Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 16 by Hiromu Arakawa

Main Characters: Edward and Alphonse Elric
Location: Amestris, a country in an alternate world
Time period: roughly analogous to the late 1910s
Genre: YA Manga, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

After the extended flashback of Vol. 15, we jump back to the story. Edward and Alphonse search for May Chang, the little girl with the black-and-white cat (which I still think looks more like a miniature panda.) They want to learn the purification style of alchemy that she can do. Scar breaks Dr. Marcoh out of prison heads north with him--not because he has any love for Marcoh but because Scar thinks Marcoh might still prove useful. May catches up with them and travels with them. Kimblee is released to lead the manhunt for Scar; they encounter each other on a train and Kimblee is left rather the worse for it.

Major Armstrong tells Edward and Alphonse to head to the north and gives them a letter of introduction. When they arrive at the fortress that guards to border between Amestris and Drachma they encounter Major General Armstrong--the Major's sister! (She is nothing like she was in the brief glimpse we saw of her in the anime series!) Edward discovers that the climate is too cold for his auto-mail and can cause damage to the connective tissue--ewww! Edward and Alphonse are put to work knocking down icicles where the encounter 2nd Lieutenant Falman. A loud rumbling sound can be heard; a new homunculus makes his appearance. "I feel like I'm going to die, but dying is too much work." Could this be Sloth?