Chapter 76

Cid wasn't hard to find.

"Hello son," he said, taking a deep pull off his ale.

"I'm glad I didn't take the bet," Riley remarked with an internal grin.

"Barkeep, see to my friends," The bartender looked around suspiciously, eyeing Tobias before peeking over the bar.

"I don't think they drink," He said with a chuckle in his voice.

"In another life," Riley projected.

The man's eyes widened in surprise.

"Riley!" Tobias cautioned.

"I'm... I'm sorry, miss," The bartender began.

"It's fine. We're all rangers here. If there's one safe place in Calaria, it's here, and bartenders keep secrets everywhere, I think." She hedged, feeling suddenly sheepish.

The barkeep nodded thoughtfully before taking and polishing a glass.

"Fair enough," Tobias surrendered before setting his hand on Cid's shoulder, "Let's find a table so she can get a seat."

"Unhand me!" He shrugged off Tobias' grip in a sudden fit of anger before rising unsteadily on his two feet.

"Don't you think you're overdoing it? It's not yet noon," Tobias asked.

A number of drinkers at the bar, already deep in their cups, looked down and away.

"Oh, are you looking to instruct me now? Well Ranger, I outrank you," Cid hitched up his belt, spilling some of his ale on his jerkin.

"He's really bad today," Riley shared with Tobias, leaving Cid out of it.

"Grief is an ugly monster," Tobias said, projecting as a sidebar, finally getting Cid sat down.

"I've more to mourn. You're going to be my last trainees," He interjected, holding up a piece of folded paper, "Barkeep another round."

"Hold that ale a moment. Hot tea for me and a bowl of water for my companion," Tobias ordered.

"You're no fun!" Cid spat.

"Your being retired? " Tobias wondered.

"Worse, they're promoting me. I'm the head of training now, so I'm getting good and drunk before I have to go on duty next week," He looked down at the empty mug miserably.

"It will give you some time to heal at least," Tobias offered, setting his hand on Cid's shoulder in support.

"They released her body today," He added suddenly, reaching for his empty mug.

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"Then we should lay her to rest, but you need to be sober for that! How long are you going to feel sorry for yourself?" Riley growled her words.

"Riley!" Tobias snapped.

"You've done nothing but drink since we arrived. It's ok to mourn, but this is self-destructive, and it's something neither Zorna or Elandriel would have wanted!" Riley hissed in frustration.

"You little shit! If you think I'm about to be lectured..." Cid began, stumbling to rise.

"Then do something about it! Pull your power! Lets dance! At least that's something better than this. You have to be alive to be angry!" She bounced on her paws, the chair creaking as she did so.

"Keep it down, or take it outside!" The bartender snapped.

"This isn't helping anything. You two both stop it! We're supposed to be a team. Cid, we came to get your help on some things, " Tobias said, trying to derail the anger train.

"Funny way of going about it. You think you got room to judge me, lass? You think that torc gives you some kind of authority... huh!?!" Cid was out of his chair, pointing at Riley, causing a scene, swaying like a reed in the wind.

"Hell no, I hardly feel worthy of it, but I thought you cared about me. Enough to run me to death and pound lessons into my head. It seems you need the same, and I care about you enough to tell you that I hate how you're dealing with all this. I'd take this goddamn thing off and toss it at you if I could!" She drummed her hindpaw and puffed up.

"Riley, watch the blasphemy, settle down!" Tobias cautioned.

The denizens of the bar, drunk and sober, were watching the display.

"Is he arguing with that companion?" One whispered to another.

"Not even I'm that drunk yet," They replied.

Cid blinked wide eyed at Riley and then sunk down in his chair, deflating like a balloon.

"Twenty three years, love, I had something like you and Tobias are building. How would you feel if that was all taken away?" Cid pointed an angry finger.

"I lost everyone I cared about before it was my turn to go. My parents were dead before I was thirteen, and it hurt. It messed me up for a long time; it still messes me up, but I know despair is a trap. You said she was all loyalty? All duty? Well compare and contrast!" Riley demanded.

Cid blinked in shocked silence.

"Barkeep, tea." He said after an eternity of seconds.

"Riley, that was not smart," Tobias scolded.

"He's not drinking, he's thinking, it's a start. You be the good cop. I've been the bad one," she countered.

He blinked at her in confusion before setting his own course. "Tomorrow, when you've had some chance to sleep it off, we'll go out before dawn, find a good spot, and honor her with the sunrise," Tobias offered like an olive branch.

"Aye, that's the proper way. You'll be there then?" He asked.

"We wouldn't miss it," Riley said for the both of them.

Their tea finally came. As Cid and Tobias sipped meditatively, Riley lapped at her water with abandon.

None of them saw the servant enter, looking relieved as he made his way towards their table.

"You're the one from the other day," Riley said to herself, having made enough of a show of her sapience for one day.

"Rangers Riley and Tobias, you're to come with me to the Generals immediately," He intoned seriously.

"What's this about?" Tobias asked.

The servant only shrugged as Tobias took one last long pull. "It's a shame I have to leave this behind."

Standing, he dusted off his jerkin, "The same place as the day before?"

"Just so, sir, this way," He said, turning expecting to be followed.

"I'll find you later," Cid waved a hand dismissively, staring down at the table as they left.

"Riley, don't you think you were a little hard on the old man?" Tobias asked as they moved towards the walkway that would take them to the Keep.

Rangers flitted about silently as the silhouette of the transport dragon again darkened their path.

"No, I don't. There's depression, then there's self-pity. Letting him go on is doing nothing but enabling him. At some point you have to push him to start living," she replied curtly, keeping an eye on the flying beast as it came to its landing spot.

"It's not been a week! Let him have his time." Tobias argued.

"Do you think the generals are going to allow that? Either it comes from us unofficially, or it comes down officially and really ruins his day. He might not recover from that," Riley argued.

"That's fair, but if we push him too hard, he'll break." Deep into their own conversation, neither noticed they had crossed into the Keep until they began climbing the stairs.

"Tomorrow, we'll say our goodbyes. He'll have some closure, and then he can start walking the path instead of wallowing upon it." Riley hoped.

"Just a moment, Sir, I'll announce the both of you," The servant bowed before slipping behind the door.

"Huh, that went quicker than I thought," Tobias looked around, surprised.