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Episode 5: Across the Sandy Desert; In which a lolicon's innocence is lost and a botanist violates a cactus
Topic Started: Feb 22 2017, 07:50 PM (14 Views)
Talonheart
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The next morning the train pulled in to a large train yard, bellowing out a loud whistle and a puff of smoke. The train was in awful disrepair, having had the roof of the foremost car completely torn from it. The metal from the locomotive car was twisted and distorted, spiraling down into several dozen blades with what looked to be a pair of blue faced corpses pinned to the wall. And perhaps strangest of all were the four large vines sticking out from the back car’s windows, each one ended coiled around a man who by now seemed very much uncomfortable, all half unconscious from shouting themselves hoarse.

The crowd outside sitting in the train yard stood in awe at the spectacle. Many people gathered around the train in examine it, all muttering stories of how and why it all came about. From the crowd a man pushed forward, the train’s commissioner, yelling and cursing on the top of his lungs about the horrible state of the train.

Sherman stood up, looking out the nearby window with tired eyes. He had only slept a little that night, preferring to keep watch over the others just incase another attack had come. Despite his lack of sleep though, his fatigue was born more of a loathing for the day ahead than any amount of sleep deprivation. “Well everyone… From the looks of it we might’ve single handedly killed the railroad industry.” Sherman said with a dry tone. “Hey Zach. Can I get one of those cigarettes?” Sherman asked, holding out a hand patiently.



Zach looked gloomy on his seat because of the upcoming noise outside the train.
He never liked of too much attention. Finally standing up from the seat, he stretched out a bit before walking next to Sherman. ¨Phew... I guess you got some explaining to do, Team Leader¨
After making his remark, Comwell took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket while glancing inside it. There were only few left. Taking one out and lighting it up for himself, he roughly passed the pack to Sherman with a set of matches.
Don't spend it all at once.¨

Inhaling deeply, the man stick his hands to his pockets and proceeded towards the locomotive to retrieve the spear he had made earlier.
¨I'll meet you afterwards, I need to go buy some reserves.¨
Making a loose salute, the man disappeared from sight with Yumi following his figure effectionally.¨
Reaching the locomotive where the staff were half paralyzed from the stressful journey, the red eyed alchemist took a hold of the spear leaning to the wall and turning it back to a simple metal bar before sticking it to a holster under the sleeve of his jacket.
Coming back to the connection point of the cars, Zach looked at the mess he had made of the rebels. Shaking his head with a smile, he touched the spikes, returning them to a natural form of a train wall. The bodies attached to the spikes dropped to the ground next to the train, leaving a blood splattered piles of decomposing flesh and the stench of the dead.
Jumping out from the train himself, Zacharty made his way towards the closest store, not caring of the terrified looks and gasps from the crowd.

-------------------------

Avory, who had been following Sherman like a watchdog on duty, stared from the man's shadow to the mob. ¨Is he always this eccentric, Major Greyhound?¨
Not sure what to think of the whole situation, the girl kept her distance and avoided eye contact from the crowd outside.



Kirk stood from her seat and stretched as they arrived. Her sleep hadn't been restful, but at least it was sleep. During the ride she had cleaned her appearance up once again, fixing her disheveled hair and (once again) replacing her ruined shoes with an identical pair. As she gathered up her bags, she noticed they were growing lighter, and realized she was running out of back-up shoes. Oh yes. The military outfitters' office would be getting a scathing letter, surely.

She followed Major Greyhound, stiffly disembarking the train with Avory. Blinking in the morning sunlight, she gave a quick sneeze. Now that she thought of it, with all that exposure to wind yesterday and the lack of sleep, not to mention excessive exercise, she hope she wasn't catching a cold. She glanced around the yard at the gathering crowd. "Major? Crowd control?" she asked softly.



Sherman accepted the pack of cigarettes with a mild surprise. He had only wanted one, and preferably already lit. With a slight hum he shrugged his shoulders and struck a match, but not a cigarette. “I believe you’ll find most state alchemists to be a bit eccentric, Lieutenant.” He said in response to Avory’s question. Quickly pushing open the door that separated the back passenger’s car from the one they were in, Avory could see inside a wild and lush jungle filled with strange spores and coiling vines. Blue flowers covered most of the seats by this point, and the strange, green mold that covered every inch. With that he dropped the match into the box of cigarettes, letting the flame quickly catch to the cigarettes and then the box itself. With a casual toss he sent the box flying into the mossy jungle, and almost immediately on contact all the green was replaced with red, and great, roaring flames consumed it all almost in an instant. “It just varies in extremes.” With a small smile he tucked away the matches into his side satchel and walked off the train, whistling a merry tune.

As Sherman came off the train the crowd that had gathered backed away, all eyes staring over at the flames building up in the windows. The great vines that held the four rebels over the tracks burnt and fell a part, dropping each man on the ground with a loud thump. The fires died down quickly after, having burned through much of the vegetation over the course of a minute. “Everyone, please.” He said, holding up his state alchemist’s watch. “Military business.” With that many seemed to part ways, fearing the wrath of the military’s dog. Angry eyes were still on him, Sherman could feel it. But he didn’t bother to look at the crowd for them. “Second Lieutenant. Take Lieutenant Williams and collect our little friends back there. I have a call to make.”

Sherman walked over to the commissioner and did his best to explain the situation. While his explanation was obviously not sufficient, the old man finally let it go after Sherman promised the military would pay for the expenses of repairing the train. The first destroyed train, however, was caused by the rebellion, as many before had been since the rebellion started. All trains going to Xing from Amestris had been shut down to minimize the risk to foreign relations, but the lack of any quick way to get across the desert was making travel next to impossible.

Once his conversation with the commissioner was over Sherman made his way to one of the phones the train yard provided. “Yes. Hello this is Major Sherman Greyhound requesting to be put in with Colonel Evans in Central Command. Yes, I’ll hold.”



Following closely as Sherman made his way to the jungle car, Avory's eyes widened as he stared at the green environment that had taken over the man made chaos where nature and metal fought each other for space.
When the car was set on fire, Lieutenant covered her eyes with her hand while following Sherman outside.

Returning to a formal form, she made a salute as the orders were passed down. Finally something that she didn't need to think about. Following orders were so much more simple then making decisions regarding of other people's lives.

Walking next to the jungle car. Lieutenant Williams reached for her pouch and took a hold of 2 small pearl-like stones.
Turning the unconscious body of the rebel lie down flat on his stomach, she placed the pearl on top of the man. Focusing for a second, the black pearl changed shape and wrapped itself around the man's hands, pulling them together behind his back. When it was done, the black liquid-like substance froze into a solid onyx look-a-like.
Repeating the same action to the other man's body, she dusted off her hands and waited for further instruction with a very pleased expression radiating from all around her.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Colonel Evans firmly stood her ground. Staring at an invisible enemy, she focused while tightening her grip from the wooden handle.
With an instant step in, she moved forward while thrusting the air, releasing a small gust of wind from her mere movement. Repeating this several times, she could feel her stress and all the worries in the world being lifted from her shoulders.
Few minutes later, she switched to an open sword play, imagining her enemy she slashed through the air with grace and agility that could only be admired from the side.

Finishing with a wild series of swings, she "sheathed" her wooden practice sword and bowed to a defeated enemy.
The surface of her skin was covered in sweat and she breathed heavily.
This private session of hers had taken hours at this point and she could feel the effect. Taking a sip of water from a bottle next to the wall, she reached for a towel to wipe off her face and the dark crimson hair that had been slicked backwards to ease her training.
Her body felt refreshed after many hours of practice and she felt whole again as her well toned body answered to her every need with a deadly purpose and precision to match.
This was something she would always cherish and hold close, even if many of the military personnel could never understand her over excessive methods and love for her craft. Even by their standards, she was a beast.

Taking another sip, Evans concentration was broken as she could hear the ruckus outside the training room. Preparing herself for the worse, even if not showing it in her expression, she turned to face the door that would soon be opened.
And it did.
A young candidate walked in and made the honors before speaking with a tensed voice. ¨Colonel Evans ma'am. There is a phone call waiting for you in your office. Major Greyhound has asked for you from the field.¨

Evans listened before sighing loudly. ¨What is it this time...?¨

She had been troubled by Captain Claive's report not long ago, and now this. What else could have happened in such a short time span?
Gathering her training gear she prepared to move to her office.
¨At ease private, you are dismissed.¨
To be honest, she was a bit annoyed by everyone flinching from every movement of her fingers at this point and she did not want to interact with anyone like that for now.
After being told to disappear, the private seemed relieved and quickly made his way out from the hall.

----------------------------------

After changing back to her casual wear after a quick shower, the Colonel returned to her office with haste.
Taking a firm posture on her seat, she picked up the phone. ¨Patch him through.¨
Waiting for the call to connect, she tapped the surface of her desk impatiently.
¨Hello? This is Colonel Evans speaking.¨
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Talonheart
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Sherman waited patiently at the phone, tapping his foot on the floor to pass the time. Evans wasn’t usually away from her office for this long, but then no human could be sitting at their desk all day every day. When she finally picked up Sherman straightened his posture and replied. “Good morning, Colonel. I’m calling to catch you up on the events of our train ride to Yous Well. Since this is our last stop before Xing, it’s the last chance I’ll be able to contact you until the mission is complete.”

He waited for her permission to continue before speaking on. “I’m sure the Captain has already made his report of what happened with him and the Second Lieutenant. Well, on our trip to Yous Well our train was attacked as well. A group of rebels with a mission that seems to specifically be to target us. The rebels were subdued with none of us injured and no civilian casualties. And I managed to capture four of the rebels alive for questioning, but since time is of the essence I’ll leave them here for pick up to be taken back to Central.”



Evans listened with quirked eyebrows as the man made his report.
The response of the Resistance had been way too quick for a word to spread that fast. Many theories passed the Colonel's mind has she heard about the second attack. Not wanting to reveal too much via phone, Rebecca lowered her voice. ¨Major. From now on this is highly classified mission. You're not to mention of nature of this task to anyone nor speak of it out in the open. I also suggests that you change your uniforms to something more... Subtle... Which I believe Major Comwell has been doing all along.¨
Fixing her position on the seat, the Colonel continued.
¨I believe that Centrals communications have been jeopardized.
That, or we have a serious leak in our hands. Take any precautions that you deem necessary. Also any movement from the rebels that you find out or may encounter, get rid of it. Put Zacharty on the task if necessary. He should be glad about it, at least. After this call ends, as you said, there is no possibility to share information. I expect full report on your return.¨
Keeping a small pause in between, Evans remembered Sherman telling her about the captives.
¨As for the prisoners, I will not send anyone to pick them up. If the situation in here is as bad as I suspect, there's no point of letting them in here just so they can be released through some sort of scheme. Get any information you can out of them and then get rid of the extra weight. I will leave the details up to you. While you're gone, I will be doing some digging around here myself.
And when you return, do not pass the report to anyone but directly to me. Any questions?¨
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sherman should notice a slim figure that would have appeared next to the phone he was speaking to. It was Zach, lazily leaning to the wall while eating an apple. His figure seemed as indifferent as possible, but the man's eyes were sharp and narrow as a mark he had heard most of the conversation.



“No questions here.” Said Sherman, though his tone seemed to be one of foreboding more than anything. He never liked getting the order to execute prisoners, no matter what the circumstances. “One more thing, Colonel. Given the current situation, I’d like to request back up. We are only three experienced soldiers and one unseasoned recruit. Judging by the numbers that are being thrown at us, I don’t know if we can handle it for long. The nature of this mission… It’s changed dramatically. I realize it might take a while to scrounge together free soldiers to send our way, but I’d appreciate it all the same.”

Sherman’s eyes turned back to Zach as he appeared, listening in on the conversation. Sherman didn’t bother responding to his presence, merely turning his attention back to the phone. “Also you’re going to be receiving a damage report from the Yous Well Train Station. I had to commandeer the train, and well… It was the train or us.” Sherman pauses, thinking on the situation for a moment. “You might be able to get Colonel Freeman to take over the expenses. Just tell him I was using an experimental bio-weapon on the train and he should come running.” In truth there was nothing left for Colonel Freeman to examine, the fires having consumed all the plant matter on the train and leaving nothing but ash. Luckily, Colonel Freeman didn’t need to know that.



¨Sounds reasonable...¨ Colonel Evans responded to the suggestion for moving expenses towards Freeman. ¨Never liked that rabbit anyway.¨
Rewinding back to the topic of reinforcements, Rebecca thought furiously of any capable hands to launch as a back up for a mission that would risk one's life most definately. ¨...I'm not sure if I have anyone that could be of u~¨
Before being able to finish her sentence, something came into her mind.
¨Actually, I'll take that back. I'll be sending reinforcement right away. It will arrive in a few days time to the assigned hotel in Xing you have been booked already. Handle your business but keep it low.¨



“Sounds good to me. Well then, Colonel, looks like this will be my last report for quite some time. Next time you hear my voice, the mission will be complete. Good bye, Colonel.” He said before hanging up the phone. A heavy sigh found it’s way out as he turned around, facing Zach with tired, brown eyes. “Well Major Comwell. It looks like we have an interrogation and execution to do. Go tell the Second Lieutenant to help you with the interrogation. Don’t let any civilians see, though. We don’t want to scare any children into the rebel’s cause while we’re at it.” With that Sherman walked off, going to speak again with the commissioner about the expenses for the destroyed train.
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Talonheart
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Kirk nodded towards Greyhound crisply and strode off to do her job. Although she was curious about the strange jungle inside the train's car, it wasn't essential information and the Major wasn't obligated to fill in any gaps for her. Besides that, she was cranky from two long, arduous, restless train rides and an even longer journey ahead. Avory went straight for the captives, which didn't surprise Kirk. The girl seemed fairly shy, and she had to admit that Williams didn't have the best presence for pushing back unwanted viewers. Kirk strode quickly toward the station's offices, and located their security head. After a quick pause, she greeted him with a salute.

"Sir, 2nd Lieutenant Kirk. You've no doubt been informed that one of your trains was commandeered yesterday as a result of suspected terrorist attacks. Our suspicions were confirmed, but while we had a safe journey, we're still cleaning up the aftermath. If I could request the use of a security team to keep the civilians away for the time being." The man would notice that while she used the word 'request,' it wasn't one. Both her tone and the dead serious gleam in her eye told him she expected nothing less than cooperation. With a sigh, he agreed to gather up a team and send them her way, ASAP. Kirk nodded and left without saying anything further.

On her way back to the yard, she stopped at a supply closet and pulled out several coils of rope, which she slung over a shoulder. Kirk saw Avory's restrainment technique and quirked an approving eyebrow. The young recruit was turning out to be worth her salt after all. She turned to her 2 passed-out charges with a frown. Regardless of where they went, they were likely going to be killed either way. Still, as long as they got what they needed, it shouldn't matter to her what their fates were. In turn, she pulled up each man roughly up by the shoulders before binding their arms to their torsos and tying it off at their hands behind their backs. As an afterthought, she also loosely tied their ankles together, so they could still walk by themselves, but they wouldn't be moving fast enough to get away. She dusted her hands off, satisfied that the job was done well.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the uniforms of the station security. She nodded at Avory and went to meet with them. "Good morning, gentlemen. If you could all spread out and maintain as large of a perimeter as possible?" She directed the securitymen to their posts, taking up position for herself as well. It wasn't a coincidence that she scooted civilians along back to their merry lives in full view of Majors Greyhound and Comwell at the phone booth. While she couldn't overhear them, she wanted to keep an eye on them and make sure they weren't getting into trouble. After a while, Greyhound made a gloomy face and walked off towards the station offices, leaving Comwell by himself. Confused for a moment, she caught Zach's eye. Suddenly it made sense, and she got the idea that the rebels' fates weren't going to be an issue much longer.



Zach gave a slight nod towards Sherman's way while finishing his apple. In these kind of situation, the two never had to use much words to understand the weight of the situation.
Moving away from the phone, Zach walked towards Kirk while he lit a cigarette, letting it loosely burn between his lips. ¨Missy, give me hand for a bit. We have some information to squeeze from these little rascals.¨ Walking towards the tied up rebels, the man took old from the collar of the two men and started dragging them towards the station bathroom.

After getting to his destination, Zach slid the men across the floor to the other end of the room, waiting for Kirk to follow.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avory was a bit confused of the events happening right now, but decided not to ask any questions while they were still in the station.
This time, she would follow Zach, intending to be some help releasing the bindings on the rebel's hands if needed.



Kirk sighed. She wasn't looking forward to this. She left her post and went to inform one of the security guards to fill her gap, and keep the crowds further back than she first thought. She clapped the man on the shoulder and trotted after Zach. Following him and Avory, she couldn't help but notice he had gone into the men's room. After a brief pause for a strange kind of nostalgia, she entered the room and locked the door behind them.

"Major," she began softly, her voice echoing in the tiled room, "how did you want to do the interrogation?" Kirk glanced at the sorry heaps on the floor, her face blank and impassive.



¨I have my ways, 2nd Lieutenant.¨ While speaking, the man removed his trench coat and placed it on the washing table. Unbuttoning and rolling up the sleeves of his red wine colored collar shirt, the white haired alchemist revealed the 2 metal bars attached to his forearms with leather holsters.
Whistling a tune, the man washed his hands and dried them. Taking his lit up cigarette to his left hand, Zach looked at Avory. ¨You can go outside now, You probably don't want to see it.¨ Taking an inhale from his smoke, he switched to look at Kirk. ¨And neither I think you should either, but in your case, it's your own call.¨
-------------------------------------------------------

Avory was about to protest but then she suddenly remembered the rotting piles of what used to be a humans just outside the train tracks. ¨Understood Major.¨ She walked past Kirk and made her way out from the bathroom.
Staying on guard at the outside, she made sure no one else would try to enter.



Kirk gulped. She, too, remembered what Zach could do when pushed. Or maybe just because he liked it. Kirk wasn't so sure how someone could be that cheerful about torture. Steeling herself, she stood her ground.

"I'd like to stay and observe. I'll admit to being a little curious about your methods." In truth, she wanted to make sure Zach didn't kill the men before they gave up all their information. But when she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure what she would be able to do about it....
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Talonheart
Administrator
¨Suit yourself, missy.¨
Zach walked over to the men that were starting to wake up from the shock that the train ride had caused them.
Taking a hold of the metal bars, Zach transformed them together, creating a metallic chair that he placed in front of the 4 men. he slowly sat on it while pulling out a sturdy combat knife from his boot.

As the men came to their senses, they'd be their backs against the wall in a sitting position, staring at the frail looking alchemist with crimson red eyes and white hair staring down at them with unexplainable expression.

¨Evening gentlemen.¨ Zach would say casually while cleaning the dirt under his fingernails with the tip of the knife.
I presume that at this point, you all know what is going on here, no? So... here's how we will proceed. I'm going to ask you some questions, and you're hopefully going to answer with your best intent by telling me the truth.
I'm going to be honest with you. See, I'm not a very good liar. So here's how it will go down. Most of you will not be leaving this room alive. Depended on your answers, probably none of you will. BUT when I ask a question and you don't answer, or I get even a hint that you might be lying, the rest of you remaining lot will suffer from it. Are we clear on that?¨ Anyone of you who decides to talk will not save your own hide, but your friends as well.¨

Zach thought for a second if he had missed anything. Suddenly it came to him. ¨Oh that's right. I'm sorry, I forgot to prep this whole interrogator-Interrogated situations.¨
Turning around with his chair, Zacharty's red, norrowed down eyes met with Kirk's. They were full of enthusiasm, and the glimmer in them were close to what one would describe insanity, or just mad resolve. They were the eyes of someone who had seen death close many, many times.
¨Missy, would you please hand me some of those throwing knives your hiding under that garment, please.¨ Even his voice sounded different this time.



The very air in the room changed as Zach began talking to their prisoners. Kirk felt a shivver slowly worm its way up her spine and to her shoulders. He was enjoying this, and that didn't make for a reliable interrogation. After his little speech, he turned his fevered red eyes to her. As if in direct contrast, she stared him down with cold, blue eyes. Kirk heard the request, but took a moment to process it. After a second's pause, she reached for one of the slim, needle-like knives hidden on the underside of her skirt. Nimbly, she walked the knife through her fingers, its sharp edges gleaming in the overhead light of the bathroom.

"I'll keep it on standby until you're ready for it, Major," she finally answered quietly. When he was like this, she wasn't sure how he would react to anything less than 100% submission, but if she could do anything to keep this operation from getting too messy, then she was going to try to do it.



The smirk that slowly climbed to Zach's face did not help the lighten the mood one bit.
"Very well 2nd Lieutenant, you may remove yourself from the spot if you're not going to be of any use. "
As blunt as it may have sounded, the small alchemist could not care less for Kirk's presence. Turning back to the captives, Comwell stood up and grabbed the chair under him. Followed by a streaming blue light, the metallic substance deformed to a long pipe that the man placed against the rebels, which after both ends of the pipe were stuck to the walls around them, locking the bodies against the wall.

The rebels that had been staring at the terrifying alchemist with fear, started squirming in panic but did not let a sound as they were slowly headed to their doom.

Zach walked towards the man farthest left of the lot. Kneeling in front of him, he touched the pipe. A small, thin blade started to grow out of it, finally sinking in to the flesh of the prisoner.
The rebel member's face turned to red as he tried to keep his composure as he could feel the blade in his gut.
Soon after the remaining rebels met the same conditions as the blades started to grow from the pipe, making it thinner and thinner.
As Zach was finished with preparation, he stood up and watched the fruit of his labor. All of the captives were now nailed to the pipe in front of them. Not daring to move, all of the 4 glancing at Comwell with burning hatred clearly reflecting in them.
Having all the time in the world, Zacharty kept smoking the remaining cigarette while staring at the men under his mercy.
Finally throwing the bud to one of the toilets, the man sighed loudly. ¨You really are tough nuts to crack.¨ Walking back in front of his victims, the man pressed the pipe with his leg, forcing the blades to move inside the men's stomach. All of them gasped but the one in the middle let out a brief moan of despair.
Instantly, Zach's eyes were locked to the man and his figure had moved in front of him. ¨...Looks like we have a winner...¨ His sadistic tone reached the man's ears and he snapped his chin up, only to find himself staring at hellish red eyes.

¨P-please... I don't know anything! I was just hired for this one job!¨ The man yelled out loud before Zach had even chance to touch him.
The man on the far right opened his mouth this time. ¨YOU FOOL, DON'T TELL HIM NOTHIN~!¨ The man was silenced a swift back hand by Zach, cutting his sentence short.
Now focusing his attention bacj to the man begging for his life, Zach leaned forward yet again. ¨Please... Continue.¨

The bathroom floor was filled with thin streams of blood, escaped from the open wounds of the men held back by the cruel blades.



Kirk stood to the side, continuing to watch the scene with that strangely impassive face. Absently, she stuck her knife into her hair, and thought. There was no undoing Zach's alchemy for her, and even if it could be undone, there was no saving the men. While the sluggish bleeding from their wounds would eventually kill them, it would take a long time, and it would be painful. She pitied the man begging for his life, as she knew he wasn't going to live one way or the other. As long as they got their information out of these pathetic creatures, the military wouldn't care how they died. Kirk reached for her pistol, examining it slowly, pulling back the slide, toying with the safety. When Zach was done with them, the least she could do was offer a quick death. Maybe in exchange for more information. Maybe just to keep a small shred of humanity left in this stinking room.


¨We got a l-letter, saying that if we would t-take care of you guys, we would be paid a substantual sum.¨
Stopping briefly, the man gasped as the wound in his stomach started to feel like it was burning. ¨An~and were were promised a safe passage to another country with out families. It's all there in an envelope. You can find it in Brian's pocket, he should hav been in the front car of the train.¨
In defeat, the man lowered his shoulders and started crying tears resulted from pain both physical and mental. ¨That's all I know, I swear.¨
Zach listened closely but was no finished.
¨That's a good boy. Now... Anyone else have something to add?¨

The man that Zach had slashed with the back of his hand, came to his sense. Watching as his friend spilled his beans, his teeth grinding against each other he spoke. ¨Fuck you. I'll never tell you anything. You're going to kill us either way.¨
The rest 2 that had been silent until now, looked at the last man and shook their head furiously. He was about the destroy the little hope they had left.

Zach looked amused as he straightened his back and looked down to the defiant rebel.
¨Oh? On the contrary, I think I could make you tell me yhe names of your ancestors if I wanted to. But as it stands, I got enough for now. It's time for one of you to depart.¨
Taking the words mistakingly, the 3 men showed some glimmer of hope as Zach walked towards the man who had been spouting insults.
The Blade Alchemist briefly touched the pipe. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then the 3 men on the left could only watch as their friend realized what was happening.
His eyes widened in unimaginable horror as the metal inside him started to take a new form. Slowly, his skin was pierced all around as the spikes came through it. The blades cme visible from his sides, shoulders, back, and legs.
The man started screaming and twitching, making it that much more painful. The yells were that of ultimate pain and panic as the life started to fade from his body, making it numb all around as the blood splatters filled the walls and the floor, painting even his friends in red. Finally the sea of spikes reached to his throat, cutting the voice in the middle.
Twitching, the lifeless corpse was left sitting, kept up by the metal skeleton that had took over his figure.
¨And then there 3 little piggies.¨
Zach pointed out while moving himself to the next prisoner.
¨And what does this mind have to tell me, hmm?¨
At this point it was obvious none of the hired rebels had anything to add nor any more information to share. It was just a slaughter fest, waiting for its climax.

---------------------------------------------

Avory, who was standing outside the bathroom, tried to shut out the voices coming from the bathroom, but in vain.
Finally she couldn't take it anymore and she placed her hand against the door. The black glove started stretching, covering the whole door with black liquid like curtain before turning into a solid black wall, blocking all the noises coming from inside the room of death.
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Talonheart
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That alchemy. There was nothing she could do to stop it, and it was over as quickly as it started. Kirk shut her eyes tightly, turning her face away and doing her best not to be overwhelmed by the man's screams of pain. Eventually the room went silent. She peeked her eyes open and saw a horror show of abuse. The worst part was that if anything, Zach seemed even more happy and excited than before. Her stomach churned as she fought to keep her face straight. This wasn't a military operation anymore. It was a crazed child's game, and she was caught between her sense of humanity and a mad alchemist.

"Alright..." she breathed to herself. Kirk strode in front of the three pinned men and resat her pistol in her hand. She cocked the gun properly, its metallic noises echoing off the walls along with the quiet sobs of the doomed rebels. "Look here you lot. You saw what he's capable of." She jerked her head at Comwell. "Sing pretty for me and you might get a more peaceful end." She gestured with her gun, letting them know the option.

One of the remaining men, the one who talked initially, was frozen, his mouth flapping open and closed as his body shivered and his friend's blood dripped from his face. The second man's mouth was drawn in a tight line, his eyes saucers in his face as he stared at the growing pool of blood at his feet. The third man, seated between the two survivors, wasn't as blatantly broken by the situation. He stared at Kirk with level eyes, the eyes of the condemned. Her heart twisted. These people were her countrymen, Amestrians like her. Their methods may have been wrong, but their intentions (like so many before them) were likely good. Still, her face remained unreadable and stony. Eventually the man looked away, closing his eyes in thought and pain.

"We came from the southern part of the country... were recruited there." He gasped, fighting to speak. "I'd be --ggk-- willing to bet there's... a headquarters there..." Kirk shook her head. While the information was interesting, she knew there were already investigations going on about rebellion in the south. These guys had nothing. She looked over her shoulder at Zach.

"Major, they're giving us speculation. It lines up with what we already know, but if that's the best they can come up with, then this is pointless." She glanced back at the pathetic animals in their care and lowered her voice so hopefully just Zach could hear. "Just end it already. They know they're going to die." She hoped Comwell would let her put a clean bullet in the remaining men, but in his current state, she realized it was unlikely. She only hoped that whatever methods were used, they weren't as gruesome and terrible as the last one.



Zach's grip on the blade that he held in his hand as Kirk approached him and the playthings he had been given. He hardly heard what the man at his feet had said to Kirk as he stared at the woman beside him.
Finally as their eyes met, the short alchemist, sighed and the fire in his eyes faded. ¨Tch...¨
leaning for the pipe, the man took hold of it which instantly made the long thin blades to substract from the men's insides. At the end, Zach tuck the knife back into his boot and held 2 metal bars once again in his hands.
As the blades were removed, the 3 remaining men would start breathing heavily as the open wounds started seeping more and more blood, while the dead body was bluntly dropped to the ground and almost every part of his body pumped the remaining liquids he had left on the floor. The cries of pain and escaping life filled the room.

Holstering the simply demonic weapons, Zacharty walked over to the other end of the room, washing his hands yet again. Correcting the sleeves of his shirt, the man took hs coat and threw it over his shoulder. Giving a final glance at the dying infants, the man gave them his last sentiment. ¨Did you know, when your stomach is pierced, it takes 3 days to make it kill you? Your own body acids will burn your insides until your dead. I hear it's quite painful. Never had the chance to see it myself tho.¨
His face was now in its regular state even if a small chuckle was let out as he made his way towards the door.
Opening it, he quirked a brow as he saw the black "wall" in front of him. Knocking it a few times he shook his head. ¨Williams...?¨
As a response, the wall melted away back into the girls glove, who was standing right behind it.
Before walking out, Zach looked over his shoulder towards Kirk. ¨I'll leave the rest to you then.¨
Pulling the door closed on his way, Zach blocked the view into the room, which Avory was more then happy to not to have a look at.



A good soldier, Kirk, saluted her superior officer as he left the room. After he was gone she scowled at the door. A good alchemist he might be, but his methods were cruel and unnecessary. She knew there must be some story behind it, but for now it wasn't her business. She strode over to the three men, her gun hanging loosely at her side. "This will sound strange," she asked, even quieter than before, "but can I get your names?" After a brief pause, one of the men murmured four names, pointing to each man in turn. Kirk nodded and readied her gun, placing the barrel against the first man's forehead. She made her first sincere face of that morning, making sure to show it to each marked man.

"It was going to end this way no matter what... I'm sorry," she breathed. A gentle tap of the trigger, the roar of the gunpowder and kickback in her hands let her know that the shot was successful. The next man let out a small sob. She wasn't sure if it was because he feared death, or the pain in his bleeding gut, or because he had watched two friends die. Briefly, she met his eyes before putting a bullet in his head as well. The third man didn't seem to care one way or the other any more. He glanced at Kirk, spat at her feet, and muttered, "Just get it over with." She obliged, her third shot ringing loudest of the three, and producing the eeriest echo of all. Hiding behind her stony facade once again, she efficiently holstered her gun and stored the knife that had been stuck in her hair. She exited the bathroom without looking back, locking the door behind her.

"...I have to go tell someone this area needs to be properly sealed off and cleaned up." Almost robotically, she headed back to the station offices to do that just that.



“Did you have to burn the train down too!?” The commissioner yelled. He was an older man, short, skinny, and bald with a long, grey mustache that came down over his lips and great bushy eyebrows hanging over his dull grey eyes.

“As a matter of fact, yes. I did. Unless you’d prefer to clean up a bio-hazard as well.” Sherman replied dryly. He was tired of dealing with the angry older man, and was worried about what was going on with the interrogation. And the execution. “You’ll be financially backed by the military for damages to this train. The first was destroyed by a terrorist attack however, and was not the fault of the military.”

“Do you realize how expensive it is to replace a train? The rebels were after you, not the train! You should pay for the damages!”

“The military paid for the tickets to transport us. Seems to me it’s your fault the train wasn’t secured. Increase your train’s security and maybe this won’t happen in the future.” He let out a long, tired sigh as he rubbed his bearded chin. This whole mission was exhausting, and he was more than ready to be done with it. Unfortunately, the mission was only just beginning. With a light bow he backed out of the office, opening the door to exit when he saw Kirk walking forward. “Ah, Second Lieutenant. Did we learn any new information…?” He asked, though his tone suggested he wasn’t as interested in the possible information as he should be.



"Major Greyhound." Kirk saluted. "Major Comwell is investigating a lead now, sir." She put her hand down and paused, her lips tightening as she debated what to say next. "Er... Major Comwell requisitioned the, uh, men's room... Someone will need to organize a... a clean-up crew." The niceties hurt to say. The polite military terms she was required to say in no way covered the expanse of horror and death wrought in such a short time. While she didn't mind doing her job and duty to the State, executions always left a bad taste in her mouth, not to mention what Comwell did. She took a moment to compose herself and smooth her face back into something less readable. Kirk also finally noticed Greyhound's state. "...Sir, did you want me to pass the news on instead?" she offered.
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Zach made his merry way next to the locomotive where the bloodied up corpses still lied.
Kneeling down, the man gave a full scale search with his free hand, finally finding the letter in one of the men's pockets.
¨There we go.¨ Zach seemed somewhat happy to the days passing and was in high spirits.
Not bothering to open the letter, he stood up and headed towards Kirk and Sherman.
Yumi who had been eagerly following his footsteps, now kept its distance with its ears lowered. Apparantly even to her the late festivities were a bit too much. Wolves had a decent hearing afterall.

Finally reaching nexto to his comrades, Zach handed the envelope towards Sherman.
¨This is the letter they were given about this mission. Not sure if it has any useful information, but that's all we have.¨ Zach was in lighthearted mmood and it showed.



Sherman listened to Kirk’s report with a grim expression, offering a nod as she finally finished. “Yes, alright.” He finally replied, relieved to have Kirk offer to take care of the situation herself. “And.. Be sure to get them some kind of burial. The two on the train too.” It seemed the least they could do for the dead. True, they were trying to kill them, but in the end the rebels too were just soldiers under a different banner. It was their job to kill Sherman and the rest. Just like it was Zach’s job to kill them. At the very least the two sides should be able to offer one another simple respect after the other was dead

Zach didn’t take long to arrive, handing off a small letter. Sherman offered a nod of thanks as he took it and opened it up to read. There wasn’t anything of interest in the letter, only a message telling them their orders, where to go, and how much they’d receive after the mission was done. “There information doesn’t look like it’s as flawless as it could’ve been. They thought we were taking the train all the way there from Central, which is why they attacked the first train… So at least we know they aren’t following us with a spy or anything.” He slid the letter into his side bag and looked back up to Zach. “Go make sure we have enough water for the desert trip. We’ll get moving as soon as possible. There’s still that group we passed on the train. If we don’t move fast they could catch up.”



"Of course, sir." Liz knocked twice before entering the office of the train commissioner. Already he looked frustrated an unhappy, even moreso now that there was another military dog in his office.

"What? What is it now?!"

"...Sir." Kirk bit her tongue and saluted the man. "I apologize, but a burial detail and clean-up crew are going to be needed to deal with the bodies left on the train and... and in the station's men's bathroom."

"WHAT?!" Kirk flinched, reminded suddenly of Evans. "You military dogs cost us two days' profit, wreck not one but two of our trains, and now you're telling me you've turned a public restroom into your own personal execution grounds?!" The man was turning purple. "And you have the gall to come in here and tell me that it's my responsibility to clean it up?! HOW DARE YOU?!"

She took a deep breath. "I apologize, but the matter was out of my hands. We can't control what terrorists and rebels do to your trains, only try to prevent it if we know about it. Secondly, I don't have the authority to deny orders from a superior officer. These decisions are not mine, so if you have a problem, take it up with someone else who can actually do something about it. Thirdly--" Kirk grabbed a sharp looking fountain pen, twirling it deftly in her hand while giving the man a piercing stare, causing him to back up a step. After startling him, she grabbed a stray sheet of paper and wrote the rebel's names down. She spoke a bit more softly this time, both in tone and in volume. "Give these names to the burial detail, so at least these people can have marked graves." She tossed the pen back on the desk and thrust the paper into the chest of the commissioner. She gave him an icy smile. "And a small word of advice. If you contact the military for financial aid in this matter, I do hope you'll treat them with far more respect than you did me if you expect any kind of result." She dropped the creepy smile and gave the man one last mocking salute before exiting, slamming the door a little harder than she had intended. She sagged against the wall, suddenly looking almost as weary as Sherman. Then she let out a long sigh and straightened, following after the two State Alchemists.



¨Aye.¨
Zach put his coat on and proceeded towards the station's store once again.
On his way, he took a few of the guards handeling the crowd control with him to make sure to have enough manpower to carry as much water as it would need.
After few flashes of the State Alchemist watch and a few signatures, Zacharty walked out from the store, carrying few bags full of food, water, and other needed supplies.
The guards followed him, carrying about the same amount as the man himself.

Stopping to the other side of the station, the frail looking alchemist put down the supplies as he waited for the rest of the crew to catch up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avory watched as the scene went forward in front of her.
Yumi had stopped following Zach and was now sitting beside the young girl. Tilting her head, the wolf looked up at Avory and whimpered silently.

Avory placed her hand on top of Yumi's head, patting her gently.
¨I know right.. Guess we need to be strong enough to make through this whole mess.¨
Her voice was silent as she looked at the white furred friend that seemed to understand her every word.



It didn’t take Sherman long before finalizing what had to be done around the train yard. With the bodies being taken care of and the commissioner finally holding up inside his office, refraining from taking any more meetings for the day, the bio-alchemist was finally free to continue on with the mission at hand. He walked over to where Zach and the others were gathering, all ready to make the long journey across the eastern desert. “Alright everyone, it’s time to get moving.” He said with a heavy sigh, moving to lift his own duffle bag and sling it over one shoulder. “It’ll take about a week to get across the desert. So we need to head off now. And remember to ration the water. Once we’re out on the sands we can’t exactly come back to re-supply.”

With that Sherman walked off, expecting the rest to follow after him. He was begrudging the whole trip himself, and he could only imagine how the others must feel about it. Still, he knew reaching Xing would be worth it. An exotic country few Amestrians had ever visited before, and filled with a foreign form of alchemy specialized for medicine. And, without a doubt, many pretty girls in the most stylish Xing dresses! A small smile came to Sherman’s lips just thinking about it. It might’ve been a dangerous mission, but it was as close to a vacation as he’s had in years.


-------------

The trip across the desert was long and harsh, and the blistering heat of the sun was an ever present enemy on the small group of soldiers as they made their trek. Sherman kept them on a brisk pace, always moving and only stopping to rest as little as necessary to keep everyone alive. If the rebels had gone into the desert after them, he wanted to make sure they’d stay far enough ahead of their pursuers to never come into conflict with them. Every so often Sherman would toss down a little seed from his alchemical glove, sparks of green shooting off randomly as he did so. Yet no discernable effect seemed to come of it as they hiked on.

-------------

“Oy! Sir. I think I see there tracks going this way!” Yelled one of the rebel soldiers as he ran out across the sands, following a faint trail of footprints leading out into the east.

“Good! Alright men, move o-” The commander started, but was cut off. Huge, thorned vines leapt from the golden sands to ensnare and drag the poor soldier down beneath the ground. His bloodied screams fading almost as soon as they had begun. “What in the name of…” The commander started, staring at the mass of disheveled ground with utter disbelief. “I.. Alright men! Watch your step. Whatever that plant alchemist did… We have to be careful.”

“Sir, we aren’t going to be able to pursue them like this. They are already half a day ahead of us after that train fiasco. And with these.. Killer plant creatures… The terrain is more dangerous than ever for us.”

“.. I know.” The commander replied, letting out an angered growl before turning away. “Fine. All men fall back! We can’t afford to lose any more troops on this mission. We’re heading back west to join with the other forces!” And with that the rebel pursuers fell back from their position. Their mission was a complete failure, and now the men in Xing were on their own.


-------------

It had been over a week since they set out into the desert and Sherman was feeling the heat. The water supplies were running dangerously low, and the doctor was far from his physical prime. This hike had been hard on him, and it was showing. He was more tired than ever with great big sags under his eyes, and sweat coming from every pour on his body. His clothes looked like it had gotten done raining not five minutes ago, and yet there hadn’t been a single cloud in the sky the entire trip. He wore his jacket so it rested on his head like a hood to keep the hot sun from his scalp with his arms freed from the thick jacket’s sleeves to let the air cool him, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. He had tried transmuting various leaves and fruits to make up for the utter lack of water, but without sufficient moisture in the air the plants merely came out withered and dried. Only a few of his desert plants seemed to work, and he only had a small number of those.

“Second Lieutenant Kirk… How much further?” Sherman asked. He had given Kirk control of the map several days ago as he no longer felt the energy to keep looking it over. Besides, with no geographical features to watch out for after the Xerxes Ruins, whether or not they were going the right way was entirely guesswork. He couldn’t see the Xing Borders on the horizon just yet, but that didn’t matter. The desert had a way of playing with you, showing you things you want, but it always turned out as a mirage in the end.
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Thankfully Kirk had been able to change out of her women's uniform before they began the trip. Instead, she wore the men's uniform, neatly tailored to her size. She had removed the jacket and tied it around her waist, as well as rolled up the sleeves and opened a few buttons on her collar. She had sustained minor sunburns on the exposed parts of her body (forehead, arms, the back of her neck, a little on her chest), as well as being a lot sweatier and thirstier than she would have liked, but she didn't display the bone-weariness Major Greyhound did, even if she wanted nothing more than to sleep for a month in a nice cool bed.

"Ah... Just a second, let me take a look," she replied, hearing Sherman's request. She stopped, planting her feet in the sand and pulling the folded up paper from the back of her waistband. "Hmm..." Kirk traced the route she had been marking and murmured to herself about the type of pace they were keeping up. Shading her eyes, she glanced skyward, trying to determine the sun's position without blinding herself. She pulled out a wristwatch from her pocket (it had been far to hot to keep the cursed leather strap on her wrist) and glanced between it, the sun, and the map a few times.

"Well that can't be right... If my calculations are correct, it's going to take another week." She put a hand on her hip and tapped her lower lip with the other. "But I know last I checked I had said not more than a day or two..." Brow furrowed and glistening with sweat from the heat, she pulled out her instruments again, checking and rechecking. Finally she grinned from ear to ear.

"AHA! I was holding it upside-down!" She gently clocked herself in the head with a fist. "Silly me. Alright, so it should only take us another few hours or so. Which means...." She scanned the horizon. "...Well. We can't see it now. But we should be able to see something other than sand soon."



Zach dragged his feet across the sandy landscape. His eyes stared at nothingness as they walked the very same plains, or at least to him it seemed like it, for... How many days now?
As soon as they had departed, the small alchemist had sank in to his own world and had hardly even spoken during the trip.
Not even paying attention to Sherman or Kirk as they examnied the map, the man kept switching the lollipop, that he had kept in hiding until now, slowly from side to side across his lips. His usual habit of smoking had dropped down a few notch as the desert was more then enough to make his body dehydrate.

Walking lazily with his coat thrown over his shoulder, the man continued this journey that felt it was going to last the last remaining life he had left.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Both Avory and Yumi seemed to do fairly well as they kept playing around in the sand some way behind the rest of the crew.
From time to time, the others could hear a series of chuckles, followed by growls of joy.



“It’s going to take another…?” Sherman stopped, eyes going wide as he collapsed back, letting the hot sun bath his face. “Gah!” He called out, closing his eyes tight as he lay flat on his back. A mistake he almost instantly regretted as the blazing hot sun made his whole body even hotter. Even after hearing Kirk’s correction all that came from the older man was a long, frustrated groan.

“Just… Leave me.” He proclaimed dramatically, turning over onto his belly, crawling over the sand like a big, blue lizard. “It was a horrible idea to come here! I’m just not cut out for trekking across the hot desert with little to no food or water!” He let his face drop into the hot sand, muttering as his voice was stifled by the dirt. “Just let the buzzards have me.”

After a long pause be popped his head back up, eyes narrowing as he stared out across the desert. There was something in the distance, something green. “Why hello there…” He said, crawling a little closer, but not quite making it the full distance. “Opuntia cordobensis Speg.” He announced to all, pointing at the little green cactus. “A prickly pear cactus… Edible. Juicy…” Suddenly Sherman slumped over, too tired to reach out for the cactus of redemption.



"Hm...?" Kirk looked around her until she spotted the little cactus that Sherman was attempting to crawl towards. Not opposed to a break, she walked over and knelt in front of the strange plant. "I didn't know things grew all the way out here," she commented softly. She looked at the cactus this way and that.

"Major, are you sure it's safe? It looks awfully spiny... It's not actually poisonous, is it?"



Avory and Yumi stopped playing around as everyone's attention was directed to the plant of foreign origin.
Until now she hadn't noticed Sherman's state at all. Followed by Yumi, she walked next to the man and kneeled down while smiling brightly. ¨Umm, Major? Are you alright?¨

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Zach didn't even hear of the ruckus happening beside him. Keeping his direction, the man dragged himself forward towards the sunny horizon, not havung the slightest idea of what was happening anymore.
His usually pale skin was burned from few spots already and the heat had made his thoughts dissappear along with hus interest towards the joyrney alltogether.
The short man was like a zombie, walking endlessly even after his companions had stopped moving some time ago.
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Sherman let out a growl as he hastily crawled across the bright yellow sand, shuffling along on his belly like a desert-dwelling lizard until he came upon the cactus. “Yes.. Of course I’m sure! After all, I’m a BOTANIST!” He announced, leaping to his feet to strike a heroic pose with stars shining in the background. But all at once the stars faded, and Sherman came crashing back down to the sands once more.

He opened his eyes again to see Avory’s smiling face. Three faces, in fact. But that was probably a mirage too. “Yes, yes. I’m perfectly alright Lieutenant, thanks for asking.” He said with a smile. He considered standing up again, but his head was spinning. “I might be experiencing the oncoming signs of heat stroke, but I can’t for the life of me remember what those are. Probably on account of the heat stroke.” He said, nodding his head knowingly. It was only then that the zombie-like Zach caught his attention. “Oy, oy. Zach! Don’t you want a bite of this cactus?” He said, but got no response. After a slight pause Sherman rolled over onto his stomach and reached for his slingshot, quickly squirming around to line up his shot and firing off a small marble for the back of the white haired alchemist’s head. “Zach! I said do you want some cactus!”



Kirk sighed, holding her forehead in one hand. "Major, are you sure you're thinking clearly..? I know you're a professional, but as you just said, with the heatstroke..." At the same moment as Sherman, Kirk also noticed Zach trudging along past her. "Uh... Hey! Major Comwell..." She reached out and grabbed his shoulder to try to stop him from walking away from the group. "You shouldn't go off by yourself--" Kirk heard the twang of a slingshot and whipped her head around, seeing Sherman laying on the ground in a firing position as she felt something woosh past her shoulder. It took a moment to register that Greyhound shot at Comwell, but when it did, her eyes widened and she whipped back around. "Ah! Major Comwell! Are you alright?!"


Zach was a bit startled by Kirk's sudden grab on his shoulder.
He was about to turn around in frenzy but the shot hit first. Taking the marble straight to his forehead, Zach fell back by the force, flat on his back.
The short alchemist was just about to lose his consciousness before his beast like instincts kicked in, dragging him back from the deep slumber.
Now staring at the sky, the man hathered his thoughts. ¨O~k... If I'm dead, could someone please show me the milk and honeys about now?¨ His head felt several sizes too big and he was not even sure of his own location.

-----------------------

Avory covered her mouth with both of her hands to subdue the gasp that was about to fall out. She had no time to react whatsoever, leaving her standing at the spot and staring.

Yumi however lazily sat down and waited the circus to be over.
One could almost see a slight sigh from the white furred wolf's face.



“HA! I still got it.” Sherman said, congratulating himself on his perfect shot. It was only then he saw no one was watching him. All attention had fallen on Zach. His tired, half delirious eyes drifted over to the cactus, it’s beautiful, smooth, green skin and tiny spines. The little purple flowers that were in bloom around it. It was perfect. And filled with delicious, life giving juice. With a sly grin he quietly shuffled over to the cactus and took out a scalpel, swiftly cutting off a little chunk of the cactus. A few drops of cactus juice slithered down one side of it’s waxy surface, gone forever. Without hesitation he brought the little chunk of cactus to his lips and squeezed, sucking at the refreshing, thirst quenching liquids. “Mmmm~” He moaned as the warm liquid dripped down his throat.



"Oh my God..." Kirk knelt beside Zach, gently slapping his face to keep him from slipping out of consciousness. "Major Comwell, stay with us!" When he opened his eyes and said his nonsense, she breathed a sigh of relief and sat back on the hot desert sand. "Major, you're not dead, you've just sustained a blow to the head." She glared over at Sherman's direction. "Major Greyhound, I can't believe you did that! You could have seriously injured Major Comwell! Apologize right now!" She stood up, suddenly feeling like she was the group's mother instead of their decoder. Shaking it off, she began walking in Sherman's direction, taking note that he was eating something. "Major? What are you doing?" Immediately she noted the cactus. "Ah! Hey, get that out of your mouth! You might prick yourself!" Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. That was definitely a mom action. Feeling unnatural and strange, she shuddered heavily and resituated her travel supplies. "Actually... Avory, would you mind checking that..? I'm just... going to go scout ahead..." With that, Kirk turned and left the scene to get a better view of the empty terrain from a small slope not too far off.
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After lying down for awhile, Zach started to feel normal again. Aside from the heat, he was at least thinking clearly.
Although constant moving and heavy dehydration was becoming a serious issue, they would have to keep on moving or be left die on this sad piece of desert.
Lifting himself up to a sitting position, the short man shook his head before examining his surroundings. First seeing Avory and Kirk, then Sherman lying down and having some kind of anti-erotic moment with a plant.
¨Ok... How long was I out exactly?¨
First following Kirk with his eyes as she moved to the front, and then switching to Avory, directing the question at her.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Avvory nodded at Kirk's way as she asked her to take a look at Sherman. While moving towards the Wild Vine ALchemist,she could hear Major Comwell questioning her about his state earlier.
¨Umm, to be honest, Major, I'm not sure. I think you were out cold long before you falling like that just now.¨
Finally reaching Sherman, the girl kneeled next to him while lightly landing her hand on his shoulder. ¨Eh, Major Greyhound, sir? Do you really think that's safe? Or at least helpful?¨
-------------------------------------------------------------

Zach listened to the girls words and was still as confused as ever.
Oh well, there was no real meaning to it anyway. Slowly standing up, Zach felt his legs wobbling before standing firm again. ¨O~k. I think I got this now.¨



Squeezing the last bit of delectable juice from his cactus, he started to suckle at the waxy interior, intent to bite the last few drops out of it. As he felt Avory’s hand on his shoulder he turned, the little, dried of cactus bite hanging from his lips. “Mmhmm.” He mumbled, before quickly spitting out the useless cactus pulp. “This is a prickly pear fruit. It’s commonly used in cooking a lot of Ishvalan recipes. Aaand being a cactus means that it naturally stores a large amount of water relative to it’s actual size under it’s waxy, thorny skin!” He announced, holding a finger in the air in a matter of factly pose. “There are many travelers in history who fed on these delectable little bounties of refreshment to survive in the desert. I’m just continuing the proud tradition! Now, if you, Kirk, and Zach don’t want to be rehydrated and possibly save your lives, by all means. But the delicious water in this cactus will let me keep moving on forever!”


Kirk wasn't expecting to see anything at the top of the slope. She had just wanted to put enough distance between herself and the group so she could clear her head and maybe feel sane again. Lazily she rubbed her sunburnt shoulders, trying not to stretch the skin too much. She heard everyone talking about something or other, but didn't care to hear what sort of heat-induced nonsense it could be.

With a sigh, Liz lifted her face into the ever so slight, hot desert breeze. It was hardly satisfying. She opened her eyes, staring across the stretching sands to the city on the other side. She furrowed her brow. City? In disbelief, she rubbed her eyes, thinking that maybe it was a mirage or sunspot that she was seeing. But there it was, clear as day. Her mouth dropped open and she scrambled to the bottom of her little dune, stuttering and pointing. Finally she managed to form the words:

"I can see it! The other side of the desert! We're almost to REAL CIVILIZATION!!" In her excitement, something between a laugh and a mad cackle escaped her mouth before she grabbed a hold of herself. Kirk cleared her throat and saluted quickly. "Uh... Sirs."



Zach, after getting back his composure, watched as Sherman kept drinking from the weird plant. Walking a bit closer, the man kneeled beside his comrade and took out a similiar piece from the cactus with his battle knife tucked in his boot.
Facing his head upwards and squeezing the plant, he could feel the sweet nectar dripping down to his dried out mouth. Slowly, bit by bit, he swallowed all of it before regaining his normal position. The taste was a bit off but it certainly was drinkable.
¨Huh, would you look at that.¨ Sipping the last bit from the chunk of cactus, the man threw the used piece to the side and stood up.
¨Well, I guess all those years hiding in your office was at least some use afterall.¨
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avory watched from the side as the two majors kept drinking from the poisonous looking plant. She was feeling fine, so she decided not to take part of it.
Instead focusing her attention to sudden burst of laugh coming from Kirk's way, she tilted her head in confusion. Did the pressure finally get to her too?
Intending to go calm her down, Kirk's words struck her consciousness.
¨WHAT!?¨
Forgetting everything else, the young girl sprinted out next to her friend and stared at the horizon.
¨MAJOR! IT'S TRUE, I CAN SEE IT AS WELL!¨

Yumi kept her place while sitting down. She seemed to have no interest of the circus around her whatsoever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Zach looked over his shoulder towards the girls yelling at their way. ¨Well... to be honest it was about the damn time... Let's go old dog.¨ Directing his words towards Sherman, the short alchemist turned around and made his way towards Kirk and Avory, soon followed by his loyal companion in white fur.



Sherman drank the last of his cactus juices as Zach joined him, glancing to the side. “Glad to hear my life’s work was at least a little fruitful.” He replied with a chuckle when Kirk’s madness caught his hear. “Hmm?” He stood up with Zach and started for the woman. “You can see the city? Really?” He asked, hiking up the steep, sandy dune.

At the top he saw it, the faint cityscape of the Xing city. “Aha! There it is!” Sherman called out with utter joy. “Finally, we’ll soon be in an actual city with a bed and air conditioning and FOOD!”

Sherman slapped a hand on Zach’s shoulder, a mischievous grin on his face as he glanced sidelong to his fellow state alchemist. “Oh, by the way Zach. Now that I’m hydrated and thinking more clearly I should warn you… People with red eyes and a pale pigmentation shouldn’t drink from that cactus. It turns your tongue blue.” Of course this was a lie, but one Sherman was sure would bring endless hours of humor to his life.
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Kirk gave Avory a quick hug around the shoulders and started to gather their belongings together again, hardly able to contain her excitement. She stuffed the map in her back pocket, ripping it but not caring. They didn't need it anymore, they could see their destination now!

"AH, it's going to be so nice to take a bath!" she mused, heading towards her superior officers. As she approached, she heard Sherman's comment and made a face. "Ugh... Well, I might not fit the criteria, but all the same I'm glad I didn't try it," she decided, eying the cactus in question."



Zach, who was already eagerly heading towards the boarder stopped to his tracks with his eyes suddenly widened.
Quickly rising his hand in an attempt to shove it down to his throat just like many times before, he dropped the idea in mid way. Instead turning his head to face Sherman, his eyes squinted in major annoyance.
¨Nice try Mutt... One of these days I tell you... One of these days.¨

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avory gladly accepted the hug before getting her own stuff ready for depart. Quickly following Kirk's foot steps, she neither could hide her relief that the long trip would soon be over.



Sherman watched as his fellow state alchemist stopped in his tracks. The older alchemist couldn’t help but grin as Zach’s panic started setting in, all until the blades alchemist came to his senses about Sherman’s prank. A little disappointed, but still in good humor, Sherman let out a hearty chuckle, slapping Zach on the shoulder. “Worth it!” He said, walking off for the city, whistling a merry tune! Though he was tired, still thirsty, and covered in sand he couldn’t feel better. Soon he’d be out of this overgrow litter box from Hell, and in the sweet, rich lands of Xing!
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