The former renowned Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, sees chances to plunge back into a life of action and alchemy once he arrives in the West and makes the acquaintance of two young alchemists. These two are researching what Fullmetal suspects ma...
Ed had not returned to this place in years—this place where his ancestors from hundreds of years ago had lived and thrived. They never knew that 400 years' worth of descendants would never be born when Hohenheim, the once immortal living philosopher's stone, only bore two children, centuries after the demise of his birthplace. Now, setting foot on the sun-basked sand of the fallen city was a golden-eyed man, the son of a slave from 400 years ago—the son of the immortal human philosopher's stone—had come back to this place. It seemed unreal that his ancestors from a good many generations prior had been wiped out completely to create a weapon of power such as the one that was locked up tight in the briefcase Edward Elric had in his hand.
Days of wary and hot travel by slow camels had brought them to Xerxes, but Ed felt so distant, so lost for a reason he could not describe, that he had the impression that he had come all by himself. His companions, chatty and alive had their presence gone almost noticed by the former Fullmetal Alchemist. The two pondered on the matter, trying to decide why the other young man took such little notice of them.
"He might be ignoring us?" Phil suggested as they hung back on their camels, Ed's so far ahead they were certain he was completely out of ear-shot.
Gazing at the back of his new friend, Frederick said quietly, "I don't think so. I think he may just want to be alone for this place we're going to, whatever it is..."
This was somewhere near the truth. Ed did not consciously acknowledge this fact himself, but visiting the ruins of Xerxes with full knowledge of his heritage gave him an impending sense of doom and grievance for all the lives uselessly sacrificed for the purpose of the homunculus Father's schemes.
Yet, mixed in with all those sad emotions, was a burning curiosity to learn the history of the city of ruin. A sort of desperation lurked in him that yearned to know how the people of Xerxes lived. Questions were flying around his head with every step his camel took in the direction of his destination; How did the King treat his subjects? Did they have concepts or methods of alchemy native to this city that died out along with its citizens? Was the population subject to poverty? What type of family did Hohenheim belong to? If the homunculus Father was created from Hohenheim's blood, then were there others like him... others that could be the root of the mysteries surrounding the shifting arsenal and he who sent Sophronia and Herman to retrieve it?
In spite of these many nagging questions bothering him, the moment he got down from his camel's back, they were tucked away into a little box and pushed to the far back of his mind, forgotten for the time being.
The old city hit differently than it had the last time he'd been there.
The ruins of Xerxes, though they were the exact same as the last time he'd seen them, seemed different, like he was seeing them for the first time all over again. Decrypt and sun-bleached remnants of stone building, so fragile you'd think they could crumble at the softest of touches were mostly everything to be seen. Occasionally, an odd tree would be growing strong and beautiful out of the sand, which did nothing to help the ruins feel less dead. Overtop, the sun's rays were bearing down with such heat you'd think they had a killing intent.
"Wooooooow!" Phil exclaimed. "This place is incredible, Ed. What is it?"
There was no answer. Phil and Frederick had been left behind with the camels while, unnoticed, Fullmetal had slipped deep into the maze of ruins. The two, not sure what to do with themselves, decided to settle in the shade of a half-standing wall and gulp down what water they had left in their canteens, knowing this way they stood absolutely no chance of getting lost. Ed was sure to return after a little bit of exploring was what they figured.
The young man in question bore no thoughts at all on his two companions, much in contrary to them. He trudged through the sand in annoyingly heavy boots, scouting the ruins for a particular something he lain eyes on some years ago.
At last, tracing his steps with surprising accuracy, he found the mural he was looking for. Half of it was absent, having been swallowed into the neverending stomach of the homunculus known as Gluttony.
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He went to it and spent a long time examining the remaining half of the transmutation circle engraved on it, but it told him not a thing.
"I'll go get the philosopher's stone and then the boss will commit the ultimate sacrifice, just like the ruins in the desert said..."
What could Herman have meant by that? The ruins in the desert had to be Xerxes. If Sophronia was an admirer of Lust, a child of Father, who had become a philosopher's stone through the lives of the people of Xerxes, then it was fair to assume that this 'Boss' had connections to this broken city, too.
As for the part about the ruins in the desert 'saying' something, it evidently meant that they had found some sort of message or clue engraved on a piece of stone. He had assumed it would be the other half of the mural that had ended up in Gluttony's stomach, but, evidently, he had been wrong for it gave way no clues at all to whatever was this 'ultimate sacrifice'.
Disappointed, Ed moved on. He would find what the 'ultimate sacrifice' was before he could make any sort of decision about the philosopher's stone. This was a vital step in order to stop his enemies—those calling themselves the Cardinal sin— in their tracks.
