After the War's End

Chapter 3

The Meridian sun illuminated the sky, waking up Aloy. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The room smelled of herbal infusions and sweetness. She looked around for Avad, but he wasn't there, and neither was the crown that had rested on the table the day before. Next to the bed was a chair with a tray containing a bowl of milk, two glasses filled with different infusions, one light and one dark, and an appetizing pastry. Beside them was a note. She reached out to grab it and observed it for a moment. The carefully written cursive handwriting stood out, and it was the cleanest and most pleasant-looking text she had ever seen. She read it quietly. "Good morning, Aloy. I went to supervise the city's reconstruction and lend a hand to those who need help. It seems that there will be bad weather tonight, and here in Meridian, storms are not usual, but when they occur, they are far from friendly." She paused, memories flooding back, reminding her of how she ended up in Meridian. After reinstating Gaia in the base, Aloy had left on her Alasol to head towards the Sacred Lands, mainly to deliver the news of the chieftain's son's death defending her and to gather an army. However, she made a brief stop in Meridian. Unfortunately, a storm had caught her by surprise since the AI had not fully regained control of the terraforming system, and the weather remained quite chaotic. The storm brought strong winds accompanied by torrential rain and a multitude of lightning strikes that shook her with force. All of this caused her to fall uncontrollably from her mount, tumbling through the air. She managed to deploy her wing shield, but it didn't slow her fall due to the bad angle, and she hit the ground, losing consciousness upon impact. "Well... not my best landing, but it could have been much worse." she admitted, returning her gaze to the paper. "I know you can't stay still for a minute, but please, I ask you not to go out. You need to rest for your wounds to heal. See you at lunch. Avad." "Ah, I'm sorry, Avad, but this time I won't listen to you." Aloy said as she began to eat breakfast, eagerly biting into the delicious pastry. She finished her meal quickly, and then got up, heading to the chest to get dressed. When she opened it, she found another note that said, "Oh, by the way, I took your armor to clean it; it was quite dirty. But honestly, you won't need it since you're not supposed to leave the room. You shouldn't even be reading this!" she chuckled, muttering to herself, "Ah, this time you've beaten me to it, but I haven't run out of ideas yet. A good hunter always has a backup plan." She then rummaged through her backpack, where she always carried her Outcast attire, which she had crafted with Rost's help, so she would never forget her origins, her roots. As she pulled out the garment, she felt a wave of nostalgia, remembering her father figure. Suddenly, she touched her neck, recalling the pendant he had given her on the day of the trial, during their farewell. Terrified, she realized that the pendant wasn't hanging around her neck. She let out a trembling sigh. It couldn't be lost. She covered her mouth with both hands, suppressing a panic-stricken scream. Quickly dressing up, she put on her focus and decided to follow Avad's trail. She desperately hoped that he knew where it was. Turning on the device, she tracked until she found the footprints of the Sun-King and began walking briskly, following the trail of purple triangles that appeared on the ground, facilitating her pursuit. Avoiding the guards, as he probably warned them to watch her, she left the palace. She walked quickly across the bridge and through the streets until she reached the lower part of the city. She couldn't run because the fall had left her legs and ribs sore. The elevator was broken, so she followed the path Avad had taken, taking a slight detour to reach the cornfields, where the trail became confusing. She looked around, and there he was, helping repair the roof of a house next to the grain warehouse. He wasn't wearing his usual king's attire, but he could easily pass as a handsome peasant. He wore dark brown pants and a white shirt. This time, he didn't have the crown on; he probably left it in his office, revealing his messy black hair. Both his clothes and hands were covered in dust from the work. "Avad!" she called out as she approached him. The monarch startled at her voice.