Emeralds and Enemies

Chapter Twenty-five

The first time Knight-Master Lie came to observe at the practice court was also the first time the flashes from San Jin's ring became an insurmountable distraction. The young man blushed and bowed to his uncle's friend saying, "Sorry. I am still struggling with the alignments on my stones." San Jin covered his hand and retreated. He tried to clear his mind and concentrate on the new mantra's he had learned from the junior master at the dojo.

Junseo surprised him by joining in with a matching chant and then adding a throaty harmony. They repeated the meditation cycle twice before they could feel the pressure from the stones lighten. San Jin took a deep breath then bowed to each of the compass points. He turned to thank Junseo but found his younger brother was busy peppering their guest with questions.

"I could feel that in my teeth so what did you guys just do? Did you know was up with San Jin's stones? How many stones do you have anyway? I mean clear can't actually tame colours, can they?" Me Yan rattled off questions as they popped into his head before Junseo had a chance to answer even the first one.

"I do not have an assigned affinity yet so have to work hard to hold my crystals in balance without a coloured anchor. That means practicing as many of the mantras and their harmonies as I can." Junseo smiled apologetically to San Jin. "I should have asked permission before joining in like that."

"No, you really helped. I was struggling even with my match pairs," San Jin blushed as he turned his bracelet around to show two clear quartz and two obsidian stones. "Maybe I just wasn't ready to for our family's stone."

"I often wear different stones I from my family but they haven't acted up like yours. I have heard emeralds can be challenging so it seems your affinity must be calling. Congratulations." Junseo first offered his hand then surprised San Jin by pulling him in for a quick hug.

For a split-second San Jin felt as if a light was shining in and through the two of them. He then spotted how all his stones were touched with a pale green that quickly faded. "Congratulate me if I ever get back into harmony with all my stones." San Jin muttered.

"We will work it out," Junseo assured him before offering to take on Me Yan with prescribed forms. They used wooden batons and mirrored moves to test balance, speed, and strength. All the time Junseo monitored Me Yan's moves and called a halt when he could see the younger boy starting to favour his injured leg. Me Yan did not argue that it was time to finish.

"I wish my brother would listen to the other healers as well as he listens to you." San Jin said to Junseo.

"Maybe if they carried bigger sticks?" Junseo teased. This prompted a fit of giggles from the younger Go brother. It took him a couple of minutes to sober up enough to serve as the referee in the match between the older boys.

The Knight-Master watched unobtrusively from the sidelines. He was surprised to note Junseo was slightly taller than his older host but San Jin had broader shoulders even though at first glance he seemed to have a much slimmer frame. Both boys had speed. So much so, that it was sometimes hard to catch the shifts between blocks and attacks. San Jin's maintained a smooth flow while Junseo became a bit more erratic before he was disarmed.

"Blast. Why do I always miss that twist on the double-back?" Junseo complained as he retrieved his sword and replayed the proper defence. San Jin switched from opponent to coach showing Junseo how to adjust his grip for a better rotation to the left. They worked through the move slowly first with San Jin on the attack and then with Junseo leading through a set sequence. They picked up speed. This time Junseo was able to counter San Jin's move but then ended up out of bounds.

"What did I tell you about forgetting where your feet are?" San Jin asked. Junseo just shook his head and let out a long slow breath.

"Right. Thanks, I guess."

"Gentlemen, if you please," the Knight-Master beckoned them over. First, he congratulated each of them on the work they put in. Then he asked to examine each of the practice swords. He first held them at arms length and then tried to find their natural balance point by laying each of them over one gloved finger. He gave the sword Junseo had been using a sharp wrap against the bench to loosen a weight placed under the guard. He handed the weapon back to Junseo and gestured for him to try it.

"Wow, I can't believe what a difference that makes!" Junseo grinned at his mentor but then sobered. "I guess I should have been able to work that out for myself."

"It is not something you would expect in a training yard but you definitely need to check any time you have to use assigned equipment either in a tournament or anywhere you might be posted." Knight-Master Lie then went on to explain in detail how to test for both soundness and balance.

Me Yan brought over an armload of swords for them to test and they discovered one needing to be retired before it could break and injure someone. This caused more than a little consternation among the home guard who should have been checking the safety of all the equipment in advance. Neither the Go brothers, nor their new training partner, were inclined to report this incident but they were all reminded not to take the condition of their weapons for granted.