"Talk"
'Thought'
The Cat is Out of the Bag
Organization headquarters
Miria walks toward her cell that she shares with Galatea, Yuma and Ophelia after a long and tiring day to try and master the offensive sword form. When she enters she gets a big surprise. Yuma is still in the room, but instead of Ophelia and Galatea there are two short haired girls lying on the other two beds.
Miria whispers to Yuma, "Who are the other two and where did Galatea and Ophelia go? Not like I miss her."
"They where chosen for special training. Our new room mates are Tina," Says Yuma as she points at the girl with the short hair framing her face. "...and Jean," she says as she points at the other whose hair is puled back behind her ears giving her a serious look. Even the few strands falling in her eyes don't suggest otherwise.
"Yo, my Name is Tina nice to meet. I hope you guys won't be as boring as my old room mates where."
Miria and Jean raise an eyebrow at the cheerful introduction. "Well I am Jean, nice to meet all of you."
"Oh god, I think someone died over there," says Tina with grin.
"I did not die. I am just not a goof-ball like you," says Jean.
"Goof-ball?" shouts Tina.
Miria and Yuma watch as the argument begins to escalate. Finally the two of look at each other and decide to leave the room so they can have some quiet.
'God I have to survive those two for the remaining time of my training?' wonders Miria inwardly while she walks back towards the training grounds to practice a little. Even that is better then listening to her two roommates bicker.
Somewhere in the Central Lands
The five Claymores and the Claymore trainee walk in silence on the dirt road. Teresa walks with Clare hand in hand like she is worried about her getting lost. Crystal and Irene walk a little to the side of them, and Sophia and Noel behind them.
After a hour Noel has had enough. "That's it Teresa, stop doing that, it's disgusting."
Teresa stops and looks at Noel with a glare that would make many weaker claymores run in fear. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything disgusting." Says Teresa with a cold tone.
"Oh no? Just playing with your pet all the time, leading her around like she's a lost puppy. I've had enough. Where is the Teresa I was told about? The woman who is ruthless and cold, a real warrior. Not this sissy I see before me," Noel shouts while trying to stop shaking in rage.
"Noel stop, calm down," says Sophia with worry. If the looks Teresa gives her is any indication then she won't live too long.
"Sissy? Should I show you why the organization called me The Strongest Claymore to Ever Lived?" ask Teresa with restrained anger.
"I dare you," says Noel with a superior attitude, but in the next moment she hits the ground with a bleeding nose from right hook of Teresa's.
"Listen well, Noel. Clare did not make me any weaker. Just made me a little more gentle, just like I was before the organization got through with me."
"You two should stop fighting. It's pointless," says Crystal.
"What do you know? You never experienced what I had to endure under the organization," says Teresa, turning her glare towards Crystal.
"I don't know anything about you, but I know one thing. Only the strongest warriors are able to be gentle with their allies and be devils with their enemies," she says and continues on her walk.
"What did she mean?" ask Noel with confusion.
"I have no idea Noel," says Sophia with embarrassment.
Teresa looks at the two for a moment then she looks after the departing Crystal. 'What did you mean with that Crystal?'
Irene looks over the confused group and walks after Crystal. 'I have a feeling we don't know Crystal as much as we like to think we do,' thinks the pointy eared claymore.
After they set camp everyone sits down around the fire. After some heavy silence Irene asks Crystal what she's been wondering about all day.
"Crystal, could you tell little more about you? We've traveled for a month together but we don't know anything about you."
'What should I tell them? And what not? Hmmm... I guess I'll tell them parts of my life without revealing I am not from this world or a human,' thinks Crystal while looking at her companions.
"I am number one in my country my name and title is multi form Crystal ," she says shocking everyone but before they can ask any more questions she continues. "I was born into a warrior family. My father trained me from the beginning to become a warrior and do battle. I was very strong for a human, but then I met her. Inera, she was leader of the holy order and her power exceeded everything I knew about. She become my idol, but I could not reach her level, no matter what. Because of that I made the fateful decision to become a Claymore," she says editing her story somewhat.
"So you are a claymore by choice?" ask a stunned Teresa.
"And what does your title mean?" ask Irene.
"I have far more power then I can safely control in everyday life so my power has been sealed up in to several forms. I am in my first form all the time. Only in this form can I suppress my power to zero. The other forms all dramatically increase my power and abilities," she explains as how she believes her powers work, then she looks at Teresa. "Anyways, to answer your question Teresa. Yes I am, and I never regretted it," says Crystal.
"Can we see them? I mean your other forms?" ask Noel.
"Well if you want to alarm the hole continent where we are, sure," says Crystal sarcastically.
"You are again stupid, Noel," says Sophia as she hits Noel lightly on the head.
"So what did you mean with your saying when I blew up in your face earlier today?" ask Teresa before Noel can shoot back a wise remark to Sophia.
"That's something you have to find the answer to yourself. It's the secret of why some people can win even if the odds are against them and some not," says Crystal with a smile.
"Damn, now she acts like a philosopher," mutters Noel.
"Hush Noel," Says Sophia.
Crystal only smiles in her *I know something you don't* smile.
"So Crystal, why did you really help us?" ask Clare after long silence.
"After observing you two from the beginning, I got a soft spot for you two. I don't see everyday people like you. So I decided to follow her, and it felt right to help you when the time came," says Crystal with a smile.
"That isn't a very good reason if you ask me. Still I believe I am in your dept for saving me. If you hadn't shown up then, I'd probably be dead now," says Teresa.
Crystal nods, then she ignores any further question and just smiles. After a few minute of useless interrogation they give up, and everyone eats quietly then retires to sleep.
The next day they wake with the sun rising and after gathering supplies continue their journey toward the Western Lands.
"I don't understand Crystal. If she is so strong then why not finish Priscilla when she became Awakened Being?" whispers Noel to Sophia while they walk on the edge of a deep ravine.
"I have a feeling she didn't want to appear on the organization's radar," whispers Sophia.
"But why?" whispers Noel.
"Because..." begins Sophia but stops when a man appears on the dirt road walking toward them.
'Strange, I have a bad feeling about this,' thinks Noel.
"What are those two morons whispering behind our backs to each other?" murmurs Teresa while ignoring the approaching man.
"Teresa you should try to get along with them, after all they are in this with us until the end," says Irene.
"Maybe you are righ... ughh..." Grunts Teresa as she is pushed out of the way while a tentacle pierces Noel's shoulder who pushed her to the side.
"Fuck. That hurts," cries out Noel as she falls to the ground after the tentacle withdraws.
"Noel!" cries out Sophia.
"How stupid. Teresa, you should watch your surrounding with more awareness," grunts Noel in pain.
"She is right, you know. I was almost able to pierce yours skull Teresa of the Faint Smile," says the man in the red cloak.
"You have me at disadvantage. You know my name but I don't know yours. Who are you?" ask Teresa curiously.
"Oh how rude of me. I am Maric former number four," says The man as he shifts to his giant yoma form.
He comes to five meters high in a muscular humanoid looking monster shape, but instead of hair tentacles cover his head. His body is covered on many places with armored skin. Long claws come from his hands and feet.
"What is an awakened being doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" wonders Irene out loud, but in the next moment she is barely able to doge an attack that almost cuts her in half. Irene looks up from her crouching position with horror at the two approaching tentacles. 'I have no time to doge. Is this it?' she wonders but in the next moment she finds herself in Crystal's hands who's landed several meters away from the yoma.
Meanwhile Teresa draws her sword and charges the awakened being. Maric whips at her with a tentacle but she dodges the incoming attack and cuts the tentacle off. She gets behind Maric and tries to chop his head off but the yoma suddenly disappears from before her.
Teresa barely has time to dodge the attack Maric sends at her from above as he jumped into the air. Teresa rolls with her momentum landing on her feet.
"The story's where not extravagant, you are really are as good as they said," says Maric as he lands on the ground with a loud thud.
"What are you? Some times I can barely sense your presence," says Teresa as she observes Maric.
"My specialty was stealth movements when I was a claymore and as an awakened being it has become more powerful an ability. You have no chance," he shouts as he charges Teresa.
She dodges the charging yoma attack then cuts one of his arms clean off, and lands behind Maric.
Maric looks at his missing arm then he turns around and grins at Teresa. "Very good, but don't think this will stop me." Tentacles on his head attack Teresa who dodges as fast as she can to avoid being impaled.
'I can barely pick up his attack's energy, and even then only after they are launched. I am only able to keep up with him because of my speed,' she thinks as she dodges another attack then she chops the tentacle off.
"Hey Maric, if you continue like this you will run out of tentacles," says Teresa as she chops another dozen tentacles down while smiling faintly at Maric.
"Damn you!" Roars Maric and charges Teresa. She blocks his hand with her claymore.
"It seems your hand is stuck. Do you need some help with it?" Ask Teresa sweetly.
Suddenly Maric's angry face sports a maniacal grin. "You are mine!" shouts the yoma just as Teresa notices the remaining tentacle circling around her about to pierce through her chest from behind.
'Damn, I can't dodge fast enough.' thinks Teresa as she is pushed out of the way.
Teresa crashes to the ground and looks up to find out what happened. when she notices who pushed her out of the way her blood runs cold. Maric's tentacle had pierced Clare's stomach.
"Another damn nuisance," says Maric, as he hurls Clare's body aside. "Next time no one will save you."
"She protected her?" says Noel with wide eyes.
"Yes, she did," Says Irene with a neutral face. 'with her own life she protected Teresa.'
Maric is just about to charge at Teresa when someone's foot slams into his stomach hurling the giant yoma back several dozen meters crashing against a stone wall.
Maric looks up from the rubble but before he can see anything something grabs his last tentacle and hurls into another boulder.
'What the hell is going on?' wonders Maric as as he jumps to his feet and looks around wildly. The next moment pain explodes from his remaining arm's shoulder. When he looks at it he only sees that his arm has been ripped away.
"Do you miss something?" ask a cold voice from behind him.
Maric turns around and looks at Teresa who hold his limp arm in her free hand.
Maric backs away slowly. "How did you do that? What the hell are you?" roars the yoma.
"I just twisted your arm off like this," says Teresa as she makes a harmless motion with her hand. "And I am your nightmare." She says this with a dark glare.
Fear grips Maric's heart as he backs away. "Wait a mi..." begins Maric but he is silenced when Teresa vanishes then reappears behind him.
"No one, I repeat no one hurts someone who is close to me," says Teresa. Her claymore becomes dark with the blood of the yoma and the yoma itself is torn apart.
"So that's the real Teresa the faint smile," says Noel shuddering.
'Yes that's Teresa. A monster even among Claymores,' thinks Irene while trying to stop her body from shaking.
Meanwhile Teresa walks over to Clare and kneels down beside her. After checking how she is doing her face is fills with relief. Teresa picks up Clare and walks back to the others.
The first to notice Clare's wound is healing rapidly is Irene. "What? That rate of healing from a wound like that... Teresa did you lose your mind?" shouts Irene forgetting about the fight a few moment ago. "How could you turn her into one of us? Do you know what type of life awaits her?"
"I know. I was thinking of doing this for some time now, but I never had enough courage to ask her if she wants it, then little more then a week ago she came to me and asked me to turn her into one of us. First I was hesitant but then she convinced me that she wants to do this. I finally gave in when she told me that this way I don't have to worry so much about her and she won't slow us down so much like when she was a human. It seems we did the right thing, otherwise now she would be dead, not wounded. We decided to do this together. None of you had any say in it anyways. It's mine and Clare decision," says Teresa with a glare.
"But we are your comrades, how could you not tell us about it?" ask Noel trying to not shake from fear.
"Clare is still adapting. there was no reason to tell you people. She won't show any change for at least another half year if my guess is correct," says Teresa, then she looks at the little girl in her hands and at the bloody and ripped clothes.
Crystal notices Teresa's gaze on the ruined clothes and gives her the same type of body suit all of the others wear without a word, then she turns and gives another to Noel.
Teresa looks at Crystal then at the body suit and finally at Clare, then she turns around and walks away to the nearby river.
"What just happened?" ask Noel as she clutches the body suit like it could give some comfort to her.
"I don't know," says Sophia as she sits down besides Noel with a loud crash.
Irene looks after Teresa with an unreadable face. After a few moments she sits down and massages her bruised knee.
"So that was the weird feeling I had from the girl," says Noel after a good minute silence.
"I can't believe I missed it," says Sophia softly.
"Teresa and Clare fooled all of us. Even me," says Irene.
Teresa arrives at the river and after undressing Clare she washes the blood off her body and bandages the wound.
'I can't believe it. I could have lost you if I hadn't given you my blood when you asked me.' thinks Teresa with a sad smile as she caresses Clare's face.
'I swear I will teach you everything you can learn when you're ready, so we never again will have to experience this kind of turn of events.' thinks Teresa then she picks Clare up carefully and walks back towards the others leaving the bloody clothes on the river bank.
Days later, In a nearby village
Clare opens her eyes and looks around the dimly lit room. "Where am I?" she wonders out loud.
"We are in an inn," says Teresa as she looks at Clare. "How do you feel?"
"I am fine. I think at least. My stomach hurts a little but that's all. How long was I out?" she asks as she tries to find the others. She finally locates Irene sitting in the far corner of the room with the sword leaned to her side, but no one else.
"Five days. You got a hole in your stomach, for some time we where actually worried you wouldn't make it," says Teresa.
"We? As in numbers?" ask Clare.
"Don't tell them that I told you, but the others where also worried about you. Even Noel. Even though she tried to mask it," whispers Teresa.
"I guess claymores do have heart," says Clare with a grin.
"Young lady, don't forget that you are too a claymore. Even if your hair is still brown it won't remain like that for too long," says Teresa sternly then she continues with softer voice. "I will miss your beautiful brown eyes and hair."
"Hmm... Teresa I accepted it. There is no meaning to brooding about it anymore," says Clare softly as she sits up. She finally notices that she is wearing the dark blue bodysuit what the others are wearing. Clare looks with questioning eyes at Teresa.
"Your clothes where completely ruined with your blood and the giant hole in your belly, so I had no choice," says Teresa.
"I don't mind. I am after all not a human any longer. I should dress like what I am," says Clare as she hugs Teresa.
"So she is awake," says Noel as she enters the room with Sophia and Crystal.
"Clare you are one tough cookie," says Crystal with a laugh.
"I guess she is," says a grinning Noel.
"So can we now continue our journey?" ask Sophia.
"Yes we should. I would like to get to the west mountain area before the winter begins. Thats only two more months away," says Teresa.
"Then we should move," says Sophia.
Irene stands without a word and gathers her things for the journey.
"Clare I know you are still too small for the armor, but you still can't continue bare foot so I bought you boots and this robe," says Crystal as she gives Clare the items.
"Thanks Crystal. It's really nice of you," Says Clare.
"Alright I guess everyone is ready. So let's go," says Teresa. Her eyes stop for a moment on Irene then she turns around and walks out of the room. The others follow her a moment later.
-to be continued
Author note: My beta pointed out that the encounter with Maric may have been a little rushed. Now rereading the story I have to agree. So I apologize for it.