(Per the poll) Eldritch Dad versus Jak versus Cultists
(Featuring characters from The Disowned Game 😅)
For context: the antagonists are trying to unlock an ancient seal to conjure the patron of dark eco, to basically turn the whole population into dark eco warlocks.
Their sage insists that they must spill the blood of a prism channeler to "appease the gods."
"You don't know what you're doing!" Phoenix shouted, straining against Skyheed's soldiers. He managed to get a good kick in, but there were too many to take in one fight. "Skyheed, stop!"
Keira lunged for the ceremonial dagger, a snarl on her lips.
"You so much as scratch him, and the gods will be the least of your worries!"
The blade slammed into the altar as Keira cracked the priest's arm against the stones. He cried out in pain, releasing the knife.
"The madness of the Light will not save the hero!" he gasped, struggling in vain against an enraged sage-in-training.
Jak strained his fingers towards the knife, just out of reach of the triple shackles. So close. He was so close! But he was going to need help.
"Keira! You have to cut me!"
"Are you nuts?!"
"No no, I recognize that glyph! It's gonna be fine!"
The glyph was familiar. Studying with Sister Merci at the temple, Keira had come across many pictograms older than the writing she and Jak and Daxter had employed as children. She could read one or two, but most still mystified her. This one's meaning escaped her memory, but she was certain she had seen it before. Which meant that unfortunately, Jak probably knew what he was talking about.
Reluctantly, Keira pressed the tip of the blade to Jak’s finger. Two small drops of blood slid down into the channels carved into the stone as Phoenix cried out in horror.
"Keira, no! What have you done?!"
Darkness took them.
Out of the blackness, the sounds of scuttling filled the room. Hundreds, thousands of tiny legs across metal and stone. Spiders began to creep down the walls, congregating on the twelve iron cuffs. Thousands of tiny, hairy, bodies pushed between metal and flesh, heedless of the crush until Jak could slide his wrists and one of his ankles out.
"Phoenix! Get everybody out!" he warned, "We don't have a lot of time before-"
"Who is misusing my gift?"
a voice like dry leaves, like the creak of timbers, like bells, filled the chamber.
The darkness drew close, twisting and writhing around itself to form the shape of a woman so tall her masses of curls brushed the ceiling. She took in the prostrated forms of the cultists below her with glowing eyes and curled her lip.
"And what, pray tell, is this?"
The question seemed to shock the onlookers out of their stupor.
"Oh great lady of darkness!" Skyheed bowed from the waist. "We, your humble devotees, come before you to ask your blessing on-"
The woman turned her head to see Jak still struggling to free himself. He'd taken hold of the obsidian dagger to pry off the ankle bands.
"Agh-! Mi'jo, no!"
the goddess snatched the blade from his hands in an instant.
"That's a knife!"
It was as if she hadn't even seen the cultists. Micteca held the hilt between thumb and forefinger, scowling.
"Foul thing. Ugh! How did you even- Nevermind. I'm calling your father."
Jak cringed. "No-! It's not even that bad!"
He and Keira broke the last shackle together as he continued to babble protests.
"He-! He's busy! You don't need to tell him, i can handle this-"
"DAMAS! LOOK WHAT YOUR SON GOT INTO!"
the shout shook the room, sending curtains of dust raining down on them.
"Dude, your mom's a snitch," Daxter snickered.
There was a clap of thunder, and the chamber filled with a blinding light. A biting chill curled around them, contrasting sharply with the warm voice emanating from the center of the light.
"Why is it always "my son" when he's gotten into something he shouldn't?"
Jak groaned. "Guys, I'm right here."
That wouldn't help him and he knew it. But he had to save a little face in front of Daxter and Keira.
Incrementally, a face appeared in the light, then a muscular body, held aloft between wings more like an anemone's tentacles, formed of living sand. Stars wheeled across dark skin like a piece of the sky had come to personally judge them all. The giant gazed down at Jak and narrowed his eyes.
"Hello, son."
He sounded amused.
Ignoring the choked off curses and whispered questions around him, Jak dropped his face into his palm.
"Hello, Father."
"Got yourself into a Situation again, haven't you?"
"It wasn't my fault this time!" Jak protested. He pointed at Skyheed, and decided that whatever followed was on the duke's own head. "That guy made Dark Warriors out of his whole city! He was going to sacrifice me so he could control them all!"
"Ohhhh crap." Keira cringed.
Micteca's eyes flashed. In a much too calm voice she said,
"Kids, would you step outside for a second?"
"Yep! No problem!" Daxter said hastily, leaping off the altar, "No problem at all!"
Keira ducked the priest and Skyheed to grab Phoenix by the sleeve. "Let’s go, let's go! Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near this room."
"Uh....maybe...don't kill all of them?" Jak offered, pausing at the door.
"The pale ones didn't choose this."
"Jakkkk-"
Micteca frowned.
Jak glanced at the bewildered soldiers, all completely disoriented by the mass influx of dark eco.
"Mamá, please?"
"...you're as bad as your father."
Burning eyes narrowed down at Jak, and long black talons drummed impatiently on the goddess's folded arms.
Damas left off prodding at a smaller Dark Warrior to smirk.
"I think that's the nicest thing you've said about me all year!"
"Oh don't you start-! Alright! We'll see."
Micteca glared at both Jak and Damas.
"The things I do for you two troublemakers..."
"Appreciated, my love."
Damas -- or Deimos or Xenodamas, the monks could never agree on whether his name ought to be more "formal" now -- tucked a lock of hair behind Micteca's ear and began idly braiding it.
"There. That ought to keep the blood out of it."
Jak met Klout's flummoxed and slightly horrified gaze. He, unfortunately, could relate.
"Ugh. There's a time and a place, Father," he muttered under his breath.
A nearly prehensile wing tip snaked out to cuff Jak across the back of the head.
"Be glad your mother has more restraint than I usually do. Relocate, offspring."
Jak shoved the wing away and grinned. "Yeah yeah. Thanks, Ma! Okay, eviscerate away!"
"OUT."
The great stone doors slammed into place behind Jak, and he rolled his eyes at his honorary siblings' unimpressed expressions.
"Well did you want to wade through pureed soldier bits?" he asked indignantly.
Phoenix stared straight ahead, wide eyes focused on nothing.
