Changeable as the Sea

The day they were to leave, Keren bolted down her breakfast while Adara picked at hers, dashed off to their room to grab the massive field backpack she'd put together the night before, and ended up being the first one waiting at the gates. She was even there before the scientist. Her fellow cadets drifted in after her, first Jason, then Michael and Jed, and finally Franco. Adara was late; even Abernathy, who was late, himself, showed up before her.

Abernathy himself was a short, plump, balding man with glasses that made his eyes look too large for his face. He looked like an old sea turtle, and Keren knew she would have a hard time taking him seriously. He was wearing slacks, as if expecting to be going to a sanitary meeting, and a coat, as if expecting to be going somewhere chilly. He arrived with two heavy-looking bags and a briefcase and directed the cadets already there to divvy it up amongst themselves. Then he realized he'd forgotten things and sent poor Michael back to his room for them, though Jed, much larger and more able to handle getting to and from somewhere with heavy objects in tow, tried to offer to go in his place. His sour disposition quickly quenched Keren's wistful thought that he might have a personality like a sea turtle, as well; he was more like a bitter old crab.

While they were waiting for Michael and Adara, and while Abernathy was directing them all in how to handle his "precious equipment", a man drifted over to join them-- a man with very bronzed skin and hair tinted a shade of green that Keren had never seen before, even in people who liked to dye their hair strange colors. He looked nervous, but also excited, and was watching the cadets and scientist with the same sort of curiosity that made Keren and the other cadets keep glancing his way. He rather reminded Keren of Esuro, only in a much smaller, much more familiar sort of form-- perhaps he was another dragon?

Finally Adara came trudging across the courtyard, struggling into her own backpack and looking sour. "Alright, I'm here, let's go," she said gruffly, arriving at the gates. Keren was tempted to ask her what had put her in such a bad mood, but the look on her face suggested that asking now would result in an eruption of fury and swearing, which would probably get them into trouble with their new "commander".

Michael returned a moment later, toting more than looked healthy, his face red from carrying more then his own gear. "It took you long enough, rapscallion!" Abernathy cried, looking as though he'd beat the poor kid with a cane if he had one-- Keren had to cough to hide a laugh; she hadn't heard the word "rapscallion" since she was back home under the watch of her grandfather! "Bring my bag here," he continued, sounding as surly as Adara looked, "I have to make sure you didn't break anything." Michael struggled over to him, and Abernathy roughly dragged the pack from him, dropping it on the ground.

::If naething was broken before, it sure is now,:: Keren commented privately to Adara.

::I can't believe you signed us up with this senile old fart,:: Adara grumbled, and Keren rather regretted even trying to speak to her in the mood she was in.

Mood notwithstanding, however, Adara joined in when all of the cadets gave Michael sympathetic looks, Jed even patting his shoulder once, while he caught his breath and watched the scientist fumble through his things. The dragon approached while he was bent over, and peered around with an expression of amusement. He finally had to wave a hand in front of the man's face to get his attention. Abernathy stood up abruptly and the dragon smiled. Pointing to himself, he nodded and said, "Viatoro Nuntiumi." Then he turned his finger on the elder scientist, still smiling, and asked, "Abernathy?"

Abernathy looked flustered a moment, as if unable to figure out who this strange-looking young man was, but after a moment it dawned on him and he grunted something like a greeting. "Here to be our transport, right? Well, let's get going. The day is wasting and I have a lot to do once we get there!" He gave the dragon a thoroughly exasperated look as if for taking to long to teleport them, then glared around at the cadets and the one adult soldier who had signed up for this event-- and who, from the looks of him, was now regretting it.

Viataro nodded to the old man, mild amusement tinting his concerned expression. He seemed to understand the scientist's blustering, at least, though his lack of a response probably meant he didn't speak Intraworld. Keren thought wistfully about the new language-translators UNIS was making, but knew that a mission like this wasn't important enough for them to be gifted with such things, so her thoughts on the subject would stay just that: thoughts.

Silent but smiling, the dragon made a gesture for everyone, the cadets, the scientist, and the one wary-looking soldier, to gather closer together, and then closed his eyes in concentration. Keren exchanged a look with Adara, then stepped up as directed, feeling a little excited. If it was to be anything like their trip here via the portal, it was going to be quite an experience. The rest of the cadets also cautiously came closer, with varying degrees of interest and apprehension on their faces. Only Abernathy and the adult soldier-- Keren couldn't remember his name, now-- seemed to have done this before, and neither of them seemed too enthused about doing it again.

Their surroundings started to dim, and Keren looked around curiously, but the shadow became complete and she couldn't even make out the faces of he fellows around her. There was a slowly growing feeling of speed, like they were accelerating through nothingness, space pressing around them like water, but the apex of momentum came too quickly for Keren to really identify the feeling, and then they were slowing again, their surroundings brightening again. Gone were the walls of the fort courtyard, the manicured grass, the passing civilians and soldiers, to be replaced by a bank of soft sand littered by bits of wood and seaweed. Keren breathed deep of the salty air, taking in the repetitive sound of the ocean crashing on the shore, and her eyes shut as she smiled. This... this was home.