DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN
AN: Sorry, I had no idea that it had been so long since I last updated. I've had to deal with some crap, but it's no excuse for being so late. I'm sorry.
Orchamus: Mmm, that's what I was thinking while I wrote this chapter. Noah will most likely never be paired, and if I do make any other pairings, then it will be a small part of the story. Thanks though :)
Melchor: Oh hi there :) Mmm, I'm trying to think of how I want it to go, and how much detail I want to put into the cannon time skip period. I'm gonna leave them own their own for a bit, and maybe we'll see more of them later :P Yeah, at the moment it's fairly easy going, because Luciela is still recovering, so Noah holds all the power. But when she's back up to full strength . . . . . . . it should get a little bit more interesting :) The fight scene for when that eventually happens is going to be so hard to write :( Thanks for reviewing though :)
storyreaderlovespie: Ahahaha, thanks :) It's alright :) I'm glad you enjoyed it
marc: Thanks for that :) I didn't notice how poorly written that bit was until I went back and looked at it again. I really appreciate it though, because I'm always happy to go back and change things, especially when it's badly done :) Thanks a bunch :)
kyuubicannon: Thank you for pointing that out :) I'm not sure yet, would you want there to be time skips? Or do you want me to go through the whole time period? It won't be seven years, as less people and more experienced teachers in this AU.
Sieben Nightwing: Thanks a lot, I'm glad you liked it :) Uhhh, sorry, but apart from the fact that I don't have any plans on adding any other important OC's, I have no idea how I would work something like that into the story, sorry.
algebraiya: Thanks for reviewing :)
DBZLOVER: I'm glad you liked it, hopefully you enjoy this one too :)
Freehawk: No, not really. Riful shrugs stuff like that off pretty easily. She was a little bit annoyed, but she's too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . childish to stay that way. She plays a child because it suits her, and children don't really stay annoyed for long. Plus, she doesn't take no for an answer, so expect her to come back :)
Kuroui: I'm sorry it took so long to update :P But here's the new chapter, and thanks for reviewing :)
EVA-Saiyajin: Your review actually made my day :) No kidding :) I'm always worried that I'm not portraying characters right, and that Noah is totally stuffing everything up and ruining the story, so your review made me feel so much better :) Thank you
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The Lioness is hunting us
So beautiful and dangerous
Her embrace is murderous
Beware of the Lioness
Do you feel her gentle touch
Her sweet caress hurts just as much
So take care, take care of her
The Lioness will win
So close you hear her purring
So close she smells your fear
Not close enough to lose yourself
Beware the Lioness is near
~The Lioness, Xandria
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They headed further West for several days before finally Claire and Jean needed a rest. As hardy as they were, even their inhuman endurance could be exhausted eventually. With the fight in the North and their escape to the West, they really hadn't had the time to rest and recover their strength.
Luciela watched as the two Claymores settled down onto the ground, sitting against their swords. She gave Rafaela a look, and proceeded to drag Noah away, where they could have a private conversation. The former Number Two would ensure that the two silver haired women stayed where they were.
Noah gave no sign of distress as he was pulled away from the cave by his wrist, giving Luciela an amused look.
Deciding that they were far enough, she let go of his wrist and spun around, levelling him with a serious look, "I think it's time for that talk."
Noah nodded, "So talk."
She sneered at him for a second, "I'm not some double-digited Awakened being that you can order around-"
Noah cut her off with a wave of his hand, "I don't plan on it." He levelled her with a hard stare, "What I do expect at the very least is some cooperation."
She gave him a grudging nod, "Fine." She paused for a second, choosing her next question carefully. There were a number of things she was curious about, motives for one thing, but first . . . . . .
"How did you manage to conceal your existence for so long?"
Noah shrugged, "I Awakened during the Mass Awakening, and it went unnoticed amongst the constant fighting. I killed and fed on the Awakened beings that I was battling at the time, and fled, going into hiding within the lands to the West. I stayed away from humans, hunted other Awakened beings and Yoma for food, slept and trained."
Luciela stared at him, "You ate your own kind?"
Noah smiled patronisingly at her, "Please Luciela, Yoma are disgusting little creatures that are useful for little else. And the Awakened beings?" He shrugged again, "Survival of the fittest. It was either them or humans, and Awakened beings give a better fight."
Luciela gave a short laugh, "Pathetic." She began to circle him, "Clinging to your last little shreds of humanity like a delusional fool."
He looked over his shoulder at her, "Think whatever you like, Luciela. I've managed to stay under the radar of the Organisation and the rest of the world this long, haven't I?'
She conceded the point with a nod, grudgingly, "True, but human guts . . . . . the sweetness, just the tiniest taste is like nirvana." A hazy pleasured look filled her eyes before fading, replaced by a more serious look, "I hope you don't expect me to follow your example." There was a faint threat in her voice, but Noah just frowned at her.
"What sort of preacher do you take me for? I could care less what you do with your food. I don't expect anyone else to follow in my example."
She gave him a suspicious look, but let it pass. "Just stay away from Rafaela, and there won't be a problem." Noah grinned and shook his head.
She glared at him, "Why attack us and kidnap Rafaela and I?"
Noah raised an eyebrow, "And you would have just cooperated if I had simply asked?"
Luciela bristled, but couldn't really argue the point. She probably just would have attacked, or failing that, taken Rafaela and run.
He sighed, "Anything else? We should probably get back to the others." It was unlikely that anything had happened, all three girls were anti-social in their own ways, and it was impossible for a fight to have broken out unnoticed by either of the Abyssal Ones.
Luciela nodded, "I should probably take Rafaela hunting, before she eats your little pets, no?" She grinned as Noah grimaced, and they disappeared from the clearing in a blur.
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The female Abyssal One frowned as she reached the 'campsite'. She had slight ulterior motives to taking Rafaela hunting, although she didn't know if the boy had realised it or not.
Despite her remarkable recovery since her humiliating defeat at Isley's hands, she was in no way back to her full strength. She needed to feed, and quite heavily at that. She tilted her head at Noah, wondering if he was going to go back on his word, and try to stop her from massacring a town or two.
He gave her a dry, unimpressed look, and jerked his head, obviously telling her to leave. She gave him a slow smile in return, linked hands with Rafaela and disappeared into the woods. She could hear the two warriors asking Noah questions as she passed out of hearing range, and she allowed a smug smile to cross her face, wondering how he would talk his way out of that
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Claire glared at the male Abyssal One, "You're just going to let them feed on innocent humans?"
Noah turned to face her, "What would you have me do?" He started walking towards her slowly, but the warrior stood her ground, while Jean tensed, ready for a fight. "We need Luciela, just like we need Riful, and neither of them are interested in keeping the same diet as me. I have no desire to attempt to convince them otherwise, and besides, we can't afford to alienate them." He appeared directly in front of her, leaning into her personal space as she flinched and narrowed her eyes.
He stepped back, and glanced at Jean, who had taken her hand away from her sword slowly. "Don't get me wrong, I have no interest in eating humans, for several reasons, but I'm not some soft hearted weakling. I don't care about many other beings, let alone humans." Jean and Claire shared a look.
Noah tilted his head as he considered his words, "But . . . . . . I find myself respecting you two. I actually care about your safety, and for whatever reason, I find myself wanting to protect you." He blurred out of sight, a rustle of leaves being the only sign that he'd left the clearing, with several faint words called over his shoulder.
"Don't screw that up."
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Noah shook his head as he sprinted from the 'campsite'. He'd said too much to the two Claymore's. A confession like that . . . . . . . . . . it was like he really was turning into a soft hearted weakling. On one hand, it would assure them that he didn't intend to kill them at any time, but if Luciela heard of it, she'd be even more dissatisfied with working with him.
No doubt it would inspire her to attempt to assume dominance over him. The white haired boy didn't doubt that she had accepted the truth about needing to cooperate to defeat Isley. Out of the three Abyssal Ones, she was the only one with first hand experience at fighting the oldest of the Abyssal Ones. But like Riful, Luciela wouldn't be satisfied with an alliance, no, she'd want submission.
It was the nature of Awakened beings. Strive to be the one in control, kill everything that resists. Some were able to control the instinct, and kept to themselves, others were killed by more powerful beings that they attempted to dominate, and others submitted to the control of more powerful beings.
Isley was one of the ones that had submitted, along with Rigardo and Dauf. Luciela and Riful were smart enough to eliminate any threats, while Noah him self had kept away from everything and everyone.
He didn't quite regret what he'd said, but . . . . .. . . . he shook his head again, and turned his focus to tracking Luciela and Rafaela. The last thing they needed was to be tracked and killed by the Organisation because one or both of them were lost in blood lust and drew too much attention.
It took him several minutes to catch up with the two, and aside from a small grin from Luciela and a curious look from Rafaela, they seemed intent on ignoring his presence. Noah was content to just follow the sisters as they honed in on a small village, tucked into a valley in the mountains.
Although the four 'factions' had claimed territories for themselves, there were almost no towns in these areas. The majority of the population lived in the centre of the continent, where the 47 Claymore areas were designated. Outside of the protected centre, everyone was fair game. Only the foolhardy or the criminal established anything permanent this far out.
They came to a stop on the edge of a cliff, far above the small village. Noah estimated that there were around six hundred humans in the village, satiate the sisters hunger.
Luciela grinned, a vicious expression that bared her teeth, sharper than the average humans. Rafaela was beginning to shake, the scent of her natural prey awakening her suppressed blood lust.
This time, the Abyssal One did nothing to calm her sister, gently nudging the younger Awakened being into shifting into her Awakened form. Rafaela snarled, and leapt from the cliff, soaring through the air before gravity took effect and began to drag her back towards the ground.
As she plummeted, the red-haired girl began to shift, skin bubbling as the bones and muscles began to morph and change. Her form expanded, growing much larger than any normal human as her skin hardened and lost all colour, except for the occasional blood red streaks.
The Awakened being landed with animal grace, making a muffled thump. Although her yoki had spiked when she shifted, it quickly settled, and Noah was surprised to note that she, almost perfectly, suppressed it. Rafaela must have had years of practice as a Claymore to be able to mask her energy so naturally.
Next over the cliff was Luciela, who simply stepped off and let gravity take her. Her change was almost seamless, quickly expanding to a form a fraction larger than her sister's. Luciela's Awakened form was reminiscent of a cat-woman, a human body with cat hind legs and two long prehensile tails. The head of her form was that of a cat with two mouths, one set above above the other. Her eyes glowed brilliant orange as she descended, landing with feline grace and making even less noise than her sister had.
Noah sighed, and quickly ran to the cliff and dived off, tumbling through the air to land on his feet behind the two Awakened beings. He watched as they examined one another, properly seeing each other's forms for the first time. He tensed for a second, wondering if Rafaela would attempt to pick a fight, and try to gain dominance over Luciela.
With the Abyssal One so weakened, Rafaela even had a chance to win, and the primal instincts inherent to all newly Awakened beings had to be screaming through her mind, calling for blood and the submission of every other Awakened being in the area. It took time for those instincts to subside, usually after the Awakened being had gone on it's first hunt, and satiated the ravenous hunger that accompanied their new form. It was unlikely that Rafaela would pay attention to him just yet, with his yoki suppressed and his scent much less noticeable than the female Abyssal One's, who was the prominent threat.
Thankfully, Rafaela seemed to have remembered her sister, and instead of attacking like any other newly Awakened being, she crept closer, and gently touched her sister's face. Gentle humming sounds came from the bone white being as she slowly examined the female Abyssal One. Luciela remained still, watching as the slightly smaller Awakened being satisfied her curiosity.
Eventually, Rafaela sat back on her heels, and tilted her head to the side, "Luciela . . . . ."
The Cat-like Abyssal One leaned forwards and nuzzled her sister, and Noah averted his eyes, feeling oddly intrusive. He frowned as he heard the sound of several humans stomping heavily towards them. He turned back to the sisters in time to see them blur out of sight.
The white haired boy sighed, and resigned himself to playing catch up. He blurred out of sight as he followed the two.
He found them outside a grove of trees, and came to a stop on a high tree branch. Luciela was standing back and watching hungrily as Rafaela tore through the humans that had come to investigate the falling objects that had been seen from the village.
Noah looked on in curiosity as the armoured Awakened being fired several bone spears from her fore arms, pinning humans to rocks and boulders, leaving them screaming as the jagged missiles tore through muscle and bone.
In several short and bloody seconds, the humans were dead, and Rafaela began to feed, tearing corpses up in order to reach the sweet guts inside. She beckoned Luciela over, and the two ate together, although the older sister made far less of a mess, simply cutting open the humans and delicately extracting their insides.
The only human form Awakened being present sat back, and simply breathed in the sweet smell of blood and guts that filled the air. He might have forced himself to not eat humans, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't take the chance to enjoy the smell of blood and death.
Sometimes he regretted having chosen his current diet, but it had kept him alive and under the radar of the Organisation, and that was good enough to justify his choices.
Eventually, both of the Awakened beings had finished feeding, and were ready to move on and find more. Noah followed them as they sprinted off towards the town, watching as Rafaela hesitated occasionally, conflicted as to whether she should lead, drawn by ravenous hunger, or follow Luciela, deferring to her sister's power.
However, each time Luciela nudged her on, and after several times, Rafaela just gave up, and raced on ahead, with her sister close behind.
They tore through the town's walls, and began to slaughter the humans inside, feeding as they went. Humans poured out of their homes, some to escape, and some trying to kill the monsters that had attacked their home.
Noah settled on a roof top and watched as spears, swords and arrows all bounced off Rafaela's armour, and Luciela's tails ripped any attackers apart. He watched with interest as mouths filled with jagged teeth opened up across her skin, and began to ingest steaming piles of guts that had been torn out of the human defenders.
A torch must have fallen and hit barrels of oil, as an explosion shattered several homes, and fire quickly began to spread throughout the streets. Noah sighed in irritation as the village began to burn.
"At least some of the evidence of the sisters will be erased." He quickly leapt to his feet and escaped the town as fire began to consume the ruined buildings. As he fled he could hear the triumphant roars of the sisters as they fed.
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Jean watched as Claire settled back onto the ground with a huff, the bob-haired girl glaring off to where Noah had gone.
"We made the right choice."
Claire blinked as she turned her head to look at Jean, "Did we? Luciela and Rafaela have gone off to eat who knows how many people, and we're just going to sit here and let it happen."
Jean lowered herself to the ground slowly, "I don't like this any more than you, but . . . . . . . . this would be happening regardless if we were here or not. Noah will protect us as long as we don't cause trouble, and with enough training, maybe one day, after Isley is dead, we can hunt down Luciela and Rafaela as well." She sounded unhappy, but resigned at the same time.
Claire sighed, trying to let Jean's reasoning convince her. Perhaps the short haired warrior was right . . . . . . . . . .
She nodded at Jean. This might not be what she wanted, but she had long ago sworn that she would avenge Teresa, no matter what the cost.
Even if she had to give up her humanity along the way.
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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed :) please point out any faults and I'll go back and fix it :)
Phoenix