Tobias and Cid found themselves outside their cages, all traces of their chains gone as if reality, itself, had been edited.

"Zorna!" Cid scrambled across the stone, pulling the dead kraus into his arms as Tobias took up Riley and cradled her against his chest.

"She's unconscious but alive," Tobias reported.

Riley was twitching as if caught in a nightmare, her body tensing then relaxing as her paws flicked.

"Please don't be dead. Please come back to me," Cid rocked back and forth, weeping bitter tears.

With reluctance, he sat her down, looking left and right as his eyes fell upon Tobias.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I'm sorry it came to this," Cid whispered the words like a prayer as Tobias looked at him with pure, malevolent rage.

Tobias launched across the stone and slammed into Cid, wrapping one hand around his neck, the other glowing orange, illuminated by the fireball hovering just above it.

"Be angry at me later, kill me later, but we need to get the hell out of here, and I know the way. Take up that dagger and his sword. I know where we can find the rest of our equipment, hurry!" Cid urged.

"We get out, and we settle this," Tobias growled, his words hardened steel as he dropped his instructor.

"That's fine, just move!" Cid begged.

Tobias set Riley down, unbuckled the belt and scabbard, and unceremoniously yanked it from the desiccated Iskaros, strapping it on, then spitting on his corpse.

"May you be forgotten, you piece of trash."

Riley twitched, emitting a small pathetic groan.

"She's trying to come out of it," Tobias brightened.

"Then we shouldn't be here. Come on, and hand me that dagger," Cid held out his hand as Tobias passed it over.

He looked at Zorna mournfully, "I'll come back for you. You deserve a burial; there'll never be another like you."

Dropping low, Cid led them quietly through a labyrinth of tunnels.

It was clear to Tobias they were below ground. There were no windows anywhere to be seen, and something about the smell and the feel of the air told them they were down deep.

"This place is ancient; no one quite knows who built it or what secrets are still hiding within, but we know some of her ways," Cid explained, his voice a harsh whisper, as he turned a corner, finding a heavy banded door.

Scanning around, Cid gently struck the door as a disproportionate bang rocketed through it, knocking it off its hinges.

"Where are the guards?" Tobias asked, scanning around nervously.

"Not here. Part of that is by design. The rest is Iskaros, no doubt. He'd not want there to be an audience for the black acts he just did," Cid explained.

They had entered a small storage closet, retrieving their gear. Riley stirred again, pitching restlessly against the crook of Tobias' arm.

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"Throw it all into your rucksack, and let's move!" Cid hurried, strapping on his sword, before returning the dagger to Tobias.

Taking it, he resecured it on his belt, "What now?"

"Follow me. Timbergarde is just a few days journey from Ranger Central. This is a fallback point," Cid whispered as he skulked through the labyrinthine hallways.

"Meaning?" Tobias asked as they turned down yet another corridor, coming to what appeared to be a dead end full of old furniture.

"It's home territory. Lord Gaius is a greyblade," Cid grinned, opening a drawer on what looked to be a decaying dresser, reaching in, and depressing switches in a series of clicks.

In a pop of magic, a door resolved into the stone next to them.

"Up and out," Cid ordered. Opening the door revealed a steep and ancient, weathered stone staircase.

Ascending, the sound of roaring water grew in crescendo until it became deafening.

Up ahead was flickering daylight as the air became misty and the floor slick with damp and moss.

"Where are we?" Tobias asked as his boots fell upon the last few steps.

"Behind the waterfall, a labyrinth of tunnels runs through Timbergarde. Some were let out into an old caving system; who knows who built it, but they built it to last.

"What about Zella?" Riley began to fidget as Tobias spoke.

"We'll be back for her, but first, we need reinforcements and to figure out what the hell is going on. That hawk was Chadrick's?" Cid ran his fingers through his hair in bewilderment.

"Mavora, yes, but what was Iskaros on about? A brighter dawn and a new order isn't Chadrick's speed. He's a bully, nothing more," Tobias, lost in puzzlement, forgot some of his earlier anger.

"There's more to this than we've both seen, that's for sure," Cid mused darkly.

"That doesn't change that you had her tortured!" Tobias snapped, coming back around.

"It's the final trial, and you two held up well, but I understand if you hate me, Ranger," Cid replied.

Tobias cocked his head, "Ranger?"

"You've taken up a blackblade and shown yourself worthy of the title. You didn't break. You did your duty. I'm proud of you no matter how this pans out." Cid replied and then, curiously, held out his hand.

Gripped by sudden anger, Tobias clocked him with a haymaker punch that caused Cid to spin on his heels.

He spit, blood mixed in with the clear fluid as he wiped at his nose.

"Suppose I deserved that."

"You deserve a hell of a lot more. Are we secure?" Tobias asked, scanning around warily.

"We'd be safer in the woods, but I don't think Gaius or Filvas is involved. His leaving was supposed to be our chance for escape. Still, making assumptions will get you killed," Cid replied with a time worn wisdom.

"That's the second time that sonuvabitch has tried to kill me," Tobias sneered.

"And would have were it not for Riley, no doubt," Cid replied.

"That still doesn't explain how we escaped or what the hell she did," Tobias pondered.

"No, it doesn't, but she's something special, son. You two have a future if she's willing," as if that settled things, Cid turned and began to move out of the roughhewn chamber, finding a narrow trail that clung to the side of the canyon.

"This path will let us out into a small chase of forest. There's a bridge set a couple miles back that should let us double back around, then we're no more than a day from Ranger Central."

"So this is it? I'm done? Just like that?" Tobias said the words slowly as if they were unreal.

"No, Ranger, this is the beginning for you and an ending for me," Cid moved deftly, navigating the rocks and keeping to the trail, moving like a stealthy shadow as Tobias followed.

"What do you mean?" Tobias maneuvered around a boulder while facing a larger one within his mind.

"My Zorna is gone, and I'm getting older. They've been pushing me to move on for years, and maybe it's finally time. Maybe you'll just kill me and make it easier," Cid spat the words, slowing down over a slick patch.

A yawning chasm hovered just inches from their boots; one slip would mean certain death.

Riley fidgeted in Tobias' arms again, wrestling with a quiet nightmare.

"You're a bastard, and right now, I'd like nothing more, but we're short enough on allies as it is. This whole thing has me spooked. Quite frankly, you're worth more to me alive, for now," Tobias admitted, the words riding the anger he felt.

"That's fair, son. No matter what you decide, it's clear you've learned well," Cid looked back with a sad look of pride in his eyes, fully accepting his fate.

Coming to the bridge, they moved swiftly through the forest, with Timbergarde moving around their vision's periphery.

Finally, they came to the spot where it had all begun as Cid, pulling his dagger, began to break up and pull at the dirt, digging with his fingers.

Tobias set Riley down gently as he helped him, slowly revealing the contents buried beneath.

"Will move on after this, set up camp for the night, and make our way into Ranger Central tomorrow," Cid offered as Riley startled awake.