New chapter!

Special thanks to reviewer MsBenzedrine for grammatical help and for mentioning me in her Fullmetal Alchemist Fan fiction - The Art of Breaking (which is rated M for underage readers). suggested for Roy x Ed fans.

Chapter 7

Gilbert handed the money to the meat vendor. The stupid rabbit said she wouldn't move until she had some jerky.

"This trip was supposed to be for investigating." Gil mumbled angrily. Alice had 4 sticks of jerky in her hand and 2 she was eating.

"That doesn't mean we cant have snacks. Live a little, Seaweed head." She swallowed the jerky in her mouth and looked around. "I don't see Oz."

Gilbert tensed and looked around as well. They were surrounded by strangers, with no Oz in sight.

"Damn. He wandered away. Alice. Lets go!"

They ran in the crowd to search for Oz.

Oz and his new friend, Savien, went to get snacks. Savien tried to cover it, but Oz wouldn't let him. They sat on a bench away from the hustle and bustle with the bag of bread desserts. Oz noticed Savien was eating slowly.

"Its alright, you can eat as many as you want." Oz handed him the bag. Savien shook his head and whispered.

"I cant. My mom said my voice box is bad." He continued to nibble on the bread. Oz thought back to the medical books in his old library.

"Laryngeal nerve damage right?" It kept you from speaking loudly, and gave difficulty swallowing.

The boy looked at him as if he was speaking a different language. Oz sighed. "Never mind." They both continued to eat the desserts. The silence was awkward until Oz broke it.

"You read the Holy Knight series?"

Sevien nodded.

Oz took out a writing pad from his own bag along with a pen.

" If you can read, you can write."

For a half hour or so, the boys spoke and wrote about Holy Knight.

It was getting late. Savien was halfway through the writing pad. He had great handwriting his intricate doodles were very artistic.

"Who taught you to draw like that?" Oz asked smiling. Savien smiled too and took the writing pad back.

Papa did. But Momma drew good. Even if she's a better music player. She taught me to play. Oz found it funny that Savien was only a few years younger than him and still called his parents by baby names. But he didn't point it out.

"What instrument does your mother play?" Oz asked. Savien stopped playing. Instead of writing, he whispered.

" Momma used to play flute. But her's is mine now because she can't play it anymore." He sounded like he was about to cry, and wrote to continue.

She died long, long ago. My papa did too. They died without me.

They both stopped smiling. Savien wiped his eyes and dug through his unorganized bag once again. When his hands emerged, he had a silver flute. He didn't even need to say. Oz already knew it was his mothers by the way he handled it.

"I can still play it, but quietly," Savien whispered. He played the flute. It was a magical, sad tune, but could only be heard well if you really listened. The people nearby didn't seemed to hear, but they seemed happier.

Even through the tragedy of the boy's story, Oz couldn't help but feel happy.

It had been about an hour and Gilbert and Alice still hadn't found Oz. Alice was out of jerky and getting really agitated. Its like were going in circles Gilbert thought. The people all seemed the same as well as the stores. Gilbert was getting worried. Oz, where-. His thought was interrupted by Alice grabbing his coat.

"What, rabbit?" still not calling the chain by its name. "We have to go-."

"Shh. Listen." her head perked up. Gilbert tried to listen, but he didn't hear anything but the crowd. All of the sudden, Alice pulled on him and they dove in the crowd.

After a minute of running, Alice slowed down.

"Damn rabbit, what are you doing! We have to find Oz." Gilbert huffed.

"He's right there."

Sure enough, Oz was sitting on the bench. Next to him was a kid who seemed awfully familiar...

Oz saw Gil and Alice coming towards them.

"Ah... I'm in a lot of trouble." Oz said. Savien got up to run.

"No! Don't worry. Their my friends."

Gilbert got to them first.

"Oz! I told you not to wander!" Gilbert yelled.

"Sorry about that. It was just... I wanted to buy the book and then..." Oz trailed on until he noticed Gilbert was looking past him at Sevien, who was hiding behind Oz.

Oz turned around. " Its okay. Their not dangerous." Oz pushed Sevien in front of him. "This is Gilbert and Alice." He smiled. "Gilbert, Alice, this is Sevien."

When Oz pushed the child in front of him, he remembered. The child fit the description of the one in the report exactly.

"Gilbert, Alice, this is Savien." Oz said.

Very dangerous. Don't be fooled. Is what the report said. Use all means necessary.

The child looked harmless, but...

"Oz, get away from him."

"Huh?"

"Come here."

"Eh? Why?" But Oz still obeyed. The child, Sevien, looked even more frightened.

"Savien. We need you to come with us." Gilbert ordered. The child did nothing but shake.

"Gilbert, what-." Gilbert cut him off.

"This is the contractor to the chain we need to return to Pandora."

At that, Savien took off running. Gilbert shot and missed.

"Damn!" He started to run, but Oz caught his coat.

"GILBERT! WHAT THE HELL?" Oz screamed. Gilbert tried to run, but Oz held tightly. Gilbert was frustrated and yelled.

"He killed 99 people! Our job is to keep him from killing any more!" with that, Oz loosened his grip and dropped to the ground. Gilbert ignored it and chased after Savien.

Oz couldn't believe it.

"He...killed...99...people..."

Oz wanted to just sit there, but he had to do something.

He couldn't save the people he's killed. But if they killed the chain, he could save Savien.

He had to make sure this happened.

Savien hid in an alley, curled up, and cried. He thought aloud.

"You promised they wouldn't come after me, you promised!" His quiet voice cracked.

Its alright. They won't catch you. At least not before I bring your mom back.

"But how much longer?" he questioned inaudibly. The voice in his head heard him.

We only have to kill a few more. Only a few more... How about those chasing us? Only a few more. The voice chanted.

"B-but I don't wanna kill Oz." he mumbled through his running tears. "I'll kill anyone else. But I don't want to kill Oz."

Fine. We'll compromise. I wont kill Oz, but anyone else will do? Anyone else?

Savien wiped his tears. "Yes, anyone else. As long as momma comes back."

Then we have a deal. A deal.

Savien's chain popped out of the shadows and enveloped him. Taking over his body.

"A deal. A deal." The chain said in a loud voice.

It headed out into the crowd.

Ohh. Its going down in the next chapter.

Thank you readers.

Next post will come as soon as I get 2 more reviews (to give me 16.)