Chapter Text
For a moment Avad simply leaned against a pillar and breathed out in the still air. He watched as Tilda’s shape disappeared into the evening sky. Then the palace sounds reappeared and things moved again. Things were back to normal and at the same time fundamentally changed. Avad activated his focus and got up. He heard the thundering footsteps of a group of soldiers. Marad stepped out of the shadows behind them and spoke up.
“Your radiance. It seems we had a visitor.” Avad sensed that Marad was thinking of something to say. The appearance of a Zenith seemed to have unnerved even the normally unflappable spymaster.
“You can say that. I hope you maintained control of the palace. Tilda might be hard to explain, even if I want to.” Avad remembered the unconscious guard and looked around, but he couldn't see him. “Did you take care of the corridor guard? She said she didn’t kill him.”
“He’s sent to the infirmary. I think Nasadi is there overseeing things to prevent unnecessary rumors from leaking.”
Avad breathed out .At least that was okay. Marad continued.
“I got your warning, and had the palace turn off all focuses.” He pointed to a guard “Meram, go tell the others they can reactivate their focuses.” The guard jogged away and Avad began to think.
“Good. Did you get anyone on note taking? I want to send as much of the conversation as possible to Aloy.” After rebooting the whole network. He didn’t think Tilda had done anything to it but he would at least try. He hoped he could remember the conversation. With what he knew of Tilda and the Zeniths, any detail might be important
“Something better actually.” Marad motioned to Avad to follow and he did. He saw a strange device that had been placed in a servant's room. It was an Oseram device of some kind. Avad’s eyes widened as he realized what it was.
“I suppose something from that man came useful after all. How much of the conversation did you catch?”
Marad tapped on the bronze casing. A voice came out of the strangely shaped box. Far more distorted than sounds that came from focuses, but still clear enough. He heard Tilda speak about Dutch paintings from Dervahl’s voicebox.
---
Aloy - Today 16:42
Just gotta deal with some rebels quickly, be right back.
Aloy - Today 16:48
I’m back. So what are you do now that you don’t have rebel groups trying to kill you?
Aloy - Today 16:57
Avad, you there?
1 Missed call, from user Aloy.
Erend - Today 18:01
Hey Avad, I think Aloy is trying to reach you? You, okay?
---
He heard the reconnect signal as the focus network restarted and a wave of messages came at him. Avad felt a bit bad about disappearing from Aloy but he felt that “sudden Zenith appearance” was an acceptable excuse. It was late in the evening, the sun being gone from the sky. He called her first anyway.
“Aloy?”
“Avad? Did something happen” Aloy sat on her bed in the base. He hoped she hadn’t been sleeping.
“Tilda,” he said. It both was and wasn’t a great explanation. “We had a sudden Zenith guest, for a bit.”
“Oh”.Aloy’s eyes widened and her breath caught. She looked around as if to see signs of ruined buildings or destruction. “That’s….” she looked over at Avad, confirming that he was in one piece “Are you okay?”
“Well Meridian is still standing. We are alive” Avad sighed. “I’m just rattled and quite confused”.
“You still look to be in better shape than after my first meeting with a Zenith. I suppose that was Erik, not Tilda though.” Aloy collected herself. “What happened, tell me everything. I mean everything, Avad. Anything we can learn about the Zeniths could prove useful.”
So Avad told her about his sudden guest, and sent her a focus recording of Dervahl’s voicebox. She seemed tense through the whole explanation, besides scoffing slightly when Tilda found the paintings. “Only you would distract an immortal with paintings, Avad. Only you”. When they got to Tilda’s final message her face hardened. “I was surprised we haven’t seen the Zeniths again. Even with them having lost Beta they should have been looking for the subfunctions. But of course, it would be just like them to let us gather everything and then steal our hard work.”
Aloy’s face hardened. “But the problem is, we still need Hephestus. Gaia is doing what she can with the subfunctions she has, but without new machines there is only she can do so much. The ecosystems are failing, Avad. I need to speak with her and Beta tomorrow. Try to figure out a plan that gives us a chance if the Zeniths come. Maybe we could sneak out or something. But, “ she yawned '' I'll save that for tomorrow.” She looked at him, her face softening. “I’m glad you're okay, Avad. And Meridian too for that matter. Don’t know if I could have handled a visit from a possessive space immortal with limited grasp on personal space that well. Good job. I…” She yawned again. “Can we keep the focus call going? I like watching your face as I fall asleep”.
---
Avad’s second meeting the following day was different from the first. The first had been ministers and generals of the sundom. ‘What happened yesterday?’ ‘What could they do if Tilda came by again’ (not much, really). They finally got time to debrief over his journey to Sunfall and the ambush on the road back. Avad wanted to say he had almost forgotten about that, but not really. Immortal Zeniths and angry reactionary cults were two different fears, but both were quite scary.
The second meeting of the wasn’t held in a room in the palace with a large oak table decorated with precious metals. Avad saw Aloy, Beta, Erend, Zo, Varl, Alva and Gaia in his focus sitting in an underground room, designed a thousand years ago. Kotallo was absent, having been called by chief Hekarro to look over the groves' defenses in case Regalla attacked. Another problem. Not about the fate of the world, but still important.
Gaia spoke up. “What Aloy says is true. We need Hephestus. But, “ she paused "there is a point to heed Tilda’s warning. From what we have seen from the Zeniths technology and capabilities I think the odds of us winning a battle with them or escaping with Hephestus and myself are slim.”
Varl replied. “What if it's a ruse? Can we trust Tilda’s words? They might just be trying to delay us.”
“We certainly can't trust Tilda.” Aloy’s words were sharp, authoritative.”But here she has no reason to lie. We barely matter in the eyes of the zeniths and if they considered us a threat, they could have just sent a swarm of specters our way.” Avad remembered Tilda’s words from yesterday. The Zeniths didn’t need an army of machines. One of them could alone, if they wanted, destroy any city he knew of. Might take a while, and they would need to get their hands dirty, but there was little that they could do to fight back.”
Erend replied. “Could we hit them with something they won’t be expecting? Collapse the cauldron on them or something. You said their shields must have limits.”
Zo looked a bit shocked. “Collapse a cauldron on them, how? And we need to make it out of there too, you know.”
“While there would be many difficulties with collapsing a cauldron in a way that doesn’t harm us, I do believe it would take down the Zeniths shields. They need some form of energy source and even in my highest estimates it would be able to resist a whole cauldron falling on them. That said, there is also the challenge of my processing unit which needs to be transported there and back in one piece.” Gaia answered.
“Can we table ‘collapsing a cauldron on us’ for now?” Aloy replied. “I am a bit tired of having things fall on me”.
“Okay, okay. I was watching through your recordings of earlier battles and saw how many of them involved collapsing structures or cliff faces at some point.” Erend put his hands up in the air. “But fine. Anyone have any different ideas?”
There was a brief silence as people considered. Then the suggestions began. After twenty minutes Avad considered ‘collapsing a cauldron’ to be a fairly decent idea.
Varl was the one to take them on a different topic. “What about Sylens? He clearly has a way to kill Zeniths.”
“I feel like I’ve combed the entire Forbidden West for him with no signs. He is clearly working here somewhere, the Sons of Prometheus are signs enough of that.” Aloy looked exasperated. “But I don’t know what little hole he could be hiding in.”
“I know Kotallo has told Hekarro to arrest Sylens if he shows up in Tenakth territory. I told the chorus the same. Based on what I have heard about the man, I doubt he would just wander in though.” Zo replied. Avad had done the same thing. From Daytower to the Daunt, there was a standing order to catch Sylens. Not like he expected him to show up in the sundom, but still. And if they somehow did catch him, Avad would have words to say to him about the cult he founded.
“Why don’t we simply get him to get him to come to us?” Alva had been mostly quiet so far, besides chatting to Beta about some advanced technology to fight the Zeniths that Avad didn’t understand.
“With what? A welcome sign?” Aloy softened her tone. “He’s not really the type to answer messages, Alva.”
“No. We give him no other choice. He has clearly invested a lot of time in these Sons of Prometheus and Regalla’s rebels. Beat them and he should come out of wherever he is hiding.”
Zo looked skeptical. “Or he could just disappear completely.” Avad felt like there was a chance of that. When Hades attacked Sylens hadn’t been on the walls. He had given Aloy a spear with a virus inside of it and headed off to places only touched by shadows.
Aloy looked similarly downcast at first, then brightened. “No. He’s too invested for that. Ignoring the fact that if the Zeniths restart Gaia and the planet, he wouldn’t be able to research. Sylens clearly has some kind of plan and I doubt his pride would just let him hide away.”
“So we beat Regalla and her rebels, get Sylens to come out hiding. Get him to work with us or steal his technology. Then we capture Hephaestus and when the Zeniths come to take from us, we are prepared to smack some heads. Sounds like a great plan. Where do we start?” Erend could make things sound so simple sometimes. But Avad knew that it wasn’t just ignorance that made the Oseram speak like that. Hearing the plan laid out like that made it seem coherent and added some comedic relief the room lacked.
---
“Ah. The sun king. You know, there was a time I dreamt about bringing the sun king here. To punish him for the raids that brought my people so much suffering.” The talking man walked around in his room in the projection, holding a long jagged sword. Avad saw many scars and painted arms and face, that made him look like a villain for one of his childhood stories. He could imagine the sword dripping red with blood. “But you aren’t him are you? You’re the one who ended the reign of the Jiran and the raids.” Avad nodded as Hekarro greeted him “Welcome, Avad of the Carja. Strange situations, bring strange allies it seems.”
“Thank you, Hekarro. Unfortunately these focuses don’t let us exchange gifts, otherwise I would bring you something.” Since the last ruler had been Jiran, it had been some to
“Well, you already have. Some of the most common complaints I hear is that I am being bribed, bought out even by the Carja.”
“How do you deal with them?” That wasn’t on the list of things to ask. But Avad rarely got to talk to other leaders. And he could use some advice on how to deal with annoying nobles.
“I ignore them. Or remind them that I am chief. They know they have the right to challenge me, but few dare.” And there was a difference, Avad supposed. In many ways the Tenakth were more egalitarian than the Carja. At least if you knew how to fight. Avad might be able to fence on the level of an average noble, but if the Carja accepted challenges by combat he would quickly be deposed. “Most of the tribe will relunctanty admit that these Ravager Cannons you’ve sent.are quite useful. And I think many of my marshalls and commanders have learned the value of your scrolls though. As long as you use them for logistics instead of sun worship.
Avad sighed. “I apologize for the amount of sun priests that I’ve sent to the embassies. Would have sent more” he searched for the right word “diplomatic people. But, you know politics.”
Hekarro nodded. “Your tribe seems to be deeply rooted in it, I’ve gathered. But I don’t think politics were the reason you called me. And I have a defense to organize so I can’t talk too long.”
“No. It wasn’t. It was as you might have guessed about your defense and rebel problem. I’m guessing Kotallo or Aloy told you we intend to help.”
“I’ve heard. And any aid is appreciated. Still Avad, you sit in a palace hundreds of kilometers from here. I’m sure Aloy and her companions might help, but I don’t see how the Carja would even if you can convince them too. My latest reports say Regalla will attack in a week.”
“Do you think she would accept a duel?”
“Against whom? I don’t think you are a stupid enough to think you have a chance against her, even if she is actually likely to accept that. She might accept one from me” Hekarro paused and thought for a moment, looking a bit somber, almost wistful, “but I don’t know if I could win now. I don’t know if any Tenakth could defeat her in a duel. Regalla was my best marshall and since we last fought she has trained relentlessly”.
“What about Aloy?”
Hekarro thought for a brief moment. “She might be able to. Your friend is capable in ways few people are. And her determination runs as strong as the ten. But Regalla would have little reason to accept a duel. Aloy isn’t chief, she isn’t even Tenakth.”
Avad thought about suggesting his second idea. The Werak ploy. But no, it wouldn’t work. It was more likely to shatter the morale of the Tenakth. Still he had an idea. An idea that should give Regalla a reason to accept a duel.
“I have an idea. I don’t know if it will work, but it might get Aloy a chance to duel Regalla.”
Hekarro looked intrigued. “It could save my tribe a lot of bloodshed if that happens. We might have a chance to defend the grove with Aloy and her friends reinforcing it and the Ravager Cannons you sent. The outlander, the one from across the sea, has promised me a few overridden machines to aid us.” He sighed. “But I wonder how much of the tribe would be left after such a battle, even if we win.” Avad looked up at the evening sky, brilliant orange. The same color shone in the focus image. Avad remembered the night sky after the battle of Meridian. It had seemed to run red with blood. If he could prevent the grove from that fate, he would.
Hekarro continued. “I won’t be relying on your help, Sun King. But I hope your plan works- Fashav was a great man, Avad. I hope you can surprise me the same way he did.”
---
Aloy- Today 10:06
Sure I can send them over. Here
Attached File; Flying Machine Notes.
Aloy- Today 10:07
Why did you need them though? Sundom having problems with stormbirds again? Or did some skydrifters come in. They can be quite annoying.
Avad - Today 10:09
No. I had an idea. I'll call you tonight?
Aloy - Today 10:10
Mm. Sure, I guess. Well, I am heading off to the Stillsands.
Avad - Today 10:10
You are? Not gonna help fortify the Grove?
Aloy - Today 10:11
Eh, well, as you heard it should be a few days before Regalla attacks and we located one of the rebel camps over there. Might as well lower their numbers.
Avad - Today 10:11
Please tell me you brought someone along with you?
Aloy - Today 10:17
Sorry. Widemaw tried to ambush me. Took it down.
And, umm no. Everyone at base was busy.
Avad - Today 1017
Aloy. I know you're capable, but we can all have unlucky days. I don’t want to lose you to some lucky rebel with a stray arrow
Aloy - Today 10:18
You’re not. I got this.
Tell you what though. I know someone in the area with experience dealing with bandits. I’ll bring him along. How about that?
Avad - Today 10:18
You what? Sure, of course you do.
Be careful Aloy.
---
Beta - Today 10:22
Did Aloy send you the notes you were looking for?
Avad - Today 10:22
Yeah, she did. I’m heading over there now. You wanted to see the mechanists area on the way right?
Beta - Today 10:22
Yeah, that could be interesting. Need a break from designing these pulse emitters anyway.. I think Alva might want to tag along too.
Avad- Today 10:23
If she wants then sure. She’s still very nervous around me though, you know. I think she has had previous bad experiences with royalty.
Beta - Today 10:23
Don’t know if this will help, but given what she’s told me about Quen secrecy, and her love for technology, it might actually
Beta - Today 10:24
Also don’t worry too much about Aloy. I'm keeping a stormbird on standby above her. I’m not losing my sister to a random rebel.
---
The machinist area outside of Meridian hadn’t been idle while he was away. In fact it seemed to be even more lively than it was when he left. The battle against Dolarf and his crew had apparently given the inventors new ideas and some ‘actual battle testing’ as one of tinkers phrased it. Weapons, armors, tools and devices were being made, tested, displayed and sold by Oseram tinkerers, Carja scholars and the occasional Banuk shaman or Nora outcast.
This time he didn’t just have the voices of scholars and tinkerers looking for funding however. Avad also walked with enthusiastic commentary from Beta and Alva who were projected from his focus. They were eagerly chatting and looking over devices. Avad had tried to convince Alva that she could speak freely with him. In one on one conversations she was still a bit apprehensive and made sure every word was fit for a king. Given a workshop full of interesting devices made from technology of the old ones? She seemed enthralled. As he understood, this whole setup was very alien to Quen ways where knowledge was hoarded and kept secret unless absolutely needed. Here Alva had after an initial bit of apprehension, begun eagerly talking machine parts and contraptions. Beta was a bit more quiet than Alva but he could tell she was enjoying it, and anything that could bring her out of her shell was great.
Now they were looking over a workbench where a group of tinkers were attempting to make a spear that channeled lightning. The leading tinker had given a description that Avad had followed, then Beta and Alva had asked a series of more involved technical questions that left him confused. He needed to give them more chances to visit about this place. Preferably in person someday, but for now maybe he could send them in with someone else. Vanasha and Marad were too busy. It might be too much walking for Kivuna and while Itamen would love it at first, he didn't think his brother could stay focused that long. Maybe someone from the vanguard? For now though he coughed to take everyone's attention.
“Alva, Beta, I hope I can give you an opportunity to visit the machinists area again, but we had a plan for today.”
“Oh, sorry your” Alva stopped herself, “Avad. Of course. You don’t need to, though, if you're busy”.
“I’m sure the tinkers enjoyed your questions and ideas.” He was quite sure they had inspired a lot of new things. “If not me, I can let someone else organize a tour. For now though” He walked away and into the area they came here for. The projections didn’t walk, as much slid along the ground as the focus worked to keep them steady. It was a bit disorienting, really.
He arrived to an area with high, sturdy fences and quite a few guards around. Beyond that he could see what they came for. Machines. The sundom had acquired a few electronic warfare units or override rods as he more often heard them called. Now they were taming machines and discovering more uses by the day. Chargers and broadheads as messengers for messengers. Behemoths for cargo deliveries. Glinthawks for sentries. Scrappers and perhaps even rockbreakers for mining and quarrying. Avad was quite sure that in a few years the sundom would look radically different.
If they had that long. While he had never doubted Aloy’s words, his conversation with Tilda had confirmed their importance. What he did here barely mattered, when ecosystems around the world were failing and a group of egomaniacal immortals were trying to reset to earth to their liking. So instead of any of the other projects Avad walked with Beta and Alva to a Stormbird in a corner of the area. There was a group of tinkers attaching some kind of large contraption to it, as a few hunters kept watch. It looked odd, even to Avad who had greenlighted it and brought a few projects together.
“Oh, that's what you are attempting.” Alva had an expression Aloy sometimes had when she found an interesting puzzle or challenge to overcome. It fit her well.
---
“Hey Avad?”
Avad saw lights. Shimmering lights across the night sky. Mythical creatures and sparks.Great ruined buildings standing among a sea of sand. The old ones could be greedy and wrathful. Complacent and small minded. But sometimes, seeing views like this, it showed the wonders they could create. It was breathtaking and for a moment he was speechless.
“Avad?”
“Oh. Sorry” He looked to the side and saw Aloy, who was sitting precariously on the edge of a curved rooftop. She was breathtaking in her own way. “It was just this view. Did you say something, Aloy?”
“Ah. Thought so. Yeah Vegas was something, alright. And the people here know how to make things shine. Stemmur and Abadund have done a good job, though don’t tell Abadund I said that. Sometime later, after all this, we should explore the halls underneath. Those are some sights to behold.” Aloy looked calm, almost serene as she spoke. “Just need to deal with remaining snapmaws first.”
“No other machines or ancient immortals down there that will try to kill us?”
“Don’t think so. I dealt with the Tideripper that got in somehow. It will be a good intro into exploring ruins for you.” There was a hint of sarcasm in her tone, but also something else. Something genuine.
“I’ll put it on the agenda.”
“Yeah.” Then she grew a bit more serious again. “So I can’t wait any longer, what was this project you planned? You needed my machine notes. I hope you aren’t trying to fly on a stormbird, cause believe me I’ve tried.”
“Static electricity, yes?” Avad had read her notes. Mostly the old ones that came with the focus, but he had double checked with her current ones. Aloy had taken a lot of notes on her attempts to ride on any flying machine she encountered. She had been very insistent on the idea of flying. But all flying machines she had overridden so far were either too small or had some other aspect that made it unviable. “I believe I have an idea”.
“Oh? I would like to see it. Could have saved me the ride here.”
“Sadly I don’t think it could have. But I have it underway here.” He tapped his focus, showing an image of a stormbird from the mechanist area. Attached to the machine was a platform, hanging on its back claws and body. Stormbirds generated a lot of static electricity when they flew, which would char any rider in a matter of minutes. Aloy had apparently tried to ride one with Oseram forge wear to ward off the lightning, but had been forced to jump off before half an hour. And the lighting was integrated in its core function, so you would need your own cauldron to modify it if you wanted to get rid of that. Riding on a stormbird was therefore out of the question. That said, if you simply distanced yourself from the stormbird enough that the lightning didn’t hit you…
Beta, Alva and the tinkerers and scholars had now created a prototype platform that could hang under the machine and carry a small group of people. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it would work. The tests done so far had been mostly successful, and very educational (properly insulated wires and security harnesses were needed). It was the first step of Avad’s current plan.
“Okay, I suppose I wouldn’t have thought about that. How do you control it? Via override, at a distance?” Avad let her ponder for a moment, recognizing Aloy’s expression. “That would work. It would be the strangest method of travel I’ve heard off, and you couldn't use it in combat. But well. I suppose you would be flying.”
“That was the goal, yes.”
“Where though? I mean you would speed up travel for a few across the sundom. Maybe you carry things here with it? Stormbirds are strong and would be faster than our current system. And that could be great. But, no.“ Aloy looked at him. “Avad, are you coming here? Because there is no reason for you to do so. I want to see you again, but you can’t abandon everything to see me. You have a kingdom to run”.
“Seeing you would be a bonus. But there is a more important reason. I can’t stay in my palace while you save the world, if there is something I can do to help. Seeing Tilda showed me that. A hundred reforms would mean nothing if the Zeniths win.”
Aloys eyes turned shaper, showing a quiet fury. “You already help, Avad. You’ve sent the Ravager guns and a bunch of shards. And our chats, like this, give me strength. I want you nice and safe, and a standing Meridian to return to when the Zeniths are defeated. You won’t help me by throwing away your life fighting Regalla.”
“Believe me Aloy, I don’t want to fight Regalla and I doubt the few Carja I could bring could make a difference. I was hoping you would fight her. You might be the only one we know that could beat her in a duel.” He supposed the Zeniths were an exception to that statement, but they were very unlikely to offer help.
“A duel? I doubt she would accept one from anyone besides maybe Hekarro, and the Tenatkth don’t allow champions for cases like this. And besides, what do you have to do with it? It’s not like she would accept a Carja honor duel. Unless…”Aloy’s eyes widened as she realized the plan “you are there as bait. Agree to a duel and you get to have the sun king if you win. Otherwise you will what? Fly back to Meridian and she will have to chase you. Based on what I know of her she would blasted well accept that.”
This wasn't how he had intended to present the idea. It had been a vague concept yesterday, an outline that sounded too crazy to work. But they were indeed running out of time. Flight would be great regardless, but they needed a way to beat Regalla. She had an army of machines and a group of trained Tenakth armed to the teeth. Avad had written down an order to present the plan. But Aloy’s intelligence and determination had ruined the presentation. He wasn’t too upset, they were two qualities he loved in her. It did make it hard to plan surprises for her though.
“Can’t believe I am saying this, but part of me wants to go back to the plan where we collapse a cauldron.” Aloy sighed. “You know, you will die an excruciating death if Regalla beats me, right?”
“If you lose, I think I will anyway.” Avad realized after he said that, that he meant it in more ways than one.
“Dammit. Why do you have to make so much sense?”
“I try. My predecessor was bad in that department.”
Aloy laughed gently and the tension deflated. “You can say that.again. Well I suppose we’ll have to call Gaia and the people back at base tomorrow, to go over the plan.” Then she paused and lit up a bit. “And I know someone right nearby you need to meet. He might be only one in a hundred kilometers with experience flying.” Aloy sat up and looked around, trying to see something or someone.
Avad was very interested in who this was, but “Aloy it’s almost the middle of the night. You can introduce me tomorrow.”
“Fine, you're right.” She moved to her bedroll, and moved to lay down. “He will love the project though. Good night Avad.”
