10.

  “And I thought school in the mortal world was hard,” Benny said, following Cole to the next class, looking at the map of the Academy, “I thought I would just be learning how to fight here, but there’s so much more,” he said.

  “Demons are complex, there’s more to fighting them then just swinging a blade, you got to know them inside and out. The Demon that possessed your mom wasn’t the kind that could be fought with weapons,” Cole said.

  “Yeah, I got an exorcism class tomorrow. I want to know how to make sure another Demon can’t do what one did to my mom, that’s what I want to fight, but this school is asking me to have a lot more book smarts than I’m used to having, I’m going to need you and Gregor’s help if I’m going to get my license,” he said.

  “You’ll do fine, first-generation or not, the Demon Hunters need new blood like yours,” Cole said, “Learn what you can, you’ll make it. Hell, I’d rather have you in a fight with me than Angelica or any other angel,” Cole nodded as the turned a corner and joined a group of students heading to class.

  “Woah, check out that hottie,” Benny smiled as looked at a beautiful red head consorting with students and entering the class, “What classes is she taking? I’d like to get to know her,” he said.

  Cole laughed, “Oh, you’ll get to know her, she’s our professor,” Cole said.

  “What, she’s a teacher?” Benny said.

  “Professor Malsauve, no one knows how a demon’s mind works more than her, and she’s an expert on demon summoning rituals, her claim to fame is the last raid on the below. Apparently, she seduced a demon and got him to show her a new entrance, previously unknown, to the below. Once she was in, she brought a whole trope of Demon Hunters with her to raid the place,” Cole said.

  “Never have been the kind of guy to be hot for the teacher before, but damn,” Benny said.

  “Just try to focus on taking notes, she’s going to have a lot to teach us,” Cole said as they filed into the room with the rest of the students.

  Professor Malsauve took her place at the head of the class, “Welcome students, I hope your first week at the academy hasn’t been too taxing, if you’re going to be demon hunters there is a lot to learn, and not that much time, so let’s get right to it,” she said, going to the chalk board and beginning to write out the key question of her class, “What do Demons Want”

  Cole scanned the class and saw Tav sitting in the third row of the room. It was so odd, the students around her couldn’t see her horns and had no idea that a demon was in their midst. No, Tav wasn’t a demon, who cares what her birth was, demons that wanted to hurt people, they were the enemy. Tav didn’t want to hurt anyone, she wasn’t the enemy.

  Professor Malsauve turned, “So I know that some of you know of my reputation, I am proud to say that I have been declared a leading expert in the workings of Demon psychology. Many demons you may fight early in your career will be of the simple insectoid variety, but as you grow and go on more advanced hunts you will find that knowledge of Demon Psychology can aide you in combating the more powerful forces of the Below,” she said, leaning on her desk and showing just enough cleavage to make the girls jealous and make the boys pay attention. “I think I’ll start class by opening up the forum, so students, tell me, what do demons want?” she looked around the class as a few students raised their hands. She saw Angelica with a studious hand raised and smiled, “Blondie,” she pointed to the angelic girl, “So, what do demons want?” the professor asked.

  “Simple, they want death, they want destruction, they want to kill, and they want to douse all hope from the mortal world,” Angelica said keeping her shoulders straight.

  “A fine answer for a new student, one dimensional though,” Professor Malsauve smiled, “Death and destruction are incidental to a demon’s true lusts, the D word I was looking for was Depravity,” she said, “Demons as a species see not to destroy this world but to defile it. The intelligent ones at least. The only thing a Demon enjoys more than killing a man is to see a man fall from the heights of nobility, virtue, and justice, and fall into the abyss of selfishness and uncaring. This is why Demon attacks on the mortal world can be kept secret for the most part, it’s why they don’t act as directly in this world as they could,” she said, “Who here has studied the Salem Witch Trials?” she asked.

  About half the students raised their hands, and Professor Malsauve smiled, “As you know, it was believed that a demon had infected Salem, first of what could be called a modern instance of the mortal world deciphering that their troubles were caused by a demon. It was believed that this demon, his name was Drizrunor by the way, was infecting young girls and trying to bring them to serve his will. Scholars know now that just the opposite was true. The Witch trials were brought on by the demon infecting the minds and thoughts of the Salem leaders and bringing them to act so depraved as to burn innocent girls at the stake or drown them in lakes. That is the true power of what we’re fighting. I know you’ve all earned your weapons and think that your education here is merely a preparation for fighting, but it is not just your bodies you must train but also your minds. While I’m sure any of you could earn the great glory of slaying a demon, it is up to the best of you to root out the demon’s true works in this world,” she said.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Professor Malsauve began to write on her chalk board, “You see, Demons don’t attack the mortal world as openly as they did in the before times, before the Holy war” she drew a line across the board and indented it with a few lines, marking the time of the invention of the telegram, the invention of the radio, and the invention of television, “The Demons know that an open attack would expose them, and would bring the full force of the mortal world against them, so they subvert, they distract, and they corrupt. The demon’s ultimate goal is to have the mortal world turn against itself,” she turned to Cole, “You, Longdren boy, you’ve got a family history of fighting demons, what do you think they want?” she asked.

  “I think your correct professor, the demons know that an all-out attack can’t win in the long run,” he said, “but through subversion, possession, and manipulation, they can destroy this world,” he said.

  “Manipulation, yes, that brings us to our first topic,” Professor Malsauve smiled, “I see a great deal of strong young men here, and strong young men are a prime target for the succubus,” she said, “Is there anyone here who can tell me what a Succubus does?” she asked. Cole already knew the answer, but he didn’t raise his hand, he noticed Tav had her hand up, and so did Benny, and Angelica.

  “You, you’re a first generation, aren’t you?” Professor Malsauve looked at Benny, “You are familiar with this demon?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I mean, they come to men in the night and drain their life force, by way of…well,” Benny got a bit embarrassed talking about such intimate things with such a beautiful woman, “That legend has been around the mortal world for years,” he said.

  Angelica, thinking she was deserving of the floor chimed in, “A Succubus is one of the vilest demons known, it can warp men, command them to do things unthinkable,” she said.

  Tav spoke before the professor could respond to either student, “A Succubus only tempts men who can be tempted, if a man is true and devout to his cause a Succubus has no power over him,” she said.

  Professor Malsauve smiled, “All valid answers, A succubus does seek depravity, a Succubus tempts weak men, but even the strongest men can still fall victim to them,” she said, “I’ve learned much about how they work, used some of their tricks myself in seduction,” she smiled, “You see, it is because Demons know our desires that they can tempt us, us being the mortals that is,” she turned to Tav, “We have a student here who knows the consequences of a mortal seduced by the darkness,” she said, smiling.

  Tav turned to Cole, a look of concern on her face asking if he had exposed her secret. Cole shook his head, promising her without words that no, he hadn’t betrayed her trust. Tav turned back to the professor, “My father died fighting the EverDemon, he betrayed the mortal world once, just once, but he made up for it with his life,” she said.

  “Yes, your father is quite famous,” Professor Malsauve said, “A great hunter, he fought in a raid, but he still fell victim to the seduction of the below and allowed the EverDemon to be freed,” she said.

  “It’s more complicated than that,” Tav said, “He-”

  “He did what was right in the end, yes, I know,” the professor said, “That you are here today, fighting for the light, that’s all the proof we need that the temptations of the dark can be overcome,” she said.

  “The light doesn’t need betrayers to fight for them,” Angelica said, earning a lock of scorn from the professor.

  “I would have you sit down, angel,” Professor Malsauve said, “To once fight for darkness, but again come into the light, that takes more strength than any angel could ever hope to have,” she said, “To bathe in the light all your life, it’s easy to only see things in black and white, see things as matters of divine or darkness. A mortal man may have committed himself to the great darkness, but he repented, slew the EverDemon, and saved the mortal world. As an angel I would think you would be gracious and accepting of one's repentance,” she said.

  Angelica did as she was told, and sat back down, “I was only saying that the corruption of a man shows that some-”

  “Some men what!?” Tav turned to Angelica scorn and hate in her voice.

  “Some men are flawed, some mortals are flawed, and if it wasn’t for those flaws the EverDemon would have never been released, and lives could have been saved,” Angelica said.

  Cole stood up, “The EverDemon would have escaped one way or another, it’s not any mortal's fault, and it’s not Tav’s fault,” he turned to the pretty girl with horns on her head.

  Professor Malsauve lit up, “That’s exactly what I’m trying to say,” she laughed, “The Demons can corrupt and manipulate all they want, but in the end they will be defeated, and they’ll be defeated by their own workings, the Betrayer may have released the EverDemon, but it was he who slayed it,” she said, “The darkness will tempt you, it will try to corrupt you, the darkness will promise even the mightiest demon hunter with blessings and trappings that they could never imagine, as demon hunters it is your sacred duty to try and fight those temptations,” as she spoke, Cole found his eyes going to Tav again, and Tav turned to look at him as well, “Every man in this class may find himself tempted by a Succubus,” she said as Tav turned her eyes away from Cole, “And it’s not just the men in danger, the Demons promise power, might, control, there is not a student in here that couldn’t find themselves tempted, not a man, a woman, or even an angel,” she turned to Angelica and got a huff out of her. “Demons promise us everything we want, and in return, they give us everything they need.”