Disclaimer: Claymore is not owned by me, and that's a sad thing by the way.
Note: I researched much on Claymore, and what I know is only as much as I was able to find. So if there are any discrepancies or errors whatsoever, please have the heart to inform me, thanks. (:
Full Summary[Set after the seven year arc in the manga - After successfully creating Alicia, the organization tampers further with such hybrids, becoming braver. They succeed, but at the price of near-annihilation. As the survivors of the Northern Campaign return to the South on the wills of the 17 warriors who died, the Abyssal Ones – with the exclusion of Luciela – prepare for war, and the organization pulls itself back on its feet.
As destinies intertwine, and the world faces impending doom, two Claymores must combine forces with the seven who survived the Northern Campaign to face the two Abyssal Ones, Priscilla included, but what can be done to overcome such a colossal enemy?
xXx
"Sticks and stones are hard on bones and aimed with angry art."
-extracted from a short poem by Phyllis McGenlee-
xXx
Chapter One
Silver Identity
A silver flash was the last thing the monstrous beast saw, before collapsing, motionless. Purple blood splattered the ground; if one turned an artistic eye on the stains, however, it seemed to fan out in the shape of a blooming flower, albeit somewhat abstract. The stunned expression still remained on the beasts' face, as testimony to his emotions during his final moments.
The villagers' attention was momentarily diverted from the slain Yoma to a large silver sword, which was flicked to remove the glistening purple blood on its blade. Then their eyes traveled up and around the figure they had already observed in great detail when she'd first stepped into the town.
"So that…" an old man breathed, "is the power of a Silver-Eyed Witch?"
Upon his conclusion, the town broke into whispers and murmurs. The girl gave no sign she had heard anything at all. Instead, she headed immediately for the village exit. At that moment, the village chief stopped her with a yell. "Umm, miss!"
She halted in her tracks, training those merciless silver eyes on him. He trembled.
"The… payment," he whispered, intimidated by her gaze. He lifted the sack full of gold coins and shook it slightly.
"A man in black will come once I've left," she answered emotionlessly. "Give the money to him, then."
"No, I mean… for… for six Yoma, is this enough?" he opened the sack at his feet, while she peered at its contents, although apparently uninterested. After barely a moment, she shook her head. The village chief paled.
"I have no idea, to be honest," she concluded lightly as she turned and walked away, not bothering to see his reaction. "I won't impose my presence on this village any longer. Ta-ta!"
xXx
Night fell.
"Was the money they gave enough?" the girl asked, having made herself comfortable in a small clearing. She had been walking for nearly the whole afternoon, threading her way through a dense forest the village exit was connected to. She poked the fire idly with a stick as she waited for a reply. "Don't fool around, Ermita, I know you're there."
A sigh from the darkness, "yes, but I expect they'd be bankrupt by now," Ermita answered. His entire body and face was hidden in black clothing, leaving only his eyes visible. But if the girl had to guess, he would be frowning, from the way his eyes seemed to narrow. She did not turn to face him; though she was aware he stood just behind her, next to a tree.
She laughed; her laughter was like a tinkling bell. "Oh, I thought they would try to bargain."
"If it was any decent warrior ranked 20 and above, perhaps they would. But I'm sure even the village chief somehow sensed that you were not any average warrior." Here, Ermita paused before continuing, "Then and again, you aren't any ordinary warrior. After all, you're a single-digit."
She snorted, amused. "Fooling around, are we? I bet you're still sore over it."
Silence greeted her words. Then, calmly, with a faintest hint of restraint: "Of course. Why did you not give it your all when the organization tested you and tried to see where you ranked? Don't you want to ascend higher?"
"Ascend higher?" the girl leaned back against her claymore, which was stuck in the ground. "No, I don't. I like the missions I am given at this rank. Anyway, the organization knows what I specialize in, so it's fine."
Ermita did not argue, though she sensed he was slightly disturbed.
"Enough of the sensitive topics. Any mission, task, or whatever at the moment?" she asked innocently.
"That can wait. You are to come with me to some place, first."
"What, and be your 'eye' again?"
Ermita's eyes wrinkled a little; he was smiling. "Are you sure you can't read my mind?"
"No, that's just one of the silly little things humans come up with to explain why they sometimes happen to say or do the same thing. It's just coincidence. It was a simple conclusion I arrived at through inference and assumption." She stood up, glancing at the fire. "You could've told me that before I started the fire, you know," she muttered as she soaked sticks in a puddle nearby and threw them onto the flames, which immediately began to die off.
"I'll keep that in mind next time," he answered calmly, shuffling across the clearing, the girl tagging along behind. "Let's go then, Kiiya."
Silver eyes seemed to flash in the darkness, but it was only due to blinking. A silver-white fringe that fell smoothly over her right eye, curling around a ponytail tied to the right, falling over her chest neatly to her waist. Her frail, thin figure seemed almost incapable of wielding or even carrying such a large claymore with ease. A smile of sorts crossed her flawless features for a moment, drawing attention to her symbol: a trident with an 'X' in the middle. Her eyes glowed with a silver light of its own, creating a ghastly halo around its perimeter. Unlike her handler, her footsteps resonated across the forest, giving it a seemingly rhythmic heartbeat. The last embers of the flame died away as they moved further and further from the clearing.
"Aye-aye, sir."
