Unbalanced

Unbalanced

-A Claymore Fanfiction -

Chapter 1 – Lucky Encounter

The northern lands of Alphonse

„I still find it hard to believe, that a bunch of awakened beings are supposedly working together. This sounds like a bad joke, if you ask me."

Helen and Deneve were making their way towards Pieta. It had been two days since they met up in a small town a little further south. Two days Helen had used to inform everyone who would listen, that a trip to Pieta was probably wasted time. Deneve, being the only one around, had heard the same tirade very often.

"We go where we are sent. It does not matter what awaits us." Deneve prided herself on the fact, that not even a fraction of the irritation she felt at her companion leaked through her voice as she said the same thing she had the last 20 times.

Helen sighed in boredom. "I wish something interesting would happen already; walking around for weeks on end sucks!"

A smile hushed over Deneve's features for a fleeting moment. For all her annoying tendencies, being near Helen when she was bored was always …interesting. Of course, Helen alone could only do so much, what she needed was a 'partner'.

No sooner had they rounded the next bend in the path they were walking on, when a potential 'partner' came into view. Maybe 50 meters further along a young human male was walking by himself.

Something about the figure tickled her brain, but Deneve ignored it in favour of glancing at Helen. Her friend's eyes were gleaming fiercely and for a moment Deneve pitied the poor soul walking I front of them. Then again, it was a human, and none of them was deserving of sympathy.

Quickening their stride they ate up the distance quickly and the human turned at the sound of their armoured feet hitting the ground. By now his bloody and torn clothing, not nearly enough to keep a human warm this far north was easy to see.

Some of the cuts, the tatters he wore could not hide, were still healing. Wherever he had gotten them, it must have been 1 or 2 weeks ago.

Her right hand gripped her claymore tightly on instinct. The wounds may have looked like they were inflicted by a normal sword, but she had not stayed alive this long by being incautious.

'What am I missing?' Deneve wondered once again, while Helen bent down and got right into the frozen boys face, whose eyes were opened wide. Understandable, since very few people were this close to a half-human half-youma in their lives.

"Hey darling! What's a cute lil boy like you doing all alone in this cold forest? Waiting for a babe to come by and sweep you off your feet?" Helen's words were spoken in a seductive whisper that usually left her victims shaking with a mixture of fear and arousal.

Instead of fear or embarrassment, the fire of recognition shone in his eyes and the next moment Helen found herself unexpectedly caught in a hug from the human. "Thank God I met you!" he whispered and drew his arms around Helen tighter still.

"Hey hey, wait a moment buster!" Helen exclaimed, clearly trying hard to come to terms with this unexpected turn of events. "This is no way to treat a lady you just met! Let's get a room at least"

Finally realizing what he was doing, the youth sprung back like burned. "Sorry about that; I'm just so glad I met you like this!"

"Why are you glad to meet us? Humans fear our kind. It is illogical for you to seek us out willingly, unless you need a youma slain?"

"Oh… right. Guess for you guys I'm just another human, easy to forget. ", The boy rubbed his head nervously. "We met a few months back, when Claire brought me along to your meeting before you went hunting that Voracious Eater."

A light bulb lit up over Helen's head. "Ahh, now I remember: Claire's boytoy. Let me guess, she threw you away when you couldn't keep up with her appetite, eh?"

Several emotions flittered over his face too fast to follow, before his expression settled into forced calmness. "Claire didn't throw me away! We got separated because another Claymore was trying to kill her. She said she would win and find me again."

Naturally Helen snorted. "Warriors are not allowed to kill each other. I'll stay with my theory."

"Can you describe the warrior she was fighting?" Deneve asked, deciding to give the boy the benefit of the doubt.

In response, he drew his sword and carved a symbol into the hard packed soil.

"That was her symbol. You use these to identify each other, right?"

Deneve nodded numbly while Deneve inclined her head slightly. 'Ophelia' They thought simultaneously 'Miria warned us about her.'

"With that warrior, a fight is possible. Still, you were separated. What concern is that of ours?"

"I trust Claire, but you guys know a way to contact other warriors, right? I wanted to ask you how that works so I could get to her myself." The youth was almost giddy from the thought.

"You are mistaken. A warrior goes were she is told to go. While the organization has the means to contact and track each of us, we cannot find each other as easily. Usually we only meet by chance or when gathering for a big hunt."

"Oh…." The boy slumped , only to straighten up again. "..Then, are you guys on a way to some kind of hunt? Maybe I can…."

"No." Deneve said with conviction. "You will slow us down unnecessarily."

The boy gaped liked a fish.

"Good luck, finding our comrade."

With these parting words she left him standing in the middle of the forest, Helen quickly hurrying to her side.

"Don't you think that was a bit harsh?"

"Claire has come across Number 4 and they were fighting." Deneve swallowed the lump in her throat. "While her fighting potential is several times higher then her rank suggests, she does not stand a chance against a single digit. That boy is better of thinking she will come back instead of learning the truth."

Both of them knew what that statement implied and the spent a few moments in respectable silence.

"SHIT!" Helen rubbed her eyes furiously, the sleeves of her uniform coming away wet.

Deneve did not comment. 'Tears shed for a companion are no shame.'

She did not bother to wipe away the stray tears that escaped her own eyes.

Further back on the dirt road Raki was finally getting his brain back in working order, which had crashed after Deneve's harsh refusal.

Seeing the Claymore's figures already vanishing in the distance he forced his legs to a brisk pace.

They had refused to take him along, but that did not mean he could not follow.

A slight smile quirked his lips, when he remembered that he had been in a similar situation with Claire before. Back then, he had collapsed and Claire had come back to safe him.

Still, it was not the same. Back then, the desert hat been scorching hot and he was not used to travelling long distances by foot. Now, it was merely cold, which was unpleasant but not deadly if he managed to warm up on a fire soon, and travelling with Claire he had learned to keep up a good pace.

'I will stick to them like a leech, whether they want it or not!'

That mental exclamation was quickly followed by a wince, when one of his healing wounds protested the pace the Claymores were setting for him.

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4 days later

"He's still behind us. What the hell does he want to accomplish with this?"

"I assume he wants to follow us all the way to our destination in hopes of finding Claire there….He is a desperate man grasping at straws." As if to underline her words, Deneve picked up the pace, which was already brutally fast for a human, some more.

If Helen noticed, she did not comment on it and merely kept pace.

They walked in silence for nearly an hour, until a muted thump drew their attention. Looking back the way they came revealed the human lying in the middle of the path, his strength having obviously failed him.

"He collapsed. What are we supposed to do now?"

"If he dies, it will not be our fault. The organization should not have a problem with us leaving him here." Deneve said, intentionally not answering Helen's question, because her own feelings were ambivalent.

"No,no,no, not gonna happen.", Helen shook her head decisively "I don't know about you, but even if there is only a small chance that Claire made it, I sure as hell don't want to explain to her why we left her boy toy passed out in the wilderness."

Deneve looked unconvinced, but a part of her was relieved that Helen had taken the decision out of her hands.

"Seriously, you need to loosen up Deneve." Helen rolled her eyes "I'm not asking you to marry him. All we have to do is walk slower than usual and maybe get him something to eat. In return I can have some fun at his expense."

Heaving a resigned sigh, Deneve gestured to the fallen human. "Have it your way. Just know that it will be your responsibility to take care of him."

"Yay, this is gonna be fun!"

A smirk stretching from one ear to the other Helen quickly ran up to the prone boy and nudged him with her foot." You still alive?"

With no reaction forthcoming she nudged him a little harder. Seeing how that did not produce any results, she kneeled and rolled him over.

He was ice cold to the touch.

"He's suffering from hypothermia. How are we supposed to get him warm?"

Helen's question was intended for her own ears, but Deneve had gotten the gist of it when she came near. "We have no means to keep him warm. If you want him to survive, you need to get back to the last village and get some thick clothing for him."

Helen nodded in understanding. As half-youma they could regulate their body-temperature and did not carry coats or blankets as a result. "Even if I go at full speed it will take 6 hours to get there and come back. Will he survive that long?"

"Do not worry, I will stay with him."

Taking Deneve's reassurance as her cue to leave, Helen ran back the way they came.

Once she was out of sight, the remaining warrior looked down at the boy and frowned. "You are already making trouble for me." She grumbled and picked the slight boy up effortlessly.

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The first thing Raki became aware of was the warmth. After 4 days of being outside in thin and torn clothes while the temperatures were slowly but surely sinking to subzero it was like a slice of heaven. Trying to get more than just a slice, he tried to snuggle even closer to the source of heat at his back.

"Are you awake?"

The words were spoken calmly but intruded upon his psyche nonetheless. He did not want to keep Claire waiting and forced himself awake. Once he blinked his eyes open, several important facts filtered into his mind.

He was sitting in someone's lap, leaning back against them and their arms were wrapped loosely around his midriff. A white cloak covered him from the freezing winds and helped to keep their combined body heat contained.

'The last thing I remember is this terrible cold. What happened? Claire isn't…?...Who?' Trying to find an answer to at least one question he twisted his head.

Exotic silver eyes watched him, not 20 centimetres from his own. "Welcome back to the living."

Finally, he realized their close proximity and for an instant he thought about bolting, but then the bone deep weariness he had felt before passing out caught up to him and he leaned his head back, letting it rest against her shoulder.

"Can you tell me your name again?" he asked, the heat from her body helping to ease any anxiety he may have had.

"I am called Deneve. My comrade is called Helen." The shorthaired woman answered in a clipped tone that stood in contrast to their proximity. "And what may I call you? Or is 'Claire's boy toy' your official name?"

Raki chuckled slightly at the jibe. "I'm Raki."

Introduction over, the two of them fell silent. Sharing body heat with a person he barely knew in the middle of nowhere, Raki could not remember a time when he felt more comfortable.

"Hey Deneve." Raki said after a few minutes, his voice heavy. "Thanks for saving me" Moments later he was asleep once again.

Deneve was left staring at the side of his head, wondering why these simple words made her feel so good. Had not dozens of villagers thanked her for saving them from a youma? Their thanks had not mattered in the slightest. So why was this different?

'Because his Thanks are genuine' She realized and hugged the sleeping boy tighter, a smile tugging at her lips, the irritation she had felt ever since she had shared her body heat with this stranger forgotten for the moment.

A few minutes later she joined him in Morpheus' lands

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An hour after Helen's return all three of them were sitting around a middle sized campfire. Helen had returned to find both Raki and Deneve still sleeping. Surprisingly she had not said anything on the matter and merely woke them up.

Once that was done Raki was quick to put on the clothes she had brought him, thanking them profusely.

Afterwards it was a matter of minutes before the boy had started a fire, obviously well versed in doing so.

Once he had fished building the heat, Raki sat down to warm up.

Deneve, judging it prudent to get several things out in the open sooner, rather then later, gestured to the heap of torn clothing Raki had been wearing.

"How did your clothes end up in such a pitiful state?"

Raki startled slightly, obviously having been lost in thought. "That Claymore Clare was fighting." He paused a moment. "What is her name anyway? I know you guys don't like being called that."

"Her name is Ophelia." Deneve supplied.

"Ophelia…" The boy said, testing the name on his tongue. "She was playing with us. With Claire and me, I mean. We were supposed to meet up with her for a hunt, but she turned on us. 'If I kill both of you, no one will be there to tell on me' she said… After hacking off Claire's legs", He paused, obviously having trouble stomaching that particular memory "she played with me, sliced me up like I was some kind of toy. That's why my clothes look like that."

After that, he fell silent and Helen started tapping her foot. Exactly 15.4 seconds later her patience ran out. "So, what happened afterwards? Don't leave us hanging like that. How come you're still alive?"

Helen loved a good story and hated to be left hanging. Deneve would have chuckled at her typical reaction, but had to admit that Raki being alive after crossing blades with a Claymore that intended to kill was a miracle, even if she had only been playing.

Once again startled by Helen's outburst Raki took a deep breath and told them about the appearance of the Awakened, the subsequent flight and their parting, while having the good sense to omit the 'personal' moment he had shared with Claire.

Deneve leaned back against her sword, trying to think of a way Claire could have survived in a situation like that.

She came up empty.

"You realize, that Claire did not stand a chance of winning against number 4, don't you?" Raki gave a miniscule nod that Deneve barely caught, and she decided to forge ahead. "Then you understand that she is most likely dead."

It was a statement, not a question.

Raki stood up abruptly, taking a single angry step in her direction.

"Don't talk about her like that!" he shouted. "Claire will find a way. I refuse to believe anything else unless I see her dead body! She promised to find me again. There's no way she would die in a fight!"

Deneve marvelled at the boy, not intimidated in the slightest, but impressed. It was obvious he knew, on an intellectual level, that Claire's chances of survival were zero, but he still had faith she would pull through.

The effect of Raki's rant was ruined a moment later when his stomach rumbled to protest it's empty state, causing Helen to chuckle.

"I think I'm starting to understand why Claire kept you around." She said, while standing up. "I'll catch some deer. Don't want our entertainment starving, after all."

While Helen vanished into the woods, Deneve considered their newest travelling-companion.

Even with his outburst, it was clear that worry was gnawing at him and with good reason.

"You have fought a Claymore and met an awakened being" she said, without meaning to. "To survive through that, you are extraordinarily lucky. Maybe that luck will hold out and you can meet Claire again."

It was a false hope, Deneve suspected, but when Raki gave her a grateful look and whispered a "Thanks", Deneve knew telling him was the right thing to do.

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"Why do you want to learn how to fight?" Helen asked curiously after watching Raki swing his sword for 10 minutes.

The boy whirled around in surprise, a blush gracing his features. He had left their camp to practice, too embarrassed to do so in front of two professionals. He knew that his bumbling attempts at swordplay must have looked laughable to a Claymore.

"I just want to learn how to defend myself. I don't want to be a burden to Claire, she shouldn't have to watch out for me all the time."

Helen considered the boy silently. His answer was surprisingly sensible and realistic. He had not spouted any rubbish about protecting Claire or some such. Still…

"That's all nice and good, but what do you want to accomplish swinging around that toothpick of yours?"

"I know I don't have a clue about fighting, you don't have to rub my face in it, you know?"

"I was not talking about that. I was talking about your sword. If you hang around with a Claymore the only thing you have to fear is a youma. Do you really think your toothpick will help you against one of them?"

Raki looked at her wide eyed? "A youma? I only wanted to defend myself from animals or bandits…there is no way I can fight a youma!"

Helen snorted. "What you want hardly matters to a youma."

Raki grit his teeth. "Fine, you're right. But what do you expect me to do?"

In response, Helen drew her Claymore and threw it to the ground. "Learn to fight with this."

Raki shifted his gaze between the oversized sword and its wielder several times, trying to discern if she was joking.

She was not.

"I can't do that. A sword like yours is too big for me, even I know that!" he shouted.

"From the way you were dogging our heels these past 4 days, I would have thought you had more guts than this." Helen said condescendingly "Seems like you're just another whiny brat instead."

Raki's anger flared for a moment, but he reigned himself in. He would show her whiny, even if this whole endeavour was ridiculous. "Fine, you want me to learn with a bigger sword, I will!"

Stepping up to the huge sword Raki kneeled down and gripped the handle tightly. Pushing upwards with all his might he strained against the immense weight of the blade, but the tip only barely left the ground.

After half a minute of trying he gave up, and the sword landed back on the ground with a soft thump. His arms and his back were already complaining from his efforts and he realized once again how big the gulf that existed between a Claymore and a human was, if they could walk around with that much weight so effortlessly.

Dropping to the ground he sighed resignedly. "Sorry, but I can't even lift that."

Expecting another rude remark from Helen, he was surprised when she bent down and flashed him a bright smile. "I knew that. For now, all you have to do is trying to lift it. While technique is very important when fighting, building up solid strength is very important as well. And believe me, once you can lift this, a human Claymore should not be any problem for you at all."

Standing back upright Helen flashed him another smile, this one a little mischievous, and ruffled his hair. "I'll leave you alone now, but don't overdo it." With these parting words Helen vanished between the thin line trees, which separated the small clearing he was practicing in from their camp...if it could be called that.

Drawing the coat Helen had bought for him a little tighter around his form, Raki regarded the Claymore thoughtfully. 'I don't really understand' He thought, his hands closing around the handle once again. 'But I have a feeling I can trust you, Helen.'

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3 weeks later

Deneve made her way back to their current campsite in a bad mood. Raki had been travelling with them the entire time and as a result they had lost 2 or 3 days worth of travel time. This did not overly bother Deneve, though, because her handler had made it clear that some warriors came from even further south and would most likely arrive 1 week after her.

They had plenty of time.

No, her bad mood stemmed from the fact, that this far north, with only 3 or 4 days to go until they reached Pieta, the wildlife became rather sparse and hidden. While that had been true the previous days as well, nature had seemed to conspire against her this time around and it had taken her the better part of 2 hours to hunt down a small family of mammals whereas such an endeavour took a mere 20 minutes normally.

Once she neared their campsite the faint sound of steel clashing with steel reached her ears.

Normally a cause for alarm, the routine they had established let her know that it was only Raki practicing with Helen.

Nonetheless she sped up. It would not do for Raki to be all tired out when she came back.

The moment she stepped into the clearing, Helen's eyes were upon her.

"Finally. I thought I was going to starve over here. What took you so long?" She asked in an overdramatic fashion while casually blocking one of Raki's strikes.

One week back, Helen had decided it was time for Raki to get his own sword and promptly bought him one from local blacksmith. The blade, a human Broadsword, was as long as their Claymores, but only two thirds as thick and broad.

Deneve did not know a lot about human swords, but she figured Raki's new weapon was probably the largest thing a fully grown human male could wield proficiently. As such, even though it was by far lighter then her own Claymore; it was still far too heavy for Raki.

Because of this, it was all Raki could do to swing the sword without stumbling or falling, much less use any kind of technique or fighting style.

Forcing her thoughts back to the present, Deneve let the 3 gophers she had caught fall to the ground. "I caught them, you prepare them." She said without acknowledging Helen's question.

Grateful for the break, Raki lowered his sword and gestured to the small mammals. "I'm….huff…supposed to be your cook...huff…Shouldn't that be my part?"

"No!" the forceful answer both Claymores directed at him stunned Raki for a moment.

"But ….this is the only thing I can do. You bought clothes for me and a new sword…if I can't even cook for you; I'm not doing anything useful!"

"It is not important. Your swordplay on the other hand, needs all the work it can get." Deneve retorted. "Helen, please get to work, I'll take over."

"Guess I don't have another choice, if I want to eat something today, right?"

Deneve gave a clipped nod and Helen sighed. "The things I do for a decent meal" she said with a theatrical tone and sheathed her sword, instead pulling out a small dagger to work on their meal.

Stepping up to Raki, Deneve drew her blade. "Stop daydreaming and come at me."

The boy, obviously peeved that he could not do the one thing he perceived as useful, brought the sword down in a strong arch, almost like he had not trained the past two hours.

'Remarkable, even dead on his feet, he can still swing with his full power.'

Understandably this burst of power was short lived and soon his strikes became slow and sluggish. Still, slow as they were, the improvement was clear when compared to their first session almost a week ago. Soon, she once again lost herself in the simple pleasure of teaching.

For her, that was worth far more, than a well prepared meal.

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Author's notes:

Yes, I'm back, but don't get your hopes.
While writing is actually fun at the moment and I have a bunch of chapters already finished, I don't make any promises to finishing, because I saw how that turned out last time.

Nonetheless I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had with writing and hope you leave some constructive comments.

Mastermage