The morning at the base was cool and quiet. There still wasn't much wildlife on the planet, even though it was less than a year away from the 500th anniversary for Cataclysm Day. Regardless, the sky was an almost-healthy shade of blue as the sun rose further away from the eastern horizon. The mountains surrounding the coastal base showed more promising signs of life, with its faces covered in the green of the forest trees.
The base was void of humans, but it didn't mean its reinforced walls were empty. Within it, twenty Mystic Division agents protected it and the most important map of Caracal. The humans had to be relocated to an underground city of their choosing. Their current home was found to be too small for their growing numbers, and too many people were either killed by or became an angler.
Now, it was guarded by fierce dragons, the troop leader Clementine Roux at its head. She could still vividly remember when she arrived at sixteen years old, despite it being three years previous.
Snow white caps flew through the air as the newly-graduated Mystic Division agents cheered and clapped. The sound reverberated off the rounded auditorium ceiling. Despite the classes growing smaller each year, the new MDAs could make a great roar. The noise could leave lesser humans dazed.
Clad in a white robe and golden chords, Clementine pushed through bodies to find her two friends, Alexa and Zara. The other two were holding onto each other's arms in celebration in their own white robes when Clementine spotted them. Breaking into a run, the redhead wrapped them up in a tight embrace. They all began hopping up and down in their heels, Clementine still much shorter despite her own heels.
"We did it!" Alexa cheered, clutching Clementine's hands in their own. Clementine beamed back at them, then at Zara.
"We're agents of Caracal! We're gonna kick some angler ass!" Clementine declared, sending her friends into a fit of determined cries then laughter. A hand on her shoulder made her turn.
"Agents," the man greeted with a firm nod. The trio of friends quickly sobered up and gave him a salute, their backs straight, left arm tucked behind them, and right hand holding their curled fingers like a claw.
"High Councilman Michael," they answered automatically and received a chuckle from the councilman. He was still fairly young, in his very early thirties. His crystal, blue eyes twinkled as they squinted beneath his smiling cheeks. Zara always described his blond hair as "perfect," and kept a magazine cover of him beneath her cot.
"At ease, ladies. And Alexa," he said with a gentle smile. Alexa looked a little awestruck that High Councilman knew they identified with neither gender.
"I'd like to speak with Miss Clementine for a moment, please," he continued. Zara looked like she was going to cry as Alexa quickly led her away from the other two. Clementine watched them go before turning back to the High Councilman.
"Sir?"
"I've noticed how well you've trained, Miss Roux. And, with further recommendations from the Commander Rouxs, I wish to turn your potential into reality. Would you be interested in going further with the conversation?" he asked kindly. Clementine was flabbergasted that he even had to ask.
"Yes! I mean, yes, sir, of course," she stammered incredulously. She received another smile in return.
"Great. I would like for you to train to be a troop leader. The way you naturally gave order to your classmates and remained calm in the battle simulations didn't go unnoticed by your instructor. He sent about a dozen emails suggesting you to be a troop leader within the span of six hours."
Crazy old man, Clementine thought fondly.
Clementine instantly agreed to take on further training while five of her friends went to replace fallen agents in Alaska. Clementine was proud of them. Guarding the map was the most honorable position a dragon could have.
The morning after graduation, Clementine was thrown into rigorous training once more.
Although basics required swordsman classes, target classes with guns, and obstacle courses, troop leader training tripled that. Clementine trained with different sizes of swords, two swords, and even daggers. She also learned how to use a bow and arrow, how to throw knives, and machine guns. For the obstacle courses, she had to climb over and under things, dodge boulders flying at her, and fight trainers as well while in human and dragon form.
On the last day of training, the obstacle course incorporated everything she learned. She flipped over walls and landed on her opponents, knocking them out quickly. Her last obstacle was a real angler, who had previously been chained and caged. She waited for it to charge, then duck and spun, slashing at its broad feet.
The thing hissed at her, and it smacked her sword off to the side. She noticed her trainers tense, but she lifted a placating hand.
She had this.
Spotting a steel rod sticking out the side of the climbing wall, Clementine smirked at the beast in front of her. It cocked its oversized, bald head but growled and charged once more. She anticipated its move, ducking and rolling between its legs and running for the wall. At the last second, she leaped into the air and aimed both legs at the rod. It snapped clean off.
Armed with a new weapon, Clementine twisted around and jabbed the rod up at an angle, toward the angler. It had been just a few feet from her, and it found its chin busted in and the rod sticking from the top of its head.
Clementine was packed up and bundled into a plane within a few hours, dispatched to be the new troop leader of Troop 583. The previous one had been killed by a boulder tossed into the air by a rather large angler. 583 was quick to dive down onto it and rip the thing to pieces, setting it ablaze for good measure.
The troop sounded like a good fit for Clementine, but she still ended up fiddling with the chord of her bag's straps during the long flight from Chrysalis to Fort Lynx. What if they didn't like her because she's replacing their old one? Apparently, that troop leader had led his team for eight years. Clementine had just shifted when he became a troop leader at a wise age of twenty-four. She was just a kid, compared to when he became a troop leader.
When she landed, she found herself surrounded by her friends. Alexa was definitely crying, and Clementine could tell Zara was definitely trying not to cry. Her other three friends, Kevin, Katie, and Flora, were just happy that she was the one taking over.
One of her new troop members, a very tall, dark-skinned boy, approached. His round eyes demanded seriousness, and she gave it to him.
"Welcome to 583, Troop Leader Clementine Roux," he stated, giving her a salute. Clementine could tell by his accent that he came from Lioness. She smiled up at him as she saluted in return.
"Thank you," she answered, and knew she'd settle in quickly at Fort Lynx.
A flash of lightning to the south drew her attention. A large storm was wreaking havoc just on the horizon. She frowned at them.
"Brett, will those storms reach us? Over," Clementine asked into the walkie-talkie that was usually attached to her black, leather scabbard belt. She waited a few moments in silence, watching the clouds. They did not look pretty, and it made Clementine worry about those out on post.
