The Black Rose Alchemist - Ed X OC

Prologue p.1 - Finding Life

Year 1899

Roy POV

It was a long day already in Eastern Command. Being just a soldier,  I had no perks at all aside from daily flame alchemy training with my longtime friend Riza's father. I was planning to take the state alchemist exam sometime in the next year. 

Today I had nothing to do aside from sitting around and doing nothing. That was before another soldier came and said General Grumman wanted to see Riza and me.

I stood and went to his office hoping for something fun to do. 

Giving a quick knock at the door, the reply was swift. 

"You needed me sir?" I asked as cooly as I could. 

"I did, come in please," I entered and remained standing to allow Riza the chair. "There have been strange noises coming from a house in Resembool. It is a small house on the closer side of town. I want you and Hawkeye to investigate it today."

He handed me a slip of paper with an address on it. I was really going to check on some noises?

"So you're telling me that Hawkeye and I have to go to this town because the folk are hearing strange stuff from a house?" I said with a hint of irritation in my voice.

General Grumman nodded at me and I saluted. I would not complain if I wanted to work my way up the ladder to do more fun stuff. Hawkeye too saluted and we were dismissed to start our mission.

***

As always, the train seats were beyond uncomfortable. As we made our way further east, I sat and thought about what was to come. I would become higher in the ranks one day. Hopefully, it would be Hawkeye at my side as I did it.

The train came to the station and we exited swiftly.

We came upon the small town of Resembool and I talked to a few people about the strange noises that were heard from the house. A few added that amoung the noises came flashes of red light. Alchemy is what it sounded like.

We next made our way to the house. It smelled horrible in there and I felt like I was going to get sick. Pulling a cloth tissue from my pocket I put it over my nose. It only masked the smell a little bit.

It was a small house made of wood standing at the edge of the town and down a long path of dirt and grey stone. If it wasn't for any of those noises people have been hearing, I would think it was a cute little family home.

I knew better from experience. I may have only served a couple years now, but I could easily tell you things were not what they seemed.

"You ready Hawkeye?" I asked turning towards her. Her guns were drawn and pointed forward slightly. She gives me a curt nod and I walk to the door.

The door was slightly ajar. I give it a sharp push and it swung open freely. We step inside and I freeze.

Before me were rotting bodies. Two of them lay there, a male and a female. They were torn to pieces by what was clearly alchemy. For a moment all my senses were turned off. On their barely recognizable faces, they held a look of horror. 

Blood dripped from the ceiling and splattered on the walls. Their body parts were everywhere. Pictures of a happy family with a tiny newborn baby dotted the walls. Where was the baby?

Very slowly my senses came back to me and I heard tiny weak screaming. I went and followed the noise and Hawkeye caught on following me. She held her gun up in a tight white knuckle grip.

We made it to the edge of the room and laying in a crib was a tiny baby no more than a month old. I instantly felt the urge to pick the little one up and calm her down.

"Check for papers on the baby. I'm calling for backup."

I sent word back to Eastern command of our findings and swiftly picked up the baby. It was so small and fragile. I gazed into terrified blue eyes.

I quickly checked for a gender and realized this was a little baby girl. I pressed her to my chest and went searching for milk to feed her. 

"Hey there, it's okay," I hushed the baby. She hiccuped and let out another weak cry. I tried bouncing her slightly and rubbing her head which barely contained peach fuzz. She was a cute baby, marked with so much blood before she could even fully remember it. 

Back up arrived along with medical staff and Hawkeye came back with papers. 

"That baby still has no name, she is 2 weeks old, her birthday is Valentine's day sir," I nodded and handed that baby over to a nurse.

"That baby is coming back to me after you have finished looking over her," I said with a serious tone.

I would protect this child with my life.