(2026-04-20) On Wrathion

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	While helping around Mistfall, Florande and Shun cross paths. They discuss their recent connection to a particular uncorrupted black dragon. ~1400 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Vale of Eternal Blossoms

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mild language, quest-usual violence

The sprite looks like a jumble of wooden branches strung together in a small, vaguely humanoid shape. It dart forward, and then backward, and then forwards again towards a brazier filled with smoldering coals, at the edge of Mistfall Village. One might suspect it would catch on fire on contact, but even if it did, that fire would spread…

Today, before it's woody appendages can spill the brazier's contents, it is stopped rather abruptly. A panther springs out of the shadows, bearing it to the ground and tearing it to pieces. Florande Wildbloom shakes her panther head irritably for a moment, and then sits on her haunches, shifting back into elvish for and reaching one hand to pick the wood out of her sharp teeth.

Not far off, Shun is watching his surroundings carefully. He had been warned that sprites were causing trouble (yet again) in Mistfall Village, and such he is currently doing a small perimeter check.

He takes note of the woody sprite beelining towards one of the braziers. He's about to intercept when a panther springs out to shred it like a rag doll.

The assassin relaxes a touch, though looks about once more to make sure no other sprites are about to try the same. When he sees none, he grunts at Florande, "Good work."

Florande tongues one more tooth inside her mouth, and then smiles at Shun. "They keep coming back, don't they? I think they just form back up again after we break them."

"I would not be surprised if that were the case. I am uncertain as to why they have such a desire to cause trouble, though," Shun remarks.

"It is strange," Florande says, tilting her head. "Maybe it is just something in their nature, that tells them to take things. In Jade Forest, they were stealing fruit. Here they steal beer and fires. Stealing beer is okay, but stealing fires is spreading fires, and that is not great."

She stands up, rolling her shoulders. "I know killing sprites is not going to impress him, though."

"The arsonist sprites are particularly annoying," Shun grunts before raising a brow, "Impress who?"

He glances over at Che Wildwalker. Him?

Florande follows his gaze. "Oh! Do you think he's impressed with us? He is so experienced in war, and his tiger…" she blinks, for once catching herself going off-target and recalibrating.

She looks back at Shun. "No, no. I meant…" she lowers her voice, "…Wrathion…" and then back to normal volume, she adds, "He asked us to fight mogu, so I do not think sprites or crocolisks will catch his notice."

Shun considers that question for a moment, "Maybe impressed in a different sort of way - outsiders assisting a town and all. Less in our combat prowess in this moment."

His eyes then narrow briefly as she clarifies who she had been referring to, "Ah. I believe you to be correct in that regard. I do not think I have even seen signs of his agents around the village to begin with."

"He has said he has eyes everywhere," Florande says, looking around as if eyes may be literally floating around. They are not, Wrathion is not a warlock. "You would think that if they are here in Mistfall, people like you and I would see them, yes? I have seen them elsewhere, and sometimes spoken with them. Or spoken with one. Raschal, who is my friend. He was there at the meeting. He is the one who recommended me." Florande looks back at Shun. "Why did your eyes do that, when I mentioned him?"

"Exactly. I have seen his agents about elsewhere. And there is nothing going on in or around this village that would require a more… subtle approach. That I would think anyway," Shun shrugs.

He then grunts, "While I believe he can and will make for a good ally, I do not actually like him. Thankfully, one does not need to like someone to work with them in most cases."

"Why don't you like him?" Florande asks, watching Shun with innocent curiosity.

"He is an annoying prick," Shun deadpans.

"Yes, he is an incredibly powerful being who will only grow stronger as he ages. Yes, he is also very intelligent who knows many things," he starts to elaborate, "Intelligence does innately come with wisdom, however. He is arrogant and throws his weight around because of what and who he is. I do not believe any of his closest confidants will do much to temper him either."

"Because they are afraid of him, since he is a dragon?" Florande asks, tilting her head. "I have a friend who is a dragon. Not a black dragon, because there aren't really any that I know of besides him. But green, the dragons closest to druids, and she is probably powerful but I do not fear her. It might be that his closest confidants believe in him fully? The fel fireballs in the illusion looked very scary. Do you believe that was real?"

"Uncertain if it is out of fear for what he is or through some sort of blind faith," Shun shrugs, "As for the illusion… I believe it may be a possibility. Perhaps something he suspects could happen. Knowing about future events or whatever is more of a bronze dragon thing is it not?"

"Yes," Florande says. "I think so. They sent some people to the end of time, when we were working against Deathwing, so you'd think they know all of it. Though now… maybe now they can't see as clearly. I do not know what he is planning to do about it, though. Win the war? But everyone is already trying to do that, and there are many wars."

"Unless he means to do that by completely annihilating the one side for these wars. But that would make him no better than his predecessor in the end," Shun states.

"I don't think…" Florande blinks, looking at Shun. "I don't think that would be helpful? Annihilating half of Azeroth? Then we would just be half of us, where if we could all be on the same side we would be a whole of us. I hope he is not planning on halving us."

Florande scuffs her toe in the dirt for a moment, and then adds, "He is very confident in himself. Maybe it will be good for people like you to be around him, to be not afraid to tell him when you think he makes a mistake." She does not include herself in the people who might call out Wrathion on his bullshit.

"No. It would not help ultimately," Shun nods.

He then grunts, "That is what I am hoping. Confidence is good to have but I cannot help but sense his toes the line into over-confidence. And there is no guarantee that he would listen but…"

He shrugs.

"Even if someone does not listen, that does not mean speaking is meaningless," Florande says. "And you won't know if he will unless you try."

"True enough…" Shun utters.

"For now, at least, what he is saying seems reasonable, even if he is an annoying prick," Florande says, crossing her hands at her waist. "Fight the mogu and the mantid. And Raschal thinks highly of him, so maybe it will continue like that. And if not… the last person who tried to recruit me to a cult failed."

Shun nods at her, "I think his intentions are still worthy. But sometimes intentions are not enough. I will aid him. But it does not hurt to keep an eye on things."

"It does not hurt," Florande agrees, here eyes scanning for more sprites. "How did you end up working with him, anyway, if you do not like him?"

"I had other obligations that introduced me to him," Shun states. It doesn't seem like he's willing to go into any further detail than that.

Florande nods slowly. "I do not mind secrets, as long as they are not dangerous. I know many people are fond of them." She stares briefly, with luminous eyes, at Shun, and then smiles. "I will trust my own eyes, and my own heart. And in the meantime, even if dragons are not impressed with pouncing on sprites, I bet Mayor Shiyo will be happy. Today, that is enough for me."

"Very well," Shun nods once, then glances to the side before rushing off to intercept another wayward sprite.