Equivalent Exchange
Chapter Summary: Everything begins to make more sense...
Dear my wonderful reviewers, thank you & love yah~
Chapter 12: History
~ED~
Somewhere on the streets in town, 10:39am
"Where are we going?" Ed asked as they rushed through crowded streets. He keep his head down, for fear that someone would see past his disguise and also to cover his nose. His newfound sense of smell was a huge annoyance for him at the moment because of one certain smell. The smell that seemed intoxicating and almost impossible to ignore. His throat burned and Ed hated himself for wanting such a thing. Half of himself screamed, 'BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD!' while the other screamed, 'NO NO NO!'. He couldn't believe how different he was so suddenly and how much he missed his old self. He hated himself now, and he was almost scared to wonder if the old Ed would have killed Peter, or if the circumstances were different and someone else was in his spot, would he be after the vampires with the rest of the military now? Although he wanted to believe Winry's words, he knew that he'd be unable to go back to his past life. So much had happened in the last few short days and it had drastically changed everything to a point of no return.
His humanity had been destroyed.
Ed looked up when he realized no one had answered him. He watched Ling as he led his small group through the busy streets. After another moment of silence Ling had finally registered Ed's words and looked back at him. Ed saw him mouth the words, "you're good, we're almost there".
~AL~
Central Library, 8:11am
'THE VAMPIRE MYTH PART I: SLAVE NUMBER 23' Al read the article now, starting from the top,
'Long ago there were stories of a blond-haired, gold-eyed, slave known as Slave Number 23 in Xerxes. This slave found an unknown object stored in a flask. It was said that this man- the slave- spoke to the flask, and he was believed to be crazy. One year later the man escaped with his beloved flask, he became a fugitive and rumors were soon heard that the man found an alchemist to stay with and teach him alchemy. How the slave convinced the alchemist to help him is unknown. Years went by and the slave and alchemist were never seen. It wasn't until Xerxes was mysteriously wiped out that-'
"That was over 400 years ago now I think..." Al thought out-loud. Raising his head to ponder the new information. After a minute he continued.
'-the alchemist's body was seen again, and along with many others he was found dead. Although the slave's body was never found. The place where the former alchemist's body was found was very interesting though. The room- a large panic room built under the city- was covered with alchemy books, notes, and journals. Most were shredded and illegible to read. Though through reports after the investigation of the scene, most entries in the the journal were signed with a "23", the slave's number. Nothing more was found in the journals. However some of the notes found were marked with words like, "vampire", "homunculus" (artificial human), and "need the Philosopher's Stone", as well as a picture of a strange symbol (See picture to the left) labeled as an "Ouroboros". Later on when investigators finished looking through the papers and it was all cleaned up, a transmutation circle was found painted on the ground (See picture to right).
Al looked at the picture and gasped,
'Known as a "Human Transmutation Circle" investigators were baffled and hired a anonymous alchemist to look for anything that could be clues, but the alchemist knew nothing more than what they did. The investigation of Slave Number 23 was put on hold afterwards, and when nothing else ever came up, the investigation was dropped. The mysterious death of Xerxes and Slave Number 23 became nothing more than a myth.
For the fictionalized tale that came from this story turn to page 13.'
Al turned to page 13 which had a much different format. Part 1 was more of a news report, and part 2 looked like a children's book... Al ignored his little discovery and read on,
'THE VAMPIRE MYTH PART II: THE STORY'
'Once upon a time there was a mad alchemist who wished to make the perfect being. This alchemist was a young man with golden hair and golden eyes, he lived in Xerxes and grew up learning the science of alchemy. When the alchemist turned of age he was invited to serve under the king. He became known as the king's alchemist and people traveled across land to see his god-like powers. After 10 years of serving the king, he was given a gift to thank him for all the honor he bestowed on Xerxes. The gift was a small golden flask with a strange black substance inside. The king gave it him saying, "This flask is rumored to have a unique substance that amplifies alchemic abilities". The alchemist accepted the gift with a strange grin. It was soon after receiving the gift that the alchemist began disobeying orders and began acting strangely.
'But the king believed it to be nothing. During that time the alchemist secretly ordered for a large room to be built just outside the kingdom. Three months later the king could no longer stand it, and was finally able to see the part in his right hand man that was turning into a monster. He commanded the alchemist to be executed. The alchemist was brought to the king's prison until they determined an execution date for him. The alchemist began to turn crazy, and would sit in his cell day after day staring into the shadows laughing hysterically.
'The night before the execution, the alchemist disappeared. He took refuge in his secret room with his flask. The alchemist grew crazier day by day, and transmuted his last bit of water into black paint to draw a transmutation circle the size of the room. It took 24 hours for the alchemist to complete the drawing, and when it was done he gave himself a moment to grin eye to eye in pure joy. The alchemist quickly grabbed his beloved flask to place in the center of the transmutation circle, and when his two palms hit the ground the room erupted in red light.
And it was then that the first vampire was born. The alchemist used the lives of those in Xerxes to create this being. Immortal, strong, beautiful, and powerful... The perfect being. The alchemist and the vampire worked together to create more of these beings by injecting some of the vampire's blood into a human body. But they soon found out only few humans were deemed worthy and were able to survive the harsh transformation. After some time they learned the only ones that were deemed worthy were also people who has sinned deeply in the past or committed taboo. After 7 were made the alchemist began to grow sick, the original vampire left his creator, finding him a burden now. With his small group he fled into the night and never saw the alchemist again.
Although the alchemist was still alive, and angry. He went from town to town warning people of these harsh beings, he described them of immortal bloodsucking creatures of the night, and told town's folks to beware of people who held an Ouroboros symbol marked on their body. But only nobody believed his stories. The alchemist disappeared soon after, people claimed he moved away across sea. But the alchemist's story of the vampires never died. The 7 vampires, Pride, Lust, Greed, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, and Wrath still roam the streets, with the original vampire, their 'Father', always nearby them.'
Al stared at the article, thinking of his brother and wondering if...
'But this isn't a true story-'
"Ah "The Vampire Myth"", Fuhrer Bradley said as he walked up behind Al,
"Such a mysterious old little story."
"Fuhrer Bradley!" Al turned to him and stood, slightly startled to be awoken from his little world in his head. "Yes sir... I probably wouldn't have ever found it if..." Al paused and decided to change his wording, "I just mean a few months ago I never even tried to look at this stuff. But now it seems to be perfect, I- I kind of wish it was real and not a myth."
Al spoke to the Fuhrer sadly, Bradley watched they boy talk and noticed he was looking longingly at the book.
"Myth? Oh my dear boy, do you really believe this to be a myth with your brother in his current state?"
"What- Are you saying this story is fact?"
"Fact? I'm saying this story could very well be our history." Bradley smiled.
~ED~
"We're here!" Ling shouted as the three exited the loud restaurant and started to descend some stone steps that were hidden under a dumpster.
It was very cold and dark Ed noticed as they walked down the narrow steps, not that it bugged Ed. Ling was first, Lan fan second, Ed third, and Fu last. Ed wondered how they managed not to trip, Ed would've if he was still human. But vampirism had given him more poise and night-vision, so things like this never was a problem for him anymore. Ed watched Lan Fan stop, he looked ahead of her and watched Ling jangle a key in a door's lock. When it was open he turned on bright florescent lights.
"This is home for now!" Ling announced when everyone had entered the room. It was a big concrete room, filled with beds and room dividers. Ed saw in one corner there were white curtains hanging from the roof, similar to the ones used to separate hospital beds, Ed stared at it for moment till he realized what it was; a bathroom, they used curtains as walls in the box-shaped room. There was a little kitchen in the other corner and a few old sofas scattered by the door with a coffee table at its center-
"Ed."
Ed turned to the voice, which was Ling's, he saw him beside the bed, throwing his yellow jacket on it,
"You must be thirsty."
Ed's eyes widened as Ling exposed his neck,
"Drink."
Thanks for reading!