Chapter 2: Escape

Aila fell to the ground as Alphonse took an involuntary step back. "So what do we do with the kid, Fan Fei?" The man on the left asked the mani n the middle.

"Don't use my name in front of the enemy!" Fan Fei said angrily to the man on the left. "Now we have to kill him or he'll tell others!" Fan Fei said with a gruff tone. Alphonse looked at the three men, then his surroundings, trying to find an escape. The three men started closing in slowly before lunging towards Alphonse.

Alphonse dodged their attacks by jumping back, but he is starting to get cornered. "Hey Fan Fei, leave this to me, you two deal with the others, the kid is practically cornering himself anyway." The man on the right said. Fan Fei and the man on the left nodded.

"Don't use my name here!" Fan Fei said as he left to search the house. At this moment there were a few words that Alphonse thought of. 'Don't corner a wounded animal.' As Alphonse continued to dodge the attacks, he was finally cornered in the kitchen with nowhere to go.

"Got you now!" The man said as he used a piercing strike. Alphonse attempted to dodge, but still got stabbed in the shoulder. Alphonse groaned a little from the pain, then jumped and kicked the blade, knocking it out of the man's hand. "You little...!" The man said as he went to grab something from his waist.

Alphonse took the sword out of his right shoulder and held it with his left hand as he went into stance. The man pulled out a dagger. "Return!" The man said. After the man had spoken the sword which Alphonse is holding began to shake as it flew out of Alphonse's hand and into the man's grip.

An expression of fear appeared on Alphonse's face as the man stabbed the dagger into Alphonse's left shoulder. The man grinned as he pierced the sword back through Alphonse's right shoulder. 'My... Arms... Won't move...' Alphonse thought to himself as he fell to his knees.

"It's at times like these that I wish time worked the same way for me as it does for you..." Koyuki said as Alphonse's Vision began to blur. "Really, you don't have to die, not yet... In fact, you shouldn't, not with the promise you made." Koyuki continued. "Your legs still work, just run, run and live, live for the ones that have died." Koyuki said in a slightly less emotionless voice. "I... I've done the same..." Koyuki said as she returned her normal voice.

"P... Prism... Act... I... Vate... Adren... Aline...!" Alphonse said as his vision started to get darker.

{Activating Adrenaline: Your body will remain conscious for as long as the adrenaline rush is active.} Prism said as a huge gust of energy hit Alphonse.

'Koyuki is right... I made a promise to live!' Alphonse thought to himself as he got up off the ground and slid under the blade of the man. 'Run!' Alphonse thought to himself as he ran towards the door.

"You little mutt!" The man yelled as Alphonse opened the door with his mouth.

'My arms... I still can't move them...' Alphonse thought to himself as he ran outside. When Alphonse left his home for the first time he saw the city in flames, with smoke everywhere as screams were heard from every house. Alphonse never looked out the windows, except for the one facing the wall, because he never had time, he was either training or ensuring his sister's safety.

Alphonse continued running, unsure of where to go. After a few moments of running, Alphonse was in a dark alley, away from most of the fire and screams, but closer to the loud clanging of metal. As Alphonse followed the sound, looking for an escape he heard something unexpected, an explosion.

Ignoring what he was hearing and just looking for an escape before the chemicals run out, Alphonse found the main gate. "Lord Raeloph has fallen!" A soldier yelled. "Lady Edrit has fallen as well! Retreat and defend the citizens!" Another soldier yelled as a bolt of lightning hit the entire force, decimating the city's only line of defense.

Alphonse, the only one of the only onlooker to this situation ran out of the gate a snuck around the wall, avoiding the battle as much as possible. After a few moments, the battlefield was no longer visible and Alphonse started running as fast as he could into the forest. As Alphonse looked back he saw that there was a small gate on this side of the wall and that it was open.

Again ignoring this Alphonse continued running and ran until he passed out from blood loss. "Geez, you almost died there, lucky for you someone found ya." Koyuki's voice rang inside Alphonse's head as he woke up. Alphonse's vision slowly drew into focus as a massive migraine formed.

'I lost to much blood.' Alphonse thought to himself as he looked at his surroundings. After a few moments, Alphonse noticed a girl trying to start a fire. She looked at Alphonse for a moment.

"Ah! You're finally awake!" The girl said. The girl looks to be around eight or nine and of the same race as Alphonse, she doesn't seem to be wounded, but definitely doesn't have any survival skills. Her hair is dark purple and her eyes have the same crystalline structure as the rest of her race, the color of which is royal purple. "My name is Sarah, Tatsumi Sarah!" Sarah said expecting a response.

"Al... Phonse... N-No... Vák... Alphonse..." Alphonse responded. Sarah's expression changed for a moment, but then returned to normal. 'I wonder... Is she related to Mr. Tatsumi?' Alphonse thought to himself. Alphonse got up and noticed bandages on his wounds.

"I did that." Sarah said to Alphonse. "Can you move your arms?" Sarah asked. Alphonse shook his head. "It's getting dark but I can't get a fire going... I wish my mom would've told me how to do this... Do you know how?" Sarah asked. Alphonse nodded.

"But... My..." Alphonse said as he was interrupted.

"You can use your feet!" Sarah said. Alphonse agreed and managed to start a fire after a few minutes. "You don't complain a lot despite being a lord's son... I'd of expected someone from your standing to be snobby..." Sarah said. Alphonse looked down as he got up.

"I... I need... To... Get strong..." Alphonse said as he began walking away.

"Wait! Won't you at least come with me to the nearest town? It should only be a two-day walk and is friendly to beastmen like us!" Sarah said. Alphonse stopped but didn't turn. "There will likely be cultivation materials, so as long as you can get money, I am sure you can get stronger as well!" Sarah said. "Please! I don't want to be alone!" Sarah said as a few tears began to form in her eyes.

Alphonse thought back to a memory. "You don't have to do everything alone!" Cedra said.

"Fine..." Alphonse said to Sarah.