-The Story so Far-
Cyrus, a Scholar at the royal academy in Atlasdam, is on journey to recover a lost tome...From the Far Reaches of Hell. A riddle that piqued his curiosity. And so Cyrus and his companions have come to Quarrycrest in order to call upon an old colleague that may have the answers he seeks.
"I'm still curious as to why we're even out here in the first place. It's like this was too coincidental." Connor said.
"True. those rumors were well timed. I have deduced that someone made those rumors on purpose. And I know already that it was a student of mine." Cyrus said.
"Really? Who was it?" Hawkeye asked.
"Theresa most likely. Poor girl. She must have felt so alone...I haven't given her equal attention as a teacher to a student and she wanted to try and get me alone with her for a private session no doubt." Cyrus said.
"Something tells me it was more than that." Volta said sweatdropping.
They approached a house built high above the cliffs. Cyrus then knocked on the door.
"Yes, yes. I'm coming." a woman said arriving.
"It's been a long time, Odette." Cyrus said.
She stared for a moment before shutting the door. Then the door opened again. "Oh...you're still here. I guess I'm not suffering from fatigue induced hallucinations." Odette said.
"No, you aren't ma'am." Connor said. "Listen, were looking for information regarding a tome, and Cyrus thought you could help."
"Oh? Which one?" Odette asked.
"From the Far Reaches of Hell." Mustang said.
"A cheery title if I've ever heard one. I can tell you it's a compendium of ancient rites and rituals. Not that I've ever read it myself, of course." Odette said. "I don't know that much except that it touches upon necromancy."
"Necromancy, eh?" Connor said.
"A very dark practice of magic indeed. To raise the dead in such a manner is terrifying in the wrong hands." Mustang said. "Don't you agree, Cyrus?"
"Yes...I know a bit about the practice but that is all I know." Cyrus said.
"Hmm. Maybe this tome business is related to what's been happening in town." Odette said.
"What do you mean?" Betty asked.
"Well...lately, be it the day or night, people seem to be spirited away without a trace left behind." Odette said. "None have returned."
"That is strange." Morph said. "Where could they have gone through?"
"I think I know how we can find out." Connor said.
Cyrus and Team Revival then headed out as Connor found a boarded up tunnel as he kicked it open. "When in doubt...check the sewers." Connor said.
"Ah, very clever thinking." Cyrus said.
They soon descended down.
"Ugh...it reeks down here. Who knew the sewers smelled so bad." Volta said.
"That isn't the sewers. I've smelled this smell several times back in Ishval. This is the smell of death." Mustang said.
"That means were close." Connor said as they navigated the sewers to a room with a strange symbol on the floor. On the walls were racks with only a single person on it with more in a cell but all around were red stones of some kind.
"What are these?" Brandish pondered looking at a crystal as the person on the rafter fell.
"Hey, are you okay?" Connor asked checking him. "He's already dead."
"But what in the heavens is all this?" Cyrus asked.
"This symbol...it's like magic...but mixed with Alchemy." Brandish said.
"I see. Now I know why the people were kidnapped. The person responsible was using them as ingredients." Mustang said.
"What do you mean?" Connor asked.
"You heard of the Philosopher's stone from our world?" Mustang asked.
"Yeah...it's supposed to be some miracle in alchemy." Betty said.
"Well here's something they don't tell you. Those stones...they're made with human lives." Mustang said.
"Jesus!" Connor said.
"Thats terrible…" Brandish said.
"But this...this is different. It isn't just the life taken from these people...their blood is gone too." Mustang said.
"Hey, there's a woman still alive in the cell." Morph said. "Don't worry, we'll get you out."
"And just who might all of you be?" a voice asked as they turned to a hooded figure holding a bloody claw like tool.
"Just a couple of people who have issues with this kinda alchemy." Connor siad. "I guess this is your work?"
"And these runes? Are they not of High Hornburgian?" Cyrus asked.
"Are they now?" the man said.
"No ordinary scholar would be privy to this knowledge." Cyrus said.
"Well...you're more a scholar than you give yourself credit for." the man said getting ready to attack.
"The people in the cells are still alive right? Just let them go, and nothing will happen." Connor said.
"Since you asked so nicely...no...I think not." the man known as Gideon said. "A shame. If you hadn't come picking around here, I wouldn't have minded picking your brains. Now I'll have to settle for sucking your blood to make more stones!"
"Bring it on!" Connor said.
"Rise my servants!" Gideon said as he summoned a plethora of undead warriors. "Ravage them!"
"Oh please." Cyrus said studying the corpses. "They're weak to fire. Colonel Mustang, if you would be so kind?"
"Gladly." Mustang said snapping a finger as all the corpses ignited before crumbling into ashes.
"Gah!" Gideon said.
"What's the matter, can't fight without some backup?" Connor asked. "Well, too bad."
Connor fired stun rounds from his rifle at Gideon, followed by Cyrus casting fire storm to support him.
"Rrrrrrah…!" Gideon said raising his claw.
"How droll." Brandish said as her magic shrunk Gideon to ant size.
"Too bad." Betty said putting her foot down on him and pinning him down.
"Sorry, but you can't do whatever you want here," Connor said. "And as much as bringing people back to life is cool, sacrificing others isn't the way to do it."
"Hmm what's this?" Cyrus said looking at a book. "It can't be! A copy of the From the Far Reaches of Hell?!"
"They Mass produce tomes?" Betty asked.
"That seems...oddly unorthodox." Brandish said.
"No...it's not a copy. It's an abridged version translated into the modern tongue." Cyrus said.
"So that means he had the real thing." Connor said. "Unless you wanna get squashed by Brandish, you're gonna tell us how you got your hands on From the Far Reaches of Hell." He said to Gideon
"I never had the book. I got that copy from an acquaintance. They said they had just got it translated...from a translator in Stonegard." Gideon said.
"Stonegard, that's in the Highlands. Guess we're going up." Connor said.
"Indeed. Perhaps it's there where the real tome lies." Cyrus said.
"Let's not waste time then." Brandish said.
And so, Cyrus and company bid Quarrycrest farewell, the translated volume he recovered from the villain pointing them to their next destination: Stonegard in the Highlands...where the original copy of the tome he sought surely lies.
Cyrus forged on in search of the truth…
