From the Soul to the Song - Verse Nine
From the Soul to the Song
Verse Nine
Donghae groaned as he sprawled on the floor by the table. “Song Sickness,” Heechul sang almost cheerily. Hankyung placed a bowl of cereal on the table in front of him before sitting with his own bowl.
“How can you eat?” Kyuhyun asked. He pressed his head to the table and Sungmin rubbed his back slowly.
Heechul shrugged. “Don’t worry you’ll get over it.”
“Shut up,” Kangin growled as he rubbed at his temple. “You are too happy this morning.”
“You are just jealous because I‘m getting some and you are not,” Heechul smirked.
“I don’t need to know anything about that,” Kangin groaned in pain. Across the room, Kibum gently lifted Donghae’s head and settled it on his lap. Soothingly his fingers began to run through the other man’s hair.
“What is wrong with them?” Eunhyuk asked. His gaze shifted from Donghae to Kangin and then finally to Kyuhyun who all looked like they were in similar states of sickness.
“They have Song Sickness,” Heechul repeated shrugging.
“Heechul you could show a little more concern about your members,” Sungmin said with a glare.
“Why? They’ll be fine as soon as they start weaving.”
“What does weaving have to do with feeling like this?” Kyuhyun snapped.
“You are feeling bad because your Singers are filling you with Song but you are not using any of it,” Vidyagauri said gently as she stepped into the room. “We did not instruct you to cut your ties with your Singers because we wanted you to feel what happens when you stay connected and do not use their power. You will begin to first feel very full. Then it will move to the sick state you are in now. If it continues, it is possible to die from the overload of power. As you get used to being connected it will take longer for their power to collect enough to harm you.”
“Then they should be shown how to cut the connection,” Leeteuk said firmly, narrowing his eyes at her.
“Not yet. What they need to do, is siphon off some of the power in them. Weavers can store extra power in any item they choose. Usually they use jewelry or something that can be worn. By doing this the Weaver will be able to lower the power in themselves and store power for later use. All you need to do is find an item and force some of the power in yourself into it.”
Slowly Donghae lifted his hand and wrapped his fingers around the pendent hanging at his throat. He released a sigh as he forced some of the power pulsing in him, into the object. Immediately his stomach settled and the pain in his head faded.
Across the table Kyuhyun groaned in relief as he did the same. “I feel like I can finally sleep,” he muttered into the table top.
Kangin dropped his hands from his temple now that the pressure was released. “Does the power that we put in their just stay there?”
Vidyagauri nodded. “It will stay there until you need it and pull it out again.”
Kyuhyun turned his head sideways to glance at Yesung who seemed unaffected by the whole thing. “Why isn’t he feeling sick?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Probably because he was weaving things all night. I felt it,” Zhou mi muttered, sipping at a substance that seemed to have the same effect as coffee. Ryeowook nodded his agreement and Yesung shrugged.
“That would explain it,” Vidyagauri agreed.
“Why is it that every time we have questions or something comes up, you show up?” Leeteuk asked suspiciously.
She smiled at him, “It is my job to be available and guide you through this process. I was once in your place and another offered me guidance. I am trying to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
“She does a fairly good job usually,” the voice of a young woman said as she slipped into the room. She stopped beside Vidyagauri and grinned.
Donghae lifted his head slightly and opened his eyes so he could look at them. He blinked in confusion. It appeared to him, that the two women were the same person. Where Vidyagauri had long hair the other woman had very short hair. The other woman also lacked the pair of wings that Vidyagauri possessed. Other than that, they looked identical.
“Allow me to introduce you to the Weapons Master and my sister, Chanita.”
Beside Vidyagauri the woman bowed briefly. “A pleasure.” Her eyes fell on Heechul in the back of the room and she smirked before looking to Siwon. “Is he still using that ridiculous thing?”
“He is,” Siwon answered immediately.
“Boy, I told you that would only result in you losing,” she snapped.
Heechul’s expression darkened. “Don’t you have something else to focus on at the moment.”
She smirked. “I suppose I do. All of you are mine for the duration of the morning, if you will be so kind as to follow me.” Chanita turned and stepped out one of the arches into the surrounding nature. “Oh I almost forgot,” she glanced over her shoulder. “Hyunjoongie and Jaejoongie are waiting for you at the training ground, princess.”
Heechul’s forehead twitched and his fingers tightened around his spoon. He reached for Hankyung’s song, the one he could access the easiest, to supply him with the power to retaliate. His tug met resistance and he glanced at the Chinese man. Hankyung’s expression clearly read that he knew what was going through the other man’s mind and he wasn’t going to be a part of that. With his plan thwarted Heechul instead cooed sweetly, “I would be honored to go there for you. Is there anything else I can do for you on this beautiful morning?”
“If I think of anything, I’ll let you know,” she sent him a wink and then gestured for the rest of Super Junior to follow her. Slowly they rose and filed out of the room.
“Bitch,” Heechul muttered as he shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. “What? She started it,” he said in response to Hankyung’s disapproving look. He grunted in response.
“You should be more polite Heechul. She is your elder,” Siwon corrected.
“And you shouldn’t talk about a woman’s age.”
Vidyagauri smiled at the trio, well used to the dynamics of them by this point. “Henry,” she called softly as the boy walked past her to follow the rest of the members.
“Yes?” he asked pausing briefly.
“Today I’m going to take you to the Music Master, who you will be spending much of your time working with.”
“Ok,” Henry nodded glad to have something to do at last. She gestured for him to follow and together they left the now squabbling trio to their own devices.
Vidyagauri silently led him from the dorm to the start of a clearly defined trail through the forest. It laid out a winding path through the trees that they both began to move down together. After twenty minutes of silent travel Henry cleared his throat. “Can I ask you a question?” he asked softly.
“Of course.”
“Can you fly with your wings?”
“I can, but I have not in a long time.”
“How did you get them?” His face colored for a moment as he thought about the question. “I’m sorry that was rude.”
She laughed lightly. “It’s alright. You are only curious. I possess them always, due to an accident that happened many years ago. Someday I will tell you the story.” Henry nodded and let the subject drop. He was even more curious then he had been, but he didn’t want to pry.
It only took a few more minutes for the forest to thin and a large building to be visible on the hill ahead. The building itself was unremarkable in construction or color. It looked much like a simple round building that he had seen in his own world. What was remarkable was the sound of music that he could hear drifting from the building.
At the sound of it Henry brightened. Vidyagauri smiled. “Go ahead,” she invited.
Now that he had been given permission, Henry jogged up the hill and stopped in front of the entrance archway. Inside there was an elderly man with a violin tucked under his chin. The fingers of one hand flew across the strings while the other expertly maneuvered the bow across them. In awe, Henry paused to watch and listen to playing better than any he had ever heard. By the time Vidyagauri joined him, he was completely caught up in the music.
The moment the song ended, Henry couldn’t help but applaud. The man appeared startled and looked their way. When his eyes fell upon Henry, they brightened.
“May I introduce, Sangita, our Master of Music. Sangita this is Henry, the first Player to be born in 3,456 years,” Vidyagauri said softly.
“You’re amazing!” Henry exclaimed, unable to help himself.
“Oh but you will be so much more then I could ever be,” the man said, excitement animating his form. “You are a Player, you were born to do this. The music is in you. But look at me blabbering away. Come in! Come in! There is so much to do!”
Shyly, Henry obeyed Sangita. Once in the room he had to gasp. Along the curved wall of the building was every instrument he had ever seen and some he was sure didn’t exist in his world. “Wow,” he breathed lightly. He turned to comment to Vidyagauri and found the spot where she was standing to be empty.
“Come, come!” Sangita said excitedly. “Let’s see what you can do already.” He held out his violin.
Gingerly, Henry accepted the instrument from him and placed it in the familiar position. A quick slide of the bow over the strings told him that they were perfectly in tune. He took a deep breath and then began to play.
~♪~♪♫♪~♪~
“Wow,” Donghae uttered what the rest of the members were thinking. Chanita had led them across the clearing to yet another building they had not been in. Once inside they were not surprised to find half of the floor covered in mats and one wall lined with mirrors. What did surprise them, were the racks upon racks of weapons.
Weapons from every culture and nationality that had ever walked on earth lined the walls. They ranged from the most primitive to the most sophisticated weapon that the human mind could imagine. Chanita laughed and turned to face them. “This is the Hall of Weapons. Here, new Ensouled come to find their weapons, or better yet, allow their weapons to find them.”
She moved to the wall and gently took an ancient looking katana from the wall. Elegantly she pulled it from its sheath and immediately flowed into elegant forms designed specifically for the weapon. After only a moment she stopped and looked at the sword in her hand. “Every weapon in this room is fully functional, and sharp. Please don’t try to take anyone’s head off without a proper healer here. I only have small band aids. Oh and please close your mouths before you drool all over my floor.” There was a collective chuckle and several members’ jaws who had been hanging open in awe snapped shut.
“Now the idea of this exercise is not to become proficient in a weapon, it is to discover a weapon that seems right to you. A Weaver will craft a weapon for themselves and for their Singers. To do this, all they need is imagination. Once you have found a weapon that suits you, you will begin training with it. Today is all about exploration. So please explore.” She swept her arm to the wall of weapons inviting them to do just that.
Sungmin was the first to step up. He reached for an ornately carved staff. For a moment he marveled over the patterns carved into it, and then he began to work through some of the forms he knew. Shindong and Eunhyuk exchanged grins before running to the wall to explore. A moment later, the rest of Super Junior spread out and joined them. Before long the room was full of the sounds of excited chatter.
“What is this?” Kyuhyun asked. He gently removed a flat disk from the wall. He could tell by looking that the outside edge of the disk was razor sharp. There was an empty hole in the center of the item creating a ring like appearance.
“That is a chakram,” Chanita told him as she walked over. She placed the katana back on the wall and held out her hand for the weapon. Kyuhyun handed it to her. “It can be thrown.” To demonstrate she whipped out her arm, sending the weapon flying across the room where it sliced firmly into a wooden log and stuck there. “It’s most effective,” she continued as he walked across the room with her, “in the hands of a wind elemental. Their element gives them much more control of it. The spin of the weapon when thrown also makes it able to slice through nearly everything.”
When she reached the object she reached into the inner hole and curled her fingers around the metal. A sharp tug freed the disk from the wood. Smiling she handed it back to Kyuhyun. “In the right hands it is deadly.” He nodded and stared at the object, calculating in his head.
Over by the wall, Eunhyuk had found a pair of daggers that he was waving around rather comically. Sungmin was displaying some rather impressive forms with a fan he had just located. Zhou mi was twirling a large blade while Ryeowook studied two shorter swords in his hands. Chanita drifted among them, answering questions when asked, but mostly observing their actions and reactions.
By the time Eunhyuk and Shindong had dissolved into a mock fencing match, Chanita decided that they had had enough exposure. “That’s enough for today,” she called. “Your assignment for tonight is to think on the weapon that feels right to you. Singers you will have to communicate a firm picture of that weapon to your Weaver and they in turn will craft it for you. It is important to be sure of what you want to use. Remember that just because you are all choosing a primary weapon doesn’t mean that you are limited to that weapon. We simply need a place to start.”
She waited until she received nods all around. “Great, put the weapons back and get out of my sight.” There was a collective laugh as many of the members jogged over to the wall and replaced the items. Then in small groups they began to trickle out of the building.
“Man I’m starving!” Shindong exclaimed.
“Me too! Race you to food!” Eunhyuk declared. There was no count before Shindong, Eunhyuk and Sungmin took off a dash across the grass.
“Hey wait for me!” Donghae exclaimed running after them.
“I’ll cook,” Ryeowook offered, picking his pace up to a jog. Yesung jogged after him, obviously caught up in thinking about something.
Kibum stuffed his hands into his pockets. He wasn’t against a little competition every now and again but he was not going to sprint off to the dorm. Kyuhyun and Zhou mi were in conversation about something or another.
Leeteuk sighed, “As strange as this is, it is sort of relaxing.”
“It like our schedules just evaporated,” Kangin agreed with a laugh.
“Although I think I’m going to go crazy if I keep getting eight hours of sleep a night.”
Kangin threw a friendly arm over his shoulder. “We’ll just have to ask them to intensify our training regiment. I’m sure they can find you something to fret about.”
“I don’t fret,” he scowled. Kangin didn’t answer. Instead he simply laughed and led their fearless leader back to their dorm.
~♪~♪♫♪~♪~
The last note rang from the instrument and Henry couldn’t hide his grin. When he had first seen the thing before him, he had wondered if it could produce any sound at all. Strings were crisscrossed in every which way and forming the strangest shapes. At the same time he had been eager to try playing with the instrument. After plucking the first string his fingers had fallen on he had laughed at the strange sound and moved on from that string to the next, and the next. Laughing, he and Sangita had plucked away together producing something that resembled music.
“That was awesome,” Henry said.
“I haven’t had someone capable of playing that with me for years!” the old man exclaimed, his excitement making him look much younger then he was.
“I didn’t even think it would make noise,” Henry admitted.
“Ah but Player, in your hands anything can make music.”
“I have a question,” Sangita nodded indicating for him to continue. “I know how the others are supposed to fight the Dark Ones but I can’t do anything. How am I supposed to fight with an instrument?”
“Ah that is the question!” the old man’s eyes sparkled. “The music is the key. Song unites every living thing. There is power in Songs, and you are a Player. You can play the power of the Songs into existence. Everything has a Song Henry. When a creature dies its Song is not lost, just forgotten for a little while. A Player remembers. Those Songs are not lost to you. To you they are alive and you can play them.”
“Wait I thought a Song was like a person’s spirit or soul?”
“It is.”
“Then how can I play them. Isn’t that like stealing someone’s Song?”
“Ah but you don’t steal it, young Player. You play it. It is like asking the Song for permission to be used. If the Song gives permission its power will surge forth.”
“I still don’t see how I fight with that,” Henry stated his brow furrowed.
“It’s the music. What ties your group together?”
“Our music?” Henry said hesitantly.
“Correct! Your music ties you together. You are together because you make music together, but every element has their part. Only you the Player can take those parts and tie them together in one magnificent Song while adding in the power of pure music. Only with a player is the Song of the Ensouled ever complete.”
Henry sighed heavily. Sometimes he was sure that this world was never going to make any sense. Sangita leaned over and patted him on the knee. “Don’t worry young one. It will make sense in time. It is getting late, you best get back to your home. Come and see me again tomorrow, yes?”
“I will,” Henry said immediately. He rose to his feet and started towards the door.
“Wait,” Sangita shuffled over with the violin he had been playing when Henry had met him. “Take her with you,” he said holding out the instrument.
“Oh I can’t.” The instrument in his hands was finer than any Henry had seen on Earth and certainly finer than any he owned.
“I insist. She will be much happier being played by you then she ever could be being played by me.” Shyly, seeing that the man would not budge and it would be rude to refuse again, Henry reached out and took the instrument. “One moment.” Sangita scurried off and returned with a case in his hands. He opened it so that Henry could place the violin inside and shut it. Then he handed the whole thing to Henry. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Henry nodded and bowed to the man before turning and heading from the room. Outside he was surprised to find the sky was already starting to turn dark. He hadn’t realized that they had been playing for so long. His stomach rumbled its displeasure at being ignored for so long and he quickened his steps. There was still quite a hike to get home but hopefully food would be waiting.
~♪~♪♫♪~♪~
Outside the dorm, Henry was greeted with the loud sounds of chatter. Judging by the number of voices he could hear inside he figured it was safe to assume that their friends were over. He walked to the front door and added his shoes to the large pile there. For a moment, Henry debated sneaking off to his own room, but the scent of food, made his stomach protest that idea. Instead he walked quietly into the dining room.
Jaejoong and Hyunjoong were arguing over the correct preparation of something he couldn’t see. Heechul was grumbling to anyone who would listen and clearly in one of his bad moods. Kyuhyun, Sungmin, Shindong, Eunhyuk, and Kibum had a game of poker going on between them. The remainder of the people in the room were scattered around chatting.
“Henry!” Leeteuk called the moment he saw him. The leader bounced to his feet and hurried over to the youngest member of their group. “You missed lunch. Where have you been? Did you have a good time? What is that?” the other man was firing off questions so fast that Henry could do nothing but laugh.
“See I told you, you fret Teukie,” Kangin called from where he was relaxing. Leeteuk scowled at him and wrapped an arm around Henry’s shoulders. He led the younger man to an empty place bedside Kangin.
“Hey,” Zhou mi greeted him, smiling. “Is that a violin?”
Henry had almost forgotten he still held the instrument in his arms until Zhou mi mentioned it. “Yeah,” he said excitedly, laying the case down and opening it. “Sangita, the Music Master, gave her to me.”
“Wow it looks really nice,” Zhou mi commented leaning over it.
“Yeah,” Henry agreed. He ran his fingers lightly over the smooth finishing.
“Play something for us,” Leeteuk suggested nudging him.
“But I-“
“Play for us please,” Yunho, who was nearby, asked. “I don’t get to listen to you play very often.”
Henry contemplated for a moment longer and then picked up the instrument. He tucked it under his chin and went through the method of checking to see if every string was tightened properly even though he knew they inexplicably would be. He took a breath and then he began to play.
The song he chose was a light children’s song that most would know, and sure enough by the second line several voices had joined in belting out the words. When that song was finished he chose another and began to play. If someone wasn’t singing they were humming or at least clapping along. Even Jaejoong and Hyunjoong had settled on arguing by elbowing and nudging so that they could sing along. Despite being a room full of singers the song wasn’t perfect (people like Shindong and Eunhyuk had a tendency to belt out words in random notes) but it was loud. As one song faded into the next, Henry simply smiled and continued playing.
It didn’t matter that they were in a strange world, in a strange dorm and learning to do things that they had never imagined they were capable of doing. It didn’t matter that they, in addition to their careers, had gained the burden of protecting the world. It didn’t matter that they were now a very large target for the evil that they fought. The only thing that did matter, was the fact that no matter where they were, what burdens they carried, or what they fought, they were and always would be a family.
Verse Ten
Masterlist
AN: The end!!! Just kidding! More like a turning point or something? Anyways I hope you have enjoyed it so far. I saw that it had been a week so I felt like I need to post this and I totally didn't wait for my beta who is currently battling the school work demon. Feel free to leave me a comment. I take all criticism as long as it is constructive and you can even comment anonymously if you want. ^_^
Verse Nine
Donghae groaned as he sprawled on the floor by the table. “Song Sickness,” Heechul sang almost cheerily. Hankyung placed a bowl of cereal on the table in front of him before sitting with his own bowl.
“How can you eat?” Kyuhyun asked. He pressed his head to the table and Sungmin rubbed his back slowly.
Heechul shrugged. “Don’t worry you’ll get over it.”
“Shut up,” Kangin growled as he rubbed at his temple. “You are too happy this morning.”
“You are just jealous because I‘m getting some and you are not,” Heechul smirked.
“I don’t need to know anything about that,” Kangin groaned in pain. Across the room, Kibum gently lifted Donghae’s head and settled it on his lap. Soothingly his fingers began to run through the other man’s hair.
“What is wrong with them?” Eunhyuk asked. His gaze shifted from Donghae to Kangin and then finally to Kyuhyun who all looked like they were in similar states of sickness.
“They have Song Sickness,” Heechul repeated shrugging.
“Heechul you could show a little more concern about your members,” Sungmin said with a glare.
“Why? They’ll be fine as soon as they start weaving.”
“What does weaving have to do with feeling like this?” Kyuhyun snapped.
“You are feeling bad because your Singers are filling you with Song but you are not using any of it,” Vidyagauri said gently as she stepped into the room. “We did not instruct you to cut your ties with your Singers because we wanted you to feel what happens when you stay connected and do not use their power. You will begin to first feel very full. Then it will move to the sick state you are in now. If it continues, it is possible to die from the overload of power. As you get used to being connected it will take longer for their power to collect enough to harm you.”
“Then they should be shown how to cut the connection,” Leeteuk said firmly, narrowing his eyes at her.
“Not yet. What they need to do, is siphon off some of the power in them. Weavers can store extra power in any item they choose. Usually they use jewelry or something that can be worn. By doing this the Weaver will be able to lower the power in themselves and store power for later use. All you need to do is find an item and force some of the power in yourself into it.”
Slowly Donghae lifted his hand and wrapped his fingers around the pendent hanging at his throat. He released a sigh as he forced some of the power pulsing in him, into the object. Immediately his stomach settled and the pain in his head faded.
Across the table Kyuhyun groaned in relief as he did the same. “I feel like I can finally sleep,” he muttered into the table top.
Kangin dropped his hands from his temple now that the pressure was released. “Does the power that we put in their just stay there?”
Vidyagauri nodded. “It will stay there until you need it and pull it out again.”
Kyuhyun turned his head sideways to glance at Yesung who seemed unaffected by the whole thing. “Why isn’t he feeling sick?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Probably because he was weaving things all night. I felt it,” Zhou mi muttered, sipping at a substance that seemed to have the same effect as coffee. Ryeowook nodded his agreement and Yesung shrugged.
“That would explain it,” Vidyagauri agreed.
“Why is it that every time we have questions or something comes up, you show up?” Leeteuk asked suspiciously.
She smiled at him, “It is my job to be available and guide you through this process. I was once in your place and another offered me guidance. I am trying to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
“She does a fairly good job usually,” the voice of a young woman said as she slipped into the room. She stopped beside Vidyagauri and grinned.
Donghae lifted his head slightly and opened his eyes so he could look at them. He blinked in confusion. It appeared to him, that the two women were the same person. Where Vidyagauri had long hair the other woman had very short hair. The other woman also lacked the pair of wings that Vidyagauri possessed. Other than that, they looked identical.
“Allow me to introduce you to the Weapons Master and my sister, Chanita.”
Beside Vidyagauri the woman bowed briefly. “A pleasure.” Her eyes fell on Heechul in the back of the room and she smirked before looking to Siwon. “Is he still using that ridiculous thing?”
“He is,” Siwon answered immediately.
“Boy, I told you that would only result in you losing,” she snapped.
Heechul’s expression darkened. “Don’t you have something else to focus on at the moment.”
She smirked. “I suppose I do. All of you are mine for the duration of the morning, if you will be so kind as to follow me.” Chanita turned and stepped out one of the arches into the surrounding nature. “Oh I almost forgot,” she glanced over her shoulder. “Hyunjoongie and Jaejoongie are waiting for you at the training ground, princess.”
Heechul’s forehead twitched and his fingers tightened around his spoon. He reached for Hankyung’s song, the one he could access the easiest, to supply him with the power to retaliate. His tug met resistance and he glanced at the Chinese man. Hankyung’s expression clearly read that he knew what was going through the other man’s mind and he wasn’t going to be a part of that. With his plan thwarted Heechul instead cooed sweetly, “I would be honored to go there for you. Is there anything else I can do for you on this beautiful morning?”
“If I think of anything, I’ll let you know,” she sent him a wink and then gestured for the rest of Super Junior to follow her. Slowly they rose and filed out of the room.
“Bitch,” Heechul muttered as he shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. “What? She started it,” he said in response to Hankyung’s disapproving look. He grunted in response.
“You should be more polite Heechul. She is your elder,” Siwon corrected.
“And you shouldn’t talk about a woman’s age.”
Vidyagauri smiled at the trio, well used to the dynamics of them by this point. “Henry,” she called softly as the boy walked past her to follow the rest of the members.
“Yes?” he asked pausing briefly.
“Today I’m going to take you to the Music Master, who you will be spending much of your time working with.”
“Ok,” Henry nodded glad to have something to do at last. She gestured for him to follow and together they left the now squabbling trio to their own devices.
Vidyagauri silently led him from the dorm to the start of a clearly defined trail through the forest. It laid out a winding path through the trees that they both began to move down together. After twenty minutes of silent travel Henry cleared his throat. “Can I ask you a question?” he asked softly.
“Of course.”
“Can you fly with your wings?”
“I can, but I have not in a long time.”
“How did you get them?” His face colored for a moment as he thought about the question. “I’m sorry that was rude.”
She laughed lightly. “It’s alright. You are only curious. I possess them always, due to an accident that happened many years ago. Someday I will tell you the story.” Henry nodded and let the subject drop. He was even more curious then he had been, but he didn’t want to pry.
It only took a few more minutes for the forest to thin and a large building to be visible on the hill ahead. The building itself was unremarkable in construction or color. It looked much like a simple round building that he had seen in his own world. What was remarkable was the sound of music that he could hear drifting from the building.
At the sound of it Henry brightened. Vidyagauri smiled. “Go ahead,” she invited.
Now that he had been given permission, Henry jogged up the hill and stopped in front of the entrance archway. Inside there was an elderly man with a violin tucked under his chin. The fingers of one hand flew across the strings while the other expertly maneuvered the bow across them. In awe, Henry paused to watch and listen to playing better than any he had ever heard. By the time Vidyagauri joined him, he was completely caught up in the music.
The moment the song ended, Henry couldn’t help but applaud. The man appeared startled and looked their way. When his eyes fell upon Henry, they brightened.
“May I introduce, Sangita, our Master of Music. Sangita this is Henry, the first Player to be born in 3,456 years,” Vidyagauri said softly.
“You’re amazing!” Henry exclaimed, unable to help himself.
“Oh but you will be so much more then I could ever be,” the man said, excitement animating his form. “You are a Player, you were born to do this. The music is in you. But look at me blabbering away. Come in! Come in! There is so much to do!”
Shyly, Henry obeyed Sangita. Once in the room he had to gasp. Along the curved wall of the building was every instrument he had ever seen and some he was sure didn’t exist in his world. “Wow,” he breathed lightly. He turned to comment to Vidyagauri and found the spot where she was standing to be empty.
“Come, come!” Sangita said excitedly. “Let’s see what you can do already.” He held out his violin.
Gingerly, Henry accepted the instrument from him and placed it in the familiar position. A quick slide of the bow over the strings told him that they were perfectly in tune. He took a deep breath and then began to play.
~♪~♪♫♪~♪~
“Wow,” Donghae uttered what the rest of the members were thinking. Chanita had led them across the clearing to yet another building they had not been in. Once inside they were not surprised to find half of the floor covered in mats and one wall lined with mirrors. What did surprise them, were the racks upon racks of weapons.
Weapons from every culture and nationality that had ever walked on earth lined the walls. They ranged from the most primitive to the most sophisticated weapon that the human mind could imagine. Chanita laughed and turned to face them. “This is the Hall of Weapons. Here, new Ensouled come to find their weapons, or better yet, allow their weapons to find them.”
She moved to the wall and gently took an ancient looking katana from the wall. Elegantly she pulled it from its sheath and immediately flowed into elegant forms designed specifically for the weapon. After only a moment she stopped and looked at the sword in her hand. “Every weapon in this room is fully functional, and sharp. Please don’t try to take anyone’s head off without a proper healer here. I only have small band aids. Oh and please close your mouths before you drool all over my floor.” There was a collective chuckle and several members’ jaws who had been hanging open in awe snapped shut.
“Now the idea of this exercise is not to become proficient in a weapon, it is to discover a weapon that seems right to you. A Weaver will craft a weapon for themselves and for their Singers. To do this, all they need is imagination. Once you have found a weapon that suits you, you will begin training with it. Today is all about exploration. So please explore.” She swept her arm to the wall of weapons inviting them to do just that.
Sungmin was the first to step up. He reached for an ornately carved staff. For a moment he marveled over the patterns carved into it, and then he began to work through some of the forms he knew. Shindong and Eunhyuk exchanged grins before running to the wall to explore. A moment later, the rest of Super Junior spread out and joined them. Before long the room was full of the sounds of excited chatter.
“What is this?” Kyuhyun asked. He gently removed a flat disk from the wall. He could tell by looking that the outside edge of the disk was razor sharp. There was an empty hole in the center of the item creating a ring like appearance.
“That is a chakram,” Chanita told him as she walked over. She placed the katana back on the wall and held out her hand for the weapon. Kyuhyun handed it to her. “It can be thrown.” To demonstrate she whipped out her arm, sending the weapon flying across the room where it sliced firmly into a wooden log and stuck there. “It’s most effective,” she continued as he walked across the room with her, “in the hands of a wind elemental. Their element gives them much more control of it. The spin of the weapon when thrown also makes it able to slice through nearly everything.”
When she reached the object she reached into the inner hole and curled her fingers around the metal. A sharp tug freed the disk from the wood. Smiling she handed it back to Kyuhyun. “In the right hands it is deadly.” He nodded and stared at the object, calculating in his head.
Over by the wall, Eunhyuk had found a pair of daggers that he was waving around rather comically. Sungmin was displaying some rather impressive forms with a fan he had just located. Zhou mi was twirling a large blade while Ryeowook studied two shorter swords in his hands. Chanita drifted among them, answering questions when asked, but mostly observing their actions and reactions.
By the time Eunhyuk and Shindong had dissolved into a mock fencing match, Chanita decided that they had had enough exposure. “That’s enough for today,” she called. “Your assignment for tonight is to think on the weapon that feels right to you. Singers you will have to communicate a firm picture of that weapon to your Weaver and they in turn will craft it for you. It is important to be sure of what you want to use. Remember that just because you are all choosing a primary weapon doesn’t mean that you are limited to that weapon. We simply need a place to start.”
She waited until she received nods all around. “Great, put the weapons back and get out of my sight.” There was a collective laugh as many of the members jogged over to the wall and replaced the items. Then in small groups they began to trickle out of the building.
“Man I’m starving!” Shindong exclaimed.
“Me too! Race you to food!” Eunhyuk declared. There was no count before Shindong, Eunhyuk and Sungmin took off a dash across the grass.
“Hey wait for me!” Donghae exclaimed running after them.
“I’ll cook,” Ryeowook offered, picking his pace up to a jog. Yesung jogged after him, obviously caught up in thinking about something.
Kibum stuffed his hands into his pockets. He wasn’t against a little competition every now and again but he was not going to sprint off to the dorm. Kyuhyun and Zhou mi were in conversation about something or another.
Leeteuk sighed, “As strange as this is, it is sort of relaxing.”
“It like our schedules just evaporated,” Kangin agreed with a laugh.
“Although I think I’m going to go crazy if I keep getting eight hours of sleep a night.”
Kangin threw a friendly arm over his shoulder. “We’ll just have to ask them to intensify our training regiment. I’m sure they can find you something to fret about.”
“I don’t fret,” he scowled. Kangin didn’t answer. Instead he simply laughed and led their fearless leader back to their dorm.
~♪~♪♫♪~♪~
The last note rang from the instrument and Henry couldn’t hide his grin. When he had first seen the thing before him, he had wondered if it could produce any sound at all. Strings were crisscrossed in every which way and forming the strangest shapes. At the same time he had been eager to try playing with the instrument. After plucking the first string his fingers had fallen on he had laughed at the strange sound and moved on from that string to the next, and the next. Laughing, he and Sangita had plucked away together producing something that resembled music.
“That was awesome,” Henry said.
“I haven’t had someone capable of playing that with me for years!” the old man exclaimed, his excitement making him look much younger then he was.
“I didn’t even think it would make noise,” Henry admitted.
“Ah but Player, in your hands anything can make music.”
“I have a question,” Sangita nodded indicating for him to continue. “I know how the others are supposed to fight the Dark Ones but I can’t do anything. How am I supposed to fight with an instrument?”
“Ah that is the question!” the old man’s eyes sparkled. “The music is the key. Song unites every living thing. There is power in Songs, and you are a Player. You can play the power of the Songs into existence. Everything has a Song Henry. When a creature dies its Song is not lost, just forgotten for a little while. A Player remembers. Those Songs are not lost to you. To you they are alive and you can play them.”
“Wait I thought a Song was like a person’s spirit or soul?”
“It is.”
“Then how can I play them. Isn’t that like stealing someone’s Song?”
“Ah but you don’t steal it, young Player. You play it. It is like asking the Song for permission to be used. If the Song gives permission its power will surge forth.”
“I still don’t see how I fight with that,” Henry stated his brow furrowed.
“It’s the music. What ties your group together?”
“Our music?” Henry said hesitantly.
“Correct! Your music ties you together. You are together because you make music together, but every element has their part. Only you the Player can take those parts and tie them together in one magnificent Song while adding in the power of pure music. Only with a player is the Song of the Ensouled ever complete.”
Henry sighed heavily. Sometimes he was sure that this world was never going to make any sense. Sangita leaned over and patted him on the knee. “Don’t worry young one. It will make sense in time. It is getting late, you best get back to your home. Come and see me again tomorrow, yes?”
“I will,” Henry said immediately. He rose to his feet and started towards the door.
“Wait,” Sangita shuffled over with the violin he had been playing when Henry had met him. “Take her with you,” he said holding out the instrument.
“Oh I can’t.” The instrument in his hands was finer than any Henry had seen on Earth and certainly finer than any he owned.
“I insist. She will be much happier being played by you then she ever could be being played by me.” Shyly, seeing that the man would not budge and it would be rude to refuse again, Henry reached out and took the instrument. “One moment.” Sangita scurried off and returned with a case in his hands. He opened it so that Henry could place the violin inside and shut it. Then he handed the whole thing to Henry. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Henry nodded and bowed to the man before turning and heading from the room. Outside he was surprised to find the sky was already starting to turn dark. He hadn’t realized that they had been playing for so long. His stomach rumbled its displeasure at being ignored for so long and he quickened his steps. There was still quite a hike to get home but hopefully food would be waiting.
~♪~♪♫♪~♪~
Outside the dorm, Henry was greeted with the loud sounds of chatter. Judging by the number of voices he could hear inside he figured it was safe to assume that their friends were over. He walked to the front door and added his shoes to the large pile there. For a moment, Henry debated sneaking off to his own room, but the scent of food, made his stomach protest that idea. Instead he walked quietly into the dining room.
Jaejoong and Hyunjoong were arguing over the correct preparation of something he couldn’t see. Heechul was grumbling to anyone who would listen and clearly in one of his bad moods. Kyuhyun, Sungmin, Shindong, Eunhyuk, and Kibum had a game of poker going on between them. The remainder of the people in the room were scattered around chatting.
“Henry!” Leeteuk called the moment he saw him. The leader bounced to his feet and hurried over to the youngest member of their group. “You missed lunch. Where have you been? Did you have a good time? What is that?” the other man was firing off questions so fast that Henry could do nothing but laugh.
“See I told you, you fret Teukie,” Kangin called from where he was relaxing. Leeteuk scowled at him and wrapped an arm around Henry’s shoulders. He led the younger man to an empty place bedside Kangin.
“Hey,” Zhou mi greeted him, smiling. “Is that a violin?”
Henry had almost forgotten he still held the instrument in his arms until Zhou mi mentioned it. “Yeah,” he said excitedly, laying the case down and opening it. “Sangita, the Music Master, gave her to me.”
“Wow it looks really nice,” Zhou mi commented leaning over it.
“Yeah,” Henry agreed. He ran his fingers lightly over the smooth finishing.
“Play something for us,” Leeteuk suggested nudging him.
“But I-“
“Play for us please,” Yunho, who was nearby, asked. “I don’t get to listen to you play very often.”
Henry contemplated for a moment longer and then picked up the instrument. He tucked it under his chin and went through the method of checking to see if every string was tightened properly even though he knew they inexplicably would be. He took a breath and then he began to play.
The song he chose was a light children’s song that most would know, and sure enough by the second line several voices had joined in belting out the words. When that song was finished he chose another and began to play. If someone wasn’t singing they were humming or at least clapping along. Even Jaejoong and Hyunjoong had settled on arguing by elbowing and nudging so that they could sing along. Despite being a room full of singers the song wasn’t perfect (people like Shindong and Eunhyuk had a tendency to belt out words in random notes) but it was loud. As one song faded into the next, Henry simply smiled and continued playing.
It didn’t matter that they were in a strange world, in a strange dorm and learning to do things that they had never imagined they were capable of doing. It didn’t matter that they, in addition to their careers, had gained the burden of protecting the world. It didn’t matter that they were now a very large target for the evil that they fought. The only thing that did matter, was the fact that no matter where they were, what burdens they carried, or what they fought, they were and always would be a family.
Verse Ten
Masterlist
AN: The end!!! Just kidding! More like a turning point or something? Anyways I hope you have enjoyed it so far. I saw that it had been a week so I felt like I need to post this and I totally didn't wait for my beta who is currently battling the school work demon. Feel free to leave me a comment. I take all criticism as long as it is constructive and you can even comment anonymously if you want. ^_^