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Aloy never misses a shot. Rost taught her that. By the age of nine, she could hit a boar in the eye every time, and by the age of twelve, she could do the same to every bird she hunted. Shooting machines had become second nature. Her focus helps to target their weak spots and her muscles work for her as she draws her bow, its snap indicating a guaranteed hit. Aloy had even grown used to killing humans. Ever since the Proving. She’s grown ruthless to protect herself, to protect the world.
Being hurt has never stopped her. She’s been electrocuted, burned, frozen… and yet, her fingers had refused to release the arrow.
To release that arrow was to lose. That arrow would take away something she never knew she wanted so much — never knew she needed .
So Aloy didn’t let go. Her fatigued muscles had relaxed and the bow string had grown slack. Her eyes had burned from tears that threatened to fall.
“Aloy!”
Aloy’s own voice had yelled for her. A plea.
But she was weak. She should have shot, but she couldn’t. And it was completely selfish.
Aloy laughs at herself. It’s deprecating, unkind. She tightens her grip on the veins of her Bristleback. Her body feels numb to its galloping and the jungle passes by in a blur. She’s heading in the general direction of the Base, but she can hardly bring herself to care. The Bristleback has been making its own path while Aloy loses herself in her thoughts.
She could be more selfish. Her friends would tell her she should be more selfish — that she deserves to put herself first for once. But that arrow… that arrow was the one time she should not have been selfish. It’s not her own fate she had guaranteed. It was Beta’s.
“Alone in a cell again. Their slave… forever.”
Aloy couldn’t do the one thing she had promised Beta. The only thing Beta had ever truly demanded from her. After all the girl had been through, it was the least Aloy could have done.
“You have to promise me one thing.”
“Yes. Of course.”
“If it goes bad. If the Zeniths find us…” Beta hesitated. “I don’t want to be their slave again. Do you understand?”
Aloy nodded. “Okay.”
“Promise?” Beta had been frantic, desperate.
“I promise.”
Aloy couldn’t do it, couldn’t take away Beta’s life. She had just lost Varl in an instant. She couldn’t lose Beta too.
But she doesn’t have Beta either. She should have been more careful, should have had a better plan going into Gemini. Everyone has sacrificed so much for Aloy, but what has she ever given in return? Death seems to follow her — or maybe she follows it.
She’s dangerous. Lansra may have had a point all along. It would be funny, if Aloy couldn’t find some truth in it.
Aloy, the Anointed; Aloy, the Savior of Meridian; Aloy, Hekkaro’s Champion of the Kulrut.
Aloy, sole survivor of The Proving; Aloy, the one who couldn’t protect the Nora, or the Carja, from the attacks of the Eclipse. So many had fallen. She wasn’t fast enough, never ahead, always reacting.
And now? She had lost more. Rost, Vala, Ersa, Ourea, Varl… It doesn’t get easier. She always thought it would. Eventually, she had learned to mourn Rost. She spoke to him often, at his grave and in her travels. More often than not, however, she tries not to think about it. She doesn’t have time to be upset. The world will not give her that mercy.
A painful stab to her abdomen tears her from her thoughts as she’s thrown off the side of the Bristelback. The ground hits her hard; her shoulder connects with a rock and a sickening crack follows with the impact.
Aloy cries out in pain, but quickly rolls to her feet and draws her bow with practiced ease. The Bristleback snorts, kicking its feet as it looks around for a threat. Aloy listens too with her focus lit up, searching for any movement.
Stalkers .
One uncloaks itself, squaring its body as it aims its dart gun. Before it gets the chance to shoot, Aloy releases her arrow. It hits the gun, knocking it clean off. The stalker cloaks itself again, but she can just make out its outline as she unleashes more arrows at it.
Before she can finish it off, another dart hits her thigh. She dodges as more attacks come at her, gradually making her way to the dart gun.
Aloy hoists it up and fires the gun from her hips. She destroys two stalkers in the process while her Bristleback takes care of another one.
An alert from her focus indicates another one behind her. It whips its tail at Aloy before she has a chance to dodge, sending her flying forward. She’s up in a second, barely rolling out of the way of its next attack. One shot destroys its stealth generator. Another two destroys the dart gun. Four lightning arrows brings it to a stuttering halt, allowing the huntress to strike it down with her spear.
Aloy listens for a few moments, spear ready. All that she hears though is the rustle of the jungle leaves and small critters chirping away. Her Bristleback huffs, wandering back to her side.
Concluding that the fight is over, Aloy holsters her spear and patches up the mount until it no longer sparks. With the threat gone, her body reminds her of her injuries. Her hand prods at her side, coming back with fresh blood oozing from the dart wound. Her thigh looks the same. And her shoulder isn’t feeling too hot either, the continued use of it probably not helping.
That’s what she gets for being distracted in the wilds. Rost would chastise her for her carelessness.
With a wince, Aloy mounts the Bristleback and continues their trek. It’s not too much longer that she reaches the Stillsands. The mountain that houses the Base comes into view. Its peak towers just above the other ridges in the valley. Since finding the hidden station, the mountain’s presence has brought a sense of safety to her. The only place that is truly her own, a place she can feel like she belongs.
And like the Base, she’s opened herself up to new people, new friends — a feat she never could have predicted. Everyone seems to have found their own home in the base too. Beta might have even been coming to find comfort in it. Before…
“You should’ve killed me.”
Aloy felt her heart sink. Beta was in so much pain, she could barely sit up or keep her eyes open.
“No! No, look at me. I’m coming for you — I promise. Okay?”
A tear finally rolls down Aloy’s cheek, whisked away by the wind. What were her promises worth?
Aloy didn’t have a choice this time. Their plan had to work — if not for the world, then for Beta.
“As long as I know you’re coming, I can endure anything.”
Aloy will keep her promise this time. No matter what, she’ll save her. She’s not leaving her sister behind again.