Chapter 5 - The Never-Sage

Me: Welcome to Chapter Five! I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far…!

Dark Me: `Thus'? `Thus'!? `Thus' isn't a word we use!

Me: Well it is now! So shut up and go blow somebody up on Jak X or something!

Dark Me: Blow up!? With pleasure! -runs off-

Torn: You're pathetic…

Me: ME!? You look absolutely miserable!

Torn: Yeah! You had me and Vexx working late shift!

Me: Heh…sorry about that…I just couldn't stop playing……

Torn: Uh-huh…and then you turn us all into Kitties? You have major problems! I should shove a bomb in your head to clear all that crap out!

Me: …………

Torn: Sorry…

Me: -sighs- Well, it's not going to bring him back so we might as well get started.



Chapter 5: The Never-Sage



A groan…a flash of red fabric as his eye lids fluttered…a twinge of amusement…a slight confusion…a sudden fear.

Torn sat bolt upright and immediately clutched his head as it pounded against his skull. Bandages met his fingertips; what had happened?

Torn squeezed his eyes shut even tighter than they had been, trying to recall the past…the past what? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Days?

“You are awake.” That light, crisp voice snatched into his mind again, it's presence as soft as a feather but as black as night, “Callingway will be happy that you're alive. Master was upset for some time. But Cal should have known better; Shade Bearers do not die so easy…”

Torn cracked his eye open as everything trickled back into place and glanced at his right arm. Yes, there was a red streak down it; it reached to joint of his middle finger and stopped; but other than that it seemed normal enough.

“Brother? Are you alright?” Torn shook his head, he must be hearing things…in his head…again, “Brother?”

A hand rested on his shoulder and he jerked away, whipping around and almost falling off the canopied bed he was in.

A man with jet black hair and deep red eyes was standing before him, a confused look on his face. A low collared tank top shirt revealed a red streak running down his chest from his neck.

“Who the heck are you!?” Torn regained his balance and glared at the man, “Where am I!? Where're Jak and Daxter!?”

The man cocked his head,

“Jak and Daxter? Do you mean your companion and the ottsel?” It was the voice in his head again, “They are in another room. I suppose Master Callingway is interested in the blonde one with the Dark and Light Eco powers.”

“Is that…are you the one talking to me in my head?” Torn asked tentatively, something he never usually did, as he slid out of the bed. The man nodded.

“And where am I?”

“The Home of The Sage of Dark and Light Eco, Master Selene Callingway.”

“A sage?” Torn turned his back on the man, realized he was again in his boxers and spun right back around, “Where're my cloths!?”

“There are some in the drawers, Brother.”

“My name's Torn, so quit calling me your brother!” The disgruntled (I'm wondering if that's the right word) ex-KG stomped over to a set of heavy looking dresser draws made of some wood or another. As he dug through the contents, he snatched side glances around the room. The hangings on the bed were a dark red as were the sheets and blankets, the carpet was a deep crimson that teetered on the edge of black, the walls and ceiling were a mahogany red, and a thick wooden door sat on the opposite wall. Somebody had a serious issue with the color red.

“Would you mind telling me your name?” Torn snapped as he kicked open the closet to find himself a good pair of boots before he got dressed, “I don't care much for strangers!”

“Certainly! My name is Motovia! But please, call me Vic…!”

“Whatever…” Torn pulled on the pair of loose, black pants made of a soft material that he'd found and then turned to the shirt; another soft fabric article of dark red cloth whose sleeves reached to about his elbows and was loose fitting as well. The boots were more his style; they were black heavy things with steel embedded in the toes, a metal plate stamped across the back, and buckles snapping all the way up its outside.

“Are you ready to go out, Torn?” Vic seemed to be impatient to show him something, “Callingway is waiting for us in the hall…I think.”

“What do you mean `you think'? Guy got a bad schedule or something?”

“Master Callingway was really eager to meet you when I informed her of your Shade Power. But she was also very…erm…ecstatic about investigating your friend.”

“Wait, wait, wait! `Her'!? This sage is a female!?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

Torn didn't answer. Of course, he would have answered with some cocky retort or another but a scream slid right into the room through the crack between door and floor. Daxter; he was the only one that sounded like that.

Torn wrenched the door almost completely off its hinges and froze. There were Jak and Daxter, standing in front of him; Jak pale with shock and Daxter with his mouth hanging wide open. However, standing between himself and the duo was a…what was it? It looked like a woman but there was something wrong with her.

“J-J-Jak!?” Daxter squeaked, “Jak!? Jak! Jak!”

It seemed as though `Jak' was the only thing Daxter could say and Jak didn't seem to be able to make any sound at all. The woman reached out her hand towards Torn but just the sight of her was enough to send a jolt of adrenaline fear coursing through him.

The streak on his arm glowed and began to split but he squeezed it, forcing it to stay shut. This didn't stop it from glowing, though, and pushing against him.

“Not…now…!” He snarled but, again, his arm had a mind of its own and it wasn't putting up with anything today. The seam split under Torn's grip, metal ropes smacking his hand away, and the metal blades ripped his shirt yet again.

Pain splintered Torn's vision into a thousand rainbows as the claws extended as well. He felt the muscles tense, release, and the arm went shooting forward.

Metal clanged on metal and there was the sickening sound of flesh being penetrated. Torn used his free hand to wipe his eyes free of pain filled tears and went speechless with trauma. His right hand was blocked by the metal bands that stretched across Vic's chest but two of his claws had still managed to find an opening.

Vic's arms and chest were covered in the same metal ropes that were wrapped around Torn's arm and metal blades extended from both his shoulders.

“Vic!” The woman grabbed Torn's wrist and gently pulled the claws from the silent Shade victim, “You idiot! I can defend myself!”

Torn looked around the pair at Jak and Daxter. Daxter had fainted but Jak was just starring at him, breathing heavily. They were both remembering what had happened when they had gone to see Onin.

“You!” Torn was jerked around by forceful hands so that he faced the woman. She was a little shorter than he was with silver hair streaked with black. The right side of her face was pale white-no, her whole right side was pale white-and her right eye was a faintly glowing white, like Light Jak's eyes. Her left side, on the other hand (literally), had the purplish tinge that Jak's got when he turned Dark. Her eye was like looking in a black hole but there was a soft light in it as well, something Dark Jak didn't have; control. A small, dark purple-black horn curved from her forehead and inch long black nails slithered almost teasingly across Torn's bare neck. He shivered.

“You're the Shade victim that Vic told me about, right?” Her voice had an odd ring to it, a spiral between a sweet lullaby and a shout of agony, “I'm Selene Callingway but you can call me Cal.”

“I just tried to kill your Pretty-Boy over there and you're treating me like some guest at a tea party!? What's your problem you…you…what are you!?” Torn let the words tumble right out of his mouth, backing away from this monster with a mix of fear and rage boiling inside him. And there was confusion too. This woman, this Cal, she had something in her…no, around her that made Torn feel as though he should open himself up and spill all his secrets. Everything. Good or bad.

“I'm Jak.” Torn starred in disbelief as Jak shook hands with this creature, Daxter hanging limply on his shoulder, “Forget Torn, he's being a loser.”

“I'm not a loser.” Was all that the stunned Shade victim could come out with, “What's with you anyway?”

“Me?” Callingway grinned, pointing to herself, “I have Light and Dark Eco just as your friend Jak does but on the outside, not the inside. And what about you, Torn? How'd you get a Shade to bite you?”

“Why don't we discus this matter over dinner?” Vic said and Torn could tell that Jak heard him too because a look of surprise suddenly appeared in his face, “I'm sure you're all hungry anyway”

“NO WAY!” Torn shouted, “I wanna know what's going on here!”

Cal sighed and turned around as she had just been about to head off down the hall.

“Jak, you'd better hear this too then so that I don't have to repeat myself. Vic, you can go make dinner if you want.” Cal grabbed Torn's left wrist and Jak's right, dragging them into a nearby room. It was a casual and yet comforting golden color with soft, dark red chairs and fluffy looking black pillows.

“Sit.” Cal ordered and they sat. Callingway herself took a seat across from them and sighed again.

“I was born in Haven City, just like you two probably were, but in the palace. My father was the Baron at that time but when Praxis exiled him to the Wasteland he took my mother, the Former Sage of Light Eco, and started his sickening Dark Warrior project with her.

“She was pregnant with me then and when the Baron found out he wanted her gone. I was a threat to him; next in line for the throne after my brother who'd disappeared soon after he was born. However, my mother escaped the Baron's clutches and ran to her teacher, Onin the Sage of Blue Eco, for help.

“Mother died giving birth to me, the Dark Eco injections were too much for her. Onin raised me and when I was old enough to go out on my own…I did. Out to the Wasteland to hide from all the cruelties of Haven. As you can see, I wasn't exactly welcomed in normal society. The Krimzon Guards thought a sport to chase me down if they found me on the street alone and no one dared appose them. On my way through the desert, I ran into Motovia. He was bitten by a Shade; a creature that Onin taught me about; and I figured since we were both outcasts, we could help each other. It worked out okay……”

There was silence. Torn glanced at Jak but his friend seemed to be deep in his own thoughts as did Callingway.

“Your father…” Jak asked suddenly and Cal looked up at him, “What was your father's name? Do you know?”

“Mother told me once…um…Damos. Yes, it was Damos. Why?”

Torn, realizing where this was going, sat motionless, not wanting to disturb the moment of truth for both Jak and Selene Callingway.

“Your first name isn't Selene, is it?” Jak leaned forward, Daxter sliding off his shoulder and awaking on the floor with a couple of rude words.

“What're you getting at?”

“It's Mar, isn't it!? Damos was your father, the Baron of Haven City until Praxis betrayed him and exiled him to the Wasteland. Your brother, the one that disappeared, was taken by Veger of the City Council and then later used as part of Praxis' Dark Warrior project himself!” Jak was on his feet now, practically shouting at Cal who shrank deeper into her chair, “My father was Damos! I'm the one Veger took! I'm Jak! I'm Mar Jak! I'm your brother!”



*~*~*~*~*~*



Me: O.O In shock now, aren't you!? Well, to cover some things over here or whatever you call it…I don't know if Onin is the Sage of Blue Eco or not, I just thought of her that way so, yeah. And the thing about Cal's first name being `Mar'…I just sort of thought about it like that. Mar Jak, Mar Callingway, Mar Saeth (oops, wrong story).

Torn: -sleeping-

Me: Awwww! He's so cute and innocent when he's in Dream Land! =3

Torn: -still sleeping- I dohn whanna hotdhog…

Me: A hotdog? Is he at an amusement park? -starts poking him-

Torn: -wakes up- I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO BUG ME WHEN I WAS SLEEPING!?

Me: I can't help it! -pokes his nose-

Torn: AHHHG! I'M ALREADY AWAKE!! -starts a fight with me-

Dark Me: What a bunch of losers. Well, since normal me is being stupid again I'll read the preview. “Next on `Oblivion's Grip-Episode 6: Softer Than the Night'! Torn's gotta learn how to control his arm and Cal wants to experiment on her brother!?” Oh my gosh! What a stupid preview! Why are we calling them episodes anyway?

Me: -Torn and I stop fighting- Yeah, why are we calling them episodes?

Torn: I dunno. You wrote it.

Light Me: Hello good people of this world, it is a beautiful day-AHHHHHHG!

Torn, Dark Me, and Me: -boot Light Me out of the room-

Dark Me: That was fun!

Torn: -nods as he falls back asleep-

Me: This has to be the longest preview ever! Recap sort of thing-In the next episode (Softer Than the Night) the group also makes a crucial decision concerning the return to Haven City and why Cal is so desperate to examine her brother! Woo-hoo! Stay tuned for the possible last Episode! Party Kitties! *<=3 (P.S. I got the second part on my Love's a Killer thing on Quizilla back up and running for those who want to read it.)

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