• The snow blew briskly, mounds piling higher and higher along the sides of the road in Lake Charles, Minnesota. It was a suburb of the capital, St. Paul that had a small town feeling to it. It was a safe and secure place to raise a family.

    A twenty-five-year-old woman stood in the midnight moonlight. She is tall, at six foot. Her long dark red hair that verged on blackness was straight and flowing down her back, and her eyes were pitch black. Her ears were pointy, much like a dog's. She looked from side to side, scanning the area for trouble. Her black shirt and jeans were tattered from wear; her hooded jacket was ripped and repaired with safety pins and poor stitchery. She ran a hand through her hair, her long claws lightly scratching her skull. When upset, this demon's eyes changed into a blood red color and a tail appeared from her lower back. Her name was Shionna McCane, a demon raised by humans.

    The McCanes, Luke and Atsume, found the injured child when Shionna was only two-years-old. Although they knew she was demon by appearance, they still took her into their lives and discovered that there were more benefits to having the demon-child around rather than risks. Shionna had telekinesis, strength beyond measure, firepowers, acute hearing, dog-like sense of smell and perfect vision.

    Atsume home-schooled Shionna for her protection from the government ordered murder of all demons. She tried her hardest to hide Shionna's wild nature. Eventually, once Shionna hit adulthood, Atsume and Luke had to give her the freedom she earned.

    Shionna learned, however, one winter night five years ago to never leave home for too long.

    The snow had been especially deep; a blizzard had struck, burying the city. Mom and Dad had told me to stay home, but I couldn't stand it! I had to get out of the house!
    "I'll get back before the sun rises, I promise," I told them, kissing Mom and hugging Dad.
    "We love you, Shionna," said Mom.
    I left the house; my hooded jacket was the only warmth I needed. I didn't notice anything strange as I left, and no scents that were unusual or unfamiliar to me.
    When I returned at dawn, I noticed the front door had been kicked in. Mom and Dad were slaughtered mercilessly. Their bodies had been totally destroyed, almost making it hard for me to tell them apart. I only could figure them out by scent.
    After I had been cleared, I went about organizing their belongings and fixing up the house.


    It had been hard for Shionna to get used to the renewed sense of loneliness since her parents' murders. Even though she never had friends to hang out with, Atsume had been more like a friend to her than a mother. Now that Atsume and Luke were both dead, Shionna was truly alone.

    Even after five years, she thought sadly, I still haven't fully accepted their deaths. I doubt I ever will...

    She enjoyed being out at night, staying away from humans and demons alike. Humans were fearful of all demons, killing demons via demon hunters. Demons, although not always violent and murderous, were fearful of human's control.

    Suddenly, footsteps approached where Shionna stood, lost in her thoughts and memories. Although her ears could pick up sounds when she wasn't paying attention, she didn't always heed those sounds.

    Soon, however, the stench of a dirty human reached her nose. The scent was a mixture of demon and human. Either it's a half-demon half-human or it's a demon hunter. Great... She thought, pulling her hood up.

    The footsteps stopped in front of her. She finally noticed that it was a male human. He was tall, six-four with short black hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed in all black, a t-shirt that had blood stains and slime on it, a pair of black leather pants that were sprayed with slime and blood, a black wool trench coat that went to his knees, and wore steel-toe boots. He had a gun holstered to right side, under his arm and a sword latched to his back. He was very cute and charming looking.

    "Demon," he called to her angrily.

    She froze. Even with her ears covered by her hood, he knew what she was.

    "I'm a demon hunter." He said.

    "I haven't hurt anyone," Shionna said, meekly, afraid for her very life.

    "A demon is a demon. All demons are potentially dangerous, and I have to kill all demons." He said.

    Shionna stepped back, pushing her hood down. "I don't wanna fight you, sir." She said, sheepishly.

    "My name is Derrick Mason," he said, drawing out his sword.

    "I'm Shionna McCane." She said, still backing away, "I may be a demon, but I was raised by humans. Please don't hurt me."

    Derrick stopped and looked at her. "You're kinda pathetic for a demon, begging for your life."

    "I'm not a fighter," Shionna said, "I'd prefer peaceful ways to solve problems."

    "I'm supposed to kill all demons I meet." He announced coldly.

    "I'll leave here," she offered, "if you let me live, I'll just disappear..."

    He slashed at Shionna, and she screamed. He stopped his attack and sheathed his sword. "If you're not even gonna fight me," he said, "then there is no point in wasting my time fighting you."

    "I'll just flee, then," she said, turning to leave.

    "For a fire wolf demon, you certainly aren't very brave." He said.

    "You know my exact race?" Shionna questioned.

    "I can tell by your appearance. Fire wolves all have the dark red hair and black eyes. It's a well known fact."

    "Okay," Shionna said sadly, "I was home schooled growing up, so I was never informed of common knowledge."

    "I'm surprised," Derrick said, "Atsume McCane, formerly Katakana, was a well-known Demon Hunter in her prime. She was considered to be legendary."

    "My mother was a Demon Hunter?" She questioned.

    Ignoring her question, he turned away. "Out of respect for her and Luke, I will let you go."

    "Wait!" She called to him, "Take me with you. I have nowhere else to go."

    "You're useless to me," he said flatly.

    "But I'm a demon! I can help you sniff out dangerous demons!"

    "When it comes to fighting, however, you're just gonna hide away, and what good is that to me?"

    "If you train me up..."

    "I don't have time, Shionna, to be 'training you up' at the moment."

    "Please," she begged, whimpering slightly.

    Sighing, he rolled his eyes. Something about the way she begged and pleaded with him, he felt a strange sensation, a feeling he had never felt before. It wasn't love, but closer to compassion. "Fine," he grumbled, "I'll train you up when I get time, but you better stay out of my way until then."

    "Thank you," she said meekly.

    "Whatever," he said, walking away.

    After he had gotten a short distance away, he stopped and turned toward Shionna. "Are you coming or are you planning to just stand there like you're frozen?"

    Shionna raced up to him. "You won't regret taking me with you." She smiled brightly. She felt an attraction towards this human. Although he was supposed to be a threat to her, he seemed to have a nice side to him. She had hoped that, in time, Derrick would become as infatuated with her as she was with him.

    Derrick looked over at her smile and saw Astume's smile. She had trained him when he was younger for a while. He had actually been there when she decided to quit her calling to raise Shionna.


    "Derrick," Atsume said to him, "I am leaving my post. I have made a decision that will cause me trouble if I continue my post. Ignacio will continue your training in my place. Please have no grudge against me."
    "But Atsume," I begged her, "what decision could cause you to change your mind?"
    She sighed and looked away from me. "What I am about to say must never leave us." She paused for a moment. "My husband and I are raising a young girl, and I must quit my post to take care of the girl."
    "So why not have her sent to training like I was?"
    "She will not be trained to kill demons because she is one." She said quietly.
    I looked at her. "You've taken in a demon!" I exclaimed.
    "She was only a baby demon. She posed no threat, and she was an orphan." She looked back at me, "Someday, you maybe faced with a similar situation."


    He shook his head as if to clear it. "Someday you maybe faced with a similar situation," Atsume said. He remembered. Atsume left the post to raise a demon child. This demon child, he told himself, was it really worth it, Atsume?

    Shionna noticed how quiet Derrick was. It was almost like being stuck in thoughts, memories of the past. "Hey, um, Mr. Mason. Where are we going?"

    "Derrick," he corrected her.

    "Um, Derrick. Where are we going?" She asked.

    "Going to get food for the night." He said flatly, "You do eat human food, right?"

    "Yeah," she said. "What else would a demon eat?"

    He rolled is eyes at that. "Some actually eat raw meat like wild animals, and some eat humans. I'm surprised that you never had the urge to eat raw meat. All of your race enjoys raw meat."

    "Is there anything that you don't know about my 'race'?" She asked.

    "I'm an expert Demon Hunter. We must know everything on every race of demon: feeding, breeding, lifestyle." He said. "My car's just up here. We'll get something to eat once we get there."

    Shionna followed closely behind Derrick as he led her to a black Ford Explorer. It's license plate read "Avenger".

    "Since you know so much about me, tell me about yourself." She said, breaking the silence.

    "All you need to know about me," he said, "is that I've dedicated my life to destroying demons."

    "But why?"

    No one ever asked Derrick why he did what he did. It had never come up in conversations he'd ever had. Not even any of the people who trained him to do what he does had ever asked why.

    When I was five years old, I was pulled out of an orphanage and my training began. First, Atsume was my mentor, teaching me the basics of fighting. Once she left, Ignacio, a hard-bitten, too tough Demon Hunter Master took over.
    "No, no, no," Ignacio said angrily after I, as an eleven-year-old, refused to kill an infant demon brought in for my training purposes.
    "She's just a baby! Atsume wouldn't kill the baby; she'd just turn it in for the government to take care of." I said.
    "Emotions are pointless and a sign of weakness," he said angrily, "emotions will only be your downfall."
    "But not all demons are evil," I said, "I know most animal demons are no threat to humans."
    "I don't care what Atsume told you! Forget it all! I see I'll have to re-train you properly. Come with me," He grabbed my arm and led me away to one of the holding areas.


    He shook his head as if to clear it. Memories were a sign of weakness as Ignacio had taught him.

    Using keyless entry, Derrick unlocked the SUV. "Get in," he ordered, "but don't touch any of the buttons you see."

    "Okay," she meekly replied. She sat in her seat and buckled up; trying not to touch anything she didn't have to.

    The SUV was equipped with a tracking system for following demons scents and power usage, a laptop for incoming information on newer demons' locations, and the modern sound system with large speakers.

    As Derrick turned the vehicle on, he smiled slightly at how amazed Shionna was with his SUV. It was pretty standard for Expert Demon Hunters like him. He dropped his smile quickly out of fear that Shionna would discover his emotions.

    He turned the CD player on and Marilyn Manson blasted out of the stereo. At first, Derrick thought that Shionna, being so meek and shy, wouldn't like the music choices he had, but to his surprise, he heard her singing along.

    "I never would have believed that you listen to Marilyn Manson," Derrick blurted out.

    "My mom exposed me to his music from a young age. I always liked it." She explained.

    I guess she would be a great help to my real cause. He told himself, driving off towards his townhouse.

    Shionna looked over at Derrick and thought she caught a slight smile on his face. If only he'd smile more often, he'd be a lot cuter. She thought, smiling back at him.

    Soon, Derrick and Shionna were at Derrick's dark and ominous looking townhouse. It was three stories tall and dark gray in color. The roof was made of black shingles and each window had black shutters on both sides of them. A gray stone path led to the black painted door. The yard was covered in a thick layer of snow from the recent snowfalls and was encompassed by a picket fence painted black but faded with time.

    Derrick opened the gate and ushered Shionna in. "C'mon." He said, sternly. He pushed the gate shut and pulled out his house key. He unlocked the door and opened it up.

    Shionna followed closely, thanking her acute vision in the darkness of the room. Soon, however, a light came on, and she saw that the house was just as dark and dungeon-like as the outside was. Furnishings were simple, made of metal and painted black. The carpeting was gray, and the walls were black. There were shelves that contained all sorts of weapons and devices for fighting.

    "Sit," ordered Derrick, pointing to a nearby futon.

    "Thank you," Shionna bowed and took a seat on the futon as he left the room.

    She heard him opening an oven door and sliding something in it then closed it. She stood up and walked over to a bookshelf and found all kinds of books. She lightly touched the binding on a black book with sliver embossing that read: "Extinct and Nearly Extinct Demon Races of The World." She pulled that book of the shelf and opened it up.

    She scanned the table of contents and stopped when, under the extinct category, she discovered her own race: Fire Wolf Demon.

    She turned to that chapter and began to read.

    The Fire Wolf Demons are one of the few demons that have only one transformation. These demons all have dark red to black hair and eyes that are pitch black. Powers, of course, vary by bloodline. The "royal bloodline" was given more than just the typical fire powers of the namesake. These "royal heirs" had such powers as: telekinesis, strength beyond measure, fire powers, acute hearing, dog-like sense of smell and perfect vision. A non-royal member had only the senses and fire powers.

    Tears filled her eyes as she read on.

    Of all the extinct demon races of the world, the Fire Wolf Race was the most peaceful. Known to help out humans when harmful demons would attack, the Fire Wolves never attacked a human in history. However, when the President, Walter Ridgedale, ordered it in 1982, to destroy all demons, a single demon hunter killed the entire race.
    Although the demon hunter responsible was never identified, many have claimed responsibility for the deed.


    Just then, Derrick entered the room with two plates full of pepperoni pizza. He noticed the book she was reading, and then discovered her tears. He felt a new emotion fill his heart. Unsure of it, he covered it up and cleared his throat to gain her attention.

    The noise startled Shionna and caused her to drop the book. She wiped her eyes on her coat sleeve and stood up. "I'm the last Fire Wolf Demon on Earth? Why didn't you tell me?" She cried at him.

    He sat the plates on the coffee table between them and looked at her. "You're surprised? 65% of all demons have become extinct. Your race, Shionna, was wiped out twenty-three years ago. You were left to die, but Atsume found you and took care of you. You're lucky." He said, sitting in a nearby chair.

    Shionna stood, her black eyes turning a fiery red. "Just 'cuz we demons have abilities humans don't, doesn't give them-you- the right to kill us off!" Her newfound anger frightened Shionna.

    This display of anger was no surprise to Derrick. He'd seen demons fight with a rage like this only for survival. "If you want revenge for your race, killing me won't solve anything," he calmly said. "I was only five when that happened; I had only been in training for a year with Atsume. They pulled me straight out of my only home: Salsida." He added.

    Salsida is an orphanage in the inner city of Minneapolis, she thought, so he's an orphan like me. Suddenly, Shionna felt bad. She wasn't going to take her anger out on him. She rushed to him, threw her arms around him, and embraced him.

    Derrick remained stiff in the embrace. He had never had such contact with a demon before. Atsume had told him that this type of contact was called a hug, and it was a sign of affection or a congratulatory method. Is she trying to be affectionate? He thought.

    "I'm sorry you had such a rough life," Shionna said, crying deeply.

    For some reason, Derrick couldn't push Shionna away. A part of him, he could tell, had feelings for Shionna. The other part of him was afraid of these new emotions Shionna was introducing him to. These were things Ignacio had told him to control them fiercely. He could still remember it well.

    "When I tell you to kill, you kill," Ignacio said, raising the whip in his hands and lowering it on my back. It burned badly on my flesh.
    I cried out in pain.
    He kept raising it and lowering it over and over, so I lost count and, eventually, consciousness    .


    Sometimes, the scars still burned like they were fresh. These were his reasons for avoiding the female population altogether. No woman would ever understand my scars, he told himself.

    Shionna released her embrace and wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry I'm so weak. I just wanna help you out," she cried.

    Derrick sighed. "Females are supposed to be weak. You'll get over it eventually." He said. "Pizza's done. It's probably cold by now." He grabbed the plates and handed one to her. "Eat up." He added.

    "Okay," said Shionna, looking at the plate in her hands.

    They ate in total silence.

    Once they were finished eating, Derrick spoke up. "I'll get a room ready for you to stay in."

    "Thank you," she said, shyly.

    "Whatever," he replied, turning and walking up the stairs.

    Shionna walked up behind him, remaining totally quiet.

    They went all the way up to the third floor and into a dark bedroom.

    "You," he said, sternly, "need to keep it dark in here. If you turn on a light, the neighbors will call it in that I have someone here."

    "Okay, but why would that be a problem?"

    "I'm not supposed to have people over without telling my supervisor, let alone having a demon here."

    "Okay," she said, "I'm sorry to be trouble. It's just that since I'm a demon, I wasn't allowed to have ownership of Mom and Dad's house and cars. The government confiscated it all."

    "As long as you don't cause me any trouble or draw any unnecessary attention, you can stay here." Derrick said.

    "Thank you, Derrick," she said, softly.

    "Yeah, whatever," he said. "Training will begin tomorrow. Get some rest." He abruptly left.

    Shionna sighed and stripped off her pants, socks, jacket, shoes, and bra. She took a moment to examine the dark room with her exemplary vision. It was a room that was simply decorated, with black metal dresser and a black metal framed bed covered with a black comforter and a single black pillow. If this is how his whole house decorated, he must not have a lot of money. She told herself.

    She climbed into the black comforter and drifted off into the oblivion of sleep.