'You look like you're in need of a lot of care,' Reis said to the other dragoner, who simply nodded in exhaustion.

Goug loomed in the horizon, less than a mile away. Reis thought she could see Mustadio waiting for her on the same observation post. Landing gracefully and shrinking down her wings to nothing, Reis carefully walked towards the city with the other woman on her back, silencing Mustadio's questioning look with a hard stare.

Easing the woman down onto a seat in the workshop, Reis began to examine the woman's injuries. There were countless bruises; some turning purple, and others still black; her eyes were bloodshot and nearly closed in lack of energy. Removing the woman's tattered, ragged woolen dress, she saw more horrific wounds beneath. There were hundreds of scar marks; welts that could have only been dealt with a whip strewn all over the reddened skin. Mustadio could no longer bear to watch; he simply left the room in disgust at what had been done to the other dragoner. Draping a towel around the stranger's badly broken body, she removed her equally-destroyed linen skirt…to see yet more ravages upon the poor soul's form. Both her heels had been broken because of the heavy shackles that the evil High Priest had forcibly placed upon her; her legs were covered in tell-tale marks of torture: whip-welts and bruises. To add insult to injury, the woman had obviously been starved half to death.

'You've been through a lot,' Reis whispered, taking a glass and filling it with water, pushing it to the grateful dragoner, who drained the drinking vessel in one gulp, 'Tell me, what's your name?'

'My identity doesn't matter…I've lost a sister for nearly fourteen years now. I've searched all through Ivalice for her, without any shred of evidence of her death nor any sign of her alive. Still, I am grateful for your hospitality. I will leave tonight…to search again for my sister. I will find her, no matter how long it takes me, for she is the only true relative that I have…'

This…roughly corresponds with my time as a dragon…and a bit more, I guess. Does she mean me?

'Tell me, have you seen a person by the name of Reis Dular? She's my sister; please tell me if you have,'

She's standing right here, sister…I'm so glad to be able to see you again after these long years!

'There's something I'd like to tell you,' Reis started, tears flowing down her creamy cheeks as she hugged Katherine tightly in a bone-crushing embrace, 'I am your sister,'

'No wonder you looked familiar when I saw you in the tent,' she gasped, pushing Reis feebly away, labouring for breath, 'I couldn't think of any way that someone could resemble her so much. Oh, thank God that we're united once more…I couldn't stand living without you. I searched every possible location for you, day and night…and now my efforts have paid off. I…I'm content now. Please, sister, let me rest,'

'Certainly, Kat,'

Walking away from her infirm sister, Reis was immediately pulled into a side room by Mustadio.

'Is what she's said really true?' Mustadio asked Reis urgently, 'Are you really her sister?'

'Indeed, it is true. I can tell, by her scent and her hair. She's always had hair like mine, sheets of blonde…but hers had always been tinged with a tiny bit of red, so that it turns more orange than gold. In other words, she is really my sister,' Reis said, indicating the reddish-blonde overspill from Katherine's head.

'By…scent? Like a dog would identify another creature?' Mustadio queried, raising an eyebrow as he took one small step away, 'Are you certain, Reis? You look like a perfect human being to me, but not quite a hound,'

'Positive. I've always had a keen sense of smell…and everything,'

'I'll go fetch supper. The sun is nearly set, I'll get four meals ready. Agrias is returning soon, she's just been killing wild chocobos for meat,'

'I'll wash my sister, then. She's in dire need of a wash, God knows how long it has been since that evil High Priest gave her proper care…'

'Speaking of the High Priest, what did he want with you?'

Reis stared down at the floor. Killing the High Priest was obviously…not a good thing to do. Especially in front of a roomful of eyewitnesses.

'I…He demanded that I be his…concubine…or slave…sex slave, for that matter. I think he was simply trying to tame my sister before he tried that. Of course, I declined, however his advances simply caused me to reflexively take hold of my sword. His guards attacked me, and I was compelled to rid them of their lives. Then the High Priest himself attempted to beat me senseless with his staff; of course, he failed that, or I wouldn't be here. I was forced to kill him, for I had no other choice. Reason failed him, I think,'

Mustadio looked down at his feet.

Clearly this isn't a good sign…

'I'll keep this away from Agrias…she will despise you to your grave if she heard of this event. And the repercussions…I wouldn't like to think of it. Reis, you've better got a good plan to stave off both the Hokuten and the Nanten, as well as the Holy Knights of Lionel…with only three hundred gunmen and two hundred arbalests at your command, I do not think we will survive…'

Damn, those three factions are already here?

'I think I should be able to decimate them myself,' Reis declared assuringly.

'I should certainly hope so,' Mustadio muttered darkly, pulling out a kitchen knife, a chopping board, a pot, and several potatoes. Peeling them, he mumbled darkly about failing defenses and responsibilities, while Reis guided her sister to the bathroom, where she carefully helped her sit down on the wooden stool. Dragging over a tub of hot, steaming water, a smaller tub of warm water and a bar of soap, she began by splashing her sister with the warm water, causing her to sigh in relief.

'It's been nearly a month since that…bastard…of a High Priest ill-treated me,' Katherine said, crossing her arms on her lap as Reis poured some more warm water around her shoulders, 'He gave me little food and drink, and made me do piles of scribe work for him, twelve hours daily, without breaks. Oh, curse the dog to hell, those were the worst days of my life,'

Indeed it is…and it's a wonder that you've survived one month, sister Kat, that's some torture that you've had…

'At least you're safe now,' Reis assured her, nuzzling her sister's strawberry blonde hair with her nose, rubbing her nearly inexistent stomach.

She's so thin now…

'Yes, that's also true…and when I didn't have any work, or I couldn't keep up with his dictation, he would whip me and beat me with his staff…and on Sundays, he would allow his goons to do as they please with me…not to mention some rather disturbing, chaotic events that they did every now and then,'

I can imagine her pain…

Rubbing the soap liberally over her sister's bruised back, Reis began to wonder…who had really suffered more here? Had she really led the most miserable life than anyone? She'd never considered anyone else's life before…

'Relax in the bathtub, dear sister, I'll be with you in a moment,' Reis said, gently guiding her sister to the stone structure, after which she tipped in the tubful of boiling water. Warm enough to be comfortable, Katherine slid into the bath, feeling her worries go as the water lapped around her rather highlighted curves.

Reis jumped in several moments later, having taken off her clothing. Sitting next to her sister, she placed a hand on her thin arm.

'Take care of yourself, sister,' Reis said, 'I don't want to see you suffer like this,'

'I will, Reis,'

She embraced Reis with both hands, and placing her lips upon Reis' own, she kissed her passionately. Letting go a moment later, she sunk lower into the bath.

'I'm sorry if I've offended you, Reis,' she said, seeing Reis blush deep pink, 'It's just…something that we used to do when you were young,'

'It's…alright, sister,' Reis stuttered, feeling her cheeks burn with emotions. Really, she didn't mind that much…a little bit of love did go well with her, for absence makes the heart ever fonder, and this was so with Reis. She hadn't spoken to her sister for years; she hadn't even met her for years. It was like…seeing someone come out of a grave, fully alive and well.

Coming out of a grave…

If only Beowulf could do that…

Oh, I miss him so much…I wonder what he's doing now…

Rubbing her sister's back one last time, she rose out of the water; stepping out of the bathtub and wrapping herself in a towel, Reis walked out of the room, to look for a suitable dress for both her sister and herself.

I couldn't possibly give that for her again to wear, can I? She thought, holding up her sister's tattered and worn dress by one hand, opening a bin with the other. Placing the dress squarely in the middle of the rubbish, she closed the bin with a slam of finality. Striding into the room that Mustadio had prepared for her, she examined the contents of the dress closet. Inside were four dresses, all silken white; sliding her long, smooth legs into a skirt, she pulled out two dresses from the closet.

Thank goodness that this fits…

Walking slowly back to the bathtub, she met Agrias, who had returned from killing the chocobos for meat; bloodstained, with hunks of meat dangling from her shoulders, she looked extremely grotesque, even for one that Reis had often seen in a battlefield, shredding enemy troops without mercy. Reis waved to Agrias in a greeting, to be answered back by an affirmative nod. Into the bathroom the dragoner went, to give the other dress to her sister.

Wow, aren't I lucky…she fits as well, though rather snugly. All her curves show through…a little too much for her own good.

'Magnificent, Kat, you look wonderful,' Reis squealed, clapping her hands together, smiling falsely; she wanted to bring up her sister's obviously destroyed self-image.

Who wouldn't be…well, ashamed, if they were treated like a beggar and a slave for a month?

Helping her sister walk to the dining room, Reis observed that Agrias' normally tightly-braided hair had been untied to form cascading, curling locks of silvery blonde, draped around her shoulders as elegantly as a lady would in a palace. Nor was she wearing the dull grey armour that she normally wore on every occasion—a glimmering dress of black wool, studded with faceted glass shapes she wore now, having put away her bloodstained clothing from killing the chocobo. Wondering what on earth this could mean, Reis simply sat down on the nearest chair, letting her sister sit next to her.

'Reis…' Agrias said, smiling widely, 'I've decided to…'

'Marry me,' Mustadio added to her sentence, completing it. He grinned at Agrias, before continuing to ladle the chocobo and potato soup into large bowls, 'We've decided today. Agrias told me of her initial intentions to go with Ramza, but seeing as he has…well, died, she thought that I was the next closest person after him, and…decided to propose to me. Of course, who am I to decline a beautiful warrior like her?'

'Oh, you can praise me so, you pussy-cat,' Agrias giggled, setting down the bowls of soup onto their respective places

'I'm only telling the truth, Agrias, you're as beautiful as Reis is,' Mustadio concluded, sitting down on his seat.

'Really. I can't compare to the perfect woman of every male's dreams,' she laughed, before starting on her soup.

Am I really that perfect…?

'Oh, come on, you can at least compare somewhat to her,'

Am I really that superior to everybody else…?

'No I can't, she's better than me in fighting, in beauty, in intelligence, in everything. Except for maybe formal training.

That's true…I haven't had real training by any masters, but somehow I can do more than most people can…

Eating in silence, Reis continued to think about her life and what people think of her. In the past, she had been the centre of attention: a beautiful, intelligent and powerful woman, polite and refined; considered to be the greatest and most perfect of humans, before being turned into a hideous beast that everybody despised by an insane priest. She smiled.

No, indeed I wasn't perfect…If I were, I wouldn't have needed to suffer for twelve years in the silent catacombs of the colliery…

Finishing her meal first, Reis washed her dish, still pondering about her meaning in life. Was she necessary? Or was she simply a…tool, to be used by everybody else? Taking everybody else's bowls as they finished, she rinsed them all thoroughly, concentrating on the dishes as she tried to push away the thoughts clouding her mind.

'Sis…' Reis said to her sister, tossing in the bed that they were in, 'Am I really thought of as being that great…as what Mustadio and Agrias said during the meal?'

Her sister thought for a moment, lying down, facing her. Then she sighed softly, and moved closer towards Reis.

'Yes, it is true. Mother and father used to say wonderful things about you when you were studying in Lionel, and though they never said it, the merchants and virtually everybody else that has met you think so too. You are…some sort of godly human being to them, to put it simply,'

So that's what people think of me…

I'm no goddess, I'm no angel, I'm not even a holy cleric. I'm far from being holy. I'm a heretic now. An outcast. One who cannot be accepted by society. Popularity itself can be potentially its own killer, when admiration turns to envy and envy turns to hatred. That's why I preferred the less popular path…but the people still think highly of me. I appreciate it, I value it. But too much…and everything goes out of hand. Yes…just like me…I had been too popular for my own good. If I hadn't been this…perfect, I wouldn't have been cursed by Buremonda to a dragon. Sometimes being gifted is also a curse…

Snuggling up to her sister's warm body, she pushed her left leg in between her sister's legs, so that they were nearly flat together. Kissing each other softly, they slowly drifted off to sleep in each other's arms…

Darkness still cloaked the sky when Reis slowly rose out of her bed. She knew the siege on Goug will begin anytime soon.

I can feel it in the air…the wrath of God is coming…bloodshed is approaching. I must be ready…for slaughter, or to be slaughtered. The rule of the battlefield…ah, all too well I know that rule…

It's very cold this morning…and all the better. At least I won't be able to feel a thing if a blade slices into my body.

'Reis? Where are you going?' Katherine asked, seeing her sister put on her armour and taking out rather large blades from her closet, 'Don't do something dangerous, please,'

'Katherine…I know you love me, and plenty. But I must go. I must take care of what I have imposed on Goug,'

I…I couldn't bear to say my parting words. I couldn't say that I might not be coming back. I couldn't say that I may die today. It's…It's just so…terrible, telling this…to someone that has already suffered so much…

'Please, don't go, Reis,' Katherine whispered, reaching out for her sister's arm. But Reis had already left into the morning gloom.

Marching up the town's fogged streets, she strode straight to the observation post on the foremost trench, waiting for that morning sun to rise above the curved horizon. A pinkish hue began to take hold of the pitch-black sky, the darkness lifting, light filtering slowly in.

It wouldn't be long now. Either I will die today, or defend Goug successfully. I have to do one…or the other. Hmph…if I had a choice…between captivity and death…I would prefer death than living at the mercy of another person. Blood I must shed today, and many lives I must take. May God take mercy on my cursed soul…

A/N

Yes, I know, Reis still hasn't left for FFX yet…please be patient with me, I'm trying to set the act to the title.