[Before]

"What is this place?" Radar asked while staring at the sky. Different colors swirled in it, creating a heavenly atmosphere. He had never seen such a thing back home. And around him, men, women, and children played and danced without a care in the world. They wore white uniforms with gold horizontal stripes and silver vertical ones. "Is this Heaven?" Radar smiled.

Constance chuckled. "No, but it is a place where people like you and I can live in peace and learn how to use our powers."

Before the events of that day, Radar never knew he had powers. He had lived a normal adolescent life until things turned for the worse.

"Did your father not tell you of this place?" Constance asked.

"No." Radar shook his head. "Father and I don't... didn't talk with each other much. He was always working. And when he returned home, he was either drunk and beating Mom, or asleep on the couch." Radar looked at Constance with tears in his eyes. "I never meant to kill them. I swear."

"I know." Constance hugged him.

Radar had discovered he had powers accidentally. He was trying to get his shoes out of his dog's mouth when he opened a portal above an erupting volcano. His dog fell into it, and lava streamed into his home and burned it down.

His parents couldn't escape—they were upstairs. His Mom was unconscious in her bedroom after his father beat her. And in retaliation, Radar locked his father in the bathroom. He tried to save them, but the fire had destroyed the stairs.

Before he died in the burning house, a portal opened beside him and Constance came out of it. She introduced herself and then asked him to follow her. Without another option, Radar did.

"What matters is you are alive, and you can continue your family's legacy," Constance said.

"My parents could open portals?" Radar asked.

"Only your father. He was one of the best. He had mastered more than portal magic." Constance sighed. "But he got too greedy and lost his powers."

"What did he do?" Radar never knew much about his father. The man never spoke about his past life. Even when they ate dinner, his mother would reminisce about her childhood. Then, out of nowhere, his father would get angry and beat his mother.

"He intentionally killed one of us. And once you do that, you lose your powers," Constance said.

"Wow," Radar said. It now made sense why his father was always angry and drinking himself to sleep. Still, it didn't give him the right to abuse his mother. "So everyone here can open portals?"

"Yes. And more. You will have to study hard if you want to catch up to the others."

Radar smiled and nodded. "I will."

Constance patted his head. "Good boy. Now let's go meet The Elders."

[Now]

Radar opened his eyes and found himself in Dr. Willow's apartment. He sat up on the couch and a sharp pain coursed through his left arm. He winced, then looked at his left arm and found a sling holding it in place.

"I feel like shit," he said.

"You look like it too," Dr. Willow said.

Radar turned to her, and she waved at him. But she wasn't alone. Beside her stood Luna and the four dragon riders. "Great." He sighed.

Dr. Willow sat on the sofa opposite him. "If Luna had brought you any second longer, you would have died."

"Los shot me with a paralysis gun. No need to be dramatic," Radar said.

"It wasn't a paralysis gun, Rapunzel. It was a poisonous one. Slave traders use it on people who refuse to be slaves. If they can't have you, then they saw no reason for you to exist."

"Right." Radar nodded. "Thank you for your help." He cleared his throat. "But I have to go." When he tried to stand, pain shot up his left arm, making him wince.

"Careful. You aren't completely healed. It'll take time."

"I do not have time," Radar said.

"Then find it." Dr. Willow rolled her eyes.

Radar sighed, then leaned back on the couch.

"While you're here, the dragon riders would like to have a word with you," Dr. Willow said.

Radar chuckled. "Now they want to speak to a man?"

Dr. Willow hit his head with a flick of her fingers.

Radar cried out in pain. "What was that for? Can you not see I am in pain?"

"Listen to them." Dr. Willow frowned.

Radar sighed. "Fine." He looked at the dragon riders and smiled after noticing the woman he talked to on the red dragon glaring at him.

"Is this the thing that—"

Did she just call me a thing? Radar thought.

"—stopped you from capturing the slave trader?" one of the dragon riders asked. Green lines swirled around her arms, with two verticle lines on her face. She had a head full of cornrows, a snarl on her face, and a glare in her brown eyes.

"Kamala, don't start," another dragon rider said. She had similar lines to Kamala. Hers was white. And she had styled her hair in a butch cut.

"No, Frida, this isn't the time for your 'we come in peace' bullshit." Kamala pointed at Radar. "This thing interrupted Audre and almost got her killed."

"I can hear you," Radar said. "Also, I saved Audre." He looked at the dragon rider with red tribal tattoos and winked.

Audre rolled her eyes.

Did she resist my winking charm? Radar frowned. I have lost my womanizing abilities.

Audre sighed, then sat on the sofa beside Dr. Willow's. "I'm Audre. And those," she pointed at the three women behind her, "are my sisters Kamala, Frida, and Makeba."

Makeba hadn't spoken nor glared at Radar. She just watched him like someone who watched a dog playing at a park. Makeba had black tribal tattoos on her arms and face.

The color of their tattoos represents the dragons they control, Radar thought.

"Now that I have introduced you five, how about we get to why you're in Slave City," Dr. Willow said. "Radar," she called. Radar looked at her. "The dragon riders are—"

"What do you want with Los?" Radar asked the dragon riders.

"I was about to tell you." Dr. Willow pouted, then leaned back on the sofa and crossed her arms.

Audre scratched her bald head. "Willow told us you came here searching for Jasmine."

Radar looked at Dr. Willow, and she shrugged.

Audre continued, "Our sister, Amina, came here to meet Jasmine. But Los and his men kidnapped her. Willow seems to trust you, saying you can help us find her."

"When I was healing you, you showed me your memories," Dr. Willow said. "I didn't know you were a tracker. I thought your kind was extinct."

Radar stayed quiet. The memories of the day of extinction tried to resurface, but he held them back. It wasn't the place or time for him to go down that dark road. The wound was still fresh, even after all these centuries.

"You may not know this, but our country and your kind had a working relationship. They helped vet the men during Harvest Day in case an enemy hid within them. And in return we owed the trackers a debt," Audre said. "And that's what I'm offering you, a debt. If you find Amina, I will do anything you want. No matter the time or place, I will be there to help."

Radar smiled. Having the dragon riders owing him was better than them paying him in gold or platinum coins. "Alright, I will do it," he said.

"Great." Audre nodded.

"Quick question," Radar started. "How did you know Los kidnapped your sister?"

"A woman by the name of Safari told us."

Radar chuckled. Of course. That damn seer. What is she planning?

Audre stood, and her sisters joined her side. "We'll be taking our leave. We have a country to protect. Amina has blue tattoos. When you find her, leave her outside the gates of Chocolate City."

"Understood," Radar said.

The dragon riders left the apartment.

"What now?" Dr. Willow asked.

"Now I go after Los." Radar smiled.