Brink: To Explore Strange New Cities
Keira decided to remain where she was for the time to avoid drawing attention to her Eco abilities. Jak, Shining, and Daxter decided to look around see what they could do as far as getting more information about what was going on. As they did, their communication box sparked to life.
"Well Jak," Duke Skyheed's voice came through loud and clear, "what do you think of our magnificent city? When you're done sightseeing, come meet with me at the Eco Seeker Sanctum."
Keira perked up as she heard that. "That sounds like it could be important," she murmured. "I think we'd better go take a look."
"Looks like Duke Skyheed sent us a map," Jak commented as the comm box displayed a map of their surroundings, their present location, and a glowing green dot at one edge of the map to show the direction to go to reach the Sanctum.
"Useful," Shining murmured as the group made their way to the Sanctum to see what Duke Skyheed wanted to talk about.
Outside the large building, Duke Skyheed was waiting for the group alongside another individual who shared the same pale grey skin tone, and dressed in dark purple and a red scarf. The Duke greeted them warmly. "Welcome back. I trust your stay with us has been enlightening?"
Jak decided to prevaricate a bit. "We're still a few answers short," he admitted cautiously.
The other man, who wore a medallion Jak recognized as the rank of Chancellor, chuckled. "And I have questions for you as well."
"May we know who's asking?" Shining interrupted quickly.
The man bridled a bit, but a cautionary gaze from the Duke quelled his ire. "Forgive my rudeness. I am Chancellor Ruskin. When such potent individuals arrive on the Brink at 'just the nick of time' without apparent reason, I get...suspicious."
"Fair enough," Jak admitted. "Your question?"
"What are you all doing out here on the Brink?" Ruskin specified.
The group exchanged glances, and then Keira spoke up. "We're looking for a new source of Eco, in order to save the world," she explained. "Same as you Duke, if I interpreted your earlier words correctly?"
The Duke chuckled indulgently. "Quite right you are. A noble quest for such youngsters. Perhaps we can assist each other." He gestured peremptorily to the Chancellor, who held out a box like bronze colored device with curved corners and nodules sticking out from the curves, circular indents on all six sides. "It is called the Eco Seeker," he explained, "and is said to point to any major Eco source. We'd hoped it would help us find the Eco Core, but we have yet to discover how to make it work."
"Let me try," Jak offered. "I have...certain abilities."
"I am well aware, Your Majesty," the Duke responded, catching the group off guard. "Even out here on the Brink we hear stories, and those of your group have already become the stuff of legends." He paused. "Tell me, is it true that your mastery of Dark Eco is such that you were able to expand to the size of a mountain to do battle with a giant Dark Maker machine?"
"I wouldn't call it mastery," Jak admitted warily, "but yes, that did happen." This was the first time anyone had confronted Jak with an event from his past like this, and he wasn't certain how to handle it.
Skyheed smiled, shaking his head in awe. "The power of Eco is beyond human comprehension, and yet we dare to try and control its flow in the world. Such is the hubris of man, though, is it not?"
"That's why such things are her job," Shining joked, gesturing to Keira.
Skyheed burst into laughter at the jest. "Chancellor, let us see if the King of the Living Desert can unlock our artifact's secrets."
Jak flushed a bit at the title, but took the Eco Seeker as it was handed to him. As he took it in both hands, Eco of all colors surrounded it in a field resembling electricity, dragging in all directions at his aura. The others watched in amazement as he tensed himself, struggling to make sense of the sensations he was getting from it. Finally, he pulled one hand away. "Too much darkness everywhere..." he finally managed to say, gasping for breath as he leaned against Keira. "I can't get a clear signal..."
"Perhaps you could let me study it?" Keira offered. "You see, I'm-"
"Oh, your reputation proceeds you as well, Keira Hagai," the Duke interrupted. "I would be happy to let you study it...with one condition. While the abilities of your group are legend, I will need to see proof of the legend. We have seen that your piloting skills are as great as ever, but what of hand to hand?"
Jak smiled as he stretched, already recovered from what the Eco Seeker had done to him. "In other words, you want to see us in combat. If you've got the course ready, then we're ready to dazzle you."
"Then go and face the Danger Course," Chancellor Ruskin instructed. "If you manage to beat it, then the Seeker will be yours for a week. It is back where Sage-in-Training Hagai boosted your abilities, Your Majesty."
The group tensed at the casual dropping of titles, but made their way back to the course carefully and confidently. "I don't like this," Shining muttered. "They know more about us than we know about them. We're at a major disadvantage."
"Like it's ever been any different since the day I got fuzzy?" Daxter countered teasingly.
"Normally, at least one of us has enough info to have a viable plan going, even if we don't have all the information," Keira pointed out.
"For the first time...we're flying blind," Jak concluded.
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Oh joy, they're going to have to wing it.
7568287 Yay, puns!
Activating field order "Blind Hunt"
7568364 cookie to anyone who knows what this is from.
7568343 I didn't even think of the pun. Nice
7568423 Sounds like things are really heating up, eh?
Embrace the puns. They are sure to be sansational.
And here's the part where all their hard work starts to have consequences. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the great work. Deus tecum.
7568881 I don't know. They're certainly pungent, but noone's made a skeleton pun yet. Now that we've brought it up though, it's sure to form the body of the conversation.
7568596 Sorry Kiddo, "The Other Sans" is currently... "borrowing"... it.
7569667 Because ~MMMAAAAgggiiiic...
7569667 that's simple, "The Other Sans" could steal the anti-sans bunker, because you didn't read the packaging, it doesn't protect against Sans, or it's variants, it protects against anti-sans, it's a bunker to hide from anti-sans, not sans.
7569922 No. I mean ~MMMMAAAAAAGIIIC!
)
(Although, "Magic Snort-Snort" isn't bad. I'll file it away for future use.
Eeyup.
7569667
7573494
As far as I know, yeah.
7568596 It has actually been a while since I've seen an Other Sans pun. I wonder why?
7573494 It's not so! It's Magic! Oh ho ho! It has been too long since I've seen this song.
In the immortal words of The Fiery Joker, Convenient.
Wow, these guys have a lot of intel.
7651671
You're right... Prepare the scouts.