Demon Medical with Doctor Mazingwe (Patreon)

AN: I forgot to write that first. It happens chronologically the morning after Mazingwe and Sereth's confrontation.

“I told you, electronic equipment won’t work. Can I go now?”

Nestra glared at Doctor Mazingwe. Down, for once, since she was using her true form. The doctor tilted his head in a way that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable, because he was like a teacher and she was a petulant teen trying to get away from the physical exam.

“Miss Palladian, do you perhaps believe I am clueless without electronics? Hmm?”

“No, of course not,” she mumbled.

“Then I believe we can proceed the old-fashioned way. I assure you, humans have managed their health for centuries without advanced machines and I will draw upon their experience. Now, if you will follow me?”

“Oh, back in your days? Do you think an excess amount of humor in my spleen might cause me to be sad?”

“I know you are trying to get a raise out of me because you are concerned, Miss Palladian, however I assure you that I have handled worse than you over the ages and I will qualify your banter as ‘average’.”

“Oof. Who had the best banter?”

“Surely you do not expect me to provide you with ammunition. Here.”

They had moved into the gleam testing area. The good doctor’s innovative new tool that would beat X-ray and other pedestrian devices happened to be a table.

A table, and two chairs.

“What?”

“My testing equipment is designed for young men and women on the edge of D-rank, and since you are clearly much stronger than that, we shall assess your physical prowess with a basic yet nonetheless indicative test.”

“Beat each other over the head with the chairs?”

“No, Miss Palladian. We are going to arm-wrestle.”

***

“Oooow.”

“Do not be silly; I stopped long before breaking anything. Now, where were we? Oh yes. We shall now test your reflexes and general speed.”

The doctor opened a drawer, removing throwing knives from a sheath. They were clearly blunted.

“No.”

“If you will take position in front of this reinforced wall?”

“NO! Do you seriously use that on kids?”

“Of course not. I have them throw the weapons. Again, however, I fear it will not be a good indication of your capabilities.”

Nestra wondered if she could get away with walking through the wall. Unfortunately, Mazingwe was already stronger than Claire thirty years ago according to some footage she’d found, and though battle instincts could grow unused, a gleam’s body never weakened.

Bastard would probably burst through the entire building then drag her back in, screaming.

“Oh fiiiine.”

Mazingwe shifted. Nestra used momentum to move to the side, because she knew the old bastard would try something. The first dull knife clanged against the reinforced wall before falling down. Nestra dodged again fully expecting the good doctor to follow up, and of course he did. Something slapped painfully on the skin of her left arm. She changed direction. A glimpse at her attackers showed that he was looking at her right leg, so she pulled it to the side just in time to avoid another painful throw. No time to dodge the next so she received it on her forearm with Immovable. Mazingwe blurred. She used Momentum again.

Three knives were now lodged in the reinforced wall. Planted it, as it were.

Mazingwe’s hands were empty.

Nestra still didn’t let her guard down. She’d counted seven knives but who knew what he would pull off to test her.

“Hmm. Impressive. I have fought slower experienced C-ranks. Your battle instincts are also remarkable. How is the arm?”

She flexed it. The knife had only grazed it.

“Already healed.”

“No hematoma? Is regeneration one of your skills?”

“Think so.”

“Very impressive. If you do represent the baseline for gray demons, then your race is dauntingly powerful. I notice that you used some activated skills during the exercise? Do you know how many you can do in a row? Are they tiring you?”

“I, errr. They’re not very tiring. I always finish fights before I run out of juice.”

“But do they affect your mana, your physical endurance, or some other metaphysical source unique to your species? Mental exhaustion? Or several resources at the same time?”

“I, errr, dunno.”

Mazingwe seemed utterly unimpressed.

“Miss Palladian…”

She groaned.

“While I admit that your base abilities are very impressive, especially your natural resistance which we humans lack, you have so far mostly faced D-class threats. C-class threats are significantly more dangerous and will require you to know yourself and the full extent of your abilities. We will be testing those abilities over the course of the next weeks until you are performing to my satisfaction. You cannot do any less than the maximum to survive.”

“Those are no longer doctor duties,” Nestra replied. “Are you sure you’re supposed to be my coach as well?”

She thought about her words. Was she sounding a little ungrateful?

“Not that I’m complaining, quite the contrary. I just—”

“My stone town was destroyed during the incursion. We lived along the shore of Tanzania, above the Indian Ocean. I was one of the only survivors.”

Nestra shut up immediately. First gens NEVER talked about the incursion. At least not to little shits like her. When her parents had done it, it was behind closed doors with sifters of mana liquor and hostile glares should she dare to break the sanctity of the moment by intruding.

“I could not return. When I became Dawn Spear, the crafter who made my armor asked me if I wanted to wear it with a kanzu. A kanzu is… a robe. A cream or white robe I would wear under a jacket. I found that I could not. I could not see elements of my past and not remember the screams. The fires. I have come here with no roots.”

He shrugged.

“No roots, but a past. We cannot let go of the past, yes? Now I have decided that I would help people before the portals claim me again. It will happen. It always does. We can never fully stop. And now, I am helping you. Do you deserve it? No. You are a headstrong, obnoxious, rebellious woman with a sharp tongue and a sharper sword.”

“Oh.”

“You remind me very much of my little sister.”

“Oh…”

“I am helping many people. I am helping you more because you need the help more, and also because you remind me of my little sister. Do you understand?”

“I… think so?”

“Now that you no longer have to devine why on earth I would try to keep your sorry hide mostly intact, will you stop questioning and challenging everything I try to do that would favor you?”

“Sorry, it’s just…”

She hesitated. He waited patiently.

“I feel like I’ve been kicked in the teeth by life many times, so now if something goes well I expect that it will come back to roundhouse me some time later.”

“I appreciate the difficulty of trusting people, Miss Palladian. However, according to my understanding, I have not been the only person who has been here for you consistently over the years. There is your aunt?”

“Oh yeah.”

“So perhaps you should trust the people around you a little more.”

“There’s also my brother.”

“Ah, yes, that.”

“And my dad. And my mom. And Bard, you remember Bard?”

“This detail had escaped my mind.”

“Well it didn’t escape mine. By the way, are you familiar with the decisions of Gidung’s leadership?”

“I stand corrected, Miss Palladian. You have driven the point home. I would still appreciate you extending me the courtesy of trust.”

He waited for her answer. A part of her wanted to jab more, maybe out of habit or maybe because Mazingwe was a father figure and she was the poster child for daddy issues. Double daddy issues, even. Mazingwe didn’t deserve it.

“Ok. I’ll stop giving you shit. I promise.”

“Marvelous.”

“So what do we do now?”

“We shall test your mana sensitivity in terms of direction, intensity, and nature. The other abilities will require tests that I cannot conduct in this facility.”

“How will you test my sensitivity? You mean like feeling mana?”

“Yes. You will close your eyes and I…”

Golden mana emerged from the doctor’s delicate fingers. Power radiated from them in an instant, brushing against Nestra’s skin with the promise of searing pain.

“I will be moving this sphere around you.”

“You won’t hit me with it. Right?”

“I am confident you will feel its presence before it occurs.”

Nestra was starting to wonder if the good doctor wasn’t having a little bit of cathartic fun at her expense.

***

“Hello, this is Ddoctor Mazingwe.”

The voice that answered was usually harmless. It made the cold hiss now filtering through the visor that much more threatening.

“I only gave you my number for dire emergencies. You must be very foolish or have a very good reason to contact me now.”

“I need some information on Gray Demon anatomy if I am to monitor the health of my patient.”

“Foolish, then. Gray Demons do not require physicians, Mazingwe.”

“You are never hurt? You always know exactly what you are capable of? I find it hard to believe given your proclivities. I need to know more so I can treat her if she gets hurt.”

“I can help her, unless she regenerates first. We are rather resilient.”

“Are you a medical practitioner?”

There was annoyed silence at the end of the line.

“I shall take this as a no. Listen, I have a proposal. You tell me enough to help her under an oath of secrecy, and in return, I will give you the recipe to my homemade doughnuts.”

There was a long pause.

“I do enjoy the human rituals around the preparation and consumption of food, but make no mistakes. I am here for the new woman of the People, not for the cultural experience of being a human. You already have information on our anatomy I am tempted to… erase. I will be forced to take drastic measures if you keep digging.”

“I swear on my ancestors that this knowledge will only be used to safeguard her wellbeing. I take my duty very, very seriously.”

Another pause, then a chuckle. It was not a pleasant sound.

“You believe in your own words. Very well, but if the coven protecting her decides that you need to be removed…”

“I already know enough to be a danger. A little more will make no difference.”

“I admire your commitment. I shall accept your oath and extend my trust. Recipe and one demonstration,” Seth replied.

“We have a deal.”

“The coven will love to hear that a human healer has taken a femalefemale a Changeling under his wing, knowing what she is. Perhaps it is true that humans can pack bond with almost anything. You are making your own species quite interesting, Ddoctor Mazingwe.”

“I hope that is a good thing.”

“Oh, most certainly. After all, some may care about good and evil but for us, it is about fun and tedious, and you are beginning to be quite fun. Goodbye. We will be baking at my place. Bring your own supplies.”