Here it is, the next chapter. I'll keep this short and sweet, thanks to my friend Daz for all his help and I hope you all enjoy.

EDIT: I realize that I made her name unpronounceable, so I changed it to Enya.

Chapter 5

Riful and Duff were in another room debating what to do with the Claymore. Riful wanted information on what the organization was planning but she didn't want to kill the woman just yet. As the Abyssal thought, the duo heard a loud scream…. One of pain and anguish.

With a quick glance to each other, the awakened beings knew that they had to get back to the room with the claymore, so they sprinted out of the room they were in.

The closer they got to the room, the louder the screams became. When they finally opened the door they were shocked at the scene before them. Enya, the small little timid child was standing before the chained Claymore, her tail blade was making many incisions on the woman's flesh. She had unknowingly unleashed her Spirit Blaze, the act of setting pieces of her soul on fire, and the lacerations were being instantly cauterised by the heat. The poor Claymore was unable to bleed out.

The hellhound stood there, teeth bared in a mix between a grin and a snarl and her ears were constantly twitching, while her body gave off in incredible heat it was nearly enough to keep Riful and Duff away while at the same time causing her red cloak to sway in the heat waves. The silver eyes woman screamed and howled at the agonising pain being subjected to her, sadly her scream's brought nothing but a cruel demented smile to her young tormentor's face.

"I remember you. Yes, yes I definitely do… you were there that night, I can still remember your voice, you were the one who killed my aunt. Now you will suffer as they did. We had done nothing to you! And you and your kind killed them all!" Enya shouted and she wrapped her tail around the claymores arm and squeezed the force so great it easily crushed the Claymores toughened bones like brittle twigs leaving burns on the skin as the tail was white hot. "You people stole my family from me!" Enya was not thinking clearly, she couldn't see Riful nor Duff standing at the door. She only thought of making this woman suffer.

Duff was nearly frightened and disturbed at the sight. He had no idea that the little child he knew was capable of such cruelty. Riful stood silent taking in the scene, not horrified as such but definitely taken aback. She had not yet seen such this side to the pup. Again the hellhound had astounded the Abyssal. Now the question was, should she stop her or let the torture of the Claymore continue…

Riful didn't get the chance to decide as the younger girl raked her claws across the woman's face, ruining one of her eyes, nearly taking the damn thing out of its socket. The Claymore screamed louder and louder and was able to get a few words out also.

"Damn you! Damn you and your Filthy Mongrel people!" The woman's Yoki began to flare abruptly as her features changed and distorted slightly. Something in the room changed as a sudden burst of Yoki energy hit them all sending them back a few steps, she had let her restraint go and unleashed all her Yoki at once. Enya was still seeing red and didn't know the danger she was in, she growled at the new development and her ears were flush against her head. The chains holding the Claymore broke as if they were paper and something larger than the woman that was held up hit the floor.

The arm what Enya had crushed was now a long whip like appendage, the other was also no longer human in appearance though it extended downward from her elbow in a large blade that ended in a point, perfect for spearing enemies. Her body had a number of plates on it for protection against other claymore blades, her face was more beastly then before and so were her legs. They appeared to have been designed for leaps then for speed.

In the rage and confusion of the awakening, the former Claymore took a look around the room and when her eyes locked with Enya's something snapped within her. She charged at the young girl who could only look on in fright. The Hellhound could not sense Yoki as a Claymore did but she was able to 'Feel' something at the moment, a sixth sense if you wanted to call it that, something that told the girl that this thing was more powerful than her.

The new awakened didn't get close to the child as it was restrained by Riful's ribbons. The Abyssal slowly walked closer to Enya and the former Claymore, she then began to examine the awakened even as she struggled against the bonds with all her might.

"Interesting… I had no idea that something like this was even possible. Hmm, I would let you live, but you my dear, are far too weak to be of any use to me." The Abyssal turned to her young charge. "Enya, she is yours to finish, but do it quickly. I do not wish to hold her back any more than necessary."

The Hellhound was still staring at the Former Claymore in shock. She had never seen an awakening before and the whole ordeal had shocked her. Riful called out to her again and snapped her out of her stupor causing the child to look to the Abyssal. She nodded her head in approval and Enya leapt at the newly awakened Claymore, sinking her teeth into its throat and racking her claws across any part she could reach.

Riful saw that it would take the little Hellhound a while to kill the awakened, so she gave a helping hand and used her ribbons to weaken the former Claymore making it easier for the girl. When the awakened was finally dead and gone, Enya was completely exhausted. She had used up too much energy with her Spirit Blaze and the emotional stress of the day, not to mention that she wasn't fully recovered from the attack she had sustained from Duff earlier.

"You did very well, Enya." Riful praised as she patted the Hellhound on the head. Enya straightened her back and left, not looking Riful or Duff in the eye. The Abyssal was worried for the child, she was not acting like herself.

A few days later Riful's concern grew. She hadn't seen the child since the incident, and she was sure that she hadn't eaten anything either. So the Abyssal made her way to Enya's room not even knocking when she entered. The room was in complete disarray, the bed was torn to splinters with large groves torn away from the wood, the solid rock wall was also missing pieces where it was clear Enya's bone tail had sliced area's and her claws tore away pieces.

Sitting atop the reined bed was the culprit of the destruction. Enya was huddled atop the mound of bed pieces, her knees up to her chest while her arms wrapped around them with her tail wrapping around herself. Her hood was up over her ears which were noticeably twitching under the fabric.

"I hate them…" She whispered, "I hate them all. I want them all to die, the ones who destroyed my village, the ones who stole my FAMILY. But I'm too weak. Why am I so weak…?" her hands tightened around her arms while deep in her chest she began to growl.

"You will be able to someday but as you are now, you'd only be killed. Ill make you strong. Strong enough to kill them and get your revenge." Riful comforted as she climbed the mound and brought her arms around the saddened child.

"It isn't revenge I want." Enya responded as she turned her head to look at the Abyssal, it was clear that she had been crying over the last few days. "It's justice."

"Well, then let's get started on your training." Riful smiled as she pulled an apple out of seemingly thin air and handed it to Enya. "Bit first, you need to eat."

It had been months, nearly a year, since Enya had begun her training with Riful. Gone was her carefree and happy-go-lucky attitude, which was now replaced with a more broody and melancholic one. The Abyssal of the West was saddened by this, and thought of a solution, she had decided that all three of them would head into the town. By this time Enya was a few inches taller than Riful and was standing at the top of the balcony, her red cloak was swaying in what little wind there was.

The Abyssal walked straight up to her and wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging her from behind. "We are heading into town today."

"Why?" Was the response. These days, the Awakened was lucky if she even got one answer.

"Because I'm tired of your moping. You used to be happy and childish, and I miss that. You are still a child and you should act like one." Riful chided as she removed her arms and stood next to the Hellhound.

"I don't have time for fun- Ouch" She hadn't even finished her sentence before Riful smacked her on the head.

"We are going, now." The awakened was already striding away, a smile on her face.

Enya looked at the door she has walked through and muttered "That really hurt. Clipped my ears and everything, damn it, now they won't stop ringing." As she rubbed her ears hoping the ringing would stop

The trip to the town was remarkably short. It was a wonder how they didn't know there was a monster that fed on their innards living a few dozen kilometres away. Once they entered the gates, Riful gripped Enya's hand, Duff acted as the 'elder brother' in there cover story. Enya was forced to keep her hood up to avoid people spotting her ears but she had no problem with it.

While Riful was looking through some of the stalls for new dresses, the Hellhound managed to slip away and was left to wander on her own. She made her way to the centre of town where she found a massive statue of two people standing back to back, with wings stretching outwards on one side. She was so engrossed in the statue that she didn't notice the person coming up behind her.

"So you like the statue? Want to know more about it?" An elderly woman asked leaning over her walking stick. Enya nodded in response hoping that the woman wasn't blind also. "Well, it is a statue of the twin goddesses Teresa on the right and Clare on the left. They are celebrated and honoured all across the land, with people bringing offerings to them for a good harvest or for long life… Though at my age one prays for a peaceful end."

"Thank you." Enya told the woman, as she returned her gaze back to the statue. Her tail, which she wrapped around her waist so people wouldn't see it, tightened when she remembered Clare and Teresa. She smiled and hoped that her friends were alright, she was still sad that she had left but was happy that she had met Riful… maybe she was right, maybe she was moping.

"What has you finally smiling?" Speak of the Devil, Riful was suddenly beside her sitting on the stone wall in front of the statue. "I have missed that smile. But I am jealous that it isn't me who did not give you it."

Still smiling Enya turned to her companion "I was thinking about this statue. I knew someone called Clare and Teresa and the statue reminded me of them."

"Oh then I guess this you won't want this." Riful held up a book in her hands. "It's about your people… Hellhounds."

Enya's eyes lit up and her hands instantly moved to take it from her, but the book was moved away from her reach.

"I'd like to think you were taught manners." The abyssal spoke with a teasing voice.

Enya's smile now faded to an unhappy frown, "Please may I have the book…?" It was swiftly placed in her hands and she immediately opened it to see what was inside. It was full of histories and stories that parents would tell their 'pups', of how the 'terrible Hellhounds' would sneak into towns and take bad children to the 'Inferno' to devour them. Enya couldn't help but laugh at how the Humans would misunderstand them.

"So, how much of that is truth?" Riful lent forward to view the page her companion was reading.

"Not much actually. We don't even eat humans. I don't know how you do it Riful, they just taste… bad." Enya laughed. "Where did you find this book?"

Riful stood from the stone wall and turned to Enya. "A person was selling a bunch of trinkets and I saw the cover. Nothing more than that. There is also a special blacksmith in the town, I wonder if he could make, this?" She took a bunch of pages and turned them till Enya was looking at a picture of a warrior with a black sword. She read the passage out loud.

'In times long past when Hellhounds did not have their infamous reputation, they were quite happy coinciding with humans in fact. The Hellhound were also a warrior race, and were one of the most agile and fierce, before the Claymore's. Their ferocity in battle matched only by their loyalty to whom they protected. In battle they wielded a special obsidian sword forged from the bone of their tails, which in itself was a dangerous weapon.

It isn't known how the sword is forged as the smithing method was kept a close guarded secret. But there is rumour of people outside of the 'Pack' were privy to some methods of Hellhound smithing.

The Hellhounds seemed to vanish one day, no one knows where they are, or even if they are still alive. Some say, that on a full moon you can still hear them, crying out to their lunar god.'

"We don't have a 'Lunar god'." Enya spoke in disgust. "Our god is chained to the moon for a crime that he didn't commit."

Riful took the book from her lap and pulled her friend up by the hand "There is a smith here. With a black blade on his wall."

This got the young Hellhounds interest and she allowed herself to he pulled along by Riful to a house near the outskirts of the town, the banner outside read 'Sword and the Stone'. When the door was pushed open a little bell rang signalling to the owner that there were customers. Inside was spacious, the walls were lined with all kinds of weapons and armours and it was much too warm inside for normal humans because of the furnace, but to Enya the heat was pleasant.

Up on the wall, over the front desk was a smaller Katana, as black as night. There was only one thing it could be, a Hellhound blade.

The owner of the shop came out from the back cleaning his hands with a cloth, he was well into his forties with a salt and pepper beard and greying hair. "Hello, and welcome to the Sword and the Stone, finest blade makers in all the land. My name's Jaune and how can I-" He took one look at his two customers. "Um, are you two kids lost?"

"No, we are curious about that blade." Riful pointed to the sword sitting above the desk.

Jaune tilted his head to look at it also. "It was a gift actually. From a very important friend."

"Like me?" Enya pulled her hood back and showed her ears to him and unfurling her tail.

The smith was astounded "I didn't think any of you still existed…" He reached a hand out and Enya growled at him causing him to pull his hand back quickly lest he want a few less fingers.

"Sorry, but I don't trust easy anymore." She told him before asking more kindly. "Where did you get the sword?"

"Oh, Well… One day back in my youth I found a person lying face down in the dirt. I was raised to help anyone that needed it, so I helped him and brought him back to my house. When he came too, I thought he was going to maul me... But he was kind enough once he opened up a little. He was severely injured and nearly lost his right leg and arm, he said he was attacked by a group of Yoma." He reminisced.

"Anyway, he had to stay with me for a few months while he recovered. It should have taken a normal person a lot longer, but he said he was a quick healer. As it turned out he was also a smith, and a damn good one at that, he taught me things and my smithing had never been better. But his own blade was cracked and it didn't take a feather to break it in two, so he taught me how to fix it. Well, I say fix but in the end he had be break it and smith the two pieces into a dagger and a short katana. Once he was all better, he left the blade here saying that I should use it as a symbol that improvement is never out of reach."

"Where's the other blade?" Riful questioned, "You said that you had made two swords from the original."

Jaune reached behind and unsheathed a small black dagger. "Here is the dagger. I keep it on me encase I need to protect myself."

"Can you make a blade from scratch?" Enya questioned "If you had my tail, could you make a blade?"

"I think so. Your tails do grow back, right?" he asked.

The Hellhound nodded and took the dagger, the blade was the same black that she knew from her time in the village and there was no guard on it either. Enya held it in her right hand and took her tail with the left, she put the dagger on one of the connections between the bones and hesitated.

She tried again and had the same reaction… The girl was unable to cut off her tail. "You'd better cut it off. I don't just can't."

"…Why?" The smith asked.

The girl glared at him "It's my tail! It's important to me! How would you like it if I asked you to hack off a leg?"

Jaune took the dagger and, mercifully, cut the tail with precision and speed. Enya was sure that had he not used a Hellhound blade it wouldn't have been such a clean cut.

Once it was off Enya felt… lighter and empty. And promptly lost her balance and fell backwards swinging her arms to try and regain her balance and failing.

"Oh no." She whispered and attempted to get back to her feet. As soon as she straightened her back she fell forward and flailed her arms looking for something to grip to hold herself up but missed the desk by an inch and fell on her face. Gripping the top of the counter she managed to drag herself to her feet and didn't fall over this time. Riful couldn't stop giggling at her friends antics, yes she felt for her friend… but this was too funny.

Finally seeing that Enya was never going to manage on her own, Riful grabbed her arm and let the girl use her as a crutch. "Is it really that bad?"

Enya looked at the Abyssal. "You have never had a tail… It is another limb and it is the thing I use to help me balance. It will take a while to get use to not having a tail anymore."

The smith took measurements to be sure that the blade would be perfect for Enya. He knew the blade length would be standardised but the grip and guard would have to be made for her if she wanted to wield it efficiently.

As they were heading to the door Jaune called out "How will I contact you when the blade is done?"

"You won't." Riful told him, turning and giving him an innocent smile that was anything but. "Will be back for it."

Okay, chapter end. Leave a review (if anyone is actually reading this) if you liked it and if you have any thoughts. I love getting feedback for a story.