Chapter Text
Finding a letter waiting for him in one of the many mailboxes scattered across the islands of the Great Sea was nothing new. No matter where he was or where he was going, a Rito delivering the post was always able to get his mail to him. Even the weird, winged guys in that other dimension had tracked him down without a problem.
At least the Rito didn’t read his mail to him out loud, completely ruining any sense of privacy. Curious to know who likely needed his help or favour, Link opened the letter and began to read.
ᕼᥱꙆꙆo ᒐɩᥒƙ,
Ꙇ ᥲຕ ωɾɩtɩᥒɠ tᖾɩ⳽ Ꙇᥱttᥱɾ to ყoᥙ ᑲᥱᥴᥲᥙ⳽ᥱ ᙏᥱᑯꙆɩ ᥴᥲຕᥱ to ⳽ρᥱᥲƙ ωɩtᖾ ຕᥱ. ᔑᖾᥱ ⳽ᥲყ⳽ tᖾᥱ ɠɾᥱᥲt ᘎᥲꙆoo ωɩ⳽ᖾᥱ⳽ to ⳽ρᥱᥲƙ ωɩtᖾ ყoᥙ. ᔑᖾᥱ ᑯɩᑯᥒ’t ⳽ᥲყ ωᖾყ oɾ ωᖾᥲt ᘎᥲꙆoo ωᥲᥒt⳽ to tᥲꙆƙ ᥲᑲoᥙt ᥲᥒᑯ Ꙇ ɠᥱt tᖾᥱ ƒᥱᥱꙆɩᥒɠ tᖾᥲt ᖾᥱ ᑯɩᑯᥒ’t ⳽ᥲყ.
ᔑtɩꙆꙆ, ɩt ωoᥙꙆᑯ ᑲᥱ ᑲotᖾ ɾᥙᑯᥱ ᥲᥒᑯ ᥙᥒωɩ⳽ᥱ to ɩɠᥒoɾᥱ ⳽ᥙᥴᖾ ᥲ ᥴᥲꙆꙆ ƒɾoຕ ᘎᥲꙆoo. ᕈꙆᥱᥲ⳽ᥱ ᥴoຕᥱ to ᙃɾᥲɠoᥒ ᖇoo⳽t Ꙇ⳽Ꙇᥲᥒᑯ ᥲ⳽ ⳽ooᥒ ᥲ⳽ ყoᥙ ᥴᥲᥒ.
ᖇᥱɠᥲɾᑯ⳽,
ᕈɾɩᥒᥴᥱ КoຕᥲꙆɩ *
Link frowned, intrigue and concern welling up. Prince Komali didn’t write to him often, so this must be serious, and he was not going to idle about. He made sure he had enough supplies for the trip and set off, expertly sailing his small boat across the vast waters. The King of Red Lions was now inert, no longer inhabited by the spirit of a Hyrulean king, but he loved it all the same.
Several days of straight sailing, only stopping long enough for some sleep, saw him arrive at Dragon Roost Island, home of the feathered folk that had once been an aquatic race known as the Zora. He lingered on the shore long enough to crack his back with a really good stretch and make sure his boat was secured, then he scurried off to the path that would take him in, out, and around the volcano that was the central structure of the island.
Before trekking the volcano, Link had to first climb the mountain beside it. The Rito had turned its cliffs and caves into their homes, and when the hero arrived in the centre of the main chamber, he found Prince Komali pacing back and forth fervently. He was about to call out to get his correspondent's attention when the young Rito spotted him and hurried over.
“Link, you’re here! Great Valoo has been different lately and it has me concerned. Please, there is no time to waste! Medli is waiting for you near the top to translate,” the prince said quickly. He ushered Link on, shooing him away with emphatic flaps of his hands.
The hero quirked an eyebrow but gave a brief farewell wave before jogging further up the mountain path. He didn’t want to risk going faster; knowing his luck, he’d smack straight into someone and send them both flying over the edge. Link hadn’t taken this path for a while, but the way was burnt into his mind, so he let his mind wander during the remainder of the journey, indulging in the tickles of the wind playing with his blond locks to the familiar taste of sea spray sneaking into each breath.
With each step he took, he gained ground, letting him see further and further across the vast sea and beyond the stretching horizon. The ocean glistened and gleamed under the late morning sun, stray rays bouncing off the waves and causing the sea to sparkle like shined sapphire. He would never get tired of an endless view, be it found during the volcanic climb or from a crow’s nest.
It didn’t take long until he spied Medli, the young Earth Sage, standing there patiently on the ledge where the Rito communed with the dragon perched atop the island.
The sight was just as impressive as the first time. A vast expanse of blue sky, peppered with clouds, and a ring of them swirling around the top of the mountain in an unnatural yet mesmerising way. It was perpetually warm here and, coupled with the amazing views, made it a perfect spot to stop and stare for a while. Or have a picnic if there was no sacred figure sitting up there. Or to take a nap in the warm rays with the swirling clouds as a blanket.
“Oh, Link, you made it!” she chirped happily, shaking him from his thoughts. “It’s so good to see you again. I’d love to catch up, but we mustn’t keep the Spirit of the Skies waiting.”
“After,” he said with a nod. With their brief greeting settled, they both turned to the dragon above.
Valoo gave a short roar of welcome before he spoke. It was an ancient Hylian dialect that had been all but lost to the denizens of the Great Sea, and it didn’t help that the mighty dragon said everything in a guttural manner, growls and hisses mixing in with the syllables.
“I丁 工丂 巨口口问 丁口 丂乇乇 ﾘ口나 丂丁闩刀问 阝乇乍口尺乇 冊乇 口刀꒟乇 冊口尺乇, ﾘ口나刀巨 廾乇尺口. Y口나 ꒟闩冊乇 디나工꒟ズ巜ﾘ 丁口 冊ﾘ ꒟闩巜巜. L工刀ズ, I 山工丂廾 丁口 阝乇丂丁口山 나戶口刀 ﾘ口나 闩 巨工乍丁.
“E闩꒟廾 R工丁口 ꒟廾工巜问 工丂 巨工乍丁乇问 口刀乇 口乍 冊ﾘ 丂꒟闩巜乇丂 闩丂 丁廾乇ﾘ ꒟口冊乇 口乍 闩巨乇. T廾工丂 丂꒟闩巜乇 巨尺闩刀丁丂 丁廾乇冊 丁廾乇 戶口山乇尺 丁口 冊闩刀工乍乇丂丁 丁廾乇工尺 山工刀巨丂 戶尺口戶乇尺巜ﾘ, 闩巜巜口山工刀巨 丁廾乇冊 闩꒟꒟乇丂丂 丁口 丂口闩尺 丁廾乇 丂ズ工乇丂.”
Medli cleared her throat and frowned. “Valoo is happy to see you again and that you came so quickly. He wants to… give you a gift? And a reminder that a scale is needed from him to grant a Rito child their wings,” she translated somewhat awkwardly.
That was odd. Link already knew how the Rito got their wings, and it wasn’t something one casually forgot, no matter how many strange things he’d seen, heard, and experienced since. He was brought out of his musing as Valoo started speaking again.
“L工丁丁巜乇 廾乇尺口, 丁廾乇 巨工乍丁 I 山工丂廾 丁口 巨尺闩刀丁 工丂 丁廾闩丁 口乍 丁廾乇 丂ズ工乇丂. I 山工巜巜 巨工√乇 ﾘ口나 口刀乇 口乍 冊ﾘ 丂꒟闩巜乇丂 丂口 丁廾闩丁 ﾘ口나 冊闩ﾘ 乍巜ﾘ 나戶口刀 丁廾乇 山工刀问丂 ﾘ口나 ꒟口冊冊闩刀问 闩刀问 ズ乇乇戶 丁廾乇 乍工尺乇 山工丁廾工刀 阝나尺刀工刀巨 阝尺工巨廾丁巜ﾘ. T闩ズ乇 工丁 闩刀问 阝乇꒟口冊乇 口刀乇 口乍 冊工刀乇.”
The Rito girl gasped, hands flying to her beak-like mouth. Her eyes widened before she slowly turned towards the Hylian standing beside her. “The Sky Spirit wants to give you a scale so that you can… fly? And be his? I didn’t know Hylians could fly!”
“We can’t,” Link answered absently as his mind whirled, trying to absorb everything. Before he could even begin to comprehend the magnitude of Valoo’s words, a scale, glowing with a strange light, floated down and hovered before him. His gaze was transfixed, and his left hand reached out automatically, his fingers touching the ethereal glow before he could even begin to stop himself. Then the tips of his fingers touched the scale itself.
A warmth zipped up his fingers and raced up his arm, splintering off at his shoulder to send tingling jolts of heat throughout every limb. Much of it pooled in his chest and hands flew to grasp his tunic as he doubled over. His insides felt like they were being melted down into soup, the heat becoming more intense by the second, making Link grit his teeth.
Did every Rito go through this? A glance at Medli showed concern etched in every facet of her body language and he figured that he must be a special case. Of course. Lucky him. His knees buckled and he fell, almost on all fours if his hands weren’t still holding his tunic in a death grip.
There was a sizzling sound, a small pop, and flames burst to life around Link. The heat reached a crescendo and the fire washed over and through him. Just when he thought he wouldn’t be able to take it anymore, when he felt as though all his skin had been burnt away and his bones turned to ash, it was gone. The heat, the flames, all of it, and he was left lying upon the volcano ledge.
Medli gasped and Valoo gave a pleased rumble.
The breeze playfully tugged at his hair like usual, but it wasn’t as cool or noticeable against his skin. A shiver ran down all the way from the base of his skull, the length of his spine, and then went further. Something twitched. Something else twitched, pulling at his back and Link opened his eyes, unsure when he’d even closed them. The ground met his sight, and he blinked a few times.
It wasn’t… He couldn’t quite put his finger on it… On the tip of his tongue… Just out of reach…
“Link…?” Medli asked. Her voice was low and tone soft as if he were a frightened child or spooked animal.
By Din, Nayru, and Farore, he was a hero!
He shifted a little, eyes going wide as he had to hastily correct his balance. It was completely thrown off – like a concussion without the pain and nausea, which was not the worst thing he’d ever experienced – so he put his hands against the ground to push off.
His hands weren’t hands anymore.
Fair skin, lightly tanned, with dirty, rounded fingernails, and a number of calluses, had been replaced by scaly skin, the exact same shade as his favourite lobster decorated tunic, the fingers tipped with sharp talons. Link flexed his fingers, curling them inwards a bit, and watched with an odd fascination as the claws dug into the ledge with relative ease, leaving thin trails in their wake.
“Medli?” he said. Everything about the word had been wrong; the shape of his mouth, the way his lips moved to form the sounds, his teeth, even his tongue. He ran his tongue around the back of his teeth and stilled. Long and sharp. Like fangs. His tongue seemed slimmer while his jaw was…longer?
Scaly hands rose to meet a scaly muzzle and Link’s breath hitched. The base of his spine pulled strangely, and a tail curled into his view, wrapping itself loosely around his feet. Except his legs and feet were now that of a dragon, smaller and slimmer than Valoo’s figure. Something twitched again and muscles in his back engaged like a rusty pulley, pushing outward and stretching.
His peripheral view of both sides was suddenly cut off by vaguely triangular shapes. Bony fingers, long and fragile looking, were tipped with claws and connected by leathery skin that resembled sunny gold fabric. So much like a Keese but much bigger and more colourful.
No, no, this couldn’t be real. It was just a really, really weird lucid dream. Yeah.
Medli was right in front of him. When did she move? She carefully placed her hands on top of his own. “Link? Are you okay?”
The scale… it must have been Valoo’s scale, his gift, but rather than getting beautiful, feathered wings instead of arms…
The hero gave a slightly hysterical giggle interspersed with hisses. “I’m a dragon,” he said quietly, as if imparting some huge secret.
“Yes, you are!” Her tone was awed instead of shocked, and her red eyes roamed over his new form with interest.
Link let his muzzle go - and how weird was a Hylian with a muzzle - and looked down as the base of his spine flexed again. The tip of his tail flicked, and Link absently ran clawed digits through the fluffy tuft of hair that decorated it. It was the same shade as his hair. Well, as a Hylian. A quick pat of his skull proved that he still had hair there at least, along with two horns.
From the little bit he could tell without the use of a mirror, he didn’t seem to be the same type of dragon as Valoo. Link had no idea if this was a good or bad thing as Valoo was the only dragon he’d ever seen apart from a two-headed one in the Ocean King’s dimension, and he wasn’t sure if that counted.
“Y口나 闩尺乇 丁尺나巜ﾘ 口刀乇 口乍 冊工刀乇 刀口山, 乍巜乇问巨巜工刀巨. H闩尺刀乇丂丂 丁廾乇 乍工尺乇 山工丁廾工刀 闩刀问 乍巜ﾘ 闩꒟尺口丂丂 √闩丂丁 丂戶闩꒟乇丂. Y口나 山工巜巜 巜乇闩尺刀 丁口 丂山工丁꒟廾 阝乇丁山乇乇刀 乍口尺冊丂 闩丁 山工巜巜,” said Valoo.
Link didn’t need Medli’s translation that time. The guttural noises were now words and, though it was still tricky, like speaking to someone with a thick accent, he found he could understand it well enough. “Thank you,” he managed to get out. The fact that he was not stuck like this forever lifted a huge weight off his shoulders.
The Sky Spirit said nothing further, so the two young ones took that as their invitation to leave. Medli began to turn down the path, while Link tried to clamber up onto his feet.
He stood up fully and his wings flared instinctively, trying to balance out the shift in weight. His tail shifted to help compensate and he wobbled on draconic hind legs for several moments before he steadied himself. Emboldened, Link took a small step forward, flailing slightly with arms, wings, and tail. He took another and toppled forward with a screech, his snout banging into the ground and bouncing a bit from the harsh impact.
A string of nautical swears was unleashed under his breath and he pushed himself up onto all fours. Then he froze, flexing and wiggling various things, as the posture seemed right and natural. Link snorted, blowing a wisp of smoke from his nostrils, and started walking, finding it much easier to prowl around like a cat, even if he was sweeping parts of the floor with his tail without meaning to. The extra appendages upon his back and the base of his spine were going to take some time to adjust to.
Link could feel the weight of Valoo’s eyes on him and he pointedly refused to look up or back, having embarrassed himself quite enough.
He followed closely behind Medli as she began trailing back down the same path they had ascended. His steps were awkward as he adjusted to the foreign body he now occupied, and his pace slow as Link registered every new sensation that possessed him, from the kiss of the sun which warmed his blood to the way it felt to fold and unfold his wings. The earth felt different beneath his ivory talons; it was like running on the beach barefooted, feeling each and every grain between toes, each and every pebble between thick plated scales. With each breath he took he could taste each wisp of the salt and sea dancing in the wind, picked up from crashing waves along the coast.
As they descended from the peak, he looked out over the island, on towards the horizon, and nearly tripped on his own two four feet as each wave, each little break in the ocean below was visible. Under this gaze the sun seemed far less harsh, its rays no longer bouncing off the sea with a blinding rage that forced sailors to squint, and the once subtle tones of blue that filled the expanse were more contrasted than they ever had been to his Hylian eyes. He had always thought the sea was beautiful and a dragon's vision seemed to only enhance the ocean's charm.
Was this how Valoo saw the world? No wonder he was content to stay up atop the peak and look out at the world each and every day. Link wasn’t sure he’d ever get tired of such a sight. A hand on his shoulder finally made him tear his eyes away and try to keep his wing on that side still. The touch had been featherlight to his senses and he was sure it wasn’t supposed to be.
Going from soft Hylian skin to armour-like scales was really messing with his sense of touch. The palms and undersides of his fingers, including the pads, didn’t seem too different, but everything else was muted. It wasn’t comparable to a shield or thick, heavy clothing because it didn’t weigh anything extra, slow him down, or affect his mobility in any way. Like seeing everything through a layer of cloth, but with touch instead of sight.
Medli suddenly stopped and, having just gotten the hang of walking on his four feet, Link nearly tumbled over himself to keep from colliding into her. They had arrived at the point where the volcano and mountain met, meaning they would soon be walking into the heart of the Rito village.
“Link, Valoo called you his fledgling. Do you know what that means?” Medli asked.
“Uh… that to him I’m really small and young?”
Medli paused. “Well, yes. But he has claimed you as his child! You are now a fledgling of the great Valoo! You are kin, and my people will treat you as such.”
Link blinked dumbly at that. “Wait, wait, wait. They’re not gonna come after me for scales to fly, right? Because I have no idea if I can do that! I haven’t even tried to fly yet!” Some smoke streamed from his mouth and nose, adding to his agitation, and his tail swayed back and forth across the ground.
“No, no!” she quickly assured him. “That is a sacred duty of Valoo, and not something any Rito would expect of you. But we do need to gather everyone and let them know of your gift and new status.”
Link hummed, not entirely confident or comfortable, but willing to put his faith in trust in the young Sage. Medli smiled softly in a kind understanding and turned down the path which led towards the main chamber Link had been in earlier.
The young hero could not see this going well.
They arrived in the centre of the grand cavern before Link knew it, Medli standing beside him calling and gathering as many as she could to pile into the space. Many of them stared at Link, muttering and whispering about what he was, why he was there, and what was going on. Prince Komali approached, steps slow but sure, an expression of awe on his face. He walked right up to Link and tilted his head a bit in a silent question. Link nodded and Komali quickly covered up a gasp to proudly stand beside him. The action only increased the noise of the growing Rito rabble around them.
With all attention on them, Medli stepped forward and raised her hands. The noise died down and she smiled before beginning her explanation. “For those of you that may not know, Valoo summoned the hero, Link, here to meet with him. The purpose of this meeting was to grant Link a gift. This gift was a scale, to give Link wings like any Rito child.”
Noise exploded as voices clamoured in the echoing cavern, layered and loud, incomprehensible and persistent as people tried to be the one to have their own words heard above the others. Link could not tell if they were of approval or disfavour, the uncertainty leaving his mind pacing and heart racing.
Prince Komali gave a sharp whistle to coerce the crowd's attention before projecting his trill to fill the cavern. “Silence! Let her finish!” he commanded, earning an approving nod from his father.
“This gift did not only grant Link wings, it changed his entire form,” she said, gesturing to the little blue dragon. “Link is now one of Valoo’s own, his fledgling! He has the ability to switch between forms but has yet to try it. This is all very new to Link, so I ask that you respect his privacy and give him some space until he is more comfortable.”
Some more mutters and whispers broke out, but it was much quieter and even reverent as the Rito stared at him with respect and awe. It made a chill go down his spine and Link’s tail curled around, the end wrapping around an ankle in an odd sort of self-hug gesture. His wings folded in closer to his body in a futile effort to make himself smaller, but there was no hiding from the gazes of the people.
“Spirit of the Winds!” cried a voice.
“Son of the Skies!” cheered another.
Starting with one near the front and rippling through the mass like a wave on the tide the Rito bent over in bows, as if they were before Valoo instead of a transformed Hylian that had done a number of errands for multiple people around the island. Link blinked to try to shake what he hoped was just a discomfited dream, and blinked again when it remained a reality, and as more and more Rito bowed before him, a slight shiver passed through his spine leaving his scales to feel uncomfortably sharp against his own body.
This was very, very awkward. And embarrassing. The words to ask them to stop were right on the tip of his long, forked tongue, but the sounds refused to form, and nothing left his lips.
Medli looked rather amused, a mischievous glint in her eyes and a coy smirk tugging at her beak, and Link would bet half of his rupees that she knew something like this was going to happen. He glared at her, wanting nothing more than to disappear. His wings unfurled enough to sweep around his sides and cross themselves in front of him, forming a shield. It was physically flimsy, but it blocked out all sight of the Rito and that was fine by him.
Prince Komali ducked his head under the impromptu shield – the light touch barely registered by the dragon – caught his eye and beckoned him to follow. Link’s wings slowly retreated, and he shuffled after the prince and his father, down, down, until they reached the royal chambers. The moment he was out of sight from the rabble, and their loud cheers could no longer be heard, the tension that had gathered in his muscles began to seep away and a gentle touch of fatigue drifted into his mind.
“Never have I had the pleasure of hosting a deity in my quarters,” said the Rito Chieftain, “even one so young that has been adopted. Never in the history of Dragon Roost Island has Valoo taken anyone under his wing in such a way. Truly, young Link, you have been highly honoured.”
The little dragon gave a choked laugh. “What? I’m not a deity,” he said firmly.
Medli shook her head, giving him a soft smile. “Not a full one, no, but you’re definitely not completely mortal anymore either.”
The strength in his limbs failed him and he collapsed belly first onto the floor. He stammered out denials, but the flexing wings jutting from his back and the tail curling and swaying around were constant reminders of his new state of existence. No one verbally disagreed, but Link could practically hear their smug smiles and subtle shakes of heads, and before long his muttered rebuttals had become a stifled yawn.
The air against his scales was cool, and not in a pleasant way such as finding a shady spot out in the sun on a hot day. It was an uncomfortable chill, but there was a warmth in his core that stopped the chill from reaching too far. Like a well-tended fire during a storm, with cold rain lashing down sideways and the howling wind trying to gutter the flames that were protected by a lovingly well-crafted fireplace.
A thought wiggled its way to the forefront of Link’s mind, one which made his head perk up slightly from the cool flooring and his tail to twitch excitedly, newfound exhaustion forgotten. “Can I breathe fire?”
“That’s the first question you have to ask?” Medli chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest as she grinned at the dragon before quipping, “You don’t want to know how to change back?”
“Oh,” Link dropped his head and blinked. A hundred other questions, concerns and fears assaulted his mind all at once, leaving him dizzy and scared. What if he couldn’t control it? What would Tetra think when she saw him like this? Or Aryll? Was he really a deity now? Valoo said he could switch between dragon and Hylian forms, but what if he couldn’t?
“I’m sorry Link, I was only teasing.”
“Give him some space; as you said yourself, this is all very new to him and must be very overwhelming.”
He wasn’t even aware he had curled up into a tight ball of scales and ivory until his muscles spasmed from the strain. The three Rito that had led him to these quarters had long since departed, returned and then left again, leaving behind a bowl of fresh water and a large variety of foods, from fruits, to some kind of meat, to loaves of bread. A small, panicked part of his mind worried they were offerings, left in hopes of a deity’s favour, another piece wondered what he could even eat in this form, if he was doomed to a diet of raw meat, but soon after his stomach silenced the spiralling thoughts.
Link sat up, his form wobbling slightly as he tried to remain balanced in this new body. His tail helped stabilise him as he reached down and took one of the loaves, its crust still warm and aroma enhanced by his heightened sense of smell. His stomach growled happily in eagerness and approval.
He tore off a small chunk and popped it in his mouth, letting it sit there for a few seconds before starting to chew. A moment or two later he swallowed, thin tongue flicking out to lick across his lips. The taste was not as he remembered, the texture and flavour off on several levels, but it was still tasty, and he snapped up the rest of the loaf in no time flat.
Some of the fruit was next and Link pulled several faces, his draconic face somehow just as expressive as his Hylian one had someone been around to see it. While none of it was terrible, exactly, the taste and especially the texture made him wrinkle his snout. Desperate to wash away the unpleasantness, he took the platter of raw and cooked meats next. He started with the cooked and found it tasted no different to how it would to his Hylian taste buds, if not a bit extra chewy and dry in texture.
For a moment he hesitated to take the raw meat, his Hylian instinct telling him to throw the lean pink flesh over a fire before placing it in his mouth, but his dragon nature pushed that aside. The meat was licked, chomped, and swallowed in mere seconds. It was definitely pork, but it was far more scrumptious than usual, even uncooked, tickling his taste buds and making them sing in delight.
So, it seemed he wasn’t a total carnivore, he could still eat fruits and bread, although his new palate definitely preferred meat, particularly raw.
With the plates empty and his stomach full, Link wiggled his toes and looked about the room. He was uncertain how long he had spent down here, lost in his own mind as it was flooded with questions, worries, and uncertainties. The dragon hissed under his breath; how embarrassing to lose his composure like that before his friends and the Rito Chieftain.
But Medli had a point, how was he supposed to change forms? Was there some ritual or secret phrase, or perhaps an enchanted object? What was it Valoo had said? Something about harnessing fire within and flying. Changing forms while flying didn’t make a lot of sense to his aching head.
Regardless, nothing was ever accomplished by lying about - he should know. Time to get moving. Although it would be much easier in his original body, in a form that would not draw so much attention and stares. His mind circled back right to where he had started. How, how, in all the vastness of the Great Sea, did he change back?
Argh, he should’ve asked Valoo for more information!
It was too late now, there was no way he was hauling himself all the way back up there just to look like an idiot, and he wasn’t ready to face the Rito just yet. Link had to figure it out here and now, so the dragon went with his instinct. He carefully got comfy while sitting down and closed his eyes, imagining himself as a Hylian, his mind conjuring a visual of his usual looks remembered from years of looking into reflective surfaces, be they mirrors, shiny metals, or even water.
The heat at his core pulsed, though it sent out waves that were pleasantly cool instead of the melting warmth of before, like tropical tides lapping at warm, sun kissed sands. Things shifted, grinded, and slid, a dull ache permeating every muscle, bone, organ, and inch of skin. Scales? That was just dragon skin, right?
His teeth clenched as his mind ran away from him, random thoughts popping up and demanding his limited attention through what was swiftly shaping up to be a nasty headache.
Then it was over. The aches faded and the world began to filter through his senses piece by sluggish piece. The cool floor that he could feel even through his tunic, the stones worn smooth by years of foot traffic, his cheek squished, and limbs splayed, spread-eagled.
Wait. Tunic? He opened his eyes and grinned widely at the sight of regular Hylian hands. That had been easier than expected, though not the most pleasant thing in the world to experience. Was every transformation going to be like that? He really, truly, sincerely hoped not. He got to his feet, giving his spine and all four limbs a good stretch, flailing wildly as he almost fell over from the lack of wings and a tail. He hadn’t realised how quickly he had adjusted to using them for balance, and never had he realised that walking upright on two limbs was actually quite the feat.
Refamiliarized with the body he had spent his life in and no longer wobbling as he took small, calculated steps, Link decided to venture out; he’d hidden long enough. He didn’t have much of a plan beyond wanting to go home to Outset and let his grandma and little sister know that they were now related to a dragon, but the moment he glanced outside and saw a Rito gliding on the soft sea breeze, he came to a realisation. It would be a huge shame to have those amazing, large wings and not learn to use them and what better people on the Great Sea than the Rito to teach him? He may as well ask for some lessons while he was here, rather than having to come back at a later time.
It seemed word of Valoo’s gift to the Hero had spread across the island quickly, but he hoped at least the stares would decrease now that he was no longer in dragon form. Even so, Link stuck to the shadows, slinking along as quietly as he could and trying his best not to make a noise or attract anyone’s attention. He made it outside without being spotted - an impressive feat if he did say so himself - and almost collided with Quill.
“Link! How are you feeling?”
He shrugged as it was the only honest answer he could give, and then shifted his weight between his two feet a few times. Link had been planning to find Prince Komali, but maybe Quill was willing to help him instead. Summoning up his courage, the Hero caught the Rito’s gaze. “Hey, I know you’re probably busy and all, but would you mind giving me some tips… on flying?” he awkwardly asked.
Quill’s eyes lit up, but he kept his smile calm and soft. “Of course.” Link exhaled a breath at the response, the tension he hadn’t noticed creeping into his shoulders bleeding away. “Would you like to go somewhere a bit less public to try them out?”
Link nodded vigorously, before falling into step besides the Rito and wandering towards the far side of the island.