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breakfast-cereal · 2 years ago

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Unlikely Allies

pairing: Kotallo X Reader

pronouns: she/her

word count: 11k

description: Blood runs thicker than water, but when your sister continues to make a string of poor decisions, you find yourself creating unlikely allies.

warnings: canon-typical violence

requested by: @alicemadnessruturns

notes: So sorry this took so long. This is probably one of the longest things I’ve written to date. Also, tumblr messed up the formatting so bad on this one so I’ll likely post it on ao3 as well for a better formatted version.

Regalla’s bitterness was carnivorous. It fed off the rage that blinded her vision. She sat next to you on a tall stone overlooking a canyon. She was sharpening her blade for the next Oseram caravan that had the misfortune of passing by.

“You have that look in your eyes.”

You shut your eyes tightly to avoid her harsh stare. “What look?”

“Judgement.” Regalla stood abruptly. She tightened her grip on her blade. Regalla came to the canyon’s edge, so close you were worried she would jump, and scowled. You lifted yourself from the rock and dusted your hands on your armour. You placed a firm hand on her shoulder, as if that would stop her from plummeting, before joining her on the edge. A scowl the same as hers spread across your lips. A flash of fiery red hair rode between the canyon on an overridden Charger. Since taking her first step into the West, the Saviour of Meridian has been working to take down the Rebels.

“I should kill her for even daring to step foot into Tenakth territory.” Regalla pointed her blade forward, but you placed your hand on its tip.

“Now is not the time, Regalla. And I would never judge you. You’re the only family I’ve got left, after all.”

Regalla grunted and brought her blade back to her side. She placed the butt in the dust. “Then when is the time? Should I let her destroy my entire army before I take action?”

Regalla readied her blade once again. Aloy stood at the side of her Charger, searching through the dust. It felt abnormal. Aloy was luring Regalla out with the only thing that compelled her: revenge. You grabbed Regalla’s blade and threw it to the ground. She spun to face you, anger burning in her eyes, and opened her mouth to accuse you.

“Now is not the time,” you repeated. “There could be more of them. Doesn’t this seem like a setup to you? You were the best warrior I knew, but know you’re too blinded by your own rage to see the obvious! We can never fight back if you aren’t alive to lead the army.”

“You do not get to decide when my time is,” she bellowed. She grabbed her blade. Dust clouded her eyes, yet she didn’t blink. After the Red Raids, she was no longer driven by her senses. She was driven by the fire her blades were forged from and the blood of those who got in her way.

“I can’t afford to lose you,” you shouted in return. “You’re the only one I have left. Please, Regalla, this isn’t worth it.” Regalla scoffed. It felt like you were battling a force of nature, an immovable wall.

“Stop talking.” She ran to the canyon’s edge and propelled herself down. You chased her, coughing up dust from the handholds.

“Prepare yourself, Saviour,” Regalla roared.

Aloy spun to face you and Regalla with a determined look in her eyes. She held her spear out in a challenge. Regalla charged her and landed a swift kick to her stomach. Aloy stumbled, but rapidly regained her balance. She launched her spear forward and barely missed Regalla’s shoulder. Regalla got a slash of her blade into Aloy’s side. Aloy groaned in pain. Regalla swiped Aloy’s legs out from under her and kicked her spear to the side. She stood above Aloy with triumph blazing in her eyes.

“This is for the blood of the Tenakth you and your allies have spilled.” Regalla pointed a shining blade to Aloy’s face.

You watched in horror as Regalla failed to notice the Saviour grasping for her spear. In the blink of an eye, Aloy stabbed her spear through Regalla’s thigh and ran. You reached for your bow and aimed it at Aloy as she rode away on her Charger. You drew the string back and fired a flaming arrow. It hit the back of her Charger. You prepared another arrow, but Aloy was too far down the canyon. You turned your attention to Regalla, who was stumbling after Aloy.

“I will kill you, Saviour. I will kill you and all those who opposed me and sided with the ones who butchered the Tenakth.” She spat, before collapsing onto the rocky, orange ground.

You jogged to Regalla’s side and dropped onto your knees beside her. She held a dust covered hand to her bleeding thigh. The blood seeped through her fingers and stained a red line down her painted leg. “There’s an outpost close-by. They should have the supplies to help,” you said. You stood up and offered a hand to Regalla. She smacked it away.

“You let the Saviour get away. The Ten would be disappointed in what you’ve become.” Pulling herself up, Regalla limped down the canyon toward Aloy.

You ignored the hurt blooming in your stomach and trailed after Regalla. “You will bleed out searching for her.”

“I would die a warrior’s death.”

You clenched your fists. “You would not die a warrior’s death, you would die of your own stupidity. And to insult me by saying the Ten would be disappointed is hypocritical. Look at yourself. You are about to leave your warrior’s behind.”

Regalla’s shoulders tensed. Her fists clenched and unclenched. “I will meet you at the outpost before sundown.”

You paced across the dirt in front of Regalla. She laid on a cot with one leg up and the other covered in a red-stained cloth bandage.

“The traitors are on watch,” she began. “The Saviour must have alerted them of my presence. There is a small settlement near the outpost of about fifteen.” Regalla turned towards you. “Tell the soldiers to prepare their weapons.”

“Is it the best idea to do that while you’re injured?”

“There is no time to waste. If we don’t strike first, they will ambush us while we sleep. My injury will not be the primary concern if a faction of my army is found dead,” Regalla said.

You weren’t in the mood to fight. Your eyelids were heavy, and you wanted the comfortable embrace of a blanket, but you understood where Regalla was coming from. There was too much of a risk if you left them alive when they had the upper hand.

You stepped onto the balcony overlooking the Rebels. Some laughed around fires; their hands dancing and beer spilling as they told stories of their greatest battles. Others laid on the ground, clutching injuries and staring into the abyss of the night sky. There was a vivid contrast between them, but in the end, they were all here for the same cause.

You stood next to the guard railing and shouted, “We’re attacking. Prepare yourselves, soldiers!”

The soldiers scrambled into place. Many of them were still putting on headgear by the time you reached them. Regalla was behind you. She had a faint limp you knew she would deny.

“We will ride out and take out these traitors that dare step foot into our territory. I would like you two,” she pointed at a dark-skinned person with tied back cornrows and a fair-skinned woman with a shaved head, “to join me. The rest of you will rain arrows onto them from above. Remember what we are here for; to destroy the Carja!” She let out a cry and raised her blade in the air.

You crept through the tall grass. It tickled the side of your jaw. There were two Tenakth outside the settlement keeping watch.

The woman with the shaved head grimaced. “I know them.”

“I hope that will not stop you from achieving our goal,” Regalla said. She pushed onward as a flaming arrow pierced the helmet of the taller guard.

“It would never. Sacrifices have to be made,” she said, but her voice shook.

The other guard peered around. Before the guard went to alert the settlement, another arrow hit them.

The inside of the settlement was a bloodbath. Regalla shared no mercy with these Tenakth. They may have been your own kind, but to her, they were no better than Carja. Most of them were young fighters. It was obvious this was supposed to be a training mission. You felt bad seeing them beg because you knew Regalla didn’t care.

You and Regalla pushed into a hole between two rocky ledges. She had sent the two others to clean up any remaining stragglers.

“Why are we coming this way?” You questioned.

“I saw one of them run this way. Coward. Too scared to fight like a proper Tenakth. The alliance with the Carja has made them weak.”

You advanced further. Someone was curled against the rock. She looked up at you. Your eyes widened with shock. It was Nettah. She was your training partner when you were in your teens. You had been close friends until Regalla swiped you away to fight against the Tenakth.

“Y/n,” she began, but Regalla cut her off.

“Nettah. It is disappointing to see you fighting against me when your own father died at the hands of the Carja.”

“I would never fight for someone like you.” She spat at Regalla’s feet. “You are nothing more than a traitor, led by your own selfish desires. It is not shocking to me you conned your own sister into fighting a war that never needed to happen.” Nettah stared defiantly. She was always brave. She would hold her head high against anyone that tried to disrespect you or her.

“It is a shame you think of me like that. You would have been a valuable resource to my army.” Regalla sliced her blade into Nettah’s head. Her blood splashed across your face. Your hands shook on your thighs as you bent over and vomited into the grass.

“You cannot let trivial things get to you, sister.” Regalla walked out of the rocks, leaving you to stare at your own vomit and bloody mess of a friend. You placed your hand tightly over your mouth to stop the sounds of your sobbing.

You took a moment to compose yourself and left the rocks to survey the settlement. Bodies of Tenakth, Rebels and not, were strewn across the grass. Familiar faces stared at you. Even in death, their eyes held horror at who you’ve become. In Regalla’s attempt to destroy the Carja, she had destroyed the lives of innocent Tenakth. You allowed her to. She would storm into camps and slaughter them before the sun set. You did not dare stop her. You wanted to be sick again, but there was nothing left to throw up. It may have been too late to save the dead, but you had to save the living. You hoped the Ten would forgive your betrayal.

The rocky ledge dug into your stomach. You surveyed the desert. There was no sign of the Saviour like you hoped—only a cluster of Leaplashers. You frowned and lifted yourself off the edge, but saw movement near them. An arrow exploded the fire canister of one of the Leaplashers. The Leaplashers charged towards the shooter. A familiar spear pierced the power cell of a Leaplasher and it crumbled to the ground. You didn’t want to waste possibly your only chance to speak to the Saviour. You lept off the edge and pulled your charred iron blades from the leather pouch on your back. The Leaplasher’s power cell glowed an ugly yellow. You stabbed a blade through it, taking down the Leaplasher before it had time to retaliate. It leaked a greyish fluid onto your sandal. You flicked your foot with disgust. There was no time to wonder what that fluid even was. The Saviour took down the last Leaplasher and whipped her head towards you. You opened your mouth to speak, but someone quickly embedded an arrow into the rock behind you.

“By the Ten, I am trying to help you. I would have already killed you if I were going to.” You raised your hands in surrender as you spoke.

“Who says I need your help?” Aloy examined you and crossed her arms across her chest.

You rubbed the back of your neck. A pang of guilt shot through you. “I have information you may need. Regalla will kill you—anyone—who is not ten steps ahead of her. I understand it’s unorthodox, but I could be a useful ally to you, Saviour.”

“Why the sudden change of heart? Last time we spoke, you had a bowstring drawn at me.”

“The revenge Regalla is seeking is wasting the lives of the innocent. I fear she will become what she despises.” You took a deep breath. “I want to help you stop her. Before things go too far. That is what you are in the West for?”

Aloy raised an eyebrow. “And why should I trust you?”

“If I tell you where Regalla plans to go after next, will you trust me?”

Aloy hummed, “maybe.”

Regalla was in a sour mood this evening. She hunched over a yellowed map with outpost locations, her brows furrowed. The troops she sent out had not returned, and you had a feeling you knew why.

A short, tan-skinned Tenakth cautiously knocked on the doorframe. Regalla didn’t bother looking up.

“The faction you sent out has been killed, Chief. The others you sent looking for them just returned,” he said.

Regalla nodded, but remained silent. The boy wrung his hands, about to speak, but decided against it. Regalla waited for the boy to leave and let out a curse. She clenched her hands into a fist and smashed it against the table. You bumped your hip against the table, causing the ink to splatter across the map. You prayed to the Ten that Regalla would think it was her own doing. Even if she didn’t, she smacked the map to the floor and stormed out of the room. You waited for her to be out of your sight and rolled the map. You placed it into a bag with your supplies that were hidden under a cot.

The bag was heavy on your shoulder. You felt the map burning through the fabric of the bag and your armour. Aloy instructed you to meet at a Metal Devil near Scalding Spear. It was strange being in this area. You remembered visiting Scalding Spear as a child. To think you had become disconnected from it now.

You spotted a clump of red in the distance, something you identified the Saviour with. It shocked you to see her on an overridden machine, but realized she must have the tools to do it as well. It was possible she even knew Sylens: the one who had taught Regalla a technological side of the world she never knew before. As Aloy approached, you realized she wasn’t alone. Behind her there was a tall, one-armed Tenakth. He wore Sky Clan face paint, which was probably why you couldn’t recognize him. It was abnormal for a member of Sky Clan to be so far into the desert, but you thought little of it. Everyone had their reasons for displacement. Your eldest brother brought you into the mountains the Sky Clan lived in once, though your parents frowned upon your exposure to their so called ‘cowardice.’

“You have the map with you?” Aloy asked as she huffed, wiping sand out of her eyes. The Tenakth guarded her and eyed you suspiciously.

You unclasped your bag and laid the map into her outstretched hand.

“It is covered in ink. How is it supposed to be useful to us if it is unreadable?” The Tenakth frowned, crossing his arms.

“I couldn’t just steal it. I had to ruin it somehow, so she—Regalla—would get rid of it. And the important parts are perfectly legible. I made sure of it.”

He seemed displeased, but made no further comment. Aloy laid it out on the sand and brushed her fingers across the inked marks. You could see the image of Regalla making the marks. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she planned out the next attack. Every mark made with the utmost thought. Terrible things could be said about her, but she was a dedicated warrior. You wanted to pull the map back into your chest and hide Regalla’s mind from them. You wondered if this was the right decision. If Regalla found out about your betrayal, you worried what would become of her.

You pushed past your guilt and began explaining the map. “The lines are major routes. They’re the routes Regalla has deemed best fit to bring her army across the desert without suspicion. The circles represent traitor camps.” You thanked the Ten that they couldn't see the other side of the map. You would not stoop so low to sell out innocent people.

“I would not consider those who are not butchering their own people traitors,” the Tenakth said. You bit back a bitter comment.

Aloy placed the map into a pouch on her charger. She pulled a small triangle out of the pouch.

“You can use this to contact me if anything major is going to happen by tapping it twice. Otherwise, we meet here weekly.” Aloy slides the triangular device on top of your ear. It was supposed that you would have to get used to wearing headgear. You tapped once it and your surroundings lit up in translucent blue. You tapped in a second time and the blue disappeared. It reminded you of the visions of the Ten in Memorial Grove.

You nodded, “thank you.”

Sylens had contacted Regalla recently. The machines they had overridden had nearly tripled since the contact. Some Rebel outposts recently set up in the jungle began overriding Fireclaws. You sensed something major was happening, but Regalla avoided speaking of such details around you.

You hated resorting to spying. It reminded you of lying beneath cots, listening in on the details of the Red Raids. Spying was how you found out about the death of your brothers. You doubted Regalla would have told you otherwise. This time, you did not hide you beneath a cot. You were pressed up against a straw wall, straining your ears to hear what Regalla said to the high-ranking soldier.

“Are you sure we should do this?” The soldier said with uncertainty.

“A false image of safety blinds Tekotteh. He would not dare involve himself. The machines would serve as an advantage for the camps.”

There was a pause in the conversation. You leaned up closer to the straw to hear any whispers. Footsteps came from behind you, and you jumped away from the wall like it had burnt.

“Y/n,” he greeted. “Regalla is busy at the moment. Wait if you need to speak to her.”

You adjusted your headpiece. You were constantly aware of the weight of the device sitting on your ear. “There’s no need. I was coming by to collect some things.”

He nodded and continued down the stairs. You sighed a sigh of relief, hurrying away from the other Rebels. Once you were in a secluded spot, you tapped your focus twice simultaneously.

“Aloy,” you began, but were promptly interrupted.

“Aloy is not available at the moment,” a voice said. The Tenakth.

“Well, then I need to speak to whoever is available.”

“I assumed we were already speaking.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “You’re Sky Clan, aren’t you?”

He paused, uncertain. “I do not see why that information is important.”

“Regalla is planning to do something big there: at the Bulwark. I heard her speaking about it with a high-ranking soldier. I believe it is related to the machines she has learned to override”

“When,” he demanded.

“I don’t know.”

“Find out, quickly.” You went to speak, but the focus channel cut out.

“By the Ten,” you hissed.

Regalla arranged the troops. You heard her voice call, loud and booming, to get prepared to go out. You snuck off to the corner to contact Aloy. who seemed to still be gone. The only response you got was from the aggravating Tenakth. The only thing you did was give him the bare details. Whatever Regalla was doing, she was doing it now.

Around the soldiers, you heard talk of the Wings of the Ten. You could find them in and around the Bulwark, which could only mean one thing. Regalla had learnt to control the Wings of the Ten. You took a deep breath to steady yourself and joined the other soldiers. Regalla looked at you, but said nothing, only pointing to a Bristleback. Her recent behaviour towards you made you worry she knew of your betrayal. It could be nothing. Regalla went through periods of coldness and distance. You still felt sick at the thought she figured it out so easily.

The ride to the Bulwark was silent and filled with tension. Since you met with Aloy, there had been some Rebels who had attempted to leave the rebellion. Regalla had killed them. The death of the soldiers had created a rift between Rebels. Some believed Regalla had no right, but others stood with her fully. You heard of the fights that broke out in other outposts over it. No one in your outpost dared say a thing. They were too close to Regalla to speak out.

Regalla stopped you at a mountain a few miles out from the Bulwark near a lake. You stepped away from the group to contact the Tenakth, but felt eyes heavy on you. You turned to see the soldier Regalla spoke to privately, staring at you. He would have clearly had to find his way over by himself. Regalla commanded some soldiers up the mountain with ropes. You went to follow, but she placed a hand on your chest, stopping you.

“Follow the others to the outpost nearby. You are needed there”

“And I am not needed here?”

Regalla sneered. She blocked the pathway with her body. You rolled your eyes and turned around. Internally, you couldn’t shake the anxiety.

You stood away from the other Rebels at the outpost, looking for the one-armed man. It was possible he didn’t believe you and decided not to come, but you had the feeling the anxiousness lacing his voice was not fake. You used a stick in front of you to draw patterns aimlessly into the snow. Regalla sent you here to wait, nothing more. She wanted to get rid of you. Or maybe freeze you to death because your armour was not meant for the cold terrain of the Sky Clan territory.

You heard rustling in the bushes ahead. You squinted and recognized the armour of the Tenakth. Clearly, someone else had as well. You watched as a Rebel snuck up behind him. They had their bowstring drawn back and aimed at his head. The blow would surely kill him. You reacted automatically. You ran and tackled the Rebel to the ground. Shock painted their features. The Tenakth spun around to look at the scene. It would probably look funny to any other. The Rebels, turning on each other already. You debated killing them. It would be easier and reduce the risk of them crawling back to Regalla, but you couldn’t bring yourself to it.

You climbed off them and pointed to the forest. “Go. If I see you around the Rebels again, I will kill you.” It was an empty threat, but it clearly hit them hard as they scampered off into the forest.

You looked to the Tenakth. He seemed to be grateful.

“Come, I’ll show you where the rest of them are.”

You walked along the stones leading to the mountain. The cold left goosebumps on your exposed skin

“Why did you not kill them?” The Tenakth asked after a long bout of silence.

“The others would find the body,” you lied. He didn’t need to know the real reason: that you were a coward.

“They will find out they ran away.”

“It’s not a concern. They’ll assume he disagreed with Regalla’s recent behaviour.”

“Infighting,” he laughed. “You are falling apart already. A bond built by revenge is weak.”

“And the traitors are siding with the people who butchered and oppressed their people. There are problems everywhere.” He frowned, his wrinkles deepened by the face paint. “I heard the wall at the Bulwark fell,” you added and hoped it stung.

He smiled. “It humbled Tekotteh well. He is not as safe as he once thought.”

You said nothing, annoyed that your insult did not upset him.

“Here,” you motioned. “Regalla and the Rebels are up that mountain.”

His jaw tensed. “I did not realize Regalla would be here.”

“Do you want to look or not?”

“Yes,” he responded immediately.

You ducked into a bush on the mountains and surveyed the scene. Rebels were sneaking up on the Wings of the Ten, attempting to capture them with ropes. You noticed Regalla speaking to a holographic Sylens in the corner. Regalla seemed agitated.

“They must be trying to override them. I have seen Aloy do it with Chargers,” the Tenakth said.

“I assumed so. Regalla has recently learnt to override a lot of machines. I heard there’s even Fireclaws at some bases in the jungle.”

“And you did not think to tell us that?”

“I thought you could wait the week to find out,” you retorted. “What do you plan to do about this, anyway? We can’t run in there and stop it. That poses too much of a risk.”

“I know,” he huffed. “I will let Aloy know of what I see here.”

“I could’ve done that on my own. Sneaking around like this will raise suspicion.”

“Aloy would like a trusted source to tell her information like this.”

You pressed your lips tightly together. After what you had done for the Saviour, yet she still did not trust you.

“Chief, I think I see movement in the bush!” A soldier shouted. Your breath halted.

“Quickly, move. I’ll stand in front of you to block their view,” you said, pushing him in the opposite direction.

You stood up shakily and looked at the soldier. Regalla’s upper lip curled.

“Sneaking around to spy on me like you did when we were children, Y/n,” she scowled. Regalla swirled her finger in the air. “Collect everyone. There is nothing more we need here.”

“Are you alone?” Aloy asked through the focus. You stumbled back at the sudden noise. You looked around. There were Rebels eating meals around you.

“No.”Regalla

She hummed. “I need you to get something. It’s a small piece of metal. It looks a little like a key to a chest. Regalla most likely has it stored in her bedroom. When you find it, bring it to our meeting today.”

You sighed. If you were lucky, Regalla would be out.

The Ten must have been looking upon you. Regalla was out on what was seemingly a hunting trip. Her blades and armour were missing from their usual place. You crept into her room like a thief sneaking into a palace. There was a snubbed out a candle on her desk next to a partially empty map. You pulled open the desk drawers and ran your hands along the inside. There was nothing but a quill and some ink. You went over to the wooden chest lying on the floor. It had a heavy lock on it, but you weren’t unfamiliar with lock picking. You took two arrows out of the quiver on your back and hesitated before breaking off the tips. It was awful to ruin arrows like this. You used the metal on your chest plate to file the stone tips of the arrows down into a point. You inserted one into the lock and used the other to pick. The lock clicked, and you pulled it off. Inside the chest was a collection of scrolls, a map, and a small burlap sack. There was a small piece of metal in the sack. It resembled a key. You rolled it in your hands and stuffed it up your vambrace. This had to be the piece Aloy was looking for. If not, you had wasted two perfectly good arrows. You put the tip of one arrow you used to open the chest into the sack to mimic the previous weight. As you clicked the lock closed, you heard someone clearing their throat. You froze.

“What are you doing here, Y/n?” It was the soldier that Regalla conspired with.

You scratched the back of your neck. “I was looking for something. Am I not allowed to enter my sister’s room?”

He pursed his lips, but continued walking. You clutched the vambrace the metal was in

Aloy was not there. Instead, she sent the Tenakth to meet you. He watched you as you walked up the mountain, a permanent scowl embedded on his face.

“Do you have it?” He asked.

You rolled your eyes. “No, I left it with some Scroungers and thought they’d take care of it. Better go searching.”

“So you do not have it? If you do not have the component, what is the point of you being here?”

You pulled it out of your vambrace and handed it to him. You debated mentioning the fact you were nearly caught taking it, but decided against it. He seemed to be pleased by it. You made your way back down the mountain. You noticed movement out of the corner of your eye. Before you could react, a Fanghorn’s horn pierced your torso. You turned and stabbed its power cell with your blade. There was an entire herd of them barely 100 metres out. You close your eyes, took a deep breath and charged into the herd holding both your blades. Your wound stung, but you were taught at a young age that a true warrior doesn’t let their injuries stop them. You grunted as you took down the first Fanghorn. A second Fanghorn charged at you. You stabbed your blade into it, but only hit its resource container. You turned around rapidly to kill it and felt a sharp pull at the site of your injury. Wincing, you placed a hand over it. It wasn’t deep enough to cause any major damage; your armour had done a good job of protecting you, but it was noticeable. The Fanghorn you stabbed collapsed to the ground. Confused, you looked around. The Tenakth had his spear dug into the Fanghorn. You watched the flex of his bicep as he pulled his spear from the Fanghorn’s body. He came closer to you and pierced his spear into a Fanghorn behind you. For a moment, you were convinced he was going to stab you.

“Are you able to fight?” He looked down at your hand covering your wound.

“Not as bad as it looks,” you said through gritted teeth.

You lifted a blade into your available hand and met the rest of the Fanghorns. Together, you killed the rest of the pack. His hand worked skillfully to change the grip of his spear when needed. His brow furrowed and lips closed tightly in concentration. You would begrudgingly admit that the way he fought was impressive. You wiped sweat from your forehead and sat down against the mountainside. He sat down beside you, wheezing.

“You fight well. It may be your only good quality,” you said.

“As do you. I see why Aloy considered you a valuable resource.”

“I don’t think my fighting abilities are what she sees in me.” You placed a hand over your eyes to block out the sun.

“It is always useful to have an ally who knows her way around a weapon.” He took another look at your hand on your torso. “May I look at your injury?”

“If you’d like. It’s not that bad. I’m more upset that my armour is ruined.” You took your hand away from the wound. It was sticky with your blood. He touched his hand to the hole in your armour.

“It is fixable. Your armour will be fine.” You felt the ghost of his fingers on your skin. They were warm, most likely due to the fighting you were just doing. “Your wound will heal, but it must be stitched.” You could nearly feel his breath on your ear with how close he was.

You pushed yourself up and away from him. “I’ve had worse. I’ll stitch it myself later.” You picked up your blades from beside you. “Thank you.”

He nodded. You felt the need to say more.

“What’s your name?” you blurted.

He stared at you. “Kotallo.” You recognized the name. He was a Marshal. Regalla disliked him even before the rebellion.

You considered telling him your name, but it risked revealing your relation to Regalla. He might know already. You took his silence as your cue to leave.

The medical supplies the Tenakth had on hand were lacking. You searched across camp to find thread and bandages. Thankfully, there was a small tin of salve and a clean sewing needle hidden deep in a drawer of the understocked medical area. You had your full waterskin next to you to wash off any lingering dirt and a small knife to cut the thread. There would be no point in sewing up the area to die of infection.

You settled yourself on to your cot, removing the leather skirt and belt of your armour. The skirt was thick and settled just below your waist. Your cropped chest piece revealed the clan paint across your midriff and arms. You held up the skirt and belt to assess the damage. There was a sizeable hole in both of them. You were lucky the Fanghorn pierced you where it did. Any higher and it would have hit unprotected skin or your lungs. You could deal with the damage done to your armour later. Your main priority was to clean and suture your wound. You uncorked your waterskin and doused your wound with the water. You hissed as you scrubbed at the wound to remove any crusted blood and clan paint. You threaded the needle with shaky hands, missing the eye of the needle multiple times. Once the needle was threaded, you looked down at your cut to find the best spot to begin. One side of the injury was split longer than the other and you decided it would be best to start there. Wincing, you slid the needle into your skin and stitched. You had done this multiple times before, but it was always an uncomfortable process. You finished your last stitch and tied a knot at the end of the thread, cutting away the excess with the knife next to you. You admired your handy work. It would leave a scar, but you already had many of those. Tenakth wore their scars with pride. They showed the battles they faced. You opened the tin of salve and slathered some over the sutured wound. It would calm the inflammation and help with pain. You would have to avoid putting paint over it until it healed. You ran your fingers along it, still feeling Kotallo’s touch even hours later. There was no point thinking too much of it. You had not been touched with care, if you could even call it that, in a while. Your mind was making too much of it because it was foreign. Still, as you put your skirt and belt back on, you could almost feel the way his breath hit your ear. You involuntarily shivered. Perhaps a nap would help you get over this.

You dreamt of Kotallo. It was an uncomfortable realization to make for an even more uncomfortable awakening. Regalla shook you awake. She leaned over you with a panicked expression. You had not seen that panic in Regalla’s eyes since she was begging for your brothers’ mercy.

“The Saviour. She is on the Wings of the Ten and is attacking camps. She has taken out three of our major outposts.” ‘And I fear we are next,’ was left unsaid, but you could tell she thought about it.

You grimaced. The component you gave Aloy must have been the override to the Wings of the Ten. You almost felt hurt that she was attacking camps like this, but even if you were helping her, you were still on opposite sides of this battle. This could be your moment to fight against Regalla and show her that there is something better, but you felt obligated to stay with her. She was your sister. You hadn’t known Aloy for over two months. You slid off your cot and stood next to Regalla. She handed you your weapons.

“Now is the time. I waited to kill the Saviour, and she has fallen right into my hands. I hope she will not die a coward’s death.” You felt a deep worry settle in the pit of your stomach. There was so much that could go wrong in this situation. You wanted to tell Regalla to leave it, but Aloy was murdering innocent Rebels and you would not stand for it.

You heard a loud crash. You and Regalla looked at each other simultaneously and rushed down the stairs. There were bodies of Rebels and sounds of battle outside the outpost. It reminded you of the Tenakth camp Regalla raided. Regalla had done the same as Aloy. Maybe even for the same reasons. You felt ill and suddenly could not stand to face Regalla, but you could not stand to face Aloy either.

Relief washed over you as Regalla spoke. “I’m going to search for the Saviour. Search for any remaining survivors.”

The relief faded when you registered the amount of injured Rebels and lack of medical supplies. Even if there were survivors, they would die of their untreated injuries. Not that there were many survivors. It was disheartening to look down and see many familiar faces lying dead in the sand. Nearly identical to the Tenakth camp raid, to Nettah. You prayed to the Ten the Rebels that hunted Aloy would survive. You even prayed that Aloy would survive. Suddenly, a hand grasped your ankle. You looked down to see the face of the dark-skinned soldier Regalla called for during the camp raid.

“Please,” they murmured. “She put the Wings of the Ten against us.” They had claw marks lining their back. You grabbed on to their arms and hauled them up.

“I’ll bring you somewhere more comfortable.” You had no time to patch them up. It made you feel intensely guilty as you laid them down, face first, onto a cot. The most you could do was hope for the best.

There was no point sticking around to search through more dead bodies. You reminded yourself that you can’t stew on death when there are living people in danger. You rushed out of the gates in search of the Saviour, hoping you could talk her down. The fighting in the distance had silenced. It was not a comforting silence. You feared the worst happened. You followed a trail of heavy footsteps on the ground until you saw Regalla by the Wings of the Ten. She rooted through a saddlebag with a deep frown on her face. She noticed your presence and turned to face you. You saw her holding the stained map in her fist. Your eyes widened, and she tensed her fist around the map. She walked to you, like storm clouds rolling over the sky, and shoved the map so viciously into your chest you nearly fell.

“Coward,” she hissed. Her voice was filled with venom as she shoved you again. “To think my own sister betrayed me!”

“Regalla, please. It’s not what you think.” Your words sounded hollow.

“You disgust me. You are no different from the Carja.” She spat at your feet.

“You were killing your own people! You can’t see what your actions have done.” There was no point in denying it any further. If Regalla wanted to spit venom at you, you would spit it back.

“They were not my people. They were traitors. The same as you. We lost everything to the Carja, yet you side with them.”

“You are only hurting people, Regalla! You have butchered entire camps, the same the Saviour has done to us.” Regalla clenched her jaw so tightly you worried her teeth would snap.

“Leave,” she said, eerily calm. “You have chosen your side. There is no place for a traitor with the Rebels.” Regalla brushed past you.

You stood and watched Regalla leave with a blank look. You wondered where you were supposed to find shelter. You could not return to Arrowhand or Scalding Spear as if you were not—had not been—in the rebellion that fought against them. You doubted the Saviour would entrust you enough to even merely suggest the location of her camp. Perhaps one of the Oseram caravans would take pity on you. There was grunting behind you. You turned around to see the Saviour, doubled over, wiping sweat off her brow. You wanted to shout at Aloy for the massacre she had committed, but you knew she was doing what she thought was right. She didn’t know the Rebels like you did. She only thought of them as people who murdered and pillaged anyone who stepped into the West, which wasn’t exactly false. You understood she did what she had to survive, but her actions weren’t without hurt.

“Regalla has found out I’m working with you,” you said. You weren’t sure if you said it because you thought she deserved to know or if you just felt the need to tell someone.

Aloy cringed. “She didn’t take it well, did she? At least she didn’t kill you.”

You clenched your jaw, feeling the need to defend Regalla’s honour. “You may think poorly of Regalla, but she would stoop so low to kill her own family.” After you said it, you realized what you said. You covered your mouth to stop anymore information from spilling out

Aloy’s eyes went wide in shock. “I thought you were one of her Marshals.” She squinted at you like Regalla’s face would appear as your own.

“I never deceived you, if that’s what you’re suggesting.” You heard the venom in your voice. You wanted to remain calm, to keep your head clear, but your sister had practically disowned you and you spoke to the person who slaughtered Rebels.

“You aren’t your family. You’ve been a useful ally, Regalla has not. What will she do to you now that she found out you’re working against her?” Aloy’s response shocked you. You expected her to renounce your allyship.

“She might tell the other Rebels. I won’t be able to get you information from her as easily as I used to. I don’t think she’d appreciate seeing me spying around.”

Aloy chewed on her lip, visibly considering something. “Regalla doesn’t want you around?”

“I don’t hold it against her. I knew my betrayal would hurt her, but I naively thought she wouldn’t figure it out,” you said.

“I could use your help if you’re willing to stay at my base. There are bigger issues than Regalla that I believe you would be an important ally on.”

You weighed your options. “It depends who you want me to fight against.” You crossed your arms.

Aloy taped her focus and scrolled to show you a man in a futuristic-looking silver suit. “The old ones.”

You bit down on your lip. “You start fights with anyone, don’t you?”

Aloy raised a brow at you. “Is that a no?”

“It’s not. If you think I can help, I will.” Aloy motioned you to follow her onto the Wings of the Ten. You carefully swung your legs onto it. Never in your life did you expect to be this close to one, let alone ride it.

“Hold on,” Aloy said. “It’s a rough takeoff.”

Aloy’s base hid in the side of a mountain. You felt the cold from the snowy tips of the mountain brushing against your exposed skin. You were not made for mountains. Aloy placed her palm to the middle of the door and it gradually opened. The hallway was stainless steel with Tenakth armour strewn about. It felt unnatural. You searched for the scorching sun beating down on your skin, and the sand that clung to your armour.

“Are you coming?” Aloy crossed her arms at the door. You still felt a twinge of resentment when you looked at her. You saw the faces of the Rebels she slaughtered in her eyes.

You walked through the open door and were shocked to see a myriad of faces staring at you. Kotallo sat at a Strike board with a man wearing Oseram armour. The Oseram was losing. Leaning against a counter was a tall Nora man and an Utaru woman. They were too deep in conversation to notice you. A woman poked her head out of a room with a shocked expression on her face. She wore armour you couldn’t recognize and sported a triangle similar to Aloy’s.

Kotallo moved a piece on the board, and the man across from him groaned and placed his head in his hands. Kotallo turned to face you and seemed confused. You tightened your grip on the sheathed knife on your waist. You felt exposed in this unfamiliar place. The woman in the door opened her mouth to say something to Aloy, but Aloy shot her a look that made her promptly retreat. Aloy brought you further into the base to the sleeping quarters. They decorated the cots with artifacts. One cot had plants surrounding it, which you could immediately tell was the Utaru’s.

“You can put your stuff down on a bed. I’ll fill you in when you’re done.”

You had nothing to put away, but you couldn’t face walking out and seeing strange faces scrutinizing you. You sat down on the furthest cot on the left side. The walls were the same stainless steel that coated the rest of the base. The absence of any natural light made you feel claustrophobic. How did Kotallo tolerate this? You had barely been there for ten minutes, and you were already itching to run back into the desert. You were thankful Aloy let you into her base, though. She put more trust in you than you could ever imagine without even knowing your name. You took a deep breath and went to leave, but heard whispering by the door. You ducked behind a cot and placed your ear against the wall.

“Do you even realize who that is?” Someone said in an agitated voice.

“Yes, and she is a useful ally to us. We need anyone we can get, Alva. It’s not like the Quen were very friendly to me originally either,” Aloy said. The Quen were new to you. You heard the stories of Rebels fighting against a high-tech tribe, but assumed they were just liars. Maybe that tribe was the Quen?

“The Quen are not Regalla’s sister! How can you put your trust in her when she is related and is working under someone who wants to kill you?” You winced.

“Worked under,” she corrected. “I don’t care who she’s related to if she can help us fight the Zeniths.” Alva sighed. Her footsteps sounded off the metal floor.

You pressed your full body against the wall and tilted your head backwards. You ran a hand down your face. There was a subconscious need to fight back. You wanted to take your blades out and challenge her to really show her how similar you and Regalla were. There was no point ruminating on what these people thought of you. You were here to help Aloy fight, not make friends. You walked out into the hallway next to Aloy.

“I’m ready.”

Aloy nodded and brought you to a door that led to the basement. Another fiery-headed person came out of the storage room. She was identical to Aloy.

“This is Beta. She can probably explain better than I can.” Beta shrunk away from you and crossed her arms across her chest uncomfortably.

Beta pulled a set of files up on her focus and scrolled through them. She nervously opened a file that had multiple people in the same futuristic armour as the man.

“These are the Far Zeniths.” You took a seat on the stairs. This seemed like it would be a long explanation. Beta explained how the Far Zeniths had gotten to earth and why they were here. It was a shock to think that the people who were here originally wanted to destroy this planet. You wouldn’t question why Beta was involved with them. You knew how it felt to be outcasted by others because of those you had no choice but to be around.

“How are we supposed to fight them if their armour is indestructible?” You asked.

Aloy sighed, “we’re working on that. I’m bringing some others out to search for information tonight. Beta relayed a dig site to me earlier. I need you to stay back with Kotallo to show him Rebel sites in the desert.”

You grimaced. As much as you appreciated not being left with a stranger, the tall Tenakth grated on your nerves. Not only that, but your feelings were still muddled from the last time you spoke. You wanted to add a snarky comment about her actions at Rebel camps, but held your tongue. She let you stay with her. It would be a problem if you got on her bad side.

You heard your breath ricocheting off the walls of the sleeping quarters. It was eerily quiet once Aloy and her group left. Silence itself did not bother you, but what came with it. Silence in what you knew most of your life, war, meant an impending attack. You blew a puff of air out of your mouth and heard it bounce off the walls just to remind yourself you were alive. You could easily do as Aloy said and sell out every Rebel encampment from here to the marshes, but you knew that would leave the Rebels defenseless to Aloy’s fury. Though the Rebels were no longer your people, your moral compass kept you from endangering them. It’s what made you feel distant from the people of the base. These people saw the Rebels as nothing other than Regalla’s pawns, another enemy to take down, another roadblock keeping them from success. The quiet kept you stuck in your own head.

You adjusted your shoulders in the main foyer. The Strike game placed in front of you showed a clear losing side. You were never very good at Strike, and never attempted to get good at it. Regalla was, but maybe she wasn’t. When you watched her play as a child, it was an idolized version of her. Maybe you’d win against her if you played today. Kotallo came out of a room, which you assumed to be his, holding his spear.

“Where are you going?” You felt the need to ask.

“Sparring. There are Sungwings on the mountain above.”

You joined him at the door leading outside. He eyed you suspiciously.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m joining you. It’s too quiet inside.” Kotallo seemed agitated, but opened the door for you. The sound of the wind off the mountain peaks was a relief. You could no longer hear the rasp of your breath and the hum of your thoughts.

He led you up the mountainside. The snow crunched under your sandals and pricked at the tips of your toes. The burn of the cold made you shiver, but you were glad to feel something other than distrust and fear. He pulled you into snow covered tall grass and placed a finger to his lips. The grass clouded your vision, but you could make out the form of the machine. It was fitting for Kotallo to fight a machine sacred to the Tenakth.

“Are you able to fight with your injury?” You barely thought of that with what had gone on the past few days. There was still a hole in your skirt that you made a mental note to patch up.

“I’ve fought with worse.”

“We strike on my count, then.” He began counting down from three. You felt your anticipation build. He reached zero, and you sprung out of the grass.

Kotallo landed a hit to the Sunwing’s plasma fin. It flapped its wings and rose. You threw a blade. It sank into the Sunwings sparker.

“It is not fun when they fly,” Kotallo murmured.

“I can fix that,” you responded, pulling your bow from your back.

You shot arrows into its wings. It tried to stabilize itself, but quickly returned to the ground. The Sunwing swiped its damaged wing at you and clipped the armour covering your shin. It shot a burst of plasma at Kotallo that he expertly dodged before landing a strike to the Sunwings sparker. You took the chance to stab the Sunwings body with your second blade. Before you could remove your blades, the Sunwing swung its wings and sent you flying backwards. You landed with a thump on the frozen ground. Your head pounded at the impact. You felt a pull at your stitches when you tried to stand up. Kotallo glanced at you with a worried expression.

“Give me a second.” You placed a hand on the stitched wound and staggered up.

Kotallo stabbed the resource container of the Sunwing. It hunched its body forwards, and you took the chance to shoot an arrow into its head. The Sunwing toppled backwards. You pulled your blades from the Sunwing. You heard commotion from behind you and turned to see Kotallo wrestling with a Scrounger that snuck up on him. The Sunwing just died, and the thing had already come to collect its parts. You stabbed your blade into the Scrounger and pulled it off Kotallo. He quickly got to his feet and ran to another Scrounger near the Sunwing. The ground shook beneath you. You tried to move, but it was too late. A Scrounger popped out of the ground with you on top of it and threw you into the fight Kotallo was having. You rolled just in time to miss the end of Kotallo’s spear piercing the Scrounger. He offered you his hand, and you gratefully took it. You dusted off the snow accumulating on your pants and went for the last Scrounger.

By the time you cleared out the area, you were covered in sweat. The cold made it feel worse. Breathing heavily, you laid on the ground. Kotallo sat next to you. Sweat dripped in rivulets from his forehead, leaving traces down the clan paint. He panted and tilted his head back, revealing the skin of his neck and Adam’s apple. The snow clung to his bare forearm. He glanced at you, something heavy in his eyes. Adrenaline coursed through your body. You sat up and returned his gaze, both of you panting. You felt warm all over despite the cold. There was a hint of stubble on his jaw. Your fingers itched to brush against it. It felt wrong seeing him in this light. He despised you; he despised your people, and you felt the same. Something in you craved the soft touch he gave you when you were injured. You leaned in to him. He didn’t move. His breath fanned against your lips. He placed his hand on the side of your face. You leaned in closer, closing the gap and pressing your lips against his. His lips were rough like the rest of him. You tasted the faint hint of plant from his clan paint. You wondered if he tasted the same from yours. He pressed harder into the kiss. You pressed back, trying to win. This was a battle, and you were afraid of what would happen if you lost. Your teeth clacked together. You winced and pulled away from him. Immediately, you felt your stomach turn with guilt. You couldn’t do this with him.

“I’m sorry.”

He looked hurt, but it left his face as quickly as it appeared. “We do not have to talk about it.” He stood up and offered you his hand. You did not take it.

“We should go inside. I’m losing feeling in my fingers,” you laughed nervously.

“Go, I would like to stay here. Perhaps another Sunwing will come along.”

The base was quieter than when you left. You secretly wished that Kotallo would come back. If you were supposed to hate him so much, why did he make you feel this way?

When Aloy returned with her group, their conversation held a joyous lilt. Clearly, whatever they did went well. Kotallo placed himself on a soft, plush couch. He was sharpening his spear as Aloy came up to him. You found yourself stood awkwardly in the corner.

“We found it,” she began. Kotallo’s eyebrows perked with interest. “Apparently, there’s some important document in a Rebel outpost nearby. With the information Y/n gave you, I think you can help us find it.” Your blood ran cold at the use of your name. Kotallo stared at you, his expression a mix of confusion and shock. The others stared at you with varying expressions.

“What information?” Kotallo no longer held any expression towards you. His lips settled into their usual thin line. You couldn’t tell if this was his way of saying he didn’t care or if he regretted ever looking in your direction.

The Oseram looked displeased. He murmured something under his breath.

Aloy turned to face you. “Did you not tell him?”

“I didn’t think it would be that important.” It was a lie. A poor one at that.

Aloy grimaced. “The Rebels are not innocent. They butchered Tenakth. Why defend them? Unless you’re still too interested in pleasing Regalla to make the right decision.”

You clenched your fists. She was right. You understood that everything you did was to please Regalla, to protect her. Her statement still hit a nerve. The Rebels were not Regalla.

“We have all done things to survive. What makes you above them? You have killed as well. Far more than any of them!” You stormed out of the base in a fit. It made you feel childish. Frankly, it was childish. It was the behaviour you pulled as a teenager when Regalla made nasty comments towards you.

You felt the cold against your skin again, this time an uncomfortable reminder of how out of place you were. You climbed the mountain Kotallo brought you to, but stopped before you reached their nest. You felt embarrassed at how childish you reacted. Easily, you could’ve brushed the comment off and pretended that Aloy hadn’t said it. You weren’t sure where your loyalties lay. On one hand, you knew Aloy fought for a good cause. She looked at the greater good, though sometimes she was single-minded in her pursuit of it. On the other hand, you understood the pain Regalla felt. She was doing what she thought had to be done.

“Can I sit?” You looked up and saw the Utaru.

“Okay.”

“Zo,” she offered her hand. You took it. Her hand was soft and warm.

“I would tell you my name, but I’m sure you already know.”

She laughed lightly. You didn’t think your comment was very funny. “I understand how you feel.”

You laughed as well, but your laugh was cold. “You know how it feels to betray your own people?”

“No, but I understand why you did. It is wasteful to sit around and do nothing while you watch people around you get hurt at the cost of your inaction.”

You glanced at her, shocked to hear her words. “I worry that I’m not doing the right thing. No matter what I do, people will get hurt anyway.” You couldn’t tell why you admitted this to her. She had an accepting air to her that made you feel unjudged.

“The right does not always mean there aren’t consequences.” Zo thought for a moment. “Maybe there is a way to get the Rebels to come to a truce.”

Regalla was never one to deny her own defeat. “How?”

“We could get them to work together. They may not have the same motivations, but they are fighting similar battles.”

You gave her a confused look. “Again, how?”

“If we could speak to Regalla, we could explain. I know you know she is not heartless. Regalla fights battles she believes to be right.” Zo got to her feet. “Come, I will tell Aloy our plan.” She gave you another glance. “You are not wrong to feel hurt by what she has done to the Rebels and you do not need to forgive her, but it’s important we work together. Our fighting is only propelling the Zeniths to victory.”

While Zo spoke to Aloy in the base, Aloy threw glances towards you. You couldn’t read the emotions mixed on her face. You lay back on a cot, staring into the hard metal of a second one on top.

“We can leave tomorrow,” Aloy said. You expected to feel some relief, but only felt a growing pit in your stomach.

Regalla was at a base you didn’t regularly frequent. It was in the desert, but it laid close to the mountains of the Sky Clan territory. Aloy brought you and Kotallo along, hoping you could talk Regalla into joining. The tension could’ve been cut with a knife on the way over. The air was heavy with the argument you had with Aloy and the kiss with Kotallo. It was like your own personal hell.

You nervously scaled the wall, making fast work of getting into the compound. The sky was overcast with dark, shadowy clouds. You heard Regalla speaking, but couldn’t make out the words. You slunk across the wood on the second level, remaining close to the wall in case you needed a fast way out. The conversation Regalla had lulled into silence and the person she was speaking to stepped out of the hut. The nervousness from earlier settled in your stomach once again. You couldn’t face Regalla’s rejection, but you had to. As Zo said, sometimes the right way has consequences, and you were willing to have Regalla hate you if it meant saving people. You took a deep breath and stepped into the hut. Regalla’s back was turned as she searched through a drawer.

“Regalla,” you announced. She spun to face you, her brows drawn tightly.

“I did not expect you to have the courage to show your face anywhere near me,” she spat venomously.

“We have a common goal.” Every word felt forced, like you were talking with food in your mouth.

“Yet you betrayed me. If you are running back to me because the Saviour discarded you, I will not take you back.” Regalla went to leave, but you grabbed her shoulder. She yanked herself from you and glowered.

“You will lose this battle by yourself, Regalla. Aloy understands the Zeniths better than you. I understand what I did, but I do not regret it. The right choice comes with consequences, and I am willing to have you hate me if it means saving innocent lives.” A lump was forming in your throat. You weren’t willing to have Regalla hate you. You wanted the comfort of her familiar presence. Regalla stalled, almost considering, and sat back down.

“I do not trust you.” The words stung deeply. “But my army cannot face the Zeniths alone. If Aloy will make a compromise, I will fight with her.”

Regalla stood tall next to Aloy with her arms crossed tightly on her chest. Kotallo had a scowl staining his clan paint.

“I will fight with you if you agree to not bother with the Rebels.”

Aloy tapped her spear against the sand. The dark clouds still loomed over the sky, but they had dissipated slightly, leaving a faint shadow. “Only if you stop fighting the Tenakth. Your army is useless if it’s dead.”

Regalla contemplated. She let her arms fall to her side. “For the time being, I will agree to it.”

You let out a sigh of relief. You had never been more glad in Regalla’s ability to admit defeat.

It was strange with Regalla at the base. There was a tinge of familiarity to this otherwise foreign place. Your relationship with Regalla was strained. You doubted it would ever return to normal. She held you at a distance. The times you spoke had been brief, clinical even. It hurt to see the distrust in her eyes when you would pass by her, but you’d accepted your decision. You would rather her be alive and hate you than dead.

You had gotten closer to the others in the base. Most of them held the same distrust as Regalla, but your conversations with them became less spoiled with fear. You’d become close with Zo. Without judgement, she was kind to you. She’d recently helped you decide regarding Kotallo. When you mentioned the kiss, she had no anger in her eyes. She advised you to speak to him as she did with her boyfriend, Varl.

Kotallo was in his room, studying a map, when you walked in. The tension still hung heavy between you and Kotallo.

You observed the room before blurting out, “I liked kissing you.” He stared at you, shocked. This was not how you planned this would go. “Sorry, that was too forward.”

“I like forward,” he said, stepping closer to you. “Besides, I did not mind kissing you, either. You are not only good at fighting.”

You rubbed the back of your neck. “Are things okay between us?”

“I was a little shocked to find out you are related to Regalla.” You waited for the rejection. “It does not matter to me. You are not defined by your family,” he clarified.

You stared at him, realizing now he had stunning blue eyes. His lips pulled faintly into a smile and formed lines around his eyes. He was pretty, you’d admit, with no guilt behind it. You placed a hand on his cheek. You kissed, this time soft. It was not a battle between you, but an allyship. He put his hand on your waist and pulled you close. You moved with him. Why fight against someone with a common goal?

#horizon forbidden west #horizon fw #kotallo #kotallo x reader

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