Why Should We Believe You?

The Temple of Elune was as solemn as ever. Tyrande, dressed in white, stood on the dais with her back to everyone entering.

Hilar and Andrew stood off to the side, not knowing what was going on. Andy, anxious and barely able to hold back, stepped forward and said, "High Priest, I..."

"Andy, wait a moment." Tyrande turned around, her beautiful face calm. "Larsen, tell us about the information you brought back."

Larsen first shot Andy a pointed glare, then said, "Yes, High Priest. Another squad and I were patrolling the coast when we found the creature we brought back yesterday... Um... How should I put it? He should be called a beast. He was unconscious then, as though he'd just drifted in from the sea."

Larsen paused for breath, then continued, "We didn't think much of it at the time, and we didn't find any other creatures like it nearby. While we were searching the area, the beast woke up and attacked us, injuring the two brothers guarding him. He was incredibly strong and walked upright. Moon above, I've never seen a beast like him. Fortunately, Lord Malfurion was patrolling nearby and subdued him with his nature magic. Lord Malfurion ordered us to bring the beast back first. He said he'd follow shortly."

"Is that all?" Tyrande asked with a slight frown.

"That's all." Larsen lowered his head as he replied.

"Then where did he come from?" Tyrande said. "Clearly, he couldn't have come from the sea. The only monsters in the sea are the Naga, but he isn't one of them."

"High Priest, I'm sorry, but I don't know where he came from either." Larsen lowered his head even further.

Tyrande didn't ask any more questions. She trusted that when Malfurion returned, they would learn the answers to everything. She had great faith in him. "Oh, Andy, what did you come to see me about?" Tyrande spotted Andy standing to the side and remembered that he seemed to have something important to discuss.

Andy was torn. Whether to speak or not was a problem in itself. "High Priest, what I have to say might be hard for you to understand, and you might not believe me. Still, I want to ask you to hear me out and believe as much as you can. It will be good for the Elf Race." Andy gathered his thoughts before speaking.

Tyrande instinctively furrowed her brow. Andy was acting strangely today. Ever since the child had arrived in Darnassus a few years ago, she and Malfurion had looked after him, but he had never once come to her of his own accord to discuss anything.

"Hmph, you're nothing but a liar!" Larsen said from the side. "All you do is tell lies to deceive people! High Priest, please let me throw this little liar out!"

"I'm not a liar!" Andy glared at Larsen and shouted.

Tyrande raised a hand to stop Larsen from speaking and warned him with a look. "Andy, tell me what you want to say."

"It's about the beast in the cage outside!" Andy stared at Tyrande and enunciated each word.

"Still claiming you're not a liar? Even the learned High Priest and Malfurion don't know anything about this. What could a kid like you possibly know?" Larsen mocked.

"Larsen, enough!" Tyrande was clearly getting angry. She didn't know why Larsen was so hostile toward Andy, but whatever the reason, this wasn't helping.

"You keep calling me a liar. Fine, then answer me this!" Andy stepped in front of Larsen. "Do you know what the creature in the cage you brought back is? Do you know where he came from? Do you know why he came here? Do you know what's going on?" Andy's voice grew louder, and the two of them drew closer.

Suddenly, a voice as ethereal as music drifted into Andy's ears. The anger that had risen to the top of his head instantly subsided, and he gradually calmed down. Andy glanced at Tyrande and gave her a grateful look. The Monster Spirit had already spoken in his mind: "Tyrande used a calming spell on you. Otherwise, you'd already be fighting Larsen. Remember, you're just a civilian right now. Attacking a Sentinel Unit squad leader would get you punished, and you might not even be able to beat him."

"Andy, are you saying you know what happened?" Tyrande asked with a smile.

"Not all the details, but I know some of them." Andy took two steps back and glanced at Larsen. If that idiot made one more stupid remark, he'd flatten the bastard's nose, punishment or not.

"Even though the one in the cage looks like a beast, he's far more than that. They're orcs, a much more advanced race than beasts. They're intelligent and strong, and some of them can even use magic," Andy said. "The orc they captured came from a continent across the sea, from the Eastern Kingdoms. I also heard that Stormwind City has fallen!"

"What did you say?" Tyrande rose from her chair in shock. "Stormwind City has fallen? Who conquered it? Was it those orcs you mentioned?"

"Yes, it was the orcs!" Andy said.

"I've traveled across the continent myself, but I've never seen or even heard of a race called orcs," Tyrande said.

"They're not from this world. They came from another world," Andy said.

"How do you know?" Malfurion asked as he entered the Temple of Elune. "Why should we believe you?"

"Lord Malfurion!" Larsen bowed in greeting.

"Teacher!"

"Teacher!"

"Oh, Malfurion." Tyrande came down the steps to greet him. "You're back."

"Yes. I made another patrol along the coast, so I'm a little late," Malfurion said. Then he turned to Andy. "How did you learn all this?"

"My teacher told me Stormwind City had fallen!" Andy said, sidestepping the question.

"Your teacher?" Malfurion asked, puzzled. "Oh, Nathas! How is he?"

"My teacher has already left. He said he was going to deliver a message to the High Elves!" As soon as Andy said this, Malfurion's attention finally shifted.

"He's taking a message to the High Elves?" Malfurion said. "So he went back after all. He really did go back."

Tyrande's expression darkened too, and she gave a quiet sigh. "Maybe it isn't such a bad thing," she said.

"Andy, it's not that we don't believe you. We simply have no way to," Tyrande said. "We can't even verify whether what you've told us is true, so we can hardly take your word for it."

Andy sighed and looked up at the sky. "I knew no one would believe anything I said. You just can't believe me!" His face twisted into a bitter smile. He looked from Tyrande to Malfurion and saw them both gazing at him helplessly. Andy smiled, then turned and walked toward the exit. After a few steps, he stopped abruptly and hurried back, speaking urgently. "I know you might not believe what I've told you, but there's a way to prove it's all true!"

"What way?" Malfurion asked.

"Ask the commander of Stormwind City, Lothar!" Andy said. "Lothar knows what happened. He can prove everything I've said is true!"

"But the Elves and humans stopped dealing with each other long ago!" Malfurion said.

"But this isn't the time for racial prejudice. No matter who was at fault back then, we have to put our differences aside now." Andy rushed up to Malfurion. "The one you captured is only a scout. Once the orcs on the other side get the report, they'll definitely attack. By then, it'll be too late!"

Malfurion looked at Tyrande. She nodded. "I think Andy is right. We should find out what's happening from the humans!"

"Andy, how do you know about Lothar?" Tyrande asked. "You're just a child. How could you know that human's name?"

"My teacher told me!" Andy replied. He'd figured it out: blaming everything on Nathas, who had already left, was a stroke of genius. No one would go looking for Nathas, and no one could find him to check whether Andy was lying.

"Fine!" Malfurion said with a nod. "Larsen, go back at once and tell Patrio to prepare the defenses. As for what you've told us, Andy, I'll verify it myself!"