Disclaimer is on chapter one

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Torment

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No sooner had the two returned to Avalonia, the two travellers cared little for the fatigue they felt as they went their separate ways. While Fleurette made a beeline for the palace to confront Prince Anlace about what they had discovered about the Queen and the mask, Sabre took a more roundabout route that had him passing the blacksmith's shop wanting to get his sword looked at and hopefully repaired in time for events yet to come.

With his side quest done for now, Sabre quickly made his way to the castle to see how things were faring with Fleurette and if she had managed to convince Prince Anlace of what they had found. Reaching the foyer, Sabre was greeted by Colonel Cutlass who was looking quite perplexed about something.

"You won't believe this, but His Highness, Prince Anlace and Minister Misericord are currently being briefed in the throne room by Fleurette, of all people!" The Colonel told the lad before he could ask what was wrong. "What in the world is going on? Do you know?"

Even if Sabre was going to answer and explain what was happening to their Queen, and quite possibly the kingdom if nothing was done, he was unable to do so as a soldier came crashing through the doors looking as if he had just been chased by the Deathbringer himself.

"Col-Colonel Cutlass! A fearsome beast has been sighted in the waters to the east!" The soldier panted while trying to catch his breath.

"Not more unusual activity!" The Colonel cursed beginning to ponder if something sinister was afoot on their island. Still, of the current events in play, this was one he and his men could take care of. "Dispatch troops to the area at once. To battle, fellows! To battle!"

"No need, Colonel. I'll go"

Heads turned as one in the direction of the still open doors to the foyer where Claymore had just entered evidently having caught sight of the soldier dashing through the kingdom towards the castle and had decided to follow for curiosity's sake.

"Unless you think I mightn't be up to it?" The hero added either in jest or challenge.

"On the contrary, sir, nothing would fill me with greater confidence!" The Colonel replied already sounding as if the battle was already won now that Claymore had offered to go take care of whatever creature had dared disturb their peace.

"Then I'd best be on my way" Claymore said as he made to leave before finally catching sight of his son in the background. "Oh! So this is where you've been hiding lad. Glad I ran into you- I could do with a hand!"

Sabre just barely managed to refrain from groaning at his father's joke. Granted, Claymore was making light of his disability, but those jokes were still terrible.

"Right then! How's about you tell your old man about your date with that pretty lass on the way there, eh?" Claymore suggested wrapping one arm around his son's shoulders and guiding him out of the castle regardless of whether or not Sabre wished to go. "An nay keepin anything from me- nothing's left out in a talk between men about their women!"

It was one of those rare moments when emotion actually showed up on Sabre's face. In this case, a faint blush coupled with an embarrassing glance away from his father at what the old man was implying. At least, that was the case until Claymore dropped the act.

"I just had a skinful and I'm feeling none too steady" Claymore admitted seriously his breath confirming his story. "But you'll prop me up, eh, lad?"

"…"

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The trip to Secace Seacove, the location where the beast was last spotted, took longer than normal to get under way solely for the reason that Sabre had decided to wait until his equipment had been properly mended by the blacksmith giving his father a small window of opportunity to have a quick lie down and hopefully sleep off some of the drink he had downed beforehand.

Despite his son's kindness, he was still feeling under the influence as the boat they had used to enter the cave rocked to one side as it hit land. Still, it was his own fault in the first place.

"This is the cove where they saw beast" Claymore said as he stepped out of the boat after his son. "It all smells a bit fishy to me. And it reeks of monsters too"

Sabre paid no attention to his father's humour, instead drawing his sword as he cautiously walked further into the underground cove.

Despite being known as a cove, Secace Seacove was more of a flooded underground labyrinth rumoured to have once been much larger until the ocean levels rose up to flood most of the tunnels and introduce sea beasts to the land dwellers. Despite this, some braved venturing into these tunnels in search of lost and forgotten treasures- sadly, only a small handful of them returned to tell the tale.

Regardless of those tales and rumours often talked about back at the pub during rainy days, the brave team of father and son ventured forth to seek out this strange new creature that's said to be causing trouble lately. While unable to swing a sword as efficiently due to his prosthetic limb, Claymore was still able to lend a hand in banishing the creatures that dared attack him and his son with spells he had self-learnt so as to still be useful during times of battle whereas Sabre's prowess with a blade allowed him to cut through any monster foolish enough to get in his way.

The trouble clearly was not the monsters, unless you counted the quantity that accosted the two, but more of trying to find the beast among the monsters as they searched the caves still traversable without having to get one's feet wet. After what seemed like an age had passed while underground, the two warriors eventually found themselves entering a cave larger than those they had previously been in harbouring an underground lake complete with waterfall and a strange creature up ahead that clearly stood out from those they had met and bested earlier.

"Aye, that's it. The scaly beast that's been causing all the trouble" Claymore whispered as he stared at the creature from afar squinting slightly as a thought came over him. "Is it just me, or does it seem a bit…human?"

Studying the beast himself, Sabre had to agree with his father on that one. While clearly an aquatic monster, complete with shiny scales that glistened when wet, the way it stood and held itself definitely made it look human-like even if the tail did prevent one from truly believing such. And yet…it was clearly wearing the remains of human leggings. Perhaps it had ventured into the sunlight to procure items that would help it pass off as a human, perchance?

Any further time for studies and speculation was dashed as the creature finally took notice of its unwanted guests and came at them claws and fangs bared.

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The second boat had barely hit the bank before one of its two passengers jumped off and make for the tunnel directly in front of her with the sounds of battle echoing off the walls urging her further onwards. Quickly hauling the boat ashore so that it rested alongside the one Sabre and Claymore used, the second passenger made haste to catch up with the first, both of them hoping to reach the father and son team before it was too late.

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Unlike the creatures they had previously encountered, this one seemed to a lot fiercer and cunning not to mention faster. Jumping in close and lashing out at both Sabre and Claymore with lethal blows from its claws and feet, the creature then jumped back far enough to avoid Sabre's counter attack followed by a backflip that sent if right into the lake before Claymore could strike it with a spell.

"This blighter knows how to fight, I'll give it that" Claymore grudgingly admitted as the two stood back to back awaiting the creature's next assault.

Sabre merely grunted in reply as his eyes scanned the lake trying to predict where the creature may next appear.

Shooting out of the water, the creature struck out at them again forcing Claymore to dive to the side while Sabre blocked the attack with his shield causing the creature to stagger back at the unexpected resistance. Taking the opening, Sabre lashed out with his blade only narrowly missing as the creature jumped back to avoid the attack and even evaded the fireball Claymore launched at it as it dove back underwater.

Before either father or son could prepare themselves for the next attack, the creature struck again this time landing a dropkick on Sabre who, despite blocking the attack with his shield, was sent skidding along the ground. Turning its attention on the senior of the two, the creature quickly dove to one side as Claymore unleashed a powerful lightning spell at it.

"Bleedin eck! And I tell my son to aim before he strikes!" Claymore cursed as he shot fire and lightning spells at the creature all of which missing but at least kept it from the lake where it could hide away and recover- or even escape without their knowing.

Becoming infuriated with Claymore's assault, the creature ceased in its attempt to retreat and instead charged at the man. Seeing as how he now had the creature's undivided attention, Claymore waited until his enemy was practically in front of him before summoning a wall of fire between them.

Grimacing in pain just from the heat of the blaze, the creature took the chance to make a break for the lake only to discover too late that, while Claymore entertained it, Sabre took the chance to ready a Master-stroke technique. Stabbing his blade into the ground, Sabre turned all he saw before him into frozen tundra which he then cleaved in two with a single swing of his sword sending a fissure like crack along the ground to where the creature was.

Snarling as he was sent catapulting into the air, the creature groaned as it landed at the feet of Claymore who was preparing to make the final blow.

"Shame you had to learn your lesson the hard way, eh? No one gets the better of Claymore and son!" Claymore proclaimed as he made to unleash the spell that would send the creature to the afterlife to meet its Master.

"Arrete!" A familiar voice called out.

Seeming to appear out of nowhere, the stranger stood between Claymore and the creature.

"Stop! Don't do it!" She pleaded standing her ground against the hero of Avalonia.

"How do these lasses always track me down?" Claymore muttered before finally realising who it was that stood before him.

"Please, do not kill him!" Fleurette begged. "He's my brother!"

Not even Sabre could keep the shock and surprise from his face at the girl's words. This creature that she was defending was Aruval, her brother? Granted, it looked human in appearance but it looked nothing like the monk who fought alongside Claymore and Anlace's late father.

"Give over, lass! That there's a monster!" Claymore said once he found his voice again bluntly saying what Sabre was thinking.

"Fleur…ette…" The creature croaked evidently weak from the battle against Claymore and his son. "You have…come…"

Without a second glance, Fleurette turned her back on Claymore to focus her attention on her injured brother.

"Aruval, why…?" She asked quietly.

"Regard…this body…It…is worse, I think? Since…I left you" The creature the Lolita declared to be her brother said as he struggled to his feet.

"But, Aruval…" Fleurette began as she tried to get closer to her brother.

"Do not approach me!" Aruval snapped taking a step back to keep distance from his worried sister. "I-I cannot c-control my body. Xiphos has, has…"

Feeling himself slip away further, Aruval abandoned all conversation and ran off, diving into the murky waters and disappearing from view. Desperately trying to follow after him, Fleurette collapsed to her knees at the water's edge her tears falling from her eyes to mix with the water lapping the land.

"What the heck's happened to Aruval?" Claymore voiced slowly trying to wrap his head around the sudden turn of events. "It's Fleurette, isn't it, lass? Can you shed any light on it?"

All that could be heard was the roar of waterfall until Fleurette managed to compose herself.

"It was about a year ago. My brother was suddenly hit by a high fever. Ever since that time, his body began to be covered in scales" She began her voice barely any louder than that of the waterfall. "I tried to heal him with my magic, but…it was no use. Together we left Avalonia to live in the forest, where no one would see him"

Not once did she lose hope despite being unable to heal him. So long as he still lived, she had vowed to the Goddess that she would find a way to treat the malady racking his body. And then, just the day before her home in the forest became a spot for certain tourists, he had disappeared on her seemingly vanishing into thin air as it were.

"By heck! Of all the things to happen to the poor lad!" Claymore swore ashamed to have not noticed the trouble his comrade in arms was in and the lack of help he could provide for him then and now.

"Upon learning that the creature sighted near the coast was notable for its scales, Fleurette became extremely agitated. Yet more so when she discovered that you had already been dispatched to subjugate it" Anlace explained who had kept back until now. "Thank the Goddess for our timely arrival- though these are not joyous times, I realise"

"How about what the lad said? Didn't Aruval mention something about the Deathbringer?" Claymore brought up recalling both Aruval's words and the Deathbringer's appearance which bore an uncanny resemblance to how Aruval now looked now that he thought about it. "Does this mean we didn't destroy Xiphos after all? Will someone tell me what the heck's going on here!?"

Despite all three of them having had some experience of events coinciding with what was going on just now during their recent trips out of Avalonia, Sabre, Anlace nor Fleurette was unable to properly explain to Claymore what they thought might be happening nor how or why it was happening.

"The mask…" Fleurette begun yet remained unsure as how to continue.

"Yes, the mask! It is surely the cause of all this!" Anlace proclaimed either catching on to what Fleurette was trying to suggest or coming up with the theory on his own. "We must find Mother and plead with her to diverse herself of it!"

"We're with you, Anlace! Xiphos is behind this! No doubt about it!" Claymore declared as he followed after the tad too enthusiastic prince leaving his son to bring up the rear once Fleurette was ready to leave herself.

Despite once again being alone with her hero, all Fleurette could do was cry as she looked down at the necklace she held in one hand. At one time, it had hung around the neck of her brother her last remaining relative. Now he too had been taken from her by the Deathbringer.

"Don't let go of it" A gentle voice told her. "We will get him back"

Nodding at the words, Fleurette's eyes widened considerably as she whipped round to locate the source of the voice who was now walking to the entrance of the cave where he would wait until she was ready to leave.

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