As Highborne from the Magic City of Azshara, I held a skeptical view of Mount Hyjal, a backward and barbaric region with various ignorant customs and beliefs, which I considered terrifying.
Prince Farondis looked at Dath'Remar in horror, shaking his head repeatedly. "Mount Hyjal is too dangerous, I dare not go."
Dath'Remar lowered his head and thought for a moment, "I heard that Malfurion Stormrage, the emissary of the Temple of the Moon, is in Suramar City. You can go and see him. By the way, Malfurion is Illidan's twin brother."
Prince Farondis's eyes lit up. Suramar City, Illidan's brother.
The Prince greatly admired Illidan. Illidan's character, his understanding of magic, his sense of loyalty, and his approachable attitude all impressed Farondis immensely.
Prince Farondis nodded repeatedly, "Illidan's brother should be a good man."
From afar, the Suramar City was shrouded in a seven-colored glow.
This is a magnificent city, a symbol of the civilization of the Night Elves.
If Azshara is the magical center of the Night Elves, then Suramar is the center of Night Elf art and culture, a most dazzling jewel.
Malfurion Stormrage and the human Rhonin stood at the city gates of Suramar City. Malfurion took a deep breath, his brow furrowed, his expression a mixture of tension and fear.
As an emissary of the Temple of the Moon visiting Suramar City, Malfurion must meet with High Archmage Elisande to gain the Suramar City's support and join forces with the followers of Moon Goddess on Mount Hyjal to resist Azshara's rule.
Rhonin looked at Malfurion with a puzzled expression, unable to understand why he had that look on his face.
In Rhonin's mind, he simply couldn't understand what reason Elisande had to support the Temple of the Moon.
History is made up of countless miracles, Rhonin knew that the followers of the Moon Goddess would ultimately prevail. He was eager to learn the truth of this history and see how Malfurion would persuade the High Archmage Elisande.
"Rhonin."
Malfurion's expression was unusually serious, his tone heavy, as he pointed in the direction of Suramar City:
What did you see?
Rhonin was baffled. He saw the Suramar City with its towering spires and incredibly beautiful, magnificent buildings. Magic formed beautiful rays of light in the sky, illuminating every corner of the city.
Such extravagant and wasteful abuse of magic opened Rhonin's eyes to a whole new level.
"A beautiful city," Rhonin said honestly.
"No, Rhonin, what you see is just an illusion, deception, and pretense."
Malfurion's eyes were filled with terror:
"This is a den of demons, a terrifying Abyss that makes people fall into its clutches without realizing it. If you're not careful, you'll fall in and be forever damned. Do you know that there were dozens of messengers from the Temple of the Moon before me, and they all..."
"Was he killed?"
Rhonin was startled. In his view, the Night Elves of this era were very civilized and should not have committed barbaric acts of indiscriminate killing. This instilled fear in Rhonin, making him reconsider his situation.
Malfurion shook his head, saying in horror, "More terrible than death, it's the most horrific torture in the world, slowly grinding away your soul, crushing your will, the most terrible punishment in the world."
Rhonin was indeed frightened, and even wanted to open Portal to escape.
Unfortunately, it was too late. A streak of light flew out of the city and transformed into a beautiful Night Elf woman dressed in red, who smiled sweetly at Malfurion and Rhonin.
"This must be Malfurion Stormrage, the messenger from the Temple of the Moon. On behalf of the Suramar City, I welcome you. High Archmage Elisande sent me to greet the messenger. May I ask who this human friend is?"
The woman looked at Rhonin with a puzzled expression. Malfurion explained, "This is a friend of mine, Rhonin."
The Night Elf woman smiled sweetly, "Since you are a friend of the envoy, and naturally a distinguished guest of Suramar City, welcome, human, oh, a Mage, what a remarkable human."
The woman praised sincerely, after all, humans in this era had not yet mastered magic.
Rhonin was suspicious. The Night Elf woman was poised and friendly, but he could tell that she was not a real person, but a magical illusion. Moreover, the spellcaster had deliberately left some flaws so that the guest could notice them.
The Night Elf woman led the way, Malfurion wore a look of resignation, and Rhonin followed behind anxiously, secretly assessing the chances of escaping if danger were to arise.
Unfortunately, Rhonin didn't get the chance. He had just stepped into Suramar City and hadn't even had a chance to admire the city's scenery when a flash of light appeared before his eyes, and Malfurion and Rhonin were already in a spacious hall.
As soon as I stepped into the room, the floor and walls suddenly became transparent, and countless starlight hung down. Stars rotated in all directions, making me feel as if I were walking in the deep universe.
A round table was placed in the very center of the house, where a sumptuous feast had already been prepared, and an enticing aroma wafted through the air.
Rhonin swallowed hard. At this moment, he could solemnly swear that he had never smelled such an enticing aroma in his entire life.
The Night Elf woman smiled and said, "You two honored guests have traveled a long way and must be tired. On behalf of High Archmage Elisande, I have come here to welcome you and give you a proper welcome."
Two beams of silver light descended from the sky, landing on Malfurion and Rhonin. All the dust along their path vanished, their clothes looked brand new, and they became clean and refreshed.
The woman nodded and smiled, "Please enjoy your meal." With that, she transformed into a streak of light and vanished.
Rhonin couldn't wait any longer and quickly sat down at the dining table. Hundreds of delicious dishes were laid out on the table, and Rhonin could barely recognize shrimp, crab, various kinds of meat, and so on.
Most of the dishes were unheard of, and I had no idea what ingredients they were made of.
Rhonin picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. It was fatty but not greasy, and it almost melted in his mouth. The wonderful aroma stimulated his taste buds, and he became excited. Rhonin was so happy that he almost fainted.
Malfurion stared grimly at Rhonin, warning him, "Rhonin, be careful. This is the beginning of your downfall. You're already in the Abyss. The Moon Goddess warned me never to eat Suramar's food."
After saying that, Malfurion took out the dry rations he had prepared beforehand and squatted down to eat them dry.
"Could these foods be poisonous?"
Rhonin shook his head, a resigned expression on his face. "Such a delicious dish, I'd accept it even if it were poisoned."
Seeing Rhonin devour the food, his mouth dripping with oil, Malfurion, staring at the bitter plant root in his hand, couldn't resist picking up a glass of wine from the table and pouring it into his mouth.
Once he started, he couldn't stop. The aroma of the wine stimulated Malfurion's senses, and he hurriedly sat down at the table to feast with Rhonin.
The two ate for a full day and night, from night to day, and from day to sunset.
Tired and sleepless, having eaten hundreds of dishes with a continuous supply of delicious food, Rhonin suddenly stopped eating.
For a whole day and night, I wasn't sleepy, nor did I feel tired at all; all I wanted to do was eat, eat, eat.
It's so strange. Although I feel full, my stomach isn't bulging, and I don't feel bloated.
What's going on? Where did all the food and wine I ate and drank go? Unless there's a dimensional space inside my stomach, Rhonin realized something was wrong, but he couldn't stop his hand from reaching for the delicious food.
Rhonin forcibly suppressed his appetite and turned to discuss it with Malfurion.
Malfurion transformed into a Juxiong, burying his face in the bowl and devouring the food.
Rhonin was startled, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Could this be the truth behind the demon Suramar City?