Crimson Ties - 1
Summary: They had met once before. In a sea of blood, red and purple staining the ground.
Okay, so I was watching Claymore again (about the millionth time), and from Miria's reaction to Rigaldo's appearance I got the impression they had met before, and that is what this fic centers around. That first meeting. Because of that and other implications I've made for this, this fic will be prior to the nickname 'Phantom Miria' (which means I'm breaking the order of Miria's canon hunts, basically the first is the second for this and so on, if you're curious. i'm mainly just saying this to avoid any confusion in the fic itself)
I would warn that this will be full of gore among other other things, but this is Claymore. If you've seen or read the anime/manga then you already expect a lot of that.
"For your next assignment you will be hunting down a Voracious Eater. You are to meet a group of three other warriors at Cirvaca, understood?" He hardly waited to continue, not mentioning that she hadn't made a single move to confirm that she had heard him, had understood, was even paying attention. At this point he must have gotten use to it, being ignored. "This will be the first time you go on a mission like this, but don't worry. One of the warriors is in the single digits and will inform you how it works when you get there. I trust they'll make sure you come back alive, Miria."
Her eyes narrowed at just the memory as she walked into the town, boots clicking on the pebble stone. Really, Hagriv? Trusting another Claymore to keep her alive instead of herself? As if she would believe that. As if he cared if she came back or not. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that he didn't care. None of them did. These people the Organization used to give them messages were just that - messengers. They couldn't care less about them.
Though one thing bothered her.
Why did the organization need to send four warriors to deal with one yoma? It didn't make sense. It was just a yoma. Even if it had lived longer, had a larger thirst for human flesh... That couldn't really make such a difference, could it?
"Miria." She turned to see a hooded figure in an alley and stepped away from the center of the street, following the man down the dark passage. He stopped at a door, looking back at her from the thin slits in the cloth revealing his eyes. "They're inside."
Of course. She stepped past him, pushing the door open to see three more warriors inside, lounging on whatever furniture they could find in the small room. The door shut behind her when she walked inside, eyes flickering from one warrior to the next before her gaze dropped to the ground. Hilda wasn't here. She didn't know a single one of these warriors, much less recognize them.
"You're all here then." The woman to the right spoke, the one sitting on a barrel, back flat against the stone wall. "Introduce yourselves and tell me how many hunts you've been on before so I can know if you'll be useful in the field."
"Standard procedure, huh?" Miria raised her gaze to see the flames of the brazier flicker across the back of the room, highlighting another warrior in the shadows. This one was smiling, while looking at the one that was obviously their captain for this mission. "Honestly, Eryn. Do you have to ask? We've been on these missions before, you already know how many Awakened Beings I've killed."
"That's true, Kaveri. Even so I expect everyone to give this basic information. It is procedure."
"What-"
Eryn held up a hand to stop the third warrior from continuing. "Introduce yourself first before asking questions, and when you do make sure it concerns the mission. I'm not here as your training instructor. You've already left that nest."
For a moment it was silent until the younger woman spoke, "My name is Zelda. I'm ranked twenty eighth in the Organization. I've never been on a hunt before."
"You're a rookie then." Kaveri sighed a second later when Eryn gave her a pointed look. "I'm Kaveri, also known as Thin Mist Kaveri. I'm ranked as twenty one. This will be my fifth hunt for an Awakened Being."
Awakened Being. She kept saying that like they were suppose to know what it meant. The Organization said they would be fighting a Voracious Eater, not this Awakened Being. From the look she was getting from Eryn it was her turn. "My name is Miria. I am ranked seventeenth in the Organization. This is my first hunt for a Voracious Eater." Eryn's raised brow told her enough when she mentioned it.
"Oh, two rookies and two veterans. I see the Organization has finally struck a perfect balance," Kaveri's voice might as well cut like a knife through the air each time she spoke. Her distrust of the Organization's choice was evident though, and for that Miria would do the same as Hagvir. Just ignore her words.
"Alright," Eryn muttered. "I am Eryn and I will be your captain for this mission. I currently hold the rank of nine within the Organization. This will be my sixth hunt." The warrior pushed off from the barrel, boots clicking lightly on the wood paneling. Now that she was closer to the fire Miria could see the usual blonde locks falling around her pale skin, just two strips framing her face, the rest pulled up into a ponytail. "The purpose of this mission is to take down an Awakened Being. To the public and those that have not faced them before you know them as Voracious Eaters, but don't be mistaken into thinking one of these creatures is like any other yoma. An Awakened Being was previously a Claymore, like us. They went past their yoki limit and have sub-combed to the yoma side that dwells in all of us. As you know, a black card may be sent to somebody if you are reaching your limit. So you don't turn into one of them. An Awakened Being either did not have the chance to send their black card, someone was too late to kill them as a human, or they passed their limit in battle. That's what we are fighting."
"So now that they know that we can go on our way," Kaveri said as she got up, heading to the door Miria stood in front of. Her hair was lighter than the others, much longer as well, easily reaching halfway down her back.
"There's more to this mission than that."
Kaveri stopped short, glancing at Eryn. "It's an Awakened Being, we were sent to kill it. The mission is as straight forward as they come."
"What we're facing is a male Awakened Being. Someone the Organization used to create a Claymore in the early years when they made male Claymores. The practice of making them doesn't continue today, but they were strong fighters before awakening. That means you keep your eyes open at all times. Zelda, Miria, stay out of the way in the fight. Only attack from sides were not attacking from if you think you have a clear shot. Got it?"
"Yes," Zelda replied instantly, eyes wide with obvious fear at this news.
Miria didn't say anything, just kept her lips shut. A Voracious Eater was really an Awakened Being, a Claymore that went over their yoki limit. Not only that, but a male Awakened Being. Hagriv really didn't care that he had just sent her essentially on a suicide mission. Shouldn't the whole group be experienced if it wasn't a normal Awakened being? But then again, he had never given her a mission she had been unable to complete. Maybe this was his way of saying he believed she was capable enough for such a mission even without any previous hunts under her belt as it were. "Fine." No matter what Eryn said she would fight this Awakened Being just like she fought all other yoma.