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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Anareline, Auralind, Mordecai and Ralaea arrive at the Molten Front to assist in the offensive into the Firelands. Not all goes to plan, particularly regarding a new order called the Druids of the Flame. ~6100 words |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Anareline nods a greeting to Ralaea and Auralind, and then raises a hand to Mordecai over by the healing crates.
Mordecai stops counting boxes and hurries over.
Auralind does not see the hand, but hears the activity. "Elune adore."
"Hello, team," Anareline says in careful Common, glancing over to make sure no one is hurt yet. "Are you all ready to take part in the offensive? We are to report to a tauren here, Matoclaw."
"Hello, everyone," Mordecai says with a small smile.
Auralind nods sharply and gives a Sentinel salute. "I am prepared."
"Light, grant us Fortitude and protection from Shadow," Mordecai says in a rush, but the prayers work just fine.
Anareline's stern expression softens slightly. It's almost a smile. "I know we have not worked together as a team before, but I trust we will be effective." There we go, she did a pep talk. Leadership skills.
Auralind murmurs her own prayer to Elune. It's not that she doesn't have faith in Mordecai…it's just that she has faith in Elune.
"Ralaea, are you also prepared?" Ana turns to her.
"Effective at being offensive? I can probably do that. Not sure about Mordecai. He's too nice," Ralaea says.
Auralind almost manages to stifle a smirk.
Mordecai blushes faintly. "Um, I'll be effective at healing, then."
Ralaea nods, satisfied.
Anareline makes a sound that might be a laugh, but quickly makes a kind of coughing noise. "I think that will work. Let us report in."
Mordecai looks up at Cenarius with quiet awe. He's tall.
Matoclaw, a tauren woman, raises a friendly hand and says, “Welcome, but you're a bit late. Hamuul, Malfurion, and some of our esteemed guests have already traveled to the invasion point, atop that cliff.”
Anareline looks up at the sun, startled. "Are you certain it is not they who are early?"
"Late?" Mordecai looks at Anareline with dismay. He got here at the time he was told.
"Okay so just tell us where we're going, then," Ralaea says.
Auralind sighs softly. They must be on tauren time.
“Either way,” Matoclaw says, not lingering on the point of who’s early or who’s late, “Just upo there. Our gate to the Firelands is not yet completed, but it will be shortly. The sooner we can break through, the better. Go on! Hamuul will be expecting you."
Anareline looks to the others. "Did you bring means of flight?" Ana calls down her black-feathered gryphon.
Auralind makes a hippogryph call, summoning Talathar and mounting up.
Mordecai nods. "Um, I did." He whistles, and a white-and-brown hippogryph flies down to him. He gets in the saddle, smoothing down the hippogryph's neck feathers. "Hello, Almond."
Ralaea calls her own gryphon, a swift-winged gryphon with red armor matching her reddish brown feather tips.
Auralind's phoenix hatchling companion flaps along with them.
Almond trills and takes to the sky.
The team lands by the portal to the Firelands.
Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem turns to smile at the group. “Cobalt Company. It is good to see you again. Our gate is nearly opened.”
"That's not a gate, it's a portal," Ralaea informs him. "Gates go in front of houses."
“We appear to have everything under control,” Hamuul says with confidence. “Our invasion portal to the Firelands will be opened momentarily, and the elementals have not put up much fight.” Hamuul apparently takes correction well.
Hamuul gestures to the nearby druids, and adds, “Assist our druids by dispatching the last few of these elementals. Then, once the gate has been opened, we can make our move.”
Mordecai quickly fades away from the attention of the elementals.
Anareline moves in to fight the fire elementals coming out of the portal.
Fial'el, the phoenix flutters back and forth nervously, as if drawn toward the portal.
Ralaea nearly trips over a druid in cat form.
Leyara walks out of the portal.
Hamuul yells, “Druids, hold your fire! She is unarmed!”
Anareline steps back, looking at the woman with surprise and recognition.
Malfurion yells, “Wait a moment… I know that girl. Leyara, is that you?”
"Shield," Mordecai says regardless, protecting Anareline.
The druids run up to Leyara.
Ralaea looks warily at the newcomer, weapons still ready.
Leyara smiles, but there's something not quite right about it.
Leyara yells, “Minions of the Firelord, lay waste to these invaders! The Guardians of Hyjal shall burn for their arrogance! You will all suffer the wrath of Ragnaros! DIE!!!”
Leyara casts a fire nova that slays everyone but Hamuul, Malfurion, and the Cobalt team.
And Saynna Stormrunner, she's here too.
And Omnuron. Gosh there are a lot of named NPCs here who don't speak.
Auralind winces at the heat as Fial'el dives down to absorb much of it, shielding her and her Cobalt companions.
"Stop her!" Hamuul cries. Anareline moves in to attack.
Auralind whips off a series of arrows at Leyara.
"Is this a good idea?" Ralaea asks, joining the attack regardless.
Leyara is easily pushed back towards the portal.
“No matter. I shall watch Hyjal burn from afar.” Leyara shifts into flight form, taking the form of a phoenix.
Hamuul watches her fly away. “A flame druid… she is dangerous, Malfurion. You know her?”
Mordecai rushes to the side of a fallen druid, kneeling as he attempts a resurrection.
Malfurion stares after her somberly. “Yes, Hamuul. And she's more dangerous than you know.”
Given reprieve, Ralaea shakes some embers off her cloak. "So, what, she's an elf cultist or something?" Ralaea asks.
Anareline says quietly, "Staghelm's daughter-in-law. I was watching her, but she vanished… I couldn't watch her every moment of every day."
Auralind frowns. "What is a flame druid?"
Malfurion Stormrage stares forward in thought. “Leyara… she lives. I sense Fandral's hand at play here… I do not know what a 'flame druid' is, but I suspect the hand of Ragnaros.”
Mordecai shakes his head and moves on to the second charred body. This one stirs as the Light infuses their cat form.
Anareline glances at Mordecai with a faint smile.
"Easy, easy," Mordecai murmurs. "You're all right." He can't afford to sit with the druid for long, he has other resurrections to attempt. The second druid he raises is also a healer. Together, they are able to save a few more fallen druids out of the many.
Malfurion turns to the team, his mind settled. “Return to Matoclaw at the Sanctuary of Malorne. If Ragnaros was prepared for our arrival, then I anticipate that his forces will launch a counterattack soon.”
"Ragnaros's hand makes fire druids by itself?" Ralaea asks.
"We must be ready," Anareline nods.
"Sensing Ragnaros has 'a hand' in things means he played a part in them," Mordecai explains, swapping out his gloves for a fresh pair.
"Ragnaros is the Lord of Fire, so perhaps so," Ana says quietly. "When I last saw that woman, she was grieving."
Mordecai drinks water on the flight back.
"Okay so why didn't we see any wind druids?" Ralaea asks.
"And now she is causing others to grieve," Ana says with a low sigh. "We should get to… well, I suppose there are the Druids of the Talon?"
"But do they serve the wind elementals?" Ralaea asks.
"My shalan is one of those, specializing in flight and bird transformation," Ana explains. "And no, I do not believe they serve any elemental. That seems contrary to druid practice as I know it."
"One does not simply 'create' druids," Auralind comments. "There must be more to this. These druids have learned some new magic from Ragnaros, I think."
Mordecai shrugs, looking at Rae. "There weren't really any druids in the Uldum region, were there? Maybe Al'Akir and his djinn just didn't meet any."
"I can explain a little more, after we see what Matoclaw would have us do," Ana says, glancing to the tauren woman.
At the Sanctuary, Matoclaw is waiting for them. She paces nervously, glancing up as the team arrives. “What happened up there? I saw fire and… never mind, you can tell me later. We have other, more immediate matters to attend to.”
Ralaea glances back at the hill. "Are we not going through the portal?"
"Oh." Mordecai clears his throat and looks up at Matoclaw. "How can we help?"
Matoclaw twists her hands hands together in anxiety. “Not yet, no. Our invasion plan looks to have backfired. Several of our birds have already reported in, speaking of fires breaking out across the vales of central Hyjal.” She gestures out at the fires once again dotting the lands of Hyjal. “Now, many of our druids are stranded out in the field, unprepared for such a large-scale attack."
Auralind stiffens.
“Thisalee was near Ashen Lake, and several others were out in the Regrowth, to the northeast.” Matoclaw ushers us onward. “Go, Cobalt! Find them, and make sure that they do not succumb to this backdraft!”
"We will aid them," Anareline nods. "Do not fear."
"We must hurry," Auralind urges.
"I get it, because the fire blew backwards," Ralaea says, calling her gryphon.
Mordecai looks quietly alarmed, and he hastily mounts back up again.
"Do all of you remember much about the Nightmare?" Anareline asks, as they mount.
"Far more than I would like to," Auralind says.
"Yes," Mordecai says. "I was asleep."
"I remember my zombie dreams," Ralaea says.
Just north, Thisalee is moonfire-ing some fire elementals.
Thisalee Crow says, “Hey, Cobalt, you're here! These guys came out of nowhere! Help me out while I catch my breath.”
Mordecai heals Thisalee.
Anareline dives into the defense with a calm rhythm. "Then you may not have heard what happened with the druids. The former Arch Druid, Fandral Staghelm, was attempting to usher the Nightmare into the world. He was deposed and imprisoned."
Thisalee Crow says, “I can handle things from here. I'll meet you back at the Sanctuary, Cobalt.”
Ana nods, and remounts, then continues, "He and his followers seem to have vanished from their prison, sometime in the past several months."
The team lands near Elderlimb, an Ancient.
Auralind frowns. "You think they might have something to do with these flame druids?"
"What?" Mordecai frowns. "Ragnaros's forces freed them?"
Ana nods at Mordecai. "That is what we fear. One of his followers was… Florande's father. He has attempted to recruit her."
Elderlimb says, “Your arrival is timely, friends. I tire of fighting these wretched things.”
Mordecai whispers prayers, healing Elderlimb and the others as they fend off elementals. He's not a good conversational multitasker.
Elderlimb says, ”I can hold them off from here, friends. We will meet again at the Sanctuary of Malorne.”
"Does anyone ever stay in prison?" Ralaea asks.
"Is Florande all right?" Mordecai asks once they take flight again.
“Yes,” Anareline nods. “Caspis was with her when Cerelar made the attempt. She is safe and cared for.”
The team arrives to see a tauren and a night elf fighting the elementals together.
Tholo says, “Look, Anren! Cobalt has come to help us!”
Anren says, “We must stay together, Tholo!”
Tholo says, “Together we can do anything, Anren!”
Mordecai smiles gently at the tauren and the kaldorei as he heals them.
Tholo and Anren, tauren and night elf, circle back to back.
Anren says, “I have your back, Tholo!”
Tholo says, “I will protect you, Anren!”
Tholo says, “Thank you, Cobalt. As long as we stay together, Anren and I will be fine. Go check on the others!”
Mordecai catches sight of Tortolla in the distance as he mounts up again. Tortolla looks just fine and does not need their help.
Anareline remounts. "So, yes, that is the background. I think perhaps Leyara is… whatever Florande's father wanted to make her become." Ana does not mention her own connection to this fallen druid.
As they arrive, the Sanctuary of Malorne is under attack.
"W-whoa. Okay, not done yet," Ralaea says, hurrying to help.
"To arms!" Auralind reflexively commands.
Hamuul growls in greeting. “Cobalt! You're back! They've pushed us back to the Sanctuary. We are vastly outnumbered. At this rate, the Guardians of Hyjal stand little chance of survival.”
“I'm glad you're here with us,” Hamuul says – which maybe we shouldn’t be, given how we stand little chance of survival here, but anyway. “Please, talk with the Arch Druid. Maybe he has some idea of a plan.”
Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem nods at the team seriously. “Malfurion is working on a miracle for us. He believes that, in this time of peril, he can resurrect Malorne to protect the sanctuary. I have faith in him.”
Hamuul glances around the Sanctuary. “In the meantime, we need to hold this perimeter. Stand by, and make sure no harm befalls my fellow arch druid.”
Matoclaw says, “The invaders are fast approaching, Malfurion! Give up this ritual and join the fight! With your help, we can repel them!”
Malfurion Stormrage shakes his head. “No, Matoclaw. Ragnaros will not be content to send mere foot soldiers to attack us. I sense something larger is coming, and we will need the strength of Malorne if we are to survive.”
Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem urges, “Have patience, Matoclaw. The ritual is nearly complete.”
Lord Rhyolith, a magma giant, appears in the distance! He rumbles towards the Sanctuary!
Anareline continues to fight with the defenders.
Mordecai hurries up the stairs to the dais, where he has a better view of the defenders. A Prayer of Healing chimes between the druids and his team.
Matoclaw yells, “Elune's light… what is that thing?”
Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem shouts, “Hold them back! We need to buy more time!”
"It's a giant talking rock that's on fire," Ralaea growls.
Anareline shoves back an elemental with her shield, doing her best.
As if to punctuate Ralaea's explanation, Lord Rhyolith yells, “Buuurrnnn!”
Auralind unleashes arrow after arrow, imbued with Elune's power. "Malfurion! You must hurry!"
Malfurion Stormrage cries out, “Hold the line! They must not break through!”
"I think it's more of a circle than a line!" Ralaea shouts back.
Lord Rhyolith yells, “Succumb to living flame!”
He may not care whether it’s a circle or a line.
Mordecai holds the line. Well, he helps other people hold the line. By healing them.
Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem shouts encouragingly, “Stand strong! Only a bit longer!”
Suddenly, Malfurion pulls through and resurrects Malorne! Malorne is an enormous white stag.
Malorne intercepts Lord Rhyolith, quickly defeating him in a single shot of divine lasers. Job done, Malorne then runs off to the northeast.
The Sanctuary falls peaceful again.
Anareline looks around warily.
Mordecai looks awestruck.
Even Malfurion looks awestruck, and he resurrected Malorne.
“Malorne's strength alone may have just saved Kalimdor. To imagine, Malorne has returned today, after so long an absence…” Malfurion smiles, looking after where Malorne has gone.
"Wait, you're saying he might not have?" Ralaea frowns.
Anareline glances at Auralind, and then at the two humans. "Do you know of Malorne?"
"A little," Mordecai says. "He's one of the Wild Gods, right? Caspis told me…"
Auralind nods. "That is correct."
"And he has certainly saved the Sanctuary," Anareline says, "Though claiming all of Kalimdor may be premature. And yes, he was the consort of Elune. The father of Cenarius."
Ralaea looks probably twice as confused. "He… mated with the moon?"
"The moon… goddess…" Anareline says slowly. "I do not presume to understand the ways of the wild gods."
"To put it bluntly, yes," Auralind says, as if this were perfectly normal.
Ralaea glances at the sky, then shrugs.
Malfurion surveys the area. “We've taken heavy losses. Though the immediate threat is no longer present, our forces will need time to heal, and to put out any remaining fires here in Hyjal."
Hamuul nods agreement with Malfurion. “We suffered heavy losses during the backdraft after our invasion attempt. Our second attempt cannot fall. We need more reinforcements before we take our second and final stab at the Firelands.”
“We have put out the call, and we should be ready soon,” Hamuul affirms. “In the meantime, please help our forces here in Hyjal.”
Matoclaw says, "Yes, if you are willing to help in more mundane matters, I will tell you what we need."
Mordecai glances at the stacks of supply crates, some of which were damaged in the attack. "Um…"
"Of course," Anareline says, her brow creasing.
Matoclaw follows his line of sight. "We'll receive more medical supplies soon. But what will be most urgent right now is handling simple dehydration, with all the fires around. If you can collect some blueroot vines that haven't burned, they carry a tremendous amount of water in their roots."
"Oh!" Mordecai smiles. "I know what those look like."
Auralind nods toward Mordecai. "Excellent."
"And what's more… we need to attune ourselves with Goldrinn, in order to call the wolfish flame lieutenant into the world and defeat him," Matoclaw says, as if this is just as reasonable. "As you defeat attackers from the Firelands, please howl over their bodies."
Anareline blinks. "We… can do that, I suppose."
Mordecai tilts his head in confusion.
Ralaea stares blankly at the tauren.
"I assume it is a druid thing," Anareline says.
"Isn't howling bad for druids because worgen or something?" Ralaea asks.
"It is more complicated than that," Auralind explains…sort of.
"I do not think she meant for us to take the pack form," Anareline clarifies, a little.
Mordecai waves them over towards some very thick roots growing out of the ground. They do have a very faintly blueish tint to them.
"Blueroot?" Anareline asks to confirm.
"Yes, this is blueroot." Mordecai smiles faintly and takes out a pair of thick gardening shears.
"Do we pull on it?" Ralaea asks. "Oh. Or cut it…?"
"Cut it in, um, sections like this," Mordecai says, demonstrating with the shears. It is not an easy plant to cut - the roots are very thick.
Ralaea takes her sword and attempts to hack at it approximately where Mordecai is cutting.
"The tubers are nourishing as well," Anareline nods. "I have eaten them before."
"Thank you, Rae." Mordecai stores sections of blueroot in one of his bags.
"Um, how do you… howl?" Mordecai asks the others.
"I dunno, scream at stuff?" Ralaea says.
"Have you ever heard a wolf?" Ana asks. “You must simply… not be self-conscious. Let me demonstrate."
"Yes, but how do we… make that sound?" Mordecai touches his throat. He has obviously never tried to howl in his life.
"I will demonstrate, when the moment is right," Auralind says.
After they slay a Charred Flamewaker, Ana howls over the body. She may not sound exactly like a wolf.
"Just shout Awoo," Ralaea says.
Auralind puts on her own demonstration. She is rather skilled at animal calls.
"We… all have to do it, right?" Mordecai steps up next to Anareline, takes a deep breath, and… squeaks.
"Okay, okay, good mouse," Ralaea says, nodding. "Now uh… louder."
Aura nods. "It would be best, I think, if we want Goldrinn's favor."
Mordecai takes a deep breath. "Right. Right. Um… Awoo!" He shouts as per Ralaea's advice. He immediately looks deeply embarrassed about shouting.
"Hey, good energy!" Ralaea says encouragingly.
"That was an improvement," Ana nods approvingly.
"Right… right!" Mordecai pulls his hat down over his ears a little. "Awoo!"
"I believe Goldrinn will hear you," Ana says, sounding perfectly serious.
Auralind points to the fallen foe. "Mordecai, try it now."
Mordecai steps up next to the body. "Awooooo!" It's not quite a howl yet, but he's got the spirit.
"Maybe you'll be able to show Colson how good you are at being a wolf," Ralaea says.
Mordecai presses his hands to his cheeks, blushing. He doesn't even know how to respond to that.
"I think we may have attuned ourselves enough to summon the lieutenant," Anareline says with a nod. "Come, I know the spot."
"You have to howl too, Rae," Mordecai points out.
"Fine, I'll issue the challenge," Ralaea says.
Mordecai nods to Rae. That'll do.
"Here, at this fire portal," Anareline gestures. "Issue the challenge."
Ralaea eyes the red portal. "Alright, here goes," Ralaea says. She takes a deep breath and then, "AWOOO!"
A core hound answers the call, barrelling through into Hyjal.
"Shield!" Mordecai calls, protecting Ralaea as a two-headed fel beast emerges from the portal and howls in response to her.
Anareline shouts at it, whirling it around to point its fiery heads away from the team. The hound expels fire, and Anareline steps aside to avoid it.
Ralaea attacks with all the energy of her battle howl, which is to say, a lot.
Mordecai Shields Anareline next and keeps his distance.
Auralind tenses at the sounds of the core hound, so reminiscent of the fel beasts that long tormented her nightmares. But her time with Shei'van has given calm to her fears. The moment passes, and she unleashes a flurry of arrows at the creature.
The flame lieutenant, the core hound, falls.
Anareline steps back. "Let us return these blueroots to the Sanctuary."
Mordecai makes sure everyone is fully healed and then finds more blueroot to hack off.
Back at the Sanctuary, Anareline hands over her cuttings to Matoclaw and says, "We have slain a flame lieutenant."
Mordecai stacks up sections of blueroot. "There's quite a lot of unburned growth remaining," he says, pleased.
"Oh yes, I heard your triumphant howls echo across the mountain cliffs," Matoclaw affirms. "I also heard the lieutenant give… a different type of cry. And thank you, this will help our parched people tremendously."
Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem says, “We are nearly ready for the attack. But before we depart, Cobalt, I have another matter to which you should attend.”
"Yes? What is it?" Anareline asks.
Aura lifts an eyebrow. "What would you ask of us?"
“A Druid of the Flame has been spotted in the ruins to the northwest. I suspect it is the same one that attacked us at the portal earlier – this Leyara,” Hamuul looks at the team. “I think you have some knowledge of where she comes from."
"We do, yes," Ana confirms. "Though as she did not listen to Caspis and I before, I doubt she will now."
“Now would be an ideal time to see what it is that she truly wants…” Hamuul says, and then adds more solemnly, “And if necessary, dispose of her. See to this flame druid, then we can continue on our planned course.”
"We will do our best," Anareline says.
"We will do what we must," Auralind adds.
"We should be careful," Ralaea says.
"I agree. We have no idea what magic she may have learned," Ana nods.
"Very." Mordecai looks worriedly at the others. "Auralind, the phoenix… protected us, didn't she?"
Auralind nods. "Fial'el? Yes…as much as she could. She is still but a hatchling, though. Her powers are limited."
The team flies over to where Leyara stands at the edge of ruins over a cliff, staring at a whirlwind. Her pauldrons blaze with fire.
Mordecai Shields himself and pulls his hat down so low on his forehead that it covers his eyebrows.
"She kind of looks like she turned into something… else," Ralaea whispers.
"Are we ready?" Anareline asks quietly, before the woman notices them.
"You'll talk to her?" Mordecai whispers back. "Shield."
"I.. can, yes," Ana says, her brow furrowing. She takes a step forward and calls, "Leyara."
Ralaea takes up a position behind one of the pillars.
Auralind dons her helm and nocks an arrow. "Talk quickly. We must not give her a chance to surprise us."
Leyara scoffs. “That Malfurion… fitting of him to send his underlings to speak with me.He has proven himself a coward, as always.”
Auralind takes aim at Leyara, stone-faced.
Mordecai ducks back behind a pillar for cover.
"We have discussed this, Leyara," Ana says firmly. "Malfurion is no coward. The Circle cannot get involved in faction conflict."
Leyara snarls. “Never you mind. The details of my past were burned away when I joined the Druids of the Flame. They are of no concern to you. Besides, I am here to discuss the future of this realm. And I do not plan to discuss it with you.”
“Now answer me… where is Malfurion!?” Leyara levels a stare at the group.
"He is not here," Ana says, her expression determined. "And I do not think you truly wish to speak with him. Speak with us."
“Very well,” Leyara says with a sigh. “Malfurion shall press into the Firelands, and we will deal with him there. His judgment can wait for a few more brief days.”
Then Leyara's eyes light up. “The tauren arch druid, however, will not be so lucky.”
"Tauren… Hamuul?" Ana looks puzzled.
Auralind scowls. "What?"
Mordecai peeks out from behind the pillar, eyes on Anareline.
Leyara casts Smoldering Roots, stunning the group, as Hamuul walks up.
Anareline struggles in the burning roots, as they screech against her armor.
Leyara laughs and says, “It is already determined. You have no hope… the flames will consume all!”
Mordecai starts coughing.
Hamuul Runetotem glares at her and says, “You… you're the one from the portal… the druid of flame… You killed dozens of my students. You will pay for what you've done.”
Auralind howls with the pain of the burning roots, fighting fruitlessly to free herself.
Hamuul fires off a [Wrath] strike, seriously hurting Leyara.
Leyara says, “Enough of this!” She casts Smoldering Roots on Hamuul, incapacitating him as well.
Ralaea closes her eyes, struggling to keep the fire from her face, at least.
Hamuul Runetotem says, “What is this? I…can't move! Someone, help!”
Anareline tries to reach him, but she's held fast.
Mordecai wiggles in distress. "Sh—" Another hacking cough.
Leyara starts channeling a fire spell at Hamuul. “Burn, tauren! BURN!!” Hamuul drops, apparently dead, but Leyara keeps burning his smoldering body.
"No!" Ana cries, but she can't break free. "Mordecai…"
Leyara does not even seem to see Hamuul as she cries, “Have you had enough yet? Have you felt enough pain?”
Leyara turns to the team. “Now, look before you! One of Azeroth's most powerful "druids", reduced to nothing but a charred husk. Such is the will of Fandral Staghelm. Such is the will of the flame!”
Leyara laughs. “Go on, then. Weep over the body of your precious tauren… though I assure you that your tears will not bring him back.” She shifts into her phoenix flight form and leaves.
Mordecai struggles to breathe, pushing against the restraining roots.
A Hyjal Protector walks up, stunned at the sight. “What… what has happened?”
The smoldering thorns wear off, allowing the team to move again.
"Mordecai," Ana says, fighting the thorns off. "Mordecai, quickly…"
Auralind bursts through the weakening vines and rushes to the fallen archdruid's body. The smell of his charred flesh fills her nostrils. "Elune's light…" she whispers.
"I never thought she…" Ana looks down at the Arch Druid, stunned.
Mordecai gasps, pressing a hand to his throat. He gets a proper inhale, and a golden Circle of Healing traces its away around the group, Light glimmering on the bodies of the four of them… and Hamuul Runetotem.
"Alive," Mordecai wheezes, crawling towards the tauren.
"He lives?" Ana looks down at him, her eyes alight with hope.
Ralaea is silent, not having moved since being freed from the roots.
Mordecai nods. "Can you… get someone? A few people? With a stretcher?" he asks the Guardian of Hyjal.
Hyjal Protector says, “Yes, I will attend to the Arch Druid, and will transport him to the healing tents right away. In the meantime, Malfurion and Matoclaw have requested your presence immediately.”
Mordecai tries a more focused heal on Hamuul. There's a very faint glimmer, but the Light barely takes.
"Well, they can have it when we're ready," Mordecai mutters, turning around. "Rae?"
The Hyjal Protector tries the same, and presses his lips together when it also glimmers and fades. "I will get a stretcher and take him now. You go on ahead."
Ana turns towards Ralaea, picking up from Mordecai's call and her unusual silence that there may be a problem.
Ralaea clenches her fists. "Don't you get tired of that?" she growls. "Being spared like you're nothing, just so you can go demoralize everyone else?"
"We will not," Anareline says sharply. "The Arch Druid is not dead, and Leyara will one day regret this."
"It… hasn't happened to me very often," Mordecai says, offering her a hand up.
Auralind takes a slow breath through her nostrils. "Yes," she says in a low voice to Ralaea's question.
Ralaea takes his hand. "It happens to me a lot. The Lich King. The Mondragons."
"Make them regret it," Ana says again, and it sounds almost like an order.
"If you allow yourself to be demoralized, you have surrendered," Auralind says plainly.
"She will. But it shows we weren't ready for this confrontation," Ralaea says. "We shouldn't have come, not yet."
"We did not know," Ana says, taking a breath, and trying to calm the fury in her expression. "I had hoped she might be reasoned with."
Mordecai squeezes Rae's hand gently after helping her up. He finally whistles for Almond.
Ana calls for her gryphon.
"We are soldiers," Aura says. "We do what we must. We are rarely 'ready' for what we face."
"Anyway, this place is on fire, let's just go," Ralaea says.
Mordecai opens his mouth to say something and closes it.
As they arrive at the Sanctuary, Anareline greets Matoclaw. "Leyara has nearly slain Hamuul. He should be back here soon."
Matoclaw looks shocked. "How could you lead him into such danger? We are supposed to attack the Firelands today! How can we do it without him?"
Ralaea crosses her arms and glowers at the ground.
Mordecai straightens out his hat. His eyebrows are intact.
"We did not…" Ana looks frustrated. "He came on his own accord. We did not expect his presence."
“Matoclaw, calm yourself,” Malfurion looks sad, but determined. “If he does not pull through, there will be time to mourn for Hamuul later. His death would be the first of many inevitable casualties in this war….”
“But our attack cannot wait, nor should the momentum we have gained over the last several days be wasted. The portal atop Nordune Ridge is now open,” Malfurion points to it.
Anareline nods. "We will be there to do what needs to be done."
“Our reinforcements are prepared, and they await only my order to pass through the portal. We will meet again on the other side of the portal. Once there, we shall ensure that our foothold is secure.” Malfurion says.
Anareline nods, and turns to the others. "Are you ready to go into the Firelands?"
Mordecai nods, swinging back into the saddle of his hippogryph, who was waiting patiently for him.
Mordecai drinks some more water and nods again.
"How many more of those fire druids are there, you think?" Ralaea asks.
"Dozens?" Mordecai guesses. "I don't know if they're all as powerful, necessarily…"
"There was a small group of them," Ana says with a frown. "Druids who continued to follow Fandral after the Nightmare. And they may have recruited more since, family…"
Anareline leaves her gryphon by the portal and passes through.
Mordecai dismounts outside the portal, giving Almond a firm slap on the flank. He has learned. The hippogryph takes off into the trees.
Mordecai takes a deep breath and heads through.
Ralaea sends her gryphon off with a hand gesture and follows the others through the portal.
Inside the portal, Malfurion Stormrage and General Taldris Moonfall are fighting an Obsidian Slaglord.
Anareline quickly assesses the situation once they're inside, and moves in to assist Malfurion in fighting the Slaglord.
It isn't long before the Slaglord falls, and at least this small corner of the Firelands is secure.
Malfurion Stormrage steps back from the fallen Slaglord and says, “Well done. We should be safe for the moment, but we haven't much time.”
Malfurion runs into a cave off to the left.
Mordecai murmurs a Prayer of Healing and follows Malfurion.
"We should follow him," Ana nods.
Auralinds give a curt nod and darts after Malfurion.
Malfurion starts to channel. “With this seed, we set root. With time and attention, we should be able to grow shelter from this charred, hostile realm.”
Mordecai shuffles along the wall of the cave. It's not a huge cave.
The cave glows with healthy, green light.
“Here we will hold firm against the onslaught of the elements,” Malfurion says resolutely. “Here we will draw the attention of Ragnaros' army so that others might strike at the heart of his realm.”
Ralaea frowns at the green.
Malfurion finishes his channeling.
Malfurion walks outside. He looks out over the Firelands. “And now, the war begins.”
"Are we actually growing a tree in a cave?" Ralaea asks.
Mordecai nods. Apparently they're growing a tree in a cave.
"I would not presume to fully understand the ways of druids…" Ana says, following him outside.
“Very well done, Cobalt.” Malfurion says, turning to the team. “We've managed to take a foothold in our enemy's realm. Our armies are moving to establish a front as we speak.”
“We have a long, brutal war ahead of us,” Malfurion says grimly. “It is my hope that you'll be around to help us see it through.”
The druids are establishing a perimeter outside already.
"We intend to be," Anareline says with a firm nod. Turning to the others, she says, "Should we check in on Hamuul Runetotem?"
Auralind nods grimly. "Shai."
Mordecai quietly follows after Anareline.
Anareline turns and moves back through the portal to Hyjal, where her gryphon is waiting.
Matoclaw waves the team down. “I apologize if I spoke curtly with you earlier. The loss of Hamuul was shocking to me, and difficult to cope with. They brought him in while you were away. In the end, he is still alive, but - as you might imagine - he is very, very badly burned.”
“The scars are deep,” Matoclaw says seriously. “He may not live. If he does, it will take long for him to mend.”
“I have arranged for some of our finest healers to attend to him,” Matoclaw gestures to a pale, white-haired kaldorei man nearby. “If it is not too much to ask, would you speak with Dorda'en Nightweaver?"
"I'm sorry," Mordecai says softly. "I hope he'll make it."
“I believe Hamuul lives in part due to your swift action, young man,” Matoclaw says. “Dorda’en and his fellow attendants may need your help.”
"My name is Mordecai," he says quietly. "I'll check in with Dorda'en. Of course."
"Mordecai," Matoclaw repeats. "I thank you."
Mordecai smiles at Matoclaw and heads down the steps to listen to Dorda'en.
Dorda'en Nightweaver nods. “Yes, Hamuul lives. You can visit him in the tent behind me, but please, be careful. He is in a fragile condition, and we are doing everything in our power just to keep him alive and comfortable.”
“Whoever did this to the Arch Druid showed no mercy,” Dorda’en’s expression hardens with anger. “I hope that you are someday able to return the favor.”
"No mercy," Ralaea repeats. "And yet."
"And yet?" Ana asks, looking over to her. "He lives."
"And yet, somehow, we were disregarded," Ralaea says.
"It sounded personal," Mordecai says to Rae. "Like a decision he made, or something…"
"She would have done the same to Malfurion," Ana nods. "You heard how she was speaking of him.”
"As she did to those other druids at the portal," Ralaea says. "So why, given that, were we sent to talk to her? Talking didn't work the first time, and people died. We didn't have any plan, any protection. We failed."
Mordecai sighs. "I agree with you, Rae."
“She is a woman in grief. She lost her daughter, a woman a thousand years of age, to the orcs in Ashenvale. She blames the druids, but perhaps she does not blame us. We have, maybe, confirmed that she is beyond our reach," Ana says, with a sadness in her eyes.
"Just… next time, can we go in with a better plan?" Ralaea asks. "We would have thrown our lives away."
"I was expecting a fireball," Mordecai says. "I was prepared for that much."
"Yes, next time we will form our own plan, and not rely wholly on the druids," Ana says with a nod.