Noctis looked around the room thoughtfully. Cor and Clarus were flanking his dad, the three of them discussing something in a low voice. Nyx, Ravus, Luna and Crowe were bent over a map of the island of Galahd. Navalus was speaking with an Elder, a comfortable looking fire casting a red glow over everyone in the room.
Noctis cleared his throat and greeted them."Thank you for getting together so quickly." They all stopped talking and straightened. Noctis swallowed; he was still unused to being the center of such intense attention. "As you have been told, an airstrike near Cunabula caused a part of the cliffs to crumble. The elders of Cunabula are worried that more of the cliff is going to crumble, possibly endangering the town itself. Furthermore, Prompto" - he indicated Prompto with a tilt of his head - "noticed that a new cave system was revealed by the attack. Our initial scouts have confirmed that the system leads further in..."
The Elder interrupted Noctis. "A cave system near Cunabula? Are you certain?" Noctis nodded, startled by the uncharacteristic interruption. The Elder turned her gaze towards the fire, remaining silent for a long moment before speaking again. "The cave must be investigated."
"I can go check it out." Nyx offered. "Libertus can be my back up." Noctis nodded, glancing over at his dad before refocusing on the meeting. They still needed to get ready for the possible evacuation of the town.
Noctis drummed his fingers on the table, mind everywhere except the reports in front of him. He was worried.
Worried about the Great White Coeurl that Ramuh had shown him.
The Coeurl had been asleep, Their whiskers twitching every so often as They dreamed.
Noctis had been certain he'd watched storms being born from every soft exhalation. Storms! Hurricanes, lightning storms, even hail storms!
He'd asked Luna discreetly about such a being but she'd never heard, read, or seen a messenger or Astral that fit his description. Now, Noctis wondered if it was a beast, like the Quetzalcoatl. But that didn't sit right with Noctis. There was something indescribable to the White Coeurl, something that screamed Divine.
"Noctis." Ignis' voice jolted him back to the moment. Noctis turned to face his advisor, a wry smile plastered on in a half-hearted attempt to pretend he'd been listening.
Ignis sighed, "You've been rather inattentive these last few hours." He wheeled over to Noctis' side, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "What occupies your mind?"
Noctis grimaced, he didn't know how to explain the dream to Ignis. Still he did his best, haltingly recounting the odd dream in bits and pieces. Ignis listened intently, making notes but never interrupting until Noctis was done speaking.
Ignis waited a beat to confirm he was done speaking before he proposed, "Perhaps the Elders of Galahd would be able to help you? Ramuh is known as their patron astral, and you did say Ramuh was quite clear on where you were."
Noctis perked up, a grin now replacing his worried frown. "Of course!" He jumped up and ran out, throwing a quick "Thanks, Specs!" as he ran off, leaving Ignis to finish his work.
He knew exactly whom to ask.
Navalus was at his usual spot, the market plaza in Focis. Despite the ongoing war, the market was busy, filled with Galahdians, Insomnian refugees, and Lucians buying and selling things. Noctis only stopped twice; once to gawk at one of the largest sea bass he'd ever seen, and the second time to snag a snack.
As he munched on the candied bite-sized bread bits, Noctis waved at Navalus. "Hey, got a minute to spare?"
"Of course, how can I help?" Navalus nodded to the man he'd been speaking with before he turned to face Noctis.
Noctis finished his snack, offering a few to Navalus, before he spoke. "White coeurls are rare, right?"
Navalus tilted his head slightly, "It would depend on where you live, I suppose. The white coeurls of Galahd are unique to the islands, especially the northern ones. Why do you ask?"
"I heard someone mentioning some kind of huge white coeurl and got curious." Noctis shrugged. He didn't want to explain about Carbuncle, Ramuh or his dreams.
"The name of Kaitiaki is still spoken of in these parts." An older couple walked over to stand beside Noctis. The speaker smiled widely, showing her many missing teeth. "It has been many millennia since Kaitiaki has been seen in Galahd though the Storms still remain. They are usually invoked when a hunt must be successful or if a judgement of great importance is to be delivered."
"Kaitiaki? What do you mean?" Noctis shifted to face the elders politely.
The second elder moved their hands quickly. Noctis recognized a few signs of Lucian Sign Language from his half-forgotten lessons as a kid. Tonight. Story? Fire. He made the sign - he hoped it was at least - of the polite apology. "Sorry, I'm not well versed in LSL."
Navalus chuckled and translated for him. "Xe is offering to have you come to tonight's gathering. Xe and Xe's wife are the memory keepers of Focis and are offering to recount some of the held memories of the Great Kaitiaki."
Noctis bowed low towards the couple. "I would be honored to attend." The Storytellers both smiled at Noctis then continued on their way. Noctis spent a few more minutes talking with Navalus before he returned to face Ignis.
Noctis leaned on Gladio as he watched the bonfire dance. Prompto was helping Ignis through his walking physio exercises at the edge of the light, the wheelchair within reach. It was great to see Ignis back on his feet, shaky as he was. Gladio nudged him out of his thoughts, "Enjoying the view?"
Noctis grinned as he bestowed a kiss to his Shield. "Yup." His eyes turned towards his other two boyfriends. "It's just… great to see Specs on his feet again."
Gladio nuzzled his hair, "The doctors did say he'd recover."
"Still nice to see proof of it though." Gladio nodded. Noctis shifted to be more comfortable, his thoughts turning to something he'd been wanting to discuss with them for a while. Just as Noctis opened his mouth to ask Gladio...
"Welcome all and everyone." The Storytellers stepped forth into the region of the fire. All conversations ceased almost immediately and all eyes turned towards them. "We have a special Story to tell tonight. One which has long been unspoken outside of the Council of Elders." Xe walked to the opposite side of Xe's wife as Xe tossed a small bag into the fire.
The fire doubled in size, turned a bright white for several minutes as the Storytellers started their tale.
Long long ago, before the Ocean rose and separated the clans of Galahd, before the Black Stain appeared across the land, before the Six came to be, before the first human stepped onto Galahd; a coeurl was born as thunder struck the ground.
With a coat of snow and coal, and eyes of molten earth, the cub grew as one of many among the tribe. They learned to hunt, to protect, and to guide the tribe through the jungles that were their home.
Years passed, seasons changed, and the world changed with them. The cub became an adult of the tribe and earned a name. And thus began the rise of the Great White Coeurl Kaitiaki.
For that spring, the cold stayed longer and the days continued to be cold. Prey became scarce for the tribe and fights with other tribes became more frequent. Kaitiaki knew that should the cold season continue then all tribes were in danger. Thus Kaitiaki left his tribe, determined to find a new hunting ground large enough for all the tribes that prowled their home.
Kaitiaki followed the sun for three days without rest before they left the familiar grounds their tribe had called home. Days passed as Kaitiaki followed the sun in its journey until they came to a land untouched by the snow.
In that land, so far from where Kaitiaki had grown, the grass was sweet smelling, the fruits ripe and the prey abundant enough to last 100 years of feasting. After hunting enough to calm their hunger, Kaitiaki found a perch and watched the lives within the land. They grew curious the more time they spent watching.
Such a land filled with bountiful prey and yet….and yet they saw no predator. Could such a land truly exist? Such an ideal jungle for coeurls?
No, there had to be something else happening. Kaitiaki rose once more and started to walk through the jungle, eyes wide and ears perked, in search of the secrets hidden within the apparent paradise.
4 days passed peacefully before Kaitiaki found a hint to the new land's secret. The largest snake Kaitiaki had ever seen slithered through the trees silently, leaving no trace of its passage despite its size.
Kaitiaki stalked it through the jungle and the rivers, through day and night. With singular determination and the strange knowledge that the snake held the answers they sought, Kaitiaki followed them until they stopped in a clearing where a dying tree stood.
"I know you're there." The snake said, slithering over the dying tree with utmost care. "Come jungle hunter, come closer and tell me why you have come to my domain."
Kaitiaki hesitated for mere moments before they crept out into the clearing. "I am Kaitiaki. I have come to find new hunting grounds for my people for snow lingers still on ours."
The snake listened to Kaitiaki intently as they described the plight that had sent them looking for a new home. As Kaitiaki stopped speaking, the snake slithered closer with curious tilt of her head, and flick of her tongue. "So that time has returned after all."
"Do you know what has happened to our hunting grounds?"
"Yes; for I have seen it before, millenia ago." The snake circled around Kaitiaki once before returning to the dying tree. With a careful flick of her tail, a single ripe red fruit fell down in front of Kaitiaki. "The cold will grow and snow will cover everything except for the sun-filled lands and those protected by these Trees." The snake pointed at the dying tree.
"I have been the guardian of this Tree and that of these lands for a very very long time. If you accept, I will cede the right to these lands to you. You will live as a guardian of all that call these lands home until your own Tree dies and a new Guardian is chosen."
Kaitiaki paced around the single fruit at their feet, eyes glancing between the Tree and the snake. They sensed there was more to the role of Guardian than the snake was saying but when faced with the growing cold his tribe faced, there was no reason to hesitate.
The young coeurl sat by the fruit and made his choice. "What must I do?"
The snake replied with a satisfied smile. "Kill me. Drink of my blood and eat my flesh. You will gain the knowledge you require to be the next Guardian of these lands." With those words, the snake struck at Kaitiaki.
The fight was done within a single blow as Kaitiaki twisted out of the way, lightning frying the snake as they bit down viciously. As blood filled their mouth, Kaitiaki was filled with the wisdom of countless Guardians. As they ate the flesh of their predecessor, Kaitiaki could suddenly sense every living thing within their new land.
Filled with the knowledge of the past, Kaitiaki ate the fruit they'd been given and planted the seed of the next Tree in the grave of the snake.
"And so, a new land was found for all the tribes of coeurls that answered Kaitiaki's call. These lands became Galahd, protected by the Guardian Kaitiaki even to this day. The Tree of the Guardian stands tall somewhere in our land, its location lost to our memory by choice." The Storytellers clapped their hands together in unison, marking an end to the night.
The children started talking all at the same time, asking questions to the Storytellers, and to each other. As for Noctis, he didn't know what to make of the story. Was the giant white coeurl the Guardian Kaitiaki? Is that what the Storytellers were saying? But if so, was the title Guardian another word for an Astral or a Messenger?
"You still have questions do you not Young King?" Noctis jerked out of his thoughts and scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he rose to greet the Storytellers.
Ignis chuckled, "That was quite the story you've told us tonight. You are both quite talented." Gladio and Prompto both nodded.
The Storytellers smiled and nodded their thanks but their attention stayed on Noctis. "Well… Umm… I was just wondering if a "Guardian" is the same as a "Messenger" or an "Astral"?"
"No. They are not." Xe replied simply.
The second Storyteller continued, "Astrals and Messengers appeared with humans but Guardians have always existed, ever since the first Tree grew from Eos."
Noctis straightened and was about to ask more questions when a commotion erupted from the other side of the plaza. "King Noctis!" A shout cut through the chatter as a hunter approached. "You're needed at the infirmary! Captain Nyx has returned!"
A/N: kaitiaki means Guardian in Maori.
Thank you for your patience! I am halfway done through the first arc. Once it is completely written I'll be posting more regularly. Happy St-Valentines to everyone!