Anduin stood in a vast field of snow dotted by smoldering pools of lava, a blond skinny boy squatted by the very edge of one of them in the distance, he was dressed in rags that couldn't possibly protect him from the cold. The boy had his arms extended towards the pool as if he was trying to warm them without appearing to fear the red molten lava searing through the earth.
The young king heard a rumbling to his left and turned to look at its source. A massive humanoid statue that appeared to be made by a marble-like material came into his field of view, but Anduin promptly realized that the large figure was no statue at all as it lifted one arm and pointed towards the sky.
Anduin followed its finger and turned his eyes to the sky, immediately noticing something very unsettling. There were no stars in the night sky, no White Lady, no Blue Child, just darkness, but to his horror Anduin soon realized that the sky was not empty, there was an incomprehensibly large figure there entirely obscuring his view of any celestial body. It appeared to be made of darkness and even though it had no eyes, Anduin could feel it watching him and a suffocating feeling of dread overwhelmed him. He lifted his arms to cover his face in a futile attempt to hide himself from its gaze, but his hands were not his own, their skin was dark, as dark as Wrathion's…
Anduin jolted awake and saw Wrathion at his side blinking awake as his sleep was disturbed by the sudden jerking of his body.
"What time is it?" Wrathion asked him as he shot up in a sitting position with a panicked look on his face.
"I'm sorry did I wake you up? It's a little before daybreak I think." Anduin answered him.
"You woke me up! I fell asleep? Ridiculous!" the Black Prince said as he jumped out of the bed, he waved his arms and all his clothes were back on his body in an instant.
"Neat trick." Anduin commented.
"I have to leave while it's still dark!" the black dragon said as he got back onto the bed to give the human a hurried kiss. "Were you having a bad dream?" he asked with an expression Anduin could not decipher.
"Yeah, but I don't remember it very well." the young king replied.
Wrathion simply nodded in response and turned to leave, but Anduin grabbed him by the wrist to keep him in place. "Wrath, don't make me regret telling you this." the blond said looking straight into his eyes. "We'll be leaving Gilneas tomorrow. You know where we are going next.".
"Too bad I won't be able to see you tonight then." the black dragon answered in a casual tone after a moment, although his face betrayed how surprised he was by Anduin's disclosure. "I need to visit Quel' Danas, I'll come see you again after that." he continued and pulled him close for another kiss.
Anduin felt that he was far more surprised than the other man, the elusive Wrathion had actually shared a part of his plans with him, even though it was a really small part.
"I really need to go now." he sighed. He waved his arms and all the lights in the room went out leaving it almost completely dark and just like that, he disappeared.
"Neat trick." Anduin said once more and fell back on the pillows, sleeping again well into the morning.
The sky was heavy with rainclouds and everything appeared to be enveloped in mist as Anduin followed the winding path up the memorial hill of Aderic's Repose. There were more people gathered there than he expected, it wasn't just Greymane and some of his worgen, there were also draenei and dwarves and even priestesses of Elune among them.
Anduin tried to suppress his nervousness as he walked towards Liam's grave, a plain rock indicating where his coffin was hastily buried in front of Aderic's Tomb years before. As he opened his mouth to speak the words came to him naturally, as the prince of Stormwind he had to give public speeches in front of large crowds countless times in the past, but the ease with which the words came to him this time was not just due to that, he felt as if he was meant to convey a message to everyone present that day, although it was one that he didn't quite understand himself.
"There is no intensity of feeling, no amount of devotion that can preserve from death those we wish to protect." he began saying in a loud voice so that everyone could hear. "It may feel like we have to say goodbye to more and more of our loved ones with every turn of this world's history, and one might go as far as to say that even the Light itself cannot keep us from crumbling into ruin, but we should not let these dark times take away our faith. The faith that none of us emerged by chance and that our partings have a meaning. What our loved ones, our heroes, sacrificed themselves for, is now our responsibility to achieve. I believe that what we once shared with all those that have departed will never cease. No matter the divides between us we must never forget that every life is a universe."
These last few words he had heard in some dream years before made him feel at ease, sending every remnant of his earlier nightmare away.
He lifted his hands to shoulder height, palms facing up, and let the Light flow through him, feeling the familiar tingling sensation in his fingers. He realized that without wanting to, he had closed his eyes and felt a pang of embarrassment as he opened them again to look at the gathered crowd.
He was surprised when he saw that several people standing around him, or even further down the hill, were kneeling with an awed expression on their faces and it was then he noticed that the Light manifesting around his hands was far brighter than any other time he had called upon it. It made it look almost as if the sun had come out from behind the grey clouds, and then it was gone.
As he lowered his arms Anduin felt like he needed a moment to catch his breath. Genn approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you Anduin." the old worgen said in a low voice. He looked like he was trying to hold back tears.
As the crowd disbanded the young king noticed that several individuals were walking around the graveyard looking at the names on the tombstones. It was sad how after such a long time all they had to hope for was that at least there was a grave to mark the passing of their loved ones.
Anduin returned to Greymane Manor after that, there were a lot of things to be done before they moved further north. The siege of Undercity demanded a lot of planning and coordination and there was less than a day left to go.
It was decided that later that evening all the leaders of the Alliance were going to meet in the manor's main hall, since there was no other building suitable to accommodate that many people. As the leaders arrived one after the other Anduin tried to steel himself. They were not going to prepare for a battle but for a full-fledged siege and there were many threats that they had to contend with.
The young king noticed that Calia Menethil was among the arriving guests. It was only natural, she was the sole heir to the throne of Lordaeron. He also noticed how Jaina looked uncomfortable in her presence, she was even avoiding eye contact.
Muradin Bronzebeard, who represented the Council of the Three Hammers during the war efforts, was the first one to speak.
"The ships loaded with the siege towers are ready ta sail as soon as the order is given." the dwarf said. He was a veteran of the Third War and extremely familiar with Capital City.
"Good. We should keep in mind that it is vital to stay clear of North Tide's Run, they may have part of their fleet stationed there in anticipation of an attack." king Greymane pointed out.
"My scouts have reported that both North Tide's Run and North Coast are clear. It would be safe to say that they are not expecting an attack from the north, Brill remains a concern though." Shandris said.
"That Light-forsaken place will not hinder us! What I am more concerned about is our supplies. We will be fighting an enemy that has no need to eat or sleep, they can let this siege drag on for a long time." Genn answered.
"Capital City's walls may have withstood past attacks, but times have changed, our engines will reduce them ta rubble in no time." Muradin said confidently.
The talks continued over the course of several hours. Miniature figures of ships and soldiers and siege engines were moved back and forth on a map of Tirisfal Glades as the attack plans were finalized. Come tomorrow a battle would begin that could change the Eastern Kingdoms forever.
As soon as Anduin entered the guest room he collapsed on the bed. He didn't have much to offer during those talks, everyone else in that room was far more experienced than him, but it was still draining. He knew he wasn't going to see Wrathion that night, but it didn't bother him that much, at least this time he knew he was going to see him again. That didn't stop him from missing him though.
The next day Anduin found himself boarding the 7th fleet's flagship under a sunny sky, at least this time the weather was going to be on their side.
Genn appeared to have the same thing on his mind. "If the weather holds, we will surely reach North Coast before nightfall." he said.
Anduin could hear the excitement in his voice and that worried him, Greymane's grudge combined with Jaina's resentment could push the war beyond anyone's control.
The young king spent most of his time on the deck of the ship during the journey. When they reached North Coast, the sun was almost beyond the horizon, they were going to spend the night onboard and begin their march to Undercity the very next morning.
Despite his anxiety over the imminent battle, Anduin was able to fall asleep. The memory of the tender moments he had shared with Wrathion made him feel warm inside and the gentle rocking of the ship lulled him to him to sleep that night.
Anduin was greatly perturbed by the lack of any Horde presence during their march to the south and he wasn't the only one. As they assaulted Brill the young king was reminded of the battle for Gilneas. There were only a few Forsaken troops there that were defeated relatively easily. It was not like Sylvanas to sacrifice her own people like that, her strategy was hard to read, but everyone seemed relieved that they'd be able to quickly establish a perimeter north of the city.
Anduin's chest sank as the tall walls of Undercity appeared in the horizon. He could hear the mechanical sounds of the siege engines that towered over the soldiers as they prepared to fire, the moment had finally arrived.
When the signal was given, massive flaming projectiles were shot out of the siege towers as several dwarves and gnomes worked feverishly to reload them. Despite the devastation caused, the Forsaken archers among the battlements didn't appear to budge. They kept firing at the soldiers below, it was apparent that they were going to fight tooth and nail for their city.
The infantry moved closer to the city's walls as part of them appeared ready to topple at any moment. It looked like the Alliance had the upper hand until Sylvanas herself appeared among the archers. The infantry pushed forward as part of the walls collapsed and in that instant soldiers of all the races of the Horde poured out of them. Soon a chorus of screams erupted mixed with the sound of clashing metal and spells as the two armies collided just outside the city.
Anduin was moving forward alongside Greymane as one of the siege towers exploded and collapsed among the soldiers, a lone figure emerging from the smoke, Sylvanas. She let out an otherworldly howl and every soldier around her collapsed.
The power of the Banshee Queen disheartened the attackers and as she rallied her men forward things took a turn for the worse for the Alliance. The Horde met them with renewed strength and the young king could see his men fall one after the other all around him, it was then that something inside of him compelled him to let go of his father's sword and use the Light. All the fallen within a large radius around him stood once more and soon the Alliance was gaining ground again.
When the attacking army was almost inside the walls, horns signaling retreat sounded on the Horde's side. That took Anduin by surprise, he was certain that the defenders wouldn't give up so soon, but no one else seemed to notice that there might have been something wrong with that.
The young king could see Jaina running up ahead followed by a group of war mages, she was almost inside the city following the retreating defenders. Arcane power shot out of her fingers, striking anyone who dared approach her.
Then Anduin froze in his tracks, small catapults appeared atop the damaged walls, they were loaded with barrels that appeared to contain a peculiar liquid. At that moment it dawned on him that it was all an elaborate trap set by the Banshee Queen to lure them in, she intended to exterminate all her enemies in one fell swoop with the plague.
"Fall back!" Anduin started screaming at the top of his lungs, but his voice could not be heard over the sounds of the battle.
"It's the plague! I can smell it from here!" Greymane yelled and pulled at his hand trying to take him as far away as possible before the barrels were released.
"No!" Anduin yelled resisting him, Jaina was already beyond the walls along with a large part of the army.
"We need to keep you safe!" the old worgen said and his grip tightened to the point where it became painful even over his armor.
Soldiers and officers and leaders of entire nations, Jaina and Greymane and himself, they were all going to die, the Alliance was going to end that day, he had failed them all, he was not going to see Wrathion again. Everything around him went silent as his thoughts became jumbled, he reached out and an enormous bolt of Light left his hand, transforming midair into a massive wall of Light as it traveled towards the city.
He felt Genn's grip loosen but he could not hear his voice anymore, he brought his now freed hand forward too and pushed harder, but no matter how hard he tried the shield he had created would not reach those at the forefront. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his hands began trembling but he kept trying to reach further, he could not let everyone die like this.
There was great disorder on the battlefield as troops from the frontlines tried to back away from the city while those from further back, who were still unaware of the danger above, kept pushing forward. Anduin gazed at the chaotic situation as exhaustion brought him to his knees, but he didn't lower his arms, then a shrill cry pierced the silence that had enveloped him, and a black dragon swooped down from the sky, flying towards the catapults.
The dragon Anduin saw through clouded eyes was not big enough to be considered a fully matured individual, but it was not a whelp either and he had a pretty good guess as to who it was. The dragon opened its maw and a massive jet of lava covered all the catapults atop the battlements incinerating them along with their load.
The Horde's ballistic devices were rendered useless, but the plague began to immediately seep through the hot lava in the form of a green mist. The soldiers below were in no immediate danger as the green cloud was not big enough to reach them or penetrate Anduin's shield, but the dragon was caught in it as it flew by a second time. A loud howl escaped the dragon as it veered away and began losing altitude, it was going to crash among the soldiers and though it was not big enough for one of its kind, it was completely capable of crashing several men beneath it as it hit the ground.
Anduin felt his consciousness slip away but he struggled to hold on a little longer, then he noticed that the dragon changed halfway through its fall, leathery black wings disintegrating into ashes as the human figure vainly tried to cut his fall. The young king's suspicions were confirmed, Wrathion had come to their aid.
His body hit the ground hard, hard enough to kill any mortal, but after a moment he stood up again among the surprised soldiers. He lifted his arms and two pillars made of dirt exploded from the ground and shifted towards the walls, after a second Anduin noticed how those pillars resembled a dragon's claws. As Wrathion's hands moved downwards, so did the enormous appendages he had created with his flight's magic causing the walls to completely collapse under their weight and burying the plague for good.
As a cloud of harmless dust covered the area where the walls once stood Anduin's vision went completely blurry and then he knew no more.
When the young king woke up he found himself in a large tent, lying on a hard makeshift bed.
"Oh, thank the Light you are awake! How are you feeling?" a female voice sounded at his side. It was Calia Menethil with Mishka at her side.
"I am fine." Anduin answered without being completely certain himself. "How is the battle going?"
"It has ended, Sylvanas' plan to use the plague fell through and the Horde retreated. Lordaeron is in the hands of the Alliance once more." she said with mixed emotions showing on her face.
"What of Genn and Jaina?" he asked.
Anduin also wanted to ask about Wrathion's wellbeing, but he had to pretend that that was a secondary issue.
"They are both alive and well, they will be here soon to see you. What I am more concerned about is you, it is no small thing what you did back there, you kept everyone safe." Calia answered him.
"It was not me that kept everyone safe, it was that dragon." he said, trying to turn the conversation to Wrathion.
"He is being held in a tent away from the main camp, I have not had a chance to take a look at him yet." Mishka interjected as she fumbled with something that looked like medicine. "He was identified as the black dragon Wrathion." she continued hesitantly.
"I see." Anduin simply answered while trying to keep a neutral expression.
From what Anduin understood Wrathion was being held as a prisoner, but how could that be? There couldn't possibly be anything strong enough at hand to restrain him and he could have taken advantage of the chaos that ensued during the battle to escape in the first place. There was something wrong with the Black Prince.
Anduin sat up, he was still woozy, but lying in bed at such a time didn't sit well with him. At that moment Greymane and Jaina entered the tent.
"Anduin!" Jaina exclaimed and hugged him without any restraint, as if she was still "aunt" Jaina. "Are you well? How is he?" she asked Mishka without waiting for his answer.
"I am fine." Anduin had to say once more. "What happened after I lost consciousness?"
"We entered the city and pushed the Horde out to the north-east. We had Sylvanas cornered, but she escaped on a goblin zeppelin, there was nothing we could do to stop her." Genn answered with a mix of anger and bitterness on his face.
"The zeppelin was protected by ancient quel'dorei magic, even Khadgar himself wouldn't be able to get through it." Jaina said.
"So, can we assume she escaped to Quel'danas?" Anduin asked.
"Well, it's only natural she would go back to her old brethren." Genn responded. "But enough of that, you need to rest. I am very happy you are well Anduin, you did something very brave today." he continued with a proud look on his face. "Now if you'd excuse us, we need to attend to the matter of our prisoner."
Anduin felt a lump in his throat, he knew who the old worgen was talking about. He tried to study Jaina's expression, but she had already turned her face away, she knew he was close with Wrathion back in Pandaria.
"I will come with you." the young king finally said. "He is an old acquaintance, I would like to look him in the eye as we decide his fate." he said trying to conceal his true feelings.
"I would suggest you stay and rest. We will hold a meeting later this evening regarding our next move, you should save your strength." Genn objected.
Next move? Anduin felt his chest sink for the second time that day. It was as he feared, Greymane didn't intend to let it end with Undercity.
"Let him come." Jaina's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "It's not like the dragon can do anything to harm him." she said, and Anduin felt the blood drain from his face.
As Anduin walked towards the area where Wrathion was held alongside Jaina and Genn, he noticed that Calia was following them with Mishka at her heels.
Wrathion was kept in a part of the camp where other prisoners from the battle were held, although they didn't have the luxury of a tent, even one as shabby as the one the young king was about to enter. Anduin found himself hesitating to push the flap of the tent aside, Wrathion's fate was going to be decided in some moments and there was nothing he could do to decisively affect the outcome.
He took a deep breath and entered the tent, he felt his dizziness return as he saw Wrathion sitting on the ground with his back against one of the beams supporting the tottery structure, but he tried to keep a straight face. His hands and feet were tied by arcane bonds that could have easily been broken by him, even though they were not made by metal or some other material connected to his element. The dragon looked back at him with complete indifference, as if they had never met before.
Then Anduin noticed something he believed nobody else could. He was not dressed in his usual oriental clothes, he simply wore a plain black shirt and leather pants, he didn't even have any shoes on. Was he so weak that his usual attire was too intricate to produce? He also looked pale and his shoulders were slumped forward, there was no way the usual Wrathion would carry himself like that, especially at a time like this. He was now certain that there was something wrong with him.
Anduin recovered from his thoughts as he heard Genn address Wrathion.
"Now what do we do with you?" the old worgen said looking down at the dragon.
"Well thanking me would be a good start, although I would much prefer it if you removed these first." he said, lifting his arms to show the magic bonds keeping them together and smiling expectantly.
"Sarcasm is not going to help you dragon." Genn replied without losing his composure, Wrathion wasn't going to make it easy for anyone, not even for himself.
"I hear that Draenor was your doing." the old king said and squatted down so that he could look Wrathion straight in the face. "Yet here you are today, helping the Alliance. What should I make of that?"
"Draenor was a misunderstanding, now as I said, you can release me, and we can go our separate ways." the Black Prince answered lightheartedly, as if he was not aware of the tough spot he was in.
Genn stood up again and towered over him menacingly. "Don't test my patience! We all know of your scheme! You sought to seize control of both the Horde and the Alliance, but you failed miserably!" the worgen's previous calm demeanor was completely gone now.
"And how did that work out for you?" the dragon answered raising his eyebrows. Anduin shot him an angry glance. Did he intend to die then and there?
Genn looked like he was going to turn into his worgen form and rip his head off, but luckily Jaina spoke out before that happened. "If I may." she interjected. "He may have contributed to the events that lead us to Draenor, but that monster Garrosh was responsible for everything that followed after that. Also, I saw with my own two eyes that his escape was assisted by a bronze dragon rather than this one."
Greymane looked surprised by Jaina's words, and Anduin certainly was. "So, we should just let him go? He could have known of Sylvanas' plan beforehand, but let it unfold simply to swoop in at the last moment and present himself as a hero. These black dragons have a history of seeking to attach themselves to leaders of the Alliance." the old worgen said.
"That is not what I'm saying, but those Hightmountain tauren have a black dragon at their side, which means the Horde has a black dragon in its ranks. Maybe we could even things out." Jaina responded crossing her arms over her chest.
Jaina was trying to help Wrathion even though he was connected to events that greatly pained her and Anduin didn't know what to make of that. Was she trying to redeem herself in his eyes by helping his friend?
"Interesting notion." Genn said, placing his hand on his chin.
"Oh, well… This is flattering, but I prefer to remain... unaffiliated." Wrathion interrupted them.
"This is not a negotiation. You can either side with us or, if you are lucky enough, you can rot in some Ethereal prison for the rest of your life, and from what I've heard dragons are quite long-lived." the worgen king told him.
Wrathion looked up at Greymane and opened his mouth for a quip, but then he leaned to the side and would have fallen to the ground if not for Calia.
"That would be enough for today." she said as she laid an unconscious Wrathion on his back. "He is sick."
"What is wrong with him?" the question left Anduin's mouth without him meaning to, but he was at his limit.
"I guess you wouldn't be able to tell, but I know a person infected with the plague when I see one." she said as Mishka kneeled by her side.
Anduin's fears had come true, Wrathion was sick, he had become infected by the plague when that cursed green cloud surrounded him. He rushed to Wrathion's side despite himself and tried to help the other two healers as best he could. In the end, the dragon was transferred to Mishka's tent in order to receive the necessary treatment, although nobody was entirely sure as to what to do with a plagued dragon, even if he was in human form.
When evening came Anduin was forced to leave Wrathion's side as he had to attend the meeting between the leaders of the Alliance in order to decide their course of action. As the young king entered the tent that worked as a temporary center of operations, there was already a heated conversation going on.
"That bitch has escaped to Quel'Danas, I'm sure of it! It is only natural that those blood-elves would offer protection to their Warchief! We need to go after her immediately, before they have the time to regroup!" Genn was practically yelling at the gathered leaders and officers, he was in his worgen form once more and that was very alarming.
"I do not see how that would benefit anyone." Muradin objected in a calmer tone. "That part of the land has belonged ta them since times immemorable. Their defenses have withstood orc and demon attacks, even Arthas himself wasn't able to get past 'em until they were betrayed by one of their own."
"The Horde threat needs to be removed from these lands! They have taken over Kalimdor! We cannot let them maintain a foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms!" the volume of Jaina's voice rivaled that of Greymane's.
Anduin felt his pulse quicken, there they were, talking of war once more. Genn and Jaina were out for blood, their hatred could make the situation spin out of control, if their opinion predominated the Alliance would engage in a war that would go on indefinitely. The war was supposed to end that day, Calia was standing silently in a corner as others decided over what would happen in an area that was unofficially under her jurisdiction now, Tyrande was ominously silent as well, Wrathion could be dying and nobody appeared to take under consideration the lives such an operation would cost. His thoughts became jumbled again and his mouth opened before it even registered with him that he wished to speak out.
"The war was supposed to end today!" the young king yelled. Everyone in the room went silent and turned to look at him.
"We began this war to prevent the Horde from using this world's lifeblood as a weapon against us! To prevent them from weaponizing it at all! Their plans have fallen through, we have accomplished what we set out to do! Need I remind you that this is not a war for vengeance?" he continued and looked at the many surprised faces around him.
"The High King is right." Tyrande said, directing a faint smile towards him. She was among the last people Anduin expected to support his opinion, she had lost her home to the Horde after all, but he was glad she did none the less.
"The night elves will not support you if you wish to continue this war, we wish to focus on finding a new home now and tending to this world's wounds." she continued, the calm certainty in her voice bringing both Genn and Jaina up short.
It was apparent now that the two of them were the only ones in the room that insisted on letting the war drag on.
Greymane clenched his powerful jaw before speaking, "As the majority wishes." he merely said and abruptly walked out of the tent. Jaina remained silent and that made Anduin feel uneasy, even if Greymane was there, she would still have been the most erratic person among the ones gathered there.
Despite Genn's absence, the conference concluded with the decision to dispatch troops, including soldiers from Kul'Tiras, to Andorhal in order to remove any Forsaken remaining there and protect Lordaeron from whatever was left of the Scourge in the area. There was also a lot of work to be done if Capital City was to be reinstated to its former glory, but Calia was going to have all the help she needed in that from everyone present at the meeting.
Once Anduin's presence was no longer required, he left the meeting and headed towards Mishka's tent as fast as his feet could take him. As he entered it he saw a conscious Wrathion lying in the draenei's bed under thick blankets.
"Wrathion, how are you feeling?" he said while trying to maintain a calm demeanor as two priestesses of Elune were present.
"As I have told everyone repeatedly, I am perfectly fine!" the dragon said although his state said otherwise. "No mortal concoction could possibly harm a dragon like me."
"It's not a mortal concoction." Calia said as she pushed the flap of the tent aside. "It's a nightmare my late brother helped spread through this world." she continued as she dismissed the two night elves. "I have never treated a dragon before, but let's have you rest here for tonight until we find some way to help you. Now if you would excuse me, I need to go do some research about your case." she said and left the tent as if she could tell that they needed some time alone.
"Wrathion, are you ok? You saved thousands of lives today. There is no way I could ever thank you enough for this." Anduin said and kneeled by his side.
"We'll see about that." Wrathion said with a slight grin on his face.
"I'm so sorry Wrath…I left you all by yourself to deal with all this. I'm a coward." the blond said, coming to the verge of tears.
"You'd be more of a coward if you didn't fulfil your duties as the High King of the Alliance properly." the Black Prince answered in a weak voice. "But did you really have to be in the front lines?" he continued raising a dark eyebrow.
"As you said, it's my duty. Is there anything I can do to help you?" the human said and took Wrathion's dusky hand in his own.
"I'll be fine." the Black Prince insisted. "I just need a good night's rest."
Anduin couldn't keep himself together anymore, he leaned in and kissed him softly, he didn't care about the risk he was taking by doing that.
"You saved us today." the blond whispered.
"I wouldn't have saved anyone if you weren't there, so keep your thanks." the dragon whispered back.
"I don't believe that." Anduin said as he lied on the bed next to him.
"What are you doing?" Wrathion asked with a surprised expression.
"Lying next to you." the human said calmly and took both his hands in his own.
"I can already hear the rumor mill clunking into action if anyone walks in." the dragon answered, looking amused by their circumstance.
"What are you going to do now Wrath? I can't convince anyone to let you go." Anduin felt tears welling up in his eyes again, he was weak.
"I made a lot of strong enemies the moment I attacked the Horde." Wrathion said with a serious look on his face. "I am going to need equally strong allies now."
"So, you are siding with us?" the blond said trying to hide his excitement.
"It's all your fault." the black dragon said squinting his eyes.
Anduin was so happy he was at a loss for words, he kissed him again and closed his eyes as he touched his forehead against the others man's forehead, a small light forming between their fingers.
"What are you doing now?" the Black Prince asked suspiciously.
"Healing you." Anduin said, opening his eyes again while trying not to break his concentration.
"What if I am tainted by the void like my dear father sweet king?" Wrathion told him. "Maybe your Light will exorcise me you know.".
"Is this what dragons consider a joke?" the young king answered sarcastically.
"I wouldn't know." the dusky man at his side said.
Wrathion's remark made Anduin feel a pang of guilt, but he focused on their intertwined fingers, he was going to heal Wrathion no matter what it took. He closed his eyes again as a small sphere of Light formed between them and tried to pour all his energy into the ailed black dragon.
He didn't break their connection until Wrathion was asleep and some color had returned to his face. He got up from the bed as he became aware once more that Calia or Mishka could return at any minute, but he didn't leave. He sat in a chair by his side watching his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm until Mishka entered the tent.
"It's already past midnight." Mishka told him as soon as she saw that he was still there. "You had a long day, go rest and I'll take it from here." she said in a bossy tone that was amplified by her heavy draenic accent.
Anduin obediently left the tent, but he didn't manage to sleep a wink that night. The next morning a pleasant surprise awaited him though, as Wrathion appeared to be in good health, the seemingly miraculous improvement of his health leaving both Calia and Mishka wondering, but Anduin couldn't possibly tell them what he did. He was freely walking around the camp in his usual luxurious clothing as he was truly an official member of the Alliance now. The young king felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders that day, he felt like he could give himself a respite from the tension of the previous weeks.
Even though he didn't manage to see Wrathion as much as he wanted to the next couple of days, Anduin was still happy. The fact that Genn appeared to go along with the council's decision to end the conflict contributed a lot to that as well, despite the tension between them during the previous days, their relationship soon returned to normal. The old worgen acted as an overprotective father once more and Anduin as an overly annoyed son.
After everything was settled Anduin decided that it was time he returned to Stormwind, although Genn insisted that he made a stop at Gilneas on his way south. The old worgen appeared to fret now that he would no longer be able to have him within arm's reach, so he obliged. Wrathion managed to tag along, despite the worgen's angry looks, under the justification that he was now an "ambassador" of the black dragonflight.
The night Anduin arrived at Greymane Manor he was welcomed with a banquet in his honor. Even though all he wanted to do was have a hot bath and lie in a soft bed for a change, he quite enjoyed himself. Wrathion shot him glances from across the table the entire night, as merry conversations of rebuilding and new beginnings were made over dwarven ale.
Once the evening drew to a close, he retired to his room. As he entered the dimly lit space he noticed that Wrathion was already there, leaning with his back against the wall and a mysterious expression on his face.
Unexpectedly, he felt tense in his presence as his crimson eyes reminded him of how he left him all alone when he needed his help the most, and the returning guilt almost overwhelmed him. Anduin found himself unable to speak as he felt a fluttering nervousness in the pit of his stomach.
Wrathion approached him and kissed him hard, pinning him against the wall by the door of the guest room and grinding his body possessively against him. He could feel his face burning as the dragon's tongue entered his mouth and swirled around, as if Wrathion was made by the very scorching liquid he breathed, the flames licking at his body, incinerating all his previous tension.
The dragon growled, and the sound reverberated through Anduin's chest, then he proceeded to remove every layer of clothing covering his upper half hastily enough to produce ripping sounds. After that he pushed him back against the wall again, the stone rough and cold against his back.
"Kneel." the dragon the dragon ordered huskily, and Anduin obediently got on his knees.
The blond undid the laces keeping his baggy pants together and slipped his hand inside his underwear, pulling his already rock-hard cock out and wrapping his lips around its tip. He swirled his tongue around the length and sucked on it while hollowing his cheeks, the desire to please the man hovering above him making him pull out all the stops.
After a while Wrathion abruptly snapped his hips forward, burying himself inside the cavern of Anduin's mouth all the way to the base of his cock. The human made some pretty interesting sounds as the tip of the other man's dick bumped against the back of his throat making it convulse, but he didn't back away as Wrathion kept pushing and pulling his intrusive flesh all the way in and all the way out.
The Black Prince placed one hand on the wall to support himself while he grabbed Anduin's ponytail with the other, yanking on his hair to pull his head into each of his thrusts. The action made the blond gag and forced tears out of his eyes, so he sealed them shut. He held onto the bottom of Wrathion's shirt and tried to breath out of his nose as his red, hot cock made it hard to breath, saliva dribbling down his chin. He could barely handle the relentless roll of the dragon's hips, but the sloppy wet sounds and Wrathion's lustful groans only fed into his aching groin.
"All your fault…" Wrathion mumbled and Anduin looked up at him through half opened, teary eyes. The man looming above him had a predatory expression on his face as their eyes locked, he looked like a carnivore starving for meat and he was the prey.
The dragon's thrusts became more erratic as Anduin's mouth was filled with the salty taste of his precum, a little protesting sound escaping him at an especially hard jab and then Wrathion pulled away. Anduin could fill his face throbbing with a dull ache as he turned his head to the side and coughed while trying to wipe away the teardrops that clung to his eyelashes. The other man affectionately tucked a blond strand of hair behind his ear, but then he grabbed him by the elbow with unnatural strength and pulled him towards the bed.
He shoved him on the bed, face down, his chest on the mattress and his feet on the floor, forcing him to bend over. Wrathion pulled his pants completely off and pushed his head against the bed as a cold, wet finger brushed against his entrance. Anduin whimpered quietly as he pushed it inside him while nuzzling his ear and kissing his neck. Then the first finger was followed by a second and Wrathion began thrusting and turning them, making him writhe in pleasure as he touched the sensitive bundle of nerves inside him.
Wrathion let out a pleased growl as Anduin flinched when a third digit forced its way inside him too fast and too soon, making him grab the bedcovers at either side of his head. Confused and needy sounds left his lips every time the dragon's fingers pushed past his tight ring of muscle, fingering him faster than necessary and creating a burning sensation, but the feeling was completely overshadowed by the pleasure that coursed through him as Wrathion pushed his fingers down and hard while grabbing Anduin's throbbing cock and giving it a long stroke.
Anduin was left empty when the man behind him removed his fingers, he heard cloth rustling and soon Wrathion's shirt flew past his head. The blond strained his neck to look back at him, a pleased grin tugging at the dragon's lips as he brushed his cock against the cleft of his ass.
His legs were spread further apart, and his hips were yanked higher, then the dragon stroke his sides as he pushed his dick against his quivering entrance. Wrathion pressed his forehead against the back of his neck as he gradually pushed himself inside of him, both men sighing deeply when the head of his cock went in, but then the blonde's muscles locked in shock as he suddenly snapped his hips forward, burying the rest of his dick inside him in one go. This was going to be nothing like their previous gentle trysts. Wrathion slowly pulled out only to slam right back into him, wrenching a high-pitched whine out of him.
The dragon grabbed his hair and put all his weight on him, his other hand giving him fast, rough pumps. He purred against his ear as his thrusts became deep and forceful and unrelenting, making him mewl and draw in quick breaths. Anduin tried to muffle his moans with a mouthful of bedcovers, he felt like he was going to shatter as Wrathion sped up his already unforgiving thrusts.
"Do you want me to stop sweet king?" the Black Prince groaned against his ear, his hot breath sending violent shivers of pleasure down his spine, the rapid movement of his hips never ceasing, merely faltering a little.
Anduin could only answer by shaking his head from side to side as the only sounds leaving his lips were drawn-out moans and hopeless gasps, his dignity crumbling before his lover, but something inside of him had unraveled and let his twisted side surface. He wanted to be used and owned and bred like a bitch, tears rolled down his eyes and a haze descended over his mind.
Wrathion dug his nails into his butt cheeks hard enough to leave marks in response, spreading them further apart with both hands and angling his hips to hit his sweet spot repeatedly. Anduin threw his head back, mouth wide open and eyes screwed shut, he was going insane with lust as the dragon rammed into him.
After several more relentless, violent thrusts the blond reached the point where he couldn't hold it together anymore, he was reduced to humping the bed while being savagely fucked from behind. Wrathion finally showed him mercy by lowering his hand to his burning cock again and jerking him off with fast rough pumps, he pushed the sweaty hair sticking to the back of his neck and showered his back with reassuring kisses, his affectionate action a complete contrast to the violent rolling of his hips.
He was shaking, his knees visibly trembling as he neared release. He clamped down on Wrathion and his low growls, his unbelievably lustful growls almost pushed him over the edge. As the pool of warmth in his stomach expanded, Wrathion's strokes sped up and then disappeared, reducing him to a whimpering mess.
"Wrath… please…" were the only coherent words he managed to get out between his deep breaths and tortured moans.
He felt Wrathion grin against his shoulder who then proceeded to pull on his hair hard enough to bring him in a pretty much standing position. He wrapped his fingers around his throbbing cock again and gave him long, slow strokes, prolonging his torture as he whispered encouragements in his ear. Anduin's breath hitched and his hips bucked uncontrollably as he came hard, throwing his head back and baring his neck to Wrathion's sharp teeth who nibbled and tugged at his pale skin.
The dragon pushed him back on the bed and held him down with firm hands as he resumed his ruthless thrusts without giving him any time to recover. Curses, that were barely audible over his panting exhales and the sound of flesh slapping against sweaty flesh, escaped his lips as he came close to release. After a few more, hard rolls of his hips, the dragon's body tensed and jerked as he came with a chocked off mumble that resembled Anduin's name, releasing his hot load deep inside him. He collapsed on the blonde's back, breathing ruggedly and nuzzling his neck.
"Your hair is a mess." he told Anduin after a while, smoothing the human's hair over with his fingers before helping him get on the bed completely.
Anduin lied on his back without getting under the cover, he still felt incredibly hot, and Wrathion rolled next to him, propping his head on his hand as he lied on his side. He trailed his dusky hand up and down his chest, the light touches making goosebumps break out across his skin. They remained like that until their breathing went back to normal.
"Wrath… "Anduin said, breaking the silence, but was interrupted.
"I don't want to hear you say that you are sorry or how much you want to thank me again." he said raising a thick, dark eyebrow, he knew him well.
"Ok..." the blond replied, and his response must have been very entertaining, because Wrathion chuckled and gave him a wide smile.
"There was something else I also wanted to ask you." the human said, ignoring Wrathion's smirk. "About Stormwind… Will you be coming along?" he asked without knowing what kind of response to expect, but he didn't want to be away from him.
"Well, as the ambassador of the black dragon flight it is only natural that I would reside in the capital of the Aliance, at least most of the time." he answered to Anduin's delight, placing a hand on his own chest in a dramatic way as his face split into a pompous grin.
Anduin was at a loss for words, he was happy to the point he feared something would go horribly wrong.
"I also wanted to ask you something, about that nightmare you had." Wrathion told him, his voice bringing him back down to earth. "What was it about it that scared you so much?"
"There was something in the sky I think." the human answered, scenes from the dream coming back to him. "Why are you so interested in that?" he asked.
"Nothing." Wrathion shrugged.
"Where you there? Wrath... was I having your nightmare?" the blond asked as he remembered the complexion of his hands in the dream and connected the dots.
"Well, I am certain we were both there." the dragon said as he pulled the covers over them and held him close. "But it is over now."