"Student, where are you going?" Belo'vir stopped Leylin, blocking him at the temple's entrance.
Outside the temple, the pitch-black night enveloped the land of ghosts. The eerie chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves made the surroundings even more eerie.
The tense atmosphere made Leylin's emotions nearly lose control. He wanted to rush out of the Sun Temple right now, run to the troll camp, and rescue his little sister.
"Vereesa has been captured by the trolls. I have to save her. She's in danger now, her life is in danger." Leylin spoke quickly, anxious, almost losing his mind.
Belo'vir was well aware of his student's relationship with Vereesa. His student's strong reaction was understandable; after all, she was the girl he cherished most.
"Calm down. The Silvermoon Council has sent elite troops to rescue them. We have our own mission." The Grand Magister did not get angry at his student's recklessness. He comforted Leylin in a calm tone.
Leylin gritted his teeth, trying desperately to calm down, but he couldn't. Thinking of his little sister imprisoned in the troll camp drove him mad.
"I can't do this, Teacher. I can't wait even a moment longer. I have to save her," Leylin gasped, his eyes brimming with rage.
"Abandon the mission you accepted before coming here, and put the lives of nearly a hundred elves at risk without a care? Just to rescue a ranger, a ranger you don't even know where she's imprisoned?" the Grand Magister asked.
Leylin's eyes were blank as he stood before the Grand Magister. Silence.
"Is this your choice?" The Grand Magister removed his arm, signaling Leylin to leave.
Leylin sighed and shook his head. The Teacher's words suddenly woke him up. He lacks information, which camp she's imprisoned or anything.
His reckless actions were heroic, but meaningless. He was simply making a foolish and endearing sacrifice.
"I'm sorry, Teacher." Leylin stood before Belo'vir, dull, pale and desolate. The original vitality was completely gone.
The Grand Magister put his hand on Leylin's shoulder, pushed him outside of the temple, and came to a forest where there was only the chirping of insects. Apart from the chirping of insects, there was only silence.
Belo'vir sat on the ground, and Leylin followed. The grand magister and the student faced each other and started chatting.
"Have you heard of the Council of Tirisfal when you lived in the human kingdom?" The grand magister asked.
Leylin nodded, which was considered as a tacit agreement. He knew that this organization was a magical organization that gave birth to the guardians of mankind.
"2,600 years ago, a half-elven boy studied magic in Dalaran. Similar to you now, his magical talent was extremely high, so high that it would surprise Meryl Winterstorm." It was like telling a story, and it was like explaining a truth. The teacher's words were very charming, and Leylin listened carefully.
"The use of magic has consequences. Reckless, abused spells invite demons from another dimension to the world of Azeroth. At that time, humanity began to face the threat of these demons. This young half-elven man, as a mage, also bears the responsibility of fighting against the demons. He also has a beloved, the daughter of the owner of Brightwater Lake, a beautiful woman, and they are in love. Just as they were about to marry, the young man was forced to take responsibility by the Council of Tirisfal. This was a grave decision made by all the mages on the council. He had the opportunity to forgo this opportunity, marry the girl, and live out his life in peace."
Leylin listened raptly, having previously known nothing about the story. The young man in the story was also a mage, and Leylin put himself in the role.
He was surprised to find that, despite the different circumstances, their hearts were so similar.
They faced the same choices, only the responsibilities they shouldered were different. Leylin now shouldered the mission of saving nearly a hundred elves, while this young man carried the mission of the entire Council of Tirisfal.
"What kind of mage has he been, teacher?" Leylin asked.
"The first Guardian, Alodi dedicated his life to Tirisfal and to all of humanity. Because of his unique status, her beloved gave up due to his duties as a guardian." Grand Magister Belo'vir looked at Leylin before him, closing his eyes as if to reflect on something. He was thinking beyond this story.
Leylin was immersed in the story, deeply admiring the young man named Alodi.
He couldn't make such a fateful choice now, and Leylin was also grateful that his name wasn't Alodi.
"Cheer up, things aren't as bad as you think. There will be a chance for a turnaround, but we must complete our current mission. Tranquillien's scouts are already gathering information on Ral'jin. By tomorrow noon at the latest, we should have information on the troll witch doctor's whereabouts. The teleportation circle is also being constructed. Now, focus your full attention on the mission." The grand magister patiently and coaxed Leylin out of his anger, helping him to regain his composure.
Leylin stood up, bracing himself, and said, "After thinking it through, Teacher. I'm not as great as Alodi, but I understand that what I just did was undoubtedly a foolish move."
"That's good to understand. The Windrunners hold a high position in the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas. The trolls have fought us for years and understand the value of Windrunner ranger in war. They won't harm Vereesa; she's their bargaining chip." The Grand Magister saw it clearly.
Calling Vereesa a bargaining chip wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't wrong.
"Bargaining chip? Teacher, I now suddenly understand why you brought me on this mission," Leylin said, his intelligence rising to the occasion.
"Teacher, you knew Vereesa's unit had been ambushed, right? You accepted this mission to capture Ral'jin and took me along because of Vereesa's situation," Leylin explained, untangling the entire situation.
The Great Magister didn't deny it; he simply smiled and said, "That's half right. The other half is what I told you today."
Leylin was completely confused and didn't understand. But it didn't matter. These matters were unimportant. The most important thing was to capture this troll witch doctor and bring him to the Sanctum of the Sun. Such a talented troll witch doctor would definitely be the perfect bargaining chip.
Following the grand magister back to the temple, the surrounding mages didn't have any other opinions about the two people because of what had just happened.
Arcanist Janeda and Magister Idonis, standing around the teleportation array, nodded to Belo'vir and said, "Grand Magister, the array is nearly 99% complete. We can complete the mobile teleportation array tomorrow morning."
The Grand Magister also joined in the construction of the teleportation array. Time was running out, and the array needed to be completed tomorrow.