Dalaran.
The golden amulet on the chest of the recent newcomer quickly became the center of attention for the library's visitors. No sooner had the owner of the status trinket, coveted by many students, appeared on the threshold of the temple of knowledge than the golden badge was noticed by one reader after another. Circles of public rumor began to form rapidly around these attentive students, spreading through the hall. By the time Lin reached the librarian, everyone present had managed to both be amazed and share their emotions with their neighbors. At the table of long-time "fans" of the former "copper's" reading talent, a no less stormy excitement reigned.
"We told you, Laina, you should have grabbed him right away, and now you see for yourself—you have competitors."
Four girls, including the aforementioned Laina, collectively glanced at a fifth friend. She, in turn, was intently scrutinizing the person being discussed by the entire library.
"Perhaps it's contagious," Runi suggested. "He gives you a look like that, and then you have to stare back at him too."
"Laina and I have different motives. In this boy, I am only interested in magic," Jaina murmured, showing that despite her detached gaze, she was still listening to her friends' conversation.
"Oh, of course, of course! How could we forget?" the busty blonde responded with exaggerated bewilderment, answering the princess's jab. "For 'non-magic,' you have a muscular, blue-eyed, handsome blonde of royal blood! By the way, he hasn't visited you in a long time..."
An unspoken question hung in the air.
"I haven't the slightest idea where he disappeared to," the girl satisfied her neighbors' curiosity, while remaining silent about the fact that her engagement to Arthas had gone down the drain, or close to it. "By the way, it's strange—after all, Father hasn't sent the message about breaking the engagement yet. Maybe King Terenas changed his mind too?.."
"If you don't pay attention to him, some hussy will steal him away," Laina, considered that very hussy, felt it her duty to warn her friend.
"If he's that easy to steal, then what good is he?" Evin spoke up for her friend—the same fashionista who didn't part with her mirror and makeup even during lectures. "I'm sure Jaina will find someone better."
"Better than the Prince of Lordaeron?" Runi asked sarcastically, being one of the two girls who had not taken part in the conversation until now.
"Well, a prince is a prince—what's the big deal? It's not like we, mage-aristocrats, lack money and influence," Evin shrugged. "If we want our children to have a magical gift, we have to marry a mage—everyone has known that for a long time."
"Everyone knows?!" snapped the silver-haired girl—the last participant of the gathering. "That's nothing more than a hypothesis!"
Apparently, this hypothesis deeply troubled the young maiden's soul, as she clearly had designs on someone who wasn't as lucky with a magical gift from birth as she was. And her friends, if they didn't know this fact for certain, definitely guessed it: it's hard to hide anything in such a young female group when the desire to pick apart the opposite sex boils in young blood.
"Just don't start again..." Jaina distracted herself for a couple of seconds from the sight of the growing stack of books being laid out on the counter by the librarian. "It hasn't been possible to either confirm or refute the hypothesis. In any case, even if it is true, there's no question of a hundred percent chance of producing gifted offspring."
"Even so," Evin conceded easily, carefully examining her flawless red curls in the mirror. "But would any of you really refuse extra chances to give birth to gifted children?"
"Well, if you put it that way... I suppose not. Although... can one ever have too much money and power?" Runi said thoughtfully.
"You still won't beat the elves in that, and we have no chance of breaking through to the very top in the current reality. Unless we somehow turn into an elf..." Laina closed her eyes, and a dreamy smile appeared on her face.
"Yeah, yeah, immortality, eternal youth... Keep dreaming!" Aime smirked mockingly at such childish fantasies.
"That's what I'm saying: if you can't take a place in the top ten, then what difference does it make whether you're the thousandth or the one thousand one hundredth," said the girl, preoccupied with her image in the mirror. "You will always blend into the background of many other incompetents who can't even conjure a Fireball the size of a wagon wheel..."
The girls had a proper understanding of things, and therefore felt uncomfortable, for among them there was no one who could already master combat magic at the specified level. No one, except, of course, the student of Antonidas himself. It was Jaina who spoke up for her less talented friends.
"Don't listen to her," the Princess of Kul Tiras turned her gaze to her neighbors. "Even if you, say, learned to cast such Fireballs tomorrow, Evin would claim she meant an Orc wagon. A pessimist—what can you expect from her!"
"It's realism," the red-haired curly girl countered, looking doubtfully at her fingers and thinking about switching to a manicure. "It's high time they part with the illusions of becoming powerful Wizards, overthrowing hordes of Orcs with a single spell... or princes with a single flutter of eyelashes."
It was clear to everyone present whose gardens those boulders had landed in: Aime and Laina began to turn red rapidly. However, their innermost aspirations were well known to their friends, and so, every now and then, another barb on the subject would flash in the girls' bickering.
"Realism is when even if you didn't succeed, you did everything possible, while pessimism is when you give up without lifting a finger."
"And what's the difference? Why overexert yourself if the outcome is unchanged?"
"The difference is that in the first case, you can reach the goal if you don't give up."
"That's already called optimism."
"More like idiocy..."
"You're such lazybones..."
The girls' chatter grew into an argument, and it became difficult for those sitting at neighboring tables to identify the authors of specific remarks. However, soon another wave of whispers rolled through the library, putting an end to the discussion about life approaches. The girls quickly tracked the point of interest of the other visitors and turned together toward the forgotten brilliant first-year, who, to everyone's surprise, instead of taking one of the empty tables, headed for the exit, not forgetting to take that very selection of books the librarian had been struggling over for the last five minutes.
"Where is he going?" Laina asked curiously, being the furthest from academic affairs: even Evin, who treated the learning process with demonstrative disdain, knew more than her friend.
"With a golden medallion, he can take books with him and study in a place where other students won't bother him, and he won't get distracted staring at blonde royal personages," Runi explained in her usual style.
Jaina winced, thereby expressing a silent protest against such an interpretation.
"Jaina, then why don't you disappear into your room? You love to study!" Laina turned to her friend when the full-breasted beauty realized that one of them was also the owner of the sought-after golden trinket.
She had just opened her mouth to tell them about her conscience, which wouldn't allow her to ditch her friends, when the sharp-tongued brunette cut in again.
"She's just afraid of burying herself in dusty tomes and missing the chance to enjoy the golden years of youth."
"What's there to fear, having Arthas himself as a boyfriend?"
"And where is this prince?" with a mock on her face, Runi returned the "serve" of her friend—the lover of solving puzzles.
"Don't worry, Jaina, he'll be back," Aime consoled, remembering that the young man had disappeared from the princess's life somewhere.
"Stop discussing me in my own presence!" Jaina couldn't take it anymore. "You'd be better off reading your textbooks!.."
But the topic of Arthas always found a most vivid response in the souls of the young mages, and somehow the conversation naturally turned to discussing the handsome prince, and for a while, the gifted student was forgotten again...
------------------//------------------
Dalaran, some time later.
The unremarkable-looking wing, though it seemed lost among the numerous buildings of the Dalaran magic academy, was nonetheless the absolute domain of the strongest Archmage of the human kingdoms, who was concurrently the head of the Council of Six and the rector of the academy. And even if the right wing of the central building was by no means impressive in size compared to the scale of the entire complex, there was room in this structure for both Antonidas himself and his students. Acting as the latter at the current moment was none other than Jaina Proudmoore—the daughter of the king of maritime Kul Tiras. But none of the Archmage's acquaintances could claim that the girl had become a personal student thanks to her father's connections: Antonidas was not known for collecting "trash" and was quite capable of distinguishing an uncut diamond from ordinary glass beads...
However, to Jaina herself, the status of being a student of the famous sorcerer had always seemed purely symbolic. Antonidas did not devote time to his ward very often, preferring to engage in his research and the affairs of the Kirin Tor, while simultaneously solving the problems of all Dalaran. The most talented student of the academy had come under the wing of the strongest mage apparently more to observe tradition and for the sake of prestige than due to Antonidas's teaching impulses. Right now was the time for another lesson, but Jaina was alone in the room specially allocated for classes. Although it couldn't be said that the princess was wasting time while waiting for her teacher—studying exclusive literature from the Archmage's stores could not be considered a useless pastime.
"Jaina, come to me," an old but still power-filled male voice suddenly rang out in the room.
The girl looked up from her book and raised her eyebrows in bewilderment: usually "lessons" ended without meetings with the owner of the wing, though sometimes a brief visit with a small parting lecture followed... but, perhaps, in her memory, this was the third time the head of the Kirin Tor had summoned her to his laboratory.
Jaina slowly rose from the soft pouf and headed for the exit, not forgetting to leave the rare volume on the table: Antonidas strictly forbade taking books out. But before the future mistress of the elements could even leave the room, a new directive arrived.
"Jaina, go to the reception room and meet the new student. Explain and show him everything that is required. Perhaps I will come by later..."
"Yes, teacher."
In two years of training, she still hadn't understood whether the Archmage heard her answers or not, being convinced that no one would dare ignore his instructions. But in any case, the younger Proudmoore was a prudent person and preferred to answer.
Hearing about the student, Jaina, on a wave of associations flashing through her head, immediately guessed the likely candidate, and therefore, when she reached the exit of the wing, the identity of the thin, dark-haired boy, who was highly dissatisfied with something, did not come as a surprise to her.
Seeing the one meeting him, the young "conqueror of Nalebera's box," as Lin was already nicknamed by the people, froze on her for a couple of moments in his usual manner, after which he snapped out of it and, making an indescribable grimace, frowned even harder. And although her "fan's" negative reaction to visiting the home of the strongest Archmage of humanity greatly interested Jaina, she preferred to postpone questions for later and first fulfill her teacher's assignment.
"Come," Jaina called and unconsciously reached out her hand with the intention of taking the once-unknown and now very popular boy by the palm.
The visible difference in age and height, as well as the dissatisfied face, for a moment made the girl forget that the person standing before her was not just a lost little boy who needed to be taken under guardianship and led to his parents, but a junior colleague in the study of the mysteries of magical disciplines.
The newcomer, instead of turning on the pride of the stronger sex who could manage without any girlish help, was slightly surprised, ceasing to project indignation on his face, and then, as if fearing Jaina would change her mind, quickly reached out his hand in return. At the moment their palms touched, goosebumps ran in a whole crowd across the princess's body, and then dispersed and began to cut intricate trajectories, causing a slight tickle, which, however, did not lead to discomfort.
"If Laina were in my place, she would probably decide this was a sign of love at first sight," Jaina thought fleetingly as she checked her first impulse to push the young "suitor" away. She became curious. The girl immediately realized that Lin's magic was to blame. It didn't seem to carry a threat, but at the same time, it felt quite strange. Feeling on the verge of an epiphany that she might learn something new right now, Jaina closed her eyes and concentrated, trying with her entire magical being to catch the escaping sensation of insight.
Lin, in turn, was studying the human mage who had been dubbed the genius of a generation. The results were turning out to be quite ambiguous, even discouraging. What he had strived for through years of training, Jaina had been given in abundance at birth—a perfectly developed energy system, "aggravated" by loads that, while not as intense as those Lin subjected himself to, were still significant. In any case, he categorically refused to admit that such a result could be achieved in any other way. The difference in so-called talent among humans was abnormal compared to the elves, where theoretically every representative could become an Archmage with the right approach... and the presence of a Source nearby, of course. This phenomenon required close attention—Lin saw a prospect in the near future of somehow solving the issue of his underdeveloped magic. Delicate manipulation of mana flows was a good ability, but you couldn't ride into the world of high magic on that alone: there wouldn't be enough strength.
Jaina was the first to come to her senses after half a minute. When the heap of intuitively understandable images exceeded a certain limit of receptivity, the girl realized that for now, she had enough new information, and opened her eyes. Seeing Lin's calm face and closed eyes, she broke contact with the boy's palm. The sensation of running goosebumps immediately vanished.
"Curious..."
"Interesting..."
The pair spoke in unison and fell silent, scrutinizing each other intently.
"Alright, let's go," Jaina was the first to break the silence, this time not reaching out her hand. "I'll show you everything here..."
"I'm not interested in 'everything,' I'm only interested in knowledge," Lin grumbled, following the girl.
"Only knowledge? Not magic?" Jaina asked automatically, even slowing down and turning around in surprise at the similarity of the phrase to her own goal.
"Magic comes with experience. Experience doesn't arise from nothing; it is developed during practice carried out using knowledge. If you have knowledge, then to turn it into magic you only need time. But time is a priceless thing that everyone needs, always and everywhere, so it can be excluded from the problem as an a priori necessary condition for obtaining magic. And anyway, what do you mean by magic?"
"For me, magic is the ability to solve any problem at any moment."
"What a practical approach."
"Are you sure you're only twelve?"
"Exactly as sure as I am that your impressive aura is the result of training," Lin said with a sarcasm only he understood.
"Yes, thank you, I meditate a lot," the girl, who had turned away, didn't notice how the corners of her companion's lips twitched in a smile in response to such a statement.
"I meditate a lot," the former elf rolled the thought around in his mind with feeling. "If it were all that simple, the world would be overflowing with Archmages... This girl is hiding something, even if she doesn't suspect it herself."
"Look, right here..."
While Jaina conducted the briefing, they walked through several rooms and corridors. The tour, from which Lin understood only that skipping Antonidas's classes was strictly forbidden, but at the same time, you could touch almost nothing and go almost nowhere, ended exactly in the student room. Jaina immediately flopped onto a pouf, hugging a book, but was in no hurry to open it, watching with curiosity as the Archmage's second student studied the room, paying special attention to the bookshelves.
"So how is the training structured?"
"The teacher sometimes gives lectures. You can use the small Alchemy laboratory, though it's practically no different from the general academic one, but at least no one will nudge your arm at the most inopportune moment here."
"Not much."
"And you also have the exclusive opportunity to familiarize yourself with the private library of the head of the Kirin Tor."
"As far as I'm concerned, it's quite modest for an Archmage," he concluded his inspection of several half-empty bookshelves.
"Fine—with part of the private library of the head of the Kirin Tor. Is that better?"
"I don't know yet. Но 'Branches of the Enhanced Phenomenon of Reverse Time Travel in Diverse Magical Practice,' 'Causes of War: A Comparative Study of Orc Lethargy,' 'Antonidas's Self-Help Guide to Fire Survival' don't sound too encouraging. Although I'll have to see—one never knows what's hidden behind the covers..."
Lin snatched the first book and began flipping through it, trying to understand how useful its contents would be.
"Author—Archmage Antonidas, year 2693 from the founding of Dalaran... I take it that here," the boy waved his hand at the collection of literature, "mostly the works of our teacher are presented?"
"Yes, that's right. I've already studied more than half and can state with certainty that the titles of the books I've read fully correspond to their contents. By the way, 'Causes of War...' is written very interestingly, based on interrogations of Orcs and translations of their texts. It's about their chieftains and Shamans and how they fell under the influence of demons."
"Demons? Yes, that's interesting," Lin murmured, but was in no hurry to reach for the specified book, reading into a fragment that interested him about the hypothesis of the existence of time loops and the participation of the Bronze Dragonflight in their creation, grunting periodically in the process. "Well, I suppose there's something to do here. Sometimes it's useful to take a break from studying."
"'Take a break from studying'?" Jaina repeated, not immediately understanding what he was talking about.
"Do you think that from a collection of jokes for bronze dragons or from historical chronicles," he took the book about Orcs in his hand, "one can glean much in terms of knowledge about magic?"
"Knowledge comes in different forms," the princess shrugged. "Understanding what is happening in the world can at some point bring more benefit than the ability to conjure a Fireball."
"Yes," Lin nodded in agreement. "But one cannot replace the other, only complement it, and magic as a universal tool still seems more of a priority to me. How did you put it? 'Solving any problem at any moment,' and only magic is capable of that. That's why I say that for the sake of interest in my free time I can familiarize myself with chronicles and scientific works, but there's not much to study here... By the way, do we have to sit here long? How much time is needed to observe all the proprieties? Because when I was appointed as the Archmage's student, no one warned me that attending his classes was strictly mandatory."
"Every day after classes," Jaina shrugged again. "There are no strict time limits, but I think no less than half an hour. I don't understand what you're unhappy about?" from the context of the conversation, she realized the reason for the scowling expression that had been displayed on Lin's face at the moment of their meeting at the entrance. "After all, a personal apprenticeship with the head of the Kirin Tor gives a student considerable reputational privileges. Now you can kick open the door to the library and take any book you like yourself, without waiting for the librarian's approval."
"They give me any book of my choice anyway."
"And you can also turn to the instructors for consultations, and they, as a rule, do not refuse."
"That's more interesting," Lin immediately fell into thought, weighing the prospects.
"Exactly. And also, Lin, the teacher can send you somewhere with assignments, and you'll have a circle of acquaintances, perhaps even among the high mages of Dalaran! This will greatly simplify your future life after completing your studies."
Seeing that the boy, mature beyond his years, had sunk even deeper into thought, Jaina threw in more food for reflection.
"There is also the opportunity to go somewhere on an expedition or, as part of an embassy, visit Khaz Modan or even Quel'Thalas."
"I can do without the latter," Lin said after flinching upon hearing the name of the elven kingdom and, by association, remembering the unkind squint of the current queen of the elven stronghold.
"Wouldn't you want to see the strange mechanisms of the Gnomes, the blacksmithing art of the Dwarves, or the high magic of the elves?" the girl was genuinely surprised.
"Of course, I would!" Lin answered quickly. "I was talking about the expeditions."
Whether it was famous female intuition at work or the enthusiasm in his voice was excessively plausible, but be that as it may, Jaina stared at the boy suspiciously.
"You are definitely hiding something," she summarized after a few moments of intent scrutiny. "Maybe you're someone's illegitimate child? And you enrolled here incognito? You definitely reacted nervously to... Quel'Thalas!" she said loudly and immediately exclaimed triumphantly when her fellow student flinched again, albeit barely noticeably: "Aha! I knew it! You know too much for an ordinary villager! Come on, how are you connected to the elves? Could it be that one of your parents was an elf? Who could it be..."
"Hey, hey! No need to fantasize!" the former Archmage waved his hands with such speed as he hadn't woven a web of spells in his best years. "And for heaven's sake, don't tell your friends your guesses: there are already nonsensical rumors about me solely thanks to their gossip!"
"Sharp hearing, you say?" Jaina drew her own conclusions based on what was said and cast a keen glance at his ears, covered by dark hair. "Can you show your ears?"
Lin sighed: even in his past life, he had rarely managed to out-argue the fair sex. Apparently, girls hadn't changed at all in this time. He lifted the strands, revealing a round auricle of normal size.
"See? I can swear to you in any way that my parents are the most ordinary fishermen from the Westfall."
"I can also swear in any way that you're hiding something!"
"Well, naturally I'm hiding something! Just not what you girls are constantly making up!" he waved his hands expressively. "Everyone hides something. Let's leave it at that. I don't want to be running into corners from female students who think I'm a disguised elven prince!"
"What about me?"
"What 'about you'?" the change of subject didn't stress him too much, but the question stumped him, as it could mean literally anything.
"You still haven't 'remembered' how you know me?" she emphasized part of the phrase with her voice.
The guy's gaze became full of suspicion, but he still answered:
"No. I've gone through all the options, but apparently, this mystery is destined to remain unsolved."
"You boys are so proud... Just admit that you liked me and that's it—why are these idiotic excuses necessary?"
Lin opened his mouth but couldn't squeeze out anything articulate. For some reason, he remembered an episode when Tyrande Whisperwind had lectured him for excessive pride. The colors of the memory faded, the facial features blurred, but the voice sounded as clear as if the priestess of Elune were standing nearby. And the intonations of the elven voice practically coincided with the accusation that had just been voiced.
"Maybe this is the very case where I should agree regardless of the truth? I still have to persuade her for a more detailed study of her aura, and maybe she has some worthwhile information..."
"Yes, I liked you," Lin lowered his head in an attempt to simulate embarrassment.
But the girl, having received the desired confession, did not bother with the lack of authenticity. Otherwise, the absence of such mandatory touches as timidity in the voice and a red face would have surfaced.
"Just don't be upset, but I already have a boyfriend and a bunch of fans."
"That's alright," the boy forced a smile. "Maybe we should talk about magic or exchange knowledge instead?"
"How do you manage to read several books at once? I can't wrap my head around it... It's impossible!"
This time Lin smiled for real.
"Solving any problem at any moment," he repeated. "The answer is simple—magic."
"Will you teach me?"
It was noticeable that it wasn't easy for Jaina to ask such a thing of some newcomer, but his updated reputation and becoming a student of Antonidas, as well as the indisputable fact of possessing special abilities, reconciled the princess with the need to ask. Judging by the tension in the young mage's voice, this request was almost the most important moment in the conversation for her.
"Why not..."
***
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