As the ruler of Dalaran and chairman of the Council of Six... Archmage Antonidas had been feeling rather irritable lately.
A powerful mage had been out of contact with Dalaran for a long time.
He was a member of the Council of Six, an Eighth Ring Gray Robe: Alexis!
One of Alexis's students had informed Antonidas of this three days ago.
"My mentor hasn't contacted me for almost four months... I feel as though he's vanished from this world entirely... No one has heard any news of him." Those were the student's exact words. "Four months ago, my mentor told me... he was only going to conduct a simple investigation near Karazhan and would be back in half a month!"
It was understandable for a mage to disappear for four months over some matter; but going four months without contacting anyone at all was not normal!
Alexis was a powerful mage who specialized in Conjuration... He had been born into a family of mages in Dalaran; his grandfather and great-great-grandfather had both been members of the Council of Six!
Yet the respected Alexis had simply disappeared. Was he dead, or had something terrible happened?
Antonidas could not draw a conclusion!
In fact, all he could do was try his best to keep word of this from spreading!
Until he found the truth.
Two figures appeared on the streets of Dalaran.
The one walking in front was a blond high elf. His movements were elegant, but the corners of his eyes bore deep wrinkles that even magic could not erase... Even among elves, he was considered very old!
The other was entirely enveloped in a black cloak, with only a faint, hoarse voice audible from within:
"Dalaran. It has been a very, very long time since I returned here!"
"Yes!"