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Bloodborne belongs to FromSoftware, Horizon Zero Dawn belongs to Guerrilla Games
Chapter 17: The Glory of the Sun
LOG: The Toll of the Bells: Data Uncorrupted
Cyrus Bishop: In your time as a Hunter, you may hear the extradimensional calling of a bell. I have and there are three types of bells that you too may hear. The first, and arguably most beneficial is the tone of the Old Hunters Bell. The Messengers ring these bells linked to long dead hunters. You may answer with your beckoning bell. Should you answer, an Old Hunter from times long past will appear for a limited amount of time to help in your hunt.
You might hear the tones of another hunter's Beckoning Bell. You can answer with your own Small Resonant Bell. And just like with the Old Hunter, you will be transported across time and space to help the Hunter who beckons. Just as you can answer the call of a Beckoning Bell, so too can you ring a Beckoning Bell to call for help. However, be warned. The summoning of help from across the cosmos will also summon a bell ringing woman, with this you will hear the sounds of the final bell.
The Sinister Resonant Bell beckons Hunters who wish to engage you in combat. Should they invade your Hunt, you will fight until the death. Worry not, for if you die, you will simply awaken back at the last lantern you rested at, or in the Hunter's Dream. Again, you can choose to ring your own Sinister Resonant Bell and be called to a duel across the Cosmos. Or a duelist will come to you. It is entirely up to the Great Ones what happens.
The final bell related tool is your silencing blank. You can fire this small pistol at any time. It will not fire any projectiles like your firearm. It will, however, fire a blank that silences any Beckoning or Resonant Bells. Any help that has been summoned, Old Hunter or otherwise, will be returned to their world. However, a combatant summoned by a Sinister Resonant Bell will not return until they die, or you die. And the bell ringing woman that your Beckoning Bell summoned can and will continue to ring a Sinister Resonant Bell until you hunt her down.
Finally, I should warn you. If you have been contacted by a Great One, and accepted them as your patron, they may choose to send you across time and space at their leisure, regardless of your own physical state. After all, it is by their power that these bells are capable of such transdimensional transportation. Should you fail at what they sent you to accomplish, rest assured they will send you again, and again until the task is complete. I should know, my own patron has sent me across the cosmos on many such instances.
…/…
The shining sun made Aloy want to keep her eyes closed. Curiosity won out though, and she sat up. She noted that she was in a bronze cage suspended above an arena. She also noted that her armor and weapons were taken from her. Of course, they weren't very far away, but she was still disarmed. Her focus was resting on a chest nearby, a chest that presumably contained all of her gear. All clearly out of her reach.
"Welcome back to the waking world." She heard.
Aloy looked over. There sat Cyrus, arms and legs chained to the platform. The shackles appeared to be incredibly strong. He too was divested of most of his gear. The only thing left were his pants. It was the first time Aloy had seen the Good Hunter with skin showing. And now that she got a good look, she could see why he continually called the Hunt hell.
Every inch of his skin was pockmarked with scars. Each scar came with a story. She could see scars that looked like they were beast attacks, burns, electricity, puncture wounds. Everything she could think of was there. Most concerning were the three scars that appeared to wrap around his neck. She could see many old bite wounds along his arms and side. one scar stood out above the rest. The scar was the long thick curved one that started under his ribcage and ended at his heart. It didn't take her long to realize that was where he had suffered from the same visceral attacks that he had committed against several of the machines.
"Not pretty, is it?" Cyrus asked.
Aloy tore her gaze away from his scarred body. She nodded.
"Nature of the Hunt." Cyrus answered her unasked question. "Remember, scars carry over. I think our patron likes us to remember each of our failures."
"Will I look like that?" Aloy asked.
"Eventually, possibly. Who knows?" Cyrus responded with as much of a shrug as he could. "This is from hundreds of years of fighting. The only thing that killed but didn't leave a scar is the Plague's biomass conversion system."
"How did it avoid your face?" Aloy asked.
"Center mass." Cyrus answered. "There's a few scars along my face, but when you're in war, you aim for center mass."
Aloy leaned back. She glanced over at Cyrus.
"You want to use some Eldritch mumbo jumbo to get us out of here?" Aloy asked.
"Not a good idea." Cyrus replied.
"Why not?" Aloy asked.
"Look around." Cyrus said.
Aloy did. She could see that the stands were filling up with spectators. She could also see some large wooden gates at one end of the arena that led into the desert beyond. Overall, nothing much that would prevent Cyrus from calling upon the Moon Presence for help.
"Am I missing something?" Aloy asked.
"By that answer, yes." Cyrus said. "There are too many innocents around. Even with your accelerated induction into the Eldritch world, it has still been revealed to you over an extended period of time. Small grains of sand that have slowly been added to the scale. The most jarring part was getting into the Zero Dawn when a Caryll Rune was etched into your mind. Something I'll be teaching you to do yourself soon enough. If the Moon Presence were to speak through me right now to free us, that would be like dropping an anvil onto the scale. It would break them."
"I hadn't considered that." Aloy muttered.
"I know. I didn't either." Cyrus said. "There are precious few people in the world that would survive unharmed from such revelations."
"Were you one of them?" Aloy asked.
"I wish. My first experience with the Eldritch world was dying and being thrown into the Hunter's Dream." Cyrus said with a shudder. "One does not simply brush something like that off. I sat in the dream for… hours trying to process what was happening. I don't think I truly understood anything until I released Gehrman. He helped me a lot with the revelations. I wouldn't have survived without him."
"Anything else preventing you from using your power?" Aloy asked.
"There's a significant number of Scarabs hiding outside the walls." Cyrus stated. "I counted at least seven."
"Any plans?" Aloy asked.
"Yeah, kill me." Cyrus stated.
"That isn't a plan." Aloy stated.
"Sure, it is. If I die, I can bring back reinforcements." Cyrus said. "I might be able to provoke Helix into doing the deed himself."
"I think his name is Helis, actually." Aloy commented.
"Really?" Cyrus asked.
The two lapsed into silence. The thudding of boots drew both of their attention. Cyrus and Aloy turned to see the massive, armored man they had just been speaking about.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear. You're going to wish you were still unconscious." Cyrus stated.
"Ah, the Nora savage finally awakes. I was beginning to worry I had accidentally killed you." Helis stated. "I have a more suitable death in mind for the two of you."
Cyrus snorted.
"Something you find funny, outlander?" Helis questioned, turning to Cyrus.
"You wouldn't get it." Cyrus replied. "So, are you here to wax poetic nonsense again. I heard enough the first time."
"Maybe, this one fascinates me." Helis stated, turning back to the caged Aloy. "My entire life, I've always known one thing with prophetic certainty that I was destined for glory as a great champion of the Sun."
"And there he goes again." Cyrus muttered.
"Even when Jiran was murdered, even when Meridian fell, I never doubted my destiny… until you came along." Helis continued, ignoring Cyrus. "When I heard that you had survived… a doubt took root in my mind. As sure as the sun rises and falls each day, those I am bade to kill, die. And yet I failed. How? Why? With each dig site you attacked, each loyal soldier you killed… this pestering doubt grew… It grew when High Priest Bahavas went missing… and when the true Sun King, Itamen, was snatched away, it not only grew, but multiplied. I kept thinking of the moment my knife pierced your throat. One twist, a simple tug of the blade, and you would've bled out. In slaughter, I am a practiced hand. So why hesitate? Why fail my destined purpose?"
"See that scar on your cheek? You didn't get to finish." Aloy replied, with a smirk.
Helis paused in thought. "Yes, I remember. He fought well… for a savage."
"His name was Rost, and he was a better man than you could ever hope to be!" Aloy snapped
"The better man is the one who doesn't end up with his guts steaming on the ground." Helis replied.
"HA." Cyrus barked. "Once again you are objectively wrong! The better man isn't necessarily the one who lives. The better man is the one who does what is right."
"And you are the arbiter of right and wrong?" Helis snarled.
"Cosmos beyond, of course not." Cyrus replied with a roll of his eyes. "I am hardly a shining example of morality. Just like you, I sold my soul to the devil long ago. Unlike you though, my devil actually has power."
"The Sun in Shadow is no devil." Helis stated. "He is the god of a coming age. He will lead us out of the shadow, and we will claim our rightful place. It is my destiny. The Sun in Shadow has allowed me to glimpse the Sun's design etched at length across the course of events. You two were meant to survive that day on the mountain, meant to interfere at dig sites and kill my men… Meant to eliminate High Priest Bahavas… Meant to snatch Itamen away… Conversely, I was meant to capture you. Here so that you might die as a sacrificial offering to the Sun. Everything as it was meant to be. Predestined, and preordained."
"Some destiny." Aloy snarked. "You've just been following orders, not some grand cosmic design. You're simply a pawn being pushed around the board."
"More than that, he's a puppet." Cyrus interjected. "A mindless puppet too stupid to realize he's marching to the drumbeat of his own death."
Helis whirled around and grasped Cyrus by the neck. He applied a little pressure.
"You know nothing of the Sun's grand design!" He snarled. "You will see when I offer you as a sacrifice to it!"
He released Cyrus's neck and turned to leave.
"You know nothing of cosmos, you pitiful fool." Cyrus called after him.
Helis stopped in his tracks.
"The Sun is powerless next to the Paleblood Moon." Cyrus continued with a smug smile. "The Crimson Moon doesn't care for grand design or destiny. It does as it pleases. When your death comes, you'll look to the sun, but only see the horrors the Moon hides."
"LIES!" Helis yelled as he unsheathed his sword and swung it at Cyrus. Cyrus's smile turned to a satisfied smirk as Helis cut through the Good Hunter's neck.
"That works." Aloy muttered.
"You will die for the glory of the sun with him and the rest of your tribe of savages." Helis snarled at Aloy as he walked back to the palace.
He slammed his blade into Aloy's Focus as he passed. Aloy looked over at Cyrus's corpse. She smirked as she watched Cyrus's body vanish in a soft Eldritch light.
Aloy leaned back against the cage as she waited for the day to pass, hoping Cyrus would be there soon. A large crowd of people had gathered in the ring. A Behemoth was chained up in the ring.
"Carja faithful, rejoice! Our years in the shadow are over!" Helis announced, making his presence known. "A new dawn trembles on the horizon, a new day, soon to break! And when it does the false Sun-King will be dead, and holy Meridian, ours once more! In this, I have become an instrument of prophecy! All halves of nature joined to one cause! Shadow to Sun, Light to Dark, Night to Day! Behold!"
Aloy watched as two Scarabs climbed over the stands and into the ring. She raised an eyebrow and wondered where the rest of the Scarabs were.
"HOLD YOUR SEATS!" Helis commanded the startled citizens. "Can you not see the proof of the Sun's blessing before your eyes?! How else could shadows such as these prowl in broad light of day, were they not approved by the Sun, and joined to our cause? Many years ago, to consecrate this great Ring… the Radiant Jiran ordered many faithless crushed beneath the hooves of a Behemoth! Mighty is the Behemoth in the eye of the Sun… but it is mightier still, infused with the power of shadow!"
The two Scarabs turned to the chained machine. Aloy watched with growing dread as the Scarabs both corrupted the machine. The telltale red glow of corruption spread through the machine. The Scarabs backed off as the Behemoth broke free from its chains.
"Let this one, who schemed and slithered, be the first to die. Let her be the first of thousands!" Helis said with a twisted smile.
Aloy was unceremoniously dropped into the ring with the Behemoth. The machine turned and immediately charged at her. Aloy dove to the side and focused on getting away from the machine. The machine slammed into the side of the arena with enough force to crack the walls. Aloy looked at the walls. She smirked as she noted the pillars holding up the cage she had been stuck in. The pillars were built in the arena.
Aloy ran towards one of the pillars and whistled at the Behemoth. It charged at Aloy, before it could slam into her, she dove to the side. The Behemoth slammed into the pillar. The platform above shook but was still decently stable. She scowled and was already running towards the next pillar.
The Behemoth turned and started charging after her. Aloy dove out to the side as the machine barreled past her. The large machine tried to turn to attack her, but its own speed got the better of. The sudden turn caused the machine to roll into the pillar. With two pillars missing, the platform fell to its side. The remaining pillar held it up, but the chest containing her gear fell off. The wooden box slammed into the crowd and kicked up a cloud of dust. Aloy ran into the cloud to grab some of her gear.
The cloud was enough cover for her to slip on her skirt and grab a bow before it started clearing. She noticed, with slight frustration, that she didn't have very many arrows. She had enough to hurt the Behemoth, but not enough to take it down. With a frustrated huff, she grabbed the Bowblade Cyrus had gifted her.
The weapon was heavier than the bow she was used to, but she hoped it would be enough. She pulled back on the drawstring and fired an Eldritch arrow at the Behemoth. The large machine stumbled slightly as the arrow slammed into the machine. Aloy glanced at her weapon and smiled as she rapidly began firing Eldritch arrows into the Behemoth. With each arrow the machine looked worse and worse. The twelfth arrow went through the machine's eye and the Behemoth fell dead. Aloy smirked and donned the rest of her outfit. She idly noted that Cyrus's clothes and weapons were in the chest as well.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Helis yelled from the balcony. "SHADOWS! KILL HER!"
"Why leave it to them!? How about you face me yourself!" Aloy shouted back.
The Scarabs surged towards Aloy. They were interrupted by three Ravagers breaking through the gate into the arena. The Ravagers began firing on the Scarabs. Aloy turned to the gate and watched confused as Sylens rode in on a Charger. Aloy hurriedly wrapped the rest of her gear and Cyrus's gear in Cyrus's garb. She grabbed a Charger and rode out of the arena with Sylens.
"TRAITOR!" She heard Helis yell as they rode into the desert.
They rode a short way from Sunfall before coming to a stop.
"Sylens?" Aloy asked when they stopped. "You came?"
"Surprised myself too. Your friend, however, can be very persuasive." Sylens responded.
Sylens gestured back toward the city. She could see a small cluster of Scarabs, she counted six, chasing a man on another Charger. Aloy grinned as it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was Cyrus on the Charger.
"You can override machines now?" Aloy asked.
"What did you think I was doing, sitting around doing nothing this whole time? Had to destroy a Scarab first." Sylens said. "Here. You should never be without a backup."
Sylens tossed her a new focus.
"All the data from your original Focus is on there, including the alpha registry." Sylens stated.
"I need to be on my way." Aloy said. "I think Helis ordered an attack on my tribe. You should come help. The Nora are already weak, they won't stand a chance."
"Absolutely not." Sylens said. "I have preparations to make elsewhere. Besides, you've already got your help in him."
Aloy and Sylens turned to see Cyrus and his charger striding up to them. The Scarabs were all smoking and colored red. Aloy noticed the new weapon and garb Cyrus was wearing. Cyrus's garb was a dark blue coat with a black cape of feathers flowing from the shoulders. The weapon was a large blood red mace. The spines on the end were cruel and sharp. As he neared them, he slammed the butt of the weapon into the ground. To Sylens's slight surprise and Aloy's raised eyebrow, the blood weapon dissolved, like liquid, to reveal a more normal looking mace.
Cyrus nodded at Sylens, who promptly took off. Aloy could barely see the line of a fourth scar along his neck.
"Glad to see you're alright." Cyrus said at last.
"I should be saying that to you." Aloy replied.
"Not my first decapitation." Cyrus stated. "Did you happen to recover my stuff, by chance?"
Aloy unrolled the hastily packed gear from Cyrus's Old Hunter's garb. Cyrus smiled and quickly changed his garb.
"Thanks for the help." Aloy said as Cyrus climbed back on the Charger with his old weapons and gear equipped once more.
"Don't thank me yet." Cyrus said. "We've still got work to do."
"You're right!" Aloy said. "Helis ordered an attack on the Nora! We have to ride!"
Aloy urged her Charger into a run. Cyrus followed close behind. The Good Hunter idly noticed that the Bowblade was secured with her normal bow on her back.
ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…
Data Log TEH-017 Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated.
Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.
End Log S.T.K.