“It’s so funny, really,” Phisola continued before Eric could respond, as she played with the lock of her hair, “You keep insisting your people aren’t demons while doing everything that demons do.”

“You’re just a crazy conspiracy theorist. You’re no different than Francisco.”

“Conspiracy theorist? Huh! You even have people who theorize conspiracies, yet you still refuse to admit that you’re demons.”

“No, it’s … it’s just a figure of speech. Conspiracy theorists are people who believe in crazy stuff.”

“Oh, like people who believe they aren’t demons while acting in a demonic manner?”

“We don’t even have horns!”

“You don’t have to, you idiot! Demons come in hundreds of variations. I bet your kind has dozens of variations just within it.”

“That’s just basic biology. All species have variations.”

“And how many variations of timkiks have you seen?”

“I haven’t seen much, not because they don’t exist but because I didn’t see many timkiks! My people came here only recently. But I do know they have both light-skinned and dark-skinned variations.”

“That’s like …” Phisola shook her head in disbelief, “That’s so superficial! It doesn’t get any more superficial than skin or hair color. That’s not even a proper difference!”

“Tell that to timkiks. It seems they made quite a big deal out of it.”

“Of course they will because they’re complete idiots! But are there timkiks with horns? Or without tails?”

Eric shrugged, extending his hands to the sides: “How would I know? I told you, we only came into this world recently.”

“Ah, that’s right. You’re way too stupid to understand.”

“Do you honestly expect me to comment on things I know nothing about? What’s your point anyway?”

Phisola let out yet another tired sigh while waving hands left and right: “Nothing. It’s nothing. Just forget about it. All this talk was for nothing because you still refuse to face reality.”

“What reality? That I’m a demon? Well then, why do humans live such short lives? Why aren’t we scary? Why are we so frail?”

“Look, look, I don’t care anymore. Ok, you’re not demons, I believe you. You’re godly people who would never even consider hurting someone. You’d never do something for your own benefit, no, no, no, everything you do is for the betterment of all the races out there. You’d never dominate or exploit them or, gods forbid, enslave them. That’s certainly not the kind of people you are.”

“Ok, we did those things in the past, but we’ve realized that you can’t build a prosperous future on other people’s misery. And sure, there are bad people among us. We’re not saints, but we’re not demons either! We’re just regular mortals who happened to stumble upon some unintuitive knowledge. That’s how we got power. We weren’t born with it. It just so happened that some of our brilliant people have realized a few things. So yes, I can understand that looking from the outside we may appear demonic or mystical, but we’re just as mortal as everyone else!”

“Sure, sure, if you say so,” she condescendingly waved her hand, “You’ve completely missed the fact that demons are mortals too, but if you say you’re not a demon, then fine.”

“Demons aren’t mortals!” He gave her a surprised look, “… right? They’re not mortals, right? They’re like …”

“Ok, sure, demons aren’t mortals. You’re confusing demons with devils now, but don’t worry about it. You’re absolutely right when you say your people aren’t demons.”

“Well, I’m glad that’s finally settled.”

“Me too. Now we could actually do something instead of having useless conversations that lead nowhere.”

“Ok, now that’s been dealt with, what should we do?”

“The truth is, there isn’t much to do besides collecting blood. I have a few traps set up. We’ll collect the catch, and I’ll show you how to bleed them dry.”

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“Like those guys hanging there?” Eric pointed at the small group of animals nailed to the wall.

“Like them. And at the same time, I’ll show you what your blood is good for.”

“Oh?”

“The traps I’ve set up are magical. Usually, I supply them with my own magic, but your blood will do the job nicely. Which means that I can put more magic into the cauldron.”

“Ah, I see. I’ve been wondering what that talk was all about, but I get it now.”

“Your blood is terrible for many things, but it’s good at animation. Actually, it’s so good at animation that I wonder if your body is just a vessel for your blood.”

“Animation? Isn’t that what all blood is for? Isn’t transferring energy and oxygen through the body its sole purpose?”

“I don’t know what oksidzen is, but you got the point. Still, I don’t think anyone got anything near the result I got when testing your blood. But I guess that explains a few things. For example, it explains how your people can live in a magicless world. You need some serious animation for that. Not to mention that evolution did its job and ensured that only those with a high animation concentration survive.”

She stood up and started walking: “Anyway, your blood will be very useful at powering my traps. So, even though your skills are next to useless, at least your blood makes you useful to have around. And the best part is that one serving can be used for a dozen charges if I’m right about its animation potency. For those who don’t understand, that means I won’t have to take your blood every time we go checking the traps.”

Eric followed: “That’s good because I worry that giving any more of it anytime soon would be bad for my health.”

“Of course it would. The blood needs some time to regenerate. I’m just glad your blood will offset the cost of healing. There would be no point in doing it if it takes more energy to heal you.”

“Do you know how much energy, magical energy your body has? Do you get some warning when it’s running low?”

“Of course I do!” She said while pouring the blood from the cup into a small bottle, “I told you that I can feel magic.”

“How does it feel? Does it feel good to be full of magic?”

“Does it feel good when your balls are full?”

That took him by surprise: “Can you … compare it like that?”

“Just like your balls, magic is meant to be used. So, being full of it doesn’t feel nice. Still, sometimes it’s necessary if you’re preparing for a confrontation or an exam. But on a daily basis, you’re much better off spending it regularly. And to make sure it doesn’t go to waste, we use this.”

She reached for the large pouch sitting on the table and took a small crystal out of it.

“What is that?” Eric asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a crystal.”

“What is it doing? Storing magic?”

“That’s right. Releasing the energy for no reason would be a waste, so we use these to put it to some use later.”

“So, you mages are essentially like cows who need to be milked every day,” he smiled widely so she would know he was only joking.

She tilted her head sideways, staring at him inquisitively: “I understand that was supposed to be some lame jab, but … that’s actually on point. Yes, we need to be milked of our energy regularly. Now, it doesn’t have to be every day, it depends on the mage. Just like balls, different mages need different times to recover, but the idea is similar. Mortals need to release everything their bodies store inside, and magic is no different.”

“What happens if you don’t release it? Can it be dangerous? Will you burst if you keep it inside for way too long?”

“Long story short, yes. Not releasing your energy is extremely dangerous. That’s the first thing you’re taught when studying magic. Now, of course, kids barely have any magic at all, but as you mature your mana accumulation starts increasing. And before you know it, you have a new itch that you need to scratch.”

“I don’t mind the colorful ways you’re using to describe science, but does it really have to be so sexual? I mean, balls, scratching the itch … don’t get me wrong, but it makes you sound like an immature teenager.”

She just shrugged: “I can’t help it. Things like that just come naturally to me since I’m a sex demon.”

“Wait, wait … sex demon?” His eyes widened in surprise, “Didn’t you tell me you’re a devil? How come you’re …”

“That’s just a figure of speech, stupid! We are all considered demons, but very special demons get called devils. I’ve been explaining it to you for like … half a day now!”

“But you never said you’re a sex demon! Or a sex devil.”

She put her hands on her hips, looking quite offended: “What, you couldn’t tell? Do I not look like one? Why do you think walking around naked doesn’t bother me one bit?”

“No, you … you do look like … one. You just never told it outright.”

“I told you I’m a cubus!”

“You did, but I had no idea that means sex demon.”

“Well, what do you think, why am I so desperate, to the point that I’m willing to settle for you!”

“Now, now, there’s no need for insults.”

“I’m just being …”

“You’re just being mean for no good reason. I’m not trying to rile you up or offend you. I’m asking genuine questions here. Ok, I get it now. Cubus is the same as a sex demon, but there’s no need to be mean over something I couldn’t know.”

“Well, now you do! Cubus is a general term for my people who are sex demons! Our males are called incubus while our females are called succubus.”

Eric’s face turned enthusiastic all of a sudden: “Oh, I’ve heard of those! Yeah, I’ve heard of those terms. I know that succubus and incubus are sex demons, I just never heard of the general term cubus.”

“That’s … that makes no sense, but let’s just forget about this. Now you know.”

“But why sex demons? I mean, sure, you’re sexy as fuck, but why sex demons? Actually, what kinds of demons are out there, and how are you divided into groups? What makes a sex demon a sex demon?”

“Oh boy, here we go!” She rolled her eyes while packing a bag, “The never-ending questions are back in full force! Now he’ll never shut up!”

“You don’t have to answer me, but I’d really like to know. I see you’re not in the mood, so feel free to answer me at any other time.”

“And you can feel free to shut the fuck up! Come on, let’s go!” She slung the bag over her shoulder, “Let’s actually do something useful today!”