Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership over any of Warcraft's characters and locations used in this story, only the story itself. Some alteration to established settings have been made for thematic purposes.
The moon hung low over the ruins of the once great kingdom, bathing the desolate area in its silver light. A cold wind blew through the paved streets of Gilneas City, carrying with itself a cloud of pale fog that enveloped everything in its path. In the Cathedral Quarter, one of the last standing Gilnean flags defiantly waved over the scene of the final clash with the feral worgen. Its tattered condition was symbolic of the nation it was meant to represent; broken but stubborn. Enforcing the prevalent atmosphere of abandonment were the steel cannons, still aligned upon the cracked steps of the cathedral itself. The neglected pieces of heavy artillery served almost as testaments to the fortitude of those who chose to stay and fight despite all odds, but the tragic state of the holy structure behind reminded how ultimately trivial their sacrifice was. Suffocating silence reigned supreme over all else, only occasionally interrupted by the grim caws of the iconic ravens that now made up most of the city's population.
Across the murky, shallow waters of the Northgate river was the even more somber site of Aderic's Repose. While undoubtedly haunting, the large cemetery also seemed peaceful in a way. Signs that nature had started re-taking the area were quite noticeable. The thorny vines of unkempt roses wrapped around the gravestones in an almost protective manner. It was as if the land itself sought to preserve the rest of those buried there. The path, which winded up the hill in the center of the graveyard, was also quite overgrown with vegetation, yet the shrine which it led to was surprisingly maintained. Melted wax from, what appeared to be, recently lit candles trickled down the stone, pass the names inscribed upon it, and formed a viscous puddle at the base of the simple monument. Kneeling in front of it was the broad and familiar figure of a man; a man humbled by loss and regret.
''We did it, Liam; we were victorious against the Legion. Had you been by my side we would have probably ran them off the face of Azeroth by ourselves.''
Genn Greymane smiled sadly, forcing back a few tears as memories of his son flooded his mind. Grief tightly gripped his heart and yet he did not allow for himself to be reduced to a sobbing old man, not here. Liam gave his life for the staunch king he one day aspired to be, the least Genn could have done was to embody that image.
The air was rich with the smell of seaweed due to cemetery's close proximity to Keel Harbor. The scent reminded the lord of yet another one of his regrets; one that he never considered until it was too late.
''When I was but a boy, one of the few sentimental moments I remember having with my father was him teaching me how to fish. The humorous part was that he, himself, hardly knew how to use a pole. In the rare occasion that we did manage to catch something we celebrated as if we had won a war, much to the amusement of any onlookers I am sure. '' Genn's quivering lips were hidden behind his thick facial hair, but the pain in his voice was apparent'' I only wish… I wish that I could go back in time and share such a moment with you. ''
Distant howling emanated beyond the surrounding hills. Packs of hounds separated from their masters reportedly still roamed around Greymane Manor. Genn had considered visiting his old home, but thought against it given how much time he had already spent tending to the shrine. The trek back to Stormwind was long and in a few days King Anduin intended to address the Alliance publicly for the first time following his father's tragic death. The boy needed all the support he could get.
Just as he opened his mouth to say a few final words, however, the grizzled noble's heightened senses alerted him of another presence. An all-too-familiar scent, not of rot and decay that the undead typically carried, but rather a whiff of something archaic; of dust and ashes.
Fury boiled the very blood coursing through Genn's veins. His anger caused him to inadvertently begin shifting to his lupine form. White fur protruded from between the stitches of his clothing, stretching the fabric as his body began to expand further. Blunt teeth were replaced by fangs, his nose grew into a muzzle and round ears became long and sharp. Where once stood a man was now a beast. As the worgen turned around to face the intruder, his predatory gaze fell upon exactly who he expected.
''Did you come to gloat, witch?'' Greymane growled, his words falling against the background of rustling leaves.
Sure enough, standing there in her full, dark glory was the Banshee Queen herself. The light of the moon reflected off the skull incrusted pauldrons adorning her shoulders and the metal quiver filled with arrows strapped upon her back. Her hood obscured most of her face in shadow, which made her glowing, crimson eyes stand out even more. The same eyes she had firmly locked on Genn. The little of her expression that was visible didn't display any particular emotion. Her uncharacteristically passive demeanor only served to antagonize the king even further. He lowered his stance and brandished his claws; prepared to pounce on the elf and finish what he started in the vaults of Stormheim. Even in his weakened state following their last encounter, he was very much willing to finalize his vengeance. In fact, considering the location, ending her there and then would have been poetic justice in a way.
''Speak, damn you! Less you want silence to be your final words''
Sylvanas maintained her silence. She slowly drew her ornate bow, held it out in front of her and dropped it. The weapon fell against the cobblestone with a single, resonating clank. Genn was taken slightly aback by the display. Despite what he presumed to be intended as a show of a truce, he remained wary, even more so when the dark ranger began approaching him. Her steps were bold and composed, as if she didn't consider Greymane a threat despite being unarmed.
''Believe it or not, I sometimes also come here to mourn.''she finally spoke. The ghostly echo that usually accompanied her voice was prominent as ever.
The worgen, naturally outraged by the statement, snapped back:
''You dare mock me!? Here; in the lands of the kingdom you brought to ruin?! At the site of my own son's grave you mercilessly killed?!
A small smile etched itself upon Sylvanas's lips. She halted her pace once she was but a few steps away from the snarling, hulking beast that looked ready to tear her to shreds. She shook her head:
''Do not give me all the credit for your realm's downfall, Genn. Was it I who chose to isolate your people from the rest of the Alliance? Was it I who allowed your nation to fall into civil war? Or perhaps it was I who unleashed a curse I had no means of containing?''
Genn bared his teeth even further, but as the Dark Lady's words settled in his mind he couldn't pretend as if she was not right.
''Face it… ''She continued.'' Gilneas was a lost cause long before my forces seized it''
Her words were like daggers. The king felt as if his heart was being pierced with each painful truth she spoke. Conceding, he looked to the ground in an attempt to avoid her sharp gaze:
''I had no choice…''he quietly muttered.
''Oh, but you did, old wolf, you did…''
Sylvanas strolled past him, her shoulder lightly brushing against his, as she stood in front of the shrine with folded arms. Ominous cracking of distant thunder announced the approaching of a storm. Dark clouds were approaching from beyond the grand, but broken Greymane Wall visible in the distance. Genn was about to protest when her hand reached over to the candles but he then realized that she didn't intend on snuffing them. Her palm instead curled around the dwindling flames, as if shielding them from the winds that began to pick up.
''Your son warned you, did he not? He urged you, pleaded with you to not isolate Gilneas from the Alliance. Had you aided the other kingdoms in their time of need, perhaps you wouldn't have had to face the scourge alone when it finally came knocking at your precious wall. Instead, you chose to hide and pretend as If the threat wasn't there until it was too late…''
She looked over her shoulder at the worgen, who seemed utterly defeated mentally.
''Liam was right, you clung so tightly to the old-fashioned views of your father that it was as if you were just some steward, keeping the throne warm for him until he returned.''
Genn's golden eyes widened for a moment, but narrowed once more. His ears folded against his head. He admitted:
''He did. Liam proved to be much wiser than me, even in his youth. I regret that I dismissed his council. Had I not been so pigheaded and heeded his advice, perhaps he would have still been here.''
Sylvanas turned fully around triumphantly. Her elegant form gleamed against the lightening that tore through the bleak sky. The roar of thunder that followed was much louder than what came before. The birds occupying a nearby tree scattered, frightened by the powerful boom that permeated throughout the whole of Gilneas.
''You recognize your folly then. This is good.''
Genn finally looked up, only to see the elf extending her slender hand towards him. Her previously apathetic tone shifted into an inviting one:
''Then I will make you a proposition, Genn Greymane, how about I give you a chance to at least partially undo your mistakes? Ally yourself with me and I will give you your kingdom back. I may even lend you my forces to aid in its reconstruction. I only ask one thing of you; a simple favor to prove your loyalty''
The worgen took a small step forward. He tilted his head to the side curiously:
''And what would that be?''
Sylvanas mimicked the movement of his head, following his eyes with her own;
''Despite it being crushed at the hand of Illidan, the skull of Gul'dan remains a powerful relic. Pieces of it remain in possession of the Alliance, in Stormwind to be exact. All you need to do is retrieve them and bring them to me. A task most trivial is it not?''
Genn swallowed hard and exhaled through the gaps between his jagged teeth, the canines of which were so long that they protruded out of his mouth.
He enveloped himself in his memories for a moment. For some reason, he recalled a particular scene from his past, one that didn't seem all that noteworthy and yet had etched itself in his mind. He and his wife, Mia, were walking side by side down the path that led to the village of Duskhaven. Had they a reason for going there or were they simply out on a walk he could not remember, but the setting itself, even down to the tiniest of details, was as clear as crystal. The sun was retreating behind the horizon, its fading rays dyeing the sky in warm hues. The crickets hiding in the grass around them were already chirping, signifying evening's approach. A pleasant oceanic breeze played with the frills at the end of Mia's white dress; her favorite one.
''Genn, are you … happy?''
The random question caused a younger Greymane to look towards his wife with a cocked eyebrow. With the gentlest of smiles, she repeated her question:
''Are you happy? Are you happy with the life we live? Or, rather, are you satisfied with it?''
The lord ran his hand up his then dark hair, contemplating the question. He figured that the answer his wife expected was ''yes'' but he also knew that Mia wasn't that gullible as to believe him.
''While I am content with everything that we have built, aspiring towards achieving more is not a bad quality for a king to have. Gilneas is built on ambition, after all, and I am determined to fulfill my father's legacy and see it prosper as the great, independent nation he always meant for it to be.''
Mia nodded her head and returned to admiring the sunset. She visibly didn't appear as if she had been disappointed with her husband's answer, but her smile did fade somewhat. As they continued their stroll, she spoke again:
''Certainly an admirable quality for a king to have, yet less so for a man. Ambition often leaves one blind for what he already has.''
It took years, but Genn finally realized exactly what Mia meant to convey, albeit in a vague manner. As he held Liam's lifeless body in his arms, Greymane could care less about royalties and pride. All else seemed insignificant in comparison, including his precious kingdom that crumbled around him. In the moment he was no king; he was simply a father that had failed to protect his child.
''Well?'' Sylvanas pressed for an answer, her voice dragging him back to the present '' Am I to put my trust within you?''
A hint of a smile appeared on the worgen's lips and he wrapped his large hand around her's,
''Your offer is indeed tempting …''his grip tightened'' I would like nothing more than to rebuild by home and unite my people under a single banner once more. In time, I am certain that we will do just that. But I will not be known as the king that resorted to dealing with demons to attain his goals.
Genn's grin extended while that of the elf faded in contrast. Realizing that the ruse was up, she tried desperately to pull away, but Greymane's grasp held firm. With one swift pull, he yanked her back towards him, impaling her upon the sharp claws of his other hand.
''I have suffered many betrayals during my long rule. If there is any merit to be had, it is that I have learned how to spot an imposter''
He allowed the imposter to drop to her knees, unsheathing his claws from her flesh. She clung to the gaping hole in her stomach that oozed green blood, which had the consistency of oil. As her teeth clenched from the pain, more of the vile liquid rolled down the chin of the false Sylvanas. Having no further use for the elaborate disguise, the deceiver's form reverted to its original one, which, as Greymane had expected, was that of a nathrezim.
The vampiric creature wheezed, bat-like wings waving menacingly around his form.
''This… changes nothing… my spirit will return to the Twisting Nether and be born anew… while your son will remain a rotted corpse buried in the ground, all because of your ineptitude to protect him or your kingdom''
Genn maintained a stoic stance. The demon's harsh words were not as wounding now that he had been exposed.
''Yes, I failed both as a lord and as a father. Truth be told, if anyone capable or willing steps up I would gladly place the future of Gilneas in their hands. But…''
Greymane proudly towered over the bent over figure of the dread lord. He grabbed one of his long and curved horns, pulling the fatally wounded demon up to his hooves so they were on the same eye level.
…until that day comes when I am succeeded, monster, I remain the sole beacon of my people. I am king of this bloody realm and so long as this old body draws breath I will uphold the ideals my son died for! Now, return to the festering hole you crawled out of!''
With a kick the nathrezim was once again sent to the ground, after which his body scattered in a frantic swarm of insects that flew away in different directions. Genn was finally alone again.
He looked to the sky as he felt the cool sensation of rain upon his head. The mass of clouds had finally made its way to him. It wasn't long until the drizzle turned into a downpour, but the lord did not seek to escape it. Instead he remained there, embracing the storm that was to come.
''It won't be long now, my son.''