By Vakamer, with a suggestion or two by ImKarl. Please enjoy reading!
Darkness. There was only darkness. No dreams, at least none that Ratchet remembered. The first thing he felt, well, the only thing he felt as his senses slowly booted up, was a short strain of pain emanating from every muscle, bone, and hair strand in his body. He gradually forced his eyes open, only to close them back due to the overwhelming brightness and the agonizing throb pulsating in his head.
He sat up, holding his head and clenching his jaw. He scrubbed at his eyeballs, forcing the sleep from them and throwing his eyelids open to the illuminating inferno that surrounded him. "Urgh…"
After his eyes began to adjust to his blazing surroundings, he took his time examining the environment around him. He was inside a wooden hut. Simple in its method of construction. No signs of electricity or advanced technology. Two dream catchers hung on the wall opposite of him over a small fireplace made out of stone.
He sniffed, catching the faint smell of burnt kindling, but there was something else, something familiar.
Rivet? Wait! What happened? Where's Rivet!?
Despite the pain, he began to frantically look around for his fellow hero. However, it only took him two seconds to realize the lump of linen sheets lying right next to him in the cot. Rivet lay perfectly still with what was probably the most tranquil expression he had ever seen on her face. The multi-dimensional hero blew out a breath of relief and chuckled at his own unfound anxiety. Taking a moment to once again rub the tension out of his temples, he began to reach out to Rivet; it was then that he noticed the bandages coiled and knotted around his left arm.
Someone brought us here… Someone treated our wounds… And…
He looked down underneath his blanket.
Someone took our clothes!?
He yelped in surprise, not because his form was any different than what it normally was, nor did he appear to suffer any major injuries, but the thought of some strange alien creature stripping him was more than a bit embarrassing. He growled at the thought and again searched the room with a newfound purpose of reclaiming his modesty. He spotted a small folded bundle of what appeared to be clothing; just a few meters away. "You gotta be kidding me…"
A groan to his left broke contact with his objective. He felt the cushions of the cot shift and saw Rivet sit up beside him out of his peripheral vision. Being the good friend that he was, he turned to give her his full and undivided attention. In a manner similar to his earlier self, Rivet was also holding her head. The blanket around her form began to fall lower. He quickly looked away.
"Damn… What happened?" She asked and looked around. "And where are we?"
"Ahem. Don't know. Just woke up." Ratchet answered, currently busy with maintaining eye discipline and keeping them fixed at that very interesting wall over there … and not Rivet.
"Okay. So what's going on? And what's wrong with you?"
"Whoever brought us here, treated our wounds, and…."
"And?" she asked. He could almost imagine her raising a brow with that tone of voice, but it's not like he was going to risk a look.
Got to be a gentleman, Ratchet.
"Um, they took our clothes."
"Wait what!?" She looked down and quickly pulled her blanked underneath her chin. "What the hell, Ratchet!?" she yelled and kicked him out the bed.
He landed on the floor yelping. "Oof! What!? As if it's my fault!"
Rivet growled for a second before she sighed. "I know… Sorry. Just… What now?"
"First, we need to dress up somehow." He looked at the loincloth on the ground. He scrubbed his face in exasperation before exclaming, "Damn it…" He risked looking over at her. "Could you… You know…" He gestured her to turn around with a spin of his index finger.
Rivet's eyes squinted at him for a brief moment before they widened in realization and nodded in confirmation following her laying back down and facing the wall.
Ratchet quickly darted over and snatched up the piece of clothing and put it on. At least it functions like pants.
"This feels strange…" he said.
The shuffling of sheets tickled Ratchet's ears as it appeared that Rivet didn't need permission, she simply turned around. Her amused chuckles cut across the empty room, "Cute." she mewed.
Ratchet's cheeks burned red in embarrassment. "Ha ha, very funny. Now it's your turn." He said as he turned to face the corner. This feels like I'm back in school.
Ratchet felt Rivet's eyes burn into his back for a moment too long until he heard the tell-tale sounds of shifting sheets and creaking bed posts. Just think about something else. Al at the beach, helping Clank clean his gears, fighting Nefarious again, anything else but Rivet dressing!
Ratchet frowned as he stared at the walls. But maybe she'll need help? It wasn't that straightforward to put on. Maybe I should be the gentleman that I am an– NO! If I even dare to turn around, she'll crush me.
"I'm done… I guess…" Rivet said, the taint of uncertainty in her voice was more than apparent to Ratchet's sensitive ears.
He took his time to carefully peeked over his shoulder, fearing a reprisal that never came. What he actually saw when he turned was worse than any act of violence she could inflict upon him. Whoa ….
It was simply the same thing he wore, with the addition of a strip to cover her top, but to Ratchet, it might've been framed in a museum as the greatest work of art ever conceived by a Lombax. Needless to say, he looked at her for a bit too long before shaking his head free from 'artistic' thoughts.
"Uh … right." He licked his lips while trying to reclaim his thoughts. "Let's take a look at what we're dealing with…" he mostly said this to himself as he desperately sought distraction from Rivet's appearance and questioning looks. He turned to the simple sliding door that stood between them and the unknown. He slowly reached out and inched the door open just enough to peek outside. It was daytime. Huts, much like what Ratchet assumed they were in, scattered across his vision. He also managed to spot silhouettes moving in the shadows of sycamore and juniper trees. Carefully, he pried the door enough to allow passage and stepped outside.
"Okay. Quiet now. Maybe we can sneak ou–" A hand on his shoulder cut him off. With all the training and combat experience that years of heroism gave, he flipped backwards and landed in a combat crouch.
Ratchet's jaw bounced off the floor alongside Rivet's. Two other Lombaxes, male and female, with spears in hand, stood before them. The Lombaxes were lean and strong in appearance. Their fur differentiated themselves from one another. One bore a fiery red tint to hers whilst the male was a shocking blue. The female, with a long feather braided into her hair, stepped forward.
"Washte ishnelo poalo!" The red furred female said with a big smile.
Ratchet frowned. "I uh…. Sorry, uh, what was that?" he asked.
He felt Rivet approach and lean close to him, in his peripheral vision, he saw that her gaze was still locked on the two Lombaxes in utter disbelief. "Lombaxes…."
He felt her shoulder nudge his, "Uh, Ratchet? How is this possible?"
The red furred and the blue furred Lombaxes exchanged looks, before they began to speak in muted tones to each other, not exactly whispering but not projecting their voices to be heard either. The initial confusion about the language was still plaguing Ratchet, but after a few more seconds he turned to answer Rivet.
"I don't know. This is… I don't know what this is. Did they save us?"
"I think so? But…. What is this? I thought the Lombaxes are one of the most advanced races in the whole universe?"
"They are."
"Then why are they dressed like this and use damn spears?"
"I don't know…"
The red furred female stepped forward again, grabbing their attention.
Her gaze jumped between the heros as she clearly searched for words. "Uh… Hello. You fine?"
Rivet frowned. "So you DO speak our language."
"Eh, not good. Some. Only good to uh… Say what wants."
Ratchet nodded slowly. "O-kay… So… Where are we? Why are you here? And why are you like… Well… Like this?"
The female Lombax looked up and to her right in what appeared to be thought before she pointed all around them. "Patria." she said then she also pointed towards herself. "I, Roja. We live on land since remember. I like this because was born like this?"
Ratchet let out a breath of exasperation. "No, never mind."
The Lombax, Roja, looked unconvinced, still her eyes darting between the two. Her tail was stiff and her ears were twitchy. "Uku chi alo Awak Ishnialo?"
"Huh?" Rivet uttered.
Roja licked her lips, her nervousness all the more apparent. The other Lombax seemed to be leaning into the conversation, listening intently.
"You, Star Children?"
"Say what now?" But before Rivet could receive her answer Ratchet pulled her back so he could whisper in her ear without their new found friends listening in.
"I think they're asking if we came from space!"
"You think?"
"Star Children! What else could it be? Maybe they've been stranded here for so long that they've lost all the advanced technology and all they need is to get a ride back to civilization!? We can be that ride!"
"So what do we do?"
"Just play along."
Ratchet turned back to Roja who was eyeing them with saucer plate eyes.
"We are the Star Children!"
Roja's concern seemed to turn into something different. Her ears perked up and her tail twitched in excitement. Sparks in her eyes ignited as her muzzle spread open in a huge grin of uncontained joy. The other Lombax started to twitch erratically, and began to stutter indiscernible words. Roja turned to this Lombax and began to speak rapidly.
Ratchet frowned as he watched. I hope this is a good sign.
"Aloaki alo shne!" Roja exclaimed happily as she turned back to them.
"Uh… What was that?" Ratchet asked uncertain how or if he should react to that.
"Praise gods!" Roja repeated in their tongue. "You Star Children! You arrived, just as is written!"
"Huh? I'm sorry, what? What do you mean?" Rivet asked.
"I show you! Come!" She began waving them over emphatically.
"Wait! In this!" Ratchet asked while gesturing, well, down.
"I do not understand."
"Uh, got anymore clothes?"
Roja just stared for a moment, pure confusion radiated off of her face at lethal levels, before she shook her head. "Come! Come!"
"Guess we're in the buff then?" Rivet observed sarcastically.
"How hard is it to make a pair of pants?"
"Relax, smell that? We're near the ocean. Just think of this as swimwear. I mean, it's not like we're about to meet the president, right?"
"Yeah, swimwear. Just let me take the lead okay?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure. Any reason?"
"Huh?"
"I asked you why you wanted to take the lead?"
"I wasn't star- I mean, just follow my lead."
Hope she bought that.
But Rivet simply shrugged.
Whew.
Roja led them out of the hut and into the open-air layout of the highly populated Lombax village. That's two words I'd never thought about using together. Lombax village!? I mean, they're using spears and everything!
A number of villagers that were carrying about tasks, paused in their work to openly gawk at the newcomers. Lombaxes with differing fur colors, heights, builds, and genders. A small female Lombax carrying a large jar with shaking arms, met his gaze. The poor child's eyes went wide and the jar that was far too large for her to carry went tumbling out of her arms and shattered on the ground.
I don't think I have to worry about impressing them at least. Yet, Ratchet was overwhelmed by a cocktail of emotions. On the one hand, he had found the Lombaxes, the source of so much self induced emotional tortue and strain at the prospect that he would never be able to live up to their reputation, but on the other hand, they were literally living in huts.
Not so surprisingly, more of the Lombaxes continued to look at the outlanders curiously and perhaps warily. Ratchet noticed that they all wore attire similar to him and Rivet, which simultaneously made matters worse and better. The buildings all around came in different sizes. Some were bigger, others smaller. The huts themselves all had windows with simple drapes to cover up when necessary. The thatched roofs of the huts tended to extend past the walls, allowing for each hut to have an awning that provided full coverage from the elements, even when outside. Ratcheted also noticed certain ornate drapes, flags, and decorative ornaments that distinguished each hut from the other.
They continued down the well trodden path, by more gawking Lombaxes, until they arrived at a large open area with a fire pit in the center.
"This is town center." Roja explains. "Here we meet for … I do not know word, Porahalo?"
"What's Porahalo?" Ratchet found himself asking before he could stop himself.
"What part of 'she doesn't know the word' do you not understand?" Rivet pointed out with heavy dose of sarcasm.
"Sheesh, sorry. So what's this Porahalo thing?"
"We, uh, eat and dance?"
"Maybe it's like a festival?"
"Yes! Festival! We have festivals and talks and meetings here." she said as she pointed towards the fire. More Lombaxes were there. The ones that weren't openly staring, talked, exchanged some wares and, of course, drank.
"So, what kind of festivals?" Rivet interjected with a wandering eye.
"Ishne'alo is next."
"Uh huh, sounds nice." Rivet said, uncertainty saturating her voice.
"Yes. It will be best, word is best?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Okay, it will be best festival ever!"
"Ah okay. Uh, any particular reason for that?"
Roja turned around to face the pair, eyes still wide with excitement and her fur still bristling with energy as she emphatically pointed at each of them in rapid jabbing motions. "Star Children."
Ratchet noticed that this caught the attention of some bystanders. They started to whisper and seemed to get excited, just as Roja did.
"Oh, of course! How could I forget? Heh heh…."
Roja turned back to continue the tour, but Ratchet felt himself being yanked in the opposite direction as he was brought into the whispering range of Rivet.
"Follow your lead huh? Do you have any idea what she's talking about? What's so important about us being at that festival?"
"Hey, don't worry! Let's just play along till we know what's going on!"
"And if we just tell them the truth? Maybe they'll help us to get home, without thinking we're those… Star Children people."
Ratchet thought about her words for a second. "Hey, uh… Roja?" he looked at the red furred Lombax.
"Hm?" she turned to face them.
"What if… Well… What if we're not what you expected?"
Roja pointed her spear at him to which he simply raised his hands in defense. "You are not Star Children?!" she said now clearly upset.
"Woah there! We are! I just… What if we uh… I mean… I just wanted to know… We want to make you happy and all. We're just… Uh… We don't want to disappoint!"
Roja lowered her spear again and gave him a confused look. "You are Star Children. You cannot disappoint." she said with a smile before she turned around again and continued her walk. "Come."
Rivet caught up with Ratchet and whispered. "Ooookay… Play along it is."
"Yeah, no kidding…"
"I now show you docks." Roja explained as she looked over her shoulder towards Ratchet. "I think YOU will like."
"Oh heh… Who doesn't like the sea, huh?"
Roja smiled, satisfied with his answer and set off in a new direction. The sounds and smells of the ocean was already surrounding them, but after passing a few more huts and pushing through a tree line, a deep blue ocean came into view. A few wooden docks forked into the water. Boats, some smaller and others bigger, were latched to the piers whilst others were beached on the white sands. Fishers brought their catch in, cleaned their nets, worked on their boats, and drank.
Roja halted her march for a moment and looked at one specific male Lombax with dark brown fur. That Lombax was busy unloading his boat with what appeared to be the day's catch. She watched him for a moment but resumed her walk towards the water. Coming to a firm stop at the nexus point of the beach and pier, she turned towards them again.
"You like?" she asked, looking at Ratchet.
"Uh… Sure! It's nice and… Wet and… Fishy."
"Glad to hear. Fisher bring in lots of fish. Very tasty." She smiled and patted her belly. "Later you be here much."
"I will?"
"Yes. But now we go. A lot to show." she said as she started to walk again. Ratchet took a moment to think over her comment.
What's that about?
He noticed that Rivet had stayed behind with him, but while he was deciphering Roja's broken Common speak, Rivet was simply grinning at him. "Fishy business ahead of you, hm?"
"Tsk…"
Rivet giggled in uncontainable amusement. They ran to catch back up to Roja who was already back to the edge of the village. The tribal Lombax was apparently heading towards a much larger hut with a big open field in front of it. Training Dummies were scattered around the fiend with bundles of straw with targets painted on them. Some Lombaxes were training their skills in close combat while others were hurling their spears or slinging rocks at the targets.
"This is training ground for warriors." Roja stated. It looked as if she was about to explain further but she was unceremoniously cut off by a deep and powerful voice.
"Roja. Owatanka tu shush a'iah?" a white furred Lombax with red eyes appeared from seemingly nowhere. Muscles were found on top of muscles, his tuft of hair on his head had been trimmed and stylized, but most notable was his massive grin that spread from ear to ear.
The female rolled her eyes annoyed. "Wa alo rah." she looked at him. "Lo shte no orahpajo." she said as she shooed him away.
She turned back to the pair with a nervous smile. "Sorry. We go now."
The white furred Lombax eyed Ratchet and Rivet up and down but returned to his attention to a post where he began a series of vicious attacks with his war club. Roja led them away at a slightly faster pace. This time, out of town towards a narrow path into the woods.
The forest was dense and all sorts of different wildlife could be heard and felt. They pushed through and soon the path led up a hill and a big, flat plateau came into view. Golden fields of wheat like grain and towering stalks of corn completely obscured Ratchet's field of vision. He noticed that Roja was leading them to a bare tree with most of its limbs hacked away. With a quick vaunt, Roja ascended the tree and perched herself on top.
"Come! Come! Look at fields!"
Ratchet looked over at Rivet, who just returned his slightly confused look. But then they followed her. Rivet went first with Ratchet following her, a decision he soon regretted as his face became as red as Roja's at the potential view in front of him.
Okay Ratchet, just don't look up. Keep being a gentle-Lombax. Sure, we're all wearing loincloths, but don't gawk and don't stare. Ouch!
He glanced down at a freshly oozing puncture wound on his hand. Jungle draws first blood then. Ugh, alright you're fine, get back to climbing, just look where you're going but just don't stare at Rivet.
His struggle ended when he reached the top where Roja was pointing towards the fields. It was a rather beautiful sight to Ratchet even with his non-agronomic background. The wind cut through the ranks of crops. All the fluttering vegetation looked akin to the ocean waves. There was a vibrancy, a life to it, that could just overwhelm anything.
"Wow…" Rivet quietly said as her eyes wandered over the scenery.
"You like?" Roja asked with a big smile on her face.
"It's beautiful!" Rivet breathed out. Ratchet found himself nodding in agreement. He turned to her and saw just how enraptured Rivet was with the site before them. The Sun touching the golden stalks, seemed to be reflected in her eyes. Ratchet was lost in her blue, now with gold, eyes. She turned to him suddenly and their eyes locked. Her expression of wonder hadn't changed, it was like having a staring contest with the sun, so he looked away and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, yep. Nice, uh, farm."
"Glad to hear!" Roja said satisfied.
Rivet paid his reaction no mind as she was still enthralled by the sheer beauty of the landscape.
"Come! More to see!" the red furred Lombax said as she started to climb back down again.
Rivet wanted to climb down as well, but Ratchet stopped her. "Wait! Wait… Can I go first?"
"Uh… Sure? Why?"
"I uh… Am…. Scared of heights?"
"Say what now?"
"Uh, Yeah! That's it! I'm terrified of heights!"
Rivet's face had never looked less impressed to Ratchet than it did right then.
"I don't believe you."
"What?"
"I. Don't. Believe. You." The last point drives home with a firm poke to the chest.
"Look, I'm just very good at holding it together."
"You're avoiding eye contact!"
"No I'm not."
"Then look me in the eye and tell me you're scared of heights!"
"Uh…."
"I'm waiting."
"I wait too!" Called Roja from below, though Ratchet wasn't sure what she had actually heard. His attention was focused on other matters. Namely, after swallowing his nervousness down, he faced Rivet fully, looked her straight in the eye, then forgot everything.
"I… I uh.. Okay fine! I'm not scared of heights!" he confessed. "I just wanted to get down before you do, okay?"
"Then why didn't you start with that instead of such an obvious lie?"
"I got nervous!" he said as he threw his hands up in the air.
"Why did you want to get down first?" she asked, curiosity registering on her features with a slightly tilted head.
"Just… Never mind. Let's just get down, okay?"
"…"
"…"
"Alright, but we're talking about this later! I don't like being lied to." she said with narrowed eyelids.
"Okay, okay… Damn…"
Ratchet set himself to climb down first. Thankfully, without injuring his hand this time. Back on the ground, he found himself mesmerized by the wind writhed crops until Rivet landed next to him. He felt more than saw the glares she was giving him, but turning around confirmed the deadly glare she was giving him.
Roja, tail swaying in wild excitement, began to trot back towards the village. "Next I show you temple." she exclaimed.
"Temple?" Rivet asked. "Temple for what?"
"Temple for gods."
"Ah… Yeah. Of course."
They skirted along the edge of the village and the forest till they came around closer to the mountain slope. Pushing through more trees, the trio approached a cliffside with a large cave entrance that seemed disturbingly unnatural in its make. Two armed Lombaxes stood guard, watching them with vigilant eyes. Thanks to Roja, who briefly talked to them, they were allowed to enter. Ratchet was overwhelmed by the vastness of the tunnels. They seemed to spiderweb underneath the mountain in an elaborate and ornate design. A small walk through the tunnels, which were sparsely lit by torches on each side, and they arrived at a large open room. The first thing Ratchet noticed was the blazing fire in the middle, illuminating the surrounding area, and plunging the rest of the tunnel entrances into absolute darkness. There seemed to be always a brush of air flowing through this part. To the left there was also a small grotto, where waves of the ocean hit the stone.
"Oh wow… This is huge!" Rivet said, astonished.
"Yes. This is temple for gods." Roja explains as she pointed towards some sort of shrine. The biggest one near the grotto. A giant stone with an indescribable amount of intricate carvings, depicting the ocean and the sky. A small pond in front of it with fruits, fish and other offerings made out to this deity. "This is shrine for Kuda. Master of ocean and the ocean above. Chief goddess." she explained but smiled at them. "But you know already. You know them."
Ratchet blinked a few times. "What, like personally?"
"Yes. She gave you presents. You do not remember?"
"Oh.. Pfff… Of course I remember. But uh… I… Want to test you. Yeah, that's right … So… Tell us about the other gods and we'll see if you got everything right."
Roja's ears perked up. "Test me? Oh! I will not disappoint!" she said excitedly as she walked over to the next shrine to the right.
"This is Kario," she declared as she pointed to what could have been a stalagmite that had been carved away. Etched upon the stalagmite was depictions of, well….
"Ahem, so is he the God of …."
"He's the love God right?" Rivet asked bluntly.
"No, he is fertility god. He blesses us with children and harvest."
"Ah.. Eh… You passed that one. Let's go to the next one, shall we?"
"This is Wold, goddess of art and cooking." Roja said as she pointed towards a rather colorful shrine, painted in patterns which look arbitrarily, and yet intended. The longer Ratchet looked at it, the more clearly he noticed the patterns forming a caldron over a fire.
"Art and cooking?" Rivet asked, rather confused.
"Yes. Art like paint and music. But cooking is art too. Everytime we eat, we thank Wold for food." she explained with a smile.
"Cooking is an art, that's true… An art I never mastered." Ratchet said with a short chuckle emphasizing his point. "Ahem… Yeah. Good job. Next one is?"
The red furred Lombax wistfully glided over to another shrine, formed like an hourglass with Sand spread out in front of it.
"This is Pena, god of time and patience. He showing us when work and when sleep by moving sun and moon."
She shifted over to yet another shrine. This one was adorned with fierce and repetitive carvings. Most noticeable was that the carvings formed into a square which slowly formed into a circle. As if a thousand actions, with a thousand pains, with a thousand joys, all helped forge this single image.
"This is Octa, god of improvement and learning." she said and pointed to another shrine. A wooden book right next to a bookshelf. "And this is Lestevi, god of books and knowledge. He and Octa working together. Good friends."
"Figures. Uh, I mean, yeah they hang out all the time. They're bros and stuff, heheh."Rivet ducked her head and coughed after this comment. Roja didn't seem to care or even notice, she was too intent on proving her knowledge of the pantheon to actually take note of anything. If Ratchet looked like he felt then it would be clear to anyone that he had no idea who any of these deities were, much less that he supposedly knew them.
We're screwed.
The next shrine Roja moved towards was simply a fist reaching up in the sky. "Draego, god of courage and virtue. He important for hunter, fisher and warrior."
"Makes sense." Ratchet said with a nod.
"Yes. He always working together with Monger, god of war and battle." She pointed with her spear to the shrine right next to Draego's. Two spears are shown, seemingly locked in the midst of combat. Next to that one were two smaller shrines. She reached out with her spear point towards one that seemed to be a possum carving. "This shrine for Sinai, goddess of possums and everything cute." she lowered her voice. "She one of my favorites." she whispered with a small almost mischievous smile.
Then she pointed towards the other small shrine, showing two larger and one smaller hedgehog. "This is Zenyth, god of hedgehog and family."
"So uh… Possums and hedgehogs are sacred animals then?" Rivet asked.
"Yes. Possums are well liked pets! We treat them well. And seeing hedgehog in wild is good omen."
"It is?"
"Yes. Saw one before finding you! Was very good omen indeed!" Roja said very excited. Her bushy tail flung around her in extreme excitement.
"Did you find us alone?"
"Nu-uh." she shook her head. "Was together with…" she sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. "Another one." she simply said coldly. "Now next god, yes?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
She smiled and made the return journey to Kuda's shrine. She took them past the shrine to tour the shrines on the left hand side. The first of these shrines showed a laughing face and two people embracing in a hug.
"This is Gostus, god of compassion and humor. And next to him is Villaw, goddess of love and rejoicing." She again lowered her voice. "Also one of favorites." she giggled in amusement. The shrine for Villaw showed two Lombaxed kissing as scores of Lombaxes cheered for them.
"Those seem nice." Rivet said.
"Yes. But you already know. Must tell me how they are." Roja said with a big smile.
"Uh… Sure!" Ratchet said with an awkward smile.
Better distract her from that topic…
"Next god, hm?"
"Yes!" Roja said excitedly. It was steadily dawning on Ratchet how much Roja liked this topic. She reminded him of Clank when he started talking about the periodic table, coding, or financial auditing, a professional in their element.
Her next stop was at a shrine with a thumbs up and an arrow pointed upwards carved into the thumb. "This one is Kula, god of fellowship and encouragement. And this one," she pointed to the immediate shrine next to it, showing two pinky fingers intertwined and a bird flying over it, "is Jeh, god of peace and promises."
Pinky promises? They have pinky promises? They're more advanced than I thought.
Yet again, she moved forward to the next shrine. A face with a warm smile. "This is Jumju. She is goddess of balance and understanding."
Ratchet was beginning to go cross eyed. Judging by Rivet's expression she wasn't much better. Both Rivet and Ratchet were struggling to keep track of the unveiling Pantheon before them, but Roja just continued her pace.
"This one is Zuk, god of brew and friendship, then this is Eckhide, god of mystery and order. Sevar, god of mischief and discomfort."
She first pointed to a shrine showing two cups clinking together. The next shrine showed a hooded figure with perfectly aligned stripes underneath it. The last one showing a tilted grin.
"Hmm… Nice." Ratchet nodded before his gaze fell upon two shrines poorly lit and more to the side. "And those two?"
Roja looked over at the two shrines. Her ears dropped a bit as she walked over. She pointed to the one on the right. Two red eyes stared back at them from what seemed to be the void. "This is Kamer, god of underworld and judgment."
Then she pointed to the left one. A skeleton hand shaking a normal hand. The skeleton hand belongs to someone, wearing a helmet, covering his face. "And Kar, god of death and diplomacy."
"Death and diplomacy? How does that work?" Rivet asked while raising an eyebrow.
"If diplomacy fails, death soon follows." Roja explained.
"That's dark… But true, somehow…" Ratchet observed before exhaling a knowing sigh.
Ratchet and Rivet looked at the shrines of each god before Rivet leaned over to him.
"And we're supposed to know all of them?" she whispered.
"Looks that way. We just need to play along. So if someone asks, we know them all, okay? They were super friendly and we had a great time with them."
"I sure hope this works."
"I did good?" Roja exclaimed more than asked. Her eyes darted between them and her bushy tail swinging around at lethal speeds.
"Huh? Oh! Yeah! Absolutely! You got everything right!" Ratchet said as he applauded her.
Rivet soon joined in. "But we'll probably test you spontaneously, you know? Just to be sure."
A satisfied smile formed on Roja's lips as she nodded. "I accept challenge!" she said excitedly before she waved them to follow her outside again. "Come! Now show you council."
"Oh boy, I sure can't wait." Rivet said with a sigh.
"Elders surely want to see you."
"Elders?" Ratchet asked with a raised brow.
"Yes. Leaders of village."
"Ohh… Okay."
"They talk for hours now. Since you arrived."
The red furred Lombax led them up a path on the cliffside, not far from the cave. The ocean's wind rippled through Ratchet's fur and gave a stark reminder to the new found 'freedom' afforded to him by loincloths. The higher they climbed, the stronger the wind became. The path became steeper and more narrow such that they had to walk single file and the Lombax behind was I'm risk of being smacked with tail of the Lombax in front.
At least Rivet's not in front this time. He looked behind him to find Rivet fixing her gaze on her footing. She was biting her lip in obvious concentration.
"Hey Ratchet, can you get going already!" River stated without bothering to look up.
See Ratchet, be more like Rivet and focus on where you're going.
"Sure thing, Rivet. Just admiring the view is all." He replied while scanning their new found out elevation. If he had turned back to Rivet then he would've seen her fur mimicking Roja's but he didn't, and Rivet didn't see him scan the countryside when he stated this.
At the summit, Ratchet observed a mostly bare peak save for the grass and wildflowers that canvased the mountaintop in splendor. After this initial findings he saw stone pillars to which a tarp was hung and latched. Underneath was a large obsidian plate, surrounded by smaller obsidian stones where elderly Lombaxes, clothed in more formal robes, sat. They were wildly discussing as the wind blew through with full force.
"So… Are they talking about us?" Ratchet asked louder over the roar of the wind.
"Think they do. They never speak long. Not like this." Roja explained.
The uncertainty in Roja's demeanor was palpable. She bit her lip and tightened her grip around her spear. Her eyes would shift between the different council members who grew more agitated with each passing moment. Shouts carried by the wind reached the trio in its most unintelligible forms, but the emotions that the words were born in reached Ratchet's ears.
Oh wow. Someone's angry. This'll be rough, huh?
He reached over and gave Rivet's arm a small flick to grab her attention. She met his gaze and he gave her a thumbs up which she returned accompanied by a smile. Morale settled, they resigned themselves to wait.
Roja continued to watch with twitching ears, and Ratchet and Rivet just waited for her to make the first move. Seconds passed and turned into minutes. Minutes that felt like an eternity. The shouting, the wringing of hands, the finger pointing, and the irritated pacing continued. Ratchet had almost started to ask if they should leave when the voices quieted down. Ratchet glanced back up and found the council members all staring at them. Grim faces etched into each Lombax.
The two parties remained that way for a bit before one elder waved them over.
"You go. I bring witnesses." Was all Roja said as she turned and dashed away, leaving their fate to the elders.
"Uh, thanks?"
"So what do we do?" Rivet queried.
"We can't keep them waiting." Ratchet pointed out.
"Do you really want to talk to those old farts?" Rivet countered with a thumb jerking backwards to the still glaring Council.
"We got a choice?"
"I'm pretty good at running." she said with a shrug.
"And where would you run to?"
"I uh…"
"Look. Let's just get this over with. Maybe they're just like that old couple that live next door to me. You know, the ones that yelled at you for blasting the stereo too loud? Maybe we'll even get to know why they're so angry in the first place?"
"IF they speak our language…"
"Roja does. So I guess they'll do as well?"
Rivet sighed. "I guess we're about to find out."
"Just… Smile and be polite. Maybe they're not bad at all."
"Yeah, right. They look like they could kill someone right now."
Ratchet saw Rivet force a smile on her face as he did his best to match its muted brilliance. They moved towards the council. The elderly Lombaxes looked at them as if they were their worst enemies. Narrowed eyelids and an upside down smile. Clenched jaws and fisted hands. Taunt muscles that retained power and strength even in their old age. Many of the elders bore visible scars. A few were missing parts of their ears, one was missing an eye, and one was missing an eye, an ear, and she was holding a walking stick. The one with the missing eye, large and foreboding, he stood at the center with crossed arms that emphasized the thick corded muscles.
These were the elders.
One Eye signaled them to stop. He slowly walked around the two Lombaxes, eyeing them up and down. "Akiticha…"
"Uh… Sorry?" Ratchet asked.
The elderly Lombax stopped in front of them and snorted contemptuously. "Invaders." he then repeated. "You don't belong here."
"Right. Yeah… Uhm…" Ratchet stuttered.
"If you help us to leave, we'll be on our way and you don't have to deal with us." Rivet cut in.
"Alternatively, I'll kill you both and be rid of you thusly." the elder hissed.
"Woah there. We don't mean any harm, okay?"
"Do Grunthors intend harm when they step on speedle mounds? Or did they even see the rock to begin with? Make no mistake here, intention doesn't alleviate harm."
"That's enough Iuilius. I think you'll have them drop dead of fright before we can even get them to the rock."
Rivet leaned over to Ratchet and started to whisper. "Drop dead of fright? Seriously?"
"I'm more worried about that Rock they just mentioned."
"Silence!" the elder, called Iulius, demanded. "You came to our land, without any invitation. Now you'll pay for your intrusion."
"Don't we get some kind of trial?!" Rivet protested.
"We already discussed that matter. We came to the conclusion, it's the best for us all if you just… Perish."
The elders began to move from their seats to surround the pair. Ratchet observed obsidian daggers, clubs, and a walking stick brandished in guarded positions.
"Perish?! What, like die?! Are you crazy?! Come on! We didn't do anything wrong!"
The councilors had moved towards them in a crescent formation with members already in position to outflank and cut off any avenue of escape. Iuilius stood rigidly in the middle, not barring any weapons nor assuming a battle stance.
"We kill you for who you are not for what you've done."
Ratchet and Rivet began to backpedal against the encroaching advance. Come on Ratchet, think! Got to delay them!
"For who we are?! Come on! We're all Lombaxes here! We're all the same right?!"
"You are Outsiders who do not belong to our tribe!"
"Who are you to decide?"
"We are the Senators, the voice of our people, and the authority in entrusted to us, and earned by our bloodshed we hereby sentence you to death!"
"Uh, can't we talk about this!?"
"The session has concluded. We are in agreement."
"Yeah, but we're not!"
"You're not part of this honored assembly. Now retain your dignity, we will allow you the honor of a last meal before your execution."
"Does that include a never ending buffet?" Ratchet asked.
"…"
"…"
"It does not."
Rivet whisked around and glared at Ratchet in pure annoyance.
"What? It was worth a shot."
"Be silent. You may choose later. For now, you'll be brought to… Our…"
The elder stopped as he looked past the two Lombaxes towards a small crowd slowly approaching, Roja marching at the front of the column.
"Uku towa chi?" the elder cut sharply as soon as the crowd was close enough to hear past the blustery winds.
The red furred Lombax met the elder's deadly glare with one of her own before she turned towards Ratchet.
"What they say?"
"Uh… They want to kill us."
Roja shouted something to the crowd, Ratchet wasn't sure what, but whatever it was, it set off a flurry in the ranks. Everyone began to shout, point, yell, and jeer at the elders who responded in kind.
Ratchet just found himself staring in mild shock at the amount of vitriol being displayed. The two sides continued with their red faced, teeth barred yelling for a moment, then more and more Lombaxes began to trickle in. Every single one joined in to yell at the councilors as the news began to spread. As more joined, the councilors began to look progressively more frantic. Their eyes darted around the growing crowd. It was clear to Ratchet that they had bit off more than they could chew. Then the brown furred Lombax from the port stepped forward, yelled and pointed towards Rivet's metal arm.
"HEY ROJA! WHAT'S GOING ON!?"
"NAHE ICH CHI CHI?"
"WHAT?"
"NAHE?"
"I DON'T SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE!" Ratchet shouted frantically. He pulled his ears down a bit in sheer frustration.
A loud blast of noise shattered any thoughts in Ratchet's head and silenced the shouting on both sides. Everyone began to turn to the source of the sound. Ratchet forced himself through the crowd to see what had caused the blast of sound. Standing apart from both the crowd and the councilors was the white furred Lombax from earlier. This Lombax still carried his war club but now he was also holding a horn as a companion tool.
"Aurelian." Roja breathed in his ear. "Our best warrior."
The Lombax, Aurelian, took his time scanning both crowds. His expression was mostly blank, but his eyes held an unblinking resolve to them. He continued to stare the crowds down until it was clear to everyone that he would have his say and he would not be interrupted.
He looked through the crowd of protestors until he saw Ratchet. Their eyes clashed. Ratchet held his unblinking gaze with his own. "Uku chi alo towateke kee?"
"Uh …."
I have no idea what he said.
"... sure."
The white furred Lombax gave a single nod before turning his gaze to Rivet. "Uku chi alo towateke kee?"
"Uh, sure dude."
The warrior gave a single nod. Then turned to the elders. "Ki te wa pikialo."
He turned and walked away, disappearing over the ridge heading back towards the village. Aurelian had gone but the silence he had created remained. The protestors all turned towards the elders who stood exchanging looks with one another.
The elder Iuilius, turned to Ratchet and Rivet again, now much calmer, but still tense. "Are you the Star Children?"
Ratchet frowned. "Uh… Yes. Yes we are."
Iuilius turned around again and walked to the now clustered council members. They started to whisper and murmur to one another. The crowd stared at the heroes and the elders, still ready to go all out if the need arose.
This can't be good…
"Well then…" The elder said. "In that case… We won't execute you." He walked towards them, together with the whole council. "Since you are the prophesied Star Children." He eyed them up and down again. "You will live among us. Learn our ways and traditions and fulfill your destiny."
"Our… Destiny?"
"Yes, your destiny." he then pointed towards Roja. "She will teach you." he said as he looked at Rivet. "And he…" he pointed towards the brown furred Lombax. "Will teach you." he said as he looked at Ratchet.
"Okay?" Ratchet asked as he glanced at Rivet who simply shrugged.
The elder turned towards the crowd and lifted his hands. "Alo ishnialo towa ki ishne'alo!" he yelled. "Ki te wa pikialo!"
The crowd cheered and seemed to be satisfied as the crowd began to immediately fragment with members returning to the village and others swarming the heroes.
"Yaaay…" Ratchet faux cheered, absolutely uncertain about the whole situation. His eyes met Rivet's. She was just as worried as he was if he knew that look in her eye.
Iuilius faced the heroes again."Learn quickly."
"Yeah. Right. How about we start with that prophesied thing?" Rivet suggested.
"I forgot. How could you know about our prophecy … Follow me." The sarcasm in his voice could be heard in orbit and the fact that he rolled his single eye underlined his general feelings towards them.
That said, Iuilius led the way. Roja, the brown furred Lombax, Ratchet and Rivet followed him, if not a bit uneasily. He led them back into the village and straight towards the temple caves. Within the shrine room, he walked over to one particular shrine. The shrine of Lestevi if Ratchet recalled correctly. A bookshelf, fittingly for the god of knowledge, stood to the right of it. The elder picked up a scroll, which he handed over to Ratchet.
"This is the prophecy. It is written in your language."
"Convenient. Uh, why's that?"
"It's our old tongue."
"Fair. Let's see…"
He unrolled the scroll and held it so that the torch light illuminated the script so both he and Rivet could read.
"Long ago, when time was young and the gods roamed the lands, two Lombaxes lived in a small village. She, a skilled huntress who never missed her target, and he, a strong warrior and skillful fisherman. Fate had brought them together and love blossomed between them. A bond so strong, it even impressed the gods. So they gave both of them a gift. For her, a bow, beautifully crafted out of the wood of the first tree. And for him a shield, so strong, nothing could pierce it so he could protect her.
One goddess however, became jealous of the huntress. Her love and the bond to her partner made the goddess so angry she wanted to die.
The goddess wanted it all for herself. She wanted him. So the goddess visited him while his partner was on the hunt. The goddess showed herself in her eternal beauty, trying to seduce him. But he rejected her. A mere mortal rejected her. Outraged she took his shield and made her way into the woods to find the huntress.
The huntress loved to hunt. She loved the thrill to draw her bow and to shoot her arrow with deadly precision.
The goddess, still outraged and jealous of her, a mere mortal, took her bow. The huntress didn't understand. She always thought the gods blessed them and demanded to get the shield of her love and her bow back.
The goddess was shocked and enraged. She dared to talk back to her? To a god? With pure fury, the goddess struck her and in doing so, took more than just the shield and the bow. The goddess ook her arm. She would never hold a bow again. The goddess pleased herself to take the thrill and joy of the hunt away, thinking that her lover would now reject her.
Wounded in body and heart, the huntress returned to the village to her warrior as the goddess watched from the shadows. She thought he would push her away in disgust. But he didn't. He embraced her. He wept for her. He was heartbroken because of the Huntress's pain. He called out to the gods and begged them for help. He would give everything if they would make her happy again.
The gods answered but wanted to test him. They asked, would he give his arm for hers? His answer was yes, without any hesitation. So they asked again. Would he even give his own life? Again he said yes, without any hesitation.
So the gods agreed that his life would be exchanged for her happiness and they sent for Kar, lord of death and diplomacy.
The god mocked the Warrior, "Child of Kuda, do you know my name?"
"You are death, and I give my life for my beloved."
"Child of Kuda, you give nothing. I take as I please, and I am pleased to feed you to Kamer."
"Then take my life for my beloved, for my body may be broken and my soul damned, but my love for my beloved remains."
"Child of Kuda, words are my portion but promises are not, why should your beloved be granted happiness for your life? Your life is already mine to take."
"You are the master of death but Kuda is master of you! She will see Justice done and the words of the gods honored."
"Child of Kuda, you speak truth, but verily I say to you that another path may be taken. Swear your spear to me, be my disciple in the world and you shall keep your life and see your beloved happy. A warrior such as you keeps me fed and pleased. Pledge your spear to me."
"You honor me with your recognition of my prowess but I spit on your offer. As Monger shows, we are not pawns of death. To become one is to lose the way of the warrior. I will not betray that which my beloved first loved."
"Child of Kuda, the time for talk is over. Now embrace me."
But before he could embrace death, Kuda came, struck Kar and took his dagger of gold. She threw him back into the void, back to Kamer's realm.
The gods were touched and impressed by his devotion to his love. They did not take his arm, nor his life. Instead they formed her a new arm from the pure gold dagger of Kar, so everyone can see how much the gods cherish them.
Outraged, the jealous goddess stepped forward. "Mere mortals should never be given something like this," she would shout into the night. The warrior then called her out. Telling the gods how she took his shield and tried to seduce him. The huntress stepped forward and told the gods how she took her bow and her arm, so her love would reject her.
The gods in their fury, banished their jealous sister deep underneath the surface, in Kamer's Realm where she should suffer in her jealousy for eternity.
Ashamed of their sister, the gods gave the pair another gift. They raised them above to the skies, so they can watch over their people, hunt the stars, and be together for eternity. They shall learn from the Gods and they shall walk among their people again when the time is right. Their arrival will herald a new age as their love will bring forth an heir, who will lead their people into a bright future.
After all this, the gods saw how their presence influenced the mortals, and they decided to retreat and live amongst the stars, watching and protecting until it is time to send their disciples back to the world."
Ratchet frowned. He opened his mouth then closed it after a spell. He glanced at Rivet then her metal arm.
I see… That's why they think we are these Star Children… What the hell do you say to this?
He glanced back up from her golden arm back to find Rivet's eyes wide in pure shock."I uh…" She looked over at Ratchet. "We… Need to talk about this… In private."
Crap. I know that look.
He gulped but nodded and rolled the scroll back up. He held it towards the elder, who snorted but refused to take it.
"Keep it for the moment. You might want to read it again."
"Right… Thanks … Ow!"
Ratchet felt himself being pulled backwards by the scruff of his neck. He knew by the cold metallic digits that it was Rivet who was pulling him back. She pulled him in the direction of Kuda's shrine, leaving the three other Lombaxes alone.
"Okay Ratchet, I'd love to hear your idea about getting out of here!"
"My idea? I was waiting on yours!"
"Okay, okay! Let's not panic here. We can brainstorm our way through this."
"Right. But wait, what's this exact?"
"You know." She waved her robotical hand around circularly. "This weird love prophecy thing."
"What's there to brainstorm? We got a lucky break."
"How is this lucky!" she said in annoyance as she threw her hands up into the air.
"Remember when they were ready to kill us? Think about it, if it was just me then they'd probably would've speared me when I was unconscious."
"Okay, okay. Fair point."
"Listen. There's nowhere to run. We have no ship or any weapons. Right now, they're willing to let us live among them, okay? We need to play along, just until Clank and Kit find us. Then we can get the hell out of here."
"But what does this 'play along' look like?"
"I don't know. We'll see."
"Urgh… This is so annoying…" she said while she pawed at her cheeks, pulling them down agitatedly.
"Just stay cool and relaxed. We got this. We've been through worse."
"Fine." she sighed.
"Let's get back to them." Ratchet said as he jerked a thumb back in the direction where the other three Lombaxes waited.
They made their way to the still waiting party. Iuilius wasted no time in speaking up. "Now, I take it you'll waste no time in fulfilling your obligations to the village?"
"Yeah, totally. We got this."
Iuilius's passive face was betrayed by his lip twitching in what almost seemed like a half sneer, but otherwise his face was passive.
"Good, then I'll leave you in the care of our Master of the Nets, Marcus. He'll provide you with anything you need."
The elder turned his attention to Rivet. "I believe you've already grown to know Roja exceptionally well." His voice dripped with dry sarcasm, but again, no visible signs of irritation.
Yeah, you're not fooling us pal. You were going to have us executed.
"They'll see to your needs. So please, ask them for anything and there'll be no reason for us to interact again. Ever."
"Uh, okay …."
He simply fixed the pair with a blank one-eyed stare. He then nodded towards Roja and Marcus before he turned around and left.
Jerk.
Marcus stirred. "Nahe i abalo."
"Shhh! Ki awak!" Roja whispered before slapping Marcus on the back of his head.
He rubbed the spot and gave her a tilted grin before he looked at Ratchet and Rivet. "Think you want rest for now?"
"Rest sounds great. Absolutely great. How do you relax here?" Rivet asked.
"Come. We show you bath." Roja said in her now familiar perky attitude, before she again took the lead.
Ratchet noticed Rivet's ears perking up at the mention of the word baths. He'd be the first to admit that the prospect of a nice long and hot soak was a welcome one.
"Oka-"
"Lead on!" Rivet interrupted.
Ratchet blinked a few times, surprised. He couldn't help but chuckle at her but said nothing as he fell into step behind the party as they began their trek back to the village. The trip was unremarkable as they passed through the village back to hills and to the mountain slopes opposite of the Council's mountain. They approached the slopes of the cliffside, where the scent of hot steaming water assaulted Ratchet's nostrils. The terrain was a bit rocky and the setting Suns casted the world in a brillant daze of shadows. He noticed wooden walls that stood roofless on the rocky slopes. Small, narrow paths between them lead to doorways. Roja stopped in front of one. Ratchet glanced back at Marcus who had fallen behind them, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning against a wall. Roja turned around and smiled at them.
"Here. You can take this one." she said as she pointed to one door.
Rivet smiled widely. "Gladly! See you later, Ratchet."
Ratchet nodded and looked at Roja. "And which can I take?"
Roja looked at him confused. "What you mean?"
Rivet stopped right before she entered. She looked over her shoulder at them.
He frowned. "I mean… Which bath can I take?"
Roja laughed. "Why take another? You Star Children. You married. You share." she said, smiling amused.
Ratchet watched at Rivet exploded with her cheeks fluffing up and her ears dropping slightly, but her eyes blowing up too massive proportions, "What!?"
Ratchet swallowed hard. "Look. I uh… Wanted to give her some.. Uh… Space. You know.. She could be alone and-"
"But prophecy said you inseparable? I don't understand." she said as she tilted her head.
Before he could say another word, Rivet pulled him towards the door, laughing awkwardly. "We are! He's just messing with you."
Roja looked at them confused. Then suddenly she laughed. "Ah! He joking. Good one! Enjoy bath you two." she said before she turned around and started to walk again, dragging a now frowning Marcus along with her.
Ratchet and Rivet watched them leave before they turned towards the supposed bath. Turns out, it's a hot spring, a walled off hot spring. Several pools connected through a small stream, as it seemed. Steam drifted right off the surface. They looked at each other with their cheeks fluffing up again.
"Ahem, uh, turn around…" Rivet demanded.