29th day of the 10th month of the year 718 KDC

I feel like an idiot Look – I was not feeling well and was not in my right mind. It is completely fair that I did not put all the facts together and come to the correct conclusion.

I spoke with Hawk last night.

It was a strange conversation. When I first found him he was sitting in a chair by a fire, with an empty chair across from him. Without even looking he beckoned for me sit.

“Bastian, have you finally remembered me?” was the first thing he said after I sat.

This threw me for a spin. I asked who this Bastian was and Hawk just looked at me, his eyes filled with sadness.

“It must be you, Bastian,” he continued, “You look exactly like I remember you, albeit a bit on the lean side, and you carry the katana and the journal. I thought you had left for good. It surprised me greatly to see you against after so many years.”

I told him again that I did not know who this Bastian person was. He slowly shook his head.

“Amisia Amnesia. Must be. Maybe it’s something to do with wherever you were.”

I was getting extremely confused and worried for the old man. He obviously thought I was someone who I wasn’t. I had never even heard of the Bastian person before. He looked concerned for me though. This must have been the reason why he bought me food and offered me a bed.

I asked why he was so sure that I was this person from his memory. So he got up and went to a small box that was on top of the fire place. He rummaged around through its contents and came back with a small handful of papers. Some of it looked like old sketch pad paper, while one piece looked like a stiff card. He proceeded to hand them to me.

I was surprised. There were a couple of sketches in there, but they didn’t mean much. But there were 2 important pictures. One was of Hawk with a young man, looking like bickering brothers.

“We got that done during a festival here one year.”

The other was a portrait of a young man, probably about my age. On the back was written Bastian 699. A portrait from a year before I was born. It showed the same man as the other picture, but in this he was holding a journal which looked a lot like mine, as well as a sword, a katana as people are calling it, which looking like the twin of my weapon. I raised my eyebrows at Hawk.

While I was looking he had wandered off and grabbed a small hand mirror from a table along a wall. By the light of the fire he showed me my reflection. He plucked the portrait from my hand and held it up beside the mirror.

I must have looked like a stunned fish. Mouth wide open. I was the spitting image of the portrait, the portrait was the spitting image of me. I had never really seen myself like this, but looking into the mirror I could understand why Hawk thought I was who he thought I was. I mean, if I hadn’t known better I would have thought this was a portrait of myself.

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“Do you see now Bastian?”

I interrupted him. Assuring him again that that person was not me. I explained my name was Iggy. Though, truth be told I probably should call myself Ignatius now, Iggy is a bit childish. I explained how I had grown up in the institution and that the sword had been given to me when I left. He looked so confused.

At this point I rushed back to the bed and grabbed my journal and brought it back to him. I opened it to the first page and showed him the date I had written there as well as the entry about the letter. He gave out a laugh and a wheeze. It took him a long time to settle himself again.

“Well, that explains a lot,” the worried look was gone from his face from this point, “You are the spitting image of your father as you can see. I knew him when he was only just a little older than you. I know a few other people who would be a little taken aback. Maybe I can use this to my advantage.”

I was a little worried about this comment, as a devious glint had appeared behind his eyes.

“But, you have done as suggested, Iggy. You have found me, Balthasar. Feel free to call me Hawk, your father always did.”

Since I didn’t know much about my father I had to ask. It seems that Hawk knew my father for about 2 years, and during that time they had started this mercenary company from nothing. Now it was considered one of the most sought after groups in the region, though a decline in members lately was causing them issues in taking requests.

Seems my father was quite the accomplished swordsman too, and that the katana I held was his weapon of choice. A weapon the two of them had spent months trying to obtain. Seems there is something special about it, but he did not feel the need to explain yet. It has me really intrigued. Why would my father search so hard for a stone weapon? I would need to test this out a bit later, maybe in a place where I can’t hurt myself or anyone else, since I don’t know how to use the weapon.

We spoke for quite some time. I learnt a lot about who my father was. At the end he offered me to stay.

“I was going to give you the offer before anyway, thinking you my old friend. But would you consider staying with us? We can offer you training, lodging, and food. You would need to work for it, but the training should prepare you for that. And I think this is what Bastian meant when he wanted you to find me.”

I told him I would think on it, as I had only just met him and had not known my father at all. Everything was happening fast. Tomorrow I think I will have a wander around now I have recovered my energy.