A/N: Hey everyone I am really excited about this chapter. I am really trying to see if I can create an effective atmosphere here. And thanks for all the reviews and input from the previous chapter. All your comments are really helpfully and I will try to get better and better with each entry. Thanks again! Oh and a side note real quick because I have been asked this by other readers: No, Raki is not going to be some overpowered super human, In fact you are going to see him fall pretty far. He is going to go through Hell.
First steps: It's Getting Warm Here
Bad Dreams and Good Friends
It was still dark and the candles that adorned the cathedrals' high arching interior provided little light. It was difficult to see anything as Clare navigated her way through the gloomy place of worship. Something was out of place; she spotted a door that she had never seen before. It was a dark and aged wooden gate that stood partially open revealing a dull glow from inside. Clare's curiosity got the better of her and with little effort she was able to swing the doors open.
What she saw before her nearly brought her to her knees. Her breath was stolen and her mind unable to comprehend the scene before her. It was as if there was another main hall in the chapel that she suddenly found herself in.
The many rows of pews sat neatly in perfect order leading up to the candle lit pulpit. It was much the same as the rest of the cathedral. A soft and calming chorus slowly rose inside the chapel as if emanating from the walls themselves. Clare couldn't understand the words but their melody was uplifting and serene. And then they were all there, not paying her any attention. Clare thought about yelling their names but she couldn't get the words to form around her lips. The overwhelming shock paralyzed her with fear and bewilderment. They were sitting there almost lifeless like puppets or dolls, not looking at anything in particular.
It took a long moment of uncertainty but Clare finally took one step down the aisle towards the front of the chapel. Each step echoed throughout the large open cathedral, and with each step she looked to her left and right, examining those faces as she passed by. They were all more or less normal, eyes silver, hair lacking pigment, and faces void of emotion or expression. Some were sitting in groups next to one another; others were sitting alone by themselves. She examined each one as she slowly continued towards the pulpit but they all kept looking forward.
Clare spotted someone she did not recognize, the claymore sat off to the side at the very end of the pew away from everyone else. Her small frame and shoulders hung lower than most of the others as if the yoke she wore was heavier. It wasn't until Clare saw her face and emblem that she made the connection. It was captain Undine, and then it dawned on her that she wasn't different from the rest. Each one of them had at least one tragedy in their life. Most found solace in their comrades, but Undine made it clear that she leaned on no one. To see her like this evoked both joy and grief within Clare. Undine let go of her pride revealing her true self and now Clare knew that they were not much different, they each had troubles, but Undine never let anyone close to her.
Across the main aisle sat Veronica with Flora. Although she hadn't known most of her comrades that now surrounded her for very long, she felt a deep connection with each. They were all sisters in one capacity or another and as such they did care about each other's well-being.
It was that single long strand of braided hair that made Clare's skin crawl. What was she doing here? She had tried to kill her and for no other reason than for sport. Even now Clare slowed her pace and carefully proceeded by Ophelia. She was also alone, which Clare didn't find to be mysterious, but as she walked by she could see a sense of tranquility about her face. The madness and malice that Ophelia carried with her before was no longer present.
There were so many of them and Clare had spent the last seven years guarding each and every one of their graves and memories. But now they all were here Eliza, Lily, Queenie, Zelda, Emilia, Wendy, Pamela, Claudia, Natalie, Karla, Matilda, Juliana, and Diana. As Clare looked at each one she saw their snowy grave markers that she had watched over, matching their emblems with each face.
Then in the front row sat a single claymore, Clare didn't know her and her posture was different from the others, she leaned ever so slightly forward almost as if she was admiring someone. Clare traced her gaze to the front of the chapel and saw the two people that she owed so much to. Her soul nearly tore in half as she saw them, Teresa and Jean both standing on the platform before her. Clare was overcome with a tidal wave of emotions, she didn't know what to do, what to say. She hurried up the few steps stopping right in front of Teresa.
Teresa's eyes didn't move they just kept staring at something behind Clare. "Teresa? It's me Clare." She said joyfully. No response, She was still frozen, staring almost right through Clare. There were so many things she wanted to say to her, so many things that she wanted to share with Teresa. She was the only light in her dark world, she had given Clare so much, she had given her a reason to live. And now she was finally before her, but she couldn't reach her. Clare's spirit dropped as Teresa kept her statuesque form despite her every attempt to communicate to her.
"Jean?" Clare continued, shifting to her friend who paid the ultimate sacrifice for her. Nothing, she just stood like a sentry, unaware of Clare's presence. Clare had killed her; she had brought Clare back from turning into a monster, why wouldn't she say anything? She just stared right through Clare, her face nearly to the point of tears. It dawned on Clare that both Teresa and Jean were staring at the same thing, and whatever it was it lay directly behind her.
Clare slowly and fearfully turned around and saw all her comrades now bleeding and torn still remaining in their seats. They were not screaming, there were no sounds to be heard. It was as if they had been persevered in their final moments of death. Many of them had gashes and cuts covering their bodies. Limbs were missing, eyes were gouged out, lips were bloodied and whatever was left of them was chewed up beyond recognition. Their peaceful faces now replaced with agony and pain, it had turn into a sort of hell of twisted corpses.
Then she noticed it resting on the pulpit. It was easy to overlook given the macabre scene before her. It was a small casket, too small for any normal sized adult. Blood, both yoma and human, covered the box. Clare's heart rate sky rocketed as she laid her hands on the cold and blood splattered coffin. It took all the courage she had left to lift the coffin lid, her hands were shaking as she hoped it was not who she suspected it to be.
It didn't take more than a second to bring Clare to her knees. Her armor clanged as the strength in her legs gave way and crashed to the ground. Her body was shaking uncontrollably as her bloody hands covered her equally quivering lips. Tears began flowing down her face as she remembered this girl from a long time ago. She lay in the coffin as if she did not belong there. Her body looked as if full of life and her face as if unhindered by the cold grasp of the coffin. It was as if she was untouched by all the sadness around her, it couldn't reach her. The child's long brown hair lay gently along her shoulders as she rests eternally in that coffin. Eyes that Clare knew to be green were now closed forever.
"The greatest gift I can give to you." Those words echoed throughout the chapel. And without a second thought Clare knew what they meant.
"I wanted to avenge you!" Clare screamed out in unfiltered rage "I wanted to make those that took you from me to suffer!" Clare's body shuddered as she knew that she had squandered what Teresa ultimately wanted for her.
On that day Clare was meant to leave and never come back, she was supposed live a life without violence. She was never supposed to pick up a sword and start an endless cycle of death and remorse. She was never supposed to give herself to the organization and become something less than human. She was supposed to walk away from that damned hillside, she was supposed to live a life, but on that day she chose death and it has been showing its ugly face to her ever since. Teresa had taken that path and only wished that Clare wouldn't follow her through that hell. On that day Teresa was happier than any other day in her life, on that day they both shared a joy unlike any other and on that day everything they were supposed to be, died.
Raki could tell that his stew needed further development as Alyssa showed no approval. Of course it could be that she thought the entire contest was a waste of her time but Raki suppressed that line of thought rather quickly. It was well into the night as the two of them gathered near a fire they had quickly created.
"Sorry about your head, I know it wasn't an honorable way to fight, but I can't stand to lose. Something I learned from Clare." Raki explained apologetically.
"Well, I must admit I am surprised by you. You have showed me a side of humanity that I had forgotten about." Alyssa continued as she buried her claymore in the earth resting against it. "Every town that I visit I am feared and scorned like a sickness to be avoided. Many times I wonder why we protect you, if you are even worth saving. But then you come along and remind me that there is good in this land that comes without price or warrant."
"Oh, it's nothing really," Raki's head dropped as he continued to stare at the dance of the fire before him. "I just wanted to find my friend…besides, I'm sure you and I will have one hell of a headache here soon thanks to me." Raki shifted the conversation as he snapped out of his trance. "Hey Alyssa," Raki continued as he stood and gathered his gear, "I have to be going again. It's at least another two days until the next village and unfortunately our little spar has left me unarmed. The sooner I find a smith and get this repaired the better I'll feel."
"You wish to travel through this dense forest at night?" Alyssa asked with peaked curiosity.
"Yeah, my mentor taught me many things about survival, we trained to travel light and fast especially during the night. It won't be much longer till daybreak anyway so I figured I should head out. And is it just me or are you concerned about my safety?" Raki smiled as he joked.
"I wish you luck on your journey." Alyssa added lacking emotion.
Raki knew she meant well but it was always difficult to interpret words without inflection. He looked her in the eyes one last time smiling as he did. It wasn't returned in kind, but at least she didn't make any threats or obscene gestures.
Alyssa watched as Raki carefully gathered his belongings and began making his way north along the highway. Within a minute he was out of her eyesight and she was already shutting her eyes, quickly drifting asleep.
Raki was right, as Alyssa smelled the last plume of smoke extinguish from their small fire; bringing her out of her shallow sleep. It was only a couple hours of rest, but that was enough to keep her marching for the next three days until she reached her next assignment. She quickly donned her shoulder guards and gear and began heading north. Alyssa spotted Raki's tracks very easily as the morning dew kept them fresh on the soft dirt path. She didn't give it much thought and only hoped that she wouldn't run into him again at the next village.
This was her favorite time of the day. Dawn was full of life. Every bird in the sky began to let out their chorus of chirps and song. All manner of creatures hurried across the ground searching for food to start the day. It was life, in an otherwise world of perpetual death that she subjected herself to when she became a claymore. Nature contained its own cycle of life and death, but in Alyssa's world the Yoma brought an unnecessary pain to death. They brought something ugly into this world; they assumed they were at the top of the chain. It was her job to make sure they understood their place, to hide like prey when she came around.
She understood that everything on this Earth had its place except the Yoma. Every day of training since she was a child she remembered being drilled and drilled to despise these beings. Their existence was the presence of evil itself, their only purpose to cause pain and suffering to the innocent and as such they had to be completely eradicated. As a child in the organization she always heard stories of the Yoma's cruelty, how they enjoyed killing and eating humans. It was made very easy to hate them, and all the easier to gain a bloodlust to kill them.
Alyssa's thoughts were derailed as she smelled the embers of a dying a fire. It couldn't have been their own, not this far away from her camp sight. It wasn't difficult to see several tracks along the highway, their spacing and direction indicated a steady walking pace. As she continued another five minutes she then noticed the tracks became less organized. One set of tracks became elongated indicating a running pace. She then spotted new set of tracks coming from the woods directly to her left.
This wasn't the first time she had seen this. Bandits usually catch travelers off guard, but it seems whoever made these tracks spotted their ambush and made a run for it. Alyssa quickened her pace slightly as she heard the sounds of a struggle not far off.
The highway took a turn for the worse as Alyssa continued to quicken her pace even more. The footsteps stopped their run and turned into scraps and dashes. Drops of blood dotted the muddy road and signs of a fight spilled across the path.
And then there he was; a small child lay on the ground at the edge of the highway. Alyssa quickly ran to the boy, but it had been a while since there was any life in him. All of his blood spilled out of the large gash that now occupied his windpipe, he had been executed. Alyssa's eyes traced the trail of blood that spilled from his body to see another body. It was a bandit, bruises and cracked bones covered him. Someone had beat the hell out of him and left him here with just enough life to prolong a terrible death.
Another shout of a fight brought her investigation to halt as she continued towards the struggle still going on. With full speed Alyssa sprinted around a sharp corner in the path and saw a small caravan toppled over on its side. There was another mix of bodies next to the wagon, both travelers and bandits alike. It was a bloodbath of broken bodies and twisted corpses strewn about the highway before her.
"Damn you!" a weak voice screamed nearly gone from exhaustion.
Alyssa followed the voice around the wagon to see Raki completely soaked in sweat, blood, and fragments of brain. He was on his knees over one of the bandits beating him over and over again with a large rock. Clay and strands of grass mixed in his hair and mud covered his legs, he was almost unrecognizable.
"Why!?" Raki raised the stone high above his head as he continued to smash what was left of the bandit's skull into a pulpy red mass with each question, "What is wrong with you!? Why did you have to kill them!?" Each blow splashed more blood and brain matter across Raki's face as all the hate and frustration he had endured for the last seven years fell upon this unfortunate thief. "God damn it! Where are you! You promised me that we would see each other again! You told me it was going to be okay! Where are you?" Raki screamed and cursed at the top of his lungs. Finally his hands grew tired and the rock he once held bounced and rolled to his side.
Alyssa's hair stood on end as Raki slowly turned and stared right at her. His face, hair, and clothes were soaked in blood. The look upon him was both one of rage and confusion. He was angry at the bandits, unable to understand why they would kill for no reason. He was confused by it and he hated all of it, but there was only one solution Raki could come up with. There was only a single way he knew how to stop the senseless killing, but as he looked at the bandits and then at the travelers he couldn't see that any difference was made.
"I don't know…" Raki panted in exhaustion as Alyssa continued to stare at him and the carnage that surround them both. Tears began to stream down Raki's face as he shrugged his shoulders in disbelief of his own actions. "They wouldn't listen to me, I tried to stop them from hurting the others," Raki pointed at the bodies of the innocent travelers. "But they… they killed them anyway… I never wanted this!" Raki tried to rationalize to Alyssa who remained silent.
He slowly stood to his feet nearly falling back to the ground from exhaustion as he did. Raki took three clumsy steps before everything he had gave out and left him slumping against a tree. "You are lucky claymore." Raki stated as he wiped away his tears. "You get a formal invitation when you have to kill your own." Raki stated. "I knew this guy once, He was my older brother's best friend. Phillip, I think that was his name." Raki raised his eyes to the sky as he tried to recall. "We grew up together, of course they were a few years older than me, but we still got together just fine." Raki's madness was becoming more apparent as he chuckled lightly remembering his friend. "I don't know if I could do you what you do claymore…Is it hard?"
"Is what hard?" Alyssa shot back with a hint of disrespect.
"Killing your friends, is it hard?" Raki continued to pant from the battle. He breathed a low and joyful sigh as he continued to remember his friend. The young man Alyssa just meet not hours ago was long gone. Before her was someone else, a killer.
"I am sorry that this was forced upon you" Alyssa stated genuinely. "Killing someone is the worst thing that I have done with my life." She carefully pulled out a handful of black cards and showed them to Raki. "I am nowhere near the strongest warrior, and during my training I was weak." Alyssa's gaze lowered to the ground as she recalled all those who had helped her through the years. "Everyone tried to aid me in becoming a better warrior. Through my training I met and became friends with so many of my comrades." Raki's self-serving pity faded as he counted twelve emblems in his hands. "That friendship had a terrible price and now I have killed more of my sisters than I have Yoma and each time I receive one of these death notes I pray that hopefully my day will come sooner than theirs….I am tired of killing my own."
They both sat before each other in silence for a few moments, no words were exchanged, and in fact the only sound to be heard was the sharp crackle of the caravan burning just behind them. A small groan escaped the lips of the injured bandit not ten feet from Raki. Both Alyssa and Raki's eyes shot towards him as he continued to bellow in pain. Alyssa tried to stop Raki but she found herself speechless from his complete lack of mercy. Raki stood to his feet walking slowly and deliberately towards the injured thief. Without pause he placed his heavy boot on the bandit's throat and pressed down. It wasn't quick, Raki pressed his boot down harder and harder slowly choking the life out of his victim. The bandit's eyes welled up with tears as the last bit of oxygen left his body. His writhing and choking had nearly come to a halt as Raki lowly breathed "Goodbye Phillip."