CHAPTER 1
We were all shuffled in to the hall. It was dimly lit, some blood on the walls, skulls and spikes everywhere. Many of us were men, a few women were scattered around. I saw one or two familiar faces, the rest were new and cold. I'd never known these people a day in my life, but soon we'd all be a family. Because we all had two things in common, we signed the Klokateer application and we'd all die for Dethklok.
After about an hour, a man with glasses and a business suit walked on the stage at the front of the hall. On both sides of him were Kolakateers. They were what we were to become; hooded, black-clothed numbers. The man began speaking,
"Hello, recruits. Welcome to Mordhaus. You are all here today to begin training to be Klokateers. I will be brutally honest with you. Your training will not be easy, most of you will die before you finish. But those that survive will have the esteemed privilege of serving Dethklok. Now in a few minutes you will all proceed to your training quarters and attain your standard black clothes and hoods. We here at Mordhaus appreciate your service to the death metal monolith that is Dethklok."
After he finished speaking a bell rang and we all walked to our designated groups. I looked at the card that was given to me at sign-in, "D-5", it read. I looked for a sign or any indication of where to go. I asked the guy next to me,
"Hey chief, where is group D-5?" His voice was deep and gruff, matched his face perfectly.
"How the fuck should I know? Ask a Klokateer, ya dildo," he said. Asshole, I thought, but he had a point, he was just as clueless as I was. So I hoofed it to the nearest Klokateer and asked him. He didn't say anything, he just pointed towards a door. I nodded and thanked him, as I walked away I could've sworn I heard him call me "Dildo." I walked through the door and saw at least 14 other people. The Klokateer in front of them was checking names off a clip-board, the roster, I suppose. He turned around to look at me and said in a voice of a higher tone,
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I said to him,
"I'm Sawyer Greve, I just -" I was cut off by a slap to face. He spoke to me again,
"This is not a game of 'Who the Fuck Are You?' I asked what you were doing here." I rubbed my cheek and told him I came to serve Dethklok. He slapped me again,
"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I gave him the same answer, he punched me. He asked me again, getting louder and more violent with each inquiry. This went on for a good 10 minutes, until finally after a kick to the ribs I gave him the answer he was looking for,
"I came here to die for Dethklok!" He lowered his fists and said only this,
"You're well on your way then," Two other applicants helped me up and he finished checking off his roster. They introduced themselves to me, one was Richard. He stood about 6'3" and looked as if he could take down a building all by himself. The other was a girl, Emelia. She was a brunette with a small frame, but she seemed to have some fight in her.
"You okay," Emelia asked. I nodded and said,
"I'll live."
"Not for long if you don't start giving them the right answers," said Richard, he wasn't the most consoling guy on the planet, but he did manage to put a small smile on my face. I attempted to stand on my own but the second I did I hunched over and wretched a bit before throwing up onto the floor.
"Blood puke. Good song title."