"So are you going to start or what" Mane was alone in his room. He had returned from his 'field trip' a few hours ago. He sat atop his bed in a meditative state and faced his masters in his mindscape. He wanted an explanation and he thought it would be better for him to be there in person to hear them out.
"Please don't tell me it was for my own good" Mane sat atop the rock placed right before the 5th mountain and said.
"We weren't going to" 1st replied. "We did it to protect ourselves, not you" 1st continued.
"What do you mean?" Mane questioned with his expression displaying his confusion.
"You know what we mean kid. You figured it out long ago didn't you?" 6th sighed
Mane's expression was different from the indifferent one he had on when he first entered the mindscape. His face was twisted in worry and a bit of fear. Yes he knew what his masters were talking about. But he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want what he feared to happen.
"You don't have to do anything if you aren't ready Mane. We aren't ready either. We cannot leave you in this state. We must watch our disciple grow with our own eyes" the usually silent 9th said
"Really?" Mane asked expectantly
"Yes. You are too young to be on your own" 1st laughed heartily.
"Thank you" Mane was happy. He finally understood why his masters kept some things from him. They kept some things away from him so that Mane would feel that he needed them. In their books that was the only way Mane would keep them around. Years ago when they revealed themselves to Mane, the young boy was told a few riddles that were the keys to unlocking his masters' chains. Understanding those riddles was the only way to free his masters from his mindscape and return them to their bodies and their worlds.
At first Mane didn't know that releasing the seal would mean they would leave him. He only assumed that releasing their seals would force them outside his body and give them a physical presence. However as he progressed and grew as a wielder he came to understand a few things. The little he understood led him to this fact: it was impossible for them to be freed in his realm. They would be free when he answers the riddles. That much was true. But it wasn't exactly like how Mane had imagined it. His masters would be free but their spirits would be returned to their true bodies since it was only their spirits that were trapped in his body. Zandor is a sealed planet. Even if his masters want to return to Mane and guide him, they wouldn't be able to. They didn't know the true coordinates for Zandor. And even if the coordinates were given to them they wouldn't be able to break through the seal that kept Zandor hidden unless they had the help of a powerful Sensor God and a Spiritual God. There were too few Sensors and Spiritual Gods. And it would be difficult to get either of them to help, and even more difficult to get the two kinds of gods to work together for their sakes. Mane understood this. And so did his masters. Which is why from the moment Mane understood the riddles, which was a year ago, he hadn't said anything. And that was why his masters kept some things hidden from him with the promise of telling him at a later date so that he would feel that he needed them and wouldn't break their seals.
"It's your turn now" 3rd suddenly spoke.
"Me? What would you question me about?" Mane feigned ignorance and turned his head away. Of course he knew what they were talking about. There was no way he would be able to hide his abilities as a scholar from his masters. Even before the issue with the Possessed that forced him to reveal his abilities as a scholar, he had revealed the secret long ago. His parents knew and Mane didn't think his masters wouldn't be able to feel his change. They lived in him for crying out loud! But he promised Ananse not to tell anyone about their meeting. And he was hoping to keep that promise. It wasn't that he trusted Ananse more than he did his family and his masters. He wasn't an idiot. However he knew that he would need the Sensor Goddess' help in the future. He couldn't hope to receive her help if he broke the one rule she gave him. Since she was a goddess of wisdom, she was definitely testing him. If Mane failed the test he could say goodbye to her friendship and help in the future.
He had evaded the question when his parents asked and offered to show them his technique instead. Mane couldn't open his mouth and tell them who Ananse was, so he was hoping his technique would do the talking instead. And he was right. His mother understood right away and led his father away to speak with the battle god; no doubt to tell him who the culprit behind Mane's sudden pursuit of the scholar path was.
Now his masters also wanted to know. They were curious about how the young boy had suddenly stepped on the path of scholars but kept quiet about it. And Mane was thankful for their silence. But the blond boy had dug his own grave by asking his masters for the 'truth'. Now he was the one in the hot seat.
"Don't evade the question kid" unfortunately his masters weren't going to let this slide. 6th was quick to stop Mane from leaving. The boy finally regretted sharing his rights over the control of his mindscape with his masters when he realized that he couldn't leave the mindscape.
"I really can't say" Mane said in frustration. He really wanted to tell his masters but he couldn't.
"No need to disturb the boy" 1st came to Mane's rescue. "I already know who it is" he continued.
"Huh?" Mane was surprised by the sudden revelation. "How would you know?" Mane wondered. 3rd was the smartest of them all, yet she didn't know. So how did 1st know? Mane was right that 3rd was the smartest. But he had forgotten that 1st was the most experienced of them all. He had lived the longest and knew about things that most of the others didn't know.
"This person was able to give you the technique without any of us noticing and then asked that you tell no one. When you spoke to your mother earlier and revealed the nature of the technique I knew right away who it was." 1st sighed.
"How is she?" 1st asked
"She is fine" Mane replied. Now he was sure that 1st knew Ananse. The god's voice was filled with melancholy when he asked about her wellbeing. It seemed that he was on good terms with the Goddess of Wisdom.
"You want to know how I know her, don't you?" 1st spoke out.
"I do" Mane nodded. He was a curious boy. Of course he wanted to know.
"I'd tell you later. For now you should go to your father. They may have finished their interrogations by now. I'm sure you are more curious about who this so called Master is." 1st suggested.
"Plus it will give me some time to tell the others about her" 1st gave his reason and Mane finally relented.
"I wonder who this Master is" Mane wondered as he exited his room. They brought the assassin back with them and left him in the 'loving' care of his father. Indra was also here. Maybe they had succeeded in getting the stubborn assassin to open his mouth.