The Blade of the North Chapter One

I don't own Frozen or Claymore

Chapter One: A Beautiful Stranger


A warm, summer breeze blew in the town of Landown, carrying with it the scent of wildflowers and baking pastries. And the awful stench of death. 

There was a mutilated corpse that had been found in the alley just this morning, shattering the beautiful summer day. A multitude of large bitemarks pockmarked the body of the victim, and he had been also eviscerated violently. 

"What the hell?" one of the townspeople said in shock. "Who would do such a thing?" 

"This is no murder, this is a Yoma attack!" cried another. The very thought sent a wave of fear throughout the crowd that had gathered around the grisly scene. 

One of the citizens glared at the guards - which have been called over to contain the crime scene -  accusingly, "Why aren't you doing your job? You were hired for a reason!" 

"Perhaps they are Yoma themselves!" a citizen accused. 

A young, redheaded member of the guard took out her short sword. "Don't you dare accuse us of being those monsters!" Anna snapped. The captain took her arm and lowered her blade. He was a goodhearted man, raising her as a father figure when she had joined the guard. 

"Don't rile them up, Anna. A good shepherd tends to his sheep, and is willing lay his life down for the sheep." 

Reluctantly, Anna nodded her head and sheathed her blade. She had despised Yoma ever since that day. Anna was just a little girl growing up in the city of Arendelle when her childhood was shattered forever thirteen years ago. That night the Yoma attacked her city... It was a distant memory, but she would never forget watching her parents and her sister as they were slaughtered by those creatures. 

"Fine..." she said, her tone slightly bitter from remembering the death of her family. 

The Captain patted her shoulder and faced the mob. "Go back to your homes citizens! We'll take care of this wretched Yoma!"  

Just as everyone was about to leave, Anna noticed someone approaching the town from the northern entrance. She couldn't make out the stranger from the distance, but she could tell whoever it may be was a woman. As she walked closer, Anna noticed there was something attached to the woman's back. 

A massive greatsword. 

"Claymore..." Anna whispered. Her voice, as if carried by the wind, garnered everyone's attention the instant they heard her. They all focus on the warrior that approached the crowd, staring in shock. 

The Claymore was strikingly beautiful with a tall, slender figure, long platinum blonde hair tied in a braid, pale skin, and of course, the iconic silver eyes. Her footsteps echoed in the streets as she came closer and closer. Anna couldn't explain it, but a little voice in her head told her that there was something familiar about this Claymore. 

It was as if she knew her before. 

"What's a silver-eyed witch doing here?" one of her fellow guards muttered, "We're the guard of Landown, not them! It's our job to kill the Yoma!" 

The warrior heard him and gave him a passing glance. She was expressionless, but the sheer coldness in her silver eyes quickly shuts him up. She then gave every one of the guards the same glance in warning, and the guards shrunk in kind. However, when she briefly locked eyes with Anna for just one second, the illusion of frigid professionalism was shattered in her eyes before quickly reappearing. 

The voice in Anna's head whispered to her again. There was an uncanny resemblance of the Claymore to her older sister, Elsa. But no, she saw her sister die from the monster. There's no way the Claymore could be her sister! 

Before Anna coud say anything, the warrior averted her gaze and gazed at the townspeople. "You are all lucky that I happened to be passing by," she said in an aloof tone, "But it seems to me that the Yoma that I had sensed in this village had gone into hiding. Of course I won't leave the town until it is dead, but I do expect a payment once the job is complete." 

The Captain crossed his arms. "But we didn't hire for - " 

"None of you have the strength to kill this monster. And as I said earlier, a payment is to be expected for this service. A man in black will come to get the money, so make sure you give it to him. Any questions?" 

No one spoke up, even Anna. Satisfied, the Warrior left it at that and  started her patrol. 


***


A Few Hours Later


The sky was dark as a powerful summer thunderstorm brewed in the late afternoon over Landown. But not all have taken shelter under a roof. 

Anna looked at the three gravemarkers she had placed a little away from the main graveyard of Landown. Although the bodies of her family were never found, Anna had carved the names of her parents and her sister on the rocks that she had used as a tombstone. A tear made its way down her cheek as she remembered. 

"Hello Mom... Hello Dad..." she said to the two twin stones that were marked with her Parents' names.

The redhead turned to the smaller stone, and a flurry of emotions hit her. More tears streamed down her cheeks. "Hello Elsa..." She was so close to her older sister, always playing together when they were children. But when that horrid night came, everything shattered like glass as the horde of Yoma massacred Arendelle. 

Including her family and her sister. 

But the Claymore that had visited had such an uncanny resemblance - even though she was older - to her late sister, Anna couldn't help but ponder one question. What if Elsa did survive? 

"What are you doing out here?" a familiar voice said behind her. 

Anna turned around immediately, sword drawn. To her surprise, it was her Captain. He had a pained expression on his face, as if he just ate something bad. "You know you're not safe alone with a Yoma on the prowl..." 

The redhead sheathed her sword and stood up. "I'm just remembering old times..." Anna sighed. She tilted her head when she saw that the Captain was trembling. "What's the matter, sir?" 

Immediately the hair on the back of her neck stood up. The Captain doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Anna run! Get the -" his head jerked up. Anna stared in horror, for the Captain's eyes were glowed a sick yellow color. "Silver-eyed witch!" 

The Captain's armor ripped off of him as his body transformed. Bulging muscles pulsed under greyish skin, and the Captain's stature grew to nearly eleven feet as he finished his transformation. Anna backed away, almost tripping over the gravestones of her family. Her Captain, the man who had raised her as a soldier, was the Yoma that had hid in her village. 

With a trembling hand, Anna took out her blade. The demon glared at her, his yellow eyes sending a wave of fear through her. Disturbingly, there were tears streaming down the monster's face.

"Don't be afraid Anna," the monster said in the Captain's voice. His head twitched and he growled demonically. "You'll be my last meal before I die..." 

Before Anna could even react, the Yoma struck her hard. He kicked her backwards, knocking the wind out of her lungs and sending her flying towards a tree. Time seemed to slow, Anna shuts her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable impact. Suddenly, a pair of arms caught her in midair, preventing her from hitting the tree at full force.

Anna looked up into the silver eyes of her savior. "Stay here," the Claymore ordered sternly as she placed her down on the ground. Quicker than lightning, the warrior unsheathed her massive sword with her left hand. 

The redhead's theory of the Claymore being her sister just became closer to the truth. She had remembered that her sister was left-handed. Is it just a coincidence? She watched, mesmerized as the Warrior and the Demon stared each other down. 

Their fight was already decided before it even begun. 

The Yoma suddenly roared and charged at them like a raging bull. But the Claymore was ready. She pushed off the ground, somersaulting in the air gracefully as she met. The sickening crack of bone breaking and flesh tearing followed as the sword carved the demon vertically in half like a hot knife through butter. 

Having slain her quarry, the Claymore wiped her blade clean of the purple blood. She turned to Anna, who was still somewhat shell-shocked. "Are you okay?" she asked. 

It took a few seconds for Anna to respond. "Y-yeah, I'm just shocked that the Captain was the Yoma..." she stuttered. The redhead stood up, wincing from the throbbing pain in her chest. Her ribs were thankfully not broken, but the bruise she sustained was still quite painful. 

"Don't be. The most sinister Yoma take the form of loved ones and trusted friends," the Claymore sighed. She sheathed her blade and turned away from Anna. "Now I suggest you go back to town and tell them the demon has been slaughtered." 

She was about to walk away when Anna called out for her. "Hey wait!" 

The Claymore paused and glanced at her. "Yes?" 

"Thank you for saving me..." Anna said as she ran up behind her. Her savior merely acknowledged her with a nod of her head.

An awkward moment of silence followed. The Claymore cleared her throat as she started walking off. "Now excuse me, I ha-"

"Don't leave yet Elsa!" Anna suddenly blurted. 

The Claymore suddenly tensed. "What did you call me?" she said turning back to face her. Anna backed away, averting her gaze from those eerie silver eyes. Although a part of her desired to know whether this stranger was her sister all grown-up, but after seeing the cold and brutal efficiency she fights with, Anna wasn't so sure anymore. 

"I-I'm sorry it's just that you reminded me of my sister! So uhh, if you're kind enough to tell me your name it would clear up any confusion!" Anna laughed, trying to dispense with the awkwardness between them. 

But still, the warrior refused to face her. "There's no point in telling you... It's a name that's soon to be forgotten..." she whispered. 

Just before Anna could ask what she means by that, the warrior left in a blink of an eye.