Caudecus's Manor and oh hey look at that it's a guild! Hope's Legacy was taken in-game when I went to make a guild for my friends and me (and also apostrophes aren't allowed, even though (gestures wildly at Destiny's Edge and Dragon's Watch)) so I named it something like "Dream of Hopes Legacy [Lgcy]" (and the only representing member is Caoilffhionn, anyway) (as it probably would be with a name like that).

11: Hope's Legacy

A few days afterwards, Caoilfhionn found an elaborate invitation in his mail – gold and red ink on creamy white paper invited him to a party celebrating the peace negotiations between the Humans and the Charr. He was intrigued, and confused, and delighted, all at once. On one branch, why was he invited? He didn't really know any high-ranking Krytans very well, and he was a foreigner to them. Had Damara something to do with it? On another branch, if they were having parties just for celebrating peace negotiations, he wondered what it would look like when peace was actually reached. And on the third branch, he loved parties! He could wear Blathnat's newest creation, a lovely violet robe with sweeping epaulets.

Wegaff came to see him. "I got this weird invite today. What do you- oh, you got one too."

"Damara must have had them sent," Caoilfhionn said. "She is the most influential Human we know, and we both know her well from that business with the Queen. I'll be going, of course."

"Then you can take my regrets," Wegaff said. "I'm not one for parties. Zero productive results, 95% of the time. I'm going to False Lake and double-checking Sieran's numbers because, well, let's just say her enthusiasm puts the College of Dynamics to shame."

"If Damara sent it, she must suspect trouble," Caoilfhionn said, trying to tempt him with a smile.

"Then double the reason for me to stay out of it! I've decided my skills are really not in battle. Yours are, anyone can see. But mine are in research." Wegaff actually hesitated, a rare thing for him to do. "I know we promised we'd help each other out on our investiga- quests. But I really do think that I can be of more use to you here at the Priory, than out fighting things physically beside you."

"Oh, that's too bad." Caoilfhionn was disappointed, and a little sad, but it wasn't entirely unexpected to him. "I think you're a wonderful elementalist."

"Geo-kineticist," Wegaff corrected him. "Thanks. I am good. I certainly trounce you on the theoretical side. But I'd rather avoid the risk of copious head trauma. Like in the Ascalonian Catacombs with those Destiny's Edge bulldozers, I didn't even get a chance to sample the stones, but you had no problem keeping up. In fact, it looked like you were having a great time."

Such a compliment warmed him from his leaves to his toes, and he would have hugged Wegaff if not for the fact that the Asura was too small to do it easily, and that Wegaff had a strict no-hugs policy. "That's the kindest thing you've ever said to me. Thank you."

"Well, I'm not saying it again," Wegaff grumbled, embarrassed. "Anyway, if it's just a party, I'll be bored to death, and if there's trouble, you can handle yourself just fine – especially if anyone we know is there to help you."

"Very well," Caoilfhionn said. "I wish you well in your research, and I'll drink to your health while I'm there!"

"If that makes you happy," Wegaff said.

"It will, just like going to False Lake to check numbers will make you happy," Caoilfhionn said, laughing.

"Ugh, go have fun, you social butterfly."

Damara was there, looking different with her dark hair done up in a fancy way, and she had sent the invitations, and there too were Annhilda, Phiadi, and Rhyoll. "Logan thinks there's going to be trouble, so when he invited me, I of course thought of you all. Is Wegaff not coming?"

"He sends his regrets," Caoilfhionn said. "He really does not like parties, and said that between the five of us, we wouldn't need his aid."

"I'm not surprised," Annhilda said. "From what I've seen of him, he'll be happier where he is. We'll just have to work a little harder."

"Blast it," Rhyoll grumbled. "Why I let you talk me into this when Mia Kindleshot is right there…"

"It's good to see you again!" Caoilfhionn said.

"You too, twig," Rhyoll said. "Nothing new to show you today, I'm afraid. Nice duds."

"That's all right. Thank you! My sister made this but newly for me, as she does all my clothes."

"They show you've clearly never been within spitting distance of an engine, ahaha."

"Why would you want to spit on an engine…?"

"Oh! It's Zojja! I was hoping she'd be here," Phiadi said, and pointed.

Caoilfhionn drifted curiously in her wake. Zojja was the only member of Destiny's Edge he had not yet met, and he wanted to know what sort of person she was like. But along the way, he got snagged by Dagonet, the Sylvari ambassador to Kryta, and was soon deep into stimulating conversation with him.

So he was quite startled when Humans started shouting and suddenly-appearing golems started shooting and the whole place turned upside down in a moment. "To me!" Annhilda shouted, her voice ringing over the commotion, and he obeyed gladly, lightning wreathing his drawn dagger.

Logan had been reunited with his kidnapped queen, and it was so romantic, he was almost jealous. To be thus torn between love and duty, the desire to protect someone and the necessity of protecting everyone… Not to mention, the chance to be so close so constantly to his beloved, to be so blatant with his affections under a thin veneer of professionalism – and with Logan, it was thin… To be in his place must have been agony, but how sweet the pain! He only had his pining, which wasn't really pining at all, but a sort of happy yearning…

He was getting a little ahead of himself. Tinting his vision a bit too rosy. He would gladly have settled for being able to simply speak with Trahearne again. But he really wanted to swoon a bit…

The remains of the party had begun to clear off, leaving the five of them on the outskirts of Beetletun. "Once again, we worked well together," Annhilda said. "I would like to propose that we make this official."

"What, start a guild?" Phiadi asked, with an elegantly-raised brow ridge.

Damara smiled, petting her red Moa. "That sounds like a great plan! I'm in."

"I would be honoured!" Caoilfhionn said, putting a hand to his chest to contain his pride.

"Yeah, I guess I could stand to hang out with you guys sometimes," Rhyoll said with a chuckle.

Phiadi rolled her eyes. "I suppose someone has to be the token Asura, and who better than this year's Snaff Savant: me."

"The Snaff Savant, a Wyld Hunt Valiant, an Iron Legion Centurion, the Hero of Shaemoor, and the Slayer of Issormir," Annhilda said. "We're a pretty excellent group, wouldn't you say?"

"We need a wonderful name!" Caoilfhionn said. "What shall we call ourselves?"

"That discussion needs to take place over a beer," Damara said. "Come on, the pub here is quality."

.

Hours later, after much discussion, argument, and random tangential talk, they raised their mugs together. "To Hope's Legacy!"