AN: Ugh, quick little note here from me. This chapter's kind of long. Or
at least, LONGER than the other two were. Thanks to those of you who left
the wonderful reviews, especially to those of you that have left more than
one, I guess that's proof that you're coming back for more. Eh, I'm
honored. Someone requested I put up a picture of Xema on my art gallery.
I've done a couple of rough ones, so they'll hopefully be up in the next
day or so. It just depends how much time I have. Anyway, I'm off to work
on my other two incomplete fics. Hope you enjoy the chapter, a lot of you
seem to have strong theories as to what will happen, and all I can say is
you're getting really close! Well, until the nest chapter folks!
~Keysha
Jak and Daxter: Legend of the Lost White City
Chapter Three: The Discovery
Draco watched his daughter with concern as she flew towards the city's lookout tower. What was she doing now? Searching out ANOTHER area of the city that she could escape from? Well, she wasn't getting anywhere this time. Every single gateway to the city was blocked, and there was no way she could escape this time.
The king slowly withdrew into his chamber, to once again gaze at the old tablet. Its withered appearance could mislead anyone into believing that it was a useless stone trinket. But if one took the time to decipher the precursor language engraved on its surface, it's true purpose would be revealed. Draco ran his hand over its weathered surface. The tablet had been with the city for centuries, and it bared the prophecy that was soon to become a reality. Draco slowly read over the tablet for what must have been the thousandth time that day.
*The time will come, when strangers will arrive to the Great, White City. Their presence signals the start of a new change in the city's future. Its citizens will no longer live in the slavery of the ancient curse, and the city will no longer be unknown to the rest of the world. When the youngest daughter of the king, who bears the ancient mark of our ancestors, falls in love with a youth her exact age, the curse set years ago will be broken, and the winged angel of hope will rescue all from extinction. From then on, the city will no longer be lost, but found. However, should the one bearing the mark stray from the city and remain away for longer than a day, then the city shall continue its curse until the end of times.*
Draco sighed heavily as he gazed at the tablet's weathered face. It was because of this prophecy that he had to keep Xema inside the city's limits. Especially considering the arrival of these strange, wing-less children. It had to mark the beginning of the prophecy that they had been waiting for since the day of Xema's birth. Draco recalled the day he held his youngest daughter in his arms, and was shown the unmistakable mark she bared. The time had finally come, and the prophecy was about to begin. However, there was one question that still plagued Draco. If indeed these children were part of the prophecy, than that meant that she would soon learn to love someone her age.
But WHERE was the boy her age?
***
The group of four gazed out in wonder from the lookout tower. They were high up into the clouds, and a thin white mist swirled around them as they admired the view. The city stretched out for miles, glistening in the mid- day sun as if it were coated in small droplets of shimmering water. The trees bordering the city sparkled dusty silver, and far below them, they could see the 'human traffic' created as people flew in every imaginable direction. Xema caught sight of Jak's drooping jaw and laughed slightly.
"I guess you don't see much of this back where you're from?" She asked, and Jak just shook his head, still stunned into silence. Although his attention was now focused on the flying bodies below him, for again he was longing to go flying. Daxter, however, was less impressed than the other two. He gulped as he gazed down the side of the watchtower, and backed away from the edge, as the thought of falling did not please him one bit.
"Daxter? Are you scared of heights?" Xema asked, rather concerned by his reaction. Daxter, not wanting to look like a wuss in front of a pretty girl, shook his head rather violently and folded his arms across his chest. "Me? NEVER! It's not the height! It's just the ground rushing up at me at an incredibly fast speed that I don't like!"
Keira smiled. Daxter WAS afraid of heights, but she knew he didn't want to admit it. ESPECIALLY inform of Xema. The winged girl just grinned slightly. "Actually, it's quite exhilarating." Xema insisted, glancing over the side of the tower. Daxter was pale looked as if he was going to faint.
"You can't be SERIOUS!" He cried. Edging closer to the drop, his face still losing colour. "That must be a two thousand feet drop!" He looked up at Xema, who nodded. "Yeah, about that." She picked up Daxter and took another step towards the edge, which sent Daxter into a screaming fit. Xema couldn't figure out what was bothering him.
"Daxter, I'm NOT going to drop you!" She insisted, but Daxter continued to thrash about, pleading that she didn't step over the edge. Xema sighed, and looked at the other two, worried that she had done something wrong to upset Daxter so greatly. Jak shook his head and Keira put a hand on Xema's shoulder.
"It's okay." Keira told her. "I'm sure he trusts you, he probably just doesn't trust the drop." Keira took the struggling furball from Xema, and headed to the platform along with Jak. "We'll take him down to the ground and meet you there." Keira called out to the girl.
Xema watched from the tower as the three rode the platform down. Daxter had calmed down now, and Keira was in the process of yelling at him, while Jak stood beside her, giving Daxter a stern look. Xema sighed. She hadn't intentionally set out to upset Daxter. She liked the little creature, and only wanted to show him what it was like flying. Xema stood up and edged her way towards the vertical drop. Jumping off the edge, she began to plummet headfirst towards the ground. The closer she got to the bottom, the faster she sped up. As the ground sped up towards her, she spread her wings, and glided gracefully into a horizontal position.
From their platform, Jak and his friends stared in amazement as they watched Xema's aerial display. Daxter rubbed his eyes in disbelief, while Jak continued to envy Xema's gift of flight. "See Daxter! We told you Xema knows what she's doing!" Keira said to the little Ottsel beside her. Daxter refused to say anything. He actually felt bad for acting like such an idiot in front of Xema, and didn't feel like replying to Keira's comment. He was trying to think of something to say to Xema the next time he say her.
***
Wrapped up in about six layers of blankets, Xema snuggled down in her bed for the night. But she could not sleep. She still felt bad for what she had done to Daxter that day, and the scene kept replaying over and over in her head. She continually tossed and turned for several minutes, until she gave up on sleep all together. Creeping out of bed, she made her way out of her room, and towards one of the many balconies that jutted out of the tower's sides. As she made her way past the room Jak and the others were staying in, she thought of going in and talking to them. But it was late; they were probably all asleep by now. Xema stepped lightly onto the balcony, and sat herself on the edge, so her feet dangled in the air. She sighed to herself, and gazed out at the night sky. Xema wondered what the sky looked like from the other ends of the earth. Would the stars be the same? Would the moon look different? Too bad she would never know, seen as she was restricted to this city, like a prison.
"Xema?" A small voice whispered from behind her. She turned her head and noticed the faint outline of a small creature just behind her. "Daxter? Is that you?" She asked. The ottsel stepped into the pale moonlight. "Couldn't sleep?" She asked. He nodded. Daxter didn't seem his usually, hyperactive self. In fact, he looked quite disheartened. His ears had flopped like a sad little animal, and the look on his face was anything BUT a happy one. "Xema, I wanted to." His voice trailed off. He wasn't very good at apologies. They weren't something he did often. He tried to open his mouth again, but Xema placed a finger to his furry lips and 'shushed' him.
"It's okay." She explained. "It was my fault for trying to force you into doing something you didn't want to." She smiled at the little furball, and as if it were a disease, her smile spread to him. Daxter grinned and shook his head. "It's okay baby, I forgive you!" Xema pulled a face, and gave him a gentle shove. "I'm NOT a baby!" She insisted. "I haven't been one for years!" Daxter laughed. "Yeah, about two years!" He shot back, and quick as a flash, Xema grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug, which he gladly received.
"You've got a lot of nerve! I bet I'm older than YOU are!" Xema laughed. Daxter shook his head. "Doubt it! How old are you anyway?" He looked at her quizzically. Xema went quiet, trying to decided whether she should tell him or not, then she pulled him in closer and whispered her tender years into his fuzzy ear. Daxter's jaw dropped. "You're KIDDING!" He gasped. "That's the same as ME!"
Xema wasn't sure whether she could believe him. "Are you SURE?" She asked. "I mean that's pretty old for an animal. Especially a. a. Hey Daxter, what exactly ARE you?"
Daxter bit his bottom lip, and looked around, as if he was hoping the answer would come out of thin air, which of course it didn't. "I.I.Don't know." He admitted rather sadly. Xema was a little shocked at this, but knew there was a way around it. "Well, I know someone who might." She stroked the fur on his back and he smiled at the pleasant experience.
"You do?" He asked. Xema nodded "One of my old friends. She can identify any kind of animal species. I'm sure she'll have no problem figuring out what kind of creature you are." She continued to stroke Daxter's fur as he curled up into a ball on her lap. "That's good." He insisted, but in his mind, he wasn't so sure. He didn't know if he really was any kind of existing animal. He may just be some freak creation of the dark eco. At the present moment, Daxter didn't want Xema to know about his past. He WANTED to tell her, but at the same time, he also dreaded the thought. After all, she liked him because he was an orange ball of fur. Would she still feel the same if he told her she used to be a boy? Daxter dared not to think about it.
***
The next day, Daxter insisted to Jak and Keira that Xema only wanted to take him out that day. They were going to see one of her old friends, and since it was a long flight, Xema could only take Daxter because he was the only one she could carry. It was a lame excuse, but hey, whatever works right?
Daxter met Xema on the balcony they had been on the night before. She was leaning against a weathered stone statue, a look of anger spread across her face. "Hey Xema babe! What's the problem?" He called upon arrival. She nodded her head to where two guards were sitting patiently, just staring at her like they had nothing better to do.
"THEY'RE the problem!" She growled. "My father asked some guards to keep a constant watch on me. These guys have been following me all morning." She turned towards them and cupped her hands over her mouth so that she could project her voice. "HEY! Why don't you two get a life and go follow someone ELSE for a change! STALKING is a VERY serious crime!" The two guards laughed but shook their heads.
"Not when the king COMMANDS that we follow you." One of them shot back. Xema huffed. "Well, I COMMAND you NOT to follow me!" Again they laughed, obviously not convinced. Xema stuck her tongue out at them, and turned back to Daxter, who seemed to be enjoying their conversation. "Come on. Let's go. I can loose them in the air." She picked up Daxter, and he nuzzled himself into a safe and comfortable position. Then they took off over the city, with the guards following close behind.
*** "Can we go back around that last corner? I think I lost my stomach back there!" Daxter clutched at his sides as Xema swooped down and landed on a tree branch. True to her word, she had lost the guards. But it had involved a lot of tricky turns and aerial acts that had made Daxter feel rather queasy. She gently lowered him onto the solid branch, and he flopped down, happy to be on something solid and not suspended in mid- flight.
"Are you okay Daxter?" Xema rubbed his back trying to coax the little creature to stand. He slowly got to his feet and nodded. "Yeah. Just trying to get the hang of my air-legs." He smiled and leant against her calve. "How much further to go?"
Xema pointed to a small hut embedded in an old tree that slightly resembled an oak, except it's bark shimmered a dusty gold colour. The hut was partially cut into the tree itself, making full use of the hollow inside. There were empty wooden cages outside, freshly cleaned and ready for use. Beside them were stronger cages made of precursor metal, obviously for the more ferocious animals that the wooden cages could not contain.
"That's where Chelly lives." Xema said. "She'll be able to tell us what you are."
As soon as Daxter had fully recovered, Xema picked him up and cradled him in her arms as she gently glided down to the hut.
"Chelly? You here?" Xema called as she stepped into the entrance. Daxter walked behind her, hiding behind her legs for protection. From the corner of the hut, a middle-aged girl looked up from a pile of papers scattered across a table. She was bone thin, and wore her dark brown hair up in a tight bun. She smiled when she caught sight of the girl in the doorway.
"Xema! Long time no see!" She got up from her work and walked over to hug the younger girl. "Nice job escaping again! I heard they almost didn't catch you this time!" Xema blushed when she heard this. "Boy, word sure does get around fast huh?" Xema sighed. "How much did they bet this time?"
"Well." Chelly began, placing a hand on her chin as she recalled. "Three of the boys bet quite a number of precursor orbs that you'd get caught. I know a few of the girls put a hefty sum on the fact that they'd find you more than 200 miles from the city. Someone actually bet that you'd get away this time! They're still trying to make up for their loss."
From his safe haven behind Xema, Daxter couldn't believe what he was hearing. "They make BETS on whether you'd get away or not?" He cried, but quickly clamped his hand over his mouth as Chelly gasped, catching sight of him from behind Xema's legs.
"WHO is THIS little cutie?" Chelly bent down so that she could get a closer look at Daxter. He wrapped his arms around one of Xema's legs in protection. Xema shook her head. "We were wondering if you could tell us WHAT this little cutie WAS?" Xema bent down and picked up Daxter, who had now become dead silent. Possibly because Xema had just called him a 'little cutie' and his heart seemed to be racing in a marathon after that statement. He barley noticed when Chelly took him from Xema's arms and studied his fur, glanced at his face, and even measured the length of his tail.
"I think I have an idea." Chelly said to Xema, handing back Daxter, who was blushing deeply under his fur. Chelly smiled and pointed to Daxter's fur.
"His fur seems almost perfect for swimming, but at the same time, seems to be developed for another task as well. What I think we have here is a rare creature that we sometimes refer to as a 'half-breed'. Two different kinds of animals that are breed into one." Chelly chucked Daxter under the chin, but he instantly pushed away her hand. He did NOT like to be treated like an animal. And if he would have ANYONE scratch him under the chin, he had ANOTHER person in mind rather than Chelly.
"So, WHAT exactly is he?" Xema asked. Chelly smiled. "He's an ottsel: half otter, half weasel. They're not very common, so it's quite unusual to see one so far away from the sea. Your very lucky to have such a rare pet Xema!"
Daxter began to make harsh choking sounds. "Pet?" He repeated. "PET! Look lady, I am NOT a pet!" Daxter huffed, pouting like a spoilt little child. Xema smiled and hugged him close.
"Don't mind him Chelly. He gets insulted very easily." The dark-haired girl nodded in agreement. "He's got quite an attitude for such a little guy." She smiled and looked Daxter full in the face. "How can you talk anyway?" Daxter, once again looked around as if the answer was going to jump out in front of him. But in the end, he just frowned. "Hey, that's for ME to know, and NOBODY to find out!" And with that, he folded his arms and shut his mouth.
Xema sighed. "Fine then, keep your secrets Daxter." She waved to Chelly. "I'll see you around." She said, before turning to leave. Daxter cringed when he heard Xema mention the word 'secrets'. Yes, he had a lot of them that he was hiding from her.
The question was: how long could he hide them from her?
~Keysha
Jak and Daxter: Legend of the Lost White City
Chapter Three: The Discovery
Draco watched his daughter with concern as she flew towards the city's lookout tower. What was she doing now? Searching out ANOTHER area of the city that she could escape from? Well, she wasn't getting anywhere this time. Every single gateway to the city was blocked, and there was no way she could escape this time.
The king slowly withdrew into his chamber, to once again gaze at the old tablet. Its withered appearance could mislead anyone into believing that it was a useless stone trinket. But if one took the time to decipher the precursor language engraved on its surface, it's true purpose would be revealed. Draco ran his hand over its weathered surface. The tablet had been with the city for centuries, and it bared the prophecy that was soon to become a reality. Draco slowly read over the tablet for what must have been the thousandth time that day.
*The time will come, when strangers will arrive to the Great, White City. Their presence signals the start of a new change in the city's future. Its citizens will no longer live in the slavery of the ancient curse, and the city will no longer be unknown to the rest of the world. When the youngest daughter of the king, who bears the ancient mark of our ancestors, falls in love with a youth her exact age, the curse set years ago will be broken, and the winged angel of hope will rescue all from extinction. From then on, the city will no longer be lost, but found. However, should the one bearing the mark stray from the city and remain away for longer than a day, then the city shall continue its curse until the end of times.*
Draco sighed heavily as he gazed at the tablet's weathered face. It was because of this prophecy that he had to keep Xema inside the city's limits. Especially considering the arrival of these strange, wing-less children. It had to mark the beginning of the prophecy that they had been waiting for since the day of Xema's birth. Draco recalled the day he held his youngest daughter in his arms, and was shown the unmistakable mark she bared. The time had finally come, and the prophecy was about to begin. However, there was one question that still plagued Draco. If indeed these children were part of the prophecy, than that meant that she would soon learn to love someone her age.
But WHERE was the boy her age?
***
The group of four gazed out in wonder from the lookout tower. They were high up into the clouds, and a thin white mist swirled around them as they admired the view. The city stretched out for miles, glistening in the mid- day sun as if it were coated in small droplets of shimmering water. The trees bordering the city sparkled dusty silver, and far below them, they could see the 'human traffic' created as people flew in every imaginable direction. Xema caught sight of Jak's drooping jaw and laughed slightly.
"I guess you don't see much of this back where you're from?" She asked, and Jak just shook his head, still stunned into silence. Although his attention was now focused on the flying bodies below him, for again he was longing to go flying. Daxter, however, was less impressed than the other two. He gulped as he gazed down the side of the watchtower, and backed away from the edge, as the thought of falling did not please him one bit.
"Daxter? Are you scared of heights?" Xema asked, rather concerned by his reaction. Daxter, not wanting to look like a wuss in front of a pretty girl, shook his head rather violently and folded his arms across his chest. "Me? NEVER! It's not the height! It's just the ground rushing up at me at an incredibly fast speed that I don't like!"
Keira smiled. Daxter WAS afraid of heights, but she knew he didn't want to admit it. ESPECIALLY inform of Xema. The winged girl just grinned slightly. "Actually, it's quite exhilarating." Xema insisted, glancing over the side of the tower. Daxter was pale looked as if he was going to faint.
"You can't be SERIOUS!" He cried. Edging closer to the drop, his face still losing colour. "That must be a two thousand feet drop!" He looked up at Xema, who nodded. "Yeah, about that." She picked up Daxter and took another step towards the edge, which sent Daxter into a screaming fit. Xema couldn't figure out what was bothering him.
"Daxter, I'm NOT going to drop you!" She insisted, but Daxter continued to thrash about, pleading that she didn't step over the edge. Xema sighed, and looked at the other two, worried that she had done something wrong to upset Daxter so greatly. Jak shook his head and Keira put a hand on Xema's shoulder.
"It's okay." Keira told her. "I'm sure he trusts you, he probably just doesn't trust the drop." Keira took the struggling furball from Xema, and headed to the platform along with Jak. "We'll take him down to the ground and meet you there." Keira called out to the girl.
Xema watched from the tower as the three rode the platform down. Daxter had calmed down now, and Keira was in the process of yelling at him, while Jak stood beside her, giving Daxter a stern look. Xema sighed. She hadn't intentionally set out to upset Daxter. She liked the little creature, and only wanted to show him what it was like flying. Xema stood up and edged her way towards the vertical drop. Jumping off the edge, she began to plummet headfirst towards the ground. The closer she got to the bottom, the faster she sped up. As the ground sped up towards her, she spread her wings, and glided gracefully into a horizontal position.
From their platform, Jak and his friends stared in amazement as they watched Xema's aerial display. Daxter rubbed his eyes in disbelief, while Jak continued to envy Xema's gift of flight. "See Daxter! We told you Xema knows what she's doing!" Keira said to the little Ottsel beside her. Daxter refused to say anything. He actually felt bad for acting like such an idiot in front of Xema, and didn't feel like replying to Keira's comment. He was trying to think of something to say to Xema the next time he say her.
***
Wrapped up in about six layers of blankets, Xema snuggled down in her bed for the night. But she could not sleep. She still felt bad for what she had done to Daxter that day, and the scene kept replaying over and over in her head. She continually tossed and turned for several minutes, until she gave up on sleep all together. Creeping out of bed, she made her way out of her room, and towards one of the many balconies that jutted out of the tower's sides. As she made her way past the room Jak and the others were staying in, she thought of going in and talking to them. But it was late; they were probably all asleep by now. Xema stepped lightly onto the balcony, and sat herself on the edge, so her feet dangled in the air. She sighed to herself, and gazed out at the night sky. Xema wondered what the sky looked like from the other ends of the earth. Would the stars be the same? Would the moon look different? Too bad she would never know, seen as she was restricted to this city, like a prison.
"Xema?" A small voice whispered from behind her. She turned her head and noticed the faint outline of a small creature just behind her. "Daxter? Is that you?" She asked. The ottsel stepped into the pale moonlight. "Couldn't sleep?" She asked. He nodded. Daxter didn't seem his usually, hyperactive self. In fact, he looked quite disheartened. His ears had flopped like a sad little animal, and the look on his face was anything BUT a happy one. "Xema, I wanted to." His voice trailed off. He wasn't very good at apologies. They weren't something he did often. He tried to open his mouth again, but Xema placed a finger to his furry lips and 'shushed' him.
"It's okay." She explained. "It was my fault for trying to force you into doing something you didn't want to." She smiled at the little furball, and as if it were a disease, her smile spread to him. Daxter grinned and shook his head. "It's okay baby, I forgive you!" Xema pulled a face, and gave him a gentle shove. "I'm NOT a baby!" She insisted. "I haven't been one for years!" Daxter laughed. "Yeah, about two years!" He shot back, and quick as a flash, Xema grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug, which he gladly received.
"You've got a lot of nerve! I bet I'm older than YOU are!" Xema laughed. Daxter shook his head. "Doubt it! How old are you anyway?" He looked at her quizzically. Xema went quiet, trying to decided whether she should tell him or not, then she pulled him in closer and whispered her tender years into his fuzzy ear. Daxter's jaw dropped. "You're KIDDING!" He gasped. "That's the same as ME!"
Xema wasn't sure whether she could believe him. "Are you SURE?" She asked. "I mean that's pretty old for an animal. Especially a. a. Hey Daxter, what exactly ARE you?"
Daxter bit his bottom lip, and looked around, as if he was hoping the answer would come out of thin air, which of course it didn't. "I.I.Don't know." He admitted rather sadly. Xema was a little shocked at this, but knew there was a way around it. "Well, I know someone who might." She stroked the fur on his back and he smiled at the pleasant experience.
"You do?" He asked. Xema nodded "One of my old friends. She can identify any kind of animal species. I'm sure she'll have no problem figuring out what kind of creature you are." She continued to stroke Daxter's fur as he curled up into a ball on her lap. "That's good." He insisted, but in his mind, he wasn't so sure. He didn't know if he really was any kind of existing animal. He may just be some freak creation of the dark eco. At the present moment, Daxter didn't want Xema to know about his past. He WANTED to tell her, but at the same time, he also dreaded the thought. After all, she liked him because he was an orange ball of fur. Would she still feel the same if he told her she used to be a boy? Daxter dared not to think about it.
***
The next day, Daxter insisted to Jak and Keira that Xema only wanted to take him out that day. They were going to see one of her old friends, and since it was a long flight, Xema could only take Daxter because he was the only one she could carry. It was a lame excuse, but hey, whatever works right?
Daxter met Xema on the balcony they had been on the night before. She was leaning against a weathered stone statue, a look of anger spread across her face. "Hey Xema babe! What's the problem?" He called upon arrival. She nodded her head to where two guards were sitting patiently, just staring at her like they had nothing better to do.
"THEY'RE the problem!" She growled. "My father asked some guards to keep a constant watch on me. These guys have been following me all morning." She turned towards them and cupped her hands over her mouth so that she could project her voice. "HEY! Why don't you two get a life and go follow someone ELSE for a change! STALKING is a VERY serious crime!" The two guards laughed but shook their heads.
"Not when the king COMMANDS that we follow you." One of them shot back. Xema huffed. "Well, I COMMAND you NOT to follow me!" Again they laughed, obviously not convinced. Xema stuck her tongue out at them, and turned back to Daxter, who seemed to be enjoying their conversation. "Come on. Let's go. I can loose them in the air." She picked up Daxter, and he nuzzled himself into a safe and comfortable position. Then they took off over the city, with the guards following close behind.
*** "Can we go back around that last corner? I think I lost my stomach back there!" Daxter clutched at his sides as Xema swooped down and landed on a tree branch. True to her word, she had lost the guards. But it had involved a lot of tricky turns and aerial acts that had made Daxter feel rather queasy. She gently lowered him onto the solid branch, and he flopped down, happy to be on something solid and not suspended in mid- flight.
"Are you okay Daxter?" Xema rubbed his back trying to coax the little creature to stand. He slowly got to his feet and nodded. "Yeah. Just trying to get the hang of my air-legs." He smiled and leant against her calve. "How much further to go?"
Xema pointed to a small hut embedded in an old tree that slightly resembled an oak, except it's bark shimmered a dusty gold colour. The hut was partially cut into the tree itself, making full use of the hollow inside. There were empty wooden cages outside, freshly cleaned and ready for use. Beside them were stronger cages made of precursor metal, obviously for the more ferocious animals that the wooden cages could not contain.
"That's where Chelly lives." Xema said. "She'll be able to tell us what you are."
As soon as Daxter had fully recovered, Xema picked him up and cradled him in her arms as she gently glided down to the hut.
"Chelly? You here?" Xema called as she stepped into the entrance. Daxter walked behind her, hiding behind her legs for protection. From the corner of the hut, a middle-aged girl looked up from a pile of papers scattered across a table. She was bone thin, and wore her dark brown hair up in a tight bun. She smiled when she caught sight of the girl in the doorway.
"Xema! Long time no see!" She got up from her work and walked over to hug the younger girl. "Nice job escaping again! I heard they almost didn't catch you this time!" Xema blushed when she heard this. "Boy, word sure does get around fast huh?" Xema sighed. "How much did they bet this time?"
"Well." Chelly began, placing a hand on her chin as she recalled. "Three of the boys bet quite a number of precursor orbs that you'd get caught. I know a few of the girls put a hefty sum on the fact that they'd find you more than 200 miles from the city. Someone actually bet that you'd get away this time! They're still trying to make up for their loss."
From his safe haven behind Xema, Daxter couldn't believe what he was hearing. "They make BETS on whether you'd get away or not?" He cried, but quickly clamped his hand over his mouth as Chelly gasped, catching sight of him from behind Xema's legs.
"WHO is THIS little cutie?" Chelly bent down so that she could get a closer look at Daxter. He wrapped his arms around one of Xema's legs in protection. Xema shook her head. "We were wondering if you could tell us WHAT this little cutie WAS?" Xema bent down and picked up Daxter, who had now become dead silent. Possibly because Xema had just called him a 'little cutie' and his heart seemed to be racing in a marathon after that statement. He barley noticed when Chelly took him from Xema's arms and studied his fur, glanced at his face, and even measured the length of his tail.
"I think I have an idea." Chelly said to Xema, handing back Daxter, who was blushing deeply under his fur. Chelly smiled and pointed to Daxter's fur.
"His fur seems almost perfect for swimming, but at the same time, seems to be developed for another task as well. What I think we have here is a rare creature that we sometimes refer to as a 'half-breed'. Two different kinds of animals that are breed into one." Chelly chucked Daxter under the chin, but he instantly pushed away her hand. He did NOT like to be treated like an animal. And if he would have ANYONE scratch him under the chin, he had ANOTHER person in mind rather than Chelly.
"So, WHAT exactly is he?" Xema asked. Chelly smiled. "He's an ottsel: half otter, half weasel. They're not very common, so it's quite unusual to see one so far away from the sea. Your very lucky to have such a rare pet Xema!"
Daxter began to make harsh choking sounds. "Pet?" He repeated. "PET! Look lady, I am NOT a pet!" Daxter huffed, pouting like a spoilt little child. Xema smiled and hugged him close.
"Don't mind him Chelly. He gets insulted very easily." The dark-haired girl nodded in agreement. "He's got quite an attitude for such a little guy." She smiled and looked Daxter full in the face. "How can you talk anyway?" Daxter, once again looked around as if the answer was going to jump out in front of him. But in the end, he just frowned. "Hey, that's for ME to know, and NOBODY to find out!" And with that, he folded his arms and shut his mouth.
Xema sighed. "Fine then, keep your secrets Daxter." She waved to Chelly. "I'll see you around." She said, before turning to leave. Daxter cringed when he heard Xema mention the word 'secrets'. Yes, he had a lot of them that he was hiding from her.
The question was: how long could he hide them from her?