I Am from Gilneas

The sea wind howled as waves battered the hull. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but endless ocean, its salty stench filling Alpha's nostrils. "God, it's been nearly a month and we still haven't arrived. This journey is ridiculous. Why did I take this job? Why was I so easily persuaded back then? Sigh..." His pale blue eyes gazed out over the distant sea as he fell into thought. "Alpha, what are you doing out here? It's almost time to eat. You should go get lunch." A gentle voice drifted over from behind him, but to Alpha, those words struck like lightning. "Ah, spare me. Don't tell me it's fish again. I've been eating sea fish for almost a month. When are we getting there, Captain Sally?" Alpha turned to look at the smiling elf. That's right—an elf. Captain Sally was unquestionably a beautiful elven woman. Her long white hair was casually bound behind her head with a purple ribbon, and even her robes could not conceal her tall figure. Despite having sailed the seas for so many years, time had left no mark on her face. Elves really were blessed. There was no denying that, Alpha thought bitterly. Then he looked at himself: short gray hair, a fair face, pale blue eyes, and a tall build. Well, he might not have an elf's handsome face, but he was still decent enough. "About a week, perhaps sooner if the wind stays favorable. But no one can predict the sea. As for lunch, go take a look yourself. Willie's in a good mood today, so he might make something different." "All right, I'll go see. Hopefully it's something else." Alpha silently headed into the cabin. Sally watched his departing back and could not help shaking her head. She wondered whether the youngster could handle this matter. Still, it was already remarkable that he had recovered from that disaster. At that thought, Sally's expression grew solemn. Hopefully, the one in Stormwind would be able to accept all this.

Four days passed in a flash. At the edge of the sea, the outline of Darkshore gradually appeared before them. For Alpha, this could not have been better. At last, he would not have to eat sea fish anymore. At last, he would not have to stagger around on this swaying ship. Most importantly, at last, he could take a bath. Alpha wept inwardly. As soon as the ship docked, Alpha excitedly leaped straight over the railing. It felt so good to have his feet on solid ground. "Captain Sally, what do we do now? Eat first?" "No. First, we report to the captain of the guard. Tomorrow, we'll meet the king. Do you remember your mission?" Alpha instantly fell silent. But it lasted only a moment, as though that silence had been no more than a blink. "I understand. Let's go." After composing himself, Alpha began to look around. Honestly, this capital city was truly magnificent. Directly across from the docks stood the symbol of House Wrynn—the lion. A golden lion was embedded in the wall, gazing down upon the sea. It was said that the lion watched Kalimdor on the other side of the ocean, watching the Horde's orcs. That explained why there were so many military structures around the docks. Passing through the harbor, they arrived at the famous Cathedral Square. The Cathedral of Light shone brilliantly—sorry, he truly could not find words to describe it. Directly facing the cathedral stood a statue of the Lightbringer, Uther. He had been a great paladin and the symbol of the Silver Hand, though he had sadly been killed by his own apprentice. What a pity. They say King Genn even attended their ceremony once, Alpha muttered inwardly. As evening drew near, Alpha and the others arrived at the inn in the Trade District—The Gilded Rose. Since this was Stormwind, a capital where many races mingled, dwarves, elves, and gnomes could be seen everywhere. Thus, Alpha's group drew little attention. "Captain Sally, let's hurry and get something to eat. I'm starving after all that walking," Alpha said pitifully, his eyes like those of a newborn nightsaber cub. "Innkeeper, one cherry pie, one buttered bread, and two glasses of moonberry juice," Sally said with a smile. "And one juicy bear burger!" Alpha quickly added. "Hehe, Captain Sally, let me have some meat. After eating so much sea fish and fruit, I'm starting to forget what meat tastes like." "Honestly, I don't know what to do with you. Go rest as soon as you're done eating. You're meeting the king tomorrow. Are you prepared?" "Don't worry, Captain Sally. Leave it to me. There definitely won't be a problem!" Alpha promised, thumping his chest. That night, after bathing, Alpha lay on the bed in a robe with his face buried in his pillow, his eyes tightly shut. Water droplets still clung to his short gray hair. Suddenly, his entire body trembled. His short gray hair slowly began to lengthen, its color gradually darkening to black. His ears stretched longer, veins bulged across his hands, his nails extended, and gray-black fur slowly emerged. Alpha abruptly opened his eyes. A flash of green light passed through them as he sprang from the bed. Everything had already returned to normal. His hair was still short and gray, and what had just happened seemed like a dream. Only the claw marks on the pillow bore witness to it all. Looking at those cruelly ravaged claw marks, Alpha touched the faded bite mark on his right arm and smiled mockingly. "Even after all this time, I still haven't adapted. Sigh... I can't make a mistake tomorrow, or King Genn will have my head." He blew out the candle on the table and lay back down. The night remained as quiet as ever.

Early the next morning, The Gilded Rose was already buzzing with voices. Adventurers exchanged information with one another, while Sally and Alpha sat in the hall enjoying their respective breakfasts. "Captain Sally, don't you get tired of always eating bread and fruit?" "Little Alpha, we should be grateful for nature's gifts. We must understand nature and follow its balance..." "Stop, I get it," Alpha quickly interrupted as soon as he saw Captain Sally about to launch into a lengthy speech. That was close. If Sally really got going, we wouldn't be eating today. "By the way, did you hear? Gilneas in the north has fallen," an adventurer suddenly said. "Gilneas? The kingdom that left the Alliance after the Second War and built the Gilneas Wall?" another adventurer asked curiously. "What other Gilneas would there be? Praise Elune, that country finally fell. When the Scourge came, they didn't lift a finger. They only cared about their own people," the adventurer said disdainfully. "How did it fall? With walls that high, it was still taken? It even escaped the Scourge," an adventurer from another table interjected. "They say some kind of curse turned part of the population into worgen, and then it spread throughout the whole city. They say even the king was bitten." "Terrifying," an adventurer remarked as he wiped his greatsword. Sally hurriedly looked at Alpha. Alpha merely continued eating, saying nothing. "Are you all right? Don't listen to their nonsense." "I'm fine. Besides, it's the truth. There's no denying it," Alpha said in a low voice. "Let's go. It's about time we met the king." With that, he rose and left. Sally followed close behind.

After passing through the Old Town, they arrived at the entrance to Stormwind Keep. "Halt. This is Stormwind Keep. Unauthorized persons are not permitted to enter." A Stormwind soldier in armor stopped the two of them. "Officer, we represent the Night Elves and have come to meet King Varian. We reported our arrival yesterday. Here are the documents." Sally handed over a scroll bearing the Night Elf seal. The soldier looked at it without opening it, stared at them for a long while, then called over a messenger to make a report. After quite some time, the messenger returned. "Please follow me. The king is waiting for you." They walked down a long corridor and entered the great hall. A tall, imposing man in armor sat upon the throne. His long black hair was tied back, and cold light gleamed in his dark eyes beneath a stern face. A scar ran from left to right across his face, making him appear even more severe. His heavy armor bore an eagle on the left and a lion on the right, displaying his authority. This was King Varian, a king with a legendary past. To his left stood a young man with golden hair and a youthful face that resembled his own. He must have been Prince Anduin. "What business does an elf bring a human all the way from Kalimdor to Stormwind?" Varian asked leisurely, propping his head up with one hand. "Your Majesty, I followed the High Priestess's guidance in escorting this gentleman here. This is Sir Alpha," Sally said respectfully, bending according to elven custom. At the same time, Alpha dropped to one knee, pressed his clenched right fist to his chest, and declared in a ringing voice, "Your Majesty, my name is Alpha Wolfmane. I come from the northern kingdom of Gilneas." The moment he finished speaking, King Varian rose to his feet. The entire hall suddenly fell silent, and the word "Gilneas" echoed through it for a long time...