The whoosh of air and zip of the rope as she rappelled down into the darkness brought her back to the present. She had thought Rost's lessons were over, but based on their conversation that afternoon, he still wanted to teach her something before the trial of the Proving. What he had in store she could not guess as she jogged through the forest, ducking to avoid low-hanging tree limbs and vines.
The campfire at their meeting place was already lit. Its glow was visible as she exited the tree line and moved across the meadow to the foothills of the mountains. Rost was there waiting for her, seated on a wooden bench next to the fire.
"How was your walk?"
"It was... peaceful, mostly." She thought of the insults she had endured from the Nora on the edge of Mother's Heart. "Enlightening," she added with a bit of sarcasm.
"I hope it prepared you for the task on hand this evening. You will find out what it is soon enough." He stood. "Are you ready?"
Aloy raised her chin slightly in an affectation of confidence, suppressing the swirl of emotions about her future. "Yes."
"Let's go," her mentor said, leaving the campfire and heading for the wooden gate of the Embrace nearby. Two Nora Braves stood guard; Rost and Aloy said nothing to them, but Rost gave each of them a brief nod. The guards strode forward and opened the tall gate with an air of relief and appreciation.
One of the guards then spoke as the two of them walked through. He was near Rost's age, with light brown hair, his lean face painted with a solid blue triangle inside the outline of another. He looked at the other guard as he spoke, but Aloy knew the words were for her and Rost. "It came again last night. Brought some scrapper friends with it. Wiped out the entire lodge." He shook his head sadly, eyes lowered. "The death toll now stands at twelve. Countless injuries. The destruction of many homes."
Aloy looked from the guard to Rost. He said nothing, but the look he gave her was full of duty and compassion. The melancholy creak of wood announced the closure of the gate behind them.
Outside the gate, Rost followed the path worn in the earth, the grass long pounded away by countless footfalls. They crested a short rise, and Aloy gasped at the sight before her. The path extended down the hill they stood on, with an impassable, high ridge to the left. Several huts were spaced on either side of the path at increments, but all were in shambles. The nearest one had been crushed on one side and blackened all over with ash, its thick wooden beams splintered and caved in. It must have caught fire.
"Why are the only ones out here tonight? Can't the braves handle this machine?" she asked.
"I didn't bring you out here to ask questions," he said gravely. He paused, deep in thought, then turned to face her directly. "You know that I would never ask you to do something dangerous without confidence that you would succeed, don't you?"
"Yes," she responded without hesitation.
Rost'd blue eyes glittered in the moonlight as his gaze conveyed his expectation. "Your task tonight is to bring down a sawtooth. Alone."
The first emotion to fill her face was surprise, which melted into a small smile. She felt strong and confident. Eager. In all her years of training and growth, she had only ever faced watchers, striders, grazers, and scrappers. Most of them were herd machines that would run on sight. Only the watchers and scrappers would turn and fight.
She had heard of the sawtooths from Rost, but had never seen one. Neither of them had ventured far from the Embrace, and larger machines like the sawtooth usually did not bother big settlements. On the rare occasion that the Nora got tangled up with the likes of a Sawtooth, they would run if possible, or work together to bring it down. If Rost knew she could handle one alone, then she must be one of the best hunters the Embrace had ever seen. "I'm ready," she told him.
"Come, then. Let's find the beast." Rost led the way, walking down the path toward the ruined huts at a slow pace, scanning to the left and the right, listening hard. Aloy followed, her senses on high alert.
They passed the first hut, then the second. There was no sight or sound of the machine. When they reached the end of the huts, Rost dropped into a crouch and led Aloy through the tall grass on one side of the path. They walked for some time like this until another hut came into view on a small hill. It, too, had been destroyed, but there was still no sign of any machines in the area at the moment.
They continued along, staying low and hidden in the tall grass to the left of the path they followed, the ridge to their left. Soon they came upon a large boulder to the right of the path; beyond that was a circular clearing. As they approached the boulder, the unmistakable sound of rhythmic pistons and heavy metallic footfalls reached their ears. Rost looked at Aloy, then motioned toward the boulder; she nodded in understanding. Together, they quickly crossed the wide-open space of the pathway, and crouched in the grass by the boulder to the right of the path. The clearing was easily visible from here.
Silence. The machine must be pausing on its patrol.
Aloy's heartbeat began to quicken with anticipation.
K-pssh, k-pssh, k-pssh. The sounds began again, getting further away with every step.
Movement to the right caught her eye. An enormous, cat-like machine was walking from right to left, surveying the area. It kept going until it reached the ridge, then paused, scanning the area with its blue lens eyes. It was indeed a sawtooth. The machine turned and began walking in a half-circle, still from right to left, then seemingly headed straight for Rost and Aloy.
She had a moment of panic, the feeling rising in her throat like an enormous fist. This thing was big. Far bigger than anything she had ever encountered. It was four to five times the size of a scrapper, and she was supposed to fight it alone? How?
It was a good thing Rost was crouching in front of her, so that she saw his hand coming when he reached out to grip her upper arm in solidarity, or else she would have died of fright from his touch. His brow was low, his eyes alight with something. Resolve? Expectation? A mix?
The sawtooth paused.
Aloy dared not breathe. Every instinct was telling her to run, but she stayed there, crouching next to Rost, her heart now frozen in her chest, as though to hide that sound from the machine, too.
Aloy could have tossed a rock and hit it. The beast was standing on the left side of the path, some twenty feet away from them, scanning. Blue light illuminated the tips of the tall grass, moving slowly. The chill of fear shot up Aloy's spine and branched out through her arms, bursting into goosebumps. Leg pistons fired as the sawtooth shifted to one side to perform another scan. She could hear parts inside turning and clicking as it focused its gaze.
The machine gave a low chuffing sound as though satisfied with its scans, and strode off to the right. Aloy took a deep breath as her heart came back to life, and refocused her thoughts. Sure, it's big and I've never faced one before, but Rost wouldn't ask me to do this if he knew that I couldn't. He said so himself.
Rost spoke to her when the sawtooth was out of hearing range. "Aloy - you can do this, but remember, I will not come to your aid. Use any weapon or method you choose. Watch and analyze as always, then plan your attack. Act with wisdom; strike with power." He leaned forward to deliver a Nora blessing. "May the earth be light beneath your feet, and the wind behind your bow!" The depth of emotion beneath his composed expression stayed with Aloy long after he crept away and disappeared into the trees and shrubs.
Okay, Aloy, focus. The machine was patrolling the clearing in a wide circle which included a small section of the path, stopping at two different points to perform scans. It would be stupid to take this thing on face-to-face; although she could take out a watcher with a single accurate thrust of her spear, this monster was going to require a little more finesse. Okay, a lot.
She waited for the sawtooth to complete another pass. As it finished scanning nearby and walked past her, she reached up and activated the focus on her temple. The old relic quickly analyzed the machine and highlighted two parts on its body as weak spots. One was some kind of module situated across the machine's rear end; the other was further up on its back. Those would be difficult to hit with anything other than a bow and arrow, which wouldn't be particularly stealthy. Aloy had no idea how many hits it would take to fully destroy each module, or how much damage it could withstand before powering down permanently. She didn't intend to let loose with projectiles only to piss it off and reveal her position.
Without knowing how much damage the sawtooth could take or what kind of weapons would be the most effective against it, the next best option would be to trap or disable it, then attack the weak spots. She examined the landscape, evaluating it for the traps at her disposal. Based on the beast's predictable patrol pattern, it would be best to start with tripwires crossing its path - electric ones that would disable the machine until the charge was spent. She would be free to pummel it with arrows until it regained awareness as the shock wore off. Rinse and repeat.
For most machines the Nora outcast had come across so far, the shock effect from her tripwires lasted about thirty seconds. The time could be quite different for a larger machine, she realized. Once the wires were set, it would be best to attack from cover and change positions when she could. If it spotted her or got too close, she would be in trouble. The only close range weapon she had was her spear, which would be poorly suited for a machine of this size. She picked out a couple hiding spots along the edge of the clearing. The scenario played out in her head several times until she felt confident in her plan of attack.
She reached over her shoulder and took the tripwire launcher from her pack, waiting for the sawtooth to finish scanning the area near her and continue onwards. It strode away steadily until it was once again out of earshot.
Aloy took a deep breath to steel herself, then moved. She fired the tripcaster at the ground, anchoring one metallic rod crackling with electricity, then walked about twenty paces as the wire unspooled through the weapon, and fired another. The second shot completed the circuit. The tripwire was directly across the sawtooth's path for the start of its next pass. She crept along through the tall grass and set down a small proximity bomb, activated it, and continued onwards to follow her enemy at a distance. She set up two more electric tripwires, and two more bombs.
The sawtooth was almost back to its scanning spot near the boulder. After the scan, it would continue on and strike the first tripwire. Aloy made her way through the tall grass across the center of the clearing, then hid behind some low bushes on the far side. The ground sloped down slightly to the boulder. If this went according to plan, she should be in perfect position to pummel the modules her focus had selected on the machine.
She drew an arrow from her quiver as she knelt behind the bushes, waiting. The cool, calm evening air was about to erupt. The moon was bright tonight, illuminating the long waves of grass across the clearing.
Eerie blue light swept through the darkness below her as the sawtooth began to scan. It found nothing and resumed its patrol after a few moments, treading noisily down the path. Towards the first tripwire. Aloy tapped her focus to highlight the modules on its back again in the darkness; they glowed bright yellow.
Aloy nocked the arrow.
A front leg struck the tripwire.
Electricity coursed through the machine. Streaks of blue light flashed around its body as the charge overwhelmed its systems. It stood there, immobilized.
She pulled her bow to full draw, aimed and loosed the arrow towards the yellow glow. The projectile knocked off some plating from the module. Without hesitating, she pulled another arrow from her quiver, nocked it, drew, aimed, and struck again. And again. And again. She wondered briefly how other Nora managed to hunt in such darkness without a focus.
After the fourth arrow, the tripwire's charge was spent. The sawtooth staggered back to life, shaking itself. Its blue lens switched abruptly to yellow, sweeping the landscape around it for the source of the projectiles. A low warning growl cut through the soft chorus of insects. Finding nothing, it chose a direction and stalked low to the ground in a straight path, looking. It entered the tall grass in the center of the clearing. She knelt as low as possible to the ground behind the thick bushes, willing her heart to slow down.
The growling machine stopped twenty feet in front her and stopped, searching left, searching right. To her relief, it turned to resume its rounds.
Alright, big boy, time for round two. She made a move for a clump of trees to her right and knelt there to wait, hoping the trees and the darkness would keep her hidden.Aloy nocked another arrow.
Its leg struck the second tripwire.
Aloy took another shot at the module between its shoulder blades as her foe stood immobilized by the electricity. She was rewarded with a direct strike, and a brief shock of yellow sparks. That component was done for. She drew and took aim at the other weak spot lower on its back, getting in two shots before the tripwire's charge dissipated.
The beast was much more thorough in its investigation after this round of arrows. The alert yellow eyes now turned to red. Combat mode. With an angry roar, it loped in a quick circuit around the clearing, and suddenly Aloy felt very exposed. The cover of the trees and the grass around them was not enough. Judging from the size of this beast, it could easily take out the trees and her along with them if it spotted her. Time to find the next vantage point.
After a prolonged search, the sawtooth finally gave up. Its lens switched all the way back to blue. Perfect... She picked out a small boulder on the edge of the clearing and crept towards it, only to be startled by an explosion that sent her sprawling. The sawtooth had set off one of her proximity bombs nearby.
An unearthly cry rose from the cloud of smoke and flame. Could machines feel pain? Could they feel emotion? Was it angry, afraid? Aloy did not know.
She got up and continued to creep toward the boulder on the edge of the clearing, unable to keep an eye on the sawtooth since it was behind her. When she finally reached the boulder, she peered to one side of it to get a good look at her enemy. Sparks shot randomly from the damaged modules on its back. The grey plating over its body was blackened from the bomb it had the misfortune to have stumbled upon. Although damaged, it still had plenty of power left for a battle.
She hoped it would find another of the two proximity bombs left in the field, but neither of them were closeby. The remaining tripwire was to one side of the field. The predatory machine was done playing. It ran now in a long sweeping pattern across the area, determined to track down its assailant, occasionally swiping at the air with its metallic claws for good measure. Its lens, of course, was back to red.
It's learning! Most machines had very predictable responses. If a watcher reacted a certain way to locating an intruder, it would react the same way every single time, no matter how many times it happened. This tricky sawtooth was proving to be much more advanced.
As the machine made its way across the clearing, she reached down and picked up a small rock, waiting until its back was turned to her. Aloy threw the rock toward the remaining tripwire, landing just past it. To her satisfaction, it took the bait and launched itself toward the source of the disturbance, taking a flying leap and landing with its back foot just barely caught on the electrified wire. She loosed a flurry of arrows and scored several hits on the module exposed on its backside, but the tripwire lost its charge before she could land another hit. She hesitated for the briefest moment, then nocked another arrow and let it fly. It sank deeply into the exposed wiring of the damaged module, sending sparks flying.
The sawtooth spun around with an ominous growl, the red lights of its mechanical eyes shining directly on her where she knelt by the boulder. She had sacrificed her position in order to take a critical shot. Her enemy took off at a run, but stumbled into a limping gallop. Despite the significant damage it had taken, it was determined to take her down.
She took off at a run, holding her bow in one hand and reactivating her focus with the other, scanning the clearing. Where were they? Damnit, come on! The heavy footsteps of her pursuer rattled the ground. She finally found what she was looking for, and made a beeline for one of the two highlighted blips on her holographic display. The machine kept pace, but was slowly catching up with her due to its size. Her legs simply could not carry her as quickly. Her lungs burned from the exertion; her heart was shot through with adrenaline. She listened hard for a gap between the machine's limping run, and soon enough, she heard it. Just as the rhythm was broken, she coiled all her strength into her legs and sprang forward in a tumbling roll, the bright yellow blip whirling by as she passed it.
The proximity bomb detonated.
As she covered her head, lying facedown on the ground, she heard the familiar sounds of a machine at the end of its life. The whirring gears ceasing to turn, the occasional clicks coming to a halt. The sad sound of its components ceasing to function as the power supply was suddenly snuffed out. The heavy machine collapsed into a limp pile.
She breathed deeply and listened for a few moments, scanning the area with her focus to make sure all the noise hadn't attracted unwanted guests, then stood, brushed herself off, and made her way to the fallen machine.
Aloy was eager to salvage what she could from a new machine. Rare parts made a hefty profit. She began pulling off flat pieces of armor, ripping out strands of synthetic muscle, and maneuvering its legs to expose the chest. Every machine had a heart. They weren't inherently useful, but hearts were like trophies for the human victor who had slain the machine, or collector's items for those too posh to do the hunting themselves. Her hands were deep in the machine's dry innards when Rost approached her from behind.
"Why did I bring you here?" he asked expectantly.
"Not to ask questions," she told him, giving him a sharp look over her shoulder before resuming the salvage.
There she went again. She could be so sarcastic at times, it made him wonder how many of his lessons she really took seriously. Her eagerness in taking the sawtooth apart showed her true motivation and focus. Herself. "Aloy..."
"It was a test of wits and strength. Learning to take down a dangerous machine I've never encountered before. You always say survival requires perfection. I'd say I achieved that."
Would she ever learn to look past the surface? He shook his head. "You've slain the menace, but missed the point. Follow." He led her away from the clearing back to the ruined buildings the machine had left in its wake. "Now take a closer look."
The bodies of several scrappers lay in a pile to one side. Machine oil pooled on the ground beside them. The path was dark with spatters of both oil and blood, with deep grooves from metallic claws. Aloy looked to her mentor. He stood beside her, looking out over the ruined lodge with sorrow on his face.
"What do you see?" he asked her, hopeful.
"Crushed buildings, dead scrappers."
His face fell as he looked at her. "These were homes, Aloy. People lived here. Slept here. Raised their children here. Died here..." He let that sink in a moment. "I trained you not only to survive, but to hunt at the highest skill level. You may not realize it, but your life in the wilds has given you more preparation than any Nora Brave living and sleeping within the safety of the settlement walls will ever have. With your strength, agility, marksmanship, and instinct, you have the tools you need to easily win the Proving... but there are better challenges for your abilities that serve a higher purpose."
He looked out at the destruction before them. "This sawtooth ended twelve lives. How many children went to bed without their father tonight? How many tried to fall asleep knowing they will never see their mother again? We don't even know how many more lives it could have taken tomorrow. You had the power to end the killing. Isn't that worth something?" He could see the resentment in her soften just a little. She would probably never forgive the Nora for casting her out as an infant, but she was beginning to empathize with them. Just a little bit.
She searched his eyes. Did he really expect her to be able to let go of the animosity that had grown in her heart over the past nineteen years? The fire that had fueled her training for the Proving, to win the boon and the only chance she would ever have to get some real answers about her origins?
"For years, you've trained to win the Proving, but only for yourself. As a brave, it will be your duty to fight for your tribe-"
"My tribe?!" Even after all these years raising her, Rost still didn't understand. "I don't need them!"
Rost reached out and grasped her by the shoulder. "But the tribe needs you! The strength to stand alone is the strength to make a stand. Our people need all the help they can get. They need a skilled huntress to fight alongside them and protect the weak. The machines grow more violent every day, and newer, more dangerous ones have been appearing in the Sacred Lands and beyond." He released her.
Aloy's mouth hung open. This was hearing this news for the first time. Why had he kept it from her?
"It is a frightening time, Aloy. The Nora will follow those who are strong. What will you do with all of your training once you have won the Proving and learned all there is to learn? What will you do with your life? You have an opportunity to serve a purpose greater than yourself. Remember that... after the Proving, and after I am gone."
He turned to look down at the boar's head on his left shoulder. His first daughter had killed it on a hunt shortly before she was taken from him. He hoped he would never live to see the day that Aloy returned to All-Mother.
"We are finished here," he said finally. "Follow."