Chapter 69

"Rangers Cid and Tobias reporting in," Cid said officially to a guard while Riley struggled to keep her muzzle closed.

High arcing ceilings of curved ribbed stone crisscrossed above her, giving way to passageways that could have easily allowed for a giant, towering at least twelve feet high by her best guess.

Here, her small form wasn't just tiny; it was diminutive. Even humans seemed miniature moving within it.

Black cloaked rangers flitted about the place; some were jogging around the periphery of the main hall while Cid led them on, turning left, leading them to a busy workroom.

Servants in bronze torcs moved about busily, manning rows of desks, with no less than ten waiting patiently at preassigned stations at the counter, speaking quietly with other Rangers checking in.

"Bronze torcs?" Tobias wondered.

"Trainees that washed out, the Rangers follow the same model as the academy. The lucky ones that fail end up here," Cid replied, waiting his turn.

Every station was currently occupied, the room bustling with activity.

Thinking back, Riley recalled a line from Cid's cryptic report.

You're going to want to call the kids in.

"What happens to the unlucky ones?" She asked, scanning around.

"They're dead and buried in the wilderness somewhere," Cid replied as he saw a servant gesture him over.

"Ranger Cid and Tobias reporting in. His training's complete, and he's ready for his first assignment," Cid patted Tobias on the shoulder a few times in friendly affirmation, trying a bit too hard to be chipper.

"Oh, you're not here for the audit. Congratulations Ranger!' The servant, a man in his middle thirties, smiled warmly, "Wait a minute, Cid? You're Oak!"

"The very same, Oak and Rowan," he confirmed.

The man nodded and began gesturing towards a ranger sitting behind a massive desk at the back of the room, beckoning her forward.

He bowed deeply, stepping away from the counter, "Sir, Ranger Eshvar will take over for me in this case. I wish you good tidings and safe hunting."

"Eshvar!" Cid smiled affably, holding up his hand as she approached.

"Where's the maniacal instructor I know and love? It's like he's been replaced by a pod person," Riley fidgeted at the sudden change in personality.

"He's trying too hard. I think because he's missing Zorna," Tobias projected quietly.

Eshvar raised her hand, "Good morrow Cid, I heard about Zorna. I'm sorry."

She began unrolling a parchment scroll on the counter, scanning it over.

"She was with me twenty three years, and I couldn't go back and retrieve her myself," Cid dropped the mask, revealing the misery lurking beneath.

"We've recovered her and Commander Iskaros both, along with Zella. We're going to get to the bottom of this," she promised, reaching her hand across the window.

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He took it and squeezed, "Thank you for that bit of news. You've always been a good friend."

"United in magic and purpose, we are the tip of the blade. We serve and we bleed for the Ashenrealm," She intoned sincerely.

"For the Ashenrealm," Cid echoed, then stepped away, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ranger Tobis?" Eshvar asked, giving Cid his moment.

"Yes Ma'am," he drew to attention and stiffened.

"And I suppose that's Riley," She peered over the counter, try as Riley might, even up on her hind paws with her ears fully erect; she had no hope of being seen over it.

"Hello," She said to herself and Tobias, keeping up with her dumb animal act.

"Yes Ma'am," Tobias confirmed.

"You've completed each module and acquitted yourself in fine style. Welcome to the corps. Make us proud," Eshvar reported with a tone of finality, taking up a stamp and imprinting the scroll before taking up a small stack of paper next to her, stamping each one.

"Have Cid take you to the quartermaster. He'll see you're properly equipped and have quarters assigned for your duration here. You may be waiting a bit for your first assignment," She said apologetically.

"It's fine Ma'am," Tobias stood rigid and stared straight ahead.

"The name is Eshvar. You can relax, I don't bite," she grinned mischievously, "anyone that's impressed Cid, I'd like to get to know."

She held her hand across the counter again. Tobias deflated, falling to a more relaxed posture before grasping her arm.

"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for the welcome," he replied.

"So polite, we'll see how long that lasts. Good morrow, Ranger," Eshvar bowed with a chuckle, rolling up the scroll, "Cid, the generals want to see you and the kid, eleven bells. Don't be surprised when a servant finds you."

"I won't. I expected as much," he replied.

A prompt flared to life in Riley's vision.

Your magical contract has been fulfilled. You are no longer sharing your magic. Your party has been disbanded.

She blinked in surprise as Tobias looked down at her worriedly, "I guess you really did pass."

Tobias took on a familiar careworn grimace that Riley knew meant he was sacred or stressed as lines of worry appeared across his forehead.

"Come on, you two, we've just enough time to get some chow and see the quartermaster," Cid stooped as if he was suddenly carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Should we attend to Zorna first?" Tobias asked, his words hitting like a hammer.

Cid winced, "She'll be in the morgue, and I've doubt they've finished their pokin and proddin of her yet. When it's time, I'll see she's buried somewhere peaceful," he stopped suddenly and grimaced, bracing himself against a pillar.

Tobias set a hand on his shoulder, "Barring orders, we'll all be there."

Cid patted his hand, "You're going to be a good one, son."

"We're about to find out. Do you have any idea where they might assign me?" Tobias asked as they began moving again.

"Well, if you're lucky, somewhere you can cut your teeth and get accustomed to the role. The obsidian torc and black blade change things, but don't let it go to your head. The bigger the head, the bigger the target," Cid jabbed a finger into Tobias' chest.

"I thought we were done with training," Riley mused as she hopped along.

"You might be rangers, but you'll stop being my trainees about twenty minutes after I'm cold and dead and not a moment before," Cid snapped.

"Yes sir," Riley replied, accepting her fate, as they entered through the massive double doors past the guards and out into the courtyard.

A large shadow darkened over the top of Riley as she heard a roar that made every instinct she had scream in terror.

Looking up, she screeched, "Dragon! Dragon! Get to cover!"

Tobias and Cid weren't moving, and Cid seemed on the verge of bursting into laughter.

"What's going on? There's a dragon! It just came up over the ridge," she said, coming into formation beside her sorcerer, "Move! do something!"

Cid drew his sword, "Once more into the breach! That transport will never know what hit it! Tobias, smack it with a fire bolt!"

Riley knew she was being played, "Transport?"

Tobias was busy watching in awe as the white scaled beast, easily the size of a double decker bus, landed nimbly on the grounds, "I've only seen that once before when they flew over Ashenvale towards the castle."

Six rangers, in three rows of two, dismounted from a box with rows of bench seats mounted to its back.

Riley felt the powerful burst of air as its wings beat down and saw a burst of silver magic before it rocketed into the sky.

"Transport dragons," she boggled.

"There's an audit underway, a big one," Cid said, sheathing his sword.

"Because of us?" Tobias assumed.

"Yep, you're causing trouble already," the old instructor chuckled.