//------------------------------//
// Haven: Relics 
// Story: Sons of Damas 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	Taking Ashelin's advice, Jak decided that it would be best to seek out the soothsayer Onin.  Following directions in the nearest vehicle's nav unit, they were able to find it without trouble.

Onin herself was ancient and wizened, sitting in the center of her hut surrounded by hanging dead creatures.  The most noticeable thing about her was her oversized hat, which looked not unlike a bird bath.

Near to the entrance, an orange, yellow, and blue bird-monkey-thing hung by its tail, apparently as dead as everything around it.  "Check out all the dead stuff," Daxter pointed out, poking the creature on the beak-snout.

In response, the creature opened its eyes and attempted to bite Daxter's paw.  "Touch the goods again, rat-boy, and you'll be-"  He broke off into a very bird like cry before continuing, "-counting with your toes!"  Dropping from his perch, he flew over to rest in the bird-bath-like hat Onin was wearing.  "I...am Pecker!" he proclaimed proudly.  Noticing the snickers that introduction got him, he rolled his eyes.  "Yes, yes, I know.  My mother, she was...very vindictive.  I am Onin's interpreter."

As he finished speaking, Onin opened her solid white eyes before bringing her hands together, Blue Eco sparking from her palms as she rubbed them together.  She then began to make signs in the air with her hands.

"Onin welcomes you," Pecker translated, "blah blah blah, the usual boring salutations, she says it is good to see you again, Jak and Shining."

"Does she mean us or our younger selves?" Shining Armor asked.

"To a soothsayer, that question doesn't have much grounds," Pecker explained.  "She doesn't really distinguish."

"Oh!  Let me have a try!" Daxter piped up.

"How about no?" Jak countered.  "I'd rather just get the answers we need and get moving."

"What?" Daxter demanded.  "When did you get to be such a sourpuss?"

"Onin suggests it might have to do with being tortured via Dark Eco infusion for two years," Pecker offered.  "Or perhaps learning that the kingdom that is his inheritance is on the verge of collapse and in the hands of traitors and villains.  She also suggests it might have something to do with being held so tight by his old babysitter making him think of a different female embrace, filling him with worry."

"Stay out of my head!" Jak snapped angrily, Dark Eco flaring in his eyes.

"Oh...right..." Daxter mumbled, gently patting Jak behind his ear.  "Hadn't thought about her in a while..."

Jak calmed slightly.  "...neither had I..."

"Onin apologizes for upsetting you," Pecker continued.  "Her grasp of time is not entirely linear.  However, she foresees a heroic child of Mar in the distant future with the Green Light in his blood...or hers, gender rarely comes through in future predictions, and these are progressive times.  She thinks this may offer you some comfort if it is a riddle you can solve."

"...hate riddles..." Jak grumbled under his breath.

Light shaped in front of Onin in the shape of the Seal of Mar, two hawkeye symbols pressed together in an oval.  "Onin says you seek answers about the Tomb of Mar," Pecker explained.  "And...she's going on and on about mystical energy channels, evil curses, and stupid OoooOoooOoo crap."

"Can you summarize?" Shining asked.  "Before Jak gets impatient and goes berserk?"  He smirked as he sidestepped Jak's playful punch.

"There are three artifacts in the Precursor Mountain Temple that Onin wants you to retrieve," Pecker explained.  "Not two, not four, but three."

"So five is right out?" Daxter joked.

"Hilarious," Pecker grated out in an irritated monotone.  "The Warp Gate at the northwest side of the city will take you there.  In the meantime, get out!  It's time for my siesta!"





The Forest Temple was a massive structure high up in the mountains, filled with floating platforms, twisting passages, and monkey-like Metalheads.  As the trio passed by a waterfall, Jak felt himself relaxing.  "...feels like old times," he muttered.  "Like...the Forbidden Jungle..."

"Actually, these platforms look a bit like the things from Gol and Maia's Citadel," Shining pointed out.

"Think it might actually be their place?" Daxter asked.

Before anyone could answer, a rhino Metalhead bashed through a stone wall to attack them.  While it was large and heavy, it was also slow, and had a habit of rearing up when it missed, exposing an unarmored underbelly, rendering it easy to kill.

"I think we should do less woolgathering, and more relic gathering," Jak suggested.

"Good idea," Shining and Daxter agreed.

The group carefully clambered their way to the top of the mountainous area to reach where the first relic was placed, this one shaped like a lens.  With careful application of brute force and Shining's magic, they were able to get it out without anyone getting hurt, since Shining had the sense to prevent Daxter from stepping into the intense beam of light focused beneath the lens, which would have cooked him.

The second relic could be seen from the location of the first, but there wasn't a direct way to it.  The gear was situated inside a rotating device of some sort on another platform, near enough to see but just out of reach from the platform the group was on.  "So...do we keep exploring?" Jak asked.

"I have another idea," Shining offered.  "Daxter, feeling adventurous?"

"...do I have to?" Daxter asked nervously.  "I'm getting flashbacks again."

Jak took hold of Daxter's hands, lifting him up.  Gulping, Daxter extended his tail, letting Shining pull back with his magic.  As it once had before, this resulted in Daxter being propelled forward onto the platform, snatching the gear in question as he passed under the rotating device...which unfortunately collapsed behind him.

The path to the final relic, however, passed over a pool of Dark Eco.  "Okay.  Now I'm definitely certain this is part of Gol and Maia's Citadel," Daxter murmured.  "Are we certain this is a good idea at this point?"

"They were on our side at the end," Shining pointed out as they reached the final relic, a floating shard of crystal that was oddly enshrined.  When collected, it was discovered that it was constantly humming and vibrating.

With the last artifact collected, they received a message from Pecker over their communicator that Onin would search the timelines for answers regarding the artifacts, and that he would get back to them when Onin had an answer.  With that, the trio headed back to town.