Living Antiquity

~2~

"Okay, Let me see if I've got this straight..." I muttered, "Four tribes in the east. Nora, Carja, Banuk, Oseram. Two here in the east. Utaru and Tenakth. The Nora believe in the worship of a female All-Mother, or Goddess. They do not want to leave the 'sacred lands' where they feel the tribe was born. Which isn't entirely wrong, its the base of Cradle 9, where most of human life in the area originated, but the kids revolted and left in their teenage years due to not having access to Apollo. The Carja worship sun and shadow for allowing their ancestors to navigate to safety. The Oseram... I don't see a full explanation of their beliefs outside of really liking the forge, and booze. The Banuk worship the Blue Light, and believe in a connection with the machines that Gaia once controlled."
"So far so good, though you've oversimplified in several places," Zo offered, "But continue."
"The Utaru believe in a pure connection with nature and the cycle of life. The Grimhorns- which are totally based off of triceratops, which I think is awesome by the way- that plow the fields of the area are revered as land-gods for the fact that their programming as farming and harvesting drones has provided food for the Utaru for hundreds of years." I say, trying to recite it as accurately as possible.
"Yes."
"And the Tenakth believe in the valor and honor of combat, based on the holographic info panels from an old flight museum, most of which are from the JTF-10 exhibit. The three clans live their own lifestyles but are currently united by Chief Hekkaro based on the hologram of  Anne Faraday's hope for unity and peace. There are three commanders, but I don't have any info on them," I frowned.
"I haven't ventured out into their territory yet. I haven't a clue where to go. There's a small camp right outside though, I've been asking them questions about the Tenakth on a regular basis to try and get a lay of the land before I go out there." Aloy said, sending me some video files.
"Cool. Would you mind me coming with you next time you go out there? Since I'm fat and we're up where its cold, I won't be too bothered out there as I am."
"They'll be interested to meet you, I guess," Aloy blinked, standing and leading me outside.
It was indeed cold. But even in my light jacket and leggings, I wasn't bothered.
Somehow, having the entire biosphere destroyed and rebuilt from the ground up led to a massive change in the temperatures of various places. What a shocker.
And since I've been out in shorts and a t-shirt in sub-zero weather, I wasn't bothered.
Another shocker!
"How are you okay with this?" Aloy asked as we walked
"One? Lifestyle, back in 2066. Two? I have blubber." I said bluntly, pointing to my still-bulging abdomen, "I know I'll eventually lose the weight, but it will be hell getting there."
"Rukka! Its me again. This is Y/n, the preserved woman I mentioned." Aloy said as we walked up to a set of tents with a woman tattooed in red, black and yellow, and a man carrying a trunk of supplies to a cart.
"Aloy! So then this is the woman from the past? No worries from me, stranger, though you will want to toughen up before you yourself wander into Tenakth territory." The woman said, standing and eying me over.
"Yeah... I was common mutt back in the era I went to sleep in, and I was on a nutrient drip for a long time. The weight kind of just accumulated, though its helping me stay warm right now. I might try walking and running laps around the mountaintop here until I can get my body used to the activity and lose the weight."
"She'll need armor. And I bet, training." Rukka muttered, watching me.
"Yeah. About the only time I'll be able to fight is out of instinctual self defense." I muttered, rubbing my arm. So this was the Tenakth.
"Well, woman from the past, I am Rukka of the Desert Clan."
"I'm Y/n. I don't think anyone in this era really bothers eith surnames, so there you do."
"Surnames?"
"A second part of your name that would have told someone who you were related to. A family unit- parents and their children- would have had the same surname, also know as last name. Mine was L/n, but I was adopted into a different family. Never got to have it changed in my legal documents, or I'd be Y/n Tate." I explained.
"Interesting." Rukka raised an eyebrow, her harsh voice lilting slightly with interest, "And you wear the same relic as Aloy. Can you see the same way as her?"
"Oh, the Focus' scan? Yes. The Focus allows the wearer to see, read, and listen to data, wherever it is stored and recorded. I'm told its also useful for tracking." I explained, "It's as much a tool as the knife at your side. It's just a tool for a different purpose."
Rukka nodded, "An interesting point. You would probably get along well with our Chaplains and Marshals. But you would first have to be able to understand the way we communicate."
"Aloy's recordings of Fashav mentioned that violence typically wins," i mutter nervously.
"Correct. Sometimes, but rarely, is a keen voice the appropriate weapon among the clans."
"I'll keep that in mind." I say and nod before listening as Aloy asked questions and gathered data from the responses. Eventually I wandered off, trusting that she'd send me whatever she gleaned. I just wanted to stroll about the mountaintop snd try to relax.
The terraforming system had other ideas.
There were "Bristlebacks" in my path and I had to dive into grass to stay out of sight. The herd closed back in the way I came, so i didn't have the choice to go back.
Okay, if I try to ping Aloy for help, I will have to talk, which will make noise. They'll know where I am. I don't have rocks to throw to get them away from me. This is the only patch of grass for fifty yards, even if this is a really big patch of grass. I'm trapped. I can either wait until they move on, or try to take them out. Hmmm, how would I like to die today? Why did I wander off?
I quietly groan and rub my face, creeping through the grass and scanning the paths of every single member of the herd.
None of them would be moving to make an opening anytime soon. Not that I'd make it if I made a run fir it. My fat little legs wouldn't carry me.
Aloy had been showing my tricks with a makeshift spear. She said once I got better with it, we could try to make a new one.
I'm stuck fighting the giant mechanical boars. I'm so, so dead.
Slowly I began creeping through the grass and getting a lay of the land. There were boulders in the grass patch that hiding behind would help me if any of them caught on.
Slowly, I crept toward the furthest machine, and grabbed some grass stalks, rustling them harshly and getting its attention. As it crept toward the sound, I scanned it and found the cables linking it to its motherboard, quickly jabbing the spear through as soon as it was within reach. It whirred harshly but fell quietly, unable to move.
Shouldn't stay right here. They'll notice it fell and come over.
Sure as shit, three more noticed and made their way through the grass.
The first one, I tripped and cut its wires as it fell onto a boulder.
The second was more challenging, I had to stay out of sight. I managed to stab it where it hurt and take it down, before quickly turning snd destroying the last one before it could react.
That left two.
One blocking my way out.
And another creeping toward where it had clearly heard the others fall.
With no time to think, I did the stupid thing.
I jumped up and put the spear straight through the thing's "neck". From the underside straight up into the sky.
But that was loud...
Very loud...
Got the last one's attention kind of loud.
Red light.
RED LIGHT!!
Not okay!
I had to literally run, and dodge out of the way as ut charged as it and jumped, burying its entire head in the ground.
Nonononononononope.
Nope.
I managed to swing, and brought the spear down on the canister sticking out of the thing's back.
Dislodging it.
But it was full of green, and rolling toward me. According ti Aloy's adventures, that normally meant acid.
Thinking quickly, I smacked the canister back toward the machine as hard as I could, shattering it all over its metal exoskeleton, which caused it to quickly eat holes in the armor.
But I didn't have time to admire my handiwork, J was too busy running my chubby ass off. It wasn't until I actually jumped over a rock that I realized just how much of this was just me bullshitting my way toward survival.
Behind me, I could hear it winding up to make another jump, and I managed to launch myself to the side and out of the way as the Bristleback's tusks were buried in the dirt where I'd been standing, giving me just enough of a gap to spin around and jam the spear through its neck.
That was all of them.
All freaking six of them.
My entire body hurt and I could fee my heart trying to climb up my throat.
"Hey, uh, Aloy? Ran into a spot of trouble, but now I've got some Bristleback salvage we could use. Or even anybody in the base, if we need it...?"
"Y/n, what did you do?" Aloy asked, clearly barely holding back from yelling.
"I went for a walk because I know I need the exercise and you were busy. But these Bristlebacks showed up and I had to hide in some grass. They were blocking all my escape routes. So I had to kill them... Or they would have melted my into a puddle of flesh ooze."
"They were acid Brustlebacks?! I'll be there soon. Erend, Varl, meet me there. Y/n, stay low."
"Can do." I said, crouching and hiding behind a rock.
After abut twenty minutes, I hear a sharp whistle.
"Let's see... One, two, three, four... that one's throat is cut, and this one is the only one with acid marks. She killed six by herself?!" Erend yelped as I stood up.
"Fight or flight took over." I said, having to lean on the rock since my entire body was barely fighting back the urge to just vomit from the stress of a few minutes ago.
Then I was greeted by the sight of Rukka examining the dead machines with a smile.
"For no training, she is efficient."
"Well... I played a lot of video games back then, and I was very fond of playing stealth characters." I explained, fidgeting.
"You are a good hunter. You hunt like a stalker. You'll survive our lands just fine, maybe become someone to fear." Rukka chuckles.
"Well, no point wasting the salvage," Varl said, looking around, "Plenty of materials we could use."
"I'll drink to that... Sheesh..." Erend rubs his neck, examining the Bristlebacks.
"Good." I said, "Now I don't feel quite so bad for killing them."
"I need to get you training properly, then I need to take you hunting and explore a bit." Aloy muttered, "You just need to learn to climb."
"I'm gonna die." I blurted.
"Not with Aloy teaching you." Erend said with a smirk
Kill me now. Have mercy. Please.

Spoiled alert, mercy was not had.
I spent the next several days being forced to climb up snd down the elevator shaft, having to shuffle up and down to improve my grip, then she took my outside and made me do it in the cold.
My weight came off more and more visibly by the day. My clothes hung off me like drapes. Zo and Aloy helped my make my own armor and create my own designs on and with it so that I would feel like myself while also being protected.
She tried to teach me to use a bow, but was surprised when all I needed to know was technique. I didn't need help aiming, because of my past obsession with video games.
Rulka provided more and more information, until finally Aloy was confident we could go down the mountain safely, into the Desert Clan's territory.