Eight Years Ago, the Claymore Mansion, Magocracy of Augurey
"Oh, the prince has been kidnapped!" Schala declared, a cloak wrapped around her. She held up a sword and brandished it in front of her face.
"Then we must save him, for we are Magic Knights of Rothegal! It all falls to us!" Remilia jumped up and announced proudly, her hands glowing like bright-hot miniature suns.
The moon above showered them in ominous golden light while the skies assumed a putrid, sickly green. They stood atop a ruined castle surrounded by thrashing walls of water.
The girls stood in a ring of fire that lapped at them like hot tongues. In front of them was a grand black dragon who glared down at the twins through sharp emerald green eyes.
The dragon lurched its head, making the girls cringe. Remilia stood her ground while Schala readied her sword.
"Just follow my lead, sis!" Remilia informed.
"What about our plan?" Schala asked, looking inquisitively at the readied ten-year-old.
"We need something more proactive! We don't want to bore it into submission!"
The dragon did not await their delegation; it belched a crimson fireball at the two, and the sisters yelped in fear.
"Clypeus!" Remilia shouted. A disk-shaped shield charmed itself into existence and guarded the two, blocking the beast's fire.
The dragon unleashed another plume of turbulent flame, swathing around them like a vicious storm, but Remilia kept the shield up.
"Clypeus!" Schala incanted to join her sister, the shield spell blasting forth from her sword. It contained the fire into a white orb, the flame thrashing about to get free.
The dragon's eyes widened. Schala whipped the orb at the beast while Remilia swirled her still-glowing hands like a maestro.
"Repousser!" Remilia cried as a blast of pure concussive force accompanied the orb. The dragon howled with pain, and electricity arched all over its stone-like skin.
Even with the pain they caused, the twins' enemy still loomed over them, roaring with intense ferocity.
"This beast doesn't know when to quit!" Remilia remarked.
"We'd be out of this if you had followed my plan!"
Remilia fretted. "I'm sorry, sis, but Magic Knights are a lot more stylish than that!" She put on a faux weeping face, earning herself an eye-roll from her sister.
The dragon lunged for them, but the twins leaped away. Landing on a broken pillar, the twins prepped an incantation, but the dragon swung its mighty tail and knocked them to the ground.
Schala stood first and raised her free hand. She incanted, "Laissez Le Sol Terra!"
The ground beneath the dragon created a massive fissure that engulfed its footing. It howled with an unearthly intensity as it disappeared into the murky depths of the waters below.
Remilia stood beside Schala and looked down. "Wow. That worked."
"It would've worked a lot sooner if you weren't trying to show off."
Remilia sighed hard. "I'm sorry, sis. But we beat him, right?"
"Remi, we need to work together. The time's gonna come when our lives will depend on this," Schala noted as she took out a notebook. She snapped her fingers, and a quill appeared in her grasp.
Schala's voice echoed over the available sound in their surroundings while she wrote in the tome. Rousing music played, crescendoing when she spoke.
"And so, it came to pass that we, the sisters of Claymore, did lay siege to the dread dragon Malini. For a moment, it did seem that the power of Malinq was greater than our Arcana could defeat. We bat nary an eyelash as the foul beast struck--"
"Schala! Remilia!" their mother overrode Schala's voice, shattering her concentration. The skies warped and morphed from its sickly green to a clear blue sky.
Juliana appeared behind her daughters in a burst of sun-kissed light, her arms folded, her face as stern as steel. She glared at the twins and rubbed a sack-shaped lump in her belly.
"I've been calling you for nearly forty minutes now, Schala! You two are late for school; you'll jeopardize Remilia's exams to play Magic Knights?"
"Mom, you know time stops when we use the Arcana Abattoir. We just started--"
"So, you heard me calling for you two, and you chose to ignore me."
Juliana's hand drew back with the snap of a whip. Schala flinched, but Remilia stepped in front of her at the last moment, and she yelped from the impact.
The world around them cracked like glass and shattered in response. The ruined castle crumbled, and the magic veil tore itself from top to bottom. What was left was the twins' shared room, slightly tossed about with parchment pages scattered across the floor.
Juliana knelt to the ground and tried to assuage Remilia's cheek. "Oh gods, Remilia, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!"
"What difference does it make, mom?" Remilia said, her face red, her eyes filling with tears. "We look the same, so you got what you wanted."
Schala's eyes welled up, and she left the room, determined to walk to school alone. It would be the first time she did so without Remilia. It was also the first sign of the rift between them.
"You don't need to defend me, Remi. She's hit me enough; I'm used to it," Schala reminded herself.
"Schala, wait!" Remilia cried out, but Schala was already gone.
"One day, you'll see things how I do, Schala," Juliana said as she massaged Remilia's raw, warm cheek.
"I don't see how I could, Mother. She's just as good as I am," Remilia said to her.
The Golden Eel, Present Day, Augurey
A frequent haunt of several Sanction-sponsored Magi and students of the local magic academy, the Golden Eel buzzed with activity even more than ever. The premiere witch of the Claymore family had become a member of the Arcana Sanction, something highly anticipated by the people of Augurey.
Schala sat in a small booth in the restaurant, idly pouring herself some coffee while she thumbed through a novel. She mellowed out; she only had an hour or so before she had to return home and prepare for the Samhain Celebration.
She twirled a finger through her violet hair and ran a finger across a braided section on the left side of her head. A witch's hair acted as a medium to their Arcana, and if it was unclean or worse, shaved, their connection to nature was weaker.
Thoughts of her younger sister pervaded her mind. Schala readjusted herself and tried to focus, but Casella was on her mind. She wondered if she had her walking cane or if any of their attendants cared for her correctly.
"Schala, can we play Magic Knights?" she imagined her saying. Casella would always ask, but they could not. The best Schala could do for her was read about the adventures she had with Remilia in their Arcana Abattoir.
The Arcana Abattoir was a place of peace for a witch. With enough knowledge, focus, and Ahshae, a witch could craft a pocket dimension where time bore no consequence. The only caveat is that only Magi with significant amounts of Ahshae could enter an Abattoir.
If someone, like a human or a being without enough Ahshae, were to enter an Abattoir, the sheer pressure from the pocket dimension would instantly crush them.
It hurt Schala's heart whenever Casella tugged at her dress, wanting to see the Abattoir her sisters had so much fun within. She wanted an escape too. She wanted to share something with her big sisters.
Even thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.
Casella was born without Ahshae, and as a result, she wasn't classified as a witch by the Arcana Sanction. The term they used was synonymous with "sickness," "the damaged," and "the affected" in Augurey.
Casella was called an Adder. People who couldn't function in regular society, let alone Magus society. Her parents doted on her slightly more than Remilia, made sure that she had attendants keeping her safe whenever Schala was not there.
It was almost a blow to her confidence when Marius told her that she'd be her sister's keeper, a vow that she couldn't break. The keeper vow linked a member of a family intrinsically to another, and no matter what, the protector would need to drop everything to tend to whom they kept.
A job she didn't ask for but did so for the sake of her sister. And now, with this illness spoken on everyone's lips, her link was triggered more than ever before.
Schala wiped her face and drank her coffee, the sugar, milk, and sweet aroma of the brew curling her lips into a soft smile.
"And with a light orb spell, Remilia pushed her sister away!" A nearby conversation caught her ear. Schala gave an exasperated sigh and tried to ignore it.
"Schala kept her sister on her toes, but Remilia refused to admit defeat. Schala kept chasing after her! She was outraged after being hit, so she jumped at Remilia like an angry dog!"
Schala turned to see who could not keep their mouth shut. It was a schoolmate named Phillipe Cornish, a young man known more for his tongue flapping than his prowess as a witch.
"I thought Schala was good, but she's so bad at shields! She got knocked around so many times!"
Schala let loose another sharp sigh. She pondered if she should immolate his cloak to shut him up.
The sound of clapping caught her attention; Remilia had arrived, and people crowded her like bees in a hive. Remilia waded her way through the sea of raging questions and praises, pressing her way towards the restaurant owner.
"Hey! Have you seen my sister?"
The restaurant owner, a man shorter than Remilia with a small head of hair and a lined face, smiled at the witch. "Mm-hm. She's right over there."
The owner pointed in Schala's direction; Remilia looked and saw Schala pouring more coffee into her stein.
"That's her fifth coffee pot," the owner informed.
"She must be gearing up for an all-nighter. Thank you!" Remilia waved and left, hurrying to avoid the crowd of fans.
The twins sat together, and the fans kept their distance; Remilia smiled and reached for Schala's hand while the latter drew it back sharply and sifted through her book.
"Been here long, Schal?"
"Nope. You're always late," Schala responded.
"I was busy. Uncle Ogoke told me a lot of things--"
"I'm sure he did," Schala interjected.
"--that I wasn't quite prepared to hear," Remilia finished. Her face stiffened a bit, and she clasped her fingers.
Schala's gloves were off; her black-painted nails and tattoo were visible, and the latter glowed a muted red. Remilia's own bore the same effect. Schala rubbed the back of her hands and felt the dull, scarred skin she always covered. The gentle touch she applied made her twitch, afflicted by a phantom pain.
"These damn hands…" Schala thought.
Remilia took a deep sniff and sighed in soft delight. "The coffee smells marvelous. Is it--"
"Pumpkin spice," Schala answered. She motioned to a small can with a narrow spout. "Got some whipped cream too."
Remilia clapped excitedly. "Please tell me you got some--"
Schala slid an empty stein and a small bowl with shavings of dark powder in it.
"Oh my gods, yes! It's been so long since I had a good cup with whipped cream and cinnamon shavings!" Remilia wasted no time filling her cup, spraying a small spire of cream on top, and scooping cinnamon all over it. She took a deep sip, painting her lips and nose white.
Schala snorted a laugh at her sister while Remilia looked at her face in a reflection. The twins shared a contained chuckle.
The restaurant owner brought over a tray of freshly-prepared dishes. "Fresh out of the oven, Claymore sisters! On the house!" He passed out plates of fried rice, dumplings, and noodle soup."
"Ohh, southern cooking!" Remilia exclaimed.
"Thanks," Schala said as she took a plate.
"I heard you two finally went at it in a duel!" the owner commented, earning a sharp glare from Schala. "I heard it was over quickly!"
In a low growl, Schala questioned, "Where did you hear that?"
"Over there!" The owner gestured in the direction of a small crowd that gathered around Phillipe Cornish.
Remilia spotted the mouthy witch and rolled her eyes. "Cornish, of all people. Wait, how'd he see the duel?"
"I don't know," Schala commented, "but he's pissing me off."
"The duel was private, right?" the owner questioned.
"We've got things to discuss. Give us some space," Schala said in a stern tone.
Schala stood from her seat and walked expediently to the crowd. Once she locked her eyes on Cornish, she incanted, "Corpus Gel!"
Cornish's body froze. His mouth seized mid-word, and it hung open like a cage guarded by slightly-yellow bars he'd call his teeth.
Schala walked to meet Cornish's line of sight; the young man's face was locked in tight horror, his eyes moving in a frantic dance. He couldn't even speak a reverse spell; his tongue wouldn't flap. Blonde hair dangled over his eyes, the only thing on his body that gave a slight jostle.
"Anyone ever told you to shut the ever-living hell up?" Schala said through gritted teeth, her hand raised to control the spell's intensity.
Remilia rushed up and clutched Schala's arm. "Wait, wait! He's just an idiot who's just running his mouth," she said as she turned to meet his frightened gaze. "Right?"
Schala sighed loudly and released her control. Cornish fell to his knees, whimpering and gasping for air.
"Just calm down, Schal, all right?"
"All right?" Schala repeated in a slight mockery of Remilia's tone. "He's shooting off his mouth about things he THINKS he knows about! And if you know so much of our duel," she turned to Cornish, who took a few cautious steps back, "you should know that spying on an officiated duel in the Arcana Sanction is highly frowned upon."
Remilia turned to Cornish yet again, her brow furrowed and arms folded. Her body was tight as a coiled snake. "Please, Cornish, apologize to my sister."
"I didn't do anything wrong!" Cornish professed. "I told the truth!"
Schala's hand snapped out like a whip to grab Cornish, but Remilia shoved him out of her sister's reach at the last moment.
"Remilia, you tell everyone what happened!" Cornish pleaded.
"You're not getting the hint, Cornish," Remilia responded. She released Schala's hand and stood in between the two.
Schala looked at her sister with a disaffected look. "Remilia, tell them what happened. You're the celebrity."
Remilia huffed, stamped over to Cornish, and grabbed him by the cloak. "Why are you bothering these people with business that isn't yours?"
"They wanted to hear it!"
Remilia pressed her fists against her hips and leaned towards Cornish. "Oh? And how did you find out about our duel? You know there's a reason it's closed off to people outside the Sanction, right?"
Cornish admitted, "I climbed onto the spire of the Hall of Sanctions to watch."
"So, you climbed onto the Hall of Sanctions, where you watched our duel?" Schala questioned abrasively. "You don't think that's a bit coincidental? Especially since duels are closed off?"
"That's what happened!"
"Even if it's true, you don't go running your mouth to everyone, even if they want to hear it!" Remilia snapped.
In unison, the twins announced, "Some things should be private!"
"What's wrong with telling the truth?!" Cornish threw his hands down, failing to get the point.
"It's embarrassing for others!" Remilia countered.
"What embarrassment? I don't know what you mean!"
The twins shot each other a glance, and both snapped their fingers. Cornish's trousers fell to the ground, and his pale skin turned beet red. The entire restaurant laughed at the sudden retribution.
"That kind of embarrassment, jackass," Schala said.
Cornish screamed and stormed out, running headfirst into a man wearing the garb of a knight. He looked up at Constable Corvin, a dark-skinned man with a gravelly voice as deep as a well. He ran a ringed hand across the pommel of a sword and clicked his tongue at the young man who fumbled to correct his trousers.
The restaurant quieted itself at the sight of Corvin, who lifted Cornish slightly off his feet. Corvin was a human who often found himself in the Magi's presence, as it was his job to keep Human/Magus violence to a minimum.
There was nothing in his contract that said he had to wipe it out.
"What's all the laughing for?" his trembling voice asked. "And what happened to his pants?"
"It's not a big deal!" Remilia stepped up without hesitation. "Everyone, go back to your food!"
"What's not a big deal?" Covin stepped closer, his chest eclipsing the twins. "And no one leaves!"
Schala stood next to her sister and said, "Constable Corvin, it's no big deal."
"I saw everything. I saw a couple of Magi pranking someone. What if he hurt himself because of his pants?"
The twins shared a glance. They chose not to answer.
"I'm warning you; I'll pull anyone into the Yard who causes trouble on my turf!"
"We didn't cause any trouble," Schala responded, trying her best to sound somewhat innocent. "We just handled a problem he caused."
"What problems? I'm the law around here!" Corvin flashed all the Magi a glare that could kill from paces away. His eyes were as sharp as daggers. "You Magi are always throwing your so-called powers around. What year is this?"
"And here we go," Remilia uttered under her breath.
Corvin heard it, and he turned his attention to her. "Still talking about magic?"
He drew his sword and pressed the flat side against her cheek. The coldness reminded her of Ogoke's blade, but unlike her uncle, Remilia had every reason to be cautious.
"It's about blades! Swords! Got it?"
Schala's hand snapped out like a viper, and her fingers wrapped around Corvin's hand, pressing them against the sword's hilt. He struggled to move his grip, but he couldn't.
"Now this is called Nerve-locking," Schala informed. "By putting some of my Ahshae into your body through physical contact, I can immobilize what I'm touching. Now you can throttle me with that huge sledgehammer of a hand right there, but this one? It's all mine until I let go."
Schala gave a soft smile and took the blade away from Remilia's cheek. A small drop of blood streaked across the edge, and Schala wiped it off. Corvin, locked in shock, dropped his sword.
"You know, Constable Corvin, we Magi tend to be knowledgeable. Sometimes we might overreach. But that does not mean we're uncivilized. We're all children of Mother Earth here, right?"
People around them nodded in agreement. Schala picked up Corvin's sword and handed it back to him. "We're all civilized people here. There's no need for a weapon. But my sister does need an apology."
Corvin mumbled an apology, speaking low enough that only the twins could hear it.
"Get him a table and put his lunch on my tab," Remilia called to the owner.
Corvin saw the restaurant patrons shooting him accusatory glances. "What are you all lookin' at? Get lost!"
The owner took him to his table while the twins stepped outside the restaurant. Schala winced in pain as a burning sensation on her tattoo grew in intensity.
Remilia rushed over as Schala gripped her tattoo to alleviate pain.
"Mother's calling," Remilia said. She reached for Schala's arm, but the latter snatched herself away.
"Yeah, I noticed!" Schala strained to say. She felt her body yanked from where she stood. Schala's body began to flicker and fade like a shadow in the sun.
With a loud grunt, Schala disappeared in a blink.
"Damn it," Remilia commented. "Mom's about to start a war."
Remilia sighed deeply. Like her sister, she too blinked away.