Eragon POV:
It was the third week that Eragon had arrived to Ellsemera. he was making his way to the training grounds when he saw a flash of blue light in the sky. From the light fell to small figures.
Saphira!, Eragon called out with his mind.
A giant Sapphire blue dragon immediately came, landing right next to Eragon, What is wrong little one?
"Up there, we need to find out what they are." Eragon informed her while he climbed on her back.
Saphira spread her wings and took to sky. They got close enough to the figures to see that they were two boys. They banked in closer to catch the boys. Going at the same speed of their descend, Eragon reached out to pull them on his lap.
Take us back down, Eragon asked Saphira.
Slowly they descended over the training grounds, forcing some of the elves there to stop their training.
Arya came running towards them, "Eragon what happened? I cam as soon as I saw the bright light."
She saw the boys in his lap and quickly helped him get them down. What looked like the younger of the two had only a red coat to cover his nudity. The other boy wore strange black clothing that Eragon had never seen before.
"We should take them to the castle, we wouldn't want to raise a commotion." Arya picked up the fragile looking boy whilst Eragon slung the older boy on his back. When the boy's right arm hit Eragon, it felt like someone had thrown a rock at him or slapped him with the side of a blade. It was hard as rock and heavy as well. His left leg seemed the same.
When they arrived, the Queen ordered for the boys to be guarded until they awoke. Eragon watched as they took them to a separate room.
The boys didn't wake up till two days after. During those two days, Eragon constantly thought about the boy's rock like arm and leg. He wondered if the boy had a cure of some sort. When he found out that they had awaken, he ran out as fast as his legs would allow. Being Eragon, he had so many questions for them.
When he arrived, he was informed that the boys were being questioned by the Queen. Eragon waited anxiously ouside. Saphira joined him shortly after an hour of waiting.
How long is this going to take? Eragon asked Saphira impatiently, I have so many questions to ask! If I don't ask them now, I am sure to forget!
In time being, Eragon. You will have your questions answered.
But having to wait like this is making me all fidgety! If I at least had Orik to talk to, then I'd be OK, Eragon pouted.
Listen to yourself, Eragon, you sound like a hatchling again, Saphira laughed, or at least what sounded like a laugh.
After a few more hours of waiting, Eragon was finally allowed to enter. The he realized something as he made his way down the hall.
Hey wait a minute! I'm a dragon rider, I have as much right to talk to them as the queen, and not only that I was the one who found them, Eragon fumed and sped up his walk. He burst through the doors and went where Arya was.
"Where are they?" he asked, rather irritated.
Arya cracked a smile, "I will guess that you just realized that you should have been part of the questioning? Don't worry, it was nothing important. My mother was just interrogating them. They right through that door."
Eragon quickly made his way, embarrassed. the boys were freshly washed and had new clothes that were familiar to Eragon rather than the strange foreign ones that they had come in with. They were sitting at a table opposite from the door, talking rather excitedly yet troubled at the same time. Like a mix of emotions were flooding them.
"E-Excuse me," Eragon cleared his throat, "Hello, I'm Eragon. I'm the one who rescued you two. In case they didn't mention that"
The older, blond boy with the stone like arm and leg stood up and walked over to him, "Yes, they mentioned a dragon rider. I would assume it's you?"
Eragon nodded, "Aye. Both Saphira and I are glad that both of you are alive and faring well."
"I am in your debt, and we thank you so very much," the boy extended his hand to Eragon, "I'm Edward Elric and that is my younger brother, Alphonse."
Eragon noticed that Edward was wearing gloves, but when he shook his hand he still felt the solid stone like hand. Out of intense curiosity, Eragon pushed up Edward's sleeve to reveal not a stone arm but a metal arm. He stared at it with awe and started to analyze every little detail.
Finally snapping out of his trance, he apologized, "I'm sorry for doing that, it was horribly rude of me. But I was extremely curious. How does it work? Are you cursed?"
Edward, startled at first by Eragon's sudden action, laughed, "Don't worry, you wouldn't be the first. I'll admit, it even fascinates me on how it works. I don't actually know myself. And no, this is not a curse but I do seem to have a knack for luring bad luck."
Alphonse came to Eragon and shook his hand as well. The younger brother had light brown hair and was skinnier than the older brother, as if he hadn't exercised or eaten for a very long time. Both brothers had long hair. Eragon began to wonder if he should let his own grown out like theirs.
Don't even think about it, Saphira growled from outside, Now why don't you come outside so they can introduce themselves to me?
"Oh, I almost forgot," Eragon chuckled, "I would like you two to meet my dragon." He beckoned them to follow.
When they reached the courtyard, Edward and Alphonse gawked in awe at the huge blue dragon standing in front of them.
"That's amazing!" Alphonse exclaimed, "I though dragons didn't exist!"
"Saphira, this is Edward, the one whose limbs I told you about, and this is his younger brother, Alphonse." Eragon turned to them, "Edward, Alphonse, this is Saphira, my dragon."
Edward neared Saphira then stopped, "May I?" he asked Saphira.
Saphira nodded and Edward walked closer. He traced her scales. He took off his left glove and ran his hand over her wing, "The membrane is thin but obviously strong enough to keep her in the air."
He backed up to where Alphonse stood, "It's nice to meet you Saphira."
Now that he inspected me, I want to see his arm at least, Saphira said curiously to Eragon.
Eragon laughed, "Saphira wishes to see your arm in exchange for allowing you to inspect her."
"Of course, equivalent exchange." Ed unbuttoned his shirt and pulled out his right arm. The metal went up to his shoulder and over part of his peck.
"Not the prettiest sight you've seen, but that's what happens when you step too close to God"
Saphira sniffed Edward's arm and tapped Edward's and Alphonse's forehead.
"She wishes you both good health," Eragon said to them.
"Can I speak to Arya? She was going to help me with my condition." Alphonse asked Eragon.
"Condition?"
"You see, we tried bringing our mother back to life using alchemy. I lost my left leg and my brother lost his entire body. I gave up my right arm in exchange for my brother's soul, which I attached to a metal suit of armor. After that happened, I received an automail arm and leg from grandma Pinako and Winry. We've been trying to regain our original forms since then. While everything was happening, Al's body was trapped in between my soul and the gate. I was the link that kept Al's body alive. As you can tell, Al's body isn't in the best condition and Arya offered to check and better this issue."
Saphira, think you can contact Arya?, Eragon asked, Tell her to meet us at the end of the market place, if you please.
The market place was unusually packed with elves that day. While they waited for Saphira's response, Eragon allowed the brothers to look around. They were stopped for questions often, but Edward and Alphonse were more than happy to answer all their curious quarries. While there, Eragon took it upon himself to get the boys a gift. He bought Alphonse a flute to practice on and a staff for Edward.
We have arrived, Saphira answered.
OK, we'll be there shortly, Eragon responded.
They could see Arya in the distance when they started down the main street.
"If you'll follow me, please," Arya said once they reached her, 'Oh, and Eragon, your training begins tomorrow. Don't over exert yourself today."
Eragon nodded, "Of course."
They went behind the great tree where they found a small shack. Arya ushered them in. Once they were in, Arya set wards to evade eaves dropping.
She beckoned Alphonse to join her in the center of the room and held his hands. "You might feel a little uncomfortable during my analysis," she warned.
A faint blue glow engulfed Alphonse and a faint green glow came from Arya. She murmured a long verse in the ancient language that was hard for Eragon to understand. She kept like this for about half an hour until she finally stop.
"It's remarkable on how you survived. Your body is lacking the nutrients of an everyday meal. Hopefully with the spell I put on you your body will slowly start to get better. I'll have to do this every other day until you can make without it," Arya told Alphonse, "Now, about you two, I sense a great potential from you both. What do you know? What's your trade?"
"Brother, do you think she means...," Alphonse started.
Edward nodded then turned to Arya, "We're alchemists."
"Alchemists?" Arya wondered in confusion, "What is that?"
"I'll show you. Do you have chalk by any chance?"
Edward handed the chalk given to him to Alphonse. While Edward got some of the spare materials that were left in the shack, Alphonse was drawing a complex circle with weird shaped runes that resembled the ancient language in a way. Once He completed the circle and Edward had put the materials in the center, Alphonse clapped his hands and touched the circle. The circle glowed blue and exploded into a cloud of smoke. Taken by surprise, Eragon casted a spell of defense over him and everyone else. When the smoke was half dispersed, he looked back and noticed that Al wasn't fazed by the slightest bit, neither was Edward. The clump of materials they had used were now a very finely detailed rocking horse.
Before Eragon or Arya could react, Edward clap his hands from where was standing and said, "My turn now!"
This time it wasn't the circle that glowed, but the rocking horse itself. Once the horse finished reshaping and the light had faded, there now stood a small rocking chair big enough for a child. The design was...interesting?
"How did you...?" Both Eragon and Arya started.
"You didn't even say a spell...," Eragon finished.
Arya slumped on the nearest seat and held her head. She seemed hard at work trying to process what happened, comprehending the possibilities.
"What is it that you just did?" asked Arya, confused.
"Alchemy," answered Alphonse," We're alchemists. Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange."
Equivalent exchange, Eragon thought, Edward mentioned that earlier...
"With alchemy, you can change objects to different things of equal mass or repair them," Edward further explained,"For example, you could change coal into gold because of the minerals and compound it's made up of. But of course it is illegal to do that."
To show what he meant, Edward clapped his hands and reverted the rocking chair back to the original materials they had used.
"How come you brother had to use the circle when he...um," Arya struggled to find the word to describe their use of alchemy.
"Transmuted," Alphonse suggested.
"Right, and you simply clapped your hands?"
"Honestly, I'm surprised it even worked on this side of the door. But to answer your question, I saw the 'truth'," Edward smiled sheepishly.
"The door?" Eragon asked.
"The truth?" Arya asked as well.
Edward thought over how to explain. Sadly he shrugged his shoulders, " It's really hard to explain. Especially to those who have no knowledge of alchemy and ."
"Well, it's getting late. We should head back to our sleeping quarters," Arya suggested.
With that, they bade good night to Arya and headed their way to their rooms. Eragon walked the brothers to their room and then to his. He found food already on his table.
"Ugh, again with the fruit and no meat!" complained Eragon.
Good night Saphira, Eragon thought after he finished his meal and crawled into bed.
Good night, little one.
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
*sigh* the next chapter is going to be longer, I promise. Unless you want them to be short.
Welp, I have nothing much to say, I can only hope more people will see this and give it a wirr!
Till then, never eat yellow snow. Tata~
-The Curious Dreamer