Thunderjaw Heart - Horizon Zero Dawn Fanfiction

Sparkwork

"Are you ready ?", Aloy asked Kïma.

She had to talk. To talk about whatever the hell she could think off, to forget that unbearably loud silence in her ears.

"I think so. I was nervous before all of that but now that I'm here... Yeah. I feel ready. I feel ready to fight and... Well, to die if I have to. You ?"

Even though she disliked Kïma's pessimistic (but realistic) point of view, she forced herself to answer :

"I've always been ready. Since Rost taught me how to hold my spear."

"Good. I think we're almost there. Prepare yourself.", Kïma commanded with short sentences, almost in a Nora way.

Aloy nodded and allowed herself to place her chin on Kïma's shoulder for a second, as the Reaper started to climb the Spire's hill.
She breathed in deeply, abandoning reality for a split second. She gazed at the tiny artificial lake used to water the crops, in the plain below. It was also in flames, probably because of the oil in the machines' carcasses floating at its surface...

She reluctantly moved back, abandoning Kïma's comforting shoulder and grabbing her bow. She crafted some arrows and placed them between the armor pieces of the Reaper. With a little bit of luck, he would act as a mobile ammunition storage if she ever ran out of it in the middle of the...

"Shh !", Kïma whispered, pointing at Aloy's focus.

Worried, Aloy turned her focus on. She was caught off guards. Where she expected to find a Deathbringer, a Thunderjaw or a Stormbird,a simple man was standing.
Helis.
There had to be something else.. The potential other foes were maybe out of the device's reach...

"We get down now, you attack from the back and I attack...", started the collector.

"Hiding is useless, Child of the Moon ! Show yourself. I must speak to you and the clone", echoed a deep voice from the top of the hill.

"The clone ? Oh boy, am I glad that my baby has his firespit ability ready...", Kïma growled between her teeth.

"He wants to anger you, don't let him.", Aloy tried to sooth her, perfectly knowing Kïma's quick temper.

When the Reaper eventually reached the top, she saw that Helis was not as alone as she thought he was : a Stormbird was standing nearby. Its lights remained yellow, even after it spotted the huntresses. Helis probably had full control over it, judging by the red wires strangling the majestic bird. She instinctively scanned the whole area to find anything they could use to their advantage.

"I'm not here to fight again", he declared with a deep voice, raising his hands.

He seemed... odd. Completely different from the stoic Helis they knew. He just kept looking around as if he was expecting a whole Carja army to attack him the next second. When none of the girls answered him, he kept going :

"I'm here to ask you one last time to join my cause and to avoid dying aimlessly in a war none of us have to fight."

"It does not sound like him at all...", Aloy noticed pensively.

"I know, right ? The Helis we know would never hesitate to try to kill us. What happened... ?", Kïma confirmed, getting her bow ready.

"It has to be a trap... Don't answer... Wait... What is that ?"

Kïma followed Aloy's gaze. A part of something was visible behind the Spire... Something spherical, dark and covered in tiny sparks. Maybe a piece of machine ? Some weapon ?
Her focus was not signaling anything like this in this direction...