|Haven, Metal Head Nest|
Jak let himself drop to the ground, sweaty and exhausted. Nobody ever mentioned being a hero involved blood and grim in these amounts. He watched Kor's head on the ground, seeing the gem in his forehead gleam with a dull light. He'd done it. After having lost Valentine six months ago, he had beaten Kor. Now they would be able to venture out of the city and find her.
How was he going to tell her Vin had died?
He watched as the Kid placed both palms on the green gemstone they had just won back. With a crack it burst open, revealing a creature made of pure light. The Kid was thrown back by the blast, looking up at the creature with his mouth hanging open. The small part of Jak's brain that wasn't busy registering the creature had an inkling he had the same expression as the Kid right now.
'Oh man, is that a Precursor?' he said out loud. That must have been the real reason Kor had been after the stone.
'It is finished, our ancient enemy is no more. Take hope, brave one.' The creature spoke, floating in front of them in the air. Jak could hear clanking sounds behind them, but he didn't quite register what those meant. 'The terrible darkness inside you is now balanced with a glorious light.'
Jak stopped the Kid from running after the creature as it promised they would be meeting again. That had just been plain weird… and too cryptic for his liking. Why didn't people just say what they meant out loud?
Now he had the time to look behind him. Keira and her two fathers – what was the plural for Samos? – had arrived. 'We haven't much time. I'm going to set the co-ordinates for the village. We'll be home in no time.'
Jak folded his arms over one another. After having made clear to Keira that he had no intention of getting back together with her, things had been rough between them. They had gotten even worse when he had found out she had had a thing with Erol while he had been in prison for two years. She's neglected to tell him that, and he had not been happy finding that out.
'We are home.' He said curtly. 'Even if we weren't, I still need to stay here.'
'We will need to use the Rift Rider to send young Jak home.' Samos said.
'I already said I'm staying.' Jak announced, looking annoyed nobody had seemed to listen to him.
'Not you, the young you.' Samos said, pointing at the Kid. 'We need to make sure you grow up without any harm.'
This was news for both Jak and young Samos. The Kid was him? He got up slowly, looking at the Kid who looked back at him with something that looked faintly like disdain and surprise. The Kid had been the most upset with Jak, next to Vin, after Valentine had disappeared.
'Well, I suppose this explains some things.' Jak mumbled, watching the Kid sign something towards him. Though he was nowhere near as fluent as Valentine, he could still discern the general gist of things. It boiled down to it that the Kid swore he would find Valentine when he grew up. Or he wanted to be a chicken farmer.
He lifted his younger version up on the platform. 'I promise I'll find her okay. There's no way I won't let things between us get patched up.'
The Kid nodded firmly at this, folding his hands over one another. After the final goodbyes were said – and Jak had given a sorely needed warning about humpbee nests – he found himself worrying even more about, well, everything.
'The Kid didn't remember a thing about all of this.' Samos told him, looking as the Portal faded out.
'I remembered the light.' Jak said. He hadn't remembered about Valentine, or Torn, or any of the others. He wondered how things would have gone if he had remembered.
|Spargus|
It was nightfall when the news about Kor's defeat reached Spargus. The news sent both joy and anguish through its residents. Joy because this meant an end to Praxis and too powerful Metal Heads, and anguish because they had gotten a preliminary casualty list that was nowhere near complete. There was a lot of drinking going one, one of the few times seasoned fighters let themselves go like this.
Valentine wove her way through the hordes of people who were laughing and crying at the same time, not wanting to get caught up in this. Her throat was sore, and her eyes red with weeping. There had been names on the list she had recognized at first glance, and a lot more she remembered from her time with the Underground.
Uncle Vin had been one of the names. The realization he was gone had hit her like the blow of a hammer. The man who had taken his niece in after she was infected with Dark Eco, who had taken every care to raise her to the best of his abilities. She choked up again as she realized she had never been able to really say a proper goodbye to him. She hoped his death had been quick and painless. Uncle Vin had never been good with pain.
The name that had finished her off had been that of the Kid. To see him on the list finished her last restraints. When the first cries on the street had started to sound, she had broken down. She had cried out in her own helplessness and failure. She should have been there for him!
She reached Damos' quarters quickly, at the moment the storm that had been readying itself for the entire day finally broke loose. Judging from the noise the people on the street didn't allow themselves to be deterred by something as harmless as rain and thunder. Valentine was glad she had asked Meta to stay behind in her quarters.
She fell to one knee in front of her King. 'My King… I bring you news.' She started, wringing the words out of her throat. Damos said nothing, causing her to look up.
A flash of lightning flashed by, illuminating his face. Tears had welled up in his eyes, and he seemed to have grown older by ten years. The horrible news had outrun her, and Damos had already begun his grieving.
'I am so terribly sorry…' Valentine said, bowing her head again. More than wishing to avoid seeing her King cry, Valentine wanted to hide her own tears from him. She remained there, kneeling on one knee, one hand on her back. Outside the storm increased, lightning and rain bashing down on Spargus. She lamented her weakness, her wrong decisions.
'Don't mourn for too long.' Damos finally said. Apart from an initial quiver his voice was steady. Valentine looked up, tears still streaming from her eyes. The pain she felt now was so much more real than the pain the Dark Eco rampaging her body caused her. Damos continued.
'We are weapons. Forged in the heat of the desert. Iron and Precursor steel.' He kept his sentences short in order not to break down, at least not visibly. He took a deep breath, looking back at Valentine.
'I know you hate that body of yours. I see it in your eyes every day. But, Valentine, will you fight for me? Be a weapon in defense of this city?'
Valentine nodded. She stood up, not bothering to wipe the tears of her face. She would cry later on, once more, in the solitude of her room. For the last time. 'I will be your sword and your shield. My life before yours, my King. Strong as Precursor Steel.'
They listened to the storm rage on for a long time, Damos with his back turned towards her. Valentine remained there for as long as she was allowed to, before retreating back to her room.
A weapon. That was what she would become.
|Three Weeks Later|
She had once again been summoned by the Council in relation to her Trials. Just one more and she would be a full citizen of Spargus. More importantly, Damos would be able to officially recognize her as his Guardian. It was her rightful place, as the last one of her family to guard the last descendant of Mar. She could feel her chest tighten as she thought about that name. More than a dead hero from ages gone by, that name was the name of a child she had held very dear.
'Then what would you suggest for a Trial?' Seem asked. Though the monk was by no means an official part of the Council, in order to keep them friendly Damos had to allow them a say in matters. The monk still hadn't forgiven Valentine for being infected with Dark Eco.
'No matter what we choose, it's either too much or too easy.' Mihko mumbled. The man had been in charge of her further training. In an attempt to block out her sorrow whenever she thought about who had died in Haven, Valentine had reported for training. She had gotten stronger than before, having done essentially nothing but eating, sleeping and training.
Kleiver pulled up his belt, burping as he did so. Valentine supposed there was a reason Seem avoided the man so harshly as she did. And still Seem considered Valentine even worse. Now that was an insult.
'How about we just throw her in a Metal Head nest and be done with it? I know one not too far from here.'
Metal Head nest. Now that got her thinking. Back at the facility half a year back she had released several Metal Heads. Instead of attacking her the creatures had flushed out the rest of the guards and scientists there, making her job extremely easy. She looked back at Meta, who was snoring gently behind Damos' throne.
'My King, how useful would you say Meta is?' she asked out loud. The group seemed to be quite disturbed at this question, but still Damos answered her.
'This one? From what I have seen it seems to be capable at defending herself and you. Why?'
Valentine frowned, scratching her head as she thought out loud. 'We don't have any ways of scouting the desert now. No way to cross it except in cars. Except me. When I approached that facility, they never had a clue I was there. Because I wasn't alone.' She looked back at the group, who clearly weren't following her way of thinking. 'I agree with Kleiver. Send me in a Metal Head nest.'
|The Next Day|
Of course actually going through with the plan wasn't quite as easy as just saying it. Kleiver had been the one dropping her off as near the Nest as he dared – which wasn't that close. It had taken her a lot of pleading with her King who didn't want to drop a valuable asset as an afternoon snack in a nest of vicious predators. All had seemed quite lost until Mihko had finally pointed out that, seeing as how the Arena was a no-go, Valentine would have to prove herself in the most extreme way possible.
She couldn't think of anything more extreme than going for some afternoon tea in a Metal Nest.
Valentine found herself looking at the gaping mouth of the Nest. She had been spotted a while ago, but the wasteland variant of a Scout hadn't bothered her. Instead they were walking at the sides, slowly escorting her to where she had to be. The surroundings of the Nest had some sort of vegetation growing. She doubted it was suitable for her to eat, but the scurrying of big rodents showed that some animals could find nutrition here.
Meta let out something between a growl and a whimper when a large Metal-saur came out of the cave entrance. Walking on two legs, it towered over Valentine and her companion. It let out a roar, blowing her hair away from her face.
Valentine lifted up her hands, to show she was unarmed. Or as unarmed as she could be. 'Easy! I came in peace.' After a short deliberation she added :'Take me to your leader.'
The Saur snorted, the movement of air sending her back a few paces. Truth be told, she had suggested this partly in the hope that if she failed, she'd be able to go down in a blaze of glory. Either she proved she could do this, or she was unworthy to serve her King.
Two outcomes. Life or death.
When the great beast turned around, it reared its head once to see if she was following. Valentine swallowed. She had gotten so used to be around Meta that it was a shock to realize other Metal Heads wouldn't be so even-tempered as her friend. She looked at Meta, who did the Metal version of a shrug at the questioning look sent her way.
And so Valentine followed the Saur, inside the gaping hole in the rock. Once she stepped inside the temperature dropped considerably, sending goose bumps over every displayed inch of skin. Several small Spiders ran around, scurrying to get out of the way of the Saur. They scurried around Meta and Valentine in the same way, their head gems lighting up in the half-dark of the passage.
Despite the horrifying chill it sent through her body to be in this nest, she couldn't ignore the sounds of life that were all around her. Metal Heads were screeching at one another, others seemed to howling and the pattering of claws and paws could be heard all around. In one place she could see several eggs, lighting up as a slim species of Metal Head that she hadn't encountered before moved around them. It had long tendrils, which it used to stroke over the surface of the eggs. When it caught Valentine's look it stared back at her, letting out a sort of clicking sound.
Meta's head swerved around, trying to see everything at once. Valentine wondered how much Meta remembered of the Metal Head life. She saw a Scout running by and frowned. Even though her friend was already nearing adult size, the desert variant seemed to grow up to a half more.
Finally they reached a great hall-like structure, lit up by the glow of Dark Eco bubbling around them. The Saur let out a howl, calling for its Metal King. Valentine glanced around her, nervous at the presence of the Dark Eco. Without any sort of protection between her and the Eco, it seemed to burn itself in her mind, overpowering even Its voice.
She cast her blue eyes upwards, towards the ceiling and had to swallow. There was no way she would ever be able to fight something like that with her bare hands. She cursed herself for coming here without any weapons.
Bigger than the Saur, the Metal King gazed down on her. The eyes seemed to shine with malicious intent as it looked upon her. After a short grunt from it the Saur left, leaving Valentine and Meta alone with it. It started to descend from the ceiling, never once taking its eyes away from her.
Valentine didn't back down. She lifted up her chin, standing up straight. No matter what would come to pass now, she would face her fate with dignity. She would be a true Guardian of Mar. Though not dying would of course be the preferred course of action.
And yet she couldn't help but keep her eyes from widening as the Metal King started to transform on the way down. Claws retracted as it came down, skin changing color and melding into itself. Legs and arms formed, the strange feelers surrounding its face retracting. Hair black as coal formed on the head as golden eyes kept focusing on her. The only thing that it couldn't seem to change was the gem located on the forehead. Not that it mattered, somehow it only added to the strange and supernatural aura of the King.
By the time it came down on the ground it had a completely normal, male body. As Valentine noticed clothes weren't a package deal she quickly averted her eyes back up. She was met by a face framed with slicked back, black hair. Golden eyes and a perfectly straight nose seemed to fashioned purely because the Metal King seemed to have thought it would be appealing.
More astounding was the fact that the Metal King had a smile on his face, showing pearly white teeth.
It stepped towards her, with long and smooth strides. Valentine couldn't move. She had not been expecting this. She had expected being confronted with the Metal King as it truly was, not this form. What the hell gave him the right to be so… appealing?
When the King finally was in front of her, he stretched out a hand. 'This is a custom amongst your kind, is it not?'
For all her smarts, the only thing Valentine could bring out at this moment was :'Yeah.'
Another smile followed, seemingly supposed to bring her comfort. It only succeeded partly as Valentine was fighting very hard to not let her eyes stray. If only it had been able to transform clothes as well, wouldn't that have been fair? She hoped it wouldn't notice the obvious blush on her cheeks.
'I am very pleased to meet you. My kin has brought me much news about you.' The King continued. 'It would please me if you were to address me with Ma'al.'
'Ma'al.' Valentine repeated. 'My name is Valentine.' He was still shaking her hand, seemingly happy to keep this up for a very long time if it was necessary. 'What have you heard about me, exactly?'
The smile never once left his face. 'My kin, the ones you released from that prison, they told me that a very special sort of Metal King was wandering the Wasteland. Welcome, Valentine, my fellow Metal King, Dark Walker, Destroyer of Foes and Song of This World. Your presence brings a great joy to my heart.'
|Moon's Note : Gah, I have some smart readers. You guys weren't too far off speculating that Valentine should be some kind of Metal Queen. So yeah, good on you guys (with special mention to LadyAmazon who is very kind to review so often)! As always, I am very happy to be able to write for you, and to be able to read your reviews. Have a wonderful day!|