disclaimer : Jak and Daxter are property of NaughtyDog Inc.
disclaimer : Addylyn the Sage is property of aheartstruecolours.

The dark was unnerving, but nowhere near as horrendous as the quiet.

Unlike in the Forest itself, the tormented howls of the wind and the furious pounds of thunder did not reach our ears here in this passage. The only way to know where I was headed was touch, my fingertips grazing the uneven stone walls as we circled deeper and deeper beneath the surface.

"I hope we get outta here soon, this place is startin' to give me the creeps!" A moist spider web clung to Daxters face as he spoke, causing him to shriek and flail in an attempt to free himself from the mess, and causing me to tumble forward on the slick, uneven steps.

Bones cracked and skin tore and cries escaped as we plummeted across the unforgiving rock, for what seemed like forever.

And then we stopped.

I glared at Daxter, words unnecessary, and received a sheepish grin and shrug for my efforts.

Sighing, I began to assess the damage of our recklessness. My left arm stung profusely, and as I rolled up the sleeve to my tunic I found the bone protruding from the irritated skin of my forearm, surrounded by bruises and cuts. My Mod Gun was cracked, as was my communicator.

Remembering Torns words, I tried to make a call. "Hey, Torn, Samos, this is Jak. I'm in the Chamber, what am I looking for exactly?"

As I spoke I scanned the room, perfectly round, with that same five pointed star shape on the floor and ceiling. At each of the five points were statues, and one stood in the center.

It was the only female, and it was almost as if she was calling to me. God, the marble was so intricate, so perfect. Tentatively, I began to walk towards her, arm outstretched.

"Jak, this is Samos. Can you hear me?" Fuck.

"Yeah I hear ya, what am I looking for?" My eyes didn't leave her as I spoke.

I heard him sigh, and pause before he chose to speak, as if thinking of how to put his words. "You are looking for a statue. There should be five in the perimeter of a Pentagram, and one in the center of the other five. She is your objective."

"What the hell are you talkin' about Gramps? You sent us into this creepy ass catacomb to bring back a chunk o' rock? You're outta yer mind!" Daxters shrill voice resonated around the room, and if Samos hadn't heard him then the man was surely deaf.

"Listen here you insufferable - "

I cut the wizened man off before he could finish, a question nagging at the back of my mind. "Why her? What's so special about her?"

Shuffling could be heard on the other end of the line.

"What you are standing in, is an Alchemy Circle. An ancient, mystic device that very few still know how to use. Each of the five perimeter statues represent an Element, or an Eco." He paused, as if unsure of how to proceed. "The statue in the center is the Alchemist, the caster of the spell that created the statues. We need to protect it at all costs."

I thought for a moment, and soon another question fell from my lips. As I looked at the statues, I realized that they were either sad or fearful, and the Alchemist could've been crying. "What do you mean, created the statues?"

Samos was quiet.

"Samos?"

"Alchemy is a dangerous and dark art, and forbidden as well. When I say the Alchemist created those statues, I mean she sacrificed the souls of the men in those bodies in order to turn them into stone and achieve her objective."

"Which was?"

"Do you remember when you battled Gol and Maia at the top of the Precursor Silo in their Citadel, Jak?"

Confusion consumed me, but I continued. "Of course I do, what does that have to do with any of this?"

"At the end of the battle, a substance what created. Do you recall what it was?"

"White Eco. Care to get to the damn point and stop wasting my time?"

"How was White Eco created?" I could hear the smirk in Samos' voice, and decided to humour him for a while more before impatience got the best of me.

"It was created by combining the five other - " I trailed off, realization hitting me like a Krimzon Transport. "She was creating White Eco."

"Exactly."

"What for?"

"I'll explain that in time, my boy. For now, retrieve her statue and bring it to the Hideout."

"Hey Samos."

An aggravated huff came through the communicator. "What?"

"What's her name?"

I must've caught him off guard, for he stuttered a bit before he could finally choke out an answer. "Her name is Addylyn. Addylyn the Sage."

"Sage? Sage of what?"

"Jak, you are looking at the form of the first and only White Sage."

reviews are appreciated.
/aheartstruecolours.

author notes :
- i apologize for how short the chapter is, i have a taste for suspense.