TWO

"Drop your weapons and pull over immediately!" one of the troops on top of the armored trucks ordered through a loudspeaker. "We will use lethal force if you do not comply!"

I glared up at him and revved the Hardy's engine as I drove. "Does the phrase 'No way in hell' ring a bell?"

Biggs fired a warning shot. "We're comin' through!"

"Avalanche terrorists!" the soldier snarled. "Take 'em down! Those traitorous assholes destroyed Sector 7!"

"The hell we did! We tried to save it!" Lena yelled.

He grabbed one of the turrets. "Bullshit!"

The next thing we knew, rounds were going off all around us, and I could barely hear with all the shells blasting into the road barely inches away. I had to swerve the bike back and forth to avoid getting shot, and the guys weren't much better off. Biggs returned fire, filling one soldier with bullets and sending another flying off the truck, but they weren't the only things we had to worry about.

I jerked the Hardy aside as several grunts on the transports opened fire, and the blue energy bolts flew past Lena and I's shoulders, missing us by a hair. They didn't give us a chance to recover, though, because as soon as we got in range, one of them jumped right onto the front of the bike, clinging to the frame and slashing at me over and over again with its clawed metal gauntlets while I drove.

"Shit!" I swore, barely blocking the attacks with my talon.

The grunt didn't let up, and it was all I could do to keep control of the Hardy as I ducked and wove with that thing right in my face and all those turret blasts still going on as well. As I kept on fighting, I noticed another grunt jump toward the bike. Lena shot it down in midair, but a third one took its place almost at once.

The masked grunt nearly knocked her off, and I heard her cry out as she fought to stay alive and on the bike. The Hardy tilted low to one side as the grunt attacking Lena held on and pulled hard at it, not even caring about its own safety as we leaned over. I struggled to keep us up, but the other grunt clawed at me again and again, and I barely avoided getting my throat torn out. Of course, it wasn't gonna matter anyway if I couldn't somehow keep us from crashing.

But then, the grunt in front of me abruptly jerked backward and to the right, bullets tearing through its helmeted face, and tumbled away. I quickly holstered my weapon, then grabbed the handlebars with both hands and pulled hard to the left with a yell, getting the Hardy back up again as Biggs shot the other grunt off Lena.

"Thanks, guys!" I called.

Biggs nodded. "Always got your back!"

Wedge risked a glance at us. "You two alright?"

"A little scratched, but we're fine," Lena assured him. "Still, there's a whole lot more of those bastards."

Biggs tapped Wedge's shoulder. "Gimme your gun!"

He gave him a thumbs up. "Take it!"

"Had to shoot a few of those sons of bitches off us, too," Biggs said as he gripped Wedge's rifle. "Otherwise we'd have been able to get over to you sooner. Can't let 'em do that again."

"Lena, my belt pouch!" I said. "Get a raspberry!"

I felt her flip it open and grab one. "In my hand, Jessie!"

"When I give the word, throw it!" I told her.

"Ready!" she shouted.

Biggs took aim at the transport on the left. "We'll take this one, you get the other one! And watch the turrets!"

I gunned the engine. "Right! Kick ass, guys!"

"You too!" Wedge said.

As Lena and I drove closer to the transport on the right, I wove the Hardy to avoid gunfire from the turrets and the grunts. There was a lot of it, and I knew we'd have to find some way to deal with it to have any chance of making it outta here alive. But we had to take out the grunts themselves first or we'd crash and burn.

Biggs cocked the trigger of his rifle. "Let's cook!"

As Wedge turned the Gust slightly to the side, Biggs unloaded with a bright orange jet of fire, using the rifle as a flamethrower. The inferno swept over the grunts, lighting them up just as they got ready to jump. Some fell back inside while others tumbled helplessly onto the road. As Biggs kept up his assault, I gauged the distance between the Hardy and the other transport, waiting for the right moment.

Then I called to Lena. "Now!"

She threw the raspberry right into the midst of the grunts, and just a second or two later, it exploded, tossing them about like rag dolls and tearing into the troop carrier itself. The whole thing suddenly lurched, tilting crazily over to one side before the blast sent it spinning back our way directly in our path. The flaming wreck crashed and bounced as it took out one of the motorcycle troopers before he could get away, then it was flying right at me and Lena, its length blocking nearly the entire width of the tunnel as smoke filled the air.

"Jessie! Look out!" Lena yelled.

Acting on instinct, I yanked the Hardy hard to the left, pulling the bike down until it was almost horizontal, and the burning troop carrier sailed over us with barely a foot to spare. It crashed into the road right behind us and exploded as I straightened the Hardy back up and raced down the tunnel with Lena holding on tight.

We found the guys not far ahead, still in one piece as Biggs torched another motorcycle trooper. The turrets were still firing away, though, and there was still a third bike soldier to deal with. I sped toward him, but he was faster, whipping his gun around and shooting before I could stop him. Wedge gasped and jerked backward, clutching his chest with one hand and barely keeping the Gust under control with the other. As my eyes widened, I felt Lena's grip tighten.

"Wedge!" she shrieked.

"Son of a bitch!" I swore, drawing my blaze talon.

Between me and Biggs, we took that motorcycle trooper down fast and hard, making quick work of him. Biggs fried him with his rifle as I sliced his bike apart, and the guy barely even had time to scream. Then we all looked worriedly at Wedge, nearly forgetting about our situation for a moment. Although he was grimacing in pain, I realized he wasn't bleeding. And then, looking at himself, so did he.

"I'm alright!" Wedge assured us. "The vest caught it!"

We all sighed in relief, and although Lena relaxed, I didn't miss the slight tremor in her voice. "Oh, thank god! I am so glad Madam M and Andrea gave you that before we left!"

Biggs patted Wedge's shoulder. "Me too, buddy!"

"Hurts like hell, though," he winced.

"I'll bet," I breathed. "I'm just glad you're still with us."

He chuckled. "Not leaving!"

"That's what I like to hear!" I grinned. Then I looked at the trucks. "Alright. Time to deal with these bastards!"

"Right with you, Jessie!" Biggs agreed, hefting his rifle.

There were four trucks, two in each lane one behind the other, and as we closed the distance to them, I had an idea. Holstering my talon, I pulled up alongside the truck on the right in the back, the one that was closest to the Hardy. What I had in mind was something I'd never have been able to pull off before the plate fell, but ever since my recovery, I'd begun to feel stronger and tougher, no doubt from the mako I'd gotten through the blood Cloud had given to save me.

I readied myself. "Lena, take over!"

As she quickly moved forward and took the handlebars, I jumped, leaping off the bike in a backward somersault, drawing and igniting my weapons in midair, and landing atop the truck with a flourish. I didn't waste a moment but cut down the soldiers one after another in a flurry of spinning slashes. Then I focused on my Fire materia and blasted the large group on the truck in front of me.

Holstering my blaze talons again, I grabbed one of the turrets and opened fire, first taking out the soldiers on top of the other two trucks before they even knew what was going on. Then I blew out the tires on the second transport, causing it to crash onto its side. Biggs and Wedge were trying to fend off another pair of moth slashers, so I backed them up with the turret and blew the mechs apart.

"Yeah!" Wedge cheered as he drove. "Nice one, Jessie!"

I gave him a thumbs up. "Thanks!"

Then, seeing that were coming up fast on the tunnel exit, I quickly dropped back onto the Hardy. Lena had kept it right next to the truck, and she let go of the handlebars and scooted back as I landed and took over. Holding on with my right hand, I opened my belt pouch with the left one, took out a raspberry, and handed it behind me to Lena. Then I took one for myself and closed my belt pouch.

"Get ready!" I told her.

She came back at once. "Just say the word!"

I hit the boosters, and the Hardy surged forward as Wedge did the same on the Gust. We raced ahead of the remaining Shinra forces, our acceleration carrying us past them in seconds, and as I kept my eyes on the exit, I counted down in my head. It had to be timed just right for it to work, since the raspberries alone wouldn't be enough to bring down the tunnel. But I knew exactly what would.

I yanked out the pin. "Now!"

Lena pulled hers at once, then we dropped the raspberries right in in the middle of Shinra's path. They exploded only seconds later just as the trucks in front drove into them, and the resulting inferno filled the entire tunnel as the two others collided with them. The crash caused a chain reaction of explosions one after another, fire and smoke blasting outta the tunnel exit and tearing apart the Shinra checkpoint just as we raced through it into the moonlit night.

"We did it!" Lena cheered.

"Yeah!" Biggs hollered, thrusting his fist into the air.

But we weren't done just yet. As the last two motorcycle guys from Shinra started to speed clear of the collapsing tunnel, one of them rode right up onto the wall and used his partner to launch himself away. He sailed into the air, laughing like a lunatic, and as I looked back at him, I realized he wasn't a trooper at all. While his partner crashed amidst the flames as the exit blew apart and caved in, the crazy guy landed on the road behind us and spun his dark red motorcycle around, his long hair flowing behind him in a blond mullet.

"Who's that?" Lena asked.

I frowned. "A SOLDIER. Insane, by the looks of it."

"Well, well!" he laughed. "Aren't we having fun kicking the hornet's nest! Interested in a race? Just one, of course."

"No!" I spat.

The guy brandished his sword. "So sorry, my dear! Your words fail to reach my ears, as slow as they are! Unfortunately, my favorite dance partner isn't here tonight, so you'll have to do."

I drew my talon. "Fine. You must be Roche, then."

"My reputation precedes me!" he boasted.

"Oh, yeah," I snickered. "Cloud told me he kicked your ass."

Roche just grinned. "It was a most exciting duel! I eagerly await the time when our blades cross again!"

"What's this jerk's deal?" Lena muttered.

"The lady's curiosity has been piqued!" Roche said. "As your friend has kindly pointed out, my name is Roche. But you may address me by my other, more accurate name: Speed Demon!"

She snorted. "Heard that, huh? How about dumbass?"

"I'd say we have a winner," I agreed.

"My ears are attuned to the feminine voices!" Roche taunted.

Lena sighed. "This guy is the worst."

He hit his boosters and sped out ahead of us, sword raised. It was a lot like Kunsel's, although not as fancy. Just a slim broadsword with the SOLDIER logo on the hilt. Kunsel's had been a bit more elaborate. That and the way Roche's dark blue uniform was more like the ones regular troopers wore told me he was Third Class. Still a SOLDIER, but not on the same level as Kunsel and Cloud.

As he drove, Roche whipped his blade around and used it to throw arcs of pale green energy back at us, several at a time. I wove back and forth from side to side to avoid them, watching my speed and minding the curves along the high mountain road we were on. Then, smirking, I returned the favor, hitting him with a sweep of blazing orange energy from my talon. Roche swerved but couldn't avoid it and took the hit as I closed in on him. He just shrugged it off and kept up his own attacks, though, so I dodged them as best I could.

We traded blows for a minute, back and forth, energy waves flying through the air between us. I caught him more than he did me, but he barely slowed down as we drove along. Roche would throw a bunch of his waves one by one in quick succession, then several more all at once stacked together. It was a little tricky to dodge them all, but I managed it for the most part and hit him back. Then, after I'd worn him down a bit, Roche decided to change tactics. He pulled his bike into a wheelie, lifted his sword high, and laughed like mad.

"What the hell's he doing now?" Lena wondered.

I grimaced. "Still being a dumbass."

Roche chuckled. "Not bad. You have promise, and an abiding love for your mount. But one cannot simply ride one's bike! Nay! One must unlock its true potential! Like this!"

Suddenly, the air crackled, filling with lightning as the road wound through a narrow cleft cut through the mountain with high rock walls on either side. Lena and I kept our eyes alert, but even so, we were still caught by surprise when a bolt struck almost on top of us, knocking us back and making us both shout in surprise.

"Shit!" I swore.

"The hell was that!?" Lena gasped.

I swerved the Hardy aside as another lightning bolt struck nearby. "Trouble. It's not gonna be as easy to close in on him as I thought. Just hold on tight, Lena. We're not finished yet!"

We drove on, dodging even more lightning. Then, after throwing a few more bolts at us, Roche drove right up the rock wall to our left and jumped back toward us, landing nearby with another sparkling blast of electricity that surged outward in all directions. The Hardy shook with the impact, jolting us around, and current swept over the bike, stinging both of us with a barrage of little shocks.

"Ouch!" Lena gasped. "Damn, that smarts!"

I grimaced, holding onto the handlebars despite the pain. "I know what you mean. Looks like it's fading, though."

She lightly tapped the frame. "Yeah, it's gone now."

"Bastard's playing with us, Lena," I explained. "He's not after a kill. But I'm still getting pretty tired of it."

Hitting the boosters, I sped up, the Hardy's engine loud in my ears, and caught up to Roche. Our blades clashed as we raced down the road alongside each other. Sparks flew with every hit, and we spun our bikes around in a circle as we fought. Then he got ahead of us again, but not too far. And as I brought the Hardy back up next to him, I knew what I had to do to end this little game of his.

"Lena, drive!" I told her.

Then, like I had with the truck, I jumped up off the Hardy and into the air, flipping into a forward somersault and drawing my other talon at the same time. I landed on the front of Roche's bike in a crouch, then swept my arms out, slicing the frame with both blades at the same time in a low crossing slash that left trails of fire behind it. Flashing Roche a little smirk over my shoulder, I jumped off his bike, flipped backwards through air, and landed back on the Hardy.

Roche chuckled. "Well played! Seems this round is yours. It's been quite an enjoyable dance, my dear, but still I desire to cross blades with my true partner once again. Farewell for now!"

Hitting his boosters and laughing hysterically, he sped off into the night with a roar of engines and was gone, disappearing somewhere far ahead of us. Biggs and Wedge pulled up alongside us a moment or two later, grinning widely as we drove along.

"Alright!" Biggs pumped his fist. "We made it!"

"Yeah!" Wedge added.

Lena laughed as she blew him a kiss. "You did great, honey! I think even Cloud would be proud of ya."

"Really?" he asked.

"You betcha!" I flashed him a thumbs up.

Biggs clapped him on the shoulder. "Sure would! Looks like we all passed the test. Now it's on to Fort Condor."

"Right," I nodded. "Should take about three days to get there. Gotta get outta the mountains first, though, and down to the lowlands. Once we do, we'll just keep heading south."

"Sounds like a plan, Jessie," he agreed.

Just a little later, the road finally left the narrow ravine and its rock walls behind. When they fell away and we saw what was in front of us, we all gasped in spite of ourselves. The empty highway we were driving on curved gently along the side of a mountain, with wooded slopes full of trees rising up on our left. To our right and past the metal guardrails that lined that half of the road, the forest descended down the slope far out of sight. But it was the view ahead of us that really took our breath away and made us slow down to admire it.

Past the edge of the road's right side, we could see so far—hills and plains, a sea of grass dark in the night, and off at the very farthest edge of the western horizon, the glimmer of water, most likely a river. There were little yellow lights here and there in the valley, and I realized they were from the small towns and villages that must've been there, nestled in the shadow of the mountains between them and the river. And high above us, a thousand stars glittered in the dark.

Biggs gaped. "Whoa…"

"Oh, wow…" Wedge breathed.

"It's beautiful!" Lena squealed. "I never imagined anything like this before! So much green, so much life! And the sky! It's so clear! Not like Midgar at all. No smog, no plate. I love it!"

I did, too. "Haven't seen a sky like this in a long time. I've missed it, to be honest. And we're gonna be camping out under it tonight. Just as soon as we find a good place to rest."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that," Wedge grinned. "I could really go for a pick-me-up right about now."

"No surprise there, buddy," Biggs laughed.

Lena yawned. "Not to mention some shut-eye. I'm beat. I think I'm gonna crash as soon as we get our tents up."

Biggs nodded. "I hear ya, sis."

"Me too," I smiled. "We could all use some sleep."

We drove on, and after a few miles, I found a place where the slope on our left wasn't quite so steep. We pulled off the highway and headed up into the woods until we'd gone far enough that we wouldn't be seen or heard. There weren't very many towns or villages up here—this was a military service road, and from what I'd seen when I'd researched our route, most people lived on the lower slopes and in the valley below us. So we couldn't count on staying at any inns for a while. And after what we'd done in the tunnel, that was probably best.

It didn't take us long to find a little clearing and set up camp. It was the end of our first day on the road, and we'd accomplished a lot. Biggs suggested we keep a watch and insisted on taking the first one, so Lena and I got settled into our tent while Wedge went into the one he shared with Biggs. I heard crickets chirping somewhere off in the underbrush, and the small fire Biggs had made crackled softly. Lena and I kept our weapons close, but nothing bothered us that night, and I fell asleep not too long afterward, thinking of Cloud.

We got underway early the next morning, heading further into the gorge after a quick breakfast. It didn't take us long to find what was left of the abandoned highway. A few cars and trucks sat along the cracked pavement, rusted and empty, and it felt as if nobody had come this way in over a thousand years. It was really eerie.

We'd switched things up a little for today's ride. I sat behind Cloud on his chocobo while Aerith guided the one that I'd been on yesterday. Barret sat behind her, keeping a close eye on our surroundings, and as always, Red padded a short distance ahead of us. We followed the road south and west between the mountains rising up on either side, and as far as I could tell, they came together somewhere in the distance. That was where we'd find the entrance to the mines.

It was a quiet journey, and none of us said much. We didn't see any sign of Sephiroth, either. I glanced at Aerith as we rode along. Though she'd insisted she was fine, I still worried about her. And I knew Cloud did, too. Why had Sephiroth singled her out the way he had? What did it mean? And what did it have to do with Jessie? He'd implied that there was some kind of connection between them, that whatever his agenda was, it involved them both in some way. But if we'd done all this before, then that had to mean we'd beaten him before.

And we'd do it again.

We didn't see that young ninja anywhere, either. She was probably in the mines by now, like she'd said back in the marshes, and would get outta there well before we did. But even though she had a good lead on us, I was sure we'd see her again. She'd told us as much herself. Despite her streak of thievery in Kalm, she had jumped in without hesitation to help us when we'd been cornered by those giant snakes and had fought fiercely. She'd make a powerful ally if we could convince her to join us. And I hoped she would, sooner or later.

After about an hour or so, we came to a small town tucked into the shadow of the mountains where they met. It must've been a busy place once, but now it was quiet as we slowly walked our chocobos down the main road. There were a few people here and there, but not many, and they looked curiously at us as we went by. I saw fear in their eyes—not of us, but of something else. Probably the monsters that had overtaken the mines. Were they still attacking? Where were they? We'd have to get some information before going in there.

We found the entrance to the mines at the far end of town, tucked at the base of a rugged slope that rose up high overhead. Nearby were a few men, no doubt members of the local watch. They were armed with guns and swords and kept a close eye on the dark opening leading into the mountain. As we rode up and dismounted, they looked warily at us but didn't make any aggressive moves.

"You're not from around here," one of them noted. "The mines are off limits until further notice."

Cloud frowned. "We need to go in there."

The guy shook his head and didn't budge, not aiming his rifle at us but keeping it ready. "The place is infested with monsters, and we can't guarantee your safety. Sorry about all this."

"Who's in charge?" Cloud asked.

"Talk to Bear," the guy said. "His office is over there."

He pointed toward an old trailer sitting off to one side of the dusty clearing. While Aerith and Red stayed with the chocobos, the rest of us headed over to see about getting permission to enter the mines. A long wooden ramp ran along the side of the trailer as it sat on a small rocky ledge, and at the top was the front door. I knocked, and after a moment or two, it swung open as Bear answered it.

I understood right away how he'd gotten that name. He was nearly as big as Barret, and although he was maybe in his fifties with his dark hair and short beard both shot through with streaks of gray, he was still powerfully built and muscular. Bear wore a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, blue jeans, a wide leather belt, and tough brown work boots, and a wedding band glittered on his left hand as he sized us up. I didn't have any trouble believing he was a miner.

"What's your business here?" he asked, his voice gruff.

"We need to enter the mines," I told him.

Bear folded his arms in front of him. "They're closed, miss. It ain't safe for anyone to go in there right now."

Cloud didn't budge. "We can handle ourselves."

"That so?" Bear raised an eyebrow.

"I was in SOLDIER," Cloud went on. "We fought our way through the marshes to get here. And we're going in."

Barret glared at him. "Ease up, merc. Lemme do the talkin'."

"Suit yourself," Cloud sighed.

"Anyway," Barret looked over at Bear. "We ain't here to cause ya no trouble. We jus' need to get through them mines to the other side. An' I can tell ya we ain't gonna touch the mythril."

Bear motioned to us. "Come in."

We followed him inside the trailer. In the middle room was a desk that looked to be for his secretary, but whoever it might've been wasn't there, likely because there hadn't been much work since the mines had been closed. Through the doorway on our right, I saw several tall filing cabinets standing against one wall. Bear went through the door on our left, though, and inside was his office. He sat behind his desk as Cloud and I had a seat in the chairs in front of it while Barret stood by a large drafting table covered with blueprints of the mines.

"Name's Berigar," Bear introduced himself, "but most everyone just calls me Bear. Guess I don't need to explain why."

I smiled. "Not at all."

He went on. "You've heard about the monster attacks?"

"Yeah," Cloud said.

"Started a few months ago," Bear explained. "Just a few at first, and then more and more. We tried closing off the areas where the monsters were coming from, but there were too many. People were getting hurt, even killed. So I had to shut the place down."

Barret sighed. "Damn shame. Did what ya had to do, though. I get ya, trust me. Workin' underground's dangerous, always is, but this shit ain't natural. Them monsters still attackin'?"

"Every night," Bear answered. "That's why we've got folks from the watch out there standing guard. You a miner?"

"Used to be," Barret replied.

I glanced at him in surprise. This was another thing he'd kept quiet about. Barret had never said much about his past, not even to me, and although I knew he was from someplace called Corel, that was about it. Until lately. What had happened out there? And how had he ended up in Midgar? I was curious but knew better than to ask. He'd share when and if he ever felt ready to trust us with it.

Bear scratched his beard. "Thought so. You got the look. Trying to get south of the mountains, are ya?"

"That's the straight of it," Barret said.

"This town and the one at the other end are basically two halves of the same place. We work the same mine, and until the monsters started attacking, we traded with each other all the time—they got grasslands, farms, and woodlands out there, and we've got more rock and metal in our quarries. So we had a good arrangement."

I thought I understood. "There's a route straight through the mines connecting your two towns, isn't there?"

"That's right, miss," Bear agreed. "North and South Argen, home of the largest mythril mine on the continent. On foot, it's about a four day journey to the other side, and it won't be easy. Monsters the whole way. They swarmed up from the deeper shafts and just overwhelmed us, so you'd better hope you can go unnoticed."

I looked hopefully at him."You're letting us enter?"

He nodded. "On one condition. There's something I need you folks to do for me while you're in there."

Cloud didn't look surprised. "What's that?"

"The mountains block most cell signals, so we use an underground network instead to maintain communications with our sister city," Bear explained, going over to the drafting table. "There were also towers set up in the marshes all along the old highway that ran through there, but they've been abandoned along with the road ever since the attacks here started and that place got so wild and dangerous."

"It wasn't always like that?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Not really, no more than any other part of the world. Them giant snakes out there used to just keep to themselves for the most part and didn't bother anyone who didn't wander too close to their nests in the lakes. But something's gotten them all stirred up over the past few months and made them more aggressive. So between that and the attacks in the mines, we've been cut off."

Barret gazed at the blueprints. "Whatcha need us to do?"

"There's a large chamber about halfway to South Argen that we use as a rest stop and trading post," Bear went on, pointing at a spot in the middle of the blueprints. "You can't miss it if you stick to the path. The main junction for our underground network is also there. But since the attacks, it's gone down, and I can't risk sending some engineers to fix it with all the monsters infesting the place."

"So you want us to do it," Cloud finished for him.

Bear nodded. "Ain't too hard. Once you get the power back on, the network'll go up by itself. I'll know from here once it's done. And when you get to the other side, go and see my counterpart, Dorgan. I'll make sure he's got something ready for you."

Barret pumped his fist. "Gotcha covered. We'll do whatever we can to help ya get your ore an' livelihood back."

"My thanks, friend," Bear said.

"What'll we be up against?" Cloud asked.

Bear went on. "We've run into a few different kinds of monsters in the mines. There's crawlers—big things like dark blue rattlesnakes five to six feet tall. You might've already seen them in the marshes, but they also live underground as well. Nasty buggers."

"We've fought some, yeah," Barret said. "Probably hangin' out near where the water tends to collect. Years an' years of drippin' makes some decent-sized ponds an' pools down there."

"That it does," Bear agreed.

Cloud folded his arms in front of him. "What else?"

"Nightclaws," Bear said. "They're like giant crabs. Shells are a dark purple and tough as rock. They can send out a nasty shock, too. Them and the crawlers are what we've seen the most of, but you'd better keep an eye out for shriekers as well."

"Shriekers? What are those?" I wondered.

He grimaced. "Big ugly things, tall as your friend here. Humanoid and damn strong. They typically travel in pairs and have ambushed my men more than once. Watch out for those iron balls they swing around on their chains—they're big, heavy, and can hit pretty damn hard. And their screams'll deafen you if you're not careful."

I nodded. "That explains the name."

"One other thing," Bear continued. "As far as I can tell, there seems to be a bigger monster leading the pack. Hasn't shown itself much, but some of my men who made it back here have reported seeing glimpses of it lurking down in the deeper tunnels."

"Any idea what it is?" Cloud asked, standing up.

Bear frowned. "Some kind of dragon. An archdragon, by my guess. Not one of those full-sized brutes, fortunately, but still dangerous, and bigger than anything else you'll find in there. If you can kill it, though, that'll break its hold over the other monsters and they'll scatter back to their holes. Then we can reclaim the mines."

Barret pumped his fist. "Thing's as good as dead!"

"It might've made a lair for itself in that chamber I told you about," Bear warned us. "The trading post with the communications junction. That's the only place on the upper levels big enough for the beast. And it probably won't be alone, either. So be careful."

"We will," I promised.

Then he wrote on a thick slip of paper and handed it to me. "Show that to the guys outside and they'll let you into the mines. Once you've made it to South Argen, give that to Dorgan and he'll know I sent you. He'll help you out with whatever you need."

I smiled and tucked it into my pocket. "Thanks."

"That's miners for ya," Barret boasted. "Always lookin' out for each other, an' no mistake. Gotta when you work underground like that. It's a dangerous world down there in the dark."

"Then you can be our guide, Barret," I chuckled.

He grinned, smacking his chest with his fist as we headed outside. "Damn right I will! Jus' leave it to me, Tifa!"

I laughed. "I feel better already."

After a quick lunch in town where we explained to Aerith and Red everything we'd learned from Bear, we got our things off the chocobos. They couldn't go into the mines, so Bear had promised to keep them in a stable here in town where they'd be cared for. I smiled as I saw Barret patting one on the head when it nudged him.

"Take care, ya hear?" he said.

"Looks like you've warmed up to them," Aerith teased.

He blinked, embarrassed. "I, uh… I don't know what you're talkin' bout, girl. Damn birds are annoyin' as hell."

"If you say so," I smirked.

Aerith giggled. "We all know you'll miss them, Barret."

He grunted. "Hmph! Maybe…"

After we'd finished getting our things together, Aerith cooed to the chocobos while I brushed their feathers. Then we handed them over to Bear's men so they could take them to the stable. Aerith and I watched the birds for a moment as they walked away, and I realized that I'd miss them, too. I think Aerith felt the same way. They'd saved all our lives in the marshes, and more than once.

Red looked at us expectantly. "Shall we go?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm ready," Aerith said, grasping her bladed staff.

"Same," I agreed, flexing my fingers.

Barret pumped his fist. "Jus' follow me, guys. I got this."

After I showed the men from the watch the pass Bear had given us, they moved aside and wished us luck. The entrance to the mines stood ominously ahead of us, a dark hole in the side of the mountain framed with thick wooden beams. Four days underground. That's how long we were gonna be down there. I couldn't help feeling a little nervous about it, but I pushed it down as best I could.

Uneasy but determined, I followed the others inside.