Chapter Text
Rito down was so much warmer in the summer, unbearably warm when they tried it on in the shop, but necessary for their next destination. And though Link balked at the prices, Zelda paid it without hesitation, much preferring the soft armor to chugging spicy elixirs. Though, with the newfound magic coursing through her blood and tingling at her fingertips, perhaps they had another option for keeping warm.
Dark gray feathers tapped against the wingrests of the Rito throne, one clawed foot tapping impatiently as the Hylians approached. Though Revali himself wasn't in the village that day, his opinions and attitude seeped into enough of the Rito that the whole winding settlement felt hostile.
The elder's head twitched to the side, tracking their steps. For most Rito she'd encountered, the jerks of the head were almost imperceptible, so much that Zelda often forgot that Ritos' eyes didn't move. Whether this behavior was adopted so that the Rito were more easily accepted into Hyrulean society, or merely as a means of unsettling the non-Rito population less, the elder of the Rito tribe had no such desire to accommodate. Just watching him hurt Zelda's neck.
Tawny-feathered attendants stood back, their wings folded back in a way that looked painful and impractical for a Hylian, but appeared perfectly comfortable to them. From their sharp beaks to their clawed toes, the Rito were easily the most unnerving race in Hyrule — at least in Zelda's opinion. She could imagine all too well their claws grabbing her, remembering how little difficulty the captain had yanking her into the air and flying her across a battlefield in a matter of seconds. And when they dropped her from a hundred feet up, their beaks could tear into her broken corpse.
She took a breath, banishing the anxieties from her mind. The Rito were reasonable people, not inclined to eat their fellow Hyruleans. In any case, Urbosa's assessment brought her a little comfort: they know how much easier it is to break a Rito's bones than a Hylian's.
"Elder Komali," Zelda began, bowing in respect to the broad-winged owl, "I've come to offer my sincere thanks for your people's efforts to stem the tide of monsters in Tabantha and Hebra. Your archers are truly without peer or equal in all of Hyrule."
The elder's green eyes narrowed, his head suddenly jerking as he tracked her standing back up. "Indeed. We will always defend our borders."
Our borders. Zelda bit her tongue. While she was quite certain that the borders between Central Hyrule and Tabantha were merely custom rather than political reality, she was not about to correct him. She forced a smile. "Of course. I will add that Vah Medoh is perched quite handsomely over the village."
Far above their heads, the Divine Beast rested on the smallest outcropping of rock at the very top of the spire that the Rito called home. While she'd read that Vah Medoh was surprisingly light compared to the other Beasts, she still eyed the stone cautiously when they approached, hardly believing her eyes. She had no idea how the Rito bore such a massive machine over their homes, seemingly poised to fall at the slightest breeze. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end just thinking about the Beast crashing down on top of them.
Compliments and flattery seemed to please the elder. A low hoot resonated from his throat, his feathers fluffed out proudly. "Vah Medoh is a delight to us. From its perch, it is prepared to strike at the Castle at any time. It is the greatest show of power that we can make, and we look forward to playing our part in defending against the Calamity." His beak turned in what might be called a smile, though the comment of the Rito being poised to strike the Castle at any time did not go unnoticed. Even Link tensed, his hand flexing as he fought the urge to pull his sword free from its scabbard.
On their last visit, Link and Impa knelt behind her, bowed while she spoke with Komali and Revali about the necessity of employing Divine Beast Vah Medoh and finding a suitable pilot. Now, Link stood beside her — silent, but standing. Impa, too, stood some distance back. Neither of her companions were particularly adept at hiding their discomfort in such an environment, though both were slated to one day lead their own people when the time came. Until then, she'd just have to do the talking.
"And we greatly appreciate your commitment in facing the Calamity," Zelda added, trying not to twitch her own fingers. One of the attendants jerked their head suddenly behind Komali, tracking something beyond the elder's nest, then settled their golden-eyed gaze back on Zelda. "We, ah," she started again, off-put and distracted, trying to recall her reason for coming here, "we are on a quest to activate the Sheikah towers that have appeared across Hyrule."
An annoyed, low hoot followed her statement, rumbling in the elder's chest. "Yes, I've seen the evidence of your quest thus far. You've got three of those done already, have you?"
Zelda nodded, taking a moment to steady to heart and breath. "We have. With each tower we activate, we gain a map of the area, allowing us to track monster activity for that region."
Komali's thick brows raised. "Truly? And here I thought they were just convenient perches for our high-fliers." Behind him, his attendants trilled, which…was probably laughter? She had no idea. When Komali reached out his wing toward her, Zelda fought every instinct telling her to flinch. "Show me, child."
Child. Annoyance of her own flared at this address, but nonetheless, she complied. She pulled up the map, one of the few working features, and handed the Slate to Komali. "As you can see, we have data for Central Hyrule, the Ridgelands, and Tabantha. Our next objective is the Hebra Tower, which we believe to be in the snowfields."
The elder squinted at the Slate, almost comically small in his massive wings. His eyes scanned over the minute details of the map, no doubt as easy to see the small details as it would be for him to pick out a rabbit from 300 feet in the air. Eventually, he handed it back to her. "Fascinating, that device of yours. Is there only the one?"
With the way Komali eyed the Slate, she had no doubt that he was watching it rather than her. She didn't want to call it covetous. "At this time, yes, but we are working on replicating it. Purah and Robbie have made significant strides in researching how to produce our own."
The Rito's head snapped back up, adjusting as he leaned back on his throne. "You purchased downy armor, did you not?"
Again, Zelda nodded. "We did. It is very soft, and quite warm. Your people are most gracious to offer their down for our benefit."
"Hmph, there are only so many nests we can line with it," Komali waved his wing dismissively, "but it is a service that we can readily supply to those not so fortunate to be hatched prepared for the mountains. Which reminds me," he turned his head back to one of his attendants. "Ruli, where did the reports say the towers were spotted?"
The earlier-distracted attendant chirped in acknowledgment, the sound far lower than that of the bluebirds that played in the stone baths in the palace gardens, but unmistakably avian. He turned toward a table in the back of the nest and retrieved a scroll, which he unrolled between his wings. His speaking voice held the same pitch as his call. "Two in Gerudo; one not far from Birida Lookout in the highlands, the other at Spectacle Rock."
Komali waved his wing in acknowledgment. "There you have it. Our fliers spotted them while scouting the highlands. I believe he said it was a dangerous climb from the desert side. It is safer for grounded travelers to find it by the mountain route. There is an easy slope by the head of the Tamio River."
Stepping forward, Zelda looked between the elder and attendant. "Have any others been found? We've sent out our own scouts to collect their locations and report them to Purah, but your people fly faster than a horse can run."
Once again, flattery earned her a prideful puff of Komali's feathers. "This is true. I do not think we have sent out fliers specifically for this purpose. Our reports are merely incidental to their tasks. However, we would not be opposed to assisting in this way. Anything to improve Hyrule's dismal odds of survival. We're having a difficult enough time just keeping the monsters at bay. Were it not for the Hylian villages, we would have destroyed the crossings by now."
Anger flashed through Zelda's chest at such a statement. "With all respect, Elder Komali, our odds are not dismal. We have the Divine Beasts, capable pilots, the hero chosen by the Sword that Seals the Darkness-"
"And you?" Komali hooted, his gaze narrowing on her. "Or am I to believe that you've actually unlocked the sacred power necessary to defend against the Calamity?"
"W-well, no," Zelda stuttered, "but-"
"Until you have the blessing to show for it, we will continue to act as though Hyrule will fall." Komali watched her with his twitching head, taking in her quick breath and the fists at her side. "A sad outcome, to be sure, but we'll do our best to protect the Hylians who take refuge in our mountains."
The spark of magic at her hip zipped through her bones the moment her hand made contact with it. Though it would do nothing without her input, the fire it ignited inside of her burned bright. She straightened as tall as she could, forcing herself into Komali's ever-shifting range of vision. "We are not going to fall," she declared, "I will unlock my bloodline's sacred magic, and Ganon will be sealed away. Rather than assuming the worst and preparing to sever yourself from Hyrule, your best hope is to join our efforts. Send troops beyond your borders, not just to scout, but to show the power and might of a united Hyrule." Her hand wrapped around the white, glassy rod of magic, emboldening her the more she spoke. "If we do not stand together, the tribes will fall, cut off from one another. That is why we have the Divine Beasts. That is why we have the Champions. All of us want the same outcome. And, when the Calamity arises, we will be ready, and we will seal it away again."
Wind carried the distant songs of chittering birds, far in the valleys and mountains across Lake Totori. Wood creaked beneath their feet, shifting ever so slightly under the weight of the village's inhabitants. Talismans and chimes clinked, soft and without purpose, tossed by the gentlest breeze. All of this came into sharp focus, as the elder's nest, and all those inside it, went entirely silent.
Emerald eyes locked on her, glinting like a bird of prey about to strike his next meal. His feathers ruffled and laid flat again. Slowly, deliberately, the great bird stood from his throne.
He towered over Zelda, his shadow enough to swallow her whole. The Master Sword clinked against the buckles of Link's armor, his hand already gripping the hilt. Komali's head snapped toward him for only a moment, then returned again to Zelda. A low rumble echoed from the elder's chest, the sound alone making Zelda want to turn and flee. But she stood. She stood, stared the elder down, and set her jaw.
After what felt like an eternity of tension, the elder relaxed his posture, the slightest smile on his beak. "I believe you, Princess." He held out his wing to her, massive in comparison. "You have my finest warrior already. You will have the rest of my army, when the time comes. And," he hooted in amusement, "we'll get there faster than the others."
Her hand released the wand, the magic lingering a moment longer, fueling the petering fires of her resolve. She met Komali's wing and shook it, though the feathers nearly enveloped her whole arm. "I expected no less."
With the promise made, Komali let go of her hand, sweeping out his wing toward Zelda's companions. "So, you're to be the next King of Hyrule, hm?" His head twitched as he examined Link, who stood as resolute as a guard, but at least he'd decided that a display of force was unnecessary, leaving the Master Sword on his back. Satisfied with his inspection, Komali offered his wing to Link as well. "I wish you the best, Prince Link. May you remember the Ritos' generosity when you take the throne."
When Link shook Komali's wing in return, the great owl hooted low, looking over all three Hylians. "Four Divine Beasts, the hero of legend with Hylia's sacred sword, and Hylia in the flesh." He dipped his head to Zelda. "May you reign over many days of peace, Princess Zelda."
Despite the fire in her bones, icicles still dripped from her nose as they trudged through the snow on their way to the next tower. The giant, orange glow gave them a bright target, as the howling winds threatened to blind them with snow.
"You know," Impa shouted, and still she was barely heard over the storm, "it's kind of weird that Revali wasn't in the village."
The oddity of such an occurrence hadn't dawned on Zelda before, but now that Impa said it, she was inclined to agree. She looked back at her friend, only the red stripes of her overcoat visible in the field of white. "Where do you think he could be?"
The stripes shrugged. "Beats me. I asked the shopkeeper, and she just said he was off 'oiling his feathers', whatever that means. I thought it was euphemism for something."
"It probably is," Zelda agreed, "though I haven't the faintest idea what it could– Eep!" The snow gave way beneath her feet, her left boot disappearing through the packed ice up to her knee. Strong arms wrapped around her, just a moment before she would have smacked face-first into permafrost. With Link's assistance, she steadied herself. The hole, which she'd taken to be solid ground, was wide enough to catch her whole leg, probably dug by an animal who had long since abandoned the den for better hunting grounds.
This wouldn't do. They were walking through a honeycomb they couldn't see. One wrong step would lead to a broken ankle, or worse. And the tower, looming so far overhead, and yet so close she could almost make out the shape of the trellis that wound its way up the sides, was surrounded by chunks of ice so large that she doubted they would ever melt, even if the sun came out.
There was only one thing for it.
She took hold of the wand and tugged it free. Sparks of red danced from the tip, ready to fly at her command. Taking a deep breath, she focused her mind on what magic should feel like, what it might be like to channel it though her own soul and blood. In her mind, she pictured the burning fires of the laboratory's kitchen, and the torches that lined the palace corridors, and the grand fireworks that lit up the sky on the night of her wedding. She opened her eyes, then exhaled.
Flames burst in a wave of light and heat, rushing over the permafrost and melting it down to the muddy earth beneath. Fire rose higher, burning, burning, the boulders of ice shrinking down, down, steam rising up and up. Her bones burned from the inside, not quite painful, but a vibration and warmth that bordered on intolerable. Still, she held the wand firm, breathing steadily through her nose and out of her mouth, watching the scene before them melt away into-.
Pfffbbth.
The wand puttered out with a pathetic hiss, the last of the sparks consumed by the snow before they hit the ground.
"What?!" Zelda turned the wand around, tapped it against her open palm, shook it, all to no avail. The ruby that burned so bright a moment ago was nothing more than glittering residue in an empty socket. "No! I just needed a little more!"
"Princess," Impa stepped forward, setting her hand on Zelda's shoulder. "We have more rubies. And besides, you've cleared most of the path for me."
"But! But I!" She glared at the remaining ice, still too tall for her to climb over and around. Yet, she was not the one doing the climbing. Reluctantly, Zelda handed over the Slate. In return, Impa handed her another ruby, magic pulsing in the glassy surface.
With the path cleared, or mostly cleared, at least, Zelda only had to wait for Impa to activate the tower -— which gave her plenty of time to figure out what went wrong with the wand.
She jammed the ruby into the socket, magic humming to life once more. "There, that should do it. Now I should have no trouble melting the rest of it." But, before she could point her wand at the ice again, Link caught her wrist.
"I don't think you should do that," he said. At her sharp glare, he released her, raising his hands to show he meant no harm by it. "We don't need to melt the rest of it. And if you spend the rest of that ruby trying to do so, we might not have enough magic when we need it."
"I'm not spending it!" Zelda protested, stamping her foot into the squelching mud. "There must have been something wrong with that ruby. You never see wizzrobes replacing their stones. They cast as much as they want!"
Snow fell onto the ground between them, plopping in slushy piles after Impa kicked it free trying to climb to the next shelf.
For several seconds, Link only looked at her — not with the disapproving glare of her father, or the dominating will of Komali, or even the pitying eyes of Urbosa and Daruk. His respect for her never diminished, yet there was a concern to his eyes, a downturn of his lips that gave her pause.
She lowered the wand, and tucked it back into her belt. She'd ignore the tears that froze on her cheeks.
Waiting a moment, Link reached out to her, hesitating, as if to see whether she'd try to bite him for the audacity of advising her to not waste resources meaninglessly. She took his hand without a second thought. "I know I don't know much about this mage thing," Link admitted, squeezing her hand, "but I don't think the magic is supposed to last. It has to wear out eventually."
"But why?" Zelda asked, sniffling in a way that she'd blame on the cold.
He didn't answer right away, staring up at Impa, who shimmied up to the final platform. "I think…" he said, weighing his words, "it's because the magic isn't yours. Wizzrobes can use it as much as they want because that's all they are. But you're borrowing their magic. You can't, ah, fill the batteries?" He cringed, glancing over at her. "Was that the right term?"
Even though she wanted to maintain her annoyance and distress, Link's attempts to connect with her work left such an impression that she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her cheeks. "It's charge. You charge a battery." She squeezed his hand in return. "But yes, I see your point."
Blue shimmered over the center column, lighting the tower in the same brilliant cerulean that captivated her every time she looked at the man she stood with. As Impa started to descend, Zelda sighed, snowflakes getting caught in her hair and on her lips. "I suppose, then, that I'll just have to awaken my own."
They still had a ways to go before they could rest for the evening, but at least they could return to the road without consequence. Wild animals grazed the scant grass and tore strips of bark from the trees, hardly paying the Hylians any mind. Zelda tapped her reddened cheeks, trying to warm them back up. Falling into step beside her, Impa zoomed in and scrolled around the map.
"Hebra is even bigger than I thought," she observed. Pointing to a peak in the distance, she compared it to the Slate. "That range spans all the way to the Great Canyon. And look at this!" She showed Zelda a splotch of greenish-blue surrounded by ripples of white. "Water! At the peaks!"
"Really?" Zelda took the Slate, scrolling across the map, her fingertips lingering on what did look, in all ways, just like ponds. "For there to be liquid water up there, they must be hot springs."
"Like in Eldin?" Link asked, looking at the Slate over her shoulder. "How is that possible? Hebra isn't a volcano."
From their perspective on the road, the springs were hidden entirely by rock and ice and trees. On all of her maps in the Castle, not one showed springs such as these. In such remote locations, trudging through the snow would have been incredibly dangerous for a Hylian. Yet, she could easily imagine the Rito enjoying a quick flight from their village to these secret baths. "…I'm not so sure that's true." She closed the map and clipped the Slate onto her belt. "All mountains are the result of tectonic activity, a bit like a film floating atop a pond. Where pressure pushes the film together, it rises, forming mountains. Likewise, the film can break, causing canyons. Eldin is a mountainous, highly-volcanic region. A place where the pressures below are obvious and active. Other mountains don't have those pressures anymore, and so they lose the heat that created them. Hebra must still have magma under the surface, at least enough to heat the water and create springs." Snow crunched under her boots as she walked and thought aloud, her gloved fingers tapping against her chin. "Yet, I wonder what that means. A thorough geological survey ought to be taken of the region. If it does reveal that Hebra is an active volcanic region, precautionary measures may have to be taken in case of eruption. Death Mountain continuously emits lava, and the pressures beneath the rock do not tend to build up to catastrophic levels for this reason. Though Daruk did mention that the mountain was shaking more than usual as of late. And while that could be in response to purely natural phenomena, I cannot fully dismiss the idea that the very earth itself is sensing the impending pressure of the Cala—ah!"
Snow burst in front of her, a blur of white sprinting out of a buried hole and startling Zelda so much that she fell backwards, landing with a dull thud. The creature that sprung up from its den stopped at the line of trees, its thick tail swishing and pointed ears flicking toward them.
"You okay, Princess?" Impa asked, helping her up.
Blushing, Zelda brushed off the snow from her trousers and doublet. "Yes, I just wasn't paying attention." She watched the fox turn and dart into the underbrush, and she sighed. "Well, that just demonstrates my point. When danger approaches, nature reacts."
They continued along their path for several more minutes, Zelda's cheeks still burning. Link broke the silence first. "So, does that mean Hebra will erupt when the Calamity comes?"
The tall peaks loomed to the northwest, all but blocking out the afternoon sun.
Cold settled in Zelda's core. "I really hope not."