The Demon's Eye

Chapter 4

Thirteen POV:
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We had been walking for what seems like hours. The dark sky with teeny little lights were slowly disappearing and the sky started to turn orange as the morning sun rose. I looked down at my bandages covered feet, than I glance at everyone else's feet. 'They all have things covering their bare feet?' I look back at my feet. In a way I was bare foot since the bandages covered my feet all the way up to my mid thigh. 'How strange.' I thought to myself. Bankotsu suddenly stopped in his track causing me to bump right into his back. He glanced back at me. I blushed and threw my hands up in a surrender manner, "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't see you stop and I'm so sorry!" He tilted his head, "It's fine." Was all he said as he looked up at a cave in the mountain close to us. He pointed his sword at the cave. "Let's check it out. If it's clear we can rest inside for a little while. If it has occupants than we kill them and relax afterwards." He said nonchalant. Everyone nodded in agreement and headed towards the cave. Once we got to the base of the mountain to soon realized that the cave was off a small cliff and the only way to reach it by climbing upwards. It was high enough to where Kyōkotsu could have lifted us but was soon passed out by the entrance of the Forrest along with ginkotsu. "I guess they were really tired." I said to myself. "We has been traveling almost non stop for a few days now." Suikotsu answered. I turned and looked at him. "Are you all mercenaries?" I asked him. "Yes. And we're damn good at what we do!" Suikotsu said with confidence. I smiled softly. "So you travel a lot?" He looked at me. "Why so many questions?" He said menacingly. "Um, n-no reason at all!" I said quickly. "Let's climb up and check out the cave already!" Jakotsu barked. Everyone started up the mountain except Bankotsu and I. I looked over at him as he examined his men as they climbed up. He than looked over at me as I was standing, just staring at him. I blushed a bright red and proceeded up the mountain side. 'What's wrong with me? Why is he making my face burn and my stomach flutter..' I was so lost in my thought I didn't notice as the bottom of my kimono got caught on a the same rock in was about to step on. As I stepped on the rock in slipped on my kimono and lost my grip. I yelped as I fell. But just as I was about to hit the ground Bankotsu grabbed my wrist at the last minute. He was right under me when I fell. Almost like he knew I was going to mess up. I looked up at him, he was smirking at me. "You should really watch what you're doing." He said. He lifted me up to his side and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I held on as he climbed up the mountain. Everyone had already made it to the cave. Bankotsu has his arm hooked around my legs right under my bum when we reached the cave. He tossed me to where everyone else was in the cave than proceeded to climb up himself. "Damn, you're as light as a feather. Do you not eat?" He said. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to think about the facility nor talk about it. "I eat some." I said with a light nervous chuckle. He shrugged it off and started walking into the cave. "You guys go on ahead. I'm going to stay here and soak up the sunlight." Mukotsu said as he laid down. "That's fine with us. You'd probably slow us down anyways." Said Jakotsu. "Well I'll have you know that I-" "Enough you two." Renkotsu said sternly. 'Should I stay with Mukotsu or go with the others?' As I was contemplating what to do I heard Suikotsu yell, "Come in servant girl we don't got all day!" I jumped when he yelled. "Coming!" I yell back as I begin jogging to catch up to them.
"So you said your name was Thirteen right?" Bankotsu asked. "Y-yes sir." I said shyly. "What a weird name." Jakotsu stated. "Yeah how did you even get named that? We're your parents mathematicians or something?" Suikotsu said. All eyes were now on me. "W-where I come from, they name surviving children by number order.." I said while looking at my feet. "Do you even like that name? Was there ever a time you had a different name?" Bankotsu asked curiously looking at me. I shook my head no. "Hm, maybe you should go by another name than since you hate your original name." He said. I tilted my head to the side, "how do you mean?" "Hmmm. Let me think.." he said pondering. "She kind of reminds me of a cat." Jakotsu said while leaning on the cave wall. We had gone in so deep we couldn't see the any sunlight peeking through. They all leaned in to study me. "Hm, you know you're right Jakotsu. She does remind me of a cat. Her eyes were glowing like a cat when I spotted her." Bankotsu said. "Let's call her kitty cat?" Suikotsu said while scratching his head. "No, but good nickname. I'll have to remember that one." Bankotsu chuckled. "How about Catya?" Said Renkotsu. "Cat-ya?" I mumbled to myself. A light smile came to my lips. "I like it.." I said quietly. Jakotsu clapped his hands together, "Than it is settled! Your name is now Catya." He said. I smiled and chuckled lightly at him. Just as we began to walk again we heard a deep growl coming from deep inside the cave. "What was that?" Suikotsu asked. "Sounded like a demon." Renkotsu answered. Everyone but Bankotsu and I had weapons and were ready to fight. Bankotsu has decided to leave Banryu with Kyōkotsu for safe keeping. Bankotsu chuckled menacingly. "Looks like we're about to have some fun." I Than realized that I was the smallest and weakest of the group and with no weapons I had no way of defending myself. I started shaking as the growls got louder. Not long after we see a pair of glowing red eyes peeping at us through the darkness. My eyes widened as the demon came into light. It looked like a mixture of a lizard and frog and was terrifyingly large. The demon sung its tail around and slammed it against the wall causing dirt and rocks to fall and scatter. I quickly ran behind a large rock that will keep me hidden from the demon for now. I started hearing laughing and screeching with the sounds of weapons clashing and fire roaring. I peeked over the rock to see the commotion. The demon was backed into a corner, it had slashes and burns all over its body. Blood was seeping from the wounds. The demon was coming near the end. Bankotsu walked up to the demon and punched into its chest so hand that he had pierced the skin and was able to pull out its black heart. His hand was soaked in the demon's blood. I couldn't look away. I squeezed my thighs together at the thought of how Bankotsu killed the demon with one blow. A light blush creeped to my cheeks. 'He's so strong..even without his Banryu. He killed that demon without hesitation, without remorse.. but why do I feel so hot and bothered..' I shook the thought out of my head and slowly walked around the big rock. "Oh so you finally came out of your little hiding spot?" Jakotsu mocked. I didn't know what to say so I just looked up at the dead demon. "You can cook this thing for tonight. Now we won't have to go hunt for food." Bankotsu said to me as he handed me a small knife. "Y-yes sir. But how do I move it?" I questioned while looking up at the demon that was at least 8 times my size. 'Good thing the facility taught us some survival skills.' I thought to myself as I helped the others drag the demon. Once we got to the entrance Mukotsu had already made a fire and Ginkotsu and Kyōkotsu we're sitting next to it. As everyone started to mingle I began cutting into the demon with the knife Bankotsu gave me. I stuck enough meat for everyone to eat through a sturdy stick and placed it over the fire. I sat down holding my knees up to my chest as I watched the meat cook. "So you never explained where you came from." Bankotsu said as he flopped down next to me. I looked at him Than back to the fire. "Someplace bad. Someplace I never want to back to for as long as I live." I said softly. I turned the meat over to cook on the other side. "What about you? Where are you from?" I ask cautiously. He looked up at me curiously. "A small village in the northern mountains. It was burned down years ago." Bankotsu said. "Oh.. I'm sorry to hear that.." I said to him. He smiled softly and closed his eyes. "Don't worry about it. It happened cause everyone in the village was weak. It's a kill or be killed world." I nodded my head and looked back at the meat. 'It should be ready soon.' I thought to myself. 'Ready' I smiled as I lifted the meat from the fire. "Dinner everyone!" I said with a big smile. I opened my eyes and my smile slowly dropped. No one seems excited for the food that I had made. We all ate and had decided to stay in the cave for the night. I had curled up into a ball a little bit farther from everyone. It was a cold night. Suddenly something was draped on me. "Here, Catya. It's an extra shirt of mine. Can't have you wondering around with blood stained clothes or people begin asking questions." Bankotsu said as he walked back to his original spot between Jakotsu ad Renkotsu. I held up his haori. It was all white with a blue patch on the right shoulder. I began taking off my kimono before I heard someone clear his throat. I turn around and look at them curiously. They all were staring at me with red faces except for Jakotsu, who really just seems annoyed. He stood up and walked over to me. "Let's go." He said as he started walking back into the cave. I quickly followed him along with an orchestra of boos from the rest of the group. "You can change behind that rock." He pointed to a rock big enough to cover me from my toes to my shoulders. "Stupid girl. Why would you start changing in front of 6 other men?" Jakotsu scolded. "Is that bad?" I questioned honestly. I'd never had this problem since at the facility we were forced to bath together so I couldn't understand why everyone started getting flustered. Bankotsu's haori fit almost perfectly. The bottom reached just above my bandages on my legs so I could move around freely, the arms came just a little past my fingers, and it was all tied together with a red obi wrapped tightly around my waist. I came from behind the rock to show Jakotsu. "How does it look?" I ask nervously. He looked me up and down. "It actually looks good on you. You should feel lucky. Big brother never lets someone else wear his clothes." He said while crossing his arms. "Well let's head back." He said as he turned on his heel to head back to the fire. 'How interesting these men are..' I thought to myself as I followed Jakotsu.
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Bankotsu POV:

I watched Catya as she followed Jakotsu into the cave to change. We had all booed him for not letting her undress in front of us. 'That would have been nice to see. From over the kimono she's got a nice ass.' "So big brother.." Renkotsu snapped me out of my thoughts. "Huh? What's up?" I turned to him. "Why did you let the girl live?" He questioned. I smirked softly. "Because those guards or whatever really wanted her. They wanted her enough to try to battle us for her. It makes me wonder if she has some sort of special value to her. And if she does than we can use that to our advantage and see how much she's worth. But I would like to be some What off the radar till I figure out what it is they were after." I said to him. "Ah, that's a smart plan big brother. In the mean time I could begin studying her to uncover the mystery." "Now you're thinking Renkotsu. We can gain her trust, get her to tell us what it is they're after, than see how much the lord of those guards would be willing to pay for her." I said. "So why don't we just torture her to spill?" Suikotsu asked. "Because she's a cute girl. And after I woo and bed her I'm sure I'll be able to get all the information I need." I say slyly. "Ha-ha big brother you dog!" Kyōkotsu joked. We all were laughing when Jakotsu and Catya returned. My eyes widened at her. My haori looked pretty good on her. The hem was was resting perfectly on the tops of her thighs but long enough to keep her parts hidden. The arms came barely past her fingertips and wrapped around her small waist was my spare red obi. It hugged her curves beautifully. I was almost in a daze when her one green, one red eyes locked with mine. A blush crept onto her cute face and I quickly looked away. 'She'll be a nice lay, I can tell.' I smirked and chuckled to myself. I looked at the moon as I rested my back on the cave wall. As sleep slowly started to creep up on me I glanced one last time to the newly named Catya. She was curled up in a ball holding her knees to her chest. 'What is your value I wonder.' My last thought before I fell asleep.

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