Soft morning sunlight filtered in through the curtains and roused Azyma from her slumber. She rolled over in the bed to face the centre of the room, where Keira still lay asleep on her spare mattress on the floor, and Tess curled soundly on a pillow nearby. Ever since the night of the fire, they had all been sharing Keira's bedroom, even though it was no longer strictly necessary now that Azyma had returned to a better state of health, but she enjoyed the company and extra feeling of safety that it offered, keeping her friends close.
While Keira and Tess still slept undisturbed, she got up and crept silently out of the room. After a quick wash in the bathroom, she slipped on her new dressing gown and then proceeded downstairs to prepare herself some breakfast. Her mood was quietly excited and positive. She was looking forward to today, for they planned to make their third visit to Haven Forest later, this time for a special day of relaxation and peaceful enjoyment by the lakeside, her own special little holiday.
The house was quiet as she rummaged through the kitchen cupboards for some food, but then she heard the front door opening, and the sound drew her attention. Who was that? She timidly looked around into the hallway to see, but it was in fact Sig who had just entered the house. Azyma relaxed at the sight of him, but her heart immediately began to flutter again.
Almost at once, he spotted her peeping around the wall. "Hey, Azyma," he said cheerfully, and she twitched at the mention of her name. "Did you sleep well?"
"Oh, yes, thank you," she answered, stepping around the doorframe and into plain sight. She felt the keen examination of Sig's strange artificial eye again. It always gave her the funny feeling that it could see through her clothes somehow, and she semi-consciously tightened the cord on her dressing gown, pulling the folds closer together. "Where have you just been?" she asked.
"Ah, I've been over at the Freedom Building to catch up on things," Sig explained.
"Oh right," said Azyma, bravely trying to sustain the conversation. "Learn anything new?"
Sig shook his head. "Not much. Still no signs of our perp, but the Freedom boys are combing the whole city for him. He can run, but he can't hide. It won't be long till we get him now."
He gave a strong smirk of confidence, and Azyma found it very easy not just to smile back, but also to really believe him. Though the threat of her mysterious attacker still existed, as long as Sig was here she felt like she could not be touched. She was also greatly looking forward to having him around today on their return trip to the forest, and a warm, excited, tingly feeling was growing inside her at the prospect of it and what might happen. She was hopeful that they could continue the conversation they had not got to finish last night and learn more about each other... if she could summon the courage. In fact, the two of them had another moment alone together right now, and her conscience nudged her that she should be taking advantage of it.
Bravely she took a breath and opened her mouth, about to try and ask if he would like to join her for breakfast, but something unexpectedly interrupted her again, this time a muffled electronic beeping sound that took her by surprise. Sig at once reached into one of the leather bags that hung on his belt and fetched out a small gadget, something that to Azyma looked like an over-large coin with a flashing light on its face. She watched curiously as he stared at the device for a few seconds as it blinked, as if reading meaning encoded in the light patterns, and then his face became a serious frown.
"Damn," he said quietly, gravely.
"What is it?" Azyma asked, creasing her brow in worry and confusion, but she could sense that something was wrong. "What's happened?"
Sig looked up with unwillingness in his real eye. "Trouble back home," he explained simply as he returned the device to its bag, then producing a sad scowl. "It's typical. All the time I'm in Spargus and nothing interesting ever happens, but then as soon as I leave, Marauders besiege the place!" He shook his head with a tired sigh. "This looks serious. It's a big attack, the biggest we've seen in a long time, and my people are calling me back there to lead the defence."
Azyma was quiet, understanding with reluctance what this must mean.
When he looked directly at her again, Sig's face showed just as much regret as hers that this should happen. "Sorry to split the party early, but it looks like I've got to go."
Azyma felt as if a cold stone had just dropped into her stomach, extinguishing her building confidence and aspirations. "You're going?" she asked softly, hurt. "But... what about the forest? We were all going to go out there again today. Weren't we?"
Sig looked genuinely contrite. "It'll have to be another time. I'm sorry, Azyma, but I have to do this."
"Oh..." she breathed, trying unsuccessfully to hide her sudden, pained disappointment. She didn't want Sig to go. She wanted him to stay so she could be with him... and not just for the protection that he offered. A sad, momentary silence hung between them.
"Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now, Azyma," Sig then went on, "But I'll be back as soon as I can, once this problem's been sorted. Shouldn't take long. I'll inform Samos before I go. Say goodbye to the others for me, won't ya?"
Azyma was unable to find any more words. Sig gave one last sorry smile, and then turned to leave, and she felt powerless to stop him as he took his departing strides. But as he ducked through the doorway and onto the front step, something strong and spontaneous erupted inside her and she automatically called out to him one last time.
"Sig! Wait!"
Sig paused and looked back over his shoulder, waiting for her to continue. But under his expectant gaze, Azyma hesitated and felt awkward. She had just called out without thinking, and she didn't know what to actually say to him now she had his attention. Of course, there were several biting things buzzing around in her mind right now, fighting to get out, but they were too disorganised to express, and she was not sure that she even understood them all herself. Pushing its way to the forefront and waiting on her lips was the crazy desire to go with him, to be by his side, to see the beaches of Spargus he had told her about yesterday. But it was yoked by something rational; she doubted she was even ready to face the difficult and dangerous lifestyle of the Wasteland, and if Spargus was also under attack right now, asking to visit was just plain stupid. Sig would never allow it, and no matter how much she liked him, she understood that his duty as king to his people was more important. He had to go.
"Just be careful..." she muttered finally, her voice trailing away into a whisper. To her, it felt a feeble and ineffective thing to stop him for, but Sig just smiled softly at her simple concern.
"Don't you worry about me, cherry," he said with a kind and confident expression. "You just look after yourself and stay beautiful. This won't take long. See ya."
Without another word, he departed from the building and stepped out into the street. Azyma slowly trailed after him in silence until she stood on the doorstep and watched him from the porch, striding ever further away from her into the early morning light. She stayed there until he disappeared around the corner, and then she was alone. There was not even a single other person on the streets at this hour. The warmth and promise she had woken up with inside her had vanished, replaced with wistful longing, and she felt suddenly very cold and isolated. She shivered as the unforgettable chill of detachment rose up from the concrete beneath her bare feet and spread all the way through her body.
Feeling numbed and threatened by the emptiness, she eventually retreated back inside and closed the front door, sealing off the outside world. Then she sank into a seat of the couch in the front room, no longer feeling like doing anything at all. Sig's sudden, unexpected departure left her feeling abandoned, vulnerable and aimless, and now it consumed all her thoughts. There was sadness, but also quiet indignation. This was unfair. Why did he have to leave just ahead of their special trip, just as she was gaining the confidence to speak to him properly? But was it selfish to think such a thing? More confusingly, why was it affecting her so badly? How was it possible to so greatly miss someone she had only just barely met? Was the connection they'd made starting to come apart already? Had it even been that strong in the first place?
She remained alone, quietly ruminating in that spot for what felt like a very long time, struggling to comprehend her emotions or how she should act. After an indeterminable length of time of overthinking, there were sounds of more movement, and Tess entered the room.
"Morning, Azyma," she said brightly, but Azyma said nothing and remained quietly in her place. Tess could tell at once that something was bothering her, and changed her tone. "What's up?"
She listened as Azyma explained the situation about Sig, that he had to go back to Spargus to defend it from attack, but she also passed on his goodbyes like he had asked.
"Oh no," said Tess, also genuinely saddened to hear this news. Though he had only been with them for a couple of days, they had all appreciated Sig's company, and he had really helped to chase away the lingering threat, injury and misery in their lives, especially for Azyma. "Well," Tess went on resignedly, "Let's just wish him luck and hope he'll be back soon, huh?"
Azyma nodded sadly. "I liked having him around," she muttered. That was the only honest, coherent feeling she could find it within herself to voice, even to Tess, who had been a trusting and close friend to her for so long. "I wish he could have stayed."
Tess was sympathetic and understanding. "Me too, honey," she said comfortingly, placing a small hand on Azyma's knee. "But hey, don't worry, he'll be back in no time. You know what he's like. He's a tank. I don't think even an entire army could slow him down."
Azyma appreciated the light-hearted sentiment, and broached a hopeful little smile. Tess was right. After all, she realised, it wasn't as if she had truly missed out on anything. Sig would be back, and she was sure there would be plenty of opportunity in the near future to try and spend more time with him. She had no reason to be so sad, and she supposed she should be grateful for this extra time, which she could use to arrange her thoughts more clearly, so she would be ready to properly talk with him again once he returned. Or try to, at least.
Yes. That would be just fine.
A couple of short hours later, Keira, Tess and Azyma all stood by the lakeside in Haven Forest once again. Despite Sig's unexpected departure this morning, they had decided to go ahead with their return trip anyway, just the three of them. Of course, it wouldn't be quite the same without him, but they could still enjoy it regardless, and they were confident they had nothing to fear. They weren't sorry for their choice, because the forest looked more beautiful than ever today. The natural sanctuary was awash in golden afternoon sunbeams, and painted with pleasant, cool shadows where the sun couldn't reach, a fantastic mesh of vibrant green and earthy textures beneath another wonderful blue sky. All was refreshingly silent except for the calls of unseen birds nesting in the highest reaches of the trees, and the rustling of the plants around them in the gentle breeze.
Keira unshouldered her backpack and dropped it down onto the ground behind her. It landed with only a soft flump upon the lush grass. She took in a deep breath, absorbing the clean, healthy air which felt wondrous in her lungs, and then looked out ahead of her. The wide water of the lake was still and glistened a deep, peaceful blue, but sometimes the surface quivered in faint ripples as tiny insects zipped their way across it, or made a momentary, harmless splash as a fish caught one in its low flight. From one of the overhanging trees, a lonely leaf fell and tumbled into the centre of the lake, where it floated aimlessly around in slow circles. In the daylight, she could clearly see on the other side of the tranquil lake the raised bank where she had rested during her first visit, and just beyond that she recognised the stream trickling its way through the rocks. She smiled with the understanding as her mental map of the forest filled in its own blanks, that this was definitely the same place.
Behind her, Tess lay down and sprawled herself out in the long grass, taking in the sun and the softness of the earth. Azyma stood close by and looked on in quiet wonder, no longer afraid. This was the most perfect locale she could think of for her own personal holiday. No worries or places to get to, just herself, her friends, and a whole load of free time to spend just relaxing in this wonderful place, all to themselves. She still wished that Sig could be here too, but she wasn't going to let his absence detract from enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Besides, he would undoubtedly join them again whenever their next visit would roll around anyway, and then everything would be completely perfect.
When she next looked back at Keira, she saw that her friend was already getting ready for another swim. Once again she had come prepared and donned her swimsuit underneath her clothes, which she threw aside heedlessly into a crumpled pile beside her bag. Then she turned to Azyma and Tess, looking perfectly content and uninhibited.
"Well, I'm taking another dip!" she said, and without waiting for any kind of reaction or acknowledgement, headed straight for the water.
She stepped into the shallows, and could feel the difference made by the warm sunlight on the water's temperature. No longer was it bracingly chilly as it was last night, but refreshingly cool. At just above waist-depth she reached the brink of the shelf that dropped away into deeper water, and here she raised her arms above her head, leaned over and dived in head-first. She disappeared, but then she re-emerged a few seconds later with her hair plastered down over her eyes. She slicked it back, revealing the perfect expression of bliss. It was just like being back in the waters of her old village, where as a child she could often take long, frolicking swims in the warm, sheltered pools of Sentinel Beach, sometimes with Jak and Daxter splashing along with her, just innocently larking about and playing silly games as all children do.
"Oh! This is great, guys! Come on in!" she beckoned gleefully to her friends.
The excitement in her voice enticed Azyma and Tess, and it was difficult to resist the invitation. The lake did look appealing, so clean and unpolluted, and the warm air created a tempting desire to cool off.
Tess was the first to react. "Alright, here I come!" she called back.
Azyma watched as Keira swam away and disappeared under the water again, quite amazed to see her so carefree. But when she looked back to Tess just a few seconds later, she was taken by surprise to see that she was undressing completely. "Oh!" she gasped, her face turning red.
Tess, however, didn't seem bothered by it at all, abandoning all modesty and shame, but it made Azyma feel quite uncomfortable to see her like this. Yet she couldn't help but stare like a wide-eyed, curious child at how much her closest friend had changed since her transformation from human to ottsel. It still seemed so strange that this had even happened to her. When Tess met her eyes again, she smiled a funny smile.
"Oh, sorry!" Azyma said, looking away with embarrassment and guilt when she realised that she had been staring. "I didn't realise you were…"
"I don't mind," said Tess, untroubled. "Honestly! We're all friends here, aren't we?"
"Well… yeah, but… aren't you… don't you feel a bit… you know…?" Azyma asked, unable to find the right word that would fit this strange situation.
"A little," said Tess honestly, now completely bare, "But my old swimsuit doesn't fit me anymore, so I don't really have much other choice, do I?"
"Oh. Right. Of course. Thank makes sense… I guess," said Azyma, but she still felt very weird about this.
Tess could read her friend's discomfort, and decided to defuse the situation with humour. "And besides, as Dax once said to me, if he can make do without any pants…" She twirled on the spot. "…then why can't I too?"
"Oh… oh my!" said Azyma, covering her mouth with both hands as she succumbed to spontaneous giggling. This was just so crazy!
"Well, here I go!" said Tess, and she finally took a tentative plunge into the shallows. She could feel the difference at once, and Keira was right. The water did feel great.
But joking aside, she took it slowly and carefully. This was actually the first time since her transformation that she had ever tried to properly swim in such a large body of water, and though she had been a fairly confident swimmer back when she was human, she now found the techniques she had learned less than suitable for her new ottsel form. After making sure she could stay afloat properly, she attempted some swimming, but she kept kicking her own tail and disrupting her momentum, and had to experiment to find a better method.
Azyma still stood on the bank, but then her good mood started to shrink away as she understood that it was now her turn. Before setting off today, they had all gone shopping together for extra supplies and purchased a brand new swimsuit specially for her, a modest one-piece that was as black as her hair. She was wearing this under her clothes just like Keira, but her own inhibitions held her back, and she still felt shy about getting into the water. She lingered unsurely, wondering if she could really do this. Nevertheless, she felt the coaxing pressure and really wished to join her friends in the fun, and the water did look inviting, so she made a start by unfastening her shoes.
One step at a time, she told herself, breathing deep.
Keira was now plunging and splashing with great enjoyment out in deeper water, and Tess soon found a way to use her more streamlined ottsel body to her advantage. She adapted quickly, almost instinctively, and soon she was gliding across the surface with ease, propelling herself with swift swishes of her tail and synchronised body movements. It wasn't long before she too had ventured out further to join Keira.
As she swam away, Azyma was finally approaching the lakeside herself. She felt very naked and self-conscious in her new swimsuit, her heart was drumming and her pale legs were shaky and cold. This was such an unfamiliar experience for her, but she bravely persevered.
I can do this. It's just like… taking a bath… a really big bath… with other people… oh boy…
She tested the water with one foot. Seemed cool enough. Slowly wading in further, she approached where Tess had moments ago been breaking the water, but she was afraid to venture out beyond her depth, and paused before she was in waist-deep.
"This isn't so bad," she said, flicking the water around her with her hands and trying to look as if she knew what she was doing.
Keira's floating head beamed at her before she launched into a powerful front crawl out into the centre of the lake. But Azyma did not follow.
Alright, here goes nothing, she thought. Let's give this a try.
She took another deep breath to calm herself, and when neither Keira nor Tess were watching her, she squatted down so the water was lapping her shoulders, and then pushed herself forwards and outstretched her arms. She travelled a short distance smoothly, her long hair flowing out behind her, but when her momentum ran out, she sank. In a sudden panic her limbs spread out and flailed, and her feet hurriedly found a base again.
Wiping water out of her eyes, she stood back up and looked over to her friends nervously. They hadn't seen her, and Keira was stroking confidently in the middle of the lake. Scrutinising her movements carefully, Azyma tried again, this time doing her best to imitate what she saw being done. But despite her best efforts to stay afloat, she sank again, this time nearly swallowing a mouthful of water, and she came back to the surface with a wild splash and a cough.
This time Keira noticed and looked around to see Azyma wallowing in the shallows, so she started making her way back over to her. "You alright?" she called.
"Yeah, I'm fine," lied Azyma, quickly righting herself again and wiping her long hair out of her face. This wasn't going as well as she'd hoped.
Keira came up beside her in the water, shortly joined by Tess. "Are you sure? It looked like you were in trouble or something."
Azyma held her arms around herself, feeling shy and out of her comfort zone. "It's just… I'm fine, really. I just don't… like going out too far."
But Tess was not fooled, and she gave Keira a knowing look. Then Keira figured it out, and spoke in a gentle tone. "You can't swim, can you?"
Azyma shook her head in shame, her secret weakness now exposed, and she felt her face going red again. "I never learned how…" she admitted sadly. "I'm really sorry."
There was a watery silence, and Keira and Tess shared another look. But then Keira spoke up again, sympathetic and kind. "Hey, don't worry about it," she said reassuringly, resting a hand on Azyma's shoulder.
"Yeah," added Tess in a show of solidarity, paddling up to Azyma's other arm. "I'll bet lots of people in the city have never learned how to swim either."
"Yeah, nothing to be ashamed about," said Keira.
That might be true, but Azyma still felt like a failure, and it showed on her face. Keira felt sad for her, and wanted to help. "Well, how about I teach you sometime?" she suggested.
That got a reaction, and Azyma looked up with hope and love in her eyes. "Really? You'd do that for me?"
"Yeah, sure. If it really means that much to you. I mean, I'll do the best that I can."
Azyma was touched by this show of friendship, her appreciation for Keira deepening all the more. She and Tess were truly the greatest friends she had ever had. "Wow, thank you," she said genuinely. "I'd really like that."
The rest of the day seemed to pass in a long, pleasant tide of enjoyment. The girls all spent as much time as they could in the water, splashing and swimming and just having a fun time. Though Azyma did not swim and kept herself in the shallows, soon she had completely forgotten all about her embarrassment. Sometimes Keira swam laps around the perimeter of the lake while she watched, and one time even climbed up one of the rocky island stacks to jump off again. If Keira could teach her to do that and not be afraid, then she was sure to be very proud of herself.
Before they knew it, the day was coming to a close, and as dusk loomed and the waters of the lake grew chill, they all climbed out and sat on the bank, wrapped themselves in their towels, and took bites of the food they had brought with them. Azyma looked down at her fingers and toes, wrinkled and soft from her long time in the water, and she allowed the last of the sunlight to dry her off. It was another warm, beautiful, summery evening, and she did not want it to ever end.
"This has been a great day!" she said tranquilly, and she truly meant it.
"Yeah," agreed Tess, who had finally got dressed again. "I really love it here. It's so quiet and undisturbed."
"Next time we can make a start on those swimming lessons, huh Azyma?" said Keira.
Azyma nodded with a smile. She was actually looking forward to it very much, no matter how difficult it would be. She wanted to do this.
Now the sky above the treetops started to change colours, and the first patterns of night began to emerge. It would be time to leave soon, the sun had almost fully set, but they found it difficult to want to get up. Tiny glimmers of stars caught alight in the mauve sky, and the shadows of the trees fell upon them in their spot by the lakeside.
Then at the very moment of sunset, things seemed to fall unexpectedly silent, like a blanket had just been lowered. Even the birds seemed to stop. A breeze rippled the reeds around them like a breath, and Keira thought she faintly heard a whispering sound again, coming from some unknown source. It brought with it a strange feeling, a feeling of unease and warning.
Then, Tess sat bolt upright in alarm, her ears erect and twisting in all directions. "What was that?"
Suddenly, Azyma screamed and she was yanked backwards with force. Before Keira even had the time to register what had happened, something seized her from behind too, and her own scream was suddenly cut off. Tess felt hands close around her and she was nearly lifted off her feet, but her sensitive hearing had given her a split-second advantage, and she narrowly slipped through the fingers that tried to catch her.
She turned around, and faced a group of tall, black, shadowy figures closing in around their position. One of them had Keira restrained with a hand over her face, and another was dragging Azyma away into the dark by her hair as she continued to scream out in pain and terror. But before Tess could get a good look at any of them and work out just who or what they were, one lunged for her again, arms outstretched, and she had to scamper out of the way quickly.
Keira was panicking and screaming into the gloved hand that clamped tightly over her face. It smothered her voice, obscured her eyes, and robbed her of breath. She clawed at it with her own hands, desperate to tear it away, but it was too strong. Then thinking fast through her panic, she reached behind her head for her attacker's face, and feeling something, she jabbed sharply at it with all her fingers. There was a groan, and her face became uncovered. Breaking free, she took a deep breath, forced herself away, and span around to confront her attacker, an unidentifiable black shape.
Another scream broke the air; Azyma was desperately crying for help. Tess evaded the grasping hands of the figure trying to catch her, scurried between its legs, and sprang forth at the head of the one that had Azyma, clawing away at where she thought the eyes were.
The dark attacker let go of Azyma and went reeling back in cries of anguish, Tess clinging to its face. Now free, Azyma tried to scramble up in a frantic panic, but as she was on her knees, something came down on top of her hard. She was held there, face down in the grass, by a strong weight that she could not match, pressing cruelly into her back. She was trapped. Terror swallowed her like a tidal wave, reigniting dreadful memories that she had tried so hard to overcome. The fire in the bar, the night of her attack in the slums, the loss of her parents; it all came flooding back at once, and she screamed relentlessly as she lost control of her very mind.
Keira was scared, but Azyma's hysterical screams shot right through her very soul, and fuelled her into fighting back in anger against these terrible shadows. "Get the hell away from us!" she cried ferociously, swinging wild, unaimed fists in an attempt to defend herself. But the enemies, whoever they were, kept up the onslaught and would not retreat.
A blow glanced her left ear, and then she seemed to be enveloped by the figure in front of her. Large hands, cold even in gloves, tightened around her neck and squeezed the air out of her, and she began to gasp and slump.
The sounds of her struggling broke through Azyma's screaming terror, and triggered a powerful rush of concentrated adrenaline, to save her friend who had done so much for her. A fierce, furious anger took over, and with a frightening, inhuman shriek full of primal energy, she pushed off the ground and shoved herself against the figure holding her down, knocking it off balance and loosening its grip. This burst of muscle power surprised even herself, but in her short moment of advantage, she rolled herself over onto her back and pushed the figure away with both feet, and it tumbled backwards into the dark lake.
She was on her feet in less than a second, transformed, ravenous with righteous fury. She swept up a nearby stone with one hand and hurled it at the nearest advancing attacker with all her strength. The collision sounded like a gunshot in the twilight. She did not know what she had hit, but if that was a skull or a bone cracking, it sounded sickening, and it almost shocked her to a standstill. The figure she had struck crumpled into a formless mass, but two more advanced towards her, and she kicked, punched and screamed at them, a fearsome and hot anger pulsing through her like fire.
Keira also summoned a desperate burst of strength of her own, and kicked up hard between the legs of her strangler, which sent it limping away out of sight, accompanied by a hiss of curses and agonised groans. She tried to call out to Azyma and Tess, to know where they were, but the assault on her throat had left her voice frail and croaking, and all she could do was cough.
Tess still clung to the head of Azyma's first attacker and was dealing as much damage in as many places as she could. When hands reached up to grab her, she evaded them and scuttled down a neck and onto what felt like a coat. There she found an opening and slithered inside. Feeling bare, human flesh, she dug her claws in and began tearing, biting and scratching, eliciting more screams from the flailing figure. The taste of blood was in her mouth, but then she was yanked out hard and fast by the tail. Amid the chaos, Keira saw as Tess was swung around in the air like a toy, and then hurled mercilessly against a tree trunk, where she crashed to the ground and lay broken and motionless.
"No! Tess!" Keira cried out, her voice cracking, before her shock was overshadowed by fresh anger and fear and lust for revenge. But the distraction was fatal, and she was caught from behind by another attacker who restrained her arms, leaving her vulnerable and open to another assault.
"No! Get off me!" she tried to scream, writhing and kicking. "Leave us alone!"
She struggled all she could, but could ultimately do nothing as another figure appeared before her and threw a forceful fist into her unprotected stomach. Wham. The air was slammed out of her and she felt very sick, slumping forwards with a dry gasp in the grip of the one behind her. But she was then immediately pulled back into an upright position, and received two more blows to the face, a left and a right. Her head felt like it exploded and she couldn't think anymore.
The striker knew he had won and moved away, and the one who held her from behind let go. Her legs could no longer support her weight and she crumpled to the ground hard, her burning face buried in the grass. Everything in her vision was a swirling mess of dark colours that slowly grew dimmer and dimmer. Her senses were leaving her, until the only thing that remained was Azyma's dying screams as she was left to face the remaining enemies alone.
Then everything went black and she knew no more.