As I glide down, floating through the clouds, I watch as Divine Beast Vah Medoh, back under the rightful control of Revali, begins diving, landing procedures initiated as it’s claws swing round and up, the body angling and the beak dipping down as it comes to perch on the outcropping above the Rito village. A swelling red light builds at the tip of its beak, before cascading forth in a steady beam, aimed squarely at Hyrule Castle. Revali’s just established a lock-on.

 

When I alight at the Rito Village, my feet touching down in the centre of Revali’s Landing, I take a few moments to catch my breath and compose myself, producing Zelda’s favourite compact mirror and touching up my makeup. As I make my way back to see the Elder, Kaneli, I spy a familiar white-feathered Rito. Rushing over, I ask Teba, “Are you okay?”

He curves his beak in a smile. “I’m fine. Thanks to my wife, I’ve recovered to the point where I can stand. Actually, my wife told me something about you. She says you’re a descendant of the Hylian Champion.”

I look sheepish. “Eheh…”

He laughs. “Go on, there’s no need to hide it. Your markswomanship… the way you move through the air… there’s no doubt about it, you have the blood of a Champion.”

Bidding farewell to Teba and his wife, I head to see the elder. Upon entering his home, Kaneli lets out a loud hoot.

“You have done it! And you survived, at that! You conquered Divine Beast Vah Medoh! To think that it has taken up roost atop the village! It looks simply… celestial. If the legends are to be believed, ‘the light from the Divine Beasts will ravage the Calamity’. For now, Divine Beast Vah Medoh will become the protector of this village and live on in legend… alongside you. Hoo hoo hoo… Oh yes! Of course! I must reward you properly! Feel free to take the contents of this chest! You will be sure to get more use out of it than I.”

He gestures at a chest, and I lower myself to my knees, opening the lid, as Kaneli continues. “Ms. Champion descendant… I have only just realised. That sword you bear…could it be the very self-same sword that seals the darkness? The Hylian Champion who fought alongside Master Revali 100 years ago… could… could that be your sire?”

I simply smile at him, lifting the contents of the chest into my arms. A bow. Not just any bow, though.  Revali’s. It’s the very same bow he always used, as beautiful and perfectly-polished as he always kept it.

Sliding it onto my back, I thank the elder and prepare to leave. My next goal is to head to the east, for Zora’s Domain, the home of the Champion Mipha. My throat tightens. I was close to her, many years ago now. I hope that, somehow, against all odds, she’ll be okay. Zora live for many years, over 300 on average, so there’s no doubt she could have lived that long. And her spear skills are impeccable. If anyone would be okay, she will.

Thanks to Revali’s Gale, mountains and cliffs that would once have taken hours to scale or bypass are no obstacle, and the added altitude boost lets me glide even further, making far more progress than if I was simply on foot. It only takes a day to pass through the Ridgeland region, then another half-day as I journey down across the east of the Central Hyrule region, and into the Lanayru Wetlands. The moment I cross into the wetlands region, it begins to pour, the sky instantly shifting from cloudless blue to torrential rain. I back up and suddenly… no rain. I can watch it fall, but it just… starts, the moment I enter the Wetlands region. This is… weird. But, I have no choice. I must go this way.

 

As I start making my way along the path, the never-ending rain soaking my through, a voice hails me from the leftmost of a pair of glowing minarets, built into the banks of the river, almost like gateposts at the head of the bridge.

“Say, hey there! Young lady!”

I pause and look around.

“Up top! Above you!”

I incline my head upwards, and then hop back as a tall, red-skinned, fish-like individual somersaults off the top of the tower, landing in a perfect crouch, straightening up. The Zora looms over me, almost twice my height, his red, sharklike skin gleaming in the rain. He’s wearing a natty cravat, epaulets, belt and bracelets, with a sword sheathed at his hip.

“Pardon the entrance, but you’re a Hylian, aren’t you, milady?”

He throws his arms wide.

“I was hoping that perhaps you’d have a moment to talk.”

Leaning in a little, he nods.

“Aha! A Hylian! Yes, I knew it! Oh, pardon me. I am Sidon, the Zora prince!”

He grins, his sharp teeth glinting, as he raises a fist and pumps it in front of his chest in an exuberant fashion.

“And what is your name? Go on, please tell me!”

I curtsey. “My name is Linka, your highness!”

He starts. “Linka? Your name is Linka?! What a fantastic name! Hmm, though I cannot shake the feeling that I have heard one like it somewhere before… well, in any case, it is a wonderful name! To be honest, I’ve been watching you. I’ve seen the way you work. I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no simple travelling girl. Linka! You must be a great warrior amongst the Hylians, correct?!”

I blush. “That’s right…”

“Aha! Just as I suspected! I AM a Zora prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is simply unparalleled! Yes! Exquisite!”

He grins again, and I find myself warming to this genial, affably-forthright prince.

“I have been searching for someone like you for a long while. A woman like you, Linka, who carries herself with power! Right now, Zora’s Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta! Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, milady! Won’t you please come to Zora’s Domain with me?”

My eyes widen, and I stare up at prince Sidon. “I had a feeling this rain wasn’t natural, but… the Divine Beasts have such power they are even able to cause boundless rainfall… of course I will aid you, your highness!”

 

He throws his arms wide again. “Wow! Really?! Thank you, Lady Linka! You are indeed the woman I thought you were! Now Zora’s Domain will be saved for certain! Anyway, we have no time to waste! Because of the rain, the cliffs are too wet to climb. To reach the Domain, you will need to go straight along this path. As a Hylian, I know you are unable to swim upriver. As such, the path may be a bit treacherous. You likely have a tough fight in store- there are monsters up ahead that attack with electricity.”

 

With another exuberant gesture and another glinting smile, Prince Sidon declares, “Don’t give up! I believe in you!”

He then pauses. “Oh! That’s right! I have something that I would like to give you! This is just a small token to show that I have faith in you!”

He hands me a small bottle of thick yellow liquid.

“It is a drink that will increase your resistance to electricity! I am not sure why, but its effects do not seem to work for Zora. Perhaps because it was made specifically for Hylians. It should work wonders for you, though! I shall go on ahead and make sure nothing is amiss where you are headed. I’m counting on you!”

He backflips, turning fully three reverse somersaults, before jack-knifing into the water with a subdued ‘splash’.

 

I blink, and then turn towards the bridge. “Well, I guess I’m doing this. Wait for me, Mipha; I’m on my way…”

Crossing the bridge, I start my journey, the path at first following the curve of the river, before rising. True to the prince’s words, there are Lizalfos armed with shock arrows, but, thanks to Revali’s Great Eagle Bow and Sidon’s gift of the shock-resistance elixir, I dispatch each before they even get close enough, collecting any arrows they drop.

The rain is really starting to get on my nerves, and the rushing sound of the river flowing down beside the trail, the ground squelching underfoot. At one point, the path falls away, and I cross to the other side using a slab of rock bridging the river. A few metres on, I cross back using another slab, as the path reappears.

As I start to climb the path, its angle growing from level to a steeper incline, a voice hails me from my left.

“Hey! Lady Linka!”

Waving at me from the water is the Zora prince.

“Sorry for calling out to you from the river! Since I pressured you into coming, I was not sure you would really come through. I am pleased things are going well. Ever since this strange occurrence, there have been a LOT of monsters around here. Be careful as you proceed! And please, hurry! All of my fellow Zora are anxiously awaiting your arrival!”

He dives, and disappears into the water. It feels a little less lonely, knowing that there’s someone out there aiding me.  I focus on following the path, resolved to carry on and save Mipha. She’s always been more cautious than I or the rest of the Champions. Two miles of difficult trail later, and I’ve crossed over a rise, finding the river on the other side. Prince Sidon calls me again, waving.

“Over here! Sorry for hailing you from so far away! The domain is still a ways off, but you’re making good progress! I shall be along soon myself. I won’t be much longer! In the meantime, I shall be cheering you on from here in the river, so hang in there, Lady Linka! You can do it! Stay strong!”

I smile and nod, before he leaps, fishtailing in midair, and plunges back below the surface, vanishing in an instant. I can’t help but giggle, turning back to the path. A group of enemies blocks my way, and, with the rain, my bomb arrows are useless. Shock arrows would be good, but I doubt they’ll be effective in this situation. Drawing my sword, I charge in.

 

 

Half an hour later, I finally reach an actual bridge, made from some pale, almost luminous material. A splashing sound comes from my right, and I lean over the railings, smiling. “Hello, your highness!”

He waves. “You’re almost halfway to Zora’s Domain! There are a few spots up ahead with many enemies, but I’m sure you’ll be fine! I believe in you, Linka!”

He submerges again, and I start to laugh, properly. Across the bridge, I follow the path as it ascends towards a narrow trail through the rocky hill. Suddenly, a loud rumble breaks out, and I throw myself to one side, as a boulder rolls past, with another equally-large and a cluster of small rocks barrel past.  When I get to the passage, it’s blocked by a boulder so large, I have no hope of moving it. Luckily, I have Revali’s Gale!

With a swirl of wind, I shoot into the clouded air, simply choosing to go OVER the blockage, narrowly avoiding a hail of arrows. I furl my paraglider and begin battling my way along the route, unwilling to give any ground to the Lizalfos trying to claim this road as their territory.

 I lose count of how many I cut down, dancing through the rain, the arrows, and the blood-spray, trying to avoid getting my beautiful clothes dirty. Zel had these made for me, the least I can do is take care of them. A bridge spans the wide gap between the hill I’m standing, the river flowing past below, deep, wide, and fast.  Stepping out onto the bridge, I get almost the entire length of its gleaming white-stone surface, before I hear a by-now-familiar voice.

“Hey! Lady Linka! Look below, down here!”

I look down, and wave as I spot the red figure in the river. He calls up to me.

“You are still pretty far off, my friend! But I was sure you’d be passing over this bridge, so I have been waiting for you! You will be in Zora’s Domain before you know it! In fact, I’m going to head that way too! I shall meet you there- who! Linka! Beware, warrior!”