"So, what's the big mystery? Wait, let me guess: we're going to go get revenge on those Glinthawks. Or…I got it: we're going to wander around in the desert until we die of thirst. Am I close?"
Aloy laughed. "No, not really. Just keep walking. I'll let you know where we're there." She had decided after a last-minute suggestion from Alva to surprise Seyka with the balloon ride. Surprising a Quen marine was not exactly easy—quite the opposite in fact—so she opted to go with the blindfold approach. Naturally this led to Seyka being suspicious of her intentions and asking a lot of questions.
The timing had to be perfect. The sun had started setting and she wanted plenty of time to be up there with Seyka so that they could return to the rooftop in time for the scheduled lightshow. The path out to Morlund's orb wasn't long, but guiding Seyka there while she was wearing a blindfold made a seemingly simple task more difficult than it probably needed to be.
It didn't help that Seyka would frequently wander away from where Aloy was trying to guide her, either.
"Just keep walking forward. Just a straight line," Aloy tried, keeping her hands on Seyka's arms from behind.
Seyka stepped to her left. "Like this?" This time Aloy spotted the smirk on her face.
"You're doing this on purpose."
"Yes. Yes, I am." Seyka laughed. "Come on, Aloy just tell me what it is."
Aloy gave her a final push. "Almost…there!" She reached out and untied the blindfold carefully. "Here we are."
Seyka took one look up at the giant balloon. "What is this thing?" Her focus went to the burner mechanism under the giant wrapped tarp that made up the body of the orb. "Wait a second…this thing doesn't go up in the air, does it?"
"If I told you 'yes', would you go on it with me?" Aloy took her hand, hoping the extra nudge would convince her. "The view is amazing—I promise."
Seyka eyed her with suspicion. "Uh huh."
"I've tried it already and it's safe now," Aloy said. "All the issues are worked out." She hadn't intended to say that last part, but it was out and there was nothing she could do about it now. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.
Seyka snorted as she folded her arms across her armored chest. "Of course there were issues." She sighed and stared up at the balloon before side eyeing Aloy. "No going upside down, diving at breakneck speed, or falling out and crashing on a beach somewhere. We clear on all that?"
I think I can guarantee all of those…at least most of them. "Clear. Hey, Morlund?"
Engrossed in another tinkering project of some kind that Aloy could not make out at first glance, Morlund looked up from the nearby workbench with an eager smile. "Ready to go up, Aloy?"
Aloy squeezed Seyka's hand. "Yes, we are."
"Wonderful! Now, remember—don't overwork the heat or you'll run out of fuel much quicker. Everything else should be as it was the last time you went up. Just tug the rope when you're ready to come down." He gave her double thumbs up. "Have fun, you two!"
"Thanks, Morlund." She turned to Seyka, who still seemed hesitant. "Ready?"
Seyka closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back as though she were preparing for another battle against a Horus, and then opened them again.
"Let's do it."
A turn of a small, metal wheel and a few moments later the balloon lifted from ground and floated upward, leaving the sands and Hidden Ember below. Their ascent was slow and controlled, but that didn't stop Seyka from grabbing the wooden edge of the basket as though her life depended on it. "Shit!"
As entertaining as it was, Aloy didn't want this to be a bad experience for Seyka. She moved closer and linked her arm so that she had a steadying hold on Seyka's back. "I got you. Don't worry, this is as rough as it gets."
It seemed to have a positive effect because Seyka's near-hyperventilating eased off. "I—I'm okay." For the first time since the balloon left the ground, she took in the view and gasped. All of the Stillsands was in sight, but so were the thick jungles of the Lowlands and the mountains where the Tenakth Sky Clan held their territory. A nearby Tallneck made its usual circle, oblivious to the dozens of other machines scampering below it. Even farther away, towering trees grazed the sky, which had shifted from a bright blue to more brilliant hues of orange, pink, and violet. As it was a hazy day from the recent dust storm, Aloy couldn't quite make out the ocean where the water would normally sparkle on the horizon but judging by the awestruck expression Seyka wore she figured it was fine this time.
Having her arm around Seyka and being close to her made the whole experience even better. "So, what do you think?"
Seyka shook her head, perhaps in disbelief? "Much better than riding on the back of a Sunwing." She turned her head to meet Aloy's eyes while leaning into her hold. "It's beautiful."
No one had ever looked at Aloy like this before, certainly not that she'd been aware of at least. Being high above the world, the constant pressure to worry about what was possibly about to happen to it in the months to come felt lighter. She knew Nemesis was out there—it was real. But she didn't have to face it alone, and being with Seyka was reminder of what she could look forward to if, no, when they won.
She also realized she hadn't said anything. That was fine—despite being so high up, she never felt more grounded than she did when they were alone together. Seyka didn't seem to mind the silence either as she relaxed in Aloy's hold while they enjoyed the view together.
The question which had been hovering in her mind for some time surfaced again. Is this love? She knew love could be different things, of course—the love Elisabet had for the world, the love she had for sister, and she supposed the bond she had with her friends could very well be considered love. So far love had involved doing whatever it took to keep someone or something safe. It was worrying, stressing, even being terrified. Maybe it doesn't always need to be.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and she knew they should start heading back. "I'm going to turn down the burner and we're going to start to go down, okay?" She withdrew from Seyka, who let out a small groan of disagreement.
"Just when I was getting really comfortable."
"Don't worry. I'm sure the rooftop is just as comfortable." Aloy turned the wheel, tugged on the rope, and the balloon started its slow descent. A cool but still pleasant breeze ruffled her hair, a positive sign the desert heat had abated for the evening.
"I'll hold you to that. And, um, Aloy? Thank you. This—it was really nice." She took Aloy's face in her hands and kissed her.
So many feelings rising up. So many of them new and uncharted still. She didn't understand how one person could do this to her. Maybe I don't need to, though. "Seyka," she whispered. She didn't know how to say what she wanted. She wasn't sure if she was ready or if she was ready to be that vulnerable around someone else, even the woman in front of her she had grown to care so much about.
Appearing to read her mind, Seyka silenced her with another kiss. "It's okay. Let's just get back for now." She flashed her usual smile, the one that always seemed to be accompanied with some kind of teasing. "I want to see if this lightshow is as impressive as it sounds."
It didn't take much longer to reach the ground, where the balloon gently set down on the sand with Morlund's guidance. They thanked him, then headed back down the platform and up to the roof. Aloy took note of Delah and Boomer's still unmanned cart, but hoped they would be back in the morning. If not, well, it wouldn't be the first time she had to search for one of them in the desert.
The scent of cooked food coming from the rooftop grew stronger as they climbed the platforms. With the sun finally gone, the sky had darkened and the ruined buildings of Las Vegas were lit up with brilliant neon holograms in dozens of colors. Stemmur's voice reached as far down as the middle levels and as they approached, Aloy could make out some of the story he was telling.
"…mighty Tideripper! It was a beast unlike any other—spewing cascades of toxic water as our fearless Nora huntress charged forth to defend the weary showmen who had stumbled into more danger than they could probably handle on their own."
On the rooftop, Alva, Beta, and Sokorra each sat upon their own large red cushions—the three of them gazing up at Stemmur, all absolutely captivated by his storytelling. Alva had a big grin on her face while Beta's eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open. And it was clear Sokorra was trying and failing to look unimpressed, particularly when the Tideripper was mentioned. A few empty and nearly empty plates of food were scattered about the ground where they gathered.
"Speaking of a Nora huntress, our mighty hero returns from her journey to the skies," Stemmur announced. He bowed to them with an elaborate flourish of his hand. "I shall continue the tale tomorrow evening. The lightshow should start momentarily but feel free to help yourselves to more food and of course, our famous ale if you wish."
"Thanks, Stemmur." Aloy nodded in return as he passed by her and Seyka with a kind glance.
"Did you guys have fun?" Alva asked the moment he left. "Was it scary? I want to hear all about it!"
Seyka answered for them. "It was a lot of fun, Diviner Alva. Not as exciting as riding a Sunwing, but I think I'm okay with that."
Beta began collecting some of the plates to make room. "Any Stormbirds this time?" The question might have been harmless but the hint of teasing lining her voice said otherwise.
"No." Aloy's quick answer was accompanied by a nervous laugh. "Of course we wouldn't have gone up if there was a Stormbird!" The suspicious glance Seyka gave her was not encouraging.
Sokorra apparently decided to join Beta in the joke. "But there was one at some point?"
Aloy settled for rolling her eyes, unsure of when exactly she became a prime target for Beta's newfound habit of poking fun at her. "Yes, but it's gone now. Very gone. Don't we have a show to watch?"
The others agreed and a few more cushions were pulled out from inside the tents to add to the existing pile. Aloy took her seat, nearly falling backwards as the cushion was not quite as sturdy as it looked. Seyka sat down next to her, and the others took their seats as well just as more holograms around the settlement began lighting up. The other visitors and residents of Hidden Ember murmured in hushed tones, most demanding that everyone be quiet.
"A Stormbird? Really?" Seyka feigned annoyance but Aloy could hear the amusement that came with her question. She took Aloy's hand and returned her gaze to the view ahead. "I should have known."
"At least it was still fun, right?"
Seyka let out a happy sigh and leaned on Aloy. "Yeah. It was."
A burst of gold and pink lights ignited in the center of the settlement before raining down in a hail of harmless sparks—the crowds below gasping and cheering as the accompanying audio rattled the ground with each boom. More holograms followed—a shooting star that streaked across the sky and Aloy's personal favorite: a great red serpent which flew up and around the buildings before climbing high and disappearing with a roar. Others just shot from an unknown emitter on the ground and exploded above them, their rumbling and crackling no doubt heard across the Stillsands.
She looked to her right, where Seyka was watching the entire thing with a huge smile on her face. Glancing around some more, she saw Alva wore a similar expression, though she seemed more curious than in awe. Probably wondering how they work. And just behind Alva sat Beta with Sokorra next to her. Beta appeared to be having a great time—clapping her hands and giggling whenever one of the exploding holograms would shoot past them.
It's good that Beta finally gets to be out of the Base to see this. She should be able to see what we're fighting for. It was an added bonus that Beta really seemed to be making a friend. She was proud of her sister for being there for Sokorra especially with Korreh still missing.
Sokorra mostly looked worried, tensing up whenever a hologram would get too close. One exploded right above them—the recorded audio's bass so loud it shook the roof and made Sokorra jump practically into Beta's lap. Aloy watched as an initially shocked Beta just laughed it off while Sokorra retook her seat, visibly embarrassed. Beta leaned over and muttered something in Sokorra's ear…before taking her hand. Sokorra said nothing, but she did stare blankly at Beta for a moment before moving a few inches closer to her. The holograms didn't seem to bother her as much.
Huh. That's new.
As curious as Aloy was, she wasn't about to get up and ask Beta about it in the middle of the show. We'll talk later. If there even is anything to talk about.
"Hey. You okay?" Seyka's whisper broke through any thoughts she had on the matter. She refocused, giving Seyka a reassuring smile.
"Yeah…yeah. I'm fine."
She tried to focus on the remainder of the show, which was as usual, amazing. The constant cheers from below served as yet another reminder of why they had to win. Later. Tomorrow she would find Delah and Boomer…and hopefully some answers.