Journey to the Claim Pt. 1

-Aloy and Vale reach Meridian and come across an angry mob at the palace gates. Aloy thinks they need to investigate.

The storm system turns out to be much smaller than they realize. By the time they reach the main bridge of Meridian, nearly three days later, the dark clouds had passed overhead and clear blue skies took their place once again. It left the roads soggy and their clothes wet and cold, but the chirp of birds early in the morning is a welcome sound to Aloy's ears.

Vale had kept to his word and cooked their meals for the reminder of the trip, and boy, did he eat a lot. They still had leftover provisions from the two boars he managed to hunt, and he cuts them to salvage the most of the meat as possible, almost ridiculously so. He obviously knew his animals and had done this several times before. Most of the time Aloy couldn't even finish her meals, but she found it was better than not eating enough. Every night she had gone to bed with a full stomach. She appreciated it.

The setup at the bridge entrance has not changed at all. Merchants looking to bring their wares into city set up their stalls here, where public traffic is more dense than any of the other entrances into the city. Aloy takes in a breath of all the scents she can gather. Most are pleasant, either fresh fragrances of delicate ornaments or the spices of food mixtures. Here at the gates it was the freshest, and she couldn't get enough of it.

The bridge itself, however, is a different story.

People crowd around the Carja city guards, hassling them with what sounded like questions, but too many voices overlapped each other and came too quickly for her to single out one of them and try to figure out what they wanted. A guard stops them at the start of the bridge.

"Halt! What is your business in the city?" he asks.

"What? Why do you want to know?" Aloy asks back.

"Security reasons. Every civilian is to be questioned and searched to avoid any possible threats to the city," the guard answers. This throws Aloy in for a loop. What reasons did the Carja have to search every man and woman looking to enter the city. Had someone attacked them? Aloy hasn't kept in touch with anyone from the city while she was staying with the Nora, so anything could have happened after the battle against the Eclipse.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" Aloy says, deciding to mention it in hopes it could get her through quicker. This was one of those times where Aloy wishes her fame fame could come to use. Clearly this guard didn't recognize her as the famous Alighted of the Sun. Usually they would just let her right through without any trouble.

"No. Should I?"

"I'm the Alighted One," she says with abhorrence, disguised as cocky boldness. "I saved your king from an assassination and stopped the Eclipse from invading Meridian. I'm the opposite of a threat."

Immediately, the guard twitches and bows.

"The Saviour of Meridian! My apologies. You may pass."

She nods and walks past the guard. Vale was about to ask as she sensed, so she tells him; "Sometimes it nice to be famous. Vale?"

He isn't walking beside her. When she turns around, he's back with the guard, his hands held up as the soldier searches his person. He lifts his hands and shrugs at her. Aloy sighs.

When he catches up, they cross the bridge to the city.

"You know, I've never actually been in the city before. I only passed through the village at the bottom of the mesa, where there was a lot of construction," her companion mentions.

She nods at this. "Most of the village there was destroyed in the attack, including the elevators. The city itself was mostly untouched, though, and it's vastly different than any other place the Carja have built. You might find it… a lot to take in."

"I don't know about that. There are plenty of big cities where I'm from, and they're just as grand as Meridian. But I think Meridian is the only city I've seen that's built so high up."

"Some of the priests say that they wanted to get as close to the sun as possible," she fills in. Vale snickers.

"So they could what? Get a better sunburn? I told you, they're crazy Carja." At this, Aloy laughs lightly, and Vale decides to change the topic. "You mentioned you saved the king once. Do you know him?"

"Yes. I warned him about the Eclipse and gave his people time to prepare. He's a good man, honest."

"I don't hear that about nobles very often," Vale replies. He looks out at the valley below, where the maize lands were. "My lands have nobles as well, but most of them never leave the castle, or care what happen outside of them. Their advisors and armies do most of the dirty work."

"Well, Avad will be a nice change of pace for you, then," Aloy concludes. "Once we meet him, you'll see."

At that, Vale turns his gaze back at her and raises an eyebrow. "We need an audience with the king?"

She nods. "Ever since the battle with the Eclipse, all visits to the Spire are being controlled. You can't see it up close without Avad's approval."

"So why do we need to see it?"

He really did ask a lot of questions.

"That's where I left the Master Override. It's been sitting there ever since battle, and Avad has reinforced the defences around the Spire, so to get to it, we need to see him first."

"I see."

It's her hope that Avad will grant them what they want. He was a reasonable man, and considering he how had treated her upon their first meeting, on top of all the favours she had done for him, like saving Prince Iteman from the Shadow Carja and stopping Dervahl from destroying the city, she was more than confident that the Sun King would listen to them.

When they finally step into the city, however, Aloy is shocked to find even more crowds gathering in the streets, surrounding the Carja city guards and harassing them with questions, taking up enough space to block their shortest route to the palace. They would have to take the long way around.

Aloy keeps her ears open as they pass the masses of people, listening for anything in particular that might sound interesting. Crowds like this didn't gather in Meridian without cause, and with they they acted, she sensed an air of hostility. Something was stirring here.

She picks up only bits and pieces, phrases that make no sense when she heard them one after the other, but things like 'attacks' and 'machines' make her a little edgy. There were whisperings about the king as well, insulting him or calling him out, among a number of things. Of course she didn't think any of these were true, but there had to be a reason for all of this discontent.

Inaction. Avad was hesitating with something. It had to be. It was the same things they were saying when Ersa was murdered.

She marches along quickly now, no longer interested in their words. Vale keeps up with her, not questioning her purposeful strides. Either he senses the same thing and restraining his queries, or he hasn't figured it out yet.

They circle around the sun ring at the centre of the city, bypassing the Hunter's Lodge. Aloy half expects Talanah to show up and invite her in. And while it would be nice to see her again, among the whisperings about the king she heard ' big hunting trip' and 'to the south'. She didn't remember who lived in the south, but she knew that Talanah would likely be leading this party as the Sunhawk. After defeating Redmaw and battling the Deathbringer by her side at the Spire, nothing seemed like too much of the challenge for her. Looks like she wouldn't be seeing Talanah anytime soon.

They pass by the merchants' collective area until they came upon the familiar entrance of the palace bridge. It is also blocked by a crowd of angry civilians, the guards keeping them from flooding the entrance. None of the civilians carry any fruit to throw, but Aloy expects things to get far worse than just fruit tossing with the way they shouted angry threats.

"Looks like we can't get in," Vale observes.

"But we need to see Avad, though."

Just then the crowd backs up as someone appears from behind the Carja guards. Aloy recognized him immediately; grey hair pulled back, royal blue silks and a calm expression that spoke for decades of political wisdom.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Meridian," Marad speaks with a loud, but neutral voice, "I speak on behalf of the fourteenth Sun King. His Luminance has requested that you all consider your worries and concerns received and noted for discussion regarding recent events with the the machines. His radiance, King Avad is considering every method possible that may solve issue quickly and with as little bloodshed as possible."

"What about the Vanguard! Where are they?" someone shouts.

"Yeah, they should be here, protecting us!" a woman agrees. Marad raises his hands as the crowd grows into murmurs and shouts again.

"The Vanguard is doing their duty to protect those whose need for protection is most critical. As it stands, the Carja military is seen fit to shelter our sacred city from any and all threats as of now. Other means are being discussed, of course, but we assure you that we are doing the best we can. With that, may I remind you all that we are still in the middle of reconstruction efforts and we don't want to spread ourselves to thinly should a crisis occur."

The crowd rises up in murmurs and whispers only this time, some heads are nodding in agreement and understanding. Marad almost looks pleased with himself.

"Now if everyone is in agreement, we ask you to continue with your daily chores and let our Sun King decide what is best for us. If you have any other concerns regarding other issues, please talk to our guards so they can fill out a report."

A sense of finalization fills the air as the civilians talk among themselves again. Aloy sees her chance and walks up to Marad. He is ready to turn back to the palace, but he somehow senses her presence and faces her instead, a warm, greeting smile on his features.

"Aloy of the Nora, what a pleasant surprise."

"Blameless Marad. If anyone can calm a crowd, it would be you." The smiles and nods his head at the compliment. "What's going on here? Why are these people so angry?" she asks. Marad look around, and gestures for her to follow.

"I think it's best we discuss it in more private company. His Radiance will want to see you. It has been quite some time." He eyes Vale then, looking him up and down like Vale wasn't watching him do so. "Who's this?"

"Oh, uh, this is Vale. He's a…"

"Machine hunter," he finishes, and even has the forethought to bow a little. "Accomplished machine hunter."

"I see. And you have a similar curious device on your ear as Aloy does," Marad notes. "Hm, perhaps the Sun King should see both of you. He might have use of your skills."

"That's what I was hoping for," Aloy nods.

"Follow me."

The three of them march over the bridge to the palace and walk up the steps to the main tower. No long lines of noblemen stand in wait along the steps this time, most of the path clear except for a few handmaidens and servants of the palace. When they reach the top of the stairs, they turn and walk to the back area, where a couch and table are set up in the shade of an awning hanging high above them.

She first sees Avad talking with another advisor on one of the lower landings to the side. He is partially facing them, and when he catches a glimpse of her, he instantly smiles. Whatever they were talking about, he is able to convince the other person to continue their conversation at a later time in just a few shorts words and makes his way up to them. His magnificent sun robes are gone, leaving only his royal vest and crown.

"Aloy, what a surprise. Your light is a most welcome sight, my friend," he greets. Aloy smiles kindly and nods to him. "What has brought you to the Sundom?"

"I was about to ask what brought you all the trouble. Your people aren't saying nice things," she replies. Avad lips curl back in a grimace and he exhales are heavy sigh.

"It is a most unfortunate situation."

Marad steps forward. "I've brought Aloy and her companion here because they might be able to provide some aid, your majesty. They will want to hear what has happened," he informs them.

"And that I will tell them. Thank you, Marad. You may continue your duties as before," Avad dismisses him with a wave of his hand. The older man bows and turns on a heel to attend his, no doubt, many other tasks, leaving just the three of them. That's when the lack of other bodies catches Aloy's attention. There would normally be guards posted throughout the palace, particularly the two that stood on either side of the door, but the spaces are vacant, and she can't see any more from where she is standing.

"I thought the struggles were over after that fateful battle," Avad starts, bringing Aloy's focus back to him. He is staring longingly, she realizes, in the direction of the Spire. He turns back to face them as he continues, "but it seems they are only just beginning. I've no doubt you've heard some concerning topics when you entered the city."

"A few," Aloy says. "What are these attacks that people are talking about?"

When Avad spoke, it was with the voice a hundred years old. He was spent of his usual… sunny radiance, as the Carja would have put it. "The machines are getting worse. They do not simply attack to defend themselves anymore. Our envoys are finding it difficult to travel to other settlements without interference of angry machines. They attack with spite."

"They seek out humans," Vale confirms. The king nods as Vale eyes him.

"You have seen this, then? In the past, these were only special cases, when hunters provoked herds or caused a disturbance in their routine activity. That does not seem to be the case anymore," Avad says with a heavy sigh. "We've lost nearly a dozen envoys to the machine's wrath. Other communities have reported more attacks in the past few months than the whole of my reign for the past two years. If this continues, whole tribes will perish, and I see know way of stopping it."

Aloy catches the glare that Vale is shooting her way. What they had experienced from the machines clearly isn't exclusive to them, it seemed. Aloy figured this, though, but the way Avad spoke about it made it sound much more dire.

"My other concern is my Vanguard," he continues.

"I noticed there were no Vanguards in the city, or in the palace or… anywhere! Where are they all?" Aloy says.

"I'm afraid they went north, on an expedition I fear may be lost. Several men have been killed, injured or missing, including Erend."

Aloy's heart nearly stops. Avad lowers his head to the ground in unspoken shame. "What? Erend is missing?"

Avad then waves for them to follow. He walks down to one of the lower balconies that overlooks the great aqueducts that saps water from the north river to the palace. Avad plants both hands on the railing as he gazes out at the horizon.

"We have not heard of Erend for several days. Those of his party who did report back said they were separated by machines of immense strength, and never before seen."

"Why did they go north?" Vale asks. Aloy was thinking the same thing, but couldn't form the words in her mouth. All she was thinking about was Erend. Avad turns and faces them.

"To investigate. Rumours of a new machine spread from the Claim; a beast of terrible strength that was born out of the sky. It attacked many homes in the Claim and made its way south. My Vanguard marched out to meet it, but I've heard nothing only up until a few days ago, when only one man from that expedition made it back alive," he explains.

"And the rest haven't returned…"

The king nods grimly. "I would send for them, but my men are stretched to a breaking point. We are still rebuilding from the attack by the Eclipse, and with increased machine activity, I've doubled the strength of the guard in the lower village and the walls," he turns to Aloy. "And I've posted more men at the Spire. There is no more power I can provide lest I leave some of my people defenceless."

"Then we'll do it," Aloy bursts out without meaning to. When she realizes what she had done, she decides to go with it. "Tell us what you need, Avad. Vale and I can handle ourselves on the road. The machines aren't a problem for us."

Avad stares into her eyes with a studied face. She knows that he knew that she could take care of herself. When you stop a whole army from tearing a city apart, people start to expect that of you.

"Find my Vanguard. If there's any chance that they are alive, I need them brought back here, to reenforce my soldiers. I'm not worried about this new machine anymore. I can worry about it after I know my people are safe."

"Don't worry about the machine, Avad. If anything, we'll kill it before it even gets close."

For the first time since they arrived, Avad smiles. "I have no doubt of that, my machine riding friend. You can talk to Derrick, he was part of that expedition. You'll find him here in the palace, below in the infirmary. He was nearly delirious when we found him."

"Sounds like a good place to start," Aloy replies. She nods to Vale and they turn to leave.

"Aloy!" The king calls suddenly. She halts and turns her head as he warns, "these are dark times. Shadows hide in every corner of the Sundom and the realms beyond. I know of your skills, your courage, but I warn you to take cautious measures. Erend was… is, my best man. I can't stand the thought of losing him, but I would be beside myself if I lost you as well."

Aloy gives him her most heartfelt smile. "We will, Avad. And we'll come back with Erend, I promise."

"Then let the light guide you, and my prayers go with you."

Aloy and Vale leave the king's quarters to find the last remnant of the Vanguard. A servant shows them to the infirmary, located in the inner structure of the palace, and Aloy realizes she has never seen the inside before. They enter a long hallway under the palace that stretches the entirety of the mesa from one side to the other. The walls were lined with pillars for structural support and in between each space is a decorative tapestry or a door, either leading to corridors or any other matter of room Aloy couldn't imagine needing.

About a third of the way down, they enter a vast room, and she is shocked at what she sees.

Most of the sick beds are full, occupied by the sick or the injured… mostly the injured. Soldiers of the Carja army are fixed in bandages stained red, casts or wrapping. It looks like they all been through war, when really Aloy suspects it was because of the rampancy of the machines. All these people, suffering because of the Derangement. It was horrific.

Aloy and Vale are guided to one of the beds in the far corner of the room occupied by a man with casts over his leg and arm, and his side is padded with bandages already soiled. His head is wrapped up too, slightly covering his left eye. It was clear that this man had narrowly avoided death, and his blank stare into nothingness only served to make the scene look even more sobering. Aloy glances quickly at Vale, his lips straightened in a grim line.

"Derrick?" Aloy greets. She goes to sit on the side of his bed, but the man jumps and screams and she springs back to her feet. He calms quickly, but she decides to remain standing.

"What? Oh, you're the Nora girl that the Carja keep raving about," the man recognizes.

"Yeah, I'm the one," she replied flatly.

"And the one Erend won't shut up about…"

"That too."

Derrick glares at her. "What are you doing here? And who's the other guy."

Vale remains stoic and silent as Aloy introduces him. "We want your help. I need you to tell me everything you can about this new machine that you were sent to kill."

"Tsk, you want to go out there and find that machine? How about this: don't. The whole Vanguard got wiped out by that thing. What are two hunters gonna do?"

"Hopefully bring the rest of the Vanguard home," Aloy says, trying to ignore the impact of his words.

"Don't bother. They're all probably dead," Derrick snips. Aloy can detect the scorn in his voice, which in turn burns her cheeks as her hands curl into fists. She refuses to believe they were all dead. That Erend was dead, not after surviving the Eclipse.

"Look, I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could do something about it. Meridian is weak and the machines are getting dangerous. If there's a chance that even one of them is alive out there, I'm going to find them. So quit your gloating and tell me where you last saw them," she hisses. Silence fills the air, and she realizes that everyone in the infirmary must have heard her. Her face heats up in embarrassment, but she keeps her face straight as she stares at Derrick impatiently. The man sighs and nods.

"Alright, sorry. I was… mourning. Seeing all my brothers getting murdered kind of changed me, you know?"

"I'm sorry for your loss," Aloy speaks with a soft voice. "But I need you to tell me what happened."

Derrick clears his throat. "Well, we went north, past Pitchcliff further into the Claim. A band of two dozen men armed to the gullet with Oseram steel. Some of our men were pretty good trackers, so we managed to follow a trail. It wasn't hard. The machine left nothing but destruction in its wake. We followed it to a ravine just past the mountains and cornered it. That was a big mistake."

"Why's that?"

"Because it wasn't alone. There was another one, and it flanked us from behind."

"There's two of them?" Vale asks.

"Yeah. I swear by the forge, it's like they were expecting us. I've never seen machines do something like that before. We were slaughtered in minutes. In all the chaos, Erend ordered for some of us to flee and escape back to Meridian," Derrick looks away in his obvious shame. "I hated the ideal of fleeing like a coward, but Erend commanded me to."

"He… saved your life. There's nothing wrong with living to fight another day," Aloy says, trying to sound strong, but the thought of Erend being dead threatens to break her.

"Huh, if only that were true. My leg is broken in three places. I made it back on a poorly made splint all the way back until they found me near Ironwood. Healers say I probably won't walk without a limp again. My days in the Vanguard are done," Derrick mutters. Aloy refrains from saying anything as she horrifically conceived that even a chance at redemption had been denied to him, and she can't find any other words to comfort him.

Luckily, Vale is the one who keeps his thoughts straight. "Where did this happen?"

Derrick sighs, his pleading staring saying he didn't want to share that information, to send them to their deaths when they went to go look, but he relents. "The ravine is close the the Claim's capital, just south of Mainspring. It's a week's journey from Pitchcliff. I'd tell you not to go, but Erend says you don't like being told what to do."

He looks at Aloy when he says this. A ghost of a smile appears across her lips as she nods.

"He knows me pretty well. And he's right. We're going to investigate no matter what the danger is. And I promise we'll bring Erend home."

"Then I should tell you what I know about the machine," the Oseram man offers. Aloy notices Vale tapping his Focus for a moment. He is still briefly as the light hovers just above his ear.

"What's the machine like? It's size, it's armour; everything," he demands.

"It's about the size of a Sawtooth, and it can fly. When we doused it with fire arrows, we hardly left a scratch on its hide. It can breathe fire, shoot bolts from its wings… and it's got this deafening roar that rattles the earth. I've never seen a machine like it before."

"Definitely nothing like anything I've come across," Vale mumbles. "We should go."

Aloy nods to Derrick and the two of them leave the infirmary. They exit the palace grounds and walk into the city. But instead of leaving for the gates, Aloy turns and walks towards the end of the city that looks over the mesa's edge and the Spire beyond. She keeps silent, but her mind is buzzing with so many thoughts, and the middle of the city is no place to think. She needs some sort of solitude.

Vale follows her without saying a word until they reach one of the gazebos built at the edge of town. No one else sits there, giving them the little bit of luxury of privacy that they could have, even though people pass by them on the footpath a mere ten feet away.

"Who was he?" he inquires suddenly.

"What?"

"This Erend person. You obviously care about him, don't you?" He pauses, but when Aloy doesn't speak, he continues. "You've had this grief-stricken look about you ever since the king mentioned that he was missing. Was he… someone special?"

It took a few seconds for Aloy to understand what he was getting at, but when it clicks, she gives him a silly grin and shakes her head.

"Not quite special, but important. He was one of the first people outside the Nora tribe I ever met. I helped him track down his sister and stop a madman from killing Avad. We fought side by side when the Eclipse attacked the Spire, too," Aloy says, and looks down at his feet, because the attentive look Vale is giving her causes a lump at the back of her throat. Her voice had cracked.

"Sounds like you two went through a lot together," he replies, his voice low.

"We did. It's hard to think that…" she then shakes her head fiercely. "No! He's not dead, he can't be. Erend's too… stubborn to get killed. I have to go find him." She turns and paces for the markets determinedly, but stops and addresses Vale. "You don't have to follow me, this is my business alone."

The man waves his arms. "What? Would you stop play this lone wolf act? It's getting old. I followed you this far, and if that machine is as dangerous as everyone says it is, then you need my metal."

"Vale…"

He raises his hand to silence her. "Need I remind you that you have a target on your back? If you get caught unprepared, your dead, no matter how skilled you think you are!"

It seems he was finished. Aloy stares back at him, his expression stern and his stance steady. He meant what he said, and he knows he is right because this determined look of his practically asks for her to challenge it so he can shoot it down. No matter what the crisis seems, he was going to follow her and force himself into battle. She remembers the fight at Daytower, and his compliance with eliminating a bandit camp with no hesitation.

For the third time in their journey, Aloy feels a pang of guilt pierce her chest, a riddling emotion she is getting unfavourably familiar with.

She nods to him. "You're right. And… thanks. Now let's go."

The two of them walk into the market place, having both agreed that they needed to resupply for their next trip. It was going to be a long one, so they buy the most provisions without taking up as much space as possible. Aloy also searches for the rods necessary to make her heavy arrows, but surprisingly no one sells them, and she was itching to use her new bow.

They carry their luggage back across the bridge, past the main gate to an outcropping where their two Striders graze in the fields. By then, Aloy has already summarized a list of possible machines she could find the proper parts from.

"So, on to Pitchcliff?" Vale says after mounting his Strider.

"No."

"No?"

"We got some other business to take care of first," Aloy tells him as she raises her new bow. "It's time to hunt."

Throwing you for a whole loop as it'll take us another eight or so chapters for Aloy to actually get her hands on the Master Override. BUT! This whole side arc will introduce some new mechanics and new machines! And feature a territory we're never been to before.