#kotollo

Me, yesterday drawing Aloy: ...something's...missing..

Aloy knew something was wrong when GAIA pinged her focus.

“Aloy. A situation appears to be developing.”

Shit. Aloy tapped her focus, bending low over her sunwing. The air up here was frigid, but the sun was bright against the sunwing’s solar panels, warming her almost to the point of discomfort. “What’s the problem? Someone in trouble?”

“Uncertain. Seyka—”

At her name, a rush of panic swelled in Aloy’s chest. “Is she hurt?”

“Not… currently.” GAIA appeared to contemplate that. “Although based on the feed from her focus, I am beginning to doubt her safety will remain as such. I recommend haste to her position.”

A ping appeared on Aloy’s focus, marking a location nearby. It was deep in the luscious valley near the Bulwark, an area still dusted with snow. Aloy immediately angled her sunwing, urging it to top speed as she raced between the looming mountains. “Damn it. Patch me through to her.”

“I advise against that. When she speaks with you, her heart rate elevates, and her focus appears divided. In this situation, that might be fatal.”

“What's happening to her?” Aloy snarled.

A pause. GAIA spoke smoothly, undisturbed by her outburst. “I’ll patch you to Kotollo. He may have more answers.”

Kotollo.

No. No, no, no. Because Kotollo pitched a "trial of combat" to test new members of the Base. Kotollo tried to take people like Alva and Beta hunting by handing them a blastling and pointing them at a charger. He had the best intentions, but damn it all, they talked about this.

Seyka could handle herself better than most, but clearly that didn't matter much today.

Aloy ground her teeth, hunching further over the sunwing’s blazing wings, squinting as her eyes watered in the icy wind. She didn’t have to sit in furious silence long—Kotollo answered after a delayed moment.

“Aloy. You shouldn’t be concerned.”

Then GAIA took a moment to brief him.

It wouldn’t save him, not if Seyka was hurt because of this stupid ritual.

“I told you to leave her alone. She doesn’t have to prove herself to you, or anyone.” The words were hissed, drenched in irritation. “She’s perfectly capable of handling herself.”

“I agree. She’s surviving quite well, all things considered.”

Surviving. Aloy’s heart thudded in her chest. “What’s happening? I'm on my way.”

“I suspect it will be finished by the time you arrive.”

What would be finished? Seyka's life? Aloy's breath felt short. “Then get in there and help her!”

Kotollo went silent for a minute, and a crashing sound echoed through his Focus. Everything muted, and when he came back, he sounded a bit breathless. “No need. Seyka has triumphed.”

The clearing GAIA marked was in view. Black, billowing smoke drifted up from a small clearing, one surrounded by devastated terrain. Between splintered tree trunks and deep gouges in the icy mud, Seyka and Kotollo stood beside three felled scorchers. The acrid scent of burnt foliage saturated the air.

Aloy leapt off the sunwing before it had the chance to land. Her shield snapped open, and she drifted to the ground.

Seyka was standing. Okay, good. But she was also bleeding—crimson drenched her left arm. Not that she seemed bothered by it--she gripped the wound tightly, grinning like a fool.

The wound still made Aloy’s heart flutter.

“Seyka—”

“Aloy! Ancestors, what a time. Kotollo’s hilarious.”

“Hilarious” and “Kotollo” weren’t two words Aloy would use in the same sentence. But Seyka shoved his shoulder, and to Aloy's shock, he laughed deeply in response. Like they were old buddies, like he hadn’t just put her life in danger for some ridiculous proving trial.

Irritation seethed in Aloy’s tone, and she marched towards Kotollo. “Hilarious. Sure. Dropping you in the middle of a machine fight with no backup—”

“Hang on.” Seyka stepped between them, one hand raised. Her bleeding arm didn’t seem to be moving well, and she grimaced in pain. It stopped Aloy in her tracks—but Seyka’s amused expression melted her anger. “You know I asked for this, right?”

Behind her, Kotollo looked abashed.

“You—asked. For his ridiculous trial.”

Seyka cocked a hip, her long ponytail flipping over her shoulder.  “Come on, Aloy. I did some research.” Now she tapped the focus at her temple. It left a bloody smear against the scuffed white ceramic. “The Tenakth respect combat. Triumph in battle. But they also happen to make the best blastslings east of the ocean.”

At this, Kotollo shrugged a shoulder. Confident he was no longer under Aloy’s fire, he knelt at the first scorcher and began rifling for scrap. Its plating was still blazing hot, but his metal prosthetic didn't care about that.

Aloy watched him for a long moment before crossing her arms. High overhead, her sunwing continued a lazy circle over the clearing, casting the occasional shadow. “So, you wanted a blastsling.”

“Well, I wanted to learn his crafting techniques. Turns out I’m shit at it.” Seyka smirked, gesturing at the crumpled pieces of a mauled weapon across the clearing. Aloy wouldn’t have even known it was a blastsling without her input.

Kotollo cleared his throat. “Your binding technique needs work. I warned you it wasn’t ready to test.”

“Well, now I agree with that,” Seyka told him, kicking the nearest scorcher’s metal limb. It creaked, hissed, and slid further down the hillside, and she yelped to scramble out of its way.

Aloy watched the whole thing with exasperation. “You couldn’t have tested the blastsling on like… a tree, or something?”

“And lose the chance to prove my fighting skills to a Tenakth? Hell no. That trial exists for a reason. Kotollo needs to know he can count on me to protect you.”

That shouldn’t have made Aloy’s chest flutter, but it did. Her scowl shifted into an amused smile. “You. Protect me.”

“There’ll come a time, sunwing, when you’ll need more than backup. Now Kotollo knows I’ll fight three scorchers with my bare hands, if necessary.” Seyka punched her open palm for emphasis, then hissed, gripping the bleeding wound on her shoulder. “It’s not the smartest option, but damn it all, I’m scrappy.”

“You’re something,” Aloy drawled, trying to ignore the flush creeping up her neck. “Are you planning to bind that wound, or—”

“Let me,” Kotollo said, appearing at their side again with a long cut of cloth. It had most likely been intended as material for the blastsling, but now he expertly tied off Seyka’s wound, then looped it over her neck in a makeshift sling. 

Seyka examined the handiwork with a grin. “Thanks. You’re a doll.”

Kotollo paused, raising one eyebrow.

“I found it on a holo in the archipelago. Too much?”

Aloy swallowed a laugh. “Just right.”

"Aloy, you have to be careful, she's just like you with using this old world technology" Kotollo warned Aloy. "I know, but I have to do this, this cave might have important information regarding the Zeniths!" Everyone looked at Aloy worriedly, hoping that she would survive this battle with Beth in the fighting ring. "We'll keep this simple Aloy, if you can beat me, I'll allow you passage into the cave." "Whatever it takes" Aloy growled, preparing her spear for battle. "People of the Deka Tribe, bare witness as I yet again protect you" Beth announced to the tribe, preparing her spear as well. Within seconds, both of the warriors were battling to no end, hitting each other with blows that would cause anyone to surrender. Suddenly, Aloy hit Beth in such a way that caused her to stumble back onto her knees, "Argh....you think you can beat me Aloy?" Beth smirked, wiping the blood from her nose and then standing quickly. She then put her hand close to her focus, turning a holographic wheel that was close to her temple; Aloy watching her touch her temple from a distance. "Come on then" Beth chuckled, edging her to come towards her. Obliging, Aloy charged towards her, Beth instantly screaming loudly, emitting a sonic scream, similar to a clawstrider's scream. "Ahh!" Aloy screamed as she covered her ears, hunching over in pain. Once Aloy fell to the floor, Beth stopped screaming and charged towards her, punching her violently. "You're done" Beth chuckled, holding a dagger to Aloy's neck. "I warned you of what would happen if you challenged me." "I hoped that we could possibly become friends and we could learn from each other, but of course you chose a war." "Stop!" Kotollo yelled as he pushed past the guards and stood in front of Beth. "Please, let her go, if you wish kill me in exchange for her life." "Yeah, me too" Erend intervened alongside of Kotollo. Zo and Alva also joined the duo, "I am not going to kill her, it was only a warning." "I know what Aloy is capable of" Beth growled, pulling away from her and helping her up from the sandy floor. "But if you don't tell me what you are after, I can not help you." "I have a duty to protect this tribe, even if I was an outcast when I was younger."

More to come soon! Let me know if yall like this! Love yall! :3 :3 Don't forget to like, follow, and obey! :P :3 :3