A tearing sound echoed through the room where the Guardian had seen Riley and Ezekiel off. Space warped and twisted as a rip appeared in the air. At first, the room was utterly covered by darkness. Then, as a footstep could be heard, a series of lights appeared on the walls.
Ezekiel was hunched over, sweating, and gasping for breath as his Spirit Armor flickered in and out of existence. Shine was held in his hand with a weak grip, and with forceful push, Ezekiel flopped out onto the ground doing his best to keep breathing. The moment he hit the ground, the rip in space behind him closed shut.
New information flooded his mind, and he nearly entered another state of enlightenment, but the glimmer in his eyes fizzled out as it just barely escaped his grasp. He figured it was partly due to his exhaustion, and partly because whatever it was, was far too great for him to comprehend safely at the moment.
“That was terrible...” he muttered with his face on the floor. “We will not be doing that again until we reach Mythic. Agreed?”
‘Agreed. That didn’t hurt the soul, but even without a body I feel physically exhausted from that.’ Shine’s voice whispered through Ezekiel’s mind.
Glancing up at the Guardian from his place on the floor, Ezekiel was surprised to see that the Guardian’s eyes were practically popping out of its skull from how wide they had become. It was the most emotional expression Ezekiel had seen on it during his time in the Ancient Legacy.
“Is everything alright?” Ezekiel looked around. He figured that the Guardian was just confused by his new magic.
Though Ezekiel could tell, now that the connection to whatever that strange space was, that he would not be able to do it again. Whatever that Void where the trial took place was, the rules that worked inside it were different than the ones out here, in the physical world.
It was a subtle thing, but at the back of his mind, and in the deepest part of his gut, he could tell that any attempt to recreate what he had done would result in his death.
“I... Have not seen such magic since the Ancient Void was still on Eldramir,” the Guardian's voice seemed to waver for a moment before it returned to its firm, gravely, monotone one from before. “Though, the Ancient Void did not fall flat on his face when he did it.”
Ezekiel sighed, slowly pushing himself up to at least get himself into a sitting position. He nearly fell over again but managed to position Shine in such a way that they could be used as a crutch to remain upright.
Looking around the room, he finally realized that Riley wasn’t there. A moment of panic filled his chest, but before he could ask if the Guardian was aware of her condition, the five-eyed monkey Spirit seemed to perk up before a smile spread across its face.
Waving a hand, the wall opened once more, and a single [Void Gate] emerged. It sparked and an orange gateway flickered open. Much to Ezekiel’s confusion, since they weren’t orange when he and Riley had entered them earlier.
It took Ezekiel a moment to realize that it wasn't the gateway that was orange, but the area beyond it. A sea of Flames and nothing else filled the space beyond the boundary of the gate.
Not long after this realization, a sweaty and singed Riley came out of the portal and collapsed. Just as Ezekiel had a few minutes before. A red dragon the size of a house cat was spat out a second later. She loaded on Riley’s back with a squawk.
“Never again!” The crumpled body on the ground muttered with fury and bone deep tiredness. “Not until Mythic Tier!”
Celia raised a tiny, clawed fist and squeaked in agreement. Behind the pair, the [Void Gate] receded into the wall once more.
The Guardian smirked and chuckled at the sight, and Ezekiel also cracked a grin. Though, his was more of relief, since he knew that, if Riley had failed the trial, she would’ve died. Something that would’ve been far more devastating for him than for the Guardian.
“Good! Now that you both have passed, it is time that you return to the surface.”
The two Hunters smiled at the thought, even if they couldn’t fully move at this point.
“Before that, however, I will let you both rest and recuperate. While at the same time, I have some things that I need to tell you prior to your departure.”
Ezekiel and Riley both looked at the Guardian in confusion and interest.
“What do you have to tell us?” Ezekiel moved over to Riley to help her sit up. “I thought we already knew everything we needed to know?”
The Guardian shook its head. “You were granted answers to any questions you asked that were possible for me to answer. But only a small portion of that information was freely provided. Certain things were not proactively given to you. Now that you have passed this trial, there is no need to keep it secret anymore.”
The two Hunters remained silent as they listened to the Guardian speak. As did their Spirits, who were still being used as a crutch, and leaning forward in curiosity, respectively.
“The first thing you must know is that you will not be exiting this Legacy from the same entrance you came in.” Waving its hands, the Guardian summoned forth a diagram of the Continent and the Archipelago. It was rounded like the surface of a globe, and tunnels leading from the surface to a relatively small structure beneath it were also present.
Riley looked at it in confusion, as did Celia, and Shine also had no idea why the construct looked like that. But Ezekiel’s eyes widened in shock.
“Hollow earth...” he muttered. “This Legacy is located within the Mantle of the world...”
The Guardian nodded its head, as if expecting Ezekiel to know this. “That is what the Ancient Void described it as. Though we are close to the outer core, floating just above it like an iceberg.”
Riley and the two Spirits beside him looked at Ezekiel in befuddlement, but he remained silent, waiting for the Guardian to finish speaking.
“Notice these tunnels,” the Guardian pointed at the tubes connecting the surface to the Legacy. “Most have shattered and are no longer usable. As is the rule set forth by the Ancients when this Legacy was created. No entrance may be used more than once. I had some leeway in the entrance your group used, to send the others that passed back to the surface, but since you two remained here, you will need to go through a different tunnel to return. Pick one of the ones remaining, and that is where you will end up.”
Looking at the construct, Ezekiel could see three remaining tunnels that weren’t broken. Of them, two were on the Continent, with one being in the Morathi alliance lands, another was hidden in Tarquessa, and the last was on an island in the Archipelago.
Seeing the tunnel leading to the Morathi Alliance, Ezekiel felt the urge to go there. But he restrained himself with some help from Shine, as they both knew that they wouldn’t survive there for long on their own. Even with Riley accompanying them, it would be impossible to take down the Kindled clan with only two Legendary Hunters. From what he knew, the Kindled clan had nearly a dozen Legendary Hunter's. Making them one of the Hegemons of the Morathi Alliance.
Yet, with the apparent fracturing of the Alliance, due to the Kindled clan making deals with the Willowbrush Empire, it was likely that they would get a fair bit of help.
Forcing down a yawn, Ezekiel turned to the Archipelago tunnel. In all honesty, the only viable option was the Archipelago. It was the only one that wasn’t directly in enemy territory.
Even if it was on the border of the Desolate Seas.
“The Archipelago is likely our only option.” Ezekiel looked down at Riley, who was also incredibly tired. “What do you think?”
Riley yawned. “Whichever you think is best...”
Ezekiel smirked. “Then I guess we’ll leave through the Archipelago.” He yawned, nearly falling over in the process. “But for now, I think we’d like to properly rest.”
Seeing that the Hunters were in no condition to continue their talks, the Guardian nodded. “Very well. I will have you brought to your rooms. You may sleep, have one more meal for yourselves when you awaken, and then we will continue where we left off. For there are still things that I must tell you.”
Nodding his head, Ezekiel allowed himself to be lifted into the air and carried alongside Riley as they were carefully moved to a room for them to sleep in. Placed into the same bed, Riley curled up beside Ezekiel, as Celia snuggled up between them, and Shine carefully leaned against Ezekiel.
Barely a few moments later. Their labored and tired breathing even out, and they both fell asleep.
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Sitting across from one another, Ezekiel and Riley quietly ate their last meal here in the Ancient Legacy. It was nothing fancy, being nothing more than rations composed primarily of fruits that were grown and dried here underground.
Shine and Celia were resting next to the small table the two Hunters were seated at. Calmly overseeing their partners as they tried to relax after the previous day’s ordeals.
“What do you think we’ll find up there?” Riley asked after she finished her meal.
“...A war, of some sort, I expect. Now that the Cult had revealed their true might, or at least a significant portion of it, they’ll likely be forced to push much harder. Since, if they don’t, they’ll get pushed back and put under the same restrictions that the other Mythic Hunter factions are under.”
Ezekiel wistfully leaned back with his eyes closed as he imagined the events that were likely to occur once they reached the surface. An image of his family passed through his mind. He was really starting to feel concerned for their well-being.
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A twinge from his danger sense made him frown. His choice to go to the Archipelago was even stronger now.
“Do you mind if I ask you how you passed your trial?” Ezekiel wished to change the topic, so he brought up what he hoped was something Riley wouldn’t mind discussing.
“... Honestly, I think that it was just a trial of lasting long enough...” Riley’s eyes glazed over for a second as she recalled the memories of her time with the fourth trial. “I was surrounded by a sea of fire, and it continued to get hotter and hotter, until finally, the temperature fell back to normal flame. Then, the gateway appeared, and I fell through it. It was close, though, and if I hadn’t figured out how to eat flames to regain my mana, it would’ve been impossible to last long enough. My mana would’ve run out, and I’d be nothing but ashes right now.”
Celia moved up to nudge Riley with her head. She reached down to scratch the Spirit’s snout in thanks. “What about you? How did you pass?”
Having heard what Riley had done to survive her trial, Ezekiel began to have second thoughts about what he had done for his test. If it was just a timely survival, then he would’ve ultimately failed, as he wasn’t aware of how to turn the Void into mana.
“... I ripped a hole in time and space, temporarily jumping into another layer of reality. After which, I barely managed to bring myself back to here and now, back where we first entered the gates from.”
Riley turned to face Ezekiel, eyebrows raised, but remained silent. Celia had a similar look on her face.
“... In my defense, I’m fairly certain that I couldn’t do that again. The space that our trials took place in was likely specially created for the trials we underwent. There’s no way they operated under the same rules as the world we know.”
Riley just let out an amused sigh. “Well, at least there’s that. But, please, don’t go breaking reality in pursuit of power. I don’t know if my heart could take it. You’re just... too amazing as it is. Okay?”
Ezekiel chuckled but nodded in agreement. “Fair enough. I’ll be sure not to leave you behind.”
Riley flinched, and Ezekiel knew he struck right at the heart and truth of her worries.
“Let’s go see what else the Ancient as to say, shall we?”
Riley nodded, and the two stood up from their seats, their Spirits once more going to their respective places alongside their Hunters.
A hole opened in the wall, and the two calmly strode toward the Guardian’s chambers for the final time.
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Inside the brightly lit cavern, the Guardian was once more seated in a large throne that stood on one side, while a pair of smaller stone chairs were across from it.
“To keep this short, I will roughly explain what is going to happen to you, and why.”
The two Hunters and their Spirits gulped nervously but filed to speak up before the Guardian continued.
“Simply put, the moment you return to the surface, this Legacy will enter into a state of hibernation until another entrance is opened, and the tunnel you chose to return to the surface through will be destroyed. Much like the others were.” There was a hint of regret and pain in the Guardian’s voice. “Given that I have shown you the rough locations of the remaining entrances, you will need to swear an oath to never reveal this information. For if the other entrances are used and destroyed, then so too will this Legacy share that fate.”
“What do you mean share that fate?!” Ezekiel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “This is the greatest Legacy of the Ancients in the world! How can it simply be destroyed?”
The Guardian closed its eyes. Ezekiel could tell that it was just as frustrated at the situation as he was, but it was obvious that the Mythical being had no choice in the matter.
“I understand your outrage, perhaps more than most. But know this, the alternative is to risk the chance of the Broods gaining access to this place. Which will be far worse than you can imagine.”
“How so? They can’t even use mana!” This was a known fact, so it was hard to believe that the Cruor and their Brood masters could make any use of the Ancient’s memories.
“I was not made privy to that information. Just that the Ancients and Broods came into being at the same time, and that they are far more intricately connected than you would assume.” The Guardian appeared to get lost in its memories for a moment as it stared at nothing. “Regardless, the cost is far greater than you would assume. If the Broods gain access to this place, then it will be immediately destroyed, to prevent them from gaining the knowledge within. Regardless of whether or not another path still remains. As for the destruction that will follow if all tunnels are used up... that was decided on due to the Ancients making the choice to give humanity a limited number of chances to overcome the Broods, and one day meet them in the Realms Above.”
The two Hunters looked confused by the Guardian’s words.
“What are the Realms Above?” Ezekiel shared a look with Riley before asking this. “Is it where the Ancients went after they left this world?”
“Indeed. But it is not your concern. It is currently impossible to leave this world. Even if you somehow reach the level of the Ancients.” The Guardian sounded utterly certain of its words. To the point that none of its audience could bring up the effort to dispute it.
“How can that be? Why would they do that?”
“All that I can say is that there are things out there that are far more powerful than anything you have ever witnessed. Moreso than the Broods, and more so than the Ancients, but several leagues at that.” To the Legendaries’ shock, the Guardian did a full body shiver at the thought of whatever it was speaking of. “The barrier that surrounds this world can only be accessed by special keys, which in turn can only be used by mortal beings. Those too weak to be of influence for these otherworldly powers.”
Ezekiel immediately thought of his entrance into this world. Wincing at the thought, but fully understanding what the Guardian was speaking of.
After all, if the Ancient Void could visit Earth and make him reincarnate with his memories intact, then it was certainly possible for there to be other beings that could do the same.
Off to the side, Riley clearly noticed Ezekiel’s reaction, but decided to remain silent for now. Something that Shine also noticed but didn’t mention just yet.
“It was actually the greatest hope of the Ancients that Humans and Spirits alike would one day reach their level, and beyond, so that they could be reunited beyond the stars.” The Guardian let out a sigh, and slumped further into its throne. “I dearly hope that such a thing happens as well. Should even a single being in the world reach the level of the Ancients, Tier six, by your standards, then it will be possible for me to survive, rather than die alongside this Legacy.”
Ezekiel frowned, immediately understanding the Guardian’s words. Riley also raised a hand to her mouth in shock as she gasped in realization. “You’re trapped here, not just by duty, but by oaths, aren’t you.”
The Guardian nodded in response. “I am, but do not mistake my situation ass being a manipulation by the Ancients. I was informed of exactly what I was getting into when I swore my oaths. It is not their fault that I could not comprehend the sheer scope of what I would experience down here. The Legacy and I are tied together, until the day we both see the light of the stars once more.”
Riley looked down, upset at the sheer loneliness that the Guardian must’ve experienced, being down here for a thousand years. Ezekiel also felt a twist in his gut. The thought of going through such a thing was horrifying to him. Even if he spent most of his time in his own head, or studying and researching, it wasn’t as if he never had anyone else to confide in and talk with.
“What is the oath that we must swear?” He locked eyes with the Guardian as he asked this.
“Simply that you will never reveal the location of the other entrances, or what will happen once they are found and used. Nor the destruction that will occur should the Broods somehow gain access to this place.” The Guardian’s terms were more than reasonable, and the two Hunters quickly swore their oaths. “Good, now, prepare yourselves. Returning to the surface will be far more straining on your bodies than it was when you first entered.”
Stone coffins suddenly wrapped around the Hunter's and their Spirits. A moment later, a heavy weight seemed to pull them down, and Ezekiel knew they were headed to the surface.
“Goodbye, Hunter's. I hope that we might meet again.”
The Guardian’s voice echoed in the coffins as they rose to the surface once more. Even though he couldn’t move, restrained as he was, Ezekiel did his best to nod. Internally promising that the Guardian would see the stars again. He would make sure of it.
In the back of his mind, Shine was in total agreement. But also decided to address what they had seen earlier.
‘Ezekiel... You might need to tell Riley the truth. The full truth.’ Their voice was grim, as they knew that this was something that Ezekiel hadn’t gone into full details with anyone before.
Frowning, Ezekiel thought about how things were going with Riley right now, and although he was still nervous, he didn’t disagree. So, with that in mind, he decided that he would speak with Riley in detail, after they got to the surface.
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Of course, the best of plans often never occurs without problems popping up. Such as the Guardian’s voice urgently calling out for Ezekiel and Riley to prepare themselves for battle.
The urgency and concern within the Guardian’s voice was shocking to hear, but the two Hunters immediately downed their Spirit Armor, even as a series of loud explosions rang out beneath them, causing the containers they were in to rattle and shake, even as they burst from the ground, flying into the air, and falling apart in the sky.
For a brief moment, the pair in the sky thought that they had returned during the middle of the night, for there was little to no light to grant them any visibility. Then, they realized that the sky was actually filled with the miasma of the Desolate Lands.
This should not have been the case, because Ezekiel had memorized the maps of the boundaries of the Desolate Lands, and the Desolate Seas. This particular island should’ve been close to the border, but still outside the Desolate areas.
As they adjusted to the lack of light, both Hunters could sense movement below. Straining his senses, Ezekiel managed to figure out what was below them, and immediately called out an order.
“Blaze Barrier!”
Riley reacted in an instant, knowing what Ezekiel meant thanks to the countless hours they had spent in the Rot territory next to Lolend. Not a second later, grenades impacted against the wall of blue flames that now surrounded Riley. The fungal spores exploded but were swiftly burned to nothingness before reaching Riley’s body. To be safe, her armor was also lit up in bright blue flames.
Shrieks and gurgling moans echoed from the ground. From what Ezekiel could tell, this island wasn’t too large, but was still big enough to set up a supply point, if humanity had bothered to claim it prior to the apparent infestation.
But the most shocking thing was the fact that it was utterly covered in fungal growths. With several Rot Cruor walking about, and now attacking Ezekiel and Riley.
“We need to go!” Ezekiel started flying into the distance. A hint of gray in the miasma above them indicated the direction of the edge of the Desolate. While he couldn’t sense any Legendaries at the moment, Ezekiel didn’t want to risk being outnumbered and taken out by the Cruor just after returning from the Ancient Legacy.
Having no reason to disagree, Riley shot off in the same direction. Her mana burning and sending her ahead of Ezekiel for a few seconds before he managed to catch up. They flew at full speed for several minutes, leaving the island behind them, and finally reached the brightly lit skies outside the Desolate Lands.
The only problem now was the fact that they had little idea of where they were. There were no islands in sight, and there weren’t any boats either.
Ezekiel couldn’t even use the stars to navigate, since it was the middle of the day, and there was no way for them to tell which direction was north or south.
“Let’s keep going for now.” He called out to Riley. “We should try to get as much distance between ourselves and the Desolate Lands as possible.”
The two continued to fly; greatly extending the distance between themselves and the miasma filled skies behind them. This went on for several hours, meaning that they had covered a distance that would’ve taken days by boat, and both were feeling the strain on their mana.
Fortunately, Ezekiel spotted an island in the distance. One that was clearly inhabited by Spirits, thanks to the abundant life that was visible growing on it. But was also likely to be utterly wild, since he couldn’t see any sort of man-made structures.
“There! Let’s land for now, make a shelter and rest. We can set out again when it gets dark, and I can better navigate.” Riley nodded, and the two changed course and landed on the island. Making sure to not go too far inland, as they had no desire to intrude on a Spirit Ruler’s territory.
Setting up a basic shelter and campsite, using the supplies they still had in their Void Pouches, which hadn’t been used since before they entered the Ancient Legacy, the two stayed on watch. Just in case anything tried to mess with them as they rested and recuperated. Their Spirit Armor dispersed for now, but ready to be summoned at a moment’s notice.
‘Now’s a pretty good time, don’t you think? I can keep watch while you two talk.’ Shine said to Ezekiel. 'You can worry about the expanded Desolate Lands when you reach civilization.’
As much as Ezekiel hated to admit it, Shine was right, and now was just as good a time as any to let Riley know. Better to keep her informed, than to keep her in the dark and let her guess.
“Riley... There are some things I think I need to tell you...”
Seeing that he had her full attention, Ezekiel began his story.