Foundations: A Cultivation Academy Series (Bastion Academy Book 1)

by J D Astra

  As the day wore on, I was growing more and more excited for night to fall. I wanted to see Hana again, but even more than that, I wanted to talk to the ghost. I hadn’t thought much about what she’d said until this morning. Something about it being a long time, the institute of technology, and south korea—whatever that was.

  Mae had also seemed distraught, something I’d never seen a ghost be. I didn’t know if they experienced emotions like us, but if they did, forcing them to stand outside coffee shops in skimpy clothing seemed a bit unethical. Or, Mae was special.

  I shook my head. That was fanciful dreaming to think I had in my possession some special ghost. No, it was probably some kind of illusion, acting, or the like. But she did seem so real. It wasn’t the typical thoughtless responses, but reactions to what we were saying.

  As promised, there was an extra pot of rice and curry brought out near the end of the lunch hour, and I discovered it wasn’t just Cho and I who were still hungry. Many of the outer-city kids from our lodging—Ki-tae, Hoon, and Il-sung included—joined us for seconds, then sat with us.

  When our bowls were emptied a second time, Hoon looked up at me with a tentative, wide-eyed expression. “Is it true you beat up Shin-soo?”

  Yuri laughed. “I told you so!”

  “I didn’t touch him,” I said as I left to wash my bowl. The other students at the table followed me.

  “Well, you did beat him at a duel, right?” Il-sung asked, excited.

  “He did,” Cho boasted. “I watched it all happen.”

  The boys crowded Cho, begging him to recount the tale of Shin-soo’s defeat. I was able to slip away for a much-needed bath, then worked on the reply to Eun-bi’s letter. I went with the old parchment and ry munje since I knew the postmaster would convert it anyway, and my typing was even worse than my li munje.

  I told them about my classes, the duel and how I’d made an enemy the first day, my friends—though not Hana. I wasn’t sure she and I were friends yet, especially with how she’d almost pummeled my face, but I wanted to be.

  I dropped the message with the post worker and walked the grounds, smelling the breeze as hints of winter approached. I closed my eyes and allowed the scents to tell their stories. There were orange leaves, tilled dirt from the final harvests, stewed fish in bubbling pots, and sweaty socks.

  I stopped in my path, cringing at the last scent when a familiar voice called my name.

  Chapter 16

  “JIYONG!” SE-HUN YELLED from the gate. Two guards were blocking his path, pushing him back, as he waved his hands frantically.

  I ginned and jogged to him. He was wearing a postmaster uniform, and I wondered if he’d purchased one second hand just to sneak into the kingdom. The satchel at his side had the royal post crest sewn into it, so either his disguise was very good or very real.

  The guards looked at me as I approached. One asked, “Do you know this ruffian?”

  Se-hun scowled at the guard as he took a step back. “Ruffian?”

  “I know him,” I said, and the guards parted, returning to their posts.

  I stepped out to meet him, and Se-hun grinned. “How have you been?”

  “Good, mostly. You?” I asked as I started idly walking toward the train.

  “Good, too. Working for a package delivery service,” he said as he shook the satchel reading “Kingdom Parcel.”

  “Ah, so that’s how you got in.”

  He crossed his arms with a cocky smile. “I would’ve gotten in no matter what.”

  “I’m sure,” I said with a chuckle. “So, you decided to skip Secondary after all?”

  We crossed the street as the scents of local pop-up diners drifted on the breeze.

  “Yeah, had to get Dad on some new herbal extracts for his leg, more expensive and we hadn’t really saved up...” He trailed off and stared at the ground, his brow pinched.

  “What is it?” I asked, knowing the troubled look on my friend’s face was something serious.

  He grimaced. “I saw Moon and Eun-bi at the clinic when I got my dad’s herbs.”

  Fear wove its way through my mind at his words, and the curry in my stomach turned.

  Se-hun went on. “Your mom looked bad. She was coughing up blood. I didn’t know if anyone had told you.” He sighed. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but I thought you should know.”

  I nodded. “Thank you.” Eun-bi’s message must’ve been a few days old since she mentioned taking her to the clinic soon, but not the results. I wondered if she was hiding the visit to keep from worrying me.

  Se-hun rubbed the back of his neck. “Anyway, I think they sent her home with a new medicine, and... I just wanted to make sure they had enough money. Eun-bi told me they were fine, that you’d set them up before you left, but you know how she is.”

  “I do,” I said with a sigh. She was so bull-headed and independent, she’d never tell Se-hun if she needed money, she’d just figure out a way to get it.

  Se-hun turned to me, and we stopped walking. “You’re like my brother, Jiyong. If they need help, I’ll be there for them.”

  I nodded. “Thank you, brother. But your family needs help, too. I have a plan, so don’t worry about us.”

  He bobbed his head, then shook his satchel. “I need to deliver the rest of these before my pass expires.” He put out his hand, and I shook it, then pulled him into a hug. We patted each other on the back, then separated.

  “Be seeing you,” he said as he walked on without me.

  “Take care.” I waved and watched him go as the chill of winter’s edge nipped my cheeks.

  Now, for that plan. I stepped into the alley where I’d hid Tuko and cast a ry glimmer over myself, hiding the Bastion logo on my dobok, changing my eye color to gray, and my hair to a dusty brown. I used another round of ry to add some wrinkles to my face and hands, but not too much.

  Then I walked the streets until I found a group of people who looked to be into the betting world. They were boisterous, discussing an upcoming martial fight and its odds. I approached, bowed shallowly as not to draw too much attention, and asked about bot fights.

  One man laughed. “Are we that easy to spot, boy?”

  I grinned as charismatically as I could, hoping the boy comment was that I looked younger than them, not that my ry glimmer was so easy to see through. “It takes one to know one.”

  “You? You gamble? But you’re so young!” The woman beside him fanned herself. I clicked my tongue... they’d seen through it.

  “I’m a fighter, actually.”

  The first man roared with laughter, and the others joined him. When he’d calmed down enough to speak, he pointed south. “You’ll want the Rabid Rabbit, just down the way. They host fights nightly, and their entry fee is cheap.”

  “Many thanks,” I said with another shallow bow before heading in the direction he’d pointed.

  There was a map at the train station that gave me more detailed directions, and soon I was standing in front of a worn-down bar. The sign flickered as a white bunny hopped along under the words, but when it reached the end, the image changed to a sharp-toothed beast staring me down. It repeated this over and over as the words “Rabid Rabbit” flashed in red and white.

  There was a bell over the door, and the windows were stained with images of a bloody rabbit decapitating other furry woodland creatures. I was surprised to see such a gruesome, dilapidated shop inside the kingdom, but it was near the wall to the outside.

  I opened the door with a jingle and stepped into the darkness. There were a few patrons spaced around the room, quietly sipping their drinks, and a woman behind the bar wiping down a glass. She had her black hair in a bun on top of her head, red lips, and a small dark shirt that exposed her cleavage.

  “Children aren’t allowed,” she said dismissively.

  I sent ry to my throat, augmenting my voice to be deeper. “I’m not a child.” The words came out in a low baritone, much deeper than I’d intended, and the woman laughed
.

  She shook her head and wiped a jovial tear from her eye. “Get out.”

  “I want to be in tonight’s bot fight,” I said as I approached the bar, dropping the augment in my voice.

  “I said, no children.” She was losing her patience.

  “I’m sixteen. That’s old enough to fight in outer-city.” I lied. I was almost sixteen, but no matter. I doubted she would ask for my papers.

  She set the glass down and crossed her arms. “Then go to outer-city to fight.”

  The patrons sipped their drinks, but I could feel their attention was squarely on me. I stepped closer to the bar and whispered. “Please, I wouldn’t have time to register for a fight out there, and I need to fight tonight.”

  Her lip curled back. “Need a little money for your later activities?”

  I scowled at the accusation, whatever it was. “I need money for my mother’s medicine.”

  She tutted and grabbed the next glass. “That’s the first true thing you’ve said.” She turned the glass over and over, cleaning the smudges from it. I could tell by the way her forehead wrinkled that she was conflicted.

  I put my hands on the bar and leaned in. “Please, I’ll fight anyone. I’ll give fifty percent back to the house. I’ll do anything.”

  She stopped and glared up at me. “Martial from seven thirty to ten, bots from ten thirty to one. It’s first come first served, so I won’t guarantee you a spot. Fifteen guli or appropriate collateral to enter.”

  “Thank you.” I bowed and headed for the door.

  “You’ll need a better glimmer than that,” she said after me, and I cringed. Was I really that bad?

  I ran back to Bastion—dropping Tuko in his hiding spot first—and slipped in before they closed the gates for the evening. I met Yuri and Cho at dinner, who relentlessly asked me where I’d been all day.

  “A friend from home came to visit. He gave me some news about my family.” I sipped some of my fish soup, trying not to say any more.

  “Good news, I hope?” Cho asked.

  I gave a noncommittal hum.

  “That means no,” Yuri said as she grabbed another sticky bun.

  Cho winced. “Is there anything we can do?”

  I shook my head. “I have it under control.”

  “Are you sure? That message seemed ominous this morning,” Yuri said in her blunt, but caring way.

  “I’ve got it,” I said with finality.

  At that, Cho redirected the conversation to the agony of tomorrow’s class. He wasn’t looking forward to Zo Strengthening I and made enough of a stink about it that Yuri dropped the issue about my family. I finished my first meal and seconds quietly as I channeled the energy from the food into ma. I wanted my reservoir completely full for the fight tonight, no chances of losing.

  We bid Yuri goodnight at her lodge, and I looked to the star speckled sky. It was already eight, and I was worried I wouldn’t make it in time to fight tonight. I would just have to try, and if it didn’t work, there were places in outer-city that might take me on a moment’s notice, but they were much farther and harder to get to. As it was, my timetable was going to be tight this evening.

  “Thinking about your family?” Cho asked as we reached our lodge.

  I nodded.

  “Really, if there’s anything I can do...”

  “There isn’t. It’s okay, Cho. Thank you.”

  We showered, and I went to bed early with the pretense of my mind being occupied. I closed my eyes and feigned sleep, instead working on ma and ry creation. I would need a much better glimmer, the barkeep had said, and so I would bring one that could fool even the strongest ry master.

  Twenty minutes after my last roommate had turned in for the night, I tossed back my sheet and opened my dresser drawer. I didn’t know why, but something in me said to take Mae with me, that I might need her for something. I wasn’t going to wager her, that was for certain, but some nagging memory said it was important.

  No one stirred as I tiptoed from the room dressed in my only casual clothing. I crept around the squeaky parts of the floor and out to the glade beside our lodge. The wall around Bastion was tall, but with the trees so close to the edge, I knew I could get over. Getting back in would be a problem for another time.

  I climbed up a tall red pine easily and balanced my way out on the thickest branch near the top. I eyed the edge of the wall as I wobbled and sent zo to my legs. I’d need a good burst to clear the distance between where it was safe to stand and the ledge. Moreover, the tree would absorb a fair amount of my thrust, so I’d need to add a little extra.

  I blew out all the air in my lungs and sucked down a fresh, calming breath as I circulated zo to my legs. I could do this. I half squatted and kept my eyes on my destination, then leapt.

  My stomach lurched as I flew forward into the wall, smacking it with a loud thud. I grabbed onto the edge and redirected the flow of zo to my hands and fingers. It was a long way down.

  I pulled myself up and onto the wall with shaky hands, then panted as I looked down on the streets of the kingdom below. The lights twinkled brightly, but there was very little activity. I secured my badge in my pocket and looked for a good way down. A light post that wasn’t too far from the wall stood out. I crawled my way to it.

  Another burst of zo to my legs and arms sent me flying off the wall and onto the light post with a ringing bang like a gong. My ribs ached from the impact, but I kept my breathing steady as not to make additional noise. I slid down the fixture and ran to the closest pool of darkness, holding my chest.

  It had to have been close to eleven, and the Rabid Rabbit was a few blocks away, so I rushed to the alley. Tuko was safe and sound right where I left him. I wrapped him up in my jacket and tied it off like a rucksack, then worked on my glimmer. I used the same disguise as before, but put a significant amount more effort into the wrinkles.

  There wasn’t time to check if I looked good, so I threw the sack over my shoulder and jumped down to the alley below—

  Right in the path of an angry Hana.

  Chapter 17

  “YOU STOOD ME UP FOR this?” she asked, anger in her voice as she gestured to my rucksack.

  Oh no. That was why my mind urged me to bring Mae. Not because I’d need her, but because I’d completely forgotten about my date with Hana.

  “Well?” she growled.

  “I’m sorry.” I bowed low, putting my hands together overhead.

  She marched around me. “What’s this pathetic glimmer? You think you’ll get into a bot fight looking like this?”

  I looked at my reflection in the puddle at my feet. She was right. I looked ridiculous. “No, definitely not.”

  She tutted. “Stand up straight.”

  I straightened my back and looked into her purple eyes, seeing compassion for the first time. She twisted her wrists, eliciting a sickening crackle, then got to work. Ry munje leaked down her fingertips, and she smeared, pushed, and prodded my face. The cool tingle of magic fought the heat in my face from my racing heart.

  She worked like a sculptor, making the tiny details perfect, then took several large swooping motions over me. The last of her ry munje settled down around me, and she nodded approval. “There, now you can get in.”

  With a few flicks of her wrist and a smattering of lavender ry munje, she transformed herself into a muscular man somewhere in his mid-thirties. I quirked a brow. “You do this often?” I asked, my voice sounding old and weathered. I rubbed at my throat in surprise.

  An arrogant smirk played on her now thick, masculine jaw. “You outer-city boys don’t know anything.”

  I was starting to feel this was true. I dipped my head to her. “I’m sorry for standing you up. It’s important.”

  “Oh, you’re not getting out of this. We’re keeping our appointment after your match. Let’s go.” She waved me on down the street as if she knew where we were going. “If anyone asks, you’re my grandfather.”

  “Grandfather?” I asked, o
ffended. “How old did you make me?”

  She shrugged her beefy shoulder. “Old enough to look helpless and easily taken advantage of. It’ll swing the odds in your opponent’s favor. More money for you.”

  I bobbed my head. “Smart.”

  “I know,” she said with a feminine swagger that looked hilarious on her masculine, muscled body.

  We made our way to the Rabid Rabbit without interruption, and when we stepped in the front, the same woman was tending a full bar. The noise was all-encompassing, and it was impossible to tell the bartender anything at all, yet she somehow knew why we were there.

  The bartender nodded at Hana, then narrowed her eyes on me. After a heart-stopping moment, she gave me a nod as well. My shoulders relaxed, and we headed through the wall-to-wall bodies to the back of the room where a set of stairs led down into darkness.

  Hana took the stairs two at a time, but to continue playing up my old man facade, I held the railing and took them slow. She trotted through a long hall with a line of people leading to a bathroom, and I could hear the echoing shouts of encouragement, followed by the clank-scraaaape of a bot fight.

  I pulled the Tuko rucksack around to my front, holding it tight as not to get skimmed by any of the rough-looking individuals we passed. We turned a few corners until we stood in front of a man at least twice the size of Hana’s glimmer, with a full beard decorated with... bones.

  My heart slammed away in my chest, but I kept my face placid, trying to give the appearance that this was nothing new to me. The bouncer straightened and crossed his arms as we approached.

  “What’re you here for?”

  Hana hooked a thumb at me. “My gramps wants to know if there’s any bot slots left.”

  “Thirty guli,” the bouncer put his hand out to receive payment.

  Hana crossed her arms. “Since when do we pay at the door?”