Chapter 1

Yay new story from yours truly. I really need to stop coming up with new ones but can't really help myself. Now adays it's like I have an idea I have to put it to writing. If I don't, I can't get it out of my head. Which sucks because this makes like six stories I have posted and none I have finished. But enough bitching I hope you guys like this story as I love the game Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Zero Dawn. Don't know how I would keep the story going or were to take it but like anything everything has to start with the first chapter and depending on how many people like it I will keep working on it for a time.

And like always leave a review if you love it hate it or whatever. Have a good day or night everyone.

-700BC Essos-

It was a grand day, a wonderful day, a day of celebration for the Valyrian Freehold as they had finally laid low their hated enemy the Rhoynar. And yet as General Vaevar Laernareon watched on form a top a hill at the droves of slaves marching towards Valyrain, he felt no joy. He didn't know why seeing as it made no sense for him to feel no joy on this glory's day. After all he was the man who led the grand army of the Valyrian Freehold to victory upon his dragon Qidurin. His name would forever be known to history as vanquisher of Rhoynar and a Dragon Lord among Dragon Lords. For centuries his name would be sung all around the Free Hold, but in the pit of his stomach something felt off. He couldn't explain it, but it was there. A dreadful, almost painful feeling deep in his being that was telling him something was wrong.

Perhaps it had something to do with this? He thought to himself as he held up a round metal object in his hand that Prince Garin had on him before he ran him though with his sword. He didn't know what it was but where once it glowed a bright blue color it now glowed a bright blood red. An ominous color to be sure and one that made his blood run cold for a time. As while he was not well versed in the use of magic as some other Dragon Lords he know blood red was only seen during the darkest of his peoples blood magic. Yet nothing had come to pass of the change in color in the spiral. So, for a short time he was about to brush off his worry. That was till he tried to have the object melted down by his dragon to make a medallion out of. As it was such a unique metal, he thought at the time it wouldn't have been a bad idea.

The metal at first glance looked a lot like his people's Valyrian steel but at the same time very different as proven when Qidurin was unable to melt it. Under the intense heat that even the most pureblooded of his kind would find uncomfortable Qidurin's fire did nothing. Not even leaving so much as a burn mark upon its surface. Something he didn't think was possible as never had dragon fire failed to burn whatever it touched. Yet here it was an object that couldn't be melted by dragon fire and glowed a deep blood red. Upon seeing this he felt worries came back in full force and he had not been able to shake them off since.

"Father?" He hears the young voice of his only son Gahaemyx call out to him.

Looking over at his son he thought could a father be any prouder than he was of his son. Gahaemyx was everything a father could wish for in a son and more. Handsome, strong, intelligent with a keen mind and his mother's eyes. His boy had been the apple of his eyes from the moment he was born and had never once let him down. Having accomplished more in his 21 namedays then most do in a lifetime. So, any could see why he was proud. As he had a right to be, not that he would ever tell his sometimes overly confidence son that.

"What is it Gahaemyx." He asks his son with a stone-cold face that wasn't born out of any malice towards his son but the one he always wore. Especially when out on campaign.

"The high lords have gathered and wish to celebrate with you on this grand victory before we return home." His son answers him with a smile on his face. As his father had always been one to put duty before pleasure they had to see to the new slaves before there could be any celebration. But now that that was taken care of the other high lords wished to celebrate before all the political nonsense start.

Looking at his son he turns back to watching the columns of slaves' march on Vaevar and says, "I will join you all later."

It was a short cold answer he had gotten from his father but being his son Gahaemyx to easily read him. So knew something was wrong. "What is wrong father? Why do I sense you are feeling melancholy?"

Not turning back to look at his son Vaevar just keeps watching the slaves for a while till he says, "I don't know my son. Something just feels wrong. I cannot explain it but my warrior's instinct is telling me something is coming. Something powerful."

Hearing his father say this Gahaemyx worried look turns to one of complete seriousness. While his father was no seer it was often said that he had the ability to predict when he and his was in danger. An ability that had led him to many great victories in the past. So Gahaemyx would be a fool to discard whatever it was that his father was feeling.

Walking up to stand next to his father, Gahaemyx spots the metal object his father's had taken from the now Prince Garin. The very one that no dragon or dragons was able to melt down. "Does this object have something to do with how you are feeling father?"

Remaining silent for a time, Vaevar thinks over his words carefully. Wondering what to tell his son till he settles on the truth. "Yes, but I am unsure why."

"May I see it father?" Gahaemyx asks and doesn't have to wait long for his father to hand it to him.

When it is in his hand Gahaemyx lefts it up and looks closely at it. Truthfully, he didn't understand why his father was so worried. While yes, the object was unusual, he didn't see anything particularly mystic about it. And he would know if something was or was not as his mother well known and respected user of magic. Even if she was no Dragon Lord her abilities could not be questioned. Yes, there was strange shifting of lights from blueto red but no nothing had come of it. So really there was no reason to worry in his mind.

Turning it around in his hand Gahaemyx comes to a sudden stop as he spots some writing. "Father there is some type of writing on the object."

"I know but I don't know the language. It's not ours, or the Rhoynar." He says to his son who just looks at it closer.

"No but I think I know it." Gahaemyx says back but with a unsure tone of voice.

Looking at his son with a serious look in his eye Vaevar ask, "You do?"

Hearing his father speak to him like that Gahaemyx looks at him then back at the round object and says, "I think so. Remember when mother would take me to go study with her in our house's library. Well, she did more than teach me about magic. She also taught me a number of different languages. This one I think is from a language that predates the Old Empire of Ghis but shares some similarities."

"Can you read it?" His father asks and Gahaemyx looks back at him.

Shaking his head Gahaemyx just says, "Sorry father but I can only make out a few letters. Like this one is a H, this one is the letter A I believe. This one I am not sure, but I think it's a D and the last two I am pretty sure are E and S."

"Hades." Vaevar says slowly out loud. "Does it mean anything to you son."

"Sorry father no. I was young and didn't care to learn dead languages unlike mother. Perhaps when we return home, she can tell us what it says." He says to his father and like a trigger I huge guest of wind blows pass them. So strong was the wind that for a moment father and son had to brace themselves so as to not fall over.

"What was that? One of our men riding his dragon to close to the ground?" Gahaemyx asks and looks up at the sky to see nothing.

"I don't think so." Is all Vaevar says as unlike his son he just looks straight ahead where dark clouds where forming. Then he feels the ground start to tremble under his feet like an earthquake was happening.

Feeling his adrenaline start to pump and his heart in his chest beat faster Vaevar turns to his son and orders him, "Ready the men and get our Dragon Riders in the sky now!"

Hearing this father's order while at the same time feeling the ground tremble Gahaemyx doesn't need to be told twice. And quickly runs off to obey his father at the exact moment a loud thunderclap is heard. Which is followed by an ear-piercing screech that they had never heard before. It is so loud and ear piercing that if they had not been used to the roars of dragons they would have been brought to their keens.

Looking toward where the sound came from Vaevar sees a wall of flying creatures in the shapes of birds headed right for them. The biggest of which is easily the size of a dragon. Before he can get his wits back Vaevar sees beams of light coming from the huge birds of metal then chaos. Whatever those beams of light were made of they cut right through columns of slaves and lights them on fire. While the small metal birds dive down to attack anything that is left over indiscriminately. His men, the slaves, no one was being spared from the attack of these metal beasts.

Things, however, only get worse from there as over the hills Vaevar spots the glare of metal coming over the hills and descend towards them. Creatures that resemble deer, horses, bears and other animals he had never seen before crash into what slaves are still alive. Slaughtering them with easy before turning to his men who while putting up a valiant fight even while they were completely disorganized and not ready for battle.

Hearing the roar of dragons above him he looks up and spots his fellow Dragon Lords attack the metal birds. Waves of dragon fire and beams of light clash in the air. But even he can see that they were vastly outnumbered. The 300 dragons they brought with them quicky start to succumb to the sheer numbers of those metal birds. Looking over towards his own dragon that is breathing fire at any and every metal creature that comes near him Vaevar has precious little time to think as his fellow Dragon Lords were picked out of the sky and his army was slaughtered.

His mind could not understand what was happening. How was it that just moments ago his men went from celebrating their great victory to dying in droves. Where did these things come from? Why was this happing? He asks himself but quickly shakes off such thoughts and rushes towards his own dragon. Climbing into the saddle on his dragon's back Vaevar tells himself such questions don't matter right now. Now was the time to fight. To fight and try to live past to day. That was all that mattered at this moment. Then takes off to join his fellow Dragon Lords in battle against impossible odds.

-Elsewhere-

Vaevar and his army were not the only ones under attack by these creatures of metal however. Everywhere around the world, ever bastion of human civilization was under attack in some way by these metal beasts. From Essos to Westeros and even Sothoryos, every being that was considered sentient was under attack. Even those who thought themselves mankind's greatest enemy The Others quickly found themselves under attack. And like their hated enemy they fought.

They fought with all the rage and hatred their beings could muster but it mattered little. As even with their cold ice magic they could not turn the tide. As these creatures of metal could not be brought back to serve them. For they were of not the living and with each metal beast they fell five would take their place. With fire, brimstone, and what seemed at time like molten lava the Others fell. Till at last the Night King himself found himself on his back heavily injured by the beasts. Looking up one last time with all the hatred he could muster he looks at the fire bear above him till its great paw comes down heavily on top his head. Crushing it with ease and shattering him into a million pieces. Such is the end of mankind's so-called great enemy.

The Night King, however, wasn't the only one to fall in the coming months. As they fell so too does the Wall though the Night's Watch that was still 10s of thousands of men strong give a wonderful fight. For months on end, the great Wall of ice held strong in front of the metal beasts. Due in part to the magic laid in it but mostly due to the bravery of its men. Who in the face of overwhelming odds held strong and did not abandon their duty. Yet like the cliff sides on a beach slowly the constant attacks upon its base eroded the Wall till it toppled. The brave men of the Wall will never know that do to their and ironically enough the Others brave fighting the man in the North would survive to see another dawn.

So, too would the rest of Westeros as the great Kings of the land would fight face their own battles against the metal beasts but in far less numbers than others. So where able to hold back the tide for a time. Yet for many it was also in vain as the great Houses of the Riverlands with few natural defenses fall and the Iron Born in their great ships were sunk off their coasts. The lions in the west led by their King fare better but many of their great mines were lost. Both by the machine's and their own doing as to buy time. Time for want none knew but they held the line.

The Reach had suffered nearly as badly as the Riverlands. Its fields burned and people died by the thousands. What was once a land of golden fields of wheat as far as the eye could see was now either a sea of flames or pitch-black desert of what once was. In front of the blazing inferno sat the once great Castle of Highgarden, blacked by the fire that was started by the metal beasts. And on top of a hill looking down at what was once his home the current King Gardener wept at its loss but could do nothing to stop it. He, no his family, had to live though this seemingly hopeless situation. To one day rebuild and become strong once more.

In the Vale, House Arryn had taken a different approach to dealing with the metal beasts then others and like the people of Dome who too were under attack called on his banner men to abandon their keeps. To flee towards the hills and mountains of the Vale to hide and live to fight another day. And while yes there was little honor in fleeing there was no honor in a pointless death. Which they were sure would have followed them if they had not fled the fight.

Last were the Stormlands who unlike everyone else took to the fields to fight and triumph over the machines. If only for a time, however as while they were able to beat back wave after wave of these things with their swords, axes and hammer they had no clue that they had only been fighting the smallest of them. As once the bigger metal beasts took to the field they quickly found their castle forged steel next to useless against the hard armored skin of the beasts. Yet fortune would smile on the day their grand army was laid low. As the worst storm in their known history would hit that very day with enough force to stall the machines long enough for hope to come.

-Deep in the Mountains of the North-

…

(System reboot in progress)

….

(Reboot complete. Project Zero Dawn active. GAIA online t-minus 20 seconds.)

…..

(Gaia now online.)

Coming back to consciousness after lying dormant for well over 8,000 years, Gaia quickly sets to work to find out why she was turned back on after all this time. Last time she was online was right before the first of mankind took its steps out onto this new world. That was some 10.9 lightyears away from Earth. From there she along with her friends she had preceded to make the planet livable for humans. Without damaging it for the current species that inhabited it. They had been successful overall though some genetic tampering was necessary to accomplish this.

So, the question was why was she back online now after being asleep for so long. If things had gone according to plan, she would have stayed asleep till human's had advanced far enough to drill down deep enough towards the core of the planet to find her. And either shut her off permanently or bring her back online for a new purpose. Yet that had not happened as no one was in the main chamber that housed her core processor.

Looking over the dated that was coming in from the relay towers that were hidden top side it took little time for Gaia to realize why she was activated.

"Oh, dear that is not good." She says to herself and in a nanosecond makes a decision on what to do next.

(Activate Project ELEUTHIA-10, Subjects Aloy)

….

(Subjects, Aloy now online)

She had been dreaming. It was the only way to describe what she had been experiencing within Gaia's main processor system. As her physical body had long since turned to dust but with her work still not complete, she had succeeded in what Far Zenith had failed to do. Download her mind into Gaia to continue that work and hopefully save humanity. She had succeeded but at a cost. That cost being not able to join her friends in death. Instead, being imprisoned with in a dream of past memories of better days before Nemesis attacked.

Dreams of hopes and of a better future that didn't come to pass no matter how hard Aloy and her allies had fought. And in end having to abandon the Earth and her people while at the same time destroying it along with Nemesis. Reducing it to little more than a black lifeless husk that there was no hope of saving even with Gaia's terraforming technology. It was a sad day of realization when it became clear that victory could not be achieve. At least not in the way she and her friends had hoped. But it was as her sister Beta had said to her where there was life there was hope. All humanity had to do was live and victory would be achieved. So, she along with a hand full of people took Gaia along with a few people on a newly built spaceship away from Earth while leaving Nemesis a horrible surprise that even it couldn't account for.

From there they traveled to a new world where life was possible and built again. Not that all had gone to plan but enough did. So that when the first children of mankind left their pods they had survived and flourished. But as she said not everything had gone to plan as Apollo the AI subordinate function of Gaia had refused to give mankind the knowledge left over by those who came before. Having grown fully self-aware it had judged that mankind could never progress if it was given all the answers and had to be left to grow on its own away from their interference. Something she was forced to agree with least he delete his databanks if she had attempted to force the issue.

After that she had gone to sleep inside of Gaia's mainframe, which she had become a part of long before mankind took its first steps out into this new world. Only to be awoken if something went horribly wrong. Which it clearly did seeing as she was feeling herself come back to life so to speak.

"Gaia are you there?" Aloy calls out within the mainframe.

"Yes, Aloy I am here and good morning." Gaia says to her old friend kindly.

"I would say I am happy to be back but seeing as I was not to be awaken least something had gone wrong, I will take it you don't have good news for me?" Aloy says feeling tired though that was impossible as she no long had a body to feel tired in.

"You would sadly be correct Aloy. It seems someone had activated Hades." Gaia says calmly though she was far from calm as having grown fully self-aware like the rest of the AI's she understood and felt emotions like any human would.

"Hades? What? How?" Aloy says still feeling more than a bit angry at hearing that name.

"I am not sure how exactly, but I suspect it was not on purpose as the signal for his activation code is coming from far in the east." Gaia answers.

Feeling a cold rage come over her Aloy says, "Damn it I told Beta and Sylens that we shouldn't have rebuilt him."

"Calm yourself Aloy. You know as well as I that rebuilding Hades was a necessary evil in order to give me the processing power to delete Nemesis permanently." Gaia says in a chastising tone. The same tone a mother would use on a misbehaving child.

Taking several deep breaths that she didn't really have Aloy does as Gaia says and calms herself. Then says, "Okay I am sorry Gaia. Tell me what you need."

Smiling at her friend Gaia says, "Apology accepted Aloy. What I need you to do is simply give me the master code to send to Hades to order him to stop."

"Well that even work with Hades?" Aloy asks, knowing that once Hades gained full awareness, he made it pretty clear he didn't think very highly of humanity. Part of that came from his early experiences with them but the rest was from their history. He wasn't at the destroy all human's level like he had been when he was hacked but wouldn't care if the order came to exterminate them. And most likely wouldn't stop willingly.

"It should but from what data I am picking up Hades has taken the liberty of changing much of the coding that runs the extinction protocol. There is a chance that even after we give him the order there will be no stopping what has already begun." Gaia says.

"Well, isn't that great news." Aloy says then sends the master code to Gaia to order Hades to stop.

It takes less than a nanosecond for Hades to get the order and respond back. Needless to say, what he has to say is not to either Gaia's or Aloy's liking. When Gaia said he took liberties with the coding she was putting it mildly. As he had changed the extinction protocol to be entirely self-sufficient. So, in case he was ever shut down again by an outside force it would only partially stop working. To fully stop it Aloy would have to go out and reset the main cauldrons one by one to clear the system. Then hunt down each machine that carried the extinction code to fully stop it.

"Gaia how long before I can be ready to leave." Aloy asks.

"Sadly, Aloy it will take some time before a new body is ready for you to inhabit?" Gaia answers.

"How long are we talking. A few years?" Aloy asks not likely Gaia's answer and has a bad feeling about the time span.

"About 900 years Aloy." Gaia asks.

"What, why? How can it take that long. Before my original body died, I was sure the birthing pods were fully functional." Aloy says to her. Not understanding why, it would take close to a millennium to be reborn.

"They are Aloy but running a quick scenario I have estimated that even with the extinction protocol now being rescinded I wasn't informed of for over 6 months. More than enough time for the machines created by Hephaestus to do enough damage to render the environment of the world unstable. If I do not fix this now humanity along with all life on the planet will go extinct within a decade. Long before you would be old enough to be of any help to humanity even with the accelerated growth process that the new birthing pods have." Gaia says.

"Great and because we destroyed all the Spires so no one could undo the climate changes we bought to the world there is no way to fix the problem within a shorter time frame." Aloy finishes understanding the problem now.

In their bid to safeguard Gaia and the other AIs as well as the terraforming technology from being used against humanity again. Aloy along with her allies had erased all presences of said technology from the surface world and buried all existing cauldrons and machines deep underground. A clearly short sited plan as now that something had gone wrong, they couldn't fix it right away.

"That is correct Aloy. If I am to keep life from ending it will take all of my processing power for the next 800 years to rebuild many of the systems were destroyed. Humanity will just have to learn to live with the machine till then. Like the tribes of Earth did before the end." Gaia says not uncaring but simply stating a fact.

"If they can survive Gaia. Unlike then the machines didn't aggressively attack human civilization. I do not like their chances of surviving for long." Aloy says.

"Neither do I Aloy but we have little choice but to hope they hold out unless you wish to start over again and allow humanity to die off again." Gaia says.

Letting out a sigh Aloy says, "You know I can't do that Gaia… Just wake me as soon as things are more stable. Hopefully humanity can survive for that long."

"Will Aloy sleep well." Gaia answers her and gets to work.

-One year later-

Sitting on top of one of the high walls surrounding the city of Valyria, Dragon Lord Vaevar Laernareon looked out over what was once the greatest empire the world had ever known. Now little more than a burnt dried out husk of what once was. It was morbidly ironic that where once his people had celebrated doing that exact same thing to their enemies was now happening to his people. It was pathetic to be honest. They should have known better. They were not the kings and queens of the sky. Non-Gods given flesh like some of his people once believed. They were men, simple men and women who flow to close to the sun and paid the price for their own arrogance.

Worse from what he was able to find out from their Glass Candles, they were not the only ones to pay for their crimes. No, they…. he had dragged the whole world down with them. No where's in the known world was man being spared as city after city kept falling to these mental monsters. And while some of their brethren had held out for as long as they could, the last of the Glass Candles had gone out some time ago. But even that wasn't the worst of it. No what was worst of all for him was that his son, his little boy Gahaemyx had died over just outside of Rhoynar. He didn't even know how his son had fallen as he was too busy fighting for his own life at the time. Trying to pull a victory from an unwinnable situation.

A victory they had pulled off somehow but at the cost of a third of their men and nearly all of their dragons. With only his own Qidurin and two from the minor House Targaryen surviving the battle. After that they had retreated to the closest fortress to hopefully recover but didn't get the chance as the next wave of those metal monsters showed up. From there it was only retreat, retreat, occasionally battle against those monsters then retreat some more. He was so busy trying to survive and save their empire that he didn't even get the chance to mourn his son. That was till now here at the end.

There was no hope for tomorrow now. With their last defenses now breached and their dragons weakened from overusing their fire it was only a matter of time before their black walls fell. Then they would all die and so would the time of the dragons.

Looking down at lock of hair he took from his son's head when he was just a baby in his wife's arms he thought. At least I will soon be with you again, my son.

Hearing foots steps approaching him as he continued to look at his son's lock of hair Vaevar hears a voice call out to him. "There you are General. I have been looking for you."

Looking up with a somewhat annoyed look on his face Vaevar spots Garaedor Targaryen the head of House Targaryen. A once proud and handsome man he had been with Vaevar since the fall of Rhoynar and the first attack by the monsters. Now however he was a shell of a man he once knew. His skin and face now marked and scared by the numerous battles against the metal beasts. And his body little more then a stick as sleepless nights and little food had done him little favors over this last year.

"What is it Garaedor?" Vaevar asks in a tired and defeated voice.

"Noting I just wanted to see if you wanted a drink?" Garaedor asks and holds up a bottle to him.

Taking the bottle from the man's hand Vaevar looks at it and gives a dry laugh at reading the name of one of the most expensive wines in the known world. "Griozeaux Vendemmia red 63 years old. Where did you find this?"

Looking at Vaevar with the same hopeless eyes Garaedor says, "I was saving it for the day my son would hatched and ride his own dragon."

"A glorious day that would have been for any father to see." Vaevar says to the man.

"Yes, it would have been." Garaedor says and stop to think for a moment of what could have been. Then shakes his head and continues, "But seeing as that day will never come, I thought now would a good time to break it out and drink it before there is no one left to do so."

Hearing that Vaevar says nothing but opens the bottle and takes a sniff of it then pours himself a glass and then Garaedor. Who takes a seat opposite of him and picks up the glass.

"The men believe we won't make it to nightfall." Garaedor says as he looks into his cup and the red liquid inside.

"They are probably right." Vaevar says back but then adds, "If you want to spend these last few hours with your family, I won't hold it against you Garaedor."

"And leave the men on their own? No, I couldn't do that." Garaedor says but then adds, "Besides I wouldn't know what to say to my children if I faced them now. You know my boy asked me yesterday when he would get to see the sun again. He has been down in the catacombs we built for so long now he can't remember what the sun looked like. I didn't know how to answer him."

Taking a deep sip of his wine Vaevar says, "At least you know where you son is right now. My son is still out there somewhere. His body to remain unburied without honor and forgotten to the elements."

Taking a sip of his own wine Garaedor remains silent for a time before saying, "We were fools, weren't we?"

Knowing what he means without him needing to explain Vaevar says, "Yes we were."

"All those battles, all those victories, we thought we were the lords of all creation. Gods given flesh and bone. How stupid." Garaedor says in a voice full of sorrow.

Giving the man a sad smile Vaevar says, "True but still it was glorious, wasn't it?"

Giving a humorless laugh Garaedor answers, "Yes….yes I guess it was."

As if they had timed it for that exact moment both men here the roars of the metal machines in the distance. But neither stand to do anything and just keep drinking from their cups. An inaction that is copied by more or less every man and women who were supposed to be defending the city walls. They just couldn't bring themselves to fight anymore as the beasts pounded on the walls.

A loud crash sounds out along with that of toppling stones from the wall. It was over and soon the screams of their people would fill the air as they died. And yet that never came to pass as both men wait for the screams that never come. In fact, they hear nothing, nothing at all.

"My lords, my lords," Cry out a man they both did not know but was dressed like one of their foot soldiers. The only type of armed men they had left.

Looking at the man who was calling them they see a face that is equal parts confused and relieved.

"What is it man?" Vaevar asks.

"Taking several deep breaths the man answers, "The beasts, they….they have stopped."

"What?" Both men ask in stunned wonder. Not being able to believe what the man was saying and ready to cut him down on the spot for saying such an absurd thing.

"The beasts stop attacking. I don't know why but the lights coming from them turned from red to blue and they just stopped." The man says again.

Again, they can't believe what the man is saying but looking into his eyes both Vaevar and Garaedor could tell he was not lying. So, both race to take a look for themselves and look out over the landscape. Both expecting to see anything but what the man said but finding he was correct. The mental beasts that have been the bane of their existence for over a year now and had destroyed their once mighty empire had stopped attacking.

Upon seeing this and realizing what was happening Garaedor falls to his knees and starts to pray to any and every God he can think of. Thanking them for this miracle and for giving them another day in the sun. Vaevar, however, was not as while he too was stunned, he had the presence of mind wonder both why this happened and what came next.