Teach Me

"Why don't you want to tell Kaldara how to solve this problem? Why do you even want to keep it from me?"

Teron Gorefiend pressed on.

"I..."

Malone didn't know what to say. Was he supposed to tell Teron Gorefiend that he wasn't his brother, Maicomarlon, but a human?

And that he, this human, had come from another world, and that the stories unfolding in Azeroth were nothing more than a small reflection of the world he came from?

Even Malone himself wouldn't believe it if he heard such a thing, let alone tell Teron Gorefiend.

"You don't have to say anything, Maicomarlon. I know why."

Teron Gorefiend's words gave Malone quite a scare.

He knew? What did he know? No way. How could he know?

Malone had countless questions, but in the end he calmed down, realizing that whatever Teron Gorefiend meant had to be worlds apart from what had actually happened to him.

Malone said nothing, waiting for Teron Gorefiend to continue.

He wanted to know how this Death Knight leader understood everything that had happened to him.

"You hate the Warchief, don't you?"

Teron Gorefiend asked.

"Hate?"

Malone neither confirmed nor denied it, but Teron Gorefiend took his response as an affirmation.

"I still remember you asking me that day... why I didn't hate the Warchief."

Teron Gorefiend said.

"You said it was for the Horde."

Malone almost laughed at his own words.

"But clearly, that answer didn't put your mind at ease, did it?"

Teron Gorefiend continued.

Malone neither nodded nor shook his head. He more or less understood what Teron Gorefiend had mistaken.

"You hate the Warchief for killing you, so you don't want to stay with the Horde, and you don't want to see the Horde defeat humanity. Am I right?"

Teron Gorefiend asked.

"Yes."

Malone answered frankly. It was a lie, but Teron Gorefiend's reasons were pretty convincing—at least a hundred times more reasonable than his real reason for wanting to leave.

"I won't stop you anymore... Maicomarlon, go. I'll help you."

Teron Gorefiend seemed to have finally made up his mind.

"Okay."

Malone nodded. He didn't know what else to say.

"But you have to be careful. Be wary of all humans. They're a crafty lot."

Teron Gorefiend knew that if Malone left the Horde, he would inevitably have dealings with humans. He might even end up in human territory.

"Don't worry. After I get Tiffany to safety, I'll find somewhere uninhabited to stay. Somewhere the Alliance and the Horde can't find me."

Malone answered.

"That would be good..."

Teron Gorefiend trailed off and fell silent.

"But there's something else I need your help with."

Malone said.

"What is it?"

Teron Gorefiend asked.

"You know, after I leave here... both the Orcs and the humans may become my enemies."

Malone said.

"Mm."

Teron Gorefiend nodded. Malone looked so much like a human, yet he wasn't one. Deep down, he was an Orc, so both humans and Orcs might become his enemies.

Of course, Teron Gorefiend didn't know that Malone wasn't an Orc deep down at all. The Maicomarlon he knew had long since become a soul that had been devoured.

"So I need to become strong. Otherwise, I won't survive, and I won't be able to get Tiffany to safety."

Malone said.

Teron Gorefiend nodded. In the lands occupied by the Orcs, there were still plenty of Orc patrols responsible for guarding, hunting, and transporting.

These Orcs had a simple way of distinguishing their own kind: Orcs and Ogres.

Even if Malone was a human who could speak Orcish, the patrols might still attack him.

"You're already strong. You're even stronger than me."

Teron Gorefiend said.

"But it's not enough. I can't beat you."

Malone said.

"This... is a complicated matter. It requires coordination between your body and your spells, along with some techniques..."

Teron Gorefiend struggled to explain the intricacies to Malone, only then realizing that his Orcish still wasn't good enough.

"Teach me. Teach me how to fight, how to get stronger."

Malone said.

Malone had already thought about it before: he needed to find someone who could teach him how to fight if he wanted to survive in this world. At the very least, he couldn't afford to be at a disadvantage when facing wild beasts.

Azeroth was home to ferocious beasts like raptors—creatures that would have been prehistoric monsters on Earth. Malone wasn't confident he could handle them with brute strength alone.

Among the people Malone knew—no, among the Orcs—the strongest were probably Kaldara and Orgrim. The former was a notorious Blademaster, while the latter was the Orc Warchief, with formidable fighting prowess.

Still, Malone thought Teron Gorefiend would make a better teacher.

Teron Gorefiend had once been a Warlock and, like Malone, wasn't skilled at close combat.

But after becoming a Death Knight, Teron Gorefiend had quickly mastered impressive fighting skills.

Malone felt that Teron Gorefiend's situation was the most similar to his own. Besides, he had become a skilled fighter in the shortest time, making him the best fit for Malone's current needs.

"Sure. I'll teach you."

Teron Gorefiend agreed without hesitation.

"Mm."

Malone nodded, then turned to face Tiffany.

"Tiffany... I'm going out for a while."

Malone said.

"You're going out again? Mr. Malone, what... what are you going to do this time?"

Tiffany had been huddled up, clutching her chest. When she heard Malone, she hurriedly reached out and grabbed one of his sleeves.

"Train."

Malone answered briefly.

"Train for what?"

Tiffany asked in surprise, her face clouding with confusion.

"To train... so I can protect you."

Malone gently slipped his sleeve from Tiffany's grasp, then stood up and answered with a smile.

"Protect... me..."

Tiffany looked up at the towering Malone. He had already turned away, leaving her with the sight of his broad back.

"Let's go."

Malone said to Teron Gorefiend in Orcish.

"Mm."

Teron Gorefiend was never much of a talker. He stood up and walked out of the wooden hut, waiting for Malone outside.

Watching Malone leave with Teron Gorefiend, Tiffany quietly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Praise the Holy Light. Please watch over Mr. Malone... I hope he grows stronger and stays safe..."

Tiffany murmured.

A while later, the girl resumed her prayers, but this time her words were a little different.

"Holy Light, please let me escape safely with Mr. Malone, and then... then I'll have a chance to repay Mr. Malone properly."