Kael stood them up and led them to the weapons rack. "Choose your weapons. The weapon you choose will be the one you will use all your life."
Azaroth frowned. When did Awakeners start using weapons? They mostly used their essence to fight.
Different weapons were hung on the rack, even daggers and bows.
"Will we be trained in the weapons we choose?" Azaroth asked.
"Yes. You will," Kael Hound answered.
Azaroth browsed through rows of weapons, looking for what would fit him. A dagger had been perfect for the test because he was untrained in any other weapons, and it had been easy to use.
Now he had to look for what suited him. Azaroth finally found it, a sword. The sword was slim, slimmer than a katana. He picked it up. It was firm in his hand.
"A good weapon. It was designed for quick, fast slashing rather than stabbing," Kael said beside him.
Azaroth fought the urge to stiffen. How was Kael so stealthy? The man had the knack for moving slowly and fast at the same time while being deadly silent.
"I'm thin. Cutting won't do much help," Azaroth said.
"For now. You will soon grow into yourself and gain enough muscle for cutting. Also, you don't have to cut like a normal sword or a broadsword. One clean cut is enough," Kael gestured at the sword in Azaroth's hand.
Azaroth hefted the sword in his hand. It felt light and strong enough for quick cutting. He tried a stabbing stance he had seen the blue-eyed girl do.
He drew his hand back and lunged his sword forward as fast as he could. It was fast, but it wasn't right.
Azaroth frowned, then suddenly moved his head sideways just in time. A blur of metal passed through where his head had been. Azaroth turned fast and brought his sword up.
"Nice reflexes," Stallus said. "But if you want to learn a stabbing form, that's not the ideal sword for it."
Stallus held a saber casually in her hand, her blue eyes unreadable.
Azaroth narrowed his eyes. "Nice reflexes? Coming from a person who attacked from the back?"
Stallus fixed him with a look and said flatly, "We're to be assassins."
Fair enough, Azaroth thought. Then he propelled himself forward so fast that Stallus didn't have the chance to bring her saber up until his sword was inches from cutting her neck.
Azaroth raised his brows and said flatly, "Nice reflexes."
Stallus looked at him, surprised, and then she nodded. "Your reflexes are good. You should focus on your cutting forms. You are... very fast."
Azaroth said nothing as he held the sword to her neck and even cut her flesh a little, letting a drop of blood drip. He had been surprised by her attack, though he didn't let it show.
She was just as dangerous as Alex, who pretended to be a fool.
How will I use them as my tool? Azaroth nodded at her and withdrew his sword, flicking the blood away.
Stallus already had a sheath by her side, and she nodded deeply at Azaroth before sheathing her saber.
"Oh. This is going to be an interesting set. Can't wait for when you become Awakeners." Kael sounded pleased.
Azaroth looked at him. He had a question. He stared at the black mask. "Why are you teaching us? From what I've put together, you are a captain and the one that leads the other two captains."
"The Captains are Captains. There's little importance in being a captain. All Hounds are obedient. All Hounds are the knives of the Inferno Legion," Kael said.
Azaroth noticed that he hadn't answered his question or dismissed his theory about leading the other Captains. From what Azaroth had observed, Kael was just below Commander Apex in East Haven, at least on matters concerning the Hounds.
"As for why I am teaching you, it is simply because your set is unique. Two Captains have been appointed to be your teachers," Kael said.
Special? How?
It was Stallus who asked, "How are we a special set?"
Alex and Catena had joined them now, Alex with a sword and Catena with chains wrapped around both hands.
"You will be the new set to be taught in an entirely new way from the other Hounds. As you know, Awakeners are still a new concept, and there are still a lot of new things being discovered," Kael said.
Azaroth narrowed his eyes. Creating special Hounds shouldn't be the sole reason for clearing out the East. Something, many things, were going on underneath.
"Come. Let's begin."
Kael began by telling them to drop their weapons and led them in stretches they had to follow before any training. A series of bending and stretching that popped and stretched many bones and muscles Azaroth didn't know he had.
Then Kael began showing each of them the standing form for their weapons.
Unfortunately, Azaroth was the only one who needed to be taught the most. The others had some basic training in their weapons of choice.
Even Catena knew the standing form where he would not be unbalanced by his spinning chains.
Azaroth didn't care though. He listened carefully and practiced each form until he knew how to stay balanced and remain balanced as he swung.
Next was the gripping. Apparently, there were different ways to grip when you swung and when you pulled back, when you stabbed or cut, or when you defended.
Kael let them have a quick break and lunch, then back to training. They trained until their muscles were rigid and their clothes soaked with sweat.
Azaroth was trained on his standing and cutting form. Kael had him cutting the air so many times that Azaroth lost count.
It was dark out before he released them. They washed, had dinner, and everyone returned to their rooms. Kael had told them training the next morning began early, and anyone late would wish they weren't.
That night when Azaroth slept, he didn't dream.