Hello Readers! This is just a little drabble I thought of while playing the new FFXIV expansion, Stormblood. Let me know how you like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing other than my mind.

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I stood on the dark rubble of the Dusk Mother in the Azim Steppe, my reddish orange ears pricked forward intently toward Dotharl Khaa nearby. My vibrant aquamarine eyes scanned the lumbering brown manzasiri's; which, were relatives to yetis, that wandered the distance between the outskirts of the settlement and the ruins I stood on. Suddenly Gosetsu, my large samurai companion, got my attention and pointed at a grouping of the furred beasts saying, "Fox, I think there are men down there. Looks like it's too late for one of them, but if we are swift enough we might yet save the other."

I nodded and leapt off of the high slope of rubble, my powerful legs absorbing the impact. Gosetsu made his way down the incline of the Dusk Mother following on my heels towards our chocobos. His was hobbled, but my loyal legacy chocobo, Halifax, was waiting mildly for me, his reigns looped around the horn of the saddle. He perked up expectantly as we jogged towards them, he could feel the urgency and responded with a clipped kweh. I leapt into the saddle calling out to Gosetsu as I gathered the reigns, "See you there." Gosetsu nodded, preoccupied with his bird. With a twitch of the reigns I was off in the direction of the hapless Au Ra.

As I rode up to the injured Xaela I dismount swiftly, pulling my rapier from its resting place on my hip. Halifax joins me as I cast Scatter; which, explodes around the manzasiri's that surround the wounded Au Ra. Halifax launched himself talons first toward the closest beast. I slid towards the other two beasts slicing and stabbing my rapier through their furry bodies, before they had much of a chance to react.

I could hear over the roars of pain, that Gosetsu was also making quick work of his two foes. The beasts fell after a moment more, blood and gore splattering their brown coats. Gosetsu wiped his blade clean on a patch of brown fur from one of the fallen beasts. I flicked the blood off of my slim rapier and slid it home in its leather holster, then I turned to the wounded hunter, his broken bow lay in the sand nearby. His rose colored skin was slicked with sweat and he had sand all over. His injury was a deep gash in his right arm from a manzasiri claw and a bleeding gut.

Stars that looks really bad. Let's hope I'm wrong. I crouched next to him. He was panting in pain as his garnet eyes met mine, and my heart skipped a beat. Twelve damn me, he is stunningly handsome.

My face flushed with embarrassment at my lusty thoughts. I could feel my ears grow warm as we stared at one another longer than was appropriate, especially considering the situation. "L-Let me help you," I stuttered. He nodded, his blond short cropped hair was damp with sweat, causing it to flop into his eyes. I dropped my gaze, and moved to get a better look at his abdomen. The wound was superficial. Good.

I held my hands near his stomach, careful not to touch the wound, and murmured Vercure. His breathing slowed but his cheeks and nose had a brighter red blush to them. Hopefully infection hasn't yet started in his arm.

The shallow slice healed nicely so shifting my weight I peered at the deep gash in his right arm. Looking back up to his face I said, "I'm Fox, a Red Mage. Let me see your arm, hopefully I can get most of it healed. Just, sit still for me." I licked my lips then closed my eyes as I casted Vercure again, this time stronger than before to knit the deep muscle tissue back together. My hands shook from the effort, and he gasped from the sensation, his left hand shooting out to grip my wind silk coatee in a white knuckled grip. My eyes snapped open and my concentration faltered at the pain in his red eyes. "Damn, sorry. I've never been great at white magic, when it's an injury this severe." I mumbled in apology, my face burning.

His fist still clutched on my shirt he panted and shook his head slowly, "I- I owe you my life. Thank you." His grip loosened and he let his hand fall to his side. I pulled a clean cloth bandage from my belt pouch and proceeded to wrap his arm. The gash wasn't fully healed, but at least it was no longer seeping with blood. It was also dramatically smaller than a moment before. Gosetsu had walked up while I was healing the hunter, but said nothing, just watched patiently for me to finish.

"Think nothing of it, we saw you were in trouble, so we came, " I replied, tying off the bandage.

Gosetsu glanced back at the body of the other Xaela and said, "I wish we had spotted you sooner. I knew at once your friend was dead. I know this is a scant comfort, but I am sorry."

The hunter sat up straighter and his gaze lingered a moment on the body of his companion and with his voice filled with sorrow he said, "Nay...that is no way for a Dotharl to die."

My ears pricked up, catching a sound of feet in the sand. Gosetsu whirled to face the sound, his samurai sword barely pulled from it's scabard, ready for danger. A petite darkly skinned Au Ra female was approaching the group, an intricate black mage staff slung across her back. Her shocking blue eyes were hard as she growled out to the hunter, "What is this? Who are these outsiders, Naran?"

The hunter, Naran, struggled to stand so I helped him up and he leaned on me for support, his good arm across my shoulders. Even though his wounds were no longer an immediate concern, the pain and bruises would linger for at least a week. Naran was quite tall, though not as tall as most Xaela, even though he was large compared to my smaller, lithe frame. My tail helped keep me balanced while his weight leaned snugly on my shoulder and side. "Sadu Khatun!" he said, "Forgive me. We were returning from our hunt when we were caught unawares by manzasiri. Fox and her companion saved me, but Geser is..." he trailed off, his garnet eyes downcast, a hard expression on his face.

I glanced at Gosetsu as the fiery Xaela, called Sadu, stared at the lifeless body of Geser. Then her eyes flicked to Gosetsu and I, and she spewed forth multiple questions, barely stopping to take a breath between them, "Who are you? Why have you come? Not to cross the sand, that much is certain. I have heard tales of travelers in league with another tribe. Are you they? Who do you serve?" She paused but before I or Gosetsu could open our mouths to speak, she sternly said, "Answer me."

Gosetsu and I exchange a glance. I felt Naran stiffen and shift his weight as Gosetsu spoke, "If I may begin to answer your questions before you start anew. We are friends of the Mol, and we have come to see the strength of the Dotharl for ourselves."

While Gosetsu explained, Sadu's eyes widened in shock. She stared at us for a moment then said, "The Mol? The little lambs who wander to and fro at the behest of their gods?" She barked a harsh laugh then continued, "What fools you are to share the soil of such weaklings! Next you will tell me you wish to fight in the Naadam!" Her smile faded as she looked first at Gosetsu then myself. Gosetsu shifted his weight uncomfortably under her gaze, and I narrowed my eyes, my lips forming a thin line.

Sadu's face was a picture of disbelief, "Ah...so you do. Hah! That is unexpected...yet not unwelcome." The petite black mage crossed her arms a grin forming on her delicate face, "I am Sadu. Khatun of the Dotharl. For your deeds, I grant you leave to walk among us. Come. Look on our glory and despair. We fear no tribe- least of all the Mol. Though, if you were of the Oronir, I would burn the flesh from your bones here and now." Turning to Naran she barks out an order, "See to the corpse. If you are healthy enough to stand you are fit enough to recover from your mistakes."

As the Khatun of the Dotharl turned and left, Naran pulled his arm off of my shoulder, and tried to stand without assistance, but he collapsed back down to the white sand. Feeling a pang of responsibility, I knelt down and laid a gentle hand on his good arm. I turned my attention to my samurai companion saying, "Gosetsu, I shall meet you there, go ahead without me."

Gosetsu nodded, "As you wish, I want to speak with that woman. How callously she spoke of her dead! Surely this warrior deserves better than that." As he turned to where his chocobo had been, Gosetsu realized it had run a fair distance during the fight with the manzasiri. Thankfully it was in the direction of the Dotharl encampment.

As Gosetsu jogged towards his mount I said to Naran, "Let me help you. Your injuries are not fully healed, and you could easily reopen that arm wound trying to move Geser."

Naran shook his head stubbornly; however, I could see the pain in his face as he spoke, "No, thank you again, Mistress Fox. However, I have to manage this on my own. My Khatun has commanded me."

He looked over at my face, and I gave him a stern look, "Naran. You cannot do this on your own, you could die out here. I cannot in good conscience leave you here."

The fight drained out of him as I casted one more small Vercure over his body to help temporarily relieve his aches and pains. After I helped him to stand, and he was able to hold his own weight, I said, "Is there somewhere specific we should bury him, or rituals to follow?"

Naran shook his head replying, "No. No rituals or burials. We Dotharl do not cling to the flesh like many. Geser's spirit will, hopefully, be seen again in a child's eyes when they are born, and he will be renewed." His eyes rose from Geser's body to meet my eyes, to gauge my reaction.

I paused next to Geser's body and stared at Naran, then glanced to the corpse. I stood silent for a time, my gaze moving to the windswept sands around us. Finally I turned to Naran, he waited patiently for me to gather my words, and I said softly, "It's like reincarnation. Though the body dies, the spirit lives on to manifest once more."

A warm smile broke through on Naran's face, "Yes! It is rare for other tribes not of the Dotharl to understand our beliefs. Even more rare is it, for a foreigner to do so. Come, let us find a place for his old body, and I will tell you of his past lives."

Together we gathered the body of the fallen Xaela hunter to carry him to an outcrop away from the Dotharl camp, stopping often for Naran to catch his breath. During those breaks he explained certain Dotharl customs while talking about the past lives of Geser. Eventually Naran shifted to talking about his own past lives. He was usually a hunter, better than many, but not the best archer in the tribe. His most recent past life he was a female that had fought valiantly in the Naadam, but was felled by an axe of a Budugan warrior.

Finally we made it to an outcrop and gently set down Geser's body. Naran made to head to his home, when I said, "Wait, we cannot just leave..."

Naran turned back his voice curious, "Why? There is no need to stay."

I walked to him and grabbed his left hand gently pulling him back to the body saying, "Let me show you my beliefs, Naran." He easily submitted, and I motioned for him to sit with me, facing the body. I pulled a twig of sage from my belt pouch, lit it carefully with Verfire and proceeded to gently blow on the smoldering tip to release a plume of white smoke. I slowly wafted the smoke towards Geser, taking care to make sure every portion of his body had been cleansed by the smoke. I spoke solemnly as I began cleansing myself, "Sage wards off bad spirits and helps prompt the soul of the deceased to move on to the next life. I normally start at the head and work my way down, because the head is the most vital part of a person."

Naran was still, his face curious, no trace of pain lingered in those heart-quickening garnet eyes. I held the smoldering sage out towards him and he gingerly took it, our hands brushing as he did so.

I watched him mimic my previous motions to cleanse himself with the smoke, and as he did so I gritted my teeth and savagely bashed down my growing attraction, for this stunningly exotic individual. I had seen plenty of Au Ra since first meeting Yugiri, but Naran caught my eye like no other. His rose tinted skin and dark black scales caught on the setting sun, giving them gentle caresses of blue as he moved. His blonde hair was no long soaking with sweat and he had tousled it earlier to remove some of the white sand. A small portion of it blew against his forehead while the rest was pushed backwards. My pulse quickened when he glanced over at me and gave me a shy smile.

He handed me the sage back and I ground it in the sand to extinguish it. As I placed it back into it's pouch I said, "Normally my people would bury or burn the body. However the sand will make swift work-"

He interjected, "Or the gedan will."

I nodded unsure of what to say, as the sun slowly made its descent past the mountains and hills. Naran and I sat in a comfortable silent, each of us lost in our thoughts.

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