"Aloy, wake up, dawn is approaching soon." Avad said, gently shaking her shoulder.
"Already…?" she complained, slowly opening her eyes.
"Yes, if we delay any longer, it will be unlikely that we can leave before dawn." he pointed out, looking up at the window.
"So, you're eager to go?" she asked, sitting up while he ruffled her hair.
"I'm impatient, and I have to confess that I'm very nervous... I could hardly sleep all night." he admitted, adjusting his hair. She laughed.
"You're going to love it, I'm sure." then, both of them got up. Avad went to the bathroom, washed his face, and then applied some makeup, while she dressed in the room. Most of the luggage had been packed the previous afternoon, but there were still some final touches, especially on Avad's part, who was not very sure about what to wear. In search of suitable attire, he opened his large wardrobe and nervously rummaged through the clothes hanging on hangers "What's happening?" she asked when she noticed the king's nervousness.
"I don't have warm clothes... It's not cold here, and it's not necessary, but I'll freeze there." he replied, pulling out a couple of T-shirts and showing them "Because it's much colder there, right?"
"Yes, but don't worry, I know a tailor there who is a good friend of mine, and I was planning to buy something suitable for you." she replied, looking at the open wardrobe. On the floor of the furniture, among the clothes, she could see something made of wood... An instrument? And it was leaning on what seemed to be... a canvas partially covered with a sheet or something. Avad closed the wardrobe.
"Then I'll wrap myself in the cape until we get something better." he replied, determined. "I'll get dressed, and... we go out."
"And... are you ready now?" she asked, noticing that there was no bow among his things.
"Yes, I think so." he replied.
"But... aren't you carrying any weapons?" she asked, surprised "We shouldn't have problems on the journey, but it's always good to have them to defend ourselves."
"Yes, yes, I think the same, that's why I have the sword." he replied, lifting the cape he had left on the bed, revealing the weapon.
They didn't take long to finish the last preparations. She carried her usual travel bag, and he had a small shoulder bag with some clothes and other personal items. Once they were ready, they stealthily left the room. Aloy was dressed in her worn armor, her hunting bow strapped to her back, and the quiver full of arrows attached to her waist; and, of course, the spear. The Sun-King wore work clothes under a dark-colored cape, with the hood covering his head, and his royal sword hidden beneath the fabric. Marad was waiting for them in the palace. The previous evening, they had agreed with him that they would leave without anyone knowing, to avoid being followed with the intention of ambushing them. Then, his royal advisor would manage the city during those days and communicate the king's absence due to a well-deserved rest after years of exhausting work, and the improvement of ties with the eastern tribe. Surely, people would understand. They walked and chatted to the north gate of the city, where they stopped for a moment.
"Enjoy these days, I hope everything goes as planned." wished the Intrepid. Avad hugged him.
"I know I'm leaving everything in good hands, thank you very much, my friend." Marad smiled.
"Hey, Aloy, before you go, you should know that this man here…" he said, slapping him on the shoulder "is damn curious even though he's been locked up here all his life, so be careful not to let anything slip." all three laughed.
"Don't worry, I won't take my eyes off him for a second". she replied, winking and with a wide smile on her face.
"Well, let's not delay this any longer... See you in a week." Avad said goodbye "And thanks for taking on such responsibility." Marad the Intrepid nodded and waved goodbye.
"That's what I'm here for. Walk in the light." he wished.
The couple left the city, walking slowly side by side. After a few minutes, Aloy emitted a powerful whistle that attracted a Strider that she had tamed the day before, grazing in the vicinity of the city.
"Yesterday I forgot to ask if you wanted to ride your own machine…" she said, turning to him.
"No, no, I prefer that we go together…" he replied, extending his palms "Despite having ridden a few times, it still doesn't convince me much. Truth be told... I don't feel very confident doing it, so I'd rather go with you and let you handle it."
"Alright, don't worry, let's go." she replied, mounting the machine and then extending her hand to help him up. Avad wrapped his arms around her waist. Although Broadheads no longer terrified him, he still felt quite uneasy when he was close to one, and holding onto her gave him some confidence.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Go ahead."
Then, she gently commanded the mount to start trotting along the path heading east. First at a walk, and gradually, she accelerated to a gallop. Aloy kept her gaze fixed on the horizon. Thanks to her collaboration with Nil, the number of bandits had decreased significantly. They had practically eradicated them, but there were still some scattered groups wandering around, and letting their guard down was the last thing she should do, given the company she was keeping. She felt responsible for Avad's safety, and the last thing she wanted was for something to happen to him. He, on the other hand, looked around. It was practically the first time he had left the city (as he had only gone out to declare war on his father), and he could enjoy the landscape. In the distance, there were large desert-colored mountains that shone with the first lights of the day. He liked everything he saw except the machines... Every time they passed near a place frequented by them, he tensed up, even when they were just grazers. Aloy could feel it because she noticed how he held onto her more tightly every time they crossed one of these areas.
They rode near Gatelands, Lone Light, and Mornings Watch, but they didn't stop at any of these places. It was impossible to make the entire journey during the day, so Aloy's intention was to reach a safe place before nightfall. He probably wasn't aware of the great distance between Meridian and the Sacred Lands, and he wouldn't know that they had to travel a long distance there to reach the villages most frequented by the Nora, and of course, his home. Still, she preferred not to say anything to avoid worrying him even more. It was already quite an intense journey for him, and she didn't want to add more elements to his list of nerves, such as the fact that they would probably spend the night outside any settlement. Aloy looked up and glimpsed in the distance a Stormbird hovering over the roads, flapping its wings slowly, and they would soon encounter it.
"Um... Avad…?" she began to say to warn him that it was a dangerous area "By any chance, have you ever seen a Stormbird?"
"I know that during the war, one of them attacked the area where you were, but I didn't get to see it, in fact, I've never seen one." he replied.
"Okay, well... We're going to come across one. They usually mind their own business, and our speed will allow us to pass without any problems, but it's still a... less safe area. I don't want you to get scared; nothing will happen to us, but I prefer you to be aware."
"Alright…" he replied, swallowing hard.
Indeed, they didn't take long to reach the place where this majestic beast was flying freely throughout the area. Aloy felt how, as soon as he saw it, he clung tightly to her waist.
"Everything will be fine. And if not, I'll tell you that I've taken down countless of these... Don't be afraid."
"I-I heard that during the war, it was you who brought down the one that came to attack Meridian…" he said fearfully, not taking his eyes off the creature.
"Yes, and we'll escape from this one without any problems, don't worry, we won't even have to fight."
As the huntress had predicted, the bird saw them. It emitted a loud roar and prepared to attack. Its eyes turned red, and it charged the weapon protruding from its chest with electricity, which lit up in a blue tone full of sparks, and shot a large electric ball. Avad turned his gaze away in terror, burying his face in Aloy's red hair. Aloy made a sudden brake, stopping the Broadhead abruptly and skidding slightly. The electric projectile passed over their heads and crashed into the ground just a few meters ahead of them. Then, she ordered the mount to gallop, feeling how the Sun-King made an almost inaudible sound of terror, which she could hear. Skillfully avoiding the electrified area that had formed, they ran towards Daytower. The bird finally returned to its usual route, leaving them in peace.
"Avad... it's gone now." she warned him to reassure him. The Sun-King eased the pressure with which he was holding her and sighed in relief.
"Th-thank the Sun…" he sighed again, beginning to regain his composure "What an imposing beast, I-I didn't think they were so large…"
At a safe distance from the settlement, Aloy instructed the mount to stop. The drop in temperature was noticeable, indicating they were approaching the snowy area. They dismounted the Strider and stopped to eat. They were quite hungry, so it didn't take them long to finish what they had. When they were done, Aloy said:
"We'll soon reach Daytower…"
"The Sundom exit…" Avad interrupted, impressed to have made it that far.
"Yes…" she nodded "The thing is... Do you remember the incident I mentioned with Zaid? It happened there... and some weren't happy with the positions they held, so... just in case they're not entirely friendly towards you... it's best that they don't know you're there. Don't say anything, it's unlikely, but they might recognize your voice, and make sure to cover your face, okay?" she warned, aware of the potential danger.
"Understood." he replied seriously, pulling up his hood.
"We're going to pass through, but the mount can't enter the settlement, so when we get there, we'll have to dismount and walk through on foot." then, she took his hand "Everything will be fine." she added, looking into his eyes. They rode slowly to the gate and followed her instructions. They entered the place. The guards instantly recognized Aloy, the girl who had saved them from a corrupted machine attack some time ago, and now also the Savior of Meridian. They greeted her with smiles and let her pass without asking questions. They knew they were being watched, but no one recognized the king. Avad looked around, bewildered under the cover of his cloak. He felt that at any moment someone could attack them... He couldn't deny that he had put a lot of effort into purging all areas, but there was always someone hidden, as had happened with Zaid.
"Aloy!" someone called, startling them. She turned around "I thought I wouldn't see you again!"
"Be careful and don't attract attention." she whispered to the monarch, approaching him "I'm going to talk to him, but I promise it won't take long." Avad nodded, so nervous that he didn't even recognize who it was at that moment.
"Aloy, I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time after what happened with Zaid... I don't know if you'll believe me, but I want you to know that I really had no idea what he was hiding. I thought he was just a soldier like any other, willing to help, I had no idea that he and his group were up to... that. I just wanted you to know, and I hope you accept my sincerest apologies. Since then, I've been more careful to see what the guards are up to, and no incident like that has happened again. I hope it won't happen again."
"Don't worry, Balahn. Fortunately, Zaid won't bother anyone else, and thanks to your supervision, I'm sure this place will be much safer."
"I'm glad you accept my apologies, I think after what happened, no one around here wants to have problems with you, especially after everyone knows that you're the hero of the battle, the Savior of Meridian."
"It was what... I had to do."
"By the way, what brings you here? I see you're accompanied." he pointed, looking at the king.
"He's a friend, we're on our way to the Sacred Lands."
"And... he doesn't say anything?" he asked, surprised, scrutinizing her companion more closely.
"We went hunting," she hurried to answer to prevent him from speaking "but a Ravager scratched his face, leaving a rather unpleasant wound... that's why he's covering it. I've treated him as best I could; he'll endure the journey long enough to reach the village and be treated by someone more professional."
"Yes…" he said, never taking his eyes off him "I'll accompany you to the gate, if it's not a bother." They walked quickly and in silence to the gate leading out of Sundom, where they stopped "I wish you both a safe journey," he said kindly "the Savior of Meridian and... the Liberator" he added in a very low voice, so that no one else could hear. Avad jerked slightly in surprise.
"What?" she asked, surprised.
"He is wearing the same cloak as he did before the Liberation, I wouldn't overlook it, but don't worry, no one here will recognize him. Those days are etched in my memory, but none of the other guards here were as close to us in battle."
"For primarily political reasons, for our safety, I ask you not to say anything that you saw us leaving Sundom." Avad requested worriedly "We're going to see if we can smooth things over with the Nora, but I'll be back in a week."
"No problem, you can go without worry, you know I'm a trustworthy person." Balahn replied "It was a pleasure to coincide with you, Aloy" then he turned to the Sun-King, giving a small nod of his head "I hope everything goes well; I'll await your return, Radiance." the monarch smiled kindly, and then the couple was alone again. They stood in silence at the border. It was an important moment for him, and Aloy wanted him to take the necessary time to cross the threshold. Anyone would have thought it was a simple step, but for Avad, it held great significance. Aloy took his hand, and he squeezed it tightly, ready to move forward. He took a deep breath and stepped forward with his right leg.