Part Four - Vah Medoh

Link spun his hands in front of his waist, tightening down a massive knot until his palms began to burn atop the coarse rope, not even bothering to dare tempt death itself. His eyes shot up toward Revali, the Rito's face contorted in contempt as he peered up toward the sky, watching carefully the gentle strides Vah Medoh made across that blue yonder.

"It's time," he noted plainly, causing Link to sneer in frustration, still working on a second knot

"I know, I know," the Hylian complained, nearly tearing the skin within his hand as he yanked roughly at the rope once again, "I did not come this far just to die."

Satisfied, somewhat, with the rope bound around his waist, Link took hold of Revali's arm, pulling him closer with a ferocious tug, his face spun in anger, "And if you dare to- If this happens to be an elaborate attempt for you to kill me-"

Revali scoffed, his beak turned up into a wry, "Trust me- Had I wanted you dead, I had many more economical opportunities before this point in time."

He shrugged, sending the feathers upon his mantle to further flutter in the breezy air, "Consider this repayment for keeping to your own word and not slitting my throat while I slept."

Link's eyes narrowed with tenacity as Revali turned away, adjusting the rope around his own waist, chuckling as he did so, "Always carrying you, aren't I?"

"Only for the time being, I assure you," Link muttered lowly.

"All for the best," Revali replied pithily, "I never back away from my commitments. You know that."

His arms constricted in a tenacious tug at his own rope end, "If I die doing this, how would you ever escape this rocky peak?"

Link's eyes zeroed in upon the man, even as Revali stepped away, "Perhaps I should embrace this new role of helping you all become better than yourselves. How was it that Zelda put it?"

"Oh, shut it," Link scoffed, a wiry grin emerging on his face as Revali shot a glance over his shoulder, "Just hurry it up; we're on a time-crunch."

Revali rolled his head along his shoulders as he approached the edge of the massive cliff face that overlooked the entirety of Tabantha, silhouetted only by the magnificent heights of Hebra'a mountainous terrain behind the Rito. He made the final preparations as he scanned the landscape beneath the two of them, catching only a slight glimpse of Link's target in this endeavour.

Revali's own target, he knew, was in the opposite direction.

"Don't you dare let that Beast kill you," Link suddenly spoke up in a wry voice, "Tell it to get in line behind me."

"Pah!" Revali scoffed, "To come across the end of one's life by the very hands of Witwa's own brother would be quite the honorable death, to be sure. and to be stricken down by, as you say, the greatest knight of Hyrule?!"

He caught a snarky throwing of Revali's shoulder as the Rito flinched at the thought, turning his head over his shoulder once again to catch a glimpse of the Hylian he had, once again, towed himself to.

"I suppose there's little honor in being stricken down by a friend," Link smirked.

Revali's eyes narrowed fiercely as he returned his attention to the earth below, yanking at the rope, "Just don't die, yourself. Tell those lowland scum I've had dibs for a solid month or two, now."

He caught the expanse of the Gisa Lowland from this perch atop Cuho Mountain, taking the rope in his hand as he heard Link speak up, only the most miniscule of shivers lining his voice.

"Ready."

Revali nodded with a mischievous smirk, the two taking off toward the final foothold atop this small outcropping of rock, until Revali leapt off, sending his body airborne as his wings shot out across the width of his body, diving in a disastrously dangerous descent as Link's eyed widened, sprinting faster now that the rope grew rapidly taut, threatening to yank him from the mountaintop without a proper leap to allow him to clear the embankment below.

He made a mad attempt at one final stride, taking the edge of the peak with one last footfall until he threw himself into gravity's arms, with only the pull of the rope around his waist being the only force acting upon him besides the weightless sensation of descending to one's death. His mind went blank as he fell, thinking only of that impending feeling of dread as he felt himself fall, faster and faster, catching only streaks of earth-like colors in his eyes as the landscape flew past him in a-

A massive *YANK* nearly tore him in two as Revali took that momentum and in a split second, turned it into an endless burst of speed as he shot up into the sky like a rocket. That sensation of descent that grappled at Link's very brain now had some direction to it as he swung parallel to the outcropping, leaving him bolting like a madman toward the craggy earth below. His mind was lost to him, yet he forced himself to comply with the plan conjured up by him and Revali.

He took a deathgrip of the dagger in his pocket, holding the blade against the thick rope as his teeth grit in suspense, still not certain that this plan wouldn't immediately result in death. He felt his breath leave him in this weightlessness, yet as his senses came to him, only in a fleeting moment, he clenched his jaw until it hurt, dragging the wiry blade of the dagger across the rope until it split off.

In a matter of seconds, that parallel momentum curved into one earthbound, though Revali's thrust had left his body hurtling wildly toward the Gisa Lowlands, the lack of an anchor point causing him to simply fly downward with little sense beyond that previous weightlessness.

At that moment, just as the brown, coarse earth began to shoot toward him as though it were a bullet, Link threw his hand around his back, yanking the shield from his back and holding it low as he drew his legs up into his torso, readying himself for impact not a second before he dug his feet into the interior side of the shield, the massive plate of metal crashing into the ground with a deafening *SSCRRRRRRRREEEEEEEE* as Link desperately attempted to balance himself, only to lose his footing near-instantly, sending the shield out from underneath him as his body slammed into the dusty cleft of land, hurtling along the surface as pain tore across his skin.

He threw his legs wide, allowing him to slow before turning his heel downward, his body jolting upright at the point of contact as he readied the Master Sword, catching the attention of the large collection of Rito's across the musty landscape.

"What in the bluster?!" cried Yzi with a start.

Link stood for only a moment, sword drawn, before his legs began to shake, leaving him slowly wavering in his placement while his posture began to slump.

"Link!" came Zelda's voice from within the cluster of Rito

"Keh," Yzi cackled, raising his hand up toward his shoulder before throwing it in Link's direction, "Get him. Make sure he can't crawl away this time."

The swarm of scraggly Rito descended upon Link, the soldier's eyes shaking as his body slowly lost its strength, leaving him, seemingly, with only one final gesture.

He raised his on hand, pointing behind him.

Yzi's eyes slanted in a scowl as he raised his vision, only for his face to melt into a look of astonishment.

"GAH!" he screamed, turning to his lackeys, "GO! GET'IM!"

A subordinate spoke up in a panic, "How many-?!"

"GO!" Yzi shouted angrily, leaving his band of lowland Rito in a frenzy as they deliberated who amongst them should keep watch over the Princess of Hyrule and who should go after the ascending Revali.

Without any pause for assembly, Yzi took off like a dart into the sky, his feathers fluttering in a furious gale as his eyes turned bloodshot atop his grimacing face, spun as it was in endless madness. He tore through the very atmosphere, feeling it whip against his body, nearly pelting him, tearing against his skin in reparation for his own action. His experience took him to the sky at a much greater speed, leaving him gaining on Revali as Vah Medoh watched over the two in referee, leaving Yzi with his eyes dead-set on his target.

He knew that, before those laser cannons atop Vah Medoh could strip Revali of life, he would oblige the man he had come to despise with ever fiber of his being.

"Please tell me again," Daruk groaned defeatedly, running an open hand along his stomach, "Why are we depriving ourselves of the finest offerings Hyrule has to offer?"

Zelda frowned, raising her head astutely as she replied, "Because, the absolute last thing I'm going to do is give my father even a second of an inclination that I might not have succeeded in my goal. As soon as we would show up, he would grin that knowing smirk and start preparing that lecture that I'm sure he's been thinking about ever since I left for this quest."

A chuckle came from Urbosa, "You sound so much like your mother."

"Yeah, well-" Zelda began, only to pause before frowning, turning her lips in an upright curl, "There was a reason she managed to put up with him."

The Champions had begun their trudging quest back across the plains of Hyrule Kingdom, having left the Trilby Plains that sat beneath the mountains of Eldin. Passing through the Crenel Peaks once again, they had decided to defer from the northern route to Tabantha that took them through the chilly, snowcapped tundras of Hebra, and instead chose the southern route through Hyrule Ridge, even if that passage took them right along the fields just beyond the walls of Hyrule Castle.

Zelda had taken a rather noticeable turn of character, growing rather defiant of the many plans laid out by the others: Urbosa had wanted a restful night within one of the inns, Daruk was thrilled by the prospect of whatever feast might be prepared for them, while Mipha would have been excited for a first trip into Hyrule Town, not the least of which because it meant she could catch a glimpse of Link's home. Even Link, amidst all his stoicism, had dropped an idea or two regarding the possibility of stopping into town, but for all of the Champions' goading, Zelda had nothing to say beyond quick rejections.

"I suppose, if you truly are hungry, we'll be passing by the quarry before we reach the Regencia," Zelda noted with a sigh, having grown tired of Daruk's incessant pleas, though this topic as roused the Goron to new heights.

"Oh, really?!" he spoke up in awe, "I thought I smelled obsidian in the air!"

Link rolled his eyes, "You're like a dog, some-"

"GAH!" Daruk flinched, "I am not! Those- devilish things shouldn't ever be compared to a living being!"

Mipha turned her head to the side, "Aren't dogs living th-"

"Of course not!" Daruk insisted, "They're the hellhounds of death itself!"

Urbosa chimed in sneakily, "Perhaps if you were made of wood and not rock."

Frowning, Daruk crossed his arms, "Why, I never! Getting back to the point, I suppose I could try some of the rocks the Kingdom of Hyrule has to offer. I've visited before, but- I wasn't offered, and I think it might be a bit impolite to just go eating rocks."

"But licking them is fine?" Revali scoffed in disgust, recalling their first trek up Sartori Mountain as well as their entrance into Zora River, "You animal."

Urbosa smirked as she eyed the Rito, "You better watch out. Those Tabantha rocks might be absolutely intoxicating."

"I wouldn't know," Revali retorted with a huff, "We Rito have no need for rocks."

A quizzical sort of look grew on Link's face, "Don't you live on a giant rock column of a thing?"

"We do not live on a giant rock column thing, you dolt," Revali charged with dismay, "We perch."

Link shrugged, "Such a difference."

"You make fun, Hylian; I suggest you be more like the more respectable of your kind that happen to find us Rito rather appealing, versus your childish view of us," Revali noted in bemusement, "Our travels have brought tales of entire stories, woven by Hylian poets, about how warm our mantles are and how the fluttering of our feathers arouses their most-"

"Hold up," Urbosa suddenly interrupted with a start, throwing her open palms in front of her, "We've got younger ones, here."

Revali scoffed, "Tch! What fails to be respectable about these Hylians depicting the Rito as-?"

"Maybe we should turn around and return to the town," Link smirked, "I think something got lost in the translation."

"Nuh uh!" Zelda fired back, "We press on!"

Urbosa grinned, "Sounds like we're not the only ones doing that, from the sound of it."

Suddenly sputtering, Revali threw his arms out wide, "I cannot help that so many Hylians would rather dabble in the beauty of us Rito rather than remained compelled to toil amongst the rest of their ilk. I can at least admire their heightened thinking."

The feathers atop his chest fluttered as he puffed himself up proudly, "That same heightened thinking you all should start inviting amongst yourselves. After all, this is my domain, and you will all be relying, indubitably, upon my expertise. And as my guests, you will not be laying a single tongue upon these lands."

Daruk noisily made his complaint known through a snort, though it was Zelda who replied with some semblance of substance, "You have a point there. If you don't mind offering us something of a primer toward these lands, if only to get our minds off of the Castle…"

"Absolutely! I would be thrilled to regale this Company with tales of Rito greatness!" Revali declared, clearing his throat before tilting his head as if coming to note something in his mind, "Even for all their tarnished history, the lowland Rito themselves, who I'm sure we'll be coming across on this excursion, have quite wonderous tales to tell themselves! Now, how bright that sheen of reputation rests upon us Rito that even the lesser of us can be seen as wonderous themselves?"

Mipha quizzically piped up, "I've actually been meaning to ask- you've mentioned them before, but-"

"Ah, the lowland Rito?" Revali nodded astutely, "I told you all, many weeks ago, now, our most revered of legends- that of our guardian deity, Witwa, who was locked into combat with his two siblings. So far as the legends go, as the victor, those who followed Witwa were given Greater Tabantha- that is, the magnificent spire that arose from the depths of Lake Totori. As the losers, the followers of Timte and Vurla were relegated to the lowlands on the opposite side of Cuho Mountains, where the vegetation is much worse and Strock Lake only serves to remind them of the wonderous waters of Totori."

Shrugging, Revali went on, "While our two collections of Rito get along, we simply live as we have for thousands of years, now, even if the occasional ragamuffin sprouts up among the plains of Gisa, hoping to return his people to that once-promised land to the north. Their current chieftain is a man by the name of Yzi, and although his people have been increasingly spouting plans to reintegrate, by force, if necessary, he seems to understand the score and keeps them subjugated. for the most part."

Zelda's eyes ran toward the Rito, "For the most part..?"

"There are skirmishes, of course. A handful of ambuscades whenever our younger ones travel too far to the south, but nothing that has ever bled over into savagery," Revali explained plainly, "I do recall a tale of an event a hundred years ago where a lowlander was drawn and quartered atop Nero Hill, but given the location, my own people asserted that it wasn't them, but the Hylians."

Urbosa frowned as she noticed Mipha's sudden adjustment upon her face, a curious glance leaving the Zora as she questioned, "I thought those were just stories."

"They are," Link muttered in pithy reply.

"Pah! I wouldn't expect a Hylian to admit to such things," Revali spat out venomously, "They could very well be the stuff of bedtime stories now, but the conflict between the Rito and Hylians was certainly a bloody affair."

Mipha's brow fell, "But why?"

Huffing with a deep breath as he shook his head, Revali remained silent as he stewed, leaving Zelda to answer with a grave tone, "Rivers and mountains tend to create natural border, but Hebra is mostly bordered by Tanagar Canyon. Some expeditionary Hylians chose to settle, long ago, along the outlying portions of the Scablands, hoping to take advantage of the rich soil there, I assume believing they had the right to do so, given the expanse that separated the land from Tabantha."

"The Rito, uh, didn't agree," Zelda concluded with a plain voice, hoping to avoid those biases that so often lined the Hylian historians she so often had read from.

Revali frowned, "No. and when we disagreed, out came the Hylian soldiers, ready to steal those lands, and more, had they not been met by a collection of both major tribes of Rito."

Feeling her heart weighed down by such a history that was to become her mantle upon ascending the throne, Zelda's lips curled distastefully, speaking in almost reverent sorrow, "There were battles. and many people died. Ultimately, Hyrule emerged victorious."

Revali sneered quietly as Zelda pulled out the map that had so carried them along this trek, noting out locations for Mipha's curious eyes, "-as evidenced by our very maps. Hyrule Ridge, the area became known, and this mountain, here, even bears the name of my savage great-grandfather. and, coincidentally, my own father."

"Even if our own maps fail to reflect such boorish attempts at claiming lands," Revali scoffed simply, "Were there a silver lining, the lowland Rito were so concerned with the encroaching Hylians that they lessened their attention on Greater Tabantha. Any time those Hylians built that stupid bridge, they would strike it down, again and again; after the soldiers left the farmers alone, the lowlanders would strike in the night, leaving their crops a ruinous pipe-dream."

A rather coarse grin grew atop Revali's face, "I would quite like to see what sort of entrance I will receive by those loafers."

"As much as I understand your animosity, Revali," Zelda sighed, "Part of my goal as Princess, and even as Queen, is, and will be, attempting to loosen the bonds that so fervently tie our two peoples to hatred. That's why this Company is as it is; when all the peoples of Hyrule come together, we can even send a Zora into Death Mountain."

Knowing what he did, a pithy glance left Revali, aimed at Zelda as she continued with low shoulders, "Even you and Link, as head strong as the two of you are- were you two to work together-"

"Gah!"

"Ew…" replied the two in unison, leaving Zelda with a scowl.

"As I was saying- My point is that- Even if we're met with tension in the air, Revali, please; this is a peaceful troupe. We're fighting for a brighter future, not for instant, short-lived gratification."

Still glaring at her with a droll expression, Revali remained silent for a moment before finally letting loose a sigh, turning forward once more as his arms crossed tightly across his chest, "Fine. I understand."

"Wow," Urbosa mused with a surprised shrug, "That was something."

Revali peered at her from over his shoulder, "Don't get used to it, Gerudo."

"I certainly won't," she smirked, "I'm just amazed, is all."

Huffing to himself, Revali slung his shoulders forward to bush up the feathers that lined his torso, failing to reply as he simply strolled along in time with the rest of the Champions, shutting his eyes in reflection as the breezy winds surged in focused torrents as they rolled down Mount Gustaf to the south.

His eyes only peeked open as he caught a sudden, low rumbling beneath his talonous feet, frowning as he recognized, immediately, the source of that foreign sensation.

"Uh," Daruk spoke up mutely, nearly hopping as he stepped along, his hands clutching his stomach, "Are we getting close to that, uh, obsidian? I can smell it."

Link replied with a swift tongue, "Rocks don't smell."

"Oh?" Daruk answered in a critiquing breath, "Am I imagining that wafting magnificence of- Nope. There it goes."

Grinning, Link shook his head, "Even your attention span matches a dog's."

His brow furrowing worriedly at an apparently growing list of similarities, Daruk was only stilled by a quick glance from Zelda as she smiled over her shoulder, "Don't worry. It's right up here."

"Wa ha!" Daruk cheered, "I call dibs!"

Urbosa gave a wry stare, "No arguments here, man."