"Hey man, c`mon we`re headed to weapons." Fletcher calls out from right behind me, making me jolt and smack my forehead against the observation window.

　　"Smooth." He says giving me a hard pat on the back. "Let`s go."

　　I turn to the door, ready to get away from the demon`s attention. Dread settles in and my thoughts barrel down a path I don`t want to follow. Fletcher leads the way since I don`t know where we`re going. I`m silent as we turned down the halls. I should be paying attention to the route we take but I can`t.

　　"So . . . tell me about how awesome we are, now that you`ve seen us in action."

　　If I were to look over I know I`d find that cock sure smile spread wide. I grit my teeth together, annoyed that I want to fall into conversation with him. But after overhearing Addy earlier and watching their true nature in live combat, they`re as fake as I am. At least after tonight he can drop the friendly act.

　　"Yeah, awesome. Especially the demon containment tech."

　　I hope he picks up where I left off. I can get my mind off of being the demon`s focus by finding out more about the tech the squad used. And why outer regions don`t have access to it.

　　"The tech?" He whines, puffs out a long sigh as his shoulders deflate. "That`s what you noticed? The tech?"

　　I don`t break the silence by answering. I want him to keep going.

　　"Yeah, the tech`s great. Ask Iva about all that boring nerd stuff. But how about my shooting?" He enacts a draw on his bow before letting go.

　　I can`t help the smirk as I watch him bound around, eager for praise. "It was precise and fast."

　　"Yes." He raises his arms above his head for the win. "That`s what I`m talking about, Oren. Skills, I got them." He darts away when he spots Luce up ahead.

　　I follow at a slower pace. We come to Founder`s Hall. It has a slightly newer look to it than the other halls, as if remodeled. There`s more security on this side as well. We pass eye scanners, touch screen readers, and keypad entry locks. It`s high-level security, which makes sense if the weapons are down here. Luce and Fletcher curve around to the right and stop before scanning their palms on a touch screen.

　　"No entry for you without security clearance, trainee." She turns to me and smiles, more grimace than a smile.

　　"Awe, look at you, helping new meat understand the rules." Fletcher coos and tries to pat the top of her head but gets an elbow to the ribs instead.

　　He bends over, gripping his side. "Just follow one of us until your training period is over, Oren."

　　The doors open with a sucking sound, like they`re vacuum sealed. What kind of weapons are in here? I walk through the doors onto polished concrete floors. Metal shelves line the wide open space. Every kind of gun, launcher, grenade, and blade fill the shelves. One wall is glass and opens into another room that is set up like a shooting range. Beyond that, is another secured entry that`s sealed with an eye and DNA scanner.

　　"Squad line up." The captain says.

　　I`m the last to enter and find everyone standing at ease in a single row facing the captain. I fall in line at the end, next to Addy. Targets are set against the far wall leaving a wide open space in front of us.

　　"Oren, front and center."

　　I walk towards the captain and stand at attention, keeping my eyes on the DNA scanner behind her. I swallow quietly and stay still. She could be about to give me instructions for weapons time. Or, she could question me about the demon`s behavior after their live combat exercise. The rumors about my family`s connection to demons was all I could think about, frozen in front of that observation window.

　　"Throughout your training period you are to familiarize yourself with every weapon in the next room." She nods to the entry room behind me.

　　I release some tension as I listen to her training instructions.

　　"This squad survives with knowledge, trust, and understanding of not only each other`s weaknesses, but our strengths as well." She nods to Iva who taps on his device.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author`s consent. Report any sightings.

　　A target in the shape of a Blaze demon moves on a track in the ceiling towards the captain. It`s made of a dark material that could be wood or metal and is the same height and width as the real thing. The target stops several yards away from her.

　　"Oren, you will have time to learn about your squad`s weapons during one-on-one assessments. But you will introduce us to your weapons today."

　　No one has ever studied my blades before. No one cared to.

　　"Explain where your warrior weapons manifest and then deliver a kill shot to the Blaze target." She takes her position in the lineup on the other side of Kane.

　　I turn around to face the squad, all eyes are on me. "My weapons are two short swords that manifest from the inside of each of my forearms." I summon my blades.

　　Crossing my arms in front of me, I grip the hilt of each blade, withdrawing them at the same time. I hesitate feeling naked, exposed. A metallic ring sounds and I fall into habit, instinct. I spin my swords once before pointing the tips down at my sides. The room is silent. I look up and see all eyes wide, glued to my blades. I follow their stare to my swords in confusion. They look like they always look.

　　"Did you hear that?" Fletcher whispers. "You guys heard that, right?"

　　Luce grunts before settling into her angry face.

　　"The color." Addy says. "It`s way bluer than yours, Iva."

　　I see him nod in agreement, his wrist device forgotten. "It`s pulsing. The pulses are blue."

　　"Like a heartbeat." The captain adds.

　　"He`s an Oren. We know about their weapons." Kane grunts, washing away the rest of the squad`s surprise.

　　I walk closer to them and hold my weapons in front of me as I walk down the line for each one to inspect.

　　"They don`t transform like the captain`s sword, they are simple double-edged blades." I say hoping to emphasize they`re nothing special or unusual.

　　"Thank you. Now, attack the target." The captain commands.

　　I run toward the fake Blaze, ready to get this over with. When I`m a few feet away, I sink to my knees for the sliding move I used on the Grunt in my trial. The polished concrete is slicker than the arena at the academy. The increased momentum brings me to the target fast. I quickly throw myself back, raise my blades up and feel the energized steel smoothly slice through the target`s underside. I jump off my knees to my feet and turn around to see if I delivered a killing blow.

　　The Blaze target lies in two pieces behind me, split down the middle. My jaw drops and I snap it shut before looking at the captain. The squad`s attention is on the target, but hers is on me. It`s the same look she had after live combat, when the demons were watching me. I`m not doing a good job of flying under the radar.

　　"Holy shit." Luce`s curse breaks the silence.

　　I stand still and try to tamp down the panic raging inside. Deny and deflect. It`s how I`ve survived so far.

　　"I don`t return my blades to where they manifest from." I jog back to stand in front of them. I continue with the demonstration to pull their attention off the destroyed target. "I just will them to retreat to the ether."

　　Their focus is back on me. It worked. I release my grip on my blades and their energy disperses into the air with tiny white and blue sparks that fizzle out.

　　"Oh!" Addy jumps up. "Again. Again, please." She leans forward with a little bounce, trying hard to stay in line.

　　I look to the captain for permission. She nods a few times in approval. I cross my arms and summon my blades. I pull them from my warrior marks harder than before. The ring sounds louder with the force and I twirl them around. I`m about to release them into the ether when Kane`s voice halts me.

　　"Why do you do that?" He asks.

　　I look at him blankly.

　　"The spin." He says.

　　"It`s nothing. An accidental habit." I lie. Not wanting to share it`s my father`s habit. Something I practiced over and over to burn into my muscle memory. To keep a piece of him with me. I will my blades to disperse and, just as before, they spark out.

　　"Again." The captain`s command is stern and I wonder what I did wrong.

　　I summon my blades a third time.

　　"Now drop them to the ground." She says, pointing to the floor before me.

　　I hold my arms out in front of me and let my blades drop. They clang against the concrete and I`m glad any damage repairs in the ether.

　　"Just like Iva`s." Kane grumbles before breaking formation to kneel before my blades.

　　Iva nods in agreement staring at my weapons lying next to each other on the floor. They illuminate the concrete in a soft white glow. But they`re just warrior weapons laying on the ground.

　　"He doesn`t know." Iva`s soft words have me looking between him and the captain.

　　Are they talking about me or Kane? Who doesn`t know and what`s to know?

　　"That`s all for today, squad." The captain`s command sends everyone out of formation and to the exit. "Oren, you can release your weapons. Thank you for an excellent demonstration."

　　I will my blades back to the ether, breaking Kane`s focus. He slowly rises. His towering frame has me backing up a few steps. His eyes are still on the floor where my weapons were.

　　"You`re dismissed, Oren. Good work." She smiles tightly at me.

　　I walk to the exit to follow the others who are in the weapons room murmuring together.

　　"And Oren? Don`t forget you have an appointment with the Centrum steps after dinner."

　　"Yes, captain." I say and walk past the squad.

　　They stop talking and watch me cross the room. I`m used to having that effect but after their reaction during my weapons demonstration, the dread is back. I add warrior weapon research to my ever growing list of things I need to look into before I leave Centrum.