Azaroth was the second person outside. The tall boy who used chains last night was leaning against the building casually. They sized each other up, and Azaroth noticed that his eyes were a rich brown speckled with gold.
Now that it was daylight, Azaroth could see clearly how massive the HQ of the Hounds in East Haven was. There were still a lot of big buildings far off, and it seemed the new recruits were stationed at the smaller buildings.
The blue-eyed girl joined them next. Her clothes were still covered in blood. The three of them stood there, unspeaking and unwilling to speak to each other.
Then Alex came. He was surprisingly clean of any blood like the three of them, though he still wore the same clothes as yesterday. Still, he was dripping wet with water. Azaroth couldn't say if it was the Hound that woke him up or if he had taken a bath.
He wore the same smile as yesterday too.
"Hey! You three, can it be that we are a team? Hounds are always in groups of four!" Alex waved at them, smiling easily.
No one answered him.
Azaroth wasn't fooled, not when he had seen how Alex handled his sword.
Next came Kael Hound. He appeared suddenly on the roof of the building next to them. Azaroth was surprised, but he didn't let it show. How long had Kael been there?
Kael jumped down, his fall light as a feather. "Follow me." He turned and started walking.
He led them up the road until they reached a big, two-story building. The building was grey and made of stone; no decoration adorned it.
Inside the building was no different. The bottom floor was large, with racks holding different weapons.
This is for training, Azaroth thought. This whole building.
"This is your new home. Upstairs you will find rooms. Pick one each. You are now a pack of Hound," Kael said behind his mask.
The four of them nodded sharply. Azaroth didn't like it, but there was nothing to be done. He would have to find a way to use them.
"Your first lesson today will be to learn basic things about Awakeners since most of you are close to awakening. But first, I will know your names." Azaroth knew a command when he heard one.
Alex went first. "I am Alex! That's my name."
Kael Hound turned his masked face to the other three.
"Azaroth," Azaroth said with no emotion.
The tall boy spoke next, his voice so deep for such a thin frame. "I am Catena."
"My name is Stallus," the blue-eyed girl said.
Kael nodded. "Good. Now go up and wash. You will find clothes waiting for you."
It didn't take long for Azaroth to walk up the wooden stairs and pick the closest room. The room was bigger than the previous one, with a table and a chair. Also, a small room was added for washing. There weren't any windows.
After a quick wash, a black sleeveless tunic and long trousers were waiting for him. He got dressed and then went back down.
It didn't take long for the others to join him, dressed as he was.
A table with food had been set up, and after a quick meal of bread and stew, Kael had them sitting cross-legged on the floor.
"I will be your teacher until you either complete your training as a Hound or die."
"As you know, the apocalypse happened nine years ago and nearly destroyed our planet, killing more than half of us. Monsters came out of portals, and crypts sprouted around the globe. We were weak then, and we suffered for it. But then people like Ignis, the glorious leader of the Inferno Legion, found out about essence, and that was how the first Awakeners were born," Kael said, his voice low.
He continued, "We don't know where the crypts with monsters came from, but we learned we could harvest essence by killing the monsters. We learned to be powerful, and now with that power, the Awakeners have brought stability back to Earth."
Azaroth said nothing. He doubted the others, except Alex, believed what Kael said about stability. Stallus looked like she had heard this multiple times and was tired of it. Catena just looked bored.
Alex was the only one who was visibly interested. Azaroth himself had an unreadable look. The fact was there was no stability on Earth. The humans haven't won the war with the monsters; they were just keeping them at bay, and the monsters now dominate a huge chunk of Earth—the Wildlands.
Also, the humans with the power of Awakening were more prone to fighting and territorial than ever before. The truth was that humans were not united. Fortunately, the monsters weren't either.
"What awakening simply means is that you will be remade with a core to store essence. How powerful you will become all depends on how large your core is," Kael said. "There are levels or ranks as you advance. First, we have Initiate, then Acolyte, Channeler, Catalyst, and Master."
Azaroth knew his father was a Channeler.
"We have low, middle, and peak in these individual ranks, but sometimes they become blurred. Also, it all depends on the technique you learn. A plant-making technique at the Channeler level might not be able to defeat an Initiate of any battle techniques. As you level up, you become faster, stronger, and healthier physically." Kael rubbed his hands together.
Azaroth wondered which rank Kael and the other Captains were, and what about Commander Apex and that cloaked man?
Alex raised his hand, and when Kael nodded, he asked, "I heard you can become immortal."
Kael paused. "It might be possible. You gain more lifespan as you advance. There are certain ranks even above the Master, so maybe it is possible. I wouldn't know."
"Now back to your lesson. From now till the day you Awaken and begin your crypt hunts, you will learn weapon fighting or hand-to-hand, as it suits you."
Azaroth's red eyes lit up. Finally, training about killing.