Kaelstra's heart pounded like a war drum in her chest as the goblin overseer and a towering hobgoblin, who bore a cruel scar across one eye, spotted her in the concealed recesses of the cargo hold, where she had been hiding behind some crates of Tel'Abim bananas.
The goblin overseer, a wiry creature with a crooked grin that showcased a mouthful of uneven teeth, sneered at her with undisguised amusement. His pointed ears twitched with malicious glee, and his olive-green skin seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the hold. Beside him, the hobgoblin's grotesque features were accentuated by the harsh shadows cast upon his rugged, weathered face.
With a snarl, the hobgoblin made a clumsy grab for Kaelstra. However, the demon's reflexes were as sharp as her wits. She managed to slip free of the hobgoblin's grasping fingers, her lithe form eluding his clumsy attempts to capture her.
As Kaelstra evaded the hobgoblin's grasp, he grumbled with frustration, his deep, guttural voice carrying a hint of hunger. "Come on, boss, she looks like a tasty snack. Let me have her."
The goblin overseer, his beady eyes gleaming with avarice, chuckled in response. "Not so fast, Grizzle. The boss will be mighty interested in this special stowaway. We might get a nice sum for her."
Kaelstra's heart raced even faster as she listened to their exchange, realizing that her situation had taken a perilous turn.
In the dimly lit cargo hold, Kaelstra's agile mind raced to find an escape route, but her surroundings offered limited options. There was only one set of stairs leading up to the main deck, and even if she managed to make it past the goblin overseer and his towering hobgoblin companion, she would still be stranded on this ship, adrift in the vast expanse of open water.
As desperation gnawed at her, an idea began to form. Perhaps she could use her wits to navigate this precarious situation. With a flicker of determination in her emerald eyes, Kaelstra turned her attention to the goblin overseer.
"Wait," she said, her voice steady despite the tension that gripped her. "I have quite the interesting deal to offer your boss. I suggest you take me to him. It could be very lucrative for both of us."
The goblin overseer's beady eyes narrowed as he regarded Kaelstra with a mix of curiosity and greed. "Interesting, you say?" he inquired, his voice a raspy drawl. "How exactly could this be lucrative for me, kitty caught in my cage?"
Grizzle, the towering hobgoblin, leaned closer, his grin revealing rows of jagged teeth. "Aye," he rumbled in a deep, guttural tone. "And how's it gonna benefit us more than me enjoying a tasty snack?"
As Kaelstra whispered incantations in Eredun, the goblin overseer leaned closer, his curiosity piqued. "What're you muttering, demon?" he demanded, trying to listen in on the arcane words.
But before he could discern the incantation, Kaelstra's fingers danced in the air, conjuring a shimmering emerald in her palm. Both the hobgoblin and the goblin overseer gasped at the unexpected display of magic. The emerald radiated a faint, mesmerizing glow, its facets reflecting the dim light of the cargo hold.
The overseer couldn't resist the allure of the magical gem. With a greedy glint in his eye, he snatched it from Kaelstra's hand. "This better be worth it," he muttered, his fingers caressing the precious stone.
Grizzle, on the other hand, couldn't help but glance at Kaelstra with a longing expression. "Y'wouldn't happen to have a roasted chicken in that fancy bag o' tricks, would ya?" he asked with a rumble of hunger.
With the goblin overseer now seemingly convinced by the emerald's value, Kaelstra knew she had secured a temporary reprieve. Her heart still raced with uncertainty, but she had bought herself some time.
With the precious emerald stowed away, the goblin overseer led Kaelstra up the narrow staircase, the hobgoblin Grizzle following closely behind. As they ascended, the dimly lit cargo hold gradually gave way to a more open space.
They emerged into what appeared to be the crew quarters of the yacht, and the sudden influx of light from a nearby porthole made Kaelstra squint for a moment. The room was filled with a motley assortment of goblins and hobgoblins, all of whom turned their attention toward the unexpected newcomer with a mixture of curiosity and interest.
The goblin overseer wasted no time. He barked orders at the crew, commanding them to make way for him as he guided Kaelstra through the quarters. With an air of authority, he muttered to the others that he was taking this valuable prize to the boss, his words laced with a hint of threat.
As they moved through the crew quarters, Kaelstra couldn't help but feel the weight of their gazes upon her. Whispers and hushed conversations followed in her wake, the crew clearly intrigued by the stowaway they had discovered. She maintained her composure, keeping her true nature hidden behind a guise of vulnerability, all the while wondering what awaited her when she finally met their boss.
As they ascended to the main deck, the cacophony of the yacht's crew grew even louder. Goblins and hobgoblins were scattered about, each engrossed in their own tasks. Some scrubbed the deck vigorously, while others shouted and barked orders as they adjusted ropes and sails. It was a chaotic scene of organized chaos that epitomized the hustle and bustle of goblin industry.
On the far end of the ship, under a makeshift canopy, sat a goblin who immediately caught Kaelstra's attention. He reclined in a long chair with a drink in hand, sipping from a coconut adorned with a vibrant green umbrella. It was none other than the very goblin she had encountered in the Drag of Orgrimmar just weeks ago.
Recognition flashed in her emerald eyes as she was led closer to him, the goblin overseer guiding her toward the familiar face. Her thoughts raced as she wondered how he would react upon seeing her once again, and what kind of deal she could strike to secure her place on this vessel.
The goblin overseer approached the goblin in the long chair, bowing slightly before he spoke. "Boss, you won't believe what we found down in the cargo hold. A nice little kitty stowed away, trying to sneak aboard," he explained with a sly grin.
Grizzle, the towering hobgoblin, chimed in eagerly, "Yeah, boss! And she used some magic hands to try and slip away, but we got her!"
The goblin, sipping his coconut drink, raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he looked over at Kaelstra.
The goblin peered at Kaelstra with a sly grin, his eyes narrowing as he recognized her. "Well, well, if it isn't my elusive acquaintance from the Drag," he quipped, his voice dripping with amusement. "We really should stop meeting in such peculiar places. You know, they say third time's the charm, and on the third meeting, you're supposed to buy the drinks."
Kaelstra's emerald eyes widened as she found herself face to face with the goblin once more. She stammered for a moment, her words stumbling over each other as she struggled to explain her presence on his yacht.
Before she could complete her sentence, he raised a hand, his tone genial yet commanding. "Ah, where are my manners?" He grinned wider, sweeping an extravagant bow. "Trade Prince Marin Noggenfogger, at your service! And who might you be, my mysterious stowaway?"
"Dorothea," Kaelstra introduced herself with a hint of nervousness, using a fake alias.
Noggenfogger replied with an exaggerated air of formality, his smirk never fading. "A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, my dear Dorothea."
The goblin's tone left no doubt that he found her alias rather unconvincing.
Noggenfogger, with a gracious wave of his hand, summoned one of his female goblin servers. "Fetch our guest and me a drink, my dear," he instructed, his tone amiable yet commanding. The server scurried away promptly, disappearing into the ship's interior.
Kaelstra, under the alias of Dorothea, started to protest, "Oh, that's not necessary, really," but Noggenfogger cut her off with a chuckle.
"It would be rather impolite not to offer you anything," he said, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Besides, we wouldn't want you to get a dry throat while regaling me with the reasons for your rather unconventional boarding of my fine vessel."
Kaelstra could only nod in agreement, realizing that her attempts to remain inconspicuous had been thoroughly undermined by her situation and the shrewd goblin before her.
She felt a surge of panic as she tried to come up with a plausible explanation, and in her nervous haste, she blurted out, "I'm searching for a great treasure!"
Noggenfogger's eyes twinkled with intrigue at Kaelstra's mention of treasure. He leaned in slightly, his voice lowered as he asked, "A treasure, you say? Well, now you've certainly piqued my interest, Dorothea. Pray, do tell me more. What kind of treasure are you searching for, and what has led you to my fine vessel in pursuit of it?"
As Kaelstra began to explain, she couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in the atmosphere around her. The goblin servants nearby seemed a tad less occupied with their duties, their ears perking up as they discreetly eavesdropped on their conversation. The mention of treasure had clearly captured their attention as well, and Kaelstra realized that her hastily concocted tale had taken on a life of its own.
With a hint of desperation in her voice, Kaelstra continued her fabricated story, weaving a tale of adventure and peril. "I was hunting for a great treasure, somewhere on this very continent," she began, her words carefully chosen to draw Noggenfogger further into her narrative. "But along the way, I encountered a band of ruthless bandits. They ambushed me, and I had no other choice but to seek refuge on your fine vessel."
Noggenfogger's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he leaned closer, hanging onto her every word. "Bandits, you say? How thrilling! And what is this treasure you seek, Dorothea? Is it gold, jewels, or something far more exotic?"
"The treasure I seek," Kaelstra replied, her voice taking on a dreamy quality as she spun her fabricated story, "is unlike anything you've ever seen, Trade Prince Noggenfogger. It's not gold or jewels, but crystals—magnificent crystals of all shapes, sizes, and colors. More than this yacht could ever carry in a dozen voyages."
As the words left her lips, she couldn't help but notice the goblin overseer's reaction. His eyes widened, and for a fleeting moment, his hand brushed against the emerald nestled in his pocket. It was a subtle gesture, but Kaelstra caught it, a glimmer of greed in the goblin's gaze.
Trade Prince Noggenfogger's eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of a lucrative treasure hunt. "Well, well, Dorothea," he said, leaning in closer, "I always do enjoy a good expedition, especially when the profit margins are... substantial."
He grinned, revealing a row of sharp goblin teeth. "You'll come with me to Gadgetzan, and from there, we'll embark on this grand expedition of yours to find these magnificent crystals. Of course, I'll have to deduct a modest 99% finder's fee for all the expenses I'll endure."
Noggenfogger's expression grew shrewd as he continued, "And should you turn out to be spinning me a yarn, well, I hear there's a thriving market for exotic slaves. You could fetch a pretty price on the auction block, my dear." His words carried a veiled threat, a reminder of the precarious situation in which Kaelstra now found herself.
Trade Prince Noggenfogger, with a dismissive wave of his hand, summoned the server carrying their drinks. The goblin server hurried over, placing a pair of coconuts filled with some kind of tropical concoction in front of Kaelstra and Noggenfogger. Noggenfogger picked up his coconut drink and took a long sip, clearly settling back into his relaxed demeanor.
Meanwhile, the goblin overseer who had found her introduced himself as Grif, and the towering hobgoblin was Grizzle. They explained to her that she would be sleeping with the crew for the duration of the journey. Grif led her inside to the crew quarters, where hammocks were strung up among barrels and supplies.
As Kaelstra was led through the crew quarters of the yacht, she couldn't help but notice the palpable excitement that seemed to hang in the air. The goblins and hobgoblins who filled the room were buzzing with anticipation, their eyes gleaming with avarice. It was clear that the prospect of treasure hunting had ignited their greed and ambitions.
Amidst the crew, Kaelstra caught fragments of hushed conversations, words like "treasure," "wealth," and "fortune" repeated like a mantra. Whispers of past expeditions and the riches they had yielded floated through the room. The crew members exchanged knowing glances, their voices laden with expectation.
As she passed by, Kaelstra overheard snippets of their conversations:
"Imagine the spoils we'll find this time!"
"I heard the boss is a master at discovering hidden treasures."
"More gold than we can carry, I reckon!"
It was evident that each crew member harbored dreams of untold riches, and their collective enthusiasm underscored their desire for a share of the bounty.
"Make yourself comfortable," Grif said gruffly, his goblin features twisted into a scowl as he turned and walked away, leaving Kaelstra with her assigned hammock.
Grizzle, on the other hand, seemed more congenial. He approached her with a hopeful expression. "Hey, Doro, you wouldn't happen to have a roasted chicken in your pockets, would you?" he asked with a wide grin.
Kaelstra rolled her eyes at the hobgoblin's request, finding his antics oddly endearing, and shook her head. "Sorry, Grizzle, no roasted chickens today."
Grizzle sighed in disappointment and muttered to himself, "Nobody ever gives me any chicken," as he ambled off to his own hammock, leaving Kaelstra to contemplate her unusual situation aboard Noggenfogger's yacht.