The routed Satyrs made the situation on the battlefield crystal clear.
Under Malfurion's steady and methodical command, the Worgen—having passed their initial burst of explosive growth—gradually lost their aggressive momentum. Without the interference of the Satyrs, the Druids could finally focus all their attention on dealing with the Worgen.
These frenzied, twisted creatures ultimately fell before the Druids who manipulated the powers of nature, each one bound tightly by thick brambles and vines.
"Roar!!"
When Andreas curiously walked up to one of the grey-furred Worgen, the creature was still restless, snapping its jaws in an attempt to bite him.
"Hungry?"
With a mischievous grin, Andreas pulled a small linen bag from his spatial backpack and stuffed it directly into the Worgen's mouth. "Here, open wide."
"Mmph! Mmuph? Mmph-mmph!!"
Following its predatory instincts, the Worgen bit down on the bag. The semi-liquid substance inside immediately flowed into its throat. A foul, sickening stench erupted from its mouth, causing the surrounding Worgen to instinctively shuffle their bodies away from their unfortunate kin.
It wasn't long before the unlucky Worgen rolled its eyes and passed out. Such a violent stench was undoubtedly a form of torture for Worgen, who possessed incredibly keen senses of smell and taste.
Fandral's mouth twitched as he watched the unconscious Worgen. "What on earth did you feed him? How can it be so foul?"
"Fertilizer."
A mysterious smile curled at the corner of Andreas's mouth. "Pure natural fertilizer with no chemical additives. It's good stuff—a powerful tool for further increasing crop yields."
"...I have a feeling it's nothing good. I think I'll stop asking about its specific ingredients."
The localized battle in Shas'ari Canyon thus came to an end. Although the appearance of the Worgen had caused many unexpected variables, they had finally managed to defeat Xavarian's "backdoor" strike force without further mishap, thanks to the reinforcements from the Moonshadow's Rest army.
Just as the fighting ceased, a fuming Tyrande arrived at Shas'ari Canyon at the foot of Mount Hyjal with her personal guard. Seeing Andreas walking leisurely alongside Fandral, fire practically spewed from Tyrande's eyes. She marched up to Andreas in three quick steps and began showering him with spit and fury.
"Andreas Moonshadow! You dared to mobilize an army without permission! Are you planning a rebellion?!"
Andreas frowned and plugged his ears with his fingers as Tyrande's high-pitched, enraged screams echoed across the area.
Malfurion was currently inspecting the scythe confiscated from Ralaar Fangfire—the leader of the Worgen. Hearing Tyrande's hysterical shrieks, a look of helplessness crossed his eyes.
"Koda and Shaun, I'm leaving things here to you for now. I'm going to see what's happening over there."
Leaving the task of guarding the Worgen to his two apprentices, Malfurion transformed into a white stag and bounded toward the center of the dispute.
However, rather than a "dispute," it was more of a one-sided venting of rage by Tyrande. Andreas stood his ground with his arms crossed and an indifferent expression, while Fandral looked at the infuriated Tyrande with blatant impatience.
"Tyrande! That's enough."
The Archdruid's displeased, low growl interrupted Tyrande's hysterical tirade. "If Andreas hadn't led reinforcements here in time, and Xavarian had been allowed to summon Kaz'rogal without hindrance, it's hard to say who would have won this battle."
Tyrande's face twisted slightly as she looked at the grim-faced Malfurion in disbelief. "Are we just going to let him wander around with his private army without any oversight? What if he harbors ill intentions..."
"Heh~"
Andreas finally couldn't help but sneer. "Don't project your power-hungry mindset onto others. If I really intended to seize power, why would I have left Astranaar in the first place? You surely don't think you could win a political struggle against me with your amateur skills, do you?"
"You!"
Malfurion, nursing a headache, reached out to stop the impending explosion between the two. "Enough! Tyrande, be quiet. Andreas, say no more."
"In my capacity as Archdruid, I authorize Moonshadow's Rest's military action as legal for this instance. However, should a similar crisis occur in the future, it is best to obtain official permission from Astranaar beforehand."
Seeing that Tyrande still wanted to speak, Malfurion said firmly, "This matter ends here. We have more important things to deal with right now."
Andreas curled his lip and stopped talking, and Fandral was also somewhat dissatisfied with Malfurion's "middle-ground" speech. Although strictly forbidden by Malfurion from continuing the confrontation, Tyrande's dark, predatory gaze never left Andreas.
She's definitely got it in for me now. What a pain...
While Andreas didn't fear Tyrande, the thought of her constantly finding ways to cause trouble for him in the future made him feel rather annoyed.
...
As Malfurion had said, even though they had defeated the Satyr elite strike force, there was still much to be done.
First was the fate of the Worgen. Since they were once fellow Druid kin, Malfurion hoped to awaken them from their endless rage if possible.
Then there was the ongoing war in northern Winterspring. The defensive line established by the main Sentinel force outside Starfall Village was teetering. Although Shandris and Lunara were tenaciously holding back the main Satyr force that wanted to move south to reinforce Xavarian, no one could be sure how much longer they could hold out against such overwhelming numbers.
It wasn't just a numerical disadvantage. Unlike the Satyrs, who possessed semi-demonic constitutions and feared no cold, the bitter climate of Winterspring was incredibly difficult for the Night Elves—who lived under the blessing of the World Tree—to adapt to. Even the Dryads, usually so agile, felt clumsy in the deep snow of the valley.
Had the Satyrs in the Ruins of Kel'Theril not angered the Blue Dragons of Mazthoril, the Sentinels—whose supply lines were already cut—would likely have been in an even more dire situation.
An annoyed Andreas ignored Tyrande's ubiquitous, dark stares. Once the dust had settled in Shas'ari Canyon, he handed command over to Leticia, ordering her to lead the Moonshadow's Rest army north to Starfall Village to provide support.
The clever Leticia also sensed the awkward atmosphere and obediently led the army away, leaving the fearless Andreas to stay behind with Malfurion and the other Druid leaders to discuss how to cure the Worgen.
The news of Xavarian's defeat and death spread as the Moonshadow's Rest reinforcements reached the Starfall front. The morale and mindsets of both sides underwent a dramatic shift.
With their rear secured, the Sentinels and their natural allies erupted with a powerful will to fight. Conversely, the Satyr army—whose leader was dead and whose strategic goals had failed—suffered from plummeting morale, and internal discord began to brew.
The soldiers Xavarian had taken were the most elite of the entire race, yet his gamble on Mount Hyjal had resulted in a near-total wipeout. Without a "mountain" pressing down on them, the hidden agendas of certain treacherous Satyrs were being magnified infinitely.
With the aid of the twenty thousand troops from Moonshadow's Rest, the disparity in numbers was no longer so lopsided. With one side in high spirits and the other harborng hidden schemes, the tides of the Starfall Village battlefield began to turn.
At this time, Andreas happened to follow his mentor, Malfurion, along with Fandral and other high-ranking Druids, as he entered the Emerald Dream for the very first time.