"Talk"
'Thought'
On the Run
Crystal arrives with her five passengers in the nearby forest dropping the four claymore to the ground a letting Clare down softly.
Noel jumps up and looks around wildly. "What the hell was that?"
"There was no way we could have beaten her without going all out," Crystal explains. "So I used my move to run away. We are about ten miles from where we where before, and I think after we left she didn't care about us any longer because she is going in another direction."
"What type of move can transport us ten miles in a second?" ask Irene as she slowly stands.
"That's my secret."
Meanwhile Teresa gets to her feet and sheathes her sword. She turns to Clare trying to calm the little girl down. "So what now?" she as she hugs Clare.
"Yes that I want to know," says Sophia.
"Well the three of you can again try to attack Teresa, but now I'll also be on her side even though she could take care of all of you in a second. So I suggest you walk away and go back to your precious organization. They will surely understand that you girls had to hightail out of there when Priscilla awakened."
Teresa listens with curiosity.
After a good minute of silence Irene says, "You know as well as we that the organization will not accept that as an excuse. Personally, I would rather stay with Teresa then go back. It's Noel and Sophia who have to decide what they will do."
"Tsk... damn. It began so simple, hunt down Teresa and now here we are thinking about deserting," says Noel with a scowl.
"Well Noel, it's up to you. There's no way I'm going back after this failure," says Sophia.
"Damn it!" Noel curses. She continues for several more seconds before she calms down enough to answer. "You girls aren't giving me any other choice," she says as she draws her sword then holds it out. "Fuck. We're in this together."
The others smile and draw their swords, putting them in a cross. Finally Crystal puts her darker claymore in the cross.
"So Crystal, why did you follow me?" ask Teresa with raised eyebrows.
"Let's just says I'm a claymore who is not from around here, and I needed to see how claymores do in this part of the world."
"So that's why both your sword and your armor is much darker then ours?" asks Sophia.
"Its not just much darker. Its about thirty times more durable then the mithril ones you people use," says Crystal. She then kneels before Clare. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," Clare says meekly.
"Thirty times more durable? What is it made of?" asks Irene.
"Adamantinium. The strongest metal in the world."
"So what now? We decided that we run but where are we going?" ask Noel.
"I don't know about you people, but I'm going to the west mountain area. It's sparsely inhabited and has lot of hiding places," says Teresa.
"And what about Riful?" ask Sophia.
"Riful?" ask Noel.
"How stupid can you be? She is one of the Abyssal Ones."
"I'm not stupid, you gorilla!" shouts Noel.
"What did you call me, monkey?" ask Sophia, but before the argument can escalate Irene hits both on the head.
Teresa nods and continues. "Riful is supposed to live in the deeper regions so we stay out of there. On our way I'll decide where we will go," says Teresa.
"Hey, who made you into our leader?" Noel asks obviously irritated.
"You can try and fight me for it," Says Teresa looking at Noel with cold eyes.
Noel tries to charge but before she can make a step she falls to the ground clutching her stomach in pain. "Now, now, let's stop fighting," says Crystal as she steps back from Noel.
"Shit, that hurts," says Noel.
'Her speed is incredible. I could barely follow her,' think Teresa and Irene.
"Anyways, anyone have a better idea?" ask Teresa as she looks at her comrades.
No one says anything so Teresa takes that as a no. "Then let's go. We should get as far as possible," says Teresa as she picks Clare up, who falls asleep. The others choose to follow.
When Clare wakes she notices that she is carried by Teresa.
"Teresa I can walk on my own," Clare says.
"Clare, we will be traveling constantly for the next few months to find a suitable place to live. There is no way you will be able to keep up," says Teresa.
"What? you want to travel constantly?" shouts Noel. "There is no way I'll travel constantly. I want a soft bed and a nice bath."
"Noel, we have to move, besides, we don't have any money," says Sophia.
"No. I am not against sleeping in the nature or stuff, but I want some comfort now and then. How will we do anything if we don't have any money?"
"Actually, that's not true. We have lots of money," says Crystal. Everyone stops cold in their track and look at her.
"Where? This uniform doesn't have any pockets," says Irene.
"Oh, don't worry," says Crystal as she gets the large bag out from under her waist armor, and show it to the others.
Teresa looks at the money then at Noel and finally at Clare in her hands. 'Why not? We have enough people together that we can protect ourselves.' "Alright then we go from town to town. I wouldn't mind a nice bath."
Irene follows her a few steps later.
"Crystal, you are my savior!" cries Noel as she hugs Crystal then runs after Teresa.
"I cant figure her out, no matter how long I try. At once she is like a little girl at others a competitive fighter," says Crystal not expecting answer.
"That's how she's acted since I've known her. Come on, let's go," says Sophia.
"Yahoo!" cries Noel as she jumps on the soft bed in the room they are renting. "I missed this."
"Sometimes you are so childish," says Sophia while she sits on her own bed.
"Who are you calling childish, stick in the mud?" shoots Noel, then the two begin to argue.
"They're at it again," says Crystal. She looks at the other beds. Teresa and Clare have one bed and Irene has another separate. But clearly, Teresa and Irene are all right now somewhere in the village. Crystal tunes the arguing pair out and then lays down on her bed.
Clare walks trough the town observing the people going on their way and doing their day to day work. She thinks back to the last few weeks and a scowl appears on her face.
'I am completely useless to Teresa. She has to carry me around so we can get from point A to point B. How pathetic, but what can I do? She is a claymore and I'm just a weak human,' she thinks as kicks a small stone out of her way.
'Weak human... hmm... it's worth a try. I just have to convince Teresa,' she thinks as a new idea begins to form in her head. 'Now, how can I get her alone...'
In an empty park within the town Teresa sits down on a bench enjoying the quiet.
"Can I join you?" ask some one from behind her. Teresa looks back and sees Irene standing behind her.
"Sure," she says and leans back on the bench.
After five minutes of silence Irene ask a question. "Is she really worth all of this?"
"Clare? Yes she is worth all of this," says Teresa without looking at Irene.
"So you exchanged me for her," she says sadly.
"What are you talking about? Clare is like a little sister or a daughter, but you're my best friend."
"Really?" ask Irene not really believing.
"Really," she answers and hugs Irene. "You where there for me when I felt lonely and I did the same for you. We've gone through the hell the organization calls training, together. I can't imagine how much it hurt when you had to go and try to hunt me down." She strokes Irene's hair and Irene unable to hold any longer the ice cold facade breaks down into tears.
"Teresa forgive me. I... if Crystal had not appeared when she did, you would..." she says while sobbing. Teresa quiets her down.
"Hush... we are alive and that's what is important," she says hugging Irene close.
"Teresa, promise me you'll never forget about me, and have time for me like you have time for Clare," says Irene after she dries her tears.
"I promise," says Teresa as she continues to stroke Irene's hair.
After half an hour the two of separate and begin their treck back to the inn.
"It's already getting dark." Says Teresa as she looks at the red sun slowly sinking into the horizon.
"Yes. I always loved the sunset. It's so beautiful," answers Irene.
Teresa and Irene enter the room they share with the others and look at the occupants. Crystal is already asleep as are Sophia and Noel. The two are hugging while asleep on a single bed. Clare has also retired to sleep.
Irene lays down, while Teresa lies next to Clare. Clare immediately latches on to her in her sleep, surprising Teresa. She looks at the little girl she has been traveling with these last few weeks.
'She is so fragile. How can I make her live a life like this?' wonders Teresa as she strokes Clare's long brown hair. 'She chose this, but what will I do when once I can't protect her? I have to somehow convince her to become one of us, but I don't want her to live the same life like we did in the organization. It's so hard. Am I selfish to want her to become on of us?' thinks Teresa as she slowly drifts to sleep.
The next morning Teresa wakes up and sit up in the bed. Everyone is still sleeping except for Crystal whom bed is empty. Teresa stands up and goes to Crystal's bed where she noticed a note one the bed. She picks up the note and reads it.
-I will be back in a hour or two. I've gone to gather supplies I left behind. Signed: Crystal.- Teresa puts the note down.
'There is no reason then to wake the others. We won't go anywhere anyway until she gets back. I owe her my life, this is the least I can do for her,' she thinks then walks down to the reception desk.
"Ah, you people already waking up?" asks the fat man standing behind the counter.
"Do you have any type of baths around here?" asks Teresa keeping her voice neutral.
"Yes we do. The bathhouse is on the end of the corridor to my left. You will find everything you need there."
'Funny how much better they are treating us now that we paid so much for the room,' she thinks Teresa as she enters the bath house. She enters the women's side, gets undressed and wraps a towel around herself moving to the bath area. She climbs into the hot water. 'This scar will never disappear. Its brands me for life,' she thinks as she absently traces the scar on her stomach.
When she is about to get out Clare arrives. "Teresa, can you stay a little longer? We need to talk."
Teresa raises her eyebrows at that. "So what's on your mind Clare?" she ask.
"I want your blood inside me," Clare bluntly states after a moment.
Teresa looks at her with shock before she finally says, "Clare... the life of a claymore is not easy. Not to mention our lifespan is uncertain, we can awake anytime. Why would you want to live that life? Did the other goad you into this? Maybe Noel or Sophia?"
"No. None of them knows about me wanting to do this. I've been thinking about this for sometime now, and I've come to the conclusion that I will only slow you all down like I am now. I... I want to share your burden Teresa. I... I want to be like you, so I can help you in the future."
"But Clare. The organization will hunt you too if you become a claymore. Besides, I am not even sure that it will work," she says trying to reason with Clare.
"So you don't want me to become one?" Clare ask sadly.
"The truth is: I was also thinking about this for some time now. What will happen if I can't protect you? How will I face myself after that? I am... worried, yet I am also worried about the risk in your change," Teresa answers as she wrestles with her own desires.
"Teresa. Please, I want this."
Teresa looks at Clare then nods once. "Alright, but we will do it in the next town. We'll soon leave and I want to give you at least enough time to sleep calmly once we do the change," explains Teresa.
Clare smiles and and hugs the older woman.
Teresa hugs her back then picks her up. "Let's finish our bath. We already spent enough time in here." The two get dressed and go back to the room and wait for Crystal return.
"What the hell is she thinking, leaving us here while going off somewhere?" says an irritated Noel.
"For once I have to agree. This is bad timing," says Sophia.
"Remember, we are leaving the area," Irene says. "She just went for supplies before we leave."
Noel is about to shoot some wise remark when Crystal enters with a sack the size of her body on her back.
"What on earth?" ask Noel with wide eyes, as Crystal puts the sack down, the floor groaning under it.
"Crystal I don't think you'll be able to lug that thing around while we travel," says Sophia. She tries to lift the sack herself but can't move it an inch.
"Did you think my muscles were for show?" ask Crystal with a smile when she notices Sophia's questioning gaze.
"Still, how heavy is that thing, and what's in it?" ask Sophia.
"Its weight is about a ton or two and there are spare pieces of equipment in it. I thought since you're not part of the organization you should stop wearing that uniform," Crystal answers. She then pulls out adamantinium armor and near black body suits.
"I agree with her," says Irene and takes pieces of the armor to fit on herself.
"These things are heavy," Says Noel as she picks a complete set up.
"But they are lot more durable. Oh yeah, here are the swords," says Crystal as she gets five swords out. "Sorry but they don't have any symbol. They are only spare things of mine. But if we finally reach that hideout that Teresa was talking about I can customize them, so they'd have your symbols."
"I don't mind. The symbol is also an organizations thing," says Teresa as she picks up her own set and a sword, now entering the room from her trip.
"I believe we should keep our symbols. After all, they are our identities," says Irene.
"Alright. We keep the symbols then," mutters Teresa putting the cloth of her symbol back around her neck.
"Hey Crystal, how do you put this bodysuit on? It has no opening," ask Sophia.
"It's elastic. Just pull it by the neck and slip into it," Crystal answers as she demonstrates how to step into the uniform.
"Oh ok," says Sophia as she follows Crystal's example.
A few minutes later everyone is dressed with an extra equipment set still lying on the floor. "There is no way I'll leave this last set behind, so I'll carry it in the small pack," says Crystal as she gets three packs out of the sack.
"That's the medical supplies, and that's the portable beds and some warm clothes," says Crystal as she gives the medical supplies to Sophia and the other bag to Noel, then puts the last set into the remaining bag placing it on her back.
They wait longer as travels to the smiths to sell their old uniforms returning with the payment which she hands Crystal.
"So, is everyone ready?" ask Teresa as she looks over her comrades in their new armor.
"Yes I think we are," says Irene.
Teresa takes Clare's hand and they exit the room, leaving the city and continue their journey west.
Organization headquarters
"Rubul, all top five warriors have disappeared. What's happened out there?" ask a man in dark robes.
"Our number two, Priscilla, has awakened. Numbers three through five have run away and deserted upon Priscilla's awakening. It would seem Teresa survived and is now probably together with the other three warriors," Says Rubul in a neutral tone.
"We must hunt them immediately down," says one of the other men in the room.
"No, we won't," says Rubul.
"What? You want us to let them run like that? If we do this then all the other warriors will think we will let them desert without any punishment!" shouts the man.
"I don't say we let them run. On the contrary. We will hunt them down, but first we have to raise a new generation of warriors who can handle them. Right now, I hate to say, no one can stand against them with our remaining warriors," explains Rubul.
"I agree with Rubul. We need new warriors," says a man in ornate clothes. "Ermita, I entrust you with the raising of the new recruits. Igra you train the twins. Rubul go and find Rafaela and try to get her back into the organization." The old man then steps out of the conference room leaving the others alone.
'Rafaela? So he want me to bring her back?' thinks Rubul as he tilts his hat.
-to be continued