" …"- speaking
" …"- speaking
'…'- thoughts
bold- monster speaking
The Eyes
I saw them. I know I did. Shining silver in the moonlight. Everyone says it was just a dream, but I know they're out there. Waiting.
"Hey, Teresa! Get over here! You have to see this!" ' Huh?! Was it one of them?! Out here?!' I shot across the clearing to see what my friend, Kyoko, had seen. To find her laughing. "MO! You really are crazy! I don't know how you could think that there's any of those old warriors left." She wiped a tear from her eye, "maybe Akiko was right about you after all, you nutcase."
"You! You don't have to be so mean! I thought you were my friend, but really you're just like everyone else!" I yelled in Kyoko's face. I knew she didn't believe my stories, no one did, but she had never made fun of them before! Close to tears at the thought of losing my last friend, I ran off back into the woods.
'I guess they all have a point. After all, none of them have been seen in years. Seven of them to be exact. They were all supposedly wiped out when the yoma attacked in what's now called "The Final War". Without anyone left to fight them, the yoma have slowly taken over the whole world. The only reason us humans are allowed to live, even if it is one these stupid reserves, is so the yoma can have food without eating each other to extinction. So of course no one believed that there might be some of what we call Claymores out there. Even if there were, there wouldn't be enough to free the world.' Struck by a sudden, totally taboo thought, I started. 'unless they had others. People willing to join them. People brave enough to ASK to become a claymore, a warrior.' Closing my eyes, I sighed in resignation. 'That could only happen if there was a way to get out of here. Then there's always tracking down the survivors, they'd be sure to hide themselves well, and I'd have to avoid the yoma. If a human was found outside, they'd be slaughtered. I wouldn't even have a chance to scream.' An involuntary shudder came at the thought of being torn open, and having my guts sucked out while I was still alive. Butchered just like an animal, only the animal would be the one doing the butchering. "ha!" a dry laugh escaped my small mouth, it was impossible, but even risking a death out there is better than waiting for the one that's going to come if I stay here. By now I had wondered to the edge of the compound for the families. Right out side the fence, and the yoma guards, was freedom. It was so close I could taste it. I finally know how a bird in a cage must feel; the sky so close, and yet so far. It was the worst possible torture.
Finally averting my eyes from the brilliantly blue sky, I noticed a strange thing. There was no guard standing at the watch post, about 50m away. That was rare, ever since Isley and Pricillia took over; the yoma had worked like a highly trained army. It was no wonder the organization fell. I quickly darted behind a tree at the sight of movement out side the fence. It was probably a patrol, if they saw me; I'd definitely be in for it. Us humans aren't supposed to have explored this far out. We were miles from the town where I lived. A flash of metal in the sun caught my attention, and I tentatively poked my head out to see what it was, yoma almost never wore armor or weapons. The figure froze, as if waiting for something. Then they turned and leaped over the 25m fence, landing with barely a rustle in the tree tops. 'Definitely NOT a yoma' I thought. 'No way they'd lower themselves to human company, unless they were in some kind of trouble with Isley, but that was even rarer than a human escaping.' I heard a slight noise coming from above me; it had to be that person! 'Were they coming down?' a light thud, and a figure dressed all in black, complete with leather armor, boots, and a cape. But beneath that cape was, 'yes' I silently shouted in victory, it was a sword, a claymore sword. I had found a warrior!
I let a smile come to my face, almost without thinking, and immediately the warriors hand shot over her shoulder to her sword hilt. "Oh!" I exclaimed, realizing my mistake, "Please stay!" she gave me a weird look and turned to leave. "NO! Wait! I-I want to go with you!"
That got her attention, at least she stopped. "And why would a human want to leave their home and life behind to follow what should be a fable, and could be a yoma looking for traitors?" she said coldly, not even turning to look at me.
"Because! If I was a traitor, I'd die here, and I'm going to be killed anyway, so I'll take that chance! I just want to be free! Even if it means becoming a warrior like you, I don't care."
"Then why not turn me in now, you'd be rewarded."
"No, I wouldn't. Besides, it's always been my dream to meet one of you. My father told such stories of you guys. Did you know he used to travel with a warrior? Just before the big war started." By now I was so excited I couldn't help but smile. It was all just like he said! They really were still alive! A look of shock came onto the warrior's face, the first emotion she had shown.
"What is your father's name?" for some reason, I sensed desperation behind her words, as if there was far more to the story than she'd ever let on. Taking pity on her, I answered truthfully. "His name is – no, was – Raki. He was killed last year." The sudden flood of emotion my simple words brought to that beautiful face was shocking. I had always thought warriors to be cold hearted people, well except for one, of course. "Are you- are you really Clare? The warrior my dad knew? Really? Oh! That must mean,…" my words trailed off. Taking a deep breath, Clare looked down at me. "May I ask your name?"
"I'm Teresa. Nice to meet you." I bowed.
"So the legacy continues. But I wonder…"
"What? Did you say something?"
"No, Nothing. So, are you sure you want to come? We'd have to go now. I can't afford to stay here much longer, and neither can you. They're bound to notice something."
Thinking it was pointless to argue, I nodded, "I'm coming with you."
"Here," she gestured for me to come closer, "You need to hold on tight. We're going to be going full speed. I'm supposed to be back by midnight." Understanding her meaning, I stepped forward and locked my arms around her. There was a pause, then she leaped impossibly high, sailed out over the fence, and into the wild. I was free.
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