So, there was good intentions in Kotallo furthering Nureka's knowledge of these parts of his land; though he was hesitant to return to what was his home, it wasn't like last time went brilliantly, was it? But also, a small part of his mind could not help but turn to bleak musings; there was no guarantee that the Zenith threat would be quashed, there was no given that they would all win this fight, survive to live and fight another day, and Kotallo knew full well that Nureka's want and love to learn, see and explore would never be achieved.
No, he took no solace in thinking of her death, watching as she walked a little in front of him on the winding path that wound up and through the mountains around them, it was hard to imagine someone so full of life being snubbed out. But then, he had learned from many years of fighting, that death when in war doesn't discriminate, it comes for all eventually, it takes on different forms but it is something that cannot be outrun, or bargained with.
"You know, it wasn't like I didn't believe you, but this place is truly hard to get to." Nureka said with a laugh as she scratched the back of her neck. She had been following a rough path, that then met a wall, the cliffside in front of her was imposing enough as she looked slowly up at Kotallo when he stopped by her side.
"There is a route around. But it will take longer." He said with a small frown appearing on his face, considering Kotallo got the sense that Aloy was wanting to put into action whatever plan she had concocted in her head. They didn't have time really, to be out here to their heart's content. Not that time was scarce, but climbing a cliff to get to where they wanted was definitely quicker than going up and around. Not only that this way, hopefully they'd miss the Bristlebacks which tended to graze near that path.
Nureka inhaled slowly, she placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head with a sceptical look flitting onto her face. Kotallo just waited, she was clearly musing on something and whatever those musings were, she'd come out with it, she always usually did. "I mean, it's just an excuse to further test your arm out, right?"
"Here I thought you liked climbing." Kotallo commented, earning a scoff from her. Truthfully, what she said was true, but that wasn't what he was thinking of. His thoughts were merely to try and save some time, to let her explore a little more while the land was still here in case the worst-case scenario happened.
Nureka lifted a hand from her hip and wagged a finger up at him. "Robotic arm or not, I bet I can beat you to the top."
Kotallo raised an eyebrow at that, "You sound so sure you'd win." Pausing he looked at the cliff they needed to scale before looking sidelong back at her.
"You must realise, I don't really have anything to bet with. So...you'll win further respect, if you win."
Kotallo found himself frowning again with a heavy sigh through his nose. Lowering his head and shaking it slowly, he found himself pinching the bridge of his nose. He shouldn't feel himself despair, but here he was despairing slightly over her mischievous moment; he couldn't say it didn't make every day entertaining, because it did. It was truly a bit refreshing to have someone look at things in a roundabout fun way, after all, who actually enjoyed climbing up mountainsides? Who? Kotallo couldn't name anyone, bar her, but even that was causing him to double guess after her comments.
Nureka rocked on her heels and waited, watching, Kotallo was just feeling nagging déjà vu here when their spar came about. "What if it's another tie?" He questioned, reaching behind himself and grasping onto the arm attached to his belt.
Nureka tapped the side of her helmet where her temple would be, she was trying to look thoughtful. "Then that is what it is."
Kotallo just blinked slowly, he stood silently and just looked at her. "That seems too simple."
"I'm not all that complicated. We'll just you know..."
"What? Find something else one of us surpasses the other in? Since when was you so competitive?"
Nureka laughed and placed her hands on the rock before her. "Because it's fun. Things are so serious at the moment, silly things like this keep things a little light heartened. I'd like to think that moments like this are good for keeping us grounded. Yes, we are going to fight for the sake of everyone living, all that we know and love to still be here come a small time from now; but it is also for the little things, if you find yourself in an impossible situation where things do not look good, what would you wish to remember? The events in your life which have scarred you, or the idiotic moments of me challenging you and nagging to partner up for a fight in the arena. The happy times have to outweigh the bad, because they are just as important."
Kotallo found he couldn't argue against that logic, he just found himself slowly nodding while Nureka kicked the toe of her boot against the cliff. He felt his arm click into place, Nureka gave him a side eyed look before clearly finding her first foot and handholds. Both looked up and it was an unspoken countdown that happened, but both more or less started climbing at the same time.
——
The lookouts positioned at the Bulwark were used to seeing and spotting rebels and their overridden machines, it was rare that there were visitors to this structure, or what remained of it; even with the wall in crumbled debris, there were still two or three people positioned around it. It was now a glaring weakness, yet even with the wall which had kept the space so well protected being gone, didn't seem to interest the rebels in trying to attack. They seemingly continued on their routine as if nothing had happened. Evidently whatever they had planned, the Bulwark was of no consideration. Unless it would be considered at a later date, if and when everything panned out and finished and whomever the victor was would either leave it be, or try and monopolise on it.
Regardless, there was hesitation at spotting two figures coming close. Even more so when one let out sudden laughter, even from up high the lookouts heard an apology. The nearer the pair got, the more it became clear that Kotallo was returning back with another outsider. The damage had already been done by the last outsider he had visited with, so excuse the lookouts if they were hesitant about letting this one in; even more so after her sudden laughter at the sorry state of the Bulwark.
In truth, Nureka didn't mean to laugh...there was broken, then there was crumbled, but then there was obliterated; when she got told a wall was taken out, she just thought nothing really of it, until seeing it for herself. That rocky wall wasn't just broken, it was completely ruined. There was nothing to rectify there, and the fact that it was Aloy who had given it its death blow just...she couldn't, the irony just made her laugh. The stoic male beside her just freely allowing the redhead to do it just made Nureka laugh more. She never thought Kotallo had it in him to be just a little bit rebellious; destroying a defensible structure was rebellious enough to her. But then remembering how he had said the leader of this place treated, greeted, and spoke to him, heck, Nureka would have likely have done the same.
The sight of a lift had Nureka's interest piquing, she walked around it best she could considering how it was so close to the cliff wall, and nodded slowly with a hand to her chin. "Back in Meridian the lifts are mechanised, they're not like this. That's the Oseram for you though," she explained, seemingly completely bypassing the pair of guards standing nearby watching her with reluctant expressions.
Kotallo supposed it was too late to turn back now, he was about to unleash this inquisitive young lady on the Bulwark, and he was just going to stand back and watch her go...he guessed he should've warned her that those here were not like those in the Grove. But that came too late as she stepped onto the lift and waved her hand at him. Kotallo received odd looks yet followed suit and decided that actually no, he wasn't going to warn her, he was just going to let Nureka be Nureka and watch her go.
And watch her go he did, no sooner did they reach the top, was she off of the lift and running off curiously. Kotallo just watched the poor Tenakth and couldn't help but find it quite humorous how utterly miffed they all seemed. Okay, so maybe Nureka was right, the happy parts should outweigh the bad, and this was quite a good memory if not feeling bad for watching his clans-people suffer in confusion.
Nureka was absolutely fascinated by this place, at first glance it was truly seemingly like an inhospitable place, rocky outcrops and roughly made shacks and structures to act as cover. But even she could see a path that led to something more. So, there was more to this place than what there first appeared. She was going to guess that maybe that led to the places where people perhaps rested and slept. Her eyes landed on the fighting pit that was definitely not hard to miss. Tilting her head, she watched the pair that was fighting within it before looking up when she heard boots stop beside her. "Do you win anything?" She asked with a small frown.
"Respect for winning." Kotallo replied while looking away and looking down at her. She may win other things, but considering she always cracked this line out, he thought he'd try it in return. She maybe feeling a little sour thanks to him winning their climbing competition. It was close, but a slippery foothold had Nureka almost falling, again. Kotallo had reached out and grasped onto her before she could slip any further and between her scrambling and his pulling, she managed to cling to the cliff wall beside him.
Once she had recovered, they started climbing again, any competitive streak Nureka tried to show was just matched with Kotallo's stoicism and he easily managed to out climb her and crest the cliff before her. She didn't like losing, that much was evident from the pout on her face as he helped her up and onto solid ground. Yet she gave his arm a gentle squeeze and nodded before looking about the new space around them.
"It's got to be easier than the arena fights, surely?" Nureka narrowed her eyes and looked up at him as he let out a disbelieving noise. "What?"
"You'll be against someone from here, if not the reigning Master." Kotallo explained, Nureka just looked at him still with a confused look.
"So...they'll be harder than you to beat, or not?" Nureka asked, sounding thoughtful. People could be predictable with their moves, but so could the machines. Arguably both could be damaging, that was for sure. But she was a little confused why Kotallo was making this sound like an impossible feat for her to win, though he had been sceptical back at the arena too...
"Is that how you look at each opponent?" Kotallo was interested, it was definitely one way to look at a possible enemy, he supposed. Are they harder than the last person one faced off against, yes or no, and go from there to adapt and change how to fight and tackle the challenger. He may have felt a little proud from hearing her rank him highly, at the price of a tie and her clearly not liking not coming out as the winner; but pride he did feel regardless.
Nureka's eyes widened and she shrugged slowly. "You're hard to beat in a fight." Her eyes narrowed slowly when she watched one of the fighters misplace their footing and soon found themselves on their back. Straightening up and smiling his way, Nureka wasn't surprised to receive a confused glance in return. "Can you challenge anyone? Or are there rules?"
"We're not doing that," Kotallo said while evidently following her train of thought. He watched her shoulders slump as she looked at him with defeat. He had zero intentions of fighting in the pit, let alone against her. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he nudged her forwards gently. "There is more to see here than just the pit," he explained, hoping to distract her sudden want to have a fight. It was yet another challenge, wasn't it? Kotallo didn't need to hear her say it again, challenges and her people were a constant, but he thought this was one challenge she could avoid.
His intentions were innocent, to allow her to explore if things didn't turn out in their favour, not find a challenge, a fight, and run head first at it, while perhaps pulling him into the mix too. Kotallo supposed if he was to speak up about this whole thing, it wouldn't have been to warn her that those here may not be as welcoming as those in the Grove, or that as soon as Tekotteh caught wind of him, let alone her being here, he'd come out from his dwellings to gauge and scope them out, and find out what they wanted; no, Kotallo should've spoke up with his honest intentions to wanting Nureka, much like she clearly did with him, for her to remember fond, content moments, whether she found this with his company, with others, or just in new surroundings, that's all he wanted, even if he knew without a doubt she would remember the moments she had suggested to him too.
----
(A/N: I am so sorry for the delay here, I had just general life issues, along with a horrid ass cold for a week that laid me up. This isn't the chapter I wanted to write, I actually want to get to Gemini, but I need to remember the finer details of that, so I'll go hunt out videos. Sorry again! I ain't happy with this chapter at all tbh, but it is what it is! Sorry! T^T)