YES! YES! It is chapter three! Here we return to our friends Jackal and Phoenix as they carry out the mission given to them by Mathias Shaw. Unfortunately, you will NOT get to learn what is on that paper, as I still wish to make you scream at your computer in anger of wondering what everybody is thinking about. Have fun!
As a note, Jackal and Phoenix are a couple of weeks behind Aruna and Anura in the story! Don't get it all confused!
Jackal and Phoenix walked side by side, both of them tightly clutching the edges of the piece of paper. Their faces were buried in whatever was written on it as they walked down the docks of Stormwind harbor. Luck would have it that neither boy had done anything but stare at their document as they wondered through the city to get to where they were. They were so engrossed in it that many times they almost found themselves running straight into a wall, falling off the edges into the canals, or even plummeting to their doom off the side of a large stone wall. Miraculously, they finally found themselves close to a final destination, and after tripping over each other’s feet, they looked up from the paper to discover that fact.
The sea captains currently in port had seen the two clumsy individuals coming their way, and as soon as the two had looked up to select their choice of water-going vessels, many of them began hollering orders to begin to leave the harbor. Phoenix began inquiring the captains if the pair could travel with them, each time went with a swift and harsh no and removal from the vessel with more than necessary brutality. Eventually every one of those the ships were sailing off into the horizon, leaving one solitary vessel at the port.
When Jackal approached the lone ship, he was surprised to find a pirate-garbed female dwarf holding on to the mast, barking orders, and directing the actions of the dirty and battered crew consisting of a multitude of different races. The rogue was immediately regretting the idea of asking this rough short woman for a ride upon her boat, but he had little time to consider when she dropped down a few inches in front of his face.
“Aye! What do ye little muscle-short human want upon the Lightning Hawk, ship of the great Captain Elayne Ironhammer?!” The dwarf nearly screamed in the rogue’s face as she tossed a bundle of bright orange hair out of her face and behind her back.
Phoenix crept up behind Jackal, who was trying not to freak out because of the crazy dwarf, “We uh... we uh... need a ride... to..." he leaned in and whispered "Dragonblight.”
Elayne gained a wicked smile, “If ye have pay and don’t minda pit-stop before we get there... then I’d be happy to help...”
The mage dug in his pockets and produced a brown burlap sack full of gold coins. He casually shook it and slyly tossed it to the captain, who ushered both boys aboard, “Blind Eye! Show tha landlubbers to their cabin!”
A twitching human approached the three, justly called blind-eye because of an eye patch covering his left eye and a scar covering his right, and guided Phoenix and Jackal below deck. Elayne smirked slightly as she tossed the bag of coins up and down in one hand, the other loosely gripping a sheet of paper...
---o---
It had been two days after Captain Ironhammer had so graciously allowed Jackal and Phoenix aboard her ship. They were now crammed into a very small cabin, which most likely had been a storage room—considering all the crates overflowing with random merchandise—where two makeshift beds had been set up in a haste. Their room had been a flurry of a mess a day ago, when Jackal had realized their mission paper had been lost. In the search, they managed to tear through everything, which gave Elayne reason to almost throw them overboard. Both of them had to then clean up what they had misplaced, down to the little scraps that had been there before them. After that, the captain less than politely ordered to see both boys in her quarters.
“Boys, ye told me ye wanted to go to the Dragonblight, but ye never told me the reason why.” Elayne looked between Phoenix and Jackal, before slamming a parchment on the desk the three of them were seated at, “I want ta know who sent ye for that!”
The dwarf pointed an accusing finger at the paper which the two realized was the missing mission, Phoenix and Jackal stared wide-eyed as she bitterly looked back up at them, “Ye daft fools probably don’t even know what this is, do ye?! Of course not... ye fools are headed for troubles in the wastes of Northrend... don’t let any higher power try ta tell ye that searching for this will be easy.”
“We... we were sent by Mathias Shaw, who got the orders from King Wrynn... we... we’re just the messengers!” Jackal exclaimed.
“The laborers too, lad.” Elayne folded her arms on the table, glancing between both boys, “We’ll be takin’ the pit-stop I told ye about in Ratchet. From there, we’ll head to Dragonblight where I’ll drop ye off with the Tuskarr. From there I can’t do much ta help ye, the Lightning Hawk will continue to sail...”
“But what about it?” Phoenix asked.
“... boy, if ye ever find it, I wish ye the best of luck. That... that thing, is something so valuable that the deadliest of assassins will be at your throats for it. But, ye won’t find it, because if it’s where ye think it is, then it will be harder to obtain than keeping it after ye have found it.”
The pair nodded, before Elayne snapped, “Dismissed, both of ye!”
---o---
The words of the captain were rolling through their heads again as they neared the mark of their second week of travel. After all that time the crew had gotten enough out of the rogue and mage’s gullibility for entertainment, and now spent most of their time ignoring Jackal and Phoenix. This gave the two the ability to leave their cabin for more than ten minutes and explore the ship at their leisure. They were currently on the top deck away from the navigator—at her request—and leaning their elbows on the edge of the ship to gaze out across the blue waters.
“I hope this works out, Jackal, after what Elayne told us... I’m kind of scared.” Phoenix mumbled.
“Stop being a sissy! It’s gonna work out and we’re going to get a big reward when we come back with the prize!” Jackal pushed himself away from the edge, lifting up his arms in excitement. He stumbled back however, right into the wheel of the ship, where the night elf steering jabbed her elbow into his ribs.
Phoenix turned around and caught the staggering rogue before he toppled down deck. Unfortunately, the blood elf fell backwards from his friend’s weight and the two of them went tumbling down the stairs to the middle deck. They knocked over a deckhand, tipped over a pail, began sliding faster because of the water that tipped out of said pail, and ended up in a pile against the side of ship. The two worked for about ten minutes to untangle themselves, until shouts from above screamed about seeing land.
The pair jumped to their feet, looking out across the water. Dark shapes that resembled docks and buildings came into focus gradually as the ship pulled into the new port. They could see multiple goblin trade ships lining the outstretched docking areas, sleek steel hulls glimmering in the sunlight. Phoenix shielded his eyes, squinting to be able to see the town ahead closely. He saw the little green goblins haggling, trading, failing to haggle, and bribing each other, along with the travelers—pirates of all different races, shady warlocks, and Horde adventurers.
Elayne walked up behind them, having to stand on her toes to look over the edge of the ship, “Ah... Ratchet! A glorious port! You two!” She looked at Phoenix and Jackal, “We’ll be staying here a few days to pick up supplies and get the jobs we needed to get done... well... done. Make yourselves at home here in the goblin city... I’ll find ye both when we’re ready to sail again.”
“Aye aye Cap’n!’ The human and the blood elf saluted the dwarf, who proceeded to leave the ship.
Following Captain Ironhammer was the rest of the crew, one after the other, until the only one left was the navigator. She turned and gave Jackal a rude gesture as he and Phoenix left the sailing vessel to walk around town.
---o---
“Get off the counter!”
A goblin rudely pushed a drunken orc away as he wiped a damp rag across the metal top. His inn was bustling with different people, armored goblin bruisers were stationed outside and in to keep the peace. However, their duty wasn’t done very well, as brawls started constantly. Pirates who had one too many drinks and adventurers who refused to have their pride degraded. The innkeeper sighed, lifting his head to see the newest group of patrons arriving.
“Elayne! Why aren’t you a sight for sore eyes...?” The goblin grinned mischievously, stooping down to grab a mug that he began cleaning.
The dwarf captain looked over her shoulder, not much of her crew had followed, and those that did were buying drinks from the bartender, “Wiley! Keep yer voice down...” She hissed in a whisper.
“...right, I’m sorry, confidential information, right?” Wiley sighed once more, continuing to clean a mug that was most likely spotless; he looked from side to side and leaned his head in, “Where is it?”
“Dragonblight.”
The goblin grinned from ear to ear, dropping a sack of coins in front of the pirate.
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