by N Felts
wisdom.”
“Oh,” he starts, only just recalling Mai’s hatred of her siblings. “Why is she here?”
“She’s always held a close affinity with water. The Zora worshiped her once. She claims to be responsible for the order of nature. The very order meant to give men reason and compassion. The inherent laws of morality she claimed would allow all creatures to live in harmony,” she concludes with an irritable tone.
“So why are we always at war?” Rift asks, perplexed by the conflicting concepts.
“A lack of balance,” Mai sighs, clearly having been over this idea in her mind a thousand times. “Wisdom succumbs to power. Power falls in the face of courage. Courage concedes to wisdom. It sounds rational, but this order of life cannot persevere without a strict level of balance between the elements. No mortal creature is so pure, and so the balance is never properly in check,” she explains, seeming to reflect on the notion.
“That’s what you told her, I mean, in the beginning?” Rift asks, oddly pragmatic despite his level of understanding.
“Yes. She was arrogant, just as the others were, and now you see what has happened.”
“I think I understand,” he nods, turning from the statue to consider his options. On either side of the stage housing the altar, doors leading east and west seem to be the only paths available. A peculiar smell is climbing out of the eastern door, and the boy decides it’s probably the correct choice. “East, do you think?” He asks, still a long way from sounding significantly confidence.
“Yup, that’s what I was thinking,” she agrees with a chipper tone. “Let’s go.” A soft arm hooks around his own, and for just a moment, Rift forgets he is talking to a spirit. The carefree Mai leads him forward for a second before the arm dissipates and he is jogging into the next room with a sense of fellowship. Mai seems to become more and more real with every passing hour, evolving from a mere voice, into a tangible being. At this rate, Rift cannot help but wonder if he’ll be able to see her in the coming days. The next area is a seafood slaughterhouse. Several giant crabs lie awkwardly about the room, large lacerations riddling their formerly lively bodies. A large hole in the ground served as the entry point, but their ambush obviously ended poorly for them.
“Ulk, what are those?” Rift asks, holding an arm over his nose to block out the smell.
“That’s not good,” Mai mumbles to herself before answering. “Just a few less obstacles for us to have to worry about,” she shrugs, eager to keep moving. “Come on, we must be close now.” Reluctantly moving around the stagnant crustaceans, Rift makes his way through a curving hallway leading gradually down. Another intersection offers three options, but the lone door hanging open in the center advertises the obvious choice. Inside the small office is a wooden desk at the center and bookshelves lining the walls. The ample amount of dust and cobwebs make it quite clear the room hasn’t been utilized for some time. His curiosity peaked, Rift feels compelled to ask about the out of place features of the temple.
“This place used to be underwater right?”
“Mmhmm,” she responds, seemingly preoccupied with something.
“So what’s with all the books?”
“Oh!” She giggles, realizing what he’s getting at. “In a word, Hylians. A group of scholars tried to restore the temple once the Zora fled north. Obviously they gave up some time ago. More important things to be done with the drought and all.”
“Makes sense,” he nods, turning to leave the inconspicuous room.
“Wait, do you see that?” Mai points out. “The bookcase behind the desk.” Failing to notice anything out of the usual at first glance, upon further inspection Rift spots a faint gleam of sunlight from behind. Circling the desk and peering between the dusty racks, his eyes slowly adjust to the light and reveal a hidden room just beyond the small passageway. Sizing up the loaded shelves, the boy quickly determines it is far too heavy for him to move. Absently placing a hand on the frame, he sees his gauntlet as if it’s for the first time, remembering the power it has granted him. With a brief shake of his head, he chuckles at his own witlessness before gripping the smooth wood and bracing himself. With virtually no effort, he throws the entire bookcase into the shelves behind him, destroying both in the process. Staggered by his recently acquired strength once again, he initially fails to take notice of the room he has revealed, staring at his hands guiltily.
“Was that really necessary?” Mai sarcastically jeers, stifling a laugh.
“These are going to take some getting used to,” Rift admits, flexing his fingers while eyeing the accessories.
“Yeah,” she agrees, suddenly sounding disheartened.
“What is it?”
“I think we’re too late,” she sighs, prompting her companion to finally take notice of the room he’s uncovered. A very small passageway leads back outside via a small stone archway at the end. The exit remains partially concealed by a thick drape with a circular insignia of water droplets stitched upon it. Half of the curtain lies in a clump upon the steps descending into the sunlight, recently slashed diagonally to clear the passage through the hall. Moving down the steps, Rift finds himself in a deep ravine of stone and sand, the structure undoubtedly submerged as well in a distant memory. Several large columns rise high into the air at random intervals, each of them holding up nothing in particular. Trotting across the sandy floor of the pit, he spots more footprints moving to the center of the area with a steady stride. A high platform with a spiraling staircase carved into the bluish stone appears to be the destination of both Rift and the adventurer who seems to remain one step ahead of him. Rounding the stairs, Rift spots the inevitable, an empty chest hanging open at the platform’s center.
“Now what do we do?” The boy asks, his voice saturated with defeat.
“Don’t worry about it,” Mai assures with a carefree tone. “We didn’t need that thing anyway. I just didn’t want him to get it.”
“Who?”
“Farore’s disciple of courage. His name is Link.”
“Our enemy?” Rift asks, still uncomfortable with the idea of such alliances.
“Anyone who’ll help my sisters is our enemy,” Mai quickly asserts.
“Right,” Rift nods, though he remains unconvinced.
“It’s nothing to stress over,” she attempts to comfort, sensing his anxiety. “We didn’t come here looking for a fight. Come on, I want to show you something,” she urges, not wanting him to lose heart. Back down upon the sand, Rift finds himself deep in thought once again. Link. His enemy. How many foes has he created in exchange for a single friend? They didn’t come looking for a fight, but there will be confrontation in the future. What will he be fighting for? Survival? Pride? Hyrule?
“Drifting off into your own little world again?” Mai teases, annoyed by the lack of attention.
“Sorry,” Rift quickly apologizes, snapping out of the trance. The crisp feel of dry sand grabbing hold of his sandals for brief moments seizes his attention, and once more an uncharacteristic attention to detail provokes a question. “Did you see another way out of here?” He asks, stopping in his tracks for the moment.
“The only other way out would be up,” Mai observes, noting the two sets of footprints leading to the central pedestal and the single set trailing back. The seemingly random, but strategically placed pillars surrounding the central platform offer a path all the way up and out of the chasm for someone with the tool to utilize them.
“I was afraid you’d say that,” he smiles, resuming his trek back into the temple. Returning to the intersection inside, the curving hallway spans out before him while the remaining two doors rest on his immediate left and right. Opting for the left door reveals a larger room with several arching paths leading downward into sporadic pools of water far below. Glimmering white crystals submerged deep beneath the water’s surface project shuddering waves upon the domelike walls and ceiling. There is a calm and
captivating aura about the room, but the water below seems anything but inviting to Rift. A sudden series of splashes grabs his attention as several silhouettes rapidly close the distance over the bridges of stone and stalagmite. Taking a defensive stance and backing toward the door, he is immediately cut off by a pair of giant crabs smashing their way into the room. Their rock-hard shells are smooth along the top yet spikey along their circumference, while their massive pinchers are particularly threatening. His exit no longer an option, Rift moves deeper into the room to create some space between himself and his new antagonists.
“I don’t think they like us being here,” Mai nervously laughs.
“Yeah, I got that same feeling,” Rift agrees, now surrounded by the angry sea dwellers. Their thin legs stabbing at the ground like frantic typewriters, the crabs sway left and right, looking for an opening in the boy’s guard. Rift’s eyes dart from one ugly visage to the next, his head on a swivel, prepared for the inevitable attack from any direction. Suddenly, the crab to his left dips forward, its eyes wobbling as it lines up its target. Turning to engage, Rift is surprised when the offensive quickly turns defensive as the shellfish rapidly resets its footing and backs away.
“Right!” Mai shouts as the cowardly crustaceans ally lunges in from behind. Taken completely off