The Multiblood Alchemist

Greed

We left Central on the backs of large horses. When we took to the streets, everyone dodged us, but stared at us in awe. I had never ridden a horse, and the sensation was amazing. I could feel the muscular withers and rump working in perfect unison. I bounced in the saddle, and with each large gallop, I fell back in the saddle.
     Ed and Al rode on one side of me, Mason and Naomi rode on the other side of me. "So, where exactly are we supposed to be going?" I shout over to Ed. He didn't seem to hear me, so I shout over the wind again.
      When he finally looks at me, he had been pulling the reins. His black horse rammed into my dappled grey horse. I felt my saddle slide, and I suddenly found myself being held on the side of my mount by Ed. With one large yank, he pulled both my saddle and I on the top of my horse.
      "I think it would be good if you didn't fall off of your horse," Ed says with a grin. I roll my eyes, and softly dig my heels my horse. It starts to gallop faster, and I find myself up near Mustang and Hawkeye. "Hello Multiblood. Nice to see you," Hawkeye says. My gaze dances around her, trying to find every gun strapped onto her. Two handguns were tightly strapped on either thigh. She had a rifle on her back, and possibly even more hidden somewhere.
     I kept pace with the two until the conversation died. I then fell back with Ed, Al, Naomi, and Mason. The horses underneath us show no sign of fatigue. Each one was different; Naomi's not being as stocky as ours, but has an unique pattern of blotched brown and white. Mason's was a brown, and had a wide chest. Ed's was slightly shorter to match his height, but the looks made up for its height. It was a pristine white, and had a wide chest.
Al's horse was a tan horse, and it was stocky like the rest of ours.
      Behind us were multiple carts with supplies and veterinarians for the horses. Assassin layed down on one of them. I had convinced Mustang to allow me to bring him. Seeing no harm in bringing a chimera with us, he gave us the okay to bring him.
       The high sun started to turn my porcelain skin red. Ignoring the itching feeling that crawls on my skin, and I urge my horse forward. He doesn't respond, and I can feel his large chest heaving. Looking around, I spot Ed, and I veer towards him. "Ed!" I shout over the thunderous noise of nearly four thousand hooves slamming against the ground. He looks over. "What?"
"Can you relay a message for me?"
"Yeah, sure,"
"Tell Mustang that we should take a break soon. My horse is starting to give out." He nods and taps the sides of his horse with his heels.
         I can see him weave through the sea of soldiers until he reaches the front. He shouts something over to Mustang, and the Colonel nods. Ed then falls back to keep pace with me. "He said when we get to that river. It'll take too much energy for these guys to cross it," he says, patting his now sweating horse's neck. I nod, and convert my gaze ahead of me.
       We reached a large churning river five minutes after Ed relayed the advice. The troops ahead of us started to slow down until they came to a halt.
We soon stopped, and I dismounted my horse. When my feet connected with the river bed, my legs gave out from under me.
"Need help?" I hear from above me. I look up, and see Mason. "Yeah," I say before he hoists me to my feet. I grab the horn of my saddle, and lean against the muscular stomach of my steed.
       We talk while I regain feeling in my legs. "The landscape ahead should be hilly, and there should be some mountains that we'll either have to go around, or climb," Mason explains, beckoning towards a map.
"Won't that take too long?" I ask. Mason nods but adds, "I overheard Mustang say that the supply carts will have to find a calmer area of water that's shallower so they can cross."
       The sun started to lower against the treeline. Troops started to light fires, and the area was soon filled with a soft orange glow. Naomi, Mason, Ed, Al and I formed a small cluster of bodies to keep warm. I was sandwiched between Mason and Naomi. Even though I was younger by a few minutes, he acted as though he were years older than me. Anytime Ed would get near me, Mason would have to find a way to keep us separated. I curl up into a ball, and go to sleep, the crickets and bullfrogs creating a lullaby that lulled me to sleep.
       "Soldiers, up!" I groggily sit up, and stretch my sore limbs. "That ground really did me a good number," I mutter while scanning our camp. Clearly I wasn't the only one who had issues with the ground because everyone else was doing the same thing.
      The people in charge of the supply carts had left several large sacks of bread for breakfast. We stood in a seemingly endless line waiting for our breakfast. By the time we got to the front of the line, only small rolls were left. The soldier distributing the bread gave us a pitiful look as we grabbed our breakfast. "Well, this blows," Mason grumbles beside me. I dig my teeth into the flavorless roll, and chew.
    My mouth was immediately deprived of saliva with each bite. I cringe with each bite, knowing that it was better than nothing.
      After our breakfast, we rushed to the stream to moisten our mouths. I retrieved extra wood that we didn't put in the fire, and gave it to Ed. He then transmuted it into a wooden pail, and I scooped water into it. Mason started to make a spit, and we started another fire, placing the pail just above the ends of the flames.
      When the water finished boiling, we set it on the ground to cool. After it cooled, we passed the pail around, and took turns drinking the crisp water from it. I felt relieved as the liquid trickled down my throat. Looking up at the clear sky, I could tell it would be excruciatingly hot.
      "Alright, let's cross!" Mustang yells from the front of the crowd in his tan horse
"Yes Sir!" all of the soldiers yell in response, and we mount our horses. I wrap the leather reins around my hands as we enter the raging river.
     I learned that water is powerful. When I had entered, the current nearly knocked me off my horse. I had to grab the horn in order to stay on. "Couldn't someone have just used water alchemy?" I yell over the roar of the water to Mason. He shrugs in response, and we move forward.
     When we emerge from the river, my thighs burn. I could see a large mountain ahead, but when I scanned down, I could see a black figure.
"What's that?" Naomi says, squinting at the figure.
"You see it too?" I ask. She nods, and turns back to me.
"I think it's a person," she mutters.
     As we approach the figure, Mustang holds a fist in the air. The whole army halts, and the figure lunges at one of the soldiers. Gunshots ring out, and my horse whinnies. He then bolts away from the commotion. I yank on the reins, my heart racing. My horse doesn't halt, but instead keeps running. "Cassandra!" Mason shouts. Naomi must've heard him, and she races after him.
"Ooh! Wild goose chase!" Ed shouts, and pursues us.
"Brother!" Al yells, and also follows.
     My horse still has a wild look in its eyes as he bolts toward the mountain. "Not the mountain!" I scream into his ear. He doesn't listen, and keeps running. What did you expect, Cassandra? A horse can't understand you. I continue to pull on the reins as my horse starts to ascend a mountain path.
     My arms start to feel weak as we climb up the mountain. My horse had stopped when we made it to an overhang. Now, I sit next to it, waiting for the arrival if my group. As I'm about to sit up, I can hear the sound of approaching hooves.
     "Hey!" I shout as my group comes into view. They dismount, and I squint against the setting sun. "Howdy," Mason says. When the two brothers sit across from Mason and I, a question pops into my head. "Hey Ed," I say.
"Hm?"
"Who was that person that attacked a soldier?" Everything goes quiet while Ed looks at me.
"That was Greed. I wouldn't be surprised if we run into him on the way down," he says. Naomi pipes in after he responds to my question.
"I wouldn't be surprised if soldiers die." Once again, everything goes silent. It remains quiet until a boulder flies over our heads, narrowly missing Naomi's head. We turn towards the source of the boulder, prepared for combat.