Chapter Text
"I can't believe it," Wrathion muttered to himself, perched at the stern of the ship, his gaze fixed on the trail of foam left in the water. The growing wind whipped his robes to their limit, making him look like a dejected bird. Although it was only midday, the sun had hidden behind the clouds, and moisture was brewing in the air. Sailors hurriedly moved about, preparing to weather an approaching storm.
"I'm not surprised at all," Kalecgos remarked, folding his arms and glancing at the young dragon with impatience. "You flew all the way from Stormwind City to the open sea for this small matter?"
"Small matter?" Wrathion retorted with annoyance. "On the way back from Ironforge to Stormwind City, he even asked me to take a different carriage, while he happily chatted with the dwarves. When he faced me, his face was as rigid as iron. He refused to talk to me and kicked me off the bed. It's been three days!"
"There's no need to think about it; it must be your fault," Kalecgos replied decisively. After a moment's consideration, he asked, "Did you force yourself onto him?"
"I absolutely did not! He was enjoying it!"
"If you don't want Jaina to come out and blast you with a fireball, you better lower your voice," Kalecgos nervously glanced behind him. "So, you must have said something wrong to make Anduin so angry."
Wrathion shifted his gaze, a sudden expression of embarrassment appearing on his face, which only amused Kalecgos even more. This guy clearly had something to hide, yet he stubbornly refused to admit it.
"If you can't figure it out, don't waste my time," Kalecgos made a move to leave.
Wrathion glared at him unwillingly. "I just said, 'You're a prey worth the effort to capture.' What's so infuriating about that?"
"It's perfectly normal," Kalecgos cleared his throat, but couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. Oh, Titans, it was difficult not to burst out laughing right then and there. "If I dared say something like that to Jaina, she would strip me of my scales, encase me in stone, and add three layers of binding spells."
"What did I say wrong?" Neltharion retorted, unwilling to accept it. "Testing, traps, playing hard to get—aren't humans all about that?"
"They call it 'courting,' you fool. Anduin is not your prey, nor is he a toy. Where did all your manners go?"
"You're talking about insincerity, pretense, and lack of genuine feelings," the humanoid form stood up indignantly, furrowing his brows. "I was honest with him, and yet he's still upset?"
"Through the lens of human language, your honesty sounds reckless, cunning, and ill-intentioned," Kalecgos explained.
"Isn't it the same thing, just different packaging?" Wrathion shouted. "There's nothing more ambiguous and confusing than human language. Whether you say something or not, it only leads to more misunderstandings. It's hopeless!"
"Your conclusion is not wrong," Kalecgos said solemnly. "Even they say that actions speak louder than words."
"...He doesn't let me get close at all," Wrathion admitted.
"And does that bother you?" Kalecgos asked, seeing the whelpling blink his eyes and display a sudden realization.
"...I understand now,"
"Well, then get going," Kalecgos turned away.
Before Kalecgos could fully turn, the young dragon flapped his wings and flew away from the fleet. The wind and waves grew stronger, lightning flashed through the clouds, and large raindrops began to fall on the deck.