Chapter VI: The Desert Kingdom
LES: Hey, Dark, how's it going?
Dark: Fine. Just waiting for you to put me back into the story.
LES: So… whatcha doing?
Dark: Nothin'. Just chillin'… killin'.
LES: Sweet…
Jak groaned as he came too yet again. He was getting rather sick of all this. If he was going to die, shouldn't he just die? Why did he have to be stuck on the edge of life like this?
Then he heard a familiar voice. "I love water… It's so good. Desert bad."
Jak opened his eyes. "Dax?"
"Jak? Hey! You're awake!" Daxter jumped onto Jak's bed and offered the elf a cup full of water. He grabbed it greedily and downed it in a single gulp. "Hey! You drank all my water!" Daxter grumbled.
Once Jak had finished drinking Daxter's water, he gazed at his surroundings. They appeared to be in some sort of hospital. There was no sign of Pecker. "Where's Pecker?" Jak asked.
"Don't know, haven't seen him." Daxter said. "Probably died in the desert."
"So, you've come back from the dead, have you?" A new voice said, a voice that was familiar. Jak looked up and saw that it was the man who had been helping to cure him. He was a powerfully built man who must've been at least a full foot taller than Jak. He wore some sort of spiked crown on his head and he carried a huge staff that looked more than capable of bashing a Metal-Head's brains in. "And my monks were ready to pray for your soul."
Jak was confused. "Who are you? Where am I?" He asked.
"I am Damas, King of Spargus." The man introduced himself. "And you are in the Spargus sick bay."
"Spargus? A city?" Jak asked. "Wait. No one lives outside of Haven's walls… especially not a whole city!"
"Ah yes, we are the forgotten ones." King Damas said. "Haven City's scum and criminals thrown out and left to die, just as you were, Oh slayer of Metal-Head Leaders."
"How do you know…?" Jak began.
"Who you are?" Damas finished. "You're reputation precedes you, Jak. Your exploits are famous. I highly doubt that there is anyone who hasn't heard of you. But what I don't get is why Haven City would banish someone of your… talents."
"Difference of opinion with the council." Jak said sarcastically. "They accused me of letting Metal-Heads into Haven City and being the Metal-Head Leader."
"Stupid, huh?" Daxter commented. "Jak, the Metal-Head Leader? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"
"Enough!" King Damas ordered. "Now that you've been rescued, your life belongs to the People of Spargus. And we will use it well… if it's actually worth anything."
Jak frowned angrily. "You need to work on making a better first impression."
Damas laughed. "Out here in the Wasteland, there are only two things that matter: strength and survival. Prove yourself worthy, or the Desert shall be your grave."
"Hey!" Daxter cried. "That sounds like a bad deal!"
"You are in no position to deal with me." Damas growled, but Jak had to admit he was right. If Damas was the King, then there wasn't a thing that a lowly criminal like Jak could do to change his mind. "We shall see where you stand soon enough. When you are recovered, you shall be brought to the arena, where your skills will be tested. You must be triumphant in three arena fights. Only the bravest and the strongest crawl out and are allowed to stay in Spargus. It's quite simple, really."
"A fight to the death to test my skills?" Jak asked, and then added in an undertone. "Where have I heard that before?"
"Uh… what happens to the ones that don't crawl out of the arena?" Daxter asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Then it will be as if we never found you." Damas said shortly. No further answer was needed.
Daxter gulped loudly. "I was afraid of that."
(Haven City)
Keira sat in her father's house, crying, while Samos tried to comfort his distraught daughter, but it was no use at all.
"Oh, Daddy." She cried. "He's gone. I can't believe it. A life-time banishment! I'll… I'll never see him again!"
"Don't give Jak up for death so easily." Samos said. "I can still feel his aura from afar."
"Really?" Keira asked, looking up.
"Yes. His aura is dim over distance, but Jak still lives." Samos said. "Something in my heart tells me that Jak still has some great task to perform for the world."
"Another dangerous mission?" Keira asked. "I can't take it anymore, Daddy."
"Do you love him?" Samos asked suddenly. To tell the truth, he was rather embarrassed at the turn in conversation.
Keira didn't answer right away, and then… "Yes."
"Well, you fell in love with a man like Jak?" Samos demanded. "You've got to see that he is a man who craves action. He'll forever be on the move… right up until the bitter end. He'll never be content with a quite life."
"I know." Keira paused. "I can't stop thinking about that trial. The evidence was overwhelming…"
"Overwhelming, yes." Samos agreed. "But that does not mean 'true', by any means."
"What?"
"Do you really believe that Jak is a traitor… or the Metal-Head Leader?" Samos asked. "I personally believe this was all a set up."
"Set up?" Keira asked, still slightly confused.
"I believe there is a new Metal-Head Leader out there, and he happens to hate Jak. What better way to get revenge at Jak then to turn the City against him, along with his friends?"
"Oh God." Keira gasped.
"What?"
"Oh God, Jak must hate me!"
"What? What happened?"
"He asked me if I believed he was innocent and I… didn't answer."
"Don't worry, Keira." Samos said. "I've seen Jak treat you better than anyone, and he is certainly careful around you. He loves you, and love is not as fragile as you might think."
"Why am I even talking to you about this?" Keira asked. "You're my dad and I'm talking to you about my love life!"
"This is more painful to me then it is for you." Samos assured his daughter with a small chuckle. "Stop hiding your feelings. I mean, everyone knows. I knew for years…"
"Daddy!" Keira snapped, blushing. She walked over to a window. Usually, the old Palace dominated the skyline, but it had collapsed in the missile attack. They were still unsure of who had fired them. A single star shone through the clouds. "Wow. That's a bright star." Keira remarked. It was a large purple star.
Hundreds of miles away, Jak stood at the hospital window, looking out into the night. While days in the desert were near-unbearable, the nights were considerably nicer.
Jak ran a hand through his newly shortened hair, which had been cut during the day. Long hair was just not practical in the desert. And it was true, once the bulk of Jak's hair was gone, he felt considerably cooler.
He stared absentmindedly at a star, a bright purple one. It was the strangest star that Jak had ever seen. It could almost be confused with the green star if that were not right next to it.
For some reason, the purple light sent chills down his spine. Jak looked away. He was starting to get paranoid again. "Come on, Jak." He said to himself. "Not every little thing is out to get you."
Suddenly, out of curiosity to see how well he was recovering, the elf materialized a Dark Eco blade out of nowhere. This ability had been given to Jak during his last adventure, the ability to instantly materialize a Dark Eco weapon of any sort, like a dagger or a sword.
Jak swung the glowing purple blade experimentally, checking to see if he faltered or lost his balance. He was pleased to see, however, that his strength had just about returned. Suddenly…
"Just what do you think you're doing?" A stern voice demanded.
The weapon disappeared instantly and Jak froze in a rather uncomfortable position. Jak lost his balance and fell to the floor. He looked up, it was one of the many nurses.
"Sorry." He apologized quickly. Why was he apologizing? Because his life was literally in this woman's hands. Offend a nurse, and they might slip you some poison. "I was just… uh… seeing if I was better or not."
"You are my patient, and I will tell you when you are better!" The nurse scolded. "You were at death's door just this morning for Precursor's sake!"
"But I'm feeling a lot better." Jak said. "I'm fine."
"Are you a doctor?" The nurse asked.
"No."
"Then you are not qualified to say if you are fine or not." The nurse huffed. "Now, back on the bed! Now!"
Jak rolled his eyes as he got up off the floor and sat on the bed. "Better?" He asked.
"Much." The nurse said as she walked out.
"Are you that eager to get out of here?" Daxter asked suddenly.
"It's boring." Jak said. "It reminds me of being sick again."
"Well, at least you're not puking." Daxter pointed out.
Jak shivered. "Ugh! Don't remind me! I can still feel that Dark Eco Poisoning.
"You think that was bad? It was worse to watch!" Daxter said.
Jak stared at Daxter. "Really?" He asked as a dagger appeared out of nowhere. "You want Dark Eco Poisoning? I'm sure a prick is all it will take."
"Ha! Shows how much you know!" Daxter laughed. "I've fallen into Dark Eco before, and I've lived!"
"Barely." Jak said. "If you can call being turned into a rat 'living'."
"And there's no cuter rat out there, right?" Daxter asked.
"I wouldn't know." Jak said.
Suddenly, the sound of singing filled the hospital. The haunting melody carried down the halls.
"Nohq jhv flk iaa
Lv qoa olusqlv
Nof wh qoa nozqa zkrri
Jhrr?"
"What's that?" Daxter asked.
"Someone's dying." Jak said. "Come on, Dax, don't you recognize the song? 'Svql qoa Naiq'?"
"Ah, yes. 'Into the West'." Daxter said. "Wait! Isn't that the song sung over…"
"The dying? Yes." Jak listened as the haunting, but beautiful melody traveled down the halls. The singers reached the last two lines in the chorus and something possessed Jak to join in.
"Hrr ilkri yhii
Svql qoa Naiq."
LES: Whoa! Stop! "Into the West" is a real song that is featured in the movie "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" It is the first song in the credits. My version only has one real change, I added the words 'Into the West' at the end of the first chorus. It just seemed better there. This song will be one of the few musical pieces that will appear in this story. The song is about dying, but being able to face death without fear. This is why I made it the song of the dying. The mystery singers sang the words: 'What can you see/ On the horizon/ Why do the white gulls/ Call?' And Jak joined in singing 'All souls pass/ Into the West' I can actually sing the chorus in the Ancient language! It sounds really pretty! Anyway, the funniest part of this chapter was when Jak was being told off by that nurse. Hahaha! Light-Eco-Sage, over and out!
