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Chapter 2 - Little child be not afraid

A sweet little fable that shows not all creatures that go bump in the night are out to harm you. (A crossover of Legacy of Kain and Fullmetal Alchemist)

Chapter 2 - Little child be not afraid

Chapter 2 - Little child be not afraid
Ten years have passed since my role as the guardian of Edward Elric; the savior of this world known as Amestris; a world ruled by alchemy and the brutish military who enforce it. While free time was available to me when not watching the young boy; I would travel this world carefully taking to the shadows to not be spotted. I had to admit though it was a step up from Nosgoth with it's advancements in travel and everyday living...it still was ruled over by an iron fist known as the military of Central. Thankfully Edward's little town wasnt corrupted by it's dark influence; he lived in a quiet little place known as Resembool. It was rurel and far from the city...but it was also peaceful at the same time; making my job slightly easier. Moving back to the point, the young Elric wasnt apparently the only one to keep in my sights. Guardian of him or not; I felt myself obligated to keep an eye on his younger brother; Alphonse Elric too. They lived a happy normal life like any family would...but the father seemed like another story. There was something...off about him. Not in an evil sense no. More like a sense of fear he held towards them; especially his children. And on one fateful morning I knew why when I eavesdropped on the parents out in the yard. The father having nearly broke his backside when trying to fix the tree swing for his children. It was that he feared his children would obtain the curse of immortality like he himself has. So; another like myself has also been liberated from the wheel of fate. However unlike I, he didnt seem too happy about lasting forever. Then a month or so later on a foggy morning....he left them forever. It was that act alone that set the next tragedy in motion. I only wish now that I should have stopped Hoenhiem so that his children would not suffer this heartache; and Edward would not despise his father for 'abandoning' them.

It was a summery day, the boys had been sent by their mother to go get groceries for supper. I was doing my best to keep up with the two; invisible to all eyes thanks to the powers of my Dark Reaver blade. Had it not been for that ablity I dont know how many times I would have been caught by the pair. But nonetheless I was rather winded, having to walk the rest of the way as the two scampered on ahead; unaware they had a third behind them eating their dust. But...the laughter and mocking stopped and Edward's cries of panic filled my ears. Adreniline rushed through my body to help me to make it back there in record time to see the cause of the little boys's panic. Their mother...laying on the floor barely conscious. Months later she passed from the their lives; it seemed an epidemic had swept through the town and though she showed no signs she still had been fighting it off the best she could. However no human could fight the cold hand of death in such a state she was. I watched with a heavy heart as the two boys stood infront of her tombstone hours after her funeral. The younger whimpering and shivering while Edward stood there...a determined look in his golden eyes.

"Brother what are we going to do without her? I'm cold and hungry...."

"We're going to bring her back Al...with alchemy."

I sensed an ominous sensation at the boy's words. I had watched them as they grew how they worked with this art to impress their mother; for it reminded her of their father and made her smile. But they even knew that bringing a person back from the dead is forbidden. I wanted to step in to make them change their minds...but I was only to watch them...not to teach. And speaking of teachings...the next few weeks they were seeking out a teacher of alchemy, to further their skills so as to do this blasphamus act. Eventually they found one; a strong woman with the ablity to do alchemy without a circle. She went by the name Izumi Curtis. And despite her fatel illness that pleagued her body she was quite a force to be reckoned with. But not even she was not immune to the two little boys cute charm and caved in; deciding to teach them, but with a catch. They were to spend one whole month on Yock Island and learn the meaning of "All is one, one is all." If they failed this task, she would send them back to Resembool. The other catch was no alchemy. Sure it seemed barbaric to leave two little boys alone on an island to fend for themselves...but I saw it as a very good training method. For I and my brothers were also put through this sort of training by Kain; back when I still revered him as my altruistic father. Managing to swim undetected by those in the boat, I surfaced and took to the shadows of the trees. Surprsingly the Elrics had already disappeared from my view. It was amazing how fast they could move. Then again what do you expect out of something soo small and filled to the brim with energy?


Raziel looked about keeping as quiet as ever to remain undectected as he scouted the area for signs of the boys. Eventually he found them when Edward's enraged voice rang out.

"DAMNIT WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?! WE WE'RE TRICKED INTO STAYING HERE BY THAT SADISTIC OLD WITCH!" Ed roared out, causing the wraith to trip over a log from being startled. Thankfully the sound of his stomach made the two not hear Raziel's faceplant.

"Well least I know now where they are." The spector muttered to himself, trying to keep from chuckling whilst then taking to the trees, heading in the directon of their voices. He watched from the shadows as the boys went about searching for food. Eventually Edward managed to catch a rabbit...but due to their sensitive hearts they couldnt bring themselves to take it's life. And so while they argued; a fox snagged up the vulnerable beast. The hungry boys gave chase, Raziel having no choice but to follow. He wasnt fast enough however when the fox had reeled on Edward and bit him before retreating again. Surprisingly this only furthered the blonde's rage and ignoring his wound pursued the orange canine. When they finally found it...they noticed it was a mother who had brought the rabbit to her babies. And so they decided to let her go and get fish instead. But it seemed not even the fish were obtainable at that hour of day. Feeling abit of pity for them, Raziel decided to lend a small hand. While Alphonse tended to Edward's arm; the wraith searched through the shrubbery and found some edible fruit and nuts. He couldnt risk going out into the water for fear of them hearing the splashes. Sure his dark wraith blade gave him the power of invisiblity..but that was all. So instead he snapped off some suitable sharp branches. Then sneaking towards their makeshift campsite, he placed the food and fish spears at the very edge of the clearing they sat in before slinking off unnoticed.

"Hmmm? Hey brother look there's some food here!" Alphonse called out, taking sight of the present Raziel left them when he went to get more gauze for the elder brother.

"Food outta the way!" Edward yelled gleefully, eagerly snatching up the berries and stuffing them into his mouth, Alphonse flailing.

"Hey share some brother, after all I found them!" Al called out while puffing his cheeks. Raziel could only chuckle as he watched the two from a safe distance in the treetops. Glad he had givin them a small push towards their survival training.

"Hang in their young ones...for I cant give you charity all the time. This training is for you and you alone. My job is to make sure you dont die." Raziel then stated...more to himself than them of course. Two days had passed since then, the Elrics starting to hone their fishing skills though were still having some trouble. They also managed to fashion a make-shift shelter from large leaves; using it for when it would rain. And speaking of that; the rainy season was indeed kicking in unfortunatly. But that was the least of their worries. Unbeknownst to the boys; Raziel had spotted a boat visiting time and time again...a group of scraggly rough-looking men would arrive on the otherside of the island and dump a corpse there every other day. They did not look friendly in the least. They must have been apart of some underground gang; silencing those who talked far too much and burying their bodies on Yock island so the authorties could not find the remains of the missing person. As long as the Elrics and these ruffians did not meet, the wraith had nothing to worry about. But that hope would soon disapate and come into a harsh reality. For the man in the mask who was really Izumi's one neighbor; sent to watch out for them and fight them so as to keep them on their toes had accidently chased them too far one stormy night. Due to the intensity of the storm; not even Raziel who was keeping fast behind them could see how far they had run. Once the masked man had lost sight of them and left; the boys re-grouped in a clearing.

"Al...Alphonse are you ok?" Ed called out, both gasping as they were hunched over trying to catch their breathe.

"Yes b..brother i'm alright...but where are we?" Al stated, frowning as he squinted through the rain. "I dont remember coming this far out into the island before." he added. Edward nodding as he then recognized that some of the rocks were not rocks..but tombstones long past their prime.

"You're right Al...it looks like we're in an old cemetary, back when people used to live here I think. Let's head back b-" Ed was cut off, jumping as gravely voices entered their ears.

"Hey you! Hurry up with that damn shovel...this body aint getting any lighter ya know!" An older man yelled out, just over the hilltop from where they stood.
Alphonse was about to cry out in fear, only for Ed to clamp a hand over his mouth, putting a finger to his own lips. Then carefully they crawled up the large slippery mound of earth. Peeking over it, they noticed five men, all in trenchcoats to keep out the rain and two holding lanterns. Two were digging in the muddy dirt while three were holding a large oval object wrapped in a black tarp.

"B...brother...what are they doing?" Alphonse whispered out, his voice cracking in fear.

"It seems they are burying a body. And they dont look like undertakers either. Look the body is bleeding still." Edward whispered back, an uneasy look on his youthful face.

"You..you mean they murdered that person?" Al squeaked out, Ed nodding to this. However...fate being a cruel mistress caused the next events to be set in motion. The boys still being uneasy to storms, jumped higher than they anticapated when a large bolt of lightening cracked through the air, striking a tree behind them. Edward being the closest to the edge screamed as he tumbled down the hill, landing hard infont of the five men as he rolled into the freshly dug grave. A sickening snap rang through Raziel's ears; the blonde howling in pain as he cradled his wounded left arm.

"Who the hell is this brat?!" One of the men yelled out, most of them backing away in shock before pulling their guns.

"Since when do people live on Yock island, I thought this place was deserted!?" Another said in irritation, as he then pointed his pistol at the young boy's head.

"Well he's a witness now so prepare another grave!" The tallest; no doubt the leader called out, sneering as his gold tooth glinted in the lantern light. He then oofed, staggering away when a loud clang rang through the air; a shovel having smacked him hard in the back of the head.

"Leave my brother alone!" Alphonse yelled out, glaring towards the five men, the leader whirling around after regaining his composure as he snarled.

"Another damn kid?! Where the hell are they coming from. Well doesnt matter, kill em both!" The man roared out at his minions. They nodded, dropping the body as they gave chase, Al ducking from their grappling forms as he managed to help Edward out of the grave.

"Run brother!" Al called, Ed nodding as he bit his bottom lip to surpress the pain his left arm was giving him. The men were close behind them, going soo far as to shoot at them. However the storm seemed to come in handy as well; making it hard for the men to see, and thus aim properly. But that advantage was not good enough considering Ed got knicked in the ankle, and Alphonse the arm. The younger tumbled and tripped, falling into a nearby roaring river that ran through the island.

"Alphonse!" Ed yelled out, panic filling his heart as he made a mad dash towards Al in hopes of catching him, but the boy was swept far from his reach. "Al...Al no!" Edward cried out, his panic further fueled when rustling greeted his ears as he turned in horror to see all five men.

"Nowhere to run brat. Dont worry, your little brother will join you soon enough." The leader said, sneering as he twirled his pistol, the scar across his face wrinkling up as he grinned. Edward glared back, pulling his knife on them all.

"S..stay back. I mean it! You dont know who your messing with!" Edward muttered, doing his best to surpress his fear. The men howled with laughter, a few holding their sides.

"Ooooo a knife im soo scared!" The one exclaimed, slapping his bald head as he gurgled with laughter.

"We got guns kid, I think we know what we are dealing with. Now be a good boy and play dead!" The scrawny one of the bunch stated, moving forward as he kicked the knife from the young blonde's hand, decking him afterwards as Ed cried out and fell onto his back hard. Pain surged through him further when the bastard stepped on his chest and left arm, pulling the barrel of the gun to his head. The blonde could only quiver...praying deep down for a miracle.

"Actually you DON'T know who you are messing with." A voice called out. All men pausing and looking about for the source of the english voice, the male stepping on Edward yelping as he was knocked back by some unseen force; slamming into the others like a bowling ball to a set of white pins. Edward blinked, looking up stunned. Sitting up quickly, he then saw someone leap down infront of him. Well something was more of the correct term. From the looks of it, the being was an emanciated skeleton like humanoid. Tattered wings hanging down from the small of his back, three long sharp claws on each hand that were wrapped up with brown tattered cloth up to the elbows. His hair was a glossy deep black that's bangs hung messily in his face. Cloven hooves with weird bronze boots or shin guards wrapped around his ankles while a large brown cowl or scarf with white tribal looking markings wrapped around his shoulders up to the lower half of his face. His skin was a tinged purplish blue, signs of immense burning to his skin no doubt. And his eyes lacked pupils or irisis; only the white orbs that glowed a light green at the moment as he glared towards the men.

"What the frack is that thing?!" The fat man yelled, pointing towards the wraith. Edward panicked on the inside...but for some reason didnt run since it seemed this thing wasnt here to attack him...but the men.

"Shoot it! Before it comes for us!" The scarred leader barked, the men pulling their pistols instantly on Raziel. The wraith didnt hesitate, moving fully infront of Edward to act as a shield, wincing as their bullets stung his back. Ed gaped, looking up at the strange being as he looked back at the blonde.

"Run...young one. Take shelter in that old cave hurry!" Raziel wheezed out, Ed nodding when he caught site of said area and quickly taking off in the shelter of the trees towards said destination. Once the shooting subsided, the men gawked when they saw their bullets werent able to take the wraith down like they had anticapated. "Finished? Well that did hurt...but now it's MY turn. And you wont be walking away from this alive unfortunetly." Raziel growled out, summoning the wraith blade as it glowed an eerie white. The men panicked, some backing away, the rest trembling.

"It's...its some sort of demon or fiend from Hell!" The scrawny man cried out in horror, dropping his now empty gun. Raziel chuckled, stepping foward, a menacing tone to his otherwise gentle voice.

"Oh no im not the fiend here. You are..and though you arent from hell...you'll be going there very shortly. Yes Thanatos will love toturing your damned souls, do say hello to him for me." Raziel replied. He paused before dashing forward with blinding speed, taking the bald man out instantly as he gutted him with the spirit wraith blade, his fat gut emptying it's innerds all over as he collasped in a screaming heap. Then turning he ducked the scrawny man's pathetic attempt at a punch. Reaching forward he dug his claws into the man's throat before slamming his own head into the man's, crushing the skull with his immense brute force. Turning he advanced towards the twin males; last two to work for the scarred man. They attempted the old trick of splitting up on the wraith to make him concentrate on having to chase one at a time. "Come now, no fair hiding from me. Let's play!" Raziel hissed out, yanking the one twin out into the open with telekinesis as he slammed him into his brother. They whimpered trying to crawl away from him. Raziel could have sworn the one wet himself from the smell that met his nose.

"Plea...please show us mercy!" The one howled out, covering his face as the second nodded. Raziel glared, stepping on their feet, snapping them with little remorse as they screamed in agony.

"Like you showed that little boy? Or perhaps his brother when you tried to silence them? Or maybe the mercy you showed all those you buried here in unmarked graves?" Raziel stated, quirking a brow as they whimpered.

"We...we were only fo..following orders!" The one said defensivly.

"As am I. And I wont let you petty ignorant cattle destroy the redemption of this world." the wraith shot back, slamming his clawed hand through both of their chests due to one hiding behind the other; it made it easier to finish them off. Ripping their souls literally out of their bodies, he then pulled down his scarf revealing his fanged upper jaw; with no bottom one and a gaping throat that glowed brightly as it sucked the souls in. Edward watched all this unfold from his hiding spot in the cave's opening. Eeping as he covered his mouth in fear. Sating his hunger, Raziel turned his sights on the leader now. The man was rattled...but was still trying to act tough.

"Well bone bag...dont expect me to run from you." He said gruffly, pulling his own knife into view as Raziel scoffed. Dashing forward he pinned the man to a tree, however proving he wasnt such easy prey, the scarred brute stabbed Raziel in the chest. Then his confidence faded when he saw it didnt have the desired effect, the wraith yanking the knife from his chest as if it were a feather in a pillow.

"I dont want you to run...I want you to scream." Raziel hissed out, and getting the request he desired, jabbed his claws roughly into the man's eyesockets, blinding him as he then pulled his claws in opposite directions while they were still in both eyesockets; ripping the man's head clean in two. Once the body toppled over, he then summoned his fire reaver. "Might as well get rid of this mess." he exclaimed, walking about as he burned each body to smoldering ashes with excellent time, taking only a few minutes tops. Turning then he headed towards the cave entrance, seeing Edward backing up in fear. Raziel felt a pang of guilt...realizing the boy must have seen the massacare he had caused.

"Who...who are you?!" Ed whimpered out, meeping as he fell on his bottom when he tripped over a rock. Raziel continued to walk foward calmly, Ed panicking as he threw a rock at him with his only working hand as it barely had an effect. "St...stay back!" he yelled. Closing his eyes tightly when the wraith kneeled down infront of him, expecting the worst. A few moments passed of silence...Ed peeking through his right hand's fingers before then blinking when he saw Raziel was handing him something...his hunting knife that Izumi had given him.

"A friend." Raziel exclaimed with a soft tone, before patting the blonde on the head considering he still could not smile.

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Tinkster on April 1, 2011, 8:22:06 AM

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SweetxinsanityxSarah on April 1, 2011, 12:59:47 PM

SweetxinsanityxSarah on
SweetxinsanityxSarahI know right? I mean hell he tore Kain's heart out! x3
Then again if it came to him facing Kratos....Raziel would bow out; cause even he knows when he's in over his head lol. (Kratos is SCAREY in GOW3 O___O)