to Hayden then. He remembered the cockatrice and then fighting off the eerie human constructs, wondering what they were supposed to be doing.
“It took us a few minutes to figure out that something was wrong,” Asher admitted softly. “One minute you were fighting alongside your friends, and the next you were just standing there, staring off into space while the others battled for their lives. We couldn’t figure out what happened to you.”
Hayden frowned and said, “I didn’t stop fighting, it’s just that everyone else disappeared. I was all alone in the jungle, except for this image of myself when I was ten…”
The Prism Master shook his head and said, “No, Hayden. No one disappeared; your mind simply removed you from the present, at a very dangerous time I might add, given that you were in combat. If those had been real assailants you all would have been killed, as your team wasted valuable time trying to help you while we Masters debated whether to interfere. Sark seemed to think you were just messing with us to make yourself appear interesting.”
Hayden rolled his eyes at the mention of his least favorite Master.
“So the Mnemora worked then?” Hayden frowned. “I was really seeing what happened on the day my mom died?”
Master Asher looked startled and said, “You saw Aleric?”
“Well, no, but I heard him,” Hayden admitted. “It was weird, but the only thing I could see properly was myself. Everything else just looked like jungle, but I could hear my mom talking to him in the kitchen.”
Asher looked pensive and said, “ Huh, that is odd. By our best reckoning, when you took that strengthening elixir it clashed badly with whatever residual Mnemora was still in your system. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work properly.”
Hayden nodded, toying with Bonk’s wings to give himself something to focus on, which didn’t seem to bother his familiar at all.
“So now you know the truth of that day?” Asher prodded gently, his expression an odd mixture of compassion and a hunger for knowledge.
“Not really,” Hayden admitted, meeting his eyes. “I only saw the first part, where he turned up in the kitchen and asked my mom where I was.”
“So we’ve been correct in thinking he knew about you before he came to see your mother that day,” Asher said lightly. “Though I’ve no idea how he found out about you if your mother was as careful as you say she was.”
“He said that he could feel my presence or something, but I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean.” Hayden sighed. “He just kept telling her he wanted to see the boy—me, I mean. When she wouldn’t help him he hit her, and I ran out into the kitchen and grabbed a knife.” He admitted the last part quietly, embarrassed at how stupid he must have seemed to the omnipotent Dark Prism, a scared boy of ten with no magical prowess facing him down with a kitchen knife.
Asher looked mildly surprised and asked, “You attacked him?”
“I don’t think so…or not that I saw, at least. I told him I knew who he was and that I wouldn’t let him hurt my mom again.” Hayden was silent for a long moment before adding, “He said I was brave,” in a small voice.
“Yes, well you were certainly that.” The Prism Master looked sympathetic. “Even in madness Aleric retained some of his fundamentals, and he always respected courage, even in his foes.”
“I wasn’t brave, I was terrified and stupid,” Hayden mumbled, fidgeting with Bonk’s small arms now.
“It doesn’t count as bravery unless you’re frightened,” Asher objected mildly. “You’ve no idea how many fully-trained, adult mages cowered and sobbed at your father’s knees, begging for their lives. For you to face him like you did, as fruitless as it was…I’m sure that in his detached sort of way he was quite proud of you in that moment.”
Hayden swallowed a lump of emotion and took a deep breath.
“It ended soon after that, but I’m not sure why
“It took us a few minutes to figure out that something was wrong,” Asher admitted softly. “One minute you were fighting alongside your friends, and the next you were just standing there, staring off into space while the others battled for their lives. We couldn’t figure out what happened to you.”
Hayden frowned and said, “I didn’t stop fighting, it’s just that everyone else disappeared. I was all alone in the jungle, except for this image of myself when I was ten…”
The Prism Master shook his head and said, “No, Hayden. No one disappeared; your mind simply removed you from the present, at a very dangerous time I might add, given that you were in combat. If those had been real assailants you all would have been killed, as your team wasted valuable time trying to help you while we Masters debated whether to interfere. Sark seemed to think you were just messing with us to make yourself appear interesting.”
Hayden rolled his eyes at the mention of his least favorite Master.
“So the Mnemora worked then?” Hayden frowned. “I was really seeing what happened on the day my mom died?”
Master Asher looked startled and said, “You saw Aleric?”
“Well, no, but I heard him,” Hayden admitted. “It was weird, but the only thing I could see properly was myself. Everything else just looked like jungle, but I could hear my mom talking to him in the kitchen.”
Asher looked pensive and said, “ Huh, that is odd. By our best reckoning, when you took that strengthening elixir it clashed badly with whatever residual Mnemora was still in your system. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work properly.”
Hayden nodded, toying with Bonk’s wings to give himself something to focus on, which didn’t seem to bother his familiar at all.
“So now you know the truth of that day?” Asher prodded gently, his expression an odd mixture of compassion and a hunger for knowledge.
“Not really,” Hayden admitted, meeting his eyes. “I only saw the first part, where he turned up in the kitchen and asked my mom where I was.”
“So we’ve been correct in thinking he knew about you before he came to see your mother that day,” Asher said lightly. “Though I’ve no idea how he found out about you if your mother was as careful as you say she was.”
“He said that he could feel my presence or something, but I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean.” Hayden sighed. “He just kept telling her he wanted to see the boy—me, I mean. When she wouldn’t help him he hit her, and I ran out into the kitchen and grabbed a knife.” He admitted the last part quietly, embarrassed at how stupid he must have seemed to the omnipotent Dark Prism, a scared boy of ten with no magical prowess facing him down with a kitchen knife.
Asher looked mildly surprised and asked, “You attacked him?”
“I don’t think so…or not that I saw, at least. I told him I knew who he was and that I wouldn’t let him hurt my mom again.” Hayden was silent for a long moment before adding, “He said I was brave,” in a small voice.
“Yes, well you were certainly that.” The Prism Master looked sympathetic. “Even in madness Aleric retained some of his fundamentals, and he always respected courage, even in his foes.”
“I wasn’t brave, I was terrified and stupid,” Hayden mumbled, fidgeting with Bonk’s small arms now.
“It doesn’t count as bravery unless you’re frightened,” Asher objected mildly. “You’ve no idea how many fully-trained, adult mages cowered and sobbed at your father’s knees, begging for their lives. For you to face him like you did, as fruitless as it was…I’m sure that in his detached sort of way he was quite proud of you in that moment.”
Hayden swallowed a lump of emotion and took a deep breath.
“It ended soon after that, but I’m not sure why
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