It was midday when Link finally arrived at Rito Village. He had driven straight through the morning, watching the cell service from time to time. It only got stronger as he neared the town, and working cell towers loomed in the distance. He was greeted by the Rito Elder, Kaneli, who seemed to be expecting Link's arrival.

"I could smell that horrible thing from a mile away," Revali said, making a face at the car. Link leaned against the hood, his arms crossed. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing about you." "Link," Zelda warned. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over that obnoxious engine. Which I also heard from a mile away." "You must hear that a lot considering any vehicle could out drive you in flight." Zelda shook her head, her fingers on her temples. Revali leaned forward, making sure to get in Link's face. "I don't need speed when I have deadly accuracy with a weapon." "Are you finished?" Zelda muttered, but still, she was not heard. "You're all talk," Link said. "But I have yet to see you backup your claims." Revali's beak turned up in a sly smile. "How about a little wager, then? We'll settle this once and for all. But, where?" He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he straightened and paced about. His eyes widened as if struck by an idea. "Well, how about up there?" He pointed a wing towards the Divine Beast that perched on top of the mountain. "Atop Vah Medoh. Oh, wait." He laughed lightly. "How could I forget? You have no way to get up there on your own, now, do you?"

Kaneli was not Revali. He was much older and, in turn, wiser, reserved, polite. Not an arrogant jerk. There were no pictures of Kaneli with horns doodled on his head.

Still. Revali was a strong, brave warrior, loyal to the bone, and a true example of the Rito and their ancestors. There was no doubt in Link's mind that he didn't give up Vah Medoh easily. He was stubborn, and he likely fought until his dying breath. And that familiar pain crept into Link's chest. Another comrade gone.

"My scouts saw you coming," Kaneli said as he welcomed Link and guided him through town. The Rito, being a bird-like race, preferred to live in a way that was more natural to them, which meant that Rito Village was set in high elevations. Link had driven as far up the mountainside as he could until the path brought him across bridges that wound their way further up and across to other ledges where their homes and businesses resided. Link and Kaneli walked across these bridges, though most of the Ritos flew over the large town to their destinations.

"We're fortunate to be able to take to the sky, keeping us out of sight of the Guardians," Kaneli continued. "My scouts have been the only way we have been able to communicate with everyone else in Hyrule. They've even been able to restore some of the cell towers in the area. At this rate, they just have the eastern side of the country to restore, which should greatly help us in this war we've fallen into." He pointed a wing to a tall, pillar like structure in the distance. Floating just above it was Vah Medoh, its large head turning this way and that as it inspected the area below.

"Vah Medoh has been keeping close tabs on us," the Rito Elder said. "As the other Divine Beasts are, it seems. Despite that, they are large and flawed, and it has been easy enough for us to get by unseen, for now." He turned his gaze on Link and smiled. "I know you were able to reclaim Vah Rudania, so you should have no problem with Vah Medoh."

Link shrugged and turned his gaze to the Divine Beast. "Sure," he started. "If I can figure out a way to get up there."

"Teba can help you," Kaneli said. "He's the only one of my soldiers who have been able to get near enough to the Divine Beast. He's tried to reclaim it himself, but without much luck. It won't be an easy task; Vah Medoh attacks anything that gets near it."

"Of course," Link muttered. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "We'll figure it out."

Kaneli let a wing rest on Link's shoulder. "I know memories evade you, Link," he said. "I appreciate all you have been doing for us, even before this war started."

Link hesitated, unsure how to respond to the elder, but to his relief, Kaneli didn't wait for a response.

"You'll find Teba at the Flight Range," he said to Link. "He'll take you up to Vah Medoh."

To no surprise, Link found Teba at the Flight Range, just as Kaneli said. And like Kaneli, Teba seemed to have been expecting Link, though he was less than thrilled to see him. He was cleaning his own weapons when Link approached, and he started speaking without so much a greeting.

"I hope you brought your A game," Teba said without turning around.

"Actually," Link started. "I left it back in the car." He threw his thumb back. "Should I grab it?"

Teba was not amused. He peered over his shoulder at Link. "I'm in no mood for your sarcasm, Link." He straightened and turned to face Link. He looked him up and down quickly. "Is it true, then? You have no memory of anything that has happened?"

"Some of it's coming back," Link said. "I remember why I drew devil horns on a picture of Revali."

Teba couldn't help the grin that split his face. "You two always butt heads."

"I know," Link said. "I remember that."

Teba turned back to his weapons and pocketed them in the holsters under his wings."I don't know how much help I can be for you," Teba admitted. "I can get you up there, but Vah Medoh will not hesitate to try to shoot us down."

Link shifted his weight on his feet and folded his arms across his chest. He raised a brow at Teba. He remembered the Rito; a soldier much more reserved than Revali, but just as loyal and dedicated to his job. And he knew that Teba already had a plan in mind. "So," Link started. "What's the plan?"

Teba turned his gaze to Link and his grin returned. "There are four turrets on the outside of Vah Medoh," he explained. "That's what it uses to attack us when we get too close. It also has a force field to protect itself. If we can take out the turrets, it will also destroy the force field and we'll be able to land on top of it."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Link said.

"I didn't get to the bad part."

Link rolled his eyes. "Hit me."

"The turrets act similarly to the Guardians," Teba said. "Which means that they'll lock on to a target in its sights before shooting. Once it locks on, you have to act quickly or get caught by its attack. The only way you'll be able to get a clear shot is if I act as distraction. I can get it to lock on to me and dodge it no problem. That will be your chance to take out the turret."

"I'm a decent shot," Link started. "But I don't think I can keep myself steady while you're flying through the air and get an accurate hit on those turrets."

"Of course not," Teba said as if his plan should have been obvious to Link. "The only way you'll get a good shot is if you jump off my back and shoot at it."

Link stared at Teba blankly for a moment. "You're not kidding," he finally muttered.

"Don't worry," Teba said. "I'll catch ya."

Link narrowed his eyes at the Rito. This had to have been the stupidest plan in the history of Hyrule.

"Do you have a better plan?" Teba inquired.

Link looked up at Vah Medoh, still looming above them, and sighed. "So help me, Hylia," he muttered, turning his gaze back to Teba. "If I go down, I'm bringing you with me."

It took every ounce of will for Link not to grip Teba's feathers as they soared through the air. Of all the things he had encountered before - Guardians, Divine Beasts, Yiga Clan soldiers, and even Ganon himself - being so high in the sky without the safety of a wall was the most terrifying thing he had ever endured. He was certain Teba could feel him shaking pathetically as they climbed higher and higher, but if Teba had noticed, the Rito never mentioned it to Link. Instead, he was focused on their task in getting aboard Vah Medoh, and he was busy reviewing the details with Link once more. When he finished speaking, he looked over his shoulder at Link.

"Got this?"

Link sucked in a breath and pulled out his gun. It was already loaded and ready to go. "Yeah," he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Piece of cake."

He didn't have much of a choice because at that moment, Vah Medoh had spotted them, and it roared angrily. Its red shield wrapped around, protecting it, and the turrets came out of its body.

"It's go time," Teba said. "Once that target locks on to me, take it out. If you wait too long, you'll miss your chance."

Teba swooped down towards Vah Medoh, aiming for the first turret near its beak. He flew by it, he and Link watching carefully as the turret moved around before locking on to its target and following the Rito through the air. That was his cue.

Link threw himself off of Teba before his brain had a chance to talk his body out of it, but the rush from the fall was greater than he had expected and his stomach dropped sickeningly. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the gun with both shaking hands, barely getting off a shot, but it missed his target by an embarrassing distance.

Link felt sharp talons rake at his back and he was jerked back up into the sky. Teba flapped his wings hard as they accelerated away from Vah Medoh.

"Fuck," Link muttered. That did not go as he had planned. He shimmied angrily under Teba's grip.

"Get it together," Teba growled to him.

"I got it," Link shouted up at him. "Let go of me."

And to Link's surprise, Teba did, and he fell once more down towards the Divine Beast. Teba swooped down and around him, taunting Vah Medoh and it locked on to the Rito once more. But this time Link knew what to expect, and he was better prepared for the sensation of the fall. He forced himself to focus on his target, taking aim and pulling the trigger. This time, his shot hit, and the turret exploded.

Link fell against Teba's back, clinging to his feathers as Teba shot upwards and around the Divine Beast to the next turret.

"Yes," Teba cheered triumphantly. "That's it. Three more."

"Three more," Link muttered as he readied his next shot.

And the process repeated. Teba swooped in around Vah Medoh until a turret locked on to him and Link leapt into the air, firing two more shots. One of them hit, and the second turret erupted. Once more, Teba caught Link as he fell, circled back around, and aimed for the third turret. It took another two shots, but the third turret was taken out, and with Link's last shot, the forth turret met the same fate.

Vah Medoh's roar echoed through the valleys and its red force field dropped, allowing Teba and Link to board the Divine Beast. Teba swooped down, circling for a moment before landing on the tail end. Link slid off Teba's back and worked quickly to reload his weapons. If it was anything like Vah Rudania, there would be a blight somewhere aboard Vah Medoh, and it wouldn't hesitate to attack them as soon as it saw them.

Link looked around them quickly, taking in the sights. The back of Vah Medoh was fairly open, but Link could easily pick out the control panel towards the middle of its back. Beyond the control panel, near the Divine Beast's head, were a circle of tall pillars, and coming through those pillars was the Windblight that occupied Vah Medoh. It shrieked at the sight of Link and Teba and disappeared in a flash.

Link held up his gun, moving erratically around in search for the phantom, and it appeared just inches above his head with another loud scream. But Teba lurched forward, throwing Link to the ground as the Windblight shot at Link with its turret styled weapon. The shot exploded as it hit the ground, just missing them by inches. Teba pulled Link back onto his feet and they broke into a sprint across Vah Medoh.

"Get on," Teba shouted at Link. "We'll have a better chance if we can get above it."

Link didn't argue, and he leapt onto Teba's back just as he pushed off into the air, his wings flapping hard as they gained altitude. Below them, the Windblight shrieked and disappeared, and when it appeared again, it was just yards in front of Link and Teba.

Link fired off three rounds quickly before the Windblight could attack. All three of his shots hit their target, ripping through the Windblight just as they had done with the Fireblight. The phantom fell to the ground, crashing against the pillars, and Teba swooped in quickly as Link fired off another set of rounds. Teba pulled up quickly as the Windblight regained itself and Link took the opportunity to reload his gun.

But when the Windblight took to the air once more, it had traded its turret styled weaponry for something much more deadly. Like the Guardians, it locked on to Teba and Link and fired a deadly, laser like blast at them, catching both of them off guard. Teba dove to the side in an attempt to dodge the attack at the last minute, but the force of his maneuver threw Link off his back and plummeting towards the ground.

Link landed on the hard floor, his body skidding across. The force knocked his gun out of his hand and the wind out of his lungs. He fought against his darkening vision and waited for the spinning to cease. But when he was finally able to focus himself, the Windblight was just inches above him, and it had locked on to him.