DB Lazarus

32. Revelations and Negotiations - III

I should just say yes, but I was the only other Human here.  “Is this still a fair deal?“  Her face darkened with annoyance, and I hurried to explain.   “I know enchanting my clothes will likely help you level, but will you find someone else who will fit into my clothes?...

31. Revelations and Negotiations - II

“We were in a hurry.  It isn’t exactly a common thing that one happens upon possible null materials.”

“Screw my negotiation and then force me to educate.” She shook her head.  “Though, better me than you, I suppose. I am sure your description would not do ...

30. Revelations and Negotiations - I

Got this finished up a bit earlier and wanted to post it a bit early since I left you all hanging a bit on the last one. I am hoping it doesn't feel too contrived and everyone seems in character. Next post will be Sat/Sunday.

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No, I don’t...

Christmas Holiday

Hi everyone,

I wanted to give you all a quick heads-up about my posting schedule over the holiday season. To avoid any confusion, I’m planning to take a short break after Christmas, but I’ve adjusted the schedule to delay the gap in postings until January.

Here’...

29. The Commons - II

Just FYI, ends on a minor cliff.

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The knock on the barred front door was loud enough to carry all the way back to even the bathroom.  It wasn’t pounding, but it had an urgent rhythm. 

I dried my wet face off, leaving a smear of d...

28. The Commons - I

The rest of the day in the mine was uneventful. I didn’t question when he called an end to our shift.  Instead, I carried our tools back to the cart to return them to the supply room.

I was stacking our tools on the cart when Dorian spoke.  “It's gonna be a big deposit."

27. Mining & Surviving - II

I returned to cracking rocks with my pickaxe, but that was short lived.  Now that I had proved that I could infuse more than a light stone, Dorian no longer bothered providing larger rocks to break. I quickly became relegated to shoveling debris into buckets and moving them out of the tunnel...

26. Mining & Surviving - I

Author note:

Hi everyone. Happy early Thanksgiving! I wanted to say thank you so much for your support.

Just a few notes. I realized recently that the process I had used to edit my chapters sucked. Too many typos had slipped through. So first, thanks for being patient with that. Secon...

25. Visiting the [Tailor]

We headed towards the crafting section of the camp, which lay in the shadow of the mountain.  What remained of my hospital attire fit under my arm in a depressingly small bundle.  As we headed to a set of small buildings the size of cottages, Ættir, Oresiani, and Volki flowed towards t...

24. Home Sweet Home

I stared at the door as it slammed shut.  While he left me with no explanation, I still walked over and barred the door.  I may not understand why Dorian was so upset, but I could understand the value of his simple advice. In my brief experience, this place was far too dangerous to not ...

23. The Wager - II

He then went quiet and studied my face, paying extra close attention to my temple.  I almost reached up to cover my Mark given the intensity of his gaze, though it helped that he approached with the same clinical detachment I had when looking at a skin lesion.  Also, I would play fair e...

22. The Wager - I

“Sorry.”  His smile made a mockery of his apology.

“Damnit, Dorian, don’t do that again.  You are going to give me a heart attack”

I glanced at his half-eaten plate while I drew in a few long breaths.  Even if I wasn’t in danger, my heart still...

21. Learning to Channel - II

Just like that, the energy cut off and the stone dimmed before my eyes. I tried again, but my breaths kept disrupting me.  The energy scattered, sending a waving of tingling down my torso and limbs. I closed my eyes in an effort to focus and fight against the building frustration.  I ne...

20. Learning to Channel - I

I tried to put aside the implications of mutterings as I gave the room another once over.  The room held eight beds, seven unmade.  Seven men who had not returned from mine.

I walked over to a small chest of drawers.  A set of them sat between each bed. Holding my brea...

19. A Return to the Living

My eyes opened to a familiar dark room. 

Esper. 

She had to be the doctor in my dream.  Though, was it really a dream?  So much remained muddled, but I remembered the green skin.

I called out her name, but all I received...

18. Critical Care - II

Pa—

Everything dissolved into excruciating pain.

Pay—

Searing pain enveloped me once more. I couldn’t move.  I couldn’t scream.  I couldn’t s...

17. Critical Care - I

Beep.  Beep.

I blinked.  Fluorescent lights came into focus.

Beep.  Beep.

“You’re awake.”  Before I could turn my head, he said, “don’t.  You aren’t ready.”

I stopped.  “What happened?” ...

16. Overdosing

The Volk did not even blink as I entered the cave and grabbed another cart.

Not that surprising.  After all, what is a—what did Dorian call me? A tier 1 Human?—going to do?

I pulled the cart down the narrow pathway to our mining site.  The Ættir had return...

15. Harvest & Cleanup - II

I had started sucking air as soon as we hit the main cavern.  It didn’t get better with each step after that. The cart’s wheels seemed to actively work against me.  Their resistance increased as I sped up.  This world needed to invent ball bearings.  All my muscles burned....

14. Harvest & Cleanup - I

Neither of us said anything more as we headed back to the mine’s entrance. I needed time to digest everything from my dismal place in this world to the fact monsters seemed to be commonplace.  At least I could wrap my head around the rigid hierarchy.  It had elements similar to a feud...

13. Fights & Potions - II

I didn’t correct his misunderstanding about my past.  It was true in many ways after all.  Instead, I took another dab of the potion to apply it to the larger lacerations.  The viscous liquid clung to my finger.  Again, it seemed to call to me.  Something waited for me....

12. Fights & Potions - I

Not knowing what else to do, I followed after him. In the next cavern, the cheering had turned into screeches.

Dorian stopped at the edge of the tunnel and turned his head back to speak.  “They went after a seam without telling us.  We need to get at least one kill, or th...

11. Enter the Mine - II

He led me around the corner.  As we walked, our conversation was punctuated by the sounds of crumbling stone.  “Have you mined before?”  Before I could say a word, he added, “Don’t answer that.  With that hammer of yours, you couldn’t even chip off a flake.”

...

10. Enter the Mine - I

I easily found the entrance to the mine. A large gash in the cliffside that reached far above the height of any of the buildings marked the entrance. However, as I approached, the size of the entrance tunnel surprised me.  It was a fraction of what I had expected.  The gash was actually...

9. Everything Has a Price

“By the Gods, he is a pain.  Don’t you dare try a stunt like that.  You will be dead faster than you can blink.”  I just nodded, not that I needed a reminder.  My neck still smarted. She turned from the counter and headed towards a back door.  “Why don’t you com...

8. Lay of the Land

A stiff gust of wind hit me as soon as I walked out of the door.  It cut like a knife, and I pulled my white coat closed to ward off the cold.  My shock turned to awe as I found the source of the frigid blast.  A sheer rock face stretched to the sky. Even craning my neck, I could b...

7. Lessons

I calmed down...eventually.  Not once did anyone come to check on me.  I truly was alone.  I had somehow pissed off the only person who seemed to care.

“Better off without her,” but I didn’t believe the words I had muttered.  Still, what doctor abandons a pa...

6. Meet the [Healers] - II

I awoke to a similar pulsation.  I jerked to a sitting position before I remembered how sore I was.  I cringed in regret, but no pain came.

“I am sorry for that, but you tolerated the treatment well.”

“There was a chance I wouldn’t?”

She ...

5. Meet the [Healers] - I

Did I break every bone in my body?  Every part of me ached. With each breath, each minute movement, pain lanced throughout my body.  I had taken care of so many people who complained of pain, but now I finally understood what that could mean.

Something pressed on my head an...

4. Integration

I woke to an incessant beeping punctuated by intermittent hissing. I rolled my head to the side to follow two tubes to their respective machines: a ventilator and a battery of IV pumps.  I was a patient in the ICU, and in critical condition.  Yet, I could only sigh in relief for which t...