Corad: (Squealing like a fangirl) Somedude! Ya can back! Aww, that just made me ten times happier lol. Thanks for coming back. I know what ya mean about school doing dastardly things to free time. Thanks for liking my fanart too. If you ever wanted a request, feel free to ask for one. Before I forget too, guys I put up a new picture on fanart central. By now most of you know Skytha's brother, so if you want to see them together 9 years ago, just go to my homepage. I have a really cute one I'm currently coloring, so that may go up tonight too. Um, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chappie! Every review is appreciated and makes me glad to continue on. Now, on with the chapter. This one's a bit longer coz I'm getting more written now per chapter. So, please enjoy!
I don't own Jak and Daxter, but Sharok's mine lol. Don't know if that's something to be proud of mind you...
Chapter 59 - The truth told
"Jak, what are you doing here?" Torn asked suddenly, just as Jak stepped through the Underground door with Daxter. The leader was smiling up at him from the desk, and Jak noticed that Ashelin was also there.
"Well, I just went for a walk and decided to come here. Been one hectic day Torn," Jak replied, sitting on a spare bed. Torn gave off a rough form of laugh, and shook his head while Daxter leapt off his shoulder.
"Yeah I know Jak. That hunting trip this morning was a total waste of time," he said, resting his head in his palm. Ashelin rolled her eyes at him, taking a sip of water from a bottle. She seemed a little uptight about something, but Jak didn't bother questioning her about it.
"So Torn, have any plans for tonight?" the blonde asked, stretching out his arms before laying them on his lap. Torn shrugged his shoulders, turning to Ashelin.
"Anything planned, Ash?" Ashelin gave Torn a small smile, and shook her head. She did look slightly saddened by something too; Jak picked out, but kept quiet although his Ottsel friend kept pointing at her making faces. "Well, Jinx will be coming back shortly. He went to check in at the medical ward this afternoon. Had his arm x-rayed and such, possibly had his cast replaced. Although I can fix up injuries and bind broken limbs, my work is far from perfect."
Jak beamed at the thought of Jinx coming around. It would be great to see him again, walking around like his usual self. "Also, Sharok will be returning sometime tonight. I had to fix up his shoulder after our failed attack. Right mess that was, poor guy. I'm surprised he refused stitches," Torn continued, his gaze wavering around the room.
"Well, I guess some of us can handle more pain than others," Ashelin finally spoke, her voice dull. Torn sighed heavily and snaked an arm around her shoulders.
"I know it's hard Ash, but we can get through this together, alright. Just trust me, and heck, trust Jak. Most likely save all our sorry asses," the leader said gently, pulling Ashelin in a warming hug. Jak surveyed the two closely, and figured something must have happened without his knowledge.
"Has something happened Torn?" Jak asked, directing his question at the older elf, sitting with a solemn face expression. Torn nodded his head gently, tightening his grip on Ashelin.
"Some of the citizens have sent threats out to Ashelin. Some of them saying to get her act together and sort out the problem, others threatening to remove her from the throne. On top of all that, the whole city is blaming her for the wolf attacks," Torn muttered, patting her reassuringly on the back. Jak narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze away from Torn.
"If anyone's to blame, it's me. How do you know I haven't been killing the elves…what if…what if my wolf mind morphs while I'm asleep, and I'm unaware of it!" Jak suddenly said, sitting rigidly on the bed. Torn let out a small, raspy laugh, standing up from the desk and wandering over to Jak.
"Jak, Erol or Daxter would have seen or heard you. Besides, you need contact from the moon to change. Your wolf mind can't morph unless you have contact with the moon, alright. It's like the changing of the tide. The moon controls the movement of the ocean, just like it controls your form. Don't start saying this rubbish Jak," Torn instructed, resting his hands firmly on Jak's shoulders.
"Yeah Jak, we would have seen ya leave buddy," his ottsel piped up, patting Jak's arm in the hopes of snapping him out of that thought. Jak nodded in return, his face still turned away from Torn and even Daxter.
"If anything Jak, you'll be our key to sorting this whole situation out," Torn finished, wandering back over to the desk and embracing Ashelin again with his arm. Jak sighed, nodding his head slightly at Torn's reassuring words. Maybe the older elf was right. Surely if he had changed, his wolfish self wouldn't drag him all the way back to the bar after a night of hunting. And just like Torn had said, his friends would see him leave.
"Thanks Torn," the blonde mumbled softly, resting his head back on the wall. Torn grinned back, before flipping through a few sheets of paper. He found what he was looking for, and raised it above the desk for Jak to look at. Squinting his eyes to see it clearly, Jak could make out a photo. A photo of a waste Lander and a wolf, standing side by side, as if they were companions.
"Vin found yet another image before Jak. It seems that the wolves once worked alongside elves. Or at least, befriended one another. But over time, something appeared to have happened to force the two apart. Or maybe this is just a photo of a waste Lander with his pet wolf. Either way," Torn called out while Jak's eyes still roamed across the happy smiling face of a tall and sturdy looking man draped in a thick shawl and coat. His eyes then fell from the man to the wolf, whose piercing blue eyes seemed oddly familiar.
"Who is that man?" Jak asked suddenly, getting off the bed to take a closer look, Daxter scurrying after him. Torn shrugged in return, handing over the photo so the younger man could look more closely.
"He's probably just a Waste Lander Jak. Nothing special. The wolf however is something to be curious of." Jak's surprised face turned to that of a frown, when he realized the same leather straps across the wolf's chest. He was pretty sure he'd encountered this same wolf.
"I've seen him before. He was the one that attacked me," Jak stated blankly, handing back the photo and sitting down at the desk beside Ashelin. The leader furrowed his brow, deep in thought while studying the photo for himself. Daxter however jumped up onto the desk, trying to get a look at the wolf for himself.
"You sure? If that's the case, then I'm thinking something has happened between both races." Jak sat pondering over it all, while the door at the top of the stairs slid open, and a frustrated man stumbled in. Peering up from Torn's face, and shifting his gaze slightly right, Jak could just make out a neat sling arranged over an arm.
"Ah Jinx, you're back!" Torn cried, getting up and dragging an extra chair for Jinx to sit down. The other man slumped forward, and collapsed in a heap on the chair, groaning in discomfort.
"Damn Doctor. Claims I should've seen him straight away," Jinx growled, resting his broken arm more comfortably across his chest. Jak held back laughter, finding the whole situation to be amusing. Yes, the blonde had acted quite differently when they had believed Jinx to be dead, but now he was alive and well (A/N except for that time I gave him a bear hug o.O) he just found the situation funny.
"What are you snickering at?" Jinx hissed, his eyes now narrowed and piercing Jak's skull. The blonde looked away, snorting back a sudden urge to laugh. With a bit of help from Torn, who was glaring daggers at him, he managed to control his laughter.
"We were just discussing the alliance of wolves and elves," Torn interrupted, before anything went wrong or an argument unwillingly occurred. Jinx's trail of thought was shattered as he reached out to take the photo from Torn. His eyes strayed downwards, and his face grew puzzled and confused.
"Vin believes that we elves had a bond…or a link, with these wolf creatures. But over the past decade or so, we've began to break apart, thus resulting in a rivalry. Possibly due to the invasion of territory, or mass slaughtering of metal heads, I'm not sure," Torn informed, his eyes traveling from Jinx's shocked expression, to Jak who sat with his arms now crossed, then to Daxter, who stood silently on the table scratching his backside. Finally they rested on Ashelin who still looked uptight and solemn.
"Well, maybe if we repair the damage they'll quit attacking us," Jinx suggested flatly, tossing the photo back on the desk and pulling out a cigarette before lighting it. Jak cringed when he smelt a faint tinge of smoke pass by him, and turned his head completely away from Jinx so he wouldn't inhale any of it.
Some time passed by in silence, Jinx still smoking, unaware of the glare Jak was giving him. Torn kept muttering words of encouragement to Ashelin while patting her gently on the back, trying to get her to cheer up. But when the door opened yet again, all faces turned to see Sharok wandering down the stairs. Jak's eyes first laid upon his tired face, but traveled down to his shoulder, bandaged tightly by the looks of things.
"Sorry I'm late. A few citizens held me up, requesting help. What could I do but accept?" he murmured, reaching the desk and removing his shoulder pads before placing them on the wooden surface on the table. Torn rose from his seat, and reached out to Sharok's left shoulder, gripping his upper arm tightly to examine it.
"Geez man, what have you done to it? The bandages are all bloody again!" Torn scowled, lifting up Sharok's left sleeve and seeing the mess which had once again formed on the clean bandages. The leader instructed Sharok to sit down and take off his shirt, while he searched for yet another bandage. The way he was going, he'd most likely run out soon.
Jak turned away, not wanting to witness any of it, and instead turned to Ashelin. He felt he should at least give a try to make her feel better, even if he did fail miserably. "You know Ashelin, we'll win this. I won't ever let the city kick you out," he said, gripping her shoulder.
"Yeah Sweet Stuff. We'll kill those wolves for ya!" the Orange Ottsel shot in, giving the governess the thumbs up. She smiled weakly at them both, but broke her gaze when a lot of cursing shattered the almost silent base.
"Ah (beep)! Don't be so rough Torn! You're tearing it off!" Sharok cried, wincing as Torn fumbled around with the bandage, trying to peel it off the bloody skin. Jak felt his insides clench sickeningly, and his face paled. The sight before him made him grimace.
"Hey, maybe if you accepted stitches like the medic said, you wouldn't be in this mess! It needs to be stitched up Sharok, or your wound will keep on opening up!" Torn bellowed back, tossing the blood soaked bandage to the floor, before pulling out a bottle of antiseptic and a clean cloth. Torn was right, and Jak could see it. From what he could see, the wound in the man's shoulder was not a little gash that he once thought, but a deep one. Fresh blood began trickling down his arm, mixing in with the ointment Torn was trying to clean it with. It was a horrible sight.
"Are you sure you did that on a rock?" Daxter suddenly snapped, while Ashelin rose from the desk to help Torn dress the wound. Sharok narrowed his eyes, biting his bottom lip to hold back screams of pain and discomfort.
"Yes, a rock did this. And to answer your request Torn, I cannot get stitches! I…arrrrrrggggghhhh! Dammit, be more careful!" Sharok hissed, his face contorted in anger and pain. Torn ignored him however, and kept applying pressure to the gash to make it stop bleeding. "I have my reasons to…Argh! I have my reasons to keep it like this. The bleeding doesn't faze me, but the concern you all have does," he finished, his eyes tearing up as the liquid began burning at his flesh.
Torn instructed Ashelin to keep the cloth pressed against Sharok's skin, while he searched for a bandage to wrap around. He found one hidden under a stack of painkillers and such, and even found another small cloth which he thought would be handy. "Well Sharok, I mean, sure you can go around like this, but don't come to me once it's infected. Better make sure your arm won't get affected by it, or…" Torn muttered, motioning with his hand the movement of an arm being severed off. Sharok's face blanched even more than it had been a few moments ago.
"He's right Sharok," Ashelin said gently, removing the cloth while Torn laid a clean, dry one to his wound and began wrapping another bandage over it. Jak noted how difficult it looked to secure it on, for Torn had to wrap it all around his chest and arm just to cover his shoulder. He was glad he wasn't the one dressing it.
'But wait a minute, remember that wolf you fought? His shoulder wound, it's in the same place that you stabbed the wolf,' a voice inside his mind spoke, and he widened his eyes in horror. Nah, it could only be a coincidence, right? What's the chances that Sharok…the Sharok, was a were wolf? But he had found him at the pumping station, making strange noises familiar to howls. And even Torn claimed the man preferred to stay out late at night. But really, the accusation just seemed futile right now. Maybe if he took it up with Torn later about it. See what he thought.
"There, all done." Jak was shaken out of his thoughts at the sight of Torn heading towards a basin at the back of the room to wash the blood off his hands. Ashelin packed up the first aid and laid it to the side of the room on a shelf, while Sharok slipped his shirt back over his head. His face was still contorted with pain, but he managed to keep himself calm, given the pulsing in his shoulder had grown.
"So, will you be staying tonight, Jak?" Torn suddenly asked, drying his hands on a small hand towel resting on a hook in the wall. An offer to stay for the night? He may as well, considering nightfall would be around shortly. Besides, he felt the need to catch up with his friends.
"Sure Torn. Just hope Simron will be ok with Erol. I left them both back at the bar," Jak replied. The leader snorted in laughter, shaking his head whilst sitting back down beside Ashelin.
"He'll be fine Jak. That Ottsel will be fine. You know, I think Keira will be around shortly too. Samos said something about her coming here." So, Keira was coming around? That gave Jak something to look forward too. He hadn't spent much time with his friend, and considering the mess the town was in, feared he may not get a chance.
"Great!" the blonde replied with a smile, leaning back in his seat and resting his arms behind his head. Catch up time with Keira. He couldn't hope for more. 'Jak, if she is coming, why not reveal your wolf side?' Light suddenly called out from inside his head. He winced at the abrupt suggestion, and winced again at the thought of actually admitting to Keira he'd obtained yet another ego. 'I can't Light. She'd hate me. I can see her now, pushing me away in fear I'll hurt her. She's better off not knowing,' Jak replied back, mentally hitting himself for lying to Keira. Dark however interrupted any other thoughts he had, with a simple and agitated 'Just tell her dumbass'.
So his egos had decided for him. He was going to reveal to Keira his wolfish side. The curse he'd been trying to keep hidden was finally going to be exposed to her. "Jak, Ashelin and I are heading out to get some food. We'll come back later alright. Watch over these three while we're gone," Torn said, adding that last bit in a hurried whisper before being dragged by the arm out the front door.
While Torn and Ashelin were out getting dinner for the group currently residing in the Underground, Samos and Keira had both arrived. As the old green Sage wandered down the stairs and seated himself at the desk, Keira approached Jak, her beaming face sending a dagger through his heart.
"Jak, I brought your trophy from the second class race! You only have one race to go! And the prize is worthwhile, I can tell you that," Keira said happily, placing the silver trophy in front of Jak, before occupying Ashelin's empty seat.
Jak felt himself go numb inside, just gazing at her cheerful and unaware face. Would revealing his curse push her away? Would it hurt her to know? 'No backing out now!' Dark snapped inside, and he closed his eyes, shaking his head to rid of the voices. He felt Dark shatter from his thoughts, before his mind fell silent again.
Encouragement was what he really needed, and Light was happy to provide him with it. 'Jak, just stay calm and explain to her what happened. She must hear it from you, not from others. What happens if she witnessed you change. What would happen then? Please Jak, Dark and I will both support you.'
Ok, now or never. He raised his gaze, and set it upon the girl still smiling cheerfully back at him. "Keira, can you accompany me outside for a moment…there's something I need to tell you." His voice was solemn and barely audible, but Keira did what he asked and soon both were standing outside, the last rays of the sun setting gently over the city. Soon he'd change; right before her eyes.
"Keira I…I…" he began, trying to form words inside his head. Nothing he thought of would explain the situation to Keira without her over reacting. Nothing formed inside his head which could help him out. 'Jak, you're running out of time!' Light's soft voice called eerily, and Jak noted the sun, still moving ever so slightly, towards the horizon.
"I'm sorry Keira," he finally forced out, and glanced sideways at her. She looked confused, but she began to take small steps towards him. He felt her small hands take hold of his own, and looked into her reassuring eyes. They were so beautiful.
"Jak, are you ok? I mean, what are you apologizing for?" she asked, her voice soft and soothing. He sighed heavily, and raised his head to the sky, peering at the stars that were slowly appearing. Dusk was almost over, and he still hadn't told her.
"Keira, I'm sorry for ignoring you. I'm sorry for…not being around often enough. And, I'm sorry for…lying to you. Friends don't lie to one another, and neither do they conceal things. But what I'm going to tell you, I just didn't want it to…push you away. Keira, I have another…" before Jak could finish, a large shadow passed over them, and the two looked instinctively upwards at the sky.
The sight horrified Jak, but from Keira's shocked scream, it had horrified her more. Above them, soaring over the city, was a wolf. Jak could only make out its silhouette, struggling to see who was flying above. Keira's hand was suddenly yanked from his own, and he whirled around, to see her rush back for the door. With dusk almost over, he might never get another chance.
"Keira! Wait!" he shouted, flinging his arms out and grabbing hold of his friend tightly. She squirmed in his grip to retreat back inside, but his warm words calmed her slightly, his embracing hug reassuring it would all be ok. "Keira, don't be afraid. I don't have time to explain, but please, don't run. Don't leave me, ok? Promise?"
Keira looked around nervously, still caught up in a warming hug. She wasn't sure what Jak was talking about, but rested her head on his shoulder. "Jak, I won't run. I trust you," she whispered, and Jak gave a sad smile, before releasing her. He took a step back, his eyes focused on her the entire time. He feared Keira's reaction more than anything, even more than being caught by the Freedom League and executed. But Keira…she had to know.
"Trust me," were his final words, before the moon glinted, reflecting on his skin. Pain flared up everywhere, engulfing him in what felt like searing hot flames. He gasped out, crying uncontrollably as he felt his body twist around. But he cried out in grief at Keira's reaction.
Sharok: You like seeing me in pain, don't you.
Corad: Um...no...but um, you were stupid enough to fall on a rock, remember.
Sharok: (growling under breath)
Corad: Ok, there's another chappie down. The next one has Samos in it...and coz I can't look at Samos without cracking up laughing anymore, he doesn't appear to be very err...serious in the next chapter. Kinda like Praxis really. I hope you enjoyed that update, although nothing really happened in it...but I hope ya enjoyed it anyway. Please review if you have time. I ask this every chapter update, but please just leave any form of comment. It's not too hard...
Sharok: Leave the people alone Corad.
Corad: Ok...well, I guess I'll see ya all in the next update, probably next weekend sometime! Toodles!
