Chapter 23
Kuja could practically feel the joy of the drakes in front of him as they stumbled euphorically back down the tunnel. It puzzled him; he was surprised that, after having hated him so much, they should be so glad to know of his loyalty. But when he thought about it logically, it made sense: those that you care about the most are the ones capable of causing you the most pain.
Kuja turned this thought over and over in his mind until finally the dull, drake-musk laden air hit him in the face and alerted him to the fact that they had re-entered the cavern. Once again, hundreds of beady golden drake eyes turned to stare at him as he became the focus of attention. On her stone dais, the Queen turned her massive body towards him.
She did not ask the question, but it was unnecessary. It hung in the air of the cavern, unspoken but understood, and the entire room waited with baited breath for the verdict.
He is loyal! one of his guards blurted, his mind-voice joyful.
Instantly the room filled with noise. Loud, rasping grunts rang out throughout the room as the drakes cheered for him. Kuja closed his eyes and felt the adulation of the dragon-kin wash over him. It felt good to be loved again, he thought. He had missed being adored, worshipped, treated as a ruler.
But though it was intoxicating, it felt somehow... different.
Kuja blinked, trying to pinpoint it. Why was it that he did not feel the customary joy that came from such a loyal crowd? What was the difference?
Blank, golden eyes floated up into his memory. For a few seconds they were Caranteth's, but then suddenly the image resolved into Blank. And Kuja understood. It felt different because this was no longer the type of love he craved. He knew what real love felt like now, and compared to its bright light, hero-worship was just a flickering candle.
Kuja smiled sadly. Because already a resolution was forming in the back of his mind. And he knew that it would be the most difficult thing that he would ever do.
The Queen drake knelt down on one foreleg, inclining her great head toward him. Welcome back, Lord Kuja. Please, take what you came for.
After just the briefest of hesitations, Kuja strode up to the platform and came to a halt next to the Queen drake. She looked up at him with intelligent, ice blue, slit-pupiled eyes, and fanned out the fin-like appendages on the sides of her head.
When she tilted her head slightly to one side, Kuja was finally able to glimpse his objective. Behind the fins on her head, at their base, was a patch of pinkish scales that stood out against the normal shining white. Only the Queen had them, which was why it had been so imperative that he speak directly to her.
Trying to be as gentle as possible, he reached forward and scraped off half a dozen of the pink scales. There was a small leather pouch on the belt he was wearing, and he removed it and placed the scales within. The Queen turned back to face him.
I apologize if I hurt you, Madam, he said, careful to mindspeak only to her so as not to embarrass her in front of her subjects.
No such apologies are necessary, Lord Kuja, she replied, and he could her the smile in her voice. The news of your loyalty has healed a great wound. That is all that we wished.
He smiled and bowed to her, then watched as she did the same.
"Thank you," he said aloud to all the drakes. "The value of what you have given me is immeasurable, and there are no words for the depth of my gratitude."
Once again the cheering grunts filled the room, and Kuja made a graceful bow to all of them before turning to head back up the tunnel. As he left, he felt the well-wishing and "good lucks" from the crowd behind him. But rather than reassure him, this only served to remind him that he had a time limit, and time was running out.
He climbed as fast as he could up through the tunnel, until finally he emerged once again into the bright, sunlit clearing. Caranteth stood there on his hind legs, his wings outstretched, completely still. Kuja halted involuntarily, overcome with awe at the sight.
Apparently sensing his arrival, the mirror dragon set himself back down onto his forelegs and lowered his head to the ground next to Kuja. For a moment, the dragonbond was confused by this behavior, but then it dawned on him what Caranteth was asking him to do.
"You want me to ride you?"
It is the only way that you will get back to your beloved in time, said Caranteth. I am faster than Zaruyon was. If I carry you, then perhaps you will not be too late. I have seen into your heart, Kuja-Child. I know how important that boy's life is to you. It would be my honor to serve you.
Hurriedly, Kuja set himself astride the great beast's neck, trying to get used to the much larger frame. "The honor is mine," he said. "I am not worthy of such a privilege. I humbly thank you."
The dragon did not reply, but launched himself forcefully into the air and, with two great downsweeps of his wings, flew off into the late afternoon sun.