Rito Roost
The village was built atop small peaks above a windy chasm. Rito citizens were out and about, and much like Minish Village, worry was clear on their faces. Exploring the village wasn't a problem as Link could easily glide everywhere. He would keep his wings open so the wind could carry him upward, then fold his wings to sink back down. He first looked for a shop in search of a Red Potion. He purchased said potion and drank it to heal his wound from the previous fight.
The middle layer of the roost had a large building built into the cliffside, labeled 'The Bird Seed,' but it was guarded by the Murdo. Link decided to land in front of the entrance and ask, "Hey, what is this building?"
"Ah, pardon us, child. This is the, drinking bar!" replied one of the guards in the usual shady tone. "It is an establishment, specially made for drinking. I'm afraid you cannot come in, for there is an age limit. Perhaps, in your adult years, you can come to know the pleasures of drinking as well."
"Maybe you guys should serve milk or juice." Link remarked before flying elsewhere. Near the top of the roost was a tall building that seemed to be the Mayor's Roost. Link figured the mayor could answer his questions, but when Link entered, all he found was another Murdo.
"Hello, young Rito. Welcome to the, 'mayor's' place of residence. The mayor is away on, 'official' business, but if you have any questions, I will be happy to, lend my services."
"Do you know anything about a temple that's supposed to be on this mountain?"
"I know no such thing about a TEMPLE. Such a place does not exist, and could not exist! Oh, what a terrible time, to be an archaeologist."
Link sighed with annoyance and flew out of the house, landing on the rim of one of the hanging houses. "We won't get anywhere asking those clueless crows. …Excuse me, ma'am!" He approached a white-feathered woman. "Do you know anything about a temple in this area?"
"Hasn't anyone told you? The Murdo are banning all access to the temple. They even captured Medoh because only she knows the song to enter the temple. I hope they're treating her well, the poor thing…"
"Where are they holding Medoh, anyway? Where's their hideout?"
"The Bird Seed. What used to be our favorite restaurant. Ever since the Murdo took over, they've only allowed their own inside. Sigh…and topped with the terrible weather we've been having, we may end up having to move."
"Hold onto that thought for now." Link flapped up to a house partway above the Bird Seed. He noticed a boulder jutting out of the cliff above its walkway. He readied an Earth Arrow and loosed, breaking the wall below the boulder as it fell and crashed onto the walkway. The Murdo jumped to attention and crept over to investigate. During this distraction, Link glided down to the entrance and snuck into the restaurant. (Play "Murder on the Owl Express" from Hat in Time.)
Stage 6: The Bird Seed
Mission: Find the Murdo Boss.
The inside of the bar had dull lighting, giving the place a rather gray atmosphere where the black-feathered bodies of the Murdo blended in rather well. The glow of their white eyes were rather eerie in this dimness. Most of them were still and somber, and didn't seem to pay Link any mind. The young hero chose to approach the bartender. "Why, hello, fellow law-abiding Rito. It is, so great, to legally have you in this humble establishment. Is there a particular, 'beverage' I can get for you, today?"
"No, thanks. I wanna speak to the boss of this bar. Could you direct me to him?"
"Ah, yes, the BOSS. That has always been a favorite drink of mine, being the law-abiding Rito that I am. I shall return with your BOSS momentarily." The bartender turned and began studying his array of drinks, searching for the drink that possibly didn't exist.
Link figured it was pointless to wait for him, so he explored the bar some more. There was a back door being guarded by a Murdo, and when Link approached him, the guard said, "Tell me, fellow Rito, are you a fan of cooking? I happen to enjoy cooked foods very much. There is no finer feeling than burning the remains of organic matter, and then devouring it. Pray tell, do you have a favorite form of cooked matter?"
"Uh…my grandma's soup."
"Yes, I see. SOUP is a splendid preference in the cooking category. However, you may want to watch how much SOUP you eat. I heard it can make Rito very gaseous."
"Okay? So, what's in that door you're guarding?"
"This is, um, our supply of SOUP. I cannot allow you to enter, in order to spare you of the gaseous problem I have described earlier."
"You people are weird."
Link talked to a few more Murdo. One of them asked if he had a pet, to which he answered with SEAGULL. Another asked if he had any phobias, so Link answered with OCTOS.
He didn't find anything else distinct, so he entered a restroom. A Murdo standing at the sink was alerted to him. "Ah, fellow Rito! You must beware if you choose to venture outside this bar. I heard a rumor that a swordsman was lurking in the mountains, and I heard he loves to BATTLE with said sword. Ahh, rumors are curious things, no? They travel around so fast, and yet no one knows their origin. Why, I once heard a rumor that one of the Rito in the bar is a big fan of darts. If someone throws a dart at the board, he'll grow completely distracted and want to participate in the activity."
"Hm…interesting." Link returned to the bar and noticed a dartboard on the wall. He got a fair distance away and launched an arrow at the board.
The Murdo standing guard at the back door rushed over to Link excitedly. "Ohhh!! Are you a fan of darts, fellow Rito?! I have been in love with darts for the longest time! Why, I would confess that it tops my interest in cooking! I would love to challenge you to a darting contest, fellow Dart Fan. Let me just find my special kit." He hurried behind the bar counter and started searching.
Ayri leapt out and pointed, "Link, he left his post! This may be our chance to search more of the restaurant."
"Yep, that was kind of the intention." Link said, quickly entering the unguarded door before the Murdo came back.
Link was in a passage with a carpet and a few doors. The hall would curve right after a short distance, but Link saw a Murdo come up from the right, and he appeared to be patrolling. The hero hid behind a desk to avoid being spotted. He noticed a high shelf with a vase above the spot where the Murdo would stop. Link tossed his boomerang to hit the shelf's support and break it, causing the vase to fall on the Murdo's head and KO him. Around that corner, there was a locked door.
Link searched one of the other doors and entered a small closet. He saw a broom leaning against the wall near a rope on a hanger, and that was beside a stairway of nails to a shelf. Link became a Minish to go up the broomstick, cross the rope, and climb the nails. Atop the shelf, Link found a Small Key. He pushed it off the shelf, then dropped down to revert to normal. He took the key to open the door, entering a billiards room. The Murdo hadn't noticed him, but a guard was based at a stairway to the upper level.
Behind Link was a ladder to an upper platform. There were small drafts of wind being generated by the ceiling fans. Link became a Rito to glide along the draft, going unnoticed by the Murdo as he landed on the upper level of the room. A Murdo was guarding a staircase to a door, but that door had a peg sticking out above it. Link used his boomerang to connect that peg to another peg on the floor. He could balance up the energy rope and go into the door without the Murdo noticing. Link entered another bar with a curtained stage. There were several conversing Murdo at the tables, plus two Murdo on the stage.
"And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for!" announced one of the stage Murdo. "Flap your feathers in the air for the Bird Seed's main attraction: Mystical Medoh!" The curtains opened, revealing a 16-year-old Rito girl with white feathers, brown hair in a ponytail, and a pink gown that was somewhat revealing.
The Murdo were cawing with excitement as Medoh began to perform an exotic dance, but Link could tell from her distraught expression that she was not enjoying herself. All the crows seemed to be distracted by her dance, and the only lights were the two spotlights shining on her. Link could climb up onto one of the back tables that had no one sitting. From here, he could leap to the top of a bookshelf, and was now high enough to glide through the ceiling fans' updraft in his Rito form. He could hover high enough for the Murdo not to notice, and was level with the spotlights. By flying toward the lights and doing an Aerial Spin, Link destroyed the spotlights.
The bar was completely darkened, the Murdo searching around in panic. "What happened to the lights?! This better not be the work of a nasty OCTOS!"
"Master Link, Medoh is being taken backstage!" Ayri pointed, her digital eyes able to see in the darkness. Link followed her instruction and landed on the stage, sneaking into the door and watching as the guards directed Medoh into a life-size birdcage.
"There appears to be something wrong with the lights. Wait here until we can rectify the problem. I hope nobody has dropped their SOUP."
Link hid inside a barrel as the Murdo returned outside. Once they were gone, Link cautiously approached the prisoner. "Are you okay?"
Medoh gasped, reactively giving a brief, but forceful flap of her wings. "K…Ko'an?! Is that really you?"
"Um…no, actually, I'm not Ko'an. My name's Link." He removed the Rito mask and reverted to human form.
"Link? Wait, who are you? Why did you look like Ko'an?"
"It's… That's a lot to explain, but I'm here to rescue you. Put this Minish Cap on and I'll be able to put you in this bottle." He handed her the cap in question.
"Um…okay?" Medoh was confused by his logic, but upon placing the cap on, she screamed as she shrank to Minish form. Link held his empty bottle ready to catch her.
"Heh heh. Sorry for scaring you! But this should make getting you out a bit easier."
"Ha ha! The lights have been fixed! Now, let us resume entertainment!" Hearing the Murdo coming back, Link quickly exited through another door. The Murdo jumped at seeing the empty birdcage. "WHAT THE-?! Mystical Medoh has escaped?!"
"She can't have gone far! Hurry and find her!"
Link was inside a dressing room, but the only way out appeared to be through a small tunnel that acted as a vent. There were three stools, so he set one under the vent, another one on top of it, and one beside them to serve as stairs. With them, he could climb up to the vent and haul himself inside. The inside of the vent was dark, but the Sheikah Slate could provide a flashlight. After making a few turns, he found the exit, dropping out of the tunnel to a platform outside.
They were within a narrow trench area. Link saw a cracked part on the cliff to his left and used the Earth Arrow to blow it open, allowing a draft to blow out. He used his Rito form to glide partway across the canyon, but when he saw another incoming cracked wall, Link had to quickly draw his bow in midair and blow it open to create the next draft. He then had to shoot down boulders falling from above, then blow open another draft that would carry him to a safe platform.
Link opened the bottle to let Medoh out. Under his instruction, she took off the Minish Cap and returned to normal. "I think we lost them for the time being. Anyway… I have some bad news about your friend, Ko'an. He… I think he's dead."
"D-Dead?!" Medoh gasped.
"The Murdo had him tied to a peak to be struck by lightning. I tried to save him, but it was too late. And, after that, I basically played a magic song that sealed his soul inside this mask." Link pulled off the Rito Mask. "It allows me to transform into him."
"K-Ko'an is… I don't believe it!" Medoh began sobbing. "He was such a sweet boy! How could they do that to him?! Why?! It…it's all my fault. It's all because he tried to save me…"
"Hey, it's okay." Link held her arm in comfort. "I don't think he would blame you. I know this sounds weird, but when I wear his mask… I can kind of get a look at his feelings. Ko'an really cared about you, and he only wants you to be safe from the mafia. I don't know what their problem is, but I'm gonna drive them off this mountain!"
"But how? There's far too many of them."
"Then I'll just beat up the boss and scare them into submission."
"Beat up the boss?! But when Ko'an tried to fight him, he was-"
"Well, now Ko'an has me to help him, and believe me, beating up bosses is my specialty." Link placed the Rito Mask back on and stared up at her with Ko'an's passionate eyes. "I'm gonna make the boss pay for everything he did to you!"
Medoh couldn't help but blush at his resolve. Even though he was a different person… those eyes radiated with Ko'an's soul. He felt and sounded just like her young friend. "…I think if you keep following this path, you'll find another entrance to the Bird Seed. It should get you closer to the boss. …Promise me you'll come back safely."
"I will. Don't worry, I fought plenty worse things than this." With a smile of assurance, Link spread his wings and let himself fly along the next draft. He landed on a platform, and he saw a further, higher platform with a door. It was too high to glide to, but Link could use the boomerang to connect an energy rope between a stalagmite on his platform with one on the left cliff. At first, it didn't seem to help, but Link was able to bounce up and down on the rope to gain altitude. At his highest point, he could glide over to the high platform and enter the door.
Link was in a lounge where two Murdo were on a couch, faced away from him, and another was examining a bookshelf in the opposite corner. The couch was facing a coat-hanger where a key was hanging. "I do enjoy admiring our coat-hanger. There is not a more refreshing feeling than seeing our garb suspended in the air."
"Me either, fellow Murdo accomplice. I sure hope nobody changes the direction of our couch, or else we will have to make the effort to stand up and twist it back."
"I do not believe I have the energy to manage such a feat, fellow Murdo."
Link smirked with disbelief and began to push against the right side of the couch's back. The couch rotated, despite the Murdos' weight, and they were too lazy to look back and see what was happening. Link was able to swipe the key from the hanger, then he pushed the couch back into position so he could open the locked door without them noticing. Link was now inside an audience chamber, where a murder of Murdo appeared to be gazing at a large blueprint of… himself? He was labeled as 'The Transforming Kid,' and there was another image of his Minish self.
"Whoever this mysterious individual is, they are most certainly not a fellow Rito."
"I heard they are a Sheikah experiment that has gone horribly wrong. Why else would our fellows at the Yiga be so adamant on his capture?"
"I heard that he possesses the same powers as the masked child. Perhaps he is a close relative of hers on a mission to stop her?"
Although Link was creeped by the fact they were making theories about him, at least it seemed to keep them preoccupied. There were more ceiling fans creating updrafts, so Link went up a short staircase on his left to get high enough to float in the drafts. There was a balcony up on the right side of the room, and it had a sealed door with two switches. Link saw two vases on shelves above the Murdo. He could use his Rito talons to grab and lift the vases, carefully carrying them up to the balcony to be set on the switches. With both switches held down, Link could enter the next room.
He was staring up at an ominous stairway leading up to a single door. There were small searchlights skimming along the base of the railing. Since Link's Rito form could hover briefly, he used that technique to jump the lights on his way up the stairs. Once up, Link was free to enter the door. (End song.)
Link was inside a dark, glum office where the light shone dimly from the opposite window. The light was partially blocked by a large chair. Link could already feel a presence behind the chair. "…Your beverage is ready." said a voice from the chair.
"Huh?" Link gasped from the sudden acknowledgement.
"Your beverage. You ordered a glass of BOSS, did you not? Please, take your beverage."
Link noticed the glass on the desk. Cautiously, he approached the desk and took the glass. Inside was some kind of orange liquid. "Sniff, sniff. It's just juice."
"But it's the last act of kindness you'll ever see." The chair rotated, exposing the obese Murdo that occupied it. His black feathers were heavily ruffled and his pale eyes cast a sharp glare over Link.
The transformed Rito leapt back in fright, his wings armed. "You must be the boss!"
"That's right… and you done crossed the line when you picked a fight with me. You shoulda been a good boy and accepted your execution… but now, I'm going to double your punishment. For your insolence… I'm going to kill your pet SEAGULL before your very eyes!" The boss pulled out a cardboard Cucco and cocked a gun at it.
". . ." Link was truly at a loss for words. "Um…that's neither a seagull… nor my pet… nor is it even real."
"You've got a cold heart, Mister, eh… Ko'an, was it? I could use a boy like you in my ranks."
"What are you trying to do, anyway?! Why aren't you letting anybody into the temple?"
"I wouldn't expect you to understand the plight of our people. We Murdo do not thrive well under sunlight, y'see? We hail from the Twilight Realm and live alongside the Twili. The Summer Maiden controls all the light that gives life to Termina, but her light was so bright that it drained our people of our strength. We were outcasts alongside the Twili, forced to live under the dim light of the Twilight Realm. That is, until the masked girl approached us. She planted a curse on the Summer Maiden inside her own temple and created an eternal storm. Thanks to her, we were able to survive in this world, and all she asked in return was that we keep the temple sealed. Understand, chum? We ain't lettin' anybody rescue the Summer Maiden. Not that girl, and not you."
"So, you just wanted to be part of the outside world? 'Cause I kind of stopped caring after you tried to kill Ko'an and forced Medoh into servitude! You really pissed me off and you're gonna pay!"
"You picked the wrong crow to mess with, brat. We'll see you talk a big game after I dislocate your beak!" (Play "Mini-boss" from Majora's Mask!)
Sub-boss: Boss of the Murdo, MUR DON
The Mur Don flapped his large wings and flew to the ceiling of the office. Link anticipated his attack and braced himself, dodging when the boss swooped down and tried to impale him with his talons. Link tried to shoot arrows, but the boss's girthy body seemed impervious, and he would dodge the boomerang. "Hey, Ayri, analyze this guy!"
"Link, this guy is Mur Don! He's the leader of the Murdo who occupied Rito Roost. He has a very thick build for such a fluffy-looking bird, so he can absorb any attacks from the front. But it looks like his rear is softer than the rest of his body. Also, because he's so heavy, he needs a second to recover after performing an attack. It's kinda dark in here, so make sure you don't lose sight of him."
Link waited for Mur Don to swoop down again, dodging and shooting an arrow at his rear. The Rito flinched and dropped to the floor. He stretched his wings and performed a spin attack, sending Link against the wall. The hero resumed dodging as the Don pursued him with spin attacks, going too fast for Link to land a shot on the rear. Link looked around for anything that could help, and he spotted the head of a horned Bullbo mounted on the wall. Link used the boomerang to link a rope between the Bullbo and Mur Don's wing while he was recovering from a spin. When the Don spun again, he yanked the Bullbo off the wall, causing its tusk to jab him in the eye. Mur Don stopped in place to rub his eyes, so Link reverted to human form and struck his sword against the feathery rear.
"OOF! So, you're the Transforming Boy we've been warned about. You can change into a Rito, but I bet you can't fly like us!" The boss dove backward and smashed through the office window. Link jumped after him, landing in a field enclosed in a gorge. The ground was cracked, and there was a torch beside a small platform. Mur Don was high in the air, holding his gun in talons as he tried to shoot Link. As Link defended with his shield, he observed the cracked ground. When Mur Don took a moment to reload his gun, Link was able to shoot the ground with Earth Arrows. This allowed wind drafts to blow up from beneath. Link assumed his Rito form and flew up in the drafts, getting level with Mur Don.
The boss kept shooting as Link used aerial maneuvers to dodge, and when he had to reload his gun, Link dove at him with a Torpedo Spin, ramming the Don with such force that he dropped the gun. Mur Don flew away from Link and tried to attack with Torpedo Spins as well, but after a few dodges, Link quickly drew his bow and shot his rear. Mur Don frantically shook his tail feathers to relieve the pain, but because his guard was lowered, Link dealt a Torpedo Spin to knock him out of the air. Link quickly followed him to the ground, removed his mask, and slashed the rear up once more.
"Very well. Since you don't seem to care for the fate of your SEAGULL, you won't mind if I use it against you!" Mur Don drew the cardboard Cucco and held it like a shield. Link was unable to cut through the shield, and Mur Don made sure to keep facing Link. It was then Link recalled the nearby torch beside the platform. Link got Mur Don lined up with that torch and backed up towards it. The hero then back-flipped onto the platform and quickly shot an arrow through the torch, the arrow catching fire as it struck the Cucco shield and set it aflame. Mur Don panickingly tried to stomp out the fire, but Link was able to get behind him and land one final, forceful jump attack. (End song.)
"UWUUUHH!" Mur Don was flung into the air from the spiking pain, flipping upside-down and crashing beak-first against the earth. "Oof…you were a real pain in my tuckus, kid… What business do you have mucking up my business, anyway? What did we ever do to you?!"
"I already told you, you just piss me off. Why would you want to live in the Light World if you're just going to terrorize the people in it?"
"'Cause your people don't appreciate the light you have. Your people think of us as monsters, all because we live in the shadows. So, ask yourself… are you really that different from us?"
"Well, if a Murdo came to me and genuinely wanted to be my friend, I would probably say 'yes.' Unfortunately, you in particular just aren't my type. So, good night." Link bashed the boss in the head with his shield and knocked him out.
"Liiiink!" The hero looked above to see Medoh fly over the gorge wall, landing beside him. "You actually defeated him! You're incredible!" She squeezed the boy in a hug to express her gratitude.
"Ahhh!" Link blushed. "Heh heh… it's too early to celebrate; the Murdo are still occupying the mountain. But if what he said is true, then if we save the Summer Maiden, she'll be able to restore light to the land and weaken the Murdo. Afterwards, you'll be able to drive them off the mountain for good."
"Something has happened to the Summer Maiden?"
"Yeah, did I forget to mention? I'm actually on a mission to save the Four Maidens who were cursed. The reason this mountain was trapped in a storm was because the maiden was cursed. And I heard you know how to enter the Sun Temple."
"Oh, yes. You have to play a special song on my harp… but, Ko'an still had it after I was captured."
"The harp… You mean this one!" Link put the Rito Mask back on, and after transforming, he presented the harp.
"That's it! Follow me; we can access the temple from the top of this peak." Medoh flew up a rather tall peak on the other side of the field.
Of course, since Link couldn't fly up the same way, he relied on the series of updrafts blowing out of small ledges around and up the peak. The clouds seemed to circle directly above the top of the peak, as if it were the eye of the storm. Link met Medoh at the top. "You probably already noticed," she said, "but Ko'an could never fly very well. He always needed the wind to carry him."
"Yeah, I noticed. Too bad 'cause I could've sure cheated a lot of puzzles this way."
"Hehe, yeah. Anyway, let me show you how to play the song."
"Uh…" Link blushed as she got behind him and held his hands, guiding them in playing the harp. His heart was racing from the physical interaction, and he could feel strong emotions in his chest. It wasn't that Link himself felt attracted to Medoh, but it was probably Ko'an's feelings reacting with him.
If Link were using the Wind Waker, he would have to move the baton Right, Down, Up, Right, Down, Up, Right, Left, Up. After Medoh finished guiding his fingers, he repeated the song on the harp: Do-do-doo! Do-do-doo! Do-do-doooooo!
The performance of the Sun's Song caused the clouds to stir until the very center opened. A great, golden light shone from the top of the shaft, and a great ray pierced through, burning against the peak. To Link, it seemed like a grander version of the rays of light that would lift him out of temples or caves. "The Sun Temple floats in the clouds thousands of feet above the mountains. You'll need that song to help you through the temple, or so I heard. I'm going to return to the village to make sure the Murdo don't hurt anybody."
"Good idea. You won't have to worry about them for long. By the end of this day, the sun will return to the sky!"
"But… by the end of the day, the sun will have gone down."
"Well, the moon is equally important! One way or the other, you will have a clear sky again!"
"Ha ha ha! I believe in you, Ko'an—I mean… Link."
"Ha ha! You can call me what you like~" With bright spirits, Link walked into the center of the light. He squinted his eyes as he faced directly up at the light. He felt his body ascending through the clouds and to the temple in the heavens.