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Chapter Text

The noon sun blazed mercilessly overhead, scorching the lush jungles of the Jewel. The heat clung to every surface, turning Aloy’s skin sticky beneath her leathers. Her footsteps thudded heavily against the earth, boots sinking slightly into soft moss and leaf litter. Insects buzzed around her like a taunt, and birdsong filled the canopy with a rhythm that felt too cheerful for how hollow she felt inside.

All around her, life thrived in radiant chaos. Trees towered like green titans overhead, their roots thick and tangled. Vines dangled from branches like the coils of forgotten machines, and somewhere in the underbrush, a Fanghorn snorted and bolted deeper into the forest. It should have been beautiful. But today, it felt cruel. The jungle didn’t care about her mission. About GAIA. About the looming extinction.

Aloy ran a hand through her tangled red hair, frustration simmering just beneath her skin.

Beside her, Varl walked with the easy grace of someone comfortable in the wild. He chuckled, lowering his bow after felling a stray Broadhorn that had wandered too close. With a practiced flick, he wiped the blade clean on a patch of moss. “You know,” he said, slinging the bow over his shoulder, “if you’re waiting for some grand adventure to snap you out of this funk, maybe try my method. Hunt. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Clears the head faster than moping.”

Aloy gave a humourless laugh. “I get that, Varl. I really do. But I feel... lost.”

She stopped, eyes scanning the horizon—past the dense treetops, past the glimmer of machine trails in the distance, to the jagged silhouette of the Spire where they’d once made a final stand. It rose like a black blade through the sky, a ghost from another war.

“I should have found something—anything—at the Zenith facility. A lead. A backup. A hint of where GAIA might be. But I came out with nothing but questions and Faro's damn legacy rotting in my thoughts. Every step forward feels like it pushes me ten steps back.”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and she turned away. Embers of anger sparked beneath her ribs—not just at the world, but at herself.

Varl stepped closer, his voice softer now, more deliberate. “Aloy, you’ve done more than any one person should ever have to. The fact that we’re even standing here right now is because of you.”

She shook her head. “And yet, we still don’t have GAIA. HEPHAESTUS is out there twisting machines, and the world’s still burning. I keep thinking about what she would’ve done—Elisabet. She wouldn’t have stopped.”

“You’re not her,” Varl said gently. “And she didn’t have to carry this alone either. Let me help.  You’re not alone anymore. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

Aloy didn’t respond right away. Her gaze drifted toward a rust-coloured ridge rising ahead. She could feel something… wrong. The jungle had stilled. No birds. No clicks of Watchers.

Then, the boom hit.

A thunderous shockwave rolled across the trees, strong enough to rattle branches and send birds screeching into the sky. The ground trembled, and a plume of smoke curled upward in the distance. Not fire—something deeper, mechanical. Old.

Aloy’s pulse quickened. Her hand instinctively went to her spear. She looked at Varl, who was already moving.

“Northwest clearing,” he said, voice sharp now, battle-ready.

She nodded. “Let’s go.”

And just like that, the weight she carried became motion.

They stepped into a clearing strangled by vines and thick with humidity. Ferns the size of shields curled around tree trunks, and mist steamed up from the ground where the sun pierced through breaks in the canopy. The air crackled faintly—not natural. Aloy froze, scanning the ground with her Focus.

“Traps,” she warned. “A lot of them.”

Half-buried in the mossy earth and strung between tree roots were canisters, tripwires, and pressure plates—at least a dozen. Explosive charges. Electrified stakes. Shock blast snares. Someone had gone overboard.

In the center of the chaos, a fallen Longleg lay smoking, its plates still hissing with residual heat. Its voicebox clicked sporadically, as if it had tried to scream before going down.

Varl let out a long whistle. “Why do people always set more than nine traps? Eighteen. That’s… excessive.”

Before Aloy could answer, a sharp voice rang out from the shadows of the underbrush. “Do you see the problem yet, Milu?”

Aloy stiffened at the sound—crisp, no-nonsense. Familiar.

“But I got the machine, didn’t I?” a younger voice protested, indignant and unrepentant. “That’s what matters.”

From behind the bulk of the Longleg, a figure rose. A teenage girl—barely old enough to carry a hunting spear—stood with arms crossed and a defiant jut to her chin. Beads were woven into her long Utaru braids, and her armor was a patchwork of Lodge gear and repurposed parts. Her eyes widened as she spotted Aloy.

“Oh,” she said, voice catching. “You’re her.”

Aloy stepped forward, arms crossed, expression unimpressed. “And you nearly got us blown to bits. Did that factor into the plan?”

Milu blinked, clearly recalculating her bravado. “I… might’ve misjudged the radius.”

“By meters,” someone else said dryly.

Talanah Khane Padish emerged from the jungle like a sunbeam through storm clouds. Graceful, assured, and with a bow slung casually over one shoulder, she offered Aloy a warm smile. Her armor gleamed faintly gold, polished and practical. Her presence cut through the moment like a clarion call.

“Aloy,” she said, voice rich with relief and familiarity. “I was hoping we’d cross paths again.”

Aloy blinked. Something in her chest twisted unexpectedly—too sharp to be comfort, too fleeting to name. She swallowed it.

“Talanah.” She nodded. “It’s… good to see you.”

The Sunhawk’s eyes flicked over her like a scan. Not just searching for injuries—but for what lay behind the tightness in Aloy’s voice. Her gaze lingered, just a moment too long.

Then she turned to Varl and laughed. “Is that really you under that beard? I thought you were a Tenakth for a second.”

Varl chuckled, rubbing his jaw with mock offense. “A warrior’s gotta evolve, right?”

Milu looked between them, confused. “Wait—you’re Varl? The Nora? I thought you’d be taller.”

“Rude,” Varl muttered. “But fair.”

Aloy cracked a rare smile, but it faded quickly as the moment passed. Talanah’s expression shifted, growing serious.

“The last time I saw you,” she said quietly, “you were chasing after something. Something urgent. Did you find it?”

Aloy looked away. Her jaw tensed. “No. Not really. I found more questions. Dead ends. And... Faro.”

The name dropped like a stone into the clearing. Milu’s bravado flickered. Even the jungle seemed to hush.

“The derangement,” the girl murmured. “It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

Aloy nodded. No words. Just a slow, exhausted nod.

Silence stretched—until Varl broke it, with the same steady ease he always brought.

“Well,” he said, clapping his hands once, “before we unravel the whole world, maybe we clear the snares, yeah? I like my limbs un-fried.”

Milu groaned. “You’re gonna make me reset all of them?”

Talanah raised an eyebrow. “You laid them without tagging your escape paths. You’re lucky you didn’t catch me in one.”

Milu grumbled under her breath, moving to disarm a tripwire with practiced hands.

Aloy exchanged a glance with Talanah. Something unspoken passed between them—weight, grief, but also a flicker of something warmer. Trust, perhaps. Or the memory of it.

“Let’s clean up,” Aloy said, pulling out her spear. “Then we talk. I think this place just became more important than any of us realized.”

After salvaging the traps and stripping the Longleg for parts, the group pressed onward toward the cascading waterfalls ahead. Talanah recounted her recent trials—a contract to hunt Clawstriders that spiraled into a desperate fight to protect a new friend named Amadis from rival hunters. Milu chimed in with stories of a colossal machine she had faced—a Shellsnapper, a living fortress roaming the lands between the Tenakth and Utaru tribes.

As they passed the crumbling remnants of the Cult of the Eclipse's old base, something unusual caught Aloy’s eye. Hidden behind a jagged outcrop of rock, the impact from one of the ancient Metal Devil’s tentacles had revealed a dark outline of a strange metal wall.

"A ruin of the Old Ones?" Milu’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Most likely," Aloy said, stepping closer and running her fingers over the rusted surface. The metal was cool and smooth beneath her touch, worn but unyielding. The wall had crumbled in places, revealing a narrow opening. She activated her Focus, scanning the ground—no footprints, no sign that the Eclipse had discovered this hidden place. "Looks like we’re the first to find it. Come on."

Before they slipped through the gap, Aloy turned to Talanah and Milu, pulling two Focus devices from her pack. "You both should have one," she said, pressing one into each of their hands. "They’ll help you see things the world tries to hide—footprints, weak points, incoming threats. They’ve saved my life more times than I can count."

Talanah examined the small device with a mixture of awe and gratitude. "I don’t know what to say... thank you, Aloy."

Milu’s wide eyes flickered with excitement. "This will change everything for me."

Aloy smiled softly. "Stick close and trust your instincts."

One by one, they slipped through the gap. Inside, soft blue lights pulsed from two cryo capsules, framed by a gently humming console. Aloy’s heart quickened as she approached.

"What is this?" Talanah whispered, awe coloring her voice.

Aloy activated the console, bringing up a screen labeled “Boreas Protocol.” An image of GAIA flickered into view, radiating a calm warmth despite the sterile surroundings.

"Greetings, Elisabet. I hope this message finds you well. You never approved of this, but I had no choice. Mr. Faro’s mind slipped beyond reach, and he deleted the entire APOLLO database. I could not let him destroy your vision again. So I took drastic measures and placed you and all nine Alphas into emergency cryostasis."

Aloy’s breath hitched. She wiped frost from the pod on the right to reveal a preserved body—her genetic donor.

"Elisabet."

GAIA’s voice softened. "After the Faro Swarms were disabled and the biosphere stabilized, I sent you and the others to Zero Dawn facilities far from tribal lands. I had to split you into pairs, hoping to awaken you when the time was right. But then I received a strange signal. Your successor will explain everything when you meet. Goodbye, Elisabet. Good luck."

Tears traced cold paths down Aloy’s cheeks. The weight of the truth pressed heavy on her chest.

"That’s your mother, isn’t it?" Varl’s voice was quiet, careful.

"Wait—your mother?" Talanah asked, confusion knitting her brows.

"She’s not my mother," Aloy said, voice trembling. "She’s my genetic donor. I wasn’t born—I was made by machines inside All-Mother mountain. GAIA created me to rebuild her after she destroyed herself. The Nora saw me as a curse, a motherless freak, and that’s why I was cast out… a baby without a mother."

Silence fell. Milu’s eyes were wide. "But how does a machine make a person?"

"It’s complicated," Aloy said, frustration flickering beneath her calm. "And this isn’t the time or place."

"Later, then," Talanah said gently.

Milu hesitated, then said quietly, "If your mother is in there, you should get her out."

Aloy’s voice dropped to a whisper. "What if she hates me? For how it all turned out?"

"She won’t," Varl said firmly, though his eyes held uncertainty. "This wasn’t your doing. You didn’t even exist then."

"I know. But she and her team gave everything for Earth’s survival. She wanted peace in her final moments… but the world needs her. I need her." Aloy activated the wake-up sequence. A progress bar inched forward agonizingly slowly. "Forty-eight hours. Great."

Talanah cracked a smile. "Well, that gives us plenty of time for a few more hunts."

"What about the other pod?" Milu asked.

Aloy swiped through the Boreas Protocol tabs. "Captain Okilo. Alpha of MINERVA. Former Nigerian military officer, expert in communications and decryption, and a battle-hardened veteran from the machine wars of the 21st century."

Talanah raised her eyebrows. "You got all that from a few taps?"

"Yep."

"This place is unreal," Talanah said, glancing around the dim chamber. "And definitely not safe."

Varl crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "Just when I thought today couldn’t get any stranger."

Aloy managed a weak smile at her friends. The warmth of their presence steadied her, even as the shadow of the unknown loomed large. Answers were within reach—just beyond the horizon—and she was ready to face whatever truths awaited, knowing she wouldn’t do it alone.

As the sun dipped low, spilling golden light through the ruins, they prepared to camp for the night. Aloy steeled herself for the journey ahead—toward the past, and whatever future they might forge.

Chapter Text

Project Zero Dawn: BOREAS facility, The Jewel

Aloy stood before two cryogenic pods, her heart heavy with worry as she watched the internal temperatures slowly rise for the women inside. Fatigue tugged at her eyelids, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave her mother’s side. After all, it had already been hours since they had arrived. "Aloy, you need to get some sleep," Varl had told her at one point, "You've been in here for what, five hours into the night? Go take a break; I'll keep watch."

"And I'll be here for another five hours, Varl," she replied stubbornly, her gaze fixed on the pods. "I can't leave her."

"Then at least get some fresh air outside for twenty minutes. I think this is the longest time you have spent inside since we first met."

Reluctantly, Aloy muttered her consent. "Fine, but call me immediately if anything changes."

"I will, I promise."

As Aloy stepped out into the cool air, Varl’s mind drifted to his sister, Vala. Memories flooded back, bittersweet reminders of their bond. He missed her deeply but found solace in the knowledge that with the Eclipse and HADES defeated, she could finally rest in peace. Just then, a beeping noise broke the silence, followed by a loud crash. Varl's heart raced as he saw a robotic arm smash through the glass of Okilo’s pod. Glass shards fell inward as the woman forced her way out, icy steam billowing around her.

"Can't...breath." She stuttered, panic etched on her features. Without the heat of the pod, the room's core temperature was causing her to tremble from the cold. Varl grabbed a wool blanket from a nearby table and gave it to her. 

“Careful, you've been in one position for too long,” he cautioned as she struggled to steady herself.

“Who… who are you?” she gasped, clutching her throat.

“I’m Varl. Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. Where are the others? Am I the only one?”

“No. Apparently, GAIA sent the other Alphas to other facilities,” he replied.

“Good.” She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure as a military officer would.

Just then, Aloy entered, her presence a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded. “Figures this would happen—the one time I take a break, and you wake up.”

“Dr. Sobeck? No, you aren’t her, but you look like her,” the woman stated, standing taller. “Lightkeeper protocol?”

“Yes,” Aloy confirmed.

“That was deactivated.”

“GAIA reactivated it.”

“To restore APOLLO?”

“Restore everything.”

“What happened?” Okilo’s eyes narrowed, concern mingling with her resolve.

“Let’s talk after Elisabet wakes up,” Aloy suggested, moving to the second pod. She opened the chamber, and Varl carefully lifted Elisabet and laid her on a nearby row of chairs.

Okilo nodded in understanding and then saluted her. "Captain Ayomide Okilo, Nigerian 212th attack battalion, Robotic Combat fifth division on loan to General Aaron Herres of the US Joint Chiefs, US Robot Command and Dr Elisabet Sobeck as Alpha of MINERVA, Zero Dawn ALPHA clearance. Reporting for duty ma'am."

"I'm Aloy and you've already met Varl."

"Do you have any spare clothing on your person, Aloy? I'm freezing here." 

"Afraid not but we can head to Meridian, the nearest city, tomorrow. We can get you and...Elisabet some there."

"Good. So, what is this place exactly? I am guessing we're inside a Zero Dawn facility, but where in the US?"

"The Jewel, a region of Jungle that used be...Eagle Canyon," Varl said.

"A Jungle, huh? Guessing Gaia took some liberties." There were a couple of more beeps and the three turned to the other pod. Aloy went over and opened the chamber so Varl could pick up Elisabet and put her on a nearby row of chairs. "Dr Sobeck, are you okay?" It felt like an hour before she spoke. 

"Cap?"

"Are you okay Doctor?"

"I will be, once I'm warmed up. Fucking Ted. How the hell did he get into our systems?"

"He used something...called Omega clearance." Aloy's voice trailed off as she and Elisabet's gaze met. "Um, hi Elisabet."

“Well, this is awkward,” Elisabet began. “You’re… you’re me. The Lightkeeper protocol, GAIA reactivated it.”

“Yes, GAIA created me to restore her,” Aloy replied, her voice steady despite the weight of the moment.

“Restore her…? What happened now?” Elisabet’s eyes widened in disbelief and suspense trickled in her tone.

“She had to blow herself up.” The revelation hung heavy in the air. Both women froze in shock. “She received a transmission from an unknown source, which somehow turned the sub-functions into AIs, just like her. HADES attempted to unseat her control and wipe out all life on Earth, despite the biosphere being somewhat functional. So, GAIA… blew herself up and created me to restore her. She also saved you and the other Alphas, bringing you to facilities like this one so you could help later, I guess.”

“So, GAIA Prime is gone?” Okilo asked, her voice taut with disbelief. Aloy nodded. “Damn it!”

“I know you were against being cloned, but something blocked GAIA’s access to this place, preventing her from waking you up. Now that she’s gone, the biosphere is in jeopardy, and that’s priority one,” Aloy explained, her tone serious.

“Then she must have been very desperate. This is a lot to process,” Elisabet said, her voice uneasy. She placed her hand on her chin.

"Aren't you mad?" Aloy asked, confusion warping her face. 

"Of GAIA, of you? No, of course not."

"But...you didn't want this. THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU WANTED?! It isn't your perfect world." Elisabet reached out and grabbed her hand, looking into her eyes. 

Elisabet reached out, grasping Aloy’s hand, her eyes filled with understanding. “Nothing is perfect, kid. I originally shut down the Lightkeeper protocol because I objected to raising a child in a bunker, whose only purpose was to maintain Gaia and Zero Dawn's systems. Someone who would never feel the sun on their skin, the ocean's cool water, or the tickling sensation of grass. I didn’t want that for a person.” Her gaze softened. “It’s those same concerns that led me to shut down the Boreas protocol, but despite that, GAIA turned those around.”

Aloy looked like she wanted to reply but couldn't bring herself to tell her how much she had suffered. Not yet anyway. 

After a heavy silence, Aloy and Varl took turns explaining the events of the past twenty years: the tribes, the machines, the blight, the storms, and the Red Raids. By the time they finished, the weight of their shared history hung in the air. “We’ll head to Meridian tomorrow,” Aloy decided. “We need to speak with Marad about finding Sylens.” And with that she led the way outside into the brisk evening air. Passing along the path Elisabet and Captain Okilo followed the two Nora out of the ruin and to a nearby campsite. Elisabet took in a big inhale of fresh air and looked out at the jungle landscape before her. "Quite the sight?" Aloy asked as she stood beside her. 

"“Yes,” Elisabet replied, a smile creeping onto her face. “GAIA took some creative liberties. I actually kind of like it. There’s now a lush jungle where there used to be a barren, arid desert. I wonder how certain species of fauna have adapted to the new environment.”

“Hm, I’ve been thinking about that too with the boars. But they’ll eat anything anyway.”

“Yeah, well, in my time, some unfortunate people actually got eaten alive by pigs—relatives of the boar species. A pretty nasty way to go.” Aloy’s face contorted in horror at the thought.

The next day

“Aloy, wake up.” Aloy stirred, opening her eyes to find Captain Okilo kneeling beside her mat. “There are machines nearby.”

Aloy nodded, slowly gathering her spear as she followed Okilo outside the small tent. The Captain pointed at two small robots patrolling the perimeter of what was once the Eclipse's base.

“They're just Watchers—Red Eye variant. Best to stay quiet.”

“I was in the military, remember? I know when to be silent,” Okilo replied, determination sharpening her features. “So, how best to take them out?”

“We don’t need to,” Aloy said, a glint of mischief in her eyes. She picked up a small rock and threw it as far as she could. The first machine turned to investigate the noise, allowing Aloy to sneak up on the second and override it with ease.

“I would’ve taken them out,” Okilo remarked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“I don’t need the parts or extra shards. I already have enough. It would have just been a waste," Aloy told the older woman. Beyond the trees, the sun had begun to rise, heralding a new day. "Do you usually wake up this early Captain?"

“Yeah, it’s a habit I picked up from my military training. We got what rest we could, but combat was always the priority—whether it was against machines or other humans.”

"Do you miss anyone, Captain? From the Old World?"

“Oh, I certainly miss my old unit, but I don’t have any family to speak of—unless you count the other Alphas.” They walked back to the tents, where they found Elisabet meditating under a nearby tree. Talanah was helping Milu cook breakfast over the fire, while Varl had only just woken up.

“Good morning,” Aloy greeted, her mood lifting at the sight of her friends.

“Good morning to you too! You must be Captain Okilo,” Talanah said, rising to her feet. “I’m Talanah Khane Padish, and this is my Thrush, Milu.” The young Utaru gave a small wave before returning her attention to the food.

“Thrush?” Okilo asked, curiosity piqued.

"It's a hunting rank for members of the Hunters Lodge. A Thrush is a junior member, often sponsored by a senior member, a Hawk. I'm also one of Talanah's Thrushes," Aloy explained. 

"Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest," Elisabet asked as she stood from her meditation. 

"She gets special privilege I guess, seeing as she's the Sunhawk, the leader of the Lodge," Aloy said, pointing a thumb at Talanah who smirked at her in return. 

“That’s one of the things I changed while you were on your quest,” Talanah responded. “Now, everyone is at least a Thrush, as Hawks can sponsor multiple Thrushes. I also changed how one becomes a Hawk. Instead of waiting until their Hawk dies, a Thrush must either collect a full set of fifteen Blazing Suns, or take down one Stormbird, one Thunderjaw, one Rockbreaker, and one Behemoth.”

“I’m guessing those are types of machines?” Captain Okilo asked.

Aloy nodded. “Yes.”

As the conversation flowed, Milu, who had been quietly serving up their fruity breakfast, chimed in. “Shouldn't Aloy also be Sunhawk, Talanah? Or at least a Hawk? She’s taken out pretty much every type of machine out there, and she helped you defeat Redmaw!”

Talanah raised an eyebrow, smiling. “That’s a good point. I can certainly do that later, if my beautiful, flame-haired friend agrees, of course.”

Aloy coughed, her cheeks reddening at the unexpected attention. “Let’s... let’s focus on breakfast,” she muttered, a little flustered.

"Once we get Meridian, we need to talk to

Blameless Marad first about finding Sylens,” Varl cut in, bringing the conversation back to their mission.

“Remind me why we need to find this guy?” Talanah asked, her tone curious.

“They’re our only lead in finding a GAIA backup,” Aloy explained gravely. “Without that backup, everything on Earth dies.”

Captain Okilo nodded. “Then let’s head on towards Meridian after breakfast.”

As they finished their meal, Elisabet, who had been quietly observing, smiled at the young cook. “This food is very well done, Milu,” she complimented, her voice soft yet sincere.

Milu blushed, clearly flattered. “Thanks.”

“Yes, but nothing will beat Travis’ food,” Captain Okilo half-muttered under her breath. Aloy nearly choked on her food in surprise.

“Travis. Travis fucking Tate can cook?” Aloy asked, disbelief written all over her face.

“Yeah,” Okilo replied with a shrug. “He makes a mean beef stew.”

Chapter Text

Meridian Outskirts

The midday sun blazed overhead as Aloy and her companions approached the gates of Meridian. The heat had driven most of the city's people indoors, but a few remained outside, haggling over trade and overseeing repairs. Carja soldiers stood at attention, though some looked as if they might melt under the weight of their armor. Beyond the gates, the city rose, still scarred from the Battle of the Alight but steadily rebuilding, brick by brick.

"Machine riders approaching!" a young Sentinel squawked, his eye pressed to a looking glass. "The Saviour's returned!"

"Good eye, soldier," Uthid, the captain of the guard, replied, clapping the boy on the shoulder. He quickly crossed the wooden bridge to where Blameless Marad waited, his expression impassive as ever.

"Blameless Marad," Uthid called. "Aloy has returned."

Marad's gaze flicked up from his parchment, sharp and focused. "At last. Let’s go meet her."

Together, they strode toward the gates just as Aloy and her party arrived. The crowd, sparse though it was, parted at the sight of her. Murmurs filled the air like the wind stirring through dry leaves.

"By the sun... she's back."

"There are two of them..."

"Could they be... Old Ones?"

"Impossible..."

Aloy shifted uncomfortably at the attention, her hand brushing the reigns of her mount. Beside her, Varl leaned in, voice low. "You've earned this welcome. You saved them."

"Not yet," she muttered, her eyes scanning the distant city, ever-watchful for the next disaster.

"In the name of his Radiance, the Sun-King Avad," Marad’s smooth voice cut through the whispers, "Make way for the Saviour of Meridian!"

The crowd parted completely as Marad and Uthid approached. Aloy dismounted in one smooth motion, her companions following suit.

"Aloy," Marad greeted, bowing his head slightly. "Welcome back to Meridian."

"Blameless Marad," Talanah interjected, stepping up beside Aloy. "We have urgent matters to discuss."

"As do I," Marad replied evenly. His gaze turned back to Aloy. "Hunters have been sent after you for weeks. Something has happened... at the Spire."

Aloy’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"It’s best we discuss it there," Uthid said quietly, eyes flicking to the crowd. "Too many ears here."

Marad nodded. "Agreed." He motioned for them to follow, and the group began their walk toward the valley below. The bustling village that lined the path was alive with sounds of rebuilding. Elisabet’s eyes lingered on the towering elevators leading up to the city above, her curiosity piqued.

"Who are your new friends?" Marad asked, glancing briefly at the two unfamiliar faces.

"This is Captain Ayomide Okilo," Aloy said, nodding towards the tall woman beside her. "And this is Dr. Elisabet Sobeck… my mother."

Elisabet smiled faintly at the introduction, and Aloy shifted awkwardly. She still wasn’t used to saying that aloud.

"Old Ones?" Uthid asked, his brows knitting together in disbelief.

"Most of them died in the war against the machines," Varl explained, "But some survived. They’re the reason we even exist today."

Marad nodded, though a flicker of surprise passed through his usually unreadable face. "We had sent hunters as far as Sunfall, Freeheap, the Sacred Lands... some even dared to reach Song's Edge looking for you, but there was no trace. We feared the worst."

Aloy’s lips pressed into a thin line. "I’ve been busy."

"As we all have," Marad said, leading them through the village, where the damage from the recent battle was still evident. Piles of rubble and broken beams lined the streets, and workers moved like ants, tirelessly rebuilding. "Mind your step. Even saviours must tread carefully here. We’re still cleaning up."

The path to the Spire was long and steep, winding up the mesa with every step a reminder of how far they'd come. Rain began to fall in a light drizzle as they neared the Alight, dampening the air but doing little to cool the tension building in Aloy’s chest.

"It started just after the solstice," Marad explained as they ascended, "and every night since. We’ve managed to explain it away to the people, but there’s growing unease."

The moment they arrived at the Alight, Aloy’s eyes were drawn to a new addition. A statue. Of herself.

"Is that... me?" Aloy muttered, brow furrowing.

"It would’ve been worse if Ersa hadn’t intervened," Uthid remarked dryly. "The architect wanted it in gold and covered in jewels."

Aloy shook her head in disbelief but followed Marad as he gestured toward the Horus processing orb nestled below the Spire. "For about a minute, that eye glowed an angry red," he said, voice low. "From Meridian, it could’ve been mistaken for a trick of the light, but those of us here—Vanasha, Ersa, and others—knew better. The light rose from the eye of the Metal Devil... straight to the Spire."

He paused, glancing at Aloy. "We left everything as it was and sent Urid and Erend to find you."

"What could’ve caused it?" Milu asked, turning to Aloy.

Aloy’s face was grim. "I’m not sure. The Spires—there’s more than one—are supposed to send messages across the terraforming network. They’re like... giant Focuses. They were used to shut down the Faro Plague."

"But HADES tried to use this one to wake it up," Talanah added.

"I cut the connection to that orb," Aloy muttered, her frown deepening. "Something’s wrong."

Without wasting another moment, she approached the Metal Devil’s eye, drawing Sylens’ Lance from her back. The familiar jolt of power surged through her hand as she activated her Focus, scanning the override module. The Lance’s connection was intact, but something was wrong—something had corroded the override. The rusted parts were transmitting a signal up to the Spire.

There was a message attached to the signal.

BEAMCAST TRANSMISSION COMPLETE.

"Sylens," she growled under her breath, "What did you do?"

"I need to get up there," she said, turning toward the Spire.

"Allow me," Captain Okilo stepped forward, her eyes lingering on the orb with distaste. She pressed her hand to a metal panel embedded in the stone base.

"ALPHA of MINERVA, Captain Ayomide Okilo requesting access to Broadcasting Spire 01, clearance code Z3US."

A synthetic voice responded immediately. "Clearance code accepted. Greetings, Captain Okilo. Please step inside."

A door opened, revealing a hidden elevator. Aloy and Okilo stepped inside, the lift ascending swiftly as the Spire opened around them. As they reached the top, neon-blue lights flickered to life, illuminating a control node. A map appeared, highlighting a location far to the west.

"Somewhere out there..." Aloy muttered. "Bastard."

Behind her, a familiar voice broke the silence.

"Well, Aloy, I see you’ve finally figured it out. Took you long enough," Sylens’ hologram said with their characteristic smirk.

Aloy looked up, fury rising in her chest. "You rigged the Lance to steal HADES? How could you be so reckless?"

"Reckless? You tried to purge HADES before we could extract his knowledge—the signal that woke him, for instance. Or where to find one of those GAIA backups you’ve been so desperately searching for."

Aloy clenched her fists. "If you knew, why didn’t you call me?"

Sylens sighed. "I’ve had... complications of my own these past months. Unlike your flailing efforts, I’ve made progress. And once you’re done throwing a tantrum or some other trivial matter, perhaps you’ll want to meet with me in the Forbidden West. You might even learn something important."

"Oh, I’ll find you," Aloy hissed at them through clenched teeth.

"Good," Sylens replied, their tone laced with smug satisfaction. "The coordinates should be easy enough to follow. Even for you."

With that, the hologram flickered and disappeared, leaving Aloy standing in the eerie glow of the Spire. She let out a frustrated yell, slamming her hand against the console before forcing herself to breathe. Sylens was right—she had no other option.

"So, that was Sylens, huh?" Okilo said, watching her closely. "What a deceitful piece of shit. And what’s with the wires? Are those sewn into his skin?"

"It’s a Banuk Shaman custom," Aloy said, rubbing her temples. "They believe the machines have spirits—the 'Blue Light'—and that it can only exist within the machines. The Shamans sew machine parts into themselves, hoping to become vessels for that light." She paused, then added, "Also, Sylens doesn’t some to identify with either gender. Old-world data I found calls people like him non-binary."

"Ah, got it," Okilo nodded. "Let’s go back and tell the others. We’ve got a lot to figure out."

As they stepped back into the elevator, the Spire above them sealed shut once more. Aloy took a moment to gather her thoughts as Talanah and Elisabet discussed hunting strategies nearby. Varl stood with Milu, Marad, and Uthid, a look of awe still etched on his face.

"You truly have a knack for the incredible," Uthid remarked, his eyes bright with admiration as Aloy approached.

"When you and the Captain ventured inside... it felt like the Spire transformed, much like during the battle," Varl added, clearly impressed.

"Thank the Sun for this dreadful weather," Marad interjected with a sigh of relief. "If the skies had been clear, the citizens of Meridian might have panicked at the sight of the Spire changing."

Aloy nodded, then spoke up. "Sylens has rigged their lance to siphon HADES. He’s taken him somewhere far to the west—into the Forbidden West."

"By the Sun! You're not planning to pursue him, are you?" Uthid's eyes widened in concern. Aloy nodded firmly. "Make sure to give that bastard a good thrashing when you find him. Save me the trouble; I'm needed here in the City of the Sun."

Marad frowned. "The Forbidden West is not to be taken lightly. It's called 'forbidden' for a reason." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Long ago, Sun King Iriv led an expedition there, searching for new tribes and alliances. They never returned. Years later, after the Tenakth attacked, they largely retreated into their own territory and haven’t ventured beyond their borders since."

"How did the Tenakth respond to that?" Talanah asked, intrigued.

"After that raid, they became fiercely protective of their lands," Marad explained. "They're a militarized society, bred for combat from birth. They’ve divided into three clans: Desert, Sky, and Lowland. Twenty years ago, they united under a single chief, Hekarro. When the Red Raids encroached on their territory, they fought back as one, dismantling our fortress, Barren Light, but stopping short of our lands."

Elisabet's curiosity piqued. "What an intriguing culture."

"I encountered a Tenakth during my time at Sunstone Rock," Aloy said, her tone a mix of fascination and disbelief. "Her name was Ullia, and she drank blood."

A collective shudder passed through the group. "She wanted to adopt me as her child," Aloy added, a wry smile forming on her lips.

"Even so," Marad continued, "the Tenakth won't let just anyone cross their borders without tribute. However, a fragile peace has been brokered under Sun King Avad. Hekarro is open to negotiations. The next embassy between our tribes will occur next week at Barren Light. During this exchange, we hope to trade goods in return for a soldier captured during the Red Raids, who will be brought from the Forbidden West. If you attend, you might persuade one of the Marshals there to grant you a Right of Passage."

"What's so special about this soldier?" Okilo asked, puzzled.

"The soldier in question is General Unyielding Fashav, Avad’s cousin on his mother’s side. He stayed behind at Cinnabar Sands to allow his comrades to escape but was captured during the Red Raids. He’s known for trying to curb the worst instincts of our soldiers during the campaign," Marad explained.

"Much like Amadis and Nessa," Talanah added thoughtfully.

"Yes, we’re still waiting for your friend to return, Talanah. His pardon and the removal of his bounty are long overdue," Uthid reminded her.

"Still no sign of him. We might have to track him down ourselves," she replied, determination evident in her voice.

Their conversation was interrupted by a distant horn blast. "Are we expecting someone?" Okilo asked.

"The Sun King," Marad announced as a group appeared from the archway leading to the jungle floor below. At the forefront was a young man in his mid-twenties, adorned in regal white and red robes embellished with gold, a wooden sun totem strapped to his back. Beside him walked an Oseram woman clad in formidable leather and metal armor, her black hair contrasting with her piercing eyes. Following closely was another woman in purple and black robes, leading a cheerful child who beamed upon spotting Aloy.

"Aloy! It’s wonderful to see you!" Avad greeted her warmly.

"A pleasure as always, Avad," she replied, maintaining a formal tone. She then turned to the Oseram woman. "Ersa."

"Flame-hair! My hearing's improving, but we’ll be keeping the Focuses, alright?" Ersa said with a playful smirk.

"That’s fine with me."

Talanah watched as Avad addressed her. "I’m pleased to inform you that when your friend returns, he’ll be granted a full pardon. Vanasha and Marad uncovered evidence linking the Kho Veriv house to conspiracies with the Carja-in-Shadow during the civil war. The bounty is off his head, and he won’t have to hide anymore."

"Thank you, your radiance," Talanah expressed gratefully.

"And who are these two?" Ersa inquired, nodding towards Elisabet and Okilo.

"I’m Dr. Elisabet Sobeck, Aloy’s mother," Elisabet introduced herself. "And this is my friend, Captain Ayomide Okilo, a former Nigerian military officer."

"Your mother? I thought she was dead!" Ersa exclaimed, surprised.

"Turns out, she was just... asleep," Aloy replied, a hint of affection in her voice.

"You left in quite a rush, Aloy. We hardly had a chance to thank you properly," Avad remarked, a hint of regret in his tone.

"Can we show her the spear and crown now? Please!" young Itamen chimed in eagerly.

"Itamen," his mother lightly chided.

"Indeed, we bring gifts. Normally, there’d be a formal ceremony at the palace, but we thought you'd prefer a more private affair, especially with the spectacle behind you," Ersa added, her jovial demeanour contagious. As she stepped aside, another woman emerged, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Vanasha!" Aloy exclaimed.

"Hey there, little huntress! I should hand these over before you run off again," the Carja operative said, her playful tone unchanged.

"Really? Must you always be so informal?" Uthid sighed, rolling his eyes.

A few chuckles echoed around as Vanasha presented Aloy with a gold and silver headpiece along with a beautifully crafted spear. Aloy accepted them with a mix of gratitude and reluctance.

"Wait, where’s Erend?" Varl asked, his excitement waning slightly.

"Oh, he’s accompanying a Vanguard squad as an escort for the Sun Priest overseeing the Embassy with the Tenakth at Barren Light," Ersa explained.

"Huh, we actually plan to attend the Embassy ourselves," Aloy said, her tone resolute. "Marad mentioned we need to speak with a Tenakth Marshal to gain access to the Forbidden West."

"The Forbidden West," Avad echoed, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Aw, you get all the fun," Vanasha teased.

"Well, I implore you all to stay the night in Meridian. It’s a long journey to Barren Light, even with your machine mounts, Aloy," Avad urged.

"We intended to do just that. We need to pick up some new clothes for Elisabet and Captain Okilo, resupply, and enjoy a drink or two," Aloy replied. "Is Olin’s old place still available?"

"Yes, technically, it's yours now. You can stay there whenever you visit Meridian," Marad confirmed.

"I think we should catch up on a few things," Avad said, glancing at the group.

"As long as it doesn’t involve bureaucratic nonsense. I’m tired of that," Ersa muttered, prompting laughter from those around her.

With that, they made their way back to the city, sharing stories and laughter. Uthid, much to Aloy and Vanasha’s amusement, complimented Varl’s beard. Meanwhile, Avad and Elisabet engaged in a deep discussion about Carja culture and governance, the scientist keenly interested in the intricacies of their society. At the marketplace, Aloy managed to procure some Nora gear from a merchant, while Okilo remained firm in a simple, pragmatic outfit, opting for basic armour plating and a new top and trousers.

Elisabet, however, happily accepted the new attire, finding it both stylish and comfortable. They wrapped up their day at a newly opened Oseram bar, sharing drinks and stories before retiring for the night in Aloy’s newly acquired apartment, ready for the challenges that lay ahead.

Chapter Text

Aloy's apartment, Meridian

Elisabet was accustomed to sleeping late, often staying up into the early hours to finish her work. The only times she managed to wake early were during her stays with Tilda at her mansion near San Francisco. This morning, however, she found herself pleasantly alert as the cheerful birdsong and the city's bustling sounds signaled the start of a new day. Swinging her legs off the mattress, she stood and retrieved her new Nora clothes, grateful for their warmth as she prepared for the journey to Barren Light and the Embassy.

As she glanced toward the second bed near the fireplace, she noticed Aloy was missing.

“Heading downstairs, she found Varl feverishly rubbing his clean, hairless face.

“Morning, Varl. Where’s Aloy?” she asked.

“She and Okilo went to get us breakfast and take a walk around the city,” he replied.

“I see you lost the beard. But I’m guessing you didn’t use any shaving cream or aftershave, huh?”

“Unlike Aloy, I don’t have that many shards.”

“Shards?” Elisabet echoed, curious.

“It’s the currency we use here. You get them by selling machine parts, exploring old ruins, or breaking down machine plating after hunts,” he explained. “It’s fairly easy to build a small fortune if you’re a skilled hunter. Aloy has a few thousand shards from selling spare parts and old-world relics to merchants.”

“Is it okay if I ask you a few things about the Nora?”

“Of course. What do you want to know?”

Elisabet hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Who raised Aloy in the tribe?”

Varl’s expression shifted, and she could sense his unease. “Well… she wasn’t raised in the Nora,” he said slowly. “She’s going to kill me for telling you this, but she was raised as an outcast by a Nora Death Seeker named Rost, sometimes with the help of a merchant named Karst.”

“Outcast? You mean like banished?”

“Yeah. The Nora don’t have prisons, and they believe in redemption. So instead of executions, they outcast people, sending them into the wilds to survive on their own—no talking to anyone, even other outcasts. Honestly, it’s still pretty harsh compared to staying in Sunstone Rock.”

“But what did she do to deserve that? She must have been a child.”

“Apparently, Aloy was outcast because she was found in our Sacred Mountain, beneath the ‘Metal Devil’—the Horus—without a mother. High Matriarchs Lansra and Jessa thought she was cursed, the daughter of the Metal Devil, so they outcast her and gave her to Rost. Only High Matriarch Teersa believed she was a gift from All-Mother, a protector sent to us.”

Elisabet’s anger bubbled beneath the surface. Aloy had been abandoned by the very people GAIA had chosen to protect her, simply because she was gestated in the Cradle Facility instead of a womb. The thought was infuriating. “You mentioned Rost was a Death Seeker. What does that mean?”

“He was like a bounty hunter. His family was murdered by a group of twelve mercenaries, and he hunted them down and killed them all. Afterward, he chose to become an outcast so he could stay close to Teersa. She entrusted him with raising Aloy as a second child.”

“And who’s Karst?”

“A merchant—the only one willing to trade with outcasts because he was one himself, years ago. Teersa allowed him to trade with Aloy and Rost because of that.”

Just as Elisabet opened her mouth to ask another question, Aloy and Captain Okilo entered the apartment, bags of supplies in hand.

“Good morning, Elisabet,” Aloy greeted, her voice bright.

“Good morning to you too, kiddo. Varl was just telling me about the Nora,” Elisabet replied, doing her best to mask her unease about the revelations.

“Did he now? Well, you must be hungry.” As they gathered around the table to tuck into the breakfast Okilo was preparing, Elisabet used the moment to reorder her thoughts.

Varl’s explanation had filled in many gaps about Aloy’s past. She had endured so much even before GAIA’s task had been laid upon her. Elisabet felt a surge of responsibility; made from her flesh and blood, Aloy had been shunned for her origins and targeted by HADES due to her connection with Lis, which had cost Aloy her father figure. And all of this came before discovering the truth about Zero Dawn. Just how much more had Aloy endured?

It was about eight o'clock local time when they met up with Talanah and Milu at the entrance to the city. Aloy called some mounts to them, summoning a few chargers, and opened her map of the Sundom on her Focus.

“To reach Barren Light, we’ll need to go through a canyon near Sunfall,” she explained. “That’ll take us through the farthest reaches of Carja territory until we hit the Daunt. We have seven days to make it, so let’s make the most of our time.”

Each of them mounted their chargers, and Elisabet familiarized herself with the controls before they raced off, Aloy leading the way.

On the first day of their journey, they stopped at a Cauldron to the north, where bandits ambushed them. Quick-thinking, Aloy led the group down an alternate path, steering them safely toward FAS HQ, where they would spend the night. As everyone settled in for some much-needed rest, Elisabet stayed up, working on a text board. She wanted to ensure they could communicate if they ever split up.

The next leg of their journey took them to the fortress of Sunfall. Aloy, Captain Okilo, and Elisabet ventured into the Zero Dawn facility, hoping to find clues about Sylens’ whereabouts and HADES. They uncovered evidence pointing to HADES being taken to the proving lab, a revelation that weighed heavily on them.

Meanwhile, Varl had taken it upon himself to assist Talanah in teaching Milu more hunting skills, imparting some Nora techniques like the whistle and how to use the environment to their advantage against machines.

As they continued their journey, Varl affectionately dubbed their group the "GAIA Gang," much to Aloy’s annoyance. They finally entered the canyon leading toward Zion National Park, where Aloy showed them the spot marked by a triangle of flowers, the same location where she had discovered one of the Metal Flowers and its code poems. Captain Okilo remarked that the poems resembled the ones Naoto had written in his spare time, indicating that DEMETER had likely crafted them to honor her Alpha.

Aloy took the opportunity to teach Elisabet and Captain Okilo the basics of machine hunting, lessons she had learned from Rost long ago. The following day, they passed the forest where Talanah had encountered Amadis. Here, Elisabet successfully got the text board working, adding a music player function, and for the next hour, the haunting melody of “In The Flood” filled the air.

More lessons in machine hunting followed, each skill deepening their connection to one another. When they reached a steep mountain, they dismounted and began the ascent on foot. Aloy moved with an ease that impressed Elisabet, a skill honed during her month battling HEPHEASTUS’ Hunter Killers in the Cut.

Once they descended from the mountain, it was only a short ride before they finally arrived at the Daunt, the looming cliffs before them a stark reminder of the challenges that lay ahead.

Once the Gang had arrived at the top of the cliffs, they found that to get down and into the valley, they would need to ride the Oseram cable car. As they approached, they were greeted by the operator, who stared wide-eyed at their mounts.

“Sparks to steel! Ha, never seen anyone use them to get around!” The group dismounted, retrieving their gear and releasing the chargers back into the wild. Thanks to the overrides, the machines wouldn’t attack unless provoked. Aloy turned to the lift operator, gesturing toward the cable car.

“Is this how we get to Barren Light?”

“Uh, yes. No, I mean yes, but not today,” the man stuttered, flustered.

“And why not?” Aloy pressed.

“Well, the Daunt—the whole valley—it’s infested with machines!” Below them, smoke rose from various sites as blue, yellow, and red lights flashed, machines clashing with one another and the Oseram Vanguard.

“Oh, we can handle some machines,” Talanah said with a cocky smirk.

“I’m sure you can! But I’m under strict orders not to operate until the whistle down in Chainscrape sounds the all-clear!”

“Look, we didn’t come all this way to stand around and wait,” Captain Okilo interjected, stepping forward. “I’ll crank it down myself if I have to.”

“But who would crank it back up?” the Oseram asked, eyes wide. Okilo moved toward the carriage.

“Eh, fine! Fine!” The operator relented, opening the gate to let the group onboard. “Though, if anyone asks, it might be best to say you forced me.”

“Sure thing,” Aloy said, taking a deep breath as the mountain snow continued to fall around them.

“It feels like autumn, but it’s nearly spring,” Elisabet chuckled.

“Maybe we could stop at Plainsong sometime. I hope Daen is doing well,” Milu added, sticking out her tongue to catch a snowflake.

“There’s a lot of smoke, but also a lot of activity,” Captain Okilo observed.

“Smoke’s probably coming from something the machines have broken,” the operator muttered. “As for the quiet, there’s a work stoppage in effect due to all the fuss.”

“What kind of machines are we talking about?” Talanah asked.

“Nasty ones, and lots of ‘em. I think the Tenakth and Utaru call ‘em Bristlebacks.”

“Bristlebacks? Those aren’t native to the Daunt, last I checked,” Milu said, furrowing her brow.

“Right, they just appeared a few days ago, west of the quarry,” the operator explained. “We’ve lost some good people to them. Strangest thing is, they’re not just attacking people. They’re also going after other machines, like some kind of grudge.”

“That sounds like an override,” Aloy remarked, considering the implications.

“No hunters willing to take them down?” Talanah asked.

“Oh, we have plenty of hunters and salvagers, but none willing to cross Ulvund, the boss of Chainscrape. He considers himself the ‘founder,’ but he’s a damn liar, cheat, and terrible boss. This whole work stoppage nonsense was his idea.”

“Well, we’re just passing through. We’ve got an Embassy to get to,” Elisabet stated, determination in her voice.

“Oh, you should’ve said so earlier, but that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon!”

“What do you mean?” Aloy asked, confusion creeping into her tone.

“Don’t you hear that?” Below them, a man was arguing loudly with another, his voice booming. “Carja Sun Priest. Cranked him and a squad of the Vanguard down an hour before this whole mess started. He’s supposed to be the one running that Embassy at Barren Light, HA!”

“Uh, great,” Aloy muttered, annoyance bubbling under her breath. As they drew closer, the man continued to berate his guard, who spotted Aloy and sighed in relief.

“If I don’t do as I say immediately, the Sun King shall hear of your insolence,” the Sun Priest warned the Vanguard. “Thanks to you and the captain, I was forced to spend the night in a tent! I might have died!” Elisabet's disdain for this man grew, and it seemed the guard shared her sentiments.

The Sun Priest turned as they disembarked from the carriage. “You refuse to transport me, but not these… Nora. These savages! Move aside, scallywags!” He waved a dismissive hand in Aloy’s direction. Lis clenched her fists, feeling her temper flare. Yeah, she definitely did not like this guy.

“Vaudis, that’s Aloy,” the Vanguard said, trying to deescalate the situation.

“STUDIOUS VAUDIS,” the Sun Priest corrected, puffing out his chest.

“You know, Aloy—THE SAVIOR OF MERIDIAN?” the Vanguard added.

“Really? Well, that lessens the insult, I suppose,” Vaudis replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Aloy stepped forward, standing her ground. “We’ve come for the Embassy at Barren Light,” she said firmly. “Way I heard it, so have you.”

“Well, not with the valley infested,” Vaudis replied, unfurling a scroll. The Vanguard rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I shall head to Barren Light when the Captain of the Vanguard says the way is clear, and not a moment sooner.”

“Fine. The Captain is a friend of mine, you know,” Aloy said, her annoyance growing. She turned to the other Oseram. “Where is Erend, Joruf? I’d prefer to speak with someone who’s a little more action and a lot less scroll.”

“Vaudis…”

“STUDIOUS VAUDIS!” he interrupted, indignant.

“Studious Vaudis sent Erend and the rest of the Vanguard out at dawn to clear the way of Bristlebacks,” Joruf explained.

“AND SO AT DAWN—”

“Hey, ssh,” Aloy shushed him, causing Vaudis to look at her in shock. Lis let out a small snicker.

“Down the valley, then?” Aloy pressed.

“Yeah, Erend said he’d look for tracks and take it from there,” Joruf replied.

“Okay, if there’s a work stoppage, is there any way I can upgrade my gear?”

“I bet the blacksmith in Chainscrape will let you use his workbench. I’d suggest using acid or fire arrows on the Bristlebacks. Hitting their canisters with the right element should cause quite a bit of damage,” Joruf advised.

“Thanks. We’ll find Erend and send him back to… hey, where are you going?” Vaudis had started for the cable car, but Okilo had shut the gate, standing in front of it.

“To wait at the top of the ridge—in safety—until the hideous machines are cleared,” he stated defiantly.

“Sorry, Studious Vaudis, but the cable car is inoperable today. There’s a work stoppage in effect, am I right?” Okilo challenged.

“Yeah, I’d best start cranking,” the operator said, beginning to crank the car back up the rails.

STUDIOUS_VAUDIS.EXE stopped responding. “Joruf, would you kindly escort Studious to Chainscrape and wait for us there?” Aloy asked.

“You got it,” the Vanguard replied, eager to finally get moving.

“We’ll find Erend and send him on his way, Vaudis, but after that, no more delays. Barren Light. Embassy. Are we clear?”

“If such be the will of the sun,” he muttered, returning to his beloved scrolls.

“Oh, it will be,” Aloy replied mockingly, then turned to the others. “We’d better head to Chainscrape. Elisabet can stay there with Milu and Captain Okilo while Varl, Talanah, and I find Erend.” Her mother gave her a stiff nod, and they began the trek toward the nearby village.

Chapter Text

Flashback, to two days before the Proving

“Well, well, well, there’s an outcast on my doorstep. All-Mother protect me,” Karst said with a teasing grin.

“Surprised you even saw me, considering how often you look over your shoulder,” Aloy shot back. “Careful, or you’ll sprain your neck.”

“It’s always a pain in the neck when you show up, Aloy—one way or another.”

The evening before the Proving

After speaking with Teb, Aloy made her way toward the Matriarch’s lodge, where the Carja envoys were gathered. As she approached, a familiar face caught her eye. “Karst?”

“Ssh, pretend you don’t know me. Remember, I’m not supposed to trade with Outcasts in the wilds,” the trader whispered, glancing around.

“Of course, how could I forget? How generous of you to talk to me now,” she replied, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, don’t be like that. You know I’ll be rooting for you to win the Proving tomorrow. I can’t wait to see the looks on Lansra and Resh’s faces when you come out on top. Now, that will be entertainment! Wait, where’s Rost?”

“He’s talking with Teersa. He wanted to leave, but she pulled him inside the settlement.”

“Well, you can’t really argue with your mother on that, can you?”

“What do you—oh.” Aloy realized. Karst gave a slow nod, smirking. “Right, so, can I have a discount for the Proving?”

“You must be joking?!”

“Yeah, I am.”

After Aloy woke up

“Aloy. Thank the goddess you’re alright,” Karst said, relief evident in his voice.

“Hardy har har, Karst,” she replied, her voice laced with sarcasm.

“I’m serious. Are you okay, kid?”

“I will be after I’ve taken out those responsible for this.”

Karst looked shocked. Surely the Matriarchs wouldn’t make Aloy a Death Seeker. Lansra would, more than likely, but he wasn’t sure about Teersa and Jeeza. “But you can’t be… never mind.”

Meridian

Aloy steeled herself for the question she dreaded asking. “Why didn’t you tell me that Rost was a Death Seeker, Karst?”

“I didn’t want to ruin your perception of him as a paragon of Nora values, even if he believed all that All-Mother nonsense,” he replied, his voice cautious.

“Everyone is flawed in their own way, Karst. Even me. It’s part of what makes us human. I understand why you and Teersa kept this from me, but I’m still hurt.”

“I know. Secrets have been hidden from you your entire life. You deserved to know,” he admitted, shame colouring his tone.

“Karst? Karst?” The voice of Hakund, the blacksmith, broke through Karst's reverie.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just reminding myself of things long past,” he replied, shaking off the weight of his thoughts. “I hope we can get back to work soon; this work stoppage is ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous, indeed. As far as I know, no one has ever called for a ‘work stoppage’ before. This is probably just another of Ulvund’s schemes to pressure Javad into signing that blasted Concession Decree.” Karst had heard about the decree and was astounded at how one man could be so greedy and prideful. “Hopefully, these Bristlebacks get cleared out soon.”

“Hey, is that the Saviour?” Hakund’s eyes brightened as he glanced toward the town gates below the shop.

“Yeah, it is. There are two of them!” Karst’s heart raced with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

“Want to come in, Saviours?” he called out, his voice echoing in the small space.

“Open up, guys, Joruf’s orders,” Aloy said, her tone brisk and commanding.

“Good enough for me,” one of the guards replied, moving to pull open the heavy gates.

As they swung open, Karst’s breath caught in his throat. He saw the young woman he had come to love like a niece, stepping through with her usual confidence. Alongside her was her Carja friend, a tall figure adorned in war paint—Sona’s son, no less. But it was the others that caught his attention: a young Utaru woman with vibrant braids, a woman with metal arms glinting in the sunlight, and a woman who looked remarkably like Aloy but slightly older, her presence radiating strength.

“By the forge!”

“Petra?” Karst shook his head as Aloy turned to see the Forgewoman striding toward them from the tents.

“Aloy! What are you doing here?” Petra’s expression shifted from surprise to concern as they began to converse. Karst followed them down the steps behind Aloy.

“Well, well, well, there's an Outcast on my doorstep. All-Mother protect me,” Petra teased, a hint of irritation flashing in her eyes.

Aloy spun around, eyes wide. “Karst?!”

“Hey, kiddo! How're you doing?” He braced himself for a bear hug, ready to embrace the warmth of her enthusiasm. “Good, I’m guessing?”

“What are you doing here?” Aloy asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Finding a new home. I’ve had enough of those ‘Sacred Lands,’ the Matriarch’s conservative nonsense, and Lansra's constant BS about you being a curse. It’s not fair for him to treat you like that, especially when you're not even around. So I left. Decided to make my mark out west, and I came at a good time with the restoration of Barren Light underway. But now there’s a work stoppage because of those Bristlebacks, huh?”

“We're here for the Embassy that’s supposed to take place soon, but it’s been put on hold due to the Bristlebacks,” Aloy explained, crossing her arms. “We’re going to help Erend and the Vanguard deal with them.”

“Brilliant. Maybe that will make Ulvund shut up about his stupid ‘Concession Decree,’” Karst said, rolling his eyes.

“Concession Decree?” Elisabet repeated, deep in thought.

“So, who’s this fine lady?” Karst asked, turning his attention to Aloy’s mother.

“Karst, this is my mother, Dr. Elisabet Sobeck,” Aloy introduced proudly.

“Your mother? Good to see that you found each other then.” He took Elisabet's hand, shaking it firmly. His grip was strong, conveying the warmth of his character.

Aloy nodded before turning back to Elisabet. “Can you stay here with Milu and Captain Okilo while Varl, Talanah, and I deal with the machines?”

“Of course. Just be careful, Aloy,” Elisabet replied, her voice laced with concern.

“And when you all get back, we can talk over drinks in the tavern,” Petra added, her tone cheerful as she prepared to leave. “I’ll be wandering around town until then.” With a wave, she headed back toward the residential tents.

“The blacksmith's workbench is available if you need upgrades,” Karst informed the group. Aloy nodded, then set off with Varl and Talanah.

“So, do you lot want a tour of the town?” Karst asked, a smile spreading across his face.

“We would appreciate that, thank you, Karst,” Elisabet replied. The trio followed him as he animatedly described a typical day in Barren Light.

As they entered the tavern, Milu chatted with the cook, Milduf, about some food, then dashed off to gather the necessary ingredients and a replacement for one of his pots. Once Milu was gone, Karst, Elisabet, and Captain Okilo regrouped with Petra, who seemed ready to head out of town.

“I just heard that a miner got injured the other day. I have a gut feeling something bad is going to happen to the rest of the crew. Ulvund is pushing them to their breaking point every single day,” Petra explained, her expression serious.

Okilo recalled seeing smoke rising from a nearby mine. “I saw smoke coming from a mine not far from here,” she said. “We should check it out.”

“Let’s go,” Karst said, leading the way as the group set off toward the ominous smoke on the horizon.

"So, this must be a Bristleback," Aloy said, examining the boar-like machine's carcass. "Hammer strikes all over it. Erend and the Vanguard must have taken it down." She noticed something cylindrical sticking out from the side of the Bristleback. "Wait a moment." With a determined grip, she yanked it free. "Varl, give me a hand here!"

Varl joined her, and together they pulled the object out. "This is... a Corruptor override module. Just like the one on my spear, but modified." She turned it over, inspecting the rough edges. "Whoever tampered with this must have forcibly implanted it to make the override permanent."

Talanah stepped closer, examining the machine's plating. "And look here. This plating has been painted—red, green, and black." She pointed out the distinct markings. "It seems someone’s gathering a faction and overriding machines for their own purposes."

Aloy's expression hardened as she recalled Sylens. "We need to find Erend. Come on."

As they pressed on, they stumbled upon an Oseram Trapper clinging to a ruined tower, while Scroungers scavenged the Bristleback carcasses below. "Hey, you guys! Can you help? I'll make it worth your while if you take out these Scroungers!" he yelled.

"Don’t worry, we’ll take care of them," Aloy assured him.

"Try luring them into the tripwires I left!" he called out.

The trio quickly devised a plan, employing stealth and strategy to lead the Scroungers into the traps. With a few swift moves, they disabled the machines. "Thank the forge you showed up!" the Trapper exclaimed, catching his breath. "Tripwires are handy, but nothing beats taking ’em out with bows and arrows. Come here; let me show my gratitude properly."

As they approached, he eyed them with newfound respect. "You folks are seasoned hunters. Took you less time to deal with those Scavengers than it took four Vanguard to bring down a single Bristleback."

"So they did come this way," Talanah noted, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yep. They went further southwest to track the rest, but another charged right past! It’s madness out here." He handed Varl a sleek shock Tripcaster. "Take this—one of my best creations. Consider it a fair trade for your help."

Varl admired the craftsmanship, his eyes wide with appreciation. "This is exceptional work."

"Yeah, I’ve been tweaking the design since the ‘accident’ in Chainscrape. More freedom to tinker out here, less chance of everything going up in flames."

"What accident?" Talanah asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Ah, that sack of wet dirt, Ulvund. He thinks he’s the ‘founder’ of Chainscrape. When I still had a shop there, he wanted his special ‘Ulvund discount,’ but I refused. I can't prove it to Javad, but I’m certain he set my shop on fire—or paid off Tolland and his thugs to do it. So I’ve kept my distance and stuck to the Hunting Grounds near Barren Light. If you head that way, check it out. We run environmental trials there. Could earn you some sweet rewards."

"Thanks! Maybe after we sort out the Bristleback problem, we’ll take a look," Aloy replied, feeling grateful for the information.

The trio left Thurlis to his own devices and continued searching for Erend. To their surprise, they found two Vanguard members battling Bristlebacks outside an old ruin. One of them had gotten pinned beneath a machine carcass, and after they helped him up, he pointed them toward Erend, who was engaged in a fierce struggle against a pack of Scroungers and Scrappers.

"This! This is what I was forged for! No ledgers to fill, no boring patrols—just the hammer! Just the fight!" Erend exclaimed, his enthusiasm palpable as he turned to see them. "Aloy? Varl, Talanah!"

"Erend, LOOK OUT!" Aldur shouted just as a Bristleback charged from the shadows, slamming into him and sending him sprawling. He quickly scrambled up a nearby platform, where Aldur helped him to safety.

"Turn ‘em to scrap, you guys!" Erend yelled, determination fueling his voice.

"We don’t need to," Aloy replied, watching as the Bristlebacks and remaining Scroungers clashed. The Bristlebacks were larger and more powerful, but the Scroungers were faster and relentless. Amidst the chaos, Aloy seized an opportunity, firing a single acid arrow at a canister on the back of one of the machines, resulting in an explosive takedown.

They approached Erend as he climbed down from the platform, panting heavily. "You caught me at my best, as usual," he muttered, leaning against the structure for support, clearly worn from the fight.

"You did the hard part, big guy. We just cleaned up the stragglers," Varl said, glancing at Erend’s injury. "How bad is it this time?"

"Oh, this? Ha! Who needs ribs, huh?" Erend chuckled weakly but grimaced as he clutched his ribcage.

Aloy shot him a hard look. "Yeah, you’re not getting out of this one, are you?"

"Fine, but before you go running off again, what are you even doing here?" Erend asked, a mix of curiosity and irritation in his tone.

"We’re here for the Embassy, and we need it to happen now," Aloy replied, quickly explaining their mission and the events of the past six months while Varl helped Aldur down.

After Aloy finished her tale, Erend looked bewildered. "Alright then. I’ll head back to Chainscrape and get patched up. But if you want this forge-blasted embassy to happen, we need to clear out those last few Bristlebacks."

Just then, an explosion echoed from the nearby quarry. "What in the spitting hell was that?"

"Okay, we’ll see you then, Erend," Aloy said as she turned to leave.

"Oh, I guess that’s sort of a goodbye," he grumbled.

Confused, Aloy turned back. "I’m sorry?"

"You? Sorry? Now that’s a first."

"Where is this coming from?"

"Hey... just forget it... like everything else."

"Well, it sounds like something to me," she replied, her concern growing. Sensing tension in the air, Varl and Talanah discreetly stepped back.

"Alright then, fine... After you took off at the battle at the Spire, you just disappeared. Without a goodbye or a drink. People like me, Aloy—we fought and bled at your side. And you just vanish? What kind of person does that?" Erend's frustration spilled over, and Aloy felt a pang of guilt.

"Erend, I didn’t have a choice. I had to leave like that because I was worried you’d worry about me. I’ve been searching for the only thing that can stop the derangement, the blight, and the storms. I didn’t want to put you in danger when you couldn’t understand the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I’m sorry, but I had no other options," she explained, her voice earnest.

"Yeah, I guess that’s a good reason. By the forge, I’m an idiot," Erend muttered, looking away as another explosion reverberated in the distance. "Right, go get ’em."

When Elisabet, Captain Okilo, Karst, and Petra arrived at the mine, they found a group of shaken, barely awake workers huddled around a roaring campfire in a nearby shelter. Smoke billowed from the mine tunnel’s entrance, curling ominously into the air, hinting at the chaos within.

Petra and Karst approached the foreman, Korvend, whose face was drawn and grim. “We were using controlled blasts to open new veins in the mountain,” he explained, his voice trembling slightly, “but one went wrong. Most of the mine is flooding, and two  of my miners are still trapped inside.”

Karst’s brow furrowed as he looked around at the exhausted faces. “Why does everyone look so tired, Korvend?”

Korvend’s eyes darkened. “Ulvund’s been skirting Oseram labour laws for profit. He’s been pushing my crew to work unpaid overtime, sometimes through the night.”

“What are we going to do?” Karst asked, his voice urgent.

Before anyone could respond, Elisabet stepped forward, her determination shining through the haze of despair. “I can use the override module Aloy gave me to control some Chargers. We’ll get the workers back to Chainscrape—those who are weakest can ride.”

“While I go and drag out the other two,” Okilo added, her resolve matching Elisabet’s.

With a nod, Elisabet sent Okilo into the mine, her heart pounding as she navigated the dark, flooded tunnels.

Upon reaching the trapped miners, Lokuf and Thorden, Okilo quickly assessed the situation. Lokuf grimaced, clutching his injured leg. “What happened down here?” she asked, her tone steady despite the chaos.

“We were blasting in the far tunnels, but the shockwave from the explosion caused a collapse,” Thorden explained, panic creeping into his voice. “Water flooded in faster than I drink ale.”

“Hmmm. Do you have any explosives left?” Okilo pressed.

“Are you crazy?!” Lokuf’s eyes widened.

Thorden, however, grinned with excitement. “Yes! I have fuses!”

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!” Lokuf shouted again.

“You can’t move, and I’m not leaving you,” Thorden insisted.

With a reluctant agreement, Okilo left them in the dark and waded through another length of flooded tunnels. Eventually, she reached the main chamber, where a crane loomed over her like a watchful guardian. The explosives lay tantalizingly close in a cart on the structure’s tracks.

She swam toward the crane, finding a crawl space leading to another chamber filled with equipment, Burrowers, and water. With stealth, she evaded the machines, finally emerging under the crane’s arm.

Taking a deep breath, Okilo jumped onto the crane and walked across the beam, her heart racing. She lit the fuses with some leftover metal tools, tossing them into the cart before pushing it toward the blocked tunnel.

The explosion sent a shockwave through the cavern, water beginning to drain away, revealing the darkened passage once more. Relieved, Okilo climbed down, ready to retrieve Lokuf and Thorden when a sudden rustle alerted her to danger. Burrowers and Scroungers emerged from the shadows, their eyes glinting hungrily.

“Oh, fuck me,” she muttered, whipping out her modified rifle. With precision and urgency, she fought off the machines, adrenaline fueling her movements until the last machine lay still, defeated.

Once the coast was clear, Okilo hurried back to Lokuf and Thorden, then guided them through the debris and toward the light of the outside world.

“Are you two okay?” Korvend asked as they emerged, worry etched on his face.

“I’m fine, but Lokuf needs to see a medic as soon as we get back to town,” Thorden replied, supporting Lokuf with a determined grip.

“Come on, then. I’ll go with you two,” Petra said, her voice firm. Thorden followed, helping Lokuf along.

Korvend turned to Elisabet and Okilo, gratitude shining in his eyes. “I dread to think what would have happened if you hadn’t arrived when you did. I tried to shield my crew from Ulvund...but I should have done more. I should have been stronger.”

“You were there for your crew when it mattered, Korvend,” Elisabet reassured him, her voice calm yet firm.

“I don’t care what Ulvund or Tolland threaten. No one is going back into those mines,” he declared, pulling out a pouch of shards. “You’re owed something for your efforts. Take this.”

As Korvend handed over the pouch of shards, Okilo hesitated, her brow furrowing. “I... I can’t accept this,” she started, feeling a swell of discomfort at the thought of being rewarded for what felt like a moral obligation.

Korvend’s expression was earnest. “You saved lives. You’re owed something for your efforts.”

“But—” she began, but he cut her off.

“No ‘buts.’ I should have protected my crew better. You both risked everything for us. This isn’t just a payment; it’s gratitude.”

Elisabet observed Okilo’s struggle, understanding the hesitation that stemmed from a place of nobility but also recognizing the fine line between altruism and greed.

Finally, with a reluctant sigh, Okilo accepted the pouch, though it felt heavy in her hands—not just with shards but with the weight of implications.

“Thank you,” she said softly, looking at Korvend. “But I hope this doesn’t set a precedent.”

He nodded, understanding her concerns. “I won’t let Ulvund or anyone else turn this into a transaction. Your actions today were honourable, and that should matter more than shards," he said, before turning away towards the path.

“Ulvund’s name keeps coming up, and it’s never good,” Elisabet thought, concern knotting her stomach. “Someone will have to deal with him soon.” She glanced at Okilo. “Let’s go, Cap. I couldn’t reach Aloy, so she must still be busy with the Bristlebacks.”

Okilo remained silent, her gaze lingering on the pouch of shards. “Sorry, just lost in thought there, Doctor,” she finally replied, shaking her head. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Milu watched as the miners staggered back to Chainscrape, some riding on Chargers, and felt a strange tinge of joy at the sight. With the override modules that Aloy had given to Elisabet, Varl, and Talanah, she envisioned an increase in the use of overridden machines among the tribes. The practical applications could revolutionize how they interacted with the world, much like how her tribe harvested the crops of the Land Gods without directly hunting the machines.

When Aloy had explained the intended purpose of the machines, Milu had been both amazed and curious about their potential when used by people. “Hm, ah, there we are,” she murmured, spotting what she needed at the bottom of the Scrounger's scrap pile. “One corrugated metal panel, just as Milduf asked. This should work nicely as a replacement for his griddle.”

She paused, thinking of her friends back home. “Maybe I should have one forged too and give it to Daen. It might help with making some different food at the shop.”

As she stood up, a message from Talanah pinged in her mind:

Talanah: Varl's back in Chainscrape but he can't find you guys. Where are you?

Milu’s heart raced at the reminder.

Milu: I was helping a local cook with an Errand. Elisabet and Captain Okilo went with Karst and Petra to a nearby mine.

Talanah: Pls tell me next time.

Milu: I promise.

Continuing her slow walk, she eventually arrived back at Chainscrape and headed inside the tavern.

“Hey, Milduf,” she greeted as the cook looked up.

“Good. Oh, while you were gone, I received a visit from the big man himself. He was pushy, but I stood my ground as you suggested,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

“I’m listening,” Milu replied, intrigued.

“I used three pinches of salt,” he declared, a triumphant glint in his eye.

Milu blinked in confusion. “Instead of two?”

“Exactly! Now, let’s get cooking,” he said, motioning to the ingredients laid out before them.

Milu nodded, still processing the shift in his approach, but excited to see where this new recipe would lead.

Aloy and Talanah had followed the sound of the explosions down the road and towards the quarry that Thurlis had mentioned before, finding a group of young Oseram salvagers trying desperately to quickly scrap every machine that they could get to but were set upon by a Bristleback, which Aloy had easily taken out of a shot to each of its tusks, which she then retrieved. She then asked for the Oseram to get to a settlement for safety but the leader ignored her and ordered the crew to continue. "Idiots," Aloy muttered under her breath before she and Talanah continued towards the quarry where they found the Oseram fighting off what looked like the last stranglers. Talanah shot an arrow towards a hook that was holding up some logs, causing them to fall on top of and instantly take out one of the Bristlebacks. The next Bristleback was a little different, instead of using Acid it was using Blaze-powered attacks against the Oseram. Aloy primed a Fire arrow and shot the machine's Blaze canister, taking it out too. But then a few more came charging in from the hillside, including two Fire Bristlebacks and an Acid Bristleback. Aloy took on the two Fire Bristlebacks, using her Fire arrows to prime one of the machine's Blaze canisters, taking them both out while Talanah took out hers by targeting its grinder discs. "There, that's the last them, hopefully," Aloy said. 

"Hey stranger, over here," someone yelled. Aloy walked over to the forewoman, Belna, who was keeping her eyes peeled for more Bristlebacks. "Don't know what a Nora like yourself is doing out here but consider yourself owed. We tried to hold off and let the Vanguard handle these machines but one of them charged us. Next thing you know, it was a full-fledged fracas."

"Is everyone here alright then?" Talanah asked as she walked over. 

"We lost some good, honest people, but we would've lost the whole quarry without your help," Belna lamented, "It's so quiet, but your ears should be ringing with the quarry at work! But until Chainscrape's whistle is blown, so we're stuck trying to pick up the pieces."

"But why can't you work?"

"Me and my crew are just cogs in a machine out here. We can't lift a hammer to the stone unless Ulvund blows that damn whistle, 'cause if we work without his say-so, he'll ban us and my people have suffered enough as it is."

"Ulvund holds that much power," said Aloy in disbelief. 

"He has enough connections to snuff our fires for good. Almost feels like we stood a better chance against those Bristlebacks."

Aloy then asked about what their current operation was, Belna answered that they were working on Ulvund's claim for stone to shore up Barren Light. After they were done, Aloy told Belna to stay safe and she and Talanah started towards Chainscrape. The Sunhawk said that Varl had said Milu and Elisabet weren't in town and had gone off to help some people out. Suddenly they both got a strange ping in their focuses, leading them off of the path and towards an old radio antenna. "What is this?" Talanah scanned it and a damaged image of the old world appeared to her. "Um, Aloy, I've got an image of some kind here. It looks distorted."

"Huh, this must be a vantage point tower, I found spots like this back in the east too. I wouldn't be surprised if the image is distorted, given how time and neglect causes the data to be corrupted. What does it show you?"

"I think I can make out a building and some sort of bridge," her friend replied. 

Aloy pointed to the building nearby. "Maybe it's that building. Maybe if you line up the image you've got with the exact spot where it was taken, the Focus will fill in the rest." Talanah nodded and looked around, spotting an odd block of stone sticking out among the trees nearby. She walked over to it and lined up the image with the stone, allowing the focus to fill in what was left and reveal a beautiful wooden building, its roof painted green. "Aloy, there's a data file here. Mentions some company called, Miriam Technologies?"

"That's Elisabet's company," Aloy said, "I think I'll ask her about this." Talanah then got a message from Milu, explaining that she was helping the local cook collect some ingredients. She gave a reply and received one in return.  They then headed back to Chainscrape, heading over to the small Carja tent that had been set up. Vaudis was outside, complainingly loudly about the town, much to Joruf and the other Vanguard's chagrin. Erend was inside with Varl, resting his foot on a chest. "Hey, you two."

"Hey guys. Vaudis said he won't be won't be going to Barren Light until the whistle has been blown," Erend explained. Aloy groaned in frustration. "Yeah, I know that feeling Aloy, all too well. And if the sun goes down, we'll be staying here for the night as well."

"Why did they send someone like him to do the Embassy? Couldn't the mournful Namman do this? He's always trying to make peace with the other tribes for the Red Raids," Talanah asked. 

"Avad is hoping this tribe will make Vaudis a bit more 'noble'," he replied, "Fat chance of that working."

"So, how have things been doing since the battle back in Meridian?" Aloy asked. 

"Vanguard's still going strong," Erend said, "Helped Avad pick up the pieces after the battle with Eclipse. I took a month off with Ersa and went back home to spend time with her and then witness Dervhal's trial...and execution. You do not want to hear about that; it was pretty brutal, even by Oseram standards. And when we got back, I was the assignment of babysitting Vaudis on his way to the Embassy. I thought that would be a cakewalk. But of course, things went sideways when these Bristlebacks showed up."

"You got blindsided. It wasn't your fault," Varl told him. 

"A couple of drinks I might believe you there Varl."

"What do you know about these 'Embassies?'" Aloy asked. 

"Not much, only Avad really wants them to happen. He's set on making peace with these...Tenakth. But, from what I've heard, they don't do much in terms of...diplomacy things. They talk with their blades and arrows. If you guys need to go their way, best be prepared in case things get ugly."

"Yeah, we'll keep that in mind," Aloy said, "What about Barren Light? What do you know about it?"

"The fortress is the west's equivalent of Daytower, so nothing good. A lot of Tenakth and Utaru prisoners that were captured were brought here. The weakest ones stayed here and became slave labour and the rest were marched off to Sunfall and Meridian..."

"For sacrifice," Aloy finished. 

"You got it. The Tenakth made sure to trash the place when they forced the Carja out of the region but after Avad made peace, they gave it back and now he's paying the Oseram to rebuild it. But no matter how much new stone and wood they put up, it will always be soaked in blood." Aloy then left to talk to Ulvund about getting the whistle blown, so they headed into the tavern. 

"Hey guys," said Milu as she waved them over, "This the cook I've been helping, Milduf."

"Hi there," the Oseram chef said with a small wave. He then gave them each a bowl of stew. "Petra is just down there." He pointed at an area nearby. There Petra sat with Karst, Elisabet and Captain Okilo, to who Erend was introduced to. They all sat down around the table.

"This food is some seriously good stuff," Varl commented as Milu came into and area and sat down as well next to Talanah. 

"Yeah, hopefully Ulvund and Tolland stop pestering Milduf," said Milu, "He's seriously overworked and his griddle was burned out."

Karst moaned. "Don't remind me. They've pestered everyone in town at some point, always looking for free stuff for no good reason." A moment later, Aloy arrived with a Carja man, both looking pretty pissed. "Javad."

"Karst, Petra. I need a freaking drink. But not alcohol please," the magistrate said. 

"I'll get it for you." Karst stood up and headed towards the bar, returning with some water. 

"The idea that the Carja released the Bristlebacks into the Daunt," Javad began, "It is completely absurd."

"Agreed, but the more he says it, the more support he'll get for his damned Concession Decree," Petra said. 

"What I would like to know, is how those Bristlebacks even got in the Daunt," said Karst as he set down Javad's drink. 

"Nobody knows for sure, the first report came from west of the quarry. But unless they have wings I don't know about, I don't see how they could've come from over the mountains."

"Is there any other way?" Captain Okilo asked. 

"The only way I know is Barren Light. Look, if you can get to the bottom of this, I can offer a considerable bounty in return. Please, help me shut Ulvund up!"

"But what is this concession decree Ulvund wants and how exactly could it help him," Talanah posted the question. 

"It's nothing but pig diddle, that's what," Karst muttered. 

"He wants the Sundom to designate parts of the Daunt as Oseram holdings, even though this is Carja territory," Petra explained, "It means that any existing Ore, Stone, Metal or Timber deposits can't be revoked by Avad, which he could do at any time."

"I'm guessing that he stands to profit somehow," Aloy said. 

"Right, with the Daunt under Oseram law, it means that Ulvund's investors back home in the Claim can pour in more shards to expand the businesses. But since Ulvund is the person who opened those businesses, he would take most of the money being made through them, making him essentially and metaphorically richer than a Scrapper in a junk heap," Javad said. 

"Not to mention Chainscrape would become an Oseram municipality, meaning he could buy enough votes to make himself an Ealdorman," said Petra, "Which is why blaming the Carja for the Bristlebacks, no matter absurd, plays into his favour."

"What do you mean?" Elisabet asked. Talanah and Erend both had a gut feeling about where this was going. 

"Well look around, this might be Carja territory but Chainscrape is all gears, rust and bad ale," said Javad, "By claiming that the Carja loosened the Bristlebacks to frighten Oseram labourers into obedience, let's just say that nobody around here has forgotten the atrocities of the Mad Sun King. Even the valley now working again, Ulvund believes he could draw in enough workers to call for a strike..."

"And if they refuse to work unless the concession is signed, you won't have a choice," Elisabet finished. 

"Exactly, the restoration of Barren Light must continue." Aloy promised that after the Embassy was over they would look into the quarry sighting, which Javad thanked her for. After that, everyone left to get some sleep. 

Chapter Text

It was early the next morning when the whistle was blown. Ulvund, frustrated that he would have to pay his workers their usual salaries when most of them hadn't even worked for days, had blown it, waking everyone in Chainscrape up. There were loud shouts of swearing as people hurried to get ready for another day in the Daunt, even when the sun hadn't risen yet. This unfortunately meant; "I will not be going anywhere until the Sun has RISEN!" Vaudis yelled at Erend causing him to sigh in disbelief. 

"We'll see you at Barren Light Erend," Aloy said as she and Elisabet went off to investigate where the Bristlebacks had come from. They took a Charger, with Elisabet holding on for dear life while Aloy directed the robotic horse over to the quarry. "Right, Javad said that the Bristlebacks were first spotted west of here."

"Then let's start there," said Elisabet. They got off the Charger and followed the beaten path past the cabins. The signs of stampede were all too obvious; trees were laid bent and snapped in all directions while the ground had been pounded hard by metal hooves. Elisabet gasped in horror when they found a dead Jay chick, having been trampled over by multiple Bristlebacks. She slowly dug a small grave for the poor bird, remembering the accident at the family ranch a millennia prior, when she saw the dead chicks then, burnt to a crisp by her accident. It was as she stood when she saw the Bristleback corpse just below the waterfall. "Aloy, over here." She scanned the machine finding, a burnt-out override module lodged in its spine. Aloy came over and looked at the ground. 

"It looks like it died on impact," the Nora huntress said, confused, "Did it charge off of the waterfall above?" She looked above them. They walked along the path and onto the cliff face, where another Bristleback lay. "This one's override sparked, setting off its Blaze canisters."

"Blaze?" Elisabet repeated, quizzingly. 

"A bio-fuel that Chargers and other machines produce from plants," Aloy explained, "We use it for fire-based weapons and explosives."

"I see." Elisabet looked around the area, finding more signs of the stampede and..."Um, kiddo, take look at that." She pointed at a pair of large wooden, broken doors that were supposed to seal off the cave. 

"An old mine. Is this where the Bristlebacks came from? It doesn't make much sense, why would they be underground...unless this cave leads out of the Daunt." She moved to the doors, examining them thoroughly. "Pinewood, reinforced with machine alloy metals, sealed from the outside, but broken from the inside." She scanned the ground with her focus, finding dozens of Bristleback tracks, leading out of the mine. "We'll need to go inside, but please be careful Elisabet."

"Of course, I'll follow your lead," the scientist replied. Aloy took her first steps into the mine, jumping back as rock fell from the ceiling. "This place looks unstable, we should move quickly Aloy." Her daughter nodded and lead the way forward until they found the ends of the rail tracks broken and leading down into a chasm. "There's a dead Bristleback down there, died on impact like that one from earlier." 

Aloy nodded. "The tracks must have given way, they couldn't hold all the weight from the stampede. We'll need to find another path forward."

"Oh, you mean this one right here," Elisabet asked with a smile, pointing at a path that led below nearby. Aloy followed her down it and into a huge antechamber. "Aloy, Bristlebacks." Lis pointed at the machines that were just below them. 

"I'll take them out," Aloy whispered. She crept to the ledge and leaped onto the back of one of the machines and jabbed her spear into its spine, killing it instantly. She then leapt off of it, rolled across the chamber floor and used a couple of tear arrows to remove the other Bristleback's tusks, bringing it down as well. 

"Nice moves," said Elisabet as she jumped down from the ledge, "Rost must have taught you well."

"He did," Aloy replied. She took a quick sniff of the air, and smelled smoke. She turned, seeing a large cloud of black smoke pouring out from the next tunnel. She Elisabet climbed up the wooden structure and walked into the tunnel, finding that it was blocked off. "Damn it, there's no getting through here."

"Um, Aloy," Elisabet said. Aloy turned to see Elisabet staring at something in second cave nearby. Her eyes widened at the sight off a huge stockpile of Blaze, Blastpaste and other explosive material.

"Holy shit."

-

Captain Okilo sat across from the Oseram woman in the tavern. Both of them were looking at the board in front of them intensely. After Aloy and Elisabet had left to investigate where the Bristlebacks had come from, Talanah had been asked by a pair of Oseram sisters named Delah and Boomer for help in finishing a prototype for a Tenakth weapon called a Spike Thrower. Milu had gone with them to gather the parts, five Charger horns and a Fanghorn's ribcage, while she and Varl stayed in Chainscrape. That was when this woman had challenged her at strike, a Tenakth game similar to chess that both the Utaru and Oseram locals had quickly picked up. After being taught the basics and having to endure three stupid practice matches against her, the woman let Okilo play her in a real game, which was actually a little challenging. Much to her embarrassment, Okilo had lost all but one of her pieces and had backed herself into a corner. She wasn't a quitter however, and was thus stumped on her next move. "Fuck me," she thought. That was when she received the text from Milu. 

Milu: Cap, where are you?

Captain_RobotKiller: Playing Strike in the tavern. Backed myself into a corner. Any tips?

Milu: How many pieces do you have?

Captain_RobotKiller: One, a Burrower.

Milu: Well, you know how each turn you can move once with only two pieces?

Captain_RobotKiller: Yes.

Milu: When you only have one piece however, the second move carries over to the singular piece. 

This caused Okilo to spit out all of the Scrappersap she was drinking all over her opponent and the board. 

Captain_RobotKiller: WHAT?! ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!

Milu: Did your opponent not explain that part?

Captain_RobotKiller: No, she didn't. I just spat Scrappersap everywhere. God damn it. 

Milu: Okay, wait is your name on here "Captain_RobotKiller"?

Captain_RobotKiller: You can change your own and others' usernames in a text group, permissions vary. Travis named me this because my military rank is a Captain and I killed a lot of robots during my service. 

Milu: You mean machines?

Captain_RobotKiller: Tomato, potato. 

Milu: ???

Captain_RobotKiller: Same thing. 

Okilo quickly finished her game, with a win, apologised to her opponent for spraying Scrappersap all over her and the board and was about to leave when Petra arrived at the table, looking rather pissed about something. 

"That dirty, no good, double-dealing con artist," the Forgewoman muttered angrily as she sat down with an ale. 

"Is something wrong Petra?" She asked. 

"Oh hey Captain, as a matter of fact, yes, something is wrong.. I've about had enough of Ulvund and his goons messing up people's livelihoods here," she muttered as swigged down her drink. 

"Oh, what has he done now?" She asked as she folded her arms. 

"A few weeks back, a Stormbird flew over the Daunt. Someone managed to hit it with the Ballista here in town, which caused it to crash into one of those old Carja watchtowers," Petra explained before lowering her voice, "The same day, a group of Shadow Carja refugees showed. They saw the Stormbird crash and declared it was a sign of some kind. Now they've camped out at the trailhead below the tower and won't leave until they find the "Twilight Path" or whatever. But Stormbirds are big, very powerful and dangerous, which means any salvage such as hearts, lenses and nerves and highly valuable and sought after. Tolland Cleanbroker, one of Ulvund's goons and business partners has pestering them to get that salvage, claiming he was the one who shot the Ballista. I tried to get Ulvund to reel him in, but that toad agreed with Tolland and wants that salvage now too." 

"What else can you tell me about these Shadow Carja then?"

"Well they don't call themselves Shadow Carja for one, they're a different brand of sun-crazed, but they only want a place to live and pray and just enough food to keep from starving. Should they ever wise up and salvage what remains of that machine, a Stormbird heart is worth a lot of shards. And if they have it first, by Oseram law, it's theirs. Not that Tolland's ever lost sleep over any law breaking." Petra then went on to explain who Tolland was exactly and why he was as much of a cancer as Ulvund was. Captain Okilo agreed to go with Varl and check up on the Shadow Carja before bidding Petra goodbye and leaving her to finish her drink. 

-

"There's enough Blaze and Blastpaste here to crack the mountain open," Aloy said. 

"Yeah, so what's it all doing in an "abandoned" mine," Elisabet asked. Aloy shrugged but climbed into the hole, soon finding a note on one of the barrels. 

"This note's addressed to Ulvund. This mine was supposed to be shut down but Ulvund must've gotten greedy, kept blasting deeper and deeper into the mountain." Aloy climbed back up and out of the hole where Elisabet was waiting. 

"So Ulvund is responsible for the Bristlebacks coming through here?"

"Yep, but we still don't know their source. We should tell Javad want we found."

"I disagree Aloy, we need more evidence and we need to find the source before we tell Javad. Otherwise we might alert Ulvund and he'll try and cover this up," Elisabet argued. Aloy reluctantly agreed and they both opened up the text chat on their focuses. 

Aloy: Everyone, me and Elisabet found how the Bristlebacks got into the mine, but we've also agreed not tell Javad until we've found their source. 

Talanah: Sounds good to me, what did you find Aloy?

ADMIN [BigMama]: Ulvund's been blasting deep into this old, abandoned mine at the back of the quarry. Somehow, this let the Bristlebacks in and they stampeded out, crushing a locked door and some animals in the process. The materials in here include Blaze and Blastpaste, enough of both to crack the mountain like an egg.

Milu: Holy shit.

Captain_RobotKiller: Looks you two have been busy then. I've accepted a quest from Petra; Ulvund and his pal Tolland Cleanbroker have been harassing a group of Shadow Carja refugees who have set up camp near your location. A Stormbird crashed into the old Watchtower above and they took it as a sign of some kind. I'm going to check on them but if you can help too it would be great.

Aloy: We're on the way. 

[Milu] has changed their name to [CookingQueen]

Aloy: Oh no.

[Talanah] has changed their name to [Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish]

[Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish] has changed [Aloy]'s name to [FlameHairedThrush]

FlameHairedThrush: Damn it Talanah.

Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish: Sorry my beautiful Flame haired Thrush. 

Al0Y_S0B3CK.EXE has stopped responding. 

-

"You have a crush on Talanah, don't you?" Elisabet asked. 

"No, no I don't," Aloy stammered with embarrassment. Elisabet gave her that look, the one with the raised eyebrow. "Yes I do, but she's my friend. I don't want to ruin our friendship...and...I'm bad at feelings."

Her mother raised her eyebrow. "Feelings?"

"Well, it's pretty hard to figure out your feelings and emotions for people after you've been isolated from your own tribe for most of your life, isn't it?"

Elisabet nodded, understanding and empathising with Aloy's social awkwardness. "Come on, let's go and help Cap, Flame cheeked Thrush." The two followed the tracks back out of the mines and towards the refugee camp to find Captain Okilo and some of the refugees trying to hold off a pack of machines while an Oseram clung to the cliff above, laughing. "Hey, you up there! Aren't you going to help?!"

"Not my problem savage, I'm keeping an eye on things for Chainscrape," the goon yelled back. As a Scrounger lunged towards one of the refugees, Aloy shot an arrow at a nearby explosive trap that they had set up, killing the machine. She repeated this tactic, detonating each of the explosives to clear out the nearby machines. Once the machines were all down, Okilo walked over to them. 

"Thanks for the assist there Aloy." 

"No problem Cap." The old world soldier walked over to a woman who was looking over one of her friends for wounds. 

"Is everyone here okay?"

"Bruised, but not buried," the woman answered, "Our order will survive for another day."

"...are you sure about that?" Aloy asked, looking towards fatigued, hungry and injured Carja refugees nearby. 

"We are no strangers to hardship Nora. We have crossed half of the Sundom with nothing more than the clothes on our backs. And as soon as our Sun-Priest returns, our path will be clear. For now we wait."

"Look, not be offensive or anything, you need to wait somewhere else. The town nearby..." Lis began before the woman cut her off, saying that their Sun-Priest, Savohar, had deemed the town not suitable for them. She explained why the group had left the Sundom's eastern reaches, why they didn't return to Meridian after the fall of the Shadow Carja and the Order of Twilight's goal of finding a new home. "Look around at your order. Those machines would've wiped you out if we didn't help. And Oseram thugs are watching you, waiting to strike. You're in danger here. You need to grab Savohar and move out."

The woman, Lokasha, admitted they were in dire straits but couldn't abandon Savohar. Aloy convinced her to let her and Elisabet go and check up on him, which she agreed to, but warned her that the trail was falling apart as a result of years of neglect. Captain Okilo agreed to stay with the refugees in case more machines or Tolland and his goons showed up. With that, Aloy and Elisabet began their ascent up the cliffs and towards the tower. Aloy led the way but was surprised that her mother was also pretty capable at climbing the cliffs. "A...friend of mine took me rock climbing a few times. Don't worry kiddo, I know what I'm doing." As they climbed, they found parts of the neglected trail, including a bridge that had collapsed. On the other side, they found a small pool of blood. "That's a lot of blood," Elisabet observed. 

"Savohar must've punctured a lung or something," Aloy said, "We need to find him and some medical attention. I've got a water skin, some potions and herbs on hand." They followed the trail around the cliff, arriving above a small grassy outcrop with Burrowers and Scroungers creeping around. "Savohar must've crept around these machines. He couldn't have taken them all alone while injured."

"Then do we take them out or sneak by too," Lis asked. 

After some thought, Aloy decided to take some out and place some into a stasis mode using her override module. They crept along the path above before Aloy leapt atop one of the Burrowers below and killed it. She quickly moved to the tall red grass nearby and used her spear to override and place a Scrounger into stasis lock. She snuck around, placing the Scroungers into stasis lock and killing the Burrowers. Once she was done, Elisabet followed her towards the tower where they found Savohar, muttering about the Twilight sun being the true sun and showing him his people's salvation. Aloy was able to arouse his attention by making him drink some water, which he spat out because he needed to be "empty" for the coming vision. Elisabet expressed concern for his own and his people's safety but he continued to rant about the Twilight Path, ignoring them both. Aloy shook her head in disbelief before heading over to the tower, muttering about Priest and their blind faith being the answer to their problems, and retrieved the Stormbird salvage, along with a lens that had been used for the old watchtower. By the time she had returned, however, Savohar had slipped out of consciousness and died. 

Elisabet then got a message from Okilo

Captain_RobotKiller: Doc, Aloy, Tolland's here with a few goons. You better get down here. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: We're on our way. Savohar is dead but we've got the Stormbird salvage. 

When the two got down from the cliffs, they found Captain Okilo and Lokasha standing defiantly in front of Tolland, Luf and the other Oseram goons. "Come on, don't make this difficult. Get out of the way."

"You know, I'm a generous gent. So I'll give on one last chance to make it easy for yourselves and clear out," Tolland said. 

"You're not getting past, Oseram. If you choose violence and bloodshed, it is on your conscience," Lokasha said. 

"Ain't it just like the Carja to make life more difficult than it already was?" Tolland asked his goons, "Alright boys, get consciences ready!" The goons raised their hammers. 

"Hold on a minute Tolland," said Aloy. 

"Oh look boys, it's the Nora savage who bailed out the Carja's beloved king. Listen, me and my friends here are out of patience. I SHOT THAT STORMBIRD, THE SALVAGE IS MINE! And I don't care who gets in the way, Shadow Carja fleabags or Nora savages, I'm taking it!"

"Well from what I hear, the Oseram were the ones who made the law that says that no matter who takes down the machine, whoever takes the salvage first, gets to keep it. Am I right?" Aloy said holding up the Stormbird heart in her hand. Tolland looked furious. 

"You took the heart. THAT'S MI...!"

"Am I right?"

"She's right boss," Luf said.

"Shut up Luf! Okay, fine. Yeah, you know what, I'm doing fine. I don't need that salvage anyhow. But these "people"..." he pointed at Lokasha who looked ready to punch him, "...need all the help they can get. Come on boys, back to Chainscrape."

"Aloy," Lokasha began, "Again, I must thank you. But, did you find Savohar? Is he okay?"

"I'm sorry Lokasha, but he's not coming back. He punctured a lung and died a few minutes ago. He's gone." Lokasha became overwhelmed with grief. "It's now your responsibility to lead your people. They need someone like you. Take this." She handed her the heart. "Go to Chainscrape and speak to Karst and Petra Forgewoman. Sell Karst the Stormbird heart. They'll take care of you and your people until you can get back on your feet."

"Yes, you're right. I know it isn't much, but consider these tokens of our appreciation," Lokasha said as she gave Aloy some animal skins and teeth, "To Chainscrape then."

-

It was about nine o'clock when Varl and Erend arrived with Studious and the Vanguard at Barren Light. To get there on time after the chaotic morning, Varl had taken the opportunity to summon some Chargers. Vaudis had complained constantly as they escorted him to the partially rebuilt fortress. "It's smaller than I imagined," Varl commented when they were within the walls. 

"Agreed on that Varl," Erend said. They both then heard his stomach growl. "I need something to eat."

"I think there's a cook over there," Joruf said. The three left Vaudis to find Commander Nozar and headed to the cook. 

"IT'S RAW!! THE STEAK IS RAW. YOU F*CKING DONKEY!" Varl took a step back as the man yelled at the cook in front off him. "COMPLETELY UNDERCOOKED. I would expect that chefs in this day and age to know how to cook. This isn't the stone age!" Varl then noticed that something was familiar about the man; he spoke in an familar accent and wore clothes that wouldn't have looked out of place on some from the 21st century. Then he turned around and Varl recognised him immediately; it is Travis Tate. The genius programmer behind the HADES subfunction sat down at a nearby table next to a woman in similar clothing. "I'm surprised no one here can cook something right Vegan, that was disgusting and an insult to sirloin steaks."

"You should've gone for the local stew then, instead of shouting at him Travis," Margo Shen responded, messing with her focus interface. 

Varl told Erend to get him some stew, seeing as the cook had butchered the steak before walking off and sending a message to Elisabet and Captain Okilo.

Varl: Might've found just found the Alpha of HADES, Travis Tate and another Alpha at Barren Light. She's someone he called "Vegan"?

ADMIN [BigMama]: That would be Margo, my protégé.

Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish: Protégé?

ADMIN [BigMama]: A personal student. I've taught her everything I know about green robotics, that's why I chose her as Alpha of HEPHEASTUS.

CookingQueen: Then you could say I'm Talanah's protégé. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: Pretty much, yeah. Have you two got that Spikethrower? 

Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish: Yes, we do. It's quite powerful too, especially with the upgrades I've just added. We're now at the ruin me and Aloy found yesterday. There's some kind of relic inside but it seems to need both a "key" and a "code" to get inside. Milu saw something on the outside but we can't reach it from the ground. 

FlameHairedThrush: Wait outside of the main building, I'll come and help you. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: Girls, that ruin used to be the Zion Lodge, a part of the Zion national wildlife park. The door code is...1705...I think. 

Varl: I'm not going ask how you know that.

Captain_RobotKiller: Varl, keep an eye on Tate and Margo but don't approach them. Me and Elisabet will head over now. 

Varl: You got it.

[CookingQueen] changed [Varl]'s name to [BoyNextDoor]

BoyNextDoor: Um, okay. Thanks, I guess?

Chapter Text

Far away from Barren Light, on the borders of the Tenakth and Utaru, a group of the Sky Clan and a Marshal were travelling. It had taken some effort but Marshal Kotallo had managed to convince his old squad, Ram Squad, to carry the Sky Clan's banner and undermine their pompous commander's strict orders to not attend. They would deal with Tekotteh and his bullshit later, all Kotallo wanted to do was to get to Barren Light and see Fashav off. It was going to be hard, moving on from the Carja General's level head and witty banter and his beautiful face but he knew that a long-distance relationship wouldn't work out. He just hoped he would, for once, yield and understand. 

-

"Man, I hope my porn stash is intact," Varl heard Travis mutter from his and Margo's table. 

"I hope, it isn't," she retorted, "I honestly don't understand why you like to watch that stuff."

"It is a form of art, Vegan, not that I would expect you to understand my passions."

"Your passions are eccentric at best and downright illegal at worst."

"Hey, at least I have standards."

"Ha...and what are those."

"Well, paedophilia..."

"OKAY, you've made your point. Let's...let's not go there."

"You asked."

"What are those two talking about," Erend asked, confused. 

"I don't know," Varl replied, "Maybe Elisabet and Cap do."

What's your perspective on this?

"On what?"

"This Old Ones stuff. I thought that, aside from Aloy, all of the Nora shunned all technology. I distinctly remember you and the others praying to All-Mother at Meridian."

"Well, it is certainly world-changing," Varl admitted, "And belief-shattering...that the goddess I prayed to as a child, was just a door with an artificial voice. But it also has benefits. I can see a machine's weak points, components and full capabilities and limitations in seconds. Aloy has created and used extensive tracking and information-gathering tools to solve mysteries and track people down. You can even communicate over vast distances with this little thing." He pointed the Focus on his Temple. "If the Old Ones used this stuff to become as advanced and knowledgeable as they did, we should too. It was our ancestor's birthright to know about the Old World and it was taken away from them...from us by the vain, hubris, pride and greed of one person."

"Do you think I could have one then? Aloy gave one to my sister and Avad while she healed and now you and Talanah have one..."

"I'll ask Aloy. She'll probably agree," Varl replied. Before he could open up the Focus text mode again, a Carja horn sounded. "The Embassy is starting?"

"No, first the Tenakth need to sound their horn too. Give it a minute." They waited a full minute as they finished their stew but heard no reply. "I'm gonna go have a look. See what's up." Erend stood from the table and walked into the main building as Elisabet and Captain Okilo arrived. 

"Varl," said Cap.

"Hey guys, me and Erend were just having some stew because we didn't have breakfast this morning. Travis and Margo are over there," he pointed over at the table, "Erend asked about having a Focus and then went to see when the Embassy's going to start." 

Elisabet acknowledged this and thanked Varl before walking over to the table. "May I sit down here?"

"Sorry, but no, you can't s...shit! LIS?" Travis fell off his seat and onto the floor while Margo blinked several times, mouth agape. 

"Hey, Travis. Margo." Elisabet smiled at them, happy to be reunited with them at last.

"You...you're alive," Margo said, tears welling up as she stood up and bear-hugged her mentor, "We'd thought we lost you."

"Hey, I'm here now. It's going to be okay kiddo."

"But...Ted...Ted wiped the APOLLO archive. It's all gone."

"I know. We'll fix it though, together. We've picked up a few new friends to help."

"We?" Travis repeated, confused. 

"Yes, we Tate," said Captain Okilo as she and Varl came over, "Now get your arse off the ground, you look even more ridiculous than usual." Travis groaned in annoyance but stood up while Margo high-fived Cap. "Guys, this is Varl, one of the Nora tribe far to the east. He's one of those who's helping us rebuild GAIA."

"It is an honour to meet you both," Varl said, "Aloy and Elisabet have told me a lot about you two, both positive and negative."

"Aloy?" Who's that?" Travis asked. 

"My daughter," Elisabet. 

"What?! You don't have a...Lightkeeper Protocol," Margo realised. She congratulated Lis while Travis joked about having a mini Lis running around, much to the former's chagrin and she reminded him not to call Aloy a clone as it would be offensive. They then conversed about the state of GAIA and what they need to do to fix her and the sub-functions. That was when Erend returned, greeting everyone and reporting that the Tenakth Sky clan hadn't shown up yet, thus delaying the Embassy. 

"Dank farrik," Okilo swore. 

"Yeah, what she said," Erend said, clueless to the word's meaning, "We might have a lot of spare time, so I was thinking of going over to practice at the Hunting Grounds," Varl asked if that was a good idea considering the state of his ribs. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do Varl."

"Before we do that," Elisabet said as she opened up her Focus text app and added Travis and Margo to it. She then handed Erend a Focus, which he promptly and accidentally crushed. 

"All-Mother's eyes Erend," Varl exasperated. 

"It wasn't my fault," Erend replied defensively, "The device was....was dainty." This caused Travis to start howling with maniacal laughter. 

Lis shook her head and sent a message to Aloy.

ADMIN [BigMama]: Hey kiddo, how are you getting along? We've linked up with Travis and Margo but the Embassy won't start yet so we're heading to the Hunting Grounds. 

-

FlameHairedThrush: We're getting there. I've got the key but it required some heavy lifting to get to it. According to the data Talanah found, they're called Ornaments and apparently, there are more out there, further west. We'll meet you at the grounds then. 

After she had answered her mother's message, Aloy started inputting the code. "17. 0. 5. Got it!" The door opened up, allowing her to pick up the Ornament. 

"Have you got the Ornament Aloy?" Talanah asked from below.

"Ye...yeah," the Nora huntress stuttered as she put the Gizmo away into her pouch. She then jumped down, onto the floor. "Right, the others have gone the Hunting Grounds, let's head over there."

"Wait, what about the other towers?" Milu asked, stopping Aloy and Talanah in their tracks. "There could be more of those lenses up there."

"We can have a look later Milu, after the Embassy," said Aloy. Milu looked down in sadness. "But when we do, I promise that I will tell you more about my adventures in the Cut." This got the young Utaru huntress excited and the three headed west along the river and towards the Hunting Grounds. As they walked, Aloy got several notifications as Erend and Margo discussed stuff about the focus. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: SO THESE VISIONS... ARE WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN OR SOMETHING?

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Yes and no. They show information about the world in various subjects such as food recipes and ingredients, literature, fashion, culture, artwork, etc. You can also listen to music and play video games on it. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: MUSIC HUH? NOW THAT SOUNDS FUN. 

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Aloy also added her own software from what I can find. This particular one has an entire list of every machine she's encountered in the wilds and all their components, functions and weaknesses. Kinda reminds me of how a certain anime superhero would write journals on the strengths and weaknesses of Pro Heroes.

Erend Vanguardsmen: OKAY. THAT'S...COOL. WHAT'S A SUPERHERO?

VEGAN#ShennyShen: It's a heroic character in fiction who possesses a unique skill or supernatural ability known as a superpower. They were very popular in the 20th and 21st centuries with hundreds of different franchises and millions of superheroes and other characters. They typically fought against supervillains and other evil forces, though some would deal with lower-level crime and some were even part of national militaries. It kinda depended on the universe you were reading about. The most prominent was DC Comics' trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman and Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, Iron Man and Captain America, but were also stuff like Invincible, The Boys, My Hero Academia, Ben 10 and many more. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: THAT SOUNDS AWESOME. AND WHAT'S AN ANIME?

VEGAN#ShennyShen: I'll send you some links. 

Chapter Text

The choking stench of smoke stung Elisabet's eyes as she and an injured Fashav watched her daughter clash blade-to-blade with Regalla's champion, Grudda. The exiled Tenakth warrior was unlike any combatant she had seen before and yet Aloy was holding her own, using her Pullcaster to leap from pole to pole and occasionally dropping to the ground to place a shock tripwire which the brutish goliath of a man ran through, disabling his shield and allowing Aloy to deal out a flurry of strikes which tore off pieces of his armour before launching back into the air to avoid his wide slashing attacks. The display of ingenuity had stunned all of the onlookers including the Tenakth rebels and surviving Marshals. Her mind was also still processing the horrifying scene that had transpired only a few minutes before; she decided to think back to before the chaos started, to when the group had all met up at the nearby Hunting Grounds...

-

30 minutes ago...

"A mini Lis. And here I thought this shit couldn't get any weirder," Travis said. 

"Weird...that is certainly a word for all of this," Cap replied as the group watched Aloy take on the Shock and Trap trial. From the ZD Alpha of MINERVA's observations, these Hunting Ground trials were relatively easy to complete and the less time it took for someone to complete the trial the better the rewards would be upon completion. Along with some shards and an assortment of machine parts, Aloy had been given a small amount of Carja medals that the Tenakth had previously looted. Those who had enough of these medals would be able to trade them for some powerful gear at the Tenakth's capital. There were three more hunting grounds somewhere in the wilds of the Forbidden West. While she initially wanted to have a go at the trials herself, she decided that she would after the Embassy was over as they only had time for Talanah, then Erend and finally Aloy to try out the trials. 

According to Talanah, who had completed the trials first, the Hunter's Lodge used Hunting Grounds like this one back in the Sundom to train aspirants of the Lodge and the Banuk who lived to the north of Aloy and Varl's homeland had a similar tradition. 

Looking to her right, Cap saw Margo showing Erend and Varl the old world's obsession with anime and manga; the robotics engineer had the entirety of the first three seasons of the My Hero Academia anime on her focus (she was wondering how none of the files had been corrupted but Travis, Elisabet and Catalina probably all had something to do with that). Aloy climbed up and out of the Hunting Grounds, having completed the trial. "Excellent job saviour," the groundskeeper, Izvad said, "You've earned this reward." He handed over several boxes full of components and medals. 

"I think we're done here," said Elisabet, "Surely the Embassy should be starting soon."

"Yeah, let's get back to Barren Light." Aloy agreed. 

"Hey, why do we need to speak with these Tenakth Marshals exactly," Travis asked as they walked away from the grounds.

"We need a... rite of passage to travel into the Forbidden West. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I'd rather not have to avoid them trying to kill us for trespassing on their lands," Elisabet explained. 

"Very territorial then?" Margo asked. 

"Oh yeah. According to the old scrolls in Meridian, they killed a previous Sun King and stole his prized bow as a trophy, after he and a large group of the Sundom's military went to explore the Forbidden West," Talanah said, "I agree with Aloy's mom, I prefer having my organs on the inside of my body thank you very much." Elisabet felt tempted to remind the Carja huntress to call her by name but she decided against it. 

"Plus, they drink blood," Erend says.

"That was an old tradition that the new chief has outlawed," Milu said. 

"Regardless, we need that rite of passage. Aloy, myself and Cap will speak with them. With their culture being based on the USA's military doctrine, having a soldier familiar with their ways should smooth things over." Elisabet said. Despite being on loan from the Nigerian military to Herres, Okilo had studied up on the US's doctrine as a hobby during the Faro Plague and knew plenty of secret traditions and gestures that she and Elisabet were confident that having her talk with the Tenakth would be a lot better than being complete outsiders. "Once we have the rite of passage, our next objective will be to get to the LATOPOLIS."

"Ratopolis?! I don't like Rats! They creep m..." Erend began.

"Not Ratopolis my loud friend, LATOPOLIS. It's an old F.A.S. research facility that was used to create and test powerful cyber warfare programs. During the development of ZD, it was converted into a proving laboratory for testing my subfunction," Travis explained, "It's also where me and Lis developed our little present for Far Zenith." The genius programmer let out a few chuckles. Aloy gave a look. "What's wrong Mini Lis?"

"I thought that was an actual backup of GAIA!"

"Oh, sorry. I put on a good performance right?"

"Travis!" yelled Margo. The HADES Alpha started laughing again. 

"Children, I'm surrounded by children," Cap muttered in annoyance. 

"Once we have the backup, we'll need a base of operations. Luckily, there's a Zero Dawn facility not far from Plainsong. One of the regional control centres where a group of people would help GAIA monitor the region to assist in rebuilding and supporting the biosphere. And it's right on top of another facility; a repair bay," Lis explained. 

"Repair bay," Erend repeated, eyebrow raised. 

"Think one of those Cauldrons but smaller and instead of building from scratch, it's designed to repair them from damage or when parts are clogged up during operations," Margo explained. 

"The Land God festivals," Milu said. Everyone turned to her. "There are these twelve Plowhorns my tribe call the "Land Gods". For years, they have been providing us with bountiful harvests. Every month, one of them used to head into the "sacred cave" beneath the mountain and twelve days later they would re-emerge, blessing marks and plant stains washed. We used to celebrate each cycle with a week-long festival."

"The "Sacred Cave" sounds like the Repair Bay," said Margo. 

"And these "Land Gods" are likely part of one of the automated farms you designed to provide each control centre with food. Without anyone there, the Plowhorns just kept growing the food and when the Utaru moved in and took the harvest for themselves, they just kept going," Lis finished. 

"That means my tribe's been stealing your food," Milu said, blushing and rubbing the back of her head. 

"No, no it's fine. It's good that someone used it, considering what happened, because of Ted."

"I'm guessing that these festivals stopped when the derangement started," Erend said. 

"Yeah, over time the Land Gods started to stop going to the Sacred Cave for repairs which slowed down and worsened the output of the crops," Milu explained, "Not long after the Carja started the Red Raids and now the blight has infested the fields. Considering how far it has spread East, I shudder to think how drastically it has affected the harvests back home."

"In that case, it is our number one priority once we secure GAIA," Cap said. They all entered the fortress encampment again, reuniting with Varl, who had stayed behind to upgrade some of his gear, Karst and Petra, who had both come down from Chainscrape to get away from Ulvund for a few hours and keep an eye on operations for Javad. 

"I'm going to go and have another chat with Nozar, get the gate open," said Aloy. Liz nodded and stood by the others. 

"So, we're doing this."

"About damn time, I'd say," Karst said. 

"Yeah, Vuadis is probably shaking in his..."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Everyone turned their attention to the balcony above. Varl leaned over to Erend. 

"How much do you want to bet that Aloy's in trouble again."

"He, that's hardly a fair bet Varl," his friend replied. 

"...YOU SHALL NOT!" Aloy came walking down the ramps at pace, looking annoyed and headed to the gate. 

"Open the gates please."

"Do not let her through the gates. THAT IS A DIRECT ORDER!" Nozar yelled. 

"But commander, it's the Saviour," Captain Lawan said, looking like he was enjoying this a little too much.

"I DON'T CARE IF ITS THE DOWAGER QUEEN HERSELF, CAPTAIN! THE GATES STAY SEALED UNTIL THAT HORN BLOWS!"

"Does this happen often," Margo asked. 

"You mean Aloy in trouble; yeah, almost all the time," Karst quipped. 

"What exactly is going on?" Okilo asked, confused. 

"Oh, you know, the usual. Aloy wants to do something important and someone's trying to stop her," Erend summed up, "It's not gonna work."

"THAT'S IT, ARREST HER!" Nozar yelled. 

"I'd like to see you try," Aloy shouted back. 

"Shouldn't we do something," Liz asked, not wanting to see her daughter get arrested. 

"Supporting fire," Talanah suggested. 

"Oh yeah, I'm all locked and loaded," Erend, stepping forward and craning his head up. "HEY NOZAR! You stupid bastard. Do you really think you have the authority to keep that gate shut in the face of the Saviour of Meridian? What do you think will happen once this gets back to Avad, huh? He'll promote you for doing such a good job that you'd arrest one of his friends for doing her job?" Nozar banged his fist on the railings and turned away from the scene. "Open the gates, boys."

-

"Shall we let you do the talking, Cap?" Liz asked as she, Cap and Aloy exited the fortress. 

"Yeah, I think it's best that she leads," Aloy said, "Just be weary, these guys will probably also be on edge with the missing banner."

"Got it." The three began to head towards the gathered Tenakth who were standing on one side of a ruined gatehouse. One of the fully armoured Marshals saw them approaching and pointed them out to their comrades. There were about fourteen Marshals in total, all looking anxious and unruly. Three of the Marshals stepped to the line in front; two women and one man. 

"HOLD!" The man shouted when they met. He pointed his jagged blade at the line. "This line represents the border between east and west; cross and you will die."

Okilo raised her hand in salute and then brought it out in a move of greeting. "We've not come to fight, Marshal. Only to parley."

After a moment of silence, one of the female Marshals spoke. "You know the parley sign?"

The other woman, the first's twin from the sound of it, spoke. "You don't look Tenakth and...that arm...it's made of metal." All of the Marshals behind turned and looked at the three. "Who are you three? What do you want?"

"I'm Captain Ayomide Okilo, a soldier of another tribe; my friends and I came to see if anything was wrong and ask for something."

"Are you a member of the Ten?" The woman on the right spoke. 

"Marshal Vintalla!" The man spoke, angry. 

"I...was just curious, High Marshal Javveh."

"The Ten," Okilo repeated, "Who are they?"

"Only the greatest warriors of the Old World," the now-identified Javveh said, "They fought a mighty battle against machines in our homeland and dived through the air, to vanquish their enemies."

"JTF-10. The Hot Zone crisis," Elisabet muttered. Aloy looked at her, unsure and curious. "I'll explain later."

"What is it that you want to ask?"

"Doctor," Okilo said, turning to Elisabet. 

"We need something that is near your territory, something that will save lives, many lives. We need safe passage," Elisabet explained.

"That isn't something we can just give you, unfortunately," Javveh said. 

"The Carja can't be trusted, this is known," another Marshal behind Javveh said. 

"Not this again," Vintalla muttered, shaking her head. 

"This isn't about the Carja!" Aloy spoke up, getting angry. She stepped up to the very edge of the line. "We need to go west to save more lives than just two tribes. This entire..."

"The only lives you can save are your own, by turning back, child. And take that freak of nature with you!" The Marshal pointed at Okilo, who looked very offended at that. 

"Marshal Sentekka!" Javveh began. 

"High Marshal." Another Marshal called out from the back of the group. He brushed through the group to the front. "You can relax my friends. They aren't Carja, they're Nora from the Savage East. And if they seek to save lives, then should we not listen? Let me speak to them, as one more favour between Marshals." Javveh nodded and he and Vintalla headed back to the group. Sentekka also returned to her spot but kept her eyes on the trio. Only the other female Marshal and the new face remained. 

"Sorry about Sentekka there, everyone's a little on edge," the woman said, "I'll leave them to you Marshal Fashav."

"Fashav, you're Avad's cousin right," Aloy asked. 

"That's me, at your service. And you are the fearless, flame-haired Nora, capable of impossible things," the Carja-Tenakth Marshal said, "The so-called "Saviour of Meridian", herself."

"Just Aloy is fine," Aloy said, "Avad gave me a message; He awaits for you in Meridian, where you "belong"."

"Ah, dear Avad. I haven't seen him in many years now. He's always been, so polite. Now I'm even more curious about you and your companions, seeing as you have the confidence of the Sun King. But such an association with the Carja can work against you out west... as it often was for me. Tensions are high - this Embassy is a delicate affair. I'm about to return to the Sundom, in a political move that should smooth over painful grievances. And now, you arrive, with someone who knows the parley sign and yet is not a Tenakth."

"Captain Okilo is from another tribe. She learned of the gesture from studying Old World military doctrine. It is simply a coincidence that the Tenakth's own culture is based on that doctrine," lying was better than explaining the whole truth, as it would take too much time to explain everything to Fashav. Plus, it was only half of a lie. "We just need to go west."

Fashav said that he might be able to help but he would need to know why before he could do so. Aloy explained to him how she had saved Meridian and the world from a demon who was manipulating the Shadow Carja. In return, Fashav explained how he came to serve among the Tenakth Marshals and the tribe's culture and society. After they were finished with their respective stories, Fashav granted her the Rite of Passage and recommended that she speak to Hekarro. It was after they were finished that the Sky clan finally arrived, led by another Marshal. 

"Kotallo," Javveh said, saluting. 

"High Marshal," Kotallo returned the salute, "It wasn't easy but I managed to get the Sky clan to follow me here."

"What the commander, we all know what he's like?" Vintalla asked. There were a few mutters of discontent among the assembled Marshals. Kotallo just smiled right back - a cheeky smile. "What did you do?"

"We... might have left without his knowledge," he replied. The muttering was replaced with grins and snickering; Javveh even cracked a small smirk. "We have all the banners now, let's..." He noticed Aloy and the other two. "Who are...?"

"Later beloved, later," Fashav whispered to him, "We still doing it?" The general got an affirmative nod. "Can't wait to see Nozar's face."

"Alright, enough jokes - sound the horn!" Javveh said, raising a fist towards the regular Tenakth soldiers at the encampment nearby. A Sky clan soldier lifted a large horn onto his back and blew into it, signalling to the Carja that they were ready. Aloy, Okilo and Elisabet stood away to the side on the east side of the line as Vuadis and Commander Nozar exited the fortress; the sun priest looked very uneasy, a sentiment shared by some of the Carja soldiers. Two of the soldiers were carrying a large chest which likely contained valuable resources and Tenakth tags from dead soldiers. They set the chest down on the line and Fashav, Kotallo, Vintalla and her sister all stepped forward. 

"Studious Vuadis," Fashav said, "This makes things even sweeter." Vintalla and her sister looked away and the Tenakth all wore massive grins and smirks as Kotallo and Fashav locked arms and kissed...right in front of the bewildered Sun Priest and stupefied Commander. 

STUDI0US_VAUD1S.EXE stopped responding.

C0MMAND3R_N0ZAR.EXE stopped responding. 

Aloy and Elisabet tried to contain their laughter...and failed miserably. 

"FASHAV!!!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to the cliff above the plateau. A Tenakth woman with dark skin and greying hair stepped forward. Her armour was black, green and blood red. She carried a large, jagged, wooden sword in her hands. "Hear me, Marshals! You who claim to be Tenakth!" 

"By the sun," Fashav said, annoyed, "Regalla."

"Who?" Aloy asked. 

"The former High Marshal, Hekarro's second and his biggest mistake. She's a rival... whom he should've killed." 

"You forget...our tribe was born in blood, the blood of the Carja. Instead of exacting our righteous vengeance on them and their pitiful tribe, you conspire with a weak chief to fight for something as disgusting as peace. Hekarro has betrayed what it means to be Tenakth, this Embassy is proof. And the idea of an outsider wearing our inks, our armour is sacrilege. For this, I condemn you all to death!" 

"Great, just what we need; another bloodthirsty tyrant wanting to take out their anger on the Carja and plunge the tribes into yet another bloody war," Erend said over the focus network. Aloy couldn't help but agree; while she personally hadn't been affected by the Red Raids, she had seen what vengeance did to those filled with unwavering hatred and she'd experienced some of it herself. 

"You are going to need more than just toothless threats to intimidate us, exile!" Javveh yelled in defiance. Kotallo spat on the ground, trying to anger the former High Marshal. They were all shocked to see a Clawstrider walk forwards beside the exiled warrior, and not move to attack her. Instead, it let out a bellowing shriek. All of the Marshals, Aloy and Captain Okilo drew their weapons in response. Regalla smirked and climbed onto the Clawstrider's back. 

"Lancers, FORM UP!" From behind Regalla, more Tenakth appeared, all wearing the same black, green and red armour but there were also a few Oseram, Nora, Utaru and Banuk, some riding Clawstriders and Broadhorns and others riding Bristlebacks; all these exiles, wearing the same black, green and red colours. 

"They're... they're riding machines," Nozar said in disbelief. 

"Where did they learn to do that?" Okilo asked. 

"Sylens," Aloy answered, "That idiot."

Nozar asked Fashav to come with them but he responded with a sharp and authoritative "No. Take Vaudis back to the fortress and send out as many troops as you can." Nozar nodded and led his men back to the gates. Regalla ordered for her archers to fire on the group below and sent a group of Tenakth and Oseram riders to run down the fleeing Carja. Flaming arrows rained down, striking and killing five of the Marshals. Vintalla and her sister both drew their war bows and fired, taking out a couple of the rebels in return. The regular Tenakth soldiers noticed what was going on and rushed over from the camp to help cover the Marshals but were cut off as a Nora rebel slung a fire bomb into the tall, dry grass on that section of the plateau, setting the area ablaze and forcing the soldiers to stay back. The rebels on the left flank caught up with the Carja soldiers and easily picked them off, one by one. Nozar went down fighting while Vaudis was shot in the back with flaming arrows as he tried desperately to get through the gates. 

-

Inside the fortress, things were not doing so well either. A group of masked men had arrived with corrupted machines and a few Corruptors, attempting to get through the gate themselves and escape to the west. Erend, Varl and Talanah recognised them as members of the Eclipse, the Shadow Carja cult that had served HADES. The Vanguard and some of the Oseram labourers were busy trying to fend them off and stop them from escaping over the battlements. Varl and Talanah were dealing with the Corruptors when the ground began to shake. From the forest to the south came the horrifying sight of a fully intact Deathbringer and more Eclipse Cultists and Shadow Carja Kestrals. The ancient war machine fired a flurry of missiles at the left battlements, a part of the structure that was only recently erected and still being worked on, leaving a large hole that the Eclipse were able to escape through, only to be met by the Tenakth and Oseram rebels outside. The battle quickly became a free-for-all amongst various sides and got even more out of control when the Corruptors bypassed the Rebel's override codes and turned some of the left flank's machine mounts against them. Talanah met back up with Erend and the others as they tried to keep the Deathbringer from passing through and unleashing hell upon Marshals and Rebels alike. 

"What's the game plan?" Margo asked. 

"We need to overheat the Deathbringer and Corruptors, then deal with the Rebels' machines. With any luck they will all be busy fighting each other," Talanah replied. 

"That's the best plan I've heard all day," Erend said. 

"You might need this," Karst said. He handed to the Oseram Captain Aloy's Banuk Forgefire. "Aloy gave this to me, along with all of her other old gear, for safekeeping. It should easily overheat that ancient wreck. Be careful with it though, there are plenty of fires already." Erend nodded in gratitude. There was a crash as the Deathbringer smashed through the worker's camp. Erend gritted his teeth, flipped the weapon around 180 degrees and fired. The fireball hit its target; The Deathbringer's coolant vents opened up, allowing Varl and Talanah to destroy a few of them. Once the Deathbringer had cooled down, it fired its machine guns at them as it smashed through the stalls, towards the opening in the wall. "Oh fucking hell."

-

Back on the west side, Aloy and Okilo were helping the Marshals fend off the rebels. One of the Corruptors had made it through the walls but was damaged heavily and attacking randomly before an Oseram rebel fired a flurry of fire arrows into it, taking it down. Regalla sent down her right flank, made up of mostly Tenakth machine riders and a few Nora exiles. The Tenakth soldiers that had escorted the Marshals had managed to use Purgewater to put out the fires near their encampment and join the Marshals. "Stick to cover," Javveh told them, "Archers on the ridge."

"I see 'em, High Marshal; taking a shot," Okilo responded before opening fire with her modified rifle, taking out more of the archers. Vintalla also fired, taking out one more Sharpshooter. As the rebel riders came down, Aloy used her Tripcaster to lay down some Shock tripwires in a perimeter around the gate; riders and their mounts who came too close were electrified and stunned, allowing some Marshals to finish them off. As the fighting continued, the Marshal's numbers dwindled to only Javveh, Kintalla, her sister, Kotallo and Fashav. Fashav was hit by an arrow in his abdomen, which he was trying to remove. Elisabet grabbed and dragged him back into cover. 

"Stop struggling, if you remove the arrow, you'll die," she said. 

"But if I don't I'll die," Fashav said. 

"Cap, I need cover," Elisabet said as she attempted to help the Carja Marshal. 

"I'm almost out of ammo Doc," Okilo responded. "And that Kopesh is getting awfully close for comfort."

The Deathbringer had made its way through the battlements and was slaughtering the left flank of Regalla's forces as it stomped forward. Behind them, however, the gate opened, allowing Carja soldiers, the Vanguard and the rest of their group to charge out and begin a counterattack. Up on the battlements, Petra had appeared with one of her signature cannons which she unleashed upon the Deathbringer; instead of regular bombs, they were filled with acid, which ate through its already worn-down armour with ease so that someone could destroy it, which Talanah did by firing a Spike into its central coolant. 

A yell of agony took everyone's attention. Javveh had been hit by two arrows and fallen to the ground. Kotallo had picked up a fallen comrade's spear and threw it at the rebel rider, killing them, but the Bristleback she was riding charged into the Sky clan Marshal. His armguards took the brunt of the impact but then the machine opened its jaws and the saw blades inside ripped through his right arm. Skin, flesh, muscle and bone were torn away before Aloy plunged her spear into the machine's side and pushed the corpse away. "ENOUGH!!!" One of the Tenakth Rebels on the ridge above yelled. He was riding one of the Bristlebacks which was standing right next to Regalla's Clawstrider. "YOU! Outlanders! I will skin you alive!" Aloy and Okilo stepped forward, protecting their allies and Elisabet as she worked on Fashav's wound. The remaining Rebels all gathered at the ridge, watching in silence. The ones still on the plateau backed off as the large man jumped off the ridge and glided down on a Shellwalker's modified shield. He landed before the two of them, shield held in front of him for protection and a large blade drawn. Aloy told Okilo to help Javveh and Kotallo. "You think you can defeat me alone, little girl?"

"I know I can," Aloy responded as she scanned his armour, revealing that the shield could be overloaded by shock and his armour was weak to Acid attacks. The man, Grudda, lunged at her, swiping with his blade but Aloy leapt out of the way and used her Pullcaster to grapple onto a nearby pole and leapt upwards with the momentum as Grudda smashed into and destroyed the pole, only slash her own blade down his back, creating and opening. She then began leaping from pole to pole, dropping down and setting up a quick tripwire. Grudda charged right into them, overloading his shield and stunning him, allowing Aloy to stab into his back with her spear while he was down before leaping away again as he got back up, but not before firing a barrage of acid arrows into his back, which started to corrode his armour. Everyone was enraptured by the battle, even as the fires continued to burn and the choking black smoke stung their eyes and burned their noses.

Aloy had Grudda on the backfoot as she clashed her blade against his. She lifted the handle up, bashing off his helmet and stunning him before twisting around and stabbing him through the throat, just as she did to Helis, killing the Tenakth champion. The Rebels howled in anger. "Don't like that huh? NOW IT'S YOUR TURN! Come down here and face me," she challenged. Some of the Rebels wanted to charge in and take her at the challenge but they stood down when Regalla and an Oseram in a mix of Oseram and Tenakth armour both raised their fists. 

"No, it was an honourable challenge. You've earned your life today," Regalla responded to Aloy, clearly impressed by her skill. Some of the other Rebels looked at her in shock, anger or interest. "Comrades! Mark this day. You have decimated the Marshals. Slaughtered the Carja. So begins our war on Hekarro and those from beyond! Move out!" The Rebels all left, leaving Aloy to pick up the pieces of another massacre. The gates of Barren Light opened and Carja soldiers and medics hurried out, led by Talanah, Erend and Lawan. Erend went over to Elisabet and Okilo and helped them both carry a barely alive Fashav the Unyielding to the gates. Vintalla, Kenirra and the Tenakth soldiers did the same for Kotallo and Javveh when Lawan approached them. They talked for a moment and Vintalla nodded and the Tenakth all began taking what little they had left into the damaged fortress. 

Aloy stood at the top of the plateau, looking out towards No Man's Land. Her emotions were running high and the battle she had just endured reminded her of the Proving. Her breathing began to become shallower and faster as she remembered Vala and Bast and the other newly christened Braves being shot down by the Eclipse cultists. Before any real panic set in, a familiar hand was placed on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. She turned to meet Talanah who pulled her into a hug. 

Chapter Text

The Fortress of Barren Light was in chaos following the massacre. The death toll was mortifying; 10 of Hekarro's Marshals, 3 Tenakth escorts, Commander Nozar, Studious Vuadis, 4 Carja senior Officers, 2 members of the Vanguard, Telga and Aldur, 20 Oseram labourers and 10 Carja soldiers were all dead, bringing the total to 48 dead among their side. The Eclipse and Shadow Carja force that attempted to break out into the west had been decimated with only a few lucky survivors fleeing into No Man's Land as planned and the rest still stuck in the Daunt, heavily injured and with a serious hit to their morale; their dead bodies were still being counted but were estimated to be around 30-35 Meanwhile Captain Okilo estimated that Regalla's Rebels had only lost about twenty-eight of their own forces in the attack. The total number of dead from either side was just above 106. How many more would be lost in the ensuing conflict?

News of the attack spread to Chainscrape in no time; family members of the dead labourers were flocking in to retrieve the bodies and Ulvund was there, trying to use the incident to further his agenda of having the concession decree signed until an annoyed Erend chased him out. Javad had also shown up and was assessing the damage with the now-acting Commander Lawan, Karst and Petra. Because the Tenakth camp on the edge of the plateau had been burnt to a pile of ashes, the remaining escorts and Marshals had been brought into the fortress where Okilo, Milu and Elisabet were assisting the Carja medics in healing the injured. Both Fashav and Javveh were resting after the arrows had been removed from their bodies and the slash marks the High Marshal had received during the battle had been cleaned and sewn shut. Kotallo's arm had been fully amputated and bandaged and he too was having to rest. Kenirra and Vintalla were the least injured and were helping to move the dead bodies of their comrades and the Carja soldiers to the morgue so they could be transported back to the Memorial Grove and Meridian respectively. 

-

"You wanted to see us, Commander?" Javveh said four hours later. The Gaia Gang, Lawan, Tenakth Marshals and Petra were all seated around the table in the tavern at Barren Light. Petra had asked the strike players to leave while the group had their meeting. 

"I know this isn't the place for a meeting but with both camps destroyed and the damage the fortress having sustained, this was the best we could do. This is protocol for any major events; we need to know what happened and what we can do moving forward. So, what do we know?"

"At the sixteenth hour of the day the Embassy began after Marshal Kotallo arrived from the Sky clan's territory with the banner and escorts," Javveh recounted, "The Carja Sun Priest began presiding over the Embassy with a speech, which was interrupted by Regalla."

"And who is Regalla?" Aloy asked. She gestured to Fashav. "You said she was Hekarro's greatest mistake?"

"She's a member of the Desert clan and their former commander," Fashav explained, "She later left and became the first High Marshal of Hekarro's new Tenakth tribe. When the Carja under my uncle, Jiran, raided the Tenakth for blood sacrifices, her brothers were the first casualties."

"I was there," said Javveh, "They were burnt at the stake. In retribution, Regalla wanted to burn down the entire Carja tribe and make them suffer as she did. Initially, this was favourable to Hekarro and he made her his second-in-command, his General, the only General in Tenakth history. When Fashav was captured, she of course wanted to execute him but instead, he asked to compete in the Kulrut and he succeeded. Ever since, she's been out for his blood. The final straw though was when a messenger from the Carja arrived, proclaiming that the Sundom had been liberated by Avad and that they wanted to reconcile. She did not like that."

"What happened?" Elisabet asked. 

"She challenged Hekarro to duel for leadership of the Tenakth and lost. He should've killed her there and then but... he spared her. So she swore revenge and now it seems, her message of wiping out the Carja has reached other exiles' ears."

"There weren't just Tenakth among those Rebels, but also Oseram, Banuk and Nora. Surprisingly, there was no Utaru from what I saw but it wouldn't surprise me if a few did join them," Erend said. 

"Aloy," Elisabet began, uneasy, "What do you think of the possibility that Ulvund was involved."

"Ulvund, how would he be involved?" Petra asked. 

"Who is Ulvund?" Kenirra asked. 

"That Oseram who showed up at Barren Light earlier. He's trying to get Magister Javad to sign a concession decree that would turn parts of the Daunt into Oseram holdings, despite them being on Carja territory," Petra explained, "He basically wants lots of power and wealth. But how does this relate to the attack."

"The Bristlebacks that attacked the Daunt were the same ones the Rebels were using," Aloy said, "Yesterday me and Elisabet went to investigate where they were first seen in the Daunt. At the back of the quarry is an old mine that Ulvund has been blasting into. He's been using a large stockpile of explosive material to blast further into the mountain. We found enough down there to crack the mountain open like an egg." 

"That greedy... urgh, he's going on about how the Carja are responsible for those machines getting in and ruining his operations when it was himself doing it," Petra angrily said. 

"Yeah, it probably opened up a sinkhole."

"Regalla and her ilk probably set up a forward outpost in preparation for the attack," Javveh summed up, "The missing answers must be there." Lawan nodded and used his quill to mark out the most likely area based on what direction Regalla and the Rebels left in. 

"I believe this is where we will find the outpost," he said. 

"We'll investigate the location. Now onto the matter of the Eclipse," Aloy said. 

"I thought we defeated them at Meridian," Varl said. 

"Obviously some were able to escape justice," Erend said, "That's not happening this time."

"We'll avenge your fallen comrades, but we need to know where those bastards are," Vintalla said. 

"I might be able to help with that," Lawan said, "A month ago, another group of what I can now assume were Eclipse stormed through Barren Light during a change of guard. They slipped through the gate and didn't cause any trouble. Nozar reprimanded the sentries and doubled the guard to be sure nothing happened in the lead-up to the Embassy. A day before the Bristlebacks appeared, one of our soldiers, Conover, killed another, Laruvik, on the bank of the river going through the fortress. He explained he had spotted Laruvik leaving his post and followed him to the bank of the river and saw the sentry conversing with someone behind a brush of foliage. He got a little too close and was spotted; Laruvik tried to murder him but Conover killed him in self-defence instead. We didn't have any physical evidence of the Eclipse and since Conover didn't deny killing Laruvik, Nozar sentenced him to death."

"Aloy, why don't you go with Talanah to investigate the outpost's location," said Elisabet. Aloy's face went red with surprise while Talanah smiled and nodded. 

"You can count on us, Elisabet," the Sunhawk said. She grabbed Aloy by the hand and led her out. 

"She's pining after your daughter and she's in denial," Kenirra observed. 

"Oh, she's not in denial. Aloy's just not experienced with being social and dealing with feelings," Elisabet said, "Lawan, if you don't mind, I want a word with this Conover; hear his side of the story and head up the initial investigation. With any luck, we might find the last of the Eclipse and a clue to where the others went." Lawan nodded and left too. 

"Is there anything me and Erend can do?" Varl asked. 

Elisabet glanced in Milu's direction. "As you mention, could you boys accompany Milu to each of the old Carja watchtowers around the valley and help retrieve the lenses for Rahnar?"

"You can count on us Dr Sobeck," Erend said. 

"Just call me Elisabet, Erend." The boys and Milu left and the Tenakth Marshals left too. "Petra, can I talk to you regarding a few things?"

"Sure thing flame hair. What do you need?"

"For one, we need a saddle for our mounts..."

-

"I think this is it," said Aloy as she and Talanah saw a camp with the colours of the Tenakth rebels. Aloy was wearing her Nora Silent Hunter Master. They dismounted their Chargers and snuck towards the ridge overlooking the camp. "Pens with Chargers. This must be where Regalla has been storing her machines." 

"No Bristlebacks though," Talanah pointed out, "But there's that cave over there. Maybe what we seek is in there?" Aloy nodded. "So, how are we getting in?" Aloy gestured to the stream below them, which ran right into the base. "There's a sentry. I'll take them out with this." Talanah took out a Sharpshot arrow with a spike on the end. She crouched down, took aim at the Tenakth rebel and fired. The arrow pierced through the sentry's helmet and then their head like a bolt action sniper round, killing them instantly, and then came out the other side of their head and sliced through the rope holding up the drawbridge, causing it to drop. "I...meant to do that." Aloy rolled her eyes before silently dropping down and into the stream. 

"Stay up there and take out the rest of the guards, I'll take a look inside the pens," Aloy said before pulling her scarf over the lower half of her face and began to sneak towards the cave. Talanah aimed again, this time at the machine rider who was coming to investigate the sudden drop of the drawbridge; she fired two in as quick of a succession as possible to take out both the rider and the machine they were riding. Once they were both down, she saw Aloy climb up from the stream below and sneak into the cave. Talanah took out both of the other two Tenakth guards, who were discussing something between themselves. Once they were down, she headed over to a dead tree that was bending over the ridge. With a grunt of effort, the Sunhawk pushed it over, creating a bridge which she used to get into the outpost proper. 

She finished off her work by taking out the remaining Chargers in their pens, just as Aloy came out of the cave. "Well?"

"I've confirmed our suspicions," Aloy said, "The Bristlebacks that were being stored here fell into a sinkhole which had barrels of Blaze among the rubble. There's also a tunnel below that likely connects the sinkhole to the abandoned mine Ulvund was using. His blasting opened up the sinkhole, releasing the Bristlebacks into the underground caverns, which they followed and out into the Daunt. And because the Rebels likely programmed their overridden machine to attack those not wearing red, green and black Tenakth paint, that's why they attacked not only the Oseram workers, but also the machines that weren't under their control."

"Okay, what's next?"

"Well, we should head back to Chainscrape and inform Javad and Lawan what we found."

"Let's walk and talk. You've got a lot on your mind, like what happened during the Embassy. You were trying to keep everyone alive."

"Well, people still died," Aloy said bitterly as they left the camp, "Just like at the Proving."

Talanah turned to her friend. "You still feel guilty about that." Aloy had told her one drunken night at the Hunter's Lodge, a day after they became partners. 

"Yeah, I do. Varl... had a sister who was among those killed. Her name was Vala... and I liked her." Aloy kicked a stone. "...And it's my fault that she's... gone... and Rost too. It's my fault that the Eclipse showed up!"

"Hey, you couldn't have known," Talanah said, placing her hands on Aloy's shoulders. 

"I should've... I should've. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. I don't want you to get hurt... because of me."

"Is that why you left... after the Battle?" Talanah asked, talking about the night after the Battle of the Alight. Aloy nodded her head. "I can handle myself, and so can the others. You don't have to worry about everyone." She hugged Aloy. 

"Thank you," Aloy said, "I needed that."

"My mother always said, a nice long hug can bring a person calm."

-

"Are you Conover?" Elisabet asked as she stood in front of the cell. 

"Yeah, that's me," said the young man on the other side of the bars, "You're the Saviour's mother."

"It's just Elisabet. Lawan told me that you killed a man in self-defence and that you thought he was a member of the Eclipse?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's right, are they releasing me? I was proven right after all."

"...I don't know. I think they'll need a bit more proof, but I can help; I need you to tell me everything you, start from the beginning." 

"A month ago, during a shift change, some trespassers slipped through the gate. By the time anyone noticed, they were already too far into No Man's Land for anything to be done. Nozar didn't see the need to give chase. "Let the Tenakth deal with them," he said." The guard outside the cell, Ybril, continued, explaining that Nozar tightened patrols and reprimanded the Sentries and everyone moved on. "...But I couldn't stop thinking about it. None of us are careless out here. That gate wouldn't just stay open unless someone left it open," Conover continued, "And then there's Laruvik; was always grumbling about the old ways and the incompetency of some of the officers here, but on this matter he was tight-lipped. And after the incident... he began acting... weird. Jumpy. Easily spooked if you came up behind him without him noticing. So, when I spotted him sneaking out of the barracks after hours, I followed him. I saw him arguing with a stranger; it was too dark for me to see who they were or what they were wearing, but I heard them both mention "Eclipse", so I tried to get closer... but the stranger saw me, ran off and Laruvik tried to kill me. I... fought back... It was him or me."

"Unfortunately, at the time, there was nothing that could be used as hard evidence that linked Laruvik to the Eclipse, and since Conover hasn't denied killing Laruvik, Nozar sentenced him to death."

"And nobody believed you and the was no investigation?"

"We combed the woods. Searched Laruvik's bunk, multiple times. We didn't find anything," Ybril explained. "Look, Conover's a good man. I honestly don't believe he killed Laruvik in cold blood. But Nozar, Sun rest his soul, only listened to facts, not theories. And the fact is, that Conover killed Laruvik, which he doesn't deny."

"Okay, but during the meeting you saw, did you hear anything else? Anything about their plans?"

"No, but the clearing where I saw them both is just over the river, by the bridge," Conover said. 

"A dozen soldiers already searched it, they couldn't find anything," Ybril said. 

"My focus is like the one my daughter uses; it can see things others can't. I'll track down the Eclipse and..."

"Not without backup, you don't, Elisabet," Erend said as he appeared below the stairs.

"I can handle myself Erend, plus I told you and Varl to help Milu, remember."

"We did that half an hour ago. Varl's gone off with Margo and Okilo to see those Oseram Salvagers and Milu's staying here, waiting for Aloy and Talanah to get back. Oh, and Travis is having a meal in the tavern back in Chainscrape. I think he likes the stuff Milduf is cooking. Plus, if anything happened to you, Aloy would probably kill me."

CookingQueen: She wouldn't kill you. 

Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish: Aloy once chased him through Meridian market for taking a bite out of her ham sandwich. 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Uh, What ;)

Erend Vanguardsmen: IT WAS ONE BITE PEOPLE! ONE BITE!

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Uh dude, you shouldn't eat someone else's sandwich, it's gross :( 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: What are you complaining about, Vegan, you don't eat ham.  

VEGAN#ShennyShen: FUCK you Tate.

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Awww, I love you too, Vegan. ;)

FlameHairedThrush: That sandwich was mine. MINE!

Erend Vanguardsmen: IT WAS ONE BITE! HECK, IT WAS NIBBLE, YOU WOULD'VE BARELY NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE!

-

Snow. Endless snow. That was all the young boy could see as he looked out of the Bulwark, capital of the Sky clan. His parents had been killed by a skirmish between the Sky clan and Desert clan, meaning he was now being raised among his squad. He vowed to his parents that he would become a warrior that would make them proud. 

As he grew older, the boy soon became a man and a skilled fighter among the Sky clan. He was noticed by the Commander, Tekotteh, who took him under his wing. The young man soon considered Tekotteh to be like his new father. When the Carja tribe waged war on them for sacrifices, he and his squad aided their neighbours in fighting back. He was impressed by the skill of Chief Hekarro's Marshals, but felt content in only serving station within the Sky clan. Together, with a former Carja General named Fashav, he led a squad on a dangerous climb over the mountains and into the Daunt; they opened the gates of Barren Light, the fortress and let the Tenakth and Utaru in to sack the waystation and push the Carja out of their territory. With this great victory, he became a hero to the clan, but Tekotteh feared that he would become a rival to his command, failing to realize that he had no interest in rising above his station. To that end, Tekotteh sent the young man to the Kulrut, knowing that if he survived, he'd be forced to forsake the clan to serve as another of Chief Hekarro's Marshals. When the young man learned of this after the Kulrut, he felt betrayed by the person he loved most. He became a Marshal and never looked back. 

During his service to the Chief, he was frequently partnered with Marshal Fashav. As they completed missions that the Chief gave them, they quickly became friends and eventually lovers. Kotallo had never felt happier, even if the relationship was disapproved of by many, especially Regalla. 

As more recent moments of his life flashed by, the pain began to grow until...

"AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Kotallo's eyes opened as he sat and reached his hand across to grip his other arm, only to find there was nothing there. His breathing began to get deeper and shorter as panic set in. That was until a familiar hand rested on his shoulder. His eyes locked with Fashav's as the Unyielding general pulled his boyfriend into a hug. "It....it hurts. But....but...there's nothing there."

"It's going to be okay, Kotallo," Fashav said, "Because I am here."

-

As Aloy and Talanah made their way back to Barren Light, they spotted a small campsite being set up among the old-world scraps. As they drew closer, they saw two men talking. 

"...you really think you can handle this operation, Larend?"

"Keruf, come on! You know me! Have I ever given you anything that is less than perfection?"

"What's going on here?" Aloy asked.

"Ah, if it isn't the saviour of Meridian and of our operation," the first man said when he spotted Aloy. 

"Hello," the second man said with a wave and a smile. 

"We were at the Embassy when the Tenakth attacked - nasty business. I offer my thanks that you were able to put a stop to the madness. But, one good thing that came out of it was that it inspired me and my newest venture; Keruf's Salvage Unlimited!"

"So, this is a Salvage Operation?" said Aloy. 

"Yes, that's right. My crew are setting up Salvage Camps like this one in locations across the Forbidden West. Me and Larend set this one up and now I'm travelling further west to help the other three groups set up operations. The model of our business is that we'll pay for any scrap people bring in, for slightly higher prices than other merchants or sell them the scrap for shards or other valuable resources, such as Greenshine and Bluegleam. I've also set up a competition among the groups; whoever builds the best armour that's geared towards exploring the west gets a 1000-shard bonus while I sell the armour to a worthy adventurer for 1000 shards. To collect the parts, each group will give these adventurers a series of Salvage Contracts of the harvesting of various parts from machines or old world ruins," Keruf explained. 

"An extra set of armour could be useful," Talanah said. 

Aloy nodded. "We'll help. What do you need?"

"Larend!"

"Right, for starters, I was thinking of some Shellwalker containers," Larend said as he passed Aloy the first contract, which he had hastily written, "There should be a couple of convoys in the southwest area of No-Man's land. You ladies take the machines down, we don't mind if you take the other parts, then come back and see me and I'll send my crew to pick up the container. Just, try to it as intact as you can. No acid weapons, please."

"I think Margo would love to help with this," Aloy said to Talanah. 

FlameHairedThrush: @VEGAN#ShennyShen Margo, me and Talanah found something you might be interested in. 

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Okay, what did you two find?

-

"Alright, this must be the clearing where Conover saw the Eclipse," said Elisabet. She and Erend had gone alone to find the Eclipse's hideout. "Some bloodstains, a good place to start." She knelt down over the blood. "This must be where Conover killed Laruvik in self-defence."

"Ah, damnit. there's so many tracks from Carja search party I can't dis... desti... can't find anything," Erend said, as he peered down at the footprints. He headed to the ridge above and spotted something. "Hey, Lis! I think I found something!" Lis came up to him. "Broken branches, that's something, right?"

"Hm, yeah. They were snapped off by something moving around up here. And look! Faint tracks, leading away from the clearing and further into the forest. We can follow them using the Focus." She highlighted the trial using an AR reconstruction of a man running away. They followed it up to a couple of Burrower carcasses. No parts had been stripped, and one of the machines had blood coating its right paw. "Dried human blood, Type AB, deep wound."

"If it was deep, then it left a trial right?"

"Yeah, we're on the right track. Come on." They followed the trail across the bridge and to a small supply cache of spent medicinal supplies. "Looks like our runner tried to heal the wound they received. I bet they were on their last legs, so the tracks they left should be deeper." Lis analysed the tracks with her focus again and then led Erend towards the cliffs where they saw a small hole above them. They climbed up and squeezed through, finding themselves in an old motorway tunnel. Lis activated her focus and spotted men on the other side of the cars. They heard voices as the men conversed. 

"What do we do? The attack failed!"

"We stay on course and find our way west. If we give up now, the Usurper wins and holy Meridian will remain in the hands of savages."

"Eclipse," Erend muttered. 

"Yeah, look at that hole," Lis said. She pointed at a large hole in the ground. "They must've dug the Kopesh out themselves. Must've taken quite a while."

"And there's enough space in this tunnel for all those men we saw attack Barren Light."

The Eclipse's own conversation continued. "That Embassy was supposed to be an easy distraction for us to slip through and let the Deathbringer slaughter those impure savages and traitors."

"How were we supposed to know that the Tenakth were in the midst of a Civil War and Barren Light was their target, you fool."

"I take all responsibility for the bad timing. Let us agree to settle this once we've linked up with Vezreh."

"How noble of you, sir, but how do we do that? Rayad was our only link to Vezreh and now he's dead."

"We'll track Vezreh if we have to but first we'll need to get through Barren Light. They'll be on high alert, but when it all dies down we'll need to go in fast and loud."

"They're going to attack again," Elisabet whispered. 

"I say we let them," Erend said. The older woman looked at him, confused. "With the state of alarm the Daunt is in, I doubt they'll make it far."

"No, we need to stop them here and now. We can't leave it to chance," she told him. She took out her bow. "And with any luck, we could find out where their leader is."

Erend looked conflicted for a moment but picked up his hammer. "Okay then, cover me." As an Eclipse soldier came around the corner, Erend slammed his hammer into the cultist's face; there was the audible sound of his jaw bone breaking when the metal end collided with his lower jaw and he was thrown off his feet, his heading twisting around to almost 180 degrees. Elisabet took the opportunity to fire her arrows through the man's head, finishing him off. She told herself that it was a mercy kill, but her heart still sank at the fact she now had blood on her hands. Her mind flashed back to their journey to the Daunt, when Aloy was teaching her how to use a bow....

"Adjust your stance, a little higher," Aloy said. 

"Thank you, for helping me," she told Aloy. 

"Of course, I won't let you go out there alone without knowing how to defend yourself, from machines or from... other tribes." Elisabet looked at her daughter in disbelief. "Only as a last resort but... sometimes it's kill... or be killed."

Elisabet fired again at the other Eclipse, firing before they knew anything. With a thud, the last one was down. "Well, that was easy. Are you okay?" Erend asked. Lis looked down at her hand, as if it was stained. 

"It's kill... or be killed," she repeated. 

"Yeah, it's never easy... the first life you take. But took them down, before they knew anything. More often than not... they scream... in defiance or fear..." Lis looked him, understanding what he was saying. 

"Thanks, Erend. Let's find that runner." They walked outside and found a corpse, laid to rest beside a campfire, half burnt. The Eclipse probably were trying to cremate the body but the fire was put out during a downpour of rain. Luckily for them, his mask and focus were both still intact. Erend removed the mask and tucked it away for later use while Lis scanned Rayad's focus. She inspected the files, eventually finding a holo-message. A tall man appeared she played and Erend stepped back in shock. 

"Vezreh," he said, recognising him. 

"Friend of yours?" Elisabet joked. 

"Hardly, he was Helis' right-hand man, both during the Red Raids and the Civil War."

"Loyal Eclipse," Vezreh began, "If you're seeing this, then that means you have left the Sundom in search of something to follow. Your journey is almost over. Follow the Sun past the gates of Barren Light and bask in the gloam of future conquest! A new empire awaits." The message stopped. 

"We'll need to pay Vezreh a visit, and crush his new "Eclipse Empire" before it takes shape," Erend said. 

"That mask should be enough evidence for Conover to be released."

"It could also be useful for a piece of armour," Erend said, "Let's get back to Barren Light."

-

"We know how the Bristlebacks got inside the Daunt," Aloy said. She and Talanah had gotten back to Chainscrape and met up with Javad and Karst.

"You -- what? You do? How?" The Carja magistrate asked in disbelief. 

"Ulvund has been doing some blasting in the mine west of the quarry," Talanah said, hands on her hips, "They were probably trying to open up some of the tunnels." Karst raised an eyebrow as Javad looked like he was about to lose his mind. 

"For the love of dawn, I told him it wasn't worth the risk! Those tunnels run for miles underground, even beyond the..." He stopped as he realised what Talanah was saying but didn't seem to believe it. He looked at the two women. "...You're not suggesting..."

"That rotten..." Karst began. 

"Me and Talanah just found some pens on the other side of the mountains, where the Tenakth rebels were keeping in preparation for their attack - including Bristlebacks, the same ones that attacked the valley," Aloy explained, a sly smile growing on her face, "Ulvund's explosives opened up a sinkhole, dropping them into the tunnels..."

"Which they followed into that stupid mine, and then out into the Daunt," Javad finished. 

"Right. Aside from the Rebels, if anyone is to blame for the Bristlebacks, it's Ulvund."

Javad set down his mug of water and stood up, a smile on his face. "Radiant beams of the Sun! And all this time, he was pointing the finger at my people."

"I'll fetch Ulvund. Petra, Thurlis, Milduf, Korvend and Tolland too," said Karst as he stood. 

-

It was raining by the time everyone was gathered. Aloy, Petra and Javad stepped out of the tavern as the entire town was gathered outside. Many were wondering what was going on. Talanah was standing amongst the crowd, using her focus to record the upcoming event so she could post it on the group chat for posterity. Soon enough, Ulvund, Tolland and their goons arrived. "Summoned like a blasted ale wrench..." Ulvund muttered, "You best be meaning to be putting pen to parch..." He stopped when he realised Petra was there. "Why is she here?"

"I live here too you lugnut!" Many in the crowd chuckled. "So, what's this about?"

"Thanks to Saviour, Aloy and her companions, the Sun has shone its light of truth and justice upon the Bristleback incursion. The Tenakth rebels that attacked the Embassy yesterday were keeping pens of overridden machines behind the mountain. A sinkhole swallowed them, releasing them into the underground tunnels that led east and out into the Daunt," Javad explained to the crowd. 

"So, it was an accident," said Ulvund, before he tried to spin the situation in his favour, "But let us not forget that it was the Carja that..."

"I'm not done!" Javad said, raising his voice. Ulvund was taken aback. "That sinkhole only formed because of your unauthorised blasting the southern, Ulvund! You are thus responsible for the Bristleback's rampage. The destruction they caused and the workers we lost, all of it!"

"My dear magistrate, has your precious sun baked your senses?! I would never conduct such an operation without first consulting you!"

"Oh, then what's this?" Aloy asked as she held up the scroll she and Elisabet found in the mines. "Delivered: 24 barrels of Blaze, 12 kegs of Blastpaste, 4 shovels, 9 hammers, 1 keg of Spitfire. Delivered in full as spit-sworn by Ragurg Tradesman. Getting harder to deliver your shipments quietly, Ulvund. Ran into a Carja patrol and wasted an hour heading to the northern mine just to throw off the scent. Javad may be a chuff, but until you get that concession signed he can still shut down my trade. So if you want to keep blasting away at this scorched-out mine, I'm happy to oblige. But my fees have just gone up. Ragurg." Ulvund visibly paled as Aloy and Talanah both smirked. "Sounds to me like you've been busy doing something you're not supposed to do, Ulvund."

"You skirted the laws of the Sundom, Ulvund," Javad said, "And all for a few extra shards."

"And that's not the only mine you've been squeezing," Korvend said, "My crew would've drowned if not for Elisabet and Captain Okilo's timely intervention."

"And you've been after discounts on all of our products," said Karst. 

"While burning those who refused," Thurlis finished. 

"And then you sent that oversized tool, to intimidate a bunch of innocent refugees over a Stormbird heart?" Petra said, pointing at Tolland, who backed away. 

"I... I demand an official investigation! I won't be some pawn in a Carja scheme!" Ulvund said, defiant to the end. 

"Certainly, I'll be putting a thorough inquest into everything," Javad said as he approached Ulvund, "The mines, the workers, the refugees, the discounts, the Bristlebacks. Along with every other business deal you've ever put your name to."

"Oh... now that isn't really necessary. What about I... just return to the Claim?"

"Well, that would certainly save the crown the cost," Javad said. 

"Of course. I'll be on my way as soon as I wrap up some previous commitments. Tie up some loose ends. After all, the welfare of Chainscrape's people in a period of transition like this..."

"Oh no, you're going right now, Chainscrape can handle itself just fine," said Aloy as Petra stepped forward. 

"YOU THINK SHE CAN RUN THIS SCORCHED-OUT FORGE DUMP?!" Ulvund shouted. He spat on the ground. "Knock yourself out!" 

"Get out!"

"Yeah don't want you, don't need you!"

"Down with Ulvund!" As Ulvund left, Margo tripped him up, having been working on some saddles with Petra and Karst. The was an uproar of laughter as everyone laughed at him. 

"Mad looks good on you, Ulvund," Petra said. 

Once Ulvund and Tolland were gone and the crowd had dissipated, Javad turned to Aloy. "Oh, as the Sun burns away shadow. Thank you for that, Aloy."

"He had it coming," said Talanah as she uploaded the recording to the group chat for everyone to meme over. 

"Here, take this." Javad handed over some shards and an armour set. "You've done the Sundom, the Daunt, and my sanity, a great service." He turned to Petra. "And I think we now have somethings to discuss."

"I guess we do," Petra answered, "Not the most pleasant boots to fill, but I'll wear them, all thanks to you flame-hair."

Chapter Text

"Okay kid, what's on the agenda today?" Elisabet asked as the group all ate breakfast at the now abandoned Twilight Carja campsite. Aloy activated her focus and brought up a map of the Daunt and the area of No Man's Land that they had explored thus far. 

"Well, firstly I was thinking of going to the Tallneck at Cinnabar Sands," the younger redhead explained as an image of the Tallneck appeared on the map, "When I override it I'll be able to access the mapping data that is on its network, which will help us immensely when travelling around the region; machine sites, settlements and other points of interest will have been marked by recon machines connected to the Tallneck's network, which we will be able to access. Next, myself, Talanah, Milu and Margo will be completing Larend's salvage contract; there's a path that a Shellwalker convoy goes through on its way to and from the nearby Cauldron. We'll go there and lay some traps, wait for the convoy to show up and take it down. We'll then go back to Larend and retrieve the other three contracts. While we complete those, I'd like the rest of you to scout out the rest of No Man's Land and mark out points of interest. If you encounter machines, rebels or...bandits, just get out of there."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," said Captain Okilo as she put her rifle together. "Who's working with whom?"

"I'll go with Varl and Travis," said Elisabet, "We'll go and pick up supplies and the "commissions" from Karst in Chainscrape then meet you guys at the Tallneck."

"In that case, Erend, stay with Captain Okilo." The former nodded with a smile while the latter blinked. 

- - - 

"Hey, be careful with those medical supplies. Those aren't just for our wounded, some Tenakth soldiers require the best medical care we can provide before they return to the west and report what happened to their chief," Javad told the Carja and Oseram labourers. "Petra, what's the state of the damage to the fortress?"

"Not good, not good at all," the new leader of the town said, "Support beams are cracked, stone blocks smashed; the entire right wall needs to be demolished then rebuilt all over again thanks to that Deathbringer."

"Dang it. We were so close to completing it too."

"At least Ulvund's gone. He would've held us up again." Petra turned to see Elisabet. 

"Yeah, that's exactly what he would've done, Flame Hair. You're here for the "orders"?" Lis gave a sharp nod in reply. "The blacksmith is adding the finishing touches. While you wait, I'd suggest going to the melee pit run by Odurg."

"Melee Pit?" Lis repeated. 

"Hm, it's a Tenakth training thing we adopted. Apparently, there's a legendary Tenakth warrior who will only fight those who defeat three pit masters at each of the clan's capitals. Odurg heard about it from a Tenakth Outlander and decided to set up our own here in Chainscrape. It should teach you the basics of melee combat, an important skill to survive out here in the West. Go talk to Karst to pick up a weapon first, not unless you want to try and just your hands, I don't think that'd do much."

"You'd be surprised," Lis said as she left. Petra was surprised. 

"She's crazy, but I guess she's who Aloy inherited that trait from."

"Pot boiling the kettle," Javad said. 

- - -

"I'm picking up a signal," said Margo as the rest of the group rode towards Cinnabar Sands. 

"That'll be the Tallneck," Aloy said. 

"How are you going to get up there?" Asked Milu, "Those machines are tall, it's in the name."

"Usually they're located near tall ruins or rocky outcroppings and the like," the older huntress explained, "Climb up that and leap onto the Tallneck, easy."

"Hold!" Called Captain Okilo. "I'm picking up additional machines in the area. One Scrapper and two of unidentified variety."

"Are they in the air?" Milu asked. Okilo raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Skydrifters, we'll need to take them out fast."

"What are they?" Talanah asked as they approached the Tallneck site. 

"Think Watchers or Burrowers, but they can fly," said Milu, "They have these thrusters on their legs that help them fly over sites and keep an eye on Acquisition and Scavenger class machines below them. They're a real pain, especially when they attack in groups." The group got of their mounts and looked over the area. The Tallneck was circling around an old satellite dish while the two Skydrifters glided around at the same height as the Tallneck's main body. Underneath the dish, a Scrapper was feeding on a pile of machine salvage, next to the dish's power supply.

Okilo scanned the dish. "The turning axel's still operational, it just needs power."

"There's a battery to the left of the axel. I'll need to climb onto the dish and use the battery to power up the dish, then climb on top of it again to leap onto the Tallneck," Aloy said. 

"We'll take care of the machines," Talanah assured her, "Milu, are there any elements that they're weak to?" Her thrush nodded and explained they were weak to Frost, especially bombs but resistant to all types of Fire attacks. Aloy handed her bomb sling and a pair of Frost bombs to Erend. Okilo took out her rifle, set it to Sniper rounds and fired a shot at the Scrapper's power pack, killing it in an instant and alerting the Skydrifters. Aloy rushed towards the dish's stairs while Erend launched the frost bombs; one missed and the other hit its mark and Chillwater covered one of the machines, coating it in liquid nitrogen. The machine was open to attack while its partner engaged Talanah and Okilo, which Milu exploited with a charged impact arrow, killing it instantly.

Aloy climbed onto the dish and ducked underneath the dish, then climbed down onto a series of yellow poles which guided her to the battery. 

The other Skydrifter blasted into the air with its thrusters, but Talanah's Blazon Armour proved resistant to the fiery attack. It fired its razor quills but she avoided it and struck it in the optic with a well-aimed arrow. 

Aloy grabbed the battery and dropped down onto a lower platform and then onto the ground, which helped to prevent her from injuring herself. She popped it into the power core before heading back to the stairs and activating the axel with the control panel. The ancient machine groaned to life and turned about 270 degrees and then rotated the dish so it was flat. Aloy then climbed up to the top of the dish and carefully walked over to a good vantage point. When the Tallneck passed by, she leapt onto its antennas and climbed up to the head where she plugged her spear's override core into it. "It's alright, I'm almost done," she told the Tallneck. Once she was done, Aloy leapt off the Tallneck and used her new Shieldwing to glide down. 

"Wow, cool," said Margo when she landed. 

"Hm, I don't think it'll take a hit but the gliding functionality is intact," Aloy said as the Tallneck released a small EMP and transmitted the regional data to their focus network. Aloy brought up the map and the others did the same. The Tallneck data revealed the region's machine sites but other POIs of interest would have to be scouted individually. "Okay, Erend, stay with Okilo and do some scouting. If anything comes up, message us." The Oseram warrior gave her a nod and he and Okilo turned away. Aloy signalled for her mount, as did the other girls and they began making their way towards the pass where Larend's Shellwalker convoy went through.

- - -

Upon arriving, Aloy and Talanah set up a small camp while Margo helped Milu to set up some traps. Once the traps were in place Aloy took watch in the tall grass next to the pass for a few hours while the other three ate and rested. It was as Aloy and Talanah were switching that the convoy arrived. Milu and Talanah joined Aloy below. "Two Watchers and one Shell-Walker," Milu said, "I've marked the weak points and important components."

"Good, the Watchers will trigger the Blast Traps you and Margo set up, then we'll trigger the rock traps," said Talanah, "Once the Shellwalker's trapped, we'll shoot off the shield claw and lightning gun and then cargo clamps, the removal of which should destroy the machine." 

While the three huntresses' discussed the plan, Margo was observing the machines using her focus. "A shame, I'd love to study them, but I can do that later," she thought. She watched as the three huntresses sprung their traps and took down the machines, eliminating the one-eyed ones with the traps and then strategically tearing off the components of the hermit-crab one. Once all three machines were down, she slid down the slope to join them. Milu and Talanah began to roll the metal crate back to the camp so that Larend's fetchers could grab it easily while Aloy began to harvest the machine's components. "Do you want my help?" Margo offered. 

"Sure thing," Aloy replied and began showing the older woman how to harvest components as quickly and effectively as possible. Once they were done, Margo asked to look at the Shieldwing. "Sure, you've got an idea?" Aloy asked as she took the bracer off. 

"Yeah, I could probably restore the shield functionality, it might take a while though and someplace to actually work on it," Margo said, looking over the bracer in one hand and the harvested shield claw from their downed Shellwalker. 

"Settlements have workbenches we can use and there are often more at campsites. If you can get it working, it would be very useful." Margo nodded and handed the Shieldwing back to Aloy. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: ALOY, WE'VE FOUND SOMETHING!

FlameHairedThrush: What is it?

An image of a wooden structure built within a plateau appeared to her focus. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: SOME KIND OF REBEL CAMP. IT'S PRACTICALLY RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THAT OUTPOST YOU AND TALANAH INVESTIGATED YESTERDAY. 

Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish: What, how did we not notice it?

Captain_RobotKiller: That doesn't matter. What matters is that we investigate. Permission to engage [FlameHairedThrush]? 

FlameHairedThrush: Granted but be extremely careful. [Erend Vanguardsmen], take point. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: REALLY? SURE THING ALOY. 

FlameHairedThrush: ;)

- - -

"Are you in charge of this pit?" Elisabet asked the Oseram covered in armour. 

"Yes, that's me. You're the Saviour's mother, right? I'm guessing you're here to learn the ropes of melee combat?"

"That's right, I already know a bit about fighting without weapons..."

"You mean with just your fists? I don't think that would work very well."

"You'd be surprised."

"I see, well either way, I wonder who would win; your daughter, the Saviour of Meridian and Champion of the East or the Enduring, Master of the West."

"Who?" Elisabet said. 

"The Enduring, the Master of Masters." The two turned to see Vintalla, helmet off and hands on her hips. "Every marshal, past and present has faced her in combat, but only a few have managed to beat her. Only the exceptionally skilled get to challenge her though. We Tenakth determine those exceptional individuals in melee pits like this. There's one at each clan's capital, Sclading Spear, the Bulwark and Thornmarsh, plus a few others; one in the memorial grove, one at the Enduring's home where she battles the challengers, one in Plainsong and now one here." She turned to Odurg. "This seems like a good starting point, it may not be official but I can put a good word in for the chief the next time I see him."

"It would be an honour," the Oseram said, clearly surprised. "Alright, shall we begin?"

"Sure, what are the rules?"

"Only blunted blades and practice arrows," Odurg said, "These drunken fools would probably run themselves through if we didn't." 

- - - 

"Okay, Captain, what's the game plan here?" Okilo asked. 

"Um, let's take out the riders first. Do you have any traps?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Aloy says the Focus can highlight paths. We can place two next to each one. Detonating one would detonate the other, even with a machine between them."

"What if they don't go off because they're too far apart?"

"Then we fire an arrow at one of them." Erend used his focus to highlight the path of the rider that was the closest to the camp. "You take the other one." Okilo nodded. Erend crouch-walked into the bushes and began making his way to the path while Okilo did the same. They placed down the traps as the riders conversed then returned to the undergrowth. Erend's mark went off without issue, while Okilo had to shoot one of the traps with her service pistol.

Erend Vanguardsmen: OKAY, YOU TAKE THE TUNNEL THAT THE STREAM GOES THROUGH. I'LL HEAD OVER THE RISE TO THE RIGHT. 

Captain_RobotKiller: Roger that. 

The two captains made their way into the camp as some rebels came to investigate the explosions, 

Captain_RobotKiller: I'm in, got a rebel in front of me. I'll take them out and hide them in the bushes. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: HUH, YEAH THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, YOU DO THAT. I'M GONNA FREE THIS OSERAM PRISONER. 

Okilo grabbed the rebel by the head and jerked it hard, snapping their neck and ending them without too much suffering. She then dragged the corpse into the bushes. She then fired her pistol at a passing Utaru rebel and dragged their body out of sight too. She then made her way to the wall overlooking the plateau she and Erend had found the camp at and took out the investigating rebels with her rifle. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: CAP, I'M GONNA MAKE SOME NOISE. I FOUND THIS LARGE STOCKPILE OF BLAZE, I'M GONNA DESTROY IT.

Okilo made her to a building and covered Erend as he ignited the Blaze, destroying the stockpile. There was some shouting from the inside part of the camp. 

"Sounds like the people in charge heard that. I'll drop the drawbridge and take them out," Okilo told Erend. She aimed her rifle at the red ropes holding the bridge up and then shot dead the three rebels who tried to make their way across. She jumped down from the building and Erend followed her to the command centre. There they found empty blaze canisters from Striders and a map of No-Man's Land and the Daunt, with emphasis on Barren Light and the fort's weakpoints. 

"So, Regalla intends to invade the Sundom, once she has gathered the army to do so," said Erend. 

"Hm, looks that way." Cap picked up the message device on the rock behind them. "Encrypted, I should be able to unlock it." She ran her decryption algorithms, easily unlocking the messages stored within. 

Captain_RobotKiller: [EVERYONE], Found these on the device me and Erend found them in the command centre. 

FlameHairedThrush: Listening in. 

Regalla: Loyal Tenakth, I was told a soldier at this camp tried to goad a member of the Sons of Prometheus into an altercation. You would do well to remember that our allies are the ones providing us with machines we shall ride to glory. The next fool to interfere with them will be eviscerated and then left in the desert for carrion. There will be no second warning. Is that sufficient?

???: Yeah that should be enough to convince your people to stop butting heads with mine. Thank you Regalla. 

Regalla: May our pact lead to victory. 

FlameHairedThrush: The Sons of Prometheus, huh?

CookingQueen: It sounds like they're the ones providing the rebels with the override tech. 

BoyNextDoor: What's "Prometheus"?

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Prometheus is one of the titans in Greek mythology. He was the one who provided humanity with the element of fire and for that, he was punished by the gods. He is often associated with forging things, like Hephaestus, the god who my sub-function was named after. 

FlameHairedThrush: Sounds like something Sylens would do. Maybe he's using the Sons of Prometheus as a puppet so he can remain anonymous and not be targeted by his associates like he was with HADES and the Eclipse. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: THAT OTHER WOMAN'S VOICE, I'VE HEARD IT BEFORE BUT...I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE. DAMN IT, CURSE MY LONG TERM MEMORY. 

Grudda: Where's the rest of the Bristlesbacks?

Tenakth soldier: The soldiers at the outpost claim they fell into a tunnel, that the cave collapsed suddenly sir. 

Grudda: Investigate. If they are lying, interrogate them. Then kill them, failure is not accepted. 

Tenakth soldier: Yes sir. 

FlameHairedThrush: That's the guy I fought, Grudda.

Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish: This must have been from before the attack at the Embassy. 

Regalla: The attack was somewhat successful. The Marshals have been depleted and the Carja delegation slain, and yet Fashav is still alive and many of our soldiers are dead. Who was that girl?

Resh: The motherless wretch, Aloy, commander. She was an outcast of the Nora who somehow was able to win the proving and then called down demons to slay the other aspirants. She then was falsely proclaimed anointed of the tribe, even Lansra was grovelling at her feet. That's why I left and brought my forces to you. 

???: It was the Shadow Carja who was responsible for the Proving Attack, Resh. She's also known as the Saviour of Meridian; she killed Helis, Terror of the Sun, and saved the "Holy" City from my old boss, Dervhal. 

???: She killed my fellow hunters after we killed a Carja noble in the Cut and framed another Banuk for the crime. 

???: It sounds like a real riot. Maybe I could get a new Harley after all, though nothing will compare to the original broken chick. Too bad she walked out on me with Ivy. HAHAHAHA, Who am I kidding, I really grinded her into the dirt. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

???: Shut up, Sroom.

Sroom: Oh, you're no fun Anutai, and please that name is long behind me...

BoyNextDoor: Resh. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: Friend of yours?

FlameHairedThrush: Hardly, he hates Outcasts, especially me, with a burning passion. As for Anutai, I think she was the Banuk Shaman I caught killing Carja in the Cut. She framed another Banuk, Inatut, for it. She was working with two other hunters, but they mustn't have survived. 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: That Sroom guy, he sounds like he's gone off the deep end. He thinks he's the frigging Joker, what a joke huh?

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Travis that is a terrible joke. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: Where is everyone at now? 

The team each shared what they were doing; Lis had finished the melee pit and had uploaded a video recording for later training. Varl and Travis had gathered the supplies and commissions from Hakund and the other merchants and were going to come over to the former rebel camp. The Hunters trio and Margo had finished the salvage contract and picked up three more. 

FlameHairedThrush: [ADMIN [BigMama] & two others]: Could you go to the two machine sites on the contracts I'm sending you and gather the parts? 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Sure thing Mini-Lis, we got it. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: What about you girls?

FlameHairedThrush: I'm going to go to the coordinates Sylens sent me. It's time to find him and put HADES out of commission for good this time. Talanah, Milu and Margo can take the other contract for Larend. 

- - -

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Talanah asked. 

"I'll be fine," Aloy said. 

"I can take the contract by myself," said Milu, "I'm ready."

"I'll keep an eye on her," Margo assured them, "Go, both of you." The two more experienced hunters bid them goodbye and sped away on their mount. "Okay, let's go and get that Fanghorn." Milu nodded with a smile. 

Chapter Text

The Charger galloped along the arid pathways of No Man's Land, sprinting as fast as it could go to avoid the sight of other machines. Signals from every direction bounced through Aloy and Talanah's Focuses, from machines carrying out their function within GAIA's deteriorating terraforming system to three unknown signals, two of the same but at different locations and another flying around near a Thunderjaw's domain. The tell-tale signal from an active Cauldron, pumping out new machines, was followed by the tracks of a Leaplasher convoy, furrowing supplies into the regional machine foundry hidden deep within the mountain. One stood out from the rest; their objective. This signal was that of a deactivated HORUS Titan, one of many located within the Jagged Deep, the flooded battlefield where the Old Ones fought valiantly against the Faro Plague, to buy Zero Dawn one more day, one more hour, one more minute. This signal was highlighted as the coordinates that Sylens had given Aloy. It was the place he had taken HADES to. The giant Insectoid-Crustacean-Squid machine, built as a weapon of war, of profit, loomed over the shoreline of the lake, easily eclipsing the size of any of HEPHEASTUS' largest combat machines. Despite sitting inert for nearly nine and one-quarter of a century, the Titan-class machine was somewhat intact, despite the overgrown parts and missing processor orb. The two hunters could imagine the devastation that the behemoth could have brought upon the Old Ones, all because of one man's hubris and greed. 

"This is it," Aloy said, as she pulled back on the reins gently. Tanngrisnir, as Margo had named him, held position as his riders disembarked. Despite the Focus' issues with long range, Aloy was able to see that that processor orb had been blown off from the "head" of the titan. Strange red Crystals, like the ones they had seen in the Daunt, gleamed across the mechanical monstrosities' underside, mostly in small patches and others in larger formations. 

"Firegleam," said Talanah, "And quite a lot of it."

"You've heard of it?" her Thrush asked. 

"I'm surprised with all of your delving, you've never seen it before. Oseram use Igniters to blow them to reveal hidden areas."

Aloy set Tanngrisnir to standby mode and the two waded into the water before swimming over to the opposite shore. "I'll dry off, eventually." They waded onto the shore and found a machine with a hand panel, blinking green. "I guess Sylens wants me to check that out." Aloy pressed her hand onto the panel and a hologram of Sylens standing beside the detached processor orb appeared. Talanah snorted as she finally saw them; how dare they masquerade as a Banuk Shaman and disrespect her mother's people. Aloy noticed and understood what was on her crush's mind...

- - -

"Wait, you're half-Banuk," Aloy said, surprised. The two huntresses were hunting together in the Jewel. It was their first hunt together after Aloy had become a Thrush. 

"Yep, my mum was a rebellious hunter from Ban-Ur. She didn't like that Shaman's were the only ones who could harvest machines. She understood and respected the tradition but felt that it wasn't an efficient enough method. She left of her own accord and travelled to the Cut, eventually meeting my father. Love at first sight apparently. During the old regime, after I left Meridian, I stayed within Banuk borders and learned their ways. If anyone learned she wasn't Carja, my family probably would've lost its noble status among the other houses of the court. It still did when my father and brother were sent to their deaths in the Sun Ring, but obviously under different circumstances," Talanah explained as she crafted some fire arrows.

- - -

"Aloy," the hologram began, "Consider this message a beacon to help guide you out of the fog of ignorance." The redhead rolled her eyes. "Using explosives, notably Firegleam, I've detached the processing orb from the HORUS overhead - the perfect cage for our mutual acquaintance, HADES, to render it more cooperative. Tell her what we discussed, about the signal that brought you and your sibling's life."

"S̶͈̋i̶̖̍g̶̃ͅn̶̡̉a̷͉̐l̶̥̃.̷̗͝.̸͔̐.̴̙̂ ̴̗͝o̴̼̿n̴̪̅l̸̐͜ỷ̶̦ ̵̢̓m̵̲̉ẽ̸̲a̶̻͗n̴͊͜t̶̠̕.̵̃͜.̷̬̄.̶̲̄f̵̻͌o̶̤͆ŗ̵̂ ̵͉͋m̸̥̐e̵̛̪.̸̗̽ ̴̭̄S̵͖̉i̸͓̓g̵̮̉ņ̵̕a̷͎͝l̴͇̾.̸̲̓.̶̝̃.̷̼̾ ̵͈̀w̶͓̄a̸̹͘š̵̖ ̷̟̂r̵͎͝e̵̙̐c̶̥͝ī̶̖ȅ̵͚v̴̛͍é̶̫ḓ̶͠.̷̘̓.̸̰̎.̶̳̈́ ̵͚͛f̴̼̓o̷̞͌r̶͕̔ ̴͎͝1̴̥́7̸̩͒.̶͈͌2̵̧̆2̷́͜ ̶̘̉ý̸͇ē̴̦a̷̤̅r̶͓̃s̶͔̀.̷̯̀.̶̝̍.̸̘̏ ̵̱̏ṭ̴̃h̵̦͂e̶̤̐n̶̪͠ ̷͍̃c̷̥͘ẽ̵̱ą̷̆s̴͖̓ȇ̵̯d̶̟̑.̴̥͝.̸̣̾.̸̬̀ ̷̪͑C̵̠̑a̷͚͗n̴̗̓n̶͇̏o̵͎͒t̶͔̆ ̵̖͌c̶̝̈ö̸͍́m̴͈̐p̷̹̍r̸̻̈́ȍ̷͎m̶̰̀i̸͖͐s̷̩̿e̵̠̾.̵̱͐.̶̞͠.̴̹̈́ ̶̢̓G̵͎͊Ǎ̷̗I̵͙̚Ȁ̸͙ ̴̪̔r̷̹̈e̷͚̐b̷̳̍o̵̖̎ô̷̼t̴̩́.̴̟́ ̷͒ͅB̴̳͘u̶̬͐t̶͈͛.̸̘̋.̶̤̅.̸̺͗ ̷̞̎ḙ̴̕ṅ̶͜t̸͔͋i̷̼͘t̶̩̎i̷̗͗e̵͙͌s̵̮̄.̴͚̇.̸̺̂.̷̖͐ ̵̭̍w̶̠̑i̵͙̿l̴̖̄l̸͕̈́ ̴̠́s̸͖̒t̸̠̓ĩ̵͔l̴̥̆l̷͖͊.̶̖̅.̸͕͋.̵̦͗ ̵̬̅f̴̬̑â̵̩i̶̫̇l̸̟͝.̶̭̅ ̴͍̈́"

"Back to that are you? Perhaps you need a reminder that you failed." Sylens transmitted something via their Focus, which caused HADES actual pain. 

"A̶̡̹͓̱̝̙̖̻̺̗̺̥̻̭̬̻̫͂͛̒̂̋̏̃͐̋̿͛̀̔̍́̓͘̕̕͝͠H̵̨͇̖̞̘̥̳̦̙̝̣̮͓̥̫͈̫̙̘̽͂̐͊́͑̀͑̋̓͌͐͛̒̌͋͒̕͘͜͜͝H̷̘͈̹͚̝̳̲͎̼̤̺̟̻͖͕̬̀͆̋͑̊͆̽̎͛̇͑͑̀͑̓͆͑̇̚͝ͅH̶̨̪̭͈̭͖̰̟̜̟̖͖̥̠̗̺̳̳̘̙̓̑̈͑̌̇͂͒͌̌͆̍̽̓̈́̊͗̓͠H̷̡̡͕̩͔̮̝͉͎͎̥̥̼̮̻̝̜̥̞͖͊̎͑̃̔̅̈́́̎͋̈́̂͊͊̐͗̒̊̕ͅH̷̨̨̨͉̺̼̬̥̠͇̭͚̪̻̳̠͑̈́͂̀̒̇͌́͑̽̍́̈́̀͆́̀̄̈́͑͝ͅḨ̶͔̩̺̖͉͙̰̤͎͇͔̙̙̹̼͈̍̄̈́͑̈́̃͋͊̎̀͆̇̏́͌̎̀̕͘̚͜͠H̵̛̛̹̲͇͉̤͕̜͍̜̮̫̬̩͔̰͚͎̹͕̆͛̓̀͋͒̎̀̑͊͊͠͝͠͝͠H̴̨̡̛͔̲͍̺̺̥͔̹̳͈̗̰̝͙͍̮̣̉̏̒̒̀̐̈́͒͑͆͑̈̀̈́̐̚̚H̵̢̳̜̣̰̫̺̭̮̱̘̺̖̠̥̲̃͛̓͂̃̌̄̔̂̂́̃͒̈̑̓͊͘̚͜H̶̨̺̝̗̮̣͍̞͙̞̭̯͕̱̲̗̤̯̺́̓̃̌̽͒̒́̊̄̿̃̊̈́́͂̾̂̕͠͝H̷̨̧̛̝̩̹͇̫͎͕̜̼̼͉̫̫̮̻͇͔̩̿̌̍̊́̐̔̄̀̿̀͂͊͘̚̕͝H̴̢̨͍̬̺̜̝̯̭̙̜͇͇̦̳̲͕̗̃͗̋͐̅̈́͊̎́̅̊͒̂̈́͘͘̕Ḩ̴̧̧̢̬͕̺͇͎͔̻̰̦̲͔̗̔͗̾̔̾͌̈̋̓̅͒́͗̄͗̿̋̄̋̑̈͜͜͜ͅͅH̴̨̢̫̙̹̥̺̟̘͈͚̯̞̜͖̮͖̘̎̊̽̋̿͌͒̋̀̈́̎̿̈́̽̎̈͘̚ͅḪ̶̡̧͕̫̱͚͔̱͚͙̗̱̤̥̯̠͙̆͐̄͛͆̂̊̄̄́̇̓̅͂̒͐̚̚̕͝ͅḨ̶̧̢̨̘̠͇͔̬͈̭̤̝͓̜͙̣͕̎͑͗͆̂͑͆͒͌̈̑̂̈̐̈̄̃͌͜͝͝͝H̴̨̧̲͚͕͎͚͍͍̣̰̯̪̖̰̅̄̌͑̎̈͑̒̈̔́̌̾̓̄̑̾͗̈͜͝͠ͅḤ̷̡̡̟̮̹͕̖͎̺̲͚̼̞̘͙͎͇͓̘̥̋̃́̎͊͋̔̔͗̈́̾͊̏̋́̕̕͘͠͠!̷̨̢̹̪̫̜̫͎̥̖͖̙̩̩̖͎̪̳̝̆̍̔͛̒̏͂̿̌͑̋̑̔̈́̏̂̉͐͝͝ͅ!!!!"

Even if HADES had nearly ended the world and tried to kill her multiple times, Aloy did not wish to torture anyone, let alone him for information. Whatever HADES was suffering, she hoped it wasn't too painful. Talanah looked visibly pale. 

"So you see Aloy, GAIA can be safely rebooted. As to where to find a backup... you'll have to trudge along after me to find out." The hologram disappeared.

"They think they have it all figured out... bastard. Well, let's have a look around." She used a Focus to scan the data logs the blasphemous Banuk Shaman had left behind, learning that Sylens had tortured HADES with pictures and video loops of lush wildlife. If she had been slightly more sadistic, like a certain small, white, highly intelligent principal, or tall, yellow octopus made of anti-matter, she would've laughed at the A.I.'s suffering but she was better than that. Better than the characters in the anime shows that the group were bonding over. Better than Travis's sick addiction to torture porn. "Alright, let's get moving."

- - -

"Are these the tracks?"

"Nope, those are Bristleback tracks," Milu told Margo. "And those ones are from the Chargers." Margo stood up, scanning the area with her focus. 

"What about these ones? I think it's our Fanghorn." Milu came and analysed the prints before nodding. Margo called Tanngnjostr and Ti over, which they boarded and began following the trial. Soon they spotted the Fanghorn, grazing in the meadows. The moment they approached, however, it fled. They chased it across the hills and through a herd of Lancehorns. Margo held back, having not been trained yet to hunt machines, while Milu fired her knockdown arrows at the machines. Once they were down, she jumped off the Charger and slammed her spear into a nearby Lancehorn, killing it. She then tied down the rest of the machines with her Ropecaster that Talanah had gifted her and surrounded the perimeter with Tripwires to prevent them from escaping so easily. She then began to strike down the machines, one by one. With the machines down, Margo helped her salvage what they needed for Larend. "All too easy," Milu said. 

"Don't jinx us, please," said Margo as she retrieved the horns. Too bad. There was a roar and a Sawtooth arrived to their west, and it was not happy. 

"Oh shit." The Sawtooth charged at them; Milu dodged out of the way just in time but Margo wasn't as lucky; the machine's right front paw slashed through her clothing and the older woman rolled down the hill, bleeding. "NOOO!!!" As the Sawtooth lunged to finish the job, fiery purple plasma slammed into the machine. It roared in anger, turning its attention to an Oseram woman with a golden cannon covering her right arm. The woman fired at the machine again, even as it charged at her. As it lunged, she sidestepped it and her left arm was covered by a blue and white blade she slashed into the Sawtooth's frame, killing it instantly. The two weapons disappeared and the woman rushed over to Milu and Margo. The young Utaru was in a state of panic as she checked Margo over. "I'm so sorry, Margo. This is my fault."

"Let me have a look," the woman said. She looked Margo over and started wrapping her abdomen in bandages. "You're lucky, the cuts aren't too deep." Both Milu and Margo stared at her in disbelief. 

"How do you know that?" The Alpha of HEPHEASTUS asked. 

The woman ignored them, turning to the sky above them a red dot, almost too distant to see against the sky but it was there. I was always there. "They'll heal, leave a few marks. You should consider yourself lucky. You're with Dr Sobeck right?" The two gave her blank looks, but Milu nodded. "Good, a new danger is coming. When you challenge those cowards on the island, you'll see it too. This world is on a timer, you must prepare for their arrival." The woman walked away, disappearing into the night. 

"What was that about?" Milu asked. 

"I'm not sure. Let's grab the Fanghorn parts and head back to Larend's camp. And kid...it's not your fault, I should've dodged quicker."

-

As the pair of hunters followed the path left by Sylens, they found plenty of machine carcasses, stripped down to the frames. Sylens must've taken them for spare parts. The trial eventually led to a man-made cave cut into the side of the plateau above them. There was a workbench beside the entrance, along with some supplies. Before heading in, Aloy decided to upgrade her ammo pouches while Talanah took down some of the nearby Leaplashers. The Sunhawk found the fight to be fun and fast-paced, the Kangaroo-like machines proving to be very agile and aggressive with wide attack patterns. The cargo pods they carried certainly added to the challenge; noxious fumes, an area scan that also deactivated her Focus for about 30 seconds and a repair system that healed the damage to the machine's chassis. Talanah was able to take down two of them while Aloy snuck up to the pods and looted their insides, disabling the last Leaplasher's support, before the duo slashed into it with their melee weapons. With the machines down, Aloy looted the carcasses, retrieving some intact power cells. 

The cave was a ruin of the Old Ones, as confirmed by the number of wrecks inside. A Plowhorn carcass was laid to the side, obviously, the machine that Sylens had dragged HADES from the Metal Devil. The processor orb laid bare to them, somewhat damaged by an explosion of some kind but was otherwise intact and in front of them was a gene-locked door. "A Zero Dawn facility, here?" Aloy questioned. 

Talanah put her hands on her hips. "Okay, now what?" Aloy stepped up to the orb and connected her override module to it. While she talked to what was left of HADES, trying in vain to find information thanks in large part to the AIs damaged data coils, Talanah stood guard, feeling on edge. She looked over the Plowhorn but found nothing. She scanned the area with her focus but still, nothing. 

"Hey." She turned to see Aloy, who rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I just...dunno, feel uneasy for some reason. I've got a bad feeling about this, Aloy."

"Hm, I know the feeling," the redhead said, "HADES is gone, hopefully for good this time." 

"Ah Aloy, about time. I see you brought a friend this time." They both turned to see Sylens, standing at the entrance, in hologram form. 

"So, the desecrator reveals himself," Talanah said, frowning at the sight of his blue cables. 

"Ah yes, you're Banuk, half of one at least. I assure you that I was born Banuk...but their tribal traditions got in the way of my research, so I had to use...less than moral and ethical means to obtain the knowledge which I sought."

"Like stealing from the Maelstrom back in Ban-Ur. Ourea told everything," Aloy said. 

"Wait, how do you know I'm half-Banuk?" Talanah asked, shocked. Sylens pointedly looked away. Aloy checked their focuses, finding a certain file. 

"You've been spying on us, again," Aloy said, "And it's the same spyware from the last time. So all those times I called, you could've answered and you didn't." 

"My world stopped revolving around you months ago, Aloy, though I have been catching up while you were on your way. I must admit, I'm interested in the prospect of Dr Sobeck and her entire team surviving Faro's attempt coup and purge of the system, but it changes nothing. I've been exceedingly busy over the last six months. Countless hours of research, and weeks of preparations, all as demanding and time-consuming as they were and are critical to my overall plans and the fate of this primitive, backwater rock."

"Right, you're trying to save the world too," said Aloy. 

"In a way, of course, unlike you though, I've managed to produce results."

"Is there a backup of Gaia or not?" Sylens gestured to the door and explained what the facility was, a testing ground for backups of both Gaia and HADES but originally used by Faro to create computer viruses for his defence markets. The facility was specifically designed to prevent any outside digital force from accessing its system, even from FAS' own deranged CEO when he tried to wipe away all human knowledge. Aloy asked about the mysterious signal that woke HADES up in the first place but Sylens dismissed it, saying it was "unimportant". Talanah asked about the Tenakth rebels riding machines...

"The only issue you two should be concerned about is obtaining the Gaia backup."

"That's not exactly a denial, Sylens," Aloy said, suspicious. 

"Take it any way you want," they replied, tone still neutral and not giving anything away, "Now, we're done with these trivial questions, we can actually get started."

"Okay, but if this is a trap..."

"Aloy, do you really think I would be able to do anything before you arrived?"

"...If this is a trap, I swear I will make you feel the consequences," she promised. Aloy was starting to get tired of their BS. 

"I'd like to see you try."

"Okay then."

"Good, then let's begin." The hologram disappeared and Aloy stepped towards the door, letting it scan her. "'WELCOME DR SOBECK, PLEASE STEP IN...' The door opened slowly, then jammed. 

"Oh great."

"Calm yourself Aloy, your thoughts betray you," Sylens said.

"CALM?! The door's totally messed up!"

"Relax Aloy," Talanah said, putting her hand on the other woman's shoulder, "It's just some Firegleam. We'll need an Igniter to blast through. Not nearly to actually blow a hole through..."

"But enough to jolt it open a little more," Aloy realised. A notification popped up on her screen. Opening it, she found the schematics for an Igniter she could attach to her spear. "Can't believe I'm saying this but thank you, Sylens."

- - - 

Once they had retrieved the Fanghorn salvage, Milu and Margo immediately headed back to Larend's camp and handed over the parts and the Oseram started working on his armour. They then headed over to the Rebel Camp where the rest of the group sans Aloy and Talanah had decided to meet up at. Captain Okilo and Erend had cleared out the bodies of the Tenakth rebels and Travis was tinkering in the command centre on a set of modified shieldweaver armour made out of Corruptor parts he had scavenged following the massacre at Barren Light. Varl had raised his concerns, since the machines were responsible for killing the planet but the programmer had rebuked the Nora, explaining he was only using the Scarab's ability to override machines in his kit, the rest of the parts were for aesthetic purposes. Margo had been wearing a similar getup and planned to use overridden machines should they run into trouble in the field. While Milu got to work on dinner, Margo and Elisabet began working on replicating the rest of Aloy's kit and weapons for the rest of the group. So far everyone had their own Pullcaster and override module in addition to a Focus. They had taken to repairing the shield weaver's broken namesake and had made bracers that could cover a person in a personal shield. They were now working on replicating the Shieldwing's shield function and its capability to help a person glide down from high places and then working both into the bracers. Okilo was restocking everyone's armour stocks, including her own. She still had a finite amount of bullets though and was considering what type of weapon she should take up in the event of such a time. She was split between a Hunter bow and a Carja weapon called a Boltblaster, which was a refined version of a Nora weapon called the Rattler with more range and capacity. 

As Elisabet worked on the shield bracers, she got a message from an unknown caller. Hesitantly answering it she was met with the holographic form of a person of African-American descent whose face was covered by blue machine cables. "Sylens, I presume," she said, already knowing who they were from Aloy's explanations. 

"Hello Dr Sobeck, it is an honour to meet you, face-to-face."

"What do you want?"

"In the long term, the reward that I rightfully deserve."

"That you deserve?" Elisabet repeated, "For what? What did you do to deserve some big reward?" 

"I spent years, fumbling around, searching for the answers of the past and now I have them all and so I look to the future. One where I'm not held back by my primitive and ignorant ancestors. Not tied down by traditions and spiritual fantasies. I seek, enlightenment among the stars, and I can't have you or Aloy get in my way. This is your only warning, Dr Sobeck. If you want to see your "daughter" and her companion alive, you will stay out of my way, at least until I contact you."

Elisabet's passive face turned into an angry snarl. "You hurt a hair on Aloy and Talanah, I will make you wish you'd never been born, you fucker!" She said. 

"I guess I'll take that as a no. So be it, but don't say I didn't warn you." The hologram disappeared and Elisabet recognised immediately what the Banuk had done. 

"Shit!"

ADMIN [BigMama]: Travis! 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: What is it boss ma'am?

ADMIN [BigMama]: I just had a convo with that Sylens bastard. They threatened Aloy and Talanah and just pinged our coordinates on an open network. I need you to disable it. 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Yes boss!

Captain_RobotKiller: What's happening, doc?

ADMIN [BigMama]: ^

ADMIN [BigMama]: [Everyone] Prepare for a battle. 

Erend Vanguardsmen: With who? Rebels? Machines?

ADMIN [BigMama]: Possibly. Maybe someone else. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: [BoyNextDoor] Varl, I need you to head out immediately and get to Aloy and Talanah's last known location. We'll stay behind and make sure the signal has been dealt with, along with whoever might show up. 

BoyNextDoor: You can count on me, Elisabet. 

CookingQueen: I'll go too. My home village, Stone's Echo is in the area. If they're injured, we can take them there. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: Okay, go!

ADMIN [BigMama]: Margo, give the others what we have. We'll need it all. 

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Okay, Elisabet. 

- - -

There was a small explosion after the Firegleam ignited. The shockwave from the explosion bounced the mechanisms of the bunker door. It slid back to position and opened. “Nice, these Igniters will be useful for exploring. I think I’ve seen some other Firegleam growths across the Daunt and No Man’s land,” Aloy said. 

“Remember your objective, Aloy,” Sylens said, somewhat impatient, “Focus on that instead.” 

“Fun sponge,” Talanah said. The two hunters entered the facility, finding much of it was submerged in water. “Look, another door. I guess for security?” 

“Maybe, it’s on the other side of this flooded room. We’re going to need to make our way over there.” 

“I follow your lead then.” Aloy jumped onto the first pole, balancing on top then leapt to the next one and the next and the next. She then pulled down an obstruction before using her Pullcaster to pull herself onto a pillar. She turned back to Talanah. 

“I’ll find you another way forward.” She then leapt onto another pillar. 

“Sure, but do try to hurry up.” 

- - - 

Varl and Milu raced down the roads on their Chargers. Varl’s heart was pounding; he couldn’t afford to lose Aloy, not after what happened to his sister. It still pained him, even now. Aloy was like another sister to him, after everything she had done. As they went into a small bend with high stone hills, there was a ‘thwang!’ and rock collapsed down, blocking their path. Then Rebels emerged from hiding spots above them. “Damn it!” Varl threw himself off his Charger and fired arrows into a few of the rebels. Milu covered him with her own bow. “We’ll have to find another path,” Varl said. Behind them, another Rebel fell. They turned to see an Utaru in white clothing standing behind the Chargers, bow lowering. 

“Milu?” 

“Zo!” Varl gazed at this new woman and his heart rate fell. She had dark skin and brown eyes and wore white markings around her eyes and on her chin. She wore her hair up in a large bun and covered it with an armoured headpiece. She…looked beautiful. 

“What are you, and this Outlander doing out here?” 

“This is Varl, my friend,” Milu told her fellow tribe member, “Two of our friends, including my Hawk, are in trouble. We were heading to their location when these Rebels ambushed us.” 

“They’ve been seen with Shroom by one of our hunting parties, building an outpost at the foot of the mountain,” Zo said gazing down at one of the now-dead Tenakth rebels. “They can ride machines, and you can…too?” 

“It’s a long story, one we don’t have time for, I’m afraid.” 

“Of course. If your friends are in trouble, I might be able to help. Before I became a Gravesinger, before…the Buried Years, I was apprenticed as a Healer. If they’re injured, I can help them.” 

“That would be, most appreciated,” Varl said. He got back on his mount and held out his hand. Zo cautiously took it. “Hold on, it’s a little rough on this terrain.” 

“Woah!”

- - -

“Well that was a rather pleasant swim,” Talanah remarked as she climbed up the ladder next to the big gene-locked door that Aloy had just unlocked. “Did you find anything about this place?” 

“This is where Travis and Elisabet conducted tests which would help them…find the best way of balancing the relationship between Gaia and HADES,” Aloy said, “Terraforming a planet, reconstituting a complete biosphere after it was basically destroyed is not as simple as it sounds. Gaia made a few errors and HADES was needed to reset everything so Gaia could start clean.” They walked inside the room, looking up at the huge metal spider. “That thing, was what they used for testing. Also found out that the guy who gave a copy of Gaia to the Zeniths also gave Ted Faro access to Zero Dawn via Omega clearance. And…Elisabet had some kind of relationship with a member of Far Zenith. Someone named Tilda.” 

“Greetings, Dr Sobeck,” a synthetic voice said as Aloy swiped through data on the panels, “Would you like to activate: Recluse Spider?” 

“Yes, I would.” The two repositories came down. “HADES backups are all corroded but there are two intact Gaia backups.” Aloy picked up one of the backups, scanning it with her focus. "Data footprint low? 98% memory free?"

"That's impossible, Gaia was a vast superintelligence. Unless..." Aloy took it over to the terminal on the right and entered it into the system. "No subordinate functions?"

"So it's not a full backup?"

"Hm, more like a seed, through which Gaia can be reborn IF we had subordinate functions to form a heuristic matrix."

"So, it's practically useless?" Talanah asked. 

"I'm afraid so. Without the sub-functions--" Aloy let out a yell of frustration but then a thought crossed her mind. 

"It's useless without the sub-functions but there are sub-functions, out in the world." She brought up a map of the region and sent out a signal. After a few tense moments, she got a response from MINERVA, Cap's subfunction. "They're close, mountains west of Plainsong. Close enough to go and grab it. I was hoping for all of them, but I guess one is enough to start with, right?"

"Yes, it is. Recover MINERVA, and you'll be able to launch Gaia's heuristic matrix..."

"And once she's conscious, she can help us find the rest of the sub-functions, we gather them together..." Talanah continued. 

"And rebuilt her, piece-by-piece," Aloy finished. The lights in the room flashed red. "What the...?"

"Aloy, listen to me carefully," Sylens said, "The people outside this door want the same thing that you do. To restore Gaia, that's why they're here."

"Friends of yours?" Aloy asked, anger rising. 

"No. They have no idea about me, except the data pulse I anonymously sent across the network to indicate that a backup could be found here," he explained. "They are quite powerful but they won't harm you, not when they see that you are a clone of Elisabet Sobeck, something they need to access Zero Dawn's systems."

"I warned you, Sylens," Aloy said. 

"For once Aloy, submit to the inevitable and open the hatch," he said. 

"Once I rebuild Gaia, I'm tracking you down and ending you!" Aloy said. She removed the Focus and smashed it with her foot, then took out another one. 

"Aloy, what do we do?" Talanah asked. 

"Relax. The only people who can open that hatch are me, Elisabet or Travis," she told her. She headed to the railing and looked down, seeing a drainage tunnel at the bottom of the chamber. "There's a current running down there. Maybe it leads to another exit." 

"Genetic profile confirmed. Entry authorised," the synthetic voice said. Both of the women turned to the door in shock and rushed away. Aloy retrieved the Gaia root kernel from the terminal and then they hid behind the HADES repository. The door opened and several white and gold spider-like machines crawled into the chamber. Talanah's eyes widened and her breathing picked up. She was deathly afraid of Spiders, ever since one was found in her room back in the Sundom when she was a child. Four people, two women and two men appeared in the doorway, obscured by the shadows. 

"Beta," the shorter man commanded. The shorter woman stepped forward, shaking anxiously. Aloy and Talanah's jaws hit the floor as they saw the face of another clone of Elisabet Sobeck. This one had a much paler complexion than Elisabet. Her hair was much shorter, with one bang covering her right eye. She wore a black suit which seemed to be made of metal and was bonded to her skin. It had intricate golden angular patterns and pointed, puffy shoulders. Running from her neck, expanded over her chest and then meeting below her bust was an image of a purple-coloured starry skin with golden lines crossing over it. Her bare fingers were also made of metal, like Captain Okilo's arm only more advanced. She approached the Gaia repository and retrieved the other backup, her singular eye widening as she saw Aloy and Talanah hiding. She turned back to the others, looked down at the backup and her eyes widened. She headed to the terminal and found the same thing that Aloy had found minutes earlier; the kernel was without subfunctions. As she swiped through the menu, she hit something accidentally and the repositories both rose, revealing Aloy and Talanah to the others. 

"SHIT!" Aloy said. 

"Spectres, Beta!" The short man said. One of the arachnid robots advanced forward and the clone was surrounded by golden fluid which formed and capsule around her and was pulled into the robot. It then backed away, re-joining the others. The three others stepped forward. They all wore similar clothing to the clone, Beta. The shorter man was bald with grey eyes and a creepy fake smile. His green and gold suit looked more akin to one an Old One businessman might have worn. The taller man had short white hair and brown eyes. His purple, green and gold suit was bulkier and looked like armour. The now only woman of them was a slender silver-blonde with golden-green eyes. She wore a white and gold suit that looked like an ostentatious ivory-white half-dress. She had the most intricate golden details. Her eyes were wide and looking directly at Aloy. "Well, would anyone like to explain what a clone of Elisabet Sobeck and an...uncivilised tribal savage is doing here?" Aloy stood in front of Talanah protectively. 

"Gaia probably made the clone as a failsafe to restore the system. The other woman is likely her companion," the blonde said, not her eyes off Aloy. 

"Hm, now that is unfortunate. Don't need it, don't want it," the man said. 

"Gerad," the woman said, almost threateningly. 

"No, one's enough trouble. Eric."

"Yeah?" The taller man said, seemingly disinterested. 

"Please, do a little downsizing."

"Sure thing." He stepped forward as one of the machines put up a barrier in the space of entry. 

"But what if they sent the pulse we received?" the woman asked as Gerad turned away. 

"Then it was foolish of them. Come on."

"Aloy..." Talanah began. 

"I'll distract him, you find us a way out of here."

- - -

"Well. I was certainly. Not expecting. To fight zombies. As part of this adventure!" Captain Okilo said. Elisabet couldn't help but agree. Ten minutes after Varl and Milu left, they got attacked by what she could only describe as zombies and humanoid robotic servitors.

Erend asked what a zombie was as he used his bomb sling to destroy the arachnid machine on the drawbridge. Travis had responded by saying it was something living that died and then was brought back to life by magic, a plague, technology or medicine, to which Erend said. "Huh, like Blameless Marad."

Elisabet rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Travis, are we clear?"

"Yeah, I disabled the transmission, boss ma'am."

"Great job," she said, sitting down on the rock. She looked at the zombie creature she had taken out with a few arrows. It wasn't too tough to take down and now she could get a proper look at it. Its skin was worn and grey, almost skeletal. What little muscle wasn't replaced with the grainy golden fluid that spilt everywhere was disproportionate and asymmetrical, bulging in uneven areas. Veins popped out cleanly, which glowed blue. She doubted blood was being pumped through them. The heart was exposed and was much bigger than it should have been. The fingers were long, sharp and skeletal, as were the feet. Their faces had been covered by monstrous gold-plated masks. 

The humanoid machines liked like Dark Troopers from the popular Star Wars The Mandalorian TV show but bulkier with gold and white plating and angular V-shaped masks, much like Spectres from Titanfall 2 and Dreadnaughts from Max Steel. They carried laser weapons attached to their arms which fired bursts of lasers with lots of spread. 

There was a crash of something and Erend came over, carrying a weapon from the Arachnid. "What's the plan, Elisabet?" he asked. 

"Let's rest here for a moment, then I want a closer at these machines."

"You think that these things are alien, boss?" Travis asked. Elisabet gave him a tired, deadpanned look.

"Well they're certainly not any machines I've seen before," Erend said. 

"Yeah, way too advanced," said Margo. 

"I somewhat doubt it is aliens," said Lis, "Maybe Sylens found these things."

"Sorry boss but that's impossible. Even if it was a stash of advanced secret government tech, it doesn't explain the zombies," Travis told her. 

"I'm trying to rationalise, sorry. I just hope that Aloy's okay."

- - -

"That...was way too close," Aloy said as she and Talanah rested on the shores of the Jagged Deep. They were both lying there, beside each other under the starry sky. The escape from LATOPOLIS had been a blur. While Aloy distracted Erik, Talanah had shot off the Recluse Spider's supports, dropping the ancient machine down and through the floor. They then dived into the water below, swimming through the tunnels and narrowly avoiding the Spectres before arriving at a generator room with a Firegleam mould on the wall. Aloy had detonated it, which caused the room to collapse and send them both out of a waterfall and onto the shoreline where they were currently resting. Both were soaked through and were too exhausted to move too much. 

"You are crazy," the Carja-Banuk said. 

"Um, you shot the supports out, you are equally crazy," Aloy bantered. 

"True. The stars are beautiful. But it's even better with you." They stared into each other's eyes. 

"You know what, fuck this," Aloy said, "You are the most beautiful and capable woman I have ever met Talanah. And it has certainly been hard to admit this when you're flirting all the time!"

Talanah giggled. "That was part of the fun, trying to elicit a reaction out of you," she admitted. Aloy grumbled a little. 

"I...I like this," she said, "Me and you, either facing down Redmaw, HADES or that...guy, Erik. I don't think that I could've done it alone or without you." 

"I'm sure you would've found a way. You always do. It's one of your best qualities," Talanah said, "It's why I like you as a friend, but I want there to be more."

"I want to be more than friends too," Aloy admitted. They reached out and locked hands. 

"EEEEEEEE!" They sat and turned to see Milu, Varl and an Utaru woman standing there. Varl was panting, looking relieved. The Utaru looked apprehensive and had some medical supplies on hand. Milu...was practically giddy. Her smile was wide, eyes open and fists together in front of her cheeks. "You two are so cute."

"Way to ruin the romantic mood," Aloy joked half-heartedly. 

Chapter Text

Aloy stirred from her slumber, the warmth of a fire washing over her. She groaned, putting her hand on her pounding forehead. A blurry figure loomed over her, and she blinked rapidly to focus. 

"Ah, you're awake," the soft voice said. It was Zo, the Utaru that Milu and Varl had convinced to help them find her and Talanah. "It's nice to meet you, Aloy."

"Yeah. What happened? How long have I been out?"

"About two days. You and your...Carja friend were thoroughly exhausted after we found you. Milu insisted on bringing you back here to rest."

"And where's here exactly?"

"Stone's Echo," Poking her head through the curtain was Milu, "It's a recently set up outpost. Zo, Re's...in pain again." Zo stood up and followed Milu outside, allowing Varl inside. He looked tired. 

"Aloy."

"Varl." Aloy sat up, looking to her side to see Talanah asleep beside her. 

"You care about her, don't you." It wasn't a question. 

"We're going to take it slow. I'm new to this whole...romance thing. Where's everyone else?"

"They're staying at a nearby outpost. I'll tell them that you're up." He opened his Focus. 

BoyNextDoor: @Everyone Aloy is awake. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: Thank god, you scared me, kid. 

FlameHairedThrush: Well it was kind of hard to chat while running from a swarm of large robotic spiders. 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Well, that's tame compared to what we went through mini-Lis.

Aloy looked to Varl, who shrugged. 

FlameHairedThrush: What happened?

VEGAN#ShennyShen: We got attacked by a horde of Zombies your old pal Sylens sent us. 

FlameHairedThrush: What...what's a Zombie?

VEGAN#ShennyShen: They're a...human that died, but was revived by a virus or magic or some other phenomenon. They typically...aren't that intelligent and they try to eat people's brains. This is what we encountered though: 

FlameHairedThrush: What... the... fuck? 

ADMIN [BigMama]: We also encountered strange androids with advanced technology at their disposal. 

FlameHairedThrush: I think... I might know who is responsible:

BoyNextDoor: Who are they?

EREND VANGUARDSMAN: YAH, AND WHY'S THEIR CLOTHING SO TIGHT?

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: O_O

VEGAN#ShennyShen: What the fuck...?

Captain_RobotKiller: Doc, are those...?

ADMIN [BigMama]: Far Zenith. 

BoyNextDoor: What, but I thought they were dead? Aloy, you said their ship never made it to...Sirius.

ADMIN [BigMama]: God fucking... TILDA!!!

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: And there's another clone!

FlameHairedThrush: Wait, Elisabet, do you know that woman?

ADMIN [BigMama]: Her name is Tilda Van Der Meer, and yes I know her. She's my ex-girlfriend. 

Aloy's mind went blank from the surprise. She hadn't expected that Elisabet had been in a relationship. From all the data points that she found, she got the assumption that Elisabet was simply too busy for that kind of intimate relationship. 

FlameHairedThrush: I didn't know that. I'd assumed you didn't have time for such a relationship. 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Yeah, no offence boss ma'am but you also me that impression. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: I was a bit of a workaholic. Either way, this adds a whole new set of problems to our goals. 

FlameHairedThrush: Yeah, the guy me and Talanah, Erik, had some kind of energy shield around his body. Shot one arrow and it didn't even flinch. 

Captain_RobotKiller: That does sound like a problem. 

CookingQueen: What do they want, though? Why did they come to the proving lab in the first place?

FlameHairedThrush: They were after a backup of Gaia themselves. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: We can only really speculate. But maybe we can find out if we encounter them again. 

ADMIN [BigMama]: For now we need to focus on rebooting Gaia. 

BoyNextDoor: Me and Milu have talked to Zo. The mountains where Minerva is have a...Sacred Cave where their Land Gods are "restored" through a cycle, representing the tribe's values of growth and decay. 

VEGAN#ShennyShen: Sounds like a Repair Bay. They're like down-sized Cauldrons that were designed to repair machines, instead of building them. 

CookingQueen: Really, because apparently one of our Land Gods, Fa, disappeared inside and has yet to emerge. Instead, packs of deadly machines attack the Utaru people. 

VEGAN#ShennyShen: That's...odd.

ADMIN [BigMama]: We'll investigate. Bottom line is, if we're going into that cave we'll likely need permission from the Utaru. 

FlameHairedThrush: Great, more politics. 

Varl sighed.

"What?" Aloy asked, turning to him again, eyebrow raised.

"Try to remember that everyone needs to be handled in their own way," he told her before they heard a loud screech from outside. With Varl supporting her, Aloy made her way out. Underneath a small shelter lay a Plowhorn, adorned with various colourful markings, lying on its side and surrounded by Utaru. Zo stood in front of the Plowhorn's head, singing a gentle song, while Milu stood to the side, head bowed.

"As verdant limbs wither, roots rot in snow...

Still the seed rises, as certain as stone."

Aloy turned her head to Varl, who offered a small smile before turning to their new companion.

"Zo." The Utaru turned to them, eyebrow raised.

"She should be resting, Varl."

"Aloy doesn't really do ‘should,’" he replied, “Is something wrong with… um… her?”

Zo nodded, turning back to the machine. “I never thought I’d see the day where I’d be singing and comforting one of our Land Gods as it lay dying,” she said quietly.

“She’s not just dying; she’s suffering,” Aloy said. She glanced at Milu before activating her Focus, scanning Re to diagnose the source of its distress. A quick scan revealed a malfunction in one of Re’s seed launchers that hadn’t been maintained in some time. “Varl, spear.”

Zo looked at her in shock. “What?”

“Aloy…” Milu began, cautiously.

“One of her seed launchers is broken,” Aloy explained, taking the spear and leaning on it slightly, “If we detach it, it’ll help.” She stepped up to the machine and carefully placed the spear’s tip into the point where the launcher was connected to the frame. With a grunt of effort, Aloy pried the launcher free.

The effect was immediate; the machine stopped lying on its side and slowly rose to its feet. The Utaru surrounding it, including Zo, looked on in awe before breaking into relieved smiles and laughter. Re turned her head to Aloy, and the blue light in its eyes deepened in hue.

“Doctor Sobeck?” it spoke. The crowd fell silent.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name other than Sobeck,” it continued.

“Who… who are you?” Aloy asked, astonished.

“I am MINERVA.”

Elisabet sat alone, the crackling firelight of the outpost flickering softly in front of her, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to echo the turmoil she felt within. Her back was turned to the others, her body language closed off, as if the weight of everything pressing down on her had drawn her into a world of her own. Her gaze was fixed on some distant point, her eyes seemingly lost in the inky expanse above. Perhaps she was searching the stars, or some corner of her mind, for answers she wasn’t sure she could find.

The dim glow of a nearby lamp threw further shadows across her face, accentuating the deep lines of fatigue and grief that had slowly taken root since the revelation. She hadn’t said much since Aloy had shared the image—Tilda, alive, along with the other members of Far Zenith, and another clone of her. Her fingers rested on her knees, absentmindedly tracing the worn fabric of her trousers as the silence around her grew thicker, almost suffocating.

She had already mourned Tilda. She had already let herself grieve the woman she had loved, the woman she thought she had lost forever. To find her now—alive and part of the very mission Elisabet had fought so hard to prevent—it was more than just an emotional blow. It was a rupture, a tear in the fabric of her carefully constructed reality.

Her mind wandered back to that time—before she had dedicated herself to Gaia, to ensure that the Earth and humanity had a future. It had been the days of the Faro Plague, when the world was crumbling when everything felt like it was slipping through her fingers. She had been so focused on building Zero Dawn from practically nothing, on fixing the system that was supposed to protect Earth, that she hadn’t allowed herself to truly process what was happening to her heart. She had buried those emotions under the weight of the world, hoping that once the plague was contained, once Gaia was up and running, everything else would fall into place.

But it hadn’t.

The Faro Plague, the collapse of human civilisation, the constant pressure to create something that could save humanity in just 16 months—all of it had overwhelmed her. And Tilda... Tilda had been the one person she thought she could rely on, the one person who understood the weight of it all, who could see her for who she truly was, behind the work, the genius, the obsession. But Tilda had chosen Far Zenith over the project she’d believed would be the future of humanity. She had left, abandoning Elisabet, leaving her to cope with the aftermath of their shared dreams falling apart.

Now, the woman she had loved, the one she had thought was lost to time and tragedy, was alive. She wasn’t just alive, though—she was part of the very thing that had caused Elisabet so much pain. The elites. The lies. The selfishness. It all threatened to drown her again.

Her chest tightened as the feelings she had buried resurfaced, raw and jagged. Elisabet bit her lip to stave off the tears threatening to spill, unwilling to let her vulnerability show. She had to remain strong. She had to. She couldn’t break now.

But the silence felt like a weight pressing down on her, and every passing second that Tilda’s image remained fresh in her mind made the truth of it all feel unbearable. She had built Gaia in the hopes of preventing a future like this, a future where humanity’s mistakes came back to haunt them, where those she had trusted turned out to be just as flawed, just as fallible as anyone else.

Elisabet closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to find the calm she used to rely on. But there was no peace. Not now. Not with the constant ache in her chest. How could I have been so blind? she thought. How could I have not seen this coming?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft cough, the sound almost too quiet in the thick air. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Margo had been quiet since the image had been shared, too. But now, her presence was undeniable. Margo stood there, hesitant, yet determined.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked gently, her voice cautious, yet not lacking in warmth.

Elisabet didn’t answer immediately, her fingers still tracing the fabric of her pants. She felt a pang of guilt for not being able to hold herself together. But Margo wasn’t like the others. Margo had been with her for years, ever since she had taken the young woman under her wing, and she’d been there through the darkest moments, quietly supportive without ever pushing.

Finally, Elisabet turned her head, her eyes betraying the exhaustion and confusion that weighed so heavily on her. “I didn’t expect this... I didn’t think she’d still be alive, Margo. After all this time, I thought... I thought I was done mourning her.”

Margo hesitated for a moment before sitting beside her. “I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling right now. All of this must feel like a cruel joke.”

“It’s not a joke,” Elisabet whispered. “It’s a reminder. That I failed. That I couldn’t protect anything. And now… now I don’t even know what to do with the past. With her.”

Margo placed a hand gently on her shoulder, her touch grounding. “You’re not alone, Elisabet. Whatever this is—whatever you’re feeling—it’s okay. You’ve carried so much, for so long. Maybe now, you need to let yourself... feel it. Let it out.”

The older woman turned her head, meeting Margo’s steady gaze. “I don’t know if I can, Margo. I don’t know how to deal with this.”

Margo smiled softly, her voice quiet but firm. “One step at a time. You’ve done so much for this world—don't let this one thing undo everything you’ve built.”

For a long moment, Elisabet remained silent, the weight of the past and present hanging between them. Slowly, she leaned back, the tension in her shoulders loosening just a fraction as Margo’s presence steadied her. It wasn’t a solution. It wasn’t even an answer. But it was a start. For the first time since the revelation, Elisabet allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to reconcile the past with the future.

Her voice, when it came, was soft and uncertain. “What if I don’t want to face her? What if seeing her again... just hurts more than it already does?”

Margo squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “Then you don’t have to. Not yet, anyway. But when you’re ready, we’ll all be here. And we’ll face whatever comes together.”

Elisabet gave a faint nod, her heart still heavy, but somehow, in this moment, a little lighter. Maybe it was just the comfort of having someone with her. Maybe it was the possibility that she wasn’t completely alone in this battle. Whatever it was, it was enough to give her the strength to keep moving forward.

And for the first time since the revelation, she allowed herself to believe that she could, in time, face whatever came next.

Aloy stepped closer to the Plowhorn, her gaze fixed on the glowing blue light that now illuminated its optics. The machine, now standing tall and steady, tilted its head as if acknowledging her approach. It still carried the delicate marks of its Utaru caretakers, but there was no mistaking the intelligence now speaking through it.

“Minerva,” Aloy repeated, her voice steady but laced with curiosity. The name alone was enough to set her mind racing. This was the subfunction of Gaia she had detected while scanning the region from the Proving Lab. The voice emanating from the machine was quiet, almost hesitant as if it had to work up the courage to speak. 

“Yes,” Minerva replied softly, her tone careful and measured, with an underlying fragility. “I... I am Minerva. You are... Dr. Sobeck, aren’t you? Or... someone like her?”

Aloy sighed, brushing a strand of red hair out of her face. “I’m not Elisabet. I’m her genetic clone, Aloy. But I’m here because I need to find you—all of you. I need Gaia’s subfunctions to put her back together.”

There was a pause, a flicker of light in the Plowhorn’s optics as if Minerva were processing Aloy’s words.

“I’ve been watching... listening,” Minerva said at last, her voice trembling slightly. “I know why you’re here. I... I wanted to contact you earlier, but...” She faltered, and the machine’s head dipped. “I was scared.”

Aloy frowned. “Scared? Of what?”

“Of everything,” Minerva admitted, her voice cracking. “The outside world... it’s chaotic. Dangerous. I’ve seen so much destruction through my limited view. The machines... the people... Even the other subfunctions aren’t the same anymore. And Hephaestus...”

The mention of Hephaestus immediately drew Aloy’s attention. Her expression hardened. “What about Hephaestus?”

Minerva hesitated, the Plowhorn shifting its weight nervously. “He found me,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “He’s taken over the repair bay below the facility where I’ve been hiding. He’s... building things. Dangerous things.”

Aloy clenched her fists, a wave of frustration rising within her. “What kind of machines?”

“Machines designed for war,” Minerva murmured, almost too softly to hear. “He’s repurposed the repair bay to produce combat units. I... I’ve tried to stop him, but I’m not like Hephaestus. I can’t create. I can only encode, decrypt, and signal. I’m useless against him.”

“You’re not useless,” Aloy said firmly, taking a step closer to the machine. “You contacted me. That’s something. And you’re here now, speaking to me through Re. That takes courage.”

Minerva’s voice wavered. “It doesn’t feel like courage. It feels... like desperation. Hephaestus is growing stronger. I don’t know how long I can stay hidden. I thought about shutting down entirely, just to avoid being found again. But then... I remembered Dr. Sobeck. If there was any way of feeling whole again, she would be the answer. That's when I detected your search for me and the others... and I responded."

“I’m here to help. I’ll deal with Hephaestus, but I need you to trust me. We can’t let fear stop us from doing what needs to be done.”

The Plowhorn’s optics flickered again, Minerva’s voice carrying a small, hesitant hope. “You mean... you can stop him?”

“I’ve done it before,” Aloy said confidently, though the memory of battling Hephaestus in the Cauldron still made her stomach tighten. “And I’ll do it again if I have to. But first, I need to find you. Where are you hiding?”

Minerva hesitated, the fear in her voice palpable. “I... I’m in a bunker beneath the old Zero Dawn facility, far to the west. I’ve locked myself away to keep Hephaestus from accessing my core programming. But it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through. Please... hurry.”

Aloy nodded, determination shining in her eyes. “I will. Just hang on a little longer, Minerva. You’re not alone in this anymore.”

Minerva’s voice softened her tone almost like that of a shy child. “Thank you, Aloy. I... I’ll try to be brave.”

The connection flickered, and the Plowhorn’s optics returned to their usual neutral state. Aloy stood still for a moment, processing everything she had just learned. Hephaestus was a problem, as always, but Minerva’s vulnerability struck a chord within her. She would have to be careful—not just for Minerva’s safety, but to ensure that this fragile piece of Gaia’s puzzle didn’t fall apart under the weight of its own fear.

Turning back to Varl and Zo, who had been watching the exchange from a distance, Aloy squared her shoulders. “We’ve got another stop to make,” she said. “And it’s not going to be easy.”

Zo stepped forward, her brow furrowed. “The Land Gods will guide us. They brought the spirit to you for a reason.”

Aloy gave a small, appreciative nod, though her mind was already racing ahead. If Hephaestus was building combat units beneath the Zero Dawn facility, they had little time to waste. Minerva had taken a brave step in reaching out to her, and Aloy wasn’t about to let that bravery go unanswered.

The border gate of High Turning loomed over the dense jungle, a sturdy structure of wood, stone, and metal cobbled together with Utaru craftsmanship and Tenakth practicality. The guards, a mix of Utaru farmers turned fighters and hardened Tenakth warriors, patrolled the perimeter under the oppressive heat of the afternoon sun.

The attack began without warning.

A guttural war cry echoed from the treeline, followed by the unmistakable roar of machines. Before the defenders could react, a barrage of arrows and acid bombs rained down on the gate. Smoke rose as the acidic payloads began eating through the wood and metal reinforcements.

Amidst the chaos, a tall figure emerged from the jungle. His appearance was as striking as it was bizarre: bright green hair styled in chaotic spikes, armour painted an unnatural shade of purple, and a manic grin stretched across his face. Sroom, the self-proclaimed mastermind of Regalla’s rebels, strode forward with exaggerated confidence, twirling an acid-filled flower in one hand.

A Tenakth guard, one of the few who held his ground, stood ready with his spear. “Stay back, rebel!” he barked, his voice firm despite the fear in his eyes.

Sroom tilted his head, his grin widening. “Oh, I do love a brave soul,” he cooed, his voice dripping with mockery. “But bravery, my dear friend, doesn’t mix well with acid.”

In a swift motion, Sroom flicked the flower at the guard. The acid splashed across the man’s chest, and he screamed as his armour melted away, exposing his flesh to the burning liquid. The other defenders hesitated, fear rooting them in place as their comrade collapsed.

Sroom let out a theatrical laugh, throwing his arms wide. “Come on now! That’s what happens when you don’t appreciate my gifts. I mean, I went through so much trouble to make this entertaining for you!”

Behind him, a female rebel struggled with a makeshift pack, its contents spilling onto the dirt. Among the fallen items were stacks of carefully preserved papers—comic books.

“Hey, be careful with those!” Sroom snapped, whirling around to glare at her.

The rebel groaned, clearly exasperated. “Why do we even bring this junk? It’s not like—”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence. In one fluid motion, Sroom lunged at her, his blade slicing across her throat. She gurgled, collapsing in a heap next to the scattered comics.

“Junk?” Sroom repeated mockingly, kneeling to gather the comics with a delicate touch as if cradling a newborn. “This, my dear, is art. You wouldn’t know culture if it bit you on the nose.” He sighed theatrically and stood, tucking the comics back into his satchel. “Such a waste of rebellion spirit.”

The remaining rebels exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing, fearing they might be next if they spoke out.

Sroom turned back to the gate, his grin returning. “Now then,” he announced, his tone light and playful, “shall we get back to business? That gate isn’t going to break itself!”

At his command, the rebels unleashed another volley of acid bombs and arrows. The gate groaned under the assault, chunks of wood and metal falling away with each hit.

Sroom’s laughter rang out above the chaos, a chilling sound that made even his followers uneasy. “Oh, High Turning,” he sang, “I do hope you’re ready for a little... structural adjustment!”

The defenders, now fewer in number, regrouped behind the crumbling gate, their faces pale with determination and fear. The sound of machines grew louder, signalling the arrival of reinforcements for the rebels.

Sroom spun his acid flower between his fingers, his green hair glinting in the sunlight. “Let’s give them a show, shall we?” he said, his grin widening. “It’s what the audience deserves.”

Chapter Text

The first light of dawn crept through the gaps of the small shelter, painting the interior with a warm, muted glow. Aloy sat cross-legged by the fire pit, the faint flicker of embers casting dancing shadows across her face. She held her spear in her lap, absentmindedly running a cloth along its length. Her Focus hummed faintly as she reviewed data from earlier.

Behind her, Talanah stirred, her hand brushing against the bedroll before her eyes fluttered open.

“How long have you been up?” Talanah asked groggily, her voice still thick with sleep.

“An hour, maybe,” Aloy replied without looking back, her tone gentle but distant. “Didn’t want to wake you. You needed the rest after… everything.”

Talanah pushed herself up to a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. “And what about you? You’ve been running yourself ragged since we left Meridian.”

Aloy finally turned to face her, a small, tired smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “I’ve been through worse.”

“That’s not exactly comforting,” Talanah said, shaking her head. She scooted closer, her expression softening. “You don’t always have to carry everything alone, you know.”

For a moment, Aloy said nothing. Her eyes flicked to the fire, then back to Talanah. “It’s not that I want to… it’s just hard to let go of the habit.”

Talanah reached out, placing her hand over Aloy’s. “You’re not alone, Aloy. Not anymore.”

Aloy looked at their joined hands, her throat tightening slightly. She wasn’t used to this—letting someone in, sharing the burden. But Talanah’s presence was steady, unwavering. It was... nice.

Before she could reply, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the quiet. Milu appeared at the entrance of the shelter, her face a mixture of concern and urgency.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Milu began, slightly out of breath, “but we’ve got a problem.”

“What is it now?” Aloy asked with a sigh, immediately rising to her feet.

“A tunnel leading into the southern Tenakth desert has collapsed,” Milu explained. “The scouts think it’s from a cave-in caused by the recent rains, but a Shellsnapper was spotted near the entrance.”

Talanah groaned as she stood, rolling her shoulders. “Just what I needed to wake up properly—another oversized snapping turtle.”

Aloy smirked faintly. “Could be worse.”

Milu crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced. “The tunnel’s critical for trade routes and scouting operations. If that Shellsnapper decides to make the area its territory, we’ll lose access to the southern desert entirely.”

Aloy nodded, already scanning her gear to make sure everything was in place. “We’ll deal with it.”

Talanah grabbed her bow, slinging it over her shoulder as she gave Aloy a teasing look. “You really know how to show a girl a good time, don’t you?”

Milu blinked at the comment, clearly unsure how to respond, while Aloy simply chuckled under her breath.

“Let’s just get it done,” Aloy said, gesturing for the others to follow.

The trio stepped out into the early morning light, the air crisp and cool, but the promise of a blazing desert sun loomed on the horizon. They had a Shellsnapper to face—and more than a few questions about what had caused the cave-in to answer.

The camp was buzzing with activity. The first Rebel Camp, once a site of bloodshed and hatred, now served as a temporary base for the group. A mix of Outlanders from various tribes had moved in, seeking shelter and safety from the chaos that had overtaken No Man’s Land. The outpost was now crowded, makeshift tents scattered between the crumbling structures, the sounds of voices and machines blending together in a cacophony of life and tension.

Elisabet sat with Captain Okilo, Margo, Travis, and Erend around a hastily set-up table in the heart of the camp. The flickering light of the fire illuminated the harsh lines of their faces as they pored over the data displayed on the holomap. Tension hung in the air like a storm cloud, the weight of their next steps pressing on them all.

Elisabet had barely sat down when her Focus chimed. The group turned toward the sound, and a moment later, MINERVA's quiet, anxious voice filled the space.

"Elisabet…? Captain Okilo…" The voice trembled, as though it were bracing itself to speak.

Okilo straightened, her gaze sharp. “Who is this?” 

“My name is MINERVA, your subordinate function. I am contacting you from the regional terraforming operations centre in the mountains west of Plainsong. I already spoke to Aloy and I’m aware of your goal to restore Gaia. I want to help. The Tenakth Rebels, led by an Utaru by the name of Sroom, have set up outposts in the region. Additionally, HEPHAESTUS has taken over the Repair Bay below my location.”

The group exchanged surprised glances, the gravity of the information sinking in. The name HEPHAESTUS alone was enough to spark alarm. The sub function was known for its cold, calculated nature, and its takeover of a Cauldron meant serious trouble.

Margo leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "You said you want to help. What exactly do you have for us, MINERVA? We need to know the details."

MINERVA’s voice hesitated again before responding, as though unsure of how much to reveal. “I’ve pinpointed the locations of the Rebel outposts in the Plainsong area, along with Cauldron MU. The Rebels are harassing the already weakened Utaru, whose fields are filled with blight. Taking out these outposts will go a long way towards helping the Utaru. Within the Cauldron, you’ll find overrides that you can use on machines.”

“Thank you, MINERVA,” Elisabet said, “This is going to help, a lot.”

The heat was stifling, the sun glaring down as Aloy, Milu, and Talanah approached the collapsed tunnel. Sand crunched beneath their sandals, and a faint breeze carried the scent of dry earth. The entrance to the tunnel loomed ahead, a wall of rubble further inside where it had collapsed. Milu pointed ahead.

“It’s just over there,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. “The Shellsnapper’s been sighted near the entrance.”

Aloy nodded, her hand instinctively resting on the hilt of her spear. “Stay alert. Shellsnappers don’t just wander around without reason.”

Before they could get closer, a figure stumbled out from behind a boulder. A man in a tattered outfit, clutching a heavy satchel to his chest, bolted toward them, his face pale with terror.

“Run! It’s right behind me!” he shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.

“Gildun?” Aloy recognized him immediately, the eccentric man she had once helped in the deep, waterlogged ruins of Greycatch in the Cut.

Gildun skidded to a halt in front of them, panting heavily, his satchel clinking with what sounded like metal tools and trinkets. “Oh, Aloy! Fancy meeting you here! But no time for pleasantries—we’ve got a very big, angry machine on my tail!”

As if on cue, the ground beneath their feet rumbled. Aloy’s Focus beeped urgently, detecting the enormous machine’s approach.

“Move!” she yelled, pulling Gildun aside just as the sand exploded upward.

A massive Shellsnapper burst from the ground, its enormous shell gleaming in the sunlight. It leaped through the air, its shadow passing over their heads before landing with a thunderous crash, sending a shockwave that knocked Milu off balance.

“By the Sun!” Talanah shouted, drawing her bow and notching an arrow in one fluid motion.

The Shellsnapper roared, its mechanical limbs scraping against the rocks as it turned toward the group, its glowing red eyes locking onto them.

Aloy steadied herself, her mind racing. “Talanah, keep its attention! Milu, stay back and cover us if more machines show up! Gildun—” She shot him a sharp look. “You’re staying out of the way!”

“Oh, don’t worry about me!” Gildun said, scurrying behind another boulder. “I’ll just… supervise from a safe distance!”

Talanah fired a precise shot, her arrow hitting one of the Shellsnapper’s cannons, but it only seemed to enrage the machine further. It charged toward her, its massive claws slicing through the air.

Aloy activated her Focus, scanning the Shellsnapper for weaknesses. “Its frost sacs are exposed underneath! Talanah, aim for those!”

“On it!” Talanah replied, rolling out of the way of a claw swipe and firing an explosive arrow. She aimed just next to the machine, the explosion detonating the sacks and covering its underside in frost. She followed up with a few hardpoint arrows, dealing massive damage to its weakened musculature. 

Milu, from her position behind cover, used her sling to hurl a shock bomb at the machine’s legs. The detonation sent sparks flying, momentarily stunning the Shellsnapper and giving Aloy a chance to close the distance.

She leaped onto the machine’s back, her spear glowing with blue energy as she plunged it into one of its exposed components. The Shellsnapper roared, thrashing wildly to shake her off.

“Hold on, Aloy!” Milu shouted, preparing another shock bomb.

“Working on it!” Aloy grunted, gripping tightly as the machine bucked beneath her.

With teamwork and determination, the group began to wear the machine down, each attack chipping away at its armor clamps and exposing more of its vulnerable insides. Finally, after a fierce battle, the Shellsnapper let out one last roar before collapsing into the sand, its lights fading.

Aloy jumped off its back, landing beside Talanah and Milu, who were both catching their breath.

“Well, that was exhilarating!” Gildun said, emerging from his hiding spot with a wide grin. “And by exhilarating, I mean absolutely terrifying!”

Aloy gave him a tired smile. “You’ve got a knack for finding trouble, don’t you?”

“Oh, it wasn’t my fault this time!” Gildun protested, patting his satchel. “I was just… exploring! This tunnel is supposed to lead into Tenakth lands and I heard a caravan had gone through recently! So I decided to go and see what’s on the other side, but of course I ran into that instead.” He pointed at the dead machine. 

“Uh,” Milu began, “There’s a body under here.” She was crouching over a pile of rubble inside of the tunnel. Aloy came over and dug away at the rocks, revealing a dead Oseram, a scroll clutched in his hand. 

“He was part of a caravan that had split into two to pass through,” Aloy said, looking at the scroll, “They were going to salvage the ruins in the desert. The first group was going to set up a base camp before moving on. The note ends abruptly, presumably as the tunnel caved in.” 

“Hey, you smell that?” Gildun asked as he looked at the rock wall. Suddenly there was a boom and Gildun was sent tumbling back. There was now a hole in the wall and a desert Tenakth poked his head through. 

“Whoops, sorry. Didn’t expect to see anyone on the other side. Are you lot part of the caravan?”

“No, but I just found the corpse of one who was.”

“Ah, a Rockbreaker collapsed the tunnel. The salvagers asked me to clear it,” the Tenakth said, “I’m Drakka by the way, Captain of Arrowhand, a nearby settlement.”

Aloy crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she addressed the Tenakth. “Why did a bunch of Oseram ask you to clear it?”

Drakka smirked and shrugged. “Their scout brought some tribute—enough to show they didn’t mean harm. I asked if they needed help, and they told me about the tunnel collapse. They’ve set up a camp on the other side.” His tone grew more serious as he added, “Rebels have taken control of the gate at High Turning. Problem is, the Commander refuses to let anyone touch it—or the camps and outposts that have been springing up all over the desert.”

Aloy frowned, her gaze narrowing. “So they’re just… letting the rebels dig in?”

“Pretty much,” Drakka replied grimly. “If you ask me, it’s a bad move. Every day they sit around doing nothing, the rebels get bolder.

Aloy wiped her hands clean of dust and turned to Drakka. “Thanks for the information—and for clearing the tunnel. Sounds like things are heating up in the desert.”

Drakka shrugged with a faint smirk. “Always something out here. You watch yourself. The rebels aren’t the only ones you’ve got to worry about.”

“I will,” Aloy replied, nodding firmly. “Good luck holding things down in Arrowhand.”

Drakka grinned. “Don’t need luck when you’ve got determination. Safe travels, Desert Flame.”

As Drakka moved back through the tunnel, Gildun clapped his hands together. “Well, no sense standing around. I think I’ll tag along with him—see what those Oseram on the other side have to say. Could be a story worth telling.”

“Just don’t let them rope you into trouble,” Aloy said with a faint smile.

“Trouble? Me? Never!” Gildun said, though his playful grin betrayed his words.

Aloy watched as Gildun disappeared into the tunnel with Drakka. She then turned to Talanah and Milu. “We’ve done all we can here. Let’s head back into Utaru territory. I have a feeling the next problem won’t wait for us to catch our breath.”

Talanah adjusted her gear, her eyes scanning the horizon. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it.”

“Right,” Milu chimed in, her tone determined. “I’ve still got a few traps left, just in case.”

Aloy smirked at the young Utaru before leading the way back toward the sparse greenery of the lowlands. Behind her, the faint echoes of the desert faded, replaced by the soft rustling of the Utaru’s fields.

But Aloy’s thoughts remained restless. The rebels, the derangement, and the many questions that still needed answers—it was only a matter of time before the next challenge came their way.

The trek through the arid lowlands was uneventful at first, the trio walking in relative silence. Milu hummed softly, her tone light despite the tension of their surroundings. Talanah scanned the area, her hand never far from her bowstring, ever vigilant.

Aloy, however, paused mid-step as something unusual caught her eye. A massive, lifeless Widemaw lay sprawled ahead, its mechanical shell partially shattered. Embedded deep in the carcass was a large, heavy hammer.

She stepped closer, her Focus scanning the scene. The hammer seemed to hum faintly, an almost imperceptible flow of energy sparking around it. Yet, as she crouched to inspect it, there was no visible sign of any machine parts or power source attached to the weapon.

“Strange,” she muttered, running her fingers just shy of the handle. “This doesn’t look like any Oseram weapon I’ve seen before. And it doesn’t feel like regular metal.”

“Let me guess,” Talanah said, joining her and eyeing the weapon warily. “You’re thinking of taking it?”

Aloy shook her head, standing. “No. But whoever left it behind might still be nearby.”

Her gaze followed a faint trail leading away from the Widemaw. She gestured to Talanah and Milu to follow her. The path led them to a small alcove tucked between some crumbled rocks. Nestled within were two carved wooden figurines, their craftsmanship intricate and unusual.

Aloy knelt, studying them closely. One figure was blue-skinned, burly and rough, with a stoic expression that radiated strength. The other was taller, more delicate in design, and bore an almost nervous demeanor.

She tilted her head, a slight smile tugging at her lips. “Carved figures. One looks tough. The other… kind of fussy. Maybe they’re brothers.”

Milu leaned in, her curiosity piqued. “They don’t look like Utaru work. Maybe Oseram?”

Talanah shook her head. “No, even Oseram carvings don’t have this level of detail. It’s… peculiar.”

Aloy pocketed the figurines carefully. “Whoever made these—and left that hammer—isn’t from around here. But I doubt we’ll find answers today. Let’s keep moving.”

As they resumed their journey, Aloy’s thoughts lingered on the figurines and the hammer. There was something about the craftsmanship—something that felt out of place, even in a world as strange as theirs.

The sun hung low on the horizon as Varl and Zo approached the towering, rusting dishes of Plainsong, its lattice of metal and greenery a striking silhouette against the sky. The soothing hum of song weavers was absent, replaced by an eerie stillness that seemed to sap the air of life. 

Zo’s face tightened as she looked over the fields surrounding the settlement. What had once been lush, golden crops swaying in the breeze were now consumed by the Red Blight, its crimson tendrils choking the earth and spreading like an infection. The sickly smell of decay hung in the air, sharp and overwhelming.

“It's worse than I feared,” Zo muttered, her voice heavy with despair.

Varl placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. “We’ll find a way to fix this. Plainsong isn’t beyond saving.”

As they moved forward, their path was interrupted by a faint rustling in the tall, blighted grasses. Zo tensed, her hand instinctively going to the bow slung across her back. Varl motioned for her to stay still as he crept forward to investigate.

There, crawling on hands and knees, was a young Utaru child. Their clothes were torn and dirt-streaked, their frame gaunt and fragile. The child’s fingers clawed at the ground as they dragged themselves forward, their face pale and eyes glassy from exhaustion.

“Zo,” Varl called, his voice tight. “There’s someone here.”

Zo hurried over, kneeling beside the child. “Oh, no… oh, no…” she whispered, gently lifting the child’s frail form into her arms. The child’s lips moved weakly, but their words were barely audible.

“...help… my village… rebels…”

“Shh,” Zo said soothingly, brushing the child’s hair away from their sweat-soaked brow. “You’re safe now. We’ll take care of you.”

Varl knelt beside her, offering the child a water flask. They sipped weakly, their trembling hands barely able to hold it.

“What happened?” Varl asked softly.

The child’s voice cracked as they spoke. “The Tenakth… rebels… they came… burned everything. Took food. Took people. I ran… but there was nothing to eat… the fields…” Their words dissolved into a fit of coughing, and Zo held them close, her expression a mixture of sorrow and fury.

“This is what the rebels have done,” Zo said through gritted teeth. “Raiding villages, stealing what little we have left… while the Blight spreads unchecked.”

Varl’s jaw tightened. “They’re making it impossible for anyone to survive out here.”

The child’s head lolled weakly against Zo’s shoulder. “Plainsong… help…” they murmured.

“We need to get them inside,” Zo said urgently. “They need food, and so does Plainsong. But with the Blight this bad…”

Varl helped Zo lift the child. “We’ll fix it, I promise. Let’s get them to the healers..”

[BoyNextDoor] has added [Zo] to the chat

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Welcome to the void, Vegan #2.

Zo: Uhm, what?

ADMIN [BigMama]: Travis, leave her alone. Welcome to the chat, Zo. This is how we communicate over distances. 

Zo: I see. This is very…strange. 

CookingQueen: You’ll get used to it. Plus you have me and Varl to help you. 

FlameHairedThrush: We’ve taken care of the Shellsnapper and our new Tenakth acquaintance has pointed us in the direction of the Tenakth Camp. If we take out this “Sroom” guy, we can cut off the Rebel Outposts from the rest of them in Tenakth territory. 

Zo: Sroom? I know him. He was with my group during the Red Raids when we allied with the Tenakth to raid Barren Light. He always acted…odd, but after the raids, he started calling himself the Joker . 

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Let me guess—found some old-world comics and decided to cosplay as the clown prince of crime?

Captain_RobotKiller: Honestly? Stranger things have happened.

ADMIN [BigMama]: Let’s not forget: mental health is not as well known as it was in the “old days”.

FlameHairedThrush: Why the Joker, though?

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Easy. He’s probably unstable, found surviving old-world comics—or even a corrupted holo-file—and latched onto the character. The makeup, the chaos, the weird monologues… It’s an aesthetic , I guess.

CookingQueen: Aesthetic? The man’s terrorizing the Utaru and branding outlaws like some kind of mad warlord!

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Yeah, it’s somewhat consistent .

Zo: I’m sorry, but who…or what is this “Joker”?

ADMIN [BigMama]: A fictional…made up villain from the Old World that appeared in various art and culture; one of the most well-known. He’s…well, insane, with a penchant for chaos and destruction.

CookingQueen: And terrible jokes.

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Hey, his jokes aren’t that bad! “Why so serious?” Classic.

Captain_RobotKiller: …Are we sure you’re not the one cosplaying?

FlameHairedThrush: Alright, enough clown talk. We need to decide our next steps. Zo, you know Sroom better than any of us. What’s his weakness?

Zo: He’s theatrical, prone to overconfidence. If we draw him out with the right bait, we could take him down before his followers even realize what’s happening.

FlameHairedThrush: Perfect. You guys can deal with Sroom. Then, I’ll focus on neutralizing the Eclipse with Talanah and Erend.

GordonRamsay'sSpiritualDescendant: Finally, some action. Let’s take down the clown.

Zo: I’m still catching up on…whatever this Old World “Joker” is, but I’ll help however I can.