Ok everybody, this is a very important chapter so be sure to get comfortable and keep the kids quiet as to not disturb other readers. And make sure to pick up after yourselves when you eat popcorn. Somebody did that before and I had to get Breda to clean up. Too bad he only did half the job because my dog, Huston walked in and Breda took off.
Chibi me: Then stop talking so they can read on.
Me: I was going to stop but you keep butting in. gets out flyswatter Don't make me use this and don't think I won't.
A few moments of silence past while Chanticleer organized his thoughts and how he wanted to tell the story.
"It was about six years ago, I was twelve." He began. "My brother and I never had much except for each other and our friends. Our parents provided the basics of life for us but wanted us to have more. They wanted my brother and I to know what it was like to live in a wonderful house, play with toys and such rather than spend countless hours in the sun and dirt. When we couldn't be found swimming or climbing trees Brody and I helped our father in the fields or his mill. Life was that simple, help your father or run along and play. That was the lifestyle we became used to. And since Brody and I never knew any better so we never thought what we had was considered to some folks as 'nothing'.
My parents, being adults couldn't stand the idea of their children having nothing, so my father worked himself raw to try and get as much out of the fields as a day would allow. What took the average workingman a month to do with his harvest my father made happen in two weeks, only to start growing a new crop and do it all over again. The quality he put into growing and harvesting his fields were unbelievable, but he did it all in his own strength.
With my father working his crop Brody, Mark and I played hide and seek in a small patch of woods. Brody and I were hiding and from my spot in an area of tall grass I heard footsteps coming closer. I thought I was Mark so I crouched as low as possible. Then I heard a voice say, 'What's this? Whelp hiding like a rabbit?' Next thing I knew something hit me over the head, knocking me out."
He stopped as if the memory caused him physical pain.
"Go on." Alphonse encouraged.
Chanticleer swallowed hard.
"I woke up in a stone basement. A single lantern had been lit and a silhouette of a big man stood in front of me. I struggled to sit up since both my hands and feet had been tied. After I got my bearings I realized the light glow in the room wasn't from a lantern but from burning coals in a small stone fireplace. Caged animals lined the walls; honestly I was surprised he hadn't put me in one after calling me a rabbit. Quickly my eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room but I still couldn't see the man's face.
'Best get to work' he said. 'It's a small town so if you don't survive you shouldn't be missed too badly.'
At this point it could've been figured by anyone that what he planed on doing was dangerous. He walked past me to one of the cages, that was when I noticed that I was laying on a transmutation circle. From the cage he pulled out two roosters. Their legs were tied to each other so if they didn't go in the same direction they couldn't walk. In my confusion as to what they were for the man ripped apart the back of my shirt and left the roosters at my knees. I could feel their nervous hearts beating against my legs and I couldn't tell whose was beating faster, theirs or mine.
From the other side of the room he picked up a pole that had been lying on the simmering coals. At the end was a mass of thin, twisted, red hot metal… a branding iron. The madman came to me holding the fiery hot pole, I wanted to scream but fear choked my desire to call for help. The man was strong; my resistance meant nothing to him. I doubt he could even feel me try to wriggle free when he pushed my head and neck down so my exposed back lay flat. He said something but tears and panic deafened me, even when he drove that searing metal between my shoulder blades."
The intently listening brothers couldn't do anything else but stare. They were stunned and revolted that someone could be that cruel. Then again Barry the Chopper came to mind so they could believe it but who would do something like that to a child? Too bad for them the last line in this repulsive story had not been said so the curtain could not yet fall.
"The way he talked to me after putting away the iron sounded as if it was an unforgivable crime for crying in pain and fear. You'd have thought he had a nail forced through his tongue every morning so what I was going through should be easy and painless. It seemed like a lifetime before he quit yelling at me to shut up and stop crying. I couldn't move, whatever skin the iron hadn't burned had become an open raw wound. With all the strength I had I tried to convince myself that what was going on wasn't as bad as cruel reality made it. But this sad tale only sinks deeper.
With the roosters still next to me the man activated the transmutation circle. Just when I thought my level of agony couldn't escalate any higher I had the misfortune of being proven wrong. My bones were on fire, every muscle begged for mercy and the devil himself dug his fierce nails into the burn on my back. I honestly wanted nothing better than for Death to come and take me. Even with my mouth closed I screamed for God to let me die, I wanted to hear the angels sing and to live in peace for eternity… but I didn't. I suppose I passed out because the next thing I knew the pain had ebbed and I could move. It still hurt but not enough to immobilize me. The roosters' blood had splattered over the ground but neither of the bodies could be found anywhere. Still quite oblivious to what happened or what might happen next I scratched my head in confusion. That is when I began to discover what he did to me.
It hurt, as you could tell, I wasn't expecting to find this." he slipped off his glove to reveal the clawed hand. "I had quite the surprise when a simple scratch broke skin. But the wing nut alchemist wasn't done with me yet. From behind he put a hand on my burn and ordered me to crow. I had no idea what he was talking about so I did nothing. After a few more times of being scolded I got the idea and, well, crowed in the best way a twelve-year-old could or knew how to. The man kept looking at he mark on my back and then outside through a small window in the wall, expecting something. But it never happened. Unbeknownst to him the 'crowing' so to speak had to be said in a certain way to make it work. Bringing up the sun I mean. He didn't know that, I didn't know that but it only made him angry. 'Succeeded yet failed.' I believe is what he said. He pulled me to my feet and drag me outside. From there he threatened to kill me if I didn't make myself scarce and fast. It was only when I began running did I notice the feathers. It alarmed me but not enough to make me slow down.
Back home my parents really didn't know how to cope with my condition. They didn't love me any less but they didn't know what to do. My friends were surprised but they didn't care too much. Thinking some kind of miracle doctor could somehow fix me my father worked harder to scrap out any extra money he could. You could say he worked himself to death because he did. I say that he simply collapsed under all the stress he put himself through. Not long after his death my mother joined him, she died of grief. From there everything went downhill.
Gangs came out of nowhere and caused chaos in the town. They burned houses, beat the men, raped the women, and shot at children for fun. I remember hiding in a silo with Brody and trying to keep him quiet while a woman was screaming outside. My friends and I spent days hiding in that silo. One of us would sneak out at night and try to get any scrap of food we could share. In a way, I was glad my parents were dead. I couldn't bare to watch my father stand back and watch as grenades were tossed over his field just to see how far it could be thrown.
Staying alive was a miracle in itself. I can only imagine what they would've done with me if they discovered what I'd become. After a week of enduring this torture my friends and I snuck out, we took whatever items of value were left and my fathers' money and just took off. That is why I became a state alchemist. Not only would I be able to use my talents to help others I also could help keep my friends and brother afloat. Now they live in that warehouse taking up low-paying odd jobs whenever they can and I'm here. I'm here to help the people that mean the most to me, I'm one of the only hopes they have left."
It was then the curtain had fallen.
Well ya wanted it and now ya got it. The story behind why the Dawn is a chimera. And I apologize that it is so long.
Chibi me: WHAT KIND OF AN ENDING IS THAT!
Me: Shut up. Now that you know the rest of the story how will the secret stay away from anyone else? A bad turn of events will take place in the near future so beware.
Chibi me: No, no, no NO! Don't tell them anything!
Me: (gets out flyswatter and flicks it away) It'll be back so don't get too happy. But now I will leave you in an agonizing state of suspense! Evil laugh What terrible event will take place and who will it happen to? Me no tell!