The Ogres surrounding the arena were startled by the sudden appearance of smoke. Lord Hulk hastily cast a spell to try and disperse the smoke within the arena.
"Don't panic! We have intruders, sound the alarm immediately!"
The smoke covering the arena did not affect the surrounding stands. Hearing Hulk's command, Ogres quickly rose to prepare to ring the alarm bell.
"Whoosh!"
A moon-white arrow instantly traversed a great distance from afar, piercing the head of the quickest Ogre.
Shandris, standing in Hulk's blind spot directly above him, continued to draw her bowstring with an expressionless face. Every Ogre attempting to leave the arena to ring the alarm bell was precisely shot down by her.
Although Shandris was still covered by her camouflage suit, the trajectories of the arrows exposed her position.
However, to the Ogres' embarrassment, they had no aerial forces to attack the sniper.
Shandris' chosen sniping point was not concealed; the direction from which the arrows were fired could be clearly seen from the high platforms surrounding the arena.
But this sniping point, located directly above Hulk's throne, was suspended on a stone beam and impossible to climb via conventional means. The bulky Ogres were also not skilled at climbing.
Hulk and the group of Two-headed Ogre mages beside him could reach the top of the beam via short-range teleportation, but their primary focus at the moment was the situation within the arena.
Although the giant rock above them blocked their direct attack route to Shandris, it also limited the sniper's trajectory; at least, Hulk's current position was safe.
As for the Ogre civilians in the surrounding stands... to Hulk, they were just expendable numbers. While losing too many would be painful, Shandris, as merely a sniper, couldn't cause too many casualties in a short time.
"Disperse the smoke! Cast with me!"
At Hulk's call, nearly a hundred Two-headed Ogres stirred the Arcane energy within their bodies, using the power of Arcane to generate strong winds, slowly blowing away the thick Shadow mist shrouding the arena.
As the Lord of Fortress of Pain, Hulk's personal strength was unmatched in this city-state. But ever since the visitors from the sky descended, this Ogre lord had constantly felt the threat of death emanating from behind the thick fog.
When the last wisp of Shadow mist in the arena dissipated, a ferocious giant wolf was the first to scale the high platform, carried by another gust of wind.
"Ah!!"
Scar-eye, the Wolf King, showed no mercy to the Ogre civilians in the stands. These Ogres had destroyed his home and his pack, and one of the Wolf King's eyes had been blinded by them. Scar-eye, filled with hatred for the Ogres, slaughtered his enemies in the stands.
Although the Ogres possessed excellent physical qualities, civilians who had not undergone military training found it difficult to utilize their talents.
The stands fell into chaos due to the Wolf King's assault, but Hulk's gaze did not shift for a moment from the casualties of these 'minions'; he remained fixed on the arena.
When a handsome, long-eared man, never before seen, appeared in Hulk's line of sight, the tip of the staff he held high above his head was flashing a deep purple dim light that seemed to devour all brightness.
Andreas, who was guiding the spell, was also quite surprised, wondering if it was due to Draenor's unique environment or the influence of the Void-aligned big shot constantly circling above Shadowmoon Valley.
Andreas' speed in gathering Shadow Energy was much faster than on Azeroth, making him more adept at casting spells.
However, in Andreas' opinion, this situation might not be good for the entire world, indicating that Draenor was almost completely undefended against the infiltration of Void Forces.
Although a fleeting worry crossed his mind, Andreas did not stop guiding the spell in his hands.
A massive meteor composed purely of energy descended from the sky, instantly traversing the star-studded night sky, and was about to fall on Hulk and the other Two-headed Ogres.
"Defend!"
Hulk raised both hands, setting an example, and a blue-purple Arcane barrier was swiftly erected through the efforts of multiple mages, colliding violently with the descending meteor.
"Boom!"
The aftershocks generated by the collision of two massive energies knocked many panicked Ogres to the ground. Scar-eye seized the opportunity and immediately rushed forward to bite through the necks of these fallen Ogres.
The meteor, which had gathered a large amount of Shadow Energy, did not disappear due to the collision. Under the grim gaze of Hulk and the other Arcanists, although the meteor had shrunk in size, it still relentlessly smashed downwards.
Depressions had already appeared at the edges where the Arcane shield collided with the meteor, and both sides, locked in a magical struggle, knew what this situation meant.
Veins bulged on Hulk's two heads. Under immense pressure, he furiously roared at the Ogre mages, "Haven't you eaten enough?! Arcane! I need more Arcane energy!"
Compared to Hulk's impatience, Andreas, holding the staff of g'anir aloft in his right hand, appeared quite composed.
Already blessed by the tear of Elune, one of the Pillars of Creation, coupled with Draenor's unique Void Energy environment, he now felt completely at ease.
Andreas' free left hand subtly made a gesture, and Visshar, who was still diligently capturing coordinates and constructing a Shadow Channel in mid-air, suddenly felt the pressure ease.
"Coordinates captured?" A clear look of surprise appeared on Visshar's bird-like face. "Who's helping? Never mind, don't worry about it for now."
The three mischievous children were somewhat at a loss regarding the changes happening around them. They huddled uneasily in a corner of the cage, able only to helplessly await their fate.
At this moment, a small purplish-black opening appeared in each of their cages, and a hoarse voice came from the other side of the opening.
"Squawk! Little ones, I am Yrel's friend. Quickly cross this channel, I cannot sustain it for long."
Fritz looked hesitantly at Yrel in the arena. An identical Shadow Channel opening appeared in front of Yrel, who was standing beside Andreas cheering him on, and she nodded solemnly at Fritz.
"Bohr, Emily, let's go! Sister Yrel nodded."
Fritz was the leader of the children in Ampori Village. Although he had caused great trouble by not listening to adult advice, at crucial moments, his psychological fortitude was much stronger than his two anxious companions.
Prompted by Fritz, chubby Bohr and delicate Emily exchanged glances. They wiped away tears from their eyes, closed them, and leaped into the channel opening before them.
"Squawk~ Welcome back, disobedient young ones."
To Fritz and the other two, this strange, feathered individual made them feel a sense of despair, as if they had just escaped a wolf's den only to fall into a tiger's lair.
Yrel looked hesitantly at Andreas, who was beside her, still locked in a struggle with the Ogre mages.
"Don't worry about me, you go first."
Andreas glanced at Shandris' position. The Sentinel General was currently retreating from her sniping point, leaping gracefully like a nimble deer across the Ogres' stone structures, already not far from the arena.
Yrel gritted her teeth. After weighing her options for a moment, she chose to trust Andreas.
As Yrel also landed on the back of a Shadow Raven according to the plan, Visshar immediately flapped his wings and shouted to his remaining companions, "Ron, let's go!"
"Squawk!"
A hoarse, unpleasant shriek emanated from the Shadow Raven's mouth, and its body became semi-transparent, as if it were phasing.
In the blink of an eye, this Shadow Raven named Ron was already dozens of meters away, leaving trails of purple energy in the sky it traversed.
"Oh?"
Andreas, who still had energy to spare in the arena, raised an eyebrow at this sight. "Interesting, I've learned another trick."
Fortress of Pain's overlord, Hulk, felt as if he'd just been screwed by a dog.
He knew there was a gap between his power and Imperator Cho'maul of Highmaul, but it wasn't so vast that it left him in despair.
As city-lord, Hulk had confidence in his strength; he'd seen much of the world—yet this encounter gave him the absurd sense that he was only now beginning to understand reality.
The enemy was alone, yet that single being suppressed nearly a hundred Ogre arcanists—an eerie tale no bard would dare sing, unfolding in real time.
Worse, as a seasoned caster Hulk barely grasped Void Magic—but he could read the beacon the foe crafted for allies behind the lines.
While dueling an entire Ogre mage battalion, the intruder still had spare focus for such finesse; Hulk's very notion of Dranorian might was collapsing.
Andreas cared nothing for the Ogre lord's dismay. Once Shandris reached him, he slammed the ganir staff to the ground and shifted into a flight form she barely recognized.
Before her stood a sleek Shadow Raven with lustrous violet plumage; Andreas himself seemed intrigued by the new shape.
As Hulk's company paled under a sudden barrage of Shadow Meteors, Andreas flapped once and pivoted on the spot.
"Thought ravens would look ugly—turns out they're rather handsome."
Shandris rolled her eyes, sprang off the arena floor with her long legs, and landed squarely between the Shadow Raven's broad shoulders.
"Stop admiring yourself and move—I'd rather not face an Ogre army."
"As you command, my lady wife."
The arena in an Ogre city is always the noisiest place; after Shandris shot every would-be messenger, the racket never reached the wall guards.
To them, such din was merely routine arena life.
Andreas could overpower Hulk's two-headed elite, yet slaying them outright in moments was another matter.
Once city troops sensed trouble, Andreas and Shandris would face tens of thousands of Ogres.
Andreas might be brushing the limits of mortality, but he wasn't foolish enough to claim he could fight ten thousand—escaping before alarm was the sane choice.
Beating skyward, he tried the trick he'd just copied from the Shadow Raven.
Shandris blinked—and the world shifted; they were already beyond the wall.
"This…"
"Heh—works like a charm."
The raven-formed Andreas chuckled. "Dranorian Shadow Magic has its perks—slipping through shadow-space in a heartbeat."
With their retreat, the meteors lost guidance; under the mages' desperate strain, the spell finally guttered out.
By then, friend and foe alike had vanished from Hulk's sight.
"Whew—"
Still shaken, Hulk slumped onto his stone seat.
Thank the stars the foreigner only wanted rescue; had assassination been the goal, Hulk doubted he'd have survived.
Seeing Andreas withdraw, Scar-Eye the wolf-king vented his rage and sprinted into the woods behind Fortress of Pain, vanishing in moments.
"Another unknown race—an ally of the Draenei?"
Hulk stared at Shadowmoon Valley's star-pierced gloom. "This war… just turned murky."
When Yrel guided Visshar and Raven Ron down to Ampori Village square, the three cubs' parents rushed over in panic—High Priestess Nelly had only just gathered a rescue party.
Whatever punishment awaited the little rascals, Samara breathed easy at her sister's return; Yrel's battered armor and shield spoke of a fight far beyond her level.
"You're home—that's enough." Samara hugged her gently. "Don't rush off again; if I lost you, I'm not sure I could go on."
Recalling it now, Yrel shuddered—had Andreas not arrived, wolves would have ended her.
Velen, already waiting in the village, watched the nervous Arakkoa instead of the reunited sisters.
"An Arakkoa exile—why is he with Yrel?"
Leaning on his Prophet's Staff, Velen approached Visshar; they exchanged courtesies and cautious questions.
Just then another Shadow Raven dropped from the void.
Ron the raven cocked his head at the stranger. "Caw?"
Under Visshar's startled gaze, the violet-crystal bird shimmered and became a long-eared, elegant humanoid.
Velen, long used to Andreas' shapeshifts, bowed in solemn gratitude.
"Mister Andreas, thanks to you Yrel and the children are safe—accept my deepest thanks."
Andreas waved it off. "Raise your head, Prophet. Shandris and I have lived among these folk for years; rescuing Pol and Fritz is the least we could do."
Velen shook his head. "Kindness is our way, not a debt to be repaid."
"Your deed is remembered; should fate allow, I will repay it."
Visshar realized this shapeshifter was the one who'd set his beacon, but duty came first; he curbed his curiosity and addressed Velen.
"Prophet Velen of the Draenei, well met. I am Visshar of the Raven Claws."
The Arakkoa's once-glorious civility, as fellow natives of Draenor, felt more welcoming to Velen than orc or Ogre manners.
Velen smiled warmly. "Visshar, you are welcome. I am Velen, shepherd of the Draenei spirit."
You carry weighty tidings—let us speak in the town hall."
The situation in Talador worried Velen greatly, and his conflict with the Council of Bishops' opinions also left him rather frustrated.
But as a capable leader, he would not show this distress in front of outsiders. The Prophet maintained proper decorum while receiving Visshar, who was visiting on behalf of the Arakkoa Exiles.
The next matter Velen and Visshar needed to discuss concerned the internal affairs of their two races. Andreas and Shandris were sensible enough not to follow them to eavesdrop.
Shandris bent her finger and lightly tapped Yrel on the forehead in reproach. "Impulsive, impatient, unclear about your own strength, and your plan was full of holes."
"If Andreas and I hadn't arrived in time, did you think you could have escaped from that Wolf King?"
Yrel lowered her head in frustration, admitting her mistake, "No, I couldn't. I'm sorry to have disappointed you, Sister Shandris."
Shandris sighed softly and reached out to ruffle Yrel's silver hair.
"Forget it. Young people are always prone to making impulsive decisions driven by emotion. It was your luck that you managed to overcome the difficulty. Just remember this lesson, and don't make the same mistake next time."
As the Sentinel General, Shandris has mentored hundreds, if not a thousand, young officers over the past ten thousand years. She was intimately familiar with the flaws and merits of youth, and skillfully employed both carrots and sticks.
"As punishment, your training load tomorrow will be twenty percent higher than Samara's. Go back, rest early, and prepare."
"Eh?!"
Shandris' Devil Training was already intense. Hearing that an additional twenty percent would be added, Yrel felt a sense of despair she hadn't experienced even when facing a desperate battle before.
Samara grinned mischievously and patted Yrel's gracefully contoured back. The full-body armor she wore was already significantly damaged.
"Let's go, my dear sister. This armor has finally served its purpose; it's about time to forge a new set."
"Sigh~"
Yrel raised her hand, tears welling up, and looked at her armor, which had previously been eighty percent new. This tattered set of full plate armor was now beyond repair.
"I've only worn this armor for less than two years..."
The crestfallen Yrel slumped her shoulders and followed Samara away, while the surrounding neighbors warmly offered words of encouragement.
Although Yrel's actions were very impulsive, and her eventual success required help from Andreas and Visshar, the valuable qualities and firm resolve she displayed during this incident were extremely inspiring and uplifting to the Draenei, who had been fleeing for years.
Watching Yrel leave dejectedly, Andreas smiled and asked his wife beside him, "How about it? Is this child worth cultivating?"
Shandris rolled her eyes at her husband's rhetorical question. "Don't you already know the answer?"
"Combat power, battlefield experience, and even command ability can be achieved through years of rigorous training, but Yrel's leadership presence and noble character are difficult to train later in life."
Shandris said with some emotion, "If she can successfully mature through her countless self-destructive actions, this child will definitely become an influential figure among the Draenei in the future."
"Heh heh~"
Speaking of Yrel's penchant for self-destruction, Andreas shook his head amusedly. "Aside from Leticia back then, I've never met a young girl so good at courting disaster."
Shandris, protective of her charge, nudged Andreas in the waist with her elbow, annoyed. "Leticia was just mischievous. She had a strong sense of what should and shouldn't be done. Have you ever seen her truly put herself into an irreversible danger?"
"Yrel is different. This child has a typical stubborn personality; once she decides on something, she will complete it with all her might, never turning back even if she ends up battered and bruised."
Andreas smiled, putting his arm around Shandris' waist, and said, "Perhaps what the Draenei, who have lost their drive during tens of thousands of years of flight, need right now is exactly her kind of stubbornness."
"Velen is precisely confined by his Prophet abilities. Until he steps out of the circle that binds him, having a young person like Yrel, whose personality and methods are completely opposite to his own, might actually be a good thing."
...Visshar and Velen's discussion did not last very long. The Arakkoa sent representatives this time simply to formally establish diplomatic relations with the Draenei. Next, Visshar needed to fulfill the task given by the Shadow Sage: to closely observe the nature of the Draenei.
Although Yrel's shining qualities touched Visshar somewhat, she alone was not enough as a sample reference. Visshar needed to collect more data on the conduct of other Draenei to fill his sample library.
Velen was fully aware of the Arakkoa Exiles' intention in sending an ambassador at this time, but he did not expose it, instead welcoming Visshar with a gentle and friendly attitude.
Velen's biggest concern was that the Draenei might leave a poor impression on the other races of Draenor because of this war.
They were outsiders. If they were uniformly rejected by the major races of the planet Draenor, even with their strength, it would be difficult for the Draenei to reside there long-term.
The arrival of the Arakkoa somewhat alleviated Velen's unease. The unexpected potential ally caused a subtle shift in his mindset, and Velen began to consider the unanimous assertion of the Council of Bishops.
The secret contact between the Arakkoa Exiles' ambassador and the Draenei did not affect the overall situation on the front lines.
Led by Kormar, the Hegemon of Highmaul, the various Ogre city-states merged their forces and began marching from the south of the Tanaan Jungle. The first target of the attack was Auchindoun, the Sacred Crypt housing a large number of Draenei souls and the remnants of Deoli.
Fortress of Pain might have suffered some impact due to the previous rescue incident.
With all Ogre elites deployed on the Talador front, they did not follow the planned deployment to attack Ampori Village as a coordinated move. Instead, they continued to huddle inside the fortress, maintaining a stance of defending to the death.
As the master of Auchindoun, Archpriest Malardal was first sent back to Auchindoun via a portal activated by the Scholars.
The Auchindoun Priests remaining in Auchindoun had long prepared for battle. These Priests of the Dead used Shadow Magic, which was completely different from that of their kin, and was somewhat taboo in Draenei society.
Velen, who deeply understood the nature of Light and Shadow, did not regard Malardal with prejudice. Influenced by Velen's exemplary attitude, the other Archpriests quickly accepted the existence of the Auchindoun Shadow Priests.
The defensive fortifications on the Auchindoun front had been completed long before the war began. Reinforcements from Shattrath City sheltered behind the sturdy defenses, resisting the attacks of the Ogre army.
Due to the shift in the focus of the battlefield, Draenei high-ranking officials, including Velen, successively left Ampori Village for Auchindoun, leaving only Archpriest Ranger Nelly to continue leading the troops and monitoring the movements of the Fortress of Pain.
Andreas and Shandris had already received special permission from the Prophet to move freely within the areas controlled by the Draenei.
Considering they would eventually have to go to Auchindoun to examine the remnants of the Naaru Deoli, Andreas and Shandris bid farewell to the villagers of Ampori Village, left the new home they had lived in for several years, and rushed to the Auchindoun front lines along with Visshar, the ambassador of the Arakkoa Exiles.