Chapter VII: Velkan and the Wasteland
LES: Adding some more characters in this chapter.
The next day was spent entirely with Uncle Daxter trying to teach me how to fight. I had quickly mastered all of the functions of the Morph-Gun. Hand-to-hand moves, however, were proving to be much more difficult for me to master.
"No, no, no!" Uncle Daxter yelled as I made my hand into a fist. "Why are you putting your thumb on the inside? Your thumb goes like this!" He showed me with his own hand, he pointed out the fact that it goes on the outside of your fist. "If you put your thumb on the inside when you punch, you'll do nothing except break your thumb!"
I tried again, this time, I had my thumb in the right place, but when I punched, I missed the target completely. "Opps." I said.
Uncle Daxter sighed. "Well, at least you are good with the Morph-Gun." He said. "Now, all you have to do is make sure you don't get yourself in any hand-to-hand combat situations."
"Was Father more 'close combat' or did he like the Morph-Gun more?" I asked.
"Well… during our first adventure, he didn't even have a gun. The closest to a 'long-distance' weapon that he had was Yellow Eco. But, on the second adventure, he got this Morph-Gun and began to rely on it more and more. But, when he goes crazy…" Uncle Daxter trailed off.
"How come he didn't tell me?" I asked, "About what happened to him?"
"To him, that's a very touchy subject. You've heard him talk about the Dark Warrior Program, right?" I nodded my head, 'yes.' "Well, he despises the Dark Warrior Program for what it did to him. And, I guess that, when you were born, he decided, with your mother, that you shouldn't know that he was a Dark Eco monster. I remember, back when he first got his 'abilities,' he had horrible nightmares of death and destruction. Of coarse, it got better after awhile, but it still gives him a hard time. What was it he told me? Oh yes, 'Controlling the Darkness is like trying to control a Metal-Head with a leash. Control is limited, at best. I doubt I will ever be able to fully control it." Uncle Daxter paused. "And, now, it's killing him… just like so many others…"
"Today's the day." I said. "The traders are either coming or their not."
"Don't remind me." Uncle Daxter sighed. "I don't like the idea of going into the Wasteland by ourselves."
"I don't either." I said. I walked over to the only window in the room. It faced towards the Wasteland, which stretched out as far as the eye could see. Even in Spargus City, it was almost unbearably hot… I couldn't imagine what the Wasteland would be like. "But, I'm going to do anything to save my father…"
Suddenly, Torn ran into the room. He slid to a halt, panting for breath, which suggested he ran all the way from wherever he was. "Your Highness!" He gasped, "The traders… have come!"
I ran down from the Palace, not even bothering to get on a Leaper, and ran towards the market place that was near the gate to the garage and the Wasteland beyond. I could instantly tell the traders from the other Spargains. These traders wore light desert cloaks, and some of their faces were covered in a kind of tribal tattoos. And they all were speaking a different language that I assumed was Precursorian.
"Ah, the traders." One Spargain shopkeeper woman said as she passed me. "They have the most interesting stuff. Too bad they don't speak our language… I wonder if Velkan is with them this time?"
"Velkan?" I asked for no apparent reason.
"Yes, Velkan." The woman conferred. "He's the only trader that speaks our language. The rest speak that gibberish, pretty language, though…"
I walked up to one of the friendlier looking traders. "Excuse me…" I said.
The trader looked up and his eyes widened. "Jkiqleau!" He yelled out. He pulled out some of the most beautiful jewelry I had ever seen. "S'e ikua qosi nsrr rllb rlgarf lv ikjo h rlgarf rhwf!" He forced a necklace under my nose.
"No. I want to talk." I said. The man seemed confused, and then he pulled out some exotic looking fruit hopefully.
"Muksq?" He offered.
"No, I need to talk!" I was starting to get exasperated; this guy didn't understand me at all! Then I remembered that there was one named 'Velkan' who could speak Haven's language. "I need to talk to Velkan!" I said.
The man's face blanked. "Velkan?" He asked. Finally, a break-though!
"Yes Velkan." I said slowly, like it would help. "I wish to talk to him!"
"Oh! Fai! Velkan qoa Ohgav-qhrbau!" I didn't understand what he was saying but it sounded like he got the point. "Velkan! Velkan!" He called. Suddenly, Velkan himself ran up. I don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this!
Velkan was young; perhaps twenty years old, strong, and he held himself with a sort of inner pride that gave him a look of total confidence. He had brown hair that fell in a casual style that framed his face wonderfully. His deep brown eyes seemed to… I shock my head, now was the time for business. But, there was no denying that he was handsome… NO! I mentally cursed myself.
"Velkan?" I asked, just to be sure.
"Yes, that's me." Velkan replied in the Haven dialect, which was a big relief.
"I'm…" I paused. I desperately hated people calling me 'Princess' all the time. No titles… no last names. "Saphira." I said finally. He nodded his head, but didn't seem to recognize the first name. Good… "And I'm here to talk about…" I leaned in closer to whisper into his ear. "To get to Precursa." His face blanked. I looked into his face, and he into mine. Suddenly, I got the strangest feeling of de-ja-vu, like I had seen him before…
Velkan grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. "Why do you want to go to Precursa?" He asked. "We're usually not allowed to bring anyone back with us."
"Look, to be frank with you," I said, "I come from Haven City…"
"So," Velkan sniffed, "Those xhiqhuwi banished you." Velkan said, completely jumping to conclusions. "But you are so young! I shouldn't be surprised, however. We've encountered younger banishees than you."
"I was not banished." I said. "My Father, he's dreadfully sick! He's dying of…"
"Eco Poisoning." Velkan finished. "And you want Precursa's Eco Crystals to make Light Eco and heal him."
I stared at Velkan, "How did you know?" I asked.
"For centuries, people have been searching for the same exact thing you have been looking for." Velkan said. "You should know that the Council of Precursa are not going to give up their crystals so easily. Only one person in history has managed it…"
"Who?" I asked, curiosity overwhelming me.
"Mar." Velkan answered. "His lover… she got Eco Poisoning in an accident, legend has it."
"What happened?" I have never heard this particular story of Mar.
"He got the Eco Crystals after convincing the Council that he was worthy." Velkan said.
"And he saved his lover?" I asked.
"Not all stories have happy endings." Velkan said, shaking his head sadly. "He succeeded in getting the crystals, but he couldn't make the Eco… his lover died in his arms. Driven mad with grief, Mar eventually took his own life by giving himself Eco Poisoning, so that he would die in the same was as his lover. Thus passed the great warrior, Mar." Velkan finished his story and I had tears in my eyes despite myself.
"How horrible." I said.
"You see, if Mar himself couldn't do it, neither can you." Velkan said. "I'm not taking you to Precursa, it's against all the ancient rules! I suggest you go home and spend your father's last few days with him." More tears filled my eyes. Velkan added in a kinder tone. "I would do it if I could. It's the law, and I can't break it. I can't bear to banished… again…" He turned around and left.
The word 'again' rang in my head. "Wait!" I called out, but Velkan was already gone. Suddenly, Uncle Daxter was on my shoulder, I guess he must've come sometime during the conversation."
"What are you going to do now?" Uncle Daxter asked. I didn't answer.
(Night)
The traders had finished packing their wares. Velkan stood on the edge of the small group and looked out over the small city. He thought about a lot of things, but mostly he thought about the girl, Saphira, and her father. He felt dreadfully sorry for her. He knew what it was like to lose a father… and a mother. He saw her face clearly in his mind. Green eyes… green/blonde hair… Velkan paused. Bi-colored hair was extremely rare, and he was sure he'd seen that color scheme before.
"Velkan!" One of his fellow traders said, then he added in the Ancient Language, which Velkan could understand. "Stop your daydreaming! We need to get back to Precursa as soon as possible!"
"Alright," I replied in the Ancient Language. "I was just thinking…"
"It's about the girl, isn't it?" The trader asked. "What did she ask you?"
"That's none of your concern!" I spat. "Let's just get out of this Precursor-forsaken City." With that, Velkan hopped into a simple transport and they were off into the sunset.
I watched the traders head off into the Wasteland. I shouldered the small pack that she carried, which contained enough food and water to last her several days. The Jet-Board was there too, and it was a good thing. I wasn't sure if she would be able to keep up to the caravan without it.
"Thanks, Mother." I said. I turned back to look at the City. Torn, Sig, and Daxter were still in there. I felt bad about leaving Uncle Daxter behind, but he was scared, and when he was scared, I was scared. I didn't need to deal with that. I took the Jet-Board off of my back and drove off into the sunset after the caravan all by myself.
Thus began the long trek across the Wasteland with only the pack I was carrying and the clothes on my back, and very little water. After my first frightening encounter with a Metal-Head in which it almost got close enough to impale me, I stayed as close as I could to the caravan without actually attracting its attention. Little did I know then the worry that my leaving was causing…
(Spargus)
"I'm sorry, Your Highness" Torn called from outside Saphira's room so as to not catch her at an inopportune, and potentially embarrassing moment. "But we should go back to Haven City and regroup." Torn paused. "I'm coming in!" Torn opened the door and gasped when he saw the room was empty… except for one thing… A note on the table. Torn picked it up and glanced at it and gasped. "Sig! Daxter!" He called.
Sig ran into the room, with Daxter on his shoulder. "What is it, Cherry?" Sig asked.
"Yeah, where's Saphira?" Daxter asked looked around the deserted room. Torn wordlessly passed the note to Sig, who read it out loud:
"Dear Torn, Sig, and Daxter,
I have gone after the traders into the Wasteland. Don't follow me. Uncle Daxter, you didn't want to come and you've got your wish. Go back to Haven City and tell my father I'll succeed where our ancestor failed. Also tell him that I love him.
See you all soon,
Saphira Mar,
Princess of Haven Kingdom."
"Jak isn't going to be too happy about her going off into the Wasteland by herself." Daxter muttered.
"I don't know." Sig said. "I think he'll be ecstatic about her heading off face-first into danger."
"The funny thing is…" Torn said, "I thing you're right, Sig." Torn paused, looking at the note. "Do you think we should go after her?"
"No." Daxter said. "I think we should go back to Haven City, like she says… we're needed there. We can't help Saphira anymore."
"And we should pray to Mar and the Precursors that she makes it back on time…" Torn said.
(Wasteland)
"What are you doing?" I asked outloud to myself as I looked at the traders from behind a large cactus. They had stopped at a large rock in the middle of nowhere. The man that seemed to be the leader jumped out of the caravan. He approached the rock and seemed to be looking for something on it.
"Are you guys crazy?" I wondered as the man continued to search the rock face. He was defiantly looking for something. "Or is there a method to your madness?" Suddenly the man seemed to have found what he was looking for. He brushed some dust off the rock face and I heard myself gasp. Just visible when the dust was wiped off, an intricate design was carved into the rock.
The man reached up and touched one of the many lines. From the point where his skin made contact with the rock, blue light began to spider-web it's way across the entire rock. The design seemed to be some sort of Precursor hieroglyphs. "I wish I knew what those said." I said to the cactus I was hiding behind. Of coarse, it didn't reply.
Suddenly the rock began to break and fracture along the glowing lines. The rock blew apart, inside was a type of swirling portal. "Clever…" I breathed to myself. "Precursa's not even here! It's somewhere else entirely. No wonder they've been hidden for so long! You could search the Wasteland for a million years and never find it unless you knew about this rock!"
The last trader disappeared; the rock flew back into its original position and the hieroglyphs disappeared. It now looked like a normal rock again.
I got out from behind the cactus and walked up to the rock in question. Even up close, I would've never suspected that there was anything different about this rock unless I witnessed what I just witnessed. I reached up my own trembling hand and touched the same spot the man had touched. For a second, nothing happened, then the same blue lines spread across the rock face. Exactly as before, the rock broke apart, revealing the portal.
"Well, I didn't come all this way for nothing…" I said as I walking into the portal…
LES: I hate cliffhangers… I am such a hypocrite. What will Precursa be like? What sort of welcome will Saphira receive? Unfortunately, you won't find out in the next chapter. But we will find out more about what's going on in Haven City and what Gol and Maia are up to. So that makes it better! Up until the last second, I wanted Daxter to go into the Wasteland with Saphira, but I changed it, cause I forgot about him anyway. Plus, Jak needs him more than Saphira.
