SUMMERY: Izumi had always been women who believed in the principal that alchemist were for the people; To help them along their sturdy path to life. When she comes upon one such alchemist who doesn't abide by these principal a burden is suddenly placed upon her. A chimera is created and abandoned with only her to care for it.
NOTES: I knooooowww. How many times am I going to rewrite this? I must have posted up four different versions! Well I'm sticking with this one so no threating! Ling is 9 in this chapter and Lanfan is 8.
Disclaimer: FMA belongs to Arakawa.
Pairings: Ed/Ling and Ed/Win in later chapters.
WOLVES CHILD
Chapter one
City Streets
Ling peered out of the carriage curiously, the sound of foreign people and words feeling his ears while scents made him practically drool. He was growing tired of waiting for his uncle to return to the carriage… He was sure it had been at least half an hour and he was hungry! He glanced around curiously and cautiously opened the door. "Young Master!"
He flinched at Lanfans voice and glanced to the top of the carriage, "Yes?" Her cheeks were nearly red with embarrassment.
"Master Shan will be furious if you wonder off!" He stayed stock still for a moment, looking as if he were weighing his options before a smile crept across his face. Drat!
"I order you to keep quiet while I get a snack Xiao-Lan!" Lanfan inwardly groaned.
"But Master Ling!"
"It's an order~" She groaned as he smirked at her knowingly.
"Yes young Master…"
He laughed lightly and turned on his hills, "Very good! Now keep watch Lanfan." The apprentice-assassin sighed and nodded dutifully. She watched as her master smoothed out the silk of his clothes and headed off.
It was getting much too late. Master Shan was indeed furious. He didn't understand how Lanfan could let Ling wonder off, orders or not. She stumbled down the streets as she looked for her Master. The sooner the less beatings or atleast Master Shan has said so.
He wasn't well known for keeping his promises. Lanfan frowned and closed her eyes, peering along, "…." There was too many people and someone inexperienced as herself had trouble separating Qi. She fingered her kunai nervously as she glanced around, concentrating. A golden flash of Qi- Yao Qi- mixed with Lings purple and blues was faint but noticeable on the street.
He had been this way not too long ago apparently… She gulped and pulled up her cowl to hide her face. She made her way through the shadows as trained though the streets were practically abandoned. There was something in the air that made her queasy. It felt as if the air was…greasy.
Lanfan jerked her head in the direction of one of the houses, the feeling and her Masters Qi emanating from there. Good..Stay calm… She ordered herself as she slipped the window open without a noise. Master will be fine… She dropped to the floor quietly as a cat.
The queasy feeling got worse and she almost chickened out. With a heave of breath she forced herself to go forward. I'll be brave for Master Ling! She bit her lip and headed for the kitchen door. The kitchen was quiet, a mouse nibbling on crumbs being the only object of attention in the room.
She smiled in relief and walked through the kitchen to a hallway door. She walked through the door, flinching as a floorboard creaked beneath her feet. She paused and stayed still but no one came. She sighed with relief and walked towards the first door of the hallway, opening it slowly and quietly. It seemed to be a dismal bedroom fitted with a cot and dresser.
She pushed the door all the way open and walked across the carpeted floors to the closet door. She opened it, half hoping half dreading to see Ling tied up in there. No gold. She frowned and glanced at the closet that had only an old moth eaten sweater residing in it. She took a deep breath and closed the door.
She was starting to feel like maybe her Master wasn't in this house. No..that's impossible…His Qi is so strong here.. She narrowed her eyes and left the bedroom, not even bothering to close the door. She toed slowly to the next door which was open and peered inside.
An empty bathroom… No one could hide in there if they wanted too. She bit her lip and stared at the last door. Nervously she moved forward and grasped the door knob. It felt cool and sleek in her sweaty palms.
She turned the knob and pulled the wooden door open. Inside was a storage closet. More like a she attached to the door. Lanfan bit her lip.
Lings Qi was radiating here but he was nowhere to be seen in the empty shed. She was so lost in thought and wander that she didn't hear the groan of the floor board she had stepped on only minutes before. "Another brat hmm…Good, I have room for two pets," a voice sneered before everything went black…
Her head felt like a sledge hammer had very well caved it in. With a small groan Lanfan forced her groggy eyes open and tried to focus them on something. The first thing she registered was the dim lights…Most likely tunnel lights or candles. The second was the smell of chalk that permeated the stale air and the feeling of cold stone against her skin.
Wait! Skin? She frowned and forced groggy eyes to look down. Sure enough her clothing was gone and even worse she was lying on a transmutation circle. Not only here but a cat.
It seemed to be drugged and in some sort of delightful dream as it purred and curled beside her. "Oh, your awake girl? You're not as fortunate as the boy then; he slept through the entire process!" Process…?
She didn't have time to wonder over what he was saying as a clap echoed off the walls of the cellar and pain ripped through her like a cold knife. The pain was unimaginable. She could feel her bones growing, compacting. Her Muscles seemed to slim and wrap more complexly around her bones and she could feel claws sipping out of her fingertips. Her wars seemed to melt into her skin and then she felt her skull start to stretch and compact like the rest of her bones; reshaping, reshaping, trying to make reason with all the extra materials.
She wished she could scream. It would have provided a little less self awareness, allowed her to focus on the sound and not the feeling of her body being twisted beyond recognition. She felt her skin part and ears reform but at the wrong place. Higher then they should be, much higher. Something pressed against her skin; pressed out.
She could barely make out whiskers through panicked eyes. Then the worse came, a searing pain along her spine and ass. She managed a whimper and writhed at the feeling of her spine pushing past the skin and blood, veins, muscle, skin, all reaching out after it. Then it was finally over. The crackle of alchemy died away and the pain deadened to a dull sensitivity.
There was a slight whistle that parted from the alchemists lips making her flinch. "You didn't come out as well as the boy but I figure you'll survive. The boy…? She couldn't even bother with remembering Ling at the moment. Her head was buzzing with what had just happened to her.
Her eyes lolled back as she could no longer take it and unconsciousness greeted her.
Izumi stretched as she headed outside. It was sunny and bright; perfect for a walk and some grocery shopping. The boys had returned the day before from Yock Island and had cleaned her pantries of all existing food. Now they were sleeping. She would allow them to rest for the day but tomorrow she would start their training.
She could see a rich looking carriage on the street once she reached the market area. An angry looking Xingnese man was rattling orders off to a dazed pair of assassins who nodded hurriedly to his orders. She shrugged lightly and continued on to the store on the other side of the carriage. "Now that girl has gone missing too! Are all of you useless!
"It's not just my head that's going to be cut if we don't fine the prince!" He hissed. Izumi blinked curiously. A prince was missing in Dublith of all places? From her experience the town was perfectly safe.
They must be so used to palace life that even this small town is hard to navigate. She snickered lightly at the thought and entered the store. She never did have any respect for pretentious fools. Still, she couldn't help but feel a gut feeling that something bad really had happened. She shrugged the thought out of her mind and started to select the groceries for that nights dinner.
It was rather late when she got home. The air had started to feel greasy just like when she had preformed human transmutation. She couldn't shake off the wrong feeling even as she set to cooking. Sig glanced at her worriedly, "Is something wrong Izumi? You've looked uncomfortable since you got home."
She glanced at him for a moment before lowering her knife to the cutting bored, "Actually dear I think something is…."
NOTE: Lanfan was transmuted with a black Bombay cat and Ling a Siberian husky. Please tell me what you think of it so far!