The forest was a brilliant green, if indeed it was a forest of petrified trees and drifting sand, but the boy mused, that in the forest of brown, this was a lush tropical land and not the haunt of the Yoma, the once created beings now turned flesh eating demons.
The males it was said all became Yoma, while the females became Claymore hunting the Yoma, before in all of the death, they became Yoma too.
The Claymore were called the witches, the silver eyed once human and now half Yoma, whose eyes changed to gold when they witnessed their enemy, the Yoma.
The boy, Rocky, watched the one he had attached himself to lead before him. She was a Claymore, a girl once, and now Clare, one of the warriors of death. He did not know the reason she had brought them here, but that it was only where the Organization of Sitall had summoned Clare and then sent her to.
He was thinking of how Clare looked more like frost upon the land, but no it was more like she was a silver wisp of a cloud caressing the moon on a partly clouded night, moving gently across the sky, and then it was there, a Voracious Eater, a Yoma with uncontrollable appetite and strength, which craved one thing and that was the flesh of Claymore.
Clare moved before the boy saw her, but this was not a forest of one Voracious Eater, but three, as the first was the diversion, the second was coming for her from behind, and the third had plucked him from the earth like a lily from a pond.
The scream which came from him was something which possessed no meaning and yet it had many meanings. The boy had wanted to scream out in calling to Clare, but the fear had silenced him, as much as the appearance of the second had frozen him, while it was the third plucking him from the earth which had startled him to call out, not to warn her, not even in fright, but only because the Yoma had forced the sound from his soul.
Death of boys and death of Claymore are only death. He could see it all unfolding, the Voracious Eater from behind driving it's claws deep into her back and coming out her front, the spike of a tail driving into her from the first Voracious Eater, and the third ripping him to shreds as no more screams came from his lips.
He witnessed it all, but even quicker than his mind's eye prophecy, another silver cloud appeared crossing the history and creating a new future.
The sword divided and conquered the second Yoma as it's claws penetrated Clare, while the first was in pieces before the vision of it's attack was real.
Rocky felt himself drifting to the ground, and noticed a bed of dead Yoma on which he now stood.
The Claymore stood over Clare and the boy heard him calling to come. Rocky was moving and it had not dawned on the boy yet, that this was a male voice when Claymores were only female.
He was giving orders which made no sense to the boy. Claymores always healed themselves or Claymores turned Yoma, but this Claymore brought healing. A thing called Holy Water he cleansed the Yoma wounds, and with Holy Oil he bound the wounds, and then to Clare's lips he fed a wafer of bread and a sip of wine.
The boy had heard of things like this from the West, a religion different from the East, and yet here were things that were healing Clare and had taken away her Yoma features which were being etched on her features.
"She will need rest", the Claymore told the boy and then ordered him to gather the petrified wood to build a fire. He did as he was told, but it did not make any sense.
The wood gathered, the Claymore struck the wood with his sword and it broke into an amber smoke, which glowed intense.
"What are you?", the boy asked.
His silver eyes gazed upon him and then upon Clare.
"There will come a Dark Stranger", he said, "He will come in 47 minutes."
The boy tried to puzzle the meaning, but the Claymore continued, "Tell him I have returned and have saved one of his flock".
....and then he was gone, like another cloud as Clare lay dozing on the ground.
It must have been 47 minutes as the Dark Stranger appeared, with new clothing for Clare as the shadow hovered about them. For some reason, the boy began telling all without being asked and for another reason, the shadow began explaining all.
"That one is the legend. All of his kinds have turned Yoma, but he has not. Some said he was baptised in Holy Water when we made him and that is what saved him. Others have said he is beyond the evil of Yoma and even they rejected him.
"Whoever he is or was," Clare interupted, "He is a Yoma killer and the things he administered to me have silenced something Yoma in my heart which I never thought would find solitude again."
Rocky looked with joy at Clare. She was well again. Her silver eyes this time looked a hint of blue like he had witnessed once before long ago. Something had changed within her and he could see that, he could feel it.
"You see the things which Clare feels now", the shadow spoke to him, "the one named Keah told me of this, but I did not believe.
It is time for your next mission Clare."
"What of the Healer?", she asked.
"What of him," the Dark Stranger replied,"He seems to appear for Claymores on the edge. Three of you now, Keah, Teresa and now you."
"Come boy," Clare said to him as the shadow slipped back up the valley, not like a cloud, but like water puddling, but never leaving a trace.
Rocky followed along again, the world with 3 more dead Yoma in it, and now the boy pondered there were 3 more Claymores now more alive.
agtG
