Dragon of Toulouse

by Dany le fou

*Claymore / Skyrim x-over challenge* Instead of being sent North, Raki was shipped off Toulouse and ended up in a land called Skyrim … Years later, when a certain visitor stops in Rabona just as Agatha goes on a rampage, the Holy City shall witness the clash between a monster and a myth.

Disclaimer : I don't own Claymore or The Elder Scrolls series.

Summary : Instead of being sent North, Raki was shipped off Toulouse and ended up in a land called Skyrim … Years later, dragons are seen roaming the skies of Toulouse, while a mysterious man wanders in search of a specific Claymore… In their tongue he's… Dovahkiin.

()()()()

Coming to Rabona had been a bad idea.

This was the thought running through the mind of the tall reddish-brown haired woman currently walking through the bustling market place of the Holy City. It was the middle of the morning, merchants were announcing their wares, men and women were walking, watching, bargaining and whatever else people were doing on a market. Armored guards were patrolling. Children were running around and playing.

So many people.

So many guts.

And above all, so much blood!

She could imagine all the beautiful crimson liquid within those bodies. She could smell it as accurately as the humans' sweat and their entrails. All those people… would it be enough blood to turn the streets red? To flood the city? The mere idea caused a soft, inaudible moan of pleasure to escape her red lips.

As it was, her resolve was weakening with every second. Maybe it was time to leave, and return to a less populated area.

()()()()

"Are you all right my lady?" the priest asked the figure sitting in a bed in the healers' chapel. "Are your wounds still bothering you?"

The woman turned to him, and despite himself, the man of religion couldn't help being stunned at her beauty. She was wearing the plain, concealing robes the Church had loaned her, and fresh bandages covered the grievous injury where her eyes used to be, but those did little to diminish her looks. Just a few days ago they'd found her, bleeding from where something, most likely a large blade, had robbed her of sight. The priests had taken her in and healed her to the best of their ability, refraining from asking questions about her past as their sworn duty was to care for the wounded, regardless of who they were.

She had just been spacing out, as if looking at something only she could see, which was ironic in a way, and a frown had creased her gorgeous face, visible even with the bandages.

She smiled gently at him, but it didn't alleviate his concerns that much. "No father, but thank you for asking. And I told you, I am no lady, please call me Latea."

()()()()

At one of the city gates, the guards had stopped a traveler seeking entrance. While many people went in and out every day, security had been increased after the incident six years before in an attempt to identify possible Yoma, not that there had been any success.

Then again there hadn't been any other case since then, so maybe those extra measures worked as a deterrent.

Still, the man in front of them stood out due to his garb : under a brown travel cloak he wore a set of light armor that covered his whole body, but they just couldn't tell what it was made of. The off-white material seemed both tough and very flexible, and definitely wasn't metal; it looked like the scales of some giant creature, and there were short bony protrusions on the shoulders. His gauntlets and greaves were made of the same scale-like fabric, but he wore no helmet.

In addition he was carrying two weapons, the handles of which were visible over his right shoulder. One was a huge serrated broadsword of a similar material as his armor. The other weapon on the other hand was an absolutely massive two-handed silver war hammer, its head covered with short wicked-looking spikes, and a red gem that reminded of an eye on each side.

"That's one big hammer!" one guard said, whistling appreciatively.

"What are you going to do with that?" another asked. "Bring down a house?"

The young man laughed sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. He was tall and built, but young, twenty years old at most, with messy brown hair and honest brown eyes. Most women would think him very good-looking, even with that small, distinctive scar on his left temple.

"So what's your business in Rabona? Ever been here before?" the first guard asked.

The man smiled fondly. "Yes, a few years ago with a friend. I have many memories here, some good, and some not so good, but just as precious. I wanted to visit some people I met back then."

The guards shared a look. If the guy knew some citizens, maybe they'd vouch for him. "Really, who, if you don't mind me asking?"

He shrugged. "No big deal. First there was a pair of guards named Galk and Sid, though I think Galk was a lieutenant or captain back then. There was also Father Vincent at the Church. Though I doubt they'd recognize me now, I was a short scrawny kid last time."

"Yup, definitely not fitting anymore. Tell you what kid, I know those two, and they're off duty at the barracks right now. My own service has just ended so how about I tell them you're here?"

The young man smiled gratefully. "You'd do that? Thanks, it'd save me the trouble of finding them."

"No sweat kid. Which name should I give them by the way?"

"Raki."

()()()()

Guts.

Blood.

Guts.

Blood.

The thoughts came faster as they were getting harder to ignore.

Guts. Blood. Guts. Blood.

Someone bumped into her. "Oops, sorry miss."

Her nostrils flared as the scent assaulted her.

Guts. Blood.

She couldn't take it anymore. "I want…"

Guts? Or blood? What did she want? She didn't even know anymore.

"Hey miss, are you alright?"

Golden eyes snapped open. "I want both."

And chaos began as Agatha of the Fresh Blood began to feast.

()()()()

In the chapel the priest was still conversing with the healing woman, trying to take her mind off whatever was bothering her. As he asked if she had any idea of what she'd do once she could leave, she looked like she hadn't considered the question.

"Well, you could always join the Church." the priest offered. "It is a humble but gratifying life where you can do plenty of good."

Latea looked happy at the offer, though her smile was a little sad. "This sounds nice. But I fear this will not happen." she said as she turned her wounded eyes back to the window, just as a huge creature appeared in the middle of the city and bells and screams of terror began ringing.

()()()()

Back at the gate one of the guards had left to pass the message, leaving Raki with his partner. "So, you're something of an adventurer right?" the guard asked in an attempt to make small talk.

"You could say that. I've travelled quite a bit already."

The man nodded. "You know, I used to be an adventurer like you."

"Let me guess, then you took an arrow in the knee?"

"Nope, I got married. Why?"

"Just a thought." Raki chuckled, leaving the guard wondering if he'd missed a joke.

Suddenly bells began ringing. The guard turned to look inside the city the instant he recognized that the sounds were not the celebration you'd hear at a wedding, but instead carried the urgent, frantic warning of imminent danger. "What's happening?" He turned back to Raki, about to tell him he'd have to wait, only to see the traveler was gone.

()()()()

In the marketplace what had been a busy yet peaceful scene of life was replaced with a gruesome spectacle, multiple bystanders having already died from the monster that had appeared in their midst, a towering eight-legged monster now standing where minutes before a beautiful woman had been.

Multiple tentacles grabbed an unfortunate guard who was trying to get a child out of the way by the limbs. The child was safe, but the man was lifted in the air and brought up to a large platform where the legs of the monster met, and saw a woman lounging there as if sunbathing, unabashedly naked much to his shock, a vision of loveliness that clashed with the horror around him.

"Mmm," she moaned, "yes I should have done this from the start. Why was I holding back anyway?"

She brought the soldier closer and gently reached for his face, a serene expression on her face.

Then the tentacles tore him apart as one, and the man didn't even feel death claiming him even as Agatha was coated in the warm red liquid she loved so much.

()()()()

The priest was now gazing outside the window, from where he could barely see the Awakened Being in the distance, not that he knew what he was looking at. "What on earth is this? What's going on?"

A sad voice answered him. "I had hoped she would wait longer. I would have leaked rumors of my presence here, and they'd have sent a squad to hunt me down. I'd have led them to her, and they could have handled it."

"What are you talking about?" the alarmed man asked. His puzzlement only increased when the woman lifted her mattress and brought out what she had hidden there. His eyes widened at the sight of the distinctive sword, one that was used by a specific kind of hunters. "Latea… you are…"

She smiled at him. "Thank you for your kindness. I think I would have enjoyed staying in this town… maybe taking care of the orphans. Yes, I'd have liked it. But it wasn't to be." She reached up and undid the bandages, revealing the fresh scar and blind eyes. "I am truly sorry for deceiving you. And if I may ask for one more favor... When I die here, and if you manage to live, please remember me as the woman you took care of, and not the half-Yoma I am."

She didn't wait for his answer and launched herself through the open window, jumping from roof to roof and heading for what would most likely be her death. But even if she died, she'd at least do her best to protect this city and its people, and take the Awakened with her.

So she swore on her name, God-Eye Galatea, former Number Three of the Organization.

()()()()

Raki had slipped past the guard when the bells had begun ringing in alarm, and was now quickly but calmly making his way toward the source of the panic.

All around him there was chaos. People were running away in fear, even though the guards tried to keep things under control, and even they were affected as he spied a couple armored figures running too. Mothers held their children tightly, and carts were overturned in the streets.

Somehow Raki felt oddly detached from all this, memories of old times when he'd encountered a Yoma or an Awakened coming back to his mind, or more recent events which had led to similar scenes.

'Where was it already? The biggest one was in Windhelm. It also happened in the smaller cities, but rarely in the main ones. Riften a couple of times… Well, Mjoll was very happy, I do remember she wasn't in a big hurry to help until after Maven had been eaten.'

Without breaking his stride, he reached into a pouch at his side and withdrew a neatly folded cloth which was affixed to a plate of golden metal. He took a look at the ugly, squid-like visage of Miraak before slipping the mask on. Despite himself, Raki found himself humming a tune as he walked.

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin,

Naal ok zin los vahriin,

Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal.

Ahrk fin norok paal graan

Fod nust hon zindro zaan,

Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal.

()()()()

Annoying gnats, all of them, Agatha thought as her tentacles caught another salvo of spears thrown at her before retaliating and lazily impaling a few guards, not especially caring if the wounds were lethal or nor. It was only another attempt at distraction, and three men that had climbing on her body were stabbed by blades that sprouted from beneath their feet, more crimson blood being spilled. Seriously, it hadn't worked the first time, and the man who'd sneaked up on her, or tried to, had gotten a broken arm for his trouble, and only made it alive because of a timely rescue.

"You do realize you're using my body as a platform, don't you?" she asked disinterestedly while the only real threat made herself known again, attempting a slash at the hair that connected the decoy to her real body. Smart this one, definitely single digit-level in strength, and a really good sensor if she could recognize the truth about her. Still, it was only one warrior, and even if she could coordinate an effort with the humans, it wouldn't be enough. All she could do was distract her and limit the losses among the men.

Agatha sent more blades at the Claymore, and they veered around her before they could reach their target.

"Annoying trick." Agatha muttered, having been unable to land a hit so far because of this. A smirk crossed her face. "Let's see how you handle this." She said as she threw one of the men in the air. As expected, the Claymore jumped to catch the victim but as a result could not dodge or redirect the following attack, and was stabbed multiple times. Agatha didn't let go however, and with no interest for the human who fell to the ground, she slammed the Claymore into the wall of a nearby house hard, drawing a scream of pain.

()()()()

Raki frowned at the scene. The Rabona guards were putting a valiant effort, but he could tell it wouldn't do much good, and for some reason a Claymore was there too, though he couldn't make heads or tails of her outfit, unless the Organization or the Church had changed their dress code that is.

Idly he got a glimpse of creamy skin as an amazingly long leg, clad in a white, now dirtied stocking that reached to mid-thigh, became visible through the tear in the skirt and had to admit he kind of liked the change.

After getting his mind out of the gutter (though she did have gorgeous legs), he was once again shocked at the sheer size of the Awakened Being, the biggest he had ever seen as she stood as tall as a two-story house on her eight crab-like legs.

Seeing the Claymore being pinned to a wall, Raki decided he had to act now.

()()()()

"I don't even understand why you'd risk your life to save these people. Do you actually expect any gratefulness once you've thrown your life away?" Agatha asked.

"No but I don't care." Galatea replied flippantly. "It is quite refreshing to be honest, you should try sometimes."

The Awakened Being angrily twisted the blades into Galatea's body, causing her to wince in pain, and opened her mouth to answer but paused as she felt something on one of her legs.

"Wuld."

Whatever it was now stood at the edge of the platform of her body.

"Wuld Nah Kest."

Out of reflex she raised some tentacles around her, barely managing to ensnare the interloper in them. Turning around she found herself staring at a squid-like mask and was shocked at how close the newly arrived man had made it to the decoy. A split second later and the nasty broadsword he was brandishing would have been brought down on her.

"Now what have we here? An intruder?" she smiled. "I'm surprised, you nearly got me."

There was no answer from the trapped figure, which caused her to frown slightly. "My, don't you know it's rude to remain silent when a beautiful woman is talking to you? Should I break some bones to make you more talkative?"

She tightened her tentacles, preparing to do just that, but the man answered. "Well, actually I'm trying to find the right words for this situation. There are quite a few I can think of, you know." he said with a distorted yet calm voice, though Agatha could also hear a distinct hint of amusement in it.

"Oh?" Agatha smirked back. "Care to tell me?"

"I guess I'll go with a classic on this one."

The man leaned forward, and Agatha did the same, smiling expectantly. The two were face to face now.

"FUS RO DAH!"

()()()()

"What?" Galatea wondered out loud when the decoy above Agatha's body was suddenly blown to pieces, as if it had been hit by a tremendous amount of force. She could sense the excess force travel through the connecting hair into the main body, and rattle the Awakened's organs like leaves in a hurricane, some of them even rupturing from the shaking. While there was no scream, she knew the massive creature had to be in pain from the internal injuries she had just received.

This was compounded by the blades holding her slackening their hold. In the meantime, whoever had attacked Agatha jumped off the platform and cut her free. Galatea hissed when she hit the ground on her feet, the man landing next to her and rolling to the ground to dissipate the impact. The pair then had to move further back when Agatha's leg stabbed the ground in front of them, while her tentacles lashed randomly around her, blindly damaging her surroundings.

'Did he do that by… shouting?' Galatea thought, trying to understand what had happened.

"Damn, looks like getting blown apart only pissed her off." she heard the man say in disappointment.

"She did suffer some internal damage, but that body on top is a fake," the God-Eye explained, "the real body is inside this construct. We need to find a way to destroy it all to reach it."

"I'd hoped it would be easy. I guess it was too much to ask for." Raki frowned behind his mask, wondering how to damage something that big.

'Storm Call? No, it'd hit everything but me indiscriminately. Cold won't affect her that much. I haven't asked Durnehviir to teach me Soul Tear yet. Fire should do it.' The only problem was, he just couldn't muster the sheer amount of the destructive element necessary on his own so he'd need help. And unfortunately, Agatha's size meant she took most of the available space, so he had no room to summon Durnehviir. That only left one choice.

"I can get us some help, but we will have to hold her off until it arrives." Raki proposed. "Ten, maybe fifteen minutes I'd say."

"I think we can manage that." Galatea answered before a thought struck her. "Wait, what kind of 'help' are you talking about?" Before Raki could answer, Galatea had to dodge out of the way of Agatha's tentacles, the Awakened coming dangerously close to them in her flailing and smashing a house to rubble with one of her legs, then another with her tentacles. Her sense of emergency took over and she dismissed her worries. It wasn't like the situation could get worse, unless something more dangerous than an Awakened Being showed up.

"Whatever, if you have anything to do, do it now. She's almost healed." she called.

There was a hint of glee in Raki's voice as he said, "Okay then… Zu'u faan hi fah grah. OD AH VIING!"

()()()()

Somewhere in the skies of Toulouse, a flying Yoma never saw the predator coming before it was caught in the air. It barely managed to see the beast that had preyed on it, eyes going wide in helpless terror even as it was devoured in two bites, as easily as it had devoured humans for years.

Then the beast turned its head when the words reached it, loud and clear for distance meant nothing to the power contained within this Voice.

With a flap of its massive wings, the creature was flying in the direction of Rabona, off to slaughter his Thur's enemies, and eager to show its strength to the monsters that inhabited those lands.

()()()()

"So, what now?" Galatea asked. She hadn't known what to expect, but a few words that couldn't have been heard past the city block was a bit anticlimactic in her opinion.

Then again, she remembered what a few words had done to Agatha earlier.

"Don't worry, he heard me, and when he arrives..." Raki smirked evilly behind his mask, then his voice returned to its friendly tone. "Anyway, since we're in this together, do you mind telling me your name? I'm Raki by the way."

Galatea was amused by the incongruity of the circumstances but replied. "Galatea, former Number Three of the Organization, now rogue."

"Ah, that explains the outfit I guess."

Galatea couldn't repress a laugh this time before jumping back into the fray, as Agatha was finally done attacking indiscriminately.

"Mul Qah Diiv." Raki said, summoning the one power that could allow him to go toe-to-toe with an Awakened and essentially becoming a Dov in human form rather than a human with the soul of a dragon. While he had not done so earlier so as not to tip off his hand and let Agatha assume him a normal human, he couldn't afford to hold back anymore.

"A little extra help can't hurt I guess. Hun Kaal Zor!" he shouted and in a burst of ethereal flames appeared in front of him, solidifying into the ghostly form of a tall one-eyed man in old armor with a large battle axe on his back.

"Greetings, Dragonborn. Is there a battle to be fought?" he asked, sounding eager at the prospect

Raki pointed behind him. "Nice to see you Hakon. As a matter of fact…"

Hakon One-Eye turned around and saw the hulking form of Agatha who was easily fending off Galatea's assault now that she had recovered. His eye widened in surprise and glee. "Shor's bones! Please tell me the big one is your enemy!"

"She is, and the blonde warrior is an ally. Can you assist us?" Raki answered.

Hakon didn't reply, instead brandishing his axe and charging in with a battle cry.

"Someone's eager at least." Raki commented before switching his sword for Volendrung and joining in.

Meanwhile Galatea managed to deflect a bunch of blades, despite being pushed back in the process and getting a few scratches. Sensing Agatha prepare for a new volley, she braced herself only for a new voice to be heard.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The force was weaker this time and less focused, but Agatha still staggered to the side a little, and a man roared in challenge. "Come on monster! Let me show you how a Nord fights!"

Somehow, whoever or whatever this was did not disturb the gigantic aura of Yoki emanating from Agatha, leaving Galatea unable to locate it and understandably puzzled as to what exactly was going on. Still, she could sense some chunks of flesh being carved from the Awakened, who turned her attention to the new threat, so she was not going to complain about the help.

Even less when she sensed Raki swing a massive hammer at Agatha's rear-most left leg and smash it to pieces in a single, titanic blow, and thought for the first time they might have a chance.

()()()()

"Galk, do you have any idea of what's going on?" Sid asked his large friend while cradling his broken arm and trying to help coordinate the next volley. First a Claymore dressed as a nun had joined the fight, then a guy in odd armor, and now a ghost of some sort. It seriously couldn't get any weirder.

"No but we have to do whatever we can to take that thing down." the big man in heavy plate armor shot back before ordering, "Spearmen, fire on my mark! Shield men, move in to cover them immediately! Ready! FIRE!"

The maneuver went perfectly at least, the projectiles hitting their mark, and the retaliatory strike being mostly blocked by the overly thick shields he'd ordered to be brought once the normal ones proved insufficient.

'Damn it we'd need siege weapons to hurt that thing.' Galk thought morosely when he took in the lack of damage. At best they were a distraction.

His thoughts were cut short when something crashed into the pavement in front of him, kicking a cloud of dust.

"Gonna feel that one tomorrow." a distorted voice muttered and he saw the unknown man push himself up from the dent he'd made, not looking especially worse for wear. The oddest thing about him was the ethereal armor that overlaid his body, its mass of spikes and horns reminiscent of some kind of monster, and seemingly humming with power. The mask he was wearing didn't make him look very nice either, as it looked like a squid with horns. Add to this that the man was holding the biggest, meanest war hammer he'd ever seen, plus a giant sword on his back, and Galk was understandably cautious.

So it was rather shocking when the man called him in a rather cheerful tone, completely at odds with the situation and his outfit.

"Oh, hello Galk, I actually wanted to see you. Sid, wow, I didn't remember you being so short."

"What? Who are you? Wait…" Galk paused as he remembered the message he and Sid had received just before this madness began, the name given to him and the description. The mask wasn't mentioned, but the strange armor and the two weapons had been. "What the hell, is that you Raki?"

"In the flesh." Raki confirmed before turning back to Agatha. "Look, backup should be here shortly. We need to hold her a little longer."

"What, you have a few Claymores on the way?" Sid asked.

Raki laughed. "Not quite. Anyway, when he arrives, you and your men should get away from here. You don't want to be caught in the middle, trust me on that." he finished.

Galk frowned as he didn't like being told to abandon his defense of the city, but he trusted the boy, now young man. "Fine. I'll trust you. What should we be waiting for?"

"Big, red and scaly. You can't miss him." Raki replied with a bit of playfulness before returning to the fight, leaving behind the two dumbfounded men.

()()()()

Agatha was growling at the ghost who was trying his damn best to hack her fake body to pieces, which wouldn't be a huge problem in itself, until the Claymore shouted that he should aim for her hair instead. Instantly she was on the defensive, forming tentacles to block his axe as she couldn't harm the man despite her best efforts, considering her attacks passed through him. And with her attention on him, the Claymore was free to join the assault. The only silver lining was the lack of coordination between them, since the blind woman couldn't see her ghostly ally and they kept getting in each other's way.

Wait, where was the third one?

"FUS RO DAH!"

She was starting to really hate those words.

The street shook and Agatha crashed heavily to the side, the four legs she'd lost during the fight, three on the left and one on the right, making her unable to keep her balance against the wave of force that hit her.

Hakon landed next to Raki and laughed despite starting to fade away. "Glorious battle indeed, Dragonborn! We'll sing it in Sovngarde for the next hundred years! Too bad I cannot see it to the end."

Raki nodded gravely. "Thanks Hakon. We'll manage."

"Good luck my friend. Call us when you have need." the Tongue wished as he vanished completely.

Agatha pushed herself upright and repelled Galatea, the Claymore skidding to a crouching halt next to Raki, before standing to her full height, bleeding from her few injuries.

"So one of the annoyances has left." Agatha sneered down once she saw there were now only two threats and felt her confidence returning. Those two at least she could touch and therefore hurt. "You should just give up. You are only delaying the inevitable. I WILL have the humans' blood."

"What's with the fixation on blood anyway? Are you sure you're not a vampire? I mean, I've met Awakened obsessed with guts, or vampires with blood, but an Awakened who gets off from blood really weirds me out."

Agatha looked puzzled, wondering what the man was talking about as she didn't know what a 'vampire' was. Raki shrugged. "Oh well, this is not important. As you said, we can only delay you, however…"

A deafening roar was heard throughout the Holy City. Next to Raki, Galatea sensed something big enter the cloud of Yoki that flooded the air, a distinctive silhouette that caused her blind eyes to go wide in disbelief. 'Is that a…'

"… the important thing is, we've managed to delay you long enough. The game changes now!" Raki announced, and at the same moment a large form flew over them, a gust of displaced air and the sound of flapping wings accompanying it. Its shadow settled just above them and a voice boomed.

"Zu'u fahraal hin faan, Thuri!"

The glee in Raki's voice was definitely evil as he introduced the new arrival. "Ladies, meet my friend and battle-brother, Odahviing." He then looked straight at Agatha. "Odahviing, meet your enemy."

The Awakened was too busy gawking in disbelief at the mass of crimson scales hovering above her to register Raki's words. Then she saw its golden eyes narrow at her and its fanged maw open.

"Oh shi-"

"YOL TOOR SHUL!"

Agatha screamed as she was enveloped in fiery agony.

()()()()

"DRAGON!"

"By the Gods…"

"Impossible…"

Among the guards a fresh wave a panic had spread at this latest development. They were brave men, they would sacrifice their lives for the Holy city as they'd sworn, but their courage had already been tested by the monster that had claimed so many of them. The mere idea of facing a living myth in addition was enough to send them on their knees and pray.

The Yoma, scary as it was, didn't breathe fire!

The only good thing was, this beast didn't seem interested in them, only in the other monster.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" Sid shouted in shock, unable to believe his eyes.

Galk's voice was even, but he could recognize equal awe in his friend's tone. "If I'm to hazard a guess, and considering it's big, red and scaly as the kid said, I'd assume it's our reinforcements."

Sid shook his head ruefully. "You must be shitting me. That guy called a god damned dragon to help us." He looked up as the beast flew above them and made another pass at the burning Yoma, spewing more flames from its maw. "I give up. Galk, I don't think we'll do any good here. Besides I doubt that thing up there would like it if we hit him by mistake and I don't want to test how much control the kid has on it."

"Yeah, you're right. As it is we'd only get our people killed." the tall man sighed in defeat. "RETREAT!"

()()()()

Odhaviing landed on top of a house, which crumbled slightly under his weight, and gazed at the burning carcass of the enemy. "Los nii dilon, Dovahkiin? Zu'u zent zuk."

Before anyone could answer Agatha's body, which had collapsed on itself as it burned, was split apart from the inside like the shell of a flaming egg. A humanoid form that looked like a giant woman made of tentacles emerged. "I can't believe it! You actually made me take this form!" she snarled.

She opened her mouth and spewed a large amount of tentacles which struck the ground in front of her. Galatea jumped away and Raki used a quick Whirlwind Sprint to get out of the way.

"Oh great, a lurker copy. Only bigger and less ugly." Raki deadpanned.

Odahviing opened his mouth but Agatha's smaller new form was obviously faster and more agile, as she dodged the jet of flames. The dragon spread his wings to take to the air, but was tackled to the ground by the Awakened. The two titans rolled and tussled in a surreal spectacle, but the dragon batted Agatha with his tail and snapped his jaw onto her left arm, biting it off. Unperturbed at the loss, she spat more tentacles which hammered at his back but proved unable of piercing the tough scales. Odahviing's forelimbs swung, his sharp claws gouging Agatha's midsection in a blow that would have eviscerated a giant, but she didn't even seem to notice and kicked him in the side while a mass of tentacles reformed the missing arm.

"This is not good." Raki stated. "She's preventing Odahviing from taking off, and dragons aren't very agile on the ground. Not to mention she's shrugging off the damage he deals."

"Not quite." Galatea put in as she 'watched' the fight. "It's like before, this body is just a construct with the true core hidden inside. She's not truly regenerating the damage it takes, merely replacing it by drawing on her reserves, and those reserves are not infinite. As she is, I'd say she's already used half of them." the God-Eye estimated.

Indeed, despite appearances, things were not entirely perfect for Agatha. The scales on the dragon's back were tough enough to deflect the worst of her attacks with barely a few scratches, and she had to keep one hand on his snout to prevent him from biting her or worse, breathing fire. And while she guessed, accurately, that his underside had to be more vulnerable, the accursed beast was so damn heavy she couldn't turn him onto his back!

The dragon pounced with snake-like speed, and this time she was under him. She pushed his head away from her to deflect the fire breath, while his claws gouged her torso deeply, coming alarmingly close to her hidden core. Seeing the danger she was in, Agatha hurriedly kicked him away with all her strength and tackled him again before he could stand up, finally having him where she wanted. Grabbing his neck, she reared back her free hand and sneered viciously. "I wonder how dragon guts taste."

The hand holding the dragon seemingly opened of its own will and she froze in surprise. 'The Claymore!' she thought just as Galatea severed her other arm before her scaly opponent delivered a powerful headbutt that forced her backwards. The human's voice rang again.

"FUS RO…"

'Not again…' she just had the time to think.

"… DAH!"

It was official, she hated those words, she decided as her now much lighter body was unceremoniously flung aside like a rag doll and crashed heavily into a stone house which partially collapsed on top of her. In a very human-like gesture, the construct shook its head as if to clear it, but before she could free herself she heard Raki call, "Nu Odahviing! Genun mii jahrii suleyk do hin Thu'um!"

She managed to see the dragon right itself up, revenge in its malevolent golden eyes. "Frundiin, Thuri! YOL TOOR SHUL!"

The jet of flames hit Agatha with such force that it pushed her back against the house. Around her the stone actually began to melt, and she hardened the outer layer of her body to limit the damage to her insides. For two long minutes, the dragon didn't let up and forcing her to stay still and endure until the flames abated.

And suddenly, even as fire still rained on her, she felt the mouth of the construct being forced open.

()()()()

"What the hell are you doing?" Galatea called as Raki jumped straight into the bonfire that was Agatha's body, even as the dragon wasn't done breathing blazing hell on the Awakened. She couldn't see it, but she could feel the heat from where she was, and sense Agatha's Yoki huddle onto itself, no doubt intending to discard the damaged carcass once it was over.

Next to her she swore she heard the dragon laugh at the man's actions.

Protected from the flames by the Dragon Aspect and his own dragonscale armor, Raki jumped on Agatha's head and stabbed his sword into the side of her mouth, cutting it open until he got a suitable hold. Then with all the might of a Dov, Raki yanked the mouth open.

'Raw power without intent. Mine to shape. Mine to direct. This is Yol. What will I burn? Everything.'

Agatha's construct opened its eyes despite the flames. Silhouetted by the raging fire, a masked, armored figure stood in front of her, holding her mouth wide open. The ghostly set of armor swirled around him, and she swore she was looking at a dragon rather than a human at that moment.

'What will I spare? Nothing.'

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Raki shouted and released the full might of his Thu'um, which some claimed had grown to match or even surpass Alduin's, directly into Agatha's mouth, instantly spreading to the rest of her insides.

Galatea and even Odhaviing had to step back when the inferno that enveloped Agatha tripled in size and intensity as the Last Dragonborn added his own power to it.

From within the flames a howl of pure agony was heard as Agatha was being incinerated from inside as well as outside, and Galatea sensed the core shifting frantically inside her body, trying to escape the fiery death. A flaming mass was expelled to the side and ran away in blind panic, survival the only thing on its mind.

Now stripped to her barest core, the still burning human form of Agatha tried to flee and put out the fire at the same time.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Agatha looked over her shoulder just in time to see Galatea upon her, claymore ready and a predatory smile on her face, her blind eyes looking straight into the panicked Awakened's. She swung her hand at the warrior, spikes extending from her fingers and piercing through Galatea's stomach, but Galatea didn't stop her charge and ripped herself free. "I can't let a human and a dragon show me up, can I?" she asked rhetorically.

"You fucking bi…"

SLASH!

()()()()

Raki walked out of the circle of devastation he had created and approached the wounded Claymore who was standing in front of Agatha's bisected and burning corpse.

"So, is she dead this time?"

Galatea nodded. "Definitely. The city is safe now."

"Good."Raki said before placing a hand on Galatea's midsection. The warrior tensed at the unexpected gesture, and opened her mouth only to be silenced by an odd warmth emanating from his hand and the feeling of her wounds closing considerably faster. "Sorry," Raki apologized, "I'm not that good at healing." Behind his mask he frowned as he sensed that unlike the visible injuries which were responding to the treatment, the area near the middle of Galatea's body seemed to be resisting it, but didn't comment on it.

"My, thank you, but I am a defensive type. Those will heal fine by themselves. Don't you have injuries of your own?" the Claymore asked.

"Bruises and scratches mostly. Unlike some people, I try not to rush into battle without actual armor, and I'm not talking about the cheap stuff the Organization equips you with." Raki replied with a tired laugh. Now that the battle was over and the adrenalin was wearing off, he knew the Dragon Aspect was probably the only thing keeping him up.

"Touché." Galatea smiled.

"Ozur Dovahkiin. Dreh hi laan ek ol hin liin?" Odahviing rumbled behind them, humor in his voice.

Raki jerked his hand away (he was out of magicka anyway) and sputtered in embarrassment. "What the hell?"

"What did he say?" Galatea asked curiously, and Raki was glad that his mask hid his panic.

"Nunal yirt." Odahviing replied. "A simple joke, Silon Miin Kriid."

Raki glared at the beast. "A joke, right? How about I ground you for the rest of the day as a joke?" the human mock-threatened.

Galatea couldn't see it, but she swore the dragon paled. "I would prefer not, Thuri."

"Good." Raki said good-naturedly and Odahviing sighed in relief. He knew his friend would never use Dragonrend on him as a joke, but he'd rather not try it.

"To Zu'u onvok rek los brit." Raki admitted with a grin in his voice before finally releasing the Dragon Aspect and removing his mask.

As soon as he did he found himself exhausted, though the enchantments Neloth had placed on his armor worked on helping his healing rate and stamina recovery. He was thankful that Miraak eased the strain of repeatedly using his Thu'um, or he'd be worse off despite his growing proficiency. The young man slumped on the ground next to his red ally. "So my friend, did you have fun?" he asked tiredly.

The dragon laughed. "Yes Dovahkiin. Bahlaan hokoron. A worthy opponent indeed."

"Glad to hear it, because I know there will be more." Raki sighed wearily.

"Ahrk Zu'u fen krif niin ahst hin reid." Odahviing promised before looking at the guards who were now cautiously approaching the group. Some of them were staring in wonder at the mythical beast, while others had their attention on the wide radius of melted stone of the street and the remnants of the house Agatha had been thrown into. An even wider circle was scorched and blackened, and the heat could still be felt.

Odahviing turned his golden eyes on the closer, probably braver, soldiers and noted with amusement how they took a few steps back. "Will the joorre attack us?"

"THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!" Sid exclaimed as he pushed through the group, apparently too happy to care about his arm, Galk at his side.

"While not as vocal as my comrade, I can honestly say no one here has any intention of starting hostilities again." the bigger man stated professionally.

"Pruzah. It is good to know that some joorre know better than to test a dovah."

Raki laughed as he remembered Farengar's attempt at taking a few samples from his draconic friend, and how he was sent running with his robes on fire, diving head first into the moat around Dragonsreach to put it out. Even Irileth had laughed at the sight. "I think I'll be fine, zeymah. Thank you again for your help."

The dragon nodded respectfully. "They I shall leave, Thuri." He spread his wings to their full span and flapped them, kicking some dust and gracefully lifting his gigantic bulk off the ground. "Call my name and I will come, Dovahkiin, Ol Zu'u kaat." Odahviing called before flying away with surprising speed for his size.

Raki turned to his two human friends. "So guys? How have you been?"

()()()()

The next day found Raki in a rather foul mood. The rest of the previous day had gone rather well, as he had caught up with Galk and Sid, and gone to visit Father Vincent. While he had given them a general overview of what had happened to him during the last six years, he had expunged many things, like killing a dragon that was supposed to devour the world, a mad vampire who wanted to extinguish the sun, and travelling to the plane of the equivalent of a dark god to slay a mind-controlling dragon priest with the same abilities as him. As for the Voice and Odahviing, he had simply said a group of monks had taught him, and that he had earned the dragon's allegiance after defeating him.

Unfortunately they had no information on Clare, as they hadn't seen her since their first visit in Rabona. Still they had promised that if she ever came to the Holy City, they would pass her the message.

Even the evening had been nice, as there had been plenty of celebrating over Agatha's defeat, albeit dampened by the loss of many lives. The survivors had enjoyed themselves at a bar, generally getting drunk. Raki had been careful not to have too much considering what had happened the two other times.

First was his sixteenth birthday, when he had drunk too much mead with his shield-brothers and sisters, and woken up naked next to an equally nude Aela in the Underforge. Said Huntress had spent the entire next day with a peculiar limp and a positively wolfish grin on her face; the rest of the Companions had been giving him thumb-ups for the rest of the week, and even Skjor and Kodlak had had smiles on their faces.

Though what scared Raki a little was that some of the fresh marks on his chest and back had looked way too large to have been done by human nails.

Even to this day, he didn't dare ask.

He had also chosen not to comment on the long reddish strands on the ground, or how they looked more like fur than human hair.

Nope, definitely not asking.

As for the second time, he had vowed never to get into a drinking contest again afterwards. Just don't ask. Especially not about breaking up with an amorous hagraven… via sword to the head…

In fact he had spent most of the evening looking over his shoulder, just in case a certain seedy Breton decided to show up.

No, the reason why Raki was having a bad morning was the person walking at his side, or rather the origin of her presence. He had run into her as he left the gate of the city, where she was being 'escorted' by a detachment of guards. Apparently in the aftermath of the battle Galatea had become unwelcome in Rabona.

"This isn't fair." he grumbled angrily. "You risked your life to save theirs and they kick you out. Meyye."

The Claymore was once again wearing her uniform, grey bodysuit and armor with her sword on her back. He had to admit she looked amazing in it, as it hid nothing of her statuesque body and instead somehow complimented it. Raki had not noticed yesterday how tall Galatea was, as he had grown well past six feet, yet the warrior was barely one inch shorter than him. Her height and beauty already made her an intimidating figure, and her uniform made her look even grander, a sight only marred slightly by her scarred blind eyes which she turned on him.

"I do not blame them. I did lie my way into their city and deceived them for a while. If I had stayed longer and they had gotten more used to me, I might have been allowed to stay but it wasn't meant to be." Galatea said soothingly. After all this was nothing she had never experienced before; in that regard, Raki's anger on her behalf was the true, but not unwelcome novelty.

"Besides," she continued, "now I no longer have to hide, so I can at least try to regenerate my eyes. I should still be able to, I think."

"What do you mean?"

"Our healing is based on memory. When we heal, our bodies attempt to return to the state they remember themselves in. I have been deliberately preventing my eyes from healing, but there's a chance it hasn't been long enough that this damage has become a part of this memory." Maybe because of Raki's genuine kindness and concern, Galatea realized she didn't mind explaining this little-known fact about warriors.

"I can help a bit if you'd let me. I'm not the best at healing magic, but it cannot hurt your chances." Raki offered.

Yesterday Galatea would have discarded the idea that magic existed, but she remembered how he had healed her wounds with a touch. "Maybe later. I'd rather not do this on the side of the road."

Raki laughed. "Not the best place for that I'll agree." Then he asked, "By the way, I noticed something yesterday. While your wounds were healing fine, a specific area was fighting it. Like it didn't want to heal. Does it have anything to do with that memory thing?"

Raki could tell he'd hit a very touchy subject from the way Galatea suddenly stopped walking. He realized she didn't merely look uncomfortable, but almost ashamed. "Sorry, I shouldn't have pried." he apologized.

"No, you have a right to know, though you will probably be disgusted by us after that. I definitely won't blame you if you are." Galatea sighed and braced herself before undoing the cloth around her neck which was part of her uniform.

Raki's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the long and obviously deep vertical cut that started at her throat and disappeared into her clothes, kept closed by a crude stitching. "What the hell…" There was surprise in his voice, but none of the fear or disgust Galatea had been expecting, so it was with a calmer tone that she explained.

"The process that turns us into warriors… we are cut open and from there, the Yoma flesh is implanted throughout our entire bodies. From the second this is done, and even before this cut can be closed, this is how our bodies remember themselves as." Galatea looked down. "This wound does not heal, because our regeneration constantly reopens it."

"So the only way to keep it shut…" Raki continued, understanding where this was going.

"Is to sew it closed before we split ourselves apart. The Organization tried alternate methods, but nothing created as efficient warriors, or managed to close this. This is the sordid truth about the beings you call Claymores." Galatea concluded, waiting for his reaction.

Raki remained silent for a long moment, but Galatea was starting to get slightly nervous. At least he wasn't calling her a monster or ordering her to get away from him, which was a lot more than she had expected. But with his reaction, or lack thereof, so out of ordinary to her, she wasn't quite sure what to do.

What she didn't know was that Raki could stomach the view better than most humans. He had, after all, seen hagravens turn a man into a Briarheart, complete with whatever replaced the heart visible through the gaping hole held together by leather straps, and been forced to rip said thing from their chest with his bare hands a couple of times

As a result it wasn't disgust but anger that surged within him as he thought of all the warriors he'd met. Clare had once mentioned the pain of being turned into a hybrid, and now he was seeing the physical, lasting stigma of this pain that Claymores had to endure in addition to the rejection by the people they saved daily.

What happened next was rash, reckless even, and Raki knew he was overstepping his boundaries with a woman he had just met, but he didn't care. Galatea had no warning when he grabbed her by the shoulders and before she could react, he leaned forward, so close that she could feel his warm breath on the exposed gash.

"Slen Sos Laas."

Unfortunately the result was not what he expected as the Claymore suddenly screamed in pain and stumbled away from him, kneeling in the dirt road and clutching her face with her hands.

"Wha…" A wave of cold panic flooded the young man as he tried to understand what had happened. This Thu'um, which he had created himself, was meant to heal wounds, not to hurt! None of the people he had used it on had ever felt any pain from it! "Galatea? What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"What's wrong?" the woman hissed angrily before glaring at him with her beautiful silver eyes. "Do you have any idea of how it hurts to suddenly have so much light shot in your…" she trailed off before finishing in astonishment, "…eyes…"

She shakily stood up and looked around. This was no longer the silhouetted, bland world she could sense through the minute amount of Yoki in the air. This was the real world; real shapes, textures, colors… green grass and blue sky, and white fluffy clouds… she had only lost her sight for a few weeks, but there had been a large chance it'd be too late to fully recover. Now she could appreciate what she had nearly lost.

"I'm sorry Galatea. This is not what I intended." Raki apologized. "But apparently it's not a bad tradeoff. Even the scar on your face is gone by the way."

She smiled at him gratefully despite the quickly fading pain, and he blushed slightly as he could now admire exactly how gorgeous she truly was – in his honest opinion, Dibella herself would be honored to be modeled after her. "Looks like we can meet face to face at least. Nice to meet you Raki." She gave him a once over, taking in his broad build and handsome features. "I didn't expect you to be this young though."

He chuckled a bit sheepishly before frowning a little when he looked at her throat. "Unfortunately it didn't have the effect I hoped for." he commented sadly. "All that power, and only one inch was closed, if that."

Galatea touched her neck in shock, and sure enough, the permanent wound was now slightly shorter. She gave him a dumbfounded stare. "Raki, whatever you did just regenerated my eyes completely. And you're telling me there was still enough power to partially close this. Moreover, do you realize that unlike my eyes, it is actually working against my regeneration rather than with it?"

Raki's eyes widened as he understood what she meant. If the bulk of his Thu'um had been used to restore her eyes, if he did again now…

Galatea seemed to catch his thoughts and shook her head. "Don't. Unlike my eyes, because this is an unnatural state, there's a high chance it is not permanent. Once it wears off and my body remembers, in mere hours or maybe minutes…"

"So what? I'll just have to do it again until it becomes permanent, as many times and as often as it takes. From what you told me, it is possible." Raki said resolutely.

"I told you, I'm a defensive type. My regenerative abilities are stronger, and my memory is better." Galatea replied guardedly.

"And I'm telling you, I'm a stubborn bastard. So, shall we see who's the more stubborn of us? Of course if you accept, this means you'd have to deal with my company until one of us gives up."

"I have no intention of returning to the Organization, and I still haven't released any Yoki so they cannot find me." Galatea said in mock-thought. "I don't have anything better to do, nowhere to go, and I think I should be able to endure your presence for a little while." she finished in jest.

"Lucky me. By the way, you might want to cover up again, I don't mind but some people might."

Galatea flushed slightly as she remembered she had not placed her neck cloth back on, leaving her stitched throat on display. She realized he was telling the truth as he wasn't paying it any undue attention. "So, do you have any destination in mind?" Galatea asked after fixing her outfit.

Raki frowned as he thought about it. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something." Seeing Galatea was about to tease him, he amended. "Please, this is important to me and I would have asked from the start, but with everything that happened, I kind of forgot. Would you know anything about the former Forty-Seven ranked warrior, Clare?"

()()()()

Translations :

Thur : Overlord

Thuri : My overlord

Zu'u faan hi fah grah : I call you for battle

Zu'u fahraal hin faan, Thuri : I answer your call, my overlord

Los nii dilon, Dovahkiin? Zu'u zent zuk : Is she dead, Dragonborn? I expected more

Nu Odahviing! Genun mii jahrii suleyk do hin Thu'um : Now Odahviing! Show us the true power of your Thu'um

Frundiin, Thuri : Gladly, my overlord

Ozur Dovahkiin. Dreh hi laan ek ol hin liin? : Smooth Dragonborn. Do you want her as your mate?

Nunal yirt : a mere joke

Silon Miin Kriid: Claymore (lit.: Silver Eye Slayer)

To Zu'u onvok rek los brit :Though I agree that she is beautiful

Bahlaan hokoron : a worthy opponent

Ahrk Zu'u fen krif niin ahst hin reid : And I will fight them at your side

joorre : mortals

Pruzah : Good

zeymah : brother

Ol Zu'u kaat : As I promised

Meyye : fools

Slen Sos Laas : Flesh Blood Life – original Thu'um : forcefully closes someone's wounds and mends their injuries. Cannot regenerate missing limbs however, as it merely closes the stump.

Author note : I've been toying with the idea of a Claymore/Skyrim crossover, with Raki as the Dragonborn, for a while now. Basically it branches from canon when, instead of being sent North and ultimately meeting Isley, Raki is shipped off Toulouse. A shipwreck leaves him stranded in Skyrim for years, where he joins the Companions and turns out to be the Last Dragonborn, before Odahviing flies him back years later.

As usual, my abilities to design a story are lacking, but I really wanted to share it with you all and see if anyone else would be interested in the challenge, kinda like my 'Falling into the Abyss' fic, or if you could help me expand on this to turn it into a real plot. If not, well at least you got to enjoy a dragon VS AB fight...