#kuretz

[aergitarffxiv]

Prompt #4 Shifting Blame

A dragon lay slain. At its feet lies Aer and his free company mates, who seem to be in some sort of disagreement. "All I'm saying is if Rico held its attention properly I would've been able to cast more efficiently." Proclaims Aer. "Excuse me? MORE efficiently? That would insinuate you had ANY sort efficiency at all!! Don't think I didn't see you screwing up your casts!!" Says Rico.

Odelle scoffs. "I honestly can't tell what's worse, Kuretz's aim, or that toolbox of his with no useful items at all…" she says. Kuretz stomps his foot on the ground and says "Well if you used a lance as long as your neck, you probably could've gotten some precise strikes yourself!" 

Nanaia is shyly picks her head up from looking at the ground. "I'm sorry, everyone. I know this was probably my faul---" when suddenly she's interrupted by Aer "Oh shut up, Nanaia!! Don't make this about you, you were perfect out there!" Aer gives her hard ass pat on the back. "Yeah, Nanaia. Don't act like you're the issue in all this." says Rico. "No seriously guys, I'll try to do better next time! I'll be just as good as Tish and Ogre!" Exclaims Nanaia.

Aer laughs."Hah! Tish and Ogre, what even did they---". Suddenly the two other members, who had their backs toward the party this whole time start to slowly turn around. They both just stare at the group, producing this very menacing aura. The air grew thin, the temperature dropped, and the tension was so great everyone thought that time froze. When time began to move again, Tish and Ogre in unison replied with "Hmm?". 

Aer, who is now holding Nanaia in front of him says "I was just saying that we're such a great group! I wouldn't dare adventure with anyone else, and that it would be very sad if anyone of us was suddenly not here anymore…." Everyone but Tish and Ogre slowly nod. 

Tish stares for a couple more seconds, then turns around and starts to leave. Ogre cracks a small grin, and follows Tish's lead. The rest of the group follow behind them in complete silence all the way back to their free company house. 

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast

@kuretzffxiv

@therabbitsquill

[aergitarffxiv]

Prompt #9 Hesitation

Aer places his palm against the soldier's chest, and thrusts forward pinning him into a wall. Surrounding them are corpses of allies Aer and Kuretz were tasked with locating and rescuing. Kuretz is in the background going through documents occasionally shifting his gaze to Aer and the lone soldier. Aer slowly pushes his palm deeper into the soldier's chest, causing the soldier to groan in considerable pain. "Where...where are the rest of them?" Asks Aer in a dark tone. The soldier looks up at Aer and smiles. "Why? So you can get a pretty view at another pile of corpses?" Says the soldier. Aer immediately takes his free hand and backhands the soldier's face so hard their mask came off revealing a younger kid still in their teens by the looks of it.

Aer freezes up as this kid looks up at the roegadyn with the same devilish smile. "Look you're not getting anything from me, so do what you have to.'' says the soldier. Aer's eyes veer off to his fallen allies and back to the soldier, he stares in disbelief. Before Aer can say anything else the soldier says "Yes, yes I did this! I killed them! You wanna know why? Because I had my orders, as you do yours. That simple. Now ...do what you must...or not...haha" says the soldier who finds humor in Aer's hesitation. 

"Aer. Let me try speaking to him." Says Kuretz walking up to the two. Aer moves his palm back, causing the soldier to slide down to the ground. Taking a few steps back, Aer crosses his arms hoping to settle his nerves. Kuretz unsheathes his blade and points it at the soldier on the ground. "Stand." Kuretz commands. The soldier picks himself up slowly, and the second he does Kuretz has his blade pointed right at his heart. "Will you tell me what we need to know?" Asks Kuretz.

"Will you kindly piss o---" utters the soldier before he suddenly freezes. The soldier's eyes grow wide, and starts gasping for air as he looks down and sees Kuretz's blade sink deeper into his heart. The soldier starts grabbing at Kuretz's arms while muttering "wait...wait…", his eyes filled with fear and regret. Kuretz's face reminds unchanged as he pulls the blade out, watching the youth fall to the ground. Aer turns Kuretz around, but before he can say anything Kuretz holds up a document.“I know what you’re about to say, but I have the information we need already. He wasn’t going to tell us, nor did he have plans to let us leave if we turned our backs on him.... Aer?"

Aer stares at the document, but then just turns his back on Kuretz in frustration. He knows it had to be done, but it still didn’t sit right with him to see someone so young met such a fate. Kuretz placed a hand on Aer’s back. “Listen. I know it's hard, but if you hesitate like that again...that might be the last mistake you make. If that happens more lives will be lost, because you’ll no longer be here to do what you can.” Kuretz says in a softer tone trying to ease up Aer. Aer takes a deep sigh, looks down, and says “I know. I just…wish it didn’t have to be this hard. We laughed, fought, and bled with some of these men...and yet I stopped to think what that kid’s life could have been…” Kuretz walks ahead of Aer. “And the men we can yet save?” asked Kuretz. “Aye. Let’s go get our men.” says Aer as he follows Kuretz out.