Diminishing Returns (-1) affects your roll. You roll a 10 -1 (required 8). Success!

Wary of stepping within reach of Blade Dancer's weapon, you inch forward defensively, expecting her to strike at any moment. The calmness in the mare's eyes does nothing to reassure you.

Suddenly, she flies at you like a loosed arrow. You immediately leap out of the way and into the sky, narrowly avoiding a wide sand-raising slash. Then, she stops — standing completely still — as if waiting for you to land.

You attempt to do so a good distance away from her, but the moment your hooves near the ground, she resumes the fight. Yet while she used to simply shuffle closer to you, her every move has now become an endless series of slashes and thrusts propelling her forward.

Knowing better than to try and parry your way through the hurricane of blades, you decide to stay airborne and look for a new opening. You consider an aerial attack for a moment, but you are not an agile enough flyer for it to be worth the risk.

Instead, you continue to study your opponent while desperately trying to keep her both a safe distance away, yet close enough that she stays in motion.

As you begin to feel the heat of battle burning through your muscles, you finally notice something: the unicorn doesn't always turn to face you right away. Instead, only some of her techniques seem to change her facing, which she weaves into her flowing dance every now and again.

You focus on recognizing these techniques by flying around the arena and forcing her to turn. You identify a thrust followed by a vertical slash to about-face, and a wide horizontal slash — sometimes one after the other. With these in mind, you begin to better see the patterns between.

One such pattern, starting with a flurry of thrusts, followed by some slashes, seems purposefully long and uninterrupted. And so, you continue to circle Blade Dancer until she begins that exact series of attacks. When she finally does, you grit your teeth, charge forward, and give it your all.

You dodge sideways to avoid a couple of thrusts, then duck beneath a high slash, jump over a low sweep, and clumsily stumble forward as you swipe your sword at the unicorn's legs... and land a hit!

Steelwind: "Two! Well done."

You drop Practice Sword.

Before realizing it, you have dropped your wooden sword to the ground to catch your breath. Blade Dancer bows graciously before you, and you try your best to do the same on shaky legs.

Then, as the mare takes care to magically pick your sword up and float it over back to the weapon rack, Master Steelwind returns along with your companions.

Moonflower: "Eee‼ That was so cool!"

Tsu-Ko: "So he's not completely helpless... but that was only the first test."

Steelwind: "Indeed. In proving your respect for your own body, you have passed the first trial. Now, onto the second trial. Blade Dancer, if you will."

The red-haired unicorn holds a small art kit out to you. Tsu-Ko's presence reminds you of your manners, and you accept the kit with both hooves.

You get Trial Art Kit!

Steelwind: "You are given a blank canvas, some black paint, and painting tools. You may choose to use this paint and these tools, or not. You may choose to stay within the training hall, or not.

In the end, you must turn this canvas into something beautiful. Take as much or as little time as you like, but remember: your work of art will only be judged once, when you decide that it is done."

Honourshine: "... Forgive me, but... is beauty not subjective?"

Steelwind: "Hah hah! After a fashion, perhaps, but so is morality. Yet if we are to grow a garden, then we must first ensure that every seed is healthy. That is the very purpose of this trial."

You take a moment to think about what your work of art should be, and what you should use to make it. Your time spent modelling for Leaf Chaser may have given you some insight into the craft, but you figure that you should probably not take too much inspiration from that filly.