Events of Arrival

Episode 1: Ancestry

Still humming to Rush's tune, Calder guided Forest down to the landing pad, touching the tarmac in a spot not currently occupied by a jet. Most of the fleet was here, but it was understandable if one or two might be out on patrol.

Pausing the music and noting the time, Calder dismounted and signaled Forest to shrink down and perch. He dutifully disappeared into a large Farplane portal and reappeared out of a small one, fluttering to a stop on Calder's shoulder. Then, as she pulled her earbuds out and wound their cord around her fingers, she walked into the outpost.

"You're a little late," one of Nemesis' elite strike team members called to her in the hallway.

"Had no idea," she retorted. Forest chirped in agreement. She couldn't see or hear the scoff but was pretty sure it existed. Wouldn't have been surprising.

"Whaddya think, kiddo? Do they all hate me?" Calder asked the passenger on her shoulder. Forest sneezed. Calder let out a short laugh and knocked on the door to Jade's office.

"Come in," the clan leader's sure voice called through the door. Calder pulled it open and ducked inside, and immediately Forest leapt from her shoulder and perched atop one of Jade's computer monitors. She sighed directly at the little juvie before turning to the smirking renegade she'd wanted to see ten minutes ago.

"We need to work on your punctuality," Jade said.

"Why am I here, Jade?" Calder asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "Other than the obvious reasons."

"I'll be assigning you a partner. With your record, I don't trust you to be out on the streets of my town alone."

"My record?"

"You fought people one-on-one outside the limits of Zebulon."

"It was consensual."

"Doesn't change anything in my eyes. Plus you crashed my jet. So-" She gestured to the empty space in front of the desk. From the ceiling, a lavender-rimmed portal opened up and allowed a new person to drop down and land with grace on their toes. Peering up through the portal granted Calder a look at the ceiling of the hallway right outside. She shook off the mild shock and turned her attention back to Jade and this new person.

It was a young woman, with gentle indigo eyes peering from behind circular rimless glasses. Her soft silver hair was tied up in a fluffy bun with a few locks freely framing her face.

"Parrisol Archamedes," She said, offering a handshake.

"Calder McKaye. Archamedes, as in Jihn Archamedes, father of Reptalia?"

Parrisol's eyes went wide and her grip on Calder's hand loosened. "Yeah... that's my grandfather. You really know your clans, huh?"

"Reptalia was one of the only clans that earned the K-D's respect or any place in the history books. Wonder why."

"Dragon blood."

"Pre-cisely."

"You'll need to stay within a reasonable vicinity of one another at all times," Jade butted in. "Curfew's at 8:30. Don't break my laws. Enjoy yourselves." And then she turned back to her monitor, leveling a glare at Forest, who returned it quite well.

Calder snorted and snapped her fingers twice. Forest got the idea, and obediently returned to perching on Calder's shoulder. She exited the office, with Parrisol right behind.

"That was your portal, right?" Calder immediately asked.

"Sure was. New thing for you?"

Forest sneezed again and took the demonstration into his own claws. He launched himself from Calder's shoulder and quickly disappeared into a cotton Farplane portal, dragging Parrisol's attention along as he went.