Chapter 41

"There's the stables. I love you, brother. Be safe," Justinian said, hugging Tobias fiercely before clasping arms.

As they parted, he slipped some silvers into his hand, "Before you object, just take it, and come visit me at the castle when you get home."

"Thank you," Tobias nodded, sliding the four silvers into his coin purse pocket before heading up the small rise towards a portcullis that led to the outer stable yard.

"Here we go," Riley said, narrating her own journey.

Tobias sighed.

"You're one of those types that when they're nervous, you get real quiet. Me, I can't stop talking," Riley continued.

They entered a long tunnel set under the massive walls.

Tobias sighed again and trudged on.

The smell of cockatrice hit her sensitive nose as an old and weathered man came into view.

At first, he didn't look like much, standing no taller than 5'6, wearing black leathers that hung loosely on his bony frame. Yet as they grew closer, Riley became aware of his muscles that existed like cords of wire under skin. Scars crossed his visage, including one that bisected his face, running behind an eye patch stretching down his neck before ending at an obsidian black torc.

"Oh, you must be Tobias. I'm Cid, your instructor," He pulled a silver pocket watch out of a pocket on his black leather jerkin and referenced it.

Riley could see the power animating the device, the first of its kind she had seen in Calaria. He snapped it closed, the tension in the air causing her to startle at the smallest noise.

"Yes, sir," Tobias replied, standing at attention, seemingly looking past the man.

Riley tried not to stare at him, and let her instincts do the driving, sniffing around, letting her head bob and twitch, doing her best to keep up the dumb animal act.

"Respectful, eight minutes early, but fifteen would have been better. I like all of that, Son, I think we can be friends," He smiled affably, then gestured to a rucksack sitting by his feet.

"This has all your gear. Is that an armor case?" Cid asked, rubbing at his chin.

"Yes, sir, it's a jerkin of sorts," Tobias replied as if those were the only words he knew.

Riley could smell the stress.

Cid frowned and opened the rucksack, only to remove a brown leather armor piece, tossing it into the stable beside them.

"Go get changed. I don't care if you do it here or use a stable. You've five minutes. Don't disappoint me," Cid waggled a finger in warning as Tobias shot a sidelong glance at Riley.

"Shoo!" He chortled, waving his hand at Tobias, before pulling out his pocket watch again, eagerly watching the time.

Tobias took up the rucksack and armor case. He jogged over to an empty stable stall. He stripped down to his underclothes, removing his boots and getting regeared as fast as he could, being careful to grab his coin purse from his robes.

"Just leave everything that doesn't go in your rucksack," Cid said.

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"This seems to be going well." Riley looked around, waiting for the train to come.

"Strap on your rucksack, son," The old man smiled congenially.

Bells began to peal from the academy grounds.

"Zorna!" Cid cried, whistling twice. An armored cockatrice with a saddle trotted over; next to her was a large dog-like animal the size of a small tiger.

A long rope-like tail, near the length of its body, drifted and flowed in the calm morning breeze; at its tip was a menacing, chitinous spike.

"There's my girl. She's my friend, too," Cid smiled, patting the kraus.

That's when Riley realized there were no guards in the courtyard, but up above, a man was standing in a castle window, silhouetted by the light.

The outline looked a lot like Chadrick's.

"I don't know if I like this. Look up," Riley scanned around, waiting for danger, but saw no one but Cid as he mounted his reptile.

Tobias turned pale.

"Now, keep up. Don't disappoint me," Cid warned, spurring the cockatrice in a particular pattern.

She fell into an easy gallop, moving towards the portcullis.

"I guess we run?" Tobias looked confused but began an easy jog, with Riley loping along beside him.

"Zorna, Chase!" Cid ordered.

The kraus sprang to life, growling and nipping at Tobias' heels.

He increased his pace, but the animal stayed on him, chasing him through the tunnel, spurring him on.

"Should I attack?" Riley projected, lost as to what to do.

"No, Gods no…" Tobias projected, already sucking wind.

"Keep up, boy, don't fall behind; you want to be friends, don't you?" Cid asked, happily astride his steed.

"I'm trying. Could you do something about your animal, Sir?" Tobias gasped.

"No questions, no talking, you speak when spoken to!" He snapped, losing all friendly demeanor.

"What do we do?" Riley asked, rising towards panic; her own heart was beating fast as she saw her stamina bar slowly eroding before her eyes.

What would happen when they stopped? Would it get worse?

Riley tried to meter and jog, but she wasn't built to jog. Run, or stop were her two most fundamental modes, and she was not made to marathon.

"Are you tired, boy? I'm not tired, and I'm many times your age," Cid laughed, "Zorna, pick it up, girl!"

The kraus began to snap at ankles, pushing them faster as they beat their way past tents coming down. Servants in copper torcs were dismantling the expo.

The next hour bled by like a torture, until Tobias finally fell to his knees and threw up.

"Zorna, hold," Cid ordered, coming to a stop, the sound of his padding reptile interspersed between Tobias' heaves.

Riley collapsed on her side.

"Oh, thank god, rest." In the upper right hand corner of her vision, both her and Tobias' stamina bars were blinking.

"Why'd you stop? Don't you want to be friends?" Cid asked, circling around the both of them.

Zorna watched for command, eyeing her master intensely, her tail swaying.

"I need to rest, Sir. I'm not in shape for this," Tobias said, his voice a raspy whisper.

"So you don't want to be friends," Cid tsked, shaking his head, "Shame, and we started off so well.

Riley was staring up at the sky, her heart beating like a hummingbird, "No more. Please, no more," she begged.

"Sir, I don't understand. I'm no good to you dead." Tobias asked, looking up at him.

"You're no good to me alive either. If I wanted you dead, not even that golden torc would stop me, son. Now, if you're done interrogating me, allow an old man a few questions. You're such a talker," Cid laughed to himself, shaking his head.

"He's a sadistic fuckwit," Riley panted.

"Is understanding required for you to follow orders? Do you think the monsters will care if you're tired, boy? Do you think they have any patience for excuses and weakness?" Cid's tone turned icy as he dropped from his mount and strode over towards the young sorcerer.

His worn boot flew, without preamble or reason, slamming into Tobias' stomach with a muffled thump.

"Does understanding spare you pain?" Cid asked.

Riley felt rage, pushing her past her exhaustion, blinking bar or no.

The magic snapped to her paws in an instant, anger drawing her to malevolent focus.

"No," Tobias begged.

Riley struggled to shove it down.

"It seems the beast has more fight in her than you do," Cid said before kicking him again, carefully avoiding his ribs.

Violent heaves seized Tobias as Cid watched without pity.

"Did your excuses help the boy?" He kicked him again before shoving him over, dropping a health and stamina potion between him and Riley.

"I don't understand," Tobias' words were weak, punctuated by a low, quiet moan.

"Rest for a minute, consider your choices. Maybe then you'll decide you'll want to be friends. I'm no man to make an enemy of," Cid warned before mounting his steed as if nothing had happened.