"Illidan is the only hope for the Night Elf race," Cordana Felsong said, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. "He is also the hope for saving Azeroth; he bears the Destiny of Savior."
"Save Azeroth?"
A bitter smile appeared on Khadgar's lips, and he chuckled coldly:
"Yes, we all know Illidan Stormrage could save Azeroth. He's a genius even more powerful than Queen Azshara. But what good did it do? He willingly imprisoned himself for ten thousand years. He shirked his responsibility, a failed Savior. Illidan refused to face reality, allowing charlatans like Thrall to use the name of Savior to destroy Azeroth. It's not that I didn't want to save him, but that he couldn't resolve his inner conflict."
Finally, Khadgar added:
"If Illidan refuses to comply, who can imprison him? That prison can hold him."
Cordana Felsong took a step back and coldly questioned, "Khadgar, so you never wanted to save Illidan at all? So you've been deceiving me all along, tricking me into becoming your protector."
Khadgar raised his eyebrows and said in a deep voice:
"Alright, Cordana, I admit I lied to you, but it was for your own good. Your feelings for Illidan are misplaced; what you see as unwavering love is nothing more than a childish and laughable infatuation. I'm helping you, trying my best to help you escape a hopeless love."
Upon hearing this, Cordana flew into a rage, her anger surging. A Night Elf who had lived for nearly ten thousand years, of course, wouldn't listen to Khadgar's motivational platitudes; her voice was filled with fury:
"Khadgar, you have no idea what's going on. I served under the Jailer Maiev for thousands of years and witnessed firsthand the contributions Illidan made to the Night Elves. Whenever the Night Elf race faced a crisis, Tyrande would exploit Illidan's emotions, releasing him to defeat the enemy, only to imprison him again under various pretexts and claim the credit for herself. You simply cannot comprehend the pain this causes; Illidan is on the verge of madness."
"That's just his own fault, a fool driven by emotion, an idiot," Khadgar scoffed. "Even if you rescued Illidan, he'd be utterly useless, a complete waste."
Cordana trembled with rage and roared, "Khadgar, you don't understand love at all!"
What? You're saying I don't understand love?
Khadgar was enraged and glared angrily at Cordana.
The fact that the Iron Horde had fallen under Sylvanas's control had a profound impact on him, making it difficult for him to control his emotions; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so irritable.
"Cordana, although I don't have your rich experiences, I'm just a human being who has lived for a few decades. Perhaps in your eyes, my life is ridiculously short, but I have also experienced unforgettable love."
Khadgar rarely spoke of the past, especially not with emotion. His face was filled with reminiscence, and there was a deep pain between his brows. He had been hurt and hated by love, which he usually hid in his heart, but every time he recalled it, it was heart-wrenching.
"When Dalaran, I was ostracized because I was too outstanding. Some treacherous people colluded with the Archmages to suppress me. They gave me a letter of introduction with a red seal, introducing me to Karazhan to become Medivh's apprentice, and at the same time, to be Dalaran's eyes and ears to monitor Medivh."
"This is a mission that is almost certain to kill me. How could Medivh allow Dalaran's spies to be around? He doesn't even need to do it himself. With just a little accident and deliberately not revealing certain taboos, the dangers in Karazhan would be enough to kill me. Before me, Dalaran sent out a total of nine apprentices, and the longest-lived one only lasted seven days."
"I knew this was a mission I was destined to die on, but my pursuit of magic and my defiance of Destiny sustained me as I journeyed to Karazhan, hoping for a stroke of Destiny and a chance to survive. I couldn't give up magic; that would be giving up my life. I traveled with merchants, my heart filled with unease, hoping the journey would last as long as possible."
"When I passed through Lakeshire, I met the love of my life; her name was Lisa."
At this point, Khadgar smiled, his eyes filled with tenderness, a stark contrast to his usual cold and serious Khadgar.
"I still remember that sunny day. Lisa was wearing a light green dress and a golden shawl. She stood by the lake, and the clear water reflected her beautiful image. Her fair legs under the hem of her dress looked like pure white Holy Light. She had a captivating smile on her lips and was full of youthful Vitality. She immediately attracted my attention."
"I Lakeshire, playing by the lake with Lisa, fishing together, tending to the crops, and bathing a wild boar named Bellygrub. Those were the most carefree days of my life, and I really wanted to give up the pursuit of magic and stay in Lakeshire forever."
"But in the end, I was convinced by my own reason and cruelly left Lisa. Although the trip to Karazhan was almost certainly fatal, I still wanted to pursue the possibility of survival. Opportunities in this world are few and far between, and success is inherently accidental. Only by taking the path that others dare not take can one have even the slightest chance. Cordana, your pain lies in your inability to let go."
Cordana Evil Song remained Anjing for a moment before slowly asking:
"So how did you escape Medivh's clutches?"
"I don't know," Khadgar answered honestly, a slight look of doubt on his face.
"On my first day in Karazhan, I nearly died in a trap. I felt I wouldn't last three days, so I wrote a final letter to Lisa, expressing my longing for her. Medivh found the letter, and after reading it, he stopped tormenting me and told me all the taboos and traps of Karazhan."
Cordana waved her hand impatiently, seemingly regretting talking to Khadgar.
"Khadgar, since you've decided not to help me rescue Illidan, I have no reason to stay by your side. I will rescue Illidan in my own way; hopefully, it's not too late. Unlike you, I will face my own feelings squarely. You're just a deserter in love."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cordana left Khadgar without looking back.
The two hadn't known each other for long, and although Khadgar had deceived Cordana, there was no real hatred between them yet.
Khadgar gazed wistfully at the sky Shadowmoon Valley. His career setbacks had left him feeling gloomy, and only the memory of his beautiful relationship in Lakeshire offered him some solace.
A colossal creature flew in from afar; it was a sky-blue Dragon with a slender body, its massive form streamlined and full of beauty.
The Blue Dragonflight was clearly injured, with blood dripping from its wings.
As they drew closer, Khadgar realized that the Blue Dragonflight was being hunted.
Behind him, an eagle, less than a tenth the size of the Blue Dragonflight, with wings like burning Flames, relentlessly pursued Blue Dragonflight, its sharp edges piercing the Blue Dragonflight's scales.
For Dragonkin to be chased by an ordinary eagle is something only the Aspect of the Blue Kalecgos could do.
"Khadgar, save me!" Kalecgos roared.
Although it was a disgrace to the Dragonkin, Kalecgos was, after all, a member of the Council of Six and was very familiar with Khadgar.
Khadgar had no choice but to slowly ascend into the air and help drive away the eagle.
Kalecgos landed at Starfall Outpost and took on human form.
"Khadgar, my dear old friend, the supreme Dark Lady, the Savior of Azeroth, the leader of the Forsaken, Sylvanas Windrunner, has asked me to convey a few words to you."