I do not own FFXIV or RWBY.
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Aruktai Qestir stared ahead without emotion as he and the remaining Scions ran down the secret passageway Thancred suggested they use to escape Ul'dah. His eyes glanced at the Warrior of Light as she and Minfilia led the group. When she had been thrown to the throne room's floor, her hands tied behind her back, he had forced himself not to run forward and immediately cut down the Crystal Braves who dared detain her for regicide as the fool Teledji Adeledji claimed. Any who knew of her would know it to be laughable for she was known for her honor as well as being a trusted confidant to the sultana since even before she joined the Sultansworn as an honorary member. Only General Raubahn was more trusted than she. However, with no other allies within to assist them in fighting back this coup d'etat, the Scions had been forced to flee the city.
"Over here! This way!"
Aruktai's violet eyes glared at Thancred as the sounds of their pursuers echoed behind them, far but steadily approaching. The ashen-haired man sighed as he took his daggers into his hands as he stared at the encroaching Crystal Braves and Brass Blades. "Well, that didn't take long. It seems these tunnels were not as secret as I had hoped."
Y'shtola nodded once as she took a step forward as she said. "You three go on ahead. Thancred and I will deal with this."
Minfilia looked at her friends in despair. "W-what do you mean to do?"
Y'shtola spared a glance back to respond grimly. "Only that which is required to ensure that the dawn's light survive to brighten the morrow."
Aruktai grimaced as he thought about the situation and made a decision. He strode forward and placed a firm hand on Thancred's shoulder. At the rogue's questioning look, Aruktai pushed him towards Minfilia and their disgraced friend. His meaning became clear as Thancred merely frowned and nodded his acceptance.
"Wait no! Aruktai, please don't!" The Warrior of Light, having been silent since her arrest, grasped at his armor, a set gifted to him by the Azure Dragoon of Ishgard that was worn by the special lancer forces of the city-state. "Please not you!" Her blue - near silver - eyes held tears as she pleaded for her closest friend not to sacrifice himself for her.
Aruktai maintained a calm visage as he gave U'nhalki Oodh, a petite beauty with dark skin and ebony hair much like his own, a quick embrace before lowering his tribe's traditional face mask from covering his mouth to place a soft kiss on the top of her head. As the woman sobbed, he reached up to a braid tied to his hair that laid against the left side of his face. It was a small thing of intertwined string and feathers with the fang of a yanxian tiger tied at its end. The beast had been his first kill and his younger sister wished to commemorate the achievement with the braid. Aruktai took a small knife he had sheathed at his side and cut it off. He placed the braid into U'nhalki's hand before he glared at Thancred who stepped forward to lead the Warrior of Light and Minfilia away. The leader of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn wiped unused tears from her eyes as she tried to maintain a resolved expression.
He and Y'shtola returned their attention behind them as their enemy neared. The ivory- haired miqo'te glanced at him impassively before saying. "I never would've believed this is how our lives will end, but for what it's worth, I am happy I go to my end with you at my side, Aruktai."
Aruktai gave her a morose nod as he took his lance into his hands and lowered the visor of his helm, fully masking his face as Y'shtola began to cast a spell. With his blood raging within him, Aruktai bared his teeth as he cut down every Brass Blade and Crystal Brave who dared to near the reach of his lance's blade. A quick thrust pierced the throat of one woman wielding a spear before he tossed her corpse at a Brass Blade as a distraction to swipe his feet from under him and thrust downwards into the unfortunate soldier's chest. Whenever an archer would take aim at his companion, He would leap towards them and in a grand show of acrobatics, would spear them through before engaging any that would dare approach the miqo'te mage. Aruktai opened his mouth in a silent gasp when a few arrows managed to penetrate his armor and pierce his leg. He quickly cut down his opponent and two others who thought they could finish the job. He glanced back when the light of Y'shtola's spell brightened.
"'Tis done!" She raised her hands above her as the spell activated. The two stared at each other as the Blades and Braves began to panic and flee, but both knew most wouldn't survive. The spellcaster gazed down with a saddened expression as she muttered so low Aruktai nearly failed to hear her. "Forgive me, Mhitra."
The xaelan lancer lowered his lance as he thought of U'nhalki once more. Just as the spell reached was about to activate he could only think of how he had promised the Warrior of Light a meal. One shared together like they once used to before they were dragged into the Scions by Thancred, oh so long ago.
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Willow Schnee lounged on the bench within the gazebo of her family's gardens. With Jacques in a meeting with the board of the company and her youngest son and daughter going about their own lessons within the mansion, she had chosen to sequester herself here in the gardens with a bottle of wine. Something that had become the norm for her since Jacques made his true feelings about his family known to her and Weiss. She let out a deep sigh after swallowing the last of the wine from her glass. Just as she moved to refill it, she was shocked out of her sorrow by a loud explosion nearby. It was the knowledge her father had instilled in her in her childhood that permitted her to assume that the explosion was enhanced with gravity, fire, and even perhaps air dust. So violent was the explosion that Willow was thankful for the protection the gazebo provided as strong gusts of wind and shrapnel flew everywhere as she crouched under the small marble structure's table and benches. Once she was sure there wasn't going to be a second explosion, she peered over the bench she hid behind, terrified of a possible assassination attempt. Just as she was going to make a run for the manor, She saw movement from the crater of the explosion. She was shocked to see a hand reach out and a person dragging himself from within. Willow was unsure of what to do until the man seemed to take notice of her and reached out a hand to her, his unsaid plea understood by the woman. With hesitant steps, Willow Schnee approached the man, taking notice of his dark blue armor and similarly colored spear laying beside him, and gasped to see the wounds he had as well as certain features that caused unease to fill her bosom. Deciding to trust that this faunus man to not be an enemy of her family, Willow moved to help him. "Try to place your arm over my shoulders. I will try to help you."
Willow was pleased to see the man give her a weary nod as he groaned and placed a hand on a bleeding wound on his chest, no doubt caused by the violent explosion. Willow slowly helped the man away from the crater, but found it difficult with how heavy and tall he was, not to mention how painfully bits of his armor dug into her side. She was thankful to see Klein and some armed servants run towards her. Willow raised a hand and exclaimed. "Over here! This man needs help!"
Klein gave out a sigh of relief at seeing the lady of the house uninjured. "Oh thank heavens!" He approached Willow and helped carry the man into the manor, trusting that the others would protect Willow should this unknown man prove to be a danger. He glanced at his charge and said. "The authorities have already been called and the children sequestered to their rooms with guards to defend them. What happened, my lady, and who is this?"
Willow looked at the man they carried, concerned as he seemed to be going in and out of consciousness. "I do not know, Klein. All I know is that an explosion occurred near me in the gardens and he was dragging himself out of the crater. I nearly thought it to be an attack by the White Fang."
Klein nodded, having thought the same. "In here. Nearest room for the paramedics to come tend to him once they arrive." He gestured for one of the maids to open the small room's door and assisted Willow with laying the man on a divan within. They tried to make him as comfortable as possible as another servant approached with basic medical supplies.
Willow moved to kneel beside the man's head and slowly removed the armet to not cause him any pain. She gasped to see that what she thought to be a part of the helmet were actually horns growing where his ears would be. She looked at pained violet eyes and placed a hand on his cheek which remained covered by a strange silver face mask with black embroidery. When she attempted to remove it, a firm hand from the man stopped her from doing so. She thanked a maid who handed her a soaked cloth and wiped the sweat from his forehead as Klein saw to stopping the bleeding. "Some water please." Willow asked the maid beside her who quickly took a glass from another servant to hand to their mistress. The Schnee matriarch helped raise the man to drink the water. He gave her a thankful look before moving his mask to reveal ebony scales covering his chin and edges of his face like a thin beard as he sat up properly. Willow tried to ease him back down when he closed his eyes, believing him to be in pain, when a soft emerald glow shined from the palm of a hand. The man placed his hand over his wounds and the others were surprised to see them cease bleeding and close. With the help of Klein, the man dug out the arrow shafts that had gone unnoticed from a leg and did the same there.
"Incredible." Willow breathed out as she watched this man heal himself. She and her servants chalked it up to it being the man's semblance and helped him stand when he moved to do so.
The man, ebony hair tied in a loose ponytail with a small bang falling to one corner of his face. With his armet removed and face mask lowered, Willow and her servants could see that his skin was tanned which alluded to a vacuan heritage. The man, having not said a word since being helped, bowed his head in thanks to the servants before staring at Willow with an unreadable expression before returning his mask back up to cover the lower part of his face. Just as the tension began to make her uncomfortable, the man looked at another servant who held his spear, the other woman having decided to retrieve the weapon. The faunus man raised a hand, wordlessly asking for his weapon back. At her mistress's nod, the maid does so as the others edge closer to Willow should she need to be protected. With an elaborate twirl of the spear, the man takes it into one hand before falling to one knee before Willow, head bowed and intention clear in the submissive pose.
Willow restrained the gasp that nearly escaped her lips as she looked at the man uncertainly. "Do not feel as if you have a debt that needs to be repaid. I felt obligated to help you since you appeared in my home with seemingly no intention of being a threat to my family or I." Seeing him remain in place, Willow knelt in front of him. "What is your name? How did you come to be here in such a dangerous manner and with some of those wounds? Most were from the explosion, but the arrows must have been from a fight of some sort."
The man raised his head to meet Willow's eyes with his own before pointing at the shoulder plate where a strange symbol was emblazoned onto it. Willow gained a confused look as her servants murmured to each other. "I don't understand. Is it your family's emblem?" She smiled when the man nodded. "Well, I'm afraid it is not known to me. I apologize." Quickly coming to the realization that this man was mute, Willow looked to Klein. "Could you get us something to drink, Klein. Perhaps some tea?" Willow's smile broadened when the man nodded his acceptance when she glanced at him questioningly. "Yes, some tea would do. Should the authorities arrive, inform them that I and my guest are here. I believe it is also safe to say that any danger that might have been present is gone. Allow Whitley and Weiss to continue their lessons."
"Understood, my lady. I will return with tea and snacks at once." Klein hurried away as the other servants either returned to whatever they had been doing before the explosion or moved to give Willow and the man space to speak, for however much one could when one was mute.
Willow turned around with a small smile as she curtsied. "Apologies, I just realized I haven't introduced myself. I am Willow Schnee. I formally welcome you to my home." She allowed herself to giggle softly as the man bowed his head in response to her formal introduction. "I believe we could learn much about each other with a little effort."
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Aruktai gave a small hum of pleasure as he drank some of his tea, having decided to lower his face mask down to his neck to partake in the offered drinks and snacks by this kind woman. If he had to guess, she had to be near his own mother's age. While he had healed his wounds caused by whatever spell Y'shtola used back in the waterway and by the Brass Blades and Crystal Braves, he still felt sore from them. He once again thanked the decision of learning a few of the basic healing spells taught by the conjurers of Gridania when he first visited the place with U'nhalki. Never hurt to know them since neither were a dedicated healer as they went on their travels.
It was when he was considering how to find out from his savior of where they were exactly that a group of people, most in white and grey uniforms, marched into the room. He placed a hand on his spear as he stood to stand in front of Willow.
The Schnee matriarch stood and placed a placating hand on his shoulder. "It is alright. They are not a threat to us." Willow moved to stand between the group of newcomers and Aruktai. She raised a hand to gesture to the group, the man in front in particular. "This is general James Ironwood. He is charged with the protection of Atlas and its people." Looking towards the rear of the group, she hides her frown of distaste as another man, dressed in pale blue suit with white hair and blue eyes, stepped forward, giving Aruktai a noticeable look of irritation. "This, is my husband, Jacques." She noticed her newest friend glance between her and her husband before seemingly having reached some sort of conclusion as he stared at Jacques with mild suspicion. Willow ignored this as he now gestured toward her friend. "I am afraid I do not know his name due to him being mute, general, Jacques. However, the staff and I do not believe he means us any harm due to the fact he has not done anything to harm us since the explosion." At the men's questioning looks, Willow gave them a brief, but still detailed explanation of the last hour's events.
Aruktai watched as Willow spoke with the men before studying the others of the group. With a general being one of them, Aruktai correctly assumed that the others in uniform were his bodyguards. After studying the weapons the soldiers held, he glanced behind the remaining members of the group that Aruktai recognized to be wearing uniforms the staff of the Schnee household wore, he noticed two others standing by the entrance to the room. They shared similar features to Willow and her husband and guessed that they were her children. From what they had been discussing, or rather she had as Aruktai responded with wordless gestures and sounds, the children were Weiss and Whitley Schnee. The two also stared back with curiosity and smiled when Aruktai bowed his head in greeting.
Jacques, seeing this as well as the bow and curtsy his youngest children gave, growled as he pointed a threatening finger at Aruktai. "Do not look at my children, animal. You may have gained my wife's trust, but I find it hard to believe you do not have plans to hurt her or my children. An explosion on my property, yards away from killing my wife?!" Jacques glared at James who silently stared at Aruktai. "I demand that this man be arrested and interrogated. For all we know, he could be a White Fang assassin!"
James glanced at Jacques before once again staring at this stranger. "That is not an incorrect assumption to make." He admitted as his soldiers tensed up, ready for orders.
Willow tried to step in front of Aruktai, who stopped her with a gentle hand. At her worried look, he shook his head. Instead, he handed her his spear before looking at James Ironwood. The general, realizing the man would not cause any trouble, said. "He will come with us for questioning. Should he prove to not be a threat, we can bring him back here." He looked to Willow towards the end, but frowned when the woman shook her head with a heavy frown on her lips.
"I think not. If you wish to question him, you may do so here. I refuse to let you interrogate a young man nearly the same age as my eldest daughter. I believe he means my family and I no harm. He seems to believe that he owes me a debt for helping him after the explosion which I take to mean that it was not something he expected to happen or survive."
James considers this as Jacques narrows his eyes at his wife. She had never been this defiant before. Not since he had admitted his true intentions years ago in front of their daughter, Weiss, on her birthday. Since then she had been a silent, morose drunk who kept mostly to herself. He didn't like this sudden turn of personality and he could see who brought about this sudden change in his wife. He growls when he sees the general acquiesce to Willow's demand and stormed out of the room, ignoring his youngest children in favor of returning to his office.
General Ironwood gestures to a small table within the room for him to question Aruktai. He nods in appreciation when a butler of the household places a cup of tea before him as he and the faunus take their seats as Willow stood behind the man, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He took a moment to study the strange armor he wore as well as the intricate spear Willow held in her other hand. James steepled his hands as he leaned back into his chair. "Lady Schnee mentioned that you are mute so I must ask, can you write?" He frowned when the man shook his head and pointed to an emblem on his shoulder pad. He looked at Willow with a raised eyebrow.
"I managed to figure out that the symbol is his family's insignia like the snowflake is mine's." The woman answered helpfully. "I think his family does not write or speak on purpose from what I can tell."
James frowned at this as he returned his attention to the man. "So you could speak, but choose not to? Is it a religious or cultural reason?" He watched as the man first shook his head then nodded. "Ah, it is part of your culture then?" He rubbed his chin when the man nodded. "I see. I do not wish to be rude, but could you not at the very least let us know your name. I don't believe you would appreciate being called with a name not your own after all."
Aruktai was silent as he considered the general's words. While speaking was without a doubt something prohibited within the Questir tribe, there was in fact an exemption when making introductions with foreigners with no knowledge of Questiri traditions. So long as it is kept as brief as possible and not used after at all. Making his decision, he nodded slowly and took notice of the interested gleam in the eyes of Willow's children who had walked inside when they realized no one was going to escort them out. Aruktai took the slip of paper and pen offered by the general. After a moment's hesitation, Aruktai wrote.
I am Aruktai of the Questir tribe. We do not speak as our actions speak for us.
James took the paper and read Aruktai's words. "Thank you for doing this and please accept my apologies for asking to do this. Now, I will try to adjust my question appropriately so if you would please answer them with a nod or shake of your head, that would be greatly appreciated." He smiled when Aruktai nodded once before James began his questioning.
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Aruktai stood beside Willow Schnee with a frown as the woman and her children said their goodbyes to the general and his men after the interrogation and informing Aruktai of potentially being questioned again in the future should the general decide it was needed. Certain terms and information was said by the general of Atlas that concerned the xaelan dragoon. He didn't understand how, but it would seem whatever spell Y'shtola used sent him to a completely different world that his own. He sighed as he placed the palm of a hand over his face. Of course the woman would use an experimental spell in order to facilitate their escape. He could only hope that she was alright as he tried to find a way home. He didn't know where to even start since he was never one to study such magicks. He absent-mindedly touched where the small braid he had cut off and given to U'nhalki. He had to get back to her. He had promised to stand by her side and he would do his best to keep that oath.
"H-Hello Mister Aruktai."
The xaelan man blinked and looked down to see Willow's children staring up at him with curiosity in their eyes. He nodded in greeting as Willow walked to stand behind her offspring with a small smile. Willow placed her hands on their shoulders as she introduced them. " These are Weiss," The hand on the girl's shoulder rose to be placed on her head. "And this is Whitley. They are my youngest. Their sister, Winter, is currently enrolled in Atlas Academy with a desire to join the military." Her smile faltered for a moment as she spoke.
Aruktai smiled as he gave the children a bow, chuckling when they returned the gesture with a bow and curtsy.
"Now," Willow clapped her hands once and two maids moved to stand beside the lady of the household. "Sarah and Violet will escort you to an available bedroom." At Aruktai's questioning glance, Willow crossed her arms over her chest as she gained a haughty look. "I am the daughter of Nicholas Schnee, my husband may have control over the Schnee Dust Company, but I have the final say of what happens in my home." Rather, she would now as she will no longer stand aside and allow Jacques to control the lives of her and her children. For whatever reason, the explosion and meeting Aruktai sparked something within her and Willow would no longer be cowed. "I will meet you there to discuss your future, but first I must speak with my children." She smiled as she gestured for the maids to lead the xaelan dragoon away.
Aruktai spared Willow and her children a final glance before following the maids down the corridor. Aside from the occasional curious glance, the two women led him to a room in silence, bowing low as one when they opened the door for Aruktai to enter. He nodded his thanks before stepping inside. It was a very spacious room with soft white carpeting and finely made furniture. A four poster bed was at the far end of the room with a drawer on one side and a desk and chair on its other. Other than those and a sofa and empty bookcase, the room was otherwise bare. He walked up to the room's sole window and could see that he could gaze out into the gardens of the manor. He moved to open the window and breathed in the cool, crisp air. Regardless of what he planned, he knew that information of the world he was in would be his top priority. He will find a way to return back to Eorzea and to the Warrior of Light's side. Wordless though his oath may have been, nothing will stop him from keeping it. But perhaps, Aruktai turned around at the sound of approaching footsteps to see Willow enter with a kind smile, he would need to settle debts accrued in this new, strange land before he could leave. A life saved is a debt owed and while he was no knight, he would repay it however he can to this woman in whatever manner he could as he did his best to find a way home. A passing memory brought a smile to his own lips as he remembered something a friend of his and U'nhalki once said as they shared a warm mug of mead.
A knight lives to serve - to aid those in need.
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Greetings and well met reader(s). I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this little fanfic of mine. While this chapter is, at least in my opinion, rather short, I hoped you liked it. As you can see, this takes place after the story of A Realm Reborn of Final Fantasy XIV and before that of Heavensward and before RWBY canon. This story came to mind after I decided to watch the show during a bout of boredom and am rather eager to see how it turns out.
As for the main character, I decided to use an OC of mine and give him a background of being a Qestir, a Xaelan tribe of the Azim Steppe that I found rather fascinating when I came across it in the Stormblood story line. A tribe that maintains their silence out of the belief that "all words are lies, and that a man's actions are the purest form of communication." I find the thought of writing a mute main character to be an interesting challenge and I hope it is interesting to you, the reader(s).
I intend to further flesh out Aruktai's relationships in Eorzea and Remnant in this story and hope to create a story of some meaning. Expect chapters to be longer than this one, but sadly with an inconsistent upload schedule for new chapters since I have other priorities in life aside from writing.
I look forward to your feedback and until next time!