Joker?

Monster and Tamer

My school life couldn't get any worse? Being human in a world where half the races are humans and the other race or races are monsters; by the way my names Dakota Baker. My family is mix of monsters and humans. I am a human, my Mom's an Elemental and my Dad's a human. I picked up mostly from my Dad's side of the family seems how I'm scrawny and my hair is dark brown, my eyes are dark brown, I have pale skin, I'm 5 ft.5. For a fourteen year old teen I am actually pretty lonely; well mostly at school, most of the other people in my classes just stay away from me due to the fact that I contain one characteristic from my Mom's side of the family. I am able to cast magic. Most humans are aren't able to cast magic so they think that the few who can cast magic or are shape shifters, halfa, demigods, Ljosalfar, Svartalfar, djinn, jokers (not the ones from batman); but spirits of gangsters or tricksters that are threatening, and etc. then there are my sisters one who happen to be a human who can cast magic like me and the other an adopted high elf. We are the outcast. But most of the races absolutely despise jokers because of what they do, mostly being thieves and all. But there are a few who actually go to my school. I see we are getting slightly off topic here.

(Dakota's point of view dream state)

It's always the same dream, always complete black nothingness. Then the black nothingness would shift to Dad's funeral replaying over and over again to the point of getting annoyingly sad. Seeing as I would remember every family member and friends of our family and some of Dad's coworkers were there to morn him. I truly do miss him. Dad lay in the open coffin eyes closed in a dark blue tux, his favorite color, 6 ft. 3, brown hair. I sat there next to my father's casket crying in silence with Tetra and Mom. Dad was by far the best father and friend anyone could ever wish for. His name was Jason.

A couple of Dad's friends and coworkers came and paid him their respect. I cannot thank them enough for that. Things were going on like usual in these dreams I keep having of my father's funeral. I desperately want them to stop, to have a normal random dream for once. In the last four years I've been practically miserable whenever I wake up; too focused on the dream to even pay attention in class that. I'm surprised I graduated middle school. Back to the current dream, it would usually end with the last words that everybody would say to everyone including Dad. I was too depressed to say anything up at the podium at the funeral home that night so I sat and watched with Mom and Tetra as everybody else gave their speeches. This went for two maybe three hours before Ryan Blake, Dad's best friend and part of our family and coworker walked up to the podium.

"We are here today on the behalf of Jason baker. "Ryan began. "He was a good coworker, college and loving friend of mine and a few others at I.C.K institute. I and others during lunch would talk about happenings of daily life whether it is work or kids we'd all ways have something to talk about. I remember this one time we came to lunch one day and he had the happiest face a man like him could ever make. I admit he was one of the happiest men in the world that day because that was when Dakota was born on the exact day and month Tetra was. He was extremely happy because he only had to memorize three birthdays. His, Jenna's and seems how that Dakota's and Tetra's are on the same day just that they're both a year apart. Zack, Dan, and I were just absolutely happy for him. There's this other time that Dakota managed to teach himself how to cast a fireball spell except when he did that he put too much stress on his mind that almost put him in a 603 year coma that was the worst seventeen hours in my life. However there was the bright side it didn't happen and look who's standing here awake today. You do remember accidentally lighting your dads pants on fire right because if you don't all of us were there. You should have seen how fast your mother was trying to get you to a hospital; it only took her three minutes. Yes your mother kept track of how long it took the both of you to get there with a teleport spell that she summoned. In the meantime Zack and I were trying to hold your dad still so he wouldn't cause other fires in the house while Dan ran and got the hose."

I laughed as well as everybody else at the memories I created back then. Those were some of the best and worst bonding times with my family. But when I stopped laughing I noticed I was in the black nothingness again. I looked around wondering why I didn't see a white light slowly fading in like I usually do. I would usually wake up when that happened. But it never came; instead I could hear quite sobbing coming from somewhere deeper in the void. I tried to follow the sobbing trying to see what the matter was; then they started to scream like they just were hit with a baseball bat and when I got closer I started to really hear someone getting hit with a bat and grunting coming from the victim; but the bright light now decided it was time for me to wake up.

(Dakota's point of view reality)

I broke out in a cold sweat with a minor headache. I put the palm of my hand to my forehead to try and calm my nerves from that not so same dream that I had.

I looked to my alarm clock on the nightstand to left side of my bed and it read 7:00 A.M; "Great another miserable day at the school of hell" I thought. "I have half an hour to get ready before me and Tetra and Iris have to leave for school".

"Are you all right"? Tetra asked in a worried tone in her voice. "Ya I just had another nightmare." I said in a somewhat tired tone.

I got dressed in a dark blue hoodie and pair of tan cargo pants with black and white skate shoes. Since Mom, Tetra, Iris, and I live in a two bedroom house. Iris, Tetra, and I have to share a room but that's not so bad. Tetra being fifteen years old happens to be a tomboy. She has an athletic build that actually show off quite a bit of the curves she developed since she hit puberty. She's actually a little shorter than me being 5 ft. 1, neck length jet black hair, but she has glowing light blue eyes.

Unlike most high elf's that have a culture where all of them think they are superior to other races; Iris was abandoned at the age of twelve by her abusive uncle. She actually isn't snobby like most of them; but instead very timid, she has blond hair that reaches to her lower back, glowing green eye's, has an hourglass figure, and she is 5 ft. 11. Iris doesn't act like a high elf at all considering that they have a tendency get up on time, and be control freaks, and she has a tendency to shy away from anyone at school besides me and Tetra. Instead she sleeps in on the weekends and tries to on school days; so that leaves me and Tetra to try and wake her up.

Like me Tetra is also awake wearing black hooded jacket, and one of my pairs of black cargo pants, along with the same skate shoes I have.

(Tetra's point of view)

Dakota was in the kitchen getting something to eat leaving me to wake up Iris. 'Thanks Dakota leave me to wake the sleep obsessed elf' I growled in my thoughts. "Iris it's time to wake up."

The sixteen year old elf pulled the blanket over her head and rolled onto her side with her back facing me. "Iris I know Mondays suck for anybody but this is a bit much; don't you think?"

Iris hates Mondays then again who doesn't? I was about to yell out a storm when I remembered what today meant for the entire student body. "Iris if you don't get up you'll miss your chance at permanently getting assigned your first Partner". At this Iris got up and out of bed to go get dressed without realizing she didn't wear a top the previous night. "How many times have we told you not to sleep without a top on"?! I exclaimed. "Oh never mind just get dressed" I muttered to myself and with that I left the bed room.

"When will that elf ever realize that the world doesn't revolve entirely around sleep" I muttered to myself as I approached Dakota who was in the middle of making toast for the three of us?

(Tetra's point of view intro on man and monster equality)

300 years ago man and monster were at war with each other; nobody new why or how it was started but one thing is for sure both sides suffered tragic losses. Both sides had family's ruined, betrayals, assassinations attempts on leaders. When the war reached its one hundredth and fifty sixth year; both the leaders have suffered many losses and decided on a temporary truce to end the war and think of each being as equal. After a few decades both leaders began to notice man and monsters started having families with one another. They both realized that this was the right decision and made the truce final. From then on both man and monster had a peaceful life.

But then there were racist groups against certain species of monsters. Even though we helped solve racism of most of its problems there are other races that are still frowned upon till this day. One of the most frowned upon races were the jokers they are the spirits of deceased thieves, muggers, tricksters, etc. Though not all of them are bad; just some are.

(Tetra's point of view Normal)

I silently approached behind Dakota and put my hand on his right shoulder making him jump in surprise.

"God dang it"! Dakota almost yelled out loud. I just stood there snickering while Dakota finished making toast for everyone. "Would you stop doing that while I'm using a knife I could somehow injure one of us" Dakota complained. Iris finally came out of our room (in which the narrator forgot to explain the layout of the house). (Right sorry well any way you know there house has only two bedrooms; well I forgot to mention that one is upstairs and one is downstairs. Tetra, Iris, and Dakota's room is upstairs along with the upstairs bathroom and living room. The downstairs consisted of Jenna's bedroom along with the built in bathroom. Across the hall was a recently cleared storage room. If you walked down the hall you would reach the kitchen and dining room. Though the only thing that preventing both rooms from being whole; is a wall and a door on either end of the wall. If you walked down stairs; the first thing you would see is the front door. Oh and If you're wondering how you can fit three beds in one room; well more like for beds because they sleep on bunk beds. That should about sum up most of the interior of the house).

(Back with Tetra)

Iris finally came out of our room wearing a baggy Silent Hill themed tee shirt, baggy cargo shorts, and knee high converse; you know like the low top 1980 sneakers but modernized and upgraded. after we finished breakfast we walked toward the end of their driveway where we would wait for are bus. Good thing it was the middle of spring.

"So Dakota what monster do you think you're getting assigned"? He turned to me "I don't know it's randomized". I looked toward Iris "Any idea on what one you're being assigned"?

(Third person point of view)

In truth nobody knows what monster they're about to be assigned; it's all set up at random so nobody can determine what monster they will heard a noise down the road and as usual it was the bus. They got on the bus and sat down in their usual spots. Tetra sitting next to Dakota and Iris behind them in the back of the bus. The bus rides were usually peaceful but today was different; Dakota noticed Tetra clutching her stomach quite a bit when they walked on the bus.

"Are you alright Tetra"? She nodded her head "I'm fine I just have a morning cramps is all." It was true she did have morning cramps sometimes but those usually went away in five to ten minutes. Still it made Dakota worried for Tetra.

They arrived at Montero High where they the students are trained on how to capture and tame monsters. All the students including Dakota, Tetra, and Iris got off the bus and went into the school.

"Are you sure you feel well enough to go on for the day" He asked her worriedly. By then Tetra's stomach ache had settled.

"I'm fine; it was just one of those quick flurries I have every once in a while". He just nodded as they both entered the gym.

The gym in Montero High isn't your typical High school gym when the school trains there students how to tame monster's. When you enter through the main doors of the gym you enter the schools indoor basketball court. On either side of the back of the gym you have the locker rooms for the athletes and students that have gym class. On the left is the boy's locker room and on the right is the girl's. All three basic places of any typical gym really; but what makes this gym different is the fact that it had dorms for the majority of the monsters. Granted that all of which were starter's; mildly hard to raise and train.

Now the reason most of them live in dorms is because there is more than one type of monster out there that are humanoid and at least somewhat civilized. Then there were the starter's that were either too big to fit in the dorms or caused hazards for both student's and monster's alike. They stayed in the barn. The barn lied fifty yards away near the school. The starter's that live in there actually have heating and water so they don't freeze during the winter.

When Dakota and Tetra entered the gym; they instantly knew that they weren't the only one's there. In fact everybody in first period was in the gym to receive their first monster.

"Seems like everybody was looking forward to getting a starter" Tetra remarked.

"Ya I bet; but they're not the only one's" Dakota said as he looked on wards at the students while walking to his spot next to Tetra's. They both sat down in their assigned spots on gym floor.

The bell finally rang and right on the dot Mr. Sloan came out of his office to greet the first period students like always. It didn't take long for all of the students in the gym to quiet down so Mr. Sloan can speak like he always does at the beginning of class.

"I know you're all excited and scared to receive your first monster so don't provoke them in any way." Mr. Sloan said as he paced back and forth near a table with a plastic bucket on it. "Now I have the keys to each and every dorm that every monster lives in." He said as he sat on the table and held his hand on the bucket. "I'm going to call each of you one at a time in a random order by last name. But before I do; I want you all to know that some of the monsters we have here living in these dorms were rescued off the streets or corrupt testing facilities. So be careful when approaching them" He said. "On another note I do believe that everybody here knows that this is all randomized right". Every student in the gym nodded their heads in understanding. "Alright I'm going to call names by random and you get up here I will give you a key to a random dorm holding the monster that resides in that room." Everybody nodded and stood silent while he called names.

(Dakota's point of view)

It was half an hour before my name was called by Mr. Sloan. I approached him and he handed me a key to the dorm with the monster I was assigned to. "How is your day Mr. Sloan?"

He smiled at me and nodded saying "Good."

When I turned around I noticed I was one of the last people to receive a key. I went back and sat back down next to Tetra. Mr. Sloan got up and walked towards me.

"Dakota I want you and Tetra to wait here while everybody else gets their monsters." He said while waving off the majority of the students to go get them. Both Tetra and I looked at each other in confusion.

"You wanted to see us Mr. Sloan" I asked confused on why he made us both stay behind? He nodded before saying

"The school board finally decided to allow elves; halfa's and etc. to partner up with anybody of their choice. On one condition that partner has to be human"

"So Tetra can choose who she wants as a partner" I asked just to be sure?

"Yes; and both your sister's don't even have to choose today; they can choose whenever they want. However the human has to also agree to be their partner" Mr. Sloan said. I looked at Tetra and smiled. "Since I told Tetra her reason for staying, I want to tell you yours." he stated. "See the key you're holding in your hand"?

I stared at the key I held in my hand and noticed it was glowing. "You see those weren't ordinary keys. In fact these keys that every freshman received and will receive today help you find your partner. Plus the keys can shape shift in to anything from a wrist watch to an earring. Those enchantments were put on them to basically make them more portable and for people that easily lose items all the time" he stated. All three of us turned towards the stairs to the sound of multiple footsteps of both student and monster approach the final steps leading to the gym from the dorms up stairs.

It didn't take long for every one including the new additions to the class and their tamer's. I looked around as everyone including their monsters sat down on the floor waiting for the three of us to finish speaking. Mr. Sloan motioned for the both of us to take our assigned seats on the floor.

Mr. Sloan then looked at all the students in first period then said, "Those of you who have found your first partner congrats; you managed to win over enough of their trust to join you. But that's not what led them to choose you. You see the keys you hold in your hand help the tamer find the best suitable partner so that both monster and tamer have more than one thing in common in order to get along better

"The keys are basically scanning everything in a certain radius. For anything that comes in range of the keys search radius will automatically be scanned for psychological similarities between the two, be it what they have in common now and or what they both experienced in their pasts either through happiness or tragedy" he finished.

I looked down and noticed that my key was no longer in my left hand 'Crap where'd my key go' I thought while looking beside and behind me. I noticed a faint glow coming from under the lower part of the back of my shirt. I pulled up my shirt a little bit and noticed that the object hanging from my one of my back belt loops is my key. It looked like a bracelet but the band that was used for it was made out of the teeth to a zipper but there were no sliders to unzip it, how strange.

"Not everybody got a partner this period as you can tell" Mr. Sloan said. I looked around and noticed I wasn't the only one not assigned a partner. "Not everybody gets there partner on the first day but don't worry, they will turn up eventually whoever they may be. Now for those of you who have a partner you have the next half hour to get to know them better. The rest of you can hang out with your friends and you never know maybe your partner could be one of your classmates" he stated. With that done he quietly let us go for the remainder of the time in gym.

I walked over toward the back wall of the gym and sat down. 'Who would want to partner up with me anyway? The only true friends I have are both my sister's, even though Iris is technically adopted she's still family.' while in mid thought I never noticed a certain someone sit beside me silently hoping I would accept her for who she partially is.