Author's Notes: Sorry this took a bit longer everyone. I'm in the middle of finals week and the workload is stupid. Anyways, here we are, Chapter 7! Enjoy!

Chapter Seven
Arrested

The roar of the transport engines echoed throughout the empty landscape of the wasteland. No matter which direction a person would look in, all they would see was sand and rocks; nothing more, nothing less. Because of the fans that were used to make the transport hover, sand and dust was kicked up into the air by them. The large car moved at a quick pace as the sun started to hang lower in the sky. It was almost as if it were a race against the fading light to reach the city of the desert.

Jak sat quietly, his head resting against the cool metal of the transport. To him, the past few days had been nothing but a blur. He continued to dream about that same night over and over again. Even though it haunted him, the more he saw it, the more he was becoming curious about his parents. They were their every single time, though still covered in shadows. It was slowly becoming annoying.

Sig did not bring up their conversation to the others. He thought it better to keep Jak's true identity a secret. They had already made too big of a deal out of him being the heir to the house of Mar. They didn't need to have them know he was actually the prince who was thought to be dead. It would have to wait until he could actually speak to his parents.

To his left, Keira sat, her head resting to his shoulder. The young woman was lightly dosing against him, holding onto his arm. On the right, Sig sat with his arms crossed across his chest. He hadn't left Jak's side since the night of their conversation. Although Jak tried to reassure him that he didn't need protection, the older man just would tell him 'It's my job to protect you.' So, instead of arguing, he let the man do as he felt needed. There was no point to try and talk him out of it. Daxter was next Keira, seemingly asleep.

Torn and Ashelin sat across from the four. On occasion, a glance would be stolen between the two and then over to Jak. There was almost a sense of uneasiness about their movements. They seemed to be worried about the ride through the desert or perhaps about going to the city. But whatever it was, it was making Jak slightly uneasy. They were the only two who thought this trip was a poor choice. It could be understood because one was an ex-Krimzon Guard and the other was the governess of Haven. To throw them into the wasteland was bound to end poorly for the rest of the group.

The fight to get them to believe Sig was one for the record books. Jak recalled waking up to hear the three arguing over the sheer insanity of venturing out into the desert. That it was almost like suicide for them as city folk, especially for Ashelin and Torn. How the city in the wasteland would react to such a sight would not end well for them. And yet, Sig insisted on. He had to explain that the king of the desert would be able to help keep the resistance force in check.

But the one thing that convinced them was Jak himself. Due to the drug that was given to him, he needed to be looked at by the monks of the precursor temples. If there were a group of people who would be able to figure out what exactly the drug was doing to him, the monks were the ones who needed to see him.

Closing his eyes briefly, Jak took in a deep breath and exhaled out his mouth. There were nerves building in his stomach, making him feel slightly nauseated. To meet his father and mother was the one thing that he thought would never happen. But, within a blink of an eye, there he sat. He was being taken back to meet his parents. It was when the questions were beginning to form. Would they even believe him that he was their son? What about if they found out about the dark eco experiments done on him? How would that go over? Too many things that could go wrong would probably occur.

"Hey Jak," Daxter's voice asked, snapping Jak back to reality. Looking down, the Ottsel was by his feet, looking up at him. 'We're getting ready to land. Wake up."

Nodding, Jak stretched his back out a bit, "I'm up. I'm up." He muttered, trying to shake out the negative thoughts. As Daxter moved to perch himself at his normal place on Jak's shoulders, the youth rubbed his eyes a bit. "Where are we anyways?"

Rising to his feet, Sig grabbed hold of bar along the ceiling. Turning to look back at Jak, he gave a small grin. "We'll be landing just outside of Spargus. It's the wasteland's only city."

Torn rested his elbows on his knees, craning his head to look up at the man, "So what exactly are we doing here again?" he inquired.

"We need to report to the King on the matter of their attack in Haven." Sig explained flatly, his attitude taking a complete turn. "This concerns them as much as it does us."

The transport gave a lurch as it touched down onto the soft sand below. As everyone rose to their feet, the back door opened to reveal the new landscape. The vehicle itself was next to a large wall that was the barrier for the city. Moving down the ramp, the small group took in their surroundings a bit more. Off to the horizon, all that could be seen was a sea of sand and what looked to be the ocean. The wind swept across the plains, kicking up the dust and dirt into the air. Along the horizon line, the sun was beginning to set in a vast array of reds, pinks, oranges, and violets.

Moving down the ramp, Sig drew in a deep breath of air to fill his whole chest. As he exhaled, a loud sigh escaped him. "Now that's good clean air right there." Stepping onto the sand, he let a huge grin form. "It's good to be home!" He explained as the others followed him out of the transport.

As Ashelin moved out she looked up to the wall with question on her face, "So this is the Spargus I've heard so much about." She muttered quietly, almost to herself. "I didn't expect it to be so large and developed."

Jak looked up to the wall as well, keeping his expression like stone. There was a strange feeling of déjà vu in the back of his mind. The smell of the air and the breeze in his hair was almost welcoming to him. He felt a familiarity to the desert sun upon his face, making him become lost in the sight of it all.

"Come on. Follow me." Sig announced, not allowing for anymore words to be exchanged.

The small group moved towards two large metal doors. As soon as Sig stepped in front of the gate, he withdrew a small card from his pouch on his side. Placing it up to the door, a loud rumbling made the ground tremor slightly. A massive lock began to open as the doors parted. As they pulled apart, they entered a room filled with strange cars that hadn't been seen in Haven for years. Each vehicle were fuel-running and firmly forced to the ground, unlike their city's counterparts. Jak smiled a bit at the sight. His racer side wanted nothing more that to take some of the cars and head out into the desert for a little off-road excitement. Shaking his head a bit, he reverted back to watching Sig move towards another set large doors.

As the inner steal doors opened, Jak and the others became amazed by the sights that lay behind. There were no skyscrapers or hovering cars among the buildings. People walked about as torches were lit along the sand-covered roads. A few people passed by, riding what looked like giant lizards with small wings and beaks. Most of the buildings were only two stories, maybe even three. It was much different from Haven.

As they moved into the walls of the city, the residents would occasionally pause in their steps, staring that the group strangely. Mutters and whispers followed them as they trailed Sig closely, looking around just a little bit to get a feel of the new surroundings.

"Who does he think he is? Bringing in city people," one woman muttered to another, though making no attempt to keep her voice down. "The king is not gonna be happy."

Keira took hold of Jak's arm, squeezing it tightly for some kind of comfort. "They really don't like us, do they?" she whispered quietly.

Glancing down from his friend's shoulder, Daxter smirked as the girl's comment. "What EVER gave you that idea? Was it the evil glares or the flat commentary?" he asked mockingly.

"Don't start Dax," Jak muttered as he kept his eyes forward towards where Sig walked. "We're here as guests. Don't try to start stuff with the locals."

"Who? Me? NEVER!" The Ottsel laughed, resting his elbow upon Jak's head again.

As they turned a corner, Sig held up his hand. Jak and the others halted in their tracks, waiting for a word from the man that led them along. There before them was a massive staircase that went to the top of a hillside. Two large gryphon-like statues sat at the base of the limestone stairs as if they were protecting and guarding whatever lay beyond there.

Turning on his heels, Sig nodded to the rest of the group. "Wait here. I have to go let the guards and king know we're here." He explained, getting a few nods from the members of his party. "I'll be right back." And with that, the man took off up the stairs and disappeared from sight.

Ashelin moved to sit herself on the base step of the stairs. Stretching her legs out in front of her, she craned her head back. Red dreads fell over her shoulders slightly as she cast her stare skyward. "This trip is completely pointless." Ashelin muttered, gained the glances of the others. "If Sig was so gun-ho about reporting this to the king, then why not just send a message."

"He said that this was something that had to be done in person." Keira explained, placing her hands to her hips. "Something about honor codes or whatnot."

"Doubt these people know much about honor codes," Torn growled under his breath, glancing about that the wastelanders who were giving threatening looks towards them: mostly aimed at himself and Jak. He curled his upper lip in disgust at the people who passed by them and only received a glare in return. "By the looks of them, we won't be staying long."

Jak leaned against the large statue, crossing his arms in his normal fashion. Looking around him, the blond kept his eyes slightly narrowed. He couldn't help but think back to his nightmare. How these streets and buildings were ablaze while metalheads and Krimzon Guards roamed throughout. They were looking for him. That one thought sent a chill down his spine. Bringing his head down to his chest, he let a small sigh escape him. Closing his eyes, he felt a cool breeze blow throughout the streets. His hair brushed about his shoulders a bit, making him feel an overwhelming calm.

As he stood quietly against the statue, Jak's ears perked to the sounds of a guitar hidden within the breeze. It was soft and slow sounding, almost as if it were just a mind game being played on him. A small smile formed upon his lips as the melody became louder to him. The rhythm made the young man drop his guard completely as his shoulder slumped a bit, causing his partner to almost loose his footing.

"Whoa there Jak!" Daxter exclaimed as he clawed into the armor on his shoulder. "Stay awake there buddy."

Opening his eyes a bit, he continued to listen and smile softly. Torn, Ashelin, and Keira stared at him with question upon their faces. "Don't you hear that?" he asked quietly to his friends, who only gave him a strange look. "The guitar playing. Can't you hear it?"

"I think you're loosing it Jak," Torn said harshly. "I don't hear—"

"Shh! Wait a sec," Keira spoke quietly, cutting the man off. Holding her hand up to her ear, the mechanic listened carefully into the night of Spargus. She let her eyes narrow a bit, trying to hear the sound Jak spoke of. Within a mere ten seconds of listening, the young woman heard as well. "I hear it. A guitar. But, from where?"

Ashelin rose to her feet and joined the rest of the group. She, along with Torn, began to listen as well. Sure enough, the music began to play louder as they all focused on hearing it. The melody seemed to calm the tension they had been feeling, relaxing them just as much as Jak had become. Turning a bit, the governess looked up the steps towards where Sig had vanished from before. "It's coming from up there." she told, pointing to the large building at the top of the stairs.

Pushing away from the statue, Jak moved back to get a clear view of the building above them. He let his abnormal senses kick into high gear as he looked about. His blue eyes darted about like a hawk looking for a kill. He narrowed his vision a bit, trying to get it to move in a bit more.

"See anything Jak?" Keira asked, coming up to his side. Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and onto Keira's, trying to get a better grasp of what he was trying to hear.

As he opened his mouth to answer, the blond quickly stopped himself. There, sitting along a rail of the balcony was a woman. Her hair was a stunning shade of blond that hung down her back in an elegant braid. Her face was hidden from view as she held a small guitar in her hands, strumming it gently. She looked as if she were dressed in a beautiful black dress that hung delicately along the railing.

Moving away from the small group, Jak started up the stairs slowly. He kept his eyes locked upon the woman above as she continued to play the simple tune. The melody seemed like something from a faint melody that was hidden within the back of his mind. It relaxed him to the point where his guard was completely gone. He heard Daxter questioning his actions, but he paid him no heed. He had to get closer to hear the song clearer.

"Damnit kid," Torn came up beside him, yelling in his ear. "Are you trying to start something with the wastelanders?"

But Jak kept his eyes focused on the woman, "I have to see something," he muttered, keeping his eyes narrowed on the vision above them.

Torn trailed Jak up the stairs, trying to get him to go back to the girls. He followed behind the young man carefully, unsure of what he was trying to do exactly. Upon entering the balcony area, the music became crystal clear to both of them. Looking down the walkway, the woman sat there. She paid no attention to their presence as she continued to strum away on the guitar. Jak froze in his steps as suddenly a soft voice came out along with the song. There were no real lyrics, just simple la's being sung to the beat. She paid them no mind as she continued to sing to her music as if there were no real worry in the world. And yet, to Jak, the song seemed sad as she began to finish playing.

The woman leaded back against one of the stone pillars, letting a soft sigh escape her. She looked out to the stair-filled sky, almost as if she were looking for something.

Torn tugged on the young man's arm, trying to keep him from moving forward towards her. "Let's get out of here before something—"

"Who are you people?!" A loud, gruff voice spoke from behind, causing both men to spin quickly on their heels. As they turned around completely, Jak and Torn came face to face with two very large wastelanders. Their weapons were posed, aiming for right between the eyes as they glared down the men. They almost seemed identical to the men that attacked them at the bar, although they weren't as large.

Hearing the men's cries, the woman stood from her spot on the balcony railing and turned to face the guards. "Oh my," she cried, nearly dropping the small instrument from her hands. "What in the name of the precursors is going on?"

Grabbing hold of Jak's shirt, the wastelander pulled him nose to nose with him. "These two were here as an assassination attempt on you, your majesty." He growled out, giving a smirk as he watched Jak's eyes narrow in anger.

"What?!" Torn shouted angrily as he was grabbed the same way, "That's a lie!"

The other man took hold of Torn the same way, grabbing for the knife on his back, "See their weapons. You were about to be killed if we hadn't come along." He boasted, removing the dagger from its resting place. As the guard grabbed hold of the scatter shot from his back, Jak was forced to turn about and face the woman. He could hear Torn cursing and struggling to break free from being captured. Looking up as his hands were being secured with a thick chain, he almost felt his heart stop in his chest.

A pair of blue eyes stared him square in the eye. Her face was stern as she watched him look at her with surprise. About her brow, she wore a thin chain crown with red jewels scattered among it. About her neck, she wore a red amulet of the House of Mar in a chocker type form.

She crossed her arms as she looked down at Jak and then to her guards. "Take them to the battle dome. If they think they have a right to live after trying to kill the queen, then let us see how they fare against Spargus' finest." Turning her back to the pair, she began to walk away slowly. "Tell my husband that their match will be tonight. Why wait for such criminals to die?" she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"As you wish your majesty." The guards said in unison with a bow.

Taking hold of their chains, the guards grabbed the two roughly, leading them away from where they stood. They headed back down the stairs back into the city. As the two walked, Keira, Daxter, and Ashelin looked up from where they stood. Surprise crossed their faces as they watched the two men being lead down the stairs with guns to their backs. Torn was cursing up a storm as Jak remained silent with a stern expression as they became clearer to the others. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Jak's guard shoved him forward, throwing him to dusty ground.

As the locals gathered around, the city group back off a bit, wondering what had just happened. "Two more for the Arena!" the guards laughed loud enough for the crowd to cheer. Grabbing Jak by the back of his shirt, the guard pulled him to his feet and began leading him and Torn away from the group.

"And I keep tellin' ya, we're not killers." Torn yelled as Jak was placed on his feet again. "We're here to see the king!"

But the guard just snarled his lip at him, "Yeah right outsider. Get moving." He mocked, pushing him along with the tip of his gun.

Daxter remained on Keira's shoulder as the three stood back from the scene. Letting his jaw drop a bit, the rat let his eyes go wide, "I can't take Jak anywhere new without him getting arrested." He told flatly, shaking his head.

"I don't know what the arena is," Keira began looking over her shoulder to Daxter and Ashelin, "but I have a feeling they are gonna be needing our help." She told, gaining a nod from the others.

"I leave you cherries alone for not even ten minutes and you cause a scene!" Sig's voice entered over the loud noise of the crowd. Looking back towards where the two men were being lead off, the women and Ottsel found themselves looking up at Sig. The man's face was filled with annoyance as he stood there waiting for some kind of answer from them. "What the hell happened?!"

Ashelin was the first to speak up, "They think Jak and Torn are killers." She said, even more of her normal attitude being noticeable. "Jak was investigating some strange noise and he and Torn accidentally ended up in the palace."

Slapping his forehead slightly, the man let a sigh escape him. "Great," he muttered under his breath. Looking over his shoulder, Sig could see the people moving towards the large stadium where the battle dome was held. Nodding a bit at the view, he turned back to the women and Ottsel, "We'll cut through the palace. We need to get to the king before he allows the battle to get started."

Moving from their spot near the statue, they hurried up the steps to where Jak and Torn had gone. Sig moved at an extremely quick pace, making it hard for the two women to keep up. They hurried down large opened hallways, passing artwork and detailed carvings of all shapes and sizes. In a way, the building was incredibly elegant compared to the rest of the city.

Starting up another flight of stairs, Daxter leapt to Sig's shoulder, clinging onto the man's armor. "What exactly is the Spargus Arena anyways?" he questioned, leaning over to watch the man pant.

"It's a fight to the death," Sig breathed out as the stairs turned sharply into a spiral. "Prisoners are forced to do battle with one weapon of choice against the elite soldiers of Spargus."

Daxter let a loud gulp of nerves escape him, "Has….has any prisoner ever survived?"

"Why do you think I'm running so fast here, cherry?" was the only answer Sig could give as they reached the top of the stairs. Sig kept cursing in his mind, knowing that the king would not stop if he were to believe that the two prisoners were actually assassins. The battle dome was only reserved for the worst criminals and rebels who stood against the crown. And, since the guards were quick enough to assume Torn and Jak as killers, there would be no way to stop it. Unless he could explain everything before the match started. It was not that he didn't have faith in the two, but he knew just how ruthless they could get in the ring. And all he could do was pray they got there before it was too late.

Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to read and review!