A New Claymore: Chapter One

"Twelve, that's my final offer."

"No, fifteen and the girl's yours. Don't mark me a fool. I can feel her potential." The man barred his teeth in a filthy smile, gripping the girl tighter. "Perhaps I will find a new bidder then."

"Pay him, Marcus. There's no need to be stingy." The first man glared at the new comer as he tossed a bag of coins onto the table. "Now, hand her over and leave us."

"As you wish." Smirking, he threw the small girl onto the ground before the two members of the Organization and without a backward glance he collected the coins and left the chamber.

"Disgusting man really. Although, one cannot but be amazed by his talent." She gestured towards the girl. "Such a find, I don't know where he found her but she is truly remarkable. Don't you think?"

"Yes, absolutely." The man named Marcus brought his gaze up to meet the silvery one of Minerva. "She is older than what we take in. Her training must begin and soon. Whose blood do you plan on using?"

For that the woman named Minerva did not answer, she merely stared at the trembling form of the child. No emotions touched her face, not even as her silver eyes swept across her bruises and scratches. "Tomorrow it will be decided. Clean her up and take her down to cell...214." Her boots softly clinked on the marble floor as she walked away, hair shining in the dim light. Marcus exhaled softly as she was completely out of earshot; Minerva was a force not to be reckoned with.

"My name is Marcus." the man stood and walked over to the girl, she flinched at his touch. "What is it that you are called? I won't hurt you, you're safe now." Picking the child in his arms he carried her to her cell."

/ / /

Analise awoke in a cold, dark place. She exhaled in pain, her frosty breath visible in the moonlight. What happened? Where was she? Groaning, she pulled herself up from the stone floor and stared at her surroundings. There were two beds and one table, both worn down with age. Nothing else. Limping, she shuffled to the door. It was heavy and the kind that reminded her of those in a dungeon. She tried the latch and pulled with all her might, but it did not budge.

"Help! Let me out! Somebody!" she screamed, but it was no use. Not a sound came out from behind the large wooden door. Sobbing, she pounded on it until her hands hurt and her voice was hoarse. "Please! Somebody! Anybody..." Sinking to the floor, Analise was filled with despair. Everyone she knew was gone, she remembered now. The man with the jagged smile, he... "No!"

The moon shone indifferent and pitiless into the cell, the barred window high up and as impenetrable as the door. That night she cried herself asleep, not caring how cold the stone was under her bruised and broken body. Everything was gone, everything except her.

/ / /

"Hey, wake up!" Somebody was shaking her. "Come on! Before you get us both in trouble! They want to see you."

Analise opened her eyes, the light was dim again from either dawn or dusk, it was hard to tell. A girl roughly her age was looking at her intently, though her heart stopped when she met her gaze. Her eyes...they were silver. Could she be...was this place...no it couldn't be. "W-who are you?" she stuttered, gripping the other's hands franticly. "Where am I?"

"Calm down! My name is Serena. You're with the Organization." Pulling free from her, the other girl looked puzzled. "Don't you know that? Anyways, we're late. I'm supposed to take you to the Elders. Let's go."

Together, the two left the chamber. The halls were stark and cold, each cell identical from the next. Analise followed her steps closely, their footsteps making the only noise. This place was the Organization? She was old enough to know what that really meant. This is where the Claymores lived. And Serena...she was one of them. The silver eyes told her that much, but should couldn't be much older than she was.

That grimy man brought her here. But what else? Her memory was failing her. All she could remember was her family and the village they lived in. And...

"What are you waiting for, come on." Serena spun around, hand on her hip.

Analise stood where she was, staring at nothing. "H-he killed my father. He killed him and sold me to them!" Tears were streaming down her face and her fists were balled at her sides. Serena stood motionless, expression unreadable. Abruptly, Analise's eyes snapped into focus. "What are they going to do to me?"

"I'm not sure what you're babbling about. You came here because you wanted to be a Claymore." Serena was frowning now, silver eyes intent on her face.

"What? No!" She was trembling again, not with fear but with rage. "He sold me to them! The woman, she was like you... Minerva and a man. He had dark glasses."

Serena was silent for a long time, confusion creasing her brow. "That's impossible. We come here out of her own free will, not bought and sold." She shook her head, arms crossed. "Wait, you met Minerva? The Minerva? I don't know what trouble you're in but we got to get going, we've wasted too much time.

The walk was silent, neither girl spoke. Serena's footsteps slowed and she came to a stop in front of two large wooden doors. They weren't very ornate, not much different from the ones in the cells. Serena knocked three times and the doors swung open. The chamber had vaulted ceilings and wooden floors. Benches were on either side, splitting the room in two and the Elders were on a raised dais in a semi-circle.

"Serena, you're late." A man spoke in a serene voice. It was hard to determine his age. "Forty lashes will see to it that you are not tardy again. You may leave us." Serena bowed and turned, her silver eyes flickered to meet the green ones of Analise. Then without a backward glance she strode stiffly out of the chamber. "Come closer child, let us get a better look at you."

Analise glared at the man, there was deep cruelty emanating from him. From all of them. They were responsible for her father's death. Rage burned through her veins but she stood proudly before them.

"Incredible. I can feel her spirit even now. How can this be?" The voice came from another man. He appeared to be the oldest and his eyes were wide and intent on her.

"What is your name?" The first one spoke again. "Don't be afraid. We have no wish to harm you." He almost chuckled.

"I don't fear you." She said softly, she met their eyes defiantly. "My name is Analise. You can't do this to me! You have no right! I'm not a animal to be bought an-"

She never even saw her coming. Analise was pressed to the floor, the wind knocked out from her lungs. A steel boot dug painfully into her back. "Now, now Marcella. That is no way to treat our guest."

"I will not tolerate this insolence. My lord, she has insulted our-" The woman named Marcella was cut off by the man's raised hand, his eyes flashed.

"You are loyal and well valued. This is why I will let you live. Go. I will decide your punishment later." The boot pressed down harder before the pressure was relieved. Marcella stalked angrily out of the chamber, white cape flapping behind her. It wasn't until the doors slammed shut before the man spoke again. "You are angry and confused. I will spare you from reprimand until you learn our ways. But let you be warned, have an outburst like that again and you will be punished."

She didn't speak, only rose to her feet in silence. Blood trickled from a cut on her brow and her lungs still hurt. She wouldn't let them have the satisfaction of knowing how much it pained her.

"Good," He continued, "It has been decided that you will become a part of our Organization tonight. But the means are still being settled. Minerva thinks it is wise to only choose one. However, with the spirit of this magnitude from a simple human I think it's safe to mix." He was no longer addressing her, but his comrades. At his words, they looked grim. Analise didn't know what he was talking about but she didn't like it one bit. What were they planning? Spirit? Mixing? She clenched her fists.

"You know how unstable Clare was. How well that little experiment turned out. True, she was magnificent. But dangerous. This child is too old to undergo that kind of trauma. It will destroy her!" Analise couldn't tell who was talking, they were all arguing now.

She felt cold. How could they be talk about her as if she wasn't there? As if they had not done her any wrong! As if her father wasn't dead and her life just ripped away! The more they bickered the more it enraged her. It was flowing through her like a living thing. She wanted to be free of this dismal place, of these monstrous old men and their plots! Suddenly, they were all quite, every set of eyes on her, some in wonder others in fear. Their ring leader was looking at her with a triumphant smile.

"Minerva. Theresa. Pricilla. Annette. Caitlyn. Listelle. They were our best. They will be the ones to chosen to live on in this remarkable girl. This Analise. Tonight." He rose his hands, perhaps a warming gesture to the others. They hardly looked comforted. After each name they each began to a pale more and more. Now they all sat there silent and motionless, shocked. "Tonight it must happen. Rubel!" He spoke to man Analise didn't even see enter the chamber.

"My lord Darius." Rubel bowed. He too wore the strange garb similar Marcus, even the dark glasses that were not needed in the dim light.

"Rubel. Take her back to her cell and alert Minerva." Darius steepled his fingers, smiling. A hand touched her arm lightly, guiding her back down the rows of benches.

Darius' terrible smile was burned into her memory along with the names. Minerva, Theresa, Pricilla, Annette, Caitlyn and Listelle. Who where they? Why did the other Elders seem so shaken. The walk back to her cell was a quick one. Analise moved in a daze the whole way back. How could this be happening? She was surprised to see herself outside the wooden cell door and gently pushed in. It was barred behind her.

Still in a trance, she sat upon one of the beds. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Serena appeared from the darkness. "You look like you've seen a ghost?" She sat next to her. "Are you okay?"

"They're going to turn me. Tonight." Analise was shocked to see that Serena's once silver eyes were soft hazel color. Also, her torso was bandaged. Even so, blood was staining the white linens. Forty lashes. Before she knew what was happening, Analise was sobbing in the other girl's arms.

"Hush," Serena spoke kindly, hands smoothing out her hair. "Everything will be alright. You'll see, it's not so bad."

"H-how does it happen?" she sniffled, head buried in Serena's lap. Despite her shuddering she could feel her blanch at her question.

It was a long time before she spoke. "You must take in the flesh and blood of a yoma. It will make you half human, half demon. The transformation is...painful. However, it is not so different from being human."

"Yoma? The man, Darius, he said Minerva, Theresa, Pricilla, Annette, Caitlyn, Listelle...he said that they would live on in me, like Clare. What does he mean by that?" Analise managed to stifle her tears, bringing herself to look at Serena.

"So many..." She shook her head, then grunted in pain. More blood was seeping through her bandages.

"You're bleeding! I'm so sorry, it's my fault you were punished." At her words, Serena grabbed her hand, smiling softly.

"Yes it is." She chuckled, "It's okay. I've had worse. They gave me a drug that prevents me from using my yoma powers to heal myself. Thus the eyes." She gestured towards her face. "Doesn't matter really, I'm not that good at regeneration anyways."

"Will I be able to do that? Heal, I mean."

"Listelle was unmatched at healing and regeneration. That's probably why they chose her." Serena put a finger to her lips. "Theresa was unmatched in swordsmanship, she was number one. That was decades ago. As for Minerva, she used to be number one. Now she's not even in the ranks. If Claymores had a general I suppose she would be it. I never met her though, only seen her in passing. Pricilla could completely mask her yoki powers and was equal to Theresa if not better. She died though...or so I heard. As for the other two, I'm uncertain of who they are. Probably just as powerful and dangerous."

"Why me?" Analise didn't really mean it as a question but Serena answered anyways.

"They must be trying to use you as a weapon. But that's so dangerous! Combining the blood of that many warriors. You must have something they value if they are willing to spare their blood. Most are dead, it's not exactly easy to come by like Minerva. I wonder if she knows..." Serena shook her head again, her silvery blond locks swaying around her shoulders.

There was a knock at the door that caught both of their attention. It swung open and Minerva stood there flanked by two other Claymores, one Analise recognized as Marcella. Serena inhaled swiftly, gapping. Minerva's eyes swept the room. She looked dour.

"It's time."