Darkness magic is a valuable tool. It can be used to conceal things without irritating the lungs like smoke does. While it could certainly be used in military applications as a replacement for a smoke screen, I mostly use it to hide before surprise parties. It can also keep things cool on a sunny day. I would be lying if I said I did not occasionally cloak a tub of ice cream in darkness to keep it nice and cold on a hot summer day. Since darkness is a subset of the "Destroy Energy" discipline of magic, it pairs easily with magic that outright negates thermal energy, allowing a spellcaster to keep machines running cool and chill drinks to near freezing temperatures in a snap.

So, why were the Inquisitors hoisting me by my collar and barking accusations at me? Well...

"You are in big trouble now, heretic!" a slender woman in a black robe hissed. She pulled me close and I could smell the garlic on her breath. "The Grand Inquisitor will hang you dead!"

"For what?"

"Dark magic... Summoning demons and the lot, I guess," said the other Inquisitor, a broad-shouldered man with slick black hair. He had a nonchalant demeanor, betraying either a lack of enthusiasm or a lack of understanding of his work. "Easy on the accused, Mally. He might slip out of our grasp if you keep tugging him like that."

"Oh, and you'd like that, you big loaf! If only your faith was as strong as your body!" Mally's claws dug into my collar tighter than before.

"I think I understand what's going on here..." I said.

Mally gripped harder and said, "You aren't going to find a way out of this."

They dragged me down the hall to a red door. When we reached it, Mally pushed me into her colleague's arms and produced a key from her robes. After fidgeting with the aged lock, she swung the door open and I felt her colleague's large hands give me a push into the dark room. Falling on my hands and knees, my eyes struggled to make out what this room was supposed to be.

Ker-chunk!

With a flip of a switch, my eyes were flooded with light. The electric lights hummed revealing an octagonal room with loaded bookshelves against seven walls and one wall vacant to allow for an entrance. A table and four chairs sat in the middle of the room.

"The College allowed us to use this room for your questioning." Mally sounded disappointed, as if she asked for a more dramatic venue. She walked around the table with slow and methodical steps. "Here, we shall be your judge and jury. If you try to escape, we will also be your executioners."

I got up off my knees and brushed the dust off. "I've been with Kursott's College for eight years and I've never seen this room before... What is this place?"

"Fittingly enough, it is where they keep their questionable texts. After we are done with you, I will decide what in this library must be burned. Kill two birds with one stone while I'm here, you see..." She looked over my shoulder and barked angrily, "Hyle! Put down that book! Your heathen mind is too easily tempted!" I turned to face the other inquisitor who gave a frustrated look at Mally. He held the aged crimson book gently in his large hands, like he was holding a puppy.

"Why do you get to read all the wicked books? Sometimes I think you just burn books because you don't understand them..."

Mally slammed her fist against the table, "If the Grand Inquisitor heard that, you'd lose your tongue! Must I try two heretics tonight?"

Hyle gave a deep, defeated sigh, put the book back on the shelf, and slowly walked around the table. Hyle and Mally sat down in the chairs on their side of the table.

"Sit!" Mally barked. I obeyed, pulling a chair opposite of the two inquisitors.

Mally reached under the table and produced a thick folder that slapped hard against the table. She flicked it open and read the first page. "Therus, Alton, accused of practicing the dark arts. Instructor at Kursott of eight years. No wife, no children, two living parents, one sister. No criminal record, no known aliases." She looked up at me. "Does this sound correct?"

"Yes."

"Alright, how do you plead?"

"What?"

"Guilty or not guilty?" If looks could kill, her face would be anthrax.

"Well, what am I being accused of exactly? I work with darkness but I do not practice 'dark' magic."

In a flash, she threw her body over the table grabbed me by the hair and whacked my head against the table. She let go and sat back down with a look of intense and frenzied anger. A drop of blood ran down my lips. Her lips peeled back to show her clenched teeth.

"No semantics! Guilty or not guilty!"

"Not guilty!"

"Hyle! Mr. Therus wants to do this the hard way!" She looked at him with an excited look, which Hyle did not return back to her. Hyle instead stared blankly at me with a look of what could either be a look of pity or a look of confusion.

Hyle put a single finger on the folder and slid it across the table to be right in front of him. The excitement on Mally's face twisted back into anger. Hyle quickly flicked through the folder, gently humming and occasionally raising an eyebrow.

"Let's talk about your courses, Mr. Therus," said Hyle, eyes fixed on the files within the folder. "Course titles include, Intro to Darkness, Advanced Darkness, and Art of Obfuscation. Tell us about those."

Mally's face was twisted into a look of pure frustration. Her eyes slowly panned from Hyle to me and they rested upon me heavily. Two burning stars of hatred and sadism disguised as piety.

"I teach courses about darkness. Darkness, as in the absence of light, not the dark arts."

Hyle nodded, not looking up from the files or saying anything.

"So, no summoning demons," I clarified.

"Right, right," Hyle nodded. He still didn't look up.

"Hyle! What. Are. You. Doing?"

"Look, if you want to nearly strangle someone to death and pass it off as service to the holy Primary, you can do it on your own time." Hyle lifted his head and looked at her. "We've been graciously allowed by the College to sort this out, so therefore we are here as guests. You strangling Mr. Therus here would be ill-advised."

Mally groaned. "They only allowed us to investigate him because they expected us to be satisfied with the results and not come back for more. This whole college is lousy with heretics, isn't it, Mr. Therus?"

"Uh, no?"

"Give me the names of four heretics and you will prove your innocence," Mally said as her scowl turned into a broad sadistic grin.

"I think we are done here," Hyle said. He shut the folder and stood up from his chair. Mally's claws dug into his black robe.

"We aren't done here, Hyle!" Her face was desperate.

"I say we are done. One Inquisitor's hunch does not make a case and I find this evidence inconclusive."

Mally screamed, threw her hands up into the air and stormed out of the room. The screams echoed though the hallways, but slowly faded to a distant, enraged whimper. Hyle gave a sigh of relief and leaned forward. "Always good to provide a service for a brother," he whispered.

"What?"

"C'mon, brother. Hail the Great Abyssal King," Hyle said with a grin.

"I'm sorry, I think you must be confused."

Hyle's smile disappeared. His eyes widened with realization. "Oh, uh. Well, uh, have a good day and may the Primary's blessings be upon you."

He stood up and walked out swiftly. Leaving me alone to wonder what the hell just happened. I turned to look at the aged crimson book that Hyle put back on the shelf and began to wonder...