Later that day (Monday, January 31, 2022) Aqrabuamelu compound, Flushing, Queens, New York, United States

Tabir scuttled around behind the counter. His scorpion form making him unwieldy in the small space. After contemplating a bit, he muttered an “A-ha” and pulled a long wrapped pole from the wall and then he went to the drawer and pulled something else out.

“These will do for you.” He turned around, his carapace knocking the armor and weapons around.

He unwrapped the pole and a bright blade emerged along with a shiny fresh wood haft.

“It is a halberd for you. And a dagger if the enemy gets past that.”

He placed the dagger down. A long straight, single sided blade, long but reasonably thick and with what appeared to be knuckles on the handle. The blade was black and looked somewhat modern as opposed to the halberd. Whatever a halberd was.

But when Ella picked up the long weapon and stood it up. She suddenly had a flashback to being stabbed by a weapon in this exact shape, pinned to a wall while crystalline eyes stared into her.

And then she knew, the theater behind the counter was just that. This weapon had been selected for her before Tabir had started looking. Looking at it closely, it was newly made. Made for her.

“Now come over here dear. That is enough staring at your new toys. Let’s get you measured and get you some armor.”

“Armor?”

“Why do we need these old style weapons anyway?” Ella asked.

“Tradition is important. We all train in the old forms. Even me!” Tabir patted his round belly as he said that, the only fat Aqramuabelu Ella had ever seen.

He grabbed a tape measure and started measuring, pulling Ella around like a rag doll. Ella could feel the muscle under the fat and realized he was a lot scarier than he seemed. Ella yipped a bit when his hand went near her private parts but Tabir measured her fast and efficiently and without any consideration for her feelings.

While Ella rubbed her arm that he had been pulling her around with, he came back with a bag of clothes.

“Here we go… Dyneema fabric over Kevlar vest and plate carrier. Forearm metal guards for combat.”

“Do you have any sort of leg armor? It’ll be better for kicking. We don’t all have poisonous stings.” Ella said.

Tabir looked at her more closely. “Well I’ll be. You are a human aren’t you? We usually don’t spec that, you know we tend to be rough on pants. I’ll ask for something that will work for you. Also you probably don’t need quick release boots then. No transforming for you!”

“Let’s see. Ballistic face mask. Gear belt. Glock 34. Haenel MK556 rifle. Zaidu does like his German weapons. Sheaths and holsters for everything. Sling for your halberd. Pack, already loaded with tons of stuff.”

Tabir looked at a note. “You don’t need civvies I guess since you have them. We can provide you with disguised tactical gear with approval.

Ella regarded the growing pile of items. “Umm… actually yes. I’d like to apply for it. Actually I have a list.” And Ella pulled out a list of ‘dream’ gear she had made a while ago. Plate carrier long coat, kevlar jeans, concealed holster, a smaller knife, and other things.

She emailed it over to Tabir. “Hmmm. Not a bad list for a civilian, but we can do better. Let’s talk later. I gotta get the rest of these larvae outfitted.”

Ella managed to pile everything on and have it off the desk, the halberd or whatever it was being the most difficult to manage.

They took their gear back to the quarters that had been provided to them. Three bunk beds along one wall with open stalls next to them, a table, some desks, the accommodations were still better than Ella’s studio.

Bunks already had names on them and Ella saw that she was under Tauthe in the right most bunk. She spent time arranging the gear in the stall to hang neatly and then, following the lead of the others, began to strip down and change into what they had provided.

The thick leggings she put on felt like yoga pants, and then midweight cargo pants on top with lots of pockets. They wrinkled something fierce. Similar material long sleeve shirt, vest on top. Ella left the plates out.

She eventually figured out the cross back carrier for the halberd. Which went uncomfortably underneath the pack.

The others were all dressed and they looked like a bunch of idiots ready to go play paintball.

“Line up,” hissed a voice. At the door stood a man, kitted out as they were but with a badge of with a strange character on it that Ella recognized as Sumerian.

They all scrambled into a rough line. Ella had no idea what she was doing.

“You have trained in unarmed combat and studied the great battles of our past. All so we can have revenge on that bastard Utu.” He stayed there and studied them. His voice was a harsh whisper with long sibilants like a snake.

“Well all of you but one. I understand we have a sniveling vermin of a human here.” Ella kept her eyes straight ahead out of some notion from movies.

“She looks delicious though. So we have rations that will carry themselves.”

“Let’s go for a warm up run and then start combat training.”

The instructor took off and with a belated start the rest of them followed down the tunnel.

This was no ordinary army jog, but a mad scramble around others in the hallway, being forced to dodge and weave around people to try and keep up. Ella kept getting stuck with the long halberd on her back and eventually pulled it free to run better. Whenever she saw an open spot she would sprint to try and catch up but she could barely keep the figure ahead of her in view.

Tauthe and Adra kept up but Davcina was panting and breathing hard and Etana had fallen behind.

Ella realized the run had taken them downstairs and they were now in a warren of what appeared to be tunnels. The air was moist and warm and suddenly they were outside in the cold winter. The snow was driving hard and Ella put on the speed to keep with the instructor. Her vision narrowed to putting one foot in front of the other. She was almost hit by a car and she ignored it and kept going.

Through some wire gates and onto a dirt field next to the water. The instructor stopped and stood there.

“Just you? Phaw!” The instructor spit.

Adra stumbled in.

“Pathetic to let a human beat you. Our magic is weak if this is the best we can make.” The instructor was still hissing but somehow made himself heard over the snow and bitter cold wind.

“Let’s go back and pick the nymphae up.” The instructor spat again and started running back.

Ella kept up with him easier this time, and they followed the path back finding each of the others as they worked their way back.

When they reached the tunnels he took them along another path and they ended in a large gymnasium.

“Since the vermin was the only one who kept up, the rest of you can do 100 burpees.”

They all started, and Ella looked around for a second before joining in.

“Vermin, stupid, you don’t need to be doing them.”

“My unit… my team.” Ella grunted out between reps.

They all finished. Ella last. Her running had taken more out of her than she though and she stood up panting hard.

“Pathetic,” hissed the instructor.

“I’m Sergent Zaidu. I served under Sargon three thousand years ago. And you all aren’t worth the piss from his horse. You will call me sir.”

He waited and then belatedly they all yelled some mix of “Yes, sir.”

“Less than piss you all are. Outside of here I was a member of the GSG before I was assigned here. Now I serve on NYC SWAT just to train you.”

“I’ll be training you in our traditional weapons, in modern urban warfare, and whatever else they tell me to teach you.”

“But know this. Since we no longer do the Bloodings, you are less than nothing. And will never be more than that.”

Sergeant Zaidu then had them grab their weapons and strike targets based on numbers as he called them out.

Ella rubbed her hands where blisters had formed and broke. Zaidu had kept them striking targets for hours. He had instructed the others in grip and technique with their weapons, but nothing for Ella and this ridiculous stick.

Ella had to eventually start mixing in kicks and other hits just to give her hands a break. Zaidu had grunted but said nothing.

Afterwards, they all kneeled in a circle and Zaidu had recited something long in Akkadian. Something religious. The others knew when and how to respond, but it was the most alienating part of the day.

Well that and the communal showers which made Ella blush a bit but she stripped down eventually and got to business.

Late that night, Ella lay in her bunk and could not sleep. The day playing over and over again. She was tired. But couldn’t sleep.

How was she going to get better without proper training? Had she made the right choice?