Champions of a Fallen Age

A Place to Call Home

Revali pulled the Slate out of the terminal and walked towards the edge of the tower. He had visited two towers that had been separated by a river and had downloaded the corresponding map data. While the quiet of his solo journey had been a relief, he wasn't ready to return to the others yet.

So, he chose to dive off the tower into the crumbling structure below.

It had caught his eye as he had been flying past. The typical, run of the mill ruins wasn't something he found particularly interesting, but this one was different. For starters, it was covered in destroyed Guardians. Even the small portions of the bridge that led over a crevasse were covered in the machines. The whole scene looked like the remnants of a war zone.

He flew through a section of the citadel that had been blown off, likely by a Guardian blast. The Rito touched down lightly and looked around. Weapons and shields lay scattered around, some whole and others shattered beyond repair. There were skeletons as well, broken and charred, scattered in unrecognizable heaps. Some lay in the center and some sat against the walls.

"What happened here?" he asked one of the skeletons at his feet.

"Well Birdbrain, this is where we all died after we led the Guardians away from all of you Champions." Revali nearly shot out of his feathers. He spun around quickly to find a Hylian with brown hair and green eyes giving him a boy-like smile.

"Who in Din's name are you?"

"Wow!" the Hylian exclaimed as he shook his head, "You really don't remember me? I suppose it would be odd for you to remember me when you were more concerned about how Link's existence damaged your ego," he finished thoughtfully.

"Who. Are. You?"

"Owen."

"Owen?"

"That's what I just said." Owen began waving his hand in front of Revali's eyes. "Is everything alright in there? Did your nap mess anything up well, more than it was before?"

"I'll have you know that there is nothing wrong with me! Nothing in the slightest!" Revali tried to push the Hylian back, but his hands went straight through the young man's chest. "What?"

"Wow, you must have really fried your brain if you didn't notice that I said I died here," Owen chuckled.

"Well, you're certainly cavalier for a dead man."

"What's the point in worrying when you're already dead?" Revali was quickly beginning to dislike Owen. His offhand manner was extraordinarily disrespectful.

"I don't have time for this."

"Fine, fine. I'll get to the point, but it involves doing me a favor."

"And if I- "

"There is something in it for you."

"Oh fine," Revali sighed, "I'm listening."

"I need you take something to Link."

"You do realize I'm not a messenger bird, right?"

"What? You mean that scarf doesn't make you a messenger pigeon?" Revali patience was receding faster than he ever thought possible.

"Whatever is in it for me had better be worth it."

"I'm sure you'll like it," Owen replied as he stepped over the decaying remains of his fallen brothers. "See this handsome guy right here?" he asked as he gestured to skeleton missing its right arm. "That's me, or what's left of me anyway."

"What does this have to do with your favor?" Revali asked nervously. He really didn't want to have to touch Owen's dead body.

"I need you to take this- " he muttered as he knelt down and unstrapped the shield that was attached to his remaining arm, "- to Link. I borrowed it after he fell."