On the Wings of a Rito
 
 
The breeze felt so nice on the mountains of Hebra. Snow caked most of the region making the location not the MOST ideal for travelers unless they had a piping hot meal on hand or some chill resistant clothes. Thankfully…our hero had no need for either of those.
 
 
Foehn sat perched up on one of the many mountainous peaks of Hebra. His white feathers kept him warm enough that his body functioned as it should in the region and provided insulation that most other races in Hyrule just did not have at their disposal. One feathered wing rested just above his eyes to block out the sun, light really showcasing the blue tipped feathers on his so called fingers.
 
 
He’d been scoping the area for some time now, on request of Valoo, though most people back in the Rito village failed to believe that Valoo came to Foehn personally. They could believe whatever they wished. Ever since the day he failed to become Vah Medoh’s next champion and do his great ancestor proud was the day he’d received Valoo’s blessing.
 
 
The young male Rito had nearly all the qualities a champion required, He had complete mastery over the wind like his Grandfather, Tulin. As well as the sharpshooting prowess of his Great Grandfather Teba and even further back Revali. Though he was not related to the old champion, he still believed he carried some of the Rito’s bood. His only downfall was his physical strength in close quarters combat. Though Rito were not particularly known to be adversarial up close, he fell behind his peers.
 
 
It’s been over 100 years since the Calamity Ganon had been vanquished, and the defeat of the Demon King which had been the source of the Upheaval he’d read about in aged textbooks. Right now, Tulin was the village chief, and though they shared the same blood, Foehn couldn’t help but think his inability to be this centuries chosen Champion in the chance of the calamity returning was a disappointment to them.
 
 
Tulin would recount tales to Foehn of the young hero that saved Hyrule not just once, but twice. It left the young warrior a little envious that he was unable to see Link in action. He wished, just once that he might have a chance to see why Tulin, and the other Rito elders held such high regard for the departed hero.
 
 
Having failed the challenge to become the Divine Beast’s next pilot, Foehn took some time to try and think about where he’d failed. Maybe he could have done something to improve…something that could have tipped the scales.
 
 
{You did your best...}
 
  *
 
 
Foehn’s mind returned him to that day. He was sitting just in front of Tulin’s hut. The aged Rito Warrior was looking to his grandson with what one could only imagine was…weariness? Disappointment?
 
 
Tulin bid for Foehn to stand up, that there wasn’t any reason the young warrior to kneel to them. “Grandfather I…Elder…I’m sorry. You had such high hopes for me…You wanted me to be the champion. I wanted to be the champion. But-“
 
 
“You did your best.” Tulin’s beak curved upwards, reaching out and grabbing Foehn’s own wings, the look in his eyes softening. “You didn’t hold anything back today. I know my grandson enough to know THAT much.” His hands left Foehn’s arms and he urged the young male into his quarters. “Being Champion. That isn’t what’s most important in this village. Certainly…it’s a honorable position to have my boy, but it’s not the only title one can earn that’s noteworthy.”
 
 
Foehn didn’t know what to say about that. Here, he’d been raised to believe that the coming of the Champions selection was a blessing. “But Grandfather…Elder.”
 
 
“You can just call be Grandpa Tulin if that’s what you prefer.” The elder Rito gave Foehn a knowing smile and a wink. “I remember how you used to come up to the top of the village as a fledgeling, always excited about something new. A spark in your eye.”
 
 
Again Foehn was stunned speechless. He hadn’t thought his grandfather would remember such trivial details. Maybe they weren’t that small…in their own lives anyhow. “Grandpa Tulin…If I am not a Champion, then what am I?”
 
 
Upon that line of questioning, Tulin let out a sigh. He knew it was coming, but he did have a bit of a twinkle in his eye upon being called Grandpa. Even if Foehn was a fully grown Rito now it still felt good to hear that title from the young one. “I wasn’t a Champion. And neither was my father: Teba. We were just your ordinary run of the mill Rito. And yet…my father, your grandfather…had a place in stopping the Calamity in it’s most recent incarnation. And I was awakened, as a sage.”
 
 
He still had the sages stone upon his ankle, lifting his foot just enough so that Foehn could get a better look at the glowing stone in his possession. “I never imagined I would be a sage. In fact, I’m still a little baffled I was the one chosen. Back in my youth I was well…A little shortsighted. I thought I could take on everything myself and ignored everyone’s instruction and orders. I thought I could do it all.”
 
 
“That doesn’t sound like you at all Grandfather. You’ve always given sound instruction to the youth in the village.”
 
 
That time Tulin laughed. He waved one of his wings in a dismissive gesture before turning away and looking out at the landscape beyond the village from his hut. “Age and experience my boy. Age and experience…My point is however, that I had no way of knowing I would have such an important role. I had mastery of the wind that no other Rito possessed. Something you have inherited from me. But I merely believed that made me special, different. But I did not imagine any grand destiny other than using it to help my people. I thought I was invincible and that I could solve everything on my own.”
 
 
The Elder dipped his head forward as his eyes shut in recalling his adventures with Link. He’d missed those days, and wished he knew what had become of the old hero of Hyrule.
 
 
“The point is young Foehn that I am trying to make is that you should not see your disqualification of the running for Champion as something of a disappointment. Look at it as it is. The path of choosing your fate. You’re meant for much more my boy. Much more than simply remaining at Vah Medoh’s side. You are free to find your calling.” Tulin lifted a wing, his eyes brighter despite his old age as he draped his wing around his grandson.
 
 
“Just…think it over.”
 
  *
 
 
Later that night, Foehn just couldn’t sleep. He remained in his solo hut as he had no significant other. But he enjoyed some of the solitude. He could toss and turn within his hammock but nobody could be disturbed if it was merely him.
 
 
His conversation with Elder Tulin just couldn’t get out of his head. His disappointment at not being selected, and the look of ecstatic joy from the chosen youth was something etched into his memory.
 
 
Unable to get those thoughts out of his mind and calm his thoughts, he slowly sat up in his bed and exhaled explosively. His eyes cast down towards the rug just beneath him. “Revali would be ashamed at my performance. They called me his second coming but I’m nothing but a sham.”
 
 
He closed his eyes and breathed through the holes in his beak. Solemn and dejected. His whole life, everyone marveled at his superior speed and maneuverability in the air. The elders all compared his reflexes and ability in the sky as Revali had been detailed in the scrolls. Or his grandfather when he was younger. Everyone had such high hopes for him but now, he just felt as though he let everyone down.
 
 
“I’ve disappointed them.”
 
 
{You’ve disappointed no one.}
 
 
The voice was enough to shock Foehn out of his depressed state. His eyes darted around the room, looking for any sign of an intruder but he saw none. Quickly grabbing his Wooden Bow from it’s shelf and docking an arrow into it.
 
 
“Who’s there? Show yourself?”
 
 
{Your arrow will not hit me youth. But I am not your enemy.}
 
 
“Says the one being cryptic…If you’re not an enemy then come. Show yourself to me.”
 
 
For a moment there was no response. The chill of the mountain air was the only sound as the wind blew through the flaps of his hut. And then, he caught a glimpse of a light just outside his home. Taking a breath, he stepped outside, bow drawn and ready to strike at the first thing that he rated as a threat and found nothing.
 
 
Looking down however, at the base of the mountain, he could see a faint reddish glow that set the entirety of Rito Village alit. Almost as if ablaze and yet no fires rose to bring danger to his people.
 
 
{Come…Come to me young Rito…}
 
 
Suddenly, the stories his grandpa told of his youth came back to Foehn. During his adventures with the Hero, Tulin had strange times in which a detached voice would call to him, urging him to come to them. That voice had been the sage of wind. Or the past sage at any rate. Was he experiencing a similar phenomenon? Would he be a sage?
 
 
Foehn looked to his left and then to his right. The few Rito out on patrol didn’t even register the glow that was enveloping their mountain. This should have been something everyone should be taking notice of. “What’s going on here? Are they going crazy?”
 
 
{Come…Come…to me.}
 
 
“Yeah yeah…I got it. I’m coming. You’d better not be a Wizrobe playing tricks right now.”
 
 
Foehn clipped his bow to his armor’s waistband before both wings unfurled as he took a running leap off the cliff side. He could have simply flapped in place to gain altitude but getting a running start added to the adrenaline. Before he descended he simply hovered, letting the wind carry him as his wings remained level to his torso. He used this momentary feeling of weightlessness to scope out his surroundings. No Bokoblins or Lizalfos near the village. Or by the Clover Gazette he could just barely make out in the distance.
 
 
What had once been a Rito stable had become the Paparazzi’s own personal HQ after the storm that nearly wiped out his homeland took place. They were good enough people. He’d never met Penn but he heard that the guy was a fairly sound reporter with a good set of wings of his own.
 
 
But he was getting side tracked. Foehn flapped his wings once, then twice so that he returned to his preferred altitude as he examined the red glow emanating from beneath Rito village. There shouldn’t have been ANY glowing. That’s when he noticed it. A small cavern right in the middle of the stone pillar. Just 15 or so feet above the surface of Lake Totori. It’s appearance confounded the flyer.
 
 
“We don’t have a cave system underneath us. I’d have spotted this when I was little.”
 
 
Needless to say, it’s existence was a conundrum but it might explain why nobody in the village responded to it’s presence. Maybe they couldn’t see it? Or maybe this voice really was a sage.
 
 
And then the glow from within the cavern grew with intensity, and as Foehn began to dive towards it’s surface he could feel a comforting warmth washing over him. He could only explain it as familiar. Not unlike the oppressive heat around Death Mountain’s caverns…And yet the heat that was generated here was welcoming. Like he was returning to a long lost home of his.
 
 
He looked left and right, saw Hylian script on the walls that made little sense to him other than the mention of a “dragon”. Scrolls hung on the side showed their age as barely any of it’s text could be discerned but he could make out a red figure depicted on one. Large in body by the looks of it with…people kneeling to it? Worshipping the thing!
 
 
Whatever this cave system was. It was made in reverence to something, or someone. Then there was the alter. An old stone structure with two oil lamps, which to their credit was still burning. But as he peered into the lamp he could see none of it’s oil was actually draining in volume. “What kind of sorcery is this…”
 
 
In the center of the alter’s structure, sitting on a plush, red pillow albeit caked in dust was a singular orange/red stone with three wavy lines patterned into it. It’s image brought a sense of familiarity, as if he should know what the stone he was looking at was.
 
 
Before he could reach out to touch it however, it began to shine. The warmth of the cavern grew in intensity as the light from the stone soon bathed everything in it’s embrace. Foehn had to put a wing to his eyes and close them for his safety or risk being blinded.
 
 
When he opened them, he was standing in the middle of a fog. No cavern…no landmarks to indicate where he was…There wasn’t even a SKY as he could tell because everything was obscured in a heavy bluish white fog.
 
 
He took one step, found that the ground at the very least was solid, but nothing else. He thought to draw his bow and fire the arrow he had carried along with him for protection but that would be a waste of a perfectly good projectile. What he needed to do was find his way back.
 
 
With a flap of his wings, Foehn began to take to the sky. Soaring at least a few dozen feet but all the good it did him as the fog stretched on for miles. No water, no stones…Not even a soul. That’s when one thought terrified him.
 
 
“Am I dead? Did that stone…kill me? Was some monster behind it? An explosion perhaps?”
 
 
“You’re not dead. But you are within the realm of the spirits.”
 
 
Foehn heard the voice and turned just as quick. What caught his eye then left him speechless. He’d seen them in family photos…But here he was looking at them. The white feathers topped with black along the tips. Those piercing yellow eyes, even the armor that they wore…the very same that furnished Foehn. A family heirloom that the elder has kept in the family since HIS ascension to head of the family.
 
 
This was his great grandfather. It had to be…
 
 
“You’re…Teba! The previous chieftain of Rito Village! I’ve…heard so much about you. My armor…I-“
 
 
Teba raised a wing to Foehn’s beak and offered only the smallest of smiles on the corner of his beak. “I know. You’re my descendant. I’m sure you have many questions. And I have a few too, especially regarding my son’s well being. Tell me Foehn…Why have you come here. This isn’t a place for the living to tread so casually. It’s dangerous.”
 
 
Those eyes were hard to ignore. They commanded answers. Demanded that they be given, and yet there was kindness to them. His great grandfather held a very powerful presence and one that told Foehn all he needed to know of why they were the previous chieftain.
 
 
“Oh uh Teba sir…I was called here by a voice. It told me to come here. Beneath Rito Village.”
 
 
“Beneath the village?! By any chance young Foehn…Did you see an alter with a red stone before you found yourself here?”
 
 
“I did…Wait are you saying you’re familiar with that place? It wasn’t there last time I patrolled the village!”
 
 
Teba’s eyes took on a more sharpened, focused look before he put both his wings together. “That explains why a still living Rito is here…Listen to me boy.” His eyes locked onto Foehn’s own, making sure they had his FULL attention before he continued. “The one who called you wasn’t me. But I do know who it was. He is the one whom all Rito should hold worship. He is the reason behind our wings.”
 
 
That was just as cryptic as the voice. But the words definitely felt right. They made sense in a way Foehn just couldn’t peg down. “The one all Rito should hold worship…Have you been down there before?”
 
 
Teba nodded sharply, his eyes looking around the sea of fog before continuing. “What you saw was a stone that is called Din’s pearl. Ordinarily…that alter…that CAVE you found, does not exist. It’s hidden behind a seal, and only made to open when a selection has been made.”
 
 
“A selection?”
 
 
“Before I became chief…Or even before Tulin was even born, I did some research. Flying around Rito village. There was an unintended mishap and Vah Medoh shot me down. This was during the calamity, as I’m sure you’ve no doubt learned in your studies.”
 
 
“My wing was shot, and I found myself hurtling into the side of the village. But where I ended up was the same cave system you found yourself in. When I came to, I was trapped in the cave. No exit…no means of coming back out. But then…that may have been intentional.”
 
 
“My injuries were severe, but within the cavern there were salves that helped to mend my injuries, and even food rations that by normal means shouldn’t have even been there…Fresh fish as if it had been caught that very day. Apples in an area surrounded by lake Totori.”
 
 
Teba’s eyes closed as he inhaled. More of a show to Foehn than anything as he had no need to truly breath anymore. “One day during my recovery I was curious and I decided to check out Din’s Pearl. When my wing brushed over it I was overwhelmed. Suddenly…HE came to me and told of a time when my power would be needed to put an end to the great calamity. That it was because of my role in the years to come that he had chosen to save my life after it should have come to a reckless end.”
 
 
The implications weren’t completely lost on Foehn, but that still didn’t explain everything. Not in a way that would clarify the current events. “So…You found yourself trapped…with no way out…But this person saved you.”
 
 
“Not person. They are well above that classification. They are a sacred being. One that offered me a safe haven while my body recovered. They bent the rules to allow me safety due to my role to come in stopping the calamity. By all means I should have drowned in the lake.”
 
 
Teba’s voice got lower, his mind trying to piece together a few things of his own. “In exchange for my survival, they only asked 2 things of me. The first was to never tell anyone out in the living world of the shrine below the village. It would do no good for the Yiga clan, or any monsters to know of it’s existence.”
 
 
That made sense. If that cavern only formed upon certain conditions then it would make sense to keep it a secret…else someone might just blow a hole through the mountain and doom everyone living upon it’s surface.
 
 
“What about the second thing…? You said you were given 2 things that this sacred being wanted.”
 
 
“The second is why you see me here right before you.” Teba gestured to himself as his own body started glowing a faint blue, the white of his feathers soon growing transparent as he smiled fondly towards his great grandson. “When I passed, I would not go to the promised land that all within Hyrule are fated to cross when they meet their end. I would not meet the goddess Hylia. Because I had pledged my soul to him. I have pledged it…to Valoo.”
 
 
Upon hearing that word, Foehn felt a slight jolt in his heart. The name pulled at him. Made him feel as if he had walked into both familiar and unfamiliar territory, and yet the name…soothed him. “Valoo…The dragon spirit of the Rito…” He whispered.
 
 
Teba’s eyes softened just as the rest of him did and he turned, hearing a rumbling that came from behind. As he did, rising from the very ground itself, Both watched as a massive dragon rose from the fog. It’s size easily equal to that of Rito village’s landscape. It’s large red form flying above them, but as both Rito’s eyes adjusted they’d see his white underbelly and neck. The hooked tail swishing in the air as the great dragon’s wings carried it around the pair.
 
 
With a loud, resounding thud, Valoo dropped down just behind Teba. His imposing form staring down the both of them with his large, blue eyes gazing down at them as if peering into their very souls.
 
 
Foehn should have been terrified, but even as he stared at the wide girth of the dragon’s belly, and it’s long, powerful neck and tail…Something felt familiar. He felt as though he were staring at someone who rather than one who should be feared, they should be respected instead. Cherished.
 
 
Then the dragon started to speak. Their jaws moving as a gruff, growling voice spoke out to the two of them in a language that Foehn couldn’t himself understand, but knew he was being addressed.
 
 
“My Lord says that he has been waiting for you Foehn.”
 
 
Just then, Foehn did a double take, looking to Valoo, then towards Teba, then back to the great dragon. “You…You can understand him?”
 
 
Again, the dragon spoke. His tongue ancient, but Foehn looked on, and saw Teba’s own eyes lighting up as if a revelation had come to him. He coughed once, as if to clear his throat before translating for the great dragon spirit with a booming voice.
 
 
“You were born and raised to be a champion. But you lacked qualities that make for the pilot of Vah Medoh. You are superior in speed, your eyesight, and nobody can match you with the prowess of a bow. But due to a lack of physical combat strength, you were passed up. This is not a weakness. This is your fate.”
 
 
“Hold on. My fate is to be here…? In this land between the living and the dead? I’m to die here?!”
 
 
Valoo’s jaws shut, as did Teba’s as he gazed up to his lord. The dragon gave Foehn a discerning look even as he lowered his long neck to bring his head at eye level with Foehn’s. His voice, now booming in closer proximity, started ruffling the young Rito’s feathers as his warm breath practically blew over him like a storm with each passing word.
 
 
“Death is not in your future today. You are not the Champion of the divine beast, but you are the Champion of the Rito. You are MY champion!”
 
 
Hearing Teba translating each word, it felt powerful. That this large dragon would say such things. Foehn couldn’t help but tremble. Wondering what they had in store for him. He trembled, but he did not fear them.
 
 
Again he rumbled. And Foehn wished he could have understood what this magnificent beast was saying. Instead, he had to defer to Teba with each line.
 
 
“The Calamity is stilled, and the Demon King banished. But evil still lingers in Hyrule. A hero is needed. A CHAMPION is needed! Foehn…Descendant of Teba, hope of the Rito. Will you entrust your life to me? Will you serve as my vassal and do the work that must be done for Hyrule?”
 
 
That was some grandiose wording. This dragon, Valoo…It was staring at him even after Teba finished translating their words. It was waiting for a response. He felt as though he couldn’t refuse. SHOULDN’T refuse, as the elder’s words took roost in his head. This was his calling.
 
 
“I will…entrust myself to your care my lord. Let it be know with my ancestor Teba as my witness, that I…Foehn, will hereby dedicate my life in service to you my lord. My boy, and my life, are yours.” Foehn made a grand display himself. He held out his bow, brought it towards his chest as if he were clutching it to his heart and bowed gracefully towards Valoo. Hoping his display would be accepted.
 
 
 
For a moment, nothing was said from anyone. Not from the dragon, nor Teba’s translating. Until a long, ground quaking roar filled the area. It was enough for Foehn to reach over his ears and cover them. But as the sound stopped, Teba put a feathered hand on his wrist, and smiled.
 
 
“My lord has accepted your pledge…As is the case with me, when you eventually have your adventures come to an end, you will spend your eternity here, with me. With him.” He gestured towards Valoo, who’s eyes likewise softened, despite the intimidating stature that they maintained. “There is however, the simple matter of you getting out of here…and being able to understand my lord when he speaks to you himself.”
 
 
“Ok…So how do you expect either of those to happen?”
 
 
“Just…trust our lord. You’ve already committed to serving him. Trust what they are about to do, and try not to panic.”
 
 
That didn’t instill a lot of confidence in Foehn. But he did turn back towards Valoo who peered into his own eyes. Neither would break contact and even without speaking, Foehn could sense the kind warmth that came from the dragon.
 
 
However, once the great Valoo’s reptilian jaws opened to reveal his jagged teeth, long forked tongue that was dripping with a bit of saliva and that dark, pulsating pit of his gullet. It was all an imposing sight to see, but Foehn had little time to react before the dragon’s tongue wrapped around his waist.
 
 
At first he wanted to scream. That he was being fooled by both his ancestor and this dragon but Teba just continued to look his way as if he were telling them that everything would be alright. There was no need to be afraid.
 
 
Foehn was quick to stop his struggling. He just let his body relax, a sense of calm going over him as he was being pulled right on into Valoo’s open jaws. The warmth of the dragon’s breath overwhelming, but not unpleasant. If anything…the warmth was inviting…and those teeth never even came close to him. That said, he did peer outside one last time before those jaws closed shut.
 
 
It was only then that the tongue released him. He was made to stand, right in Valoo’s jaws. Nothing happening…no sound, aside from the faint gurgling sound that was coming from down below. Valoo COULD have swallowed him…He’d be an easy snack. But they didn’t even move from where they had been before they took Foehn into him. What was he waiting for?
 
 
Foehn had a feeling about what it was. They wanted HIM to take the plunge willingly. Wanted to know if he was truly willing to put their life in Valoo’s hands. Or their belly as some might put it.
 
 
“Oh goodness. Well…I’m not getting out. And…I trust you my lord…”
 
 
Foehn hoped he truly meant those words, before diving head long into Valoo’s pulsing gullet. Letting the muscles of the large dragon carry him into their depths, becoming a round bulge in their long throat visible only to his ancestor and the sky spirit himself. He took the plunge, and as he felt those muscles pulling, dragging him down into what he believed was going to be his ultimate fate, he felt no worry. He had made the pledge. There was no going back anymore.
 
 
Valoo slowly lifted his head back up, standing upright and towering above Teba, who looked satisfied and calm. They both nodded even as the Sky spirit Valoo extended a hand towards the spirit Rito and they simply vanished, as they climbed into Valoo’s hand.
 
 
When Foehn finally reached his destination, he hit the cold ground with a hard thud. He expected to fall into a pool of goo. But the ground was not only hard…but it was cold…Stone…!
 
 
He was back in the cavern. Din’s pearl…as Teba had called it was nowhere in sight. He’d only brushed his hand over it but now it was just...missing.
 
 
Looking to his winged hand, the one he had used to pledge his life to Valoo, he saw that the wooden bow he had was not there. Instead he was holding a bow designed much in the likeness to Valoo. It’s eyes glowing a brief yellow before fading.
 
 
He couldn’t explain it, but he could feel it. Somehow the pearl. It had been reshaped, turned into this bow that was in his hand. Had it merged with his wooden bow? Or did it take on Valoo’s shape of it’s own volition and entrusted him with it?
 
 
“I think…I understand.”
 
 
He clipped the bow to his waistband and made his way towards the cavern entrance. He gave the alter one last glance, as if to burn it into his memory, before flying out of its depths. The first crack of dawn was already beginning to form in the horizon and if anyone saw he was out of his hut all night that might raise a few questions.
 
 
With his mastery of wind that he inherited from Tulin, he shot upwards into the sky, quickly ascending well over the cliffs. He took one last downward look at the cavern but saw it had re-sealed itself almost as if it was never there to begin with.
 
 
“I’ll do it. I’ll be your champion my lord…Just tell me where to go. And I’ll go do your will.”
 
 
He circled once around the village landscape, admiring the way the sun’s morning rays were starting to hit Rito village, almost as if it were welcoming him to the dawn of his own adventure. Something his grandfather, and maybe even great grandfather Teba would be proud of.