HomUnculuS Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Every Night Valiantly Yearned

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Parasite victum vos.

Ut turpis parum Monasteriense,

Sic letalis ut animus.

Vastatio, is has laniatus absentis,

Totus vestri sanctus pectus pectoris,

Quod no vos a tristis crusta

Of bestia odium a terribilis flamma,

Ut erumpo quod perussi totus.

Ego sentio suus morsus quoque.

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Three long, dragging weeks, Homunculus and Edward Green were held captive in that odious dark dungeon, and three long, dragging weeks, Homunculus tirelessly wracked every ounce of knowledge stored in his ancient mind for a way to escape their prison. Analysing alchemic formulae, cryptic magic, searing runes, and the myriad ambitions of their captors. In doing this, he finally managed to decipher the art within the art keeping them locked in their foul jail. He would have laughed if he were not furious with himself for bypassing such an obvious, glaring truth.

There were no magic, no alchemy, and no tricks, cast upon their cell. Not one. Metaphorically, it was the magic of the psychosis that was keeping them hostage. The belief that there was such a convoluted art to combat in order to gain their freedom, when in reality there was none, was the thing that had repelled any action on the homunculus's part. Homunculus now began to devise a strategy to quit them both of this hellhole deep inside the endless workings of his mind. He did well to hide his thoughts and emotions as all these revelations whirled around his brain. Then, applying all his will, Homunculus discovered another astounding detail.

Reviving the terrible, raging sensation within his core whenever he looked into the tormenting shadow-alchemists' eyes, the homunculus discovered they were, in fact, blind. Their eyeballs had long-since rotted away from their sockets, leaving behind holes for the source of their power to gleam clear through them.

And judging by the colour...

There was no mistake. Each alchemist carried within their rank bellies the fabled Philosopher's Stone. That would leave no question how they were able to live as long as the homunculus himself had.

But then, how had they been able to sense whenever the homunculus had tried to take its own life or escape the flask it had previously inhabited, when they were unable to see? Contemplating this, Homunculus concluded that his and their cores were linked by the same souls used to bring about their wretched existences (this detail he had hidden from Edward), and thus they could instinctively sense the presence of his own Philosopher's Stone. It was the only explanation for how the alchemists had discovered Edward and himself so quickly after their escape from the Ringmaster.

If that was the case...why did they so desire the homunculus's own Stone, when they had their own? The first alchemist had informed him of some "greater plan" and that he was a mere experiment to test its limits, or lack thereof, and forge its success. They seemed to be deliberately restraining their own powers in favour for psychological control...but why? The answers to all these troubling questions, he could only imagine—but that was something to consider after they had escaped...

Finally, inspiration struck the pale, sparsely-clothed creature, and his eyes widened with glee as he devised the ultimate plan to rid them both of their suffering in this place.

But how to communicate it to Edward without his shadowy keepers—invisible, but whose presence was pressing icily on his consciousness—perceiving his every word? Whispering would not bypass their inhuman sense of hearing, and their terrifyingly acute sense of movement meant even the bare movement of lips went undetected by their fetid senses...

Humming a little, Homunculus feigned idleness while pondering on this problem.

In moments, he had it.

Without a sound, the wily adolescent chipped off a loose piece of stone floor beneath his feet, and tossed it into Edward's—who was dozing across from him, leaning back cross-legged against the wall—lap.

The boy opened his eyes and his mouth to question him, but the homunculus silenced him with a look.

'Say, Ed,' he said, aloud. 'Would you like me to tell you the history of this country? I know it very well, and it will pass the time by.'

The homunculus's gleaming violet orbs gazed fixatedly on the flint now cupped in the boy's hands as he spoke, and flickered to the floor in a blink. His eyes were bright with excitement and a yearning for Edward to understand his design.

Suddenly, the memory of how he had brought the homunculus into its human vessel flashed into the boy's mind, and Edward nodded, beaming.

'Of course,' he said. 'I'd like that!'

A slow, warm smile spread across the pale creature's thin lips.

'Very well. Pay close attention.'

A short pause commenced as the fresh-faced homunculus gathered his thoughts into precise order, lined up and ready to reveal themselves to the boy for the cause so dear to both their hearts. Presently, he began, in a calm, casual pace that allowed Edward to fully process each word he uttered. Edward's stone flint was poised on the stone, as he waited in silence for the homunculus's recitation.

'Now then. This country was founded by a man named Geomar Edingu Thalberg—strange name, I know...don't laugh, Edward!—in 1120. It was originally a small principality named Bernkastel, after its Germanic roots, and its arms was the bear and eagles, which signified the "Courage and Kindness of the people". A few hundred years passed, and Bernkastel had made little progress in terms of territory and industry. However, this changed when a man named Albert van Mögel arrived in the main city of Grün-Odell, and outright challenged the great leader to a duel, as was per custom in those days, to decide the position of leader that Mögel believed rightfully his. Mind, I was not present during any of these events, but instead had an innate knowledge of them, as they occurred before I was created and their information stored inside the Truth from which I gained my intelligence.

'By and bye, Mögel won the duel, and so usurped power and rule over the people of Bernkastel. For the next hundred years, he and his predecessors intermingled the country's native culture with that of the English, whose country they had been born and reared in, as their ancestor had emigrated there and believed it to be superior to that of Bernkastel's Germanic heritage. As a result, hardly any trace of the ancient customs of this country remains—save its name, and several names of the cities, such as 'Tor' and 'Odell', which, as you can guess, was derived from the old capital. Under Mögel's laws, all the country's citizens were forced to, and still, speak English, and all old customs and holidays were replaced by those he had brought from elsewhere; a tyrannical and brutal destruction of a nation's traditions as I have ever known. Whether or not the old language has been restored in recent years, or at least retained and practised in secret, I do not know.

'Indeed, to say that that tyrant had not systematically ruined the lives and future of this country is an understatement. Its military conquests were great, but the country was in constant social and economic turmoil, due to the civil protests against their leader's putrid regime, and thus rapidly declined. Eventually, there was chaos. Strife decimated the streets, and the old dictator's rule seemed about to collapse. When, one day, every single living creature, human, and animal, living within the enclosing walls of the country, perished in a single day. Nothing breathed there for centuries to come, until settlers suddenly repopulated it and took power for themselves, gradually filling it up with people, until it was as if the citizens had never gone. These new leaders formed a government. No-one ever saw them in public. No one ever knew who they were. They merely existed and gave out commandments. Outside the walls, no-one knew of the goings-on within the country. It was as if Bernkastel had utterly erased all ties with the world, and thus functioned independently, blindly revering the leaders that so secretly and carelessly ruled them. I say this, because, several centuries later, Bernkastel's army was ordered to invade its eastern neighbour, Erganz. This country was already deeply suspicious of the mysterious activities of its closed-off neighbour, but this provocation was the final insult. Bernkastel's army was driven back by forces several times their size, and their country found itself overrun by Erganz soldiers, and burned to the ground.'

The black-haired homunculus paused briefly for breath, and to give time for Edward, having been frantically scribbling on the course stone floor nigh-all the while he had been talking, to keep up with his words.

After eyeing the boy with an anticipant interest, the homunculus resumed.

'Following the conquest, Erganz claimed their power over the country, captured the surviving citizens, deporting them, and encouraged their own people to immigrate to their new land, having renamed it 'Erganz-Erobern'. However, on further inspection, they found the country's former, corrupt leaders had vanished without a trace. No one knew to where they fled. It was as if the earth had swallowed them up. That is not to say that the new leaders of Erganz-Erobern cared. On the contrary, they were delighted by so little resistance. Immediately, they set about restoring and rebuilding the country from scratch, until it was barely recognisable from its former self. It was as it appears today. All was well, and under wise and sensible leadership, a thing the land and its people were so starved of, both prospered...But, that was to end abruptly, a mere hundred years prior to your birth, Edward. It did not happen as suddenly as the earlier tragic events I have mentioned, for indeed it was only a matter of time. Prior to its birth, the country's leaders had soured in their benevolence and just rule. They hoarded, scourged, pillaged the land of all its precious resources for their covetous gain, as if turned demons. Eventually, the abused citizens would not endure another day of this treatment, and rose up to rebel against their leaders. A rebellion it was in name only. The army did not share their cause, and so brutally executed any they fought and crushed any residues of aggression.

'The very next day, all those who had taken part in the uprising vanished, never to be seen again. All continued as if nothing had happened, and to this day, not a whisper has been uttered on the horrors of Erganz-Erobern's past.'

Finally, the maddening scraping sounds of flint on granite ceased, and Edward surveyed his work, carefully scrutinised by Homunculus, who peeked wryly from the corner of its bright violet eye.

The shadows stirred, disturbed by the long incessant noise that had tested their fiercely-taut senses to the uttermost limit.

Geomar Edingu Thalberg, Bernkastel, Arms, Courage, Kindness, Industry, Albert van Mögel, Grün-Odell, Information, Next, Germanic, 'Tor', 'Odell', Under, Still, English, Brutal Restored, Understatement, Turmoil, Eventually, Filling, Outside, Revering, Carelessly, Erganz, Times, Overrun, Erobern, Swallowed, Cared, Abruptly, Pillaged, Executed.

The senseless words made no trace of understanding in Edward's mind, and he panicked at the thought that all was to be wasted. After a few minutes of furiously gazing at the words he had written, Edward desperately focused on the first letter of each, as if they would procure the answer to this riddle...

He gaped as the message suddenly flashed before his eyes, intermingled and connected with his thoughts. The homunculus's eyes gleamed with triumph.

'G/E/T/B/A/C/K/I/A/M/G/O/I/N/G/T/O/U/SE/B/R/U/T/E/F/O/R/C/E/T/O/E/S/C/A/P/E.'

Edward looked up at the grinning youthful homunculus in wonderment. This creature truly was amazing. At each significant word, the speaker had moved or acted in a manner that would draw Edward's attention, such as a rubbing of the chin as if he were collecting his memory, a quick, serious glance, a grimace of teeth, a scratch of the head, a shift of its position...

Exultant, yet suppressing it with a facade of absolute serenity, the pallid homunculus lazily lifted himself to his feet, stretching until the limbs trembled in protest, wandering aimlessly across the cell floor towards the wall.

'Ahh...enough stories for today,' he yawned. 'Such things truly drain one of energy.'

Edward nodded sympathetically, biting his lip to repress a smile.

'You should rest,' he advised, carefully wiping away the evidence of their collaboration.

The homunculus regarded his young friend and smiled.

'Yes,' he agreed. 'I think I will.'

At that moment, without any further warning, Homunculus took a single step back, focusing all its weight onto the back foot, and lunged.

There was an almighty CRASH as pure granite exploded with the impact of the creature's iron fist, its entire being and bulk behind the blow.

Edward instantly leapt upon his friend's back, legs grasped securely around the elder's midsection, and thrown forwards with the force of the homunculus's inhuman speed, the wind bellowing in his ears.

A wild shriek of rage swept through the noise, and he felt the unbridled outrage of the shadow alchemists, now in pursuit. Hearing this, Homunculus increased his pace, until the world was a dizzying blend of grim shadowy elements blurred and intertwined, flurrying past them. Gripping the creature's wiry shoulders, Edward fought against the enormous pressure threatening to prise him from them, and shut his eyes against the fear and noise.

The shrieks grew louder, and Homunculus cursed under his breath, clearly on the verge of his limit. He swerved violently, and would have sent Edward tumbling if not for the firm grip it had on him. Dashing through the shadows in an unknown land, they ran for their lives.

After a while, Homunculus seemed to have extended himself far beyond his body's capabilities, advanced as it was; his pace slackened.

'Ed,' the homunculus panted, 'Brace yourself, my friend...I...I am going...to transform...'

Edward opened his mouth to question him, but at that moment jittering crimson sparks began to course down from his friend's body, twisting and darkening its body, contorting limbs, bulging larger, until he found himself bolstered up upon the back of a wild black horse, galloping furiously through the night. Grabbing its feral mane tightly, Edward pressed himself down upon the warm heaving mass of glossy black below him, ears throbbing with the din of thundering hooves, squeezing his eyes shut and praying their pursuers would give up soon.

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After an hour, the shadows had not relented their hunt. Now, even when having transformed multiple times in an attempt to acquire renewed strength—from horse, to wolf, to human, and back again—the homunculus was tiring quickly. Hot jets of heavy breath clouded Edward's sight as he opened his eyes, and sensed that every movement the creature made was fraught with effort.

He felt a rotted finger jab his neck.

Screaming, Edward snapped upwards, twisted round, and smashed his frozen fist into the wretch's face, knocking it back shrieking and reeling, colliding with its comrades who scrabbled and clawed at each other in an attempt to dislodge themselves and continue pursuit, but in vain. They were too intent on individually seeking to capture their prey than work together to free themselves.

Despite his tiredness, Homunculus uttered a breathy cackle of laughter.

Rendered speechless, Edward stared at the writhing creatures left far behind, and then at the fist which had made them so, disbelieving.

'I...I did it,' he whispered breathlessly.

'Indeed!' the homunculus agreed enthusiastically, his strained voice brimming with pride. 'You are strong, you know.'

With these foreign words of comfort, Edward beamed. He had done something of use, something he had never imagined himself capable of. Now he realised, in the rush of speed and emotion, that this power had been present within him ever since he was born.

Twisting suddenly, the homunculus swiftly turned left, then right, then left again, Edward hanging on for dear life.

'H—Homunculus!' he gasped. 'What—?'

'I need to throw them off our trail!' the horse replied, turning once again. 'Their senses will be confused by the constant movement of the Stone within me, and it will gain time to seek refuge!'

They dove through the blur of light and shadow, past gnarled hands of trees threatening to tear them apart, down a steep embankment falling hundreds of feet down; the edge of the world.

Plunging through icy sheets of wind and dust, Edward saw the darkness that encapsulated this barren place, and the jagged rocks lurching beneath them, steadily rising to impale them. But the homunculus saw them too, dug his hooves deep into the granite slope, tensed all the muscles in its powerful forelegs, and sprung with all the grace of the equine race, clearing the mass of razor boulders, and slammed safely upon the dusty white expanse stretching out before them.

Edward looked back, and saw no terrifying black shapes sweeping after them. The tangled knots of terror fell away and eased, and the boy slumped forward onto the homunculus's muscular black neck, exhausted.

The homunculus himself had now slowed to an easy canter, salvaging what little strength it retained for a final dash, if needed.

'Are you alright, Ed?' he enquired, trying to turn its large head to look back.

Edward grinned tiredly.

'Yes,' he replied, breathing out. 'Just worn out.'

'I know how you feel,' the homunculus said with sympathy. 'Rest now. We're almost there.'

Relieved and drained of energy that seemed to simply seep out of his body at that moment, Edward complied, and sank into a peaceful slumber, arms draped around his friend's neck, lying across his sloping back, smiling.

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After a while, Edward awoke from his sleep and peered, confused around him. He discovered that Homunculus had reverted to its human state; unkempt, spindly black hair swaying past his pale shoulders and down its back, sparsely clad and barefoot. The boy found was being carried on the elder's back, and that there was no sound other than the youthful creature's even footsteps on the bare white ground.

Edward shifted a little, and yawned. The homunculus was silent.

The boy realised his weight must be troubling his tired friend.

'Homunculus, you can let me down now, I can walk the rest of the way,' he told him, shifting more as to ease himself from the other's grip.

The homunculus silently relented, stopped, bent down a little, and let the boy carefully drop to the ground on his feet. The elder remained standing where he was, staring sombrely into the middle distance.

Edward gazed up at him questioningly. Looking into the homunculus's deep amethyst eyes, and for the first time truly felt that it was older than he was. Centuries older. The uncontrollable, unfathomable passage of time was aching in those eyes, speaking of thoughts and knowledge Edward could never hope to scratch the surface of.

'...Envy,' it murmured.

Edward blinked.

'What?'

'That is what I believe suits me best as a name,' the homunculus elaborated, its gaze regaining some of its consciousness.

'Why? Envy is an ugly sin!'

'Precisely,' returned the creature. 'As I am ugly [he silenced Edward's protest at this comment with a look], an equally ugly name is more than appropriate. It is a sin I feel best acquainted with, and have felt its raging jaws all my life. Raw hatred born from the lack of that which gains one happiness and self-fulfilment. That which humans so carelessly flaunt in my face while I writhe in wretchedness from being deprived of them. That is envy, and envy is me. Besides,' the homunculus added, regarding Edward's shocked expression, 'Envy is, I believe, the motivation for why our pursuers lust for the Philosopher's Stone, and destroyed themselves and others in order to achieve their disgusting goals.'

Seeing the confusion in the boy's face, the homunculus relayed all it had discovered of the demonic alchemists while in their prison. Edward gaped, aghast at the monstrosity of these beings.

'But...why would they go such lengths?' he stammered.

'Immortality,' the homunculus replied, expression darkening. 'The Stone is the elixir of life, and promises such to those who obtain it. The fools have not considered that it only offers a semblance of immortality. But these wretches, blinded by envy of the god they see as depriving them of power and ability to fully appreciate and travel the wide world in a human lifespan, so vulnerable and insignificant (in their eyes), and yearned for what they did not have, and can never have. By denying God, they seek to take from it what they see as their right: eternal life. But, as envy does, it has consumed them utterly, and now they are not even shadows of their former selves. That hatred and envy bred a thirst for power, and that thirst for power bred me. My creator, I believe, was in league with these living horrors, and that my birth was instrumental to their plans from the beginning. I am not absolutely certain, but it is plausible.'

Edward stared, stunned. He had never once fathomed such wretches as these alchemists could walk the earth, or the evil that was behind his friend's birth. It then occurred to him the absurd notion that the homunculus could have easily never have existed if not for this evil. Such goodness born from such bad intentions, such suffering from such ambitions. This paradox tore apart what Edward thought was a straightforward conclusion that the homunculus had every right to exist. If all it did in this world was suffer—was there truly any meaning to live?

He bit his lip as tears formed. To think that he was wishing his friend—who had protected him and confided and comforted him—had never existed!

A hand rested on his head, and Edward looked up at the homunculus's genial expression.

'I'm sorry, I've troubled you, haven't I? I seem to have a knack at it,' he commented, chuckling despite himself.

Edward couldn't bring himself to lie and deny it, and so nodded slightly.

'Do not think that I abhor my existence. I have a friend, I have the ability to walk on my own feet, and the means to defeat my suffering, for the first time. I have never been happier, except when I was with my father...but that was a self-deceiving happiness, false to the teeth. Now I am experiencing life, for all its wonders and atrocities.' As it said this, the homunculus spread its arms out and gaze up at the sparkling twilight as if to embrace the stars. 'I've never felt more alive.'

Edward smiled and drew closer to the elder to communicate that he felt the same way.

The homunculus grinned down at the boy, clapped him on the back, continued on ahead.

'Come—we can't loiter here, we're almost there!' he said cheerfully, movements jumping with versatility.

'Where's "there"?' Edward questioned, jogging to his side.

The homunculus, Envy, turned to the boy, its eyes gleaming with an ancient excitement., a knowing grin stretching across its pale features.

'The Gate,' he replied.

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Translation of chapter poem:

The parasite has conquered you.

That foul little monster,

So fatal to the soul.

Ravaging, it has ripped away

All your sacred innards

And left you a sad shell

Of instinct and hatred; a dreadful combustion

To erupt and consume all.

I feel its bite too.

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Review please! Wow, this was a really trying chapter! Didn't think I'd get it done—the hardest part was finding the words needed for Envy's long 'escape message' speech, and sorting out the depth of the plot ^^; Sorry for taking so long! Hope it all makes sense and ties together nicely...(Don't worry, all is not revealed just yet!)