The Bloody Alchemist

The Devils Nest

Cecelia had hardly noticed that it was dinner time, as they walked to the kitchen, Cecelia heard a voice outside the window, it sounded light and raspy. A quick look out the window revealed nothing, figuring it was simply the wind she entered the kitchen as well.

"Cecelia, about you wanting to learn my alchemy," Izumi started.

"Oh, yes, what about it?" the girl asked timidly.

"Well I certainly won't be teaching you, but I am willing to help you learn."

"Do you really mean it?" Cecelia asked, a wide smile spreading across her face.

All Izumi had to do was nod towards the girl to send her into a giddy victory dance. The sight of Cecelia acting so childish at the idea of learning made the woman smile. It wasn't often she got to see a child so excited to learn. Dinner was enjoyed with stories of the class and how Izumi taught the Elrics. Leaving them on an island for a month, simply for an initiation. Cecelia hoped her time with Izumi would be much less harsh.

The next morning, Cecelia stood in the front yard with Izumi waiting to see what she could do. "Go on then, I need to see what you already know."

Cecelia nodded and cut her hand with one swift move, then creating a Manriki chain, demonstrating her ability, swinging it around her body then transmuting it again into a tanto blade, slashing an imaginary opponent. Finally transmuting the blood back into her hand.

Izumi took a second to reply, and Cecelia felt the need to speak, "See, all hand to hand, and no defensive."

"I agree," Izumi placed her hands on her hips, "However I believe you'll be able to learn fairly quickly, your transmutation uses the same principles as mine."

That made Cecelia feel very happy.

"Alright, now to the actual work," Izumi approached her. "You already know the basics of alchemy, so I'll skip ahead a little. A good way to think of this alchemy is using the earth as a conduit for your agenda. As you transmute think what you want and what you need, then, just like you do with your blood, pull the object from the earth."

Izumi clapped her hands and placed them on the ground, pushing a column from the ground. Cecelia watched in awe at the simple action. Her teacher stood back up and turned to her. "Your turn kid."

Cecelia grinned, clapped her hands and touched the ground, but nothing happened. Her transmutation dissipated and her cocky smirk fell. Again she went through the process but nothing happened. For a third time, she went through the process, thinking to her self "Column, earth, rock, anything solid." But like the previous endeavors, nothing happened.

Frustrated she sat down on the ground with a pout. "You aren't going to give up so easily, are you?" Izumi sounded like she was looking down on the girl.

Cecelia wasn't going to let Izumi be disappointed with her already. She shifted onto her knees and tried again and again and again, each time getting nothing. To confirm she could, in fact, perform alchemy she transmuted her blood and getting the usual, effective result of her blood forming a weapon. She returned the blood then went back to trying to transmute the ground. Once she had done it another five times she flopped onto her back with a frustrated cry.

Izumi shook her head. "I didn't think that I would have to baby you on this."

"I don't understand what you mean!" Cecelia cried, shooting her arms into the air. "The earth isn't a human body, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."