Thank you for the lovely reviews everyone! Now I might not be updating this fanfiction as often as my others but I will be continuing this story so please stay with me!
Hope you all enjoy this new chapter! And just for reference this is the last time I'm going to put up the disclaimer but it applies to all chapters I'm writing for this fanfiction.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Claymore. I own only my OCs.
Chapter 1 – Training with a Mystery
"Faster, Teresa! You have to sense the attack faster!" Adrianna shouted as she slashed at Teresa again. "If you don't sense the yoki movement before the attack, your sensing skills will be useless in battle! Now, focus!"
Teresa barely ducked underneath Adri's next slash, which was so close she could feel the breeze as it passed over her. Teresa was just getting ready to dodge the next attack when Adri stated, "Stop."
Teresa nearly fell over as she tried to stop and Adri sighed, "You're off balance, you're not sensing the next attack, and you're only relying on your reflexes to keep you alive. Once you go on the defensive, it takes twice the amount of energy to gain the advantage again. Especially, if your opponent is equal in strength or stronger than you."
The young girl panted then glared at the older woman before snarling, "Then what do you suggest I do to fix it?"
Adri turned to Teresa, her black eyes seemingly piercing through the young girl and bringing current thoughts of anger, impudence, and rebellion screeching to a halt. She gave Teresa a small, knowing smile. "Would you be willing to listen? If you won't, I will just save my breath from trying to explain."
Teresa glared then huffed and turned away from Adrianna. The older warrior sighed. Just from the trainee's posture, she could tell that there was nothing else productive that could be done today. She twirled her claymore around until the point faced the ground and then slammed the metal tip into the ground. The loud 'ping' startled Teresa long enough for Adrianna to lock eyes with the girl.
Teresa's body went still as if incased in ice though her eyes were free to look around. Somehow just by looking at the older warrior had frozen her body. Adri smiled then motioned towards a small slab of rock. "Let's sit and talk for a bit, Trainee Teresa."
Almost as if she were a puppet, Teresa walked over to the rock and sat down. The glare that Teresa gave Adri would have knocked the warrior to the ground, if looks could do harm. The black-eyed Claymore didn't even notice as she leaned back against her blade and looked to the sky.
Instantly, Teresa gained the ability to move again but the way Lady Adrianna fingered a dagger sheathed in her belt discouraged any ideas of leaving. Perturbed, Teresa crossed her arms and sat silently.
They sat in silence, each gazing at their unfortunately familiar and barren surroundings. With all her human heart, Teresa hoped and prayed to one day escape this horrid reminder of what was done to her by the Organization and what she would now become. She'd become a monster. A 'Silver-eyed witch'. A Claymore.
The question was so sudden that Teresa barely heard it, but Yoma enhanced ears allowed her to catch the last bit. Although, she really wished she hadn't.
"…why do you fight?"
What had brought that question to the warrior's mind? Was she trying to psychoanalyze her so she could determine the quickest way to kill her competition? That's what all the other high ranking warriors did to the 'fresh meat' as they called the trainees. They called it 'career security' but everyone else called it the 'trainee annihilation'.
But that notion of analyzing the best way to kill her was quickly shoved aside. Adri was ranked 0 in the Organization. But what did that mean? What territory of the 47 did she protect?
"Are you going to tie your brain in a knot from your overanalyzing the meaning behind my question? Or are you actually going to grace me with an answer sometime in this day and age?"
"No offense, but I don't think you need to hear my reason."
"Your choice. Though I hope one day you'll be able to trust me enough to give me an answer."
Teresa watched Adri carefully. The warrior looked like any carefree wanderer just lying there gazing at the clouds in the sky, never wondering that this moment might be their last. However, that observation changed once Teresa risked a glance at Adri's eyes.
There was a fierce determination lying deep past the lazy gaze she held now. A will so strong that Teresa didn't doubt that Adri's eyes not being silver was because of the iron resolve the warrior held ready and waiting for battle.
Teresa suddenly realized that Adri was like two different people. Outwardly, she was some happy-go-lucky warrior who was probably ranked zero because she'd been a screw up during her operation. Inwardly, there was a fierce, secretive warrior waiting and holding back her yoki power so much that her eyes lost their silver pallor.
Why did she hide her power? Was she ashamed of it? Did it cause to much ill will with the other warriors? Perhaps Adri would tell her…
"May I ask you a question, Lady Adri? Why do you hide how much power you have?"
Adri's eyes furrowed and she turned to Teresa. "And what makes you think I'm hiding my power, trainee?"
"Your eyes."
"That isn't a good enough explanation. My eyes remained this way because of a fluke during my operation. Nothing more."
"Then how do you explain your defensive AND offensive abilities?"
Adri swiftly got up, sheathed her sword, and turned so she could bend down and stare eye-to-eye with Teresa. "If you want to keep living, Trainee Teresa, I highly suggest that you stop trying to pry into my business. People have gotten killed because of me. Remember that before you even think about asking questions concerning me."
The woman pulled away and stood with her arms crossed, glaring at Teresa. "You're dismissed, trainee. Report back to me tomorrow at sunrise."
Adrianna watched the trainee scamper off and silently cursed herself. She should have known a sensory type of fighter would be able to pick up on her skill, even if she did use absolutely no yoki. They were observant little pests.
She'd already suspected Rosemary had picked up on her hidden aura but it had taken the Number 1 three years of constant observation to figure out that even something was off. Teresa, a trainee, had figured it out in only one day and she still hadn't developed the sense to keep her mouth shut.
Adri knew her place with the Organization was perilous but if they found out how much power she truly possessed, it would be deadly. And the first to die would be Teresa.
P.S. If you're wondering when I'm going to explain Rank 0, it will be in the next chapter.
~Aurora Shadowglen