Sometimes, a small act of kindness is enough to start something grand. The drive to do the right thing for the world even if it may be difficult can do wonders. That was the lesson Doyle Varlais learned on that fateful day that proved to be the first step to the formation of Lion's Vengeance.
House Varlais was a small noble house in Kul Tiras with Doyle as the heir to his father, Lord Irwin. With the resources of his family, Doyle focused on academic matters. He read from nearly all of the books in the small library that his manor had and worked on expanding it through trade. He sailed alongside his father, learned the mechanisms of a ship, and even was gifted his own with his crew.
When he displayed a talent for the arcane arts, Doyle's tuition to Dalaran was paid for by his father. However, while the young man did learn magic, he didn't care much for his lessons. He often skipped classes he deemed unnecessary and spent too much time in the taverns, drinking and getting into fights. Some thought that Doyle was spoiled, but in my few times meeting him, I disagree with that assessment. At the time, Doyle was young and brash, but there was keen intelligence behind his eyes. He skipped classes because he read on ahead and knew what the instructor was going to teach. He didn't want to waste time, but with little else to do, settled on partying hard.
Irwin constantly wrote to his son begging him to change his ways. However, when he found out that a barmaid named Kaiya was pregnant after sleeping with Doyle as part of a one night stand, Irwin disowned his son and stopped paying for his tuition. Funny enough, this was the moment that Doyle matured. He married Kaiya, who proved to be his equal when it came to debates and helped him become a better man. When Kaiya gave birth to a boy, she named him Mandriah, and Doyle did his best to be a father. Despite the early bumps in their relationships, Doyle and Kaiya truly fell in love.
Still, Irwin would not accept Doyle back after he married a commoner. Since he wasn't able to continue his education at Dalaran, Doyle had to hone his arcane arts through second-hand books that he bought from students for a modest fee paid from working at the same tavern Kaiya did, which eventually came to own. The life of a barkeeper wasn't for Doyle, but fortunately for him, he still had his ship. After a year, he had a new crew and worked as a merchant.
Doyle was sailing to Stranglethorn Vale to trade with the goblins there when he noticed a mass of ships fleeing from Stormwind. He heard briefly about the orcs that sacked the kingdom from the fleeing refugees, but aside from offering them some food and extra blankets, wasn't able to help them. It wasn't until his return trip north that he had an opportunity for an act of kindness.
The storm that approached The Curiosity raged and advanced closer to the ship. Doyle manned the helm, thinking about what to do with the storm blocking the most direct path back to Southshore. If he and his crew could manage, they could push through and stay on track to make it back home at the arranged time. Yet, Doyle recalled when he attempted that in one of his first voyages back when he still called Kul Tiras home. He had lost the life of a crewmate who had fallen overboard and his father had him pass the news along to the family.
The experience taught Doyle that, as the captain of The Curiosity, he had a responsibility to ensure the safety of his crew as best as he could.
Doyle ran the numbers through his head. Based on the direction the storm was moving, he could avoid it completely by sailing northwest. He would be able to turn back east once The Curiosity passed the storm completely. It's possible that the detour could push the voyage back home by another day or two. They were running low on food and the crew was eager to return home yet Doyle knew that it would be best if they returned home alive and a little hungry than not at all.
"Prepare to turn port slightly!" Doyle called out to his crew. "We'll make it home safely!"
There were a few crewmates that grumbled at the order but the rest followed without complaint. Although there were a few sailors aboard The Curiosity that were hardened and would have taken the risk of sailing through the storm, most wanted to get back to their families.
Doyle's thoughts turned to his own family waiting for him. Although they lived in Dalaran, he knew that Kaiya would travel out to Southshore the day he was expected to return and bring little Manny along with her. He recalled his last conversation with Kaiya before he left where she revealed that she might be pregnant again. If what she said was true, it would show after the months he had been gone. It was more important than ever for Doyle to make it back home.
All went well with the winds at The Curiosity's back, pushing the ship north. Doyle eyed the storm cautiously but didn't see any signs that it would change direction and move towards his ship. He let out a sigh of relief, confident that the danger had passed.
However, Doyle knew that he didn't have the best view and looked up when he heard the cry of Darin from the crow's nest.
"Someone's caught in the storm!"
Doyle gasped. "How does the ship look?"
"There isn't a ship, Captain Varlais!" Darin shouted back. "It's a raft that's falling apart!"
Evan, Doyle's first mate, had a spyglass out and looked out to the storm. "I see him. It's a damn miracle that he's lasted this long."
Doyle stepped away from the helm briefly to stand by Evan's side. The first mate passed over the spyglass and the captain was quick to find the man. A raft was generous to describe the hobbled-together craft that was falling apart with logs drifting away into the seas. The man, battered by the storm, had only survived as long as he did with a rope tying him to the biggest piece of wood.
It only took Doyle a moment to decide on his course of action.
"Evan, gather some of our strongest men and prepare a group to pull that stowaway aboard our ship," Doyle instructed and handed the spyglass back. "Let Cheryl and Urias know that they might need to look out for him."
Evan accepted the spyglass with a nod. "Aye!"
"Darin, keep an eye on the waves and keep me warned of what I can't see," Doyle called out while making his way back to the helm. "Everyone else, prepare to turn starboard hard!"
Doyle wanted to look out for his crew's safety but knew that he couldn't leave a man to die in the storm. Fortunately, his crew was willing to take the risk with the grumbling sailors from before volunteering to join Evan's group. Doyle turned the ship toward the storm and braced himself. The skies darkened and his ears popped at the loud bursts of thunder but Doyle didn't falter. He couldn't afford to show weakness now that they were in the storm.
The waves were big but nothing that The Curiosity could endure, and with Darin calling out the larger ones, Doyle was able to sail his way through. The crew battened down the hatches and went to work keeping the ship intact. Out of the corner of his eye, Doyle could see Evan and his men preparing a thick rope to fish the stowaway out of the storm. When The Curiosity sailed closer to the man and what remained of his raft, the captain was careful to listen to Darin's calls to avoid crashing into him.
When they passed by the raft, Evan threw the rope overboard, and a few seconds later, he and his men started to pull. Doyle grinned when they successfully brought the stowaway overboard. The stranger was rushed below decks where Cheryl, the quartermaster, and Urias, the surgeon, were ready. The stowaway would be given clothes and food after he was checked for any injuries.
Doyle turned his attention toward sailing out of the storm. Over the course of several hours, he continued to follow Darin, who guided him toward the nearest break in the storm. As it turned out, going through the storm was going to be a costly detour since Doyle wasn't even aware where he was now, and while the crew would complain about having an extra mouth to feed, the captain wouldn't have made any other decision.
Finally, the worst of the storm passed. The clouds above them were still gray but the lightning was now behind them. Doyle released his tight grip upon the wheel and turned to Evan.
"Captain Varlais, the stowaway is below decks. We haven't been able to get him to talk much."
"I'll still have a word with him," Doyle said. "Take the helm and get us back on course. First mate is in charge!"
"Captain below decks!" Evan called out to the rest of the crew and assumed his position as the helm.
Truth be told, Doyle preferred to stay at the helm until he was certain that they were on the right course. Still, as captain, he had other responsibilities, and in this case, meeting the stowaway he saved was one of them. He descended below decks with a lantern lighting up the interior of the ship.
Doyle spotted the stowaway, who was dressed in new and clean rags. He was seated on a cot and the captain could tell that he wasn't interested in resting. The stowaway's skin was dark and his hair had dried with seawater despite efforts to tend him. He appeared to have some muscles on him but was also slim around his stomach and chest. The stowaway's face, nearly hidden by a thick and unkempt beard, was hardened and his green eyes never settled on one sight for too long.
"Let's not waste any time," Doyle stepped forward to greet the stowaway. "I'm Captain Doyle Varlais of The Curiosity. We're a merchant vessel, not pirates, so you need not fear us. We'll keep you fed and get you to a safe harbor."
The stowaway looked up and down Doyle in an assessing manner before standing up. "Sergeant Gerome Derrington, Stormwind Infantry."
"Stormwind, huh?" Doyle noted. "I take it you missed the evacuation."
Gerome nodded and stood at attention. "I heard about it from captivity. The orcs captured me and I was only able to escape after the evacuation happened."
"You can relax," Doyle told Gerome. "This isn't a military ship. I don't have any authority over you even though I hope that you'll listen to me until we get to shore."
"Right," Gerome said, and although he dropped his stance, Doyle could tell he was still stanced.
"If you were a prisoner of war, it would explain how you look," Doyle noted. "How long were you a prisoner?"
"It was hard to keep track of time," Gerome admitted while thinking out loud. "What year is it?"
"It's year five ninety-six on the King's Calendar," Doyle informed Gerome. "It's still early in the year though."
"I see. In that case, I was captured four years ago."
Doyle couldn't help himself from feeling shocked. "No wonder you were so desperate to try your luck with the sea. I won't put you to work at all. We'll get you to your people."
Gerome nodded at Doyle's words. The captain couldn't imagine what this man went through at the orc's captivity. He imagined that it was painful yet it appeared that despite his body's condition, Gerome could function well enough. Some of the crew would complain about their new addition not working, but in this case, Doyle wouldn't have it any other way.
"I need help," Gerome said, more quiet than before. "I need to speak with someone with authority."
Doyle blinked in confusion. "And why's that?"
"I learned about the orcs during my captivity," Gerome revealed. "I know their methods, their culture, their language. It's all in my mind and I need to share it."
"I see," Doyle tapped his chin in thought. "I don't have the attention of any of the kings or their generals but I might know someone who can help. There's a professor in Dalaran who taught strategy and tactics instead of magic. I never had one of his classes but I had his wife, and she liked to invite students to visit her at her house when they needed help so I've met him a few times. I can't say what influence he has, but if there's anyone who can find a way to put your information to use, it'll be him."
"Will you be able to introduce me to him?" Gerome asked.
"Of course," Doyle nodded. "I still live in Dalaran so I can take you to him after I take care of some personal business with my family. It'll be nice to catch up with Professor Gearwork."
Doyle was Gerome's salvation. Had Doyle turned his ship away from the storm that fateful day, Lion's Vengeance would have never formed. Gerome would have drowned without having the chance to share what he learned with the rest of the world. While nothing would have changed in the course of the Second War, Gerome's survival and meeting with Doyle allows for me to continue their story.
Gerome was considered a guest of honor aboard the ship that rescued him and Doyle made it no secret that he possessed valuable information regarding the orcs. The soldier joined the captain for dinner in his quarters where they shared stories of their respective lives. Gerome struggled to open up about his time in captivity and Doyle never pressed him to open up about that dark period in his life.
Although Southshore was crowded, Doyle was able to dock his ship and find his family. Kaiya, who was six months pregnant, carried young Mandriah in her arms as they reunited with Doyle. When Doyle introduced Gerome to Kaiya and told her of their situation, she wasted no time in pushing for them to make the trip to Dalaran. It would be there that they find the man who would assemble Lion's Vengeance.
A/N: I'm getting back to Lion's Vengeance. The good news is I expect to be able to update this story more frequently. I am dedicating Tuesdays as a day to set aside everything else to focus on writing, and now that the introductions of the main cast are out of the way, I can focus on pushing the story forward.
I'd also like to take a moment to announce that I intend to rewrite Broken World as well as the chapters of Drowning Depths I've written already. When I first started writing The Vanguard, I was a young high schooler who still had much to learn about writing. While I still have much to learn to be a better writing, I believe that my older entries do not reflect my current skill, and while I think that I will continue to improve over time, I want to take a chance to update these older stories given their importance. The last thing I want is for people to see how I wrote them when I was a teenager and be turned off from the series completely.
Nothing will change about two stories in terms of narrative. The rewriting will serve to flesh out the cast, add more details, and fix any grammar and lore mistakes as well as to write in a way that reflects my current skill. I don't imagine having to rewrite any other Warcraft story (except for maybe Filash Cogfizz and the Deeprun Charts) as I believe that my writing as of today is enough to at least keep people lured in. The rewriting will begin sometime next month if not sooner.
Until next time.
