His lungs felt tight, trapped. As if any wrong move would cause a knife to be wretched and twisted in his gut. A silly thought considering his enemies laid dead beneath his feet.

No, they weren't his true enemies. His real enemies awaited for him, a shadow behind a shadow. He lowered his bow as he watched- no stalked, his prey from leaving.

A flame being carried and spread throughout the lands. A destruction that lay awake for some. A force to be reckon with, he knew firsthand.

It was a fire that he would not mind being burned by. A fire that he would gladly throw himself in, and be engulfed in the flames.

A sense of irony flooded Nil as he dropped down to a Tenakth warrior. Patting his body and reaching into his pockets for necessities and continuing on to the next.

'I told you we'd meet again.'

No matter what roads each of them followed, there would always be a small intersection that they would have to cross.

Where both of them would come face to face with the other.

Crouching down on the last man, Nil squatted next to his head. Grabbing the deceased chin of the warrior and having him face him.

"At times like these, I feel more dead than you are."

"Aloy."

"Uthid."

"It is not every day I have the anointed one of the Nora slip into the chair in front of me while I have my afternoon tea."

Rolling her eyes at the title she laid out a decent amount of shards from the machines she encountered while fleeing back to Meridian.

"I would thank you for paying but I know there's going to be a catch."

"Spar with me Uthid."

At this the older gentleman merely raised an eyebrow, "A spar with the machine tamer, somehow I believe the odds are more against me than you."

Aloy could only purse her lips in frustration. "No weapons, just pure testament to physical skill."

Bringing the teacup to his lips, Uthid downed the last of tea like a shot. "Are you sure about that Aloy, I trained men during the red raids."

If he was speaking to anyone else about his past Uthid would keep it tight lipped, like a secret not meant to be shared.

But with Aloy, he felt a certain kind of freedom past any judgment.

"I have more experience in hand to hand combat, keep in mind it is pretty dirty."

With an unnerving grin of delight Aloy beamed at the former shadow Carja in front of her.

"That's exactly what I want, I'll meet you tomorrow at this time!"

Sliding off the table Aloy gave him a half heartedly salute. "I'll meet you at the training grounds."

Respectfully, she pushed through the crowds on the street. She had no doubt word had spread to Avad about the Tenakth.

She needed to dig up any information from him. A king or not, if he wanted her help than he should be willing to support her. She knew she had no authority over him, far from it. What she did have, was his lingering gazes and full attention. She was not oblivious to his affection towards her. She would bluntly be straightforward to him about it if she did not have a certain compassion for the man.

She pondered to herself how she should approach him. The man who wanted her heart, the man who once confused her for his past lover.

It was only when she finally stood in front of him did she feel guilty of ever thinking she could use him. Sitting down in the chair that villagers would never have the

opportunity to in their lives.

"Did you find anything in that jungle that my spy had not?"

Her attention span closed in on him. She wondered if the paint near his eyes were permanent. If the headpiece he wore strapped to his back made him want to fall down. How he managed to conceal his sword in his loose fabric.

She wondered if he too kept a hidden blade somewhere under his silk.

"No, I did not."

In a graceful movement he leaned a leg over the other. His fingers itching to run through his hair in frustration of his own.

"Avad, I need you to let me in on the red raids."

She eyed his body stiffen, the muscles in his forearm flexing. She could just feel Rost's disappointment at her lack of communication.

She was naive when it came to the red raids that much was certain. A past that she could hear from stories. Stories from the perspectives of the grieving.

She felt no apology was needed. How selfish it may seem, it did not seem to faze her. It did not seem to faze the king either as his tone of voice changed to one who didn't seek an apology.

"A long brutal reign of my father that went on for years, would take more time to discuss than one afternoon."

Grabbing her chair she dragged it closer to him. "I want you to give me a list of the most powerful men on your fathers side."

"Aloy, most of those men are dead. You won't gain anything."

"Avad. I need that information."

"What importance does this have for the killings Aloy, if the red raids is for your personal interest than by all means I will give you that knowledge but-"

"Does it matter whether or not it is of my own interest Avad?"

She silenced him as she stood from her chair and in frustration tugged on a bead. "If I can get more entail on who your enemies are, who the enemies to carja soldiers are it could help me crack it."

"Most of those enemies were struck down from the battle that we had, from the battle that you firsthand took part in. I doubt any of those men on that list would strike after such a big loss on their supposed leaders."

For the first time Aloy looked like a lost puppy as she stood. "Why are you hiding it away from me, why are you not letting me help you."

Sensing his own frustration Avad stood up. Grateful that she did not pull away when he carefully held her forearm.

"The things these men did were horrid Aloy. They were faced with harsh punishment, none of them would have the need to kill their former comrades just in spite."

Being this close to him would have been treason to any witness. It was only by a miracle that they slipped from the guards peripheral.

She could see the crinkles in his paint. An answer to her earlier question. A sweet scent forged into him that she could not put a name to.

Her eyes lowered as she daringly invaded the personal space between them. A space too close for an acquaintance. He sucked in a breathe as her hand roamed his side.

It did not feel right. It felt too foreign for her, he felt the coldness from the wilds she was raised in. All in her palm, as she spread it lower. Pushing his robes to the side, in search for a glint of metal to show itself.

"Alo-"

"Tell me Avad."

The knew of the steps she was taking. Of the steps that she could no longer walk down from. She still had so many answers to seek. A curious one indeed Elizabeth has made her. She had questions far more than one can imagine. In this moment between her and the king, she wondered if he was a good fighter as he was a good man.

With a grip as firm as a snapmaws mouth, she wretched his sword free from its holster. She admired its craft as the light of high noon reflected off it. "Why mu st the King still keep his weapon stuck to his abdomen if he had no enemies left that targeted his head?"

She experimented with it, not used to wielding a weapon of its made. The king stood there, with a look of utter amazement. With no trace of fear in his heart from the savage girl from the east, who now before him swung his sword like a child.

"I do prefer peace over unnecessary violence."

Aloy looked down, to see herself through the length of the blade. She never had the pleasure of seeing herself through a mirror. Perhaps it was an everyday thing for the people in Meridian. For the nobles to doll themselves up before they went out for the day.

"It's tempting to see how you fight when violence is necessary."

Avad laughed at her statement. His hand going against the priests wishes as he slipped it under his headpiece and let his curls unravel. "Is that a threat I hear?"

Aloy smiled at the man. Who let his guard down so easily around her. Gently she handed the sword back towards him. His hand tracing the back of hers as he bowed graciously. The sound of him sheathing his sword was a sound so foreign to her.

She had no doubt that he killed his father. She had no doubt that he may have put some men on their death bed. Even from how innocent he looked towards her she knew he carried a dark burden on his shoulders. Heavier than the headpiece he wore strapped to his back.

Cautiously she raised her hand to his eye level. Pausing in time as they looked at each other. As they shared breaths, so close in proximity to one another. One could assume they were lovers, that his next move would be to grab her by the waist and meld their bodies as one.

A bold move on her part, as she curled her fingers and run them throw the mop of curls. It reminded her of how endless the jungle was, the sheer amount of curls that rained down his head was more than she could count.

It was a bliss feeling to him. A sensation that he wanted her to feel alongside him. She was so close to him that he too could trail his fingers among the thick hair she spotted on her head.

His fantasy came to a harsh conclusion as the jingles of metal erupted down the stairs. Like the touch of fire they parted. Nodding to him Aloy hurriedly escalated down the twisted stairs.

All the while moving closer to the men heading upwards. Her breathe sucked in her throat as she caught the eye of the man who shut her out days ago. So badly she wanted to crash into him and cause a diversion for Avad.

As they crossed paths she knew such an old trick wouldn't fly by the older man. Slowly coming to a stop on the bottom stairs she turned and wondered what topic they would be discussing.