Part One
He was outside practicing his alchemy and she was behind the bushes playing hide and seek with her friends. The little albino girl, at the age of only seven, two years younger than him, watched him draw a strange circle in the dirt then saw a flash of light. When the light faded there was a little metal bird sitting in the centre of the circle.
Teaghan's pale green eyes were wide as she jumped out of the bush. "Woah, Solf! That was so cool!" She ran up to him and pulled on his sleeve. "Teach me! Teach me!"
"Alchemy isn't for little girls like you." He said looking down at her.
She stomped her foot. "Damn it, I'm not little." She noticed the few inches difference in their height. "Uh, ok fine. I'm shorter than you but...that doesn't matter! Please teach me! I wanna learn!"
He slapped his hand to his face and sighed. He liked this little girl but he was always so nervous around her. He would always put up a wall so he came off as mean and snarky when he really wanted to be kind and caring. Seeing this as a chance to make up for everything and to get to know her better, he agreed. "Alright, fine, I'll teach you. To be honest, I'm just learning myself."
"Really?!" She looked up as he nodded once. "Yay!"
He threw a book at her. "You need to read first. Come on, let's go. I have more for you." He said then thought to himself, Damn it I did it again. I've got to stop!.
They were walking up to his house when a voice came from the woods next to them. "Teaghan! Hey, guys, I found her."
"Oh, go away, Kina, I'm not playing anymore. I'm busy." Teaghan snapped at her friend as she grabbed Solf's arm. Kina looked shocked and disappeared into the wood returning to her game.
They walked in the door and back to a large office with bookshelves lining the walls. There were two large windows on the back wall and the sun shone through them. The rays fell across Kimblee's face as climbed the ladder, pulled down books, and threw them at her. She blushed realising how much she enjoyed being around him. She had always liked him but just never knew how to express it. Teaghan was always shy because of how different she was.
"Just...promise me that you'll be careful with these. They're my father's books. He doesn't know I come in here and read. He didn't want me to learn alchemy. Says it's 'Too dangerous' but I don't see how."
"I...I promise." Teaghan smiled and held four books in her arms. "But this is a lot to read."
He climbed down off the ladder and crossed his arms with an eyebrow raised. "Do you wanna learn or not?"
"Ah, uh, yes, I do!" She dropped the books, saluted him, then jumped as the books hit the floor. She bent over and picked them up. "I'm sorry."
He laughed. "Go home and read those. This time next week we start training. Now, go." She nodded once and ran home with the old books in her arms.
As she read, multiple phrases ran through her mind. "Equivalent exchange." "All is one and one is all." "Truth." It all confused her at first but once she was done she understood. She was ready.
She ran up to Kimblee after classes a few days later. "I finished reading!"
"It's only been three days. How did you sleep?" He looked concerned.
"I didn't. Well, I did but it was in class." She giggled.
He sighed. "Alright, go home and put your stuff away. Bring a notebook. You'll need it."
She ran home right away, told her mum that she was going to be with a friend, and ran right over to his house. They trained every other day with sparring matches in between for a long time. As they grew up, they grew closer.
Now, Teaghan at 14 and Solf at 16, they walked home from school. On the way home they heard screaming coming from the part of Rayerk where they lived. They ran to the top of the hill and saw people running toward them. "Mum." She heard him whisper then saw him drop his things and run.
"Solf, wait!" Teaghan dropped her things and ran after him. "Damn it, will you wait?!" It was as if he didn't hear her. He just kept running.
She followed all the way past her house as she heard her mother scream her name. Teaghan ignored her and kept running. They ran across a small stream and ended up at the Kimblees' house.
He ducked behind a tree and once she caught up he grabbed her and pulled her in covering her mouth. "Quiet, or they'll find us." He let her go and knelt to the ground drawing a circle in the dirt by the tree.
She saw soldiers standing outside the house. "Damn it, what the hell is going on?!" She whispered.
"Quiet means don't talk, got it?" He snapped at her. She sat there with her arms crossed and lips pursed. "Stay here." He said grabbing her hands. "If something goes wrong and I don't come back use this transmutation circle. Can you do that?"
Teaghan nodded. "Be safe, ok?"
He took something out of his pocket and placed it in her open hands. "Hold onto this for me." He hugged her and turned around. "I'll be back." He ran out from behind the tree and yelled for his mother. He was acting like a child, scared to death.
She looked in her hand and there was a silver necklace with a small bird on it. She put it around her neck and touched it gently. She would never take it off from then on. He had made it and that meant everything to her.
As soon as the soldiers from Aerugo noticed him, he stopped running and slammed his hands on the ground. The ground came up and launched the soldiers across the field then he took his chance to run into the house. As he ran in, he kept quiet and checking around every corner before he turning.
When he checked the corner going to the sitting room he saw his mother and father on their knees, tied up. A man was standing over them and his parents were pleading for their lives. When the man had heard enough he took off his gloves and grabbed each of them in his hands. There was a flash of light and a loud crack. When the light dimmed he didn't see his parents. He saw a room spattered in blood with a murderer standing there, smiling.
Tears rolled down his face and he ran out of the house. Outside there were the soldiers that he had launched into the field. They grabbed him and he tried to get away, kicking and thrashing. Teaghan saw from behind the tree and took the pen she had out of her school bag and drew the transmutation circle from the dirt on her hand.
She ran out in front of them and yelled, "Leave him alone you bastards!" She thrust her hand to the ground and in moments the soldiers were wrapped in metal bars that came up from the ground beneath their feet. "Run!" She yelled, taking his hand. They ran and hid in Teaghan's house while the arriving soldiers fought for their town
Back at the house, they sat on the couch and Kimblee shook. "What did you see? What happened?" Teaghan asked concernedly.
He shook his head and said, "They're gone. He killed them."
"Who killed who? You have to elaborate." She put her hand on his forearm tenderly.
He pulled away. "That soldier from Aurego killed my parents. They're gone. He blew them up...with alchemy. I saw him do it."
Teaghan clapped a hand to her mouth with a gasp. "No. They-they couldn't have."
He turned back to her with tears in his eyes. "I will get revenge for this. I won't let them die in vain. I'm gonna get better. Get stronger. I'll hunt that bastard down do what he did to them, to him." He grabbed her hands. "Help me. Help me train. Keep me working."
"Solf, no. What good could come from revenge?"
"My satisfaction. The knowledge that I blew that bastard up like the way he did my family. The only people I've ever loved."
"I'll help you train but I won't help you hunt them down and kill them. I don't want blood on my hands." She pulled her hands away and stood up. She walked over to the window looking out at the mountains.
Kimblee walked over and stood beside her. "Thank you, Teaghan. I can't do this without you." He turned her around and hugged her. "Thank you."
She could feel the shoulder of her dress grow wet with his tears and feel him shake with sadness. She hugged him back and rested her face in his shoulder. With his arms around her she could feel his strength. It was comforting and even though many years had passed he was still a head taller than her. Of course, Teaghan never minded because when she was with him, nothing else mattered. She felt safe.