Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Timeless: a Wranduin Story	By : flagfish Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 4143 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Warcraft nor any of the characters,nor do I make any money or profit from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
When Anduin woke late into the night, he didn’t know where he was; there was the earthy scent of stone and minerals, high in the ceiling vague fluorescent lights twinkled like little colored stars— and some distance away was Wrathion, still asleep, he appeared deceptively innocent this way.
With his eyes accustomed to the darkness, Anduin curiously regarded his old friend, the way his once-adolescent features had given way to something more elegant and adult; in his mind, he couldn’t help comparing and contrasting, had he, himself, grown about the same…?
Did Wrathion now really have a number of very impressive horns, which were very intimidating and large? He watched for some time, the way the sheets only partly covered his naked chest, how his long hair fell in his eyes.
In a distant part of the cavern, Neltharion was lain in his true form with a number of other dragons, all of them his brood, huddled together to sleep; Nozdormu was there, as well, elegantly curled against Neltharion, the black whelps and drakes had gathered around him, too. It occurred to Anduin that Wrathion could have joined them, the way Nozdormu had, but that he’d chosen against it.
There he was, despite his nonchalant demeanor, nevertheless lain to sleep at this distant part of the lair, at his side.
He’d acted so calm, but he was afraid of his father— even if he’d come here deliberately to seek his aid.
Anduin hesitated; then, very slowly, he reached to brush the hair from Wrathion’s eyes. He didn’t grow up with other whelps, or with a parent— to some extent Anduin knew what that was like.
The strands felt silky and soft, Anduin stroked them gently and then froze all at once when the red glow of dragon eyes flashed upon him; he stilled with one hand still in Wrathion’s hair as his breath died in his throat. He knew he was blushing hotly.
“Ah—" he stammered, his mind raced for a credible excuse, Wrathion’s gaze moved from his hand to his face and back.
“What are you doing?" he asked, and Anduin stared in mute horror, because there was no good way to conceal this.
"I— nothing—” he whispered back, and then quickly retracted his hand; he tried to meet Wrathion’s gaze and stupidly murmured, “Just— all the other dragons— are all way over there, but you…”
Wrathion’s eyes narrowed for some moments, but then he let a quiet laugh. “You think I’m lonely, because I’m not curled there with my father,” he said, and suddenly Anduin felt very daft.
“No,” he huffed, “no, that’s not what I— it’s just— I mean, it’s understandable, who wouldn’t— Deathwing was terrifying—”
He knew soon as he spoke that it was a mistake, for a moment he thought his friend’s expression turned to loathing— but whatever there was on his mind, Wrathion didn’t let on. “Yes, he was terrifying, Prince of Stormwind. Who doesn’t know that?”
In the dark of the cave, his eyes seemed to glow piercingly bright, like two living flames that could consume him— for a moment, Anduin thought he really was in danger, but Wrathion only chuckled, with almost convincing casual grace. He turned with his back to Anduin and curled in the other direction, then pulled the sheets over his back.
"You’ll do well to watch yourself here, old friend," he said; "It sounds like you are the one who’s afraid.”
—
That night, Aethas couldn’t sleep. It wouldn’t do, taking his place beside Jaina, with the easy excuse that they were the only non-dragons there, and Anduin already was lain with Wrathion— it would be terribly inelegant, and so would the other easy excuse, that he could watch over Anduin while she got her rest.
He made his way outside the cavern and took his seat against the rocks, his gaze trailed to the twisting crevices of the distant volcano, the way it spiraled up into the sky; it really was cold out. Very softly, he whispered an incantation to light a small fire, it crackled pleasantly as magical flecks danced round its flames; from somewhere off, there issued quiet chatter, his ears moved as of their own accord to better tune in to the sound.
Two dragons spoke to each other in nurturing, affectionate tones, there was so much gentleness in it he’d almost missed the fact they were scheming something sinister; no— sinister was a very one-sided view, people had said the same thing of him.
Aethas gazed into the golden heart of the fire, his aristocratic hands called forth the glittering lights like paint flowing through water, he wove them with patience and care into the shape of a phoenix— but then softly extinguished the spell before the creature could fly away.
Sometimes he wished he could go back.
He’d been hiding so long he was no longer certain if he was hiding, or if he’d really become someone else.
The dragons who conspired in secret were on about Wrathion, and about Nozdormu, and even as they spoke of how powerless Nozdormu was, there was in their voices unmistakable love; it sounded almost like regret.
This wasn’t sinister; listening to them, Aethas could tell they believed they acted for the greater good. It wasn’t just for their benefit, but for the bronze dragonflight as a whole, they wanted to save their race—
—it was what I also had wanted to do, he thought, once upon a time.
—
At the roost where they’d been speaking, Kairoz got one finger on Murozond’s lips; “Hush,” he mouthed, “There’s someone nearby, I can smell him.”
The two of them went quiet in order to listen, and in moments Kairoz changed to his true form; there came a great gust of wings flapping open, he made a quick descent to the mouth of the cave.
Aethas moved quickly, he blinked away from the fire and rapidly conjured a number of weapons that hovered just behind him, in preparation to attack; he just barely felt the air sway at his back when the fabric of his robes was tightly pulled, and in a moment of surprise he was gripped from behind in the talons of a second dragon.
He spelled the weapons to flip the other way, Murozond dodged them with partial success as he carried the little mage back to their roost, they were very large dragons, the both.
"Impressive," Kairoz said as he changed back to his elven form; Murozond changed, too, he had one hand tight on Aethas’ mouth from behind, and one round both his wrists. Aethas glared, his weapons hovered around him with intended threat.
Kairoz didn’t seem much afraid; he moved very close, his breath hovered on Murozond’s hand on Aethas’ mouth, he brushed the hair from Aethas’ eyes with the back of one finger.
“Don’t think we don’t know who you are, blood mage,” he whispered, “don’t think we don’t know why you’re here.”
"How much do you suppose he heard?" Murozond asked, "What do you think we should do?"
Very subtly, Aethas spelled his weapons to turn against them both, slowly, but just before he’d meant to strike, Murozond’s hand slid down from his mouth; Aethas gasped for breath, his lips and chin felt damp, his hands still were bound.
“I’m not your enemy,” he muttered, “I’m not allied with anyone—”
"Whether you’re allied isn’t your choice,” there came the reply, “Not one word to Nozdormu, we’ll know if you talk.”
Before Aethas could respond, there came a direct blast against Murozond which rapidly knocked him back, then one against Kairoz; the second blast missed, but they’d been taken enough off guard that Aethas had a chance to slip away. He peered over the edge of the cliff to see Jaina stood on the frozen ground below, she was aiming toward him and spoke loudly enough he could hear.
“Blizzard, move…!" she called.
He began rapidly hopping down the crevices of the short cliff, not exactly missing the blizzard, and the dragons were agile enough to slip through it, too— but ultimately they let him go as he finished his descent. They remained in their true forms, hovering somewhere above ground, and laughed at his escape.
"Remember what I told you," Murozond warned, "Not a word.”
Aethas was out of breath when he’d finally reached Jaina, she gazed back at the dragons, then around the area surrounding to see if there were more of them.
“What the hell were you doing?" She asked, she reached to straighten his robes like she were his mother; "Were those guys— was that Kairozdormu?”
Aethas still was catching his breath, he tried to sort out everything that happened, and blushed when Jaina started with his robes; he was about to tell her everything, but looked over his shoulder to see the dragons flying back toward their roost.
"They’re just—" He couldn’t lie to Jaina so directly, not when she looked him straight in the eye; “I can’t say,” he admitted finally, “it’s not about Anduin anyhow, so—”
“Are you allied with the infinite dragons?" Jaina asked, "Is that what this is about?"
“No! I’m— no, of course not!”
She wondered if the three of them were plotting something, and if Aethas had managed to anger them in some way. “I’ll have my eye on you, you know,” she warned, “If you’re planning something sinister—”
“Jaina…" he sighed with a great deal of exasperation, "Why is it you never trust me? Why do you always think I’m up to some sinister purpose? Do you honestly think I’d wish you harm—”
“Thalen Songweaver—”
"I knew nothing about that! I already told you!”
"Oh, really? You knew nothing?”
Aethas took two steps toward her, visibly shaken with annoyance; he pointed one finger and grit his teeth. “You think, what? That I’d knowingly have someone dispatched to attack Theramore? To attack you? I love you—”
He stopped himself too late, aware he’d finally said what was unspoken between them for years; now that the words were irreversibly out in the open, they weighed on him darkly with shame, he remembered how he’d shrunk long ago when he saw her and Arthas kiss.
Jaina remained where she was, mouth frozen where once she had some venomous words prepared; she didn’t say anything for a long time. Her eyes glittered with something that looked dangerously like compassion, and pity was something he couldn’t bear to have from her; he couldn’t endure having it gently and empathetically explained to him, how he couldn’t make her feel something she didn’t.
Maybe it was better when she thought he was really her enemy.
He felt like a foolish, sulking child when her hand came gently to slide back his hair, but he knew that, this time, she really believed him; “You’re right,” she finally said, she sounded tired and resigned. “You really wouldn’t do something like that. Kael’thas.”
His pulse quickened at being addressed by his real name for the first time in years, and even though he was certain she knew long before, it was something different altogether to hear it directly; he swiped stupidly at his eyes with none of the regal sort of grace she must have known in him.
"Anyway, forget what I said, it doesn’t matter. Just— so you believe me— I’m not plotting things— with the infinite dragons— anyway— it’s not like you didn’t already know—”
He was terribly embarrassed; then, to make matters worse, she started explaining, ever so compassionately. She was looking so gently into his eyes; “You know I can’t. You know I’m with—”
"Yeah, Kalecgos," he huffed, he wished so much he wasn’t openly tearful, he fought hard for elegance, to no avail. “Right, well, I always thought it was because you only liked humans, but now—”
In truth, it hurt her heart to see him speak so nakedly, things she’d suspected for a long time but never heard outright; she was at a loss, still confused between the severity of what they’d spoke of before and this much more intimate subject.
"Kael’thas, I—"
"No! No, it’s fine, I get it," he said, "I mean, Kalecgos, he’s like, what, the aspect of magic now, I can’t compete with that—”
"It’s not like that, you’re not meant to compete—”
"Yeah," he said, "I guess you’re right— that is, Arthas, back then he was utterly useless—”
She sighed; she didn’t feel like digging all that up again. She knew what a tender subject Arthas was to Quel’thalas.
"Come on," she said, she carefully led him back to the cavern, "Let’s get some rest, I want to be alert tomorrow when Neltharion calls a meeting with the other black dragons." She still wondered what Murozond and Kairoz were up to, but knew well enough Kairoz was allied with Wrathion— so whatever they were planning, it didn’t likely involve an intent to foil all that.
She’d need to have a little talk with Wrathion in the morning.
No— it looked like she’d need to have a little talk with Wrathion now.
On reaching the part of the cave where the two princes lay to sleep, she noticed Anduin remarkably close to Wrathion, she paused in place to assess whether it was something innocuous.
“Definitely not, that’s not innocent,” Aethas mouthed, there was so much knowing wisdom in his voice that Jaina raised an eyebrow; she got one foot in the space between the two princes and began carefully nudging them apart.
Anduin mumbled incoherently in his sleep, audibly dissatisfied, he tried to reposition himself the way he was before; finally he opened his eyes when Jaina got him far enough away.
He regarded her in the darkness, and now Wrathion was sleepily looking forth, too; he stretched and yawned, then reached to scratch his naked chest.
"Aunt Jaina?" Anduin murmured, "What’s going on?"
"Go back to sleep," she said, "But, like— try to keep your arms off each other."
She turned to head back to her own blankets, and Anduin began turning back to sleep again; several seconds passed before his eyes shot open all at once.
“Keep your arms off each other? What’s that supposed to mean?”
His head flipped toward Wrathion in panic, and he found him staring back with just as much horror. “My arms were definitely not on you,” Wrathion said, like he’d forgot altogether about his elegant guise, “Why would I have my arms on you? They definitely weren’t on you.”
"No, definitely!" Anduin stammered, "Exactly! why would I— ” he let a dry bark of laughter, “No! I’m sleeping all the way over here! What, you think I want— I definitely don’t want— good night.”
“Yeah, good night!”
After that, they each slid about three extra feet apart in opposite directions, just for good measure.
(On to Chapter 5)
--
A/N: I would love to find someone interested in roleplaying Warcraft lore, especially Wrathion/Anduin, though there are a lot of lore characters I like. I've had a very difficult time finding anyone interested in this, as WoW fangirls usually like RPing their OCs (which I'm not interested in doing). It's cool by me if you're not completely versed in the lore, I'm not a die-hard lore person, myself, and it's something you can read about a bit at a time as necessary. If you're over 18 and feel like giving it a try, please let me know (contact info on my profile). Thank you!
- 3
- 4
- 5
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Timeless: a Wranduin Story