What an idiot, she thought for the 100th time that afternoon, what a lucky skilled idiot.
To make a bet on racing against Kleiver, the man might have been an overweight bully but racing was one of the things he was good at.
Lexi didn't have the pleasure of watching the match for she herself had gone far into the desert shortly before, but she did get to hear about it all afternoon whispers under people's breath.
A smile formed at the corner of her mouth, Kleiver was no doubt pissed that Jak not only outraced him but he made it look easy and won one of his precious vehicles off of him.
"Hey", a voice broke her out of her thoughts and she looked up and seeing that mop of blonde hair smiled.
"Hey yourself,'' she eyed him up and down, taking in all the dust. "Precursors what did you do roll in the sand."
He laughed, actually laughed. "No Damas had us out there collecting artifacts before the storm hit,"
"Ah. that explains the layer of dust and sand then. You have heard of baths back in Haven right?"
"Actually we were looking for those and our rooms" Daxter piped up and Lexi had to look down for surprisingly he was on the ground and not Jak's shoulder.
"I'm guessing Damas didn't really give you a lot of information on that did he. And you never thought to ask".
"No not really,'' he rubbed the back of his head, the tips of his ears red embarrassed and she chuckled stealing a smile out of him.
"I can show you the way", she went to sling her arm over his shoulders, and then settled for looping her arm through his, he was half a head taller than her. "You coming Dax".
There was the sound of scampering and then Dax appeared on Jak's shoulder, right near Lexis head. "You mentioned a bath", a loud rumbling filled the air. "Any chance of food".
She smiled at them, "Come on, food, baths then beds."
Lexi led them through the city to a little cook house that was nearly full to burst, the smells from the kitchen were heavenly and she could see Daxter practically drooling. Dragging them to the only empty booth they sat down, though as this one only had one set of seats she had to squeeze in next to them.
"I'll take my regular Rose", she called over her shoulder as the waitress walked up to them, not needing to even look to know the girls approach. "What do you boys like"
"Right now i could eat anything."
"Careful there, you might not like some of our dishes" the waitress jutted out her hip and listed some of their more exotic meals causing Dax to go almost greenish which made her laugh. "I'll just get you fellas the same thing the Lady is having. Any drinks dear. Besides waters," said drinks were placed in front of them.
"I don't suppose you have any of that apple cider from the Icelands in stock."
"Your in luck, a shipment arrived just this morning so the boys haven't had time to drink it all." With that rose winked at her and walked off through the crowd.
"The Icelands".
"To the northwest from Haven Despite their...refusal to acknowledge Haven city after the Baron sized control they do help out their other neighbors .they trade food and drinks for any precursor metal and tech that Spargus can't use. Its how they are able to make so many advances in tech."
"That's a smart system".
"Its a system that helps Spargus to survive during the worst droughts they've had, and it allows the Icelands to thrive. And Spargus profits from the medical advances to. The hospital might not be the best in the world but it's better than it was a lot of the equipment comes from the Icelands."
They've been trading for a while i take it"
"Since before i was born, and it only increased after Damas came to rule here,and then married Maria"
"Maria?"
"She had been Queen, she died several years ago after…..well she died. But she was the Lady of the Icelands closest friend. She was like a second mother to me."
"I'm sorry" his hand rested on hers only for a second, but it was enough to make her heart beat a little faster and she felt blessed for the dim lighting.
"Thanks", what was wrong with her, here she was talking about Maria and she was flustered over a boy.
Lexi was saved from her own thoughts as food was placed in front of them and his hand moved away from hers as they investigated what was placed in front of them.
It was a simple orange soup with a side of roasted meat and a bun. "What is it"
"Pumpkin soup and roasted lizard" Daxter opened his mouth to say something. "Just try it"
She used her bread to soak up soup and after taking a bite set it down pulling the lizards meat from its body with her fingers, smiling softly as she watched the do the same, first hesitantly until they managed the first bite swiftly shoveling more food into their faces causing her to laugh.
They both stopped at the sound, eyes on her now, Dax surprised and Jak sheepishly smiling.
"I hadn't realized how hungry i was until that first bite",
"That happens when you run errands all day, you need to remember to take time to eat."
She managed to be a bit more graceful than he had been while eating, though noticed his eyes flickered towards her left ear. Only once and that small frown formed on his face only for a second before he turned his attention back onto the food.
"Your wondering what happened"
"You were in the Barons prison, it seems safe to say that it was his or his men is doing"
'It was a rouge KG soldier, wanting to rise in ranks by giving the Baron something he was searching for. I prevented him from obtaining it. And refused to tell him where to find it."
So he tortured me, the words were not spoken out loud only echoing in her mind.
"That was brave"
"You mean stupid"
"That too,'' she paused mid bite turning her head to stare straight at him, surprised by his bold agreeance. There was a smidge of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, and it was enough to draw a crooked smile from her.
"Oh no I've already broken you down haven't i. Next thing you know you'll be flirting back as well."
A soft chuckle escaped him"I don't think anyone can flirt quite the way you do"
Lexi laughed, one of her real laughs before turning back to her food, "You are far too kind."
They devoured the rest of their meal, and a few more drinks were polished off as she asked them about the tale Torn had spun for her
"Are you really from the past. Torn said that you two appeared 1 year ago and seemed to know nothing about Haven, nothing about anything, and that you were looking for Sandover, a place which according to history hasn't existed for hundreds of years".
Jak had opened his mouth to reply when Daxter slid over and launched into an incredible story about Luckers and Dark eco sages, and a rift gate that brought them forwards.
"And it was you, that aged Samos, and that girlfriend of yours. Keira"
"She's not my girlfriend. Not anymore"
"Just because you were exiled"
"It's not that, we haven't been together for months.'
"I'm sorry" Torn had left that little piece out of it when she teasingly asked about him.
"Its fine"
She hadn't realized how close they had been while Dax talked but was now aware of the lack of distance between the two of them, thighs brushing her shoulder touching the edge of his chest, when had he rested his arm along the back of the seats to give her more room?
Standing she smiled down at him "Come on Goldilocks time for the baths and the beds."
"Goldilocks"
"Would you prefer Pretty boy, or Jakkie boy"
"You have spent far too much time around Jinx haven't you?"
Looping her arm through his she dragged him towards the door giggling a little bit due to the weary smile on his face.
Nice warm baths, soapy beautiful baths.
How many versions of how much he loved baths could Daxter really come up with, and really how loud could he be, she could hear him through the wall of the bathhouse the entire time.
She shivered softly as the night air rushed through the strands of her still damp hair, it was near amazing how chilled the desert night air could be, by no regular standards cold but compared to the day it nearly was. Hands draped the leather jacket over her back, the one that she had just gotten him and she smiled crookedly up at him.
" I don't need a nanny you know"
"You don't seem to like people doing things to be nice do you"
"Most people don't do good things out of the kindness of their hearts, usually they want something out of you in return"
"Your wondering what i want" It wasn't a question it was a statement, just another thing he said that made her wonder just what the boy had seen. "What do i want, i think ...that would be a bed, it's been a long day"
The laugh popped out without her meaning to, more like a snort than a true laugh, though still unexpected. She slung her arm over her shoulders a little bit of a stretch as he was half a head taller. "Good thing we are basically there"
Dragging him through a doorway she saw he barely had time to register surprise as he realized they had come to the palace.
"Why are we here"
"After my interference with Kliever he whined loud it reached back to Damas. Apparently if I am gonna vouch for you i have to house you."
"You live in the palace"
"I'm the desert sage. A sage can be the difference that turns the tides."
"And" Jak drew out the word
"And being like a niece or daughter to Damas doesn't hurt"
It was a simple path from the lift to the rooms and they passed through the wooden bead curtain that served as the doorway to this section of the palace wing.
"Wow" an understatement and Lexi smiled as he jaw dropped oh so slightly.
The small waterfall that the top floor settled flowing through channels feeding into small pockets that in turn feed into sections filled with dirt and more plants than many would think possible within the desert.
Jak knew from his days in sand over many of them had medical properties though a few he believed were food.
"No one comes down here. Anymore. Apparently you put one guys head through a wall and no one wants to visit the sage quarters."
"Why did you put his head through the wall" Dax looked at her .
"Because he tried to spy on me while I was in the bath. Spargus is full of havens outcasts. Not all of them are upstanding citizens." Their eyes widened slightly and she smiled softly. "Many are those that were a threat to the baron but some were true criminals they toe the line because if they don't Damas will throw them back into the desert to die. Some are worse than their records tell."
The look that flickered across his face, she was glad that it was not directed truly at her and only at the thought of those type of men.
"If one even thinks about it there won't be enough to scrape off the floor" that anger she could almost…..no it could not be. It must be her own eco that she held within reacting to him for she was the only one to survive the experiment.
She smiled crookedly at him before leading him to a room on the far side. A soft bed lay inside along with a dresser and desk. "There's more clothing in the dresser. If you get thirsty there is a set of taps on the north most wall"she pointed. "Glasses nearby. If you need anything else my room is just through there" she pointed at the doorway only a few feet away
"I think i'll be fine" she slipped off the jacket and passed it to him their fingers brushing and she turned away quickly before her blush could show in the dim lighting.
"Goodnight Jak" she quickly slipped away not waiting for a reply and only when safe inside her own room door closed behind her did she take a breath sinking to the floor hand covering her pounding heart.