"What I once saw as the greatest group ever made, would become that day, in the worst of my nightmares"
Amelia Menderreiev
Chapter 14: Society of Darkness
Famine attack resumed with anger. At his order, a complete pack of insane chimeras appeared at his back, willing to consume everything at their pace.
- These are the chimeras I found at the basement of the HQs of your country. You will perish in the hands of the ambition of your own people.
And as he has done before, the chimeras attacked in frenzy, aiming for vital points. Barely had we managed to escape to their first assault, but the next came stronger and more difficult to dodge, and each time it became difficult and difficult; to the point that in the fifth attack one of the chimeras pulled me down and Ed had to kick it out to save me.
At that moment we decided that it was moment to counterattack. I with a sword and Ed with a lance, rushed against two of the chimeras. However, our weapons didn't make even a scratch to their thick skin.
- Why can't we harm them? – Ed asked very confused staring at the impervious monsters.
- You didn't think that it will be easy to fight a battle chimera, did you? – Famine replied – thick armoured chimeras able to knock down even an entire squadron of soldiers with high calibre rifles and you trying to pierce their armour. Overall they're empowered with the power of Famine. They won't rest until the three of you finish on their stomachs.
It was necessary to change of tactic, and then I joined forces with Ton. As he distracted the chimeras with his swiftness, I was able to touch the chimeras and was able to use alchemy directly on them. Ed, at his side, managed to trap the chimeras using an imitation of Amelia's metal and then finish them at the best scar's style.
- Quite bloody, I didn't expect that from you – Famine said with a sarcastic tone – but how much time will you support before falling?
Another snap of his fingers and another dozen of chimeras appeared. We repeat the same progress but another 12 chimeras appeared to replace the other and so on. Fatigue was reaching us and it was necessary to find another way.
Then I remembered. It was an Illumination of a hard moment but if I did that in the past I could probably use it then. I remembered to have dragged the souls of the packs of chimeras in the attack to the Central HQ and there was nothing that prevented me to do it again.
I took my gloves out (I still used them to avoid using clapping alchemy, I didn't want to normally use it for some reason) raised my hand and focused my mind in the chimeras
"Souls are encoded information formed with pure energy. In its code is the information that defines the nature of any living being. This energy can be manipulated from changing the code to bring life to inanimate objects or to drag it out from a living being"
Those words resonated in my head since our return to this world, along with a ton of other things. It seemed that was the time to use the last state again.
- stop, Ed, Ton, I will try to use something. – I said, and they wait for me. I clapped my hands then, and directed them to the chimeras, after some battle with the chimeras own power and myself, I managed to drag out a round sphere of pure light from one of the chimeras, at that moment, another chimera attacked me and I counter using the sphere. With it, I pierced what only direct alchemy could broke. And then I was able to drag out the soul of that chimera as well and so on, until I had around me the souls of all the chimeras I had at my sight.
- Well, homunculus. I think I have discovered an easy way to get rid of your pets.
- don't be so innocent. I've already seen you using that technique. Although I'm surprised to see soul alchemy in practice rather in just theory for the second time, I already know that you can do that and – he jumped to my side and put his face at 1 cm. of mine – that you're the only one that can use it.
I instantly turned my head and saw my two brothers surrounded by a number of chimeras I couldn't count that time. Almost immediately, Famine snapped his fingers and all of those chimeras furiously attacked them. I saw the next thing as if time was suddenly slowed down. I ordered the souls to go and attack the chimeras, as they were to much to absorb their souls. Ed put his hands together and tried to reach the floor, but the evil monsters were almost above him.
- LEAVE ALONE US! - Ton scream stormed the room, as he clapped his hands and a beam of energy came out from them. He performed what we believed he could do since the incident of the ball; and it have just saved their lives. The beam wiped out the remaining chimeras and then hit Famine. When the light was gone, we saw him heavily injured, wetted in his own blood and with the worst painful semblance you can imagine.
- E…ENERGY ...TR…TRANSMUTATION….HOW ………..A KID….LIKE …HIM C…CAN ….DO THAT!
- Why hasn't he regenerated? – I asked, looking at the deformed body of the Homunculus
- He is regenerating, but not at the rate they used to do. Look at his wounds; they seem to be burns but not normal burns; they are still surrounded by a light of the same colour of the energy beam.
He was unable to do anything at that time. In a normal case that will be the perfect moment to attack him; but the problem was that he would restore again and again as long as he still had lives inside him.
"…or to drag it out from a living being"
That phrase started to bounce in my head as if it was the solution of everything; and it wasn't difficult to understand after I realized something: the fact that that Homunculus has a Philosopher's stone as its nucleus.
Then I raised my hand again and focused my mind at the homunculus; I felt the stone and the immense quantity of human souls imbued in a small place. I didn't lose time then, I clapped my hands Again.
"SOUL ABSORPTION!"
It was ten times more difficult to drag those souls than to drag the chimera's ones, but I started to drag them anyways. I remember to have dragged one third of the souls inside his body before he regenerated again. after that it was impossible for me to drag them again.
- YOU BASTARDS! – Famine screamed after he finished his restoration – YOU HADN'T SEEN THE BEST OF ME!
After that he started he covered his hear with his hands and started what we still know as the Famine Nightmare.
Fear is the feeling that explains better what we felt after seeing in what Famine transformed into. All the muscles of his body tensed, the nails of his fingers grew very long, is eyes went white and his teeth became as sharp as knives and he started to drool exaggeratedly. He was looking at us with greed and hunger, and the only reason that came to our heads was that he was on his own trance. It was obviously his trump card.
The attack was immediate. Even faster and stronger than the chimeras, he rushed against us without patience and mercy. He destroyed anything at his pace, no matter how had or big it was. We hardly avoided his attacks; we were already very tired and our movements didn't help us at all now. I thought hopelessly that maybe that would be the end of everything; but hope returned to me when I saw the face of my brother. He had a plan.
- Al, I need a type of Flamel's special array. Please draw it somewhere while I distract this monster, but add the symbol of the sun and moon at the top and bottom of the array and avoid the symbol at the middle of it.
- Ok, just give me a second.
The array he made earlier was almost erased now, so a new one was needed. Famine in that state put all his attention into my brother so I could work in what he asked me. Search a clean place was the most difficult (although I could clean one with alchemy, that didn't pass through my head at that moment). But I finally found one and drew the circle at the speed of light.
- NIISAN! – I shouted.
- He turned and saw the circle. Then I joined Ton at the other side of the room.
- Ok you monster, let's see if you can eat me, c'mon! – He ran at the direction of the circle and Famine followed him.
- I can't make the same beam as my brother there, but I can make one similar to it! – He clapped his hands when Famine was at the middle of it. The Array started to glow and suddenly an enormous ray appeared from the floor and attacked Famine.
The procedure wasn't simple, but to someone that has seen the gate is not that difficult. The original array uses a measured level of energy to obligate the souls of the homunculus (at least the old ones) to go out from the body. With the modification I made, that energy became 100 times more powerful.
At the end, Famine appeared as he did sometime ago, with his body partially destroyed and unable to regenerate.
- NOW AL!
He didn't have to repeat it to me, I knew what to do. After some seconds, I felt that I absorbed almost all the souls Famine had, bad he regenerated again. After that and without saying anything, he jumped across one of the windows and ran away.
- I won't let you escape! – I shouted, preparing to pursue him, but Ed stopped me.
- Al, wait! ... he doesn't have too much souls left. Don't dirt your hands with blood, you have never killed someone and you must never do – he then softened his voice tone, trying to calm me down. – Maybe Amelia needs help there, we should go.
I replied his smile with another one and called Ton to my side. Then the three of us left the building, in direction to the orphanage.
A horrible scene waited us there. The building was reduced to debris and fire burned between them. Uncountable black stakes surrounded the desolated place, and a lot of chimeras like the ones that attacked us earlier were stabbed with them. There was no sign of life around, except for us and the Ironfist Alchemist standing before the orphanage ruins, motionless.
- Seems I didn't make it in time – she started saying, still without moving, when we were near her. – Another reason to live escapes from my hands again, as many others in this long life. Maybe is a curse that I received since the day I was born, or is my punishment for doing that, although I never thought, and still don't think it as a sin.
- Forgive me for trying to sell you to that society of carrion birds – she continued after a short while – but living so much has surely affected my mind and I'm unable to think clearly and to search for a better solution.
- No matter how long or how short we live – I said – when something we love is endangered, we are capable of doing anything, no matter how stupid, risky or sinful is it. The reason I can talk with you right now is a proof of that. We don't, and we can't have any grudge against you.
- Just tell us something, Amelia – Ed asked – what is the nature of that society, and what do they want?
- For your own good I can only recommend you to stay away from them. You have been already targeted by them and they will surely don't stop until the three of you are part of them or you are killed. I once thought they were the only ones capable of clean our world of the horrible acts humans perpetrated at that time, and I believed that with all my heart. But then I saw horrible things…horrible acts. I don't know what happened to our master, but since she disappeared, the second in charge has committed a lot of atrocities, according to him "at his name", but I'm sure that my master will never allow that things, he's surely death by now.
- But…
A sound around the debris interrupted them. From them, a group of five kids appeared, filled with dust and smoke and between sobs walked towards Amelia
- Eirishin Aurora, diond sterin lemasjenin, diond sterin le maissterie.
She crouched and hugged the five of them.
- non te ppreccopies, mies piccolos, io wil cuatte of nidde didde agora.
We didn't understand anything of what they said, but the thankful smile that was drawn in aurora's face said everything.
After some time of silence, we started our small trip to Amelia's house. Suddenly, a crack sounded at the near woods, followed by a strenuous metal sound.
- What was that - we turned to see what happened but Amelia dissuaded us
- don't worry about that, it was nothing, and this kids need to clean themselves and to rest after all of this.
We ignored the sound. But I swear I felt the presence of Famine there ...for some seconds.
Two weeks took us to return to our home in Rizenbul. Although Winry asked us to talk her about all the things we did since our return, we couldn't ruin her happiness with All the souvenirs she brought with herself from Areugo (to fill a complete wagon) all courtesy of the Arendoshian association of Automaille mechaniqques, including the wagon.
Aurora Mendier's letter, thanked us for our valuable help in the understanding of the strange Anomalies. Although we didn't do anything about them, it was enough to fulfil our mission, the cease fire was cancelled and a Peace Treaty was firmed instead.
- Continue that way Al and you'll reach or even surpass your brother in rank soon – were Mustang's words when we reported the accomplishment of our mission. Of course it was a bad taste joke at Ed's opinion.
I was dubbing about the existence of those anomalies until I saw one of them. I don't remember what I was doing with Ton (some type of contact game) but when I raised my eyes to the sky I saw it. A vortex opened quite far from us and absorbed a good amount of vegetation and one or two animals. I ran to tell Ed about it, but when we came there, the anomaly disappeared. At the next day, it was reported the strange creation of a new clean zone at the forest and they disappearance of one cow in one of the near farms. I had to wait a very long time to see the another anomaly.
A/N: Please comment the battle against Famine to know what line should I take with the other Homunculus, (will not change the unexpected central story though)
Next Chapter:Oriental Dawn.