Aloy wakes up in Meridian alongside the Sun-King Avad, not knowing how her got there. Together, they will experience adventures and emotions that will form strong bonds between these characters.
🧭 This story takes place after Horizon Forbidden West...
It was the moment. The beast prepared to swipe at him with one of its legs armed with those sharp claws. Aloy decisively gripped her grapple and, launching it, hooked it to the highest part of one of the columns that supported the cage where Avad had previously been imprisoned. Then, with the help of her rappelling rope, she descended with an elegant spin in the air, landing between the monarch and the machine. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she fiercely wielded her spear and, furrowing her brow, exchanged an intense look with the sawtooth. The surprised audience exclaimed at this unexpected appearance.
The Sun-King opened his eyes in confusion, feeling a gust of a sweet, familiar aroma and realizing that he had not received the fatal blow that was meant to end his life. He looked up and saw a fiery red mane waving before him, separating him from the sawtooth. How was that possible? How had she infiltrated the place? He rubbed his eyelids to try to focus, but his vision was still blurry.
"Are you okay?" a voice he recognized immediately asked. He didn't know how or from where she had suddenly appeared, but she was there, standing between him and the beast.
"Aloy...! No! Don't... condemn yourself..." he exclaimed weakly, barely able to speak. "Please, go..."
"I've come to get you out of here. Leaving without you is not an option," she replied, giving the animal a powerful thrust, sending sparks flying everywhere.
"Go!" he pleaded. She held three arrows emitting green smoke, and she shot them at the corrupted Sawtooth that had kept its distance, corrupting it. It turned toward the Thunderjaw to attack it.
"This isn't the time to argue, Avad! You must have enough energy left to take cover. Come on! Be very careful, and hide!" she ordered. He knew she wouldn't change her mind, so he crawled away from the conflict. The Thunderjaw fired its front cannons at the corrupted Sawtooth, the perfect distraction that Aloy didn't waste. Gathering momentum, she leaped onto the machine that had tried to kill the Sun-King and tethered it to the ground using her rope-caster, leaving it in a vulnerable position. Then, wielding her spear, she expertly sabotaged it. Some assistance was welcome, especially in a situation like this. On the other hand, the corrupted Sawtooth that had been battling the Thunderjaw had shaken off the effects of corruption, so they had stopped fighting and were preparing to attack their new common target: Aloy.
"Do you want a great show?" she muttered to herself, listening to the shouts of the spectators. "Well, I'm going to give it to you." She glanced sideways at the Sun-King to make sure everything was going well, and it was. He had crawled to an area with debris, where he had partially hidden himself, watching her attentively, wishing with all his heart for the Nora's victory. She sighed. If she could keep the machines occupied enough, he would be safe. She gave her two adversaries a defiant look, and they returned it with red eyes. Then, Aloy grabbed her bow and three hardpoint arrows, which she nocked on her bowstring, ready to start the fight. Now, it was up to Talanah to do her part, or they would die there.
The Sun-hawk arrived at the section of the wall that she had indicated. It wasn't difficult to find, as it looked newer than the rest of the city's facade. She carefully examined the rock structure and placed the explosives in what seemed to be the most efficient way. Then, she waited expectantly for a signal from Aloy to blow up the wall and allow them to escape. The grazers remained docile by her side. It seemed impossible that, after something mysterious that the Nora had done with her spear, they had become obedient machines. She leaned against the wall, listening to the noises coming from the battlefield. A machine roared, emitting a sound she recognized instantly. "It can't be," she thought, looking at the wall. "A Thunderjaw." Aloy could handle it perfectly fine on her own, but that was precisely the problem: she wasn't alone. The life of the king of Meridian was also at stake. She needed to help, but she couldn't neglect her post, or they would be trapped in the Ring, a certain death.
Aloy began to run through the battlefield, setting traps while skillfully dodging the attacks of her opponents. The Thunderjaw quickly fired its front cannons, and the Sawtooth pursued her, occasionally triggering explosive wires. Her first priority was to get rid of the smaller machine before taking on the larger beast, without distractions or surprises. However, it proved to be a challenging task, as their attacks came dangerously close, making it difficult to evade assaults from two different sources simultaneously. The machine allied with her attacked its counterpart, but it remained focused on the huntress. Leaping forward, it lunged at her, an opportunity Aloy did not waste. She slid skillfully through the sand, firing at the components under the beast's belly. This significantly weakened the machine but also enraged it, causing its attacks to become more frequent. It relentlessly attempted to charge her or swipe her with its claws, while the Thunderjaw continued to fire. She reached a dead-end: trapped between the Sawtooth and the wall. Fortunately, her ally turned its attention to the Thunderjaw, distracting it. The audience watched intently, wondering if the machine would manage to defeat her. Avad held his breath, fearing what might happen next.
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OMG!!! This battle is becoming so intense, don't miss next episode.
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