Our first true time-skip! This chapter is set in Year 7, which is following the end of Tides of Darkness but before Beyond the Dark Portal. The First Horde has been defeated after failing to capture Lordaeron's Capital City due to Gul'dan peacing out, and the Orcish internment has begun. The timeline I've personally decided to go with was that the Steamwheedle Cartel ceased their involvement with the Horde following the failed siege of Silvermoon City.
"Is that what he calls it?" Jazax snorted, tapping his fingers against his cup while trying not to seem too annoyed.
"Yep, a bad investment," Mal nodded, looking a bit bristled herself.
"It was," Dezzak sniffed, "It'll be far more profitable for the Cartel to just stay out of conflicts like this from now on."
"That's the plan," Mal nodded again, "Guess the Trade Prince must've lost a bit more than he lets on, eh?"
"Well, that ain't none of my business," Jazax shrugged, taking a sip from his drink.
"Oh, Jaz, I almost forgot," Dezzak turned to face him, "Is it true they're renaming Blackwater Cove?"
"Yup," Jazax nodded, "From now on, they're gonna be callin' it Booty Bay. Kinda like the sound of that, myself."
"Booty Bay, huh?" Dezzak perked an eyebrow, before shrugging, "Eh, don't make no difference to me, really. I got myself a good little gig out in Gadgetzan, workin' for the Waterworks Company."
"Gadgetzan?" Mal snorted, "Have fun in the desert with all those scorpids. Me, I'm gonna be in Ratchet, helpin' to build some new zeppelins in the savannas just outside town."
"Sounds dangerous," Dezzak chuckled, "Watch out for the savanna prowlers, huh?"
"Forget the prowlers, it's the raptors I'm actually worried about."
As the two of them got to chattering about the dangerous wildlife of the respective regions, Jazax couldn't help feeling a little bitter. After everything they'd done, all they'd sacrificed and all the people who died, ultimately the Trade Prince didn't really care. And why would he? It wasn't like Jazax was all that fond of the 'cause' or whatever it was the Orcs were fighting for-honestly, it was a bit unclear-but at the same time, it stung to know that everything they'd fought for was in vain. That Zeek's death was in vain.
"Yo, Jaz," Mal waved her hand in front of his face, "You in there, buddy?"
"Yeah, what?" Jazax looked up, easily able to tuck away all the grim thoughts from moments before.
Compartmentalizing things that were troublesome helped a lot, he found. Better to just set it aside than worry about something you can't change, right? No point in getting antsy about it.
"I said, is it true you'll be workin' for Revilgaz directly?" Mal asked.
Jazax nodded, taking a sip from his drink.
He only knew some passing information about Baron Revilgaz, which he'd picked up from these last few months in Blackwater C-Booty Bay. Unsurprisingly, the guy was a pirate. How could anybody wrangle up the Blackwater Raiders if they weren't? Also unsurprisingly, he was wealthy. But anything beyond that was a mystery. Nobody was really too keen to talk about the goblin, probably for fear the walls had ears. Better safe than sorry, and all that.
"Never thought I'd see the day you became a pirate, Jaz," Mal grinned, elbowing his side playfully.
"Well, maybe they'll stick to his sapper roots," Dezzak smirked, "Maybe they'll fire him outta the cannons."
"I ain't that lucky," Jazax sighed, his voice accidentally betraying a bit too much of his weariness.
"Nah, I'm sure it'll be fine," Mal frowned, slapping his arm sympathetically, "Revilgaz ain't a bloodthirsty guy, from what I heard."
"You heard things?" Jazax perked an eyebrow at her, "I can't seem to get one word about him."
"Well, the difference is that I'm a pretty girl," Mal shrugged, "People will tell me whatever I wanna know if I just bat my eyes at 'em a bit."
Jazax and Dezzak looked at each other flatly, silently challenging the other to break first. After a moment, both of them laughed heartily at Mal's expense.
"Sure, sure! Pretty!" Dezzak snorted, wiping away a tear.
"Whatever you say, toots!" Jazax snickered.
Mal's cheeks went red and she reached out, cuffing both of them in the back of the head in unison.
"Yeah, well, you two ain't lookers either," She grumbled, sitting back and crossing her arms, "And no money, either!
"Ouch," Jazax frowned, "Now that one actually hits home."
"Hey, I got money!" Dezzak scowled, "Engineers make good coin, y'know!"
"Bet they make less than pilots," Mal smirked, earning a deeper scowl from Dezzak, even though he didn't deny it.
Jazax took a sip from his drink, glancing aside and hoping the conversation wouldn't turn to him. So, naturally, of course it did.
"What about you, Jaz?" Mal looked over, a triumphant smile on her lips, "How much do sappers make?"
"Probably a lot, right?" Dezzak asked hopefully, "You must make a lot, bein' so willing to blow yourself up?"
Jazax cleared his throat, taking another sip from his drink to avoid answering. They stared impatiently the entire time, clearly refusing to let him simply not answer. Why did they always have to be so nosy, he lamented to himself.
"Uhh," Jazax tentatively began, clearing his throat again, "Well, I mean, I guess that really depends on what you think a lot is."
"Y'know," Mal shrugged, "A lot."
"More than 50 silver," Dezzak clarified.
"Well, then, uh, no," Jazax coughed, "Not exactly that…"
Both Mal and Dezzak exchanged glances, clearly noting his odd behavior.
"Still silver though, right?" Dezzak asked slowly.
Jazax shook his head before taking another sip from his drink. This was getting awkward, and quickly.
"You only get paid copper?" Mal gasped, wide-eyed, "For bein' a sapper, of all things?! Who would ever take that job for so little?!"
Jazax didn't say anything, just taking another long, awkward sip of his drink while he stared at the tavern floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world. The silence drew on for a moment before Mal gasped again. Jazax winced.
"You…" She leaned forward onto the table, expression flabbergasted, "You don't make anything, do you?!"
Dezzak was so wide-eyed that it looked like his eyes were about to fall out of his head.
"Wait, what?" Dezzak turned quickly towards Jazax, "But you-I mean, why would you-that doesn't make any-how?!"
Jazax shifted uncomfortably a moment before sighing, setting down his now-empty mug in a defeated way. No point in hiding it now, he supposed.
"Uh, well, y'see," Jazax began slowly, "I don't exactly got a choice."
At this, both Mal and Dezzak cocked their heads to the side curiously, prompting him to continue.
"When, uh, my parents sold me to the Cartel…" Jazax trailed off, hoping they'd get the gist.
Instead, they both just cocked their heads to the other side. With a sigh, he continued.
"I'm technically Cartel property, okay?" He blurted quickly, glancing aside so he didn't have to make eye contact with them.
"You're a slave?!" Dezzak gaped incredulously, as Mal covered her mouth with her hand in surprise.
"Uh, well, no," Jazax rubbed his neck awkwardly, "I only belong to the Cartel til I can pay back what my parents were paid. With interest, of course."
"But you don't even get paid for your work!" Mal furrowed her brow, "How are you supposed to do that?"
"That's the question, huh?" Jazax chuckled dryly, before giving an exhausted sigh.