"Fandral."

"Lord Cenarius."

The tone that Fandral Staghelm takes is one that has Cenarius narrowing his eyes at the Night Elf Archdruid in response. It's not quite disrespectful, but it's certainly toeing the line.

"… You seem unhappy to be here, Archdruid Staghelm. One would think you would jump at the chance to convince me your plan for a new World Tree is not the depths of folly."

Fandral's lips thin out and then pull back in the faintest hint of a snarl at that.

"Respectfully, Lord Cenarius… I shouldn't have to convince you. This new World Tree I have in mind… it should be something you have no problem putting your support behind. After all, are we not your children? Would you see us wither away and die after it was your plan that saw Nordrassil burn in the first place?"

From his hiding place nearby, Rognak intakes sharply at that. That was no longer toeing the line. Now? Now Fandral was indeed being disrespectful to the Lord of the Forest. Still… there wasn't anything actionable in the things he'd said just yet. In fact, his anger was perfectly reasonable if you took everything people knew about him on a surface level alone.

That doesn't stop the Night Elf Druid hidden at Rognak's side from stiffening at Fandral's tone, however.

… It had been a couple months now since the Battle for Mount Hyjal. With the Legion's Second Invasion of Azeroth a complete and utter failure, they had all been able to turn their attention towards other problems. Rognak certainly preferred focusing on the myriad of things currently on his plate, if nothing else then to be able to avoid thinking too long and hard on his mess of a love life.

Oh, don't get him wrong… Shandris and Jaina were both great. He just wasn't sure how he'd ended up in a committed relationship with BOTH of them, and with the two not just aware of the other but completely okay with it as well. But… in the end, it wasn't relevant to the matter at hand. Which meant that Rognak could set it aside for now and focus on Fandral Staghelm and the threat he posed to… everything.

Teldrassil was a nice idea in theory. On paper, it made sense. With the loss of Nordrassil… why not? Why shouldn't the Night Elves try to build a new home for themselves? Except Rognak knew better. He knew exactly what Fandral was really up to, just as he knew that the attempt to regain their immortality would ultimately fail. Teldrassil would wind up a twisted nightmare of what they were trying to create, and worst of all the real cost of planting it would not be felt for many years to come.

Well, not this time around. This time around they had a chance to nip this in the bud, literally. With no Teldrassil, Fandral would have no central location to plant the cutting from the Nightmare Lord's tree. He would not be able to corrupt the Night Elves' new home at its roots. In the end, the Night Elf People didn't NEED Teldrassil. In fact, Rognak privately felt like its creation made them too isolated and insular from their own lands.

When the majority of the Night Elves moved to the new World Tree to be under Fandral and Tyrande's combined aegis, it seemed to Rognak that that had left the Night Elf Lands on the main continent underpopulated and thus under-defended. Everything from demons to naga to… yes, even his own people the orcs had been able to take chunks out of Night Elven Lands practically uncontested, or so it felt like.

This time around, Rognak wanted to keep the Night Elves closer. Not just because they and the orcs had a much better relationship and he wanted to continue strengthening those ties, but also so that they would confront the problems plaguing their forests and not allow them to fester well into the future. Without Teldrassil to distract and bog them down, it was Rognak's hope that Northern Kalimdor could truly prosper.

… But first, Fandral.

"You would do well to watch your words with me, Fandral. Archdruid you might be, but I walked these forests before your people took their first steps. If you wish to have my blessing in taking Malfurion's place among the Night Elves, you will show me respect."

Fandral's jaw clenches, and his body tenses like a pulled-taut bow. Rognak himself tenses up as well, waiting for the moment when the Archdruid would attack. There was a reason for all of this… theater, to be clear. Cenarius believed him of course. He believed that Rognak was telling the truth about Fandral's allegiances and his treachery.

However, when they'd discussed Rognak's memories of the original events, Cenarius had been concerned by what the orc druid had to say about Fandral's original ambush of Malfurion. Or rather, what he didn't have to say. The truth was, Rognak didn't know how Fandral had taken Malfurion down in the original version of events. His second set of memories were incredibly vague.

Cenarius had taken this into consideration… and decided they needed back up. Which was why Broll Bearmantle was here now. The antlered druid had comported himself well in the Battle of Mount Hyjal. He'd been part of the crew fighting within Fandral's Tree of Eternity in fact. When the Tree had gone down, it had been Broll's daughter who pulled her father free, and his daughter who had dragged him over to her Nightsaber and evacuated him from the area.

She'd saved his life, and Rognak was glad for that. But having him here now meant they needed Fandral to confess. They needed incontrovertible proof that the Archdruid was working with the Nightmare Lord, for Broll's sake if nothing else.

However, while Fandral tenses up, he doesn't attack as Rognak is hoping he would. Instead, he keeps speaking.

"… I wonder, Lord Cenarius, if you ever intend to give me your blessing. You already seek to stifle me at every turn. You call me Archdruid, but you reject the idea of a new World Tree, of renewed immortality for our people. And you spend all of your time cavorting with those… savages instead of those of us who have followed you loyally for more than ten-thousand years. Will you see me elevated to Malfurion's old position… or will you put your pet orc in what is rightfully my place instead?"

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Wow. That was… Rognak has to hold in a snort, imagining himself being named Archdruid of the Night Elf people instead of Fandral, of being tasked with essentially setting druidic policy for a bunch of elven druids who are over ten thousand years older than him. Yeah, that would be pretty ridiculous. But then, that right there exposes the flaw in Fandral's entire argument. He's grasping at straws here.

"Nature is Savagery, Fandral Staghelm. It is Savagery Manifest, in its purest form. The young Warsong Chieftain and his students require more of my attention and tutelage then you or yours do. Unless you think I somehow went wrong in my original teaching of your people, and that you all need… remedial training."

Fandral bristles at having his words thrown back in his face like that. His teeth grind together as his jaw remains clenched and his hands curl into fists at his side. After a moment, he snarls.

"So then you admit your favoritism! You admit that it is these… idiotic, musclebound creatures who have your focus!"

For a long moment, Cenarius is quiet. When he finally speaks, his tone is deceptively soft.

"I admit nothing, Fandral. Save that you continue to disappoint me at every turn. Is this the depth of your persuasive abilities? Insulting me and my students while trying to convince me to see things your way? Or perhaps is it merely that you never intended to persuade me of anything at all?"

The Archdruid goes stiff at that, his eyes widening at Cenarius' accusation. Gazing down upon the Night Elf, Cenarius gestures at Fandral with a set of branch-like claws.

"You reek of it, Fandral. How long, I wonder? How long have you served your Master the Nightmare Lord?"

Rognak grows tense again, ready to spring into action now that Cenarius has accelerated this conversation towards what feels like it's inevitable violent conclusion. The thing is, he's pretty sure the Forest Demigod is bluffing. Cenarius had confided in Rognak multiple times before now that he truly couldn't sense Fandral's duplicity. It was hidden from his senses far too well, and while he'd been able to check on other things to confirm the threat of the Emerald Nightmare and the Nightmare Lord were both very real, Fandral gave off not a whiff.

It was almost enough to make Rognak himself doubt whether or not the Archdruid had been turned yet. Was it possible he remembered incorrectly? Was it possible that Fandral didn't even know he was a double agent, somehow?

… But no. At Cenarius' words, Fandral Staghelm slowly begins to change, his entire countenance morphing from haughty to shocked in an instant.

"You… how? How can you possibly know?"

For a moment, Cenarius lets the Archdruid's question hang in the air. Then, he shakes his head.

"I didn't. Not for sure. Not until you confirmed it for me, Fandral."

And there it is. Rognak is hardly surprised when Fandral freezes for a brief moment before letting out a howl of anger at being tricked. But then, a duplicitous traitor had no reason to be mad over being the victim of duplicity in turn, really. Alas, Fandral clearly didn't get the memo.

"You! You ask me how long?! Long enough! Long enough to know that the Nightmare Lord's path is the ONLY way forward! Long enough to know that this world is WRONG! And the only way to make it RIGHT is through the Nightmare itself!"

Whisps of darkness and shadow begin to coil and grow off of Fandral's being. Cenarius takes a step back and Rognak and Broll both rise from their hiding places. A quick glance at the antlered Night Elf shows that Broll Bearmantle has seen and heard more than enough. The druid looks infuriated by Fandral's treachery, his teeth bared in an enraged snarl.

"Fandral! What have you done?!"

Whipping around, Fandral's eyes go wide from under the shadow roiling off of them. As it coils around his body, pooling at his feet more and more, he growls.

"So then. A trap. I suppose I should have known. Oh, but this is perfect. Three birds with one stone…"

Before any of them can react, Fandral throws his hand out in Cenarius' direction. Rognak's eyes widen as a powerful working of Nightmarish Power flings from his shadow and slams into the Lord of the Forest. The Demigod grunts… and then slumps, falling to the ground as a coating of the disgusting oily black ooze covers him.

Turning back to them, Fandral lets out a dark chuckle, looking like quite the madman now as he spreads his arms wide.

"Did you think Lord Xavius did not send me here without a way to disable a Wild God? I might not have a second and third working for you two… but that's fine. It's better this way, in fact. I will enjoy rending you both limb from limb. And then, with all three of you out of my way, the path forward will be clear. Teldrassil WILL be planted. A monument to the Nightmare Lord in every way."

Rognak unslings Wolfsong from his back, while Broll begins to transform into his namesake, a massive bear steadily taking up more and more space in the cavern where Cenarius and Fandral came to meet. But if Fandral is worried, he doesn't show it. In fact, he laughs at them some more, the most joy that Rognak has seen from the dour, haughty, and altogether arrogant blowhard of an Archdruid since they met.

"Even together, you two cannot defeat me. But I will enjoy watching you try and fail all the same."

However, before battle can be joined… before Rognak and Broll can rush forward or Fandral can lunge towards them with shadowy claws outstretched… there's a chime. A single chime, but one that startles Fandral and causes him to whip around in confusion.

"What?! No!"

There, hovering in the air right above Cenarius' downed form, is a single glimmer of Emerald Light. However, it does not stay so small. Another chime sounds, and the glimmer doubles in size. And then again. And again. Fandral howls and goes to charge at it, but Rognak reaches out and roots erupt from the ground, assailing the Archdruid's footwork.

It's only the work of moments for Fandral to break himself free of Rognak's distraction, but in the end… moments are all that are needed. By the time he's able to focus on the Emerald Light again, it has coalesced into a being. Floating in the air above the incapacitated Lord of the Forest is the glowing green ghostly form of Malfurion Stormrage.

"Did you think Cenarius foolish enough to meet with you without assistance from the Dream, given what he suspected Fandral? Did you really think it would be that easy?"

He looks coldly down upon Fandral as the other Archdruid gapes up at him… and then with purpose and intent, reaches down and brushes a single emerald hand across his teacher's brow.

In an instant, the coiling, writhing mass of shadow and inky blackness that has covered the Lord of the Forest is dispelled. Blasted apart by the illuminating green energy of the Emerald Dream itself. The Nightmare Lord had long survived by hiding in the shadows. And while events over the next several years would have originally given him all the power he needed to come out into the light without fear… those events had not taken place just yet. For now, at least… the Dream was still stronger than the Nightmare.

Cenarius intakes sharply and Fandral's eyes widen as he lets out a howl of anger.

"NO!"

But it's much too late. The traitorous Archdruid's attacks are blocked by the awakened Lord of the Forest, who rises back to his feet after deflecting Fandral's desperate charge and pushing him away. Eyes narrowed now in righteous fury; the Forest Demigod rises to his full height before wincing a bit. Still, even though he's clearly not quite at his best, Cenarius nevertheless speaks with a clear and decisive tone.

"Fandral Staghelm. You have betrayed your people. You have betrayed the Emerald Dream. And you have betrayed yourself. Surrender, and submit to the judgment of those you have wronged."

"Surrender… surrender? Ahaha… ahahaha… BAHAHAHAHA!"

Rognak's hands clench tightly around Wolfsong's haft. He knows even before the maniacal laughter starts up that there's no way Fandral will surrender without a fight.

They've made their moves. They've exposed Fandral's treason. They've managed to block the Archdruid's attempt at taking Cenarius out of the fight.

But the battle… the battle has only just begun.