[FMA Big Bang Fic] Chasing the Desert (3/9)
Title: Chasing the Desert
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…
Chasing the Desert
Chapter Three
(Art by xX-CookieMonster-Xx)
Not long after their meeting with Scar and Master, Roy and Riza went back to the inn. It was a small room, but they were fine with that. Their belongings were already inside, so it hadn’t took them long to get everything sorted. Roy sat on one of the two beds and read some of the reports while listening to the radio on the only desk in the room.
“Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…”
There was a radio drama playing, about a king and queen who had to live through the mistakes they had done to their people and the kingdom in the past. The plot started off with a neighboring kingdom wanting to rage war with them, much to the disbelief of the king and queen.
“I can’t believe this, Damien. We’re already having problems with our own kingdom, and now King Liam wants to take over our land!”
“I know Anna, I know. The people aren’t happy about this.”
“And right when things are starting to go well after so many years of trying to regain the people’s trust.”
Roy stopped reading over the progress of wheat in Kanda for a brief moment. The king and queen seemed stressed over this; he would be too if he were in the king’s place. Once Roy got back to looking over the reports, he wasn’t paying much attention to what happened next. There was one part he listened to where King Damien tried to convince King Liam to call off the war, but the other king laughed in his face.
“But I’m begging you, please reconsider your plan in taking over my kingdom.”
“Ha! You’re fooling yourself in thinking I would call off the attack. Your kingdom will be diminished.”
“Are you reading the reports or listening to that play?”
Roy blinked a few times and spun around to see Riza, her face lit up with a smirk. Earlier she was away to get some reports from Miles and now just came back with them tucked under her arm.
“A bit of both,” he said with a shrug. “If you must know, the cropping in Kanda is going fine so far.”
Riza gave a small nod. “That’s great to hear.” Changing the subject, the Captain said, “What’s the radio drama about?”
“It’s about King Damien and Queen Anna trying to make amends with their people. Now one of the neighboring kingdoms is going against them.”
“Sounds interesting.” Riza sat next to Roy on the bed, putting Miles’s reports down. “We can listen to the rest of the story together.”
Before Roy answered, he set the papers aside too and smiled at her. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
At the moment the story was coming to a close. The battle had begun with the two kingdoms, the other side winning. It seemed that King Damien was doomed until he was able to stab King Liam through the stomach. All of the knights had cheered, but then the other king took out King Damien’s eyes with his dagger before he died. Roy cringed at that part, the actor’s yell cutting straight through his heart.
“Something the matter, Roy?” Riza said, looking at him with concern. “I can turn off the radio if you want.”
A sad smile spread across Roy’s face. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”
Roy could tell that Riza didn’t believe him, but her face relaxed and she rested her head on his shoulders again. They continued listening to the rest of the radio drama, the last scene being the queen taking care of the king.
“I’m so glad that you’re alive.”
“I would rather die. No one wants a blind king to rule their country.”
“You’re not alone. I’ll help you get through this; I’ll be your eyes from now on.”
The Brigadier General couldn’t help but snicker, which won him a light punch on the shoulder from Riza.
“What’s so funny about that?”
“You’re right, my dear. I can still rule this kingdom with you by my side.”
“Well, the expression ‘I’ll be your eyes’ is used so many times in books and movies that it’s so cliché now.”
Riza didn’t say anything for a bit, but then a short chuckle left her. “I think it’s lovely. Reminds me when I was your eyes.”
Roy regarded her in silence. He wondered if Riza would be his eyes if he was still blind. It was actually silly to think that as he already knew the answer to that. Roy stole her lips in a deep kiss.
“And so the king and queen were able to rule their kingdom peacefully. Despite his blindness, King Damien got most of his plans accomplished thanks to Queen Anna who never left his side. Tune in again same time, next week to Radio Capital for another episode of Drama Tales.”
+++
First Lieutenant Maria Ross wanted to take telling Breda she could handle the Ishval heat back. She was wrong.
As soon as she, Fuery, and Breda made it to the Gunja district that afternoon, the blazing sun became unbearable with each step they took. She didn’t remember the desert being this hot when she had to run away from Amestris. Despite the heat, Maria was glad to actually take a look around a part of Ishval. Gunja was opened back to the Ishvalans a couple weeks ago and so far the people made slow but good progress on the rebuilding of the district, the First Lieutenant thought.
When it grew dark, the three were done with their tour and meeting with the Ishvalans for the day and went to get dinner. There was a little food stand that served hot soup, so they went to grab some there and ate outside while chatting, one of the topics being how Havoc was doing.
“Is Havoc’s physical therapy going well?” Fuery asked.
“It’s going good so far,” Breda explained. “He told me over the phone the doctors said he was making good progress. If Havoc keeps this up, he should be able to get back to work by early spring next year.”
“Wow, that fast?” Maria said with a hint of surprise in her tone. She remembered the day when Doctor Marcoh used the Philosopher’s Stone on Havoc’s legs so that he could feel them once more. He warned that Havoc still needed to learn how to walk again. He said that the Stone would help jumpstart it and estimated the physical therapy would last for a year or two.
“Yep,” Breda responded, his smirk widening. “I’m looking forward to working with him again. You’ll love him.”
“Well, that’s great.” Maria paused and smiled. “I really owe him since he helped me escape and convinced me to come back.”
“I’m sure you and Havoc will get along really well,” Fuery said with a reassuring smile.
Everyone fell silent for a moment as they drank their soup, leaving Maria to let her mind drift. She thought about Mustang and Hawkeye, who were now in the Daliha district but would be visiting Xerxes soon. It was a shock to her when she heard several Ishvalans were living at the ruins as she had to hide there for a couple of days and hadn’t seen them. The woman was aware of their involvement in the Ishval Extermination and was glad they took action in setting things straight, but part of her worried something bad might’ve happened to them. Maria then wondered to Mustang and Hawkeye.
“So, Fuery, Breda…is it all right I ask you something?”
Both Fuery and Breda looked at her blankly. “Sure, Ross,” Breda said, his lips curving into a smile.
“Is it true that Brigadier General Mustang and Captain Hawkeye had a history together? I know the both of them were in Ishval, but I heard they knew each other even before that.”
Breda crossed his arms and nodded. “Mustang actually learned his flame alchemy from Riza’s father. I didn’t know that until a couple years ago.”
“Oh, I see.” Upon hearing Hawkeye’s name, Maria’s eyes flew open. “Wait, did you call Hawkeye by her first name?”
“She’s fine with me saying her name,” Breda said with a shrug.
“It’s true. She didn’t argue when Breda said it on the eve of the Promised Day,” Fuery said after chuckling.
“Well, I think it’s unprofessional if you call the Captain by her first name.”
“Don’t worry, I rarely say her first name in public.”
Maria closed her mouth, not wanting to talk about this anymore, and instead began thinking about being accepted into Mustang’s team. Before he came to Central with his team last year, Maria heard him rising through the ranks fast and that his men were not to be underestimated. It was a surprise to her when Mustang wanted her on his team due to her bravery and compassion; she was flattered. There was no need to have second thoughts over his offer.
“I’m glad to be part of this team,” she said, smiling. “It’s an honor to be helping Mustang with his plans.”
“Did Brosh get sad when you said you would be in Mustang’s team and not with Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong?” Fuery asked.
“Yes,” the First Lieutenant said with a heavy sigh. “I told him that we’re both working at Central Command and will see each other from time to time, though.”
“That’s good,” Breda said. “Bosch was pretty upset over your fake death.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of Maria’s lips. “No surprise, there. Both Armstrong and Brosh are very proud of me for doing this.”
Maria didn’t want to disappoint anyone- Brosh, Armstrong, her team, the Ishvalans. She looked forward to the prospects and would give it her all in this restoration.
+++
Roy knew the trip to the ruins would take a little over two days by horse due to the large amount of sand the travelers had to get through, and frankly he was tired of seeing nothing but that. The heat was intense, but he was already used to the summer sun hotter than this. He and Riza were riding behind Miles and Scar, the ex-criminal leading them.
“You know how much longer it’ll be until we get there?” Roy asked Scar. He assumed they should be getting close now.
“Just a little further. We should be there before sunset.”
Well, at least there would be something else to see besides sand soon, Roy convinced himself.
“Have you ever been to Xerxes before, Scar?” This time the question came from Riza.
Scar shook his head and said without looking at Riza, “This is my first time, but Master told me how to get there.” He paused. “There are still quite a few of people living in Xerxes because they’re waiting for their respective districts to reopen.”
“The Brigadier General and I are preparing to open more districts, it’s just taking time for them to be approved,” Riza told Scar.
“Will you convince the Ishvalans, though?” Miles said, turning to face Roy.
“I’m aware of that and not asking for forgiveness. Again, I want to reassure them I’m doing everything I can to restore their land.”
While keeping an eye out for any sign of the ruins, Roy wondered how his meeting with Madam Shan and the Ishvalans would go. He wanted to say that everything would go smoothly, but that was foolish thinking.
“I can’t wait to see Xerxes,” Riza said in a low voice, suddenly interrupting Roy’s thoughts. He glanced at her, seeing a small smile on the corners of her lips. “Breda told me Xerxes is beautiful even though you’ll mostly see just rubble.”
Roy’s mouth curved to a smirk. “I have to admit that I am too. I love ruins and have been fascinated by them ever since I was a little kid.”
“Really?” Riza looked at him in surprise, but then chuckled. “I don’t think you ever told me this.”
“I wasn’t sure if you were interested in them or not.” Roy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
“Well, history was one of my favorite subjects in school, so of course I am.”
Sometimes the Brigadier General was amazed how many things he still didn’t know about Riza even though they had a long history together. The same could be said with her not knowing a few things about him. Since their relationship began, they had become more open with one another, which was what he wanted.
“Scar said we’re not too far from Xerxes, so we should be there soon.”
No words were exchanged for the rest of the journey. They arrived in Xerxes before sunset, just as Scar predicted. Everyone got off of their horses and tethered their horses near a fountain before going on a walking tour of the ruins and finding the Ishvalans. Roy glanced around and saw many destroyed buildings, one he recognized as a school and another some sort of eatery. His eyes glimpsed at Riza, the Captain amazed at the scenery around her. A grin spread across his features.
Roy was reminded of the fairy tale of how alchemy was started. After Xerxes’ downfall, its only survivor wandered to a newly founded country, Amestris, and taught alchemy to many people. The Flame Alchemist was surprised when Edward told him it was his father who was that Eastern Sage. He never got to see him due to him being blind during the Promised Day, but Roy always thought he looked like what Ed would be many years later.
“Scar, Miles, have any of you ever heard of the Tales of the Sage of the East Desert?”
Both Scar and Miles faced Roy with great interest while Riza looked at him in confusion.
“If that tale is what I think it is, then yes,” Scar said. “My people are aware of how Xerxes perished, which taught us how dangerous alchemy is.”
Roy gulped to himself, not liking the tone the Ishvalan used. “Figures.”
“Why are you asking Scar and me this?” Miles asked.
“I’m just curious, that’s all,” Roy said with a shrug. Changing the subject, he said, “Does Madam Shan live near here?”
“That I can’t say,” Scar said. “Most likely they’re aware of you here, so they’re watching closely.”
“Well, we’ll keep looking, then.”
Roy and the rest of the group continued walking through the ruins until they halted inside the remains of a temple with awestruck expressions crossing their features. The Flame Alchemist gazed at the damaged architecture surrounding him and imagined himself back four hundred years ago-the walls and pillars would have designs unlike any other.
“I have always heard of stories in which the Xerxes king’s temple is one of the most beautiful architectural masterpieces of its time, and I can see why,” Miles said. “It’s such a shame that it was wiped out.”
“Indeed they were really ahead of their time,” Riza agreed.
While everyone was still looking around the temple, Roy noticed something not far from him. He turned around and his eyes fell upon a huge wall and inscribed on it was…
The human transmutation circle.
His heart began making fast but loud beats. Granted the top portion of the wall was missing, but he still recognized that circle from anywhere. Roy was unable to tear his eyes off from it.
Memories of him being forced to do human transmutation flooded back to him. Him pinned down and unable to escape, the light that engulfed him into another place as his piercing scream filled the room, being thrown inside the Gate and his sight being ripped away from him.
“Mustang? Mustang?” Miles asked.
Roy blinked and turned around to see Riza, Miles, and Scar staring at him in concern. He chuckled in an embarrassed manner.
“Sorry. It’s just that…”
“The human transmutation circle there reminded you over what happened during the Promised Day,” Scar finished off. “Am I right?”
Not surprised Scar knew that, Roy nodded. “It still feels just like yesterday that that happened to me.” A determined look slowly formed on his face. “Come on, we need to find the Ishvalans that are still staying here and talk with them.”
+++
The next couple of moments everyone was still walking through the ruins. Riza kept an eye out for anyone passing by, but so far she saw no one. The Captain was left wondering where the Ishvalans could be; they must be hiding pretty well to be unnoticed. Then again, Xerxes was a pretty large civilization.
Riza loved what she saw of Xerxes so far. She knew a little bit about what happened here, her father told her about it when she was very little. Despite knowing how this whole country vanished, it was still unbelievable to Riza that all of Xerxes was wiped out instantly.
The group was at an open area where many collapsed pillars were scattered when Miles halted everyone.
"I think we have been walking long enough. Let's sit down and rest," the Lieutenant Colonel suggested.
"Good idea," Roy said, fatigue evident in his voice.
Roy sat on a fallen pillar while Miles took a seat on a boulder. Scar remained standing. Riza sat down next to Roy, took out her canteen, and took a sip of the last drops of water from it.
"You need any more water?" Roy asked.
Riza shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm fine." Roy smiled and took a swig from his own canteen.
No words were spoken by anyone. As Riza looked at Roy, a slight frown appeared on her face. When she noticed Roy freeze and his eyes widen like that a few moments ago, she got frightened. She knew that human transmutation circle and was sure he was thinking about what happened during the Promised Day. She felt uneasy when she saw it too.
"I think it's best if we continue looking around tomorrow," Scar said suddenly, making Riza lose her train of thought. "It's going to be harder to find them in the dark."
One look at the setting sun and Riza knew Scar was right. It would be a good idea if they stop their search for the day.
"We should find a dwelling to stay for the night," Riza said, standing up. Roy and Miles got up form where they were sitting soon after. "One shouldn't be too far from here."
With that said, everyone headed off to find some dwellings. Even though many of the buildings were damaged, Riza could tell if one used to be a house. While looking around for one, she suddenly heard footsteps. Riza turned around, only to see nothing.
"Something the matter?"
Blinking, Riza faced Roy and saw concern in his eyes. “I thought I heard footsteps. You didn’t hear anything?”
“No, I didn’t,” Roy said while shaking his head.
“Wait,” Scar said, realization dawning on him, “if Hawkeye heard something, then the Ishvalans should be close by.”
“Like Mustang, I didn’t hear anything.” Miles took off his goggle glasses and stared at Riza. “Are you sure about what you heard?” he asked her.
Riza gave Miles a nod. “Positive.”
“Either way, we should still keep an eye out just in ca…”
Roy was unable to finish his sentence when, without warning, two men snuck up and pinned him on the ground with great force. Taken aback by the suddenness of this, Riza had her hand on her gun. She almost pulled it out from the holster, but Scar held out his hand in front of her. From what she could tell from the Ishvalan’s face, he seemed a little shocked over what happened to Roy too.
“Wait,” Scar told her and then turned his head to stare at the men holding Roy. “Are the both of you around here?” he said to them.
Having a better glimpse at them, Riza’s face turned pale. The two men had white hair and red eyes.
One of the men nodded and said, “The both of us overheard that there are intruders here, so we came to see ourselves.” He paused, narrowing his eyes at Riza and Miles. “You all are from the military, right?” he asked in disgust.
“Yes,” Roy said quickly through gritted teeth. “We are seeking to revise Amestrian policies to better suit the interests and needs of the native peoples of Ishval.”
“Oh, really?” said the younger of the two, holding Roy down. “Who are you and who sent you here?”
“I’m Brigadier General Roy Mustang and Fuhrer Niels Grumman was the one that approved of me coming here.”
“Wait, you’re the Roy Mustang, the Hero of Ishval?” the older Ishvalan asked, looking at him suspiciously. “The Ishvalans here have heard about Amestris’s new Fuhrer and the government plans of rebuilding Ishval, but many of us are still skeptical about it. How we know you’re not here to harm us?”
Riza glanced at Miles and Scar, the both of them seemed unsure what to do. Before Riza spoke, she made one bold step forward.
“Let the Brigadier General go. He’s telling the truth.”
The two Ishvalan men looked at one another briefly before giving each other a slow nod and releasing their hold of Roy, taking a few steps back from him. Roy stood back up.
“Can you tell us your names?” Miles asked.
“I’m Mek,” said the younger Ishvalan, pointing to himself. Before he continued, he pointed to the other man. “And he’s Adil.”
“I heard that one of the Elders, Madam Shan, is still here,” Roy said. “Can you two take me to her?”
“We’ll let you speak with Madam Shan,” Adil said, “but don’t expect her or the other Ishvalans here have mercy on you, Mustang.”
When both of the men began walking, Riza and the others followed. Roy mentioned to her a while back that the talks with the Ishvalans wouldn’t be easy, and so far things weren’t off to a great start.
Onto Chapter Four!
This entry was originally posted at http://bay-alexison.dreamwidth.org/78660.html. Feel free to comment wherever you like!
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…
Chasing the Desert
Chapter Three
(Art by xX-CookieMonster-Xx)
Not long after their meeting with Scar and Master, Roy and Riza went back to the inn. It was a small room, but they were fine with that. Their belongings were already inside, so it hadn’t took them long to get everything sorted. Roy sat on one of the two beds and read some of the reports while listening to the radio on the only desk in the room.
“Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…”
There was a radio drama playing, about a king and queen who had to live through the mistakes they had done to their people and the kingdom in the past. The plot started off with a neighboring kingdom wanting to rage war with them, much to the disbelief of the king and queen.
“I can’t believe this, Damien. We’re already having problems with our own kingdom, and now King Liam wants to take over our land!”
“I know Anna, I know. The people aren’t happy about this.”
“And right when things are starting to go well after so many years of trying to regain the people’s trust.”
Roy stopped reading over the progress of wheat in Kanda for a brief moment. The king and queen seemed stressed over this; he would be too if he were in the king’s place. Once Roy got back to looking over the reports, he wasn’t paying much attention to what happened next. There was one part he listened to where King Damien tried to convince King Liam to call off the war, but the other king laughed in his face.
“But I’m begging you, please reconsider your plan in taking over my kingdom.”
“Ha! You’re fooling yourself in thinking I would call off the attack. Your kingdom will be diminished.”
“Are you reading the reports or listening to that play?”
Roy blinked a few times and spun around to see Riza, her face lit up with a smirk. Earlier she was away to get some reports from Miles and now just came back with them tucked under her arm.
“A bit of both,” he said with a shrug. “If you must know, the cropping in Kanda is going fine so far.”
Riza gave a small nod. “That’s great to hear.” Changing the subject, the Captain said, “What’s the radio drama about?”
“It’s about King Damien and Queen Anna trying to make amends with their people. Now one of the neighboring kingdoms is going against them.”
“Sounds interesting.” Riza sat next to Roy on the bed, putting Miles’s reports down. “We can listen to the rest of the story together.”
Before Roy answered, he set the papers aside too and smiled at her. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
At the moment the story was coming to a close. The battle had begun with the two kingdoms, the other side winning. It seemed that King Damien was doomed until he was able to stab King Liam through the stomach. All of the knights had cheered, but then the other king took out King Damien’s eyes with his dagger before he died. Roy cringed at that part, the actor’s yell cutting straight through his heart.
“Something the matter, Roy?” Riza said, looking at him with concern. “I can turn off the radio if you want.”
A sad smile spread across Roy’s face. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”
Roy could tell that Riza didn’t believe him, but her face relaxed and she rested her head on his shoulders again. They continued listening to the rest of the radio drama, the last scene being the queen taking care of the king.
“I’m so glad that you’re alive.”
“I would rather die. No one wants a blind king to rule their country.”
“You’re not alone. I’ll help you get through this; I’ll be your eyes from now on.”
The Brigadier General couldn’t help but snicker, which won him a light punch on the shoulder from Riza.
“What’s so funny about that?”
“You’re right, my dear. I can still rule this kingdom with you by my side.”
“Well, the expression ‘I’ll be your eyes’ is used so many times in books and movies that it’s so cliché now.”
Riza didn’t say anything for a bit, but then a short chuckle left her. “I think it’s lovely. Reminds me when I was your eyes.”
Roy regarded her in silence. He wondered if Riza would be his eyes if he was still blind. It was actually silly to think that as he already knew the answer to that. Roy stole her lips in a deep kiss.
“And so the king and queen were able to rule their kingdom peacefully. Despite his blindness, King Damien got most of his plans accomplished thanks to Queen Anna who never left his side. Tune in again same time, next week to Radio Capital for another episode of Drama Tales.”
+++
First Lieutenant Maria Ross wanted to take telling Breda she could handle the Ishval heat back. She was wrong.
As soon as she, Fuery, and Breda made it to the Gunja district that afternoon, the blazing sun became unbearable with each step they took. She didn’t remember the desert being this hot when she had to run away from Amestris. Despite the heat, Maria was glad to actually take a look around a part of Ishval. Gunja was opened back to the Ishvalans a couple weeks ago and so far the people made slow but good progress on the rebuilding of the district, the First Lieutenant thought.
When it grew dark, the three were done with their tour and meeting with the Ishvalans for the day and went to get dinner. There was a little food stand that served hot soup, so they went to grab some there and ate outside while chatting, one of the topics being how Havoc was doing.
“Is Havoc’s physical therapy going well?” Fuery asked.
“It’s going good so far,” Breda explained. “He told me over the phone the doctors said he was making good progress. If Havoc keeps this up, he should be able to get back to work by early spring next year.”
“Wow, that fast?” Maria said with a hint of surprise in her tone. She remembered the day when Doctor Marcoh used the Philosopher’s Stone on Havoc’s legs so that he could feel them once more. He warned that Havoc still needed to learn how to walk again. He said that the Stone would help jumpstart it and estimated the physical therapy would last for a year or two.
“Yep,” Breda responded, his smirk widening. “I’m looking forward to working with him again. You’ll love him.”
“Well, that’s great.” Maria paused and smiled. “I really owe him since he helped me escape and convinced me to come back.”
“I’m sure you and Havoc will get along really well,” Fuery said with a reassuring smile.
Everyone fell silent for a moment as they drank their soup, leaving Maria to let her mind drift. She thought about Mustang and Hawkeye, who were now in the Daliha district but would be visiting Xerxes soon. It was a shock to her when she heard several Ishvalans were living at the ruins as she had to hide there for a couple of days and hadn’t seen them. The woman was aware of their involvement in the Ishval Extermination and was glad they took action in setting things straight, but part of her worried something bad might’ve happened to them. Maria then wondered to Mustang and Hawkeye.
“So, Fuery, Breda…is it all right I ask you something?”
Both Fuery and Breda looked at her blankly. “Sure, Ross,” Breda said, his lips curving into a smile.
“Is it true that Brigadier General Mustang and Captain Hawkeye had a history together? I know the both of them were in Ishval, but I heard they knew each other even before that.”
Breda crossed his arms and nodded. “Mustang actually learned his flame alchemy from Riza’s father. I didn’t know that until a couple years ago.”
“Oh, I see.” Upon hearing Hawkeye’s name, Maria’s eyes flew open. “Wait, did you call Hawkeye by her first name?”
“She’s fine with me saying her name,” Breda said with a shrug.
“It’s true. She didn’t argue when Breda said it on the eve of the Promised Day,” Fuery said after chuckling.
“Well, I think it’s unprofessional if you call the Captain by her first name.”
“Don’t worry, I rarely say her first name in public.”
Maria closed her mouth, not wanting to talk about this anymore, and instead began thinking about being accepted into Mustang’s team. Before he came to Central with his team last year, Maria heard him rising through the ranks fast and that his men were not to be underestimated. It was a surprise to her when Mustang wanted her on his team due to her bravery and compassion; she was flattered. There was no need to have second thoughts over his offer.
“I’m glad to be part of this team,” she said, smiling. “It’s an honor to be helping Mustang with his plans.”
“Did Brosh get sad when you said you would be in Mustang’s team and not with Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong?” Fuery asked.
“Yes,” the First Lieutenant said with a heavy sigh. “I told him that we’re both working at Central Command and will see each other from time to time, though.”
“That’s good,” Breda said. “Bosch was pretty upset over your fake death.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of Maria’s lips. “No surprise, there. Both Armstrong and Brosh are very proud of me for doing this.”
Maria didn’t want to disappoint anyone- Brosh, Armstrong, her team, the Ishvalans. She looked forward to the prospects and would give it her all in this restoration.
+++
Roy knew the trip to the ruins would take a little over two days by horse due to the large amount of sand the travelers had to get through, and frankly he was tired of seeing nothing but that. The heat was intense, but he was already used to the summer sun hotter than this. He and Riza were riding behind Miles and Scar, the ex-criminal leading them.
“You know how much longer it’ll be until we get there?” Roy asked Scar. He assumed they should be getting close now.
“Just a little further. We should be there before sunset.”
Well, at least there would be something else to see besides sand soon, Roy convinced himself.
“Have you ever been to Xerxes before, Scar?” This time the question came from Riza.
Scar shook his head and said without looking at Riza, “This is my first time, but Master told me how to get there.” He paused. “There are still quite a few of people living in Xerxes because they’re waiting for their respective districts to reopen.”
“The Brigadier General and I are preparing to open more districts, it’s just taking time for them to be approved,” Riza told Scar.
“Will you convince the Ishvalans, though?” Miles said, turning to face Roy.
“I’m aware of that and not asking for forgiveness. Again, I want to reassure them I’m doing everything I can to restore their land.”
While keeping an eye out for any sign of the ruins, Roy wondered how his meeting with Madam Shan and the Ishvalans would go. He wanted to say that everything would go smoothly, but that was foolish thinking.
“I can’t wait to see Xerxes,” Riza said in a low voice, suddenly interrupting Roy’s thoughts. He glanced at her, seeing a small smile on the corners of her lips. “Breda told me Xerxes is beautiful even though you’ll mostly see just rubble.”
Roy’s mouth curved to a smirk. “I have to admit that I am too. I love ruins and have been fascinated by them ever since I was a little kid.”
“Really?” Riza looked at him in surprise, but then chuckled. “I don’t think you ever told me this.”
“I wasn’t sure if you were interested in them or not.” Roy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
“Well, history was one of my favorite subjects in school, so of course I am.”
Sometimes the Brigadier General was amazed how many things he still didn’t know about Riza even though they had a long history together. The same could be said with her not knowing a few things about him. Since their relationship began, they had become more open with one another, which was what he wanted.
“Scar said we’re not too far from Xerxes, so we should be there soon.”
No words were exchanged for the rest of the journey. They arrived in Xerxes before sunset, just as Scar predicted. Everyone got off of their horses and tethered their horses near a fountain before going on a walking tour of the ruins and finding the Ishvalans. Roy glanced around and saw many destroyed buildings, one he recognized as a school and another some sort of eatery. His eyes glimpsed at Riza, the Captain amazed at the scenery around her. A grin spread across his features.
Roy was reminded of the fairy tale of how alchemy was started. After Xerxes’ downfall, its only survivor wandered to a newly founded country, Amestris, and taught alchemy to many people. The Flame Alchemist was surprised when Edward told him it was his father who was that Eastern Sage. He never got to see him due to him being blind during the Promised Day, but Roy always thought he looked like what Ed would be many years later.
“Scar, Miles, have any of you ever heard of the Tales of the Sage of the East Desert?”
Both Scar and Miles faced Roy with great interest while Riza looked at him in confusion.
“If that tale is what I think it is, then yes,” Scar said. “My people are aware of how Xerxes perished, which taught us how dangerous alchemy is.”
Roy gulped to himself, not liking the tone the Ishvalan used. “Figures.”
“Why are you asking Scar and me this?” Miles asked.
“I’m just curious, that’s all,” Roy said with a shrug. Changing the subject, he said, “Does Madam Shan live near here?”
“That I can’t say,” Scar said. “Most likely they’re aware of you here, so they’re watching closely.”
“Well, we’ll keep looking, then.”
Roy and the rest of the group continued walking through the ruins until they halted inside the remains of a temple with awestruck expressions crossing their features. The Flame Alchemist gazed at the damaged architecture surrounding him and imagined himself back four hundred years ago-the walls and pillars would have designs unlike any other.
“I have always heard of stories in which the Xerxes king’s temple is one of the most beautiful architectural masterpieces of its time, and I can see why,” Miles said. “It’s such a shame that it was wiped out.”
“Indeed they were really ahead of their time,” Riza agreed.
While everyone was still looking around the temple, Roy noticed something not far from him. He turned around and his eyes fell upon a huge wall and inscribed on it was…
The human transmutation circle.
His heart began making fast but loud beats. Granted the top portion of the wall was missing, but he still recognized that circle from anywhere. Roy was unable to tear his eyes off from it.
Memories of him being forced to do human transmutation flooded back to him. Him pinned down and unable to escape, the light that engulfed him into another place as his piercing scream filled the room, being thrown inside the Gate and his sight being ripped away from him.
“Mustang? Mustang?” Miles asked.
Roy blinked and turned around to see Riza, Miles, and Scar staring at him in concern. He chuckled in an embarrassed manner.
“Sorry. It’s just that…”
“The human transmutation circle there reminded you over what happened during the Promised Day,” Scar finished off. “Am I right?”
Not surprised Scar knew that, Roy nodded. “It still feels just like yesterday that that happened to me.” A determined look slowly formed on his face. “Come on, we need to find the Ishvalans that are still staying here and talk with them.”
+++
The next couple of moments everyone was still walking through the ruins. Riza kept an eye out for anyone passing by, but so far she saw no one. The Captain was left wondering where the Ishvalans could be; they must be hiding pretty well to be unnoticed. Then again, Xerxes was a pretty large civilization.
Riza loved what she saw of Xerxes so far. She knew a little bit about what happened here, her father told her about it when she was very little. Despite knowing how this whole country vanished, it was still unbelievable to Riza that all of Xerxes was wiped out instantly.
The group was at an open area where many collapsed pillars were scattered when Miles halted everyone.
"I think we have been walking long enough. Let's sit down and rest," the Lieutenant Colonel suggested.
"Good idea," Roy said, fatigue evident in his voice.
Roy sat on a fallen pillar while Miles took a seat on a boulder. Scar remained standing. Riza sat down next to Roy, took out her canteen, and took a sip of the last drops of water from it.
"You need any more water?" Roy asked.
Riza shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm fine." Roy smiled and took a swig from his own canteen.
No words were spoken by anyone. As Riza looked at Roy, a slight frown appeared on her face. When she noticed Roy freeze and his eyes widen like that a few moments ago, she got frightened. She knew that human transmutation circle and was sure he was thinking about what happened during the Promised Day. She felt uneasy when she saw it too.
"I think it's best if we continue looking around tomorrow," Scar said suddenly, making Riza lose her train of thought. "It's going to be harder to find them in the dark."
One look at the setting sun and Riza knew Scar was right. It would be a good idea if they stop their search for the day.
"We should find a dwelling to stay for the night," Riza said, standing up. Roy and Miles got up form where they were sitting soon after. "One shouldn't be too far from here."
With that said, everyone headed off to find some dwellings. Even though many of the buildings were damaged, Riza could tell if one used to be a house. While looking around for one, she suddenly heard footsteps. Riza turned around, only to see nothing.
"Something the matter?"
Blinking, Riza faced Roy and saw concern in his eyes. “I thought I heard footsteps. You didn’t hear anything?”
“No, I didn’t,” Roy said while shaking his head.
“Wait,” Scar said, realization dawning on him, “if Hawkeye heard something, then the Ishvalans should be close by.”
“Like Mustang, I didn’t hear anything.” Miles took off his goggle glasses and stared at Riza. “Are you sure about what you heard?” he asked her.
Riza gave Miles a nod. “Positive.”
“Either way, we should still keep an eye out just in ca…”
Roy was unable to finish his sentence when, without warning, two men snuck up and pinned him on the ground with great force. Taken aback by the suddenness of this, Riza had her hand on her gun. She almost pulled it out from the holster, but Scar held out his hand in front of her. From what she could tell from the Ishvalan’s face, he seemed a little shocked over what happened to Roy too.
“Wait,” Scar told her and then turned his head to stare at the men holding Roy. “Are the both of you around here?” he said to them.
Having a better glimpse at them, Riza’s face turned pale. The two men had white hair and red eyes.
One of the men nodded and said, “The both of us overheard that there are intruders here, so we came to see ourselves.” He paused, narrowing his eyes at Riza and Miles. “You all are from the military, right?” he asked in disgust.
“Yes,” Roy said quickly through gritted teeth. “We are seeking to revise Amestrian policies to better suit the interests and needs of the native peoples of Ishval.”
“Oh, really?” said the younger of the two, holding Roy down. “Who are you and who sent you here?”
“I’m Brigadier General Roy Mustang and Fuhrer Niels Grumman was the one that approved of me coming here.”
“Wait, you’re the Roy Mustang, the Hero of Ishval?” the older Ishvalan asked, looking at him suspiciously. “The Ishvalans here have heard about Amestris’s new Fuhrer and the government plans of rebuilding Ishval, but many of us are still skeptical about it. How we know you’re not here to harm us?”
Riza glanced at Miles and Scar, the both of them seemed unsure what to do. Before Riza spoke, she made one bold step forward.
“Let the Brigadier General go. He’s telling the truth.”
The two Ishvalan men looked at one another briefly before giving each other a slow nod and releasing their hold of Roy, taking a few steps back from him. Roy stood back up.
“Can you tell us your names?” Miles asked.
“I’m Mek,” said the younger Ishvalan, pointing to himself. Before he continued, he pointed to the other man. “And he’s Adil.”
“I heard that one of the Elders, Madam Shan, is still here,” Roy said. “Can you two take me to her?”
“We’ll let you speak with Madam Shan,” Adil said, “but don’t expect her or the other Ishvalans here have mercy on you, Mustang.”
When both of the men began walking, Riza and the others followed. Roy mentioned to her a while back that the talks with the Ishvalans wouldn’t be easy, and so far things weren’t off to a great start.
Onto Chapter Four!
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