Sore. That was all Link felt as he rode on Epona around the large plateau that was the home of Lon Lon Ranch, his shield resting heavily on his back as the moon shined full overhead. It had been several months since his adventures in Termina, and since that time he had gained a lot of experience during his time within the Lost Woods, eventually leaving with the aid of a fairy he had found shortly after his adventure in Termina. Right now, however, he had been trying to find something to do in living his life. He had initially wanted to join the Hylian soldiers, and even went to enlist with them, but they laughed when they saw that he was still only eleven, making him have to go and try to find a place to actually stay at. He had lived one final year in the Kokiri Forest, staying in his old home with Saria and the other Kokiri before he finally left the village, now spending his time traveling the land and dealing with the monsters that appeared. With how it looked, however, it seemed he would need to return to the Kokiri and stay for a while longer, at least until he'd be old enough to work in Hyrule…

As he made his way towards Lake Hylia to rest, he heard a large flapping overhead, causing him to look up to find a black mass zoom past him, clicking his heels to ride after it. 'What kind of creature is that?' Link thought, his own mind moving through the one's he knew as Epona jumped over one of the walls that had covered the plains. As he rode, he noticed the feathers on the mass becoming clearer in the moonlight, the shape now taking the form of a bird as it slowed down and landed upon a tree facing him, revealing a large owl as Link slowed Epona down to a trot. "It's been two years since you've been here, Link." Came the owl as Link stopped the horse in front of the tree, his face smiling as he looked at the familiar owl he had met during his time attempting to save Hyrule.

"Kaepora, I'm glad to see that you're still alive." Link spoke as he looked up at the owl, his own gaze overlooking the owl's feathers. Over the time he had last saw the owl, the birds feathers had remained unchanged, save for one that held a slight silver outlining that rested directly under the bird's beak. "So how has Hyrule been since I left it?"

"After you left Ganondorf returned to his home in the desert, and there hasn't been a sound from the Gerudo outside of small raids of the people around them for the past two years." Kaepora spoke, making Link's hands squeeze the reigns, remembering the King of Thieves and his time in the future. "It's almost eerily quiet over there when I flew overhead, too, oddly enough."

"Knowing what I do of Ganondorf, he's sure to be planning something…" Link spoke, his gaze soon moving down to Epona as the horse looked up at him. In the future timeline she was supposed to be given to Ganondorf as a gift from Ingo, and would've been too if he hadn't beat the man in a race and rode off with her. Along with this, the castle town had been destroyed and invested with the undead, and countless things were corrupted when Ganondorf had taken the Triforce of Power and proclaimed himself the King of Evil. Link then shook his head, silently reminding himself that that was no longer the future now as he looked up to the owl again. "So why have you come here?"

"I noticed you leaving the town with an enlistment form in you hand, despite what the soldiers had said to you before hand." Kaepora spoke, making Link flinch as he looked down at the reigns again. Though the men had told him no, he had snuck one of the papers from the desk while some of them were preoccupied with a rowdy man who had been shouting about the weakening of the Hylian guard, a veteran from the Hyrulean Civil War which claimed the lives of Link's parents, as he had discovered. "You've already dealt a devastating blow to Ganondorf, you've stopped him from ever entering the Sacred Realm through the Temple of Time for the moment, and have even prevented him from gaining the full power of the Triforce by claiming the Triforce of Courage. "

"How do you know about- right, you're the reincarnation of Rauru." Link spoke, remembering what he had learned from the Gossip stone near the forest temple, of Kaepora being the reincarnation of a sage. Rauru, the Sage he had met when he had drew the master sword and was sent forward seven years, was the only sage he had never met in his time as a child during his adventures, plus he saw more and more of Rauru's features when he looked at Kaepora. Link then leaned back in his saddle, placing his hands back to hold him there while Epona turned her head to look at him. "I don't know why I wasn't allowed to join simply because of my age, I've beaten all kinds of monsters and enemies that they would've never seen."

"But all they see is a child, not the hero of destiny." Kaepora responded, making Link look up at him, his mind cringing at the reminder. Though he had enough fights to make him a veteran, it meant nothing since he was still only a child compared to all the people around him. Kaepora then let out a noise that Link could guess was a chuckle, before his gaze looked back down at him. "If you truly want to find a better way to protect the people, and in a way that allows you more freedom rather than simply roaming the land, I can point you to a person who could allow you to gain that opportunity."

To that Link's ears perked up, soon sitting straight at attention as he placed his hands at the front of the saddle, raising him higher up. "There's a person who can help me?" Link asked as he looked at the owl, who once again made a chuckling sound. Despite all the things Link had done, Kaepora could still see that the boy was still a child at heart. "Is he like how I met you in the Sacred Realm?"

"In a sense." Kaepora spoke, his gaze looking down at Link as the boy looked up in wonder. "Back in the time before the Civil War had weakened this land, he led the Knights of Hyrule, a clan who intertwined their soldiers with the war so well that the group is considered legend by many as of now. During his time he had taken many feats, some of which could be considered even more difficult than the obstacles you had when aiding the Zora and Gorons. By the end of the war, however, he vanished into the life of a hermit, with only a handful even knowing of his location."

"But you know where he is?" Link asked, his gaze looking straight at the owl as a smile was clear on his face. "Could you tell me where he's living at?"

"He lives over to the southern entrance of the Lost Woods, which is hidden to all save for a certain few who know the path." Kaepora spoke, soon flapping his wings as his body rose with each beat. "If you truly wish to meet him, then wait for the morning to come and follow the trail of Lake Hylia. When you are traveling down the path, there will be a small trail up to the higher terrain surrounding the central plains of the kingdom, the location unnoticeable to all except those who know to look for it. At the end of the trail, follow the path until you see a hut. It is there that the hermit lives."

With that, the owl flapped his wings a few times, rising up as Link watched the bird before it flew off towards the lake, soon snapping out of it when feeling Epona shuffling under him. "A warrior who had accomplished greater feats than I did for the Gorons and Zora…" Link spoke to himself as he patted epona, looking down at her. "Do you think he'll be as strong as Darunia, or as stealthy as Impa?"

Epona simply snorted as a reply, making Link laugh as he lightly tapped his heels into her, causing her to start to move towards the gate leading to Lake Hylia. 'Though I never saw a path every time I walked through there, even in the adult timeline…' Link thought to himself as Epona changed to a full gallop towards the gate. 'I think I'll sleep over with the scarecrows, and then start searching for the valley in the morning…'

With that set in mind, he soon found himself galloping straight towards the entrance to the Lake, now gated over due to the night. With one extra click of his heels and a shout, however, Epona started galloping faster towards the gate, her form soon jumping over with ease as Link looked behind them, the gate now behind them. "Looks like you haven't gotten rusty since Termina, Epona." Link spoke as he patted the mare on the neck, getting a snort as a reply while the two continued their path to the lake, Links own mind now preparing for what could come.

Link rode carefully through the valley as he looked along the Eastern side of it, the side of which he knew the Kokiri forest sat on. He had rode along it a few times and found nothing when speeding through, so he had to slow down his pace to watch the cliff wall. 'Is there even a trail here?' Link thought to himself as he kept his gaze on the rocks, having already pulled out the Lens of Truth to look along it. As he started to look a bit further ahead, however, he noticed something on one of the formations as he put the Lens down. One part of the Cliffside immediately bumped out, the rest of the pathway after the bump leaving the valley wider all the way to the lake. Link soon tapped his heels into Epona, who started into a trot as Link kept his gaze on the cut in the valley. As it came closer, he noticed another few things about it, one being the ground seemed to level out more in that particular area than the rest of the cliff walls, and another being a small triangular mark placed at the end of it as well. When he reached it, however, he noticed something else: Between the two ridges was a small valley, the layout of the cliffs lining it making it seem as if the thing immediately cut off to the rest of the way to Lake Hylia, not a magical illusion hiding it but the formation of the rocks turning it into an illusion of the mind, making anyone who didn't give it a second glance think that it was just a normal part of the wall that didn't lead to anywhere.

"So then, do you think this is the place?" Link asked as he looked down at Epona, who simply snorted as Link moved his gaze back on the pathway. Despite what Kaepora said about it only being known about by a few, the road itself seemed fairly leveled, though rarely used. As he rode into the path on Epona, as well, he noticed that the road walls changed after a few yards in, slowly shortening and showing visual carvings on them as Link passed through, soon showing a clearing as Link continued. When he entered it, however, he was in utter awe: in front of him stood a large stone that blocked the path any further. Upon it was a large symbol of the Triforce, similar to what sat above the Door of time. Below it, however, were two swords that crossed in a wide x under the golden triangle. "Is this some sort warning for people?"

With that Link hopped off of Epona, walking up to the stone as the horse moved to rest over to the side of the cliff. As he did, however, the stone began to glow, making him stop momentarily and reach for his sword, his hand resting on the familiar hilt as he continued to approach the stone, which glowed brighter with each step. By the time he was right in front of it, the light coming off of it was almost blinding, while at the same time the stone itself seemed to be humming. Link slowly drew his sword as he squinted his eyes to see, the gold that had been tempered into the blade shining with the light as he pointing it at the stone. Immediately after, Link tapped the stone with his blade, causing the stone to shake as Link kept squinting at it, soon going silent again as Link took a defensive stance.

After a few more taps and getting the same result, Link sheathed his blade, soon walking further up to it and reaching his hand to the stone. 'What kind of stone is this?' Link thought to himself before he placed his left hand on it, expecting the stone to shake again. Instead, however, the light began to condense into a circle around his hand, the symbol of the Triforce soon shining on the back of his hand, causing Link to jump back in shock, the stone soon returning to it's full on blast of light again as he looked at his hand, the symbol of the Triforce fading. 'What in Din's name…'

Link looked at his hand in confusion, his eyes opening up more as they were getting accustom to the light pouring off of the stone, before he walked up and placed his hand on it again, the light once again condensing around his hand with the Triforce shining bright. Link just stared at it in shock as the light soon enveloped his hand, causing a tingling feeling to surround it as the light began to swirl into four different colors of red, blue, green, and gold. As it did this, as well, the words of an old voice began to sound in his mind; the words it spoke coming off as commanding while at the same time making Link feel at ease.

'Who are you that dares to enter this sacred place?' Came the voice in Link's mind, leaving a small gap of silence for Link to process the words before it spoke again. 'For what reason have you come?'

Link just kept quiet as he stared at the statue, his mind in shock from the voice that had come into his head. He had remembered something similar happening before back at the Shadow Temple, when a voice had told him of the requirements to go through the temple. However, it was still confusing over the fact that the voice currently in his head was asking who he was.

"…My name is Link." Link finally spoke, his thoughts now focusing on the voice as he looked to the stone in front of him. "I was told by the owl Kaepora that there was a hermit around here who could help me in finding a way to defend Hyrule."

'So you seek the hermit of the southern pass, who remains the guardian of the old ways.' Replied the voice as the light soon moved up Link's arm, engulfing him before he had a time to react. 'Then you shall be tested by the ideals of your spirit.'

With that Link started to feel warm, the light seeming to go into him as he looked at it in awe. As he did, small visions started to fill his head as the light slowly went into him; a battalion of armored knights, all wearing full plated armor with purple cloth under it, standing in front of the Hylian King in one vision, while an event of several knights holding back an army of monsters from a forest appeared in another. Then, he saw a man standing against several knights with a longsword drawn, his blonde hair seeming to be blown back as he held a defensive stance, a horse riding away from him as he stared at the men in front of him. Link, for some reason, felt a sudden ping at his heart as the scene faded, returning to the area around him as the light began moving from the rock completely and encircled him. As he looked back to the stone, the light covering it now all but faded, he lifted his hand to find a small white gem resting beneath it. When he placed his hand on it again, however, the gem glowed, soon pushing out and into his palm as a small chain formed on it, wrapping around his arm as the gem fell.

'You have been deemed worthy to enter the graves of the knights due to passing the Trials of Virtue, and are proven a Knight of Hyrule due to the lineage of your family.' Came the voice again, this time humming from the gem as the center of the boulder started to fade in front of Link. Epona, in the meantime, soon got up and walked over to Link, noticing the change in scenery as the boulder soon had a large gap inside of it big enough for both Link and Epona to fit in. 'The one who you seek, the caretaker of the resting place of the Knights, resides further in. Welcome, Hero of Destiny.'

With that said, the glow upon the stone vanished, and silence soon filled Link's head as he picked himself up onto Epona. 'Trials were supposed to be taken?' Link thought as he tapped his heels into Epona's sides lightly, the two soon moving slowly into the pathway that appeared as Link processed through what he could know. As he moved his hand into his pouch to grab one of his bottles, the contents of each being of milk from his last time in Lon Lon Ranch, he felt a familiar stone seem to fall onto his hand. Link just pulled it out confused, the glint of green and gold coming off of it as he held it up into the sun. The Kokiri Emerald, the first stone he had gained from his travels, and the only one he had left. After his adventure ended, he returned the Goron Ruby to Darunia and the Zora's Sapphire to Ruto, but when he had offered the emerald back to the Kokiri, Saria had stopped him from even trying. 'Now that I remember correctly, the stones each had their own ordeals in order to obtain each from the tribes… Does that mean that the stone considered my adventures as the trials it was talking about?'

With that thought in mind, Link soon put the stone back in its pouch as he finally made it into a clearing. In front of him was a wide area covered in grass, save for a single stone walkway that led into the forest. In between the walkway and the forest entrance, however, stood a stone that seemed similar to the one he had just passed, except this one held a different carving and picture, this one more detailed. Upon it was a drawing of seven knights, each one holding a different outfit and seal, the one in the center wearing a tunic similar to Links as he looked at it in wonder, soon turning his gaze to find something else. Beside the stone sat a small hut, and past that was a large array of trees, grown so wide and close together that it would've been impossible to even walk around them, let alone through them. They also stood leagues above the trees he had seen in the Kokiri Forest, the towering trees overhead giving an eerie feeling as Link slowly rode to the hut.

Link soon heard a loud hoot as a shadow flew overhead, making Link look up to see Kaepora fly overhead and towards the hut, soon landing in front of it before staring over at Link, who rode up to the place. Link soon rode over to the hut as he looked over at the large stone beside it, the etchings on the stone showing various depictions of knights, leading to the top of it. Each knight, however, held a different set of armor, and above each was a name carved in an unrecognizable dialect. If Navi were here, she would've probably known the language and translated it easily.

"Good to see that you've arrived." Kaepora spoke as Link slowed Epona to a trot, looking at the owl as they motioned to the hut. It was then that Link noticed the design of the hut; though the place around it seemed to be ancient compared to many of the places in Hyrule outside of the Temple of Time, the house itself showed no signs of it despite being made mainly of wood. Along with this, there was a shield that sat at the top of the doorway, the design remarkably similar to the shield he had bought at Hyrule market at the same time he had started his quest, now currently sitting on his back. The owl soon noticed his gaze upon the symbol on the hut, nodding its head to it as Link rode past the bird and towards the small building. "The shield design was used by those who were of the Hylian Knights, and seemed to be so highly regarded that the populace had several different copies made. Unlike the one you got at the Bazaar, however, it is far more durable than it would give off."

"It's made from Sky Ore, a blue metal that is said to have fallen from the sky back before the rise of Hyrule." Came a voice from the cabin, making Link stop his approach immediately as an old man soon appeared from the darkness of the entrance, a staff firmly in his hand as he stepped fully out of the entrance. The man then chuckled as he looked up, lifting the staff and tapping the shield as he soon looked back at Link. "It is said to bear the blessing of Nayru and can turn any weapon or armor made from the metal into a solid defense from most magic and attacks, which is certainly the case for the shield up there. Understandable of the belief, too, given that Nayru's gift to us through the fairies was an ability that prevented damage."

Link just stared at the man in silence, looking him over as he got off of Epona. He held pure white hair and a long beard that went down to the middle of his chest, his outfit a long brown robe that had tears and weathering all along the seams and the sleeves themselves, though the small gold embroidery on the shoulders showed it had once held a sense of authority. The man's staff, as Link looked, held seven seals along its sides that could be visible, all of them the seals of the Six Sages. At the top of the staff sat a wooden medallion, carved upon it was three triangles with a bird resting under them; the Triforce.

"Not one for words, is he?" The old man chuckle, snapping Link out of his thoughts as he looked back at Kaepora, the old man now moving forward as his staff made a resounding tap with every step he took, causing Link to look down at the grass. Though the area was covered in grass, directly under it was stone, making the boys eyes widen with curiosity as the old man continued his pace. The old man, noticing his gaze, simply chuckled as he stopped right in front of him. "This place was originally a grand hall meant to honor those who had died protecting the people, now reduced to the entrance of the southern part of the forest within a few thousand years time. As such, the grass grew over the tiles and the area melded into becoming one with the forest beside it, though we managed to move most the stones that made up the walls and ceiling and moving the entirety of the place to a new area, though it remains the entryway to the hall of the dead."

"But you aren't here for stories, if I'm correct on my assumptions." The old man spoke as he looked down at Link, who just looked back up at him, now only realizing how few wrinkles were actually around the mans face and eyes that weren't covered by his beard. The old man then went down on one knee in front of Link, his staff still upright as he gazed in the boy's blue eyes with his own, his gaze holding a slightly darker blue. "So then, why have you come here? For some ancient knowledge or relics of the past? Or is it just to explore and find an adventure in every turn?"

Link just stared as his mind went through his own thoughts, trying to remember what he had come there to ask. "…I was told by Kaepora that you could help me find a way to help Hyrule." Link spoke finally, making the man in front of him smile as he stood up.

"So he does speak, and in whole sentences to boot." The old man spoke as he turned back to the hut, signaling Link to follow as he walked towards a small fire pit that was placed beside the house, a few stumps sitting around it like chairs. Link just followed silently as the old man moved one of the stumps with his foot, revealing them to have been cut as he adjusted it a bit more before sitting down, Link sitting down on the one opposite him as Kaepora moved up to the two. The old man then waved his hand over the pit, mumbling a few words before a spark appeared in it, soon turning into a roaring flame as the old man looked at Link, the smile still there. "Now then, before you ask someone for help, you normally have to give your name or an alias to them. It's a form of agreement for those you meet that you mean no harm."

"…Link." Link replied, keeping his gaze on the old man while trying to read him. Because of his time both in Termina and in the future, he had seen many different people, yet he had never even seen anyone like this old man before. What's more, the man had just formed a fire as casually as drawing a line, automatically telling Link just how powerful he could possibly be from his affinity of magic alone. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but what is your name?"

"Raven, though there's no need for you to be formal with me." The old man replied, holding his hand upon the fire as it started to steadily glow brighter, causing Link to look at it. What he saw within the fire, however, was himself, and in front of his fire counterpart was an image of the creature that had caused the death of the Deku Tree, Queen Gohma. "You fought through a lot two years ago, if I can gather right. Quite a feat in it's own to defeat such a beast at so young an age."

"How do you know that?" Link asked, looking at Raven in surprise this time as the old man smiled under his beard, waving his hand over the fire again as the flame returned to its orange glow. "And how did you create that image through the fire?"

"I'm among those who hold the affinity of magic, just as you, but my abilities were unlocked through months of training, and mastered only after a decade of constant study." Raven replied as he rested his staff on his shoulder, Link simply keeping his eyes on Raven as he set his hands on his lap. "It's one thing to know magic and use it in battle like you have from your visits with the Great Fairies, while another entirely to expand upon it. It was because of this that I could feel the ripples of fate the moment of the Great Deku Tree's death, and decided to follow your trail from then all the way to the Temple of Time."

"You knew about all that Ganondorf had done?" Link asked, his face now showing clear signs of anger at the man as they nodded. "Then if you're able to use magic to this extent, why didn't you do anything to stop him?"

"Now now, no need to get angry over things that have already occurred." Raven spoke as he raised his hand, widening his gaze at Link's clear anger before he looked over to Kaepora. "You can go if you wish, Kaepora, I'll take to speaking to the boy alone here on out."

"Of course." Kaepora responded, a slight hint of tension coming from his voice as he flapped his wings, soon rising and flying away as Raven looked back at Link. His anger didn't seem to waver, but he was thinking more on the man now. A man who, by all Link's knowledge, looked like he could've managed to stop Ganondorf before he even tried his gamble for the Sacred Realm. Raven simply sighed as he leaned back, looking at the boy as Link snapped out of his thoughts.

"So then, you're wondering why I never interfered, correct?" Raven asked, looking at Link as he placed his staff on the ground beside him. He then held up his hand over the flame again, causing the flame to change into a light blue glow, his hands soon returning to his side as he kept his gaze on the boy. "Let me ask you something beforehand; do you know what happened in the Hylian Civil War?"

Link only shook his head, confused by the question as the man's hand clenched into a fist, causing the flames to change into another scene, soldiers along opposing sides, all preparing to charge against each other. "It was a brutal war, one where brother fought brother, and the same could be stated about the Knights of the time." Raven spoke as he passed his hand through the flame, causing the scene to change into several armored figures facing off against one single man, the warrior holding both the Hylian Shield and a well made longsword that looked to be of a similar design to the master sword. "During the war, the Knights split into two factions, one that fought to defend the royal family, and the other seeking power. It probably marked one of the only times that the Knights of Hyrule have ever been split on opinions, and the first time that a internal war had been fought on such a wide scale that it was even fought alongside a civil war."

"What does this have to do with the fact that you stayed here?" Link asked, making Raven smirk as he looked to the fire, soon looking back to the boy as he looked at his left arm. "What reason would make you-"

"That reason that I remained here is because this became my own penance for my actions and inactions." The old man interrupted as his gaze hardened to a point made Link see the stress that was on the man. He then drew his left sleeve back as he continued his speech, revealing a arm far more toned and muscled than his robe and beard made him look, one that had to have been from constant battles and experience. Upon it, however, was a sigil of a phoenix, one that seemed to have been branded on his arm. "I'm guessing Kaepora had told you of my history if you came here?"

Link thought back to the night before, recalling the words Kaepora had said. "He said that you were the leader of the Knights of Hyrule, and fought in the war." Link spoke, recalling the little he was told before he hastily agreed to it. Raven simply smirked as he picked up his staff, stabbing it into the ground beside him as Link remembered the stone that led here, pulling the necklace with the white stone out of his bag.

"Indeed, I was the leader of the knights, still am despite my reclusiveness this past decade." Raven spoke as he looked to the fire, waving his hand over it as it changed again into an orange flame. "The conflict within the Knights was due to my own mistakes, my belief that all was right and my will to believe one of my closest allies, who later became one of the figureheads of the civil war. My lack of insight on how deep his hatred ran is what caused the deaths of many of my brothers."

"Now, before I continue, I'm sure that the stone which blocks the path leading to this place had spoken to you." Raven continued, making Link look at him confused before nodding. "What did it tell you?"

"Before I was able to enter here, the stone leading to this place stated I had been proven a true Knight of Hyrule for passing the Trials of Virtue." Link spoke, recalling the voice within it, and the scene's he was shown.

"Trials that come almost randomly from the area's we live in, tests by the Goddesses to see our resolve. These trials can only be undergone by those of the Knights Line, and it is only after this that those who undertake them can pull the Master Sword." Raven responded, making Link look up shocked as the man smirked, tapping his foot on the grass under them. "The ones used by our tribe that bare the same name, as well, are a set of trials that dictate which division of the Knights of Hyrule you'll be a part of, based specifically on how you take each and how skilled you are in taking them. Speaking of, what title did it call you by?"

"Title? You mean what it called me as I took the pendant?" Link asked, his confusion clear in his voice as he recalled the stone, and the voice it held. "…It called me the Hero of Destiny."

"Destiny, you say? Not of Legend?" Raven asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at Link, who simply nodded before a smile could be seen again. "Well, that is interesting, and something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, looking at Raven confused before the man shook his head, soon standing up as he waved his hand over the flame again, this time the flame turning green.

"I'll explain it to you later on, but your previous question was why I didn't do anything to stop Ganondorf, correct?" Raven asked, Link soon nodding as the man held his hand to the flame and closing it into a fist, causing it to die out. "To be simply put, I was weak at the time. True, I could've left this place and gone to go fight him myself, but I would've died because of how clouded my mind was at the time."

"Past tense, meaning you were only like that during Ganondorf's attempt?" Link asked, noticing the pattern of the man's speech as Raven looked at the boy with a small smile.

"Are you sure you're only a child?" Raven asked as he grabbed his staff, pulling himself up as he turned to the large stone beside the forest, soon walking over to it as Link got up and followed suit. "Yes, I was clouded in my mind back then, but something happened that allowed my mind to clear, something that hadn't happened since I took my title as the leader of the Hylian Knights."

"And what was that?" Link asked, making Raven smile as he looked to the boy before he pulled the emblem off the top of his staff, revealing it to be a small disc that sat in the top of it as he pressed it into the stone. Then, the stone began to fade in the area that the disc had been pressed against, turning into a passageway within the stone that led into the forest, or what Link had thought was the forest. What was there, instead, was a long stone hallway, looking as well kept and cleaned as if it was part of a functioning castle or fortress.

"I found more to fight for than just the Royal family." Raven responded as he signaled for Link to follow again, the two soon stepping into the hallway. Despite it's surroundings covered in trees, the hallway itself was well lighted with a few torches on each wall, each torch evenly separated from the next as Raven continued his walk into the hallway, Link following suit as the entryway closed behind them. "Despite the failure of Ganondorf's attempt for power, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll return and try something again."

"What makes you so sure that he's going to?" Link asked as he looked to Raven, who only sighed as they came to a door at the end of the hallway. Raven then looked at him, his gaze seeming to show his age again as he looked down at the boy. "

"There have been many men like him, men who are ambitious enough to try and claim the land for themselves. Conquest is always from the actions of ambitious men, when plans of grandeur fail." Raven spoke as he opened the door, revealing a wide hallway, within which sat several tables and doorways. In the center of it rested a large circular platform, with a painting of two blades behind a shield that encompassed it. Raven entered it in a stride, Link following suit quickly as the old man continued. "His plans of deceit have failed, so he will turn to using the means of that which resides in the desert, be it the tribe of his Gerudo or the darker forces which reside within it."

"There's others within the desert?" Link asked, looking at Raven as the man nodded, his gaze unchanging as he continued his walk through the area.

"creatures as old as the kingdom itself. They had fought us once before, during which time it took me and two others to hold them back and seal them away." Raven spoke as he walked up onto the platform, his staff once again tapping on the surface and making Link stop in his walk and look down to the floor. Through the entire walk here, the man's staff hadn't even made a sound while they walked, and Link was sure he saw the man place it on the tiles in his walk. Link couldn't ponder it too long, however, before he heard a cough, making him look up to see Raven looking at him expectantly. "Are you coming?"

"Sure." Link spoke as he moved over to the man, soon stepping up onto the platform as he looked around the area. "What is this place?"

"A place where we used to hold initiations and several other events several hundred years ago, now used as a place for funerals of our brothers in arms that rest further in this keep." Raven spoke as he stood in the center of the ring, pointing his staff to the roof above them, causing Link to look up to see rings of knights standing in attention as they covered the roof long past the roof, the Triforce sitting in the center. "The history of this fortress dates back all the way to the founding of our order by the first known Hero of Legend, and each who have been trained here have led lives above the normal knights, being given equal standing in our order as those who have drawn the Sword of Evil's Bane. In fact, it was those of us who had been trained here that defeated the forces I spoke of the first time we met them."

"Again you say something about forces of the desert, yet you haven't yet named them." Link spoke, making Raven sigh as he placed his staff back down. "What exactly are they?"

"Beings that are considered the same strength as Iron Knuckles, yet far different in their design. We gave them the title of Dark Nuts since they have several forms to take, and are born from darkness as if in fields of seeds." Raven spoke, his staff now resting on his shoulder as he walked to the edge of the ring, soon walking around the circle. "In time I'll explain more, but that will be after you accept my offer."

"Offer?" Link asked, now confused as he looked to the area around them. Now that he was looking to the walls, he noticed something new: around it were an assortment of wooden weapons, all looking to be of peak of condition. There were several forms of swords, one similar to his original Kokiri sword, but there were other types he had seen the gerudo use, and some he recognized as the design from the Garo he faced in Ikana. Link then looked back to Raven as he heard a click from their staff, only to find that they had placed the disc back into it's spot on the staff. "What is that offer?"

"Ganondorf will march against Hyrule in at least five years time, this much I could gather from his last actions before I lost sight of him due to the witches Koume and Kotake." Raven spoke, causing Link to tense to the names of the witches as Raven looked to him. However, he kept from the subject as he continued his explanation. "Since you wish to protect the people of this land, I offer you a chance to do so through learning under me. To learn the arts that your bloodline allows, that way you may protect the people you can when the time comes of Ganondorf's return."

Link only looked at the man as he processed what he just said. "So you want me to be a Knight of Hyrule?" Link asked, making Raven only sigh as he looked at the boy. "You do realize that the stone that blocked the way recognized me as one, right?"

"It recognized your title and the potential you possess at the moment." Raven spoke as he looked at Link, his own gaze now amused. "The gem itself represents the potential title you hold within you, but it is nothing but raw and reckless power if you don't learn how to temper and harness it."

Link just looked at him confused before the man raised his hand, mumbling a few words again before two of the wooden swords flew off of the wall, each resting in front of both of them. "If you don't believe me, then simply defeat me in a fight." Raven continued as he tossed his staff to the side, gripping the weapon as Link looked at the wooden blade in front of him. There he was, a hero who had defeated countless enemies, saved a parallel world from a falling moon and a possessed mask, and he was being told that he had yet to temper his abilities.

"Fine, if it's only to prove you wrong." Link spoke as he reached out and gripped the weapon, soon taking an attack stance as he pulled his shield off of his back instinctively. Raven only smirked as Link realized what he did. Raven then chuckled as Link started to place his shield to it's former place on his back, making Link stop as he looked at him confused.

"It's fine for you to use your shield, it was my error in forgetting that you would need one to maximize your natural fighting style." Raven spoke as he raised his free hand, making Link only nod to him before the old man retook his defensive stance. A gleam could be seen in the eyes of the man as he held his blade up towards Link, one that seemed to be anticipation as Link took his own stance. "Now then, let's see how you can fare."