Corad: Howdy again ppls. I had originally planned to update this on Tuesday, but my floppy disk wouldn't open it up at my mum's, and the original copy was 40km away sitting on my dad's comp...but it's here now. Stupid floppy disk...I'll teach you to come up with an error! (starts shaking fist at random object). Anyhow, thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. The reviews arevery encouraging, so thanks to all who take the time!

Don't own Jak and Daxter, but I own this plot...please enjoy...somehow...


Chapter 35 – The Pendant

"So, how did you guys go?" Ashelin asked as soon as the duo walked through the HQ lift door. Her eyes were burning into Jak as he approached the table, and he felt slightly uncomfortable. He was about to lie to her, and just knowing her gaze was looking into him, made it worst.

"We did ok. We found some evidence. At the stadium Dax and I found some grey hair scattered around the ground. We're thinking that the murderer had either grey hair…or fur…we also inspected the Yakow paddocks and came across a sight of obvious struggle. Trees trunk were slashed, grass and dirt torn up…blood dripping from the branches. We're thinking that whatever did this, has large claws and quite a powerful body," Jak replied, putting his hand into his waist bag and pulling out the grey hair.

Ashelin put out her palm so Jak tipped the hair into it. She raised her hand to her face, and looked at the hair closely. Silence filled the room, before it was eventually broken by movement near the desk. Jak glanced up to Ashelin to see her pull out a small, plastic bag. She placed the hair inside and sealed it up, before placing it in the centre of the desk.

"Thanks for that Jak. I will get this to Torn as soon as I can, and maybe we can sort out this murder mystery," she said, brushing back some pink locks of hair. Jak nodded in return, and motioned for Daxter to climb back onto his shoulder. The orange Ottsel scuttled across the floor, and stopped at Jak's feet, noticing the pendant hanging out of his friend's waist bag.

"Err, Jak…Psssttt…Jak!" Daxter whispered, waving to Jak who seemed preoccupied talking to Ashelin. It wasn't long before Daxter had scurried up Jak's leg did the pendant fall out. It clattered loudly on the floor, catching the elf's attention. "Told ya Jak," Daxter muttered with a blank face, as Jak leant down and scooped up the cold, round metal in his hand. Ashelin was giving him strange looks, so he decided he'd better head out before the pendant was taken from him.

"I'll err, see ya later Ashelin," Jak said hastily, gripping the pendant so tightly in his hand to hide it from view, that it began to cut into his glove. He ignored it however, and dashed to the lift door. With a smooth movement of the doors, he was granted entrance to the lift. Waving one last time to Ashelin, the doors closed and the lift descended.

"Why didn't you tell me Dax! I could have lost this!" Jak snapped, placing the pendant back into his bag, where he zipped it up. Daxter growled impatiently, before starting up one of his arguments.

"I did tell you Jak! But you just acted as if I didn't exist! You should be glad Ashelin didn't ban it for inspection," the Ottsel said, crossing his furry arms. The lift finally came to a halt, and the ground level doors opened up. Jak stepped out into the open air yet again, and glanced around the street. The population present had decreased since he had last been out here, and the sky had gradually become darker. Feeling a slight chill rise up his spine, Jak scanned the area, resting his eyes on an abandoned zoomer.

Jak strolled hurriedly over to the parked vehicle, and mounted the seat. Straddling the leather seat, he switched on the engine, and was met by a face full of black smoke. "Jak, I don't think this zoomer is road worthy!" Daxter cried out, coughing in unison with Jak, trying to clear out the horrible smoke from his face.

"It'll have to do Daxter! That storm's getting closer, and I don't want to stay out here if it rains!" Jak shouted out, fumbling around the handle bars for the accelerator. He found he soon after, and twisted the bar gently, sending the zoomer flying at an unsteady pace forwards. The seat below him vibrated strangely, and he felt that the longer the engine was left running, the more of a risk it would have if it decided to blow up.

Wasting no time, the elf switched hover zones and pushed the zoomer into full throttle. He felt air brush past his face, and with the mixture of smoke, began to sting at his eyes. Daxter was experiencing the same, however he kept his eyes closed most the ride. Jak, unable to do so, pulled down his goggles and attempted to steer the zoomer using one eye.

The trip had somehow been a successful one, and as Jak pulled up outside the Naughty Ottsel, he felt the engine give one last heave before falling dead. "At least it got us here," Jak muttered lightly, glancing down at the worn and wrecked zoomer when he had dismounted from it. Daxter snorted at it, seeming to find the sight of black smoke billowing out the engine a funny sight. Jak laughed quietly too, before the zoomer blew up and sent metal shards flying in every direction. The elf and Ottsel took quick action, and found themselves inside the bar, back leaning against the door, panting.

"That was too close Daxter…never let me laugh at a zoomer looking like that ever again," Jak said, glancing down at his friend with wide eyes. Daxter gave Jak the thumbs up in return, before sliding down the door and collapsing in a heap on the floor.

"Don't tell me we have drama queens now," a sneering voice said loudly from across the room. Jak looked up to see Erol strolling down the stairs, the same lighter grasped in his hand. Jak felt uneasy at the way Erol glared at him, and how he held that lighter. The fact that he had just emerged from upstairs, where he knew Skytha would be, also didn't go well with his instincts.

"What have you done?" Jak said darkly, taking short steps towards the smiling face of his new comrade. Erol gave a small laugh, acknowledging Jak's sudden conclusion, before turning his back on him. Jak gritted his teeth as Erol sat down at the bar, back turned. "Well, I want an answer," Jak snapped, walking up to the other elf. Erol placed the lighter on the counter, and looked up at Jak, a mad glint in his eye.

"I've been doing nothing Jak. I was just having a brief, friend to friend chat with Skytha. She appears to have a secret…a secret which I know you'd dream to hear…" Erol whispered, casting his gaze back to his lighter. Jak noticed a few, deep cuts on Erol's hand as he reached across the counter.

"What happened to you?" Jak asked in alarm, but Erol withdrew his hand from sight, and his mad glinting eyes turned to ice. Jak figured he'd just stepped into painful territory, and didn't press on the subject any further. Instead he took a seat beside Erol, and opened up his waist bag. He pulled out the pendant he had found, and lowered it to the counter top before Erol.

Erol glanced up at Jak, and same icy feeling flooding through his eyes, before reaching for the pendant with his pre-bandaged hand. He embraced the cold metal, and examined it from every angle possible. Finally after a few long minutes of silence, he spoke.

"Where did you find this? What is it anyway….I mean, look at all those markings…" Erol muttered, looking at the wolf paw to the elf hand. He tossed it into the air a few times for amusement, before Jak swiped out and caught it mid throw.

"I found it at one of the murder sights. Heap of blood and torn grass. Obviously something's happened there. Also found this. Whatever this is, it's connected with the murderer. If my calculations are correct, we have savage wolves on our hands," Jak finished off, placing the pendant back on the table. Erol raised an eyebrow at Jak, before shaking his head dismally.

"Could've worked that out without the pendant. I don't think an Elf would dare commit a murder. The harshest laws have been put in place I hear," Erol murmured in a conversational way. Jak nodded his head in reply, remembering Ashelin's new law for this very matter: "We are now upstaging a new law. I hereby pledge that any murder will be dealt with by death. For an elf to commit murder, they themselves will have their life taken". Yes, those words had been haunting Jak for the past few months, seeing he was known to murder a few by "accident". And with his new wolf form living inside his mind and soul, he feared the death penalty more. Although Ashelin and Torn claimed to protect him and to always be by his side, he knew that if he killed…if he took a life…they would have to take his.

"So, how was your trip?" Erol sneered suddenly, knocking Jak from his thoughts. Jak blinked a few times, and looked up into Erol's face. Erol looked as though he wasn't enjoying sitting next to Jak, but was trying to force some form of conversation to work so he no longer had to dwell on it.

"Well, apart from crashing into a wall and having a few angry citizens screaming at me, it was alright. Why you ask?" Jak wondered aloud. Erol snapped up, and shrugged in return.

"Ashelin warned me I might be heading out on a few missions with you soon. Claims it's unhealthy for me to be stuck inside a bar, and wants me out helping the 'cause'," Erol replied blankly, before shifting his weight from the stool so he stood up. Jak sighed loudly and glanced down at the pendant again as Erol headed over to his booth. He wanted to find out the truth behind the small round object, but couldn't think of anyone to help him.

He sat quietly at the bar for what seemed like ages. Daxter had already headed up to bed, Erol was muttering nonsense in his sleep, and Jak hadn't heard anything of Skytha since he got back. But his mind was elsewhere. The small pendant had found a permanent home within his cluttered thoughts, and he didn't seem to notice the dark green eyes watching him from the stairs.


Corad: Can I eat da pudding now? No? Awwwww...so ah, how was that chapter? I screwed up big time last chapter. I mixed up the Yin and Yang. Turns out Yang was the light colored one and Yin was the dark...never rely on my brain, coz it will fail ya like it failed me...but yeah, just thought I'd point that out. Nothing that exciting really happened in this chapter sorry...well, we did have the zoomer blowing up scene. That'd be more Palace Story material...maybe I can work that in somewhere...yes, I can see it now. Praxis will try to ride an ordinary zoomer, but his weight will cause it to struggle, resulting in the engine blowing up, taking the body of it and Praxis with it. Hehehehehehehe, yeah...(wipes tear of joy outta eye). Anyhow, hope this chappie was ok though. If you feel like leaving a review, then that's cool. If not, that's cool also. Toodles for now fellow readers! See yas next time!