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 use 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 rolls 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 fitted 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 than stabbing." Kael said beside him.
Azaroth fought the huge to stiffen. How was Kael so stealthy? The man had the nack to move 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 would soon grow to yourself and gain enough muscle for cutting. Also, you don't have to cut like a normal sword or a broad sword. 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. Azaroth tried a stabbing stance he had seen that blue-eyed girl do.
He drew his hand back and lunched his sword forward as fast as he could. It was fast but it wasn't it.
Azaroth frowned then suddenly moved his head sideways, just in time. A blur of metal passed through where his head was. 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."
Stalls 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 Stallus didn't have the chance to bring her saber up until his sword got 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 and let a drop of blood dripped. 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 Captain 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 on leading the other Captains. From what Azaroth had noticed, Kael was just below Commander Apex on East Haven. At least on matters concerning the Hounds.
"As for why I am teaching you— it's simply because your set is unique. And 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 had chains warped on both hands.
"You will be the new set to be taught in an entirely new way than the other Hounds. As you know, Awakeners is still a new concept and there's 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, lots of things was going on underneath.
"Come. Let's begin."
Kael began by telling them to drop their weapons and led them in a stretch that they must follow before any training. A series of bending and stretching that popped and stretched lots of bones and muscles Azaroth didn't know he had.
The Kael began showing each of them the standing form for their weapons.
Unfortunately, Azaroth was the only one who needed to be taught 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 chain.
Azaroth didn't care though. He listened carefully and practiced each form until he knew how to stay balanced and remained balanced as he swung.
Next was the gripping, apparently there were different ways to grip when you swing and when you pull back. When you stab or cut. Or defend.
Kael let them have a quick break and lunch then back to training. They trained till 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 room. Kael had told them training the next morning began early morning and anyone late would wish they weren't.
That night when Azaroth slept, he didn't dream.