They called us monsters part 5

Chapter 5: A woman of science

The horse neighed in annoyance, the pull on its reigns forcing it to come to a halt. A smile crept on the black haired woman’s face as her humanlike obsidian eyes traveled over the red rooftops of the port town of Rekis. Getting a horse helped her reach the location in a matter of five days and she was glad for the change of environment near the sea. Winter was nearly there and being by the seaside gave her a fake sensation of spring time. She nudged her chestnut horse forward, while her attention shifted from merchant carts, to shops, to people. The only reason Ketsu visited Tereen was her late friend. With him gone, she saw no reason to skip on living in her favorite place in Fainlands and see another friend who would love to be informed of Rego’s news. Her love for water and the fact that all sorts of people came and went here intrigued her, as well.

She approached the only connection she had in that city, her friend and old colleague. After entrusting her horse to the local stable master, making sure to pay him enough coin to take care of the creature, Ketsu paced through the busy streets, her eyes gazing at the blue sky from time to time, deep exhales of breath showed her enjoyment and serenity. As soon as the black haired demon entered the doctor’s waiting room, she was overwhelmed by the amount of people waiting in there. Some of them were coughing, others mumbling. A young man stood behind the bench, where Ketsu’s old friend used to stand and the demon couldn’t help but frown. He looked up at her, his blue eyes widening for a split second before he regained composure. He walked out from behind the bench and approached an old lady, who had been sitting on one of the waiting chairs, hunched down and frail looking.

‘’Come lady Mirna.’’, he muttered softly to her with a smile that could definitely make any young girl swoon. Ketsu found herself glaring at the boy, noticing how he definitely did not look like a simple assistant. His built was similar to a warrior, but no scars were visible on his exposed forearms, face, or nearly shaven head. He helped the old lady walk through the back door, where the surgery room used to be and took his position behind the wooden bench again, scribbling a few notes on an open book, using ink and quill.

‘’How can I be of assistance miss?’’, he asked before his ocean like eyes fell on Ketsu. The elder woman felt her stomach turn a bit, wondering why this male’s serious, yet indifferent expression stirred her to the point that she wanted to devour him. Keeping herself in check, and her face neutral, the female demon walked near him.

‘’I am here to see doctor Elise.’’, she spoke and the male lifted a single brow.

‘’Clearly.’’, he looked through the pages of the book. ‘’Everyone in this room is here for the same reason.’’, he sarcastically commented and Ketsu wanted to bite his head off. Yet she shrugged it off with a mere chuckle. She had met more than a few arrogant pricks during her long life and all of them who tried to act against her had the same ending, death.

‘’You won’t find me there.’’, she told him and placed a hand over one of the pages abruptly, forcing a glare from him. The male’s reaction and spark in his eyes excited her.

‘’Name’s Ketsu. Go tell Elise I am here.’’, she pressed on and when he remained motionless, she lifted both brows. The man sighed and lifted his hands up, before stepping to the back and going through the door. A few minutes went by and instead of the young male, Elise came out, a wide smile altering her gentle features. Ketsu mimicked her expression and walked up to give her a tight hug. When they stepped back, pairs of obsidian eyes stared at one another. Elise looked exactly as old as Ketsu had remembered her the day she opened the doctor’s office in Rekis, a few years back. Her fiery red, curly hair, were barely contained in a messy bun on top of her head and her round glasses stood lower on her nose.

‘’Elise, how I’ve missed you.’’, Ketsu uttered in all honesty, memories of her late friend and their common connection flashing in her head.

‘’It was about time you came to visit!’’, Elise replied and patted her on the back, pushing her into the private room where she saw her patients. When she walked in, she immediately noticed the young male who was hunched over the old lady, in the middle of an examination.

‘’I am looking forward to hearing your adventures.’’, Elise spoke and offered her friend a seat, rushing to the back where she had a fire burning, some water boiling over it. Ketsu took in the room, admiring how nicely Elise had put it together. To one side she kept all her equipment for surgeries, to the other side was her office and a few chairs, along with huge bookcases, packed with books and parchments. An entire wall was fashioned with wooden shelves, various labeled vases placed on them, filled with powders and fluids. ‘’I am stuck in here you see.’’, the red head spoke again and offered a cup of tea to Ketsu. The black haired woman nodded and took a sniff of the aromatic beverage.

‘’Doctor, you have a line of patients outside.’’, the male spoke as he gave a parcel of medicine to the old lady and helped her to her feet. His blue eyes glanced from one woman to the other.

‘’Our conversation can wait.’’, Ketsu commented and gave the male a smirk beneath the cup as she sipped the tea. He twitched a single brow and Elise nodded to him.

‘’Of course, but you can stay here my dear.’’, she spoke to Ketsu and moved her head sideways, signaling the man to get out.

As soon as he did, the blackhaired demon was unable to restrain a chuckle.

‘’What’s the matter Elise. Into young one’s now?’’, she commented and Elise smirked lightly. ‘’He is quite the handsome man.’’

‘’You fancy, huh?’’, the redhead laughed to herself. ‘’I’m afraid this boy has been too serious since the day I got him into my house.’’ Ketsu lifted a brow.

‘’You haven’t visited for fifteen years my dear. In that time I found myself raising a son and disciple, despite my nature.’’, Elise kept on and smiled gently, while going through her tools, grinding some medicinal powder. Ketsu’s heart ached. She found herself jealous. Always going after knowledge and satisfying her hunger through constant battles, she never had the opportunity to truly settle down, enjoy the things humans enjoy. Having denied herself of them, made her realize that in that room stood a pure demon and a combination of demon and human. She concentrated on the tea, its bitter taste matching her inner conflict.

‘’You grew soft.’’, she commented and Elise simply chuckled. ‘’You all grew soft…’’, she mumbled into the cup and avoided her friend’s troubled gaze, as another patient walked in the room.

Hours went by slowly and Ketsu gradually relaxed again and remembered the reason she had visited. She wanted to study again in Rekis and was confident about settling in for a decade or so. After the shop was closed, Elise walked her to another area, next to the waiting room, her living room. The young male lit the fire immediately and approached a stone bench beside it, proceeding to prepare some vegetables and chunks of meat after washing them in the small basin built into the bench. Ketsu paced around the room with interest. A wooden table and a few chairs were positioned beside the single open window that let the cool night air enter, bringing tones of the salty water with it. The fireplace was built to the other corner, the bench and kitchen equipment beside it. Another door to the back probably led to the washroom and a flight of stairs led up to the second floor, and possibly the bedrooms. Ketsu took a deep breath, the smell of food cooking had filled the room now. She couldn’t help but wonder if Elise satisfied her actual hunger in any way, or if her powers had diminished along with her life span. The black haired demon gave her a sideways glance as she walked near the bench, forcing her adopted son to move aside.

‘’Nero, did you get anything today?’’, she asked him. The male glanced behind him, eyeing the foreign, to him, woman. The redhead laughed. ‘’Ketsu is an old friend sweetheart. I would like to serve something good to her.’’, she added and suddenly the black-haired demon realized what was happening.

‘’He knows.’’, she announced, a frown covering her face. The boy was clearly not a demon, but Elise had disclosed the nature of her kind to him. With a smile, the redhead nodded to her friend and gave a pat on the young male’s back.

‘’I have some from this morning, doctor, would you like me to serve it?’’

‘’Please.’’, the doctor replied and walked away, motioning Ketsu to sit with her around the table, while the male prepared the food.

‘’I have a few questions… and a few things to tell you myself.’’, the black haired female spoke as she took her seat.

‘’We can discuss anything in front of Nero.’’

Ketsu doubted her for a split second, but realized that she had no choice. By deciding to stay in Rekis she had to accept all that comes with that decision.

‘’I am here to stay for up to a decade.’’, she announced and the redhead’s eyes lit up. ‘’Also, Rego has passed away.’’, she added, forcing her smile to fade. Her jaw tightened and she nodded to herself.

‘’I wish I could have visited him one final time.’’,  Elise murmured, her eyes tracing the table surface, as the young male brought an oil lamp to the center of it. Before he turned to the pot again, he placed his broad hand on top of the female’s shoulder, making her smile bitterly. A sigh escaped the redhead’s lips and she finally removed her white robe, as if just now recalling that it had been on her back still.

Ketsu focused on the male again, while he served food on the table: three bowls of vegetable and meat soup, crusty homemade bread and three cups of ale. The female lifted her brows and met his blue eyes.

‘’Nero is excellent in keeping the house, as well.’’, Elise exclaimed and took the mug in her hands before downing the ale in one go. The black-haired demon chuckled and recalled the nights they had hunted together and how hungrily she drained the blood from internal human organs. Before the male sat on his seat he served one final plate that caught the visitor by surprise. On a platter where chunks of dark red meat, similar to chopped up organs. Ketsu swallowed hard, wondering why the scent made her hungry.

‘’Eat up!’’, the redhead pressured on and with a fork stabbed a piece of the red meat, bringing it to her lips and biting, a smile of satisfaction immediately spreading on her face.

‘’Was he young?’’, she asked, looking at the man who wore an emotionless mask as he ate spoonfulls of the soup. He nodded positively and carried on, ignoring the two demons around him. Ketsu took a fork in her hands and stabbed a piece that looked like it came from a lung. As soon as she dropped it in her mouth, the familiar taste of human fed her senses. She swallowed hard and glared at the young man, before staring at her old friend.

‘’Elise, what is the meaning of this?’’

‘’Is this human not to your liking, lady Ketsu?’’, Nero spoke and she gave him a dumbfounded stare.

‘’He is quite fresh, not too old of age.’’

‘’No you did great sweetheart. I really like the taste.’’, Elise spoke up and Nero nodded before dropping his gaze back to his own, human food.

‘’Speak up, will you?’’, Ketsu insisted and the redhead sighed in compliance.

‘’Nero has been training with me ever since he was a child. He catches my hunts for me to keep me healthy and strong.’’, she commented and stabbed another piece of meat, some liver this time. ‘’You really thought I let myself go, huh?’’, she spoke between chews. ‘’I still live and have a lot of researches going.’’

Ketsu looked on her lap and couldn’t hold back the laughter that erupted from her lips.

‘’Count me in then.’’