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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	By : ShigeSato Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 1044 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The locations and some of the spells and characters described herein belong to Activision Blizzard. I do not own World of Warcraft and I make no money from this work.

Chapter List
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It took the pair another week to get to Darnassus. The journey was arduous, particularly through Darkshore, when they had arrived at Auberdine to take the boat and come upon mere debris and destruction, festooned with raging elementals and spirits. Disheartened, they had wandered aimlessly for a while before coming across an elven scout at the ruins of Bashal'Aran, who had pointed them north to the new outpost of Lor'danel.
It ha also been a whirlwind, emotionally, for both of them. Farlin was still finding it hard to believe that Jared was his, and was consequently caught up in thoughts and fantasies for most of the trip. Jared, too, was contemplating the commitment he had made, and the new options that were now open to him. He was still harbouring doubts, which was natural, and was trying to work through them in his mind, to organise and collect his musings. Most of all, he was worried about what would happen when this journey ended. They could never return to Stormwind, that was certain; they would have to forge a new life elsewhere. Perhaps, he thought, Darnassus would provide some answers – but if not, he was sure they would be able to think of something.
Jared was still nervous about the physical side of the new relationship, too. He was very unused to thinking of men in such a way, and though Farlin was very different to most men he knew, it was still a very strange concept to him. Farlin recognised this and was very patient – after all, he knew from experience it had taken him twelve years to become accustomed to his sexuality, and Jared was not, deep down, born that way. He had made peace with the fact that it may take a long time before he was ready to do anything, and was happy for the moment in the knowledge that Jared was beside him and willing to forge a relationship. On the ship from Lor'danel to Darnassus, it was the first time Jared had felt confident enough to sleep next to Farlin, and he had pushed the beds in their cabin together to make one big enough for the both of them. It took him a while to go to sleep, with the other man so close to him (so did Farlin, but for entirely different reasons, as he painfully remembered the last night he had spent on a ship), but he had slept deeply and well.
When morning dawned and the ship docked at Rut'theran Village, they gathered their possessions and clambered off the deck onto the small town at the bottom of Teldrassil. This, too, had been changed by the cataclysm, severed from the World Tree by Deathwing's fire, but miraculously the elves had managed to keep the portal to Darnassus open. They passed through with friendly nods to the elven inhabitants and the exiled worgen, newly emerged from the ruins of Gilneas, that had taken up residence there. Farlin found their stares a little creepy as he passed by – their eyes were grey and their clothes were drab, resembling the stories he had heard of their city of old. They didn't seem altogether unfriendly, but their gazes held a strange potency, and Farlin was wary of them. It was like they were going to eat him on the spot – which, in reality, they probably could.
Jared took out the logbook from his backpack and skipped to the back page to look up Elanna's address, then glanced round, completely lost in this land of night and leafy darkness. Finally he closed it and said, "I think it's that way," pointing towards the gates, but a little further west. Farlin took his word for it and headed over the stone bridges towards the terrace, albeit with a little trepidation as he glances down into the rippling, sparkling water. It was eerily lit up when the rest of the city was in darkness. Perturbed, he stared forward until they were back onto solid earth, then looked left and right. "Where was it, Jared?" he asked, turning to face the other man.
"There," Jared replied with a smile, pointing. "She lives at the inn." Farlin followed his gaze and saw a large building with purple and green bricks and a colourful roof. There was no front door; it was open to the city, as he supposed night elves were inherently more trusting than humans could ever be about their property. He didn't think he would ever understand their culture, for as long as he lived – Darnassus could not feel further from home. He steeled himself, though – this was the moment when his long journey was finally over, the moment when Tamri's last request was fulfilled and he could grieve properly for the elf, and move on with his new life with Jared.
They approached the inn cautiously, and the pretty innkeeper smiled graciously and invited them in. "We're looking for Elanna," Farlin said, glancing around. The building was very simple, though not typical of elven architecture, and panelled with wood all the way around. At the mention of Elanna's name, the innkeeper took on a sombre air, as if she had been waiting for this, and nodded. "This way, sirs."
She led them up a flight of stairs to the rooms, and knocked on one of the doors adjacent to the top of the staircase. There was a fumbling from inside, and another elf opened the door. She was beautiful, with long purple hair that tumbled down her back, a shapely body and a silver sheen to her skin. "Can I help you?"
"They are here for you, Elanna," the innkeeper said, and bowed. "I will leave you now."
Elanna smiled sweetly at them, and stepped back to allow them into her room. They sat down cautiously, aware that they had to bring very bad news. Looking at the elf now, Farlin could understand why Tamri was so upset when she left him – and why he loved her. She was simply breathtaking. She perched opposite them and waited, unblinking, her expression serious, as though she knew what was to come.
"We...we've come about Tamri," Farlin cleared his throat. He hated to be the bearer of such awful tidings. Luckily, the elf cut in and saved him from having to say any more.
"I knew this day would be coming soon," she sighed. "He warned me to expect you."
"Expect us?" Jared asked, surprised.
"Well, not you personally, but someone, with a message for me. He told me that in the course of this mission he would embark upon, he was to die." She said the final sentence with a hint of emotion, rare for an elf to display. "Now I know the day has finally come."
Farlin frowned, puzzled. "I don't understand." Tamri had said to him that Elanna had left him, and if he had married her, he would have lived. But this elf did not seem like someone who had jilted her betrothed at the altar – and how could she possibly have known of his other fate?
Elanna paused. "He did not tell you of his power of prophecy. I see."
"No," Farlin said, "he did – but the version he told me doesn't seem to add up."
"What did he tell you?" she asked, cocking her head.
"That he had two futures. The first was to marry you, in which he would have had a long life, lived it out in Darnassus and enjoyed happiness. However, he told me that you fled on the day of your wedding and left him to his other fate – leaving for Vash'jir, and eventual death."
Elanna smiled sadly. "Poor, sweet Tamri – he was always so humble."
Slowly, the truth began to dawn on Farlin. Elanna had not left Tamri – the elf had left her voluntarily. He had taken it upon himself to journey to the underwater region, knowing that his death awaited him at the end of it. The question was, why?
Jared was the one who voiced the query, the same truth having evidently befallen him. "Why?"
"If Tamri had lived," Elanna explained, "and had never gone on the ship, every soldier in that fleet would have perished, and consequently nobody would have been able to return to Stormwind to warn the King. Nobody would have stopped the endless flow of deaths to that monster – the ships would have kept on coming. Everything that you accomplished under the ocean would never have happened, for you too would surely have perished. Stormwind's men would have slowly been wiped out, and the Horde would have taken Vash'jir, the island – and crucially, the city – for themselves. Tamri foresaw these events and could not allow the killing to continue. He saw an opportunity to save thousands of lives, and thought that this justified sacrificing his own."
Farlin couldn't respond. He was in shock. He had already thought highly of the elf for his services to himself alone, but this – he deserved to be honoured like a king. The idea that he volunteered to give his life for people he didn't even know, people he would probably never meet, who would never know about the sacrifice he had made for them; and to willingly give up a future with the beautiful Elanna and not reveal it to anyone else, even those he would save – Farlin could not imagine what kind of inner strength and bravery Tamri must have had. He felt emotion rising in his throat, and looked sideways at Jared, who was staring at the floor. Elanna was more composed; she watched Farlin, her features sad but accepting, and at the sight of this a single tear rolled down his cheek. He really felt for her; he could not imagine allowing Jared to sacrifice himself like that, to give up his love in the name of martyrdom. He would probably follow him over the edge.
"If I may ask," Elanna inquired, "how – how did it happen?" Her voice quivered.
Farlin was still too emotional to respond, so Jared cleared his throat and said huskily, "Inside a sea-god called Nespirah. We were sent in by the Earthen Ring to save some soldiers enslaved by the naga – Tamri was one of them. He joined us in the final fight, with four score men, to defeat the naga leader and free the demi-god from their oppression, but unfortunately...he perished. One of our men lost his leg in the fight as well. I'm so sorry we had to be the ones to tell you."
Farlin looked up. "I was with him," he managed to choke out, "right at the end. He wanted me to tell you, Elanna – to tell you he always loved you – and to give you this." He reached inside his tunic and took the mana gem in his hand. As always, it emanated Tamri's aura, and now Farlin could feel it stronger than ever. He was proud to have known the elf who would be such a hero. Regretfully, he pulled the gem off his neck and handed it over to her. It had almost become a part of him, like a comfort blanket, in the last couple of weeks, and it was hard to let go of the last shred of his friend that remained. Without it, he felt Tamri's presence disappear, and once more tears started to flow.
He wasn't the only one. Upon receiving the gem, Elanna fingered it sorrowfully, and silent tears rolled down her cheeks. "I am glad that one small part of my love remains," she mumbled, hiding her face, and clutching the amulet close to her breast. "Thank you for bringing me this."
"It was my honour," Farlin managed to reply stoically, through his sobs.
They stayed with Elanna for another hour or so, recovering from the emotion of the moment, and they regaled her with stories of Tamri's feats both on and off the ship that had saved both their lives. She was glad to hear more of her would-have-been-husband's adventure, doomed as it may have been, and when Farlin recounted the conversation they had had at the campfire – which Jared was also hearing for the first time – he left nothing out. Elanna smiled. "I am glad he helped you find peace, then," she said. "He did many great things in his time, but there is nothing so great as solving a matter of the heart."
Farlin nodded. "I will always honour his memory."
"And rightfully so," Elanna replied.
After a while, Farlin and Jared stood up and bade farewell to Elanna. She was very grateful for their visit, and wished them luck on their journey. Farlin felt a sense of completion at the end of the conversation, as if he had finally done what he was bound to do, and now he could choose his own path once more. And Jared would be beside him.
The two men walked back out into the centre of Darnassus, and stopped. Jared sat down heavily on the edge of one of the stone bridges, seemingly deep in thought. Farlin joined him, dipping his toes in the water, watching the ripples his boots made on the glowing surface. A small frog hopped past him, croaked and splashed into the stream, vanishing under the water. He smiled.
"I – I never knew, Farlin," Jared said suddenly, as if waking from a reverie.
"About what?" Farlin enquired, eyes still on the water, engaged in watching the patterns.
"About you. How you felt. So long ago – when we were fifteen. I wouldn't have had a clue," he confessed. "The way you told that story, my heart bled for you. How torn you must have been, for so long, between what you felt and what was your duty. Why was I so blind to it?"
"I learnt to hide it well," Farlin mumbled. "It became natural after a while, really, to be around you and try not to feel."
"Nevertheless, I should have noticed," Jared said, and shuffled closer. "I'm supposed to have been your best friend, the man who knew you better than anyone, but now it feels like there was awhole other side to you that I was completely unaware of. I would never have had the strength to go on for so long without telling someone."
"Who was there to tell?" Farlin asked absent-mindedly. "It's like I said to Tamri – Stormwind is no place for a gay man. There was nobody to offer counsel."
"You could have told me," Jared said, his voice straining to hold the emotion behind his words.
"Jared," Farlin said, looking up for the first time to meet his partner's eyes, "at the age of twenty-seven you didn't have the best of reactions. I think, at the age of sixteen, you might have taken it even worse."
Jared was silent for a moment. Then he spoke again. "I will make it up to you, Farlin, I swear it," he said, passion in his voice. "For every year I've hurt you, there will be a year of happiness. To know how long you've cared for me – I respect you and care for you too much to let you carry on hurting. From now on," he continued, turning his body in towards Farlin's, "I promise I will never hurt you again. Any doubts that I had about this decision are gone. I'm yours."
Hearing those words, joy encapsulated Farlin's heart, and without a moment's hesitation, he leaned in and was thrilled to feel Jared's lips against his, pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss. It reminded him of the one on the island, but this time, Jared was returning his movements, returning his feelings. It was almost impossible to imagine, and yet it was happening. Farlin relished the touch of his lover and tentatively put his hands round Jared's back, pushing their bodies closer.
They broke for air and Jared took a deep breath. "That was...exhilarating."
"Good?" asked Farlin nervously.
"Wonderful," the other man replied, and gingerly leaned in for one more. Farlin granted it to him, this time pushing deeper, more desire and passion fuelling his lips. He was surprised to feel Jared's tongue against his lower lip, and he gladly allowed it entrance, letting his lover explore his mouth at his own speed. It felt indescribable to have Jared's tongue in his mouth – a week ago, it was something he could not have dreamed becoming a reality. Even a day ago, he had been sure it would take Jared a lot longer to have come this far. It was testament to his care for him, he thought, that he had broken so many barriers so quickly, and for that he was grateful and proud.
They broke apart once more, and Farlin said nothing, just smiled at Jared, and after a second saw the other man return it. He took Jared's hand happily, and there they sat, feet dangling into the crystal waters of the elves, content for the first time in months.
After a while, Farlin spoke up. "So where do we go from here?"
Jared shook his head slowly. "I've no idea, Farlin," he said. "We can never go back to Stormwind – not permanently. I was hoping Darnassus would have some answers, to be honest, but it doesn't seem like it."
"Don't be too hasty," Farlin said, his brain whirring at the mention of finding answers. "What about the Gilneans?"
"What about them?" Jared asked, eyeing one that walked by them.
"They were our people, once. We could find a place among them. They're not all worgen – and those that are not are the closest we will find to the culture of Stormwind. I don't know what their feelings are about men like us – but we could try. It would certainly be our best option at present."
"It's true," Jared mused. "Our ancestors were the same people. Let's try and talk to them – perhaps we can find a place in their society, now we have left ours."
They quickly located the Gilnean part of the city, a large tree that had been taken over by the grey-eyed men. A few there were worgen, walking and talking in their true forms, which at first both humans found forbidding, but which they quickly became used to. They chatted with a few of the refugees there, and got names of some worgen outposts in varied locations around Azeroth. One in particular that piqued their interest was in the Blasted Lands – very close to the human territories of Duskwood and Redridge, and not far from Stormwind itself, should they want to visit – but still far enough away that they need not fear persecution. The Gilneans, apparently, were very open about sexuality and did not find two male lovers strange at all. It was an unusual occurrence among their people, but not unheard of. Indeed, they were quite friendly towards the two, something Farlin rarely experienced from people in Stormwind. He supposed that being holed up behind the Greymane Wall for so many years, the Gilneans would have gained much more of a community spirit, and been more intrigued when visitors came; and since then, the threat of the Forsaken assault and the cataclysm had pushed the survivors even further together – as they had learnt, nothing unites people like the fear of a common enemy.
When they departed the tree to find a place to stay for the night, both men were satisfied with their findings. They would travel to the Blasted Lands, and find the outpost and, with the permission of the local leader, they would build a home there. Together. That night, settling down to sleep, his task complete and his future with Jared assured, Farlin could never remember feeling so free.
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea