As soon as Jackson’s eyes opened early the next morning, he reached for his chest and felt the reassuring presence of the stone. He held it up and stared at it, admiring its glow as it sparked in the light of the morning sun streaming through his window.

The events of the previous night flashed through his mind and he couldn’t help but feel a simultaneous jolt of relief and panic. He was lucky he’d been able to hide the Djinn from his grandmother, given the circumstances, so he had to make sure he didn’t do anything careless to get caught until he had the money in hand needed to save the house.

He snuck down the stairs as quiet as he could manage and into his mom’s office. After listening for any sound of Jane stirring once again, Jackson replaced the photograph over the hand scanner after removing the card and notebook. He tidied up the room (again, counting his blessings that she hadn’t gone into the office overnight) and shut the door behind him.

A glance at his clock told him Jane would be waking up soon. He let out a relieved sigh. Just in time.

Jackson hopped in the shower, his mind whirring with all the possibilities before him. He kept the necklace holding the ring on him as he showered, partially because he was worried she’d discover it while he was in there, but mostly because he felt like a ten-year-old kid who couldn’t help but keep his toy near him at all times. He double-checked the bathroom door was closed before turning on the water. It wouldn’t have been the first time Jane had barged into the bathroom to ask him a question in the middle of Jackson’s shower.

Once he finished dressing and packing his bag for the day, Jackson could smell breakfast downstairs — muffins and eggs judging by the aroma rising upstairs.

Downstairs, he found his grandmother pulling a batch of muffins out of the oven. As she turned around and spotted Jackson, she gave her grandson a strained smile.

“There you are — nothing broken from last night, I hope?”

“What?” Jackson said without thinking. “Oh, because of the fall! No, nothing broken. Nothing sore or broken. Just, you know…nothing sore, nothing broken.” He tried to inch his way past her towards the muffins resting on the stovetop, but Jane smacked his hand away and stepped in between Jackson and his prize.

“What do you think you’re going to do, eat and run?” she asked, motioning to the table. “I know it’s the weekend but I want to chat for a few minutes.”

“Can it wait?” Jackson asked. “I told Kay I’d meet her for a hike this morning and I don’t want to be late.”

Which was mostly true. Jackson was meeting Kay for a hike, but not until almost noon. He’d hoped to use the morning hours to release his Djinn once more and see if he could make some headway with the belligerent Lyote.

“You can waste time with your friends later,” Jane said, nodding toward the table again. “Now sit down and I’ll get you some eggs.”

When she turned her back, Jackson swiped a couple of muffins from the muffin tray — at least that was what he tried to do. Instead, while trying to pry out one of the muffins, he inadvertently touched one of the metal edges.

“Ow!” he yelled out.

“Honestly, Jackson! Could you really not wait for five seconds?”

“I thought I could use them for the hike.”

“And you can. After you eat breakfast.”

Jackson groaned and sat back in the chair. All he could think about was getting out of the house and seeing his new Djinn again — the last thing he wanted was to get stuck in a lecture that lasted the better part of the morning, so it was probably best that he listen to her.

“I just wanted to continue our conversation from last night,” Jane said as she pushed a heaping amount of eggs onto a plate and sprinkled them with cheese. She deposited the plate in front of Jackson, who attacked it with all the gusto of a perpetually starving seventeen-year-old. “I know losing the house is hard on you — do you want to talk about it?”

Jackson pictured the surprise on his grandma’s face when he handed her a big wad of cash from his winnings as a Djinn Tamer. When he answered, he acted like the previous day’s events, the argument and Mr. Meyers, had never happened.

“No,” he said around a mouthful of egg. “It sucks, but I don’t blame you or anything — I promise. I just…” an unintentional pang of emotion struck him and he swallowed down the eggs as his eyes welled with tears. He ducked his head away. “I just feel like I’m letting her down.”

Jane put an arm around her grandson and Jackson didn’t resist. He clenched his hands so hard his fingernails dug into his palms, fighting back another round of sobs. The fact that he had just discovered her long-hidden gift the night before only seemed to make her death all the more fresh in his mind. But it was okay now. It was all going to be okay. There was a way out now.

“She’d be proud of you, Jack,” Jane said. “Doing something with your life is more important than a house, no matter what memories might be inside.”

Jackson nodded and sniffed. “You’re right,” he muttered. But inside his resolve hardened even further. They now had a chance. “But if I ever can, I promise I’ll buy this house back for you.”

Jane smiled and Jackson saw the tears in his grandma’s eyes. “You just make a good life for yourself and I’ll be happy.”

Jackson wolfed down the rest of his breakfast and grabbed a few muffins from the tray, wrapping them up in napkins and putting them in his backpack.

“Someone’s hungry,” Jane said.

“They’re really good,” he said.

His grandma didn’t question it and went back to her coffee and tablet.

“Shoot me a text or a vid chat if you need something!” he said on his way out.

Eager to get away before his grandma came up with any questions or last-minute chores, Jackson ran to their small garage and hopped on his bike. Within minutes, Jackson reached the end of the block and turned north towards the open fields where he knew he’d be safe.

Tyle was located in the southern part of the Granite region, and by all accounts was just about as rural as you could get. It didn't take him long to reach the open farmlands surrounding the town, followed by the rolling hills blanketed in trees bearing freshly budded leaves, heralding the coming summer.

As far as Jackson knew, most of the Djinn that lived in the wild around Tyle were common varieties such as Magglecaws and Bobbities. Elusive for the most part, the wild monsters posed no threat to hikers and backpackers, even if those individuals had no Djinn of their own for protection. The greatest concerns were for the wild Felinxes that lived in the area, but even they were keen to avoid human contact. However, if there was one Djinn to be concerned with, it was the Smilaguar, the Felinx’s evolved form. This was a reality that Jackson had experienced just the day before, and he counted his blessings that there weren’t many around Tyle, as most didn’t usually gain enough experience to evolve in the wild.

Wild Djinn aside, all the open space was a huge plus. Jackson didn't think he would have any problem being left alone while he attempted to tame the Lyote.

Jackson rode in the opposite direction of Sato Breeders just to be extra sure he didn’t cross paths with any familiar faces. He couldn't risk anyone finding out about the Lyote and telling his grandma. If everything went according to his budding plan, Jane would know nothing about his Djinn until he deposited the winnings into her bank account.

"Let her tell me then that I don't have a future as a Djinn Tamer," Jackson said to himself as he flew down the rural roads on the outskirts of town.

After a few minutes of riding, he turned off the pavement onto a wide dirt path. He continued along the trail for another mile until he found himself all alone in a secluded meadow at the foothills. Far away from the most popular hiking spots and trails, he didn't think he had to worry about anyone running into him.

The meadow was ringed in trees, and had about the same area of open ground as the competitive battlefields Jackson had seen broadcast into his room countless times. Closing his eyes, it wasn’t hard to envision himself standing on such a battleground, preparing for a championship match. He could almost hear the roar of the crowd and the blare of the announcer’s microphone.

When he opened his eyes, Jackson felt more positive and determined than ever about his course of action. He readied himself in case the Djinn tried to bolt again, then raised his hand.

RELEASE DJINN?

Jackson selected “Yes,” and in a flash of orange light, the Lyote materialized before him.

Whether it was because she had already come out of her long hibernation the day before or it was the result of the open space and sunshine, Jackson couldn’t tell, but the Djinn seemed more comfortable. Of course, that’s just what he thought. Jackson didn't really know, but she seemed content to lay down, even if she continued to eye him suspiciously.

Easy peasy, he thought. But when he took a step closer, the Lyote hunkered down and growled, baring a row of sharp teeth.

“Easy, easy there," Jackson said holding his hands out in front of him in a non-threatening position. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

He stopped his advance, but the Djinn remained in her aggressive stance. Instead of attempting to get close enough to touch her, as he had (foolishly) the night before, Jackson sat on the ground a few feet away and folded his legs, just watching the Lyote.

The Djinn's burnt-orange fur shone in the sunlight, almost casting an aura around her. Jackson noticed her over-sized ears that flopped at the tips and two oversized front paws marked her, Jackson guessed, as a juvenile. This was fine with him – from the little Jackson new about the actual taming process of wild Djinn, he'd heard the older Djinn were when they were captured, the harder it was to get them to cooperate, and the more difficult it was to form a bond with a tamer.

It didn’t take long before the Lyote decided Jackson didn’t pose an immediate threat. She sat down on her haunches and stopped growling. Instead, she stared at him with a wary, keen interest. Her dark red eyes made for an unsettling, scrutinizing gaze. When she opened her mouth to let out a long yawn, Jackson couldn’t help but notice just how sharp her fangs were.

"You're going to make quite the fighter," Jackson said with a thrill of excitement running through him. But if the Lyote realized she was being wooed, she showed no signs of caring.

With the Djinn in her calm state, Jackson realized it was the perfect time to pull some info on her. He opened up the Djinncyclopedia app on his holo-watch, raised his arm, and pointed the scan from his watch at the Djinn. As it had done with the Smilaguar, the watch made a soft beep and displayed a translucent screen.

GENERAL STATS AND INFO

Djinn: Lyote

Level: 1

Name: N/A

Element: Fire/Earth

Species Rarity: Rare

Tamer: Jackson Hunt

HP (Hit Points): 55/55

EP (Elemental Power): 30/30

XP (Experience): 25 to Next Level

DJP (Djinn Points): 0 Unallocated

Attack: 12

Defense: 8

Speed: 15

Accessories: None

Items: None

Status: Starving — WARNING: If hungry for much longer, it will start to negatively impact the Djinn’s HP and general health.

Bond: 5%

Move Set: Swipe Left to See More >>>

“Whoa,” was his involuntary reaction. Up until now, he’d only seen the stats for wild Djinn or the Djinn they kept over at Sato Breeders. While he knew that Djinn that were chipped and assigned to a ring had more data to show, this was a hell of a lot more granular than even he’d expected. Was this all the data tamers had access to on a daily basis? No wonder they were so good.

Also, he had to thank his lucky stars that his mom had taken the trouble to assign the Djinn to him — he had no idea how he’d go about doing that himself.

While that was good news, what was not-so-good news was her level. Although he hadn't really expected the Lyote to be a very high level — he knew he wouldn't be competitive until the Djinn reached at least Level 4, maybe even 5 (though he had no idea how strong Djinn were at local competitions) — a part of him was disheartened at the idea of starting at true zero. He doubted the Lyote would be able to hold her own in any match so early.

“Looks like we've got a lot of work to do,” Jackson said, looking at the Lyote. “But I guess first thing we need to do is give you a name.”

He strained to think of something fitting, something that showed his Djinn wouldn't be a pushover, that they were going to be champions. In the Djinn Battle League, famous Djinn were as well-known as their tamers. It wouldn't do to just come up with any name.

“Hmm.”

He knew he needed to come up with something soon so he could begin teaching the Lyote her name as part of the commands, but he didn't want to rush it and end up with something lame he’d regret later.

“I guess for now I'll just call you Girl,” Jackson said. The Djinn cocked her head and looked at him sideways. “Yeah, sorry, it’s the best I can think of right now. Don’t worry, we’ll think of a good one! But don’t get attached to it, okay? And don’t go getting confused if I change it later.”

The Lyote let out a small whine, reminding him that she hadn't eaten anything since before she went into stasis, and her status was starving, as Jackson recalled.

He opened up his backpack and pulled out a couple muffins.

“Hungry?” He said, holding out the muffins in front of the Lyote’s face.

She gave it a quick sniff before losing interest altogether.

“Of course you don’t eat muffins,” Jackson said, annoyed at himself. “Why would you? You’re a carnivore.”

He let out a sigh, and dug around in his backpack, where found a couple of strips of Bovan jerky still packed from his recently-canceled departure the night previous. This would do. He peeled back the wrappers and as soon as the meat was uncovered, the Lyote's ears perked up and she focused completely on the jerky in his hand.

“Looks like I've got your attention now,” Jackson said, laughing.

He tore off half of the first stick and tossed it up in the air at the Djinn. The Lyote jumped up and snatched it out of the air in a flash. She took one bite and then swallowed before licking her muzzle and staring at him once more, waiting for another helping.

Jackson pulled back the wrapper on the remaining half of jerky and tossed it to the Lyote as well. When he checked her status, it still said starving.

For the first time, Jackson realized one of the many holes in his plan: How was he going to feed the Djinn? If she was training and fighting all the time as well as growing, he knew she would work up quite the appetite. He supposed he could smuggle leftovers out of the fridge and off the table, but wasn't sure if that would tide the Lyote over or provide the right kind of nutrition for a competitive Djinn.

In the meantime, the Djinn stared at the remaining jerky stick still wrapped up in Jackson's hand.

“If you want this one, you're going to have to work for it,” Jackson told the Djinn. “Let's see what you know already.”

Opening up his Djinncyclopedia again, referring to the last line of the General Stats menu:

Move Set: Swipe Left to See More >>>

“Yes, please,” he said, swiping the screen left, which pulled a disappointingly sparse set of moves from the nothingness to the right.

MOVE SET

Fire Elemental: Fire Growl (5 EP)

Plain Elemental: Attack, Headbutt, Wild Bite

They were all pretty basic, although he was happy to see that the Lyote already knew Fire Growl, and that it consumed 5 of her Elemental Power. Most low-level Djinn started out with only physical attacks, so to have an Elemental move already would be a huge advantage for them in the coming battles.

“Fire Growl!” Jackson yelled out with a good deal of self-importance. He waited five seconds before he realized the Lyote wasn’t even paying attention to him.

Wait a second, he thought. He knew at the Roktar Rumble he saw the tamers selecting things their holo-watches.

Jackson tried pressing on the Fire Growl command, but wasn’t met with so much as a beep that even acknowledged he’d pressed it. Maybe that wasn’t how moves were done.

“Fire Growl!” he said again, except this time, he didn’t really expect it to work. “Hmm…”

He pulled up the General Stats menu again, and his eyes gravitated to Bond, which sat at a paltry 5%. Perhaps he needed to increase his Bond with her before he could actually give commands?

“Let's start off with something simple,” Jackson said after thinking. He reached down and picked up a stick laying on the ground. Waving it over his head, he watched the Djinn's eyes follow it.

“You want the stick?” he asked the Lyote in an excited voice. “Do you want it? Then go get it!”

Jackson heaved the stick across the meadow. The Lyote didn't even bother to look and see where it went. She just continued staring at Jackson and the Bovan stick in his hand. Jackson let out a long sigh.

“You're going to have to do better than that if you want a reward.”

Then, another tactic hit him. Jackson unwrapped the Bovan stick and then knelt down on the ground again. He held it out in his hand and pointed it toward the Lyote. This would either work or lose him a hand.

“If you want it you're going to have to come get it from me,” he said, motioning to the Djinn with his free hand.

The Lyote’s nose twitched like crazy as she sniffed the air. She took one hesitant step forward and then another, scooting on her belly. Jackson felt a tiny bit of guilt — he knew the smell must be driving the starving creature mad, but he didn't want to spoil his Djinn right off the bat.

The Lyote stretched out her muzzle as far as she could but was still well over a foot short of reaching the jerky stick. She inched forward on her belly a bit more. As she did, Jackson pulled back his arm a little bit to close the gap between them. Now completely focused on the jerky, the Djinn didn't seem to notice how close she was to her tamer. Jackson pulled in the Bovan stick a little more until she was within reach of his other hand.

“That's a good girl,” Jackson said. He held up the jerky for the Lyote and reached out with his right hand to pet the Djinn.

But the Lyote was smarter than he gave her credit for. With lightning-fast reflexes, she snapped up the jerky in her mouth and darted away, this time running several yards before sitting down and licking her lips. She looked at Jackson again as if expecting him to produce another Bovan stick.

A lot of work to do, indeed.

When the Lyote decided Jackson had no more jerky to produce, she darted away, as if begging him to give chase.

With a sigh, he trudged across the meadow toward the Djinn, careful not to go too fast, otherwise she would think he was playing and run off.

As he walked, the overgrown, dead grass rustled in front of him. He paused.

Please don’t let her notice, he thought. The last thing he needed was for her to start on a chase. So long as it remained hidden —

A long-eared Bobbity popped up and took off through the tall grass. The Djinn had big feet and brown mottled fur and was pretty much begging to be chased.

Dammit, Jackson thought, clenching his toes in his shoes, hoping his Lyote hadn’t noticed.

His hopes were in vain.

At the sound of its hops, the Lyote’s head swiveled around, and before Jackson could make a move, she took off.