The devastation of the very brief war was visible everywhere. Every room and hallway in the palace was littered with casualties from both factions, some dead, some in agony. The Honored City had become a death site.

Open grounds along the inner wall were converted to triage units and hospitals, as those skilled in medicine – almost all of them residents of the Unclean City – tended to the wounded, whether friend or foe. Cots, blankets, anything that could be dragged together, were made into beds.

Those known to be loyal to the Pharaoh, whether soldier, guard, or citizen, were rounded up and placed in makeshift prisons within the palace.

Unskilled and untrained citizens – mostly the leisure class residents of the Honored City – were made to help wherever they could.

Aloy, Erend, Mariyah, and Mateer gathered around the bed where Verlan lay, under treatment for the vicious gash in his arm. Aloy wore a bandage on her shoulder, but the healing salves and herbal medicines her protector Rost had taught her were working their magic.

It was almost morning, just one day after the uprising began, and they were assembled to plan the future of the Land of the Lost Angels – and in some cases to say their goodbyes. The scene seemed almost surreal, vastly different than just one day ago, as nearby torches caused shadows to dance on the wall behind them.

Mateer was first to speak. "Aloy, you are everything the Pharaoh said you were, and you are deserving to be our queen."

"Sorry, Mateer, but as I said before, I'm not the queen type." Mateer looked visibly relieved: Aloy knew he coveted the leadership position.

"Very well. You will always be welcome here, and I assure you that things will be much better the next time you visit.

"And the name is Orlin."

"So you were recruited to be Mateer, just as Mariyah here was recruited to be Sara."

"That's correct. I was able to convince the Pharaoh of my undying loyalty, and she did not seem threatened by my presence – she was much more worried about women than men, and especially strong young women, such as you and Mariyah. So she kept me around."

"Alright, Orlin, I have some suggestions for you: Mariyah is wise beyond her years. She showed calmness in the face of death. I think that if you decide to rule this land, you should make her an advisor, maybe even a co-leader. And Verlan here would be an excellent strategist, even if he ends up with only one arm." She smiled wryly at the wounded soldier, who smiled back at her through obvious pain.

Orlin seemed a bit surprised, but unwilling to say anything in objection to Aloy's suggestions, especially in front of this assembly of Aloy's admirers. "Yes, that does sound like a good idea."

"And you should hunt down that doctor, the one called Hotep," Aloy added. "He disappeared before the conflict started, and I'm not sure where his loyalties might be. He clearly knows a lot about the medicines of the Old Ones, you don't want to lose that, but you don't want him running out and scheming against you. Apparently he thought he and I would get together and produce a child to rule in Sirte's place, so he's a schemer. He has his own designs on the throne."

"I have no doubt that he does," Orlin replied. "He could pose a problem for us as we try to unite three factions – those still loyal to the Pharaoh, the Resistance, and the Freedom Fighters. We don't need someone sowing discord."

"But Aloy," Verlan said from where he lay in his bed, "what of you? Will you not stay with us? You… are so knowledged in so many things, and you are the most courageous person I've ever met, and… well… I would like the chance to get to know you better…"

As Verlan's voice tailed off, everyone around him chuckled: they all knew what he was implying. Aloy leaned down and gave him a hug, taking care to not touch his injured left arm.

"Verlan, you are very sweet," Aloy said, "I'm proud to call you friend, and I'm flattered.

"I do think I will stay for just a little while – there are many new places to explore before I go home. I want to check out the Cauldron's Core and see what I can learn, and I really want to get a closer look at all of the information contained in that radiated city in the Forbidden West. There is a group near that city that seems to have found a way to travel about in the radiation without getting the sickness, and I want to see what they know.

"Then, at some point, I plan to go home." She looked at Erend as she spoke.

"You know that King Avad will be happy to see you," Erend said. "And maybe I will, too."

"Thank you, dear friend," Aloy replied, "please give the King my regards and tell him I will be sure to visit him as soon as I return."

"Perhaps," Mariyah spoke up, "we can make your journey home a little easier. Orlin –" she turned to face the man who would be ruler, "I have been thinking: we should send a contingent of our best miners and guards to the Secret Path. If we work to repair the tunnel a bit, we can open a trade route to the east. And if everyone there is as brave and honorable as Erend and his sergeants" – she glanced at Erend, whose face turned red, visible even in the faint torchlight – "it will be a wonderful opportunity to open new worlds.

"We can get started right away, Aloy, and you might find it an easy walk from here back to your homeland."

"That sounds great," Erend spoke up, still blushing. "Maybe you can come visit us, Mariyah."

"And what about these walls?" Aloy asked. "Do you really intend to keep the palace surrounded by two walls?"

"I've thought about that, too," Mariyah answered. "I propose we tear down the inner wall and invite residents of the Unclean City to move inside the outer wall, if they wish. We keep the outer wall as protection from raiders and Machine attacks.

"But we keep the gates open unless we need to close them, and we have guards there to welcome visitors, not to turn them away."

"You know, Orlin," Aloy commented, "I think Mariyah would make a great ruler. Maybe she can accept you as an advisor."

Orlin answered with a scowl, as the others snickered a bit, but Mariyah spoke up again.

"Oh no, I don't want to be a ruler – it's much too much work. I would be glad to serve as an urban planner, though."

Orlin was visibly relieved. "Of course, of course! You shall be my most trusted consultant! You will get your old living quarters in the palace returned to you as well."

"No, I don't want that," Mariyah answered. "It's too far detached from my people. I'll be happy to have a home out here. You can have the palace to yourself. Except…"

"Except? Except what?" Orlin asked.

"Well… I was thinking that the palace is a bit too imposing. I think we should tear it down and build something more… open."

"Great idea!" Aloy interjected. "Just be sure you seal off that Cauldron so there is no threat from underground." She knew without looking that this "great idea" wasn't sitting well with Orlin: he saw his massive empire crumbling about him even before he took control.

The group grew quiet. They were talked out, exhausted, and made more so as they noticed the long shadows of a rising sun appearing about them. None of them had slept for more than a day.

Erend gave a loud, obvious yawn, and said, "well, I guess I better find my sergeants and prepare for the long walk home. I have no reason to stay here any longer."

"Please," Mariyah replied, "we'll find beds for all of you – rest up and leave tomorrow morning. We'll see if we can get some volunteers to accompany you as far as the tunnel entrance, in case you encounter anything hostile on your way. Maybe we can send some laborers along to start the building in the tunnel."

"Yeah, I guess that's a good idea," Erend answered.

With that, the group dispersed, all in search of a well-deserved sleep.