A Fateful Encounter

The weather was superb today. Sunny, not too cloudy, and the temperature was absolutely perfect. An occasional breeze made this day even better. It wasn't quite noon yet, but in due time, people would be flooding the streets for their lunch breaks. When that happened, a certain young chimera would prefer not to be around.

Salazar looked around at the few people that were already finding a place to have their lunch when he spotted a small stand. There was bread, fruit, and bottled water. While they weren't five-star meals, they were good enough to feed a hungry boy. Luckily for him, the owner wasn't nearby at the time. Not the best idea, especially for this time of day, but he was in no position to criticize. The boy casually walked over to the stand.

He didn't have any money, nor would he acquire it any time soon. Whatever currency he may have had at one point was still with those merchants, where he USED to live. Now, the streets of Amestris were his home. It wasn't a life of luxury, for sure, but it was all he could do. His current state showed in the specks of dirt that decorated his clothing. Every night was something different for him, and he did try to find clean places to sleep, but the best he could do was alleyways where he wouldn't be bothered. That was all he needed.

Salazar stopped as he got to the stand. His ears twitched, and he looked around to make sure the coast was clear. The people that had been here before had either moved on to other streets, gone inside the nearby buildings, or were too busy doing other things to bother paying the chimera any attention.

He'd lost the only two hairpins he had, and he wasn't quite sure how to deal with the tail problem, either, so his only choice was to be aware of what happened around him. His past experiences were mixed in terms of outcome, so he'd be sure to keep his eyes and ears open, and expect the worst.

Once he was satisfied with the surroundings, he grabbed a loaf, two apples, an orange, and lastly a bottle of water (with his teeth) before bolting to the nearest alley. He turned even further into it, just in case someone had noticed him, and then stood against the wall, tense for a few moments. A small meow caught his attention, and he looked down at his feet. There was a small kitten; It didn't seem like it was very old at all, yet. He then noticed three others, all around the same size. There was no mother nearby, and they seemed extremely thin. In fact, they almost reminded him of himself right now.

He did meet some people in Amestris, but he wasn't the type to ask favors. Maybe he would ask Xanthus for help with that at some point, but not just yet. With a sigh, he knelt down facing the small kitten, and let the bottle drop from his mouth. He broke of four pieces of bread and gave one to each kitten, leaving half of the loaf for himself. Taking a bite, Sal let his ears and his tail droop. This wasn't the kind of life he ever imagined he would live, and he didn't enjoy it.

As the sun shone down on the city, a tall, tan skinned man could be seen walking around, obviously sticking out against the local Amestrians. While this man's skin tone and hair color made him appear to be Ishvallan, he did not have the red eyes that everyone with Ishvallan blood was born with. No, instead, this man had distinctly Amestrian eyes; and after noticing that, people just assumed that he was very tan or something. Of course, that would be the men; for the ladies, his "tall, dark, and handsome" features kept their gaze for a while longer, although none dared to approach him. Still, for Jack Fulhelmknight, our handsome rogue, this was the reaction he was used to getting from people. Deciding to have a little fun with it, Jack would every so often wink at one of the ladies whose gaze he had caught or smile at them; causing them to blush and turn away. To be honest, Jack found this quite entertaining; and while he wasn't a vain person, had been told many a time that he was a very handsome individual.

Of course, after noticing a certain young boy, Jack decided to stop playing with the hearts of these women (although in reality they were probably only attracted by his looks) and followed this kid. Of course, even at a glance it was easy to tell that the boy was a chimera, having an animal tail and ears; but most would probably pay no attention to that. Jack, being a seasoned rogue and quite the skill thief, however, took note of this right away; as well as the boy's obvious Ishvallan heritage (i.e. his red eyes and tan skin). Judging by the fact that the boy was eying a food stand like he hadn't eaten in weeks, Jack could tell that this boy was much like he himself was now; doing what he had to to survive. This, of course, brought a slight smile to Jack's face as he decided to see what the kid was going to do.

So, when the young chimera boy quickly grabbed about all the food he could carry and then ran off, Jack wasn't too surprised. Waiting a few seconds so as not to startle the kid too much, Jack ran towards the alley that the kid had just run down; running as fast if not faster than the boy. Noticing that the kid had turned yet another corner after he had caught up with him, Jack immediately stopped running and slowly walked over to the boy. Of course, before he could say anything to make his presence known, he noticed that the kid had been approached by three small kittens. Watching as the boy shared his stolen food with them, another small smile was brought to Jack's face, followed by a slight chuckle. "Heh, yeah, if you're going to steal that much, it's only fair to share it with others who need it" Jack spoke in Ishvallan, thus making his presence known. While he didn't know exactly what languages the kid might have spoken, it was a safe bet that he spoke Ishvallan.

The kittens happily munched on the bread as a voice from behind the boy caused his ears to twitch. This voice... it spoke in Ishvallan. Turning his head, he saw a man approaching. His first reaction was to go on the defensive, and the dim lighting of the alley didn't help Sal's impression of this stranger. The fact that he saw Sal running off with stolen food was already causing a red flag to go up. Anyone else wouldn't have paid him any mind, much less noticed him steal from an unattended food stand. Obviously, this was no ordinary Amestrian.

"Who are you?" The chimera asked, clearly on the defensive. He took a few steps back, but stopped when he almost stepped on one of the kittens. Looking down at it, he felt relieved that he hadn't harmed it at all. In the same moment, he felt a pang of guilt. Sal hadn't thought that he would ever have to resort to stealing. It was a deplorable thing to do, and yet... here he was, eating stolen bread. His bright red eyes switched focus from the loaf back to the man.

"I... I don't normally steal, okay?? I just... I was hungry... and I couldn't pay for it..."

The same crimson eyes that had just held a look of hostility now had a look of sadness and pain. A white tail flailed back and forth uneasily as he stepped back again, this time around the small, helpless creature. Above him, there was an old, rusty ladder on the side of the building. If necessary, he would drop the apples, and escape with just the bread. What was left of it, at least.

Jack had to let out a laugh at the boy's reaction, finding it quite amusing. While he hadn't intended to make the kid feel guilty, Jack could easily see that his words had been misconstrued. "Heh, don't worry kid, I'm not here to apprehend you or scold you for stealing, I'd have to be a hypocrite to do that" Jack said with another chuckle. This was true, of course, since Jack himself was technically a criminal (although no one has ever caught him so he is still technically innocent), and he could really understand why the kid had done it. "Besides, as long as you only take just as much as you need, then no one can really get angry; in fact, that's my number one rule: Only steal how much you need to get by; you don't want to force others into your own situation" Jack said with a friendly smile on his face; trying to show the kid that he didn't have anything to fear. Of course, while doing all of this, Jack had forgotten to give his name; something that would hopefully also help calm the kid down.

"Oh, and the name's Jack kid" Jack said with a smile "Of course, you can also call me the one and only, The Pirate Jack." After saying this, Jack struck what he thought was a "heroic" pose while giving the kid a thumbs up. While he was normally much more discrete with his alias, Jack decided that his "flamboyant" introduction might help show that he wasn't a threat; as well as maybe even making him laugh. Of course, there was also the fact that the two were speaking Ishvallan in a dark alley in Central City, and chances were that they were the only two who would even understand it. "So then, what's your name?" Jack asked before kneeling down to pet one of the kittens. While Jack was obviously much larger than the kitten, it didn't seem that the kitten was afraid of him. In fact, the kitten even looked up at Jack and let out a happy meow as it rubbed up against his hand. Now, if all else had failed, this single act would be almost guaranteed to show that he wasn't a threat.

This man, Jack, was definitely not like the other people that Sal had met in Amestris. If the silly pose wasn't enough, then the fact that he had introduced himself as the 'one and only' was certainly laugh-worthy. Reluctantly, the chimera let himself laugh at the man's behavior. At least there was less reason to be suspicious, as spontaneous as the meeting seemed to be. When a kitten seemed thrilled to be pet by Jack, it told Salazar a few things: One, Jack wasn't much of a threat to the kittens, which was good; Two, the poor creatures probably didn't get a lot of attention, sitting in this damp alley for so long, which couldn't be good for their health.

Despite the relief he felt, there was still something still bothering him about the situation. Did Jack follow him here, and for what reason? In any case, now that this man had introduced himself, it was only polite to return the favor.

"My name's Salazar...but you can call me Sal, I guess. Uhh...why did you come in this alley? I mean, it's not like there's anything interesting here, and you already said you weren't going to yell at me for... uhh... stealing..." The boy gulped as he mentioned that fact.

With a low groan, he held one of the apples in his hand, and looked at it for a moment. He then held it up in Jack's direction.

"Want one?"

Luckily for Jack, his attempts to appear less threatening had payed off, and he seemed to have gained at least a small bit of trust from the boy. Of course, this wasn't an act or anything, as Jack really was a nice guy at heart; he just also had a roguish side. "Hmm, Salazar, that's an interesting name you've got there kid" Jack said with a smile, a tone of interest in hi voice. "Anyways... well, actually, there's no real purpose as to why I followed you here, I guess I was just bored and you looked like an interesting kid; besides, it's pretty rare for me to find a fellow Ishvallan all the way here in Amestris" Jack said, answering Sal's question truthfully. "Oh, and no thanks, I jut had myself a little breakfast a short while ago, so I'm alright" Jack added in response to Sal offering him an apple, the friendly smile still upon his face. Of course, if the kid had been paying attention to his words, he would have noticed that Jack had implied that he two was of Ishvallan heritage. While that would explain why he spoke Ishvallan, there still remained the fact that he did not have the signature red eyes that everyone of Ishvallan blood had.

"Yup, that's right, I'm an Ishvallan, well, half Ishvallan and half Amestrian" Jack said, explaining his heritage. "As for the eyes, I apparently took after my father, inheriting his Amestrian eyes; making me the only Ishvallan without red eyes" Jack explained further, a wider smile crossing his face after mentioning his unique trait. Of course, while Jack didn't just go around revealing his heritage, once again, only those who spoke Ishvallan would have even understood him, and he was pretty sure that this kid wasn't going to go around telling everyone he met that Jack was truly an Ishvallan. "But back to the matter at hand" Jack started, shifting the conversation back to why he had followed Sal "When I saw a young Ishvallan Chimera, my curiosity was instantly piqued." With that, Jack then waited to see the kid's reaction, once again trying to get a better grasp on what this boy's personality was like.

With a sigh, Sal sank to his knees. At least it wasn't some other reason, like trying to hurt him because of his looks. The boy shuddered at the memory. It was a horrid experience. Either way, this didn't seem to be turning out that way, so he figured it was safe enough to continue the conversation. A cloud covered the alleyway, causing it to become even darker for a moment. Letting out another sigh, Sal opened his mouth and slowly took a bite out of the apple, exposing his non-human set of fangs. He was beginning to get used to having them, but when he did bite his tongue, well...that was a story for another time. The part about a 'fellow Ishvallan' caught his attention, though. Jack didn't have red eyes.

Before he was able to question it, though, the 'Pirate' explained it. Sal's eyes grew dim when there was a mention of parents. As Jack continued, the boy shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't talked about this since arriving in Amestris, and, although it did cross his mind a few times, there was nothing actually spurring the thought until now. The term 'chimera' made him wince. It was another scar that he would have to deal with for the rest of his life. As far as he knew, there was no way to reverse the process, and he didn't want to think about what might happen if he tried. Letting out another sigh, he looked up at Jack, disheartened.

"I... I never knew my parents... and this," he stated, touching his ears, tail, and then pointing to his fangs, "Wasn't... Well, it wasn't really my choice, and I didn't know what was happening at first. It's just..."

With a sigh, he turned his back to Jack and clutched his knees. Why was this such a difficult thing to cope with? Not just the fact that he was now a chimera, but the entire issue of being lied to, not knowing his real parents, and now he was in Amestris without anyone to stick by, was what really hit him. It was an unpleasant experience, and he hoped that he wouldn't have to be by himself for the rest of his life. His grip tightened and he let his forehead touch his knees as his hands slid down to pull his legs in closer.

Judging by the kid's sudden reaction to what he had said, Jack could tell that he had touched on a sore spot. Sighing a bit, more so at himself than the situation, Jack quickly returned to his friendly smile. "Yeah, I don't think that anyone would chose that fate, but you can't let it get you down" Jack said, a comforting tone to his voice. While he himself might have been an Alchemist, he did not like it when Alchemy was used like this; nor did he think it was intended for such purposes. "I suppose after something like what happened to you, you must hate alchemists, but there's something you should understand" Jack said, before kneeling down in front of Salazar. "You see, Alchemy is God's gift to the world, it is his way of giving us free will" Jack began, getting ready to take on this difficult topic. "While some people may misuse this gift, Alchemy itself is neither good nor evil; it is simply a tool, a way of expressing free will" Jack continued, his own ideas beginning to enter into his words.

"That being said, you must remember that God would never abandon one of his flock; but you must be willing to use that free will that he graced you with to be able to see how he works" Jack said as he placed his hand on Salazar's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "In your case, even though something bad has happened to you due to another's free will, God has not abandoned you; because you have been through such burdens, God has given you what you need to make yourself stronger" jack said, continuing his monologue. "While free will may allow for some bad things to happen, it itself is not bad, for it always gives you two possible outcomes; all based on how you view it. It is in finding the positive side of every outcome that you will be able to truly see God's glory" Jack said, finally finishing his monologue. Still, even after saying all of this, Jack wasn't sure if it was exactly what the kid needed to hear, but it was really the only advice he was able to give him.

Sal looked up at Jack when the latter knelt down in front of the boy, clearly stating what would be the beginning of a speech of decent length. As he listened intently, he realized that, even though he had a vague idea of religion, and who God was, there was never any true discussion on the matter back then. Surely there must have been a reason, but now that the topic had been brought to light, there was no way to avoid his new curiosity. With that in mind, he focused on Jack's face as he spoke. The man seemed hopeful, to some extent, which seemed surprising to the chimera. Xanthus was friendly, and so were Loki and Ryuichi, but none of them seemed to have this kind of effect on him. He war friendly, that was a definite, and Sal seemed to have a weakness for seemingly friendly people. Not in a romantic sort of way; The boy felt more of a familial attraction to these people. Xanthus and Jack in particular, though it may have been due to their ancestral similarities.

When a hand met his shoulder, Salazar's ears gave a slight twitch. The way things were certainly didn't make him feel like he had received any sort of blessings or gifts, even if he had met those people. He sighed once Jack's little speech had concluded, and looked over at a kitten that had begun to rub against his leg. Raising a hand to pet it, he gave a pained smile.

"I've never really talked about God at all... Not because I didn't want to, but that stuff never came up in any conversations before... Maybe sometimes, but that was a while ago..." Sal rubbed behind the kitten's ear. It was completely black, save for a white speck of fur centered on its face, with bright green eyes. The light purrs that came from it changed his smile from what it was before to a more genuine expression. Changing his focus back to Jack, the smile vanished.

"I know you're probably right about some things, but right now, I don't feel like I've been 'gifted' with anything at all. I've been lied to, experimented on, and I've even been borderline attacked, even though I've done nothing at all to hurt anyone else. Now I don't even have anywhere to stay, or any family left to be with. If there's something I've been given, then I certainly don't see it, even with these eyes of mine." He pointed to his eyes, and if there was one strange thing about them, it was that, while his left pupil was round, as it should be, his right pupil was slit, much like a cat's might have been, revealing much more of the brilliant red.

As Salazar finished his "rebuttal", Jack let out a slight laugh; not so much at Sal himself, but at the fact that he didn't quite get the message. Then again, Jack couldn't really blame the kid for not fully understanding his "religious ramblings", as it had taken his life up to this point to really understand them himself. Still, he knew that if he were able to get Sal to understand just a small fraction of it, the kid might just be better off. "Ah, but you see, you are still looking at all of this the wrong way" Jack said, standing back up since kneeling got uncomfortable after a while. "I am not saying that what has happened to you is a blessing, for it is obviously a trial, but by overcoming that trial, you will be able to become a stronger person" he said, a faint smile crossing his face. "As for the positive side of your situation, while you may have been cursed by this fate, you have not been left weaker because of it" Jack began, another philosophical speech obviously on its way.

"Because all people have been given free will, God could not have stopped what happened to you, otherwise he would be forsaking us all our right to choose our own path. That being said, he has not left you for the wolves; because of what you had to go through you have been given abilities that surpass that of an average person" Jack said, his gaze shifting up towards the sky for a moment. Bringing his gaze back down, Jack had a more serious look on his face. "While following you, I noticed that you had agility and senses that could rival even my own" Jack said, obviously trying to point out some of the positive aspects of Salazar's situation. "Besides, in the end, it's what we have gone through in our lives that defines us, not where we started out" Jack spoke, although this seemed to be more of a general statement even meant for himself than a part of his religious conversation. After saying this, however, Jack quickly shook his head, seemingly as if to bring himself back down to Earth, and then looked down at Salazar again. "As for being alone, it can't just be mere coincidence that two Ishvallans were both in the center of Amestris at the same time; especially seeing as how there's so much you still need to learn" Jack said, a friendly smile crossing his face.

It was clear from the way Jack spoke that he was passionate about it, and not just reciting some famous speech made by someone in the past. Even if he didn't understand it at first, Sal was definitely interested in what this man was saying. As the speech went on, he began to understand it better. Maybe not completely, but better.

"I... I think I get it, kinda..." Scratching his head, he looked up at Jack. At least he was starting to get it. Now he just needed to figure out how to actually apply what he was learning. Another battle for another time, maybe. Sal shrugged and looked down at the black kitten. In a gentle motion, he lifted it up and wrapped both of his arms around it. The kitten, in response, closed its eyes happily and rubbed itself against his body, purring. Yet another cloud passed by.

It was true that Sal was more agile and had better senses before. "Just a result of being a monster, I guess," he muttered quietly, looking at the kitten. Its large green eyes gazed up at him curiously before it rubbed itself against him again. With a slight chuckle, he cuddled the small, furry creature, and his white tail began to wave around. It seemed long in comparison to his body, reaching between his knees and ankles when it was still.

When Jack mentioned the fact that they were both in the same place at the same time, and that it couldn't have been by coincidence, the chimera cocked his head to the side and faced him as he stood up, the kitten still cradled lovingly in his arms.

"I-I'm not sure what you mean,"he stuttered, a bit confused at the comment. After a moment of thought, his ears stood up. He had an idea of what the man was hinting at, but there was only one way to be certain. "You don't mean... what I think you mean, do you? That is, well..." Sal left it at that, deciding not to assume anything and just leave it for Jack to clarify.

Jack smiled a bit as Salazar seemed to finally begin to grasp the basic concept of what he had been saying. Sure, it wasn't a full understanding, and it was still quite obvious that the kid had his doubts, but Jack had successfully planted the seeds of hope in his young mind; something that would no doubt help him become a better person in the future. Of course, as Jack thought about this, he had to let out a small laugh at himself; for a rogue and pirate, he sure was a soft guy at heart. Still, while he had taken a moment, Jack noticed a look of uncertainty on Salazar's face. As he listened to the kid's uncertain question, a grin crossed his face; not so much a friendly one, but one that let you know everything would be alright. "Well now, what kind of Pirate would I be without a crew kid?" Jack asked, the question more rhetoric in nature. While this probably wasn't exactly what Salazar had been thinking, it was essentially the exact same thing; simply said another way. Plus, after all the friendliness he had just show, contradicting his own rogue appearance; Jack had to earn at least a bit of his title back.

"Kid, what I'm saying is that I want you to join my crew...well, you'd be the first, but still; I'll take you under my wing and make sure you grow up to be a fine young man" Jack said, once again striking his "heroic" pose. Sure, the way he said it all might have seemed a bit out there, but that was all a part of Jack's charm. Even though he might have seemed like a fool, Jack had an aura of charisma about him that made him seem like a natural born leader. There was a reason Jack called himself a Pirate, other than just how cool it sounded. No, his title of Pirate symbolized him as a fiery leader who could encourage others to reach their full potential. Sure, he may be a rogue, but who better than one who doesn't abide by the laws made by man to be able to see what truly must be done. He wasn't amoral, but he lived his life by a different set of rules, and while some may condemn him for it, he just might be one of the few people who truly knew what it meant to be happy. "I want ya to remember this Salazar, even though he may not have a ship or treasure, as long as he has his crew by his side, he has earned the right to call himself a Pirate, and a man" Jack said with a wide grin on his face "And trust me, I won't let anything bad happen to a member of my crew; we share a bond that goes beyond blood."

"A... a crew?"

The thought came as a slight shock, though considering that this man called himself "The Pirate Jack", it shouldn't have been. Either way, it was surprising enough for Sal to almost lose hold on the kitten. It meowed unhappily when he caught himself in the process, but managed to avoid the outcome.As a way to avoid any injury to the small creature, he placed it down on the ground in front of him. It waddled away awkwardly to join the other kittens, and meowed excitedly.

Once he was able to process what Jack had said, even the part about being the first, the chimera's eyes widened and lit up significantly in this dim alleyway. "Seriously?!?! I mean... really?! That's would be so great!" In one swift movement, the boy had propelled himself off of the ground and wrapped his arms around Jack's neck and his legs around his waist. The grin on his face was answer enough, but his entire body showed his excitement. His ears stood up as straight as anatomically possible, and his tail waved about frantically.

"As the first, would that make me a....a senior member?" Sal asked, sticking his tongue out. It was strange, yet fascinating how his mood could change so quickly from something near depression to this elated state.

Jack laughed a bit at Salazar's obviously shocked reaction to his offer. Then again, given the enthusiasm with which Jack had approached his offer, it wasn't all to unexpected for the kid to be slightly shocked. Of course, as soon as he witnessed Salazar's eyes begin to widen in excitement, Jack knew the answer to his offer. "Aye, of course I'm serious Sala-whoa!" Jack began, trying to sound "Pirate-y" before being cut short by Salazar who suddenly lunged at him; nearly knocking him down with his hug. Luckily for Jack, he was able to somewhat keep his balance; only being knocked back a step. Once again, the boy's actions forced Jack to let out another laugh; this spontaneous change in behaviorism being quite a surprise. "Hah, yes Sal, that does make you a senior member, and the first of The Pirate Jack's soon to be famous crew" Jack said the kid who was still clinging onto him, the grin upon his face widening. After saying this, Jack raised his hand up to Salazar's head and placed it on his hair; ruffling it a bit. Of course, he made sure not to hit Sal's ears as he did so.

"Of course, now that you're a part of my Pirate crew, we can't sit around here hugging all day" Jack said jokingly as he let the kid down (or more likely coerced him to get down). "Now then, we're gonna have ta toughen you up a bit kid, but you've definitely got more than enough heart for it" Jack said, a more serious yet reassuring smile replacing his wide grin. Now, when Jack said "toughen him up", he didn't mean anything too harsh, but it would be a good idea to help build up the kid's confidence; as well as maybe teach him how to handle a weapon. While Jack wasn't a violent person and never resorted to violence even if caught stealing; it was important to know how to fight to stand up for your ideas and protect the one you cared for. "Just remember Sal, as long as you stick by me, I won't let anything happen to ya, I look out for my own" Jack said, reinforcing the "bond" that Jack shared with his crew (which will hopefully grow larger in the future).

The chimera laughed rather childishly (considering his age, that wasn't so strange) as he dropped to the ground, the wide grin still plastered on his face. Even when Jack mentioned toughening the boy up, he still felt as though nothing could ruin his mood. It was as though every smidgen of bad mojo had been sucked out of him and tossed far, far away. In fact, he began to hum a happy sounding tune. It wasn't any specific tune, and it sounded quite OUT of tune, but it was happy nonetheless. Just knowing that he had someone to turn to, someone he felt he could really talk to, was enthralling enough.

Sal looked at his feet, then back up at Jack. It was so difficult to contain his happiness that he snuck in another quick hug. Remembering that there was bottled water still around, he hopped over to it and snatched it up. The boy cast Jack another happy glance, then opened the bottle to drink from it. He then spun around and approached the man with a serious expression on his face. When he stopped, he gave a rather lazy salute.

"Well, captain, what's my first assignment?" He tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't help but smile even more. This was the first time in a long time he'd felt this happy.

Smiling at Salazar's enthusiasm, Jack had to admit that the kid's new found excitement and energy were contagious (although to be fair, it was partially due to Jack why Sal was so excited now). As the kid saluted him, Jack let out a slight chuckle, a wide grin upon his face. "Ha, well for starters, ya don't need to salute me like we're in the military; in fact, I make sure that we don't turn into a huge behemoth like the current Amestrian Army" Jack said as he patted Sal on the shoulder. While he maintained his upbeat tone, it was obvious by his words that Jack really didn't like the military. "Now, don't get me wrong kid, I respect the ideas that a military stands for, but a Military should never be in charge of the government and people" Jack added, giving a little explanation to his previous statement. Of course, as he said all of this, Jack still maintained his friendly tone so as not to frighten his newest ally. That, and while he felt strongly about his ideas; he knew how to present them to others so as not to scare them away.

"Anyways, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I have ta ask if you know how to handle a weapon Salazar" Jack said, his voice taking a more serious tone. "Now, I'm not trying to turn you into a fighter or anything, but when you're a part of my crew, you have to be able to stand up for your ideas, as well as protect the ones you care for" Jack said, trying to explain his reasoning to the kid. While he was pretty sure that violence was not in this kid's nature, Jack wasn't going to teach him how to use a weapon to hurt people. No, Jack wanted to teach Salazar how to protect himself, stand up for his ideas, and in the end, how to become a man. Of course, there was also the fact that Jack and his crew would have to fight sometimes to protect their ideas as well as each other; and he had to make sure that Salazar wouldn't get hurt.

The boy wagged his tail happily as Jack spoke. Wait, the military? The military! Sal hadn't talked to Xanthus at all since that incident in the pastry shop, and he made a mental note to take care of that once he got the chance. It was just that Xanthus was a colonel, which, in all honesty, intimidated Sal. Not to mention the fact that he didn't think waltzing into the headquarters of the Amestris military was really a good idea for a young Ishvallan boy, let alone a young Ishvallan chimera. He would just have to give it an honest try and see what happens. If need be, he would just try to get his way through all those Amestrian militants with a single phrase: Colonel Xanthus. Although he didn't know the man's last name, Sal was pretty sure there was only one Xanthus in the Amestrian military. In Central, at least.

When Jack asked about Sal's knowledge of weapons, the boy cringed. He was never one to enjoy violence, and he certainly never wanted to be the one who was committing acts of violence. With a sigh, the boy raised a finger before placing his right hand on his left arm.

"I've never handled a weapon.... So no, I don't know how... But I don't really like to think about that."

It was true that knowing how to handle a weapon was vital for self-defense, especially having encountered people such as Eclair De Sade, but it was still a taboo topic for Salazar. He would refuse it if it wasn't for the fact that he desperately needed to know hoe to defend himself, considering that he was a young boy in a country of which he didn't know the geography, nor did he know very many people living in it.

He ran through the events of the pastry shop mentally, and then gave Jack an acknowledging nod. "I guess I do need it...but only for defending myself. I... I don't really like violence..."