Rubies and Rumors

Chapter Thirty-three

     "That northern witch did what?" General Tan raged as he listened to the explanation of what had happened the previous day. "She could have killed a member of the royal line within the palace precincts and she was just sent on her way?"

"I don't think I was her target. Or at least Junseo thought she was trying to test him so he didn't try any blocks. With the way things are at the palace the dissonance got amplified. He got us out of there and kept his stones in check. It totally drained him. The boys had to help raise the isolation wards. I have seen Junseo do it with barely a blink." Knight-Master Lie could not hide his worry.

"Honestly it makes even less sense." The general said with frustration. He did not notice how his nephew had frozen at the doorway. San Jin cleared his throat. He would not reveal a confidence so needed to check if anyone else knew about Junseo's ring.

"Outside of his friendship with Park San Dou and Jong Tai Yi, do we know if Junseo has any northern connections? I know our family is not popular in some quarters but I haven't heard if there could be issues for him."

"Ambassador Kim might rub us the wrong way but he is a careful man. That he was assigned to the delegation tells me his family was well vetted," Knight-Master Lie said then complimented San Jin for thinking strategically. "I suppose it could have been retaliation for our hand in disrupting the third kingdom plot. That is, if the northerners were actually involved in the plot not just handy scape-goats."

"Somewhat disproportionate, don't you think?" the General asked.

"Who knows. It all seems mad to me."

"Me too. But there seems to be a lot of madness going around." San Jin raised his bandaged had. This reminded him how Junseo saved him so he had to swallow back tears.

"Now there is an angle I didn't think of before now," Knight-Master Lie pulled out some game tiles and started shuffling them back and forth between his hands. San Jin recognized the habit and carefully slid away. The Knight-Master would call them when he had some ideas to test but it was never a short process.

San Jin went back to the others. He asked about the rituals and was given chants to memorize. Rainbow-Maker Mein then tested his affinity stones and complimented their resonance and purity. "Junseo helped me with them. I needed a lower key for my mantras." San Jin trusted the man understood how much this meant.

"Since these are so well tuned, I think you should join the circle of eight tonight. I am needed back at the palace." The rainbow-maker then went about making his own arrangements. San Jin just sat in quiet gratitude until the other boys came over to see what was going on. They were thrilled to have him as part of the chorus but then insisted he go rest.

"You might not think you need it but trust me once we are fighting the sands you'll know why." Hae-sung said as he guided San Jin upstairs. He then explained how the previous sessions had nearly gone astray. "Since you and Junseo are so close, I think it will really help to have you as an anchor."

"I hope I can help. I owe him my life after all." San Jin said quietly.

"You're not the only one." Xuiyang said as he gave San Jin a one-armed hug.

"Enough with the mushy stuff." Chenhui complained as he climbed into his bunk. "And no snoring either." This made the other boys laugh since the only one who snored louder than Chenhui was Junseo.

The complicated sunset ritual drained all eight participants. Junseo remained motionless but the sand swirls seemed to settle down. The addition of the sparkling white sands by the deacon had seemed to have a calming effect on the muddied sands even as the energy coming from the invisible barriers spiked. The young men from the temple then explained they needed to go back for their own rituals and purification. "The full eight shouldn't be needed for moonrise," the deacon explained. "You should alternate shifts through the night. Send for us if we are still needed for noon services."

Hae-sung frowned and started to say something. Then he reminded himself how important sunrise services were at the temple so was able to sound truly grateful for the devotees' assistance. From the way they acted the sands from the Lake of the Heaven must have been a precious gift but perhaps not as effective as they expected. San Jin looked to him to assign the shifts for the rituals needed over night. "I just wish we could have a full eight for the sunrise. It is the most complicated of the mantras, and a proper counterpoint is hard to achieve with smaller numbers."

Manager Doak overheard Hae-sung and asked him to explain the requirements for the sunrise ritual. "You have to wonder about folks who worry about their own purity over someone who is in trouble," he said with uncharacteristic sharpness. He stared into space for a moment then told the boys to sort out moonrise shift and let him work out what to do before dawn. He remembered how Junseo had set up bloodstones for a former member so knew who he needed for the dawn ritual.

If the captain of the palace guard found it odd to have General Tan ask to borrow a trainee, he did not have the nerve to say anything. Not with the way Trainee Kim Il-don responded to the General's news. The boy would have run out of the compound barefoot if he had not sent him back to change.

The other boys were a bit wary when Il-don showed up but his reaction to Junseo's state swept away any lingering resentments. "I never imagined I would see him so helpless. He has always been the one to help and heal us," he cried. Then he begged to help with the rituals and asked a mat to be brought down to the small banquet hall so he could stay nearby while he practiced his parts. Manager Doak explained what he was hoping to achieve, and why Trainee Il-don's stones might be one of the keys they needed.

Il-don studied the way the sand had been mixed then asked Manager Doak if the circle of eight he was assembling covered a full spectrum. Then they discussed who might have the right shade of stone. "This would be so much easier if Junseo was awake. He just seems to be able to tell somebodies affinity. It's kind of uncanny." Il-don said glancing over at his former leader.

"He also knows enough healers it would be pretty easy for him to find someone with a jasper or amethyst connection."

"Ask San Jin. I am sure he is an emerald but he might know what stones his healers liked to use," Il-don suggested. Manager Doak also checked some of his notes and then had to ask his friends some personal questions.

By the time they started their dawn ritual there was a group of twelve instead of a group of eight. Healer Yang brought her amethysts and another two friends: One with a turquoise, the other with a jasper. Not all the boys had set affinities so they were given a chance to pick colors they were most comfortable holding.

Nobody was surprised to see Hae-sung with a citrine stone since his positive energy had kept them going through difficult times. Chenhui and Xuiyang were taken back to see their study companion pick a moonstone since they did not associate Song-hee with scholarship.

Knight-Master Lie aligned himself at the most southern point and rolled back his sleeve to reveal the sapphire eye in his dragon torque. He gestured for the healer with the jasper to take the northern point. The others sorted themselves with lightest colors for the east and the darkest for the west.

Hae-sung struck the chime as the first light touched the edge of the courtyard and they started the chant. At first everything felt a bit sluggish but then the group found a steadier rhythm. They stayed in unison for the first cycle then split the harmonies for the second cycle. The sands started to rise and swirl. Small whirlwinds formed in front of each of chanters then scattered. This process repeated with the third and final cycle but this time the sands settled into a rainbow band between the two sets of jade pillars. Hae-sung struck the chime again and knelt.

"Heavens," Healer Yang said as she steadied herself. "My stones have never felt this pure." She held the pendant out next to her ring. Then she looked over to Junseo's pallet. He was trying to untangle his blankets so he could sit up. "Welcome back Healer Park."

"That's my Dad's name," he grumbled then looked around at the isolation field and a very tired looking group of people. "Thank you for getting the harmonics sorted. I was just sort of trapped." He tried to get to his feet but then had to sit down again. He felt completely hollowed out. He could see the different hues in the sands and in his own collection of crystals but he could not sense them. It was as if most of the color had washed out of the world. He took a breath and tried to steady himself.