They called us monsters part 3

Chapter 3: The cure for boredom

(warning 18+ violence, gore, adult situations)

 ‘’I see you decided to visit again.’’, a male grunted, his hands still occupied with cleaning scalpels spread out in front of him. Ketsu smirked to herself and walked further in the room, closing the wooden door behind her. It was still early in the morning and the first appointments hadn’t yet arrived, giving her the opportunity to catch up with an old friend.

‘’You know I love visiting you Rego.’’, she replied and stood beside him, taking in a glimpse of the work his hands did. The male turned his blue eyes to her and smiled, a few wrinkles forming around his mouth. His sharp jawline and tall stature made him look more like a warrior than a doctor. He brought his attention back to his work and finished cleaning the tools in silence. Ketsu took in his appearance once more, comparing it with all the other times she had visited him. Deciding to use the demon sense of smell she was so fond of, she could definitely sense a difference in him.  

‘’You seem older my friend.’’

Rego tensed up at her words and released a ragged breath, his shoulders slightly slouching.

‘’I am way older than you after all…’’, he commented and placed the tools in their place before turning towards another bench to the side, where a collection of powders had been stashed and labeled. After taking a brass mug in his hand, he poured a few pinches from the powers stored in some of the jars and filled the mug with water. He turned around to face Ketsu, while taking sips from the concoction, his face a mask of indifference. Ketsu felt a pang of pain in her chest, as all senses of her body warned her that there was something off about Rego. A frown clouded her stunning features.

‘’Don’t you look at me like that, child… You should let go of me now. Don’t visit again.’’, he commented and downed the rest of the liquid. The black haired woman tightened her fists and took a deep breath, realizing what the once blonde man meant. His hair had turned white as the snow and even though his body and stature made him look younger, the tiredness in those eyes gave it all away.

‘’What is at fault? If it is a sickness, I will cure you! You have been my teacher for all my life, but I can do as good of a job as you!’’, she exclaimed and took two steps near him, her raw emotions already spilling out, forcing her body to shake. Katsu did not care for much in this world and only science and knowledge kept her living. The one who gave her that reason though was Rego. The male pressed his lips in a thin line and gave the woman a concerned look, before standing in front of her, his broad hand landing on her shoulder.

‘’I have read more than a thousand books and manuscripts, written nearly fifty, had five wives, twenty two children and lived in seven different cities.’’, he began and smiled bitterly. ‘’I have eaten thousands of people.’’

The words made Ketsu widen her eyes and shake her head negatively, as if refusing to accept what he was clearly hinting. He did have a long, great life, but the woman had a tough time letting go of her only mentor throughout her own long life.

‘’I have had my full share of life. Please… do not return.’’, he finished his words and even though she wanted to protest and cry, like she did a century ago when they first met, she had to remind herself that he deserved his rest. This man had done so much for her, hidden her, trained her and taught her about medicine and science. His right to peace was undeniable.

‘’At least for this night… Act like I will return… ‘’, she mumbled and straightened up, returning to her usual strict demeanor. ‘’And I will not.’’

Rego chuckled and nodded to himself, finding her wish amusing. He immediately set the table with some tea and snacks, opening the blinders more, in order to let the light in. Ketsu got to spend the day with her friend, their final day together, taking customers, reading, preparing medicine. When his wife came around, they had a large dinner with his two sons, who had already come of age.

The woman left her old friend’s house with an uneasy sensation gnawing on her conscience, making her realize that immortality was nonexistent after all. That night, she pondered over her next course of action, refusing to let her body and mind rest. She decided to visit another old friend, at the port town of Rekis. Ketsu had been there a few times during her long life, but she was seriously considering staying there for a few years. Due to the large amount of people, hunters, merchants, as well as king’s guards, representatives of the royalty, Rekis was a relatively dangerous place for a demon to live in, but it was also a place holding great knowledge.

The following day, she began her long journey, deciding to go through a few towns on her way there, in order to make her journey tolerable. She had to eat human again in a few days, in order to keep her powers honed and her preference was killing scumbags who harassed her or others. She was lucky enough to find a great number of them in most taverns.

Deciding to avoid the main road, since a female travelling on her own was borderline suspicious, she hiked through the woods, enjoying the forest as the hours went by. Ketsu had no single fear left in her, not even of her own death.

Her first stop was at the town of Erfis, a passing point not only for merchants, but for hunters and mercenaries as well. It was known for the coal mines near it and most of the citizens worked in there, exporting metals to the towns nearby. She approached one of the inns, looking for a room to sleep. Before entering the wood and stone made building, she glanced up to take in the night sky. Stars were brightly showing and she wondered if Rego had passed away or not, her breath catching in her throat one more time.

When Ketsu stepped in the tavern part of the inn, a waft of smoke, alcohol and meat soup overwhelmed her heightened senses. She shut the door behind her and her black, humane eyes, scanned the whole room, falling on groups of men drinking and eating mostly in a rude manner, while engaging in loud banter. The owner of the inn and a woman, probably his wife, where standing behind the wooden bench, serving food and drinks. Three young women, their bosom exposed slightly, served the nearly drunk and feisty customers, while avoiding their grubby hands. Ketsu knew that as soon as they noticed her, they would pick on her, yet she did not mind, she was getting hungry after all.

‘’Hey, will you look at that!’’, someone yelled at her as she walked by the tables to approach the innkeeper. Laughter picked up around her, but she chose to ignore it.

‘’Good evening, sir.’’, she spoke up, as to be heard by the tall, sturdy male who filled cups of ale and placed them on a tray. He focused his brown eyes on her for a second and beneath the dim lights of oil lamps, Ketsu could see his middle aged complexion and shaved head that matched his face. His hands looked like they could crush a human skull.

‘’Good evening milady.’’, he spoke with a heavy accent and lifted a brow, glaring at her from top to bottom, clearly wondering why a woman was traveling alone.

‘’Are there any free rooms?’’, she questioned him and the man nodded positively before reaching under the wooden bench, retrieving a brass key and giving it to her.

‘’Room twelve. Its thirty coppers a night, forty if you get the dinner as well.’’

The woman gave him a smile, despite herself, and threw thirty coppers on the counter, before taking the keys in her hands.

‘’Thank you. My dinner is settled. I would love some wine and a bath, though.’’, she told him as he focused on her lips for a split second, before averting his gaze.

‘’Have a seat.’’

The woman nodded and turned her back to face the room she was in. More than a few of the people in the tavern had their eyes on her, others discreetly and others more aggressively. As she stepped near an empty table in the corner she narrowed down the possible candidates for dinner. A company of mercenaries had been yelling loudly at one another and made rude comments to the waitresses.

The moment Ketsu sat behind the wooden table, one of the girls brought her a cup of red wine, a few of the human foods the woman liked to consume. Alcohol did not seem to affect her body, so she consumed it for the tingling sensation and sweetness it provided.

‘’Hey girlie! Why don’t you come upstairs with us?’’, one of the mercenaries in the back slurred towards one of the waitresses, a redhead girl who glared down at the males with a disgusted expression on her young face. She ignored them and walked up to the bar, while Ketsu did the exact opposite. The black-haired woman took the cup in her hand and stood up, walking slowly and prancing towards the company of three men who made the greatest fuss. They did not realize what was going on at first, but when they did, their eyes widened in shock.

‘’Well, well, well…’’, one of them slurred and smirked at her, kicking a chair to the back to let her sit. Ketsu lifted her brow ad looked down on them, her expression strict, before sitting down. She took a sip of wine, her eyes locked on the bearded male’s brown one’s, as she proceeded to run her tongue over her lips, the male’s gaze darkening.

‘’I could keep you fellas company’’

As soon as the words left her mouth, the males widened their eyes and glared at one another in pure disbelief. The woman gave them a smile, to further convince them into trusting her. They were arrogant mercenaries, drunk out of their minds. Of course they wouldn’t miss the chance. They stood up, one after another, too eager to have their way with the odd woman who offered herself to them and walked upstairs, glancing back again and again, making sure that Ketsu was actually being honest.

She led them in the single room she had paid for, noticing the steaming bathtub the women of the inn had prepared for her, a single lit oil lamp on a table next to it. The men entered behind her and she paced back towards the door, closing it shut. Her hands pressed against the wood, remaining behind her back as she glanced up at the three people in the room. A smirk played on her lips and she paid little attention to their weirded out expressions.

‘’So, can we really do this?’’, one of them murmured, smiling cunningly and when the other two shrugged, equally curious, he stepped near Ketsu. The woman lifted her hand to signal him to stop and he obliged, raising a brow while his eyes travelled all over her body.

‘’I’m hungry…’’, Ketsu murmured and her delicate fingers traveled over the pin that held her cloak together. She unbuttoned it and approached the bed, placing the fabric on top. She took her time as she removed her bag, leather armor, shirt and pants, hearing sharp inhales of breath from the males behind her back. She stood there, exposed, her back to them.

Ketsu’s senses heightened and her hunger brought forth the demon inside of her. Black eyes turned to red and her nose could smell the human blood coursing through her victims’ veins. She turned her head to face them, taking in the shock of viewing her crimson eyes, before she charged at the first one, a clean kill, her hand going through his chest and grabbing on the heart.

‘’Fuck! This woman is…’’, the other one yelled and tried to run out, but his words were cut short when she jumped on him, her nails digging into his throat and finding the spot that killed him instantly. The last one remained motionless, too shocked to react, allowing Ketsu to dispose of him as well.

The black-haired demon took a sigh and sniffed the metallic scent of blood she was so unwillingly attracted to. Approaching her deceased victims one after the other, she removed her hearts and kept them in her hands as she walked near a single open window that let the moonlight peek through. She sat on the window sill and gazing up at the shiny, silver orb she took mouthful after mouthful of the warm, juicy, tough organs of the males, enjoying every bite, feeling her body tingle with immense pleasure, as she satisfied her hunger. After her meal was done, she sank her body in the bathtub, contemplating on her next location.