Rolling hills of dense forest fell away, and the Stormbird continued its flight with the two riders, one seemingly oblivious to the beauty of the world around, the other trying to enjoy that beauty while still holding a tinge of suspicion – not to mention holding on to metal feathers as if her life depended on it. Soaring low over a wooded hill, the view opened to a valley where trees were scarce; this land reminded Aloy of the open valleys near Sunfall, but greener, as it appeared that scrub brush and grasses covered the flat lands. They flew over what appeared to have been a road long ago, stretching left and right for as far as the eye could see; in one area, a small patch of man-made structures, broken and in decay like so many in her native land, silent reminders of a world long gone, lay next to the ruins of the road.
Occasionally she saw herds of familiar Machines, grazing or roaming the open world: Grazers, Ravagers, a couple of Sawtooths. For the most part, the Machines ignored the Stormbird as it passed high overhead; one or two stopped their normal operation to look upward towards them, but none seemed overly interested. They were too high to tell if there were small live animals – boars, foxes, raccoons, and the like – living here. She saw no signs of human life, either intelligent or insane.
After perhaps an hour's flight, the sun had risen enough in the sky ahead that Aloy could just make out a magnificent sight on the horizon: like an oasis in this relatively barren land, there were towers and spires rising high into the air, a small city clustered inside a solid wall that was perhaps twice or thrice her height. Moments later, as they soared over the outer edge of the fence, she could see that there were people living just outside the tall wall: small shanties, assembled from broken Machine parts and canvas; tents, some round and large and others small and shabby; groups of people, sitting in circles near the tents or in groups along a dusty road that encircled the wall.
The Stormbird stopped beating its wings and started a gliding descent, soaring past the wall and toward the center of the city.
"Who are all those people? Is that wall to keep them out, or to keep someone in?" she asked, now able to be heard over the rush of air around the Stormbird.
"Those people," Sara answered, not even turning her head toward Aloy, or looking down at the people below, "are the loyal servants of Her Holiness. They do her every bidding.
"Unfortunately, they are also unclean and cannot be allowed to set foot in the Royal Palace."
Aloy looked ahead at the city that now lay below them: streets and walkways meandered between small houses; people walked to and fro, many stopping to point up at them as they flew overhead. The city was built on a small hill, as the tallest tower in the center sat at the apex of the hill. The Stormbird was aiming for that tower, where it appeared it would land.
"And what about these people? Are they clean?" Aloy asked.
"Yes, they have all been blessed by the Holy Leader. They are the residents of our holy city. Some of them interact with the unclean, obtaining crops for food and directing the construction of monuments in honor of the Holy Leader."
Aloy was taken aback by what she saw and heard: it appeared that there were two classes of people in this land, the holy and the unclean. She wondered if "unclean" in this society somehow corresponded to "outcast" in the structure of the Nora Tribe: she was an outcast, raised by the outcast Rost, and she had grown up knowing what it was like to be considered less than an equal. If this Tribe operated the same way, Aloy knew already that she was not going to like it. And given her now-famous bullheadedness, anyone who knew Aloy knew that if there was something she didn't like, she would damn well do something to change it!
As they descended further, now at the same height as the top of the tower ahead, Aloy could see the dress style of the people below: simple tunics, no one with Machine parts or wearing any headgear, no one packing weapons of any discernible sort. But just ahead, in what she realized was a further shift, was an immense flat building; on its roof were numerous men and women, wearing more elaborate uniforms and all carrying rifles slung over one shoulder. They looked bored, she thought, as they stood and talked, sat casually, or appeared in some cases to be asleep. The building looked to be only about three stories high, so she wondered why there would be a need for armed guards. Something to find out!
The Stormbird spread its immense wings, twisted and turned Machine-part feathers, and reached its claws to land on a roost built on the top of the tower. The tower itself didn't seem overly wide – the Stormbird was much wider – and it felt as if the structure swayed as first Sara, then Aloy climbed from its back.
Sara walked to one edge of the tower and beckoned for Aloy to follow. "Here, this is the ladder to climb down. Careful now, hold on tightly!"
Sara started to climb down the ladder, and just as Aloy swung a leg over, the Stormbird began flapping its wings. Aloy wrapped her arms around the top rung of the ladder; the Stormbird flew away from the tower, heading further to the west, in the general direction of a distant mountain range.
"Told you!" Sara yelled up at Aloy. "We've lost people when it takes off like that. The Holy Leader had this landing perch built because the birds killed so many of her people when they took off from the rooftop below us. Now we sometimes lose people when they get blown off the ladder. That's the reason only I am allowed to summon the Stormbirds and Glinthawks to this place."
Stranger and stranger! Aloy thought. Definitely not a forgiving sort of working environment.
They completed the long climb down in silence. Aloy really wanted to ask some more simple questions, such as: why don't you just build a safer way to climb the tower? Or why don't you have the birds fly away after people get safely out of the way? But it seemed an inappropriate time to say anything, and she was pretty sure she already knew the answer: This is how the Holy Leader wants it.
When they reached the base of the tower and stood on the roof of the immense building, Aloy noticed something curious: none of the guards could be seen. Was it just their break time, were they standing out of sight, or was something more sinister going on here? She was inclined to think it was the latter – not that Aloy was paranoid, but her instincts in such matters served her well time and again, and in this case her instincts told her someone didn't want her to see what she'd already seen.
Aloy couldn't stand it anymore – she's not the type to hold things back, and Sara was the only person around, so…
"What's with the guards?" she asked. "Did they get called away?" She watched Sara's face closely to see if there was any reaction, and there was, immediately.
"Guards?" Sara looked around her and at Aloy, but seemed to be making an effort to avoid eye contact. "I don't know what you mean. This is a peaceful palace, there is no need for guards here."
"Then is there a hunting club near here? When we flew in, I saw probably two dozen people, all dressed the same, all carrying weapons – something called a rifle, as I understand – scattered all over the area. Now there's no one but us."
"Rifles?" Sara tried to look as if she didn't comprehend the word, but Aloy could tell she was lying. "Her Holiness does employ sentries – we have to watch out for bands of the insane who sometimes try to breach our walls – but I don't know anything about any rifles."
"Look," Aloy reached out and grasped Sara's forearm in a tight hand grip, "we need to start being honest with each other here. I came to meet someone who wants to meet me and I don't really enjoy conversing with liars. Now can you tell me what's going on, or do I need to take action?"
Aloy's grip tightened; Sara was quite thin, and Aloy could tell the girl was frail and did not have much muscle, so the squeeze was almost certainly hurting. Aloy was not about to do anything really violent to this poor girl: she seemed to be more a victim than a perpetrator of nefarious deeds. Sara was actually trembling under Aloy's hold.
Then the girl tightened up, pulled her arm out of Aloy's grasp, and she tried to regain her composure. "How dare you touch a Priestess! That is punishable by death! If I report your transgression to Her Holiness, she'll have you beheaded in a public ceremony!"
Aloy was not moved by this false act of bravado. "Okay, let's try again," she said. "Remember, I'm new here, I don't know your customs and laws."
"Well, you must learn," the girl said, but more softly.
"And you said if you report me, not when," Aloy pointed out, "so I'm guessing that you're going to forgive me?"
That had a definite effect on Sara: her muscles loosened, her shoulders dropped, and she looked once more like the young teen that she clearly was.
"You know," Sara said, whispering, "Her Holiness almost certainly knows what you did. She knows everything, especially about you." Sara was staring at the Focus on Aloy's right temple.
Of course! Aloy thought. That was really stupid of me! She reached up and removed the Focus, gripping it tightly in a closed fist.
"Is it okay to talk now?" Aloy asked.
Sara nodded. "Her Holiness has one of those things, too. We all know it gives her Second Sight, but no one really knows how."
That confirmed what Aloy had suspected, and maybe even knew: the "Holy Leader" Sirte was able to tap into Aloy's Focus, just as Sylens had done, and that was likely how Sirte had learned of Aloy's existence in the first place. How much does she know about me? Aloy wondered. Has she seen everything, or only some things?
And most importantly, how is that done?
"We have to be quick," Sara whispered. "Her Holiness is expecting you in her chambers.
"There are many dangers in our land. Her Holiness has been able to tame most of the Machines, but she also wants to rule all the people. The unclean, they are from tribes we have conquered and moved here, to do her bidding. The insane that I described, living in the forests – for the most part, they are the Resistance: subjects who want to overthrow the rulers. I believe you met some of them – the trusted guards who were sent to fetch you. Sirte didn't know that they were members of the Resistance. But she probably knows now, and she will ask you about them. She knows about the Resistance, they know about you – and you are seen as another threat to the free tribes that live in this land."
"Well, they're wrong," Aloy answered. "First of all, one of those 'trusted guards' said something about Freedom Fighters, not a Resistance. I believe in freedom too, and I hate tyranny. I guess my encounter with Sirte is not going to go well…"
"No, no, you mustn't!" Sara cried. "You must go along with the wishes of Her Holiness! If she learns I've said any of this to you, she will have me put to death, and you too, and she will lead a purge of both the Freedom Fighters and the Resistance through all the land. If you wish to help them – us – you must not say anything about them!"
"Alright, I get it," Aloy answered.
"GET WHAT?" a booming male voice sounded from behind the tower. Around the tower strode an older man, in a flowing white toga, short sleeves exposing heavily tattooed, but decidedly flabby, arms laden with silver armbands. His face looked weathered; it was hard to tell his age, but Aloy suspected that he was younger than he looked. Thick black eyebrows almost hid his coal colored eyes. The man approached, looking suspiciously first at Aloy, then at Sara. "I ask again: get what?"
"Y-Your H-Holiness," stuttered Sara as she bowed her head. She motioned to Aloy. "My Lord, this is Queen Aloy the Anointed; Queen Aloy, this is His Holiness Mateer, the Land Priest, Holy Leader of all that walks the earth."
Aloy could see that Sara was shaken: they really didn't know how much this man had heard, and based on Sara's reaction it was clear that he was somehow her superior – and that he wasn't a part of the Resistance. So she decided to play along.
Aloy did her best ladylike curtsy – not something to which she took a liking – and addressed him according to custom. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Holiness."
She stopped and waited, keeping her gaze below his to avoid eye contact. "I will ask once more: what is it that you get? I heard you two speaking; your stinking metal flying Machine left here minutes ago, and I find you two talking. Her Holy Highness is waiting, and she must never be kept waiting. So are you going to answer me, or shall we bring up the subject with Her Holiness?"
"I was just commenting to Sara – um, to Her Holiness Sara the Sky Priestess – that it seemed odd that such a high tower was built here on the roof, and she explained why it was that way, and now I get it. That's all."
Aloy watched for a reaction. Nothing changed about the man's stance at first; she could only hope that her lie worked, and that he really didn't know anything more. After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, Mateer turned and started walking away. "Come along now, Her Holiness wants audience with you. Though I can't imagine why."
Sara glanced furtively at Aloy, then motioned for her to follow Mateer. As Aloy did so, she felt Sara tug at her sleeve. She glanced back, and Sara pointed first to Aloy's hand then to her own temple: Of course! I've got to wear the Focus or it'll really be suspicious! She opened her fist, replaced the Focus onto her temple, and continued to follow Mateer, Sara just steps behind her.
A narrow stairway led from the roof of the building to a shiny, glowing, golden entryway that ended in front of two very large doors. Aloy had the feeling that she was about to enter a world of opulence, of excess, of royal décor like none she'd ever seen – and she was right. Mateer opened one of the doors; a very tall, dark-haired and dark-skinned young man stood at the doorway, his white tunic perhaps a bit short for his stature. Behind him was an open chamber, also shimmering in golden hues, with two torches in the far corners providing a flickering illumination. The tall man stepped aside without even acknowledging their presence, and Mateer turned to allow the two women to enter the chamber ahead of him.
"Sara," Mateer said as she walked past him, "will you please get our guest a meal and see to the… preparations… before she meets the Holy Leader."
Things really weren't going well for Aloy: she was on edge just from what she'd seen as she arrived at this place, then Mateer looked as if he was hiding some huge secret, and the room they were in was much, much more than she had ever seen, or frankly, wanted to see. Aloy had been raised simply, by a kind but simple man, in a simple land, where opulence was unheard of, even by someone as important as Avad the Sun-King. This, though, was far beyond anything in Avad's royal estate, and she knew she hadn't even entered the main quarters yet.
Sara started toward a door on the far wall, stopped and motioned to Aloy. "Follow me," she said, as she turned again and continued toward the door, not even looking to see if Aloy was behind her. But she was.
Sara opened the door, allowed Aloy to step through, closed the door, and gave Aloy a sly smile, as if she'd just gotten away with something. She probably had: Mateer was clearly suspicious of the bit of conversation he'd overheard, and Aloy could tell that Mateer did not share Sara's interest in the Resistance (whatever that is).
They were in a wide and tall hallway, not as golden as the previous anteroom but still very shimmery; closed doors lined both sides of the hallway as Sara led her to a sharp turn in the hall and to a door just beyond. Sara opened the door and swept her hand toward the room beyond. "Your Highness," she said as she bowed slightly, "this will be your quarters for now. I'm sure the Holy Leader has more grand plans for you, but you may use this to store your personal belongings and dine, bathe, and dress in preparation for your meeting with the Pharaoh."
Aloy looked about the room: again, no windows, but this room was considerably larger than the anteroom – much larger even than the home she had occupied as she grew up. On one side was a large bed, large enough, she thought, to serve a small army. On the other, a table with one chair, and on the table assorted meats, fruits, vegetables (some of which she did not recognize), tankards of some sort of drinks, a large golden plate and one serving set. Once more, torches blazed in the corners, tossing a glow over the golden walls and a light waft of smoke toward the high ceilings – also golden in color, though not as bright or shimmering. Though she had yet to see a window, or any outlet to the outside world, Aloy knew there had to be some source of fresh air, or the torches would have exhausted all breathable air in the room.
"Once you have eaten," Sara explained, "your bath will be drawn. You will find it waiting for you through that door – " she motioned to a door further down the room, beyond the dining table " – then you will be dressed and you will meet the Holy Leader."
"I 'will be dressed?'" Aloy replied. "I've been dressing myself for many years, I don't think I need to be dressed."
"Yes, of course," Sara sounded a bit patronizing, "but you have never dressed to be received by a Holy Leader such as the Pharaoh Sirte. You must be properly dressed. Your attendants will see to that."
"Attendants?" Aloy seemed shocked. "I can dress myself and I certainly don't need attendants!"
Sara ignored her, clapped her hands twice, and the far door opened. Two young women, one light-haired like Sara and the other with darker hair, entered the room. They wore simple white tunics, almost identical to that worn by the servant they'd encountered earlier, but because of their slight frames, the tunics seemed to fit them better. They stood just inside the door, hands clasped before them, heads tilted slightly downward, avoiding eye contact.
Sara continued without addressing the two women directly. "If you need anything, if the food is not to your liking, if you wish wine or something else to drink, anything you need, your maidens are here to serve. Simply clap your hands and they will be here immediately."
"Okay," Aloy cracked a wry smile as she said, sarcastically, "what do I do to get them to leave?"
Sara was not amused. "You must be fully prepared to meet the Holy Leader. Once you have eaten, you will be cleaned and dressed properly. Your maidens will assist you. Only then will you be allowed to approach Her Holiness."
Sara's brusque manner would normally have annoyed Aloy, but based on the candid conversation they'd had on the roof, she was confident that Sara was just following custom. Maybe failing to follow protocol will bring a negative consequence to Sara, Aloy thought, so I guess for now I'll go along with it.
And besides, I'm really hungry and that food smells really good!
Aloy removed the weapons from over her shoulder and placed them on the bed in front of her; at this, Sara took a step back, made the slightest of motion with her hand toward the attendants, turned, and silently exited the room, closing the door behind her. The two attendants also left the room through the far door. Aloy decided it was time to eat something.
The food had been delicious: fresh fruits, thinly sliced meats, vegetables, flagons of water and some sweet drink and several kinds of wine (she stuck to the water: she wanted to be completely alert when she finally met the Pharaoh), desserts of all sorts. The plates and utensils were of very finely polished silver.
Now to the next task: a bath and the meeting with the Holy Leader. She removed her Focus and placed it in a small drawer in a bedside nightstand. At least it won't be easy to find, she thought. She lay her Shield Weaver outfit on the bed next to her weapons and turned toward the door and the waiting bath.
When she entered the room adjacent to her new chambers, Aloy found the two servants waiting for her; they had been sitting but both leapt to their feet as she entered, still keeping their gaze at the floor. This room was not very large, but it was dominated by a round tub sunken into the floor. A clothing rack behind held what, she assumed, were her proper Pharaoh-meeting clothes.
She was at first self-conscious about undressing in the presence of these two strangers, but they seemed not to notice, and she found the warm water extremely soothing. It emitted a pleasant odor, like spring flowers, and the water seemed especially soft on her skin. The wounds to her back and leg caused her to wince as she entered the tub, but the pain passed quickly and she found herself relaxing in the warm water. She chose to submerge completely into the calming bath, using the water to rinse road dust from her hair.
As she began to step from the tub, one of the servants hurried to her side, extending a large white towel. "Thank you," Aloy said as she took the towel and draped it about her. The servant stepped back but did not answer; her eyes were still downward. Aloy was beginning to feel a bit worried about the two women. She decided to try casual conversation.
"You're awfully quiet," Aloy directed her comment to the servant nearest her, "don't you have anything to say?" The woman said nothing; no reaction at all. So she turned toward the other servant. "How about you? Are you mute as well?" Nothing.
She shrugged, finished drying off (my hair is going to be a mess after this! she thought) and reached for the simple Nora outfit she always wore under her Shield Weaver armor. At once, both women stepped toward her; the nearest motioned for her to leave her dirty clothes where they lay. The second walked around the tub to the clothes rack, took a white tunic off the rack, and brought it to Aloy. "Yes, well, I suspect it's not as … um… functional … as my Nora clothing, but it does seem to be the standard wardrobe around here. Do you find yours comfortable? How do you ever run or fight in such garb?" No reaction from either woman.
"You do know that conversation is a good way to get to know someone," Aloy said, but under her breath. She pulled the tunic around her; it had no apparent method to close, but as she was trying to figure out how to wear it, the first servant stepped forward with a wide golden belt. The belt seemed to be made for Aloy, as it clasped firmly about her waist and held the tunic in place. The second servant approached with golden metal bands that she attempted to place over Aloy's head and around her neck. "Wait a minute," Aloy held up her arm to stop the woman. "Those things will get in the way of my armor!"
The woman ignored her, once again extending her arms to place the bands over Aloy's head. Aloy sighed, pulled her hair out of the way, and allowed the servant to place the bands. The first servant placed a pair of golden thonged slippers at Aloy's feet. Aloy stepped into them and looked around her. "Is that it? Are we ready now? And are you ever going to say anything?"
A servant opened the door back into Aloy's new quarters; she dutifully entered, followed by both of the women. She glanced at the bed and was shocked to see what was not there: her armor outfit.
"Where are my clothes?" Aloy demanded as she scoured about the room to see if they were just moved. No luck: the Shield Weaver armor was gone. "What did they do with my armor?"
The servants looked nervous but still did not speak. They were showing fear, perhaps afraid of what this strange savage might do. Aloy ignored them and headed for the closed door towards the hallway; she reached for the golden knob on the door just as it swung open towards her. She had to take a step backward to avoid getting hit by the swinging door.
It was Sara, and hung over one arm was Aloy's Shield Weaver armor. Sara seemed concerned as she quickly entered the room, swept her free hand towards Aloy, and approached the bed where Aloy's weapons lay. "Here it is, you don't have to be so loud!" Sara said as she placed the armor on the bed.
"This thing was filthy so I had it cleaned! When do you ever clean your clothing? "
Aloy felt both relieved and newly perturbed: why did Sara think it was alright to take my personal possession? In her best sarcastic voice, Aloy answered, "Oh, I don't know, it seems like I just don't have the time for laundry between stopping attacking Stalkers and avoiding murderous thieves. Maybe when I retire."
Sara looked at Aloy and her tone softened. "I'm sorry, Queen Aloy, forgive my rude manners. Of course you have more important matters to attend to, but I took this time to have our tailor both clean and attempt to mend your armor. It's still in good shape and it will be ready for you when you need it again."
"Attempt to mend? Is your tailor familiar with this material from the Old Ones? Was he … or is it she … able to make it better?"
"No, I'm afraid not, Your Highness. He's never seen anything quite like this – no one has – and he says he'd very much like to borrow it from you to study its construction. He seemed confident that he could recreate its material structure and fabricate more outfits like this."
"Maybe sometime, but for now I think I need to keep it close so it doesn't get lifted again."
Aloy began to unfold the armor outfit in preparation for donning it again. Sara put her hand out onto the armor. "No, Your Highness, you cannot wear this in the presence of the Holy Leader. You are dressed appropriately for her presence."
Aloy dropped the armor back onto the bed. "Alright, let's get the introductions over with. Just give me a minute to find a place to store this armor safely – "
"No need for that," Sara interjected. "I assure you, no one will touch this again without your permission. Your personal attendants will give their lives to guarantee its safety."
"These two?" Aloy waved toward the two silent servants, standing in a corner all this time. "They can't even talk! How do I know they understand you?"
"Why, they can talk very clearly," Sara answered, a look of mild surprise on her face. "They can talk, but they are forbidden from doing so in the presence of true royalty, such as you and me.
"Why not? I would've enjoyed some company while I was getting cleaned and dressed."
"They are beneath you, Your Highness. They are lowly maidservants, dedicated to attending to your every need as long as they do not have to step above their position in life. Speaking to you would be an insult punishable by beating, or even death."
"We need to fix that," Aloy glanced at the two women who seemed to show no reaction at all. "They are human, aren't they? They aren't beneath me. I prefer they attend to me because the want to, not because they fear a whip.
"You have many unappetizing customs in your land, Sara."
Sara looked unperturbed by Aloy's objections. "Mind you," she explained, "what the consequences are if the Holy Leader should see either of these beasts uttering even one word to you. They understand the power of the Focus."
With that, Aloy understood Sara's hidden message: the servants knew they could be seen at any time by the all-seeing Focus. Aloy simply needed to convince them that they were safe if she took the Focus off around them, that her Focus worked only when she wore it, and they could talk freely. She made a mental note to try that next time she was alone with them. Next time? she thought. I'm not sure I should stay any longer this time! This place is definitely not for me.
"It's time we met the Holy Leader," Sara said as she returned to the open door out of the chamber. "She's waiting for you."
Aloy followed Sara out into the long hallway; it led to a flight of stairs downward, to another hallway with closed doors and more torches burning. At the end of this hall were two large doors, a male servant in tunic standing by each door. As they approached, the servants opened the doors and the hall was awash with bright sunlight.
After so much time in dimly lit rooms, the bright natural light hurt Aloy's eyes, and she blinked as they adjusted. She was on a large porch or patio with a high ceiling, the entire far side open to the air. They were some distance above the ground; she could see the ground where she stood at the back of the patio. On either side, almost out of sight but still visible, stood two guards (male or female, she couldn't discern) looking outward, each holding a rifle that they seemed to be attempting to hide.
Mateer was there, to her left, along with another woman dressed much like Sara but clearly older; and a figure in a hooded gown, the hood pulled tightly over her head and hiding her face in darkness. This figure was slender, clearly female, with long, spindly fingers attached to bony arms protruding from the gown. Compared to the opulent gold and bright white of Sara, Mateer, and the second woman, this figure seemed downright dull: no shiny golden decorations were visible, save for two large rings on skinny thumbs. Aloy surmised that this must be another servant, and the brightly dressed woman, long dark hair flowing over her gown, must be Sirte, the Holy Leader, the Pharaoh of… whatever this land was called.
But Aloy was wrong. Mateer and the brightly dressed woman approached her. "Her Highness Aloy, Queen of the Savage Land, this is Arra, the Holy Priestess of all the Waters," Mateer said. Aloy, you might consider bowing before her."
Aloy accommodated with a slight bow, not lowering her eyes from the assemblage before her: if this is a Priestess, where is the Pharaoh?
The frail hooded figure slow strode among them; Mateer and Arra stepped back as the figure walked to Aloy and spoke, with a voice that seemed matronly, reminding her ever so faintly of a Matriarch of her home land of Nora: "I am Sirte, the Holiest of the Holy, the Pharaoh of the Western Lands."
Sirte made no attempt to bow or gesture in any way toward Aloy. This was not what she was expecting!
Regardless, for a young woman just reaching the end of her teenage years, Aloy had always shown great composure in any situation, and this certainly called for it. "Pleased to meet you, Your Highness," Aloy said, fighting the urge to bow: take Sirte's lead here.
"And I you, Queen Aloy," Sirte responded.
There were so many questions Aloy wanted to ask, but she knew to bide her time, at least for now: she was a guest in a strange land, but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she was also a prisoner.
"There are many things we must discuss," Sirte offered, and Aloy was relieved. "Mateer, Sara, Arra, leave us now. We will talk in private."
Mateer started to protest, but a wave of Sirte's arm and he stopped. Sara seemed unsurprised, and Arra disinterested, Aloy thought. The three gathered as a group and slowly walked to the back doors, where the servants opened the doors, followed the three out, and closed them again.
"I know that you have many questions," Sirte began, "and I intend to answer as many as I may. But I first owe you an apology for the behavior of my priests. They have taken too much of a liking to the rewards of wealth, and I fear they have forgotten their places. Sometimes they serve themselves instead of me, and I am sorry that you may feel their distrust as a consequence."
"Well," Aloy answered, "Sara seems alright, a bit young maybe, but I get the feeling Mateer doesn't like me at all. And I just met Arra, so I don't know anything about her."
"Mateer is a fool. He thinks he will someday inherit my throne, but he is wrong, as you shall learn. Sara is indeed immature at times, but she follows my commands without question.
"For instance, once I realized you were in trouble in the Secret Path from your world to mine, Sara jumped at the opportunity to enact a rescue. She was prepared to lead the Stormbird into the tunnel to find you, and to defeat the infidels if necessary. By the time she left, I already knew you had succeeded in escaping their treasonous attempt on your life, and Sara's mission became one of transport rather than rescue."
So she knows about Levian and his thugs! Does she know about the Stalkers? What part does she play, if any? Time to find out!
"I was skeptical from the moment I first met your messenger, Levian: his story didn't seem to add up. Did you know there was a trap waiting for me?"
"Of course not! I did not trust Levian – I don't trust anyone, including you – but I did not think he was such an animal as to try to take your life. There are a handful of evil men such as Levian who want to tear my land asunder, to let loose the unclean and the diseased, to lead this world into anarchy – I have worked hard to eradicate this movement, but it seems the worm digs more deeply than I thought."
No mention of the Stalkers that gave my Focus such problems? Do I dare bring that up now? Maybe it's better to keep a few details hidden for the moment, especially to protect Sara. Time for a change of pace.
"How did you learn about me? Sara and Mateer seem to think I'm royalty, but I'm not."
"I have known of you for your entire life, Aloy." Sirte slowly strolled to the edge of the deck; Aloy was surprised to realize they were quite high above the surrounding grounds, and those grounds were bare dirt with a high wall beyond. No sign of any life anywhere below, and the high wall made it impossible to see the land immediately beyond. "You see, the range of the Focus is quite large, and as Sylens was spying on you, I was spying on him.
"I know that you are the heir to the wise Old One, Dr. Elisabet Sobeck – the seer who found a way to stop the Machines before they destroyed all life on the planet. Dr. Sobeck was a brilliant woman, and you have inherited her brilliance."
Aloy was taken aback by this but refused to show it. "I don't know how 'brilliant' I am," she answered, "but I am certainly honored to know that I was … um … built …to carry out the quest her work made possible."
"You must realize that you are a human, Aloy, like any other human. Perhaps you were not born of human mother and father, but the computer mother GAIA made certain that you are like everyone else.
"Except, of course, for your intelligence. In that, you are far ahead of all the ordinary people around you. In addition, you were raised and trained by a man who wanted very much for you to succeed in life, teaching you important survival skills, even as he fell a bit short in teaching human skills."
Aloy looked at the hooded figure next to her, trying to read any emotion behind this pronouncement. But the figure remained shrouded entirely, only hands and, occasionally, feet, showing from the robe. Did Sirte really mean to insult Rost? It was difficult for Aloy to protest, because basically, she was right: as an outcast from the Nora tribe, Rost did not have the opportunity to introduce Aloy to the social skills required for human interaction. But she had picked up many of the required skills on her own, and others – such as proper behavior when in the presence of royalty – didn't interest her anyway.
"When it comes to your insights, your powers of reasoning and deduction, you have no peers in this world," Sirte continued. "Indeed, you have only one superior in those skills: me."
Aloy turned to face the Pharaoh directly. Now she needed to get some reading on this woman's intentions, and there were no overt bodily features to give that reading. Aloy tried to peer into the shadowed open hood, looking for any signs of a human, but could see nothing. She had to pry to get more insight.
"Are you saying you're like me?" Aloy asked.
"Yes and no," Sirte replied. "I am like you in that I, too, am a product of the GAIA program, operating at an independent location here in the Western Lands. This location is known to only a handful; many have tried to penetrate it and learn its secrets, but all have died in trying, or in a horrible death after trying – except me.
"That place was the private residence of the Old One you know as Ted Faro."
Aloy grabbed a robed sleeve, noticing in passing that the arm under the sleeve was extremely thin and lacking of muscle tissue. As soon as she did so, the two armed guards – who until now had seemed totally disinterested in their musings – rushed forward and grabbed Aloy, pulling her away from Sirte. One guard pointed his rifle at Aloy's midsection.
"Stop! It's alright!" Sirte waved her hand at the guards. "Return to your stations! This Queen has not learned our laws yet, I will teach her!"
Slowly, without speaking, the two young men returned to their posts on opposite sides of the open patio, each glaring back at Aloy and scowling as he walked.
"Do not worry about them. They have one mission in life – to protect me. Their lives are meaningless otherwise."
Aloy returned to the main topic. "You are a creation of GAIA Prime?"
"Yes. You see, my dear, you are not alone in this world. Indeed, it is quite clear that in every way – but one – I am superior to you."
"And what's that one way?" Aloy asked.
"In due time, my dear, don't be in a rush. There is much you wish to learn, and much I wish to have you learn, but it will all become clear in due time.
"Before you met Levian, had you ever heard of a ruler called a 'Pharaoh'? No? I thought not. Pharaohs were holy leaders, gods actually, in ancient times before the Old Ones, long before. As I discovered my past, I saw my calling, and it is to be the embodiment of Ted Faro. That's why I assumed the title of Pharaoh: it sounds like his name – Faro. If I am to be the ruler of the world, I must have a title that fits the part.
"But now, I have a mission for you: you seek knowledge, and I want to share knowledge. I want you to visit the secret location of Ted Faro's final days on this planet. I want you to discover all that I discovered, and I want you to see if there is something more that perhaps I overlooked.
"I will have you escorted back to your quarters. Get a good night's rest, my dear, for tomorrow you will discover wonders beyond your imaging."
