Thanks to TriOblivion for reviewing - Seriously, where is everyone? A week and a half before a review? Very disappointing - hope you enjoy the cookie.

I'm saying now, no reviews, no new chapter, it only takes a couple of minutes.

Anyways, to a lighter topic, enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 7 - Reclaimed Memories

The high pitched wailing of a baby sounds throughout the forest, the echoes making it hard to pinpoint the origin. A black wolf starts off in the direction the wail comes from, it's the same size as any other wolf with the same golden eyes, but with far more intelligence captured in the hues than with others, it was only way to tell the young demon apart from the wolves other than the red and black aura that it can't yet hide.

The cries originated from a baby girl, abandoned in the forest with nothing but the blanket it's wrapped in. The child quietens with the appearance of the demon, not knowing what it is, curious as to its intentions with an intelligence beyond her year or so of life. She reaches towards the wolf, wanting something to cuddle in the normal childish way of the young, latching onto the thick black fur when he was close enough. The girl snuggles up to him, surprising the young demon with her actions but he calms himself and curls his body round the now sleeping child that had no one else. For now the demon was content with his find, the child being young enough to not be brainwashed with terrible stories of demons, when she woke it would be an entirely different story.

The girl woke after a few hours, realising her hunger again after the brief distraction of the wolf. She tugged at the black hair of the wolf's leg, disturbing his slumber, letting her hunger show that he would do something about it. The demon raised himself from the ground, picking the girl up in his teeth, and trotted through the forest, back to the cave that he'd been using as a temporary home. After depositing his load inside the cave, the wolf returned to the trees, searching for fruits that would be edible for the young human.

The demon reappeared at the cave with a mouthful of fallen apples that had not yet been attacked by birds or bugs. The girl ate happily before cuddling up to the wolf once more and falling into a deep sleep. The wolf curled itself around the human child, content to keep her, look after her as his own and keep her safe from the condemning influence of other humans.

The peopleof the small village of Lanford were quite surprised, that morning, to see a girl, no more than five years old, buying some food from their little market and running off into the woods with it, towards what appeared to be a rather large wolf. They all just put it down to something in the water making them see things but the nagging though of demons was always there.

"Well fuck it all, I think I've had too much to drink this morning," the loud exclamation from one old man broke the awkward silence that had settled.

"You stop flapping that tongue of yours before someone cuts it out, there are children here and they don't need such language being blurted out," the man's wife dragged him back into their house by his ear, ignoring the loud protests that came and tugging harder at every profane word that found its way to her ears.

The wolf had retreated to the shadows, amused at the strange actions of humans. The girl's tugging at his fur brought him from his thoughts, he sat on the leave covered ground, the proof of autumn's hold on the land, and let the child climb on before heading deeper into the trees, far from the prying eyes of curious humans. The demon had named the girl Saeko, for the serene air that surrounded her as she had slept, cuddling his fur those few years before. Having no name himself, it had been left to the young girl to figure out something to call him on her own, she had known full well that he was not her father, the father that had wanted to kill her, driving her mother to abandoning her in the forest, so she just invented her own word for him, giving him the name Aeshma.

It was barely a week after that time in Lanford, when there had been too many accounts of a demon sighting in the area. With such accounts, there was nothing anyone could do but bring in a demon hunter, to slay the demon or put the people's fears to rest by confirming that they were just jumping at shadows.

There were four hunters, all different, one tall, one short, there others similar in a middling height, a pair of blue eyes, green eyes, brown eyes and hazel, all were dark haired but there was black, brown, and a very dark blonde, all physically fit with compacted muscle. Their choice of weapons also varied one chose the sword, another the bow, one preferred axes of all kinds while the last was a master of the spear.

To the villagers, so far removed from society, the skill of the hunters was incredible but in truth they were nowhere near the skill of the elite, they were barely out of training and hoping to prove their skill by killing a small time demon that had been hiding in such a far removed wood.

Saeko stumbled across their path as they searched the trees for a larger than normal wolf. She gave a short scream before running from the sharp gazes that had fixed onto her. She called for Aeshma, knowing she would never be able to outrun the hunters that were starting after her.

The giant wolf, the hunters' quarry, erupted from the undergrowth between them and the girl.

"Aeshma! We go, we go." Saeko clambered up, onto the wolf's back, urging him to flee from the hunters. To the hunters' surprise, the demon did just that, he turned and loped into the trees, leaving them to speed along in his wake.

Aeshma deposited Saeko within the cave that was home, before turning back to where the hunters would soon appear. He may be a young demon but he was plenty old enough to know that running made no difference to demon hunters, they would chase you to the ends of the earth, the only thing stopping them from going further is the fact it's impossible for them to travel any further.

Five minutes of silent waiting past before the hunters revealed themselves, ready to remove the demon and its converted child. The one with black hair and blue eyes, seemingly the leader, was the first to step forward, sword in hand, No speech was passed between demon and hunter, they slipped into ready, fighting stances, each watching the other, waiting for them to make the first move.

It was the blonde hunter with hazel eyes that made the first move, an arrow silently loosed towards the demons head. A lazy shift to the right saw the arrow whistling past his ear, embedding itself in a tree to the left of the cave. Saeko huddled back into the cave, the feeling of uselessness bringing itself into her heart.

Her head whipped up again as an axe clanged onto the ground just shy of her position. The demon noticed the aim of the axe wielding hunter and growled a low and deadly warning, the message to leave the child was clear and fighting an enraged demon, no matter how weak, was a dangerous idea that led to the death of many a powerful hunter.

Aeshma prowled forward, still growling at the axe wielder, keeping himself between the hunters and the girl. The bowman was starting to aim at the child in the cave but was halted by their leader.

"Use your brain. Killing the girl will only anger the demon, concentrate on him before looking at the child." Saeko listened to the deep rumble of his voice, not understanding everything, but enough to get the intentions of the hunters. She rose from her curled position on the cave floor and cautiously touched the fringes of Aeshma's mind, using the telepathic link that he had forged between them.

We should leave, I don't want them to kill you but I don't want you to kill them, please? The demon desperately wanted to do what she wanted, but he knew too well how hunters were, if she was on his back while he ran they would just kill her first.

Run Sae, I will follow you soon.Aeshma already sensed the but, that would come from Saeko, so continued. If we go together, they will just kill us both as we flee. I will lose them in the forest, then meet up with you. Now go! Saeko hesitated, but soon followed her adoptive father's command, bolting from the cave, and the hunters, aiming for the forest's heart.

With her disappearance, the demon's peaceful air vanished, leaving only hostility and a deadly calm. It was only now that the hunters realised the terrible mistake they had made, thinking that in such a place the demon would be a mere weakling, when they felt the waves of power rolling off him. All, but the leader, started babbling apologies and pleas for their lives but, as the leader understood, it was already too late, the others only getting the point as razor sharp teeth and claws tore through their bodies, their blood running rivers over the ground.

Their black-haired leader was the last standing, frozen in place as his subordinates were killed so easily, sword in hand facing the large wolf with blood dripping from its jaws. The demon gestured to the forest, giving the survivor a chance at life. The hunter nodded and fled from the scene, planning to tell the council of the strength of the demon before taking his life as penance for his cowardice.

Aeshma followed after Saeko, passing by the river to rid himself of the blood spilling down his fur. His appearance brought joy to her young face, she returned to her position on his back, letting him carry them swiftly away from their home, to find a new abode, where they would not yet be known.

After only two years, the hunters came again and Aeshma could not, this time, send Saeko away before killing them.

The feeling of betrayal consumed her as the kind and gentle wolf she had known tore through the bodies of the hunters. Both body and mind were frozen as Aeshma turned to her. The demon was drenched in bright red blood, his eyes pleading with her to understand there was no other way but she was still human, however she had been brought up, and all she could do was shake her head as she fell to her knees, tears flowing freely down her face.

The wolf padded slowly towards her and gently licked the tears from the girl's face. She flinched under the touch and turned away. The wolf's eyes filled with sorrow, he knew that she wouldn't trust him now and he was left with only one option. He quickly scratched a deep slice into the back of Saeko's hand, earning him a pained scream from the girl, he licked at the would, his power pouring over the clearing, seeking entry to her mind, sealing her memories of the life she'd known, slipping her into the arms of unconsciousness.

The demon carried the sleeping child to the nearby town, leaving her in the care of a young couple. He silently vowed he would return for her when she was older, could handle the truth of what he was and understand his reasoning, before turning away from the house and retracing his steps to the forest.

The girl woke confused, not knowing who the people around her were, where she was and not knowing why there was such a deep feeling of something missing from this place.

Oks, please review, as well as making me put up a chapter, it will help me write faster, put off the school work a little longer =)

Till next time

Your happily-away-from-her-brother-for-now author

Kouseki