Djinn Tamer - The Complete Bronze League Trilogy

by Derek Alan Siddoway

  Bet she didn’t see that coming, Jackson thought. But that wasn’t the end of his strategy. Just as he had hoped, the ensuing attack created a number of connected puddles across the ring. Using his Water Channel ability, Triton popped from one to the other, appearing just long enough to Bite, Headbutt, or Wild Kick the confused Donkick.

  Jackson felt like Triton’s surge in Water-Elemental attacks was flowing through his veins as he effortlessly controlled the Djinn from one attack combo into the next. His wrist vibrated once again — another Bond increase.

  Jackson looked at Triton, emerging from puddle to puddle. The Djinn wasn’t just obeying. He was thriving. He was loving the battle.

  Jackson came back from his own thoughts just as the Donkick timed Triton’s next appearance perfectly and lashed out with its hind legs, catching Triton hard in the side.

  Triton’s HP flashed a critical hit. Jackson had been so consumed with the hit-and-run tactics that he hadn’t noticed he’d nearly used all of Triton’s EP up. While the Water Channel ability only used up 6 EP per mile covered, he noticed it also consumed 6 EP for every time it was utilized as a whole. How had he not noticed that before? With only 12 left, There was just enough left for a couple more Water Channel maneuvers or a single Aqua Torrent attack.

  Fiona used this small window to have Sabrina attack full-bore, launching a Headbutt attack on the unsuspecting opponent. A critical hit flashed. Jackson realized he needed to get his head out of the clouds and focus on dodging and dealing out Plain attacks. He’d have to save Triton’s remaining EP for key attacks.

  The two Djinn reared back, legs, hooves, and webbed toes flailing at one another as if they were trying to gain dominance over a herd or future mates. The fight was purely physical now, both Djinn biting, kicking, headbutting, and ramming one another any way they could. But Jackson had one last trick up his sleeve.

  Triton, use your Aqua Torrent now!

  The Aquestria pulled back and unleashed a torrent of water right into the Donkick’s face, blinding their opponent long enough for Triton to charge the Donkick one last time, knocking it to the ground. Fiona’s Donkick didn’t move and, as Triton stood over his fallen foe, Jackson could see him visibly shaking. He only had 5 HP left.

  “Maybe I should have caught an Aquestria instead of a Trollava,” Fiona shouted across the ring as she withdrew her Donkick. “But it doesn’t matter, because you don’t have what it takes to defeat Rebel!” Fiona’s flamboyant and plumed Megala emerged from a blast of emerald light, looking ironically more dangerous than beautiful in that moment.

  Jackson cursed himself for being so aggressive with Triton. Sure, he had won the first part of the match, but he’d also wasted more of Triton’s EP and health than would have been necessary to pull out a victory against the tough, yet average Donkick. Triton may have had 5 HP left, but to leave him out to take on Rebel would be cruel, and after promising the Aquestria he’d take care of him, he knew he had to pull him. Time seemed to freeze as Jackson withdrew his Aquestria and sent out Asena.

  Unbidden, Briggs’s voice from the very first day they’d trained together floated back into Jackson’s mind:

  You’ve got to be extremely focused. One distraction and the Bond will be temporarily broken. That’s all it takes for a good opponent to defeat you.

  PARTY STATS

  Djinn: Lobolf

  Level: 24

  HP (Hit Points): 385/385

  EP (Elemental Power): 180/180

  Attack: 160

  Defense: 145

  Speed: 155

  OPPONENT STATS

  Djinn: Megala

  Level: 25

  Element: Wind

  HP (Hit Points): 372/372

  EP (Elemental Power): 210/210

  Attack: 165

  Defense: 120

  Speed: 170

  Asena started moving on her own accord, as if anticipating Jackson’s commands a split second before he even thought of them — and she had to, given the Megala’s edge in the Speed department.

  Rebel sprayed the ring floor of the arena with razor-sharp quills, essentially laying a series of traps between the two opponents.

  Asena headed toward Rebel, avoiding the quills on the ground, but that only opened up Asena to a targeted gust of wind, which knocked her to the ground and over a few razor-sharp quills along the way. Jackson saw Asena’s HP dip from 385 to 345. This wasn’t a good start for them.

  But there was no time to strategize, as Rebel was on Asena the next second. Asena dodged to the side, running at full speed. She leaped, unleashing a torrent of fire as she did —

  The Fire Howl attack struck Rebel in the wing, and the Wind-Elemental Djinn careened to the ground, scorch marks covering its beautiful green, purple and blue feathers. But before Asena could pounce on Rebel and savage him with her teeth, the Djinn spun, unleashing another flurry of sharp feathers. Several of these struck Asena in the muzzle and glanced off her head. Jackson recalled from their very first match what a draining effect the attack could have. The battle needed to end fast. Asena couldn’t stand up to wave after wave of needle feathers.

  You know I’m going to destroy you, right?

  It was the last thing Fiona had said to him before their first match at the Vance McAllister Invitational.

  And she had, taking with her Jackson’s dream of saving his mom’s house.

  Not this time, Jackson thought.

  Asena dodged another wave of feather attacks. Apparently, the Megala’s wing had been hurt pretty good from the first Fire Howl attack, resulting in a Burned debuff. This slowly drained the opponent’s HP while making it much easier for the Lobolf to dodge than it would have been normally. It also apparently forced the Megala to remain on the ground, but Rebel could still spray Asena with quills no problem whenever the Lobolf tried to close in.

  But was Rebel actually hurt…or was Fiona just trying to bait Jackson in? Jackson glanced at the status on his display and noted:

  Status: Burned

  But that didn’t mean Fiona still wasn’t playing it up.

  Asena, Call of the Wild!

  The Lobolf threw back her head and the smoky images of a dozen of Asena’s pack mates materialized around Rebel, circling the Megala like they would an injured Deerun, snapping, snarling and lunging whenever the prey turned to face a different direction.

  Now Jackson had to take advantage of the Wind-Elemental’s weakness against Earth-Elemental attacks.

  Earth Hunt!

  Rebel’s quill feathers cut through half of the smoky Lobolfs, but a moment later, several of their earthen cousins erupted from the ground to latched themselves onto the Megala as well.

  Wild Sprint!

  Asena howled to her summoned brothers and sisters and then charged through their midst. An instant before she struck Rebel, however, the Megala tipped back its head and let out a long, harmonious note. A circle of rainbow colored energy exploded from all around the Megala, taking out both the smoke and earth Lobolfs, and knocking Asena several yards away.

  “I’ve got new moves too!” Fiona called out.

  The Lobolf righted herself at once and shook her entire body to dispel the stunning effects of the surprise attack. Both Djinn were breathing heavily and took the moment to take advantage of the briefest of rests.

  In the corner of Jackson’s vision, his retina display showed Asena with 175 HP and Rebel at 195 HP. He was losing. He was trying his best and he was still losing.

  This time it was Akamu’s words from their first day in Training Camp that crossed Jackson’s mind.

  You don’t belong here — how long is it going to take you to figure that out?

  No! Jackson thought fiercely. He was here right now, proving everyone wrong. And he wouldn’t let Fiona take this from him. Not again. No matter what he might feel for her.

  Rebel shot back into the air (so Fiona was playing up its injury) and another Fire Howl from Asena clipped him in the tail, shaving off a half dozen hit points. Jack
son wished he could use Asena’s Earth attacks on Rebel more frequently, but there was one big downside to fighting a Wind-Elemental Djinn with Earth moves. Sure, Wind was weak against Earth, but you actually had to get them on the ground for the attacks to do any good.

  As Jackson strategized his best move, Rebel swooped and peppered Asena with more feather quills, some making their mark and others missing. Jackson ground his teeth. Those quills were the bane of his existence, and one of two main reasons he lost their first fight during the McAllister invitational. He couldn’t let Asena suffer a Bleeding debuff mid-battle again.

  And then it happened. The second main reason he lost his first battle. Rebel used his Rejuvenation Song, bringing his health back up to 250 HP.

  No!

  Rebel dove and this time, it wasn’t a fake out. Jackson felt Asena’s instinct to dodge, but he told her to take the hit. The bejeweled wings of the enemy Djinn struck Asena like so many feathered diamonds, dropping her HP to 105. While the attack had taken its toll on his Djinn, it opened Rebel up to Asena, just as Jackson had hoped.

  Wild Bite! Jackson called out.

  Asena launched off her hind legs and landed hard into Rebel, taking the Wind-Elemental into her fangs. She closed her death grip down where Rebel’s left wing connected to his body and shook.

  Snarling, the Lobolf shook the Megala like a chew toy. She shook her head for several more seconds, draining Rebel’s HP all too quickly — down past 150 HP.

  Then Asena let out a pained whine, whipping her head to the side, sending Rebel tumbling across the ring.

  Against all odds, the Megala had released several more quills that struck Asena inside her mouth. As soon as the Megala hit the ground, it sent another round of quills that buried deep in Asena’s neck and side. The Lobolf whined, but stood her ground. Jackson knew if she’d been a Lyote the match would already be over.

  For wild Djinn, there’s nothing in their DNA that can keep them from answering the call. Not without a reason.

  But thanks to Erin Black talking some sense into Jackson, Asena wasn’t a Lyote anymore.

  Give me a series of Fire Growls!

  Asena obeyed, using their tried and true tactic of surrounding their opponents. He fired attacks around the airborne Megala.

  “I know this move already, Jackson!” Fiona called from across the ring. “You can’t trick me!” As if to prove the point, the Megala darted around Asena’s side, diving in for the attack.

  But Jackson had anticipated this and ordered Asena to twist her body to meet the Wind-Elemental.

  Earth Hunt!

  The familiar sandy Lobolf heads emerged from the ground and slammed right into the unsuspecting Megala. Asena had launched a Critical Hit against her opponent, though it didn’t come without its recoil. One rogue quill shot out and lodged itself in Asena’s chest.

  The stat bars of both Djinn flashed in warning as their HPs plummeted to the tens. Whoever landed the next attack would likely win the championship.

  Rebel shook himself and tried to gather his wings around him, no doubt to put up a defensive ward or attempt one last Rejuvenation Song.

  Asena stood too, snarling against the pain of the dozens of quills buried in her.

  In the back of his mind, Jackson was aware of both Briggs and Vance McAllister screaming at their two protégés.

  And there it was, against all odds, Rebel’s health rose to almost a third. Across the arena, Jackson spotted Fiona pumping her fist.

  Jackson glanced at Asena’s EP. There was a decent amount left still, but none of his moves would be able to take down his opponent. At least not that he knew of…Jackson smirked. If he ever saw Vega, he’d probably owe him a thanks.

  Volcanic Fury!

  Asena’s head dipped and she seemed to be sucking in a deep breath. Her muzzle dipped between her front legs and the ground began to tremble. At the same time, flames curled around her fangs.

  The air grew so hot, a bead of sweat ran down Jackson’s face. It if hadn’t been for the protective sphere over, around and under them, the whole mountain might have collapsed.

  When it seemed like she couldn’t stand the raw Elemental Power building in her a second more, Asena threw her head back and howled into the sky.

  Rebel, unable to move in the midst of his Rejuvenation Song, was struck with a volcanic blast. The ground rippled, shooting rocks the size of Jackson’s head at the Megala. Fireballs streaked the air, pounding Rebel from above.

  When the smoke and dust cleared, only a single feather poked out from the smoking burning rubble of the dual Fire and Earth-Elemental Volcanic Fury attack.

  Jackson almost didn’t dare look at Rebel’s health bar, but when he finally did, he saw that it had gone gray.

  Knockout.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Jackson fell to his knees.

  Bronze and white-colored fireworks shot up all around them, bursting into a thousand different falling lights in the evening sky.

  The ensuing roar of the crowd hit him like a wave and he rocked slightly, squeezing his eyes shut.

  Don’t wake up, don’t wake up, don’t wake up.

  All of a sudden he tumbled over and was set upon by a flurry of licks and happy barks. Jackson opened his eyes and saw nothing but orange fur above him. He wrapped his arms around Asena and squeezed as hard as he could.

  “We did it, girl,” he whispered in her ear. “We did it!”

  Jackson fought to disentangle himself from Asena and climbed back to his feet. Fiona was already waiting in the center of the ring next to the match official. To her credit, her expression remained neutral and she even managed a thin smile as Jackson approached. He tried his best to hold back the euphoria filling him, but there was just no stopping it.

  “That was a great match,” Jackson said. “It really could have gone —”

  The rest of Jackson’s sentence was cut off as Fiona wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

  “It was either this or punch you in the nose,” she whispered quickly in his ear before pulling away. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes and she swallowed hard before turning and walking out of the ring.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” the official said, stepping back and motioning to Jackson and Asena. “Jackson Hunt is your new Bronze League Champion!”

  Jackson closed his eyes once more and tipped his head back, letting pure joy wash over him, his cheeks burning.

  And then something struck him hard in the back.

  Jackson stumbled but managed to stay on his feet. He twisted around and found Kay had her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He could see her screaming and shouting in celebration, but couldn’t hear it over the thunderous applause.

  “We did it! We did it!” she yelled over and over, this time in his ear.

  Briggs limped up, bearing the biggest and, Jackson was pretty sure, only the third grin he’d ever seen on his coach’s face. Without a word, he wrapped Jackson into a back breaking embrace and laughed like a maniac. When Jackson pulled away, Briggs was still laughing.

  “Hell of a job.”

  Jackson wiped away the tears streaking his face with the back of his hand. “It was all thanks to you two,” he told Briggs and Kay. “I wouldn’t be here without you — I meant that.”

  “Not bad work, you two.”

  Jackson turned around and found Vance McAllister watching them, the same cocky smirk on his face even though his tamer had just lost.

  “You’ve come a long way since my invitational, Jackson,” Vance said. “Congratulations.”

  Jackson started to thank Vance, but the world-champion tamer held up a hand and shook his head.

  “You don’t need to say anything. You win this round, but I’ve got a good feeling we’ll be right there with ya in the Silvers next season. Enjoy it while it lasts!”

  Winking, Vance turned and left the ring, leaving Jackson a bit perplexed.

  “I’m not sure that was a congratulations,” Jackson told Briggs and
Kay.

  Briggs let out a deep, belly-shaking chuckle. “It was, but trust me, he was pissed,” he said. “I haven’t seen Vance like that in years — that alone was worth putting up with you for all this time!”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Bronze League Commissioner, Walton Belmont!”

  Belmont smiled and waved to the crowd and the broadcast drones as he crossed the ring. To Jackson’s surprise, his grandma was with the commissioner. Before Belmont could reach them, Jane hurried across the ring, arms extended. As Jackson returned her hug, he felt his grandma shaking in his arms.

  “My boy! My grandson!” Jane sobbed. “Your mom would be so proud of you! I’m so proud of you.”

  Jackson held her for a long moment. Of all the improbabilities that had led to that moment, hearing those words from Jane’s mouth would have been one of the biggest when he’d starting taming behind her back. The words meant more to Jackson than any trophy or accolade.

  Commissioner Belmont waited patiently for Jackson to pull back from his grandma before he shook Kay and Briggs’ hands. At last, he reached Jackson.

  “Congratulations, young man. That was an amazing match, and quite the end to a brand-new take on the Bronze League!”

  Clearly, Belmont was ever the salesman. Even when congratulating, he couldn’t help but try and sell Jackson on the championship he just participated in.

  The commissioner waved a hand and an attendant pushed a hovercart out to them. It bore a bronze cup embossed with the logo of the Djinn Battle League, a ring set below three stars. Commissioner Belmont picked up the trophy and held it out for Jackson.

  “On behalf of the Bronze League and the entire Djinn Battle League, I present you with the Bronze League Championship Cup!”

  As Jackson hoisted the trophy over his head, Asena let out a long, triumphant howl. Another wave of euphoria and ecstasy poured over Jackson like a bucket of water. Closing his eyes, he tried to capture every last aspect of the moment. This was it. This was what it felt like. Against all odds, a ranch hand from Tyle had become the Bronze League Champion.