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The Champions Ballad

Uwu_Oocoo2

Joy is in video games and colored pencils
ZD Legend
Forum Volunteer
So, having completed the BotW Champions Ballad DLC I was really fascinated by the different aspects of the champions that weren't inherently obvious in the original cutscenes. So I decided (even though I suck at writing) to try and write an inflection piece on each champions, really trying to get inside their thoughts and feelings, aka not a ton of action. So if you like boring and poorly written fiction, here ya go. I started with Revali because he seems the more interesting of the champions to me, but I eventually want to do one for each of them.

“Recall Medoh’s Champion of flight, before he fell to his fateful plight.
Revali’s feat was a wonder to see, so the princess made her plea.”

Revali glared down at Rito village. It was a little cold by Dronoc’s Pass, but it was nothing an esteemed archer such as himself couldn’t handle. While the Rito were more adapted to the chilling bite of Hebra Mountain air than other species, it was still rather uncomfortable. He shivered and turned his attention back to his project. Following his victory in the most recent archery competition, the village leader had decided to allow the construction of his very own flight range. The naturally strong updraft made this the perfect location for him to continue his training. He had already mastered every skill he could from regular means. But perhaps this range would allow for him to enhance his skills even farther, beyond what any other Rito had even dreamed possible. Sadly, it would have to wait. As the sky grew dark, the Hebra freeze grew sharper and seemed to stab beneath his feathers. With an exasperated sigh, Revali lifted off towards the village where could rest until morning. Perhaps tomorrow they could begin construction. Urgh, yet another night of waiting. This really was not meeting his performance expectations.
Revali soared around the flight range, nodding his head in approval. Every detail had been executed perfectly, almost exceeding his hopes. A large crevice dove into the earth, formed in a ring around a central pillar. There was a small pond of water at the bottom to break the fall of any clumsy flyers, although with the strong updraft it was nearly impossible. Every gust filled his wings with air and helped to shove him aloft. It also managed to support him as he took aim with his bow, until he was able to do it quickly enough as not to need it anymore. The place was simply perfect, both for the weakest of flyers with the littlest of wings and for experts of aerial precision such as himself. He landed gracefully at the bottom of the ravine, and glanced up at the sky far above. This place would also prove perfect for creating the ultimate aerial maneuver, one that may prove impossible, even for someone as accomplished as himself. He crouched low to the ground and closed his eyes, feeling the draft though his wingtips. He tried to support himself on that bit of wind, shoving his body into the air with a sudden twist to build his momentum. Almost immediately the wind scraped roughly against his body in exactly the wrong direction, breaking his balance and shoving him back towards the ground he came from. He thudded with a wince, suddenly grateful for that protective pond to break him fall. He would master this, he had to. It was only a matter of time before he had perfected it, like every other aerial skill. He would be the best flyer the Rito had ever seen. It would just take a little time, that's all.
Revali scowled as he sat by his cabin fire. The little outpost overlooking his flight range seemed to be the only place he could find solitude lately. He had decided to open his range to the village children, so they could learn to fly smoothly and swiftly. They would never be as good as him, of course, but it did seem to strengthen their skills more than just fluttering about the village within their parents line of sight. And he had to admit, if only to himself, that their constant chatter was becoming rather endearing. They would spend their breaks between flying asking him questions about how he had managed to become the “bestest archer ever”. It was almost like his own pint sized fan club. And he needed those breaks too. Every attempt to perfect his aerial technique ended in some sort of crash, despite his devotion to its mastery. Rito parents were beginning to show concern when they dropped off their children each day, to find him bandaged and bruised. But Revali wouldn’t let them see his discomfort, or to know of his project until it had reached perfection. He had to be a strong example for them, because he was of course the strongest Rito. What would they think, to see him fail time and time again? Why, they may begin to doubt his natural superiority, which was something he simply could not allow. If it meant avoiding avoiding them for a short while, so be it. Failure was not an option.
Revali shaved his bow, pondering the day's events. In a rare moment of solitude he attempted his flight technique, which he had spent weeks working to near perfection. He finally understood that there didn’t need to be any strong gust to toss him skyward, but that even the smallest of breezes could be filtered through his wingtips, and pulled into the direction he needed it. With a sudden spin he harnessed and shaped it into a sharp funnel, acting as an updraft that could be summoned at any time. He surged through the center of the gale, thrown upwards as though no effort was required for the execution of it. In a moment of self confidence he became sloppy and his wing grazed the outside edge of the funnel, dismantling any sense of balance and ripping the feathers from his wings. With a sharp cry he was slammed back to the earth, banging his head roughly against the stone beneath him. As he pulled himself up he noticed the princess of Hyrule standing there, observing quietly. He silently cursed himself for not anticipating her arrival. There seemed to be some great calamity threatening their land of Hyrule, and Princess Zelda was thoroughly convinced that they needed Revali’s help in order to prevent it. Which made sense, considering his immense skill in aerial combat. He had been anticipating her offer for weeks, and when she had finally asked he opted to make her sweat it out, inclining to ponder the offer for a bit. He had not expected her to return so soon, however. He composed himself as though nothing had happened, and even went as far as to show off some of his advanced archery techniques to overshadow his unfortunately witnessed failure. He half expected Zelda to withdraw her offer, if she assumed he was not as talented as he was leading them to believe. But there was something in her eyes… almost as if she had seen something familiar, something that brought her sadness. Whatever was going on in that royal head of hers, he made sure to agree quickly before she could even consider changing her mind. He knew that he was the perfect candidate for fighting off the calamity, and he was eager to prove himself in that manner. To be one of the select four chosen to save Hyrule, why, soon everyone would have heard of him. To be a hero, even if it meant having to cooperate with the other three champions, whomever they may be, would be well worth the ensuing fame. Finally he could have the glory he had worked so hard to earn, and obviously deserved for his amount of skill. If there was one thing that could’ve made him decline, it would have to be Link.
Revali glared across the room at Link, wishing he was anywhere else. The Princess had brought Link with her on their visit to Rito village, so they could discuss their plans to stop the calamity. Link’s presence was simply grating, and Revali decided to take it as a personal insult to his status. This… this boy, this pathetic knight, was the one chosen to fight Calamity Ganon himself. He seemed small, barely capable of speaking, much less slaying evil. Apparently he was a rather accomplished knight, having bested the strongest of soldiers at a young age and weilding a mythical sword capable of sealing darkness itself. But no matter how much Revali tilted his head and squinted his eyes, he couldn’t see it. The fact that he was shoved into a supporting role, while this Hylian knight took the victory was humiliating, not to mention asinine. He had not met the other champions, and was still certain he was stronger than all of them combined. But just because Link had some supposed magic sword, he was automatically the most beloved and important member of the group. He had probably never done a single thing to earn such a title. Which reminded him, Revali finally figured out the cause of that sadness he saw in Zelda’s eyes when she had happened upon his practice session. As it turns out, she was supposed to be capable of unleashing some strong sealing magic that would be crucial in stopping the calamity. But so far, all of her attempts to harness it had ended in failure. When she saw him crash, she must have assumed him to be having trouble unlocking his destiny as well. Which was, without a doubt, absolutely false. Sure Revali had some mishaps along his road to perfection, but that didn’t make him a failure. It wasn’t easy to become the most accomplished archer of the Rito, and it seemed even the Princess of Hyrule wasn’t as perfect as him. But having been caught in a moment of such weakness, he would have to work even harder than ever to show his talent that should have been inherently obvious. And to have Link’s eyes inspecting him made things so much worse. He excused himself from the meeting, wishing he could spend the remainder of the day gliding around his flight range, enjoying the sweet solitude. But later that day he was finally going to unveil his mastered flight technique to the other Rito. He had devoted months to practice, and he was finally to perfect it. He was ready to reveal his masterpiece to the others, so they could finally see just how talented he had become.
Revali crouched, feeling the slightest breeze beneath his wings. He was quite aware of the many eyes watching him as he tried to focus. His time had come, and he refused to let this moment end in anything other than success. He vaulted into the sky suddenly, resulting in the awed gasps of the Rito below. The wind pulled up into a vortex around him, carrying him higher and higher into the sky, much faster than any Rito had dreamed possible. His excitement soared along with him as he tucked his wings in to avoid the edges of the funnel. He twisted and pulled out of his updraft, staying within the formation he had expertly conceived. Now was his moment to shine. He swooped low, pulling his bow from his back talons and arming it in one swift move. Time seemed to slow as he pulled back the string, and let his arrows fly. He landed gently, just as his arrows hit their intended targets. Six synchronized explosions, precisely placed along a nearby cliff face, were exactly what he needed to push the audience over the edge. The Rito rose, bursting in excited applause. To see that his work had finally paid off was an amazing feeling. He glanced over at his royal visitors. Zelda had a fascinated smile, and even the stone faced Link managed to look amazed. Revali breathed deeply, and a proud grin began to spread across his face. The applause around him seemed to drive away his anxiety in one swoop. Not that he was nervous, he obviously knew he would succeed. He just didn’t know if they would recognize the amount of skill and work that was required to pull off such a feat. But as he looked at their faces, he could see their amazement showing through. He was finally, unquestionably, the most accomplished flyer and archer the Rito had ever known.
Revali leaned over the side of the gazebo along the edge of Hyrule castle. Following his initiation ceremony, he was gifted a special garb and the official title of champion. The other three champions, as well as Zelda and Link, were all gathered in the gazebo. He had to admit, they weren’t as terrible as he originally assumed. He could see how each of them had managed to reach this position, although he was obviously still the most talented of them. He would never share any of these thoughts with them, though. He still had his pride to preserve. But with him on their side, they should have no trouble stopping this calamity menace threatening Hyrule. It was just a matter of diligence.
 

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