The Anointed and The Brave

Prologue

As the last of the metal devils were defeated, all across Merdian people celebrated and cheered. The Nora, Carja, Oseram, and Banuk breathed a sigh of relief. They did it! Not only did the four tribes defended their land, but they also saved Project Zero Dawn. From the safety of his palace, Sun King Avad looked across the horizon, seeing the fires and collapsed buildings in front of him.

All of this happened in one day? It took generations of Carja to build the elevators and the bridge to Merdian. Can we recover from this?

Avad paced back in forth, not noticing the grinning smile of his advisor walking towards him. 

"It would seem that we are victorious, my liege." Blameless Marad stated to the Sun King.

"You are not wrong, Marad, though I did not imagine so much destruction and pain from one battle. However, we did not just save ourselves, but the rest of the world." Avad was not surprised by the optimism Marad was showing. The battle to save Merdian had finished. The Buried Shadow defeated along with its army of machines and shadow Carja. The death of Helis will indefinitely lead to a power vacuum in Sunfall, but that was the least of Avad's problems at the moment.

The Sun king leaned against the balcony railing facing the spire, "There were losses during the fight to overthrow my father. But, this many in one day? If the buried shadow returns, we will be no match for it again." Avad contemplated.

"My Sun King, we are still strong. Maybe even stronger with the help of the outlanders. You need to stop worrying and breathe. Or at least give yourself time to process today's events," Marad suggested after seeing the King's stern stare. "For the Carja, at the very least, we must celebrate our victory and thank the sun for protecting us."

Looking at the sky with smoke in the air, Avad disagreed, "Aloy is the only person we should be thanking. Without her fire, we probably would not be standing here today." 

Marad nodded, "Yes, she is now a hero of not just Merdian, but to the world."

The two gentlemen walked to a group of soldiers, filling mugs of beer and dancing with the locals. The music reminded Avad of the victory parade after his father's death. The sound and sights of free men and women and the laughter of children was an image he would want to take to his grave. No failure, only success is the destiny of the Carja.  

"The Sun's Radiance! Inline, men! Inline!" The commander ordered.

Avad raised his hand to stop them from lining up, "Sun's soldiers, you have done what the Sun has asked you to do. With your courage and Sacrifice, many of our kin have survived. I want to thank you for your service."

The men cheered and banged mugs, "To our Sun King!" 

Blameless Marad chuckled, "I think it would be wise to start the celebration as soon as possible, my radiance."

"Yes, Marad. However, we must bury the dead and honour their sacrifice that allowed us to live for another day." The King said somberly. 

"What about the other tribes, your majesty? Had any thoughts on how to make friendships and allies?"

"I believe I will at least engage them in talks and meetings in the coming days—they all given their blood to save Meridan. At the very least, we should help them with their situations," Avad replied.

"That my king would be an ideal first step to rebuilding."

Kids ran by them as they entered the killing arena, Avad shooked his head, "Rebuilding? It will take years to return Merdian the way it was a few hours ago. And the farmland and the crops, the majority of those are in ruins. We are not even prepared for the potential drought we may have this coming summer. No surplus of wheat or vegetables to keep Merdian from starving." Avad massaged his head, how were his people going to surpass starving, let alone rebuilding the might of the Carja?

Taking a seat on a bench, Marad boasted, "Sire, we have been through hardships ever since our first king discovered the spire and founded Meridan. It will be difficult, but you have the Carja's faith and hard work. We have built cities, elevators, bridges and a palace on a cliff. Surely we are the only people on this world that are only able to rebuild and move on."

Looking at his advisor, the Sun king smiled and nodded. The time was now to rebuild, not to complain or give into the losses they have taken. For now, the Sun King had to put his faith in the Sun, himself, and his people.