“Hmm… I don’t see anything wrong,” the gray-haired man said after a five minute exam. Jackson was filled with pride at how well Asena had cooperated. The doctor ruffled her head and nodded to Jackson. “That’s a fine Lyote you have there, young man. It’s actually only the third I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing. Good luck with the rest of your matches.”
“Thanks!” Jackson said. He felt completely better than before the fight. After one last hug and round of praises for Asena, Jackson returned her to the ring. Far from cocky, Jackson still felt solid a measure of confidence at his upcoming match. Now that the majority of his anxiety was gone, hunger and fatigue took its place.
“I’m starving,” Jackson said. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
“Don’t you want to watch Fiona’s match?” Kay asked. “She’s bound to be in one of the last rounds of the tournament and we haven’t seen her and Rebel fight in a while.”
“We, huh?” Jackson said, grinning at Kay. “Does that mean you’re finally an official member of Team Hunt?”
Kay blushed and tried to cover it by scoffing. “Team Hunt? You sound like an idiot. Come on, Team Almost Barfed All Morning Cuz He Was So Nervous.”
“Hey!” Jackson shouted after Kay but she kept walking back to the stands.
Now that half of the day’s battles were done, a good portion of the crowd had decided to ditch the sweltering heat and call it a day. Jackson and Kay found a seat in the middle of the grassy amphitheater just as Fiona and her opponent entered the bullpen.
Jackson glanced around but saw no sign of Fiona’s parents in the stand. According to her, they weren’t coming until the second day, but Jackson studied each of the people in the stands to be sure. If the Satos saw him at the tournament, Jackson doubted he would have been able to make it out of the stands before his grandma knew what was really going on.
The remaining crowd gasped when Fiona released Rebel into the ring. Jackson had to admit she’d done a fine job raising the Djinn. His feather quills looked even more voluminous and he moved with a grace that completely outclassed his opponent, a Timmunk.
Jackson had hoped to study Fiona’s battle tactics at length, but he was disappointed. The match only lasted a couple minutes. Rebel KO’d his opponent in short order, leaving Jackson with only a few basic maneuvers to study as examples of Fiona’s tactics.
“Wow,” Kay said when the Timmunk collapsed on the sand and failed to rise. “She’s all business. That wasn’t even fun to watch.”
Jackson nodded. “Hopefully she gets a better match-up tomorrow — I’d like to see what she’s got up her sleeve in case I end up facing her.”
“You’re going to,” Kay said. Jackson shot her a surprised look. “What? I’ve seen almost half of the battles today — you and Fiona outclass everyone else here, even your buddy Appleby. It’s going to come down to the two of you.”
“It’s not over ’til it’s over, okay?”
“That has to be the dumbest expression, but whatever,” Kay said.
Jackson approached his second match of the day with greater confidence, thanks to Asena’s performance in the first fight and Kay’s encouragement. It also helped that the match took place less than three hours after his first one. Now that he’d had a taste of the competition, Jackson knew he and Asena stood a chance.
Their next opponent, a Peggy Zwahlen and her Siercle Djinn proved to be less of a challenge than Jackson expected. Peggy’s Djinn was only a Level 5 and hadn’t learned any Elemental moves yet. Although it scored a couple of early air strikes on Asena, three well-placed Fire Growls were all it took to toast the bird Djinn.
After shaking hands with his opponent and getting Asena checked out, Jackson met back up with Kay. There were still a few matches left in the evening but Jackson felt wiped. When Kay suggested an early dinner Jackson quickly agreed. But before they left, they checked the updated board.
“Looks like the final eight matches don’t start until tomorrow morning,” Kay said, eyeing the bracket. “They’ve got you and Asena slated to fight again at ten in the morning against a tamer with a Katasolum.”
Although Jackson had seen a number of Katasolums on some of the Bronze League battles on the holo that featured the walking plant Djinn, he’d never seen one in real-life. They made for excellent starter Djinn but most of the tamers who fought with them moved on to stronger Djinn when they reached the Silver and Gold Leagues.
Since Katasolums were Earth-Elementals, Asena would have a natural edge over the opposing Djinn and could take advantage of it much more fully than she could the Shellar.
Jackson nodded to himself, already thinking up ways to take on the unfamiliar Djinn in his head.
“Jackson,” Kay said, breaking Jackson’s concentration.
“Huh?”
“Can we go? I’m hungry.”
On their way to the riverfront part of town below the park, they ran into Appleby. The friendly tamer gave another excited wave and hurried over to them.
“Great work, Jackson!” he said, offering a hand to shake.
“Thanks, man. You too,” Jackson said. Both Fiona and Appleby had fought their second matches ahead of him and both advanced along with Jackson to the final eight competitors. “We were just going to head into town and grab something to eat, wanna come?”
“You know it!” Appleby said. “Let me just go tell my fam — I’ll be right back!”
They watched as Appleby crossed the park and stopped at a pavilion a short distance away. There, several family members, including what looked to be his parents, two sets of grandparents and little brothers and sisters, all gathered around Appleby, sharing their congratulations.
“He’s a nice guy, isn’t he?” a voice came from behind them.
Jackson and Kay turned around to see Fiona standing there with her arms crossed and her eyes focused on Appleby.
“What, are you stalking him?” Jackson said.
“I came to find you guys, but didn’t realize you all were so friendly with the competition.”
“I think you can afford to bring down the intensity a bit,” Jackson said. “As you said, he’s a really nice guy.”
“Yeah, well, being a nice guy won’t get him very far in the ring.”
“Again, you can bring the intensity down a bit,” Kay said.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Fiona continued. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing — I just think he’s too soft to do what it takes to win, even though his Djinn obviously loves him.”
“I’d like to think being a good person and being a good Djinn tamer aren’t mutually exclusive,” Jackson said.
“Interesting hearing that from you,” Fiona said. “Considering the trouble you put me through the past few weeks.”
“All set?” Appleby asked, rejoining them. “Sorry, I just wanted to tell my family thanks for coming to watch — oh hey, Fiona! Nice work today!”
“Thanks,” she said. Jackson noticed she didn’t return the congratulations. “Where are you three going?”
“Into the city,” Kay replied. “We were going to grab some dinner before heading to the hotel, why don’t you come with us?”
“Nah,” Fiona said. “I’ve got to —”
“Oh, come on,” Kay said. “Don’t give me that — you’re flying solo here just like us. Just come to dinner then you can go do your own thing after.”
Fiona hesitated and looked back at the arena. “I need to go watch the rest of the matches. You never know who you might be facing.”
“Fiona,” Kay said. “Chill out a little. You totally owned in your first couple matches.”
A long pause stretched between them and Jackson could tell how torn Fiona was between going back to the arena and going with them.
“Okay, fine,” she said at last. “Where are we going?”
They found a small diner near the riverfront with a shaded patio that allowed them to enjoy the afternoon weather without getting blasted by even more sun. When they sa
t down and the waiter brought out ice water, Jackson winced as the cold drink touched his lips. With his hat on backwards most of the day, he’d fried his face and lips.
The restaurant was Djinn-friendly, but a sign posted out front asked tamers competing in the invitational to please leave Djinn in their rings. It seemed like a dumb rule until Fiona pointed out that most Djinn who fought in battles didn’t exactly have the temperament to sit at the foot of a chair while their tamers ate without them.
“Besides,” she added. “I wouldn’t want either of you to get an advantage over me and I’d hate to beat you because you let me study your Djinn.”
“You literally gave Asena a clean bill of health. You had every chance to study her.”
“And you don’t think I did?”
Jackson rolled his eyes at the comment but went along with it — for some reason, he didn’t want Fiona to ditch out on dinner.
The four of them sitting together almost made him regret he hadn’t taken advantage of her and Appleby fighting alongside him in the Underground. So focused he’d been on his goal that he hadn’t taken the time to actually enjoy their company. Then again, had he not pushed himself, there was a chance he wouldn’t have been there with them to begin with.
They passed the time with idle smalltalk until the food arrived. It didn’t take long for the four of them to devour their burgers and sandwiches. When he’d finished, Jackson ordered a large shake and inhaled it as well, trying to make up for starving himself at breakfast and lunch.
“So, what would you do with all that money if you won the tournament?” Fiona asked Appleby as they watched a couple Lutrotters and their tamers playing below the deck on the riverbank. “You made a decent amount of money this summer at the Underground, you saving up for something?”
“No, just helping the family out a little,” Appleby said. Judging by all Jackson knew about the dynamic, Appleby helped out more than just a little, but it didn’t feel right to bring attention to it. “With so many little brothers and sisters, things are kinda tough at times.”
Fiona nodded and seemed genuinely impressed.
“I hear you there,” Jackson added.
“You’re really trying to buy your mom’s house back from the bank?” Appleby asked Jackson.
“I’m trying to keep them from owning it in the first place, but yeah,” Jackson said. Talking about the subject, especially with Fiona present, made him feel really uncomfortable. It went without saying that her family had all the money they needed and she’d never asked why he was fighting in the Underground. The thought made Jackson wonder.
“What about you, Fiona?” Jackson asked.
“It’s just a good first step to prepare for applying for the Bronze League this coming season,” Fiona said. For some reason, she seemed to have found a serious interest in her straw.
“Oh come on,” Jackson said. Kay and Appleby voiced their agreement. “You have to have another reason besides that!”
“I really don’t,” she said with a shrug.
“Really?”
“Look, Vance McAllister is a big name,” Fiona said. “I’m not sure I need another reason. I guess the prize money doesn’t hurt, though, right? Djinn Taming is expensive.
“Well, do you even need the money?”
“I do…my parents aren’t really helping out with any of my taming stuff, money-wise at least.”
Fiona’s answer stunned Jackson. Her parents were two of the nicest people Jackson had ever met. “What? Why?”
“They probably just want you to work for your career,” Kay said. “That’s admirable.”
“That’s not it, either,” Fiona said, clearly waffling on whether or not she should say anything else.
“Well, now you have to tell us,” Jackson said.
“No,” Fiona shook her head.
“Oh, come on,” Jackson said. “You leave school to pursue the same career as your brothers and they refuse to help out?”
“They were proud of me deciding to tame — I felt like it was the one thing I did they were proud of.”
“Then what gives?”
Fiona took a deep breath. “I got kicked out of advanced school. It was right at the end of the semester — we got busted for partying and I’m obviously not legal. All the charges were dropped but my parents were still pissed. They threatened to take Rebel away — when I begged them not to, they told me they weren’t going to shell out any more money until I got my act together. If I don’t win, I’m worried I’ll end up back at the ranch and miss another shot at the Bronze League camp and Regionals. That can’t happen.”
“Wow,” Jackson said in a hushed voice. He shared a sympathetic look with Kay. “Fiona, I’m sorry. I had no —”
“Don’t,” Fiona said, rising out of her chair. “It was my own fault for being an idiot. I got myself into this and I’ll get myself out. Sorry, but I’ve gotta go.”
“Fiona, wait,” Jackson said. She paused and turned and Jackson raised his glass. “Good luck tomorrow.”
At first, Jackson thought she was going to ignore him and walk out, but Fiona returned to the table and picked up her glass, clinking it with Jackson’s, Kay’s and Appleby’s.
“May the best tamer win.”
“She will,” Fiona said with a smirk.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Jackson and Kay woke up late the next morning — just an hour before his match was set to begin. After snagging a quick bagel in the hotel lobby, they rushed to the park with a few minutes to spare before Jackson and Asena could start warming up. Before Jackson realized it, he and Asena were about to start their next match. In spite of the brief panicked rush of the morning, Jackson was calm and collected — a far cry from how he felt the day previous.
And then his watch buzzed, showing a call from his grandma.
Jackson cursed. Before he’d left, he promised Jane he would call her each night from their hotel (though she didn’t know the hotel was for the tournament). After the first exhausting day, he’d completely forgotten by the time they made it back.
Jackson silenced the call. There was no way he could take it in the warm-up field of the invitational — too much noise to tip off where he was at and not enough time before his match started. He also needed to stay focused on the match ahead.
However, as hard as he tried to push it out of his mind, the call sent a fresh wave of concern over him.
“I’ll just tell her I was busy working and I didn’t have time to pick up,” he told Asena. He couldn’t tell if the Lyote thought it was a good idea or not. Unlike her tamer, Asena’s attention was focused on the coming fight. Jackson tried to follow her example and found reassurance in his Djinn’s confidence.
It was fortunate for Jackson that their next opponent, the Katasolum, wasn’t very well trained, because no matter how hard he tried to put his grandma’s phone call out of his mind, it kept popping up, distracting him during the match. The Katasolum and its tamer had advanced to the final eight based on its brute strength, it seemed. Aside from physical attacks such as buffeting Asena with its arms and fists, the Katasolum only knew one Earth-Elemental move.
The opposing tamer used the move over and over — a root attack that ensnared Asena. Because of the Elemental disadvantage, it did little damage. Jackson guessed the move had been more effective against the pair’s previous opponents because it allowed the Katasolum to pummel its opponent while they fought to free themselves.
Asena, on the other hand, burned away the ensnaring roots with a small amount of fire from her Fire Growl. The Katasolum was slow, and without the aid of the roots, struggled to catch Asena.
Just stay out of range and hit him with your Fire Growl, girl! Jackson instructed Asena. If they won this match — and unless he royally screwed up, that wouldn’t be a problem — they would be among the final four contestants. As such, Jackson wanted to keep Asena as healthy as possible. Engaging the Katasolum wouldn’t pose a challenge, but a fluke injury might derail the r
est of the tournament.
Asena hung back as commanded, and hit the Katasolum with Fire Growl after Fire Growl. After four hits, the Djinn was black with soot and had a burn condition Status. Jackson looked at the clock: still a minute and a half left. But he didn’t want to wait.
“Fire Growl!” he yelled aloud. After giving all of Asena’s command’s telepathically, it was a small way of rubbing it in against the opposing tamer. Not that it mattered. Asena opened her jaws wide and hit the Katasolum full on with a blast of fire to the chest. The tree Djinn let out a slow groan and toppled over, smoking.
Jackson felt a rush of exhilaration and pride — another KO! Once again, he shook hands with the opposing tamer and the judges. When Vance congratulated him, Jackson’s smile grew even wider. For the first time he allowed himself a new thought: I just might be able to win this.
“You guys did it!” Kay shouted, wrapping Asena and Jackson in zealous hugs. “I can’t believe it — you’re in the top four!”
The thrill of victory faded a bit as Jackson remembered his grandmother’s phone call. While in battle mode, his watch blocked all other apps, calls and messages so when he switched it back, he prepared for the worst. Fortunately, it looked like Jane had indeed just been checking in to see how things were going. He didn’t have any voice messages or other notifications from her.
After a quick post-fight checkup, which Asena passed, Jackson and Kay stuck around the sidelines opposite of the amphitheater to watch Appleby, who was scheduled to fight two matches after Jackson. They found Fiona leaning against the barricade just as Appleby’s fight started. Jackson and Kay joined her.
“Hey,” Fiona muttered, glancing down at her watch.
“Hey,” Jackson said. He glanced around, still afraid of the Satos spotting him. “I thought your family was coming?”
“They should be here,” Fiona said. “What are you so — ah… right.”
“Yeah, it’s probably best that they don’t see me until later,” Jackson said. He just hoped he made it through the rest of his matches before someone tipped off his grandma.
Djinn Tamer: Starter: A Monster Battling GameLit Adventure (Djinn Tamer - Bronze League Book 1) Page 22
