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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	By : ShigeSato Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 1001 -:- 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
- 6
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- 8
Most of the trip to the wreck was made in subdued silence. It was much darker than when Farlin had originally set out to find help – the sun had gone down already and the sky was peppered with stars. The absence of the sun's glow meant the gloom was thicker, and Farlin found after a time he could no longer walk on the bottom as Jared swam, for the murk was thick enough that it obscured his vision of the other, and the thought of losing each other in this dark ocean was terrifying. It was also very cold, and even though both wore full platemail armour, the freezing water curled around them and penetrated their very bones with ice. Farlin had half a mind to turn back and wait in the cave for the following morning, and set out then. But his honour kept him ploughing relentlessly onwards, as he had a worrying seed of doubt nestled in his chest, something that told him they were already too late, and this spurred him onwards with fresh determination.
Jared was mute as they swam side by side, even in the brief periods where he would have to surface for air and Farlin would accompany him, wanting to stay close in the darkness. Every time his friend dived back down without a word, the paladin felt a pang of disappointment and hurt. He could see behind the mask of fake smiles and businesslike activity; Jared was troubled and trying not to show it. Stupid of him, really – Farlin knew his friend too well to fall for such an act. And Farlin couldn't help worrying that it was him causing Jared to feel upset, his secret that he had finally admitted to his closest friend, and as much as Jared said nothing had changed, the way he had snatched his hand back in the cave suggested something else. However, there was nothing he could do to soothe his friend's anxiety right now – especially since it was well placed. They had to focus on getting to Erunak and Tamri.
When they reached the forest, and the laughs of the little goblins began to float up from the bottom, Farlin motioned to Jared and they both swam upwards. "We'd better do this part on the surface," he explained. "Those things are bad enough in the daytime, and there's a lot more of them than there are of us."
"Sure," Jared replied in a tone that offered no chance to respond, and they set off again. Now, though, the silence between them became uncomfortable – before, they had not had the opportunity to speak very much, but now, above the ocean, able to communicate and with no sound but the lapping of the waves and the gentle wind of a calm night, the silence became drawn-out and awkward. It felt like they should be talking; but every time Farlin opened his mouth to do so, he shut it again with a growing trepidation. He didn't know what Jared was feeling and the man might lash out at him if he wanted to be left.
After half an hour, though, he could take it no longer. "What's wrong, Jared?" he asked quietly.
At first, Jared didn't reply, staring straight ahead, and Farlin's stomach dropped. Was their friendship over? But then he answered. "I'm sorry, Farlin."
The paladin's heartbeat quickened nervously. "Sorry for what?" Sorry I can't be around you? Sorry we have to stop being friends? Sorry, I don't love you and I never will? The actual answer proved to be far less devastating than any of them.
"I'm sorry I pulled my hand away. In the cave back there. I just...I don't know, what with you telling me about yourself, and then the darkness and we touched hands, and it felt a bit...weird. So I just pulled my hand back, and I heard your gasp of shock, and I just felt so guilty. I'm just a little confused right now," he admitted, looking over at Farlin for the first time. "It's tough believing one thing for your whole life and then being told another. I'm adjusting."
"Nothing's changed," Farlin pleaded wholeheartedly. "I'm still Farlin, I'm still me. I still want the same things and like the same things as I always did." Unfortunately, both of those things are you.
He left the last thought unspoken.
Jared smiled at him. "I know. And that's why I'm sorry. I'll get used to this, I swear. After all, it's nothing really to do with me, is it? And I realise that now."
Inwardly, Farlin winced, feeling awful about lying by omission to his friend, but he grinned. "Come on, let's just pick up the pace."
The silence grew between them again, but this time it was far more comfortable and easy, Jared having got his guilt off his chest. Farlin, of course, was still a mass of emotional wreckage and remorse, but he had become so used to hiding this that it was second nature. He almost didn't know how not to be full of guilt. Thus, the companionship between them returned and the journey seemed a lot less demanding from then on.
Eventually they came to the end of the forest, and Farlin stopped. "We have to go back under now. The wreck isn't far – you'll soon see it. Just follow me."
Jared nodded and they both plunged back underwater. Sure enough, though it was dark the water was still crystal clear in this area, and Farlin almost cried with relief. He had been terrified of trying to locate the ship in the gloom they had encountered outside the cave. More confident now, he pushed onwards, his sense of direction leading him on past the edge of goblin territory and towards the ship. Jared nudged him and pointed to his mouth, where bubbles of air were escaping. Clearly he needed to take a breath. Farlin motioned for him to swim up to the surface, and he did so, while the other continued to look around. The ship had been here, he was sure of it. Then he spotted a hulking mass just at the edge of his vision, and could make out a mast in the darkness. Looking up, he saw Jared swimming frantically back down, pointing at the object excitedly. Farlin nodded and, dropping to the seabed, ran towards it, eager to tell their allies they had arrived.
What greeted him was a terrible sight.
The ship lay desolate, where only a few days before it had been lively with activity. Fearing the worst, he pulled himself through the small hold and broke the surface, glancing around. Inside the hull was empty; all the soldiers were gone, all that remained were their supplies of food which Jared recognised as Tamri's cakes. At least they were all together then, wherever they were. He hoisted himself out of the water and felt Jared follow suit behind him. The other man hissed in shock at the absence of life, and dropped to the floor.
"Look," Farlin said, his voice betraying more anxiousness than he wanted to show, "we don't have to fear the worst. They could have just moved. Found a better spot."
"And forgotten about us? How we would come looking?" Jared said disbelievingly. "And leave all their supplies behind?"
Farlin swallowed hard, having to accept that his friend made a good point. Then he noticed something on the floor at the back of the room. He walked over to it and realised it was a little book, picking it up to rifle through. Its pages were slightly damp, but the ink was intact. Excitedly, he showed it to Jared – this might be the black box – and they sat down next to each other on the far side of the boat to read it.
"The Log of Captain James Taylor"
Farlin exclaimed loudly. "James Taylor! I knew I knew his name!" He was referring to the commander he had seen with Erunak the day he had first come. At the time, his name had escaped Farlin's mind, but seeing it written on paper brought it back to him. "He was with Erunak – this was his ship. I'm sure it'll have some answers in it. Wherever Erunak and Tamri are, he's there too."
They flipped right to the last few pages of the log, and the ink there was much more splattered than the rest, as if it had been written in a hurry.
"They are coming. The naga have discovered our hideout. At first they sent scouts to locate us, who saw the elf returning from a foraging mission and followed him silently here. They jumped us – many died. I cannot tell how many; everything's very confusing. Some of the naga escaped, once they had been overwhelmed – they were whispering of a "she" who seemed to be their leader. I know not who this being is, but they want to bring us back to her. We are preparing for the defence of the Briny Cutter now. If this be the last entry in the log of James Taylor, then fear the worst, friend. We have been taken. Where to, I do not know. Don't follow us into peril – by the time you reach us, we will probably already be dead."
After finishing reading the log out loud, Farlin looked up at Jared, petrified. The ship suddenly seemed forbidding and unwelcoming to them, and he stifled a feeling of claustrophobia. He felt like they were being watched. Jared shuddered. "So what do we do?" he asked.
"Only one thing we can do – we're paladins," Farlin answered. "Bringers of the Light. We have to go after them. We owe a debt to Erunak and Tamri, and James Taylor is a friend of my father – he would be inconsolable if the man died and we did nothing to help him."
Jared gulped. "I hate fish. And naga are just huge, slimy, overgrown fish."
Farlin laughed. "What do we do now? I don't like the feeling of this ship – it feels like we're being watched. It makes me prickle. But equally, it's cold and dark in the water and we'd have a much better chance of reaching them in the daytime."
Jared nodded, stroking his chin which was covered in fuzz after not having shaved for a while. "We should stay. We have food, and shelter, and as long as we're both here together, one can keep watch. It's only a few hours until the sun rises anyway."
Farlin had to agree that his plan sounded sensible. So they sat there, miserably munching on the manna cakes – as morbid as it felt, they were starving, and they would prefer dry and crunchy cakes to the slightly wet ones in Jared's backpack. When they were done, Jared curled up by Farlin's feet and, using his pack as a pillow, drifted off to sleep. Farlin stayed awake, cautiously watching for any sign of naga activity, all the while feeling the tingling of lust and excitement as Jared's body pressed against him while he slept.
The night passed without incident – luckily, for Farlin had dropped right off to sleep after Jared and neither had been keeping watch for the last four hours before dawn. Farlin woke with the sunlight shimmering through the water, and found he had been lying on top of Jared all night. Worse, the other man had grabbed him unconsciously and pulled him down, holding him with his arm. He wanted to move as fast as possible, because Jared would probably flip out again if he saw the way they had slept. Gingerly, he removed Jared's hand and placed it on the floor, slipping away from his friend's warm body none too willingly.
"Come on, Jared," he said loudly, nudging the other with his foot. "We need to get going."
Jared murmured in his sleep and rolled onto his back, his side edging away from where Farlin had kicked him. Crouching down, Farlin poked Jared in the chest, and the other paladin woke instantly, and seeing Farlin kneeling over him he panicked and scrambled up. "What? What's happening?"
"Relax," Farlin said, his eyes wide. "We just need to leave."
"Right," Jared said, embarrassed, and proceeded to pack up his things. "Where should we be heading?"
Farlin knew he was changing the subject and decided not to pursue it. "Let's head west. We came from the east, and it's unlikely there's going to be anything back the way we came. That place is like an underwater graveyard."
His friend nodded, shivering at the thought. "Let's go, then. No time like the present."
Together, they lowered themselves into the water, now slightly warmer than it had been. Farlin had brought Taylor's log with him in the hope that if they found him, he could return it. If not...at least the man could be buried with his memories. The area around the boat was crystal clear in the morning sunshine, rays of light penetrating the surface of the ocean and surrounding them with sparkle. It was a far sight from the dark, foreboding mass they had encountered last night, and Farlin marvelled at how much the environment had changed. In fact, it was quite pretty. They forged onwards, heading south-west, enjoying the feeling of the sun on their backs, watching small glimmering fish dart to and fro. Jared hastily moved away from them, and Farlin laughed, bubbles streaking to the surface. In a way, they both loved the surroundings, as it gave them a reason to forget why they were travelling, and what situation their friends may be in. Though it was still at the forefront of their minds, it was easier to envision a happy ending when swimming in such a wonderful place.
Soon, they came in sight of a gaping chasm which yawned under the sea, going far deeper than Farlin could even make out. Not willing to swim too near it, they changed course and swam south, following the rim of the gap. Though the shimmering expanse of kelp and sand still brightened them, the chasm was a constant warning, undercurrents racing through it, threatening to pull the two paladins away, forbidding cliffs rising on the other side. Farlin shuddered. He hoped they didn't have to cross it – he didn't think he had the strength.
Engrossed by watching the chasm, they were both shocked when a voice called to them. "Paladins!"
Turning quickly to the source of the noise, Farlin was overjoyed to see Erunak waving to them from a small thicket of kelp near the edge of the gap. "Erunak!" he shouted. Jared, of course, did not have the ability to breathe or speak, so he nodded to the shaman, who promptly fiddled in his pack and produced the reagents for another Sea Legs spell. When he had cast it, Jared sighed in relief and dropped to the ocean floor. "I felt like I was going to die of exhaustion!" he exclaimed.
Erunak smiled sadly. "You come at a most unfortunate time, friends, though I can say I am glad you made the trip. I apologize for failing to send for you – you see, we had a small...situation...back at the Briny Cutter."
"We know," Farlin said, indicating his backpack. "We found Taylor's logbook. The naga came back, did they?"
"Indeed," Erunak said sadly. "They took every last one of us. I and my friend here," he said, gesturing to the tauren who stood silently before them, watching the conversation, "managed to break free and hide here. Alas, the elf, Taylor and the rest have gone. They will be within Nespirah."
"What's Nespirah?" Farlin found himself asking.
"A demi-god. She exists under the ocean's surface, far in the depths, a being of ancient power from the time of the Old Gods. Lately, though, the naga have subdued her with an orb wielded by their leader, and they mine her pearls with slaves captured from the fallen ships. I believe that is where our friends will be," Erunak explained. "Unfortunately, Nespirah grows angry. I and my fellow shaman can feel it. Soon she will break free and unleash her wrath on all inside of her, and that includes the innocent slaves that have been stealing her precious pearls."
Jared and Farlin exchanged a glance.
The shaman continued. "My friend, another tauren from the Earthen Ring, is already within Nespirah. He has been communicating with her. If he can hold her off until we escape, we may have a chance."
Farlin looked down at the sea floor, then up at Jared, who nodded, and finally back at Erunak. "Let's do it. We owe Tamri, and we can't avoid that duty."
"Very well," Erunak replied. "But first, you will need...transportation." He looked over at the female tauren, who grinned, and peered out over the abyss.
- 6
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- 8
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea