The couple walked down the path that led them down of the mountain without having to follow the shaman's route again. Aloy opened the interface of her Focus and began to read the list of things that her boyfriend had to do for the Werak.
She opened her map to review the locations of each task, trying to visualize a route to make the whole ordeal less difficult and annoying for the both of them, at least, that was the original plan of the redhead until she noticed that close to her was that "Metal Cavern" that the Banuk shaman had told her about, back in Song's Edge.
Aloy: Hey Al, do you remember that place that that Shaman told me about inSong's Edge? -Asked his girlfriend to the ancient soldier, to which he nodded.
Aloy: It's about 20 minutes away, I'll go check it out -said the redhead and her boyfriend looked at his map and noticed that it was the old Yellowstone drone/aircraft hangar, the place that he shouldn't have found in the first place.
Allam: Alone? -Asked the ancient soldier to the huntress; she nodded.
Allam: But... what if you need help? -Asked her boyfriend somewhat worried, to which she looks at him somewhat incredulously and with some annoyance.
Aloy: I can defend myself, Al -she replied with some attitude, to which the old soldier only raises his hands in surrender.
Allam: Woah, Woah, Woah, easy there, love. I know that better than anyone. I was just saying it for security -explained the old soldier to his mate.
Aloy: Besides, you need to start helping the Banuk and this detour is going to waste your time. So, don't worry about it and go do what you have to do, I'll see you in Song's Edge -said the huntress with a satisfying smile, while she gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.
Aloy: Also, what's the worst that can happen? -the redhead said with a shrug.
Moments later...
Aloy had three electric arrows on her bow, aiming them at two Stalkers, which surprised her inside the old hangar.
Aloy: It was too good to be true -said the redhead while she analyzed her situation and thought of a strategy to kill both machines.
Aloy knew from the start that getting that rail from the drone was too easy, and it gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Sometimes, she hated being right.
An hour later...
Aloy was hanging from an old rusty metal platform inside of an ancient dam, the Jackson Dam; Beneath her, wild currents of frigid water awaited her, and if that didn't kill her, the Snapmaws that were submerged in the depths of the water would make sure to finish her off.
It all started by wanting to help that girl and those "musical tubes" of hers, which ended up with her meeting a kind-hearted dumbass that does not know that some things, should not be played with...in this case, the control panel of an ancient dam.
She pulled herself up and climbed atop the platform again.
Aloy: This has to be a damn joke...-the redhead said tiredly and trying not to get dizzy and lose her balance.
An hour or so after...
Aloy had her bow drawn and was back-to-back with a Banuk, named Ikire, surrounded by machines. The huntress was helping her find her lost friend, who was trapped in the frozen mountains of the Cut, in an introduction ceremony to a Werak that both of them wanted to get into.
Ikire: Well, this is not my day -said the young woman as she prepared herself for battle.
Aloy: Touché -said the redhead thinking about everything that happened to her in just a few hours.
Aloy: I just hope Allam is having a better day than me -said the hunter ready for the fight.
While with Allam...
The ancient soldier rolled down a snowy hill, dousing the flames that covered his body. When he stopped being on fire, his armor looked dirty and somewhat charred. The ancient soldier looked over the hill and saw a stocky raider with some kind of tribal flamethrower.
Looter Leader: What's the matter, Old One? Don't you like the heat? -said the looter in a mocking tone while he looked at the ancient soldier.
Allam: Let's see if you laugh so much after I finish with you, scumbag -said the ancient soldier as he prepared his Gauss rifle for combat.
Hours earlier...
After the pair parted ways, the ancient soldier could be seen riding on the back of a Charger, following the route to one of the Banuk hunting grounds. The ancient soldier couldn't stop thinking about Aloy. Even though he understood that she could take care of herself, he didn't let go of the fact that he cared for her.
During his ride, he decided to stop for a bite to eat, since he was rolling in with only breakfast.
The young soldier ate pieces of dehydrated meat from various animals, mixed with nuts and fruits. It was something simple, but it would give him the necessary strength to continue for a few more hours.
Allam: I'd kill for a good McDonalds hamburger...or a good burrito -the old soldier commented as he ate, remembering the fast food of his time.
The old soldier looked at the frozen landscape with melancholy, remembering how the icy and white lands that surround the Cut, were green, orange and leafy. The ancient soldier began to wander to parts of his mind that he hadn't been in a long time, like the battle of San Francisco, Operation: Enduring Victory, and her mother. But it snapped out of his little trance in time, before he went too deep into his thoughts.
Allam Pov
I'm not going to get sentimental and depressed now...I have work to do. Maybe playing a game in my Focus will help me forget about that. I opened the menu on my Focus and started browsing the interface, looking for a game to play, until I came across the Photo Gallery.
Me: The Gallery? I had forgotten that these frets could take pictures, maybe I can lose focus with some funny videos and old memes. In fact, maybe I'll show some of these photos to Aloy when we get back home -I said excited, a small smile forming on my face.
I opened the app and several albums appeared, with different contents. There was one that said "Schoolwork", another that said "Memes", another that had "Family" and there was one that brought back painful memories.
Me: "End of the world trip" -I said somberly...with painful memories coming back.
That was the trip we took after we got out of our training. We call it like that, as a joke...we never expected it to become a reality. I opened the folder and the first thing that appeared was a photo of the three of us in uniform, when we returned to Colorado Springs after Boot camp.
We had started our training in January and ended in July 2064...23 weeks of hell...the three of us met on our way to Fort Benning, Georgia. I was very surprised when I found out that the three of us came from the same city, but from different parts...the military was such a big world and at the same time, so small.
We were all wearing our uniforms, we had the brightest smiles in the world, we just had graduated and officially became US Soldiers. Nash was taller than me and Salaz, being 6.2 ft, while I am 5.9ft and Salaz was 5.6ft, he was always annoyed because we called him shorty.
A small laugh escaped my lips as I remembered the many times Salaz cussed me and Nash out, didn't matter if it was on the bay or in the field, if that man heard the word short, he would light up like dynamite.
Me: If only I had known what would happen next -I said to myself with sadness and melancholy.
I swiped left and another photo made an appearance. This picture was taken by one of the workers of the installation that we were in, it was about three weeks after Salaz's death. It was a photo of me in Death Valley, located on the border of Nevada and California. We were waiting for the Faro Plague; we were one of the first lines of defense between the Soutwest and the damned robots.
That day, I was without my exoskeleton as it was being repaired after the battle of California. The battle lasted days and it was across the entire Pacific coastline. The operation was called Operation: Pacific Rim...it was a fiasco. We literally had to nuke Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, Bkaersfield...and probably many more to stop the robots.
It didn't do much...
We knew that the nuclear bombs had not destroyed them all, and it was only a matter of time before they would attack us again.
Me: There were several nuclear silos in that valley...next to a city called Hopeville...I wonder if there's any trace left of those facilities. There might be some nukes in there that I will have to deactivate -I told myself as I thought of the arid and hot place that the valley was in the past.
I swipe once more and there was another photo. It was when we traveled to Yellowstone. It was our third day in the old National Park. Salaz took this photo of Nash and I, we didn't notice it until the last minute, when he took it.
Me: I was so lost that day...I remember he was blaming Nash for getting us lost, and he was blaming me for not paying attention during Land Navigation classes...which to tell you the truth I did pay attention...barely -I said between laughs while remembering the discussion with nostalgia.
I swiped again and saw a photo of me when I was on my way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Nash took this photo of me inside the San Francisco Marine base. It was our first mission and to tell the truth, we were nervous, but we did our best defending the civilians. It was the first time I killed...
Me: The photo before the disaster -I said while letting out a sigh.
I let out a loud sigh and closed the application, there will be time to see more photos later. For now, I need to focus on my mission, which is to make the Banuk like me. I got up off the ground and got on the machine and continued on my way to the hunting ground, which was 4 miles away.
Two hours later...
General pov
Allam was riding on his machine, in route to the local bandit camp. He managed to complete the Banuk hunting ground without much trouble.
While he was riding his animal, he observed that a call from his sister Janet entered his Focus, which he did not hesitate to answer.
The Focus dashboard expanded in area, showing the entire body of the young woman. She was wearing worn and slightly torn jeans, with a blouse made of leather, which had Nora designs, bracers with machine parts and brown combat boots. She had a leather bag, which looked kind of full of whatever she would keep in it.
Janet: Hey Al, how are you? -The young woman asked her older brother.
Allam: I'm fine, cold as ice cream, but fine. The ecosystem in Yellowstone has changed a lot since I last came here. Everything is covered by snow and the temperature has dropped too much -said the ancient soldier with a half-smile.
Allam noticed that her younger sister's hair was a little shorter than when he last saw her.
Allam: Did you cut your hair? -The soldier asked the girl and she smiled at her brother while she moved her hair playfully.
Janet: Yes, thanks for noticing. How does it fit me? -asked the black hair.
Allam: It looks good, it suits you -said the ancient soldier as he put his machine in automatic mode with the set direction. One of the tricks he learned from Aloy.
Janet: Thank you -said the girl with a smile.
The ancient soldier grabbed his canteen and took a few swigs from it, then sighed contently and closed it again.
Allam: And how are things going with...? Eh...what's the name of that girl you're seeing? -asked the soldier to the young woman, trying to remember the name of that girl.
Janet: Fia-replied the teenager, somewhat curtly, while she looked away.
The ancient soldier noticed that her sister had a doubtful expression on her face.
Allam: Is everything okay? I see you a little thoughtful -said the soldier to the young woman and she looked him in the eye.
Janet: Well... I'm having a little crisis -said the young woman while she caressed her arm, something she always did since she was little when she was embarrassed to talk about something.
Allam: A crisis? Of what? -asked the ancient soldier curiously.
Janet: W-Well...I...ah...eh -I tried to answer this but the words wouldn't come out.
Allam: A mumbling crisis, perhaps? Hahaha -said the old soldier as a joke but she is just looking at him angrily.
The soldier stopped laughing and saw his little sister's serious expression, so he knew she was serious.
Allam: Hey, whatever it is, you know you can tell me -said the soldier while he looked at her in a fatherly way.
The dark-haired girl nodded and let out a small sigh.
Janet: Well... I like two people... but both people are very different and... and I don't want to hurt either of them... and I don't know what to do -the young woman told her brother all blushing. Her brother just looked at her attentively, waiting for her to finish telling him.
Allam: I imagine that one of them is Fia. Who is the other one? -Asked her older brother listening carefully to what his younger sister was saying.
Janet: Well...this...is Mahur -said the young woman blushing, without looking at the man.
Allam: Mahur?... Are you talking about the boy you took home a while ago? -Asked her older brother and she nodded.
The ancient soldier just watched her, while he thought about his next words.
Allam: You already know what to do Janet...you have to choose one of the two. I can't tell you which one, because it's not my decision. Follow your heart, which one you feel more comfortable with, and which one makes you feel butterflies in your stomach -her older brother told her with the best possible understanding.
Janet: But I like them both -said the girl, worrying about that.
Allam noted that it was unusual for her sister to care so much about relationships. Before the war, she never gave that much importance to it, and seeing her like this made him understand that she really loved both of them.
Allam: And you have to make the difficult decision to choose between the two, you can't be with both at the same time. Follow your heart Jan. You have to find out which of the two makes you feel better-said the soldier while he looked at his sister, who was thoughtful because of what her older brother had said.
Janet: I'll try Al...thanks for listening -said the young woman to the elder and he only nodded with a smile.
Allam: Always, whenever you need me I'll be there for you -said the soldier with a sincere smile.
Voices were heard behind Janet and she turned around for a moment, then looked back at her brother.
Janet: I have to go. The work never ends here. I love you, take care and come back soon Al -said the young nurse.
Allam: I'll be back safe and sound Jan, don't worry. I love you too, take care of yourself -said the soldier to say goodbye to his sister and close the call.
Allam turned his attention to the road again and noticed that he began to enter an area full of charred and burned trees. The smell of ashes and burning wood filled the air.
Allam: What the hell happened here? -Said the ancient soldier while his Charger climbed a hill.
Out of nowhere, an arrow struck the armored chest of the Sarwave armor, but due to the suddenness of the blow, the ancient soldier lost balance and fell from his mount.
The ancient soldier put on his combat helmet and unfurled his retractable bow and nocked two arrows, but when he went to aim at his enemy, no one was there.
More arrows, this time bathed in fire, hit his armor and now he could see who had launched them, so he let the arrows fly at the raider. He fell dead to the ground. The man started to run up the hill, firing more arrows at the raiders, but an enormous blaze of fire appeared out of nowhere and hit him squarely, causing him to catch fire.
The ancient soldier screamed in terror and some pain he was feeling. Someone kicked him in the stomach, causing him to lose his breath and fall backwards. Fortunately, the ancient soldier rolled down a snowy hill, dousing the flames that covered his body. When he stopped being on fire, his armor looked dirty and somewhat charred. The ancient soldier looked over the hill and saw a stocky raider with some kind of tribal flamethrower.
Raider Leader: What's the matter, Old One? Don't you like the heat? -said the raider in a mocking tone while looking at the ancient soldier, who was surprised to learn that someone was referring to him for what he was.
Allam: Let's see if you laugh so much after I finish with you, scumbag -said the ancient soldier as he prepared his Gauss rifle for combat and aimed at the robust bandit.
Allam fired at him, but the raider narrowly dodged the shot. An explosive arrow slammed into Allam's side, sending him flying, and slightly damaging his armor. Allam shot the rider with the Gauss rifle, dealing fatal damage. He almost put a hole through her body.
Allam: Now, y'all fucked up -said the soldier, furious while he recharged his portable flamethrower with more blaze.
Allam ran towards the main entrance of the bandit camp. The ancient soldier noticed that they tried to ambush him before he reached the entrance. Allam passed the big gate of the camp and some bandits tried to attack him with swords, but Allam activated his flamethrower and started roasting them alive.
He put the rifle on his back and unfolded his blade, with which he cut the throat of one of the raiders and stabbed the rest.
Allam: Motherfucker is going to wish he was never born when I'm through with him -said the ancient soldier, sheathing his blade and taking his Gauss rifle in hand again, he continued to enter the bandit camp, massacring everyone who stood in his way.