Chapter 15
"Zidane! ZIDANE! BROTHER!"
Zidane leapt to his feet in the middle of a conversation with Garnet and was halfway out the door before he even registered his own actions. Kuja's shouts were frantic, and he set off through the gardens at a dead run, cursing himself internally.
'Dammit! DAMN! I knew I shouldn't have left those two alone. Oh God, please let Kuja be okay.'
He heard the footsteps of Garnet running behind him, but did not bother to slow. When he finally rounded a corner and came in view of his brother, he stopped in shock.
Kuja knelt, crouched over the bloody inert form of Blank, looking as upset as Zidane had ever seen him. Next to them lay the huge, slightly charred corpse of some enormous lizard. Zidane shook his head in disbelief. The thing was easily six feet long, and probably weighed about a ton. But it was not the most important concern. He rushed to Blank's side and knelt down across from Kuja.
"What happened?" he demanded. The flesh of Blank's upper arm was torn up and full of deep punctures, and was bleeding profusely. He was still breathing, but it was heavy and labored, with a strange, dry, rattling sound.
"Snow drake," Kuja explained, the words coming out in a panicked rush. "There was a s-snow drake. Tried to attack me. Blank, he- he jumped in front of it. Bit him. In the arm. Bit his arm. Oh God. The poison..."
Zidane looked over at Garnet, who had now reached them and was kneeling next to him, checking on Blank's wound. "It's a deep bite," she said, her calm voice betrayed by her ashen complexion. "That's a snow drake." She paused, and her voice when she spoke again was softer, and full of pity. "There's no cure for snow drake poison."
Zidane bit back a strangled moan, and heard Kuja do the same. "He'll... he'll die?" Zidane asked softly.
Garnet closed her eyes and said nothing, which was answer enough. This time, Zidane couldn't choke back a cry of despair. Grief threatened to overwhelm him. His mind was in shock. How could this have happened? And so suddenly? He hadn't been there. He hadn't- Zidane felt tears prick at his eyelids.
"No," said Kuja.
Zidane winced and reached over to put his hand on Kuja's shoulder. "I know that this will be hard for you to deal with, Kuja," he said, "but you must-"
"No," said Kuja again, interrupting. "I mean, you're wrong. Snow drake poison may be one of the deadliest poisons in the world, but there is a cure for it. It's known to dragons, and to drakes, but to almost no others."
"What is it?" Zidane demanded.
Kuja shook his head, still staring at the huge wound on Blank's arm. "I can't say. But it's nothing that you would have around here. I'd have to journey to get it. Days, it would take. I can't. Blank doesn't have that long. He wouldn't survive long enough for me to get back with the antidote."
"How long do you need?" Garnet asked, her voice tight and stiff.
Kuja looked up at her sharply. "Three or four days, most likely. Provided I can even get it."
She nodded swiftly. "I think, using my healing abilities, I could stave off the poison for that long. Maybe even longer if Eiko helps out. How will you need to travel?"
"I'll have to fly," said Kuja. "It's the only way."
"You can take an airship," said Zidane immediately.
But Garnet shook her head. "All the really fast ships are out. We don't have anything that could get him there quick enough."
"I'll ride Zaruyon," said Kuja. "He'll take me if I ask him. I know he will."
"I'll go with you," Zidane said quickly. But Kuja shook his head vehemently.
"You mustn't! I'll never be able to get the antidote if the drakes find out that I've told a non dragon-bond about it. I'll have to go alone. Besides," and here suddenly a look of extreme guilt that Zidane had seen on his brother only in the most desperate of times overtook Kuja's face. "It's my fault," he whispered. "It's my fault that this happened."
Zidane shook his head. "We'll deal with that when he's better. Tell me what supplies you need. I'll get them while you go talk to your dragon. Dagger, you stay here and take care of Blank. I'll send Eiko out, and someone to help you carry him back into the castle."
Kuja nodded, looking horribly pale. "I'll need warm clothes and a very heavy warm coat. Fur-lined, if you can find one. And food stores for about five days. And something to start a fire with." He looked imploringly at Zidane. "You've done this more than I have. You must know what sort of things to bring. It's an arctic climate. Please, pack what you think I'll need."
Zidane nodded and sprinted back towards the castle, his mind reeling at how the course of an entire life could change so very quickly.