Here we go again! We're speeding head first towards the end of Part Two! And, believe me, Part Three has even more twists and turns than this. It was supposed to be the shortest part-or at least shorter than Part Two-but it has grown... a lot. I can't wait to share it with you all! However... we've got to get through a thing or two before we get there!
Now, I got a ton of reviews after the last two chapters, so bear with me! I definitely can't answer them all. There are a few I want to address, however.
JimmyJones12: You are pretty correct! Some of those more supernatural aspects of the game-especially the ones that specifically exist for a gameplay purpose (armor upgrades, item management, etc)-have been left in the background to keep the plot moving forward. However, I would say that all three of your examples are actually in the story! I've hinted at the Great Fairies more than once, and the others may be featured in future chapters. Just like the dragons, I want to make it clear that these creatures all exist in my world-it's very possible that Link just hasn't encountered them yet.
midnaisbae: I wouldn't say that I skipped Kass' quest, though I certainly changed it. You never know what the future might hold! Same goes for Link's future adventures in Gerudo Town. That's going to be fun. As for Zelda's mental state after one hundred years of being alone, see the prologue! Or future chapters. Also, I agree with you, to a degree, that Teba has a very one-sided view of things. That's exactly how I wanted him to come off. He sees things from the Rito perspective, with Rito pride to back him up. However, he isn't totally wrong. Considering Tarry Town is the first new settlement in roughly one hundred years (outside of, perhaps, some of the small places that sprung up around the stables), Hylians have their work cut out for them. I would even suggest that it is only fear of Ganon that has kept the other races from laying claim to old Hylian lands.
iCards: Yes! Revali calls Zelda talentless-he says it right in his diary in the game-but she's the one who actually worked with the Champions with their Divine Beasts. I have, perhaps, expanded somewhat on her role in this story, but I'm not sure. No one else is ever even mentioned as having worked on the Divine Beasts, other than Zelda. She is quite far from talentless, but Revali thinks in terms of actual, tangible usefulness in battle, since that's where he sees his own worth. After all, what skills do we ever see him show other than skill in combat and cutting remarks? I'm glad you like my descriptions of the Divine Beasts-it's exactly for this reason that I did that.
Thanks to all the other comments! Please keep them coming-I love reading them, even when I can't always respond to them. Now, please read and enjoy.
Chapter Thirty-Four
I've never been here before, Link thought as the wind whipped at his hood. He looked around the broad wings of the Divine Beast, covered in grass, moss, and more than a few pools of Malice. It was an amusing thought, in a way. Of all the places Link had visited since waking, this was likely the first one that truly had no familiarity to him. Revali never did let me visit Medoh…
The amusement didn't last long, however, as he looked around. Stone pillars were set in lines on the wings, as well as what appeared to be the remains of a few old walls. Had there once been structures built on the wings of Medoh?
It didn't matter. He could ponder their purpose later—right now, he needed to use them. He could see the Guardian cannons on the tips of each wing, their heads turning to follow the dark speck in the sky that Link knew to be Teba. He had retreated slightly, likely to make it easier to dodge the white energy that shot towards him.
Link moved quickly down the left wing, choosing to run on the outside of the line of pillars and old walls, rather than down the middle, fearing being blasted in the back by the cannon on the opposite wing.
Teba apparently noticed Link's emergence from the Divine Beast, as he abruptly swooped down again, launching another bomb arrow at the Guardian. He didn't retreat this time, either, remaining close enough to pose a constant threat.
"Huh," Link heard Revali say nearby. "He's pretty good. Not as good as me but, perhaps, with time…"
Teba swooped low again, firing another arrow that exploded against the Guardian's body. It did no apparent damage, however, and the Guardian retaliated with another of its blasts that Teba narrowly dodged. Another lance of energy shot out from below the wing as well—he was low enough to be targeted by the cannons on the underside of the wings as well.
Link swore as he watched Teba avoid the second blast, only to nearly fly directly into a third blast from the Guardian on the opposite wing. He was far too close, but he didn't retreat, swooping low over Medoh's wing and weaving between some of the pillars. Another of the energy blasts struck the pillar, causing it to explode in a cloud of debris and rock dust.
Link picked up his pace, hoping that Teba's proximity would keep him from being noticed as he ran down the wing. Finally, reaching the last of the pillars, Link paused and peered around. Teba flew by, a white blur against the blue backdrop of the sky. The Guardian's head, which rose up on a tall cylinder, tracked his flight and fired another beam of energy.
Link inspected the Guardian, trying to decide on the best method for taking it out. Teba had hoped that Link would be able to find a weakness in the Guardian's armor up close, but nothing that he saw suggested a weakness. How had the last one been defeated?
The base was broken, he thought, frowning. It was one of the few definite signs of damage that he'd seen when looking at the Guardian corpse on Medoh's tail. The base. The Guardian's base appeared to be stone, much like the rest of its body, but it was not a flat circle all around. Instead, Link saw that the design of the base allowed for several small gaps between it and the ground beneath it. Enough for a bomb to slip through? It was worth a shot.
Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate, selecting the Remote Bomb Rune. He pressed it, causing the bomb to appear on the ground in front of him. He picked it up and glanced back out towards the Guardian.
And hesitated. This… was a Guardian. It may not have had the six legs, but it was a Guardian. It sent a shiver down his spine. Was he… ready for this?
It fired again at Teba, and Link closed his eyes. He had to be.
He waited for it to follow Teba's flight in the opposite direction, looking completely away from Link, before he sprinted out from behind the cover of the pillar.
He reached the Guardian's base a moment later and rolled the spherical bomb underneath the nearest gap. Link quickly backed up to the pillar again, holding his breath. The Guardian didn't appear to see him, however, and continued tracking Teba's flight, firing occasionally. Teba had stopped firing explosive arrows as well, appearing to focus more on defensive maneuvers than attacking.
Link triggered the remote bomb. With a sharp crack and a flash of brilliant white light, the bomb exploded underneath the Guardian.
The Guardian suddenly tilted violently to the side as its base split into two. Its eye spun around in a circle, seeking its newest attacker, but it was too late. The lights on its body flickered wildly before growing dim. Its eye settled upon Link, standing beside the pillar, before it, too, dimmed and died.
Link felt a savage thrill of excitement at finally destroying one of the machines, but he knew that he couldn't dwell on it long. There was another Guardian topside that needed to be dealt with, and quickly.
He turned, running back the way he came. He had to reach the other one before it could be alerted to a second attacker. If he moved quickly, he could—
The ground beneath him shifted. Tilted. Suddenly, Link was running uphill.
"Link, watch out!" Revali said.
Link understood a moment too late as the ground beneath him tilted further, the angle of his climb growing steeper. Too steep. His feet began to slip. Eyes widening, Link dove for one of the pillars, throwing his arms around it. He found grooves in the pillar that his fingers were able to grip, but it was far too wide for him to wrap his arms all the way around.
Medoh continued to tilt until it flew nearly completely sideways in the air. The wind had picked up considerably as well as Link hung by the pillar, his feet desperately kicking at the surface of the wing, trying to find purchase.
Link saw Revali hovering nearby. All traces of smugness had been erased from his expression. He looked fearful. Link understood the feeling all too well at that moment.
Medoh shuddered again, and suddenly, one of the pillars near Link exploded with Guardian fire. Cursing, Link ducked his head as debris rained down on him. He was stuck, and the second Guardian, it would seem, was quite aware of him now.
Another of the pillars exploded. Link was protected by the pillars that stood between him and the other Guardian, but that would change quickly. He desperately glanced around, looking for anything he could use, but he was stuck. He couldn't reach any of the other pillars to climb, and there were no openings in the ground that he could see that would allow him to retreat inside the Divine Beast.
With a rush of air, Teba suddenly swooped by, landing on the pillar. He reached down to grasp Link's hand, pulling him up onto the pillar. His eyes widened briefly as they fell on the floating spirit of Revali, but he didn't let himself be distracted for long. Instead, he turned, exposing his back to Link. "Get on!"
Link didn't need to be told twice and grasped Teba's shoulders as the Rito spread his wings and took off again. Behind them, the Guardian fired again, destroying another pillar, but he didn't look back to see how close this one had been. Teba flew away from the Divine Beast, weaving in the air to dodge any oncoming Guardian fire.
"Good job, Link," he said. A lance of white energy flew past them, and Teba changed directions, beginning to fly in a wide loop that would angle them back towards the Divine Beast. When Link saw it again, he was surprised to see that the Divine Beast had begun to level out again. They were also much lower to the ground now—while flying on its side, it had lost quite a bit of altitude.
"You ready?" Teba asked, glancing back over his shoulder. "I'm going to fly straight at it and get you close. I'll slow down as much as I can to drop you off, but it's going to be a hard landing."
Link nodded, and Teba smiled, though his eyes showed weariness. This was very trying on him.
With a burst of speed, he angled straight for the opposing Guardian. Link held onto his shoulders tightly, keeping his head low, as Teba began to weave back and forth. A lance of energy passed them, far closer than Link would have liked, but Teba didn't flinch.
As they neared the other side, Teba swung to the right, dodging around a broken wall, and flapped his wings to the front, greatly slowing his momentum. Link took that to be his cue and slid off of Teba's back, dropping the five feet to the ground, which he hit with a roll. Overhead, the Rito took off again, flapping quickly to gain speed.
The ground beneath him shuddered again, beginning to tilt in the direction of the Guardian turret. Gritting his teeth, Link readied his bomb and ran out from behind the pillar. He reached the Guardian quickly and rolled the bomb under its base, as he had the last one, but he watched with horror as the tilting wing caused the bomb to continue rolling, right out the other side of the base and off the side of the wing.
Before he could trigger it and ready another bomb, the Guardian turned its eye on Link. The ground under his feet continued to tilt, and he was suddenly certain that he wouldn't be able to reach cover in time to escape the Guardian's blast.
Only one thing to do then, he thought, grimacing. Hopefully Teba's close.
Still holding the Sheikah Slate with one hand, Link grasped his Ancient sword with the other and ran forward, using the wing's angle to run up onto the Guardian's base. He plunged his sword into its eye, watching with satisfaction as the red lights on its body began to flash violently. Suspecting what would come next, Link ripped his sword free and kicked off the Guardian.
Suddenly airborne, Link found himself looking down at Rito Village from above. He wondered if the Rito below were standing out, watching the ensuing battle. Were they hiding in their huts? Had they evacuated?
Something slammed hard into Link's back, and he felt sudden flaring pain in his shoulders. He looked to the sides, seeing a pair of Rito feet gripping his shoulders. Teba's talons pierced his tunic, as well as the flesh of his shoulders.
"I've got you!" Teba said from above him, voice strained. He began flapping hard, but Link could tell this was difficult for him. Above them both, the Guardian that Link stabbed exploded in a burst of white light, and Medoh began to level out again, likely to bring the Guardians on its underside to bear.
Link stowed his sword on his belt with difficulty and lifted his Sheikah Slate. As the nearest Guardian came into view, he pressed his finger on the Stasis Rune, which bathed it in yellow light. The stasis only lasted a few seconds, but when it began to move again, the Guardian seemed confused. Its eye spun around, looking for them. When it finally found them again, it was too late. They flew over the edge of the wing and out of sight of the Guardian.
Teba dropped Link to the ground and landed a few feet away, stumbling and reaching up to a pillar to steady himself. His chest heaved as he worked to catch his breath. Link slowly stepped forward, rotating his shoulders to try to work out the pain he felt in each of them. Teba's talons didn't seem to have done much damage, at least.
For the moment, nothing else moved. The Guardians below had stopped firing, having lost their targets, and all topside Guardians had been destroyed. There was no sound outside of the rushing of wind.
"Impressive moves back there," Revali said, suddenly appearing next to Link. "You'd be dead if it weren't for your friend there, though."
Teba looked up and around, eyes falling on Revali. His eyes widened. "You're—"
"Quiet," Link said, thrusting a hand out to silence both of them. His eyes watched control console. Malice trickled out of the Divine Beast, reaching towards the console like many jagged fingers. The Blight had come.
"Teba, stay back," Link said, stepping forward. He removed his bow and pulled one of the Ancient arrows from its quiver. He would try to end the fight quickly. Fire an arrow into it the moment it appeared, before it could raise its defenses. With any luck, it would be over before it even began.
The fingers of Malice stopped in front of the control console and rose into the air. There were dozens of them, all rising parallel to each other briefly before angling to join together with some of the others. Eventually, all of the lines joined and formed a growing sphere.
"So how many of these things have you faced?" Revali asked.
"Two."
"Two? You mean you saved me for third?"
Link glanced back towards Revali, and suddenly, he felt… amused by the Rito's outrage. They weren't friends. Not that Link could remember, anyway. But whatever had been between them was over one hundred years ago. Much too long to hold a grudge, indeed.
He smiled. "You're lucky I didn't save you last."
Oddly, Revali inclined his head with a smile of his own. An understanding, then. Perhaps not friends, but they could be allies.
Link turned back to face the creature growing from the mass of Malice. It had begun to take shape, elongating and developing the limbs that would become its arms, torso, and head. Its left arm formed first—long and slender with a clawed hand, just like the previous creatures that Link faced. Its other arm grew thicker and developed Sheikah armor in place of a hand. At the end of the armor, which was slightly cylindrical in shape, there were three pulsating blue orbs like Guardian eyes.
Its head developed with a flat plate in the front, just like the others, though this one was much more rounded than previously. The glowing blue eye appeared a moment later, with yellow Sheikah constellation designs spreading out from it. Like the previous ones, this creature also had a mane of red hair, though its hair spiked out in all directions. It had no legs, but more Sheikah armor covered its lower torso.
One thing that set this one apart from the others that Link had seen, however, was the addition of spike-like protrusions that stuck out from the creature's back. They were each clearly Sheikah in look and design, but Link couldn't tell if they were merely there for show, or if they were some other kind of weapon.
Revali said that it fights from long range, Link thought. It will use that thing on its arm to fire Guardian blasts at me. It was a daunting thought, but one that he felt better prepared for. Oddly, he had been more anxious to face the Guardians than this creature. But perhaps that fear had been misplaced as well.
Link stared up at the foul being and drew an Ancient arrow to his cheek, aiming and launching it. The creature remained where it floated, seemingly unconcerned with the arrow. Right before the arrow struck, a gust of wind caught it, sending it off course, arcing over the creature's shoulder.
Link swore and knelt, aiming again. Still, the creature didn't move, simply watching Link. He was down to two Ancient arrows remaining, so he had to make this one count. He launched another arrow at the creature. This time, the creature used its clawed hand to make an upward motion. A column of swirling air burst up from the ground in front of it, catching the arrow and causing it to spin wildly off guard, striking one of the pillars and exploding in a flash of blue light.
"No!" Revali cried, stepping up beside Link. "It's using my Gale!"
So that was it, then. The creatures had somehow stolen the Champions' powers, along with their lives. The last one had somehow acquired Daruk's shield, while this one had Revali's power over the winds. The only one that hadn't apparently taken any powers had been the first. Link had no time to think about that, however, as the creature raised its arm, aiming the trio of blue Guardian eyes at Link.
Link darted to the side, just barely avoiding the blasts that it sent his way. They were smaller and less explosive than Guardian blasts, but dangerous enough in their own right. As he ran, the creature continued firing at him until Link finally ducked behind one of the pillars.
"Link!" Teba said, peeking out from one of the other pillars. "We'll do it just like before. I'll get in the air and see if I can draw some of its fire." Link nodded to Teba and glanced around his pillar, noticing that the creature had begun floating to the side, circling so as to get a clear shot at Link.
Grimacing, Link circled around his pillar slowly, pulling another arrow from his quiver—an explosive arrow this time. He only had a single Ancient arrow left and couldn't waste it. After a brief three-count, he spun from around the pillar and shot the arrow towards the creature. Again, it protected itself with wind, sending the arrow off course, but Link followed it up with another arrow, adjusted for the wind. This one struck home, exploding against the creature's chest in a plume of fire.
The creature threw its head back, releasing a blood-curdling screech. It waved its hand forward, creating a swirling column of air that grew before it and then began moving across the ground towards Link. As the twister approached, the wind around Link picked up, quickly growing violent and filling the air with a sustained roar of sound.
Link turned and ran. As he did so, he heard the creature fire its cannon again and something struck his back with a force of a hammer blow, sending him sprawling onto his belly. His bow skittered away across the ground, coming to rest dangerously close to the edge of the wing.
So close? Link thought, slightly dazed by the blow. The roaring sound filled his ears and he felt a strong wind pulling him back towards the twister. Pay attention!
He threw himself to his feet and continued running, hearing the creature fire several more times, though none hit. The wind, meanwhile, had grown deafening. He reached a wall and reached out, grasping it, just in time for the twister to reach him. It easily broke his tenuous grip on the wall, flinging him through the air. His back slammed into a stone column. Link cried out, falling to the ground in a heap.
"Get up!" A voice. Teba? No, Revali. Standing right next to him. "Get up, damn it!"
Link groaned, rolling onto his stomach. A shadow passed overhead. The creature, floating just above him, out of reach of his sword. He shoved himself to his feet and reached down to the pouch at his waist, pulling out the lizalfo boomerang that he picked up on Death Mountain.
Whirling, Link threw it right at the creature. It did not strike it in the eye, as he had hoped, but it spun past its right shoulder, leaving a deep gash that sprayed purple mist. The creature screeched in apparent pain, and its next series of blasts went wild, striking harmlessly around Link.
Link turned and ran, reaching back and wrenching his shield free of his back. He slid his arm into it, grasping the handle firmly in his right hand. As he heard the telltale sound of the creature's weapon about to fire again, he spun, holding the shield before him. Three blasts, each following the other, struck the shield. His feet slid back several inches under the force of the blows, but the attacks themselves ricocheted off in other directions.
The creature seemed even more enraged and fired several more times, each one striking the shield and ricocheting off. Then, just as it prepared to summon another twister, an explosive arrow flew through the air and exploded against its back. It flew forward, hitting the ground in front of Link in a heap. Overhead, Teba swooped by, yelling something indistinct to Link in the rushing wind.
Yes! Link thought, quickly reaching to his belt and pulling the Ancient sword from its spot. He activated the sword and lunged forward. The creature moved at the last second, and the sword plunged deeply into the black armor surrounding its eye, but did not pierce the eye itself.
The creature roared, reaching out and grasping Link by the front of his tunic with its clawed hand. It rose into the air, and Link kicked ineffectually as he was lifted from the ground. The creature, its face armor leaking Malice, both in liquid and gaseous form, held Link far enough away to prevent him from stabbing towards his eye again.
Another arrow exploded against the creature's back, but it was ready this time. Though it shook with the impact, it was not flung to the ground as it had been last time. Instead, it spun, aiming its cannon at Teba as he swooped by. Teba flapped desperately, but it was too late. The cannon fired, and Teba was struck by a blast that knocked him out of the air and out of sight, over the edge of the wing.
"Teba!" Link cried. He brought his sword down on the creature's arm. It made a pained screech and released him. He rolled as he hit the ground and came back up, thrusting his sword up, directly into the Sheikah armor that covered the creature's bottom half. His sword pierced easily, and the creature screeched again, rising higher into the air.
Some of the Malice that sprayed out of the wound got onto Link's hand and clothing. Immediately, he felt a searing sensation on his exposed fingers and smoke rose from the sleeve of his shirt. He passed the sword from his left hand to his right and shook the hand that had been coated, trying to rid himself of the substance.
The creature rose high in the air above him now, looking down at him. Though he could see no expression, its posture indicated clear menace. The wind around them began to pick up, and Link felt the Divine Beast begin to rock. Whether it was because of wind or if the creature had begun to control Medoh again, he didn't know. Either way, his footing became much less solid.
Suddenly, the tops of the spikes on the creature's back—four in all—shot out into the air, glowing with the light of Sheikah technology. Like four diamonds, they began to twist in a circle above the creature's head, trailing phantom light behind them. One by one, they opened like flowers blooming, splitting apart and revealing their brightly-lit innards.
What is that? Link thought, backing away slowly. A new weapon. Something he didn't know how to react to.
"Link!" Revali's voice behind him. He spun and saw that Revali had somehow retrieved his fallen bow. He seemed fainter now—anytime the spirits interacted with the living world, it clearly took a lot out of them. His eyes were determined, however.
Link grabbed up the bow, slinging it back over his shoulder. After a hesitant moment, he stowed the sword, as well, but kept the shield firmly attached to his arm.
Overhead, the creature aimed its cannon again, but not at Link. No, this time, it aimed it right at one of the floating spikes. It fired several times into it, and Link watched with awe as the bolts of energy were reflected into the other spikes. The energy began to bounce between them, growing faster and brighter. The bolts split. Multiplied. And then they began to rain down towards Link from four different directions at once.
Link swore and ran, keeping his shield up. The first volley struck the shield, nearly sending him to the ground. Another struck next to him while yet another struck the pillar in front of him, just over his head. There was a randomness to the fire, but there were so many of them that avoiding them was like running through a rain storm while attempting to stay dry.
One of the blasts struck him in the side, and he cried out, flung to the side. Before he even hit the ground, another slammed into his back, changing the direction of his fall again. He slammed into the ground face first. He tasted blood in his mouth.
But he was alive. And, damn it, he was angry.
Link threw himself to his feet, reaching up and wiping the blood from his nose and lips. His side and back both ached, as did his hand, where the Malice coated earlier. He looked up at the flying creature, already raising its cannon towards the flying spikes again, preparing another volley.
Enough.
Link replaced the shield with his bow. The creature fired, and he watched as the blasts of energy ricocheted off the flying devices, multiplying as they did so. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for the moment.
They began to rain down towards him.
Link held his breath, focusing.
Time slowed.
It did slow. There was no question in his mind as he focused, watching the dozen or so bolts of white energy as they approached him at a crawl. He could see each trajectory. Where each would land.
Link sidestepped and raised the bow, taking aim with an explosive arrow. He released the arrow and his breath at the same time.
The bolts of energy crashed down all around him, slamming into the pillars and ground with a great deal of force, yet none struck him. The creature was not so lucky. Though it did not fly as true as Link would have liked due to the gale-force winds around them, the creature clearly hadn't expected a counterattack as soon.
The arrow struck the creature's left shoulder and exploded. The arm bearing the clawed hand fell to the ground, dissolving into a puddle of Malice.
The creature shrieked in anger and pain, but Link ignored it, nocking another of the arrows. The wind around him had died down almost immediately once the creature's arm had been severed. Perhaps the power was contained in that hand, or perhaps its concentration had been broken. Either way, the time to act was now.
Link launched another arrow, this one exploding against the creature's exposed chest. It flew back some ten feet before righting itself, aiming its weapon at Link, ignoring the flying devices around its head. It launched another of the trio of blasts at Link, but he held his breath, focusing his mind as they came.
Just like before, they slowed in their flight. Link side-stepped and aimed again, releasing his breath. As the blasts crashed down where he had just been standing, his arrow exploded in a plume of fire against the creature's face. Its mask cracked. Shattered.
Beneath it was a gruesome visage. A single, blue eye surrounded by shifting Malice. A mouth with jagged teeth and a too-long tongue. Red hair that grew in odd patches and places. It was a creature of nightmares.
Link shot its eye with his last Ancient arrow.
The creature froze in mid-scream, remaining arm thrown out to the side, as the arrow's blue tip sank into the eye and released its energy. White shafts of energy briefly flared out from the creature's head, and then it was gone.
Link looked away as the creature began to break apart like the others. He could hear the creature's cannon fall to the ground behind him, but he chose not to watch. He had seen enough things that would haunt him in the night.
His eyes fell on the ghostly form of Revali, who watched the creature's death with an expression of shock that soon became satisfaction.
Teba.
Link ran to the nearest edge of the wing, looking down with wide eyes. He saw nothing except the ground, far below. Nothing flew that he could see. Had Teba been able to recover from his fall?
The image of Teba lying broken on the ground caused Link's heart to clench. Would he have to tell Teba's wife of her husband's heroic death this day? He desperately hoped not.
Feeling sick in the pit of his stomach, Link turned just in time to see the creature, now little more than a cloud of dark mist, carried away by the wind. The air around them at once seemed fresher. Crisper. The sun felt warmer. Even the wind, ever present at this height, felt less oppressive.
He couldn't worry about Teba right now. Link hoped that he had made it down to the ground safely, but he could do little to help him now. He walked towards Revali, who stood where Link had left him, arms at his sides.
"It's gone," he said, softly.
Link stepped up beside him, slinging his bow. "It is."
Revali looked at him, hesitating. Finally, he said, "I was wrong about you."
"Maybe."
Revali remained silent for several seconds. "Well?"
Link glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "No, I was right about you, all along. You really were an ass."
A look of confusion passed over Revali's face briefly, but when Link smiled, he did too. Finally, he laughed. "I'll be plucked—I never took you to be so… flippant."
Link shrugged. He still hadn't informed Revali of his memory loss, and he still wasn't sure if he wanted to or not. Did it truly matter?
"I suppose one hundred years is a long time," Link said.
"Indeed."
A memory flashed through Link's mind, so quick, yet clear as though he had just been there. The moment before the end, before Revali had flown off to retrieve his Divine Beast. The last moment he had seen Revali alive.
"Don't rush in there without me. You probably don't stand a chance if I'm not there to back you up."
The words had been as arrogant as always, yet his expression… There had been worry there. Revali cared. Perhaps not about Link's safety, or even Princess Zelda's. But he cared about their mission. Their people. Their nation.
"Revali, thanks."
Revali looked at him. Finally, he nodded. Perhaps he understood what Link felt. "I have one question for you, though. It's something I've been meaning to ask you since the moment I saw you."
"What's that?"
"Your height." Revali frowned deeply as he looked at Link. "Is it possible that you have actually grown shorter since I last saw you? And that hair. Please do not tell me that you lopped it all off with your sword!"
Perhaps not.
Link enjoyed the feeling of cool air lightly blowing around him as he made his way down to the upper levels of Rito Village. Overhead, Divine Beast Vah Medoh sat perched upon the peak of the spire, its mechanical talons wrapped around an overhang that seemed as though it could have been made especially for that purpose. Its wings were outstretched, and its beak was pointed in the direction of the distant Hyrule Castle.
The Rito were clearly in a state of confusion and panic when he gently touched down. Many had taken flight at Medoh's approach, while others hurried along the walkways, ushering children or the elderly along. They likely thought that Medoh was about to attack the city, as their Chieftain had warned might be a possibility.
Revali probably planned it that way, Link thought, glaring up towards the Divine Beast. No, Revali had not changed much in the last one hundred years. Their remaining time together had been little more than posturing and insults, but Link found that he didn't mind as much as he had in the past. Maybe he understood Revali better now. The pride. The jealousy. The desire for greatness. If their roles had been reversed, perhaps Link would have felt those same emotions.
"Link!"
The voice made him spin around. Relief flooded him as he saw Teba, leaning heavily against his wife, walking towards him, along with their young child next to him. Teba's entire left side looked scorched, but his wing appeared in good condition. He had been able to fly down, then, but the injury had likely prevented him from flying back up.
"Medoh, is it—"
"It's done," Link said. "The creature that was controlling it is dead. Revali's spirit controls it now. Everyone is safe."
Teba's eyes widened. "Skies above, you did it. You actually did it. We need to tell Kaneli—everybody is panicking, but if we—" Saki placed a hand on his chest, and Teba paused, looking at her. Finally, he nodded.
"Link, if you wouldn't mind, could you help my husband back to our home? I will go speak with Elder Kaneli," Saki said. Link quickly moved forward, allowing her to drape Teba's wing around Link's shoulders. "Thank you. Tulin, you stay with your father. I'll be back in just a few minutes."
Saki hurried off to go inform the Elder, and Link turned, supporting Teba as they made their way back the short distance to their hut.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there until the end," Teba said when she was gone. "Getting hit like that took a lot out of me, and I lost my bow in the process. I wouldn't have been any use to you, even if I had been able to fly back."
"I couldn't have done it without your help. You saved me more than once up there."
Teba grunted but seemed to accept it. After a few more steps, he spoke again. "So that was really Revali up there. He… wasn't what I expected."
"Heroes rarely are," Link said.
"Hmm. And, if I understand things correctly, that thing up there is the thing that killed Revali all those years ago?"
"Right."
"Then I owe you an apology." Teba looked down at Link, meeting his eyes. "I used to think that Hylians weren't really good for anything but labor. Cutting down trees and constructing our homes. I've known few Hylian warriors, and even fewer that I would entrust my life to.
"The only reason I even agreed to let you come with me was because of your knowledge of the Divine Beasts and Kass' word. I didn't expect you to be any help up there."
Link found himself smiling. "It's not such a different reaction than I've received anywhere else I've been. The Gorons laughed when I told them I was going to solve their Divine Beast problem, and the Zora threatened to kill me. Why should the Rito be any different?"
"The fact that you persevered speaks much about you. Why have you continued, in spite of the adversity?"
"Why did you keep attacking Medoh, even when you were told not to?"
"To keep my people safe. To keep my family safe."
Link nodded slowly. "It's not so different for me. I don't remember a lot of it, but I come from a time when we all used to be united under one banner. I don't know if we'll ever return to that—not really. But I'll still try to protect the people of this land however I can. I'll give my life, if I must." He paused, considering. "And I have family that I need to save too." He thought of Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa. He thought of Princess Zelda.
"Then I was an idiot. I was ready to stand in your way if you didn't have anything to offer me."
Link smiled faintly and shrugged. "At least you didn't make me slaughter a lynel to prove my worth."
"What?"
"You'll have to ask Kass about that one. He was there, and he would probably be angry at me for telling the story. Would probably claim I told it too humbly."
Teba fell silent after that, though Link could tell that he had more questions. That was fine, and he would be happy to answer them eventually. For now, however, he was exhausted. His months of travel and life-threatening adventures weighed on him far heavier now than they had before he and Teba flew up to face Medoh. He wanted to rest, even if for only a short time.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
It was the first time the four Champions had been gathered together again since the ceremony. It felt to Link that a lifetime had passed since then. He'd learned much about himself in that time, as well as his charge.
King Rhoam had been the one to invite the Champions to the castle for the beginning of summer festivities. Publicly, it had been to celebrate the continued success of the mounting defense against Ganon's return. Each of the Champions had control of their Divine Beasts, and more Guardians were being exhumed daily. The Sheikah had been making breakthroughs in their control of the Guardians as well. Pretty soon, there was even talk that they would have them up and moving around, fully under control.
Link knew the truth, though. How could be not? Princess Zelda's attempts to unlock her sealing powers continued to fail. She was desperate, as was the king. Even the people had begun to whisper of her inability to fulfill her role.
"Her mother would have been able to do it," the servants whispered, when they didn't know Link was near. "If only fates hadn't been so cruel."
So, the king called for a celebration. A false celebration, perhaps, but the people didn't need to know it. As far as they were concerned, should Calamity Ganon return, he would be met by the combined might of Hyrule.
The evening's events had taken much out of them, Princess Zelda especially. She had gone up to her quarters as night fell, followed soon by Mipha, who usually preferred to be an early riser. Link had been tempted to follow Princess Zelda to check on her guards—after the Gerudo Desert, he saw shadows in every corner—but Urbosa suggested against doing so.
"Give her some space." Urbosa squeezed his arm, smiling knowingly. "She'll be all right."
So, the four of them—Link, Urbosa, Daruk, and Revali—found themselves sitting together in castle courtyard. Daruk had procured a cask of ale from somewhere, and together, they drank.
In truth, Link didn't dislike their presence—besides, perhaps, Revali's—but being here, with them, felt strange. He still wasn't sure how he fit in with this group. All had risen to prominence prior to being chosen to pilot their respective Divine Beasts, and most of them were leaders among their people. Urbosa was the Gerudo Chieftain, Mipha the Zora princess. Daruk was not the "boss" among Gorons, but he was highly respected and a leader among their warriors. Even Revali, for all his preening, was considered to be a hero among the Rito. Link was none of those things.
No, in fact, he had been little more than a nobody. Son of a royal knight, true, and heir to their meager holding. But his family was not considered an important noble family in Hylian high society. At least, they hadn't been before he drew the sword from the stone.
How did he fit in with princesses and rulers, generals and heroes?
"So, what's next for you and the princess?" Daruk asked, bringing Link back out of his thoughts. The Goron looked at him over his mug of ale—Link was almost positive that he'd seen Daruk adding some dirt to it—and smiling.
Link hesitated only a moment before Urbosa spoke. "I asked her about that earlier. I understand that the two of you will be embarking on another journey in the coming months."
He nodded. "She plans to visit Death Mountain again before we do, to figure out why Rudania's head won't close, but the priests think that we should travel a few ceremonial springs so she can pray there."
All three of the others were looking at him expectantly now. Link sighed inwardly, but he had been trying to speak up more.
"They're important somehow. Tied to the three goddesses of creation."
Urbosa chuckled slightly. She was lounging upon a number of pillows—Link had no idea where she had gotten those, either. She lifted her own mug to her lips. "Legends say that the reincarnation of the goddess once walked the land of Hyrule, visiting each of the springs in order to pray for Hylia's blessing in order to awaken her abilities."
Link had heard the legends from Princess Zelda herself. The very first Zelda, from before there was even a kingdom or royalty, and the very first hero of legend—wielder of the Master Sword—whose name had been lost to time.
"So… what?" Revali said. Link looked up at him, frowning. "You're telling me that going around to each of these things is supposed to somehow awaken her powers?"
"Well, yes," Link said.
"That just sounds foolish."
"Revali," Urbosa said, exasperated.
"Isn't it? She either has the power, or she doesn't. The idea that some fabled quest is supposed to solve everything is something out of children's tales."
"Yes, much like ancient evil beings and magical swords. This is all out of a storybook. Quite literally, in fact. But it doesn't change the reality of the situation, either."
Revali and Urbosa began to bicker back and forth while Daruk watched, smiling. Meanwhile, Link found himself wondering if Revali was right. Certainly, Princess Zelda hoped that this would work, yet it had an air of desperation to it. Was she going about it the wrong way? Perhaps the powers had nothing to do with prayers and rituals. Certainly, there had been no ritual when he drew the Master Sword.
Revali groaned dramatically, shaking his head. "I'm just saying that if her abilities are going to surface, they'll do so when she's ready. I don't see how praying at a few mystical springs will help that."
"And maybe you're right. But I expect that she will not rest until they do." Urbosa glanced towards Link, giving him a meaningful look.
And I'll keep her safe throughout it all, he thought, nodding slightly.
Urbosa smirked and tipped him a wink, as if she could read his thoughts. Link's cheeks grew warm. He wished she wouldn't do that.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Link opened his eyes to the early dawn light, gazing up at the wooden rafters of the Swallow's Roost inn.
What brought on that memory? he thought as he sat up in his hammock, pulling down his blankets and exposing himself to the cool morning air. He thought of sitting with his former companions, and of the awkwardness he felt in their presence. Why was I so unwilling to speak to them of my feelings? What held me back?
The idea that he was less of a Champion than any of them seemed foolish to him now. In fact, the idea that any of this was anything less than his destiny seemed foolish. Princess Zelda had been right to send him on this mission. To free the Divine Beasts felt right to him now.
A shadow passed by the open wall to his left, and he looked around to see a Rito form diving down to plunge into the lake below. Gathering fish, Link supposed. Other Rito were in the air as well. Flying between the main village and the outlying towns, visiting family and friends, or perhaps just stretching their wings after a period of being unable to do so.
Link smiled. It felt right, indeed, to save these people. He turned and looked to the east, in the direction of the castle. Though he couldn't see it from his vantage, he could feel it out there. Waiting for him. She waited for him.
His smile faded. It was time to get moving again. He carefully made his way off of the hammock—he'd fallen out of it more than once during his short stay at Rito Village following his victory upon Medoh.
In that time, Link had been treated well by the Rito, but he couldn't help but to notice that Teba was praised far more than he had been. The stories made Teba out to be the true hero, responsible for freeing Medoh. A new Revali.
Rito pride, it would seem, was alive and well, even one hundred years after the first Rito Champion perished. Link was more than willing to let Teba have it, though. Let them gawk at him, he thought. Teba seemed to hate it, too—which made it even more fine to Link.
Elder Kaneli seemed to understand Link's true role in defeating the creature that had inhabited Medoh, however, and named him a friend to the Rito. He welcomed Link to stay in their village as long as needed. Even better, Link had been able to convince him to provide aid in other ways. Link's trip through Hyrule Field taught him just how bad it was in the central country. Kaneli agreed, with some insistence by Kass, to begin sending out patrols to harass the bands of bokoblins and moblins that roamed the land.
With the Zora to the east securing the waterways and the Rito to the west attacking from the sky, Link hoped that central Hyrule would soon become safer for travelers. The Guardians near the castle were still a concern, but those would hopefully fall with Ganon. And Ganon would fall. Link was more confident in that than ever. His battles against the pieces of Ganon had been difficult, for sure, but victory was attainable. Perhaps even without the Master Sword.
He had been able to accomplish other things while at Rito Village. Fyson, the young Rito that Link met, was on the way across Hyrule Field to see if he would be able to establish a new merchant business in Tarry Town. Link's suggestion had been, perhaps, presumptuous and a little silly. He hadn't expected Fyson to even agree, but the Rito latched onto the idea joyously, leaving town two days later. Link supposed the worst that could happen would be that he had to fly back to Rito Village in the near future.
Link also had the chance to listen to the opening verses of the song that Kass had been working on since Zora's Domain. Hearing Kass sing of his victory with Sidon upon Ploymus Mountain had been strange, to say the least, but enjoyable all the same. At least he could remember those events. At least, most of them. He was fairly certain that some of what Kass sang about hadn't actually happened, but who was he to instruct the master storyteller in his craft?
He dressed himself in his blue Champion's tunic and trousers, pinning the new cloak he'd received from the Rito over it. Though his old cloak and other possessions had been retrieved from the Flight Range by a couple of Rito, the new one was of much higher quality than the previous one. The cloak was made of a special fabric that they promised to be warm, even in the coldest environments, but also impervious to rain. It was heavier than his old cloak but was not so much bulkier as to slow him down. Emblazoned upon its back was the Rito crest—matching the one on his paraglider.
As he exited the inn, several of the Rito on the walkway waved to him before approaching the nearby landing, spreading their wings and flying off. Link turned and made his way up, rather than down, soon arriving at the hut belonging to Kass and his family.
Several of the children rushed out to greet him, and he smiled, patting their heads while inwardly reciting their names. He thought that he got them all right this time, but didn't dare say them out loud, lest he get one wrong. The last time he'd done that, he had been thoroughly scolded by five shrill Rito voices before their mother stepped in to send them off, giggling.
Kass sat inside, tuning his concertina, while Amali prepared the morning meal in the adjacent hut. Link could smell fresh fish cooking over the fire. Kass looked up as Link entered, and he smiled warmly, nodding towards a pillow beside him. Link sat.
"Almost ready to go?" Kass asked.
Link nodded. "I should be back in a day or two."
The road to Gerudo Desert would be dangerous. The desert's location and surrounding highlands made for only a single way in and out through a narrow, winding mountain pass. Though they had not attacked since the first ambush, Link knew that the Yiga were still out there, likely searching for him even now, if not already lying in wait. There would almost certainly be an ambush waiting for him on the road to Gerudo.
So, after discussion with Kass and Teba, he decided that he shouldn't take the mountain pass at all. Instead, he would fly.
Revali had been the most difficult one to convince. Link hadn't even been sure he wanted to enlist the help of the Rito Champion, but Teba worried that the journey would be too far with Link on his back. Even with enlisting other Rito's help, the journey would be difficult. Flying aboard Medoh, on the other hand, would likely see Link there within a day. Eventually, Revali agreed, though he still lamented the thought of Medoh being treated "like a common pack mule".
By traveling between Kakariko Village and Rito Village with the use of the Sheikah Shrines—one of which he had just activated outside of Rito Village the day prior—Link hoped to further confuse his would-be assassins. With any luck, the Yiga wouldn't even realize that he'd bypassed them to enter the desert. He hoped that they didn't have a presence there—he didn't want to be distracted by their meddling any more than needed.
"I feel confident in my decision to stay," Kass said, thoughtfully. "But I do regret not being able to see you conclude your journey."
Kass had decided to remain in Rito Village with his family for a time, and Link agreed. Though he appreciated the companionship, now that Link knew Kass' family, he didn't think he would be able to justify putting Kass into further danger. And considering the events unfolding around them, Kass admitted that he felt a strong need to remain close to his family.
"The journey won't be over with Naboris." Link looked towards the east. "There will still be one more foe that I must defeat."
Kass nodded and played a gentle tone with his instrument, apparently satisfied with the tuning. "You will succeed, Link. I am confident in it."
"Thanks, Kass." Link hesitated before continuing. "You're a good friend."
Kass actually seemed a little embarrassed, but his expression was warm, nonetheless. "As are you, Link. When this all is finished, and you have freed the land, I hope that you will allow me to perform for you and the princess at the celebration."
"Celebration?"
"Did you think there wouldn't be one?" Kass asked.
"No, I just… I hadn't considered it. I suppose there would need to be one, though."
"Of course! Our land saved, your princess returned to you—Hyrule will have much to celebrate in the days to come."
"Think I'll have any chance to just… disappear into the crowd?" Link asked, smiling wryly.
"Not at all."
"Then I hope my hair will grow back some by then," Link said, ruefully running his hand through his shortened locks. He'd already shaved the beard—much to Revali's delight.
"Don't worry. I won't mention your beard in my songs—unless I come up with an exceptionally good rhyme, that is."
"Thanks."
Kass laughed, reaching out and patting Link's knee. They remained there, together, for a short time before Amali announced that breakfast was ready, and Kass' five daughters all appeared in response to the summons. He ate with the family before saying his farewells and going off in search of Teba, who, strangely, wasn't in the village. His wife informed Link that Teba had left early that morning to the Flight Range, but that he would be back the following day.
Accepting this, Link made his way out of Rito Village and down to the stable, where Spirit awaited him. He had initially debated even just leaving for the desert immediately but decided, for Spirit's sake, that the trip back to Kakariko and Hateno was a necessity. He had already left Spirit in the care of strangers during his trip to Death Mountain, but now that he had the ability to transport them both, he intended to leave Spirit somewhere more comfortable. Besides, leaving his horse where he knew spies could report it back to the Yiga would hopefully sow even more confusion.
Link mounted Spirit just outside of the stable, thanking the stable hands, and started forward, away from the small logging village. He glanced back over his shoulder at the tall Rito spire and smiled at the sight of Medoh perched upon its peak.
Of course, Revali would choose to wait there, he thought as he rode out of view. As soon as he was certain no one could see him, he pulled out his Sheikah Slate and used it to teleport away.