The Tomb of Sargeras : The Fate of Another The Tomb of Sargeras < br > By Robert Brooks Part One : The Fate of Another Almost all of the ship was gone . Burned to nothing . The metal ribs of the hull , forged in Lordaeron long ago , rested on the ocean floor . So did the remains of the ship ' s passengers and crew . Only small pieces of scorched wood and cloth drifted on the surface , still glowing , their green embers sizzling beneath the swells . They would smolder for hours . Fel fire could not be extinguished by mere water . The debris washed up on a shore of black rocks . A lone figure stumbled along , his skin dry and pale and weeping with sores . He lurched toward the water and picked at the wreckage . He lifted a charred plank . Sniffed it . His tongue flicked out , licking one of the embers . It sparked and winked out with a hiss . His eyes pulsed green . He smiled . " More . . . I need . . . more . . . " He had never tasted fel before . A larger nugget of it called to him from the south . He staggered onward , staying close to the shore . He knew better than to stray into Watcher territory . It was hard to remember a day without his need . He tried to think back . Surely there had never been a time when he had wanted for nothing . No . It was impossible . Those memories of standing tall in Suramar and consuming his fill of energy . . . " . . . those days before exile . . . " . . . they were just fantasies , fading quickly . That was good . It would be easier once they were gone . He did not need Suramar . Power — that was what he needed . He had consumed none for days , nothing but that single ember , and there was little left to scavenge here . There were too many others like him . But there was more of the shipwreck offshore , and it would bring a new bounty . He felt it . It was not far . So he continued forward , ignoring his exhaustion , pushing toward whatever was scratching at his mind . He knew others would be drawn to it , too . " But it is mine mine mine mine mine . . . " It was so close now , calling to him from the waterline . There . A dead body lay facedown on the rocks , nudged gently by the waves . Whoever this had been , he had been astonishingly powerful . Even after death , his magical energy shone like a second sun . It would be a pleasure to devour every fragment of it . He fell over in his haste , then scrambled on hands and knees . He heard cries of outrage from farther away . More had arrived . They would eat well , too . There was enough for all . But first , " him " . He pulled the black cloak away from the corpse . An orc . Green skin . Pulsing with dark magic and strange markings . He had never seen such a strong aura . It would sustain him for . . . " Days ? Weeks ? Years ? " His fingers curled above the body , drawing a taste of the potent radiance . It was vile . And it was beautiful . He drank deeply . He felt power . He felt fire . He felt might . He felt pain . He felt the corpse ' s green hand close around his throat , squeezing hard . He felt fear . The orc was standing . Not a corpse at all . Never had been . Glowing red eyes looked into his . " You have not paid the price for that power , not as I have , " the orc said . The eyes narrowed , and the lips twisted into a smile . " But please , have more . " The exile shrieked . Torrents of corrupted fel surged into his mind . He lived on magic . Now he drowned in it , suffocating beneath an endless ocean of green fire . He was filled to the brim , and yet more flooded in . Then , in an instant , it was all gone . All of the orc ' s magic . All of his own . Drained to the last drop . Nothing remained but emptiness and agony . Yet as his heart went still , he realized he would do anything to wield such might again . . . With a casual gesture , Gul ' dan ended the wretch ' s existence , leaving him as wet streaks on the rocks . He had looked like an elf to Gul ' dan ' s eyes , though not like any of the ones who had invaded Draenor . Those hadn ' t seemed so sickly . " What was he ? " Gul ' dan asked his master . " — NIGHTFALLEN . AN EXILE FROM SURAMAR . — " More were nearby , running away . They did not get far . Gul ' dan lifted his hands , and a few moments later , the Nightfallen all fell to the ground , dead , nothing left of them but withered husks . Green funnels of mist swirled from their bodies and toward Gul ' dan ' s palms , then disappeared into his skin . Gul ' dan closed his eyes and slowly exhaled . The weight of his exhaustion had lifted just a hair , but his satisfaction went far deeper than that . It was good to be the predator again . If only it would last . He shuffled away from the exposed shore . There was no need to make things easy for his pursuer . He didn ' t stop moving until he was far inland , hidden amid boulders and dead , barren trees . He sat down to rest . " Is this the place ? The Broken Isles ? " Gul ' dan asked . " — YES . KEEP MOVING . — " Gul ' dan hated the way Kil ' jaeden ' s voice rattled his skull . It had filled his mind the instant he had entered this world , and it hadn ' t allowed him a moment ' s relief . " I need time , " he muttered . " — YOU HAVE NONE TO SPARE . — " Gul ' dan leaned back against a boulder . His pact with the Burning Legion had given him power , but his posture was as gnarled and twisted as it had ever been . His mortal body was still weak . " I need time . The archmage is more powerful than you know . " Gul ' dan had nearly died swimming to shore , using only his physical strength . If Khadgar had detected even a scrap of fel energy moving away from the burning merchant ship . . . Well , he hadn ' t , but now Gul ' dan could barely stand . " All I need is a moment . " " — NO . — " Gul ' dan remained motionless , catching his breath . " — YOU DISOBEY ME ? — " The orc hissed . He had crossed into a new world , stolen a ship , and sailed over an unfamiliar ocean , all while a relentless pursuer snapped at his heels . Gul ' dan could not keep the rage out of his words . " I have proved my loyalty a thousand times over . " " — YOU HAVE FAILED AGAIN AND AGAIN . YOU ' VE PROVED NOTHING . — " Gul ' dan stood up , ignoring his fatigue . " I failed ? Me ? " He kept that thought hidden . He had held up his end of the bargain . The " Legion " had failed . Every single one of its plans had come to nothing . Mannoroth , the flayer of a thousand worlds , had died in an ambush . Auchindoun and its substantial power had been claimed for only a few heartbeats . Even Archimonde had fallen . A dangerous thought surfaced . " Why should I expect things to go differently this time ? " Gul ' dan buried that question deep . Very deep indeed . " Where , then , should I go ? " he asked , his voice as cold as death . " — RETRACE YOUR STEPS . — " Gul ' dan looked back toward the ocean . " I don ' t understand . " " — YOU HAVE VISITED THESE ISLANDS BEFORE . DECADES AGO . DO YOU NOT SENSE IT ? — " " That was not me , " Gul ' dan said . An icy chunk of uneasiness settled in his middle . Knowing there was already a Gul ' dan who had lived and died on this world — this other timeline — made his skin crawl . " We are not the same . " " — IF YOU ARE NOT , YOU ARE NO USE . GO NORTH . — " Disobedience was not an option . Not yet . Gul ' dan started walking again , slowly , feeling for any sign of scrying . He had no doubt that the archmage Khadgar had already begun searching these islands . Nightfallen scavengers scurried about , but they were sent fleeing once they sensed the warlock ' s menace . Many hid within the decades - old shipwrecks that dotted the shoreline . Gul ' dan was pleased ; it would be frustrating for Khadgar to inspect them all . There was not a raven in sight , though some vultures soared high above . They kept their distance . " What happened here ? With . . . the other one ? " The questions tasted sour , but he needed to know . All he had heard — among the screams of the unfortunate Alliance and Horde soldiers who had fallen into his care on Draenor — was that the Gul ' dan from this timeline had accompanied the first Horde to war . He had been defeated and killed . Eventually . Details were harder to come by . Perhaps that meant Gul ' dan had met an unremarkable end , a death not worth retelling . That was not a satisfying thought . " — YOU RAISED AN ISLAND , THAL ' DRANATH , FROM THE WATERS . — " " At your command ? " Gul ' dan asked . " — YOU ARE NOT HERE TO ASK QUESTIONS . YOU ARE HERE TO VISIT THAT ISLAND AGAIN . IT IS A LONG WALK . MOVE . — " Gul ' dan ' s thoughts continued to swirl in treacherous waters . " There must be something powerful here " . Why else would Kil ' jaeden want him to remain ignorant of it ? " I may have to obey him , but I do not need to trust him " , Gul ' dan decided . Kil ' jaeden was known as " the Deceiver " for very good reasons , after all . " May I at least ask what is on that island ? " " — THE TOMB OF SARGERAS . — " At that moment , dead silence fell over the land . The vultures veered away . Rodents vanished into their warrens . Someone was coming . Gul ' dan stopped . He listened . He waited . Carefully , very carefully , he wreathed himself in fel power , a simple trick but a useful one . To anyone farther than two paces , Gul ' dan would be invisible . Anyone who stepped closer would soon see nothing at all . He kept his eyes open , but his mind raced . " Sargeras ' s tomb ? He ' s dead ? " he whispered . " — YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING . — " Kil ' jaeden had given that answer to many of Gul ' dan ' s questions . The orc ' s patience was strained each time he heard it . Someone was moving among the rocks . Gul ' dan sensed it before he saw it . A flash of motion caught his eye . Not a single pebble rustled as a cloaked figure glided on silent footsteps . She emerged into a patch of light , curved blades and emerald armor glittering , each movement taken with confidence and purpose . Not an inch of skin was visible beneath her helmet , yet it seemed she had no trouble surveying everything around her . Gul ' dan smiled . Cordana Felsong had worn something similar . " A Watcher ? Here ? Very interesting . " He was tempted to ambush this one , but she was angling north . He followed . Where there was one , there would likely be more . Those Nightfallen had been weak , and their life essences had granted Gul ' dan little power . The souls of Watchers would be worth the time to collect . Kil ' jaeden said nothing to stop him . And it burned , oh yes , it " seared " Gul ' dan ' s pride to wonder whether his master would " allow " him this small bit of freedom . Gul ' dan ' s magic kept him hidden as he hurried after the Watcher . Twice he had to halt as she changed course , veering in irregular patterns before looping around to her original bearing . She was searching for something . Him ? Unlikely . It would take a great fool to hunt Gul ' dan alone . Even Khadgar had sought the aid of allies first . Soon the Watcher rounded the edge of a cliff and emerged onto a flat plateau . A half - dozen others were already there . " Yes . . . " Gul ' dan waited in the shade , gathering power as the Watcher he had followed joined them . He could hear only snatches of their conversation . " . . . dead Nightfallen . . . " " . . . sunken ship on the horizon . . . " " . . . as you command , Warden Shadowsong . " Gul ' dan peered at them . That name was familiar . Where had he . . . ? Ah yes . Maiev Shadowsong . She was Cordana ' s leader , spoken of in fear . " If she ever learns of my betrayal , Cordana had said , I will have to beg for an end as easy as Illidan ' s . " If Gul ' dan could kill Maiev right now , that would be one fewer threat to worry about . He prepared his ambush , a blistering whirlwind of death . They had no chance . They did not even suspect he was here . He raised his hands and — — HIDE . — Kil ' jaeden ' s voice thundered through his mind . Gul ' dan nearly collapsed from the sheer force of it . He dropped his hands , his ambush forgotten . " What . . . ? " Then he heard it . Cutting across the plateau was a raven ' s cry . Gul ' dan dispelled his attack in an instant , hoping desperately it hadn ' t been sensed . He looked up . The raven swooped downward . For a moment , Gul ' dan thought he had been spotted . But the raven merely circled the plateau twice and then dived down to the Watchers . They watched it approach . In the blink of an eye , the raven transformed . The man who remained walked with a confident stride . Gul ' dan ' s eyes blazed . His jaw clenched hard enough to cause pain . " Hello , Maiev , " Khadgar said , brushing a feather off of his shoulder . " I do not remember sending for you , Archmage , " the leader said coldly . " Your legendary charm hasn ' t faded a bit , " Khadgar replied . Then he was next to her , speaking too quietly to be overheard . Gul ' dan silently cursed . " I should end this fool now , " he said . " — THEY ARE IRRELEVANT . LEAVE . — " " I can kill them all . " " — YOU ARE NOT HERE FOR THEM . OBEY , GUL ' DAN . — " Khadgar was right there . Vulnerable . In that moment , Gul ' dan considered treason . He had known that binding himself to the Burning Legion would require service . He had accepted it . And in return , he had received tremendous power . But he had not made a pact to be a puppet . He had delivered " others " into mindless obedience — and if Grommash Hellscream ' s idiot son had not interfered , he would have delivered many more — but that was not to be Gul ' dan ' s fate . No . His destiny was to rule worlds for the Legion . Service , not slavery . " If the Legion disagrees , the pact is already broken " , Gul ' dan thought . But in this moment , treason meant death . Enemies were everywhere . This world was strange and set against him . Gul ' dan didn ' t even know what power the Legion wanted him to claim . Kil ' jaeden had kept him on a short leash . Too short to rebel . For the moment , Gul ' dan would play the obedient pet . " I serve , Kil ' jaeden . " He slowly retreated . " — YOUR DESTINATION IS TO THE EAST . FIND A WAY TO TRAVERSE THE BAY . YOU NO LONGER HAVE TIME TO WALK AROUND SURAMAR . — " Gul ' dan had an idea about that . He left Khadgar and the Watchers behind and returned to the eastern shoreline . There , atop a shipwreck with Alliance markings , was a small rowboat . It was lashed to the ship by a single rotting rope . One firm tug brought the boat down into the gentle surf . He had never rowed before , but it was simple to learn , and he didn ' t need to go far . Soon he had put enough distance between himself and the shore — and Khadgar — that he set down the oars and use d more pleasing means to move forward . The boat ' s wake shimmered dark green . On occasion , a fish would surface belly - up . Kil ' jaeden kept him pointed in the correct direction , and within the hour , Gul ' dan ' s destination rose above the horizon . The island was flat , but a strange structure on it stabbed at the sky . Up close , it loomed above Gul ' dan . A monument . A promise . Spires and jagged bulwarks stood as testaments to its importance . Whatever it was now , it had once been a true fortress . To crack it open , it would have taken an invasion beyond even what the Iron Horde had planned for this world . Why would such a place be abandoned ? Perhaps its time had passed . Yet Kil ' jaeden had reasons to bring him here . It infuriated Gul ' dan that he didn ' t know what they were . As he drew closer , he felt uneasy . The island was familiar . Not the sight of it . Something resonated from this place , some trace of his own power — the other Gul ' dan ' s power — that remained from decades ago . Gul ' dan no longer doubted he had been here before . The rowboat ' s rotten hull broke apart as Gul ' dan beached it on the forbidding shore . He walked the rest of the way to that mysterious tomb , where he sensed the unfamiliar magic of whoever had sealed the entrance . There were physical barriers of stone and enchanted metal , as well as an array of hidden arcane locks and gates . This was a simple problem to solve . Gul ' dan began spinning fel magic in complex patterns , dismantling each obstacle with ease . " What is inside ? Guards ? Traps ? " Gul ' dan asked . " — YOUR PURPOSE . — " Gul ' dan paused . That wasn ' t an answer he had expected . " What will you have me do ? " " — YOU WILL OPEN THE WAY FOR US . — " Gul ' dan didn ' t understand . " We tried that on Draenor . " It had taken a considerable amount of effort , too . All for nothing . " — THERE , YOU SOUGHT TO CLEAR THE PATH YOURSELF . HERE , YOU NEED MERELY TURN THE KEY . THEN YOU WILL KNOW OUR TRUE POWER . — " Another barrier fell . This one came with a trap . Dozens of spears wrought from fire and arcane power sprang toward Gul ' dan . He absently waved a hand , and they vanished . His thoughts were focused elsewhere . " This is what the other Gul ' dan was meant to do . What happened ? " " — YOU FAILED YOUR PURPOSE . — " " That was not me , " he growled . " — WE WILL SEE . — " " How did he fail ? " " — DISLOYALTY . — " Gul ' dan could trust nothing the Deceiver was saying . Perhaps here , as on Draenor , it was the Legion that had failed . " But they brought me here twice for a reason . " Something inside was so powerful that even death could not divert Gul ' dan ' s destiny . Perhaps that destiny was aligned with his masters ' plans . Perhaps not . That thought made Gul ' dan smile . The final defense on the tomb ' s entrance shattered . Gul ' dan blasted the door apart with a thundering boom . Now he needed to move fast ; that sound would draw attention . " Guide me , Kil ' jaeden , " Gul ' dan said . " I will succeed . " He entered the darkness of the Tomb of Sargeras . It was clear the place was massive , with countless corridors descending deep underground . The weight of magics from millennia past and the destinies of this world ' s souls pressed upon him . He quickly shuffled forward . Kil ' jaeden no longer needed to urge him on . Gul ' dan was eager to unearth this tomb ' s secrets , for whatever power lay inside would soon rest in his hands . Not the Legion ' s . His .