The Flame That Fell From the Sky

Tian Sang opened his eyes and gazed at the silent stone chamber, a wry smile inevitably tugging at his lips. Although it felt like he had just woken from a dream, it was no dream; he had truly struck a bargain with a Serpent Goddess Loa.

"Must hurry." Thinking of the deal, Tian Sang shivered. He didn't have time to dwell on it, quickly rising from the floor to gather his things before rushing toward Battleaxe Ridge.

By the time he reached Battleaxe Ridge, the sky had already darkened. The Forest Trolls, unaware of the impending disaster, were preparing to rest in their quiet camp. Tian Sang did not make a scene, instead quietly seeking out Lostro.

"Are you certain?" Upon hearing of the fire magic about to descend upon Battleaxe Ridge, Lostro was startled. Years ago, at the foot of the Alterac mountains, the Amani Empire had clashed with humans and Elves under the guidance of Zandalar. The humans had relied on a hundred novice mages to bring a rain of fire down from the sky, causing the trolls to scatter in a rout and lose the battle.

"Certain. This is a retaliation by the Elves and humans. The Goddess has already given me guidance; tomorrow, She will send a warning to everyone, and you must do as I say," Tian Sang said, looking at the shocked Lostro.

"What kind of warning?" Lostro forced himself to calm down, trying not to think of the scene of those raging flames descending. He knew that while Forest Trolls possessed excellent regenerative abilities, such power was nullified by searing flames, making fire one of the most direct weapons against them.

"Wait until tomorrow!" Tian Sang offered no further explanation, telling Lostro only to wait.

Faced with the sudden news, Lostro felt anxious but helpless, eventually drifting into a fitful sleep. Early the next morning, he was awakened by the commotion of the trolls in the camp.

"What happened?" Lostro climbed up and pushed open his tent flap to see Tian Sang approaching from the side.

"The Goddess's warning has begun." Tian Sang looked at Lostro as he emerged from the tent and gestured upward with his chin.

Lostro followed Tian Sang's gaze and saw countless birds circling above the Battleaxe Ridge camp, fleeing toward the depths of the Zul'Aman mountains. Not only that, but many small animals were also scurrying through the camp, bypassing the nearby trolls as they bolted toward the mountains of Zul'Aman.

"Tell me, what is going on?" Lostro pulled over a passing troll to ask.

"The birds and beasts are all retreating into the depths of the Zul'Aman forests. They seem to have been frightened by something," the random troll replied, looking at the rushing creatures with a bewildered expression.

"Make your decision! This is the Goddess's instruction," Tian Sang said, watching Lostro as he gripped the passerby.

"What do you want me to do?" Lostro shifted his tusks and asked Tian Sang.

"Starting now, clear the trees. Clear a wide path from here, leading straight to Zul'Aman. We only have one day," Tian Sang said, pointing toward the direction from Battleaxe Ridge to Zul'Aman.

"Understood." Lostro looked at Tian Sang's finger, and after a long moment of contemplation, he decisively issued the order. He commanded the trolls to start chopping down trees, clearing a wide belt through the forest between Battleaxe Ridge and Zul'Aman.

Trolls could capture plenty of prey in the forest and were adept at ambush tactics in the mountains; cutting down trees went against both their combat habits and their way of life. This logging soon drew the interference of the Witch Doctor priests and hunters.

"This is the instruction of Ulathek. A disaster is descending upon us, and we must prepare our defenses." Tian Sang threw out the Serpent Goddess as a shield against the interfering Witch Doctors and hunters, all while observing their expressions.

Faced with the command of a Loa, the Witch Doctors and hunters looked at one another. Most of them expressed confusion and began asking about the nature of the disaster, but one or two of the priests wore different expressions.

"Our enemies will summon a fire, hoping to crush us just as they did at the foot of the Alterac mountains." Watching the varied expressions of the priests, Tian Sang was certain that news of the enemy's fire attack was not known only to Ulathek, but Ulathek had already gained the initiative in this struggle for faith.

At Tian Sang's explanation, the faces of the Witch Doctors and hunters changed drastically. The history of that defeat against the humans and Elves left a deep scar on the memory of the trolls; since that war, the Forest Trolls had lost their dominance over this continent.

Beyond the weight of history, the Witch Doctors and hunters were filled with terror. Although they hadn't experienced that war themselves, they had heard from their elders of the carnage; the fire falling from the sky would wipe out the army at Battleaxe Ridge.

"Ulathek has already given instructions; we can deal with this attack." Tian Sang looked at the slightly panicked crowd and spoke solemnly, urging everyone not to fear, for they had a powerful backer.

"Then what do we need to do?" Although having a Loa on their side made the Witch Doctors slightly calmer, they remembered that there had been a Loa on their side during that past war, along with Zandalar Witch Doctors, and they had still lost.

"Clear the path, and concentrate our forces." Tian Sang spoke with certainty.

"Are you sure about concentrating forces, rather than evacuating?"

"Yes, I am sure. We cannot simply retreat, because the enemy will follow our retreat and pour their magic directly into Zul'Aman. We must have a rational counterattack plan." Tian Sang nodded firmly, explaining that fire magic was controlled and would follow the retreating forces to unleash its power upon Zul'Aman.

Faced with Tian Sang's words, the Witch Doctors and hunters had nothing left to say. They could only follow his instructions, arranging for everyone to chop trees, clear a safe zone in the forest, concentrate the soldiers in the camp, and dispatch scouts to create a massive show of force.

Through the trolls' tireless efforts, a large stretch of forest between Battleaxe Ridge and the ancient city of Zul'Aman was successfully cleared within a day. By nightfall, the warriors were mostly sleeping within the ancient city of Zul'Aman, and piles of wood were stacked in the open space.

As the morning sun slowly rose from the east of the Zul'Aman mountains, waves of energy began to ripple through the western sky. The Witch Doctors and hunters were the first to sense the situation, arranging for the remaining personnel to quickly retreat along the cleared forest path to the front of Zul'Aman city.

Within five minutes of the energy fluctuations, most of the troll warriors had retreated from Battleaxe Ridge. In the sky above the ridge, dazzling flames coalesced into red clouds, and fireballs of all sizes fell from the heavens. The entire Battleaxe Ridge was ignited by the retaliatory rain of fire, just as the Eversong Woods had been set ablaze that night, the light of the flames illuminating the mountains and forests.

"Ulathek above." Lostro looked at the towering, dazzling flames, his mouth slightly agape. But before he could be shocked, he was pulled away by Tian Sang.

"We must prepare to respond." Tian Sang looked at the distant, glaring firelight and said to Lostro.