A home to return to, and the promise made
I looked at the old woman who stood by the door. Her face was kind and soft with a lot of wrinkles. The more that I looked at the woman the more the woman looked like Kaede from the anime Inuyasha which was a Japanese cartoon. She even had the eye patch the only thing that was not the same was the clothes she wore and her way she had her hair. She was wearing a pale blue long skirt with a white blouse that most elderly woman wore. Her hair was done up in a bun that had a blue flower pin in it to make it look more nice. She had a slight hump as well.
For some reason I couldn't say any words at that moment. The old woman seemed to take notice but she didn't get mad she just smiled and started to talk. She told me how she had found me while she was picking herbs in the woods and had asked a man she knew to help bring me back to her place. As it turned out the old woman was a healer for this village. I was happy that I was found by a healer that was taking care of me. I found out that her name was Rin and I was at her home. I stayed with her for a while I would say it was more like three weeks.
In those three weeks I told her that I had no memories about where I came from, or where I was. She told me that I was in the village known as Woodhurst which was about a few miles from Resembool It was more to the east through and would take a few days or months to get there. So I needed to come up with a plan. I could live here but I had heard about a place called Black Hollow from Grandpa Bob who was a slave from the Tower of Hell. It was near the river Aryss and off to the west of Esfabool. To me these names of these place as just plain strange.
However I really wanted to go to this Black Hollow place as I had heard about it and know there is a place of work for those who know alchemy. I was also told about the same place taking on those who wanted to learn more about alchemy and how to use it. If they were unable to understand it then this place of work would send them off to next door in order to find work and to earn money to live. Even kids were able to get work there to pay for a cheep room at the inn. To me it sounded like a bit better then where I was. It was not that I didn't like the old lady or anything like that. I did like her and was grateful for what she had done. It was more of the fact I felt like I didn't belong here. The need to see other places maybe gets out more and finds my own path; maybe this was what was driving me.
Rin said she understood but wanted to help me out. She started to teach me about a few medical alchemy that she knew, along with what each herbs can do and a bit of first aid. By the end of day three I had somehow mastered her type of alchemy but had shocked her by only clapping. She looked at me with some type of hate filled eyes that just didn't seem right on her once kind face. When that was over she had stopped teaching me anymore alchemy. Yet she allowed me to stay and had even gotten me new clothes and a backpack. As well as a few books and a map for my own use. She still taught me things about medical even how to sew and cook.
One night at round dinner time was the first time she spoke to me ever since that day I had clapped and used alchemy. "So tell me Melody who did you try to bring back from the dead?" It was such a strange question for I knew that I never tried to bring anyone back from the dead at least not that I was aware of. Looking at her to see if she really believe it only to find the look on her face said she truly believed that for some reason or other that to her I had tried to bring the dead back to life. All I could do was shake my head.
"I never tried to bring anyone back at least not that I re…." My words died out as she slammed her hands on the table. This scared me as she yelled at me. "DON'T THINK I AM A FOOL GIRL I SAW YOU ONLY NEEDED TO CLAP TO USE ALCHEMY. AND ONLY THOSE WHO CAN DO THAT HAVE TRIED TO BRING SOMEONE BACK FROM THE DEAD BY DOING HUMAN TRANSMUTATION." At this her voice had stopped and she sat back down. The glare from her eyes was cold and filled not just with hate but disgust. I looked down as tears filled my eyes.
"I don't remember ever doing that I'm sorry" came my weak response. Her eyes soften at that as she sighed. "I see then I guess what was taken from you must have been your memories. You see Melody when someone does human transmutation something is taken from them and they are then able to do alchemy without a transmutation circle. However this is taboo and also against the law of these lands. If anyone finds out about this then they will without a doubt even if you are a child throw you into jail for breaking the law. They may even kill you." She told me sadly it seemed like she was not mad at me anymore. She was now speaking softly and much more calmly.
We talked about where I wanted to go and the reason behind it. As it turned out Rin had heard of Grandpa Bob and him and her use to be friends. She was saddened by the news he had died. Yet she seemed to share some tales about how he was a great alchemist who took care of his friends. This cheered me up as I knew it to be true. He had kept me and Anna safe and gave his life by using a type of Alchemy that killed both his foes and himself along with them. That was how half of the bad guys died. The thing that I didn't know and never would for a long time that one of the bad guys who was the only one left was still alive.
Rin told me that before I head off to Black Hollow that I should look for a teacher to teach me more about alchemy. She even told me of one called Kaede Darkwing. Rin said if I told this Kaede person that Rin had sent me as I was a special case then Kaede would teach and train me in many things. And the last she heard of the ware bouts of this woman or alchemist was in Eastwood. So when the three weeks was up and I had all the stuff Rin had gotten for me in my backpack. And was wearing an outfit that she also got me I was off. Rin had also packed me a lunch and gave me some money that was known as Cents.
It was like using Yen even though I didn't know why I knew that. Nor did I know where that info had come from. I just guessed it was from my past and shrugged it off. Before I left Rin said something that gave me a warm feeling as she had handed me a slip of paper. The paper had her phone number on it.
And she said, "Come back anytime to visit, or to have supper. Remember Melody this is your home if ever you should need one. I have already thought about it and I have decided to put you in my will. You will have everything I have had left to you when I pass way. I am doing this as I don't have anyone left in this world and would like to give my belongs to someone I trust. I trust you as I can already tell that you are a good person. I have also rung the guild that the alchemist in Black Hollow works at to let them know. I do hope we meet again. Have a safe trip now and don't forget to call. Oh and promise me that when you do find your memories to let me know your story. I would very much like to hear what really happened to you. Now you take care yourself Melody."
And with that I nodded and went off to walk to the train station to get the train. What I did not know however was that this would lead to a very dangerous encounter.
Omake:
Bald a very dangerous and bad man got onto the train with his group. They were going to make those in the military pay. They hid on the train to wait until a very important man would get on. This man would be used as a hostage for their plans. None of them knew that at the same time a girl with blonde hair and golden eyes that had a red ring going round the black of the pupil would also be on this train. They would never see the pain his men would feel from this little girl. Or ever even knew it was a girl that should have been held accountable for his men getting hurt was never even known and therefore was let off. No he would never know at all.
And a bit more far off from where this happened a farmer had just sold a necklace to a man who was going to give it to his wife. This necklace would end up in East City.