“I think that would be a great idea, headmaster,” Alana said softly.
“I suppose I’d better start on some research of my own, then,” Adrissu sighed, and without waiting for a reply, he stood and left.
Chapter Eighteen
AfterhismeetingwithNed, Adrissu kept a close eye on Granville Kipp and his steam-powered crossbow. By the time the human was set to graduate, he indeed had a functioning model, though Ned had reported to him that there were several issues Kipp would have to figure out before anyone could hope to construct such a weapon at a scale large enough to cause concern.
But it was still something that was out in the world now, which Adrissu was not fond of. He contemplated finding and killing the human after he graduated to ensure that his creation would never be developed further, but ultimately decided it was not worth the risk of drawing that much attention and suspicion. He would just have to do his best to follow Granville Kipp’s career after he left the academy, and maybe he would eventually step in if things escalated too far for comfort. If he were lucky, Kipp would get himself killed with his dangerous work, and the problem would solve itself. One could only hope.
After the end of the term, though, Adrissu went on a short sabbatical, this time to gather information and seek out instructors for the healing track to introduce to the Academy. He hoped to learn more about it himself, and fortunately a healer in Aefraya had accepted his request to study under them over the summer months. He knew little about the healer, save that he was a half-elf named Dirge Petkas, who was apparently well known for his skills.
The city where he was to meet the healer was north of the capital, further than he’d ever been in Aefraya before. It was a settlement in what would have once been orc territory, so Adrissu had been hesitant at first; but most of the news coming out of Aefraya now was that the rebellion had largely been quelled, and the peace between elves and orcs remained, though how long it might last was anyone’s guess. But it seemed as safe as anywhere else in Aefraya, so Adrissu left just past sunset and flew under the cover of night until the first hints of sunrise. He landed high on a mountaintop and rested there for several hours, waiting out the warmest part of the day. Since it would be several more hours to reach the city on foot, he waited until the sun went down once again and flew the rest of the way, arriving in the city late in the evening.
He got a room in the local inn, and the next morning set out to the address Dirge Petkas had given him. It was a cozy-looking cottage with a large, overgrown garden in the front that was full of flowers and plants that Adrissu mostly did not recognize. A bird perch stood near the gate, and a hawk was preening itself on the perch. Its bright eyes flashed as its head turned to watch Adrissu; it screeched at him once, then flew away, swooping through an open window of the cottage.
It was the healer's familiar, Adrissu thought—a sign of a powerful magic-user, which heartened him. He carefully made his way through the garden, trying not to touch anything, then knocked at the door. A moment later, it swung open, revealing an extremely tall figure within.
Adrissu blinked, momentarily taken aback. Dirge Petkas had been described to him as a half-elf, but Adrissu had not realized that the other half was orcish. But the figure, who he assumed was Dirge, was easily seven feet tall and had mottled green skin. His build was far more slender than an orc’s would be, and his ears came to a narrow, tapered point far more elegant than the stubby points most orcs had—so he was certainly half-elven as well.
“Dirge Petkas?” he asked, forcing himself to speak, before the silence could go on too long.
The half-orc nodded, eyeing him. “You must be Adrissu,” he said in perfect elvish, stepping aside to hold the door open for Adrissu. “Come in.”
Adrissu nodded and stepped through the door. “Yes, thank you.”
The inside looked nearly as overgrown as the garden. All sorts of herbs and plants were strewn about, some growing out of pots, other in vases of water, and still more drying from where they hung in bunches from eaves and shelves. Briefly, Adrissu wondered if the man really was a healer after all, or if he was just an alchemist; all the herbs seemed to point toward the latter, which would be a disappointment. But he did have a familiar, the hawk which now watched him from the window—and as Dirge led him toward a sitting-room adjacent to a kitchen, he flicked one hand toward the stove, and a small fire burst to life beneath a kettle.
“You must have had a long journey,” Dirge commented, as he pulled two mugs from a high shelf. He reached for various dry plants hanging around the kitchen, then sprinkled them into the mugs. “I had to pull out a map to even see where Polimnos is. I’ve heard of the Academy, but I couldn’t have told you where in Autreth it is. You’ve come so far."
“Well, you were highly recommended,” Adrissu replied, grinning over at the half-orc as he sat down at the wooden table. “And it had been quite a while since I visited Aefraya, so that influenced my decision, as well. I’ve never been this far north, though.”
Dirge snorted, the corners of his mouth lifting in a slight smirk. “No, I expect this wasn’t Aefraya when you were born.”
It most certainly was not, Adrissu thought. “You would be correct,” he replied simply, stifling a chuckle. “Just another layer of interest that drew me in, I suppose.”
“Zaveed from the college told me you’re a very accomplished mage yourself,” Dirge said, abruptly changing the topic. “But you don’t know any healing magic?”
“No, I admit I had very little formal schooling. I know the very basics of healing magic, but nothing beyond that. Much of what I’ve picked up has been trial and error, and simply natural luck at developing, ah... the talents I was born with, I suppose,” Adrissu sighed. “But, well, there have been some... incidents in my life that have left me wishing I knew more than the simplest healing; and especially now that there is interest in offering a healing track at the Polimnos Academy, I figured it would be remiss of me not to do some in-depth learning myself.”
Dirge looked at him for a long moment; only when the kettle whistled behind him did he look away. When he turned back to face Adrissu again, kettle in hand as he poured the steaming water into the mugs, he smiled.
“Good,” he said. “Curiosity is a virtue. I’m happy to teach what I know to anyone who wants to learn.”
Somehow, the grin around the barely visible protrusions of his tusks made Adrissu feel less nervous. Dirge had been feeling him out and decided that he approved of whatever he saw in Adrissu, which was a relief. He doubted the half-orc or his familiar would have been able to sense anything particularly suspicious about him, but since he operated independently, there was nothing compelling the man to teach him except his own desire to do so—and perhaps the coin Adrissu was willing to pay him. He needed Dirge to at least tolerate him.
Dirge handed him the mug, and Adrissu took a sip without asking what it was. The hot liquid on his tongue nearly burnt him, but it was a sensation he did not mind, and the bright, herbal flavor that accompanied it was palatable as well.
“This will help energize you,” Dirge said, taking a careful sip of his own cup. “I find it’s particularly helpful after a long journey.”
Adrissu nodded gratefully as he took another drink. It tasted good, at the very least; but when he had drained the mug, he thought maybe he did feel a little more alert.
“Well,” Dirge sighed, setting his cup down and gesturing for Adrissu to stand. “Let’s not waste any time, then.”
Adrissu spent the next two months studying under Dirge, who, despite his eclectic appearance, turned out to be extremely knowledgeable about healing magic. Adrissu was quickly impressed with the sheer breadth of his knowledge, drawing deeply from both orcish druidic magic and more practical, traditional elven healing. Dirge explained his fathers were an orc druid and an elven soldier, who met shortly after the finalization of the peace treaty between Aefraya and the orc wildlands, about a century ago. Between the two of them, he learned everything there was to know about both types of healing, and studied formally for several years at the Castle Aefraya library, before returning to his hometown. In addition to magical healing, Dirge also gave him a crash course in the various herbs, tinctures, and potions that were commonly used among orcs as well, which was quite interesting.
After two months, Adrissu had learned enough of the fundamentals, and gained a grasp of the study as a whole, to better discern what instructors were needed to ensure the success of a healing track at the Academy. Unsurprisingly, he offered Dirge a job as a part of that curriculum. And unsurprisingly, the half orc turned him down.
“I’d never want to live in a city like that,” he muttered, rapidly shaking his head. “Besides, that far into Autreth… I bet most of the residents have never even seen an orc in their lives. No, far too much hassle. Thank you, but no.”
