|Wasteland|
Sandy dunes rushed by underneath Valentine as Meta's wings carried the both of them toward Spargus. Jak was following with the monks, using the safe buggies they preferred for getting around in the desert. Sadly safe also meant sluggish, something which they really didn't need at the moment. 'Speed was of the essence', at least that was what Seem had said.
Which was why Valentine had agreed to go ahead, leaving Jak to listen to Seem's explanations. She would ask questions of her own, eventually. First she had to make sure there was still a city to return to. Damos would have her hide and she couldn't blame him if he did. Apart from princess she was first and foremost his general, the one who needed to command if the King wasn't available. And she was supposed to be by his side at this time.
Meta climbed in height as she flew, giving Valentine the opportunity of scouting ahead. If the desert sand wouldn't have choked her, Valentine would have dropped open her mouth in awe. Because in the distance, rushing towards them at an almost sickening speed, she could very clearly see a Metal King wrestle down what looked to be an enlarged Dark Maker.
Tentatively she reached out to Ma'al, showing him what she saw, adding a questioning feel to the image. This time he didn't assault her with words but flickered an image back. Teeth like lances snapped closed in front of him while the thing attempted to pull him in the watery depths of the ocean.
So it was her friend who was helping to keep Spargus safe. The communication ended there. She didn't want to risk distracting him out of fear of somehow causing him to lose. Instead she directed Meta to the shore where Kleiver managed to kill two Dark Makers in one go, a trick which had her very impressed, before he turned back to the big gun.
"Where's the King?" She asked as soon as they touched the ground, thankful he at least didn't try to shoot the Dark Maker Ma'al was fighting.
Kleiver wiped dark droplets of blood from his face, cringing at feeling of the diluted Dark Eco on bare skin. When he looked at her he seemed as displeased as ever. "He's out near the center plaza, making sure the kids and recruits are staying put in the barracks. A job which you should be doing."
"Why yes, me and Jak did make sure the monks survived all of this. Thank you for asking," Valentine retorted at the rebuke, mostly because deep down she knew the man was right. Seem might have been her friend, but it had been her duty to remain here. Knowing that didn't lessen the sting of it at all, on the contrary.
"Make sure you don't kill Ma'al. I actually like him."
Kleiver grunted something before taking a few new shots at other creatures that fell down in the water. Shaking her head she hoped Jak would be here soon. He was the one who was supposed to be firing the big gun - or whatever Kleiver had nicknamed it - and she was fairly sure he wouldn't accidentally kill the Metal King.
Meta flew her to the square where Damos and his bodyguards were guarding the entrance to the barracks. She jumped down, landing just behind her King while Meta flew off to cause some damage of her own.
Before she could say something Damos flicked her on the head. "Owch!"
"That's for leaving your post in a time of crisis," her King reminded her, taking a shot at one of the Dark Makers that was without a shield for the moment.
"Duly noted, sir. Their shields don't reach around the back so if someone could shoot them from there?" Valentine shouted the last part over the courtyard. Though most of the Spargus dwellers had caught on to that trick there had been a few denser one in the mix. Maybe the knowledge would speed up the battle more.
"Casualties?"
Damos grunted as he launched another shot, distracting a Maker before he could gobble up a Kanga Rat. The creatures didn't seem too adept at knowing which life forms were actually a danger to them.
"Too many already, and the number will keep rising if we do not get rid of these invaders soon. Where's… where is Jak?"
Valentine caught the pause in his voice, the way he didn't look her in the eye when he posed the question. For a moment she regretted telling Damos for the distraction it caused him. But darn it, she hadn't known the city would be attacked. Wasn't there supposed to be someone giving them until midnight? Sometimes it felt like decent villains had just gone out of style.
"He'll be here soon, together with the monks. Seem has things to tell us as well."
"Go into the town, help where you can. We will keep this place safe," Damos ordered her, gesturing to the throng of combatants.
Though the order sunk to the depths of her core - she didn't want Damos to be left undefended even if he could take care of himself - she obeyed. She'd been disobedient enough lately and maybe, just this once, she could make the man proud to call her his daughter.
With a salute and a smirk that was saucy as always she sprang away, accepting a dagger from one of the guards as she did so. Before she'd moved far she climbed a ladder, both to get a higher viewpoint and to slip detection from the Makers. With all the ruckus on the ground very few thought about looking up.
The tactic proved to be a successful one. She would have to thank the Precursors for that because she didn't have the energy to take them on mentally. At one point during the battle she saw Jak rushing by, followed by the monks. Their eyes met for a second and then he was gone, leaving her to dispatch a Maker that had just a tad too much interest in the fleeing holy people.
Apart from those few flickers she had no concept of time. How long had they been fighting, how many more were there? Her fingers ached from the tight grip she held on the dagger, her muscles screamed for rest as she climbed another ladder. No time to breathe, no chance to take it easy. If she let up people could get killed.
"King Valentine, it is done," Ma'al spoke from behind her as she searched for the next Dark Maker. Startled she looked over her shoulder, seeing the King once again transformed. He looked pale beneath his tan, sweat beaded on his brow. Judging from the blood covering the right part of his robes he hadn't gotten out of the fight without a few scrapes.
That was when she noticed the dark blood covering her. There wasn't a clean way to slice a throat and this stuff had the added affect of burning like hell. Disgusted she started to wipe herself clean, aided when Ma'al threw a bucket of water over her head. Light purple water ran down from her body, sinking in the saturated desert sand. "Thanks."
Ma'al inclined his head before being accosted by one of the Spargan women who insisted on getting him patched up. Valentine shrugged when she noted how the King, who had just battled with huge Dark Makers, now seemed very intimidated by what seemed to be a woman just nearing her twenties, the top of her head barely reaching over his chest. "Female Rae, I assure you, this wound means nothing."
One day she was going to tattoo the word 'miss' on one of his hands to make sure he didn't forget. The other hand she reserved for a guideline on etiquette concerning interaction with the opposite gender, provided she figured that out for herself one day.
What she really wanted was drop down on the ground and not stand up for the coming few days. The only thing stopping her was the knowledge she would be falling in a puddle of Dark Eco-saturated sand, which wasn't beneficial to anyone.
Making the heroic effort of walking over to a clean rock she caught the words 'flesh wound', 'antiseptic' and 'I have seen my share of poison, female Rae'. Perhaps she ought to provide a bottle of liquor to tend to Ma'al, that should give him a reason to steer clear of the stuff.
"Val, you okay?" Jak trotted up to her, Daxter bouncing up and down on his shoulder. Though covered in dust and sweat he seemed relatively unharmed, if just as exhausted as she was. Then again, he had the handy healing power. She didn't think she was hurt, apart from a nasty scratch on the inside of her arm and the wound on her head that had felt as if it might open during the battle.
"I think so. Would have been tough if one more of them showed up," she allowed, scanning over the area she was sitting. She hadn't realized they had moved the battle to the beach area. Currently they were in the middle of the market, surrounded by squashed fruits and sliced vegetables. The nearby sea looked to be tinted purple as well, which might have something to do with the gigantic corpses floating about.
Daxter startled when one of the bodies was pulled down by a giant tentacle. "What's that thing?!"
"Giant squid," Valentine said with decidedly the wrong amount of agitation for a giant cephalopod. "Doesn't usually pop up, useless in a fight and generally snacks on stupid swimmers." Though she was glad it hadn't decided to eat Ma'al while he had been fighting in the water. That would have made a right mess.
"Woman, you are not freaking out as you should! How long have you known that thing is there?" Daxter shouted, clearly feeling more energetic than all of his companions combined.
Jak stood next to her, she realized. Weary she rested her head against his thigh, closing her eyes. "Years… I don't know, Daxter. The squid just eats the leftovers from the Arena."
There was something about a huge creature in watery depths that didn't scream 'investigate me' to the inhabitants of Spargus. Even Valentine hadn't been stupid enough to venture in. Being on the menu card of a giant calamari wasn't her idea of a good time.
The touch of Jak's hand on the crown of her head made her realize she'd been talking out loud. Shutting up at once she opened her eyes again, saw him look down with an amused smile playing around his lips. Behind them Ma'al had finally stopped his protests, allowing his wounds to be tended to.
Seem arrived to the scene as well, followed by other monks who fanned out to aid in treating the injured and recovering the dead from their fallen foes. The monk stopped in front of Valentine, stooping down a tiny bit yet careful not to touch the sand. In her hands was a bottle filled with clear liquid.
"Not one of your dirty potions again, Seem," Valentine groaned.
"It will restore some of your energy. I suggest you drink it before the King wishes to speak with you," Seem sounded not quite amused but reassured by Valentine's behavior.
Valentine accepted the bottle and brought it to her mouth. Unlike most of the concoctions Seem made her drink, this was a tad sweet. Not at all like how her medicine had tasted. And she did feel energy washing back in her limbs. "Nice. Why don't you make all your potions taste like this?"
"Because sometimes sweetness detracts from the effectiveness," Seem said slowly, handing Jak and Daxter a bottle as well.
Valentine quickly downed the rest of the bottle. Daxter was the only one in the group who wasn't drinking, instead keeping an eye on the ocean and spouting theories about the squid coming up to eat them all. When she reached the bottom Valentine closed the bottle once again and handed it back to Seem. "So… you had some things to tell us?"
The monk nearly dropped her collected water bottles, fumbling for a decent grip as if they had been oiled in the minute they had left her hands. Was that a slight tinge of pink on Seem's cheeks? "Yes… I did… I did say that."
"Seem, relax. If I wanted you dead I could have left you in the temple. Just tell us what you know, and we'll talk about the why later," Valentine reassured her friend. She could guess the why, somewhat. It just really sucked that Seem had been playing for two camps all this time.
"Of course," Seem agreed, moving her fingers in intricate patterns as she spoke. The sign language was unique to her order of monks and used it seemed to soothe the monk.
"I am truly sorry for what I have done, Valentine. We assisted Count Veger in finding the Catacombs. He assured us he would only use the power of the Precursors for good. And I fear now he has betrayed us. As we speak he is forever coming closer to finding a way to the main chamber. He plans on using the weapon to destroy the world, after which he will demand full reign over the planet."
"As if anyone is going to give Count Nutjob that position," Daxter shouted, finally tearing his eyes away from the sea.
Valentine frowned. "They will if he's the one that saved us all. We know better, but to the masses he's just a regular guy who will have defeated the biggest threat in our entire history."
"We did that at least two or three times up until now!" Daxter protested.
"From zero to fake hero," Jak concluded, folding his arms over one another as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
"In no time flat," Valentine concluded in a grim tone. "All he needs to do is fire that weapon, gather the proof and he'll be elected in no time."
Daxter argh-ed in frustration. "I should have documented his plans to get rid of bikinis. That would have prevented anyone from supporting Vegan."
"Where is the weapon, exactly?" Jak asked Seem.
The monk glanced at the Day Star, almost shining brighter than the now setting sun. "The entrance is buried in the root of the Metal nest in Haven. When Veger destroyed the palace he had hoped to get immediate access to it but the Metal Heads had arrived sooner. He could not get past them."
"Didn't we drop a factory on that part of town?" Daxter asked, as if he wasn't quite sure if that had really happened.
Valentine pinched the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths. "We did. And we probably made his job of getting in there a whole lot easier by doing that."
"Veger is not as fast as the two of you. I know you can still beat him, provided you leave now. I had a message sent out for the transport to be readied, you can be there in a matter of hours." Seem suggested, hands busier than ever in signing out her words.
Valentine wanted to nod yes, she wanted to take off. Save the world and make sure everything was okay. But… "Jak, you'll have to go alone."
This was enough to startle the blond who had already started to check his ammo for the trip. "What?!"
She ran her hands through her hair - somewhere during the fighting she'd lost her favorite scrunchie, not that she would want it back now - as she straightened out her thoughts. "Damos needs me here. Kleiver was right, I should have stayed here. I'm supposed to help look after these people, not run around doing whatever I might please."
"So you'd rather be on clean-up duty than help us save the world?" Of course the Ottsel didn't understand her at all.
Jak seemed to understand better, if by a margin. "I get it. But… I'd feel better if I knew you had my back while I was in there. Big Metal Heads, certain destruction… makes me less nervous than having to go there alone."
She fumbled around in her pockets, certain she had- ah, there it was. With a smile she showed him her Spargus Seal, the mark of a true citizen. Standing up she pressed it in his hands. "You're not officially a citizen yet, but I'll lend this to you just in case. Press the button and the cavalry will come charging to help you."
Valentine looked away, scratching the back of her head. "I know it's not as good as having me tag along, but, well… at least this way we'll be together in a small way."
"You're sure about this? I mean, you can start being responsible after all this has been cleared up. It's not like they'll be needing you that much, the place still looks great," Jak replied, putting the small seal in his back pocket.
This was the moment one of the remaining market stalls decided to crumble in on itself, sending clouds of dust billowing away from the scene. "Okay, that's just one stall. It's not like that is going to make a difference."
Valentine chuckled and pressed her lips against his cheek. "I'm staying here to man the fort while you kick Veger's ass. There's always a chance more Dark Makers decide to show up and somebody needs to help Damos keep things under control. You go and save the world."
When Jak opened his mouth to protest she flipped his nose. "I'm sure about this. Everything is going to be just fine."
Finally he nodded. Before departing he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He rested his forehead against hers, taking a few slow breaths. "We're going to make it. Right?"
She nodded, kissing him before he could press his lips against her. "We will. We always do."
Yes, another chapter down for the count! Special thanks to Sage - who I've neglected something fierce lately and I'm sorry but sometimes I just really suck at basic social things - who has been having a rough time lately but still finds it in them to out every once in a while. Which is so cool. Kudos and applause, if you please.
As for other news, if things keep up we only have four - count them, four - chapters to go and a special epilogue chapter. Which reminds me, ayyylmao and Dear Guest, if you would like to request a scenario for the epilogue please do so. You've both been incredibly supportive and I could write a little something in your honors. Can be anything, with any character, that you'd like to see. Funny or sad or romantic, with Val or Jak or Keira or Ma'al or anyone, just let me know.
M-Angel 05 : I kind of forgot how big Metal Kings are supposed to be - they're never compared to Dark Makers either way - but I feel fairly confident Ma'al would be able to take them on ^^ Hope you liked the chapter, and don't forget to answer my PM to you ;)
Oblique Strategies : I kind of messed up the time-line of the missions while planning out my story. I followed the mission list in the JnD wiki but then I lost track of it and now I have to jumble things around a bit. The important stuff will still happen, just not completely in the order it should have. And I totally lost sight of my swearing last chapter, must've slipped by me when I was writing.
And I'm glad you found the Dark Makers suitably scary, their shield were so annoying. The bullets I wasted on those things