Reset - Chapter Three
Title: Reset
Fandom: Jak and Daxter
Rating: PG13
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is an off-course machine to change the course of time. Jak never made it to the future of his birth. Instead Damas came to the past.
Spoilers: Jak 1, Jak 2, and Jak 3
Chapter One
Previous chapter
Next chapter
-Chapter Three-
The first thing Damas became aware of was the stench of decaying matter. Plant matter, he quickly realized, not animal or Metal Head flesh. He bit back a groan as he tried to push himself up off the ground. He body hurt, though he couldn't for the life of him remember how he had injured himself. He had been driving... responding to a beacon... Jak...
His eyes snapped open and his head shot up. Jak! Everything came rushing back to him - traveling to Haven, crashing through the wall, then the vortex that had appeared out of nowhere. Something had set the vortex off and it had consumed everything around him. He scanned the area, trying to orient himself, trying to locate the young man he'd come to Haven to assist.
Nothing. Nothing at all was familiar. Instead of the ruins of the old racing stadium, moss-covered trees and thorny vines rose up all around him. The ground was soggy at best, turning into marshy swamp, and the muck tried to suck at his hands and legs as he forced himself to stand up. Where was he?
More importantly, where was Jak? Damas hesitated to lift his voice to call to the young man. Without knowing where he was or who else might be around, he did not want to attract unnecessary attention. Unfortunately, there was no sign that anyone else had passed through this area any time in the recent past, though Damas was not certain how long footprints would last in an environment such as this. Despite the stench, he flared his nostrils. So much humidity after so many years in the desert made it somewhat difficult to breathe.
A slightly fresher breath of air drew his attention to the left. The swamp ended abruptly in a rocky shore that had an old wooden dock. No boat, though, and no distant land in sight. Still, the fact that someone had cared enough to build such a structure at all hinted at the possibility of nearby civilization - assuming he wasn't in a part of the world long since devastated by the Metal Heads.
Whatever had caused the vortex, it was obvious it had acted like a transport ring. Had it taken Jak and Daxter as well? Or just him? He shook his head. It was no use speculating when his time would be better spent discovering where he was - and if there was a way to get back to Haven.
Behind him the swamp ended yet again - or perhaps it would be better to say that its nature seemed to change. The muck turned black and viscous, disturbed only by a sluggish bubble that slowly broke the surface. Damas knelt down at the edge of the stuff and touched it, gingerly. Tar - with something mixed in that stung. He quickly washed it off as best he could with the less noxious water of the swamp. That, he decided, was something he would not be walking in. Standing up, he turned once more.
Thunk. Thunk.
The sound was soft and distinctly wooden in nature. Following it, he discovered a set of sharpened logs that rose and sank with a very deliberate rhythm. Damas frowned as he studied it, trying to determine its purpose. The obvious answer was that it was a barrier or a trap, but all one had to do to bypass it was wait for the logs to go down and time your jump so you didn't get stabbed.
It's not meant to keep people out, he finally concluded. Only less intelligent wildlife. From the sound of it, there was plenty around here. The air was alive with the croaks of frogs, the buzz of insects, bird calls, and even an occasional unfamiliar yowl. Nodding to himself, he strode up to the middle section, then hopped over it once the logs sank low once again. The ache in his muscles from the rough transport was already beginning to wear off.
The area immediately opened up, a cliff to his left and an expanse of tar-swamp to his right. Wooden platforms dotted the swamp for no discernible reason, but that was not what caught Damas's attention. A small, rickety house stood at the edge of the tar, and on its porch slumped a thin, red-haired man with mud-slicked trousers and a hat so battered there was nothing left but the brim.
The man spotted him from where he sat and offered a cheerful, lazy wave. "Howdy, friend," he called out. "Come t'visit ma swamp?"
"It would appear that way," Damas answered cautiously. The smaller man looked harmless enough, but Damas had not become the ruler of Spargus without keeping things close to his chest.
The swamp-dweller nodded, as though that was all the answer he needed. "Name's Billy," he said. "Though most folks call me Boggy Billy." Taking a swig from the jug in his hand, he burst out laughing. "'Cause I own the swamp, y'see!"
Damas had to refrain from frowning. The man was drunk, and out in the open, no less. A foolhardy thing to do in the best of times, suicidal at the worst. If a Metal Head came upon him while he was in this condition, he would be dead before he could raise a hand.
"I see." He briefly scanned the swamp and the air, searching for the enemy in question, but all he saw were a few small toads and some sort of rodent that scurried away and hid itself in the cattails. Hmm. Finally, he turned his attention back to Boggy Billy. "I am Damas," he said. "And I am... looking for someone." It could not hurt, he decided, to see what the swamp-dweller knew. "A young man with yellow-green hair, about so tall, most likely accompanied by an orange, rat-like animal. Have you seen either one of them?"
Billy seemed to consider the description, though it was difficult to tell from the slackened expression on his face if he hadn't slipped into an alcoholic stupor instead. After a moment, though, he scratched his head and frowned, then offered a vague shrug. "Lots of swamp rats 'round these here parts. Can't rightly recall any one bein' orange."
"And the boy?" Damas pressed.
"Well," Billy drawled. "Not many folks come my way. Can't imagine why. 'S a beautiful swamp, if y'don't mind the mud. Farthy sure thinks it's swell. 'Course, that sorta thing'd appeal to a Hip Hog, and Farthy's the finest specimen of a hog as ever wallowed in this swamp!"
There was no telling how long this man would ramble if Damas didn't cut him off. "So you haven't seen the boy."
"Nah," Billy said, waving his free hand in the general direction of the tar. "Not fer about a month. Helped me get Farthy back after them nasty Lurker varmints scared him off."
That was more interesting, especially if this was Jak. Damas knew little about what the young man got up to when he wasn't on a mission for Spargus. Curiosity aside, though, it wasn't immediately useful. "Did he give you his name?"
Billy lifted the blue jug to his lips again and took another healthy swig. Sitting up, he looked to his left, out over the tar pit, then back to Damas. Finally, he laughed. "Nope! Can't remember! Quiet little feller. Jes' took care of them rats 'til Farthy came back, then went on his way. Boy howdy, I'll tell you what, though. That kid sure knew how t'shoot!"
Hmm. It certainly sounded like Jak. Unfortunately, that was likely the best confirmation he would get. Ultimately, he supposed it did not matter at the moment. Whether or not Jak had been here before, he wasn't here right now. Best move on to the other information he needed.
Damas crossed his arms. "Tell me," he asked. "Where is this place in relation to Haven City?"
The question was met with another blank stare. "Haven City?" Billy echoed. Then he repeated the name, as though testing the sound of it out. "Haven City... Haven... Nope. Doesn't ring any bells." Scratching his chin for a moment, he shrugged and reached out for the wooden rail that surrounded his house to use to pull himself up. "That don't mean much, though. Lots of places I don't know, mostly 'cause I don't ever leave my swamp. Maybe you should try askin' 'round in th'village."
"The village?"
Billy gestured. "Follow th'path thataway. Watch the last step an' take a left, an' it'll take you right there. Trust me, fella, y'can't miss it. Now, I gotta go find Farthy and give him his afternoon vittles. Watch out fer swamp rats, y'hear?"
Swamp rats. As though those were the most dangerous thing to fear. Still, Damas acknowledged the advice with a nod. "Thank you."
Now to make his way out of this swamp. Hopefully someone in this village Billy mentioned would be of more assistance.
-o-
Jak's heart pounded in his chest as he ran. He wasn't certain he'd ever run this fast, even with the use of blue eco. He thought he might have lost the creatures, but he didn't dare to stop and check. Daxter was hurt. Daxter was hurt. The ottsel's breath came in short, shallow gasps and blood leaked from the wound in his side. Jak did his best to apply pressure with his hands, but it needed to be treated and bound and there wasn't any time.
Sand sprayed as his feet hit the beach, hot from the afternoon sun. He barely felt the warmth from it, though, even where his toes weren't protected by leather. The only thing that mattered was getting Daxter to Samos. He didn't even pause by the farmer's house except to frantically wave the man inside. There wasn't any time to make himself clearer.
Daxter had been poisoned.
Even now, Jak could see the sick gleam of dark eco mixed with Daxter's blood. It wasn't much, certainly nothing to compare with the amount that had changed Daxter into an ottsel, but Daxter hadn't been injured then. Samos. Jak swallowed. Samos will know what to do.
Without slowing, the teen hurtled through the village, racing across the bridges that spanned the various gaps. By the time he reached the Green Sage's hut, he was almost completely out of breath. Still, he managed to croak a desperate sound.
Samos!
"Eh?" Samos's response was immediate, and Jak gratefully darted into the lower half of his hut. He ignored Keira's tools and workbench, didn't even glance at the A-grav zoomer that she had been working on tuning up, but instead headed straight to the room in the back. That was where he found the old sage, who had apparently been checking on Keira, currently asleep in her bed. "Jak, what-"
It's Daxter! Jak's hands trembled as he held his best friend out. Samos sucked a sharp breath in.
"Quickly! Set him down on this table."
Daxter had never failed to ham up any injury he had, milking it for every drop of sympathy he could get. This time, though, the ottsel remained silent and limp, even when Jak carefully did as Samos said. The soft panting and the occasional flinch were the only signs Daxter gave that he was still alive. That, more than anything else, terrified Jak. Daxter just wasn't supposed to be quiet.
"Jak, get me some bandages and a bowl of clean water. Get me a keg of green eco as well." Despite his gruff voice, Samos immediately set to work, muttering under his breath as he examined the injury himself.
Grateful to be given something to do to help, Jak hurried to do as he had been asked. He knew where the bandages were, having often turned up at the sage's hut scraped and bruised from adventures. Instead of taking them from the first aid box, though, he took the whole box from under Keira's work bench. He didn't know how much Samos would need. Water obtained from the faucet went in one of the eating bowls. Once he deposited these things on the table, he glanced only once at Daxter, still unconscious, before darting outside and up the ramp that led to the hut's second level.
Samos's room was something that had always impressed Jak a little. Multiple bookshelves lined the wall, filled with more books than Jak could read in a lifetime. Plants flourished in pots and grass had taken root on the floor. But the thing that captured Jak's attention the most was the series of pipes that wound through the room, glowing with all the green eco they held. Some of the pipes held a mixture of water, too. Those were the ones that went to the plants.
This time, however, when Jak entered the room, he didn't stop to look around or angle his path through a drip from the pipes. A few light sprinkles of the eco-water mix still splashed on his skin, but his focus was on the barrels Samos kept on the other side. These, Jak knew, were filled with the life-giving energy the Green Sage specialized in. Without hesitation, he lifted one up and headed outside, down the ramp, and back into Keira's room.
"It's as I feared," Samos said grimly even before Jak had set the barrel down. He rinsed a blood-soaked rag in the bowl, then daubed at Daxter's fur. The movement was rewarded with a soft whimper of pain, which Samos briskly ignored. "Somehow, Daxter's injury has been contaminated with dark eco. Open that barrel, Jak. I'm going to set him inside. It might help to counteract the effects."
Jak nodded, not questioning the sage. Green eco had healing properties that had saved his life more times than he could count. Carefully, he pried the lid off, making sure not to touch the eco inside. If he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep from absorbing it himself, and that wouldn't help Daxter at all. Worry for his friend squeezed at his lungs as Samos gently picked the ottsel up and slowly lowered him into the swirling green vat. Jak held his breath.
After what seemed like an eternity, the older man finally pulled the ottsel out. Jak wasn't certain, but he thought the edges of Daxter's wound looked less raw. Samos, on the other hand, frowned.
"Well. That's helped a little, but the dark eco is interfering. This isn't going to be easy to heal. I doubt it helps that this is the second time he's been exposed." Setting Daxter back down, Samos picked up one of the bandages and began to bind the injury. "He'll need to stay under constant supervision. No, not from you." Samos cut Jak off with a glare. "I need you to go to Rock Village and talk to the Blue Sage. While you and Daxter were gone, I spoke with him to warn him about the creatures from that ring. He says they've already been sighted around his village. He thinks he might have a way to keep them out, but he needs your assistance for part of it. Do whatever he asks of you, Jak. I don't think I need to stress how important this is."
No. No, he didn't. Not after what had happened to Dax. A pensive expression crossed the teen's face, and he reached a hand out to smooth the fur on Daxter's head. He wanted to stay. He wanted to be here for his friend. But he knew there was very little he could do, and other people needed his help. His eyes went from Daxter to Keira, her face peaceful in sleep despite having been knocked out. He glanced out the window toward Sandover Village before looking back at Samos. Lifting his chin, he nodded. I'll be back.
Then, reluctantly, he pulled his hand back and turned to leave the room. Samos's room had a warp gate upstairs. That would be the fastest way to get to Rock Village.
-o-
Thump!
Jak's feet hit the ground, the brief disorientation from the warp gate already wearing off. Straightening up, he turned to regard the room he was in. Despite being much cleaner than the last time he'd been here, there was still a certain amount of chaotic disarray. Papers littered every level surface and there were charts and diagrams pinned to the wall. No Blue Sage of Eco, though. Frowning, the blond made his way outside and automatically scanned the sky.
Other than a few clouds that threatened to deliver rain, the sky was thankfully clear of any obvious threat. Jak could only hope that that would stay the case.
Not wasting any time, he hopped off from ledge to ledge in the roundabout path to the village. The trip was fairly quiet this time. No flaming boulders being thrown into the water, no crackle of flames from smoldering trees - and no Daxter to fill the silence with chatter. Jak swallowed, another twinge of worry gripping at his chest. He'll be fine, he tried to reassure himself. Daxter's made it through worse than this. Just concentrate on what you need to do here.
He passed the geologist's tent and cart, but there wasn't any sign of her, either. Jak's lip twitched, though his heart wasn't really in it, as he recalled her fascination with the lightning moles in the Precursor Basin. He wouldn't be surprised if that was where she was right now, checking to make sure her beloved creatures were safe.
There were more people out than before, easily explained by the fact that Klaww was no longer in the upper pass hurling boulders at the village. A few of the villagers nodded at him when he passed them by on the path, though he doubted very many of them knew who he was. They were just being friendly, so Jak nodded back, but he didn't stop to talk. It would take more time to communicate who he was looking for than he wanted to spend, especially with people who weren't used to the way he "spoke." Besides, if the Blue Sage was working on an invention, Jak had a feeling he was down at the water's edge.
He was halfway right. The Blue Sage was in the village commons, the platform built over the water that served as both meeting area and dock. He wasn't working on any sort of machine, though, but was instead busily directing people who were currently unloading a boat.
"Make sure you use the utmost proficiency when unloading those eco barrels!" he was saying as he hovered near a worker. "Yellow eco is one of the most volatile types. One wrong perturbation could cause it to detonate and decimate the area!"
Yellow eco? What was the sage of blue eco doing with barrels of yellow? Curiosity piqued, Jak waited until the two workers had stepped off the boat, each with a barrel in hand, before he approached the sage, who noticed him soon enough.
"Ah, Jak! Good! Your presence is most timely and appreciated!" Leaving the workers to their job, the rail-thin man turned to face Jak. His wide mustache practically quivered with excitement as he gestured with his staff toward the other side of the bay. "Come, my young adolescent. Allow me to educate you on the particulars of the adaptations I've been making to my levitation device!"
It was always a little difficult to follow what the Blue Sage was saying, but Jak nodded, understanding the basic message. When the sage started striding across the platform, Jak fell into step behind him.
"The original concept of levitation comes from providing a concentrated field of reverse gravitational resistance." As he spoke, the sage hopped from the platform to one of the plontoons that created a path across the bay. "A young man as perspicacious as yourself has no doubt noticed that when channeling blue eco, you can draw certain small objects or energies that were previously in a kinetically inert position. By harnessing that power and focusing it into a beam, my machine enabled you and your companions to counter the potential energy of a boulder at rest to such a degree that its natural state of motion, or the lack thereof, completely reversed itself. Thus, levitation!"
Keira would have understood all of that. Jak most certainly didn't. He listened, though, even if most of it went over his head. At some point, the sage would get around to telling Jak what he could do to help.
Oblivious to the other's bemusement, the Blue Sage rambled on. "Most living beings, however, have more than one kind of energy. Potential, chemical, heat, electrical - and eco. Especially eco. That makes it more difficult to alter their kinetic state in a precise and controlled manner. The thought occurred to me, however, that more than one type of energy can be countered with more than one type of eco. I began to experiment with mixed quantities of blue, red, yellow, and green eco, and to my astonishment, I discovered that I could create a field that resists any application of outside energy! Do you realize what this could mean?"
Uhh... Jak shook his head, then jumped to the plontoon the Blue Sage had stopped on. The elder didn't seem to mind his confusion. In fact, he seemed just as happy to gesture expansively and elaborate on his explanation.
"Imagine if you had a door filled with such a field. Could anyone pass through that door with the living and kinetic energy they hold?"
Jak's expression lit up. No. No, they couldn't. That could really be useful.
The Blue Sage smiled. "Now, what would happen if such a field could surround an entire village?"
No one could get in or out - including Lurkers or monsters. Everyone inside would be safe.
But...
Jak frowned, then pointed to himself, then up to the pass. What if someone needs to leave?
Whether understanding Jak or just anticipating the question, the Blue Sage nodded in response. "Such a sizable field would require a physical structure to house the eco grid. Walls can be built with doors, young Jak, and if someone needed to pass through the field itself, all they would need is a device keyed into the specific energy signature of the grid that would create a neutral area of transit. The energy requirements of such a device would be prohibitive, though, so such a window could not stay open for very long."
But that could actually be an advantage. Even if Lurkers or other creatures tried to come through, the window wouldn't be open long enough to allow an entire invasion. Jak nodded, appreciating the brilliance and forethought that had gone into the Blue Sage's plan.
"Now," the sage continued. "What I need you to do is-"
A loud splash cut the Blue Sage off, and Jak instinctively looked back to the platform. However, before he could make out what had actually happened, someone screamed.
"Look out!"
-End Chapter Three-
Next chapter.
I should note that, as always, input is always appreciated. Anything from grammar and spelling to flow and characterization, if you have a suggestion or think something could be better, please feel free to speak up. Or praise. Praise is good, too. :3;
I mention this because this particular chapter had some tricky spots and I'm not necessarily the best judge for whether or not they got ironed out.
Fandom: Jak and Daxter
Rating: PG13
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is an off-course machine to change the course of time. Jak never made it to the future of his birth. Instead Damas came to the past.
Spoilers: Jak 1, Jak 2, and Jak 3
Chapter One
Previous chapter
Next chapter
-Chapter Three-
The first thing Damas became aware of was the stench of decaying matter. Plant matter, he quickly realized, not animal or Metal Head flesh. He bit back a groan as he tried to push himself up off the ground. He body hurt, though he couldn't for the life of him remember how he had injured himself. He had been driving... responding to a beacon... Jak...
His eyes snapped open and his head shot up. Jak! Everything came rushing back to him - traveling to Haven, crashing through the wall, then the vortex that had appeared out of nowhere. Something had set the vortex off and it had consumed everything around him. He scanned the area, trying to orient himself, trying to locate the young man he'd come to Haven to assist.
Nothing. Nothing at all was familiar. Instead of the ruins of the old racing stadium, moss-covered trees and thorny vines rose up all around him. The ground was soggy at best, turning into marshy swamp, and the muck tried to suck at his hands and legs as he forced himself to stand up. Where was he?
More importantly, where was Jak? Damas hesitated to lift his voice to call to the young man. Without knowing where he was or who else might be around, he did not want to attract unnecessary attention. Unfortunately, there was no sign that anyone else had passed through this area any time in the recent past, though Damas was not certain how long footprints would last in an environment such as this. Despite the stench, he flared his nostrils. So much humidity after so many years in the desert made it somewhat difficult to breathe.
A slightly fresher breath of air drew his attention to the left. The swamp ended abruptly in a rocky shore that had an old wooden dock. No boat, though, and no distant land in sight. Still, the fact that someone had cared enough to build such a structure at all hinted at the possibility of nearby civilization - assuming he wasn't in a part of the world long since devastated by the Metal Heads.
Whatever had caused the vortex, it was obvious it had acted like a transport ring. Had it taken Jak and Daxter as well? Or just him? He shook his head. It was no use speculating when his time would be better spent discovering where he was - and if there was a way to get back to Haven.
Behind him the swamp ended yet again - or perhaps it would be better to say that its nature seemed to change. The muck turned black and viscous, disturbed only by a sluggish bubble that slowly broke the surface. Damas knelt down at the edge of the stuff and touched it, gingerly. Tar - with something mixed in that stung. He quickly washed it off as best he could with the less noxious water of the swamp. That, he decided, was something he would not be walking in. Standing up, he turned once more.
Thunk. Thunk.
The sound was soft and distinctly wooden in nature. Following it, he discovered a set of sharpened logs that rose and sank with a very deliberate rhythm. Damas frowned as he studied it, trying to determine its purpose. The obvious answer was that it was a barrier or a trap, but all one had to do to bypass it was wait for the logs to go down and time your jump so you didn't get stabbed.
It's not meant to keep people out, he finally concluded. Only less intelligent wildlife. From the sound of it, there was plenty around here. The air was alive with the croaks of frogs, the buzz of insects, bird calls, and even an occasional unfamiliar yowl. Nodding to himself, he strode up to the middle section, then hopped over it once the logs sank low once again. The ache in his muscles from the rough transport was already beginning to wear off.
The area immediately opened up, a cliff to his left and an expanse of tar-swamp to his right. Wooden platforms dotted the swamp for no discernible reason, but that was not what caught Damas's attention. A small, rickety house stood at the edge of the tar, and on its porch slumped a thin, red-haired man with mud-slicked trousers and a hat so battered there was nothing left but the brim.
The man spotted him from where he sat and offered a cheerful, lazy wave. "Howdy, friend," he called out. "Come t'visit ma swamp?"
"It would appear that way," Damas answered cautiously. The smaller man looked harmless enough, but Damas had not become the ruler of Spargus without keeping things close to his chest.
The swamp-dweller nodded, as though that was all the answer he needed. "Name's Billy," he said. "Though most folks call me Boggy Billy." Taking a swig from the jug in his hand, he burst out laughing. "'Cause I own the swamp, y'see!"
Damas had to refrain from frowning. The man was drunk, and out in the open, no less. A foolhardy thing to do in the best of times, suicidal at the worst. If a Metal Head came upon him while he was in this condition, he would be dead before he could raise a hand.
"I see." He briefly scanned the swamp and the air, searching for the enemy in question, but all he saw were a few small toads and some sort of rodent that scurried away and hid itself in the cattails. Hmm. Finally, he turned his attention back to Boggy Billy. "I am Damas," he said. "And I am... looking for someone." It could not hurt, he decided, to see what the swamp-dweller knew. "A young man with yellow-green hair, about so tall, most likely accompanied by an orange, rat-like animal. Have you seen either one of them?"
Billy seemed to consider the description, though it was difficult to tell from the slackened expression on his face if he hadn't slipped into an alcoholic stupor instead. After a moment, though, he scratched his head and frowned, then offered a vague shrug. "Lots of swamp rats 'round these here parts. Can't rightly recall any one bein' orange."
"And the boy?" Damas pressed.
"Well," Billy drawled. "Not many folks come my way. Can't imagine why. 'S a beautiful swamp, if y'don't mind the mud. Farthy sure thinks it's swell. 'Course, that sorta thing'd appeal to a Hip Hog, and Farthy's the finest specimen of a hog as ever wallowed in this swamp!"
There was no telling how long this man would ramble if Damas didn't cut him off. "So you haven't seen the boy."
"Nah," Billy said, waving his free hand in the general direction of the tar. "Not fer about a month. Helped me get Farthy back after them nasty Lurker varmints scared him off."
That was more interesting, especially if this was Jak. Damas knew little about what the young man got up to when he wasn't on a mission for Spargus. Curiosity aside, though, it wasn't immediately useful. "Did he give you his name?"
Billy lifted the blue jug to his lips again and took another healthy swig. Sitting up, he looked to his left, out over the tar pit, then back to Damas. Finally, he laughed. "Nope! Can't remember! Quiet little feller. Jes' took care of them rats 'til Farthy came back, then went on his way. Boy howdy, I'll tell you what, though. That kid sure knew how t'shoot!"
Hmm. It certainly sounded like Jak. Unfortunately, that was likely the best confirmation he would get. Ultimately, he supposed it did not matter at the moment. Whether or not Jak had been here before, he wasn't here right now. Best move on to the other information he needed.
Damas crossed his arms. "Tell me," he asked. "Where is this place in relation to Haven City?"
The question was met with another blank stare. "Haven City?" Billy echoed. Then he repeated the name, as though testing the sound of it out. "Haven City... Haven... Nope. Doesn't ring any bells." Scratching his chin for a moment, he shrugged and reached out for the wooden rail that surrounded his house to use to pull himself up. "That don't mean much, though. Lots of places I don't know, mostly 'cause I don't ever leave my swamp. Maybe you should try askin' 'round in th'village."
"The village?"
Billy gestured. "Follow th'path thataway. Watch the last step an' take a left, an' it'll take you right there. Trust me, fella, y'can't miss it. Now, I gotta go find Farthy and give him his afternoon vittles. Watch out fer swamp rats, y'hear?"
Swamp rats. As though those were the most dangerous thing to fear. Still, Damas acknowledged the advice with a nod. "Thank you."
Now to make his way out of this swamp. Hopefully someone in this village Billy mentioned would be of more assistance.
-o-
Jak's heart pounded in his chest as he ran. He wasn't certain he'd ever run this fast, even with the use of blue eco. He thought he might have lost the creatures, but he didn't dare to stop and check. Daxter was hurt. Daxter was hurt. The ottsel's breath came in short, shallow gasps and blood leaked from the wound in his side. Jak did his best to apply pressure with his hands, but it needed to be treated and bound and there wasn't any time.
Sand sprayed as his feet hit the beach, hot from the afternoon sun. He barely felt the warmth from it, though, even where his toes weren't protected by leather. The only thing that mattered was getting Daxter to Samos. He didn't even pause by the farmer's house except to frantically wave the man inside. There wasn't any time to make himself clearer.
Daxter had been poisoned.
Even now, Jak could see the sick gleam of dark eco mixed with Daxter's blood. It wasn't much, certainly nothing to compare with the amount that had changed Daxter into an ottsel, but Daxter hadn't been injured then. Samos. Jak swallowed. Samos will know what to do.
Without slowing, the teen hurtled through the village, racing across the bridges that spanned the various gaps. By the time he reached the Green Sage's hut, he was almost completely out of breath. Still, he managed to croak a desperate sound.
Samos!
"Eh?" Samos's response was immediate, and Jak gratefully darted into the lower half of his hut. He ignored Keira's tools and workbench, didn't even glance at the A-grav zoomer that she had been working on tuning up, but instead headed straight to the room in the back. That was where he found the old sage, who had apparently been checking on Keira, currently asleep in her bed. "Jak, what-"
It's Daxter! Jak's hands trembled as he held his best friend out. Samos sucked a sharp breath in.
"Quickly! Set him down on this table."
Daxter had never failed to ham up any injury he had, milking it for every drop of sympathy he could get. This time, though, the ottsel remained silent and limp, even when Jak carefully did as Samos said. The soft panting and the occasional flinch were the only signs Daxter gave that he was still alive. That, more than anything else, terrified Jak. Daxter just wasn't supposed to be quiet.
"Jak, get me some bandages and a bowl of clean water. Get me a keg of green eco as well." Despite his gruff voice, Samos immediately set to work, muttering under his breath as he examined the injury himself.
Grateful to be given something to do to help, Jak hurried to do as he had been asked. He knew where the bandages were, having often turned up at the sage's hut scraped and bruised from adventures. Instead of taking them from the first aid box, though, he took the whole box from under Keira's work bench. He didn't know how much Samos would need. Water obtained from the faucet went in one of the eating bowls. Once he deposited these things on the table, he glanced only once at Daxter, still unconscious, before darting outside and up the ramp that led to the hut's second level.
Samos's room was something that had always impressed Jak a little. Multiple bookshelves lined the wall, filled with more books than Jak could read in a lifetime. Plants flourished in pots and grass had taken root on the floor. But the thing that captured Jak's attention the most was the series of pipes that wound through the room, glowing with all the green eco they held. Some of the pipes held a mixture of water, too. Those were the ones that went to the plants.
This time, however, when Jak entered the room, he didn't stop to look around or angle his path through a drip from the pipes. A few light sprinkles of the eco-water mix still splashed on his skin, but his focus was on the barrels Samos kept on the other side. These, Jak knew, were filled with the life-giving energy the Green Sage specialized in. Without hesitation, he lifted one up and headed outside, down the ramp, and back into Keira's room.
"It's as I feared," Samos said grimly even before Jak had set the barrel down. He rinsed a blood-soaked rag in the bowl, then daubed at Daxter's fur. The movement was rewarded with a soft whimper of pain, which Samos briskly ignored. "Somehow, Daxter's injury has been contaminated with dark eco. Open that barrel, Jak. I'm going to set him inside. It might help to counteract the effects."
Jak nodded, not questioning the sage. Green eco had healing properties that had saved his life more times than he could count. Carefully, he pried the lid off, making sure not to touch the eco inside. If he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep from absorbing it himself, and that wouldn't help Daxter at all. Worry for his friend squeezed at his lungs as Samos gently picked the ottsel up and slowly lowered him into the swirling green vat. Jak held his breath.
After what seemed like an eternity, the older man finally pulled the ottsel out. Jak wasn't certain, but he thought the edges of Daxter's wound looked less raw. Samos, on the other hand, frowned.
"Well. That's helped a little, but the dark eco is interfering. This isn't going to be easy to heal. I doubt it helps that this is the second time he's been exposed." Setting Daxter back down, Samos picked up one of the bandages and began to bind the injury. "He'll need to stay under constant supervision. No, not from you." Samos cut Jak off with a glare. "I need you to go to Rock Village and talk to the Blue Sage. While you and Daxter were gone, I spoke with him to warn him about the creatures from that ring. He says they've already been sighted around his village. He thinks he might have a way to keep them out, but he needs your assistance for part of it. Do whatever he asks of you, Jak. I don't think I need to stress how important this is."
No. No, he didn't. Not after what had happened to Dax. A pensive expression crossed the teen's face, and he reached a hand out to smooth the fur on Daxter's head. He wanted to stay. He wanted to be here for his friend. But he knew there was very little he could do, and other people needed his help. His eyes went from Daxter to Keira, her face peaceful in sleep despite having been knocked out. He glanced out the window toward Sandover Village before looking back at Samos. Lifting his chin, he nodded. I'll be back.
Then, reluctantly, he pulled his hand back and turned to leave the room. Samos's room had a warp gate upstairs. That would be the fastest way to get to Rock Village.
-o-
Thump!
Jak's feet hit the ground, the brief disorientation from the warp gate already wearing off. Straightening up, he turned to regard the room he was in. Despite being much cleaner than the last time he'd been here, there was still a certain amount of chaotic disarray. Papers littered every level surface and there were charts and diagrams pinned to the wall. No Blue Sage of Eco, though. Frowning, the blond made his way outside and automatically scanned the sky.
Other than a few clouds that threatened to deliver rain, the sky was thankfully clear of any obvious threat. Jak could only hope that that would stay the case.
Not wasting any time, he hopped off from ledge to ledge in the roundabout path to the village. The trip was fairly quiet this time. No flaming boulders being thrown into the water, no crackle of flames from smoldering trees - and no Daxter to fill the silence with chatter. Jak swallowed, another twinge of worry gripping at his chest. He'll be fine, he tried to reassure himself. Daxter's made it through worse than this. Just concentrate on what you need to do here.
He passed the geologist's tent and cart, but there wasn't any sign of her, either. Jak's lip twitched, though his heart wasn't really in it, as he recalled her fascination with the lightning moles in the Precursor Basin. He wouldn't be surprised if that was where she was right now, checking to make sure her beloved creatures were safe.
There were more people out than before, easily explained by the fact that Klaww was no longer in the upper pass hurling boulders at the village. A few of the villagers nodded at him when he passed them by on the path, though he doubted very many of them knew who he was. They were just being friendly, so Jak nodded back, but he didn't stop to talk. It would take more time to communicate who he was looking for than he wanted to spend, especially with people who weren't used to the way he "spoke." Besides, if the Blue Sage was working on an invention, Jak had a feeling he was down at the water's edge.
He was halfway right. The Blue Sage was in the village commons, the platform built over the water that served as both meeting area and dock. He wasn't working on any sort of machine, though, but was instead busily directing people who were currently unloading a boat.
"Make sure you use the utmost proficiency when unloading those eco barrels!" he was saying as he hovered near a worker. "Yellow eco is one of the most volatile types. One wrong perturbation could cause it to detonate and decimate the area!"
Yellow eco? What was the sage of blue eco doing with barrels of yellow? Curiosity piqued, Jak waited until the two workers had stepped off the boat, each with a barrel in hand, before he approached the sage, who noticed him soon enough.
"Ah, Jak! Good! Your presence is most timely and appreciated!" Leaving the workers to their job, the rail-thin man turned to face Jak. His wide mustache practically quivered with excitement as he gestured with his staff toward the other side of the bay. "Come, my young adolescent. Allow me to educate you on the particulars of the adaptations I've been making to my levitation device!"
It was always a little difficult to follow what the Blue Sage was saying, but Jak nodded, understanding the basic message. When the sage started striding across the platform, Jak fell into step behind him.
"The original concept of levitation comes from providing a concentrated field of reverse gravitational resistance." As he spoke, the sage hopped from the platform to one of the plontoons that created a path across the bay. "A young man as perspicacious as yourself has no doubt noticed that when channeling blue eco, you can draw certain small objects or energies that were previously in a kinetically inert position. By harnessing that power and focusing it into a beam, my machine enabled you and your companions to counter the potential energy of a boulder at rest to such a degree that its natural state of motion, or the lack thereof, completely reversed itself. Thus, levitation!"
Keira would have understood all of that. Jak most certainly didn't. He listened, though, even if most of it went over his head. At some point, the sage would get around to telling Jak what he could do to help.
Oblivious to the other's bemusement, the Blue Sage rambled on. "Most living beings, however, have more than one kind of energy. Potential, chemical, heat, electrical - and eco. Especially eco. That makes it more difficult to alter their kinetic state in a precise and controlled manner. The thought occurred to me, however, that more than one type of energy can be countered with more than one type of eco. I began to experiment with mixed quantities of blue, red, yellow, and green eco, and to my astonishment, I discovered that I could create a field that resists any application of outside energy! Do you realize what this could mean?"
Uhh... Jak shook his head, then jumped to the plontoon the Blue Sage had stopped on. The elder didn't seem to mind his confusion. In fact, he seemed just as happy to gesture expansively and elaborate on his explanation.
"Imagine if you had a door filled with such a field. Could anyone pass through that door with the living and kinetic energy they hold?"
Jak's expression lit up. No. No, they couldn't. That could really be useful.
The Blue Sage smiled. "Now, what would happen if such a field could surround an entire village?"
No one could get in or out - including Lurkers or monsters. Everyone inside would be safe.
But...
Jak frowned, then pointed to himself, then up to the pass. What if someone needs to leave?
Whether understanding Jak or just anticipating the question, the Blue Sage nodded in response. "Such a sizable field would require a physical structure to house the eco grid. Walls can be built with doors, young Jak, and if someone needed to pass through the field itself, all they would need is a device keyed into the specific energy signature of the grid that would create a neutral area of transit. The energy requirements of such a device would be prohibitive, though, so such a window could not stay open for very long."
But that could actually be an advantage. Even if Lurkers or other creatures tried to come through, the window wouldn't be open long enough to allow an entire invasion. Jak nodded, appreciating the brilliance and forethought that had gone into the Blue Sage's plan.
"Now," the sage continued. "What I need you to do is-"
A loud splash cut the Blue Sage off, and Jak instinctively looked back to the platform. However, before he could make out what had actually happened, someone screamed.
"Look out!"
-End Chapter Three-
Next chapter.
I should note that, as always, input is always appreciated. Anything from grammar and spelling to flow and characterization, if you have a suggestion or think something could be better, please feel free to speak up. Or praise. Praise is good, too. :3;
I mention this because this particular chapter had some tricky spots and I'm not necessarily the best judge for whether or not they got ironed out.