In the drawing room of Jaina's Mage Tower, Deren's teacup hovered in mid-air, ripples spreading across the amber surface of the tea. His gaze was fixed on Aegwynn, his throat bobbing involuntarily. He had been expecting another beautiful day, and tonight he would spend some quality time with the Black Dragon, repairing the bed collapse caused by the Dreamgrass. But to his surprise, Jaina had sent word shortly after returning that the former Guardian, Aegwynn, had arrived and wanted him to come and see her.
"Hello." Deren's voice was as dry as the wind blowing through the desert. Facing the guardian of the former world, he could only mechanically greet him, inwardly wondering about the purpose of this powerful figure's visit. "This is Lady Aegwynn, who tore Sargeras apart? What a rare guest!"
Aegwynn froze in place. Her eyes, which had seen through a thousand years, widened slightly, and her withered fingers unconsciously gripped the front of her robe. The air in the drawing room suddenly became thick, and the glow of the magic lamps distorted into strange angles.
"Interesting." Aegwynn's voice suddenly became extremely alert, like an eagle spotting a venomous snake. "The threads of fate binding you are enough to drive Bronze Dragon mad."
Deren smiled wryly and put down his teacup, the porcelain clinking against the wooden table. "Many people say that, including the Bronze Dragon."
Jaina stood between the two, keenly sensing the restless magical energy in the air. Without making a sound, she activated the stabilizing barrier of the Mage Tower to prevent the energy collision between the two "special beings" from causing an accident.
"You two know each other?" Jaina asked tentatively.
"No." Aegwynn stepped forward slowly, the hem of her black robe sweeping across the carpet without making a sound. "But I can 'see' him." Her fingertips glowed with emerald light, tracing a complex symbol around Deren. "Time has tied a knot around him, and the spindle of fate has broken into three pieces here."
Deren helplessly raised his hands. "I promise it wasn't intentional. It was all an accident! All an accident!"
Aegwynn suddenly laughed, a laugh that seemed to chill the room to a halt, "I said something similar when I killed Avatar of Sargeras."
The crackling fire in the fireplace added a touch of life to the somber atmosphere. Aegwynn sat in a high-backed chair, her thin fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. Her gaze drifted through the window to the distant horizon.
"I usually slumber in a secret chamber in Karazhan," her voice seemed to come from afar, "Setting up a dream barrier to escape the flow of time." Her fingers traced glowing runes in the Void. "Unless it concerns the very survival of the world, I will not awaken."
Jaina poured the old man another cup of hot tea, a few Silverleaf floating in it. "But the crisis you foresaw has been averted."
"That's the strangest part." Aegwynn took the teacup but didn't drink. "Prophecy magic doesn't appear out of thin air. If the threat of the Scourge has been eliminated, I shouldn't have been awakened at all." Her gaze shifted to Deren. "Unless something... interfered with the course of fate."
Deren touched his nose, feeling guilty, and said, "Magic is just magic. The world is so complex that magic can't possibly know all its secrets and changes."
Aiger nodded in agreement. "That's right, perhaps an event beyond prophetic magic has occurred."
Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Deren's forehead. He quickly changed the subject. "Do you know a Blue Dragon that fell in love with the Sunwell?"
Aegwynn's expression froze. "What?"
"It means exactly what it says." Deren gestured, "A fully grown Blue Dragon, obsessed with the Sunwell from Quel'Thalas downstairs," and even built a nest in front of Jaina's Mage Tower to express its love.
The old mage's lips twitched slightly. " Malygos would be furious if he knew."
"That's the problem," Deren shrugged. "It seems fate has truly taken an unknown turn." He looked at Jaina, " The Blue Dragon have developed a fetishistic dragon."
"Wait, isn't the Sunwell the High Elf? How did it end up here?" Aegwynn suddenly realized that the changes in the world far exceeded her expectations.
"It's a long story," Jaina had to explain again the origin of the Sunwell downstairs.
Aegwynn fell into thought, the steam from her tea forming strange patterns before her. "The inertia of fate. Like a rushing river. You can temporarily change its course, but it will always try to return to its original channel." She suddenly looked up, "Unless..."
"Unless someone builds a dam at the source and digs a new channel," Jaina replied, her eyes gleaming with understanding.
The three fell silent, with only the occasional crackling of sparks from the firewood in the fireplace.
Deren thought for a moment and then raised his question, "Lady Aegwynn, you just mentioned prophetic magic. Was it also the result of this kind of magic that led to our encounter with and defeat of Avatar of Sargeras?"
The former guardian pondered for a moment, searching for answers in her distant memories. After a long while, she finally concluded, "That's right, I encountered the Demon King at that location, guided by the vague prophetic magic."
A playful expression appeared on Deren's face. He smiled at Jaina and said, "Interesting prophetic magic. Do you know this?"
The female mage shook her head. "I haven't mastered this kind of magic involving time and cause and effect yet."
"Yes, when it comes to time and cause and effect, even Bronze Dragon dare not predict what will definitely happen in the future. Because the future is constantly changing," Deren remarked. "That's why Bronze Dragon like to be riddle tellers, always reluctant to reveal more secrets of the future. But prophetic magic can loudly proclaim to the world what will happen in the future. How can prophecy be seen as the cause of the future?"
Jaina was confused by Deren's words. She wiped her face, trying to understand what he meant. " Deren, do you mean there's something wrong with the prophecy magic?"
"The magic of prophecy itself isn't the problem, but the answers it provides are," Deren stated, drawing even Aegwynn's attention. "For example, if I were to predict whether the price of food will rise or fall tomorrow, that would be a very simple prediction, wouldn't it?"
The two monks, one old and one young, nodded.
"But a simple answer of 'up' or 'down' doesn't represent the very complex reality. First, it only applies to food within Theramore, but there are many grain shops in the city; some are raising prices, while others may be lowering them. There's also the time of day; grain prices fluctuate throughout the day. Prices might rise in the morning and fall in the afternoon. How can prophetic magic tell you whether tomorrow's grain prices will rise or fall?" Deren rattled off a series of simple examples about grain prices.
Both monks fell silent. Indeed, predicting tomorrow's grain prices, only to get an answer of whether they would rise or fall, didn't reflect the true situation. Similarly, predicting a global crisis—who knows how much more complex it would be than grain prices—would make the answer even more unreliable.
"Interesting idea, Jaina, your advisor certainly thinks more deeply than most." Aegwynn laughed, her mood, which had been weighed down by the prophetic magic, lightening. She walked up to Jaina, her gaze intense. "Child, I've decided to stay in Theramore temporarily. During this time, I can guide your magical training. I've found this place far more interesting than I imagined." She gestured towards Deren.
Jaina's pupils dilated slightly. To be personally instructed by the most powerful guardian in history was an opportunity that countless mages dreamed of. Her fingertips trembled slightly with excitement, but the next second, years of training calmed her down.
"It is my honor," Jaina said, giving a standard mage's bow. "But Master Antonidas taught me from a young age that I must obtain his permission first."
Deren nodded approvingly. "The master-disciple relationship is fundamental to the mage world. Master Antonidas has devoted many years of his life to Jaina and deserves respect."
Aegwynn narrowed her eyes. "That stubborn old man?" She scoffed. "His great-great-great-grandfather wasn't even born when I became a Guardian."
"That's precisely why," Jaina said, neither humble nor arrogant, "You should understand the importance of the mentor-student bond. If you are willing to teach me, I will formally write to Master Antonidas to explain our relationship."
The old mage suddenly burst into laughter, a hint of approval in her voice. "Good! Very good!" She patted Jaina on the shoulder. "I admire your principles, child. In this age of declining morality, there aren't many young people who still uphold the dignity of teachers."
First update.