Chapter Text
"Your deeds and feats are well known, Aloy, not just in the Carja Sundom but in the Claim and beyond. The Oseram are curious about the Nora who managed to not only defeat the Terror of the Sun but also capture Dervahl," the Blameless Marad informed the huntress as he stood next to the Sun-King Avad. Mercifully, the midday sun was shielded amply on the receiving balcony of the palace where they congregated, despite the desert heat's continued assault.
Aloy stood there, arms crossed over her chest, as she stared at him, "Good for them?" Her gold-flecked emerald eyes moved to Avad, "If you want something, just ask it Avad."
Always to the point, a refreshing bluntness in the air of pretty words that always cloyed around the Sun-King. It made the corner of his lips quirk as he gave a low nod to her, though how she had worded it left a hint of sting to his pride, "Very well. You have done much to help the Sundom and I am loathed to ask for more from you but as you know the relations between the Sundom and the Oseram are still tense. Now that things have settled in the aftermath of the Battle of the Alight, I would request you accompany the delegation that is taking Dervahl to Mainspring, as an official envoy of the Sundom."
Aloy's face tensed and Avad quickly raised a hand, interrupting her before she could respond, "I do not mean to imply I wish you to go as some 'trophy' of the Sundom or anything of the like. Far from it. While the Oseram have conveyed interest in you, this request has been on my mind regardless. I would be a fool of a King to deny that you have a way with people, Aloy - you inspire trust and loyalty and you leave an impression wherever you go. However, it is for more practical reasons I make this request."
An auburn brow arched and he knew he had one chance, "Dervahl is a dangerous man. He has repeatedly eluded us for longer than I'd like to admit and should he escape in transit to Mainspring, he will go to ground again, rebuild, and return to exact an even greater vengeance upon us all - and not just the Sundom. While I trust the men who will be escorting him, it is not a stretch to imagine he has allies still lurking in the shadows along the way. I would ask you to join the delegation to make sure, should an attempt be made, Dervahl does not escape."
Aloy looked down, thinking about what Avad was saying. She knew he was right and the memory of Helis' attack on the Nora lands because of her was still painfully fresh in her mind. It'd only been a few weeks, after all, since the Battle of the Alight and, before that, the attack on the Sacred Lands. In her mind, Dervahl was just as dangerous as Helis had been. If he escaped, the Nora would end up paying, as well as the Carja. Everyone had already suffered enough.
The sound of footsteps brought her attention up as she looked at Erend, who had pushed himself off the wall to address her, "It wasn't me, or the Vanguard, that stopped Dervahl. It was you, Aloy. While we were laying on the ground, his tinker toy blastin' the brains out of our skulls, you kicked his ass. I'm with Avad on this one. There's no one else I want at my back for this trip."
Her eyes locked on Erend's as he spoke and held it for a lingering moment. It wasn't like she had anything better to do - her latest foray into restoring GAIA left her with a lot of data for her Focus to process through and recover and not a lot of anything she could do before she got that data. With a sigh, her gaze shifted back to Avad, "Fine. I'll go but only to make sure Dervahl is delivered. I don't do politics and I won't play Ambassador or be your official envoy or whatever you want to call it." Besides, who knew what kind of information she could learn if she could get into some of the ruins in the Oseram territories after it was all done? She looked back to Erend, her expression unreadable, "When do we leave?"
The look of relief and appreciation she found on Erend's face surprised her with its intensity. There was more to the reason he wanted her to come than he was letting on but the King's balcony was not the place to dig into it. She'd find him later or pry it out of him along the way.
"The final preparations are underway and the convoy should be ready to leave the dawn after tomorrow's," Marad piped up instead, even though her question had been directed to the Captain. It made them both tense slightly and set Aloy's jaw tight in annoyance.
She gave a nod to the man, glanced at Erend, and then looked to Avad, "Alright then, I'll be ready. That gives me time to make the arrangements I need to and stock up on supplies."
"Please," Avad said, rising from the cushioned sofa he'd been sitting on, "speak to the Royal Quartermaster. He will ensure anything you need for the journey is taken care of and supplied to you. Though I promise Erend will take the lead on the politics, you are still an envoy of the Carja Sundom, nonetheless, and you are doing this at our request. It is the least we can do to make sure your needs are taken care of while you aid us."
Aloy gave him a nod, "Thank you, Avad. I appreciate it."
"No, Aloy," the Sun-King said, taking a few steps to shorten the distance between them as deep chocolate eyes held her emerald ones, "thank you. You have no idea how much this means to the Sundom that you would do this for us after everything else you have done. Your kind heart and generous spirit never cease to amaze."
"I'm not doing this just for the Sundom," she said point-blankly. For her friends, for all the people who would be hurt if Dervahl escaped, yes, but she held no allegiance to the Sundom anymore than she did the Nora and the Sacred Lands. Still, her words came out harsher than she had intended. She took a soft breath, softening her posture slightly. It wasn't like she was really all that upset by any of this, she was just tired. Sleep had been elusive since she defeated HADES and what sleep she had been getting was restless and plagued with nightmares.
Though her words had struck a tense cord through Avad, seeing her soften slightly softened him in return, "Then I will say that words fall short of expressing my gratitude. Whatever your reasons, I appreciate this all the same, Aloy." His tone was warm and she could see by the look he gave her that he was being intimately genuine. Unfortunately, it was too much like the way he had looked at her after they had brought him the news of Ersa's death and it reawakened the discomfort she had felt then at it.
Was he still sublimating his feelings for Ersa with her? She had thought they'd put it behind them but a momentary look back at the time she'd spent in Meridian helping with the rebuilding made her question if they - or rather, he - really had. Getting out of the city was definitely going to be a good idea.
An awkward shuffle of feet from Erend and a gentle clearing of Marad's throat a few seconds after the King's comment was welcomed. What could Aloy say to Avad's words, after all, other than nod and give an awkward little smile?
Mercifully, the interruptions were enough to turn Avad away from her as he returned to his seat. "I will not keep you any longer. Again, please do not hesitate to let us know if there is anything you will need for the journey or anything you feel is important to the security of Dervahl's transfer."
"Thanks, I will," she said, smiling at Avad then turned to leave.
"I'll come find you later, and we can go over the route and the plan so we're all on the same page," Erend said as she walked away. Aloy turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, giving him a nod before descending the steps.