"True."

"How is the practice of alchemy taught in Amestris?"

"It largely isn't. Either you find someone to apprentice yourself to or you display extreme aptitude in the sciences in one of the state-run schools, of which there are relatively few."

"What social role do alchemists occupy?"

"Similarly to other scientists, with some caveats. Alchemists are both more rare and more likely to be employed by the government, so they often serve as a symbol of government power."

"Are they involved in the military?"

"Very. Both as combat officers and in a research capacity."

"What sorts of research?"

"Logistical and medical, officially. I knew a man who told me they work with even more -- even the kinds of alchemy the state outlaws -- the research is probably in human transmutation, though; it's not actually difficult to turn lead into gold."

"I don't imagine so. Is the purpose of such research to augment their forces or to ensure they have enough sacrifices?"

"The latter, I assume, by encouraging an environment where those who try to deal with the Gate are indebted to the state. I don't know specifically what their projects are, but I can guess."

"Enlighten me."

"There are three parts of a person: soul, spirit, and body. Normally the spirit tethers the soul to the body. With alchemy the body can be altered, or the spirit-tether duplicated, to trick the soul into tethering elsewhere. But the soul never loses the tether to its original body, and the spirit connection is far stronger: it outlasts any artificial tethers in the long term. I imagine there is experimentation about the extent to which a body could be changed before the soul failed to recognize it as original, or about the variety of artificial bodies a soul could be persuaded to attach itself to temporarily."

"Does the spirit have no function beyond linkage?"

"It also acts as a channel between the soul and the body, so that they can better work with one another. There are related traits that are better illustrated if I draw a diagram --"

He goes to get ink and paper. The diagram is relatively informative about the structure, if somewhat simplified.

Days pass. Occlus receives more hands-off assignments during the trip, Hohenheim wants to spend more time talking to his passengers.

Occlus is good at self-directed study. And eager to leave the boat behind, when the time arrives.

They arrive in a bustling trade city in Aerugo. It's a major crossroads between the east and the west and they can recognize many foods they saw in other cities.

But they're not there for the food. "It won't be hard to travel to the desert. Aerugo is not a big country. But they are currently at war with Amestris, and everyone is on the lookout for spies."

"And as two strange foreign alchemists, I suppose we will already be under suspicion. How tightly is the border controlled?"

"Very. I usually tunnel through the border from a remote location, sealing the passageway as I go, but that takes quite a bit of energy."

"Hm. Are there civilian crossings?"

"They're more trouble than they're worth." Uncomfortable shift.

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm ... not really familiar with the politics in the area. Or politics at all, frankly."

"In that case, I would like to take a look at the border for myself."