"You needed the creature still didn't you?" the woman asked. Her voice was soft despite the situation. With her free hand she pulled her hood from her head, revealing pale, beautiful woman. Full lips, thin dark eyebrows, and long wavy black hair.
Trovius was the first to snap out of the shock. He placed his hands on the array and filled the woods with blue alchemic light. A cage of rock formed around the immobilized being. The woman retracted her blades and they returned to slender gloved fingers. The monster struggled, and the group could only observe it in silence.
The blade handed woman kneeled down to be eye level with the child. "Abby, are you ok?" she asked the trembling girl. She pulled the small hood off the child. The two were a stark contrast to each other. The girl had dark brown skin and thin dark hair pulled up in braids. The girl seemed around ten, and was still too scared to do much else but nod.
"So…thanks for the help." Bounty ventured, grabbing the woman's attention.
"You kept that thing away from Addy until I arrived. I should be thanking you." She said, though made no move to approach them.
Trovius stood from the ground, making his way over to Cyrus and Bounty. His attention was on the woman. "If I may," Trovius began. "You are a homunculus are you not?" he asked her.
The question made her stiffen. "They are to, right?" Her tone was almost accusing, motioning towards Bounty and Cyrus. It was obvious. She had seen Cyrus shifting his hands into weapons and Bounty still had his shield covering his arms.
"Nice to meet ya." Bounty said with a smile, his shield retracting. "The name's Bounty. This is my dear friend Cyrus," He introduced, earning a glare from Cyrus. "And this is Trovius, our alchemist."
"I'm Lorelei." She offered with a cautious smile. She approached the group, the young girl clinging to her waist as they walked. Lorelei was tall with a curvy figure. As she got closer Cyrus saw Lorelei's eyes were the same purple as his and Bounty's. She stopped as the caged creature continued to struggle. "So what exactly is this thing?" she asked no one inparticular.
Bounty clicked his tongue. "Well…we were under the impression this thing was a homunculus that escaped the military. That is apparently not the case."
Lorelei's gaze became far away. "That's why there are so many military men around town. They've been in a panic." The creature hissed, reaching its bony arms through the bars in an attempt to grab one of them.
"I wonder," Trovius said. His eyes narrowed in thought. "If this isn't one of those undying soldiers Rodger heard about." All eyes were on Trovius for an explanation. "Roger told me of them. Towards the end of the old regime, the military used its supply of Philosopher's Stones to create living dolls as an unstoppable army. They were uncontrollable, and they were all destroyed by the members of the Coup d'etat. Because of the secrecy, it was all here say." Trovius paused to stroke the stubble on his chin. "I would think they would keep one or two…for study. Though I can't imagen how they could allow it to escape. It must have been a serious lapse in judgment."
Cyrus raised an eyebrow at the comment. "So if we can't kill it what do we do?" he said, crossing his arms as he observed the doll soldier struggle. He got his answer by the sudden sounds of barking dogs and approaching engines. A multitude of lights began to cut through the darkness. It would seem the military was coming to try and make up for their mistake.
"Well, they let it go; mine as well let them deal with it." Bounty said before the group made a break for the trees. Lorelei scooped Abby up into her arms and Cyrus grabbed Trovius. The five dashed away before they were spotted.
"Follow me." Lorelei called to them. Bounty and Cyrus exchanged a glance but followed her nonetheless. The trees thinned and they arrived at the outskirts of the small town. They didn't stop running, but they did slow their inhuman pace so not to draw attention from the few people still out. Down the cobble stone roads and past the dark buildings Lorelei led them. She stopped at a brick townhouse in the middle of town. They followed her up the short staircase and she finally put the child down to unlock the door. Once inside they let out a collective sigh.
The small, cozy parlor they stood in was dim, but still bright enough to make out even more of Lorelei. Her skin was the same light pale as Cyrus' and Bounty's. She had red nodes running from the backs of her wrists to her upper arms.
Trovius gasped, making Cyrus turn, ready for a fight. His heart went in his throat when he saw the blue uniform hanging on the living room wall. Military metals decorated the coffee table. A silver State Alchemist pocket watch hung in a glass box on the wall.
"He's retired. And he knows about me." Lorelei assured them both, and then turned her full attention to the small girl. "Abby what were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Lorelei hissed at the young girl, once again down at eye level with her. Abby jumped at the sudden scolding, her green eyes beginning to pool with tears.
"I-I heard there was someone like you, and-I wanted to-" the girl tried to explain. "When you left I wanted to come with you."
"And what would you have done if these people or I hadn't gotten to you?" Lorelei demanded. Now Abby whimpered, finally collapsing into Lorelei's arms and sobbing into her hair.
Lorelei sighed and wrapped her arms around the girl. "Never scare me like that again." Lorelei made her promise. Soon her focus fell back on her guests. "Thanks again, for the help." She told them.
"We responded to word of an undying creature as well." Cyrus said. "We thought it would be a homunculus."
This made Lorelei smile wryly. "Then I guess its fate we were all drawn into the same place. I have been searching for answers, but I didn't expect to be lucky enough to find you." She said.
"Lorelei, Abby, is that you?" The voice of a man from the upstairs called. To their right was the source, traveling with a cane down the thin staircase was a human man. He looked related to Abby, as they shared the same skin tone and facial features. Cyrus soon took note of his cloudy whitish eyes, which left only a dim outline of his once green irises. The blind man reached the bottom of the stairs, seeming to sense the tension.
"I'm sorry Ben," Lorelei said. "Abby is with me, she followed me when I went out." She growled, the little girl shrinking.
"Abby," The man named Ben sighed in a disappointed tone. "Are you both ok?" He asked, his annoyance turning to concern.
"Yes, thanks to these men I met in the woods," She explained. Ben raised his head after learning there were others in the house. Cyrus saw the faded scars surrounding his eyes. His thoughts turned to Florica's uncle Camlo and his auto mail leg. Retired military, dusty metals of valor. He figured it had something to do with the Ishvalan war.
"Thank you." Ben said.
Trovius shook his hand when Ben reached out in their direction. "Trovius. The least I could do for a fellow alchemist." He introduced.
"They also know about me." Lorelei explained. "The other two are Homunculi as well."
Ben's mouth hung agape, his face turning to her voice. "The two from your vision?" He asked with excitement.
"That's why I wanted to help!" Abby began to protest.
"Bed!" Ben and Lorelei ordered at the same time. The child rushed up the stairs with her head down.
Cyrus wasted no time questioning the statement. "Did your vision have a girl in it?"
"In a doorway of light." Lorelei confirmed.
Cyrus smiled. He had found his last sibling.
"Let's sit." Ben offered. Lorelei sat next to him on the love seat next to the military uniform. Trovius and Cyrus were across from them at the other long couch the coffee table between them. Bounty remained leaning against the wall, studying the silver pocket watch. "Can I get anyone anything? How about you Trovius? We humans are needier then this group."
"Water would be much appreciated." Trovius said sheepishly.
Lorelei leaned back in her seat. "I'm amazed I found you. I woke up almost two years ago outside this town with no memory other than the one with the girl and you two in shadow. Ben's daughter found me in a transmutation circle, and he was able to identify what I was. I was lucky it was him…who knows what would have happened if active military found me first."
"Very lucky." Trovius added.
"My story is almost identical." Cyrus added, motioning to Trovius. "Trovius and a group of Gypsies found me. Do you still have the Transmutation circle you were found in? Trovius thinks he can find our creator if he has all three."
Lorelei's eyes widened. "A-are you serious?"
Trovius blushed a bit, accepting the water glass from Ben who looked just as amazed. "Not me alone. My mentor Roger, ex-military as well, is very knowledgeable on the topic. But yes. With all three of your arrays we can trace the location of where you were sent from."
Lorelei jumped up from her seat. "I have the paper here somewhere. Let me get it." She said, rushing from the room.
"I'm afraid I won't be much help in finding it." Ben snickered. He waved a hand in front of his face and shrugged.
"If I may…" Trovius began. "Was it the war?"
"Yes sir. I was a State Alchemist on the front lines though I wasn't there for long. Two weeks into the campaign a makeshift bomb went off three feet from me. I'm only alive today because I transmuted a wall to shield me and my unit. Though shrapnel still snuck through the top before the wall was complete. Since then I have been submitting research papers to supplement the military pension.
I thought the excitement was behind me after I retired, but then I met Lorelei. She's a spitfire. My wife had left me and the girls, and then Abby stumbled across Lorelei in the woods. I was amazed. I never thought someone could create a being like her."
Bounty snickered. "Would you say she is taken then?"
Cyrus glared at Bounty, shaking his head in disgust.
Ben blushed. "I guess you could say that. We have been close, though I don't want to get in her way. She is driven to find answers. Though the girls love her. She's stronger then I am most days."
"Damnit!" Lorelei cursed from down the hall.
"She may need help." Ben said.
Cyrus didn't have to be told twice. He let himself into the quiet house. He grimaced as he heard Bounty followed behind. "A match made in heaven eh? You find any lucky humans to glob onto?"
"Shut up please." Cyrus growled.
Lorelei was in a small study, her back to the two. She sifted through papers on the desk, pushing a painting easel out of the way to reach the bookshelf. Cyrus stopped in the threshold to scan the room. Portraits of different sizes littered the room. Every ounce of available wall space had hanging canvases. Canvases also leaned against the crown molding along the floor.
He recognized some. The light door with the Cretan girl's silhouette in the middle. The glow of a white stone.
Black eyes glaring through a barrage of fire.
Cyrus' back hit the door frame in his attempt to back away. He bumped into Bounty, who yelped in surprise. He fell against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut. Forcing his breath to calm he waited for the vision of the tunnels the pass.
"You recognize that military man?" Lorelei's voice pulled him out of the flash back. Cyrus opened his eyes to see she was kneeling down in front of him, her eyes curious. Bounty was behind them both, desperately confused. "The man in the painting, with the fire." She clarified.
Cyrus managed a nod. "How do you know him?"
Lorelei's lips pursed. "Because I used to see him all the time in nightmares." She held out her hand to help him up. With a trembling hand Cyrus accepted the help. "I take it you have too?"
"He would haunt me…still does. I can't stand fire because of him. It was the second thing I remembered after the vision of our mother. That military man…he hunted me down and killed me with fire."
"He must have been real then…" Lorelei muttered. "He killed me too, in a vast white room. He burned me until I died. Aside from that I have very few memories of my life before this one."
Normally Cyrus would have been consumed with embarrassment to expose his fear. But Lorelei had the same memory. She died by the same man's fire. Her eyes weren't judgmental they were sympathetic. Someone else understood.
"What about you Bounty?" Lorelei asked.
Cyrus grimaced. The last thing he wanted was Bounty pushing into his and Lorelei's moment. Though it did make sense. If he and Lorelei had died by the same man then Bounty may have as well.
"Um, no, can't say any of that sounds familiar." Bounty said with a shrug. "I have other memories, though nothing like that. I was being dragged down…someone grabbed me to stop me from falling. That's about it."
Lorelei went back into the room, flipping the military man's picture to face the wall. "It helps to see him. I like to think I can bring out more memories with painting." She said, getting back to her searching. Cyrus went to help, shaking off the shadow of the vision from his mind and sorting through papers. Many belonged to Ben, having military insignias or important looking fonts.
"Here." Cyrus said, seeing the elaborate circle peeking out from a stack. Lorelei gave a nod of confirmation as he dislodged it. The circle was like Cyrus', though with one or two distinct differences. 'We have all the pieces.' Cyrus thought. His smile was victories.
Lorelei handed the paper to Trovius in the living room. He pulled out a paper to copy it. "May I take this to my mentor Roger?"
"Yes, whatever you have to do." Lorelei said. After a moment's hesitation she added, "But no one else. People from Creta have come looking for me, and I don't want all this endangering my family."
"Of course." Trovius promised, locking the copied array in his briefcase.
"Ben," Lorelei said, sitting down next to him. "Cyrus remembers the man with the fire as well. He must have been involved before I was reborn."
Cyrus chimed in. "Our creator's people were attacked by another tribe, helped by the Amestrian military. The black eyed soldier must have been among them." He said, his tone confident.
Ben's face soured at the news. "I was afraid of that…the country I love. We sure have made a negative mark on this world."
"We can set it right." Trovius said. "We can find your creator's tribe and put this mystery to rest!"
Cyrus' mind was swimming with excitement. It was the closest to his mother they had ever been.
Trovius and Ben had talked until they both passed out on their respective couch. Bounty went to stand out on the porch and smoke for a few hours with his thoughts. Cyrus found Lorelei at the bedside of Abby and another younger girl. They were both sleeping, Lorelei tucking them both in.
"I don't think I could leave." Lorelei admitted to Cyrus in a whisper. "I have made a life here. But I need to put this mystery behind me."
Cyrus understood her dilemma. His thoughts returned to Florica and Boamos. He couldn't give this life up to return to Creta for good. Their mother had to understand that.
"I was hoping to convince our creator to come live here. It would be safer." Cyrus said.
Lorelei nodded. "I will be right there with you brother. And if that Fire man is there we can kill him together."
Cyrus smiled. "It's a promise."
He found himself writing to his mother again. It joined the journal of letters with no address to send to. Now he intended to hand them to her in person. This note was different though, as it was beaming with hope.
'I found them mother, I found my other two siblings. We have assembled all three of our circles and soon we will be able to find you next.'