Chapter 45

Riley couldn't watch.

She didn't want to watch.

The cockatrice knew its business, with Zorna loping beside as they crashed through brush and cut their own trail through the wood. The beast would lurch, jerk, and tilt from side to side.

"I feel like I'm in a paint mixer!" Riley complained at the edge of terror.

As they traveled, monsters chased, some fired magic, but the one thing they didn't do was stop. For hours, there had been no stop, only a constant motion and display of endurance that Riley envied.

Eyes shut, trying not to think of the feelings of pitching, rolling, and falling, wrestling with her instincts like it was a prize fight, Riley did what she could and focused on her prompts.

Into the darkness of the fog that obscured her map a line was being cut, practically a straight line, as they moved further from the Ashenvale.

For half the day, they had been moving north by northwest while Riley pressed up against Tobias, held in the crux of his left arm tightly, trembling with fear.

Riley slipped within his grasp, prompting her towards panic. Her claws deflected uselessly against the toughened armor that Tobias wore. With a titanic act of will, she wrestled away the inclination to leap and bolt from the only safety she had.

"You're ok. I'm not going to let you fall," he soothed.

Suddenly, the beast broke hard to the right, as a tiny line on her map became visible, and the terrain seemed to even out, if only slightly.

Forcing her eyes open, she saw what seemed to be a narrow trail cut through the brush.

"Easy girl, easy," Cid patted the cockatrice's neck.

Riley scanned around as they slowed from a gallop to a trot, then stopped.

To her eyes, it looked like any other stretch of forest.

"Everything ok?" Tobias puzzled.

Cid dismounted and took up the reigns as Zorna trotted up beside him.

"Strap on your sword, and keep a wary eye out. We're on the road," Was his only response.

"Sir, my companion?" Tobias asked.

Cid eyed the hare.

"She's not gonna scratch my eyes out, is she?" He chuckled, holding out his hands.

"I'm a feral and vicious beast, and you deserve an ass kicking! "Riley proclaimed.

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"No, she's quite tame," Tobias replied, rubbing it in, gathering her up before carefully handing her down to Cid.

"How's this going to work when we're on our own? Why couldn't I have been a teleport mage? Teleport is a thing here, right? Like Star Trek, one location to another, maybe a cool sparkling beam and a shimmering sound effect?" She rambled.

"Translocation Sorcery is a thing, but they're quite rare, even among the first tier," Tobias projected as Cid set her down.

"Terra Firma! Oh sweet Terra firma," Riley said, pausing to nip at some grass, grateful to be back on four paws that were her own.

"May I ask the situation, sir?" Tobias asked, pulling his sword and scabbard off the cockatrice, pausing to belt it on.

"Antlion nest sounds like. Have you ever run into them before, city boy?" Cid mused before leading his mount by the reigns with his free hand on the hilt of his sword.

"No, but I've studied them. They're a swarm species that breed prolifically, operating as a hive mind, kill the queen, and they turn on each other. Though we should be too close to Ashenvale for them to spawn." He puzzled.

"These last few years have been ones for the record books. You're of course referring to Verdan's theory of Magical Equilibrium?" Cid challenged.

Tobias and Riley both blinked.

"Correct, Sir," Tobias replied carefully, "That's what has me puzzled; where more mages and magical machinery exist, concentrated in one place, it should reduce the amount of monsters that spawn in an area. Considering the size of Ashenvale…"

"They shouldn't have been able to do it, but these last few years have been an exception to your precious book learnin, boy, and Landon is the proof. The messenger that survived said most of the town was wiped out, and all but one of their sorcerers are dead, which means it's a lot of Antlions, but by the dead Gods it makes no sense to me." Cid boggled.

"Could the monsters be summoned? Could this be something unnatural?" Riley asked.

"Could we be dealing with a summoner? Someone with a grudge, perhaps a roving tribe of elves angry at encroachment?" Tobias parroted.

"Don't go listening to tales about Elves and their thieving ways, boy! They're more noble than any of those that have ever called themselves the King of Ashes. They've been living out here since the days of the Avamari Empire and have carved out a life in the wilds without laws, walls, or the trappings of our fancy societies. These city biases won't serve you here; throw them out." He ordered.

"You're serious?" Tobias balked.

"Deadly so. Elves are good people; most humans aren't. Tell me, have you ever met one?" Cid challenged.

"I've never been out of the city, Sir," Tobias replied.

"Then I want to hear none of your ignorance. A Ranger keeps an open mind and accepts what they see, not what they're told. Your biases will get you killed out here. You're going to need allies, and if you're smart, you'll find them in unfamiliar places and people," Cid lectured.

Tobias stared down at Riley with a thoughtful look, pondering his words,

"I've had some experience with that."

"Then get smarter!" Cid demanded, " As to a summoner, I doubt it, they'd have to be the craziest, most powerful son of a kraus that ever lived, and even then, there would be little point. Magic is a force. It's like a river; sometimes it's barely flowing, and other times it floods. Congratulations, boy, you're the tip of the sword. The waters are rising around us, and it's already thick with blood," Cid remarked as he stalked along, eying the woods.

"That's why we're being dispatched," Tobias realized, his eyes lighting up in revelation.

"Exactly right, I've lost two good rangers in the last six months because of this damned surge. I trained them, they knew what they were about, and they still died, and I'm hardly the only trainer that's lost folks. Very few of us get old, but those two had true promise, and it's a cruelty they were taken." Cid shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Tobias replied lamely.

"I'm sorry, too." Riley projected while keeping her words from Cid.

"Don't be sorry. They're dead. Sorry isn't going to help spit! Rise to their example and try to be better than they were. It's a high bar, but if you want their deaths to be worth something, you become worth something." Cid turned and put a pointing finger right into Tobias' chest.

He swallowed hard before nodding. " Yes sir."