Secrets of the Starrs

Chapter 5

Sam and I dressed in our battle gear back in the barracks. Sam was oddly quiet, but then again you could feel the nerves floating around in the air.
Sword strapped to my belt, I waited for Sam to finish in the bathroom before we left. He often took anxious ordeals a lot harder than I did.
When Sam had finally finished, we left the barrack and went down to the main courtyard. It was still light, being late April, but the sky was gradually darkening. The wind still ruffled the leaves on the trees, yet it wasn't cold. I felt my furs become uncomfortably hot and tight in the evening air.
All the other warriors, girls and boys from ages nine to twenty five were seated on wooden benches that were positioned in a square. All of them were dressed in their full battle gear, the nine year olds helmets falling off and the eldest warriors' barely managing to fit them over their larger heads.
Master Konrad and the General stood together in their middle, each holding a sword twice as long than was useable. Both looked strict and scary.
Sam was trembling again as we approached them. Master Konrad acknowledged us as we reached him, but the General showed no sign he'd even seen us.
"Warriors!"boomer Master Konrad in his carrying voice. "We are here tonight, on the 28th day of the month of April, to witness the promotion of two warriors."
Polite clapping followed this pronouncement.
"Maximilian and Samuel Starr,"said the General in a very professional and important sounding voice. "Are you prepared to become Senior Warriors tonight?"
I knew the words so well. Sam and I had seen so many warrior promotions in our time here we couldn't even count them any more.
"Yes sir,"answered Sam and I in unison.
He smiled wryly. "Do you swear your allegiance  to our tribe?"
"I do,"we said.
"Do you promise to fight your hardest against the daemons, protect your warrior partners and remain loyal to them?"
"I do," we said together again.
Master Konrad pulled out a silver spiralled wand very nimbly. He traced a spiral in between me and Sam, until it entwined around us as a silver substance.
The other warriors cheered loudly, screaming and stamping their feet. Only a small scrawny girl remained sitting. Elody.
I chose to ignore her. When Master Konrad announced our new titles and dismissed us, I celebrated with my friends Anthony and Harvey. Elody slunk away and I couldn't find her.
I collapsed into bed exhausted that night, my old life on my mind.