I have practically gone through a writer frenzy when it comes to this story, so here's another chapter. about the two brothers of Ishval.
It has now been two months since the operation and Scar thinks that it might be about time to fully integrate his brother and daughters into the Ishvalen society again. One of them is for the kids to be attending school.
"I know a school there will be very good for the girls." He tells his brother after he has returned back from his morning duties with Miles. "It is quite a way away from our home, but I can take them there before my own duties begin."
"I would like being the one who takes them there." Shade tells him, something the girls themselves are very excited about.
Scar is not surprised by the kids' reaction nor the reason why his brother wants to bring them himself. He takes his duties very seriously, one of the few things he and his brother have in common. "Of course, we can go there when the midday sun has passed." He suggests and turns his eyes to Selena, who speaks annoyed. "If it's because of me, then—"
"It's not you, Selena." He interrupts the girl before she gets the wrong idea to why they won't go in the midday sun. "The midday sun is very harsh, and it's too hot doing any work. We have saying: 'Don't walk in Cyrus's rays when he's at his highest.' the sun is beautiful, but if oblivious with its heat and rays and if we're not careful, we will be harmed." Selena and Harika both look a bit confused to this small lesson but at least they didn't react as he did back when he was in their age and his mother was the one who told him this warning. It feels like another life. A time where he carried a name and more worried about his training and how to serve his people the best way possible.
He snaps out from his short trip through memory lane when the girls' faces suddenly change from slight confusion into fear and worry, Scar follow their eyes and gets a bit worried himself from how his brother is pressing his left hand to his head from the migraine he's definitely feeling. "Brother, what's wrong?"
It came so suddenly, one moment he was listening to his brother lecturing his daughters in not underestimate the sun, the next:
he is thrown into a scene where he inside a room, watching the door as if someone has just run outside. He hears a woman voice but he cannot see her face as it seems she's behind him. "You might see him as a brash and a nuisance but deep inside, you know..." She on purpose trailed off and he turns to her, she is reaching a ripe age yet has a wisdom way beyond her years.
He nodded that he indeed knew that his little brother cared for his family, but he lacks the maturity and patience to see that fully. "But I do wish he would heed your words... I would like to go a week without having to haul his stupid ass back home."
The woman laughed softly but did not answer him. The gleam in her equally red eyes says everything.
The memory lets go and left him with a nasty headache and quite the startle on suddenly have gotten another memory to the collection. "Got a flashback." He explains his family through gritted teeth of the sense that feels like someone is using his head as their anvil. It slowly subsides and he speaks to his oldest daughter. "Even we normal Ishvalen's like your daddy and uncle can get a sunburn if we walk around Cyrus rays. Best to leave the sun alone." And he sure hopes he doesn't have to haul her back into the shade like he apparently had to his younger brother back when they were kids.
She calms down slowly, from her worry of his sudden migraine and the realization that there was a reason to why no one wanted to go outside in the midday sun. "Oh..." and she asked an excellent point. "So why do the men dressed like Miles walk around this time of day?"
"It's always the same problem for the newer recruits. Think they can keep their normal schedule and the doctors have to treat them for their stupidity." Scar replies, thinking that's not his duty to constantly reminding them not to be out in the Ishvalen midday sun. But like stubborn children, it's best to teach them the hard way and let them get a minor heatstroke to remind them that the Ishval weather is not to taken lightly.
That was at least how he learned this vital lesson. Not sure if he should feel sorry for Marcoh though, man is the one is dealing with the soldiers who think they can endure the sun and skip the nightly duty. That's a problem too, the newer recruits don't believe that the desert in the night gets too cold for their summer uniforms and thus Marcoh also deals with stupid soldiers getting hypothermia.
Shade does find his brother's comment rather amusing, as he too dealt with that problem in the start but then it's a good thing he does spend most of his time inside reading. Glancing to the outside, Shade must admit that this dreary and harsh place has its moments of beauty. Maybe it's his inner Ishvalen coming out, but he is starting to feel this is indeed his home. Even though the city has seen better days.
Speaking of which, he has taken notice that a lot of people went to a particular location every single day. "Where are all those people going every day?" He asks his brother.
"They are going Kanda, it's the main city in the area—our old home." Scar replies, he does a good job hiding it but Shade can see it pains his brother in not being able to live there.
Selena and Harika didn't notice; instead, they are more interested in hearing about Kanda. "Did you live there before?" Harika asks and his brother simply nods to the girl, his bit stony expression does change when Selena speaks. "Oh, I think it was the place where I lived with my former mom and dad."
Shade can't help but be a little amused by his brother's surprised expression but instead speaking about Selena's biological parents either had been living in Kanda or merely passing through when they ran from the military. Shade decides to ask his brother instead. "How far have they come in rebuilding this city?" and is admittedly very curious about this new information of what is going on here in Ishval.
"It is going forward, but Kanda is far from being able to house anyone." Scar replies to his brother's question. "It has taken the military and our people three years getting this far."
It might have gone quicker if he had used alchemy but he has only been using alchemy in combat, to destroy... Scar has refused to perform alchemy since the Promise Day, he just doesn't feel comfortable using it to minimal tasks such as clearing away the remnants of the State Alchemists attacks. Scar notices his brother is looking at him with a very intense gleam in his eyes and for a moment he felt like a kid that got caught telling a lie. He does wonder how much his brother can read between the lines, how much he knows and not letting on. "What?" he asks Shade a bit annoyed in how his brother is looking at him.
Shade doesn't blink and his voice this known calculated calmness. "I'm a bit surprised you haven't done alchemy to remove the damage."
There's a question behind these words. 'Why aren't you doing alchemy?' Scar remembers his brother often queries behind a simple remark. "I'm not comfortable in performing alchemy." He replied and wondered if his brother got the second message behind the words that he doesn't trust himself performing alchemy.
Why does this give him weird vibes? Like he's expecting his brother to loath alchemy but instead, he seems... nervous about the subject. It confuses Shade and he really wants to know the answer to this question but he will save this question for later. His brother has that look again, cluing him in that the talk about him doing alchemy is the same to why he has abandoned his own name and feels strongly unworthy to speak his. Shade doubt his brother is aware of this, but the mystery about whatever great mistake he did is really exhilarated.
Shade feels cruel that he considers this a great and exciting code to solve instead of dropping the subject entirely and leaves his brother's privacy in peace. "If you're having trouble, I can always teach you." He suggests, for most people, it would sound like a simple offer to help but Shade said it to test his brother's reaction, to see what his feelings are about the subject.
Scar gives him a taken aback look, then he turns away. "Don't bother." He replies and again Shade got the weird sense his brother should've become angry.
Rather strange and he does hope he soon will get more flashbacks that might explain this small mystery. "Alright, but do you have any alchemists helping you out cleaning up the mess?"
He wonders if his brother would've spoken this calmly about alchemists and the destruction of Kanda if he was aware of what happened to their homelands. "No." He replies Shade and is honestly not sure how to react when his brother responds. "Then maybe I should help you out."
He wants to get angry that his brother even suggested such a thing, to do alchemy- heresy in Kanda, their very home where this craft slaughtered their friends and family. But he stops himself, the wisdom he learned that alchemy is not what makes it evil but the person using it springs to mind. His brother doesn't know better, he does not remember the destruction. He wants to forbid it but even without memories, his brother hasn't changed much and he know that if his brother felt it would help their people, then he would do alchemy. All he can do is decide how to react. "If that's what you want, then I won't stop you, brother." Scar replies, very carefully not to make his tone reveal how he truly feels about alchemy.
He promised himself not to take his brother for granted, not after he has thought him for dead and missed his presence. He doesn't want to fight with his brother over something that may have caused the death and destruction of their home but if not for Shade's research then they wouldn't have been able to defeat that monster of a man below Central. "But I would like you have fully recovered before you go out and help."
His brother nods slowly. "I will don't worry about it." However, that gleam is making Scar wonder once again; how much is he able to read between the lines? How much does his brother truly know? Scar is honestly not sure, he had realized he had greatly underestimated his older brother when he realized what those notes held.
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While the two girls are playing inside their room, Shade puts down the book he's been reading and turns to his brother, who is doing a bit of weight lifting. "Alchemy is making you nervous." He points out.
Scar pretends he didn't hear him but he knows he did, his brother's eyes have gotten a certain hardness in them.
"You don't like it has become such a big part of me." He continues while keeping a keen eye on Scar's face. "Parts of me is constantly expecting you to blow up; to shout profanities that I am doing this craft, but you're not. It's strange really."
This time his brother turns to him. "Have you figured out why brother?"
Shade scans his face and the gleam in his eyes. His brother is worried and he thinks it's him getting closer to the answer of the mystery. Instead of answering that question, he instead asks. "Do you want me to figure it out?" his brother drops his gaze, not explaining but there's really no need. Shade wonders why he's so afraid for him to figure this out. "You don't seem like a man of much fear." He remarks softly.
No, but even someone like him is afraid of something, and one of them is losing his brother for the second time.
Shade moves from his seat and puts his left hand onto his shoulder as he kneels down beside him. Scar watches him a bit confused to then instinctively tense up when his brother left hand gives off a few alchemic sparks.
"I'm not going to hurt you." His brother tells him softly and Scar tries to relax but it's hard from have continuously been ready to fight for years. Even after three years, he cannot get rid of this readiness of jumping into action and strike whatever that threatens him. But Scar refuses to give in to this urge, he's afraid that he might kill his brother if he does.
Shade moves his hand over his shoulder and presses a bit hard down on the muscles and suddenly, Scar felt like he got warm water poured down on him. His body relaxed, which was so weird since his brain was still raging, his brother then kneels down before him.
"Close your eyes." He says somewhat commanding. Although Scar really wants to know what in Ishvala's name Shade did to his body, Scar trusts his brother and does as told. He feels Shade's hands brush his fingers over his scarred face and slowly, his storm of thoughts eases down. What felt like the first in this lifetime, he can relax. It took him a moment to register that his brother no longer was touching his face and he opens his eyes, meeting Shade's smug-looking face. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" His brother says in a teasing manner.
Scar got a bit miffed but is unable to get angry from how relaxed he's feeling. "I still don't like alchemy." He points out and rolls his shoulders of this calmness that has pretty much forced onto him, must say it's way better than the numbing alchemy. "You could make a good doctor with all of these tricks brother."
Shade chuckles of that title. Him as a doctor? Yes, he might be one, but it's not a title he wishes to be known for. "That title always sounds so strange in my ears." He admits but not really sure why. He would indeed make a great doctor. Well except when it comes to major wounds, those make him freeze up for some reason. "Maybe it's just me, but I think I rather want to be a teacher." He finds it way more enjoyable sharing his knowledge and be in educating discussions with other people.
He hasn't changed, it's like he never left. Scar is both happy and sad about this, he doesn't feel like the young man before he got the iconic scar on his face and what he has been through the last decade... it has made him feel like he's the older one. "I'm sure our people would be very delighted knowing one of their scholars are still alive and well." He replies to his brother and can find joy in knowing his older brother still wants to teach other people.
"Daddy was a teacher?" Selena's voice asks and the girl appears from the door where she adds with a wide smile. "I can see why!" She flung herself onto his back, didn't help on this calming trick his brother did and Scar finds himself not really caring he got a teenager girl climbing on him. "He's better teaching me than the teacher in Xing!"
"What did I teach?" His brother asks a bit taken aback.
But Scar has no idea, and regrets he didn't really put much interest into it back when he had the chance, he was too busy being angry at Amestris and the war going on. "I don't know. All I do know that you used to work at the university in Kanda and was very respected."
Then again, most of their family- the Adel family had been very respected with both their influence of trade and lines of great warrior monks. Scar has followed the tradition of becoming a monk, while his brother has chosen to go his own path and becoming a scholar of knowledge. Shade did aid their cousin in the trading business from time to time. It was how he was able to smuggle books about alchemy and alkahestry into Ishval. Back then, he hated it that his brother used their family business for such things, but now: he is sort of glad his brother did it. The country would've been doomed if not for his brother's transmutation circle.
"Oh, well guess I have to relearn about that as well." Shade remarks dryly, but unable to hide his amusement about what he is starting to consider a running gag about himself. His brother simply smiles.
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When the midday heat has passed, Scar brings his brother and the girls over to the building there is the school for the children. It's not really a school, more one of the few buildings that have been fully rebuilt and able to keep all of the kids until they got rebuilt the school once again. It's not perfect, but it will have to do for now.
Inside, Scar reintroduces his brother to a fellow monk, an old friend of his who fortunately survived the extermination. After having done the traditional greeting, Scar explains his friend. "Kanti, my brother has lost his memories, so he wouldn't remember you."
Kanti, a man with a few scars over his left arm and one large burn scar on his back. Scar is both relieved and a bit confused to how his friend managed to escape the Flame Alchemist's fire with only a burned back that makes it hard for him to move appropriately.
"Ah, that explains it." Kanti muses that his brother hasn't tried to start a conversation with him, something Shade always did when visiting the temple where the monks were training. Scar's friend repeats a hand sign up at his forehead, explaining the bit confused family of three. "This is how our people greet each other with respect."
His brother copies the gesture and the other monk then explains the amnesiac man. "We spoke from time to time when you visited to check up on your brother's training," Kanti chuckles lightly "but often what you said went straight over my head! Ishvala be praised for your knowledge."
Kanti then turns to Scar. "I helped your brother set up that transmutation circle of yours." It had been where he discovered his friend had survived, back then they didn't have time to catch up and Scar is glad that Kanti is still around and helping him in restoring Ishvalen tradition, legends and whatever writing they lost during the war.
"Wow, daddy, you are famous," Harika says in awe.
Shade chuckles lightly, not sure he will call himself that but it is a nice thought. "I am relieved my work didn't go to waste." He replies this Kanti who seems to be a good friend of his brother.
And he listened to his words for once, Scar thought to himself.
"What do you teach youngsters?" Shade asks and Kanti explains: "We're teaching them about Ishvalen language and grammar, along with the belief in Ishvala. Most of our teachings have been from the mind itself, a very few of our writings survived the war and the books the Amestrians have isn't much use— what?"
It's only there Scar realizes his brother has spaced out, which is unusual and is possibly just as confused as Kanti about this sudden change of behavior.
Shade realizes he has been spacing out from thoughts he really cannot put together. "Sorry about that, it happens from time to time." He apologizes, brushing this misty thought off.
He dealt with a few back in Xing, but ever since the return to Ishval, he keeps getting them. Shade has a feeling it's because his lost past is buried under the sand of this desert. "Say, if you have the time. Could you after the classes teach me about this as well?" He asks the man he used to know but unfortunately now is only a stranger. "The few books I got haven't been much help and with brother busy with his duties, he doesn't have much time in explaining to me how things work." He explains Kanti, but he hasn't told the full truth to why his brother couldn't teach him these things.
Scar could but their talks often derail to their past or the mystery of what is bothering his brother, so Shade has realized that his brother teaching him is perhaps not the greatest idea, but he wants to learn his language. He wants to be an Ishvalen again.
Selena can't help but find humor in this. "You going to school, daddy?" She giggles, harder when her father pulls her into a one-armed hug with: "Can't have my brother and girls has to translate for me all the time, now can I?"
Selena laughs at this as this is a silly excuse. "Dad, you learn things so fast! You already know more than me and Harika combined!" Her little sister nods in agreement that their father has picked up on the language pretty fast.
Scar is not sure he should cry or laugh in joy from hearing this request from his brother, he settles on a simple smile.
Kanti, on the other hand, beams of the request coming from Shade. "Of course, I would love to help you! I will have time between eight and ten. It's not too late for you?"
"Don't worry about that Kanti, he doesn't know the word 'sleep.'" Scar remarks wryly, his small revenge of all the time he has found his brother sleeping at the table. It earned him a short glare from Shade but a laugh from Kanti and the girls.
"Eighth and ten it is then. I look forward to teaching the two girls." Kanti says, eyeing the teenager and child.
Harika being the one most excited of going to school, Selena is just mildly curious about the whole thing. The oldest of the two girls look up when her father tells her lighthearted. "Try not to cause too much trouble, especially you Selena."
"I don't cause trouble." She defends herself, but her father knows otherwise and so does Scar. He may not have known her for that long but he already knows this girl has a lot of energy in that young body and she is prone to cause trouble as she quickly gets bored.
Eyeing Kanti, Shade thinks it's fair to warn the man. "Be sure keep a hand over Selena; she is quite the troublemaker."
"Daad~!" Girl in question whines annoyed.
"I'll be sure to do that," Kanti promises, adding with eyes on the pale-skinned Ishvalen girl. "but I am sure you won't on purpose cause trouble, right young one?" Selena shift embarrassed around on her feet, being unsure how to respond to that.
After they have shaken hands with Kanti, the small family leaves the building and on the way back home, Shade voice his evening plans. "I will pay doctor Marcoh a visit. See if I can teach him about the dragon pulse." That lesson has been delayed for long enough and Shade feels like leaving the house for a chance.
His brother nods he understand and eyes Selena who asks her father hopefully. "Can I go over and play with Rick?"
It takes Shade a moment to remember that Rick is the name of that goat shepherd boy, living with his grandfather if he remembers correctly. "Of course." He replies to her. She and Rick have become quite good friends, they are after all pretty much in the same age.
Selena beam and before any adults can stop her, she is off to visit her friend. Shade rolls amused his eyes, hoping Rick's grandfather can handle her. He turns down to his youngest child and asks her. "What about you?"
Blinking when the girl turns her attention to his brother there answers with a comically straight face. "I promised to go with her and see the den she found- foxes I think." His brother looks a bit unsure if it was foxes his daughter found and Harika seems uncertain about it as well. "They looked like foxes, but not the ones I'm used to..." She muses.
Shade doesn't really care what animal she found, he's just happy that she and his brother are spending time together, and his brother will keep her safe if that den is home to a snake." Tell me all about it when you two return."
"We will." Harika promises and takes her uncle's hand, Scar eyes his brother. "See you tonight." and they head off to find that den.
Shade waves after them once before he heads to the clinic, finding the doctor sends a patient off. "Hello, Tim." He greets the man.
Marcoh smiles seeing the older brother of Scar again. "Been a while, my friend." Must admit that he and Shade have clicked very well and Scar's older brother is one of the few people who can keep up with him when it comes to the discussion about the medical. Marcoh notices the new automail arm resting inside the sling. "How is recovery doing?"
Shade smiles. "Quicker than most; I do have the advantage of being a master in medical alchemy."
Ah, yes, Marcoh does remember Shade mention that and he more than once been healed by Mei, so he has an idea on how Scar's brother's alchemy works.
Inside, the Ishvalen alchemist allows him to check the flesh around the metal arm and Marcoh is impressed on how fast he has recovered in this short among of time. "Mei has healed me with her alkahestry a few times, but I don't think she could've done this." He gestures at the practically healed skin around the metal.
Shade has trouble not to feel smug at the praise of his alchemic skills, and now that they talk about Mei. "True, but she was quite limited with research material; being one of the lowers clans of Xing." But he is sure if she gets the right material and keeps up her studies; then she will become just as good as him. She is a smart young woman. "I like to think I only got this good because I lived in one of the highest-ranking clan."
But from what people continue telling him: he was a scholar in alchemy long before he came to Xing. He has a vast knowledge about it, he just doesn't remember it. Not to mention he sucks in learning like the desert does to what little water that falls. "But I think it's more my ability to learn new things fairly quickly." He voices to Marcoh and knowing he studied alchemy here in Ishval as well, it must mean he left research books behind, not just that note. It was the end result of his research. "I wish I remember where I hid my old research notes." He must admit and is a bit annoyed he does not remember.
Marcoh blinks a bit confused about what Shade said. "So the notebook you gave your brother wasn't your research notes?" but there were notes upon notes about alkahestry in them, then again, all of that didn't teach someone like him anything about that form of alchemy.
"I don't think so," Shade muses, he takes a seat and explains after the doctor has sat down as well. "When I spoke with someone named Kanti today, I got into one of my so-called memory episodes."
"You mean you remembered something?" Marcoh asks, mostly just to be sure they are on the same page.
"Well, not exactly," Shade admits a bit hesitant, he scratches the back of his head with a slight frown. "when they appear I get the sense I know something, yet no matter how much I try; I cannot grasp what my mind is trying to remember."
Marcoh can see this is starting to annoy Shade as the man explains him. "I dealt with this in Xing but never this severe before. It feels like my old memories are struggling to get out from whatever prison that rebound did to me."
"Are you sure a rebound caused your amnesia?" Marcoh asks, not sure if he should be surprised or not. Rebounds can leave some nasty side effects on the alchemist. So a blockade of memories caused by a rebound can be plausible.
Shade nods, confidently that it was indeed a rebound that caused his amnesia. "I'm certain. Not only did a recent memory show my last moments before I lost myself, but through past research: I discovered this blockage inside my mind, but when I tried to remove it…" Shade chuckles humorlessly. "That was the worst migraine I have ever experienced. According to my wife, I was knocked out for a week." and boy was she angry when he recovered.
Marcoh is not sure he would've tried that but he must give Shade the credits of not being afraid of continue pursuing a topic. Makes him wonder if he might fix Shade's memory issue. "Maybe I can remove this blockage with the philosopher—"
"No." Shade interrupts Marcoh hard, he quickly realizes his mistake and apologizes but he still stands his ground on this matter. "I don't want that thing near me." It gives him all the bad vibes and he instead wants to deal with his amnesia than let this evil thing restore his memories.
Tim is fortunately understanding and drops the subject about that cursed thing. Instead, the doctor asks him. "If you have other research notes: where would you hide them?"
Where indeed? Shade thinks. The research notes he made in Xing got hidden as history books in his private library, but after he worked as a decoy for his two daughters; he destroyed all of his research. He refused Tai Wang to get his grubby hands on the alchemy he has created through his years of study.
Anyway, when he got the small book he gave his brother, Shade noticed that he pretty much has kept the same style hiding his research notes. So now the question is: where is his old library? And where will he keep it safe in a place that could blow up any moment?
Shade does not have any answer on that, his brain refuses to give up that little secret. It's frustrating but nothing he can do about it. Instead, he can be proactive by teaching Marcoh about the dragon pulse. "My brain doesn't feel like revealing that to me, and I don't feel like dealing with a headache. So let's try and teach you a bit alkahestry instead."
Tim is a bit taken off guard by the topic change but fortunately does not pursue his memory issue further. "Alright, what do you need me to do?"
Shade takes him outside and asks him to take a seat. Marcoh does and Shade sits down before him. "Most people from Xing would simply tell you to focus your mind, but I figured explaining this in a more analogy manner helps a lot more for a beginner. If you're more for the scientific speech, then I can do that too."
"Explain it the way you feel most comfortable." Marcoh replies.
Shade nods and after have made the doctor close his eyes, he begins to talk. "Imaged you are sitting on a rock in a great river, you cannot touch the water but try and feel the strength coming from it, how it brings energy throughout the land."
He watches Marcoh's scarred expression try and find himself on this imaginary river and when it seems he got the picture in his mindset, Shade speaks again. "Feel the air on your skin, the warmth flow passing over it. Take a deep breath, feel the air fill your lungs and share its very energy with you." He has a feeling Tim will have an easier time sensing this flow since he's a doctor and knows more about the body than the earth itself.
Marcoh is close to asks what feeling the air has to do with sensing the flow in the ground, but he is sure Shade has his reasons and let his focus be on the wind faintly blowing over the town and his own breathings. He follows his own breathing, observing the air get into his lungs and out again, in and out, in and out.
"Follow the air, let it bring you deeper inside."
Marcoh does and it takes a while to understand what Shade meant but when he did, he sees his own body in a whole new manner. The air in his lungs got brought out to the blood and it got shared to wherever it was needed, he could feel how his heart brought the blood around, like a river itself. He does know about this from his education in medical and his praxis on the body itself, but his mind still got blown away in feeling the very working of his body.
He lost the concentration and the moment is broken. Marcoh opens his eyes and through heavy breathing, he brings his hand up to his head of what he has just experienced.
Marcoh notices that Shade is smiling. "What did you sense?" the Ishvalen asks calmly.
He knows very well what he felt. "I could follow my own blood, it was incredible." Marcoh speaks and is startled Shade taught him that instead of sensing the one in the ground, can't say he complain though.
"Was that my inner dragon pulse?" It sure felt like this flow Mei and even Shade spoke about, but to his surprise, the Ishvalen shakes his head lightly.
"No, that's only the surface. A person's true dragon pulse is the very energy going through our body." Shade got on his feet, saying: "You will sense it in time, my friend. Now you know how to reach the small stream, you can in time get to the river itself."
Shade offers him his hand and Marcoh lets Shade help him back on his feet. "How long do you think it will take?"
Considering how fast Marcoh caught on sensing his own blood's flow. "If you meditate at least once per day, then I say about a year or two before you can sense your inner dragon pulse to its fullest."
And speaking of inner dragon pulse. Shade puts a hand on Tim's back and with a bit of alchemy for the extra punch, he jags his fingers onto the doctor's spine.
Marcoh lets out a cry of the quick pain but quickly realizes that his back doesn't hurt anymore. He gives him a startled look and Shade simply says with a chuckle. "Might not consider myself a doctor, but I do know how to fix a sour back."
It was very much like how Mei showed him how a person's dragon pulse worked, except she made it hurt while Shade removed the pain. Marcoh is a bit surprised that this Ishvalen doesn't consider himself a doctor. "How's that? Your medical alchemy can do wonders." His back sure is proof in that.
Shade laughs weakly. "I would faint if dealing with serious injuries and well... being a healer is merely an extra perk for me."
Ah, Marcoh understands, not all people are meant to handle the sight of a severely wounded person. "Have your brother told about what you was before?" He asks and wonders in how much Scar is telling his brother, Marcoh has taken notice that Scar has become a bit on edge around Shade. He does wonder why for Scar does seem to care genuinely about his brother from how his free time practically involves around Shade and the two children. It is good though, before Shade's arrival, Scar spent most of his time working.
"My brother mention I was a teacher before," Shade replies the doctor and he lets his gaze follow the streets, watching Ishvalens go about their lives. "and I must admit that I interested in taking that job again. I like teaching."
"You will be a great teacher" Marcoh agrees, the elderly man's face did drop slightly. "It's too bad the Ishvalen's has lost most of their written..."
Shade again spaces out with his mind trying to grasp the memory that struggles past the blockage, but he just can't reach it. "Shade?" He blinks and realizes it happened again. He caresses his somewhat hurting temple, musing. "Sorry, it happens all the time..."
"One of your memory episodes?"
Shade nods.
Ah, he can see what Shade means, must be frustrating remembering something but no idea what it is. "I noticed it happened when I mentioned Ishvalen writing." Marcoh points out and does wonder what it means.
Shade has taken notice of that too. "Yes, and this isn't the first time it happened. Happed when one of my brother's friends mentioned about writings as well—" he has to shake his head from how his mind again tries to grasp around that memory. "-it keeps happening… what is it my mind is trying to remember?" He asks himself. Unfortunately, the answer in the form of this slippery memory refuses to be caught and tell him what's the big deal is about the mention of books.
poor Shade, his brain is being quite the troll at the moment. taunting him with a memory right out of his grasp.
comments and such will be a great, as it will tell me if you guys like this story or I should simply keep it to myself.