A few people were chatting and laughing — those who had obviously made the cut. Some had grim or vacant looks on their faces — were they the ones who’d been cut or had they just squeaked by?
When Jackson reached the board, he saw that all of the members of Barrack 4 were highlighted in yellow on the spreadsheet. Jackson scanned down. Fiona, Akamu, and Moto Rine were all near the top of the list, within the highest twenty-five or so tamers in the camp. Jackson kept scrolling and found Hayden and then himself, somewhere in the middle.
He looked again, hardly believing it was his name. Then he breathed a long sigh of relief. One more week.
Curiosity overcame him and Jackson continued down to find the rest of the barracks on the list. Tak Rito was in the last quarter, and at the very bottom, just two spots above the red “cut” line, he found Appleby’s name. He had the lowest scored in their barrack but he’d still managed to stick around. Their whole group would be going back for another week which he internally felt should be considered some kind of victory.
Another screen next to the individual rankings showed a list of each barrack and their overall score — a combination of the average placing of the tamers in that barrack along with additional points for the few challenges they’d completed against one another so far.
Jackson felt only a small pleasure at seeing Barrack 4 in yellow holding the third place spot. Akamu, unsurprisingly enough, did the bare minimum whenever one of the group challenges took place. He either held his Djinn in reserve to ensure they didn’t take too much damage or would jump in at the last moment to snipe the knockouts from other team members. So far, Coach Vanova hadn’t mentioned much about it, leaving Jackson to wonder how much the teamwork even really mattered when it came to rankings. As far as he knew, none of the actual Bronze League competitions involved any regional teams. It made sense that the Granite Region wanted the best of the best, but working together seemed like a waste of time.
“Looks like we made it, huh?” Appleby’s voice made Jackson turn around from the screen. “Close call for me, though.”
“Hey, man, you made it,” Jackson said. “That’s all that counts. One week at a time, right?”
Appleby shrugged but didn’t seem very confident. “I guess. I just feel like I’m constantly on the ropes, you know?”
“Yeah.” Jackson knew exactly what he meant.
The camp staff had a way of making all of the tamers feel like they were always doing something wrong, no matter how well they performed. And, while Briggs busted Jackson’s butt as hard or harder than any other coach, the few interactions Jackson had seen between Fiona and Vance McAllister — her own mentor and region sponsor — almost made him feel thankful he hadn’t won the invitational. The tough training seemed to be working, though. Fiona and her Djinn battled with such intensity that Jackson had to question how bad he really wanted a rematch with her at the moment.
“Do you…do you think you could help me work on mental commands?” Appleby asked in a hesitant voice. “Now that the first week is over, they’ve told use we’re going to be doing individual challenges at the end of every week. The rumor is this one’s a maze — there’s no way I’m going to be able to get through it if I can’t communicate better with my Djinn.”
“I — I dunno what to say, man,” Jackson said. Sure, he seemed to have an edge over the other tamers in Barrack 4 with his telepathy — a fact that clearly rubbed Akamu, of all people, the wrong way — but it didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. He tried to change the subject. “We don’t even know for sure if that’s what it will be.”
Appleby nodded. “Check out your app, dude. They don’t give a ton of details but it’s pretty clear.”
Jackson dialed up Granite Region Camp on his watch and flicked through the projected screen until he found the challenge section that Appleby was talking about. Sure enough, it gave a brief description of the challenge and its parameters, but still left plenty of questions so that Jackson wasn’t entirely sure how or what they would be scored on.
The Week Two Challenge will be comprised of a maze held inside the Central Training Arena. Each tamer will release both his or her Djinn into a maze and then direct them to the finish line from a small observation tower in the center. The tamer and their Djinn will be timed on how quickly they can complete the maze as well as how well Djinn handle the various obstacles within the maze.
“That doesn’t mean you’re going to need to rely on mental commands,” Jackson said. “You could probably use your command whistle or —”
Appleby gave him a rare, hard look. “Dude. If you don’t want to help me, just say so.”
“No , no, it’s not that, I promise,” Jackson said. “I just…I don’t really feel qualified. I’m not even sure why I was able to develop it so quickly, and I must not be that great at it, otherwise I could keep Scrappy and Asena from fighting.”
Appleby’s shoulders sank and a defeated look crossed his face. “Okay, no worries.”
“Look,” Jackson said with a long sigh. “I just have no idea why I’m able to do any of this and don’t think it’ll be much help. I just…do it.” And he wasn’t lying. While he seemed to have innate ability to communicate with his Djinn, he felt he couldn’t say anything more than he already had. In fact, the first time he’d communicated telepathically with Asena, he hadn’t even realized he’d done it.
“I understand,” was all Appleby said in response.
The rest of the day actually seemed pretty routine to Jackson. With the threat of cuts six more days away again, he buckled down and focused on his training. Scrappy and Asena didn’t attack each other at first sight anymore. That was a start but didn’t mean they got along. Jackson had a sneaking suspicion that they only held off because they thought they could get a better cheap shot in later one when the other wasn’t paying attention.
Briggs cussed them out during their private session together, but Jackson had no idea how to fix the problem. Both Djinn seemed to want to please Jackson but only at the expense of the other. They didn’t understand that they didn’t need to compete for his attention and praise; that they’d get more of it if they could only work together. It made Jackson want to scream.
After their morning workout routine, the Barrack 4 tamers gathered in one of the smaller buildings surrounding the Central Arena. It was the first time Jackson had been in the facility. With the wooden floors, padded walls and dimmed lights, it reminded Jackson a bit of a yoga or meditation studio. Speakers whispered out the sounds of running water and soft string instruments. Coach Vanova left them at the door and sent the tamers in alone. The large open room looked deserted until a small, robed figure walked out from one of the side chambers.
Their teacher for the session was a little old man with a perfectly round bald head and small eyes that made Jackson wonder if he was sleepwalking across the room. He wore a plain tan robe and walked barefoot across the wooden studio floor.
“Welcome, tamers,” he said in a soft but commanding voice. “I am your instructor for the day, Mr. Sakosha. We will be learning to expand the connection with our Djinn through meditation and telepathic energy.”
Jackson felt a weird tingling on the back of his neck at the man’s peaceful, soft spoken words. The sensation shattered when Akamu snorted a minute later. Several tamers — Fiona and Moto Rine included — shot him a dirty look. Akamu rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut for once.
“Please, have a seat,” Mr. Sakosha gestured to the woven rush mats spread across the floor. “Choose any position you like — all that matters is that you are comfortable.”
The tamers shot skeptical glances at one another but took their places in short order. Jackson stifled a yawn. The dimmed lights, air conditioned climate, and peaceful atmosphere was putting him to sleep after an early morning and grueling workout regimen with his Djinn.
“Now,” Mr. Sakosha continued. “As you probably know, the Bond between Djinn and tamer is an essential part of success at a
ny level. Today marks a new chapter in your journey as a tamer of Djinn. The basic principles we learn today will take a lifetime to understand and master. They will be a key stone in the foundation of your partnership with Djinn.”
It sounded pretty hokey to Jackson but he tried to pay attention. Things were bad enough between Scrappy and Asena, so he was willing to try anything.
“We will begin by focusing on one of your Djinn at a time,” Mr. Sakosha said. “Look down at your hand at the stone of your ring belonging to the Djinn you have been partnered with the longest. Now, take a deep breath. That’s it, now another. Now, close your eyes and focus on the stone of your Djinn ring.”
After his third deep breath, Jackson felt his body relax. He focused his attention on the flaming orange stone of Asena’s Djinn ring and pictured her in his mind. At first, he felt nothing. Unlike when he commanded Asena in battle, there was no connection there for him to grasp.
“Keep breathing and focusing,” Mr. Sakosha voice instructed above the trickle of water and string instruments. “Find your Djinn.”
Like a tiny flame flaring to life, Jackson sensed Asena’s presence. It startled him — he’d never really tried to reach her while she was in stasis before. The connection flickered and pulsed until Asena recognized him. All at once, a wave of happiness enveloped him and he returned it just like he would a show of physical affection.
“Can you feel your Djinn?” Mr. Sakosha asked. “Can you understand them? It is not enough to be able to communicate in the midst of a battle. You must be able to understand and use this relationship at all times. Continue to focus. Continue to explore. I will speak again when it is time for us to move on.”
Excited at the prospect of this newfound connection, Jackson did as Mr. Sakosha instructed. In battle, Asena understood specific commands such as where and when to execute an attack, a dodge, or a defense. But now, Jackson struggled to convey the equivalent of what was small talk. Asena seemed raring to go as always and her excitement made it hard for Jackson to discern the wellbeing of his Djinn. Asena didn’t seem to want to answer if she was happy or jealous or stressed. She wanted Jackson to give her something to do: run, fight, eat, play, anything. In turn, Jackson only grew more frustrated as he delved deeper, which showed in Asena’s reactions as well.
No, no, no! Jackson let out a mental groan and a wave of irritation. Asena responded by pulling back within herself and Jackson felt an immediate guilt. He reached out tentatively and tried to convey a sense of apology and love. He could almost see Asena respond in his mind with a tail wag.
“Now, open your eyes.”
At Mr Sakosha’s prompting, Jackson blinked and looked around the meditation studio. A bright vermilion glow faded from Asena’s ring, so bright it looked like Jackson was sitting in front of a campfire. Jackson glanced around at the other tamers and noticed similar but much smaller lights fading from their Djinn rings. He couldn’t help but notice Akamu in the corner, scowling. His ring had only the slightest crimson tinge.
Mr. Sakosha’s eyes met Jackson’s. “Well done, Master Hunt. It seems you have a rare gift for the telepathic ability.”
Jackson muttered thanks and tried to avoid everyone else’s eyes, which were all focused on him. Fortunately, Mr. Sakosha gave them their next assignment right away.
“Now, you will do the same with your secondary Djinn. For those of you who had bonded with this Djinn over a shorter amount of time than the first, this task may be harder. Continue to focus and strive for the connection.”
After a few deep breaths, Jackson reached out to the Djinn ring on his right hand and searched for Scrappy. As Mr Sakosha had promised, the blip Jackson finally felt was much smaller and harder to grasp. Just like in the physical world, Scrappy flitted around; always moving, always making noise. Never still. Never listening.
It took Jackson several long moments to make Scrappy aware of his presence. At the first touch of their connection, the Magglecaw went into a frenzy, and Jackson felt his connection bouncing around like a ping-pong ball inside of his head. After several insistent pushes, Jackson was finally able to convey who he was. When Scrappy recognized him, Jackson felt a burst of happiness and laughter so strong that he almost chuckled out loud. Scrappy seemed overjoyed.
Hoping to learn about the Magglecaw, Jackson tried to convey a desire to understand. A few tries and different tactics later, the Magglecaw seemed to figure out what he meant. He flashed a series of images into their shared connection: a young Magglecaw beaten and attacked by its egg-mates, forced to live on the edge of the group — always hungry, always unwanted by its own kind. He felt the sum of Scrappy’s few short, hard years explode together in the attack on the Tandile — all that bottled up frustration and anger and hurt.
For a moment, the amount of raw memories stunned Jackson, and he almost lost the connection. He wasn’t sure if it was his practice with Asena, but it seemed he’d found a way past the initial meaning barrier that prevented him from doing anything more than issuing commands and general direction in and out of battle. Excited, Jackson tried to conjure a memory of Scrappy and Asena fighting one another the first night of camp. The Magglecaw recognized the moment but didn’t seem to understand what Jackson was trying to tell him about it. Once more, Scrappy’s rage boiled up at the sight of the Tandile, mixed with a cold indifference to Asena.
“And return once more.”
Mr. Sakosha’s words startled Jackson and he hastily bid farewell to Scrappy before slipping out of the connection. Unlike when the Djinn were physically before him in the real world and their presence always in the back of his mind, a connection in the ring required specific attention and focus. Jackson cracked open his eyes again and saw his ring fading like the others. Most of the Barrack 4 tamers stared at him.
“Well done again,” Mr. Sakosha said. “It a rare ability to be able to connect with Djinn at such strength this early in your career, especially while they reside in stasis.”
“Uh…thanks,” Jackson didn’t really know what to say and found himself uncomfortable under the attention of his barrack-mates. He focused on the wood floor until everyone looked away and Mr. Sakosha resumed the lesson. He felt a vibration in his holo-watch that indicated an increase in Bond with Scrappy up to 55%. This wasn’t a huge surprise given how quickly Jackson’s Bond with Scrappy had been increasing since camp, but who knew that meditation could even have an effect on Bond?
For the remainder of the class, Mr. Sakosha gave them a number of practice meditations designed to strengthen the bonds with their Djinn while they were in stasis within their rings or in the outside world but not in battle.
“Wait,” Tak said near the end of the lesson. “Aren’t you actually going to give us any coaching on actually commanding our Djinn in battle?”
Mr. Sakosha gave Tak a broad, close-lipped smile that stretched across his face. “Ah, Master Rito, I am glad that you asked. I can assure you that if you practice the meditations and exercises I have given you this day, the telepathy you experience with your Djinn will be increased in all settings.”
Tak — and several other people for that matter — didn’t seem convinced. The way Mr. Sakosha put it, however, didn’t leave room for argument or debate. Jackson glanced at Akamu in the corner, who still wore a deep scowl across his face. Had he struggled or been unable to establish a connection with his Djinn while they were in stasis? It might have been petty, but Jackson hoped so.
The class ended shortly after, just in time for the tamers to grab lunch and prepare for the afternoon exercises. The drills of the day involved both tamers and their Djinn and, for some reason, the coaches seemed to be in especially foul moods. Not only did Coach Vanova yell at Jackson when he tripped over Asena as he chased Scrappy, but Briggs got in on the vocal berating as well. At the end of the agility drills, everyone ended up running gassers — sixty-yard sprints back and forth — until the coaches dismissed them with disdain.
“If you all think you can just waltz thr
ough camp and earn a spot on the Granite Region roster, you’re up in the night,” Vanova said in their end of practice huddle. “The other regions will eat you up if you wannabe tamers don’t pull your heads out of your rear ends. Now go get some rest and try to bring a little more effort in the morning.”
They gathered together in a rough huddle and stuck their hands out in a half hearted attempt at team unity.
“Number Fours!” everyone but Akamu chanted. They broke the circle in tired unison and dragged themselves back to the barrack. Jackson could use the rest, but he knew he still had more to do when he got back.
CHAPTER 19
After a quick physical therapy session for Asena and Scrappy, Jackson enjoyed a long shower and hearty meal. Given the day they had, he wanted nothing more than to plop down on his bed and pass out for the next week, but if he felt like making it to the next week, he knew he’d have to take advantage of every waking hour he had.
He settled down in the common area and set to work studying more battle tactics. Following the first week, all the tamers in Barrack 4 began to notice issues with wi-fi and holo connectivity in their rooms, meaning if anyone needed to get online for anything, they had to leave the barrack or use the common area. Mysteriously, connection seemed to be restored after ten at night and then it went out again around six in the morning.
Jackson guessed it was done on purpose, and he wasn’t the only one. All the other tamers seemed to agree, and not just the ones on his team. The only thing that made sense was that camp staff were forcing the tamers to socialize in the living area of the barrack. Jackson didn’t mind too much except that it made his private calls with Jane and Kay even later — he really didn’t want either of them to have a chance encounter with Akamu.
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