Author's Note: This chapter is rather short, but this is my way of getting back into it. I appreciate your patience with me.

CHAPTER 21 – GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN

The day had quickly come and gone.

In a way, the sight of the stars fascinated Cara. As the trio wandered around Haven's bazaar, she wondered when the sun had gone down behind their backs. That seemed to be the trend nowadays; they were always so busy with missions, endlessly scurrying around to appease their multiple cohorts, that days started to blend together. Despite the exhaustion, Cara felt productive.

It was fine.

She wondered how Jak was holding up. Although he walked next to her, he felt far away. This wasn't exactly unusual. Periodically, Jak would look up from the sand he walked on. He had only lifted his gaze off of the ground twice. Cara had counted. A Krimzon Guard talking nearby had been responsible for that the first time, while an almost fender-bender from above caught his attention the second. Jak found the latter to be somewhat hilarious.

And Daxter. Well...

Daxter sat atop Jak's shoulder, content with a muffin from the homely stand on the corner of the bazaar. The ottsel chewed his parcel obnoxiously, letting stray crumbs land on his perch...and friend, but they were promptly dusted off.

"I hope this 'ol hag knows what she's talkin' about," Daxter complained incoherently, mouth full. "Probably gonna send us to do more errands. Yuh know, since that's all we're good for nowadays," he finished casually.

"Ashelin was the one to refer us to her. It's got to be worth something." Jak continued to walk, periodically eyeing his furry friend.

Cara couldn't help but scoff. "Yeah, because Ashelin's word is definitely worth something."

"What's your issue with her?"

Cara stopped in her tracks. Had her thoughts actually been said? And why the hell did Jak's voice trail on, as if the mere mention of Ashelin was like worshipping some sort of goddess?

Brows downturned, Cara looked over her shoulder as if what Jak said personally offended her.

"I don't have an issue with her. I just don't think we should trust her is all."

Jak didn't argue. Cara had started on her trek again, though this time her steps carried some sort of hostility that Jak didn't particularly understand, and it seemed as if she wanted the topic dropped.

Nevertheless, Jak wasn't convinced.

And deep down, Cara wasn't either. She had her reasons to not like her, and she didn't have to justify herself, right? Right?

She didn't know why she honored Ashelin's words. She was pompous and arrogant...much like Jak, Cara quickly realized. Had she fallen for Ashelin's charm, too? That even though there was tension and obvious dislike for Ashelin when they were face-to-face, was there a natural respect for the Baron's daughter?

Cara rolled her eyes, her fists clenched.

Ugh, shut up.

"Is this it?"

For the love of the Precursor's, Cara, get a fucking grip.

"Cara."

"–What?!" Cara snapped.

Jak stood oblivious, as usual (as Cara would often point out). He had his thumb pressed in the direction of a nearby tent, and a look on his face that was neither annoyed or angry at her antics. Perhaps he was getting used to her outbursts, albeit she never had them before meeting him, she'd claim.

Collecting herself, she took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's it," she said almost breathlessly as she gestured to the set-up.

"Well please, contain yur enthusiasm. We've only been walkin' around this place for an hour," the ottsel proclaimed. "Yuh know," Daxter began as he leaned into Jak, "I think sugar plum's got some stuff goin' on." And Jak's ears perked up. "Like, I wouldn't want her swimmin' with me in shark infested waters if ya know what I'm sayin. Or near bears. Or white pants." With each comment, Jak's curiosity dwindled until he eventually rolled his eyes.

"You know, this is actually exactly what I imagined," Jak said as he walked to Cara's side.

"Uh. A random tent in the center of the city?"

Jak's eyes remained on the tent. "I don't know, it just seems familiar...like I've been here before."

Cara crossed her arms as a look of amusement glittered onto her face. "Well then, why don't you go ahead and lead the way?"

Life was evident from beyond the tent. The scent of lit herbs crept out of the curtain and it all seemed rather soothing, even if they hadn't set one foot inside. Not to mention, heat radiated from within which made barging in very tempting.

Jak pulled back one of the curtains and entered slowly.

The smell from outside intensified enough for it to tickle his nose and moisten his eyes. Multiple scents mingled in the air and he wasn't sure if he favored it. Lavender lingered and notes of myrrh and sage burnt his nostrils the deeper he wandered.

Cara's eyes panned over the many totems and artifacts in the dimly lit tent. Cara tilted her head as she inspected a woven bowl with what appeared to have eggs in it. The tips of her fingers ran over the smooth surface of one of the shells, but Jak was quick to intervene.

"Don't touch anything," he sternly whispered, oblivious to the ottsel that was curiously flicking the strings of an old banjo behind him. He eyed her as he walked past. "I'm not taking responsibility for anything you break."

Cara's eyes followed Jak as he walked by, a smug look on her face as she humored him.

"Daxter," Jak hissed through his teeth.

Daxter smugly looked over his shoulder with his hands to his chest. He watched as Jak pointed at him and then to his own shoulder. Dramatically, he threw his head back and sighed before he waddled back over to the two.

"I was just playin' with it, geez."

"Do you think that if I broke something we'd get to keep it?" Cara asked.

"I don't want to find out," Jak answered breathlessly, quickly losing his patience.

Cara bounced an object in her hands. "You mean you wouldn't absolutely adore this piece?" She put it on display in her hand.

It was a totem of a topless lady carved in soapstone. The rock was smooth and every detail was thoughtfully chiseled. Every detail.

Seconds later, the statue was removed from her hands and placed back on the shelf behind her. Content, Cara watched and then crossed her arms.

Jak reiterated, "No. Touching."

"–Woah. Guys, look'it this lady."

Daxter's stood in front of a sphere of candles, his form merely a silhouette from the light.

Jak and Cara looked at each other, sharing a glance of curiosity, before they cautiously walked to Daxter.

"I think she's sleepin'…" The ottsel said rather casually.

"Oh." Cara muttered in realization.

There was, in fact, a woman there.

The woman sat cross-legged on a hand-stitched rug, surrounded by candles. She seemed at peace, in a deep slumber. No one could be awake and be so still, Cara thought. There was something magical about her. Although it wasn't visible, Cara felt as if a particular aura engulfed this woman. The air seemed thinner – cleaner. Pure. As Cara watched her quietly, her nose scrunched up when she noticed that the woman wore something that looked like a bowl on her head. As if that changed Cara's perception of her completely.

"Well..."

"Well, what do we do now?"

"Eh, I dun know." Daxter tilted his head to the side. "Should we wake her up?"

"No." Jak, who had knelt down in a moment of spectating, stood up. "We'll come back later."

"Whaaat?" Both Cara and Daxter asked in disbelief.

Jak quickly hushed them. "It's fine. We came at a bad time, she's busy," he persisted.

"Busy?" Daxter's repeated. "Busy doing what? Countin' sheep?"

Jak was already near the exit. "We'll come back after we stop by the Underground. Haven't heard from Torn in awhile, and I'm sure he'll have..." – the lady snored – "uh, shit for us...to do. C'mon."

After the other two sighed in unison, they dragged themselves to the exit. Daxter, on cue, hopped up onto Jak's shoulder and glanced back at the odd, sleeping woman one last time. When he turned back around, he was taken aback by what looked like a dead animal hanging by a tent pole.

"Cool! Check out this dead thing." Daxter wiggled a finger in front of the hanging animal.

Its eyes opened and it latched onto Daxter's finger.

"OW!"

"Touch the goods again, rat-boy, and you'll be–aaaaarrk!–counting with your toes!"

Maybe it was the sudden silence, the confusion, or maybe the wide-eyed looks the strange monkey-bird received from the trio that brought it to properly introduce itself.

"I am Pecker!" He exclaimed proudly, wings cast up toward the roof to emphasize that he was somehow a creature of importance.

Daxter chuckled and both Cara and Jak rose a brow. Cara loved the innuendo, while Jak found it rather stupid as he did everything else ever.

"Yes, yes, I know. My mother, she was...very vindictive. I am Onin's interpreter!" The moncaw flung himself up into the air and glided to the sleeping woman's headpiece, where he sat comfortable. Now the bowl made sense.

The woman, Onin, awoke. As if she hadn't been sleeping in the first place, her head and hands lifted simultaneously. Light blue orbs hovered above her palms before she clapped, sending flurries in the trio's direction. Cara quickly lifted a hand in front of her face, while Jak found himself blinking reflexively. Daxter stood wide-eyed and excited, like a child watching a magic trick.

Pecker gestured a feathered wing. "Onin welcomes you–blah, blah, blah, blah, blah–the usual boring salutations. She says it's good to see you again, Jak."

"But we've never met before," Jak calmly interjected.

"Before...after...it is all the same."

Pecker then looked to Cara, ready to address her as well.

"And you, uh…uh…" Pecker cleared his throat but was still met with silence. The moncaw peeped over the side of the bowl. "Hello, crazy woman, I'm waiting on you!" The tension brewed. Sensing the awkwardness, Pecker chuckled. "Ahem. Well, whoever you are, it's good to see you too," he quickly spat out. "Anyway! Onin says that..."

"Oh, oh!" Daxter rose his hand and bounced up and down. "Lemme try. Uh...she wants a–oh, she wants a yakow bone. A yakow bladder! No, no...I got it! For many moons, she has...waited for...a juice pop? A jewel shop? Oh-oh, I know! She's got a hairball–a hairy lip?–a hairy chest!"

"Close," Pecker nodded, "...but NO! Onin says you seek answers–aaark!–about the Tomb of Mar."

It wasn't exactly as climatic as intended, apparently, for everyone just stood around.

Pecker sighed. "The Tomb..."

"–Yeah, I've heard of it." Jak practically waved off the mere mentioning of it but decided to press on his own terms. "We found a seal outside of the city with the tomb's mark on it. A friend said to come here?"

Cara's eyes shifted from the moncaw to Jak, depending on whoever was speaking. Sometimes Onin, too. But that was until she noticed that Onin was staring directly at her. Uncomfortable, she did a double-take. Onin's eyes were milky – she was definitely blind – but why did it feel like she was looking right at her? Cara felt herself go stiff, especially when Onin's grey brows narrowed in her direction.

The tent suddenly felt cold. Cold enough for Cara to rub her arms as she crossed them over her chest. The air felt thicker, and she swore she could hear a ringing in her ears. She couldn't look away from this lady – this lady that seemed to be telling her that she wasn't welcome here.

"And so he was thought to have been buried here, right beneath the city that he sacrificed himself for. Quite a story, if I do say so myself," Pecker concluded.

"Uh huh..." Jak humored Pecker and his story, unintentionally nudging a zoned out Cara behind him. But this was enough to get Cara to break eye contact with Onin, where she then mentally struggled to catch up with everything going on around her.

"So, what do we need to know?" Jak asked, suddenly intrigued.

After consulting with Onin, where he nodded and cupped his feathers at his chin, he looked to Jak. "She's going on and on about the mystical, energy channels. Evil curses. Stupid woOoOoO crap. Forget all that! I'm gonna sum this up quickly because now you're cutting into my siesta time!"

Jak wanted to ask more questions. His mouth was partially open during the lapse of Pecker's instructions, waiting for a chance to intrude.

"Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the Precursor Mountain Temple. Not two, not four...three! Use the warp gate at the northwest side of the city and bring back the three items you find."

Onin confirmed this with a number count on her fingers.

Unaware that the demands had ended, Jak found himself standing there until Pecker gestured for them to leave. He nodded in Pecker's direction before turning around to head out. As he walked to the front, he battled with himself due to this missions relevance. Maybe he wouldn't even carry it out at all. He didn't know yet. Jak felt a familiar weight on his shoulder and he looked to the side.

"What did I tell ya?" Daxter nudged Jak's head with his elbow. "I told ya she was gonna make us do something."

Nearly a foot out of the tent, Cara stopped. Whatever warmth the tent had provided continued to soothe her backside while the brisk, night air stung her eyes. She could feel the soothsayer's eyes on her.

Cara thought about going back inside. She thought about asking.

She didn't.