When his vision returned, he found himself standing in the Eldin spring. Like with Faron, the vessel spun in front of him and curled up, before floating away and into the water as the neverending twilight faded to midday. Link was once again in his own body, something which made him sigh in relief. Midna appeared in her shadowed form, relaxing in midair as if on a chair of some kind.
"Aw, I was just starting to have fun!" She stretched and looked over at Link. "Don't forget that Fused Shadow!" She giggled and spun away into nothingness, almost seeming to disappear into the place that Eldin's light was appearing from. "See you later!"
As light filled the water, the same greenish markings appeared on the rocks scattered around the spring. A ball of pure light appeared from the water, floating up and into the air, and slowly Link could see a creature appearing from the ball. Two wings flapped out from the ball, and as its wings stretched the rest of the creature seemed to almost spring out of the ball, resembling some kind of bird with a beard. Eldin perched on the ball of light, fixing its gaze onto Link. Like its siblings, Eldin's voice was very slow and deliberate.
"My name is Eldin. I am one of the light spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands. O great hero chosen by the gods..." Link sighed. 'Is this all going to be stuff the other light spirits already told me...?' Eldin looked up and behind Link, towards the place the sign called Death Mountain.
"The dark power you seek lies in the sacred grounds of the proud mountain dwellers. But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil. You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them." For a moment, Link thought that was all Eldin had to say to him. However, its eyes narrowed as it looked back down at him.
"Furthermore, hero..." The spirit's voice, despite not sounding any different, suddenly felt almost angry. "You would do well to stay away from the underground ruin. It remains abandoned by decree of the gods." Link's eyebrow raised.
"How... do you know about that?" The owl closed its eyes.
"The gods assigned me to the region that shares my name. I am tasked with observing and protecting this region. Even with my light stolen, I am able to observe." The owl's eyes opened again. "The ruin you found does not concern you. Your duty - your destiny - is with Hyrule." Before Link could respond, the owl began fading away while spreading its wings as if taking off in flight. Then it wrapped its wings around itself, its body turning into a group of particles of pure light that dissipated into the air. Link sighed, then turned and began walking out of the spring.
As he walked, he faintly heard the sound of a door opening. To his left, the door of the odd white building was open. There in the doorway stood Colin, with Beth and Talo at a distance behind him. Link smiled, something he hadn't done in some time. Colin broke into a wide smile of his own.
"Link?!" He began to walk towards Link, but Talo ran towards Link and knocked poor Colin over. Link frowned slightly, even as Talo and Beth and Malo made their way over to him.
"Ha ha ha! See, Beth?! I TOLD you Link would save us!" Link raised an eyebrow as he looked down at Talo. 'Is that so? I believe I saw otherwise.' He looked over at Colin, who was still getting up from the ground. Upon seeing Link look at him, Colin's face lit up and he ran over. Link's frown faded back into a relaxed smile. He knelt down, facing Colin.
"Hey, Colin. I'm glad to see you guys are okay." Colin's eyes widened as he nodded. Link grinned as he glanced at the other children before whispering to Colin.
"Thanks for having faith in me." Colin gasped, grinning. Link winked at him, then stood up to notice that Renado had walked over.
"... You are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?" Link nodded. "We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of this town." Barnes and the young girl walked up behind Renado, Barnes' metal face shield covering his face. Renado turned towards the two.
"And this..." Barnes flipped up his face shield and offered a salute alongside something between a grin and a grimace, only for Renado to gesture at the young girl. "This is my daughter, Luda." Link nodded as Barnes dejectedly flipped his face shield down and slumped down, before walking away.
"It's good to meet you. Thank you for taking care of the kids." Renado nodded, with a curious expression on his face.
"The beasts took us and left us to die... but Mr. Renado found us."
"At first, I couldn't believe they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Province..." Colin looked down, his cheerful expression fading into one that very clearly showed he was remembering intense fear.
"Yeah, I... We don't remember much. All of a sudden everyone was captured, and then... until now... it's been like..." Colin's voice trailed off, a distant look in his eyes.
"... A nightmare." Malo's usually calm voice had a hint of fear to it. Colin looked up at Link.
"Yeah. It was like a terrible dream and we couldn't wake up..."
"Mmm... Nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems. This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships..." He turned and looked towards Death Mountain. "The dark beasts attacked, but even worse was the sudden and inexplicable change in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe." Link blinked. 'Goron? Is that what those rock-creatures are called?' Renado sighed.
"They had long been our friends, but suddenly treated us as foes. Even now they refuse to permit us entry into their mines." He shook his head. "It strains the limits of belief... To think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly... It makes me wonder if something in those mines is the cause of this change..." Link grimaced. 'Sounds like a Fused Shadow to me. Guess I know where I'm going next.' Renado turned and looked at Link.
"In any case, you must take these children and flee this village before more nightmares descend. I, of course, cannot leave my village in such a time. There is no telling what may happen to us here..." Renado sighed again. "But it is my job to try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart." The children all looked from Renado to Link, with worried expressions on their faces.
"I don't wanna leave all these people just to save ourselves!" Beth nodded.
"Come on, Link! Can't you do something?" Link nodded. 'I can't explain the full story to them now, but... I hope my guess is right.' Colin's expression became thoughtful.
"Maybe there's some way to make up with the Gorons?" Malo huffed.
"You'd think someone could go to the mines and do something..." Link nodded again. 'And that's what I'm going to do.'
"Trying to go near the mines is very dangerous. I will be very sad to be separated from Colin and the others... but I know they must go. Please return them safely to their parents." Link looked over at Luda, who seemed to be keeping calm as best she could. 'I will, as soon as I've gotten the Fused Shadow from the Gorons' mine.'
"I do not know what is in the Goron mines, but surely they will soon come to understand it, and right what is wrong. Do not concern yourself with me, son. You must flee this place as quickly as you can." Link blinked. 'Son? That's what Bo calls me... I wonder...' He allowed his thoughts to wander as he walked towards the path to Death Mountain.
Partway through the village, Midna appeared from his shadow. She was in the shadowy form again, and staring curiously at Link. 'Is something wrong?'
"So... Are you going to tell me what that light spirit was talking about? Underground ruin, abandoned by decree of the gods?" He blinked in surprise, for a moment unsure of how to explain what he found. He glanced around the village, in case anybody happened to look over and see him talking to what very well could look like just the air to them. He kept his voice low, just in case.
"The cellar, that room with the scaffolding... I found a hidden room back there." Midna's eyes widened, but she said nothing. "I didn't find much, just some pillars, some walls, and a door. I couldn't really see much either, it was too dark." Midna put a hand to her chin, a distant expression on her face.
"I wonder what you found..." She was silent for a few moments, before giggling in her usual way. "Well, I'm sure we'll find out eventually!" There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she faded back into his shadow. Shrugging mostly to himself, he continued towards the path to Death Mountain.
The area honestly looked very similar to how it did with twilight covering it. It was just the middle of the day, and thus warmer, rather than perpetually twilight. At most, the reds of the rocks were clearer without the yellowish haze. He looked up at the tall cliff face. Without Midna's help, he would need to climb up. 'Maybe that metal grating is enough to climb on?' As he walked over, he noticed broken pieces of a ladder both on the ground and clinging to the grating. 'That must be the ladder that Goron was talking about. I wonder what happened to it?' He continued climbing up until he reached the top of the small cliff.
There, a distance away, stood one of the Gorons, just staring at him. He hesitated, before cautiously taking a few steps forward.
"Ah! No humans allowed!" The Goron bellowed over at him. "These lands ahead belong to the Goron tribe! The elder said no humans may pass!" He frowned, about to explain himself, but before he could the Goron suddenly dropped and curled up into a ball that began to roll down the hill at Link. For a moment he didn't know what to do, until as if by instinct he found himself adopting the same posture as when a goat escaped Fado's farm. 'Let's hope this works...' The Goron sped down the hill, easily smashing some rocks to pieces, before slamming into Link's outstretched hands. He strained against the unexpectedly heavy weight of the Goron as he felt his feet sliding backwards. For a moment he realized that the Goron was slowing down, but the momentary triumph was gone when he felt the ground beneath his feet suddenly vanish, and he fell from the cliff, landing harshly on his back. 'Ow...' He winced as he stood, struggling to get to his feet as the Goron stared down at him.
"A weak spirit is no match for the might of the Gorons! Do you understand me, human? Then away with you!" With that, the Goron turned and left Link to his hurt back. With one hand, he massaged the most irate section of his back. 'Hylia's sakes, I didn't expect that to hurt so much...' He almost considered drinking the red potion he still had, but in the end he thought better of it. 'Better to save that for something worse than a sore back. Never know when I'll need something like this, or when I'll get another one for that matter.'
He sighed as he turned and walked back down to the village. To his surprise, Renado was walking towards him.
"Ah, how fortunate you are in one piece! I saw you heading up the mountain trail, so I was worried. Are you trying to reach the Gorons of Death Mountain?" Renado's voice was incredulous. Link nodded. 'I think there's something up there that I need to get, and I think it's why the Gorons have been acting so weird lately.' Renado sighed.
"They recognize only strength. A normal person could never persuade them..." Link raised an eyebrow. 'Then how, exactly, did you expect to persuade them yourself?' Renado looked to the side for a moment, raising a hand to his chin for a moment. Then he sighed.
"But... I do know one person who was able to best them and earn their trust... His name is Bo." Link's eyes widened. 'Seriously?! Bo defeated a Goron?' He snorted. 'There's no way...'
"Please, go to him. And while you are there, please let him know that the children are safe." Link nodded. 'I've got to hear this story.'
"Of course, getting them back would be best... but we could not keep them safe from the monsters on the road without a horse and cart..." Link raised an eyebrow. 'And you're only just now realizing this? What were you going to do if I tried to take the kids back to Ordon like you told me to?'
"Please... Return to Ordon and inform the parents that their children are free from harm. Give them my word." Link nodded again. 'They've been worried sick... I'm sure they'll be delighted to hear that the kids are safe.' With that, he walked back towards the entrance near the spirit spring.
Suddenly, he heard the faint but increasingly louder sound of frantic hoofbeats. 'Is the village under attack?!' He turned to look at the source of the sound, and his eyes widened as he saw a horse - no, not just a horse! Epona! - charging through the village in a panicked gallop. For a moment he stood, expecting her to slow down as she saw him, but instead she continued her frenzied sprint directly towards him. At the last moment, he leapt out of the way and rolled into a kneel, looking back at Epona. 'Something must have scared her...' She skidded to a stop, snorting and rearing. Link took the opportunity to scramble over to her and leap into the saddle.
Epona, still panicked, reared up and neighed, and Link almost lost his grip on the reins and fell out of the saddle, but he just barely was able to hold onto the rim of the saddle. 'Woah! It's okay, Epona! It's me!' Epona took off at a gallop again, leaving Link clinging to the saddle with all his strength. She bucked her back legs into the air, flinging Link out of the saddle, and then continued galloping, and Link found himself holding onto the saddle even more tightly as he was dragged towards the spring without so much as a foothold.
Epona turned and wove across the spring and the village, almost as if she was trying to throw him from her back. Finally, after what felt like years, she skidded to a stop once more in the spring and reared up with another neigh. Link took the opportunity to clamber back into the saddle and grab the reins, then began rubbing her neck.
"Hey, shh, shh, it's okay Epona. It's me, you're okay now." At the sound of Link's voice, she finally began to calm, looking back at him. He continued petting her for some time, making sure she knew that all was well and that she was safe. He smiled. 'It's good to have Epona back, I was worried something had happened to her.' He chuckled to himself. 'And now the trip back home won't take nearly as long!' Midna suddenly appeared, hovering next to Link.
"Hmm... You're not too shabby a wrangler after all!" Link grinned at her. While her words were aloof and uninterested, there was the subtlest hint of amazement in her voice.
"Won't this make getting back to your town a lot easier?" Link nodded, amused at the fact that she was voicing a thought that had come to his mind only moments before.
"Now go finish your errand so we can get back! Get a move on!" He smirked and rolled his eyes as she disappeared into his - or perhaps Epona's? - shadow. 'Well, you heard her Epona. Time to head home!' He nudged Epona into a trot, steering her down the path out of the village. At the end of the path, the crude gate still stood. As Link was about to nudge Epona into a gallop so she could clear the gate, he noticed a broken sign hanging over the path. He gently pulled the reins, and Epona obediently came to a stop. 'A... K... A, R, I, K, O. There's definitely some letters missing. Though, that spring at the top of the village also said something like that...' He pondered this for some moments, running over the letters in his mind. Then, all at once, it came back. 'Kakariko! That was it.' He looked back up at the sign. 'So the village must be called Kakariko. That's good to know.' With that, he nudged Epona into a gallop, and she easily leapt over the gate.
An imposing wall of twilight towered over the land ahead, though it was thankfully far in the distance. 'I guess that's where I'll be going next, once the Fused Shadow in Death Mountain is taken care of.' Epona carried him across the path and over the wooden bridge that had seemed so large when he was a wolf, now barely as long as a breath thanks to Epona. Before he knew it, he was nearing the entrance to the Faron Woods.
He breathed a sigh of relief as Epona trotted into the woods. The lantern seller, still sitting at his fire, looked up and offered a friendly wave, to which Link nodded. After so much time in unfamiliar lands, he was glad for a chance to be somewhere familiar again. The warmth of the midday sun beamed down on Link's face from between the trees, and he could even hear birdsong again. Soon he found himself on the bridge into Ordon. With a start, he remembered the strange dream? vision? he'd had of the golden wolf. 'He should be somewhere in the woods... but where?' As Epona carried him across the bridge and towards home, he happened to glance into Ordona's spring, just in time to catch a slight glimpse of something shining gold. He hastily pulled the reins, urging Epona to stop. Then he jumped out of the saddle and walked into the spirit's spring.
Sure enough, sitting some distance away from the water was the golden wolf, who had turned to look at Link as he entered the spring. Like at the forest temple, the wolf was panting, a sound that somehow echoed across the spring. He nodded to the wolf. 'I'm ready for more training.' However, the wolf did not move. He slowly walked closer, the wolf simply watching him.
Suddenly, the wolf suddenly was on all fours and growling at him. While before this had prompted Link to draw his sword, this time he knew what to expect. He stood and allowed the ghostly wolf to jump at him, his vision once again fading to white.
Once again he found himself in the world of fog, this time facing Hyrule Castle and the panting golden wolf. The wolf howled, and in a flash the spectral knight was standing where the wolf had been. The knight nodded at Link.
"We meet again. You have a little more of the look of a hero than you did before... Do you feel ready to earn your next skill?" Link nodded. "Very well. But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you... the ending blow." The knight readied his sword. "Now then, come at me!" Link drew his sword and adopted his fighting stance.
The knight pulled up his shield, but in the next instant Link leapt at the knight and struck his helmet. The knight fell to the ground on his back, and without hesitation Link leapt into the air and brought his sword down into the knight's chest. The knight grunted, and Link jumped back and off of the knight. After a moment, the knight stood, nodding in approval.
"Excellent. It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art." Link grinned at the praise.
"Very well. My second skill is the shield attack. No matter how well-tempered a blade is, if a foe is clad in armor and bears a shield, the sword will do it no harm. When facing such a foe, you must thrust your shield against the defenses of your enemy." The knight thrusted his shield out towards Link to demonstrate. "You have learned much, so I am sure you will know the moment when you can do a shield attack!" Link nodded. The two crossed their swords, and with that the duel started.
The knight again stood in a battle-ready stance, this time the shield covering much more of his body. Link cautiously stepped closer, until he was only a step's distance from the knight. Then he thrust his shield into the knight's. The knight recoiled, leaving his chest wide open for an attack, which Link immediately took with another jumping slash. The knight staggered backwards a few steps, before catching himself. Then he nodded again in approval.
"Well done. Open a hole in your enemy's defenses and use your sword to strike without hesitation." The knight readied his sword. "Now, do it again." Link nodded, and the battle begun anew. He didn't just expect Link to get the skills right by pure chance. No, he expected Link to master them, to be able to execute them without hesitation regardless of what foe he faced. And Link relished the training. Gone were the days of simple sparring against a scarecrow with a pumpkin for a face, gone were the days of focusing on the basics. Now that Link needed to be ready for real combat, this was the kind of training he needed.
After several successful attempts, the knight nodded, yet did not sheath his sword. Instead, he walked to stand a further distance from Link.
"The shield attack can also be used to repel an enemy's projectile attacks. Repel my magical attack with your shield attack!" Link blinked, for a second surprised. 'Magical attack?' Then he readied his shield as the knight drew his sword into the air. To his surprise, a yellow orb of humming magic began forming from the tip of the knight's sword. The knight swung his sword towards Link, sending the magical orb towards him. He thrust his shield, but to his embarrassment it was too early, and the orb of magic crashed into him, sending him falling to the ground. The knight shook his head as Link got to his feet.
"You must be precise with your timing. This is a fundamental of combat!" Link nodded. 'I'll do better next time.' Again the knight prepared an orb and sent it flying towards Link, but this time Link waited until the orb was closer to him than before. Then he thrust the shield forward, and he grinned when the orb bounced off of his shield and was sent flying back into the knight. It struck the knight in the chest, who reacted much like he did with a sword swing, staggering back a couple steps before catching himself.
"Good. When your enemies assail you with projectiles, this is how you will defeat them with ease." Link nodded, and the knight drew his sword again. Once more, the knight had Link practice the skill multiple times to ensure Link had truly learned it. As with the ending blow, towards the end Link almost began to feel tired, but he pushed through the tiredness out of a desire to make the knight proud and a desire to improve. By the end he was panting, but he could also see himself perfecting the skill.
At last, the knight sheathed his sword, nodding once more in approval. Link grinned.
"Done. You have learned the second of my hidden skills, the shield attack." Link nodded, and tried to do the sheathing maneuver he had thought of in the forest temple. To his embarrassment, the sword slipped from his fingers as he attempted to spin it. The knight stared at him for a time, before sighing.
"I see this lesson is not yet over. We will not spar again, as this is not combat training." Link nodded and bent to pick up the sword. The knight walked closer to Link. "Truth be told, most students wait until they've mastered combat training to start adding flourishes to their movements." Link smiled awkwardly.
"However, I cannot in good faith allow you to leave until you have truly practiced the maneuver you wish to execute. As such, I will help you perfect it." Link's awkward smile became a grin once more.
"First, however. You will need to describe what you are trying to accomplish. I cannot help you unless I know what you are trying to do." Link nodded, moving his sword to the start of the maneuver.
"I thought if I did a couple of swings in either direction," he began, slowly arcing his sword across to his left and then to his right, "and then spun it a few times as I pulled it back behind me..." He slowly tried to spin the sword, only to again drop it. He sighed, before continuing. "And then I'd sheath it behind me... I thought it'd look cool." He picked up the dropped sword again. "But I keep dropping the sword when I try to spin it, which just looks silly." The knight was silent for some moments, as if contemplating what Link had said. Then he sighed.
"That is... an elaborate flourish for one who still needs to learn the more advanced combat techniques. Are you certain that is what you wish to learn?" Link nodded, albeit sheepishly. The knight sighed again.
"Very well. I will warn you, this will be a lot of work." The knight walked closer to Link.
"First, the two sword swings." The knight reached for Link's right arm, then hesitated. "Do I have your permission to move your arms?" Link nodded. The knight moved his arm into the start of the first swing.
"You are starting immediately into the swing. While this is effective, it is also sloppy. What you should do, instead," the knight moved Link's hand and arm so that he was holding the sword straight up into the air while his arm was just below shoulder height, "is hold the sword up like this at the start. It gives you a clean start to the flourish, and it makes the transition into the swings more dramatic." Then the knight guided Link's arm slowly through the first swing.
"Do you feel the difference? Try it for yourself, slowly." Link carefully brought his arm back to where the knight had put it, and then slowly arced the sword down and to his left. The knight nodded.
"That looks much better. Now, leading into the second swing, you will again want to bring the sword back up." The knight moved Link's arm and hand again, this time so that his arm was bent in front of him and that his hand pointed the sword up into the air. "Like with the start, it gives a clean start into the second swing, and the transition between the first and second swing is more dramatic. Try it for yourself, from the start to just before the second swing." Link nodded, slowly running through the movements. When he was done, he stopped at the position the knight had guided his arm and hand into.
"Good. You will also want to make the end of the second swing more dramatic. Keep your sword arm straight at that angle," the knight guided Link's arm through the second swing and into a downward angle. "You will always want a clean start for each of the movements to this flourish. It allows the transitions to be smoother, and it makes the changes immediately noticeable. A slight pause between each movement will emphasize the new movement, and it will allow you to regain your bearings if you made an error in the previous movement." The knight guided Link's hand and arm back to the starting position.
"Practice until the end of the second swing. Become familiar with how the movements feel, with how the transitions feel." Link nodded, and slowly followed what the knight had told him. 'Up, down to the left, up, down to the right, and all the way out.' The knight nodded.
"Again." Several more times, Link ran through the series of motions, being careful to keep each movement slow. While it wasn't combat, he found that it was still hard work keeping his arm at the precise angles and positions the knight had him hold, especially with how slowly he was having to move. His arms itched to move faster, but he knew that he was being told to keep the motions slow for good reason. He trusted the knight's advice. After several times, the knight nodded.
"Good. Now, on to the spinning." Link grimaced. "You are having difficulty keeping your grip on the sword. Spinning a sword as you are trying to do takes meticulous control of your wrist." The knight was silent for a short time.
"Sheath your sword, just for a moment." Link nodded and sheathed the sword. The knight pressed on the area between Link's thumb and first finger. "This does not leave the hilt of the sword the entire time you are spinning it." The knight unsheathed his sword and took a step away from Link, demonstrating the spin Link was trying to learn.
"It may look like I am letting go of the sword, I am in fact keeping my grip on the hilt." He sheathed his sword and moved back to where he had stood. "Keeping your grip on the sword is essential for executing a spin properly." Link nodded.
"Before I guide you through the spin itself... Stretch out your wrist. Roll your wrist in as much of a circle as you can, both to the left and the right." Link followed the knight's instructions, startled when he heard a small click from one of the bones in his wrist.
"Very well. Now, unsheath your sword." The knight moved Link's hand so that the sword was pointing down at an angle. "This is the start of the motion. Like with the transitions between the sword swings, you will want a clean start to the spin. Remember how this feels." The knight gave Link a few moments to get used to the way he was holding the sword. Then the knight moved Link's wrist so that the sword was still pointed down but tilted towards the side.
"This is the next step. As you move the sword down, you will angle the sword like so." The knight moved Link's wrist again so that his palm was facing the sky above, and the sword was now almost completely upside down. Link grimaced at the pulling in his wrist.
"It will take time to become used to holding the sword like this. But each of these steps is crucial to executing the maneuver. If even one is executed improperly, you will drop the sword as you did before." The knight paused, as if in thought, before continuing. "Practice just that motion." Link nodded.
With each practice of the movement, Link found it easier to execute. After several attempts, the knight nodded. "Good." He moved the fingers of Link's hand so that his palm was open to the sky. "You will keep your grip on the hilt here," he pressed again on the area between Link's thumb and first finger, "but the rest of your fingers will release from the hilt." Link practiced the motions again. It took some getting used to, allowing his grip on the sword to change from his entire hand to just the space the knight had pointed out.
"Good. Now, you will rotate your hand, and push this part," he pressed on the muscle at the base of Link's thumb, "out and forward, which will force your thumb back onto the guard of your sword. This will push the sword backward." The knight again guided Link's hand into the motion, carefully avoiding the blade of Link's sword. "This is where keeping your grip on the sword is most crucial." Link practiced the motions slowly multiple times, until the knight nodded again.
"You are almost done. The last step is to return your hand to the original position, to allow the sword to fall back forward. With each of the steps done together, the sword will almost fall into place - but do not release your grip on the sword even then! It is a controlled fall." Link nodded and slowly ran through each of the steps, grinning when the sword stayed in his hand. Knowing the knight, however, Link immediately ran through them again, and again, and again. Success once can be luck, success multiple times in a row was what the knight wanted from him.
"Good. For now, you will want to keep those motions slow. Now, go back to the start and do the swings, and then one spin." Link let out an exhale and slowly sliced his sword to his left, to his right, and - the moment of truth - spun the sword once. The knight nodded, and without having to be asked Link repeated the motion, again and again.
"You learn well. There is potential within you yet to become a hero." Link grinned at the praise. "Now, then. Again, but this time with two spins." Again Link ran through the motions, this time adding another spin to the sword. For a moment he almost lost his grip, but he quickly regained it, unfortunately not before the sword slipped to one side in his hand.
"Remember, keeping your grip on the sword is crucial. While this is a flourish, you cannot allow yourself to lose your sword. It is still your weapon, and a weapon is not something to misplace." Link nodded and tried again, this time keeping his grip tightly on the sword's hilt. This time the sword glided through the air in two spins, and then again, and again.
"Good. Now do it again with three." Each time, Link found it easier and easier to go through the motions, and harder to keep them at the slow pace. A part of himself wanted to try and go faster, to push capabilities further. But he knew that the knight would chastise him for it, would remind him that he needs to start slow and work up towards doing the motions more quickly.
"Excellent. You are almost done with the flourish. Now you will need to slowly move your hand back as you are spinning the sword, so that on the last spin the sword is ready to be sheathed. Try it on your own, first." Again he swung the sword, again he spun it, this time moving his hand back and up so he could sheath the sword. However, he winced when the sword hit his shield as it completed the third spin.
"You are moving your hand back too quickly. For the first spin, keep it where I showed you. For the second, keep your arm almost straight out to your right. For the third, you will want your hand a bit away from your head so that the sword spins next to you." Link nodded, slowly following the knight's instructions. This time, the end of the last spin saw the sword pointed out behind him. The knight nodded.
"After the third spin, simply rotate your wrist so that the sword is ready to be sheathed." Link practiced the motions, grinning this time when he was successful. He practiced it several more times, until the knight nodded.
"Excellent. Now you are ready to begin executing the flourish more quickly." While he wanted to immediately jump into the speed he'd first envisioned, Link knew that he would have to be patient. With each successive attempt, he went just a little bit faster. Each time he lost his grip or made a mistake, he did it again at that speed until he was successful, and then he went faster again. Finally, at last, he found himself doing the flourish at a comfortable but quick speed, and he grinned as he sheathed the sword after the third spin. The knight nodded.
"Well done. You will want to continue practicing that flourish, until it becomes second nature." The knight looked into the foggy sky. "I have five more secrets to teach you... in time. The path to becoming a true hero is a long one, but once you have grasped all of the hidden skills, you shall be worthy of walking it. You must persist on the lonely path of the sword to obtain true courage and earn the strength to conquer the great evils of the world. Do not forget your discipline with the blade before we meet again!" Link nodded, and his vision slowly faded to white.
