#also rare Kin appearance but he deserves a lil story

[soulshards]

FFXIVWRITE 2024, PROMPT #2: HORIZON tw: none • words: 906

the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet

A slash of metal rang out across a jungle surrounded clearing, long legs sweeping back in a rather clumsy manner to avoid a second swing; tall form, enveloped in a long, inky blue jacket swiveled wide before bringing his second blade around in a crescent with his movements to slice at the side of his offender.

An arm moved to try and deflect the blow, only instead receiving the strike and causing the blade held to drop. “Fuck!” Words came in a hiss as the stranger shuffled back and away from the duel-weilding man before him, who grinned.

“You can just let me go, we can forget about this,” the taller man offered an out for the now-disarmed Seeker, shoulders raising in a shrug and his head canting to the side, sending blond locks across his features.

“You fucked me over, Kin,” the man said, daring to dart forward for the sword which lay nestled in the grass. Kin, the pale scaled Au Ra let out a laugh, lunging forward with his blade to ensure the gentleman before him did not reach his goal, foot coming to slam down upon the sword.

“Me? I would never,” he barked. “You just pick shit mates, Rihl.”

An irritated growl came from the Seeker at that, lunging forward rather quickly - a little too quickly - and slammed his fist against the scaled jaw of the Au Ra. His head leered back with his own hiss, eyes blinking a little to get rid of the daze as the Seeker, in turn, pulled his hand back with another swear. His knuckles still closed, and blood dripped from now broken skin.

Kintaro let out a huff through his nose, bringing the back of one of his hands up to his pointed scaled jaw and swiping at the blood with his sleeve. “Was that necessary?” He’d ask dryly.

“Yes.”

With an idle swing of one of his swords, it was brought to return to its sheath with a soft hum in the Raen’s throat. The other stayed out, as a foot hooked under the sword on the ground and kicked it up towards the Seeker, not in a threatening manner, more a lazy motion. The Seeker let out a yelp and scattered to the side as the very sharp weapon was now coasting towards him in the air. It landed in the grass by his feet with a thud. The Seeker went to grab it almost immediately, albeit a little confused as to why the Raen’s advantage was given up.

“Listen,” Kintaro began, bowing slightly at the hips before he would begin to pace from side to side. “You know as well as I do, we can both spend all evening here, fighting it out. One of us will win, either by killing the other or making them yield - and, frankly,” his second blade was then brought to rest into its sheath on his other side. “I can’t be fucked with that, Rihl. I have places to be. You have places to be. Why would we waste each other's precious time like that?”

The Seeker, still holding his sword out, furrowed his brow. “Then give me what you owe me,” the words came out a demand. At least he still had his sword.

Kintaro, ever the good man he was, raised both his hands up with a sigh. “Fine,” he relented, reaching into his coat to procure a bag. It jingled as gil would when shuffled about. He had made sure in his pacing he was further away from the Seeker, and with an underarm throw, lobbed it at the Seeker. While it was mid air, and the man was focused on trying to catch it, the Raen turned and began to walk away, and would then sprint.

“Was that so ha-” the Seeker caught the bag with another rattle of metal, only to see Kintaro sprinting off into the treeline and down towards the beach. His brow furrowed, sword sheathed, and he hurriedly opened the bag to ensure gold sat inside.

It did not, instead just cheap tin that was shaped like gil and made a similar enough noise. “You mother fucker-” his words cursed loudly, as he began to sprint after the long legged man.

Kintaro had the advantage of size, long legs and enough grace he could leap over logs and the likes towards the rickety pier which housed the rickety boat in which he had used to get here.

Less gracefully, the rope was pulled free as the Seeker came speeding down from the treeline after him, he gave a kick of the vessel sending it out into the water and he jumped in after it. He braced a foot on the side to ensure he didn’t fall, and tried to counter weight the momentum he had caused, as the boat started to slip away in the calm enough waters. Quick enough he sat down, long tail sweeping to the side, before grabbing the oars to row himself further away from the shore as the Seeker came to a skidded stop at the Pier, shouting at the Raen who just laughed as he became quickly out of reach.

The rowboat slipped further towards the horizon, where the bright blue skies melted into the deep blue sea, and land was not far beyond it. This would probably come to bite him in the ass, eventually. But that was not today’s concern.