Silence descended on the room, the children huddled together their fearful gaze trained on the Hound Captains.
The woman raised her head sharply and everyone except Azaroth and a few flinched. "Yes! Yes, this is it! The smell of fear, see how it lingers in the air."
Then she laughed, short and cruel.
The bigger Hound Captain walked forward, his steps completely silent for such a big man.
He clapped and it echoed loudly in the room, he didn't speak for a while and instead watched all of them. Pinning them with a heavy gaze.
A lot of the children flinched and hunched backward but Azaroth held his gaze through the dark mask the Captain wore.
Why were they intimidating us? Azaroth wondered. Then he saw as the other Captain's gaze were zeroed on them. Were they trying to see who gets intimidated?
The people Azaroth had marked apart before all held the big Captain's gaze. Then the other Captains nodded subtly, their heads barely moving.
What does it mean? That they have sized them up? Azaroth narrowed his eyes.
The big Captain began to speak, his voice heavy and the flicking light played with his mask making it seem as if it was moving flames. "You had been chosen but you haven't been tested. Not all of you are qualified for the title of a Hound. Some of you did not deserve that title. We must find out those that didn't deserve it."
Just as he finished speaking the door opened and two Hounds walked in, carrying a large wooden box between them.
They dropped the box at the feet of the big Captain, bowed, and left just as they had come.
The big Captain kicked the box and the lid flew open revealing glinting metals.
"Each of you will pick a weapon here. Choose wisely." He gestured and the box lifted off the floor and poured its contents on the stone floor. The box landed back with a heavy thud.
"Choose now." The Captain pointed and then joined his fellow on the dais.
Nobody moved for a few minutes until Azaroth pushed the girl in front of him roughly away and made his way to the weapons.
Different kinds of weapons glittered on the floor— from long swords, knives, heavy bladessaberses, bows, and chains to spears. And lots more he couldn't put a name on.
Azaroth ignored all of it as he crouched, his red eyes scanning the various weapons. He was looking for a particular one.
Others had joined him now, hesitantly picking weapons.
Then he saw it. A long thick dagger with a wicked curve.
Azaroth held it and nodded in satisfaction at the sharpness of the metal. He had thought about it, he was not trained in any kind of weapon fighting and he was not a heavy boy to inflict heavy damage. He was quick on his feet though and he had quick reflexes.
He returned to his original place and held the dagger up to see his reflection. He wasn't surprised by the red eyes and his white hair was long, an effect of the technique scroll he ate.
Azaroth stared at his own eyes, he barely recognized himself. His eyes were sharper somehow and the red eyes glinted when it caught the light, the white hair crowned his face. He looked like a wild beast.
Azaroth liked the sound of that as he brought the dagger closer to his neck. He had to be quick about this before whatever the test they were doing began.
He began hacking away at his hair, cutting away any hair below his neck. White hair fell around him, all the while Azaroth felt eyes on him but he refused to look up until he was done.
Azaroth checked himself from the flat of the blade and nodded slowly. Now he was ready for the test.
When he looked up, the three captains were staring at him, and so were the other children. Azaroth paid none of them any mind as he returned the gaze he was getting from the Captains.
He also took the chance to look at other children.
Alex had chosen a sword and he held it with enough casually that Azaroth guessed he must have had some kind of training.
The twins, one held a short sword in his right hand and the other a spear in the other, they were still holding hands.
The tall boy with the short dark hair had chains warped around his two hands, each ending in a spiked metal ball.
The blue-eyed girl held a sabre in her hand and the pink bushy-haired girl was holding a short sword.
The other children also held some kind of weapons.
"You've all chosen weapons. Good, now the rule is simple...." Whatever the big Captain was about to say was lost as the door banged open.
Commander Apex strolled in and he wasn't alone. A man cloaked in a black robe strolled at the front and Commander Apex followed behind.
Whoever the cloaked man was, he was powerful and high above Apex and the way the Captains shifted nervously on the dais before coming down told Azaroth that it was unusual for the cloaked man to be there.
Azaroth trained his red eyes on the cloaked man and the man stopped, then swung his head at Azaroth. The darkness inside the cloak was so dark that Azaroth didn't see anything.
Azaroth stumbled back as the cloaked man came closer before the man turned and continued walking.
Azaroth released the breath he hadn't known he was holding, he looked at his right hand and wasn't surprised to see it trembling slightly.
Whoever was in that cloak was powerful and it wasn't Commander Apex kind of power. He must be in a league on his own.
Azaroth clenched his hand on the dagger handle, embarrassed by his fear. He scowled. Whoever was there, Azaroth vowed to surpass him one day. And pay him or her back.
The Captains had began falling to their knees until when the black robed man gestured sharply and they bowed deeply instead.
The Captains bowed to Commander Apex who nodded. "You can continue, we are here to observe due to the..... occasion."
Azaroth knew he was lying. Something important must be happening here today but he didn't know.
The big Captain turned to them and Azaroth steeled himself.