The Background
"Looking back I clearly see ..."
The backstory of this formidable fighter began with the Xaelan Tumet Tribe in Othard. Until the children of these fearsome warriors reached their tenth nameday and survived a harsh ritualistic trial, no names were given out. Ever since the warrior could think, however, he formed a close bond with his twin sister, whom he lovingly called 'Xisy'. In return for such affection, the back then nameless boy was referred to as 'Xol' by her and they didn't go a single day without spending time together. When the tenth nameday and the aforementioned trial came, the ritual was both cruel and ungodly. During the early morning on this particularly cold and rainy day, the tribe brought the kids far, far away from their home village. Both, Xol and Xisy, were tied to a post and left to fend for themselves against all odds of survival. If they managed to return to the tribe alive, they would be rewarded with their proper true names. If they didn't due to whatever means, the trial failed and they would never become true Tumet Xaelans.The memory of that fateful day still remains vividly in Shiro's mind. The way Xisy begged and screamed at their mother to stop this ordeal, to take them back home, to not leave them alone, her tiny body was shaking and trembling from all the stress and anxiety she was experiencing. Xol, on the other hand, was furious, outraged, absolutely wildly blind from anger that his twin sister was forced to endure such pain. Regardless of that, their parents still turned around and left them alone, true to their tradition. Everyone had to absolve this trial. There was no exception.Except… that this was the day Xol decided against his tribe. As they managed to free themselves finally after hours and hours of trying and labouring, they attempted to find their way back to the tribe. They were cold, drenched, trembling, and fearful. And as they pushed on and marched their way through a particularly dense part of the forest, vicious growls and loud barks of unknown beasts reached their horns. Frozen in terror, the two Au Ras watched as they were quickly surrounded by blood-thirsty beasts, ready to tear into their fragile bodies. Fuelled by fear, Xol grabbed his twin sister's hand and charged through the circle the pack had drawn around them. They managed to gain a few metres to their advantage until suddenly, Xol was pulled back by his sister's body, yanking him backwards. The rain made everything slippery, and he lost his grip on Xisy's small hand. As his head whipped around to check up on her, he saw her form crashing into the mud to their feet, the beasts already lunging on their impaired prey. Teeth and claws tore into her body, dire screams of agony and pain pierced the air. Dread surged through Xol and he couldn't help but run. Run far, far away until exhaustion finally overtook him and he couldn't move a single muscle anymore.Xol was ready to die at that very moment. Shame and anger piled in the pit of his stomach, nausea clawed at the walls of his organs, and he felt ready to simply give up. Whether the handlers finding him was a fortunate occasion or not, no one could tell at this very moment in time, but they saw the potential in the crying, little boy; or an easy victim. Years later, the 'false' Xaelan was forced to labour in the arenas, fighting for his dear life, being thrown and tossed into the ring every single time anew for the amusement of the wealthy and beautiful. His very first fight, a proud man by the name of Shiro Sanada, fell victim to Xol's inept attempts at survival. While he was up against the seasoned gladiator armed with an axe, only his fragile, speedy form kept himself from being split in half. And eventually, Xol managed to land the killing blow. After escaping the slave traders by killing his taskmaster, the Au Ra found himself in the midst of Ul'dah without a place to go, without a single Gil coin on himself. And all that he found himself capable of doing was to compete in the local arena. Upon signing up for it, he was asked for a name. Considering he was never given a name by his parents, he decided to go for the name of his first kill: Shiro Sanada.Ever since Shiro's life changed sharply. By climbing up the ranks in the arena, he gained popularity. And with this popularity came an abundance of Gil, maidens, food, and ale. He was a lucky man, so to speak, and he had everything he could have ever wanted. But something was missing. Something was wrong, despite his inability to correctly place his finger on it. Many moons went by with his glory and funds amassing drastically until during another such fateful evening, he heard the familiar noises of daggers clashing and energy blasts being fired. On his way home from yet another night out with one of the many interested women in Ul'dah, Shiro chose to investigate. Upon drawing closer, he spotted a few Roegadyn brutes caging a petite looking female Au Ra in an alleyway, clearly ready to murder her. Despite his own priorities and resolutions, Shiro decided to intervene. After making sure that the female Xaelan could escape, however, he found himself cornered in return and was soon enough overwhelmed by the sheer mass of brutes flooding in. The young lady never forgot about his sacrifice, though, and she came back to help him out in return.After a bit back and forth, Shiro found out about the interesting personality behind the fragile looking body. It was Saghani Sinclaire, an aspiring criminal attempting to seal a few deals, who seemed to have got into quite a lot of trouble on her way into the Ul'dah'n underground. And once again, despite his own resolutions and initial hesitancy, Shiro took the plunge and followed the blue-haired mastermind deep into the criminal world's rabbit hole. At first, he did most of her dirty work. Intimidating people, collecting cash, doing simple mugging; the list expanded rapidly. As hardworking as the warrior was, however, he quickly climbed the ranks. And with that, he reached Saghani's heart. Soon, they began seeing each other more often, sharing nights, and finally, upon reaching the position of the Security Chief, Shiro got his hands on the greatest treasure he could find; Saghani's hand and being her Number 1.
"... What it is that's killing me."