Allam and Erend arrived at the warehouse that was in Dervahl's possession. Aloy came up behind them. Allam pointed to some guards and positioned them to the sides of the door. Allam positioned himself to one side of the door, rifle in hand.

Erend: Are you there Dervahl? Open the door, we have a surprise for you -said the captain of the Vanguard, but receiving no answer, Allam kicked the door down and they all entered, but they stopped short when they saw a device on the ground, with lots of blaze all over the place.

Erend: Is that a bomb? -asked the surprised captain and leaning back.

Aloy scanned the device, and it was indeed a bomb.

Aloy: Yep, it's a bomb and a well-made one -said the redhead while examining the bomb.

Allam noticed that there was blaze dripping from the second floor. He walked over to the ladder, switching from his assault rifle to his bow, and he started up the stairs. He saw more fuel.

Allam: There's enough blaze here to blow up the entire block and maybe set half of Meridian on fire -said the soldier as he saw the barrels of blaze that were on top of the bomb.

Allam realized that it was a trap, if they tried to disarm the bomb, the whole system would activate and blow them all up. He saw that there was some kind of door behind the barrels, perhaps he could get the barrels overboard and minimize the damage.

Allam kicked the door, causing it to split and fall into the void.

Allam: I need everyone to get out of the building, now! -He shouted and everyone left the building. Allam started to push the barrels and when they fell over the edge he began to run towards the exit. Allam exited the building and the explosion below triggered others and caused the warehouse to explode, but luckily the city was spared.

Allam: Shit, I'm sick and tired of running from explosions -said the soldier as he started to get up, with the help of some guards.

Erend: Haha, we did! Dervahl had the perfect plan and we still screwed it up for him -Erend and the guards cheered, but Aloy knew something else was missing.

Aloy: Wait, Dervahl said that he would force Avad to watch Meridian burn... Erned go back to the palace, Avad may be in trouble -she ordered, but although Erend tried to argue, in the end he decided to comply with the order.

Aloy saw that there were footsteps coming out of the warehouse and going somewhere else. The redhead realized that the ancient soldier had not left with Erend and had stayed with her.

Aloy: Allam, go with Erend and see if Avad is alright -she ordered him, but the man didn't flinch.

Aloy: Allam, I don't have time for this, the lives of innocent people are in danger, and I need you to be useful, not a hindrance...please, Al, I'm begging you -the Nora huntress implored the man, Allam didn't answer, and he just stood by her side, with one hand he indicated that he would follow her. Aloy reluctantly let him follow her.

Both followed the clues until they reached a house, Allam kicked down the doors and saw that the house had a basement, which led to the outskirts of the palace.

Aloy: Damn, Dervahl must be sneaking into the palace right now -the huntress cursed as she headed off towards the cliff, Allam following behind her in silence. They both saw a man with brown hair and with a kind of plugs in his ears was the lower part of an aqueduct. That was Dervahl.

Allam and Aloy saw that they had to parkour in order to get to him.

Allam: Shit, this will take time...Aloy hold on to me -said the soldier, which caused the huntress to blush at the request.

Aloy: What? Why? -asked the huntress, blushing.

Allam: Trust me, please -asked the soldier and the woman put an arm on Allam's shoulder, while he put her hands on her waist.

Allam carried Aloy a bit until he double jumped and Aloy held on tight to the soldier. He threw his grappling hook at the aqueduct and quickly retracted it, landing inside the aqueduct. Aloy was trembling in surprise, it took her a moment to detach herself from Allam, who was flushed from having so much physical contact with the redhead.

Both separated blushing from each other and continued along the aqueduct until they saw two guards guarding the entrance to the palace. Aloy finished one off with his spear while Allam used his blade and slashed the other guard's throat.

The two followed a set of stairs, which led them to where Avad, Erend, and Marad lay on the ground, covering their ears with Dervahl's audio device.

The Oseram was doing his villainous monologue, but realizing that his bomb hadn't worked, he decided to go investigate.

Aloy: Stay here and wait for me to deactivate the weapon -she ordered Allam to the soldier, to which he nodded.

Aloy put on her hearing protectors and destroyed the machine. Allam walked over to her and helped Erend and Marad to their feet. But they were still stunned by the attack.

Allam: Dervahl can be considered a dead man -said the ancient as he extended his blade, but Avad stopped him.

Avad: No... Don't kill him...let...the Oseram decide his punishment...please -the Sun King begged the soldier, Allam looked at Aloy and saw that she had a pleading look.

Allam put the blade away from him and headed off in the direction Dervahl had gone. He hadn't even noticed his presence yet, but one shot from Allam's rifle and one of his dead henchmen was enough.

Dervahl: Ah, but if it's my friend from the bar, you know... you're a beast, you incapacitated so many people in just half an hour, but don't tell me you're with Avad now, after everything you said about him -the Oseram saluted maliciously, the soldier just looked at him confused.

Allam: Look, I don't remember anything that happened, or I said, and for the record, I don't give a damn what happens to Avad, what interests me is the innocent people you planned to hurt -said the soldier.

Dervahl: Come on, we both know that deep down you hate Avad and want to see him out of the world of the living as much as I do -said the man, trying to put Allam on his side.

Allam: I don't like the bastard very much, but that's not reason enough for me to kill him -the soldier replied, readying his rifle.

Dervahl: And you didn't want him out of sight? That he stopped approaching the girl you like? What was her name... Eloy, Aria... Aloy? It was something like that, I can't remember well -said the man, but when mentioning the name of the huntress, Allam pointed his rifle at his head, and he didn't look very happy.

Allam fired a bullet at Dervahl's other henchman, the latter grabbed some sort of weapon and when he fired, Allam was sent flying, his ears ringing.

Aloy appeared out of nowhere and shot an arrow at Dervahl. Hitting him on the shoulder.

Dervahl took out a device from his pocket, which made a horrendous sound and followed by metallic sounds and Glinthawks appeared in the sky.

Allam: Damn -cursed the ancient soldier as he fired his grappling hook at one of the machines and quickly closed in on it. He extended his blade and embedded it in her chest, pulling out the core of the machine and inserting it into the mouth of the machine.

Allam fell to the ground, the machines launching ice attacks at him, which he narrowly dodged. Allam threw his uppercut and forcefully pulled another Glinthawk to the ground and decapitated it with his blade.

The last Glinthawk launched an icy attack, but Allam rolled out of attack range and fired his rifle at the machine, taking a bullet to the head and destroying it in the process.

Dervahl used his sound weapon and sent Aloy flying, falling down the stairs.

Using his grappling hook, he embedded it in Dervahl's arm and pulled him towards him, dropping his weapon in the process. Allam grabbed his head and slammed it to the ground. Allam pulled his hook out of Dervahl's arm, causing him to yelp in pain.

Allam: You're going to wish you were dead when I'm done with you, you bastard -said the soldier as he extended his blade, which was bloodied with oil from the machines.

Aloy grabbed his arm with the blade and with a pleading expression, Allam just knocked Dervahl out and hugged Aloy, letting out a sigh he kept well-guarded in the process.

Moments later...

It was getting dark, and the sky was starting to turn blue and orange. Allam and Erend were helping to clear the yard of corpses and machine debris that were lying around. Avad and Aloy walked over to where the men were cleaning up.

Avad: Allam, I have to thank you for saving me and for not killing Dervahl when you had the chance -the sovereign of the Sundom thanked him, but Allam simply said that it was nothing.

Avad and Aloy said their goodbyes, as did Erend and the redhead. They both went to another place, Allam and Aloy were left alone, face to face.

Allam: Aloy... I want to apologize for how I've behaved the last few days, I behaved retarded and hurt you -the soldier apologized, you could tell how sorry and ashamed he was by the sound of his voice and by the expression he had on his face.

Aloy: Al... I'll forgive you, but only if we start being honest with each other. Why did you behave like this? Since we arrived in Meridian you have been more defensive than usual and that has me worried about you -she asked him with a sad tone.

Allam: It's just... I don't know - the soldier replied.

Aloy: Don't tell me you don't know, why? Since we got here you've been distrustful, aggressive and rude, it's not your usual way of being, something is bothering you -said the huntress, not accepting the man's answer.

Allam: Aloy... it's just... I really don't know -said the soldier trying to make her believe him, but Aloy was more than clear that he was lying.

Aloy: And you want me to forgive you like this? Hiding things from me and acting all weird overnight -said the redhead starting to get annoyed.

Aloy: What's happening to you? -she asked him, but the soldier just looked at the floor in shame with no way of being able to answer her.

Aloy sighed in defeat and turned to start to leave, but Allam grabbed her hand and she turned to look at him. He sighed and released her hand.

Allam: I was...jealous -revealed the man with a big blush on his cheeks.

Aloy: Jealous? But why? -asked the Nora huntress approaching him.

Allam kept looking embarrassed and looking at the ground.

Allam: Because I want to protect you -answered the ancient soldier, but the huntress still didn't understand.

Aloy: Protect me? But protect me from that Allam? Why do you care so much? the girl asked, confused.

Allam: Because... Because... -the man tried to say but his words did not come out.

Aloy: Why do you care so much? asked the huntress and the soldier finally got up the courage and said it.

Allam: Because I love you! -the soldier replied with a big blush on his cheeks.

Aloy was speechless, she felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest and she felt a tickle in her stomach. Her face began to redden as much as her hair.

Aloy: Y-You lo-lo-love me? -asked the huntress, blushing furiously, still not believing what her ears had heard.

The dark-haired man nodded his head sheepishly.

Allam: From the first moment I saw you, you seemed beautiful to me, your eyes, your freckles, your laugh and your smile, everything seemed beautiful to me, but then I began to know you better and I saw what a good person you were, what skillful and talented you were. What you liked and what you didn't like, what made you laugh and what made you cry, I wanted to know everything about you. I didn't just fall in love with your beauty Aloy, I fell in love with your whole person. There is no one in the world like you, I would go to hell and back for you -said the ancient soldier with a red face like a tomato, before the attentive gaze of the redhead, who seemed to be in a small trance.

The Nora huntress shrieked like a child and lunged at the ancient soldier, knocking him to the ground and herself on top of Allam.

Aloy remembered what Rost had told her years ago about showing her affection in a love relationship and that's what she decided to do. Aloy kissed the former soldier, to his surprise. It was a clumsy kiss but full of love. Both separated from the lack of air, red as tomatoes.

Allam: Do-do you feel the same way about me? -Asked the ancient soldier with a silly smile on his face.

Allam got up and kissed Aloy again, but this time he was in control, and it was not as clumsy a kiss as the first time, he guided Aloy with his tongue, which made her be clumsy still, which Allam found adorable.

They both broke away from the kiss and brought their foreheads together, both with awkward smiles on their faces.

Allam: I love you, Aloy -said the soldier as he moved one of the braids that Aloy was in the middle of her pretty face.

Aloy: I love you too, Allam -replied the redhead to return to another make out session.

After a while...

Allam and Aloy were lying in the room that Allam had rented the night before. Allam was shirtless and dead asleep, hugging Aloy protectively. Aloy was wearing her leather clothes that she always wore under her clothes. Aloy was enjoying the company of her partner while she just circled Allam's bare chest.

She noticed that Allam started to squirm while he slept and realized that he was having a nightmare. Aloy kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.

Aloy: Everything's fine, I'm fine, you're fine, we're fine -she said and Allam seemed to calm down a little bit.

Sleep was starting to get to her, so she blew out the candle that kept the room lit and when they were in total darkness, Aloy fell into a deep sleep, in the arms of her beloved.

Clarification:

The "rope hook" is basically a grappling hook, like the one Aloy has in Forbidden West. A fun fact is that this grappling hook was in the story since before the game came out, and the tool hadn't even been revealed until they showed the gameplay trailer.

Comment and vote what you think of the book, I love reading your comments!