The Devil's Apple 2/2

The Devil's apple was the term the people in Fordalt used to call the bulges formed from tumors under the skin. However, seldom is known that the Devil's apple can also form inside the body where bulges couldn't be seen.

The Devil's Apple Artemis was going to remove, thankfully, was a benign tumor. The tumor was fairly big in size, enough to cause problems with any leg activity. The fact Pandora even managed to run with such a tumor in the sole of her right foot was astounding in and on itself. 

Wart was sitting near her head with both his hands placed on her forehead. Two yellow circles of magic appeared on the palm of each of his hands. It was sleeping magic.

Artemis only needed to remove the tumor itself and Wart could just heal the rest of the wound. The wound should be clear of any residual tumors or else it would end up growing again thanks to his magic, which was the only drawback of his.

The operation started with Artemis using a small but sharp knife to cut a straight line next to the bulge. 

He then navigated through the veins and some of the major arteries present, moving the fat to the sides until the tumor was visible. The tumor was dark red and swollen. Veins were attached all around it like vines supplying the tumor with the needed nutrients to grow.

Artemis then started using the scissors he had to cut the tumor from the main tissue it was attached to. Slowly but surely, the tumor was severed from the main tissue. Artemis, since he still lacked some knowledge on how to surgically remove tumors like these, started severing the veins first.

Thankfully, Artemis had stopped blood from flowing through the right foot by wrapping another piece of cloth tightly around Pandora's leg. This way, she wouldn't accidentally bleed to death.

The veins were severed and the clotting blood he sucked out by using the tubes at the tip of his fingers. The tumor, being severed entirely, he then removed from the foot. 

Artemis had a small piece of cloth he found that he placed next to the foot. After the tumor was removed, Artemis carefully took the tumor out. Wart saw the tumor and was horrified.

To him, it looked like the egg of a demon. As if hell had placed its offspring inside Pandora's right foot. He was absolutely disgusted to the point that he wanted to throw up.

Artemis placed the tumor over the cloth, it even seemed as if it was beating, something similar to a heart. 

Artemis then returned and started completely severing the veins that were only there to feed the tumor. With the tumor gone, the veins served no purpose and may even harbor more cancerous cells and so, Artemis decided to remove them completely.

After doing so, he tried his best to lessen the chance of infection and sterilized the wound as much as he could with whatever available method he could do. 

Once the disinfection was completely, albeit crudely, he began to stitch the wound up with the thread and a needle he had.

The process was rigorous, even for Artemis. The level of equipment he had was far too primitive and defective but had no choice. He had to try to compensate with his know how but even he knew that his knowledge too was still lacking.

In times like these where I actually would want Caitlyn meddling, Artemis thought as he finishing stitching the wound. Wart, amazed by what he had seen, was called back to reality by Artemis using a simple clap.

"Ah, yes, Erik?" Wart asked.

"It is done, milord. But I must request that you heal the wound here for it to fully recover," Artemis said. 

"Ah yes," Wart said. He then removed his hands from Pandora's forehead and withdrew the yellow magic circles from his hand. He stood and walked towards her leg and started healing it with his magic.

Artemis had finished his job, as a matter of fact, he actually felt tense when he was doing so. The thought that a single mistake would end up causing catastrophic failure that may impair or even kill the person he was operating on. 

But this was just the first step. If he was to become proficient in the field of medical practice and medicine in general, it would become a great asset in dealing with underlings who were fleshy instead of being, well, metallic husks.

"Erik.." Wart asked.

"Yes, milord?" Artemis said.

"Are you.. really a human?"

And just like that, Artemis was placed into a situation that was both dire and risked having him exposed.

"What made you doubt what I am?" Artemis asked bluntly. His eyes glowing in anticipation of any assault.

I knew it, Artemis thought. I was too lenient and carefree. 

"You are too powerful and very special," Wart said.

Eh?

"You have immense strength even you have no magic, fine skills yet no master nor servants of your own, knowledge far beyond even what I know and yet you found yourself alone in the forest of my land, survived monsters and predators over the forest, or so you claim," Wart continued.

It was clear as day that Wart had begun doubting Artemis' explanation of how he got here.

The fact he accepted being his vassal immediately, his skill, Artemis took a deeper look into what he got himself into and what kind of dwarf Wart was really.

And then he noticed his heartbeat.

Wart's heartbeat was skyrocketing. He was at risk of having cardiac arrest. He was getting too nervous.

That was Artemis' final answer to his question.

Wart, despite trying to display that he was a brave dwarf. He was actually a coward who had come to learn how to act brave.

Artemis needed to calm him down somehow, him dying would actually make things a lot worse. But how was going to calm someone who was about have a panic attack? He was going to collapse at any second.