With no more preparations to be made and time growing ever shorter, Ryan's group moved toward the Legacy. The two statues with radiant eyes stirred from afar, soon fixing their gaze on Ryan with a wide grin.
"Well, look who's coming..." They said in unison. "That rude-eyed boy is back. I would have sworn he had already forgotten and abandoned us like two dying, antiquated old men. As all young people always do. But to our surprise, he even brings friends." They chuckled softly between themselves. "Though I'm not all that surprised either. It's always the same story, these wretched youngsters always come back to talk about the inheritance owed to them. Even after never paying their proper respects to their ancestors."
Ryan sighed, on the verge of speaking, but was promptly cut off by the statues.
"But you know what, we actually like you. We like you so much, to be honest, that for a moment we considered opening our gates and politely requesting that our old friend go fetch you."
'Old friend?' Ryan thought and frowned for an instant. 'They mean, the Immortal Guardian?! They were going to send the Immortal Guardian to hunt us down?!
Ryan's face went pale as the slave nearly collapsed trembling to the ground and the apothecary had to brace herself against the wall to keep from falling. It didn't take a genius to know that was not an enemy he could handle.
The statues laughed without a care.
"Don't you worry, don't you worry." They said, stifling their laughter. "That's water under the bridge, it was just a passing thought from a lonely old man. Besides, you're here now, aren't you? You came to see us of your own free will."
As they continued to laugh, their eyes began to shine brighter and brighter, until the earth trembled and debris began to fall. The giant ornate gate then started to open without any prior warning.
"You young people are so fearful these days, our trials aren't even that hard. In fact, they're almost too easy!" They stared at Ryan with intensity. "Truth be told, our trial can only be undertaken by a very unique kind of person. As such, it made no sense to craft a difficult or complex test, otherwise our Legacy would never be passed on. If you meet the requirements, the Legacy is practically yours."
With a thud the gate swung fully open, revealing a staircase, as ghostly torches lit in pairs leading upward into what appeared to be an endless throat. At the same time, the statues fell silent.
Ryan paused for a few moments to think over what he had heard, then sighed and began to walk. "The climb will be long, let's talk it over on the way." He said on instinct, taking the lead. Without really thinking there was anything to discuss.
"Yes, and we have much to discuss." The apothecary said, not taking another step forward. Strangely, the slave, for the first time, also chose to side with her rather than with him.
"Something wrong?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"The statues didn't mention either of us, they didn't even look at us." The apothecary said carefully. "There are three participants, all three should be tested. So why does it feel as though the outcome has already been decided?"
The slave then stepped forward. "The titles they mentioned the first time around make a great deal of sense for you. But they never made much sense for me." Ryan mulled it over and soon agreed.
"Even so, having three participants was a requirement. I can't go up there alone, and if you stay down here you'll freeze to death." He then narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth. "I hate being the bastard who has to say this, but we have no choice."
Clenching their teeth and breathing deeply, the group climbed the staircase step by step. The worst part of it all was knowing something was wrong, that there was some treacherous trap like a spider's web, and yet being forced to walk straight into it, step by step, of their own free will.
Slowly, rays of sunlight began to reach them and blind them. Ryan breathed deeply, feeling warm air fill his lungs as his skin warmed under a summer breeze.
Emerging from the pit that was the staircase, he found himself on solid ground surrounded by a breathtaking garden, full of well-kept shrubs, singing birds, fountains carved from white marble, and everything else one could hope for from the blending of man and nature.
'These chaotic landscapes are going to break my brain.' Below had been a glacial cold, up here a warm scenery. 'Stupid game, make sense!'
"Look over there!" The slave shouted, drawing his attention toward a cat scaling a warrior statue and then grooming itself at the top. Just below, dozens of rabbits darted through the shrubs, while dogs wrestled playfully with one another.
"Lost Eden, that's what we call it." The apothecary said, pointing into the distance. "If you go to the edges of this place, you can see the entire Death Zone region. This area is also part of the Death Zone, despite its pleasant appearance."
Ryan was taken aback. "It's incredible... they have farm animals too? Like, cows and horses?" Suddenly the earth trembled, drawing their attention.
"Yes, we have several of those around here..." Ryan then carefully observed a giant in polished, well-preserved platinum armor approaching him. The armor carried a weight that surely reached the tons, yet he moved with complete ease.
"It was part of my master's amusement to force a death zone into accepting his pacifism. He loved the contradiction and the repercussion it brought, even though he did it solely out of the eternal boredom that plagued him."
Ryan said nothing, simply analyzing his posture in silence, gathering as much information as he could. But soon the giant gave a dry cough and continued. "I am glad to see someone has accepted the challenge. I salute your courage, Lost Son of Summer, or perhaps you have grown used to being called the Bastard of Winter? Or even the Rightful Heir of Twilight."
Ryan once again furrowed his brow at what sounded like a bargain-bin prophecy, and it frustrated him. He then stepped forward, locking eyes with the armor's visor with challenging intensity, and said. "Names and titles are worth only the breath spent to invoke them. Remember, giant of steel. I am who I am, and who I am has come to take what belongs to me."
"..."
The giant studied him in deep, ominous silence, sending a chill down the spine of anyone watching, but soon nodded. "I see you are a strong young man. Strength is good when wielded with wisdom... Though it is usually its opposite one fears to lack." He then turned his back to the group. "But even should you lack the opposite, my master is the wisest of the wise. And he will make you as he is. If wisdom is lacking, wisdom will be granted. If strenght is lacking, strength will be granted." He then turned once more to face Ryan.
"Should an Identity be lacking, all of them shall be yours." He said, resuming his journey.