A/N: Ok, this is my second fic so be nice. Now, the people who are wondering when Jak will come in, he'll be in the fifth chapter. The three first chapters is about Torn and his daughter, Kelsey. So please read even if you wanted to read about Jak first but I wanted it to go this way so it brings more suspense to the rising action. So don't hate me because I made up a character(s). Trust me, I believe after the second or third chapter you'll be wanting to read more of this story. I hope... Well, that said, please read my fic, enjoy and review!
Couples: Jak/Kelsey, Keira/OC, and... I forgot but I'll remember in a few more chapters or so.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything owned by Naughty Dog but only the made up towns (places), and people in this story.
Chapter One: The Dance of the Night
"Father! Father!" a little girl ran down the sandy hill road with grass popping ever so rarely in the desert sand as she descended the road. Her weavy, brown hair swayed in the air as the wind blew upon her. The child had a one strape tank-top that showed her stomach; a little short skirt that revealed her outside thighs while its length was as long as them. The child's skin was tan as the light, brown sand with her clothes only just a tad darker color as her tiny feet left footsteps in the sand like a trail for someone to find their way back.
A red transporter, which had the Krimson Guard sign at it, was at the bottom of the hill. A man stepped out of it. He had a KG's outfit on without the armor and a brown duffle bag behind his back he carried. His brown/red, dreadlocks hair blew with the wind as his pale skin seemed a little dirty from whatever he was doing with his face having tattoos printed on it. The man's blue eyes searched the landscape for the voice that called to him and caught sight of a girl running towards him.
He smiled and crouched on the ground with arms wide open as she ran in them, wrapping her arms around his neck. The man wrapped his arms around her and stood up with her in his arms." It's so good to see you, Kelsey," he said as he made her face him. She smiled at him as her hair fell under her shoulders gracefully.
"As it is good to see you, Father," he kissed her on the cheek and walked up the dirt road.
When the two reached the top of the hill, they gazed down at the village, which had children running and playing. The women doing the tapestry, food, farming, and laundry as the men were fishing, farming, training, cutting meat at the butchery or making weapons.
The village, Nodina, was a normal size village with about twenty to thirty huts or so. The huts looked quite similar to houses, which a few were two stories, but all having a round structure to them. There was some grass patches in the village but in the center of Nodina was a huge, dirt circle which was for dances or ceremonies only.
Since Nodina was more in a great basin in small width, sand covering the entire area, their weather was basically the desert heat with only the wind to keep them cool. Yet, they did have a field and farming over the next hill, the only plain that was there in the area with a forest on the other side of it.
The girls and women in the village wore dresses that were not fancy at all, but just casual for the conditions. Mainly, dresses would have no sleeves at all, but its length went just under their knees. Colors of the dresses were normally a solid color with golden designs at it to make it unique. The boys and men in the village wore brown pants and only solid colors for shirts or no shirt at all. Kelsey, though, was one of the few girls who didn't wear dresses in the village, which was known about but uncommon at the same time.
Everyone wore brown sandles that were straped on or the men wore brown boots. Well, the adults would wear shoes because the children didn't care so much for shoes as the elders.
The village, Nodina, was well known by Spargus, the four villages that traded with them, and Haven City. Nodina was known for being part of " The Five villages"- a league that had started five centuries ago. Since Nodina was settled in the hot, scorching sands, its nickname had been " The Desert Village". The people from the very village were known to have the greatest "Long-Knive" fighters (warriors), raise and breed the best leapers to sell, something that every man, woman, and child were proud about.
The other four villages also had their own unique warrior style that was known for which region they were from: Sarea, The Mountain Village, was known for their "Thrower" fighters. Kendranis, The Island Village, was known for their " Spear " fighters. Rohona, The Forest Village, was known for their " Archer" fighters, and Comeral, The Plains Village, was known for their " Sword" fighters.
Every villlage had warriors and made sure they were trained hard so they can match each other's strength in the tournaments in Comeral, a tradition that had been passed down since the beginning of The Five Villages.
" Are you going to enter the tournament this year?" Kelsey asked curiously as she was carried down to the village by her father.
" Most likely not. I don't have time to train because of my job like last year."
" Can't you just get a month off or something. The Baron will understand since it's something you do in The Five Villages."
The man with dreadlocks chuckled at this as he entered the village, his sapphire eyes catching sight of a plump, old man.
" Guess what Chief Leron is going to do about now." The man said to his daughter as he was indicating to the slightly large, old man.
" Yell that you arrived here to the whole village?" Kelsey answered with a questionable tone as the the chief looked over to their way, her father smirking at this before saying:
" Exactly."
Leron had a huge grin on his face as he saw who it was that had came in the village. Laughing a little at the sight before opening his big mouth.
"Torn! Everyone! Torn is back!" hollered Chief Leron The whole village stopped what they were doing and came to greet the man, who was known as Torn. He put down Kelsey and greeted them all with his daughter at his side. The elf saw a woman standing on her porch with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her skin was as tan as his daughter's and hair as brown as hers. She was wearing brown sandles and a green dress with a goldon design plastered on top of it as her brown eyes gazed at his, but not to friendly.
He sighed, knowing that she was angry at him still for taking up this job and going off to protect a city for people that wasn't his kind. They sometimes got in fights about him always leaving. "Kelsey, stay here," Torn told his daughter. She obeyed and stood where she was.
Torn walked over to the young women." Hello Erika," he said.
"Torn. I see you came back," she said almost bitterly.
"I see you haven't changed much since I've seen you," he said with the same kind of tone. Erika made a low growl in her throat and was about to say something to him, but was cut off by the leader of Nodina. "Everyone, we are going to dance tonight at the circle 'till we can dance no more for Torn returning home!" yelled Chief Leron. Everybody cheered except Torn and Erika." We must prepare for the dance!" after Leron announced that, everyone started to chat about it as they went back to what they were doing earlier before going to get ready.
The Krimson Guard's daughter couldn't stand being patient any longer after the announcement and ran to where both of her parents were.
"I can't wait to dance!" exclaimed Kelsey as she ran to her father. " I must put on my bracelets and markings," she ran up the stairs, into her room, and shutting the door behind her. Torn smirked at this, "She loves to dance, doesn't she?" Erika nodded.
" Yes...she is growing up so fast and beating up more boys these days. Torn! I wish you wouldn't encourage her in becoming a warrior! Now she's practicing with your knives that you left here! And I'm not talking about the ones you got when becoming a warrior!" exclaimed Erika in a high pitch voice that was mixed with anger and worriness.
"Well, is that so? I better teach her how to use them properly so she won't get hurt, and-" but was cut off.
"TORN!"
The man winced a little," I can't believe your so worked up at this! You should be proud of her being the only girl who can kick a boy's ass everyday," he said and walked in the house, passing Erika on the way.
The house wasn't really big. Only a small two story house with only a bedroom upstairs and a small kitchen, a little living room with a couch, and a bedroom downstairs. Erika went to the sink and started to wash the dishes viciously. "I can't believe you, Torn. You encourage her in things that are not common for a girl, but a boy. She should be making tapestrys and cooking and doing what all girls do in the village. For God's sakes! She doesn't even wear a dress!" she started to scrub really hard on a pot.
" I don't understand why you're so upset at this. Our daughter is a very gifted child," said Torn while watching her.
" Gifted, she is, " Erika began without turning to the male elf next to her, " but that is notwhat I'm upset about."
" Then what is? Is it because she's becoming a warrior?"
A pause, then," Girls aren't meant to be warriors, Torn. Girls are meant to do what other girls are meant to do. Not practice every hour a day to train to become something that they can't. That includes Kelsey about becoming a warrior. She can't and will not become a Long-Knive fighter-a warrior - because I don't want to be the only mother that has a daughter that acts like a son."
" My- our daughter does not act like a son. She's better than a boy or son in the whole village as far as I know!"
" You don't see it, do you? She only wants to become a warrior to this village because of you. Because she knows that you and I wanted a son and not a daughter in this family so she decides to become something stupid just to become the son we always wanted!"
" That is enough, Erika! I don't want you to talk shit about the child- the only child- we have! What is a matter with you? You should be ashame of yourself! "
Erika dropped the pot and scubber in the sink, making a CLANK sound. " I'll be out...visiting someone right now," she left the house while slamming the front door behind her. Torn sighed at this, " Why is she so difficult?" he thought. He decided to see how his daughter was doing on preparing.
Torn walked up the spiral staircase to reach a tiny hall that led to a wooden door. The Nodinean walked to his daughter's room, turned the doorknub to hear a CLICK sound, and opened it up to reveal the inside of the room.
There was a bed under a window and a small desk on the other side, and a dresser with all her clothes in it. In the middle of the room on the hardwood floor was his daughter sitting indian style. She was wearing the same clothes, but had a golden bracelet on each of her ankles and in her little hand was a small paint brush with black ink on it as a small bottle of ink was in front of her. The girl was trying to make a design on her two wrist, but she always messed up."Do you need any help on that?" the girl turned around, being startled.
"You scared me, Father," she said while her amber, brown eyes stared in his blue eyes.
" You should always know if someone is around. You must use your sight, hearing, and smell as well to always know that. Remember that, Kelsey, if you are to become a true warrior," said Torn and walked right up to her and sat down.
" I wish that was true..." she said quietly as Torn took her wrist and the paintbrush. He took a glance in her eyes and saw that they were filled sadness.
" What do you mean you wish it is true? It is true. You are a warrior-Well, a person training to be a warrior, I should say."
"That's not what she says."
"Who? Who says that it's not true?"
"Mother."
Torn thought it was Erika who had said that after the little "talk" they had in the kitchen not to long ago " Do not believe in everything she says, Kelsey. Your mother is not always right," He started to make a drawing of a bracelet on each of her wrist with a diamond in the center with a weavy line connecting the diamond's both sides. He soon dotted her forehead in a row after his first completion.
" There," Torn said, "All done, My Little Warrior," the child stared at her designs then back to her father with a smile after he called her by the nickname he had given her a few years ago. "Thank you. Now aren't you suppose to get ready too, Father?" she asked while tilting her head like a curious dog would. He smiled at this.
" Yes, I do and I will do that right now. Shouldn't you be doing your chores before tonight?" it was his turn to tilt his head to the side. Kelsey blushed at this a little from embrassment.
"I guess I forgot. I'll go do them right now," she scampered out of the room and out the front door to do her chores. Torn smirked at this and went down stairs to get ready.
Evening in Nodina
It was six o'clock and the sun was starting to go down, "Father, are you ready? We have to get to the CIRCLE!" yelled Kelsey.
" I'm ready, I'm ready... Stop hurrying me," said Torn. He was wearing brown pants and a red shirt that wasn't buttoned that revealed his stomach and chest. He wore no shoes either.
The two went outside walking to the circle while their feet left footprints.
When they got there, the whole village was there. Sitting and waiting for their leader to come. Torn and Kelsey did the same thing. It was a few minites before Chief Leron came. He was wearing a purple robe with gold trimmings on it with sandles, too. His short wild, white hair was waving gently in the wind,
" People of Nodina," he started. "We are all here for celebrating Torn's return from Haven City and are very grateful that he is well. We wish that he is well and fine when he must return to there," silence was all you heard when Leron paused. " But he is here with us right now so let us dance 'till we can NOT DANCE AT ALL!"
There were drums that started to play and wooden flutes that did the same as the people of Nodina stood up and did the dances and steps that were taught for the songs. People sang along with them just as Leron sang the next one:
Leron
The stars and moons gaze down on us,
As we gaze upon them.
Secretly enchanted by our beauty as
they wished they were just like us...
Flute does a little thing
Leron
The moon wishes it is the sun sometimes,
getting its only chance when it is the day
when it becames a ghostly eclispes,
blinding us with the light it processes
more brightly than the very sun
So how can we help such things as these,
that brightens our lives everyday,
through the darkness we are scared
of?
We tell them the truth...
We tell them the truth that they are
the ones with the true light...
The whole village
la la la lee la la la...
la la la...la.. la la la
la la la lee la la la...
la la la...la..la la la
The whole village and Leron
la la la lee la la la...
la la la...la..la la la
la la la lee la la la...
la la la...la..la la la
(They do this twice)
Torn watched as his daughter sung and stepped to the music as he did the same. Everytime she moved, her little skirt would flutter as her hair swayed in the air while she followed everyone who were dancing around the circle. Her hands were high in the air as she stepped at the right beat like everyone else.
Leron
The sun loves the feeling of heat
as it dispites the cold.
Wondering why it does such thing
as we sometimes do the opposite.
flute does the same thing as last time
The sun wishes so despretely,
to love the cold and heat
as you and I.
Asking itself why he must
be forced to like what he must
and not the other way around?
The truth will come...
The truth will come to when we tell it so...
Flute does the same thing as last time
starts out slow
La..la la lee la la..
faster
La la la...la... la la la
normal speed
la la la lee la la
la la la...la...la la la
Kelsey clapped her hands to the beat as she danced and sang with Torn doing the same. He watched his daughter dance like all the other children were doing, but her dancing seemed more magical everytime she stepped. It was like she was one with the wind that blew and the music that played.
The whole village and Leron
la la la lee la la la
la la la...la...la la la
la la la lee la la la
la la la...la...la la la
six times they do this
Leron
So why does the moon and sun
wish so despretely?
For things we have and they do not?
They ask us that they want it
But we tell them they have the greatest power.
Oh yes, we tell them that they have the light
for night... and... DAY!
(Background is half of the village singing the La la lee part)
Dance and dance the people in Nodina did until the moons passed over their heads. The pounding of their feet were the echo of another drum as their sweat was the only thing that kept them cool. Kelsey spun while still going in the right direction as everyone else while she clapped her hands together.
Torn picked her up and placed her on his shoulders as he danced to the beat like everyone else. She clapped her hands while he held on to her to make sure she didn't fall. He heard her laughing and he smiled at this as his steps went faster like everyone elses while he loved seeing his daughter happy because it always made him smile.
They danced until the moons no longer were in the sky, but the morning's sunlight appeared over the mountains as everyone went home feeling exhausted." That was fun," breathed out Kelsey as she was placed in bed and tucked in.
" Yeah...that was,"said Torn."You go to sleep now. You had a long day and you need your energy for tomorrow or should I saw, later today," he kissed her on the forehead and headed towards the door.
"Goodnight..."he heard her say while yawning at the same time.
" Goodnight," he said back and closed the door behind him and headed to his room.
He fell on the bed while putting the covers over him. Torn went to sleep instantly while his muscles relaxed, but before he did he knew that Erika wasn't at the dance, nor was she here. The Nodinean elf knew that she was with the guy who she was having a affair as he knew that Erika and him didn't love each other. They got a divorce the last time he was here, with Chief Leron divorcing them because Torn found out Erika was having a affair, making sure she didn't knew with the exception of their love...vanquished.
He still remembered when he fell in love with her at fifthteen and got married that same year while many marriages in the village were arranged from the parents of the child. They're were a few parents that decided not to have a arrange marriges for their children.
Erika had Kelsey when he was sixteen years old and watched her grew as Torn also became a Krimson Guard a few months later. When his daughter was one years old, that was when Erika and him started to drift apart.That was when she started seeing 'him'. Four years later, he turns twenty years old and gets a divorce that was two months ago. The Nodineans in the village that never were married to a arrange marriage could have divorces, but because there was so few people, there were barely divorces at all.
While Torn was married to Erika, life wasn't so happy and wonderful as he had expected, but more like hell to him! The only thing that came out good from that marriage was his daughter, Kelsey. Torn's only daughter and child whom he loved dearly.
Even though he wanted a son just as everyone else wanted him to do because he was the greatest fighter (warrior) in all of the Five Villages, Erika didn't want another child. Making it where he would never have the son he wanted and needed. Only men were meant to become warriors for their villages, that he knew (except for Spargus and Haven City.). Women were allowed to become warriors too but it was something that was not chosen by choice. Only the father could choose it for them.
Torn thought that the warriors in his family line had failed, but just as hope started to disappear, Kelsey came up to him at three-years-old saying, " I'm going to be the best warrior that no one has ever seen!"
To anyone, it would have been a joke to laugh at, but to Torn, he knew that she wasn't joking. He saw a fire burning in her eyes that day like she was about to battle, and he knew, from that moment, that his family line of warriors had not ended. Torn felt guilty for judging his daughter going to be like all the other females in the village, forgetting that his blood runs in her veins.
Even if she wasn't the son he wanted, Kelsey was his daughter, a child that was better than any boy he had seen competing with her in almost everything, but above all, he loved her so much.
He would protect her from all dangers, even if it meant he gave his life for her. Torn would do that as he would try and make her happy just to see her smile, but what he hoped was that Kelsey would marry who she loved and hope that person loves her back.
Torn hoped and wished that the the person she loves is the person she is meant to be with so she wouldn't go through what her father and mother had to go through.
This time, he would wait and see if his wish would come true.
The next day at 12 o'clock in the afternoon
Torn woke up at the sun's light shining on him and the sound of someone in the kitchen. He was alerted at once and grabbed his curved knife behind his pillow. The elf got up and headed towards the kitchen ready at hand. His footing was quiet as he peeked behind the corner, only to see his daughter just getting a bowl of rice.
He hid his knife behind him when she turned around. "Morning or should I say good afternoon. It is 12 o'clock," Torn smirked at this. It was kind of funny, well, to him it was. He didn't know if anyone else would have thought of it funny, but he did.
"Really? I wouldn't have known. I'll be right back. I forgot to do something in the bedroom," he went back in the room and placed his curve knife under the pillow and came back in the kitchen. He too, got a bowl and put some rice in it and sat at the small round table across from his daughter.
"So...what have you been doing this whole time while I was gone?" Torn asked as he took a spoonful of the rice. It tasted cold, but at the same time good if you were hungry. Considering that rice, bread, grapes, corn and hog meat were the main foods around here. Fish was very hard to find these days which was almost everyone's favorite food.
"Well, I've been doing my chores and Mother has been trying to make me do girly stuff or wear a dress. One time she made me wear a dress by force, but I took it off while I was at the river and Mother started to yell at me because I was running with my underwear on!" Torn started to laugh at what Kelsey said last. He couldn't believe she ran in her underwear!
He caught his breath before he spoke again," Your Mother told me that you were messing with my knifes. Without my permission either," his voice was stern and the girl lowered her head.
"Let's see how good you are."
Kelsey's head shot straight up with a toothy grin." Can I use your special ones?" she asked in a begging voice almost. Torn smirked because the special ones were his finest knives he owns with the fact that they were is warrior knives, knowing how much his daughter had an eye on it for so long.
" Just because I'm in a good mood, you can borrow them for today. Finish your rice and we'll go out to the field to practice," the two finished their bowls of rice, put them in the sink, and went to his bedroom to get their weapons.
Torn just got his curve knife while he gave Kelsey his 'special' ones. The
finest weapons he had as they were really for warriors that had worked hard for them, those knifes. They were thin and long with a slight curve in the metal that looked like silver. It was still sharp and the gold handle was very cold to the touch."These knives seem a little too big for a five-year-old," he said while comparing how tall she was to them, and he was right. The knifes were almost as tall as her, but he didn't care.
The two were already dress with Torn, in his brown pants and white button shirt with brown boots. Kelsey in the same outfit as yesturday (but she washed it when she woke up. Except this time she had no jewerly or drawings on her.)
With their knifes, the two headed towards the field to practice.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Ok, now I know that was long and probably stupid and think Torn isn't so tough or mean but trust me, he's only nice and heart-warming to his daughter but to everyone else that he doesn't like, he gives them the attitude that we all love about him but only a little bit. He doesn't want to yell at so his daughter can hear him, you know?
So, if you wanted more action, the next chapter definitely has more action so don't be disappointed. Well, please review and tell me what you thought of it and if I should continue this fic that I find rather good... in my mind since I know what will happen.
Well, see ya!
The Sacred Heart 2