Hey all. So here is another story, this time focussing on demons and demon hunters. It's close to Christmas so I wanted to do a story focussing on snow and creatures who can survive in the snow.

The figure weaves through the darkness on his journey, the thick snow building up to pass his thick winter boots. The going was tough as a vicious wind was a buffeting head wind that was biting and nasty. The mans face was covered by a scarf that acted as an excellent barrier from the wind.

Looking passed the screen of rushing snowflakes that heralded the strength of the blizzard the man saw the world as a blanket of startling white. The mountain sides completely covered by white and the black rocks totally covered from sight. The trees that resembled the claws of lizard demons where bare of leaves and heavily pregnant with snow.

The man was returning home from business over the mountain pass. Buying items for his colleagues in the circus. He carried the items in a tough leather rucksack which he wore on his back. The sack itself offered warmth against the chill. The circus was nestled on the outskirts of the town that was situated at the foot of the mountain. The blizzard must have been buffeting the tents hard. It was a good job the circus management installed heaters inside. The man started to pick up he pace, eager to warm himself up.

The man stopped all of a sudden, listening intently, trying to hear past the howling wind. He was certain he heard a shrill noise from somewhere amongst the piling snow. Thinking it was his imagination he carried on walking, the blizzard snow immediately covering his tracks. As he took another step he heard it again. This time it was definitely a shrill scream of some sort of beast he had never heard before. The man altered the direction he was heading in, and moved towards the sound, curious.

The screaming continued, but it was getting weaker and weaker. He hurried. The sounds as coming from a snow drift that had piled up on the steep side of a mountain ledge. The man scrambled up, plunging his gloved hands into the snow so that he could grasp ice cold cliff rock. The ledge wasn't very high so he managed to hoist himself up without much trouble. The noise was very close now, but it wasn't very loud. He brushed snow away, revealing an alcove in the cliff face. It was shallow and taken up almost completely by a small spotted creature.

The man reached out and picked the small thing up. It quivered under his touch. The quiver was masked by the definite shivers that wracked the small furry body. The man opened his coat swiftly and placed the furry creature amongst the folds of his cloths. He zipped the coat back up and made haste down the mountain, jumping from the ledge and hurrying down.

It took him a further hour and a half to make it back to the circus, entering the tent swiftly so as not to let too many flurries of snow and cold wind to enter. As soon as he did he was met with some of his colleagues who graciously took the sack of goods and took his wet coat away.

"Welcome back Mana." A woman with blonde, curly hair greeted him with a warm smile on her face.

"Thank you Rita. Here I need some help." Mana reached into his cloths and extracted the small furry creature he found in that rocky alcove. More people had gathered around, awing at the beauty of the little thing Mana had picked up.

It was a snow leopard cub, born possibly four years ago with gleaming silver fur that sparkled like new fallen snow on a sunny morning. The black spots where as dark and deep as obsidian. The creature had stopped shivering after the close contact with Mana's warm body. The creature yawned widely revealing a row of very strange teeth. The front teeth and the canines where sharp looking, like a normal cats, but the back teeth resembled human molars. When the leopard closed its mouth and opened its eyes everyone gasped. Those eyes where large and sparkled like crystal. They where silver eyes, wide like the moon and as pure as moonlight. Through the left eye was a strange marking. It was a star and line that reached down through the eye and down the cubs cheek.

"It's a spirit beast." The circus occultist had come to the front of the crowd with awe written on his face.

"Mr. Barnaby," the man came over and placed a careful hand on the creatures neck. The man was tall, with dark hair and sporting a goatee. "Could you explain?"

"Spirit beasts are a type of demon that are born as animals, but later take on human forms when they mature. They each come from a certain clan." Mr. Barnaby scratched his beard and stared at the demon with a puzzled expression. "It's strange, seeing a demon abandoned. Especially, as this is a snow leopard. What is a snow leopard demon doing here in Britain?"

"This might explain it." Mana was pointing to the little creatures ears, which had a strange shape. They where pointed, not rounded like a normal snow leopard, and they had black tufts.

"A half breed." Mr. Barnaby gasped with understanding.

Mana stroked the little spotted creature with adoration. The little thing, who momentarily was peering at all the strange people with its silver gaze had once again fallen asleep, knowing he wasn't going to be hurt.

"Half breeds are feared amongst the clans. They can hold dark powers from the union of two different types of blood. Our friend here looks like the product between the snow leopard and Lynx tribes."

"You say can...?" Mana started and Mr. Barnaby looked into Mana's eyes.

"Yes. They could become powerful, but also their powers could fall away and kill that demon when they leave. It's a tragedy. No wonder the little thing was abandoned."

"Here, mana." Rita had come back and had placed a small bundle of blankets by the hearth. Mana nodded in thanks and placed the small creature amongst them.

"I won't abandoned him." Mana whispered, gently stroking the soft velvety ears. "I won't abandoned you, my little Allen."

11 years later

The white haired youth ran through the forest, dripping blood as he went. The coniferous trees where tall, menacing and blocking out the light of the setting sun, casting the ground into shadow. The youth was breathing hard, ragged breaths, the blood dripping from a ghastly wound on his calf. He had stepped in a vicious snare earlier and had only just managed to escape.

Lynx ears twitched in sudden fright when he heard a sound coming from the direction he had just ran from. Those pitch black, tufted ears with the single large white spot adorning each one swivelled around, seeking out more threatening noises. His long, lustrous snow leopard tail was limp on the ground due to the young mans tired state. The boy breathed in with unneeded difficulty. His leg was throbbing painfully, and the blood did not cease flowing out.

His boots padded on the mossy, damp earth. His footfalls where gradually getting softer and slower, his strength ebbing away with the red essence leaking from the holes in his leg.

Allen carried on, toiling away with minimal strength, thinking on what was happening. All the roaming, hiding and running that he did was on his weary heart. The darkness of not having a certain place to live was purging his soul of all the happiness he knew he should be feeling.

He tripped over a crusty old log, falling onto a bed off moss which prevented him from hurting himself further. He tried to stand up again. His limbs screamed in protest. The fear pounding through his body urged him on. He must not be captured by the Trapper.

Every time he moved his ears did with him, catching sounds Allen really wished not to hear. The Trapper was approaching. He could hear him breathing, the steps he took as he walked over the wet floor. Allen could almost hear the glee being contained deep in the mans body. Allen tried to get away, urging the energy to spring out from the core of his body, giving him the strength to move on.

"I have you now." Allen looked back, his pupils dilating as his gaze rested on the handsome, but terrifying man who was chasing him. Allen saw the malicious grin of the man, sadistic and dripping with glee.

He looked down at the young demon. The creature was glaring at him, baring his fangs in rage. A hiss was emanating from the small creatures body.

"Come, come," the man said, bending down to stroke Allen's ears, not worried about the boy biting him, "let me take you away. I will look after you. I will path up your leg." He clicked his fingers and two dark purple butterflies appeared out of thin air. With a silent order they fluttered over Allen and latched themselves onto his wrists.

"Any false moves and they will bite, injecting a potent venom that will paralyse you. I suggest that you cooperate, my ethereal beauty."

Allen took a deep breath, admitting defeat. He could never get away now. He was cornered like a rabbit in a snare. His blood was still flowing from his leg and he had trouble keeping his eyes open. He felt the moss on his cheek before he was welcomed by darkness.

ooh , what is going to happen to Allen now? Allen always fits being a creature of ice and snow. more of our favourite characters will be coming next chapter. Don't worry, I will continue with Silver amongst Shadow.