Just wait there, you Galbadian asses…just stay where you are…and I will come collect you…for the land of the dead…

Reis landed on four feet outside the Galbadian missile base, hiding in the shadows.

'Who're you, dragon…oh, wait, you're not a dragon…not a full dragon anyway…' an eerie voice sounded behind her, causing her to spin around.

A tiny little man stood in front of her, possibly only four feet high. He had the most bizarre contraption attached to his head; his eyes had been replaced by glass lenses mounted on a tube; as he looked closely at Reis, these appeared to extend closer to her leathery dragonskin.

'You're half human. And female,' the man continued, his eye-tubes shrinking, 'Where did you come from?'

This man is strange…he detects things that most people could not…and yet I feel no enmity or fear…why is this?

'I come from Ivalice,' Reis hissed, in her most kind voice as possible, 'My name is Reis Dular, a Holy Dragoner,'

'A Holy Dragoner? The name appears to suit your genes. My name is Dr. Odine, from Esthar,'

Whatever are genes…this man is creepy…

'I am a diplomat from Esthar who had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by Edea. Curses on that foul-mouthed beast! When President Laguna hears of this atrocity she will be sorry!' he raved on, clenching a metal fist.

'Uh…excuse me? What exactly are you doing next to a Galbadian military institution if you're on the run then?' Reis asked, narrowing her eyes.

'Oh, that. I was just trying to do my own share of saboteur work. You see, if I plant one of these—(he shows Reis a small, circular, brightly-painted red object), this whole place would go up in flames. Oh, that was if this wall didn't exist…pity it did. Well, anyway, I will go now. But at least, you can have this. I think it might fit you better than it does fit my female bodyguard, she was…dismembered…by Edea herself when Edea tried to assassinate me,'

He tossed an gold-orange dress to Reis, who recoiled when she saw the horrible colour combination. How…on earth…does he expect me to wear this?

'Oh, that's just an adamantine alloy called Impermacite. It's virtually indestructible through physical means, and resists magical attacks quite well. Don't judge it by it's silly colour,'

'Gee, thanks,' Reis growled, sarcastically.

'And another thing…you may yet be able to part-transform. Better yet, come with me. I think President Laguna would have some work for you. May I ride upon your back? Ah…it may not seem rather dignified of me to ask you that question…but alas, I might get caught here and be shot…There are no more peaceful diplomatic ties between Galbadia and Esthar, there will soon be outright war…'

This man…I pity him…entrusted with a vast load of responsibility with only himself to perform the deeds. I mean, it isn't something an old, withered man would do, would it? Destroy a base of fit, young soldiers by himself? No, I will let him ride, no matter how undignified it is for me, as a part-dragon…

'Climb on my back, I will fly you gently to wherever you please,' Reis growled, sinking into a clumsy bow so that the man could climb her scaly neck to ride on her back.

'Thank you…now, Esthar is east of here. The time is…(he checks his watch)…three in the afternoon. So the sun should be in the west. Let us go follow the sun's rays,'

Alright, he does know a lot. I'll just follow his directions…

Reis spread her wings, beating them as gently as she can while taking off into the air at the same time. It would not be a good idea to dump off a diplomat from high up in the sky…

Over valleys and hills, cliffs and mountains they went, in the blazing heat of the sun and cooled to near-freezing by sudden gusts of powerful winds. It was a wonder that the frail old doctor did not fall off Reis' back. Through a cloud they went, Reis barely seeing where she went because of its density. She could feel the doctor shivering as she shot out of the other end, ice fragments sticking on her scales. Dry red sands were below them, dotted by the occasional car and what she thought was a chocobo or a large monster.

They all look like ants from this height…


'Oh…I can see…dear me…Galbadia is about to invade a city somewhere,' Odine shouted to Reis, the speed at which she were traveling at causing the wind to roar like a lion, 'Look down below, they're massing their forces. Quickly, we must alert President Laguna. Do not fear about me, I will hold,'

Can he really hold? I doubt it…but if he says so…

Reis doubled the speed of her beating wings, lowering her head to see what Odine was talking about. Sure enough, there were column upon column of soldiers lined up in the green prairies down below, with the occasional war vehicle dotting the sea of miniature heads.

They were flying over the sea now; a vast bridge spanned the sparkling aquamarine waters; a grey concrete construct spanning the grand blue force of nature. As she marveled at this structure, she noticed an even stranger sight; a city built in the centre of the bridge, a circular platform of stone built upon piers and spires of metal, with a glimmering inverted basin in the centre.

Whatever city that is, whoever lives there mustn't like visitors…

'Esthar is not far from here,' Odine said, pointing at the pink cliffs of granite in the distance, dropping like a sheer theatre curtain from a light blue ceiling.

Wow…that's it?

'Oh, it's not just the cliffs, it's what's behind it. I assume you don't like crowds and busy places, just like other dragons. So, the best I can do for you is lead you straight into the President's hangar. They wouldn't mind you landing in there, as long as I'm with you,'

'Are there any dragons in Esthar?' Reis asked, looking at Odine with her deep blue eyes.

'Why, yes. There are a number of Ruby Dragons running wild around the northwestern segment of the cliffs. President Laguna himself was nearly killed by one on his first visit to Esthar,'

There are…dragons in this world. At least I can talk to some of my kind…

'Fly under the mass of structures there, there is a hidden path that leads straight into the president's hangar,' he said, pointing down at a clear section under the mass of complicated-looking structures. Reis obeyed, carefully avoiding the buildings. It would be agonizing to collide with one, especially with her wings. Thankfully she never crashed; landing with a series of ungainly steps, the old man hopped lightly off her back, shaking off the ice fragments that had stuck to him during their trip in the cloud.

'Tell President Laguna, his ambassador Dr. Odine has returned. And please, instruct the guards to not harm a silver dragon if they see one,' he said, to a purple-metal-covered man

He's telling the truth, at least, even though I know there are hundreds of humans that despise us dragons…

'Oh, and please clear the hangar. Get the finest dress that you can find…let's see…the correct size…(he stared at Reis again with those strange tube-like eyes)…get me a medium-sized dress with a thin waist,'

Really? Do I have a thin waist?

'It's alright to transform back into a human, o Holy Dragoner of Ivalice,' Odine said, bowing falsely. Reis nearly laughed at this comical treatment, for she was never given a proper title, let alone be given a servant.

'I have given the order to clear the hangar when you decide to put on some clothes. Don't worry, I won't look. Promise,'

I'll trust him, he seems trustworthy enough…

'Here is the dress that you requested,' the man said, returning with a beautiful whiter-than-white silk robe. Saluting Odine as the old doctor went up the staircase, he looked at the dragon, feeling rather foolish, holding the robe and depositing it at her feet. Turning around, the man left, ascending the staircase like Odine.

Now…back to a dragon. I want my human form back. Now.

Slipping on the perfectly-fitted dress, Reis began to wonder…how did that Odine fellow know her measurements? The robe fitted exceptionally well, neither overlarge nor too small. Odine stood waiting on the landing at the top of the staircase, tapping his leather shoes on the tiled floor.

'Ah, madam. I would like to introduce you to President Laguna Loire, the first president of Esthar,'

'It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady,' he said, bowing down to kiss her silken-skinned hand.

'Thank you, president. My name is Reis, Reis Dular,'

'I take it that you had transported my advisor here back to Esthar safely, miss Dular. A most gracious deed, by any standard. Come, have a seat,' he said, clicking his finger and causing three seats to appear, cushioned in dark red velvet, built of the purest, clearest crystal that Reis had ever seen. Sitting down nervously, Reis looked into the space between the two other men.

'Now, master Laguna. Down to business,' Dr. Odine said, rubbing his hands together, 'Galbadia is massing troops at Deling Plains. I have counted a rough estimate of fifty-thousand nine-hundred and fifty soldiers, along with about twenty artillery halftracks and two hundred armoured tanks. As this trivial number would appear, we do have another problem. I have discovered Galbadia's long-hidden, even fabled missile base, in the wilderness of the desert southwest of Galbadia. This may pose a greater threat to us than the ground soldiers' assault, for if they attack us with their missiles, every place in the world is within their striking distance. I have heard from surviving See-D at Trabia Garden that they had been struck by a devastating pre-emptive attack by Galbadia, leaving nothing but demolished rubble in their once pristine, snow-covered peaceful Garden. If this is so, then the entire nation of Esthar is in grave danger indeed. More than that, the attack on the neutral Garden had proved Galbadia's aggressive nature; we must attack before the war declaration is drawn up,'

'It is unquestionably beyond normal ethics to do so…' Laguna said, rubbing his chin, 'But under these circumstances, I believe that it is necessary to do without the formalities. Let the barracks of the eastern and western sectors prepare their soldiers; the vehicle divisions of the north and south will follow later. Edea is an unpredictable wretch indeed,'

'I will send word, your honor,' Odine replied, bowing deeply, before whirling around and vanishing into thin air without as much as a single noise.

'Now, Reis,' Laguna whispered, leaning close to her face, 'Are you, in any way, romantically taken?'

I will assume that he means 'engaged'…of that I am.

'Sadly, yes. Even though it is to one who had passed away, I cannot break the oath that I have made; that is to be loyal to him forevermore, in life or death,' Reis replied, lowering her head. It is…quite difficult to retain that oath…

'Ah…it is a pity then. I would have liked to accept you as my wife, if that were possible. Even as a companion for awhile. But alas! Here, in Esthar, we reward others for services done for the nation. Here, choose your reward. I do notice the two swords slung over your back. (he pulls out a weapon locker from the wall, which appeared to be a seamless flat wall to Reis before).

A glittering array of deadly weapons lay before Reis; adamantine claws, high-powered guns, accurate rifles…and most of all, that appealed most to Reis…a blade created of pulsating green light, with a handle of the hardest, whitest ivory, a miniature dragon sculpture decorating the hilt.

'Your choice,' Laguna said, smiling.

'I will take this one, then,' Reis answered back, taking the flashing sword. It was warm in her hand, light, far lighter than other swords she had handled previously.

'Ah, yes. That was created by the dragon-speaker Lucretia about two thousand years ago. Quite an incredible blade, and even more a prodigy that you are able to hold it. Anyone else that attempted to hold that fateful blade either faced instant, horrible, high-temperature-melting death, or at least be disfigured for life due to the blade's immediate displacement of their limb at least, or so I heard from Odine. He's convinced me enough not to take it,'

W-What? Two thousand years ago…and it killed whoever touched it? But why not me? Why am I still standing, alive and well?

'Still, don't feel discouraged to take it. Feel free to have the blade,'

Really? Thank you so, very very much.

'It would be much appreciated if you could accompany us on the defense of Fisherman's Horizon. We know that they hate, no, positively loath violence of any sort, but it is necessary to halt the Galbadian invasion as soon as it is practicable. As the only route by land into Esthar is through the ocean bridge, they would take the city and create a bottleneck. This we cannot allow,'

Good…finally a chance to kill as many Galbadians as possible…I will relish every moment of that…

A/N

Argh, I hate this week…got really annoyed at some disrespectful bum from a lower grade, and then my house got egged twice…smashed a window and littered the whole place with two dozen eggs each time . had to clean it up at 6:00 in the morning, it's freezing and I had to use pressurized water to clean it. Grr if only I can land my hands on whoever did it…