â—† P R E Y â—†
[ Part One of Six ]
[ Part One of Six ]
â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â… â€¹ ⧫ › â†â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”
Author Note: So while I was on vacation, I decided to have Jali head up north to Coerthas on a job. While thinking it over, I had an idea of what that job might entail and decided to write it up as a short story for the sake of a character development exercise.
As a disclaimer, this part was written on my iPhone while lying in bed at the cabin. So it’s not my best writing. The rest will be better once I can get home, turn on pandora, and actually type.
â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â… â€¹ ⧫ › â†â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”â”
The sideways stares and scornful whispers were nothing that Jaliqai hadn’t experienced before. Ever since she had made the decision to leave Othard alongside the Doman diaspora, she had found herself drawing the gazes of man wary, sometimes hostile Eorzeans. For a time, like many of her kin when they had first arrived, she had taken measures to conceal her Auri features. Yet as time marched on, as her kind became more and more known, she had dropped the concealment and faced the glares head-on. Yet by now, most had become fairly comfortable with the Au Ra.
This place was different. Though the Domans and a handful of Auri had arrived almost a cycle ago, Ishgard’s freshly opened walls held behind them a people who had scarcely known foreigners at all, much less those who bore scaled skin and horns like their most hated of enemies. Jaliqai couldn’t rightly blame them, in a way, for their frigid demeanors and hushed hisses to one another as she passed.
Still, there was something different about the way these men, women, and children leered. Something that hinted at more than just caution and distrust. Hatred. The tension of violence that lie just below the surface, barely contained, threatening to burst forth at any moment. Each step down the ragged remnants of the Brume felt more and more unsafe, that she wasn’t welcomed here.
Movements and shadows caught her eye, someone always lurking just out of sight, following her. Hunting her. Her heart began to beat faster, her nerves raw and on edge. The Forgotten Knight couldn’t be far, could it? All she had to do was get there, to the contact that she was supposed to meet, and she wouldn’t be so uncomfortably exposed and alone. Outnumbered.
Despite the fear trying to edge its way into her mind, the Xaela woman kept her head held up straight, facing forward, her jaw firmly set. Even if someone was following her, she would not give them the pleasure of seeing her panic or setting her to run. She was a proud Qulaani huntress, and a Qulaan would never be another’s prey.
Her steps quickened, if only slightly, boots clicking against the uneven cobblestones. Another shadow moved in a nearby alcove as she passed, nearing the corner. As she turned, she chanced a glance in that direction, only to bump right into something. Something that felt distinctly like a person, that let loose a curse at her. Her golden eyes snapped back forward instantly to the tall, older Elezen man whose words of annoyance went all but ignored.
“Sorry,†she muttered quietly, not even looking the man in the eye or waiting for a response before she tried to move past him.
“Oi! Ye’ should ‘pologize properly t'yer betters.â€
Instinctively, the huntress turned around towards the voice, laying eyes on a pair of Hyur men that had come up from behind her. The one in front, whom she had assumed to be the one who had spoke, stood with his chest puffed up and arms crossed. He had a few ilms of height on her, yet he was bony, malnourished. Even with his chest out and back straight, he wasn’t an intimidating man. The man behind him was even less imposing, all gaunt cheek bones and sunken, red eyes.
What did bother her, however, was that every pair of eyes nearby were on them and not a soul seemed likely to intervene on her behalf. In fact, if anything, the lot were likely to jump in to help the two Hyur if it came to blows. She could feel it again, the familiar tension that hung thick in the air just before a fight erupted.
Jaliqai needed to get out of here and get to the Forgotten Knight. Setting her lips into a thin line, she turned to try and walk away. Maybe if she refused to react, they would give up. Yet as she turned, she felt a hand rise up to clamp down firmly on her shoulder.
“Bloody Dravanian whore, listen when I’m speakin’ t'ye!†The first man growled. The words barely registered as the Xaela spun, turning on him with her upper lip curled back in an almost feral snarl. Yet it was the soft glint off of metal from the lanky man behind the first that more raptly captured her attention. A knife being drawn.
Her own hand quickly lowered to one of the daggers sheathed on her hips. Her heart was pounding now with adrenaline. She started to draw her own blade when a sudden, sharp whistle pierced the air. The drawing of steel froze as all heads turned in the direction of the shrill sound echoing down the alleyway.
At the end stood a tall, broad Highlander man, wearing a deep scowl on his lips. Partnered with the deep scars over the left side of his face and the harsh eyes that glared out from under thick brown brows, his was a fierceness that managed to still the lot before the impending violence even began. Jaliqai hadn’t been so relieved to see someone in quite a long time.
“You lot make a habit of drawin’ steel on innocent women?†The man growled out his words in a deep, rough voice. It took a moment for the stunned hyur to answer.
“She were attackin’ this man ‘ere, and–â€
“Chocobo shite!†He barked. “Get the fuck out of here before all the yellin’ makes the Knights head over.†When no one moved, the Highlander’s hand fell to the sword hanging at his hip and his voice rose, commanding. “Now!â€
Slowly, but surely, the tall, gaunt man let his knife fall back into place, taking a few tentative steps back. He looked to his partner, whose defiant look held out only but a moment longer, before he too backed down with a sullen glare and a grumble. As the two slinked away, the rest of the crowd that had gathered to watch gradually began to look away, busying themselves with something, whispering amongst themselves.
Jaliqai eyed the lot of them until she felt a hand over hers on the knife, gently guiding it downwards, back into its sheath. A deep chuckle of a laugh followed, pulling her eyes back up to the scarred man.
“You too, Red.†He gave her an amused smile as his hand moved to her shoulder, carefully turning her into the direction he had came from.
“I had it under control, Bayard.â€
“Sure you did, love. Didn’t doubt you for a second.†He smirked down at her. “Let’s get you to the tavern before you start a godsdamned riot.â€
The Xaela opened her mouth to protest, only to close it, stubbornly shrugging his hand off her shoulder to start walking again. He only let out another deep chuckle, shaking his head, following along after her.
