ATE: Hey everyone! I've returned with a new chapter, and one that happens to be 10,446 words long (at least by the time I finished typing all this up)! Also in other news, I've 100% completed Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and having played the game, I have an idea on how things will be going forward when it comes to this story. Hopefully everyone enjoys this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Zelda related or any references I made in this chapter. I only own my OCs.
~*~Chapter 12~*~
Evangeline knew Revali was going to be strict when it came to learning archery from him; in fact, she expected as much given how skilled he was.
However, she wasn't expecting him to be this strict, and a part of her questioned whether or not it had anything to do with her comment concerning gray feathers.
The Rito Champion's schedule was so meticulously planned in such a way that every waking hour was fully utilized in order to train her in the art of archery. Every day started with Evangeline rising out of her bed—or hammock in this case, that was thankfully set up closer to the ground—at 5 in the morning (Revali was generous enough to give her two extra hours of sleep) and handed a bowl/plate of whatever breakfast was that day before being made to do stretches to warm up. She would then be flung headfirst into morning exercises to improve her upper body strength, which was closely followed by what the Rito considered a "morning jog" to build up stamina. By the time she finished this it would be around 7 a.m., and she was allowed roughly half an hour to rest before archery lessons. Another break—an, hour long, to be precise—would take place to allow the two to eat lunch and rest, and lessons would resume from there until dinner (and the hour long break that came with it). After that Evangeline would work on her gliding ability under Revali guidance (which was likely due to how much she scared him the first time she jumped off the platform) until it came time for the two to retire at 9 p.m. Rinse and repeat the next day with the addition of newly acquired sore muscles.
Did she mention that this schedule was for today and the next 14 days?
That's right! 14 days!
Evangeline was by no means unfit, yet she wasn't exactly athletic, either. If she didn't know better, she would've thought Revali was training her for the Olympics; even if that were the case, there was a high chance he still wouldn't be satisfied with the final result despite the rate she was being forced to go.
Maybe her theory of commenting on the Rito Champion having gray feathers wasn't that farfetched after all.
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~*~Day 3 of Training~*~
Her muscles burned as she practically collapsed on the carpeted floor near the firepit, her head barely landing on the pillow she'd been using since her training started. She was so exhausted that she couldn't move to sit up even when Revali placed a plate of food down right in front of her face—almost as if taunting her in a way that made her think of someone dangling a carrot before a horse, only she was the horse in this scenario and the metaphorical carrot was the warm dinner.
'Leave it to Revali to be an ass…' She thought unenthusiastically.
Evangeline knew she had to eat it now or it'd get too cold to be appetizing. This was made worse seeing as there wasn't any way to reheat food without burning the food itself in the process. It was times like these that she found herself missing the conveniences of modern technology…
Despite how hungry she was, her exhaustion won out in the end.
"You should eat before your food gets cold."
Hazel eyes glanced over to where Revali sat, having casually finished in his meal as if nothing were out of the ordinary. His head then turned to face her, his eyes seeming to light up as an almost smug expression formed on his face. The Rito placed his plate on the floor beside him before he stood up to approach her prone form.
"Could it be that you're too exhausted to feed yourself? Did I not warn you that I would be a strict teacher? I seem to recall you saying you didn't want me going easy on you. What were the words you used again? 'No pain, no gain'?" She could hear the smugness oozing out of his voice as he spoke and seeing him towering above her only seemed to fuel the sudden annoyance that was gradually building up. "If you are truly as exhausted as you appear to be, then perhaps I should be of assistance and spoon-feed you."
She gritted her teeth at this, not at all appreciating his jabs at her own weakness. Her pride bristled at the idea of being fed like a baby, and she was not a baby. She was a full-grown adult, damn it! Her first instinct was to throw the F-bomb his way and tell him where he could shove it, but the problem was that she was trying to curve her habit of cursing out loud.
Which left her with another alternative.
"…Flock off, feather face." She ended up retorting, though her words lacked the usual edge it had under normal circumstances.
The Rito frowned at this, all hints of smugness having disappeared as he narrowed his eyes. Though she hadn't cursed in front of him, the true meaning of her words couldn't have been more obvious if it had wanted to.
'That's right. You're not the only one capable of making bird puns.'
Evangeline felt of sense of satisfaction as she watched him stalked out of her line of sight. Soon enough she could hear Revali rummaging around but she paid it no mind as she closed her eyes with the intention of taking a nap before her next lesson. She couldn't have been napping for long because suddenly she was being moved around; her eyes shot open in her startled state as a certain Rito maneuvered her form until she was in an upright position while his wing wrapped behind her back to provide support. It was at that point she noticed something dark green and couldn't help the confusion she felt.
"…Wha—"
She was unable to voice her thoughts as she suddenly found herself almost gagging on the disgusting liquid being forced down her throat—which ironically was that dark green something she spotted only seconds ago. After a few agonizing gulps the dark green liquid was taken away (much to her relief) and she was inhaling air as she desperately wished for something to wash the horrible taste out of her mouth. She spotted her cup of water and clumsily fell out of Revali's hold to quickly grabbed it before chugging it down eagerly; though she had drained the contents of her cup, the aftertaste of the liquid still lingered on her tongue, but thankfully it wasn't as strong as it was before.
Turning back to the Rito, Evangeline saw that he had been silently watching her from where he was on the floor and it was at that point that she noticed a glass bottle that contained the dark green liquid she had been given, though the bottle itself was only half full.
It didn't take her long to realize what the contents of the bottle actually were.
"What kind of elixir did you give me?" She asked.
"An Energizing Elixir." Was Revali's response, saying it as if it were a well-known fact. "Clearly you didn't appreciate my offer of assistance, so I had to resort to other means."
"What do you mean?"
At this, the Rito Champion gave her a knowing look as he stood up, picking up the bottled elixir as he did so.
"You're smart. I'm sure you can figure it out on your own."
Evangeline opened her mouth in preparation to voice her thoughts, only to pause and close it as she realized something. Before she had been too tired to do anything or eat her meal, but then Revali forced an elixir down her throat and she suddenly had energy. Hell, it was even in the name of the elixir itself!
"You gave me Hyrule's equivalent of an energy drink!"
"What is an 'energy drink'?" Revali asked.
"It's a type of beverage that contains a ton of ingredients that increase your energy." She explained. "Although, energy drinks don't work as quickly or effectively like that elixir you just gave me."
"It sounds as if you speak from experience."
"I've only tried an energy drink once, and that was only because I needed a boost to help study for a difficult final exam I had in college. It was something I used only as a last resort." Seeing the look Revali (and his silent question) sent her way, she continued. "The reason I used it as a last resort was because some of the ingredients in the drink itself aren't exactly healthy in the long run, especially in excess. It'd take too long to explain in detail, but let's just say that the amount of research I did into energy drinks was enough for me to classify them as a last resort."
"I see." The Rito commented, accepting her answer as adequate.
She watched as the Rito went over to a nearby table, pulling out a sheet of paper and a quill before jutting something down.
"What are you doing?" She asked, suddenly curious.
"I'm revising the initial schedule I created for your training. Due to recent events, it's been brought to my attention that the initial regimen I planned for you is ill-suited, especially when I failed to take certain aspects into consideration."
"Like what?"
Revali placed the quill he was using back down on the table before turning to face her.
"For instance: you are not a Rito, which narrows down how I can train you, and with the discovery of your gliding abilities I can only incorporate so much. If anything, your training is more in line with how Hylians are taught, but even they have the advantage of a lifestyle requiring them to do some level of manual labor. From what you've told me of how things are back on Earth, it sounds as if you lived a life of luxury not unlike a lesser noble." The Rito explained. "Another thing I have to consider is how training affects you. I may give you breaks at certain points during the day, but it's clear that they're not enough for you to regain your energy when it comes time for you to continue. To compensate for this, I will need to cook meals that'll restore your energy, as well as having you take Energizing Elixirs to help you get the most out of your training."
Evangeline was surprised by how much thought the Rito Champion put into this, and all because she'd been too exhausted to eat a meal. Sure, she was concerned about what he planned to put into his food to help give her more energy, but if it got her through the day without passing out, then she wouldn't complain.
"Careful, Revali." She teased. "It almost sounds like you're enjoying this a little too much."
And like clockwork, poof went the feathers around the Rito's neck!
"I-It's not-! Just eat your food so we can leave! We have somewhere to be!"
"And just where are we going?"
"Eat. Your. Food."
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When Revali said they had somewhere to be, Evangeline had a few ideas as to what that place could've been. Going back to Rito Village was out of the question due to the nature of Revali's training program, and judging from the direction he flew in they were heading towards the Hebra Mountains, though the highest peak remained to their general right as they flew far north. As the scenery passed them by her imagination went wild from there, but then she felt confusion as she noticed the appearance of the terrain below them—specifically something shimmering that was peeking out from beneath the two almost circular platforms as the sunlight reflected off it. She found herself speechless once they finally landed.
Out of all the places she'd theorized about, a hot spring was the last thing she expected.
Similar to the Flight Range, the hot spring was surround on all sides by rocky walls save for gap over on the right that led out of the enclosed area. The two circular platforms she'd seen from above were supported by columns jutting out of the ground (one of the columns located in the water itself ahead of them). The snowy shoreline they stood on went around the edges of the spring, and the path to their left lead up to a ledge almost overlooking the water near the submerged column. Even from where they stood Evangeline could feel the warm stream that drifted through the air, serving as a nice contrast to the cold crisp air.
"Where are we?" She asked, taking a few steps towards the edge only to stop short of the very edge of the water.
"Goflam's Secret Hot Spring, which happens to be one of the three hot springs located in the Hebra Mountains." Revali answered. "Aside from the Rito, not many know about the existence of these springs."
"But why are we here?"
"To relax, of course. Follow me."
Wait, what?
Before she could voice her thoughts the Rito walked past her before stepping into the water, wading through it as he made his way towards the submerged column. Unsure of what to do, she took him up on his offer and followed him in, the water swishing as her feet moved through it. She noticed how Revali navigated through the water, following along the shore to their right as; wondering why this was she deviated slightly to the left, only to yelp as her foot suddenly sank into a deeper part of the spring. Her head jerked up in the direction of the Rito when she heard his laughter.
"That is why you're supposed to follow." He told her as if it were simple.
"You could've warned me, you know?" She huffed.
"And where would the fun be in that?"
Evangeline could only stare at him but was forced to follow him as he continued forward, passing by the submerged column; there was a bit of rock that hung from the rocky wall, but some simple maneuvering around it revealed a cave-like alcove of some sort at the end. With enough dry land (more like a rocky surface) to likely set up a bedroll or have two to three people sit comfortably without bumping into each other, it served as a decent shelter from the cold as it managed to trap a fair amount of heat within it to stay comfortably warm.
This seemed to be the perfect spot for a nice soak, but then a problem presented itself.
"How is this going to work?" She asked.
Revali then turned to face her.
"How is what supposed to work?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
Evangeline face heated up at this, and she hoped the fact her skin being exposed to the steam (after being exposed to the cold) was able to mask this fact.
"You're male, I'm female. You do the math."
And it didn't take long for those neck feathers to do their work. She didn't know what Revali was thinking as he silently turned his back to her and every now and then he'd mutter to himself (at one point she could've sworn she heard him say "I usually come here by myself…"). Eventually he seemed to figure out a solution since he turned around to face her.
"Here's what we'll do." The Rito drew her attention to the spot where a large rock formation jutted out from the 'ceiling' of the mini cave. "You'll take the spot closest to the dry surface, while I take the spot on the opposite side of the rock formation. That way there's a natural barrier between the two of us."
Evangeline crossed her arms as she tilted her head thoughtfully to the side, rolling Revali's suggestion around in her head. She was surprised at how he gave her a spot that had more room to work with, but maybe he knew something she didn't.
"I guess that makes sense." She decided.
With that Evangeline made her way over to her side of the rock formation while Revali went to his. As soon as she rocky wall she took off her boots (and was slightly startled at how warm the water was) before going over to the dry rocky surface nearby to set them down on. From there she stripped off her Snowquill armor until she was left in what passed as undergarments. Once that was all taken care of Evangeline quickly and carefully went over to her designated spot and sat down, letting out a sigh of content as the wonderfully heated water soothed her sore muscles (some of which she hadn't been aware of being tense or knotted until now) and allowing herself to sink underneath until it almost came up to her chin. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to quietly relax as she listened to the ambient sounds of nature that surrounded her. While relaxing, her thoughts wondered back to Revali's words earlier, specifically when it came to how she lived her life back on Earth compared to the average Hylian.
"You're not wrong." She found herself saying out loud.
It was quiet and at first Evangeline thought the Rito hadn't heard her or something. She was willing to drop the subject and continue relaxing, but that wasn't the case when she heard him speak.
"In what regard?" He asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"My lifestyle back on Earth. When I lived there, I still had to clean and do my own laundry, but our technology was so advanced that we had machines that could wash and dry clothes just by putting said clothes into them setting it for a specific amount of time. Same with doing dishes as well and cooking." She explained "We even had devices and systems set up to control temperatures to either heat or cool down the inside of a home, something we called air conditioning. We also have indoor plumbing and quick access to heated water just from turning a knob and waiting a few seconds as opposed to constantly going to a well to get water."
"I presume there are more advances than the ones you've mentioned so far?"
Evangeline smiled before she went into explaining certain concepts to him. She told him about how electricity had been harnessed to power a lightbulb (comparing it to a lamp of sorts), refrigerators and freezers that preserved and extended the shelf life of foods and being able to cook food faster with the inventions of gaslit stoves and microwaves, devices smaller than the Sheikah Slate which could fit in the palm of your hand and allow a person to instantly talk with someone else as if they were right in front of you; her explanation even extended to how advanced medical practices were compared to the medieval period (though she wasn't able to go into a lot of detail due to her lack of expertise). She thought to share with him the concept of guns, but she decided against it for the same reason she didn't explain the internet or Wi-Fi to Princess Zelda (which was for the best).
"To you these concepts would sound like luxuries people in this world could only dream of, but stuff like that is commonplace in the average person's home—at least in the country I lived in. Though I lived a comfortable enough life back on Earth, I wasn't exactly rich, but I wasn't poor either. I guess…compared to most living in Hyrule, I had it pretty easy…"
"After what you've shared with me, it's no wonder why adjusting to life here hasn't been easy for you."
Evangeline was quiet, knowing he wasn't wrong when it came to his observation. Initially getting used to her new lifestyle was a bit of a challenge, but thankfully Revali had kept his word by helping her adapt to life in Hyrule. She soon realized something and opened her mouth to speak.
"Revali?"
A hum was the reply she got from the Rito that let her know he was listening.
"Thank you." She told him.
"What are you thanking me for?" The Rito asked.
"For everything. Since I first came to Hyrule." She lowered her gaze to the water she sat in. "Since I first came to Hyrule, you chose to help me even though you could've easily left me to fend for myself. You've continued to help me adjust to living in Hyrule, and for that thank you."
Clearly Revali was speechless by her words because he was quiet for awhile. Eventually he must've gathered his thoughts because he managed to string a sentence.
"…You're welcome."
At least that's what it sounded like he said.
Evangeline couldn't help the confusion she felt at his response. Usually the Rito was very articulate and would occasionally resort to flowery language. With how highly he thought of himself, one would think he'd eagerly accept the gratitude of others, yet here he was giving her such a quiet response after she thanked him for his help.
Soon enough their time at the hot spring came to an end and the two got ready to leave. Evangeline was carefully maneuvering her way through the shallow parts of the water as she went to join Revali close to the opening leading out of the area itself.
"Let me see your hands."
The sudden words were enough to cause Evangeline to stop, the warm water reaching above her ankles as she stood only a short distance from Revali while remaining out of his reach. As she stared at him, she wondered if she heard him correctly.
"…What?" Was her intelligent answer.
The Rito didn't elaborate as he approached her, wading through the water with practiced steps until he stopped in front of her. He reached down for her right hand and brought it up between the two of them. Using his free wing, he removed her glove so that her bare hand was exposed to the wintery air and she could see it already turning pink in response. Revali silently examined her hand, starting with the back side before turning it over; it was the palm of her hand where he focused his attention on the most, even going as far as running a feathered finger along it and over the surface of her fingers. He eventually did the same to her other hand, removing the glove and looking over her hand while focusing mostly on her palm and fingers.
During this entire process Evangeline did her best to suppress any sort of laughter from Revali running his feathered finger along her palms (she'd forgotten how soft they were), but that didn't compare to how confused she felt. She could feel her face gradually warming up as she watched him, and a part of her couldn't help thinking there was something almost intimate about this.
But why?
"Uh, Revali?" She tried awkwardly, noticing that this had gone on for longer than was appropriate.
The sound of her voice seemed to startle the Rito out of his reverie as he realized what he was doing, quickly dropping her hand as he jerked away from her. He turned his head to look at the nearby rock wall, a clear indication that he wanted to avoid looking at her as some of the feathers around the base of his neck fluffed up slightly (something she would've easily missed if she hadn't been actively looking for it). She decided it was a good time to get her gloves back on before her hands got too cold to do so, all the while hoping she gave the Rito enough time to recover.
"We should go." He suddenly said after awhile.
She couldn't agree more.
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Training was still difficult, but it had become more bearable due to the introduction of a changed schedule. Evangeline no longer had to worry about being exhausted to the point of collapse thanks to the new meal plan and the occasional dose of Energizing Elixir she'd take throughout the day.
Compared to the original training schedule only a few changes were made, but it was enough to make a considerable difference. She woke up at 5 in the morning and had breakfast before doing warmup stretches, which was followed by her daily exercises and morning jog. Changes started to show as soon as she got to her first break at 7 a.m., and instead of giving her 30 minutes to rest she was given a whole hour and half a bottle of Energizing Elixir before her archery lessons at 8 a.m. 4 hours later and it was time for lunch and her second break for an hour and her lessons would continue for another 4 hours instead of the 5 hour she used to do under the original schedule. The major change she enjoyed the most was after she finished her second set of archery lessons where she and Revali went to the Goflam's Secret Hot Spring to relax for an hour (but not before having her finish off the last of the Energizing Elixir for that day). This new addition to the schedule was such a game changer that it helped encourage her to work hard, and by the time she got to this part of the day it felt well-earned.
It all went downhill from there by the time they returned from the hot spring. They would have dinner and her third break, and an hour later she would go on to work on her gliding ability until Revali called it a night at 9 p.m.
Waking up the next day to repeat the cycle resulted in her not being as sore as she had been while following the original schedule, and she felt well rested and with a better energy level.
Suffice to say, her performance had improved greatly.
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~*~Day 10 of Training~*~
Evangeline's skill in archery continued to improve under Revali's guidance, at least to the point where she could competently use her bow with little to no difficulty (thanks to all the morning exercises she had to do). Though she could incorporate her gliding ability to 'fly' around the Flight Range during target practice, she still struggled a bit since she wasn't used to aiming at a target while moving around so much. This was something the Rito actively helped her with every day, and though progress was a little slow in that department, it was enough to make a difference in the long run.
Right when she managed to get use to her daily routine, Revali was there to throw something new into the mix when he presented her with an unfamiliar object.
"Wait a minute. What is this."
The object in question? It looked to be some sort of folded wooden contraption that was some sort of cloth folded in as well. There were two parts of the object that that were long and curved, looking like handles of some sort which looked as if they made up an oval due to the nature of the folding process. There was no way for her to tell what it was, and she wondered why the Rito thought it was important to give this to her.
"It's called a paraglider." He told her as if it were simple.
A paraglider?
Evangeline carefully unfolded the object, noticing that she had to fold the two handles downwards, and it didn't take her long to unfold everything to find that what she held looked like a glider of some sort. The fabric was mainly a brick red color with the symbol of the Rito superimposed on it in a beige color while the colors bordering the top and bottom were gray and an orange yellow.
"What's the point in giving me this when I can just ride the wind?" She asked.
"So you can learn to use it." Suddenly the Rito's green eyes brightened as if he'd just gotten idea. "You know what? Try gliding over to the exit of the Flight Range and see what happens."
Evangeline accepted the challenge, placing the paraglider on the wooden floor before stepping outside onto the landing. Eyeballing the distance between her location and the opening leading out of the enclosed area the Flight Range resided in, she figured out how to route her course of action before jumping into the wind; once she got high enough, she left the updraft and glided her way towards the exit. Everything was fine and she thought she'd make it…
…Until gravity remembered she existed and caused her to drop like a rock into the piled-up snow (which managed to cushion her landing).
In the distance she could hear Revali laughing loudly and whipping her head around to the wooden hut she could see the Rito doubled over from his spot on the landing. Her face must've resembled the grumpy cat meme because it only served to make him laugh harder as she stomped her way over to the ladder that led inside the hut. He was still laughing by the time she approached him, and with a frown she crossed her arms while she waited for him to calm down.
"Are you done?" She asked with a dull tone.
It took awhile, but eventually the Rito managed to calm down before speaking.
"That is the point of giving you a paraglider. Though you are capable of riding the wind, your ability relies heavily on any form of strong wind or updraft being present. Being able to apply it outside of training would depend entirely on specific conditions being met." He explained, his arms crossed behind his back as he slowly strolled passed her towards the opening of the hut. "What would happen if you were on a cliff and there wasn't an updraft available for you to use to safely get to the ground?"
"I'd meet a sudden and untimely demise."
At this Revali turned around and gave her a pointed look, almost as if saying 'really?'.
"A sarcastic response, but one that rings true." He ended up agreeing. "And to prevent you from meeting an 'untimely demise', we are foregoing our usual daily schedule to focus on you mastering the paraglider."
Knowing she'd be wasting her time if she complained, Evangeline complied with the new lesson plan and grabbed her new paraglider. To be fair the experience was interesting since she had to allow the paraglider to do all the work instead of allowing herself to take control of the situation (something which she had to actively resist); the only time she didn't have any difficulty in using it was whenever she left the updrafts scattered around the target range, and where she would've originally fallen into a pile of snow (like earlier), the paraglider allowed her to go farther until she lost enough altitude that she was forced the land. This continued for a good chunk of time until it came time for lunch and her arms were slightly sore (she had a feeling the soreness would've been worse if it hadn't been for her morning exercises every day). Lunch itself was uneventful, and once the two had finished eating she thought they'd go back to the paraglider training after her break was up.
Except that's not what happened.
Instead, Revali stood up from his spit by the fire and headed towards the opening to the platform outside.
"Where are you going?" She asked, causing the Rito to turn and face her.
"I'm returning to Rito Village to restock on ingredients, specifically the ones needed for your meals." He replied.
"Oh. Do you need me to go with you?"
"No. You can stay here and rest while I'm away."
This surprised her. She wouldn't thought he wouldn't want to leave her by herself, especially after what happened, but maybe he trusted her enough to do so now. Whatever the reason, she wouldn't question it. As Revali turned his back on her to pass the threshold, she suddenly spoke out.
"Come back soon."
Revali seemed to freeze in his spot and after awhile he turned his head to the side so that he could gaze at Evangeline out of the corner of his eye, as if he were regarding her or something.
He soon turned to face forward.
"We'll resume your lessons when I return." He told her before heading out.
From her spot on the carpeted floor, Evangeline watched as Revali took off from the platform using his Gale. She couldn't help the confusion she felt from how he reacted to her words and wondered what that was all about. Not knowing what else to do, she decided that taking a nap wouldn't be such a bad idea and made herself comfortable by the fire.
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"Wake up."
Startled, Evangeline's hazel eyes snapped open as she shot up into an upright position, and taking in her surroundings she saw that Revali had return.
But he wasn't alone.
Gathered inside the hut were a few Rito and (to her surprise) a group of one…two…six children—
Oh, they were starting to crowd around her, and she didn't miss the expectant looks in their eyes. The expectant looks turned into that of joy as they started flapping their tiny wings and giggled in excitement. They all started talking at once, which made it very difficult to follow anything they were saying…except for one sentence that caught her attention.
"Are we gonna play tag?"
WHAT?!
Evangeline immediately stood up and carefully maneuvered pasted the Rito children (who seemed completely unfazed by her actions) as she made a beeline for Revali, who had been quietly watching from his place.
"Revali, may I talk to you…alone?" She asked, nodding her head slightly in the direction of the nearby doorway; she made sure to come off as polite as possible in front of the others still present.
Realizing what she was getting at, Revali turned to address the adult Rito in the room and gave them a smile.
"Please excuse us for a moment." He told them.
Both Evangeline and Revali headed outside to the platform, the cold wind carrying the snowflakes that gently fell from the sky. She took this time to gather her thoughts before turning to face the Rito.
"What's going on?" She whispered harshly so that she wasn't overheard by the others. "I thought you said we were continuing the whole paraglider thing."
"We are, but with some slight modifications."
At this she frowned.
"…What kind of modifications?"
"While I was in Rito Village, the parents you saw inside approached me with their plights. It turns out their children have too much energy that getting them to take a nap seems almost impossible. I'm sure you can imagine how stressed they might be as a result."
Evangeline glanced over to where the adult Rito stood inside the hut, and it was at that point she noticed their body language. Though they did a good job hiding it, she recognized the subtle signs of exhaustion and she couldn't help but sympathize with them. Afterall, she'd experienced something similar growing up, though her role during that time had been that of the children while the exhausted party had been—!
She shook her head, wanting to dispel those specific thoughts from her mind so she could focus on the present and turned back to face Revali.
"So you want me to play tag with them." She assumed, remembering what one of the Rito children had said earlier.
"Correct. And in turn, this game of tag will be assimilated into your paraglider lessons." He replied. "Now, let's head back inside so we can explain how this will work to the others."
Evangeline followed Revali back inside and explained to Rito parents how a game of tag was going to work. Since they were at the Flight Range, that meant the children could get some flying practice in while she would be using her new paraglider. However, there was a twist in that while the Rito Champion designated her as being 'it', she'd be the only one trying to keep away from the children as they'd try to tag her. As Revali continued explaining things, Evangeline could see how the children grew more and more excited until they became almost restless, and she could understand the extent of their parents' situation. They clearly were too hyper for sleep and she needed to help them expend that energy. And then came time to play tag and Revali reminded the Rito children of the rules before they could even play tag.
Suffice to say…chaos ensued.
If she didn't know better, Evangeline would've believed Revali was getting some sort of sick enjoyment from seeing her frantically avoiding the Rito children as they relentlessly chased after her around the Flight Range. It didn't help that the paraglider wasn't as easily maneuverable compared to when she just used her ability without it, so naturally there were times when she grew a little frustrated at what she viewed as a handicap. The contrast was like night and day: she screamed, while the little one giggled.
'IT'S JUST A GAME! WHY AM I TREATING THIS LIKE IT'S LIFE OR DEATH?!' She mentally screamed.
Evangeline didn't know how long this hardcore game of tag went on for, but eventually the children started tiring out and one by one they would start heading back to the hut. However, there was one child that stubbornly continued to chase after her, but she could tell he was tiring out fast.
"I'm gonna get you, flying lady…! …I'm gonna…get you…" She could hear him call after her.
To be honest, she was quite impressed that he managed to last this long, but eventually he was going to collapse if she didn't do something. Which was why she deliberately started slowing down and allowed the Rito child to catch up with her; it didn't take long before she felt a tiny wing tap her arm.
"…I…got you…!"
Evangeline turned around to face the child, only to have her eyes widen. A sense of urgency overtook her as she quickly collapsed her paraglider and caught the tiny Rito in her arms before he could fall into chasm below; she was more than aware of how sore her arms were from using the paraglider for so long, but that didn't matter to her at that moment. Without thinking, she glided back over to the hut; as soon as she landed on the platform the child's parents (who were the only ones still at the Flight Range, seeing as the others parents were absent) approached her and she carefully handed the little one over to his mother, whose wings eclipsed him in a loving embrace while the father joined the two.
Watching the display before her, Evangeline couldn't help but suddenly feel a sense of nostalgia as she was reminded of a time long past, where life had once been simple. She was happy that the Rito child had such loving parents, yet a small part of her was somewhat jealous of him. It was wrong, she knew, but she also knew she hadn't had that sort of relationship for years now.
It made her sick knowing she felt jealousy towards a child who didn't know any better.
"Thank you so much for your help!" The voice of the Rito mother said, snapping Evangeline out of her thoughts as she suddenly found her hands clasped in large wings. "You have no idea how much we were struggling to get Quill to take a nap, but you were here just when we needed it! And you also saved him falling as well."
She couldn't help the awkwardness she felt at the sudden attention put on her. She didn't think she'd done that much, but seeing the expression on the Rito mother's face drove the point home that she, in reality, had done more than she initially believed.
"It…wasn't nothing." She replied. "Glad I could help."
It didn't take long before the two parents left the Flight Range with the little one (Quill, she reminded herself) fast asleep in what resembled a baby carrier strapped to the back of the mother's back. She watched as the two took off with a running start, jumping from the platform once they reached the end and allowed the updraft to lift them skyward before heading off in the direction of Rito Village. While all this happened, she couldn't help the confusion she felt, specifically the method they used to get airborne.
"Why did they take off like that?" Evangeline asked. "Aren't Rito able to fly upwards on their own?"
"The Rito are capable of flight… But unfortunately, we are only capable of flying forward and must rely on the wind to ascend upward. Even with my natural skill and talent, I am no exception to this." Revali explained candidly. "As such, I have spent an exorbitant amount of time crafting and perfecting a technique that allows me to create my own personal updraft to soar through the sky."
"So you're the only one that can use that ability of yours?"
"Precisely."
That would explain why the Rito parents had to use the updrafts just now. Speaking about the updrafts, Evangeline remembered how she allowed Quill to tag her and how she stopped using her paraglider in order to catch him. She let out a sigh before turning to face the Rito Champion.
"Hey, Revali. You're not disappointed with me, are you?"
At this he raised a yellow eyebrow.
"Why would I be disappointed?" He questioned.
"Because I allowed that child to tag me, as well as resorted to my gliding ability to stop him from falling. I mean, I know that you didn't want me to us it, but I wasn't going to let him get hurt if there was something I could do to stop it!"
Revali was quiet as he gazed at her, and though it was tempting to look away she stood her ground and kept eye contact with him. Eventually he spoke.
"No." He finally answered. "You did the right thing, even though I specifically restricted you from using your ability. For that there is no penalty."
"Good." She breathed out, feeling relieved.
With all the excitement of the day Revali decided that a trip to the Goflam's Secret Hot Spring was in order and kneeled down so Evangeline could climb on his back. However, she didn't climb onto his back and he noticed this as well.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Actually, I had an idea I wanted to try."
At this Revali stood up and turned to face her.
"I'm listening."
"The idea I have involves me not being on your back when you take off, but it does apply my ability for it to worth." She explained. "Just take off like you normally would without me, but don't freak out or anything when it comes to what I do once you're in the air."
"Fine. We'll give it a try."
Revali crouched down, the wind picking up until it was a strong gale before he launched himself into the air. Evangeline didn't waste any time jumping in and allowing the wind to carry her all the way up to where the Rito was in the air and steering her body so that she was able to latch onto his back. At first he let out a startled cry, but he must've remembered what she'd told him since he managed to calm down and she was able to make herself comfortable on his back.
"This is what you mean?" He questioned loudly enough so he could be heard over the wind.
"Yep!" She replied.
"I won't deny that it's better than the usual method, but it could use some work."
"Hey, just as long as you're okay with it."
She was just glad he approved of something she came up with.
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~*~Day 14 of Training~*~
Evangeline held her bow at the ready, arrow loosely set but not drawn as she stood at the edge of the platform. She waited anxiously, counting the seconds before she was given the signal to start.
'Deep breaths.' She reminded herself. 'Being nervous will get you nowhere. You've done this tons of times already.'
"Go!"
Immediately she jumped into the updraft and wasted no time pulling back on the bowstring as she aimed and fired at the first target she spotted; all this happened while the wind carried her skyward. She glided her way around the range and kept shooting targets, all while she got that sense of thrill she always got whenever she was riding the wind.
She had to be quick! She was being timed after all.
Evangeline applied everything she'd learn from Revali's training. Wielding the bow wasn't as difficult as it used to be when she first started, and she was able to incorporate her gliding ability in her archery. She had more stamina and could use the paraglider for slightly longer periods of time now (compared to when she started using it 4 days ago). There were times when she had a little trouble when it came to her precision, but it was understandable given that she'd only been training for 14 days; if given more time, she was sure that problem would've improved a bit more.
Just a few more targets left! She knew she could make is!
"Time!"
Evangeline groaned, realizing she'd fail to destroy all the targets. Knowing there wasn't much to do she headed back to the platform where Revali was waiting for her.
"How did I do?" She asked automatically.
"Your performance was adequate." The Rito answered.
Coming from him, that was more or less considered high praise. Thankfully, she was starting to pick up on such things the longer she spent time with him.
"Come. We're going back to Rito Village."
What?
"Why are we going back so early? Isn't this supposed to be the last day of training?"
"With the progress you've made in such a short amount of time, consider this a reward for your efforts."
Something wasn't right...
Now that she thought about it, she found it strange that he chose to just observe her session today when he usually competed against her. She'd learn he wasn't the kind of person to turn down a challenge—even if he had to go easy on her due to her status as a beginner. Naturally, this confused her, and she couldn't help but wondering why this was.
What was going on?
Evangeline opened her mouth, ready to question Revali for his strange behavior today, but he wordlessly walked past her and crouched down. Feeling the wind pick up she readied herself, and as soon as the Rito launched himself into the air she jumped into the updraft and followed after him.
However, nothing couldn't prepared her for what happened next.
She hadn't noticed it at first, but now it was apparent that the Rito was faltering. Hazel eyes widened in shock when the wind whipped his form around almost like a ragdoll, losing a ton of feathers and carried away before being suddenly—and forcefully—flung out of the very whirlwind he created.
Acting quickly, Evangeline swooped down to catch Revali before he could land on solid ground, her arms managing to wrap around his middle in order to secure him. It was a good thing she was forced to do all those arm exercises every morning, because she knew her arms would be greatly protesting from the strain of carrying the Rito's dead weight; thankfully she was strong enough to pull off carrying him. As soon as she safely landed on the snow-covered ground, Revali suddenly wrenched himself out of her hold as he practically shoved her away. But because of the lack of support, he fell and barely managed to catch himself. Slowly he managed to get to his knees, though he was hunched over as white puffs of breath formed in the cold air.
"Dammit…!" The Rito cursed, his voice sounding winded. "Why now…after all these years…?"
This wasn't right!
Seeing Revali in such a weakened state was surreal and a concept that was almost hard for her to wrap her mind around. Yesterday he had been fine, so what changed? Clearly there was more to this than him having an 'off-day'. What was he talking about? And why did he shove her earlier. Cautiously, she began approaching him with the intent to see if he was alright.
"Revali?" She tried, reaching out with the intent to place a hand on his shoulder.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Evangeline's eyes widened in shock at the Rito's sudden outburst and flinched. Even though his words echoed in the air, they seemed to still repeat loudly in her mind. Revali had never acted this way towards her, so why now was he acting like a cornered animal? Did he perceive her as a threat or something?
Seeing him like this—
-suddenly reminded her of the older woman who resembled her, though her gaunt face and bald head caused her great sadness. She was helpless and could do nothing but watch the woman slowly waste away in the comfort of their home.
She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past.
Sadness gave way to frustration. Revali clearly needed to be taken back to Rito Village and seeing as flying was out of the question she needed to resort to other means. She reached out for him, not caring what impression she'd end up giving him as she pulled him up to his feet. As expected, the Rito wasted no time protesting her actions and struggled to get away from her.
"Let me go!" He yelled. "I'll gouge your eyes out if you don't!"
"Then do it! I don't fucking care!" She snapped, effectively silencing the Rito and his struggling. She turned her gaze to him and narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what your problem is, but if you think you can intimidate me, I got news for you: it's not going to work! You can struggle all you want, but I plan on taking you back to Rito Village and I plan to do it even if I have to drag your ass kicking and screaming. So continue to struggle! You'll just tire yourself out and make my job easier in the end."
Revali remained quiet, not a single seething comment or insult leaving his beak. Eventually he slumped forward in her hold, and despite preparing herself, Evangeline was surprised by the sudden amount of weight. She did her best to readjust her hold on the Rito, keeping a hold of his wing that was draped around her shoulders while her other arm was wrapped around his waist until she had him securely in a support carry position. She began to carry the him down the slope to the opening leaving the Flight Range, and though progress was slow due to the dead weight she was determined to continue forward. Once more she found herself thankful of the daily arm exercises and they were certainly paying off now.
But the question was…would her archery training pay off?
Because she found herself coming across something that would put all that to the test.
It was halfway back to Rito Village (they had managed to clear the snowy area by that point) when the two came across strange creatures that looked like red pigs that stood on two legs and carried clubs. She had never seen such things before and couldn't help but wonder what they were.
"Bokoblins…" Revali told her, almost as if he heard her silent question.
"Let me guess: bad news?" Evangeline asked.
There were five of the creatures—Bokoblins, she reminded herself—and it was at that point they noticed their presence. And they were slowly approaching.
"For you, very…"
Without thinking, Evangeline quickly (and carefully) placed Revali on the ground and made sure that his back was propped up against a nearby boulder. Once that was taken care of, she turned back to the Bokoblins, all the while drawing her bow and notching an arrow. She aimed at the closest monster and fired; the arrow flew through the air before embedding itself…
…into the ground right next to the Bokoblin she'd been aiming for.
It was quiet as all five monsters turned their heads simultaneously to stare at the arrow, as if trying to figure out what happened.
…
…
…
"…I know I taught you better than that!"
"S-shut up!" She snapped, her face heating up in embarrassment.
The Bokoblins seemed to recover and didn't waste any time rushing towards her. In response, Evangeline had to quickly act and shoot at the monsters; thankfully some of her arrows managed to hit their mark, though her results varied since she either hit a limb or a torso. Soon enough only one Bokoblin remained, but for some reason this one was proving to be difficult to hit. The monster suddenly started rushing towards her, its club raised above its head and ready to strike her. Evangeline's eyes widened in fear as she realized she didn't have enough time to fire an arrow at it!
She was going to die!
But at the very last second, something unexpected happened! The Bokoblin suddenly went still, and at first she wondered why this was. That was when she noticed the arrow buried between the monster's eyes. As soon as she noticed this detail, the Bokoblin fell backwards dead. Another detail she noticed was that she hadn't been the one that fired that arrow and whipped her head around to look behind her.
Sure enough, she found Revali with his bow held up, though his shoulders were moving up and down due to his heavy breathing. The implications weren't lost on her. Despite his weakened state he had chosen to wield his weapon in order to save her life.
Why?
Despite finding herself slightly winded, she wanted to call him an idiot for intervening at the expense of his own health. She wanted to yell obscenities at him, anything to drive her point home.
And yet she found herself unable to do anything as she just stood there staring at him.
Suddenly Revali started falling forward, and without thinking Evangeline rushed forward to catch him.
"Hey, hey, hey! I got you!" She told him as she carefully lowered herself and the Rito to the ground so that she sat on her knees.
Her arms hooked underneath his wings and his head was practically draped over her shoulder as she supported his body in an upright position. To an observer who didn't know better, it would've looked as if two lovers were sharing intimate embrace, but it couldn't be farther from the truth.
'Lovers…' She thought. 'As if!'
"Why…?" Revali questioned. "Why are you…so adamant to help me…?"
Once more the image of the older woman invaded her mind, along with the nostalgia that accompanied the memory. However, she was quick to get rid of that thought as she had something more pressing to focus on.
Her feelings had to take a backseat for now.
"Let's just say…I have some experience with this sort of thing." She answered, deciding to keep her answer vague for now.
It was at this point that Evangeline remembered the pouch was carrying at his waist—along with a specific item that he had stowed away inside it—and started reaching for it.
"What are you doing…?"
"Looking for the Energizing Elixir you brought with you."
"You're already tired…?"
"It's not for me."
Soon enough she managed to find what she was looking for and pulled out the elixir from the pouch.
"Then wh—ugh!"
"Payback." She told him simply as she forced him to drink the elixir. "You're welcome, by the way."
Evangeline kept the bottle in place until Revali finished the last of the elixir. Soon enough she was left with an empty bottle which she shoved back into the Rito's pouch. Once this was all done she carefully brought the both of them back to their feet, and remembering that he was still holding onto his bow she started reaching for it.
"You're not taking my bow…" He told her.
"And let you strain yourself even further after you had that elixir? I don't think so."
Revali let out a grunt at this, but eventually handed his prized possession over to her. Wrapping the fingers of her free hand around the handle, Evangeline was surprised by its sudden weight as soon as the Rito let go! It was heavier than her own bow, and that was saying a lot since she had gotten used to its weight over the past 14 days! Because she refused to admit defeat, she decided to strap his bow onto her back along with hers before readjusting Revali back into the support carry position she had him in before the monster attack.
"Don't worry, Revali. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or your bow." She told him softly. "I'm getting us back to Rito Village if it's the last thing I do."
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The sun was already setting by the time Evangeline managed to drag Revali back to Rito Village, and by that time most of the villagers were either home or making their way there. This worked in the two's favor since it meant not many people would see the state the Rito Champion was in. It was as the two were heading past the landing until things changed.
"Evangeline?!"
She looked over in the direction of the voice to see Onra standing to the side at the landing (how hadn't she noticed them there?) and watched as she approached with wide red eyes, specifically at the sight of Revali.
"What happened?" The female Rito asked.
"We were ambushed by some Bokoblins on the way back." She told her.
It technically wasn't a lie.
"Why didn't he just—!" Onra stopped herself, as if realizing something, and she couldn't help but feel confused by this. "Never mind! I'll help you get him back home."
Evangeline was secretly grateful for Onra's help since she'd worn herself out from carrying Revali on her own for so long. Thankfully nothing else eventful happened since they managed to get the Rito Champion back to his home without coming across anyone. Once inside, Onra helped Evangeline get Revali to one of the nearby pillows on the carpeted floor before getting him comfortable. Afterwards, the female Rito helped her go around the hut and close the wooden shutters in order to provide the home with a level of privacy; it wouldn't do for the villagers to see their Champion in such a weaken states (or so she assumed).
"Thank you for helping, Onra." Evangeline told her once the two were outside the hut.
"It's not a problem with all." The female Rito replied. "I can only imagine how terrifying it must've been encountering those Bokoblins."
"Yeah…"
Onra was quiet as her red eyes regarded the Human, and Evangeline couldn't help but wonder what she could be thinking.
"Listen, Evangeline… I'm aware that you haven't told me the full story. But if it's what I think it is, I commend you for doing what you can to not only protect his life, but his dignity as well."
Her hazel eyes widen at this, realizing that Onra was implying she knew more about what was going on with Revali than she thought! If she knew, then maybe…!
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" She asked, lowering her voice.
"It's not my place to say. However, if he gets worse, stop by the healer's hut. That's all I'll say for now."
With that, Evangeline watched Onra leave. Once the female Rito was gone, she headed back inside and made sure the curtain covered the doorway before glancing over back to were Revali was laying on the floor with his head supported by a pillow. She knew it was impossible for her to get the Rito in his own hammock, but she also knew she couldn't just leave him like this since he'd eventually get uncomfortable.
Suddenly she got an idea and started heading over to her wooden drawer beside her hammock. She wasted no time pulling open the drawer containing all the blankets she'd made, and one by one she piled them all into her arms. By the time she was done the drawer was completely empty and she used a foot to shut it before she headed over towards the back on the hut to start a new creation:
Her take on a blanket nest.
In hindsight it was a good thing she made so many blankets, because it was now paying off as she took great care into making sure that her creation was going to be comfortable as possible. Once she finished her creation, she was left with three blankets, which worked in her favor since she knew what to do with them.
Evangeline turned to where Revali's prone form was on the floor and went over to him. He must've sense her presence since he opened his eyes to look at her.
"Aren't you done bothering me?" He asked sarcastically.
Good. Sarcasm was good.
"I promise I'll leave you alone after this." She told him.
Evangeline crouched down to drag Revali to his talons before guiding him over to the newly created blanket nest. As soon as he got sight of her creation, he let out a groan.
"You have got to be joking..." He muttered.
"Hey, it was either this or stay on the floor. I can't exactly get you in your hammock for obvious reasons.
"You're too kind…"
Ooh, more sarcasm!
At least it provided a modicum of normality, considering the circumstances.
"You're welcome."
After some maneuvering, Evangeline managed to get Revali comfortable in his new 'bed' before wrapping him up in one of the remaining blankets while leaving the other two nearby just in case he might need them. It was funny how it didn't take long for the Rito to fall asleep, so she was just glad that he was comfortable enough to do so. She decided it was high time to turn in as well and got comfortable in her own hammock as well.
Hopefully things would improve.
ATE: Explanation:
1) Devil May Cry reference for the win!
2) Yes, I couldn't making Wind Waker reference by naming one of Rito children after Quill (because let's face it, the guy needs more recognition).
3) Revali's explanation on Rito flying was from a comic I saw where Revali's talking to Fi about the same thing. I thought it would be fitting.
I'm aware that this chapter had a lot of filler involved, but I worked really hard on it and wanted to make sure everyone had a long chapter to read in my absence. I also apologize for how some parts of the chapter seemed a bit rushed, but I'm sure most of you won't mind.
Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review!