"Dorchet!" The deep voice called. The small five-year-old ran over to his father, who scooped him up and put him on his shoulder.
"Hey Dad!" Dorchet laughed. The Ishbalan man smiled at his only child.
"My, you get bigger every time I'm on leave." Soshu Hisoka laughed along with his boy. It had been about a month since the head of the Hisoka home had been on military leave and he had missed his son's fifth birthday. As he looked down into Dorchet's face he realized how much like his mother the boy looked. The only thing that he and Dorchet shared was the redness on their eyes. Everything, even the shape of his head, came from Dorchet's Amestrian ancestors.
"Don't forget stronger, Dad!" Dorchet added, pulling his sleeve up to show his small arms. Soshu grinned and turned toward the house with his son in his arms.
"Of course, and stronger too." Dorchet's mother, Katherine, now stepped out of the house doors and put her hands on her hips.
"I swear, if I didn't love you so much, Soshu Hisoka, I'd skin you right here and now! Gettin' your clothes all torn and dirty." But despite her shrewd words, Katherine Hisoka couldn't keep from smiling. The sight of her beloved men overwhelmed her with a strange warm feeling.
Dorchet and Soshu looked at each other, each knowing that Mrs. Hisoka was really not as angry as she sounded. Soshu walked inside his small home and set his son on the floor, then went to go wash up. Once he was done shaving and showering he came back out to the kitchen, where the table was already set. His wife and son were seated, waiting for him. But as soon as he took a step toward them, a cry came from outside.
"Soshu! Soshu!" Soshu ran to the window, where he saw an injured Ishbalan come riding up on a horse. Quickly he opened the door and ran out to meet the fellow of his ethnicity.
"Yes, what is it?" He asked.
"Th-the Amestrians...war." And with that the Ishbalan collapsed and fell off of his horse. Only now did Soshu recognize his neighbor, Mr. Granfed. Soshu grabbed the reigns of his neighbor's horse and jumped into the saddle. He yelled to his wife, who was waiting in the doorway, Dorchet in her arms.
"Get away, Katherine! Flee to Amestris!" And then he was gone in a cloud of dust.
