Chapter 10
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Note: I really have no idea where I'm going with this past chapter 13 or so. ; So if you have any suggestions, please feel completely free to make them.
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"So," said Blank, "Tell me about dragons."
This morning he had talked Kuja into walking down by the stables. He had done it for two reasons. The first was his knowledge that Kuja was great friends with the white dragon being kept there, and the second was a sneaking suspicion that someone had been following them in the garden yesterday. The dragon's enclosure, at least, provided fewer places for a stalker to hide.
Kuja shrugged and leaned forward on the fence, watching the enormous slumbering mound of scales that was the white dragon. "I have a soul connection to dragons. I was born with it. I don't know if Garland intended to create me with it or not; it has been known to happen to other mortals with normal births in the past, so it's possible it was a fluke." He spoke of his creation without emotion, as though he were discussing the weather. "Dragons are everything I ever wanted in my past life. Power, intelligence, beauty, grace. They have a supreme command of the world around them. They are the masters of their own fate."
"Well, that's what you are now, right?" Blank reasoned. "I mean, now that Garland's not ruling your life, now that you're not doing what he wanted you to, it makes you even more similar to the dragons, doesn't it?"
Kuja looked surprised, and considered this. "Perhaps it does," he said eventually.
At that moment, there was a snort from the pile of scales, and a long serpentine neck stretched out from the heap, its head pointing towards Kuja. Blank watched as his friend's face stretched into an enormous grin. Kuja had a great smile. A pity he didn't use it more often.
Kuja turned to him then, still smiling. "Zaruyon feels like some exercise, and wants to know if we'd like to fly with him," he said.
Blank was startled. "What, 'we'? As in both of us? I thought he hated me?"
Kuja was silent for a moment, and Blank realized that he must be speaking with the dragon. "He does not hate you. He was simply angry. And he says he is willing to give you another chance, since I seem to be so fond of you." Kuja frowned, as if he hadn't meant to say that. Perhaps he had been directly quoting the dragon and disagreed with his assessment, thought Blank.
At any rate, he might as well take advantage of an interesting offer. "Sure," he said. "I'd love to ride with you two."
Kuja's smile was back instantly, and he vaulted easily over the fence, running out towards where the dragon was standing and shaking out his wings. Blank followed a bit more sedately, grinning.
The dragon lowered his head for them to mount, and Kuja did so easily. Blank hesitated, but Kuja patted the space behind him on the dragon's neck, and eventually, with a little trepidation, Blank set himself astride the great beast.
"Hold on," Kuja murmured, and Blank had just enough time to clutch tightly at Kuja's waist before the dragon leapt up, flapping its enormous wings to get them airborne.
After a few mind-numbingly terrifying seconds, Blank began to relax and enjoy the feel of Kuja's body pressed tightly back against his. And the flight truly was exhilarating. Blank could tell what Kuja saw in these adventures, he thought. There was something about the wind whipping past you, stealing your very breath away, that made you feel excited and alive.
He wasn't sure how long it was that he rode with Kuja. When he felt the dragon beginning to descend, he felt that it was not long enough. It was the sort of experience that one didn't take lightly. It was the sort of thing that you remembered.
As the dragon flared his wings for a landing, Blank took a moment to affix the memory into his mind of the feel of Kuja's body. Just in case he never got to experience it again, he might as well savor it now.
The dragon settled onto the ground, but before it could lower its head for them to dismount, the great beast suddenly went quiet, as though listening for something. Without warning, it darted its head into a large grass clump just outside of the fence. There was a rustling noise, and the head came back up holding...
"Zidane?" asked Blank incredulously.
The dragon lowered its neck and Blank and Kuja slid off, walking briskly over to the still captive Zidane. Though the dragon held him only very delicately by the neck of his clothing, he still looked very unhappy about it. He was practically pouting as the dragon finally dropped him none to gently onto the ground and lumbered off.
"Brother?" asked Kuja. "What are you doing here?"
Zidane at least had the decency to look sheepish. "I was just... Uh... just checking the grass... for umm... t-turtles. Because... Cinna, you see, he wanted to make a soup. A turtle soup. Yeah. So I was looking for turtles. For Cinna."
Blank and Kuja stared at him.
Zidane got up and dusted himself off. "But there don't seem to be any here, so I'm just gonna go now, then. See ya." He trotted off back towards the castle, his low-slung tail giving away his embarrassment. Blank had long ago learned to read Zidane's moods from his tail.
"What on Gaia was he babbling about?" Kuja asked.
Blank had an inkling of what exactly Zidane's less-than-stellar excuse was covering up, but he didn't share it. "I have no idea," he said instead.
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.
or
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author.