Chapter 5 - Michael's Gift

BOINK

Jamie was awakened abruptly the next morning, after being greeted by a basketball being dropped on his face. Cursing, he swatted the basketball away and tried to get back to sleep. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep again, the basketball once again dropped on his face. He sat bolt upright angrily, before seeing Eve, laying down facing him on the mat, with her front paws crossed, head and ears up.

"Eve.....was that you who did it?"

"Did what?"

Jamie's eyes narrowed. "The basketball."

"Maybe. Or maybe the ball just drops on people who like to sleep in. It's done that from time to time."

What that, Jamie remembered the times he was waken up abruptly in the past by random objects hitting his face. "EVE!"

Eve snickered, then got up, stretched, and left the room, with her tail wagging. Grumbling, Jamie headed down the stairs, and just as he stepped into the living room was greeted by the sight of his mother lying on the sofa in the living room, with her head on a pillow propped up on the arm of the lounge, reading a book. As soon as he entered, without turning her head, she called out "Good Morning."

"Morning Mum. How was work?"

"Morning. It's sorted. We need to talk abou...."

BUUZZ

Laura was cut off mid sentence by her phone vibrating. She checked the screen, sighed, then said "I might have spoken too soon."

With that, she put down the book, and picked up the phone, walking away to her room as she answered. Jamie walked to the kitchen, making some toast, before heading to the lounge room to check the T.V. On it, the portly man in a suit was commenting on the latest developments on the portal in Hastrood Gardens "About 20 minutes ago, an outbreak of Beasts have emerged from the portal, with them being at stages 4 and 5. A military platoon is being dispatched to help safeguard the area. Civilians are being advised to stay away from the Hastrood Gardens."

Jamie flicked through to the other channels, before finding nothing interesting on and turning the T.V. Of. As he finished eating and was about to wash the plate, Laura walked into the lounge room in a suit. "I have to go to work. Here, this is your birthday gift. I wanted to give it to you after you got home yesterday afternoon, but work interrupted. It's in the garage. And congratulations on reaching the requirements of a trainee Beastamer."

With that, she tossed a pair of keys to Jamie, before walking out of the house, before Jaime could utter a word. Jamie caught the keys on reflex, then started thinking to himself "How does she even know that?"

Puzzled, he quickly dismissed it, thinking it's through her contacts from working for the city council. He washed up his plate then decided to check the garage, with Eve following him from the kitchen. In the garage, a plain white van could be seen in there, with two doors on either side of the front, and double doors at the back. Seeing this, Jamie started grinning from ear to ear. 'It's perfect. It's spacious enough for transporting around Battlepets."

Jamie was about to take the van for a drive, before a black van started pulling into the driveway. Upon seeing the van, Eve's tail started wagging and she transmitted excitedly to Jamie "FINALLIY. He's here."

The van stopped in the driveway, before a man in his early 20s got out, He was dressed in a tight fitted black shirt that highlighted the shape of his firm, bulky body, and blue jeans. His blue eyes bore an uncanny resemblance to Jamie, and his brow had slight frown mark.

After getting out of the van, the man, Michael, nodded slightly to Jamie, before walking forwards, minuscule white ripples accompanied his every movement, a sign of a new Stage 6 Martial Warrior. Eve let out a light howl, before running up to Michael, sniffing his feet. Michael bent down to pat her, and as he did, Eve tried to lick his face. Michael stopped her, then rubbed her back saying "Hello to you too Bell."

Eve responded with a growl, before running back to Jamie. Jamie walked towards him with a slight smile before saying "Apparently, her name is Eve, not Bell. It's been awhile."

Michael eye's widened for a second, before he said "You formed a contract with her and she told you?"

"Yes"

Michael nodded. "She has good potential. She kept running from me every time I cut my hand and tried to approach her to coax her into initiating a contract."

Jamie's eyes widened at that, surprised. That did explain why Eve would occasionally run from Michael at 17, and disappearing for almost vanishing for days on end at times. Michael sighed, interrupting his musing, then said "Let's go inside, we need to talk."

>>>>>>

In the kitchen, the two sat at the across for each other, with Jamie leaning back slightly in his chair, and Michael sitting straight straight. Michael reached into his pocket, and pulled out a gift card for Battlepets Galore for 10,000 mystic credits. He handed the voucher to Jamie, saying "Happy Birthday."

Jamie accepted the giftcard, feeling ecstatic after seeing it. It was enough to buy the stage 3 Triple Eye Snake if he wanted it. Just as he opened his mouth, about to say thank you, Michael continued. "I know about the results of the evaluation. Are you still determined to be a Battlepet Master?"

Jamie took a deep breath, before responding "Yes."

Michael tapped his finger on the table once, before saying "Why? It's not all glamour and risk free fighting like you see in the league matches. All Battlepet Masters are required to fight the beast wave in an emergency, and your Astral Body size and it's growth rate is too low. You can't contract any beasts that can make a difference. Battlepet Masters are expected to fight the beast waves, like Martial Warriors of high stages. Even City Guardians have fallen to beast waves. Your likely to die as cannon fodder. On the other hand, if you focus on being a risk free Beast Tamer, you can easily earn a good salary and live a safe life. Why?"

Jamie sat up straight, looking straight into Michael's eyes before responding "Because of what happened seven years ago."

Michael's eyes narrowed "You mean, the day Dad died during the vacation with us to Windia?"

Jamie's eyes started to glaze into the distance, while he responded. "That's right. I can't forget it. It was supposed to be a time we could enjoy ourselves, a family vacation. An emergency at work prevented Mum from coming with us, but I was still looking forward to it. We were at the entrance to the circus when a portal opened up there and three other locations, with beast pouring out rapidly. Dad tried to fight off a beast while telling us to run. I remember hearing his screams as we ran away. I remember us cowering in a corner of a dark alley after running who knows how long, hoping we wouldn't get spotted. And I remember the moment the City Guardian took action."

Jamie's eyes turned hard, before he continued. "The wave, that killed so many people, that caused so much chaos and destruction, was resolved near instantaneously. His four beasts each went to a separate location, killing every rampant beast that they saw effortlessly. Many of the people who died weren't Battlepet Masters or decent staged Martial Warriors. They still died regardless. Only power can keep you safe. I want that power."

Michael looked hard at Jamie, observing him for a few moments, tapping the table, before sighing and deflating. "Fine. I don't like it, but you qualify as a Beastamer Trainee. Unless I lock you up, you'll venture into the portals regardless. I have something to show you."

With that, Michael pulled out his black phone, tapping on it before opening a video and pausing it before it started, passing it to Jaime while saying "Watch this. Keep in mind the dragon is at stage 7, the same as those crows."

Jaime received the phone and hit the play button. In it, five creatures could be seen in the air, Four of them crows, identical, that had green feathers, except there tail feathers, which which were red, were approaching a creature that made them look like ants in comparison. A large black dragon, with glistening black scales, and glowing purple eyes had it's back turned to the crows, was spewing fire below, burning the hapless humans and beast below it, along with the buildings. Weak glows of colored beams could be seen firing at it from the ground, hitting the dragons gray underbelly, doing nothing.

As the four Red Tailed Crows approach, they split apart from each other, opening their beaks, with fire gathering. A burst of light erupted, before the red beams flew at the dragon, hitting it's back, singing it's scales. Roaring furiously, the dragon swiped it's tail at the Red Tailed Crows, but they evaded the clumsy blow by flapping their wings, gathering height and flying over the dragon, and circling back, two to each side. Angrily, the dragon raised and tilted it's head to it's left, opened it's jaws, and unleashed a large torrent of fire at the two crows on the left. The crows dived, once again avoiding the clumsy blow. The dragon, furious, let out a large roar, and the area around the crows to the left rippled, before the crows burst apart. With it, the eyes of the dragon seemed to dim slightly. Letting out another roar, it started to fly away from the besieged settlement, with the remaining two Red Tailed Crows following it closely, hassling it, and striking at it's underbelly.

Jamie took a deep breath when the video ended, handed the phone back to Michael, then said "Why did you show me that?"

Michael leaned back slightly in his chair "Because during an expedition into a portal, my team managed to capture an infant of the same species as that dragon, at stage 1, and we have had it for two months now. There are three people who have managed to contract with one, and have mentioned that their soul size has increased each time it increases a stage. My team made a deal with each other. Each person can try to tame it, or bring in one person if they are wiling to forfeit their right to it. Whoever succeeds gets it. I'm not a Beastamer, and have no spare soul link. Do you want to try tame this beast?"

Jamie's eyes glittered with anticipation "I do."