When two mutually interested parties share the intent to form an alliance, all that remains is to follow the procedure.
The Arakkoa Exiles were willing to make significant concessions regarding the alliance terms; they had only one demand.
Capture Skyreach and bring the high-and-mighty High Arakkoa down from the sky.
Velen was initially hesitant about getting involved in the Arakkoa civil war, but the Shadow Sage Aeska's attitude was exceptionally firm. After half a month of deliberation, Velen finally agreed to the Arakkoa Exiles' demands under the persuasion of the Council of Bishops.
The Genedar could not be repaired, and heaven knows how long it would take to build a new spaceship.
Since they would be staying on Draenor for a long time, integrating fully into the new world inevitably required deep interaction with the local natives.
Contact with the natives might lead to friendly alliances, like with the Arakkoa Exiles, or it might lead to war against the Draenei, like with the Ogres.
The Arakkoa Exiles' proactive friendliness proved at least one thing to Velen: not all natives harbored suspicion and malice towards the Draenei.
Once the alliance was established, the direction of the war immediately became clear.
Although the High Arakkoa still controlled most of the territory in Arak Peaks, it was not impossible for the Arakkoa Exiles, who wielded Shadow Power, to find a gap and enter the Tanaan Jungle.
The Exiles' main army was called the Talon Guard of Terokk. The troops, which had already finished mustering, immediately set out after the alliance was finalized.
The army departed from the Akrazz Aerie in the northern Arak Peaks, climbed north through the mountains, passed the Ruins of Skettis, and formally entered Zangaka in southern Tanaan Jungle.
Zangaka was once one of the city-states of the Goria Empire, destroyed during their battles against the Orcs and Elementals.
After confirming it was unguarded, the Arakkoa Exiles took over the ruins, using it as an outpost to scout the situation in Talador.
Zangaka bordered Telmor Town, which was located south of Auchindoun and held by the Draenei.
Due to the pressure exerted by the Ogres stationed at the Angorosh Outpost southwest of Auchindoun, Telmor's forces could defend adequately with their strong fortifications but were unable to break the Ogre blockade to provide aid to Auchindoun.
The arrival of allied reinforcements immediately changed the situation south of Auchindoun.
With the assistance of the Arakkoa Exiles, Telmor deployed its few remaining Constructs into the battle all at once. Under the effect of the Arakkoa's large-scale combined Shadow Magic, the Angorosh Outpost was breached.
The remaining Ogres fled miserably toward Gul'rok Fortress near Nagrand, which was the most critical stronghold for Highmaul's army advancing from Nagrand into Talador.
The threat south of Auchindoun was eliminated, and the Ogre army's encirclement eased. Now they could only rely on Gul'dan Fortress in the east and Gul'rok Fortress in the west to maintain pressure on Auchindoun.
In fact, with the war having progressed this far, the situation was already quite clear.
The Ogres in northern Gorgrond were tied down by the local Primal Thorn Beasts and could not send reinforcements to the Tanaan Jungle.
Daggermaw Fortress in Frostfire Ridge was the strongest Ogre city-state besides Highmaul. Far from sending aid, they wished the Highmaul-led Ogre Coalition would suffer a major setback in this war so they could rise to power.
Ogres from Talador and Nagrand alone found it difficult to overwhelm the Draenei in terms of troop strength. With the unexpected reinforcements from the Arakkoa Exiles, the Ogre Coalition's offensive could no longer effectively threaten Auchindoun's defenses... The frontline war had little to do with Andreas. After the situation stabilized, Velen finally found time to go to Karabor Temple to participate in the dedication ceremony and personally bestow a blessing upon the temple built during the war.
The dedication ceremony of Karabor Temple boosted Draenei morale. Frontline soldiers displayed a stronger desire to attack during the war, and the outer districts of Auchindoun occupied by the Ogres were gradually being reclaimed by the Draenei.
Following the completion of Karabor Temple, the Prophet's Eye, directly controlled by Velen, was formally relocated to garrison the temple. Yrel and Samara also traveled to Karabor for further training and education after the battle situation became clearer.
Escaping Shandris' devilish training, the two Draenei maidens simultaneously showed expressions of relief at having survived a great calamity.
Although Shandris was dissatisfied that the two were leaving before completing a full round of training, there were more important matters awaiting her and Andreas' involvement.
After the war stabilized, Velen finally allowed Andreas and Shandris to enter the core area of Auchindoun, where the souls of many deceased Draenei and the remnants of D'ore were gathered.
As the Guardian of Auchindoun, Archpriest Malardal personally guided the two when Velen could not be present to explore Auchindoun.
According to Draenei tradition, the Shadow Priests of Auchindoun also have their own unique title—Soulbinder.
The woman currently beside Malardal was his most important aide, Soulbinder Leader Niami.
The structure of Auchindoun is not complicated; viewed from the outside, it is a massive domed building guarded by countless energy-filled crystals.
The internal passages are also very simple and easy to understand; the outer passages form multi-layered rings encircling the central Hall of Ancestors.
As the master of Auchindoun and leader of the Auchenai organization, Malardal personally leading them allowed them to bypass a multitude of complex mechanisms and checks, going straight to the deepest part of Auchindoun.
Golden Holy Light constantly shone throughout Auchindoun, but only a small area within the core region, the Hall of Ancestors, was covered by purplish-black shadows.
Numerous translucent Draenei souls floated around. In the center of the Hall of Ancestors was a highly visible dark platform, its exterior shrouded by a powerful Holy Light barrier.
"This is the place."
Malardal looked somewhat mournful as he pointed at the stationary black energy aggregate high on the platform and said, "That is D'ore. Unfortunately, he is gradually degenerating into a Void Creature."
Andreas looked up. D'ore, restrained within the Holy Light barrier, was countless times smaller than Kara floating above Shadowmoon Valley, appearing about the size of an ordinary Draenei.
Aside from a very faint Holy Light still visible in his chest, most of his body had transformed into a deep purple, nearly black Void form.
Soulbinder Niami sighed softly, "D'ore perished long ago when the Genedar crashed. The Void Creature we see is merely formed from his remnants. It possesses no sanity and acts purely on instinct."
Andreas carefully examined this 'blackened' incomplete Naaru.'Speaking of which, can a Naaru really perish this easily?'
The Primal Naaru were all created by Elune herself. According to the Argus entry Andreas recorded in his memo, the Naaru's core is only the Holy Light crystal at the very center of their body; other components are not as crucial and can be fully replaced.
"Malardal, is D'ore's core still there?"
"It is."
Malardal reached out and pointed toward D'ore's chest. "Although it's almost losing its light, you should still be able to see it from here, right?"
"Then this will be easy."
Andreas stretched his body. The powerful Holy Light Power within him gradually spread out, causing Malardal and Niami, who possessed Shadow Energy, to involuntarily step back several paces.
Niami asked, puzzled, "Mr. Moonshadow, you don't intend to directly touch D'ore, do you?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
Andreas smiled and took the Staff of Ganir off his back. "D'ore is the easiest of the three decaying Naaru to handle. I plan to gain some experience with him. Otherwise, how can I save Kara, who presents the greatest difficulty?"
Compared to Kara, who had completely turned into a Blighted Entity, and Kure, whose body was intact and currently undergoing transformation, D'ore was undoubtedly the easiest one to deal with.
Due to his physical incompleteness, after transforming into a half-Blighted Entity, he was visibly several sizes smaller than a regular Naaru, and the strength he could exert should also be limited.
Unlike the Naaru, who can only provide support in their Holy Light form, Blighted Entities possess strong offensive capabilities.
If these Qīqiǎobǎn could freely control their form switching, setting aside the influence of faith, Andreas believed they would be more useful in their Void form.
However, most Draenei clearly did not agree. Apart from members of the Auchindoun organization, the majority of Draenei harbored an instinctive aversion to Void Power, a fact that could be seen from the initial attitude of Archpriest Nelly toward Andreas.
"Archpriest, please take the Soulbinders and retreat first, and try your best to protect these Heroes. I worry that D'ore might absorb their souls to strengthen himself once the battle begins."
Malardal stared deeply at Andreas. He still couldn't completely trust this outsider who claimed to be a visitor from another world.
But since Prophet Velen trusted him, Malardal, out of respect for the Prophet, was willing to place a certain amount of trust in Andreas.
"Alright, but please try not to cause too much of a commotion."
Andreas nodded. "I'll try. Shandris, cover me."
Shandris gripped her longbow, and a moon-white energy arrow appeared on the bowstring.
"No problem. Your proficiency with Holy Light spells isn't high yet, so you must pay attention to your safety."
"Heh~ Leave it to me."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly, and a pair of golden wings composed of Holy Light energy appeared on Andreas' back.
The seemingly solid wings flapped gently, and Andreas rapidly crossed hundreds of meters to arrive in front of the Dark Platform in the center.
"Archpriest! Release the barrier!"
Niami was still hesitant. "Malardal, are we really releasing D'ore?"
Malardal was silent for a second, then nodded firmly. "I trust the Prophet. Go. Perhaps this outsider can bring us some surprises."
As Niami pressed the switch, the Holy Light Barrier restraining D'ore began to slowly dissipate from the top toward both sides.
The half-Blighted Entity D'ore sensed the change in the surrounding atmosphere, spread his two purplish-black claws, and roared up at the sky.
The sonic attack saturated with Shadow Power caused the distant Niami to clutch her head in pain. Malardal and Shandris also wore serious expressions, gripping their weapons tightly, ready to provide support at any moment.
A large number of small Shadow Channels appeared behind D'ore. As he swung his right arm, which was composed purely of energy, countless Shadow Bolts attacked Andreas like a machine gun.
"Power Word: Barrier!"
A golden semi-circular shield spread out centered on Andreas. The two completely opposing forces clashed violently the moment they collided.
"Non! Non! Pas du tout!"
Unintelligible Dark Whispers penetrated the protection of the Power Word: Barrier and surged into Andreas' mind. At the same time, D'ore waved his left hand, and a pitch-black Shadow Pool suddenly appeared beneath Andreas' feet.
"Tsk~ Although only instinct remains, the combat intelligence is quite decent."
Having no choice, Andreas had to simultaneously reinforce his Mental Barrier to fend off the interference in his mind while moving out of the range of the Holy Light Barrier.
"Holy Fire!"
Although Andreas hadn't been exposed to Holy Light spells for long, as the saying goes, mastering one principle allows mastery of all. As an expert veteran in casting spells, his ability to draw inferences allowed him to grasp Holy Light spells many times faster than an ordinary person.
Holy Fire, which normally required chanting and an interruptible incantation to cast, was instantly cast by Andreas, causing Malardal and Niami to stare wide-eyed in astonishment.
"...Malardal, did he really only master the Holy Light about half a month ago?"
"Don't ask me..."
As Andreas' energy nature shifted, the tear of Elune suspended at the tip of the Staff of Ganir also cooperatively changed color.
Illuminated by the flowing golden light, Andreas' spell was enhanced by the Pillars of Creation, inflicting considerable damage upon D'ore the moment it struck.
Holy Fire burned on D'ore's body, and his surface was covered in a layer of seemingly inextinguishable golden flames.
Andreas noticed the faint light emanating from D'ore's chest. As the Holy Fire struck, his Core Crystal seemed to brighten slightly compared to before.
"So that's how it is. That makes things easier."
While D'ore used Shadow Energy to dispel the Light Fire on his body, Andreas grasped the Staff of Ganir with both hands, attempting to use the advanced spell taught by Velen.
"Shining Lock!"
The binding spell used by ordinary Priests could only restrain Undead, but the advanced version developed by Velen could lock up all creatures susceptible to the Holy Light.
Golden energy chains flew out from the tip of the ganir staff, wrapping around D'ore, who was too slow to react, in layers, securing him tightly.
Under D'ore's desperate struggle, the chains emitted a solid "kar-la" sound, seeming as if they would break in the next moment.
Andreas certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity. Speed of Holy Light burst forth beneath his feet, and in the blink of an eye, he approached the temporarily immobilized D'ore.
"Snap!"
Reaching out and pressing his hand onto the crystal on D'ore's chest, the Shadow Power near the crystal immediately rushed forward and covered Andreas' hand, as if its tail had been stepped on. The Shadow corrosion caused his brow to twitch slightly.
"Beyond the darkness, the light of dawn will eventually be found. Come back, Naaru D'ore!"
High-quality Holy Light, empowered by the tear of Elune, wildly surged into the crystal core on D'ore's chest.
D'ore's body, covered in thick Shadow Energy, began to fluctuate violently.
The Shadow Energy near the Core Crystal rapidly retreated as if being burned by fire. Centered around the crystal, which had turned pure gold, light gradually covered his entire body.
"Boom!"
A powerful shockwave blasted Andreas away from D'ore. While still airborne, Andreas flapped his Holy Light Wings to adjust his balance.
Under the expectant yet uneasy gaze of Malardal and Niami, D'ore's shadow arms broke free from the chains and stretched weakly toward the sky. Soon, both arms were engulfed by the spreading Holy Light.
An ethereal singing voice, like a hymn, emanated from the Hall of Heroes deep within Auchindoun. The refugees silently praying inside Auchindoun were stunned simultaneously, and then they all uniformly looked up toward the depths of Auchindoun.
The Draenei souls protected by Malardal and Niami simultaneously showed expressions of joy. They opened their arms to embrace the spreading Holy Light, and all the soul entities slowly vanished under the warm illumination of the Holy Light.
"Uh~"
Seeing this scene, Andreas scratched his head awkwardly. 'Why didn't anyone tell me that purifying D'ore would cause these souls to vanish too...'
"I never thought I would see the light again."
A low murmur, like beautiful singing, sounded directly in Andreas' mind. It was an ethereal female voice.
"Thank you, powerful Mortal. Thanks to your help, I have broken free from my predetermined fate, and I can once again contribute to the Draenei people I have guarded for tens of thousands of years."
Maradaal and Nia Mi had been studying Auchenai for many years, and they already knew that these souls were attracted by the corrupted Naaru... or rather, were forcibly bound here by D'ore.
Although they felt some regret at the vanishing of these souls, they knew it was an inevitable stage in the cycle of life, and the expressions of relief and serenity on the souls' faces also reflected their feelings.
Compared to these liberated souls, what was more important was the astonishing fact before their eyes—the Naaru D'ore had been reborn!
For tens of thousands of years, K'ara, K'ure, and D'ore had faithfully watched over the draenei, exhausting their Holy Light energy to save them, thus degenerating into void beings.
Although these three Naaru were not the strongest among all their kin, they had a very deep bond with the draenei, and the Holy Light faith of the entire draenei race originally came from these three Naaru.
D'ore's condition at this time was not very good; although she had been purified from an Eredar Lord back into a Naaru, her body size was noticeably several circles smaller than Maradaal remembered.
But this was insignificant to Maradaal and Nia Mi, who were overwhelmed with excitement; they knelt reverently in the Auchenai Crypts.
"Respected Naaru D'ore, Maradaal (Nia Mi) offers his (her) most sincere greetings upon your return."
D'ore slowly floated from the purified platform to stand before the two of them. "Maradaal and Nia Mi... I didn't expect that the most devout Holy Light worshipers would turn to shadow magic. Is it all because of me? I'm sorry."
Maradaal and Nia Mi were chosen by Velen specifically. The high-ranking members of the Auchenai were all quite adaptable, and they understood the two forms of Naaru: light and shadow.
To research D'ore's condition more deeply, under Velen's guidance, they abandoned the brilliant Holy Light and instead studied shadow magic, which their people did not approve of.
The grievances Maradaal and the others had suffered over the years were only known to those within the Auchenai organization. D'ore's sincere apology dissipated much of the resentment that Maradaal and Nia Mi had long accumulated in their hearts due to their people's misunderstanding.
Due to her physical incompleteness, D'ore's form was quite diminutive compared to other Naaru. After a self-examination, she estimated that she would need over a hundred years of recuperation to restore her peak strength and body size.
However, to return to the light from endless darkness was exhilarating for both D'ore herself and the Auchenai. Maradaal was eager to let his people know the news of the Naaru's rebirth.
While Maradaal and Nia Mi were urgently contacting Velen and the other archbishops at the Temple of Akama, Andreas and Shandris approached D'ore to discuss the condition of the other two Naaru.
D'ore's jigsaw-like body spun joyfully around her central Holy Light core; she was clearly in a good mood.
"K'ure's situation is relatively good; I can roughly sense his current state through the mutual telepathy between Naaru."
"Although he has exhausted his stored Holy Light, he still has at least two hundred years before he completely decays, so there's no need to be overly anxious."
"But K'ara..."
D'ore paused, "According to the Naaru records, a completely corrupted Eredar Lord is very difficult to purify. It requires at least 1.5 times the Holy Light power of the Eredar Lord's original body to fully purify K'ara."
"Andreas, with all due respect, although your strength is outstanding among mortals, and you even slightly surpass Velen in the total amount of Holy Light, there is still a considerable gap... before you can purify K'ara."
Andreas was not surprised by this. The original K'ara was only saved when Velen burned his soul and sacrificed himself.
As an immortal blessed by the Naaru, Velen's total Holy Light was already immense, and burning his soul allowed him to gain Holy Light power far exceeding his own limits in a short period.
K'ara was the strongest of the three Naaru who always remained loyal to the draenei. Her abilities were also very rare among all Naaru, being purely offensive support.
According to D'ore's recollection, there were originally not three, but four Naaru who first descended upon Argus to guide Velen and the draenei in their escape.
A Naaru named L'ura volunteered to stay behind to cover the draenei's retreat, and since then, all news of him has been lost; he is likely to have met a tragic end.
"Andreas, your decision is correct. Before figuring out a reliable method to save K'ara, I do not recommend you provoke her in Shadowmoon Valley. K'ure's problem, however, should be easier to solve."
Andreas spread his hands and said, "Theoretically, K'ure is indeed easier to deal with than K'ara, but... physically speaking, for us to reach Nagrand and enter the remains of Oshu'gun, we must simultaneously evade the ogres and orcs, which is very difficult."
Large areas of Nagrand are under the control of ogres, and the remains of Oshu'gun, which the orcs call Mount Oshu'gun, are inhabited by a large number of Warsong orcs. They strictly guard Oshu'gun, where a large number of ancestral souls are gathered.
D'ore, having just been reborn, was not yet familiar with the situation on Draenor. After hearing Andreas' description, her Holy Light core flickered, seemingly deep in thought.
"It seems this new world also has many problems to solve, but I still recommend resolving K'ure's problem before he completely degenerates."
"If left unchecked, K'ure's void power will grow stronger and stronger, and he will eventually become a great threat like K'ara. The souls of that race called orcs will also be completely absorbed into his body."
Because Velen had promptly thrown K'ara out of the spaceship, this Eredar Lord, known as the Dark Star by the Shadowmoon orcs, had been contentedly hovering high above Shadowmoon Valley, seemingly with no intention of descending to attack the residents below in the short term.
According to recent intelligence from Karabor received by Velen, the Shadowmoon orcs, who are skilled in observing celestial phenomena, had become interested in K'ara in the sky.
However, when some shamans attempted to make contact with K'ara, their bodies were quickly torn apart by the violent void energy.
Having learned their lesson, the Shadowmoon orcs simply worshiped K'ara like a god, no longer provoking this seemingly harmless "celestial phenomenon," nor allowing anyone to covet her power. Violators would be expelled from the clan...
Upon receiving the message from Auchindoun, Velen immediately rushed back to this sacred crypt with the help of a scholar's teleportation spell, and the other archbishops also hastily withdrew from the front lines.
When they personally witnessed D'ore, diminished in size but still radiating warm Holy Light, the archbishops, except for Velen, were extremely excited. The more emotional Hataaru even secretly wiped away tears.
Velen, with a joyful smile, was not unhappy; he had witnessed too many joys and sorrows over tens of thousands of years. Compared to the other "youngsters," his joy was expressed with more composure and dignity.
As an excellent racial leader, Velen first considered how to maximize the impact of the momentous news of the Naaru's return.
With the unanimous agreement of the Council of Bishops, D'ore gladly accepted the draenei's request, taking the arcane elevator to the top floor of Auchindoun, and from above, bestowed her blessings upon all draenei soldiers battling ogres on the battlefield.
She proved through her actions to all draenei that the Naaru had returned to their side.
The Naaru held an extraordinary significance for the Draenei. The soldiers on the front lines felt a long-lost surge of vitality within them, and veterans who still held memories of D'ore were pleasantly surprised to hear the familiar singing in their minds once again.
D'ore's ability was healing and support; she could enhance the self-healing capabilities of all allies on a large scale across the battlefield, boosting their physical strength and recovery speed.
The Draenei, invigorated by both physical and spiritual stimulation, erupted with powerful combat strength. The Draenei, striking out from two fronts, charged out of their defensive lines, relying on high morale and excellent physical condition to turn the tables and pummel the Ogres into the ground.
Imperator Mar'gok was once again left dazed; the occasional outbursts of the Draenei completely subverted his concept of warfare.
When fighting a winning battle, the forcibly cobbled-together Ogre coalition could still maintain a unified combat force, but once they fell into a disadvantage and losses mounted, the lords of the various city-states began to harbor their own little schemes.
After a period of observation, they confirmed that the Draenei did not have a strong desire for expansion and likely wouldn't affect their control over their respective city-states.
Although Imperator Mar'gok repeatedly threatened the lords to consider the consequences, in the face of an increasingly dire situation, the first city-state to abandon the front lines appeared.
The Ogres of Gul'rok Fortress were the first to throw in the towel. Without Mar'gok's permission, they signed a ceasefire agreement with the Arakkoa outcasts and the combined Draenei forces of Telmor.
The originally balanced battlefield situation underwent a massive change under the influence of this pivot.
As the saying goes, pull one hair and the whole body moves. With someone stepping forward as a model to take the brunt of the blame, the lords of other city-states immediately followed suit, announcing their withdrawal one by one.
Although Imperator Mar'gok was so furious that his two bald heads turned red, he did not completely lose his reason. Mar'gok knew very well that Highmaul's forces alone could not continue to maintain a stalemate with the Draenei.
Furthermore, what troubled him even more was the situation in the rear.
The Warsong Clan had always been the most rebellious group among the Orcs. Although forced by the pressure of other clans, they didn't dare to blatantly defy the will of the entire Orc race, but small actions behind the scenes were ultimately unavoidable.
The wolf riders of the Warsong Clan often gathered in small groups to ambush Highmaul's supply lines. Facing Mar'gok's questioning and warnings, the Warsong Chieftain, Rall Hellscream, feigned complete ignorance.
"I don't know, I can't control them. Those are just impulsive mistakes made by some youngsters of their own volition; they have nothing to do with the Warsong Clan's stance. Anyway, they aren't causing major losses, so don't make such a big deal out of it."
Mar'gok was never the type to suffer in silence. I'm testing the Draenei for you at the front, and you're stabbing me in the back?
Fine, then nobody gets to play. I'll come and have a go at you Warsong Orcs myself.
After the other Ogre lords led their troops away, Mar'gok also resolutely ordered a retreat. However, he did not lead his army back to Highmaul; instead, he marched directly into southern Nagrand, into the Warsong territory east of the sacred mountain, Oshugun.
The cunning Mar'gok showed no prior signs of wanting to fall out with the Orcs. The last time he contacted Rall, he even spoke kindly, suggesting that both sides should exercise restraint.
The strong-bodied but simple-minded Warsong Orcs actually believed him. They continued their cheerful small-scale raids on the Ogre supply lines, occasionally snatching some food for a treat, unaware that the Ogres' thunderous offensive would arrive so suddenly.
The crude camp of the Warsong Clan couldn't possibly withstand a surprise attack from the elite Ogre army. Rall hot-headedly led his clansmen in resistance for a while, but ultimately failed to turn the tide.
Instead, he was spotted by Mar'gok in the chaos of battle. The ill-tempered Two-headed Ogre Imperator used Arcane magic to blow apart Rall's body, leaving the Warsong Chieftain without even a corpse.
The retreating Warsong Clan had to immediately appoint Rall's son as the new chieftain. They were chased by the Ogres all the way toward the Telaar Basin to the east, while simultaneously seeking help from the Burning Blade, Redwalker, and Bladewind clans in Nagrand.
Because everything happened so fast, before the Draenei could even react to the joy of the enemy's retreat, the upheaval in Nagrand reached the ears of Andreas and the others.
"The Ogres and the Orcs are fighting?"
A sharp light flashed in Andreas' eyes. Although he didn't know exactly why the two sides had gone to war, this opportunity was extremely rare for Andreas.
The Warsong Orcs, who had been guarding Oshugun closely, were forced back. They were currently fighting the furious Highmaul Ogres with the support of other clans, but the Orcs were still losing more than they were winning, just like countless previous wars with the Ogres.
Without the interference of the Warsong Orcs, Andreas felt more confident about infiltrating Genedar.
Although the Ogre attack had been repelled, the Draenei still had many matters to handle, the most pressing of which was to appease their Arakkoa outcast allies who had sent reinforcements.
Having just finished a war, the Draenei needed some time to digest the results and recover.
Worried that the Arakkoa outcasts might hastily urge them to fulfill their promises, Velen personally rushed to Terokk's Rest to discuss matters with Aeska as a gesture of sincerity.
Although the Arakkoa outcasts all hoped to take revenge on the High Arakkoa of Skyreach as soon as possible, Aeska was not one to rush for quick success. He also knew that it was not suitable to start another war right after finishing one... The Ogre situation was an exception; ordinary Ogres with muscles for brains had low intelligence and would do whatever their superiors ordered, as long as they were fed.
"Let's set out immediately after a short rest."
Andreas said to Shandris, "The opportunity is now. The Ogres and Orcs have no time to pay attention to Oshugun for the moment. We can take this chance to slip in and try to resolve Kure's problem once and for all."
Shandris had no objections. Although the Draenei's attitude toward them had become increasingly friendly after rescuing D'ore, Draenor was not her home after all.
After being away for several years, Shandris was starting to miss her friends and family back home. It would naturally be a good thing to complete the task and return to Azeroth early... Nagrand was a fertile grassland, and the Throne of the Elements, regarded as a holy site by Orc shamans, was also located in northern Nagrand. This grassland held extraordinary significance for the Orcs.
The four major clans—Warsong, Redwalker, Bladewind, and Burning Blade—along with countless small and medium clans, had made their homes in Nagrand. The population density of the Orcs here far exceeded that of Shadowmoon Valley.
As Andreas carried Shandris across the skies above the grassland, the battles on the ground were still raging fiercely.
The war with the Draenei had been very frustrating for the Ogres. Facing numerous fortifications, they had struggled from start to finish to utilize their superior infantry combat advantage.
Returning to war with the Orcs, they immediately found their familiar rhythm. The current situation on the Nagrand plains reflected the disparity in strength between the two sides.
The Warsong Orcs, who were either seeking death or on the way to it, were driven out of their ancestral lands, hiding and running all the way through the complex terrain of the Telaar Basin.
With the support of other clans, the fleeing Warsong Clan finally regained their footing in the mountainous areas of the southeastern basin, though recovering their strength would likely take more than just a few years.
Although the new chieftain felt extremely aggrieved that his father had no body left to bury, the current situation did not allow him to let his blood boil. One wrong move, and the name of the Warsong Clan would become history.
Now, the Orcs and Ogres were using the Telaar Basin as a dividing line, engaged in a back-and-forth tug-of-war within the basin.
Andreas flew over the basin as if nothing were happening. Lacking an air force, both sides had all their attention on the ground battlefield and paid no mind to the situation in the air. The two successfully crossed the ruined former territory of the Warsong Clan and landed near the massive sacred mountain of Oshugun.