DB Lazarus

90. Interlude: Rægnor - II

Rægnor took a bite of the mash, eyes widening as a complex mix of sweetness and earthy tones burst in his mouth.  He closed his eyes, savoring the high-tier food that he didn’t have access to.  It made the betrayal sting that much worse.

He had lived his life by his father’s principles…until he couldn’t.

For the good of the tribe.

His father’s favorite saying.  He probably had died repeating them as he threw himself in front of the high-tier monster...

89. Interlude: Rægnor - I

Rægnor walked down the trail cut through thin patches of grass, ferns, and needles covering the ground outside the mines.  The land had started to recover from the clearing needed to set up the mine camp, but it would leave a mark for decades to come.  Just like this expedition had for his people.

We shouldn’t be here.  It will be our end.

The abomination’s power lingered in his mind, coloring his outlook in a dark haze.  Too many intrusive, dark ...

New Cover Art

Here’s a first look at the new cover for A Doctor Without Borders.

I wanted something that captures the heart of the story—a blend of medicine and magic with a clear nod to isekai/portal fantasy. The cracked caduceus symbolizes the clash between Daniel’s science and the world’s magic, while the glowing fractals represent the Marks infiltrating him and reshaping how he practices medicine.

Cover art credit goes to Mushfiq A. K.

88. Interlude: Lydia

Lydia Archonides Chrysemporos lifted her mug, giving the ale a swirl.  The fruity bouquet wafted from the iridescent liquid.  Any other day, she would have savored the exquisite brew.  Today, she couldn’t help but take an undignified swig. “Now for one last topic.”

Anthea Archonides Rhaptis, legendary [Archmage] with a penchant for masquerading as a humble [Tailor], arched an eyebrow.  “Oh?  There wasn’t anything else on the agenda for today’s meetin...

87. Interlude: Dorian - II

Dorian nodded, cracking the seal on his own drink.  He brought the bottle to his nose, taking a whiff.  He closed his eyes, letting the sharp blend of local berries fill his nostrils.  Thalia was becoming quite the artisan.

He raised his cup to Daniel, who immediately got the gesture's meaning.  Their cups clinked with a dull thud.  Daniel took a long drink, closed his eyes, and exhaled. “That is...nice.”

Dorian almost scoffed, but Daniel wasn’t...

86. Interlude: Dorian - I

Dorian entered the Common, the vast dining hall practically empty at this time of day. That would change quickly, in a matter of minutes, once the shift rotated, but for now, only a few servers milled around the back tables, preparing for the dinner rush. He scanned the room, looking for one person in particular. The short bundle of energy was moving around far too fast for someone not using a skill.

Always pushing the limits—even now.

He took a deep breath and started ...

85. Interlude: Grimglæf

Hi everyone, I’m back from my break! It was a busy time, but I managed to get a lot of writing and planning done. You can expect a few interludes coming up soon that I hope will deepen the supporting characters and expand the world. Thanks for sticking around!

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Grimglæf blinked, the blackness slowly receding from the center of the vision.  He resisted the urge to flood his body with Energy and charge his…Sæmdarskati.  That title stung almost as much as ...

84. Interlude - Esper

Esper sat at a small table in the back room, the dim lights not a bother to her sharp eyes. She worked at grinding her latest batch of herbs. Her hands ached from the repetitive movements, though in truth, her work strained her more mentally than physically.  The constant infusion of Energy took its toll.   Her Master could have eased the toll, but the old [Shaman] had no love for potions, “a mark of an inferior [Healer].”

Her lips pinched.  She had not quite reached ...

83. A Place at the Table - II

While I complied, she closed the door and slid over two bars.  As the door latched, the runes flared green, then dimmed. The Aether density rose again, prickling my skin.

Fascinating.

Moving the latches had completed a pattern, or looking at it from a more Earth-centric view, she had flipped two switches to complete a circuit that allowed the Energy to flow through the runes inscribed into the walls and table.  As for what that circuit did, I still had no idea.  2025-06-19 04:47:58 +0000 UTC View Post

82. A Place at the Table - I

As we walked through the mine, Dorian’s mood soured.  The meeting with Sæmdarskati had provided unwelcome revelations.  However, he didn’t say a word.  He had opened his mouth multiple times, only to close it without uttering a thing.  Each time, he radiated even more frustration and annoyance that had to border on anger.  He considered me a friend, part of his team.  He had wanted to negotiate for me, but more importantly, he wanted me safe.  Losing hi...

81. Meet the "[Leader]"

The Vísir stepped forward, kneeling next to the Ættar.  Around us, the battle continued, but the older Ættar moved with utter calm.  It wasn’t just hurt.  The space around us had taken on a new air as if she could bring peace to an area by force of will.

The Vísir reached forward, feeling the air coming from the tube.  “What you’ve done is barbaric.”

She was right.  It was barbaric—given the tools she had available.  However, no...

80. The "[Healer]" - II

“What are you doing?”

I ignored the shout from behind, and Rægnor came to my rescue.  “His job.  Leave him be.”

There was a shout and possibly a thud, though I didn’t dare look.  No one jerked my arm away.  I extended his neck to expose his throat.  I palpated the cartilage rings until I found the slight depression just 2 cm below the prominence made by the thyroid cartilage.

I brought the blade to the skin.  My fingers against the Wo...

79. The "[Healer]" - I

Author’s Note:
We’re nearly at the end of Part I of A Doctor Without Borders, and I just want to say thank you. Your support and encouragement have meant a lot.

The "[Healer]” I & II are the medical peak of this arc, and the next few posts—probably 5 to 7 more—will bring this part to a close. I’m also planning a few interludes from fresh perspectives between Parts I and II, and I may include one or two before taking a month-...

78. On a Knife’s Edge - III

Alone again with just my thoughts, I could confirm the two things that I had already suspected:  First, I had managed to pour some of the potion into Eiræk’s mouth.  Judging by what dripped from my fingers, I hadn’t lost too much.  I tried to conjure a memory of the vial’s weight, but I couldn’t manage it.  Still, I bet I dosed him with more than a third but less than half.  Not much, but empowered, it permitted Eiræk to unleash whatever skill he had used ea...

77. On a Knife’s Edge - II

I had lost count of the people I had healed when Rægnor grabbed my shoulder.  “We need to hurry back to our group.”

I craned my neck to see them.  Our group had fared well given its location.  Not once had they needed my support.  Even now, I detected no significant injuries.  “Why?”  Then the sound, or rather the lack of it, hit me.  The screeching of dying rats and monsters had dropped to a fraction of the previous.  “Are we done?”<...

76. On a Knife’s Edge - I

We burst out of the tunnel in a rush. Eiræk bellowed a warning about the incoming horde.  Ættir parted the defensive line to let us through.  We moved through the gap, not slowing until we reached a small spot in the back, empty and waiting.

So, not a complete betrayal by the Verndari.

After our ordeal, we needed some time to recover.  Being on the front would have been…bad.  The flood of terrorvoles had shown no signs of slowing.  I hadn’t even turn...

75. Staunching the Surge - II

When I had the chance to examine them, I had once again experienced a skill’s fallibility.  [Sense Injury] had picked up the wounds and judged them equal, but they were anything but.  While both penetrating wounds had caused localized hemorrhage, a cursory examination revealed wounds in two different classes.

The Ættar on the right had the more gruesome wounds: a shard had pierced his lower cheek and exited the other side, leaving a ragged gash.  It was spilling blood,...

74. Staunching the Surge - I

All conversation died as the cracks widened.  Our plans to delay?  Forgotten.  We hadn’t even started, and things had already gone south.  However, our hærlið took the change in stride.  He sent a runner to update the company and then ordered people into a formation—a reverse wedge—to block the tunnel.  No one argued as Eiræk assigned roles.  No one needed an explanation.  After all, the plan hadn’t changed.  Even if initiated early, thi...

73. Before the Breach - III

The next day moved fast. The end of the tunnel was left untouched as any further excavation risked opening a path for monsters to escape. However, that still left plenty of work on the traps.  Dorian, along with other Ættir, designed the traps and defense structures.  Mining this vein carried more uncertainties than the previous.  The high-grade crystal created dangerous pockets around our tunnel.  While their frequency lessened as we moved away from the main vein, the ri...

72. Before the Breach - II

Eiræk didn’t return by the end of the shift.  He didn’t return at the end of the next one either.  All we got were Rægnor’s short, terse, and then repeated assurances that Eiræk was working on it and that he needed support, something that took time.  Of course, that did nothing for Dorian’s mood, which had already started to fray.

This strike had dangers that none of the previous ones did.  I had thought his skills would mitigate the risk, but as with my [...

71. Before the Breach - I

Eiræk grunted after Dorian finished his explanation. He squatted down and ran his hand across the segment of the floor that blocked access to the cavern. “How far down again?”

Dorian tapped the ground with a heavy knuckle.  “Less than a few hours’ worth of work for just me—that’s just to break through.  Stabilizing things to allow for a descent would take more time.”

“Bloody dangerous that.”  Eiræk sighed.  “How I miss the sun and the seas...

70. Complications - IV

“You are a fool.”

“For what? Forcing you to come here?  Or talking back to the Vísir?”

He stared at me incredulously. “Both, but one doesn’t tend to live a long life if they make a habit of irritating a [Shaman].”

I couldn’t disagree. “That may not have been my best decision.  I think the mines are having a greater effect on me than I realized.”

 I had improved at dealing with higher Aether concentrations, but had I really become imm...

69. Complications - III

Even though Rægnor promised to cover my patient’s duties, he had reservations—far more than reasonable—about walking out with a Human.  Dragging an overfilled cart together helped placate him.  Dorian had shot me a questioning look but said nothing more when I gave him a small shake of my head.  

The trip up the hill to the healer’s lodge went quickly with my patient’s help, even if I had to coax him multiple times after he almost lost his nerve.  Only my ...

68. Complications - II

Before I started, I gave him another perfunctory warning. “This is not the same as healing. It will be uncomfortable and may hurt.  It will also take more time.  I will first wash out the wound with cold water.  Then I will warn you before I scrub the inside of the wound.  That will likely be the most painful part.  After that, I will apply the potion.  Most do not find that painful or unpleasant, but it can itch.”

“All that for a test.”

“It...

67. Complications - I

Only two people took me up on my offer the first day, and only one, the next day.  From there, people’s acceptance of my help varied based on the size of the pocket of crystals we discovered.  Larger deposits equated to more monsters and injuries.  Still, even with Rægnor’s help, I never convinced more than two in a day, and those tended to be repeat customers.  I tried to give it no mind.  I got to use my skills, and more importantly, no one sported lingering, u...

66. Beneath the Surface - II

Note (4/20/25): In working on the next chapter, I realized I needed to make a slight change to the third-to-last paragraph to make how certain skills function a bit more explicit.

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After how our breakfast conversation ended, Dorian and I walked to the mine in silence.  I didn’t need the space, but I didn’t mind it either.  Despite our talk’s length, we had left early enough to join the morning rush of workers entering the mine.  The assortment of Vol...

65. Beneath the Surface - I

I rose before the first bell despite a restless sleep after last night’s antics.  The morning after drinking always carried a price, though today’s was not as steep as in the past.  While my mouth was bone dry, I did not sport the expected headache.

I still stumbled on the way to the bathroom for a few steps until the blood finally perfused my brain.  I had barely finished filling a cup of water when someone knocked on my door.  

“Who is it?”

“I...

64. Celebrations - II

By the time we headed over to the Commons, the darkness of the long shadow cast by the ridge had deepened.  Night was upon us, but the lights of the Commons stayed bright.   However, Dorian and I entered to find it emptied save for our company and a few Volkski stragglers that hung out in the corner.  I tried to ignore the chill that ran down my spine when those same Volk barred their unnaturally sharp teeth at me as soon as Dorian had looked away.

I am protected.  <...

63. Celebrations - I

Rægnor actually did have another patient for me. I recognized his face—barely.  He worked under a different hærlið, and the laceration he sported would’ve once counted as a major.  However, healing potions and pain suppression skills changed the calculus.  I treated it with a bit of [Enhance Medicinal].  The act that had once strained me had become trivialized upon obtaining the next tier.  

I tried to make some pleasant bedside conversation, but that fel...

62. Further Inroads - II

Normally, exiting the cave was a literal breath of fresh air.  While the majority of the improved tolerability came from the notable drop in the Aether density, the cave, even with its size, had a stale quality, especially deeper in.  Yet, when I exited, the air outside was also off.  I couldn’t put my finger on it.  It had a foul, acrid…taste?  Could a smell have a taste?  I had experienced my fair share of smog, and it had that unhealthy feel.  However...