15.

  Cole, Gregor, and Benny were aboard a train on their way to the famed South Charleston marketplace.

  “I need this explained again. Why don’t people like me know about this place?” Benny asked, “This seems like a huge place, I mean, people have to have some idea something is going on here,” Benny said.

  “I can field this,” Gregor said, “It’s a tourist trap, they sell idiotic things, vampire teeth, demon horns, ghostly silks, the mortal world thinks the goods that this place provides and deals in are nothing more than simple Tchotchkes and delights for tourists, The Carolina’s being steeped in southern gothic tradition as they are, people think these weapons and tools of our trade fun props, interesting conversation starters, good luck charms as one would call them,” he said, “We come here and sell and trade our wares, the owners of these establishments that deal with us make some money on the side selling the weaker bits of our loot to tourists, and said tourists get a fun little reminder of the beaches and culture of the Carolinas. As a bit of irony, if a demon invades their home, they may find themselves with a weapon that can prove useful against them,” Gregor looked to Benny and smiled, “You never know, the Carolinas are famous for their ghost stories after all,” he said.

  “So, if your example is true, they know they’re buying a real vampire’s tooth?” Benny asked.

  Cole laughed, holding on to the handrail as the train continued to barrel its way toward the market.

  “No, they don’t know they’re buying a real vampire’s tooth, and they’re not. Vampires aren’t real, they’re a myth created by the mortal world,” Gregor said, “They just think they’re buying a real Vampire’s tooth, it’s a spot of kitschy fun,” Gregor said.

  “I still don’t get it, how the hell have you guys been able to hide this for what is it, three hundred years?” he asked.

  “Actually, it’s been closer to a thousand,” Cole said, still laughing.

  “A thousand years? You guys have been selling literal monster teeth to people and no one has caught on for a thousand years?”

  “It’s complicated,” Cole said.

  “Actually, it isn’t,” Gregor said, “You see, the mortal world, your world,” he looked to Benny, “Doesn’t want to believe that there are terrors in the night, doesn’t want to believe that when their child cries about a monster under the bed there’s a chance that they could be right,” he said.

  “Tell that to my mom,” Benny said.

  “Yes, sometimes the works of demons do bring new knowers into our circles, and we do welcome you,” Gregor looked down, “Sometimes I wonder if this war would be easier if everyone knew, but as Professor Malsauve said, the Demons don’t want everyone to know, the demons hide their ways, avoid open confrontation and for the time the masters of the guild find themselves agreeing to this state of affairs,” Gregor said.

  “I remember the first few years, with my mom, they said she was crazy, the doctors I mean,” Benny sighed, “They had no idea what it was that had her, took three years for a Hunter to come to our door, maybe you’re right Greg, maybe people should know,” he looked to Gregor, “There’s all this evil out there, and people don’t even realize. That’s why I’m here. If I can kill just a bit of it, just enough for one boy to not go through what I went through, people need to know,” Benny said.

  “All works in time,” Gregor tried to calm him down, “Remember that you took the Mortal Oath, you’ve been let into this world, the secret must be kept, right?” Gregor looked at Cole.

  “I’m a bit out of my field on this one, could the war be won faster if people knew? I don’t know,” Cole said, “But this is the way we fight them for now, my dad once told me that my ancestor was one of the first men to take the oath. He was a Templar who fought in the great war. After he won, he agreed to take the oath just like your family did,” Cole looked to Benny, “All we can do is kill them, that’s all we can do,” Cole sighed, and thought of Tav. His family, the academy, and every adult in his life told him how Demons were an evil that needed to be wiped from this earth. They couldn’t think that way about Tav, they wouldn’t. Tav wasn’t like them, she couldn’t be like them. He shook his head, and focused on what was important, “We’re about to make some money boys, we got demon teeth, that’s as good as cash in this market,” Cole said as the train came to its last stop and the students filed out into the market. This was after hours, where the sellers who flirted with the Mortal Oath by way of selling their wares to unsuspecting tourists and passer-bys opened their real businesses and dealt in wares and ways of the Demon Hunters.

  Benny and Gregor followed Cole through the market, “I know a guy here who can give us a good deal,” he said, “Works with my brothers a lot,” Cole said as he led them to one of the most obvious tourist traps in the market.

  “This is the guy? Seems kind of hackney,” Benny said.

  “He’s the best, why do you think he’s got the most popular shop on the street,” Cole said as they passed a large wooden cut out of a Surfer with blonde beach hair and a puka shell necklace.

  “Longdren boy, oh man!” A fat and jovial man in a Hawaiian shirt welcomed the three, “I know you’re a Longdren boy, you got those broad shoulders and that proud chin, I’m right, aren’t I?” he asked.

  “You know who I am Mr. Dunlap,” Cole said, approaching him and giving him a handshake, “I’ve been here with my brothers more times than I can remember,” Cole smiled.

  Dunlap laughed, “Just trying to impress your friends,” he turned to Gregor, “Don’t tell me, Munchouse, you’re Munchouse’s boy, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “Guilty,” Gregor said, “Gregor Munchouse, a pleasure to meet you,” he reached and gave Dunlap a handshake.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Dunlap turned to Benny, “Oh, you, don’t recognize that brow, that chin, or that bulk, hmm,” Dunlap contemplated the encyclopedia of the Hunter families he had stored in his head, and came to the only sensible answer, “You’re a newbie, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “Damn, this guy is good, yeah, Benny Paterellis, first generation,” he said, giving Dunlap a handshake.

  “Told you he was the best,” Cole smiled, “We just took down an Annukag, got some teeth for you,” Cole said.

  “Yes, Vampire teeth, I tell you these are some of the best sellers I have,” Dunlap said.

  “They're not Vampire's teeth, they came from an Annukag,” Benny said.

  “Of course, I’ve teeth from Annukags, Ronirods, and Mazzamags, but to the tourist, they’re all vampire's teeth, tell me you got some incisors, the sharper they are the better the sell,” Dunlap said.

  “They’re plenty sharp, don’t worry,” Cole said as he pulled the pouch of teeth out, “We got about sixty between us, what can you do for that?” he asked.

  Dunlap took the teeth and slipped a monocle out of his pocket and inspected them, “Yes, yes, these are great,” he said, “I can give you three hundred coins for them,” he said.

  “Coins?” Benny asked, “I thought we were going to be getting cash,” Benny said, looking at Cole.

  “Hunter Coins, It’s the currency we use for our wares,” Cole said, “If you want you can find a trader that can exchange them for cash, but-”

  “But the exchange rates suck,” Dunlap said, “Dealing within the confines of the Mortal Oath has seen a market for my wares develop to a fickle status quo. If I’m going to keep this store open, I have to trade how I have to trade. You could open a shop yourself maybe pass off a few teeth, Vampire teeth, off and make some mortal money, but let’s be honest, you’re not established in this business,” Dunlap smiled.

  “Trust me, we’re getting a good deal, right Mr. Dunlap?” Cole asked.

  “Of course, of course,” Dunlap said, “I can’t go trying to screw a man of the Longdren clan out of his due pay, I have a reputation to uphold,” he smiled, holding his shoulders up high.

  “What can we buy with Coins?” Benny asked, “I mean, we already have weapons, what else do we need,” he asked.

  Gregor fielded the question, “Some of the local shops sell certain vigors that can aid a demon hunter, and if you get enough you can buy a weapon even better than what the academy provides us, and with even more than enough you can find a smith to build you a custom weapon,” he said turning to Cole, “The men of your family have some of the most famous custom weapons ever crafted by the hands of man or angel,” he said.

  “Yeah, we don’t have enough between the three of us to get a custom weapon for just one of us, let’s just stick to some vigors, and some armor for the next hunt. I have a feeling that Professor Marcus is going to throw something insane at us next time,” Cole said.

  “Hey, should we get Tav?” Benny asked.

  “What?” Cole turned to him.

  “Yeah, that Tav Girl made sure to get the front teeth of the Demon we killed, if this guy is who you say he is, gives the best prices, shouldn’t she be here getting the best prices for the best teeth?” he asked.

  “Yes, Tavalia’s absence is odd, I haven’t seen her all night, with the bounty she earned in the hunt I would think that she would be the first in the market to sell her wares,” Gregor said.

  “I’m sure she’s at one of the other sellers, she probably just doesn’t know that Dunlap’s the best,” Cole said.

  “Are you saying you know a girl who has the best teeth from an Annukag and you didn’t bring her here, get her here, I want those teeth,” Dunlap said.

  “I’ll see where she is, try to get her a better deal,” Cole said, leaving the store.

  “Hey Cole,” Benny said, “Are you like, seeing her? You two talk a lot,” he asked.

  “What, no,” Cole said, regrettably as he really would like to be seeing her, “I mean, I’ve seen her, I see her, but I’m not like, seeing her,” he said.

  “Shame for you,” Benny said, “She’s hot, not as hot as that Angelica girl, or Professor Malsauve, or this one redhead in my exorcism class, but she is hot,” Benny said.

  Cole couldn’t help but laugh, “Benny,” he put his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “You may be the smartest man in the academy this year,” he said.

  “Excuse me?” Gregor said.

  Cole laughed again, “Gregor, Greg, I don’t have any idea what I’m doing, you’re way more capable than I am,” Cole said as he turned out to head into the market.

  As Cole explored the market, passing several stores that had converted from tourist traps to Demon Hunter vendors, he ran into Angelica.

  “Cole Longdren, so great to see you,” she said, “I recently completed my first hut, a Sogrog, it was fierce but no match my angelic might,” she said.

  “Yeah, that’s great, have you seen Tav?” he asked.

  “Oh, her,” Angelica said, a bit of scorn in her voice, “Tavalia chose to not come on the trip to the market, probably sulking away in her room listening to My Chemical Romance and writing awful poetry,” she said. “I just made a trade of shell pieces for over eighty coins, I’m thinking of upgrading my shield, as an Angel I must protect so I must have a mighty shield if I’m to do that,” she said.

  “That’s great,” Cole said, brushing her off, “So Tav didn’t come. Why wouldn’t she? Did she say anything?” Cole asked.

  “She never tells anyone anything,” Angelica said, “Who knows what she’s up to, I heard that she performed in your hunt with you, you can’t think that one lucky performance is enough to prove she’s a demon hunter worth her salt,” Angelica huffed, “She’s not here for the same reasons we are,” she looked to Cole, pouted her lips, “You and I are here because of our families, not in spite of them,” she said, reaching up to rest her hand on Cole’s shoulder, he batted it away without even thinking.

  “Why wouldn’t Tav come?” he asked, then shook his head, “It’s probably because you were coming, you treat her like crap and she probably didn’t want to be around you,” he said.

  “Longdren, don’t fall for her temptations,” Angelica said, “Her father caused the-”

  “Her father slayed the EverDemon,” Cole said, “She’s just as much a Hunter as the rest of us,” he said, “Leave Tav alone, if you’re an angel, and if you really do want to support the works of men like me, you’ll leave her alone,” he looked to this beautiful angel, and saw through to an ugly face.

  Angelica, the angel, turned her back on this misled man, “She has corrupted you,” she said, “I will see you fight for the side of light, it is my duty as an angel to do so,” she said.

  “Don’t question me, angel,” Cole said, “I fight for the light and so does Tav, if you were a real angel, you wouldn’t cast someone off so fast,” he said.

  Angelica turned back to Cole, “I can save you,” she said, “From her, from her evil ways, who knows what kind of darkness she carries by way of her father, you know no one knows who her mother is, whatever woman would lay with the Betrayer may be even worse than him,” she said.

  “Tav isn’t like her father, she’s not evil,” Cole said, knowing full well that both her father was a betrayer, and her mother was a demon, “She wouldn’t rebuke you so much if you treated her like she was-”

  “Like she was what?” Angelica said, “Treat her like she’s from a proud family like we are?” she asked, “Longdren, Cole, you can’t let her seduce you, you’re too important, I have to save you,” she said.

  “Save me from what? From being friends with one of the best performing Hunters in our class?” he asked, “Tav is of the light just as much as any of us, no matter what you say,” Cole batted away Angelica’s hand again.

  “I am an Angel, and I will save you,” she held her shoulders up and stood proud.

  “We’ll see,” Cole said, turning his back on the angel and heading back to Dunlap’s shop to finish his deal and get what he needed for his studies as a Demon Hunter.