His body quivered as he held very still, allowing her to examine him.
He snaked his head around, and Kira went stock still, conscious of the very large teeth close to her body. He might be a baby still, but he dwarfed her. The last close call she'd had with these creatures flashed through her head.
It wouldn't take much for him to chomp her in half.
He looked at the cage and then at her, a question forming in her mind.
He was sapient, she realized with a start.
All the more reason to figure out a way to free him.
She reached out, bubbles escaping as she hissed when the cage burned her hands. There was an unpleasant sucking sensation that made her light-headed.
She imagined it was ten times worse for him. No wonder he was weakening.
The cage was sucking the life right out of him.
Urgency whipped at Kira. She didn't have time to figure this out or go slowly. The baby was fading, the brilliance of his mind dimming against Kira's.
A brief flash of fire flickered in her mind.
She hesitated, guessing what thelu-ongwanted.
Another image flashed; this time of a tiny candle next to an erupting volcano. Ah, Kira understood now. Different types of fires with different strengths.
The cage was made by the Tuann. They wouldn't have created something that might kill them every time they handled it. Because Kira was Tuann, she had a better chance of destroying it.
She touched her cuff and grimaced. Perhaps not. Access to herkiwas nearly impossible with this.
That left trying to do things the old-fashioned way. Muscle through and hope for the best.
Kira grasped the bars of the door, setting her feet against the bottom bar of the cage, careful not to step on thelu-ong. Lightning bit through her as the power of the cage tried to suck her down.
She gritted her teeth and strained, resisting.
At her core, her energy flickered, trying to answer her need before guttering like a candle faced with a strong breeze.
Kira persisted. The cage's door creaked up an inch. Almost, but not enough.
She shoved again, reaching for thekiat her core by instinct and sliding off that same glass wall. This time, the mother shoved against her mind at that exact moment. Abruptly, her vision shifted, the watery scene fading as the cosmos danced behind her eyes.
It took several seconds to realize what she was seeing weren't stars but rather the tapestry of energy that made up every living thing. Like thefeillifrom yesterday, it sparkled and danced.
Curiosity compelled Kira to reach out, touching the aura that curled off one of those lights. The faint glow touched her skin, shifting colors until it turned a brilliant purple. She glanced out over the glittering lights that reminded her of the sun. Many were darkened and damaged, almost eclipsing the brilliance of those that remained.
Somehow, she knew those darkened parts were the pieces of herself she'd destroyed over the years. The parts she'd willingly sacrificed to protect those she loved.
Regret at the desolation moved through her, even as she knew she wouldn't have changed anything.
Those darkened bits were a reminder of what she'd done to protect her friends. They were something to be cherished. They meant she'd fought, even when it had been hard.
The small serpentine body of the babylu-ongwound through the shimmering lights resting at the heart of her. He nudged a few in curiosity, making a pleased sound as they lit up—almost as if they were welcoming his presence.
He didn't only pay attention to those that shone with a brilliant light, but paid equal respect to the parts she would have said were dead and ruined. They gleamed, captured star fire glittering in their deepest hearts. It was as if thelu-ong’spresence had woken them from a deep sleep.
Finally, thelu-ongdrifted to a stop in front of her. He hovered in the vast space, his frills fanning out, the whiskers around his mouth and his beard reminding Kira of a wizened old man.
We accept, daughter of Harding,he told her.
