I do not own Claymore

Chapter 3

The freakish rains had turned the practice field into a nightmare for the trainees, as they struggled to keep their feet while swinging the heavy sword that was their hallmark. Sheila had risen to the top of her group through sheer determination and the long, grueling practice sessions with Teresa. While Teresa still easily disarmed her and could pink her at will, Sheila's speed and strength had markedly improved and she could now hold off Teresa far longer than before. Now, Sheila was circling slowly, her eyes on her opponent, Patrice.

The young warrior was her only real challenge amongst the trainees and today's match was to determine which of them would advance to full warrior status and a ranking number. The steady rain and the muddy field added the factor of uncertain footing so an accurate swing in dry weather could end up going awry in the wet. The only rules to this match were: "No fatalities and no dismemberment's".

Both girls were bleeding from several minor wounds and each was looking for the small opening, the error that would decide the outcome. With a cry, Patrice lashed out with her blade and Sheila narrowly blocked the cut while at the same time, swinging her left fist in an arc that ended on Patrice's exposed cheek, while Patrice's blade slithered along Sheila's blade and glanced off of her shoulder guard in a shower of sparks.

Soundlessly, Patrice stumbled and fell over stunned by Sheila's left fist. Though Patrice was only briefly stunned, it was long enough to decide the contest. Patrice smiled through her tears as Sheila extended her left hand and hauled Patrice back up onto her feet. Patrice smiled at Sheila and said quietly,

"Congratulations! Number forty seven, you get to leave now!"

Sheila grinned back and said, "Congratulations Patrice, you still get to sleep with a roof over your head tomorrow."

The two embraced fondly, they had been friends since implantation and had helped each other through the worst of the transformation.

Patrice left the muddy field and the rain to Sheila. It would be her turn again all too soon, a ranking slot would soon be open again, young warriors did not live long.

Sheila faced the pavilion where the organization's leaders sat out of the rain. She was streaked with mud and stained with blood where she wasn't soaked to the skin, inured to the discomfort, she stood and waited, outwardly calm. The sounds of rain falling around her and splatting into the mud, her armor tinkling faintly, drumming on the canvas of the pavilion and faintly, the pulsing of blood through her veins.

Rubel stood and beckoned to her first, then he beckoned to Teresa who had stood in the rain along with the other warriors and trainees. Sheila moved up to the pavilion and stood where Rubel indicated, moments later, Teresa had joined her. Rubel smiled at both of them and in his best outside voice said,

"Congratulations to you both! Sheila, you are now number forty seven, a ranking that I expect, you'll be moving up from, soon!"

He turned to a wooden rack with two massive claymores in it. One was new and unused, the other, had seen much use.

Taking the new sword and a wrapped parcel from the rack, Rubel faced Sheila and opening the parcel, placed the new ascot in Sheila's hands.

He waited while Sheila switched the old ascot for her new one with the silver rune embroidered in it, her symbol for the rest of her life.

Rubel then took up the great, gleaming sword engraved with the matching rune and placed it in her outstretched hands.

Gripping the hand grip as if for the first time, Sheila's eyes glistened with wetness as she slipped the great sword into the holder on her back. She was finally, a warrior in the ranks!

Rubel turned to Teresa, he smiled at her and said,

"It gives me great pleasure to return to you, your sword. I trust you will use it to defend both the organization and humanity from all enemies, internal and external."

Teresa smiled back and said nothing. Rubel gave her a small wrapped parcel, it was a new ascot with her silver rune embroidered in it.

Next, he returned her great sword to her. Teresa's hand curled around the smooth grip and her faint smile returned, she caressed the huge blade with her finger tips and said very softly,

"Hello again,old friend, did you miss me?"

It seemed to everyone there that somehow, Teresa grew taller and more well muscled in that moment, her hair seemed fuller and her face even more beautiful.

The greatest, strongest, warrior of all time was back!

The moment was fleeting and was shattered by Rubel's silky voice,

"We don't have a ranking for you, Teresa of the faint smile. Your power and skills are such that we have decided that you will be given the most critical assignments, one's requiring both discretion and great power."

Teresa smiled at him and said quietly,

"In other words, your dirty work." Rubel smirked slightly and replied, "You could say that."

Teresa swung her great sword up and clipped it in its holder on her back, the brief ceremony was now over.

Teresa glanced over at Sheila and nodded slightly, as one, the two saluted the seated heads of the organization, executed as smart an about-face as could be mustered under the weather conditions and strode briskly from the field of honor.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Lord Rimuto excused the remaining water logged trainees and ranked warriors from the field. A hearty cheer rose from the rain soaked ranks and they wasted little time getting under a roof and into dry clothing.

Sheila sat on her bench, her new ascot in hand, her eyes taking in the angular shape of the rune that was now hers. Beside her lay the great sword that would be her companion for the remainder of her life, friends would come and friends would go, but the sword would be there for her through it all, until her last breath.

Then it would serve to mark the grave where she had fallen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice saying,

"Excuse me please? Lord Dae sent me to get you."

It came from a young trainee, only recently transformed, judging from the length of flaxen hair at her roots while the rest was still brown.

Sheila glanced over at Teresa who merely shrugged. Placing her sword in its holder and shuddering inwardly at the memories of Lord Dae. Sheila followed the slight girl into the depths of Lord Dae's theater of horrors, this hellish place Lord Dae called his flesh atelier. Arriving at their destination, the nameless girl all but squeaked in terror as Lord Dae dismissed her, she fled as if on winged feet, the faint slapping of her bare feet on stone receding rapidly.

Sheila stood silently, her eyes taking in the spectacle. Three young girls lay shivering in fear, their eyes staring at her in terror. Lord Dae stood there with his ghastly face twisted in his parody of a smile and he said,

"Number forty seven! How good of you to come." he gestured to the frightened girls, "I asked you here for a special purpose."

His face returned to its usual nightmarish aspect, "You are going to help me with deflowering these girls."

Sheila glared at him and he snapped at her, "I expect your complete cooperation or tomorrow, we will be selecting a new number forty seven!"

From deep inside Sheila's psyche came her answer, the answer from years of suppressed outrage and anger at the helplessness she had felt when Lord Dae had lifted his black robes and she felt the agony and shame of being ravished, her silvery gray eyes flashed to golden and her bellow was heard even in the room where she had stayed with Teresa.

"NO... I, WILL, NOT... OBEY!"

Lord Dae rocked back on his heels in surprise, no underling, warrior or trainee had ever dared to raise their voice at him like this.

Sheila spoke again through clenched teeth, "You horrible, sick, monster! You have done this to hundreds, no, thousands of girls. NO MORE! This... Ends... Now!"

Sheila drew her sword, Lord Dae's eyes bulged at the sight of her deadly blade and the grim intent in her blazing golden eyes.

He leapt to a bell rope to signal for help. In a flash, Sheila had it in her hand first, she grinned at him and growled,

"Calling for help now, are we? Here, allow me!" Sheila gave the rope several hard jerks and it snapped off in her hand.

In a mocking voice, Sheila cried, "Oh! I broke your rope, I just don't know my own strength anymore. Not since you mutilated me!"

The sounds of shouting, clashing swords and booted feet came echoing down the hallway outside, Lord Dae straightened up from his cowering and he exulted,

"Hear that! You great fool! Your doom is coming." he looked at the terrified girls and said gleefully. "Watch this and learn, no one defies me and lives!"

Sheila suddenly lunged forward, grabbed his groin area with her left hand and squeezed until her knuckles cracked, lifting him off the floor in her effort.

Lord Dae screamed so hard his voice cracked and he flailed helplessly in her iron grip.

Sheila dropped Lord Dae and said hoarsely, "You'll never touch a girl again." then she sliced his head from his body, it toppled from his shoulders and rolled across the stone floor, eyes wide open in surprise.

His lifeless corpse slumped over and stained the floor with his red blood, forming a widening pool as his foul heart ceased its beating.

Sheila turned to leave and stopped short at the sight of Teresa now fully dressed and armed, standing in the doorway with a smile on her face.

She said with a grin, "I saw what you did. It was classic! Now hurry! We've only got a little while before people start waking up and coming after us."

Teresa glanced once more at the scene of Lord Dae's execution and chuckled, then she hustled herself and Sheila past all of the sprawled, unconscious warriors, out of the organization complex and into the driving rain.

With the rain drops stinging their faces as they ran, Sheila cried,

"What happened back there? Who knocked them all out like that?"

Teresa grinned at her and yelled back, "I should be asking you the same thing? What made you emasculate Dae like you did? Wouldn't just chopping him have been just as good?"

Sheila just gave Teresa a look of disbelief and between gasps she cried out, "I wanted him to know real agony just once before he died, I'm not talking about the pain from when his face got mutilated. I just wanted to give back the agony I felt when he forced himself into me." choking back her tears, Sheila declared, "I was only ten when I was assaulted by him, I'm fourteen now and it still hurts me what he did."

Teresa suddenly skidded to a stop and the two paused to catch their breaths.

Teresa blurted out,"How old, did you say you were?" Sheila looked at Teresa and replied, "I'm fourteen, why? Is that a problem?"

Teresa smiled at her and said hastily, "No, it's not a problem. I was just surprised at your youth that's all. I didn't realize the organization was robbing cradles now. Your pretty tall and I figured you to be in your late teens, I guess you're going to be a really tall girl when you're done growing." Teresa looked up at the clouds overhead and said, "Better get going, those warriors I knocked out are probably out looking for us by now!" Sheila nodded and the two resumed their running and enduring the stinging rain drops, the cold and being soaked to the skin.