Jane hid a smile of her own and gave her grandson a playful slap on the arm. “Oh, knock it off. You know you don’t need to butter me up. Are you done whining about how terrible your life is so you can help with dinner?”
Jackson laughed and for a few hours he let his mind stray away from the decision before him. He spent a relaxing evening with Jane and Asena, but when he got in bed, Jackson didn’t feel tired at all. Fiona’s announcement and Mr. Sato’s offer whirled around in his brain. Frustrated, Jackson turned on the holo after an hour of tossing and turning.
As the cerulean light flickered across the foot of his bed and Asena’s sleeping form, Jackson turned down the volume so as not to wake his Djinn. Scrolling through a variety of classic matchups, he found one of his old favorites between two Gold League competitors, Lei Kaleo and Sho Rine.
Although he’d seen the battle at least a dozen times and knew most of the moves before they ever happened, Jackson couldn’t help but admire the two pros and their Djinn duking it out in the coliseum. He watched in awe as they commanded their Djinn at mind-numbing speed. He’d always appreciated watching professional Djinn battles, but after learning the basics with Asena, Jack felt even more in awe of the lightning fast strategizing and countermeasures the Gold League tamers employed.
Jackson sighed as the battle drew to an end and he turned off the holo-projection. He knew his skill was lightyears away from what he’d just watched, and in that moment, his decision had been made.
The following morning, he notified his group of high school training opponents with a short vid message that he wouldn’t be training and he headed straight to Sato Breeders as soon as it opened for work hours. Upon arriving, he made a beeline for Ken Sato’s office.
“I’d like to take you up on that breeding internship offer.”
CHAPTER 4
Jackson told Kay about his decision later that day. To his relief, she had nothing but congratulations to offer after asking him he if was sure that was what he wanted to do.
“Yes,” Jackson said. He felt good just saying it out loud, like he had when he’d walked into Mr. Sato’s office and told him he’d take the internship. “It’s the right call. I can take some time to work harder with Asena, and I’m sure I’ll learn lots in the meantime.”
Kay smiled. “I’m glad to hear you’re happy with the decision. I know it couldn’t have been easy, but it’s probably for the best.”
Although he started working with the breeders for a couple of hours each day, Jackson still had to keep up with his regular duties at the ranch. Two days after he’d given his decision to Mr. Sato, he was out in the fields working on another section of fence. Since the pasture was empty, Asena sat next to him, lounging in the sun while Jackson worked. An hour or so before lunch, he noticed Asena’s ears perk up out of the corner of his eye.
Jackson turned in the direction of Asena’s attention and saw Fiona crossing the field. She moved with a purposeful stride, almost as if she were power walking or something. When she got closer, Jackson saw a scowl on her face. She didn’t stop until she was right up in his face.
“What the hell?” she said.
Jackson took an involuntary step back.
“What?” Jackson said.
Fiona gave him a small shove but it caught Jackson by surprise. He almost fell over backward onto Asena.
“My dad just told me you took an internship here at the ranch and that you’re going to take classes for breeder school this summer,” Fiona said. “How the hell are you supposed to be a tamer when you’re in school, huh?”
“I’ll keep doing it on the side like I am now,” Jackson said. “I didn’t get an invite anyway, so I might as well do something for the next year.”
Fiona rolled her eyes. “Is that what you keep telling yourself? Jackson, you know as well as I do that taking an internship in the breeder program isn’t just something to do to pass the time. I can’t believe you’re giving up on being a tamer!”
“Giving up? What?”
Fiona clenched her fists at her side and Jackson took another step back. Even Asena hunkered down on the ground in the presence of Fiona’s glowering anger.
“I just thought you wanted to be a tamer more than that,” she said. “But I guess I was wrong — you’re settling.”
Jackson felt his anger stirring again. “That’s easy for you to say when you’re heading off to Training Camp in another month!”
“So?” Fiona said. “There’s no guarantee I’ll make it on the roster. There are hundreds of people every year who get cut from Training Camp from this region alone, but they keep showing back up. I might get cut at camp and I’ll essentially be in the same boat as you. What’s the difference between that and not getting an invitation?”
“I —” To his irritation, Jackson didn’t have an answer.
“Tell me, when exactly do you think you’re going to have time to train when you’re working all day and taking holo-classes at night?” Fiona said.
Jackson didn’t have an answer for that either.
“And as far as the Training Camp goes, you should know —”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
“No, I don’t think you do. If —”
“Sorry, but can I just think for a bit?”
“But, you have to —”
“Seriously, Fiona,” Jackson said, not wanting to discuss the Training Camp any further.
That seemed to make Fiona even madder for some reason. “Are you kidding me? You’re exhausting, you know that?” Venting a frustrated sigh, she spun around and stalked away, even more furious than when she came.
Jackson looked down at Asena. “Think she’s right?”
Asena growled. Pushing Fiona’s words from his mind, Jackson turned back to his task at hand. Several minutes later, he turned around to reach for a tool and found Asena missing. He was just about to whistle for her when he saw his Djinn running across the field, back and forth.
It was a conditioning drill they did at the end of every training session. Asena despised it with a passion, and some days Jackson thought she might bite him when he said it was time to start running. Jackson watched his Lyote streak back and forth through the grass of her own accord, and could almost feel the cracks in the confidence of his decision spreading.
When Jackson got home, his grandma was still at work. He’d planned to have a relaxing evening on their small patio out back — the rear of the apartments had a small lawn and fountain that the other tenants rarely used — but as soon as he sat down, Jackson felt a restlessness gnawing at him. When he looked at Asena, the Djinn was perched on her back legs, head cocked to the side as if waiting for a command. She’d ran for almost half an hour and only stopped when Jackson called her back, her mouth open and breath ragged.
Jackson tapped the armrest of his chair for a long minute and then abruptly stood up. “All right,” he told Asena. “Since neither of us wants to chill, we might as well go get some training in.”
Even if the competition wasn’t as fierce as he might have wanted, Jackson had no problem finding a couple of kids willing to test their Djinn with his. The experience gains Asena would earn would be minimal, but the younger tamers’s Djinn would still benefit if they lost, so long as they didn’t fight to zero. And since Fiona wouldn’t train with anyone, Jackson was somewhat of a minor idol to the students around Tyle, even though he’d been one of them two short years before.
Asena faced off against a Magglecaw and a Felinx and won the match handily. When both young tamers withdrew their Djinn, Jackson felt a flush of pride from the victory, even though it was only a training battle against two opponents far below Asena’s level. A renewed love for Asena and the competition flooded through him.
“Trace, you need to work on teaching basic commands to your Djinn,” Jackson told one of his opponents. “Your Djinn clearly didn’t know what you meant by Mocking Wind and was basically doing things until he thought he pleased you. Spend more time with basic tr
aining so he knows what you’re talking about. It’ll also make things easier as your Bond grows strong enough to communicate non-verbally.”
The words triggered a memory of Cassius Briggs, Jackson’s old mentor. In preparing for various fights in the Underground, he’d spent countless hours learning and growing under the old man’s gritty but priceless tutelage. Hearing similar words repeated from his own mouth gave Jackson a strange feeling.
“And Lily,” Jackson said, a sudden thought springing to his mind. “In this battle, you were facing off against a Fire-Elemental and Earth-Elemental combo, yet you kept relying on Earth-Elemental attacks. Those are only half as effective against Asena — not even taking her higher level into consideration. When outmatched in terms of Element, rely more on Plain-Elemental attacks, as they are equally effective against the other four main Elements.”
“Thanks, Jack!” Lily said, beaming.
Jackson shrugged. “Sure — and I’m sorry Kay couldn’t make it tonight to heal your Djinn.”
Both students told Jackson it wasn’t a big deal and said their goodbyes. Jackson remained in the field for a bit, idly scratching Asena’s head. In the months of constant grinding, he realized he’d forgotten how much he loved taming. Fiona’s news about making it to training camp had only furthered his frustration and despair, but over the past few days, that flicker of competitiveness in him had refused to die. Tonight, he could feel it burning brighter again.
“I can’t take that internship,” Jackson said out loud. Asena’s ears perked up and she looked at him, head tilted. Once more, Jackson felt surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. But he knew they were right.
“I can’t take that internship,” Jackson said again. He felt a rush of confirmation and a resurgence of motivation. He didn’t care how long he had to work as a ranch hand until he got an invite to Training Camp. He wasn’t going to give up now. He hadn’t quit when he’d been beaten in the Underground fights and he hadn’t quit when he’d lost to Fiona, no matter how bad it hurt or how much it cost his family.
Before he lost his nerve, Jackson tapped a few buttons on his holo-watch that called Sato Breeders.
“Jackson? Everything okay?”
The upper half of Mr. Sato’s body appeared in the holo. Although it was close to sunset, Jackson could see he was still working away in his office at the ranch headquarters. Jackson swallowed hard, heart pounding.
“Mr. Sato…I…I can’t take that internship with you after all,” Jackson said. The words started pouring out “I’m really, really sorry. I know how much you’ve done for me and my grandma, and I appreciate it, but —”
“Jackson, take it easy,” Mr. Sato cut in. “It’s okay. I can’t say that I’m not disappointed, but I understand — don’t forget I’ve got three tamers for children, after all.”
“Are you sure?” Jackson asked. “I hope I can still keep working as a ranch hand.”
Ken Sato laughed. “Of course! This doesn’t change anything. But I wouldn’t be much of a businessman if I didn’t tell you to let me know if you change your mind. Sound good?”
“Yes!” Jackson almost sighed, feeling the pressure melt away. “That sounds great. If I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.” He didn’t want to add that he doubted he’d ever change his mind.
After Jackson thanked Mr. Sato again and said goodbye, he started home, Asena at his side. Unlike their walk a few days previous, Jackson felt at ease with his decision. Asena, sensing the change in her tamer, bounded out ahead of Jackson, sniffing at the ground and wagging her tail at every new discovery.
When Jackson reached his apartment, he found his grandmother cooking in the kitchen. She greeted Jackson with a smile and pointed to the table. “I think there’s something there you may want to take a look at.”
Confused, Jackson rifled through the pile of papers on the table. All of his communication came through holo-mail or in email text — hardly anyone sent archaic paper post anymore. The pile featured a number of ads and fliers for local businesses as well as the local paper. Jackson started to ask his grandma what the joke was when he found it: a thick, cream-colored envelope on the bottom of the stack. A gold foil sticker in the shape of a shield grabbed his attention immediately. It was the official DBL logo.
“Well?” Jane asked, watching Jackson hold the paper in shaking hands. “Are you going to open it or not?”
Jackson managed to get a finger on the seal despite his nerves. He hesitated and then set the envelope back on the table.
“I’m going to call Kay first.”
Kay showed up on Jackson’s doorstep ten minutes later, face flushed as she dropped her bike at the front of the complex and barged in like it was her own apartment.
“Are you an idiot?” she said. “Open it already!”
Jackson swallowed and picked up the envelope. He stared at it for a moment, and then looked at Jane and Kay. “What if —”
“Shut up and open it!”
“Okay, okay,” he grumbled. “Just don’t get your hopes up.”
“Seriously, Jackson, if you don’t open it right now…”
“I said okay,” Jackson said. “Just give me a second…”
Jackson’s voice trailed off as he broke the seal and pulled out the paper. He scanned through the letter. The first paragraph had a bunch of filler text touting the history and prestige of the league. Jackson’s eyes roved over the words, looking for something along the lines of “thanks for trying, come again next year,” but he couldn’t find anything until —
A squeak escaped Jackson’s throat. The letter fell from his hand onto the floor. Jane and Kay hung on his every move, trying to gauge Jackson’s reaction.
“It says I’ve been invited to the Training Camp.”
CHAPTER 5
Before Jackson could process what he’d just read both Kay and Jane blanketed him in a jumping, screaming hug. Asena nipped and barked at their heels, sensing the excitement even if she didn’t know what it was about. Jackson bounced around in their combined embrace, dumbstruck. When they finally settled down and pulled away, Jackson picked up the letter from the floor and glanced it over again, as if making sure.
“Well, are you going to keep reading it to yourself or tell us what is says?” Jane said, breathless.
Jackson cleared his throat and tried to steady his shaking hand enough to make out the words again. He skipped over the introduction again and went right to the meat of it:
“The Djinn Battle League is pleased to extend to you an invitation to the Granite Region Bronze League Training Camp as the representative from the town of Tyle. Should you accept this invitation, you and dozens of other trainers from throughout the region will undergo intense training and daily practice over the course of four weeks to prepare you for a spot in the main season this coming spring where eight tamers will be selected to compete along with veteran tamers of the Bronze League.”
Jackson’s smile slowly faded as a realization dawned on him. “This doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “Fiona was already selected as Tyle’s rep for training camp.”
Kay punched Jackson in the arm. “You’re crazy, you know that? Your name’s at the top of the letter.”
Jackson nodded and rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly.
“Then why do you care what happened? You’re in! This is what you’ve always wanted!”
“Yeah, but —”
“Jackson,” Kay said. “When are you just going to accept that someone else thinks you’re good enough to compete in this thing? You’re in. Stop questioning it.”
After a few more seconds, the reality of the situation started to sink in. An involuntary grin spread across Jackson’s face.
“I’m in,” he repeated. “I’m in! I made it!” Jackson knelt down and wrapped his arms around Asena’s fluffy orange neck. “We did it, girl!”
Asena let out a happy bark and squirmed free of Jackson’s hug. She didn’t stop showering him in slobbery kisses until he
stood up.
“That’s more like it,” Jane said. “How does it feel?”
Jackson took a moment to take in the situation; the rollercoaster ride that’d been the past few days. “It feels…good?”
The evening passed in a blur. Jane insisted that Kay stay over for dinner, and the three of them chatted nonstop about the news. Although Kay had no desire to be a tamer, she had a Djinn companion of her own: a Fenkit named Sunshine. Jackson sat across the table from Kay and his grandma, listening to them talk while Asena and Sunshine wrestled and chased one another on the complex’s small front lawn. He re-read the letter several times but still struggled to believe it could actually be real.
After dinner, and several portions of brownies for dessert, Jane finally excused herself for bed and Kay went home. Jackson went to his room, enjoying the peace and quiet. Just like every other night, Asena hopped onto his bed and took her usual place.
Jackson idly placed a hand on her head then rubbed her neck while he tried to convince himself the last couple of hours had all been real.
He’d done it — he’d been invited to the Bronze League Training Camp. Sure, it was a far cry from the lofty tiers of the Gold or even Silver League, but it was a start — a start he would have given anything for just half a day past.
One thing still bothered him though: how had Fiona received an invitation if he was the Tyle representative? Jackson didn’t think she would have lied — Fiona was the only person he knew as competitive as himself, and making up something like that just wasn’t in her. That left only one possibility. Someone or some organization chose Fiona to sponsor for training camp.
Jackson couldn’t wait. Against his better judgment, he tapped his holo-watch screen a couple of times and the line to Fiona’s started ringing. He’d started to think she wasn’t going to pick up, when her sleepy face appeared as a blue outline in his room.
“Jackson? I was almost asleep…”
“Sorry,” Jackson said in a way that probably made it obvious to Fiona he wasn’t sorry at all. “I gotta know something — who’s your sponsor?”
Rivals Page 3