Death Seeker - Horizon: Zero Dawn

Chapter 6

It seemed all too easy. One of the killers that murdered his friends and family, stood swaying, leaning against a rickety old fence on the edge of a mountain. Rost glanced around again, checking his surroundings. It was completely clear. The temptation to sneak up behind the urinating monster, pushing him to his death was extremely high. Nobody would see, and it was doubtful anybody would ever find his body below. Rost wondered if being under the unsteady influence was going to conclude the task for him anyway. He went for him quickly, and slapped a strong hand against the scruff of Turkey's neck.

"W-woh there!" He slobbered, trying to turn around without letting go of his tackle. "Garr...ish that...you?"

"Saved your life." Rost shoved the man sideways, ensuring his leakage didn't end up on his boots.

Turkey attempted to study the burly man stood beside him, squinting his blurry eyes to assist. "Who ish it?"

Rost looked him up and down. He didn't appear to have any obvious weapons, and the one he held posed absolutely zero threat. "A friend." A giant grin stretched across his face. "Where's everybody else?"

He managed to tuck himself away, but struggled with the drawstring around his waist. "Do I...know you...?"

"You don't remember me? I bought you a drink last night!" Rost grimaced. "The merchant?"

"Oh...yeah-shh," he scratched his head, pulling a twisted and confused face. "Mer-shant..."

Rost sniggered. Turkey was barely conscious. "So, where is everyone else, those that came from Daytower with you?"

"They all left...Our work ish dun..." Turkey collapsed into a heavy heap on the rock, snoring almost immediately.

Rost looked north, glancing over the fence that Turkey had held onto. There was a path that followed the Greatrun River to the north, with a gravel path breaking off to the west. That path led into a tight chasm between two mountains, south of the Dryrun Canyon. Must be the Ridge of Veils, might be spot in there. Continuing north, Rost noticed, the river led towards a large mountainous area known as The Sun-steps, and the jagged, ice-topped Glarebreak to the east of it. The Goddess has given me options...

He nudged the drunken man on the floor with a boot, no response. "Time for an assisted walk...friend."

-

Turkey woke to the rhythmical beat of a drum. Boom. Boom. Boom.

"Argh, by the ealdormen, my head!" He attempted to press the palms of his hands against his ears, but they wouldn't reach. "By the Gods..." He shuffled his hands left and right, realising his wrists and ankles were bound. "Where am I?" The deep bass of a gigantic machine crunching the ground beneath its ginormous feet pierced his fragile mind. Boom. Boom. Boom. He was lying on a thin, rocky ridge, staring at the face of a mountain. He stretched his neck, looking up at the cliffs above, on both sides. He was in the col of two mountains, with no sign of the entrance or exit, he could have been anywhere in the world. "Help!" His voice echoed momentarily, then was swallowed by the voice that spoke.

"Where are the rest of them?"

Turkey stopped breathing, spooked by the haunting voice so close to his ear. "w-who...who's th-there?"

"No one will hear you scream out here, the tallneck will make sure of that."

"Sun Steps, or Copper Deeps; there's no other tallneck's nearby." The bound man surmised. "What do you want?" He fidgeted on his shelf, searching for a sharp or jagged edge.

"You're Oseram, aren't you?"

"What of it?" he spat dusty, dehydrated mucus onto his chin, "you want my metals? Shove 'em up your arse!"