OOC: This is not private, but enter at your own risk.

Nyskrte

Nyskrte snapped violently awake, her trained hand exposing a makeshift dagger from under the pillow she’d been rolling about on, it was revealed to the empty hotel room in one swift movement. Breathing heavily, she brushed away the beads of cold sweat from her forehead with the back of one hand before carefully restoring the weapon to its original resting place.

‘That felt too damn real.’

It was no ordinary nightmare however; it was the worst kind of them all, the reoccurring nightmare in which no matter what actions you try to take… The result of them would ultimately end up identical to the previous encounter. In this instance, a fatal blow would be delivered to her from out of nowhere, vision blurring just enough to keep her killer’s anonymity until she was kicked painfully back to reality. It started off innocently enough, each time Nyskrte finds herself in the thick of an assorted group of Claymores which are easily dispatched off, each one wearing a nameless face engrained in her subconscious memory.

‘Why do I even bother trying to sleep?’

Flipping the duvet off her naked body she rolled onto her back and reached for a cup of water at the bedside, it had been almost half a minute and she still hadn’t managed to pull it together. The nightmares came with startling clarity and did not drift away like they should have. With a jerk of the arm, her pale face was coated in what was originally the content of the cup. She sighed with relief as it ran its course down to either side of her neck, the main artery of which was standing more predominant than was the norm. Swinging her long legs over the side of the bed, Nyskrte sat on its side looking out of the window towards the midnight skies. The white moon was full and the constellations were shining brightly, to her, it was seen as a good waste of time to go stargazing and perhaps stop brooding over these deadly dreams.

Flinging on a pink sleeping robe, the only item of clothing available beside that husk armour she wears like a bee wears its strips; Nyskrte locked her room from the inside and then dropped casually out of the open second floor window. She hadn’t even bothered to knot the hastily-donned garment in place to stop the wind from blowing it perversely. Luckily, most of the nightly men of this small town she’d stopped in were either already firmly bound in marriage, too old or too blathered to do anything but ogle her as she milled around the streets with her emerald eyes fixed on the sky above.

“They never cease to enthral me…”

- Ajax -

"Marriage is a bitch" thought Ajax.

It's not that he was thinking about marrying anyone or he had someone in mind, the idea of 'bond' was something that was really stressful sometimes. Then if the term of bond and marriage was the same, Ajax was married to organization and that was sure could be very demanding and give little satisfaction to a person in this relation.

No wonder so many break up and find lovers, awakened beings never wanted such marriage, such relationship wasn't really fitting for them. The bond was cut, there was nothing to limit them...

..but if there is no bond, no limit - doesn't it get boring ? Just because Ajax has such handicap as being in organization makes his life more..exciting. If he could just go everywhere..where would he go ? What would he do ? He was already immortal, he couldn't be slain by a human nor a yoma nor he needed to eat or drink much. Rests were short and he didn't knew what was really considered as "fun", except for fighting. But fighting for himself ? That's pointless, even animals understand that. That's why there are packs, that's why there are things like towns, royalty and..organization.

"I wouldn't mind a drink before doing stuff like that, thought"

Standing in the town where he was with other fighters, there was no question something was approaching and that something was their target...

"Why the hell should we fight here ? With all those bystanders. Honestly, worst strategy ever" thought Ajax, but didn't said it out loud since he would expected some cynical answer from his team-mates and at least that one he would like to avoid.

Kaiserin

Kaiserin walked slowly around the town, her metal sabatons clanked noisily throughout the area as her body jolted with every step which caused her armour jump a little. This noise was hugely comforting to Kaiserin but often warned town folk of her presence which - to her dismay usually caused them to run into their houses. Kaiserin looked up at the night sky and laughed a little at a certain situation before continuing to walk the streets.

The town was mostly quiet and the most prevalent sounds were those of drunkards and animals. Tall, well made stone houses and buildings surrounded Kaiserin. It was obvious that this was not a poor town, though any town no matter how rich would be reluctant to shell out money for a Claymore. Though, that wasn't why she was there at all.

Kaiserin saw her target. She had been stalking him for a few days now; he had no family, no friends and no reason to live. Though he wasn't a bad person, no one would miss him should he go missing. Kaiserin followed him home; the clanking of her sabatons had stopped as she kept to the shadows, keeping out of sight until she got to the targets house. Her stomach growled silently but viciously, her mouth watered at the thought of a meal. The man entered his house and Kaiserin dashed as silently as she could and jammed her sword in the crack of the door before it was completely closed. She walked in and shut the door behind her properly, but loudly so the man would hear her.

If it wasn't for her armour one might have mistaken her for a Yoma, but her intentions were all the same.

Soon after, Kaiserin left the house with a grin on her face, satisfied. She wiped some of the blood around her mouth off with the palm of her hand and stared at it for a while before licking the blood off. She gulped and lowered her head.

"That doesn't happen too often." She said, laughing afterwards. Kaiserin wasn’t in town for official business, merely pleasure. Her handler managed to secure a few days for her to do what she wanted; Tanit surely did cover her ass. She didn’t want to meet any of her comrades, but she felt something faintly around her. A feeling like this, no matter how small or fleeting could not be ignored. Kaiserin never used her Yoki much (due to how hungry it made her) so she wasn’t particularly worried that her comrades, or enemies would be able to find her. But she was hugely curious at what was happening in town. She looked extremely happy and raced towards the shadows, using them as cover to elevate herself onto the nearby buildings, from there; she would prone and keep low to observe her surroundings.

"How very exciting!"

That was her first thought, but after five minutes she got bored and jumped down.

"Kind of thirsty..."

This was her second thought, and she carried out her plan to quench her thirst by walking merrily to the nearest tavern. She seemingly forgot that she might encounter a warrior, a Yoma, Awakened Being or worse, a handler.

A lively metabolism is a great thing.

.:Siegfried:.

He was lost. As funny as that may sound, Siegfried was lost. He had been coming back from a mission and he guessed he was somewhat tired so he sort of half slept while he walked. It was a trick his dad had taught him when he was little.
Unfortunately Siegfried actually fell asleep and was sleep-walking around for who knows how long.

When he 'woke' up he was in a ditch by the road side, and the worst part of it was he was lost. Siegfried dusted himself down and scratched the back of his head as he smiled apologetically at nothing in particular. It was just a force of habit to do that.

'Dang...Maybe I should rest once in while. Guess I am a klutz afer all for falling into that ditch there. Hehe...'

Looking around Siegfried spotted a nearby town in the distance. The distince yoki signatures in the distance brought a smile to Siegfried's face. Maybe he could ask a comrade for directions back to his 'district'. The plus side of this was if needed he could also help his comrades with the assignment. Deciding this wasn't so bad, Siegfried began to walk swiftly towards the town.

'Well let's just go and see whose in town.' and with a smile Siegfried was merrily on his way.

---------
Duwen
---------

The smooth streets of an unnamed town passed under Duwen's heels, the pointed tip of her shoe digging into the stone unmercifully. She seemed to be walking without a purpose, moving across the ground at a lethargic pace. Above her, stars danced in the night sky, flickering on and off to an unknown beat, surrounding the pure, white moon. Occasionally she would glance upwards, peering into the sky with her brown eyes, soft pools of what seemed like compassion, and sorrow. She was clothed in somewhat strange attire.

Her long brown hair flowed freely down her shoulders, drifting occasionally in the wind. A deep, violet dress clung to her body, seductively revealing her curves, bearing her arms and a slight bit of cleavage. There was no other word that could be used to describe her, other than beautiful. Her clothing ended just before her knees, showing slender legs that gracefully trod across the ground. Peering over her left shoulder, she glanced at two men who followed her. Both looked forward with a strangely dead look in their eyes.

Their bodies were covered with wounds, stitched together by someone with skill in surgical art. They ambled along, moving awkwardly, though they still conveyed a sense of unmistakable power. Both carried great crosses on their backs. The crosses were almost larger than her bodies, extending far above their heads. The part extending above almost seemed to be a pommel of some sorts. Duwen closed her eyes for a moment, turning her nose to the air, and as she extended her senses, a great smile spread across her face. My, my… It looks like this will certainly be amusing.

Letting out a soft, cheery laugh, she continued to walk, suddenly taking a sharp right somewhere. She was walking down a similar street, though in front of her was something most peculiar. A surprisingly attractive woman walked down the street, clothed in nothing but a pink robe, the middle of her body revealed to the world. Another laugh escaped Duwen, and she began to make her way to the figure clothed in pink. As the two crossed in the street, Duwen reached forth with a slender hand, gently stroking the inner thigh of the unknown woman. Fluidly, Duwen turned around, pressing her body against the back of the woman, her nailed hand reaching around the woman’s neck, her lips almost touching the other’s ear. “Well, what brings someone like you, to a town like this?”

Nyskrte

She could never have anticipated Duwen's move on her, and now with a foolhardy hand massaging so close to her nether regions, it was made hard to think about anything but what was occurring this very second. It was new experience, for another woman to be the first to act, and a complete stranger no less. Nyskrte was visibly enjoying the physical attention she was receiving, her breathing husky and cheeks reddening.

"I was looking to relax... But-"

Her left hand had been stealthily exploring the underside of the woman's violet-colored skirt in the moments before she'd spoke and it only just now made itself known, powerfully grasping and kneading Duwen's firm left cheek in an attempt to ease from her dominant position and claim it as she had always done so in these kinds of encounter. Her voice was rang with joyful glee as she took her revenge on the beautiful assailant.

"I think I just found something better."

It couldn't really be a human woman, none would dare risk it, for fear of being ousted by the community. But the strange thing was, she could feel no yoki emanating from her. Then she recalled something a minute ago when she was too busy looking at the stars, although it had taken considerable effort to remember with these teasing distractions.

'That laugh...'

Was it really a surprise that Nyskrte could decipher information from a mere laugh? Considering how much she laughed herself. Pressing on the retaliation, she turned slowly into Duwen keeping the daring hand in place with her right one. The demoness tilted her head suggestively towards the entrance of a nearby alley, this battle was probably best fought where common eyes would not pry.

--------
Duwen
--------

Duwen could taste momentary surprise as she approached Nyskrte, one advantage of her years in solitude, but this taste soon vanished as Duwen jumped, shocked by the other woman's aggressive nature. Her reflexes snapped, and the woman attempted to push herself away, to no avail. Nyskryte kept the tension, forcing the bodies of the two women close together. Duwen could feel the warm breath of the other woman on her neck. Their faces were near, the chests of the two women pressed together. It was awfully... warm.

What a horrid day to forget underwear...

Smiling weakly, Duwen applied a bit more pressure with her left hand, tracing a smooth line with a sharp fingernail. An drip of blood was drawn, but the excitement of the moment would overwhelm any possible pain. Her other hand was now curled around Nyskryte's neck, sheltered beneath locks of her hair. Duwen's hair drifted forward, tickling the face of the other woman. The sight would certainly be a strange one to any onlookers, but that did not bother either Awakened Being.

Again, Duwen laughed, for the woman was obviously amused, if not a little taken aback by the other's strange actions. Deciding to play along with the strange desires of Nyskryte, Duwen gently guided the two to the dark ally, taking care not to lose contact with the other woman. Her left hand still circled playfully on Nyskryte's leg, a light touch that never abated. Darkness cloaked the two as they entered the ally, and Duwen moved suddenly, pressing Nyskryte against the stone wall. Duwen's own body was pressed tightly against Nyskryte's, and the eyes of the two women were locked together.

At the entrance to the ally, the two men, bearing those awkward crosses stood, like statues, awaiting something. Duwen pressed herself closer against Nyskyrte, leaning in so that her lips were almost touching the other's ear. And in a soft whisper, a whisper that crept forward seductively, she spoke. "I have no intention of fighting someone like you. There seem to be quite a few other forms of Yoki in this town, why don't we have some fun with them?" As she spoke, her soft, moist, lips occasionally brushed against Nyskryte's ear, sending tingles through the womans being.

- Ajax -

"Annoying" said Ajax while waiting.

He was taking a look around, seeing if there is anything that would help here.

How dense were the houses positioned ? Maybe taking a battle into back alleys wouldn't be half bad if their enemy is big

How big the houses were ? Maybe attacking from top was possible if another party would distract the target.

Maybe they were useful objects here ? Barrels, chairs, torches - all come in handy. Battling with awakened being with sheer power alone is..what Ajax consider as rather reckless unless your single digit.

Ajax looked at the sky...the forecast for today weather..hopefully it will not rain.

Kaiserin

Kaiserin ploughed through the tavern door like a drunk who knew where he belonged. The crash shocked the drinkers, but not as much as the sight of a Claymore did. Silence filled the air as Kaiserin looked at the barman with her head tilted upwards. She walked slowly towards a bar stool and slid her behind on the rough wood which caught the cloth of her uniform a little as she did. Placing her elbows on the soft wood counter using her hands to prop her head up she looked at the bartender.

"What's a girl gotta kill to get a drink around here?" Kaiserin said with a dry and rough voice. The bartender was taken aback, this was not the right method to get a drink. Kaiserin spotted a bottle shaped object behind the barman, she leaned over the counter and grabbed it, along with a cup that was close to it. She reached underneath her corslet and threw a few bars of silver on the counter.

"Payment." She said, with the same voice and poured the green liquid into the cup. It smelt vile and likely tasted similar. She closed her eyes and downed the drink in one. Kaiserin couldn't describe what the drink tasted like, but one could say that Battery Acid would have been an apt description. She took a couple more gulps until she felt a weird presence, again. The first time was easy to ignore, but it was obvious that this feeling would persist. Sliding her behind off the stool Kaiserin stood up and grabbed the bottle off the counter. The bar had been silent the entire time, the stares of drunkards piercing her body and the sight of a claymore sobering up the drunks.

"You should go home, things might get messy later." Kaiserin said, taking a swig from the bottle.

"Tastes worse than before..."

There were a few signatures she could feel, she didn't know who they belonged too, but a couple were really close to each other and moved very closely together. This was not normal for her comrades, who could barely stand the sight of each other. There were other signatures, on seemingly opposite sides of town (though she could have mistaken it). But before she could complete her musings she felt that one of the Yoki sources was closer to her than originally perceived. In the distance she could see a man with short silver hair, a stern face and of about average height.

"Crap, if he sees me he might ask weird questions..."

OOC: I see you Ajax /e13

Nyskrte

More than happy to provide Duwen with the illusion of control at the sound of that laugh, she offered no resistance when the woman pushed into her against the side of the alley. Head to head, their thick manes collided to form a private world where nothing could escape the other.

"Sure I'll play, but fight me? Haaaaaa, I was almost convinced that you were bold enough to actually-"

She mouthed the missing word inaudibly for effect, expression filled with nonchalance. The background noises of the streets adjacent muting in unison before returning just as sharply as they'd been silenced. Nyskrte's green eyes were like suns, blinding to those that would risk thier vision to look upon directly.

"-me."

Armed with knowledge gathered from her previous violation, the demoness took this moment of shock she'd instigated to hike up the front of the woman's skirt and grind a thigh roughly against her defenseless lower regions. Her hands that had until just now hung loosely at her sides moved to explore, one given the task of exploring Duwen's clothed chest that was pushing against her own and the other returning to her ass for continued investigation.

'This is punishment for leading me on, you thoughtless bitch.'

--------
Duwen
--------

For a third time, Duwen laughed, though this laugh was far softer than any that had come before. Automatically, her body recoiled at the hard presence of Nyskrte's thigh, and gently, she moved around it, placing part of her own thigh on top of the other woman’s. Rather than recoil at the touch of Nyskrte’s hands, Duwen seemed to welcome them, pressing into the other woman even further. Her right leg snaked around, gripping Nyskrte and drawing her closer as it hooked around the other woman’s calf. With a sly twinkle in her brown eyes, Duwen spoke again.

“Whoever said I’m not?”

With those words, she leaned forward again, though this time, no words needed to be spoken. Duwen’s delicate lips closed around Nyskrte’s own, and before the other woman could react, she was caught in, of all things, a kiss. Their lips locked together, and Duwen closed her eyes, momentarily loosing herself in the pleasure. Smoothly, Duwen’s left hand rose from its place near Nyskrte’s thigh, sneaking around back, mirroring the motions of Nyskrte’s hand.

And with her right hand, Duwen pulled the other woman in closer. It seemed to last for ages, though in reality, the kiss was a short one, and as she leaned away, she gasped for a moment. It was a short but sensual kiss, the type that would leave one aching for more. Duwen’s eyes sparkled, and taking the moment of shock, she moved away from the Awakened Being. Straightening her clothes, she turned, smiling mischievously. As the woman began to walk away, Nyskrte caught a glimpse beneath the violet skirt, for Duwen was a tad too slow in fixing her appearance.

“A little bit of pleasure is always welcome before, well… more pleasure, eh?”

For the fourth time she laughed, and this laugh was warming to hear, signifying Duwen’s interest in the being she had just found. Slowly, Duwen walked out of the ally, her hips swaying in a hypnotic motion, the inn at the end of the street her destination. Her slender legs seemed to glide across the ground, and occasionally the woman would look back, as if to confirm Nyskryte’s presence. This night would be a most curious night.

Nyskrte

'Honey.'

It was the only word that sprang to Nyskrte's mind, the only word she could muster to describe the taste of this alluring creature before her. The kiss had turned her angry play into genuine lust, her hands relaxing their holds and moving slower to feel rather than force. Her typically heavy-hung eyelids fluttered as Duwen began to reciprocate her administrations; she would have let out a moan of delight if her mouth hadn't been already preoccupied.

When the woman pulled away to make herself presentable, Nyskrte kept her eyes all over Duwen not just committing that glimpse of her curvy behind but everything. The way she moved provocatively, the expression on her face, the method her hands adjusted the skirt she'd ruffled in this back alley encounter, everything. Just like a true predator.

As they pasted out the alley back onto the street, Nyskrte got a good look at the two heavies that had been, from what she estimated, guarding the way in. They had yoki signatures for certain, but they looked partially disfigured and may as well have been corpses if they hadn't been standing upright. She didn't ask Duwen about them, as it would probably spoil the mood. The Awakened Being followed silently behind the other for a short time before appearing on the woman's left, gently taking her hand into her own.

'I wonder... Has she been keeping tabs on me?'

.:Siegfried:.

'How far is it to that town? I've been walking for how long already?' Siegfried watched as the town he had spotted still seemed a bit off in the distance. Breathing out a breath of air in a sigh, Siegfried just continued to treck merrily along the dirt path towards the town.

'Perhaps a song will lift my spirits up...I don't know any...'

Siegfried quietly walked and as the silence grew so did Siegfried's impatiance. Feeling rather full of energy tonight, Siegfried lowerd himself to the ground and with a burst of 5% yoki he sprinted off towards town.

'What better way to stay in shape and keep me from getting bor....AH!!'

It was kind of dark and Siegfried missed the fact that the path took a sharp turn to avoid a cliff which he had just run off of. Sailing through the air, Siegfried converted the 5% to 'Steel Body' and braced himself for impact. Being a seasoned warrior had made him prepared for all kinds of unexpected things. He was ready for everything. So this fall was not different. Siegfried smirked cooly to himself and did the only thing a warrior of his caliber would do.

Back in town those who would bother to listen carefully will hear an object 'crashed' down the cliffs as the noise the object made can only be described in such a manner. The next clue which gave away the fact that it was a person could be the scream which faintly echoed into the quite night air.

---------
Duwen
---------

She felt the appraising eyes rake over her entire being, and beneath them, she felt naked. Her eyes only twinkled more as she walked forward, twirling a dark lock of hair, absentmindedly strolling towards the inn. Nyskrte's hand was soft, and Duwen nervously let it grasp her own. She was somewhat confused, walking towards an inn to do god knows what. The entire encounter was baffling, though Duwen didn't mind, for she cared not what others thought of her. Looking behind her, she glanced at the two men through a forest of hair, confirming their presence. She could feel their faint Yoki, so alien, so different than that of a normal warrior.

Soon, the duo entered the inn, their hands still locked together, and as Duwen began to climb the stairs, her legs twitched slightly. For the first time in a while, she was actually nervous, unsure about what would happen next. Her dress clung tightly to her body, and the woman's figure was exposed. She did not hesitate, instead she turned a corner, passing by the locked door of Nyskrte's room, and continuing towards another one. Slowly, she opened a bare wooden door, slipping inside with Nyskrte behind her. The room was fairly empty, and the bed was clean, soft sheets shimmering.

Duwen could feel the two men take positions on either side of the door, standing like statues, ready to turn their blades on any imposing presence. With a musically enticing laugh, Duwen turned, slipping out of Nyskrte's grasp. The woman leaped onto the bed, pressing her back against the wooden post in the rear. Her legs were extended before her, crossed, and bare, absent of any shoes. With a quizzical expression on her face she gazed at Nyskrte, taking in the full body of the other woman, waiting for something.

"Well...? Shall we?"

Nyskrte

Closing the door behind them, Nyskrte stood staring blankly at it for a few moments.

'Why am I finding it so hard to laugh?'

The fact of being out-laughed by a stranger burdened her thoughts far greater than it should have, considering the situation she'd now put herself in. Rolling her shoulders back, still facing away from Duwen who was getting comfortable, the flimsy robe fell gracelessly into a heap on the floorboards. Dragging each hand past either shoulder, she temporarily pushed all her hair back before turning and swaying casually towards the bed, attention fixated on the woman who laid upon it.

As she climbed cautiously onto the bed from the side, Nyskrte had a feeling this one wasn't going to prove easy. The folded legs, the angled body, the clothes still worn all added to the difficulty of making her initial engagement count for anything. She ultimately decided to pick up where they had left off, moving to Duwen's full lips and re-engaging their prior kiss. This woman was right-minded to start in such a bulwark position, for if Nyskrte were to be given too much freedom, it wouldn't be long before she'd have her half-conscious and possibly drooling from the mouth.

Such was her nature.

------
Duwen
------

Duwen lost herself in the kiss, her lips delicately working, her hands creeping gently forward, flowing over Nyskrte’s smooth skin. It was a wondrous kiss, so enticing, so captivating. She traced the other woman’s shapely form, and one hand stopped just above Nyskrte’s thigh, grabbing her firm butt. With a sharp motion, Duwen pulled the other woman closer, her lips kissing at Nyskrte’s neck, her lips, and slowly, bit by bit, Duwen’s body began to fill with ecstasy. She could feel a slender hand, guided by Nyskrte creep into her skirt, the exploration begun before again restored.

Barely audible, Duwen let out a soft moan of pleasure as she stroked Nyskrte’s hair. There could only be one word to describe the sensation she was feeling: wonderful. Stubborn to the end, Duwen remained in her clothes, her firm breasts pressed against Nysrkte’s body. Suddenly, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, Duwen pushed Nyskrte back, gasping for air. As Nyskrte once again leaned forward, Duwen placed a delicate fingertip on her lips, pushing the other woman back. Slowly, bit by bit, Duwen reversed the positions as Nyskrte’s back was pressed against the floor.

Her dress was pulled up in the back, revealing her rear as she took her place above Nyskrte’s body. Gently, Duwen pressed her lips against the other woman’s neck before once again surfacing. Her eyes gazed at Nyskrte’s naked form, taking it in completely, and Duwen spoke.

“Why don’t we exchange names before we… well you know. It would make it that much more intimate…. Eh? I once went by, and still go by Duwen. And you, my most interesting find?”

Nyskrte

The nude woman Duwen had straddled unexpectedly tensed up underneath her, a clear sign of recognition.

'The hell! Of all the people.'

That didn't just spoil the mood for Nyskrte. It drop kicked and rigorously beat the mood into a bloody pulp. In a previous life, they had crossed paths before... In a bad way, the fact of the matter was that only one of them was now currently aware of this. She literally couldn't proceed with this further without letting the truth run free, otherwise she'd be heaving half-digested human into the nearest latrine in after beating herself up over it mentally.

"I told you rueing about your 'friends' would eventually break you one day."

'But obviously you didn't listen. I somehow doubt she awoke on her own terms.'

The damnably familiar empty stare and hollow voice was probably enough to make the woman on top relive the sharp pains her cheeks had received from her, many years ago. Back when they were both over twenty and still forming character as Claymore. Nyskrte's hair was spread radiated on the floor in all directions forming a burgundy halo around her pale face.

"That's right Duwen... It's me."

---------
Duwen
---------


Duwen’s reaction was instantaneous. As soon as Nyskrte reverted back to her old voice, recognition dawned on the woman, and in a flash she had moved. Not easily did Duwen forget, and the rivalry between her and this former Claymore was indeed not an easy thing to forget. Working furiously, Duwen leapt clean, her body gracefully arching as she miraculously leaped from the position atop Nyskrte, to one behind her. The words had barely left Nyskrte’s mouth when the door opened gently, and closed suddenly.

Those two strange beings from before, the men with large swords appeared, taking a position in front of Duwen, completely obstructing her from Nyskrte as she pressed her back to the wall. Caution filled Duwen’s round eyes as she stood there, a pained tear driven by memory rolling down her smooth cheek.

“You coldhearted bitch.” Duwen’s voice had lost all husky manners, and now quavered, as if she was unsure of what she was saying herself. Her beliefs had been shattered, forever perverted by her own gross transformation, and as she stood looking on, her entire body seemed to shake with unease. If not for the two standing in front of her, she would have collapsed a painful wreck.

“You have no idea! No idea what it like to care for someone and then have that wrenched away from you! You were just as bad as they were, just as cruel, just as coldhearted! Someone had to care for them!” The woman was almost in tears by now, her being greatly upset by Nyskrte’s appearance. She seemed to be panicking, her feelings conflicting greatly, tearing her down the middle.

“To need compassion is a horrible thing, you monster! I… I can’t rid myself of it…! I must have it again… someone so close to you that you can’t help but feel obligated to protect them!! Why! WHY!” Duwen screamed, tears freely flowing from her face, and she seemed half the woman that she was before. Suddenly, her knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her face with smooth hands, her nails digging into her skin in certain areas.



“All I ever wanted… All I want… is to be a mother…”


Her voice was barely audible, though Nyskrte managed to hear it. Seeing Duwen in such a state was indeed a pitiful sight to behold.

Nyskrte

'What miserable thing she's become.'

Nyskrte was alarmed at the speed the truth was destroying Duwen for a second time, she pushed the point just by merely standing in front of the woman. Where Nyskrte for most of the part embraced her awakening, Duwen very obviously hated ever fibre of her existence and had been pushing this fact to one side for ages. Although she was now brought out of view by her two heavies, it was fairly apparent that her mental state was rapidly deteriorating.

'She closed up so quickly, there's no way I'm going to get through to her.'

She couldn't get pass this physical barrier the cowering woman had put in place, not without drawing unwanted attention from the townsfolk, then in turn the other nearby presences to them. Disaffected by her lack of clothing towards the equally disaffected hulks blocking the exit to the room, she pretend to take Duwen's outdated gibbering and small plea at the end with a pinch of salt. Hands resting on her hips, she looked sideways to a window to look at the star-ridden sky, had she really changed as little as it did?

"Coldhearted bitch? Fine by me, that's the only damn reason I'm still breathing."

The naked demoness turned and pointed uncaring, although Duwen couldn't see it, she could probably sense the accusing finger aiming through the wall of animated flesh towards her, even whilst caught in her tearful throes. Nyskrte wasn't about to leave her in such an unstable condition, if left, she might tear up the perfectly innocent town out of confusion alone.

"You've had it far too easy, Duwen. You could go frolicking around the world without a care if you desired it, because only a rare few Claymores can actually see you for what you really are. I have to slay those that we used to to be like on a daily basis just to keep my head where it is!"

Duwen had hit a sore spot and Nyskrte was about to make it very clear, clenching her hands at either side and lifting her head, eyes blazing like freshly lit pyres.

"So what you want can FUCK RIGHT OFF!"

.:Siegfried:.

Slowly getting up from the small crater he was no doubt guilty of creating, Siegfried shakily stood on his feet and moved to stand upright. Upon trying to stand straight up, something in his back prevented him from moving all the way up leaving him in a hunched over position. With a quick burst of speed and strength, Siegfried forcefully straightened himself and a loud resounding crack could be heard in the forest surrounding the town.

"Holy Twin Goddess...!!! Ah!!" screamed Siegfried as he fell to his knees in pain at having 'stretched' out his back. Tears fell from his eyes in a comical waterfall as he slowly crawled out of the mini-crater.

Slowly crawling to a near by tree he carefully hoisted himself up and using the tree as support managed to stand upright again. Using a little bit of yoki he was healed in no time.

Standing upright and looking around, he hoped no one noticed it was him. Siegfried became very self-conscious and he slowly moved towards the town in the shadows of the forest. Constantly looking around with shifty eyes like he was hiding from people, which he was.

Spotting the town in the distance he calmly walked towards it as if nothing he did before really happened. The only proof of his blunder was the dirt which clung onto his white uniform at random places. Though the dirt mark was small it stood out against the bright white of his uniform. Siegfried tried brushing the dirt off, but it stood fast and stuck to him like glue. Siegfried sighed and instead moved towards a couple of yoki sources not too far from him.

Ignoring the fact that there were a few yoki sources in town, Siegfried just picked the group that was closest to him. If this was an awakened being hunt that it was better to make himself known early instead of being mistaken for one.

Siegfried put on his best smile and tried to ‘clean’ himself up a little to look presentable to his comrades as he strode forward, eager to meet his comrades and find his way back to his region. Not taking into account where he was going or which yoki signatures he was heading to, Siegfried just went for the closest one.

------
Duwen
-------

Duwen was hysterical, her breathe escaping in ragged gasps, her hear growing steadily more disheveled as she clutched at her face attempting to claw something out. She was not in the room but somewhere else, facing a personal dilemma that none could assist her with. Again she spoke in that same, hauntingly quiet voice, reaching to Nyskrte. “Why… why did I awaken? I did everything right… Why did they die?” It was painfully obvious that she had ignored Nyskrte’s comment, and wrapped up in something else.

Her voice became shriller as she spoke “They all die… Everyone I take in dies… everyone!” Her last words were a shriek, and in an inhuman flash, something happened. The two hulking men, with speed and strength betraying strange power, smashed through the window, sending debris flying. Before Nyskrte could react, before the cloud of dust had escaped, Duwen was gone, with her slender form slipping out the window. As she landed, her eye caught the figure of a gaping man, fairly young.

He stared at the window she had come from, and as the two men simply stood, Duwen moved. Before he could react, a hand was thrust through his abdomen, pouring guts everywhere, guts that Duwen gathered, frantically feasting on them. The man had yet to fall before Duwen moved again, shrieking like a madwoman. Still her yoki was undetectable, but other signs would give her away.

Like a Goddess of death, she walked down the street, her minions in front of her, wielding swords that could not be mistaken for anything but that of a Claymore. Few walked the streets at this hour of the morning, but those that did met with an untimely end as they found their innards spilled, and Duwen standing before them. At least their last sight would be one of beauty. A strap on Duwen’s dress was creeping down her shoulder, steadily revealing more of her voluptuous breast as blood dripped from her mouth and hands.

A strange sight indeed.

Nyskrte

It took awhile for what had just transpired to synchronize with Nyskrte's brain enough for it to sink in properly. As the dust began to settle in the emptied room, she placed a hand across her forehead and sighed inwardly.

"Great. Wonderful. Just dandy."

Walking towards the wooden wall which separated this room for the one she was sleeping in a short time ago, the Awakened Being simply hit the wall with her body and continued travelling in that direction, sending splinters about the place as she carved out a silhouette. There was a more than likely chance Duwen in her deranged state was about to stir up the hive, and Nyskrte quite frankly didn't want to be around when the wasps came out in force.

'But then again... If I just leave, I may never see her again.'

Snapping her black chest piece into typical place and unfolding the long skirt, allowing it to drop down to her ankles, she had followed a train of thought to one of her few weaknesses. A guilty conscience. Rubbing the dead skin between her fingers as she dropped the helm into place, she gritted her teeth and tried to come to a sensible conclusion.

'I can't let her disappear, not now. She's the only one from back then I've come across, who's still alive.'

Throwing her shield over her back and gripping the hilt of her claymore she picked up her pace, vaulting from the window still wide open from the previous escape made from it. As she landed, her eyes glanced at the fresh corpses of drunkards scattered sparsely along the street leaving a path easily followed. There had been no anguish-ridded screams filling the town however, so she deduced that Duwen probably wasn't messing with her food. Following the remains, she aimed to keep the maddened woman in view but stay out of threat range until there were noticeable signs of her calming down.

Kaiserin

Just looking for a reason to run away, Kaiserin snapped her head around when she heard a faint noise. It could have been anything. A cat, a drunk or even a meteorite that fell down from the sky (what was a meteorite again?)

"Oh, did you hear that...maybe someone (or something) is in need of aid." Kaiserin said nervously.

Though truthfully, Kaiserin did hear something, what she heard was totally different to what she encountered after she ran away from her comrade(s). What Kaiserin really noticed and really followed, was the smell of blood. A sweet scent that caressed her nose and dragged her ever so willingly to its source. Her eyes were wide and senses ablaze, she followed her nose around a few dark corners and shady streets before encountering a sight which every human feared.

Kaiserin stood along a rather well-lit street, her body trembling with excitement. She rubbed her face a few times with the palm of her hand, wiping away tiny beads of sweet that were starting to accumulate. Judging from the bodies and the scent's strength, Kaiserin determined who had been killed first and who later. She was decently sure what direction to go in, but to clarify she went up to the body closest to her, bent over and scooped a hand full of blood and put it to her lips, gulping it down eagerly.

"Mmm, it's good but could be better..." Kaiserin said to herself. She walked over to the next body and sampled the blood much like before.

"This one tastes better...so that means..." Kaiserin's voice trailed off as she wiped the blood from her mouth. She ran in the direction she was sure that death had taken, eventually becoming more and more aware of Yoki signatures. Two of them, but it wasn't clear.

"Yoma...?"

Eventually Kaiserin came upon a woman and two strange figures wielding claymores. Blood surrounded them, the scent of it all so sweet and fresh she knew instantly who the culprit was. Kaiserin drew her sword as quickly as she could and stood tall and firm against these strange enemies. The woman Kaiserin saw emitted no Yoki, but the two figures emitted enough.

"What's going on here?" Kaiserin questioned quietly. The woman was scantly clothed and quite exposed. Common knowledge that Awakened Beings often went around dressed in little to nothing, for when they assumed their forms their clothes would rip apart - thus making delicate and extravagant clothing a waste. Other observations were noted, but at this point listing them would be unnecessary. Kaiserin's tightened the grip on her claymore, she couldn't feel Yoki from this woman but was sure she was an Awakened Being. Any being that could hide their Yoki that well could most likely sense it to a far greater degree than Kaiserin could hope to hide.

"You there!" Kaiserin shouted, announcing herself would be better. Kaiserin wasn't hugely sure whether she wanted to fight off-duty, but people were dying. Regardless of whether this woman could be killed or not was not important. The death had to stop here.

"Surely you've had your fill for tonight. It would be in your best interest to leave town now, before my comrades appear and slay you for sure." Kaiserin said as firm as she could. "Though, play your cards wrong and I'll end your life right here and now!"

"What the hell am I saying, surely I can't be this full of it... Damn, I have no idea whether I can kill her by myself."

Kaiserin waited for a reply, getting the eerie feeling that someone was approaching her from behind. A familiar feeling of dread shot up her spine, something she had felt once before...

---------
Duwen
---------

Duwen turned her head, revealing the blood stained mouth, stretched back in a snarl. Her round, brown eyes seemed to be screaming for help, pulsating with certain purity. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at Kaiserin, her brown hair flowing about Duwen’s neck. The Awakened Being let out a heart wrenching sob as she took a step forward, her hands hanging loosely at her side. She stumbled forward, and the two men beside her simply stood, a dead look in their eyes as they watched her move.

Her steps were erratic, and as she drew near Kaiserin, the look of despair on her face seemed to increase, the tears flowing faster. Kaiserin couldn’t be sure which was more prominent in her mind, the fresh blood still staining Duwen’s red lips, or the crystalline tears flowing from her cheeks. Again, a sob wracked Duwen’s body as she took one more step, and then, in that moment, her knees gave out. With a thud, she fell to the ground, landing on her legs, and sat there, clutching at her face once more.

The sobs were endless now, and Kaiserin could barely make out the words that the woman uttered. “Make it stop…. Please… help me… save me… You know what it was like…” From between her fingers, Duwen stared behind Kaiserin, at the form that still followed her. She could not decide if the form of that other being was a plague or a present, but at that moment, Duwen knew she needed what aid the other woman could give.

The awakened being was a pathetic sight, though she still radiated a fair amount of power. And the two hulking men behind her never moved, standing perfectly still with their blades drawn, gleaming silver in the moonlight. Black crimson droplets fell from the metal, pooling on the grown below, an eerie pool of death.

Nyskrte

Nyskrte's blade scrapped ominously across the cobbled path as she moved forwards the pair, its weight leaving a clear wake line in the stone. Her tangled hair obscuring the lower half of her face, hiding what little expression would have otherwise been revealed to the other two present on the dimly-lit street. She stepped into the mess she'd inadvertently created, unaware that the Claymore that had her back turned to her was in fact Kaiserin, the deep warning laugh came followed by the mocking tone.

"Move aside Claymore, or I might just move you instead."

The blood frenzy had passed, but Duwen was still unstable and the cycle of self-loathing destruction could again repeat itself. If the shoulder-length blonde that had unintentionally put herself between the two Awakened Beings did anything to provoke either one, the odds would not be stacked in her favor.

'Trying to live a pure existence in an impure body, what a headfuck she's having.'

Nyskrte had few burdens of her own, and now she felt it her responsibility to take Duwen's onto her shoulders, even if deep down it didn't agree with her.

Kaiserin

The sight of this woman startled Kaiserin, who was fully prepared to get attacked. Instead, in a less than impressive manner staggered towards Kaiserin and then collapsed to the ground. Crying, shaking and what have you.

"Huh?" Kaiserin said in a rather dumbfounded tone. The sight pretty much killed her sense of justice. Kaiserin at this moment could have just left and gone home, that's what she wanted to do before anyway. She heard the woman whisper something and it was a pitiful sight to behold.

Then that feeling crept up again, and even spoke to Kaiserin. A familiar tone, though less playful than before. A threat, though it didn't seem like it would attack.

"One behind you, one in front of you. Dandy..."

Kaiserin however was hugely curious of who was behind her. Figuring if she was gonna die she might as well do what she wanted. And what she wanted to do was turn around. And turn around she did. To her surprise, indeed a familiar face stood behind her but that did little to relieve her tension.

"Ahh," Kaiserin said laughing a little, "Hi again..."

Kaiserin waited to see how the situation would turn out, prepared to defend or retreat should things get out of hand...

Nyskrte

At the sight of Kaiserin, Nyskrte recoiled backwards in surprise. This plot twist had only worsened the situation, she knew that the amount of yoki signatures flitting about the town was an indication of an Awakened Being hunting group. But of all the current Claymore, Kaiserin? Had the organization already caught wind of their meeting, or was this just an encounter formed by chance?

"Move aside or I will kill you."

The Awakened Being had put on a mask and failed to call her by name, treating the woman in the middle as if she'd never met her before. She did this with very good reason, for if anyone were to eves drop on the conversation from the safety of a nearby building and report it, the organization would surely send an execution squad for Kaiserin. Feigning aggression she lifted her blade towards the unnerved Claymore for added effect.

'Be a stranger to me, especially when there are so many people around.'

Kaiserin

Kaiserin stood in shock after hearing Nyskrte's words. Suffice to say she didn't totally understand what Nyskrte was doing for her. She looked towards the broken woman and back at Nyskrte, the grip on her handle tightening.

"But... but what about--" Kaiserin cut herself off. She wondered if it was even worth trying to understand. What had happened before in Kaiserin's mind was all just a game, though it was foolish to expect an Awakened Being to care about little else other than themselves.

Regardless of what she thought, Kaiserin opted to listen to Nyskrte and moved out the way. Pride was one of the things that could easily get you killed, luckily Kaiserin had little use for such a thing. Now a path was clear between Nyskrte and Duwan, Kaiserin was curious to see what would happen. Before she would witness the exchange, she looked at Nyskrte solemnly.

"You better wrap this up quickly..." Kaiserin whispered, unaware if anyone had heard her. If her comrades arrived, someone would certainly die.

.:Siegfried:.

Siegfried had been strolling down the dark streets whistling an unknown tune which strangely sounded like the tune for ‘Row your boat’. While cheerily walking down the street, Siegfried’s nose was suddenly assaulted by the scent of blood. The scent was heavy and hung in the air like a cloud of humid vapor. Siegfried had no choice but to breathe the scent in and from what he could tell, there was a lot of blood in the air.

Siegfried immediately went into defensive mode and quickly drew his sword. Siegfried held the claymore in his right hand with the blade held diagonally out in front of him. His left hand pretty soon joined his right and he held the sword out in front of him in a straight line down his center. Siegfried would look around and tried to reach out with his senses to ‘see’ what was around him. There didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary within the immediate vicinity.

Siegfried began to follow the scent of the blood and pretty soon happened upon bodies after bodies of people with their insides ‘taken’ out. Even though the victim’s insides were taken out, the thing that caught Siegfried’s eye was the wounds. It seemed the people were killed by a sword, more precisely a large sword, almost like his. At this Siegfried wondered if a member of the organization has gone AWOL, and left the organization. If that was the case, than Siegfried will attempt to reason with them and hopefully bring them back whom ever it may be. If not…he decided to get to that when he gets to it.

Siegfried bid a silent prayer for each victim, and followed the trail of carnage. What he came upon was a strange site. It looked like four of his comrades have someone cornered. Not being able to clearly see them except for their claymores, Siegfried assumed it might be a group on a mission or something. Not knowing any better Siegfried made his way quickly over to the gathered group of people, four of whom possess claymores and one on their knees on the ground. He lowered his yoki and released it in a small pulse to let them know he was there but keeping a low key so as not to startle any of them. Siegfried spotted Kaiserin but he didn’t recognize any of the others.

‘Are the other three undercover or something? It looks like lady Kaiserin! Those gathered around her must be part of her team or something. There doesn’t seem to be any hostile actions going on there. Better check it out.’ Siegfried thought as he made his way over to the gathered five.

Nyskrte

With Kaiserin moving aside to avoid confrontation, the awakened being's ominous shadow finally casted itself over the kneeling Duwen. What few words she had managed to make out from the woman's quivering lips earlier had seeded murderous thoughts in Nyskrte's excuse for a mind. Eyes wide with confusion and mouth twitching at the side, the sword-bearer rested the flat side of her blade on Duwen's left shoulder.

"We've both changed Duwen, you just haven't noticed yet."

Nyskrte glanced momentarily at Kaiserin, who had become a spectator of sorts, as if looking in from the outside. Putting that fact aside she motioned to gain the full attention of the distraught woman, holstering the claymore that had moments ago lingered at Duwen's neck and forcing her to stand by pulling her off the floor by both arms. Rocking her slightly back and forth, she attempted to snap Duwen out of this sudden breakdown by being very forward and confident in her movements.

"You've done nothing wrong, there is nothing to be saved from."

That was a lie of course, slaughtering humans was terrible but as Awakened Beings, they weren't human. So killing humans in their terms was equal to when humans kill livestock for food or animals for sport, at least, it should be. Nyskrte unhinged one of her black gauntlets, allowing it to drop to the small space between them so she could wipe the tears from Duwen's swollen eyes and flawless cheeks.

----------
Duwen
----------

Through hazed eyes, Duwen observed the scenario before her, focusing mainly on Nyskrte. She felt a strange connection to the Awakened being that stood before her, and slowly, Duwen began to regain herself. Her eyes were puffed, though the gentle touch of Nyskrte’s finger eased the pain that Duwen felt. From the tips of her elegant fingers, the last droplets of blood fled, falling onto the ground. The woman’s hands were colored red, and as she stood, her dress clung to her, dampened by a rain of blood.

Slowly, Duwen reached up, grabbing Nyskrte’s hand, a weak smile creeping across her face. The grip of the woman was surprisingly firm, and in a fluid motion, Duwen bent down, lifting Nyskrte’s gauntlet from the ground. Bit by bit, Duwen began to regain control of her senses. She could feel the strange auras of Yoki fluttering around her, like vultures waiting to pounce, and suddenly, she realized how vulnerable she was. With a start, she curled her left hand as the two men behind her moved forward, their motions somewhat strange.

The two stepped in between Kaiserin and the two awakened beings, brandishing their large swords. With her deep brown eyes, Duwen examined the surroundings, surroundings littered with the corpses of humans, and a look of revulsion crossed her face. Turning, she glanced at Nyskrte, wearing a thankful, but wary smile, and in careful words, she spoke.

“We must talk more.” And maybe finish what we started before… lord knows I could use some enjoyment.

Without waiting for a response, she turned, pulling the other woman along, the hem of her violet dress fluttering in the night wind. Duwen’s hand was gripped around Nyskrte’s smooth wrist as she led the other awakened being on. She fled down the streets of the city, with no destination in mind, the two hulking males following behind, running backwards at a most curious speed. If one was to listen carefully, they may have caught Duwen’s sixth laugh, a laugh laced with relief.

.:Siegfried:.

'...what...what just happened...' were the only thoughts running through his head as he came up to the scene before him. The woman who was previously on the ground grabbed the one dressed in black armor and fled with the two others baring claymores.

"Wait!! Halt!!" Siegfried managed to utter out as he began to persue the four running away. Siegfried began to run after the four getting away. Siegfried released 10% of his yoki as a beacon for other warriors nearby and to boost his speed up. Sword held tightly in his right hand as he dashed down the street.

"Lady Kaiserin! They're getting away!!" this was more to get her attention and bring her back to reality if she is in thought. Siegfried did not stop to speak with Kaiserin as he sped past her in persuit of the other four.

Kaiserin

Kaiserin was relieved to say the least that this situation had seemed to resolve itself. Apart from a few unavoidable casualties everything would be alright. Kaiserin let out a sigh of relief as the two awakened beings walked towards their destination. Kaiserin had thoughts of following them, mainly to make sure nothing else would get out of hand, but those thoughts were interrupted by a vaguely familiar voice that shouted out and called her name.

"What?!" Kaiserin said in alarm, she looked up and saw Siegfried run past her towards to two Awakened Beings.

"Oh God! What's he doing!?" Kaiserin shouted, her mind could not keep up with the situation and before she realized it Siegfried was already ahead of her by a good distance. Kaiserin finally snapped out of her stupor and followed Siegfried with intentions of stopping him.

"How can I make him give up his chase? Nevermind that he couldn't beat either one by himself but if they teamed up we would both be screwed. I can survive, I'm sure of it but he'll likely die if they engage seriously. Ah God--oh God what am I gonna do?!"

The words ran frantically through Kaiserin's mind at this time, they repeated themselves over and over again sometimes in the wrong order. Kaiserin then quickly readied her sword, if anything she would 'accidentally' knock Siegfried out with the blunt side of her blade, but she knew she wasn't exactly strong, and Siegfried wasn't exactly a pushover when it came to taking a hit.

In anycase, Kaiserin mentally prepared herself for a fight.