The Alchemist Trap

Chapter Seven

They had been silent for a while, Maya's story creating a somber mood. Finally Alphonse spoke up.

"Is there anything you can tell us about Marchello?" He asked.

Maya sighed. "Well Marchello came here about four years back." She recounted. "I had been living own my own for a while by then. He came an established a military base and held a strict rule over the town. He's not an alchemist himself but he became interested in studying it. When he learned that I specialized in medical alchemy, he tried to trick me into coming here but I refused. He and his men came to my house and attempted to convince me to go with them but again I resisted. Then he used force. He nearly cut off my left arm. He said that if I had any skill at all, that I should be able to heal myself. At first I refused; tried to pretend I didn't have the ability. Then he threatened the lives of the villagers. So between the choices of imprisonment or sacrificing the lives of my friends, I chose the less bloody path. It was incredibly difficult attaching all the tissues, bone, muscle, nerves, skin, and more, one handed. I almost passed out from the agony and the physical and mental strain, but I was able to manage it."

As she talked, she rolled up the left sleeve of her blouse, revealing a red blistered ring of scar tissue circling around her upper arm.

"Before I had even recovered enough to stand, Marchello's men dragged me away. That was the last time I saw the village. Marchello is ruthless. He'll do whatever's necessary to achieve his goals."

So, what does Marchello want with us anyway?" Edward asked.

"I don't know for sure. When I was first arrested, his servants asked a lot of questions about the Philosopher's Stone. I didn't know anything so he seemed to lose interest in me pretty quickly. I think the only reason I'm still alive is because of my parents and my healing alchemy."

"What do you mean 'the only reason you're still alive'?" Alphonse questioned.

"All I know is that there used to be quite a few alchemists trapped here. After Marchello got all the useful information out of them, they disappeared. I'm the only one left.

"Maybe he let them go?" Al said hopefully.

" I doubt it. Marchello sees people only as pawns to reach his own goals. When they are no longer of any use he throws them away."

"But why does he want a Philosopher's Stone?" Al mused. "You said that he wasn't an alchemist."

"I think I know." Ed said gravely. "When I was in his library I found tons of books on the Philosopher's Stone. I flipped through a couple to see why he was so interested in it and there were notes in the margins. Things like 'Alchemists seem to idolize this stone' and 'They would do anything to get their hands on it.'"

Alphonse gasped. "What if he wants to make a stone so he can attract more alchemists here?"

"It's possible." Maya mused. "But why-"

Their conversation was interrupted as the door creaked open, revealing Marchello himself, flanked by his servants. A cruel look now gleamed in his eyes.

"I hope you slept well master Edward. You as well master Alphonse."

"Yeah, real great." Edward said, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "I just love being nearly killed."

"I do apologize for the rough treatment the pair of you experienced and I hope you will find it in you to forgive me. I could not allow you to leave yet after everything you saw." His lips tightened into a pout. "Nevertheless I have a proposition to make. You tell me everything you know about the Philosopher's Stone, create one for me, and promise not to reveal your stay here and I will grant you and your brother your freedom."

"You oppress this town and hunt down alchemists," Edward snarled "You kill anyone who no longer proves useful. Then capture and nearly kill us. And all for your own twisted reasons. You must be crazy to think that we would make a deal with you!"

"Well I had hoped you would have been more cooperative but..."

"What? Are you going to threaten us again?" Alphonse snapped. "We would both rather die than help you."

"No, no. I won't hurt you. The villagers might not be so lucky though."

Maya cried out in alarm but Ed was silent.

"I'll let you think about my offer but if you try anything, I'll make sure none of you ever see the light of day again." With that Marchello left the room.

No one said anything. None of them felt that they could form the words to express the level Marchello had dropped to. Finally Al spoke.

"We need to stop him. At all costs. I won't let him take any more innocent lives."

"But how?" Ed asked. "Neither of us can use our alchemy right now and Maya can't transmute anything because all the walls are made of stone and our restraints are metal! Wait. Maya why aren't you chained up too?"

She grimaced. "Part of the reason is the transmutation circles on my gloves only work for living organisms not metal or stone. I also don't know the type of circle necessary for those transmutations so I can't escape using alchemy. The main reason however is that if I make one attempt to escape, Marchello promised he'd punish everyone in Whiteridge. I may have no physical restraints but they're present all the same."

"He must be bluffing. Why would he kill everyone in this town? That would be hard to cover up and then he wouldn't have anyone to oppress." Ed reasoned.

"No, he wouldn't kill them but he would make them wish he had." Maya said.