The Price of Life [Fullmetal Alchemist]

Chapter Twenty Three

Central Bound

things have changed for me,

and that's okay,

I feel the same

{p! at the disco}

•••

Ling ate. And ate. Then ate some more, before he finally chose to speak for himself. He wiped his messy hands on a napkin, while the waiter headed over to hand him the bill. Ling whistled, pointing to the three alchemists across the table. Edward looked dumbfounded but accepted it nonetheless as the man put the check in his hand.

"The people of Amestris are so generous," Ling says, smiling widely at them all. "I haven't had to pay for a single meal since I've been here."

"Who said I was paying?" Ed deadpanned, slamming the bill on the table, causing the rickety wooden table to shake, and the dishes atop it to rattle.

The prince ignored the question as he went onto further explanation.

"As Sonia said, my name is Ling. I'm the twelfth son of the Emperor of Xing, which technically makes me a prince."

"Yeah," Sonia jibed sarcastically, "I doubt that. Prince Charming can't even afford his own meals."

"It's true, but that's beside the point. I came to Amestris from the East, and also saw the ancient ruins of Xerxes."

"You walked?" Al asked, baffled.

He nodded. "Yep. It fortified my interest in some may call a legend." He pointed a finger up in the air. "Are you two alchemists, by any chance?"

"Yeah," Ed spoke. "We all are. Why?"

Ling gave Sonia an odd look but kept talking anyway.

"There's something in particular I'm pursuing." His closed eyes opened in slits, giving the two brothers a heavy glare. "Do you have any information on where I can find a Philosopher's Stone?"

Edward and Alphonse shared wary glances before Ed hastily answered, "No, we don't know anything." He crossed his arms and looked at Sonia, who grimaced at his transparent lie.

Ling reclined back into the cafe chair, giving a grin.

"Oh, really?" He snapped his fingers.

Before Edward could react, he felt a swift knife against the front of his throat, the sharpness of the dagger pushed to his neck. If he moved an inch, the blade would surely tear his skin. Next to him was a now standing Alphonse, a sword about to be impaled into his armor. Sonia stood immediately, backing away from all of them to see the weapon wielders were her new friends.

"How about now?"

"Lan Fan! Fu!" Sonia exclaimed in worry. "What are you doing?!" The two guardians didn't answer, their attention focused on their targets.

Edward finally reacted, pushing the blade away from his neck and turning around to meet his opponent.

"You, my two friends, are not very good liars," Ling pointed out, smirking as Edward and Alphonse gave him a glance.

"Friends?!" Ed growled. "That's how you treat your friends?!"

The foreigner only laughed before Lan Fan and Fu struck at them, pushing them back and initiating a fight.

"Don't worry about them," Ling said to Sonia nonchalantly as he watched the fight that was sure to come, folding his hands and resting his elbows on the cafe table. "Take a seat. We have much to discuss."