In the following weeks, Adrien plotted his course of action with feverish drive. He asked anyone he knew for any information on the living masters that had written his favorite books and treatises - wanting to know who they were, where they lived, and if they were looking for an assistant. He had hastily written to some of them only to learn that they had died of old age a few months before, or to be simply rejected ("but best of luck to you"). Even though Adrien was starting to get discouraged, he went on and decided to write to another author whose work he knew: a sorcerer by the name of Valerion who specialized in the magic of shapes. The sorcerer Valerion had designed spells of sheer beauty, done groundbreaking work in the field of magical intelligence, and had written several books and treatises of note. While Adrien appreciated his work, the truth was that he wouldn't have chosen Valerion as his first pick of a master to learn from - his ideas were brilliant, but Adrien thought his style a bit too mystical and esoteric for his tastes. But since he had already received several rejection letters and his skin was starting to become thin, he wanted to try once more - before fear swallowed his plans alive. And so, he spent a few days writing and rewriting his letter to the sorcerer Valerion before sealing it in a frail envelope and sending it his way.