Dalaran Academy, residence of the head of the Kirin Tor, 14th year since the opening of the Dark Portal.
"...That is basically all. You will learn the theory in more detail from these books," Antonidas pointed the students to a stack of tomes. "And don't you dare test the spell yourselves! When you have practiced and can create a sufficiently stable portal, show it to me first."
"Yes, teacher," the pupils replied in unison, looking attentively at the Mage.
The Archmage glanced suspiciously at the pair who had hit it off, chuckled at something secretly into his beard, and was gone, leaving the students alone with the literature and each other.
Jaina and Lin looked at each other and each took a tome to study.
"What do you say?" After an hour and several leafed-through books, the boy was the first to break the silence, unable to withstand the pressure of his curiosity at the sight of his neighbor, who was absorbed in a treatise with the promising title "Portals for Everyone."
"Space magic—it's interesting!" the girl admitted, tearing herself away from the book with effort.
"Yeah, and it requires thorough study and long, painstaking training... But we won't start with that. Let's go to the training ground—I'll show you something from the interesting category..."
The fact that the pair was being taught by one of the strongest Mages of humanity by no means meant they didn't exchange knowledge with each other, with the youngest member of the student duo acting as the leading expert in this matter, and therefore an intrigued Jaina agreed as soon as she heard the proposal.
"Lin, do you already know something in this field?" the girl inquired as soon as they left the Archmage's domain.
"Did you doubt it?" the partner even smiled and, without waiting for an answer, said: "Actually, I do have something interesting. It will suit you perfectly. By the way, do you know why the concept of distance is closely linked to spatial magic?"
Jaina thought for a moment but immediately shrugged:
"Greater distance—means you need more Mana and control, just like in any other discipline."
"With something like a Fireball, that's exactly how it is: after casting, the spell, as it moves, spends the energy invested in it, and its structure, due to the lack of control from the Mage, gradually destabilizes under the influence of the external background. But what if we look at an average portal spell from this point of view? After all, it doesn't move anywhere itself, and the Mage constantly maintains the integrity of its structure, so what is the difference between opening a portal at a distance of a couple of dozen meters and hundreds of kilometers? After all, regardless of the method of 'piercing,' the caster has to connect two physically incompatible points of space. But in the first case, he will spend mere crumbs of Mana, and in the second, he might overstrain himself in the absence of an external source... Well, there is a term called 'environmental elasticity.' If to punch a breach in space for a transfer over a distance of a couple of meters you have to break through a thin, flexible 'film,' then as the distance increases, as you've probably already guessed, this film becomes thicker and loses its flexibility. 'Environmental elasticity,' by the way, should be described somewhere in the books, though perhaps under a different name. Anyway, what I'm getting at. This very flexibility effect allows Mages to move instantly over short distances without making punctures: by moving the 'film,' you are already, as it were, at another point. And the range of such jumps is theoretically limited only by the Mage's ability to bend the veil of space, but practically, to carry out such movements over a couple of kilometers, one must already possess extraordinary abilities in the skill of managing magic."
"And how much more Mana-efficient is it to 'jump' than to cast portal charms?" the girl listened attentively to the lecture, and so this burgeoning question escaped her tongue as soon as Lin fell silent.
"If you don't take into account all sorts of variations of both approaches, then on average... somewhere no less than an order of magnitude. But there's a curious nuance! This rule only works up to a certain distance, and then the Mage has to spend Mana not only on 'bending' the veil but also on keeping it from tearing. Naturally, the requirements for control for the Mage increase in the process. However, it still turns out to be more economical than maintaining a puncture, which is always trying to close up."
"So, for short distances you should use jumps, and for long ones—portals," the girl summarized her thoughts.
"Not exactly, Jaina," Lin shook his head, coming to a halt in the center of the training ground they had reached during their conversation. "Despite the fact that the purpose of both spells is the same—to transport the user through space from one point to another—their applications are not mutually exclusive. Blink is good for its execution speed and low mana consumption. The downsides, as I've already mentioned, are distance and the necessity of seeing the destination. However, the latter isn't a mandatory condition, but believe me, jumping blind and ending up surrounded by enemies is a far from rare cause of death for failures who overestimated their strength... The main advantages of a portal, in turn, are that it allows you to see the destination and move not only yourself, but others and, no less importantly, cargo. The disadvantages are the exact opposite of the advantages of jumps—time and mana. I won't mention skill and control; they are necessary in all cases."
"I see," the focused girl nodded. "I take it you know how to 'bend the film'?"
Instead of an answer, the smiling Lin suddenly grew faint and then completely dissolved into the air. His voice rang out from behind the princess.
"Yes, that's correct. And what you just saw is the so-called residual trail. Uneducated individuals think it's an illusion, but in reality, the mage himself has nothing to do with its appearance—it's just a slight delay in the reaction of space to the change in your position."
"Can you repeat that?" the girl asked, having managed not only to turn around but to look her companion over from head to toe.
"Of course, watch."
This time he didn't vanish from her sight but moved rapidly and chaotically across the training ground several times right before her eyes. Jaina managed to observe both the process of disappearance and appearance, and at one point even captured two residual trails and Lin himself at a third point—so quickly did he perform two jumps in a row.
"Well, do you want to learn?" the final jump brought him back to the girl.
"You didn't even have to ask... Of course I want to!" the young wizard exclaimed with performative indignation. "As if anyone would refuse such a skill."
"It's actually a very simple skill. True, it will take a lot of practice to master it perfectly, but then you'll be able to 'jump' as easily as walking. By the way, you can perform a leap with objects or with someone else—the distance, volume, and weight of the items carried, as well as the number of people, depend on the experience and power of the mage. Want to try?"
"Yes!" the girl blurted out before the thought of the potential danger of such a demonstration could cross her mind.
Lin took her hand, concentrated for a moment, and suddenly they were standing several meters away from their previous location. The princess's personal teacher explained:
"Physical contact greatly facilitates the transfer process. The mage must, as it were, wrap the cargo or person in their mana, after which they become a single object that can be moved through space."
"I see... An unusual sensation. So, what do I need to do to jump myself? Create a shell of mana?"
"Yes. It's simple, Jaina, listen..."
------------------//------------------
The fact that the head of the Order of the Silver Hand and his apprentice were recognized by the Dalaran academy guards did nothing to help the uninvited guests gain entry to the mages' abode. Even for such famous figures, a permit was required, which could be issued, for example, by any of the instructors. However, had they asked for such a pass, they would have received it without issue—after all, the individuals standing on the academy's threshold were widely known even among mages. Но this time, nothing of the sort was needed, because after the greetings, they were stunned by the news that the target of their visit was not on the premises.
"...As far as I know, she is somewhere in the city on an assignment from the head."
"Is that so? Then we'll wait somewhere nearby. Let's go, Arthas. We'll sit in the nearest tavern..."
"...Why didn't she wait? I sent a messenger."
The Paladin even interrupted his leisurely sipping of beer and stared at his charge in surprise.
"You mean to say, if friends come to see you while you're carrying out my orders, you'll drop everything and go have a fun time with them?"
"Uh... no, teacher, you misunderstood!" the boy of royal blood immediately began to hedge.
"It seems staying in Stratholme hasn't done you any good. Instead of gaining seriousness, you've lost it," the Paladin cast a stern gaze at his slacker apprentice. Alas, he couldn't devote all his time to the student—the position of the head of the order carried its own obligations.
"In my desire to see Jaina, I am more serious than ever!"
"You'd be better off thinking about your studies instead of girls," the man grumbled like an old-timer. "Your Jaina is probably studying tirelessly... kha-kha!" Glancing out the window, he suddenly cut himself short and choked on his beer.
Arthas was looking at the Paladin at that moment, so he hastily turned toward the street to see the cause of the impression so strong it had broken the renowned warrior's composure.
He saw it.
His chosen one, whom he hadn't seen for two whole years, was laughing infectiously, walking side-by-side with some nondescript fellow who was clearly the source of the girl's cheerful mood.
A chair scraped as it was jerked back, but the first impulse of the young follower of the Holy Light to catch up with the pair retreating down the street and demand an explanation was cut short by his elder, and therefore more experienced, companion. Arthas, seized by a mixture of rage and jealousy along with hurt and confusion at the betrayal happening right before his eyes, was forcibly sat back down at the table.
"What have you cooked up in your head in the heat of the moment? Didn't I tell you that you must always keep a 'cool' head and not be guided by emotions, especially those coming from the depths of the heart!"
"But Jaina!.. She's out there having fun with some shrimp instead of waiting and meeting me, her childhood friend!"
"And what, is she forbidden from talking to anyone and smiling now?" Uther said with clear mockery in his voice.
"No, but..."
"Listen, young man!" Seeing that his charge had calmed down, the man began his lecture. "Do not let feelings, especially ones like jealousy, cloud the voice of reason! Trust my experience: if you go up to Jaina now and speak calmly, all your suspicions will vanish like smoke in the wind. The lad will turn out to be a barely-known student who just happened to meet her on the way to the academy. And as for the smiles... shouldn't you, Prince, know how fleeting a girl's smiles are? Today she smiles at you because she needs something or is just in a good mood, and tomorrow her gaze is filled with indifference."
"Jaina isn't like that," a frowning Arthas declared, occasionally glancing at the unhurried pair; something told him the lad didn't look like a "barely-known" acquaintance.
"With loved ones—quite likely, but with barely-known acquaintances—definitely not. Trust my experience," the battle-hardened Paladin repeated.
"Uther, reason says you're right, but intuition tells me this Midget isn't just some random student—they are clearly well-acquainted!"
"Even if so, what of it?" the man shrugged his massive shoulders. "What, do you want to forbid her from being friends with anyone but you?"
"No..." though his lips said so, the expression on the jealous boy's face said "yes."
"If you want to earn your own bruises instead of using the wisdom of your elder comrade—that's your business," the Paladin shook his head disapprovingly as he stood up. "Shall we? Otherwise, once they enter the academy grounds, we'll have to get permission to enter just so you can meet her."
"I wouldn't want to turn our long-awaited meeting into a chaotic exchange of pleasantries at the doorstep," Arthas grumbled in a fairly calm voice, as if he hadn't been trying to charge his rival with fists flying a few minutes ago, but he nevertheless stood up and followed his teacher toward the exit. "I was counting on at least a romantic walk through the city..."
"It's good that common sense has woken up in you," this time a satisfied nod followed.
------------------//------------------
"...And although during the First War with the Orcs, the Dwarves entered into an alliance with the Systems Alliance of the seven kingdoms, in fact, both sides refrained from providing military aid, and relations between them remain quite cool to this day. However, Ironforge traders were exempted from most duties, and they quickly flooded our markets with high-quality Arms, which benefited both sides. My father told me that from an economic standpoint, Khaz Modan gained more profit than the kingdoms, and now they periodically try to 'fix' relations again by sending ambassadors with some shady schemes. Apparently, their wartime successes clouded their judgment, and now they think everyone owes them. Be that as it may, the Dwarves have made themselves known once again. By the way, there are rumors now that the Bronzebeards are trying to negotiate something with the Grey Manes..."
Half-hour lectures on the history and political structure of Azeroth alternated with reciprocal stories about the mechanics of magic and were peppered with moments of laughter sparked by the young listener's comments.
"Bronzebeards and Grey Manes... They sound so similar! Do you also think the shorties chose the Gilneans because they have manes similar to their beards?"
Jaina chuckled, and when a caricature projection appeared over Lin's outstretched hand showing a meeting between a shorty with a beard reaching the floor and a shaggy Human, she laughed outright.
"Perhaps..."
"Jaina!"
The girl turned quickly, discovering her childhood friend behind them in surprise. Of course, she remembered that Arthas wanted to visit her one of these days, but... he wanted to, so he wanted to—what of it? Being almost entirely consumed by her studies, she hadn't focused on this event, which is why she was surprised. After all, even before, when faced with a difficult choice between magic and the attention of a certain handsome prince, she still chose magic, though the latter was quite flattering to her girlish pride. Now, when the knowledge she so craved appeared "as if from nowhere," the image of the blond in her girlish dreams had noticeably faded. Even if Arthas was an old friend and later even a lover, she had been acquainted with the possibility of using Mana much longer, and physical attraction to one specific male representative could not compare (alas for him) to the drive to master the art that had surged in her blood ever since the young princess had consciously cast her first spell. The long period of separation also couldn't help but take its toll...
In short, the beloved, in Arthas's view, did not show proper enthusiasm for their meeting, which only caused the suspicions gnawing at him to take root in his jealousy-clouded mind. The future king wasn't even bothered by the fact that he had cast a very young lad as his rival for the heart of young Proudmoore—a boy who, by virtue of his age, couldn't be guilty of the fall from grace Arthas was mentally accusing his friend of. Moreover, against the backdrop of the tall, broad-shouldered, fair-haired handsome prince, the adversary's appearance was entirely unremarkable... Logic and love very rarely went hand in hand, and this case was by no means an exception.
While the prince's mouth automatically generated standard greetings suitable for the situation, his eyes tried to simultaneously "stab" the adversary and "devour" the object of his desire. And while the girl, who was talking to her friend face-to-face and thus his looks were no secret to her, frowned, looking back at Arthas with confusion and nodding absently to his words, Lin, for his part, treated Jaina's visiting friend with complete indifference. The jealous boy did not interest the young Mage, who was striving to restore his past abilities, in the slightest. However, his companion, who introduced himself as Uther, was an extremely curious individual in the eyes of the former Elf Archmage. After all, judging by the silver open-palm emblems on his gear, the man was a Paladin—one of those very people his partner had recently told him about during their history and politics lessons.
As Lin had learned, this category of people belonged to Mage-Warriors operating with the power of the Holy Light—that is, the very branch of magic that the Elves of ten thousand years ago knew about but did not use due to the existence of the ultimate Arcane magic. However, had such a need arisen back then, they would have certainly studied the Holy Light alongside the legacy of the Titans, as the latter was somewhat related to the magic of the Druids. Lin didn't know how things stood with the Elves and Holy Light magic currently, but he assumed it was incomparably better than during his time as a Demon Hunter: since even Humans now had Mages who mastered this branch of magical discipline.
Meanwhile, in response to the invitation to take a walk, Jaina glanced at her partner, wanting to gauge his reaction, but he was entirely absorbed in examining the Paladin. And as the girl noted with a mental chuckle—Uther felt uncomfortable under that intense gaze, which was more suited to some avid vivisector than a seemingly ordinary lad, even one in a Mage's robe.
"Lin, Arthas and I are going to step away for a bit, wait for me, okay?"
"Of course. I'll stay with Lord Uther for now. I hope you won't refuse me a few consultations?" Lin addressed the man.
At this, the man was surprised, even ceasing to pay attention to the strange staring directed at his person. The back of his retreating ward also ceased to interest him.
"Consultations? Is the young Mage interested in the craft of war or the art of weaponry?"
"Almost," Lin smiled sincerely, imagining how this man—who had been through more than one war and looked very experienced—would lecture a fighter who had several decades of non-stop battles behind him. Besides, the scale of the War of the Ancients bore no comparison to the current unrest: the former Elf couldn't find another word for the last centuries of Azeroth's history.
"Why not."
Honesty is disarming. Paladins walking the path of Justice possessed the ability to detect the absence of it in anything. And so now, Uther saw no ill intentions, and thus had no reason to refuse such a request. Besides, he needed to kill time somehow while the young prince settled his matters of the heart. Given the situation, this could drag on indefinitely, and a conversation with an intelligent companion could brighten the wait. True, there were some doubts about the latter's intellect given his age, which intensified after the following words:
"Can you demonstrate some of your Paladin skills?"
Arthas, who hadn't managed to get very far and thus heard the youngster's request perfectly, looked back, his lips curling in a contemptuous sneer, while simultaneously casting a sympathetic look at his mentor. After all, the mentor would have to endure the pressure of a typical peasant child who had just seen a war hero. And the black-haired "just Lin" (as he had introduced himself to the pair of Lordaeronians) could be nothing other than an ordinary rustic.
Meanwhile, the newly acquainted head of the Order of the Silver Hand and the apprentice of the head of the Kirin Tor began to move toward the very same joint the two Paladins had exited a few minutes ago.
"I don't think it would be appropriate to use combat skills in the center of the city," Uther tried to tactfully dodge the subject, apparently also taking the academy student's request for the restless curiosity of a rural resident seeing a Paladin for the first time.
"A primitive manifestation of Holy Light is enough: for example, a Restoration spell, or, I don't know—light a Holy spark."
"Hmm... Well, watch then, I don't mind."
A few seconds later, Lin was enveloped in a flow of graceful energy, and then a ball—not particularly bright, one might say—lit up opposite the Paladin. The companion hadn't been stingy with the demonstration and showed both spells, even though rumors said Paladins themselves flatly refused to recognize their skills as magic.
"Interesting!" the knowledge-hungry Mage said, soaking in the sensations of the "Holiness" enveloping him. "Can you take my hand and repeat it?"
Uther, thinking for a moment, nodded. Judging by his expression, he was clearly interested in the results of the experiment being conducted. The lad's outstretched palm was swallowed by the Paladin's massive hand, and the researcher was again washed over by a healing wave.
"Very interesting!" he added to his previous answer after a brief moment of introspection and analysis of the magic.
"And the result?" the man inquired, continuing his movement toward the tavern.
In response, the boy walking beside him, lost in thought, silently held out an open palm, and above it, a small but bright, almost blindingly white ball ignited. The intensity of the glow was significantly greater than what the warrior had demonstrated earlier.
"Unusual, but the principle is clear," Lin told the squinting Paladin, who was trying to figure out exactly what he was being shown.
"Hmm, are you trying to say that's the Holy Light?" Uther frowned in disbelief at such a result. "Only Paladins and Priests can call upon the Holy Light, and you look like neither! And I haven't heard of Mages being able to pull such stunts. Young man, why this profanation?"
"Profanation?" the academy student didn't understand, being immersed in some calculations given the newly opened perspectives.
Stopping at the threshold of their destination, Lin extinguished the harmless light and stared questioningly at Jaina's friend's companion who had shared the information, wanting an explanation for the nature of the grievances—he guessed it was one of those from the tone.
"No one but Paladins and Priests," Uther repeated. "Mages and other medicine men, Shamans, and Druids cannot call upon the holy power of the Holy Light! So why are you trying to portray the opposite?"
The lad measured him with an unreadable gaze and then unexpectedly asked:
"Even Elves?"
"What 'Elves'?"
"Even Elves cannot use 'Holy Light' magic?" the young representative of the Dalaran sorcerers patiently voiced the full version of the question, placing a barely perceptible emphasis on the last word.
The Paladin started to open his mouth but cut himself off, and his confident expression changed to a thoughtful, frowning one.
"No one but Paladins, Priests, and Elves," the Paladin found the strength to admit his error, despite the fact that such a concept heavily violated the tenets of his faith; however, he knew for a fact that the northern neighbors were capable of such a thing. And the question of their belonging to Priests or Paladins wasn't even on the table.
Without commenting on the answer, Lin stepped inside, simultaneously explaining the results of his research:
"It's just a different approach, based on faith rather than will. In fact, from the perspective of magic, the difference between will and faith is not great. After all, when forming spells in the command-projectile and request-projectile links, you can consider that the polarity simply changes. Will provides the certainty that your 'command' will be executed, and faith—that the 'request' is heard. And isolating the necessary spectrum for the spell isn't that difficult. In general, the approach is almost identical to Druidism with its 'polite appeals' to the forces of Nature."
Deep in thought, Uther sat down at the table and answered somewhat absently:
"Those are not spells, those are skills."
"Call them what you like—as long as Mana is used, the meaning remains unchanged."
"Are you saying any Paladin or Priest can learn magic?"
"They can. If they want to badly enough. Just as a Mage can use Holy Light magic through faith," the representative of the rising generation of Mages shrugged. Having obtained the necessary information, he lost interest in continuing the conversation and stared out the window, despite the slight rudeness of the gesture.
"It didn't look like your Holy Light appeared from great effort."
"I have... a little experience in such matters."
Uther glanced doubtfully at the young man, who had put on a suspiciously serious face, and, clearly coming to a decision, shook his head in disbelief.
"Fine, let's leave magic aside—since we have a free moment, better tell me how life is for you in the academy," the man asked first, not really wanting to answer questions about war or show "cool strikes"—in short, to do all the things commoners usually asked him to do.
"We sleep, we study, we practice, we self-educate. And so it goes—in a circle," Lin replied with some confusion, as it was unclear to him what could be of interest in the life of an academy student, even a magical one. "Sometimes we carry out assignments for Antonidas."
Uther, nodding in time with the list, was pleased with the answer—this was exactly how he imagined the ideal daily routine for training. And now the veteran warrior sincerely regretted that Arthas was a prince, and the voiced approach couldn't be applied to him... At that moment, the last sentence caught his ear. He had thought the lad was just an acquaintance Jaina met while returning to the academy, but now Arthas's worst assumptions were taking shape...
"You study under Antonidas along with Jaina?" the Paladin asked cautiously, examining his gold medallion, and even before the answer, as sometimes happens, he was struck by a flash of certainty—yes, that's exactly how it is, and Lin is not just an assistant to the prince's childhood friend.
"Yes, if you can put it that way."
The man stared at the boy with a testing gaze, but the latter didn't even notice, still watching the city life outside the window.
"And how is it, interacting with a whole princess?" followed an attempt to find out what kind of relationship the personal students of the head of the order of mages had—solely for the sake of his apprentice's future peace of mind.
"Jaina is first and foremost not a beautiful and smart princess, but a most talented Mage... that is, a wizardess. And I think that in terms of mutual understanding, things are going better for me and her than for your charge."
Lin nodded somewhere outside the window, but a moment before that, his companion was hit by another flash of insight—something that, by the way, hadn't happened in a very long time—and Uther realized the boy hadn't just been staring at the street for no reason all this time. The Paladin, unable to help himself, leaned over the tabletop and stared in the same direction. Jaina and Arthas arguing didn't surprise him in the least—a quarrel between childhood friends, in his opinion, was predetermined. And although the adult was sure the main blame lay with his ward, he also attributed a certain share of it to the fact of the princess's new friend appearing.
"It seems they are coming toward us..."
------------------//------------------
"Long time no see, Jaina. How are you? How are your studies?"
"Everything is wonderful—the training is moving in leaps and bounds."
"So you'll become a 'mighty wizardess' very soon?" Arthas smiled jokingly, recalling, as he had many times before, the young princess's cherished dream.
But the reaction was not at all what the childhood friend expected in response to voicing their shared "secret." In any case, he expected to see the usual embarrassment on Jaina's face and hear her invariably evasive "almost," after which she would habitually and amusingly puff herself up and look like a wet sparrow. Instead, a categorical "yes" rang out, spoken in an incredibly confident voice—the same one she used as a child to talk about her plans. But if in those distant times a serious girlish face and cries of "I will become a wizardess!" evoked charm in everyone without exception, now such an attitude made the boy wary. Intuitively, Arthas felt he had lost his first-place ranking with this particular representative of the fair sex, yielding it to such an indefinite thing as magic... and he'd be lucky if it were only to magic.
Frowning against his will from the suspicions seizing him again, the prince asked:
"Did something happen?"
"My understanding of magic has reached a new level."
"Ah... congratulations," Arthas said, not quite catching how to react to this news, and in turn blurted out, boasting: "And Uther promoted me to a full Paladin! Passed the exam a week ago..."
Thus, exchanging news and sharing their achievements, the pair reached the nearest square and, led by the girl, walked around the fountain and headed back. Feeling that time was slipping away and his friend, despite the long separation, was not inclined to extend their walk, Arthas moved to the most pressing topics.
"Jaina, about our engagement. My father said..."
Now it was the girl's turn to frown. The long absence of news from the "groom," the breaking of the engagement—even if initiated by her father, but undoubtedly supported by the Terenases as well—and her recent successes in mastering the magical arts all combined to make the raised topic irrelevant.
"Wait, Arthas," she stopped his somewhat confused assurances that, supposedly, the breaking of the engagement and other circumstances were nothing compared to their feelings for each other. "I intend to devote the next twenty years or so to the study of magic. I'm sorry, but even if the Queen of the Night Elves hadn't established peace by decree, I would have still asked my father to break the engagement."
"Laina would probably have a stroke at the mere thought of rejecting a handsome prince."
"What?!" This was something Arthas, confident in his irresistibility—bolstered by constant advances from members of the opposite sex during his stay in Stratholme—did not expect. "But what about our love?!"
"You mean childhood infatuation?" Jaina clarified, surprised by such an emotional reaction.
The boy, however, heard something else and immediately assumed:
"You have someone else, don't you? Just don't tell me it's that weakling with the face of a hundredth-generation rustic you were with!"
"Arthas! More respect for my... friend!"
The short hesitation was due to the fact that Lin could be called a teacher and mentor rather than a friend and partner, but naturally, now that the conversation was being conducted in raised tones and with greater heat, this pause was perceived quite differently by the indignant prince.
"I knew it! Jaina!.."
Uther's lessons had been beneficial, and despite the young prince's explosive character, he was still able to refrain from accusing his beloved of infidelity. But what the jealous man could forgive his girl—he had no intention of forgiving his rival.
"I challenge him to a duel!"
At that moment, the irritation that had seized the girl, ready to pour out in a very expressive message, vanished as if it had never been.
"A duel?" she repeated in a calm voice. "Be my guest."
Lin, who leaned heavily not only on theory but also devoted considerable time to practice, was known among students and even teachers as a Mage who had not lost a single training duel in the academy's Arena. Old Antonidas was very pleased with this, as his reputation in the field of mentorship became truly astronomical because of it. Many wanted to train with the head's "ward," as he constantly used unpredictable tactics and tricks, ranging from illusions to methods of indirect influence. And Lin also consistently pulled her away from her books and forced her to practice intensely, honing her mastery of spells, hinting that peaceful days would end sooner or later and war would break out. And his arguments in favor of such an assumption were quite convincing. The mere fact that the Elves, being the dominant race on the entire planet, had recently been heavily strengthening their defenses and generously sharing knowledge with Humans instead of their usual habit of raking everything in for themselves—spoke for itself.
"I recall he specifically wanted to look at Holy Light magic, and also find out what Paladins are like..."
------------------//------------------
The sun generously bestowed glints upon the waves, birds chirped, quacked, and screeched merrily, and the trees rustled their leaves slightly—in general, the western shore of Lake Lordamere lived its measured life, to which travelers moving along the road between Dalaran and Lordaeron paid little attention. A small detachment led by two Paladins, heading north to the capital, did not stand out against the background of other travelers either. It wasn't that the leaders, like their subordinates, were jaded by the landscapes of their native lands—no, they were—but still, the main reason for their indifference to the scenes of nature was the results of their visit to the mages' abode.
The junior follower of the Holy Light was wallowing in black melancholy; his horse, matching its master's mood, barely plodded along a bit to the side of the main detachment—Prince Arthas saw fit to suffer from failure on the romantic front, and even the recent defeat by his rival paled against the memories of an enraged Jaina, who had blurted out in a fit of anger: "I don't want to see you, you idiot!". However, in the latter, as the prince admitted to himself, there was a significant share of his own guilt: he shouldn't have called his childhood friend a "loose girl" just because, after the duel ended, Jaina hadn't approached him—lying on the ground like a gardening manual, entangled in overgrown grass and vines that had appeared out of nowhere—but had gone to that Midget Lin, who had won the fight without moving from his spot...
The elder comrade, though he had delivered a preventative clip round the ear for the lack of restraint toward the girl and had spoken a few words of encouragement, thereby expressing sympathy, was still mostly preoccupied with analyzing the results of his own "exchange of experience," which the winner of the duel with the prince had asked him for immediately after the match.
During the training fight between the Mage and another Paladin, it immediately became clear that, unlike the young adept of the Silver Hand, his mentor possessed a certain "divine" skill that provided protection from any kind of damage. At least Uther himself sincerely believed so... until recently—the very moment when the ground opened up beneath him, and he plummeted, enveloped in the pink glow of a protective Divine Shield, into a pit filled knee-deep with liquid mud, and then a small ball of lightning flew in from above, but hit not the indestructible shield, but precisely the surface of the swamp surrounding the Paladin. Uther, having experienced unforgettable sensations, was forced to admit defeat when the lad with the indifferent face demonstrated another lightning bolt, but several times larger.
And now the puzzled paladin, his brain creaking a bit from being ossified in dogma, tried to understand how it happened that an absolute defense—one that saved him even from magic-poisoned air and allowed him to walk almost on lava (though he hadn't tested the latter)—had failed against a fairly ordinary spell! He tried to understand, but he could not...
***
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