outside. Every single wall and object glittered like a precious jewel. Jak and Keira kept loosing the guards because they couldn't help but stop and admire their surroundings. Finally, one of the guards signaled to them to follow him onto a platform along with the two other guards who were leading the princess. By now, Daxter had finally woken up from his afternoon sleep, and was also gazing around in amazement. Then with a sudden judder, the platform shuddered and started to rise upwards. The jerking movement threw Daxter from Jak's shoulders and he landed at the feet of the guards and the princess.
"Ow. That hurt!" The ottsel complained, getting to his feet. The three of him stared at him in shock. "Did that thing just TALK?" One guard asked. He bent down beside the ottsel and prodded Daxter in the ribs with his finger. Daxter immediately slapped at the guards hand. "Hey! Hands off the merchandise wing-boy!" Daxter snapped. Xema giggled slightly, but the guards seemed unimpressed by the strange creature's response. They growled, and lowered their sharp looking spears that they had been carrying around at Daxter's neck, and the orange fur ball gulped.
"HEY! Leave him ALONE!" The girl they referred to as 'princess' commanded. As if they were her puppets, the guards immediately withdrew their spears and stood at attention beside her. For a moment, Daxter stood paused in his frozen position. Both scared that just a few seconds ago, he had almost had all the fur on his neck shaved off, and at the same time amazed that someone had actually stood up for him. Once his shock had worn away, however, Daxter quickly spun on his heels and returned to the safety of his friend's shoulder. He looked to his friends for comfort, but Keira just rolled her eyes, and Jak gave him a look as if to say: 'you deserved it'.
Finally, the platform came to a stop, and the group was lead into a huge room, once again glistening like crystal. However, this one seemed more elegant than the other rooms. As if it was of some greater importance.
"The throne room." One of the guards informed him. Then he nodded towards the two figures approaching them. A tall, well built man wearing elegant green robes, and a tall woman, wearing a delicately woven dress. Both of them had the same dusty ginger hair that the girl they had encountered on the edge of the village had. However, their style of dress was more elegant and sophisticated. As if they never left the building in which they stood. Both of them wore angry looks.
"Oh! You're in for it NOW little sister!" The tall girl teased, grinning as if seeing her younger sister suffer was a great entertainment to her. "Shut your mouth!" The younger girl growled, but she went instantly silent as the man walked up to her and glared for all he was worth. "EIGHT TIMES!" He bellowed. "What is your PROBLEM Xema? Do you ENJOY leaving the city unprotected and alone?" He obviously didn't want an answer to this. But naturally, he got one. "Yes!" She grumbled, folding her arms across her chest and pouting slightly like a little child. "WHY are you so disobedient?" He grumbled. She tried to open her mouth with another comeback, but he cut her off by turning to Jak and his friends. "And WHO are you?" He asked. "These are the children who found your daughter your highness." One of the guards explained. So THAT was it! Jak finally put two and two together. This was a kingdom, and the tall man with the ginger hair before them was their king. The two girls must be his daughters, or princesses. By now, the older girl was circling them like a vulture on its prey.
"Wing-less! How intriguing!" She said, examining Jak thoughtfully. He instantly pulled away from her gaze as best he could. Keira was more or less surprised that Daxter hadn't come out with some sleazy comeback for the older girl, but in a strange show of fear, he had held his tongue. Maybe he was creeped out by the girl who was still sauntering around them. Keira didn't blame him.
Meanwhile, Xema, the younger child huffed. "Intriguing! You don't even KNOW what that word MEANS!" The girl received a dagger-like expression from her older sibling. "HOW DARE YOU! Father! Did you hear that! She's insulting me!"
The king sighed, as if he had heard all this before. "Xema! Not only have you disobeyed me, and left the city without an escort, but again you have put your words into your mouth and talked before you considered the outcomes of your comment!"
Keira smiled, and nudged Jak in the arm. "Kinda like Daxter huh?" Jak nodded and sniggered. "Hey!" The ottsel objected, folding his arms across his furry little chest. Not happy about the fun Keira was poking at him. Meanwhile, Xema continued to receive her scolding.
"If I ever, EVER catch you trying to leave the city again. BELIVE me, someone's head is going to roll! And it defiantly WON'T be a pretty sight!" The king wagged his finger in front of his daughter's face, and she followed it with her eyes, as if she was planning to grab it and break it from sheer anger. "Go to your room! I'll deal with you later!" And with that, the girl turned and stomped out of the throne room, with her sister following suit, nagging at her sister all the way.
"Now." The king turned to the group of three. "To deal with you lot." Daxter gulped. He didn't like the sound of this!
***
Keira sighed with contempt as she lay on the soft cushions that supported her. Keira, Jak and Daxter had been sent to a huge, open room containing every luxury they could imagine. The king had personally asked them to stay as long as they pleased, and had personally escorted them to this amazingly beautiful room. It was supposedly his way of saying 'thanks' for returning his daughter to his care. But more above that, he was extremely curious about these children, who seemed to have had a wing-growth deficiency of some kind. Jak was standing on the wooden balcony outside the room, which was intricately carved out of the large tree beside the room. The city spread for miles around them, glittering with the same majesty as it had first done when they arrived. Everywhere Jak looked the city's inhabitants were swooping left and right, flying in every direction imaginable, off doing whatever tasks they had set at hand. He gasped in amazement as one little boy flew close to his balcony, and preformed several mid-air loops before continuing on, and Jak almost wished HE had a pair of wings so as that he could join him.
Daxter jumped up onto the balcony's ledge and gazed out at the sight as well, although he was less impressed than his friend. "Ugh! They're making me feel motion sick!" He complained, as someone dived sharply beside them. "And I'm not even MOVING!" Jak just rolled his eyes, and continued to watch the display.
Meanwhile, Keira was still inside, talking happily to herself. "To think, all we simply did was point out that girl in the tree, and we get THIS in return!" Again she sighed with contempt. "Oh! And I suppose you ENJOY living off my suffering DO YOU?" A voice from the door huffed. Keira's eye's flew open, and she found herself coming face to face with the princess, standing in the doorway, leaning on the frame. She looked slightly mad, but more or less fascinated by the girl before her.
"Sorry!" Keira apologized. "I didn't know you were there!" She stood up quickly, as if she was pretending she didn't like the comfort of the cushions anymore. "CLEARLY!" The girl said in a mocking tone. But she smiled and walked towards Keira. "Sorry I sneaked up on you and your friends earlier. I wasn't exactly sure WHAT you were." She indicated to Keira's lack of wings. "I've never seen anyone like you before. Why don't you have wings?" Keira smiled. At least this girl didn't creep her out like her sister did. "Why DO you have wings?" Keira asked back. The princess looked astounded, as if she never expected a question like this, or even considered it before. She shrugged. "I was just born that way." She said. Keira nodded. "Well, so was I." The green-haired girl held out her hand to the princess. "I'm Keira." The princess took her hand in hers, and they shook. "I'm Xema, but I guess you already learnt that when my father was having his fit at me back there." Keira laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I did. Don't worry about it. My father does the same thing, although he usually saves all his verbal abuse for the guys." Keira turned towards the balcony. "Hey! Jak! Daxter! Come in here!"
Neither of the guys expected to see the princess when they entered the room, and were expecting her to have a go at them about getting her caught. But by the look on Keira's face, they could tell that everything was okay.
"This is Jak." Keira told Xema, looping her arm through Jak's, and the boy blushed slightly. "He's mine." Keira pointed out, and Xema couldn't help but laugh. "And THIS little fur ball." Keira indicated to Daxter, who huffed and jumped off Jak's shoulder, so that he stood at Xema's feet. "I'm Daxter!" He informed her as he cut off Keira, he gave Xema one of his pearly grins. "And I'm NOT a fur ball! I'm all YOURS!" He said to Xema as he spread out his arms in an invitation for a hug. Xema laughed, and Daxter lowered his arms in rejection. Jak just shook his head in disgust and Keira sighed. "Just ignore him! He's always making an idiot of himself!" Keira tried to explain, but Xema just shook her head, still smiling. "No, I like him!" She insisted. "He's the only one around here that seems to have a sense of humor!"
Daxter was kind of taken aback by her remark. Someone actually LIKED his comments. He turned to Keira and Jak, grinning like crazy. "See, at least SOMEONE appreciates my wit and humor!" He said. Keira and Jak just rolled their eyes.
***
Draco sighed as he deeply massaged his brow. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't contain his OWN daughter within the boundaries of the city. His restrictions WERE for a good cause. Who knew WHAT lay beyond the city's limits? Those strange children and their pet were a clear example. And even if THEY weren't dangerous, they were just a small percentage of everything else out there.
"Father! Don't let that little pesky Xema get to you!" His eldest daughter sauntered up to him and started to massage his temples. "You know, you could always just LET her go! Then we wouldn't have to WORRY about chasing after her!" She laughed, in a somewhat cruel manner. "Besides, you'll always have ME!"
Draco gently took his daughter's hands in his and removed them from his forehead.
"Karma, you know as well as I do that Xema is a very important key in the prophecy." He sighed. "I can not allow her to leave this city. I know she yearns to leave, but her role in the future of our entire existence DEMANDS that she remain in the city grounds." He sat up, a quick decision coming to mind. "In fact, see if you can get a few more guards to follow her around. I don't want ANYMORE problems arising."
Karma slumped down beside him. Clearly not impressed. So WHAT if her little sister was part of some big prophecy that had been declared years before she was even born! It was just some stupid myth right? After all, the whole myth didn't make sense! Xema was supposed to meet and fall in love with someone her own age. And the only kids even CLOSE to her age were those strange ones without wings! But even THEN the only boy in the group was a year or two older than her! The prophecy had to be wrong. Xema wasn't some 'winged angel of hope' or whatever the stupid old tablet said. She was just a bratty little kid who couldn't respect authority!
***
Jak and his friends had been lead from building to building, so as they could see the city. Every time they were taken to a new room, they discovered something even more exciting then the last one, and demanded more. Xema, who was acting as their guide, seemed very bored from the whole experience. She fluttered a few paces behind them, cradling Daxter in her arms. The little weasel seemed to have conned her into carrying him around, and Jak was becoming jealous. Not because a girl was carrying him, but because Daxter was literally FLYING while she held him, and Jak desperately wanted to try it.
"What's THIS place?" Keira cooed, glancing out at a series of platforms suspended in mid air. Like blue eco platforms, they slid gracefully across the air from one building to the next. Xema sighed, seeing the platforms everyday; it was nothing new to her.
"They're platforms we use for anyone who might have injured their wings." She explained, settling down on the floor beside them. "Because most of our building's entrances are in the air, we use them when we can't fly there. But I guess they'd also be quite handy for you two, seen as you can't fly."
"Us TWO?" Keira asked in surprise. "What about HIM?" She pointed a finger at Daxter, who folded him arms across his furry little chest and huffed. He leaned back into Xema's shoulder. "I'm perfectly happy where I am!" He insisted. Keira rolled her eyes. "I bet he's a lot heavier then he looks!" Keira teased.
"Well, It's not that difficult for me to carry him." Xema insisted. Daxter nodded his head in approval. "Yeah, I'm as light as a feather!" He rebutted, and Xema gave him a quick scratch behind the ear, making him almost purr with delight. Jak just shook his head. "Hey, why don't you two take the platforms up to the lookout tower." Xema pointed to what looked like the tallest building Jak had ever seen, twisting its way in and out of an ancient old tree.
"How will you get up there?" Keira asked. Xema just smiled. "I've got wings don't I?" Xema asked, spreading out her angel-like wings. She looked down at Daxter, who had found a rather comfortable position to curl up into. "How would you like to go flying Daxter?" She asked. He looked up at her, carefully considering his options.
"You won't drop me in mid air will you?" He asked cautiously. Xema laughed lightly and shook her head. "No, I promise I won't! Cross my heart!" Daxter sighed with relief. "Well, when you put it THAT way." He wrapped his arms around her neck for extra protection. "Ready for take off!" He cried, as Xema gracefully stepped off the platform and glided away in the breeze.
Jak groaned as he and Keira stepped onto the platform. Keira placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let it get to you." She insisted. "He's just enjoying the fact that he's got someone at his immature level communicate with. Besides, He'll probably get airsick soon!" Keira pointed out to where Xema was, swooping in and out of trees as if they were goals she had to get through them at record pace. Jak smiled, as he thought of Daxter turning a shade of pale green in mid air. But still, Jak could not fight his urge to try out flying by himself. Maybe his time in this new city would teach him a thing or two about flight. Who knew, maybe he'd find a way to grow his own set of wings.
Or maybe he could encourage Xema to try carrying HIM around in mid air. Who knew! The girl was full of surprises. Maybe she COULD carry him.
Until then, Jak would have to make do with the platform, as it glided in a carefree manner towards the tall lookout tower.
Jak and Daxter: Legend of the Lost White City
Chapter two: The Return
Xema felt pretty uneasy as they reached the boarder line of the city. Ahead of her were sparkling towers stretching beyond the sky, twisting and twirling around the tall pillar like trees that grew around it. To the three strangers behind her, who had never seen the city before, it was an amazing, glorious place. But to her, she was dreading it. She knew what would happen when she was returned to her father's care. Yelling and complaints, yelling, scolding, and more yelling to follow. Xema cringed at the thought, and desperately wished she could find a way to escape.
"It's beautiful!" Keira cooed, gazing at the tall palaces before them. Jak nodded his head in agreement. Daxter just mumbled something undecipherable. He had fallen asleep, bored from the trip, and was now curled up on Jak's shoulder. But at least he wasn't making a scene. Well, not YET anyway.
The group gently floated down onto a floating marble platform, which hovered beside what must have been the tallest pillar. The guards carrying Jak and Keira lowered them to the floor, and the two stretched their stiff muscles. Meanwhile, one guard gently took Xema on each arm and started to lead her into the pillar. She regretfully allowed herself to be taken inside, and another guard insisted Keira and Jak follow them.
The inside of the buildings was even more spectacular than the outside. Every single wall and object glittered like a precious jewel. Jak and Keira kept loosing the guards because they couldn't help but stop and admire their surroundings. Finally, one of the guards signaled to them to follow him onto a platform along with the two other guards who were leading the princess. By now, Daxter had finally woken up from his afternoon sleep, and was also gazing around in amazement. Then with a sudden judder, the platform shuddered and started to rise upwards. The jerking movement threw Daxter from Jak's shoulders and he landed at the feet of the guards and the princess.
"Ow. That hurt!" The ottsel complained, getting to his feet. The three of him stared at him in shock. "Did that thing just TALK?" One guard asked. He bent down beside the ottsel and prodded Daxter in the ribs with his finger. Daxter immediately slapped at the guards hand. "Hey! Hands off the merchandise wing-boy!" Daxter snapped. Xema giggled slightly, but the guards seemed unimpressed by the strange creature's response. They growled, and lowered their sharp looking spears that they had been carrying around at Daxter's neck, and the orange fur ball gulped.
"HEY! Leave him ALONE!" The girl they referred to as 'princess' commanded. As if they were her puppets, the guards immediately withdrew their spears and stood at attention beside her. For a moment, Daxter stood paused in his frozen position. Both scared that just a few seconds ago, he had almost had all the fur on his neck shaved off, and at the same time amazed that someone had actually stood up for him. Once his shock had worn away, however, Daxter quickly spun on his heels and returned to the safety of his friend's shoulder. He looked to his friends for comfort, but Keira just rolled her eyes, and Jak gave him a look as if to say: 'you deserved it'.
Finally, the platform came to a stop, and the group was lead into a huge room, once again glistening like crystal. However, this one seemed more elegant than the other rooms. As if it was of some greater importance.
"The throne room." One of the guards informed him. Then he nodded towards the two figures approaching them. A tall, well built man wearing elegant green robes, and a tall woman, wearing a delicately woven dress. Both of them had the same dusty ginger hair that the girl they had encountered on the edge of the village had. However, their style of dress was more elegant and sophisticated. As if they never left the building in which they stood. Both of them wore angry looks.
"Oh! You're in for it NOW little sister!" The tall girl teased, grinning as if seeing her younger sister suffer was a great entertainment to her. "Shut your mouth!" The younger girl growled, but she went instantly silent as the man walked up to her and glared for all he was worth. "EIGHT TIMES!" He bellowed. "What is your PROBLEM Xema? Do you ENJOY leaving the city unprotected and alone?" He obviously didn't want an answer to this. But naturally, he got one. "Yes!" She grumbled, folding her arms across her chest and pouting slightly like a little child. "WHY are you so disobedient?" He grumbled. She tried to open her mouth with another comeback, but he cut her off by turning to Jak and his friends. "And WHO are you?" He asked. "These are the children who found your daughter your highness." One of the guards explained. So THAT was it! Jak finally put two and two together. This was a kingdom, and the tall man with the ginger hair before them was their king. The two girls must be his daughters, or princesses. By now, the older girl was circling them like a vulture on its prey.
"Wing-less! How intriguing!" She said, examining Jak thoughtfully. He instantly pulled away from her gaze as best he could. Keira was more or less surprised that Daxter hadn't come out with some sleazy comeback for the older girl, but in a strange show of fear, he had held his tongue. Maybe he was creeped out by the girl who was still sauntering around them. Keira didn't blame him.
Meanwhile, Xema, the younger child huffed. "Intriguing! You don't even KNOW what that word MEANS!" The girl received a dagger-like expression from her older sibling. "HOW DARE YOU! Father! Did you hear that! She's insulting me!"
The king sighed, as if he had heard all this before. "Xema! Not only have you disobeyed me, and left the city without an escort, but again you have put your words into your mouth and talked before you considered the outcomes of your comment!"
Keira smiled, and nudged Jak in the arm. "Kinda like Daxter huh?" Jak nodded and sniggered. "Hey!" The ottsel objected, folding his arms across his furry little chest. Not happy about the fun Keira was poking at him. Meanwhile, Xema continued to receive her scolding.
"If I ever, EVER catch you trying to leave the city again. BELIVE me, someone's head is going to roll! And it defiantly WON'T be a pretty sight!" The king wagged his finger in front of his daughter's face, and she followed it with her eyes, as if she was planning to grab it and break it from sheer anger. "Go to your room! I'll deal with you later!" And with that, the girl turned and stomped out of the throne room, with her sister following suit, nagging at her sister all the way.
"Now." The king turned to the group of three. "To deal with you lot." Daxter gulped. He didn't like the sound of this!
***
Keira sighed with contempt as she lay on the soft cushions that supported her. Keira, Jak and Daxter had been sent to a huge, open room containing every luxury they could imagine. The king had personally asked them to stay as long as they pleased, and had personally escorted them to this amazingly beautiful room. It was supposedly his way of saying 'thanks' for returning his daughter to his care. But more above that, he was extremely curious about these children, who seemed to have had a wing-growth deficiency of some kind. Jak was standing on the wooden balcony outside the room, which was intricately carved out of the large tree beside the room. The city spread for miles around them, glittering with the same majesty as it had first done when they arrived. Everywhere Jak looked the city's inhabitants were swooping left and right, flying in every direction imaginable, off doing whatever tasks they had set at hand. He gasped in amazement as one little boy flew close to his balcony, and preformed several mid-air loops before continuing on, and Jak almost wished HE had a pair of wings so as that he could join him.
Daxter jumped up onto the balcony's ledge and gazed out at the sight as well, although he was less impressed than his friend. "Ugh! They're making me feel motion sick!" He complained, as someone dived sharply beside them. "And I'm not even MOVING!" Jak just rolled his eyes, and continued to watch the display.
Meanwhile, Keira was still inside, talking happily to herself. "To think, all we simply did was point out that girl in the tree, and we get THIS in return!" Again she sighed with contempt. "Oh! And I suppose you ENJOY living off my suffering DO YOU?" A voice from the door huffed. Keira's eye's flew open, and she found herself coming face to face with the princess, standing in the doorway, leaning on the frame. She looked slightly mad, but more or less fascinated by the girl before her.
"Sorry!" Keira apologized. "I didn't know you were there!" She stood up quickly, as if she was pretending she didn't like the comfort of the cushions anymore. "CLEARLY!" The girl said in a mocking tone. But she smiled and walked towards Keira. "Sorry I sneaked up on you and your friends earlier. I wasn't exactly sure WHAT you were." She indicated to Keira's lack of wings. "I've never seen anyone like you before. Why don't you have wings?" Keira smiled. At least this girl didn't creep her out like her sister did. "Why DO you have wings?" Keira asked back. The princess looked astounded, as if she never expected a question like this, or even considered it before. She shrugged. "I was just born that way." She said. Keira nodded. "Well, so was I." The green-haired girl held out her hand to the princess. "I'm Keira." The princess took her hand in hers, and they shook. "I'm Xema, but I guess you already learnt that when my father was having his fit at me back there." Keira laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I did. Don't worry about it. My father does the same thing, although he usually saves all his verbal abuse for the guys." Keira turned towards the balcony. "Hey! Jak! Daxter! Come in here!"
Neither of the guys expected to see the princess when they entered the room, and were expecting her to have a go at them about getting her caught. But by the look on Keira's face, they could tell that everything was okay.
"This is Jak." Keira told Xema, looping her arm through Jak's, and the boy blushed slightly. "He's mine." Keira pointed out, and Xema couldn't help but laugh. "And THIS little fur ball." Keira indicated to Daxter, who huffed and jumped off Jak's shoulder, so that he stood at Xema's feet. "I'm Daxter!" He informed her as he cut off Keira, he gave Xema one of his pearly grins. "And I'm NOT a fur ball! I'm all YOURS!" He said to Xema as he spread out his arms in an invitation for a hug. Xema laughed, and Daxter lowered his arms in rejection. Jak just shook his head in disgust and Keira sighed. "Just ignore him! He's always making an idiot of himself!" Keira tried to explain, but Xema just shook her head, still smiling. "No, I like him!" She insisted. "He's the only one around here that seems to have a sense of humor!"
Daxter was kind of taken aback by her remark. Someone actually LIKED his comments. He turned to Keira and Jak, grinning like crazy. "See, at least SOMEONE appreciates my wit and humor!" He said. Keira and Jak just rolled their eyes.
***
Draco sighed as he deeply massaged his brow. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't contain his OWN daughter within the boundaries of the city. His restrictions WERE for a good cause. Who knew WHAT lay beyond the city's limits? Those strange children and their pet were a clear example. And even if THEY weren't dangerous, they were just a small percentage of everything else out there.
"Father! Don't let that little pesky Xema get to you!" His eldest daughter sauntered up to him and started to massage his temples. "You know, you could always just LET her go! Then we wouldn't have to WORRY about chasing after her!" She laughed, in a somewhat cruel manner. "Besides, you'll always have ME!"
Draco gently took his daughter's hands in his and removed them from his forehead.
"Karma, you know as well as I do that Xema is a very important key in the prophecy." He sighed. "I can not allow her to leave this city. I know she yearns to leave, but her role in the future of our entire existence DEMANDS that she remain in the city grounds." He sat up, a quick decision coming to mind. "In fact, see if you can get a few more guards to follow her around. I don't want ANYMORE problems arising."
Karma slumped down beside him. Clearly not impressed. So WHAT if her little sister was part of some big prophecy that had been declared years before she was even born! It was just some stupid myth right? After all, the whole myth didn't make sense! Xema was supposed to meet and fall in love with someone her own age. And the only kids even CLOSE to her age were those strange ones without wings! But even THEN the only boy in the group was a year or two older than her! The prophecy had to be wrong. Xema wasn't some 'winged angel of hope' or whatever the stupid old tablet said. She was just a bratty little kid who couldn't respect authority!
***
Jak and his friends had been lead from building to building, so as they could see the city. Every time they were taken to a new room, they discovered something even more exciting then the last one, and demanded more. Xema, who was acting as their guide, seemed very bored from the whole experience. She fluttered a few paces behind them, cradling Daxter in her arms. The little weasel seemed to have conned her into carrying him around, and Jak was becoming jealous. Not because a girl was carrying him, but because Daxter was literally FLYING while she held him, and Jak desperately wanted to try it.
"What's THIS place?" Keira cooed, glancing out at a series of platforms suspended in mid air. Like blue eco platforms, they slid gracefully across the air from one building to the next. Xema sighed, seeing the platforms everyday; it was nothing new to her.
"They're platforms we use for anyone who might have injured their wings." She explained, settling down on the floor beside them. "Because most of our building's entrances are in the air, we use them when we can't fly there. But I guess they'd also be quite handy for you two, seen as you can't fly."
"Us TWO?" Keira asked in surprise. "What about HIM?" She pointed a finger at Daxter, who folded him arms across his furry little chest and huffed. He leaned back into Xema's shoulder. "I'm perfectly happy where I am!" He insisted. Keira rolled her eyes. "I bet he's a lot heavier then he looks!" Keira teased.
"Well, It's not that difficult for me to carry him." Xema insisted. Daxter nodded his head in approval. "Yeah, I'm as light as a feather!" He rebutted, and Xema gave him a quick scratch behind the ear, making him almost purr with delight. Jak just shook his head. "Hey, why don't you two take the platforms up to the lookout tower." Xema pointed to what looked like the tallest building Jak had ever seen, twisting its way in and out of an ancient old tree.
"How will you get up there?" Keira asked. Xema just smiled. "I've got wings don't I?" Xema asked, spreading out her angel-like wings. She looked down at Daxter, who had found a rather comfortable position to curl up into. "How would you like to go flying Daxter?" She asked. He looked up at her, carefully considering his options.
"You won't drop me in mid air will you?" He asked cautiously. Xema laughed lightly and shook her head. "No, I promise I won't! Cross my heart!" Daxter sighed with relief. "Well, when you put it THAT way." He wrapped his arms around her neck for extra protection. "Ready for take off!" He cried, as Xema gracefully stepped off the platform and glided away in the breeze.
Jak groaned as he and Keira stepped onto the platform. Keira placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let it get to you." She insisted. "He's just enjoying the fact that he's got someone at his immature level communicate with. Besides, He'll probably get airsick soon!" Keira pointed out to where Xema was, swooping in and out of trees as if they were goals she had to get through them at record pace. Jak smiled, as he thought of Daxter turning a shade of pale green in mid air. But still, Jak could not fight his urge to try out flying by himself. Maybe his time in this new city would teach him a thing or two about flight. Who knew, maybe he'd find a way to grow his own set of wings.
Or maybe he could encourage Xema to try carrying HIM around in mid air. Who knew! The girl was full of surprises. Maybe she COULD carry him.
Until then, Jak would have to make do with the platform, as it glided in a carefree manner towards the tall lookout tower.