Daemon Hunter Moushigo

_Chapter 2 - Meeting

By: Mune Metsukai_

Disclaimer: All characters are copyright Mune Metsukai. All characters and places are completely fictional, and should be viewed as such. This story contains some mature content and should not be viewed by any individual under the age of 18 years. If you are under the age of 18, please refrain from reading further. I take no responsibility for any psychiatric damage this story may cause, read at your own discretion. Send comments to [email protected] . I do not enjoy hate mail, so please refrain from sending such unconstructive criticism. Thank you for reading.

Mune groans. The sun shines in through his bedroom window and causes the boy to cover his face with his blankets. His head buzzed as he lay there, half asleep still. After ten minutes, the young wolf finally got up groggily. Just as he did, the phone rang beside his bed and he answered.

"Mune? You're finally awake. I've called you five times already."

Mune groans and rubs his eyes. "Hmm...? What time is it?"

"Nine o'clock."

"I'm supposed to meet someone in half an hour... Damn. Tsuki-san, thanks for bringing me home last night."

"No problem. You better get ready and drink some coffee too." Tsuki suggests softly. "Sorry you got drunk on your first night out."

"No need to apologize... I did it to myself. Talk to you later Tsuki." Mune hangs up the phone and yawns. He catches a glimpse of himself and growls in surprise. He chuckles at how much a mess he is in. "Maybe next time you won't drink so much Mune Metsukai." He stands from bed and stretches, brushing his hair away from his eyes. The wolf goes about getting cleaned up and groomed. He didn't bother with something to eat, instead dressed quickly in his beige cargo pants and black muscle shirt after a quick shower. He tops the outfit with a long sleeved decorative dress shirt.

Mune checks the time and rushes out the door.

*******************

"May I help you sir?"

Mune looks up at the waiter; "I'm just waiting for someone, thanks though."

The waiter walks away, leaving the boy alone at the table. The wolf gazes around the café nervously, not knowing what to expect. He decides to calm down. Nothing bad could happen he thinks.

"Excuse me. I am looking for someone."

Mune looks up from the table at the wolverine. The female stops short, studying the wolf closely before a smirk crosses her muzzle. "Mune Metsukai?"

Mune nods his head slowly. "Umm... Yea. I'm Mune. You must be Miss Ishta?"

"Lin is fine. Dear god! You've grown into such a handsome wolf." She notes.

Mune stands and pulls out a chair for the woman, allowing her to sit. Lin smiles as she watches him sit back down. "I am very sorry miss Ishta... I do not recall ever meeting you before..." "I thought you wouldn't, is was so long ago that we met." Lin responds gently. The wolf finds her soft voice comforting.

"May I ask... When or where did we meet?"

"Oh. I apologize. It was before you went to the orphanage."

Mune's eyes widen. "What... Tell me please. Everything before the orphanage. I can't remember any of it. Please tell me."

"I barely know anything. I found you and brought you to the hospital... From there you were sent to the Arkane Orphanage." She looks at him apologetically. "I'm sorry I cannot tell you more Mune."

"It's alright... What about where you found me? Were there any clues there?"

Lin swallows nervously. She didn't know how to answer that question. She did not want to upset him. "You didn't order anything? You must be hungry?" "I.. umm..." "It's on me you know. Order anything your little heart desires sweetie." Lin says, motioning a waiter over.

The waiter steps over to them; "What can I get you ma'am?"

"A martini would be swell. Mune? You drink?"

"I..." Mune shakes his head quickly after remembering last night. "I'll have a vanilla cappuccino."

"Nothing to eat Mune?"

"I guess I'll have a cherry Danish." Mune adds. Lin was right, he needed to eat something. The waiter leaves them and returns with their order a few short moments later. "A cappuccino and Danish for the young man, and martini for the lady." The waiter bows slightly and continues on his way.

"Miss Ishta, what is it you do exactly?"

"It is hard to explain. A little of this and a little of that I guess." The wolverine says. The woman's cellular phone begins to ring. "Excuse me for a moment." She flips the cell phone and turns away from the boy to talk.

"Lin here... are you sure? I'm visiting someone right now..." The wolverine snarls deep in her throat. "I told you I planned on meeting him, he deserves that much. He won't get involved... that I can guarantee."

Mune suddenly feels awkward, like eyes were watching him from all around the outdoors café. A flash of light fills his sight, all around him screams of agony and pain sounded. He looks around in horror. He stood on the edge of a cliff. Far below he could see fire. The fire engulfed everything, the city devoured by its ferocity. The wolf could clearly see the broken bodies of so many people, the scent of blood and fire was everywhere. His own blood raged in his veins. He could feel the presence of something else, leering down at him from behind. Gathering his courage, he turned. The darkness swelled viciously, the shadows reaching out to the winged wolf.

"Not again... Get away... Leave me alone!"

"Little dragoon..."

"Get out of my head! Please! Just get out of my mind!" Mune cries out, his voice echoing through the darkness.

"Poor child... so lost..."

"Who are you!?" Mune yelps as deathly cold fingers reach into his chest and grasp his booming heart. His breathing catches in his lungs, pain wrenches through his entire body, tearing through him violently. An icy hand strokes along the boy's jaw. The boy's eyes widen in fear, his body growing limp.

With a howl of pain, his heart is torn from his trembling body. Everything explodes in bright light.

With a yelp of agony, the boy breaks out of his trance. He falls off his chair and hits the ground hard. Lin is by his side quickly. "What happened?! Are you alright?!" Blood drips from the boy's nose and left ear, tainting his snow white fur. His entire body trembled. His heart beat thunderously in his chest. The pain in his head and body slowly faded. He lay only half conscious of everything around him.

Lin sat him up gently. "Mune, are you with me? Come on little guy, say something."

Mune's eyes open slowly, everything looking so blurry to him in his daze. His body calmed from its initial shock, and he began to regain his senses. "I..." The boy coughs up a bit of blood and completely relaxes. "I'm alright... Just a bit shaken up." The boy says weakly. He takes a steadying breath and sighs.

Lin helps him to his feet and helps him down onto his chair. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Y...yea."

The fur examines the boy closely, not quite convinced. She sits back down across from him. "Mind telling me what freaked you out like that?"

"Nothing... Don't worry about it."

The fifteen-year-old stands up quickly and wipes his bleeding nose. He could feel a lot of eyes still watching him, this time real eyes. "I have to go..."

"Please don't." Lin says quickly.

"I..."

"Please. It has been so long since then... Since I found you in the den of a daemon." She says it low enough so no one else can hear but Mune.

Mune stops where he is. His ears perking up. "What?"

"My team and I found you in an abandoned building where a daemon had been brooding for a great while." Lin takes a calming breath and continues her story. "Most of the victims killed by the daemon were dragoon, like yourself. We thought they had been kidnapped from somewhere in the area... We found you, a five-year-old; locked in some kind of cell made of stone." Her voice lowers further. "You were so close to death, I had to help you. You could not even remember your own name..."

"I don't remember any of what you are saying..." Mune admits.

Lin takes the boy's hands in her own. "I'm so sorry I did not visit you sooner."

Mune looks at the hands holding his, trying to figure out what it was he should be feeling at this time. He was confused. He had a missing piece of his past back, but not a piece he was hoping for. "My mother...?"

"Her body was badly mangled..." Lin answers.

"Can you bring me there?"

"What?"

"I want to see where you found me." Mune says.

"I am afraid I can't. It has since been destroyed." Lin is surprised when Mune pulls his hands away. The wolf's eyes fill with tears. "I don't even remember her... I really am alone. I've felt it all my life. I somehow hoped that one day..." He stands, his heart aching terribly. "You did not arrive in time... Why?"

"We didn't know what was going on. We discovered the den far too late. Most of the victims had already been dead for over 48 hours."

Mune found himself angry that he could even think to blame them for what happened. His body felt weak when he placed the blame on himself. He had not been able to do anything to save his past. He couldn't even remember what it was he would have fought to save. He was just so confused. "I'm sorry... U should have never blamed you." The wolf turns his back on her. "The only one I can really blame is myself..."

"No. Mune, you were only five."

The wolf sniffles. "I could have... I could have done something... Anything."

"Mune. My team does not know this. I returned to that den shortly after leaving you at the hospital...' She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small silver pendant, dangling from a silver chain. A ruby glimmered in the center of the pendant. To those putting faith in Galia, the ruby represented the spirit Moira. Moira, the goddess of the silver moon, was the patron spirit of many ancient dragoon tribes.

Lin holds it out to her young friend. "Your mother... She was barely alive when I returned. No one knows this..." She swallows back her tears. "She wanted you to be safe... and that I should return to you when you were old enough to handle what I've told you." The wolverine looks at the pendant as it caught the light and shimmered brilliantly. "She also wanted me to give this to you."

Mune turns and looks at the pendant. "She asked you?"

"Yes."

Mune lets the pendant drop into his hands. He adored it momentarily before looking back up at Lin. "It's beautiful."

"Yes; very. I am sure it was very special to her."

The young wolf puts the chain around his neck. The pendant rests against the fur of his chest, hanging loosely. The silver blended magnificently with his white fur. Lin smiles; "It looks wonderful on you Mune."

"Thank you."

"Mune... You should be proud of how far you have come. Handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. The girls must love you." Lin says with a tell tale smile.

Mune blushes a deep crimson under his fur. "Umm... Well..."

"Unless you're...?"

"No. Well; kinda. A little of both?" Mune finds himself trying to put up a mental barrier to keep his emotions in check.

Lin nods in understanding. "Bisexual is no big deal. You are who you are after all." She takes a sip of her martini. "Any boyfriends? Girlfriends?"

"N... No... I don't really have any friends... Except for Tsuki. He's a handsome fox I met at the orphanage. But... he is too active for me, so we're just good friends." Mune finds himself blurting out.

"Foxes have a reputation for being good in bed." She winks.

Mune blushes and looks away. "I know that... But I prefer to stay just as friends with him. I want to fall in love."

"I admire that. That shows that you are very mature."

Mune nods his head and smiles warmly. "Thank you."

*******************

The wolf brushes a hand through his hair. He looks at the stars in the sky and the twin moons. He clasps the silver pendant in hand. "Mother... I wish so much sometimes... That I could remember you. I wish I could see your face, look into your eyes."

The wolf sobs, burying his face into his hands.

To Be Continued...