Corad: Howdy my fellow readers and or reviewers! Another chapter up and rolling again for you all. Thank you to those who reviewed. Your time is very much appreciated, so thanks. Lol...the kiss...it wasn't much coz I can't write romance if my life depended on it, but at least Samos was there to ruin it like always.
Samos: What do you mean "always"?
Corad: Er, sorry Samos...I don't speak old man...but yeah, thanks again! Reviews make it all worthwhile. Now, on with the fic.
I don't own Jak and Daxter, Skytha who belongs to Jaklover, Lenna who belongs to Salena99...wait...Salena99...Salena! Where are you? I'm missing you lol. Hope you're ok and everything...it's scary not to hear from you in such a long time. But um... yeah... also Sharok is mine.
Chapter 61 – One Puzzling Morning
The following morning Jak awoke to the quiet sounds of heavy breathing. For a brief second he couldn't remember where he was, but the night before flashed in his mind, and he remembered instantly - the Underground. He wondered subconsciously whether he was the only one awake, and slid open a single eye slowly, his heart skipping a beat after seeing an orange fury face, inches from his own. He let the alarm wash over him upon opening his other eye, and coming to terms with Daxter, curled up beside him. He reminded Jak of a cat with the way he slept, just wanting to be close to their master. In Daxter's case, friend. It would be a death wish to refer himself to the ottsel's Master.
"Hmm, Daxter…" he whispered, rubbing his eyes to wake him from the sleep he'd just thoroughly enjoyed. He yawned and stretched his legs down to the end of his bed, his aching muscles feeling slightly better. He knew it would be another back breaking day. It always was, ever since his wolf curse came into his life. He just wondered how much longer it would take to go back to normal.
Groaning, he sat up, the dimness of the room taking a while to be accustomed to his eyes. Just how early was it? It appeared no one else was awake, and it bothered him. Slight movement on the other side of the wall indicated that his last train of thought was wrong.
"Sharok, are you awake?" he asked, raising his eyes hopefully as the older man moaned in reply, shifting onto his other side to look at Jak through a curtain of messy, black hair. He had small bags under his eyes, and he seemed dazed and unfocused.
"Ay I am lad. I couldn't sleep well at all last night. Damn aching shoulder. I could've pissed myself it was so dam sore," he grumbled, reaching up and laying a hand to his bandaged wound. Jak's eyes travelled down to his shoulder, and cringed when he saw the white material stained yet again. Why did that keep happening? Shouldn't it have blocked up now? Or at least, began to heal?
"Sharok, you need help?" Jak asked in a whisper, crawling to the end of his bed, taking care not to stir his Ottsel friend still hidden under the blankets. Sharok raised his head to Jak, his eyes littered with what looked like pain.
"Sure Jak. If you're capable of dressing it again, go ahead. I think I need all the help I can get," he said cheerfully, forcing out a small hint of laughter which Jak just managed to hear. Nodding, the blonde descended down the ladder, and walked over to the first aid kit on the shelf. He pulled it down and opened it up, hoping there were more dressings in here. He let a small growl escape his lips when he failed to find one.
"Dammit, there are no bandages," he hissed, pulling out the cleaning ointment anyway. Sharok struggled to get down the ladder, and motioned for Jak to follow him up the stairs into the kitchen so they wouldn't wake the others. Following him, Jak took one last glance at the serene display in the room before departing upstairs. The duo soon stopped in the small kitchen, and Sharok seated himself at the table. While the older man slid his shirt off, Jak's eyes rested on the counter, and noticed a handful of freshly washed bandages sitting there.
"Hey, there's some here!" Jak called, taking one in his hand and moving over to Sharok. He blanched slightly at the red mess, but forced himself to believe it could be worse. And so the long process of unwinding the old, bloody bandage took place. Occasionally Sharok would hiss out, but Jak knew that if he ignored it, it would be done faster. Cleaning the mess took even longer, considering the gash kept opening up and spilling blood everywhere. When the blonde had succeeded, he grabbed a fresh bandage and began dressing it in a hurry.
"Nice job lad," Sharok grunted as Jak moved around his back, pulling thedressing tightly over his shoulder. Jak laughed lightly in return, his brow furrowed in concentration. Once he'd finished, he washed his hands clean and sat down beside Sharok, his arms resting on the table. His eyes however, were staring into Sharok's as if questioning him or trying to find an answer in the deep pools of blue.
Sharok stared back, his gaze hardening as a small twitch to his lips raised his once calm expression into a sly grin, just barely noticeable if you looked hard enough. Feeling the change of mood, Jak cleared his throat, forming words inside his head which may lead to unanswered questions finally being answered. "Were you…" he began, his voice dead serious, his gaze never straying from Sharok.
"Lad, I think you know the answer to that," the older man cut-in, before rising from his seat and wandering out the kitchen. Jak felt the urge to grab his arm before he could leave, but the sight of Daxter passing Sharok in the hall made him stop.
"Daxter?" Jak said, watching as his friend came to a halt beside his feet. The Ottsel pointed to Sharok's retreating back, and muttered something about him looking dark and scary. Jak quirked an eyebrow, his mind riddled with thoughts and mysteries. Why had Sharok said that? Jak hadn't even finished his question before the man had answered. Had Sharok known Jak would question him and could somehow read his mind? Had Sharok even known what he was going to ask, or had he taken a random guess and answered without thinking. The blonde was confused, just trying to sort his mind out.
"Hey buddy, you seen kinda outta it? What happened between you two?" the ottsel enquired, tugging on Jak's pants to get his attention. The other knelt on the ground, levelling his sight with Daxter's. He gave Daxter a puzzled glance, and sighed heavily.
"Sharok…he…I…I wanted to know if he was wolfish. I wanted to find out whether he had attacked me, but before I even had the question out completely, he answered 'I think you know the answer to that'. Daxter, what is that supposed to mean? Is he or is he not wolfish?" Jak cried, smashing his fist down on the ground in frustration. Daxter felt slightly worried about Jak, but clambered up his arm and rested on his shoulder, nudging his friend in the side of the face.
"Cheer up Jak. We'll ask him again later. Maybe he thought you meant something else," the ottsel tried to persuade Jak, and he did which was a miracle. Soon Jak was making his way back down the stairs to the Underground basement, hoping someone else was awake. Upon entering, he saw Sharok sitting quietly by the desk, with one leg resting across the other. His face was sullen and he looked preoccupied with something.
Wandering silently to the desk, he took a seat across from Sharok, his eyes once again digging deeply into the other man's face. A moment of silence passed by, and the older elf raised his head, a hint of mirth mixed with mockery on his face. Jak's eyes faltered for a second, but he kept eye contact. "You're not satisfied, are you?"
Jak was startled at the low growl, but regained composure and shook his head in response. "No, I'm not." It was a simple statement, followed by a simple gesture with a wave of his hand. Sharok lowered his gaze, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
What he heard next, left Jak speechless and even more puzzled than before. "Jak…you're our key to survival. Save us," Sharok said mysteriously as he rose from his seat and left without another word. Jak glared after him, his deep voice still burrowing through his head and leaking into his pulsing veins. What is that supposed to mean? Who's survival? Their own, Haven's survival? Or could he be talking about the wolfish survival? Was he even a wolf? Jak still yearned to find out, but the man was obviously not in the mood for talking. He was too devoted to his privacy.
The thoughts wouldn't entangle themselves from the blonde's mind, and when another presence soon awoke, Jak felt somewhat grateful. His trail of beliefs was shattered when a gentle, soft hand squeezed his shoulder. Spinning around in his chair, Jak met eyes with Keira, her face still mixed with sleep and fatigue. "Keira?"
"Morning Jak, Daxter," she said in a muffled voice, relaxing in a chair beside Jak. "Had a good sleep?" She smiled warmly at Jak, and all his worries seemed to vanish along with the nagging feeling of betrayal deep in his gut.
"Yeah, it was alright I suppose. But today will no doubt be as painful as the last," he replied, returning the smile. Keira laughed softly beside him, her eyes fixed on the table before her. Silence fell amongst them for a while, no one able to figure of something to say. Keira obviously was thinking of something else inside her own mind, and Jak, he was still trying to get his head together.
"Well, I'd better be off soon. I shouldn't have stayed last night, but after seeing what lurks out there in the dark…didn't have the courage to venture out. A client of mine wanted his racing zoomer fixed up by the end of the week, and by the state of it, I'd say I can't waste any time. Oh, and Jak…the first class race will be held in a couple of day's time. All the best racers will be competing this time round," Keira whispered, rising from the seat and brushing back a few loose strands of hair from her eyes.
Jak stood up after her, and followed Keira up the stairs and stood outside, the chilly morning air gently flowing past and tickling his face. The sun was just rising, its golden rays casting a warm glow amongst the awaking city. He was enjoying soaking in the early morning, knowing he was lucky enough to see the beauty of it all. Some people only took it for granted.
"Okay Jak, I'll contact you when the race finals have been organized. Um, take care for me Jak. Don't get into any trouble alright!" she said, forcing a cheerful tone although Jak could tell she was slightly worried for his safety.
"You too Keira," he replied, stepping forward to give her a hug. When he released her, she whirled around and left at a quick walk, turning back once to wave goodbye. The blonde stood watching her until she rounded a corner, and let out a long sigh. Deep down he knew she could fend for herself if anything should happen, but just something within him wanted to argue that.
The sun above had risen a little more, spreading an even glow which could reach the far end of the city now. At least it would be a sunny day he mused to himself. As Jak entered the base he halted at the stairs, noticing Samos and Torn shuffling about at last. It appeared Jinx and Ashelin were still asleep, so the younger elf wandered down the stairs cautiously and approached the other two. Upon approaching, the old Sage lifted his head and gave Jak a warm smile.
"Ah Jak my boy. You're up early," Samos welcomed, clearing a few items and paper from the desk so they were free to eat breakfast. Jak returned the smile as he sat down again, resting his elbows on the hard surface of the desk. Daxter had been busy aiding Torn and Samos clearing the desk, and was currently sitting on the table top, wiping his brow.
"I couldn't sleep. Besides, Sharok's wound opened up again in the night. Soaked in blood, so you know, I had to clean it," Jak softly muttered. Samos and Torn both stopped to look at him, finding it hard to believe. Torn in particular had a puzzled look across his features, and Jak could only imagine what was running through his head. After a few moments of silence, Daxter spoke up.
"Yeah, and Jak went to see off Keira," he stated simply, crossing his furry arms over his chest. But no one bothered to give a response that to, so silence still shrouded them. It was Samos who finally piped up after the table had been cleared completely and Torn had rushed upstairs to find breakfast.
"Now Jak, I have a message from Seem," he began, surveying Jak closely from across the table.
"Seem? Seem has a message for me?" Samos nodded, and continued on speaking quietly, so he wouldn't disturb the others.
"Yes Jak. She requests to see you today, out in the Monk Temple. She feels that answers may be found out there, and wants to lead you to uncover those answers. Please Jak, this is very important. I suggest you go see her straight away. We may finally solve the mystery to these wolves." Jak sat pondering over the proposition for a while. He wasn't entirely enthusiastic about venturing out into the barren Wasteland, but if there was a slight chance he could sort this out, he was willing to go.
"Ok Samos, I'll go now. Say goodbye to everyone for me. Come on Dax," Jak finished, giving his ottsel friend the chance to reside on his shoulder. Before he made to leave, he spotted the trophy Keira had bought around last night, and picked it up. Clutching it tightly in his hand, he spun around and made his way hurriedly up the stairs and out the door, running hard into city. He passed many Elves on his way, out walking or heading to work, but ignored them all. By the time he reached the Port entrance, his legs were beginning to ache and beads of sweat were dripping down his hot face, some of it sliding down his slim neck.
"Makes you wonder Dax…makes you wonder…" Jak said after he'd set his pace to a quick walk for the remainder of the trip. Daxter was still clutching the shoulder pad tightly, but was now giving Jak strange looks.
"Makes you wonder what?" The blonde shrugged his shoulders, and pointed above him where a few zoomers were flying past.
"I'm trying to hold back on zoomer usage. I figured it was a nice morning, why not enjoy it. However, it's a bit hard to enjoy it while running like a bat outta hell," Jak replied, finally reaching the bar door. He wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his glove, and waited for the door to acknowledge him and slide open. When it did, the duo stepped in, and made their way to the back of the bar.
Jak placed the second class trophy down on the counter, and gazed around the room, eyes resting on Erol's section. He mentally laughed at the sight before him, but contained his casual self and instead sat down in a stool, still eying the scene suspiciously.
"Up for some breakfast?" Jak jumped at the voice, and cut his view from Erol and Skytha, sleeping in each others arms to face a sleek, black ottsel holding pancake mix and a fry pan.
"Um, I'm kinda in a hurry this morning Simron. But thanks anyway…"
"Yeah, in a real hurry! You're spying on those two!" Simron shot back, putting the fry pan on the small stove (Sharok: I don't remember there ever being a stove in the Naughty Ottsel! Corad: SHUT IT!) and putting a small amount of cooking oil in it. While the pan heated, Simron turned back to Jak, a sly grin on his face. "If you're wondering, I think those two have somewhat…fancied each other for a while," Simron continued, pointing to the duo in Erol's booth.
Jak shook his head, a small smile planted on his lips. He could remember when they first met. Both were at each other's throats, daring not to trust the other. But now…they looked so peaceful. How they gained the courage to trust one another was beyond Jak, because he knew two years back, that if he'd been in Skytha's position, Erol would've slit his throat by now. It was horrible to think about, but Sky could take care of herself, and Erol…he felt Erol had finally changed himself.
"It's good they're friends now. I wouldn't want them to do each other in. A murder in this bar wouldn't be good publicity," Jak joked, watching Simron pour in some pancake mix into the pan. The smell of cooking pancakes filled Jak's senses, and he yearned to stay for some, but nagging inside his head were both Light and Dark. Their voices, penetrating his mind, complaining he should hurry and be off, kept his mind from even considering staying. Instead, he turned to Daxter, to find him gone.
"Dax?" Jak said quietly, turning around to look at the whole room, but couldn't see any orange. "Dax?"
"Here buddy! I've got your gun ready and polished!" Daxter called from the stairs, wandering slowly up to Jak while inspecting the nice shine the gun held to it. He offered the morph gun to Jak, who took it with a large grin on his face. It looked as good as new.
"Thanks Dax. We'd better be off now. Seem may already be there, and it'll take a while to get to the Monk Temple," Jak informed, rising from the stool and slotting his gun into its sling across his back. Dax scurried up his arm and settled himself on the pad, while Jak bid Simron good-day. Before the blonde left, he turned one last time to Skytha, who was resting her head against Erol's shoulder. She looked peaceful there; the most peaceful Jak had ever seen her. Maybe it was the comfort Erol was obviously giving her, or the way his arms were wrapped unconsciously around her shoulders, but either way she looked at peace.
It brought a smile to Jak's face. Who ever thought that Erol, the insane, blood lusting ex-commander, could ever provide comfort and warmth? To Jak it was just unbelievable, but it was displayed in front of his very eyes. Maybe there really was a generous, protective side to the Erol he knew. Just maybe…
"Come on Jak, stop gawking at Skytha and Eroland let's go!" Daxter whined, nudging Jak's cheek with his furry elbow. Jak swatted his arms away from his face, the fur irritating his skin, and made his way towards the door. He departed without another look back, and kept silent on his way to the air train. It had been a nice sight, really. Haven city did need more love and friendship, especially during the current time. So much death and blood had destroyed what little love the city once had. It was sad to think about, but it was the truth. The cold, hard truth and Jak knew that.
Upon reaching the blue air Train, the driver unlocked the back hatch, giving an entrance for Jak. He scrambled up the ramp created by the door, and sat down on the seat just as the air train began to rise over the port and move swiftly through the air over the wall. The hatch finally closed, setting the small compartment in almost darkness if it hadn't had been for the little lights on the ceiling. They were dim, but they provided a warming glow nonetheless. The gentle rocking of the air train began to die down a little while later, and soon came to a halt before the back door opened up. Intense sunlight filtered into the compartment, blinding Jak as he stumbled out into the sand. Daxter was shielding his eyes to hide them from the bright sun reflecting off the sand, but Jak knew he had to get used to it.
Fluttering his eyes open, he forced himself to take in the sun and accept it. Tears formed though as a result, but he ran over to the main gate to Spargus, and waited impatiently for the steel doors to grant him entrance. Once they had, the blond stepped forward, happy to note that inside Spargus garage it wasn't as bright. However, he wasn't happy at the sight of Kliever and what appeared to be Veger clutching his large shoulder for dear life. It was too late for Jak to do anything, for the two had spotted them and were approaching.
Corad: Oh man...Kleiver finally made an appearance, and so did Veger. As another note, I can't look at Kleiver seriously anymore either, so the beginning of the next chapter will be weird...very weird. Well, not as weird as my mental state right now, but you get the point. Made the chapter longer again...the next chappie is better coz it has action in it at last. No more of this...sitting around confabbing business...lol, confabulator...that's so funny...I have the craziest bro...heheheheh...anyhow, hope ya liked that chapter. If you have time, review. They keep me motivated and happy, coz I know ppl like my worthless, trash based, writing. It feels like my head is about to keel over and die...eheheh...heh...expect next update at the end of the week or weeeekend...uh, there's too many Es in that but I'm too lazy to go back and change it...bye guys...
