1"You like him don't you?"
Sig's voice clear as the sky was as he stood next to her. His tone was even, but she had known Sig long enough to know his tells, that he was testing her.
"Who?" She asked. She had a good feeling as to who he was talking about.
Sig took a moment before answering. "Mar...Jak whatever you like to call him. Don't think I don't see how you look at him."
"Is it wrong?" Seem wasn't sure if Sig was asking her out of duty or friendship, maybe both. She wouldn't lie to herself and admit Sig was right. She had been looking probably a bit too long sometimes whenever Jak came back from a mission or looked like he had walked through hell and back.
She would admit her relationship with Jak at the start was...rocky (clearly an understatement), but not entirely bad either. Merely a misunderstanding, dark echo was not something to be played with yet Jak seemed to defy all odds. He always did. He was a channeler of echo, of all the types of echo colors, colors other than dark and light that were becoming rarer and rarer by the day. Seem too was a channeler of echo. Maybe not to the extent Jak or Samos, but enough to feel it flow through the world unlike other people.
She could feel it buried deep in the dry grounds of Spargas before the vent appeared in the center of the market and all over the temple with its echo vents. She felt it as Jak fought his way through the challenges Damas made him fight. The feeling peaked when Jak showed his dark form, she had taken it as a omen of bad news of course her limited understanding of echo and most of all of who Jak was at the time. Still it didn't mean it worried her less seeing him in the form, not that she showed it.
Now though, now she learned to appreciate it, she found it fascinating. Even while it looked taxing for Jak to switch between his normal appearance to his dark form, it seemed easier now with his light form to balance it. She could feel that too, the difference that now flowed through Jak was literally like night and day. The dark echo felt heavy like sand caked with engine oil of the riggs and buggies driving through the desert. The light echo was like flowing water and the cool sea breeze mixed with the dry desert air. It all seemed to flow through Jak one taking president over the other whenever he shifted his form. So in short of course Seem would stare.
Jak was unlike anything else, unlike any other channeler she had ever met, the few at the temple, Samos, and even Damas to an extent.
Seem wondered if Jak's mother was ever as powerful in echo channeling, but it was a sore subject for not only Damas, but Sig too. Whatever stories she tried to hear of the late Queen of Spargas were an absolute mystery. Even the people of Spargas hardly mentioned her, but they revered her greatly saving a few days out of the year to commemorate her death with songs and long brutal races in the desert.
Seem was finally pulled back into reality when she heard Sig's voice once more.
"No. Well...Maybe. Depends on what you want."
'What she wanted' Not even she knew sometimes whenever she looked at Jak. He was an enigma, even if like her not many people noticed them at first till they showed how brash and knowledgeable they truly were. She had been learning more and more about Jak the more she came to Spargas alongside her fellow monks. She taught Jak all about the particular artifacts and vents strewn about the Wasteland, while Sig took his time teaching what he could to Jak about being King.
Yes a King. King of Spargas.
It was a mantle nobody thought Jak would of wanted to take, but he did. Not just because of what happened to Damas, his father, but he wanted something different in his life. Jak knew he couldn't just walk off and live a quiet life his life forever changed since he went through time with Keira and Samos and every event leading up to their current moment. Jak had been fighting fight after fight, so leading people and learning something different from what he was taught was something Jak wanted to do. Jak had voiced his concerns over Haven, he didn't feel welcomed there despite Ashelin and Torn's words saying otherwise. Jak felt at home in Spargas.
The lessons and journey of Jak becoming King of Spargas where different if not more difficult than just shooting and fighting his way to victory like old times. Slowly Jak was learning other ways to win a fight, a hard lesson for any to be King and King no less to learn.
Jak thankfully learned by example or most of all, on his own. His quieter nature helping him listen to everyone's opinions or suggestions before offering his own and planning ahead. Thankfully one of Damas' good traits passed onto him.
Seem never answered Sig back, her silence more than enough of an answer for him. If not her tense posture too, she was uncomfortable with his statement. Still unsure of what she wanted from the Hero of Spargas.
Her train of thought stopped as she felt the now familiar feeling of dark and light echo moving: Jak. Coming up to them a curious look on his face. Seem could feel Sig's eyes on her watching her carefully she turned to him slightly putting on her usual glare.
"You two okay?" Jak's voice split through the silence.
Sig answered, "Yeah, yeah. Just making small talk."
Jak didn't believe it, Seem didn't blame him. Jak looked between them before speaking again. This time surprising her as he looked at her.
"I was wondering if you wanted to help me uncover artifacts through the desert, there's a storm coming soon. Your expertise though it could help."
Seem took a moment, he could of asked anyone else in Spargas for help, hell even Sig, but those artifacts were too tempting not to turn down to find. That and many other reasons. Ones that made her stomach twist and her cheeks heat up under all her make-up if she thought about it for too long.
"I would be honored to join you." Seem said with a bow and steady voice desperate her feelings otherwise.
The walk to the exit out to the Wasteland was quite till Seem finally spoke.
"Your companion seems to be missing." Jak of course was without his trusty companion Daxter. It felt and looked strange not seeing the two of them together. The two being almost attached to the hip (shoulder more likely).
"He's at Haven finishing some ties there. He'll be back soon. He likes it here too, even if he won't admit it." Jak scoffed with a smile.
Seem smiled alside Jak, but she held it back as she felt the slowly familiar feels as before with heat rising into her cheeks and knots in her stomach. She thought of Daxter's loud nature a complete contrast to Jake's, but one that complimented the both of them greatly.
They quickly passed by Kleiver and Vegar. Jak still looked at Vegar with distain his dark echo rising close to the surface. Seem lightly touched his arm reminding him of his mission. He took a breath and looked at her the echo's balancing once more within him. Kleiver's voice boom through both their thoughts commenting to Jak about having the riggs and buggies ready for action.
Seem followed Jak to the Sandshark, one of the fastest vehicles to pick up and run for the artifacts. Seem got on, her heart pounding as soon as she sat in the passenger seat. She more than well knew of Jak's rough driving while skillful and precise was not an easy thing to sit through. She had seen it enough times watching Jak arrive sometimes to the temple. She buckled herself in making sure everything was secure. Jak too of course as she could see from the corner of her eye.
Seem made sure to hold onto something as Jak drove out and onto the desert the start of it was better than she expected. A few marauders caused trouble of course, but nothing Jak couldn't handle and as Seem held on. She helped in guiding him through the dunes, her and her people practically experts moving through the worst of it at least till a sandstorm hit. The winds blowing and pulling up the sand in the air both Jak and her pulling up their scarfs and Jak using his goggles to protect his eyes, Seem sadly had no such protection despite her expertise. Her last pair left at the temple. They had managed to get a good amount of artifacts now sitting in the back set of the Sandshark through the building storm. Seem could just barely see the dunes and rocks in front of her, but she did know the general area they were in. Close to the mountain and it's tunnels she tapped Jak onto his shoulder motioning the general area of the mountain.
The storm was getting bad, but thankfully the cover of the tunnels we're more than enough cover for now. Jak deep enough to find the three way tunnel, he looked to Seem for directions. She unbuckled her seat, getting out of the buggy looking around. Jak obviously looking at her curious at what she knew he didn't. Seem ran her hand against the rocky wall of the tunnel it took a while, but a careful skilled hand found what they were looking for. Pulling at certain section of the wall opened the space further to another way through the tunnels.
"Whoa." Jak surprised at all the times he had speed through the tunnels never realizing, or anyone else really that, that was there.
Seem looked back at him giving him the smallest of smiles. "You can leave the Sandshark here behind the entrance while we take these to the temple. My monks and I only use this passage way if we have no other choice. You are to be King of Spargas to know things of your own land others do not is important."
Jak took her words to heart as he drove and parked the Sandshark by the entrance. They shook themselves off of sand as best they could and gathered the artifacts in bundles of cloth equally dividing the items between them. Jak following close behind Seem through the tunnels to the Temple at least in the general direction from what Jak knew of the Wasteland. Jak didn't know how long it was till they found themselves at another passage, a small section of catacombs going deep under the sand and rock. The road to it felt too easy as Jak was so used to there being something (mainly metalheads) roaming in places like these. Seem once more pulled another piece of the rock wall opening to a echo vent. At least one of them closest to the precursor statue Jak had gained his light powers from.
"Huh." Jak looked around the door to the secret passage was seamless against the wall as Seem pushed it back in place.
She looked to him once again rewarding him with a small smile. Jak just as much smiled with his infamous smirk, Seem chose to ignore it as her heart betrayed her compared to her calm demeanor. Continuing on other ways to put and later organize the artifacts. Many of the items interesting as they glowed with specks of echo, some even with blue or green. These rarer echo types felt different to her, she wasn't sure how with her limited knowledge to compare them to anything, but they did feel different. She wondered how they felt to him, how he channeled it too even.
She handed him the artifacts his warm calloused hands holding onto her painted ones handling the items with care. His eyes lit up seeing the specks of echo too.
"Never thought I would be happy to see these." He said, as he gently touched the specks. They glowed under Jak's touch illuminating the artifact further making it shine like geode.
Seem could feel the reaction of it all just like when they first met on the beach with the Dark Makers machines. The feeling of it especially electrifying with the blue echo coursing through the air now.
Jak smiled fondly his eyes far away as he held onto the artifact. His eyes then turned mournful as he spoke, "Feels like lifetimes ago. Dax and I saving the village, saving the echo Sages…"
His voice drifted off as he stood thinking of everything that had happened to him over the years. It had been a little over two years since his father died, saving the world (again!), and figuring out the Precursors where just a bunch of Ottsels themselves too. Jak's life was strange start to finish, he always silently hoped for something normal despite how un-normal he was as a whole. He took the mantle as King for a reason and not just because he felt like he owed something to Damas. He looked to Seem her red eyes staring at him in a silent understanding. It was comforting, she never needed to say anything to make him feel like things were going to be alright. Jak had only ever felt that whenever Daxter was around him, but Seem of course being on a completely different spectrum of it.
Jak had earned Seems respect when he saved and cleared the Temple and her people from the metalheads and the dark makers. He intended on keeping it for as long as he lived just like everyone else he had become friends with or at least was on good terms with both on Spargus and Haven.
"Thank you. For...joining me. These artifacts…" Jak tilted his head the echo once again grasping his attention.
He felt it hum underneath his fingers pulsing and glowing in a comforting rhythm. At least till Jak felt Seems hands touching his by the fingertips. They felt like feathers, soft and strange from the texture of the paint stuck to her skin. The echo illuminating further, Jak felt his brow furrow.
"You feel it too, don't you?" He asked softly.
Seem had nothing to hide as she solemnly nodded to him.
"I always have." She said simply.
Jak looked at her in wonder. "What does it feel like to you?"
Seem thought for a moment still unsure, but she did have ones she was sure about.
"These ones are rare. Unfamiliar to me. Light and dark...they feel different yet the same. The dark echo feels heavy like tar and the light feels like the wind. What do they feel like to you? What do these feel like?"
Seems curiosity getting the better of her, but Jak seemed fascinated anyways hearing her answer even if it wasn't much. He understood what she meant, what she felt.
"They feel like that to me too. The other colors are interesting. Green echo feels like a weight off your shoulders. Red feels like you can punch or do anything." Jak smiled a bit memories of Misty Island returning to him. " Blue feels like the world both speeds up and slows down around you. Yellow feels like...if I try hard enough I'll hit my target no matter what."
Seem took in Jak's words and descriptions of the different echos. She could see and almost feel it as Jak spoke. She remembered a bit of how Samos and Keira felt when they visited Spargas to say farewell to the Precursors. The description Jak put to the green echo fitted then perfectly. Yet. Not, almost. Seem couldn't put her finger on what.
"Are there any others like us here at the temple?" Jak asked.
"Few. Not as strong as us. Not as strong as you, but they can sense when powerful echo reserves are near like the one in the Market in Spargus."
Jak nodded in understanding. He shifted the artifacts back into her hands, the feeling of the echo felt magnified as she handled them once more with a more concrete idea of what the blue and green echos felt.
"Thank you Jak."
He looked up at her in surprise his blue eyes shined bright against her red ones.
A small smile on his face, "That's the first time you've said my name."
Seem could feel the tips of her pointed ears blush as she realized her slip up. It was the first time she had ever called him by his 'real' name so to speak and not some title or his birth name even: Mar. Even after two years of getting to know her and Sig better without a war or too much to worry about other than the people and learning its duties. She had finally called him by his name.
Seem held her breath before letting it out steadily as she turned away from Jak to put the items away. She could organize them later.
"Seem! Seem, please." Jak called out. He was clearly worried he had upset her.
"We've both have had a long day. I will show you to the pools to clean yourself up."
Jak was taken back a bit at Seem's colder tone, but it sounded laced with heavy emotions. Despite what Seem may have thought about herself Jak could also feel the echo flow through her too, alongside, her emotions were just as turbulent. The light and dark pools that made up who she was felt like a vortex he was slowly being dragged into.
He shook his head clearing his mind, "Alright."
He followed once again just behind her, the day was definitely something else. But Jak knew…felt there was more to come.
