Waiting at the train station we get a few odd looks. This works out though because rather than having to deal with the crowded terminal people would walk while looking at their watch and look up seeing us and either quickly decide maybe they want to wait somewhere else further down the line or maybe even that this isn’t the right train after all.

Alexander is holding Al in a box on his shoulder, Zig is brooding slightly off to the side with his back to the wall hissing at people that get too close. Edward has his severed metal arm slung over his shoulder like a fashion piece. Finally, I have Nina riding on my shoulders who’s been telling me all about how this is her first train ride. Considering I’m the most normal one here we were given quite the wide berth.

Finally getting into our spots on the train I’ve got Nina between me and Edward while Alex and Zig sit across from us.

Nina looks excitedly around at all the people giving us odd looks as someone knocks on the window beside us. It’s a man with short hair and glasses and a military uniform.

Edward quickly opens the window as they clearly know him. “Hey Edward, Major Armstrong.”

Edward leans out the window. “Lt. Colonel Hughes?”

He lets out a long sigh. “The folks at the eastern command center were all busy and couldn’t come so I’m seeing you off instead.”

Edward makes an overdramatic eye roll that gets a small smile out of Nina. “Do we really need Major Armstrong here? Zig and Jiang are here so they could probably help me if need be… now that I think of it where’s Al? Shouldn’t he be here?”

Armstrong makes a small chuckle and looks off to the side. “Children can be so stubborn, while you may trust these two they are still an unknown element to the military. Also, Al should be having a lovely time with the shipment of sheep one cart down.”

Edward looks like he’s about to lash out but Nina lets out a small giggle and he stops himself. Probably realizing that he shouldn’t say something in front of her. “My brother isn’t a farm animal. He should be here with us.”

Alex just holds his chin. “Well, think of it like this if something were to happen here then he wouldn’t be easily found. Besides, my size is the closest to his most might just assume I’m your brother without the usual armor on.”

Several whistles start blowing signaling the departure.

Lt. Colonel Hughes speaks up again. “Welp, it’s time. I hope you guys all have a safe trip!” He turns his attention to Nina between me and Zig. “And you little one, next time you’re here you should come over for a playdate with my amazing little angel!” He all but swoons at the mention of his daughter before snapping to attention for a send-off to Alex and Edward with a smile as they return the same.

I can’t help but mention something.“He seems… interesting.”

Edward just replies absentmindedly still staring at him in the distance from the window. “Yeah, Hughes is a nice guy. He really loves his wife and daughter with all his heart.”

I feel a slight tenseness from Nina as I set a hand on her head. “It’ll be fine.” Edward quickly looks over at her and realizes how she may not want to hear about something like that right now.

“I-I mean… I’m sure you’ll get along great with his daughter she’s really nice! I think?”

That’s an odd way of phrasing it. “What do you mean you think?”

“Well uh, I sort of haven’t met them before? But judging by everything Hughes says they should both be great, right?”

“Haa I suppose we should at least give him the benefit of the doubt.” I ruffle Nina's hair a little to distract her and settle into a book reading it the long way to more properly digest the information.

The train ride is scheduled to take 6 hours with several stations dotted across that duration only two of which are transfers. The first couple of hours are completely ordinary with nothing happening. The first problem arose as we approached the first transfer.

Zig speaks up first. “Do you feel that, my lord?” Off in the distance on the bus waiting station is this sickening Chi feeling. Like thousands are wailing in agony. The philosopher's stone we had previously sounded like a dozen or so, but this seems like a tide of screams and moans.

Edward and Alex give us both a curious glance. “I don’t want to put you too on edge but I believe there is someone with a stronger philosophers stone on that bus station.”

Edward looks excited while Alex looks confused. Nina yawns and looks up at me. “What’s a philopobiaber stone?” attempting to pronounce philosopher while half asleep and unused to the word.

“Something us grownups and Edward will need to figure out.” I smile at Edward as his smile becomes cramped.

“I’ll have you know I’m practically an adult. Also isn’t this a good thing? We can ask them how they got it.” He starts looking out the window trying to sneak a glance out there.

“It could be sure, or they might be like father cornello and attempt to kill people with it. The feeling it’s giving… it’s like.” I look down at Nina and cover her ears.

“It’s like screaming and moaning souls of the damned crammed into a small space.”

This certainly got Alexes attention. “How are you able to sense them? And what does that mean?” He slowly starts reaching into his pockets procuring a pair of metal knuckles with his alchemical circle on them. Copying that for later…

I look over at Edward. “Sir, he’s telling the truth. The previous time we found a philosopher's stone he was able to sense it. I promised not to tell his secret and ask that you do the same.”

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With a serious nod, he takes a glance out the window after the train starts to slowly pull up.

“Do you have any idea of the person's shape or relative position?” With a nod, I start concentrating.

“They are closer to where the cart in front of ours will be when the train comes to a stop.” With a serious nod, he looks to start to get up before I stop him with a hand no longer covering Nina’s ears.

“Let’s see where they get off. We can just follow them rather than risk damaging the train in the possible crossfire.” A small amount of shock followed by a serious nod has Alex sitting in his seat gazing outside the window.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good angle on seeing who it was because of the small cluster of people entering. I do know that they settled into the room next to ours though. I have a plan to see who it is that shouldn’t pose much risk.

Taking out a piece of paper I jot down my plan. For them to read.

“My lord… that plan.” “Are you crazy?” “Don’t disappear too big brother Du!” I can’t help but chuckle at all of them.

“Relax! I just need to use the restroom. Getting out the door before any of them can seriously restrain me.” I take a moment once I’m outside to get into character.

I walk to the restroom differently than usual. Normally I walk with a confident gait like someone that can see normally. Most just assume that the blindfold is see-through. But now I’m playing it up a bit. After a quick wait in the restroom, I do the same on the way back to our compartment only this time I purposefully miscount my steps and end up in front of the person with the philosophers’ Stone's room.

With some confidence, I open up the compartment door and sit down where I was in the other room. “See I told you guys that I could get to the restroom and back without a guide. Here you were all worried about the blind man on the train.”

In front of me sits a woman with long flowing black hair done to her side. She’s wearing a form-fitting long sleeve shirt that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. She looks up at me with a bit of surprise from a book in her hands. Which is how I’m able to see she has rather unusual red eyes.

“I’m sorry it appears you have the wrong compartment. Are you lost?” Despite sounding sweet after an initial check in front of me with her hand her face went from a pleasant smile to a small glare.

“Oh? That-uh you wouldn’t happen to be a nine-year-old girl that’s suddenly sounding a lot more mature, are you?” I rub the back of my neck and look away in false embarrassment.

This actually did get a small melodious laugh from her. “Not quite no, I can’t say I’ve been nine for many years now.”

I stick out my hand slightly off from her location. “Jiang Du 9th prince of Xing at your service, miss?” She gently takes my hand as well and I can see the slight surprise at my name and the feeling of my automail arm.

“Prince of Xing you say? That’s quite impressive. My name is Solarius, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You wouldn’t happen to be with the full metal alchemist, would you? I heard he was somewhere on this train, and I’ve never seen an alchemist before.” Despite saying this her eyes are darting around the room and she’s maintaining a look between both me and the window to outside the cabin.

She’s fishing for information then? Well, it’s not like any of it is a secret. “Yes, I’m traveling with him at the moment, just for some repairs. Shouldn’t take too long before we have him up and at it again. Thankfully his brother and I are here to look after him.” Not a lie even if the person in the other room isn’t Al.

“Oh my he sure seems lucky to have a friend like you. Despite your… difficulties being able to help him out after he was injured.” Seemingly satisfied with no trap springing her full attention is now drawn to me. She has a somewhat creepy smile on her face like she’s caught a spider in her web.

“Not at all, I’m just glad that I can still help teach some alchemy after losing my sight. I might not be able to practice as much anymore but that’s not needed to teach most of it.” She looks over my arms and face.

“Well, I’m sorry if this is a rude question… I’m just curious how did you lose your sight exactly? It must be quite the tale for a young powerful alchemist such as yourself. A prince of Xing can’t exactly have the same sort of problems as little old me.” Her gaze while looking at my arms and face almost seems hungry. Like she’s on the edge of her seat for a specific answer.

I’ll give a half-right answer then. “Don’t worry it’s fine. I’ve grown to accept that I’ve got this problem. Besides if I took offense to everyone that asked that question, I’d have very few people to talk to.” I smile at her as she rolls her eyes. She's obviously not interested in what I’m saying besides answering her question.

I concentrate on the feeling of the screaming and moaning spirits and focus on its location. While telling my tale. “Well, growing up in Xing can be hard. We don’t have access to a lot of the same technology as here. I was also part of the royal family. There are fifty clans subservient to the emperor. Each generation fights the others for the title of crowned prince. Killing each other and clawing their way to the top for power.” This gets a surprisingly genuine smile on her face. “After announcing accomplishing a leap in medical alchemy I was sent an explosive that resulted in me losing both my arms and eyes.” Her interest was instantly lost but she seems to consider it for a moment. While she does so, I localize the feeling coming from her to somewhere around the center of her chest. Likely a pendant or something under her shirt… not something I can reasonably take without her notice.

She leans in slightly. “Ah, so it was just an unfortunate explosion accident. Not some grand tale of alchemy? Come on you can tell little old me about it if that’s not the whole story.” She moves to be next to me and presses her… chest against my arm. Now while I’m logically not interested in her. It’s still quite flustering to have a very attractive girl suddenly latch onto your arm. Especially with some teenage hormones still pumping strong.

“S-sorry, but that’s about the gist of it really. I wish I had some sort of grand tale to tell you. I did manage to artificially make a baby outside of a womb though?! That’s impressive right?” It would be impressive but not compared to what I'd already accomplished. It could be achieved by just leaving my samples in the nutrition solution and letting a specific pair grow while adding specific other solutions at different stages of its growth. Far less complicated than growing the heart from the stem cells.

She looks slightly impressed but not as much as I’d expect. “Isn’t that quite the feat? Creating life? Do you still have the child?” The way she ends that statement almost makes it sound like she wants to eat them considering how dangerous her eyes are. From this close, though I know exactly where the philosopher's stone is. It’s inside her chest, not in a pendant or something. I can distinctly feel her chest through her very thin shirt and there’s no pendant where I’m feeling is the source. Considering it also permeates her whole body it's inside of her.

“No… unfortunately, my work was also destroyed as a result of the explosion…” She lets go of my arm.

“Well, I best not hold you. Too long, I wouldn’t want your friends getting worried about you. Would you like me to escort you to them? It would be a pleasure to meet a state alchemist and a prince of Xing in the same day.” Options… options…

“I’d love to but it likely will just need to be an introduction. The compartments are a bit cramped already and unless you feel like sitting on my lap, I don’t see there being anywhere else to be.” I don’t really have a romantic interest in her but as long as she thinks that I’m just a horny young adult then she’s going to underestimate me.

She giggles a small laugh, but it’s quickly followed by a disgusted look at me and a silent snarl. “Well, I might just have to see about taking you up on that offer. Let’s meet them first before deciding though.” She pauses at the door for a moment assuming her persona much as I did before starting this interaction.

She takes my hand and leads me out of the cabin to the next one over where the others are all waiting on me. When I open the cabin door, they all look at the woman beside me in complete surprise and confusion.