The Meridian sun illuminated the sky, waking up Aloy. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The room smelled of herbal infusions and sweetness. She looked around for Avad, but he wasn't there, and neither was the crown that had rested on the table the day before. Next to the bed was a chair with a tray containing a bowl of milk, two glasses filled with different infusions, one light and one dark, and an appetizing pastry. Beside them was a note. She reached out to grab it and observed it for a moment. The carefully written cursive handwriting stood out, and it was the cleanest and most pleasant-looking text she had ever seen. She read it quietly. "Good morning, Aloy. I went to supervise the city's reconstruction and lend a hand to those who need help. It seems that there will be bad weather tonight, and here in Meridian, storms are not usual, but when they occur, they are far from friendly." She paused, memories flooding back, reminding her of how she ended up in Meridian. After reinstating Gaia in the base, Aloy had left on her Alasol to head towards the Sacred Lands, mainly to deliver the news of the chieftain's son's death defending her and to gather an army. However, she made a brief stop in Meridian. Unfortunately, a storm had caught her by surprise since the AI had not fully regained control of the terraforming system, and the weather remained quite chaotic. The storm brought strong winds accompanied by torrential rain and a multitude of lightning strikes that shook her with force. All of this caused her to fall uncontrollably from her mount, tumbling through the air. She managed to deploy her wing shield, but it didn't slow her fall due to the bad angle, and she hit the ground, losing consciousness upon impact. "Well... not my best landing, but it could have been much worse," she admitted, returning her gaze to the paper. "I know you can't stay still for a minute, but please, I ask you not to go out. You need to rest for your wounds to heal. See you at lunch. Avad." "Ah, I'm sorry, Avad, but this time I won't listen to you," Aloy said as she began to eat breakfast, eagerly biting into the delicious pastry. She finished her meal quickly, and then got up, heading to the chest to get dressed. When she opened it, she found another note that said, "Oh, by the way, I took your armor to clean it; it was quite dirty. But honestly, you won't need it since you're not supposed to leave the room. You shouldn't even be reading this!" she chuckled, muttering to herself, "Ah, this time you've beaten me to it, but I haven't run out of ideas yet. A good hunter always has a backup plan." She then rummaged through her backpack, where she always carried her Outcast attire, which she had crafted with Rost's help, so she would never forget her origins, her roots. As she pulled out the garment, she felt a wave of nostalgia, remembering her father figure. Suddenly, she touched her neck, recalling the pendant he had given her on the day of the trial, during their farewell. Terrified, she realized that the pendant wasn't hanging around her neck. She let out a trembling sigh. It couldn't be lost. She covered her mouth with both hands, suppressing a panic-stricken scream. Quickly dressing up, she put on her focus and decided to follow Avad's trail. She desperately hoped that he knew where it was. Turning on the device, she tracked until she found the footprints of the Sun King and began walking briskly, following the trail of purple triangles that appeared on the ground, facilitating her pursuit. Avoiding the guards, as he probably warned them to watch her, she left the palace. She walked quickly across the bridge and through the streets until she reached the lower part of the city. She couldn't run because the fall had left her legs and ribs sore. The elevator was broken, so she followed the path Avad had taken, taking a slight detour to reach the cornfields, where the trail became confusing. She looked around, and there he was, helping repair the roof of a house next to the grain warehouse. He wasn't wearing his usual king's attire, but he could easily pass as a handsome peasant. He wore dark brown pants and a white shirt. This time, he didn't have the crown on; he probably left it in his office, revealing his messy black hair. Both his clothes and hands were covered in dust from the work. "Avad!" she called out as she approached him. The monarch startled at her voice. "Aloy!" he responded, quickly coming down from the stairs that reached the roof beams. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay in the pal..." "Listen to me; this is VERY important," she interrupted, trying to remain calm. The people around them looked at her, happy to see her, and some said, "Look, it's the Redeemer," "The Redeemer has come." "I can't find my necklace. I always wear it; it's carved from a bone, my father gave it to me... I beg you, tell me you know where it is," she rushed to explain. "It's very precious to me, much more than anything else. It's one of the few things I have." "Hey, Aloy, calm down. We'll find it," he said, gripping her shoulders. "I remember seeing it, I think I left it in the room, or it might be with the laundry. We'll find it, okay? Go back up; I'll catch up with you." She obeyed and turned back towards the palace. Avad bid farewell to the family he was helping and promised that he would return personally or send reinforcements.
They hurried into the room, still holding hands. Aloy began searching under the furniture, while Avad tried to recall the moment he brought the items to the room.
"Let's see," he said, positioning himself by the door. "Where did I put it? I remember opening the chest and... placing the things inside, but the necklace... I separated it... and then I went to put it on the headboard of the bed, but it was stained."
"And what did you do?" she asked impatiently.
"I washed it, and... Ah! It should be hanging with your things. Come!" They walked through the palace corridors until they reached an area with several ropes holding clothes. He hurried to a specific part of the room, already knowing where his things were hanging, and there it was! Stretching on his tiptoes, he took it down and handed it to its owner. As soon as Aloy held the necklace in her hands, she hung it around her neck and clutched it tightly against her chest, relieved. Avad remained silent, unsure of what to say. She had been really upset...
"Aloy, I... I'm sorry for scaring you. I only wanted to help," he finally said.
"It's alright, you found it," she replied, now more composed. "As you said, your intention was to help, so you don't have to feel guilty about it. It's all resolved now. Besides, it's spotless. Thank you very much," she added, smiling. "On top of having half of your city destroyed, you've been taking care of me day and night. It's impossible to handle everything."
He smiled. "Yes, it's been a tough time, and my only peaceful moments are when I'm with you. Thank you for understanding."
"No, thank you. You even cleaned it; that's really thoughtful," they exchanged smiles and locked eyes with complicity for a moment. "Alright, and now there's a city to rebuild," she continued, trying to avoid blushing. "Let's head back to the house where you were helping, and on the way, you can update me on how things are going."
"But... you should rest," he replied.
"I can't just lie around all day. I'll help, even if it's just a little," she said determinedly.
"Aloy, you're still limping, and it hasn't even been a day since you woke up," he said with great seriousness, concerned for her health.
"I can be of help, even if not at full strength," Aloy insisted.
"That's not what I mean... You could injure yourself or worsen your wounds," Avad raised an eyebrow in disagreement. "Is there anything that can stop you?" he added with a reproachful tone.
"No," she chuckled, "but I promise I won't overwork myself. I'm not completely fine, but I have enough strength to be useful. Besides, you mentioned there's going to be a storm tonight, and any help will be welcome."
"Alright then, let's go," Avad agreed, starting to walk back to the cornfields. "But don't you dare use your left arm, understood?" he warned.
"At your command, Resplendent," she replied with a smile. His warm and cheerful laughter made Aloy blush.
"Let me tell you a bit about what has happened after the war," Avad said. "Putting the disaster aside, I'm very pleased to see the good citizens stepping up. Those whose homes suffered minor damage have joined forces with those whose houses were in worse condition. They're working together to repair the better-off homes first and offer shelter to others, then helping them rebuild their own houses. As for the others, they are staying in the palace because a significant number of homes were destroyed in the hardest-hit area, and there wasn't enough space in the city to accommodate everyone who became homeless."
"That's a great idea!" Aloy remarked.
"Yes, and it's working. When they were alerted about the war, many people moved their most valuable belongings to a safe area. Now that they have a place to shelter, they're all in high spirits. We'll get through this, Aloy." the monarch said cheerfully.
They arrived at the house that was being repaired. It was one of the largest houses in the area, with a warehouse storing all the corn. However, the explosions had devastated a significant portion of the crops, so they needed to find alternative sources of food for the upcoming year. But right now, the priority was to ensure the house was perfectly repaired to protect as many villagers as possible during the storm.
"We need more wood for the roof." one of the farmers pointed out.
"Leave it to me." Aloy intervened. "Where's the saw?"
"Right inside the house, to the right." the farmer replied.
"Alright, I'll be back in a while," Aloy said, swiftly leaving with a wave of her hand, bidding farewell.
"I'm going to accompany her; she'll need help." the Sun King said, rushing to catch up with Aloy. "Prepare the necessary materials to secure everything." he instructed the others before running after the Nora. "How can she move so quickly with a wounded leg?" he thought, feeling a twinge of pain, placing a hand over his chest with concern. "Aloy!" he called out as he saw her heading towards the forest. "Wait for me!" She stopped, holding a large saw in her hand, his gift of a lance on her back, and some ropes on her shoulder.
"Thanks, I could use some help." Aloy said as they sawed and stacked several logs together.
"What you could use is some rest." he murmured with seriousness.
"Come on, Avad..." she complained while placing the last log.
"I'll go look for some assistance to carry these to the corn warehouse." the king proposed, lowering his gaze, knowing he was right, but also aware that she was too stubborn to listen.
"I know where to find help, but you need to be careful. Come, follow me." she said with an enigmatic tone. He, not entirely sure of what was going on, followed her intrigued. They walked a few meters into the forest until Aloy grabbed his wrist and crouched down. They hid in reddish bushes.
"What's going on?" he asked confused.
"Shhh..." she hushed, pointing ahead. He looked curiously in the indicated direction until he understood her intentions.
"You're not going to...?" he said anxiously, realizing that where she had directed him, there was a group of grazers peacefully grazing.
"Yes, we're going to ask them for help. I'll show you how, but for now, wait for me here," she said. He didn't resist. The idea of approaching machines that tried to trample you as soon as they sensed your presence was not at all appealing to him. He knew he couldn't stop the huntress once she saw her prey, so he stayed silent, observing the situation with trepidation.
Aloy crawled stealthily among the plants until she was just a few meters away from one of the machines. She threw a stone far away to divert the attention of the others, leading them to a different location and leaving her free to take one of the grazers without engaging in combat. Then, she placed her lance near the machine, which remained motionless. Several pieces detached from its neck, and blue cables connected to its head. Seconds later, Aloy walked back to him, followed by the machine.
"Wow, that was incredible," he said in amazement. "But..." he added, looking at the machine with suspicion, "Are you sure it's… harmless?"
"Yes, though don't distrust it, it'll notice and rebel; it's listening to us." she replied.
"R-really?" he asked, frightened, quickly moving away from the grazer.
"No, it's just a joke!" she responded playfully. He remained serious but felt relieved. "How do you think I travel so quickly? Besides, if it were aggressive, it wouldn't let you get near it," she said, running her hand through her black hair, thinking it felt as soft as the night before. He blushed and glanced at her while rearranging his hair, suppressing a silly smile.
After tying all the gathered wood to the grazer, they headed back to the village. Aloy had to reassure the farmers that it was entirely harmless before approaching them. After years of machines becoming increasingly dangerous, people feared their aggression. They deposited the wood and everyone went to eat, planning to return as soon as they finished. They worked together tirelessly until the house was in perfect condition. Evening began to set in, and the sky took on a brownish-gray hue, and a strong wind began to blow, carrying sand mixed with the first drops of rain and the pleasant scent caused by the earth starting to moisten.
"Meridian is known for its excellent weather, but when it's bad, it's really bad," warned the monarch, wiping the sweat off his forehead after the effort they put into repairing the building in time. "The climate here combines with that of the desert, a powerful combination. We should take shelter before it gets worse."
"Everyone to their homes!" Aloy ordered with a strong voice as they headed towards the palace. The sand hit their bodies along the way, but they managed to enter the building. Once they reached Avad's quarters, they closed the door, both exhausted.
"What a day! So much work we've done, and there's still so much left to do," exclaimed Aloy.
"It's been exhausting. There's still a long way to go before all the farmers recover their homes, but at least everyone has a place to take shelter from the storm," replied Avad, searching for a towel in the drawers.
"Thank goodness nobody has to spend the night outdoors," Aloy remarked.
"Yes, thank goodness we managed to organize everything in time," they fell silent for a moment. "And now, I need to take a bath; I must look pitiful," they both laughed.
"Okay, in the meantime, I'll go to the pantry and get some dinner," Aloy said after saying their goodbyes. She went to find another restroom to clean herself up, and then headed down to the dining area to get food. They had prepared some wild boar chops that emitted a very appetizing smell, and after the tough afternoon of work, her mouth watered just visualizing them. She grabbed a couple of plates, cutlery, glasses, bread, and placed them on a tray, keeping her eyes fixed on them like a predator about to pounce on its prey. She arranged everything on the table. The size of the chops was considerable; they even spilled over the plates, and she could feel her stomach growling. However, she would wait for Avad to enjoy those delicacies with him. The monarch was still in the bathroom, so she decided to distract herself by organizing her backpack until the door opened, making Aloy turn around. The Sun-King came out, drying his hair gently with a towel, with another one cinched around his waist. He wasn't wearing shoes or a shirt. She turned around, admiring his sculpted body, feeling herself blush, but something caught her attention, and she didn't like it at all.