WHO ARE WE? Dragons or People? (Genesis)

Shock and Awe

I could see the looks of fear in their eyes cautiously watching my every move while I circled them. They all shared roughly the same colors of red, black, or blue but all varied in shades making it easier on me for distinction. Finishing my inspection I sighed and with my voice now normal I said. "I wanted to say hello to you guys first before having to train the hell out of you in the coming weeks... Also I want to say that the way I acted a few minutes ago was just for show. I could give less a rats ass about how I am supposed to act. Now I know you are scared and so was I when I was taken, but the thing is you can't go back... Keep your eyes on the horizon and push forward, because I can assure you that if you look back you will die. You ten I don't know your names and frankly I won't bother to. During our private training you may call me Drew; but when with the others it will be Staff sergeant. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" they responded slightly out of sync.

"Okay then... We start right now. As a warm up we will be running the perimeter five times. Each lap will be twenty miles, so don't expect to be getting into bed at all tonight. Move out!" I called as I lead the way down the mountain side to the edge of the property. The first three laps I led the way so that the rest of them wouldn't get lost; after that I fell to the back of the formation to critique the way they ran and make them faster. Several of the younger members started falling behind as we reached the end of the fourth time around heaving deeply. "Out stretch your wings to help regain your breath." I called while they slowed down.

They did as commanded and pushed onwards. As we neared halfway through lap five every one of them were barely able to keep their lower limbs moving as their knuckles dragged on the ground making a few of them yipe in pain. "Okay hold the run for a break." I said huffing from the run as we approached a creek. "You may rest as long as you can get back up. Get a drink from the creek and we will be continuing in twenty-five minutes... By the way exellent work all of you I am impressed at your resolve. Now no doubt it's to try and kill me later so you can escape but nonetheless good job." I needled them light heartedly.

"Uhh Sir?" a blue female twelve year-old who had collapsed said "can I have some assistance getting over to the creek sir?" her voice quivering of what I might say.

"Sure sweetheart no problem." I said going over to the side she wasn't lying on. Moving the wing out of the way I helped her to her feet and steadied her over to the creek where she laid down again while drinking. "Anyone else need help over to the crick?" seeing if I had possibly pushed them too hard. The rest of them were silent to my offer trying to be strong or they were all just too proud to admit it.

"Drew. You were taken just like us... So why have you never ran?" someone piped up.

"Ahh, I knew that would come up. And the answer is much simpler than you might think... You asked why and the answer is Where would we run to, Huh? There is nowhere, where we wouldn't be found. Also at the time that I might have debated it; I was in too much pain to get anywhere more than a couple miles in any direction out of area 51. In any case I also stayed because of my friends in my squad. All ten of you will become like a family to one another and that family will become two squads... because here we are all that we have. After we are done here you will follow me up a mountainside and we will begin flight training. After an hour or two of that we will break for dinner and then head back out for the basics in fire breathing. Finally I will lead you to your barracks for the night. Now... I take it you all have rested enough to complete one more half lap." I said stretching my legs and wings a little bit.

One by one they all climbed back to their feet ready to carry on. Once they were all up and ready I took the last leg of the run pretty laid back to help cool them down. As we crossed the line to finish at a light jog John and Sam were about to start their squads with the run. "You have got to be joking right? You guys are only starting now? Honestly its like you actually want to be attached to your trainees." I joked coming to a halt.