Infernal Academia

Chapter 1 - B.I.D.

Truly, there was no place like Hell.

Earth was a lovely place too, of course.  Its blue skies and azure waters were soothing to the soul, and there was something about human society that came off as remarkedly quaint.  Indeed, the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the human's home world were exceptional, but nothing could ever beat the feeling of returning home.

From the moment he stepped into the Jump Terminal in the Paris Catacombs, Cobalt Trayer couldn't help but feel excited.  Nervous, of course, but giddy nonetheless.  It had been so long since he had been in Hell, he had almost forgotten what it was like to meet a fellow demon.  Once he paid his fare, it was a quick hop through a blood-red portal, a brief customs check on the other side, and before long, Cobalt found his feet firmly planted on Hellish soil.

The sky above was a beautiful shade of red, marred only by a few wispy clouds that floated lazily by.  All around him, the multicoloured denizens of Brimstones went about their business, giving him odd stares as he stood dumbstruck, eyes wide with equal parts amazement and nostalgia.

"It's good to be back..." Cobalt murmured, smiling as he set his suitcases down.

A few feet away, a Jump Terminal attendant cleared his throat and approached him.  His skin was yellow, and a pair of short horns poked from beneath a head of blond hair.  Twitching his long, elfin ears, he smiled and gestured to the black pendant hanging from Cobalt's neck.

"Sir, your Cloaking Charm...?" he said, cocking his head.

Cobalt's eyes widened.

"O- Oh, thank you!  Sorry, sorry, my head was somewhere else there, heh..."

Reaching behind his neck, he unclasped the necklace and lurched as a wave of magical energy washed over him.  As the pendant fell away, changes began to occur.  His skin shifted from a very human bronze to a deep, iridescent blue, while his hair went from a dull black to an odd shade of navy.  From his forehead, a pair of long yellow horns sprouted, while upon his back, a small pair of batlike wings sprouted from two holes he had cut into the back of his shirt.  Adjusting his belt, Cobalt allowed a tail to slip from a small flap just above his backside.  With a quick check of his pointed spade, he pocketed his Cloaking Charm and gave the attendant a wide grin.

"There!  A demon once more!" he laughed, adjusting his tie.

But the attendant did not return his smile.  Instead, he simply stared at Cobalt, eyes opened wide and his mouth slightly agape.  Swallowing hard, he bid him a brief farewell and stumbled down the steps of the Jump Terminal, his suitcases tucked beneath his arms.  Parked on the side of the busy road was a small legion of taxies, and picking one at random, Cobalt piled his luggage into the backseat and climbed inside.

"The Brimstone Institute of Demonics, please" he asked politely, buckling himself in.

The demon in the driver's seat - a rotund man with green skin - adjusted his mirror to get a good view of his passenger.  He raised an eyebrow at the sight of him, but simply nodded and started the car.

"Cutting it kind of close, aren't you lad?" he asked, setting off down the street.

Cobalt laughed weakly and scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, y- yes, I suppose I am.  I'm afraid I'm not quite as organised as I had previously thought" he sighed, turning his gaze to the window.

"Ah, well, what can you do.  I'll try to get you there before school starts, anyway"

Settling down in his seat, Cobalt rested his chin against his palm and watched the buildings whizz by.  Brimstone was a strange town; a hodge-podge of different styles and eras splattered all over the southern Aporue coast.  Georgian, Victorian, Art-Deco, Greek, Roman; it was all here, crammed together alongside winding streets and twisting thoroughfares.  As the taxi snaked its way towards the town's tertiary school, the driver glanced back.