Part IV: End of the Beginning
Kylin walked confidently down the narrow tunnel, the lantern in his hand the only source of light since he entered the cavern nearly ten ticks ago. He wore his summoner attire, an outfit he had not donned since his battle with Aysun, Fenix, and Rhio on the Thanalan bridge. It was two suns ago since his talk with Cordelia, or Cora as she preferred to be called. The tunnel was exactly where she said it was, though the entrance hadn't been easy to find. The hyur continued the long walk down the winding maze of sand and stone, turning at each point he was previously instructed to do so. As he navigated his way toward the end, he recalled part of his conversation with Cora, her words echoing in his head.
-----------------
"The Stormguard seems ill fated for an end, despite existing for hundreds of years. Since the Sundering, and the subsequent Calamity, we've lacked leadership. The few surviving members out there live in fear, hiding away from any and all who they think would do them harm. Meanwhile, our relics remain scattered like leaves across Eorzea. Our guarded artifacts. Our strongholds and havens. Our memories. Ready to be picked by vultures who would use them for their own gain, even at the detriment of all others. We are dying, and not one dares to stand up to give us hope, for there is no hope from where they stand. But this need not be the end. It can still become the beginning of something else. A new chapter. And you, Kylin Felstar, are in position to help write that chapter."
"Me?" Kylin seemed completely caught off guard by the suggestion. "I'm hardly the right one to do this. I already told you what I've done..."
A chuckle slipped out from the old woman. "You had the chance to betray Keir and the Stormguard, and you didn't. That speaks volumes. Besides, you're one of the only ones left who may have even made contact with the last Highguard. And if he himself recruited you as you say, he must have done so for good reason. Add to that the fact that you hail from the Felstar family, and you're a perfect candidate. You have access to wealth and resources beyond any current known living members. You even knew of the Stormguard before you joined it. I believe this is destiny. Iyana's death cannot be in vain. How many more must die, or live in fear forever, before someone stands up to protect what is rightfully ours?
"Are you sure this isn't just your way of justifying and coming to terms with Iyana's death?" The younger hyur's question was as pointed as they came.
"Mayhaps some small part of my mind is in that train of thought," Cora stated somberly. "But everything I've said is true. We lack leadership. And nobody seems willing to step up to the cause. Should this continue much longer, I fear the Stormguard will perish once and for all. I am far too old to raise the flag or gain support. And Iyana was too disheartened to try following her beloved's demise. You, however..."
"I just...I don't know if I'm right for this..."
"Nobody ever is, Kylin. Nobody ever is."
-----------------
There was still time to turn back. To go back to the Felstar Manor and act like these past couple days didn't even happen. And then what? Brood over his past mistakes? Live in the shadow of the mighty Cartius Felstar? Was his reasoning for taking on this burden a selfish one, just like he had accused Cora's reasoning of being? Was it simply out of his own guilt from nearly betraying the Stormguard years ago? Was it out of guilt of his more recent sins? Was this 'good deed' just a means to clear his own conscious? Or to step out of his father's shadow?
The hyur's thoughts were cut short as he reached the end of the path. A stone wall stood before him, various engravings etched onto it. An ordinary person wouldn't make heads or tails from the engravings. But Kylin recognized them. His managing of the Avalon Heritage Museum for the family certainly paid off. It was the language of an old Sil'dihn tribe. As instructed by Cora, the hyur held out his hand and began to channel aether toward the door. The aether manifested in a soft blue glow and the midlander promptly began to read the inscription on the wall aloud.
"Lord Byregot, I grant you this blessing in thanks for your gift of a Haven through your skill and knowledge. Lady Halone, I grant you this blessing in thanks for your gift of a Sword to protect our flock through your might and strength. For your protection, we will stand eternally with the Blessed Siblings."
The stone door began to shake, causing dirt and debris to crumble gently around the hyur. Slowly, the sealed gate slid inward until it stopped. Kylin bit his lower lip as he tried to peer inside the chamber from where he stood, to no avail. There was no going back now. He let out a soft sigh and walked forward, entering the chamber with some trepidation. The walls inside were filled with murals of all sorts, though even Kylin didn't recognize any of them. The room was otherwise completely bare, save for the pedestal in the middle of the chamber. Upon the pedestal, as promised by Cora, was a large ornate book that any historian would marvel at. The front cover and binding were seemingly made out of a thin gold and silver metal and on the front was etched the familiar symbol of the Stormguard, the lightning bolt atop a knotted circle.
Kylin touched the book gently with his free hand, still holding the lantern with his other. The book was massive, likely nigh a thousand pages long. In it were all of the secrets of Legio Fortis, one of the four Stormguard legions. Only the Highguards of old have ever gazed upon its contents, let alone touched the book. Â It would have made for a marvelous museum exhibition, and if it had been found by him six moons earlier, it possibly would have ended up there. Yet it is was merely the first of many lost relics to the Guard. The midlander further recalled more of Cora's words.
-----------------
"The Stormguard is shattered. The members of old that are left remain hidden in fear. They will not come to you right away, and some not at all. As Byregot would, you must first build something to come back to. Build it, and they will come. But so too will our enemies. As Halone would, you must make ready for battle at all times. For to protect the memories you build and reclaim, you will need to be also firmly grounded in reality. That is the duality by which we live. So it has been for hundreds of years."
-----------------
"Build it, and they will come," Kylin repeated to himself softly. He tapped the book with his index finger softly as he thought quietly to himself. He would have to search for new loyal members of the Guard. Members who could build it back up to its former glory. And so the search for talent would begin, though the hyur knew right away it wouldn't be easy. His own reputation would likely make it hard enough. Add to that the necessity for secrecy, and the challenge was amplified greatly. The Order of the Stormguard wasn't ending though, regardless. The disastrous effects of the Sundering and the Calamity were merely the end of the beginning, not the end itself.