Riza and Alphonse approached the forest that was inside the city with the large tree that loomed over it. The path into the forest changed from cobblestone to dirt. They walked along the path that they were told to take to their training grounds.
An eagle flew above them and called out. They saw it fly along the path almost following them.
As they walked along the path, Riza had this feeling that they were being watched. She put her hand on the hilt of her rapier, a small sword, as her unease continued though she did this subtlety to as not to alarm their spy and the young halfling with her. Alphonse hadn't noticed and was chatting away about his dream.
"It's so good to be able to sleep again," Alphonse commented.
Riza heard a branch snap, and she unsheathed her rapier. She held it pointing towards the person that stepped from the woods. Alphonse was behind her, and she would do anything to protect him.
The young man, appearing to be in his 20's, appeared from the woods with his hands held up. "Your hearing is sharp."
"What do you want?" She snarled at him. Alphonse readied his weapon.
His dark violet hair flowed with the breeze. Riza thought it was an odd color of hair, and then she noticed his eyes were also violet. And he also had the same short pointy ears as Edward. She thought 'So, he's a half elf.'
The man spoke calmly. "I was testing you, and you passed. I was told I would have a new student today. Though I was expecting someone younger."
Riza didn't flinch. She kept the rapier pointed at him.
"My name is Silas. You can trust me. I can show you the rest of the way to the training area for your friend." The man spoke in a monotone voice.
Riza spoke "How do I know I can trust you?"
"Well, I don't have any weapons on me," Silas spun around slowly with his hands up. He had nothing on him.
Riza sheathed her rapier. "That was an odd way of testing someone. I could have killed you. Also, you shouldn't judge someone's abilities by their age."
Silas said nothing. He felt no need to defend himself. "What's your name?"
"Riza Hawkeye. This is Alphonse, he's training also but with a different class called a Druid."
"I can take you to where the druids train. And then we can begin our own training," Silas offered as he walked ahead of them.
Riza asked "What do druids train with?"
Silas explained "Druids use the power of nature to fight. Rangers can use nature to assist in fighting. We can have spells also."
Alphonse perked up. "Ms. Riza, you'll be able to have spells too. That's incredible."
Riza never thought of herself as doing alchemy. She had always relied on her weapons. Now she had different weapons, but she felt the same, relying on them rather than alchemy. Her father had wanted to train her in alchemy, but she had no talent to do so.
The road came to a clearing near the large tree. There were huts all around and clear areas. There was also a large garden of various plants.
A woman with long bright red hair tied back in a braid came out of a hut to greet them. Her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and her freckles dotted her cheeks. Her smile was warm and friendly. "Welcome to Shilleigh village."
"I hear I have a new Druid to train today," she said.
"That's me!" Alphonse said with enthusiasm. The woman was very pretty and seemed nice.
"Excellent. My name is Kira, and I'll be training you. Come with me."
Riza gazed at Alphonse and ruffled his hair. "Good luck. I'll go by the inn and get our rooms extended afterwards. Do you know how to return to the inn?"
"Yes, ma'am!" He spoke. His smile glowed now that someone was treating him like a child. It also helped that he was half her height.
Riza followed Silas down the path away from the Druid training area. They eventually made their way to another clearing with targets made of hay and small buildings.
"This is the ranger training area. We also use the woods for hunting and tracking practice. Let me see your card." Silas explained. She handed him her identification card. "Excellent. You are a hunter and an archer. You don't have a talent with animals like I do."
Silas then put on a heavy glove. He whistled a tune, and Riza heard the eagle cry out. It flew down and spread its wings to slow its descent. It landed on Silas' arm. He fed it a piece of meat from a pouch. "This is Aegis. He alerted me to your presence."
"Is it an eagle?"
Silas replied "It's an osprey. Smaller than an eagle. We have connections to nature, like Druids, but we use nature to help our skills while they use nature as a force. The Wildmother has blessed them."
He looked at the targets with her. "Have you used your nature skills?"
"No, I just used a bow as a child, so I'm familiar with it," she replied.
"What about a sword? You have a short sword."
She shook her head. "No, I'm not familiar with using it."
"Well, let's start with getting in touch with nature. I'll show you what I can do."
Silas looked at the target and kneeled to the ground. He muttered some words and pushed into the dirt with his fingers. Vines came up from the ground and ensnared the target. The target wouldn't be able to run away.
Riza breathed in sharply. She wasn't sure if she would be able to do this. She had never used any form of alchemy before. Her father had attempted to teach her, but she had no talent for it.
"Now you try," Silas ordered her.
"How?" Riza asked.
"Close your eyes. Take a breath in. Feel the air fill your body. Take note of what you smell."
She closed her eyes and breathed. She could smell the flowers nearby along with the dirt and fresh air.
Silas commanded "Now let it out and push the ground. Visualize the vines growing from the ground."
She kneeled and pushed her fingers into the ground. She muttered the words and grunted. But nothing happened.
"Try visualizing a seed sprouting from the ground."
She pushed harder and still nothing happened. She was sure he would yell at her. "Damn it."
"Calm down. It's not a race." He said with no fluctuation in his voice. He seemed to be so serene despite her obvious frustration.
She took a few breaths and felt the grass under the fingers. She needed a different approach. She eyed the target and visualized her scope and then she slapped the ground violently while keeping her eyes on the target. Vines sprouted from the ground and tangled the scarecrow target.
She let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "I did it."
"Yes, you did." He said with a slight smile.
They practiced more with vines, which seemed to come easier each time to her.
Then they practiced with short swords, battling each other. Riza found herself enjoying the sweat and sunlight. As a sniper, she had always hid in the shadows, but now she was doing close combat with someone and found it exhilarating. She enjoyed learning her new skills, and the sweat she wore was proof she deserved that hot bath tonight at the inn.
Meanwhile at Shilleigh Village, Alphonse was led by Kira to the large tree. He looked up at the immensity of it. He could hear the birds chirping above in the branches. The air was crisp and fresh despite being in the city. This forest seemed to have its own life force.
Kira led him to a small clearing near the tree. She had long red hair that was tied in a thick braid that went down to her waist. She wore a necklace of teeth, that looked to be of canine origin.
There were others performing their abilities also. Kira asked for his card, and he gave it to her. "Excellent, you are part of the Circle of the Moon. You will have the same abilities that I have."
"What abilities are those?" Alphonse asked.
"Well, there are some unique ones that we possess. But there are similar ones we share with other Druids. One of the most basic ones is thorn whip," Kira explained.
"Is that where a vine comes out of the ground and pulls someone closer to me?" (Double check to see if this was the power)
"Yes, it is. Have you performed this one?"
Alphonse nodded.
"Can you show me?"
Alphonse looked around to make sure the area was clear. He pushed his hands into the ground and the vine came out of the ground violently reaching for nothing in the air.
"Excellent. You already have a knack for it," she smiled. "What about healing?"
Alphonse replied. "Yes, I've had to heal my brother. I'm happy that I can do that."
"Yes, you are a valued ally to anyone. Healing friends and defending them is a great honor. Any other powers that you have discovered?" Kira asked.
"That's it for now. Is there more?" Alphonse asked.
"Yes, and it's one of my favorites. Stand back."
Kira touched her necklace of teeth, and her body lengthened, and gray fur began to sprout all over her. Her nose elongated and her ears shifted to the top of her head. Instead of a red-haired woman, there was a reddish wolf standing in front of him.
Alphonse jumped back, startled by this illogical transformation. How can science explain this? Then again, science hadn't made sense after arriving to this world. There seemed to be other forces at work.
The wolf approached him, and he stepped back. The fear rose in his mind but then he looked at her bright blue eyes that were just like Kira's but more round now.
The wolf lay on its back and rolled over, seeming to enjoy the feel of the grass touching her back. It then stood up and went to Alphonse. The wolf lowered its head and nudged him gently. Alphonse relaxed.
Alphonse felt her fur and spread his fingers through it. It wasn't as soft as he thought it would be but more course.
"Kira, it's you. But how can you do this?" He asked.
Her form shifted back into the red-haired woman. She still had her clothes on and her necklace.
"I apologize but we can't speak our language while in our Wild Shape form. This is the power from the Wildmother. She grants us the ability to be part of nature when we need to. There are other forms I can turn into. Such as an elk or even a weasel when I need to. You just simply must be familiar with the animal. However, I can only perform this a few times in a day."
Alphonse was in awe. "You're saying I can do this?"
"Yes, and I know of a way that can help you do that. Come with me."
Kira guided him to a platform. "Hang on."
He grabbed a rail, and she rang a bell on the side. The platform began to move upwards, and they were pulled high into the tree. When it stopped, the men stopped pulling on the ropes. Kira thanked them and led her new student into the tree.
"Have you been to this forest before?" Kira asked.
"No, I haven't. This is incredible," Alphonse commented.
"Yes, it is. I'm still amazed with this tree. It's ability to purify the air and give life. This tree helps us connect with the Wildmother." Kira led him up some steps to the hallway with rooms in a circular fashion.
"Who is this Wildmother?"
Kira opened a door and led him inside. "She is the goddess that gives us our ability to use natural sources. She is the mother of all things that are natural in this world."
She gestured to him to have a seat on the pillow. There were no chairs in the room. Just rugs and pillows to lounge on. Though there was a small fire pit in the middle. There was a window with no glass that allowed the sunlight to come in. It made the room feel warm. Alphonse still couldn't believe he was in a tree. This felt so much like something from a dream.
Kira was in the corner, pulling something from a small chest. It was a pipe, just like Granny's, but longer. Kira was putting grounded leaves into it. He assumed it was tobacco.
She lights a fire in a small bowl and uses a small stick to light the leaves in the pipe. Leaves in the pipe. A small amount of smoke comes out of the pipe. Alphonse smells it, and he knows that it is not tobacco, but he is unsure of what it is. It smelled like a skunk had been in the room.
Kira sucks lightly on the pipe and holds the smoke in her mouth. She exhales the smoke, and it comes out in rings. Alphonse had seen Jean do this on occasion to impress women, but he had never been able to try it himself due to him not having lungs as a suit of armor. He was also underage for cigarettes.
Kira sat next to him leaning against the pillows. "Here. Try."
Alphonse hesitated. "I'm only 14. I'm not sure if I'm allowed."
"There are no age restrictions on smoking. Besides you are a Druid, and this is the method to get closer to the Wildmother by using what she has given us. This plant called Mother's grass was grown here, and nurtured by her," Kira explained, nudging the pipe to him. While doing this she leaned over, and Alphonse looked down at her dress, and saw the valley between her breasts. His cheeks blushed as she did this.
She didn't seem to notice his innocence, or if she did, she didn't draw attention to it. Alphonse took the pipe from her and put his mouth on the end. He drew in a breath and felt the heat in his lungs. He didn't think he had ever felt how large his lungs were until that moment. Not only that but his throat burned some. The sensation caused him to cough.
"I apologize. I should have warned you to take a small breath in," she said while he was still coughing.
He gathered his breath and passed the pipe to her. She drew in more and made more rings. She relaxed with her back against the pillows.
Alphonse looked at her relaxing. "So how does this help me get closer to the Wildmother?"
"Be patient, and it will come to you. You are so young, and it shows in your impatience."
"You think I'm impatient? Wait until you meet my brother."
Alphonse then laughed, thinking of Edward.
Kira laughed at him and passed Alphonse the pipe. "Easy breath this time, young man."
Alphonse drew in a small amount this time. He blew it out and saw the puff of smoke dissipate into the air. He wondered how Kira did the rings. He thought it was a neat trick, and maybe he could impress the ladies like Jean had. That did seem to draw a few in but they didn't seem like the type he would be into. Maybe he could find other ways to impress girls.
After 15 minutes, Alphonse relaxed, and Kira asked him "What is your favorite flower?"
Alphonse was caught off guard. "I don't know. My mom liked irises. She said my dad got them for her."
"Irises are pretty. Do you want to bring her some? We grow some here."
"One day. My mom passed away, so we bring some to her grave every now and then when we visit."
"I'm sorry. You are still so young to have such a loss," Kira said. "What about your favorite animal?"
"A cat. I've always wanted one, and we could never have one as a pet. They're so soft, and they like to cuddle."
"Some do. Not all cats like to cuddle. I'm surprised you picked such a sweet creature. Most young boys like large predators."
"Yeah, I can see that. My brother would pick something big and ferocious. He would like your wolf form."
Alphonse smoked more and tried to make the rings but couldn't.
Kira then took the pipe from him. Alphonse then noticed more scents in the air besides the smoke. He smelled sunflowers and the scent of a dog. He sniffed more and got closer to it, and he realized it was Kira. "You smell different."
Kira perked up. "Your sense of smell is heightening. This is what we have been waiting for. Take a breath in and close your eyes. Tell me what else do you sense?"
Alphonse closed his eyes and breathed in. "I feel kind of giddy and light. And I'm hungry."
Kira chuckled. "Normal with this type of plant. Keep your eyes closed."
He felt her grab something from his side. "Hey! Don't take that."
It was a small wooden figure of a cat that had appeared with him when he arrived in this world. Kira put it in his hand. "This is your focus item. Feel it while you focus."
He closed his eyes and felt the cat figure. He still noticed his hunger. He really wanted something sweet. Maybe he could go to the bakery on the way to the inn.
Then he heard someone whispering to him. A feminine voice in his ear but it wasn't Kira. He couldn't make out the words but then he felt a light kiss on his forehead, and his body shrank smaller. Hair sprouted all over his body, but he felt comfortable.
Kira gasped. "You've become a cat."
Alphonse couldn't speak but hissed and his back arched raising the golden hair. He wasn't sure if he liked this feeling.
"It's alright. I know it feels different, but you'll come to enjoy it."
Alphonse relaxed the arch of his back and glanced back and forth. He walked around on all fours. It was odd but it wasn't bad. He jumped from onto the pillow and then jumped again. His face lit up. 'Jumping is fun' he thought.
"Come here," Kira called. She reached out and stroked her hand down his back and his tail went up. He felt so delighted that he even purred.
'All of these sensations are incredible,' he thought.
Alphonse purred more, and He jumped in her lap. He curled in a ball, and she petted him more. Her lap was so warm and cozy, that he could almost fall asleep if he wasn't so hungry.
"Are you thirsty?" Kira then waved her fingers in the air and a wave (check) of water from it and put it in her hand. He drank from it. "You can manipulate water but only in your halfling form. You can also only use your spells in your halfling form, not in your Wild Shape form. I can't wait to see what other forms you can use."
Alphonse perked up. 'Other forms? That's right, she said she can do multiple animals. I wonder what else I can turn into.'
Meanwhile at the temple…
The sun was setting, and the sky was a dark orange color as Seraphina waved goodbye at Winry as she walked out of the temple. Winry smiled feeling like she had made a new friend today.
When Winry had opened the gate, she heard a familiar voice say "So you're finally done. It's about time."
She turned to the voice, and saw Edward sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall holding the gate.
"You waited for me?!" She asked.
"Yeah, and you took forever," he huffed as he stood up. Winry crossed her arms, annoyed with his impatience but then she relaxed as she realized that he was being kind waiting on her. It would be comforting to have an escort back to the inn.
"How did it go?" She asked him.
"Good. I already saw the lieutenant and Colonel Bastard. They got our rooms extended," he replied.
"I wish you wouldn't call him that. He's been nice to us."
"You didn't have to work under him."
Winry sighed. "True but you probably didn't make it easy for him either."
Edward grumbled. Then Winry changed the subject.
"Where's Al?"
Edward replied "He hasn't shown up yet so I figured we could go check on him. Ms. Hawkeye gave me directions."
Winry put her arm through his. Edward was surprised at her casual contact but relaxed into it. It was something they had done before but usually she was dragging him somewhere.
She chirped. "Alright, lead the way."
Edward nodded, and they walked toward the forest. The sky was full of pink and orange hues as they entered the forest.
They eventually found Alphonse after a while at the bottom of a tree with a red-haired woman. He was laughing at something she had said when they came upon him.
Edward scolded "Alphonse! We need to hurry up and get back to the inn. Why have you been taking so long?"
Alphonse stopped laughing for a minute. "Oh, this is my brother. The one I told you about."
"Your brother? But he's.." Kira questioned but still relaxed against the tree.
"He's adopted!" Winry said quickly.
Kira seemed to believe it. She took another breath from her pipe.
Alphonse stood up and stumbled. And then he giggled more. "The air is so fresh. Wow! Brother, have you seen the sky? Those colors are so beautiful."
Alphonse reached for the sky. "It's a shame you can't touch those colors."
Winry and Edward became concerned. Edward turned to Kira and asked in a growl. "What the hell did you do to him?"
"Nothing is wrong with him. He needed to be closer to the Wildmother, and the easiest way to do that is to smoke. He'll be his usual self in the morning." Kira responded.
Winry smelled the smoke from the pipe. "Oh my god. He's high as a kite."
Winry chuckled at Alphonse. Then, Alphonse walked up to Winry and hugged her though he was shorter and his head snuggled against her breasts. Winry felt a little awkward at his position, and Edward was baffled.
"I love you Winry," he said.
"I love you too, Al," She leaned down and returned his embrace. He smelled her hair. "Winry, you smell so good. Is that the perfume you bought?"
"Yes, it is."
"Brother, have you smelled Winry? She smells so good."
"No, I haven't! Who does that?!" Edward scowled at him.
Alphonse leaned into Winry's ear like he was going to whisper a secret, but it did not come out as a whisper, and everyone heard Alphonse.
"He's lying. He told me he likes how you smell." Alphonse giggled and then he proceeded to walk down the path towards the inn.
Edward's mouth dropped open, and his face was red as well as Winry's. They didn't look at each other because they were both embarrassed.
Once Edward shook off the embarrassment, he asked Winry. "You know about this stuff?"
"Yes. We had some in Rush Valley. It helped with anxiety, and post op pain in my patients. I've tried it, and it wasn't bad. I just felt very relaxed. It looks like Al is having a different reaction though."
"YOU TRIED IT?!" Edward yelled.
"Ed, it's not a big deal. He'll be fine soon. Come on, we need to get back to the inn," Winry said following Alphonse so they wouldn't lose him.
Edward just stared at her. "What the hell is wrong with them? They smoked an illegal drug?"
"It's not illegal here. Though you can get arrested if you are acting too foolish." Kira warned.
Edward gave her a stern look. "Don't give that to my brother again."
"He probably won't need it again," Kira said. "However, he can make his own choices."
Edward scowled at her because she was right. It was his body, and he could make that choice. Now he knew the consequences though. He turned from Kira and went to catch up with Alphonse and Winry.
Alphonse and Winry walked hand in hand as Edward caught up to them.
Alphonse saw him come up from behind. "Brother, you don't smell as nice as Winry."
"YOU'RE STILL BRINGING THAT UP?!" Edward shouted.
Alphonse hid behind Winry. "Why is he so angry? He needs to relax more. Maybe he should try smoking the Mother's grass."
Winry put her arms out to protect him. "Al, don't antagonize Ed. Or I'll let him have you."
"Brother just smells like sweat. He really needs a bath. Wait!" Alphonse came out from behind Winry and sniffed Edward, who frowned at him. "Why do I smell beer on you?"
Edward slammed his hand over Al's mouth. "Shut it, AL!"
Winry's eyes went wide and she put her hands on her hip. "Edward! Did you have a beer? I can't believe you're criticizing us for smoking when you've been drinking alcohol!"
Edward held his hands up in surrender and tried to reason with her. "It was just one or two. And fifteen is the legal age to drink alcohol here."
"That seems young." Alphonse commented.
"Well, at some point, there wasn't a drinking age. It wasn't until 50 years ago that Amestris made a law for minors to not consume alcohol." Edward informed them.
"It's true," Alphonse admitted. Winry sighed. She couldn't argue with the facts.
Edward put his hands on Alphonse's shoulders. "Al, I promise to buy your first beer on your fifteenth birthday, okay?"
Alphonse looked confused. "Ok… That's an odd thing to promise." His stomach growled. "I'm hungry."
Winry laughed. "Another side effect of smoking. Come on, we need to get back so we can all eat dinner. I'm starving, too."
Winry takes Al's hand and walks with him to the inn. Edward right next to him, grateful to hear that Alphonse was hungry. "Just don't eat so much, you get sick again."
The Risembool trio arrive at the inn, and fortunately the two adults had a table for dinner already. Al sat down and immediately ordered food, and Edward had to slow him down from ordering everything on the menu.
"Choose one item, and if you're still hungry, you can order more. You'll get sick eating too much, AGAIN!" Edward reminded Al.
"Awww but it all sounds good," Alphonse whined.
Winry giggled at Al.
They each talked about their training, and Riza explained that she also had magical abilities. Edward groaned loudly, and then sulked in a corner.
Riza spoke "Edward, what's wrong?"
"Everyone else has kick ass alchemy powers and I don't have any! This is unfair! I was a damn genius back home!" Edward sulked more.
Winry wanted to laugh at him but chose not to. "Edward, you're the best fighter I know, and you still need to teach me. Remember?"
Edward sighed and took his seat at the table. He leaned his cheeks on his hands. "I guess. What did you learn today?"
Winry responded with a smile. "I can control lightning!"
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Edward yelled.
Mustang added to antagonize Edward. "And I can produce acid and fire."
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Edward yelled more loudly.
Mustang continued "It's because I have the power of a dragon, which explains my back."
Edward almost fainted in his chair. He whimpered "It's not fair."
Alphonse was devouring his food but spoke between bites. "I can turn into animals. I turned into a cat today."
Everyone stared at him. "WHAT?"
Winry then asked him "Are you sure that happened? I mean, you've been smoking pot today."
"Yep. I'm sure of it. It felt really good when Kira petted me."
Edward shouted, "She did WHAT?!"
"I'll show you upstairs if Winry promises to pet me." Alphonse snickered.
"I have to see this," Mustang said. "Wait, you smoked pot today?"
Alphonse giggled. "I feel so good right now."
"That's enough food for you," Riza said. Edward moved to a corner and sulked even more as a dark cloud hung over him.
Winry asked "What about you, Ed? What did you learn today?"
Edward was thrilled the attention had returned to him. "I learned more sword fighting techniques today. In fact, the man training me was so impressed that he bought me my first beer today. The drinking age is fifteen."
Edward then ordered a beer, and Mustang sighed loudly. "Damn it. I am not handling Edward while he's drunk."
Riza turned them back to the task. "So, no one found any clues on how to get home."
They all shook their heads. Riza said "It's fine. We'll keep on finding ways to survive in this world. Then, we'll keep our ears open for any hints."
Everyone agreed. After a bath, and everyone was ready for bed, Alphonse transformed into a cat. They couldn't believe it, and yet Winry kept her promise. She petted him to his delight.
Alphonse came out of his wild shape back into his halfling form. "See! I told you!"
Author's note: Alphonse's training is my favorite. I'm so glad that I was finally able to write it. Alright friends, I must confess I am currently writing an original story so that's where my focus is right now. Next month is the writing challenge, and I will be focused on writing my original in that time frame. Don't worry though! I will continue writing this in December. Their initial training is complete, and now we can progress with the story line.
A big thank you to those who have enjoyed this so far. And a huge amount of appreciation to Golden, who reads my stories and sends her comments! You have inspired me to keep writing, even when I was doubting myself.