Moonstones and Madness

One

     "You better be scared. You were a nobody in Kaesang and less than that here." The city guard hissed as he leaned into Trainee Im Song-hee.

"Just tell us what those Slack-harbor scum wanted. We saw you with them on the bridge so don't pretend you don't know what we are talking about." The other guard gave the wiry young man a sharp poke in the stomach with a metal capped staff. Song-hee doubled over struggling to plan his next move. He was sure he could easily best this pair but fighting with the city guards could be like fighting with hornets -- you never knew when an angry swam might come after you in the capital.

"Is there some sort of problem here gentlemen?" Trainee Go San Jin's slow drawl revealed both his high status and his low opinion of the city's supposed protectors. "I am sure our Knight-Master will be interested to hear why you are detaining one of his trainees. Shall I send one of my men to fetch him from the palace?" This offer had the intended effect. The city guards backed away from their target without delay.

"Thanks, Bro," Song-hee whispered with a quick glance up at his taller teammate.

"Is there anything we need to worry about?" San Jin asked watching the burly pair retreat.

"No. Not really. I can handle it." Song-hee's quick response tumbled together in his hometown accent.

"Alright. But don't take too long. We don't want extra attention from either the guards or the gangs right now." Song-hee swallowed hard and nodded his understanding. "Good," San Jin said clapping a hand onto Song-hee's shoulder. "Now that is settled let's get you to school in time for your afternoon lab."

"I don't need an escort," Song-hee objected.

"No trouble. It's on our training route. Come on. That's it, let's just pick up the pace." San Jin signaled his bodyguards to form up.

Song-hee had not planned to attend the lab. He was on his way to look for inspiration in the market district when the guards caught him, but now he could not escape his teammate's good intentions. He was used to having an older brother trying to boss him around just not one who took quite so much interest in school attendance. He tried not to squirm as San Jin went with him right to the door of his class.

"Do I need to send an escort to get you back to the forge or will you meet up with Chenhui and In-Yeon?" San Jin asked knowing full well that Song-hee might still try to sneak away from school.

"No, I will come back with the guys. Maybe we can come up with some product ideas if we swing by the market on the way back." Song-hee thought it better to explain his plan than have San Jin come looking.

"It can't hurt but don't worry too much. I am sure Knight-Master Lei will get things sorted." San Jin said with complete confidence as he ushered Song-hee into the classroom.

Song-hee arrived ahead of the instructor and the usual band of boys who lounged in the back row. He found a seat near a window and slumped down behind a fence of textbooks. He doodled some design ideas in the back of his notebook while he watched the demonstration. The experiment instructions seemed clear enough and the expected outcome obvious to anyone who understood the basic principles so he thought he could trust his lab partner not to mess things up too badly. He was mistaken. The materials and apparatus they were supposed to use were soon in a complete shamble.

"Oh, come on!" Song-hee complained as he tried to make sense of where his partner had gone astray, "It is pretty straight forward. Here," he pointed emphatically to stand for the glassware, then to the small scale they were supposed to use for the ingredients. He then repeated the step-by-step instructions posted at the front of the room. Part way he had to grab the other boy's hand to stop him from putting the ingredients together in the wrong order.