Those were her first words on their first meeting. It was not exactly a warm greeting by any standards. Then again, her mission, was to kill. Although she rebuked most of the questions asked, at least a name was given: Rafaela. As she raised her blade, her would-be victim closed her eyes. In some ways, this day had come a little too late. She should have died that day, but she did not. An arm was a small price to pay for her lack of tact, which led to an awakening and the deaths of three other comrades. Before that day, she didn't believe in any of the gods worshipped by humans, and she still didn't after what had happened. But, she realised then that her fate was no longer solely in her own hands, but also determined by the grace of a greater power...
She felt the gust of wind at her forehead. After that... nothing. She opened her eyes. The claymore's edge was only a hair's breath away from her face.
"Why have you stopped?" Her tone carried a hint of annoyance. If she was to die, she hoped that it would be swift. The executioner was emotionless, even as she asked her own question.
"Why aren't you afraid?"
"What do you mean?"
"How can you stay so calm even after knowing that you would die?"
"You must be mistaken. I am afraid to die. It's just that I chose not to show it. We may not be able to choose our circumstances all the time, but we can always choose how we respond to them." The answer seemed to unnerve Rafaela. She lowered her blade.
"Choosing how we respond to them, huh?" The bitterness was palpable in her voice. Irene continued to observe her. Something finally clicked in her mind.
"You tried not to give yourself away too much, by refusing to answer two questions from me. But, to hazard a guess, you want something from the organisation, don't you?"
"What makes you think you're right?" Despite the curt reply, Irene knew that she had figured out the crux of the matter.
"Like I said, your Yoki is too high for a rank of No. 5. Since you hunt warriors who had betrayed the organisation, you would have to be good at detecting Yoki, as well as hiding your own. With these skills, you could have chosen to go into hiding yourself. Yet, you didn't. The only explanation I can think of is that you're staying in the organisation for something." Rafaela gave a bitter laugh.
"So what if I am? You're not going to leave this place alive anyway." The blade was raised again.
"Perhaps. But, before I go, I can at least hear your troubles. Think of it as pouring out your woes to a stranger, and killing her after you're done. In any case, it's not to your disadvantage." The pair stared at each other. It was a while before Rafaela lowered her blade agan.
"You're right. I stayed on because I do want something from the organisation."
"And that would be..."
"My sister's whereabouts."
"Your sister?" For the organisation to keep track of her location, she must be someone special, thought Irene. The no. 5 hesistated before she replied.
"Luciela of the South."
"I see. What do you intend to do, after you've found her?"
"Kill her." Irene then remembered one of her questions which went unanswered.
"So, that eye of yours. It has something to do with her awakening, doesn't it? You left it unhealed to remind yourself of your mission."
"How did you..." By now, Irene's ability to 'read' her thoughts was getting to her.
"After living in seclusion for so long, one's mind is relatively free of thoughts. I learnt never to underestimate the power of an enlightened mind." Rafaela fell silent again. Irene thought about her second question.
"Now that you've already said so much, surely you wouldn't mind telling me your former rank?" Another moment of hesistation.
"No. 2."
"What a coincidence. That was my highest rank in the organisation as well. I guess that your sister was the no. 1 above you. For me, it was Teresa of the Faint Smile."
"Teresa?" That name sounded familiar. Rafaela tried to recall where she had heard of it before. Then, she remembered the trainee girl by the stream.
"You know her?" Irene's calm voice hid her surprise.
"I... had a chance meeting with her once."
"I see. Then, perhaps it would be appropriate for me to tell you how she died. In a way, it was also how I ended up here, away from the organisation."
"Who killed her?"
"The warrior who replaced me as no. 2: Priscilla. Your information said that I had one arm on me. The other, was cut off by her." Irene flashed a thin smile.
"Now to think about it, it was a small price to pay after what I did to her."
"Which is..."
"My miscalculations resulted in her awakening. Despite her status, she was inexperienced when it came to mastering her Yoki. That, together with my harsh words, led to her going beyond her limits." Irene then observed her opponent.
"You looked as if you have a similar experience."
"I do. It was my fault that Luciela awakened."
"I wouldn't ask what happened that day. But, how are you going to kill her? Even with your Yoki, your chances of defeating her are slim at best."
"That is my problem, not yours. We've already wasted enough time." The claymore was raised once again.
"Of course. But, I do have one last question. Do you intend to kill yourself after killing her?" Raphaela froze. Irene's question shook her to the core.
"If you do, you'll find that it would be harder than what you expected. The hardest life to take in this world, is your own." The claymore began to tremble.
"I have to. It's the only way for me to forgive myself." Irene could tell that her executioner was trying hard not to let her emotions overwhelm her.
"I don't think so. There is another way." Rafaela's eye narrowed.
"What is it?"
"Destroy the organisation, for creating half-human, half-yoma monsters. That is of course if you're not afraid to take on it all by yourself." The blade was lowered for the last time.
"You are wise, Irene. The enlightened mind is indeed a powerful weapon." Rafaela then sheathed her claymore.
"Are you sure you're not going to kill me? The organisation..."
"They have no choice but to take me for my word. If I say that you're dead, you're dead. Of course, you might want to curb the flow of Yoki in you quickly."
"Why?" Irene knew that she had to pay a price somehow.
"I want you to help me. After I've killed my sister, I shall look for you again." Rafaela then motioned for Irene to lead the way.
"This is for..."
"Before I go, I'll at least help you retrieve your sword. You'll be useless to me otherwise."
"I am already useless to you." Rafaela waved her finger.
"Not when we meet again. I'll choose the right time to escape. I hope that when we meet, you would have regenerated your arms."
"Right time?"
"A time of turmoil within the organisation, when they'll be too busy with other matters to even think of sending warriors to hunt us down. Besides, your regeneration can't be rushed."
"Sounds like a good plan. After all, that was how I escaped as well." Rafaela's reply, was a little smile on her lips.
A while later...
Rafaela had a good look at the claymore as she picked it up. She had some questions of her own.
"Your other arm. Did it have something to do with that girl whom I sensed just now?" Irene nodded.
"She joined the organisation to avenge Teresa. She even asked for Teresa's flesh and blood for the infusion."
Rafaela looked around her.
"I presume that this is where you lived," asked the warrior, as she pointed at the hut. Another nod. Inside the hut, Rafaela stuck the claymore into the floor.
"I'm afraid that I must ask you to stay here, until I return for you. If you choose to run, I take it that you have no intention of helping me, and have taken me for a fool. I won't show any mercy then."
"I believe you should worry more about how to answer to the organisation for sparing me," said Irene, as she sat down on the bed, and closed her eyes.
"Currently, I'm the only warrior whom they can trust for such jobs. Just concentrate on regeneration and hiding your Yoki." With that, she was gone. Irene opened her eyes. At least, she had the grace to close the door behind her...
Afterthoughts
-RnRs are appreciated.