Chapter 83: Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 83
The place was just as dark as the window suggested it was. Ed looked around slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the gloom. In a few moments, he could see the walls around him were actually shelves, upon which small narrow boxes were crammed in such a was as to appear like a solid wall, reaching right up to the ceiling. There was a thin layer dust covering everything, and the place seemed to be empty.
He could make out a single chair in the corner before him, a ladder to the side..and a shop counter beneath what looked to be stairs.
"Can I help you?" A voice called out, sounding very far back.
"Uh..yeah..I came to buy a vwand." Ed called out, and he turned to the many many stacks of boxes against the wall. He reached out to one, and jiggled it free. Just as he was about to open the box, the voice called out..
"I wouldn't do that."
Ed looked over his shoulder and saw a wrinkled face framed with white hair. The eyes were what held his attention, for they were wide, and so pale, they resembled a pair of moons.
"Dhen how am I to.."
"It is the wand that chooses the wizard, Mister..?"
"Elric. Edvard Elric. And you are?"
"At your service, Mr. Elric. I will need to take your measurements for a proper fitting. Could you hold out your wand arm for me?"
"Which arm vould dhat be?" Ed said, brows knitted in confusion.
"Ah..this is to be your first wand then? That would be your dominate hand." The man bent down behind the counter and emerged with what looked to be a tape measure.
"I am being ambidextrous."
"The hand you write the most with then, if you please."
Ed held out his left arm, and the man began his measuring. The length, width, of his arm, fingers, fingernails..shoulders..face..nose..So many parts of him were measured, that Ed almost didn't notice when the man turned away to reach for a narrow box on the wall. Ed both flinched back and sneezed when the tape measure moved of its own accord and measured the space between his nostrils.
'Blood seal on a TAPE measure?' Ed thought as he watched it continue on with its measuring, defying gravity to do so.
"Give this a good swish.' The moon eyed man handed him the wand from the box. Ed grabbed then end, and was about to do just that, when the man snatched it quickly out of his grasp.
"No..not right." Another wand was handed to him. And Ed tried again, only to have it snatched away again. This happened over and over, and each time the man's mouth seemed to twitch into first a smirk. Then a smile. Ed's arm was getting tired and he was getting irritated, beginning to wonder it this was some sort of joke.
"Ah..most difficult. Try this." Another wand..this one from behind the counter. Ed gave it a swish, and it disintegrated like sand through his fingers. Ed blinked, and another wand was shoved at him. He had that one above his head when it exploded at the tip, shards just nicking him. He brought his arm down, and handed the remains to the shopkeeper. To his surprise, the man grinned madly. And handed him yet another wand. It exploded violently nearly as soon as he touched it.
"Tsst!" Ed grimmaced and looked at his now shredded glove. He saw very little blood, and he judged his wounds as shallow. Another wand blocked his view, and he looked to the shopkeeper with raised eyebrows.
"Once more..Mr. Elric..then we try your other arm."
Ed nodded, turned his face away, just in case, and took a hold of the wand base. He raised it...began the arc of decent...and it too, exploded in his hand. He shook the hand out and worked his fingers. The skin on his palm felt scorched, and his white glove was but a tattered memory.
The man then went to Ed's right, directing the tape measure with a wave of his hand. As soon as he touched it with his hand, his moon-like eyes widened.
"Extraordinary. Not a natural limb at all..." The man breathed, and Ed jerked his arm away. "Apologies..may I ask who made it for you?"
"A friend." Ed said.
"It's proportions are perfect for your body size. And the way it moves ...May I look as I measure?"
Ed swallowed, and glanced to the window. He saw the shadows of Hermione and Ron standing against the dusty glass, as well as those of people passing by.
"This will be entirely confidential..I assure you. If I am to fit you properly, Mr. Elric, I need to be sure of the measurements."
Ed sighed, and with great reluctance, removed his remaining glove, unbuttoned the cuff of the shirtsleeve, and pushed the fabric up the false limb.
"Mugglemade..." The man breathed as he measured the metal fingers one by one. "Such workmanship..I had no idea Muggles could do such things."
"Yeah. She's dhe best at making dhese." Ed said softly, feeling a bit like a freak on display.
"All right..lets try again."
Ed was handed wand after wand. Explosions occurred on nearly every one this time; nearly because the man snatched away a few before they could go. The explosions seemed to be getting larger and larger with each wand he was handed. And still, the man's grin widened. He seemed nearly estatic instead of highly upset like Ed expected him to be with the destruction of his wares.
"What a difficult match." Came the man's excited? whisper from behind the counter as he vanished from Ed's view. He soon emerged with a narrow box, covered in a thicker than usual layer of dust. This wand, clearly ancient if Ed were to judge, he removed with near reverance, holding it out on the tips of his forefingers. Ed grimmaced, and reached for it. His right hand was mere inches away when he felt the hum of an active array in his chest. Blue energy arched from his fingertips, struck the wand, and before Ed could think, the wand deconstructed.
'Second step of Alchemy..I didn't..' Ed thought, and withdrew his hand.
"Curious... very curious... " The man said, meeting Ed's gaze with his own.
"Vwas?" Ed said.
"You seem to have a..very heavy.. way about you, Mr Elric..I can see now that the usual materials will not do. I'm afraid I do not have a suitable wand on hand that will fit you."
Ed blinked, and his eyebrows met. He then busied himself by replacing his glove over his false hand, and rebuttoning the cuff.
"Give me a year..yes...a year. That should do. A year to make a wand that may accept you. Of course..I cannot promise it will choose you, but give me the chance to rise to this challenge."
Ed looked at the moon-eyed man, and frowned. Then nodded slightly.
"A year." Ed said.
"In the meantime, I believe I have a kadigan that you may use. I'll be right back." The man shuffled and disappeared down the hall behind the counter. Ed checked his sleeve, making sure no chrome showed; He wondered briefly what a 'kadigan' was, and looked about him at the amount of destruction that littered the tiny shop.
There were small fires still burning here and there on the floor, one burning merrily on the counter, shards of polished wood all over, and scorch marks covered the narrow boxes that lined the walls.
'Mustang, eat your heart out.' Ed thought.
In moments, the moon-eyed man returned, and held out another wand. Ed raised his eyebrows.
"There isn't a core in this one, Mr. Elric. It isn't even wood. Carved ivory, in fact. It may look like a wand, but it is, in fact, not a wand at all."
Ed took the wand, and even waved it a bit. No explosion. No reaction. It was simply an object that behaved as he expected it to. He closed his eyes and focused inward to look at its structure.
'Mostly calcium...he wasn't lying.' Ed thought. He waved his left over it..'No arrays, either.'
"One year, Mr. Elric."
Ed nodded, and tucked the 'wand' into his vest. When he opened the door, he was surprised it was already dark.
:::
:::
Subscribe so you can access more chapters in advance and support the author work!!! ⚠️patreon.com/sKyarcsc
🔥All chapters
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone