Mannoroth's forces pointed straight at Mount Hyjal, and the demigods' preparations were complete. A great battle could break out at any moment! Yet neither side showed any intention of attacking directly. They were still gathering strength, each waiting for their elite forces to arrive. Cenarius was waiting for the dragons, while Mannoroth was waiting for his master, Archimonde. The failure of Suramar's defense cast a shadow over the war across all of Kalimdor. Tichondrius's forces had several options: head west to support Mannoroth, or march east and seize Suramar directly.
As the saying went, better a godlike enemy than piglike allies. Just as Tichondrius hesitated over Archimonde's order to march west, Suramar's temporary ruler, Elisande, made the decision for him. After the failure of the front-line defenses, Suramar's nobles lived in constant fear. Dalsdair Star-Eye, a famously useless coward, was pushed forward to form a new city defense legion. Most of the elite had followed Jarod to Zin-Azshari, while those who had lost the will to resist returned to Suramar. Dalsdair Star-Eye used them as the framework to rebuild a legion. It was obvious that soldiers who had already been beaten into submission by the Burning Legion could never withstand Tichondrius's frenzied retaliation. The moment Tichondrius saw his wings hanging from the city walls, fury burned in his chest. And when he thought of how he could soon obtain the Pillar of Creation—the Eye of Aman'Thul—his blood began to boil. Do not assume the Burning Legion was a single united force. It had factions as well, and Tichondrius happened to be Kil'jaeden's direct subordinate! Like Archimonde, Kil'jaeden was Sargeras's right-hand man. They were rivals, and naturally each had his own schemes. Tichondrius did not want to head to the western front and waste his forces in a war of attrition.