A Savage Nature (Warcraft)

By all rights, Rognak and his Warsong Druids should have been fighting alongside Thrall and the rest of the Horde. But there was no denying that both he and his neophytes had become much more in tune with the Night Elf people then their own over the past several weeks. In the end, in terms of where they were best positioned, there were very good reasons that Rognak and the other orc druids he and Cenarius had been training found themselves at the Night Elf Base instead of the Horde one.
 
Even still, he would need to make sure that this didn’t cause a schism within the Warsong Clan in the future. Or even worse, a schism between the Warsong Clan and the Horde as a whole. It wouldn’t do for his druids to become so enamored with the Night Elf way of life that they abandoned the New Horde entirely. While not necessarily a terrible outcome in and of itself, it still might lead to strained relations and eventually ruin the peace on Kalimdor that he’d been trying so desperately to achieve ever since he stopped Grom from cutting down the Night Elves’ forests in the first place.
 
But those were all problems for Future Rognak. Present Rognak had his own challenges to worry about.
 
“They’re here!”
 
The Legion and their Scourge dogs aren’t playing around anymore. They’d received word that the Horde Base had fallen less than a minute ago, and yet already the demons and undead were at their gates. Rognak grimaces, his teeth grinding together as he watches the ghouls and skeletons crashing into Night Elven Fortifications. The fortifications hold for now, but that’s only because this is the fodder. Nothing truly powerful has shown up just yet.
 
This is it. Their ‘final stand’. Though it only has to look like that. The true plan is to let Archimonde reach the summit. To let him reach Nordrassil itself and use the World Tree as the trap it is to end him once and for all. Rognak knows that nobody is happy about what they’re doing here today, least of all the Night Elf leaders themselves. But all recognize that it must be done. Archimonde is damn near unstoppable, and even if he weren’t practically invincible, his forces are endless.
 
They could have tried to pull out all the stops, they could have built fortifications that might have lasted them days, weeks… even months instead of the measly hours they were operating with now. They could have bled the Legion and their undead slaves for every inch of land on Mount Hyjal. But what would be the point? In the end, in a battle of attrition, their enemies were truly unstoppable. There was only one path forward, and it just so happened to be the same way that Rognak’s second set of memories said they beat Archimonde in the ‘game’.
 
Fuck… he wished this was a game. His other memories spoke of all sorts of ‘cheese strats’ and what not. How it was entirely possible to not only hold Archimonde and his forces at Jaina’s base for the entire duration of the ‘mission’, not allowing them to get past even the humans, but also possible to kill Archimonde himself with Furbolg Champions.
 
Unfortunately, the real world didn’t work like that. His memories could only carry him so far, and this was not a game. These people around him, his orcs and their Night Elf allies… they were not NPCs. They were not ‘units’. They were individuals. They had names. Lives. Loved ones.
 
And some of them would die today before this battle was over. As soon as Cenarius let Tyrande know that they were ready, the High Priestess would give the order to retreat. The best case scenario would have been if Archimonde allowed Jaina and Thrall’s respective forces to stymy his troops long enough for the Night Elves not to need to hold out for very long at all, but that didn’t look likely to be the case. They were still holding the line here. Cenarius wasn’t prepared to spring the trap just yet.
 
… That was okay though, because while this might not be a game, Rognak had come up with a trick purely derived from his second set of memories. And he was looking forward to implementing it as soon as-
 
“Cry for mercy, for I, Kaz’rogal have come! Your meaningless lives are forfeited before the Might of the Legion! Miserable nuisances, you will know pain before your final deaths!”
 
“Bahahaha! To think, Mannoroth died to these mewling weaklings. His over-confidence proved to be his undoing, but I, Azgalor, shall carry out his and the Defiler’s Will!”
 
Rognak lets out an explosive breath as the deep voices ring across the battlefield. Showtime.
 
As the Doomlord and Pit Fiend both come into view, stomping their way through the undead and lesser demons beneath their feet like they’re nothing but chaff, Rognak settles into position.
 
“Warsong Clan! Are you ready!”
 
“”“Lok’tar Ogar, Chieftain!”””
 
With a sudden lurch, his ‘mount’ begins to shift and rise from its rooted position. Slowly pulling itself from the ground, the pre-prepared Tree of Eternity lifts itself to its full height, even as Rognak reaches forward and slides his hands into grooves created ahead of time. Roots reach back to greet him, and he smiles as he feels a connection made with the ancient creature.
 
Meanwhile, all throughout its hollowed legs and arms and torso, his Warsong Druids scurry back and forth, moving this way and that. The modified Tree of Eternity stands tall and begins stomping forward towards the two demon commanders, both of whom feel the shaking in the ground from its plodding steps and turn to meet it.
 
This was Rognak’s big play. Cenarius had helped of course, but most of the project of modifying a Tree of Eternity into a nature-themed woodened mecha for fighting the kaiju-sized demons he knew they would be facing off against was done by him and his fellow orc druids. Together, they had taken to the task with gusto, fortifying and expanding the size of the Tree of Eternity until it was the massive behemoth Rognak was piloting now.
 
Azgalor and Kaz’rogal both stare for a moment in disbelief, before the Pit Fiend reacts with more uproarious laughter and the Doomlord snarls in anger.
 
“Look! Look what they must do to mimic even a fraction of our power!”
 
“Bah! Foolish mortals!”
 
With one last cackle, Azgalor raises his massive glaive and points it at them all. Fel Energy begins building on its tip, the only warning Rognak receives before the attack is launched.
 
“SHIELD!”
 
As he roars out his command to the other orc druids occupying the inside of the modified Ancient, Rognak uses his controls to have the Tree of Eternity lift one of its arms up to its chest. At the same time, the orcs stationed in that limb place their hands upon the inner wall facing outwards and focus. Just in time too, as a beam of pure malevolent evil streaks from Azgalor’s hulking glaive, striking the arm just as its reinforcing itself with more and more wood.
 
Rognak grunts as he feels the entire Tree of Eternity being pushed back, a furrow in the ground forming as they’re driven a few dozen yards. But in the end, Azgalor’s attack does not truly hurt them. The Tree of Eternity is a byproduct of Nordrassil itself and represents the Night Elves’ immortal connection to the World Tree. With the orcs helping to guide its growth, a thick disc of wood has formed on the arm, building back up faster than the beam of fel energy can burn through it.
 
By the time the dust clears, none of the damage from Azgalor’s attack remains save for a small patch of smoking wood. It’s already been healed. Suddenly, the Pit Fiend isn’t laughing anymore. Suddenly, he finds the situation just as humorless as his fellow demon commander. A snarl comes from the hulking demon lord’s mouth and he begins to stomp forward, bashing away any of the Night Elf defenders who dare to get in his way.
 
Rognak just smirks, preparing to stand his ground and lifting up his Tree of Eternity’s arms, stretching out its ancient wooden claws in preparation for the Pit Fiend’s next move.
 
… However, it never comes. Before Azgalor can reach him, before the hulking demon can even so much as build up steam, another Tree of Eternity comes out of nowhere, blindsiding the Pit Fiend from the side and slamming into him with such force and power that Azgalor is sent careening backwards with a confused, surprised roar.
 
Rognak blinks and then scowls as Fandral Staghelm, in position atop his own modified Tree of Eternity, shoots him a haughty look and an arrogant scoff.
 
“I thought you orcs were supposed to be savage, and yet here I find you letting the enemy come to you instead of the other way around!”
 
Before Rognak can formulate a reply, Fandral whips his Tree of Eternity around and slams an ancient claw across Azgalor’s face, making the demon lord positively HOWL in pain as the incredibly powerful wood digs furrows in his flesh. The Tree’s other set of claws seize upon Azgalor’s chestplate and hoist him up off the ground, before throwing him off to the side only for Fandral to follow.
 
… Alright, yes Rognak knew that Fandral had a Tree too. He’d just been trying to ignore it for the moment. As soon as the Archdruid had overheard Rognak and Cenarius talking about turning a Tree of Eternity into a modified troop transport and overall combat vessel for Rognak and his Warsong Druids, Fandral had decreed that he would gather up as many of his kin as possible and do the same, saying that such an undertaking was something that only those with lengthy experience could be trusted with.
 
He hadn’t gone so far as to try and say Rognak and his fellow orcs COULDN’T go forward with their plans of course, likely remembering the last time that he was smacked down by Cenarius for being an egotistical prick. However, that definitely hadn’t stopped Fandral from doing his level best to one up them.
 
Still, for now at least, they were on the same side. Fandral was undoubtedly a sleeper agent for the enemy already, but Rognak and Cenarius had both talked it over and decided that his corruption must be subtle enough that he’s not fully turned just yet. In the end, the kind of enemy that Fandral represented was important here. He and his master, the Nightmare Lord Xavius were servants of the Old Gods and the Void and they had their own designs on Azeroth wholly separate from Archimonde and the Legion.
 
For this battle, they could count on him to keep his cover intact for the chance of furthering Xavius’ plans after Archimonde was defeated. Besides, it wasn’t like Azgalor was about to let the insult that Fandral had just dealt him stand. Already the Pit Fiend was fighting his way to his feet and facing off with Fandral’s Tree of Eternity, a snarl of rage on his torn-open face.
 
Rognak pays them little mind, however. He only has eyes for Kaz’rogal at this point. The hulking Doomlord wields his massive sword, Calamity’s Edge, swinging it back and forth as he narrows his eyes at Rognak’s Tree of Eternity. With a sneer, the massive demon pushes off the ground, his wings beating and taking him up into the air a few dozen feet.
 
Launching himself forward, he comes back down with his blade aimed to pierce right through the heart of Rognak’s mount… a heart filled with orc druids that Rognak has been doing his best to introduce to a brand new world. Needless to say, the Warsong Chieftain isn’t about to let that happen.
 
Lifting the Tree of Eternity’s hands, he catches Calamity’s Edge on its claws, snarling as he feels his fellow orcs pumping Nature Magic down the length of the ancient’s arms in order to empower and repair the damage even touching such a blasphemous, fel-infused weapon is causing.
 
Kaz’rogal snarls right back, his spittle nearly hitting Rognak in the face as he leans in, putting all of his weight into the downward thrust… only for it to be diverted abruptly, with Rognak twisting the entire Tree to the side and forcing Kaz’rogal’s sword into the earth. Then, he backhands the Doomlord across the face hard enough to spin his head and send him reeling.
 
“Graaaaah! Pitiful insects!”
 
Rognak lets out a laugh, causing Kaz’rogal’s eyes to flick to him for the first time, the Doomlord just now noticing him in his ‘pilot’s seat’.
 
Giving the hulking Doomlord a wicked grin, Rognak sends off a wordless command through his controls.
 
“These pitiful insects have stopped you in your tracks, demon. Your Master will not be pleased when you fail him!”
 
The words have the intended effect of enraging the Doomlord, but also distracting him. Just as he’s opening his mouth to deliver a biting response, the Tree of Eternity’s torso begins to glow. Focused as he is on little ole Rognak perched atop the ancient, Kaz’rogal doesn’t notice the build up until it’s much too late.
 
A beam of combined lunar and solar energy collected over millennia by this Tree of Eternity explodes outwards, slamming into Kaz’rogal and tearing through the Doomlord. In an instant, his entire left side is gone, incinerated along with an entire swath of land behind him, including all of the demons and undead that were pouring up the slope who just so happened to be in the way.
 
The spiraling helix of the sun and moon’s molded power curves after a bit and flies off into the sky. But Rognak does not have time to admire that for long, because Kaz’rogal still has his sword arm intact and despite the immense pain the Doomlord must be in, he’s managed to find the strength to swing it… directly at Rognak’s head.
 
With only a split second to respond, Rognak tears an arm free of the Tree of Eternity’s modified ‘interface and yanks Wolfsong from his back. If it were still Gorehowl and not blessed by Cenarius, he can’t say for sure whether Grommash Hellscream’s old weapon could have withstood the bite of Calamity’s Edge. But it has been blessed by Cenarius and it has the might of Nature itself flowing through it.
 
That, Rognak imagines, is the only reason that he’s not torn out of his seat, nor does he lose an arm as he manages to block Calamity’s Edge from cleaving him in two with Wolfsong’s glowing green edge.
 
Kaz’rogal’s eyes, which had been narrowed in vicious anticipation, go wide as Rognak manages to push his hulking weapon away despite their difference in sizes. Grinning savagely, the Warsong Chieftain winds up… and throws Wolfsong right into Kaz’rogal’s forehead in a move reminiscent of his kill of Mannoroth, sending the Doomlord stumbling back… and then falling to the ground, half-burnt to a crisp and entirely dead.
 
Retrieving Wolfsong with the help of his fellow orcs, using the Tree of Eternity’s smaller branches to pull the axe from the dead demon’s face and pass it back up to him. Only once his weapon is secured on his back once more does Rognak turn to see how Fandral and his Tree of Eternity fair.
 
His feelings when he sees Fandral’s Tree holding Azgalor’s decapitated head aloft, the Pit Fiend’s corpse dead at his feet, are mixed. On the one hand, good. On the other hand… well, it was Fandral Staghelm.
 
Their eyes meet across the battlefield, and Fandral has a better-than-thou smirk on his face… right up until he sees the remains of Rognak’s opponent on the ground. The smirk is wiped away in an instant, replaced by a sneer… but before the Archdruid can say anything, the sound of clapping suddenly echoes across the battlefield.
 
Turning in unison, both Rognak and Fandral straighten in their seats as Archimonde the Defiler strides forward, clapping his massive blue hands together.
 
“Industrious little gnats, aren’t you? Good help is so hard to find these days.”
 
Before either of them can react, Archimonde suddenly lurches forward, beams of pure fel lancing out of his eyes… directly at Fandral’s Tree of Eternity. The power might be the same as what Azgalor shot out of his glaive, but the difference is night and day. Just those two thin lines from Archimonde’s eyes cut right through the left arm of the Ancient in an instant, the massive wooden limb falling to the ground with a heavy thud.
 
Straightening back up, Archimonde the Defiler gives them both a wide, wicked grin even as Night Elf Druids can be seen scurrying from out within the delimbed appendage.
 
“Shall we then?”

-x-X-x-

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