Nathan looked out over the grassy plain in front of him and only then dared think the impossible. He turned and looked back at a sight no one had ever witnessed before, just under fifty claymores, gathered at the base of the hill he stood on looked out, astonished, at the land they had made it to. Some stood looking around at the tall grass and occasional tree while others sat leaning against their swords eyes watching the sea. He smiled for the first time in over a hundred and fifty years; they had escaped, finally, from the organization that hunted them.
It had started less than twenty years ago. He had been an awakened being then, a hunting team had found him at his lair and after a bloody fight he asked the last remaining hunter for a dying wish. She agreed and his mind was engulfed in white light. The next thing he remembered he was laying on a bed of pine needles as a claymore, the remaining hunter sitting against a tree. He asked her why she had risked her soul to save his, she replied "We were both once human, and we have suffered what no other human has; fought with our lives and souls. I have no right to end the life of one who held onto his purpose, even if he did lose his soul for a time." he said nothing but watched as she stood and left him there in the woods, once again almost human.
Soon after, he decided what he would do. He set out to gather as many claymores and turn as many awakened ones as possible and find a way to leave this hell. On his way, he redeemed two awakened beings who immediately repaid the debt by joining his company. Even though his acts saved countless lives, he left a trail of blood, a trail the organization tracked. Not long after he rescued the second did their hunting squad catch up. They attacked on sight and no one noticed them until the one he had recently found was killed. With the four claymores stood surrounding them, he pleaded.
"I haven't killed a human since I have left the ranks of the awakened and nether has he. We are looking for a place to be left in peace until we die. " Three of them didn't so much as blink, but the one behind him spoke. "A hope many of us can find within our own hearts. I for one won't kill you, but only on the condition… That you take me with you away from this hell." he had barely begun to nod when the three in front of him lunged. He swiped at one with the sword he was carrying, having stored his claymore with the supplies he had gathered, but the steel was no match for claymore strength and sheared off like wood.
Forced to either escape or die, he ducked under a slash at his neck and felt hot blood splash onto his face. A claymore had torn one of his attackers in two and had plunged through the chest of another. He rounded on the third that was out cold with blood running from her temple. He turned back to the last remaining huntress who was pulling her blade from her comrade's chest. She looked up at him from the bodies of the dead and said: "I hope we find that place you spoke of. I now have nowhere else to go."
He had spent years looking for a place out of reach of the organization. Letting the occasional rouge join them and saving the souls of awakened beings as he traveled, he slowly gathered comrades amassing a total of fifty three claymores; enough to keep the organization away. But even then they had problems. Wherever they settled, people stayed away and often came themselves to "drive out the demons". Only after leaving their fourth site did they reach a solution.
One of the rouge claymores had once read in the organization's archives of an expedition across the sea that had been destroyed by the organization to prevent the "discovery of the homeland or a continent not under the control of the "experiment group." With that knowledge they planned a way out a way off the continent. But first they needed charts, a ship and various other supplies, including claymores for the ones saved from their lives as awakened.
A raid was staged in the organization's headquarters and they got out with close to twenty unmarked claymores. They ran hundreds of miles to a port town, stole the largest ship they could find, and left. The journey took over two months, at the end of which even their claymore bodies were beginning to feel hunger. But they made it, finally, to what he hoped was a new land.
He saw one of the scouts he had sent out returning and, glancing back at the group, saw a few others. He started down the hill toward the main group to meet them as they came in. The first one in was John, he had been the first to join him, Nathan remembered, after being forced from his life as an awakened being. "I ran into an abandoned town but that was all, no signs of anyone." Nathan nodded and John turned off to find a tree to sleep against.
Jenna was the next to come in, "Nothing worth reporting Nathan." she said "…Can I stay and see what the others have to report?" Nathan nodded "Not that you need to ask, you having saved my life twice as you keep reminding me. Besides I don't force anyone here to do anything, they just do as I suggest." Jenna shrugged, and set her sword into the ground to lean against as she sat.
Three more scouts came back with similar reports and the latest one, Bailey, was just leaving when the final scout came in as fast as he could run. Jones came to a panting stop right in front of Nathan and Jenna and spoke quickly between heavy breaths. "Saw a column… of horsemen… heading this way… they'll be here about noon tomorrow… at the earliest… They didn't see me."
Nathan nodded toward the bulk of the camp and Jones walked over dropping down next to a tree. "We'll think of something in the morning, you and the others need to get some rest even if you don't sleep. I'm going to take a look at this column of horsemen while you do." Nathan told him. Jenna looked up at him, blinked once and closed her eyes. Nathan started off in the direction Jones had been scouting at a quick pace, matching Jones's frantic run easily, "Jones's has good eyes but speed isn't his thing." Nathan thought as he ran on into the night.