After Hanson left the barrack and went back to his office, the recruits remained with Vincent, Ricky, and Thatcher to be filled in on the rest of the information they would need to know before tomorrow started with their training for Basic. The small group was informed about the next nine weeks for them, that each one would bring something new. When that had been explained to them, they were told to avoid being overloaded with information they would get the run down for Advanced training after their Basic graduation took place. A high point they learned was that the day before their graduation was a day their families would get to come to the base and hang out, then return the next day for the ceremony. A lot of them were excited for that. However, they were told there was no family day for Advanced or Dragon Training.

When the nine weeks of Basic and rules were explained, the three officers took them on a tour of the base to show them where everything was so they would know incase there was a time the weren't escorted to their training area or if they needed something. The biggest rule they had to remember was they needed permission from their Drill Sergeant on a lot of things. The tour ended with them ending up standing before Hanson and Toothless outside the barrack around 4:50 pm.

"Have they been told about their next nine weeks?" Hanson asked firmly.

Vincent stepped forward with a salute to him, "Yes sir,"

Hanson nodded approvingly, "They know the rules and were given a full tour of the base?"

"Just finished it," Thatcher informed with a salute and Ricky did the same out of respect.

"Splendid then. Listen up recruits," Hanson began looking at the ten of them, "The remainder of your night will be as follows; dinner in the chow hall, and then back to the barrack until lights out at 2130 hours. In this time, you are free to take your showers, make sure your uniforms are ready for tomorrow, and call your families to let them know you've reached here safely and will only be allowed to call home again on Sundays and if you've earned it."

Sylvia put her hand up slowly as Hanson motioned for her to continue, "Why only on earned Sundays?"

"Being able to use your phones is earned depending on how well you do Monday through Saturday. Notice that today is a Sunday and you've done so well that I'm allowing you to use your phones after dinner to call home to your families. Don't get it twisted either by saying that it's not fair because you will get to communicate the old fashioned way with letters home to them. What you will notice outside my office is a drop box, during Personal Time, you may write a letter and put it in there. Then every morning I will collect them and send them off from the primary mailbox just outside the base gates." Hanson explained.

Heather raised her hand now, "Can we see our dragons tonight sir?" she asked after he'd nodded for her to speak.

"Yes you may. I'm having them moved to the stables next to my office," Hanson informed. "Let's move," he ordered while walking towards the chow hall and Toothless following him. Silently, they walked behind him and then his team bringing up the rear of the group. When they reached the chow hall, Hanson explained that they sat according to their barrack and also it would be at this time their dragons were being fed too. For that entire hour, not much happened for Hanson's group. They didn't talk much because they wanted answers and knew Hanson wasn't going to give them. After dinner ended an hour later, they were back in the barrack to relax for the night since tomorrow would start their Basic Combat Training.

(The Next Day)

As per schedule, the recruits went to bed at 9:30 pm but Thatcher, Vincent, Ricky, and Hanson didn't come in until well after midnight and move to their beds to sleep. It was quiet after that, and they didn't see light again until 5:00 am when the lights came back on followed by Hanson's alarm. However, he was already up, showered, and dressed for the day. So were the other three officers. How early had they been up? And how quiet were they not to wake anyone else up with the movement or showers.

"Let's move, up at 'em boys and girls! We got a long day of learning, and it starts with Physical Training until breakfast!" yelled Hanson's voice throughout the barrack. Knowing from Reception Week that if they didn't move it, they were in big trouble, the ten recruits hustled out of their beds to make them up as ordered and then hurry to the bathrooms to get dressed in their PT gear. "Bring them to the field when they are ready," Hanson leaned towards Thatcher.

"Yes sir," Thatcher saluted as Hanson then left the barrack and moved to the stable to get Toothless ready for a morning fly before the training began. Once Toothless was saddled, Hanson climbed on his back with a smile and patted his neck while Toothless launched into the sky with a roar.

(Thirty Minutes Later)

The soon to be soldiers were lined up and ready for orders while waiting for Hanson to get back to start their PT for the next hour. Right now he had about a minute left before 5:30 am, and the recruits began wondering if he would show up late because six of them remembered Hanson was good at never showing up on time. However, they were shocked to find that as soon as their wrist watched turned to the time, there was a thud as they looked forward seeing Hanson on Toothless's back.

"I hope you didn't think I would be late," Hanson chuckled a little.

"Well, you never used to be on time," Taylor pointed out quickly.

"There is no being late in the military. Vin, Thatch, Rick, go check in on the other groups and see where they are at in training. Get reports on my desk by 1200 hours," Hanson told his team.

"Aye, Colonel!" the three replied with a salute and then hurried off after whistling for their dragons to come to their sides, mounting up and taking to the sky.

"Let's get to work. You will assemble every morning of Basic Training at parade rest in your PT clothing on this field. You were guided here today; you are expected to be here lined up and ready to start as soon as I arrive. Got it?" Hanson began.

"Yes sir!" the recruits replied firmly.

"Good. Your hour of PT will consist of pushups, situps, and a two-mile run. After each section, I will allow you a minute or two to catch your breath and get a bottle a drink of water. If you recall from Reception Week that pushups, situps, and the run need to be done in a certain amount of time. That hasn't changed, you will now do more with less time. To pass Basic, you will have to take a physical fitness test and pass with a score of one hundred and eighty total. It's my job to make sure you can do that," Hanson informed.

"So what do we have to do?" Sawyer inquired.

"I'm separating you into groups by your ages because its different for each one. Ages seventeen to twenty-one on my left. Ages twenty-two to twenty-six on my right," Hanson ordered. Only Grant was on Hanson's left because he was twenty. "Alright. Grant, since you're the only one in this age group. Your goal is to be able to do thirty-five pushups and forty-seven situps, both of them within two minutes each. The two-mile run needs to be done in sixteen minutes and thirty-six minutes."

"Yes sir," Grant saluted to him.

"For the rest of you; males thirty-one pushups, forty-three situps and two miles run in seventeen minutes and thirty seconds. Females, eleven pushups, forty-three situps, and two miles run in twenty minutes and thirty-six seconds." Hanson stated to them.

"Why do the girls get less?" Eli mumbled.

"I don't know; I didn't set the numbers. I just enforce the requirements. Now let's get started, we've already wasted seven minutes explaining. Work with your battle buddy, one does the counting and timing then switch off. Today we will just be working on your goals so I can see where everyone is. Get ready," Hanson ordered. "After two minutes, I want the number you reached. Begin!" he said and blew his whistle. The next two minutes were watching closely, Hanson had to make sure they were doing them right with posture and going all the way down. In the end, he blew the whistle. "Bring me the number your partner reached,"

Heather and Sylvia were first with Aubree's and Raelyn's amounts. "Aubree did seven," Heather said as Hanson wrote it down.

"Raelyn did four," Sylvia informed. Next, it was the males coming forward after Hanson sent the two girls back.

"Grant got through thirteen," Sawyer told Hanson.

"Eli did thirty-one," Dustin said afterward when Hanson looked at him.

"Franklin managed twenty-three," Taylor mentioned.

"Not bad for a first time. Alright, switch off, and let's do it again." Hanson snapped his finger, and the pairs switched off, and he blew the whistle. Hanson noticed that a lot of them weren't doing them right so he would have to show them after the two minutes were up when they were done, he blew the whistle again, and they stopped panting. "Numbers," he ordered.

"Sylvia got five," Raelyn started.

"Heather did six," Aubree told Hanson.

"Dustin gave me thirty-three," Eli informed.

"Sawyer did thirty even," Grant said next.

"Taylor did twenty-eight," Franklin went last while Hanson wrote it all down.

"With the exception of Dustin, Eli, and Aubree. The rest of you aren't doing them in proper form. Not saying you're doing them wrong but the military wants you doing them a certain way." Hanson enlightened them as he placed the clipboard down near Toothless, "Watch carefully because if you do them wrong before the officers of the military headquarters, you will fail the test." Hanson got himself in position. "Hands flat to the ground, feet together and back angled when up. When you go down, your back should be parallel to the ground" he showed them as he did one and returned to the original position."

"Wow, strict, aren't they?" Grant mentioned.

"Incredibly. Back to work, we still need to get through situps and the two miles run before breakfast." Hanson ordered. They nodded and got ready once more. It took about six minutes total just like with the pushups, two minutes per person and then two minutes to relay back the number of how many they did. Hanson noticed they did much better on the situps portion and when they had all finished, he gave them three minutes to take a few breaths and get some water. After that, it was back to work for the two-mile run.

"Set your watch timers to zero, start them when you hear the whistle and run the two miles. When you finish, stop your time and show me what it is." Hanson told them as they got their watches ready and he held the whistle in his mouth while they got into position, he blew it a moment later, and it began again.

The final runner was Franklin coming in at twenty-nine minutes to finish the two-mile run, none of them had made the goal time, but that was alright. It was the first day of training and the entire two months of Basic Training every morning for an hour would get them ready to be able to meet their goal numbers in the set amount of time.

"Not bad, some of you made it in first, and others came in not far off from your required time. Mind you that these times are set to the maximum and if you can finish a particular section earlier than the allotted time to do it. Now, it's 0645 hours and time for breakfast. Let's move out," Hanson told them while they were panting and trying to catch their breath but nodded to him and followed behind Hanson and Toothless.

"What are we doing after breakfast?" Aubree asked curiously.

"We'll be going to my office for your classroom studies about the military, and that will be for the rest of this week until Sunday where you will get tested on what you've learned," Hanson replied.

"What kind of things are we going to be learning?" Dustin inquired.

"Military laws and regulations processes to do certain things. Basic is broken up into three phases; the first is considered Silver Phase and it's three weeks of classroom instruction, drill commands, marching, and getting used to the lifestyle you've entered. Black Phase is two weeks and where you learn about the weapons, learn to fire the rifle and handgun, then get tested for your marksmanship level. White Phase is the final three weeks is testing all you've learned the past eight weeks. The last week of Basic will be preparing for graduation, if you pass of course," Hanson explained. No further questions got asked because they reached the chow hall, got their food, then took their seats at their table with Hanson, Vincent, Ricky, and Thatcher.

The saddest part of today was that they were exhausted and only 6:30 in the morning with so much more to do. The ten recruits may not have said it aloud, but this was going to be a lot harder than they first thought it would be. Nevertheless, there was no going back now.