“You ready?” Jackson shouted to Kay.

They were in the middle of a field on the outskirts of town. Although it had only been a day and a half since the Lyote’s battle with the Felinx, Jackson convinced Kay to let him try out another fight, this time against her Fenkit, Sunshine. Thanks to the lengthening days, they had about an hour of sunlight when the fields would be abandoned as the local farmers and workers turned in for their evening meal. In the distance, the ksshh-ksshhh sound of irrigation drones sounded as they criss-crossed over the fields, watering the grasses and budding crops.

Kay let out a long sigh, one of several Jackson had earned since the previous morning. “I guess so. I’m still not sure this is a good idea.”

“This is the only way I can think of to get her battle experience,” Jackson said. He punched the air with his ring hand and the Lyote shot forth in a blaze of light. This time, when she materialized out of stasis on the soft, recently plowed dirt, she gave Jackson a familiar look. He took it as a good sign.

“All right, good girl!” he said, reminding himself again that he really needed to figure out a name for the Djinn.

“Did you really just praise her?” Kay said from across the field. “She didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, so the smack-talking begins?” Jackson said with a smirk, before looking down at his Lyote. “Let’s show them what we can do, eh?”

The Lyote stretched her fanged mouth open in a wide yawn and shook her head, puffing up her fur. It seemed more like the move of a creature preparing to go to sleep than one about to do battle. As if to confirm Jackson’s thoughts, the Lyote circled the ground once, twice then lay down in the cool, freshly-turned dirt.

“She’s a real battle-hardened veteran,” Kay said.

“She’s just saving her energy.”

“You know that’s not what she’s doing.” Kay then turned her attention to her Fenkit. “Okay, Sunshine. Let’s show them what we’re made of. Taunt.”

On command, Kay’s Fenkit trotted toward the Lyote. The mischievous little Djinn sat on his haunches a few feet away from the larger canine and patted at the air, as if egging the Lyote on. Sunshine’s long, wide mouth made Jackson think he was smirking at him. He had to admit, it looked hilarious.

“All right, Girl! Use your Wild Bite attack!” he tried to keep his voice optimistic. The Lyote looked back at him then rested her head on her paws before closing her eyes.

Across the field, Kay’s laughter cut through the calm, still evening.

“Hey!” Jackson said to the Lyote. “I saved your bacon from that Felinx, the least you could do is help me out here! Please?”

The Lyote didn’t bother to acknowledge him at all this time, unless you counted a long sigh the Djinn heaved as she tried to get more comfortable.

Jackson sighed. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?” he yelled to Kay.

She shrugged. “I dunno. Open your Djinncyclopedia and do a scan? Maybe she’s not fully healed?”

Nodding his head, Jackson pointed the ring back at the Djinn and gave it a verbal prompt to do a scan of his Lyote. After a quick blip of soft blue light, a female computerized voice read out the report.

Djinn: Lyote

Element: Fire/Earth

Lyote is a Basic-Form, Fire-Elemental and Earth-Elemental combo Djinn. It is an endangered species of Djinn that is characterized by its stubborn and wild nature. It is famously difficult to tame, but once trust is gained, it takes a great deal for said trust to break. Lyotes — and each of its derivative evolutionary forms — when found in nature, tend to roam in packs. However, as their numbers have dwindled, it’s become more common to see just one roaming alone or two — usually mates — roaming together.

“Would you like to know more?” his holo-watch asked.

“Uh, sure,” Jackson said. “Any idea why she won’t listen to me?”

“As stated previously, some Djinn are harder to tame than others, even at a low level. As also stated previously, Lyotes are notoriously difficult,” the watch answered. “Try increasing your Bond with the Djinn to improve the likelihood it will understand and execute your commands.”

“Oh, she understands just fine,” Jackson said, dropping his wrist to shut off the less-than-helpful voice assistant.

“I told you,” Kay yelled as Sunshine ran in circles around the sleeping Lyote. “You need to work on your Bond before we try to fight! You can’t expect her to trust you after being out of stasis three times, for crying out loud! The two of you should spend more time together.”

“What am I supposed to do? Buy her dinner?”

“Making jokes right now won’t help,” Kay said. “Look, I may not be a tamer, but don’t forget, I’ve had Sunshine for almost nine years.”

“But aren’t Fenkits easier to Bond with?”

“Much easier,” Kay nodded, “So that means you have your work cut out for you. My point is, it’ll take time before you’re on the same wavelength as your Djinn.”

As if to illustrate his tamer’s point, Sunshine ran full tilt toward Kay and leapt into her arms. Kay laughed as the Fenkit started licking her face. After a few moments, she pulled the small tan-colored Djinn away and sat him back on the ground.

Jackson rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, we get it, you’re adorable.” He frowned at the Lyote Djinn in front of him. He really was hoping to begin the leveling up process, but with an uncooperative Djinn, he couldn’t even start a battle, let alone win one.

“Please,” he begged to the Lyote. “Do something? Anything?”

The Djinn twitched her ear but otherwise ignored him.

Still determined to harass Jackson as much as possible, Sunshine ran circles around the Lyote, yipping in what could only be laughter at Jackson’s clenched fists and reddening face. Growing even bolder, the Fenkit leaped back and forth over the Lyote, who ignored Sunshine completely.

Kay collapsed to the ground, laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

“Are you going to let him do that to you? He’s taunting you, Girl!” Jackson said, trying to somehow appeal to the Lyote’s vanity. “Show him who’s boss. Attack!”

Of course, the Lyote ignored him. Jackson was about to recall the belligerent Djinn to her ring and leave it there for a week when Sunshine made an even bolder move. Standing in front of the Lyote’s face, it yipped right into her ear. The Lyote opened her eyes and looked at the Djinn before standing up and turning around to lie in the other direction.

Now it was Sunshine’s turn to be annoyed. Instead of letting the dismissal go, the Fenkit ran around to face the Lyote again. This time, instead of barking, it darted forward and nipped the Lyote on the nose.

In a flash of orange, the Lyote let out a yip of surprise and anger and charged the Fenkit. Sunshine took off at full speed, sending a shower of dirt behind him as he streaked across the barren field, the Lyote in close pursuit.

“Sunshine!” Kay yelled, exasperated. “What’d you have to do that for? That was not nice!”

Jackson laughed for the first time since the “battle” started.

“That Fenkit’s going to get his now!” Jackson said in a mock serious tone.

Although Sunshine moved like lightning, the Lyote’s longer legs soon won the race. Once she closed the distance, the Lyote tackled the Fenkit in a single bound. The two Djinn became a whirlwind of fur, fangs, snarls and yips as they tussled.

“Hey!” Jackson said as he and Kay ran toward the pair. “They’re actually battling! It worked!”

“You realize neither of us are yelling out any commands, right?” Kay said. “This isn’t a real battle. It’s more like a street fight.”

“Does it matter?” Jackson said, eyeing the fight. “And I think she may even be winning.”

“You think that’ll really last long?”

As if on cue, the fight started to turn. Even though the Lyote had size on her side, the Fenkit’s higher level and experience started to show. Just as Jackson popped open his stat screen, Sunshine dodged a snap on the Lyote’s teeth and charged into the side of the opposing Djinn. Yelping, the Lyote did a sideways somersault. The soft dirt lessened the impact, but before the Lyote could recover, Sunshine kicked a cascade of dirt into her face.

Shaking her head to rid her eyes of the dirt, the Lyote noticed the Fenkit’s second charge too late. Sunshine drove the Lyote hard into the ground and Jackson’s display projection flashed red around the edges, indicating a critical strike.

“All right, all right!” he yelled at Kay. “Call him off — you win!”

“Come on, that's enough Sunshine!” Kay said. Since she wasn’t actually a tamer, he had no ring to return to, and simply jumped into her arms and nuzzled her face.

Jackson ran to his Lyote’s side just as the Djinn rose on shaky legs and shook the dirt from her fur. When Jackson reached out a hand to comfort her, she snapped at his fingers.

“Hey! No bite!” he told the Lyote.

“I can’t blame her,” Kay said. “I told you this was a bad idea but you just wouldn’t listen! You can’t fight with a Djinn if you don’t get along, Jackson.”

“I’m trying,” Jackson said with a sigh.

“You’re trying to fight when you should be focusing on raising your Bond. It’s like trying to run a marathon before you even know how to stand, let alone walk.”

“It’s only been two days, okay? I’m sure if we try again tomorrow —”

“No,” Kay said, shaking her head. “Absolutely not. I refuse to put that poor Lyote through any more beatings until you can show you actually care about her. You got that?”

“But —”

"No, Jackson,” Kay said again. “And don’t you dare try to go fight any wild Djinn either or I’ll — I’ll tell your grandma!”

“You wouldn’t,” Jackson said. But he knew he was wrong. Kay was studying to be a Djinn therapy aide — keeping Djinn safe and well was her whole purpose in life.

Kay’s eyebrows rose. “You wanna find out?”

Jackson sighed and glanced at the Lyote, who was half-heartedly licking her wounds. She looked exhausted again — not as bad as after the Felinx brawl, but definitely not one hundred percent. He didn’t need to pull up her stats to notice that.

“I promise,” he said at last. “I’m going to spend every chance I get with her this week, and if it goes well, will you maybe consider training with me again next weekend?”

Kay pursed her lips then nodded. Before Jackson could thank her, however, she held up a finger. “Only if your Bond increases. Otherwise, no.”

“Deal,” Jackson said. He turned to the Lyote and held out his fist toward her. As soon as the stone started glowing, the Lyote let out a whine and cowered away.

Jackson frowned in concern. “What’s the matter with her?” he asked Kay. “Did Sunshine hurt her bad?”

“I don’t think so,” Kay said. “If that was the case, I would think she’d go in without a fuss. Maybe she just doesn’t like it after being in there so long?”

“Do you want to walk part of the way home, girl?” Jackson asked the Lyote. In response, the Djinn wagged her tail and stood.

Jackson hesitated. It was a risky move. If anyone he knew saw him with a Djinn…word traveled fast in a small town. The Lyote whined again, however, and Jackson didn’t have the heart to force her into the ring.

“All right,” he said with a sigh. “Let’s go.”

In spite of all her previous disobedience, the Lyote jumped up at once and padded along beside Jackson. He noticed Kay covering a smile as they began to head home.

“What’s so funny?” he said.

She shook her head and they continued in silence. When Jackson looked down at the Lyote, the setting sun bathed her vermilion fur in a fiery glow. A soft vibration sounded from his watch and he opened the Djinn’s stat sheet to see a slight increase in their Bond. As if noticing the attention, the Lyote glanced up at him, tongue lolling out happily as she walked along.