Ekobean: Blah.
Responses:
Red Hawk K'sani – I'm aware of that, but this story really isn't connected to Jak 3 the game. Besides, (SPOILER ALERT!!) the ones at the end were supposed to be the remnants of the Precursor race, not the only ones that ever existed.
Shadowsister – Right you are! It's not going to be the clichéd "Take over the world" plot, there is going to be something much deeper. Also, I know that the prophecy doesn't rhyme. I'm trying to kinda reflect on how the book "The Odyssey" is written. I think I did fairly well…Anyways thanks for the review!! XD
The small room buzzed with the chatter of New Krimzon Guard troops. Most of them were laughing or joking about different random subjects.
Jak snorted as he surveyed them. They didn't realize how urgent the situation was. Jak, Keira, Sig, Samos and Torn were sitting in chairs upon a stage, overlooking the room filled with row upon row of seated Krimzon Guards.
Keira was bouncing Mar absent-mindedly on her knee. Mar had her finger grasped tightly in his pudgy hands, laughing gaily. Keira's expression was neutral, her eyes wide and unblinking, staring deeply into the abyss.
Jak nudged her worriedly. "Are you ok?"
Keira blinked and turned her head to him. One look from her gave him the answer. No.
Ashelin stepped up onto the stage and up to the podium that had been set at the head of the stage. "Your attention please."
The uproar of muffled voices slowly died as hundreds of pairs of goggled eyes focused on Ashelin.
"Thank you. You may all be wondering why you've been summoned here, why we would call you on an Orange-Level emergency just after this city was under siege from an army of Dark Metal Heads. To tell you the truth, the reason is by no means sensible. In fact, many of you may think that I'm crazy. There is no easy way to tell you, so I'll just say it outright. The world may be at risk of destruction. A man was resurrected as a Dark Eco powered cyborg. Many Krimzon veterans will no this man, for he was a commander at one time among you.
"His name is Erol. And if he is not found, as I am told by my advisor Samos, a great cataclysm is at risk of taking place. For full details I give you over to Samos himself."
Ashelin turned from the podium, allowing Samos room. Samos nodded and rose from his seat next to Torn, which Ashelin filled. "Centuries ago," Samos began in a voice so cold that every eye was drawn to him, "all Eco in the world was governed and managed by Sages. There were six of them in all, myself; the Sage of Green Eco, Revv; the Sage of Blue Eco, Asha; the Sage of Red Eco, K'sil; the Sage of Yellow Eco, and Gol and Maia, the Sages of Dark Eco."
At the mention of Gol and Maia, most of the room shared in a brief shudder.
"These Sages maintained the natural flow of the Eco of the world. If there was no Sage for a certain type of Eco, that Eco would produce uncontrollably, soon destroying the world with the imbalance," Samos turned to Jak, "and to answer your question Jak, Light Eco was already bound to you, and the fact that there was so little of it already meant that just your existence was enough to keep the minor amounts from mass-producing. You were born to be the Light Sage."
Jak nodded, averting his gaze from the ancient elf. So many things connected to him…how could that be possible?
"All Sages knew that the very first were members of the Precursor race themselves," Samos continued, turning back to the rest of the crowd, "the very same power has been passed down from Precursor to elf, to elf, to elf for generations. I believe that this new Robo-Erol is the latest Dark Sage, the successor of Gol and Maia. I had always wondered how Gol and Maia had received their Sagely powers, but now I fear that I know too much. After Gol and Maia's defeat I entered the robot head they had been trapped in for centuries and found writings scratched into the very surface of the metal.
"It appeared that during their time in Dark Eco they spent much of it conscious, eventually going mad before slipping into their suspended animation. These writings told everything, how they received their powers, of their descendents, everything. I only translated these writings days ago, and much too late, after I had saved Erol from oblivion. Gol and Maia, in their youth, discovered an ancient Precursor tomb while exploring the mountains of the Wasteland. They found at the very center of this tomb the jail cell of Os'hildai, the first Dark Sage; a Precursor. This Sage sensed the darkness in their hearts, and blessed them with his own Dark Powers once they swore to release him. But they betrayed him, leaving him there.
"As I said before I discovered this too late. I had teleported Erol into the Wasteland, just twenty miles from that very site. Undoubtedly Erol has already discovered that place, and has come in contact with Os'hildai. If I am correct, Erol will go searching for the other Sages as Os'hildai orders."
Ten seconds of silence followed, as even the insects themselves didn't dare to breathe.
"What do the Sages have to do with anything?" Shady asked, the first of any who dared to speak.
"It was the six other ancient Sages; Light, Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green; that imprisoned Os'hildai in the first place. Only their powers could erect a prison powerful enough to hold such a titan, and only their powers can break it."
"Then we have to get to them first!" Jak yelled, springing to his feet.
"Yes."
"What're we waiting for then?"
"Jak, my boy, the Sages are most likely scattered all about the land. If I'm correct, they are in the Palaces of their Precurian predecessors, in areas that suit them best."
Jak snapped his fingers. "Their huts! You know, where we found them back when we lived in Sandover!"
"Commendable logic, my boy, but you're wrong. Those areas were simply outposts so that they could oversee the goings on of the above world. The true Palaces are majestic, large and glimmering…"
"Then how do you suggest that we find them?" demanded Ashelin.
"By monitoring the temperatures of the world! Isn't it logical? Red Eco-fire-hottest place! Blue Eco-water-coldest place! It's simple, you just need to think!" Samos exploded, showing such aggression that even hard-nosed Ashelin was taken aback.
"We'll have to split up," said Ashelin, her eyes glued to the floor, "form groups. Red, Blue, and Yellow. We already have the Light, Dark, and Green Sages." Ashelin stepped up to the podium. "You all have been filled in on the situation. It is understandable if anybody wishes to back down, we are dealing with forces well beyond our understanding. I cannot guarantee that many of you will return alive. However, those of you that wish to serve not only for this city's survival, but for the entire world's, stand up and place your hand over your heart!"
Everybody on the stage's eyes widened as over ¾ of the room's guards stood. With full confidence, they smacked their armored hands over their hearts in unison. Ashelin couldn't help but smile. So many brave souls…so loyal…
"Good. We will split up this group evenly. One third goes after one Sage. Do not eat, do not sleep, do not blink an eye until you find them. We cannot, and we will not allow Erol to find them before us!"
The groups were split up evenly, and named Alpha, Beta, and Theta, and each was made up of about half lower-ranking Krimzon Guards and half Krimzon Elite. Each group served under one commander. Jak had once again been made commander of the group Alpha. His second-in-command was Shady Sis, both of whom had been in battle with each other before hand. Ashelin knew that together they made a lethal team. Beta group was headed by Sig, with Daxter and Tess as his second-in-commands. Last, Theta group was to be headed by Ashelin herself, and as always, Torn was her second-in-command.
Two days later, the groups had been given an enormous transport of Hellcat Cruisers. Nearly half the city was surrounding the takeoff point in the Port to say farewell to the brave servicemen. Married women or men gave their final goodbye kisses, extra food, or blankets. There were cries of sadness and anguish, people that left for a moment alone. The scene was so horrible and downing that even Sig had to turn away to hide a tear that rolled from his one good eye.
Keira was looking up at Jak, tears brimming on the edges of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and obscuring her makeup. "I wish I could come with you," she sniffled as she bounced an unusually silent Mar in her arm.
"So do I," said Jak, running his hand down her back, "more than anything."
Keira gasped, turning her face away to wipe away a fresh volley of tears. When she turned back, her eyes were hazy, nearly overflowing. "I love you Jak," she whimpered, "more than anything."
"I love you, Keira," Jak pulled Keira close to him, locking her in a long, passionate kiss. Keira's body relaxed as he pulled her close, running her one free arm around his neck.
Ashelin's magnified voice broke the tenderness of the moment. "All forces depart for Hellcats!"
Regretfully, Jak parted his lips from Keira, releasing her from his grasp. Keira backed away, her hand covering her mouth, eyes never leaving Jak as he marched into the Hellcat next to Shady.
Jak never looked back at Keira, he felt the pain would be too great. He had felt in hard to leave her when the Metal Heads attacked the city, but now that he was married to her, the pain was almost unbearable. Begrudgingly, he punched in the security code on the Hellcat's panel and heard it's enormous engines roar to fiery life.
Shady's sarcastic bark broke him from his pain as the Hellcats began to rise. "Y'see, that's why I never got married." Shady laughed, smacking Jak on the back.
Despite himself, Jak couldn't help but let a small, twitching smile crawl across his face. "Oh shut up."
As the cheers of Haven's citizens faded, Ashelin's crackly voice escaped from the Hellcat's dash radio. "All forces, break for destined locations…now."
On command, Alpha, Beta, and Theta broke apart, forming a "v" formation for each group. Jak already knew that this would be, by far, the greatest adventure he had ever been on.
Jak switched the radio to the Hellcat that Daxter, Tess, and Sig occupied. "Yeah, what?" Sig's harsh bark shouted.
"I just wanted to say good luck," Jak said.
"Thanks chili pepper, you too."
"Hey Jak!" Daxter's high-pitched whoop cut in, "don't die alright? I still want a rematch on that wrestling match!"
"Sure thing, Dax," Jak laughed, recalling how he had easily beaten the red-haired elf.
"Over and out."
Jak sighed and looked over at Shady, who smiled. And Jak realized suddenly, that apart from her and his fleet, they were truly alone.
To be continued…