《Demons' Curiosity》


 Chapter 1

    Mirzeth opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was still in hell, doing normal demon things. Getting a short-lived thrill out of watching those suffering, wandering the fiery paths, and generally feeling bored. He needed a change of scenery. Maybe someone would summon him, but mess up so he''d be free. He breathed a sigh and then decided to seek out one of his friends.


    As he made his way toward one of his friend''s usual haunts, he spied some lesser demons gossiping. They spoke of a place the humans had built to educate other humans on how to kill demons. He stifled a laugh at this notion, as demons couldn''t be killed, only banished. However, he couldn''t trust the humans to be aware of this. They were notoriously short-sighted in these matters.


    He stopped walking when he reached his target area and rested a hand on his hip. He spent a moment to look around. Towers of stone surrounded the area in a circle, reminiscent of a human structure. Deep red lights emanated from holes in the ground, and they cast a somewhat ominous tone on the area. From within these holes, a sulfuric stench plumed up and he could hear the familiar sound of bubbling lava. Really, he didn''t understand why his friend liked being here so much. It was just like any other place in hell. He was only left waiting for a short while longer before he had company.


    A demoness, Sarzun, stepped into the circle, though paused when she saw she wasn''t alone. Her skin and horns were an ashen black color, and her horns had a rather appealing curved shape. She had a lovely face, but her solid white eyes and sharp fangs were somewhat unsettling. Silvery locks framed her face and reached her lower back, and they moved as if they were lighter than air.


    "Oh, hey! Didn''t expect to see ya around here!" she called out with a laugh. Her voice was rather melodic and almost hypnotic to listen to despite her way of speaking being unrefined.


    Mirzeth dropped his hand from his hip. "I just got bored," he stated bluntly. He reached up to brush dark hair out of his eyes. "What''re you doing?"


    "''Course you got bored. I was takin'' a walk since I finished messin'' with these humans. You wouldn''t believe how skeptic some people can be. Took ''em two weeks to figure out it wasn''t just some weird-ass burglars scrawlin'' shit on their mirrors. But it was fun when they started gettin'' scared," she explained.


    Mirzeth snickered. "You gonna go back there? Careful, they might call a priest on you," he mockingly warned. This elicited a cackle from Sarzun.


    "Fuck yeah, I''m goin'' back. I ain''t scared of some crusty old man who can''t even trip without crackin'' a bone. Just gotta get ''em scared and their prayers won''t help anymore," she remarked with confidence.


    "Y''know what they think they have now? Demon killers. You might run into one of them," he commented.


    Sarzun''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously? They think they can kill us? That''s sad and hilarious at the same time."


    "Mhm. Heard it from some gossip on the way here. They''ve apparently got a place where they teach other humans how to kill demons. Sounds like a bunch of nonsense, huh?"


    "Shit, I really wanna check that out now. Maybe I should possess some poor fucker and try to find it. Whaddya think about joining me on that?"


    "Sounds fun, sure." Just then, Mirzeth heard an otherworldly voice call his name. He looked up and grinned. "Well, guess I''m being summoned. Maybe I''ll be able to get out. I''ll seeya later, Sarza." He watched her wave goodbye before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke to respond to the summoning.


    Upon appearing on the other end, Mirzeth glanced around. He was in a dark room lit by candles, and there was a binding circle drawn around him. As he inspected the runes on the circle, the human in the room started to speak.


    "Holy shit, it actually worked!" he exclaimed in disbelief.


    Without looking up from his inspection, Mirzeth responded, "Yes, yes. What do you want, hmm? Power? Money? Love?"


    The human spoke again, oblivious to a certain thing on the circle that had caught the demon''s eye, "I''ve always been scared of death, so I want to live forever."


    This actually caused Mirzeth to laugh aloud. "Scared of death, huh? Well, you seem to have made a mistake here," he pointed out. He gestured to a small break in the circle and looked up to the human to watch the color drain from his face. Mirzeth stepped out of the circle and approached him. "Now, what shall I do with you before I go out and find something interesting? Should I make it quick? Should I have some fun with it?" he questioned.


    Of course, the human cowered from him and backed away. "Please, please don''t kill me! I''ll do anything you want!" he pleaded.


    Mirzeth seemed to consider this, then spoke, "Ah, fine. Age will take you soon, and it would be fun to have some poor fool indebted to me. Use what little time you have left for whatever you want. Or don''t, since your life is meaningless and you''ll never have a true impact on the world." He then walked out of the room, leaving the human stunned.


    Deciding to explore the house, he started to check doors. It was a rather basic human house with all the human things. A bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, weapon room. Mirzeth stopped at the weapon room and cringed slightly. It absolutely reeked to him, so he reached up to cover his nose. He stepped inside the room to investigate. The weapons inside the cases seemed to be of a holier nature, which puzzled him. Why would a human with holy weapons summon a demon? Soon after he wondered that, a sharp pain permeated from his chest. He looked down to see a blade sticking out of him with his black, demonic blood stuck to the metal. It only took a moment for a horrible, stinging pain to follow. He grit his teeth.


    The human spoke behind him, "I only summoned you to kill you. You''re a vile creature that deserves to die." He twisted the blade and pulled it farther down, widening the wound.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Mirzeth choked back a cry of pain. He really wasn''t used to getting attacked, so this was a new experience for him. "What if I told you that you can''t kill a demon?" This comment only earned him another twist of the blade. "Fucking bitch!" he hissed.


    "If you bleed, I can kill you," the human shot back. He yanked the blade out to observe the dark liquid on it. "You look like you''ve bled quite a bit," he mused with a chuckle.


    Mirzeth had collapsed as soon as the blade was pulled out, and more of his blood spilled onto the floor. He pushed himself up and swiveled to face his attacker. "You got a thing for blood? That''s pretty vile," he mocked. He felt his head spinning, but he knew it wasn''t from the blood loss.


    The human growled and stabbed him again, this time targeting his stomach. "Go back to hell where you belong."


    Mirzeth flinched when his stomach was impaled. "You''re really intent on pissing me off, huh? Do you really wanna do that when I decided to spare you?" He paused as he thought back to what he''d heard of. "Hey, are you with that whole thing where humans teach other humans to kill demons? I wanted to check that out."


    The human hesitated at that question. "Of course I am, but why does that matter to a demon that''s about to die?" He then chuckled. "Killing a powerful demon like you will definitely get the headmaster''s eyes on me."


    Mirzeth laughed. "Oh, you poor mistaken human." He then stood up and tried his best to ignore the pain that flared up from moving the sword. "You''re not gonna live to see tomorrow." He reached up and wrapped his hands around the human''s neck tightly.


    As expected, the human let go of his sword and threw his own hands up frantically to attempt to move Mirzeth''s hands. He spat out choking curses at the demon as his life slipped away from him. The demon watched with glee as the human''s face turned red, then purple. Tears streamed down from his eyes and saliva dripped down his chin as his words left him and his mouth stayed open. He desperately wanted to cling to life, but in the end, it was futile. His body went limp and hung from Mirzeth''s grip.


    Letting the body go, Mirzeth then looked down at the blade that was lodged into his stomach. He took a hold of the handle and started to ease the blade out. A grimace formed on his face from the pain of it. Once it was out, he simply dropped the sword. He stepped over the human''s body and walked into the bathroom. The mirror in there showed the reflection of a demon with messy black hair, pale skin and horns, pure black eyes, and pointed ears. His horns were large and curled like a goat''s, indicative of his powerful nature. He let out a sigh and messed with his hair. His skin tone was pretty human-like, but everything else about him screamed "demon". He would need to disguise himself.


    Mirzeth closed his eyes and said an incantation. Swirls of black smoke circled his body and surrounded it. As his reflection was obscured, his appearance changed to deceive mortal eyes. Once the smoke cleared, he looked at his reflection again. His horns had vanished from view and his hair fell accordingly to cover where they had once been. His ears had lost their point and were now shaped like a human''s. His eyes were now a sharp, icy blue. He smirked and left the room to change his clothes.


    He entered the human''s bedroom and checked the closet for clothing. He picked out a simple white t-shirt and jeans for now and set them on the bed. He slid off his slightly ruined clothes and changed into the fresh ones. "Guess I should bring more than one set," he muttered to himself. He then prepared to leave.


    Mirzeth stepped out of the house and glanced around. The house was surrounded by trees and a nearly-deserted road could barely be seen in the distance. Vivid leaves greeted the eye with warm tones, and the wind rustled them. Sunlight filtered through the canopy and cast uneven, shifting rays upon the ground. A cool breeze drifted through the trees, chilling the demon who was used to the sweltering heat of hell.


    As Mirzeth walked toward the road, fallen leaves crunched. He shielded his eyes from the sparse patches of sunlight, as they weren''t used to the brightness. Since he definitely wasn''t in a human town, he decided the best course of action would be to find one. Maybe he could wait for someone to pass on the road, or he could walk along it until he found a sign. He opted for the latter option. After all, someone could pass while he was walking.


    He took the time to plan what he would do while he walked. If Sarzun was coming, he would have to find her somehow. That probably wouldn''t prove too difficult since he was familiar with her magical signature. Next, there was the matter of finding this "demon-killing" place. Perhaps he could go by word of mouth, or search libraries for information on it. The search was sure to be a pain in the ass, but he had all the time in the world. Then, he remembered that humans often had strange names. He''d have to remember one of the ones he''d heard before if he were to truly blend in.


    An indeterminate amount of time passed as he walked, though he didn''t tire like a human would. He looked up, his eyes meeting a road sign. Seemed like he was about five miles away from a town, that would be a good place to start. He could easily zone out again and get there in no time at all. In the distance though, he heard an approaching car. The car passed him, only to stop and pull to the side of the road farther up. "What a hassle," he muttered, then quickened his pace to reach the car before the driver lost interest. When he did, the driver rolled down the passenger side window.


    "You need a lift?" She called from within the car, looking out the window to see who was there. The woman appeared to be a younger human and seemed to be chewing something. Some alternative music was playing quietly, probably turned down so she could talk to him.


    "Yeah, I just need to get to the next town. Are you alright with taking me along?" He offered a smile to the woman.


    She smiled back. "Sure. I''m heading that way anyways, so just get in." The locks of the car clicked.


    Mirzeth opened the passenger door and got in, buckling his seatbelt and closing the door behind himself. He shifted the duffel bag he''d stuffed with clothes and necessities onto his lap. Setting his arms on top of it, he rested his head and closed his eyes.


    The woman locked the car again and got back on the road. "What brings you to this area, anyway? Not many people bother to travel out here. Oh, I''m Cynthia by the way. How about you?"


    Mirzeth raised his head again and looked over. "My name''s Denzel. I''m just passing through here to find something."


    Cynthia nodded. "What are you looking for? I know this area pretty well, so I might be able to point you in the right direction."


    "You''ll probably think I''m weird, but I''m trying to find a school for exorcists. I haven''t been able to find any information about it elsewhere, so I''ve just been traveling around for a while." He rested his head in his hand. "I''m starting to think that it doesn''t even exist, actually."


    She snickered. "Oh, those schools? Full of crazies if you ask me, but I''m sure that you have your reasons to seek them out." She then paused. "Actually, I think there''s a person from one of them in town right now. They have this ''possession'' case, but I think it''s just the kid looking for attention. It''s been the talk of the town for the past few days."


    His eyes widened slightly. "Do you know where this exorcist is staying? I''d like to pay them a visit."


    "Probably in a motel, there''s one pretty close to that family''s house. I could drop you off there, if you want me to."


    He smiled. "That''d be great. If you don''t mind, I''m gonna try to get some rest."

 Chapter 2

    Mirzeth opened his eyes when the car came to a stop. He looked out the windows and saw that they were in a parking lot.


    Cynthia went to shake him awake, but stopped when she saw that he was already awake. "Oh, you woke up by yourself. We''re at the motel now."


    "Thanks. I''ll be fine, you can go on." He unbuckled his seatbelt and unlocked his door, then opened it and got out. Closing it behind himself, he walked toward the front office of the motel. He slung the duffel bag over his shoulder as he walked. Cynthia watched him for a moment before she drove off.


    Mirzeth didn''t even have to ask for the exorcist. When he reached the office, the door swung open and almost hit him. A man came through, wearing what looked like a strange uniform. He stopped when he saw the other person. "Oh, sorry. Almost hit you there."


    Mirzeth looked over the man, his eyes sparkling. "Wow, are you the exorcist I heard about? I was looking for someone like you." He grinned. "I''m Denzel, nice to meet you."


    The exorcist stared at him, though obviously didn''t see or sense anything out of place. "Cecil. What, are you looking to become an exorcist? It''s a dangerous line of work, I hope you know that."


    Mirzeth nodded. "I know. Are you with those schools? I''ve been looking for them for a while."


    Cecil brought his hand up to his chin, obviously in thought. "I''m a graduate from one, I''m sure that I could get you in contact with the one that''s nearby. Do you want to come with me to my room? We could talk more there."


    "That''d be great! Just don''t try anything, I''m stronger than I look." Mirzeth snickered. "Not that I think you would."


    Cecil chuckled. "You''re an enthusiastic one. C''mon, it''s just this way." He turned to follow the walkway to his room. When he got to the door, he swiped his keycard and opened it. Mirzeth followed him inside and closed the door behind them. Cecil walked over and sat on one of the chairs. "Now, how much do you know about exorcisms, kid?"


    Mirzeth frowned. "Not much, I''m afraid. All I know is that it aims to banish the demon back to hell so that it''ll stop tormenting its target."


    Cecil nodded. "That''s the basic idea. However, we have found methods to kill demons. It''s only effective if they appear in a physical form, though." He intertwined his fingers, frowning. "The big problem is that the only ones who seem to be able to appear in physical form are the more powerful ones. We''ve lost many overconfident amateurs to this approach, so I wouldn''t recommend it personally. If you''d like, I could take you along when I try again tonight."


    "Really? I''d love to come along. When are you gonna go?" Mirzeth sat on the end of the bed and shifted his bag to be resting on his lap. "I''m pretty eager to see what it''ll be like."


    "I''ll probably leave in about a half hour. We could sit around and talk more, if you want. I''d like to get to know you better, especially if you''re an aspiring exorcist." Cecil leaned forward, smiling. "It''s always inspiring to see the next generation."


    Cecil and Mirzeth walked up on the house, and the latter could immediately tell that there was a demonic presence there. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "There''s definitely something there, but I won''t be able to know if it''s a possession until we get inside." His eyes drifted to one of the windows, he noticed two pairs of eyes gazing at him. "It doesn''t seem to be particularly strong, though."


    Cecil looked over to him in surprise. "You can sense demonic presences, even without experience? You must have some natural talent." He chuckled. "I think they''ll like you at the school, they rarely get people like that." With that, he walked to the front door and knocked on it. After a minute or two, the door opened and someone peeked out.


    "Oh, hello again, Cecil. I didn''t know that you''d be bringing another person." The woman inside the house sounded nervous.


    Mirzeth gazed behind the woman, where he could see a lesser demon glaring at him. With Cecil''s back turned and the woman''s attention away from him, he reached up and made a "zip it" gesture. The lesser demon stared him down with all four of its eyes before it let out a resigned sigh that apparently sounded much more like a hiss to the two humans as they both jumped in shock.


    "Fucking asshole, always trying to put yourself on a pedestal." It growled.


    Mirzeth''s eye twitched and he marched right into the house, pushing past both Cecil and the woman. As he did so, he grabbed the lesser demon by its horns and threw it against the wall. He then pinned it against the wall with one hand and leaned close to look directly into its top pair of eyes. "Go ahead, say plainly what you were implying. I dare you." His words melted into a sort of snarl as he finished his sentence. "Before I send you back to hell right here and now."


    Cecil stared on in shock, he could just barely see the black outline of what Mirzeth had pinned. When he regained his composure, he reached into his coat and gripped onto the metal cross that he had there. However, he didn''t intervene yet as he was admittedly rather curious about how this would play out. He was sure that he would be able to help Mirzeth if he needed it. "Denzel, you better be careful with that. It might strike back."


    The lesser demon looked between Mirzeth and Cecil, quickly making a decision about which way it wanted to go. "Alright, I''ll say what everyone knows. You''re an overconfident asshole and hell would be a little less horrible if you just stayed up here for the rest of eternity." It spat.


    Mirzeth scowled. "So that''s your decision." He couldn''t say that he didn''t see this coming, but it was still mildly annoying to be insulted. "You''re just a weakling who doesn''t wanna see what the scary exorcist has in store for you." He then pressed his hand onto the demon''s chest. After he muttered a spell, the demon disintegrated into ash. He brushed some off of his hand. "Disgusting creature."


    Cecil''s eyes widened when he felt the demonic presence completely disappear. "Wait, did you actually banish it?"


    Mirzeth looked over to Cecil. "Yeah. It''s my family''s specialty, but also why all of them were killed." His eyes fell to the floor, and a sad expression appeared on his face.


    "Your entire family? I''m so sorry." Cecil placed his hand on Mirzeth''s shoulder as a comforting gesture. "You can do a lot of good, though. Your family would have been proud of you."


    Internally, Mirzeth smirked. Cecil had fallen right for his lies.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Mirzeth hopped onto one of the hotel beds in a sitting position, chuckling as he bounced on the mattress a couple times. Such a thing was rather novel to him. Sure, he''d seen them before, but it was an entirely different experience to be on one. Demons normally had no need to sleep (with notable exceptions), so beds were rather uncommon in hell.


    Cecil sat on the chair again and examined Mirzeth with quizzical eyes. He said nothing for several minutes, the only sound in the motel room being the springs compressing then extending as Mirzeth played on the mattress. Finally, he decided to speak up. "How long ago was your family attacked? I understand if you don''t want to talk about it, but-"


    Mirzeth went still on the mattress, sighing. "A little over a month ago. They were killed off one after the other, and then the entire manor was dragged into the ground. Not even the bodies were left behind." He inhaled shakily and reached up to wipe his eyes. "There''s no telling what use their bodies will be to the demons. Maybe they''ll even find a way to resist banishment." He looked down at his hands.


    Cecil watched Mirzeth, then got up. He walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. This gesture made Mirzeth''s eyes widen in surprise and stirred up a rather alien feeling, one that the demon had never felt before. It took quite the self-control for him to not push Cecil away right there. As soon as he was let go, he moved away from the edge of the bed.


    "I know what it''s like to lose people that you care about. It''s common in this line of work and unfortunately, it''s unavoidable. I''ve seen many skilled men and women lose their lives while trying to get rid of demons. They were children, parents, siblings, spouses. You''ll learn to cope, and it''ll help you strengthen your resolve." Cecil reassured. "Heh. You''ve probably had twice the amount of experience of other exorcists your age."


    Mirzeth stared at Cecil as he spoke, then looked to the side as soon as he stopped. He gripped his shirt above his chest with one hand in an attempt to deal with the strange feeling there. What was this feeling? Did he feel bad for this human? He let out a single, nervous, and half-assed laugh to brush off his tension. "You sure talk a lot. It makes me feel better though, so thanks."


    Cecil smiled genuinely and pat Mirzeth''s shoulder. "Any time. Now, are you hungry? I''m sure that an ability like yours takes a lot out of you."


    <hr>


    Particles of ash flurried through the air of the dim room like snowflakes, making the inhabitant cough and wheeze. The only lighting in the room was from several candles that lined a ritual circle. They gently illuminated the drawn lines and made the blood-like liquid that had seeped up from the floorboards glisten. From within the circle, Sarzun glared at the person who had summoned her. She hovered in the air, her hair floating as well in thick separated strands.


    The tension in the room was instantly broken when she spoke. "Whatcha want, mortal? Make it quick, I ain''t got all day. Well, I do, but still don''t waste my time."


    Dumbstruck, the man stared at her for a while. He seemed to have completely forgotten his original desire from shock. His gaze drifted downward, but Sarzun pretended that she didn''t notice this. Rolling her eyes, she hovered closer to the edge of the circle. Her face was mere inches away from the man''s, but of course she wouldn''t be able to touch him due to the circle.


    "Just how long do you plan to gawk at me, dumbass? If you''re gonna summon a demon, at least know what you want." She crossed her arms and rolled so her back was facing the ground. Despite its length, her hair hovered just above the floor so as to not touch it. "Guess I''ll be here for a while."


    The man finally regained his composure, putting on a haughty expression to mask how surprised he''d been before. "I didn''t know that there were demons that acted like bumpkins. You probably aren''t even powerful enough to give me what I want."


    Sarzun covered her mouth as she laughed. "Oh, you''re one to talk about power. You''re a foolish mouse that''s trapped a lioness in a cage made of straw, and this lioness has a taste for blood." She lowered her voice into a deeper tone as she spoke, then turned her gaze to another part of the room. A malicious grin appeared on her face. "This lioness just found her key, Samson. Be a dear and kick out some of that salt for me."


    Samson''s face paled in fear as his body seized up all of a sudden, then kicked out a portion of the circle in a robotic fashion. His body only stopped when there was a wide enough gap for Sarzun to pass. She turned upright and then landed so that she could walk out of the circle.


    "Now, what should I do with you? Should I string you up to bleed until all of that red blood of yours has drained, or should I drink it all?" She shoved him against a wall and then pressed her arm against his neck to pin him there. "I''m in the mood to gorge. Don''t worry, I''ll make it slow and painful for you. I saw how you looked at me."


    He stared at her in horror, his entire body frozen. "Please- please don''t kill me! I don''t want to die like this!" Tears ran down his face as he begged for his life.


    Sarzun''s eyes narrowed, and she lowered her tone once again. "How pathetic. You mortals always look so ridiculous when you beg for your lives." She pressed her arm harder against his neck to remind him of his place. "What you should be begging for is a quick death. Let''s try this again, shall we?"


    Samson brought his hand up and slapped her across the face. Perhaps he hoped that she''d let him go and give him a chance for escape, or perhaps he was just lashing out from fear. Either way, this stupid attack made Sarzun snarl at him. She grabbed his neck with one hand and threw him to the side. She then stalked over to him and stomped on one of his legs. The snap that rang out was music to her ears, as well as the scream of agony that followed.


    "You''re just an evil bitch!" He spat at her and desperately tried to pull himself away from her. "I hope you burn when you go back to hell!"


    Sarzun laughed and stomped on his other leg, breaking it as well. "I''d love to, but I''m fireproof. In fact, you''ve doomed yourself even more by summoning me. You think they''ll welcome you upstairs, demon summoner? No, your selfishness will make you fit right in when you''re in hell." She pinched her thumbs and index fingers, then pressed them together. Muttering a spell of some sort, she pulled them apart. A glistening string formed between them. It looked like a spider''s thread and was barely visible to the human eye. She pulled the string longer until it was at her full armspan. "Have you ever wondered how long it takes for a human to bleed out? It depends on a lot of things. Wound size, body size, how panicked they are. I''m a bit impatient, so I''ve never tested it. I might just rip your throat out."


    "Evil bitch! Vampire! Stay the fuck away from me!" Samson continued to throw whatever curses he could at her as he was tied up by the seemingly invisible strings. He quickly found out that when he struggled against them, they cut into his skin. Blood started to run down them before it absorbed into the once-clear threads.


    Sarzun stepped back when she was finished, grinning at how well she had strung him up. "You''re in quite the predicament here, aren''t you? I could tighten those strings whenever I want. I might just keep you here for a while so you can feed me. Now, do you know anything about a school for exorcists? One of my friends is headed there, and I''d like to meet up with him."


    He growled at her. "I don''t have to tell you anything, slut!" He howled in pain when the strings dug into his skin. "Fine, fine! There''s one to the north of here, I''ve been hiding from them for the past year since they started going after cultists."


    "Ooh, cults? How exciting. That''s all I wanted from you, have fun bleeding here." She then turned to exit the room and explore the building. Hopefully, there was a mirror somewhere so she could see what she would look like in a disguise. Her explorations brought her to a rather untidy bedroom with a full-length mirror. "Huh. My lucky day, I guess."


    She stepped around some piles of clothes to get to the mirror and look over herself. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she raised her hand and then swept it downward. Her skin faded into a much lighter shade and gained color, settling into a warm beige tone. Her horns disappeared and her fangs shrunk, then her hair darkened until it was a warm black. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they had gained light brown irises.


    After fussing over her appearance for a while and then deciding her disguise was good enough, she backed away from the mirror. "This works. I''ll need some human clothes, though." She then left to start gathering some clothes for her journey.