Who needs a road? (Open)

[Father [Azerik]]

Azerik looked around at the Ishvalan city, surprised to see it in as good shape as it was. As Hoenheim introduced him to the Ishvalan man who greeted them at the exit of the tunnel, Azerik turned to him, blinking his red eyes in the glare of the sun, and waving to the man before saying ,"My name's Azerik...I suppose you can't really tell, but I'm part Ishvalan myself...mind you my mother would be considered a heretic were she still alive, and I doubt I would fit in very well myself...I am correct in my knowledge that Alchemy is forbidden by Ishvala, right? My mother taught me very little of your people, and I only spent a small amount of time with them myself as a child."

When Hoenheim mentioned the 'scripture' and a 'secret that will blow your mind', Azerik looked at him in surprise. He had almost been resigned to give up on getting anything out of Hoenheim, at ease with his guess as to what the secret may be.

"I know very well what has become of these people Hoenheim..." Azerik said as he registered the rest of what the blond man said, "...I was there during the start of the war, and I didn't leave the warzone completely for a long time after that...but they could be much worse off than they are..."

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

The city streets were fairly maintained and the people went about their business, but the trip to the temple was not all that exciting... on the outside it was just your average temple. As hoenheim climbed the stairs to the chained up doorway a monk clad in gold and blue stood waiting for them. "Torvus, my old friend, how are you?" torvus and hoenheim clasped hands and then shoulders. "hoenheim, its been many years, you you havent aged a day." hoenheim and torvus exchanged pleasantries for a moment and then torvus produced the key to the lock binding the door closed. when the lock was sprung torvus handed it to hoenheim. "see that it is locked when you are done..." and then strode away with a smile.
the inside of the temple was immaculate, not even any dust on the pillars. the cielings were vaulted and about a hundred feet high, and the main feature was on the wall. it was a huge transmutation circle:

"how far did you educate yourself, Azerik, in physical science?" ((( i just want to know if azerik knows about sub atomic particles.)))

[Father [Azerik]]

"Not a whole lot," Azerik admitted, "but I like it that way. With only a basic knowledge of the way the world works physically, it allows me to think up new ways to do things that someone with more knowledge on the subject would consider impossible. For example, my laser arrays:"

Holding up his right palm for Hoenheim to see, Azerik continued saying, "This Array takes invisible light particles, and focuses them in the center of the Array, as well as produces heat from the air. The Array then fires the gathered light and heat in a concentrated beam, that can easily cut through metal. The idea for this was spawned by an argument with an old friend of mine concerning the nature of light. His argument was that light must be non-physical because we move through it without resistance. My argument is that we have no way of knowing if there's no resistance put on us by the light, so I did some research, and some tests, and eventually decided that light put almost no resistance on us, but was made of particles that the naked eye couldn't see, and that light was rendered transparent by extremely fast movement of those particles, the same way if you see something like a ball fly by your face, and your unsure of whether or not you saw it."

Azerik now took the time to look up at the giant Transmutation Circle, marveling in the beauty of the room, and fascinated by the arrangement of the enormous Alchemy Array.

((Is the circle you mentioned just something you thought up? Because its very impractical.))

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

(((well... yeah i just put that in there for filler until i got time to make the array on Paint. i went ahead and modified my previous post and added the transmutation circle.)))

hoenheim watched as azerik made a laser, and explained the transmutation. hoenheim sat down and started to explain how the laws of science dictated the flow of electrons around a nucleus of protons and neutrons, and that by rearranging the order and suptracting or adding a number of particles would change the nature of the substance. finally he came to the demonstration part...
"normally to get a perfect diamond, you would need lots of carbon and lots of heat and pressure. but with this array" here he drew it on the ground and placed a metal button from his cloak in the center. clapping his hands he touched the circle and there was a slight blast of light and a puff of smoke. when the smoke was gone in the buttons place place was a flawless diamond.

[Father [Azerik]]

((Do you mind if I make a spruced up version of that Array to put on my Deviant Art? I'll give credit to you of course. Its just I think it should have a properly done Array. Its well done for someone who knows little of Alchemy.))

"It's an interesting concept," Azerik said picking up and inspecting the small jewel, "but for all I know the button could have had a diamond inside already.How did you discover these particles Hoenheim? Its all well and good in theory, but how did you confirm their existence. There could be any number of reasons why that transmutation was successful."

Even as he asked this question, Azerik was already speculating as to the various things he could do with this knowledge, if it was in fact true. It would make one of older Arrays much more effective, since it would be able to use a lot more different material than was originally intended.

((EDIT: I have actually made my version of the Array now, and am waiting for your okay to upload it.))

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

Azerik had a valid point. so hoenheim got up and strod over to a pillar, made entirely from sandstone. hoenheim clapped his hands together for show and then touched the pillar with a single finger. after a moment the buzzing and popping sound of alchemy stopped and in the pillars place was a statue of hoenheim, made of diamond and ruby and emerald, all entertwined. "well?" he said...

[Father [Azerik]]

"I think you got the wrong idea from my words Hoenheim," Azerik said with a smile as he admired the flamboyant statue, "I'm not asking you to test the theory in a way that will not inspire doubt, I'm asking you how you came to discover these 'subatomic' particles. Are they just hypothetical, or do you have some way of seeing them?"

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

hoenheim laughed. " of course i do. i'll show you." hoenheim actually had to search through the memories of a xerxes scientist to find the plans for the object he was about to transmute. transmutations like this took tremendous amounts of effort. hoenheim slapped the ground and grunted while the alchemy did its job...

when the flashes were done there in the middle of the floor stood a machine. ((( its hard to describe, but it looks like a roulette wheel with a telescope pointed in the direct center.))) hoenheim took the smaller diamond and placed it in a receptacle in the middle. then he spun the wheel and the diamond started to shimmer all over... " there are magnets in this wheel that push and pull the sub-atomic particles faster and faster until it literally disintegrates. when it does a cloud of particles will be suspended in the air, hcih you will look at and study while i spin. eventually only one particle will be leftin the exact center, the others will have been ejected from the device due to magnetic force." hoenheim started to spin the machine and the diamond shimmered faster and fater until it just vanished. "now put your eye to the scope what do you see?"

[Father [Azerik]]

Looking through the device, Azerik did indeed see what Hoenheim had been talking about. "Its like a super powerful telescope," Azerik commented as he stepped away from the machine, "the magnification is amazing! It works the same way my laser array does, only instead of focusing light, it focuses your eyes on a certain illuminated location."

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

"we should be going now, the storm has passed and they dont like people in here to long..." hoenheim stood up. touching the floor with his foot and retransmuting everything back to its original context... "Come on azerik i need to get to liore..."

[Father [Azerik]]

"Why are you in such a rush anyway?" Azerik said as he exited the temple and waited for Hoenheim to follow. As he waited, he realized the Hoenheim seemed to have forgotten something.

"What was that scripture you mentioned earlier?" the young Alchemist inquired, "Or was that just a pretext to get in?"

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

"Oh! right. One moment please." Hoenheim rushed back into the temple and ran to the room he had stayed in during his time here. In the drawer where he had left it, was an original ishvalan bible, well kept and had a leather bound cover. When he got back outside he handed this to Azerik. "This was mine while i studied the people and alchemy the temple had to offer. I really don't need it anymore... and I figured you would get more out of it than i would... Ha ha!" hoenheim walked again toward the tunnel. "I have business in liore, feel free to stay if you like, just don't be getting into trouble..." Hoenheim had already locked up again and set off down the path to the tunnel.

[Father [Azerik]]

"You won't get rid of me that easily," Azerik said, running to catch up to Hoenheim, "did you forget that I was also heading to Liore? In any case, you said that this scripture contained Ishvalan Alchemy...but I thought Alchemy was forbidden by the religion?"

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

(((I will posty tomarrow evening when i get off work. I am soooooooo tired right now. )))

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

Hoeheim shrugged. "Its not so much forbidden... but more of a discontent that Ishvalans have adopted. During their many wars and skirmishes in the land, the use of alchemy by Ishvalans against Ishvalans, alchemy was forbidden. alchmey being the art of deconstruction and reconstruction, they felt that using alchemy on humans was trying to play god, and thus the taboo came about." Hoenheim pointed to the bible in Azeriks hands. "if you read that, i mean really read it and learn it, then you wont have to ask questions. the isvalan bibles these days are abut the size of my finger in thickness... but that bible there is thicker than my arm. it will take you quite a while to read everything in there... but once you are finished you wont have to ask questions, you'll know everything about your people and there heritage." Hoenheim turn and used the "come on" gesture at Azerik over his shoulder. "i really must be getting there soon. there is a certain priest i need to talk to..."

((( hey do you mind if i say that your character did something, it will make getting to liore so much easier...)))

[Father [Azerik]]

((I don't mind, so long as its nothing big. Btw, we'll have to go to the Liore board to continue this once we actually reach Liore.))

Following Hoenheim at a quick pace, Azerik leafed through the first few pages of the scripture, making mental notes on the parts that particularly interested him, then closed the book, and stopped for long enough the put the large book into his traveling pack. When he had done so, he jogged in order to catch up to Hoenheim.

"I suppose its a painful topic," Azerik said after a few minutes of traveling, "but how long did it take you hear news of Trisha's death? And how come you didn't return when you heard? A lot of thing would be different if you'd gone back."

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

Hoenheim went rigid for a split second at the mention of Trishs name and his left hand balled up onto a fist... "There is'nt a day that goes by that I dont wish that I had come back sooner... It was about eight years after I left that I got wind of the boys leaving Rissimbul to become dogs of the state. i didnt find out until I talked to Pinako, and even then i had to do some searching of my own to find the truth." truth... the truth is what got him in this mess, why he had the body he had... and while trying to save the country from the Truth happening again he lost all that was dear to him.

"But the boys were much stronger and wiser than I. They remembered that the purpose of any science, be it alchemy or medicine, is to learn from everything that goes on around us. They became strong, they learned faster and harder than anyone ever had, and Ed became the youngest state alchemist ever."

it took only three or four minutes to reach the tunnel and another twenty or so to be fairly out of sight of the Ishvalans. Hoenheim reach out and touched the wall and a path opened up angling for the surface. that path took another four minutes and when they were on the surface Hoenheim restored the tunnel to the way it was before. the storm had abaited for the most part and was now farther west, but little dervishes ever now and then kicked up a lot of sand at there feet.

Hoenheim walked to a clear spot and started drawing a transmutation circle. as he did he used alchemy to fuse the sand into glass arcs and squares above and around Azerik and Hoenheim, who were in the middle of the original array. when it was done hoenheim answered Azeriks obvious guestion. "this is the epitome of light transmutation. stand very still..." Hoenheim raised his hand to the sun and gathered all the light he could, storing it in the glass he had made. when the whole glass Array began to pulse and shine like the sun itself... hoenheim touched the array with a single finger and a lightning blolt crashed to the ground as the array returned to sand. Hoenheim and Azerik had vanished.

((( this idea came to me in a dream, no kidding...)))

[Father [Azerik]]

((For those having fun reading this, this thread continues here: fullmetalboard.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=lior&action=display&thread=1613&page=1))

[Hoenheim Of Light [Zohi]]

*audible gasp* I forgot to link it.... so sorry!