Chapter LIII: Released


Jak dropped the two weapons to the ground and fell to his knees as his fatigue took over. "I'm alive!" He said, almost as if he couldn't believe it.

Daxter ran over to Jak, screaming his head off. "Oh my God! That was the most freaking awesome thing I've ever seen!"

Jak didn't respond to the rat, but remained in silence. He was unsure of how long he knelt there in the desert sands, staring at the dead body of his enemy. One thing was for sure, the sun had moved quite a distance through the sky before his thoughts were interrupted.

"Jak!"

Jak looked around and stood up. A transport had landed without him even realizing it, so absorbed as he in this own thoughts, and none other than Ashelin Praxis got out of the transport. She appeared to be alone. "Ashelin?" Jak asked. "Where's everyone else?"

Ashelin ran up to the elf. "They'll be here in a few minutes. Jak, I'm so glad that you're alive! Is Erol dead?" The she saw the rather mutilated body whose blood had long since stained the desert sands.

"Yes..." Jak said slowly, also looking at the body. "Erol is dead... I'm sure of it this time."

"Jak..." Ashelin paused. "Before everyone arrives, I need to talk to you. I know that this sounds crazy, but I love you." Jak didn't answer or say anything. He had suspected Ashelin's feelings for some time. But he never thought that she'd have the nerve to confess to him when he already had a loving girlfriend... someone he loved with all his heart.

Ashelin seemed to take Jak's silence as an accord. She leapt at the elf and pulled the still surprised elf into an embrace. And then she tried to kiss him and Jak's instincts kicked into overdrive. He turned his face away at the last second so that the kiss that was meant to claim his lips hit his cheek instead.

Ashelin pulled away from the elf, looking hurt. "Jak?"

"Ashelin..." Jak sighed, never imagining that he would've had to do this. "This... this isn't right. This won't work between us. I... I have Keira."

"Keira." Ashelin repeated. "Of course. You love her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Jak said. "From where I'm standing, there's nothing between us except friendship. I'm sorry, Ashelin, but I can't forget what Keira and I share. Friendship is all I have to offer to you... nothing more."

"I... I understand." Ashelin said sadly. "You love her, what are you going to do? I can't force you to fall out of love with her."

"Ashelin..." Jak truly felt sorry for having to break Ashelin's heart like this. "I truly am sorry. Perhaps... all you feel for me is a crush. Crushes pass with time. I happen to know that Torn really likes you."

"Torn?" Ashelin scoffed. "I've been down that road before."

"Maybe you should try again." Daxter piped up. "Torn's awfully protective of you."

"Listen, Ashelin, I didn't want to hurt you like this, but..." Jak began.

"Don't worry about me... I'll be fine." Ashelin said as a new transport landed nearby.

The back of the new transport opened and several people came out of the back, all raising various complaints about the heat. Samos, Torn, Tess, Onin, Pecker, and Keira... carrying a bag over her shoulder.

Keira dropped what she was holding on the desert sands at the sight of her lover... safe and sound. "Jak! You're all right!" She ran towards him and tackled the elf, baring both of them to the sand, but neither really cared. They only cared about kissing each other as much as possible. Jak had seen the bag, and he knew what it meant. It meant that Keira had decided to move out to Spargus with him, to live with him... so they could be together. Such happiness, Jak had never known up to that point in his life.

Torn walked up to Ashelin, who watched Jak and Keira with the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "You told him, didn't you?" Torn asked, and Ashelin didn't answer. "Didn't I tell you this would happen?"

"Don't say 'I told you so.'" Ashelin said. Torn looked like he was going to say it out of spite, but he kept it inside.

Samos was inspecting Erol's malformed body. "Great Precursors!" He gasped, staring that the metallic body, the single wing, and the severed wing on the ground not too far away. "What did those Dark Precursors do to him?"

Jak took his mouth off Keira's skin and propped himself up on the sand. "That's what happens when someone's genetics are messed with." He got up off the ground and pulled Keira up, both brushing stray sand off.

Daxter laughed. "Jeez, you've only been apart for... like a day! I understood when you two were apart for months, but... come on! A day?"

"This is different." Jak said. "There was overwhelming doubt of my safe return."

"Hey, no more gloom, Jak!" Daxter said loudly. "The War is over! You're alive! Erol's dead! This calls for a celebration!"

"Quite right!" A new, but familiar voice said.

Everyone looked around towards the voice. Two Precursors stood just at the edge of the group. "Icarath... Tiatin." Jak addressed them.

The more powerful Precursor nodded. "Yes. It is I." He looked over at Erol's body and waved his hand through the air, and the body disappeared. "Everyone deserves a proper burial." He said simply. "So, the War has ended on this planet and this may be the first step to ending this war all over the universe and forever." Jak looked past Icarath at Tiatin, who diminished under the stare of the victorious elf. Icarath noticed this exchange. "Do not be so hard on Tiatin, Great One. He only did what he believed to be right. He is very young, younger than you are, respectively."

"Forgive me, Great One." Tiatin said. "What I did was nigh unforgivable. I nearly was responsible for the doom of my own Champion!"

Even though Jak was immensely surprised that a Precursor, of all beings, was asking his forgiveness, he answered simply. "We all make mistakes."

"Jak, we have one more favor to ask of you." Icarath said. "You are, without a doubt, the greatest of heroes! You have single-handedly turned the tide against the Dark Makers and, together, we shall win this war." While Icarath spoke, a Precursor ship streaked down from the sky, landing noiselessly nearby. "The point is we need heroes like you to help us protect the universe."

"So... what exactly are you asking of me?" Jak asked.

"We are asking you to come with us. The Dark Makers have a terrible hold on many of the planets in the universe. To end this war for good, we'll need to free the planets of that Dark influence and help life begin again." Icarath said.

Jak looked away from the Precursors. "More adventures? Where have I heard that before?" He felt someone touch his arm and he looked around. It was Keira. He looked at her for several seconds and then smiled. He looked back at the Precursors. "I'm sorry. But that is a Precursor problem. I'm an elf... and my place is here."

"I told you he would not accept." Tiatin said to Icarath. "Now, why don't you give him what he really wants?"

Icarath sighed. "The Great One wants the one thing that is very difficult for us to give him, Tiatin."

"Do you not think that he has done enough to repay his debt?" Tiatin asked. "Or do you intend to make him pay for something he had no control of forever?"

Icarath nodded, and then turned to Jak. "You have a debt to pay, Great One... a great debt that could never be fully repaid. You owe this debt to me and my kind." Jak opened his mouth, once again, to ask about this debt. "No, I will not tell you. There exists only one who can tell you. But... you have been a faithful vassal all your life, and you have done great things in that time, all in our name. And so, for your faithful service even in the darkest of time, I consider your debt null and void. You are released from your service, and never again will we trouble you with Precursor problems."

Jak now knew better than to ask, and to just be grateful for the gift. "Thank you." To be polite, he bowed to the Precursor elder.

Icarath turned to Daxter. "And you... not all courage and bravery is measured by your ability to fight your enemies. There are different types of courage. Yours is the courage to stand by your friend's side even through the greatest of dangers. We owe you much for all you've done. For your bravery in the face of incredible danger, we shall grant you your deepest desire."

Everyone stared at the Ottsel to see what he would wish. Jak, Samos, and Keira all believed he would wish to be Elvin again. But he surprised everyone when he opened his mouth. "You know, I could really use a shabby pair of pants... Ottsel-sized."

Icarath, even though he was a mighty Precursor Elder, couldn't help but laugh. "Such a humble wish! This wish is much easier to grant than the Great One's." Icarath waved his hand and Daxter was suddenly in a pair of Ottsel-sized pants that afforded a hole for his tail.

"Yeah! Sexy!" Daxter celebrated, checking out his new pants.

While everyone else was in shock at Daxter's wish, Tess was in amazement for a different reason. "Wow! Those are sharp! I wish I had a pair just like that!"

"Be careful what you wish for." Icarath said.

Jak blinked. "No! Icarath! Don't do it!"

But it was too late. Icarath waved his hand again, there was a flash of light, and a second Ottsel appeared. Everyone stared. It was undoubtedly Tess. Daxter seemed to be happy by this turn of events, as he wolf-whistled. "Don't worry, baby, you'll get used to it. Oh, and you may want to shave some parts... trust me on that." Daxter took the newly-turned Ottsel Tess in his little arms and they were about to kiss when...

"Hey!" Daxter and Tess stopped and they both looked around. It was Jak who had spoken, and he was grinning. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Haha, you're so funny I forgot to laugh!" Daxter said sarcastically.

"Along those lines..." Icarath moved forward towards Jak and Keira, looking between them. "Both of you have a deep Channeler's heritage. Jak, you are one of the most talented Channelers we've ever had the privilege of working with; and Keira... the daughter of a Sage with some Channeling ability yourself. Both of you are connected to the Precursor race through your blood." Icarath looked at Jak. "This connection lets you share some of our more... instinctive traits. As your kind know, we did not marry as you do, but we took Soul-Mates. If there were ever two elves that were Soul-Mates... it would be you two." Icarath took Jak's hands and Keira's hands and intertwined them. Jak watched in wonder, well aware that, at least by Precursor standards, he and Keira were... for lack of a better word... married.

Tiatin spoke. "Good luck, Great One. I hope you enjoy the peace that you've earned. And, fear not for him." Jak understood 'him' to be Damas... his father. "His life was painful, in a different way than yours was. He is truly in a better place. The Precursors long dead will watch over his soul."

"Thank you, Tiatin." Jak said. "This means a lot to me."

"Farewell." Both Precursors said. "And, thank you for your help, Great One." The Precursors vanished and the Precursor ship took off.

Almost immediately, a vehicle, a Spargain vehicle (Keira stared at the vehicle, curiosity shining in her eyes) pulled up. Two men, Sig and Kliever got up out of it. And then they picked up a make-shift stretcher. A sheet covered the person, but Jak knew who was under it.

"Strength, my friend." Daxter said quietly to Jak, in an unusually tender voice.

Sig looked at Jak, a sorrowful anger playing across his face. "He went to save you... and he's dead."

"Don't rub my face in it." Jak said sadly.

"The funeral's tonight." Kliever said. "Tonight, all of Spargus will mourn, for we will bury a King."

And a father... Jak thought sadly.

"Jak, what's wrong?" Keira asked, noticing how sad her lover looked.

"It's nothing." Jak said automatically, and then he paused. "Well... it's something. I'll tell you tonight."


LES: Is Jak going to reveal his deepest secret? I hope I don't blotch this!