“Rose''

 came the call of a masculine voice from the hall outside her room. the female responded in a timely manner. “I’m coming sir.” 

suddenly she was in front of him as if she popped out of nowhere. “Rose, I have never known you to be a slacker.”

 He put a hand on her shoulder. “There is something wrong isn't there?” 

he asked with some worry. Rose looked up at the heavily clad instructor. “Sorry sir, I'm just a bit nervous of the upcoming test you mentioned.” 

he chuckled softly, his shoulders shaking with his amusement. “Oh don't worry about that.” 

Rose folded her arms looking up at him. “I have been here training for eighty or so years. I have a good reason to stress out over it.”

 the instructor gently rubbed her head. ¨Trust me and just get going.¨

 she then walked away briskly as he commanded. She headed right down a hall opening a large door and she walked outside to the training grounds. It was little more than a dusty field cleared of rocks. 

She longed for her home's lush green, the flowers, ponds and bakery. She had enjoyed talking to the ageing bearded man who ran the small shop. Yeah she did live on the streets but the kind faces… people had always helped her out. This was not much of an improvement from where she was all in all. It had its many, many drawbacks.

 A man dressed in black armor much like her instructors was watching all of the students, trainees? What were they calling them anymore? The instructor came over to him. “Dragons pride.” the one in black stated simply.

 Rose knew the term, they all had to learn it early in the year it wasn't hard to remember thankfully. The instructor's golden hair glistened in the light as he nodded. Hers was the color of flames and would bounce up into its natural loose curls magnifying the fire effect.

 She mostly wore purple which always made zizi amused. But today she had green on and due to the desert-like land she was the only speck of green around the color contrast that caught the eye of the visitor. 

The male spoke and the instructor nodded as he walked to the middle of the training ground. “We will be having an all on one attack.”

 the others smiled and chanted. “Whose chicken?” 

Rose scoffed this was all just a game to them.  the instructor shook his head. “Still don't understand why you all call it that.”

 Then he took Rose’s hand and put her in the middle. “This one is.”

 it sadly was time for her to be the chicken in fact it would be her first time being so. “Oh yeah Barry chooses the one who acts like an adult!” Zizi, who was chewing gum as usual, said.

Zizi was a diminutive woman but not one to be trifled with like a rose she had bright unnatural hair as well. A deep purple hence her amusement to roses' fashion sense. She had emerald green eyes and a smile that always made her look like she was up to something.

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 The instructor turned. “Don’t call me by my name, miss!” he chided.

 “Yes sir mister barry sir.” Zizi said with a big smile Irritating the man.

 The visitor in black folded his arms and leaned back against the wall studying them. The trainees began to surround her in a large circle. 

Rose looked at them going into position. She could only take so many she knew that.

Back with the male in black another was approaching a dark skinned elf with short black curly hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. ¨Ezra.¨ he said looking at the students. ¨ They are all much to young.¨ 

 The appearance of the prince had drawn eyes and whispers. Ezra looked over at Razi who had a blue overcoat on. After taking in his outfit Ezra turned back. ¨Well coat tails many of them are hundred and some years old.  Then we also take them in young to train them.¨ 

Razi scoffed, not caring for the explanation. ¨Exactly much too young! What are we doing to them? Using them as machines and abusing nature to make these monsters? You should be ashamed as well as everyone else!¨

¨You work under me boy and you will not speak to me in such a manner. You and I are here to collect apprentices. We both will pass on what we know to them.¨

¨Yeah take the tube children and force them on families then steal them away.¨ he growled under his breath.

Ezra decided not to pursue the conversation. He turned back to the view of the students. Rose had been pinned by several of the others white glue hardening to a dark black to keep her from shifting. 

Though three others were now standing outside the ring of people. One blond haired gray eyed female was pacing back and forth watching the eventual defeat of rose. The others were a  large tan male who seemed to just be fun loving. Then a smaller male who was laughing along with him. 

Barry waved the students off of Rose, who was properly drowning in the goo by now. 

¨Alright, Alright. Zizi next time your in the center for mouthing off to me.¨

Her mood properly crashed. ¨Sir! You know I'm not a hand to h-¨ Barry grinned mischievously.

¨No better time to start than now huh? Plus i know you specialized in ranged dear.¨ 

Rose walked over standing between them. “Hey it's all good Zi, i can help.” 

Zizi looked at Rose. “No intent to be rude my lady but you just had a proper butt whooping.” 

Barry, who had been silenced for the time being by roses interrupting, picked up again. “Better start practicing your teleporting zi. Don't want to teleport out of the circle and lose like that.” he muttered to himself. Unheard by the other two. “Or get stuck in a wall again.” 

Zizi was still learning her ability as were many other teleporting people. Most had their own training grounds for their ability.  The few shape shifters that they had around could go to most any training grounds. Asid from sticky bombs and teleporting like. If the training was for people with extra fast or strong abilities they were let into. adapters were the only allowed  on to any grounds.

Rose huffed dramatically. “I was bound by the glue!” 

A great black dragon was curled upon a platform. A Group of people before him. All seemed to be scientists.  They were worried and afraid the huge beast could smell it in the air as he reared his head casting great plumes of smoke. The dragon cleared its throat before speaking. 

“What requires my attention?” the group below straightened and called up. “Its about the experiments if they get into a fight we have no way to stop them sire. We would like to create something that would be able to nullify the abilities of the tube children.”  

The hulking monster that they called king leered. Before speaking. His voice gravel because of his draconic body. He wasn't supposed to speak like a human but in fact knew many different dialects and languages. “No.” It was clear as day, simple and plain. The men before the dragon quivered. 

He turned his back tail, swishing dramatically as he left. If they fought only the strongest would be left, that's how he saw it. 

Ezra watched The three interact before turning to razi. “Come on. We're going inside now.”

 Razi nodded and exhaled deeply. “Why do they almost treat this place like a school? But also like a training camp?” he asked. Ezra glanced back at the prince. “They learn like normal people, they need the skills. We train them to fight for the war, you know that. We get rid of the ones that are under qualified.” 

Razi frowned. “Under qualified what happens to those!”

Ezra placed a heavy armored hand against his mouth leaning close and looking into his eyes.

“Nothing, they live normal lives with the outlanders.”

Razis eyes widened and he removed the males hand. “That's why I have gotten so many complaints about overpopulation.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “We could terminate them.”

Razi shook his head. “No no it's fine!”

Ezra turned away from him rolling his eyes. “Good then lets go.” 

Razi followed behind Ezra Walking into the building that contained most of the students. 

He watched them pass by most of them colored with unnatural looks. Bright hair, blue skin teeth like a dogs. Each one of them is an unseemly thing to behold.

Ezra seemed unfazed by it under his black mask. He had his hand in his pocket toying with a few small figurines. It was unknown why he had them on him at all times. Well a very select few did know.

Zizi and Rose were still getting the hardening glue from her body. It was like being tarred and feathered without feathers and heat.