I laughed at the demon below me and plummeted down on him.
"Die you fool!" I yelled as I sliced through the top of his head. He gagged and dropped to his knees and then to the ground. I wiped my bloody hands and sword on the grass.
"Always thinking the girl's weak," I said squatting next to the dead demon. "Always the mistake they make."
I stood up and stretched my back cracking. I turned my head, my neck cracking too.
My name is Kiada and I am a Hawk demon. I wear my long chestnut red-brown hair down but the strands that fall into my face back in a small braid. My marking, a maroon eight point star is on the center of my forehead and chest. I wear a teal kimono that ends at my knee and then cuts up my waist.
I hear someone in the trees behind me and I casually pick up a rock. I spin and throw it into the bushes.
"ow!" A male voice says.
"Show yourself," I yell. "and no harm shall come to you."
"Like you could do harm to me," the voice replied.
"I can smell you, human," I say. "You don't stand a chance."
A man stepped out and he was probably only seventeen. His long black hair was braided and a purple four pointed star on his forehead. He wore armor of white and blue. A large katana was balanced on his shoulder.
"I am Bankotsu," he says. "Leader of the Band of Seven."
"Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Bankotsu, Leader of the Band of Seven," I say with a mock bow. "If you don't mind, I'll be going now."
"Actually," he says stepping forward. "I want a fight. A mock battle, of course. I have no intentions of killing someone as talented as yourself."
I raise an eyebrow at him. "Fine then, but you won't win." I pulled one of the twin short swords off my hip and ushered him forward.
He pulled the halberd off his shoulder and I was amazed he could hold it let alone swing it like he was. It was like it was a feather to him. He ran at me swinging it to show off. I jumped upwards and plowed me feet into his back but I struck only ground.
"You're fast for a human," I said.
He grinned and leapt at me. I tried to hold off his halberd with one of mine but it bent threatening. Instead I jumped back and his sword struck the ground and dug in hard.
"So, Bankotsu," I said trying to distract him. "What exactly is the Band of Seven?"
"It's- ah!- a mercenary group," he said swinging at me.
"Oh really?" I said avoiding. I liked this; I was having a hard time keeping up defense. It wasn't often humans were actually difficult.
I swung at him, grazing his cheek. He stepped back and felt his cheek laughing. "You are something aren't you?"
He punched me hard across the face leaving a welt. I winced and rubbed at it. "You're not bad yourself!"
"How about dropping your weapon and we do this hand to hand?" he asked lowering his halberd.
"Fine by me," I said dropping both the ones at my hips.
"All of them," he grinned.
I pulled the two off my legs that were visible and tossed them with the others. I pulled the two out of my arms that I knew he could see.
"All of them," he said.
I pulled the one off my back and dropped it. "Happy?"
He gave me a look and I sighed. The two under my kimono came out too.
"You don't trust me," I said smiling. "Good."
He stepped up to my and pulled the bottom of my kimono up. I wrinkled my nose at him but all he did was pull off another dagger.
"Now, we can fight," he said. "In such a short kimono, I'm surprised you could hide so many swords."
He swung his fist up to hit me under the chin. I grabbed his fist and swung up over my shoulder. He groaned as he hit the ground.
"Nice try," I smiled. He chuckled and kicked my feet out from under me. I hit the ground with an umph. He was on his feet with a flash and grabbed me by the collar. I spit in his face and he dropped me. I brought my knee into his stomach and he elbowed me in the collar bone.
Nearly half an hour later, we were both out of breath. "Enough," he panted. "I've seen all I need to."
I sighed in relief and popped my shoulder back into place that he had pulled out. "And what did you see?"
"I want you to join the Band of Seven," he said.
"You're all humans, though," I said. "Why would I join you and why would you want me to join?"
"You're strong," he said. "As for why you would join, that's up to you." He shrugged. "Honestly, I've followed you for days now. You look a little bored."
"Followed me, have you?" I asked. "Fine, I guess, I accept."