Chapter 1 - Escape
The moon was high in the sky, so full and bright that you could see most of what was around you. There was no breeze that night. There was no sound from anything. There were just bodies of Claymores that lie just outside of a nearby town. Only one of the four was still alive. The only living Claymore woke hours after the attack of a former ally; Priscilla, who was now an awakened being. Her body was weak but she could still move about. Ilena no longer had her left arm now. She was, at this point, useless to the organization she served and they would likely come for her head. Valuing her life, Ilena became a deserter. She wasn't ready to accept death yet, especially after surviving an attack as brutal as this. Ilena stood on her feet using her broad sword to help support her. There was no one around to witness her still alive, so she had to leave quickly. She looked around and saw the bodies of the fallen. There was nothing she could do for them, most of all Teresa whose head was no longer attached to her body. Ilena checked her surroundings to make sure she was still in the clear before looking back to Teresa's body and noticing her head was nowhere in sight. It should still be next her. Why would anyone take it? Regardless, there was no purpose in having concern for Teresa, the murderer she was sent to kill in the first place. Ilena had to focus on herself and suppressing her yoki.
Though she needed medical attention, she would not go back to the town where she encountered Teresa. If she went back and there happened to be Claymores passing through questioning the residents for whatever reason, they could verify that Ilena was still alive. Before leaving, Ilena checked the bodies of the fallen for anything they were carrying on them; money, food or anything else that could be of use to her. Ilena was not one to loot bodies, but she was no longer attached to the organization that supplied her with needed money. There was no telling how much money she would need if the situation ever called for it. Once she finished, she began her journey. The best choice now was to get as far away from the town of witnesses as possible. Stumbling over the rocky surface was the easy part. Traveling along the roads would not be wise. If anyone passed her by on the road, they could at least verify a Claymore was near the area. Whether they could see her symbol or not, being seen was still a lead the organization and possible Claymores hunting her could use.
She looked around to see what direction was best to go in. She noticed mountains far enough for her to escape to, for a little while at least. Once Ilena reached there, she could really figure out what to do with herself. Heading that way in her current state would take more time than if her body was at full capacity; it would definitely take longer than a week or so to get there. From what she could see, there was no one traveling in the area she wanted to go, at least not now. Though, that could change.
Over time she didn't need to use her sword to support her, but she still didn't feel completely well. She kept thinking of Priscilla, the beast who took down Teresa. The beast that easily chopped off the arm of Ilena. The beast that eliminated the two other high ranked Claymores in mere seconds. All of this frightened the lone survivor. There was no way Ilena wanted to encounter her again when she couldn't even lay one hit on her in the first place. Her fear began to pass as new thoughts came to mind. How would she provide for herself? She couldn't exactly mosey into stores anymore if she needed anything. If so, she would have to make sure her face would be hidden and make sure not many people were around to see her. Where would be a safe place for her to go? She definitely couldn't live in a town. Her physical appearance stood out too much, mostly because she still had her Claymore uniform. Living alone was really the only option. Being alone was not an unfamiliar experience to a Claymore. Most civilians were afraid of them. Most of their travel time was spent alone unless there was a mission that needed to be fulfilled that required multiple warriors. They didn't really hold conversations with people either. Aside from a few sentences being exchanged, mainly pertaining to attacks or any information they needed, there was no personal interaction. How would she end up with proper shelter? Ilena didn't know how to build a house. There was a difference between a makeshift shelter and an actual living space. Surely things she needed would come to her in due time.
You mustn't stop until you're clear. Keep going. Your life depends on it. She thought as she traveled to the mountains. Those mountains were her hope, her next step. Ilena became so focused on them she started to ignore her body. She had not eaten in a while. Her body hadn't had the proper time to actually recuperate. Being unconscious for a couple of hours was not enough. Ilena kept repeating to herself. Keep going. The mountains looked like they were getting bigger. Keep going. Her legs started to hurt. Keep going. Her body was becoming more fatigued. A forest at the base was becoming more visible now. Keep going. Don't let anything stop you.Her body was really starting to feel weak. She needed rest, but her determination to make it to that forest kept her going. Keep going. You're almost there. Dizziness started to set in. Her stomach kept grumbling. Her mouth was dry, so she finished off the last of the water she had with her. Slight headaches began to occur that made her stop every couple of minutes. Keep going. Keep going. The forest is right there, just a little longer. Once she reached her destination, Ilena collapsed face down just within the forest.
The wind was blowing, making a nice breeze. She could hear the leaves rustling in the wind. The calm environment helped Ilena relax her body for a little while. What was in the forest and over this mountain? When Ilena had enough energy, she was able to get up and draw her sword. If she saw any animals, they would be food. Ilena was being very observant of the area to see if it was frequently visited by people. The deeper she went, it was clear that this forest was only really occupied by animals. There were no human tracks from what she could see. This was certainly a good sign. She started to hear predators catch and kill their prey. Ilena could handle a few large animals, but majority of humans couldn't, so she hoped there were a number of predators lurking about. Just another layer of protection while she was there.
After a few hours of looking around, she noticed a path that was almost missed. From the looks of it, it was supposed to be hidden. It was a tunnel entrance that was large enough to have people walk though it and was partially covered by the vines growing around it. There was no reason not to go in considering all Ilena only wanted to explore the area. The tunnel was on a slight incline. Once she reached the end, there were more vines to move out of the way. Behind those vines was a beautiful, isolated valley with a lake and trees. Ilena also spotted a small cottage in the distance. There was a chimney, but it did not have smoke coming from it at the moment. There appeared to be no one around, but Ilena was careful upon investigating it. There was a small garden on the side she approached from. The plants were all wilted except for one tomato plant which luckily had quite a few tomatoes left on it. If someone was still here, they definitely were neglecting care of their crops. She peeked through the window nearest to her; no one was there. She decided to enter. It was a little sloppy and dirty from time. A few webs, dust, and some leaves that had gotten in from the door being open. The fireplace hadn't been cleaned for sometime. The bed there was in decent condition. Though, the sheets weren't at their finest and torn for some reason. If someone was attacked while in bed, it didn't make sense that there was not any blood. In fact, there was no sign of struggle either. The place was not a complete mess and would be an easy clean, so it didn't really bother Ilena.
Whoever was there before had long gone. Whether they would be back or not was the question. She went back to the little garden and when she saw the tomato plant again, her stomach growled quite loudly. Ilena picked off and scoffed down the tomatoes without thinking. She didn't even check to see if they had bugs on them. Her body hadn't had food for so long that it wouldn't even matter if she at a bug or two. She stopped when there were just 4 left. Now that she finally ate, she could pass out from a food coma and get some decent rest. Since the sheets were useless, Ilena tossed them outside. Ilena had her sword lean against the wall by the fireplace and laid down. Just before she fell asleep she thought, I can finally rest now.