Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

.0.5.

Log 183 (Location: Unknown) - “It’s been such a rollercoaster… since the Proving… losing my fiance… leaving my homelands to prove something… I can’t even remember what now. All of that seems pointless now though… and since then I’ve discovered so much. About who I am… where I came from. How I thought I didn’t have a mother… but I had two. Elizabeth… and GAIA… one long dead… and the other a machine…”

…

“No… not a machine. But still not human. She taught me about who I am and about everything I know about the other A.I.’s and I knew the name to the monster I was hunting. Through the corrupted machines… the Eclipse soldiers… the Shadow Carja… All-Mother it was such a mess… And then came the End… or at least what people had called the End…”

…

“Through all that heartache we won… but there’s no such thing as happy endings…”

…

“Bast… I miss you so much…”

.1.

The adrenaline had hit him hard, the moment that he reached Miridian, found Avad and started preparations for what everyone was calling the End. And then HADES nearly won, everyone on their last leg… but Aloy had been determined to not let everyone down, so he had taken his spear- and the override code- and leapt at the twisted A.I. Screaming for everything that had happened- everyone he had lost, every person and machine, and everything that had happened since the beginning of the madness- he jabbed the spear into HADES, shutting him down with every last bit of strength he possessed.

And then darkness …

When Aloy awoke, it was with a startled gasp, like he had been drowning and just reached the surface, breathing fresh air for what seemed like the first time in such a long time. He sat up sharply in the bed, choking on it immediately after, going into a fit of harsh coughing as he bent over the edge, dizzy and sick. He felt hands at his back then, a calm voice penetrating the cloud in his head- Avad…

“Easy Aloy…” he murmured qoftly, rubbing his back as he helped calm the boy. “Easy…” he repeated, and when Aloy could breathe again, there was a small cup of water handed to him. “Drink…” Avad guided him to drink the water slowly, cooling his sore throat and easing his vocal cords.

“Wh-” he tried, coughing again before starting over, looking blearily up at the older man, “What… happened…?”

Avad smiled at him, kind and warm and Aloy’s heart skipped a beat, “We won, Aloy,” Avad answered him and Aloy felt a massive weight be lifted from his shoulders at those three words. “We’ve won the war… HADES is dead.”

Aloy was silent, looking down at the floor. Oh he knew HADES wasn’t dead… lost somewhere in the world, weak and dying, but not dead… Aloy also knew he was no longer a threat to their world, and for that he was thankful. “Good…” he whispered, shaking his head lightly before trying to stand, only to be stopped by the Sun-King, who frowned at him.

“You haven’t yet regained your strength, Aloy. It isn’t wise to get up…” Avad gently pushed Aloy back against the bed, but Aloy pushed back, gritting his teeth.

“I’m fine ,” he huffed, eyes narrowed. “I’ve been resting long enough. There are things we need to do -”

“And you’ve done enough, Aloy,” Avad cut him off, eyes soft and Aloy frowned, pausing. “You defeated the threat, Aloy, nearly on your own. You’ve journeyed for months from your homeland, all over the world… You’ve helped so many people… and have taken nothing in return.”

“...that’s not true,” Aloy murmured, gaze cast to the ground as he listened to Avad’s words.

“You deserve rest, little flame…” Avad cooed softly and Aloy bit his lower lip, flushing slightly at the pet name, but saying nothing in turn. “Rest, please… Aloy… For me…”

Silent for several moments, Aloy deflated, sighing softly and he nodded his head, “...okay.”

Rahas rumbled quietly beside them as Aloy sat atop Admani’s back, Nyyrikki trailing behind as the Ravager pulled a carriage behind him. “I know, I know…” Aloy sighed, reaching up to wipe his brow, “but we’re almost done… and this is the last trip, I promise.” The carriage carried wood and metal, to be used to rebuild an old fort that had been destroyed in the End. They’d already delivered two carriages for them and Janeva had promised him that was the last one.

With a gentle pat to the Scorcher’s head, the red-haired teenager gently slowed him to a halt as they neared the fort, before dismounting. He patted the Stalker on the head as well as he passed him, before reaching the Ravager, unlaching the carriage from his form.

“There we go, Nyyrikki… doesn’t that feel much better…?” he cooed gently, smiling sweetly at the machine as it huffed and shook its body, stepping away from the carriage. “Now, what do you guys say we go take a little break, huh? Some nice cool water and plenty of fish,” he smirked when the Stalker huffed. “ Yes , fish. I know you eat it, don’t pretend you don’t~” he shook his head at this, turning to walk down the forest path. “Though All-Mother knows how you process it…”

The day was hot and the path was longer than Aloy remembered it being, trees fallen and the path broken and warped after the machines tore through it. He had to take a few detours, but eventually they reached the small pond he remembered off the trail from the fort. The water crystal clear and gentle, fish swimming calmly about it.

He let out a huff of laughter when Nyyrikki immidiately bounded for the water, splashing into it without a care, while Admani lumbered towards it, laying by the edge with a soft huff. Rahas looked at him and he smirked, “What?” he questioned, amused, and the Stalker huffed, tail whipping back and forth.

Shaking his head, Aloy decided to let the Stalker do its own thing, as he made his way to the water, grabbing his spear and searching for the nearest fish. With a look of deep concentration, he was about to lunge before being startled as Rahas darted passed him, lunging at the fish and soaking Aloy with water.

“Hey!” he sputtered, eyes wide and hair clinging to his face as he stared at the smug Stalker, the fish hanging from it’s jaws. “You ass! That’s my fish!” With narrowed eyes, the Seeker immediately chased after the Stalker, playfully waving his spear as he chased it. After a few moments, his laughter filled the clearing, green eyes alight with light and laughter. “When I catch you, Rahas~” he grinned, when Rahas immedietly turned invisible, trying to catch him off guard, but Aloy could still see the faint glow of his blue wires.

Stalking the Stalker, the young hunter paused before suddenly launching himself at the machine, tackling him to the ground with a loud fit of laughter, startling the machine enough to drop the fish. They rolled around on the ground until the Stalker had the human pinned, visible once more and Aloy grinned up at it, hair sprawled on the ground.

The Stalker huffed, before leaning down to nuzzle Aloy’s cheek and neck, causing the boy to melt slightly as he hummed, reaching up to brush his fingers over the heated metal of Rahas’ body. “Mm…”

As the Stalker lowered itself against Aloy’s body, the boy was receptive to it, calm and relaxed in a way he hadn’t been in such a long time. Here with his machines, with nothing immediately threatening on the horizon.

“My Rahas…” he murmured quietly, a sweet smile on his lips.

It was… perfect …

Nyyrikki howled in the distance, startling Aloy and causing Rahas to jolt, rigid and alert, lenses red. Aloy barely had enough time to scramble away before a rogue corrputed machine came barreling out of no where, the Sawtooth snarling viciously as it grabbed Rahas, throwing the Stalker against a nearby tree. “Rahas!” Aloy screamed, just as Admani jumped into the fray, lunging at the Sawtooth, tearing at the metal armor on its body.

Aloy scrambled to Rahas’ side as Nyyrikki barreled into the Sawtooth’s side, knocking them into the water, splashing it everywhere and startling all the fish within. The Seeker let out a breath of relief when he saw that only Rahas’ hide was scratched from the tree and that no damage had been done other than that. Grabbing his spear, he let the Stalker get up on its own, before charging, brandishing the spear to attack the Sawtooth. Jumping into the fray, he jabbed his spear through the Sawtooth’s neck, only to be thrown back into the water, and he cried out.

Scrambling up, he grabbed his bow, before watching, horrified as two more corrupted Sawtooth’s appeared from the treeline. “Wh-what…?” He choked on his breath, eyes wide, fearfull. “Where are you…-” he fell back when one of the Sawtooth’s lunged at him and he scrambled away, grabbing his bow tighter in his hands, launching arrow after arrow as best as he could. “ No! ”

He screamed when Admani was thrown back against Nyyrikki and he ran to their side, getting between them, to protect them, only to be tackled back by Rahas as the Sawtooth lunged, catching Admani in the side as the Scorcher howled in pain.

Aloy screamed, his own voice muted as he watched in slow motion. Scrambling from the water, he knew they had to retreat, and grabbing his whistle, he blew it hard and sharp, using all of his breath, before jumping onto Rahas’ back, urging him away from the water, even as he heard the howls and snarls of the Sawtooth’s behind him. Looking back, his heart clenched with relief when he saw Admani and Nyyrikki following them, but was not surprised when he saw the corrupted machines tearing after them in turn.

Turning back to face forward, he urged Rahas faster, “Come on Rahas… faster… We need to lose them…” he rushed out, panting hard, wet and out of breath.

Every twist, every turn… the machines seemed to follow them no matter how fast or where they went. It was exhausting, and Aloy knew it was taking a toll on his own machines. Looking around frantically, he tried to spot some way to lose them, before he found it, the perfect hiding spot. With a wordless command, he directed Rahas towards a small crevice in the mountains, urging him a little faster and a little harder as they sped towards it.

It was just big enough for them to fit and Rahas darted into it without a word, even as Aloy hissed, shoulder scraping against the rock wall. Dismounting from Rahas, he quickly rushed to the entrance, eyes wide as he watched Admani and Nyyrikki follow, his heart stopping when it seemed like they wouldn’t fit.

The Sawtooth’s were on Admani’s tail as the Scorcher pushed through the crevice forecefully and Aloy cried out, stumbling back when the machine’s claws tore through the stone wall, slightly widening the hole but not enough for it and it’s pack to get in.

Rolling to the side, he narrowly avoided the Sawtooth’s beam, heart beating a mile a minute in his chest as he watched his machines press themselves farther into the darkness. And for several minutes, nothing could be heard but his breathing and the growls of the Sawtooth’s outside.

When the growls subsided, the Seeker waited several minutes more until Admani carefully made his way to the entrance of the crevice, sniffing at it before huffing, turning away, and the human slumped with relief, eyes closed tightly as he choked on a sob. “F-fuck… I’m so done with those machines…” Struggling to stand up, legs like jelly, Aloy let out a ragged breath, looking back at his machines. “Well… I… I guess we should be going…” he murmured, before frowning when he watched Rahas turn and walk in the opposite direction of the entrance. “H-hey, where do you think you’re going??” Aloy huffed in question, scrambling to follow before he lost sight of the Stalker.

Disgruntled at the lack of answer, Aloy only followed, comforted by the fact that Admani and Nyyrikki were following behind him. With a soft sigh, he stayed silent as they walked, the small cave lit only by the blue wire of his precious machines.

It seemed like they’d walked forward before finally the cave opened up, becoming lighter as it opened up into an underground jungle . “W-wha…?” he was struck breathless by the sight of it, as glowing fungus lined the ground and the cave walls, lighting the cavern up brightly. “Wow…” he whispered, amazed, eyes wide as he took in everything. “Where… are we…?”

They walked through the jungle, their feet crunching silently on the soft dirt covered ground, and Aloy reached out to touch the wet leaves of a nearby berry bush.

When Rahas suddenly darted forward, Aloy jolted before crying out as he took off after him, getting really tired of Rahas dashing off without him. Fighting through the undergrowth, Aloy pushed through the jungle with his machines, before suddenly coming to an abrupt halt, eyes wide and breath stolen from him when they found themselves in front of a door .

“What…?” Slowly walking forward, the boy reached out to touch the metal doors before him, gasping when they opened … without his spear- the spear left behind with the Sawtooth’s. He stood there, finding himself frozen with fear, but when Rahas stepped up behind him, he took in a deep breath, holding it in before letting it out.

Stepping towards the opened door, the boy found himself curious to what laid beyond, wondering if he would find a new machine… or if there would be something never discovered beyond.

Resolve steeled, the boy stepped into the darkness, before whipping around when the door suddenly closed behind him, sealing him inside the darkness. “Rahas!” Eyes wide, he banged his fists against the solid steel, listening as his machines panicked beyond the door, claws scratching against the metal- sounds muted as they howled and snarled. “N- no! ” Looking around, he tried to find a way to open the door back up, but all he saw was pure darkness , and the fear gripped his heart as tears stung his eyes. “Rahas! Rahas! ”

Falling to his knees, he listened and cried as he heard his machines until he couldn’t hear them anymore.

“Rahas… Admani… Nyyrikki…” he whispered their names, as he suffocated, the fear of being alone taking him over. “ ...please… ”

“You found a dark scary cave… and want us to go inside of it?” Bast smirked at this, amused as he watched his boyfriend grin at him. The red head bounced, 120 pounds of excited teenager, nodding his head in eagerness. “A dark… damp… deep cavern that could possibly hold a dangerous machine, and you want to explore it.”

“Well… yeah~” Aloy’s grin was a little lopsided at this. “What’s the worse that could happen~?” he asked and Bast narrowed his eyes at this.

“For one, dangerous machine. For two , it sure as Hell won’t be in heat ,” he answered and Aloy flushed darkly. “For three, we could get lost if we explore the cave and no one will know where we are.”

“It could also be a tiny disappointing cave full of frogs~” Aloy countered with another grin and the blonde Nora rolled his eyes. “There’s a lot of ‘coulds’ Bast, but we won’t ever know for certain unless we do ~” Stepping closer to the older teen, Aloy blinked his pretty green eyes at the other. “Please Bast…~? I promise I’ll be on my best behavior~”

Bast narrowed his eyes, knowing that wasn’t a promise Aloy was likely to keep. He was a trouble magnet, through and through, but the Nora could never resist his lover’s beautiful green eyes. “...alright. But we take supplies and we stay no longer than an hour, okay? My father expects me home with a bounty of boar.”

Despite Bast’s stern tone, Aloy lit up like the sun , All-Mother help him… but the older Nora did so love making his pretty little Outcast happy.

Aloy quivered lightly in the darkness of the cave, holding a torch in front of him as he looked around. “It… it’s darker than I thought it would be.” Aloy pouted slightly, trying not to admit he was slightly afraid of the dark. Apparently not enough to stay away from dark, scary caves though.

“An astute observation, Aloy,” Bast rolled his eyes in fond annoyance. In one hand he held his own torch, in his other a spear, in the event that they were ambushed by something a little more dangerous than a few rats . “Let me guess, you didn’t actually explore beyond the entrance of the cavern, did you?”

“I…” Aloy huffed, flushing slightly, “I was waiting to explore with you .” he muttered, pouting a little more as Bast smirked at him.

“Of course, little Outcast,” he returned, shaking his head lightly in exasperation. “So what are we looking for then?”

“Um…” Aloy drew out the sound and Bast narrowed his eyes. “We are looking for…”

“You decided to go into a dark scary cave without a general purpose, didn’t you,” Bast deadpanned and his answer was silence. “Damnit Aloy… Come on, we’re going back.”

“What!? Why!?” Aloy whipped around, eyes wide as he saw Bast turning around, heading back towards where they came. “N-no! Bast! Wait!” He ran after the other, before suddenly tripping on a rock, crying out as he fell against the older Nora, causing them both to fall to the ground with a loud thud as Bast hissed.

Groaning slightly, Aloy sat up slowly, rubbing his head where he’d bumped it against Bast’s shoulder and he made a face. When he focused back on Bast, the older Nora had turned around, a sour expression on his face, and Aloy was ready to go on the immediate defensive. He was unprepared for when Bast grabbed his hands, pulling them close to his face and he made a soft squeak of surprise.

“...can’t do a single thing without hurting yourself, can you…?” Bast sighed softly and Aloy blinked, before realizing his hands were bleeding. Scraped and covered in dust. He only just noticed now how they stung slightly as Bast reached to grab a healing salve, smearing it over the scrapes and Aloy bit his lower lip, grimacing slightly. “Be more careful, please…” Bast added in a gentle whisper.

“...I’m sorry,” Aloy’s shoulders slumped, his head lowered slightly when Bast led go of one of his hands. He startled slightly when Bast took his chin in his hand, tilting it up before stealing his lips in a sweet, soft kiss. “Mm…” Aloy hummed softly in return and when Bast pulled back, he had a soft smile on his lips.

“Let’s go home, Aloy…” he murmured and Aloy was putty.

“Okay…”

Chapter Text

.2.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but as he sat there in the darkness, his vision slowly adjusted to it, able to make out small shapes of rock and stone. His heart ached and clenched in his chest, tear tracks dried on his face, lips bitten red and chapped dry. Flicking his tongue out to wet his lips, the Seeker struggled to stand from where he had sat, knees aching as he moved them. Grabbing an arrow from his pouch, he lit it on fire, holding it out in front of him, biting his lip once more when all he saw was the darkness ahead of him.

He wanted so badly to go back through the door, to find his machines and make sure they were alright, but he had no way of getting through. No switch or lever. No override device that he could use if he could even find the activator to use it on. He was stuck… and the only way forward was through the darkness before him.

Letting out a shaky breath, he stumbled forward, aching slightly as he walked, but pushing through the pain.

He was silent the whole way through the cave, the walk seeming to take forever as it never seemed to end. And when he thought he was going to collapse again, he finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel, sparking the little flame of hope alive in his chest. Speeding his pace, he made his way through the small rock tunnel, until he was at a full out run.

The breath of fresh air hit him hard as the light blinded him and he had to take a few moments to breathe before his eyesight finally adjusted.

And his heart skipped a beat.

A great beautiful land of green valleys and hills lay before him, beyond the mountain range that now lay behind him. And it was at that moment that he realized the cauldron door had led him outside of his home, to a whole new world.

The night had come swiftly and with a vengeance, forcing Aloy to find someplace he hoped was safe to set up camp. The valleys were vast and open and that was difficult to do, but he managed to find a great tree that he climbed, settling in its thick dense branches to hide his form from potential enemies.

Lost and alone, he was once again left with his thoughts and they threatened to consume him as he thought about how he wouldn’t have to hide if his machines were there.

All-Mother knew it was pathetic… but ever since he’d lost Bast and found them, he’d begun to rely heavily on them for company.

Gritting his teeth, the boy grabbed the whistle he’d forged a long time ago, when he had found Rahas, and brought it up to his lips. Blowing hard and long, it gave out no sound- even though he knew the frequency was pitched only so his machines could hear it. Heart clenching, he blew the whistle again… and again… and again … until he was breathless and couldn’t any more.

Letting the whistle fall back to his chest, the Seeker shook lightly, eyes closed as he listened to the wilds around him, hearing nothing but a low machine howling in the distance and critters chittering in the night.

Opening his eyes, he blinked his tears away, before letting out a quiet breath, reaching a hand up to activate his Focus. “Show me the file ‘Rahas’,” he murmured, watching as his Focus filtered through before opening up a single file among dozens logged in his Focus. Reaching out, he swiped it open, biting his lower lip when he clicked on the first video he saw.

Of himself and Rahas playing by the lake… before the corrupted machines lunged upon them.

Closing his eyes tightly, he swiped hard, unaware as the videos scrolled to the very first one in the file and his breath hitched when he heard a familiar growl, followed by his own voice, “E-easy boy…” Past him murmured quietly and he opened his eyes, watching as a beautiful Stalker circles him cautiously- Rahas … before he became his Rahas. “It’s okay… I’m not going to-”

The Stalker lunged, snarling and angered and afraid and Aloy had thrown himself out of the way with a heavy grunt, hissing slightly when his body connected to the ground. He didn’t attack it, wanting to show it that he wasn’t like the bandits that had laid waste to its den- and its packmates. Instead he kept dodging, and throwing himself out of the way, until the Stalker was exhausted from its own injuries.

Aloy hadn’t even needed to override it… not then, as he had approached the Stalker calmly and carefully, before kneeling beside it to repair the damage that had been done to it as best as he could. And in the Stalker’s calmest moment, Aloy had realized the machine had not only been hurt , but was in heat .

So Aloy had sated it… giving himself to the Stalker, letting it fuck him until the Seeker nearly passed out, overwhelmed with the pleasure of it all. He’d lost count of how many times the Stalker had sought release, but watching it here and now, he flushed as he counted four times . Four times that Rahas had filled Aloy, had knotted him, before he was done completely.

When Aloy had awoke that next morning, the Stalker was still curled up with him, protecting him from the creatures of the night. And Aloy had asked it permission to make it his machine… to override it.

And Rahas had let him. Without pack and home, but with trust for this kind, compassionate human.

The video ended and Aloy let out a quivering breath, “Oh Rahas…” he whispered, looking back in the direction of the mountains. “I hope you guys are okay…”

When the sun woke, Aloy woke with it, sore and aching, but alive. He climbed down from the tree, before stretching out, and when his stomach rumbled he decided to go out and hunt something to eat, knowing Bast would throw a fit if he was here, telling him he needed to eat.

It’d been a while since he’d forgotten to eat on his own, taken well care of by his machines, who knew he was human and needed things they didn’t. Like sleep, and food and water, and warmth.

It took him longer than he wanted it to, but eventually he found a nice juicy rabbit, grabbing out his bow and shooting his target with one of his piercing arrows, killing it cleanly in one shot. He had long since stopped hurting for the creatures he hunted, knowing the All-Mother wouldn’t want him to starve to let her creatures overrun the fields.

Setting up a cookfire took less time than hunting the rabbit did and soon he had meat cooked thoroughly enough that it was safe to consume.

Stomach full and satisfied, he snuffed the fire and wrapped the remainders of the meat up, putting it in his pouch for later. And when he turned his attention to the vast valleys, he hesitated a moment, looking back at the mountains.

Should he move forward…? Or should he try to find his way back home… back through the mountains that had once seemed impossible to get through?

Sighing softly, he let his gaze fall to the ground, knowing he could no longer return home. After all, if there had been a way through- other than the cauldron- they would have heard about it through travelers of their territories. Looking back towards the valley, he steeled himself- unwilling to admit he wanted to do this- and started the long trek forward.

The sun was hot and heavy on his skin, and he was thankful for the Carja outfit he was equipped with, knowing his own Nora outfit would have burned him alive if he still had it equipped. In the distance he could see a vast forest, and felt relief, knowing he could rest and get some shade soon.

He wished he had his machines, to get there faster, but didn’t dwell further on those thoughts.

A loud screech sounded above him and Aloy jolted, startled as he stumbled slightly, and when he looked up to see the great silhouette of a bird-like machine, he feared a Stormbird had found him. Taking off at a run, Aloy carried himself swiftly through the valley, towards the forest where he knew he could lose the machine.

He had no time to react as the machine’s great shadow cast over him and he cried out as the beast’s talons caught his shoulders, snatching him up and lifting him into the air. The machine was swift and precise, speeding through air and as Aloy struggled, he clawed and hit against the metal of the machine’s legs.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed an arrow from his pouch and jabbed it up into the machine’s leg. The machine screeched loudly in anger and pain, suddenly letting Aloy go and the hunter screamed as he fell. He only had half a second to regret his choices before he was suddenly caught again by the massive bird. Struggling once more, Aloy hissed when the bird suddenly slammed itself into the trunk of a nearby tree, letting Aloy go a second time and the hunter fell onto the ground below, cushioned only slightly by a thick luscious bed of tall grass.

“Nngh…” He groaned, disoriented and aching, before slowly sitting up, huffing and puffing as he cracked his eyes open, adjusting to the sudden darkness of the forest he found himself in and his breath caught when he saw the great machine just a dozen feet from where he lay.

Immediately lowering himself in the grass, Aloy swallowed hard, watching the machine- a machine unlike anything he’d ever seen before in his home- shake itself heavily, before letting out a loud and piercing screech. It’s beak was long and thin, sharp, and its body slender and lithe, with great large wings reminiscent to a Glinthawk’s own. Atop its head was a component Aloy recognized as a plasma cannon, and he was thankful it hadn’t decided to attack him with that first off.

Quickly activating his Focus, he held his breath, waiting for the device to scan the machine and tell him what it was. “Vulture; a large machine based heavily upon the bird it is named after. These machines are pack scavengers and hunt for scrap metal to build their nests. They are attracted to anything shiny and will attack everything in sight if they feel they are threatened.”

This information was aweing to Aloy, and more than that, exciting because he found a new machine. A machine he’d never seen before in his homeland- and had no idea why . After all, it could fly couldn’t it? So why had he never seen it before now?

The machine screeched again, louder this time, and angered, and Aloy deactivated the Focus, holding his breath as he pressed himself harder against the ground, waiting with wide eyes for the machine to leave. He had no idea how he would even begin to take down this new machine, not knowing its weakness’ yet, even with the Focus on his side.

After several long minutes, the machine finally seemed to give up searching for its prey and with a great beat of its large wings, the Vulture took off, disappearing through the tall treetops above.

Aloy waited several long minutes after that before he finally relaxed, no longer hearing the machine or anything else that could be a potential threat to him. “It feels like leaving the Embrace all over again…” he whispered quietly, a sad quirk to his lips as he stood up slowly, brushing himself off, before finally taking a good look around.

The forest seemed massive, with trees taller than anything he’d ever seen, treetops dozens of feet above his head. It had seemed so much smaller at a distance, but when he looked back, seeing a rock wall several feet ahead, he realized why… not having known a cliff would have been an obstacle for him when he reached the forest border.

How far had he traveled from the mountains…? How far would he have to travel still for them to no longer be in sight…?

He wouldn’t admit it, but he wished he’d never stepped foot through that cauldron.

He’d been walking for what felt like hours, tired, hungry and dehydrated. The shade of the forest at least helped him stay cool, but he was still thirsty from all the traveling he had done. Looking around, he stopped walking as he listened hard for any signs of water, eyes closed as he concentrated.

After several long heartbeats, he finally heard the soft trickle of a stream, just feet from where he stood, and he made his way towards the sound. When he spotted the small stream, he let out a breath of relief, kneeling by the stream and immediately splashing water in his face, licking his lips as he tasted the sweet water on his skin.

Taking a long drink, he took a moment to recuperate and regain his bearings. Grabbing his waterskin, he filled it up and closed it up, putting it back into his pouch for later use, before grabbing the cold cooked meat from earlier, eating what was left of it to sate part of his hunger. He had no idea how long it had been since he ate that morning, but knew that it was enough for now.

With a frown, he sat back and looked around, seeing nothing but miles of forest, and it clenched at his heart, as he realized he was completely lost. In a new world, with no where to go but forward, no sense of human life anywhere, and new dangers on the horizon, Aloy had no idea what to do.

Activating his Focus once more, Aloy sat and looked… for any sign of life.

And for several long moments, he found nothing…

Aloy’s eyes were closed, the forest growing cooler around him, the stream bubbling softly as he listened to it. He’d lost track of time, but he didn’t care in the least, not even when he heard the nearby hoot of a familiar avian bird- recognizing the sound from the Cut.

He startled slightly however, when he heard a different sound… a soft static coming through his focus and he looked up, eyes wide when he saw a signal coming from somewhere in the distance.

Without wasting a single moment, the hunter got up and took off towards the signal, eager to find out what he was.

He ran for minutes on end, crashing through the undergrowth and pushing through the dense foliage, jumping over fallen logs and thick bushes. He ignored the critters he spooked as he ran, focused only on that signal, heart beating swiftly as he got closer and closer to it, until he could feel it.

The heavy, familiar quakes of a Tallneck .

As the ground shook, Aloy grinned, eyes wide and wild and filled with a spark that had disappeared since the day before. Tearing through a thick grove of trees, Aloy’s breath caught as he saw the massive beast, whose head was at tree height.

Without wasting a single moment, Aloy darted towards a nearby tree, climbing it swiftly and roughly, before waiting for the right moment … and with a wild cry, he launched himself at the Tallneck’s leg as it lumbered past the tree. Grunting, Aloy hissed as he clung to the metal of the machine’s leg, struggling for a moment to get a proper hold before he began to climb the beast, hair whipping beside him as the Tallneck made its way around its set path.

Climbing the great machine, Aloy felt lighter than the air when he finally reached the top and his breath hitched, eyes wide when he saw what he did. Atop the Tallneck, he saw miles of forest that stretched all around him. On one side, his mountains in the distance, and on the other… new horizons to explore.

“...incredible…” he whispered, sitting atop the great machine and his heart clenched, wishing he could override it to get its data, but his spear was back where the Sawtooth’s were… and always will be until they lose it or another hunter claims it for their prize.

Aloy sighed softly, shoulders slumping as he sat atop the great machine, rocking gently with every step it took. He watched the sunset from on its head, longing for the days before the Proving, when things were so much easier…

.2.5.

Log 184 (Location: Unknown)- “Looking back, I realize how stupid I’d been. I thought that had been the end for me… lost without my machines and with no goal forward. I was in a world I didn’t know and that had terrified me. More than leaving my homelands behind. More than facing HADES… though I’ll admit, not more than the one time I’d been underneath a Fireclaw… that was perhaps the third scariest moment of my life.”

…

“The second…? When those doors closed and trapped me in this new world, leaving my machines behind… And… the first…? Watching that arrow pierce my fiance’s chest and kill him…”

…

“All-Mother… why do you hate me…?”

…

“Anyway… the point is that I was naive, and afraid. And I hadn’t realized that leaving my home… going through that cauldron… was only just the beginning for me.”

Chapter Text

.3.

The metal doors closed before they could take a single step forward and immediately they went into a panic. The Stalker howled as the Scorcher attacked the door, the Ravager darting back and forth, shooting laser beams at the unforgiving metal. For hours it seemed, they tried to force open the door, but when all failed, they fell silent, even as they could hear their human’s cries behind the steel.

Rahas whined lowly as he sat beside the door, pressing his forehead against it, tail quivering behind him, feeling pain he hadn’t felt before meeting his human. It was one of the worst things he’d ever felt, akin to losing the pack he once had, moons ago.

The Scorcher rumbled lowly, taking a step closer to console the Stalker, but Admani froze when he heard the low growls of nearby hostile machines. Whipping around, the machine bristled when he saw corrupted Watchers racing towards them. They reminded him of the Sawtooths that ambushed them… that forced them into the position they were now.

And that stole their human’s prized staff, Rahas reminded them in anger, before leaping at the Watchers with an intense fury, fueled by his grief.

As Nyyrikki and Admani joined in the fray, they swore to each other that they would find their human… no matter the cost.

The whistles were soft and quiet, distance, but still there , and the machines ran swiftly at the edges of the mountains, searching for a way through. They climbed cliffs, up slopes, navigated through rough terrain. They’d fallen more times than they could count, but tried time after time after time again to find a way over the mountains that separated them and their human.

But still nothing worked…

Rahas howled in the night, low and loud and longing. A sound full of heartache and pain. After a few moments, Nyyrikki joined him, adding to his pained melody. When Rahas’ voice broke- a hard feat to manage- Admani was there, starting the howl again strong and firm.

Filling the night with their sorrow and grief.

Chapter Text

.4.

He hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep on the great machine until morning came once more, the sun shining brightly beyond the horizon. He blinked open his eyes, frowning slightly, before realizing what had woken him up wasn’t the sun, but a noise .

Tensing up, Aloy clutched tightly to the wires on the Tallneck’s head, peering over the edge to see what was going on. He gasped when he saw hunters at the feet of the Tallneck, with explosives and machines . They attacked the Tallneck, causing it to roar in pain as it rocked heavily with an explosive attack. Angered, Aloy grabbed out his bow the best he could, ready to defend the machine with his life.

Arming the bow with a blast arrow, he aimed and fired at the ground- a warning shot that aimed to get their attention. It exploded on the ground, creating a force-wave that knocked back several of the hunters and did exactly what Aloy wanted as he got their attention. “Leave it alone!” he shouted down at them, green eyes blazing. He didn’t know who these people were, but he wasn’t going to let them do what the Eclipse soldiers had done to the one poor gentle giant.

He couldn’t hear them as they shouted in confusion and anger, but he didn’t focus on that, readying another arrow, aimed straight at them. Tense, he was ready for them to fire back, but was surprised when all the hunters lowered their weapons, and their machines backed off.

“What…?” he questioned, frowning to himself, before cautiously lowering his weapon. Not yet putting his bow away, he stood up and leapt off the great Tallneck as it lumbered on, sending a shockwave out that disabled their machines temporarily as Aloy landed solidly on the ground.

Readying his bow once more, he stood between the hunters and their machines, and the Tallneck, ready to defend it again if he had to. Immediately, his attention was drawn to a tall man- whose hair was dark and wild, spiked up in a way Aloy had never seen, and whose skin was dark like the earth- wearing a great cloak of beautiful cloth as he jumped from a great machine that Aloy had never even seen before- large like a bear, but with great antlers and a long thick tail like a canine- landing on the ground and holding his hands up, like he was soothing a wild beast. “ Sahl (Easy) ...” the stranger said, blue eyes calm and mysterious and Aloy frowned, not understanding what he said. “ Nahn la nurid 'an yawdhik (We do not wish to harm you). ”

“I… I don’t understand…” he returned, soft and quiet, mostly to himself and the stranger paused before his expression softened.

“Ah, you are a foreigner,” he spoke, now in a language Aloy knew by heart , though his voice was slightly rough. “I apologize. Please, lower your weapon. My men are worried you will shoot us again.”

Aloy narrowed his eyes at this, “You were attacking that Tallneck.” He snapped, bristling as he pulled back the bow tighter, causing the other hunters to react as they all readied their own weapons.

The stranger reacted immediately, shouting at them in that foreign language, “ Tawqaf (Stop)! Waqal 'anah ln yudhiana (He will not hurt us). ” Tentatively they all lowered their weapons, murmuring to each other and Aloy swallowed hard, but stood firm. “You are a friend of the machine?” The stranger questioned and Aloy bit his lower lip, before shaking his head, surprising the man, but he corrected him.

“Protector. I protect them.” He answered and the man hummed, looking the teenager up and down before he smiled.

“We were not going to kill it, young Protector,” the stranger returned, looking back at the Tallneck that continued on its path, now far from their range. “We merely needed it to divert its path.”

“You can’t do that,” Aloy growled, eyes narrowed, but he lowered his weapon, setting the hunters at ease for the moment, as their machines began to wake. “They walk their paths for a reason. If you set them off their path, they’ll cause chaos and wander where they shouldn’t.”

The stranger frowned, before he sighed, “This, ah… what do you call it? Tallneck , wanders where it pleases. And it wanders too close to our village,” Aloy perked up at this.

“You have a village?” he questioned, realizing a moment too late that it was a dumb question, but the stranger chuckled.

“ Nem bialtabe (Yes of course), ” he answered in that foreign language, and though Aloy didn’t understand the words, he understood the nod perfectly well. “Do you seek shelter?”

“Yes, I do,” Aloy immediately jumped at the apparent offer and the stranger nodded his head once more.

“Help us divert the machine off its path and we will grant you safe passage through the forest to our village,” he offered and Aloy bit his lower lip, torn for a moment, before he sighed, thinking about what was told to him. Looking back at the Tallneck, he frowned, still as a log for several moments, before his expression hardened with determination.

Without another word, he suddenly took off after the Tallneck, running swift along the path, startling the hunters. Racing after the great machine, Aloy watched it as it thundered along, and with a grunt, he launched himself at the trees, climbing the nearest one before jumping from tree to tree. And when he was close enough to the Tallneck, he leapt at the machine with a cry, latching on with ease.

He was aware as the hunters followed the Tallneck on their machines, watching him with wide eyes, awed and suspicious both. Climbing the machine, he ignored them in favor of focusing on his task. He knew exactly what he was going to do and as he climbed the Tallneck’s neck, up to the great machine’s head, he lifted himself up before grabbing out his bow.

Arming another blast arrow, he looked around, determining which direction would be best to head it away from. When he took note of its favored path through the forest, likely one it’s been wandering for days, he finally aimed the bow down at the ground, steeling himself before letting it loose.

The arrow flies through the air before connecting with the ground and moments after it explodes in a large shockwave that shakes the ground. The Tallneck roars, steps stuttering as it rocks with the blast and Aloy grunts, steadying himself on the machine. Aiming another arrow, he fires it again at the ground in front of the Tallneck, followed by two more in quick succession.

He cries out when there is another explosion different from his arrows and he falls to his knees, gripping the wires tightly. Seething, he grabs his arrows once more, arming his bow and shooting a blast arrow directly at the hunter that had set off that explosion, and when it goes off, it knocks back the machine and dislodges the rider completely.

It also causes the Tallneck to change its course, stepping off the beaten path and crashing through the forest in the direction Aloy had wanted it to go. Relieved, but still infuriated at the hunters, Aloy jumps from the Tallneck’s head, throwing out his grappling hook, eyes wide when it hooks but snaps .

Falling rapidly to the ground with a fearful scream, Aloy prepares for impact but startles when he’s suddenly caught by a pair of strong arms. The stranger grunts with his weight, holding him tightly as his great machine suddenly comes to a halt, skidding along the undergrowth. “Are you okay?” he pants quietly, slightly winded and Aloy swallows hard, embarrassed as his pinks tinge slightly pink.

“Y-yeah… thank you…” he murmurs, stumbling slightly when the stranger lets him slide from his arms to the ground. Clearing his throat, he rights himself before turning back to the man as his hunters slow to a stop around them. “The Tallneck will no longer bother you,” he says, firmly, despite his heart racing a mile a minute. “Will you allow me safe passage to your village now?”

The stranger smiles at him, eyes warm and soft and he nods, “A deal is a deal, young Protector. We will see you safely to our home.” He promised and Aloy let out a quiet breath of relief before accepting the hand offered and he climbed up, sitting in front of the stranger on his mount.

The forest was beautiful when there was nothing threatening nearby that wanted to kill you. He saw glimpses of small flying machines but they were too quick for him to pin them with his focus. He did find out what the machines were that the hunters rode- the stranger riding what was called a Guardian, and the others riding what were called Hunters, small canine looking machines that were swift and deadly in packs.

He had gotten to witness how they worked along the way when they encountered some more Vultures. They were incredible…

This whole new world was incredible to him.

“You come from beyond the mountains in the distance?” The stranger asks him and Aloy’s attention is directed back towards him.

“Yes,” he sighed softly, “I’m of a tribe called the Nora, beyond those mountains. They surround a vast valley where we live alongside the Carja.”

“Fascinating…” the man hummed, staring straight ahead. “We have never seen a… Nora, or a Carja before. In fact… rarely does anybody ever come from those mountains. We assumed that beyond was simply uninhabitable.”

“No,” Aloy shook his head at this. “Far from it. We live amongst machines far different than your own.” He added, motioning towards the wolf-like machines the others were riding. “They are… magnificent…”

“You are the first foreigner who has such an affinity for machines, you Protector,” the stranger chuckled quietly and Aloy hummed, before realizing something-

“It’s Aloy, actually,” -that they had never introduced themselves.

“Ah, a name of metal and fire,” the stranger grins behind him and Aloy flushes gently. “It suits you. You may call me Xanthe.”

“Xanthe…” Aloy repeated in a soft murmur, letting out a soft humming breath. “I’ve never heard a name like yours before. It’s as unique as this world your live in…” he sighed softly and Xanthe frowned, looking at the younger hunter.

“You do not sound happy… Aloy. Is something the matter?” He asked and Aloy shook his head slowly.

“No…” he returned, silent for several long moments before he added in a whisper, “I just… miss my home.”

Chapter Text

.5.

The journey took no longer than another hour before they were finally at the gates of the village and Aloy’s breath caught when he saw the beautiful sight. They had built a village from an old ruins, of stone and metal, and they blended seamlessly with the forest, like they were one with the forest. Machines roamed freely in the village- Hunters and large antlered beasts so unlike the ones back home and small flying bird-like machines that glided beautifully through the air- and Aloy was too dumbstruck to activate his focus.

At the entrance, Aloy noticed a sign that said ‘Ishak’ and he tilted his head in confusion, “Ishak? Is that the village’s name?” he asked and Xanthe hummed.

“In a sense, yes. We named this village after the forest we are in. Our first chief found an old ruins that he could not claim, but found it was called Ishak Natial Et.”

Aloy blinked, hearing the words, but not making any sense of them. “It sounds like a completely foreign language… Like the one you speak...”

“No,” Xanthe shook his head lightly. “Not of our language. It is indeed completely foreign even to those of us that make our home within this forest.”

“Oh…” Aloy sighed at this, before he resumed his look around the village. Everything from the Old Ones was still so foreign to him, and his focus could only tell him so much. “I wish we knew more about the old world…” he murmured quietly and Xanthe tilted his head at this, before chuckling softly.

“If our ancestors wanted us to know of their world, they would have left us more than they did, no?” He returned and Aloy smiled wanly, knowing the truth of why their world was left in the state it was.

“Yeah…” Shaking his head lightly, he fell silent for several long moments as Xanthe led him to an old building in ruins and he looked at it with curiosity. “An old storage unit?” He questioned, earning a curious look from Xanthe. “Ah, sorry. I recognize the design… sort of. This building used to be something the Old Ones used as storage. Though for what, I couldn’t tell you. Buildings like these were found all over where I lived.”

Xanthe quirked an eyebrow, a soft hum escaping him, and he dismounted the Guardian, holding a hand out for Aloy to do the same. “I see,” he chuckled quietly, as the boy flushed, accepting the hand hesitantly before letting the older man help him down. “You appear to be more knowledgeable about our ancestors than we are, Protector. I’m intrigued.”

“I… dabbled,” Aloy murmured, rubbing at his arm anxiously. “I spent the better part of the last year learning everything I could about them. Their buildings… their teachings… their art. Even… their end…” he trailed off, thinking about HADES and GAIA, his mother and he sighed, shaking his head.

“I sense a story here, but I will not press,” Xanthe offered him a kind and warm smile and Aloy returned it. “You are welcome here, young Aloy, and what is ours is yours until you can get back onto your feet.”

“Thank you, Xanthe, for everything. How can I repay you?” Aloy looked around, uncertain for just a moment. “I’m not sure I am of any value to you… or your village.”

“Nonsense,” Xanthe chuckled, slightly amused. “You need not repay us anything, but if you wish, you can help my hunters and gatherers replenish any supplies they may need when needed. Until then, please, rest. You may have the hut on the farside of the village. It belongs to one of the my hunters, but he is out currently and won’t return for three days.”

“Thank you,” Aloy murmured quietly, letting out a soft breath as he relaxed. Deciding to leave Xanthe be, he made his way to the hut mentioned, needing a moment to himself. Walking down the soft dirt path, he activated his focus, biting his lower lip as he looked at the beautiful antlered machines that he saw.

“Sunhoof; large antlered machines that are docile until threatened. Their large antlers store energy from the sun and can be used to light up dark spaces or to blind their enemies. Strong, despite their lithe frames, these machines can pull five times their weight and were commonly used to pull sleighs with cargo across long distances when other transportation was in need of repair.”

“Beautiful…” Aloy murmured, before crying out when a small bird-like machine swooped out in front of him, snatching the metal flower pin in his hair. Whipping around, his eyes were wide when he realized what had happened and he scowled, “Hey! Give that back!” Immediately he gave chase, running swiftly after the machine.

“ La la (Oh no)! Tawqaf (Stop)! ” A young woman startled, shouting after the fire-haired teen, but Aloy paid her no mind, sights only set on the machine that stole his prized possession. “ Ead (Come back)! ”

Chasing after the quick little machine, Aloy almost didn’t notice the log and barely had enough time to leap over it. But when he looked back up at the sky, the machine was gone and his heart clenched in his chest at the terrible realization. “N-no… no, it… it can’t be gone…” he choked out, eyes wide and filling with tears.

Overwhelmed with his grief, his knees buckled as he fell to the ground, raising a hand to cover his eyes, paying no attention to the rushed footsteps that came up beside him. “ Hal ‘ant bakhyr (Are you okay)…? ” the young woman spoke to him, but unable to understand her, he only shook his head.

“I-it’s gone… Th-the only thing I have left of him is… is gone …” Aloy choked out and the young woman made a soft noise, concerned and lost. Looking up, her eyes narrowed when she spotted the little mischievous machine and she clicked her tongue, making a strange bird-like trill. The machine squeaked and ducked back out of sight for a moment before peeking its head out, looking down at the distraught human.

Clicking her tongue again, she added the snap of her fingers and watched as the little machine crawled slowly across the branch it perched upon before the creature gently glided down. She held out her arm for it, but was surprised when the machine ignored her, focused instead on the newcomer.

The machine trilled softly, landing on the ground in front of Aloy before chirping and delicately placing the little metal flower pin onto the boy’s lap. His breath hitched and he blinked opened his eyes, lowering his hand and his fingers twitched when he saw the flower. Heart clenching, he picked it up delicately, brushing his fingers over the beautiful metal before he sighed, reaching up to place it back into his hair, feeling relief wash through him. The machine cooed at him, and when he looked back at it, eyes narrowed, the machine squeaked and suddenly launched at him, trilling as it clung to his shoulders, wings quivering.

“H-hey!” Startled, Aloy had to balance himself to make sure he didn’t fall over as the machine curled around his shoulders, trilling and cooing into his ears, before nudging at his focus, curious. “Hmph… you little monster…” he murmured, reaching up to gently pet the creature, smiling tiredly when it nuzzled against his hand. “I’m guessing you like shiny things, huh…? Well… here.” Pulling out a few pieces of scrap metal, he tossed them to the ground, watching as the machine perked up before leaping at them, playing with the pieces in the way a cat would a toy.

“ Mataeib (Troublemaker)... ‘Ant mahzuz (You are lucky). ” The young woman huffed quietly beside him and he turned his gaze to her, watching as she scooped up the machine in her arms, standing up. She smiled at him and he smiled back, reaching up to wipe his tears before she bowed her head and made her way back to the other machines in her care.

With a soft sigh, Aloy stood up as well, exhausted both mentally and physically, as he made his way to the hut. He paid no mind to the little decorations as he fell onto the bed, and he reached up, grabbing the metal pin before clutching it to his chest. “Bast…” he whispered, expression soft and anguished as he looked at the flower. “Please forgive me… I was so careless… I almost just lost…” he swallowed hard, heart clenching, “lost your promise… All-Mother I’m such a mess… I miss you…”

Lifting the flower to his lips, he placed a gentle kiss to the metal, before holding it close to his heart, closing his eyes as he settled in for a well-deserved rest.