I’ve seen him beaten up many times but this time he looked different. Lurking near the shabby tavern where our paths usually cross “by chance” every other evening or night, I smoked my cigarette and propably looked like a pimp again with my too expensive shirt and shoes for these kind of Ul’dah’s corners. But the filth knew me and usually stayed away from me. Especially when I had this tall, muscled guy next to me that approached under the lamp lights towards my spot. I could tell he tried to hide a limp and his teeths were clenched behind his closed, tensed lips. He looked ruffled up, black hair matted around his short ears and still some dirt on his tail as if he had rolled around on the floor. One half of his face darker with propably a handful of bruises. Quickly I searched my mind if today had been an arena fight announced I may have missed. But he wasn’t wearing his arm bandages he usually put on for those.

“You look like shit.” I hummed amused and flipped the rest of my cigarette away, giving up my leaning position on the wall.

“Just like you love me.” came dryly and a bit hissed from him, walking straight past me. How dare.

So he was in a hurry, it seems. Good. The night was still young, so better don’t waste any of it. I deserved it after this absolutely annoying long week. And with a silent chuckle I had to admit that he was right. With still some bruises, the fading but still recognizable thrill of the fight in his eyes, the smell of sweat, the arena’s sands and adrenaline about him he got my engines running the fastest. X’rahdis Tia, Arena Champion, tallest Miqo’te I’ve ever known and one of my business aquaintances that was the most fun to deal with. Because he was successful and good at what he was doing and so predictable. Regarding his job at least. Other sides of him are as predictable as the next rain periods in Thanalan which just made him more interesting. But who would I be if I would tell him that.

Walking past me with that grumpy reply was one thing, but if he also didn’t enter the tavern where we sometimes had our little own “fights” I got suspicious. Catching up to walk next to him I looked up into his face again, while he limped along towards the next alley and I kept a relaxed stride with my hands in my pockets.

“I thought you don’t pull fights you cannot win and today was no arena match. So…?”

He had a nasty bruise under his left eye and his lower lip a little cut right next to the piercing. His jaw also looked a bit swollen for what I could see in the dim light. His bare arms looked beaten and as if someone had grabbed him there repeatedly with clawed fingers just like his own. His slightly limping movement told of something with his leg or hip. Whoever was responsible for that, I just hoped they were aware that they might have betrayed me for my deserved sex this night.

“Go home, Demjin.” was all that came from X’rahdis with a still hissy voice. Of course I didn’t just turn around and went home and he didn’t really expect that. I love those first casual and grumpy tries from him to get me away when, in the end, I, or rather he himself, stayed everytime.

“Nah, not yet.”, I said. “Who was it? I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

X’rahdis looked forward with a stoic expression while he slowly walked in the direction of an adjacent quiet neighborhood. I was wondering where he was going, we’ve never been in this part of the city together.

“It was an old friend.” he finally spit out.

“You have friends? Curious.” I grinned. “Do I know him? Does he concider taking part in the arena? He seems capable if he can leave you like this, hr?”

“He doesn’t have time for that. He is the fucking Warrior of Light or something.”

My ears flew up and I sped up my pace to better look X’rahdis in the eyes.

“Wait, that redhaired Miqo’te Guy? The Warrior of Light? He is in town? You are friend with the Warrior of Light?!”

X’rahdis stopped and glared down at me, his orange fiery eyes glimmering a bit in the low light from the streetlamps and houses.

“Okay, propably not really friends. We just ran into each other years ago a couple of times until he disappeared completely. And now that he suddenly graced us with his presence in Ul’dah we seemingly had unfinished business. That’s all.”

“That’s all?! Look at you, you look like you fought with…. oh wait, you really did fight with a beast, didn’t you? From what I’ve heard about him.”, I chuckled. “I would have loved to see that. You think he is interested in…”

“No! Just keep your greedy fingers away from him and forget it.”