The city was quiet, the stalls were empty, and the streets were deserted. But still Aloy worried someone might spot her and Avad, and recognise their king. A worry Aloy couldn't shake until she saw the two guards at the bridge that led to the palace.

"Aloy, who is with–" one of the guards started, before recognising Avad's face. He mumbled an apology and hurriedly got out of the way to let them through, his cheeks flushing red.

"I wonder what they must think of us right now," Aloy said, "they have to be wondering why we're walking around here at night. Especially with you dressed as you are."

"And us being out in the city together," Avad said with a smile.

Aloy blushed. "That too."

They reached the palace itself and Avad was greeted by a three of his guards, all seemed surprised to see him.

Avad turned to Aloy, "this is where you leave me, I suppose?"

"You'll be safe here, at least until tomorrow when I can try to investigate what happened. I will see you tomorrow," she said quickly before he could protest.

"Until the sunrise then," Avad said as Aloy turned to leave.

She quietly made her way over the bridge, lost in her own thoughts, thinking about what had happened this night, and what could have happened if they hadn't been interrupted. Reaching the end of the bridge, Aloy noticed that the two guards had left their post. She almost didn't consider it further, but then she noticed the smallest drop of blood on the floor. Using her focus, Aloy discovered a trail of blood, almost invisible to the naked eye, but with her focus she could follow it easily. Running along the highlighted tracks, she kept her eyes ahead, already knowing what she would find. Still hit her hard when she saw them. Two bodies. The guards.

Aloy turned on her heels and ran back across the bridge and to the palace.

"Avad!" Aloy called out, but he was nowhere to be seen and neither were the guards.

"Avad!" she ran around the palace, equipping her focus, frantically trying to find a clue. There was nothing. But then she noticed it, feet sticking out from behind a screen. Aloy rushed forward, her heart raising. It isn't Avad, she thought to herself, relief washing over her. Aloy looked down at the body, she recognised the armour; this was one of the Shadow Carja. There was a large, fresh wound across his face and chest, clearly he was cut down by a blade, probably by Avad himself.

Aloy looked around the area and noticed that one of the wooden railings had broken. Aloy carefully approached the ledge and leaning forward a little, she spotted a small group of people climbing down the rocks, one of them was carrying someone... Avad.

Jumping over the edge, Aloy kept her eyes on the man carrying Avad, slowly climbing down the rocky surface. Aloy remained on the small ledge she had climbed down to. She felt angry and scared, but she realised she would have to wait for them to reach the ground, otherwise any action on her part might cause Avad to fall to his death.

When they finally reached the ground, Aloy started her climb, constantly keeping her eyes on the men. The climb was slower than she wanted it to be and a few times she dislodged some rocks, she watched as they tumbled down towards the men, but they didn't seem to notice the rocks ,or her.

It wasn't until she had nearly reached the ground, that Aloy noticed the men had machines with them; three striders calmly waited for their riders. In the years since she had rebooted Gaia, a lot of the machines had become calmer than before, no longer attacking people on sight, and some were able to be trained. But besides the Banuk, no people really wanted to try it.

Aloy crouched down on a small ledge, watching the men as they lifted Avad's unconscious body onto one of the striders. Quietly, Aloy dropped from the rocky wall into some tall grass. With the grass hiding her, she sneaked up to the man standing closest to her, standing at the very edged of the tall grass. Aloy readied her spear, she was close enough to reach out and grab the man when he finally noticed her. The man turned to confront her, but Aloy jumped up, and already dragging him into the tall grass with her, she drove her spear into his chest.

Neither one of the other two men noticed what had happened, but eventually the taller of the two noticed the third man's absence, and he ordered the other man to look around while he stayed with Avad.

Aloy slowly moved back a little, worried the man might spot her, and not sure she could kill him without the taller man – who kept his eyes on the other man as he looked for the third – seeing her. Her heart pounding, her mind racing, Aloy flattened herself against the rock as much as she could, hoping the man would somehow walk by her. The man looked right at her. His hands clasping a blade. He started to move directly to Aloy's position, and she felt her heart sink, knowing she had to kill the man before he saw her, but that that would risk the taller man taking Avad or even killing him if he spotted her killing the other man. But then, behind the tall man, Aloy suddenly saw a glimmer of metal. Someone else was here. Someone Aloy recognised.

Vanasha moved swiftly around the tall man, her knife already drawn. His was dead before he even realised someone was right behind him.

Aloy knew this was her chance as well, and she swiftly got up – much to the surprise of the man looking for her – killing him with her spear.

"Vanasha!" Aloy exclaimed.

"Who would have thought to find you here, in the middle of a plot to kidnap the Sun-King," Vanasha said sarcastically. She walked over to Aloy. "Feels familiar, doesn't it?" she asked, referring to many seasons ago, when they had saved Itamen, Avad's brother.

"A little bit," Aloy said, smiling. Vanasha embraced her. "Delightful as ever I see," she said.

"How did you know to come here?" Aloy asked.

Vanasha's broad smile disappeared and her whole body seemed to tense up. "They came for Itamen

first," she said, "but I don't think they meant to kidnap him."

Aloy was about to ask Vanasha about where Itamen was now, when she got distracted by the faintest of sounds, coming from the strider where Avad still was.

"Help me lift him to the ground," Aloy said, already rushing over to the strider. Together they carefully lifted Avad from the horse and laid him down gently in the grass.

"Avad?" Aloy spoke softly, her fingers reaching out to brush his cheek.

Avad groaned a little and touched his forehead, winching at his own touch.

"Aloy?" he asked, mirroring her concern.

"You're okay," Aloy half asked, half stated. She lay her hand flat against his cheek, and Avad covered her hand with his own, smiling weakly. "Are you?"

Vanasha burst out laughing at the absurdity of the question. "You're the one we found unconscious!"

This sudden reminder that they were not alone, made Aloy quickly pull her hand back. She rose to her feet and offered Avad her hand to help him up.

"Vanasha," Avad said, as if only now fully aware of her presence, "where are my brother and his mother?"

"They're save, I hid them away, but I figured if the Shadow Carja came for us, they would come for you as well."

"She saved you," Aloy added.

Avad seemed more surprised than he should be, considering Vanasha's skills. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "I would ask you now to return unseen and keep my brother safe."

"Of course," Vanasha nodded. "But... are you not coming with me?"

"I have to find out how many people are involved. I thought the Shadow Carja no longer a threat, but tonight I was attacked twice. Once by my own guards."

"They were disguised as guards?" Aloy asked.

"No, they were my guards, men I had known for many seasons."

"You think they were recruited by the Shadow Carja?"

"Either that or they have been laying in wait for a long time," Vanasha said.

"Yes, and I intent to find out," Avad said.

"I think you should go with Vanasha," Aloy said, "be with Itamen."

Avad shook his head, "I'm not letting you face them alone," he said. "They will cut you down as soon as– "

"And you think they would do any less to you?" Aloy interrupted.

"No, but I– "

"You're not a warrior, you're not a hunter, you're a king, Avad, you should go with Vanasha," Aloy said, even though she knew it would hurt him to hear it.

"I might be King, for now, but I did receive training, first at my father's command and later with Marad."

"Where was Marad?" Aloy asked, as it suddenly dawned on her she hadn't seen him anywhere.

"I... I'm not sure," Avad said.

"He was missing from his post?" Vanasha asked.

"Yes, I believe so," Avad said.

"Do you think he... well, that he might have been recruited by the Shadow Carja himself?" Vanasha asked.

"No," Avad was adamant.

"Maybe they– " Vanasha started, but Avad stopped her.

"Marad's loyalty is not in question," he said firmly.

"Then they might have gotten to him," Aloy said.

"One way or another," Vanasha added, stubbornly.

Avad gave her a loaded look, but remained quiet.

"Aloy and I will investigate," he said, "while you rejoin Itamen and his mother."

"Avad," Aloy pleaded.

"I am coming with you," Avad said unwaveringly.

Aloy sighed and looked over at Vanasha, who just threw her hands up as if to say that she didn't know how to stop Avad either. "All right," Aloy conceded, "we should start at Sunfall. That's where they were hold up."

"There should only be Carja living there now," Avad said.

"Still," Aloy said, "I believe we should start there."

"Well, this is where I leave you two to deal with the more interesting parts of this mess," Vanasha said. She walked over to the tame strider the Shadow Carja had been using to transport Avad, and mounted it, seemingly unworried about riding a machine. "Try to come back at least mostly alive," Vanasha said as she nodded at them before riding off on her own.

Aloy turned to Avad. "You're sure you want to come with me to investigate?"

"I believe I made that clear," Avad said, smiling.

"All right then," Aloy said, defeated.

With the sun already starting to rise, they set off for Sunfall, together.