A Doctor Without Borders [Healer | Slow-Burn | Medical Fantasy]

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 of grass. And you are sure you sense nothing extra in there."

"It is hard to tell. There might be something, but I am certain that it's nothing compared to what's further down this tunnel."

He shifted his gaze to the unfinished end of our tunnel. "How much are we talking about?"

"Odds are, it would dwarf what we just opened."

Rægnor whistled at the promise of treasure. Eiræk dragged his eyes back to Dorian, though not without a hint of hesitation. He stood up, turning to face the young Oresian. "How long have you known about this?"

Dorian tried to hide his irritation but only partially masked it. The question was unfair, but I took it as a win that it didn't have the same bite as a similar one from about a week ago. Eiræk hadn't even started or ended it with "Oresian."

"Knowing there was a load here? For some time. It's why I picked this direction. Now, as for knowing about a load as big as I'm predicting now? I've had inklings for the better part of a few days, but today is the first time I'm confident about what lies past the end of this tunnel."

Silence hung for seconds, and right before it became uncomfortable, Eiræk spoke. "I appreciate your honesty. I don't think I would've done it differently." He tapped his boot on the ground. "Better to hold one fat kill than chase rumors of a herd."

Dorian nodded. "There may be some reward there, but it could be an entrance to a major network of caves. It has the right shape, and they run through this land. Honestly, I am surprised we haven't hit one yet. Even if not connected to a large vein, a surge draws attention. You never know what might be dragged up. And as I told Daniel, sealing it up doesn't prevent future intrusions. Better to keep it closed unless you are willing to have a permanent guard or shut down the whole area."

"I agree. That will be my advice to the Verndari. Anything else?"

"Well, since you're taking my advice," he pointed to the end of the tunnel, "I do not think we can manage what may be coming with our company alone. If it is as large as hope, it would be downright suicidal. I don't know how often you guys work together, but I would bring in two or even three different companies and a [Healer]. It may even be worth considering an Oresian company."

"An Oresian company?" His voice came hard, but then softened. "No. That would be too far. Even asking other companies is a stretch. Now, have you spoken to anyone outside this company about this find?"

Dorian scowled. "I can keep my mouth shut."

"He bled for the company," I said. "I thought we were passed this."

Rægnor added, "I did too."

Eiræk clenched his fist. "We are. I know that soils my honor, but I had to ask. The Verndari will ask me the same question. He speaks noble words, but he is greedy. He will know if I lie, even if by omission."

Dorian shook his head and muttered something under his breath. "You have my oath. We are the only ones I have spoken to about this. I can swear on your ancestors if need be. However, I will warn you, I don't think I can keep quiet if he tries to do this alone."

Eiræk's eyes flashed with anger, but Rægnor spoke first. "How badly could this go?

"If this is as big as I think it is—and I will know soon as I get closer—really bad. Veins this size have led to multiple, seasoned Oresian companies being wiped out."

"Sadly, that will not necessarily convince the Verndari." Eiræk surveyed the end of the tunnel once more. "Continue moving forward, and ignore this lesser find. I'll let you know what happens after I speak with him. It may not be today. I may need to gather some allies."

As Eiræk and Rægnor started to leave, I asked, "Rægnor, I think you should stay."

Everyone frowned in confusion, but it made sense to me. "As soon as you tell the Verndari what lies at the end of the tunnel, he will likely demand Ættarsk eyes in this tunnel. Might as well preempt him. It is also better to have Rægnor than someone else. Though Rægnor, are you going to be okay slumming it with us?"

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"Slumming it? You have the weirdest phrases, but I would consider it honorable work. It would help speed up the excavation."

Eiræk nodded to Rægnor. "It is a good plan. You've earned respect with the assassin spider kills, and even if we got lucky with that high-grade Aether crystal, our section in the last strike is small. You would be better utilized here. I will update you after I have discussed things with the Verndari.

***

After Eiræk left, we continued to excavate the tunnel, though not in our usual manner. This time, I, along with Rægnor, did the heavy lifting when it came to mining. Dorian focused on reinforcing the walls. He also stopped us far more frequently to assess our path. Each time he did, he just muttered under his breath before pointing us in a new direction or having us return to excavating.

At first, I welcomed the change of pace. I hadn't just suggested Rægnor stay to ensure we had an Ættar with favorable views of Humans overseeing us. I also wanted to discuss everything that happened with Rægnor. This current arrangement gave us more time. He had less reticence than my patient. However, not having to pry it out of him didn't reduce the sting when he confirmed everything my patient had said.

Three different people had reported seeing signs that this world had experienced cataclysmic events. But were Humans to blame? I just couldn't get behind the Ættarsk view, but I also couldn't come up with a reason why Humans, and not anyone else, would dominate their oral histories.

Of course, I didn't make out of conversation without being called a fool again—how many times did that now make? I had racked up quite a tally. However, Rægnor's admonishing didn't change my mind. If properly caring for my patient meant challenging the Vísir, I couldn't see myself doing it any other way.

Still, it didn't take long for me to finish recounting my tale. Then, the breaks became grating. Now that I had hit the second tier, my channels had changed. I hadn't noticed the degree until I switched from transport duty to mining. I was still putting it together, but at the very least, they had gained a greater capacity. Unfortunately, that seemed to require a greater minimum amount of Energy flowing through them—at least for now. With more time, I would regain some finesse, but I couldn't get there until I remastered the basics. Yet, Dorian had a knack for always interrupting me just when I had gotten into a groove. It didn't help things that Dorian's tension also grew with each passing hour and that Rægnor, like the rest of his brethren, was ever the conversationalist.

Rægnor's presence did provide an escape. I could break away to make my "medical" rounds, satisfied with the knowledge that Dorian would have the support he needed to excavate. However, even those breaks became grating. No one needed or wanted my services, even with Iværr's promise of help.

Finally, I had hit my wits' end with the number of interruptions. "Dorian, why do you keep stopping us? What is going on? You know our hærlið agrees with your take."

"It isn't that. In fact, I am now confident that the cavern system below us has no significant veins. Sure, it could contain some Aether-infused water, but it's not worth it. No, I am stopping us for your own good."

I bristled at the condescension, but I kept my anger in check. Dorian wasn't the Vísir. If he was saying this, he had a good reason. He also doesn't know that he is interrupting my investigations into my channels. "Care to elaborate? Not all of us do this for a living."

"We are entering treacherous terrain here."

Rægnor stood up straighter. "More monsters?"

"No, but just as dangerous. When Aether deposits get this big, they can get dangerous. Hit things wrong or with too much Energy, and you can get an explosion."

I swallowed. "How big of an explosion are we talking about, Dorian?"

"Depends. Most of the time, it's nothing—though at my tier, my nothing is different than yours. However, you can get unlucky, especially if there's groundwater around."

I frowned, eyes glancing towards the ground. "And we have groundwater around here…which explains why you've kept referencing Aether-infused water." He nodded, and my brows furrowed. "Kind of strange that water makes things more explosive."

He shrugged. "It's the air and water—something about the mix. I don't know the details, but the old-timers say rich veins tend to 'brew' bad air. We avoid sparks and definitely open flames." He gestured toward a light stone. "Never bring any other type of light source, and when in doubt, don't hit anything with too much Energy. Explosions aren't good for your health, and chain reactions, even worse."

I let the head of my pick drop to the floor. "Don't you think you should have told us about this earlier? I haven't been holding anything back."

Dorian waved away my concern. "And what? Worry you over nothing? Your blows don't travel far, and the pockets are spaced out. So, low risk, for now." He ran his hand over the wall. "I've been monitoring things, patching micro-fractures. We aren't close enough yet for something serious, but we don't want to rush either."

"Do you want to take over?"

"I will if it gets more dangerous, but you need practice."

I sighed. "That obvious?"

"No, but jumping tiers is a big deal. I don't remember it that well—I was just a kid, but I do remember it messing everything up."

I looked at Rægnor. "How about you?"

He just shrugged. "Ættir enter the second Tier as babes."

"How? You know what, I don't want to know right now. Dorian, any other concerns we should know about? You know, like poisonous gas or something?"

"Nah, I've been watching it." He hesitated, his eyes darting to Rægnor. "With a skill, though now that I think about it, my skill might not be tuned to your tier. There can be leaks of bad air that will spike the ambient Aether concentration. It isn't that dangerous if you're prepared, but if you start feeling off, let me know. I will double-check that I haven't miss a pocket."

"Great. I am a canary." He cocked his head, questioning. I tried once more. "Canary."

"Saying it again doesn't tell me what you are talking about."

"Huh, it translated right. So you have canaries, but don't know how they're used." His confusion deepened. "Just something from home, but who'd have thought I'd have to explain that reference here of all places? It's when—actually, never mind. Why use them when you have skills." I shook my head. "Let's just get back to mining."