Tessa stared at the blackboard, still trying to comprehend three things. Where did Torgrak find a foldable blackboard? How did he pull it out of a bag that has a smaller opening than the smallest dimension on the blackboard? And in what way was Torgrak referring to “first-aid”, “equipment”, and “alchemy” that differed from what she already understood?

When she started learning miracles, specifically for healing, Tessa and her peers practiced some emergency procedures when using a miracle was impossible or ill-advised. First, she should keep the wound and her hands as clean as possible. Next, stop any bleeding with a clean bandage or cloth; elevating the wound if necessary. Then clean the wound as best you can with soap, water, and alcohol. All before dressing it with bandages and waiting for the next available opportunity for a healing miracle or spell to finish things.

As for knowing anything useful about “equipment”, she didn’t really know much. Aavron would occasionally go on a tangent mid conversation, raving about weapons and armors of all kinds, but that was about it. Aside from her staff, Tessa didn’t know what other things she could use effectively. Assuming that there were other things that suited her better. She wondered if Torgrak was going to give a lecture similar to Aavron, but to a level of detail she could never prepare for. If he does, Tessa might have to force herself to stay awake through it.

However, of the three things, “alchemy” had her stumped. Perhaps Torgrak meant “potion making” or some equivalent, because the only other kind of alchemy she knew about involved con men and scammers. Tessa had no interest in tricking people into giving her money, and her miracles are superior in immediacy and convenience when compared to potions. Maybe her mentor had a screw loose? Possibly multiple.

Torgrak raised his hand and pointed with his finger at the blackboard, tracing a triangle between the three subjects in the air.

“Can ya tell me what these three have in common?”

Tessa scratched her head.

Do they have something in common? Maybe… medicine?

Raising her eyebrow, she replied.

“They’re all things… you can use to heal someone?”

Torgrak looked up at the board for a moment, and then back at her.

“Well. Yer not wrong. But more accurately, none of zhem rely on magix, miracles, or othervise. What I be teachin’ ya is how ta be self-reliant, rather zhan letting yer god do everyzhing for ya.”

(Well. You’re not wrong. But more accurately, none of them rely on magic, miracles, or otherwise. What I’ll be teaching you is how to be self-reliant, rather than letting your god do everything for you.)

Tessa was befuddled. Did he want her to rely on her miracles less? She’d already spent over a decade learning and practicing miracles, so why focus on this? The physical training that awaited her in three days made sense, to a degree, but this didn’t.

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to practice and refine my miracles?”

Torgrak retorted, “An’ what vill ya do when ye run out o’ miracles ta use?”

“I don’t follow.”

Torgrak rolled his eyes.

“Hei can explain it better, but evervone has a limited amount of power zhey can draw upon; magix, miracles, etcetera. So, I’ll ask ya again: what vill ya do vhen ye can’na cazt yer miracles?”

(Hei can explain it better, but everyone has a limited amount of power they can draw upon; magic, miracles, etcetera. So I’ll ask you again: what will you do when you cannot cast your miracles?)

Tessa opened her mouth to respond, but stopped. Giving his question genuine thought, she wondered what she would do in that situation?

I could run away or use my staff as a weapon, but neither are ideal solutions.

And then she realized what Torgrak was getting at. It shocked her how she hadn’t realized it before.

Without my miracles, I’m… useless.

Tessa believed that to be an overexaggeration, but it wasn’t far off. She didn’t know how to defend herself without miracles, nor knew of any ways to support others if she couldn’t use them in the midst of or outside of combat.

Torgrak chuckled to himself.

“Zhese three zhings be vhat every adventurer shou’ know, even if only on a basic level. Da moment ye step beyond Faethun, ye’ll be wi’out da protection of any sacrosanct church for miles. So if ya vant ta survive, zhese are what keep ya alive.”

(These three things are what every adventurer should know, even if only on a basic level. The moment you step beyond Faethun, you’ll be without the protection of any sacrosanct church for miles. So if you want to survive, these are what keep you alive.)

Tessa stared at the board and tried to burn them into her mind.

“I… I understand.”

Tessa thought she’d prepared herself for the world beyond her home, beyond the Academy, and beyond Faethun. But now that she’d actually been in the genuine danger, she put together the pieces of Torgrak’s lesson.

He wasn’t aiming to teach her just about defending herself, but surviving the wilderness. There wouldn’t be any convenient amenities to rely on. The food, clothing, bathrooms and more wouldn’t be available. Her miracles could help defend her, but they can’t keep her going forever. And if she were to use them all in a day just to keep herself from starving, what would she do when a wild bear appeared and she can’t drive it away? She could get lucky and a traveling warrior or merchant could appear, but luck is fickle.

“Good. I’ve seen many who vere overconfident an’ under-prepared end up biting off more zhan zhey could chew. If ya understand zhis, zhen yer already ahead of many ozhers. Vhen on a quest vhere yer life could be taken from ya at any time, vhat matters is coming back alive. Ya can’nat boast about yar success if yer six feet under.”

(Good. I’ve seen many who were overconfident and under-prepared end up biting off more than they could chew. If you understand this, then you’re already ahead of many others. When on a quest where your life could be taken from you at any time, what matters is coming back alive. You can’t boast about your success if you’re six feet under.)

Torgrak turned back to the blackboard before hitting it and sending its writable surface flipping repeatedly on its axles. He then gave it a hard hit with the back of his fist, slamming it to a stop on the clean side. Pulling out a step stool from his bag, Torgrak wrote “First-Aid” at the top of the board and took out an extendable metal pointer.

Tessa wondered, How does he keep pulling things out like that?

“As someone who trained ta be a healer, ya should know at least somezhing about zhis, correct?”

Tessa felt a bit insulted by his tone, but set that aside and parroted what she learned at Unity Academy.

“Yes, I know about first-aid. They taught me how to clean and dress injuries, followed by using a miracle to heal it. Or, in the case I could not, request another healer to cast the miracle necessary.”

“Do ya know how ta do it vizhout magix or miracles?”

Tessa didn’t follow.

“I don’t use spells or miracles to handle the parts before casting one, if that’s what you mean.”

Torgrak put his hand to his forehead.

“Young folk zhese years…”

Quickly setting that aside, Torgrak restated what he meant.

“Do ya know how ta do it vizhout magix or miracles at all?”

Tessa reflexively cocked her head to an angle while her face scrunched up slightly in confusion, and Torgrak gave a heavy sigh at her reaction.

“Do ya know vhat a healing potion be?”

“Yes… Why?”

“Zhat be a means o’ healing that be neizher magix nor miracle.”

Tessa stared blankly as it slowly clicked in her mind what Torgrak meant earlier.

“Oh. Oh… So a means of substituting healing spells and miracles?”

Torgrak’s eyes rolled, resting in the upper right corners.

“Aye. Vhen magix and miracles be unavailable, ill-advised, or best saved for later, vhere be ozher means of healing. I’m going ta list vhat ta use depending on da current status of yer available supplies vhen out on a mission.”

(Yes. When magic and miracles are unavailable, ill-advised, or best saved for later, there are other means of healing. I’m going to list what to use depending on the current status of your available supplies when out on a mission.)

Turning back to the blackboard, Torgrak wrote: 1. Potions.

“Use a potion vhen ya still have most of yer supplies. Zhey’re just as effective as magix or miracles an’ can be eizher used by da injured party member or administered by anozher. Zhey also do not have any required casting time an’ vork almost as immediately as ozher means. So alvays keep some on ya.”

(Use a potion when you still have most of your supplies. They’re just as effective as magic or miracles and can be either used by the injured party member or administered by another. They also do not have any required casting time, and work almost as immediately as other means. So always keep some on you.)

Tessa followed what Torgrak said and agreed. If it meant one less cast spent on healing, it would allow for the use of other spells and miracles. It would also relieve some of the pressure put on a healer if everyone has their own means of emergency treatment.

Next, Torgrak wrote: 2. Suture.

“Vhen supplies fall to about half or less, it is best ta resort ta zhis. Vhen given a moment ta rest an’ recover, suture any major vounds. Zhis doesn’t provide immediate healing, but allows da body ta recover naturally vith time. Avoid combat as much as possible, aim ta keep any combat encounters in your favor, or at least fight vizhout any disadvantages.”

(When supplies fall to about half or less, it is best to resort to this. When given a moment to rest and recover, suture any major wounds. This doesn’t provide immediate healing, but allows the body to recover naturally with time. Avoid combat as much as possible, aim to keep any combat encounters in your favor, or at least fight without any disadvantages.)

Tessa cautiously absorbed this new information, but had a question.

“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to use a healing spell or miracle in that situation?”

“Aye, ya could. But if ya did, zhat’s one less casting ye have for ozher situations.”

“Okay… Though if I was already resting, wouldn’t I be able to regain enough energy to make up for that loss and overall keep myself and party members in good condition?”

The dwarf laughed heartily.

“Very good observation. Aye, zhat be an option. An’ it is a good idea ta keep yourself an’ yer party in good condition. Especially vhen ye don’ know if anozher fight may break out at any moment. But zhats da catch.”

(Very good observation. Yes, that is an option. And it is a good idea to keep yourself and your party in good condition. Especially when you don’t know if another fight may break out at any moment. But that’s the catch.)

“What is?”

“Because a battle could break out at any moment, ya von’t have as much room for error. If ya cast a healing magix or miracle, yer zhen down one casting that could’ve been used ta fight back. It’s a very tricky situation. Do ye spend da resources ta heal yer party, or save zhem in case somezhing vorse happens? Only zhrough experience vill ye figure zhat out.”

(Because a battle could break out at any moment, you won’t have as much room for error. If you cast a healing spell or miracle, you’re then down one casting that could’ve been used to fight back. It’s a very tricky situation. Do you spend the resources to heal your party, or save them in case something worse happens? Only through experience will you figure that out.)

“But aren’t there ways to prevent that situation from happening?”

“Aye, an’ I vill teach ye many zhings ta increase yer margin for error. But not yet.”

Torgrak turned back to the board and wrote the next option: 3. Cauterizing.

Tessa immediately tensed up at the thought, but didn’t view it asat as entirely unreasonable.

“Zhere are two main uses for cauterizing in our line of vork. Da first is ta prevent leaving a blood trail vhen running away. Da ozher is ta destroy tissue zhat cannot be treated any ozher way.”

(There are two main uses for cauterizing in our line of work. Tha first is to prevent leaving a blood trail when running away. The other is to destroy tissue that cannot be treated any other way.)

“What do you mean by ‘treated any other way’?”

“Zhere are some zhings in zhis vorld zhat not even magix an’ miracles can treat, let alone are healed over time by da body. Some of zhese may have ta be burned avay ta prevent. Ozhers may require da last option.”

(There are some things in this world that not even magic and miracles can treat, let alone are healed over time by the body. Some of these may have to be burned away to prevent. Others may require the last option.)

Torgrak’s words dripped with dread as he turned back to the board and wrote: 4. Amputation.

Tessa stared at the board in disbelief.

“You’re not serious… Are you? That’s not something likely to happen at all, is it?”

“It’s a rare occurrence, but it be best ta be prepared for da vorst.”

Torgrak paused before continuing, crossing his arms and staring straight at Tessa.

“In situations vhen ya have next ta no supplies an’ time be of da essence, ye may have ta do zhis. Aye, a lost limb be overall bad. But it’s preferable ta death.”

Tessa stared in absolute horror and disbelief. She could understand burning a wound, but removing a limb was a step way too far. To resort to amputation in their world of swords and sorcery felt blasphemous to even consider.

“How can you suggest such a thing so casually?!”

Torgrak’s eyes narrowed before replying coldly.

“Oh? An’ vhat vill ye do vhen neizher magix nor miracles can be used an’ it’s eizher a limb or death?”

(Oh? And what will you do when neither magix nor miracles can be used and its either a limb or death?)

“I… I would…”

Tessa’s mind raced from thought to thought, searching for something she could argue with. But there was nothing she could suggest for such a situation.

“Ta be an Adventurer is to valk into zhe bowels of zhe Six Hells just ta bring some rich noble a flower ta cure his son’s common cold for a measly copper coin.”

Tessa stammered, trying to think of something to say while Torgrak stared her down.

“Heroes have da gods’ protection, but ya aren’t one yet.”

He had her mentally in a corner, forcing the realities of what being an Adventurer can become down her throat.

“Ya best be prepared ta stare death in da face vhen its hands are vrapped around your throat. Ready ta choke ya at any moment until yer cold an’ before condemning ye ta da eternal void.”

(You best be prepared to stare death in the face when its hands are wrapped around your throat. Ready to choke you until you’re cold at any moment and stiff before condemning you to the eternal void.)

The pressure of Torgrak’s words suffocated Tessa.

“Because if ya aren’t, zhen no glory or fame avaits ya. Just a shallow an’ unmarked grave.”

Now, Tessa was drowning in thoughts of if everything she’d done over the last decades was haphazardly chasing a dream filled with glory and fame while ignoring all the risks that came with being a Hero. Torgrak was right. Heroes are protected by the Great Six. It allows them to go on escapades of heroism while keeping their risks to a minimum.

However, she was not much more than a cleric or priest of Aeon. She could wield some of his light, but she hadn’t proven to be truly worthy of anything beyond that. When she was shot, she could have died. Tessa had already escaped death once. But going forward, she’d have to do it over and over again and without hesitation. And standing at the precipice above a sea of knowledge darker than any library’s forbidden section, this was the last time she could turn back.

Tessa stared down at her body, putting a hand over the injury she got. Then she looked up and met Torgrak’s eyes.

“I have heard convincing words from both the Guild Master and Hei. But if I listen to both of you, if I learn from both of you, will I actually be able to grasp my dream? Is what both of you will teach on the level of Heroes?”

A moment of silence passed between the two, and Tessa could swear she saw Torgrak crack a smile through his bushy beard.

Torgrak burst out laughing, “Ve’ll do more zhan put ya on zhat level!”

Tessa was confused, “What do you mean? Aren’t Heroes the strongest?”

Torgrak calmed down, his laughter ending as he explained.

“Not exactly. Zhere be a place above zhem, an’ zhat’s vhere ya’ll be. If ya follow our lessons an’ make use of zhem, ya shall become somezhing even heroes vould aspire ta be.”

Then the dwarf gave a prideful and honest smile.

“And if ya don’t, I’ll fry an’ eat my 400-year-old beard!”

Tessa couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, yet also wondered if he had just tried to instill genuine hope in her after their grim discourse.

“Is that a promise?”

“A promise? Hah! It’s a guarantee!”

“How can you be so sure?”

Torgrak let out a sinister snicker.

“In all my 400 years of being alive, no hero has ever bested me. A draw? Maybe here or zhere. But never bested.”

Suddenly, Torgrak seemed to remember something and quickly interrupted any assumptions Tessa could’ve drawn.

“An’ for legal reasons, I can neizher confirm nor deny zhat any of zhose I’ve fought be alive or dead.”

That’s definitely suspicious, thought Tessa.

“Now! Back to our lesson!”

Torgrak turned to the board and erased everything before writing: Equipment.

“Alright. Do ya know anything about equipment?”

“No, not really. I spent most of my time practicing miracles, learning history, and studying theology regarding the Great Six.”

Torgrak paused and then erased what he wrote. Replacing it with: The Basic Importance and Value of Armor.

Upon seeing this, Tessa panicked. She didn’t want to get a full-on lecture about armor that would be leagues beyond what Aavron had said. Quickly, she called out to Torgrak to stop him before he could continue.

“W-wait, wait, wait! I had a friend, a dwarf named Aavron, that studied blacksmithing and shared plenty of his knowledge on the different armor there is and their general uses!”

Torgrak turned and stared at her, frozen for a moment.

“Vell. Ve can skip da first three chapters about zhis.”

Erasing what he’d just wrote, Torgrak put up: Preparation.

“Equipment includes armaments, veapons an’ armor. But it be more about preparing an’ gaining an advantage before da battle’s even begun. Such as…”

Torgrak made a crude drawing of a pitfall and a person falling in.

“Setting traps.”

He followed this with another crude drawing of some liquid being poured on a shirt and sword.

“Tinkering vith veapons an’ armor.”

Next was a circle of three person-like silhouettes.

“Understanding your party’s strengths an’ veaknesses.”

Then a circular target marking on what looked like a wolf.

“Knowing tha target.”

Lastly was a mountain, some trees, a river, and grass.

“Researching da area.”

Torgrak stopped drawing, letting Tessa absorb the information.

“An’ so forth.”

Tessa asked, “So the more information you have, the better you can prepare?”

“Exactly. Information is valuable. It can allow ya ta gain an upper hand against a stronger opponent, or prevent a clever target from escaping.”

Tessa kind of understood what he meant. But the more she tried to take in, the more it made her head spin with the infinite possibilities that could occur.

“Ve’ll explore this more on a case-by-case basis during missions, as zhat’ll be vhen it’s most useful. For now, ve’ll do a zhought experiment. Tell me how ya vould hunt somezhing like a bear. zhere are no vrong answers, only more right ones.”

(We’ll explore this more on a case-by-case basis during missions, as that’ll be when it’s most useful. For now, we’ll do a thought experiment. Tell me how you would hunt something like a bear. There are no wrong answers, only more right ones.)

Tessa thought for a moment, pondering what she would do. She still had much to learn, so she stuck to a simple answer for now.

“I’d use fresh meat as bait, gather some local hunters, and set an ambush to lie in wait and strike once it’s taken the bait.”

“Zhat be one way. But here’s anozher.”

Torgrak returned to the blackboard, drawing a crude bear, its tracks, a cave, and boulder.

“Track da bear down an’ vait for it ta return ta its den. Zhen drop a really big rock at da entrance an’ vait for it ta suffocate. Whichever comes first.”

(Track the bear down and wait for it to return to its den. Then drop a really big rock at the entrance and wait for it to suffocate. Whichever comes first.)

Torgrak’s plan stunned Tessa, even disturbing her to a degree.

“Isn’t that incredibly inhumane?”

Torgrak retorted with a cocked eyebrow.

“An’ beating it ta death vith sharp metal sticks is?”

His response threw her off balance.

“Well, no, but…”

“My method is cruel, aye, but it makes da most out of da fewest resources an’ at da lovest risk. It only requires time an’ a rock.”

Torgrak went back to drawing. This time it was a bear with several stick figures with x’s for eyes lying on the ground.

“Yours, however, requires several people villing ta risk zheir lives. It is not a bad idea, but comes vith significant risk.”

Tessa sat in silence, processing his words and comparing them to history lessons. She recalled dozens of times where her textbooks glorified a sudden turn in history because of one meticulously planned strategy turning the tides completely. But then she recalled one particular story a professor shared. Tessa couldn’t remember the names or details exactly, though she remembered what happened.

A clever general from centuries long passed was in a conflict where his army was both out-manned and under-armed. However, he had the benefit of much greater mobility than his foe. Noticing this, the general would constantly taunt his enemy while keeping his distance. And whenever the enemy force grew exhausted and set up camp, his would swiftly swoop in and take out as many as they could before getting back on the run. From there it became a matter of time until he’d picked his enemy to pieces and won with minimal casualties.

Looking back on it, Tessa realized a very weird contradiction between the professor and the textbook’s author. While her professor praised the general, the author demonized him. The textbook would constantly glorify and embellish the giant melees between armies, but had labeled this general negatively. She’d have to find that old textbook again to get her facts straight. But perhaps because it was so effective, it weirdly felt similar to Torgrak’s described method with a boulder. Keeping risks to a minimum and winning regardless of glory or fame.

Perhaps that’s one way to “prepare”? I’ll have to think on it later, but is Torgrak strong because of how he approaches things? Possibly, but there’s likely more to it.

Torgrak was erasing the board and had jotted “Alchemy” across the top.

“Now ve move on ta my favorite subject. Alchemy.”

He let out an evil and excited chuckle.

“Do ya know anyzhing about it, even remotely?”

“Other than potion making and how it’s used by con artists, not really, no.”

“Understandable. I planned ta talk about it from da beginning regardless.”

Reaching into his bag again, Torgrak pulled out and unfolded a table.

How does he keep pulling out such things?

Then a weird set of glass bottles, tubes, a couple pieces of scrap iron, a gold coin, a small piece of blue-ish metal, a wooden knife, a vial of red dust, some sheets of paper, and a quill made from a strange feather; its color seemed to be black, but changed to just about any other depending on how you looked at it.

“Ta explain very simply, alchemy be da alteration, combination, deconstruction, an’ reconstruction of substances.”

He then drew on the board, making a rough diagram of a leaf and a metal ingot.

“Zhrough alchemy, it be possible ta make somezhing as flimsy as a leaf as resilient as iron.”

He drew a very simple addition sign between the two and an equals sign at the end. Illustrating a “shiny leaf” as the result.

“It may be hard ta believe, but zhis is possible. Expensive, but possible.”

Tessa’s face immediately turned doubtful. One eyebrow raised while the other fell, her head cocking at an angle.

“That is hard to believe.”

“Very few people actually know how ta use alchemy properly, as it be a very rare zhing ta even encounter. An’ I shall give ya a demonstration.”

Torgrak took the vial of red powder and dropped it into one of the glass bottles, one that had a long neck connected to a sphere. Then he put it over a strange, metal rigging that held it aloft as he used some kind of mechanical device to light a small flame underneath it. Next, he stuck a glass tube that was bent at a 90-degree angle with one side at least double the length of the other into the top of the bottle. The longer end just barely above a small dish of water.

As the bottle heated, the dust inside began changing into some kind of smoke and making its way through the tube. Cooling as it approached the dish and mixing with the water on-contact. The process was slow, but steady. Minutes went by until there was a decent enough amount of “ink” to write with.

Dipping his quill in the fluid, Torgrak then drew three very simple shapes on the paper. The first was a circle, the second was a triangle, and the third was a square. Then he put a different material on each one. He put the scrap iron in the circle, and the gold coin in the triangle.

Nothing appeared to happen for a moment, but then the ink on both pieces of paper started moving. It wriggled and crawled along the paper until it touched its respective object and disappeared into it. Once it finished, Torgrak moved both onto the paper with the square. First the scrap iron, then the gold piece. The moment the gold piece touched the paper, it morphed and stretched. As if it had come alive, the gold moved all along the scrap iron until it appeared to have merged with it. The result being a gold-plated piece of scrap iron.

Tessa sat in her bed, astonished.

“What did I just watch?”

Torgrak chuckled, “Proper alchemy.”