Chapter 15
Aloy led the group onward, moving swiftly through the thick underbrush that had begun to encircle the ruins of the Metal Devils. The area was unnervingly quiet, save for the occasional rustling of leaves as the wind swept through the trees. Her eyes flicked over her shoulder to ensure the Nora warriors were following, their expressions a mixture of determination and uncertainty. Sona, Varl, and Vala were all near the front, ready to spring into action should the need arise.
"Stay alert," Aloy called to them, her voice steady but firm. "They're here somewhere.
We just need to find them before they find us."
As they moved deeper into the ruins, the once grand structures of the Metal Devils began to rise around them. The skeletal remains of old-world machines loomed overhead, their surfaces darkened and scarred by time and decay. Some of the machines had been stripped clean, their parts scavenged by countless hands over the years. Others remained as they had been, left behind to rot in the aftermath of a forgotten war.
Aloy's Focus flickered as she scanned the area, searching for any signs of movement. The quiet was unsettling. It was too quiet.
"Over there," she said, motioning toward a shadowed corner of the ruin. A faint trail of smoke rose from the rubble, and the smell of burnt metal hung heavy in the air. "That's where they've been."
Sona nodded. "Stay close. We'll move in, but be ready for a fight."
Aloy didn't need any further encouragement. She moved swiftly and silently, her body low to the ground, staying out of sight as much as possible. The others followed suit, their footfalls muffled against the dirt and stone.
The group reached the area where the smoke had been rising, and they paused, their eyes scanning the environment. Aloy took a step forward, her hand raised to signal the others to stop. The air was thick with tension, and she could almost feel the presence of the enemy lurking just out of sight.
And then, without warning, the silence was shattered.
A group of armed attackers emerged from the shadows, their faces obscured by masks, their weapons raised and ready. The Nora warriors immediately reacted, drawing their bows and moving into position, but Aloy was faster. With a quick motion, she drew her own bow and let loose an arrow, striking one of the attackers directly in the chest. He crumpled to the ground with a grunt.
"Take them down!" Aloy shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Arrows flew through the air, and the clash of weapons rang out as the Nora warriors engaged the attackers. Aloy was in her element, her body moving instinctively as she nocked another arrow and took aim. She didn't hesitate. Her shots were precise, deadly, and she didn't stop until every last attacker had been neutralized.
When the dust finally settled, the ruins were eerily quiet once more. The Nora warriors moved in to search the bodies, ensuring that none of the attackers remained alive. Aloy took a deep breath, scanning the area once more.
"That was too easy," she muttered, her eyes narrowing. "This can't be the entire force."
Sona approached her, wiping the sweat from her brow. "You're right," she said, her voice grim. "There's more out there. They won't go down this easily."
Aloy nodded, her gaze shifting to Varl, who was checking the bodies for any useful information. "We need to track them. Now."
Varl stood up, holding a piece of scrap metal in his hand. "This doesn't belong to them," he said, his voice low. "It's from the same machines we fought in the Proving massacre."
Aloy's heart sank. "The same ones? Why would they bring them here?"
"To make sure we don't follow them," Varl said, his expression hardening. "They're setting traps."
"Then we need to outsmart them," Aloy replied, her voice cold with determination.
"We'll find them, and we'll finish this."
Sona stepped forward, her hand resting on her bow. "We'll follow your lead," she said.
Aloy turned back to the ruins, her mind already racing through the possibilities. The enemy was close—she could feel it—and they were ready for whatever came next.
The Nora war party, now reformed and focused, followed Aloy as she led them deeper into the wreckage. They moved with precision, each warrior understanding the gravity of the situation. Their mission was clear: stop the remaining attackers before they could cause more destruction.
As they moved into the heart of the ruins, they found signs of the enemy's presence. Fresh footprints in the dirt. A scrap of cloth caught on a piece of metal. Aloy crouched down to inspect the ground, her Focus scanning for any further clues. There was something else—something off about the terrain, like the ground had been disturbed in a way that didn't feel natural.
"Something's wrong," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Sona joined her, kneeling beside her. "What do you mean?"
Aloy pointed to the ground. "They're not just hiding. They're preparing."
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from deeper within the ruins. It was followed by the unmistakable sound of something large moving—a machine, a big one. The ground trembled underfoot as the roar of the machine grew louder.
"Prepare yourselves," Aloy ordered, her voice calm but filled with urgency. "This is it."
As the last word left her mouth, the ground shook violently, and a massive figure emerged from the shadows. It was a Thunderjaw, its metal hide glistening in the dim light. Its eyes glowed red as it locked onto the Nora warriors, its massive tail swinging in anticipation.
"Get ready!" Aloy shouted, drawing her bow.
"This won't be easy."
The battle for the ruins of the Metal Devils had only just begun.
The Thunderjaw's deafening roar split the air as its massive metal body crashed through the ruins. Its red optics scanned the battlefield, locking onto the Nora warriors who braced themselves for the coming fight.
Aloy wasted no time. She sprinted to the side, taking cover behind a crumbling piece of the Old World, drawing her bow in one fluid motion.
"Focus on the cannons first!" she shouted.
Varl and Vala immediately loosed arrows, aiming for the Thunderjaw's disc launchers. Sona led a group of warriors, spreading out to avoid getting caught in its line of fire. The metal behemoth stomped forward, its tail sweeping through the debris, sending shattered stone and twisted metal flying.
Aloy rolled out from cover, knocking an armor-piercing arrow. She released it, the shot striking true—one of the Thunderjaw's cannons exploded in a burst of fire and shrapnel. The machine staggered but did not falter. Instead, it lowered its head and let out a deep mechanical growl before unleashing a barrage of plasma blasts. Warriors dove for cover as the ground erupted in fire.
Then came the Eclipse.
From the cliffs above, the cultists let out a war cry, pushing flaming Fire Bellowbacks into the battle. The massive machines stomped forward, their bellies glowing with liquid flame.
The battlefield, already chaotic, turned into an inferno as they spewed burning streams of fire at the Nora.
Aloy didn't hesitate. She sprinted through the smoke, dodging the burning oil as she made for higher ground. With a leap, she grabbed onto the ruins of an old watchtower, scaling it in seconds. From here, she could see the battlefield in full—a war-torn landscape of fire, metal, and blood.
Varl was locked in battle with two Eclipse soldiers, his spear flashing in the firelight. He ducked under a sword swipe, using his momentum to drive his blade into one attacker's chest. Vala, moving with precision and fury, took down another cultist with a well-placed arrow to the throat before turning to support her brother.
Sona fought like a storm. With each movement, she brought down another enemy, her expression unreadable. She was the War Chief, the unbreakable force that held the Nora together. And through the flames, the warriors looked to her for guidance.
Aloy knew what she had to do. She took aim at the Fire Bellowback closest to her and fired a tearblast arrow. The projectile struck the machine's fuel sac, sending it into a chain reaction—flames engulfed the area as the machine collapsed, taking several cultists with it.
And then she saw her opportunity.
The Thunderjaw was weakened, its tail damaged, one of its cannons destroyed. Aloy leaped from the tower, landing on the machine's back. She climbed with practiced ease, pulling out her spear.
With a swift motion, she drove it into theThunderjaw's override point.
Electricity surged through the machine. It roared in defiance, then—suddenly—it turned its red optics onto the Eclipse. A corrupted cultist screamed in panic as the massive war machine turned on its former masters.
The tide had shifted.
From above, an observer watched.
Alana's Perspective
Alana's eyes fluttered open. A dull throbbing filled her head, and she took in a deep breath. This wasn't the Nora lands.
She sat up, realizing she was lying on a metal cot, the surface strange beneath her. The walls around her weren't woven with hides or carved from wood—they were smooth, dark metal, humming with an unseen energy.
Where… am I?
She swung her legs over the cot, feeling the cold floor beneath her feet. Carefully, she crept forward, her senses on high alert. As she moved through the unfamiliar space, she spotted someone ahead.
A figure sat in a chair unlike anything she had ever seen—it had wheels. The young man moved effortlessly through the room, his hands adjusting a strange flying contraption on a metal workbench. The hum of machines filled the air, and blue light from a nearby console bathed the space in an eerie glow.
Alana held her breath, trying to move quietly.
But before she could get too close, a voice cut through the silence.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."
She froze. The young man turned around, setting his work aside. He was tall, taller than her, his frame lean but not weak. His hair was tied into a ponytail, and his face bore an uncanny resemblance to a figure she had only heard of in whispers. But what caught her attention most were the markings on his arms—strange, intricate designs that reminded her of Banuk war paint.
"Hello, Alana," he said smoothly. "I'm Adal."
Her heart pounded. "How do you know me?"
He smirked slightly. "I know all of you. I've been watching."
She narrowed her eyes. "How?"
Adal didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. A Focus.She had seen one with Aloy.
"Would you like to see?"
Alana hesitated, then slowly nodded. Adal stepped closer, holding the device up to her temple. The moment it made contact, her vision exploded into light.
Suddenly, she was somewhere else.
The battlefield unfolded before her in stunning clarity, but it wasn't like simply looking at it. The environment integrated into her surroundings as if she were standing there herself. The battle raged on, and she could move through it, witnessing it from above.
Aloy was locked in combat with a Fire Bellowback. Alana watched as her spear drove into the machine's weak point, flames erupting from its core.
She turned to Adal, wide-eyed. "If you can see all of this, why don't you do anything?"
He regarded her with a neutral expression.
"Of course, I could do something. But what profit is there in meddling?"
She scowled. "Profit?"
Adal leaned back, crossing his arms. "The drones we use to see aren't equipped for interference. They can only observe. Hence why, even during the Proving, I had to come physically myself."
Alana turned her gaze back to the battlefield, frustration bubbling inside her. But then, something happened.
Aloy stood atop a fallen Corruptor, her spear raised high, her face illuminated by the flickering flames around her. The sight of her, standing defiant against the chaos, sent a surge of energy through the remaining Nora.
Sona's voice rang through the battlefield.
"This battle is won, but our fight is not over. We have lost many, but their sacrifice will not be in vain. The blood of the fallen calls for justice, and we shall not turn away from it. But today, we leave these weapons behind. The Eclipse are cursed, and their taint lingers. Lay down your arrows, your spears—we will not carry their corruption home with us. We will return as warriors of the Nora, unburdened by the past."
One by one, the warriors obeyed, discarding their bloodstained weapons.
Aloy, standing atop the ruined machine, turned to Sona. "I need to go to Meridian."
Sona met her gaze, then gave a single nod. "Then go. Seek Marea at the border. She will guide you beyond the lands of the Nora."
As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, Aloy mounted a Strider, the wind catching her hair as she rode toward the boundary of her homeland.
It was time for Meridian.
And watching from the distance, unseen by all, Adal simply smirked.
To be continued....