Kal Chul watched the boys pack up the demonstration pieces and hand them over to a waiting servant. He was torn between following the small stash of crystals or Knight-Master Lei and his unlikely band of trainees. To give his movements purpose he picked up a basket and followed along behind the team. The guards were much less vigilant for groups leaving the palace, and gave little notice to individual servants, so Kal Chul was able to play porter long enough to get out of the inner courts. He nearly crashed into Song-hee when the group stopped to let one of them dig something out of the wall. The dark flashes signaled some kind of crystal but he did not know its resonance.

When he tried to get a closer look, Song-hee put an arm out and hissed, "Just what are you playing at?"

"Brother," Kal Chul whispered then gestured the universal sign for a gang member needing assistance.

Song-hee squinted as he looked Kal Chul up and down. He did not owe the gangs anything, not anymore, but the habits from living on the edge were hard to break. Chenhui spotted the pair lagging behind when the group started moving so came to investigate. "Haven't you decided which side you are on?" he whispered to Song-hee who blushed.

"We just need to get clear without a scene," Song-hee answered in the same urgent tone nodding to where Junseo and San Jin huddled over a small silk bag.

"Alright, but it is on your head," Chenhui answered before stepping over to form a rear guard.

Looking back and forth between the two, Kal Chul saw the same determination and knew he needed to come up with a better plan than trying to sprint away. He thought through everything he had heard the Rainbow-makers saying, and what he had just seen, and hit on an angle that might serve.

"I'm surprised you friend hasn't woken the dragon. You would think she would take more of an interest if what the Rainbow-makers are saying is true." Kal Chul said with a sly grin.

"They made their peace ages ago," Song-hee shrugged.

"How can you be sure? I mean, doesn't it seem strange that there are so many rumors. Smoke and fire, and all that." Kal Chul scanned the path ahead looking for a discrete escape.

"We don't listen to rumors. Especially about other members." Chenhui's voice came out a little louder than he intended. Knight-Master Lei looked back, frowned, and signaled for a tight formation. Chenhui and Song-hee pushed Kal Chul forward.

"The missing candidate, I presume." Knight-Master Lei glared. "As much as I dislike hereditary servitude, I will not release you. Not after you attacked Sister Hye-Su."

"What about a trade then. Get me through the gates and you will have my silence. Let me go and I won't tell anyone how your boy there picked some stones out of the castle wall just now. I'm sure all kinds of folks will be interested to know how he could tell they were there."

"You think they will believe you," Hae-sung's scoffed, "With your background?" The Knight-Master frowned at Hae-sung but he stuck out his chin and added, "Just saying."

Kal Chul tried to lunge at Hae-sung but Chenhui pinned him against the wall and hissed, "I could just pay you back for the interest you took out of my father. Playing him like the fool he is and sending him home a cripple."

Song-hee had never heard his teammate this angry. He tried to reach out but was brushed away. "Don't you try to interfere. Not when you opened the door to this scum in the first place."

"Gentlemen. Not here," Knight-Master Lei commanded. Chenhui looked like he wanted to argue but gave a swift nod before binding Kal Chul's arms with a belt. Their group made it to the western gate where a small contingent of guards waited to accompany them back to the forge. Handing over the fugitive delayed their departure long enough for General Tan to catch up.

"Did the Chief Royal Engineer always lack imagination, or is it just a sign of his dotage?" The General asked without preamble.

"You know the army likes a steady hand at the helm," Knight-Master Lei said without breaking stride.

"Yes, well he did not appreciate being called to the palace to look at boys playing with toys, no matter how excited the Rainbow-makers seemed. He refused to listen to my explanation of the tactical possibilities the fliers could have in the right hands so I invited him, and any colleagues he choses, to come to a field demonstration tomorrow afternoon." He gave a quick pleading gesture with his hands.

"I assume you have approval from our benefactor," Knight-Master Lei said.

"Yes, but it took a while to persuade him not to throw off all his engagements to come himself." General Tan's lips twitched at the recollection.

"It's hard to remember he is still a lad in his twenties."

"Yes, grandpa," General Tan teased before they got down to a more serious discussion of the logistics for the field test.

General Tan commandeered one of the seldom used practice ranges from the army academy but had to scramble when more observers that he expected turned up. He kept his opening remarks brief then turned things over to Knight-Master Lei to introduce the team who then arranged themselves around the broad field that sloped towards a wooded ravine.

Junseo knelt to scoop up a handful of fine sand. He let it trickle out of his fingers and watched it swirl away in the light breeze. "Looks steady eastward but expect cross-drafts along the far slope and up the tree line," he warned the others before launching the first flyer. Soon four flyers were darting around while the boys edged further and further away.

The only mishap during this warm-up was when San Jin got distracted by a question relayed by his uncle and the flyer overshot his net and went into the ravine. Junseo chased down after it and soon returned with a now lopsided device. He retrieved the crystal shards and silver wire and then let the audience members take a closer look at the broken body.

"Not much room for messages," one of the royal engineers quipped.

"None for any kind of freight," another said.

"Oh, and signal flags have so much more." General Tan said with heavy sarcasm before stalking off.

Knight-Master Lei had to whistle for the boys to come in. They had gone far enough to no longer be visible in the early dusk. He insisted the team eat before they started answering any questions. As they had at the palace, San Jin and Junseo took the lead but handed off some of the more technical aspects of Song-hee. The general wanted to try his hand at catching one of the flyers but struggled trying to sense it in the dark.

"Probably better to have dedicated receivers," Knight-Master Lei pitched his observation to the crowd of onlookers. He lowered his voice and added, "The boys can show you how to use the harmonics to set and release a locked payload."

"I should have known you would think ahead," the General nodded.

"The security features have their own tunings so even though they are mentioned in passing, their details were deemed outside of the scope of the commission reports." Knight-Master Lei was confident the general understood the need for discretion. He waived for the boys to move further afield so the observers could better grasp the quiet stealth the new messaging system might offer. Chenhui and Hae-sung had taken off on horseback to agreed upon markers where witnesses waited. Their flyers came in from opposite directions far sooner than the General expected and he patted San Jin on the back after both flyers were secure.

"Well done, you! Well done all of you." He said opening his arms wide. He did not care what the skeptics might say, he knew a valuable tool when he saw one.

"San Jin is a credit to your family," Knight-Master Lei said as the boys left with a pair of the Go family guards.

"He is so much like Tse Jeon," General Tan's voice was thick as he named his fallen son.

"You know how he saved my life. Still, I would have gladly gone in his place." Knight-Master Lei's eyes burned with unshed tears.

"I sent him there," General Tan sighed.

"You couldn't have stopped him. I know I tried."

"I don't know what my sister is going to say when she hears I am commissioning your group to set up the night messenger circuit." General Tan winced at the thought.

"Tell her we will be offering training and design advice, not front-line service. Just give me a few more months to get the team more battle ready."

"Take the time you need. I'll get the materials together. Oh, and let me get your group a dozen or so re-mounts. They are going to need them by the time we are through." General Tan watched the initial gratitude turn to worry before the Knight-Master nodded and walked away.