The wind cut keenly across Upland Zorana, forcing Link to keep his cloak securely about him as he trekked northward. The air carried an extra chill at this height, and Link realized why the Zora ventured here as seldom as they did. He did not expect to see more than grass and whatever wildlife dwelled in these parts.
Upon reaching the summit of a small hill, Link was subsequently surprised to find the remains of man-made buildings half-submerged in a low pond below. So advanced was their decay that only mossed and crumbling portions of walls jutted out from the murky fen. It was impossible to tell what kind of place it had been, and whether Hylian or Zora had dwelt there.
Link was on the verge of circumnavigating the ruins when a highly unusual, but not unpleasant sound reached his ears. He crouched immediately, instinct telling him to trust nothing he could not see. Yet the more Link strained to hear, the more curious he was to discover the noise's origin. It seemed to come from the far side of the moor.
Curiosity ultimately won out, and Link resolved to approach as cautiously as he could. The dilapidated walls provided enough cover to ensure his way was safe before moving on. As he drew closer, Link realized the sound comprised of two sources: a voice and an instrument. The former was clear and pleasant to hear, a rich yet well-enunciated tenor that had clearly trained for such performances. Link did not recognize its accompaniment, but its harmonic tone complemented the voice perfectly.
I wish I could spread my wings and fly over the ocean.
I wish I could see the world beyond this great sea.
If I could only be a freely flying bird.
Guess I will never find new worlds to discover.
Deciding that no one of unsavory character would sing such a carefree song for all to hear, Link finally emerged from behind the northernmost wall. His jaw dropped upon beholding the music's origin.
Beautiful blue plumage covered the majority of the singer, who stood securely atop one of the ruined walls thanks to the sharply curved talons at its feet. Billowing cream trousers were tied off just below the knees, while a leather vest, red sash, and smartly wrapped scarf accounted for the rest of his clothing. Circles of creamy white feathers surrounded keen yellow eyes, while its primaries - which also served as the creature's fingers - sported a vibrant combination of light blue, orange, cream, and dark blue. Those gripped a curious instrument that emitted cheering music each time he stretched and compressed it. A brilliant white-and-red feather - clearly not his own - was inserted jauntily through his right head feathers. On the whole, he was the most exotic being Link had ever seen.
The stranger, not having noticed his new audience, continued the merry tune.
The setting sun kisses goodbye
The wind fish lying on the horizon, his cry is echoing.
Everything starts to disappear.
As I'm just a part of his dreams I'll fade too.
Promise me I will live on within your heart.
Only after the last, beautiful note concluded did the feathery figure finally take notice of Link. Without missing a beat, he gave his Hylian observer a gallant leg from atop the wall.
"Good day to you, my friend," he greeted warmly. "I hope my humble offering was to your liking."
"To my liking and more, good sir!" Link called back with well-earned applause.
The stranger gave a hearty grin and another bow. He then carefully stowed his instrument in a pouch slung over his shoulder before descending gracefully with a gentle flap of his wings. Once he landed, Link saw the creature was a good half-height taller than himself.
"I did not expect Upland Zorana to provide audience nor applause, yet I find myself graced by both," the musician observed graciously. "May I introduce myself? I am Kass, a wandering minstrel by way of Rito Village. And whom do I have the honor of addressing on this fine day?"
"Link of Hyrule," Link said as he heartily shook Kass's feathers. He felt no desire to hide his name from the Rito, whose open and courtly manner invited nothing but trust. "If your people all sing like you, Master Kass, your home must be the most pleasant-sounding in all of Hyrule."
"There are many Rito gifted with the grace of song, though most of them female," Kass said humbly. "I am merely foolish enough to stray from my wife and eggchicks long enough to satisfy my thirst for music and knowledge. Tell me, are you familiar with the tune I was singing?"
Link shook his head, which the kindly Rito took as an invitation.
"Its words are of little import save for those who wrote them," Kass explained enthusiastically. "The song was written by a Zora musician long ago, one whom the histories say established the very village marked by these ruins. Having obtained the lyrics and music, I felt compelled to perform them at their creator's old home. I find my appreciation increases greatly when present pays homage to past."
Link could not help but be impressed by the Rito's respect for the arts and histories.
"Your endeavors sound fulfilling, Kass," Link said truthfully. "Would that I could lose myself in something similar."
"Oh?" Kass said as he cocked his beaked face to one side. "You are otherwise engaged? I do not mean to pry, but it is quite remarkable for a Hylian to reach such heights without the aid of wing or fin. I refer to my own people and the Zora, of course, whose ancestral home lies just south of us."
Link's admiration for Kass increased, but so did his wariness. Many Zora held bitter memories of Hyrule's Champion. He was in no hurry to see whether the Rito felt the same. Yet without a prepared explanation, he felt a version of the truth was his only course.
"The Zora did aid my ascent up the mountain," Link admitted. That much was true, save for how the Rito would assume such aid had been given. "Now I journey alone to Akkala and, from there, Death Mountain."
"An ambitious venture," Kass succinctly remarked. "Even should you be able to descend Upland Zorana, the road to Death Mountain is all but impassable."
"If you refer to the mountain's fire itself, I understand," Link acknowledged with a nod of respect. "My means of besting it are incomplete, but I will go just the same."
"It is not my place to question your plans," Kass respectfully admitted. "But it is not Dinraal's wrath that fuels my warning. I speak of the Ganonspawn massed at the Akkala Citadel - or rather, what remains of it."
Link's eyes widened in alarm. Does the enemy know my path already? he wondered, or are they simply readying to take Akkala itself? Meeting Kass had suddenly proven invaluable.
"I am not familiar with the citadel, Kass, but I would see it for myself," Link said grimly. "Not only for me, but for whatever peoples are threatened by the Ganonspawn's presence."
"A man of action," Kass mused aloud. "Your manner and moniker call to mind the Hylian Champion of old, Link of Hyrule. I will take you to where you may safely observe the Citadel. From a distance, mind you," the Rito added with a wink. "I have no desire to see such a kind audience meet an untimely end."
Link offered up brief thanks but said nothing beyond that. Kass's wonderings, supported by his studies, hit too close to home. Until he knew how his true identity would be received, Link intended to keep it concealed.
"Lead the way, Kass," Link signaled.
Link found that time passed quickly in Kass's company. The Rito was engaging and intelligent; there was seemingly nothing in which the Rito was not well-versed, and he needed little compelling to share his wealth of knowledge.
"It is encouraging to see the Zora help one such as yourself," Kass observed as they trekked northwest across the rolling green vistas of Upland Zorana. "They are a noble people, but long divided in their regard for Hylians. Not that we Rito are devoid of our own biases, which consist mainly of our own wind brothers and sisters. A pity. They do not know the quality of the souls from which they close themselves."
"The Zora elders cling to the loss of one of their own," Link returned sympathetically. "I do not begrudge them their grief."
"Ah yes, the late Princess Mipha," Kass nodded knowingly. "She was as kind as her father is wise, and perhaps even more so."
"You knew her?" Link asked, so surprised that he nearly stumbled at the start of a small hill.
"Good Hylia, no," Kass chuckled. "We Rito are not so long-lived as the Zora. Even our Elder, Kaneli, is two generations removed from the Calamity. But I have made Dorephan's acquaintance on more than one occasion and am well-versed in his people's history."
The two continued to walk for a short time in silence before the Rito took it upon himself to renew the conversation.
"I must admit, I am surprised at your ignorance of the Rito," Kass said with an arched eyebrow. "Please understand I say this out of curiosity, not offense. You seem well-traveled for one so unfamiliar with my people."
Was it Link's imagination, or did Kass's appraising look flicker ever so slightly toward the Sheikah slate at his hip?
"My travels have only just taken me this far," Link finally replied before deflecting the subject at hand. "Akkala is foreign to me as well. Are its people open to newcomers like myself?"
"That would depend on the people in question," Kass wryly answered. "As is the case in all of Hyrule, the Hylian stables stand to provide welcome and protection. The open roads are another matter, though the patrolmen do their level best to safeguard the way for travelers. Even they are hard-pressed by the Ganonspawn and bandits that prey upon smaller parties."
Link nodded thoughtfully, recalling Dorephan's repeated offering of a companion. Clearly, Akkala was no safer than any other part of Hyrule he had already seen.
"If that is the case," Link remarked, "I can see why even a minstrel would carry a blade."
The stately Rito looked down at the short sword at his waist with a look of extreme distaste.
"Bloodshed has never been my forté," Kass said bluntly. "I will defend myself if I must, but I have never shared my wind brothers' affinity for battle. It is for this reason they view me as an oddity more than anything else. A fitting moniker," the Rito added with a sudden grin. "My little ones have dubbed me their 'funny papa,' though they seem to appreciate my music well enough."
"As well they should," Link said appreciatively. "You obviously care for them a great deal. What draws you so far from home now?"
The colorful Rito appeared to contemplate his answer before delivering it.
"Our home is threatened by that which once protected it," Kass said grimly. "The Divine Beast Vah Medoh - a great machine commissioned by the Sheikah - has claimed the skies my people cherish. Now we live in its shadow, cloaked in fear and divided in inaction. While my elders and brethren debated a solution, I decided to seek out further knowledge – or help - that might illumine an answer satisfactory to all."
Yellow eyes met blue. There was no denying it. Somehow, Kass knew what he was doing, perhaps even who he truly was. A sudden gust of wind disturbed the unspoken moment, and Link saw they were nearing Upland Zorana's northern edge.
"Best we crawl, Link," Kass warned as he reluctantly got to his knees. "The citadel is a fair distance away even from here, but even so I would not risk us being seen."
Link acquiesced immediately. Together, the two inched their way to what Link saw was a steep cliff edge. A tuft of brush offered cover. From there, Link gazed out upon the Akkala province.
Death Mountain dominated the landscape to the north, and Link felt insignificant in its presence. The mighty fire mountain reared larger than anything else in sight, smoke rising in great clouds from its pinnacle. Red rivulets formed wide, glowing veins down the jagged and scorched slopes. Halfway up its southeastern side rose a familiar sight: a bronze tower bearing a single eye sigil at its bulbous peak. Link thought it a miracle that the ancient Sheikah metal did not yield to the extraordinary heat it must endure. To the northwest, Akkala's valley rolled out in a series of forested hills beautified by the oncoming autumn.
Link's attention was arrested, however, by what lay directly between him and the volcano.
"That," Kass remarked sadly, "is the Akkala Citadel."
"Was" would have been the more correct usage, but even the citadel ruins more than hinted at the grandeur they had once held. Enormous remnants of fallen walls and battlements spoke of what had been an all-but-impenetrable fortress, a place Link instinctively knew had served as Akkala's military sentinel. The man-carved stone, though crumbling, still encased a large portion of the stony spire on which it was originally built, likely an extension of the mountain itself. The citadel rose from the valley far below, which Link realized would have had once served as a parade ground.
No Hylian troops marched at the base of the citadel now. Instead, bokoblins clustered and milled about like mites infesting a rotten log. Larger bodies betrayed the presence of moblins as well. It was impossible to tell from so high, but Link doubted fewer than fifty score Ganonspawn now enjoyed the stronghold's shadow.
"You see my concern?"
Link nodded before realizing the Rito was gesturing toward the citadel's spire – or was it? Only then did Link understand the top-most structure was not part of the citadel at all, but another Sheikah tower. He had not recognized it due to the fact that its bronze facade was disfigured by large, red splotches. Link was strongly reminded of the apparition he had seen swirling around Hyrule Castle shortly after awakening on the plateau. It, too, had been black and red. Unlike the vaporous and boar-like creature there, this tower's infestation appeared solid in nature. They reminded Link of sores and boils still festering on flesh.
Fear's icy talons suddenly clawed at Link's insides. Crawling across the citadel walls just below the tower itself, was a Guardian.
There was no mistaking it. The machine's bell-shaped body and six serpentine legs were visible even from this distance. And though he could not see it, Link did not doubt the presence of a swiveling, orb-like eye that could unleash beams of devastating power.
Another Guardian, this one legless, flew a circuit around the tower itself. Link glimpsed at least two more machines, each performing their own mindless patrol of the ruined citadel. The entire structure now seemed a horrific reminder of the Calamity's lingering taint.
So much lost! So much lost to Ganon's malice!
Link gasped audibly. He had not heard Zelda's voice since leaving the Great Plateau. It had been a voice of reason and instruction, then. She was weeping now, and its sense of loss pervaded Link's being.
"Zelda?" he gasped disbelievingly.
"What was that, Sir Link?"
Kass's voice startled Link back to the here and now. As closely nestled as they were within the shrubbery, the Rito's face was very close to his own, its twin yellow orbs filled with mingled surprise and concern.
"I…," Link stammered as he rallied his thoughts. "I did not realize so many had overtaken the citadel. You were right to warn me, Kass. Is there no way to the mountain around this?"
The blue-feathered Rito shook his broadly curved beak. "The Ganonspawn's patrols frequent the paths around the mountain and as far as the wetlands to the southwest. Though I could bear you past the citadel itself, I could not carry you fast or high enough to avoid any who might see and track us down, which the Guardians most surely would."
Link gnawed his lower lip in frustration. Death Mountain's looming presence beckoned, tantalizing him with the prospect of securing another Divine Beast. Yet the army of Ganonspawn below might as well be an ocean, one which he was not equipped to cross.
"Then I must find another way," Link said decisively. "Perhaps I can while tending to other matters in Akkala. Tell me, Kass, do you know a Sheikah named Robbie or where the Spring of Power lies?"
To Link's surprise, the Rito nodded in response.
"I met Robbie some time ago, though I highly doubt he has changed abodes since then," Kass replied. "As for the spring, it resides almost directly west of the Akkala Stable. It would be easier to reach along the path from the citadel," he added with a nod to the overrun ruin, "but the Ganonspawn's presence will likely force you to take the eastern road before cutting cross-country from the stable itself. The road bridges two rivers created by Upland Zorana's waterfalls just east of here. Those at the citadel would not see us descend."
"Us?" Link asked questioningly.
"But of course," Kass answered with an easy smile. "I would be foolish to forgo a pilgrimage to one of the three springs or a rare encounter with a Sheikah recluse. As payment for my company, I shall divulge whatever knowledge I have to aid your journey to the mountain of death. What say you, Link of Hyrule?"
Once again, Link was seized with the inescapable feeling that Kass knew exactly whom he was addressing. Yet the Rito had, thus far, chosen to leave that revelation unspoken.
Still crouching amid the bushes, Link extended a hand to clasp long blue feathers.
"Your company will be as welcome as your help, Kass," the Hylian said earnestly. "Let's get moving."
The sun was well past its midday peak when Link and Kass arrived at the Sokkala Falls. Their narrow torrents spilled down the sheer northern face of Upland Zorana and fed a trio of rivers that would, Kass said, eventually empty into Lake Akkala itself.
"The Zora fish these waters if game is poor in their own lands," the Rito informed him as they surveyed the land from their magnificent vantage point. "Though I have not seen any during my time here."
"Nor will you," Link told him grimly. "When I left, the Zora had already marched on the Ganonspawn in the wetlands."
"All of Hyrule faces threats from the same source, it seems," Kass mused sadly. "A dark day indeed. But enough sobering talk, Link of Hyrule. We must see to getting you down from our prolific perch."
Link had thought of little else during their brief sojourn along the ridge. Part of him was tempted to keep Mipha's gift a secret. If what he suspected of Kass was true, however, there was little danger in using the Zora clothing.
"I would not see you burdened with both my pack and my person," Link finally said with a pat of the Rito's feathered shoulder. "I will depart Upland Zorana the same way I arrived. I ask only a moment of privacy, my friend."
"Of course," Kass responded with a gracious nod of his head. "I will wait for you east of the rivers below."
Link nodded in gratitude, sensing the Rito's offer was backed by the same silent respect he had shown during their short time together. Once Kass departed, Link changed back into the Zora armor quickly, savoring the meaning behind its making. Hylia knew when the opportunity to use it again would arise.
But the shock of hearing Zelda's voice again kept returning. Did it mean something after nearly a moon's passing since she had last spoken? Link hadn't just heard her grief. He had felt it, as though her emotion had been his own. It had mirrored his own despair, bordering on madness, when Rhoam had reminded him who he was - and what he had lost.
He was already redressed, but Link shivered just the same as he approached the waterfall's crest. All is not lost, Zelda, he thought fiercely. I'm coming. Taking a deep breath, Link dove into the river's depths and let them carry him off the northern precipice of Upland Zorana.
The altitude's ample air currents allowed Kass to descend from Upper Zorana in lazy circles, his shadow a growing dot flitting between rivers and their adjoining banks. This was his preferred way to fly, a reflection of his peaceful disposition that so differed from the other Rito. Such languid flights allowed him time to compose part of a ballad or reflect on the vast beauty that lay beneath him. Other than those moments spent with his dear Amali and five daughters, these were his favorite.
Now, however, Kass's normally benign expression was furrowed in indecision. He knew who this Hylian was. At least, he thought he knew. It was maddening how his knowledge of the past was met by Link's ignorance of the present. The former was an old ally, the latter a new foe. Was there a field on which both somehow existed?
Perhaps more truth would reveal itself in time. Yes. He could content himself to patience's inexorable reward. And if his theory proved to be right, Kass could finally fulfill his oath.