Untamed Valley The Untamed Valley . I . " Neither of you will survive the night , " the orc said . Vindicator Maraad and Sentinel Commander Lyalia ignored him . He had made similar threats every night since he had been captured . Lyalia poked the campfire with one of her moonglaive ' s blades , repositioning a log . The flames roared briefly . The light played off Maraad ' s hammer , sending thin , flickering violet rays across his armor . " The night elf will die first , " the orc said a few minutes later . " I will make you watch her die , draenei . I promise this to you . " He shifted his posture , and the shackles on his wrists jingled softly . Maraad didn ' t bother responding to him . " You should sleep tonight , Lyalia , " the draenei said . " So should you , " she said . " But since you cannot , I will not . " Even as she stirred the ashes in the fire , her eyes swept over the wide , open terrain . " Besides , he is talkative tonight . Maybe he will finally tell us his name . " She gave the orc a level glance . " No ? What is the harm in a name if we will not survive the night ? " The green - skinned prisoner glared at her but said nothing . " Suit yourself , " she said . The sun touched the horizon . " What exactly do you mean , " Haohan Mudclaw asked , " by ' When Thunder blow , Thunder gonna blow big ' ? " The hozen farmhand loped along the roadway through the heart of the valley , keeping pace with Haohan ' s cart . " Since you been gone , Thunder not go . " " ' Not go ' ? " Mung - Mung waved his hands in front of his nose as though smelling something foul . " Me not want to be around when three days of dook comes out of his ooker . " " Wonderful , " Haohan said . The last thing he needed to deal with today was a constipated mushan . " Mix up some olive oil into his feed . Should clear him right out . " Mung - Mung shivered . " Did . Began two days ago . Still nothing . " Haohan stared in disbelief . " You ' ve fed him oil for two days ? And nothing ? " He shivered too . When Thunder blow . . . They passed the next half - mile in silence . " You know , Farmer Fung arrive early . Already at your house , " Mung - Mung said . " Good . Wait , " Haohan said , giving him a suspicious look . " What are you thinking ? " " Mung - Mung think that grouch obsessed with fertilizer . " Haohan grinned broadly . " And maybe he ' d like fresh ingredients . That ' s the best idea I ' ve heard in weeks . " One problem solved , hopefully . " Who else is at the house ? " " Geezer . " Old Hillpaw , he meant . Not a member of the council but a neighbor . " Gina . " Haohan ' s daughter . " Who else ? " " Just them , " Mung - Mung said . " Where ' s Nana and Mina and Tina and Den ? " " Jade Forest , still . " " Still ? " Haohan frowned . " I thought they ' d be back today . I wanted this to be a full council meeting . What about Yoon ? " " He went with them . " " Oh . " Now Haohan remembered . Yoon was planning a food - delivery contract with some dwarven masons on behalf of the Tillers ' Union . With a light touch on the reins , Haohan steered to the right , and the two horses turned onto the road to the Mudclaw property . Mung - Mung continued to knuckle - walk alongside the cart but made no move to jump on . He didn ' t trust horses . Haohan preferred mushan leads , too , but that Alliance quartermaster down at Lion ' s Landing had offered to trade two healthy horses for a cartload of carrots , and that was a deal a Mudclaw couldn ' t pass up . He had to admit the horses were a lot easier to handle . Even well - trained mushan had a tendency to wander a bit on the reins . Mung - Mung suddenly sprinted ahead and climbed a signpost , peering into the distance . " Uh - oh , " he said . " What ? " " Listen , boss . " " Your ears are better than mine , " Haohan said . " I hear virmen , " Mung - Mung said . Haohan sighed . " Let ' s scare ' em off before they annoy anyone to death . " II . One of the virmen , a larger male with white - streaked fur and a strangely curved front tooth , hopped forward and flung a paw ' s worth of woodchips at Vindicator Maraad . " Here money . Give carrots ! " The draenei let them bounce off his face and chest armor . " I do not have any carrots , " he said calmly . Angry chattering rose from the dozens of red - eyed rodents that had surrounded the trio . Several thumped the ground threateningly with their feet . At Maraad ' s side , Lyalia put her hand on her moonglaive ' s grip but did not remove it from her belt loop . " Think they will be trouble ? " she asked lightly . Maraad chuckled . " I doubt it , " he said . In a louder voice , he asked , " You want to buy carrots ? " The virmen ' s grumbling took on a passionate tone . " I am sorry to disappoint you . I do not have any carrots to sell . " The virmen with the woodchips bounced on his hind legs , agitated . " We see Halfhill ! We see market . Tall ones like you give round things and get carrots . " He flung another pawful of chips at them . " Now give carrots ! " The small pieces of wood showered the prisoner . The orc growled and kicked out but missed the virmen . His shackles jingled . Vindicator Maraad kept a firm grip on the orc ' s arm . " As I said , I have none to sell or give , " he said . " And most merchants deal in gold , not . . . the coins you have . " " Hey ! " A voice cut through the din . Lyalia could see a pandaren and a hozen huffing toward them . A cry of alarm went up among the virmen . " Get out of my fields ! " the pandaren bellowed . The virmen scattered . One darted around the hooves of the draenei , picking up most of the " coins . " The hozen flung a rock at him , narrowly missing . Soon all of the rodents had retreated to their warrens . " Stupid ookers , " the hozen muttered . " Sorry ' bout that , " the pandaren said . " They ain ' t as crazy as they were a couple months back , but they still need a swift kick every now and then . " Lyalia smiled . " I do not think they meant any harm , " the night elf said . The hozen inspected the woodchips . He sniffed one and grinned . " Hey , boss , " he said . " Axle . " He hooted with laughter . The pandaren uttered a strong oath under his breath . " Those idiot virmen . . . This is why they gnawed through the axles on three of my carts ? Of course it is . Probably saw me buy them with coins and assumed the carts were actually made of ' em . " He ran a paw through the fur on his head and sighed . " Well , comes with the territory , I suppose . You want to live in the valley , you get to deal with them . " My name ' s Haohan Mudclaw . I own this farm . " " Thank you for your help , sir . My name is Lyalia . I am the commander of the Sentinels on Pandaria . My friend here is Vindicator Maraad of the Exodar . And him . . . We do not know his name , so I cannot introduce you properly . " The pandaren ' s eyes lingered on the orc . And the shackles . " You ' re an odd group to see around these parts . " " We do not mean to trespass . If you wish us to leave , we will , " Maraad said . Haohan shook his head . " Ain ' t nothing growing where you ' re sitting , so it ' s no problem . " He glanced again at the restrained orc . " I thought the issues between y ' all had been settled for now , " the pandaren said carefully . " The ceasefire is still in place , " Lyalia said . " This one wiped out a small Horde caravan two weeks ago and tried to ambush my Sentinels ten days past . After the ceasefire . " The night elf ' s expression was cold . " He committed murder against both sides . If I had to guess , I think he is unhappy with Hellscream ' s fall . " " So a criminal , not a soldier , " Haohan mused . The orc grunted but said nothing intelligible . Haohan raised an eyebrow . " And the Horde accepts your . . . custody . . . of him ? " " We decided to avoid the Horde altogether , " Vindicator Maraad said . " Simple misunderstandings have a way of spiraling out of control . Tensions are still high . We do not wish to threaten the peace . " " And what they don ' t know won ' t bother them . " Haohan scratched his chin . " Makes sense . Well , come on . I have a cart just around that hill . " Lyalia and Maraad exchanged glances . " And where would we be going ? " Lyalia asked . " To my home . Bed you three down for the night . " " We appreciate the offer , " Maraad said , " but we have to decline . " " It ' s no trouble . " " No , thank you . " " Those virmen will come back . " " We will handle them , " Lyalia said . " I don ' t think you understand , " Haohan said . " If I know these virmen , they ' re arguing in their warrens right now about why their plan failed . When they come up with another scheme , they ' ll go to the other warrens first and rally even more troops . You might turn around in a couple hours and see a few thousand drooling virmen staring at you , chanting about carrots , and if you can ' t produce the goods . . . " He shrugged . " Maybe you can take care of yourselves , but I ' m not sure you ' ll enjoy fighting them all off . " Vindicator Maraad looked troubled . " Very well . We will pick another place to settle for the night . " " You definitely don ' t understand , " Haohan said . " Unless you get yourself a dozen miles away from here within the next half - hour , they will find you . You won ' t believe how persistent they ' ll be until you ' re willing to kill a few to show you mean business . They ' ve learned to steer clear of Tiller homes , though . We have rakes and we know how to swing ' em . You ' ll be fine at my place . " " Still , " Lyalia said , giving Maraad a worried look , " we cannot accept . " The orc suddenly spoke up . " Do not offer aid to the Alliance , farmer , " he said , " unless you wish to share their fate . " Haohan blinked . " Oh . I see . " He smiled at the draenei and the night elf . " You think your prisoner is dangerous . That I can ' t take care of myself . " Lyalia guided the pandaren a few steps away , out of the orc ' s hearing . " We cannot put you at risk , " she said . " We do not know anything about him or whom he might have been working with . We have skirted wide — very wide — of the Horde presence in Krasarang to get him to Lion ' s Landing unseen . If he was not acting alone , we could be attacked at any time . " Haohan peered at the orc . " He ' s a Hellscream loyalist ? And maybe other loyalists will come to rescue him ? It ' s settled . You ' re staying at my home . " " We cannot . " " Well , you can ' t stay out here . I ' m serious about the virmen , " Haohan said . " I want to help . People like him have done enough damage to our land . Tomorrow morning , I ' ll take all three of you to Lion ' s Landing on my cart . " Lyalia hesitated . That would shave days off their journey . " I won ' t take no for an answer , " Haohan said . Farmer Fung scowled at the newcomers as they arrived at the Mudclaw property . " More guests , Haohan ? Outsiders , even ? " he said . " Is this your way of manipulating me ? " " They were being harassed by virmen , " Haohan said . " Just giving them shelter for the night . " " Don ' t play games . " Fung jabbed a finger toward Haohan ' s chest . " You happened to bring some outsiders on the night we ' re talking about outsiders ? At least Farmer Yoon isn ' t here . He got lucky . He partnered up with a good one . Just because I like one outsider doesn ' t mean I want our valley overrun by them forever . " " Your opinion is noted , Fung , " Haohan said wearily . " Hey , Mung - Mung , weren ' t you going to talk to Fung about something ? The mushan , perhaps ? Fertilizer ingredients ? " " Really ? " Fung said , brightening . Mung - Mung gave Haohan an annoyed look as Fung dragged him inside . " Haohan , " a new voice said . Haohan turned . Old Hillpaw was standing near the mushan pen , calling out to him . " You got a sick mushan . " " Mung - Mung told me , Hillpaw , " Haohan said , joining him at the fence . They both looked at the mushan pen , where Thunder noisily chewed hay . " I don ' t know . He seems fine to me . " The mushan belched roughly , and a horrible smell filled the air . Haohan wrinkled his nose . It was a wonder the nearby crops didn ' t wilt . The sound echoed off the mountains to the north . He could have sworn the smell echoed , too . Haohan sighed . " Yeah , the old boy ' s sick . " " Feed him some oil , " Hillpaw said . Haohan felt a headache coming on . Lyalia helped the orc off the cart . Maraad stepped down after him . The night elf noticed the older pandaren standing next to Haohan . Hillpaw looked away from the mushan and appeared to be closely studying the trio of outsiders . She nodded to him . He didn ' t nod back . A wide - brimmed straw hat kept his eyes in shadow . The fur on his chin had grown into a long beard . The other one , Fung , had at least made his hostility clear . Lyalia couldn ' t read this one ' s intentions . She turned her attention back to her duty : the prisoner , and any who might try to rescue him . She scanned the horizon . The Mudclaw home stood near the top of a small hill , close to the mountain range separating the Valley of the Four Winds from the Vale of Eternal Blossoms , and had a spectacular view of the surrounding farmland . Even in the waning light , Lyalia could see rows and rows of gigantic vegetables and other plants stretching into the distance . Between the home and the mountain range , the ground sharply sloped down into a body of water . Not a single threat in sight . Time to deal with more pedestrian matters . " Can you handle the orc alone for a moment ? " she asked Maraad . He grunted in agreement . Lyalia grabbed her empty waterskins and carefully moved down to the pond ' s shore . A moment later , that older pandaren , Hillpaw , joined her . " Don ' t step in there , " he advised . The surface of the large pond seemed calm enough . " Why ? " " Watch , " Hillpaw said . He whipped his arm forward , and a stone skipped across the water . Ripples spread from each bounce . And then . . . . . . something massive surged from the deep , breaking the surface . A giant eye stared at the two figures at the water ' s edge . The creature was easily six or seven times as long as Lyalia was tall . Maybe even more . It sank out of sight , and the water returned to its tranquil state . " What was that ? " " Cattail grouper , " Hillpaw said . " They get big sometimes . " " That is a little more than big , " Lyalia said . " That ' s why you cull ' em . Or rather , why you ' re supposed to . Mung - Mung has been slacking . " Old Hillpaw grunted . " You ' re safe on the edge of the shore unless it decides it doesn ' t like you . Just don ' t go jumping in the water . " " I will remember that . " Lyalia finished refilling her waterskins . Old Hillpaw didn ' t leave . " I recognized that orc ' s shackles . I saw the sigil of the White Tiger , " he said . " Ah . " " Shado - pan manacles . The kind they use to restrain people with . . . unusual power . Unknown power . " " You ' re right , " Lyalia said . " They were a gift . " " The Shado - pan aren ' t in the habit of giving gifts , " Hillpaw said . " True enough . Call them a payment instead , " Lyalia said . " In exchange for removing anyone who might wear them from your land as quickly and quietly as possible . " " Now that sounds like the Shado - pan . " " You have dealt with them before ? " Old Hillpaw didn ' t answer . Lyalia didn ' t press him . " How long have you and your friend been in Pandaria ? " asked Hillpaw . " Vindicator Maraad arrived rather recently , and he will probably be leaving soon . But I was one of the first of my people to land on your shores , " Lyalia said . " Why ? What brought you here ? " She hesitated . Hillpaw showed no expression at all . She didn ' t know if he was asking out of curiosity or suspicion . She decided to be honest . " One of our leaders saw a vision of a blessed land . Some of us were looking for other things " — Lyalia bowed her head for a moment as memories of her father suddenly surfaced — " but it was that vision that launched our ships . It turned out to be the Vale of Eternal Blossoms . " " And what did you do there ? " Fought off the mogu for months , only to see a tyrannical orc raze the place . There was a limit to what Lyalia wanted to share . " I tried to protect it . " Her voice dropped into a whisper . " Elune knows I tried . " Silence settled over the pond . The water rippled . Finally , Hillpaw grunted again and left her alone at the shore without another word . Lyalia looked back at the pond . Of the danger lurking beneath its surface , there was no sign . A thick green finger stirred the ashes of the extinguished campfire . " Still warm . They were here tonight . " The orc turned toward the other eight . " We take them before sunrise . Pair up . Prepare . " One of the others shifted uneasily . " The spirits won ' t behave , Zertin . " " The spirits here are spoiled and soft , Kishok . " Zertin ' s response was laced with anger . " They are children in need of discipline . If you can ' t handle a child , open your veins now and save me the trouble of gutting you . " There were no more objections . " Good . Move . " They did . Quietly . The dark of night cloaked them . III . " Don ' t use all the sauce , Gina , " Farmer Fung said . " You ' ll drown the meat . " " That would be horrible , " Gina Mudclaw said without an ounce of sarcasm . She gave her father , Haohan , a steady look . He didn ' t return it . He was paying far too much attention to chopping the vegetables . " Imagine all that meat being tender , flavorful , falling apart with each bite . Simply tragic . " So perhaps there were a few ounces of sarcasm . Fung scowled . " Fresh meat doesn ' t need that much sauce . But this is from one of Old Hillpaw ' s chickens , isn ' t it ? That explains it . If I raised chickens , they wouldn ' t taste as gamey as his . I can see why you ' d want extra sauce . Still , only use half of it . " " Your mouth , " Old Hillpaw said , " does you no favors , Fung . " Gina gave Fung a slanted smile and dumped the sauce into the wok . All of it . Fung clucked his tongue . " Where ' d our guests go ? " Gina asked . " Cellar , " Haohan said . He flinched at his daughter ' s reaction . " Their choice , not mine , Gina . " " Cramped down there , " Gina muttered . " Packed in with the carrot harvest . " " Enough room for three , if they ' re on good terms with each other . " " Or if one of them is in chains and doesn ' t have a say in it , " Fung said . " True . They also asked us to lock the doors shut later tonight . " Gina filled three bowls with soup and handed her slotted spoon to Fung . " See if you can salvage my stir - fry , " she told him wryly . " I ' ll bring these to our guests . " She stepped away from the wok , balancing the bowls on her arms , before Fung could object . Deafening chatter filled the packed warren . " Hooktooth say we get carrots ! " one of the virmen shouted . " We give money , they give carrots . No stealing ! We buy ! That what Hooktooth say ! " Hooktooth snarled back , his hackles raised , white - streaked fur standing on edge . " We chew coins out of carts . That what you say ! Tall ones not want cart coins . They want shiny coins . Not my fault ! " The warren mother slammed her feet into the ground with a roar . The crowd went silent . Scores of glowing red eyes turned toward her . She shuffled through the warren , giving Hooktooth a sharp glance . He bristled and sucked air through his teeth but said nothing . " Hooktooth right . Tall ones want shiny . Not cart coins . Tomorrow we steal shiny from tall ones . We use shiny to buy carrots ! " " Why steal shiny ? " one of the runts asked . A bigger virmen nipped his ear . Hard . The runt hopped out of his reach and refused to stay silent . " Why not steal carrots like always ? " " They hit with rakes and shovels when we steal carrots . We buy , they not hit , " the warren mother said . " What they hit with when we steal shiny ? " the runt persisted . The others hadn ' t considered that . More arguments erupted . Then Hooktooth looked straight up . " Quiet ! " The warren went still . " Listen ! " Soft tremors rattled the earth . Footsteps . Above their heads . Too big to be other virmen . " More tall ones ! Maybe they have carrots ! " The virmen stampeded toward the warren hole . " Bring the cart coins ! " the warren mother shouted . There were nine tall ones traveling through the turnip fields . Odd that they weren ' t using the road , Hooktooth thought . In moments , all nine were surrounded . " Carrots ! Carrots ! " the virmen chanted . Hooktooth hopped forward and flung pawfuls of cart coins into the lead outsider ' s face . Then he froze . A look of pure fury seemed etched into the tall one ' s expression . Hooktooth tentatively tossed another pawful and then hopped back into the crowd . Something about the outsider ' s eyes made him nervous . The warren mother stepped forward . " We have coins . We want carrots . You give — " A gust of wind blew her onto her side . The other virmen went quiet . Sometimes the wind would rise , and sometimes the earth would shake , but there were always warnings . The virmen had learned to read the signs . They knew to stay underground if a storm might blow them away and to flee their warrens if they might collapse in a tremor . The spirits could be mischievous and playful , but they were rarely cruel , and they never knocked virmen over without reason . And they would never do it because the tall ones asked . The warren mother regained her footing . Her uncertainty lasted for only a few moments . Yipping with anger , she bounded forward . " You give carrots ! Take coins ! " Again , there was no warning . The wind swept her off her feet , lifting her into the air . The warren mother screamed . It was as if the spirits screamed with her . The wind suddenly sent her careening toward the ground . Earth rose to meet her . Earth and wind howled together . And together , they crushed her . The virmen drew back . The remains of the warren mother flopped over , lifeless . The tall ones smiled . Hooktooth turned and fled back to the warren with the others , screeching at the top of his lungs . They all had experienced strange things in recent months — the dark energy of the sha that had whipped them into a fervor , the hozen raids , the masses of outsiders stomping through the Valley of the Four Winds — and none wanted any part of whatever new power these nine were wielding . The virmen huddled together in silence , hoping the tall ones would leave soon . Gina carried the steaming bowls of soup down the cellar stairs . The draenei and the night elf were talking quietly , leaning up against the pile of harvested carrots . The orc was sitting with his back against the dirt wall to the north . He was smiling . " What ' s he so happy about ? " Gina asked . " I would ask him if I thought I would receive an answer , " Vindicator Maraad said . The draenei was still wearing his armor , his hammer within easy reach . Gina gave a bowl of soup to both Lyalia and Maraad . She set the third down by the orc ' s feet . The prisoner didn ' t look at it or her . " You two travel together often ? " she asked . " First time , " Lyalia said . " Choice or necessity ? " " Both , " Maraad said . " I volunteered to help the Shado - pan find the culprit in the convoy attacks . A few of her Sentinels were in the area . We searched in pairs . Here we are . " " The draenei have business with the Shado - pan ? " Maraad offered a slight smile . " Not in the way you mean . The campaign on your land is over . Prophet Velen wants strong relationships with all on Pandaria . He is here himself , though most of his time will be spent in the north . It is a fascinating place with a fascinating history . Much to learn here . " He sipped from his bowl of soup . " We work fairly well together , " Lyalia said , " considering neither of us has slept in six days . " Gina ' s eyes went wide . " Six ? " " Maraad watches the orc . " Lyalia wondered if she should explain that paladins had ways to squelch any unexpected spellcasting . She had no idea whether the average pandaren understood things like that , even after months of mingling with outsiders . Gina simply nodded ; perhaps she did . " I keep an eye out for everyone else . " The night elf grimaced . " I know we could not have left the vale undefended , but I wish we could have spared a few extra Sentinels for this journey . Or at least my nightsaber . " Ash had taken a minor wound to one of his legs a couple weeks ago , and Lyalia had been worried he couldn ' t yet cope with such a long walk . " The vale ? Why would it still need defending ? " " Most of the Shado - pan went north , to Kun - Lai . The Temple of the White Tiger , " Maraad said . " Have you not heard about the — " — thrum thrum thrum thrum . . . Maraad went silent . Gina tilted her head . " What ' s that sound ? " . . . THRUM thrum thrum thrum THRUM thrum thrum thrum . . . The orc raised his eyes . His smile had turned feral . The sound vibrated through the earthen walls of the cellar . Little bits of dirt fell to the floor . " Maraad ? " Lyalia slowly lifted her moonglaive . " That feels as if it is coming from the ground . Is it the elements ? " " I am no shaman , but I believe so , " Maraad said quietly . His hammer began to glow with the Light . Lyalia tightened her gauntlets . Her green eyebrows drew down . " Now we know what our friend is , don ' t we ? " " Yes . " Haohan , Hillpaw , and Fung stopped talking immediately as the ground rattled with a strange rhythm . THRUM thrum thrum thrum . . . " That ' s not good , is it ? " asked Fung . The cellar doors swung open . Gina jumped out . The two Alliance members followed , pushing the orc ahead of them . " No , " the night elf said , " it is not . " " Look at these ookers . " Mung - Mung whistled softly . From his perch in the tree just outside the Mudclaw home , he could see nine orcs forming a wide semicircle . With the mountains to the north , there would be no way to escape without fleeing through their midst . Two of the orcs ' arms moved in time with the tremors in the earth . THRUM thrum thrum thrum . . . This was supposed to be intimidating . They were posturing . Mung - Mung understood posturing . When he was six ( and simply named Mung ) , a bigger hozen had pushed him down . The other hozen had beat at his own chest and hooted at him to stay down , to give up , to leave the wildfowl hunt " to the real grookers . " THRUM thrum thrum thrum . . . The bigger hozen had fallen . Mung had earned his name name that day . Mung - Mung . " They wanna mess with a real grooker ? " he whispered . " Fine with Mung - Mung . " He counted again . Nine orcs . " Our prisoner and the orcs outside are dark shaman , " Vindicator Maraad said . " This is not good news . " The prisoner straightened up . " They are members of the true Horde , " he said . " And they follow my orders . I am Mashok of the Kor ' kron . I command the dark shaman on this continent . " He smirked at Lyalia . " You were right , Alliance . Since you will not survive the night , there is no harm in telling you that much . " " Kor ' kron ? " Farmer Fung did not look impressed . " Hellscream ' s henchmen ? They didn ' t do so well at Orgrimmar . " " That ' s what I heard , " Gina agreed . " Had proto - dragons and the power of a sha and still couldn ' t win , " Haohan added . An ugly expression passed over Mashok ' s face . His shackles jingled together . " Watch your tongues , if you wish to keep them . Some of you may still have a chance to see another sunrise . " THRUM thrum thrum thrum THRUM thrum thrum thrum . . . Mashok raised his shackled hands and snapped his fingers . The rhythm instantly stopped . Lyalia gave Maraad a startled look . The draenei didn ' t take his eyes off the orc , but he made a slight gesture with his hammer . The Shado - pan shackles . He could see she understood . They might suppress much of his power , but not every scrap of it , apparently . Silence filled the Mudclaw house . For a moment . " So you dark shaman can make music , " Farmer Fung sneered . " We ' re supposed to be afraid ? I ' ve heard better . " " What you heard , " Mashok said with relish , " were the elemental spirits of your land marching to our orders . They are already under our control . We trained in Durotar , you pandaren fool . A harsh land . Not soft and bloated and childlike like yours . The spirits here never had the slightest chance of defying us . " Old Hillpaw had stood silent throughout the conversation . No longer . " So . Dark shaman . Dominator of the elements . Member of the ' true Horde . ' " He stepped closer to Mashok . " Captured by only two of the Alliance . Your power truly knows no bounds . Why were you raiding Horde camps before these two caught you ? Because they weren ' t part of the ' true Horde ' ? " Mashok threw his head back and laughed . " They chose to betray their warchief . They deserved much worse than what I did to them . " Old Hillpaw wasn ' t done . " Explain why a group of Kor ' kron dark shaman is here in Pandaria . Obviously you weren ' t present at Orgrimmar . Were you left behind after your warchief defiled our land ? " Fire blazed in the orc ' s eyes . Hillpaw nodded . " I suspected so . You weren ' t even valuable enough to merit a thought in Hellscream ' s head when he went back to Orgrimmar . " " Here is the only deal you farmers will ever get , " Mashok snarled . " There are fifteen fellow Kor ' kron standing outside right now . You — " " Nine . There are nine . " Mung - Mung swung into the house , landing on a table . He scratched an armpit and grinned at the orc . " Mung - Mung checked twice . " Mashok spluttered . Maraad and Lyalia shared grim looks . Nine dark shaman ? Long odds , even if Old Hillpaw was right in assuming these weren ' t Hellscream ' s elite . Better than fifteen , though . Interesting that Mashok would feel the need to lie , Maraad noted . " If you pandaren have an ounce of intelligence between you , listen well , " Mashok finally said in a dangerous voice . " Release me now . Now . And I will not kill you . I will kill them " — he gestured toward Vindicator Maraad and Lyalia — " but not you . If you resist in the slightest , I will tear this house to the ground around your ears . " Old Hillpaw showed only cold , raw anger . He stepped nose - to - nose with the orc . " This land is not yours to command , " he said . " This is where I raised my family . This is where I buried my family . It will be mine and theirs forever . Do you really think we ' ll surrender to the likes of you ? " Mashok smiled down at the elder pandaren . " The deal , " he said , " no longer applies to you . The rest of you should make your decision quickly . " " Don ' t bother , " Haohan said . " We ' re not stupid . You ' re not letting any of us survive this . " The other Tillers nodded . Maraad slowly let out a heavy breath . If the Tillers had wanted to surrender . . . " We will hold them off for as long as we can , " the night elf said , exchanging another grim look with Maraad . Nine versus two . At best , they would only buy minutes with their lives . " Run to Halfhill . Sound the alarm . The Alliance will assist you . The Horde probably will , too , " she added reluctantly . " Don ' t bother with that , either , " Gina said . " We ' re not running . " " This is not your fight , " Maraad said . " It is my house , " Haohan said . " I meant what I told him . " Old Hillpaw ' s eyes were fierce . " I will not surrender to them . This land is not so easily cowed , and neither are we . And if you believe we aren ' t willing to fight , you don ' t know us very well . " Farmer Fung sniffed with disdain . " You don ' t need to lay it on so thick , Hillpaw , " he said . " But yes . I won ' t run either . " " Fools , " the orc prisoner said under his breath . " Absolute , weak idiots . Every one of you deserves what ' s coming . " Everyone ignored him . Maraad smiled . " Then here is what I propose . We lock the prisoner in your cellar . I will take the lead outside , draw their attention — " A sound cut him off . Steel clinking . Hollow thumps . Mashok ' s shackles hitting the floor . A small , thin vine quickly retreated beneath the space between two wood slats . It had picked the lock . The orc was free . Thick roots , thorny and brown , smashed through the floor of the home in three places . Vindicator Maraad did not hesitate . He flung the power of the Light . The orc staggered , fell to a knee . The roots went limp . But after a moment , the orc smiled . And stood back up . The roots twitched . Maraad continued to push the Light forward , numbing the orc , stopping him from calling upon his power , but he could feel the dark shaman stretching his will , building his strength bit by bit . The other dark shaman outside were forcing the spirits to lend him their aid . Gina picked up the shackles . " I ' ll put these back on . " " Stay where you are , " Maraad said . " I ' m not afraid of him . I can — " " Do not move any closer to him . " The draenei was relieved to see Gina step away . He had seen the orc ' s stance . Mashok would have taken her hostage or killed her outright . Maraad strained to keep the orc ' s power at bay as an unbelievable wave of strength flowed into him from outside . Those shackles wouldn ' t help at all unless Maraad could completely subdue the orc first . The Light was infinitely powerful . Vindicator Maraad believed that . But he was simply a vessel . And vessels had limits . And flaws . Maraad knew that very well . These nine dark shaman — these ten , including Mashok — would eventually overwhelm him . Someone needed to disrupt the dark shaman outside . And someone needed to keep Mashok contained . Lyalia hefted her moonglaive . Maraad could feel her concerned gaze . " Are you well ? " she asked . " Mashok and I have things to discuss , " Maraad said . " We will have our conversation in the cellar . We do not want to distract you . " Lyalia went very still . She asked a silent question with her eyes . Are you sure ? Maraad nodded . Lyalia clenched her jaw . The orc saw their wordless exchange and laughed , but Maraad redirected a bit of the Light to the floor around him . The consecrated ground crackled with energy . Only a small circle directly beneath the orc ' s feet remained untouched . Slowly , Maraad moved it toward the cellar doors . Mashok stepped along with it , amused . Maraad was sure the shaman could force his way out of the impromptu consecrated circle if he wished , but he would expend strength doing so . And it would hurt . A lot . Mashok ' s expression soured once he realized he was being corralled toward the cellar . " Fine , draenei . Let ' s end this quickly , " the orc said . He descended the cellar stairs without resistance . " Bar the doors behind us , " Maraad said . He gave a final look toward Lyalia . " Light be with you . Fight well , Sentinel . " " Join us when you can , Vindicator , " she said . The doors closed behind him , plunging the cellar into darkness . Only the shimmering Light radiating from Maraad ' s hammer allowed him to see anything at all . The orc was sitting calmly against the dirt wall to the north again . " Shall we begin , paladin ? " Mashok asked . " Yes , " Maraad said , and drew deeply from the Light . Haohan slid one of his oversized metal chopping knives between the cellar door handles . That would keep the doors shut for the moment . The pandaren stared down at the roots lying on the floor . " Snakeroot , " Farmer Fung said . " Since when do you grow snakeroot , Haohan ? " " Seen the prices on minerals at Halfhill ? The outsiders can ' t get enough of ' em . " Haohan shook his head . " Seemed like a good idea at the time . Maybe it still is . I ' ll need the money to repair my floor . " The hozen peeked out the door . " Orcs are waiting . Not moving , " Mung - Mung said . " Can we win ? " Gina ' s voice and eyes were calm . " I ' m not talking about miracles . Do we have a real chance of beating nine of these . . . dark shaman ? " Lyalia wished she could say yes . " If we fail , it will not be for lack of effort , " she decided to answer . " Nobody is unbeatable . " " Why didn ' t they attack earlier ? " Everyone turned to face Old Hillpaw . " What do you mean ? " Lyalia asked . " If they had attacked you two on the road , it would have been nine versus two . Now it ' s nine against seven . Well , six . " Old Hillpaw glanced at the cellar doors and tapped a claw on his cheek . " Why didn ' t they attack you two earlier ? " " We were moving fast . " But not that fast . " Maybe . " Hillpaw didn ' t look convinced . " Maybe it was more than one thing . This . . . Mashok . . . seems to be the strongest of the bunch . Maybe they don ' t fight as well without him . Maybe — " " What ' s your point , Hillpaw ? " Fung interrupted . " There could be many reasons they waited to attack . But they had such overwhelming numbers ; what reasons could possibly outweigh that ? It had to have been something significant . " Hillpaw ' s voice dropped to a whisper . " Perhaps we have an advantage here . They don ' t know this land . We do . " " That will certainly help , " Lyalia said carefully . " Knowledge of terrain is always vital . " " No , " Hillpaw said . " We know this land . We Tillers are not shaman . We can ' t speak to the elemental spirits . But we work with them every day . " He lifted his paws . " We care for them . We fight to protect them . We ' ve invested generation after generation into them . " Lyalia didn ' t want to give them false hope . " Dark shamanism is harsh . I do not understand every aspect of it , but I am not sure your spirits can resist . " " Mashok said the spirits here are soft . If he believes that , if the others believe that , then they are sorely mistaken , " Hillpaw said . Understanding dawned on Haohan . " Childlike . He called them childlike . " Lyalia could see all of the others ' faces brighten . " Is he wrong ? " Gina smiled fiercely . " In ways he can ' t even imagine , " she said . " That strange sound , that rhythm in the earth , " Fung said , " was probably a lot of fun for the spirits . They won ' t think it ' s so fun when they ' re told to kill the people who keep the land watered and the soil tilled . " " You saw the pond , night elf , " Hillpaw said . " Great predators grow alongside our great crops . This is not a tame valley . " " I see . " Lyalia glanced outside the door . There was still no movement . The shaman were holding their positions . Waiting . " Can we win ? " Gina asked again . " Do you have weapons ? " asked Lyalia . " We have hoes and rakes outside , " Haohan said . " Don ' t give us that look , night elf , " Fung said . " We can handle ourselves . " Lyalia schooled her expression back to calmness . They were not warriors . Untrained . But they had the right to fight for their land . " Of course . " She faced Gina . " Can we win ? I will tell you this : I spent months inside the Vale of Eternal Blossoms . I did everything I could to protect it . It was not enough . I will not let them do to your homes what Hellscream did to the vale . I would die first . " She turned toward the door . " I will take the lead . They will see me as the biggest threat . " And if they are more powerful than we hope , my quick death will warn you to run . A grim thought . " Here we go , " Lyalia said . IV . " Planning to use that ? " the orc asked . The cramped confines of the cellar made his voice unnaturally loud . Maraad glanced down at his hammer , glowing with the Light . " Not right now . " The two sat cross - legged , staring at each other across the narrow length of cellar that wasn ' t packed floor to ceiling with carrots . To the untrained observer , they might appear to be meditating , preparing for a battle . Few would know that the battle had begun . Glimmers of energy were already visible . Shining motes of yellow spun around Maraad . Dark brown and red flashes sparked around Mashok . Maraad kept the Light pressed down on the orc . Waiting for the next attack . It came quickly , a small jab , trying to seize control of the earth . Maraad brushed it aside . " Hit me once with that thing , and all this ends , " Mashok taunted . " Otherwise I ' ll keep my promise . I ' ll make you watch as they die . " Maraad didn ' t rise to the bait . He didn ' t even blink . The concentration needed to put the orc down with a hammer ' s blow would give the dark shaman an instant of uncontested access to the spirits . And that was the real danger . Not strength . Speed . Mashok was fast . Maraad would only get one swing of his hammer . He would wait . He would make it count . The orc began probing . Here . There . Again . Faster and faster . Maraad kept pace , knocking down each attempt . Rivulets of sweat soon ran down both of their faces . The colors whirled ever brighter . " You will obey me , " the dark shaman Kishok growled . The reply from the spirits of fire came back as a series of confusing , overlapping pleas : — we don ' t understand we don ' t want we don ' t know we don ' t need we hate we can ' t we won ' t — The orc extended his will through his totem and clamped down hard . The spirits howled in pain . He smiled . This wasn ' t so difficult . The spirits had rebelled briefly after Zertin forced them to kill that warren mother , but once the Kor ' kron had begun to work , the elements had been quickly brought under control . " You will lend me your strength , " Kishok said . " You will lend me a minion . Send it forth , the strongest and the mightiest of you . Bring it to me . " More howls of pain and fear . They resisted . They fought . Finally , they yielded . Kishok could feel the heat even before the minion appeared . " Yes . Good . " He straightened his back and spread his arms wide , awaiting the most powerful fire elemental of this land . Swoosh . Kishok stared down . The elemental craned its neck to look back up at him . It was barely tall enough to reach Kishok ' s knees . It seemed to be wearing a mask , ornamental . Playful . Childlike . He shook the spirits in a fury . " You mock me ! " he roared . " You dare to send this ? " The elemental shrank back , fear plainly visible in its oversized eyes . " This is an infant ! I demand strength . I demand — " " There she is ! " Another orc pointed toward the pandaren house . Shouts of alarm rose among the Kor ' kron . A lone figure sprinted out of the door . A night elf . Alliance . She was but a dark blur in the moonslight . Her moonglaive was out , all four of its blades bared . She intended to die fighting . Good , Kishok thought . The nine dark shaman gathered their might . The earth groaned . The wind howled . Kishok glared down at the fire spirit . " Banish the shadows , " he commanded . " Leave her nowhere to hide . If you are even capable of that , " he added with contempt . The small spirit lifted a hand . Fire blazed in the sky . A giant ball of rippling blue flame , perhaps fifty paces wide , hung hundreds of paces above the ground . Even at such a height , the light was blinding . Kishok shaded his eyes . The heat nearly singed his skin . Such power . . . He had misjudged this little one . Spoiled and childlike indeed , but not without use . " Excellent ! " he bellowed , laughing . " Now — " Cries of pain ripped through the night , and the air went still . The wind , and its spirits , fell silent . What ? Kishok squinted against the bright light and peered into the fields . A second cry of agony rose , and Kishok could see the night elf dashing away . Dark liquid dripped from her blade . And the wind remained still . There had been two Kor ' kron controlling it . She killed both of them ? Rage erupted within Kishok . The elemental ' s light had helped the night elf , not the Kor ' kron . " Stop that ! " The ball of fire disappeared . In its absence , absolute darkness swallowed the land . Kishok heard confused shouts . The orcs ' night vision had been obliterated . " Do as I say . We need light . Bring — " Without warning , the ball of fire returned , brighter than before . Kishok squeezed his eyes shut . He saw the veins in his eyelids . In pure , blind anger , Kishok turned to where he had last spotted the Alliance elf and unleashed his fury . The sound of thunder filled the air . He didn ' t see the other figures darting out of the home ' s front door . Old Hillpaw stayed low and went south . No immediate attacks came his way . He snatched up one of Haohan ' s rakes . The prongs were made of ghost iron . Expensive . Durable . Sharp . Perfect . The enraged shouting was a good sign ; the night elf must have killed at least one of the orcs . The flicking waves of light meant the spirits were not being completely obedient to their new masters . Those irregular flashes showed him where the orcs were . They shifted west in pairs , all looking for Lyalia . They found her . The night erupted in chaos . The earth trembled . Hillpaw kept his footing all the way to the nearest pair of shaman . They had their backs to him . Hillpaw planted his feet — just as Master Bruised Paw had taught him so long ago — and jabbed his rake ' s shaft toward one of the orcs ' throats . Cartilage crunched under the blow . The unfortunate orc fell to the ground , a high - pitched wheeze escaping his ruined windpipe . The other dark shaman bellowed in surprise . The two must have been controlling the spirits of water . Hillpaw saw that a globe of foul , dark , oily liquid vileness hung suspended over him and the orcs . But without both orcs exerting their will , the spirits apparently didn ' t feel compelled to obey any longer . The globe popped like a bubble , showering down . Hillpaw felt the first few drops sizzle against his fur , and he ducked away , rolling smoothly . The dying orc ' s gasps turned to gurgles as poisoned water splashed over his face . The other orc was utterly doused . He shrieked in pain , stumbling to the north , desperately scrambling toward the large pond , his skin burning and peeling . The gurgling continued near Hillpaw ' s feet . The pandaren swung the rake one last time , and the orc was finally quiet . Hillpaw had to pry the prongs out of the motionless corpse . That took longer than he wanted . The other orc disappeared down the slope to the water ' s edge . Hillpaw was tempted to follow , but that would take him away from the fight . He turned toward the fields instead , seeking a new target . Goosebumps rippled over Lyalia ' s skin as lightning gouged gaping holes in the ground a few paces behind her . The storm seemed to sweep in an arc — away from her , she realized after a moment . At least someone is blinder than I . The giant ball of flame flickered out again . One of the orcs began shouting angrily in the distance . She continued to run . She swerved east , across a dirt path , into the snakeroot field . Thorns tore at her legs . One stabbed deeply into her calf . She grimaced but didn ' t slow . Lightning lit the field before her . Two silhouettes , with a totem between them , were peering in the wrong direction . Too bad for them , she thought . Lyalia smiled and let her moonglaive ' s blades lead the way . " The night elf is fast , " Haohan said . " Follow her example , Father , " Gina said . The night elf was drawing the outsiders ' focus east . The Mudclaws sprinted west , looping around behind a lone orc . Odd that this one was standing by himself . The others stayed in pairs . " Together ? " she asked . " Together , " Haohan agreed . Haohan lowered his shoulder . Gina took two more steps and firmly planted the shaft of her hoe in the dirt , vaulting into the air , her foot aimed directly at the orc ' s throat . " Zertin ! Watch out ! " One of the other Kor ' kron shouted a warning from across the field . The orc turned . With a cry , he flung himself away , evading both Gina and Haohan . This one is good , Haohan thought . The orc faced them and raised his arms . " Father ! " Gina hurled herself at Haohan , knocking them both flat . Snapping teeth closed where he had been standing . The two Mudclaws scrambled back to their feet and stared into the glowing eyes of a black shadow . Lightning flashed elsewhere on the field , illuminating its shape . It was a wolf . A spirit of a wolf . It howled at them , anger and torment plain in its cry . The orc offered a savage laugh . " You have many wolves in your land . But a few less now , " he said . Then he turned to run , heading back into the fight with the night elf . The feral spirit leaped at the two pandaren . Gina swung her hoe . The farm tool hit squarely on the ghost wolf ' s flank , pushing it to the side . It snarled at her but sprang toward Haohan . He barely dodged . " Gina , give me that ! " She tossed the hoe . He snatched it and spun . Whacking virmen over the head for so many years made the movement effortless . The shaft whistled through the air , and the wolf instinctively flinched back from the sound . Haohan hesitated . Then swung the tool again . The noise made the wolf back up . " Good wolf , " Haohan said unconvincingly . " Nice wolf . " He kept swinging the hoe . The wolf ' s red gaze followed it . " Father , " Gina hissed . " What are you doing ? " " A few less , " Haohan said . " A few less wolves . That ' s what the orc said . " Haohan suddenly drove the hoe downward , planting it in the dirt . The wolf stared at it , not advancing . " I think this wolf was from this valley . " The spirit sat down on its haunches . It began whining , an unnerving sound . " Where ? The farms in the east ? " Gina asked . " Wolf packs sometimes pass through , right ? " " Yes , they do , " Gina said . " This one remembers the farmers . " Haohan gritted his teeth . " And these orcs killed it . Enslaved its spirit . " " I see . Good wolf , " Gina said , equally unconvincing . " Nice wolf . Father ? Do you think the other wolf spirits will recognize farmers , too ? " " What other spirits ? " Haohan glanced over at Gina and froze . " Oh . Those . " Seven more pairs of glowing eyes closed in on them . A parting gift from the orc named Zertin , no doubt . " I hope so , Gina . " " Wonderful , " she said in a small voice . V . The air in the cellar howled at hurricane speeds . Cracks crept up the dirt walls . The earth shook . Neither Vindicator Maraad nor the orc had moved . Their battle was one of wills . The orc could only manage the lightest touch on each element before Maraad stopped him , but with each touch , Mashok increased his control a hair ' s width . The amused smile on the orc ' s face had long since vanished . It was clear Maraad could keep pace with him . Maraad let a tiny portion of the Light leak away into the air . In it , he sent a simple message , a feeling . I am not your enemy . I am not fighting you . The message was not for Mashok . It was for Mashok ' s victims . The spirits . Maraad was a paladin , not a shaman , but perhaps the spirits would understand . " How long until you fail , Alliance ? " Mashok asked . " You haven ' t slept all week . I ' ve slept well , thanks to you . You ' ll miss a step eventually . " Every second , Mashok tried to smash Maraad with earth , to burn him to ash with fire , to force water into his lungs . Maraad deflected each attack . But the orc was right . Fatigue weighed down on Maraad ' s mind . Eventually , he would fail . Yet the draenei allowed himself an inward smile . No orc had come to Mashok ' s aid . They were all occupied aboveground . Good work , Lyalia , he thought , and blocked another assault . " Stay here , " Hooktooth whispered . " Nobody go up . " The virmen murmured with fear , shivering as hollow booms shook the earth . Only a few of their glowing red eyes were open . Another warren had already collapsed due to the battle above . There was no telling when this one might fall . " Hooktooth , we have to help , " one of the runts said . It was the same runt who had questioned the warren mother ' s plan . " Land hurting . Green tall ones hurting it . " " We stay here , " Hooktooth repeated . " What if land hurted too much ? " the runt insisted . " Tall ones can ' t grow carrots if they dead or land hurted too much . " A few of the virmen opened their eyes and looked to Hooktooth . " We stay here , " Hooktooth said , less certain . " Someone could get hurt out there , " Farmer Fung mused aloud . He crouched behind the edge of the Mudclaw home , watching as a torrent of murky air swirled around the fields . Almost as soon as he had stepped outside , the foul vortex had spawned right above him . He didn ' t think it had been meant for him , but it had taken at least a minute for it to begin winding toward the night elf . Unpleasant sounds came from beneath his feet . The cellar . The draenei and the orc must be busy , he thought . There were also unpleasant smells . Fung turned , nose wrinkling . The mushan , Thunder , stomped his large hooves , whining , frightened by the battle . He was obviously no longer constipated . A pile of leavings grew by the moment . It would make an excellent base for Fung ' s new fertilizer recipe when this nonsense was sorted out . " Fung wanna stare at poop all night ? " Mung - Mung hung from the home ' s eaves upside down , scowling at him . " I don ' t see you fighting down there , " Fung snapped . " Dookers made tornado . Mung - Mung stay in house until it pass . " The hozen flipped off the eaves and landed next to Fung . " How you wanna smash stupid shaman ? " " I ' m thinking . " Fung eyed Thunder with disdain . The pandaren briefly considered riding the mushan into battle . Very briefly . Haohan ' s beasts might pull carts easily enough , but they likely wouldn ' t be much use with a heavy pandaren on their back . Although . . . Fung scratched his chin and sized up Mung - Mung . Then he looked back at Thunder . And smiled . " Hey , Mung - Mung , " he said . Mung - Mung had followed his gaze . He shook his head vehemently . " No . Mung - Mung say no ! " " I have an idea , " Fung said brightly . " No ! " Three down . Lyalia spun and thrust . Four . She began running again , trying to stay on the razor ' s edge of safe ground among the chaos . The Kor ' kron regrouped . Fresh attacks rained down around her . A tornado curved across the fields . Already her lungs felt as if they were on fire ; she had taken a single breath of the invisible toxic fumes the last pair had conjured , and now each new breath scraped her throat like sandpaper . Jagged slivers of earth whistled past her head . One grazed her neck , adding another small cut to the many she had collected thus far . Two more dark shaman stood in front of her . One of them raised a hand . She had no chance to dodge this time . A column of burning ash slammed into her . The force of the blast bowled her over , but the attack didn ' t cease . The ash poured down from above , tiny pebbles of fire , the sheer power of it keeping her flat on the ground . Lyalia gritted her teeth and covered her head , refusing to cry out . The searing rocks flayed her . I got four , she reminded herself . Four . Not bad . Father . I will see you soon . She looked up at the orc who was only moments away from killing her . The night elf locked eyes with Kishok . He smiled and contemptuously gestured toward her with a free hand . She was instantly engulfed in flames . There . He let the rain of ash cease . Kishok peered into the darkness and spotted Zertin near the pandaren house , no doubt waiting for the proper moment to enter the cellar and end the remaining Alliance fool within . Perfect . Kishok set his totem pouch on the ground , adjusting its straps , preparing for the remainder of the battle . The orc next to him , a quiet one named Trokk , followed suit . It would be simple to finish off the farmers . A couple might run , but they would be easy enough to track . If the wind — A loud hissing sound interrupted his thoughts . Kishok spun . Steam rose from where the night elf lay . The flames were gone . The fire elemental giggled . Shimmering blue light peeked out from behind an enormous turnip . Another elemental . Water . It had extinguished the fire . It shyly tossed a small globe of water into the air . The fire spirit launched a tiny spear of white - hot flame at it , and when they collided , the globe vanished in steam and sparks . Both spirits giggled again . Are they . . . playing catch ? With a scream of rage , Kishok tried to stomp on the fire elemental . " Kishok , wait ! " Trokk called out . The fire spirit slid out of the way , and the orc ' s foot slammed into his pouch of totems . He felt several items shatter under his heel . Kishok spitted Trokk with a sharp glance . The other orc wisely kept his mouth shut . " Enough ! " Kishok snarled . The spirits refused to obey ? They wanted to play games ? Fine . This was why dark shamanism was necessary for the true Horde . The spirits had begun to shy away from responding to the warchief ' s shaman in Orgrimmar . That disobedience had been corrected swiftly . Kishok would crush this spirit . Make an example of it . He reached out with his will . And caught nothing . The fire spirit looked down at the shattered totems . And giggled again . " I don ' t need those , " Kishok said softly , stepping forward . " One way or another — " " Hey , dooker ! " The ground shook , and a warning cry from Trokk was silenced with the sound of a gruesome impact . A moment later , a beast crashed into Kishok from the side . Kishok ' s face hit the dirt . He rolled to his feet with a growl . The shape of a lumbering mushan disappeared into the high stalks of the nearby turnip fields . The orc could hear the beast slowly turning around to charge at him again . Kishok dropped into a low crouch and looked around . Trokk lay still , his head deformed . The mushan had stepped on it . Kishok heard a soft footstep in the dirt to his left — very close — and the left side of his torso went numb . The orc caught a flash of black and white out of the corner of his vision , and he desperately brought up his right arm , blocking a blow to his head . One of the pandaren farmers stared into his eyes . His paw was clutching a strange , sharp weapon . " I hate outsiders . Most of them , anyway , " the farmer said . The numbness gave way to blinding pain . Another of the strange weapons was sticking out of Kishok ' s side . His mind delivered the news without panic . The orc was well trained . He ruthlessly squashed the agony and drew himself upright . A lesser creature might fall to such an injury , but not a Kor ' kron . The pandaren slid around his right guard , clumsy , but Kishok ' s reflexes were dulled by the pain . The orc ' s other side went numb . Kishok swung , and his fist slammed into the farmer ' s face , dropping him into the dirt . Kishok pulled one of the weapons free with a snarl . It had an odd handle , curved , and it was made of junk metal . " What is this ? " " Shears , " the pandaren said in a muffled voice , holding his broken nose . " For the sheep . " Kishok could feel blood dripping from his sides . He removed the second shear . " Understand who you ' re facing , farmer . I am not a simple — " " Still alive , dooker ? " The ground shook again . The mushan had returned , and it smashed into Kishok , sending him head over heels , massive hooves mashing the soil only inches from his skull . Desperately the orc reached out . His earth totem had not been completely destroyed , and he managed to catch a spirit of earth by a fingernail . A wide swath of the field heaved , and the mushan tumbled onto its side , its hozen rider hooting with fury . The spirit wriggled and tried to escape , but Kishok refused to let go . More pandaren were approaching from the east , a male and a younger female . A much older male closed in from the west . The mushan and the remaining pandaren were south . Kishok stumbled north . There was no room for subtlety . He was bleeding . Injured . He needed distance and time to fight them off . There was a slope leading to a large pond . Kishok stood at the edge of the hill and forced the spirit to raise a wall of earth five paces high between him and the pandaren . The spirit obeyed , using the land just beneath Kishok ' s feet . Kishok fell . He skidded down the slope , all the way into the shallows of the pond . Fresh pain throbbed throughout his entire body , and for a few moments , he gasped for breath , waiting for the agony to subside . They will pay . His rage grew with each heartbeat . They will PAY . He stood up , knee - deep in the water . He could see dark swirls of his blood . His right foot bumped into something . He bent down and fished it out . A pouch . A shaman ' s totem pouch . Half of one , anyway . Kishok regarded it curiously . It looked as if it had been ripped in two — no , bitten in two . The orc felt a chill . One of the other Kor ' kron had come down to the water ' s edge . What happened to him ? The water in front of Kishok roiled . A giant mass heaved underneath the surface , jaws gaping , teeth gleaming in the moonslight . With a horrified cry , Kishok sloshed backward . The huge — the absolutely enormous — fish launched forward , lunging , snapping its mouth closed . A crunch echoed off the mountains to the north . The totem pouch fell into the shallows yet again . The fish slowly slid back into the deep . " This is why you outsiders need to eat more , " Farmer Fung said . He cupped his broken nose , grimacing . " Too skinny . If you had some padding on you , you ' d probably feel fine . " " Probably . " Lyalia groaned . She lay flat on her back . The flames had only lasted for a couple moments . Hopefully not long enough to badly injure her . Hopefully . It still hurt . She could see the water elemental that had saved her prancing in a nearby field , playing with the fire spirit . " Can you stand ? " " Let ' s find out , " she said . Fung pulled her upright . After a few heartbeats , Lyalia decided she wouldn ' t drop dead this instant , but if Maraad couldn ' t heal her within the hour , she didn ' t have high hopes . " How many are left ? " A terrible scream rang out near the pond . And then there was silence . The wall of earth blocking the slope to the water ' s edge collapsed into a pile of dirt . " One less , " Fung said . Mung - Mung hooted , patting the mushan on the head as the beast stomped his hooves . " I think there ' s only one more , " Haohan said . He cradled his left arm , wincing . A gash stood out against a patch of white fur . " Plus the one in the cellar . " " What are we waiting for ? " Gina said . Old Hillpaw grunted in agreement . " He ' s strong , Lyalia , " Haohan warned . " Very strong . " Lyalia tested her range of motion . Each movement sent pain shooting from head to toe , but at least she could swing her moonglaive . It would have to be enough . " Stay — " She hesitated . They wouldn ' t stay here even if she asked nicely . She changed her approach . " Behind me for now . Wait for him to come after me . Then strike . It has worked well for us so far . " Fung eyed her injuries with skepticism but nodded . The others did too . Zertin knelt next to the pandaren home , his fingers pressed into the dirt . He smiled . The spirits roiled under his feet , crying out , writhing . But obeying . Mashok would soon be free . Footsteps . Behind him . Zertin turned . The night elf was slowly approaching him . She looked injured . Charred . Her pandaren allies spread out behind her . A hozen was even riding a mushan in their midst . " So , " he said , raising his voice . " I ' m outnumbered . You think I ' ll surrender , don ' t you ? " Lyalia stepped closer . " No , " she said . " At least you are not a total fool , " the orc said . He spotted the father and daughter pandaren advancing with her . He called out to them . " Did you enjoy meeting my pets ? " " They ' re gone now , " the daughter said . " They weren ' t interested in killing the farmers who once fed them . " " I see , " Zertin said . " Then meet the ones I brought from Durotar . " Ghostly howls shattered the night , and a pack of wolf spirits leapt at the group . The elf turned to fight , to protect the farmers . Zertin ignored her . He sprinted into the house . There . The cellar doors . Everything in the cellar shook . Everything writhed . Everything but the orc and the draenei . The shrill of the spirits and the whirling Light formed an unending assault on the senses . Maraad squinted , forcing himself to keep his eyes open . Behind him , above him , the cellar doors rattled . " They ' re here , " Mashok said through clenched teeth . " You have failed . They ' re right above us . " I am not your enemy . I am theirs , Maraad called once more to the spirits . " That is exactly what I have been waiting for , " he said . Mashok looked confused . The cellar doors swung open . " Mashok ! " an orc voice shouted . " I ' m here to save — " Maraad whipped his hammer off his lap and threw it . With a crunch , the hammer caught the newcomer underneath the chin , taking the orc off his feet . Maraad sprang up , clearing the cellar stairs in two strides . He heard a roar of rage behind him and a swelling of power as Mashok finally seized control of the spirits . Maraad snatched his hammer and ran for the home ' s entrance only a heartbeat before thick roots shot out of the cellar , twisting , searching for prey . After that , things happened very fast . VI . " Keep that mushan away from the house , " Lyalia called out . " Dooker not listening ! " Mung - Mung shouted back , holding on to Thunder ' s neck for dear life . The ghostly wolves had been an illusion , nothing more , but the bucking mushan was utterly terrified . At least the beast was moving away . The sound of wood bending and snapping drew Lyalia ' s attention . She saw Vindicator Maraad exit the Mudclaw home at a dead run . " He is loose ! " Maraad turned to face the door . " How many left ? " " Just those two , " Lyalia said . " This is it , then ! " Maraad gave a quick glance to the pandaren . " Help if you can . " Two orcs emerged . Zertin was stumbling , a hand pressed to his jaw as though he had taken a heavy blow . The other was Mashok . The former prisoner raised his arms . Thick vines of snakeroot tangled around each of the Mudclaw home ' s support beams . The roots flexed once . The home shattered , collapsing into ruin . " Roots . Are we sure he isn ' t a druid ? " Lyalia said . Maraad sighed . More roots broke through the earth beneath Lyalia ' s feet . She danced away . The ground heaved . She could see Maraad ' s hammer glowing as he dodged a different patch of roots . " Ideas ? " she yelled . " Do not fight the spirits . Fight them . " Lyalia noticed he hadn ' t smashed any of the roots flat . " Good . I was worried this would be easy , " she said . It had been only moments since the orcs had stepped into the open . Every passing heartbeat would make her job harder . She dashed forward , ducking and weaving , resisting the urge to cut a path through the looming roots . I hope you know what you are doing , Maraad . A chasm in the earth suddenly yawned beneath her feet , and she barely managed to leap over the gap . She saw the angry red glow of magma far below . The two dark shaman slowly backed away as she advanced . Chunks of rock jutted upward between her and them . Snakeroot reached for her neck . It was impossible to close the distance . A shape darted toward the orcs from the rear . Gina . Lyalia expected her to try a quick attack , in and out , but the pandaren female leaped on Mashok ' s back , tearing at his ponytail and locking an arm around his throat . The other orc , Zertin , hesitated . Another shape closed in from the side . Farmer Fung . Lyalia and Maraad charged in . Mashok threw Gina off his back only to be bowled over by Haohan . Zertin dodged Fung ' s slashing shears , stepping into Lyalia ' s reach . The night elf swung her moonglaive once , twice . Zertin ducked the first swing , took a wound to an arm on the second . " Enough ! " Mashok was flat on his back , but he clapped his hands together , and suddenly Gina and Haohan were lifted , roots wrapped around their throats . More snatched at Fung , catching him by the ankle . " Indeed , " said Vindicator Maraad . His hammer whistled through the air . Mashok cried out and tried to roll away . The hammer still landed solidly on the orc ' s right thigh . Lyalia heard bone splintering . An instant later , three sharp root tips pierced Maraad ' s abdomen , cracking his armor . He fell with a grunt , dark blue blood dripping to the dirt . Zertin roared with rage , but his mouth clicked shut as a pandaren ' s open paw slammed into his chin . Hillpaw . Zertin dropped to his knees . Two roots punctured the older pandaren ' s shoulders and dragged him to the ground . " Hillpaw ! " Lyalia furiously drove one of her moonglaive ' s blades into Zertin ' s chest . Five , she thought . Before she could make another move , she felt a loop of root settle around her neck and pull tight . Thorns stabbed deeply into her flesh as she was yanked off her feet . Five for me . Nine out of ten between us . Not bad . Mashok lifted his hands and clenched his fists . The roots tightened , pulling the pandaren onto their backs , leaving them hopelessly entangled . Only the hozen was left free , and Mashok could hear his outraged hooting in the distance as he struggled to bring the mushan under control . The night elf yanked against the plant around her throat while the draenei breathed slowly , clutching his middle , the roots still embedded in his stomach . It was done . The spirits wept and wailed in the orc ' s mind , a fitting victory song . Zertin gasped a final breath a few paces away and went still , joining the other dark shaman in death . It wasn ' t a terrible loss , Mashok decided . His underlings had always slowed him down . " Now , " Mashok said , savoring the cold pleasure of the moment , " I keep my promises . " With a twitch of his fingers , the roots brought Vindicator Maraad to a kneeling position . " You and the night elf will die last . After I ' ve dealt with every one of these farmers you failed to protect . " " Doesn ' t matter . " The biting words came from Old Hillpaw , blood trickling from his shoulders and mouth . " You ' re alone . The land itself knows you are its enemy . " " Good . " Mashok smiled . " You ' ve spent generations tending this land ? Hear me well : I will salt this earth . I will make the spirits pay for your stupidity . I will leave this valley barren . " He looked down on the pandaren with contempt . " They will know you chose to fight me , and they will know that they are being made to destroy everything you have ever worked for . " " They already know . You mean to end them . We stood against you , " the draenei said , his voice slurred and pained . " They know . " Mashok ignored him . The land went quiet . The spirits went still . They no longer called for mercy . They no longer tried to escape . They no longer wept . Finally , submission . There was only a slight rustling in the fields behind Mashok . He didn ' t turn around . The hozen was still hollering at the top of his lungs far in the distance . Not a threat . " I will cover your lands in ash . Fire will seek out even the bugs and mites that crawl through the dirt . Nothing will grow on this soil again . And then , and only then — " " Not even carrots ? " Farmer Fung asked . He could barely force the words past the roots around his throat . Mashok fixed his gaze on the immobilized pandaren . " Not even carrots will grow on this soil ? " A long moment passed . " Even now , you mock me ? " the orc asked softly . " Even now — " " It ' s a simple question , " Fung said . " Will carrots grow here again ? " " No ! " Spittle flew . Mashok ' s words echoed across the land . " Nobody will ever grow carrots here again ! " Why was the farmer smiling ? Mashok tightened the roots around the Tiller ' s neck until the thorns broke through his flesh . " I think I will kill you first , " the orc said . Abruptly Mashok paused . The spirits were still . Too still . Too obedient . The rustling in the fields had ceased . He turned around . A sea of red , glowing eyes greeted him . Virmen . Hundreds of them . Thousands . Simply standing , watching . The rustling in the fields . . . The spirits had given Mashok no warning . A rodent stepped forward from the pack . It was the one with white - streaked fur and an oddly hooked front tooth . He sniffed the air . Mashok moved his hand in a scornful gesture . " Leave . Now , " the orc said . The virmen with the hooked tooth cocked his head but did not retreat . " You . . . kill carrots ? " Mashok bared his teeth . " Leave . " The land shook at the word . The spirits of the earth , at least , knew to obey him without question . The mass of virmen swayed with the earth ' s trembling , but their unsettling red eyes did not waver . " You say you kill carrots , " the hook - toothed virmen said . " Why kill carrots ? " This was absurd . They need an example . Coldly Mashok told the earth to swallow the lead virmen , to open a chasm beneath his feet . No , the earth said . Mashok squeezed one of the spirits . It shrieked in agony , but still it refused . Every moment of your existence will be pure pain if you do not obey me , Mashok told the spirit . He sent the same thought to the rest of them . Do not dare to disobey me again . Give in . " Other tall ones grow carrots , " the hook - toothed virmen said . " They make big carrots . You no kill carrots . You no kill tall ones . " Sear them to ash , Mashok commanded a spirit of fire . No , the spirit said , and screamed . A spirit of wind didn ' t wait for a command . I will not obey , it said . Nor will I , said a spirit of water . Mashok slammed his will into theirs , flogging them with his mind , inflicting untold suffering . And yet they did not yield . They didn ' t fight us , said the fire spirit . We will not help you . The roots loosened around the pandaren and the Alliance members . The draenei grunted as the sharp tips finally pulled free of his flesh . " No , " Mashok whispered . " You no kill carrots , " the hook - toothed virmen said again . Throughout the mass of virmen , the words were repeated . " No kill carrots . . . No kill carrots . . . " " You will bend ! " Mashok roared aloud . He knew the spirits would hear . " Or you will break ! Nothing can resist forever ! " We don ' t need to , the spirits replied in unison . We only need to resist for a few moments . Mashok only glimpsed a flash of light before something smashed into the side of his head . His cheek in the dirt , Mashok saw Vindicator Maraad ' s radiant hammer falling to the ground . The virmen surged forward . " No kill carrots ! " Mashok cried out and tried to ward off the wave of teeth and glowing eyes descending upon him . Sounds of agony emerged from the center of the hellish , squirming mass . The orc was fighting , but each virmen he sent flying hopped back into the fray within moments . Haohan watched from his knees , breathing heavily . " Always knew those rodents were good for something . Are you okay , Gina ? " His daughter waved off the question , but he could see blood beginning to mat her fur . The draenei caught Haohan ' s eyes . " Can you stop them ? " Maraad asked . He stood in obvious pain , hands clamped over his stomach wounds . He limped to Old Hillpaw and knelt down . The Light glowed around him , and the pandaren hissed in surprise . The gashes in his shoulder vanished . " Stop the virmen ? " Haohan took another look at the chaos in his fields . It appeared that the dark shaman was still alive , struggling , but being dragged toward a nearby warren hole . " Why would I want to ? He destroyed my house . " Lyalia slowly walked to Haohan . " Believe me , I understand the feeling , " the night elf said . " But no matter what he deserves , it is better if we take him alive . " " Justice ? " " He is a dark shaman , " Lyalia said . " Few have been taken alive , and few are as strong as this one . Anything we can learn from him will help . " After a moment , she smiled , adding , " Justice , too . " Haohan rubbed an aching shoulder and shook his head ruefully . " You ' re right . This is too easy an end for him . " With a groan , he stood and stumbled into the mass of wreckage that was once his house . " Now where was . . . ? Ah , " he said , pulling aside some of the roofing and revealing the open entrance to the cellar . Even in the darkness before dawn , the rows of giant carrots were visible . " Gina , would you make the invitation ? " Gina grimaced with pain and cleared her throat . " Carrots ! " she yelled . The virmen instantly went silent , glowing red eyes turning toward her . " Here are our carrots ! With thanks ! So much for our harvest . " She muttered the last . Haohan pointed toward the cellar and gave an exaggerated nod . " All of our carrots ! Here you go ! " The creatures hesitated , looking at each other , at the orc , and back at the pandaren . The hook - toothed one abandoned the dark shaman first . Hundreds followed suit . Vindicator Maraad waded against the tide of virmen . Not every one of them had given up beating and gnawing on the orc , and the draenei gently pushed those that remained to the side . They grumbled but soon gave in to the temptation in the cellar . Mashok ' s eyes were wild . The rest of him looked like ground meat . Maraad knelt next to him , preparing to heal him . " I suspect , " Maraad said , " that did not end how you imagined it might . " Dawn broke . VII . The cart creaked loudly . Soon the Mudclaw home disappeared over the horizon . Vindicator Maraad kept his attention on the orc . His chest armor lay beside him ; the battle had left it cracked and damaged . He had remarked that he would need to get it repaired or replaced . Lyalia scanned the fields , but her gaze drifted to the road behind them . Maybe three dozen virmen were closely following Haohan ' s cart , staring at Mashok . In daylight , their glowing red eyes weren ' t as menacing , but every time one of them yipped , Mashok flinched . The orc was back in his shackles and hadn ' t said a word since sunrise . Maraad had spent the morning healing the others . And himself , last . Lyalia had kept the orc company . Haohan had sent word to Halfhill that he was in need of workers to rebuild his home ; outsiders were welcome to apply . Fung had objected strongly to the final part . " I ' ve been thinking , " said Haohan . His paws rested lightly on the reins . " What would have happened if we had wanted to surrender ? " " But you did not , " Lyalia said . " Still . Our friend ' s offer . Your lives in exchange for ours . If we had believed him and wanted to take him up on it , what would you have done ? " The cart creaked along in silence . " Seems like it would ' ve been a pickle for you two . Do you fight us to save your own lives ? Or do you give up and allow yourselves to die for an offer you know is a sack of mushan pies ? " Haohan chuckled . " Some might call you two fools if you had chosen the second option . " " Some might . " " Some might call the whole Alliance a great heaping flock of fools for capturing defeated enemies instead of gutting them , because they might be a bit dangerous , " Haohan said . " Some might , " Maraad said . " Mmm . " Haohan tugged on the reins , and the cart turned south at a fork in the road . Toward Krasarang . Toward Lion ' s Landing . " Look at me . Jawing the whole trip . Talkin ' nonsense . Annoying you two after that rough night we all had . " Lyalia and Maraad shared a quick glance . The draenei shook his head in amusement and returned his scrutiny to the orc . Mashok flinched again as a virmen hopped up on the rear of the cart , yipped loudly , then bounced back onto the road . " Still , I ' ve been thinking , " Haohan continued . " Maybe you can stand to bear a little more of a farmer ' s philosophizing . I wonder if the people who ' d call y ' all fools aren ' t missing the point . If you claim a standard , you have to live by it . Win or lose . Else the standard never meant nothing . You Alliance folk like to claim all sorts of civilized standards . I bet some people might think that puts you a step behind when the going gets tough . " " Some might , " Lyalia said . " Mmm . Still , I ' ve — " " — been thinking ? " asked Maraad . " How ' d you guess ? What I ' ve been thinking is this : being all civilized probably does put you a step behind . If people trust you not to put a knife in their back , they get to scheming that maybe they could put one in yours without a problem . " Haohan cracked the reins . " But that ' d be a mistake , wouldn ' t it ? There ' s nothing quite as frightening as a civilized person roused to anger . Some might not like what they get when they force good people to fight them . " " They might not , " Maraad agreed . " Are the virmen going to follow us all the way to the coast ? " asked Lyalia . " Probably , " Haohan said . The orc shivered . The cart rolled on .