Goddess above, it's even more beautiful than when I saw it the first time..
Mouth slightly agape, Aloy was in awe on Meridian, the bridge, the gates – heck, even the elevators! - it was all even better than before. Shinier, stronger; it was honestly impressive. In the year since she left Meridian to return home to help rebuild, Aloy had forgotten a decent amount of the details of the place, from the Oseram handiwork, to the Carja's ability to make even the most mundane things into beautiful, fancy work – it was honestly a marvel to her, compared to the usual 'savage' ways of her people, at least in the eyes of the Carja and Oseram.
As she made the trek into the lower settlement, her Broadhead quietly walking by her side, she was amazed, and embarrassed, as people came up to her, remembering her for her deeds and offering prayers, thanks, vittles and shards in tribute. Taking only some bread and a refill to her water pouch, she thanked them all for the kindness as each pair moved to her, still wary of the Broadhead despite the machine only standing off to poke and prod at some grass, her hands moving out for shakes, shoulder pats and the scrambling of children's hair. After some time talking to them, offering help where it might be needed and subsequently turned down and they were all ship-shape now, she continued on her journey up the winding path to the bridge, eyes on it while she walked, the jade orbs scanning it's new and improved design and decorations. It really was amazing the things the Carja and Oseram could make with their hands.
Approaching the half-way point, she paused to chat with the guards, many remembering her as well, getting filled in on the things that have changed since she last left – Oseram, Banuk, even other Nora we now present and welcomed into the city without hindrance, Sun-King Avad's recent proclamations about trade, taxes, goods and even community things such as worship of the other cultures, even the fact he was allowing each tride to build their own shrines in or around the city for their people to come and pray at as they traveled around the world. It made Aloy's heart swell with adoration for Avad, she was glad he was proving to be a polar opposite to his father. And then, she learned something new that instantly deflated the balloon her heart had become – it seems, since her absence, that Avad had a new love interest, and it was apparently quite serious as he was currently in talks about making a 'Sun-Queen' position for her, if and when they were to marry.
Saddened by the news, Aloy kept up her smile despite it and thanked then for the info, doting out a few more hand-shakes before continuing her way towards the town, turning to leave her Broadhead there at the top of the hill so it could graze as it pleased. Assuring the guards it would be no trouble to them, they let it stay with her permission to kill it if it attacked – she of course agreed, but knew it would be okay. She had had it for some time now, she doubted it would even hurt a fly – literally.
The scents and flavors that wafted towards her once she broke into the threshold of the lower level had her mouth watering, realizing then she was quite hungry. Pausing at the first stall she saw with food, she was surprised again by their generosity, offering her anything she wanted for no shards; a thank you for her service. The woman of the stall, a middle-aged Oseram, chortled loudly as Aloy's wanting to pay, her belly and breasts jiggling like Santa.
"No, no I just couldn't. If it wasn't for you, I would've lost the spark of my life, my Barnuuk. I could offer anything in the world and it still wouldn't feel enough." She smiled at Aloy and Aloy returned the smile, grabbing some roasted rabbit and savoring it's taste with a blush to her cheeks and a groan of pleasure from her throat. Chortling again, a bit deeper now, the woman reached over the stall and slapped Aloy's shoulder, hard enough to make Aloy gasp and choke for a second, her green eyes watering some as she looked over at the Oseram.
"We are forgeworkers, metalmakers of this world. The fact someone liked our rough n' tough cooking means more to me than you think. Thank you, Aloy of the Nora." She gave Aloy a bow and wished her a good day before turning back to the back of the stall to work on other things, Aloy loitering nearby to observe for a minute. Having said nothing back to her, Aloy let herself savor the basic, but delicious, rabbit in her hands, her feet taking her higher and higher through the streets, absentmindedly making her way towards to Palace, her head turning this way and that to observe stalls, smile and wave at familiar faces, and peruse wares laid out to be bought.
Finishing her rabbit, Aloy had continued her trek though town, stopping at her favorite rare vendors to haggle and trade off the metal flowers, Banuk figures and strange vessels she'd found in the last year of traveling, making out pretty good with shards, weaves and various other goodies she needed. With a full pack, and full belly, she had finally made it to the new and improved elevators – and improved they were. With the same ornate and filigree automatic doors, she saw that instead of hard, sturdy wood, it seemed the Oseram had used the old, hard metal from the machines HADES had forced from beneath the earth. It was beautiful, in it's own way. A constant reminder of what could've been, yet it was honed, reshaped and re-purposed into something useful and significantly more powerful – it seemed that with the new metal, came bigger lifts and bigger cargo. Looking down at the small figures traveling in the settlement below, she smiled and migrated back across the bridge to the second level of the city, flowing left and up the stairs to the Hunter's Lodge.
Greeting the few she knew, she made her way up the stairs to fin Talanah knelt by the memorial, hands clasped in prayer. It wasn't much her thing, but she knew the feeling, the desire to do so. While 'home' for the past year, she had renovated her childhood home, fixed it up and added a metal flower atop Rost's grave, a flowering garden surrounding his mound as she felt, if he ever looked to her or where he lay, he would see she was content, alive and remembering him as fondly as she was able to. The thought had her kneel quietly by Talanah's side and copy her hand position, bowing her head to silently thank the hawks the memorial stood for. When Talanah's hand grasped Aloy's shoulder, she looked over and they smiled at one another before a hug was had, the pair just grateful both are doing well.
"So, i'm guessing no one has been able to out-do Redmaw since I was here last, hmm?" The rhetorical question garnered a barking laugh from Talanah and a hard pat on the sholder.
"You would be guessing correctly, Aloy, despite the Nora." A laugh was shared among them before both rose to their feet and, arms on one another's shoulders, they made their way into the lodge, talking of kills, new members and the places they've been since the fight – it was as it it hadn't been a year, they picked up right where they left off and Aloy, as lightweight as ever, only had a mug of Scrappersap before finally prying herself away from the bar, and Talanah's grasp. Thanking her for the hospitality, and the ale, Aloy waved her goodbyes, walking about out and to the left again to head to the palace, eyes on the beautiful colored sunset that was being played before her.
It would be another half hour, the dark of night now fully clasped around them, before she finally reached the palace, not even sure why she was heading there – she didn't want to interrupt Avad and his new lover, the thought making her skin red with anger. Was a year really so long, in the scheme of things? It seemed it was. Another round of 'Hey Aloy!'s and 'You live!'s with the guards, she was allowed passage into the Palace and she embraced Blameless Marad, the pair sharing pleasantries and quick chat while, unbeknownst to her, Sun-King Avad and his new lover, Kimiria, joined them quietly, standing behind her.
Still grinning at Marad as they chatted about random things, Avad's throat clearing caused a gasp to slip from Aloy's lips before she turned to see him, his chiseled face, stoic yet un-aged since she last saw him, right there before her. It took a moment, some blinking and a gentle nudge to her back from Marad to get her to come out of her stare at him, her cheeks now a flaming red like her hair.
"Uh-uh Hey there Avad." She was quickly cut off by Kimiria, whose furrowed brow instantly told the trio of them that she didn't like Aloy for one reason or another.
"His rightful name is Sun-King Avad, you will do so to remember that." Her voice was light, airy and sweet, despite the venom and toxicity in her words towards Aloy. It also seemed while strange to her and Blameless Marad, Avad was almost in a haze, zoned out and said nothing to correct her tone. Aloy raised a brow at the woman, giving her a look over – obviously Carja noble, no scars, marks or even toughness to any of her skin, her hands looking like she's touched nothing other than perfection since birth. She had very, very long, sleek black hair done up in one large braid from the crown of her head down to the back of her knees and, judging by the markings added to her face, she was from quite the high status family here in Meridian.
Her outfit, a skin hugging color just a few shades darker than her own skin, giving off the illusion she wasn't as tan as the rest of her tribe, but looking paler like Aloy. A few blinks later, the Scrappersap had kicked in and Aloy's brow furrowed, Blameless Marad quickly placing hands on Aloy's shoulders to try and calm her.
"Now now, that is no way to speak to Aloy. She had done noth-"
"I know what she has done, Marad." Kimiria quickly cut him off as well, her arm wrapping around Avad's and, finally, he came too a bit, her opposite hand lifting to place itself on the arm she just gave him. No words yet from him, though. Aloy's temper flared while it was clear Blameless Marad was at a loss for words, not understanding how Kimiria, who was sweet, kind and gentle towards Avad and those of his nearest 'friends', became suddenly hostile towards them once Aloy was there.
""It seems all I have done is save your sorry behind from slaughter. Sorry about that." Aloy's words were quick, and the dagger look Kimiria returned was just as quick. Aloy was already on edge – Avad hadn't recognized her, hadn't even said hello – and this.. woman was already pressing what few, tiny buttons Aloy had; heck, she didn't even know she had those buttons but it seems Kimiria did.
"I will not have such ill words spoken to me while in this Palace. Guards!" They came running, obviously not having heard a word of what happened, but confused at the sight of Blameless Marad hold Aloy back while Avad said nothing, and Kimiria put on a puppy-dog face of 'hurt'.
"Aloy is being disruptive and insulting, insinuating the Sun-King is not the highest of ranks, and honors, in our fair city. Take her from here and see to it she's not allowed back in." Obviously not at all used to her rude behavior, or to Aloy's anger, the guards weren't sure what to do – they knew they couldn't force Aloy from there, she would win. Plus, Kimiria was of noble blood, yes, but not the Sun-King's wife, therefore they didn't really have to listen to her. One guard opened his mouth to remind her of her place when suddenly Avad sprung to life, her soft, handsome face quickly shriveling into one of anger.
"You heard her. REMOVE HER!" Pointing and accusatory finger at Aloy, both Aloy and Marad gasped, Marad gently tugging on Aloy as he, too, was confused at what was going on, and at how the pair were acting. Gently whispering words into Aloy's ear, Marad talked her into just leaving, but not before Aloy got one last, good look at the hallow shell of the man she once knew – the man that stirred such strong feelings in her chest and gut, the man she traveled three long, hard days to see.
Tears welling in her eyes, she jerked her arms from the guards grasps, causing them to jump, and stomped her way from the Palace – she knew were she was to go, and it was apparently a place Kimiria never let Avad hear.
The Sun Ring.
I hope you've enjoyed my first chapter, I will do my best to add to, and update it at daily, if not every other day. This is my first time writing a fanfic, and it's on a topic I'm not super familiar with, but I hope I can do the characters justice. Please, leave me any thoughts you have in the comments, I'd love to read them!