First, there was darkness all around her, as at the beginning of all things.
And then, there was light and she beheld before her a door. It was of such height and width she could not see the end of it, but upon it was written all the names of God and the Tree Which Heals was carved upon it.
Before the door stood a creature in shape like a man but far taller. From its crown to its soles it was white and though it had no face it had a mouth.
It smiled and pointed its hand to her. "Do you know what stands before you, child?"
"I see a Door with Truth written upon it," she said.
"You have seen well," the creature said. "Do you know what I am?"
"You are the one who guards the Door."
Now the creature held up two fingers. "I shall show you two visions of what is in your land and what is to come into it.
"You shall speak of what you have seen, for in your eyes has been set the Truth and in your mouth the words in which to speak it.
"Do not fear therefore, for you are the one who sees in a land of the blind."
Then the Door disappeared and a great room swathed in shadow appeared before her. The floor was a pool of blood where seven figures wallowed and a throne was set in the center, where an eighth figure sat as if in rulership over them.
The first figure was void, a color deeper than black for there was no shade or light in it, and writhing like vast and stretching fingers. Upon it were great eyes like those of a serpent and fangs like that of a wolf. It lay upon the pool of blood, slithering, gaping and rearing, yet it could not expand past the blood but could only circle in it like smoke caught in a flask.
The second was massive and in shape like a great dog, it loomed over all the others but it's head hung so low it's heaving breath made the blood ripple. It's flesh was a foul green like that of pus and all over were welts shaped like weeping and wailing faces. When the dog opened it's mouth the sound of thousands of tormented voices expelled from it's throat.
The third had the appearance of a rotten corpse, flies and maggots writhed in the black flesh, and where there was none yellow bones protruded, hollow and disintegrated. It kept attempting to rise and stand upright but continually collapsed and disappeared underneath the blood.
The fourth looked like a man but with skin was hard and colored like onyx and it was continually raking its nails over this flesh, leaving long and deep scratches. Its mouth clapped open and shut but no sound came from it and it ran from one creature to the other, taking hold and shaking them but unable to speak.
The fifth was like a child but it moved like an animal, scurrying on all fours and charging at the others with its head down to ram them. It shrieked and howled with all the voices of wild beasts but it only sounded like a child when it would sit and grasp its head with its hands, rocking back and forth and weeping like a babe.
The sixth was a skeleton, it's bones were pure white and stripped clean, and it would stopped down to scoop up the blood in its hands and swallow mouthfuls of it, but the liquid leaked out from the gaps in its bones and so it was never filled.
The seventh was curled in the blood as if asleep but it's eyes, which were red and leaking tears of blood, never shut and it's body shuddered and shook as if insisting that it not rest.
The eighth and final figure seated upon the throne was that of a woman, fair of face and appearance. But where her heart should be was a gaping hole wherein was a raw and festering boil and from it oozed the viscous blood that the seven were submerged.
The creature with no face spoke:
"Behold, the vessels of The Seven Sins of Man, whose names are known to all in this world.
"Their mistress, the Ravenous One, is not of their kind but has leashed them in her service and causes them to gorge themselves upon their sin until it comes up out of them again.
"They tire, they grow weak, but her hand and mouth inflame and increase in strength."
Then this vision passed and standing before her eyes were three children of gold, standing on one end of a great scale. The creature with no face stretched out it's hand and put an iron block on the scale. It groaned and wailed, then the scales became even.
Then the creature raised it's hand and the form of the first golden one unraveled from around his spirit, leaving it stripped and bare. Then the creature stretched it's hand toward the second golden one and it's arm and the leg unwound.
Then the iron on the scale melted and flowed through the air to them, folding itself around the naked spirit of the first and binding itself to the shoulder and hip of the second. Then they vanished from her sight.
The creature turned its empty visage to her.
"Child, consider what you have seen. Meditate upon it on your bed and in your waking hours.
"For behold the Ravenous One is poised with its fangs parted to swallow up the land.
"Only the Golden Ones may burn out the dross and bring forth the precious metal, which shall form the sword to shut it's mouth."
/
Rose lunged forward in her bed, her eyes pinned open by panic and her arms coiling around her heaving shoulder. Her every muscle was drawn taut like a piano string, even her throat was constricted so her breaths came up shallow and left her chest feeling scorched and crushed.
Oh Leto help me, save me!
She was never sure how long these episodes took to pass over, it felt like eternities folded over infinities, but others had told her they lasted only a few moments.
But either way, her muscles slowly began to loosen, the air came seeping back into her lungs and her eyes began to regain focus.
Am I awake? Truly awake?
Her eyes frantically darted about the bedroom and settling on the open window that was across from her bed. Coated in the silvery gleam of the moon were the rooftops of Lior, relieved of the harsh desert sun and resting serenely in the coolness of the evening.
Rose took a deep, unsteady breath, feeling the crisp night air fill her lungs.
This was the fourth time that dream had come to her. Like the previous times, the sheer vividness had flung her out of her slumber, panicked and fearful.
"Why me? Why me?" she whispered, running her hands through her hair. "Why burden me with this?" She looked at the ceiling. "Why do you force this on me?"
Like the first hundred times she asked that question, Rose was greeted by a sterile silence. Of course Leto wouldn't answer; he was not one who answered to the likes of her.
She let out a long sigh, her head sagging and her hands cradling her face.
Do I tell him? She thought, again peering towards the window. He's likely asleep. He can't advise me now.
She bit her lip slightly, her fingers rubbing her temples. But then again, I cannot keep this from him. He'll find out…
She grew pale. And then...
Next thing she knew, her hands had grabbed the candle that sat by her bed, striking the match and setting it aflame. A warm, golden glow ebbed from it, illuminating the small corner of her room where her bed sat.
She rose to her feet, hushed prayers and pleads spilling from her lips as she wrapped a simple shawl around herself and started down the pitch black hallway, the light from her candle casting a sputtering glow to the path ahead.
The wood of the floorboards creaked and groaned as she rushed along, clutching her shawl tightly. As she moved, the dream replayed in her head over and over, as she desperately tried to decipher the meaning behind each image.
She reached the large wooden doorway that led to Father Cornello's room. She took a deep breath, her fingers wrapping around the knob and steadily opening the door. It swung open with a low, rumbling groan as the light from her candle followed after it, making the shadows leap forward like greedy black fingers.
On the opposite end of the room, lying in the center of the four-poster bed, was Cornello's sleeping form. Rose steeled herself, holding a hand in front of the candle's flame as she meekly made her way closer to the bed.
She came to a stop next to his bed, sinking to her knees as she reached out her hand. The low rumble of Cornello's snoring went straight through her, and she gave him a gentle prod.
"Fa-Father? Father Cornello?" she called out, and Cornello responded by merely grumbling something in his sleep and rolling to face her. She swallowed, once more giving him a prod.
"Father Cornello?" This time, she rose her voice somewhat, and Cornello stirred, his forehead scrunching as his eyes cracked open. One of his hands sleepily drifted in front of his eyes to block the candle light.
"What is it, my child?" He asked, an eyebrow arching slightly. "Has Leto spoken to you again?"
Rose took another breath as her eyes widened slightly. "I-Well, I-" she stammered, casting her eyes to the floor.
She always felt exposed when Cornello asked her that, he always seemed anticipating something from her, some reward or sacrifice she could not name. Her hands shook slightly, causing the candle to quiver too and fro precariously.
The sudden grip of Cornello's hand as it closed over hers caused Rose to tense, and she watched the candle being taken from her and placed on the nightstand without a word. Next came his fingers lightly brushing her chin, tilting her head up and forcing her to look at him directly.
"Rose, my dear child, you can tell me whatever is troubling you," Cornello said in a low, almost purring voice. "Tell me, has Leto sent you another vision?"
Rose nodded mutely.
"And tell me, what did he show you?"
Rose swallowed dryly, and began to relate the dream, fumbling awkwardly over the words as the imagery came flooding back, just as vivid and graphic as it was when she first beheld it.
"...and that was what I saw," Rose finished, taking another breath. Cornello was silent, seemingly considering her words, his expression darkening.
"Father?" she whispered, the long silence beginning to frighten her. "Father, what is wrong? Have I sinned? What did Leto say?"
Cornello held up a hand, and Rose instantly clamped her mouth shut. She watched the hand lower, and looked on as Cornello inhaled deeply. He then smiled at her warmly, or at least, it seemed to be taken as a warm smile. Something about it stuck her as oddly false, like a puppet's grin.
But Father Cornello could not be false in any way.
"My child, you have nothing to fear." His hand began to stroke hers very slowly. "I have spoken with Leto, and he has told me that this was simply a nightmare. Fear not. This time, he has no message for you."
Rose leaned forward breathlessly. "Ar-Are you sure? This wasn't a vision?"
Cornello shook his head. "No, my child, it was not. It was merely a night fright. Now..." He reached to caress her cheek and his smile grew longer and thinner, like his skin would stretch and break to reveal the teeth underneath. "Go rest in the peace that Leto brings."
Rose was silent for a moment, the vividness of the dream causing her to hesitate. It was so unlike any nightmare she had experienced before, even awake the sense of urgency, of responsibility, had not faded. It felt beyond wrong to dismiss it.
But Cornello seemed to make the decision for her, as he suddenly stood up, beckoning her to her feet and placing the candle back in her grasp.
"Goodnight, Rose. It is late." He began to walk her out of the room. "Tomorrow is service, and you need your rest. Leto cannot speak his wisdom if his vessel is tired, correct?"
"Uh-Yes Father. I apologize for waking you," she replied mechanically. Cornello shook his head.
"No need. You were frightened and sought my guidance. Like a sheep seeks her shepherd. It's just that, this time, it was nothing to worry yourself over." By this point, they were already in the hallway, with Cornello standing in the doorway behind her. "Now, my dear Rose, off to bed."
Rose opened her mouth to speak, before stopping herself. She gave a meek nod before starting down the hallway again, the candle's light having faded in the time that had passed. As she walked, she tried to calm herself by praying under her breath. However, a nagging feeling of doubt had attached itself to her, and try as she might, it would not let go.
As she rounded one of the turns in the winding maze of the halls, she came to a sudden halt, and the candle dropped from her shaking hands as the blood left her face.
Stepping out of the shadows at the opposite end of the hall, illuminated only by the refracted moonlight that poured in through a stained glass window, was a young woman dressed in a coat the bright color of fresh blood.
Her hair was shining gold like a halo about her head and her eyes gleamed a piercing blue like that of a sapphire. She steadily raised a hand and pointed a finger towards Rose.
"Tomorrow at the train station," she said in a voice that seemed to rise and fall as if it were made by a faint breeze flowing out of her mouth. "You will see me. I will not know you, you shall know me. Come to me and guide me to the heart of Leto."
Rose was numb from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes yet she found herself nodding her head in reply. The girl smiled at her and somehow it seemed to warm Rose even more than the heat of her candle had.
"I will be waiting," she said.
Rose watched as the girl took a step back, retreating back into the shadows from whence she came.
Without saying a word, Rose reached down to pick up the fallen candle. She started down the hall again, somehow all her fear replaced with a certainty that guided her back to sleep.
The first thing Winry felt was a volcanic eruption of pain tear through her leg as the blinding light from the transmutation began to fade.
"Ed! Ed!" she screamed out, her tear-filled eyes darting frantically as she tried to drag her body across the rough basement floor. She didn't make it far, sprawling forwards as she lost her balance. She let out a shriek of pain as her hand shot down to her leg. Her heart froze as her fingers touched something hot and dripping. Her eyes slid down to her leg and she felt her stomach constrict into a knot as she was greeted with the sight of the profusely bleeding stump that her leg once been.
She felt a scream well up from deep inside the pit of her stomach, but it was choked by the panic that paralysed her body. She barely able to tear her eyes away from her leg and turn her face back to where Ed had vanished.
"EDWARD!" she screamed, the tears pouring down her face and filling her mouth with bitterness.
She had to find him.
One minute he was there, standing right next to her, the next he was being dragged away...
That's when she first heard it. A bizarre, croaking groan from her left. She hesitated, feeling an primal instinct not to look. Another croak.
"E-Ed...?" Winry called out, her voice breaking but with whether hope and terror she didn't know. The croak had come from the center of the circle, an area that was cloaked in shadow. She stared into the shadows and felt her chest compress in fear.
"...Oh God…!"
/
Winry awoke with a start, the metallic groan of the train car coming to a stop ringing in her ears. Sitting across from her, taking up the entire seat and already scooping up the remains of his solitare game, was Edward.
"And that's my fifth win," Edward said with a touch of smugness as he put the deck of cards away in the bag next to him. His soulfire eyes, burning little red orbs, peered out at Winry from the inky blackness of the inside of his helmet. "Have a nice nap?"
Winry gave a yawn, rubbing her tired eyes. "Yeah." She glanced out the window towards the train station. "Are we in Loire already?"
"I think so," Edward replied, turning to look out his own window. "Do you think the rumors are true?"
Winry gave a slight shrug, her expression tentative. "There has to be something going on here, or else why would Central send us?" She stood and stretched, the metal of her automail clinking slightly as she did so. She winced slightly as a sharp pinch shot from her right shoulder.
"Ouch," she murmured, rubbing the spot where the automail met her body. Edward's eyes flickered between her arm and her face.
"You alright?" he asked. Winry flexed her shoulder again, feeling the pinching sensation fade.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Probably just the metal pinching some skin. No big deal," she answered, taking a moment to stretch and flex, waking the rest of her still somewhat sleepy body up. "How were you? Didn't get bored on the ride over?"
Edward's metal head shook. "Nah, had my cards. And the view outside was okay I suppose. How about you? You sleep well?"
Winry shrugged, trying to push the still rather vivid memories that her dream had drawn back up to the back of her mind. She stretched a few more times, before she noticed Edward, who hadn't moved while Winry was stretching. "What are you looking at?"
Edward arms immediately shot up defensively, and he shook his head. "Nothing! Nothing at all!" he replied, his voice cracking slightly in embarrassment. He then started down the train car as fast as he could, while Winry blushed, grabbing her bag and slipping on her hot pink coat as she started after Edward.
By the time Winry stepped out of the train, Edward was already standing outside, tapping his foot. Winry thanked the train attendant with a smile before stepping off smoothly, her metal leg making a heavy thump on the pavement.
"Where the heck is everybody?" Edward asked, putting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot slightly. "You'd think a town like this would at least have a guy to pick up the luggage."
Winry glanced around, suddenly realizing that asides from themselves, the train station seemed strangely empty. It was a small town-this was it's only train station-but still there was something...unnatural about the quietness. As if everything had been ordered to complete silence.
"Well, the report said the town was becoming increasingly isolationist," Winry said, fishing out her notepad, where, scribbled down in somewhat slanted handwriting, was a basic summary of the report she'd been given before leaving. "I mean, we haven't even gotten a telegraph message from these people in a month, so something has to be up."
Wonder where everybody is? She thought as she put her notepad back in her coat pocket and fished out her lion adorned pocket watch, her state issued identification as a state alchemist. She popped it upon and checked the time.
Only 9:30? Maybe everyone is still at work, She thought, clicking the watch shut and slipping it back into her pocket.
"Well, I'm gonna go ask around, see if there's anybody actually here, okay Winry?" Edward said, already turning to walk away. Winry gave a sound of acknowledgement as she made her way to a nearby bench, taking a seat.
Not like I have anywhere else to be right now. she thought, taking her bag off her shoulder and setting it down on the bench. She fished out a rather beat up looking sketch pad, and another, equally used box of pencils. She flipped the sketch pad open to a random page, taking out a pencil and setting about sketching one of the random finches that was hopping about nearby.
A few minutes into her sketching however, a shadow fell over her paper. She let out a grumble, tightening her grip on the pencil.
"Darn it, Ed, how many times do I tell you not to get into-" she grumbled, looking up at whoever was making the shadow.
She halted mid sentence when she looked up to see a woman with black hair and reddish brown bangs, looking at her with a hopeful yet questioning expression. She was dressed in a simple white dress and she looked only a few years older than Winry.
"Excuse me, are you waiting for someone?"
Winry blinked for a moment before nodding her head. "Oh yes, I am in fact," she glanced down at her sketch pad, flipping it shut and looking in the direction where Edward had gone. "Was just doodling to pass the time while my friend tries to find someone," she set the sketchpad aside and stood up, extending her good hand in greeting. "I'm Winry Rockbell."
The girl gave her a humble smile, tipping her head slightly. "I'm Rose Thomas. Wonderful to meet you." She gave Winry's hand a gentle shake.
There was a strange pause, as if the girl had not really intended to speak and now was unsure of how to continue. And she kept staring intently at Winry as if she were searching for something in her face.
Winry motioned towards the open space on the bench she was sitting on. "How about you take a seat, Rose?"
The girl hesitated slightly. "Are you sure? I don't meant to impose myself. I just came to greet someone."
"Oh no, it's no problem, I really don't mind." She patted the empty spot. "Here, have a seat."
Rose gave a smile at sat down rather tentatively. "Who's that?" she asked, peering over Winry's shoulder just as Edward let out a loud shout. "Are they with you?" Rose finished, giving Winry a quizzical look.
Winry's shoulders sagged, and she looked over her shoulder to see Edward jogging over, his armor making quite a bit of noise as he ran.
"Oh...him? Um…" Winry rubbed the back of her neck shily. "Yeah, he's with me."
"He sure is tall," Rose observed, as Edward came to a stop in front of them. Her voice had a strange, far-off tone, as if she were speaking to herself.
Edward looked down at Winry and Rose, his head shifting between the two of them before he pointed a finger at Rose.
"And who's this?" he asked, crossing his giant armored arms together.
"Well, Ed, meet Rose," Winry began, motioning towards Rose as she spoke, "And she said she was waiting to greet someone?" she continued, giving Rose a questioning look. Rose nodded, brushing a bang of hair behind her ear.
"Oh yes, I did say that, didn't I?" she gave a shy smile, before clearing her throat slightly "In all honesty, Miss Rockbell, I was told to greet you."
Winry's eyebrows rose. "Really? Greet me?" she glanced up at Edward for a second. "That's odd, I don't remember telling anybody I'd be coming."
Edward crossed his arms. "Yeah. Me neither. How'd you know we were coming, Miss Rose?"
Rose looked up at Edward, biting her lip and giving a slight nod. She sighed quietly, and began to twiddle her thumbs, her expression worrisome. "Well, Father Cornello has me greet every new group of visitors to our town."
Winry nodded slightly. "Oh, I see." She then paused. The name 'Father Cornello' felt familiar. "This Father Cornello you mentioned, he wouldn't happen to be a head of a church, would he?"
Rose's expression shifted towards one of relief. "Oh, so you've heard of him before?"
Winry nodded again. "Just a few scattered rumors, really."
Rose raised an eyebrow slightly. "What sort of rumors?"
Winry hestited. Most of the rumors she'd heard about this 'Cornello' fellow hadn't been all that positive. Most of the time, the name was mentioned with vague derision, as if he were some sort of snake oil salesman. Given that Rose had addressed the man as 'Father Cornello', and said the name with a noticeable aura of respect, Winry wondered if it was wise to say anything more.
"Mostly just that he's some sort of religious figure. Something about magical powers or something." Edward cut in, his soulfire eyes flickering towards Winry for a moment as he spoke.
"Oh, you mean his miracles?" Rose asked, before nodding her head, a smile growing on her face. "Has word of him spread that far?"
"Well, if you wanna call crazy-"
"Yes, in fact that's exactly why we came!" Winry quickly cut Edward off, giving him a brief glare before turning back to Rose. "We heard the stories, and well, curiosity got the better of us and we just had to come on over to check it out."
Rose clasped her hands together, her smile now sunny. "Oh really? You're pilgrims?"
"Well, in a way, yes." Winry answered, relaxing a little.
"Oh Father Cornello will be so happy to hear this!" Rose said, suddenly standing up from where she sat and beckoning Winry to do the same. "Please, you three have to come to the ceremony today!"
"Ceremony? What ceremony?" Edward asked, his voice laced with obvious skepticism. Rose looked back up at Edward as she replied.
"Well, we all come to the city's central square, and then Father Cornello performs miracles with the power that Leto has given him."
Winry raised an eyebrow. "What sort of miracles?"
"Well, he'll heal people, or he'll fix broken things, or create beautiful things out of thin air as if it were nothing at all." Rose answered, rubbing her arm with visible self consciousness.
Winry rubbed her chin. "That's interesting…" she began. The rumors about Cornello seemed to be true it seemed. Most of them said he could do what were apparently supernatural miracles. "Well then Rose, lead the way."
/
The crowd bustled fervently as Rose, Winry and Edward tried to press their way through the horde of people, with Winry feeling increasingly compressed and claustrophobic with each passing second. Luckily, whenever Rose would speak up, a member of the townsfolk would raise their eyebrows in surprise and step aside, allowing her, Winry and Edward through with a smile and a nod.
"I take it you have a lot of friends?" Edward asked, his voice inquisitive. Rose gave a shy shrug.
"Well...I suppose so, yes." she answered. Her tone seemed oddly distant however, as if the idea wasn't one she was entirely comfortable with. Winry opened her mouth to try to inquire, but Rose pointed her finger towards the large fountain standing a couple of yards ahead of them. "There we go, that'll be a great place for you two to watch."
The trio came to a stop in front of the fountain, with Rose clambering up to the rather wide rim of the fountain. She motioned for Winry to follow, while Edward stayed standing on the ground.
"Ed, you sure you don't want to climb up here? The view is a lot better," Winry said over her shoulder, putting her hand above her eyes to block out some of the bright sun. Edward shook his head.
"No, I can see fine from here." His tone seemed vaguely irritated, and Winry turned to see a young kid trying to clamber up on Edward's body. Edward's soulfire eyes darted up at Winry as the kid finally managed to start climbing up Edward's body.
"Don't you say a word." Edward said, pointing a finger at her just as the kid settled himself on Edward's shoulders.
Winry stifled a giggle. "Whatever you say, Ed."
She turned back towards the mammoth church building that sat in the center of the square. It rose high above the city square, the wide array of windows catching the light of the sun, sending sparkles everywhere. In what seemed to be a small courtyard in front of the building, there was a statute, which looked to be around twenty feet tall or so, of a lean, bearded man who wore some sort of crown on his head, and a large cloak over his body.
Winry couldn't exactly make out what was in the statute's outstretched hand, but it was definitely holding something. In it's other hand, the statute held a staff, which on the end had what looked to be a small sun, but from this distance, it was difficult to make out.
From what Winry could see, everything, building and statute included, seemed rather fresh and new, as it lacked the subtle wear and tear that the other buildings in town had.
"Is this all new?" she asked, glancing at Rose, who gave a slight nod.
"Yes, we finished building it about a year ago."
Winry let out a whistle. "Well, you certainly did a great job at it."
Rose nodded, before clasping her hands together. "Leto's grace was upon us."
Winry's smile faded slightly. She still didn't have a real idea about who this 'Leto' fellow was, or why Rose seemed to compulsively reference him every other sentence. It was starting to get a little bit unsettling. She shifted on her feet slightly, pondering if she should ask.
It might help clear up what's going on around here…
"I take it that statue is Leto?" she asked, motioning towards the statute. Rose glanced towards it, giving a slight nod.
"Yes, yes it is. Cornello says that it is best to have as many statutes as we can, in order to allow Leto a path to our world."
Winry nodded again, and was just about to answer when she was cut off when the crowd suddenly erupted into an explosion of cheering and clapping. She felt Rose tap her on the shoulder, and turned to see the girl pointed to the stage.
"Look! Here comes Father Cornello!"
Winry followed the direction that Rose's finger was pointing, which lead to the front of the church building. Standing in front of the statute was a rather stout, portly looking man, who wore a dark gray cloak that had a large white and gold sash.
That must be Cornello, she thought as the man raised his hands up into the air, clapping them together sharply.
Winry's eyes widened when she saw a shower of brilliant red sparks come exploding from the man's hands, and when the sparks cleared, his hands held what seemed to be a smaller, golden version of the statue he stood in front of.
"My Dearest Children of Leto!" Cornello began, his voice booming over the courtyard as he waved his hands. "We now come together to once more engage in the Celestial Joining of Consciousness and Thought on the Sacred Pavements!"
The crowd let out a loud, uniform shout of agreement, following by a wave of clapping and cheering and loud shouts of "Praise Leto and Cornello!" or some other form of praise. Winry looked around, somewhat taken aback by the sheer amount of fervor that everyone showed.
She looked at Rose, and lifted her eyebrows slightly. Rose looked positively euphoric, clapping her hands and cheering along with the rest and almost leaping into the air. It was the first time she'd seen the girl show any emotion other than quiet reservation or shyness.
Okaaaay...
Winry glanced back at Edward to see him trying to stand still as the little boy on his shoulders cheered and clapped wildly with the rest of the crowd around him.
Edward's soulfire eyes darted back up at Winry, and his hands made a brief pleading gesture towards her. Winry gave him a sympathetic look, before mouthing "Sorry".
Edward's hands fell back to his side, while his soulfire eyes kept their gaze fixed on her. Winry was pretty sure, if Edward were capable, he'd giving her quite the grimace.
Winry's head turned back to the stage as the crowd suddenly died down, and she saw Cornello motioning for the crowd to calm themselves. He cleared his throat, a growling, guttural sound not unlike an angry bear, before beginning to speak again.
"My Dearest Children of Leto, we have come together to join Consciousness and Thought. And, as Leto has commanded in the past, and shall command to do so in the future, it is my duty before you all to bring forth great miracles and acts of wonder for your very eyes this day!"
Another burst of cheering was quickly quieted by Cornello's hands, and he raised them up again. "But also, my Dearest Children of Leto, we cannot forget that time is a brief and flighty thing! For soon the roaring wave of Judgement shall sweep away the filthy and perverse world which rests outside our walls!
"But worry, my Dearest Children of Leto, for you have all come under me, and my wisdom. For Leto smiles upon me, and I smile upon you! And once that wave has swept away the filth and scum of the world, we, the Dear Children of Leto, shall rise from behind our walls and replenish the world!"
With those words, the crowd exploded into cheering again, and Winry saw Cornello begin to clap his hands together repeatedly, creating a new construct out of the thin air each time.
He lay the constructs down on the ground, where men in matching dark gray uniforms would take them before turning and tossing them into the crowd.
Wherever the constructs, which would either be small statues of Leto or stuff such as amulets or pendants, landed, the crowd would go particularly crazy, all scrambling over each other in an attempt to get their hands on whatever it was that landed in their group.
"How is he making those?" Winry asked Rose over the din.
"He says it's the Stone of Leto," Rose answered, and Winry gave Rose a questioning look.
"Stone of Leto? What does that mean?"
"Well, Leto gave the Stone to Cornello, and Cornello says that it contains a part of the very spirit force of Leto himself, so that Cornello has the power to perform miracles."
Winry gave a slight nod, looking back at Cornello, taking note of the bursts of reddish electricity that would shower from his hands whenever he performed another show of power.
"Looks a lot like alchemy to me," Edward interjected and both Winry and Rose turned around, with Rose raising an eyebrow.
"Alchemy? You mean like what those Dogs of the Military in Amestris use?" she answered, her tone becoming slightly wary, her expression shifting to concern. Winry gave a slight nod, ignoring the "Dog of the Military" part, if only because it was a term she'd heard dozens of times before.
"Well, yeah, like Amestris," Edward replied, crossing his arms. Winry was sure that, had Edward been able to form expressions, he would have a look of noticeable smugness, properly matching the readily apparent tone in his voice.
"It's just science, really, I don't know why you have to make it some weird spiritual mumbo jumbo. I mean "Sun God Leto"?" He sarcastically made quotations with his fingers.
"Gimme a break! That's all just half baked yammerings by a chubby weirdo." He continued, only to have the small boy who'd propped himself on Edward's armored shoulders give him a whack on the helmet.
"Momma says not to talk about Leto like that!" The boy said, before giving Edward's helmet another whack. "And Cornello's not a weirdo! You're a weirdo, Weird Armor Man!"
"Shut up, twerp!" Edward spat back, reaching up to grab at the kid, who merely stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry.
"Ed, cut it out," Winry interjected, giving him a glare. "Stop egging the kid on, we're in public!"
"But Winry-"
"But nothing, Ed, have some respect!"
Edward let out a huff, crossing his arms and keeping his soulfire eyes fixed on Winry. She was pretty sure he was trying to glare at her, an expression rendered ineffectual by the blank slate of his armor.
Winry looked up at the boy on Edward's shoulders, and gave him a smile. "Sorry about him. He's just grumpy like that."
The boy gave a scoff, before looking at Rose. "You're friends are weird, Rose," he then proceeded to hop off of Edward's body and back down to the ground, where he was met by a woman Winry assumed was his mother, if the finger waggling and berating about his disappearance were any indication.
Winry looked at Rose, noticing the hurt expression on her face. "You alright?"
Rose nodded, forcing a smile. "It's okay, most of the town isn't that open to outsiders."
"I wonder why," Came Edward's flat, yet audibly sarcastic response. Winry simply cast him a glare over her shoulder. Edward's soulfire eyes merely rolled, and had he had a proper face, Winry would no doubt seen a smirk on his face.
Winry shook her head in disappointment, redirecting her attention back to the stage, where Cornello seemed to be still performing a series of alchemy tricks. Winry could feel her curiosity piquing. She leaned towards Rose.
"Rose, is it okay if I talk with Cornello later?"
Rose gave her a somewhat surprised look. "Speak with Cornello? Why?"
Winry shrugged slightly. "Well, I'm just sorta curious about how he's able to create such powerful alchemy. I mean, he seems to be bypassing Equivalent Exchange…"
Rose's expression grew visibly confused. "Equivalent Exchange? What's that?"
"I can tell you that," Edward chimed in again, cutting Winry off before she had a chance to answer. He held up a gloved hand, waving his index finger like a teacher. "Equivalent Exchange is the principle foundation of alchemy: Simply put, to make something with alchemy, something of equal value must be used. You can't just make stuff out of thin air," he then pointed an accusing finger towards Cornello. "And obviously, he's somehow breaking that rule. So he's obviously using a Philosopher's Stone."
Winry sighed. "Ed, we don't know that for sure. We've been here less than two hours. Stop jumping to conclusions-"
"Oh come on, Winry!" Edward shot back, raising his hands in frustration. "How else is he doing this stuff? You can't seriously think he's really performing magic tricks."
"Now Ed, I didn't say I believed that, I just want to rule out everything before we get our hopes up," Winry countered with exasperation, shaking her head in embarrassment.
"What do you hope for?" Rose interjected. "Because, if you have questions, I can take you to Cornello, and you can gladly him whatever you wish to know."
Winry and Edward both looked at Rose, Winry's eyebrows raised slightly. "Really? He'd do that?"
Rose nodded. "Of course he would! Cornello always wishes to help answer the questions of those seeking."
Winry ignored Edward's muttered "Oh please", and instead gave Rose a smile. "Well, then, when can you set that up?"
"We can go right now," Rose answered, her voice taking on a buoyant tone. "After all, today is merely a gift giving service. Tomorrow is the main service. I'm sure he can find time. But…" She then motioned towards Edward. "I think it'll just have to be you, Winry. Cornello prefers to speak with one person at a time, and I fear your friend might, well…"
"Rub him the wrong way?" Winry responded, ignoring Edward's sounds of protest. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. Edward can be a bit…" she gave him a glance. "Incorrigible."
"I'm not incorrigible!" Edward shot back, crossing his arms bitterly. "Anyways, not like I care what this weirdo is saying…" He added, muttering the last sentence more to himself then to Winry or Rose, but Rose still obviously noticed, if her glower was any indication. Winry put a hand on Rose's shoulder.
"Ignore him. Like I said, Ed can be a jerk." She then pointed to herself. "Meanwhile, I'd very much like to speak with Father Cornello. Ed can wait outside."
Rose looked back at Winry, and gave her a nod. She then beckoned for the pair to follow her. "Come, follow me, I'll take you to him."
She then took Rose by the hand, and began to weave her through the swirling crowd of people towards the church. Winry looked over her shoulder now and again to try and keep track of Edward, who quickly fell behind as his large, metallic body didn't quite slip through the crowd as easily as the two girls did.
"Will your friend be okay?" Rose called towards Winry, noticing her constant glances.
Winry shrugged. "He can handle himself," she answered simply. "He just doesn't get along all that well with people, that's all."
"Has he always been this way?" Rose inquired, and Winry shrugged.
"I guess, yeah. But don't worry, he's really nice when you get to know him. He just likes to act all tough," she said, now feeling a little more relaxed as she saw Edward clamber up onto the fountain where Winry and Rose had been standing, trying to discourage another child from climbing him like a jungle gym.
Rose nodded slightly, but her expression still carried a level of skepticism. By now, they were considerably closer to the church steps, and there was now a clutch of eager townsfolk crowded around Cornello, who stood on the bottom steps, proactively shaking hands and greeting people with a smile so broad that Winry could have sworn it was going to split his face in half.
"Dear Father Cornello," Rose called out, waving towards Cornello, who caught sight of her and beckoned her over.
"Ah, my dearest child Rose, how are you this fine afternoon? Did the rest of your night go by without trouble?"
Winry noticed Rose's expression grow tense and the dark haired woman gave a slight nod.
"Yes, Father, I slept well," she answered meekly. Cornello nodded, before turning his gaze towards Winry, his eyebrows lowering and eyes narrowing.
"And who is this young woman?" he asked, his tone becoming skeptical.
Rose bit her lip. "This is Winry Rockbell, sir, she's a Seeker."
At the use of the word "Seeker", Cornello's skeptical, vaguely critical expression evaporated into one that Winry could only describe as overcompensating happiness.
"A Seeker? Wonderful, Rose, simply wonderful!" He then looked directly at Winry. "Tell me, young girl, what is that you seek?"
"She wanted to know how you produce miracles. She wished to speak privately," Rose began, and Cornello rubbed his chin. Rose bowed her head slightly. "Will that be alright?"
Cornello continued to rub his chin for a few more seconds before he nodded. "Bring her to my offices, and I'll speak to her there."
And with that, Cornello turned and headed up the steps, bidding the crowd farewell with a laugh and closing the church doors behind him. Rose meanwhile, took a somewhat confused Winry's hand, and beckoned for her to follow.
"Come on, I'll take you to his office!" She said excitedly, and Winry merely nodded.
I feel very confused right now, she thought, as they entered the church by a small back door.
Rose lead Winry through the cramped, labyrinthine confines of the passageway inside the church. Every so often, another person would walk by, being quick to nod and greet Rose as she passed, some even going as far as to shake Rose's hand reverently.
"So wonderful to see you, Rose!"
"Leto has truly blessed you!"
Every time someone praised her, Rose would blush slightly and respond with a muted "Thank you" and a shy smile. However, after giving Rose nothing less than adoration, those same people would shoot Winry a biting, deeply suspicious glare.
Winry tried her best to smile back as invitingly as possible, but each time she smiled, the other person's glare would intensify. After several more glares, Winry leaned towards Rose as discreetly as possible.
"You seem to be popular," she whispered, giving Rose an inquisitive look. Rose merely bit her lip with obvious embarrassment.
"Oh, I'm just a servant, like everyone else."
"Any reason why everybody is giving me those looks?" Winry spoke in a hushed tone, and Rose gave her an apologetic look.
"Most of the Church is rather wary of those from The Outside, so they're probably just suspicious. But no need to worry, as long as you're with me, you should be fine."
Winry gave a slight nod, but was still unsure. It was all rather surreal to her. She felt as she were under a spotlight, being watched by dozens of hyper critical, judgemental eyes. She slipped her automail hand into her pocket, her metal hand idly wrapping around the silver watch in her pocket, fingers gently tapping anxiously on the watch.
Meanwhile, Rose continued to lead her through the series of doorways and hallways, until, finally, they reached what seemed to be some sort of waiting room, if the array of empty benches and chairs were any indication. The furniture in question had a simplistic, almost barebones quality to it, which seemed to clash with the obvious architectural opulence of the room.
Winry looked down as the scuffing shuffle of her boots on the discreetly creaking wooden floor was muted by the richly textured carpet underneath her feet. She paused in the doorway, and she began to scan the room, noticing something on the ceiling. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight of the fresco that dominated the ceiling.
It was an ornate, finely detailed and brightly colored image of a sage, bearded man with one hand raised in a gesture of peace, the other wrapped around a tall staff. Rising behind him, colored a brilliant golden yellow, was the sun itself.
"Is this Leto?" Winry asked, looking back at Rose. Rose looked up at the ceiling and nodded.
"Yes, it is. Always there, always watching."
Winry noticed how Rose's tone grew somewhat tentative towards the end, almost fearful.
Winry could sense a subtle tension growing in the room, almost as if some unspoken rule had been broken.
"Is this a waiting room?" she asked, trying to shift the topic away from religion. Rose turned, the look of subtle paranoia lifting from her face as she nodded.
"Yes. Father Cornello prefers to speak to Seekers individually and privately, so that way he can personalize his advice. So, make yourself comfortable, and I'll go to Father Cornello and introduce you."
Winry nodded in acknowledgement, her eyes drifting to a rather luxurious looking chair that was tucked underneath another painting, also of Leto.
"I'll be right there, then," she smiled at Rose warmly, and made her way discreetly towards the chair, sinking into its surprisingly soft surface as she watched Rose nod and made her way to the oakwood door at the opposite end of the room.
"Don't worry, I don't think you'll need to wait long. Father Cornello is always eager to help guide those with questions to the right answers," Rose spoke gently, her tone once more adopting the same reverent, almost devotional tone that cropped up whenever she mentioned Cornello's name. Winry merely nodded in response.
Seemingly content with seeing Winry seated, Rose discreetly opened the oakwood door and stepped inside, it closing behind her with a muted click.
Now alone, Winry idly kicked her feet, wondering what kind of a person Cornello would actually be in person. From the brief fraction of a second she'd met him, he'd seemed amiable enough, but, for reasons Winry couldn't quite pin down, there was something inherently...off about him. Almost as if the inviting smiles and friendly handshake were masks of some kind, and ones that didn't quite fit. His smile too broad, too toothy. His eyes carrying with them a deviousness, his voice oily.
Maybe Ed's right...maybe he is just a trickster, a part of her thought as she bit her lip. She rubbed her flesh hand over her automail one, feeling the unyielding metal hidden underneath the soft fabric of her gloves ruefully.
After all...you've made mistakes before…
The sound of the door creaking open caught her attention, temporarily diverting her attention away from her thoughts. Standing in the doorway, with a large hand possessively on Rose's shoulder, was Cornello himself. His smile spread across his face, making it look like rubber stretched over concrete.
"Why hello, Miss Rockbell, how wonderful to finally meet you in person," he began, extending a hand in greeting. Winry reached out, his hand enveloping her much smaller hand entirely as he gave her another firm, pumping handshake. "Why don't we speak in my office, I'm sure you've been eager to ask me many questions," he said, motioning for her to follow him inside.
Winry stood up from the chair with mild trepidation, passing a glance to Rose. "What about Rose?" she asked, and Cornello's eyes, tiny, beady little things darted towards the young woman, whose open mouth closed before she was able to form her own answer to the question. His head shook smoothly, like a well greased socket.
"Very sorry, but I insist on speaking with anyone personally and privately. As Father of the Faith, I'm privy to many things, and I feel it would be best to keep things as private as possible. Don't you think so, Rose?" he then narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, Winry noticing as his hand seemed to press into Rose's shoulder a bit more.
Rose simply nodded, speaking an agreement under her breath as she stepped aside, Cornello's hand sliding off her shoulder smoothly. Winry cast her a sympathetic look, but Rose merely motioned for Winry to follow Cornello without saying a word.
"Miss Rockbell?" Cornello's voice pulled Winry's attention away from Rose, and she looked up to see him smiling that same oily smile again. She returned a smile as best she could, trying to keep her increasing unease under wraps. She was here to investigate. Had to keep an open mind. Couldn't be quick to judge.
You're still very creepy, she thought as she followed Cornello inside his office, but not before she gave Rose one last look, smiling back at her in what she hoped was a comforting, confident expression as the door shut.
"Here, take a seat," Cornello said, directing Winry to the stark, utilitarian chair that sat in front of the rather flashy looking wooden desk. Cornello himself had already seated himself in the high back, leather office chair, which creaked slightly as his large, bear like figure leaned back in it. Winry sat down, mentally noting the complete lack of any cushions or even a pair of arm rests.
"Now, what is it that you wish to speak to me about, dear Miss Rockbell?" Cornello asked, leaning forward in his chair and steepling his fingers.
Winry shifted in her chair, trying to find a spot that was just a tad bit more comfortable. Plus, the way Cornello was looking at her made her feel like she was being intentionally put in the spotlight. She swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat, clearing it with a slight cough as she planted her feet on the ground firmly.
Just tell the truth. The more honest you are, the better.
"Well, Father Cornello, to be quite honest, me and my friend, Edward-"
"Your friend? When might I meet with him?" Cornello's eyebrows rose noticeably as he cut her off, his curiosity obviously piqued.
Winry paused, before nodding slightly. "Uh well, he's a bit of a shy fella, so I'll have to talk to him about it." she grinned back at Cornello, hoping that the older man would simply drop the topic. Cornello gave a slight nod, his expression carrying a look of bemusement.
"I suppose that's reasonable. But tell me, my dear child, why have you come to our quiet little town?" he leaned back in the chair again, as Winry shrugged slightly.
"Well, like I said, me and Edward heard the stories."
Cornello quirked an eyebrow. "Stories? What sort of stories?"
"Oh, you know, the usual things: miracles, magical stones, healings; those sort of things really. I mean, I'm an alchemist myself, so-"
"Aren't you a tad young to be an alchemist?" Cornello asked, putting a hand to his chin.
"Well, yes, I suppose I am," Winry chuckled, more to decompress and relax than anything else.
Cornello smiled again. "Well, you must certainly be gifted if you've managed to amass a reputation."
Winry froze. "Reputation? What sort of reputation?" she asked worriedly.
"Oh, no worries, Miss Rockbell, but, suffice to say that there aren't many young alchemists by the name of 'Rockbell', and word travels far," he leaned forward again. "You simply must tell me how you managed to gain the title of State Alchemist at such a young age."
Winry's flesh hand moved to rub her metal arm. "Lots of hard work, I suppose." she replied, trying her best to keep confident despite her increasing unease.
"No doubt," Cornello answered. "So, I take it you are a seeker of knowledge? You wish to learn all you can?"
Winry nodded. "I guess, yeah. And, like I was saying, I heard the stories. I guess I just wanted to see if they were true. I mean, can't exactly blame me, can you?"
Cornello shook his head. "No, I cannot blame you my child. Alchemy is a search for the truth of the universe, is it not? It makes perfect sense that a Seeker such as yourself would be drawn to such stories, and wish to see the truth for yourself." As he spoke, he stood up suddenly, walking around the desk and putting a hand on Winry's shoulder, causing her to tense up.
"How about this, tomorrow is another service, how would you like to come and see some of Leto's gifts at work?"
Winry blinked, looking up at Cornello with trepidation. "Really? I wouldn't wish to intrude."
"Oh nonsense, Miss Rockbell, you wouldn't be intruding in the slightest. Leto is always willing to welcome Seekers into his arms. Now, come, let us find you and your friend a place to stay," Cornello beckoned for Winry to stand, and walked her over to the door, opening it to reveal Rose, who'd apparently been standing in front dutifully in front of the door the entire time.
"Dearest Rose, Miss Rockbell has agreed to accompany us to service tomorrow, and I have decided that she stay with you. Is that alright with you?"
Both Winry and Rose's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Father, I really don't mind using a hotel," Winry began, but Cornello held up his hand, shaking a finger.
"Nonsense. You are our guest, and I understand that Rose greeted you at the train station today anyways. It only makes sense that she provide you with lodging for your stay. Doesn't it, Rose?" He turned his attention back to Rose, who blinked awkwardly for a moment before stammering and nodding.
"If you wish it, Father, I will do so." she said quietly, before reaching out a hand to Winry. "Winry? Do you wish to come?"
"I-Uh-" Winry was practically shoved into Rose's hand by a nudge from Cornello, and she cast a wary glance back at him, but, in an instant, his expression had changed from authoritative back to fatherly. It was unsettling. Before Winry even really had a chance to form a proper verbal rebuttal, Cornello had retreated back into his office, the door shutting firmly. Winry turned her attention away from Cornello and back to Rose, giving her an apologetic look.
"I really don't want to intrude."
Rose shook her head, her smile refreshingly genuine, if somewhat weary. "No, it's quite alright. I really, truly don't mind. My place is...humble, but it's got a warm bed, and a roof. And, well, I suppose I wouldn't wish you to wander about the town with no place to stay when I can provide one. The least I could do."
Winry rubbed the back of her neck, blushing with embarrassment. "Well...alright then."