Thunderjaw Heart - Horizon Zero Dawn Fanfiction

How to spend your time in a Nora camp

Note : Some chapters will be added after this one. Kind of rewriting some stuff.
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"So, do you know what we can do around here ? I mean, for fun ?", Kïma asked.

"I'm as new to it as you are. Let's take a look around.", Aloy answered, getting out of the bed.

"There is going to be festivals all week long, to celebrate All-Mother.", Vala explained, stopping by. "Like, cooking traditional things, painting, dancing, stories telling, even fighting. You just have to walk down the 'streets' to find your pleasure. There will also be some bathing ceremonies, the evenings."

"Hey, Kïma, if you want to, maybe we could go together ?"

With a look over her shoulder, Kïma understood it was Bast who proposed this. She kind of smiled weirdly at him and said :

"Sorry, boy, Aloy and I are Outcasts, we can't hang out with Noras."

She then placed her hand behind Aloy's arm, to take her outside, as Vala's soft laugh was raising.

"Let's start with the left path.", She decided.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"By that All-Mother they're all talking about, is this the fighting thing Vala told us about ? I want to go in there !", Shouted the collector, pulling Aloy towards the activity.

"Definitely !"

It was a simple circle made out of wood pieces, with a small mob around it, laughing and screaming. Only men. Two of them were already battling, shirtless and covered in sweat and weird paints.

"Hey, uh, can we fight in here ?", Kïma asked to the man who was apparently in charge of the game.

"Not until you got some paintings on your skin. All-Mother only accept fighting against other Noras if you have her symbols on your body, to make sure peace will come back once the fight ended.", He answered, crossing his arms. "And... I don't want to sound mean or anything, but you should forget, these guys have been fighting their whole lives..."

"So are we. Thank you for the informations, we'll be back in a few minutes. Please find us someone worthy of our time.", Kïma said, cutting his sentence before he could finish it.

They turned back and found the painting zone, not too far away. People were sitting on the grass, painting their bodies or letting other people do it. Some of them were truly works of art. Aloy saw a woman with a waterfall painted on her back, while another person (hard to tell their gender) had chosen a huge red and yellow bird, flying in the sky. There was apparently a small human being on its back.
Kïma noticed bowls with some paint nearby, with a few brushes. She sat next to it, facing Aloy.

"Okay, don't move, I'll paint your face and arms and then you'll do it on me. Sounds good to you ?"

"Sounds good to me. I'm looking forward to beat some sexists asses.", Aloy replied, exposing her arms.

Kïma took one of the brushes and dipped it in the blue paint. She looked at a couple, sitting a few meters away, apparently drawing some of those 'All-Mother signs'. She tried to copy their drawings as best as possible, and even if it was maybe a bit different, it was convincing. Aloy especially liked the smell of the paint. It was similar to an earthy and salty scent, but with a fruity shade. As she was applying the red paint, Kïma said :

"I've finished the arms. Give me your face now."

"Give you my what ?", Aloy asked. She really had to pay more attention.

"Your face. Come closer.", Chuckled the painter.

With a slight blush, Aloy moved a bit while Kïma was washing the brush.
The paint was fresh and gave her chills as the first line was drawn from her forehead to the top of her nose. She added three triangles on her left cheeks and a circle on the other one.