Death Seeker - Horizon: Zero Dawn

Chapter 3

"Rost! Wake up!"

Rost woke, startled by Grata aggressively shaking his shoulders. "What? Where are they?" He rubbed his tired face, annoyed by his weariness.

"They're leaving!"

He quickly got up, steadying himself on a rusted beam as his blood pressure stabilised. He looked at the orange colouring now on his palm, and wiped it against the boar skin on his shoulder. "Poison."

"The Goddess will forgive us, Rost."

"We walk in tainted lands, forbidden. We are cursed."

"The Goddess will forgive us." Zara repeated. "It was not our choice to enter these forbidden lands."

"Maybe so." Rost ambled across to where Grata was standing. "Can you see the children?"

"No. But I saw them earlier." Grata lowered the lens and regarded him. "She's okay, Rost. They were altogether."

Rost replied with a grateful nod, the memory of his nightmare holding his tongue.

"It's been two days," Grata continued, "whatever they came for, they must have it." She held the lens at arm's length. Rost took it and pressed it to an eye.

He had studied the outlanders entirely, he knew all twelve of them. Shadow, the leader, had skin the colour of night. Turkey had a limp on his right side, making him waddle like a bird. No one moved as quickly as Rat, who scuttled everywhere in a hurry. These were the main ones, and the camp was always protected by the Watcher Twins. Then there was Trunk, a huge mountain of a man built like the base of a tree. They all wore dark coloured, sleeveless-tunics, with hoods that some wore down. By the shape of them, they clearly had some sort of armour plating across the shoulders. Leather loin cloths covered padded leggings, complemented with hide boots. Simple, incognito attire.

Large backpacks were strapped to half of them, with tools and smaller accessory packs swinging from leather or vine webbing. Rat scurried back and forward from the depths of the metal world, strapping the final tools to any areas spare on their packs. The kids were being watched by Trunk, hidden from view. But sometimes a small arm or leg, or coloured braid of hair could be seen as they shuffled behind the contorted iron fingers skewering the earth, supporting the colossal barbed and abominable structure above.

Shadow was barking orders, his dark arms pointing back and forward, sending his troops in different directions.

"Rost?" Said Kyo, rescuing him from his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"We should attack. There is more than fifteen braves here now, and more at Mother's Rise if we need them. They have killed Nora! They must pay!"

Rost silenced the brave will a blazing scowl. After a moment he spoke. "That will not do, Kyo. Nora are forbidden from entering these forsaken ruins for a reason. The six of us will have already angered the Goddess for entering to where we stand."

"Rost we must..."

"Silence!" He growled. "No further Nora shall be shunned for entering this place, end of discussion." Kyo turned on his heel and strode away outraged.

Grata took the lens from Rost, their eyes met. "We must do something Rost, you know this."

He shook his head, watching as she followed Kyo. "Forgive them," he whispered, "All Mother."

The outlanders were ready to leave, and the tribe's children were brought into full view, causing obvious pain to the warriors standing idle. Rost glanced at Kyo who was clenching his fist continuously and twanging his bowstring. He was aggravated, and clearly struggling to control it. Grata stood behind him, desperately searching for her sons.