Little lost dragon and I

[Ryujin13]

Jak cursed inside, knowing they were right but also knowing that he couldn't back down in front of Kara.

"I can run fast, I got away from that monster in the crypt room remember? I bet there's something I can do. Let's see, maybe while you two distract the guardian I can go into the armory room, get a big weapon and come back to kill it." He said proudly. "And I know this isn't a story Fren, I just want to help."

 

Kara hadn't lived long by her people but even she could tell what was going on just from what Jak had said. He was trying to impress her by doing something heroic or brave. She also knew that he would probably get himself killed if he even tried what he was proposing.

"Jak I'm not interested." She said suddenly, turning her gaze fully on to him.

"What?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Jak, I'm not interested in a romantic involvement." Kara repeated, trying to let him down easy but knowing that he wouldn't take it that way. His whiskers were already drooping and his eyes had gone from their usual happy state to one of dejection and disappointment. "Jak there are a lot of reasons why, but what it comes down to is that you and I are... We're just to different." She explained kindly. "I'm... I'm immortal Jak, and you... You'll die. Here, there, wherever, whenever, however, you'll die, and I'll just continue." She explained.

"But we could make it work, I mean it must have happened in the past." He said, his voice wavering slightly. "I mean, how do you know until you try?"

"Because others have tried Jak. They've tried, and their partners have died, and they grieved. Then they repeated the process, always living alongside someone they loved, watching them wither away until they turn to ash. Some of my people have gone mad from the experiences. They just whisper the names of those they loved and lost over and over forever."

"Someone has made it work, they have to have." He said, grasping at the faint glimmer of hope, trying to convince her and himself it might be possible.

Kara sighed a little and nodded. "There have been a few who have learned to... Work with what they have. They love, they grieve, then they move on. They say it's like experiencing a new life every time." She admitted.

"See? We could try, I mean what does it hurt?" Jak asked.

"It might hurt you Jak." She said loudly. "Fine, we get together, what then? I'm stuck in this form until I'm at least 200. You are stuck with an 18 year old human girl until you're in your 60's. What about the meantime? Could you live with your own mortality staring you in the face every day? Watching yourself age and grey in the mirror while I stay the same? It would be like that for a long time, possibly until the day you die." She said, her voice raising in exhasperation.

"You're saying that as I grow old, I could look at a beautiful woman every day until I die? That I could see the person who is the most beautiful being I have ever seen, as a bird or not, for as long as I live, just the way she is? I could live with that." He said, standing straighter. "I think I'd enjoy knowing that the person I like will go on living happily after I died, and that I had made even the tiniest bright mark on her life. That would be ok by me."

Kara stopped and just stared at him, considering the wisdom that he was spouting. For being so young he was also making a lot of sense, even if she didn't think it would work. Living a new life every time was what the other Phoenix's had said. What if they were right and the heartache was worth it to be with someone. To truly live again every time.

"I... Hadn't thought of it that way." She admitted, shaking her head slowly. "But still, I mean..." She shook her head and some of her firmness returned. "I don't even know if it would work Jak. In the long run or not, I don't know you at all. Just..." She shook her head again. "Just leave it alone Jak. Ok? Just leave it alone."

Jak continued to stand there for a few moments, his eyes watching her for a few moments before he turned and headed to his spot at the center of the platform. He knew he had won a small victory at least by saying what he had, and had made her at least consider it. Now he just had to continue working at her.

The ride up to the forge wasn't long, nor was it a large area they found themselves in. On all four sides was a wall except one which had a steel double door with crossed hammers indented on them. Four stone pillars ran from ceiling to floor each unmarked in any way.

"This is it." Jak announced, consulting the book quickly before turning it off again. "The forge is beyond that door."

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked at them as they they spoke and sighed "Jak, look at it from her end, can you live with the fact that your passing might be something she does not recover from? Its not something many can deal with and its very hard to tell if they can till its too late." she explained as the lift came to a stop. "Never mind the fact that you both live in different universes." she threw in before Varren slithered forward "Jak, the only reason you where not caught in the room with the crypt is because I grabbed you and then it went after me, also with the crystal guardian, and had Fren not grabbed you from the cleaner and the crystal one, you would have been lost to us each time." he explained "Your to wait here till Fren or I return." he said giving Fren a nod who nodded back before she went into the shadows her eye's hardly open hiding most of her bright yellow and white eye's.

"Should things go wrong I'll go get the guardians attention till we can get back here and leave." he said his weapon ready.

 

Fren crept through the dark shadows till she got to where the guardian on her chemical radar.

[Ryujin13]

Jak nodded sullenly, his shoulders showing the teenage rebelliousness within him. He could do it, and he would do it. He would prove to them that he wasn't useless, that he wasn't just dead weight that got carried around with the group. He would show them and Kara, especially Kara. With that thought in mind he prepared himself, although he didn't show it outwardly, instead just mentally going through what he could do. He would be a hero, and Fren and Varren would have to treat him like an adult, not some stupid kid. Kara would be so impressed she would have to go out with him, she might even give him a kiss for being so brave. He smiled at the thought and watched as Fren entered the room, although she was only a shadow.

The hall that she stepped into was exactly as the book had described with the huge forges to one side and a great door on the other. The room was lit with a dull glow and was cold as the water flowed in the channels described.

In the center of the room there was a large stone pillar rising to the ceiling. It's sides were though weren't curved but flat, creating a perfectly formed stone surfaces except on the side facing the door. In that spot was a hollowed out alcove, and inside stood a stone being, his smooth features alien with high cheek bones, and broad shoulders. Standing at an inpressive 15 feet tall he was one of the smallest guardians yet encountered. He was armored as well, the great stone plates interlocking together. Channels were carved into its form, all of them running down from its eyes, which glowed red all the way down to its feet. On the ground before him sat a huge hammer, it's head on the ground and it's handle rising to the guardians middle where his hands were folded on top.

As Fren entered nothing happened, nor when Varren entered, the guardian resolutely ignoring them.

Jak meanwhile was diggin through the book, looking for the page on the forge, hoping to find a weakness, but unable to find one.

Kara meanwhile had walked to the side where she stood in thought, pondering what Jak had said, and wondering if it would be worth a relationship. With Jak it probably wasn't going to happen, she just didn't like him like that, especially after what he had said to her. Still, it was worth considering for the future when she got back home.

[little lost dragon]

Varren kept his weapon aimed at the stone guardian and wondered it triggered if they touched anything. Fren was creeping around before she made a very fast dash right up to the stone alcove as she looked it over every now and then running a hand over the stone surface, clearly searching for maybe hidden controls or triggers.

Varren sighed seeing the others in the room though, both Jak and Kara. He kept his weapon aimed and ready as Fren seemed to get an idea as she climbs the alcove her larger then normal legs allowing her to climb it quickly along with her tail also helping, she wanted to get a better look at the joints of the statues armour. Afterwards she seemed to give a 'huh' expression before she opened her jaws and seemed to pick something out of her mouth, a strange sack of something. She looked at the others motioning to them that this might wake the guardien. Varren motioned for her to get down. She sighed and climbs down before looking around more before her tail flicked, she spun around and made a dash around the room snagging Jak again with her tail before plopping him by the door "Stay here. guardien moves, go in here, the armor's are in here, I know because I can detect my own kinds in there." she whispered though her eye's very very firm. Any questions where not permitted. She went back to the statue grabbing the sack again before making motions to Varren of something breaking.

Both her and Varren thought there would be high chances that once they touched a tool or weapon, the thing would activate. And if they did something to it. She counted down with her 3 fingures on her spare hand before placing the strange sack thing into a link of the stone plates. Before jumping down.

[Ryujin13]

Jak was growing impatient by this time, obviously angry at being looked at like a child. He didn't like being treated like a nobody, like some piece of worthless trash that was pulled along because it was convenient.

The moment Fren had touched the guardians armor joint a rumble was heard as the glow from its eyes brightened to the point of looking like molten metal, which then spread down the grooves that covered its body. With a grinding sound the guardian came to life, grabbing the hammer with its hands and hefting it up into both hands. It's baleful eyes looked around the room before spotting the intruders and starting to advance on Fren and Varren, it's hammer swinging up in preparation to strike.

Kara was already pulling on Jak's arm towards the armory, trying to do as Fren had ordered. Jak grudgingly followed, heading towards the door. The moment they touched pulled on it the guardian turned and began to walk towards them.

Kara's hair had already begun to light on fire, and she managed to throw a fireball at the guardian who shrugged it off without any visible damage.

Jak looked at Kara before running off to one side, shouting at the guardian and waving his arms. He grabbed some of the tools and threw them at the guardian, finally getting its attention and causing it to turn and follow him, swinging its hammer at him

Jak managed to duck the swing and ran off, the guardians footsteps following the whole way. As he neared the back wall he looked around, searching wildly for something useful to use against the guardian, but finding nothing apparent around him. The guardian had reached him finally and swung its hammer high before bringing it down at Jak.

Jak managed to dive to the side, then in a moment of stupidity he grabbed the hammers head and climbed up. From there he tried to jump onto the guardians chest like in the video games he had played, but missed, instead only managing to grab its leg.

The guardian reached down and tried to grab at Jak, but the little cat let go, falling onto the floor and scrambling away as the hammer was brought down with a huge crunch directly behind him.

The guardian itself seemed to be getting frustrated with Jak and finally set aside the hammer and instead swatted at Jak like a fly.

Jak managed to dodge the first, but the second caught him, flinging him across the room to hit the wall with a crunch before falling to the ground and lying motionless.

The guardian proceeded to pick up its hammer and walk over, already raising the weapon to strike, Jak still unmoving on the ground.

Kara had watched with horror as this whole thing happened, and even when she threw another fireball at it the guardian just ignored her and continued to ready a strike.

[little lost dragon]

Varren took aim but paused as it turned to face Jak, Fren looking throughly annoyed now. "Dam it Jak!" she shouted as he got swatted to the side. "Dam brats down....... his own fault." she muttered before jumping into action. She tore across the room before she seemed to crush something in her hand causing the packet she had placed in it to go off, not with an explosion but highly corrosive concentrated acid. Though she did not make a move to get its attention.

 

Varren fired at its head with his weapon "Stone head over here!" he shouted to get its attention firing more. Not caring how damage was doing, all that matter was to get it off Jak and onto him. Fren was already by a forge grabbing a few tools. What she was doing he did not know but she was not staying at a particular station either, a tool from here, and there and across the room. Fren paused by Kara "Grab as many armors and weapons as you can carry." she ordered "We'll keep the thing busy, and get the fool out of the area." she said not looking happy about Jak at all. She took off again as Varren continued to fire hoping the crystals in his weapon would give needed fire power.

Fren had an idea, now that her bomb had been used, ideally the armor joints will be weakened, if Varren could shoot them then that would leave an exposed area for him to harm the guardian. though carry weight was limited now thanks to Jak's 'hero' foolishness.

[Ryujin13]

Jak, though dazed and hurt, hadn't been knocked out by the throw, and managed to sit up. He was pretty sure he had broken a rib, but he still managed to stand and look around. The guardian was doing its thing and attacking Varren while Kara and Fren were doing theirs thing. Left alone for the moment Jak looked around before heading to the work table nearby. There were a number of items on the bench, but one in particular caught his eye, a sword with a lightly curved end that was made of a bright silver metal flaked with what looked like sapphire.

Without a second thought he grabbed the sword and ran after the guardian who currently had it's back to him. He didn't even think about the shooting pain on his side, all he could think about was how he was going to impress Kara.

The guardian's back was turned as Jak charged, trying to catch Varren who was damaging it with his improved weapon.

Jak ran at it quickly and jumped onto the guardians back as it leaned over for a particularly heavy swing that splintered the stone beneath its weapon.

As he got up he ran towards the guardians head, already spotting the space between armor joints where Fren's acid had done its work.

Looking between the joints was like staring into a star, and Jak could only spare a glance as the guardian began to straighten.

Now only running on adrenaline and impulse Jak straightened up and drove the sword straight down into the hole.

For a few moments nothing seemed to happen, but suddenly the sword jerked sharply and a grinding of stone was heard. A few seconds later the guardian just fell apart, causing Jak to try and jump with the sword. He landed hard even as a large piece of stone weighing in at least a ton landed hard on his leg. A loud crack was heard, and Jak crying out in pain as he tried to move the boulder but unable to do so with the leverage he had.

Around him stone continued to fall, along with the sword, which landed with a clatter next to Jak, seemingly unhurt by any of what had just happened.

Just like that it was over, with the last pieces of stone coming to a standstill. The only noise that could be heard was the groups panting and Jak's groans of pain. Like in the library small metal drones were alreay scampering out and cleaning up, some replacing the tools back where they were, others hauling off or melting down the stones and taking them away. The only thing they left alone was the sword which Jak had taken and the boulder which sat on top of Jak's leg.

A couple scuttled over to Jak, all of them colored white in comparison to the others which were silver.

From one sprang a beam that panned over Jak, while another moved forward to look at the rock.

Jak automatically swiped at the workers, assuming they were up to no good, but they didn't pay him much mind, instead just nimbly dodging his blows and chattering to each other.

After a few seconds the three left him alone and went into a small huddle where they chit terse to each other for a second before bobbing like they had reached an agreement.

Kara had ran over the moment she had seen all this happening and had tried to get rid of the small bots, especially now that they approached with an obvious intention. One had sprouted a kind of emitter and was aiming it at Jak's leg, while the others swabbed the area and cleaned the leg.

"No!" She told the robots angrily, knowing what they had planned, and swatting at them again, causing them all to chitter in annoyance.

She looked at the leg in question and almost threw up. This wasn't something she could heal and she knew it, but she couldn't tell Jak that.

"Can you wait please?" She asked the robots, who all stopped and chittered again before scuttling off a ways to sit patiently.

"Jak, I'm going to get help on? Just hang on." She explained, standing and going grabbing Varren and Fren before thy made it over.

"Come here." She murmured, going behind the rock so that Jak couldn't see them.

"Jak's going to lose his leg." She said, her eyes watering slightly. "I can't heal it, and we can't lift the stone off of him or he'll die. The fluid that's been trapped in his leg will have..." She tried to phrase it so that they would understand. "It's going to become poisonous. He will die if the stone is removed because the fluid will flow back up and into his heart killing him instantly. I can't heal death, and his heart will be beyond repair." Kara whispered. "The only way to save him is to remove it or let him stay there until he dies of blood loss." She explained. "I think those robots there are here to help because they've already cleaned the area, so now we... We have to prepare him for it." She finished, her eyes watering at what she knew would be a terrible moment in Jak's life.

[little lost dragon]

Varren did not look even slightly impressed as Jak cried out as his leg got crushed. Fren had stopped and looked ready to kill the boy now.

They came over as Kara got them both not looking happy. Not in the slightest. Varren shook his head "Alright, Kara, we'll need a sleeve of fabric, once we have that tie it around where we want the blood to stop flowing. If those little bots don't do something first I'll cut his leg off." he said "Maybe now he'll learn his lesson of showing off does not work." he said before noticing Fren had already left and was entering the armor room. She was not having anything to do with Jak now.

She inspected the armors and looked at the one met for her. "Most likely going to need this now, now that I know we got a fool when combat happens." she muttered.

[Ryujin13]

( Poor Jak )

 

Kara nodded, going over to Jak and looking at the little robots. They had not been idle while Kara talked, two of them putting tubes into Jak's arm, one of which was giving him blood while the other was filled with pain suppressants. The third had disappeared completely, but Kara could hear it clicking around somewhere nearby.

The two remaining robots chittered at Kara's return and quickly moved away as she knelt beside Jak who had gone pale from blood loss but wasn't groaning in pain any more. Instead his eyes had gone droopy and unfocused.

"Jak, your leg is crushed." Kara said quietly. "If we move the rock it will probably kill you. We are going to have to... We need to remove your leg." She explained, watching as Jak turned his head to face her, his eyes still unfocused.

"But you..." He said, trying to get ahold of himself long enough to put together a complete thought. "You can just heal it right? I'll just grow a new leg?"

Kara shook her head quietly, not even speaking.

Jak's eyes got wide as he grasped the seriousness, and he began pushing at the boulder in desperation.

"Jak that won't do any good." Kara explained, grabbing his hands and holding them quietly. "It will be quick, and with these drugs, you won't feel a thing." She said, still holding his hands carefully.

Jak finally nodded, and watched as Kara took the bottle of water with Phoenix tears in it out.

"This will heal the wound once your legs off." She said quietly before looking up. The missing robot was back again, this time carrying a box about two feet long and made of some sort of material. When it reached Jak it set the box down and stepped back as it unfolded into a futuristic looking leg.

After this was done the three set to work, with two holding the leg still and the third activating a two foot long laser beam that it suddenly brought down, completely severing Jak's leg.

The stink of burning flesh was nothing to Jak's scream of pain as the robots set to work, quickly spraying the wound with disinfectant even as Kara made Jak drink the water causing the wound to heal up.

The leg had been removed about six inches above the knee, and was now scar tissue. Other robots meanwhile had set to work aligning the metal leg to Jak's stump and sealing the two together. Lasers followed this, as well as multiple stings as wires were inserted. A cuff was locked on and finally the job was done.

Just like that the robots were gone, leaving Jak gasping in pain, his forehead soaked with sweat, and his eyes wild as he continued to groan quietly.

"Shut up." Jak growled as Varren came over. "I don't care what you say, I killed it and I did it to save Kara and you. What is it? No sacrifice no victory?"

Edited March 11, 2014 by Ryujin13

[little lost dragon]

Varren looked at Jak before suddenly back handing the child hard across the cheek "You made a fools decision and nearly got your self killed Jak!" he flat out said not hiding his disapproval. "Pull a move like that again against orders and when the situation is under control and I'll shoot you my self. ARE. WE. CLEAR?" he demanded. He did not say it but he felt the bots just rewarded Jak by giving him that leg. Now they'll be lucky if he listens at all him being a child and all. The loss of a leg would have taught Jak to listen. Had the child listened in the first place he would not even need a artificial leg. "Had that bolder not stopped it would have crushed your whole body Jak! Then what? Your bloody lucky my gun was able to get the thing off you before it flattened you and Kara was even trying to stop it." he said before turning his back "You want to be part of the action, you'll follow orders Jak, or your a burden to the whole team." he said flatly before heading to the armoury as Fren came out in her kinds armour. "Nothing specail but its...." she paused seeing Varrens expression, had been the first time she had seen him that pissed off. Then she saw Jak's new leg "Your kidding me...... the castle rewarded the brat for being suicidal? I gave him another chance for that?" she asked

 

((Unless Varren hit home (since Varren was about the only helpful voice to Jak so far) I don't for see Jak making friends unless Kara pity's him.))

[Ryujin13]

(Jak is one of the most interesting characters I've created in awhile. I don't really know how he'll end up to be honest. He's one of those characters that have taken on a life of their own.)

 

Jak flinched as Varren hit him, his hand flying to his face and his mouth open in shock. He couldn't even come up with a retort so shocked was he, but after a few seconds he began to pull himself together. After a few seconds he started struggling to stand, finally managing to pull himself to lean against the rock, panting slightly. The leg itself was just as good as the old one although it made noise whenever it moved, but it was still different enough that Jak was having difficulty making it do anything.

Still he managed to grab the sword he had used along with its scabbard which he slung across his back. Then he sat on the table where the sword had been and looked at Kara.

The red-headed girl had watched the whole thing, her golden eyes carefully tracing his movements as he sat himself down.

"You think I'm stupid too?" He asked, looking down and touching the leg carefully.

"Yes." Kara said immediately. "Yes I do. What you did was selfish, arrogant, foolhardy, and stupid. You should have stuck to the plan Jak. You're not a fighter, you don't have the training for it, or the mentality. You were trying to impress me and the others, and as a result you lost a leg and the others respect." She vented, her eyes angry.

"What about your respect?" Jak asked quietly, his head looking down at his leg which he flopped feebly.

"I... I can respect your stubbornness to refuse my rejection, and I can respect that you wanted to try to fight in the first place, but no... I don't respect what you did Jak. You could have gotten the others killed by your stupid attempts at heroics. Right now if I had ever even considered taking you for a lover... I wouldn't anymore Jak. You aren't a person who can make good choices." She said, looking down as she told him she wouldn't even consider it anymore.

"I'm going to go help the others." She said quietly, moving off and around the boulder which was already being torn down by the little robots and leaving Jak alone.

He was numb, tired from his attempts at heroics, tired of his failures, and tired of being looked at like a child. He had lost everything, his friends, his home, his family, and now he had lost his allies and any chance of ever being with the girl of his dreams. Now he was just a piece of trash again, dead weight to be looked after, not respected. Even through his stubbornness and attempts at convincing himself otherwise, a toy part of him admitted that they might be right. He was an idiot, and what he had done wasn't brave, it was just an attempt to look good, an attempt to show off.

 

Kara walked around the boulder, her footsteps soft in her sandals as she approached Fren and Varren.

"I'm going to look for some protection in there." She said quietly. "There's a set of armor my people made just in case, it changes form with the wearer from Phoenix to human. I'm going to grab a set." She glanced over her shoulder towards where Jak sat then back at the group. "Among the fey there is a saying, a tree is as strong as it's roots. Jak's proven he is a poison to the roots. He's already made a decision that could have killed us all, maybe it's time to cut him lose, chop off the diseased area so that the rest of the tree remains strong." She murmured before walking away into the armory. It only took her a few moments before Kara returned, sporting a set of red tinged armor that accentuated her nicely while protecting the vital areas. It seemed to be metal, but also moved like a fabric, making it very comfortable and just as good as the best human defends there was.

"What now?" Kara asked, referring to what she had said before leaving.

[little lost dragon]

Varren found another suit and was trying it on when Kara showed up. He looked up at her as she spoke. He shook his head "If only it where that simple Kara, had he been a little older I might of done just that, but he is young and thus he can still learn to not be a poison to the roots. He has ability, however he has many things to learn and many of them only he can learn on his own. We'll keep him around, but I don't make empty threats, he either learns or, the poison will be removed." he said quietly as he got the rest of the way in to the suit. It was like his old one only still in one piece and not in strands.

He slithered over to Jak "Get up, a swords not going to help you here Jak, get to the armoury and grab your self some protection and a proper weapon. A sword only puts you in range of being killed here." he said still not looking happy but moving on "And have we learned anything from all this?" he asked wanting to know if Jak understood why the others where not happy with him. Why showing off never pays off.

 

Fren returned with a large bag of tools and items she gathered from around the stations and set it down before looking at Kara. "Another behaver humans tend to have. A result of lack of self control. Strangely enough though, looks like you and Varren have the greatest impact on him. I agree we should cut him off but Varren has yet to be wrong..... that I've seen so far." she said to Kara

[Ryujin13]

Jak mumbled an answer to Varren but stopped seeing the look in Varren's eyes.

"Yeah." He said quickly. "Yeah." He stood and tossed the sword back onto the table then limped toward the armory. It took him a few minutes of scrounging around, but he eventually came up with a set of what looked like military clothing without the helmet. After that it was time to choose a weapon which he chose carefully considering the circumstances.

He knew how to hold a weapon up to an assault rifle, although he had never fired one outside a video game. He also knew how to quickly reload having played games like paintball. That being said the group didn't trust him, so he picked a submachine gun that was altered to fire small laser bursts and attached to his vest along with six of the specialized magazines. A small pistol went along with this and attached to his thigh before he finally stepped out and quietly joined the back of the group, just staying out of the way at this point. He knew he had screwed up, and that the others were ready to get rid of him. He also didn't doubt that they would get rid of him if he did something stupid again.

 

Kara quietly observed Jak as he joined the group, wondering at the wisdom behind letting him carry weapons like the ones that he now held. She decided to follow Varren's lead for the moment however and instead waited for the others to ready themselves before heading towards the elevator.

"Where should we look for this Alina?" She asked as they walked.

[little lost dragon]

Varren looked at Jak keeping eye contact before giving a small jerk with his head telling Jak to get moving. He slithered over and looked at the bag Fren had gathered and nodded "Plenty of spare metals, fabrics, and tool, I trust you'll be able to carry this alright?" he asked and Fren nodded "Of course, its hardly heavier then a acid slug weapon." she said with a shrug, at Varrens blank look "One of my peoples weapons, excellent against armours and none shielded foes." she explained pointing to it on her waist showing it to have 2 tendrils in its back that where now wrapped tightly.

 

Varren nodded and looked at Kara before looking at Jak as he selected some weapons leading the group to the lift. He nodded at Kara's question "Seeing as our map was destroy when a bolder crushed it, we'll have to take some wild guesses, she could be anywhere and with the floors changing, I don't know, we only have short range detection, Fren's chemical radar and my suits radar. We'll go down a few floors and start the search." he said getting the lift ready.

The lift went down a few floors before he stopped it.

[Ryujin13]

Jak for a confused look on his face for a moment then dug around in one of his pouches for a second before holding up the cube from the library.

"We didn't lose the map." He said quietly, pointing to the cube. "It was in my waist pouch not my pocket..." He quickly clamped his mouth shut and shoved the cube back into the pouch before following along quietly. He took up his usual spot on the platform, directly in the center away from the edges then sat, trying to avoid the others notice.

As was usual the ride was quick and ended abruptly as the elevator came to a smooth halt. As the others fanned out Jak followed along, looking at the floors and walls for clues as to where they were.

After a few moments he turned on the cube and consulted the book which he then snapped shut causing it to disappear.

"This is one of like a thousand artifact rooms." He said quietly. "It doesn't mention any guardians, and the guy said he spent a lot of time in these places. He did say not to touch anything though, so maybe there is a guardian of some kind." Jak explained, looking up at the doors.

These were made of a bronze looking material with different scene etched into it from what looked like different cultures. When one of the handles were touched the two doors swung inward and a chime sounded as a room of titanic proportions lit up.

The place was enormous, so long that you couldn't see the other end, and wide enough that it took a few minutes to reach the other side. Other halls branched off with the same colossal size as the main one. Every exhibit conceivable was here, from fossils to art, religious relics, scrolls of historic import, life size dioramas of great battles that sprang to life when you approached, animal exhibits, technologies of inconceivable complexity, just about everything you could think of to learn about a culture was here, each more alien then the next. A map of sorts was near the entrance on a tilted table with a helpful star labels 'you are here' in large friendly letters. It then had a selection area to right which when pressed opened into a large selection of folders, each labeled under a species name or planet. Clicking one of these brought up another list of exhibits, and even as they watched the map seemed to stretch as another folder appeared labeled 'Galfifa' and a new section on the map appeared. Jak already knew what was going on, but he was also in trouble so he instead went to look at one of the exhibits, in this case an animal display. Inside was what looked vaguely like a crocodile from earth but was much bigger and had long legs. When it saw Jak it charged him and hit the glass, it's claws scratching and it's jaws snapping.

Finally it seemed to give up, and snorted before wandering off. Jak picked himself up from where he had fallen back on the floor when the thing had charged and hastily went to another exhibit, this

one of a painting. It was beautiful with vibrant colors here and there, full of reds, golds and auburns. As he looked at it the painting seemed to move before his eyes. At first he thought it was an optical illusion like the Mona Lisa, but this painting was physically changing shape before his eyes. Finally it stopped moving and showed to him a picture of Kara, in this case nude, fire licking around her, while her golden eyes seemed to ask him to join her on the soft cushion where she lay. Jak's eyes had grown wide, and he looked around, making sure that Kara wouldn't see this. When he turned back the painting was back to its swirl of colors, not a trace of Kara to be seen.

A small plaque sat before the painting and when Jak leaned down to read it the whole thing became clear.

'Kaxeren'fl'fendal by Bhgablsis of the Chanmloc dynasty. This painting was created over the course of the creators lifetime, started upon his realization of his true talents. The painting is different for all who look at it, each time changing to show the viewer that which is most beautiful in his or her life.'

Jak looked at the painting again, seeing Kara, her lips in a small smile as her head rested on one arm.

Jak only became of his surroundings again when the others called for him. With a backward glance he followed along, his mind still on Kara and how beautiful she was.

[little lost dragon]

Varren paused and looked at Jak before nodding "Well in that case." he said before resuming. He nodded and slowly opened the door taking a peek in. Fren was close behind him and she went in first. Seeing nothing active she motioned for the others to come in, Varren nodded and went in.

Inside Fren was now looking at different things one of them a small creature charged its containment in a agressive manner only to be frightened off when Fren let out a hiss showing her teeth. Varren blinked seeing this but continued on.

He sighed in sadness though when he saw one from where he was from. It disblayed the prototype design for the first lazor hover tank his side created. Very effective model, lacked protection against anti armor weapons however. Interesting how it chose that as a artifact, must of showed great promise.

When they got to the map Varren and Fren compared notes and some tech and learned that in both universes the humans they fought had similar tech, but after a bit and after Fren started to look annoyed, which Varren assumed how they where talking about humans, they started to move on.

Truth was, Jak had started to emit some pheromones looking at the image he had seen. Her chemical radar picked them up and not knowing why he was did not help her view of him and lack of self control.

"Alright, enough site seeing, I want locations to be scoured to do with this castle, prison things lab things, visitor things, what ever that might give us a hint of where it might of taken Alina, and possibly ways to get the info. Jak? I want that holographic book to be at the ready. Information shows up and I want it compared, searched and roughs planned." he said seeing as the boy held the holobook "If a exit to this place is found, I want that logged as well. Fren, you seem to have a almost photographic memory, as a race, everyone will come to you and explain the suggested roughs, you and Jak will be our primary direction guides, alright?" he asked and Fren looked at Jak nose a little wrinkled before she sighed "Alright." she said with a nod.

[Ryujin13]

Jak nodded at Varren's orders and turned the book onto a standby mode so that it would appear when he held his hands forward.

As they walked he looked at the rest of the group and could tell just from Fren's posture that she was even angrier with him then when they had left the last floor. He couldn't figure out why though since he hadn't actually done anything wrong beyond what had happened in the armory.

Pushing the thought from his mind he opened the book and began to look through the notes on the artifact halls. He didn't find anything interesting however, just snippets about the many different things the author had seen.

As they wandered the halls the exhibits continued to change, some being what you'd expect in a museum, some so strange that Jak couldn't even truly grasp what they were. As they wandered Jak began to notice a trend in the exhibits setup. It normally started with minerals and the like, then microscopic life, plants, animals, then up into the civilization if there was one on the planet.

The exhibit they were now in didn't seem to have anything beyond the microscopic which the plaques said were wiped out when the planet they had formed on was flung out of its orbit and shot into the barren cold of space.

They wandered the hall for almost two hours before they came to the other end, and that wasn't even counting the side halls. Luckily for them the end of the hallway was what they were looking for.

Beside a glass case full of undersea fossils lay the limp form of Alina. She was on her side, her wings spread out and one paw on her stomach.

From where they stood and how she lay, in conjunction with the large scorch mark beneath her, it almost appeared that she was dead.

This illusion was destroyed when she yawned and rolled over however, and when she was woken up by Fren she immediately started to cry and ran to her mother.

"Mommy!" She cried happily, burying her head in Fren's arm. "Mommy why did it take you so long?" She asked tears still falling. "I thought you'd never find me!" She buried her head again and continued to cry in happiness.

"What do you mean? You've only been gone for about a day." Jak asked, immediately falling silent as he got looks.

"Nuh-uh it's been a long time, Medad said a year. He helped me get back! He and the bird thing. They gave me this." She said, showing Fren her paw where a gold bracelet encircled her wrist. It was woven from five bands, each creating a complex knot as they encircled her wrist. "Why'd you take so long? I missed you mommy."

[little lost dragon]

Fren's angry look vanished as soon as her chemical radar picked up Alina, suddenly taking off skipping many of the exhibits she came to a stop at Alina's limp form, which she got a saddened look but also confused, Alina was not dead the hatchling still gave a live chemical signature.

When Alina woke the hatchling did not have time to get to her paws, Fren was already scooping the hatchling up from under the stuff and holding her close looking very happy to see Alina again, all signs of anger gone for now.

She nodded as Alina spoke "Shhhhh I'm here Alina, we did not stop looking for you right from when you vanished." she said before she looked a Jak with a solid 'shut your mouth boy' look.

Varren looked perplexed though at Alina's next words but not suprized "Sounds like when she fazed time moves differently, after we found that one room we never saw another hint of you Alina." he explained "Till now." he said looking at the scorch mark that was where Alina had been.

Mean while Fren had sat down holding Alina as close as possible gently nuzzling Alina's neck and head gently from time to time. "I don't know hun, but you never left our minds. Right from the grass area you where our first goal, now we'll move to the next and that's to escape this place." she said

The way she held onto Alina, cupping the hatchling in her arms against her chest showed a sign of possible loss.

 

Varren gently laid a hand on Kara's and Jak's shoulders gently steering them away and moving with them "I think we should let them catch up. Lets give them some time, we'll introduce Kara soon enough, and you and I Jak can catch up as well with Alina, but for now, its there mother daughter time."

[Ryujin13]

Alina hugged mommy back as hey she could with her size, holding on and still crying. It had been so long since she had last seen mommy that she could hardly remember her scent, but everything came back now that she was being held once more. All she could manage was to cry and hug for a good while before finally sniffing and looking up at Fren's face.

"I missed you mommy." She said, standing on her hind legs and wiping a year off of Fren's face with one claw. She hugged Fren around the neck then, holding on with her front legs as best she could.

Finally she sat back, wiping away her own tears and looking up at Fren.

"Why did it take so long?" She asked quietly, snuggling close to her mother again. "I missed you, and I wanted you to meet Medad."

Suddenly she sat up and looked around, seeming to notice there surroundings for the first time. "This isn't Medad's room." She said in wonder, looking at Fren again. "Have you seen him? He looks like a human but he says he's not one, and he's fat with grey fur on his face and head, he wears blue clothing and has blue eyes, and has a bracelet like this one." She said hurriedly, holding up her own. "I want you to meet him mommy, he was so nice. He helped me and the bird too!" She said excitedly.

 

Jak and Kara both followed Varren away from Fren and her daughter off down a side corridor that held a number of exhibits devoted to some war between alien nations over a golden stool. Jak looked at the exhibits with a passing interest but inside he felt awful. He had seen how Fren had looked at him, how she had hated him.

Finally he stopped and slid down the wall into a sitting position, his artificial leg out in front of him.

Even Caesar's hadn't been this bad, at least there they had pretended to care. His stint in jail he had had a gang watching his back, at home... Well he had his parents. Here he was completely alone, and all because of a stupid decision. He angrily kicked the leg, crossing his arms and looking down.

The others were right of course, he had put them in danger, and for that he felt bad, but nobody had gotten hurt and the guardian was killed, so weren't they overreacting?

Jak shook his head at this thought, shoving it deep down. Still he couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps they were blowing the whole thing out of proportion.

I the end it didn't matter, they hated him anyway, just pointing this out would make the hate worse and possibly get him kicked out of the group for good. Jak harbored no delusions about the outcome of that scenario, although he did have the book, so there was that...

A clatter made Jak jump as the sword from the forge room practically fell into his lap. He reacted instinctively and threw the thing away then stood, backing away from the sword and leaving it where it now lay. He continued to watch it, making sure it wasn't going to move, then nodded and turned, leaving it where it lay.

"What was that!?" Kara demanded as she walked up, her hands on her hips. "What did you do?"

"Nothing I swear." Jak said, putting his hands up. "I was just sitting and that sword from the forge appeared." He explained.

Kara looked at him hard then walked past him and went to the sword which she withdrew from its sheathe. She inspected it closely, turning it over in her hands before they both glowed red hot and the sword melted into pools of metal.

"Just the stupid castle playing tricks again." She explained to Varren as she let the remaining metal burn from her hands and threw the sheathe away. "Nothing to worry about." She said, turning her back on Jak and walking away.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Ryujin13

[little lost dragon]

Varren looked up at the clatter and was coming over to see Kara melting a sword that had looked familer. He came up to the pools of metal and the hilt before grabbing the hilt and the sheath before sighing a little "Kara, if the castle gave this to Jak, or any of us, there's a good chance we'd need it for something. The castle maybe cruel but it does supply us with what we need provided we use it correctly." he explained looking at the pools of hot metal before coming over to Jak "They might still come in handy." he said placing them down beside him "I'm not entirely sure why the place seems to be favoring you but its something." he said before looking at Jak's artifical leg "Hows it holding up?"

 

Fren remained embracing Alina very very glad to have her daughter back. She smiled as the hatchling wiped a tear off her cheek and did the same to Alina, gently doing so. "I missed you too Alina." she whispered.

She nodded and smiled as the hatchling spoke. "To us Alina it was only a day or so, to us that is, you do look older then when we last saw you, your wings are bigger and your scales have grown in a bit too. But even if it was a year for us, I would not stop till I found you again Alina. And this Medad, he sounds like a nice fellow... you don't look malnourished either, and he helped a bird too?" she asked remembering what a bird was from data banks she had hacked where she was from. She looked at the bracelet and blinked "Did Medad tell you if that bracelet does something?" she asked wondering.

All in all she just happy to have Alina back, she was not experienced in dealing with young hatchlings but she was trying and for once did not need to fake being happy.

[Ryujin13]

Jak took the hilt of the sword as well as the scabbard before looking down at the leg.

"It's fine. Thanks." He muttered, knowing that Varren didn't really care.

Jak knew that Varren was still angry with him, and that his question was just serving the groups interests. The whole group hated him and Jak couldn't even blame them at least he didn't openly blame them. Deep inside he still harbored the quiet flame that said they were the ones overreacting to what had happened.

Truth he told the leg was just like his old one, same proportions and function although it did make small noises whenever it moved. The only difference was that he couldn't feel anything from that leg which was to be expected, and that he had a slight limp although Jak was sure it was because he was still getting used to it.

 

"Sorry." Kara said when Varren said the sword might have been useful. "Didn't think about that."

She wandered off when Varren asked about Jak's leg, not really caring what the cat thing said.

Jak didn't deserve sympathy or care, even if it was pretend. He had screwed up so badly that even Kara was mad at him, something that didn't regularly happen. She avoided getting angry with people because that was when had things happened, but in this case it was hard not to, especially since she also blamed herself in a tiny way.

Kara wondered if she hadn't been clear enough with Jak, if she could have told him a different way that she wasn't interested. He had a huge crush on her and she knew it, and even after she told him that they would never be together she still knew that he liked her.

Had she led him on she wondered. Maybe given him false hope?

In the end it didn't matter. He had proven he wasn't to be trusted to follow orders, especially important ones that could mean life or death.

It was her turn to wander over to an exhibit now, this time an exhibit on an extinct culture that worshipped and feared their sun. It seemed to have been a star close enough to their planet to constantly hit it with high amounts of radiation, but not close enough to melt the land masses. The people there died early on, their lifespans short enough that all they could do was scrape by and constantly bury their dead, making graveyards more numerous then the cities of the living.

She shook her head sadly as the plaque explained that the civilization had been wiped out when the sun had finally gone supernova and destroyed the planet and it's inhabitants.

It was sad that mortals died like that, not knowing what the future held. Not knowing, and therefore fearing, when they would die and how.

Kara feared death of course, just like any sentient being she wanted to live, but she also knew that she would live again. Perhaps that was what scared her most about the castle, the thought that she might live and die in a never ending cycle here, unable to live long enough to escape, but unable to die and be released from the prison.

With a sigh she wandered off to the next exhibit, still contemplating mortality and her lack of it.

 

Alina nodded happily, hugging her mother again.

"Medad was really nice mommy." She said quietly before pulling back. "He gave me food and water, and he found a way back here to this...um." She stopped thinking hard before giggling. "To this dimension. He said it was hard to find a natural tear that led back here, and that I wasn't supposed to travel yet." She smiled again and looked down at her bracelet. "He just said that this would let me find him, but he wouldn't say how." Alina explained. "He said it was very hard to find someone who had an infinite number of names." She said. "I don't know what that means though, he and his friends wouldn't tell me. They just smiled and drank their juice." She shrugged again then smiled. "You would have liked him mommy, he was really smart and nice and funny. He talked about different things and he listened, and he would bring me things to play with. He had a ball like fuzzy's mommy! He said it was special and he let me play with it!" She said happily before looking around. "Where is Fuzzy and Varren?" She asked. "I missed them too!"

[little lost dragon]

Varren nodded before lowering him self so his head was level with Jak's head so he could look the boy in the eye's "I know your thinking your in the right Jak, your not the first time I've seen this, granted, its been a long time. However I don't want anger and resentment to thrive in the group as that will only break it apart to our dooms. I'm not going to throw you out I'm trusting you to not repeat such mistakes. Once we find a suitable location I'll begin to train you and teach you what you need to know to be effective in action since its clear you want to be. Which is a honest desire and one I can get behind. Fren..... you'll have to earn her respect back, and Kara, well she knows your young and still learning. She maybe unhappy with you but no ones ever always happy with everyone. Even those already together have arguments from time to time." he explained before patting Jak's shoulder "If you need to talk, let me know alright?" he said before going back to his normal hight.

 

Fren nodded as Alina did her best to explain things. "Perhaps you might need to focus on a name to show up in the dimension containing the being with that name. And perhaps, Medad will be around when he needs to be." she suggested before smiling and nodding "Varren and Fuzzy are around, though Fuzzy needs to learn a few things first Alina, he's started to display too much impulsive behaver to be safe right now. He lost a leg as a result, Varrens around though he's...." she paused taking a quick glance around before getting up and looking at Alina "Does my big girl want to be carried or would you like to walk?" she asked smiling "I'll lead ya to Varren. Oh and we have a new person in the group too, her names Kara, she's a....... Pheonix. big bird that's on fire. But she stay's in a humanoid form most of the time."

[Ryujin13]

Alina bounced around happily in front of Fren, loving being called a big girl.

"I wanna walk!" She said, already turning and running around the corner to where Varren was. She bounced up to him and reared up to give him a hug on part of his coils.

"Varren!" She called happily. "I missed you Varren!"

Finally she sat back and smiled brightly up at him.

 

Jak listened quietly to Varren's speech before finally nodding.

"Yeah ok." He said, fingers playing with the scabbard to the sword that had just been melted down in front of him.

It was true what Varren said, that the group couldn't always be happy, but this was different. It was like at the beginning, where the only people that could even pretend to like him was Varren who he hardly knew, and a hatchling who didn't know better.

When Varren had moved away he went back to sitting and brooding, considering the situation and it's future repercussions. When he heard Alina's giggling and squeals of laughter he managed a smile as the hatchling came over and jumped onto his lap.

"Fuzzy!" She said happily, bouncing on his lap before giving him a hug too. "I missed you Fuzzy!" She said, finally letting go and looking at him. "Mommy says you got hurt Fuzzy." She said seriously.

Jak nodded quietly, muttering an affirmative.

"That's to bad Fuzzy, but you got a new leg, and thats ok because people make mistakes Medad says, and they just have to learn from them." She said brightly, still smiling.

Jak looked down at Alina and smiled before hugging her close, causing her to giggle.

"I missed you Alina." He said, hugging her close as she giggled and hugged him back.

"I missed you too Fuzzy." She said back before letting go.

Then she looked around at the new person and poured to her.

"Who's that and what's her name?" She asked curiously.

 

 

 

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked positively happy as Alina bounced about, looking very happy at being called a big girl. Truth was, compared to when they last saw the little hatchling, she was smaller before they lost her, now she was more grown and her body had showed small signs of being a bit older, she was not out of early stages of hatchling hood that Fren could tell but still.

 

Varren smiled feeling a small body hug his coils he turned around to see Alina who he bent down to hug her back his helmet coming off and folding back so she would not feel his helemt but him instead. "I missed you too Alina, I'm very glad to see you back." he said happily before catching a little with her. He commented on how she seemed to have grown a bit, her scales where now in and her wings looked a little larger. Like Fren he explained they searched for her right away and found hints of her in one room but after that.

After Alina finished with Varren and Jak Fren nodded to Kara as Alina pointed at her "She's Kara, lets go meet her, she's very friendly and I'm sure she'd like to meet you too."

[Ryujin13]

Kara had been viewing one of the exhibits, in this case an aquarium that held a couple hundred of what looked like butterflies that were darting around the water. She had heard Alina and the others catching up, but she hadn't wanted to intrude, instead waiting to be introduced politely.

When Alina finally noticed her, Kara turned and lowered herself down to Alina's level, smiling kindly at the hatchling.

"Hello Alina, I'm Kara." She said, shaking Alina's paw gently. "I've heard a lot about you, but I didn't know you were a shadow dragon." She said, glancing up at Fren at this, knowing that the Shatong would have questions.

"Hi Kara I'm Alina!" The hatchling said happily. "But what's a shadow dragon?" She asked, pausing with a confused look.

"Well, that's what the fey call your species. They are beings of great magic who can traverse the dimensions at will, visiting places that are sometimes similar to the one left, sometimes completely different. At least that's what I know. The fey thought your species was ext-" Kara stopped herself, realizing what telling Alina might do to the hatchling. "Extending their stay in some other dimension." She filled in quickly. "They went somewhere and we haven't heard from them so we figured they must be staying for awhile longer."

Alina seemed to consider this for a moment, scratching her ear like Jak did when he was thinking or nervous.

"Ok, well that's good that they're having a good trip then." Alina said happily. "But you said a fey, what's a fey? And mommy said you were a... A cleanex or something."

"A Phoenix." Kara corrected gently.

"Yea that! What is that?" Alina asked excitedly.

"Well a Phoenix is a very large bird, all reds and golds that can control flame. Their tears can heal almost any wound, and they never truly die." Kara explained.

"Why can't they die?" Alina asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Well, when a Phoenix reaches the end of his or her life, around the age of 1500 or so, they burn to ash. When the ash settles and is swept away an egg will be there, directly below where the Phoenix died. In a hundred years the Phoenix is reborn good as new, free to live another life."

"That's amazing!" Alina said, her eyes wide as saucers. "What did you do in your past lives? Were they amazing? Did you see other shadow dragons?"

Kara shook her head and gestured for Alina to calm down.

"This is my first life Alina. Phoenixes only create a new life about once every 10,000 years, and by that I mean only one is created. I was born for the first time 150 years ago."

"Wow..." Alina gasped. "Well what's a fey then? That's not you, so who are they?"

Kara smiled and made a broad gesture. "It's more of a broad definition Alina. The fey are all the magical creatures that hide on our planet from the humans. Gnomes, unicorns, elves, pixies, phoenixes, we're all fey, even you are." She explained.

Alina seemed happy with this explanation and bounced around a little more.

"You're really smart Kara! I like you. I'm glad you're part of the group." She said before giggling and bounding back off to Jak who began to tickle her, making the little dragon roll around on her back, laughing and squealing happily.