Rubies and Rumors

Chapter Thirty-four

     Hae-sung and Manager Doak worked together to move the jade pillars closer to the band of sand. Hae-sung then jumped over the remaining energy barrier and sat down beside Junseo. He handed over a skin full of fresh water. Junseo took a few small sips and leaned against Hae-sung. Then he started to shiver so Hae-sung wrapped a blanket around both of them before starting the chant to release the isolation fields. Once the field dropped, he helped pack Junseo's stones into the ebony cases and passed them to Chenhui to take back upstairs.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up." Hae-sung knelt and gestured for Junseo to climb on for a piggy-back. Junseo normally would have scoffed at such an offer but it felt so inviting to rest in Hae-sung's bright energy. The other boys gave them room to get through but stayed on guard around the pair. When Junseo spotted Kim Il-don among the others he grinned and reached over to bump fists. Xuiyang patted them both on the back.

Healer Yang pursed her lips. She wanted to examine Junseo but could see she was not going to get close for a while. Scout Jia exchanged a sympathetic look then said, "I'm sure they will bring him back soon. They are just very protective of his dignity."

"What do you recommend for him coming out of his fast. Would bone broth be alright? I am guessing nothing too spicy," Manager Doak asked to try and distract the woman. She answered absent-mindedly, waving him away as the boys returned. Junseo walked unsteady but seemed fascinated by the way the sands were sorted in the circle that marked where the two isolation fields had finally met. He reached out to touch the sand then jerked his hand back.

"How are you feeling?" Healer Yang asked.

"A bit wobbly," Junseo admitted. She took his pulse and looked into his eyes and ears and did not seem at all concerned. He did not quite know how to explain not being able to sense the crystals around him. It was a bit like walking in a fog. He didn't say anything because nobody he knew was in touch with all the different stones. It wasn't something he wanted to share with Healer Yang. She was just far too curious. Instead, he insisted he would probably feel better once he wasn't so dehydrated.

Then he carefully thanked Healer Yang and her friends for coming out for the sunrise ritual. "I am certain being able to fill in the spectrum helped sort out the residual dissonance. Just look at how the isolation fields merged."

"I have never been part of such a big working. I was not sure we would be able to hold the harmonies," one of the women said.

"Yes, it was very interesting. I wouldn't want to repeat the experience any time soon but it felt amazing when everything snapped into line," her older friend smiled warmly at the boys who hovered around their friend.

"Can you tell us more about how you ended up in that state?" Healer Yang asked but Knight-Master Lie intervened.

"Junseo needs to keep things fresh in his own mind for the official investigation. I expect the palace is still negotiating over who gets the lead. We are on commission to General Tan so he has authority but Rainbow-Maker Mein also has an expressed interest." The woman needed to content herself with what she could observe. They debated clearing up the sand but decided the Rainbow-Maker might have his own thoughts on the matter so left things pretty much intact.

Healer Yang and her friends gave up waiting to hear the rest of the story and went on their way before noon. The boys decided to continue the regular observances from the Sun Temple and were just finishing the forms when the Deacon came for a visit. He watched Junseo struggling to find the rhythm in the set moves and shook his head. The Acting Librarian had explained how hard it might be for the boy to find balance again after the energy attack but he had not realized just how severe it might be. He called Hae-sung and Junseo over and explained it would be best if they could go back to the more basic observances. "Work on the routines you did before you started tuning your first crystals. Give yourself time to find the simpler rhythms and when you feel up to it tune a clear quartz. Just don't rush. Think of it like having a broken bone. You have to heal before you can do any strengthening."

"It's that bad?" Hae-sung looked from the Deacon to Junseo. He expected an objection to this stricture. Instead, Junseo only asked whether it was even possible to recover.

"The only source we have says it is possible but you need to go back to the beginning. Eventually your stones should be able to be tuned again but you will need to check for new faults and fractures." He could see Junseo understood and nodded. Then he asked about the dawn ritual and was very excited about the notion of creating a full spectrum.

The sand circle in the small banquet hall proved very interesting especially when Rainbow-Maker Mien confirmed the tiny quartz fragments in the sand had picked up different hues.

"I rather hoped the re-alignment process might show up your affinity," the man from the palace squinted his eyes and looked Junseo up and down. "You don't seem to have any resonances left at all. It's very strange." The man did not provide a further explanation but the Deacon challenged his assessment.

"How is that even possible. Everyone tends to a stone whether or not the develop the skills to access the power."

"I only know what I see, or what I can't see right now," the Rainbow-Maker then took out some jars and sang the sands into them. When he was finished, he bustled away saying, "These might tell us something but it is more likely they will only echo the stones used in the ritual itself."

The Deacon also took his leave by not before inviting Junseo and Hae-sung to return to morning practice on the lower terraces. They thanked him for this honour and temple's help. "I don't think I could have found my way back without the rituals." Junseo said quietly. He did not want his friends to know just how close he had come to being completely shattered.

As he was leaving the Deacon pulled Junseo aside again to tell him, "Some did not think it possible to survive such a strong cascade of dissonance but our training master insists you have a rare strength. Just be kind to yourself." He sent a touch of warm energy through the hand he put on Junseo's back and was gone.

Song-hee watched all of this and then decided it was time for Junseo to rest again. He appointed himself the guardian and would not anyone disturb his friend. Not even General Tan. Fortunately, the General had questions about the project only Song-hee could answer and this bought him out of trouble long enough for Junseo to wake on his own.

The General's arrival signaled the to return to regular duties. Il-don gathered up his things with his former classmate and sighed. "I forgot what it was like. How you all stick up for each other no matter what."

"We try. Sometimes we fight. I mean, a lot, but then everyone has to come back together and talk it out. I am sure Song-hee is going to have something to say to Junseo for not defending himself better. Not in a mean way. Just enough to remind him how much we rely on him." Xuiyang looked over to where Song-hee stood talking with the Knight-master. "I hope the guards are treating you alright."

"Its okay. Took me a while to get the hang of the protocols and strict hierarchy," Il-don shrugged then apologized he could not stay longer. Xuiyang accompanied him to the gate to see his old school friend off.

Chenhui came over and put a hand on Xuiyang's shoulder. "It's not like you can't still be friends. You will just have to get better at planning how to get together."

"Right. Thanks." Xuiyang said before heading to the dorm on his own.