Reis stumbled back into the musty interiors of the small workshop that she knew very well. Crashing with a loud bang onto a number of crates as she attempted to regain her balance from the violent spinning of her rapid materialization, she noticed that Mustadio was not in the workshop. Raising one eyebrow, she crept up the stairs, silent as a stalking cat, her eyes fixed upon the door. There must be something going on…Mustadio wouldn't leave his tools for a single day…

Opening the door swiftly, she was greeted by a sudden downward slash from a bright, shining sword. Reis recoiled as the blade slashed down her face and injured wrist, the blood from her face and hand spattering the linoleum floor with numerous crimson dots. Peering through the haze of red as the blood clouded her eyesight, she discovered the contrite face of Agrias peering right in front of her. She could tell that Agrias was desperately mopping up as much blood with a sheet of linen, grasping her wrist delicately as the Holy Knight dabbed at the reopened wound. Agrias…why can't you discern enemies from friends? I've just arrived…

'Oh my God…I'm very sorry, Reis, I thought you were an invading spy or something. Please forgive me for my uncivilised actions,' Agrias said quickly, finishing up her cleaning of Reis as the dragoner pushed aside her hand, 'Goug is under siege and anything can happen,'

'It's alright, Agrias,' Reis said gruffly, disgruntled, 'Just watch out about who you hit next time. If you were an enemy you wouldn't live to see another day,'

'Neither would you, if you were an enemy,' Agrias commented, grinning. Her friendly face faltered as she saw Reis' grim face, 'What's happened?'

'You said Goug is under siege,' Reis muttered darkly, 'I have disposed of Delita, who else is left to command an army?'

'The church of Lionel commands the armies of Ivalice. They have declared a holy war on Goug, on false charges of mass heresy. Now we're all heretics here,'

'Curse them. I will go and attempt…forced diplomacy on their ignorant minds,' Reis said, attempting to lift herself to her feet using her slashed hand. The throbbing pain in her hand escalated to a burning agony, prompting Reis to sit back down again, which she quickly did, writhing where she sat in pain while Agrias watched in horror.

'Argh…my hand…it hurts…' Reis hissed, cradling the bleeding hand with the other, healthy hand. Blood trickled down her arm, flowing down the white skin of her arm.

'Hold on, I will quickly get a priest to heal you,' Agrias whispered in her ear, before dashing out the front door into the bright sunlight outside. The sooner she comes, the better. I can resist much pain…but this wound that I have inflicted upon myself earlier…why does it affect me more than other injuries that I have sustained through the actions of others before?

The red fluid continued to seep down the length of her arm, finally dripping onto the floor. Where is Mustadio? Has he left to defend Goug as well?

'Reis, hold on!' Agrias shouted from the doorway, bursting into the small house with a short, dwarf-like priest following behind, huffing and puffing as he ran on his tiny little legs with Agrias. That's not fair for him, Agrias is tall and he's short; she's fast and he's slow…

The priest began to examine her wounds; they were rather deep, as he discovered when he wiped off the pooling blood over the slash in her wrist; the cut on her face was not as deep, but it marred her pristinely beautiful visage with one grisly scar across her cheek. With a number of assorted healing spells, he only managed to just close the wound; an angry red scar still remained behind, threatening to open at any moment.

'Thanks,' Reis mumbled, as the priest ran a glittering golden staff down the wound on her cheek while muttering an incantation. He did not seem to hear her words; yawning, he stepped out of the house, before disappearing into thin air with a flourish of his feather cloak.

'I'm sorry,' Agrias repeated again, twiddling her thumbs, 'I didn't mean to hurt you that badly,'

'For the last time, Agrias, it's alright. I will heal in a couple of days, it's only a light wound,' Reis breathed, exasperated. Sometimes the Holy Knight's truthfulness and pure words can be annoying…

Standing up, Reis strode to the nearest couch, where she lay down to rest for a bit. Curling a chunk of hair around her finger as she stared into the yellowing ceiling, she began to think… What happened to Mustadio? He should be here anytime soon. He hasn't been…captured by the enemy, has he? That mechanic is the closest thing I have to a family, together with Agrias and perhaps Orlandu. They've been with me since I've been rescued from Goland…I can't bear to lose any of them…

Letting the curled hair straighten upon her cheek, Reis shut her eyes for a little nap. Turning over to face the side of the couch, she felt Agrias sitting down near her feet.

'So how was your last trip?' Agrias asked, 'Good?'

'It wasn't too bad…although I nearly died fighting a possessed sorceress and suffered excruciating pain through reading a cursed book. Overall, I did get pretty badly injured during that time…but why can't I take just a small cut into my wrist?'

'Reis, I hate to tell you the truth, but…it's not a small cut. The gash…extends right down to the bones of your hand. I saw some pure white at the base of the cut…'

A deep cut…? She classifies that as deep…?

'It's not deep, I've had worse. Like getting slashed halfway into the bone with a large sword,'

'Don't act tough, Reis…You need all the care you can get right now. Take a look at yourself, you're a mess. Tired, worn, injured. The worst combination you can have…take a rest,'

Agrias held a circular disk of polished silver in front of Reis; staring into it, the dragoner could not believe what she saw. Her once-thick, golden hair had now degraded into a disorderly tangle of whitish-yellow series of strands. There were faded lines on the contours of her blemish-free face; some pink, sunburned skin was exposed around her neck. Pushing the mirror back in distaste, Reis began to wonder…had all her beauty been given only to be squandered by years of living?

If so…there would be little point of existence…

'Let us pray to God,' Agrias said abruptly as the cuckoo clock on the wall of the workshop sounded once. Standing up, she left the house, shutting the door carefully. Reis followed her, running through the main street to meet again with Agrias. Less than halfway up the street she slowed down to a steady walk, alongside the female knight.

Entering the small, darkened hall of the church, they knelt down in front of the altar. Rays of light filtered in from the stained glass window depicting God, up high in his heavenly seat, governing all events that happened in Ivalice, while the false saint, Ajora, sat on His right, assisting Him. Staring up at the vividly-coloured glass screen, Reis began to wish that no wars had ever happened. If there were not a single war…if there were no bloodshed…no violence…we would all live in harmony, wouldn't we? Why are there wars? Are they necessary? Is violence really needed?

Noticing that people were starting to file into the church and sitting down upon the ornately-carved pews, Reis and Agrias left the church, the bishop of Goug having reached the altar as they exited the oaken double doors.

'It is a pity…how the church of Lionel had declared a holy war upon Goug. The people here are god-fearing, religious beings with souls, not animals to be hunted down,' Agrias whispered softly to herself, gazing into the endless depths of the sky.

'Yes, I know,' Reis added, leaning against a narrow window on the side of the church, 'Listen to this…they're talking about something other than religion…'

Agrias hurried over to the window, placing her ear against the glass.

'My dear brothers and sisters,' they heard the priest say, 'It is a pity that the church of Glabados has excommunicated us, forsaken our salvation. In the light of recent events, I would like to…surrender my position as a bishop of Glabados. Good day to you all, and may Ajora bless you. I will go into exile for the rest of my days, to purify my soul, and hope that God will forgive my trespasses. I suggest that you all do the same,'

'I don't believe what I'm hearing,' Agrias said hoarsely, 'A priest, surrendering his position? Encouraging people to deport themselves?'

'Neither have I. But quiet once again, there's more…'

A large, white miter slammed against the glass window where Reis and Agrias were, causing them both to take a step backward in surprise.

'Now that I have given up on this church, feel free to do with it as you please. There is no more godly mercy upon Goug, as Lionel has excommunicated us. Peace to all of you!'

The oaken doors opened once more, and an unrobed priest without a holy cap emerged from the indistinct mumblings inside the church, followed by a crowd of civilians, who returned to their homes. Agrias slumped down against the stone wall of the church, and sobbed loudly as she pounded the ground with her fists.

'Agrias, what's wrong?' Reis asked, alarmed.

'You would never understand…I've spent years with the church. Months I've served it, trained to defend it, and done other religious duties that others would never take. It's such…a shock, to see a core member of the church depart just like that. And it's all the worse that the church had excommunicated an entire town on reasons we will never know. It nearly appears to me…as a betrayal. What's happened to the faith I've held on to for my entire life? What's happened to the tolerance and peace that we were told to embrace? All that I see now is that the church had just contradicted all its basic laws, declaring war upon all the civilians of a town, child, man, woman, and all,' Agrias sobbed into her hands, tears flowing down her hands.

It must be hard…seeing something that you've once trusted throw away its ideals in place of reasoning beyond your comprehension.

'Come, let's get back to Musty's home…' Reis said, pulling the crying knight to her feet and slowly hauling her back to the workshop. Inside was Mustadio, muddy and disheveled, blood seeping down from a cut on his forehead, lying on the couch with a hand over his eyes.

'What happened to you, Mustadio?' Agrias asked him, wiping a tear out of her eye, 'You look worse for wear than ever,'

'Just some accidents in training the locals,' he answered, groaning as he stood up, 'The ground gave way in the marshes,'

'That would be nasty…here, let me help you,' Reis said, letting go of Agrias and steadying Mustadio, 'Take it easy,'

'You take it easy, Reis, you haven't had any rest over the past few days, and rest that hand; it looks awful,'

She looked down at the wound on her wrist; sure enough, it was open once again. Blood slowly trickled out of the cut, to be absorbed by the linen of her dress. Sighing, the dragoner simply mopped it up with the lining of her sleeve.

'Any other news?'

'Yes…for some reason or another, the new High Priest wishes to see you. He's called off the invasion for now, but who knows what he wants with you…maybe it's safer for you to take your weapons along, he's not allowing anyone else to come with you if you ever decide to come,'

'I will do exactly that. You know that I'm never without a weapon these days, with my…Beowulf gone,'

Mustadio led Reis silently through the system of trenches that the townsfolk had created around the hill that Goug was built on; stopping at the furthermost observation post, he pointed towards a camp in the distance. Untying a chocobo from its post, he bowed Reis goodbye.

'See you later, Reis,'

'Farewell,'

She nudged the chocobo's ribs, causing the bird to dash forward with a loud squawk. Goug became smaller and smaller as she traveled further away…until she arrived at the encampment on the far side of the plain.

'Halt! Who goes there,' a white-caped knight shouted, barring the entrance with his sword.

'A person that the High Priest requested for,' Reis said, dismounting the chocobo.

'Identify yourself,' the knight asked her, eyeing her suspiciously.

'Reis Dular, a holy dragoner. Born on year 1457 in the year of our lord Glabados,'

'You may proceed, madam. The High Priest is waiting for you within the largest tent in here,'

She trudged carefully through the worn dirt inside the encampment. Reis knew that she was alone, in possibly hostile territory. Being compliant would be the most intelligent thing to do right now. Opening the tent door, she found a number of silver-plated knights inside, caped in scarlet. Each remained still as a statue as she walked down the red-carpeted middle towards the High Priest. Not one face she could see of the knights; all had their visors down as they stood guard. Bowing down in front of the High Priest, she lifted her head and spoke in a most gracious tone that she could muster.

'What is it that your worship commands your humble servant to do?'

'Ah…Reis Dular, I take it? Welcome to my encampment, I hope that you find it most pleasing here,'

'Not at all, if I may be frank,'

Shit. Why did I have to say that?

'It is indeed rather plain to my liking. However, I have requested your appearance here for a definite reason,'

And what is that reason…?

'I do know that you—and all the people in Goug—have been branded as heretics. Outcasts of the church, if I may say so. However, I will give you and the people of Goug a chance to repent. Be my wife, and I will pardon your sins with a fraction of Ajora's grace,'

Dirty bastard. Son of a bitch. He dares ask that of me?

'Pardon me, your honor, but I am currently engaged to one Beowulf Kadmus. It is unethical for me to leave him so, even by church regulations,'

'That can be easily arranged for…he shall be ousted from your life soon…'

He's so ignorant…Beowulf's already in the afterlife…

'Enough of this talk, will you be my wife? Or shall I force you to be mine? Like this person here behind me…'

He tugged at a chain, dragging forward a woman with flowing, dark blonde hair over her bare shoulders, whip marks marring her once-beautiful face. Thin as a starved dog, the woman collapsed piteously onto the floor, breathing slowly and weakly. Smiling as he tickled her bony chin, the High Priest looked on calmly at Reis' enraged face.

'You will be my wife, if you like it or not,'

'And if I choose to resist?' Reis shouted, laying her right hand on her katana. Two knights on either side of her drew their swords, ready for battle.

'You will either be my wife—or you shall be nobody else's. You will live with me—or no record of you ever living will be in history. Choose wisely, fair one,'

Dirty bum…you're not going to get that out of me!

Reis quickly made a grabbing motion towards the knight on her left, raising him up into the air easily with magic. Throwing the mass of metal and flesh towards the knight on her right with a sweep of her hand, she drew out her katana with the other.

'Nobody forces me to do anything…not even you, High Priest. My holy origins bar me from killing you as yet, as I would do with most other people…leave me alone now or suffer the consequences,'

'Risk unforgivable sins you will if you murder me,' the High Priest hissed, pointing his staff towards a large painting of hell on his left, 'You shall face the fiery furnaces of the underworld should you decide to lay one hand upon my divine self,'

'Your divinity I question myself,' Reis mocked casually, as she cleaved three knights' heads off with a sweep of her katana.

'I have had enough of your blasphemous comments! I will show you the true power of faith!'

Raising his staff, the High Priest slammed the wooden rod into Reis' back, causing the dragoner to stumble forward slightly, albeit enraged at the cowardly attack. Slashing off the staff's head with her other katana, she sheathed them both.

'I will end your pain…without blood. I will not spill blood from a holy one,'

'Foolish child, you shall suffer the pain of my staff,' the High Priest roared, striking Reis' uncovered left fist with his rod. Unfazed, Reis struck the staff to splinters with her right hand, the fire of malice burning within her blue eyes. Grabbing the holy man by the neck, she slammed him into the tent's support post, throttling him slightly in fury.

'It seems like you're the first to go to hell this day…heretic priest,' Reis spat, jerking her knee up in between the legs of his robes. The priest curled up in pain, grasping his family jewel. Reis then grabbed his face, pulling it up to in front of her nose.

'You're the one…to go to hell…you bitch of a she-devil,'

'Say that again after this, bastard,'

She threw him to a corner of the room, into a pile of crates, which collapsed around him. Making another grasping motion, she levitated him into the air. Although she didn't physically hold him, the man grasped at thin air around his neck, trying to pull off whatever was constricting his visibly-shrinking windpipe. At last, with a shudder and a final thrash, the priest lay still in the air as Reis broke his neck with a powerful blast of magical force from her fingertips. Letting him drop to the hard ground, Reis destroyed the chains binding the starved woman with a single strike from her hand, setting her free. Smelling her long sheets of hair, Reis recognised the woman as a dragoner.

No wonder she resembled me in a way. She's a dragoner, just like me. No human would have that scent of lily-of-the-valley if they haven't sprayed on some fragrance.

'You're a dragoner. I thought the church executed all of us,'

'Apparently not, my rescuer...my mistress...my saviour...' the woman gasped, clinging on weakly to Reis' leg. Smiling kindly at the weeping woman, she hoisted the stranger onto her shoulders. Wings burst forth from the holy dragoner's back, before she took off into a flight towards away silently on her fingers of how many soldiers she killed as she flew towards Goug, she began to remember the war on Galbadia…

Those poor soldiers stood no chance against Esthar. Outnumbered, outgunned, the obsolete facing a superiorly equipped force. Is this about to be repeated? Is Goug going to face the same fate? I'm sorry, Mustadio…I have gone with my honour, instead of the salvation of your people…I must make amends later.