"Congratulations on your duel. It was… quite impressive."

I turned at the unfamiliar voice and nearly stumbled as my bad leg failed to pivot as quickly as my good one. Right. I didn't have four perfect limbs anymore.

"Whoa there."

Creepy Todd had been the one who spoken. And of course, he'd been standing close enough to catch my arm as I stumbled.

He and another, older, guy had come up sometime during the duel. Wonderful. I'd had an audience.

I quickly righted myself then bent to let Tiberius jump out of my arms.

"Uh, thanks, I guess."

Todd beamed at me and looked over at Jane. "Better luck next time, eh Jane?"

Jane's expression turned downright cold when she saw Todd. Commodore too, flipped his wings on his back and pointedly looked away with a draconic sniff.

"Mr. Lennox," Jane said with a formal nod. "I trust your business with the mimic dragon is all done?"

He gave her a roguish smile as if letting an untamed dragon escape was no big whoop. "Mimics are the bane of any wild tamer."

"Only if you don't take precautions," Sienna said, coming up on my other side.

The air was so thick with tension that I could practically feel it. Todd was on one side, Jane and Sienna on the other. Even the guy who had followed along behind Todd was looking uncertain.

A nicer person would have done something to cut the tension, or diplomatically asked what was going on. I briefly considered it, but then decided that standing back and watching the show was more fun.

"Taking too many precautions can lead to failure, too. As Miss Bridgers knows," Todd replied to Sienna, but his eyes were all on Jane.

Whatever barb he'd thrown out had struck true. Jane stiffened.

I was standing back, ready for Jane to challenge Todd to a duel – could she even do that? I didn't see any dragons with him, and he'd lost the mimic – when Todd's friend stepped up.

"Now, now. This is a festival day. Let's not mar it with old grudges."

Boo.

Then the man looked at me, and now that I was paying attention, I recognized him as the sharp-eyed guy who'd talked to me in the bleachers.

"How are you enjoying your time in the village, young lady? I trust it's different from your own world."

I think that comment was supposed to trip me up. Maybe make me feel homesick or... uneasy that he knew a lot about me? I don't know, but it was a prick move and I didn't like him.

I forced a bland smile. "You know how it is. The more things change, the more they stay the same."

Todd jumped on the new subject like a man who was drowning. "Wait, what does he mean by 'Own world'. You're a Traveler?"

"She is," Jane confirmed. "And she handled your mimic with grace and talent."

"And defeated your Commodore quite handily," Todd said.

I'd had enough. The show wasn't interesting anymore. "Well, maybe if you managed to keep a dragon, I'd do the same to you."

That was a mistake. Todd jumped on my words as if he had been waiting for them. "Is that a challenge?"

"Now, now." The sharp-eyed man stepped in, cutting between me and a very eager Todd. "The young miss is a traveler. She is unfamiliar with our ways." His gaze turned to me. "Though if you are interested, I do have a business proposition for you."

"A... business proposition?"

That sounded a little hooker-y.

He nodded and produced a card. It was a little different than Earth business cards – same cardstock but shaped in a perfect square. His name was written out in fine calligraphy:

John Deere

~Talent Scout~

Currently Representing: East Bay Duel Circuits

"Your name is... John Deere?"

"Yes, have you heard of me?"

"Only when it comes to rights to repair," I said, and ignoring the puzzled looks, slipped the card into the front pocket of my jeans. I'd throw it away later.

John Deere smiled past his confusion. "Well, as the card states, I am heavily involved in the dueling circuit. Tell me, have you considered training that little fennec of yours to be a champion dueler?"

Sienna took in a sharp breath, though I wasn't sure if it was in shock or dismay.

"No," I said honestly. "I've been on your world for about two days. I'm trying to get the lay of the land."

"If you've only been here for days, how did you land yourself a desert biome dragon?" Todd demanded. "The nearest desert is a week away by caravan."

Just as I was figuring out the best way to tell Todd, 'None of your beeswax' (did this world even have bees, or were they dragon-bees?), John put a hand on his shoulder.

"You know the legends. The first dragon a Traveler bonds is a gift from the system, to help them along on their journey." His eyes found mine. "They are usually extraordinary creatures."

I shifted around awkwardly. John and Todd weren't interested in me – they were looking at Tiberius like he was a fresh piece of meat.

Tiberius sat by my side gazing at the two men, one of his big satellite ears brushing against the knee of my jeans. He didn't seem overly concerned and I decided to take his cue.

Besides, I was new to this whole... everything, and information was valuable to come by.

"I watched some of the matches. Are they all rigged, or what?"

I fully expected John to deny it, but he waved the accusation away. "The exhibition matches are for show. The real matches happen when the locals pit their dragons against our professional fighters. That’s where legends are born."

"Uh-huh." What he meant was it was a racket. The professionals put on a show to make it look like it's possible they can be beaten. Then when the marks – I mean locals – pay to try their hand at a fight, the real talent comes out.

I could appreciate a good hustle, but that didn't mean I wanted to be part of it.

"Thanks," I said, "but no thanks. I don't know what I want to do in this world yet, but it's not that."

Todd stepped in. "Then consider what is best for your dragon."

I stared at him. "Excuse you?"

"I watched your duel. Jane is not much of an opponent, true, but your fennec has talent. It would be a waste to see him playing house with you instead of the arena where he belongs."

"How dare you!" Jane snarled.

He gave her a patronizing look. "Watch your tongue. I let your little house-pest limp away once. I won't be so gracious a second time."

Hey, now he was threatening my kinda-sorta friends!

"You and what dragon?" I demanded. "From what I saw, you sell them as soon as you tame them."

"Because often, it's not the dragon, it's the tamer." He smiled at me, and damn it... he had a smile so handsome it should have come off as oily, but it didn't. "I'll show you what I'm made of anytime you want."

Gross. Could he make that sound any more suggestive?

Oh, what the hell. The guy was spoiling for a fight and I had never been one to turn those down. Declining duels was not how I advanced in the games I used to play. Should be the same here, right?

"Let's make it official. How about a duel. My fennec against any dragon you can put up. We'll even do it in the arena. We'll make it a show."

"Championship rules?" he asked lazily.

"Harmony, no–" Jane started to say.

"Sure." I had no idea what Championship rules were.

At Sienna's groan, I knew I had made a mistake. But to back down now meant losing face, and I wasn't going to do that.

Todd was the first to look away. He exchanged smirks with John Deere... and I knew that I had been outplayed.

"The day after tomorrow then. I look forward to it."

The men walked off together, and I turned to the girls. Sienna's expression was grim, and Jane had her hand over her mouth.

"Um," I said, "What's wrong?"

"You agreed to Championship rules," Jane said in a harsh whisper. "That means the winner takes the other person's dragon."