My days were soon more busy than ever. After spending months in the hut with nothing to do but cultivate and be bored, I now had the opposite problem. I’d had to go back to work the day after I was injured, but Lady Hunan had sent someone and gotten me the day off. The day after though, I’d had to re-enter the workforce. Between work in the pins, sparring with Shimak, and working on my forms for Gentle Wave Style, I was now back to cutting my sleep. To add even more work to my schedule, Nessa had decided to teach me to read. So now I had to head up to upper-caste district after work three nights a week. Learning to read from a ten-year old was a bit degrading but she was sharp for her age and I did need to learn, especially if I planned to ever leave the village.

I hadn’t made it much past the basic alphabet in the week I’d been learning, but I was making progress. I was actually surprised there was an alphabet. With as many Asian influences as the village seemed to have I thought I’d have to learn a bunch of Hanzi, which would have been a nightmare. Instead, their alphabet had around thirty characters that looked like an odd cross between Chinese and Norse runes.

I was busy but happy. My secret was out and the world hadn’t ended. In fact I’d gotten quite a bit of help. I had a real Martial Style to practice, another cultivation elixir, and a powerful cultivator owed me a favor. Still, all good things must come to an end. My only recourse was to train.

I stood upon a boulder balanced on one foot in the predawn darkness. The river below the village had flooded as the snows up river melted and the rains came. The water had risen until my favorite cultivating rock had become little more than a single point sticking out above the raging currents. My eyes were closed and my mind focused as my limbs moved with excruciating slowness. It was easy to do a movement fast, but keeping correct posture and balance while doing them slowly was a much more difficult operation. I switched from third position to fourth as the tenets of Gentle Wave Form ran through my mind.

Motion: The most sluggish river and placid pond are ever moving. Water can be dammed and redirected but it can never be stopped.

Patience: It is not the one who strikes first who wins a battle but the one who strikes last. The smallest stream will wear away a mountain given time.

Efficiency: A strong man can crush a falling boulder with a single strike but a wise man will merely step aside. A master does not defeat an enemy by using more force he defeats them by using less.

I continued my practice until the first light of dawn hit my face. Then I sighed and stretched my aching legs.The worst part of practice was that I had to run all the way back up to the village to get to work on time. I whistled loudly and Rupert appeared on the water's surface next to my rock. I stepped on his back as he swam the twenty feet or so back to shore where I hopped off then reached down to give him a pat in thanks before running up the mountain.

Judan was waiting for me when I made it to the pins. It seemed a bad omen. Honestly, I can only think of a handful of times in either life that my boss ever came to see me and had good news.

“Bad news Chok. Looks like some idiot got caught robbing the storehouse and they sent him down here for a month of ‘rehabilitation’. Bastard is as arrogant as anyone I’ve ever seen. Thinks because he runs with a tough crowd he’s King of the world. If there’s any justice in the world the little shit will lose a hand.” Judan complained as we headed towards the main barn.

“Aithen is out sick today, so I’m gonna have to put you in the South barn.” My eyes widened. The South barn was where the put the oldest beasts who were almost ready for slaughter. They were the biggest, meanest, and most vicious. “Yeah, I don’t really wanna do it, but you're pretty much it today. Give all of em but Ol’Scratch a 90-10 mixture. They shoulda killed that bastard a year ago, but the high-ups wanna see if they can get him to grow a core before they slaughter him. Madness if you ask me. If they ain't careful he’s gonna evolve and rip the whole damn place apart.”

Raising beats was always a dangerous proposition. They older you let them get the more meat they give and the high-quality the meat, core, and other parts get. The problem is they also get meaner, stronger, and more intelligent. The common technique is to feed them food that’s been saturated with ground-up pre-formed beast cores.

Beast don’t keep very well in captivity and in their first evolutions are prone to sickness and death. So you cut out their unmatured beast cores, grind them up, and mix the powder into the rest’s food. Not exactly humane but it does speed their growth considerably.

“Alright, i’ll do my best to keep all my limbs intact.” I said as I turned and headed towards the South barn. I didn’t get more than a few steps before a familiar figure appeared in front of me. He was a tall gangly youth with brown hair and brown eyes. He had a year or two on me but he’s build was worse than mine post-breakthrough. His impassive face split into a grin as he saw me. The last time I’d seen him he’d been kicking me along with a half-dozen other youths as I lay on the ground insensate.

“Well, if it isn’t the dirt farmer.Long time now see. How’s your ribs?.” He mocked.

“Ask your mom, she got a pretty good look at them last night.” I shot back. Looks like my years browsing the dregs of the internet hadn’t completely left me.

“Ya’vin get back to the North barn. Chok you got work to do. You two can beat each other up when you leave.” Judan said as he limped off.

Ya’vin shot me a nasty look before he turned and walked away. I turned away as well and headed off to start work. The morning proceeded in it’s usual fashion. I spent the first half of the day cleaning crap out of cages while dodging the occasion swipe or nip. Against the younger beasts I wasn’t in real danger with my improved reflexes but the ones in the south barn were fast and I had to be on my toes. Still, I managed to avoid all but a single shallow scratch as I finished up and got out the food to start feeding them.

I’d done about half the cages when my stomach growled. Seeing no real reason to push myself I stopped and sat down my buckets before pulling out the half-loaf of bread mom had given me for lunch. I was just about to take a bite when Ya’van showed up.

“Hey dirt boy, what’ca got for lunch? Anything good?” He asked as he sauntered my way. I sighed heavily, the vicious look in his eye said he was in the mood to start something. I could definitely take him, but if Judan caught me fighting in here he’d be pissed.

“You know, you really shouldn’t be in here.” I said as he approached. “ If Javan finds you he’s gonna flip.

“Why, you gonna tattle on my little boy?” He said with a sneer.

“Whatever, but if you lose a leg I’m gonna wait to go get help until you bled out.” I said as I took a bite of my bread. Ya’van didn’t take the hint and approached until he stood over me.

“Nice lunch, that all your family could afford? I thought you guys had money now that Shimak’s mom was whoreing for Lord Hallan?” He pressed, trying his best to get a rise out of me.

“It’s a good thing she didn’t hear you say that.” I said as I continued to chew.

“You think I’m scared of that little red-haired bitch?”

“I honestly don’t care either way, but I will tell you that you probably should be.” I said calmly. I was pretty proud of how seriously I’d been working and cultivating. In my old life I’d been a bit of a slacker. Compared to me though, Shimak’s effort bordered on madness. She worked herself ragged, pushing herself to exhaustion every single day. Some weeks she only slept a few hours, leaning on her endurance cultivation to keep her on her feet. She’d decided to get her mother back, through blood and fire if necessary.

Frustrated with my my lack of reaction he finally stooped to violence. He took a single step forward and kicked one of the food buckets splattering me with half-rancid meat and vegetable matter.

I swore and looked up at him. “That’s real cute.” I said as I stood up and tossed my now-ruined lunch away. “Your lucky I’m in a good mood today because otherwise I’d break your thick head.”

I turned to go retrieve the bucket. It had rolled up against one of the cages and the beast had its tongue stuck through the bars of it’s cage as it frantically devoured what food was left in the bucket.

I was three steps away from the bucket before I realized which cage it was. Then looked back to where the bucket of normal food was setting, and finally back to Ol’Scatch who was eating half a bucket of beast-core infused food.

Ol’Scratch as we called him was a Night-Badger. A rare breed of beast that had the darkness element. He’d been caught young enough to try and bond but no one had ever been able to bind him. At least two warriors had tried to blood bond him since he’d grown too old for a normal bond and both had ended up dead when their minds broke. Now he was nearly a decade old and was fifty jin of rage and killing teeth.

“You stupid, ignorant, spoiled, dickbag” I swore, as I lunged forward and kicked the bucket away from the cage and out of the badgers reach. I ran over and righted it before rounding on Ya’van in a fury. I’d been patient. I’d tried to be the adult but some people needed a more practical lesson in manners.

“Ya know, YOUR the one who screwed up and got caught. You coulda just kept your head down, and did your time, and gotten outta here, and left me the hell alone. BUT NOOOOOO. Mr. big-bad boss man who likes beating up little kids with his mates has to prove how much of a man he is by being a FUCKING ASSHOLE.” I lunged forward, grabbed his hand and bent it backwards until he started to scream.

“Does that feel good.” I asked calmly as he continued to yell. “You should feel what it’s like to have it done to your ribs, and your back, and your legs. While your laying on the ground too weak to do anything and the whole time the people who are doing it are LAUGHING.”

I was lost enough in my rage not to notice the increased volume of snarls and growls coming from Ol’Scratch. However, I did notice when I felt the first ripple in the world’s essence. I froze, releasing Ya’van and turning towards the cage where Ol’scartch was shuddering with obvious pain. The second ripple was stronger and the growls dropped in pitch as the cage rattled ominously.

Oh shit……

I looked down at myself and took note of my clothes now covered in beast-core infused food. I started to strip immediately, tossing my shirt to the ground and started on my pants as the largest and final ripple came. There was a small detonation of displaced air and I turned back to the cage as the growls stopped, one leg of my pants still wrapped around my ankle.

A thick black mist oozed between the bars of the cage and out into the walk-way. It pooled into a larger and larger cloud before the cloud formed into a massive pitch-black badger. It was nearly twice as large as it had been and must weigh damn-near two-hundred jin now. .

Double-shit…..

I kicked my pants away, turned, and ran as fast as I could, fleeing as the newly evolved Shadow-Badger ripped Ya’van apart. I did my best to shut out the screams and ripping noises but the profound silence a few seconds later was much more difficult to shrug off.

I took the chance to glance over my shoulder and saw the badger dismantling my discarded clothes as it sucked the infused food off of them. I used the opportunity to lengthen my lead but my respite didn’t last long. There was a roar of rage from behind me followed by the sound of something large in pursuit.

It’s eating had bought me a decent lead and I made it to the end of the barn and burst out into the sun-shine where I turned and ran into the city. I had no idea what my plan was, but I had to find some of the guards or at least some sort of powerful cultivator who could deal with a Shadow-Badger. My skills were improving but not up to the task. Shimak could probably give it a run for it’s money if she put her life on the line, but I didn’t even know which house she worked in, and leading a rampaging Soldier-ranked beast to someone wasn’t something a friend did.

Instead I dashed towards the nearest building hoping to find some help, or at least escape. I wasn’t about to die because Ya’van was an idiot, and the Upper-Caste were too arrogant to care if a bunch of low-caste pin workers died because a beast had evolved on them. He’sha could take care of the thing in an instant but the pins were on the opposite side of the village from the upper-caste families and I really didn’t want the thing chasing me across the entire city. It could kill dozens of people.

I ran for all I was worth but the beast was faster than me on open ground and quickly narrowed the gap between us. I glanced over my shoulder and nearly peed myself when I saw the thing was within twenty feet of me. Gritting my teeth I poured on more speed as I made it to the street. Then I jumped, kicking off a rain barrel to propel myself upwards, then running three steps along the wall of the first house before launching myself in the opposite direction with a twisting flip. I landed on the roof of the neighboring house still in stride.

I took another look back to see Ol’Scratch attempt a similar maneuver but It’s heavier body sent the rain-barrel crashing over, spilling water into the street and drawing an enraged roar from the badger. Then a tendril of shadow extended from the beast snapping at me like a whip even as the beast recovered and resumed its pursuit. I was too slow to dodge and the whip struck, rending my flesh and knocking me off balance. I rolled with the blow, coming back to me feet in time to leap the gap between the roof I was on and the next house.

The badger had given up trying to jump to the roof and instead was following below me, using the open street to close the gap once more. I jumped to the next roof and then changed direction as I headed farther into town towards the warrior barracks. I lost track of the Badger on my next jump and I was just starting to relax when the roof I was on shuddered and started to tilt to one side. I quickly jumped again only to see Ol’Scratch smashed his way through the wall of the house I’d just vacated.

I started to burn essence, desperate for more speed and my legs responded sending me jetting across rooftops like a fleeing hare. Then things got messy. My next jump brought me to one of the villages main streets and it was full of people, chatting, working, and walking as if it was a normal day.

I yelled a warning as I bounded from rooftop to rooftop. “RUN!, Beast in the Village, Call the Guards, Call someone!”

Apparently, a bleeding boy sprinting across rooftops in his underwear doesn’t make a very convincing witness. Instead of running everyone just gaped up at me in surprise and incredulity. It wasn’t until the Shadow-Badger smashed his way through another house and out into the street that everyone started screaming.

The villagers scattered like a group of frightened doves, darting in all directions as they sought safety. I kept running. It was only a couple of blocks to the fighters barracks and as much noise as we were making someone should be coming. I was about to jump across to the next block when I saw one of the villagers hadn’t fled and was instead standing in the street looking at me with a bewildered expression. It was Cali. She was holding a bundle of cloth and looking entirely confused.

Damnnit….Where the hell are the guards?

I leap off the roof and ran towards her shouting the whole time. “Run dammit!” I grabbed her and trying to tug her away. She seemed to have frozen in terror, ;ooking past my shoulder in growing horror. I whirled to face the creature I knew would be waiting there.

Now that I’d come down to ground level and stopped running the beast slowed. Instead of it’s head-long charge it now prowled forwards like a cat stalking a mouse. I wasn’t sure what’d I’d done to infuriate the thing so much but It hadn’t stopped chasing me since it got out. It could have been half-way down the mountain by now. I was hoping shucking my clothes would get me off the hook but it apparently hadn’t worked.

I glanced back at the terrified Cali and hardened my resolve. Looked like women really were going to be the death of me. I seemed to be developing a hero complex. I slipped into Gentle Wave Styles first stance. Using one leg to hold me weight while the other was extended forward, the tip of my toe resting on the ground. My arms were in a similar state with one close to my body and the other forward defensively. It really did look ridiculous. Although, it would be quite fetching to see a girl doing it. It would give you a great look at her legs.

I started to move towards the creature as I began to rotate my essence in preparation for our clash. I’d only get one shot at this. Meeting force with force would be suicide but Gentle Wave Styles entire purpose was not meeting force with force. Still, my odds weren’t very good. I’d only learned the Style a week ago and hadn’t had nearly enough time to practice, and here I was prepared to try one of the Style’s advanced Arts.

The beast finally charged closing the forty feet or so between us in a flash. Darkness emanated from it’s body as it lunged forward in a killing leap. I matched it’s action, surging forward at my top speed but instead of going high, I went low. Trying to slide under it’s claws and avoid it’s strike as I prepared to unleash my own.

It’s claws raked at me, cutting deeply into my left shoulder and arm. It was a serious wound but not life threatening and it gave my right arm a perfect shot at it’s underbelly as my essence surged and I released my strike aimed right at its heart.

Gentle Wave Style First Art: Bewitching Palm

It wasn’t a terribly complex technique, in fact it was very basic. The purpose was to simply press your essence through your palm and into your enemy. I couldn’t yet manifest my Qi into the air, but with skin to skin contact I could push a bit of essence through. It wasn’t a killing move, but forcefully injecting your essence into someone else's body would throw their meridians into chaos. It made for a highly disrupting of not terribly dangerous attack. However, if you were to hit someone in the heart with it and throw their heart-beat out of rhythm. Then it was dangerous, probably not fatal but they would definitely have to stop fighting until they forced your essence out and stabilized their heart.

My aim was true and my palm hit the beast right over it’s heat. It cry of rage cut-off into a choking wheeze and I rolled under it and away, my left arm dangling uselessly at my side. I ran over to Cali prepared to flee again when the cry of a hawk broke over me and I looked up into the Sky. A guardsman flew-over clutched in the talons of a large bird. When he saw the disabled Shadow-Badger his hawk released him and he dropped from the sky. He used the fall as an attack stabbing down with his spear as he landed. The strike pinned the beast to the ground where it twitched a few times before it died.

I sighed, leaning on Cali as I tried to catch my breath. An anti-climatic end for what had been a life and death moment a few seconds earlier. That strike had taken a lot out of me and after the chase I was exhausted. I was just starting to finally calm down when the Warrior ran over to me and started shouting.

“You, Boy! Did you see what happened here?”He asked pointing to the now dead beast with his still bloody spear.

“Yep, Night-Badger evolved in the pins and broke out.” I said. This hadn’t been my screw up. I was just happy to be alive.

He scowled. “You saw it evolve? You work in the pins?”

“Sure do. I was eating lunch, and it started evolving, so I ran for it.” I said with a shrug. What did he expect me to do about it. That thing was a damn monster.

“And you didn’t think to warn anyone there was a beast so close to evolving?” He snapped.

“Judan has been warning everyone for months. Apparently the powers that be wanted it to evolve a core before they killed it. I’d say they got their wish.” I said sarcastically. This whole thing was just one more example of how little the upper-caste actually cared. They were so needlessly cruel.

“Come with me.” He said as he turned and headed toward the warrior barracks.

“Can I put on some clothes first?” I asked looking down at my half-naked self. The blood and the wound had covered up most of my tattoo apparently the guard hadn’t noticed. I wanted to avoid that conversation if at all possible.

The guard looked at me, then really looked at me and a puzzled expression came over his face. However, instead of asking why I was half naked he just grunted before saying. “Fine, but I want you back in the barracks within an hour.