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"Are you sneaking off?"
Ed flinched when Ling popped up beside him, looking startled, then guilty, just for a moment, before he scowled. "I'm not sneaking off! I'm a grown ass man, and unlike you I don't have a babysitter. I can go wherever the hell I want, no sneaking required."
"Alright." Ling grinned. "Then do you mind that I sneak off to join you while you go wherever the hell you want?"
Ed regarded him sceptically for a few moments, then shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
Ling's grin widened. Even though they had been in Xerxes almost a week now, there had been barely a chance for him and Ed to talk, let alone talk without having a dozen people around them watching their conduct as representatives of their respective countries.
Ed was clearly about as sick of it as Ling.
"Where are you going anyway?" Ling asked, watching idly as Ed buckled the two blades he'd taken to carrying around his hips. He hadn't seen him use them yet, but he assumed they were his substitute for the automail blade he used to rely on.
"Saw some promising inscriptions earlier during that stupid photo op. Wanted to take a closer look. I know this whole trip is mostly symbolic, but while I'm here I might as well get some actual work done."
"Right, right." Ling grinned and followed Ed out behind the tent where they vaulted over a wall to avoid the security positioned at the entrances to the camp. They were more meant to keep intruders out than to keep them in, but Ling knew they wouldn't let him leave without at least Lan Fan shadowing him. "Amestris' leading expert in Xerxian studies, huh? Say, do they know you're a first generation Xerxian descendant?"
Ed snorted, looking around to orient himself in the afternoon sunlight before confidently striding off in one direction. "No", he said. "How would they? It's quite impossible. Though I think some people do assume there's some sort of family heritage there, what with the hair and the eyes."
"Mh." Ling watched Ed's ponytail sway as he walked, gleaming in the sun. “So what‘s your take on these discoveries, then? As Amestris’ leading expert in Xerxian studies.“
Ling couldn‘t keep the teasing tone out of his voice, although he was genuinely curious. There had been a lot of media interest when these relics had been discovered in the remains of a Xerxian city, linking the people of Xing with some of the peoples that lived on the land that had now become Amestris. And media interest meant by necessity politics would have to get involved, and in order to not tread on anyone‘s toes, Xing and Amestris had both sent envoys to Xerxes to assess the findings together.
Had it been strictly necessary that Ling as crown prince join the delegation personally? Probably not, but …
Ed shrugged. “Haven‘t seen enough of them yet to make a judgement, but if it‘s legit, it is kind of a big deal. So far the consensus had been that there had been no direct contact between the pre-Amestrian peoples and Xing prior to the destruction of Xerxes. It was only the, um, the Sages, that is Hohenheim and the Homunculus, that had first established the connection across the desert. I mean—“, he tipped his head from side to side thoughtfully, “there had definitely been contact, and trade even, between Xing and Xerxes, and we have solid evidence that at least some of the easternmost tribes of Amestris and the Ishvalans also had connections to Xerxes but … if there actually was direct cultural exchange between the pre-Amestrians and Xing, that would open up a lot more questions about the history of both peoples. If we‘re lucky it might even give us some answers, too. But really it‘s too soon to tell.“
Ling smiled, shaking his head fondly as he listened to Ed‘s lecture, occasionally making an interested noise. He didn‘t mind it—he had asked, and really it was interesting and could be quite significant for the future relations between Xing and Amestris. Besides, it was good to see that Ed could still lose himself completely in the minutiae of a topic he was passionate about, even when it wasn‘t alchemy. It brought a strange kind of nostalgia, though at least this time not as much of it went right over Ling‘s head, since he knew a great deal more about history and politics than he even now understood of alchemy and alkahestry.
The afternoon descended into twilight as they strolled through what had once been a Xerxian farming town, towards the site that their guides had only given them a preliminary tour of so far, taken up mostly by speeches and photo ops, not leaving a lot of time for actual research.
“We‘re losing the light”, Ed said with a grimace and a look at the sky. “It‘s further than I thought.“
Ling cast him a sidelong glance. “And you‘re sure you‘re leading us in the right direction?“
”Yes.“
“Should we head back? It‘s gonna be more difficult to navigate in the dark.“
Ed shook his head without hesitation. “It‘s not much further, and we have a little time still. It‘s gonna be a bright night anyway; the moon‘s almost full. Besides”, he narrowed his eyes, “since when are you so circumspect? Don‘t tell me you‘ve already become a responsible adult who doesn‘t know the word fun! When’s the last time you did something stupid?“
Ling snorted. “You can’t accuse a guy of being no fun while unironically using the word ‘circumspect’ in the same breath. Besides, look, I’m literally doing something stupid right now.“
“So you are.“
They both whirled around at the voice behind them, one of Ed‘s blades drawn and firm in his hand so fast like it was still an extension of his arm.
Ling‘s hand hovered over the hilt of his sword as he took in the figure before them.
They seemed of average size, though it was difficult to determine the physique underneath the loose, dark clothing. The fact that most of their face was concealed behind a mask did not inspire confidence, though Ling could see enough of their eyes to know they were Xingese—if the curved sword they were brandishing, not unlike his own, wasn’t indication enough.
There was something familiar about them.
“You’re one of our guides.”
“Oh, am I?” There was a trace of humour in her voice.
As if on some signal, three more figures appeared out of the dusk behind her, all in a similar getup, all brandishing weapons.
“Thank you for making it easy for us, Ling Yao.”
Ling almost sighed. Not even in Xerxes could he get a break from the assassination attempts.
He drew his own sword. “What makes you think this is going to be easy?”
“Oh, to catch you alone, far away from your guards and that shadow of yours, with only a scholar as company … we couldn’t have hoped for a better opportunity.”
Ling exchanged a quick glance with Ed, who gave him a wry grin, blade already poised to strike. “Only a scholar, you hear that? I’d be insulted, but honestly, of all the things I’ve been called, this is one of the most flattering.”
The guide’s eyes flickered towards Ed momentarily, narrowing like she was trying to assess him, but clearly dismissing him as a threat.
They didn’t wait for her and her accomplices to make the first move, lurching forward simultaneously to attack.
The would-be assassins received them with weapons raised. They were two to one, and they were skilled fighters; trained, if Ling had to guess, in the same arts as Lan Fan had been, which made them formidable opponents, but also meant that Ling was very familiar with their fighting style.
Three of them went straight for Ling, while the fourth engaged Edward “Only A Scholar” Elric on his own. Poor sod.
Ling focused on his own opponents, staying aware of Ed in his periphery only so they didn’t get in each other’s way.
It wasn’t long before there was the heavy thump of a body hitting the ground somewhere off to the side, and Ed drew away another one of the attackers by sweeping his legs out from under him while he was preoccupied parrying one of Ling’s blows.
Ling focused on the two remaining—the woman and one man, if he had to guess— dodging a slash from one while parrying one from the other. They kept circling around him, trying to get into his blind spots. He needed to take one of them out, and fast, but it meant letting down his guard a little with regard to the other.
He focused on the guy, leaping at him from a running start, vaulting over him with a hand on his shoulder and kicking him in the back, sending him stumbling towards his accomplice. Ling had half hoped they’d crash into each other, but of course he wasn’t that lucky. However, standing behind the guy now gave him a good vantage point to surge forward into his blind spot. Ling twisted his arm behind his back until he let go of his sword with a cry, and then knocked him out, a swift hand to the back of his neck.
And then there was one.
Ling locked eyes with the guide. “So … which clan are you, then? The Yui? Hu?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You think I’d just tell you?”
Ling hummed. “Don’t want it reflecting back badly on them in case this goes sideways, huh?”
She lunged forward again, fast, her blade a silver blur, and Ling managed to jump back just far enough that he could feel the tip of it slicing through several layers of his clothes. He ducked underneath another swing and slid along the ground to get behind her, slicing her legs in the process.
There was a cry of pain and a moment of disorientation before she turned towards him as he jumped back to his feet, but Ed’s blade caught the next stroke of her sword instead.
Ed grinned as her eyes widened, flickering over his shoulder briefly, looking for her comrades in arms. “Didn’t expect the scholar to be any good in a fight, huh?”
She glared at him, surging forward and forcing him to jump back to evade a slash of her blade. “Stay out of this, Amestrian. It’s none of your business.”
Ed scoffed, parrying another attack with a screech of metal on metal. “When you’re trying to murder someone, that very much makes it my business.”
What they could see of her face pulled into a grimace of anger. “If Ling Yao becomes emperor, he will drive Xing to ruin. This is for the good of the country!”
“It always is”, Ed said with a humourless smirk, ducking under her sword to slash at her legs, but the assassin jumped, avoiding the swipe. Ed barely had time to react when a swift kick at his hand sent his blade flying, landing with a clatter far beyond his reach. Already he was going for the second one still in its sheath, but the guide didn’t give him the time, wrapping both hands around the hilt of her sword as she descended on him with a vicious stab.
It was a movement without thought, a completely instinctual reaction, one that had doubtless saved Ed from harm countless times during his years as a state alchemist.
It was a reflex so deeply ingrained that it still remained now—now that his right arm was not made of metal anymore.
Rather than ducking or dodging, Ed threw his arm up to block the blow aiming for his torso, but instead of glancing off metal, the blade pierced clean through his lower arm, neatly between the bones and out the other side.
Ed bit out a curse, but with a quick twist of his arm he wrenched the hilt of the sword out of the guide’s grip before jumping backwards, leaving her disarmed. She landed back on the pavement unbalanced, tipping over backwards onto her backside. The tip of Ling’s sword was at her throat in an instant. When a quick glance around told her that none of her accomplices were still on their feet, she squared her shoulders, meeting Ling’s eyes calmly over the blade.
“I am beaten”, she said evenly, “but this fight is not over, Ling Yao. My clan will not allow you to sully Xing’s proud traditions.” Her eyes flickered towards Ed briefly, narrowing. “I have dishonoured my family by failing, but I will die with the knowledge that I may not have succeeded in killing you”, her gaze focused on Ling again, hard and hateful and almost smug, “but at least you will hurt.”
There was a time and a place for mercy, Ling knew. This wasn’t it.
Once he was sure she definitely wouldn’t be getting up again, he dropped his sword with a clatter, whirling around. “Ed! Are you—”
"I'm okay", Ed said, though he sounded breathless and strained. "Fuck.” He regarded his arm, still skewered by the guide’s sword with a grimace. “My arm—can’t believe I forgot ..."
He seemed to consider for a moment, then grabbed the hilt with his left and in a single rapid motion pulled out the blade, teeth gritted against a cry of pain.
Ling winced as Ed dropped the bloodied weapon on the ground. “Wouldn’t it have been better to leave it in?”
Ed shook his head, cradling his now liberally bleeding arm to his chest. “Too unwieldy. If we’re gonna have to walk all the way back …” He examined the wounds briefly, blood dripping on the dusty ground as he prodded them. “It’s not that bad. Should be fine if we bandage it—” He made an attempt to take off his jacket, but even the slight movement made him stagger, blinking rapidly as he tried to stay upright. “Woah.”
“What’s the matter—” Ling stepped closer, giving him a quick once over. “Did you get hurt anywhere else?”
“No, I’m—I—”, Ed shook his head, but it just had him swaying more. “Just a bit dizzy.”
Ling watched him, worry niggling at his stomach. Of course they hadn’t taken any water with them, but— “Do you want to sit down for a moment?”
Ed squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, left arm stretched out vaguely, reaching for balance. “Yeah, that might be …” Despite his best efforts his legs gave out under him and Ling instinctively caught him by his arm as he crashed to his knees, keeping him from keeling over.
“Ed! What’s wrong?”
Ed held on to his arm in return, bloodied fingers digging in as he fought to stay upright. “I—I can’t breathe.”
“Breathe? But she—she didn’t …” Ling tugged up Ed’s top to make sure there weren’t any injuries he’d missed, but he saw nothing, except that Ed’s chest was rising and falling almost convulsively, with rapid, shallow breaths. “No. Oh, no.” Ling’s gaze moved briefly to the guide’s bloody sword on the ground next to them, then to Ed’s eyes, restless and fighting to stay focused, then to his arm, the edges of the puncture already red and raised with inflammation. “Shit.”
Ed groaned, trying to draw in a slow, deliberate breath through his nose to speak a single word. “Poison.”
Ling nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “I think so.”
Ed tried to curse but didn’t seem to be able to get out the words, curling in on himself with pain. “ … didn’t … get you?”
Ling’s eyes strayed right down to the spot where her blade had sliced through his clothes, and he pulled them aside to check his belly. There was a thin, pink welt where she had just scratched his skin, but hadn’t drawn any blood. “I think I’m good. But we’ve gotta—ah, hang on …”
Reluctantly he let go of Ed’s arm, leaving him to hunch over further, groaning.
The guide’s body was only a few feet from them and Ling patted her down quickly. Antidote, she had to have an antidote. Accidents could always happen, it would be reckless not to—there was a distinct crunch when Ling tried to turn her over. He saw the remains of what might have been a small vial, shattered when her body had fallen and its contents long since swallowed by the dry, dead ground. Not wasting any time cursing, Ling scrambled up and towards where the other three attackers lay, patting all of them down just as vigorously, but none of them carried a similar vial, or any kind of vial for that matter. “Shit, shit, shit.”
Returning, he dropped to his knees again beside Ed, grabbing his shoulder. “Ed, are you with me?”
“Ngh.”
“Can you look at me? Here, come on, look at me.” He gently tried to pull Ed up a little by his shoulder to get a look at his face, his arm.
His eyes were clouded, moving listlessly, breath still coming fast and shallow. What he could see of Ed’s arm under his clothes and the blood was now bright red.
“Shit. Um—” Ling tried to push down his rising panic, tried to ignore all that he had learned about symptoms of poisoning during his upbringing, because all it told him now were things he didn’t want to hear.
I may not have killed you, but at least you’ll hurt.
“You’ll be alright. Okay? Just keep breathing. You’ll be okay.”
Ed blinked sluggishly, lips quirking into a humourless smile. “ … stupid …”, was the only word Ling could catch, but he wasn’t sure if he was berating Ling for being naive or himself for being careless.
“You’ll be okay!” Already the words tasted like a lie on his tongue. “I’ll get you help, alright? You’ll be okay. Just hold on. I’ll go and—”
“There’s … no one here.”
“I … If I run, I can—”
Before he could even turn away, though, Ed’s left hand wrapped around his arm with surprising strength, holding him back.
“Don’t.”
“I—I have to, Ed, you need help, I gotta find someone—”
Ed shook his head, grip tightening. “Don’t … go.”
Ling tried to swallow down the panic constricting his throat. “But I can’t—I can’t just do nothing, I have to …”
When Ed opened his mouth again, no words came out, but his bright, golden eyes were clear and pleading.
He didn’t need to speak for Ling to know what he was thinking. He was thinking the same thing Ling knew in his bones to be true.
If Ling left now, the only thing it would change was that Ed would die alone.
Ling made a choice.
“I’m sorry”, he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m here, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”
Settling properly on the ground, he gently helped Ed lie down and rest his head in his lap, brushing strands of hair sticky with sweat out of his face.
Ed drew in another shallow breath. He was shivering.
Ling blinked rapidly against the burning in his eyes, resting a hand against Ed’s cheek. “You’re okay. Just keep breathing. You’ll be fine.”
Ed opened his mouth again, and the one word he managed to form was everything but unexpected. “Al …”
Ling nodded. “Al will be fine, too. He’s … everyone will look after him. Okay?”
Ed blinked slowly. “Tell him …”
“Yes, yes.” Ling tried to swallow down the hot lump clogging up this throat. “I’ll tell him you love him.”
Ed shook his head softly, hair rustling against Ling’s legs. “Tell him … sorry.”
Ling bit back a sob, turning it into a scoff instead. “What have you got to be sorry for? It’s—” He sucked in a shaking breath. “I got you into this. It was meant for me.”
Ed blinked again, his eyelids heavy, eyes drifting, shifting in and out of focus. “Better this way. Xing needs you.”
“God, Ed—but what if I—what if I need …” His voice wavered. He couldn’t fall apart now. He had to keep it together, for Ed. He closed his eyes for a long second, then leaned forward to press his lips to Ed’s forehead, just for a moment.
When he straightened up again, Ed’s eyes had widened a little in surprise. “Ling …”
Ling shook his head, continued stroking Ed’s hair gently, reluctant to meet his eyes. But he didn’t want to look at the hole torn into Ed’s arm either, nor at his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.
“You’re okay”, he whispered again. “It’s okay. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll stay right here and I’ll keep you safe, okay? You can rest. It’s okay.”
Another shiver ran over Ed, his breaths no longer rapid now but slow and shallow, his chest barely rising with each one. His lips moved soundlessly, forming unheard words.
Too fast. This was all going too fast. He couldn’t do this.
Ling took a deep breath, hand squeezing Ed’s shoulder firmly. “Just rest. Everything will be okay. You’re safe. Someone will be here soon to help you, alright? Until then I’ll stay right here. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” He barely knew what he was saying anymore. He wasn’t sure if Ed still registered his words at all, his eyes clouded over, moving restlessly. Ling still kept talking, senseless words of comfort, as if they made any difference, his hand moving to cradle Ed’s jaw when he wouldn’t stop shivering.
He didn’t know when exactly Ed’s eyes closed, giving in to their leaden weight, when his chest rose and fell for the last time. Too fast, too fast. “You’ll be okay. We’ll—we’ll get you back to Amestris, we’ll get you home. You’ll be fine, you’ll see.” He just kept talking, even as the heat in his eyes finally spilled over, dripping on Ed’s pale face, even as shaking sobs overtook him, almost drowning out his words.
It didn’t matter. Ed couldn’t hear him anymore.
Ling kept whispering to Ed as he pulled him closer, his throat aching with apologies too futile and confessions too late.