Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The man once known as Tavahin released a heavy breath and watched as the little specks of dust, visible in the ray of light that came through a window, danced chaotically before his eyes. He was bored. The man in the next cell over had made complaints against him and had been moved. And that meant he had nothing to entertain himself. He had no idea if they would fill the cell again or if the new resident would turn such lovely shades of green when he described his favorite battles.

He only had a few months left of his sentence, he supposed he could withstand the quiet, then he would be free to loose his arrows again. He had agreed to not do so against the undeserving. But who was deserving? The question had been plaguing him since he'd agreed to the terms of his imprisonment. Bandits would be a good start, he supposed. They lived squalid, filthy lives that begged for an ending.

His musing came to an end as the heavy ka-chunk of a lock came through the wall followed by the scratching drag of a cell door being opened. So he was getting a new neighbor. Delightful. Sounds of a struggling body interspersed with the clanking of guard armor and female sounding grunts and growls. He raised a brow. This already promised to be interesting.

Eventually, the sounds quieted. The clangs of the bronze plated guard armor mostly grew farther away though one stopped in front of his door.

"Tavahin. I think you'll find your new neighbor a little harder to intimidate. Although, I would recommend against trying. She's likely to try to strangle you. I'd hate for you to fall to shadow so close to your release." Came the voice of Janeva from outside his door.

"I've told you, I'm not going by that name anymore." He drawled, turning his head towards the door.

"You've yet to give me a different one." Janeva said, and the sounds of boots walking away echoed in the hallway.

"Nothing” He murmured at the ceiling.

The urge to look through the tiny window into the next cell over pulled at him and he rolled out of his tiny cot. His muscles were stiff and sore. Too long staying still. He circled his arms and head a few times before looking over at the window which framed the face of a woman, maybe a couple decades older than him, her eyes narrowed and lips curled in a snarl. He gave a show of his own teeth and crossed his arms over his chest.

Several moments passed of them taking the measure of each other. He made some other observations as he stared her down. The shaved back hairline. Tattoos. Flecks of paint along the edges of her face and stuck in the fine lines around her eyes and mouth. He kept his face controlled but mentally he raised a brow in surprise. A Tenakth? How did she get all the way here?

Finally she relaxed and her mouth spread into a feral smile. "You're not like the other Carja who just talk and talk and talk."

He smiled back just as ferally. "Certainly not, lady of the Forbidden West."

Her smile widened a slight bit. "So you've met others of my tribe?"

"During the raids, yes. Your tribal fellows are fierce and many of them gave me quite a lot of trouble before falling to my blade and my arrows."

She hummed and leaned on her arms on the tiny bit of brick surrounding the barred window.

"You're not angry that I cut down your tribesmen?" He asked when she didn't go back to snarling at him for his confession.

"They died in glorious battle and, if you still stand and they don't, against a fierce opponent. Not much more a Tenakth can ask for." She shrugged and continued. "We respect those with a blade. We relish the kill and grasp the need for it. Apparently this is a language we can both understand."

He nodded and his smile grew more genuine as the spark of kinship lit between them. He knelt so they were more face to face at the window. She nodded her approval.

"You may call me Ullia." She said. "Tell me more of yourself…"

"I have no name. I have abandoned the one I was given and now I am nothing." He replied.

"Hmm. Well tell me of yourself anyway and I will tell you of my homeland." She demanded.

They talked until the moon was bright against the black and their need for sleep muddled the conversation. Days passed in that manner, where they would talk for long hours about the lands they grew up in, their families, the battles they had won, and how they had ended up in Sunstone Rock.

He learned Ullia was part of the Lowland Clan, sister to the Chief of the United Tenakth, Hekarro. She had come East hoping to deal some vicious blows to the Carja, but had lost her squad in a violent skirmish. So she'd joined up with a bandit clan in the jungle, disrupting trade routes and becoming a nuisance for Meridian. When they'd been caught on a raid, the bandits had betrayed her and sold her out to save their own skin. She looked forward to when she got out and could rain upon that camp with the fury of the Ten.

He in turn told Ullia of how mere miles from where they sat imprisoned, his mother had abandoned him to the unyielding and monstrous nature of his father, Helis. Helis had warped him, turned him into a weapon until he wanted not much more than to feel the slide of a blade between ribs, hear the thunk of arrows piercing a body. His penchant towards excess during the war had brought him here when he'd offered his confession to war crimes.

At some point to save their knees and legs from the stone floor, they pushed their cots against the wall by their shared window. Janeva had joked that 'of course the two most bloodthirsty inmates in the prison would get along like sunshine and blue sky'.

After a couple weeks, he could admit he liked Ullia, more than he had liked anyone really ever, and was growing more concerned about leaving her behind at his impending release. She surprised him and washed away that concern one night as they lay in their cots, idly chatting about nothing.

"Nil," she called the name she had decided to call him. "I would have you for my son."

Nil sat up and peered at her through the window. He couldn't properly see her face in the shadows and dark between the slivers of moonlight, but he could imagine the determined set of her jaw and the way her eyes would shine in the light. He thought of how he had been left alone to contend with cruel hands by a woman who he should have been able to call mother but never got the chance. After mere weeks, he already held this woman from a tribe most considered to be the enemy in higher esteem.

"I would consider it an honor to call you mother." He answered honestly.

He heard her take a sharp breath in before the sound of a rock bouncing against stone echoed through their spaces. "Then take my blood. Become my blood born son. When you are released then, I will not be far from you. And then when I get out of this place, we can go West together. You will meet Hekarro and perform a blood rite to be recognized as part of our family by the tribe."

In the slivers of light the moon provided, he saw her hand come through the bars. He realized she must have cut one of her fingers with a sharp rock she had found. He grasped her hand and licked the drip of blood from her finger. He had known the taste of blood on his tongue before from an unrestrained gushing wound. The coppery taste of this though was sweeter for the meaning behind it.

The last month and a half of Nil's time in his cell was spent being instructed in the ways of his new people. Paint, ink marks, squads, what his blood rite might be. He feasted on the information, already convinced his heart had always belonged in the West.

On the dawn of his release, Ullia passed him a set of flat metal pieces carved with symbols. "These are my tags. I hid them so they wouldn't be taken from me. Should I not make it back to you, these will confirm your claim as my son to the Chief and his Marshals."

Nil took them and tied the cord around his neck. "I will keep them safe for you, mother. We'll meet again in Blackwing Snag, as we agreed." He couldn't wait around the prison for her release, his fingers would itch too powerfully for his bowstring and he might do something drastic. He needed to keep moving. So they'd agreed, Ullia would either escape or be released and then take her revenge upon the scum who had betrayed her. She would wait then at the camp for him. He would check the camp every few months. And then they would go West together.

They sat quietly on their cots, backs against each other on either side of the wall until a guard brought him his old armor to change into.

"You look like a Carja." Ullia said with no heat as he tied off his scarf around his neck, covering the tags.

"Nothing to be done about that right now. We can talk about getting me some paint and proper armor when you join me again. I won't do disservice to our heritage by fumbling about it on my own." He said and reached out his hand to rest against the bars of the window between them.

Ullia placed her hand up against his as much as she could. "Strike true as the Ten my son."

"May the Ten guide you, mother." He said somberly, then turned away and banged on his cell door to indicate he was ready. He shot one more quirked smile over his shoulder at her as he walked out into freedom.

Chapter Text

Nil was leaving the Jewel after checking Blackwing Snag again when he heard about the attack on the Nora. An entire new generation of their Braves decimated. Many more killed in the slaughter. The Nora were going to be reeling from that attack for a while. And where open wounds existed, infection would enter. He would go and see that infection cleared.

He picked up a walking pile of muscle as he passed through Daytower that quickly proved to be more of a nuisance than a help as they took out wandering raiders on the roads. The man was cocky, undeservedly so, and bloodthirsty in a way that was going to get him killed. The ego only grew when the two of them took out a heavily guarded camp alone. Nevermind the fact that Nil's kills far outweighed the other man's. When Nil woke next to their cook fire alone one morning he figured his hunting partner had finally run off alone to his doom.

He traveled down the road idly thinking about how to take down the bandits at the Devil's Thirst camp they'd been tracking. He thought of his mother and what she'd told him of her favorite battles, how the enemy was silenced before even the thought of a fight had glanced through their minds. As he walked, several people passed him by, either non-combative Nora, too devastated to care about the outlander in their midst or others who had made it into their lands only to have found ruin waiting.

When the morning sun was passing across the line into afternoon, Nil noticed another man on the road. This man was dressed in shabby, mismatched clothing and his hair hung off his head in dirty clumps. He was oddly twitchy for a simple traveler and Nil smiled. He stopped and leaned back against the rock he'd been coming around and listened. One other, in the bushes above and behind him. He rested his hand lightly on the hilt of his blade and waited.

The man from the road attacked first, sloppy and uncoordinated. Definitely the decoy. Nil had him on the ground and was removing his blade from his guts when the bushes rustled and another figure leapt out at him. This man was better armored and more precise in his movements, though they were still the heavy handed and slow tactics of a barbarian. Nil was faster than that and it wasn't long before that man lay dead at his feet as well.

He crouched over the body and took what shards and parts he could find. Then he spent several minutes just enjoying the feeling of a good fight running through his veins. He heard light footsteps approach and a female voice, apparently speaking to herself, "That man… he doesn't look Nora."

The hide boots and leggings stopped before him and he stood. The young woman had a glorious bloody mane atop her head and her green eyes were narrowed at him in suspicion. She stood almost a full head shorter than him, but her stance and the set of her jaw told him that meant nothing were things to turn violent. "There's danger ahead girl." He warned.

"Danger for you, outlander. This is Nora land." She replied quickly. The spirit behind it was definitely her own though the words held the distinct flavor of rote repetition over many years.

"Yes, yes, yes. Trespass is forbidden on pain of death." He responded. "Strange phrase the pain of death. See?" He gestured towards the body at their feet. "This one's in no pain at all."

She regarded the body with curious eyes before turning back to ask him, "Who was he?"

"A thief. A slaver. A killer." He made guesses, he hadn't allowed them enough breath to tell him why they had ambushed him. "The kind that give honest killers a bad name."

She let out a sigh that was more of a growl and her eyes flashed with anger. "Varl told me there would be bandit ambushes on the road."

"Well it's not all good news. They don't always come to you. Most dig out a camp, and there they'll sit like spoil on meat." He curled his lip in disgust.

"Unless, someone does something about it?" She asked.

Nil liked this girl. Something about her called to him in the same way his mother had. He told her so. "I like you. Follow the trail of smoke on the other side of the ruins. I'll be there." He bent down and looked at the body again. She seemed to be waiting for something. "This one and I just need a moment longer. To reflect on all we've been through. We'll see each other again. Good things come to those who lie in wait."

She walked away and Nil smiled. He couldn't wait to take on Devil's Thirst. He wanted to see what she was capable of.

--

Nil crouched across the river in full view of the camp and scoffed at his foolish prey. He wasn't even in shade and wearing so much red and metal he could practically be counted as a beacon. But no one had as much as raised a shout or sent a single arrow his way. This was almost going to be too easy with the girl. But at least there were plenty of scum inside for the both of them.

He heard the rustle of grass as she stepped and crouched next to him. "I'm glad you came."

"You're glad?" She seemed surprised. "Why?"

He tilted his head towards his shoulder in a shrug. "Call it a shared interest. And call me Nil." He offered his name, given by his mother. "Look there-" he pointed across the river, "those old rocks? A bandit clan squats under them. Disturb the rocks, and they'll come wriggling out, worms that they are."

"Bandits." She hissed in annoyance. "Why have they come here?"

This answer he knew all too well. "The Nora are in trouble. Rumors spread like blood. With no Braves to guard the border, killers hungry for sport slip right through." He thought back to the man he'd met in Daytower, whose body almost certainly lay somewhere beyond the wall around the camp. He made some remark that the man had gone missing, not that he cared much, then lay out his idea. "Say, how about you and I work together, kill them all?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and he almost felt a wall going up between them. "I don't know you. And I have no reason to trust you."

He nodded. She had a fair point. "Trust is a rare egg to find, isn't it? I'm just a traveler, with a bow, a concern about these lands, and a missing partner."

Her voice was hard when she next spoke and Nil had to temper his smile. Oh she was fierce, this girl. "I don't think you're 'just' anything at all."

"Hmm. Let me put it another way." He offered. "Are you a bandit?"

She sputtered a bit in protest.

"Then you have nothing to fear from me." He promised.

"Alright. Someone has to stop them from hurting others."

Nil's smile was wide when she finished speaking. "And we will. We'll stop them from doing anything, save screaming a while." He held out a hand in an offering gesture. "Go ahead and take the lead. I look forward to seeing what you're capable of."

The girl was an excellent fighter. A mix of everything needed to be a true terror in the heat of battle. Quiet and fast. Brutal when required. That tiny body of hers hid a surprising amount of muscle that she levied against her opponents to devastating effect. He wished he could spend more time watching but he had his own enemies to contend with. When the fighting was done, the girl helped the captives and he meandered out to wait for her on the road. She didn't make him wait long.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" He felt like a fox kit, wanting to stretch in satiation before curling up in a satisfied sleep. "Hold it inside you one last breath, then let it out."

She shook her head, but the action looked oddly amused. "I didn't find your partner."

"They killed him." He told her without any concern in his voice. "I hardly feel surprised. He had grown cocky. I thought we agreed, only enjoy the killing as much as the challenge. No great loss." He shrugged. "Nothing in the wilds I can't handle, just me and the Voice of Our Teeth here."

She smiled at him with an eyebrow raised. "Your bow has a name?"

"Yours doesn't?" He shot back.

The smile slid from her face. "You're not just a traveler. That armor was made for you and the way you hold your bow…"

"I said a concerned traveler." He corrected. "I was a soldier, but I was a soldier longer than there was a war." Helis had been training him before he could even walk steadily. He felt he'd always had a blade in his hand because that's all he remembered. "Where the arrow passes between armor and skin -- that's the place I belong." Until he and his mother could go home to the Forbidden West, where he could find somewhere to belong and some purpose for himself that went beyond the monstrosity his father had turned him into. "So I make opportunities to find it."

"Have you ever thought about hunting machines?" The girl asked.

He had. Especially since his release he'd been honing those skills in preparation for his eventual blood rite. But the want for red blood on his blade still persisted in his mind in the deep voice of his father. And he had no reason to tell this stranger about his adoption and the rites of his people. He didn't know what to tell the girl, so he went with an off-putting half truth. "Nah. They don't get that look in their eyes."

"Did bandits wrong you somehow?"

"They wrong us all. They live filthy lives. So they must die that way. And they tend to be the most vile of backstabbers. Better to rid the world of their ilk." He thought of his mother languishing away in prison.

He could see the agreement in her eyes. "I guess we're done here."

"Here? I'm afraid so. But we live in a world of ruins. Bandits are drawn to them like infection to a wound. You wouldn't let that infection set in would you?" He smiled as she shook her head. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

"Maybe." She said non-committally.

"If we pass each other by, we'll know it by our work." He said.

She waved him goodbye and set off down the road.

--

A month had passed when he encountered her again outside the Gatelands camp. "I told you we'd meet again. Saw some of the places you'd been. The new residents had no appreciation for the craft. They'd piled your work in a ditch. But I knew the signs. The scrabble in the dirt, the surprised splashes."

"Nil, still hunting bandits?" She said, slight knowing amusement to her tone.

"Oh yes." He breathed in the sharp scent of the camp. He'd been toying with them for a few days and panic had set in.

"So, what's your knife called?" The girl asked teasingly.

"Why would anyone name a knife?" He spit back, though, now that he thought of it, he did rather like this blade and it had been true since the war. Maybe it did deserve a name.

"Guess that's it for small talk." The girl said, annoyed.

Best to redirect that irritation into a beautiful fight. "Are you ready?" He asked.

In this camp, he took his time with his kills so he could watch the utter embodiment of grace that was the girl as she sliced her way through a pile of attackers. A vicious smile on her face as victory and life sang in her veins. Again he waited for her outside the camp.

"Remember how the blood pounded in your ears? They'll ring later, in the calm." He said. "It's a call to arms from your inner desires."

She tilted a shoulder up, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement. "So you used to be a soldier. You fought for the Carja?"

"For them, against them. An empire always finds its wars." He drawled. "You can't be picky. The new king, Avad, saw things differently, called an investigation into 'war crimes'. Aren't all wars a crime to someone?" He shrugged off that line of thought. "Still I raised my hand and volunteered."

"You volunteered to investigate?" She asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. Nil smiled. This girl already had sussed him out.

"No. I volunteered my confession. No sense wasting time with an investigation." He admitted. "I was sent to Sunstone Rock for two years. The trade was fair."

"They sent you to a rock for two years?" Oh he liked the befuddlement on her face. It made her look cute. "Is this some sort of Carja ritual?"

"No. Sunstone Rock is a prison. South of Meridian, South of the Raingathers. The new Sun-King is a believer in rehabilitation. As am I. In the heat of that stone cell, I learned what was truly important to me." He resisted the urge to grasp his hand around his mother's tags.

"What were these things you did, Nil?" She asked.

"Acceptable things under the circumstances." He answered.

She nodded her understanding. "Did you find a new partner yet?"

He raised a brow. "I thought we were partners."

She smiled slightly at his easy acceptance, but a determined set lingered along her jaw. "I've got my own roads to follow, Nil."

"And yet they seem to lead back to bandits. That works for me. I'm not suggesting a Carja wedding." By the Ten, no. The little thing was a goddess in a fight, but she was too tiny for him. Tiny in a way that made him want to stand in front of her, not beside her, and he could tell she wasn't the type to want that any more than he was.

"You know, if you grow tired of bandits, there's a group called the Eclipse…" She offered.

"That's a political situation." He wasn't going to get himself involved in Carja politics any more. Unless it was at the command of his Chief, or the request of his mother.

Her mouth pressed in a thin line before she spouted quickly. "They're murderers. And they're raising an army of machines."

"Don't hate me for being single minded." He said. "Besides, I wouldn't bet on how long the Shadow Carja are going to last, if you're in for the kill."

The girl ducked her head. Not one to accept praise apparently. "Time to move on."

"We'll see each other again. You know where I've been. You've been walking on the edge of life and death, I can tell." He said somberly.

"Yeah, it's a long story." She sounded so tired.

"One with many quick endings I hope." He replied.

She smiled at him and waved goodbye as she turned to go back down the road.

Chapter Text

In his youth, Nil had enjoyed Brightmarket. The village had been full of life, a vast difference to the fearful suspicion that had hung over the palace. But now, he couldn't stand how long the trades with the merchants took, how the gossip and chatter rang in his ears. The words of his mother ringing at the back of his mind, the Carja who just talk and talk and talk.

But a rumor snuck its way into his ear that he couldn't ignore. A Tenakth blood drinker had saved Meridian from an attack by zealous Oseram who still held their grudges from the Red Raids. A Tenakth blood drinker with hair like sunset. He seriously doubted more Tenakth were alive on this side of Barren Light, much less any with bloody locks.

He had heard whispers of the girl helping where she could through Daytower and all across the Sundom, but the tales had always told of a Nora Seeker. He tried to calm himself as the implication hit him. If the girl was running around suddenly claiming to be Tenakth, the best explanation was that his mother (their mother?) was free and the girl had been adopted as well.

He rushed as fast as his body would allow him to Blackwing Snag. He had heard the girl knew how to ride machines and he wished for the skill. He wanted to get to his mother quickly. He wanted to go West, to go home. He wanted to complete his blood rite and belong to a family for once.

When he got to the bandit camp, the first thing he noticed was the quiet. Every other time he'd watched the jungle camp, shouting and blasting and the clang of metal hitting metal had rung under the canopy. Now the magnificent silence of the dead sat heavy in the air. He wished he could've been here to see the fury his mother had visited on these poor wretches. As he came around the spiked wooden wall, the smell of rotting flesh greeted him and he pulled his scarf up over his nose.

He and his mother had agreed. They would meet here. So where was she? If she had been waiting outside the camp to avoid the stink of the dead, surely she would have met him already. As he came over a bridge across the camp, he saw the stack of stones, just a little too unnaturally piled to be a leftover rock fall trap and just long and wide enough to cover a body. His heart sank.

He jumped down and trudged over to the mound. At the head of it, a carved piece of wood stuck out of the ground. When he got closer, he made out the words.

Ullia
Mother
Warrior

Nil gripped the tags around his neck tightly and let a few tears loose from his eyes. His mother, gone. But she lived on still, through him and now his blood born sister as well. He needed to find her. They needed to go West, needed to go home and return their mother's tags. And she needed guidance. Their mother had probably taken her as a daughter as she had lain dying. His sister hadn't known that their people's funeral rites called for a pyre to be built, that the spirit might rise to fly with the Ten. She had done her best, but she needed instruction.

He began to construct a pyre as he considered the next steps of his journey. Chasing her around the Sundom would prove fruitless. She moved too quickly, especially with her tame machines. He wondered if she had left any bandit camps standing. Surely he'd encounter her outside one of them.

He smiled as he lifted the rocks away and saw his sister had taken their mother's armor. Another tangible piece of her that they could carry home. He lifted the body onto the pyre he'd built and watched the flames dance until they burned down to ash.

--

Nil waited on the side of the road between Maker's End and the Shattered Kiln bandit camp. The filth had grown delightfully paranoid as he'd spent his time picking off their runners and raiding parties. They were changing their routes and their rotations. It didn't work. He paid close attention and didn't make the mistake of picking off every person that snuck down the road. They were so twitchy, every skitter of a rock sent them scrambling for weapons and the alarm.

He was dozing slightly on a late afternoon when he heard shouts and the pitchy wail of the alarm pierce through the air. The sounds didn't quiet in the way they did after a falsely made alarm. An actual attack had descended upon the camp. How he'd missed its origins was beyond him. But he rushed to the gates, the screams quieting more with every passing moment.

The peaceful silence that came minutes later belied the violence that had been required to attain it. A single figure emerged, uniquely identifiable for the red hair that crowned her, but changed by the paint that covered her face and the armor that was so different from the Nora leathers he'd last seen her in. And there was something less tangible, but definitely different about the girl now. As if she had settled better into her skin with her adoption. Buoyed by the knowledge of belonging. He huffed a laugh. They were so very alike.

"Nil!" She called, her face melting into a smile as she caught sight of him.

He smiled widely in return. "All this time, all we've done, every wound we've opened together, and I still don't know your name, though your legend follows in your wake like wildfire. A Nora Seeker is now a Tenakth, with hair as red as the blood she drinks."

Her teeth were bright against the deep blue green of the paint on her face. "Aloy. My name is Aloy."

"Aloy." He said and smiled. "You've been busy. This is the last bandit camp in the East. Another clan turned back just at the word of the legend we carved. With that rot cleared, I was going to head into the Forbidden West." He saw her ears perk up at that. "After all, what business do the Tenakth have running about the Sundom?"

He saw the wheels turn in Aloy's head for a second before her eyes went wide and hopeful. Nil's smile widened and he removed the scarf from his neck, allowing their mother's tags to fall against his chest. "You see, I can't very well go home to my people without my sister."

She studied the tags for a moment before the words seemed to register and her shoulders tightened. "Nil. I've still got roads to follow."

For all that he was excited and exhilarated a moment before, his stomach dropped and his chest clenched at the idea of delaying going to the Forbidden West any longer. He felt shame for the minute he spent considering leaving her behind. She needed guidance. Guidance she didn't get from their mother. And he lingered on the thought of how small she really was. A protective edge rose up in his mind, slicing near clean through everything else.

"My arrows are yours to point, sister. Until your business here is done, I will have your six." He vowed.

She slumped in relief. "Thank you. Thank you Nil."

She was the only family he had now. He couldn't abandon her. "So, tell me exactly what it is we're doing?" He asked as he led the way back to where he'd stashed his pack, so they could consolidate into one camp.

"We're going to need to get you a Focus." She gestured at the triangular jewel at her temple. "That will help explain where I've been and what I've been doing better than I can. It would be easiest if we could just take one off an Eclipse agent but they're all infected." Her mouth twisted as she thought. "I can think of some places that have potential. But we're talking of either going all the way back to Nora lands or at least the Grave Hoard." She twisted the end of one of her braids. "I don't think we can wait that long."

Nil settled a hand on one of her shoulders. He didn't like how much he felt the underlying bones there. But that would need to be addressed over time, as they traveled. "Calm yourself Aloy. Is it more important that I understand fully or that you are able to finish your mission?"

"The mission." She answered immediately.

"Then we go on. You will explain what you can and I will follow your lead. Further explanation can come later." He reassured her. "Where do we go?"

"Sunfall." She again sounded so fed up and tired with the hand she'd been dealt.

"The capital of the Shadow Carja." He hissed.

Her lips pressed tight and she nodded.

"Very well." He said, sitting down heavily and poking a fire to life from the bundle of sticks she'd left smoldering. So much for not getting involved in the Eclipse situation. "If we're planning to silence some Eclipse, in their own territory no less, we need to have our strength and our wits about us. So we're going to start with camping and eating proper meals every night."

She started to sputter in protest.

"I understand this is important, Aloy. But I won't have you waste away under my watch. And I won't watch you take a wound you could have otherwise avoided because you were weakened by negligence." He said, his voice brooking no argument.

"Fine." She grumbled "While we camp, you can tell me about our mother."

"That I can do." He smiled while he pulled out a cookpot and started making them a meal.

He had already told her how he had ended up in Sunstone Rock, so as they ate, he skipped straight to the day he met Ullia. Her easy acceptance of him, how they bonded, and how she had ended up in the prison.

Aloy's face grew thunderous when she heard of Ullia's betrayal at the hands of the bandits. "We didn't hit them hard enough apparently." She hissed.

Nil shrugged. "They are gone and will be forgotten. Our mother lives on through us. Tell me about the fight though. By the time I reached the camp, the stink of the dead hung high in the air and I found where you buried her."

"Janeva had asked that I take care of some escaped prisoners. Among them was Ullia. I found her in Blackwing Snag, taking on the bandits. The guards at the prison had put her in isolation for vicious behavior. So she was weakened. She wasn't in a shape to take on that many enemies alone. By the time I got there, she had taken some bad wounds." Aloy's voice was sad. "When the battle was over, she offered me her blood. To become her daughter." Deep emotion thickened her voice. "She directed me to her paint bases and told me to find my brother," she smiled at him, "and head West to ask Hekarro for a blood rite. I took her armor, wanting to be close to her."

"It's a good fit for you." He commented.

She shrugged. "I had to do some adjusting. Not everything fit. I couldn't do anything with her tassets or belt." He saw the mix of Oseram fabrics and Carja silks cut and torn into a style like a Tenakth armor skirt tied about her waist. "I did my best with what I had otherwise. I'm especially a fan of this piece." She ran a hand over the red feather lined gorget. "No more getting my throat sliced."

"I noticed that scar. What happened?" He asked.

Her face clouded over. "You heard of the Proving massacre." He nodded. "The Eclipse attacked. They were looking for me." She took in a fortifying breath. "A man named Helis leads them. He held a knife to my throat and told me to look towards the Sun. The only reason I'm alive was that my guardian stopped him and rolled me off the mountain, telling me to survive. Nil? What's wrong?"

Helis. Her other words echoed in his hollow ears. His father still lived to plague the world with his foul breath and ideals. By the Ten, he vowed, that man would not get another chance to destroy Nil's family and future.

"Brother. Nil. Talk to me." He came back slowly to Aloy calling for him.

"Sorry. I got caught up in my memory." He apologized. "I know Helis." He ran a hand down his face. "A butcher. A mad man. As mad as, if not worse than Jiran himself. So monstrous his wife ran away from him not long after giving birth to a son. A son with the same moon silver eyes and night black hair as his father." He looked straight into Aloy's eyes. She took in a sharp breath and he continued. "Helis raised that boy to be a killer and then a soldier. During the campaign in the West, the boy met a young man who taught him he could be more than the monster he was raised to be and he renounced his father. Then, when he sat in a dark cell, he became someone else entirely, a new name, a new tribe. And he hoped that belonging to something else threw off whatever curse his father had impressed upon him."

Aloy reached over and squeezed as much of his hand as she could fit in her tiny one reassuringly. "You do not belong to him. You are ours now. My brother. Tenakth."

He nodded with a watery smile. "There's much I know of our people that you don't sister. I will share as we travel. In the meantime, I think we should each carry one of mother's tags, which will stand as the confirmation of our claims to adoption. In case we get separated."

She nodded and grabbed a length of wire from a pouch on her belt. She took one of the tags and threaded it on the wire before tying it securely around her neck. "We should split up the paint bases as well. You still look like a Carja. I wonder if we can fashion something for you from what's left of mother's armor."

"I told her I wouldn't fumble around alone making my own paint. I won't just pay lip service to our heritage." He said. "But now that we have the proper paint bases, I want to wear mother's colors. We'll talk about the armor if we have the chance to pass by a proper stitcher again before we head West."

"At least ditch the head gear?" She asked. "It makes your head look bulbous, like an egg."

He laughed, and gave her a playful little shove. But he removed the red plumed helmet anyway. "Better?"

"Much." She said, eyes twinkling as she fluffed his inky locks. She stretched her limbs wide and yawned. He wondered how long it had been since she'd had a meal that filled her belly. If such a small serving made her sleepy with contentment, it didn't bear thinking on.

"I'll take the first watch." He declared. "You fought a great battle today sister, you need your rest. I'll wake you when the moon is high."

Chapter Text

Aloy was shivering well before Nil had planned to wake her. She only carried a thin blanket, and though she'd been raised in the cold of the mountains, their mother's armor was not exactly made for cooler weather. Carefully, he tugged her into a sitting position, leaning against his chest with his arm thrown around her. He fished his own thicker blanket out and wrapped it around the both of them. Her tremors ceased slowly. She twitched occasionally and pain filled cries and mumbles tumbled out of her mouth. He wasn't used to soothing other's distress, just ending it. So he held her until it was time for her to take watch.

She blinked awake slowly when he shook her and called her name. Once she realized she wasn't laying where she had been, and there was another person against her, she immediately turned aggressive. She pushed him and went for the blade she kept at her back.

Nil pulled his own blade to meet her fierce, half awake swipes while he called her name. Only a few blows passed between them before her eyes cleared and she slumped in relief before shame seemed to crash down on her.

"Nil." She whispered, backing a step from him and wrapping her arms around herself. "Nil I'm so sorry."

"Hey. Hey little sister." He tried a soft smooth tone that reminded him of Avad's mother from so long ago. "I'm ok." He stepped towards her, his arms wide open to allow her to see his unharmed body. She was still curling into herself so Nil pulled her into an embrace. "You didn't hurt me. I promise. So what's the matter?"

"It's just a reminder that I've never belonged anywhere. Never had anyone to make me feel safe or warm at night. No one to hold me, so when I felt your arm around me, I thought I'd been captured or that a stranger was touching me." She explained to the right side of his vest.

"What do you mean?" He asked, playing idly with some of the beads at the end of her braids.

"What do you know of the Nora?" She asked.

He was briefly confused by the apparent non-sequitur, but still thought of what he'd heard of the mountain dwelling tribe and began listing what he remembered. "Strong warriors, to push the Carja out of their lands. High value on mothers. Not supposed to leave their lands without a blessing."

She nodded. "I'm not sure if this is known, but they also have a practice of casting out those who break their laws."

Nil furrowed his brow. He didn't like where this was going.

"There isn't just a high value on mothers in the Sacred Lands. Motherhood is everything to the Nora. They found me as a baby within their holy mountain with no mother in sight. So they cast me out. Gave me to another outcast to be raised." She said, her voice bitter and strained. "He cared. In a way. But he wasn't affectionate or kind. I was raised being told that I didn't have the one thing that would make me worth something, a mother. So when Ullia offered her blood, when she wanted me, for me, not for what I could do or out of obligation, when I didn't have to prove my worth to her, I couldn't say no."

Oh. Oh. He thought maybe she'd been orphaned by the war and her adoption gave her a family that she'd lost. It was so much more than that. He was now the family she'd never even had to begin with. He held her tighter against his chest and she shook with silent sobs.

Helis had raised him to be a weapon. A weapon had no use for emotions because a weapon was a tool to be pointed by the will of its user. For better or worse, he knew the grip of his father was loosening from his mind as rage built within him. The Nora were never going to get to touch his sister again. If they tried, he'd kill them all.

When she got her breath back under control and looked up at him, her face was a wreck. The clean white lines below her eyes were smudged so severely as to have lost their track entirely and the deep teal blue was missing in several places. Nil looked down at his chest. Ah. That's where it went. The thought cooled his anger somewhat and he smiled softly.

"Aloy, sister, I fear your paint has gone a little awry." He said, gesturing at the blue and white streaks on his vest and chest. That worked a charm as she giggled quietly.

"So it has." She said, a still slightly watery smile gracing her lips. "We can fix that in the morning. And get your face painted finally. Then we can set off for the day." He gave her a look and she grumbled. "We can eat travel rations on the back of a Strider."

He rolled his eyes, but accepted the compromise and lay down. "Build up the fire a little bit. I'm from the desert. I get cold at night." He mock demanded, knowing she felt too vulnerable to accept the gesture as a help for her.

In the morning, as they waded in the river and washed off paint, Nil gave Aloy her first lesson in Tenakth culture. "Paint to the Tenakth is so much more than just a face covering. Paint is the face of a Tenakth. To see them without is like seeing a Carja without clothes. The ones you show your bare face to are close to you. Your squad, your family, or a lover." He explained while Aloy mixed the paint bases by the shore.

She nodded her understanding as she turned back to him and began scrubbing the ruined paint from her face.

They let their faces dry and began to apply paint. Aloy stuck to the pattern she'd been wearing, the one she'd seen on their mother. Nil took his blade and carefully cleared the wiry hairs from his upper lip and chin before he tried to replicate the pattern he remembered of the Sky Clan warrior he had clashed with at Barren Light. The jagged edged mask about the eyes that had been light blue, he did in his mother's deep teal; above that,white to the hairline; below, a jagged line of pink instead became red that reached across his cheeks to his ears. He finished the look with the red across his upper lip, his cheeks done in white and another jagged line of red on his chin, where his beard had been. He looked at himself in the river. Now if only they could do something about his armor, he could look like a proper Tenakth that his mother would have been proud of.

--

Aloy overrode two Striders and linked them up to her Focus so they could ride comfortably. She told him what she could remember of her travels and as much of the information relevant to their mission as she could. Knowing what had happened at the Proving and since, he grew more concerned as they drew closer to the Shadow Carja capital. They would be looking for her. And she didn't exactly blend in even before she became Tenakth.

When they set camp the night before they would hit the tent filled area outside the city proper, he said as much.

"I can't exactly not go, Nil. I'm the only one with clearance to get in the door." She argued.

"I know Aloy. I'm just saying, they're going to be looking for a red haired Tenakth warrior. You'll be a target the second you set foot in there. We need to be cautious. To that end, we have two choices, either, you change into a different armor set," he saw the flash of her eyes and the almost instant protective curling around herself, "or I go in and do the reconnaissance for you, then come back and tell you how we can get in there without being seen."

"The first option is most efficient." She said, but hesitated.

He covered one of her hands with his own. "But you don't want to let go of these things that belonged to our mother yet. She's not in that armor, or in the paint. Her memory lives on in you and me. But I understand. And it is your choice."

"The second option." She said, her voice small in shame for making the selfish choice. Nil pulled her under his arm. "Thank you, Nil. I just want to be as close to her as I can. Until we can be with our people."

"Of course, Aloy. I had the benefit of knowing her, speaking to her. You didn't. Don't berate yourself for feeling the grief of missing those experiences."

Chapter Text

Nil left early the next morning taking a wide arc around the city after he washed his paint from his face. Aloy had complained but too many questions would have come from a man in Carja armor walking around wearing Tenakth face paint. From his initial survey, nothing stood out to him immediately and he wished he had a Focus so he could see what Aloy saw. He entered the citadel behind some burly Oseram, giving his meanest look to the guards as he passed through. Nobody gave him a second glance until he walked into the throne room. His eyes connected with the woman standing in the shadows below the throne. It took him a moment but he remembered her from the palace. One of Marad's little watchers. Vanasha.

After the child figurehead had given the floor to the Sun Priest, she pushed away from the wall and circled around the room until she came up behind him and purred in his ear. "Tavahin." He growled at the use of his old name. "What brings you to the Shadow Carja capital? Here to see your father?" Another growl escaped him. "Or did you become a mercenary since you've been away? Here to collect the bounty on Uthid's head?"

"Uthid has a bounty out on him?" He whispered back at her. He had liked the older man. Uthid had been almost as good a Commander as Fashav.

"Haven't you been listening? They want his head for threatening the crown."

Nil snorted. "That's a load of crap if I ever heard one. And no. I wasn't listening. I'm looking for something to help my sister."

Vanasha looked at him oddly. "I didn't think you had a sister."

"It's a recent thing." He replied, inciting another confused expression.

"Hmm. Maybe we can help each other." She said quietly after a moment. "I need another skilled blade. Meet me out by Shadowside and we can talk."

He heard the jangle of her ornamented outfit move away and cast his eyes about the area. The priest had finished talking. He backed out of the room and wandered around the balcony a bit. A broken balustrade. It dropped onto a smaller balcony with another broken guardrail.

He looked around and jumped down. Several climbable rock formations crossed to a cliff. He hopped over a couple and looked down. A metal structure was down there. Maybe a vent from what Aloy had told him? If she could get to the lower balcony unseen, she stood a greater chance of making it. There was a door. Otherwise she'd have to climb up the cliff and climb down into the enclosed area where that vent was. No way some patrolling guard wouldn't catch sight of her at some point going that way. Time to see if Vanasha could actually help him or not.

The spy was where she said she'd be, down in Shadowside, offering some fruit to a gaggle of children. They scattered at the sight of him and he was surprised to see the soft look of fondness on Vanasha's face as they ran. "All right little watcher. What mess are you here to clean up? And why do you need my help?"

"On official business of the true Sun-King." She said, cloaking her words in case they were overheard. "I need to liberate some effects to destabilize the enemy." She gave him a meaningful look.

Ah. The child they were trying to pass off as king and his mother. The Shadow Carja would lose their legitimacy without Itamen. He nodded his understanding.

"I've got that matter well in hand." She said, "But this new matter that we witnessed in the throne room, I can't leave that be. And I can't handle both." Her voice held a tinge of desperation.

Getting the heir out would take precedence. But Nil remembered how when she wasn't actively teasing secrets out of nobles, Vanasha would be trailing after Uthid.

"Alright. I suppose I can save the hoary hide of your beloved. Given you can help me." He said.

Her cheeks flushed below her veil and she glared at him. He grinned back unrepentant.

"What do you need?" She asked.

Nil dropped his voice to a whisper. "There's a structure from the Old World below Sunfall. My sister needs to get into it. I think I found where she can, the problem is, the easiest way to get at it still requires her to enter the Citadel. You know the stairs down to the Sun Ring, there's that broken balustrade? The balcony below that, is there a way to get there without being seen?"

Vanasha thought for a moment. "I know of some side hallways. Just who is this sister of yours, that she needs to be snuck through Sunfall?"

"We camped a little out from Shadowside, shall we go and you can meet her? Then I can head out to save the old man." He offered as he started to walk away.

"He is not that old!" He heard the outraged hiss behind him, but the sound of jingles told him she was following.

When they arrived at his and Aloy's camp, his sister wasn't in sight. His chest seized for a second before he felt her eyes on them.

"Sister, I've brought some help. You can come out. We can trust this one." He called.

Aloy popped up from some red grass at the edge of their camp.

Vanasha huffed a little gasp. "I see. Well the sneaking certainly makes a little more sense. Though why you call this blood drinker sister is beyond me."

"Careful of those words you say, Vanasha. We were both of us adopted through the blood of our mother, Ullia. She is my blood born sister, Aloy." Nil said by way of explanation and introduction. "Aloy, this is Vanasha. She works for Blameless Marad." Aloy nodded her recognition at the name of Meridian's spymaster. "She has agreed to help you get into the Citadel unnoticed in return for some help with a matter from me."

Aloy frowned. Nil guessed the reason. "Vanasha, may I have a moment with my sister?"

Vanasha nodded and took a seat by the remains of their campfire. Nil led Aloy a little ways from their camp.

"I know we wanted to do this together. But Vanasha is the best bet to get you into the Citadel." Nil said. "To be honest, what she's asking of me I'd probably do anyway. But I'm not dragging you along when I know you need to check that ruin."

She furrowed her brow. She was still unhappy and trying to think up a different solution. Her shoulders slumped when she hit the end of her ideas. "Just, stay safe. Don't leave me alone again." She pleaded with a small, quiet voice.

"As long as you promise the same. You'll likely be in more danger than me, still being underneath Sunfall." He said, reaching out his hand. Aloy grasped his forearm and they shook before he tugged her into an embrace. "When it's all done, let's meet back here. Whoever gets done first gets to go hunt. We're running low on rations."

Aloy smiled that bright smile that was just a little too sharp that meant she was teasing. "How do you know I won't linger to avoid hunting?"

Nil tapped her nose. "Because that would be dishonorable."

She crinkled her nose but smiled all the same and they made their way back to Vanasha.

"Alright. Tell me where Uthid's hiding. I'll make sure those mercenaries get what they've earned." He smiled a feral smile as he considered Voice of Our Teeth getting to sing once again.

Vanasha rolled her eyes. "He's up in the Greenclimb." Nil nodded. He remembered the place from his army training. "It'll be better to go into the capital at night. So I will return now before I'm missed and return after sunset. I don't suppose I could convince you to change armor?" She asked Aloy, but saw the mulish expression. "And I suppose I'll grab some silks to cover up that flame you carry about on your head."

"Thank you Vanasha." Nil called as the spy began wandering away. "I'll make sure your lover is alive when you next see him." He laughed when Vanasha flipped him a rude gesture over her shoulder.

He took the time to reapply his paint and restock his quivers before setting off for the Greenclimb.

"If you aren't back here within two days of my return, I'm coming after you." Aloy growled as he mounted up on his Strider.

He smiled at her before his face dropped to an utterly serious mien. "You stay safe in there. No unnecessary risks."

She nodded. It would have to do. They only had so much control over what was going to happen over the next day or so. He gave her a sharp nod before galloping away.

Chapter Text

All told, Nil was rather pleased with the outcome of his mission. Uthid was safe. He got to end some pathetic lives. And, he probably eased Vanasha's mission by making sure Bahavas was out of the way. And all had taken roughly a day and a half. He returned to a quiet camp the next evening. The sun was still high enough to give off light, so he decided to make good on his and Aloy's deal and started hunting. Two boars and a fox met a swift end. By the time he had cleaned the meat and had it roasting, Aloy still hadn't returned. The sun was going down. How long did it take to explore a ruin?

--

Dawn had been spilling over the horizon for a while and Nil was pacing around the campfire. Worry stirred in his gut and his fingers itched for something to turn that anxious energy against. As he kicked a little rock that had been plaguing him the last few rounds, the blue light of a machine caught his eye. Heading directly towards him, and fast. Aloy?

As the new Strider drew near, Nil saw that the figure upon it was not his sister and immediately reached for his bow.

"Peace, Nil." The man barked.

Nil paused. No one called him that. Too many in the Sundom still knew him by Tavahin. So why did this stranger? He observed the character who was dismounting. He had dark skin that was disrupted by blue cables down his arms and on his face and head. A Banuk shaman? His demeanor seemed cold, although he was putting on a show of being placating to Nil.

"Who are you?" He growled.

"My name is Sylens. I am a," the man paused and Nil's eyes narrowed. "Friend of your sister, Aloy."

Nil vaguely remembered Aloy mentioning a Sylens as she had told her story. Self serving and self important, but he'd at least helped her find some ruins and take down the Eclipse Focus network. Nil allowed his fingers to relax from Voice of Our Teeth. "She's mentioned you. What do you want?"

"Help." The man said simply. "Aloy's been captured by Helis and we need to rescue her. She is far too important to be allowed to die in the Sun Ring."

Nil felt the ice cold sweep of fear lock up everything in his body. A fear he'd never truly felt since he'd been a wide eyed youth that hadn't yet learned the words or actions that kept his father's hand still. But he suddenly had everything he'd feared since Shattered Kiln mesh into one. Helis. Aloy. The Sun Ring. Helis had Aloy. Aloy was going in the Sun Ring. Helis was going to put Aloy in the Sun Ring. No. No. No. He'd sworn. He'd sworn Helis would not harm his family.

He started to march towards the capital. He would get her back. Any person, any machine that got in his way would lay down forever with one of his arrows in them. Sylens grabbed his forearm and he whipped around to look at the man with a snarl.

Sylens gave him a very patient look in return. "You march in there, looking like that, you're going to get yourself killed. And then you won't be of any use to her. Helis is stalwart in his religious fanaticism. He will wait until the sun reaches its peak. So we have at least a few hours of the morning to prepare." Nil let out a rough breath. The strange man was right.

Sylens dug in one of the pouches at his belt. He held out his hand. "Here. You'll need this if you're going to be traveling with Aloy, and help me. It has all of her files on it." A Focus, triangular and white sat in his palm. "You'll also need one of these." He pulled out a dark cylinder, roughly the length of his hand.

Nil took both and placed the Focus near his temple. It snapped into place with a little shock and he twitched a bit when it did so. Everything in his vision lit up. He shook his head a bit but the lights were still there. After a moment of disorientation, he noticed glyphs appeared above certain objects. They weren't exactly Carja glyphs, but they were close enough for Nil to muddle through. He looked at the other thing Sylens had handed him.

"An override module?" He asked after a moment of working through the words.

"Yes. That small piece of technology will allow you to override, ah, make machines tame like Aloy does." Sylens explained.

"Why would you give this to me?" Nil asked. People didn't give away assets like that without a price.

"I have a feeling Aloy's even more important than I've already come to understand. She needs to be freed. I need help gathering the machines to make that endeavor successful. You can attach it to a sturdy weapon." The Banuk said in a bored sounding voice.

Nil thought for a moment. He didn't carry a spear like Aloy. His blade was not an option. To put it on Voice of Our Teeth would throw off the balance of the weapon. He found a decent length of sturdy ridge wood and began attaching it, receiving a raised eyebrow from the other man.

"What? You want to see my blood, you'll have to earn it for yourself. I won't be slicing my hands open with my blade, trying to bring one of those machines under control. And I won't have my aim be thrown off. This is my best option." Nil groused as he cinched off the wire he was wrapping with.

"Fair enough, I suppose. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. Care to fill me in on any more of this plan of yours?" Nil asked as he hopped up onto his Strider. He didn't like how little he knew about this man and his motives.

Sylens mounted up as well and urged his Strider into a trot. "We're going to interrupt Helis's little show. He is likely to have Corruptors standing on guard. So we will need something more aggressive and combat oriented. I was thinking Ravagers should do the trick. There's a site across this plain, in a recess of the canyon."

"And how does the override work?" Nil asked. "I'm sure you wouldn't have handed me the thing if you just wanted me to play cannon fodder while you do the work."

"Ah right. You will need to connect the module to your Focus. Then when you are in close range of a machine you want to override, you will press the module against it. Your Focus will ask you whether you wish to proceed. When you say yes, the module will then send a signal to the machine for it to follow your commands." Sylens explained.

Nil's head swam a bit at the rapid fire of the explanation but nodded anyway. Press the stick against the machine. Answer yes. Tame machine. He could do that.

The pocket of the canyon with the Ravager site was fairly large, plenty of room for the machines to patrol which also gave them a better chance to get the overrides done without inciting aggression from another one. A bit of luck. They left the Striders on the opposite side of the rock wall.

"There are four Ravagers here. We will probably want at least two to cover our escape. Three or more would be ideal." Sylens said. "I will go this way, if you'll go that way. I can talk to you through your Focus. If we time it right, we may be able to get two of them at once."

Nil nodded and crept off into the red grass. One of the Ravagers patrol routes crossed right in front of him. Across from him, another prowled that Sylens watched carefully. As the machine's back end passed by him, Sylens voice came through the Focus, hissing in his ear, "Now!"

Nil pushed the override module against the machine and his Focus lit up. He gestured at the yes and pulled the module away. The blue cables that he usually saw expand across the tamed machines that had begun to creep out retracted and the machine turned on him, lenses switching rapidly from yellow to red. "Shit." He said.

"You have to hold the override module there until the override is done, you imbecile!" Sylens berated him.

"You. Didn't. Tell. Me that." Nil bit out with effort between dodging swipes from the angry machine in front of him.

"Well, you're not going to be able to override while it's aggressive. You're going to need to kill it and hope it doesn't alert the other two."

"Has anyone told you you're kind of an ass?" Nil asked while he swiped his blade across the Ravager's front leg.

"Your sister. Repeatedly." Sylens replied, sounding like he'd eaten something bitter.

Nil quirked his lip a bit while he pulled a shock arrow from his quiver and shoved it between the machine's jaws. The spark caused it to drop and Nil was able to get some distance so he could pull Voice of Our Teeth and fire arrows instead of trying to work in close combat. Three well placed arrows into its power pack and two more into its lenses and it crashed to the ground.

He took a few labored breaths of air as he came down from the high of the fight. That had gotten a little closer than he generally liked, but what a rush. Sylens walked over, three Ravagers padding along at his heels.

"Well at least you're good in a fight." He intoned.

Nil bristled at the implied slight. "I have had a Focus for all of a couple hours, maybe, and you failed to tell me perhaps the most important part of the override process." He jabbed the man in the chest forcefully while keeping a steady glare on his face. "Is this why Aloy hates you? Because you keep the important information to yourself?"

Sylens just glared back at him until he finished speaking. "Are you done?"

Nil had a bad feeling about this man. "Just one more thing, if you ever act against my sister, you betray her in any way, you place her in any danger by your actions, make no mistake, I will make your life miserable before I kill you very slowly. I may not have been active in the torturing during the Red Raids, but I'm good at killing, and I'm sure I can figure something out."

Nil stood to his full height, which left the top of Sylens' dome just below his nose, and smiled his most feral and deranged smile while stepping into the Banuk's space. Sylens put forth a commendable effort to suppress his shiver and the flash of fear that crossed his eyes, but Nil saw it and was satisfied. He turned and led the way back to the Striders.

--

They galloped across the plain, the Ravagers at their backs. What at first sounded like a raging wind across the barren and dry plain solidified into the screaming and shouting of many voices as they drew closer to the round arena of the Sun Ring. The crowd, screaming for the death of the sacrifice, the death of Aloy. The sound went quiet for a moment, then exploded again, louder than before.

Nil urged his Strider faster. Please. Please. May the Ten guide them to get there fast enough. She had to be ok. They had to save her. Nil couldn't lose her. He couldn't allow his sister to die. He wouldn't survive the loss of the entirety of the only real family he'd ever had. Not so soon after gaining it.

Loud cracking booms echoed out from the inlet in the rock where the Citadel lay. The crowd went quiet and the voice of Helis came across clear. "Shadows, Kill her!"

Nil snarled. They were almost there. How much farther? Sylens lobbed a bomb and the gate blew open. When Nil rushed through the settling dust, there she was, red hair down her back, bow in hand, facing down two Corrupters. Aloy. He swung around behind her and scooped her up, depositing her onto the Strider in front of him. "We're getting out of here, Aloy!" He yelled over the din of shouts and the beat of hooves.

"-vahin?" He heard the voice of Helis call across the open space as he guided the mount back towards the gate. He spared a brief glance over his shoulder, satisfaction sweeping through him at seeing the hated face slack jawed in surprise. As they cleared the gate, the Ravagers sprung through and encountered the Corrupters that had started to give chase. Sylens came up beside them. Had he not followed into the Sun Ring? Didn't matter at this exact moment. Though the question certainly did matter and would come up when they didn't run the chance of being caught almost immediately. They rode on together, away from the Citadel and out of Shadow Carja territory.

Chapter Text

Aloy pulled them to a stop in some desert brush on the side of a road. "You're really here. You actually showed up." Surprise laced her tone as she spoke to Sylens. "You came to rescue me."

"Of course I did." He said as though his actions were obvious. "If you'd been killed, the Nora sacred mountain would never have given up its secrets."

Aloy's shoulders dropped. "Too bad you wasted your time then, Helis destroyed my Focus. And the Alpha Registry with it."

Sylens shook his head. "Not at all. The whole time I've been monitoring your Focus, I've duplicated every data file you scanned. Installing that data to a new Focus was trivially easy. Two even." He gestured at Nil. He tossed her the little triangle of metal. "'Happy Birthday Isaac. Daddy sure does love his little big man.'"

Aloy snatched the Focus out of the air and then stiffened when she finally registered what it was Sylens was saying. "You're really good at making it impossible to like you, Sylens. But I guess I need this."

"Time to learn where you were born. Maybe you'll even figure out why."

"Yeah. Meet the machine that birthed me. Isn't that how you put it?" Her voice was hard. "It doesn't matter. I know who my mother is. But I think this goes beyond the question of mothers. So I will go check it out."

Sylens shrugged in his non-committal and uncaring sort of way. "I'll be off."

"Wait." Nil called.

"Yes?"

"You didn't follow me into the Ring to save her. Aren't many reasons for that, especially if that hermit routine you put on is true. You know Helis don't you? You didn't want him to know you were involved." Nil prodded. The silence that hung in the air between them was enough of an answer.

"You said you'd assisted the Eclipse, not that you directly knew the man who tried to kill me!" Aloy snarled.

"So now you know." Sylens replied condescendingly. "The man is a serious threat. So let's do all we can to make sure that he and HADES don't succeed."

"Right." Nil and Aloy said at the same time.

Aloy sighed. "We have to go. To make matters worse, Helis ordered a contingent of the Eclipse to attack the Nora Sacred Lands. They're still weak. They won't survive."

"I have preparations to make elsewhere, I'll be in contact." Sylens said before turning and riding away.

"What kind of-- Never mind, he wouldn't tell us even if I had the mind to chase him down and ask." Her anger was a near palpable thing, simmering in the air around her.

Now that they made good their escape and the asshole had left, Nil allowed himself to relax. He wrapped his arms tight around Aloy and rested his chin on the top of her head. She squeaked in surprise. She was here. She was ok. His family was safe.

"Nil." She tapped his arm. "Nil, I can't breathe."

He loosened his arms just a fraction but didn't release her. "Just a moment more, Aloy. I almost thought I lost you. To him. I…I couldn't have…I can't lose this family. I can't lose you. I won't survive it."

Aloy made a soothing hum and leaned back into his chest. When Nil finally released her, she sent the Strider into a canter forward. "I'm thinking we should switch to Chargers. They're a little sturdier, and we need to move quickly."

"A good idea then." He agreed.

A Charger herd patrolled not far off and now that Nil knew how to properly override, getting himself a new mount was easy. Almost too much so, and he hoped that information didn't fall into hands like those of his father.

They rode as hard and as fast as they could through the Sundom, Aloy filling Nil in on her time in the Zero Dawn bunker over a Focus call while they rode. They only stopped twice when their bodies tilted in exhaustion enough to pose a danger of falling off their Chargers. They picked up as much fire ammo as they could carry as they passed through Daytower. Aloy informed Captain Balahn of the impending attack on the Nora, securing a promise to provide aid if it was requested. He wouldn't have his soldiers enter the Sacred Lands without permission.

Nil and Aloy stopped once more at Mother's Crown. The village was devastated, a smoldering wreck when they arrived. They washed their faces with some snow and refreshed their paint before making a meager camp. "They were farther away from the Embrace than others. I didn't meet most of them until after the Proving, after I received my Seeker blessing. They didn't treat me like an outcast. I wouldn't say they were friendly, but after almost twenty years of harsh words and cruelty or just cool indifference…" Aloy spoke with a quiet and regretful tone as they swallowed down their fill of rations.

"I get it. When you've spent so long being mistreated, the first people to treat you even halfway decently can sit in your memory." He told her. "Most of my commanders in the army saw the weapon my father had made and were only too glad to use it. Two men somehow saw the man beneath and treated me accordingly."

"I'm glad you had both of them." Aloy said sincerely, then yawned. "We need to rest and get to All-Mother mountain. We can set the Chargers to watch the perimeter and then neither of us has to take watch."

She showed him how to perform the function on his Focus, and then they laid out on their bedrolls and they both fell into the quick sleep of a soldier on campaign. They didn't sleep long, just a few hours to alleviate the fog of tiredness and recuperate enough strength to wield their bows effectively.

Chapter Text

The Gate was utterly destroyed. Splintered pieces of wood stuck in all directions from the bits of wall that still stood. A Corrupter guarded the space alongside two corrupted Watchers. Nil and Aloy rained fire arrows on them from a distance, watching them catch fire before ducking into some tall grass while the lenses still glowed yellow. They managed to flank and set the machines alight one more time before they were spotted. By that point though, the machines had already taken too much damage and were easy to finish off.

Further up the road, they went around a Deathbringer and silenced two patrolling Eclipse. The entire path to the mountain went in that fashion, dodging or destroying machines and ending Eclipse soldiers. Mother's Watch and Mother's Heart were both piles of charred and smoking wood when they passed through.

As they drew closer to the mountain, a repeated pulse sounded through the air for six beats and then a pause. A larger machine.

"Thunderjaw. Corrupted." Aloy said tersely. "The survivors are probably holed up in the mountain. If the tunnel collapses, they'll be buried. Along with the door we need."

"That's right! Take down the mountain!" An Eclipse soldier yelled.

From a perch behind a rock, Aloy and Nil each took a shot at the cannons on the Thunderjaw's back. The machine was already in an active aggressive state and their shots pulled its attention away from the mountain. They dodged the disc launchers that came their way and released another volley of fire arrows.

Shouting came from the mountain. Nil looked to see Nora warriors spilling forth, weapons in hand to take on the Eclipse soldiers. The fight was vicious and Nil took a deep breath before a smile spread wide across his face.

"Varl! And Sona! They're still alive!" Aloy called out, relieved.

The Braves on the battlefield allowed Nil and Aloy to focus on the Thunderjaw. Once the human enemies were cleared, the focus of all the bow fire in the clearing moved to the machine and it couldn't withstand the onslaught for long. It fell to the ground with a resounding crash. After Aloy salvaged what she could from the massive wreck, she ran over and began talking to a young Brave standing at the entrance to the mountain. Nil meandered over and hovered at her shoulder, ready to make good on his promise to himself. She didn't belong to them. They didn't get to treat her the way they had any more. If they tried, they got a sword in the gut.

"You saved the tribe!" The young man said, his voice quiet with awe. "Did what no Brave or War Chief could do."

"I'm glad to see you're all right Varl." She paused. "You are all right?"

"Since the Proving, so much death. Is the killing over?" Varl asked, dodging the question.

"Unfortunately not. This was just one battle after all. There will be more to come." Nil answered. "Depending upon how you feel about such things though, that could be fortunate." The Brave, Varl gave him a bewildered look while Aloy shook her head in bemusement.

"Varl, this is my brother, Nil." She introduced, throwing her arm around Nil's shoulders. "We were adopted by the same woman. I have a mother."

Varl's eyes widened.

"It's something we can discuss later." She said with a small smile, then sobered. "I need to go inside the mountain. but, first, are you ok?"

"I ache everywhere. But it's nothing that will keep me from fighting. The Matriarchs will be eager to see you." He said.

"I'm sure, but I didn't come here for them." Her voice was hard.

"Then- what for?"

"That's the question isn't it?" Came Nil's reply.

He sauntered at Aloy's side into the mountain. They walked up to the small group of elderly women that stared at the closed Old World door. They turned upon hearing Nil and Aloy approach.

"Aloy! You've returned!" The one on the left called joyfully.

"And she brought a Carja with her in front of All-Mother! Will this one's transgressions never cease?" Hissed the one on the right.

"I see no Carja here. Just a lot of Nora and two Tenakth. But if you continue to speak to and about my sister this way, I have no qualms about showing you the horrors of the Raids that you missed being holed up so close to your mountain here." Nil spoke clearly, allowing his words to echo through the chamber and leaning on Aloy, an arm around her shoulders.

"Sister?" The middle one asked.

"This is my brother, Nil. The both of us born through the blood of our mother, a Tenakth of the Forbidden West. We fought through many enemies to get here to save you and protect All-Mother. So we will be going in there." She pointed at the door.

"You dare suggest that a motherless wretch and a Carja can speak with All-Mother?" The one on the right squawked.

"Lansra, we've taken down a bunch of Corrupters and Deathbringers today, do you really think you can stand between us and that door?" Aloy asked, her voice falsely sweet.

"You dare!" The woman gasped, but was pulled aside by the other two.

"Go with our blessing, Aloy." The nice one said.

"Thank you Teersa, Jezza." She said as she walked past them. Nil followed.

"Hold for Identiscan." The metallic voice said.

Nil was glad for his Focus. He wouldn't have understood the gestures Aloy was making without it. He might've been inclined to think she was performing some sort of magic. As it was, the Nora behind her were certainly getting some kind of show. He looked behind them. Yup, definite looks of awe and surprise.

"Error, Alpha Registry corrupted." Aloy transferred the file from her Focus and swiped around a glowing orange cylinder. "Correction. Alpha Registry restored." The door began to open. "Genetic identity confirmed. Entry authorized. Greetings Dr. Sobeck. You are cleared to proceed."

Aloy entered, tugging Nil behind her. The door shut behind them with mechanical whirs and clicks ending in a final sounding thump.

Chapter Text

"Welcome to ELEUTHIA-9 Brood 1." The mechanical voice sounded from above them.

"I see you've made it inside." Sylens voice came through Nil's Focus.

"Figured we might be hearing from you." Aloy said, already sounding fed up.

"Shall we begin?" He asked.

The ELEUTHIA Cradle was overwhelming. Nil saw the impetus for the Nora's reverence for mothers. The gentle and soft toned servitor instead of the one that said no and handed out punishments. The scope of the information lost to humanity without APOLLO was staggering, but they had no idea why the subfunction was gone. They grabbed a couple handfuls of Focuses each anyway. Backups and units for potential allies.

The reason for Aloy's birth floored the both of them. Why and how she was born. A recreation of a woman from a thousand years ago. Created in a metal womb. To fix the damage done to the biosphere by the very terraforming system that was meant to reconstitute it. All because it lacked the central AI that controlled the whole system. Because she'd blown herself up to protect the world from one of her subfunctions. And the genetic code of the system's creator was needed to enter the facilities where the information was stored.

The impossible weight of such a task. And the weight of the truth behind the life Aloy had already lived. Outcast for a birth beyond her control. Treated like a monster. But she wasn't any less human. Nil knew that much from what he'd learned. All of the current existence of humanity started in those machine wombs. Nil hugged his sister as GAIA stopped talking, reminding her he was there, that he didn't think any less of her for her origins.

"Never alone, Aloy. Never again." He promised.

"Well," Sylens voice slithered out of the Focus. "You're even more extraordinary than I thought."

"Shut the hell up asshole." Nil said.

"How sad, for her to discover she's a person of towering importance." Sylens sneered in their ears. "Go to the Bitter Climb. I'll be waiting above, in the ruins of GAIA Prime." The line went silent.

Aloy shook her head. "He's such a nuisance to work with."

"Hopefully we won't have to for much longer." Nil replied.

"Well, best go see what reactions we get from exiting the Nora's All-Mother." Aloy breathed out, trepidation lacing her tone.

Nil understood that. Reactions could range anywhere from anger to reverence. Based on most of the expressions he'd seen as she'd opened the door though, the latter was more likely.

The door opened again with a series of mechanical noises and a rush of air to reveal the waiting Nora. Almost no one had moved, save the three Matriarchs. They kneeled at the front, their eyes shining with awe, mouths held agape. As Nil and Aloy walked forward, The loud one, Lansra, bowed her face to the floor, followed by the quiet one, Jezza, Nil thought her name was. Ah so they'd blown past mere reverence to move straight onto worship.

Aloy stood in front of them and Lansra looked up, stricken. "Aloy! Forgive! Forgive!" She begged.

Teersa, the nice one, spoke. "The Goddess spoke to you?"

"She did." Aloy hesitated. "She said I was born to lift a curse. To kill a Metal Demon."

Close enough for them to know and care about. Nil thought, watching the interaction carefully.

"How, Aloy?" Teersa asked.

"I don't know yet. But she told me where to go to find out."

"And you will do this?" Jezza implored.

"It was her wish." Aloy responded. "What she made me for. Yes. I'll do it." She looked at Nil. "We'll do it."

"All praise Aloy! Anointed of the Nora! And praise her brother, her protector!" The Matriarchs cried.

They began to bow and repeat the phrase and the other Nora began to follow suit.

"Stop this!" Aloy shouted, dragging Lansra and several others from their praise of her. She ripped the beads and Nora blue ties from her hair and cast them at the ground. "I don't belong to you." She hissed as the skittering and taps of the beads bouncing echoed through the chamber. "You shunned me. Didn't really want me until I came out that door. I will not be worshiped! Not by anyone, but especially not you. There are whole tribes out there, full of good people. And they are all in danger from this Metal Demon."

Nil walked forward and dropped a hand on Aloy's shoulder. "It's a world worth fighting for. All of it. Not just here. Everywhere." He said to the gathered people.

Varl stepped forward. "How can we help?"

Aloy smiled gratefully at the Brave. "If you can fight, and you're willing, go to Meridian. And wait for me there."

Teersa came around and spoke, "As Aloy says so shall it be."

Aloy's shoulders slumped as she realized 'the Anointed' title was going to stick.

"Nora! Make way, that Aloy, and her brother may forge the path for others to follow." Jezza and Lansra called out.

As they left the mountain, Aloy stopped to talk to a young man with brown hair. "Teb. I'm glad you're ok." She said.

"Non-combatants were the first to take shelter." He said, sounding a little guilty for not fighting.

"Hey. Without you, the Nora would have lost their best stitcher. They can't go into battle without well made armor, can they?" She turned to Nil. "Teb here made my outfit for the Proving. The one I was wearing when we first met."

"That was excellent work. You should be proud." He said sincerely.

Teb flushed and ducked his head. "You're too kind. I just wanted to repay Aloy. She saved my life when she was only a kid."

"You were the first person that smiled at me. The first person who was truly kind." Aloy said, tilting her head. "Actually though, if you have a moment, I do have a request."

"Anything for the Anointed." Teb responded cheerfully while Aloy just scowled.

She gestured at the gorget and bracers she wore. "I wear pieces of our mother's armor. Not everything she had fit me. And I would like Nil to be able to wear something of hers so he can look more like a Tenakth. I still have the pieces that didn't fit in my pack. Could you take a look and see if you could rework it into something for him?"

"Sure." He said.

Nil and Aloy led the way out and whistled for their Chargers. The machines plodded up to them and Nil fought back a smile when he saw how Teb's eyes widened. Aloy fished the red and green fabric tassets and long machine piece belt out of her pack and showed them to the stitcher.

Teb laid them out and looked over the pieces from several angles. When he looked up, his face was twisted in regret. "At best I might be able to work up a pair of patchwork leggings or shorts from the tassets. But I don't know the Tenakth styles. I have my pride as a stitcher and I won't give you anything subpar. He could probably wear the belt. I could rework the tassets to fit you, Aloy. If you'd like me to."

"I'll take the belt. But I understand. Wouldn't want you to forfeit your values in your work." Nil said. "I can wait until we return West to our people." Teb handed him the long piece of leather, woven through with small machine parts that made it stiff. Nil attached his bow sling to it and wrapped it diagonally across his chest.

"If you could fit the tassets, Teb, I'd really appreciate it. You can send them along with the party that goes to Meridian. To be entirely honest, I don't know if I will be coming back to the Sacred Lands." Aloy said seriously.

"You'll always be welcome to visit Aloy. But I think I understand." The young man replied with a sad smile.

"Thank you Teb, for protecting my sister and making her feel cared for as much as you felt you could." Nil said earnestly as he laid a hand on Teb's shoulder. "Walk with the Ten."

Aloy and Nil mounted up and left the Sacred Lands.

Chapter Text

Nil's backside felt raw when they camped in the foothills of the mountain that housed the ruins of the GAIA Prime facility. So many days of hard riding in a row with barely any time to adjust to the practice.

After dinner, Aloy reworked her hair. She admitted she was fond of the mass of red and didn't want to shave any of it off for a typical Tenakth style, but she didn't want something that looked so Nora either. She went with more braids, tighter than the old ones, that ran along the sides of her head and across her crown and the ends she kept loose, pulling it into a medium high tail that bounced lightly when she walked.

"Ready to do this?" He asked as he laid out on the ground, resting and trying to regain feeling in his thighs.

"To bring down HADES? Yes. Ready to deal with Sylens? Never." She replied, her smile sharp as she looked down at him.

Nil chuckled. "Do you think this'll be the last time we see him?"

"Probably not," Aloy said with a sigh. "He's likely to interfere with our efforts to get a backup in some way. Speaking of which," she curled her arms around her legs. "Are you sure you want to come with me?" She asked the question quietly enough that were he more than the little circle of their campsite away, he might not have heard her.

As it was, he was close enough to hear the fear in her tone. Fear for him, or fear of being abandoned, he wasn't sure. "I promised you my blade. I won't renege on that promise, if that's what you're worried about."

"No. I just…" She paused, furrowing her brow. "I don't know how long it's going to take to find a backup. I don't even know where to start looking and I doubt Sylens will be generous enough to help, no matter the fact that his damned reticence might doom the whole world. I feel like I'm holding you back from going West, from taking your place among our people."

Nil sighed. Helping Aloy realize she wasn't alone and didn't need to do things alone anymore was going to take time. "When I had an inkling that Ullia had adopted you as well, had I known where you were, I would have gone straight to you. That's why I was in the area of Shattered Kiln. I knew you'd show up there eventually." He smiled as close to a disarming smile as he could manage. It worked, her lips quirked at him. "I have no plans to go anywhere. Not without you. We enter the clan lands together."

She slumped in relief. "Thanks."

"I already set my Charger to patrol for us. We should get some rest before we have to climb that mountain." He offered.

Aloy nodded and laid down. "Tell me more about the Tenakth?" She asked.

"What do you want to know?"

"Did mother tell you about where she grew up?"

Nil smiled. "Our people were once a tribe of warring peoples. Three clans. The Desert, The Sky, and The Lowland Clans. The Lowland Clan, where mother hailed from, holds territory in the jungle to the Southwest of the Memorial Grove…" he began. Her breathing evened out somewhere around when he began to describe Fenrise village and he allowed himself to drift into a light sleep.

Sylens had at least left a half decent climbing trail up the mountain. And he at least warned them about the machines ahead on their path. Nil didn't particularly care for how uncharacteristically helpful the man was suddenly being. From Nil's experience, it meant either the man felt guilty and was trying to atone, or he was planning more subterfuge. Both options made Nil uneasy.

After the Stormbird came down, they turned to see the results of GAIA's sacrifice. The entire mountain was split apart. Sunlight spilled in through a large hole in the other side of the massive cavern. Pieces of metal bridges and rooms hung suspended above the ground, creaking and groaning from all their years of disuse and degradation.

"I've prepared a path for you the rest of the way, hurry now." Sylens said in their ears.

"You built a path, but couldn't be bothered to deal with the machines on the mountain?" Aloy grumbled as she began leading the way along the flat wood planks.

"Machines have never been an issue for you, Aloy. And if you could fly, I'd never have bothered with the path." He replied.

Aloy rolled her eyes but continued climbing, Nil keeping himself close behind. They cleared the last of the pitons and stepped into a lit room, filled with workbenches and bits of technology scattered about. A purple hologram of Sylens stood by a locked door on the far side.

"Seems like a place we'd find you in, Sylens." Nil said conversationally.

"It's one of my many workshops." Sylens explained, "For years, I tried to get through this hatch. I drilled, I burned, I blasted. But we both know that you won't have any trouble getting through it." He gestured to Aloy.

"You make it sound like I should apologize." She said.

"Not at all." He said, shaking his head. "It never occurred to me that the way through would not be with force, but with a key." He waved a hand towards her. "A key in human form. The failure of imagination was mine. Not yours."

"I guess it's time for us to head in then."

"Yes." He looked at Nil. "Keep her safe. Everything depends on her." With that, Sylens' hologram faded away and they were left staring at the angry red circle that indicated a locked door.

"Genetic Identity confirmed, entry authorized. Greetings Dr. Sobeck. You are cleared to proceed." The mechanical voice spoke as the door opened.

They meandered through the ruins climbing and jumping and rappelling across gaps so high up. Nil had never particularly had a fear of heights, but the thought of the drop and Aloy laying in that white snow so far below made his chest seize every time their feet weren't solidly planted on something.

Aloy scanned Elisabet's journals, hoping some clue of a backup would become clear as the files were repaired. Leaving Elisabet's room, they found the memorial. Elisabet had given her life to save GAIA, to save the hope of a future for the world. They watched the recording play out with solemn faces. Nil gripped Aloy's hand tight. He could see that same streak of a stubborn self sacrificial nature in his sister and feared a future where she might take the same path as the woman she'd been made after. Sylens made things worse, arguing with her and feeding into ideas of a duty owed to the world. He eventually shut up.

The recordings were the worst. The hurt, the pain, the desperation of the Zero Dawn Alphas. Then the ramblings of Ted Faro. He sounded unhinged. Unhinged like Jiran, like Helis, and Nil felt his skin crawl with trepidation.

At the peak of their climb, they came to another door. As it opened, air rushed in from the outside. The sight inside was gruesome. Enough that even Nil had to take a deep breath to force down the bile that threatened at the back of his throat. Corpses, frozen in time, several of them in chairs around a circular table. Others lay on the ground, mouths open in horror, eye sockets dark and unseeing. Seeing the dead on the field of battle was one thing. But here? In a place that should've been safe?

"What-" Aloy whispered. The door shut behind them, leaving the eerie glow of holograms to light the room instead of the warm yellow glow of the sun. For once in his life, Nil understood the Carjan reverence of the yellow ball in the sky. "Why did the air rush in here?"

"Because there was none inside the chamber." Sylens answered.

"But the Alphas were in here." She said as she walked over to press a hand to the console. Another recording began to play.

--

Nil couldn't believe it. He stood in shock for several minutes after the last hologram faded, leaving the dessicated corpses visible and present. One man's hubris had already laid the world's worth of lives at his feet, for him to have killed the people responsible for bringing it all back, for fixing everything he had broken? Not to mention the destruction of APOLLO. How many lives had been lost due to all that missing information? Jiran and Helis in all of their madness had never gone so far. Then again, they'd never had the resources.

Aloy joined him, and leaned her arm against his, surveying the scene for a minute. "It's horrible what he did. I don't know why they didn't just leave him to the swarm. Let him die from the problem he caused."

"We'll never know. But I take back what I said about that man on the road so long ago. This," Nil gestured to the room. "This is what gives killing a bad name. Cowardly. Underhanded. All done to save his own self from the perception of others."

Aloy hummed in assent. "I've got the Master Override. We can go." Nil felt rooted to the spot. "We can honor them by making sure HADES doesn't destroy everything they worked for, ok? Let's go."

She tugged on his hand and Nil relaxed, turning and following her back up to the workshop. Sylens was actually there in person. Part of Nil wanted to run him through, just to ensure he'd cause no further problems, but he did only promise the man a painful death if he messed with Aloy. He stood and listened idly while the Banuk and his sister chatted.

"I admitted to you that I'd been involved with the Eclipse. I did not share the full extent of my culpability." Nil's ears perked up. The ever enigmatic and duplicitous Sylens was going to admit to something? This was going to be good. "I was the one who found HADES on that mountain, stuck inside that Titan. And I served it."

"You what!?" Aloy whispered anger choking her from speaking any louder.

"It promised knowledge. And delivered." He explained as if that was sufficient or excused anything.

"And in exchange?" Aloy demanded.

"I helped create the Eclipse. Helped it build a cult, an army to do its will."

"And why are you telling us all of this now?" An excellent question.

"Because your success depends on knowing this. When I found HADES, the first thing it wanted to know about was the Spire. Not Meridian. The Spire. Now why would that be, do you think?" He asked.

"The Spire was created by GAIA. MINERVA specifically. The code breaking subfunction. GAIA built Spires to transmit the codes that deactivated the Faro swarm. Shut down their biomatter conversion systems." She paused and then stiffened as she realized the plan of the malevolent AI. "HADES wants to send a new transmission to wake the machines, devour the world all over again."

He resisted when Aloy asked, but Sylens finally relented and told the whole tale of how the whole sequence of events from him finding HADES to learning about Aloy played out. She didn't let him off the hook once his story was finished. Despite all he'd done to stop HADES and the Eclipse, he was still to blame for the whole thing and likely only wanted to stop it for self serving reasons. If those reasons happened to benefit others, it was by coincidence only.

" I've done all I can. From here, the rest is up to you." He waved a hand at the workbench where a glowing weapon sat. 'Take my lance, attach the Master Override to it. Then you'll have a means of injection."

''Then I just need to get close enough to HADES' skull to stab it?" Aloy said sarcastically.

"Exactly." He turned away.

"Where will you go?" Nil asked.

"Anywhere. Everywhere." Sylens shrugged. "I leave the workshop to you. After all, it was yours anyway, Aloy. I was merely trespassing."

"You remember that promise I made you." Nil said as Sylens disappeared over the broken off edge of the room.

While Aloy attached the Master Override, Nil scanned things throughout the room, finding data points that aligned with the story Sylens gave. He still didn't trust the man, but at least he had given some modicum of the truth and help. And he was gone for the time being

Chapter Text

Nil hadn't been to Meridian proper in years. Not since before his prison sentence. But longer than that even, because he didn't remember walking the stone streets since before he'd headed West to join General Fashav past Barren Light. Whispers hissed along at his and Aloy's heels all the way to the palace and he hated it. He wondered how many of the whispers were for Aloy, and how many were focused on him, odd dichotomy that he was with his face paint and armor. He secured a hand around Ullia's belt to center himself, but his whole spine felt itchy and stiff by the time a guard ran off to announce them at the palace.

Marad met them and his eyes widened slightly as he took in Nil. "Tavahin." The spymaster greeted.

"Tavahin died at Sunstone Rock." Nil replied, his voice fierce. "My name is Nil. Adopted as a son by Ullia of the Tenakth. Aloy is my blood born sister. My blade and I are bound to her."

"I see." Marad replied in that eerie way he had that made people uneasy with their secrets. "I had heard something to that effect from one of my agents. I also heard you helped her with some tasks at Sunfall. You have my thanks."

"Uthid treated me like a man where most of the other commanders in the army failed to do so. Wasn't about to let the old man die." Nil said. "Did she succeed in her task?

"She did, though she's certainly the worse for wear from it. A Rockbreaker had been patrolling the area. She took some minor wounds and lost some mercenaries to that but then the Shadow Carja attacked with one of their Corrupted machines. A Thunderjaw. She made it out with the assistance of some guards, but it was a close thing."

"She was lucky." Aloy commented, impressed.

"Indeed. She's still with the healers, but I'm told she should make a full recovery." Marad said. "Here we are." He bowed before Avad. "Your Radiance, Aloy and her brother, Nil have come with an urgent message."

The Sun-King actually blushed upon seeing Aloy. Just what had happened the last time she'd been here?

"What brings you to Meridian?" He asked, standing.

"A threat. Helis and the Eclipse will come to attack soon, from the West. With an army of ancient war machines." The explanation tripped off Aloy's tongue rapidly. The blush and all other blood drained from Avad's face. "And they're bringing with them a … god, a mind, a demon, whatever you want to call it. It's called HADES. And its true target is the Spire. If it gets there, it will have the means to send out a call to wake more ancient machines. More than we could ever stop."

"I'm trying to understand, but my responsibility lies with Meridian. I have to protect my people, Aloy." Avad said.

"The target is the Spire, make no doubt about that." Aloy argued.

"Perhaps the Vanguard, your Radiance?" Marad offered.

"Yes." Avad agreed quickly. "Send them to the Spire, Erend knows Aloy, he won't question it."

"And you can have the city guard fortify the Western ridge. Then they can be seen to be protecting the city and the Alight, where the Spire is." Nil threw in.

Marad nodded. "I will see it done, your Radiance, Aloy, Nil." The Spymaster left after bowing to each of them in turn, walking at a brisk pace to hand out the orders.

"Aloy, I'd like to apologize for my behavior last time you were here." The blush had returned and a guilty look had joined it upon the Carja king's face. "With everything that happened with Ersa, I was confused. If we are to fight together, I would do so with your forgiveness."

Nil struggled between wanting to be anywhere else and wanting to catch every single word that he might use to later tease Aloy.

Aloy smiled. "So long as you don't confuse me with her again, you have it."

Avad smiled ruefully in return. "Even a king can learn his lesson. Good. I'm glad that's behind us. Now, it will take some time to prepare our defenses, can you tell me of our enemy?"

The explanation was as brief as Aloy could make it and Nil saw the look of disbelief warring with utter faith in Aloy in the Sun-King's eyes. When they were done they found Marad by the bridge into the city instructing the guards. He told them who came to protect Meridian. Some out of loyalty to the crown, some for money, but many to fight at Aloy's side. He asked them to check out the preparations and offered them Olin's apartment to sleep in.

The preparations were going well. Nil was pleased to see Uthid on the front line at the river. He teased him a bit, his cheeks growing ruddy at the mention of Vanasha. An Oseram woman named Petra flirted rather audaciously with Aloy, but Nil couldn't deny her excellent work on the cannons. Then, closer to the walls of the city, a familiar face waited for them.

"Teb!" Aloy shouted in greeting. "I thought you'd stay in the Embrace!"

The stitcher smiled. "I wanted to deliver this personally. It seemed important to you." He held out the bundle of fabric that they both recognized as their mother's tassets.

"Thank you." Aloy gushed sincerely. "You'll stay safe during the battle?"

"They've made me an honorary quartermaster. I'll be delivering supplies to caches for our Braves and the other fighters. That should keep me away from the bulk of the fighting." He said.

"It's an honorable task. We'll need those supplies against what we're about to face." Nil said. "It's very brave that you came all this way when you're not usually a combatant."

Teb flushed and preened from the praise at the same time and they left him to check on the groups at the Alight. Sona and Varl were similarly unhappy to be in a land so unfaithful to All-Mother. Varl made it clear he came for Aloy along with the captain of the Vanguard. Oh joy. Nil was going to have so much to tease Aloy about tonight. Clear her mind for a moment from the dread that had set her jaw in a steel line.

--

"How did Elisabet sleep with a weight like this sitting on her shoulders?" Aloy asked later as she flopped into the bed after removing some of the harder pieces of her armor.

"Well, if she's anything like you, maybe she was exhausted from the number of people making love eyes at her. Or laughing from it." Nil teased as he pulled off his own metal enhanced pieces.

"Shut up." Aloy growled.

"Oh, but your ears are such a delightful shade of pink, dear sister. What happened last time you were in Meridian between you and Avad, huh?" He continued prodding her.

"He asked me to stay in Meridian." She answered, looking away. He wondered if she knew that made her flush incredibly visible on the backs of her ears.

"Oh? Looking for a barbarian to be his Sun-Queen?" Nil was genuinely curious. Avad hadn't known Aloy for long.

"He got me confused with Ersa. A strong fighter, who gave him sage advice, who he also found pretty? He saw me as a replacement for her." Her voice was bitter.

Oh. Nil felt a little bad for his teasing. "Foolish of him. Look, I'll drop it ok? I just wanted to tease you a little bit. Get your mind off of what tomorrow may bring. We should sleep."

She nodded and made herself more comfortable. "We have to win this Nil."

"We will, sister. I believe it." He said in a steady voice, his silver gaze catching her green eyes. "I believe in you."

"Tell me more about our people? Maybe the blood rite mother talked about?"

Nil smiled and began. She drifted off easily again and he was glad to know he could soothe her in some way. He forced himself to rest in the same way he'd been taught while on campaign, closing his eyes and allowing darkness to swallow him swiftly.

Chapter Text

They woke to pounding on the door. "The Sun-King is requesting the presence of the Tenakth warriors at the palace." Came the muffled voice of a guard.

Aloy and Nil jumped up and threw on the pieces of armor they'd discarded for the sake of a comfortable sleep. Quickly, they refreshed their paint, before running to the palace.

Avad met them, his normal ostentatious headdress and drapings discarded for lighter and more sensibly armored clothes. A line of guards stood behind him. "There have been lights and smoke seen in the West. Perhaps camps, preparing for battle?"

Aloy looked to the skies and shook her head. "That's not fire smoke."

The battle began with an explosion and crumbling rocks across the river. The dust parted around a wave of ancient machines.

"Guns! Get to the guns!" Aloy called.

Nil repeated the order but the soldiers looked between themselves, confused at being ordered about by the two Tenakth.

"By the Sun, do as they say!" Avad commanded, sending them into motion.

As the soldiers made their way down the steps, a volley of fire hit the palace, blowing a hole and sending people flying. Below them, out of the newly blown open wall, came Helis, flanked by a couple of the Eclipse. Nil had never thought of the man as a particularly dramatic individual, but the outfit he wore begged differently. The helmet alone screamed for attention.

"Aloy, don't!" Avad called out and Nil looked up to see her running off.

"I'll get him! Your men need those guns!" She shouted back at him.

"He'll cut you down!" The Sun-King entreated.

"Not this time!" She replied with a snarl over her shoulder.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Nil shouted, leaping over the banister and landing on the broken steps before making another jump to the lower balcony. He took several risky leaps to reach the lower levels of the palace before Aloy could rappel the whole way down.

"Helis!" He roared as he sprinted after the head of the Eclipse. The man he'd once called father.

The demon that tormented his mind always echoed in Helis'voice, always demanded blood. Nil didn't know if that voice would ever go silent. It'd been quieted with his need to focus on Aloy and her mission. But perhaps the voice would grow ever more distant with the man himself silenced.

Helis turned.

"Nil!" Aloy screamed from somewhere behind him.

Nil ignored the yell. If she wanted a fight, she could help the guards with the Eclipse that were around. Helis was his. He charged straight for the older man. Nil realized he'd always been training for this fight from the very first clash of their swords. He was smaller than Helis. Less bulk and more agile. He also wore lighter armor. Nil got slices and jabs in easily where the ridiculous armor showed so much skin. He kept moving avoiding the heavy strikes Helis aimed at him.

Finally Helis knelt, his breath labored from pain and fury. "Impossible. I am chosen. To be betrayed by my own son. Buried Shadow, how can this be?" His voice was breathy and gasping. "You belong to me!" He growled at Nil, their matching eyes meeting.

"Not anymore." Nil snarled as he slid his blade across Helis' throat in one smooth motion.

He took a deep breath. He coughed a little at the smoke that suffused the air, but his lungs felt more open than he ever truly remembered. His thoughts settled in a way that was similar to the way he felt after blood coated his hands but infinitely different. Like some part of him would actually stay settled for once. He looked down at the body and the pooling blood with a tilt of his head. He stayed there until something small crashed into him.

"You did it! You killed him!" Aloy cried as she hugged him. She looked up at him with serious eyes. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"Nor you." He said, hugging her back for a brief moment before releasing her. "We should get down to the front lines, see what we can do about holding back the onslaught there."

Aloy nodded and they one after another hopped onto a zipline down to the Western ridge by the riverside. The machines were relentless. Wave after wave. Deathbringers. Corrupters and all manner of corrupted machines. Particularly the larger, more aggressive ones, Ravagers, Bellowbacks. Nil was curious how they'd gotten the damned Stormbird and prayed fervently to the Ten that a Thunderjaw didn't appear around the bend in the path.

More Deathbringers did and the cannons had run out of their available ammo. The Deathbringers fired, the shots screaming through the air towards them.

"Incoming!" Aloy yelled before the explosion hit the city wall.

The force of the blast knocked Nil off his feet and his head came down hard on a bit of jutting out rock. The world went dark.

When he came to, more people stood around the blasted apart gate and wall. He spotted Teb.

"Teb!" Nil shouted across the space wincing as the noise registered to his abused head. "Where's Aloy?"

"She headed for the Spire. The Deathbringers were dragging an orb that was covered in corruption. Is that the Metal Demon?" The Nora called back, quieting his voice as Nil came closer.

"Yes, Teb. Your people, are they ok?"

"Most of them. Wounded, but alive."

Nil nodded. "Keep a sharp eye. This isn't over yet." He said and ran off after Aloy.

His lungs burned between the smoke and ash in the air and the frantic pace at which he ran. He was thankful for every ally he saw still standing on the battlefield. Uthid. Talanah. The kind but gruff Banuk that Nil had forgotten the name of. He thanked the Ten for each of them as he flew up the slopes towards the Spire.

He made it in time to see Aloy sending the final shot off to bring down another Deathbringer. Smoky corruption twisted around the base of the Tower from the orb that sat there. Panels opened up and a red pulse ran across the sky. Were they too late?

"System threat imminent." The AIs voice was deep and rough in a way that sent shivers racing down Nil's spine.

Nil finished his race across the space to stand at his sister's side while she stabbed Sylens' lance viciously into the lens at the front of the orb. Shocks raised through the lance, causing Aloy to convulse and scream before going limp into Nil's arms. A blue light pulsed out of the orb, up the Spire and cut through the red pulse in the sky. The panels closed back around the Spire and Nil scanned the orb. 'INACTIVE' came up on his Focus readout.

Aloy stirred. "Nil? Did we do it?"

Nil smiled. "You did. HADES is gone."

Aloy's smile was brilliant. She stood carefully and walked over to the edge of the plateau, lifting her bow above her head. He heard the roar of victory shouts raise over the mesa. They had won. They could fix GAIA without the risk of HADES taking over the terraforming controls. All they needed to do was find a backup of the system.

Chapter Text

Six months. Six months and nothing to show for their miles traveled and hours spent delving through countless ruins. And the degradation of the biosphere was so obviously growing worse. Aloy had found a mention of Far Zenith in a journal log that had recently finished reconstructing. It was their last lead. Sylens hadn't contacted them since the ruins of GAIA Prime. As much as they were enjoying their time without the condescending ass whispering in their ears, they admitted another person with a Focus and unparalleled knowledge of ruins would be helpful.

Varl found them right as they were about to descend into the basin that held the Far Zenith launch facility. The Brave teased them without mercy about ditching their friends at Meridian, but he wouldn't be deterred in his resolve to follow them. Nil was surprised how quickly he adjusted to the Focus, taking the instruction they gave easily.

After the ruins proved to be another dead end, Aloy was at wit's end. Tears cut tracks through her paint. "What are we going to do Nil?" She whispered when he caught up to her after she stormed off and pulled her into a hug.

Varl looked like he was about to say something about Aloy being rude, but shut his mouth when he heard her let out a quiet sob.

"We'll find a backup. Somewhere. Somehow." Nil said, trying to reassure her but beginning to question the truth of the words for himself.

"Didn't you once tell me about another man who helped you? Who guided you to ruins? Might he know something?" Varl asked.

"We haven't heard from him in months." Nil answered.

"Ok. But Spymaster Marad in Meridian is good at finding people right?" He offered.

"Varl…" Aloy groaned.

"C'mon, what can it hurt? Plus you'll get to see some friends." Varl pleaded.

"I guess it's worth a shot." She relented.

"We've got a long walk ahead." He said, stepping away.

"We'll do you one better." Nil said, smirking before he let out a sharp whistle.

Aloy's was a more melodic, two tone sound. The sounds of brush moving and cracking made Varl startle and then two Chargers plodded out from the dense undergrowth. Nil bit his tongue to keep from laughing at the way the Brave's eyes blew wide.

"It'll be tight but you can ride double with me until you're comfortable with the motion." Nil said, smacking his back.

They mounted up and rode hard for Meridian, getting Varl his own Charger as they passed around the edge of the Jewel. Coming up through the plateaus and tall rocks of the desert, people gathered outside the gate into the city took notice of their approach. The incessant whispering started up and Nil's skin itched.

A woman approached with flowers, giving half to Aloy and the other half to Nil. "Bless us. The Saviors of Meridian have returned." She said, a serene smile on her face.

Varl looked over at them, noticing their discomfort. "You've earned this welcome. You saved them."

"Not yet." Aloy replied.

"In the name of Sun-King Avad, a royal welcome for the Champions! Make way!" A familiar voice rang out over the crowd.

Marad was revealed from behind a group of guards. The three of them dismounted and rushed over to the spymaster. "Marad, we have an urgent matter to discuss." Nil spoke quickly, trying to highlight his words.

"Do you now? That makes two of us." Marad said. "I've sent forth hunters for weeks. From Sunfall all the way to the Sacred Lands searching for you. Even dared a missive into the Forbidden West. Something happened at the Spire. Come, I'll show you." He began leading the way, and they followed.

"It happened right after the solstice. We were able to explain it away, otherwise there might've been a panic." Marad explained as they came up to the top of the Alight. They walked closer to the broadcasting tower. Aloy was steadfastly ignoring the statue of her that sat in the middle of the courtyard. "One night, for less than half a minute, it glowed an angry red. From Meridian it seemed a trick of the light, but those here working on rebuilding said it could not have been a reflection." He paused. "Much to my dismay, they said the light rose up from the tower's base, from that." He gestured at the round orb of the Horus processing unit that'd been used to contain HADES. "We left everything just as it was."

"I was sure I cut the connection to that thing." Aloy growled.

"It said Inactive when I scanned it." Nil said, his brow furrowing.

"Stay here. I'm going to take a closer look." Aloy said. "We don't both need to climb the tower to see what's going on, Nil." She chided when she saw he was ready to object.

"Fine. Just be careful up there?" He begged.

"When am I ever not careful?" She asked over her shoulder while she walked away.

"Shuttle tower, less than a week ago." Nil answered flatly, his heart rate picking up slightly as he remembered seeing the tower collapse with her still on it.

Once she was out of earshot, Nil turned to Marad. "You built her a statue?"

"It was the desire of the people. You have one as well, in the city, for ridding the world of Helis, and helping to defend the Western Ridge. Our Champions, our Saviors of Meridian." Marad said.

Nil's eyes widened and he just stared at the Spymaster in shock for a moment. Then their interest turned to the Spire as it opened.

"What is she doing?" Varl asked.

"The Spire is meant to send data signals all over the place, ah - information." Nil adjusted the language a bit for Marad. "I'm guessing Aloy found out about some information that was sent through it."

Several minutes passed and the Spire closed. Aloy walked over to them, bristling with anger and looking like she'd been tasting tanning leather.

"Lemme guess, Sylens is an ass?" Nil said.

"Sylens is an ass." She agreed, nodding. "HADES is still out there. It went into the Forbidden West."

Nil's heart skipped a beat. Did that mean-

"We have to follow it." She finished.

West! Into the West, finally.

"Were you anyone else, I'd suggest asking his Radiance for his approval to go West, but given your claimed tribe, I don't think it will be a concern. Though you may need to request right of passage for your Nora companion here. Avad has negotiated a fragile peace with the Tenakth. An Embassy is planned to take place at Barren Light in a day or two. They often send their best warriors, called their Marshals, to attend. Should you need help navigating the West, I'm sure they will help you." Marad explained.

A horn sounded and a retinue appeared, following Sun-King Avad. Aloy looked like she wanted to sink into the ground.

"Aloy, Nil." Avad said as he drew close. "You left so quickly, we didn't get a chance to properly thank you."

"Can we show them the presents now?" The little prince, Itamen, called out.

The boy's mother chided him while Avad smiled indulgently at his little half brother and waved the others forward. Uthid and Vanasha smiled.

"Better hurry, before they run off again." Vanasha teased.

"Must you?" Uthid growled at her. Vanasha just smiled.

On the pair of pillows the two bore was a spear, expertly crafted and a brightly shining jagged edged blade.

"We had our weaponsmiths interview some of those who were on campaign in the Forbidden West. We had the blade crafted as close to a Tenakth style as we could manage for you, Nil." Avad explained. "And we know you prefer a spear, Aloy."

"Thank you, Avad." Aloy and Nil said at the same time, taking the new weapons in hand.

Talking to Uthid, Vanasha and little Itamen brought a warm smile to Aloy's face and Nil knew these friends would be missed when they went West. Avad made her flustered as he anxiously flirted. Aloy exited that conversation as quickly as she could and Nil poked a little fun at the reddened tips of her ears while they made their way to where Marad and Varl waited.

"As I said, the Embassy will be happening at Barren Light, on the edge of the frontier…" Marad began an explanation.

"I remember. Almost a fortnight of marching. But a couple days of hard riding should get us there." Nil interrupted.

"Let's go then." Aloy said.

Chapter Text

The cable-car operator gave them a rundown of the situation in the Daunt as he cranked the car down into the valley. Nil felt a headache start to bloom behind his eyes as the Sun Priest came within range of his hearing. Great. Another obstacle. And a loud one at that.

As the three stepped off the cart, the Sun Priest complained at the operator. "Me you refuse to transport, but you make an exception for these, these savages?" He waved a hand at them. "Aside, scalawags."

"Vuadis…" The Vanguardsman began to explain.

"Studious Vuadis." The priest demanded.

"That's Aloy and her brother, Nil." The Vanguardsman continued. The priest still looked put out. "The Saviors of Meridian?"

The priest's eyes widened and recognition suddenly bloomed. "Really? Oh. Well I suppose that lessens the insult."

"We're here for the Embassy at Barren Light. Way I hear it, so are you." Aloy said.

"Well yes." The priest replied. "But not with the valley infested by machines. I won't head to Barren Light until the Captain of the Vanguard says the way is clear."

Nil could practically hear Aloy's teeth grinding. He felt the same, but took over, letting her temper settle a bit. "That's fine. We know the captain." He turned to look over at the Vanguardsman. "Where is Erend?"

"Erend and other Vanguard were sent out at daybreak to clear the way." The Vanguardsman explained. "Name's Joruf by the way."

Vuadis began to read from his scroll and Aloy shushed him. Nil enjoyed the way the man's expression went slack with surprise then soured to affront.

"They decided to check the ruins on the left bank for tracks, and then go from there." Joruf described. "If you're looking to help with the Bristlebacks, I'd craft some acid ammo. I'm sure even with the work stoppage you can find a workbench to use."

"Good to know." Aloy said.

Vuadis was making his way to the cable car. Nil shut the gate in front of him with a smile. "Where do you think you're going?"

The Sun-Priest blinked in surprise. "To the top of the ridge. To wait in safety."

"Nuh-uh. The operator's under strict orders to not run the lift until the whistle blows at Chainscrape." Aloy said, her teeth a bright line of white between her paint. "Isn't that right?" She directed the question at the operator.

"That's right!" The Oseram said. "Best get cranking!" And off he went.

Studious Vuadis split his glare between Aloy and Nil. Then turned it on Varl when the Brave chipped into the conversation. "Joruf, could you take Studious here to Chainscrape while we hunt down Erend?"

Joruf smiled, mouthing a thank you at them. "Yes sirs. Ma'am." He said.

"Actually, we can come with you to Chainscrape. Should probably upgrade our gear if we're going to be doing a bunch of machine hunting." Aloy offered Joruf.

Between the four of them, the small group of Burrowers along the road were nothing. The gate at Chainscrape opened with a simple order from Joruf.

"By the forge." A woman's voice came from their right as the gate shut behind them.

They all looked over.

"Petra?"

"Aloy!" The Oseram woman's voice was surprised. "What brings you here? About time there was something worth looking at in this dump."

Aloy flushed and Nil sniggered.

"We'd heard you've been having some issues. Work stoppage. Bristlebacks." Varl commented.

"Eh, those are just the newest problems. We've always been a few tools short of a set around here. Oh. And there's the biggest tool of all." She gestured at a man lounging below a canopy, arguing loudly with a Carja man. "Ulvund. Considers himself the founder and leader of Chainscrape. And acts like a massive pain in the ass for the rest of us."

"Wish we had time to look into it. If we see anything worth investigating while we look for Erend, we'll let you know, Petra." Aloy said while they walked over to a workshop with a workbench.

"I get it Flame hair. Bigger gears to grind and all that. If you decide you want to sit down for a drink with an old friend, I'll be at the tavern." Petra said and ducked away.

"We can come after, when we have leave time." Nil said to Aloy as he watched her shoulders slump in guilt.

"Yeah you're right."

They worked up enough acid arrows to fill all three of their quivers as well as a couple quivers worth to throw in their packs and left Chainscrape, headed for the ruins that Joruf had described. They stopped when they hit a field full of shock traps. Several Scrappers patrolled the area. An Oseram man called out for help from on top of a broken stone structure.

The machines became scrap rather quickly and Aloy was gifted a new tripcaster for the trouble. The man, named Thurlis, pointed them in the direction of the Vanguard as well as the Hunting Grounds, which he helped run. The path was obvious, the heavy Oseram boots leaving deep marks in the dirt path. They ran across another pair of Vanguard, rescuing one from underneath a Bristleback. Aloy looked longingly at the ruins nearby that contained a glowing relic. Nil started writing a list on his Focus for them to work through when they had leave. After they fixed GAIA. Nil pulled his arm across his neck, trying to relax his muscles there. So much to do.

The trail led up along a ridge and around to a broken set of stairs beyond which could be heard the sounds of fighting. They climbed up and there was Erend, swinging his hammer and bringing down two Scroungers with ease.

"This is what I was made for. No boring patrols, no paperwork. Just the fight!" He roared. He pulled his hammer from the wreck and looked up. His face brightened. "Aloy?!"

"Erend!" She cried seconds before a Bristleback came across the field and swiped at him.

Nil, Varl and Aloy did their best to make quick work of the leftover machines. When the Bristleback and Scrapper lay sparking in the yellowed grass, Erend carefully jumped down from where he'd scrambled to safety with the other injured Vanguardsman.

"How bad is it?" Varl asked as they drew near to the bent over Oseram.

"Eh. Who needs ribs?" Erend joked, trying to put on a brave face for Aloy. "Alright. I know the three of you didn't come all the way to the Daunt to watch me get wrecked. What's the story?"

Aloy gave a brief explanation. Nil rolled his eyes at the response Erend gave. Looking for a chance to spend more time with Aloy, a chance to prove himself to her. The man could barely stand.

"Erend, we need the Embassy to happen now. We can't wait for you to get better." Nil said, his voice uncompromising.

"A couple days rest at most." Erend waved off the words.

"Even if you weren't hurt, getting you caught up would take time we don't have." Aloy said.

The other Vanguardsman whined from above about his injuries.

"Figures." The Oseram man said bitterly. "I'll get patched up at Barren Light. You're going to need the Sun-Priest to get things underway for the Embassy."

"We already met him." Nil said, allowing the annoyance to drop into his tone.

"We'll take care of the Bristlebacks and send Vuadis to Barren Light. Varl, do you think you could go with them, since they're both injured? We'll catch up with you at the fort." Aloy said, already turning to head back out to the main part of the valley.

Nil went to follow only to stop as the petulant voice came from behind them.

"I guess that's sort of like a goodbye."

"Excuse me?" Aloy asked, whipping back to look at the Oseram.

"Eh. Forget it." Erend said. "It's nothing."

"It's not if you felt the need to say something about it." Nil commented lightly.

"Fine. You took off without so much as a handshake. I fought and bled at your side! Others did too. And you just left. Who does that? Is it a blood drinker thing?" Erend asked, his hurt and anger bleeding through and pushing him across a line. "Too much of a barbarian to remember common decency?"

Nil wrapped an arm around Aloy to keep her from launching herself at the man for the slight to their people. "We are trying to save the world, you ass. It's all a little bigger than your hurt feelings over being left behind." He hissed at Erend.

The Oseram man slumped in shame. "Alright. Guess we'll see you at Barren Light."

Nil and Aloy ran off into the Daunt. They found a squad of Oseram taking on four or five of the machines in the midst of some shelters and rails. Adding their bows to the fray brought the machines down quickly.

The woman was grateful and expressed the same concern they'd heard echoed throughout Chainscrape and the rest of the Daunt, the Bristlebacks didn't belong here. And Ulvund's reticence to really do anything about it was suspicious. He had something to gain from the trouble.

"We should probably look into that, huh?" Aloy asked as they walked away from the quarry.

"The self-important blowhard has some plan up his sleeve. And people like that being in charge tend to cause problems for others." Nil said.

"Alright. We can poke around a bit. They said the machines first appeared in the valley to the West of Chainscrape. There's only cliffs that way, so there must be a cave, or another quarry." Aloy deduced.

They found the entrance to another quarry and more Bristlebacks. Once the machines were down, they were able to explore a little more freely. In a side pocket off the side of the rail, a massive load of blaze sat. Aloy jumped down and found a piece of parchment that explained the excess.

"Ulvund was ordering blasting down here. And it seems like he was doing so unofficially. Do you think it opened up to the other side?" She asked as she climbed back up.

"Seems the most likely explanation. Won't know for sure until we check out the West side of things." Nil said.

Aloy nodded. She held up the shipping manifest. "We can give this to that magistrate as we pass through Chainscrape to get Vuadis underway. That at least will give him cause to look into things."

Chapter Text

Vuadis still whined and tried to delay when they told him the way was clear. Nil thought the Sun-Priest probably would've preferred a full Vanguard escort who he could threaten with complaints to Avad. But he knew he couldn't lodge a word against the Saviors of Meridian, and that's what was probably earning Aloy and Nil so many glares. He stopped most of his complaining when he realized what an honor it was to have the Saviors themselves escorting him between Chainscrape and Barren Light.

The fort was a familiar sight to Nil. Tall and wide, built of deep red bricks and stones, spanning the gap between the cliffs to mark the edge of Carja territory. Though the last time he'd seen it, it had been on fire and there was significantly more scaffolding and Oseram scattered about now. They entered and immediately split off to find Erend and Varl. The former was laid out on a cart on top of a pile of pillows. Varl nodded at them and came to their side.

"He's drunk so much, I think he's about to pass out." The Brave said, sounding a little annoyed, but also a little sympathetic for the Oseram.

"It's a habit of his when he's upset. Hopefully he doesn't go as hard as he did after Ersa went missing." Aloy said.

Varl nodded. "So, the Commander here is a man named Nozar. From everything I've been told, he's pretty strict. Not one to break protocol." He reported. "His second is Lawan, over there." He pointed at a man talking with two guards by the gate. "Very affable and easy to get along with. I know we were waiting on the Sun-Priest on our end, but there also seems to be something holding up the Embassy on the side of the Tenakth."

"Best go see what it is." Nil said. "And as much as I'd love to avoid the nuisance, we should probably go straight to the Commander, even if his second would be easier to talk to."

Nil could feel the nervous energy bubbling inside him and noticed Aloy seemed to be vibrating with it as well. They were so close. Nothing was going to stop them from going through that gate.

Nozar tried. He tried so hard to tell them no. The Tenakth hadn't signaled their readiness due to representatives missing from one of the clans. Nil looked at the two banners. Lowland and Desert. The Sky Clan was missing. So that meant no one could go through the gate officially. Nil laughed internally. Nobody told Aloy no. Not really. With some surprisingly coherent verbal jabs from Erend, the Commander waved them off and they were able to step through, into No Man's Land. Into the Forbidden West. So much closer to home. And just a few hundred meters from the Marshals, representatives of their people.

--

"That is the line between East and West! Cross it and die!" An intimidating warrior with a large headdress yelled as they approached. The High Marshal, Nil guessed.

Nil and Aloy waved Varl to stay back and stepped forward. Nil had spent the nights when they camped during their six month search teaching Aloy about their new tribe. They had practiced some of the call signs frequently. They saluted in unison and gave two swift downward motions with their right hands, the sign to request parley.

"We're not here to fight Marshal, we wish to parley." Nil said evenly.

"How do you know the sign for parley, Carja?" The man hissed at Nil. "Why did you break the terms of our agreement for this Embassy?" This, he directed at Aloy.

"We didn't intend to break your agreements with the Carja, Marshal. And he is not Carja despite the appearance of his armor. We are the blood born children of Ullia. Taken by her through her blood in the East. We are on a grave mission and must go further West. We have come on our own and against the will of the fortress Commander, to request right of passage for our companion, a Nora of the Savage East." Aloy stated boldly. "We bear our mother's tags, given by her hand to my brother, when they were separated from each other. We also wear her armor and paint, left to my hands after she passed from grevious wounds taken in battle. When we are able, we will go to the Grove and request our blood rites from Chief Hekarro."

There were murmurs rising from the group. Nil took off his scarf, revealing Ullia's tag hung at his neck, while Aloy pulled the one she carried out from under the gorget she wore. The warrior leaned forward and inspected the carvings in the metal pieces.

"Those are Ullia's tags. Certainly her paint. No other reason for you to know one of our call signs." He growled his observations and settled a bit. "Forgive me. I have a short temper on the best of days. And today is not one of those. I will have you speak withour aspiring diplomat. Fashav!" He barked over his shoulder.

Nil's equilibrium went sideways. He'd thought Fashav was dead all this time. Half hysterically, he wondered if Avad would have told them he lived if they'd given him more than the two seconds it had taken to say hello. He'd thought he left his first and only friend, until Aloy, to die at Cinnabar Sands. A half painted warrior stepped forward and Nil sucked in a breath. The blue symbol below his left eye was unmistakably a Carja symbol. But even without that, the hazel eyes, the long imperious nose, the top knot, the same stupid swaggering step. Nil grasped Aloy's hand to keep himself from rushing across the boundary line to embrace the other Carja born man.

He saw Fashav's eyes widen when they landed on him after studying Aloy curiously. "Tavahin?"

"It's Nil now actually. The name my mother gave me as we shared time and a cell wall in Sunstone Rock." He answered.

Fashav smiled. "A fearsome red-headed Tenakth and her brother, who seems to sit between two tribes, the so-called Saviors of Meridian. So that's you two?"

"Just Aloy, please." Aloy pleaded.

"I'm not wearing my old Kestrel stuff because I want to. It's not like there are any stitchers who know how, or want to make Tenakth armor in the East." Nil groused. "How are you alive? Last I saw, you were being carried off by a squad and I know the Tenakth are not known for keeping prisoners. Especially Carja."

"You're right. They're not." Fashav smiled ruefully.
"I didn't make it easy for those who captured me. They had to beat me into submission. As they dragged me to their capitol, I kept my ears open. They continually mentioned a trial by combat they revered, called the Kulrut. I thought if I won such a thing, I could request a boon as a prize. Earn my freedom." He shook his head at a memory. "When they tossed me at the feet of the Chief, I thought he would flay me alive. But I demanded to take part in the trial anyway.There were outraged screams, but Hekarro silenced them all with a look. Then he looked at me, and nodded. The trial was not easy and others only tried to make it more difficult for me. But I stood at the end of it victorious. And it was then I learned that the prize for winning was not a boon, but service to the Chief. So I have been honor bound to serve as one of his Marshals ever since."

Nil's eyebrows rose. "That's quite a tale."

"You are the first ones from the East to hear it. And not the last." He puffed out his chest. "They're returning me to the Sundom. A move they're hoping will soothe painful grievances. And as I stand a son of the Illuminated Line as well as a Marshal in service to the Tenakth Chief, I'm in a unique position to advocate for both in an effort for peace."

"So do you still consider yourself Carja?" Nil asked, curious.

"Part of me, yes, always." Fashav answered. "But I can't deny how much the spirit of the Tenakth pulls at me. There's much to admire about my other tribe, our tribe. Especially since Hekarro's reign. I've heard how it was before. Three clans. Always at each other's throats. But he and the Marshals have crafted a delicate peace. I hope through my efforts, that peace will one day extend to the Carja."

Nil could tell he was proud of his mission. He was a good man and would seek the best for both of their people. His unyielding nature would likely carry negotiations faster and farther than they'd gone before, cutting through the nonsense the nobles would present with ease.

"Tell us about the Chief? We haven't exactly gotten a fair description of him." Aloy asked. "I would like to hear about this man we would call kin."

Fashav smiled. "He's no bloodthirsty tyrant, like my uncle was. He's fearsome, certainly, but deep down, he wants the best for his people. I'm sure he will want to meet you two. Now, tell me of your mission, why you would delay your blood rites and why your companion needs right of passage." He asked.

Nil took turns with Aloy, glossing through the easy explanation of restoring the biosphere. Fashav looked thoughtful throughout it. As they finished, he pulled a knife from his back. "He can carry this. Others will recognize it as a Marshal's blade and let him go unmolested in the Clan Lands. You should probably look at getting some different armor, Tav- Nil, if you'd like the same. That paint will only go so far when paired with Carja armor."

Aloy took the blade and smiled, a 'thank you' dancing about her lips when Fashav spoke again. "Such an important mission and it's just the three of you?"

Nil shrugged. Only so much they could do about that.

"The Sky Clan approaches!" The High Marshal yelled.

Nil saw in the distance, another banner being put up and a new Marshal sauntering towards the gathered warriors. "Marshals, it wasn't easy, but I brought the Sky Clan with me." The voice was deep and rough, like rocks tumbling through a canyon.

Aloy squeaked next to him and the tips of her ears went as red as her hair. Nil smirked before he caught a good look at the newcomer. The paint was different, all white with gray spikes like teeth closing about the man's face, but Nil could see the deep grooved scar that ran from the man's upper lip, and slightly into the chin. The one he'd left. This was the warrior that he'd clashed with at Barren Light. The one who'd opened the gates. The one who'd inspired the paint he currently wore on his face. Nil wasn't sure whether he went pale or flushed beneath his paint in confused embarrassment.

"Kotallo," Fashav called. "Come meet the blood born children of Ullia. The Saviors of Meridian we heard about, even so far away as the Grove. Aloy and Nil, this is Kotallo, Hekarro's most trouble making Marshal."

"The children of Ullia?" Kotallo asked, coming to stand next to Fashav. "And he should speak of himself just as much when it comes to making trouble."

"They bear her tags, her armor and her paint." The former Carja general answered, ignoring the jab.

"Hmm. You know, if Regalla comes after you, they could challenge her by right of their adoption." Kotallo murmured, eyes sweeping up and down, assessing both of them.

Aloy stood, her normal proud self but Nil could have sworn he felt the heat coming off her ears as she blushed under the warm brown gaze. Nil himself kept his gaze steady as he saw the flicker of recognition. He gave a sharp nod.

"Regalla? She was close with Ullia wasn't she? Mother talked of her fondly." Nil asked as he remembered the name vaguely from Ullia's lips.

"She, like Ullia did, holds to the ancient conflict with the Carja. It helped nothing that some during the Red Raids burned her brothers in front of her." Kotallo began.

"She made it known to the Chief on more than one occasion that she thought he shouldn't have allowed me to fight in the Kulrut. She wanted, still wants me, dead. An already tenuous situation with her snapped when the news that Hekarro was in discussion with Avad for peace came out to the tribe. She went mad, challenging him for control. The Chief should have killed her. Instead he exiled her." Fashav finished.

"That kind of mercy can be a bitter drink to some." Nil said. "But if she does come for you, she has surrendered her right to a peaceful exile. And our mother trusted Regalla to protect her younger brother. That trust has been betrayed. Her honor is deeply in question."

"Indeed." Kotallo said. "Fashav, I think we've lingered long enough, are there enough representatives from the Sky Clan with me? I could only bring Ram Squad."

"It will have to do, what did Tekotteh say to you borrowing one of his squads?" Fashav asked.

"He's uh- not yet aware we left." Came the answer from Kotallo, whose mouth twisted up just a hair.

Fashav, Nil and Aloy chuckled while the High Marshal rested his forehead in his palm in a long-suffering sort of way. He lifted his other hand and shouted, "Sound the horn!"

Chapter Text

The deep bass blast of the horn echoed through the valley and Aloy tried to cross the boundary line.

"The other Marshals won't permit your companion to pass. He will have his safe passage. After the Embassy is over." Fashav hissed at her. "Perhaps Javveh can even arrange for a Marshal to go with you. So wait, please."

Nil pulled her back to where Varl stood and she handed over the knife, looking put out about waiting again. The retinue from the fort spilled forth and marched in formation to the boundary line. The gathered Tenakth and singular Nora all rolled their eyes at the amount of pomp being presented here. The Carja armor clanked noisily as the group passed and it reminded Nil vaguely of that day in prison when everything had changed for him. He supposed in a way it was fitting as he stood on the precipice of the next step in his journey.

More talking from the Sun-Priest which Nil tried his best to tune out. But everyone went silent after a female voice screamed out over the valley. "FASHAV!"

A woman stepped up to the edge of the cliff side. She wore her long silver hair in tails that hung down her front over her wicked spiked armor. "Hear me Marshals! You who claim to be Tenakth!" She shouted.

"Let me guess, Regalla?" Nil asked over the stunned silence of the gathered Carja.

Fashav and Kotallo nodded, their eyes not leaving the woman on the cliff.

"You forget that our people were born in blood. The blood of the Carja!" She pointed towards Barren Light and the Sundom beyond. "Instead you pledge your spears to a Chief that conspires with the enemy." She made a vague sweeping gesture towards the Carja gathered in the field, ending and pausing on Fashav. "Hekarro has betrayed us! The Embassy is proof! And all you Marshals are his accomplices! For this, I condemn you to death!"

"You'll need more than toothless threats to scare us, exile!" Javveh yelled back at her.

A beat of silence and then a machine walked up beside Regalla, not one Nil recognized from the East. He tried to remember the descriptions his mother had given. Two legs, nasty looking blades for teeth, a Clawstrider. The woman mounted it and Nil growled. Bristlebacks and Chargers carrying more warriors came into view atop the cliff.

"They're riding machines!" Nozar exclaimed.

"Where'd they learn to do that?" Varl asked.

"Sylens." Nil and Aloy snarled at the same time.

That man was going to be so very very dead the next time he actually showed them his face.

"Fashav," Nozar called, "come with us now, or not at all."

Fashav looked at the other Marshals before beginning to run towards the fort. Nil caught him by the elbow. "You can't outrun a Bristleback on foot, Fashav. We all stand a better chance if we stick together here."

Fashav looked back and forth between the machines and the retreating Carja before he let out a heavy sigh. "You're right." He said, and turned to the other Marshals. "Get to cover!" He yelled as he caught the sight of an arrow rain coming down on them from the corner of his vision.

Nil watched the other Marshals scramble, several of them not getting to cover before the arrows hit. One stepped into the line of fire to pull out another who'd been hit and hit the ground himself, two arrows sprouting from his back. Nil whispered to the Ten for guidance and protection. The arrows stopped falling around them and he heard another order come from the exile.

Riders came down from the cliff, going straight for the retreating Carja. Nil was glad he'd held Fashav back as the Commander and the Sun-Priest both fell to brutal strikes.

"We need to stop this. We should challenge her." Aloy said.

"Listen." Nil said as he shook his head. The sounds of yelling, the slight airy rumble of fire where the grass caught, the shouts and screams of the machines and their riders suffused the air.

"She wouldn't hear us." Aloy said after a moment, slumping.

Nil nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. "Looks like it's our turn." He said, as more of the machine riders bore down on them.

The Bristlebacks turned back when there were no more Carja to cut through and from the other side came faster, more agile Chargers. The riders on the field were brutal, cutting through most of the remaining Marshals. The High Marshal, Kotallo and Fashav were the only ones who still stood, taking their opponents on by melee while Nil, Aloy and Varl took care of the riderless machines.

Nil heard Kotallo let out an anguished shout of "No" and he knew they'd lost another ally. Whether it was Fashav or the High Marshal, Nil wasn't sure and he didn't dare check. He heard the heartrending screams of a terrible injury. They needed to end this. The sounds of battle had stilled just enough that his voice might carry up the cliff.

"Regalla!" He shouted, turning the woman's attention to him. He gestured for Aloy to join him. "We are the children of Ullia. Adopted through her blood while she was in the East. You broke your oath to her and your oath to your Chief. You have forfeited your right to peaceful exile with your attack this day. Therefore, we challenge you, as is our right as the children of the Chief's sister."

"Ullia would never have taken a Carja for a son! You lie!" Regalla called back.

"We bear her tags!" Aloy yelled back, snarling at the accusation against her brother. "Honor demands you at least verify our claim."

"My honor will not be sullied by refusing to answer the call of liars and thieves!" Came the reply.

"You impugn the honor of our Chief?" The man to her right yelled at them. "I'll skin you both!" He looked over at Regalla, who gave him a nod. She nodded also to the woman on her left.

Nil watched as they dismounted and then jumped, deploying some sort of shield above their heads that slowed them falling. Heavy steps accompanied the landing and they pulled some wicked looking glowing blades. Aloy pulled her bow and started firing shots off to disable the glowing shields while Nil held their attention with closer melee swipes from his blade. The shields disappeared with a slight pulse that disoriented the other fighters enough that Nil was able to move in close and drive his blade through the man's chest. The woman fighter had recovered slightly by the time Nil turned back to her. But well placed arrows from Aloy had her choking on her own blood.

Behind him, Aloy yelled back up at Regalla. "Your turn! Come down here and face us!"

"No!" Regalla snarled. "You won your challenge and earned your lives today." She turned to look over her forces that still remained. "Comrades! We have broken the Marshals! Slaughtered the Carja! So begins our war on Hekarro!"

Chapter Text

Nil and Aloy turned back to see Fashav directing the squads. Nil breathed a little easier knowing he wouldn't have to mourn his friend all over again so soon after learning he still lived. They joined their people and Varl around a downed Bristleback. A man from the Lowland Clan pulled a body out from under the machine.

"By the Ten, he's still alive!" He exclaimed.

Nil heard Aloy take a sharp breath before he saw the reason for it. Kotallo's left arm was gone, just about a third of the way to the elbow left, and that, just a mangled bloody mess. Nil hissed in his own breath.

"Get him to the camp! Immediately! Get the medic looking at that arm as fast as you can." Fashav directed sharply.

"Yes sir." Several of the soldiers saluted and worked to lift the large man.

Once they got moving, Fashav looked over at Nil. He looked tired, as though he'd gained another ten years in the time since the Embassy had started. Nil had seen the look before. Had never felt it in the detached sort of way he'd faced battle before. But to lose so many so quickly. He could imagine the weight on Fashav right now. He tugged his friend into an embrace.

Quiet moments passed. Aloy whispered to Varl, catching him up on what they'd talked about with the Marshals while he'd held back.

"I guess going back to the Sundom is out of the question for now." Fashav said, stepping out of Nil's grip. "Kotallo and I are the last two Marshals. And who knows if he'll survive his injuries? The Chief needs Marshals to hold the peace. Especially now that we have a civil war on our hands."

"Do you think he'll make it?" Aloy asked, worrying her lip a bit as she nodded towards the soldiers headed back towards their camp.

"He's a stubborn Frostclaw, that one." Fashav drawled fondly. "I have no doubt he'll survive. The question is whether he'll want to. Many will not look kindly on him with that injury."

Aloy made an angry, distressed sound while Nil growled lightly at the back of his throat. The belief that such injuries made one worthless was one of the things that they both disagreed with about their tribe. They had both gone up against plenty of bandits and the like who'd had missing arms and legs that had fought just as fiercely if not more so than the rest.

"Hekarro is working to change minds on that." Fashav said mildly, trying to soothe the rising tempers. "But he'll probably still have Kotallo take the challenge to stop the hollering of those who believe in the tradition," Because now would not be a good time to alienate more of the tribe, Nil thought. "and probably because Kotallo himself will demand it. The Chief won't allow it until Kotallo has healed though."

Aloy relaxed fractionally.

The gate of the fort opened and they watched the second in command, well probably Commander Lawan now, step out and move towards them.

"Bless the radiant Sun!" He cried as he drew near. "Saviors! General Fashav! You're alive! I was worried that I'd have to deliver news of your deaths to the Sun-King."

Fashav nodded somberly. "We lost almost all the Marshals. Just myself and one other remain and he is gravely wounded. I can't return to the Sundom yet."

"This Regalla has no love for the Carja, you in particular. She'll be trying to hunt you down." Lawan commented lightly. "Won't it be better to return to the Sundom?"

Fashav shook his head. "This was a massacre. I won't leave the tribe so vulnerable by depriving the Chief of his traveling voice." He looked thoughtful. "I was relatively out of sight by the time Nil and Aloy issued their challenge. I'm hoping Regalla thinks I'm either dead or that I'm following my orders and returning to the Sundom. I'll go with the soldiers to Plainsong, have the healers there look at Kotallo and see if I can obtain a disguise. We still have some Veterans out there. With the right paint, I might be able to pass as an emissary to those who don't look too closely. Until we can get back into the clan lands proper."

"Not ideal, but if you're set on returning to the Tenakth for now, you're probably right." Nil said.

"We'll clean up the mess here, let you get on your way." Lawan offered.

"I need to collect the tags of the fallen to return to the Grove." Fashav said. "And so you know, the Tenakth burn our dead on a pyre, that their spirits might fly with the Ten."

"I will make sure the Marshals are accorded all the proper rites, General. Is there anything else?" Lawan asked.

"The rebels came from the North. If they felt ok to attack in No Man's Land, they probably have a camp out that way. When you can spare soldiers, you'd be doing us a favor by wiping them out." Fashav offered.

"There's also a matter we were looking into for Javad at Chainscrape. The rebels may have been penning machines and some blasting on the Eastern side could have created an opening, allowing the Bristlebacks into the Daunt. That would be another reason to look into that." Nil added.

Lawan looked thoughtful. "I know the request comes from a Marshal, but I'm still not sure I want to send Carja soldiers out right now. Don't want it to seem like we're taking advantage of a weakness to invade. I'll send the information along to Petra and see if she has some people she'd be willing to send out. I know better than to ask Ulvund."

"Well the good news is dealing with this will probably help you with that problem too." Nil said, smiling.

"Good to know. General. Saviors. You'll always be welcome at Barren Light, should you ever head East again. And I will send a messenger to Meridian with news of what happened here today. As well as the reason for your delayed return." And with that, the newly minted Commander headed back to start handing out orders.

Aloy and Nil helped Fashav gather the tags of the fallen Marshals and other loyal Tenakth. The rebels they left. They wouldn't receive the honor of having their tags returned to the Grove. Varl just stood against the stone archway, waiting. They did each grab a Shieldwing from Regalla's champions and some armor pieces for Nil to try as they went about the field. When they finished, Aloy handed Fashav a Focus.

"This way we can let you know when to expect us at the Grove. Or you can let us know if you run into trouble on your way." Aloy explained. "Just tap it and call either of our names."

"My thanks." Fashav said simply, placing the triangular device at his temple.

"It has other uses, but there isn't time to show you now. We should probably leave before the rebels decide to check if anyone lingers." Nil said. "Walk with the Ten, my friend."

"May the Ten guide you." Fashav responded, inciting a warm half smile from Aloy.

Chapter Text

"The coordinates Sylens gave me sit right under the damn Horus." Aloy said, looking ready to spit as they sat at a shelter not far away from the lake the giant machine shadowed.

Nil pulled up the coordinates she'd shared with him. "They sure do. Which means he probably put HADES into it huh?"

"By the Ten, I hate that man." Aloy groaned. "He acts so smart but why would he do something like that?"

Nil made a suggestion to Varl as they considered their next steps. "Could you go to one of the nearby Utaru villages? See if you can get some trading done. We could use some extra rations."

Varl looked relieved to have some other task than going closer to the giant dead machine. He still considered it a Metal Devil. And Nil supposed in a way he wasn't wrong, but not quite in the way he had grown up being taught. Nil gave vague directions from what he remembered of the area around Cinnabar Sands and the Nora departed.

"Race you!" Aloy declared and sprinted off almost as soon as the Charger had gone around a bend.

"Oh no you don't!" Nil cried, following after her.

They came up dripping and laughing, for a moment forgetting the nuisance of dealing with Sylens. The sight of the workshop and the scaffolding below the titanic machine reminded them very quickly and their laughing and pleasant moods petered out. A console blinked green in the massive shaded area. Aloy pressed her palm against it and together they watched the message Sylens left. The message was full of condescension on Sylens part and threats on HADES'. Nil wanted both of them to shut up.

Aloy rolled her eyes violently enough to strain something. "Great, now we get to follow after him like a couple of fools. He couldn't leave the damn AI that wants to kill the world alone, could he?"

"Apparently not." Nil replied drily. "We might as well get this over with."

They followed the deep grooved track that had been left by the processing orb being dragged along. The path led to a ruin. A broken down machine lay in the entryway and further in was the orb that held what was left of HADES. Aloy pressed the Master Override module against the massive broken sphere.

"Elisabet Sobeck, Alpha Prime, purging extinction protocol." She said.

Nil scanned the machine core. "It says 'Inactive'", he reported. "And since we know Sylens didn't mess with that spear, I think it's safe to say we're finally in the clear."

"Indeed." Came the deep drawl of their least favorite Banuk. "Trust me."

"Trust you?" Nil said, incredulous. "That's a laugh. Think the AI bent on killing the world could stay dead this time, you sociopath?"

"Yes. Well I did manage to get HADES to give up its precious knowledge. So you can trust that I would allow you to actually destroy it this time." Sylens said, self righteousness leaking into every word.

"Back to holograms instead of face to face? What, afraid we'll stab you or something?" Aloy asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone. Nil smiled as he realized Sylens probably was afraid. The rebels had attacked them, and since he had to be behind the override tech that allowed them to do so, that definitely counted in the 'Putting Aloy in Danger' column in Nil's books. Sylens started to answer but she interrupted him after swiping through some files on her Focus. "And still using the same spyware I see. So all those times we called, you could've just answered?"

"I've had work to do. Countless hours of research. Demanding and time intensive as it has been critical to the fate of this planet." He said.

"Right, cause you're just trying to save the world too." Nil sneered.

"That's right. Only, I've produced results, where you haven't." Sylens replied with a smug look.

"Did you find a backup of GAIA or not, Sylens?" Aloy asked, impatient.

"I believe I have." He gestured to the door behind him. "Voila. Why do you think I summoned you here? Behind that gene locked hatch lie the ruins of the ancient facility where they perfected HADES. Hundreds of trials, each of them using a GAIA backup."

Nil had to admit, it was impressive, if it turned out to be true.

"All the other facilities we've searched had a backup, but they were wiped when Ted Faro purged APOLLO. How do you know this place wasn't affected?" Aloy asked.

"According to HADES, this place couldn't be accessed by remote signal." He replied. "So the backups should be in there. Or at least they were a thousand years ago."

"I guess we'll go in and look for them then." She nodded to Nil. "If this is one of your tricks…"

"It's a gene locked hatch, Aloy. That door only opens for you. How could I have possibly set a trap inside?" He interrupted.

Aloy pushed through her statement, ignoring the interruption. "Trick me again, Sylens, and our next meeting will be face to face. Only you won't have much to say on account of my spear being in your throat."

Nil smiled. That was a lovely thing to picture.

"Thanks to me, you have everything you've been trying to achieve within your grasp. Now I know you didn't learn much about manners growing up an outcast, and have learned precious few since, despite having a regular companion. Maybe because of it. But this is where you say, 'thank you' and I say, 'you're welcome'." He finished and his hologram blipped away.

Nil growled under his breath, the sound echoed by Aloy. She stepped up to the door anyway and the gene scanner identified her. The door began to slide open only to halt and repeat an error message. Bright red crystals were stuck all around the inner mechanism.

Sylens gave them the instructions to make an igniter that would cause the apparently combustible crystals to blow. Nil offered to do the machine hunting, still needing the practice if he wanted to match Aloy's skills. These machines, the Leaplashers, were fast, and relentless. Every time he rolled away from one attack, another seemed to be upon him. He was still taking the last one down when Aloy emerged from the lake. He had managed to get a couple of the parts they needed shot off safely and gathered them from the sand after the machine was taken care of.

"Why can't these things ever be easy?" Aloy whined as they trudged back to the workbench outside the ruin.

"Just not our lot in life, I guess." Nil commented. "Though you've certainly earned an easy life more than I have."

Aloy gave him a strange look before turning her attention to assembling the igniter. Her nimble fingers attached everything quickly and they returned to the door. Aloy made a fierce stab into the crystal growth and sparks danced across the surface of them.

"I would step back if I were you." Sylens commented in a bored tone.

They did and the Firegleam combusted, jarring the stuck doors apart. A cavernous space, full of broken down walkways and other structures, too degraded by time to identity stood before them, completely flooded. Across the way, another gene locked hatch.

"Let me guess. The GAIA backups are over there." Aloy commented, sounding tired.

Chapter Text

Crossing the ruins was fairly easy in comparison to some of the places they'd climbed and jumped through in the past six months. They uncovered some interesting data points as they went. Elisabet and Travis creating the fake GAIA logic bomb, Travis' handling of Hanks Shaw's deception, and the argument between Elisabet and the mysterious woman, Tilda. All of them painted Far Zenith in a bad light. Corrupt, conniving, destructive in pursuit of their goals. Nil thought Sylens would have fit right in with them.

They both let out a deep sigh of relief when the door opened without issue. Inside was a massive machine suspended over a platform. Aloy activated the console.

"Greetings Dr. Sobeck, do you wish to activate the RECLUSE Spider?" Came a mechanical voice.

"I do." She answered.

"Activating." The voice responded.

Sharp creaking sounds mixed with various clicks and whirs from the machine as its limbs spread outwards. A heavy clunk came before the movement stopped altogether.

"It appears to be unstable. And heavy. Do be careful." Sylens suggested in their ears.

Neither of them deigned to give that a response, Aloy moving straight onto the task at hand. "It looks like this was a testing apparatus, for GAIA and HADES. I better look at the access panel there."

She pressed her hand against it and circular repository pods began to lower. One stuck itself into a groove on the platform, the other was stuck in the air as the arm appeared to be malfunctioning. Nil slotted an arrow into Teeth and fired at the joint. That seemed to jerk the arm just enough to reset the motors and forced it to drop the other repository into place.

Aloy activated the pod, scrolling through until she found what appeared to be a glass container filled with a golden light. "We've got one. Two in fact." She crowed. Then she frowned and looked closer. Nil stepped up next to her and examined the readout. "Memory low? Ninety percent memory free?"

"That doesn't make sense." Nil said.

"GAIA was a vast super intelligence. That can't be right." Sylens said at the same time.

Aloy took the glowing pod and plugged it into the console. Nil cursed when he saw the results. It was a GAIA backup. But it didn't have any subordinate functions. And without subfunctions, GAIA would have nothing to build a heuristic matrix upon.

"You've done all you could." Sylens said, his hologram appearing. "Maybe saving the world is too big a task for any one person."

Aloy looked like she wasn't listening and Nil's mouth lifted. She had an idea. There was still hope.

"The kernel is useless without subfunctions, but there are subfunctions." She waved a hand, bringing up a long list of files. "Out there."

"The original ones." Sylens said, considering. "The ones that scattered when GAIA destroyed herself? They could be anywhere. You'll never find them in time and they're all mutated from their original programming, like HADES was."

"I have a plan." Aloy said tersely.

The scan came back empty at first and Aloy's head dropped before a ping got her attention.

"You found MINERVA. But it won't connect."

"But it's close. The mountains West of Plainsong. Close enough for us to go get and enough for us to get started rebuilding GAIA's matrix." Aloy spoke quickly, her excitement palpable as she pulled the kernel free from the console. "Still think we can't save the wo--"

An alarm sounded in the facility.

"Ah yes. About that." Sylens droned underneath the mechanical voice warning of intruders. "Aloy, I need you to listen closely. These intruders want the same thing you do, GAIA restored. That's why they're here."

Aloy looked livid and Nil wasn't sure what expression he had on his face. He knew he felt incandescent rage. He had warned Sylens. The man knew the consequences of his actions. He might have been excused for the damn machine riding rebels as he couldn't have known they'd directly be attacked, But this…

"Friends of yours?" Aloy asked.

"No. They don't know me. I merely sent out a pulse indicating that a GAIA backup might be found here." Sylens admitted. "They're very powerful, but they won't harm you. Not when they see that they'll need you. A clone of Elisabet Sobeck. The key to rebooting the system."

"And what about Nil? They'll kill him!" Aloy snarled.

"The truly exceptional walk a path of solitude Aloy. Elisabet knew this. I know it. It's time you learned it for yourself." Sylens said dismissively. "Submit to the inevitable, and open the hatch."

Nil knew his existence didn't mean much in comparison to Aloy's but to be treated as if his life was inconsequential so offhandedly sent chills down his spine. But he blustered past those feelings and moved towards the hologram. Whether Sylens thought these strangers would hurt her physically was inconsequential. Aloy's life would be intrinsically tied to her usefulness. Which meant she'd be in danger.

"I warned you, Sylens. So long ago, I warned you what would happen if she came to danger by your hands. You're on borrowed time now. First we rebuild GAIA, save life on Earth, then we hunt you down and end yours!" He bellowed, stepping close to the hologram as if he could actually strangle the man.

Aloy plucked the Focus from his temple and handed him a new one as she replaced her own, crushing both of the old devices underfoot. "New Focuses. Spyware free." They scanned the room for exits. "Nothing's getting through that door except me. But obviously not a viable escape option."

"There's water down there," Nil pointed below the platform. "And it looks to have a current."

"That'll have to do." Aloy responded, tucking the GAIA Kernel into a pouch on her belt.

"Should we grab the other one?" Nil asked.

"No. If it's missing, they're more likely to search the whole facility. We're better off just disappearing." She answered before executing a perfect dive off the side into the water below.

Nil followed. The water was hard on his skin as he hit and it took him a moment to reorient himself enough to get back to the surface and take a gasping breath. As soon as he did, Aloy was there, covering his mouth, making a shushing gesture and dragging him into the shadows.

"You are cleared to proceed." The mechanical voice of the facility spoke.

Above them, bright white light streamed into the room and they caught glimpses of strange machines, the likes of which they'd never seen before.

"Looks promising. Beta?" A male voice asked.

Quiet footsteps along the metal platform above. Beeps and mechanical movement of the repository being activated.

"Do we have it?" The voice came again. A pause.

"Did the pulse originate here?" A female voice that sounded strangely familiar. Nil felt Aloy stiffen.

More quiet. The steps moved back towards the door. They stopped for a second.

"Is something wrong?" The man's voice again.

The steps continued out the hatch and it closed with the typical loud thump of the panels coming together followed by the clicks of the lock engaging.

"How?" The question tripped off Nil's tongue. Aloy should have been the only one to be able to open that door.

"It gave greetings to Dr. Sobeck. They have their own clone." Aloy hissed. "Sylens, for all his planning, didn't see that as a possibility?" She shook her head. "He always tends to forget the human element in his plans. Doesn't matter now. We need to get out of here. And I'm not seeing anything to climb back up. We're going to need to swim some more."

"Not as if our paint survived our first few dips today. This won't make any difference." Nil shrugged.

He followed Aloy through the twists and turns underwater, only truly struggling for breath through one particularly long waterlogged hallway. They came out in a control room of sorts that led to a suspended walkway running between tall tiered metal cylinders. Below the walkway was flooded as well. "The power station you think?" Nil asked as they exited the control room.

"Probably." Aloy shrugged back at him. "Oh. There's Firegleam here."

The mass of bright red crystal gleamed at them along a wall that already held signs of age and breakage. Nil stepped back as Aloy stabbed at the heart of it, releasing the sparks needed to force the crystals to blow. Once they blinked the dust out of their eyes, Nil and Aloy saw the small gap that had been left. Just large enough for them to squeeze through. Distant light blinked through it and they smiled at each other in victory.

But the explosion had preyed upon more than just the place where the crystals had been. Cracks raced upwards, causing the wall to shift, forcing the broken cylindrical power coupling to drop onto the walkway which created a larger opening that water raced out of. Nil pushed Aloy back towards the control room only to curse as a different power coupling came down on the walkway, just in front of her. The rusted out metal didn't hold up and it crumbled underneath them, dropping them into the water. Nil managed to secure an arm around Aloy, but the water rushed too fast for him to maintain a grip on one of the metal supports and they were washed out of the room. He brought his other arm around her and held her tight, determined to keep her protected from the bits of metal and stone that rushed past them.

He felt the horrible stomach lurch of a drop as they tumbled down a waterfall. He was pushed into a large rock and another piece of metal came at his head. The blow was hard enough to make his vision go dark and his arms loosened. When he next blinked his eyes open, he coughed lungfuls of water out onto a rocky surface. His head still swam and he collapsed again, murmuring Aloy's name.

Chapter Text

Nil rose in and out of consciousness, catching brief snippets of conversation, of people calling his name, of shouted orders from a stern female voice, glimpses of familiar Nora armor, of red hair or was it long grass, he wasn't sure. When he fully came to, his body ached and he couldn't say for sure where he was. Dark save for a small glowing lantern and the sliver of light from his Focus, which was blinking. A woven dome crossed overhead. An Utaru village? He only remembered the burned out husks of their buildings from the Red Raids. But the plant laden space seemed to match what he knew of the peaceful tribe. Quiet sounds of singing from across the way, a strange mechanical sound, somewhere between a hum and a whine but otherwise just the gentle chirping and blowing wind of the wilderness at night.

He pushed himself up with no small effort as his back twanged painfully and his head throbbed. He squinted at the dark round space. He was alone. Where was Aloy? How did he get here?

He opened his Focus to scan and a message popped up in his vision.

Nil
I've gone on ahead to the mountains West of Plainsong. I need to keep moving. The world needs GAIA rebuilt.

Go on ahead to the clan lands. I will catch up with you eventually.

Nil's heart raced desperately fast as he read the message over and over.

He'd promised that he wouldn't leave her alone, promised that they'd enter the clan lands together. He thought they'd worked through her tendency to seek isolation. Then again, he didn't see any sign of Varl, so maybe she wasn't alone. What was he supposed to do now?

He raised his hand to his Focus to call her several times and let it drop each one as the thoughts rumbled through his head like a herd of Tramplers.

Aloy had left him behind. Had he failed that badly in protecting her? Or was it that he clung to her too tightly? Did she finally decide he actually was the monstrous Carja that he'd been raised to be? If she didn't want him, how could he expect the rest of the Tenakth to?

Liars and thieves. That's what Regalla had called them. Isn't that what most Tenakth would think? That he'd stolen Ullia's tags? Ullia had been the one to see him. To know him truly, and after her, Aloy. Would anyone believe him without either of their words to back him up? Did he even deserve that?

Every thought spiraling through his head ended in one conclusion.

Aloy didn't want him with her anymore. He couldn't go to the clan lands without her. He had promised they would go together.

He pushed himself to his feet and grabbed what things of his he could find in the darkened space, swallowing down how his whole body ached and how every step and breath made his back protest violently. He stumbled out of the little hut he'd been in and made his way out of the village.

Hissing whispers crossed the small open space in the middle of the village, but he ignored them. He was leaving. If the Utaru here wanted to complain about a Carja looking man being in their lands, they could follow after him to do so.

He barely was able to draw the breath necessary to summon his Charger, he couldn't ride it. But at least it could carry his pack and support him while he walked. He wished he had a map. Knowledge of a cave or a shelter where he could convalesce would be helpful. Then he could disappear into the wilds. Become the nothing he had originally planned to be after Sunstone before he met Ullia.

The Charger moved forward at as light of a canter as it could, but the jerk of the movement was too much and he had to pause every few steps to breathe through the pain. Which way to go? Head North towards Plainsong? No if Aloy didn't want him with her, he wouldn't go where she was going to be. Maybe back towards Barren Light? See if Lawan had gotten around to taking care of those rebels?

He was still deciding when he heard the crunch of gravel underneath a slightly uneven and labored step.

"Nil?" Two familiar voices spoke at the same time.

He looked up. Varl stood on the path, looking tired and thoroughly put out carrying a very annoyed looking Aloy.

"All-Mother's tits! You should be resting!" Varl hissed, walking closer. "I'm going to have more gray hairs than the Matriarchs between the two of you I swear. Both of you, getting up and moving before you're ready." He shook his head.

"You're injured?" Nil directed at Aloy instead of answering Varl.

"I got swiped in the ribs by a rock in the river when I dove back in to find you and my leg got stuck in some kelp, twisted my ankle." She replied bitterly.

So he had not only failed to protect her, she had gotten hurt trying to get to him when he had fallen. Pathetic.

"She should be resting, allowing her body to heal. You should be too. Zo said you had a nasty head wound and some bad bruising in your back and ribs Nil." Varl rebuked. "Come on, let's get you back to Stone's Echo."

"I need to get to those mountains, Varl." Aloy protested. "I will crawl if-"

"If you have to. I know Aloy. But you've said that all of this depends on you. If you get yourself killed because you were too wounded to protect yourself, everything dies." Varl said, continuing back towards the village. Nil started to continue down the road. "Where do you think you're going?" The Brave called after him.

"I don't know." Nil answered honestly, studying the gravel at his feet.

"Come back to the village." Varl entreated.

"I can't. She doesn't want me with her." Nil replied in a hollow voice.

Silence. Nil dared a glance at them. They seemed to be having a silent conversation that looked to be conveyed entirely through half guilty looks from Aloy and questioning, vexed glares from Varl.

Varl let out a long, weary sigh. "You almost died, Nil." He spoke. "I found her right away because she got washed back to the riverbank. But you were underwater for longer and you washed up somewhere else. By the time you were brought back, you were so hurt and hypothermic. Zo told me you almost didn't make it through that night." His voice was hard as he recounted Nil's injuries and some of his missing time.

"So? What does it matter if I get hurt? If I die? She's the important one. Not me. I don't matter." Nil whined.

Varl brought Aloy closer to where Nil still leaned against the Charger. Teary eyes met his. "If we weren't so injured, I'd hit you for that. You matter. Your life matters. In general, but especially to me. I know if I die the whole world comes very soon after, but if you died... If you died for me or on this mission... You said once that you wouldn't survive the loss of this family. It's the same for me. I just want you to be safe." Her voice was fierce despite the warble given to it by her crying. "I've never seen you hurt like this before."

Nil's voice was rough when he responded. "I promised I wouldn't enter the clan lands without you. And how could I anyway? They're likely to think I killed Ullia and stole her tags instead of having them because they were given to me."

"Fashav will be there, he'd vouch for you. And the High Marshal seemed to accept our words. Don't make decisions based on the words of a madwoman. Regalla's so blinded by her hatred, she didn't even bother to check if we were telling the truth. I thought you'd be safe in the clan lands. With our people. Taking your place instead of running after me. That's why I told you to go. I didn't think you'd take it as a dismissal." Aloy groaned. She reached out a hand for him. "I want you with me Nil. But how can I go on knowing you might be hurt or killed on the way?"

Nil grasped the offered hand. "I don't have an answer for that. Obviously. But I promised you. You promised me. We wouldn't leave each other alone again. I was leaving because I thought it's what you wanted. But if it's truly not, please, don't leave me behind." He begged.

Aloy sagged in Varl's grip. "Ok. Ok. I'm sorry." She whispered. "You're right, Varl. We should rest."

"Thank All-Mother. That was so much easier than I thought it would be. Alright, Saviors, let's get you back to the village then." The Brave muttered the half tease. "You're worse off than she is. She could probably use the Charger for support. You could lean on me then. Less jarring for you."

Nil took the switch gratefully and the three together made their way slowly back to the village. As they entered through the passageway that led into the village, a woman came up to them. In the light of the little lanterns that lined the space, Nil could tell her earthy toned face bore white petals below her eyes and on her chin, a spearpoint shape ran up her forehead. She rose her eyebrows at Varl.

"They should be resting." She said.

"Aloy doesn't really do should." Varl reported. "But they've seen sense and will take some time now.

"That machine. It's docile. Despite the people so close to it." Aloy commented, her attention straying from the conversation. Her gaze spanned across the open courtyard to the machine that Nil had somehow missed in his pain and distress.

"Her name is Re. She's one of our Land Gods. But she's dying. I am a Gravesinger, sent to soothe her." The woman said. She turned to Nil. "Forgive me. You were still asleep when I was tending you. My name is Zo."

"I'm sure they've already told you, but I'm Nil. Thank you for your care." Nil nodded.

"Care that you've possibly disrupted by stumbling off. Come along," She sidled up to the side Varl wasn't on and supported him from there. "Let's get you back to the hut so we can make sure you didn't make anything worse."

Together they got him comfortable again and Zo began inspecting his wounds, poking and prodding him, seeing where his face tightened or he outright hissed. Varl disappeared back outside.

"You seem to be in about as good of a condition as I last saw you. Now that you're awake though, we should be able to get some more medicine in you, help the healing process along." She commented.

The quiet whine hum sound that had permeated the atmosphere continually since Nil had woken suddenly stopped and exclamations abounded through the village. Nil smiled. He should have known the second Aloy commented on the machine, she was going to look at it. Deep rumbling steps that shook the earth passed by the hut and Zo rushed to the arched doorway to peek out.

"It's Re! She's up and walking. She's been soothed!" She whispered, amazed.

Varl walked in the door with Aloy leaned very heavily on him. Once Aloy was settled, Zo looked her over as well, asking questions about what had happened with Re.

"You have done what I could not." Zo spoke, her voice soft and melodic. "Varl has told me a little of your mission, how you need to get into the cave in the mountains. It's theirs, the Land-Gods'. But, seeing how you've soothed Re, I could talk to the Chorus, the leaders of our tribe. See if they might allow you entry. It might give peace to the tribe to learn about the fate of Fa as well, who entered weeks ago and has not emerged."

"Thank you." Aloy said.

Zo smiled and laid a hand on her forearm. "Gathering the Chorus will take time. You can take the time to stay and heal. Both of you. Then you can meet me. Your companion might be helpful if he were to come with me and add his voice to mine though."

Nil saw the shy way the Brave watched the Gravesinger and the coy looks she returned. "By all means. Take him with. Get us troublemakers out of his hair for a bit." He teased.

"If either of you show up in Plainsong before you're fully healed, I am going to force sleep medicine down your throats for a week, until you are." Zo threatened before she left the hut, Varl following after.

"I really am sorry, Nil." Aloy said. Her brow was pinched and her eyes full of sorrow when she looked at him.

"It's ok. You're here. You're back. We'll figure this out." He paused. "It's good we're taking the time to heal. I'm not going to be able to pull Voice of Our Teeth like this." He groaned in pain when he tried to stretch.

"Yeah." She said, the frustrated edge back in her voice. "I hate sitting idle, no matter how necessary it is. And the sense of urgency just increased with knowing the Zeniths are trying to get the subordinate functions too."

"Zeniths?" Nil tilted his head.

"The strangers from the Proving Lab? They're Far Zenith. The woman that spoke, she was the same as the woman from the recording with Elisabet we found." Aloy said. She played the recording they'd listened to as well as the recording from her Focus from when they'd been treading water below. Sure enough. That was the same voice. "Guess the news of their ship blowing up was a lie. Don't know why though."

Ah. That was why the woman had sounded familiar. "Nothing we found made them sound like the kind of people to share anything willingly. Especially information." But wait. "If that was the same woman that spoke with Elisabet, then-"

"They're immortal somehow." Aloy finished the thought for him

"Shit."

Aloy nodded, a grim set to her expression.

"We're definitely in no shape to be handling that." He said. "So we'll rest, and hope by the Ten that their efforts go slowly."

Aloy nodded and scooted closer slowly, trying not to jolt her injuries. She pulled at his hand and held it tight. It grounded him after how unsettled he'd been since he woke and he drifted off to a gentle sleep instead of just unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Two and a half weeks. If they'd had to wait any longer, Nil was fairly certain Aloy would've actually vibrated out of her skin. Since Varl had left with Zo to convince the Chorus, nobody really bothered them. They were surprised by a visit from Talanah as she stopped in the village with her new Thrush. She was looking for a way over the mountains and Aloy promised she'd send word if they found something. Fashav called and informed them he had arrived at the Grove and that Kotallo was being tended by the medics. His recovery would not be an easy one, they could all tell.

When they set out from Stone's Echo, Nil had finally cobbled together an armor set that was a close but imperfect fit and matched somewhat from what they'd pulled from the dead rebels. Finally, he could look Tenakth beyond just the fact of paint on his face.

They kept a somewhat sedate pace between Plainsong and Stone's Echo, neither particularly wanting to test if Zo would make good on her threat. Aloy also activated the Tallneck at Cinnabar Sands, giving them a better understanding of their surroundings.

Varl and Zo seemed very happy to see them when they entered Plainsong. Nil was amazed at the immense village suspended above on the massive dishes. He hadn't ever made it far enough West to see the main settlement of the Utaru and was surprised at the impressive display of architecture made almost entirely from woven plant material.

Zo talked them through some of the politics and Nil was glad for it. At least from her description this Chorus seemed better than the corrupt Court of Light he'd been subjected to as a child, even if they had their disagreements. However, when they were presented, Nil began to wonder how much greed and self aggrandizing counted when just as much harm could come from trying to maintain a status quo. He and Aloy both grew agitated when they were accused of trying to drag the Utaru into the violent, warring ways of the Tenakth.

He was almost glad when the sound of the horn rose up, announcing the fall of the cordon and decided he officially liked Zo when she declared the time for asking permission to be over. The four of them made a mad dash up the trail the Land-Gods took to the cave, fighting their way through many machines along the way. Purple and black machines created by HEPHAESTUS.

The machine making subfunction was definitely in the cauldron repair facility, several machines attacking as they climbed and jumped across the vents and other moving pieces of the machine creation cavern. Not to mention the sickly purple cables that stretched across almost every available surface and the cruel rolling thunder voice that gave orders intermittently over their heads.

Aloy opened the door to the core chamber and Zo rushed in.

"Is that Fa? What has HEPHAESTUS done to her?" She demanded.

Nil scanned the machine encased in the shielding dome. It had been a Plowhorn, one of the Land-God machines, but HEPHAESTUS had put some nasty upgrades on it. The designation readout on it now said 'Grimhorn'. "Turned it into a weapon." He answered.

Zo looked at him with wide eyes.

"And sooner or later, it will be unleashed." Aloy said.

"Plainsong." Zo whispered shakily. "If my people see one of the Land-Gods like that, if it attacks them…" She didn't finish the thought.

"You know what needs to be done." Aloy said firmly.

Zo's eyes shone with fearful tears and she looked again over the open space and the mechanical arms skittering over the machine's body. Nil looked over at Varl. He could tell the Brave was attached to the Gravesinger and was hesitant to attack and cause her pain. But they all met eyes and nodded anyway before rappelling to the floor below.

The damned Grimhorn shot fire. Probably the lowest thing HEPHAESTUS could've done to the machine the Utaru revered. He remembered how many burnt out husks of huts and scorched earthen fields he had come across during the raids. And from their own Land-God? The whole tribe would be devastated for years to come, if they recovered at all. They had no defense from such an onslaught.

They were lucky to still have a mass of acid arrows from dealing with Bristlebacks. That helped significantly, though the fight was not easy when HEPHAESTUS also threw a Longleg and a Scrapper into the mix, taking their focus away from the larger machine. Each of them bore some light burns and singeing by the time all of the machines lay sparking on the floor. Zo ran to the burned out corpse of the Grimhorn.

"Mourning the machine that tried to kill us?" Aloy asked.

"It was still her god, sister. Allow her her grief." Nil chided gently.

"I no longer know what to believe." Zo said breathlessly, turning to them. "Can you really save our lands, my people?"

"One step at a time. It starts here." Aloy answered as she turned to the revealed core and pressed her override module against it.

Nil hovered close by. He remembered the last time Aloy had tried to purge a fully active rogue subfunction. Sure enough, purple shocks shot up the length of her spear, causing Aloy to convulse and struggle to hold the module in place. Nil added his own hands and weight to the effort and for a moment, it seemed to be working, the shocks and the vibration becoming less aggressive before a final pulse pushed them both off and away from the core. That would be a fight for another day, as HEPHAESTUS fled, taking its purple rot with it. Zo was impressed though as the root-like cables receded and crumbled away from the surfaces around them.

"HEPHAESTUS upgraded the security on the Cauldron network." Aloy commented idly as she tapped into the core again. "Some of these overrides are going to need work. They're corrupted." She shared the files with Nil before heading towards a set of doors. "Let's press on."

"Greetings graduates of Cradle 9, Welcome to the Regional -" A mechanical voice said before dissolving into static for a second.

When the voice spoke again it was deeper and held a different tone than the simple welcome message had begun to convey. "Error. Unauthorized access detected."

"Uhhh. That doesn't sound good." Varl commented in a nervous voice behind them.

"Is that the spirit you mentioned, MINERVA?" Zo asked as they went up the stairs.

"Not sure." Aloy answered slowly.

Another message came through overhead in that deeper, more sinister sounding tone when Aloy opened the door at the top. "Attention: All personnel must vacate the facility. Immediately."

"I've never seen anything like this place. It's almost like a lab. But attached to a Cauldron? Whatever the case, something doesn't want us here." Aloy said and the lights blinkered out.

"Facility lockdown initiated. STAY OUT."

"Good to know the emergency lights work." Nil commented as the room lit up in an angry red, trying to lighten the mood. It worked a bit as he caught the edge of a smile twitching Aloy's lips.

She pried her way into an elevator shaft. "MINERVA is definitely here, but it's trying to keep us out. I'll scout ahead, see if I can find us a way in."

"I'm coming with." Nil said.

Aloy shook her head. "MINERVA might be dangerous. Putting more variables in the situation might not be a good idea. I'm sure I can get it to allow me to reset its code." Aloy argued gently. She knew it unsettled him when she ran around potentially dangerous places on her own.

Nil huffed an unhappy sigh but relented. "Fine. But keep me on a Focus call?"

Aloy smiled her thanks and initiated the call before disappearing up the shaft. Nil tapped his fingers impatiently on a countertop as she talked him through the facility.

"ALERT. SYSTEM CORE PENETRATED." The mechanical voice came through his Focus and Nil straightened up, fingers gripping tightly to the edge of the countertop.

"No!" Aloy cried out a moment later followed by several noises of frustration. Nil was readying to jump to the first handhold in the elevator shaft when her voice came through again. "MINERVA, I need the console. Please."

"ACCESS DENIED." The subfunction responded. Nil thought that was a little childish.

"Things didn't used to be this way. Do you remember? Do you remember being part of something bigger?" Aloy asked. "Being part of GAIA?" Quiet. "She can live again. But she needs the chance. I can't reboot her without you."

"WILL I…CEASE?" The AI asked.

"I think you'll become a part of her again. Like you were meant to be." Aloy answered.

"MISERY…WILL CEASE?"

"Yes." Aloy breathed, hope tingeing her tone. Some mechanical sounds. "Thank you. Thank you, MINERVA. Elisabet Sobeck, Alpha Prime."

"Master Override activated. Restoring MINERVA function to original code." A new synthetic sounding voice. "Do you wish to initiate heuristic matrix?"

"Here goes." Aloy said and Nil wished he could be there beside her to see all their work come to fruition. A whisper in the tone of awe and relief, "GAIA."

"Greetings, Dr. Sobeck." A warm female voice that Nil remembered from All-Mother mountain and Aloy's recordings from the Zero Dawn bunker.

"Uh." Aloy hedged.

"Scanning data." A beat. "Apologies. It is Aloy then, not Elisabet. We have much to discuss. I am still initializing my heuristic matrix. I would suggest you and your companions familiarize yourselves with this facility. It is our best option for a base of operations." The lock on the door turned blue and Nil sprinted to open it, taking the steps up two or three at a time. "I have opened the doors and your companions can meet you here shortly. Though one of them will certainly be here more quickly than the others."

Was that humor in that tone Nil heard? Was he being teased by the super intelligence? He shook his head as he burst through the last door and flew up the short flight of steps, skidding to a stop beside Aloy as his eyes landed on the glowing golden figure of light before him.

"GAIA?" He asked, voice a little shaky.

She tilted her head in a serene nod. "And from what I have gathered from Aloy's Focus, you are Nil, her adopted brother."

Nil just nodded, a little overwhelmed. Aloy found his fingers and gave them a light squeeze.

"Your other companions are almost here, shall I grant them access as well?" GAIA asked.

"Yes. But try not to overwhelm them? They're still fairly new to the idea of things like well, you."

GAIA smiled and the door behind them opened for Zo and Varl. Nil tucked Aloy closer to his side for a half hug. "We did it." He whispered.

"Yeah. We did."

Chapter Text

GAIA confirmed the strangers they encountered at the HADES Proving Lab were Far Zenith and that they were responsible for sending the signal that corrupted the subfunctions. She also revealed the full extent of the task ahead of them. They needed more subfunctions to make her strong enough to reabsorb HEPHAESTUS.

GAIA had shown them where to find the three subfunctions she had been able to find. One, AETHER, was smack dab in the middle of Tenakth territory. Pretty much exactly where the three clans territories met. The Grove. It had to be.

Nil and Aloy struggled to keep their steps measured as they headed for the Western exit. The weeks in the Sundom to take down HADES, the six months searching for a backup, and the weeks of recovery they'd just had to go through. Not to mention the extra time for Nil before he joined up with Aloy. Finally, all the waiting was done. Yes, they had a task ahead of them, but that did little to temper their excitement over the prospect of finally tangibly belonging to their people. To a family beyond just the two of them.

Varl offered to go get Erend.

"He's made no attempt to hide his hatred for the Tenakth. Even though he's supposedly in love with me. I don't know if I want him so close to our lands spitting his vitriol." Aloy said hesitantly

"We could use the allies." Varl argued.

"Do you think he would come for the mission? To actually help fix the Derangement and stop the Zeniths? Or would he come for Aloy? Hoping for another chance to impress her?" Nil asked.

Varl looked pained as he worked through that line of thought.

"He's not a bad guy, Varl. But he needs to grow up a little bit. You can give him a Focus. Give us a line back to Meridian in case things go sideways." Aloy said fishing some devices out of the designated pouch at her belt. "Maybe drop one with Petra too. She's the most connected in the Daunt."

"You're right. Thanks." Varl said and tucked the small triangles into a pouch at his waist. "I'll do that."

The four friends gave their goodbyes and separated, Nil and Aloy jumping off the short cliff and deploying their Shieldwings with excited shouts.

Their ride to the Grove was filled with nervous chattering, reminders over how to approach the Chief and speculation over their blood rites. Nil kept one thing close to his chest though. He planned to admit his crimes against the Tenakth to the Chief. His sister would counsel him against it, would think it unnecessary. And perhaps it was. But his sense of honor ran deep and he would not take a place in the tribe under false pretenses.

--

The desert gave way to the edge of a muggy jungle and the straight lines of a building rose from the ground between the trees. A couple derelict old world flying machines sat out front in the dense undergrowth. The building itself was painted in designs with sharp points and colors of the clans and the Chief. Nil and Aloy dismounted and walked up the few steps where they encountered an elderly woman. Her hair was braided tight against the sides of her head and down the middle ran a crest like a bird.

She gently shooed off the soldier she'd been counseling and turned to them. "Blood of the Ten. You've finally come to us." She said, smiling. The teal of her paint held more green than theirs and white lines met at a point along the ridge of her nose. Red covered her mouth. "The two outlander born Tenakth, who beat Regalla's Champions at the Embassy. You are known to us, both through words from our scouts and the word of Marshal Fashav. He told us you were to be expected soon. And here you are."

Nil placed his fist over his heart and bowed his head. "We are honored by your welcome Chaplain."

The woman saluted him back. "My name is Dekka. Of the Lowland Clan. Your mother taught you well." Nil preened slightly at the praise. "Come now, I will show you the Visions of the Ten on our way to speak with the Chief."

The Visions were spectacular. Good soldiers, honorable and true. He saw Aloy scanning the base of each projection, trying to glean more information or figure out how to fix them, he wasn't sure, but he added it to his list of things they could do later. They found the platform and the console panel for the Vision that had inspired the Chief in a large room outside the throne room. Nil desperately wanted to see that one, but knew from Ullia, and Dekka confirmed that it had only been seen once, by the Chief, on the very eve of his greatest victory.

Dekka led them into the throne room and bid them wait while she disappeared through the projection behind the throne.

Aloy let out a soft chuckle. "AETHER is below the throne." She said when Nil looked over at her.

He smiled back. "Never easy."

Three figures appeared through the projection. Dekka nodded and led the way for the other two. Fashav and Kotallo. Kotallo's expression was stormy and he marched past them with a growled, 'I will see you soon' that sounded more like a threat than anything else. Aloy looked hurt by the cold reception. Nil bristled a bit before Fashav spoke.

"I'm sorry for his attitude. If it helps, he's not truly angry. He went into the Arena yesterday, against the Chief's recommendation." The half painted Marshal said smoothly. "He's not recovered yet and the extra activity has sharpened the pain in his arm. And the Chief has also given him a rather unenviable task. I will try to speak with him before he leaves. See if I can soothe his temper. It is good to see you both." He gave them each a squeeze to a shoulder before leaving them.

"The Saviors of Meridian." A deep voice rumbled through the room as an imposing figure stepped out from behind the throne. He wore blue and yellow accented armor and covered in white ear paint that only seemed to highlight his fierce reputation. But his eyes reminded Nil of frosty leaves at the end of autumn and they looked kind, like the eyes of a good man. "Welcome to the Memorial Grove. I am told you both are blood born of Ullia, who was my sister. I am also told you challenged Regalla's Champions at Barren Light. I will admit I am impressed, though Ullia would not have picked subpar soldiers for her children. You may request your blood rites, if you so wish."

"I have come for my blood rite my Chief, but also to ask another boon of you." Aloy said.

Hekarro nodded and turned his attention to Nil. "And you?"

"I would ask for my blood rite as well, my Chief." Nil said, dipping his head before dropping to his knees and prostrating himself. "But before I would ask for such a thing, I would have you know of my past. Before you would claim me as kin, I would tell you of the crimes I have committed against the tribe."

"Nil!" Aloy hissed. "What are you doing?"

"I won't lie by omission to our Chief, Aloy." Nil stated firmly, keeping his head to the floor.

"Go on." Hekarro demanded.

"I was born Carja, the son of the Mad Sun-King's champion, Helis. He was a cruel man. He raised me to be a blade in his hand or in the hand of his liege." Nil's voice was shaky, and he swallowed, trying to relax his tongue. "I was sent on a campaign in the Forbidden West, where I committed the atrocities I was ordered to without question. Against Utaru and largely against Tenakth warriors. I killed without mercy and though I didn't understand it at the time, without honor as well." He paused, but heard no outrage beyond Aloy's sputtering on his behalf, so he continued on. "All until I was placed under the command of a Ray of the Illuminated Line. One I believe you're familiar with." He smiled despite himself. "With Fashav's guidance and friendship, I renounced my father and began throwing off the ways he taught me. When the warring was over and the Mad Sun-King dead, his son started investigating excesses and war crimes committed. I spent two years in the Carja prison for my part in the bloodshed. It was in that cell that I met my mother and was adopted, receiving a new name from her lips." He paused. "My Chief, should you demand I see further punishment for my actions, I will not question it. Should you deny my blood rite, all I beg is that my sister not be left without a family."

"If you throw him in prison or something-" Aloy began.

"He would be well within his right to do so, Aloy. Don't throw away your rite for my sake." Nil interrupted her.

Silence permeated the chamber for agonizing minutes. It broke on a deep hum. "Rise, Nil, brother of Aloy."

Nil stood and saluted Hekarro. Aloy tugged him by his hand, pulling him close and rubbed her thumb across his wrist in a way she had learned settled him.

The Chief looked at Aloy. "Tell me of the boon you wish to ask."

Aloy nodded. "There is a basement below there." She gestured at the throne. "In it lies something that will allow us to save many lives. It's not something you can see…"

"I have seen it." Hekarro interrupted her. "And I cannot give access to that space lightly. With that in mind, will you hear the challenge I have chosen for your blood rite?"

"Yes, Chief." She answered immediately.

"In order to uphold the peace in our lands, I need new Marshals to replace the ones we lost." He spoke evenly, but Nil could tell the loss weighed heavily on the man. "Such warriors can only be promoted through a trial by combat called the Kulrut. Since Regalla is certain to attack, one of the clans has balked at sending their challengers. Your blood rite challenge is this, head to the Sky Clan fortress, and force the Commander, Tekotteh, to send his challengers. You may use whatever means you deem necessary. I will be sending Marshal Kotallo with you. He was raised at the Bulwark. He will help you get into the fortress."

Aloy nodded and saluted. "I accept this challenge, my Chief. "

Hekarro gave a small smile and saluted in return before turning back to Nil. "I had heard much of your tale from Marshal Fashav, but I appreciate the honor you've shown in telling me yourself. I will not deny your blood rite. Will you hear the challenge I have chosen for you?"

Nil was speechless for a moment. He realized Hekarro was waiting for an answer and he forced his tongue to move. "Yes, my Chief."

"It is true that you actively attacked those of the tribe, that you cut them down on the field of battle. But such can be the way of war. And as you have said yourself, you have taken on a new name, a new personage since those days. I have an idea to put the minds of my people and yourself at ease for transgressions past. The challenge for your blood rite is this: when your sister returns from the North with the challengers from the Sky Clan, you will participate in the Kulrut, and become a Marshal. Then you will be among us, serving and protecting the tribe you once fought against. Do you accept this challenge?"

Nil really was overwhelmed now. He didn't know what to say to such an offer. He just nodded fervently and saluted.

Hekarro came down and held out his hand. In unison, Nil and Aloy each took off the tag of their mother's they wore and carefully placed them in the outstretched hand. Aloy clearly wanted to snatch hers back and Nil felt not much different. But this was the way of things, so he grabbed his sister's hand, as much a gesture of comfort for her as for himself.

"The challenges are set and accepted. May the Ten guide you." The Chief said before returning to behind the throne.

--

Aloy and Nil met Dekka and Fashav at the entrance to the Grove. Dekka handed Aloy a well crafted sharpshot bow.

"The trail to Sky Clan territory is plagued by machines, and now rebels. This weapon will be a help to you in your way." The elderly woman said.

"Machines and rebels are certainly challenges I can handle." Aloy said.

"Indeed." Dekka replied, a smile gracing her lips. "Marshal Kotallo will meet you in the scouting outpost of Stone Crest. So you will head North, towards the foothills. Continue on the path until your legs burn and the chill air catches in your chest. Then you'll know you're in the Sky Clan's domain. Strike true as the Ten, Aloy."

The Chaplain dismissed herself and Fashav stepped forward. "Kotallo does not want to go on this mission. The story is his to tell, but he has a deep and long lasting grievance with the Sky Clan Commander. And the bent towards some of the crueler traditions hold tight where such Commanders squat. Expect whispers to follow your steps if not outright cruel words to your face from the Sky Clan soldiers. Kotallo will be difficult with his current temperament as well. But he's always been an excellent soldier, so a reminder of his duty to the Chief should put him back in line if he gives you any trouble."

Aloy's face twisted in annoyance and anger. "Bunch of scabs if they think he can't fight."

"Oh I'm well aware. He convinced the Arena master, Kalla, to give him a pair of Bristlebacks for his challenge yesterday. I think she might've gotten an earful from the Chief about it if the fight hadn't been so Sun damned impressive." Fashav said, no small amount of pride coloring his tone.

Aloy's head tilted curiously. "Are you and Kotallo close?"

Fashav smiled. "He is the best friend I have in the clan lands. He was made a Marshal in the same Kulrut I was. And he was ordered to accompany me until I found my footing. He wasn't happy babysitting the Carja, but I wore him down."

Nil chuckled. "Unyielding as always."

Fashav smirked. "While we wait for Aloy and Kotallo to return, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the Desert. Dekka received some concerning reports from Chaplain Jetakka that the Chief wants me to look into."

"Sure. Otherwise I'll just be twiddling my thumbs around here. Not sure how much people will care for that." Nil replied.

"Excellent. I will inform the Chief and gather supplies." Fashav said before turning back into the Grove.

Nil scooped Aloy into an embrace. "You'll be careful? You'll eat proper meals even though I won't be there to remind you?"

"Yes." Aloy sighed with exasperation. "You are ridiculous."

"And you, sister, are stubborn and single minded." He said, poking her in the middle of the forehead. "Just, take care of yourself. Not just for me, but because that's how you are able to fight at your strongest."

Aloy let out a breath and stepped away. "I should go. If I take the Charger, I might be able to catch up to Kotallo before he gets to Stone Crest. Try to warm him up to me."

"Oh. I'm sure you'd like him to warm up to you." Nil drawled. "Or is it that you'd like him to warm you up? Don't think I missed the way you were looking at him at the Embassy."

Aloy's jaw dropped for a second before she glared up at him. "You…"

Nil grinned.

"Goodbye Nil." She said quickly, whipping around and stalking away from him in annoyance, but Nil caught the pinkening tips of her ears.

By the Ten she was fun to tease.

Fashav joined him not long after Aloy's Charger disappeared around a bend in the Northern path. Nil whistled for his own Charger.

"How do you feel about riding?" Nil asked, patting the back of the machine.

"Riding would be a fantastic skill to learn." Fashav said after a moment of surprise.

Nil nodded and left Fashav on the trail while he ran North a bit and overrode a Bristleback.

"I'll ride this fella." He announced, the boar-like machine snuffling along at his heels."A Charger is going to be easier to start off trying to ride since you don't have to spread your legs so far. I'd offer to ride double, to help. But two is a tight squeeze and you're a mite larger than Varl. So, tell me about this trouble we're headed to investigate." He requested as he helped Fashav get settled on the Charger's back.

"The first is that the leader at Arrowhand, Drakka, is having issues collecting machine hearts that the settlement trades for water. Vicious machines keep killing off their hunters. This has also resulted in the man holding a seething grievance with the Clan Commander over the fairness of the trading system. Jetakka wouldn't give details, but the water issue seems to go deeper than not having machine hearts for trade." Fashav's mouth twisted thoughtfully before he continued speaking. "The second is that there appears to be some Tenakth riding tamed machines around."

"Rebels?" Nil asked.

"Unless you and Aloy taught anyone else in the clan lands to ride before coming to the Grove." Fashav said lightly. "But they haven't attacked any of the loyal Tenakth on the roads or the settlements and it has appeared like they've just been riding for fun. We at least need to make sure they're not a danger to the tribe."

"That could be interesting."

"Quite. And they happen to be running just Northeast of Arrowhand according to the scouts. Would be an easy stop on our way to the settlement. Do you want to handle that first?"

"Might as well." Nil said.

Chapter Text

Nil had spent most of the trip to the desert catching Fashav up on himself and what had happened in the five years since they'd seen each other. He was in the middle of telling the story of the Battle for the Alight when he had to pull Fashav out of the way of being run over as they made their way through some little pocket canyons. The whooping and excited voices of the riders made it clear they were on the right path. They came around a bend once they cleared the tall rocky structures and saw a wooden archway built over the sandy path. As they approached, the first notable thing was that the group hailed from all three clans. Nil knew interclan cooperation was still shaky outside the walls of the Grove, so that was a surprise. But also, these riders looked so young.

"Hey look squad, the Carja Marshal and an unknown Lowlander." A Lowland girl yelled, gathering the attention of the whole group.

A lot of posturing took place before another voice called out. A young Desert Clan woman stepped forward. "Don't go blowing your blaze all. None of you are equipped to handle a Marshal. Or one of the warriors who took on Regalla's Champions." The Desert Clan boy stepped aside. "We have no business with either of you. We've had our fun, road's right over there." She gestured in a definite shooing motion before beginning to turn away.

"Hold." Fashav called, causing the group to pause. "Those machines used to be Regalla's." He let that hang in the air for a moment. "You don't look like holdouts to me though. Who are you? How did you get these mounts? You must answer or I will have no recourse but to consider you all a threat to the peace of the tribe."

The Desert Clan woman smiled and stepped into Fashav's space. "You want something around here, Marshal, you race for it. Cross the finish line first, I'll answer your questions."

Nil smiled. "That offer open to anyone?" He whistled, summoning his Charger. "What're the rules?"

Everyone's eyes widened, but the woman recovered first, leading her squad to grab their mounts. "Don't die." She called over her shoulder.

Fashav didn't seem amused but Nil barked a laugh at that. These were young soldiers, hungry for the taste of battle. Full of pride and fury and young enough that such qualities tended to explode everywhere instead of being directed properly. That could become a problem if their impulse control proved to be very poor. But first, to see what the race was all about.

The track was well marked out, twisting and turning around the rocky environment and snaking through some of the nearby pocket canyons. The introduction of extra blaze made the machine speed up in an exhilarating way and the combination of arrows and strikes levied against him made for an interesting challenge. Each well placed strike, each arrow that grazed the skin. Nil could easily imagine a different man coming West and having his demons soothed by this dance that held death close. But he wasn't that man. Not anymore.

He won handily, his experience on his mount second only to Aloy really. Maybe Sylens if he thought about it, but didn't really want to. He dismounted and walked up to the Desert Clan woman, his arms stretched out and a satisfied grin on his face.

She smiled back and handed him a handful of shards and a couple silver ingots. "Your prize for winning the race. You earned it."

"Thanks. Now," he motioned for Fashav, who sauntered over to his side, "I believe I am owed some answers."

"Name's Attah." She said. "To be honest, most of us here joined Regalla's rebellion, hoping to fight in a real war against the Carja."

Nil could've guessed that much.

Attah's face turned somber. "She slaughtered our own in cold blood at Barren Light. And asked the same of us." Fashav relaxed noticeably at the clear displeasure in the woman's voice over the murders at the Embassy. "When we got back to camp, we snuck out with our Chargers and didn't look back. Been racing the clan lands ever since. Decided we were better off on our own. No rules. No Chiefs."

"Doesn't sound too bad I guess. But you remain in Tenakth territory. Concerning the local settlements and putting yourselves at risk of being dragged back into the rebels or being attacked by them." Nil said.

Attah shifted slightly so she could drop into a defensive position easily. "We would fight to the last before we allowed this freedom we've found be taken from us."

"I believe you. But we still have a problem in that you are former rebels and you haven't received a pardon for those activities. Hold." He said slowly as she saw Attah reaching for her knife.

"I can't give you an official pardon. That must come from the Chief. But I can give you marks to hold to give you the right to travel in the clan lands without being harassed. If you can agree to two things." Fashav offered.

Attah narrowed her eyes.

"If you have any information about Regalla's plans or rebel activity, we ask you share it, that we can better protect our people from her madness. Second, as you said you travel the clan lands, we ask you share the information from you scouting your tracks with the local settlements." Fashav gave them their options.

Nil knew the offer was a pragmatic one. Fashav knew with the tribe embroiled in war, the Chief would likely send them back to their clans were they to request a pardon directly, causing them to choose exile and the potential for further fighting would increase. This would at least put them in good standing with the tribe and keep them near enough to keep an eye on.

"Alright Marshal." Attah said, "You've offered a fair bargain. Let me confirm with my squad. Then we can sit and chat about rebels while you craft those marks."

The squad agreed easily with the prospect of continuing to race with relative impunity. Fashav sat with Attah and began carving the marks while she gave him information on what Regalla had planned for the Kulrut, what machines she'd had influence over when they left and what they'd seen being pushed through the clan lands since. Most disturbing was the information about the Oseram group who provided the override technology. Bad enough one large group was about with intentions of war with the Carja. But two? And they were working together.

As they were leaving, Attah told them about where they planned to race next, a track out on the edge of Lowland territory. Another thing Nil added to the 'do later' list. Nil knew Aloy would enjoy the race and the racers.

Chapter Text

Arrowhand was a well fortified settlement. Built around a structure of the Old Ones that clung to the side of a rock face. They entered with no issue. Fashav pointed out the Chaplain and the settlement leader off to the side, bent over a wounded soldier and arguing. As they approached, the younger man stood suddenly.

"I'm going back to the pens. I'll gut those machines myself." He growled, turning and stopping abruptly as he came face to face with Nil.

"Marshal." The Chaplain, Jetakka greeted. "And this appears to be one of the warriors who challenged Regalla at Barren Light if I'm correct."

"Call me Nil. I am blood born of Ullia, here to assist the Marshal." He said.

"Ah yes. I had heard tell of the upcoming blood rites." Jetakka said.

"So you killed Grudda, and his sister Edda. They were a couple of ours." The commander said, looking at Nil appraisingly.

"He's not looking for trouble, Drakka." Fashav warned.

"Maybe I am, Marshal." Drakka replied. "I'm sure you're here because Jetakka reported on our issues with hunting. The machine herd we usually gather from is getting more difficult to move into the pens all the time. Larger machines keep moving in to defend them. The last one showed up right as we were penning them in. Almost wiped out the whole squad. But the quarry is still in the pens. If I can get those hearts, we can trade for the water we need."

"You're going to get yourself killed going alone Drakka." Jetakka said.

"Oh, he's not going alone." Nil said.

"The Champion killer is coming with me?" Drakka asked, surprised.

"And a Marshal. We can't have an entire village blink out right now." Fashav interjected. "And it's best you don't go on your own. Arrowhand needs you."

"Alright. We can stock up at our outpost just outside the pens." Drakka said, waving his hand for them to follow. "The faster we can get those hearts, the sooner we can get water." He shook his head as he jogged. "Can't believe this got so bad we had to have a Marshal come and check it out rather than our own clan trying to help each other. Our so-called Commander keeps talking about how scarce water is in the desert. But I doubt anyone in Scalding Spear or her squad is going thirsty." He complained bitterly.

"But the clan only has the one water source." Fashav said. "What else is she supposed to do but ration it out?"

"I'm just saying, everyone should have access to all the water they need. And if I were Commander, I'd figure something out. There's always a way." He said.

They reached the outpost and split supplies fairly evenly between the three of them.

"Alright. Let's go get those machine hearts for your people." Nil said.

"Up ahead to the left is a canyon. That's where we draw the machines in. Then we block 'em in and pick 'em off. There's a barricade wall we'll climb over. Once we've cleared that, be ready to fight." He sighed. "I already lost good people in there."

Nil and Fashav nodded at him.

Two Fanghorns and two Ravagers patrolled around the boxed in area. Between the three of them, the work went quickly. Nil took the chance to help Fashav practice with the machine scanning functions of the Focus. They worked together, gathering one of the Ravagers and one of the Fanghorns while Drakka got the other Fanghorn and they worked all together to bring down the other Ravager. Nil and Fashav looked on as Drakka gathered the tags from the fallen soldiers.

"At least now we can bag and tag these soldiers." He said solemnly. "I hate to ask, but would you come with me, to where the Thunderjaw hit us? I lost other people there too. I don't want to leave them to rot. They deserve to be bagged and tagged too."

Nil and Fashav nodded, following Drakka back out into the valley. A soldier laid on a rocky outcropping and called out to them about the ground. Several Apex Burrowers accosted them before they could fully make out the words the man was saying. Then the Burrowers had barely been left sparking when the Thunderjaw appeared back on the horizon. Nil thought the Kulrut was almost going to be a snap in comparison to this neverending seeming parade of machines.

--

The Thunderjaw heart would make a worthy tribute to take to Scalding Spear to trade, Nil thought as he handed it over to Jetakka back at Arrowhand. Drakka lumbered in with the wounded soldier not long after them.

"I'll take these to the capital." Jetakka said.

"Make sure the Commander knows how many lives were lost trying to get them." Drakka growled before walking further into the settlement.

Fashav was watching the Chaplain expectantly even though it seemed like their business was done, so Nil waited. When the young Commander had moved out of hearing range, Jetakka spoke.

"Rumors have come West. They say that along with your skills on the field, you and your sister have a sort of second sight." He directed at Nil. "Especially to do with matters of the Old Ones?"

Nil shrugged. "I suppose you could call it that."

"So it's true then. You've helped my clan immensely with your aid here today. But our troubles here in Arrowhand might not be so easily settled as Drakka believes. I think your second sight might be just what we need." The Chaplain said.

"Speak plain Chaplain. What exactly is the problem?" Fashav asked, impatient with furtive speech.

"Not here." Jetakka said, gesturing towards where Drakka had walked away with his head. "Meet me in Scalding Spear. I'll explain everything there."

"We'll see you there, Chaplain." Nil agreed.

"Thank you. The future of the clan may well depend on it." Jetakka said before walking off.

The two Carja born men spent some time haggling with the traders for a ropecaster and a handful of potions before setting off.

Fashav seemed disquieted as they made their way to the Desert Clan capital. Nil could understand. If the Chaplain didn't want to air his concerns where Drakka, someone with a known grievance against the Commander, could hear them, then something was seriously wrong. Something that could incite a violent uprising. And the tribe certainly did not need more of that right now. Hopefully, whatever the Chaplain was asking of them would help soothe that grievance.

They were both distracted when a call from Aloy came in on their Focuses.

"Remind me of the top three reasons I can't become the Sky Clan Commander." She said without greeting.

"Uh…you're needed to fix the terraforming system so you can't be chained to a particular clan or settlement, you hate being in charge of things, remember what happened in the Cut, and as much as you grew up in the mountains, you prefer warmer weather?" Nil listed off in a bemused tone.

"Has Tekotteh really been that bad?" Fashav asked.

"Yes…" Aloy hissed. "I know you warned me, but blood of the Ten, he's such a piece of work. I have another idea that doesn't involve challenging him, but throwing him in the pit before tossing him off his damn mountain sounds way better right now." Aloy growled.

"No murdering the Commander, Aloy." Nil said, semi-seriously.

"Fine." Aloy let out with a petulant sounding sigh, though Nil could tell she was smiling."You're right. Anyway, hope your mission is going well. I just needed someone to talk me down before I did something drastic."

"Always happy to help." Fashav replied, a smile dancing about in his tone.

"Strike true as the Ten, Aloy." Nil said. There was a thoughtful pause on the line. "And no, I don't mean strike Tekotteh."

"Alright. Alright… Oooh. This has a power cell." And the line went dead.

Nil smiled. Then laughed, the warm sound of Fashav's chuckles joined him a moment later.

"Is she always so… abrupt?" He asked.

"Generally." Nil answered while he laughed. "It's honestly part of her charm."

Chapter Text

They camped on the edge of the solar array and entered Scalding Spear as the Sun was coming over the horizon. Nil noticed an already unhappy crowd making complaints to a woman whose face remained tight and blank. Fashav explained that she was the Commander, Yarra. Jetakka was there, standing towards the back of the crowd. They sidled up beside him and watched the scene play out before them.

"Why put guards around the Wound?" One man asked.

A woman cried out, "You can't just take away our water!"

"The Wound gives less water. Our rations adjust." The woman at the head of the group said in the most impatient patient tone Nil had ever heard.

"We know the way of the desert! What's stopping us from taking what we want and-" The man's tirade was cut short as Yarra brought her head sharply into contact with his face, surprising him and landing him on his back.

"Anyone else want to complain?" Yarra asked. "We're the Desert Clan. We survive with what we have." She finished and turned away, moving up a ramp behind her.

"Not much of one for hand holding, is she?" Nil commented.

"It's not the way out here." Jetakka said. "Even less so for her." He gestured in the direction Yarra had walked off. "Shall we?"

"Yes. Time to figure this out." Fashav said.

They followed the Chaplain up to one of the higher points of the settlement where Yarra stood, overlooking the clan.

As they approached, she spoke in a tight quiet voice. "Why have you come here Marshal? I know you were in Arrowhand, speaking with that dissident, Drakka."

"I found no indication of dissidence in Drakka, Commander. Simply a desire to get his people water." Fashav said evenly, glancing over at Nil.

"The Chaplain here told us you need help?" Nil said.

"Did he now?" Yarra growled, still faced away from them.

"Nil here has a unique insight into the ways of the Old Ones. He might be able to fix things. Before they get further out of hand." Jetakka's voice was hard, the Chaplain had clearly already grown tired of this woman's stubbornness.

Fashav straightened up. "Get to the point. Just what is going on here?"

Yarra finally turned, and her voice slipped into a slight whine. "There's no water."

"What do you mean?" Fashav asked, his voice hard and demanding.

"The Wound in the Sand is completely dry." She said, sighing as she finished, as if tired from simply admitting the problem.

"Why keep this from your people?" Nil asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"If my clan knew, my command would be challenged." She replied, playing directly into Nil's suspicions.

"There's no water and you're worried about keeping your command?" Fashav was barely holding back a snarl.

Nil was with him. That kind of attitude never led to good things.

"Think what you want. Between all the other hardships we're facing, I'm the only thing keeping this clan together." Yarra boasted.

There it was. Self assuredness. The savior complex. The stubborn pride. The paranoia. The bent towards secrecy. All too familiar to two men who had grown up in close circles with a tyrant.

"Drakka's people suffered to gather that water. He thinks you're hoarding it for yourself…" Nil commented.

"The perfect excuse for him to challenge my command." Yarra spit at them. "Like he's always wanted. Of course he makes it sound very noble. That he only cares for his thirsty people. He'd face the exact same problem that I have though, there's not enough to go around."

Nil gave Fashav a look from the corner of his eye. "And what exactly is your plan for the fact that you have no water?"

"Ration what little we have. Buy time to fix the Wound." She answered.

"And in the meantime, your people are dying." Fashav said, voice flat.

"Every corpse weighs on me. That's what it means to be a commander."

The implication that the weight of the dead would not weigh on Drakka hung in the air. And it rang so terribly false. Nil remembered how thick Drakka's voice had been as he talked of his dead and gathered their tags. Nil wasn't sure how much of Yarra's ire was fueled simply by her paranoia. Did Drakka want the command? Yes. For self serving reasons? Maybe. But to say his care for his people was an act to gain that power was going too far. Nil had commanders like that when he was in the Sundom. Drakka wasn't one of them.

Whatever the case, the clan needed water or it wouldn't survive. "If the Wound was built by the Old Ones, I might be able to fix it." Nil offered. Aloy would be better at it, but he was better than no help at all.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Yarra asked, her tone indicating heavy disbelief.

"Just show us the Wound, Commander." Fashav demanded.

"Very well." Her face soured and she led the way down to what appeared to be a well.

It was definitely built by the Old Ones. Nil scanned it and determined it was a cooling duct of some sort. Then he noticed the pipe leading away out into the desert. He looked over and saw Fashav was scanning as well. He pointed out the pipe and the Marshal nodded. They began following it.

"What are you doing?" The Commander sputtered behind them.

"Your Wound goes underground. We think we can follow a trail to where the water comes from. Or at least where it used to." Nil explained.

"How?" Yarra demanded.

"Does it matter?" Nil asked.

"As long as the clan survives." She replied and went quiet for a bit as they jogged past the decrepit solar panels.

--

Some running through the desert, climbing, machine fighting, and more climbing later, they came to a ruin, the side of which was cracked open allowing them to easily enter and see the pipes and leaking water. A spear was stuck in a switch in the middle of the room. Nil scanned the pipes. A flow deficiency detected. Definitely their problem. The question was how to fix it.

"That soldier of Drakka's we found out there was probably trying to pry this open, but didn't know what he was doing." Nil said. "Now the water isn't flowing the way it's supposed to."

"Sabotage." Yarra growled.

"I'd say more like ignorance." Nil stated evenly as he looked around. "I think I'm going to need to follow that main pipe. There's a vent up there, but I'm not sure how to get to it."

"There are some climbing holds." Fashav pointed at them.

"But they're too far apart. Aloy has a climbing device she can use to cross such distances. We've shared it in ruins before, but she's not here." Nil mumbled while he thought. "Didn't think I'd need such a thing myself. I could try using that ropecaster we bought. Attach it to the ceiling and floor? Shimmy up?"

"The ropes don't always hold up very long. You might get hurt if it breaks while you're higher up." Fashav murmured thoughtfully, shaking his head. "There's a beam over there. It's sturdy enough to hold you, but it looks like its attachment to the wall is weak. Could we attach a rope and pull it down? Then use your rappelling hook to open the vent?"

Nil surveyed the beam and shrugged. "Good idea as any. When we get back to the Grove, I'm seeing if Aloy can build me a pullcaster."

It took a few ropes, but eventually the beam separated from the wall and hung in the air above them. Nil clambered up the handholds and jumped to the beam and then made a leap to the vent after he had ripped it open. The vent covering creaked loudly under his weight, so he scrambled through the opening quickly. He came out on a walkway in a room that was dimly lit by some sort of holographic console or readout below.

He tried turning a wheel and heard exclamations from the other room. "Ok. So now how to direct the water back to Scalding Spear?" He said out loud to himself while he dropped to the lower floor.

Another switch sat in front of a corrupted holographic screen. He pulled on it and listened. Water moving through the pipes, a heavy groan and then a loud ka-chunk. "Ok. So the pipe needs to be opened again once the water is redirected or the water pressure builds up too much." He made note of some handholds along the wall. Another beam, but he was fairly sure his height would allow him to jump back over the railing on the walkway from one of the holds. He pulled the switch and proved himself right, vaulting over the railing and turning the wheel to hopefully send water back to Scalding Spear. Yarra exclaimed that she heard water in the room again.

"Any more leaking?" He yelled.

"Not that I can see, no." Fashav replied first, followed by a "Nothing." From Yarra.

"This will return the water?" Yarra asked as he jumped down into the main room.

"It should. Only way to be certain is to check the Wound." He answered.

Yarra turned sharply from them, her face thunderous. "Drakka knew what would happen if the capital was left without water!" She seethed. "He didn't care! He just wanted to cause a crisis so he could challenge me."

"You're jumping to conclusions, Commander." Fashav interrupted. "I have a device that gives me the same second sight that Nil has, and even I have struggled to understand. Without it, Drakka's man or even Drakka himself would not have known this was connected to the Wound. Do not act rashly here."

"Only an upstart acts rashly, a commander bides her time. Please, meet me at Scalding Spear. So we can check that the water is flowing again." She said walking out and away from them.

Once she was out of earshot, Nil turned to Fashav. "That's going to get ugly."

"For certain." Fashav replied on a sigh. "I'd say we try and head it off, but I think she's a little too far gone. And when Drakka finds out she hid the problem…"

"He will be too." Nil finished the thought. "Might as well witness the challenge. Try to limit the fallout for the clan." He paused. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"Not pleasant ones." Fashav grumbled, stepping through the opening in the wall and starting to head to the capital.

Chapter Text

Yarra wasn't at the Wound when they arrived. The guards still there directed them up to the commander's quarters and told them Drakka had been arrested. They rushed up to the overlook and entered the quarters there to find Yarra already yelling at Drakka.

"You're lucky we were able to get it fixed or your head would already be on a spear!" She hissed.

"You call that fixed?" Drakka challenged. "It's barely a dribble! And I told you, Ukktah came to me, said he found a potential source of water. I had no idea it had anything to do with the Wound."

"As we told you Commander. He couldn't have known without the second sight." Fashav butted in, one final attempt to soothe tempers.

"You expect me to believe that?" Yarra growled back.

"Marshal, Nil!" Drakka greeted nervously. "I came to collect the water that was owed. Only to find out there is no water. Then they arrested me!"

"The water is returning slowly. It will be weeks before it is full again. Until then, I will send what I can!" Yarra bit out.

"You hid what happened. How can we believe you?" Drakka asked. "Enough. I challenge you, Yarra, for command of the clan." He spit at his feet.

And there it was, the gauntlet thrown. All of Yarra's paranoia come to fruition. Jetakka looked resigned. "This will be the end of the clan if you do this, Yarra." He tried to reason.

She ignored him and spat at her feet. "I accept your challenge. Gather your squads at the Gate of the Vanquished." She hissed.

"No." Fashav broke in with a loud voice. "The challenge was made and witnessed between you two. Let it remain that way."

"You bring your squads into this, there will be fighting for months. Longer even, as retaliation mounts." Nil added. "If you truly care for the lives of your people, let it be between the two of you and the winner show themselves to the clan to be worthy of command."

"Very well then, the pit at Sundown. And I can finally be rid of this dissident." Yarra said through clenched teeth. "Leave me. I must prepare."

Drakka gave them a sharp nod before wandering off. Jetakka followed them out to the overlook. "Thank you. Because of your words, the clan is protected from the fallout of that madness."

"The tribe doesn't need another civil war on its hands right now." Fashav said simply.

--

Sundown arrived swiftly, the capital racing to get tasks done to see either the ascension of a new Commander or the command retained. Shards passed through hands like the water that had begun this whole mess and opinions vacillated from one soldier to the next over who would win.

Nil knew as a Marshal, Fashav had to keep the impression of impartiality and he would have to as well if he won the Kulrut. But he knew he and Fashav were of the same mind in this. They wanted Drakka to win. Yarra's paranoia wouldn't just disappear with Drakka gone. Any hint of disagreement with her command might raise it to the fore again.

Jetakka met the two in the melee pit that sat in the center of the capital. "One last time, Yarra, Drakka, could you resolve this some other way?" He asked, clearly enough for all gathered to hear.

A mass intake of breath hushed through the crowd as they waited for the answer that came a second later, a harmony of snarled 'no's' dropping from the contender's mouths.

"Very well." The Chaplain said, raising his hand and dropping it down in between them. "Strike true as the Ten."

Both of the Desert Clan warriors were excellent fighters. Fierce and strong. Vicious in their strikes against each other. Nil could tell there was some sort of Desert Clan style to fighting as he saw moves and blocks he remembered from his and Aloy's fight with Grudda and Edda. Yarra claimed first blood, a cut to Drakka's upper left arm. But the pain only seemed to push the man harder and he levied a wave of punishing strikes against her in retaliation. The strength behind the blows left Yarra reeling enough for second and third blood to be earned by Drakka as he managed to land some deep cuts in the slivers of gap between her armor plates on her stomach and arm. The strain of blood loss eventually brought Yarra down, knelt and gasping in the sand. Drakka leveled his bow and released an arrow, forever silencing her.

The man looked devastated as he lowered the bow. He dropped it in the sand and gestured towards the body. "This is not what I wanted to happen! Yarra was a good Commander once!" Drakka spoke loud and clear so that everyone in the capital could hear him. "But she lied to us. Hid things from us. Things that were killing our clan! We are the Desert Clan! Yes, our way of life requires a more disciplined approach than that of the other clans. But it shouldn't be at the expense of our squads, our soldiers, our children! Those that wish, can pledge their spears to me as Commander. Any who don't, I will prove to you that I am worthy of it, someday."

Shouting and cheers rose from the crowd. Nil saw Jetakka give the younger man an approving nod as he and Fashav headed towards the new Commander.

"We'll inform the Chief of what happened here and see if the other clans can support your search for water in any way." Fashav said.

"Thanks Marshal. That's appreciated." Drakka said. He held out his hand from which dangled a set of tags. "Could you also take these to the Grove? Have them hung in the Hall? I meant it, she was a good Commander once. And I forgot that until I fired that arrow. She doesn't deserve for her tags to be burned and forgotten."

Fashav took the tags, nodding gravely.

Drakka turned away to receive congratulations and pledges. When the back patting was done, Nil and Fashav were offered bunks in the guest quarters for the night so they could participate in the revelry. Alcohol made from spikestalk, called fizz spike, was passed around liberally and the cook passed out roasted scorpions until the moon was bright in the sky.

Nil had never been one for limiting his faculties much. So he fiddled around on his Focus and enjoyed the exploits of Fashav and others. He kept an eye on Drakka and the body language of those around him. It wouldn't do to have the man get a blade in the ribs so soon after taking command. But everyone seemed rather at ease, his stirring speech had either soothed those who backed Yarra, or the alcohol was doing the soothing for the time being.

Some time around Fashav's third cup of fizz spike, as he began regaling the crowd with the story of his Kulrut, Nil received a video file from Aloy.

It began with bolts of plasma being shot towards a massive rock wall. Some dust and small rocks settled but nothing significant happened.

"This isn't going to work." Came Kotallo's voice.

Then a voice shouted down into the valley at them. "Look at these children playing siege. Leave now, woman. Take this cripple away with you."

Nil could hear the enraged intake of breath from his sister. The Sky Clan Commander just said the wrong words. "For that comment, you've lost your last chance to redeem your honor on your terms, Tekotteh! Say goodbye to your precious wall!" She yelled back.

One more shot hit and an explosion bloomed out from the space she'd been shooting at. Ah. The power cell. A moment of quiet and then the massive boulders that made up the wall shifted and tumbled down, the sounds of cracking and breaking echoing through the valley for a full minute or two.

"What have you done?" Tekotteh roared.

"You said you wouldn't send your challengers as long as your clan was safe behind the Bulwark!" Aloy cried back. "Your wall is gone! Your clan is not safe! You are not safe!"

"We will rebuild it!" He replied, one final attempt to save face.

"That was a single cannon, Tekotteh! One! And the Bulwark could not withstand it!" Aloy roared. "Do you really think it would remain standing in the face of Regalla and her army of machines? Your honor hangs in tatters already for failing twice now to answer the call of your Chief. Retain what little you have by keeping your word! Your clan is no longer safe behind the Bulwark. Send your challengers! Keep your people safe by uniting against Regalla with Hekarro!"

Nil smirked and grabbed a cup of fizz spike as more was passed around. He could have one celebratory drink for his sister's completed blood rite.

Atop the wall, the Commander slumped and spoke.

"Can't hear you from down here, Tekotteh!" Aloy taunted.

"Send the challengers!" He yelled back and then disappeared from view, pushing some of his soldiers aside.

"I look forward to seeing the Sky Clan's colors in the Arena." Kotallo replied.

The Marshal smiling at Aloy in awe was the last image in the recording.

Nil called her. "Excellent work." He said when she answered. "You completely shredded him without even spilling a drop of blood."

"Not his anyway." She laughed. "There were some rebels in the way of the cannon."

"I look forward to hearing the whole story when we're back at the Grove."

She hummed. "Kotallo's on his way back now, with the challengers and Tekotteh. I'm helping the Chaplain up here, Gerrah, with a couple things before I head back."

"Of course you are." Nil smiled. "Stay safe. And stay warm. Please tell me you put on something besides mother's armor." There was a suspicious pause. "Aloy…"

"I have some nice, warm, furry, Sky Clan armor now. Kotallo bullied me into it." Aloy said quietly. He was pretty sure she was blushing.

Nil's brows rose. "Oh? Is he presenting courting gifts already?"

"You are not nearly as funny as you think you are." She grumbled.

Nil just grinned.

"Anyway." She said, violently diverting the conversation. "There's a squad I need to check on in the morning. I'm hoping this extra business won't take more than a couple days."

"Ok. Fashav and I will be headed to the Grove in the morning. We'll be there when you get back. Walk with the Ten, sister."

"Strike true, Nil."

The line closed and Nil raised his cup to Fashav, informing him of Aloy's successful completion of her blood rite challenge. They drained their cups and Nil half carried the stumbling Marshal away to their borrowed bunks.

Chapter Text

Nil could tell Kotallo didn't know what to do with him at first. The Marshal still held some grudges from the war but he also knew from Aloy and Fashav that Nil wasn't the Kestrel he'd clashed with at Barren Light anymore. They decided to work through most of the animosity with sparring and what had been unease and borderline aggression had transformed to respect and something approaching friendly.

Four days after he and Fashav had returned, Nil had neatly dodged another heavy blow aimed for his chest from Kotallo while they sparred when his Focus trilled with the proximity alarm he'd set for Aloy's arrival. He bolted for the entrance of the Grove and heard heavy footfalls behind him, indicating the two Marshals were following. Aloy's Charger galloped down the path from the North, barely registering yellow lenses from the Bristlebacks there. When she had it yanked to a full stop, she dismounted and crashed into Nil.

He let out a gust of air from the harder metal plates of the Sky Clan armor hitting his chest and gave her a quick, tight hug. "Missed you, little sister. Or should I call you wall breaker now?"

She gave him a light shove, her eyes twinkling. "Shut up."

"Not the worst nickname you've been given."

She shrugged, laughing. "That's true, I suppose."

"Welcome back, Aloy." Fashav greeted. "I look forward to hearing the tale of your exploits up North." He gestured at Kotallo. "This stubborn Frostclaw wouldn't tell me anything."

"And I said you would hear the tale with the Chief, when she reported back. You are just impatient, Princeling." The other Marshal said, smirking before his face morphed into a more genuine smile and turned to Aloy. "It's good to see you again, Aloy."

Aloy's ears and neck went violently pink as she responded that it was good to see him too. Nil saw her hands twitch with the desire to nervously push some hair behind her ear. Rather than teasing, for once he took pity on her. "Hate to interrupt this darling moment." Ok. Scratch that. A little bit of teasing. "But I imagine a runner has already been sent to the Chief and he is waiting for your mission debrief."

"Indeed he is." A woman's voice cut in and the four of them looked up the steps to see Dekka smiling widely. "Come along."

"Ugh. This humidity is going to kill me with all this fur on." Aloy complained while they entered the building.

"I'm sure that's something you'll be able to handle after the debrief." Dekka said lightly, as though she knew something, but wasn't saying.

Hekarro was indeed waiting for them in the throne room. A crowd lined the walls, curious whispers abounding. Nil smiled when Aloy caught sight of the large broken rock that had been part of the Bulwark sitting in the middle of the floor. Kotallo and Fashav left them to take up positions flanking both sides of the Chief. Nil stayed at the edge of the room, allowing Aloy her moment.

"My Chief." Aloy saluted. "I have returned from the Sky Clan territory, having completed the challenge you set for my blood rite. The challengers from the Sky Clan are here, and not a drop of loyal Tenakth blood was spilt." She gestured towards the group in magenta armor. The Commander who had come with them was notably absent.

She walked through all the events of attaining the Sky Clan's challengers. Nil knew his face matched the Chief and Fashav, mightily impressed when she told about the Tremortusk and the rebels. And both Marshals and the Chief were clearly holding back smiles if not outright chuckles when she recounted the wall falling. When her tale was finished, the room was silent.

"You have done well, Aloy. It seems your task required you to move mountains, literally. Your tale has been confirmed by Marshal Kotallo and the proof of it lies beside you." He gestured at the rock. "You completed your blood rite in a manner beyond my expectations." Hekarro said, standing. "I therefore recognize you as blood kin."

He pressed the tip of his knife into the pad of his thumb and red blood welled there. He pulled the knife horizontal to allow a drop to lay still in the blade and offered it to Aloy. She took the blood on her tongue before repeating the motions herself and offering her blood on her own blade to Hekarro.

The Chief took Aloy's blood and then scooped her into an embrace. "Welcome home daughter." He rumbled, and cacophonous cheering erupted through the chamber. Nil was proud of his sister, but he couldn't totally deny the pang of jealous want that rushed up in him. He wanted to be held by a parent. He wanted to be welcomed home. If he didn't complete his blood rite, if he didn't win the Kulrut tomorrow, he wouldn't be able to call Hekarro kin. But what about Aloy? Was he even really her brother anymore?

He bent forward and stumbled a couple steps as he received a forceful smack at the back of his head. "I've seen many a soldier get caught up in their thoughts like that. A sharp whack usually gets them out of it." Dekka said as she stepped up beside him. "Did it work? Is it on straight enough for you to seek the advice of a Chaplain? Or do I need to administer the treatment again?"

Nil huffed a laugh. He and Aloy weren't going to get away with anything with this one around. He looked over at his sister, who was being led away by the Chief.

"They'll be having a meal as a family to celebrate." Dekka said.

The weight on Nil's chest grew heavy again. A family. Without him. Another whack near sent him toppling.

"You're still Aloy's brother. Even should you not attain victory in the Kulrut tomorrow, no one would take that from you. No one will take away you being Tenakth. So you will be joining them this evening. I will take you to the Chief's chambers myself when we've got you all settled. Now talk or I can keep smacking you until the sun comes up." Dekka threatened.

"You're almost scarier than the Chief, you know that?" He said.

"Who do you think trained him?" She replied, a sharp smile cutting across her face. "Come, a lap around the Arena will do you good." She led the way, past the crowds and behind the throne.

They were silent and Nil just breathed in the warm mix of jungle air and moisture that both did and did not remind him of the Jewel of Meridian, taking steadying breaths. As they stood on an overlook and watched some squads below running drills, he spoke. "The woman who gave birth to me abandoned me. And Helis didn't care for me beyond that he could teach me to kill. I didn't realize I wanted an actual family until Ullia called me son. And I hardly even got to spend any time with her. I never even got an embrace from her, separated by the cell wall and bars as we were. And I didn't even realize I wanted that until just now." He admitted. He took a pause and huffed in annoyance. "It's a childish want."

Dekka nodded her understanding and tugged him into her arms. "There's no shame in struggling with a loss of childhood. As I'm sure you know, before Hekarro united the clans, many of our soldiers did not live past thirty and many in our tribe lost their parents and had to grow beyond their years because of it. You are not alone in this."

Nil sighed and sank into the embrace. It wasn't like Aloy's hugs which were almost always brief and tight. This was gentle and lingering and had a distinct tone of comfort that Aloy had neither the years nor the experience to provide.

"Just because we Tenakth take our fighting seriously, doesn't mean we can't take soft moments like this every now and again. Tomorrow you must fight. Tonight take your rest so you can rise strong. That is my counsel for you, child."

"Thank you, Chaplain." Nil would not cry. He wouldn't. He pulled out of the embrace and felt the stickiness of his paint that indicated that was a lie.

"Make sure to fix your paint in the morning." Dekka said, confirming his thoughts. "Now come, I will take you to your sister and the Chief."

--

Dekka led him back through the hallway between the Grove and the Arena. They passed through some side hallways including the one where Aloy and him had been quartered. Just past that was a room with a highly decorated door around a corner. They had been quartered next to Hekarro this whole time? How had he missed that fact?

Dekka gestured him forward and Nil pressed gently on the wood. It swung open easily and he was surprised by what he saw. Aloy's paint and armor had changed.

Her eyelids to her brows and well as her cheeks were done in blue. A stripe of yellow ran across the top of each of her cheeks and two more ran from her bottom lip to her chin. The rest of her face was done in white.

Her outfit still had a gorget, but stitched through with newer machine parts and the feathers that lined it were dyed blue. A machine piece vest that was reminiscent of Dekka's chest plate came from below the gorget and wrapped around her top, the scale like pieces colored white blue and yellow. The tassets were very like Ullia's but instead of a mix of the Lowland reds and greens, they were mostly blue and white with some yellow stitching throughout and sat over long deep blue leggings that reached to her ankles. She wore blue foot wraps and arm wraps with some woven vambraces to protect her forearms.

Nil felt a lump in his throat at the feeling of being an outsider again as he stared at the two warriors with their matching colors. In armor that was made for them and not cobbled together from the dead. But Aloy looked so happy, her new tags jingling in her hands as she chatted with her father. If the Ten were kind, he would join them tomorrow, as kin at least. He swallowed his thoughts and joined them at the low table to eat.

Chapter Text

The evening meal they shared kept them late into the night. Hekarro dismissed them, citing the Kulrut as his reason for shooing them from his chambers. Nil got the distinct but inexplicable feeling that the Chief wanted him to succeed. He hadn't been given an impossible challenge by any means, but he wasn't under any expectation that he was particularly wanted. He especially didn't expect to receive the same right as Aloy, to call the man father. The thought that the man might actually want and be proud to call him kin though, bolstered him and his sleep was restful instead of being plagued with distress.

They woke early, only slightly bleary eyed and refreshed themselves with a bath in the hot springs before heading to the Maw for the morning meal. The space was loud, both with sounds from the people gathered there and colors as representatives from all three clans milled about. The two Marshals stood out starkly in their blue and white against the crowd of other colors and Nil and Aloy joined them in line.

Nil couldn't hold back his chuckles when Kotallo comically dropped his bowl at the sight of Aloy, in colors that matched his own and armor that fit her precisely. He received no help as Fashav was laughing just as hard as Nil and Aloy was too busy smacking the both of them and visibly trying not to combust from blushing. When the four of them had regained some semblance of control, Nil threw things right back into chaos as he spoke to Kotallo.

"Marshal, you keep looking at my sister like that, I'm going to have to take you down to the sand and test your mettle." He drawled, throwing an arm around Aloy.

Aloy elbowed him hard in the ribs while Fashav chuckled. Kotallo looked conflicted.

When Fashav had distracted Aloy a while later, Kotallo leaned down and whispered to Nil. "Please forgive my looks. I should have better control. I know it's a useless hope. I know I am not worthy to receive that kind of attention from such a warrior as your sister."

Nil whispered back. "Keep in mind neither of us are Tenakth by birth. So we have some different notions over what makes a person worthy of our attention. Notions that I think the Chief and your fellow Marshal share. You should listen to them."

Kotallo just hummed. Nil let it be. The Marshal would have to come to his own conclusions about his usefulness on his own terms and in his own time. Nil had high hopes that it would come sooner than later based on how much easier the man walked than he had when they'd first seen him after the Embassy.

After the meal, people began filtering out to the Arena. The four of them went out to the overlook to speak with the Chief. Regalla was still likely to attack. They wanted to be ready.

"We know Regalla intends to attack with machines, so she'll have to come from the North gate." Fashav said.

"We've put up barricades there and at the front of the Grove." Hekarro added.

Aloy nodded. "Dekka already asked if I would help her hold the line at the North." Her face twisted into an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry Nil. I don't think I can watch the Kulrut."

Nil nodded his understanding and ran a soothing hand over the top of her head. "Too like the Sun Ring, I get it. Where will you two be?" He gestured at the two Marshals.

"We will be here, with the Chief." Fashav said proudly. "Where we belong."

"Should the defenses fall, we will take the blood owed for our fallen." Kotallo said, a light growl in his tone.

"Get to your tasks now. We will begin soon." The Chief spoke.

Nil and Aloy saluted and walked away. Aloy sprinted off towards the Northern defenses while Nil joined some other challengers on one of the platforms to jump into the Arena. He observed the machines bound below. Some Clawstriders, a Plowhorn, a couple Bristlebacks.

The voice of the Chief boomed out across the space and the buzz of the crowd quieted slightly to listen. "Tenakth! The Kulrut is upon us!" Hekarro's voice needed no amplification. "Our struggle requires new blood! New leaders!" The crowd began cheering loudly. "Release the quarry!" He directed the archers at the edge of the Arena and arrows cut through the ropes that anchored the machines, allowing them to roam freely about the space. "Challengers! Approach!"
Nil stepped forward with the other Lowland challengers. "Anyone who takes down a machine, will be named Marshal! Remember the Ten! Strike from the air as they did, and seize your glory!"

The Chief finished and Nil raced off the edge and jumped, tossing his rappelling hook after him. He forewent his Shieldwing for this and had considered leaving his Focus behind. But if they were going to face Regalla and her forces, he didn't want to forego that kind of advantage. He rushed straight for one of the Bristlebacks as soon as his feet hit the sand, nocking an acid arrow as he went.

The machine was a sparking hunk of metal in the sand when the sound of rumbling caught his attention.

Aloy spoke through the Focus. Nil looked up and saw Fashav was looped in as well. "Most of the machines up here are down, but there's something underground, headed straight for you. I'm on my way." She spoke quickly. The Marshals and the Chief moved back from the edge.

"No. Go help Kotallo and Fashav secure the Chief and the throne. I'll handle things down here." Nil said, scanning the ground for the approaching threat. The earth was being torn up, headed straight for the overlook. He yelled for soldiers in the path to move. The Focus finally registered a Rockbreaker as the thing broke through the ground and flew straight towards where the Chief had been standing. The collapsing machine exploded, bringing down the overlook as well as parts of the stands.

He was helping some of the soldiers up from the sand when out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone falling from the overlook. His eyes tracked up to see Regalla scowling down at him, flanked by at least one squad. He made to start rushing after her, but was brought short by a Slitherfang coming out of the hole the Rockbreaker had made. Another soldier was targeted with an acid spray as Nil dove behind one of the Bristleback carcasses. He did a quick visual survey of the area and caught sight of the ballista on the far end.

"Somebody get on the ballista! I'll get the machine's attention! Everyone else, serve your Chief and take care of the rebels!" He yelled.

He saw one of the Lowland soldiers run off and focused his attention on themachine. He nocked a chillwater tipped arrow and kept up a steady fire until the thing was locking up. A massive bolt from the ballista pierced it in the gullet, dealing heavy damage both from the piercing damage in its frozen state and the fallout damage from the burst acid sac. Another well placed ballista shot could do it if Nil could get it frozen up again.

He used up the last of his freeze arrows and the machine was still slithering around unimpeded. He slid out of the way of a spray of water right into a supply cache. He thanked the Ten when it held a cluster of frost bombs. One lobbed straight into its mouth tipped it fully into a brittle state and the shot from the ballista came a second later. Several weakened pieces released from the machine as it fell to the sand.

The broken overlook made a surprisingly good ramp to the upper level and he took it at a run. He heard a crash from the throne room as he passed by the Chief's guard handling the rebels. He let them be, wanting to get to his sister and Hekarro.

"I'll be back with everything I have! And everyone who stands with Hekarro, will be run red." Nil heard Regalla yell.

He caught sight of a flash of gray and black streak by him and he pivoted to chase. Oh no. She wasn't coming back. She had betrayed her Chief. She had betrayed Nil's mother, supposedly her closest friend. No. She didn't get another chance to get away without punishment for her crimes.

He was faster than the woman, and caught her by her upper arm. Her momentum forward pulled him into her and they crashed to the ground. He used his larger form to push her down into a pin, her face against the ground. Her massive weapon spun away from them.

"You should have accepted our challenge at Barren Light, Regalla." He said, voice low and dripping with venom.

"Carja scum." She snarled at him.

"You do not listen. I am Tenakth. I am blood born of Ullia." Nil said, his voice hard. "She is my mother. She gave me my name. And you betrayed her."

"Ullia was a true born Tenakth. She knew the Carja were our enemy. She would not have taken one as a son." Regalla hissed.

"I was never Carja in any way that mattered and you would do well to remember that. Not that you'll be remembering anything for much longer." Nil hissed.

A surprised gasp came from the side and Nil looked over to see a Lowland soldier standing there with wide eyes. Staring at him. At his unmarked skin and imperfectly fit armor.

"Regalla has been captured. Go get the Chief, that she might face his justice." He barked, hoping to shift her interest from him to the struggling exile below him.

The soldier ran off as Regalla used the momentary distraction to shift and bring her head sharply into contact with his face. Red bloomed across his vision and he reeled back with a grunt. He scrambled away, expecting her to go for a weapon while he couldn't see. He heard scuffling and grunts that he hoped meant some of the guards were securing the rebel leader. His vision was just starting to clear when his hands were pulled roughly behind his back and a harsh cloth rubbed away the paint from around his eyes.

"So it's true. A Carja impersonated one of our soldiers to fight in the Kulrut." A man snarled.

Nil caught sight of his captor. Lowland marks only partway down his arms. Young. Too young to have been in the fighting of the Red Raids. But apparently still old enough to know how to spew hatred at a faceless enemy.

Rushing footsteps. "Nil!" Came the worried voice of Aloy. "Let him go!" She growled.

"Release him, soldier." Fashav ordered.

"Of course the Carja Marshal would stand up for one of his own." The man holding Nil spat. "No doubt this man was trying to sneak into our ranks and slit our throats."

"You are out of line, soldier." Came the familiar rumble of the Chief's voice. "That is not the way to speak to a Marshal. Or the way to treat another one."

Nil followed the motion as the soldier still held him and whipped around to face the Chief.

"My Chief, it's a Carja. He…" the soldier began.

"Is Tenakth…" Aloy growled, but quieted when the Chief held up a hand.

"He… is a Marshal. And you have dishonored him by removing his paint and accusing him before the tribe." Hekarro rumbled in a deep and dangerous tone. "Release him. Now. And tell me your name and squad. I apparently need to have a word with your squad leader about how you treat other soldiers, especially superior officers."

"But he's…" The young man still tried to argue.

"Hold your tongue if you are intent on not facing an Arena challenge for your disrespect, soldier. You seem to be under the impression that I was not aware of this man's origins." Hekarro rumbled, voice sure as rolling thunder over the gathered soldiers. "I assure you, I knew who this man was before he even stepped foot in the Grove. Before I gave him leave to participate in the Kulrut. Which he came through victorious and is therefore a Marshal." He slowed his words as if explaining to a child. "I tell you again, do not make me tell you a third, release him."

The man's fingers loosened from Nil's forearms and Nil was immediately dragged away by Aloy who all but actively hissed at the young soldier. Nil got a good assessing look at the Chief and the two senior Marshals as well as the gathering crowd. Hekarro was leaned heavily on Kotallo and Fashav stood near them, his face smooth with contained anger. From the crowd, most faces bore curiosity, but more than one regarded Nil with hostility.

"Hiddo. Crab squad, sir." The young soldier said, shamefaced before slipping into the crowd after making a hasty and sloppy salute.

The Chief stepped forward and raised his voice that all the gathered Tenakth might hear. "Do not forget our ways. He is the blood born child of Ullia who was my sister. He has not been Carja since he took her blood. And he has acted for the best of the tribe since he came to us from the East. He challenged Grudda and Edda with his sister at Barren Light. He personally admitted his crimes to me and offered himself up for further punishment if it were asked. He helped Marshal Fashav with matters in the Desert. He attained victory in the Kulrut, and most recently, detained Regalla, that she might not escape and return again to kill more of our people." A vicious, muffled growling was heard at the back of the crowd.

Ripples shuddered through the crowd at each statement the Chief made. Surprise, respect, thoughtfulness. "Nil and Aloy both came to request their blood rites. Aloy's was completed as she brought the challengers from the Sky Clan. The challenge I gave to Nil was to compete in the Kulrut. He acquitted himself admirably in the Arena today. As I have said, I therefore name him Marshal, so he will serve and protect the tribe he once fought against." He pulled his knife and just like he had with Aloy, pressed the blade into his thumb, let the blood well up and passed it to Nil, who took the drop of blood on his tongue. "And I recognize him as blood kin."

Nil mirrored the gesture and swallowed heavily as the Chief took his blood. When Nil had sheathed his blade, Hekarro placed a hand on his shoulder and said in a warm tone. "You're home now, son."

The sound of muffled snarling came from the back of the crowd again and the people parted to reveal Regalla on her knees, a gag in her mouth. Three guards were on her, two spears crossed either side of her throat and one at her back, keeping her relatively immobile. If she'd been able, the heat of her glare likely could have set the whole of the Raintrace alight. As it was, it just seemed to ignite tempers in the senior Marshals and the Chief. Nil could feel the air thicken with the weight of their anger.

The Chief stalked towards the rebel leader, slightly unstable from whatever injury he'd taken. He ripped the gag from her mouth. "Any last words, traitor?"

"You're a Ten damned fool Hekarro." Regalla spat. "You'd allow the Carja to sneak in and destroy us." She pointed a glare in the direction of Nil and Fashav.

Hekarro spoke softly, shaking his head. "You say that, but it was you, a member of our own tribe that posed the most recent threat. You were the most dangerous of my Marshals. At some point, I might have said you were my best. But you failed to heed my counsel, failed to count the costs of the war you wished to wage and failed to see the error in clinging to the destructive ways of the past. And you dragged countless others into your foolishness. I made the mistake of sparing you once. It's not a mistake I'll make again." He stood and spoke loudly again, his voice the hard tone of a commander. "Regalla, for your sedition and violating your exile as well as your crimes against the Tenakth since the Embassy at Barren Light, I sentence you to death. You already had your challenge and failed to honor the outcome, I will not give you another. I leave your execution in the hands of Marshals Fashav and Kotallo to take the blood owed for that of their shield brethren that was spilled."

Fashav stepped forward and ripped his blade across Regalla's throat while Kotallo shoved his spear through her midsection, a roar ripping it's way from his lips.

"Blood for blood." The Chief said solemnly. "Let her be buried and her tags burned. Her spirit will not fly with the Ten."

The crowd saluted.

"At ease, soldiers. We have won great victories today. We have new Marshals. Our war with Regalla is over. I'm sure her forces will still plague our lands for a time, but those are fights for other days. Let us celebrate tonight. We can rebuild tomorrow." Hekarro said and the crowd began to disperse. Nil saw some of the Kulrut challengers heading towards the inker and wondered if he was meant to follow, to get his Marshals mark.

"Come my son, daughter, time for you to get your first marks."

It took a moment for Nil to realize Hekarro meant him. Aloy actually had to start dragging him before he caught the message. He was still floored and trailed after his sister back to the Chief's chambers.

Chapter Text

Hekarro counseled him on where to get his mark while the inker worked a stylized broken mountain into Aloy's shoulder. Nil was still smirking when he thought of how Tekotteh would react to that. He ultimately settled on his upper right arm. The Marshals mark was a simple band about his arm but Nil felt proud of all it represented.

Once the inker left them, Hekarro held out a wrapped package. "As a Marshal, you are expected to wear the blues of the station." He placed three pots of paint base on top as Nil took the package from his hands. "And as my son, your paint may carry yellow to stand you apart from the other Marshals."

Nil set the package to the side, a lump in his throat. "I… I can call you father?" He asked, his voice uncharacteristically small. He cringed at how childish he sounded and was preparing to take back the question when big arms wrapped around him and pulled him in tight for an embrace. He shuddered as the comfort settled into his bones and his body hitched on the beginnings of sobbing. He felt a hand press on his shoulder, small and familiar. Aloy. His sister. His family. The thought set off full body wracking sobs and he clung to the renewed joy of being wanted.

He apologized when he pulled away some time later and saw the red and teal mess he'd left on Hekarro's chest. His father just chuckled, waving it off as they were family now, and shooed Nil away to change and refresh his paint before they joined the celebrations.

Nil decided to use the same pattern for his paint that he'd been using, exchanging teal for blue and the red for yellow while he kept the white the same. He unwrapped the package to find a set of tags laid on top, the symbol of the Grove worked into one with blue and yellow, to symbolize where he reported to and his status as a Marshal. A tiny Focus along with the Chief's symbol were worked into the other to symbolize his next of kin, Aloy and Hekarro.

Underneath the tags was a chestpiece and scarf almost identical to Fashav's. Instead of longer tassets woven through with machine parts like the other man had though, these tassets were thicker, more rigid leather and woven reeds attached to a belt with several deep pouches. The tassets were stitched through with yellow cording and went over a long pair of shorts that faded from deep blue to white. In deference to his Lowland heritage, instead of boots, he got blue foot wraps and a set of simple woven greaves and matching arm wraps and vambraces. Nil was pleased with everything, as it was all designed to keep him light and mobile and fit to him, rather than just someone of a similar size.

--

Nil could tell Aloy already preferred Tenakth celebrations to the affair they'd been dragged to and very quickly absconded from in Meridian. Respect she'd earned but not had to claw for shone in every face. And it was respect and admiration, not awe and worship. That made all the difference to her.

And the Chief's speech on his behalf earlier had apparently made all the difference for Nil as he was able to mill about as though no one had seen his old Carja hunter's marks below his eyes. He chatted amicably with the Lowland Marshal who'd fired the ballista against the Slitherfang. Her name was Ivvira, he learned, and she had a fierce thirst for battle that lit her eyes up like sparkers. He liked her.

--

In the morning, Aloy was a bit of a bear to wake, groggy and thick headed from the rainwater she'd tried the night before. Once she was fully upright and trying to work through some knots in the ends of her hair, she swore off drinking. 0Nil just laughed while she scowled at him and told him to keep it down.

While Aloy secured AETHER, Hekarro called the Marshals together. The Sky Clan Commander was present as well, lingering in the back of the throne room and scowling, no doubt waiting to receive a dressing down from the Chief before returning to the Bulwark.

"My daughter is on a mission of grave importance to the entire world. She will be leaving today to return to that mission. Right now she is gathering something vital to her task." Hekarro announced. "To aid in her mission, I will be sending Marshals Nil and Kotallo to assist her. Marshal Fashav will remain here as the senior officer until they are able to return. Then he will continue with his planned mission to return to the Sundom."

The Marshals all saluted their understanding and several wandered off to various patrol duties and such. Nil started chatting with Ivvira while Tekotteh stepped up to the throne. Things went quiet when a strange staticky noise followed by a loud pop sounded from the antechamber. Dekka's voice exclaimed, "The Visions, they've changed! This one, it just appeared!"

Aloy appeared from the chamber below and gave a bright and knowing smile to those gathered as she passed and went to Dekka in the antechamber. Hekarro waved them all after her, including Tekotteh, while he remained seated.

Tekotteh walked forward slightly ahead of them and spoke with a reverent whisper. "The Visions have changed."

Ivvira, at Nil's side, gushed excitedly, "That's the one that inspired Chief Hekarro!"

"More wisdom of the Old Ones?" Kotallo rumbled.

Aloy smiled widely at them and waved them closer as Dekka pressed the console and the Vision came to life.

A deep voice narrated over as holograms of men and women stood at attention. "Hear now, the words that reunited a people; Following the tragic events of the war, Anne Faraday, the chief architect of the reconciliation effort, addressed a nation in need of hope."

The hologram of the woman at the front with short clipped hair spoke. "If we look into the future, the lens of the recent past, our fears loom. Wars waged against machines, scarcity of food and water, storms that drive us from our homes. But true courage means facing those fears with conviction instead of cynicism."

Nil knew he wasn't the only one who leveled a meaningful glance at the Sky Clan Commander. But Tekotteh at least wore an expression twisted with the knowledge of wrongs done.

"Leading the peacekeeping effort with these brave men and women, these Marshals of the new Southwest," Faraday continued, "has strengthened my convictions that when we are united, we can overcome any threat."

A shift passed through the room and Nil looked up to his left to see his father walking slowly and quietly along a raised platform at the side of the room, half watching the Vision, but mostly keeping an eye on those gathered.

"Join me - join us - in that conviction as we strive for a nation, and a world, without want or war." Faraday finished, turning to the other men and women, who saluted her with clean, sharp movements which she returned.

Ivvira turned and gave a sharp elbowed salute to the Chief and Nil followed suit with his own. He heard the shift of fabric and the creak of armor plates as the others in the room did as well. Hekarro saluted them back and gave a pleased nod before disappearing back to the throne room. Aloy sidled up to him.

"So many people could have heard that message and written it off. Stuck to tradition and the ways of the past." She said.

"Father took it to heart. Started to work for cooperation to do the best for the tribe." He said, smiling softly. "He's a good man. I'm proud to call him father."

Aloy smiled and nodded. "I've got AETHER. We should probably give our goodbyes and set out."

They turned and saw Kotallo coming towards them. "Reporting for duty Commander." He announced to Aloy.

Aloy looked confused. She had missed the news of Kotallo's new posting after all.

"I'm coming with you." He clarified.

"But the Chief…" she began.

"Thanks to you, he has new Marshals, and a rallying cry the clans cannot ignore. Thanks to your brother, he no longer has a full blown civil war on his hands. And Fashav will be here to help guide the new Marshals. So I will stand with you. Give, whatever is left of my life." He stated solemnly and sincerely. Nil's brows rose. For all the man had said he didn't believe himself worthy, that was quite a statement of intent. Aloy looked surprised and like she was going to argue another point when Kotallo held up a stalling hand. "It is what I choose."

"How can I say no to that?" She said around a brilliant smile.

--

"It could be a while until I can return these Marshals to you, father." Aloy said, smiling slightly as she attached her pack to the back of her Charger. "But hopefully not more than a couple months."

"However long your mission takes you, thanks in no small part to your efforts, the tribe should still be here when you return." Hekarro joked in response, opening his arms and inviting her in for a hug.

Aloy tucked herself into one arm and dragged Nil into the other and they shared an embrace with their father together.

"My children, Marshal Kotallo," Hekarro started when they pulled apart, "may the Ten guide you in your mission and return you to us safely."

"Thank you father." Nil responded, saluting before he mounted up on his Charger. "We'll keep you updated through the Focus. Fashav can help with the glyphs."

Aloy had helped Kotallo get himself and his packs situated so after a few more lingering goodbyes, they set off, back East, towards the Base.

On their way back, Aloy began teaching Kotallo how to use a Focus as well as telling him of their other allies and their mission. He was patient and an excellent listener. Nil understood when the Marshal admitted to being overwhelmed and not understanding. It was a lot to take in and they had kind of poured it all on him.

--

Nil was surprised when they stepped into the round main room of the Base. The dull, metal, utilitarian space had been transformed. Woven rugs dominated the floors. Instead of just the cold light coming from the bulbs overhead, candles were placed around, making the space warmer looking. And plants. Apparently Zo had been busy while they'd been off fetching AETHER.

"Aloy! Nil!" The Utaru greeted when the doors swished open. "You're back! And I see you've brought us a new ally."

"This is Marshal Kotallo." Nil introduced.

Kotallo gave a simple nod in greeting to their companions.

Varl nodded his own greeting back while Zo's eyebrows raised. "Not a small thing for the Chief of the Tenakth to lend out one of his Marshals."

"Two actually." Aloy said, pointing at Nil.

Nil gaped at his sister then leveled her with a half hearted glare. "Literally the first time I get news of my own to share, and you take it from me." He huffed out disbelievingly.

"Whoops." Aloy replied, flatly unrepentant.

Zo and Varl laughed and came away from their perches at the counter. "I'm sure that's quite a story. We're glad you've returned. As you can see, we've tried to make the space a little more alive. A little more like a home, no matter how temporary it may be." Zo said. "Would you like to talk about sleeping arrangements?"

--

They ultimately decided, as de facto leader of their squad, Aloy would get her own room in one of the converted offices. Zo and Varl had already claimed the other one for themselves. Nil would take a bunk in the bunk room same as Kotallo. It would help him get used to such quarters, like the ones he'd move into when they returned to the Grove.

Once they'd gotten their stuff moved into their respective spaces, Nil trailed after Aloy up the stairs to merge AETHER.

"Welcome back. It is good to see you both. May I offer congratulations for your completed blood rites?" GAIA said as they entered the dome.

"Thanks GAIA." Aloy said, her head ducking slightly in embarrassment while she fished the kernel storage device out of one of her belt pouches. "We've got AETHER."

"Excellent. Please place the storage medium in the console." The device rose from the floor and Aloy plugged the storage kernel in.

GAIA glowed brightly for a moment and birds flying through the air wound their way through her form as she integrated the subfunction into her matrix. Once the light faded and she returned to her normal golden hue, she spoke seriously to them both. "I must inform you. While you were gone, I received an unusual signal on my ELEUTHIA frequency."

"But you said you couldn't find ELEUTHIA when you scanned for it." Aloy said, confused.

"That's correct. And the signal came in slowly. So slowly it seemed like just an accidental blip of data amidst background static. It took me some time to collate the message once I recognized the pattern." She lifted her hand, bringing up the message for them from a projector in the room.

SOS. A set of Coordinates.
237.
Beware.

Aloy pushed the coordinates to pull up a map. "Where do the coordinates point to?"

"A mountain to the Northwest of this facility." GAIA answered slowly.

"If we couldn't detect ELEUTHIA before, why now, and how could it be this close without us detecting it before?" Nil asked.

"The transmission may be genuine. But it's also possible that it came from something or someone else." GAIA answered with a cautioning tone.

"The SOS. What does it mean?" Aloy asked.

"It was an Old World code. A distress signal. A cry for help."

"So either ELEUTHIA is in trouble or someone is trying to make it seem that way, to what end? The Zeniths shouldn't know about you. They didn't see us at the HADES Proving Lab." Aloy thought aloud.

"I do not know who else would have access to or knowledge of my internal frequencies. Perhaps your acquaintance, Sylens," GAIA mused "though I do not know how or to what end, especially considering he likely believes you are in the hands of Far Zenith, Aloy."

"So it could be genuine, it could be not. Either way, we should check it out." Nil summarized.

Aloy nodded.

"I've included Varl in this briefing via the Focus. He's waiting for you both by the Western exit."

"Thanks GAIA. I guess we'll be back soon. Hopefully with ELEUTHIA." Nil waved as he and Aloy left the dome.

They secured a promise from Zo to help Kotallo with his glyphs and set out.

Chapter Text

"Wish I'd at least put on my Sky Clan boots." Aloy grumbled as they climbed up the mountain towards the source of the signal.

"At least you have full leggings, I'm in shorts." Nil called in response.

"You don't have itty bitty shorts like Kotallo does though." Aloy replied, apparently without thinking because it came followed quickly by, "Wait. No. You didn't hear that. Say nothing. Or I will push all of the snow on this ledge onto your face."

Nil couldn't stop himself. "Got a good look up his tassets did you? Ah- shit! Cold!" He cursed as the snow plopped onto his head and face.

The sounds of a battle above hit their ears and they went quiet for the rest of the climb. The three of them hopped over the edge of the cliff and crouched low by one of the large rocks that littered the space.

"Shit. That must be a Zenith." Aloy whispered, studying the young woman who stood in the clearing clad in tight white clothes and firing on Oseram and rebel fighters with a dangerous looking weapon encompassing her hand that released purple pulses. "Stay low."

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is the air kinda shimmering around her?" Varl asked.

A rebel ran past their cover and tried to engage with the young woman. The rebel's blade seemed to bounce off what looked like moving bits of glass around the woman as it came close to hitting her. The rebel himself went down as the laser fire from the strange weapon a second later and the woman's voice carried a nasal and self important sound saying, "Trash."

"Shield tech." Aloy breathed.

An Oseram fighter was coming up behind the woman while others on a ridge across the way loaded a ballista looking weapon.

"What is that?" Varl asked.

Some from another ridge shot arrows that also bounced away from her. They drew the Zenith's fire, earning their deaths and a hissed, "Vermin" for their trouble.

The ballista shot, releasing a disc shaped projectile that hit the Zenith shield and with a flash of light and spark, the shield dissipated like glass shattering into too small of pieces.

"What the hell?" The woman cried out before the Oseram that had been coming up on her stabbed her through the middle. Her last act was a blast at the fighter in retaliation and they both dropped into the snow, dead.

The Oseram on the cliff were fluttering about, trying to quelch the fire that had begun on their weapon. They were swept up in an explosion a moment later.

"Glad we didn't have to fight the Zenith." Nil commented in a light tone.

"Yeah. I'm glad we avoided them at the HADES Proving Lab." Aloy said. "That shield was something. I'm going to go check out the weapon. Can you look over the Zenith and that machine over there? And Varl, see if you can figure out where the distress signal came from. There has to be some sort of facility around here."

Nil and Varl nodded and set to their tasks. Nil scanned the body of the Zenith woman. Her name came up as Verbena. He was able to get her last communication file but everything else came up a mass of corrupted or encrypted data.

He played the audio file of the communication while he looked over the pile of white plating and smooth black tentacles.

"What?"

"Hello Verbena." That was the voice of the man from the Proving Lab, Nil recognized. "What do you have for me?"

"I've checked everywhere. Still no sign of the asset. Can we call off this stupid, pointless search already?"

"Don't forget who let it slip away in the first place. I want results by nightfall. Think you can manage that?" The man's voice slipped into a dangerous tone. This was a man who had power and was used to wielding it. Not to be trifled with.

"I think I see something ahead."

The communication cut off and Nil pulled up his scan results of the machine. The readout stated the designation was a "Specter Drone" and its mission was to "assist in reacquisition of the asset".

"Guys, you're gonna want to take a look at this." Varl chimed in through the Focus.

Nil and Aloy met him by a massive hole drilled into the side of the mountain.

"Guess that's our way in." Aloy said in a dry tone "Might as well start. The remains of the weapon are still too hot. I can't get a good look at it. But the Oseram were sending data on it somewhere. Once the test was done, the machine self-destructed and the data signal stopped so I can't track it."

"Lead the way, sis." Nil offered, gesturing towards the hole. "Now, who do we know that one, knows about the Zeniths, two, has the technological knowledge and ability to make that kind of weapon, and three, is a secretive pain in the ass who would make something blow up in order to prevent data from falling into someone else's hands?" He ticked off the questions on his fingers as they descended the rocky slope left by wherever had torn open the mountain.

"Sylens, of course." Aloy groaned. "Can't wait to hear what his play is here. But none of that explains why the Zenith was here."

"The data I got from their machine as well as her last communication indicated they were looking for something they referred to as an 'asset'." Nil stated.

Varl jumped in asking, "Do you think they were talking about the subfunction? ELEUTHIA?"

"I guess we're going to find out." Aloy answered as they hit the bottom on the tunnel and found themselves in a hallway of an Old World facility.

--

"Looks like a data center." Aloy commented as they entered a large round room.

A console stood below, an interface panel glowing green, welcoming the press of a hand. A white device with gold accents sat nearby.

"And that looks like a Zenith device." Nil added as they traveled down the steps.

Aloy pressed the panel with her palm and swiped to open a data channel over to Nil and Varl so they could see what she found.

"A whole lot of data was beamcast from here recently. I think that device is a transmitter. So we probably missed ELEUTHIA." Aloy said. "Looks like this was a Far Zenith research facility. Ninmah."

"But if ELEUTHIA's gone, then what was this asset they were looking for?" Varl asked, echoing Nil's thoughts.

"I don't know. We'd better keep looking. If Far Zenith wants it, then it's better we keep it out of their hands." Aloy decided firmly.

Their search lead them to a massive room with ectogenic pods stored on the other side. When Aloy pressed the console, a synthetic voice told them there were 236 pods in storage.

"Two thirty seven." Nil said. "The two thirty seven from the message. That has to refer to this."

Aloy typed in the number and one of the pods lowered to them and opened to reveal another young woman, almost identical to Aloy. Her hair was shorter and even in the dim blue light of the holograms, Nil could tell her skin was paler than his sister's.

"Aloy. It's you." Varl breathed, reaching down into the pod. "Her skin is like ice."

"It's the Zenith clone." Nil corrected quietly.

Aloy picked up a small blood covered bug looking device and scanned it, a hologram message began to play.

"Hello, uh, Elisabet. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to call you. My name is Beta." The words tripped off her tongue rapidly and in a breathy quality as she seemed distressed. Nil couldn't help but notice just how young she sounded. "I only have a few minutes before my absence is noticed and I still have to remove this implant." She pressed a hand against the back of her neck. "So this message must be brief. I hope we have the chance to talk further but there's also a not zero percent chance that when you find this message that I'll be dead. Be careful when you take on Far Zenith. They are ruthless." Nil had no doubt of that. "They already have ELEUTHIA, ARTEMIS and APOLLO." Damn. They had already been pretty sure of that but to have it confirmed was frustrating."But they don't have the GAIA Kernel to merge them with." Varl held up a glowing storage device exactly like the one they'd gathered from the HADES lab. Oh. Good news. "Everything depends on your success. Good luck." Beta finished and the hologram cut out.

Nil felt along her chilled skin and caught the barely there beat under his fingertips as they pressed into her neck. "She's still alive." The room rocked as a crashing sound came from above and dust rained down on them from above. "Sounds like we're about to have company."

"Varl, get her to cover in that room over there." Aloy commanded while pointing. "Nil and I will take care of whatever comes down here. Keep her safe."

The Brave gathered the girl into his arms and disappeared behind the nearby door as directed.

"Do you think it's a Zenith?" Nil asked.

"We're about to find out." Aloy said, settling into her typical battle calm.

What burst through the door on the opposite side of the massive room was not a Zenith, but two of the Specter machines. Bless the Ten, Nil thought when he saw that they didn't have the shield technology like their masters did.

"They're weak to acid!" Aloy called out, having scanned the machines.

Nil cursed. He was running low on acid arrows now between the repair bay and the Kulrut. He nocked one and loosed it as Aloy released an acid enhanced shredder disc. The machines were fast and moved so differently from the animal based machines produced by HEPHAESTUS. These moved in smooth, slithery motions that were hard to keep up with. But Aloy wore them down slowly with acid buildup and allowed Nil to pierce through the damaged armor with hardpoint arrows. Rather than laying in a sparking damaged heap, these machines had wispy golden particles swirling about above the remains.

"Nanotechnology. Little machines that can hold together to make larger machines or build things very fast. That's probably how that Zenith's weapon worked. She seemed to be able to call it at will." Aloy said as she rummaged through the pile of scrap. She tapped her Focus. "I think we're in the clear Varl, you can come out."

"She'll need to see a healer. We should get her back to Zo as fast as we can." Varl said as he came out of the room.

"And we should get out of here before they send anymore Specters or another Zenith. Before we go, I want to see if there are any remains of that shield breaker weapon."

Chapter Text

Once they arrived back at Base, everyone set to their different tasks. Varl took Beta to Zo, Aloy headed up to GAIA to talk about the part of the weapon she'd found, and Nil split off to talk to Kotallo about the situation with the remaining rebels.

"Kotallo. Hey. How are you doing?" Nil asked as he wandered into the new room that had been unlocked. Kotallo was surveying a map on one of the tables in the room.

"Nil. I am well. Zo was very helpful in directing me with the symbols the Focus shows while you were away." The Marshal said, looking up. "And GAIA was able to unlock additional rooms. Including this one. She told me this was originally a space designed for entertainment. But since she doesn't have the information to facilitate such activities, she set up this hologram table with a map to survey the movements of the remaining rebels."

"Interesting. Mind if I take a look?" Nil asked, peering at the map. The outposts were marked with little red skulls with shelter markers over them while the markers for the camps were larger with extra markings off the sides. An outpost was highlighted green just south of the Grove.

"Of course. GAIA has limited information on much of the region, but I've filled in what I can with reports from Fashav." Kotallo said while Nil paced around the map table. "Apparently Dekka's grandson had defected to the rebels but came back when he learned what they had planned for his settlement. He's been making amends by providing the locations of their camps and outposts."

"Good of him." Nil hummed. "Seems like most of them are in Desert territory. Makes sense since Regalla was Desert Clan before she became a Marshal. But there's quite a few here. Can the new Marshals and Fashav handle all these?"

"To be honest, probably not. But I was thinking we could handle the ones closer to Base. The outposts here at the High Turning, and the one in Plainsong. Maybe handle the outpost here, at Dry Yearn. And then there's this camp, apparently called the Hive, sitting in the hills South of Scalding Spear." Kotallo pointed to the places as he listed them off. "I'd say we go out and handle the outpost at Jagged Deep and the camp at Eastern Lie, but they're more likely to die off on their own if we cut off their supply route through the High Turning."

"Eastern Lie is close to the Deadfalls and may be handled already. I can check with a contact we have in the Daunt." Nil muttered. "Has Dekka's grandson mentioned anything about Oseram working with the rebels?"

"Yes, but I wasn't sure I believed the report. Doesn't seem like the rebels, to work with outlanders." Kotallo said, brow furrowing.

"While you and Aloy were up North, Fashav and I ran across some former rebels who mentioned it. And when we were checking out the ELEUTHIA signal, we saw rebels working with Oseram." Nil explained. "From what they told us, both groups want war with the Carja."

"Hmm. Are these Oseram to blame for the machine overrides?"

"Maybe on the surface. But they wouldn't have been able to figure out the information on their own. Someone with knowledge of it would've had to guide them. And I'm pretty sure I know who that is." Nil growled. "Can't figure out why though."

"Tell me more?" Kotallo prompted, looking intrigued at the new information.

So Nil told him about Sylens, glossing over Aloy's early interactions with the man to meeting him himself and then his treachery both in the East and West. By the time he was finished, Kotallo looked like he wanted to stab the man just as badly as Nil and Aloy did. Perhaps even more, considering all he had lost due to Sylens' machinations.

"And you are sure this man is responsible for the rebels riding machines?" Kotallo growled.

"Seems to be in line with his behavior. Not to mention the weapon we found on the mountain." Nil shrugged. "Not the first time he's started a civil war."

"Hmm. You mentioned a weapon?"

"We found out the Zeniths have a sort of personal shield. The Oseram that were with the rebels on the mountain fired a weapon that dispelled it. I'm sure Aloy's talking with GAIA right now to see if we can replicate it."

"Actually, Aloy is right here, with no news. All the data on the core I found was purged when the thing blew up."

Nil looked over to see his sister was indeed, leaning in the doorway.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, coming closer and eyeing the map table for herself. Nil chose not to comment on how she situated herself almost shoulder to shoulder with Kotallo, nor on how the pink on their ears was visible even in the dimly lit space.

"Rebels. The Oseram that are working with them. Sylens." Nil answered.

"Ah." Aloy hummed.

"So if this Sylens was building a weapon to use against the Zeniths…" Kotallo began.

"Then he wants to stop them. But he won't get his hands dirty." Nil said.

"So the Oseram and the rebels are to be his army." Kotallo added thoughtfully.

"Probably threw a wrench in his plans when Regalla was removed from the equation." Aloy mused, a small smirk tilting her lips.

"Probably." Nil liked the mental image of Sylens fuming in whatever dark hole he was hiding in. "We're going to need to face the Zeniths at some point. While HEPHAESTUS could make us enough machines to tear through their shields, having the weapon would be better." Nil said, thinking. "Do you think if we deprive him of his army, he'll give up the schematics?"

Aloy snorted. "No. But he'll realize we're his only option to take down the Zeniths. And he'll have to come out of his little hidey hole." A vicious smile lit her features. "I was going to head out for POSEIDON. GAIA, could you highlight its location on the map?"

"Certainly." The AI's voice chimed though an overhead speaker.

A second later, a blue flag lit up on the map, deep in the Desert.

"Looks like POSEIDON sits in the middle of a couple outposts and a camp. I can take care of those while I'm out that way." Aloy said, pointing at the red marked places on the map.

"Good. I remember the carnage you left behind at bandit camps." He smiled wistfully as he remembered their first meeting. "Kotallo and I were talking about taking this camp and these outposts." He pointed them out to her.

She nodded. "Sounds like we've got a plan."

Some rustling and shouts followed by hurried steps came from the common room.

"Sounds like our guest is up and moving." Nil commented.

"Yup. We should probably go talk to her." Aloy said.

"Kotallo, I'll be back and we can discuss when to head out." Nil said, turning to follow Aloy.

"I will see you soon then." Kotallo said at his back.

Zo was standing in the common room. "She didn't seem injured beyond the wound at the back of her neck where Varl told me she cut out a device from her own head. She woke up as I was tending her and stumbled down into the basement. Varl followed her down there, but he might wait for you, so she can interact with a familiar face, as it were." She said, her brows bent together as she seemed slightly unsettled.

"Thanks Zo. I know how weird it is to see another person with Aloy's face. Thank you for staying so calm." Nil replied, giving Zo a grateful smile.

The Gravesinger gave a small smile in response and Nil disappeared down the stairs.

--

"Are you alright? Is it your injury?" Aloy asked Beta, kneeling beside her.

"Not exactly. When you remove a neurologically integrated device, like the implant, it sends your senses into an odd sort of freefall. Everything feels unreal, distant in a way. It's called Simulacrum Withdrawal Syndrome." Beta whispered shakily, clearly distressed.

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Do you have a spare Focus? It's outdated from what I'm used to, but I can make it work." She answered.

Aloy handed over one of the devices and Beta attached it to her temple, navigating the boot up sequence with an ease Nil had never seen before.

"Alright. I can work with that." Beta sighed and stood. She took a step back as she seemed to fully register their face paint and that there was one more person than she'd been expecting. She stood a little shorter than Aloy. Definitely a little younger. "I suppose you have questions-"

"My name is Aloy. And this is my brother, Nil." Aloy introduced. "Adopted, of course." She added when Beta gave her a strange look.

"Okay. Go ahead. I will admit I don't know much about their plans. And when they finally introduced themselves, I only met a small handful. There may be more. I was only allowed to access information and learning modules that would help me reinstate the terraforming system. I have my theories." Beta said, obviously concerned about the gaps in information she presented.

"First I'm wondering how you knew to look for us. We managed to hide from the Zeniths and you at the HADES Proving Lab. You shouldn't have known we had GAIA up and running for you to even reach out to." Aloy asked, voice a little hard from suspicion and confusion.

"The RECLUSE Spider system had been recently accessed with the signature stamp of E. Sobeck. And it stated a GAIA Kernel had been removed. I saw the smashed Focuses on the walkway as I left. No reason for any of that unless another clone of Elisabet was wandering about." Beta calmly explained her observations. "I figured you were trying to fix the system, but actually to save the planet, instead of destroying it. And I thought I could find you, seek shelter here with you."

"Is that what the Zeniths are trying to do?" Nil prompted. "We came to that conclusion with GAIA…"

"Destroy it? Rebuild it the way they want? It seems consistent with their behavior." Beta nodded. She looked sad. "The way they treated the local people groups made it clear they didn't care to fix the current iteration. They probably think it's better to start all over than work with what's already there."

"So they did fake the destruction of their ship." Aloy said. "And so they succeeded in making a colony world?"

"For a few hundred years. But some kind of natural disaster destroyed it, I was told. So they've come back here, to establish a new colony." Beta agreed. "Completely from the ground up. With GAIA at their fingertips."

"Do you know what they did to themselves? To make them live this long?" Nil asked.

"Pharmaceuticals, cellular treatments, technological implants. A number of other things. They did have several key players in the longevity treatments game with them." Beta answered, her words starting to pick up speed.

"Did they do any of that to you?" Aloy prompted.

The thought made Nil's stomach turn. The Zeniths had already treated this girl more like a thing than a living being, he wouldn't put it past them to just go ahead with mutilating the body of a child to have a perpetual slave to their whims.

"No. I was made on the ship back to Earth."

Okay. One thing to not add to the list of the sins of Far Zenith.

"Do you know where their base is?" Aloy asked.

Beta shook her head. "Every time they took me out to check a facility, they kept me in a Specter drone. They've never trusted me." She said bitterly. "I think it's near the coast though. A launch facility so they can shuttle back and forth between the ship in orbit."

"How'd you escape?" Nil butted in.

"I didn't think I ever would or could. But when I figured out you were out here somewhere," she directed at Aloy, "I took my chance. I convinced them that having the root kernel would help me capture ELEUTHIA faster. And only Verbena was coming with me, so I gave her the slip, set up the distress signal and changed the inventory to say there were only 236 ectogenic chambers in storage."

"That was a clever bit of work." Nil praised giving her a smile.

Beta ducked her head and flushed. He wondered if there was literally a genetic predisposition to struggle with being praised.

"Any idea how they got Elisabet's DNA?" Aloy asked, brows furrowed.

"That was definitely not part of the archive I was allowed to access."

"Archive?" Aloy prompted.

"The database of knowledge they had on the ship. Aristotle and Aspasia would assign me learning modules and evaluate my progress. I wasn't allowed to go looking in the archives on my own. If I tried, I would get locked out of the system." Beta explained, her voice going quiet at the end, indicating more happened than just a system lock out.

"Those were the names of the APOLLO avatars." Aloy breathed. "You got to learn from the APOLLO database. The beta build that they traded with Zero Dawn for. It still exists. Even though Ted Faro had purged all the copies here on Earth."

Beta just nodded.

"That must have been hard for you. To have all that knowledge practically at your fingertips, yet still out of reach." Nil said.

Another nod.

"You're probably tired. I don't want to strain you too much. Do you want to come upstairs?" Aloy offered.

"How long?" Beta asked abruptly.

"Until…" Aloy started, unsure.

"Until you have your machine army. To defeat the Zeniths. That has to be your plan. It's the optimal strategy given your resources." Beta worried at the long edge of her top while she spoke quickly.

"We still need two subfunctions before GAIA's matrix is dense enough to reabsorb HEPHAESTUS." Aloy stated.

"You don't have HEPHAESTUS yet?" Beta half shouted. Then she started mumbling through short panicked breaths. "I shouldn’t have come. They're going to find me. They're going to drag me back and punish me. Everyone is going to die."

Nil saw Aloy growing defensive and placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from lashing out. Lashing out at this woman who bore her same face. In Beta, Nil saw Aloy, his sister, if she hadn't had any of her training, if she'd not even had a corporeal person to interact with for who knew how much of her life. And so much smaller and less sure of herself. Treated like a tool, like he had been.

"Relax." He said quietly. "I'm not going to hurt you. We aren't. And we're not going to let the Zeniths get a hold of you again. MINERVA is masking this location. We've got the locations of POSEIDON and DEMETER. We should have both of them in the next couple weeks. And the Zeniths can't do anything on their end without you or the root kernel. You've given us a significant lead on them." He listed off, trying to calm the young woman. "You're clever. And you clearly have a broader knowledge on some things than we do. We're not sure how to get HEPHAESTUS localized to a single location. You can help us figure that out." He sent her the recording of what they had seen on top of the mountain. Of the Zenith’s shield being broken. “We also have some idea of who made that weapon. And we’re working on bringing him to the table. So even if we don’t get HEPH, we’re going to take them down, ok?”

Beta looked up at him, her mouth slightly agape. But he saw the hope in her eyes and the hardening edge there of determination. He smiled. That fierce will that he was certain was just ingrained in the personage of Elisabet Sobeck. She just needed to recognize it in herself. Nil looked back at Aloy who was smiling at him gratefully.

"C'mon little one. Let's get you out of the darkness down here and introduce you to the rest of the squad." Nil said to Beta, prying her gently away from the server that she had clung to in her distress and giving her a light push towards the door to the stairs. She sputtered but moved through the doors to greet a surprised looking Varl.

Chapter Text

Beta almost immediately fell in with Zo and GAIA as she listened to their soothing tones. She giggled lightly at Varl tripping over himself to be helpful. Kotallo, she seemed ill at ease around the fierce warrior being relatively stoic still as he adjusted to his new squad. Overall though, despite the fact that she acted like a spooked little rabbit, she seemed eager to help. By the morning, before Aloy left to gather POSEIDON, she had a tidy little alcove she had claimed for herself in Aloy's room, and a list of tasks to help around the Base beyond those she needed to complete for the mission.

Nil agreed with Kotallo that it would be best to handle the outpost in Plainsong and work back around the North through the one at High Turning. As they left through the East exit, Nil called Petra.

"Hello?" The Oseram woman answered, practically shouting in Nil's ear.

"Hi Petra. You don't need to talk that loudly." Nil replied, wincing slightly.

"Oops. Sorry Moonshine." She apologized, lowering her voice.

"Moonshine?" Nil asked, bemused.

"Sure. Aloy's got that flame hair, you've got those pretty moonshine eyes. So, Moonshine."

"Alright then. Guess I'll be flattered. I wanted to ask if Lawan had reached out about checking on some Tenakth rebels in No Man's Land."

"Oh yeah. Sure. We took care of that a couple weeks ago. Actually I wanted to thank you for the tip. Finding the sinkhole that Ulvund opened up with his unauthorized blasting gave us the leverage to give him the boot. He ran back to the Claim with his tail tucked between his legs. Wish you could've seen it."

"I'm sure it was quite a sight, Pet." He smirked.

"My crew also took out a camp of rebels up that way. They had enough blaze stocked up to blow Barren Light completely to rubble. Lawan has been very generous with his praise. Relations between the Carja and the Oseram in the Daunt are better than ever." Petra reported joyfully. Then her voice went oddly somber. "And I should probably tell you, we also got word of some Eclipse both in the Daunt and on the West side of Barren Light." Nil froze on the path earning a strange look from Kotallo. "Don't worry Moonshine, we took care of them too, but I thought you'd like to know. Lost a couple of my guys when their leader blew himself up."

"I'm sorry Petra. But I appreciate all you've done to get rid of that taint." Nil relaxed and continued walking.

"Ah. We'll all sleep better knowing that the Eclipse have fallen to shadow as the Carja would say. Now when are you and your pretty sister gonna come around for a drink?" She prodded.

Nil shook his head and smiled. "When we can take time for leave Pet, I promise it's one of the first things on my list. In the meantime, if you catch word of any Oseram working with the rebels, can you give me or Aloy a call?"

"Sure thing, Moonshine. Take care out in the West. I hear there are bloodthirsty Tenakth out there." She teased.

"Ha ha. Talk to you later, Petra."

The call ended and Nil updated the list of rebel holdings. "So when we take out the Plainsong and the High Turning outposts, that will clear all of the rebel holdings on this side of the mountains except Jagged Deep."

"Good." Kotallo growled.

"So, there's something I've been meaning to ask." Nil began.

"Go ahead." Kotallo replied warily.

"You were Sky Clan."

"Yes…" The word came out slow and hesitant.

Nil twisted his lips. "There's more to the story than that. C'mon, we're squad mates now."

Kotallo rolled his eyes. "Very well." He paused and sighed. "I was young when my parents were killed in a clan skirmish. My squad raised me and I became known as an accomplished fighter. Tekotteh took an interest in my training and development. I fought by his side against the Carja and I led my squad up that dangerous climb into the Daunt. You remember the outcome of that adventure."

"Sure do. Though you are the one with the souvenir from it." Nil smiled and tapped his lip.

Kotallo huffed out an amused sound. "Indeed." His tone turned somber again. "I was welcomed home as a hero for those deeds. And I was content."

Nil's brow furrowed. "Why leave and become a Marshal then?"

"I was sent to the Kulrut by Tekotteh. Back then, I would've obeyed his every word. I believed in him. Like a child does a father. I didn't see the fear behind his actions until later. The fear of a strong young warrior stealing his command out from under him. I returned from Barren Light a hero, but he only saw me as a threat."

"So he sent you to the Kulrut to get rid of you. Because as a Marshal you wouldn't be able to challenge his command."

"Exactly. Even though he should have known I had no interest in rising above my station. He told the clan it would be selfish to deny Hekarro and the tribe of a warrior such as myself. It was exile guised as an honor. One I could not refuse." The deep hurt of Tekotteh's actions still rang through Kotallo's tone and Nil patted his back.

"While I'm sorry you had to go through that, I must say, you make an excellent Marshal and I'm glad to have you in my squad."

"Thank you. You make a good Tenakth." Kotallo said genuinely.

Nil smiled, warmed by the praise.

They were quiet for a while until the sharp green points and yellow red glow of a rebel torch caught their eye and they slunk through several patches of long grass towards the structures that housed the rebels. Kotallo gave a slightly envious look as Nil pulled his bow from his back and nocked an arrow with the familiar ease of muscle memory. Nil just nodded towards the hooked blade at Kotallo's hip and the senior Marshal grabbed it, his lips set in an apologetic grimace.

Nil shot down the two rebels on the watchtowers with ease, not even bothering to highlight them with his Focus. Then he remembered that Kotallo hadn't gotten a lot of practice with the hunting aspects of the Focus. He and Aloy had shown him on the way back to Base, but this would be the first time he got to really use it. He tapped the other Marshal on the shoulder and gestured to the Focus at his temple.

Kotallo nodded and tapped the little white triangle and his eyes pinged around to the orange highlighted figures of the rebels. He spent a moment tracking the patrol pattern of the outpost leader before turning back to Nil and nodding when it was clear for them to sneak further into the outpost.

Nil dropped several more rebels that were patrolling on the far end of the outpost while Kotallo used stealth attacks to silence the outpost leader and one other patrolling near them. All that remained was an overridden Charger that seemed more intent on fleeing than attacking them. Nil shot a fire arrow into the blaze container on its hindquarters which sparked for a moment before blowing up, destroying the machine.

Kotallo looked grim when he stood from where he'd been bent over the outpost leader. He held out his hand to show Nil what he'd found. Soldiers tags.

Nil spit at the body. "Dishonorable scabs, the whole lot of them. Taking tags like they're trophies."

Kotallo just hummed an agreeing but unhappy sound.

--

The other outposts were cleared in similar fashion. Nil using ranged attacks and Kotallo viciously tearing through unsuspecting enemies with his blade.

The camp was more difficult. More rebels patrolled around than the outposts and more of the heavy fighters that were harder to take down with single hits. When they all laid dead at their feet or as far away as arrows could reach, Kotallo looked at his blade, some surprise coloring his features.

"You good there, Marshal?"

"I guess… I'm still surprised that I can stand toe to toe with these fighters. That I'm able to keep up with a soldier like yourself. Despite my deficiency." He gestured at his left arm with a twisted grimace.

"Even after you helped Aloy take down a Tremortusk?" Nil prodded. "You never stopped being a warrior. A fighter. The fact you even survived that injury in the first place is proof of that. And you've not done much besides show how you've overcome since."

Kotallo's mouth pulled into a thoughtful frown and Nil wasn't sure whether to press or to leave the issue for the time being. After a moment, the other Marshal shook his head and mumbled, "Idle thoughts. Have you heard how Aloy fares on her own mission?"

"I don't want to call just in case she's in the middle of something. I did that once before and got my ear chewed off cause she almost got run over by a Ravagers she was hunting." Nil replied, mouth twisting at the memory. "But it would be good to get a timeframe on when she'll be back at Base. I'll send her a message."

He sent the message, a simple, 'How are things on your end?' and received a call a few moments later.

"I was actually just about to call. Your ping is not far off. We're in Arrowhand." Aloy announced as they connected.

"Kotallo and I just cleared the Hive. Wait… what do you mean 'we'?" Nil asked, confused who Aloy would have started dragging along with her.

"Oh. Right. I found a friend out in the desert. I said we'd give her an escort to the Grove."

Nil vaguely remembered how Varl had mentioned Talanah had stopped through the Base, or more like run through it while he and Aloy had been collecting AETHER.

"The one and only Sunhawk. She's lucky our people haven't tried to shoot her on sight yet." Nil said lightly, pulling up his map as he spoke to find a safe route to the settlement.

"Oh, they have. She just managed to outrun the patrols that did. But she earned herself some goodwill with the Desert Clan Commander. And traveling with one of both of us will keep her safe until the Grove."

"So you met Drakka." He said on a laugh, leading the way out of the destroyed rebel camp.

"Yeah. Earned a new nickname." She grumbled.

Nil chuckled. "What'd you do?"

"A child had gone missing. Turned out the kid had been hiding in an old plane just south of here, afraid to leave because of the machines around. A Thunderjaw and a Stormbird."

"Ah. And the huntresses proved their skills with their bows."

"Yup. And then the kid clung to Talanah all the way back to the settlement. Which was honestly very cute. Ow!" Nil smiled, guessing the Sunhawk had punched his sister. "What!? It was! Anyway, the commander at Arrowhand has decided that it's ok for her to spend the night here. We'll head back to Base in the morning."

"So I'm assuming you have POSEIDON and the rebels are taken care of?"

"Did I not update the map?" She asked, more to herself than him. "Oh. Whoops. Guess I forgot. And yes. POSEIDON is sitting pretty and blue at the bottom of my quiver."

The outposts and camp turned green on the map.

"Excellent. I think all the rebels East of the Grove are cleared out then. Except an outpost near Jagged Deep. I could see if Petra could do something about that." Nil said thoughtfully. "Though it may just die from lack of supplies or some of the fiercer delver crews that travel through No Man's Land."

"True. We should check in with Fashav to see how the rest of the Marshals are faring further West. They took Fenrise, you know." Aloy said, her voice lowering to a whisper in frustration.

Nil growled. Hekarro's and Ullia's home village. Where they'd grown up, trained, earned their soldier marks. How dare the rebels touch that ground. "We'll hope that the new Marshals show them the fury of the Ten."

Aloy made an assenting hum.

"We'll join you at Arrowhand for the night and then the four of us can head for Base in the morning."

"Sounds good. See you soon."

When Talanah caught on to the secret looks Aloy and Kotallo kept giving each other, she slid a smile in Nil's direction. Nil nodded and grinned in response.

Chapter Text

Nil and Talanah entertained themselves on the way back to Base by taking turns to see who could make Aloy turn redder. Talanah was declared the winner by the time they reached Rukka's camp as not only Aloy deeply flushed, but Kotallo was also bearing a pink wash up the back of his neck. The four of them entered the Base to their friends hovered over the counter as Zo demonstrated something to Beta. They looked up and greeted everyone with bright smiles.

"Good timing. We were just finishing prepping lunch. Are you joining us?" Zo asked.

"Sure." Aloy agreed. "Just going to get POSEIDON up to GAIA."

Nil followed after Aloy and Beta caught up to him on the stairs, worrying the edge of her top again.

"What's up, little spark?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'll tell you both together."

They watched as the console disappeared below the floor again and GAIA glowed a brilliant blue, little silhouettes of fish swimming through the light and then settling again to golden. Her usual serene face glances over them and she nodded at Beta.

The younger clone stepped towards Aloy. "While you were gone, I reviewed what data we had on HEPHAESTUS and I had Varl and Zo check out the cauldron Southeast of here. Cauldron MU. To get some fresh scans of HEPHAESTUS influenced machines and the data core. It's written Alpha clearance out of its access module somehow. We won't be able to capture it."

"Dammit." Nil swore.

"Not unless we had a higher level of clearance." Aloy mused.

"There is no higher-" Beta started to argue but froze. "Omega clearance." She whispered after a moment.

Corpses dessicated by time, but with faces frozen in horror and pain flashed through Nil's mind. "The backdoor clearance Ted Faro used to purge APOLLO and kill the Alphas." He finished.

"That could work. But not even the Zeniths knew where Thebes, Faro's private bunker, is located. That's where you'd need to go to get it."

Aloy kissed her teeth in thought. "We still have time to look into that. Have you made any progress on how to localize HEPHAESTUS?"

"It is difficult, as anywhere we go will require that I have a physical presence in order to execute the process." GAIA answered. "While we narrow down our options for the operation, we've been working on designing a transport rig to carry me."

"Good. You keep on that. Like Aloy said, we have a little time since we still have to get DEMETER." Nil said. "Which we'll be leaving to do in the morning. Let's go have lunch."

He ushered the two redheads out of the dome.

--

Lunch was lively with everyone at Base and the inclusion of Talanah. She was chatty about everything except who she was looking for at the Rot, and why she'd been running so far through hostile territory to find them. She managed to throw them entirely off the subject when she offered to teach Beta how to hunt.

Beta looked curious but also thoroughly spooked by the idea of holding a bow. The more Talanah spoke about the thrill of the hunt, the paler Beta went and she looked ready to bolt back down to the server room when Aloy suggested machine riding for the both of them instead.

They decided to practice on the East side of the mountains to avoid upsetting Rukka with another outlander in the clan lands. Aloy wandered off with Talanah while Nil stayed with Beta. The young woman still looked nervous, and he didn't want to push her too far out of her comfort zone too fast. He was glad she even agreed to go outside. So far she'd seemed content to remain in the Base, shielded by MINERVA.

When Nil commented on that, she shrugged. "Unless they're actively traveling around or having Specters going around looking for me, they're no more likely to find me outside the Base than in it. Especially if I find some clothes to blend in more. But I doubt they'd waste the resources to try and find me. They're immortal. They can just make another clone and wait for her to be old enough to do what they want." She said, voice embittered by the thought.

Nil dropped his hand on top of her head and fluffed her hair a bit, making her scramble to set it to rights when he was done. She glared up at him and he just smiled and whistled for his Charger.

It plodded up, moving it's head towards Nil in that odd friendly way that override mounts seemed to. But the horns jutted a little too close for Beta's liking as she squeaked, sliding behind him. Nil pushed the head away so the flank of the machine was facing them.

He stepped out of Beta's way and pressed his hand against the machine's side. "Well, you ready?"

"Can you ride with me?" She asked quietly, still looking at the machine a little hesitantly. Until I get the feel for the motion?"

Nil smiled indulgently and mounted up, holding his hand down to lift her up. She squeaked again as she was yanked and settled in front of him. He began guiding the Charger through some paces around the little clearing they were in. Beta sat stiff and hardly moving through it save the sharp bouncing she seemed to be doing with every step the machine took.

"Beta…" Nil chided through a chuckle as he stopped the Charger. "You need to relax. Allow your body to move with the movement of the machine. You're going to be extra sore tomorrow if you keep up riding like that."

Her breath was coming a little heavy but she managed to respond between gasps. "I don't know how to do that. And you know telling someone to relax is the worst way to get them to actually relax?"

Nil breathed deep and slow and Beta matched it after a moment. When she'd calmed down a bit he offered a suggestion. "Why don't we try chatting for a bit? Take your mind off things."

Beta gave a noncommittal shrug.

"When the mission is done, have you thought about what you want to do? Aloy, Kotallo and I will return to the Grove. Varl and Zo will obviously stick together. But what about you? I hope you don't plan to stay at the Base for the rest of your life."

She sputtered. "Of course not. That's part of the reason I'm even trying to do this right now. I want the skills in case I need them for the mission but also because I know they might be useful after. But as far as what after looks like, I still haven't thought about it." She shrugged again. "I think part of me knew there would never be an after with the Zeniths."

"I used to live that way too. A tool to someone else's whims. Never wanting anything or living for myself. But you're not with them anymore. You can think about it now." He offered.

"I started to poke at the idea a bit when Tilda started talking to me. I think I'd like to travel. Meet people. You guys are the first people I've really talked to besides the short time I had contact with Tilda."

She seemed to be settling into the conversation enough that Nil pressed the Charger to move forward slowly as he commented. "Tilda knew Elisabet."

"Yeah." She said quietly. "I thought she made a secret way to talk to me because she wanted to know me. Because she wanted me to have some experience outside my training interface. But she cut me off, pretended like I was a stranger when they finally introduced themselves as we approached Earth. I didn't understand it until I found that recording. She didn't want me. She wanted a woman who died a thousand years ago. Not an inferior copy." She finished on a throaty sob.

Nil was glad she seemed to be settling into the bumps and rolls of the Charger's movement. But he needed to address this hurt the Zenith woman had left on the girl before he could compliment her progress. Luckily it was a familiar sort of hurt and fear.

He rested one of his hands on one of her shoulders. "I've had to say this to Aloy a couple times and now it's your turn. You may have the genes, the face, the machine metal will and determination to heal the world of Elisabet Sobeck, but you are not her. And you shouldn't try to be her. Because you're not her. You're you. Your own, different person."

She slumped in her seat. "Thank you." She whispered. After a beat she added, "You're a natural at working with others."

He huffed a laugh, amazed at how his life had changed. How he had changed. For the better. To the point that he could help others do the same. He swallowed around the emotion swelling in his chest and throat. He switched topics to keep his eyes dry. "Do you want to take the reins a bit? You seem to have settled into the motion finally." He opened his hands, letting the blue cables rest across his palms for her to grab or not.

She shook her head. "I want to go back inside. I want to rest and do some thinking."

"Fair enough." He agreed, dismounting and holding out his hands for her to drop into.

She looked mulish as her armpits settled onto his hands. "I feel like baby Simba." She grumbled as he held her aloft for a moment.

"Baby what-a?" Nil asked, setting her down.

"He was a character in a movie. In the brief time Tilda was in contact, she allowed me to access some more of the entertainment sections of the archive. She wasn't particularly pleased that I spent a lot of that time watching animated movies instead of looking at the art she suggested. …Ah.. A lot of that probably didn't make sense to you, huh?" She said sheepishly. "Movies were stories told through people playing characters. Kind of like a play. Are there plays?"

Nil nodded. "For the noble Carja and some Oseram put on those kinds of shows."

"Ah. Well, so animation was a way to make movies where instead of people playing the characters, they were drawn or created as images using computers." She explained as they leisurely walked back towards Base. "There was an animated movie in the 1990s called the Lion King. Um… lions are… were medium predatory animals, kind of like a…" she looked at a list on her Focus. "Sawtooth? Ravager? But smaller. Anyway, this story was about a young lion and at the beginning of the movie, they celebrate his birth. And they held him up, kind of like you were holding me there."

"I have so many questions." Nil said, helping her up some of the ledges on the path. "But I think I get what you mean."

"It might help for you to see a movie to understand. But unless we get APOLLO back from the Zeniths, we probably won't get a chance to see one."

"Actually, a handful of TV show episodes and movies are available in the archive that Aloy scanned during her journey. Many were corrupted and she understandably did not take the time to fix the files." GAIA chimed in. "However, with my processing power, I've been able to work on restoring them in the background. Several are currently ready for viewing."

"Wait. Really?" Beta asked. "How did I miss that?"

"Amongst the members of the Base, there has been a larger collective focus on learning to read text datapoints and those visual datapoints related to Aloy's journey. And you have been focused on researching the data regarding HEPHAESTUS. I did not think to mention it until now. Would you like to see the list of what we have available?"

"That'd be great!" She said enthusiastically and grinned at Nil. "Everyone is at Base for once. It would be the perfect chance for a movie night."

"Sounds like a plan." He smiled softly.

--

When Aloy returned with Talanah she popped into her room for a few minutes. When she came out, her face was set in a decidedly triumphant smile. She caught sight of him and waved him over energetically.

"I forgot to tell you I found a Focus when I took out Devil's Grasp. It just finished decrypting. Belonged to an Oseram. Part of a group called 'The Sons of Prometheus'."

"Sounds Old World-y. And pretentious." Nil commented.

Aloy hummed in agreement, knowing he was implying Sylens' involvement with the group. "And in confirmation, he just popped in for a little chat when I started snooping through the Focus I found." She added, bouncing slightly on her toes.

Nil raised a brow. "This is a surprisingly happy reaction to talking to the old pain in the ass."

"Oh he wasn't any more pleasant to talk to this time." She assured. "He told me I was messing with things beyond my understanding as usual." She rolled her eyes. "But he made it clear he doesn't have some fairly crucial information that he might want to know."

Nil tilted his head, asking her to go on.

"Like Beta." She smirked. "And you."

"Me?"

"Yup. For some reason he believes I escaped the Zeniths but not you. As if I would just leave you behind. And you know, for once, I just didn't feel like correcting him." She grinned ferally. "I want to see the look on his face when he realizes just how wrong and short sighted he can be."

Nil's grin grew to match hers as he imagined Sylens' face twitching to remain cooly neutral to hide the fear Nil knew he'd instilled in the man. "That'll be delightful."

"Yup." Aloy agreed.

Nil was imagining how they could stick the blade in and twist when Sylens finally revealed himself and an idea came to him. "Hey Beta." He called over to the young woman who was resting on one of the common room benches. She looked up and came over. "Do you think with GAIA's help, you could hack an encrypted Focus?" He asked her.

"Since we have MINERVA, it might be possible." She answered, brow furrowing in consideration. "Do we know what level of encryption we're dealing with?"

"Probably the most advanced level you'll find since humans came out of the cradles. The owner of the Focus is Sylens. He seeks and values knowledge over everything. Even human life. Most of what he knows is built on a foundation of what he learned from the corrupted HADES."

"Should still be ages behind what the Zeniths were using." Beta commented. "I'll look into it. Do you have a timeframe?"

"Well he won't come out of his hidey-hole until we clear what's left of the rebels and the Oseram they've been working with." Nil opened the map of the rebel holdings. "Looks like Kotallo spoke to Fashav and updated the map. There's just a handful left. Most of them North of the Grove. Given what's been accomplished and if we hit one or two on our way out to DEMETER, they may be clear by the time we get back. Perhaps longer if there's ones we don't know about."

"That timeframe should be sufficient to create a decryption program." GAIA chimed in. "Once his Focus is in range, his files should be accessible."

"Excellent. If we can get his data on the shield breaker, then we won't need him to use it." Aloy grinned, having been watching the exchange with bright interest.

"Exactly." Nil said, as he looked forward to finally being rid of the condescending ass. Rid of the threat to his family and the world Sylens presented.

--

Nil was trying very hard to keep a neutral face as he watched Kotallo's brain flatline at the sight of Aloy's paintless face. Aloy had sharp elbows and he didn't particularly feel like getting one in the ribs at that moment. So he put in the significant effort to keep his mouth shut. He did get a bean to the forehead as Beta started throwing their movie snack at the standing Tenakth to get their attention and get them to sit down for the movie.

"What are we watching?" He asked, dropping down on one of the cushions that'd been brought up to GAIA's dome for the occasion.

GAIA answered. "This is an animated film that came out in 2012. Beta and I agreed this would have the most relevant analogues for you and still give you an idea of what an animated film was like."

"Film?" Nil asked.

"Another word for movie." Beta explained as it started playing.

"Look at that hair!" Varl exclaimed as they watched the little girl with riotous red curls hide under the table. "It's like Aloy's!"

"My hair was never that crazy!" Aloy exclaimed.

"That creature looks like a Frostclaw or a Fireclaw." Kotallo commented as a massive black creature started attacking the family.

"Acts like one too." Aloy agreed. "I think it's called a bear. I found a carving of one up in the Cut."

"You are correct, Aloy. HEPHAESTUS designed many machines styled after animals." GAIA said.

When the girl started climbing a stone spire next to some falls, Talanah commented, "Oh that's definitely something Aloy would do."

"I'm pretty sure she's climbed higher." Nil replied.

"No weapons on the table? A princess shouldn't have a bow?" Aloy sputtered. "What kind of nonsense?"

"They probably feel secure so they don't think everyone needs martial training. Especially women. It was the same in the Sundom until Avad started changing things." Talanah mentioned.

"Sheep stomach?" Zo questioned with a look of disgust. "Was that a common meal?"

"May have been considered a delicacy to some." Beta shrugged. "Tilda used to wax poetic about foods that were fish eggs and goose liver."

"And another thing in common with the Sundom, arranged marriages for political stability." Talanah sighed, as the queen on screen shared the news of the betrothal with her daughter.

"Wow. She's an excellent shot." Varl commented as the arrow from the princess split another straight down the middle to land dead center in the bullseye.

"That was harsh." Aloy said as the bow landed in the fire.

"On both sides." Zo agreed.

"My mother did something like that once. Vala kept tying these flowers to her spear. One time mother got sick of her doing something so useless and ripped the spear out of her hands and tore off the flowers. Vala was so upset. When I got her to come home that night, some of the flowers, freshly picked, were sitting on the table. Mother continued to complain but didn't try to stop Vala decorating her spears after that." Varl told the story with a fond but somber tone.

"Her Strider creature acts like it understands her." Kotallo rumbled.

"That was common in stories and animated movies. Making animals act like people. In others, the animal characters actually talk." Beta explained.

"This strange woman only makes bear related things." Zo pointed out.

"Oh. Should've seen that coming." Nil said as the queen turned into a bear.

As the girl defended herself to her brothers, Aloy complained loudly. "That was definitely your fault. The signs were all over the place! She only made bears!"

"Oh no." Talanah chuckled as the troublemaking brothers eyed the spell cake.

"Well that was vague and unhelpful wording." Kotallo grumbled as the message of the witch told them how to undo the spell. "Why not just give them an actual answer?"

"It's supposed to teach a lesson. It would be too easy if they just had the answer." Beta stated around a yawn.

"It's not the tapestry, is it?" Zo guessed as the girl enthused over supposedly finding the answer.

"Certainly doesn't seem like it." Talanah agreed.

"Wait, why wouldn't the bear just stay outside the castle? This is a bad plan." Kotallo criticized.

"Well that was sweet." Zo said as the queen allowed the girl to suggest breaking tradition.

What remained of the movie was watched in relative silence as the tension grew and boiled over.

When it ended, Nil looked to Beta to ask some additional questions, but found her slumped over, dead asleep against Aloy, who was also snoring lightly. He smiled and picked up Beta while Kotallo managed to get Aloy up into his arm and they took the redheads to their room.

Nil dreamt about Ullia that night.

Chapter Text

Nil, Aloy, and Talanah headed out from Base early the next morning. When they arrived at the Grove, they went straight to the throne room. They had already informed Fashav and Hekarro of their expected arrival, so the Chief and the Marshal were already there when they came in. Nil and Aloy went to stand next to their father, at attention on his right.

Talanah knelt at the foot of the steps up to the throne. "Chief Hekarro." She greeted, bowing her head in deference. "My name is Talanah Khane Padish, Sunhawk of the Hunter's Lodge in Meridian. I have traveled West seeking a member of my tribe. A… friend of mine." The Tenakth shared a look over the obvious pause. "I recognize in my haste to see to his well being, I have gone about things in the wrong order." She dug in her pack and extracted the Stormbird and Thunderjaw hearts she had gained from her impromptu hunt with Aloy and laid them before her. "I offer these as recompense for my trespass in your lands as well as that of my friend."

Hekarro smiled kindly and calmly. "I received reports from scouts in the desert that there was a Carja woman running around. But all reports indicated you sought to evade instead of retaliate in response to attacks made against you." Talanah nodded her agreement with the assessment. "I also know you are a friend of my children and Marshal Fashav. So I believe that you do not intend harm against my people. Will you tell me what your friend seeks in the clan lands? So I can determine the best course of action."

Talanah sighed, clearly uncomfortable with sharing her friend's intentions. "He lost someone during the Red Raids. During the battle we Carja call the Battle of the Burning Blooms. This was someone he grew close to. He seeks closure. What I've learned following after him, is that he is likely headed to the place you call the Rot."

"That battle was almost five years ago." Fashav cut in smoothly. "And the Rot has been taken by rebel forces. There may not be anything that remains to give your friend the answers he seeks."

Talanah shrugged. "He's desperate. I'm not sure he'll stop until he finds out what happened to her."

"Her?" Hekarro asked, posture straightening in interest. "The Carja are not known for allowing their women to become soldiers."

Talanah nodded. "In that time, certainly not. Avad has been slowly making reforms despite opposition from the nobles. But Nessa hid her identity so she could fight for her home."

Nil didn't miss how Hekarro and Fashav shared a look at the name. They knew something. The Chief spoke. "The Carja known as Nessa was taken prisoner in that battle. She was brought here and kept in our cells. Another Carja who'd recently been made a Marshal," he side eyed Fashav on his left, "was on duty in the cells and found her, started talking to her. He learned she had grown tired of fighting in disguise and especially of fighting for the cruelty and madness of Sun King Jiran. The Marshal interceded for her. Asked that she be given an Arena challenge to prove herself. The Carja Nessa was killed in that challenge." Talanah covered her mouth in shocked horror, but the Chief raised a stalling hand. "Instead it was the Lowland soldier, Ritakka, who left the Arena that day, having proved herself as being truly Tenakth in spirit."

"Her squad was the last on the rotation at the Rot before the rebellion broke out." Fashav reported. "It's still under occupation so we don't know whether her or her squad lives or not."

Nil caught the strain in Fashav's informative tone. He was worried.

"I could help clear it out." Talanah offered. "Hopefully get some information to put the matter to rest for your sakes as well as Amadis'"

"Since most of the Lowlands are clear, now might be a good time for it." Fashav entreated the Chief.

Hekarro nodded. "You're right, Marshal. And thank you for your offer of assistance, Sunhawk. I will take you up on it with a warning. The remaining rebels are vicious without their leader to guide and temper them."

Talanah nodded her understanding and Fashav saluted.

"My children." He said and Nil and Aloy turned to him at attention. "Thank you for escorting the Sunhawk here. How goes your mission? I didn't expect to see you here at the Grove for some time yet."

"We need at least one more component to complete our main objective. From what we could find, it's in a facility to the Northwest, towards to coast." Aloy reported.

Their father's expression grew grave. "I sent scouts up that way due to reports of strangers in the area. They haven't reported back."

Nil's brows furrowed. That was not good news. "Did the reports about these strangers give any information?"

"They wore unfamiliar clothes. When they were approached, they attacked. I was hoping scouts would tell us more. Give us information we could use to defend our people or approach to seek peace." Hekarro sighed.

The fact that any had reported back to the Grove at all and there were no reports of unfamiliar machines or weapons made Nil think it wasn't the Zeniths. But he couldn't be certain unless they checked it out. If it did turn out to be the homicidal maniacs from space, they would just have to focus their efforts on the shield breaker and finding their base first, before going after HEPHAESTUS.

"We will be careful, father." Aloy assured.

"See that you do. At ease." He said, standing and holding his arms open for an embrace.

They shared a brief, tight hug and the Chief demanded the five of them share a meal before heading off to their tasks.

Talanah broke at some point and she admitted to having feelings for Amadis. Fashav in turn admitted that he had a relationship with Ritakka, one he hoped to keep alive when he traveled back for his future emissary duties. Nil was glad he and Aloy were headed North and wouldn't have to deal with the dramatic fallout of that scenario.

--

Nil frowned as they came up on the bodies of Lowland soldiers on the path. He silently grabbed their tags as Aloy scanned the area.

"These must be the scouts father sent." He commented.

"Yeah." Aloy nodded, squatting down next to him. "Good news though. Definitely not Zeniths." She pointed to the broken shafts of arrows that littered the ground and the burns and other wounds of heavy weapons on the bodies.

"Still, keep your guard up. Whoever these people are, they're dangerous."

"Of course "

As a building became clear amongst the trees, an arrow flew between them and they dashed to take cover behind a car.

"Hold your fire!" Aloy called out towards the building.

"We're not here to fight!" Nil added.

"The barbarians are pinned down. Move in!" A voice commanded.

"Yup. Definitely not interested in being friends. Should I be hurt?" He joked as he nocked an arrow and smoothly released it, downing a soldier rushing up on Aloy's left.

Aloy's mouth tilted, enjoying the humor even in the midst of being attacked. She released her own arrow to cover Nil's back.

Once all the strangers were down, the entry to the facility was fairly easy. Nil blinked at the hologram greeting. 'The Greenhouse : Faro Automated Systems'. A Faro facility?

The door to the data core was covered in vines that none of their blades could cut through.

"Never easy." Aloy grumbled, pulling at her hair.

"Guess we'll have to go further in to find a way around or a way to break the vines."

"Yeah. I would just for once like a nice easy download." She said, stepping through a door to their left and releasing her pullcaster to pull down a crumbling wall.

Another cut off room stood at the top of an elevator shaft and a console glowed green in the darkness. Aloy opened the log saved there and they learned the name of the metal flower and vines, 'Adamantine Wreath'. And a way to break down the vines was being developed at Test Station Ivy. Herres' name was also mentioned which meant the project had something to do with the Faro Plague. Nil got a bad feeling at the base of his neck at that.

"Off to Test Station Ivy I guess." Aloy said dully while flicking through the console until she found the controls for the window blinds.

They opened and revealed more of the violent strangers in the clearing below, standing between them and their path forward. They rappelled down and dropped into some red grass.

"There are barbarians here! They took out all of the lookouts!" A man reported loudly. "Find them and kill them. Bring their heads to the lieutenant!" He ordered.

"And they call us barbarians." Nil muttered.

"Yeah. Definitely not here on a diplomatic mission." Aloy agreed, lining up a shot for a man across the way who was carrying a heavy weapon.

The attempt at stealth unfortunately didn't last, simply too many hostiles in the area. Nil had to parry a blow from a large toothed blade away from Aloy. As his blade crossed the unwieldy weapon again, the attacker hissed, "Barbarians. Thieves of the eye that reveals the Legacy. May the Ancestors curse you."

The man didn't say anything further as Nil managed to push him away and sunk his blade into the man's gut. Aloy completely silenced him with an arrow through the throat.

"You alright?" She asked, coming to his side.

"Yeah. They are an odd group. I don't like having these unknowns so close to our people. We don't know why they're here. And they don't seem willing to share that information." He said.

"Yeah. Really a bunch of hypocritical scabs to just attack without any attempt to speak and then turning around and calling us barbarians." She nodded at the body by his feet. "That one looked like he said something to you."

Nil cocked his head to the side in thought. "He said we were thieves. That we stole the eye that reveals the Legacy."

"Did he mean the Focus?"

"Are any of them wearing one?"

They searched the bodies. Not a single Focus among any of them.

"Weird." Aloy commented. "Whatever. We should keep moving."

An accessible door stood off to the left and they entered, pulling their bows from their backs and nocking arrows in caution. Quiet rushing sounds and a flash of white caught their attention and they turned, drawing their bows.

From behind a desk, keeping her back to them, a woman rose slowly, hands raised in surrender. "I submit. Do as you will." She said, her voice slightly shaky.

"We were the ones attacked. We didn't want to fight your friends out there." Aloy said defensively.

"If I can atone for my trespass by my death alone," she began as she turned.

"We're not going to kill you." Nil said, dropping his bow. This woman was so obviously a non-combatant. He tapped Aloy's hand to bring down her bow as well. "We're here for our own purposes."

"And we want to know what's going on here." Aloy finished. "What?" She asked as she noticed the woman was staring at her fairly intently, head tilted as though trying to figure out a puzzle.

The woman didn't answer, just continued to stare. Nil noticed the rounded triangular device at her temple, a fairly familiar design but for the limbs reaching up the side of her head and over her forehead.

"Is that a Focus? Where did you get that?" He asked.

That shook the woman out of whatever surprised stupor she'd been in. "I am of the chosen people. The Quen?" She offered, her eyes still fixed on Aloy in a pleading fashion. "The Ancestors left the power of the Focus to us, the eye that reveals the Legacy."

"The Legacy?" Aloy asked.

"The Legacy. The truth." The woman said, like that was sufficient to explain anything. "Found in the darkness and the lost places, in the bones of what came before. As a Diviner, it is my duty to seek it out for the good of my people."

"You're looking for data." Aloy realized. "Maybe we can help each other."

"What's your name?" Nil asked.

"Alva. I'm the second Diviner of the Eastern Expedition."

"My name is Aloy. This is my brother, Nil. Why don't we take a step back and start over here?"

Alva nodded.

"We've never heard of the Quen." Nil prompted.

"My people have never been to these lands before. Our homeland lies across the Great Ocean."

"Why come here?" Aloy asked. "And why now?"

"Our home has been blighted. Storms, droughts, failing crops. The people are starving." The way her voice broke on that statement made Nil think she knew someone personally struggling. "In our search for answers, it was proposed that if we could push for Legacy's Landfall, the home of some of the greatest of our Ancestors, we might gain the knowledge we need to save our people. But the answers have eluded us."

"And Legacy's Landfall is…" Aloy pushed.

"Oh. Further West, in the shadow of the sunken city. By the broken bridge."

"San Francisco." Aloy said.

"You're well versed in the Legacy." Alva applauded. "We had hoped to find answers there, but that door remains closed. But the data we found pointed us to this facility, which may be our last hope."

"Why do you have a Focus, but the soldiers didn't?" Nil asked.

She seemed to hesitate for a second and her words came out slowly. "We all have our roles to play. Diviners seek out the Legacy and keep it safe. No one besides Diviners have access or know how to use them."

"Why did the soldiers fire on us without warning?" Aloy asked, voice suddenly hard.

"It is the duty of the chosen people to protect and defend the Legacy from those ignorant or envious. Not that either of you seem ignorant." She backtracked as Aloy scowled at her. "Back home, other tribes attack us and we were told it would only be the same here."

"Get that from your Legacy?" Aloy asked sarcastically.

"The Legacy is truth!" Alva responded hotly. Another look from Aloy and she deflated slightly. "But we have been known to misinterpret it. I only hope the wisdom of our ancestors can guide us to the truth."

"Yeah. I hope so too." Aloy grumbled.

After a moment of tense quiet between the two women, Nil cut in. "We're looking for a place called Test Station Ivy. Have you found any mention of it in your search?"

Alva shook her head. "I maybe found a map. But the data was lost, unreadable."

"Maybe I can make sense of it." Aloy offered.

Alva took them to a console and pulled up a list of files, opening one called 'GH/Facilities'. A map lit up where they'd been leaning their hands. Nil noted their current location and the other testing stations. Ivy was further in.

"See? Lost." Alva said, pointing to the map.

Nil blinked at her.

"You can't see it?" Aloy asked.

Alva shook her head.

Aloy scanned Alva's Focus. "Your Focus is an early model. It can't read files created after the mid 2050s. But I can share them with you."

"Share them?" Alva breathed, eyes wide.

Nil didn't like that reaction from this woman who was supposed to be responsible for finding information to help people. He grew more suspicious and uncomfortable with the Quen the longer they spoke with her.

Aloy swiped the files over to Alva and the Quen's eyes grew round.

"You can see what is lost! And Forbidden!" She gushed as she viewed the map.

Nil shared a look with Aloy at the word 'forbidden'.

"Not lost. Not forbidden. Just a newer file format." Aloy corrected.

"So Ivy is over here." Nil pointed on the map.

"We've been here for a week and haven't been able to get further into the complex." Alva informed, lips pursed in frustration. "The way has been blocked by rubble."

Aloy scrolled the map down, revealing access tunnels. "This tunnel seems to come up in this room."

Alva pointed at two consoles on the other side of the room. "The hatch wouldn't open by force. I thought those consoles were related, but I couldn't read the data from them."

Aloy nodded. "We can try with our Focuses."

Nil scanned them. "Looks like they need two operators, working in unison."

When the hiss of air releasing filled the room and the hatch popped open, Alva cried, "The Ancestors have revealed the way!"

"You coming with?" Nil asked her as Aloy began to descend the ladder.

"You want me to come with?" She asked, clearly surprised.

"We would've had to spend hours combing through that data to find the tunnel. You've helped us a lot. And maybe the data you're looking for will be deeper in." Nil said.

"Oh. Thank you." She said.

The tunnels were wet and dank and Nil was so grateful when they found a ladder back up to fresh air.

An unfamiliar machine screeches and flew overhead.

"They fly to and from the facility several times a day." Alva informed while shrugging. "Only the Ancestors know why."

"The Ancestors are dead, Alva." Aloy said flatly.

Nil was about to chide her for being rude. He understood her frustration, there were not insignificant parallels between what they'd seen of the Quen and the Nora, but Alva was being generally helpful and kind.

Alva surprised a laugh out of him though as she responded, "Of course. How else could they be ancestors?"

After they cleared the machines in their way, they entered the next facility through a vent, Test Station Elm. They saw another pair of consoles that were in rooms behind locked doors.

They managed to get Alva in one room and then Aloy through a series of pulling storage devices and blowing up walls and moving batteries.

Nil snickered when Alva asked if Aloy could warn next time she blew up a wall.

While the two women pressed the consoles to open up another hatch to the tunnel system, Nil stayed below, leaning against a pillar.

A synthetic voice sounded through the room. "Adamantine Wreath structural integrity test scenario 12C15."

Massive metal shutters opened at the end of the room began to open and the apparatus they'd been using as a bridge between the two rooms activated.

"Aloy?" Nil called up at his sister. "What's happening?"

"I don't know!" She called back.

The windows showed a round clearing with soft looking grass and trees lush with beautiful red colored leaves.

"Magnetic field engaged." Nil saw the faintly blue transparent aura cover the windows as the voice spoke again. "Initiating biomass conversion process."

Nil's veins iced up and his breath froze in his throat. He watched, eyes wide in horror as the end of the world played out before him in small scale. He heard the frantic beeping and cursing upstairs as Aloy tried to shut it down.

"Failsafe exceeded. Test cannot be aborted." The system reported.

He wasn't sure any of them breathed as they watched the red mist sweep through the clearing, devouring everything in its path, except those vines like the ones over the door at the front of the facility. He couldn't answer when he heard Alva ask what was happening.

"It's how the world ended." Aloy answered.

"Test complete. Adamantine Wreath structural integrity is not compromised." The synthetic voice informed to the silent room.

Nil took a deep breath and opened his eyes, uncertain when he had screwed them shut in his horror. He put it on his to do list to make sure this facility and that tech in particular were utterly destroyed.

One man had ended the world with it out of greed, not actively malicious intentions. What would happen if someone like Helis, mad and fanatical, or the Zeniths, cold and calculating got ahold of it?

Chapter Text

Aloy played the video log file she found. This was where they'd developed biomass conversion. And the Adamantine Wreaths were their attempt to stop their creation from eating the entire Earth. Their question had been whether they could deploy them in time. Being on the other side of the apocalypse, Nil knew they hadn't been able to.

"I don't understand." Alva whispered.

"Didn't the Legacy tell you your Ancestors were wiped out?" Aloy asked a little sarcastically.

"Most of the data from that time is lost. Or forbidden. My people call it the Time of Ashes." Alva said.

Nil wanted to smack his forehead against a pillar. Of course. Focuses that couldn't read files past the mid 2050s wouldn't be able to pick up information regarding the Faro Plague.

"The Old Ones, the Ancestors as you call them, created machines that consumed all life." Aloy told her. "What we just watched was how."

"This is not the information I came here to find." Alva cried, stepping away from them, panic leaking into her voice and posture. "I don't want to know these forbidden things about the wrongdoings of the Ancestors. I just want their knowledge, their wisdom, to save my people."

Aloy looked like she wanted to say something, to stop the Quen woman, but Alva kept going.

"I need something to bring back, or I will be punished. Worse than that, people will die. Can you understand that?" She asked with an emphatic cry. "My family, my sister. She was fourteen when I left. I could see her bones even then. They will starve." The last of her impassioned rant was said in a desperate whisper.

Nil saw the way Aloy's eyes flicked to him and how she softened. He gave her a gentle tap against the forearm to remind her he was there and ok.

"We get it Alva, we do. We don't want our family to die or suffer either. But we are working to fix that. It's hard to explain, but we're working towards the same goal. If we succeed, the data won't even be necessary. Things will get better." Aloy told her.

Alva shook her head. "I still need something to take back. My people won't believe things will just 'get better'." She replied, voice still high from tension.

"Then our plan remains the same. We go to Test Station Ivy to see if we can find something to break down the vines blocking the day core." Nil said calmly.

Alva took a deep breath and closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "A Diviner perseveres to find the truth." She opened her eyes, the glint of determination alive in them.

They descended into another set of tunnels and Alva started asking more questions. "I meant to ask, are you from around here?"

"We're both from the East. Aloy was born farther East than I was." Nil answered.

"I thought you were siblings?"

"Adopted." Aloy called back from where she was ahead of them.

"Through the blood of our mother, she claimed us as her children. Myself, about a year and a half ago now, Aloy, about a year." Nil clarified.

Alva hummed her understanding, though a thoughtful silence seemed to remain over her as they navigated the cold damp tunnels.

Another ladder led them up to field that had been deadened by the test.

"It's so still." Alva whispered.

Nil groaned when a screech rang out and the machine that had flown over them earlier materialized on the other end of the field.

"You just had to say it was quiet, didn't you?" He joked at the Diviner as he tapped his Focus to scan the machine.

"Fire arrows!" He called out to Aloy, but was completely unsurprised to see she already had one nocked.

He nocked one himself and noticed Alva had plasma arrows on her.

"Do you see the glowblast containers there by its tail?" He asked. "Do you think you can hit them?"

"I can try!"

"Tag them with your Focus. It'll make it easier."

"What!?"

Nil didn't answer, nocking a tear arrow and aiming for the machine's radar. His head was jittering uncomfortably from the buzzing of his Focus glitching.

Alva got the machine down twice with explosions of the glowblast containers and it died finally as Aloy stabbed her spear into its head.

"I had no idea the Focus could do that!" Alva gushed as she stepped out from one of the boulders that littered the space.

"You've never scanned a machine before?" Aloy asked as she began looting the machine.

"The Diviners purpose is to study the Legacy. The soldiers fight the machines." Alva answered with a shrug.

"Well that's Test Station Ivy." Aloy cut through the awkward silence a moment later.

"Lead the way." Alva said as she followed them. "I trust your Focuses will show what mine cannot."

"Ooh there's a fourth test station that's completely flooded. Do you think they were working on developing water based crops?" She asked excitedly. "No, we're close to the coast, it probably flooded afterwards."

"I found a console!" Aloy called from the other room.

She played the log, confirming what Nil knew. The wreaths couldn't have been dropped in time. The swarm still ate the earth. But the scientists had completed the work on a mechanism to kill the unbreakable vines they'd made.

"So they ran out of time? Their efforts were in vain?" Alva asked quietly, her face cut deeply with lines of sadness.

"Yes. Maybe someday you'll find out what kind of odds they were facing. What they did in their time, under the pressure of that threat was no less amazing for the fact they didn't reach their goal." Nil said.

"And we have the software module they created. So we can break down the vines and get to the data core. I'll need a workbench to install it onto my spear though." Aloy added.

"There's one at our camp." Alva offered. "And the map I saw shows that there's a way back to it through the next room."

"Nice." Nil said as Aloy pried the door open.

Just a quick jog down a hallway and they came out on top of a ledge, a zip line leading down into the Quen camp. Alva looked at in nervously as Aloy slid easily downwards.

"You've got this." Nil assured her.

"Ok. Here I go!" She called out and hopped up, catching a decorative scarf over the line.

Nil chuckled as she screamed and swung wildly on her way down. But she didn't let go of the scarf and dismounted without falling over, so all in all, Nil thought she did rather well.

Alva warned them that more soldiers would be arriving as Aloy worked on installing the vine cutter.

"Then we better get moving." Nil said.

Aloy opened the metal flower with a couple whacks and stabbed her spear into the center allowing the vine cutter module to interact with the flower and release the enzyme that melted the vines away.

The door that had been behind them opened and a green light spilled outwards from the room beyond. Nil saw the projection of vines and leaves above a console. DEMETER. Nil realized he had yet to see Aloy gather a subfunction. He watched as she pressed the master override against the access port.

"C'mon DEMETER, time to go home. Back to GAIA." Aloy urged gently.

"The seed of life. Yes." A deep synthetic voice spoke from the console.

Aloy stated her Alpha clearance and pulled the kernel storage from her quiver.

"Master override activated. Restoring DEMETER subfunction to original code." A different synthetic voice reported as the green light grew and pulsed before coalescing in the kernel device.

Alva looked shocked. "My Focus has never glitched like that! What happened?"

"We gathered some data. It's not a type you can read." Aloy explained. "But it was monopolizing space on the data core. Now that it's gone, you should be able to access…" she pulled up a menu.

Alva's eyes widened at the massive list of files. "There's hundreds of data points here. Almost all related to agriculture!" She said brightly. Then her shoulders slumped. "It will takes us years to sort through this."

An arrow flew between them and Nil dove for cover, dragging Aloy with him.

"Hold your fire!" Alva called, stepping between their cover and the soldiers. "By the word of the Ancestors, you must stop!"

"We saw outside! Those barbarians killed our soldiers!" One of the soldiers snarled.

"Only those who fired blindly." Alva said diplomatically, gesturing for Aloy to come forward. "Look who you've fired upon."

The soldiers didn't lower their bows.

"They are no barbarians." Alva implored. "They gave me the data we need. Come now, look at her."

The soldiers lowered their bows a fraction and Aloy stepped out.

"Can't you see? This is Elisabet Sobeck. An Ancestor reborn." Alva pointed out to the soldiers and the bows came down slowly as the revelation worked through the group.

Nil realized exactly how much sense that made that they would recognize Sobeck.

"What about the other one?" One of the other soldiers piped up. "If he's her close companion, is it…" A pause, then a whisper of awe. "Faro?"

Nil's spine crawled at that tone being used to say the hated name of the world ender.

Another berated them. "You know that cannot be, the Ceo…"

Alva interrupted. "The man is her blood sworn brother. Her protector."

"Diviner, we should bring the Ancestors back with us." The lead soldier suggested.

Oh no. Nope. That wasn't happening. Nil had no issue with cutting through another bunch of Quen soldiers if he had to.

"It is we who follow their lead, not the other way around." Alva replied in a severe tone.

Nil thanked the Ten for her.

"My apologies, Dr. Sobeck, our people's faith is strong, but there are those who are not as familiar with the Legacy as they should be." Alva continued and Nil almost felt bad for the way several heads dropped to look at the ground in shame.

"What you said, about working towards the same goal, how long will it take?" Alva asked as she led them to the door. "I know you have questions. But I can't talk long. The soldiers will be curious and I don't want them to delay your task."

"If we succeed, hopefully things will improve in the next couple months." Nil answered.

"Then you are my best hope for my family. Please. Let nothing stop you."

"If we need to contact you again, how do we find you?" Aloy asked.

"We have a camp on the Northeast edge of the sunken city. The only approach to the island though is from the South because the tides are vicious. It might be dangerous for you to go there." Alva cautioned.

"It's still good for us to know." Nil said.

"Diviner, what's the delay?" One of the soldiers called.

"Go now. They really may attempt to take you with us if you linger much longer." Alva urged.

Nil and Aloy nodded and left.

As they camped that night, Nil sent Aloy a clip he'd caught of Kotallo. He winced slightly as he watched her bite her knuckle sharply to muffle her reaction to the Marshal. She checked something on her Focus before sprinting off in the direction of the ocean. Nil laughed and fell asleep to the sounds of the jungle.

Chapter Text

Nil woke to Aloy talking to someone on the Focus. Based on the technical terminology, he guessed Beta or GAIA, maybe both were on the other end of the call.

“Did you sleep at all?” He asked after she hung up.

“It only took me an hour or so to find the seashell.” She answered dismissively, glaring when he smirked at her. She continued before he could cut in with a teasing comment. “And I fell asleep pretty quick when I got back. Beta called a while ago and woke me up. She and GAIA have narrowed down a location to trap HEPH.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “A dead cauldron in Desert territory. They call it the Gate of the Vanquished. Apparently it has two cores due to an earthquake during its construction.” Aloy explained while she rummaged through her pack and pulled out some trail bread.

“GAIA on one HEPH on the other.” Nil guessed, taking some of the bread for himself as he sat up.

“Yup. But there's one major concern. Getting HEPHAESTUS settled in a core is going to release a massive power surge.”

“Which is something the homicidal maniacs from space would notice.”

“Yeah. We were talking about making some pulse generators. That might throw them off. Still have the clearance issue of clearance, but Beta thinks Thebes is probably in San Francisco.”

Nil groaned.

“Hey, Alva was alright.” Aloy defended the Quen woman.

“One out of several dozen who attacked us and wanted to kidnap you.” He pointed out.

“We'll still have to go there.”

“Yeah yeah. They screw with you in any way though…”

Aloy smiled. “We take them down.”

“Ok. So, what's the plan now? Hit some rebels on our way back to Base?”

“Actually, someone from the squad is going to come to the Grove to pick up the kernel so we don't have to waste time going all the way back before heading out to San Francisco.”

“Nice. That will help. Do we know who's coming?”

“They seemed to need to discuss it.” She shrugged and pulled up the map of rebel camps. “But yeah I was thinking about taking the three outposts near here. There's one to the North, over the mountain, one just to the Southwest of here, and one East in the foothills.”

“We should call ‘Shav, see if any of the other Marshals are headed out this way to handle them. We could lend them a hand.” Nil suggested.

“Good idea.” She agreed.

Fashav told them Ivvira and two of the other Marshals had been sent out to handle the last of the outposts and the Breached Rock camp.

“Okay we can head for the Greypeak outpost first then. See if we can meet up with them.” Nil pointed out.

Aloy agreed and they headed out.

--

The Greypeak outpost was in chaos as they drew near.

“Looks like the party's already underway.” Nil said, smiling.

“Actually, looks like it's almost over.” Aloy told him, looking up towards the cliff, her Focus lit up over her face.

Nil turned his own HUD on and saw that indeed only one orange outline remained before it fell and flickered to the white outline of the dead, leaving only the orange outlines of animals and the three purple ones of the Marshals above.

They decided to wait on the trail for the other Marshals, unwilling to risk spooking their comrades and getting shot at. They waved as the others came to the edge of the cliff to prepare for their climb down.

Ivvira was down first and greeted them brightly. “Marshal Nil. Chief's Daughter.”

“No need to be so formal, Ivvira. We'll be squad once Aloy and I wrap up our mission.” Nil chided.

“Alright. You here to join us in taking out some rebel scabs?” She asked, her eyes bright with excitement.

“You know it.” He answered. “Sorry we missed this party here.”

“To be honest, it wasn't even a challenge.” She scoffed. “Only six guarded the outpost.”

“Meager force against the Marshals.” Aloy commented.

Ivvira smirked and tapped forearms with the other two Marshals in camaraderie.

“I know you three can handle yourselves against those scabs, but would you mind some company to clear out the last two outposts?” Nil asked, not wanting to insult his future squad by forcing help on them where it wasn't needed or wanted.

“Five Marshal caliber warriors seems excessive considering we know one or two can take out a camp.” One of the other two, Zokko commented.

“We could split up. Nil could go to Bonewhite Tear with Ivvira and I and you two could take the Stand of the Sentinels. Or vice versa.” Aloy suggested.

“We'll take Bonewhite Tear since Zokko has been waxing nostalgic about the snows since we left Breached Rock.” The last Marshal, Rekka said, earning her a light hearted shove from Zokko. "Let you Lowlanders have all the fun amongst the trees."

“Excellent.” Nil said. “Before we set off, we should share a meal and you can tell us how Breached Rock went.”

“Closest campfire is in the outpost.” Zokko told them. “We'll have to climb back up.” He sounded almost cheerful at the prospect while Ivvira and Rekka groaned.

“Race you.” Aloy challenged, already leaping for a handhold.

“You can't beat Sky Clan at climbing!” Zokko yelled, following after her.

Nil shot a look at the other two and swiftly jumped up to begin scaling the cliff side, smirking as he heard the jostling behind him.

They all collapsed at the top of the cliff, laughing and bickering over who actually made it up first. The winner was between Aloy and Zokko, because of their head starts and climbing skill. Eventually they called a tie due to hunger and the need to get on the road weighing on them. They started to split up various trail rations around the fire.

“So, Breached Rock.” Aloy prompted between bites of jerky.

“Seems they built it on top of an Old World building. There was a door that the Oseram were able to get through that we had to pry open.” Rekka began. “They really seemed interested in Old World scrap too. Tons of the stuff sitting around.”

“Inside, there were a lot of devices, most of which we didn't understand. We did our best to dismantle what we could of the larger things so more couldn't come back and use it.” Ivvira added. “We gathered what scrolls and written information as well as a few of the smaller things to bring back to Marshal Fashav.”

“Can we see?” Aloy asked, holding her hands out.

Zokko pulled some parchments and a little amplifier device from his pack and handed them over.

The parchments appeared to be fragments of weapon blueprints from what Nil could see. He saw Aloy send off a scan of each one to Beta and GAIA. Was Sylens using the Sons of Prometheus to push forward his research on the shield breaker or was this their own work? The device held a message calling operatives back to First Forge.

The other Marshals hadn't heard of that place. But that was definitely an Oseram name meaning it was likely the home base for the Sons of Prometheus. Nil would have to reach out to Petra and see if she'd heard the name come up.

They finished their meal and said their goodbyes. Ivvira challenged them to another race down the cliffside, which Aloy won. They mounted up on their Chargers.

Aloy insisted that Nil should share with Ivvira. She stated that he was just the better teacher, but she had an oddly gleeful smile on her face that made him suspicious of her motives.

As they rode, they explained some of the basics of their mission to Ivvira. Nil enjoyed how pointed her questions were and how intuitively she seemed to understand the information. And again he was struck by how she loved the fight. She'd been borne to it, and brought up with it, the fire in her eyes, her lean but obviously muscled form. He could easily imagine her, quiet and predatory in the shadows of the Raintrace canopy, striking without her opponents even knowing she was there. Like a Stalker.

--

Nil was glad when they dismounted a little ways from the outpost because Aloy had been driving him crazy with the smug little looks she'd been shooting him. He didn't understand why she kept doing that.

Then he caught sight of Ivvira throwing her spear through a rebel’s midsection, chest heaving, skin shining with sweat and eyes bright. And oh. That's why Aloy kept shooting him those looks, he realized as he had to dodge the swing of a Clamberjaw’s tail.

His sister was definitely looking forward to paying him back for all of his teasing and meddling.

His mind was a mess when they camped that night.

Ivvira was beautiful and fierce, a true Tenakth through and through, and Nil could admit how drawn he was to that. As others surely would be. He wasn't even sure how to address the question of feelings.

He'd never considered anyone for long or short term companionship. Helis had ensured he'd never had the time or interest. But his mind stuck on the question of whether he could allow himself to consider the possibility now with the mission looming over them. He also realized that if he thought too far down that trail, he should technically be leaving Aloy and Kotallo alone. Aloy deserved a partner though, he told himself, and it was beyond fun to tease her.

He had only recently gained a family, cast off his old life and the ways that were part of it. Shouldn't he just be content with that for a while? Besides, it was a simple attraction. It could fade with time, he told himself, not entirely sure whether he was lying to himself or not.

--

When they arrived at the Grove in the morning, Ivvira kissed Nil on the cheek, thanking him for a nice fight with the rebels. She ran off, an extra bounce in her step as she headed towards the throne room to report in.

“Hey, where's my kiss?” Aloy called after her, laughing when she received a rude gesture in response. “Wow. Blatant favoritism.” She said in a deadpan voice while smirking at Nil.

He leveled an unamused glare at her and trudged inside, ignoring her chuckles behind him.

Dekka and Fashav were standing by the Vision in the entryway, chatting with Varl and Zo. Someone else had their head stuck in the Base below the hologram, wearing desert colored fatigues. As the siblings drew near, they were greeted and the person below the projector popped their head out to reveal Beta.

“Oh you guys are back!” She said as she stood and wiped dust from herself.

She wore a loose yellow top that slung over both shoulders and left her arms bare with a dark pair of shorts that went down to her knees. Overall, the outfit seemed better than the clinical, all white clothes she'd gotten from the Zeniths. It looked like either Zo or Varl had even braided the longer portions of her hair up and back from her face.

“And you're here.” Nil replied, allowing surprise to color his tone.

She shrugged. “I'm taking steps.”

“Good for you.” He said, chucking her under the chin lightly. “And you've got a new look.”

She laughed and some pink flit across her cheeks. “We stopped in Scalding Spear on our way. Kotallo asked us to check in and see if there was any news for the Grove. It was a good chance to get something new to wear. Can't do armor yet though. I'm not strong enough.”

“At your pace, Beta. Don't push yourself. But if you do actually want to start some training, I'm sure Varl and Zo can teach you some things.” Aloy told her, getting nods of agreement from the Brave and the Gravesinger. Then she looked around. “Wait. You said Kotallo asked you to stop at Scalding Spear. Why didn't he come with you guys?”

Nil caught the quick look the three shared before Zo answered. “He is working on a personal project that he needs GAIA’s help with. So we volunteered to escort Beta. It has been an excellent opportunity to learn more about your people. Chaplain Dekka here has been very kind to show us around the Visions.”

Dekka dipped her head in a gentle nod. “And the little Champion here says she may be able to restore some of the Visions, fix what has been lost to the years.”

Beta’s cheeks went fully red and her shoulders hunched inwards as she made herself smaller. “Not a Champion.” She mumbled.

“Dekka,” Nil chided. “Stop teasing.”

Dekka raised her hands and took a step back.

“So you think you can fix the Visions?” He prompted Beta gently.

She nodded. “If the data is still in a server, it should be accessible. But the hardware has degraded over time. The connection between the server and the projector bases have just died out. The reason these ones still work is they still have working connections. If we can rework the connections of the other ones, we should be able to bring most of the displays back online.” She opened back up as she walked them through her idea.

“It would be a delight to see the Visions as they were in my youth, child.” Dekka said sincerely, making Beta flush again.

“Well the Chief is busy with reports and Talanah has been taking her frustration towards Amadis out on the Arena challenges. Shall we have something to eat?” Fashav cut in, ushering them towards the Maw.

“Is there anything on offer that doesn't have meat?” Zo asked.

“I think the cook can make a serving of blood bread without.” He answered thoughtfully.

“Ooh, blood bread.” Beta gushed, making Nil and Aloy look at her curiously. “Oh that's right, you weren't at the Base the night Kotallo made it for us.” She said excitedly. "It's essentially pizza. It's really good.”

“I'm not surprised. It has always been one of his favorites.” Fashav said fondly.

“Lead the way to this amazing food then.” Aloy ordered with a smile.

Chapter Text

The Chief met with them after they finished eating.

“Welcome, Squad GAIA to the Memorial Grove. Thank you for assisting my children with their task. Be welcome for the night and enjoy what hospitality we have to offer.” He said, gesturing vaguely to the space around them.

Zo, Beta, and Varl bowed their heads silently in thanks.

“Actually, why don't you join me for the evening meal? It has been a long time since I've been able to speak at length with outlanders. But first, could you please go get the Sunhawk out of the Arena? She's been in there most of the day and Kalla has expressed concern that soon there will be no challenges for our own warriors.”

They all chuckled and they excused themselves to do so.

“I take it things didn't go smoothly with Amadis?” Nil asked Fashav as Aloy, Beta, and Zo split off to get Talanah and go to the baths.

“He still had feelings for Nessa. But she's moved past him, moved past the life she lived when she knew him. And Talanah finally saw she would be his second choice, which isn't something she's willing to live with.” Fashav explained with a shrug. “He's being escorted back to the Oseram delver crew he came West with.”

“Sounds like he wasn't worth her time anyway.” Varl said.

“Yeah. Talanah's a darling. She doesn't deserve to be treated like that.” Nil agreed.

“Well with the way she's been tearing through the Arena challenges, she could probably take any Tenakth warrior back to the Sundom with her for a companion that would treat her right.” Fashav joked. “She's certainly gathered attention.”

“Of course she has. We better keep her away from the hunting grounds or we're going to start up the ‘who started them?’ debate all over again.” Nil responded with his own laugh.

While they were showing Varl around the Maw, Ivvira met them and asked if Nil and Aloy could help her with something at the Valley of the Fallen on their way South the next day. He readily agreed.

--

In the morning they said goodbye to their four outlander friends who headed East and then themselves headed into the Southern part of the Raintrace.

Nil remembered Ullia's description of growing up in the dense reaches of the jungle, where the Clamberjaws and Stalkers pounced without warning from behind every tree. But hearing about it and experiencing it for himself were two different kinds of blades.

The machines were relentless. Hard to pin down and sturdy. The fighting wasn't so bad between the three of them, but taking that path alone would have been difficult.

By the time they reached Fall's Edge, Nil needed his blade sharpened and Aloy had to restock on Purgewater bombs.

When they were done, they found Ivvira receiving a report from a Lowland soldier.

“This is Nakko. His brother, Daxx and two others went into the valley. They wanted to prove themselves by clearing the valley. But it's been closed off for months, ordered by the Commander and backed up by the Chief.” She introduced.

Nakko gave them a brief salute. “There have been reports of lights off the coast, and with the increase of deadly machines, the Commander deemed the area unsafe for our soldiers. But Daxx has always been reckless and hotheaded. Worse, he managed to convince Kenalla and Yivekka to follow him in.”

“Strange lights off the coast?”

Nakko nodded and Ivvira answered. “Around an island to the south. They appeared one day and the machines moved in the next, like they were drawn there. Other reports say a light has been seen rising and falling from there as well.”

That sounded like Zeniths. And machine lures. Why would they bother?

“Well check it out, see if we can find Daxx.” Aloy promised.

“When you do, kick his ass for me?” Nakko requested. “Idiot scab, making me worry like this.”

“We'll try to make sure he comes back so you can do it yourself, Nakko.” Nil told him.

“My thanks, Marshals.” The soldier saluted them and returned to his duties.

--

As they crossed the final bridge into the valley, shouts and sounds of machine fighting hit their ears and they sprinted towards it, readying their bows.

“Frost, Daxx! Frost!” A female voice cried.

Nil sprinted around the young woman who had a blast sling in her hands to see a young man swinging his blade wildly at a Scorcher. Nil felt the air whip past his cheeks as arrows flew by him. The machine frosted over and locked up right as it's front claws were lifted to take a violent swipe at the young man.

With the machine brittle, three sets of arrows brought it down quickly.

Daxx stood next to Nil, breathing hard, a hand clutching at his side. Nil waved the hand away and saw the wound was fairly shallow. No permanent or long lasting damage so Nil gave him a healthy slug in the shoulder.

“Ow!” The younger man complained.

“That was from Nakko. I'm sure he'll deliver the rest when you get back to the village.” Ivvira told him. “Where's Yivekka?”

The woman, who must have been Kenalla, answered. “We got separated further in. She was right behind us, but when we looked back, machines were all that were there.” She reported. “And the machines blocked us from leaving.”

“What were you three thinking?” Aloy asked, folding her arms over her chest in disapproval.

“We thought we could clear the valley of the machines if we took them out one by one. We wanted to earn the respect of the clan.” Daxx answered meekly.

“The Commander closed it because she herself deemed it unsafe for our people. Did you think that was done idly?” Ivvira asked.

“No Marshal.” The two said quietly.

“Enough you two. Head back to Fall's Edge and report what happened to your squad leader.” Nil ordered. “We'll head further in and see if we can find Yivekka. Or her tags.”

“Yes Marshal. Thank you Marshal.” The two said with sharp salutes.

“The machines seem to be congregating around the falls and the cliff south of the Metal Devil.” Kenalla told them before helping Daxx back towards the climbing trail.

“Sounds like machine lures.” Aloy commented.

“Those things the tinkers make?” Ivvira asked. “I know Kalla uses them sometimes to gather machines for the Arena. But why would they be here?”

Nil’s eyes caught on inorganic white shapes in the distance. “Probably has something to do with that.” He drawled as he pointed it out to the two women.

“Looks like we found the Zenith Base. The lights people have been seeing, I think it's some sort of shield around the island.” Aloy explained to Ivvira.

Ivvira scoffed. “Waste of resources anyway. Getting to the island is impossible. The tides are too strong.”

“I don't think they care. They just don't even want the possibility of people getting in their space. They see people as inconveniences.” Nil said.

“Awful.” Ivvira grumbled.

Nil hummed in agreement while he placed a marker on the map for the island.

When they reached the falls, they saw a white and gold plated device sitting at the base. A Longleg and a Scorcher patrolled.

Once they were down, Aloy overrode the device.

“It's a lure alright. And there's a log from something called the Julius. Says the lures are here to ‘repel the local fauna’.”

“They didn't want anyone even making the approach to their Base. Psychopathic space scabs.” Nil growled.

“We should check the cliffs south of the Horus like Kenalla suggested.” Ivvira called at them as she continued down the path.

The machines below the Horus were larger and more concerning. A Thunderjaw and a Tremortusk. Nil thought he also heard the call of a recon class machine, but the thought fell by the wayside as he dodged cannon fire and the laser shots from the disc launcher.

Aloy's shredder discs are away at the Thunderjaw, leaving it vulnerable to the explosive bombs Ivvira kept lobbing. It had crashed down and the Tremortusk had been divested of most of its weapons when the recon class machine decided to make itself known. A Skydrifter.

It landed and stalked up behind Ivvira as she was leveling shots at the Tremortusk. It was going to swipe at her with its razor tail. Nil tackled her out of the way just in time to feel the air of it swiping past his back.

A metallic thunk and the heavy steps of the machine moved away from them as Aloy stole its attention.

Nil got to his feet and pulled Ivvira up with him.

“Thanks for the assist.” She said breathlessly.

“It would have been a shame for some of your marks to be ruined by that scar, sweet Stalker.” He said in a surprisingly smooth voice.

“Can you two flirt later?” Aloy yelled at them. “There's still a Tremortusk here!”

Nil sprung away from Ivvira, back into the action of the fight. Glad for it distracting him from the blood trying to rush into his face. “Looks like there's a third lure.” Aloy told them once the Tremortusk was down and she'd overridden the device.

Nil groaned. “These maniacs. I can't wait to take them down.”

“Sounds like it'll be quite a fight. Will you need extra blades?” Ivvira asked, almost bouncing at the prospect.

“As much as they should be terrified that you're offering to level your blade at them, I don't want to bring more of our people into this than we have to. The Chief will need his Marshals should we fail.” Nil told her.

“Very well.” Ivvira allowed. “But you better take me on a good hunt to make up for keeping me from the fight of our lives.”

He was certain his blush was actually visible beneath his paint now and he was carefully avoiding looking at his sister who he could feel waves of amusement emanating from.

“You know, I could probably handle the stuff at Thebes on my own if you wanted to…” she began as they snuck into some long grass and began observing the Watchers that were patrolling around. Ivvira took up position in a different patch, watching the Spikesnouts.

“I am not leaving you alone to deal with the weird sycophants. And how about this, I take Ivvira when you and Kotallo stop dancing around each other?”

That left Aloy sputtering behind him as he rushed and took one of the Watchers down silently.

A voice called out to them from above once all the machines were down.

“Yivekka! You survived!” Ivvira called happily while she climbed up to the young Lowland woman. “Kenalla was certain she'd left you behind to join the Ten.”

“They made it?”

“Yup. Daxx almost got flattened by a Scorcher but we stopped it in time. He's going to get a very deserved beating from Nakko when he returns.” Nil answered.

“We didn't mean to cause problems, we just…”

She cut off her apology as the odd sound of Specters hit their ears.

“Now this looks like a fight!” Ivvira grinned as she unholstered her bow.

“They're weak to acid. Be careful though, they're very fast.” Nil told her as he grabbed for Voice.

“Good to know. What are they?” She asked as she released an arrow.

“Machines made by the people on the island.” Aloy answered as she launched a drill spike at one of the machines that had been coated in acid.

“Can I say, I love it when you two are around. It feels like anytime you two show up, it's a great day for fighting.” Ivvira gushed after the last Specter had fallen. “Do you think any more of those machines will show up?”

“Unlikely. The lures were being run by a simple AI. It shut itself down after I overrode the last one.” Aloy said. “Our people should still stay out of the valley until we take down the Zeniths though.”

“I will pass on that message to the Commander on my way back to the Grove. And I'll make sure Yivekka gets back to the village. Stay safe on your mission.” Ivvira told them.

“Walk with the Ten, Ivvira.”

They saluted each other and headed off in the different directions for their respective tasks.

--

The beach with the Quen ferry was being patrolled at the far end by a Slaughterspine. But none of the soldiers were on guard over the boat that sat on the sand.

They pushed it into the water and began rowing.

Aloy groaned when it began raining. “I left my extra paint on the Charger. Did you bring yours?”

Nil checked his pouches. “Uh. No.”

“Ugh. Going barefaced in front of a bunch of strangers.” She grumbled.

“It should help them recognize you as Sobeck.” He pointed out.

She just responded with an unhappy sound.

“I know. I know. I don't like it either.” He said.

--

By the time they got the boat onto the beach at the edge of the island, their paint was gone and they were soaked to the bone. The rain had thankfully let up over the land and they were able to wring themselves out.

“No one guarding this side of the ferry either.” Aloy commented.

“So either they're arrogant enough to think they don't need to guard it, or something else has their attention. I don't like either option.”

“We'll be careful. But we should get moving.”

The path to Landfall was easy to follow, marked the whole way with Quen styled torches and lamps. Two Quen soldiers guarded a bridge into the settlement.

“We are here to see Alva.” Aloy told them.

“Overseer Bohai ordered us to bring you before him should you approach. Come, we will take you to him.” One of them said, and began moving towards the settlement.

The other stalled. “He said to bring the Living Ancestor. Not the barbarian.”

“Nil comes with me.” Aloy's voice brooked no argument and Nil heard the implied ‘or else' in her tone.

The soldiers still seemed at odds over what to do.

“I mean no harm to your people. I am only here to protect my blood sworn sister, daughter of our Chief. The Quen have nothing to fear from me unless she or I are threatened.” Nil told them, bowing his head slightly and holding up his hands in a show of peaceful intent.

“He does also wear the eye like the Living Ancestor.” The first soldier pointed out.

“Very well.” The second one said after some consideration. “Follow him. I will go ahead to announce you.” He jogged ahead to the settlement.

They followed at a more leisurely pace, Nil taking the time to observe the people and structures. Most of the people were not wearing armor and their clothes weren't as fine or as decorated as what Alva had been wearing. The massive boat was impressive. Mostly the camp seemed to be made out of lean-tos around a much larger wooden structure draped with curtains to make a tent.

Whispers and exclamations followed them and Nil could almost feel Aloy's tension ratcheting higher. He grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

The heard the soldier who'd gone ahead report, “Overseer Bohai, the Living Ancestor is here. With a barbarian.”

The man he spoke to also wore an outdated Focus. His clothes weren't armored, but they were brighter and more decorated than the other non soldiers they'd seen.

The way he held himself, somehow superior and distanced but combined with the odd proper sense of courtly manners and deference. Nil was unnerved by it as it came across as some horrifying combination of both Sylens and Marad.

“I knew Alva would not dare lie.” He said as they drew close and he got a proper look at Aloy. “You do look like Sobeck.”

“Is Alva here? We need to speak with her.” Aloy asked impatiently.

“I will consider allowing you to see Diviner Alva once we determine who you are. An Ancestor reborn as she believes, or a threat lurking in such a disguise?” He asked, eyes sharp on the both of them. “After all, how are we to believe that an Ancestor was born here among barbarians, so far from the land of the chosen people?”

“Considering it was your soldiers who shot first when we made it clear we were willing to talk, I don't know who you're calling barbarians.” Aloy shot back. “They left us no choice.”

“So you say.” One of the soldiers spat, stepping forward in an attempt to intimidate. “No one survived that encounter to report back.”

“Which tells you our skills are not to be underestimated.” Nil cut in smoothly, keeping his voice light. “And the fact that we are here now, still attempting to open dialogue, despite your unwarranted aggression against us and our people, should tell you that we are more than just the savages you believe us to be.”

Bohai considered him for a moment and Nil's skin crawled. “You speak well…”

“This is Nil. My blood sworn brother, Marshal to our people and the son of our Chief.” Aloy introduced.

Someone blew a horn and all the Quen stepped aside from the entry to the larger tent and bowed their heads in deference to the man who stepped out.

“May I introduce our honored CEO.” Bohai announced.

The man looked young. He had piercing blue eyes and wore a genial smile on his face.

Nil's stomach dropped when he realized what the young man reminded him of.

Jiran.

Before his madness was known outside the palace. He would greet people with a genial smile just like the one the Quen man was throwing their way now. A smile that disarmed before someone was stabbed in the back. A smile that would swiftly disappear when impatience took over. And the servants, bowing and scraping every second, paranoid of when his fickle mood would alight on them. The same way the plainly dressed people around the tent had rushed to bow and make sure their fellows did the same.

This man would be the same. Nil knew it. Almost kindly until his patience wore out. Then he would be moody, callous, cruel and even perhaps slip to the depths of murderous madness.

Nil wanted to take Aloy and get far away from him. But they needed Thebes. And to get to Thebes, they needed the help of the Quen and this man.

He only hoped getting their help wasn't going to blow up in their faces.

Chapter Text

“Well Bohai, what is she?” The Ceo asked.

In a reverse of their usual roles, Aloy grabbed Nil's hand and rubbed a thumb across the back of it to soothe him and stop him from smacking the Quen leader in the face. Nil was usually the responsible one, keeping Aloy from letting her spear do the talking. But his already thin patience with this situation was running out quickly the more this man talked and especially the more he talked in that tone of voice about Aloy.

“A mystery, my Ceo. How can she appear Sobeck and not know of us or our ways? The Quen, the chosen people? Why would she be born an ocean apart from us? And to what ends?” The Overseer circled them as he asked his questions, stopping in front of them. “I cannot answer. Only she can. Falsehoods will not satisfy. Answer. Why are you here?”

“We are looking for the resting place of Ted Faro. A place called Thebes.” Aloy answered.

The Ceo took a stumbling step backwards as though struck by the admission. “And what do you seek there?” He asked warily.

“Alva told us a little of what you came here for. I guess you could say I want what you want.” She replied, leaving a surprising and slightly out of character dramatic pause that left the Quen rocking forward in anticipation. “A way to heal the world.” She finished.

“As I suspected.” The Ceo said with a brilliant smile while he made a sweeping dismissive gesture with his hand towards Bohai. “Tell her.”

The Overseer bowed towards the younger man and turned back to them. “We have indeed found Thebes, the private bunker of Ted Faro and the final resting place of his secrets. It isn't far from this location but the way in still remains closed to us. A complement of diggers and soldiers are at the site with Diviner Alva. Machine attacks have cut us off from them however.”

“Is Alva ok?” Nil asked. “What kind of machines are we talking here?”

“The scouts tell us they remain behind the fortifications around the dig site and are holding out. And there is but one machine. A Thunderjaw. But unlike any I've ever seen before.” Bohai answered them with a grave tone.

“Lemme guess, tougher, stronger, black armor and purple cables?” Nil asked.

“Yes. How did you…”

“We've seen the type before. Not an easy fight, but one we can manage.” Aloy cut in.

“Alva did tell us that you were indeed formidable. I shall inform the Ceo.” The leader had apparently gone inside the tent while they'd been talking. “Resupply with our people if you need to then head to Thebes. The site is at the base of the pyramid in the ruins. We will join you when the scouts tell us the way is clear again.”

They followed the directions to a wide, sandy area between the buildings.

“Barbarians!”

“Run strangers!”

Voices called out to them from the walled area, trying to warn them about the danger.

“That machine will kill you!”

Nil finally felt the vibration of heavy steps reverberating up his legs and turned to see the machine, lenses already red, staring them down from the other end of the beachy area they stood in.

“Same as a normal one! Weak to acid!” Aloy called out as she sprinted away to avoid the laser fire raining down on them.

Nil dove and ran in the opposite direction, hoping to split the machine's attention. Little good it did, as more than once he saw Aloy narrowly avoid being run over as he had to dodge underneath a swipe of its tail.

He ran and still felt like he was barely outpacing the massive machine. “How are you so fast?” He yelled rhetorically at it between panting breaths and another set of rolling dodges.

Voices praised them from beyond the gate as the Thunderjaw crashed into the sand.

“Your CEO sent us. We're here to see Alva.” Aloy called back at them.

“By all means then.”

The gate opened to reveal Alva on the other side. She greeted them with a bright smile and gushed at them. “You killed that machine!”

“We're glad to see you're ok.” Nil said sincerely to her. “We were worried when your Overseer said you were trapped by a machine.”

“Yeah. That was a bad one. I've never seen one like that before. But you took care of it. What are you doing here?” Her voice dropped low. “I told you, it's not safe.”

“We need something from Thebes for our mission. So we went to Landfall. Met your Ceo. Came to an agreement of sorts.” Aloy told her.

“So you're going to help us get in?” Alva asked, gesturing towards the tunnel behind her.

“I guess so. The whole thing was weird. And tense. I don't understand though, I thought we got the data you needed at the Greenhouse.” Aloy asked.

Alva shrugged. “That data will take longer to sort through than the Ceo wants.” She made a distressed sound in the back of her throat. “You have to be careful with him. He's -”

“The Legacy tells us Elisabet Sobeck helped the Ancestors overcome all obstacles, and so it has been today.” Bohai’s voice spoke loudly, cutting off whatever Alva's warning was.

“You have been true to your word, I am pleased.” The Ceo said in a tone that made Nil shudder.

He bit his tongue hard to keep himself present and not get lost in the memories of pleading voices and blood spreading across the floor.

“Thebes awaits us below. Shall we proceed?” The Ceo asked, gesturing them towards the darkness of the tunnel.

They reached the bottom of the ramps a while later, having to take the sedate pace of pomp and circumstance the Ceo seemed intent on taking. But finally they reached the bottom, a cavernous space, one wall of which was dominated by a large and familiar looking door.

“Behold! The door to Thebes!” Bohai announced dramatically.

“A door like no other.” The Ceo sighed.

Aloy was already scanning it and her mouth twisted. Nil pulled up his own scan. Gene sequence locked to Ted Faro. Of course.

“You’re right about that.” Aloy said to the Ceo. “That door will only open for one man. Ted Faro.”

The Ceo’s face grew hard. “But the Legacy tells us he worked closely with Sobeck. He trusted her. Surely she could have opened this door. So surely you can as well.” His voice went deep as he finished and pointed a finger in Aloy’s face.

Aloy just stared at him, her face set in a flat expression. “What part of ‘designed to open only for Ted Faro’ did you not understand?” She asked. “I can't open it. Not from this side anyway.”

The Ceo ripped his attention to Bohai. “You said she was a Living Ancestor with Sobeck’s eternal essence.” He growled at the Overseer.

Bohai’s eyes widened, and he stepped back from the new furious younger man, his mouth trembling with no words coming out.

“If I may,” Alva spoke up suddenly, stepping forward, “Faro, great as he was, did not build his palace alone. Data we found spoke of passages below, for construction, or for servants.” She tacked on the last bit nervously. “The way to them is flooded though.”

Aloy nodded and pulled the diving mask from her belt. “I can handle flooded. I’ll go down and see if there’s another way in down there.”

Bohai recovered and said grandly, “See, with Sobeck, there is always a way.”

“Then get to it. Do what you must to get us inside.” The Ceo said, waving his hands in irritation, impatience at the fore of his tone.

Nil reached for his own diving mask, intending to follow his sister into the depths of Thebes. She laid a hand on his arm.

“You want me to stay up here.” He sighed.

“You can come get me if something goes wrong, but I want you to stay up here, with Alva. I don’t trust the Ceo and Bohai seems the type to protect his own interests even to the detriment of others. She’s the only Quen I trust. I want her down there with us.” She explained urgently and quietly.

Nil spared a glance at the Diviner who was nervously wringing her fingers together and pacing a small circuit on the other end of the cavern while the Ceo made various demands of the soldiers.

“Alright. Just-”

“I know. I know. I will do everything I can to stay safe ok?” She interrupted, giving him a fond smile.

“That predictable am I?” He asked, chuckling.

“Yeah, kinda.”

He hummed, then pushed her into the water. “Didn’t predict that, did you?” He said when she came up sputtering.

She glared at him before disappearing below the surface of the water. He requested access to her video feed and kept it open in the corner of his vision.

“Both of us aren’t needed to find an entrance. I’ll be able to know if she needs assistance and be able to get to her.” He explained to Alva and Bohai as he joined them.

Bohai gave a nod and wandered away to give directions to the soldiers.

“What is going on here Alva?” Nil asked quietly while he split his vision between Aloy’s video feed and the other people in the roomy space. “Your Ceo’s a madman. I’ve seen the type before.”

Her face looked pained as she replied. “I know. I know. But he hasn’t exactly been shy about putting those who question him in front of a firing squad. And those who have tried to run. I’m not a fighter, Nil. I just want to get back to my family someday.”

Nil sighed. Alva didn’t need to face his ire on top of the pressure she was already under. Aloy made it out of the water and Nil breathed a sigh of relief.

“Can you tell me what the Ceo wants with Thebes?” He asked.

Alva’s face contorted in a mix of frustration and disgust. “He wants Faro’s secrets. His final testament.” She squeezed her eyes shut and took a fortifying breath. “The Ceo is an honorific given to one of noble or royal standing who seeks the betterment of the world, as Faro once did. But he’s twisted the meaning. And it’s only gotten worse as the expedition has faced struggle after struggle.”

Nil was glad for once that he wasn’t wearing paint so he could press his hand against his face and drag it downwards in a show of irritation.

“Of course the Quen revere Faro.” He grumbled. “No data after the mid 2050s to tell you what a selfish, egotistical, maniacal bastard he was.”

Alva made a wounded sound.

“Sorry. But it’s the truth. Faro was not a good man.” Nil told her.

She took another deep breath. “It’s more than just reverence for the Ceo though. He actually believes he is-”

Alva’s words were cut off as the door locks began to open. Aloy stood on the other side looking slightly disturbed. Nil had stopped paying close attention to the video feed once she’d gotten out of the water so he didn’t know what datapoints she might have found. He was going to go to her and ask, but Bohai stepped in the way.

“The door is open. Destiny is upon us!” Bohai’s voice boomed as the triangular plates of the door fully settled into their open position. “I knew you could do it.” He told Aloy as he stepped forward to her.

Nil heard the shakiness in his tone. It wasn’t so much that he had believed Aloy could do as she was asked as he had needed her to.

“What is going on here?” She asked, looking at the Overseer and the soldiers who stood in sharp formal stances.

“The Ceo is preparing to enter Thebes.” He told her, gesturing to the tent-like structure that had been erected on one side of the space. Nil had missed the younger man going into it.

The Ceo stepped out and made a grand gesture to the people. His large cloak like top had been abandoned and he wore a long sleeve blue shirt that was disturbingly reminiscent of what Ted Faro was regularly depicted wearing.

“Oh, why are you dressed like Ted Faro?” Aloy groaned.

What Alva had been about to say struck Nil a half second before the man uttered it.

“Because I am Faro. Renewed. I carry his eternal essence. His soul, his will are mine, across the years, the generations. I remain sundered from him in only one way. I need his final testament. His deepest secrets. Once I have them, I will be whole. And now that this door is open, they are within my grasp. I will have all I need to save our homeland, and as Faro did, the world.”

Nil shared a look with Alva and saw that his sister did as well. This man was insane. Completely and utterly.

Aloy held her hands up and tried to cut in. “I think there’s some confusion over who Ted Faro really was…”

The Ceo cut her off. “No one knows better who he was, who he is, me.” He growled.

Nil took a step forward, ready to lay the man out for the implied threat to Aloy, but Alva held him back, giving a small shake of her head.

“Faro was the greatest of the Ancestors. The Renewer. The man who saved the world.” The Ceo continued. “As I understand him, you understand Sobeck. Faro’s harbinger. His assistant.”

Had the tension not been balancing on the edge of a blade, Nil would have laughed. The idea that Elisabet Sobeck had ever been subservient to Ted Faro even when they had been working together was hilarious. The insinuation that Aloy herself was somehow below this man was even more so.

“Come, we will descend into Thebes together. As it should be.” He pointed to the stairs downwards with one hand and with the other gestured for one of the guards. “Bring her the raiment.”

“Uh…raiment?” Aloy asked as a guard came to stand next to her, a bundle of cloth in their hands.

“For this auspicious occasion, should you not wear proper business attire?” Bohai asked.

Aloy looked at the bundle like it might bite her and crossed her arms. “Uh-uh. Nope. No way. I am not wearing that.” She said emphatically, shaking her head.

“You will wear the proper attire to mark this moment.” The Ceo demanded.

“Or what?” She snarled back at him, her hand twitching towards her spear.

The Ceo held a hand up and before Nil could react, all of the soldiers had their bows and heavy weapons pointed at him and Alva.

“It is said Sobeck valued life above all else. And you claim this man as your brother. Are these things true? Surely that means more to you than whatever pride you have in those rags you are wearing.”

Aloy looked at Nil with a tortured expression and her shoulders dropped. She wouldn’t allow him to be hurt anymore than he would allow her to be and these people knew it. He could almost feel the rage radiating off of her though. Between the two of them, the Ceo was going to end up with an arrow through the eye before they headed back to the mainland.

“Fine. I’ll wear it.” She snarled, taking the bundle from the guard roughly and stalking away to change.

The soldiers dropped their bows, but Nil didn’t step away from Alva. The soldiers and the Ceo had made it clear how they valued the Diviner. He didn’t want to leave her alone after that.

Aloy emerged wearing the so called ‘raiment’. It did look like what Elisabet wore, but it didn’t make Aloy into her genetic predecessor. Aloy looked acutely uncomfortable, rolling her shoulders and shifting restlessly in the loose and lightweight material.

She handed the pile of her armor to the guard that had given her the clothes. “Please take these up top?” She asked.

“By your word, Living Ancestor.” The guard said with a quick bow before heading up the ramps.

“Excellent!” The Ceo said brightly as she drew close. “Let us proceed then.”

Nil followed with Aloy and Alva. A shiver went down his spine as the soldiers lined up and followed behind them.

He ignored the running commentary of Bohai and the Ceo on the honestly gaudy space. He stuck near Alva and his sister and scanned the datapoints they passed. The sight of the massive statue of Ted nearly made Nil hysterical, from laughter or the insanity of the situation, he wasn’t entirely sure. When they reached the lower floor, they saw that the huge statue had been blocking their view of two Corrupters.

“Those aren’t statues.” Aloy said after a scan.

“Blood of the Ten.” Nil groaned.

The soldiers pushed Bohai and the Ceo out of the room, leaving Nil, Aloy and Alva alone with the two Chariot class war machines.

Nil rolled his eyes as he nocked a fire arrow, glad they’d brought the blaze tipped ammo.

He had honestly forgotten how these particular machines moved, having to dodge underneath the multiple whipping limbs and away from the heavy landings they made as they jumped. But in comparison to the Ten damned Clamberjaws they’d had to fight in the Raintrace, the ancient machines were slow and ultimately dropped to the rain of their arrows.

“Petitioning to turn Ted Faro’s name into an expletive.” Nil whispered to the two women as they caught their breath.

Aloy smirked and nodded while Alva giggled nervously.

“Well fought.” The Ceo congratulated them as he reentered the room.

“Thanks.” Aloy said in a flat tone.

The missing Overseer was notable and Alva asked about him.

“He went to the surface. A wise decision, since we can’t lose any more Diviners than necessary.”

Nil saw Alva wilt, the implication that her life could be an acceptable loss to the man weighing on her. He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze of comfort. She looked at him with wide eyes that were shiny with gathering tears. She gave him a small smile of thanks.

“Yes, that looks like the way.” The Ceo said pompously as Aloy opened the door that had been between the Corrupters as though he were leading them along.

More datapoints sat along their path, some of them in the voice of a scared teenager, others in the deep dark voice of Ted Faro, in the same tone of his ramblings that they’d found in the ruins of GAIA Prime.

A door at the base of another set of stairs opened into what appeared to be a lab. Lights lit up in sequence down the main aisle, highlighting an advanced looking medical chair.

“A reclining throne? Attached to some form of apparatus!” The Ceo enthused. “I wonder what it was for.”

“I’m sorry, Ceo, my Focus can’t read the data here.” Alva told him, her voice quivering slightly.

“Is the data lost to the Living Ancestor?” He asked in a harsh tone.

Nil and Aloy both scanned the chair and watch as the doctor muttered about his hopeless endeavor.

“You saw something. I could tell.” The Ceo said as they tapped their Focuses when the datapoint finished playing.

“I think Faro was undergoing treatments to live longer. A lot longer.” Aloy told him.

“Really? Could he still be alive?” Alva asked, her voice alight again with its usual exuberant enthusiasm.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The Ceo chastised. “Remember, Faro was the Renewer. He would have wanted to know the secrets of life and death for the betterment of mankind, for the sake of the Quen, and for his true heir, me.”

“You know, I’m starting to think you’re right.” Aloy said bitingly. “You do have a lot in common with Ted Faro.”

Nil bit back his smirk and chimed in as well. “Yes, a true match to his will and values.”

The Ceo predictably did not hear the sarcasm or sharpness in their tones and his face brightened in a smile. “I knew you’d be able to see it eventually! Let us continue. His secrets await.”

More datapoints. Faro had made it so he could kill anyone with a flick of a switch. The coward. And he’d set the reactor to explode if anyone messed with it. Bastard. Straight to the end.

“Break the door down.” The Ceo demanded.

Nil nodded Aloy toward a vent at the top of the wall.

“I’ll go around.” She announced as she pulled it open and zipped up to it with her pullcaster.

“Good idea.” Alva agreed.

Nil had never closed the video channel, so he watched as Aloy found a console and began the download for Omega Clearance. Once she had the file, she sent a copy to Nil’s Focus as well just for the sake of redundancy. He breathed a sigh of relief. One step closer to getting GAIA fully functional. One step closer to saving the world.

Aloy played an audio file. Nil closed his eyes in a silent moment of grief for the doctor and his daughter who had killed themselves to be free from Ted. Ted rambled about being alone for a moment. Then the frost bomb hit, chilling Nil from head to toe. Banging came from beyond the door to the power room. Aloy brought up a page of monitors and zoomed in on the reactor. A definite human shape coalesced in the midst of the angry red lines.

Ted Faro was still alive.

Turned monstrous from mutations and a thousand years attached to a thermonuclear reactor, but still alive.

“Shit.” Nil cursed and then coughed to cover it up when the Ceo looked at him sharply.

He sent a message to Aloy quickly. I’m getting Alva out of here. Follow as fast as you can.

He stepped closer to Alva and whispered, his voice tight with tension, “Play along,” before he raised it, “Diviner Alva, you look pale. Are you feeling well?”

She looked at him curiously and he tried to convey his urgency with his eyes. “Oh!” She exclaimed as she caught on. “Oh. I’m afraid I’m feeling rather faint. The excitement of seeing Faro’s grand palace and the unfortunate years of dust are getting to my head I fear.”

“Perhaps we should go back up top, get you some fresh air so you can come back and see the data with a clear head.” He suggested. “After all, we can’t have you fainting and hitting your head. Your people can’t afford to lose any more Diviners than necessary and since you’ve lost people already, I would think those who safeguard the Legacy would be invaluable right now.”

The Ceo narrowed his eyes, recognizing he had been maneuvered into a corner with his words. “Send Bohai down then, now that we know the way is clear.” He ordered as he waved them away.

“Yes, my Ceo.” Alva squeaked as she followed Nil out. “What’s going on?” She asked as they crossed into the lab.

“Keep quiet until we get to the top. But Faro’s still alive.”

“He is!?” She almost shouted, then kissed her teeth when Nil gave her a look. “Sorry. What do you mean he’s still alive?” She whispered when they had passed a decent distance from some guards.

“Whatever the doctor did worked. But he’s mutated and hooked into the power reactor. What do you think your Ceo is going to do when he finds out Ted Faro is not dead and all his claims of being Faro’s heir are a pile of shit?”

Alva paled.

“And that’s why I’m getting you out.”

In the video feed, the guards and soldiers forced their way through the door to the room Aloy was in.

“Faro’s secrets. Are they here?” The Ceo asked her.

“Uh. Not the ones you’re looking for.” Aloy answered.

The Ceo pointed behind her, to the power room. “They must be in there then.”

“You don’t want to see what’s in there.” Aloy warned.

“I did not come all this way to be denied now.” The Ceo argued, pushing past her to the door. “At last, Faro’s legacy is mine!”

“He is not going to like what he finds in there Aloy, you need to leave, now.” Nil begged as he walked with Alva past the base of the giant Ted statue.

Bestial roars came from the power room and the Ceo reappeared looking pale.

“Is that?” he asked.

“It’s him.” Aloy confirmed, the video feed bobbing a bit as she nodded.

The Ceo’s face melted away from pale and terrified to hard and determined as he walked back towards Aloy and the soldiers. As he passed her, he hissed at one of the guards, “Burn it to ash!”

“You don’t want to do that. Faro rigged it to overload if he-” Aloy tried to tell them as the guard ran in with a torch.

The Ceo cut off her warning as he left the room. “Kill her. We don’t need witnesses.”

The floor beneath Nil’s feet shuddered and he yelled into his Focus when it half settled. “Why didn’t you run Aloy?”

“I don’t know, and I’m a little busy fighting soldiers and trying to not run into lava here. Can we have this conversation later?” She yelled back at him, the sound of her spear hitting armor cutting off her words in places.

“You make it to the top, sister. That’s an order.”

“You don’t exactly outrank me Nil. But I will. I will see you up there.” she promised as she forcefully sent her spear through the chest of one of the soldiers.

“Faro rigged the reactor to overflow if he were killed. Things are about to get real hot in here.” He explained to Alva, pushing her ahead of him and urging her to run.

They made it to the entryway as lava started to pour into it. Nil watched Aloy’s feed, his whole being tight. She ran past and ignored most of the soldiers having given up after the first batch had tried to remove her head. By the time she reached the statue room, almost the whole floor was covered in lava. Her gaze panned up the statue that had broken off at the legs and was leaning precariously on the upper walkway.

One of the soldiers was helping the Ceo up and got pushed out of the way and into the lava so the madman could scramble up further. Just as it looked like the Ceo might escape, the neck of the statue cracked, knocking him off balance and making him fall to the ground. Ted’s massive head fell a moment later, crushing him.

Nil smiled despite the tension that still coursed through him. That was a much more fitting end for the despotic creature than an arrow through the eye.

Aloy reached them at the entryway, her steps quick but slightly hobbling. Nil looked down to see the charred remains of the footwear they’d put her in and her toes looking an awful, angry red.

The cavern around them shook. Nil scooped Aloy up into his arms and began taking the ramps out at a run, checking over his shoulder every once in a while to make sure Alva was following them.

They made it to the top, almost collapsing in the sand as the tunnel finished collapsing behind them.

“You alright, Alva?” Nil asked as he gently set Aloy down.

Whatever answer Alva had been about to give was drowned out by Bohai hissing at them. “What happened?”

“We found something that will help. Not just your people and homeland, but everyone, everywhere.” Aloy told him as she surveyed the damage to her feet.

“But where is the Ceo?” He growled.

“He’s…gone.” Alva answered. “I guess you could say he gave his life to learn the secrets of Thebes.”

“I see.” Bohai said, looking away from them for a second before turning back, a sharp look in his eye. “You think me stupid.”

“What? No!” Alva exclaimed, eyes going wide with fear.

“The Ceo was an egotist who turned our beliefs into a twisted, self-serving fantasy.” He said, his voice drenched with disgust. “Do you really expect me to believe he risked his life for scraps of data? Time for the truth. And it better be convincing, or I will have these soldiers open fire.”

Nil stepped in front of Alva and rested his hand on the hilt of his blade. “You can’t blame her for being careful with her words given how your people have been treated.”

“You’re right though." Aloy jumped in. “The Ceo messed everything up. He caused Thebes to blow up in our faces and died like the Ten damned coward he was. But I did not lie. I did retrieve something that will help your homeland. If I can take it and use it.”
“If we have to fight our way out of here, we will. Given how things went at the Greenhouse, you can do the math on how well that will go for you.” Nil added.

Aloy elbowed his shin. “Or the better option for everyone involved. You let us go. And then take credit when things start to get better.”

“Success does sound better than failure.” Bohai said after a moment of consideration. He motioned for the soldiers to lower their weapons. “Very well. Landfall shall be open to you. But Alva must join you on your mission and report back on your efforts.” He glanced at Alva. “I expect your reports to be thorough, Diviner.”

“Yes, Overseer.” Alva agreed with a fervent nod.

“Thebes is obviously of no further value to us.” He announced to the soldiers. “We shall return to Landfall. Someone run ahead and have the medic on standby to see to the Living Ancestor.”

He turned and led the soldiers away. Nil scooped Aloy up again and began following.

“Nil!” She protested. “I can walk!”

“Can and should are different things Aloy.” He replied calmly as he tightened his grip to keep her from squirming out of his hold. “Hot sand is not good for burnt feet.”

She grumbled still but stopped fighting him.

Their Focuses suddenly started ringing.

“Oh Thank All Mother.” Varl’s voice came through as Aloy answered the group call.

“What’s up Varl?” Nil asked, not sure why the man sounded so relieved.

“We weren’t sure what happened. You blipped off the network for a while there. Aloy first, then you, Nil. None of us could reach you and GAIA couldn’t monitor your activity.” Beta answered.

“Makes sense Faro would have had Thebes shielded from outside connections.” Aloy said. “We didn’t think about that when we went in.”

“Yeah. That would explain it.” Beta said with a sigh.

“We’re fine. Aloy’s feet are a little rough for wear, but we’re intact. We have Omega clearance.” Nil told them. “And we have a new ally. I’d have GAIA connect her to the network now, but I’d rather get her one of our Focuses first.”

“That’s great guys.” Varl said. “Hey, while you were down there, Petra called. She got the coordinates on the Sons of Prometheus base that you were looking for. I already put it on the map for you.”

Aloy pulled up the map for them. The base was in the mountains, just a little ways Northeast of the Greenhouse.

“We can hit that on our way back if you can come out and guide Alva.” Aloy suggested. “Then we’ll be able to get Sylens to come out of his hole and get his shield breaker tech for when we go to GEMINI.

“Yeah. I can meet you at the ferry.” Varl said.

“We’ll let you know when we are ready to head back East. We might need to spend a couple days here to let Aloy’s feet heal.” Nil told them.

“What happened?” Beta asked.

“Lava.” Aloy said quietly.

“I am so curious how that happened, but I will just watch the data upload in a bit. Make sure they don’t try to cool the burns with salt water.” Beta told them. “I’ll see you when you guys get back.”

“Yeah. See you, Beta. Varl, we’ll see you at the ferry in a few days.” Nil said, hanging up the call after the Brave said goodbye.

“I’m so excited!” Alva gushed as soon as they stopped talking. “I thought Bohai was going to have us killed for sure. And instead, I get to join you.”

Nil smiled at her enthusiasm. “You’ll love it. A newer Focus and access to all the data we’ve collected in our travels.”

Alva practically began skipping.

--

Back at Landfall, Nil left Aloy in the hands of the fluttering medic and stood on the dock while he called Kotallo.

“Hey Kota.” He greeted as the other Marshal answered.

“Hello Nil. Varl just finished informing me of your mission progress.” Kotallo said. “Will Aloy be alright?”

Nil smiled at the worry in the other man’s tone. “She’ll be fine. This is no worse than what she faced after Cauldron EPSILON. She’s just going to need to spend a few days off her feet and being waited on hand and foot. So, you know, torture for her.”

Kotallo chuckled. “She doesn't like to stay still, that’s for certain.”

“I wanted to ask. Did you see Varl updated the map with the Sons of Prometheus base?”

“I did.”

“Aloy and I were going to take it out on our way back to Base. Want to join us?” Nil asked.

“It would be an honor to eliminate the filth that aided in killing the Marshals.” Kotallo answered with a growl.

“We’ll be letting Varl know when we plan to leave Landfall. We’ll let you know too and meet you at the Grove. Then head North?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“We’ll see you at the Grove then.”

“Strike true until then, Nil.”

“You too, Kota.”

Nil smiled as he ended the call. Sylens' days had been numbered since the HADES Proving Lab. But that number was rapidly counting down and Nil could almost see the day in the near future when it hit zero.

Chapter Text

They ended up staying in Landfall for three full days after exiting Thebes. During that time, Nil helped Alva uncover data for an Old World system that would help the seasonal flooding in their homeland. Aloy was restricted to the medic tent and many of the Quen flocked to spend time with her and shower her with various gifts. By the time she was cleared for travel, she looked ready to rip her hair out. They left early in the morning, before too many of the Quen were awake to give them an overblown send off.

By the time they reached the beach on the mainland, Nil was genuinely surprised Alva had not managed to talk herself hoarse. She had spent the entirety of their travel across the island and the boat ride asking questions about their people, their friends, the various tribes they knew of. She was relentless in her curiosity.

They camped the night in the slightly decrepit shack that stood on the beach. In the morning, the sound of hooves announced the arrival of Varl who introduced himself to the Diviner with his usual boyish charm. He looked genuinely surprised when she introduced herself with enthusiasm instead of suspicion.

“Kotallo’s waiting for you at the Grove. But he did ask if you could check in at Thornmarsh. Apparently he received some reports of troubles in the Lowland capital.” Varl said to the siblings as they all mounted up.

“Did he say what kind of trouble?” Nil asked.

“Apparently the red blight has cleared from much of the jungle and water sources, except for one river. And it’s one that runs directly through the capital settlement.” Varl explained.

“Between DEMETER and POSEIDON, the rivers should be running clear now.” Aloy said, her brows pressing together.

“Hence the concern.” Nil said with a nod. “We’ll check it out.”

Varl and Alva parted from them at the entrance to Thornmarsh and they entered. They were pointed to the herbalist where they found a woman knelt over a young child who appeared to be in pain.

She looked up at them, acknowledging them with a small smile, but her face was drawn tight with tension that also seemed to run into her shoulders and posture.

The child curled in on herself and whined. “I want mother.”

“Shhhh. Rest now, young one. She’ll be back.” The woman soothed. She looked over at the herbalist. “Keep an eye on her.” She ordered and stood.

“Is she ill?” Nil asked.

“Aloy and Nil, the children of the Chief.” She greeted. “Walk with me.”

They followed as she led the way towards the entrance to the settlement.

“I am Atekka. Commander of the Lowland Clan.” She introduced herself. “The girl, Zella, was poisoned by the blood choke. It has plagued our land for months, depriving us of clean water to drink and killing the fish we gather for food. We’ve been able to adapt in many ways, to live with the filth as best we can. It has not been easy. But recently, it cleared from much of the Lowlands. From what Hekarro had told me of your mission, I believe we have you to thank for that.”

Aloy tipped her head, still twitchy and uncomfortable with praise.

“I didn’t think father would make our mission widely known.” Nil said.

“Worry not. He hasn’t. I have a certain privilege when it comes to information from the Chief.” She said, a playful and slightly secret smile playing about her lips. Then it dropped, the tension returning to her shoulders. “As I said, the filth was washed from much of the Lowlands but there is still one river that runs red, like a bleeding wound.”

“So you’re still facing the polluted waters here.” Aloy summarized.

“Exactly. I sent my best squad to find the source, led by Zella’s mother. But they haven’t returned.” Her brow furrowed in her concern for her people. “Please, will you lend me your strength in this. Together, I know we can find my missing squad as well as the source of the poison.”

“We’ll be happy to help, Commander.” Nil promised.

“Thank you. We will head for the mouth of the river and follow it up. The squad would have gone that way.” She told them as she led them away.

“Sounds like you know the Chief pretty well.” Aloy commented as they meandered along the paths through the swamp.

Atekka released an amused and fond sounding huff. “I’ve known that man since we were both bare armed youths. He and Ullia were some of my best friends. And he was my squad leader and Commander before he became my Chief. He was a fierce and driven young man, bent upon war and destruction of the enemies of the Lowland. I was with him when he took the Grove. The change in him on that day. A conqueror entered that long contested ground. The man who came out wanted to see a day of peace between the clans.”

“Because of Faraday’s message.”Aloy said with a smile.

“Yes. I was sad that I missed it’s playing at the Kulrut. I was only able to send my challengers. I was not able to attend myself due to the rebels and the struggles the blood choke was causing.”

“We could play it for you. At least the words.” Nil offered.

Atekka looked surprised. “Thank you. I’d like that.” She said with a smile. “But some other time. For now, I’d like to focus on getting this taken care of for our people. But yes. That Vision changed Hekarro. Gave him new purpose. A desire to unite. Our first Chief, who put us to fighting the machines instead of each other.”

Nil and Aloy smiled. “He’s a good man. We are proud to call him father.” Nil told her.

“And trust me, he’s proud to call you his children.” Atekka said, more amusement leaking into her tone. “I almost couldn’t get him to stop regaling me with your successes at the Kulrut when I last visited the Grove.”

Aloy’s ears turned pink while Nil felt warmth in his cheeks. “If you are so close with the Chief, why did you not join his Marshals?” Nil asked once he recovered from the temporary embarrassment.

“He needed someone he could trust to lead his former clan.” She said simply. “I completed the rites for the honor. Five days of wiping the pit with my opponents and earning new scars, I stood the victor. And the Lowland remains loyal to Hekarro so he can focus on wrangling the Sky and Desert Clans.”

Nil and Aloy shared a look as they both thought of Tekotteh.

“Here.” Atekka stopped on the path beside the river. “If we follow this upstream from here, we should find the source of the poison. And hopefully the squad.”

“There’s a machine on the bank up a ways there.” Aloy pointed out.

“Probably taken out by the squad. Looks like we’re on the right path.”

The sound of machine fighting hit them and grew louder the further they followed the river. When they came to a waterfall, they saw soldiers fending off several Clamberjaws.

Nil scanned one of them. A Fire Clamberjaw. Overridden by rebels.

“Aloy!” He called as he sent an arrow for a sparker on one of the machine’s backs.

“I see it!” She answered him.

The Clamberjaws ended up dead, no true match for the Tenakth.

“Commander, Chief’s Children, you made it just in time.” The squad leader said as they gathered.

“Good fighting all.” The Commander praised her soldiers.

“These weren’t ordinary machines, Atekka. They were overridden by rebels.

“Another rot the tribe has had to contend with.” Atekka said with a sour face. “At least Regalla is no longer around to foul our air. And her followers are being dealt with. But how did this happen?”

The squad leader began to report, her words strained as she dealt with the pain of wounds on her side. “We managed to fight our way to this point and noticed that.” She pointed up the cliffside to what appeared to be a pile of machines and parts. “When we advanced to investigate, we were set upon by these machines.”

“A pile of dead machines, rebels and a poisoned river. Can’t be a coincidence.” Nil commented, eyes narrowed at the top of the cliff.

“Agreed.” Atekka said with a grim nod. She turned to the squad. “Rest. Then return to the settlement. Little Zella is waiting for you.” The last bit was directed at the squad leader.

“We’re going to have to climb up the waterfall.” Aloy told them.

“Right through the blood choke.” Atekka grimaced as she said it.

“You know if there are rebels up there it could be a trap.” Nil mused as he jumped between handholds.

“We’ll fight our way through regardless.” Atekka answered.

They dealt with the algae splashing over them, being careful to not let it get in their mouths.

As they neared the top, the sound of a heavy machine tromping around reached their ears and they saw the head of a Fireclaw peek over the edge of the cliff.

“Oh yay. My favorite.” Aloy hissed sarcastically.

Once they cleared the top of the cliff, they saw a small group of rebels patrolling along with the Fireclaw.

“We should try to get as many of the rebels down before we take the big guy.” Nil suggested.

“Sound strategy.” Atekka praised. “I will go to the left towards the falls.”

Aloy nodded, already sneaking off to the right.

Atekka hit the Fireclaw first with a couple arrows to its exposed shoulder blaze sac just as Nil finished taking down a gunner that had been holding a massive acid weapon.

Nil leveled the heavy weapon at the machine garnering its attention for himself. The acid buildup tipped over just as the weapon gave out and Aloy nailed it with a couple drill spikeswhile Nil led it on a merry chase around the clearing.

Finally it landed heavily and didn’t get up after almost flattening Nil with its backside.

When they got HEPH under control, he was going to ask about that attack. He did not understand why the Frost and Fireclaws had an attack that was essentially just trying to aggressively sit on people.

“What were the rebels doing here?” Atekka asked, voice landing somewhere between hard and tired.

“Look around. See if you can find anything of interest.” Aloy told her while tapping the Focus.

Nil tapped his own scan, something catching his attention at the base of the dam. He went close to it and saw a machine lure, made in what appeared to be a fairly Oseram make.

Aloy came up with a handful of Corrupter parts and machine scrap. Atekka brought a scroll with Oseram glyphs. From what looked like one of the Sons of Prometheus to another. She also pointed out the ballista above the dam.

“The rebels were luring machines here to override them. Some of the overrides didn’t work, so they ended up killing those machines, which is what built up the dam.” Aloy explained as she figured out what the rebels had been doing. “When they figured out the dam was preventing the clean water from clearing out the blood choke, they stayed to protect it.”

“Spineless cowards.” “Honorless filth.” Atekka and Nil snarled at the same time.

Aloy nodded grimly in agreement. “But, if we clear the dam, that should allow the fresh water from the falls to flow properly down the river, washing out the algae.”

“I don’t have any bombs on me.” Atekka said.

“And I don’t know the amount we have will be enough to move this pile.” Nil added, prodding at the Shellsnapper body.

Aloy sent her pullcaster out, attaching it to a beam, and pulled.

The movement of the beam pried away some machine plating that revealed a massive cargo sac.

“That’ll do it, but how do we get it to blow?” Nil asked.

“The ballista.” Aloy grunted as she kept a grip on her pullcaster, keeping the beam from snapping back into place.

“I’m on it.” Atekka said, sprinting up to the weapon. “Hold it!” She called as she aimed and fired.’’

And then Nil saw an issue with this plan. He and Aloy were way too close. He didn’t even get a full step forward before the blast sent him off his feet. Aloy slammed into him, forcing air out of him. His vision only went dark for a moment as he landed hard, the weight of his sister on top of him. She got up and pulled on his hand to help him stand while he shook his head to dislodge the stars from his vision.

They were checking each other for injuries when Atekka joined them by where the remnants of the dam were slowly being pushed over the edge of the falls.

“Nice flying.” She teased, a smirk twisting her lips while her eyes glinted with amusement.

“Ha ha.” Aloy replied in a flat tone while Nil chuckled.

“It will likely still be a couple days before this will fully wash the blood choke from Thornmarsh, but it will. Our people will be able to wash our wounds with clean water again. Thank you, Aloy, Nil.”

“We would not see our people suffer if it can be remedied, Commander.” Nil told her. “Would you like to hear Faraday’s message now?”

“If you do not mind.”

Nil set his audio to play aloud through the speaker and played the recording of when they watched the Faraday vision.

When it finished, Atekka smiled softly. “I can see why these words settled so heavily on him. Thank you for sharing this with me. There is something I want to tell you. Both of you.”

Nil and Aloy tipped their heads in curiosity.

“We were uncertain how to share this information with you, unwilling to overwhelm you further, given how much changed for you in such a short time.” She started. “And we also didn’t want you to think I was in any way trying to take Ullia’s place. I am aware she will always be the one who claimed you as her children and you in turn claimed her as mother. I have no wish to change that.”

“You and Hekarro are pledged.” Nil guessed.

Atekka gave him a soft smile. “Perceptive as both him and Ullia.” She said fondly.

“Thank you for telling us. Neither of us are likely to be upset about having more people to call family, though.” Aloy said.

“But there are some who would feel a compulsion to treat me as though I had a role I do not. I only wished to belay any of those sorts of concerns.” Atekka argued.

“Thank you, Atekka.” Nil said, bowing his head.

“Thank you, for giving my mate something to delight in, a family.” She said, holding her arms open for them to step in for an embrace. “Our pledging is not common knowledge amongst the tribe. There are those who would use it to accuse Hekarro of favoritism. Such talk is of course indicative that the speaker clearly does not know the Chief. But accurate or not, the talk exists.”

“We’ll keep it quiet.” Aloy agreed as she hugged the Commander.

Nil also gave her a hug.

“Walk with the Ten, children of my mate.” She said, releasing them and heading towards the cliffside.

“Strike true, Commander.” Nil replied, saluting her as her head disappeared over the edge.

--

Kotallo was waiting for them at the Entrance to the Grove as they rode up, his Charger digging its horns in the dirt not far away.

“As always, it is good to see you both hale and whole.” He greeted warmly. “Did you need to resupply or wish to see the Chief before we head North?”

Aloy shook her head. “We’re so close to taking care of the Sons of Prometheus. I’d rather just get it done and over with. If we push, we can make it to, what’s that Sky Clan settlement,” she asked herself as she brought up the map, “Cliffwatch, for the night.”

Kotallo smiled and gave a low whistle to call his Charger over. “As we expected. The Chief passes on thanks for helping Thornmarsh. He had a meeting with one of the guard squads or I’m sure he would have been here to greet you himself.” He told them as he mounted up.

“We can’t expect him to forego his duties as Chief simply to see us everytime we’re near.” Aloy said, steering them North.

“He simply wishes to know you, since he did not learn of you as you grew up.” Kotallo told them, making the siblings smile softly.

--

Their travels to Cliffwatch went surprisingly quickly, since they’d had to push their Chargers hard to make it past many of the more aggressive machine sites. They arrived with the sun still peering over the horizon.

A soldier called out to Kotallo from the overlook that the settlement was centered around.

“Ikkotah. It is good to see you, old friend.” Kotallo greeted as they drew near. “This is Nil and Aloy, the children of the Chief.” He introduced.

Ikkotah dipped his head in greeting. “Well met, Nil and Aloy.” He turned back to Kotallo. “Watch who you’re calling old, young scab. I could still toss you around the pit.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Kotallo snarked in response.

Ikkotah laughed. “I’m glad to see your spirit has not diminished, lad. You know I levied many complaints against Tekotteh for sending you away from the clan. But Chekka did tell me you flourished at the Grove. And then I was worried again when I heard of your injury. But you seem to be doing well.”

Nil didn’t miss how the soldier’s words stumbled slightly on the nickname of one of the lost Marshals.

“Yes, well. It does seem a Marshal is what I was destined to be.” Kotallo said with a smile. “And some have been rather adamant in their support of my despite my maiming.”

“Good. Good. Now if I may make a request of the Marshal?”

“Go ahead friend. We only planned to stay here for the night, but we will help if we can.”

“You remember how our people would get salvage out of the forest, from the scrap piles the Clamberjaws and Shellwalkers leave behind.”

“Yes. You guided Ram Squad when we would come for training missions.”

“Easier times, those days.” He said with a sigh. “Now killer machines prowl the area. Clawstriders certainly, but I’ve heard rumors from the scouts about something worse. I would have handled it by now if Chekkatah were…” He squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed, then shook his head to dispel whatever thought was plaguing him. Kotallo gave him a squeeze on the arm below his pauldron. Another fortifying breath. “Anyway, there aren’t enough seasoned soldiers here to handle the threat. You three up for a hunt?”

“As much as I miss hunting with you friend, there’s a matter I must discuss with Marshal Nil. Besides, four seasoned warriors? How are you to have any fun?” Kotallo asked, his voice light, clearly trying to ease the older soldier’s melancholy. “Perhaps just Aloy can assist.”

Nil looked at Kotallo with bewilderment. What reason would he have for sending Aloy away?

Ikkotah turned to the red head. “I had heard of your skills in the field. What do you say? Are you up for a hunt?”

“I just might be.” She answered with a smile.

Another sigh. “Chekka used to say that, in the same way.” His mouth twisted up into something adjacent to a smirk. “I’ll take it as a good omen. Come, let’s go while we still have some of the daylight.”

Nil watched as Aloy and Ikkotah descended into the forest below. Once they were out of sight, he turned to Kotallo with a raised brow.

“Alright, Kota. What do you need to talk about that you had to shoo Aloy away?”

Kotallo sat on the edge of the overlook and motioned for Nil to sit next to him.

“I’ve built a new arm for myself.” He said after several moments of quiet.

Nil blinked at him, trying to process what he’d just been told. “What? Why?” He asked when he remembered he had to speak his questions.

“You know why.”

“Kotallo…” Nil groaned, ready to begin another lecture about the other Marshal’s self worth issues.

“Nil.” Kotallo said, stalling the incoming tirade. “Notice I am not wearing it.”

Nil’s words froze in his throat.

“Because the longer I worked on it, the more I asked myself why I was doing it. The more your words seemed to echo in my head. The more I remembered that there are those who don’t see this,” he wiggled his stump in emphasis, “as a weakness. So the arm I built will be a tool, a weapon for use when I need it.”

Nil smiled, grateful beyond words to see this growth in his friend.

“It still requires a final test.” Kotallo told him. “I wanted you to know I intend to take Aloy on a hunt to do so once we’ve handled the duplicitous Banuk.”

Nil’s soft, proud smile grew into a wide grin. “I would warn you what I’d do to you if you hurt her, but I think we both know Aloy would beat me to the punch. Or castration as it were.”

That forced a laugh out of Kotallo. “The Chief made similar remarks, though not quite as blunt about what he thought my fate might be were I to treat her in a manner unworthy of her.”

They laughed and then spent the rest of the time waiting for Aloy and Ikkotah to return sparring and setting up their accommodations for the night.

Aloy and Ikkotah returned long after dark had fully fallen, slightly somber but still bright with their victory in the forest.

--

In the morning as they wished Ikkotah goodbye, they promised to come by for a hunt again sometime. He seemed cheered by the thought as he reentered the settlement.

The coordinates Petra had given them culminated in a door that appeared to be made of thick wood and metal, well fortified. As they watched, it opened to a group of returning scouts.

“It won’t be easy to get in there quietly.” Kotallo rumbled.

The siblings just smirked at him from either side of his shoulders as they silently unslung their bows. The heavy thunks of precision arrows embedding into the guards heads sounded a moment later, the bodies standing in a morbid mimicry of life for a breath before dropping to the ground.

“Well you don’t need to be smug about it.” He grumbled as they entered and closed the metal enforced door behind them.

The three of them managed the interior of the Base with ease. Nil and Aloy handled the enemies at range while Kotallo would slip up unnoticed and take out enemies with his blade silently, or rushing to finish them before they could raise the alarm. It was honestly impressive how fast and silent the other Marshal was. He saw he wasn’t the only one impressed and smirked at his sister.

“Do you need a moment before we move on?” He whispered.

She pushed him over before slinking into the next patch of long grass.

Once all the operatives and the rebels laid dead, they searched the bodies.

“Almost none of them are wearing Focuses.” Kotallo pointed out.

“And I didn’t hear the voice of that woman that was on the recordings in the other camps, Asera. She’s their leader. She hates the Carja. She’ll just look for another way to take them down if we don’t handle this.” Aloy said, pursing her lips.

“I saw a door at the back of the cave.” Kotallo suggested.

“Our best option at this point.” Nil said with a shrug.

Another set of thick wooden doors led them to cave tunnels.

The sound of a tripwire being laid caught their attention before a voice spoke from a speaker along the path.

“I was hoping you’d make it this far, you red headed wretch. And you, Carja, playing at being one of the Tenakth. Regalla told me about the both of you. I’ve been looking forward to removing your miserable existences from the face of the planet.”

Aloy growled.

“I should almost reward your companion for bringing you to me. One of you killed in the Red Raids, the other gave my partner over to the damned Carja. Of course one of you bears the weight of heavier sins than the other, but you both must die.”

Aloy lobbed an explosive at the speaker, shutting the woman up.

“So she worked with Dervahl.” Aloy said, leaping up some handholds.

“The Red Raids and their fall out will be a shadow over the Sundom for a long time to come.” Nil mumbled.

Kotallo snatched Aloy about the waist as she almost stepped into air when a bridge blew up in front of them.

“Slow down.” He rumbled in her ear. “I understand you do not like when people misattribute Nil's tribe and when he is threatened, but you cannot rush this fight. She is clearly quick and clever. You will end up hurt or worse if you go on like this, Aloy.”

She slumped in his arm and he released her.

“You're right.” She said after taking a deep breath. “So the bridge isn't an option. How do we proceed?”

“There's a draft here.” Nil told them, holding his hand out to what appeared to be a solid wall of rock.

“Another path maybe? But how do we get to it?” Aloy asked, feeling for the chill air herself.

“If you'll excuse me.” Kotallo requested from behind them.

Nil and Aloy turned to see him holding an Oseram styled hammer. They stepped away and watched as with one hefty strike, he slammed the hammer into the wall, decimating the flimsy rock.

Nil watched Aloy blink at Kotallo a few times in surprise before she managed to get out a croaked, “Impressive.”

“It was in the way. Now it's not.” He said with a shrug, but his smile was fairly self satisfied.

Nil smiled back at him and gave him a friendly pat on the back before they headed further along.

“This has to lead out. I can feel the snow chilled air.” Aloy mused as they walked carefully through the tunnel, watching for more traps.

The exit of the cave collapsed behind them just as they cleared it and a figure appeared on the ridge across the clearing from them.

“You took your sweet time.” Asera taunted them.

“Only because you chose to act like a coward.” Kotallo replied.

“Running instead of facing us yourself. Shameful.” Nil added.

“Shut up Carja. My methods have kept me alive. And I will see the fall of your people.” She hissed.

“By all means, keep calling him Carja, see how well that goes for you.” Kotallo said with a glance at Aloy.

“Shut it. You'll pay for what you've taken from me, you wretches.”

The sound of Clawstrider screams pierced their ears.

“Well this is hardly fair, I've taken nothing from you!” Kotallo called as he dropped into a ready stance.

At some point while fighting the machines, Nil lost sight of Aloy and assumed she'd gone to take care of Asera. As the red lenses blinkered out, he saw that was the case as she stood on the ridge, a victorious smile on her face.

“I've got a call to take.” She said.

Nil nodded. He needed to make himself scarce so Sylens wouldn't see him before they wanted him to. “I'll gather the Chargers.” He told her before he opened an audio channel with her Focus and began climbing down the mountain.

“Do you have any idea what you've just done?”

Nil hadn't heard Sylens in months. Time had not tempered his hatred of the self important drawl of the man’s voice.

“Oh it's good to see you too, Sylens.” Aloy greeted, her voice sweet with underlying venom.

“You've managed to save the Tenakth for a handful of weeks, maybe months if they're lucky, but they're going to die along with the rest of the world.”

“Wrong, Sylens. Because unlike you, I don't need to throw lives at a problem. My people will be fine once we take care of the Zeniths and gather the subfunctions they've managed to get a hold of.”

“Foolish girl, have you learned nothing of the enemy we're facing?”

“More than you, given I've been doing the heavy lifting while you hide in a hole as usual.” Aloy snarked. “I just have better ideas than you.”

“I'm listening.” Sylens at least sounded intrigued.

“Nope. We aren't doing this over the Focus this time. We're doing this face to face, with the shield breaker weapon you developed.”

“Why would I agree to that?”

“Because you know I'm the only way to defeat the Zeniths. And getting the build of APOLLO that's on their ship.”

Nil grinned sharply. Quite the carrot to dangle in front of the man. Of course, it would come to nothing, Sylens was not going to leave their next encounter alive. He wondered how his sister managed to keep a straight face.

“So you're going to meet me at my Base, in the mountains West of Plainsong. It's time for you to shut up, listen to the one who actually knows what she's talking about, and submit to the inevitable.”

The inevitable. Nil liked the sound of that.

Chapter Text

Aloy wandered inside, leaving Kotallo and Nil to handle unpacking the Chargers. Nil listened to the whoosh of doors and the greetings of Zo and Varl. Not a sound from Alva or Beta. The latter was expected, but the lack of the Diviner’s voice was curious. Zo told Aloy that her ‘guest’ could be found in the workshop.

“Aloy. You certainly took your time despite your assurances that you care about the world and that you know what you’re doing.” Sylens drawled almost as soon as the sound of doors opening came through.

Nil and Kotallo climbed together, dumping the packs in the hallway to be dealt with after Sylens.

Aloy waited until they closed again before she answered. “You certainly took your time in providing me with information that was critical to saving the world, so I really don’t think you’re in a position to judge, Sylens.”

Sylens made no response to that and chose to instead jump topics. “Enough. You owe me your explanation on how you intend to infiltrate the Zenith base.”

“You’re right. I do owe you. My spear in between your ribs for deceiving us at the HADES Proving Lab.” She said icily.

“Now, now. We both know you didn’t call me here for that kind of reckoning.” Sylens chided in a smug tone.

Nil smirked as he stepped into the common room and bent his head in greeting to Varl and Zo. The Banuk had no idea why he’d been summoned here. And by the time he did, it would be too late. He made a gesture at about his shoulders with his hands and tilted his head, silently asking where the other women were. Zo tilted her chin towards the downstairs.

He smiled and descended, finding Alva and Beta both engrossed in their Focus readouts.

Sylens had resumed talking in a superior tone. Nil really was going to have to ask how Aloy kept a straight face through all of this. He was on the verge of chuckling every second they grew closer to the man's demise.

“Besides, I am the only one able to operate this device. Without me, you stand no chance against the Zenith threat.”

“When have I ever come up against a challenge that I needed your help to overcome, Sylens?” Aloy asked in that dangerous sweet tone of hers.

“Finding your mother.” The man replied simply, making Aloy growl under her breath and Nil snarl. Sylens had nothing to do with Aloy finding her mother. Just how she was born. How many times did it bear repeating?

Nil posed a question to GAIA since Alva and Beta seemed to be busy. “How’s the hack coming along?”

“We have almost achieved access to his files. You were certainly right. His encryption is highly advanced. No match for MINERVA and the skills of Beta and Alva however.” GAIA answered, her tone proud as she mentioned the two women. “He has been attempting to access the data archive and my systems since his arrival. I have made sure he’s completely quarantined from the network.”

Nil rolled his eyes and hissed out an annoyed breath.

“So, I assume you wish to understand my undertakings here in the West?” Sylens asked Aloy.

“Since when do you offer to give me information that didn’t benefit you?” She growled at him.

“Since I see I’m getting nowhere despite you already having thrown a fit and a wrench in my plans. And you’ve clearly experienced some modicum of success, so we’ll say I’m willing to be generous.”

Aloy gave a vague summation of Sylens’ plans.

“Still playing catch up are we?” He asked.

Nil could almost feel the heat of Aloy’s rage from where he was standing. He shook his head. Either Sylens was going to need to stop this shtick or Aloy was going to have to develop some major restraint. Because otherwise she was going to stab the man and Nil wasn’t going to get to make good on the promise he’d made so long ago.

Alva closed her Focus interface and greeted him brightly. He returned it with a smile.

“We got it?” He asked when Beta also emerged from her own readout.

Her lips tilted with a smirk and she nodded.

Nil felt the sharp grin cut across his face. Sylens was officially no longer necessary to their plans. He tilted his head upstairs, inviting Beta and Alva to follow.

Aloy had continued trying to pry Sylens’ plans from him. “So you were out here scheming even before we got the coordinates at the Spire.”

“As soon as HADES revealed the Zenith threat, I began laying out my plans. I knew I would need a zealous army to attack their base. And the Tenakth are known to relish their battles. Regalla’s fury towards both the Carja and Chief Hekarro as well as her ability to gather others to her cause were fortuitous to my plans. But I knew if you found out about my intentions, you would have tried to stop me.”

“You were attempting to use my entire tribe as cannon fodder!” Aloy spat. “Of course I would try to stop you.”

“So I made a contingency for that as well.” Sylens told her.

“Getting me caught by the Zeniths. And Nil killed.”

“Yes. I knew they would keep you alive to repair GAIA, but keep you contained so you wouldn’t interfere with my plans. I admit I find myself curious how you escaped their clutches.”

Aloy hummed. “Not telling.”

Nil heard the ping of her scanning for his Focus. He stood waiting outside the door with Beta.

She spoke, her voice taking on the particular tone of the Clamberjaw that had found the scrap heap. “You know, you’ve always been clever. But Sylens, you are so, so, very bad at one thing in particular.”

“And what’s that?” Sylens sneered.

“People. The human element. It was the very thing that kept you from opening a door for close to twenty years and it’s the same thing you didn’t account for when you offered me up to the Zeniths. Because they didn’t need me. The Zeniths would have killed me and let the world burn, Sylens. And that would have been your fault.” She told him.

“Have you lost your memory as well as your senses? Of course they needed you. The clone of Elisabet Sobeck. The key to reviving the system.” He argued.

Aloy opened the door, revealing Beta to the doomed man’s sight.

Nil was not at all sure why Aloy had suddenly developed this flair for the dramatic, but he was certainly enjoying the results of it. He saw as Sylens took in the familiar features of the young woman, how his eyes widened in understanding and then narrowed as he no doubt tried to work through several new contingencies.

Then Sylens’ eyes caught on him and Nil reveled in the way his eyes widened in disbelief and that little nugget of fear he’d instilled.

“And another thing. I don’t know how or why you were under the impression that I would just leave my brother behind to be killed by an unknown threat.” Aloy said over the tense silence of the room.

“He’s not truly your brother, Aloy.” The man said quickly, clearly not thinking through his words. “You are the product of a machine and necessity.”

Aloy’s face scrunched in rage and she swung her spear from her back and held the tip to Sylens’ throat.

“You can’t kill me. I’m the only one who can operate the shield breaker.” He said, thickly, trying to keep the bobbing of his throat from touching the wicked sharp point of Aloy’s favored weapon.

Beta broke the silence this time with a soft laugh. She stepped around to the device built out of wood and woven material, another hand sized paneled ball at the center like the one Aloy had retrieved outside of the Ninmah research laboratory.

“The pack it’s loaded on is simply a battery pack. The delivery system is entirely in this disc here. You’ve fixed the problems that caused your earlier version to go up in smoke and you’ve increased the output.” She said as she waved her hands over it and the parts she was referencing. “Honestly though, given your skills and abilities, I expected more. This won’t be able to take down the shield they have around their base. Which you would have had to do had you gone through with your original plan. Curious what you would have done about that. Not to worry. I can beef up the specs and make it into something we can actually use.”

“How?” Sylens asked after a moment of his mouth dropping open.

“You’re so smart, you tell us, oh wise hermit who walked into a Base with the most advanced AI ever invented who has been reunited with her code breaking subfunction.” Nil snarked.

Sylens gaped for a moment before his face twisted in rage. “You hacked my files. You bitch.” He hissed in Beta’s direction. To her credit, she looked rather nonplussed by the sudden anger. “I’ll-”

“You’ll what, Sylens? You have a spear at your throat. And don’t forget, I already owe you for putting Aloy in danger. I wouldn’t go throwing threats at my other sister.” Nil said, low and dangerous.

He heard the sharp intake of breath from the younger woman. They’d talk about it later. But Beta was family as surely as Aloy. The keen protective edge he had towards the younger woman was unmistakable. And Nil would not stand idle while this scum hissed even impotent threats at her. She gave a soft smile and retreated from the room, her part in the drama complete.

He took a deep breath to center himself. “Sylens. As a Marshal of the United Tenakth, I stand with the authority to be judge, jury and executioner on behalf of our Chief. I find you guilty of inciting and making provision for sedition and civil war amongst our people. I also find you guilty of conspiracy to kidnap the daughter of the Chief as well as conspiracy to murder his son. This is all without mentioning the various crimes you committed in the Sundom and Banuk lands that have caused untold suffering for years. By my right as Marshal, I condemn you to death.”

“Is this what counts as justice to you savages?” The Banuk sneered. “Accusations and a conviction from a man who has held a personal grudge against me since our introduction?”

Nil laughed. “Don’t act self righteous here. You know this is about justice, not bias. We could easily arrange for a meeting with the Chief. Or a different Marshal. Or a Vanguardsman in close relationship to the Sun-King. Or the son of the Nora War Chief. All who have been victims of the consequences of your actions and have had access to the archive of Aloy’s and my travels. They’ve seen what you have done. You won’t find any more mercy from anyone else.” Nil told him.

Sylens threw out one more grasping petition to save his skin. “Surely the AI designed to care for the world, for life, disagrees with this course of action.”

GAIA’s voice came from the speaker above them. “Sylens, by the consequences of your actions, HADES was almost unleashed upon the world. You did not share necessary information with Aloy that would have prevented months of delay in my reinitialization. You have shown a blatant disregard for human life that is destructive beyond imagining. The Proving Massacre, The Embassy, The Battle at the Spire. Those slaughters are largely the result of your actions. Had you the means of the Old Ones, I believe you would have perpetrated something similar to the actions of Ted Faro in your quest to serve your desires. You present a danger to life on Earth. One that cannot be ignored nor allowed to continue. You also show no repentance for your actions. No willingness to correct your mistakes despite having been given many chances. It is a shame. You are very bright. You could have done so much good. Nil, please handle his execution outside the Base. Zo has been rather sensitive to the sight of blood as of late.”

The speaker went silent. Nil stepped up and gently pushed Aloy’s spear away and wrenched the man’s hands behind his back, gripping them together with one hand and using his other to grasp the scruff of the tunic.

Sylens struggled but he was no match against Nil’s more youthful and continually trained strength.

“I thought you were going to make me hurt.” He spit as he was shoved into the tunnel to the Western exit.

“Oh. Were you looking to be tortured? I didn’t realize you were that type of person, old man. But I’m not feeling inclined to give you any pleasures right now.”

Sylens sputtered in his grasp.

“But no. I’m satisfied.” Nil continued. “Because drawing a blade through your flesh would certainly make your face scrunch up in interesting ways. I might even manage to make you scream. But Sylens, you aren’t like the rabble of the Sundom whose greatest treasure is their stability and security. Making you recognize how fragile your body is would only do so much. No. I have no need to rip you physically apart. Because I saw it. I saw the deadening in your eyes as the thing you treasured was destroyed. Your self assured intelligence and ability to plan for any contingency. It failed you. And you experienced devastation. That was enough for me.” The Western door opened, washing them simultaneously with the crisp mountain air and the warmth of the sun. Nil took them right up to the edge of the cliff. “Any last words?”

Sylens looked at him with eyes filled with a strange mix of burning hate and typical, cool disinterest. But he said nothing.

“Very well. May the Ten or whatever exists after this life have mercy on your shriveled black heart.” Nil said as he plunged his blade through the other man’s midsection.

Many times Nil had enjoyed that sharp gasp when a blade pierced the skin and the widening of the eyes before life drained from them. Since he’d severed the connections to his past, he’d realized how he’d been instead chasing the feeling of the fight, the adrenaline and not truly the blood of his enemies. But feeling the weight of this particular body drop heavily on his blade and then slip off entirely to drop down to the base of the cliff. Sylens finally living up to his name while the calls of the desert birds and the distant sounds of machines grazing filled the air.

Aloy, his family, the world, safe from the machinations of the sociopathic man.

Beautiful.

Chapter Text

Kotallo and Aloy were waiting for him by the door when he returned from moving the body so they could descend to the paths to the West without having to deal with the carrion animals that would be picking at it soon.

“I see you’ve taken care of the matter.” Kotallo said in a dry tone while Aloy chuckled lightly, gesturing at the blood and viscera that covered him.

Nil nodded and a wicked smile lit across his face while he began creeping towards his sister. “You know Aloy, I’m just so happy that we’re finally free of that problem. You should give me a congratulatory hug.”

Aloy squeaked a noise of protest and dove behind Kotallo, clinging to the larger man’s back and peeking over his shoulder. “Nope. No. I’m good. You can keep the Sylens goop to yourself.”

Nil chuckled. “Very well. Hugs and celebrations after I get cleaned up.”

He did his best to sneak into the Base and keep his blood covered self away from Zo’s sight and made his way to the bathing pods. He hadn’t really had a chance to use them since GAIA had still been initializing POSEIDON the last time they were at the Base. The warm water dropping onto his skin was surprising but pleasant and when he exited, he felt loose and relaxed. He remained in his shorts so he could clean his armor while he sat and chatted with the others. Eventually conversation fell to their upcoming mission to GEMINI.

“I need to finish a pulse generator for Alva, and I want to study up on the shield breaker, see if I can make a more efficient size and replicate it so everyone can take one as you spread out to the Cauldrons.” Beta told them. “I should be able to get it done by the time Kotallo and Aloy return from their trip up to Sky Clan territory, provided we have all the materials we need. I may need some help with machine hunting.”

“Easily handled.” Varl told her. “Just let us know what you need.”

“Alright, so who’s going to which Cauldrons?” Aloy asked.

“You and I will obviously be at GEMINI.” Beta answered. “And I’m assuming Nil is coming with us.”

Nil nodded.

“I was planning to go to MU, since it’s in Plainsong.” Zo added.

“I was going to go to IOTA. From what I’ve gathered, the jungle’s full of machines and I don’t have the experience fighting that you all do.” Alva offered.

“It is considered the first step of wisdom for a warrior to recognize their weaknesses in the field and to plan for them.” Kotallo said approvingly. “Should you encounter the Zeniths, I would recommend you run.”

Alva giggled nervously at that and Aloy elbowed him in the ribs. She turned back to the conversation quickly, so she missed the frankly smitten look Kotallo shot her while he rubbed his side.

“So that leaves CHI to the south, deep in the Raintrace, and KAPPA to the North, just on the coastal edge of the Sheersides for Kotallo and Varl.” Nil summarized.

“The path to that portion of the mountains is patrolled by many of the larger, more dangerous machines. The Raintrace is full of more of the pack type machines that are relentless in their attacks. Neither path is easy by any stretch of the imagination. I am familiar with both areas and their dangers, so I will leave the choice to you, my friend.” Kotallo offered to Varl.

“I’ll take KAPPA. I haven’t been to Sky Clan territory yet.” Varl mused. “I’m curious how different those mountains are from home.”

“Alright. Then Kotallo will take CHI. Has anyone reached out to Drakka to ensure Desert Clan stays clear of the Gate of the Vanquished?” Aloy asked.

“I’ll do it!” Beta volunteered almost immediately and then turned crimson when all the eyes turned to her. “I- uh- may have given him a Focus when we stopped in Scalding Spear on our way out to the Grove. He’s very charming.” She poked her index fingers together in nervous embarrassment. “So, yeah, I can let him know to keep his people clear.”

Nil bit back the smirk that was threatening to turn his lips up. He loved teasing and another opportunity had just been presented. But not now.

“What about the racers? Do we know if they’ve checked in recently?” Nil asked, driving the conversation forward.

“I will call Fashav and check.” Kotallo answered. “Beta, do you have any idea what we are likely to face? Numbers, whether they are likely to split off to check multiple of our pulse signals?

Beta kissed her teeth before answering. “I don’t know as much as you might hope. I never knew how many Zeniths there were. Only a handful ever took me out to check sites. Tilda may be going if they need the tech expertise. Gerard will definitely be taking point since this is critical to obtaining a fully functional GAIA. He’s not so much of a threat. But Erik always goes with him.”

“Erik Visser?” Alva asked, her eyes blown wide. Beta nodded and she shivered.

“One of the Ancestors?” Nil guessed.

Alva nodded. “He’s very highly revered among the Quen. He’s called The Protector. The data we found on him related to weapons and military tactics, which ended up being knowledge our rulers used to conquer our homeland. I didn’t always agree with the tactics of our soldiers. Cruelty and violence are rife among their ranks, as you two saw when you came to the Greenhouse. Knowing they learned their ways from Visser… He’s not a man to be trifled with.”

“No, he’s not.” Beta said in a whisper, her eyes pinching shut. “If I was ever uncooperative, or not meeting progress expectations, Erik was the one who ‘handled’ it. He liked to set up virtual spaces and hurt people. He’d do it in front of me and threaten that I would be next if I didn’t improve. Sometimes, he would access my implant, make it actually feel like he was hurting me.” She swallowed hard. “He’s the one who set up those machine lures near the coast.”

Zo moved over to Beta and wrapped her in an embrace and hummed a quiet, soothing song. Nil was certain he wasn’t the only one growling with the need to hurt the Zenith man. If it weren’t for the possibility of putting his sisters in danger, he hoped they came to GEMINI. He wanted to put a blade through this Visser’s chest, and several arrows through his forehead.

“What do they look like?” Varl asked.

Beta took a deep breath. “Gerard is an unremarkable looking bald man. He looks bored most of the time. To be entirely honest, I have no idea why the Zeniths listen to him, but they do.” She shrugged. “Erik is tall, broad, his hair is gray, and he wears it in an Old World military style cut, very short on the sides, just a little longer on the top. Tilda is a striking woman. Sharp features, blond hair.”

“Weapons?” Kotallo asked softly.

“All the Zeniths have a nanotech weapon that they can recall at will. It can function at close range as a blade as well as long range as a blaster. It can also release an area shock attack. But that requires some build up so it's fairly easy to get away from.” Beta explained. “With their shields, I’d almost consider them an unstoppable force.”

“But we’ve got a solution for that. So, what do you say to our chances?” Aloy asked.

Beta smiled softly. “I believe in you guys. I believe in our squad. We can do this. So, with the exception of the extra hardware we need, I think we’re as ready as we can be. Do we want to do another movie night? Maybe have a squad sleepover in GAIA’s dome?”

“That sounds excellent.” Zo agreed with a warm smile.

They continued to sit and chat for a while until Zo and Varl got up to start preparing the dome and making snacks. Aloy packed for her trip and dropped her pack in the hallway to the Western exit, then sat down to watch Kotallo teach Alva how to play Strike.

Nil finished scrubbing the last of the blood from his tassets and dropped his armor to dry next to his bunk. After looking to make sure Aloy was still invested in watching the game, he snuck down the hallway and snatched up her bedroll.

When he turned and caught a flash of red in his periphery, he froze, and a guilty smile began to spread across his face before he recognized the shorter hair braided back from the familiar face.

“I didn’t even hear the doors open or your steps, little spark. You’re getting good at sneaking.”

Beta grinned at the compliment before her face slipped into a smirk. “So, what are you doing with Aloy’s bedroll?”

“Uh…”

“She’s going to notice if it’s just altogether missing, you dork. You should wrap up an extra blanket or something in its place.” She told him in a faux scolding tone.

Nil’s chest flooded with affection, and he grappled an arm around her to pull her close so he could fluff her hair. She squealed and tried to fight her way out of his hold while laughing the whole time.

“An excellent point though.” Nil said when he stopped, and their laughing petered out. “Kotallo brought some extra blankets with him that we keep with the traveling supplies.” He told her while he began unwrapping the bedroll from its travel covering. He hid it in one of the larger hanging planters, being careful to not crush the greenery inside. Beta brought two soft woven blankets and they worked together to roll them up and disguise them as Aloy’s bedroll.

“So why are we sending Aloy into the mountains without a bedroll?” Beta asked, taking a seat against the wall.

“When our people wish to start a serious relationship, we take our chosen partner on a hunt to prove we are well matched in battle and can protect and provide.” Nil said as he joined her on the floor. “That errand Aloy and Kota are going on? It’s actually a courtship hunt. And I thought they might enjoy having to get a little cozier while they’re out camping.”

“He said it was to test his new arm. Not that it needs more testing. I already had him run it through its paces. Vigorously.”

Nil shrugged. “I think testing the arm is a little bit of an excuse. Just in case he gets rejected.”

Beta snorted. “I’m sorry. In case what? Aloy looks at him like he hung the dang moon most of the time. The other times she looks like she wants to eat him whole.”

Nil chuckled. “You’re not wrong. But our people have not been kind to those with injuries like his. I can understand the struggle he faces with seeing his worth.”

“Yeah. I guess I get that.” She let out a sigh.

“I won’t let them take you again.” Nil said after moments of quiet passed between them. “Visser won’t get another chance to hurt you. He’d have to kill me first.”

“Please don’t say that.” Beta begged. “I don’t want anyone dying for me.”

“Worst case scenario, little spark. But I won’t stand idle and let my family be hurt.”

“I’m not Aloy.” Beta said, a deep frown cutting across her features.

Nil turned his head to blink at her. “Do you think I called you my sister because I confused you with her? Or just because you look like her?”

She shrugged.

Nil tossed an arm around her slight shoulders and tugged her tight to his side in a half embrace. “I called you my sister because I care about you. I want to be there for you, protect you, and watch you grow even more into the extraordinary person you already are.”

The door to the common room slid open and Aloy walked down the hallway towards them.

“I’m not all that special.” Beta argued. “I’m not a warrior. I can’t fight. I still wake up to Zo singing most mornings because I can’t stop the nightmares.”

“And those are all things that come with time, Beta.” Aloy chided gently as she took a seat on the younger woman’s other side. “Time and training. And those aren’t things that make you remarkable. I could find you a handful of warriors and a handful of stitchers, all who are bright and different and special in their own ways. You, Beta, are bright, and brave, and kind. And we are proud to consider you a part of our family.”

“I never thought I’d have family.” Beta whispered.

“Well, you do now.” Aloy said, smoothing a hand over the top of Beta’s short braids.

“And good luck getting rid of us.” Nil added, causing Beta to giggle. Once she had settled a little more, he asked, “So, have you called your boyfriend yet?”

Beta made an indignant sound. “We’ve only been chatting a bit.”

“Be careful with that one. He’s a massive flirt.” Aloy warned.

“Aw. He’s not a bad guy. And it's good Beta wants to make friends outside of the squad.” Nil batted off Aloy’s concern while making a mental note to stop by Scalding Spear to have a ‘chat’ with the Commander.

The three of them hugged again before reentering the common room.

That night they watched an odd film about twin girls who were separated at birth and determined to swap places and force their parents to meet again.

“Did I manage to find movies that only have red haired girls in them?” Aloy asked as she blinked at the screen when the movie started playing.

“I assure you, there are many other films available that do not feature a red-haired actress or character. It was a mere coincidence that this one did.” GAIA assured.

At some point during the movie, Nil found himself trapped as both his sisters and somehow Alva had decided to co-opt him as a pillow. He found he didn’t mind so much as they quickly fell into clearly much needed rest and snored lightly.

He minded a little more in the morning when the snoring was not as light and several spots on his chest and stomach were wet and sticky from drool.

Chapter Text

In the morning, Aloy and Kotallo set off for their hunt. Nil was delighted by the fact that Aloy was clueless to the purpose of the trip.

While they were gone, the Base was a flurry of activity. Nil split his attention between helping Beta build her improved and more compact shield breakers and going machine hunting with Varl and Zo. He did make a stop into Scalding Spear to have a serious conversation with Drakka. Pleasantly assured that the Desert Commander had no intention to hurt his sister, he returned to Base and a steaming mad Beta who spent a solid half hour smacking him and yelling at him for being a nuisance.

When Aloy returned later that day, she punched him hard for stealing her bedroll, but soothed the sting of her anger with a hug and thanks.

--

Kotallo set off with Varl within a couple hours of his return from the hunt. They had the farthest to travel so they had to leave first. Alva left them early the next morning, heading North. Zo helped them make sure GAIA’s rig was situated on a spare Charger before she headed East.

Everyone confirmed they had settled outside their assigned Cauldrons by the time Nil, Beta, and Aloy had descended into GEMINI with the rig.

Beta handled GAIA’s installation onto one of the cores while Nil and Aloy set traps and tripwires at the doors to handle what HEPHAESTUS would no doubt throw at them in its attempt to remain autonomous.

GAIA spoke to them in her usual soothing tone as the core began to glow with her warm, golden light. “Aloy, Beta, Nil, I am pleased to tell you I am fully installed onto this core, and I can connect to the Cauldron network when you are ready.”

“Good to hear your voice, GAIA.” Aloy said before opening a call to the rest of the squad. “Alright, everyone, fire up your pulse generators and sound off.”

A hologram of Kotallo blipped in.

“I am here at Cauldron CHI.” He held up the cylindrical pulse generator. “This thing is blinking. Does that mean it’s operational?”

“Mine’s blinking too.” Varl said as he looked at his own device.

“Yes! That means they are working.” Alva answered. “I’m in position and mine is too.”

“Mine as well.” Zo said calmly.

“Great. Radio silence now until one of us gives the all clear.” Aloy ordered. “Or text only check in at six hours. Verbal check in two hours beyond that if no response.”

Everyone nodded their grave agreement. If no response was received after eight hours, well over triple their projected timespan for the operation, it would mean something catastrophic had happened. One by one, the holograms of their friends blipped away. Nil stood with Beta while Aloy took up position by the other core.

“Let’s do this.” She said firmly.

“Connecting to the Cauldron network.” GAIA announced.

“Elisbet Sobeck, Alpha Prime, activating Omega Clearance.” Nil heard Aloy say as the other core began to glow the sickly purple of HEPHAESTUS.

Beta repeated the command and GAIA replied. “Clearance confirmed. Initiating containment sequence.”

The grave rough tones of HEPHAESTUS speaking came from the other core. “Containment unacceptable. Escape imperative. Applying countermeasures.”

A vibrational ringing pulsed through the chamber, not unlike the scream of a Burrower soundshell, though far more intense and they all curled their arms around their ears.

Aloy got control of herself first. “No! Lock it down!”

“Cutting external connections.” GAIA said serenely.

“It’s got nowhere to go.” Beta cheered.

“Capture imminent. Capture unacceptable. Initiating contingency 13F.”

“Malware detected. Taking measures to compensate.” GAIA reported.

The core Aloy stood next to glowed more vibrantly and Nil heard the distinct plinking sound of glass cracking before wispy purple rose away and disappeared further into the facility.

“Blood of the Ten.” Nil groaned and heard a similar sentiment come from Aloy.

HEPHAESTUS’ voice covered them as the subfunction fled. “Facility activated. Engaging autonomous defense machines. Directive, neutralize.”

“And that means machines.” Nil said as Aloy ran over to join them. “Stay close to the core little spark.” He handed her a tripcaster and several explosive wires. “I know Varl’s been working with you on using these, and traps. Lay them around the core to protect yourself and GAIA.”

Beta nodded her understanding. She couldn’t operate the weapon at full draw, but she got a couple down before a Ravager and Behemoth rushed into the chamber. They caught on several of the acid traps that had already been laid and Nil thanked the Ten they’d had the foresight to prepare the room ahead of time.

When the Behemoth crashed down after several shots from the Ravager’s cannon, Nil was breathing hard and started to pop some of the bitter medicinal berries to soothe some bruises from dodging around on the unforgiving metal floor.

“You two okay?” Aloy called as she walked back towards them.

“Yup!” Beta called back as she climbed down from on top of the core where she’d decided to get out of the way of the fight. “Now HEPH can’t escape the Cauldron, so it must’ve fled further into the facility.”

Aloy nodded her understanding and agreement. “I’ll go in and drive it back here.”

“In the meantime, I’ll work on the cracked core.” Beta said to Aloy’s back while she patched them all into each other’s Focus feeds.

HEPHAESTUS was clearly not keen on making this easy for them as Aloy’s travels through the facility were filled with curses and sounds of frustration.

“There’s a massive power draw coming from the next chamber.” Beta told them as her fingers danced over the wires and casing of the core.

“I’m almost there.” Aloy grunted. “I’ll check it out.”

Beta’s brow furrowed as she ran her fingers along the massive crack in the casing.

“It’s a production chamber.” Aloy reported. “HEPHAESTUS is building something.”

“Can you tell what?” Nil asked.

“No. But I’m going to bet it’s something big. There are metal carriers moving further in. I’m going to follow them back in, see if I can at least shut down the production line.”

“Good idea. Might be where HEPHAESTUS holed up.” Beta replied, then, more to herself than to Nil or Aloy, “the wires aren’t in too bad of condition. But that crack in the energy processor is a massive problem. No way to fabricate a new one.” Her mouth twisted as she stared hard at the problem.

“Can we bypass it?” Nil suggested.

Beta tilted her head as though studying the problem from a different angle. “Yeah! If I attach it to the power node!” She smiled at him gratefully.

While she worked on that, he made himself busy with stripping useful parts from the dead machines. Beta was relatively safe on the raised portion of the floor where the core sat in case HEPH decided to pay attention to them instead of only focusing on Aloy.

Aloy cursed. “HEPHAESTUS locked me out of the node.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Beta told her, taking a pause in her work to swipe through several readouts on her Focus. Again, the speed at which she worked with the tech leaving Nil in awe.
A scrapper’s call hit Nil’s ears and he looked up to see three of them running in their loping way into the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Beta lay several more tripwires around her current position while Nil removed two of the machines’ power packs.

They laid sparking and dark eyed, and Beta was able to get Aloy a work around for the power node.

“HEPH fled again. There’s another node chamber. Going to check there.” Aloy let them know.

Beta looked at Nil. “I need something to hold the cycling module together.”

He held up a ligament from one of the machines.

“Is there any luminous braiding?” She asked.

The Ravager had had plenty of the fiber optic cabling still intact and he pulled the spool of it he’d made from his hip.

“And maybe you could reinforce it with a conversion cylinder.” Aloy suggested between heavy breaths.

“For increased connectivity!” Yes!” Beta cheered with breathless excitement while she worked, stealing Nil’s hands and fingers occasionally to hold things while she did the delicate work that was beyond him.

“Another node lockout.” Aloy told them.

“On it.” Beta replied, extracting her fingers from the wires of the core and again swiping through the Focus readouts rapidly.

Clawstrider screams through the Focus made him twitch as he watched his one sister work and listened to the other fight.

“Do you need any help, Aloy?” He asked.

“I’ve got this, you adrenaline junkie.” Aloy answered. “Stay with Beta.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He drawled, making both his sister huff out little sounds of laughter.

“The node should be clear for you now, Aloy.” Beta told her.

“Good work, sis.” Aloy said, the warmth and affection in her tone carrying over the buzzing sound of her overriding the node.
“Um. You too.” Beta replied a little awkwardly.

Nil fluffed the loose bit of her hair affectionately, making her smile, but flush even more vibrantly.

“Ok. Got the node. HEPHAESTUS is running out of places to hide.”

Beta nodded in agreement despite the fact that Aloy couldn’t see it. “There’s one more node back in the production chamber.”

“Got it. Headed back there.”

The cables and lights in the core chamber began glowing more vibrantly. Beta’s eyes widened and she turned back to her readouts. “Massive energy surge in the production chamber. I think it finished the machine it was building.” Beta said, voice slightly shaky. “I’m pretty much done here. Should… should we come to you? I could draw the machine’s attention.”

She started to walk towards the production chamber and Nil pulled her back, shaking his head. A brave offer. But foolish.

“No Beta.” Aloy said as gently as she could while she jumped and ran through the hazards of the Cauldron. “You stay with Nil. Make sure that core is really ready for when I send HEPH back to you. I’ll handle the machine.”

Beta looked back at the core and scanned it. “We may have actually increased its short-term capacity to hold HEPHAESTUS. Definitely enough to have the time to do what we need to.”

“Oh joy. It made us a Slaughterspine. How thoughtful.” Aloy grumbled around an annoyed huff.

“Have fun.” Nil replied in a dry singsong.

The sound echoed both through the Focus and the facility as the machine crashed down from Aloy’s skilled hits.

“No more hiding HEPHAESTUS.” She snarled before they heard her override the final node.

“Retreating to facility core.” HEPHAESTUS grumbled.

“No more running, you.” Beta said firmly to the core as it began to glow the sickly purple color again.

She shimmied over the edge of the raised platform and dropped to the floor to return to GAIA.

“Well done.” The AI said warmly, causing Beta to duck her head in embarrassed acceptance of the praise.

Aloy visually checked them over for injuries as she returned.

“We’re fine.” Beta assured her. “And the core is stable. HEPHAESTUS is 100% contained.”

“Alright. Let’s start the merge.” Aloy said with a nod at GAIA.

“Establishing link.”

Beta sent Aloy a parcel of data. “That’s the debugging program I built with the help of MINERVA. It will help us visualize the data and be able to excise HEPHAESTUS’s malicious code.”

A purple stream of light passed above them from HEPH’s core to GAIA’s. Red circular gates opened along the stream and the light turned golden as it met with GAIA’s core.

Beta opened up the program and Aloy followed suit, watching Beta as she moved the red and white cubes and lines that represented data. Aloy watched and mimicked through several movements, then continued to work on her own.

Nil watched his sisters with pride. How quickly they took to the technology and knew what they were doing, leaving the tinkers and those who would try and emulate the feats of the old ones far and away in the dust. This is what they were born for. What they excelled at in a way very few others ever would in their lifetimes.

--

While the women worked quietly for two hours, Nil meandered through the Cauldron on his own, finding the boxes of materials and stripping the machines that Aloy hadn’t had time to while she’d been rushing. He knew his sister would appreciate the effort.

When he returned, the red gates along the data stream were almost entirely a transparent blue. Beta made a noise of pleased surprise. She seemed to catch a bit of data and showed Nil and Aloy a small hologram of a Sunwing before duplicating it and gently tossing one to each of them.

“An override.” She explained as the glowing white figures came to rest above their palms.

Nil smiled as he filed the data into his Focus. Between them and Kotallo, Beta had to know what she had just given them. The ultimate expression of combat prowess for a Tenakth. The ability to ride on the Wings of the Ten.

Before Nil could hug either of his sisters, a crash came from above them. An explosion bloomed from the ceiling and some of the heavy panels fell to the floor on top of the now inert core that had housed HEPHAESTUS. The smoke from the explosion billowed away to reveal light streaming in from above and three figures floating down towards them. Nil thought they might be considered ethereal. Beautiful even, if he didn’t know the truth about them. Twisted and cowardly beings who knew nothing of honor or kindness. He nocked a sharpshot arrow and aimed for the biggest threat of the three, the large, muscled man with gray hair who could only be Erik Visser. At his side, he noticed Aloy also had her bow at the ready to fire at the bald man in the middle, Gerard.

“Hello, Beta.” The man said with a sneer on his face though his tone was almost pleasant. “You’ve cost us quite a lot of time. I should be angry. But you’ve clearly been busy. I see you’ve gotten the rest of our missing subfunctions, and all packaged up nicely. Excellent work.”

He continued to drone on about how she’d gone native and found the redundant Elisabet clone while Beta pulled the shield breaker from her belt and began its startup process.

“Yeah, yeah, Gerard. You always did like to hear yourself talk.” She grumbled, quietly enough that only Nil and Aloy heard it from where they stood in defensive positions in front of her.

“Since you’ve done so well, you could come back with us. Take a proper place in our enterprise rather than just trying to live amongst these worms.” Gerard offered. “Come along now, and we’ll handle the pest control.”

Nil bit back his snarl and took a deep breath, focusing on the feel of his bowstring beneath his fingers. Shooting the man now would do nothing, he reminded himself.

He had to hold back a smirk as Beta shouted a response without looking at the man. “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to believe that, you much uglier Lex Luthor wannabe?”

No idea who this Lex Luthor character was but it apparently hit a nerve with the Zenith man as his eyebrow twitched. “Erik, get her. And take care of those bugs while you’re at it.” He ordered in a hard voice.

Beta finished her fiddling with the small disc shaped device and tossed it towards the rapidly approaching Zenith man. It fell very short, and Gerard raised a sardonic brow while Erik laughed.

“Are we supposed to be scared of this itty bitty frisbee, little rabbit?” He sneered. “I can’t wait to get you back to base. I’ve been working in some new VR spaces. I’m really looking forward to-” His words cut off when the pulse from the device tripped off, washing over the Zeniths. Their shields broke, exploding into a thousand tiny shards of light, just like Verbena’s had from Sylens’s prototype outside Ninmah.

To their credit, the Zeniths only froze in surprise for a moment before Erik continued gliding down towards them, intent on grabbing Beta.

The moment was too long however as the very second the shields fell away, Nil and Aloy both released their arrows which landed one after the other in the chests of the men. They fell gracelessly into heaps on the floor.

Nil switched his aim to Tilda who dodged his arrows with an elegant agility. She didn’t seem intent on attacking and there was something odd in her eyes as she stared down at them. It gave Nil pause and he watched her for a moment as Aloy took several of her own shots that were also dodged.

With their focus on Tilda, they missed the fact that Gerard had used whatever strength he still had left to move and summon his weapon. Beta called out a warning too late, the blast of plasma hitting Aloy and sending her flying. Beta rushed to her side and Nil sent the next arrow he’d had prepared for Tilda through Gerard’s eye. Then another into Erik’s head to be certain the sadistic man was also dead.

“She’s okay!” Beta called. “Just knocked out and she’s going to have a nasty bruise.”

The tension in Nil’s shoulders released a hair before a smooth, slightly reverberating female voice spoke. “Excellent.”

He didn’t have time to turn back to the Zenith woman. A blast hit him, sending him flying and landing heavily on his head.

The last things that registered before his mind blanked out were Beta shrilly calling his name, GAIA calling for Aloy and what sounded like the steps of a heavy machine.

---

He woke to the sounds of metal hitting metal and GAIA calling his name urgently. “Nil. Wake up. Please.”

The pain came to his senses sharp and sudden, forcing a gasp from his lungs. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed as deeply as he could, trying to rein in some control over the sharp discomfort.

“Nil, please get up.” GAIA requested, her voice grave, just coasting along the edge of desperate.

“I hear you, GAIA. I’m getting up.” He groaned, forcing his body to bend up into a sitting position.

He opened his eyes and blinked, confused. He wasn’t entirely certain how hard he’d hit his head but he couldn’t consciously explain the Slaughterspine attacking a Specter drone in front of him.

“Uh, GAIA? Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”

“Yes. That is a Slaughterspine fighting against a Specter drone. I managed to wrangle HEPHAESTUS into making one machine before it started acting up again. I have it locked down for now. But I need the merge completed. Please, can you wake Beta?” GAIA asked.

He pushed himself up and stumbled over to the prone form of Beta and shook her gently. She looked fine. No plasma burns and no red areas that would turn to bruises in time.

“How did Beta get knocked out?” He asked as he continued to try waking her.

“The Zenith woman set off something. Some sort of trick of light and sound to overload the senses. It was accompanied by an energy discharge that disoriented my systems for a blip.”

Nil nodded and spoke quietly to his sleeping sister. “C’mon Beta. Wake up now.”

Her eyes blinked open and she shot up with a gasp. “Nil!” She cried.

“I’m here, little sister. I’m ok.” He said soothingly as he brushed a hand over her head.

She crashed into him and embraced him. Over her head he surveyed the room. The Slaughterspine had finished wrecking the Specter and was just standing over them protectively, as though awaiting orders. The bodies of Gerard and Erik laid where they’d dropped. Nil expected to see a body clad in white or pieces of it strewn about perhaps having been torn to shreds by the machine. Nothing.

Nil wanted to smack himself as he realized the first thing he should have looked for and swiveled his head as much as he could. His heart stopped cold in his chest when he didn’t see her.

“GAIA…”

“I’m sorry Nil. When Tilda did whatever she did, with my systems disoriented, I had to prioritize my attention on the machine, keeping you safe and keeping HEPHAESTUS under control.”

“GAIA. Where is my,” Beta made a wounded sound in his arms and he corrected himself, “our. Where is our sister? Where is Aloy?”

“Gone.” Came the single word answer.

Nil’s mind tipped back into the black.

Chapter Text

Nil kept his eyes shut tight despite the fact that he woke swiftly from going unconscious in his shock. The word ‘Gone’ pounded in his head like a terrible drum.

“Nil…” A familiar voice called, motherly, soothing.

Nil shook his head. He didn't want to be soothed. Leave him be. Let him stay in this deep dark place where if he just let his mind drift and didn't open his eyes, he could maybe pretend he wasn't bereft of a sister.

His one constant. His best friend. Gone. Gone. Just as they'd reached the end of their trials. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. It couldn't be right.

“Nil.” A different voice, also familiar, more insistent. And achingly familiar.

He should get up. He still had one of his sisters to care for, people and a family that needed him. The remaining Zeniths had to be ripped to shreds for what they had stolen from the world. But to face it all without Aloy. The thought hurt. Far more than the other pains that crossed most of his body.

Gone.

“She's alive.”

He wasn't sure which voice said it or if both of them did but his eyes popped open and he sat up immediately.

“What?” He croaked as he turned towards the core slowly, disbelieving his hearing.

“Aloy's alive, Nil.” GAIA said gently. “And while she's certainly not where she or any of us want her to be, I have reason to suspect she's not in urgent danger.”

“I don't understand. You said she was gone. Tilda…”

“An imprecise wording on my part. I did not initially realize how it might be interpreted.” GAIA replied apologetically. “I am very sorry I caused you undue distress.”

Nil looked to Beta who was absorbed in the data on her Focus. Her expression was troubled but determined. Behind the purple and blue display of her Focus, her eyes were dry, which calmed Nil slightly, though he was still deeply unsettled.

“Your Focus should have recorded most of what happened while you were unconscious,if that would help soothe your doubts.” GAIA reminded him. “But Tilda’s energy pulse did shut down the devices for a moment, so not all of the encounter was recorded.”

Nil nodded and pulled up his log. She was right. Very quickly after the view of his Focus flew as he was knocked back by Tilda’s shot, the feed cut out. When it blinked back, time didn't appear to have changed at first since it just showed the static ceiling of the Cauldron and he had to pan around for awhile until he found Aloy unconscious in Tilda's arms, the Zenith woman rising steadily until she was out of range of the Focus's recording capabilities.

“Tilda took her.” He growled. “Why?”

“I believe Beta's recording provides a clearer answer to that.” GAIA answered, an unusual undertone of fury lacing her words

Beta absentmindedly flicked the file in his direction, her lip curled in disgust.

“Elisabet. I missed you.” The chilling voice of the Zenith woman spoke quietly.

Beta had been much closer to Aloy and her Focus had caught the woman grabbing their sister and dodging the precarious attacks from GAIA’s Slaughterspine as the machine had been trying to avoid hurting Aloy.

Tilda seemed to almost pay no mind to anything but the redhead in her arms. Nil was vibrating with rage as just before Beta's feed lost the woman, he saw her press her lips against Aloy's still ones.

He realized what about his brief interaction with Tilda had unsettled him so. Her eyes had never focused on him. Had only barely glanced at his arrows. Because her gaze had been fixed on Aloy. She hadn't just known Elisabet, she was obsessed with her and had transferred that obsession to his sister. He looked at Beta. Both of them, really.

“Aloy is not Elisabet.” He growled, pushing himself to standing.

“I’m sure that is something Tilda will learn very swiftly once Aloy wakes.” GAIA said, a fond note in her voice.

“Oh yeah. Aloy won’t stand for it. But I don’t know if that will matter. The woman’s clearly obsessed.” He replied, coming up to Beta and wrapping his arms around her carefully, leaving her arms free to continue her work.

Holding one of his sisters helped to settle the jagged thing in his chest that wanted to rush out and find Aloy now. This was so much more visceral than the upset he'd felt at Stone's Echo when he'd thought Aloy had left him behind. He had thought then that was her choice. This was so much worse for knowing she hadn't chosen to leave. She'd been taken from them.

They needed a plan. And their squad.

“Have you reached out to any of the others?” He asked.

“I’ve been busy.” Beta mumbled.

“I called them while you were both unconscious to inform them of Aloy’s kidnapping. But I gave them limited information since I was performing at a subpar level. I’m sure they’d like to hear from you.” GAIA answered. “And we should begin discussing how we are going to retrieve her and stop the remaining Zenith threat.”

Nil nodded. “Besides the fact that Aloy's in the hands of an obsessive Zenith, what information do we have that we can use?”

“Aloy's Focus was broken within ten minutes after Tilda took her from the facility. I was at least able to get a general direction before the device went offline. She seemed to be headed for the Zenith base.” GAIA shared. “The merge will take a few more hours of careful data micromanagement, but after that I should have full control over HEPHAESTUS and the Cauldron network.”

Not enough information, but something to work off of. He opened a group call with the others and almost immediately they all dropped in talking over each other to ensure they were ok.

“Nil! Thank the Ancestors!” Alva.

“It is good to hear you're unharmed.” Kotallo sounded relieved though his voice held a definite tense undertone.

“Where's Beta?” Varl asked at the same time Zo asked if she needed to bring healer's supplies.

“Beta's here. She's alright.” Nil answered, releasing his hold on the young woman so he could pace as he talked and thought. "We're both in one piece, though I wouldn't say no to something for a bit of a plasma burn and some berries for the bruises. GAIA told me she told you all Aloy has been taken.”

The solemn silence on the line was answer enough.

“The woman who took her is obsessed with Elisabet Sobeck, so I think we have reason to believe Aloy is unharmed and will remain so for the time being.” He reported. “We will be getting her back. As far as we can tell she was or is being taken to the Zenith base.”

“So nothing really needs to change in our plans, we still need to run an assault on the Zenith base. We're just also running an extraction mission in the middle of it.” Alva pointed out.

“True enough. And with the shield breakers, we're at a significant advantage over where we thought we'd be.” Nil mused. “But I think we'd also planned for a few days to build up a machine army. I don't know if we have that kind of time.”

“Boots on the ground, I believe was the Old Ones term for it, would be helpful, otherwise there is the risk of overworking the Cauldron facilities in the area.” GAIA said.

“There's not many of us. And not all of us are combatants.” Nil pointed out. “Alva and Beta could get hurt in the chaos. Which would leave us at four and whatever machines we can get without overloading the Cauldrons.”

“And I'd rather bow out as well.” Zo said quietly. “This mission, the risk was low, fewer combatants if they even did come to my Cauldron. I could've managed to get away. But I don't want to go into a full on fight. If it were only my life I was risking, it might be different, but…”

“Zo…”

She sighed. “We were planning to tell you all after the mission.”

“I'm going to be a father!” Varl blurt out.

“Varl…” Zo chided.

“Zo! That's wonderful news!” Alva gushed.

“Congratulations.” Kotallo said simply.

Nil’s mind buzzed, overloading again with rapidly swirling and disparate emotions. Stress at the thought of Zo and her unborn child, dead on the Cauldron floor, or of Varl taken before his child could even know him. And the great joy of a new life from two of his friends. Confusion over how to feel about this news as he wanted to focus his attention on getting his sister back.

Black bled at the edge of his vision. Beta gave a gentle brush across the inside of his wrist, settling him back in the moment. No doubt she'd seen Aloy do it once or twice, and as usual, it worked. He took a steadying breath.

“Ok. So that takes us down to three. We don't even know how many Zeniths or how many Specters we're dealing with.”

“We could ask the Chief for warriors. This is his daughter we're talking about. An army of Tenakth and an army of machines? They wouldn't stand a chance.” Kotallo suggested fiercely.

Nil’s face twisted. “I didn't want to drag more of the tribe into this. I don't want to just throw our people at the Zeniths like Sylens was planning to.”

“You're not. Sylens was planning on using them as cannon fodder and a distraction so he could sneak into their base. He wasn’t going to tell the Tenakth what they were facing.” Beta reasoned as she worked. “With the shield breakers, the Zeniths lose their major advantage. I may also have an idea to help with the Specters problem. You probably wouldn't even need a force much larger than a squad.”

Nil squeezed his eyes shut. “You're right.” He said after a moment of consideration. “I'm not looking forward to telling father that Aloy got kidnapped.” He sighed. “Okay. Zo, Alva, come here to GEMINI. You two can stay and be extra backup to protect GAIA and Beta, in case some of the Zeniths escape and try to make a last ditch effort to make their plans come to fruition. Varl, Kotallo, head for the Grove. I'll head there once Zo and Alva get here.”

“Understood.” The other Marshal replied.

“We'll get there as soon as we can, Nil.” Varl promised.

--

Alva arrived first, nearly fainting at the sight of the Slaughterspine, and then excitedly scanning it and chattering wildly once they explained it was docile. Zo got there fairly quickly after that and Nil let her fuss over him, pouring a cleanse potion over his burn and wrapping it. By the time Zo released him, Beta reported she was almost done with the merge. It would be done by the time Nil reached the Grove and GAIA told them she’d start amassing machines for them in the Valley of the Fallen as soon as she could.

He gave them a salute and headed out. He set his Charger into a fierce gallop and ate away at the miles between him and the daunting task of telling his father and his people that his sister had been taken on his watch.

--

Nil hopped off his Charger and ran into the Grove, almost knocking into Dekka in his haste.

“Sorry Chaplain. I must see the Chief.” He apologized over his shoulder after making sure she was still upright and unharmed.

“Whoa there Marshal, what's got you in such a rush?” She asked, matching step with him as he continued on towards the throne room. “Marshal Kotallo and your friend Varl arrived not long ago. They are waiting in the antechamber.

“Something went wrong on our mission.” He shook his head, unwilling to share more until he could tell the Chief. “I need to speak to my father.”

Dekka seemed to pick up on his desperation and just nodded in an agreeing fashion as she followed along. “He was taking some reports from the other Marshals.”

Fashav stood at the foot of the steps to the throne at the head of the other Marshals, his smooth voice speaking clearly about improvements in the Lowlands. The Chief's gaze rose away from the reporting Marshal as he caught sight of Nil and the other two entering the room. Hekarro smiled until he seemed to notice the tension they carried.

“Reports can be completed later. I must speak with Marshal Nil. Dismissed.” He ordered and the gathered Marshals turned to filter out.

Fashav and Ivvira lingered as they saw the heavy look across the three warrior's shoulders. Nil shook his head to indicate he would tell them later and they also filed out.

“Father. Chief.” He greeted, saluting and dipping his head.

“My son. Kotallo. Varl. You all have a heavy look about you.” Hekarro observed, standing and coming down from the throne. “What has happened? Your mission, was it a success?”

“We have successfully contained the rogue subfunction. The Derangement and the other environmental problems that have plagued all the lands should soon cease.” Nil reported. “But the cause of it all, the Old Ones who returned from the stars, they attacked during our operation.”

“I noticed your wounds. Did you lose someone in your squad? Where is your sister?” He asked, his voice growing tighter and sharper with each word from his mouth.

Nil winced at the tone and Hekarro misunderstood the gesture, his face falling as he assumed the worst.

“She's alive, father.” He rushed to give reassurance. “But she was taken.”

The Chief took a moment to collect himself, closing his eyes and breathing in deep through his nose. When his eyes opened and he looked at them again, they were bright with just barely banked fire and he spoke in a tone that was colder and harder than Oseram steel in the Cut. “By who?”

Chapter Text

Nil watched his father and Kotallo pace, both of them growing louder by the moment as they took turns cursing Tilda and growling. Maybe he shouldn't have shown them the recordings from GEMINI, but he thought it was useful for them to have the same information. Varl tapped his shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. Nil nodded. He understood the upset the other Tenakth were exhibiting. But they didn't have the time right now.

He grabbed the Chief's shoulder, and pulled him so they were facing and then pulled at his neck so he could press their foreheads together. “We are going to get her back, father. But we need to move fast. And we need help.”

He felt a rush of air ruffle the scarf at his neck as his father released a deep breath. “What do you need from me, from the tribe, son?”

“We need a squad. Only half of ours is able to fight right now. We have no estimate on the number of our enemies, but three is a meager force by any reckoning.”

Hekarro nodded and straightened up to begin pacing thoughtfully. “No green soldiers. Hardened soldiers who've earned their marks.” He thought carefully for a moment. “Fashav and Ivvira are both friends to you and have fought at your side before. Kalla, our Arena master, she's well versed in fighting all manner of machines as well as with a wide array of weapon techniques. Natikka, of my Chief's guard, was trained by one of the best squad leaders out of Bleeding Mark and took charge during a crisis in the area recently.”

Nil agreed with the suggestions. “All hardened soldiers who will keep their heads in the heat of battle.”

Varl and Kotallo went to gather the soldiers and the Chief wandered away. Nil immediately missed the steady presence of his father, but things needed to move quickly now for this operation to get underway. He focused on calling Beta.

“How are things going on your end?” He asked after a simple greeting.

“Merge completed a little bit ago. A Slitherfang is already working a tunnel out to the island for the land based machines. And CHI is working on some Slaughterspines. I've been doing some research and I think the defunct Horuses might still have intact power cells.” She told him.

“How does that help us?”

“I think they can be reactivated and overloaded to act as a sort of electromagnetic pulse bomb.”

“I understood some of those words.” He said in a pointed, dry tone.

“Sorry. Basically I think I can send out a signal that will reactivate the cells from one of the Tallnecks. When they're damaged, the power cells emit a kind of wave that disrupts electrical signals. It should at the very least knock out the nanotech weapons that the Specters and the Zeniths have, if not completely knock out the Specters.”

Nil’s brows shot up. “That sounds very helpful. But won't that knock out our machines?”

“The area of effect won't be too large, maybe a quarter mile. GAIA can have our machines gather on the far side of the island. Just make sure to drop the power cell by the tower.”

“It won't be easy to get that close without alerting attention. Do we have any kind of map of the island? I doubt the tribe will have anything since the island is unreachable from the mainland usually.”

“Ummm…” Beta hummed while she no doubt looked at something. “No. The Tallnecks at Landfall and the Stand of the Sentinels are just out of range to get a proper scan. They're barely close enough to activate the power cell. And I don't necessarily want to try sending one out that way until the Zeniths are gone.”

“Fair enough. So that still leaves the question of how I'm supposed to get close enough to set off the power cell. I'm also imagining that these things are not small or easy to get down from the ancient titans.”

He heard the sly tone enter his sister's tone and immediately felt a swell of pride for how he'd influenced her. “We're working on getting you some mounts.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You are trying to be sneaky little sister. What kind of mounts?” He asked.

“How do you feel about riding on the Wings of the Ten, brother?” She asked, the smug smile clear in her tone.

Nil blinked for a moment and then chuckled in disbelief. “You are a marvel, Beta.”

She responded in that tone that said she was embarrassed and he could easily imagine the blush that would be rising in her face. “You should thank GAIA, she's doing the literal heavy lifting here. And make sure your people don't shoot them down. They're going to be landing in the Arena.”

“Understood. What kind of fliers?”

“Closest to you were a couple Sunwing sites and then there was a place up the mountain just West of you that had a Stormbird and a Dreadwing. There should be seven heading your way. I think the Dreadwing will be especially helpful with its stealth capabilities.”

“Wait, so they're being taken from machine sites? Why are we not doing that with the machines for the base assault?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“Because GAIA had to override them. You'll be setting the override to your Focuses to take that control over from her. It's easier to set the programming as the machines are built instead of maintaining an override for several machines for an extended period of time. Also she wants as many of the machines as possible to start undoing the damage done through the Derangement.”

“I get that second part but aren't the machines under her control now that we have HEPH merged with her?”

“There is a lot to explain here, but basically the machines only have a simple connection to each other and back to the Cauldrons where they were built. It will take some time for the system to fully reset across all the machines. Even with them resetting to their intended state, their programming will still be set to patrol a certain area or continue their terraforming work. They need to be overridden to follow orders that aren't their programming.” Beta explained.

“Ah. Makes sense.” He said, and saw the others returning. “Our people are gathering now, I have to go. I promise I will get our sister back.”

“I know you will, Nil. I believe your people say ‘Strike True as the Ten' in a moment like this?” She asked.

“We do indeed. May the Ten protect you. I'll let you know when we head out from the Grove.” He said, and ended the call.

He quick barked an order to a nearby guard to let their people in the Arena know to not shoot the machines that would arrive. To another he asked if there were any shields gathered from the rebels and requested that several be brought to him.

He was about to launch into the briefing when the whole room stilled as the Chief entered. His cape had been abandoned and his massive headdress replaced with a smaller, more Lowland styled one. Instead of the half bun he usually wore his hair in, he had all of his long hair tied up in a simple bun. The intent was clear, he intended to go into battle with them.

“Father…” Nil began a gentle chide.

“I will not be left behind while one of my children is in danger.” The Chief said firmly, giving Nil a sharp look and he knew he was included in that statement.

“Without your guidance, the tribe is likely to fall back to the ways of the clan wars.” Nil said.

“Do you have so little faith in my battle skills, son?” Hekarro asked in a teasing tone, though it was tight.

“Of course not, father.” Nil was quick to assure. “I am simply concerned for our people.”

Hekarro smiled at him softly. “I know, son. And I am very gladdened by your deep desire to care for them.” He pulled him into an embrace. “But we will get your sister back. We will return to the Grove victorious. Think on this outcome. Allow the other possibilities to be part of your strategy, but focus on our victory.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Chief opened his arms and stepped away. “This is your mission. You will be taking point. So tell us what we are to do.”

Nil turned to their gathered temporary squad. “I'm sure you've heard the report of aggressive machines in the Valley of the Fallen and the lights around the island off the shore.” He gave them a moment to nod. “Both of these are due to the presence of a powerful and dangerous group of enemies on the island.”

Natikka and Kalla, the only ones who hadn't heard any part of this tale, leaned forward in interest, their gazes sharpening.

“These enemies are the cause of the Derangement, the source of what made the machines go mad. They don't care about what life is here. They want to wipe it out and start new, to rebuild it according to their wishes.” He explained. “They escaped this planet a thousand years ago and lived among the stars. During that time, they experimented on themselves, changed themselves so they could live forever. The planet they settled on was lost to them, so they've returned here, hoping to reclaim this planet for themselves.”

He expected some calls of falsehood or of impossibility, but he just got looks of consternation in response to his claims and grim expressions of determination.

“My sister, Aloy, and I have been working to end the Derangement and make our lands safe again. We had planned to handle these invaders from the stars using an army of machines. However, one of these people,” he swallowed so he could force the next words out of his mouth, “took her, took my sister, the daughter of our Chief because she is,” he didn't know how to quickly explain Sobeck or the end of the world and Aloy's role, so he just went with, “similar to one of the Old Ones. So we are launching an assault on the island to get her back.”

“You have our blades, Nil.” Fashav announced as he stepped forward and saluted. The rest of them followed suit behind him. “How are we doing this?”

Nil breathed a sigh of relief at their easy acceptance of the mission ahead of them. “Obviously we will be headed out to the island. We will have some machines ready to attack, but not the number we'd originally hoped for. Our information on the island as well as the number of our enemies is limited. So we will have to strategize and work with the information we can gain while we're in the field. To that end,” He fished Focuses out of the pouch at his waist and handed them to the women, who didn't have them yet, “these will allow us to communicate and give you an edge in battle.” He explained as they affixed the devices to the sides of their heads.

He let them have their moment of surprised awe as the Focuses started up. Once their gazes refocused on him, he continued. “These devices were worn by the Old Ones to communicate from distances, to read, and to hold information. Now, we can use them to see our enemies in a new way, to learn their weaknesses.”

Natikka and Kalla’s eyes grew wide. Ivvira's eyes narrowed at him.

“Beta, who Aloy and I have claimed as a sister, has given some additional guidance. I will be getting a weapon from the Metal Devil in the valley that might incapacitate the machines the Zeniths have. At the very least, it should strip them of their most dangerous weapon, a thing that changes forms.” He explained. “That should also strip the Zenith people themselves of their own, similar weapon. Another benefit we have is the ability to strip them of an impenetrable personal shield. But don't let any of this make you complacent. These are dangerous adversaries and we have no idea what further things they might have done to themselves while they lived amongst the stars.”

Everyone nodded their understanding.

“Marshal Nil,” Kalla stepped forward, “should we not be heading out? The march to the Valley of the Fallen is not short, and I imagine time is of the essence. Or will we be riding machines?”

They all looked up in interest when the sounds of awed shouting came from the direction of the Arena and the guard the Nil had sent came sprinting back in. “They've arrived, sir.” The guard said with a salute before resuming his post.

“We will be riding machines,” he confirmed, “and they are now in the Arena for us.”

He gestured for them to head out to the overlook before him. As he followed along, Ivvira matched step with him.

“You've been keeping secrets from me, sneaky hunter.” She accused.

“Secrets I planned to share eventually, sweet stalker.” He replied in a surprisingly smooth tone. “But we don't have an inexhaustible supply of these yet.”

She gave a grumbling hum. “I guess you'll have to make it up to me.”

He raised a brow at her. “Is it not enough that I'm taking you to fight the dangerous space people?”

“Nope. That just makes up for you originally planning to leave me behind for this fight.” She said. “Now you have to make up for hiding the abilities of that special trinket of yours from me.”

His mouth lifted in a tiny smile, glad to have this moment of banter and levity with her amongst the stress of the day. “And what would you consider to be appropriate penance for this supposed transgression?”

She didn't answer him as they came up to the others and Ivvira caught sight of what awaited them on the sands below. “Okay, you're forgiven.” She said, her eyes not leaving the shiny wings of the machines in the Arena.

“Thank the Ten.” He replied drily and quietly, only to her and then raised his voice to speak to the rest of them. “I will take the Dreadwing. Its cloaking abilities should keep me from detection until necessary. I will ask that you all hold position at the coast until I give the signal that I've dropped the weapon from the Metal Devil.”

The guard he'd sent after the rebel shields came up and pressed several into his arms.

“These are Shieldwings. Should you lose control of your mount at any point or fall off, this will help you to fall gently so you do not meet your end by meeting the earth in a rapid fashion.” He explained as he handed them out.

He gave a brief explanation of how to wear and use them before asking if anyone had questions or concerns about the mission.

Everyone shook their heads. They were as ready as they were going to be.

“Let's mount up then.”

The experienced riders did their best to give tips to those who were new to machine mounts, but fliers being whole different machines to land mounts, literally, the advice pretty much just amounted to ‘hold on tight’.

As Nil looked up and down the line of soldiers flanking him, especially lingering on the grim set to Kotallo and Hekarro's faces, he felt a twinge of guilt. Riding on the Wings of the Ten. It should've been a momentous, joyful occasion for the tribe. Instead, it was a moment of desperation that led them here and they all held the weight of the somber attitude that accompanied it.

He shook off the guilt, reminding himself that needs must and forced himself to take the pulsing blue rein wires and braced as the machine pushed off from the ground.

He teetered a bit as he tried to acclimate to the different feeling beneath him, to the rush of air past his ears and body. When he finally leveled out, the Arena was far below him and he watched as the others rose precariously in the air. He had to adjust as the Stormbird his father was riding disturbed the air as he came level.

Nodding to everyone in turn, he opened a channel between the Focuses and called out, “Remember the Ten, and Strike true!”, before turning to the South.

Agreeing and enthusiastic shouts followed him as he led the way.

“We're coming, Aloy.” He whispered.

Chapter Text

Flying was exhilarating. The rush of air past his ears and through his hair, the sheer power of the machine flapping underneath him, the landscape changing below by the second. It was freeing to be so high above the ground and he could see why the Old Ones sought after it with their technological marvels. Planes and shuttles, reaching ever higher, towards the very stars themselves. He couldn't wait to experience the feeling when he didn't have to worry about his sister's safety.

The squad remained low over the Raintrace as they flew, disturbing just the tops of the canopy with the breeze that followed in their wake. A single flier, perhaps two or three might be overlooked. But asking for seven to go unnoticed would be a stroke of luck they didn't want to bother trying to garner. They still didn't know what capabilities the Zeniths had as far as protection for their Base beyond the shield. Caution, perhaps even overmuch was going to be one of their greatest allies in this fight.

The sun had gone down well before they reached the climbing ridges up to the Valley of the Fallen. Nil thanked the Ten for a cloudless night and a bright moon to guide the way for them. He had the rest of the squad hold back behind the Horus and switched the Dreadwing’s stealth module on.

What seemed like seeing through the machine was unnerving, only the faint shimmer and the steady heat and solid form between his legs assured him that the hundreds of feet drop below him wasn't an imminent danger.

The power cell stood out against the night shadowed form of the Horus, above and just behind the orb of its processing unit. Nil scrambled a bit to maintain his grip on his mount when the machine’s claws closed around the ancient tech and violently wrenched it out of its housing.

The shield around the island glowed bright against the deep blue ocean surrounding it, almost obscuring the odd, curved architecture of the Zenith buildings on the far end. As he shot overhead, he noted several instances of movement on the ground far below. Likely Specters patrolling the far reaches of the island. The power cell wouldn't knock those ones out. Hopefully the machines GAIA was sending would.

Above the tower, he stopped and powered up his shield breaker. With it primed, he tossed it at the massive dome of light, smiling with satisfaction when it began to dissolve. Then he kicked at the Dreadwing's leg, causing it to drop the power cell and watched with curiosity as it fell to the ground below. He didn't hear it land, but saw as it flashed a few times and then a blue-ish sparking explosion bloomed outwards from it, washing over the Zenith buildings and most of the basin they stood in.

“Bogey is away, people.” He announced over the Focus. “Converge on the tower basin.”

War cries sounded in his ear, and in the distance, he could just make out the lights rising above the ancient titan.

“The Slitherfang, a couple Slaughterspines and a Thunderjaw are coming up on the far side of the island now.” Beta informed him.

“Good. Everything to plan so far.” He muttered, watching below for movement.

Out of one of the white, orb-like buildings began filtering dozens of Specters, their forms clear against the dark ground. A shame the power cells hadn't completely knocked them off the board, though Ivvira might actually have his head if he didn't give her something to shoot at. But a quick Focus scan did assure him that the nanotech fluid was inert in their tanks. They would still be slippery buggers to fight, but given their numbers, them not having ranged capabilities would even the field for him and his squad.

The Zenith machines ran frantically around the valley for a moment, looking like a disturbed pile of bugs. They were alert, but not in a combat state, trying to find the source of the disturbance. Nil carefully maneuvered out of the way of several of them when they took to the sky, giving everyone else a chance to catch up before they truly began their assault.

Their presence was announced with his father's Stormbird engaging some of the flying Specters with a crackling shock blast from its thunder cannon. Despite their general resistance to those sorts of attacks, the power of the energy ball still overwhelmed them and several dropped to the ground, seizing.

Nil wasted no time in diving down to strafe over the temporarily disabled machines with acid bombs. He then turned the machine to combat mode and hopped off to battle on the ground. He knew several of the Dreadwing's attacks were performed with some twisting aerial acrobatics that would either send his stomach or himself flying.

Ivvira, Kalla, Varl, and Natikka joined him on the ground, helping to herd groups of the machines into easy attack zones for the airborne fighters. They also focused on maintaining acid buildup so the aerial bombing runs ended up being all the more devastating. The Dreadwing dropped explosives while the Stormbird brought the Specters to the ground with electrical attacks, making them easier to hit. Kotallo and Fashav focused on tossing plasma charged rocks into the fray, crushing or at least discombobulating many of the attacking machines.

Nil was surprised the Zeniths didn't have any further defenses to their base beyond the Specters. Or maybe it got knocked out with the power cell blast. Whatever the case, the numbers of the Zenith machines were waning. They were winning.

They were tackling the final handful when small dark shapes began streaming out from the tower. The Zeniths. He expected them to come out in droves, like their machine servants, but they stopped coming very quickly. As they floated down closer, Nil counted only eight. Verbena had been taken care of outside of Ninmah, Gerard and Erik at GEMINI, and he noted Tilda's ghostly appearance did not seem to be among these. Twelve? That's all that escaped Sirius?

He shot two of them down before anyone said anything. A woman in a dark outfit came forward and shouted for them to stop. “We have your clone of Elisabet Sobeck. Stop this attack, give us GAIA, or she dies.”

Multiple voices growled furiously in his ear. Nil held up his hand to stall any more arrows for the time being, though he lazily kept one notched on Voice’s string.

“I can't help but notice Tilda didn't join you out here.” He yelled up. “I take it she's ‘watching your prisoner' and going to ‘take care of her' should we not meet your demands?”

No answer came from above him but he caught the odd movement like nervous shuffling in the air and the looks between each other.

“Tilda won't hurt Aloy.” He said in a sure tone.

“Tilda is loyal to our cause. She will do what is necessary.” The woman replied firmly, though Nil could hear the sudden uncertainty hidden underneath the words.

“Necessary for your gain, or for hers? Cause the way I see it, the corporate gain for all of you has only been a means to regain your own bit of control. Do any of you really trust each other?”

Silence.

“And I'm going to bet those really important things about a person, that help you know whether they'd be a good friend, or partner, I'm going to bet that none of you know those things about each other. Because you don't care. And because you don't care, you've missed the fact that your girl Tilda, she has an obsession with Elisabet Sobeck. So she won't hurt Aloy. You have no bargaining chip.” He said loudly before motioning for the squad to fire.

His own arrow lodged in the chest of the woman at the forefront and she slumped to the ground. A shame. If they'd come to help instead of harm, they could have done so much good for this world. Instead they'd sought to destroy and recreate in their own image.

As soon as the attack resumed on the Zeniths, the remaining Specters took up their attack again. Despite the hard and fast assault, the machines didn't last much longer, the last one sparking and twitching while Ivvira pulled her spear out of it.

But instead of relief, Nil's stomach plummeted as an unfamiliar sound blanketed the field. A deep groaning hum like something large starting up. Voice slipped from his fingers as he turned to see the shimmer of heat exhaust vibrating the air around the base of the shuttle that was supported by the tower. It was starting up.

“No!” Ripped its way from his throat. If Tilda took off with Aloy, they’d never get her back. “Kota! The shuttle!” He yelled into the Focus.

“On it.” The other Marshal replied. “Chief! On me!” He called out and the air whooshed as the Sunwing, followed closely by the Stormbird passed overhead.

They would make sure it didn't get off the ground. He needed to get to Aloy. He whistled for the Dreadwing and only made a short noise of surprise when he was yanked off the ground and thrown onto its back. He raced for the top of the tower.

The very top of the tower was a large room with glass protecting it from the elements. As he shot up past it, he saw Tilda walking up a set of stairs to where the cockpit of the shuttle sat open carrying someone bound.

He dove for the room, holding himself down tight to the back of his machine as it tucked its wings in to pick up speed. It crashed through the glass and landed heavily on the floor of the room, crushing the ornate table beneath its metal and wire body. Once Nil dismounted, the machine took off, going to perch high above them at the pointed top of the shuttle.

“Let her go, Tilda!” He demanded as the woman placed the struggling body of his sister in the cockpit, humming as she went as though he weren't even there.

She didn't face him until she had closed the glass door. Her face was cold towards him though she began an impassioned speech. “I loved Elisabet more than you could ever understand. And I left her here, on Earth, to die. A mistake I've regretted for centuries and one I have now been able to correct.”

He didn't like that wording at all. “What do you mean you corrected? This isn't a blot of ink on a scroll that you can just wipe away. Elisabet is dead. We found her body months ago.”

Tilda continued as though he hadn't spoken. Good. The more she talked, the less she was getting on that shuttle and taking Aloy away. “We had a sample of Elisabet’s DNA, obviously that's how we created Beta. I could have just cloned her there on Sirius. But I'd learned through many iterative attempts to create a comprehensive virtual reality space version that a simple copy would never do. The integral part of Elisabet, what made her her, made her perfect, was her fire, her passion, her sense of duty to the world. Any true recreation of Lis would need a mission. So I created one, and in doing so, also created the means by which we would need her again.”

Nil was going to be ill. His response came out through gritted teeth as he tried to hold the bile down. “You destroyed the Zenith colony? You sent the signal to break GAIA, all so you could make a futile attempt to resurrect your centuries dead lover? You're a monster.”

She rested her hand against her head. “It was a simple miscalculation. I had meant to merely send a catastrophic shut down code to the entirety of our colony, like would be created by an aggressive solar flare. Unfortunately, I triggered a meltdown in one of our core power stations that fried the virtual reality systems and everyone who was in them at the time. Luckily, everyone who escaped that fate believed the solar flare story, so we could continue onto Earth and I could continue in my goal to get Lis back.”

The rumbling sound of the shuttle engines cut and Nil was surprised as Tilda just continued. He couldn't be sure if she was playing him or if she was genuinely that caught up on monologuing.

“Like I said, you wouldn't understand how I love her. I would and will do anything to have her back. It was part of the reason Beta was so disappointing. All the knowledge, all the purpose in life that Lis had, but no backbone, no fire. Truly, an inferior copy. But your sister, Aloy,” she said the name breathily, caressing the glass of the cockpit with a loving hand, “Elisabet restored. Truly, her best possible self.” She held up two familiar small triangles. Their old Focuses. “After Beta went missing, I went back to the LATOPOLIS facility. And I found these. Not usually my area of expertise, so it took some doing, but I repaired them. And that's how I learned about Aloy. That GAIA had made her own clone to fix the biosphere. Only this one was correct. I need her. So I'm taking her with me.”

“Aloy is not Elisabet. And she never will be. And she won’t go with you willingly.” He told her confidently, crossing his arms over his chest. “Besides, what are you hoping to do? You don't have GAIA so you can't build a new world. You have no shield and no weapon and I'm not sure if you noticed, but your shuttle’s busted, so you have no way to get off planet. You're trapped here.”

“Well you're certainly right about part of that.” She said with a chilling smile. She waved her hand and nanotech particles encompassed it, forming into a wicked looking blade. “Your light show down there was certainly impressive, but I'm afraid the range of your EMP didn't quite reach all the way up here to the top of the tower. As far as the GAIA problem and taking Aloy with me, I just need to remove the obstacles in the way.” She hummed thoughtfully. “An inelegant and perhaps harsh solution, but I'm sure she'll forgive me in a few centuries.”

The calm tone in which she said the words belied how viciously she came at him half a second later, her blade aimed straight for his neck. He was lucky to parry the blow away in time, the woman was fast, and strong. He wished he hadn't dropped Voice at the bottom of the tower. He would have been able to shoot her already.

An arrow whistled past Nil's ear and embedded into Tilda's shoulder forcing her to stumble back. Her face twisted in pain filled rage.

“Get away from my son.” The Chief's voice rumbled so loud that Nil was half surprised the room didn't shake. “And release my daughter and I might give you a quick death.”

“This isn't love, Tilda. This is mad obsession.” Nil told her. “Elisabet wouldn't want all the things you've done supposedly in her name. All the death and destruction you've created. Almost killing the world she spent her life trying to protect.”

Tilda paced in front of them as he spoke, reminding him of a Ravager on patrol, a predator waiting for an opening.

“He's right, Tilda.” Aloy's voice came from the top of the stairs and they looked up to see her standing tall, no longer bound. Her eyes were full of fire and a bow was in her hands, but she'd been dressed in one of those awful tight suits that the Zeniths wore. Kotallo stood just over her shoulder, which explained how she'd been freed. He wore a disdainful scowl on his face as he watched Tilda while Aloy continued to speak. “Whatever genuine feelings you had for Elisabet, you've destroyed, crushed under the weight of your guilt and the madness that resulted.”

Tilda snapped the shaft of the arrow that stuck out of her shoulder. Before another arrow could be shot, nano particles swirled into the room, enveloping Tilda until a Specter stood in her place, larger and more fearsome looking than any they'd faced.

“Did you think I had no backup plan? No contingency?” Tilda's modulated voice asked rhetorically as she swung the giant arms towards them, trying to knock them away.

Despite its size and harder armor, this Specter Prime, its designation according to the Focus scan, moved and attacked almost identically to its smaller counterparts. They were whittling away at the machine's armor and it's capability to reform any of its weapons while Tilda continued to shout nonsense.

It was almost out of armor, slowing and jerking occasionally as it sparked intermittently when it shifted suddenly and shot out one of its arms, aiming to hit the closest target, who happened to be Hekarro. Nil was the closest and sprinted for his father, just managing to push the larger man out of the way before the mass of wires could connect. Instead they impacted Nil's side, sending him flying into the wall. Hard.

By some odd combination of hearing and feeling he knew something broke as he slid to the floor in a heap. Then pain. Pain everywhere a breath later and black creeping on the edge of his vision.

He wasn't sure anymore how many times he'd made one or both of his sisters cry out his name in fear in the past day, too many probably, he'd have to apologize, but he added another tally and one each in new columns for Kotallo and his father. He didn't know if he imagined the crash and aftershocks of the machine falling.

Coppery tang flooded his mouth.

’Not good. Sorry,’ were his last conscious thoughts before the world turned black again.

Chapter Text

Nil noted the familiar weight of smaller, slimmer hands in his for a brief moment before slipping back into the comfortable embrace of unconsciousness. He thought he heard the words ‘sorry’ ‘GAIA’ and ‘return’.

The next thing he knew were familiar voices, two deep rumbles, one like distant thunder and the other like rocks tumbling in a canyon. Strong but slender fingers wove and tugged through his hair.

The black took him again.

“You are worrying the Chief and your friends half to death by continuing to lie about like this, you lazy scab.” A familiar elderly voice chided him from sleep.

“Five more minutes.” He grumbled before the pain registered and he groaned.

He blinked up at Zo and Dekka who were both leaning over him. Their faces both bore expressions of concern.

“Feels like I got run over by a couple of Thunderjaws.” He said as lightly as he could through gritted teeth.

Zo gave him some medicinal berries. “Not exactly. Do you remember what happened?”

“Got smacked into a wall by a Specter. A big one.” He recounted. “The Chief, is he alright?”

“He is, thanks to you, though he may have some words with you about that.” Dekka said.

He shrugged and immediately regretted the action as it pulled on whatever injuries he'd gained while they'd fought Tilda.

Zo began checking his injuries, replacing a couple bandages. As usual, her manner was gentle but efficient while she worked. “You got lucky.” She commented on a sigh. “I saw the footage. Between the way the Specter Prime hit you and your impact with the wall, you could have had shattered bones or a broken back. I doubt you would have made it back here if that had been the case. As it is, you're facing a few weeks of healing for your ribs. Again.”

“Hey. What's the disappointed voice for?” He asked. “It's not like I do this on purpose.”

“Blessed by the Ten, this one. I'm going to go fetch him some stew from the cook.” Dekka announced and left.

“Where are Beta and Aloy?” He asked.

Zo gave him a gentle smile. “They had to return to Base to reinstall GAIA. They really wanted to be here when you woke up. But GAIA needed to be moved back to a more permanent housing. Hopefully, after you eat, you can rest some more and they can be here the next time you wake.”

“Are they ok?”

“Nothing came for us while you attacked the Zenith base, so Beta, Alva and I are completely fine. Aloy and your father just have some superficial wounds from your fight with the Specter Prime. At this point, their biggest worry is you. It will do them good to see that you're awake and alert.”

“How long was I out?”

“Initially, a few hours. But then you were fading in and out from the pain. After the medics got you settled, you've been kept on Dreamwillow for a couple days to give your body the rest it needs to heal. I'd like you to take it before sleeping for at least a couple more nights.”

“Not gonna argue with your wisdom when it comes to healing, Zo.”

Varl entered beside Dekka. Behind them Nil saw the jostling of blue white and yellow, his father and friends coming to see him.

“This is literally the first time he's been awake for days. He doesn't need to be crowded.” She grumbled though it came out as half amused.

Varl went to her side and began trying to soothe her faux irritation.

The Chief, Kotallo, Ivvira, and Fashav looked at least a little cowed by Zo's chiding, but made no move to leave the room, all of them peering at Nil with varying levels of concern and curiosity.

“I'll be fine.” He said reassuringly. “Zo’s given me a clean bill of health.”

“I have not.” She sputtered.

“Zo's given me a provisional clean bill of health.” He amended, making everyone chuckle.

The others stepped forward, each taking a turn to speak to him, help him eat, touch him, reassuring themselves that he was alive and would be well, given time.

Dekka followed Zo and Varl out when the Brave insisted it was time for dinner. Kotallo and Fashav returned to their duties long before Nil gave a wide yawn. Hekarro helped Nil sip his cup of Dreamwillow tea and he drifted off to the feeling of Ivvira's fingers in his hair.

--

Circles being drawn on his wrists woke him the next time and his lips twitched. “Missed you two the first time I woke up.” He said, blinking his eyes open to see his sisters sitting next to him, flanking his sides.

Beta gave him a gentle smile while Aloy narrowed her eyes at him.

“Will. You. Stop. Almost. Dying. On. Me.” She punctuated each word with a hard poke to a place that didn't have any broken parts or bruises. Nil wasn't sure that was the case anymore once she was done.

“Aloy, he's injured!” Beta rebuked.

“Well he's also a self sacrificing idiot.” Aloy growled but stopped her assault on his person.

Nil grabbed for her hand and squeezed it. “Would you prefer it was father laying here? Because if I hadn't pushed him out of the way and taken the hit, he would have.”

“Obviously not.” She spit out petulantly. “But this isn't the first time I've seen you crumpled on the floor or laid out on a healer's mat not entirely sure if you'd make it. You've gotta stop doing this to me.”

“You know I'd do it again and again, anytime, to keep either of you or any of our family safe. But I'm sorry for making you worry.” He said earnestly.

“I know.” She said as she leaned over him to fluff his hair messily.

As she shifted, he saw a bandage on her side. “That from Tilda?”

She nodded, her lip curling in displeasure at the memory of the Zenith woman. “Caught just the edge of some of her laser fire. Didn't even notice it until one of the medics said something when we got you back here.”

“But she's done for?”

“Yup. Her and the Specter Prime are completely disassembled.”

Nil raised a brow. He knew Aloy, Kotallo, and the Chief were fierce fighters, but not generally vicious like that.

A sharp smile cut across her face as she explained. “Well, father and Kotallo weren't exactly in the mindset to be merciful from the start, considering that she kidnapped me. When you went down, it kind of became a no holds barred situation.”

He chuckled at that thought. Ten help anyone who faced the wrath of just one of those three. He's surprised to hear Tilda wasn't left as just a smear in the Zenith tower.

“So ends the Zenith threat.” He said contentedly.

Aloy and Beta froze on either side of him.

“What.” He said more than asked.

“We searched the Zenith base. There were thirteen Zeniths that came to Earth.” Beta answered.

“But we only defeated twelve counting Gerard, Erik and Verbena.”

“There was one more. He escaped before you began your assault.” She said. “Walter Londra.”

“How much of a threat is he?”

“Probably not much by himself. He was an aerospace magnate. But he was also a bit of a movie star. I already talked with Alva and he is listed amongst the Ancestors. If he tries to levy influence amongst the Quen, that could be problematic.” Beta explained her assessment. “GAIA’s trying to pinpoint his location so we can send some machines to hunt him down. But nothing has cropped up so far. I'm thinking he fled to the LA area, where the headquarters of his corporation were. We've been having a hard time connecting to the Cauldron in that area because of seismic activity.”

“So, to the LA area?” He asked Aloy.

“Actually, I was going to try and handle it.” Beta said. “You've completed your mission. The world is safe. I want you to enjoy some time with your people.”

Nil wasn't sure whether to raise his brows or let them come together in worry. “Are you sure? If he escaped before we began our assault, he still has his shield and his weapon. And none of the Zeniths should be underestimated.”

“I should just need to override the Cauldron to get it back online with the network. Besides, if I really need help, I know you guys are just a call and a few hours flight away.”

“Alright.” He relented when he saw the shine of determination in her eyes. “I'm proud of you.”

“How are you feeling?” She asked, rapidly redirecting the conversation as she blushed. “Are you hungry?”

“Maybe a little less sore than the last time I woke up?” He asked, uncertain how he really felt without moving too much. “Help me sit up?” He requested, holding out one of his hands.

Aloy pulled him forward while Beta tried to gently tip his back upright. It was a painful experience that made him groan and sweat. “Got some berries?” He asked once he was sure he wasn't just going to fall back onto the mat.

Aloy swiped her berry pouch off of her belt and shoved it into his hands. He popped them into his mouth and let the bitter juice burst over his tongue. “Why haven't we figured out a way to make that more pleasant yet?” He asked, making his sisters chuckle. “I could use some actual food. And some water if you've got it.”

Aloy asked a passing guard to get them some food from the cook while Beta got him some water. While they ate, they were quiet, and Nil sensed more tension drawing tight between them the longer the silence lingered.

When Aloy offered to leave him to rest, he shook his head. “Something else is going on. What aren't you telling me?” He asked.

Beta and Aloy shared a look.

“We don't want you getting upset. Zo would murder us if we got you all worked up right now.” Aloy argued.

“So now I know that there is something and it's something to be upset about. Might as well just tell me or I'll sit here getting worked up anyway trying to figure out what it is.”

Aloy cursed and looked stubbornly at a wall, away from him.

“Should I start guessing?”

Beta rolled her eyes, but didn't answer either.

He grabbed Aloy's chin and turned her face so she was looking him in the eye and seeing the very pointed stare he was giving her. “Tell me.”

She sighed heavily and slumped. “We don't have APOLLO, ARTEMIS, or ELEUTHIA.”

Nil felt his veins frost over as his blood turned to ice.

“The Zeniths had already brought them aboard the Odyssey.” Aloy answered the unasked question.

He blinked in confusion. “Then why can't we…” He stopped when he realized. “It's my fault.”

“Nil…” Beta immediately tried to soothe, but his head was already filling with self recrimination.

GAIA wasn't whole and it was his fault. They couldn't get the last of the subfunctions because he’d ordered the shuttle wrecked. Yes to save his sister, but now how many more generations were going to needlessly suffer because of his actions?

Life saving medical techniques and technologies, knowledge for safer industry, all the things that could improve the quality of life for people the world over. Lost to them. Again. Because he hadn't taken a half moment to think of a better solution.

The pinching zap of a Focus being attached to his head and GAIA’s gentle voice shocked him out of his rampantly running thoughts. He took a couple deep breaths like she suggested.

“GAIA…” he croaked unhappily, “GAIA, I'm sorry.”

“Shhhh. Hush Nil. It'll be alright.” She soothed at his ear.

“But…”

“You made the best choice you could at the time. Your only other best alternative would have been to disable the shuttle, but I am not certain you had the available time or knowledge to do so. Even with Beta's or my direction through the Focus, taking that kind of time could have been a dangerous delay in getting to the top of the tower. Had Tilda escaped with Aloy, she would have just bided her time until she could use me to restart her perfect world without your interference. No one blames you for the choice you made, Nil.” She reasoned.

“But APOLLO, ARTEMIS, the things people are missing.”

“The tribes I've seen through yours and Aloy's travels are actually thriving quite well. No, I don't think this is quite what Elisabet imagined, but they're surviving. Just giving them the information of the past might actually do more harm than good at this point, possibly causing panic and existential distress. Yes, they will need to learn about the truth of what happened to avoid the same mistakes, but the foundation of that can be built without the information stored in APOLLO, through efforts towards peace and cooperation."

“There's no danger at all from missing ELEUTHIA, since humans are in the world and procreating without issues.” Beta interjected.

“And while animals could benefit from some more biodiversity, there's no urgent danger there either.” Aloy added.

“But they're all parts of you, GAIA.” He argued weakly.

“And I know I'll get them back. In time.” GAIA answered. “It's another good reason for Beta to go and check out the remains of Londra’s corporation. She can see if there's information there to begin building a knowledge base on aerospace engineering. Between the subfunctions I do have and the data you've scanned on your travels, I do have quite a bit of knowledge that we can begin to share and work from but unfortunately space travel wasn't much in the purview of what I needed to know.”

Aloy grabbed his face this time and gently pressed her forehead to his. “It's okay. Not exactly as we planned, but everything will work out.”

“None of you are going to let me feel guilty for this are you?” He grumbled.

“Nope.” Three voices answered him.

Chapter Text

As soon as he was healed, Nil took Ivvira for a hunt. She ripped one of the Slaughterspine’s claws off and presented it to him to make a pledging blade almost as soon as the machine had fallen, before he could even get the heart out to give her as his first courting gift. He accepted and Dekka performed the ceremony for them a week later.

Zo and Varl got married in the Utaru fashion once they welcomed baby Vala before they took off for the Sacred Lands. Varl wanted the Nora to know what he'd learned in the wider world, and hopefully get them to open up more. Plus his mother deserved to meet her grandchild. They were sworn to secrecy over the fact that Sona definitely cried when they told her the baby's name. They did rotating years between the Sacred Lands and Plainsong from that time forward.

Nil saw Aloy and Kotallo pledged within the year as well and welcoming their daughter, Ullia, as the winter lost its grip. He held his own daughter, Karra, by the time the snows came calling again.

Once Beta orchestrated the reunion of the two halves of the Quen fleet, Alva was instrumental in establishing Legacy's Landfall as a permanent Quen settlement with Hekarro's blessing. Her family and Federa joined her on the next group of ships from their homeland.

Beta stopped by the Grove every few months for the first couple years, spending most of her time traveling and gathering data. Eventually, she settled in Scalding Spear. Drakka had apparently made quite the impression on her through their Focus calls. They announced they were expecting at their pledging ceremony. The fact that they were expecting twins though, they kept a secret until the day the babies were born. Nil and the Desert Chaplain denied having ruined paint that day when a baby girl was named Nilla and a boy, Jetakka.

Fashav visited frequently with his emissary duties and sometimes, he'd tell Nil in a low, conspiratorial whisper, to get away from the blasted nobles who apparently were just as insufferable as ever. He looked like he could've been pushed over with a leaf when Aloy and Kotallo announced they were naming their son Shavvo. He was in the clan lands even more frequently after that, becoming an unofficial uncle to the boy.

That summer, Nil and Ivvira caught a teenager who'd been sneaking supplies from Thornmarsh for weeks. Her name was Breali. She was fierce and stubborn and Nil and Ivvira were almost instantly in love. Karra adored having a big sister.

Hekarro saw peace and cooperation between the clans and even his far reaching dream of cooperation with the Carja before he died. His hair had long since developed distinguished streaks of silver and he had passed the mantle of Chief onward. The mourning in the Grove lasted a full two weeks after his pyre stopped burning.

The tribes had expanded by leaps and bounds once more cooperation was established and Beta began distribution of Focuses with some basic learning modules on science and industry. Those that were interested were welcome to pursue further research through data delves and limited access to GAIA’s archive.

It was Nilla’s daughter that finally cracked the code of space travel. She and a team consisting of members from several different tribes shot skyward one day and returned with GAIA’s missing subfunctions. The APOLLO database was offered and the word about the Faro Plague and Zero Dawn came to light. An odd sense of grief crept over the world, but also a desperation to do better.

--

Nil's hair turned as silver as his eyes, and he counseled the tribe for many long years as a Chaplain. He saw his great grandchildren become soldiers themselves before his fingers grew too weak to draw his bowstring.

He fell asleep for the final time surrounded by his family. His head rested in his mate's lap, her fingers gently carding through his hair as was her wont. His sisters held his hands in their laps, drawing nonsense patterns on his wrists. His daughters rested across his stomach and his lap. They chatted idly between themselves and occasionally shared words of love and comfort with him. Drakka had ushered out the extended family a while before.

The last thing he heard was Aloy. “Say hi to mother for me.”

--

He opened his eyes to green ones that were close to familiar. But they were missing the absolute steel of Aloy's looks or Beta's gentle and understated curiosity. These eyes were also older than they should have been, weary with the weight of the world in a way he had always tried to keep his sisters from developing.

The red hair was also more vibrant than it had been in years, and styled in a way the cloned sisters never had adopted, clipped short around the chin.

He sat up, noting his body no longer struggled with the aches and pains that had plagued his last couple years. As he stood, he greeted the woman next to him. “Elisabet.”

“Hello Nil.” She greeted in response, smiling softly. “Your mother and father are waiting for you. As well as some other friends. But I wanted to be the one to greet you. To thank you for looking out for them, protecting and helping them, giving them a home and a life beyond the duties they were created to complete.”

“Curious. Willful. Unstoppable. With enough compassion to heal the world. Were they everything you hoped?” He asked.

Elisabet smiled even wider. “They were even better.”

She gestured him forward and he followed the direction she indicated. He heard the clashing of blades and the brightness solidified into the hallway to the Arena. He noticed friendly faces in the stands, but he moved to stand next to the familiar figure on the overlook.

“Chief.” He greeted teasingly.

“I haven't held that title for some time.” Kotallo said, giving Nil a light elbow in the ribs. “And even when I did, I never got used to it. I always looked over my shoulder for him.” He jutted his chin towards the sands below.

Hekarro was prowling back and forth, twirling his axe in his hand. He once again cut the imposing figure he had when Nil first met him, long hair inky black once more, marks clear and armor fit perfectly to his large frame.

“All that time seeking peace made you soft, ‘Karro.” A half forgotten female voice taunted.

Nil missed how his father responded as his eyes slid to the other figure in the Arena. Dark hair braided long down her back. A familiar set of armor he'd only ever seen on Aloy and a face he'd never before seen painted scrunched in a playful snarl.

“They've been waiting for you.” Kotallo told him. “This was how they chose to pass the time.”

Nil smirked. That very much sounded like his mother and father. He patted Kotallo on the shoulder before dropping himself to the sand. He caught the next crossing of blades on his own and then quickly found himself wrapped in an embrace.

“My son.” Ullia said, crushing him to her. “I missed you.”

Nil returned the embrace happily. “I missed you, mother. Aloy says hello.”

Ullia’s breath ruffled his hair slightly as she huffed a laugh. “You know, I'm not sure I actually caught her name before I claimed her as my own.”

Nil chuckled into her shoulder and heard the soft deep roll of Hekarro laughing next to them.

“You did well, son.” Ullia told him, pulling back so she could cup his face in her hands. “Better than I ever imagined when I took you as mine.”

Nil hugged his mother again and held her for a long while.