The next morning wasn't pleasant. He discovered the large, dark red stain on his stomach, and he couldn't hide it from his doctor and Rozi. He needed some new bandages and a new shirt, too. He couldn't wait for his only remaining wound to be fully healed, because he was tired of these inconveniences. He received another scolding from Lehel, but after he calmed down Kese told him about what had happened the previous day. The doc was amazed and angry at the same time: he was sure his patient had done something that had caused the bleeding, but he had done no such things. Kese got new bandages and a shirt; and was asked to visit the monks on the mountain for some more cream - and to get some more friends. He did not tell his doctor about his recent visions deliberately.

After Lehel showed him the only way to the monastery he was walking alone in the island's forest. He was thinking about those phantoms which he had seen again in his dreams the night before. It gave him a chill how real they had been, and he was sure these visions weren't only his mind's work. There had to be something behind them.

When he reached the cliffs a headache appeared inside of his skull. In a few steps it grew to the point he had to hold his head and lean against the rocks in agony. But as fast as it had come it dissolved, leaving only disorientation behind. 'What the..?' Kese gently shook his head to clear his mind, but became more confused when he saw some ghosts again. He paled when he saw himself amongst them.

Or at least a man who looked so much like him: a tall, blond man with cerulean eyes. He wore a strange outfit: blue trousers and sweater, a green vest with pockets, and a pair of blue shoes which were open at the front and let his toes visible. A box was tied to his right thigh; he had a backpack and some pouches under it too. Kese could see him clearly, but not his companions: three children around the age of twelve or thirteen. The man waved at him as the four of them walked by then disappeared, and he blinked a few at the place he last saw them.

Right after this he noticed a familiar sensation on his abdomen. He pulled up his shirt and took a look. – Oh great… - he sighed seeing a small, aching red spot in the sea of white textile. A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he turned towards his destination. He was shocked to see a man in plain white robes in front of him so suddenly.

- Are you alright? – he asked seeing Kese's widened eyes and bleeding stomach.

- Erm, yes. – he replied adjusting his shirt back to its right place.

- Are you heading to the abbey, Kese? – asked the man with a friendly smile appearing on his face.

- Yes… Wait, you know my name?

The man's smile grew wider as he stepped closer to him. – I was the one who helped Lehel save your life. My name is Ince*, and I'm a Pauline monk.

Kese found amusing how his name tickled his tongue. He couldn't find out why and how but he had trusted him before he had introduced himself. 'Maybe because of his appearance?' he thought looking at Ince. If Kese had ever been asked to imagine how a foreign monk looked like, he would have come up with something like that. The man had tame features, brown eyes and very short brown hair. He had a hood which rested on his back, probably part of his religious habit. They shook hands; his grip was tender but solid.

- To the abbey then? – Ince asked.

- Yes. – the blond replied and they started to climb a few medium sized uphill.

- I see the small injuries on your face had vanished. It seems the cream I made was useful for you. – he received a nod. – However, as I can see the large one is still a little… troublesome.

Kese suppressed a strange feeling around his stomach, right above his wound.

- Are you a doctor, too? – he asked, changing the topic.

- I'm not. Just a medic, well, sort of… My main interests are herbs and their usage in healing and other things. Here we are.

They reached the last uphill and a small plateau came into sight. Kese saw three simple houses with large trees around them, and another house which seemed to glitter in the sunshine. – My brothers are away at our vineyard. Lehel told me he would send you to us, so I've been staying here in the past days waiting for you.

As Ince spoke Kese had to rub his eyes: he watched the monk's clothes slowly changing into a different kind of robes – with a large leather belt on his stomach, vambraces on his forearms and a sword at his side. The hood was pulled up to cover the man's face, but his features weren't Ince's; and his freshly shaved chin suddenly got a little stubble. Kese blinked a few, and he saw the monk himself again. At first he was confused, but soon he figured out he had just experienced another one of his regular visions. With an unfamiliar character materializing on the man's body itself. This realization made goosebumps stroke the skin of his neck.

Kese quietly growled as he felt his wound ache: he gently rubbed it and successfully relieved the pain.

- Still hurts? – Ince frowned.

- Sometimes. And just a little. – he didn't show his worry when he felt a small amount of blood leaking. 'Why?' he asked himself, 'I didn't do anything.'

After this Ince led him into the glittering house which was actually a greenhouse. The monk showed him the herbs he had used to produce that cream and he collected some to make a new portion for him.

- It will take a little long… - the monk said when they got out of the heavy air.

- I can wait. I have a lot of time.

- You know, our brothers have never used herbs before. I learnt about them from someone else. I'll introduce you to her, so while I'm busy with making your cream you can have a nice chat.

- I'm okay with that. – Kese smiled and the two entered one of the monks' house.

Kese wasn't surprised when he saw an old lady, he had seen other elders in the village before. What surprised him was that the lady was the first visibly non-Magor person he had ever seen living on the island. Even those who had moved to there were similar to them.

The old woman had short grey hair, she wore similar outfit to the Magors' and jewels made out of shells. Besides her obviously different origins two things caught the blond's eyes immediately. First, her age. He hadn't seen older Magor than her. And those who had been a little younger were more aged and weary of their hard life. This was the second thing that had surprised him. Despite her age, this lady was fit: vitality emitted from her face and body, and her movements weren't as slow as Kese expected. And the blond couldn't place the shape of her face anywhere. It was somehow familiar.

- Good morning. - Ince greeted her in Elemental. She nodded back and her gaze fell upon the monk's companion. – I'd like to introduce you the boy Csík found, Kese. Kese, this lady is Emiko.

Said blond bowed his head. – Nice to meet you.

She stepped closer to him and gazed in the boy's eyes. Her emerald irises were dimmed by the years. Emiko smiled and turned to the monk. – You can leave now. Do what you you have to do. Come, Kese, take a seat.

She offered him some dried fruit, then she sat down at the small table across him. – I've never thought I would meet a fellow shinobi in my remaining life again, just right here. - Kese raised an eyebrow at this. – Yes, in my younger days, I was…

- Excuse me, but what is a shinobi?

Emiko looked at him in a strange way, like she didn't understand why he asked that. – Aren't you one?

- I don't know. I've lost my memories.

- Ah… I see. Then I let you know that you definitely are or were a shinobi.

- Okay… But, excuse me again, what is a shinobi?

She collected her thoughts and answered. – Shinobi, or ninja, are special kind of warriors in the Five Great Elemental Nations and other minor countries. Have you heard about these nations? - Kese nodded. – Good. These warriors' main characteristics are their ability to manipulate chakra, their physical and spiritual energy molded together. It can give them supernatural strength and speed; with that they can walk on water or fly, create deadly illusions, control the elements or bind other mans' moves and mind.

The boy's eyes were so wide Emiko thought they would pop out of their place. – And… you think… I'm one of them? – she nodded. – Why?

- Although I can no longer use chakra, I'm still able to feel it in others. The Magors are ordinary people with civil chakra level. But your body is impregnated with a lot of this energy. It's exhausted and wounded, but you still have it, and in addition it's slightly growing, even as we speak. – seeing Kese blinking at her, she continued. – This is a big word nowadays. In the past weeks something happened in the ninja world. Something that's been making the shinobi chakra reserves slowly... evaporate. In time, only little remains: enough for keeping the user alive, but not allowing him or her to manipulate it anymore… This is why I have lost my ability to use it. I am old, and I didn't have much anyway.

After this she talked about the Hidden Villages, about their people, the Ninja Wars, the ninja techniques or jutsus, ending her speech with the world's biggest clans and their techniques. – I was born in one of them, and my clan was specialized in sealing techniques. This was our unique strength and pride – but it became the reason of our destruction. Those, who were afraid of us and our jutsus, turned against us and wiped out our clan… A few survived, but scattered around the globe. I managed to get away in time, and I ended up on this island. I left my name behind and quit being a shinobi…

Kese had listened to her with confused amazement. Emiko looked at him, waiting for some response: she hoped she had been able to bring him back some of his memories.

- I'm sorry. – the blond spoke. – I need to digest all of these things.

- Alright, no problem. You can always visit me when you want. I would really like to see you again, and, maybe, teach you some interesting things. Only if you would like it, too.

Kese blinked a few and nodded. Suddenly, a monk appeared in the door, holding a pot in his hands. – Am I disturbing something?

- No, Ince, you're not. – Emiko smiled and stood up. – We've just finished. Have a nice day, Kese.

- It was so... surreal! – the blond sighed as he and Ince were walking in the forest towards the village. Emiko had spoken a lot, it was already late afternoon. The monk asked the blond what they had talked about, and after Kese told him a little summary he went on with his opinion. – It felt like listening to a great story, but nothing more. Or rather, it was so distant that I couldn't imagine it as a part of my life. It just doesn't fit me… or something like this. I can't describe it.

- I see…

- And me as a shinobi… - he chuckled sardonically. Then he saw some ghosts again, in similar outfit to the blond man from that morning. They seemed to hide behind some trees, exchanging some kind of signs amongst each other, and after this they disappeared. – I... really doubt it.

- If I were you I would listen to her.

- I won't believe every crazy thing an old hag says.

They stopped walking. Ince looked at him with anger and disappointment. Kese blinked a few. – I… I'm sorry… I-I can't believe I've just said that.

The monk's gaze softened and they moved forward.

- It's just… - the boy stopped again. He slowly sat down on a roadside rock, rubbing his abdomen. The other man sat next to him, seeing something wasn't right with the blond. – It's just... I feel lost.

He buried his face in his palms. – I don't know where I've come from. I don't know who I am. I don't know what to do. – his voice trembled. – I'm fed up with this. I want to know.

He felt the monk's firm hand on his shoulder. It calmed him a little. He took a deep breath and rubbed his tears out of his eyes. – I'm sorry.

- Every one of us go through this, once, or many times, in our life. Even those, who know their past and present well… - the boy felt like the monk had misunderstood his problem; but Ince's next words gave him encouragement. - You are young, Kese, and you have plenty of time to find your real self. You don't have to do it today or tomorrow. Do what you like and love, and in the meantime you'll find what you are looking for: your past, your memories, your goals and your role in this world as well. Believe in yourself and others will believe in you; love those who also love you; struggle and you'll be paid; search and you'll find. And never give up.

Ince smiled at the blond who was astonished by his speech. He hadn't expected this kind of response, but he didn't mind it. His soul started to fill up with determination for something he hadn't known yet.

He nodded and thanked the monk's help, then they got up and resumed their walk back to the village.

*Pronounciation
Ince: [ 'ɪnʦɛ ] (I had a hard time describing this, and I'm not sure about it. You can listen to it in Google Translator.)

Chapter updated: 19. 10. 2014.