Signal the Sirens (OPEN)

[Olivier Armstrong]

Rise from the dead you say?
Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave

Everyone who had even an ounce of knowledge about the northern front of Amestris knew about Olivier Armstrong. She was as much a part of the North as the Fort and few could remember what the Northern command was like before Armstrong had taken over. It had not been that long ago but she had transformed the command so much that people just came to believe that she had always been in charge. Naturally, Olivier just let them keep up that thought. After all since she took command the border had been safer than ever. After all she was the one who trained the troops in such a way that they became perfect soldiers. They were strong, loyal and feared no one. Yet even though they took orders efficiently and without argument they were not stupid to follow every order. If something seemed out of place in a command they would not hesitate to speak up, even if it was against Olivier herself. They were smart enough to know that just because they were dogs of the military did not mean they had to follow orders blindly. They would question orders if need be and were not afraid to voice their opinions at times, and Olivier actually respected that. She didn't want sniveling cowards following her with their tails tucked behind them because they didn't know better. No, she wanted warriors that would fight to the death if given the orders but if they were given commands that seemed misplaced or wrong they would protest. These were the soldiers she wanted under her command, and these were the exact soldiers she had trained. 

A satisfied smirk came across her face as the Major General looked over the fort from her office as she thought of everything she had accomplished at the northern border. With her leadership they had made sure Drachma would not dare to cross the border, the fort and the Ice Queen who ruled it with her fleet of impressive warriors were enough to keep them at bay. If it had been other troops stationed, there may be a risk of attack, because really most of the military was made up of mutts who only put in the bare minimum and would rather flee then risk their lives. It was pathetic. It didn't surprise Olivier that some people may want to see why the fort Briggs soldiers were different. When her superiors would question she would simply say it was a combination of the harsh cold and her leadership that created true warriors. But even though she would explains her training, as required when the higher-ups asked, they still would conduct visits to see for themselves. Of course Olivier would accommodate them, a good relationship with those above her increased her chance of being promoted. However sometimes send other soldiers to take notes about Fort Briggs, It was then that Olivier would feel enraged. When the lower-ranking soldiers send by her superiors came, confident they could actually talk to her as an equal and figure out her secrets just because they had a letter from some higher-up. She made it clear to everyone that she would not give any information to anyone below her, hell she rarely gave the higher-ups that much information either. But no matter how many times they failed, they just kept coming back. It was sickening.

Now was another one of those times. She received a message that she should expect visitors. So she was waiting until her soldiers gave word that the soldiers, or whoever it was had arrived. Honestly if it had not been from her superior she would have discarded it and just told her men to make them leave the fort by any means necessary. But as it was from her boss she had no choice but to welcome whatever company she was supposed to be receiving. Of course just because she was supposed to let them in did not mean she had to play nice. As far as she was concerned anyone who stepped into Fort Briggs received the same icy treatment she always gave. They could be sent by God himself and she would not give them special privileges. You had to earn your way to her good graces, a simple letter of recommendation was worth nothing.   

[Felix Talbot]

He hated this... He hated this with all his might... This was possibly one of, if not THE, worst assignments Felix has ever been given... This had to've been punishment for something he did, or in his case, not done. Being sent to Briggs of all places! To act as some lousy appraiser or some nonsense like that! That wasn't his job, Felix is an alchemist, damn it!

He should be back in Central researching or something more important like figuring out what happened two years ago... But no, some higher-up decided to send Felix of all people to the coldest reaches of Amestris. Even worse... It was Fort Briggs... He's heard tales of this place, and the force of nature that commanded this place. Of course, Felix gave credit where credit was due, he had also heard tale of the men of Briggs and their incredible fortitude and strength. It would make sense that the men and women that helped save Amestris from destruction would come from Briggs.

During his trip via car to the fort, which he didn't really expect as he originally thought they would've made him trudge through the wilderness to just get to Briggs, Felix had plenty of time to let his mind wander. Oh, he could just see some ancient general, or colonel in his mind, talking about sending The Infinity Blade Alchemist here.

'Oh, you'd think Colonel Talbot's younger brother would be more like her, and not some lazy good-for-nothing! Maybe a little time in the cold would spark that drive hahah!'

As if it wasn't bad enough to be dragged away, but noooo, Felix has to deal with the freezing weather of the Briggs Mountains! He hated the cold with an utter passion, you'd have to be insane to consider living in such an area! But he supposed that also contributed to the strength of Brigg soldiers.

As his trip grew closer to the end, he hadn't even been a mile close of the wall, and already he could see its imposing glory looming in the distance. To imagine that that very wall stood against Drachma forces for years. It was both awe-inspiring and slightly terrifying at the same time.

Soon enough the State Alchemist finally arrived at his destination: Fort Briggs... Stepping out of the back of his valet, the Infinity Blade Alchemist bundled up in what some would call an unnecessary amount of winter clothing, made his way to the entrance of the fort. Flashing his silver pocket watch, he made his introduction to the guardsmen. "I'm State Alchemist Felix Talbot. I believe your commanding officer is expecting me?" 

[Olivier Armstrong]

Rise from the dead you say?
Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave

Her eyes scanned to the door as she vaguely heard the sounds of several footsteps going down the hall. Not only where there more than usual, but they all seemed to be traveling faster than usual. That could mean only one thing, their guest from Central had arrived. Lovely. Still she showed no interest in leaving her office. No, she didn't want them to believe she had just been waiting around just for them. As if her whole world revolved around them. No, she would wait until her men came and informed her of their guest. Only then would she even consider walking out. It didn't take long for one of her men to knock on her door, a brisk knock followed by a simple Major General, he's arrived. She walked over to the door, opening it to her man. "I trust he's still by the entrance? Because we cannot have men I did not personally sign off on running around the fort." She gave him a look, one that might cause other soldiers discomfort, make them look away, appear weak. He just gave a firm nod, keeping eye contact with her the entire time without faltering. Of course sir, we would not let anyone wander in without your approval. A satisfied smirk crossed her face, and she gave a brief nod. "Return to your post then, I'll let the others they can get on doing more important things like protecting our nation."

With that she turned heel and began walking down to the entrance. She gave brief nods to the men who she passed by as they went on their way to their posts. They did not bother with something frivolous as greeting her because they knew she would snap for them to get back to work. Sure some days they could get away with a good day, sir but not when days they had company. Not when she was in this mood, they knew better than to aggravate their superior. She stopped when she approached the Central soldier, studying him for a brief second. He did not look threatening, nor did he look like someone particularly powerful in the army. "You're the best that Central can send?"Though she looked at him, the question was not really directed to him. She was just musing aloud, trying to formulate a first impression. Did they just send her a soldier at random? Did not even try to find someone actually worthy of her time? Figures, the Central command never bothered to scan for who they sent, they just sent whoever happened to be available. She turned to her own soldier, "Has the identity been confirmed?" When they nodded, assuring Olivier with a yes sir she turned her attention back to him. "I hope you already know we do things different in Briggs. Even though you may have been sent here does not make you special. I will not give any special privileges or accommodate your requests if I do not see fit." She paused for a second, waiting for a reaction before she continued. "Now here are the documents that Central gave to you about your so called mission to my fort?"

[Felix Talbot]

Felix wished he didn't have to wait outside in the cold, though it probably wasn't any better inside, but the soldiers posted at the entrance told him that he was to await the Major General out here and let her decide whether or not he could come in. There wasn't much he could do and even if he could, this was all a major waste of time for both himself and the soldiers of Briggs, but duty called unfortunately.

Thankfully, it wasn't long until his 'host' for lack of a better word finally arrived on the scene. He had heard of the Armstrong family and their history, though he was more familiar with a certain Armstrong back in Central. It was rather difficult NOT to notice a huge beast of a man constantly exposing his chest every chance he got walking around Central. This had been the very first time that Felix had ever met the Major General in person, as he only had pictures from newspapers or various reports to go on, and from all the stories, rumors and such, he always imagined she'd be a giant of a woman... Yet when he looked her over, the very presence she exuded was absolutely massive. It was the way she held herself, and that, what he could best describe as a glare of sorts, didn't ask but DEMANDED respect.

Even after the Major General's little examination, her 'musing' of Felix wasn't exactly off the mark. Central could've sent someone far more suitable for this job, they could've even sent a freaking pencil-pusher, but nooo... Anyway, it was too late to complain, and he certain can't let the Major General know that, first impressions were always the most lasting.

Clearing his throat, he simply saluted to his superior officer. "Major General, Sir! I apologize for the intrusion, but Central Command asked that I perform an assessment on Fort Briggs." The State Alchemist blunted stated, there was not much to say really about WHY he was here. Oh, he had plenty to say about why he SHOULDN'T be here in the first place, but he wasn't risking incurring the Major General's or any higher-up back in Central's wrath. After the authorization of his identity, Felix listened closely to the Major General's warning that she will not treat him with any special treatment of any sort. Felix simply nodded, to be honest, he wasn't expecting any special treatment anyway, he didn't enjoy such things anyway... Though he wouldn't mind a warm meal and drink, but let's take one step at a time.

As he was handing over the letter of recommendation over to the Major General, Felix wasn't quite sure what he was thinking, but he had to say it. "Sir... If I may speak freely... I feel that this assessment isn't really needed... That it's a waste of both our times." Oooh... He knew he was going to regret saying that, but he couldn't just go through the motions without at least telling her his opinions on this whole thing. He spent a whole car trip stewing about it!

[Olivier Armstrong]

Rise from the dead you say?
Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave

Gaze focused on Felix, trying to see if she could figure out what kind of person this soldier was. So far he seemed, just average. Didn’t real stick out but by his expression when she had come he at least knew his place. He at least had enough sense to know he should not try idle chit chat and cut straight to the point. A wise move because the sooner she could deal with this inconvenience the sooner she could focus on more important matters. At his apology she merely gave a brisk nod, choosing not to discuss it any further. However she couldn’t help but feel a little intrigued by the fact he had chosen to apologize because of his orders.

An apology for orders, that was something new. Normally Olivier was not a fan of apologies, it was a sign of weakness. But in this case, she would allow it because honestly she deserved one. It would be far more rewarding if Central sent a high-ranking soldier to apologies for trying to interfere with her command. Really, she was more than capable of handling the Northern command center without their involvement. Their constant attempts to assess the condition of the fort, shouldn’t they thank her for keeping Drachma at bay? Was that not enough? Those miserable fools. “An assessment? And they really believe that someone like you is qualified for that? ” There was disbelief in her voice as she looked at him. Really, if Central was going to do these pointless tests they could at least send someone qualified.

She took the letter, prepared to open it even though she knew nothing the letter said would sway her opinion. She didn’t care what the recommendation would say, she would still make her own judgment based on what she saw. She could care less if this letter had nothing but praise, she wouldn’t believe one word of it. She stopped short of opening the letter when she heard him speak, slightly surprised to hear him speak ill of his mission. She raised an eyebrow as she stared right at him. “Is that so? Explain why you think your orders are unnecessary ” Of course she knew it was a waste of time, anytime Central troops tried to become involved with the North it was a waste of time. The Northern troops were doing just fine without anyone sticking their noses into their business. What she wanted to know was why he believed it was a waste of time. If he gave the right answer she might just allow him to come inside the fort for a warm meal before sending him back to Central. Might of course being the key word. 

[Felix Talbot]

It would seem his bluntness was a good start, as it seemed like Armstrong shared his dislike of all this and wanted this over with as quickly as possible. So, things were going better than he originally thought it did, probably a lot better than the general or colonel that sent him on this task thought too... But he couldn't let his guard down, Felix had to treat this like he would facing an enemy swordsman on the battlefield, one wrong move and it's over just like that. These Briggs soldiers were tough and would probably tear into him like bears into a rabbit if he faltered or said something wrong, and first strike would belong to the Major General.

"Apparently so..." He replied plainly to her concerns about Central thinking Felix was qualified for this. He knew he wasn't qualified for this, or at least prepared for this. He didn't much about tanks or large scale warfare that didn't involve alchemy. Send him to one of the laboratories in Central, then we'd be in business, but to be sent to the north to review one of the, if not THE toughest regiment in the entire State Government was just plain foolish, even if it was punishment or otherwise.

As the Major General began to open his letter of recommendation, he was rather surprised that she asked why Felix thought this was all a waste of time. Normally he was use to higher ranked officers HATING their underlings and the like questioning their orders. Honestly, he felt that some of the higher ups were like spoiled children who don't know how to share.

Well, since she asked, he might as well tell her. "Sir, to be brutally honest... I'm a State Alchemist, and while I may hold the rank of Major, my duty is to pursue alchemy and unlock whatever secrets it may hold... I've also fought a few of your men back in Central a few years back, and have come to realize that if a group of men and women such as Briggs can keep the forces of Drachma at bay AND hold back Central Command then I don't see much point in assessing something that isn't broken."

[Olivier Armstrong]

Rise from the dead you say?
Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave

There was no surprise when she listened to his explanation about alchemy. It was the same story she’d heard from other alchemists, alchemy was the only thing that seemed to matter to them. Never mind the importance of making sure Amestris wasn’t invaded, no alchemy was the only right thing. This Olivier found very amusing considering the events that occurred only a couple years earlier where alchemy almost destroyed the entire nation. Still even though she did not share the state alchemist’s view on alchemy she did share the same belief that central forces should stay out of Briggs. There was no need for them to take time away from defending the nation for these stupid assessments. Her men were more than qualified to take of matters on their own; after all they were able to overpower most of the central troops whenever they had the practice rounds in Central. And if they honestly believed that state alchemists who knew nothing about defense and military strategy where the best people to send. Well, that just meant the central leaders were even bigger idiots then she believed they were. And that was saying something. She remained silent even after he had finished speaking, trying to figure out whether what he believed what he said or if he was just saying what he thought she might want to hear. If the later was the case she would kick him out without even an explanation. She wanted to hear people’s opinions, not little lies they said just to please her.

At long last she finally spoke, reaching her decision that she would believe his words. Still keeping her gaze focused on him. “At least some of the Central soldiers have enough sense to stop trying to fix something that isn’t broken.” There was a short nod, as she turned to one of her own men. “Let him in, a snowstorm’s on the horizon and we can’t send another soldier back to central in a bodybag.” There was a dry chuckle from her troops, as she turned back to the alchemist. ”If you don’t want to freeze to death I’d suggest you’d come inside until the storm passes.” She said, waiting for his reaction before she, herself headed inside. This offer was about the closest the major general would come to showing compassion. Not letting someone freeze to death, that was it. And in all honesty, she only did it because the country could not afford to lose troops, it could potentially weaken them. Even the weakest troops held some value when it came to the defense of Amestris. 

[Felix Talbot]

It was starting to get a little uncomfortable for Felix. The Major General just stared at him in silence after he told her his piece. She was certainly a hard woman to read; Felix knew she was mulling over what he had said, but what he didn't know was how she'll react to it. She seemed to be the type of person who'd handle the direct truth without issue, and she did ask him why he felt the way he did.

Felix just didn't want all this to blow up in his face for telling the truth and have it escalate into a series of bothersome trouble later, the last thing he needed was some higher up back in Central barking at him, or worse... What the Major General would do to him if he offended her. He just didn't have the energy to deal with that.

He had considered to break the silence, but thankfully the Major General finally cleared the silence. Felix was once again surprised that the Major General had accepted his answer, he would note that she didn't mention anything about his duty as a State Alchemist, but he had the feeling that such things weren't exactly held in high regard around here. He could see the reasoning behind thinking like that, Felix hadn't heard of any kind of Alchemists stationed in Fort Briggs, only men and women working with their two hands, protecting the nation's borders. While Felix believed Alchemy was one of the greatest things that the universe could produce, he could appreciate such dedication that the Briggs soldiers, and normal humans for that matter, show everyday. Hm, something to think about on the ride back.

For now though, it seemed that he was allowed entrance into Fort Briggs. "Oh, well... Thank you, Sir." Felix gulped slightly, he would've thought she was just using a bit of black humor... But something was telling him she wasn't kidding at all. He began to wonder what would've happened if she didn't accept his answer? He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling she would've just tossed him out into that blizzard if he hadn't answered right.

Felix could only sigh softly as that wasn't the case much to his relief. Not one to waste any time standing in the cold, the Major followed after the superior officer into the fort. He'll be thankful to get out of the cold, and even more so not being in that blizzard. As he followed, something popped in his mind. That battle in Central a few years ago... While he wasn't in any position to ask questions, he did have one, but he wasn't sure if he should ask... Well, him being direct seemed to work so far.

"Major General, Sir. If it's alright with you, may I speak to you in private... It concerns the skirmish of Central command." He really hoped he wouldn't regret asking this.

[Olivier Armstrong]

Rise from the dead you say?

Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave

The only response Olivier gave to his thank you was a curt not. There was no room for long-winded speeches about how it was her pleasure, or other bs like that. No, that was something her brother would do. Dot on the person for their thank you, almost praise them for a simple act of gratitude. It was pitiful and of course was something against her very nature. So instead after her nod, she simply turned on her heel without another word to enter the fort. She planned to just pawn the alchemist off on one of her troops to take him to an area where he could wait out the storm. After all there were other things to do and take care off. Plus their business appeared to be finished since they both in agreement there was no point to assess the fort. That’s why the question caught her off guard, she had expected for a conversation to continue. She stopped in her tracks, turning back to him, trying not to express her surprise as she looked at him.

The skirmish, she knew very well which one he was asking about. Even though it had been a while back she could still remember it vividly. Of course she tried not to, not only was it when she lost her trusted second-in-command, which had been a great loss, she would admit. But Olivier viewed living in the past as a pointless task. People needed to focus on the present and the future because at least you could still control those. There was nothing you could do about the past, you couldn’t change it, you just had to accept it. There was no point in wondering “what if this happened instead,” it was a complete waste of time. And that was something that Olivier would not tolerate.

“The skirmish at Central?” She asked, not sure why this question would come up during a supposed review of Briggs. “There isn’t much to talk about, the event happened and now it’s done. There’s no sense in discussing the past, we can’t do anything about it now.” She replied shortly, not too thrilled about being asked about past events. The past was the past that was it. That skirmish had absolutely nothing to do with her or her troop’s current performance and as far as she concerned it was nothing anyone should be discussing freely. It had been a terrifying ordeal, even she would admit it. But Amestris had survived it thanks to the brave men who risked their lives in the battle and of course the Elric brothers. And since they had survived there was no point in reliving that point in the past. None whatsoever.

[Felix Talbot]

Felix stopped as the Major General turned to face him, he couldn't tell but was she surprised by his question? He'd admit that the question was out of the blue, coming out asking about a battle that happened over two years ago during what was suppose to be an evaluation, but she was actually there during that battle, and this was his best chance to get closer to the truth if that were all possible. The only issue was whether or not Major General Armstrong would have the patience or willingness to answer such a question; things Felix knew the woman was probably short on at the moment.

He listened as the Major General basically told him the same story many others have told him. 'Forget about it,' or 'don't dwell on the past.' At this point, Felix had half-expected this kind of response, even from the Major General, whatever her reasons for telling him such may be. So many times he would ask this question, and so many times would people tell him 'forget about it,' or 'don't dwell on the past.' It was surprising how many answers can be different but sound just the same to him... An answer that he couldn't accept.

Perhaps, it was because he was an Alchemist or his Xingese side, but he couldn't turn a blind eye to what he felt two years ago during that battle, it was too important to simply forget! He couldn't let this go, but he had to go about it carefully. "I apologize, Sir. It was a personal question addressing a single concern about the final push and the enemy that was fought that day, a concern I felt too important to ignore." Felix calmly stated, he didn't beating around the bush like this, but he couldn't just come out and ask 'what in the hell did you really fight that day?' 

[Olivier Armstrong]

Rise from the dead you say?

Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave

An eyebrow rose as he continued to try to the press this matter. What was it with alchemists and not accepting no for an answer? Honestly if she had been in an angry mood she would not hesitate to throw this boy out into the blizzard this second. But, she was feeling in a somewhat, generous mood. She had after all allowed him to enter the fort, and now she would do him the honor of letting him stay despite his constant questioning about the past. Yes she was such a saint today. Besides she was a bit, intrigued, why he seemed to be so concerned about this event. Not many alchemists had tried to find any new information about the event as far as she was concerned. Of course her ties to Central were limited given she was in the North, but the times she was to report to Central there had been no alchemists busying themselves with the past like this. For all she knew he could have some valuable information about it, or perhaps he could offer her insight on the monster. It was unlikely, but any chance to get more knowledge to protect the border was worth having.

She decided to at least take a chance, if he had nothing to contribute to this conversation but questions the she would terminate this conversation. She’d pawn him off to her lowest subordinate and make him assist them in their tasks until the blizzard passed. If he could contribute, well she’d just decided given the time. “Do you have any information concerning it?” The question was careful. As much as she did not enjoy discussing the past, the only reason she would chance it is if it happened to be worth her time. Glancing at her men she noticed their uneasiness about having to stand around, not doing anything. She couldn’t help but feel pleased at that, at least her men were trained to not be concerned with conversations and would much rather be doing something than standing around. Thank god. “Return to your posts,” she ordered looking at her men, “I am more than capable of handling this on my own.” A chorus of “yes sir” rang out as the men quickly marched to their previous tasks. After they had gone, Olivier turned back to Felix, waiting for his reply.

[Felix Talbot]

Felix was caught somewhat off-guard that the Major General continued with his questioning. He was sure that she'd end it then and there, but she asked her own question of what did he know. That was a somewhat difficult question to answer, it was only until recently did he find out the horrible truth about the
Philosopher's Stone, its creation, and how the previous government
hierarchy was willing to destroy an entire country for it, but still he was missing pieces of the picture.

As Felix thought of how to answer her question, he couldn't help but notice how quickly her men went to work. The Major General's command of her men were to be respected, they followed her order without a hesitation and quickly went back to their respective jobs. Felix could understand their uneasiness, he shared in their feelings about merely standing around when they could spend their energy on something better, and in these mountains that was the work they did to protect the border.

Once the men were gone, leaving the two alone, Felix sighed softly, finally figuring a way to answer the Major General's question. "Before I answer your question, Sir, allow me to explain something, so as to not make me seem crazy or paranoid for what I'm about to say later." The younger man stated, before continuing on.

"I'm not aware if you have any knowledge of Alkahestry, but one of its core concepts is the 'Dragon's Pulse.' Short story is that life energy flows through everything, such as the earth and those living on it, according to Xingese Philosophy. One trained in reading said Dragon's Pulse can sense these things." After he said that, he took a moment to think about how weird this must sound to one whose unfamiliar with Xingese culture. Deciding not to dwell on it, he finally moved onto the most important bit. "Now, on the day of the skirmish, before everyone in Amestris blacked out due to a so-called 'Alchemical Experiment.' I sensed something not right coming from the courtyard... Thousands of people... More than possible, all seemingly stuffed into a small space." Felix went quiet for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell her what he truly knew. For now, he'll let the information percolate with the Major General.

[Olivier Armstrong]

Rise from the dead you say?

Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave

She couldn't help but give him a look of slight intrigue at his immediate response.That was interesting, it wasn’t often that someone said they needed to an offer an explanation so they wouldn’t be considered crazy. No, most people never believed they would sound as he put it, “crazy” or “paranoid” when they talked to the Major General. Probably because if they spoke nonsense to her she would immediately punish them for wasting her time. Most people knew that, even people who never met her. It was just a well-known fact, Olivier Armstrong did not enjoy have her time wasted. Period. Still here was a man who decided that he wanted to explain himself, even though he might sound delusional. She was well, slightly intrigued. Perhaps he could offer some useful information, after all she two years prior she had never heard of humunculous, artificial humans. Then one attacked her fort from the underground. Many people would find that story crazy and label her a lunatic. After that battle and the ones in the Central she found herself a little bit more open-minded when it came to bizarre information.

So she gave a brief nod at his desire for an explanation, allowing him for now the benefit of the doubt when it came to whatever he wanted to discuss. For now she would not interrupt and allow him to speak freely. How long she would grace him with his consideration was a different story though. It depended on how interesting the material was. As he began, she gave a tiny nod, indicating she at least recognized the concept of Alkehestry. She had a vague knowledge of the topic. It wasn’t extensive mind you, but she had done a little research when the Elric brothers had come with this information about a girl who could use this form of science. What she saw in that was potential to create a new weapon or form of fighting that could help protect their northern border. Of course she was told this was not what it should be used for, but she dismissed their objections. Who were they to tell her what to do after all? She was in command, and as far as she saw if something could be valuable as a weapon, she would exploit it. For the sake of Amestris.

Her gaze was focused on him as he explained its concepts, showing mild interest in it. It was something new after all, so there was fascination to learn new material. But she was not sure how interested she could be with the concept, it was still on the same page as alchemy, therefore it would draw little more that initial fascination from the Major General. As he continued, her interest grew though especially as he discussed the feelings during the alchemic reaction. He could feel that? That was, new. “Interesting, she replied at long last, deciding he had plenty of time to explain, ”and what role does this ‘dragon pulse’, of Alkehestry play in your belief you felt something in the courtyard? Where you anywhere near it?”

[Felix Talbot]

Felix found it interesting that the Major General at least had some idea of Alkahestry. Going by how little information they had in the national libraries, he didn't think many people in Amestris, let alone the military knew about the Xingese practice of Alchemy. He'll admit he didn't know much about the foreign alchemy himself, but what he did know was enough to serve his purposes and give him some measure of proof towards his claim.

"Well, as I mentioned, one able to read the dragon's pulse is able to sense the presence and movement of living creatures." Felix explained to the Major General, getting straight to the plain details of what it can do. "And before I blacked out, for one brief moment... I sensed something coming from the courtyard, I couldn't explain it but whatever it was... It was wrong." That was the one thing he clearly remembered before the young state alchemist felt like the very life was being dragged out of him. That was the experience he remembered, it was like being strangled to unconsciousness and then darkness. To think that this so called 'experiment' was all in order to make a philosopher's stone... It just made him sick that the power hungry men that promised to protect this country would twist and perverse Alchemy in such a way for their own benefit.

"Much like everyone else affected by the 'experiment,' I awoke shortly after, the fighting the courtyard had already started. I could sense many Briggs soldiers, and various others fighting what felt like a single... Creature, for lack of a better word... Not Central Forces" Before, Felix couldn't find the word to describe what he was sensing that day, but with the knowledge he learned in the library.... He's got a few.

But next came the part Felix felt was the most distressing, and quite possibly the most unbelievable part. Even with the knowledge of what went into a Philosopher's Stone, Felix couldn't believe it possible that they were fighting some sort of stone. "Due to recent... Discoveries... I've come to believe that this enemy was... Some sort of... Philosopher's Stone." Well, he came out and hinted at it. Now, the only thing was to see if Armstrong believed him, thought him crazy, or stab him in the chest right there and then for half-knowing probably one of Amestris' most forbidden secrets.