Six years ago.
"You called, Master?" the redhead warrioress asked, kneeling in front of eighteen-year-old Kuja, paying careful attention to his arm hidden behind his back. She looked a lot like him, slender, strong, with hair fading gracefully from hair to feathers.
"Yes, I did. Who do you serve?" he sneered.
The girl said blankly with no emotion, "You, my lord."
Kuja smiled coolly, "Good. It is time for the next step in my experiment."
"May I ask what, my lord?"
Kuja's response was to draw a hypodermic needle from behind his back and stab the girl in her left arm. She cried out in surprise but knew the wound would close in a matter of hours. She felt the poison burn as it permeated her body and then the world spun, slid out of focus, and finally disappeared.
She curled up in her room. She felt sick. The small of her back oozed pus and burned. Welts had formed beneath the skin. The redhead's body trembled violently, but her only concern was showing weakness. She'd wait it out; after all, her master needed her to fulfill his mission. He would not kill her.
"You called, Master?" the redhead warrioress asked, kneeling in front of eighteen-year-old Kuja, paying careful attention to his arm hidden behind his back. She looked a lot like him, slender, strong, with hair fading gracefully from hair to feathers.
"Yes, I did. Who do you serve?" he sneered.
The girl said blankly with no emotion, "You, my lord."
Kuja smiled coolly, "Good. It is time for the next step in my experiment."
"May I ask what, my lord?"
Kuja's response was to draw a hypodermic needle from behind his back and stab the girl in her left arm. She cried out in surprise but knew the wound would close in a matter of hours. She felt the poison burn as it permeated her body and then the world spun, slid out of focus, and finally disappeared.
She curled up in her room. She felt sick. The small of her back oozed pus and burned. Welts had formed beneath the skin. The redhead's body trembled violently, but her only concern was showing weakness. She'd wait it out; after all, her master needed her to fulfill his mission. He would not kill her.