FILE_RECOVERY_COMPLETE

PARTIAL_FILE_RETRIEVED

Bloodborne belongs to FromSoftware, Horizon Zero Dawn belongs to Guerrilla Games

Chapter 3: Justice for the Nora

LOG: Boredom: Data Corruption moderate:

Cyrus Bishop: Doll, what do you do for fun?

Doll: I interact with the little ones, Good Hunter. Why?

Cyrus: Curiosity.

Doll: What do you do?

Cyrus: Hunt. What else would I do?

…/…

"When did you learn to override machines?" Aloy asked as they rode north.

"Never." Cyrus replied. "I meant that it isn't my first time riding a beast. A machine is not that different."

Aloy just nodded as they neared the Nora. The sun was setting when they arrived. A smattering of different Nora warriors were arrayed around the area. Cyrus recognized Varl, but that was about it. He was standing next to a frowning woman.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up." A stern sounding woman commented as they dismounted their Striders. "Who's the outlander?"

"War Chief Sona, this is Cyrus, the hunter I told you about. Cyrus, War Chief Sona." Aloy introduced them.

"Stepping foot on forbidden land, now working with an outlander. May the goddess have mercy on us." Sona muttered.

"What are we dealing with here?" Cyrus asked getting down to business.

"Our scouts have reported that they've set up three camps in the ruins, one north and west, the others north and east. Men and machines patrolling each, with an alarm in the center. Their main base appears to be the ring of metal at the North end of the ruin." Varl reported.

"We take out the camps first. Stay quiet and they won't know what hit them." Aloy said.

"I'll send Braves out to each camp. What you start they can help finish." Sona said. "I'll tell them to wait until you take out the alarms. Then we attack."

"Only send your warriors to two of the camps." Cyrus interjected. "I'll hit the northwestern camp."

"On your own?" Varl asked.

"No, with the entire Nora tribe." Cyrus snarked. "Of course, on my own."

"How do we know you won't be turning us over to the enemy?" Sona questioned.

"Well, from what I've been told, shortly after these guys attacked your tribe, corrupted machines started appearing and ancient machines started rising. I don't think that's a coincidence." Cyrus explained.

"And that eases her, how?" Varl asked.

"Those ancient machines are my prey." Cyrus said. "Do as you wish. The night isn't getting any younger. I'll meet you just south of the ring of metal."

The Good Hunter turned and ran off towards the western camp.

"Is he always like that?" Varl asked.

"From what I've seen, yes." Aloy replied.

The Good Hunter knelt behind a ruined wall as he watched the Nora's enemies wandering around their little camp. Some of the Braves referred to them as cultists. Until he saw fanatical worship of some homicidal being or a Great One, he would refrain from giving them the title.

A few of the glowing red corrupted Watchers patrolled the edges of the small camp. One of the men studied a parchment of some sort next to a hanging sack of some sort. He presumed it to be their alarm. The Hunter smirked, that alarm wouldn't be a problem.

The Hunter stood and focused on the alarm. One of the men saw him and yelled out a warning that the Hunter ignored. He grasped one of his favored Hunter tools, brought it up to his face and activated the Blacksky Eye. The arcane meteor that shot from his face shocked the men around him. The meteor itself slammed into the alarm, destroying it.

One of the corrupted Watchers leapt at him. Cyrus rolled underneath the Watcher and slashed up into the machine. His Burial Blade cleaved through the Watcher easily enough. Cyrus smirked and began his work on the humans of the camp. They had regained their wits by this point and started firing their weapons at him.

The arrows did hurt a little more than he would have anticipated. Granted, they liked to use fire arrows, so each arrow that landed true also burst in a small flame. One of the men leapt at him, sword falling in a downwards cleave. Cyrus shot the man as he neared. He fell to the side, bleeding, stunned and open for a visceral that Cyrus happily took advantage of. The spray of blood certainly put the fear of him into the men around him.

Cyrus ran at one of the archers and stabbed his blade through the man's chest. Another archer dropped his bow and began to flee. The last fired at Cyrus. The Good Hunter sidestepped and caught the burning arrow. His firelit smile appeared almost demonic. The archer trembled as Cyrus turned to face his fleeing comrade. The report of his gun was barely registered as the man fell dead from the bullet impacting the back of his skull.

Cyrus turned to the last man whose senses had returned to him. He tried to flee. Cyrus grabbed his favorite tool, leaned back and pushed his hand forward. As he had grown used to it, the three tentacles of Ebrietas thrust through a cosmic portal and impacted the fleeing man in the back. He fell forward and barely a cry was heard as Cyrus executed him. The echoes of the slain filled him as he walked away from the camp.

The agreed upon rendezvous point was empty when Cyrus arrived. He had cleared out the camp in a matter of minutes. With the spare time, Cyrus took a look around him. The ruins were definitely familiar. He had been to Denver more than a few times. He remembered being invited to watch a Broncos game at the stadium in front of him. It wasn't his cup of tea, but it had still been fun. The Good hunter approached the ruined stadium.

His memory of the place was still mostly correct. Time had obviously not been kind to the crumbling ring of rusted metal. However, he could still hear a familiar hum. Granted, he didn't need the Hunter's Lanterns to enter or exit the dream, but when he died, they were quite handy. And the hum of the lantern drew him to the small alcove he had placed it in not so long ago.

He chuckled and snapped his fingers over the lantern. It was already lit, but should he die, the messengers would pull his body here instead of the underground cryogenic facility. Four messengers appeared from the ground. It had been Doll's suggestion for him to learn how to build and link the Hunter's Lanterns. It had been one of her best ideas. The Good Hunter smiled at the messengers before returning to the agreed upon rendezvous point.

It didn't take long for the Nora braves to arrive. Sona led them, followed by Aloy and Varl.

"Was beginning to think you wouldn't show." Cyrus said, echoing Sona's earlier reservation.

"The other camp?" Sona asked, ignoring the comment.

"Done and dusted." Cyrus answered.

"Good, now we attack and take out the main camp." Sona responded, gesturing to towards the ruined stadium.

"Before we all rush in, how about Cyrus and I scout out the arena?" Aloy interjected. "We might be able to find an easy way in as well."

"Very well. Take Varl with you." Sona ordered.

Varl nodded at Sona and the three of them approached the metal ruin. An opening about halfway up the structure was their entry point. Cyrus hoisted Varl and Aloy up first. Varl turned to help the Hunter, only to find him stabbing his scythe into the metal and stone and climbing it like a rope.

"Where do I get one of those?" Varl muttered.

Cyrus disconnected the blade from the shaft before answering. "Got it from my mentor a long time ago."

Varl nodded as they worked their way through the outer ring of the structure. Aloy and Varl were pretty handy at silently taking out the patrolling guards. A section of the structure had collapsed about a third of the way around the ring. The trio climbed the metal and were given a clear view into the arena.

A large number of machines and men were patrolling the area. Three Scarabs were standing, presumably powered down, by a shed on the back wall. Several quadrupedal and bipedal machines patrolled the edges. Two more scarabs seemed to be overseeing the work.

"That is a rather significant force, and no easy way to get your people in here." Cyrus muttered as they surveyed the area.

"Over there, that stockpile of blaze is close enough to the wall that it could easily blow it open." Aloy said, pointing at a shed on the far wall.

Barrels dripping with green liquid were piled up inside.

"That's just poor planning." Cyrus muttered.

"Varl, return to the War Chief and let her know that we're going to blow open the far wall. Be ready to join the fight."

Varl glanced around the area. "Are you sure about this? That's a lot of machines."

"Yes." Aloy said. "The explosion should take out a few of them. At least it should get those corruptors."

Varl nodded before returning to the ruin.

"You really think you can get over there without being seen?" Cyrus asked.

"Yep." Aloy said. "I can see their patrol routes"

"That may be, but you're overlooking one major problem." Cyrus said.

"And what is that?" Aloy asked, glancing at the Good Hunter.

"Numbers." Cyrus answered. "Let's say you do take down the three Scarabs by the blaze explosion. That still leaves two Scarabs, the other three large bipeds and the… six, seven, eight quadrupeds."

"Bellowbacks and Scrappers." Aloy informed him.

"Not to mention the twenty something humans down there. Even without those three machines, we will still be outmanned and outgunned." Cyrus explained.

"I know." Aloy admitted. "Do you have a better idea, though?"

"Maybe." Cyrus replied.

"Maybe?" Aloy asked.

"Well, we need more than just the three powered down Scarabs to be taken out." Cyrus said. "I could handle the other two easily enough, but not with the rest of that army."

"We need more to be caught in the explosion." Aloy concluded.

"And that will happen one of two ways. Either bigger boom or bait them." Cyrus said.

"You're going to bait them towards the blaze?" Aloy asked.

"Why else would I suggest it? I don't have a way to ignite the blaze." Cyrus responded. "And they will chase me."

"That's suicide. The explosion will get you as well." Aloy said.

"Eh, I've faced worse, I'll be fine." Cyrus brushed off her concerns. "What matters more is if you can get to a viable spot without being seen."

"Yes, but-" Aloy began.

"But nothing, Aloy." Cyrus interrupted. "I will be bait; you get ready to fire."

"Why are you so willing to die for us?" Aloy asked.

Cyrus glanced at her and said. "Because those machines are the scourge I hunt."

…/…

Cyrus leapt into the arena before Aloy could respond. Aloy quickly followed the Hunter into the arena. Unlike him though, Aloy hid in the grass. She watched as Cyrus aimed his pistol at one of the men and fired. He fell dead, but what drew the attention of the men around the stadium was the bang that resounded through the ruins.

"INTRUDER!" One of the men yelled.

True to Cyrus's word, the Scarabs and corrupted machines focused on him immediately. Cyrus said a hand out to his side and activated the Old Hunter's Bone. He had never properly learned the art of quickening, not that it mattered. He performed viscerals often enough that he would not have to worry about running out of quicksilver bullets for a long time to come.

The men began firing arrows at him. The Bellowbacks spewed flame while all five Scarabs and Scrappers tried to run him down. To the astonishment of Aloy, and the frustration of the men, Cyrus Bishop managed to dodge most of the attacks. In the chaos, the fact that Cyrus appeared to blink in and out of reality was barely registered. Slowly but surely, the Good Hunter drew the machines towards the blaze stockpile.

Aloy had no trouble sneaking around. The Hunter kept most of the attention on him. One of the men did see Aloy, but she quickly dispatched him with a spear to the neck. Aloy found herself in a good vantage. She could easily see the blaze stockpile and the small army of machines that Cyrus was drawing towards it. She notched a fire arrow.

Cyrus vanished behind the shed. The army of machines neared at. Aloy really hoped that Cyrus was out of the way. She pulled back on the bowstring and let it loose with a soft twang. The arrow flew straight and true into the blaze stockpile.

The explosion blew open the wall as Aloy had predicted. One of the Corruptors, two Bellowbacks, and a Scrapper were the only machines that managed to escape the blast. She didn't see Cyrus, but some of the cultists had been caught in the blast as well. Arrows began raining down on the men as Nora Braves ran through the opening in the wall. Aloy quickly joined the attack and began firing. Her own arrows struck as true as the arrows of War Chief and her men.

A loud bang informed her that Cyrus had joined the fight. She turned to see him taking down the Corruptor and the Bellowback with Varl. Cyrus sliced through the Corruptor's tail, rending the appendage from the machine.

Aloy turned back to the other Bellowback that had survived. Her arrows were slowing the corrupted machine. She smirked as one of her arrows punctured the fluid sack on the machine's back. Aloy fired a fire arrow. The blaze ignited and blew up the machine, setting fire to the ground around it as well. The Bellowback fell over dead.

Cheering from the Nora rose up over the battlefield. Aloy realized that they had won. She sighed in relief and leaned against one of the arena's walls. Cyrus sheathed his sword and walked towards her.

"Told you I'd be fine." He told her as he sat next to her.

"You are an enigma." Aloy commented. "How did you survive that explosion?"

"Explosions are pretty easy to survive when you aren't in them." Cyrus replied. "I wasn't in it."

Aloy glanced at him. She could instantly tell he was lying. He had, presumably, been between the wall and the blaze when it had gone off.

"You'll have to explain how to me someday." She muttered.

"Maybe, but not today." Cyrus commented.

A moment of silence passed as the Nora left the arena to begin the long trek back to the Embrace.

"Now what? We found your chief and helped her out." Cyrus asked.

"We need to head west." Aloy said. "I need to find a man named Olin. He was at the Proving and the attackers saw me through his Focus."

"And he's west?" Cyrus questioned. "Not a lot to go on."

"He's an Oseram who came with the Carja." Aloy said. "Erend, another Oseram who came with them might know where he is."

"Great, on our way to meet this Erend, you can tell me about the different tribes in the area." Cyrus commented.

"How long have you been alone?" Aloy asked. "That's fairly common knowledge."

"Honestly, I don't know. Could be anywhere from months to years. Maybe even decades for all I know." Cyrus commented. "We should be off. The night is over and the day is young."

Aloy yawned as she glanced up. The barest traces of the sun peaking over the horizon validated Cyrus's comment.

"Let's go then." Aloy said, pushing off from the wall.

ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…

Data Log TEH-003

In case you didn't figure it out. I try to denote POV changes with …/… in the story. Sometimes I forget though.

Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated.

Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.

End Log S.T.K.