Chapter 6 - Returning to Shore
***
The merchant ship's voyage finished without any events that would disturb the crew's safety and the cargo.
In the distance, a decent-sized city was revealed on the horizon for Arik, who journeyed with those saviors of him for five straight days.
He learned a lot of things about them and who they were, things that he would relate back to Vlad that was inside the medical room, bandaged from head to toes in a protective wrap, and in a sense, this boy that saved him became his eyes.
The boy still lacked the knowledge to formulate a perfect picture for him, as such the descriptions of sceneries he saw from the ship deck made him chuckle a bit, finding the boy amusing. Yet, his expression remained cold, only listening to Anik's stories about the outside and what the sailors told him.
"Charles, you will not believe what I saw not too long ago, it was a large fish, this large!" explained the boy who returned to tell Vlad what happened outside and what he saw, while gesticulating in front of his face, until he remembered that Vlad was blind, which turned his mood down.
It was something Vlad could somehow sense, the switch in his tonality, and even though he was detached, not caring that much about this child who saved him, he still told him calmly.
"Continue with your story, but don't move your hands too much around my face. It annoys my ears."
"Charles, aren't you upset you can't see?"
"Once again, for how many times do you wish to remind you? My name is Vlad. I don't care what I told you in the past, my name is Vlad. Do you understand?"
"It is really true what the misters say. After you got your head hit, you had a change."
"I guess. Does it change anything for you?"
"Well … I don't know you for long, so I can't tell. I got used to calling you, Charles."
"Wean yourself from this habit. You'll see how easily it will be for your mind to call Vlad, instead of Charles, you just have to call me for a bit more with my name." mentioned Vlad from the operation table, not moving one bit as per Patrick's instructions to assure that his bones had enough time to make their connection.
"Fine, I will try. Where was I with my story?" inquired Arik, after agreeing with the point Vlad made about the name, and while watching Vlad's face, his bruised lips moved, saying.
"You were talking about that fish. Quite big, that one I understand, but what was so special about this fish?"
"The sailors say that it is a fish from the All-Blue."
"... I see."
He had no clue what this boy was saying with the locations, and the more it felt like the roles reversed with those guys coming from this world into his own, and now he was the one into a hurdle, finding it hard to adapt to the new flow of information. Nonetheless, he had an in-built excuse to try collecting more information from everyone, such as having a head trauma and forgetting everything.
A curious mind was required in those moments, something that he didn't lack at all, and Arik, finding his response lacking, immediately figured that Vlad had no idea what he was talking about.
"You don't even know about All-Blue. How bad has your memory been?"
"It is blank in my head. What is that All-Blue you mentioned with the fish that is so special. What could make a fish special anyway? Does it give you mystic powers?"
"I don't know about mystic powers, but it is a common children's story, a legend, where there exists a place in the world where all the Seas, North, South, East, and West seas meet. In this legendary ocean, it is said that there are fishes from each of the four seas."
"Don't tell me. You know at least about the Seas, right?"
"Not at all." mentioned Vlad, who listened to Arik explain about the seas, where in a flash a memory fragment from his past appeared haunting him, with the two "Emperors" telling them information about their world, exactly this one, which then leads to him thinking about something blasphemous.
'Those guys, the Emperors, have told me the truth about the Seas and even this place called New World. Even the world's important people that they were fighting for Supremacy … How were they called? Try to remember that. It was only 14 years ago, not 40 years ago when I was just a little boy.'
'Gold. Gold? Gold something? Yea, I remember since they were talking hatefully about this person, Robert. Robert? It doesn't click in my head.'
'Let's try again. Gold Robert, Gold Roger, Gol. D. Roger. Ahhhh, correct, the guy with the weird name, the one with the initial.'
Next, as he remembered the one called Roger, it became rather easy for him to remember the others from the Emperor's stories.
'Those idiots sure told me a lot of names. Unnecessary now, I can barely remember some of them. So we got Robert, damn, Roger, Rock … Xebec, the two "Emperors" Wormblod, Quinn, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Shikki, Kaido, Silvers Rayleigh, some Monkey guy, a buddha guy, a Gorilla, and five dangerous monsters residing in a large palace.'
'While I am alone, I should start trying to remember the stories of those two guys. It is the only information I can grasp in those moments to guide me. Everything is on the table, even the stories about how they fucked some insignificant women. I will not judge them right now. In fact, I might be the one judged to be thrown into those lands after I died.'
Arik kept on talking with Vlad, while in an emotionless fashion the latter simply said "I see.", however, it didn't affect the young boy who at least had someone to talk with close to his age, but the truth was, he was like a little boy talking to his father about how his school day was, with the tired parent giving his ear half-healthy to listen.
It wasn't that he wasn't interested in the boys' stories. By no means they picked his curiosity slightly. However, what his mind was preoccupied was searching his memories. Specifically, that cursed month everything collapsed on his head, June 1462.
Vlad would stop from his search only when Patrick and Lagos would visit him to check on his health, where the old man kept staying for a bit more to talk with Vlad about whatever was on his mind, initially being like Arik until he was convinced that Vlad didn't remember anything about his life, however that didn't mean he turned into a retard, no, he could see Vlad brewing with intelligence in his speech.
"Little boy, we will arrive in a couple of hours to the island. You'll live with me until you heal up, while your friend will go with Lagos. Is it fine with you?"
"Sir, I really don't care. Where the wind will blow me, this is where I will settle. I am just a dead leaf that has been picked by a kind person who tried to water me just so I could sprout my roots and be healthy again."
"Such an interesting way of looking at things, little guy. You aren't wrong at all, I really want to nurture you, to give you home since you are an orphan."
"I appreciate your gesture, but no need if it is hard for you. I appreciate you for giving me the opportunity to heal up."
"Child, don't be stubborn. I look forward to the day you'll start running like a spirited boy your age." remarked the old man, with a smile on his face while looking at Vlad's face that gestured a small smile on what could be said to be an emotionless face.
"So you also know how to smile. I thought you lost this ability after getting the head trauma. This is why I didn't even ask you to make faces."
"Fortunately, I can feel emotions. I just don't find a reason to smile most of the time? Is there a reason? Similarly, I have no reason to cry and lament my state."
"You'll have to live and experience those feelings that will make you cry or smile from the bottom of your heart."
"I doubt this will happen, sir. You could say I died once already … with that head trauma." remarked Vlad from the operation table, with his abyssal eyes remaining the same, dead, without light.
"Don't be like this boy. Even if you experienced such hardship, you can't let this disturb your early childhood. You are just a nine year old child. You have to learn to play with others your age, talk with girls your age, maybe experience your first kiss, learn a craft, those things young boys your age would start picking up."
"I will keep this in mind. As for a craft, I have something in mind."
"Ohh, go on tell this old man, what do you want to become?"
"A healer … A doctor." replied Vlad in a serious tone, as he already thought out what his future would look like, no longer having a "birth-right" to rule anything, returning to a commoners origins that allowed him to pursue one of his childhood aspirations from his early formative years in Sighisoara, Targoviste, Adrianople and Constantinople.
The amount of books read from Greek to Latin, that debated the subject of medicine, with various philosophers explaining the known information about various plants that could assist in the healing of the body, from others who touched on the anatomy of the body and what roles various organs of the human body had.
It was one of his lost loves, the art of medicine, awakened by his dear mother when he was only a little boy.
Even though he wasn't able to study after becoming the Wallachian Prince, with his not so fortunate encounter with Mathias, he made sure to make use of all his available time to request books from the young king's library.
From medicine to anatomy to science, he was truly a scholar in the making. If only he abandoned his armor and sword.
.
When old Patrick received this response from Vlad, his expression lit up immediately, asking him a simple question.
"Do you want to learn medicine from me?"
"I don't know, are you some respected healer?" asked Vlad with half a smile on his lips, which had the old man start laughing, finding the question amusing.
"I might not be the Master of Doctors, like Lady Kureha from the Drum Kingdom, but I can't say that I am half-bad myself. Am I wrong, little guy? In the end, I managed to stitch you up."
"I guess it is true. You aren't half-bad. However, who is this Lady Kureha you mentioned? Is she the Queen of Doctors?"
"Ehh, there's no such thing, boy. Your curious mind is playing jests on you right now.
The medicine trade is something that is particularly progressing in each community.
However, in the world, only specific names have notoriety, and one among them is Lady Kureha, who has been acknowledged by the masses and even a big community of doctors as, Master of Medicine and Master of Doctors."
*Whistle* "You make me want to get to her so she could teach me the craft." mentioned Vlad, finding the information given by Patrick truthful.
As such, his curiosity to see this person was ignited.
"Haha, it will be a long journey, child. She doesn't live in the South Blue, instead is in the Grand Line, a place filled with dangers. To reach her, you need a strong party or be strong yourself to fight the various monsters and dangers lurking in the sea."
"... Then forget it. In the end, my life is far more important than some more information that couldn't even be so useful.'
"Heh, you aren't that wrong, so you'll have to stick with me if you want to become a doctor."
"Right, I wanted to ask you this. How come you choose the path of medicine, and how have you learned the craft?"
Patrick, who began smoking his cigarette, looked at Vlad, bandaged in a protective layer of plaster that contained Gypsum, a secret dear by most doctors who respected their craft.
While exhaling the smoke, he started telling Vlad how it all began for him in a sarcastic tone.
"I was forced by circumstances. I didn't choose medicine. She chose me.
You might not believe what I will tell you, but long ago, when I was a young lad, similar in age to most of the boys under my care, those sailors. I was an officer of the Royal Navy of Kaysang, a kingdom far away from us.
Having such a rank, and such heavy responsibility, it was obvious that I would be tasked with all sorts of operations.
From stopping pirates to protecting trade channels from the enemies of the Kingdom, even being charged with leading armies in wars, slowly but surely, I began seeing my friends and comrades die without me even knowing how to save them from some common wounds.
Sickness, broken arms, poisoning, I was an ignorant fool back then.
This is how the medical path found me on the battlefield trying to save my people. As for whom I learned, it is irrelevant since that old man is long dead."
"Interesting story, you were a sailor for this kingdom. Then, why are you sailing your ship to some island?"
"Mhm, maybe I will tell you this story for another time. We will have plenty of time for talks. You will be with me for one year or two, so you better get prepared."
Not continuing the talk in the direction he wanted, Vlad and Patrick went to talk about different things, such as herbs, plants from his memories. His proposed target was to see if there was something common that he could strand himself on.
To his surprise, a vast majority of the plants, herbs, and alchemical ingredients were confirmed by Patrick, with some that were missed from the old man's knowledge.
Finding this connection between what he knew with what existed here eased up his mind, making his relaxation even sweeter. Even though his body was grounded and he was blind, he appreciated life for what it had to offer him.
.
.
Hours passed, and from inside the medical room of the ship, the excited voices of the sailors with their shouts entered Vlad's ears who concluded that he arrived at his new home, the Picodras Island, and still by himself, soon Lagos, a sailor wearing an annoyed expression, maybe because he was forced into a job he didn't want, and Arik stepped inside, bringing along the news.
"Charles … Vlad, we reached the shore. We finally can breathe at ease since we escaped the water."
"You shouldn't be afraid of the water. Wouldn't it be tragic?"
"I am not scared. Still, it is quite scary to be alone on the sea."
Lagos patted Arik's head and checked on Vlad if he was excited to be finally home.
"How is it, little Vlad? Prepared for your new adventure?"
"Hah, don't get me started, Lagos. All I care about right now is to have my bones healed up and be able to run again."
"What about your sense of smell?"
"I could care less." replied Vlad straightforwardly with what he thought in his mind.
Where next, both Lagos and the sailor moved Vlad on a thick blanket and started carrying him to the main deck, while Arik watched with excitement the city's scenery getting closer and closer.
A harbor was the first thing entering his eyes, which housed some lightships anchored close to the wooden platform.
Some of the buildings were more prevalent than other buildings, and while the boy was watching with excitement, Vlad, which was held in the blanket by the two men, was in total darkness.
Not even the sun watching him, burning hot, was strong enough to break the abyss inside his eyes, and what followed next was the debarking of the sailors, where part of the group was Lagos, and the sailor called Jervis, took Vlad inside the city.
The citizens of this city, from old to young, managed to peek at who the person carried by the two sailors, finding out that it was a young boy with bald spots and a body fully covered in bandages, looking quite sad as he watched the sky, at least so they thought in their minds.
On the other hand, Vlad managed to eavesdrop on most of the people close to him, who talked about him, finding out that they weren't hostile to Arik and his arrival.
"Arik, how is the city? Can you describe it for me, at least how much you managed to see so far?"
"Of course, leave it to me. I will be your eyes until you heal up."
"Mhm."
Shortly after that weird procession toward a larger house, Lagos settled down Vlad on a comfortable bed, and he couldn't contain his laughter when he saw Vlad's relieved expression.
"Comfortable, right?"
"Indeed, I hardly remember when was the last time I sat on such a soft bed. Even in my bandages, I can feel it, especially this pillow. This is magic."
"No, it is not magic. It is called Goose Feathers. Anyway, I will leave you for a bit since I got to return to the ship and give a hand to the boys. I guess you'll be fine."
"Ahh, yes, don't worry about me. It's not like I will run anywhere, anytime soon."
"Come on, little Vlad, don't be so somber. Boys your age should smile more.
At least, this is how I remember when I was young."
"I see. I will keep this in mind." responded Vlad with an inbuilt mechanism to cope with certain requests or questions.
And, with Lagos and Jervis's departure, only Arik was inside the room Vlad was resting. However, at that moment, he heard the crying of the young boy.
"What is wrong? You are crying."
"No, I am happy to be alive and escaping those pirates. I can't even imagine how my life would have looked in their hands."
"Probably dead in the following years." responded Vlad in a chilling tone, emotionless as he was from who knows when.
Nevertheless, he made sure to end his remark with a slightly positive take.
"However, you've already experienced a rebirth. You should look at this new chance at life like an opportunity. I hope you'll follow your dreams and not forget what you wish to become.
Now, stop crying. Didn't you say you'll tell me about how this Picodras City looks? We now have time."
"Okay, but it will be hard to tell you how big the buildings are."
"Trust me, I will get it once you tell me by the method I told you to do."