Horizon before dawn

In the morning, I noticed Albedo was still there. She was trying to make sense of the Focus, though her face still showed suspicion, and I could see a trace of fear in her eyes.

Well, she didn't run away, that's a good start.

As I prepared a nice meal, I glanced at her and asked, "How are you? If you have questions, now's the time to ask them all. I know I threw a lot at you last night."

Still confused by the events of yesterday, she responded in a low, uncertain voice, tinged with hurt. "I'm fine… maybe not. I… Yes, well… How do you know all this? What's your real goal? Don't tell me it's just to be a good hunter or seeker, I don't believe you. I told you I trust you, so now it's your turn. I want to know everything you're hiding from me. Why all of this?"

I paused, taking time to carefully consider how to answer. I knew I couldn't tell her everything, not the part about coming from another world, that would shatter her understanding. So, I took a deep breath and began my explanation.

"I'm still the same Noir. I still want to be the best hunter and seeker. But why, you ask? To save the world. To make our tribe stronger so we can survive the coming storm. And it's a big storm, Albedo… The world is dying, and we stand a chance only if we use everything at our disposal. The Derangement is just the beginning of our troubles."

"How do I know all this? I'm smart, smarter than anyone around me, and I'm not afraid. I'm an explorer. I found these old ruins a long time ago, and with the Focus, I learned about our ancestors. How they lived, how they died, and why the world is the way it is."

"My goal? To replace the Matriarchs, to become King of the Nora. To uplift our people and give them the knowledge and power that was always meant to be ours."

"My goal is to lead us to a new world, to break this stupid cycle of ignorance created by the Matriarchs and other tribes."

Albedo was clearly shocked by my words. I could see her taking time to process what I'd just revealed. I knew I was asking a lot, and I knew creating a kingdom wouldn't be easy, but if we were going to survive, I couldn't just rely on Aloy's aura of destiny. I had to do my part too.

After several long moments of deep thought, Albedo finally calmed and looked at me.

"You want to be King of the Nora? You want to give us power? Knowledge? You want to save the world?"

"Yes," I answered simply, because that was my truth. I wanted to live in this world without the fear of being trampled by a Strider.

She nodded, signaling that she understood everything now. "Okay, I'll help you," she said, her face set with a determined confidence.

"Why?" I asked, still unsure. Why was she really helping me?

"The Matriarchs are weak," she began, her voice cold with anger. "They're the reason I've lost everything. The north isn't even ours anymore. It's full of Carja and slavers preying on our people, and they sit in the Embrace, singing to a mountain, while our people are being killed or enslaved."

"You want to be King? Fine by me. Anyone would do a better job than those old hags."

"You want to give us power? Knowledge? Good. That's all I want too. So give me everything you have. Cursed or not, I'll use all I've got to kill as many Carja as I can."

"Saving the world? That's easy. It's my world too, of course I'll help."

"I trust you," she said simply.

"I trust you," I replied, my heart lighter now that I had someone to help carry the weight of my goals. I could see the resolve in her eyes and the way she stood taller, she would never betray me. She would be my spear and arrow going forward.

"Alright then," I said, breaking the silence. "Let's start your real training. No time to waste. You'll learn how to use the Focus, the language of our ancestors, how to read and write, how to hunt machines on your own, and much more. Are you ready?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "There's no turning back now. Teach me everything I need to know."

And so, day after day, I taught her everything I knew while also honing my own skills. My concentration had made me a genius, my mind now functioned like a biological computer. The downside was that overusing it could fry my brain.

Our days passed in research, studying machine parts, creating weapons, crafting better outfits, and hunting the wilds. She was smart, quick to learn, and we both pushed our limits every day. Without realizing it, four years had passed, and now it was time for Albedo's proving. She was older than me by a year, now sixteen.