Chapter 37

The mist thickened as the boat pushed further from the shore of Gilneas, shrouding the water and their path in a damp, heavy fog. At the helm stood Fibber, the gnome captain and sole crew member. His small stature and oversized goggles made the intricate controls appear all the more absurdly massive, but he maneuvered them with precision and ease, a wide grin never leaving his face.

"So, what brings you to Gilneas, travelers?" Fibber asked, his voice cutting through the murky quiet.

Malakar leaned casually against the railing, his tone easy. "Oh, you know—thought we'd see the sights."

Gorral glanced up with a smirk. "Might look into buying some property."

Malakar nodded, amused. "Maybe check out the local cuisine. I hear they have a skilled butcher."

Gorral's eyes lit up with recognition, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Haverty," he muttered, chuckling at the thought of the eccentric butcher and his endless tales.

At the stern, Evelodie stood captivated by the view. She leaned out, eyes shining with excitement as she took in the open water and fog rolling around them.

"I thought you got seasick," Gorral remarked, approaching her with a raised brow.

She turned, a grin on her face. "And I thought you weren't afraid of heights."

He let out a laugh, shaking his head. "Point taken. You seem to be handling it well."

Evelodie shrugged lightly, looking back out at the mist. "Just living in the moment."

The boat was an unusual vessel, an unmistakable work of gnomish engineering. Its patched-up, cobbled-together design gave it a unique charm, even if it seemed barely seaworthy in places. Rows of belt-fed firearms were mounted on both sides, with a variety of cannons mixed in, making it look like a floating fortress, if a somewhat disorganized one.

But it was the rear of the boat that caught Gorral's eye. Where a sail might typically be, there was instead a crude engine, clanking and rumbling as it powered two propellers on each side. And in the center, at the stern, sat an enormous rocket, absurdly large and out of place, yet clearly integral to Fibber's design.

Gorral stared at it, a sense of dread settling over him. "Are you sure it's safe to have a rocket back there?" he asked, attempting to keep his tone casual.

Fibber waved him off. "Don't worry! It's only exploded twice that I know of."

"That you know of?" Gorral's concern deepened.

Fibber nodded confidently. "Used to have a crew of three," he explained. "Pretty sure one of 'em just quit."

Gorral's expression soured. "Used to?"

Fibber flashed a grin. "I've checked it myself, and I even used parts from the last one. It's in fine working order now."

Gorral could feel his stomach drop. Fibber, however, seemed oblivious to the tension as he flipped a switch, bringing up a small, rough-looking screen from the console.

Evelodie stepped closer, intrigued. "What's that?"

"This right here," Fibber declared proudly, "is my sound deflector-reflector monitoring system. I call it 'sonar.'"

She tilted her head, curiosity clear in her expression. "What does it do?"

"Excellent question!" Fibber puffed up with pride. "Sonar creates high-frequency sound waves that travel through water, bouncing off objects and reflecting back here to the boat. This screen monitors those reflections. I use it when I can't see where I'm going."

"Interesting," she said, leaning closer to examine the screen.

"Came up with it after I ran into a sea monster once," Fibber continued, chuckling to himself. "That Nessie was not happy!"

Evelodie laughed, sharing a glance with Malakar, who'd drifted over. He turned his gaze to Fibber. "So, what do you call this floating contraption?"

Fibber stood a bit taller. "TheNic Titan," he replied proudly. "The unsinkable!"

Malakar raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly. "Guess we'll put that name to the test."

The mist grew denser as they moved further into the foggy waters, and a tense silence settled over the boat. Fibber's usual cheer faded slightly, and he turned back to the controls, his eyes darting between the sonar and the mist.

Gorral gripped the railing, feeling the weight of the silence. The constant hum of the engine and the soft splashes of the propellers were the only sounds as visibility shrank to almost nothing. Fibber pressed another switch, and the guns along the sides of the boat came to life, their mechanical eyes beginning to scan the surrounding fog with a low whir.

Malakar's hand rested on his weapon, and Evelodie's fingers brushed the hilt of her blade. The air was thick with tension as they waited, ready for whatever lay hidden in the mist.

Fibber squinted at the sonar screen. "Not to alarm anyone, but it seems we're not alone out here," he murmured.

Malakar drew his weapon, his stance ready. "Everyone stay sharp."

They fell silent, each one alert as they scanned the mist. Shadows shifted at the edges of their vision, and the boat creaked underfoot, an unsettling sound in the thick, heavy fog.

Fibber kept his hands steady on the controls, his gaze fixed on the sonar. "This may get interesting," he whispered, a hint of excitement in his voice.

The fog swirled around them, and with weapons drawn and nerves taut, they braced themselves, prepared to face whatever awaited them in the silent, hidden depths of the Gilnean mist.

Through the fog, faint glimmers appeared ahead, growing brighter as the boat drew closer. Everyone tensed, gripping their weapons, eyes fixed on the mysterious lights.

"What is that?" Evelodie whispered, barely audible over the hum of the engine.

Malakar's lips curled into a smirk, his hand resting firmly on his blade. "Looks like they're ready for us."

Then, in a flash, an explosion erupted in the water just behind them, rocking the boat violently. Everyone held their breath as a second explosion followed, this one closer. Fibber's eyes widened, and he sprang into action.

"Performing evasive maneuvers!" he shouted, his hands flying across the controls.

With a quick flip of levers, the boat veered sharply, weaving and dodging through the fog, each turn more agile than the last. Another blast hit dangerously close, sending a spray of water over the deck. Evelodie shrieked, holding her hands over her ears as the booming echoes filled the air. Gorral quickly wrapped an arm around her, placing himself between her and the incoming fire, steady and protective.

"Deploying countermeasures!" Fibber yelled, slamming his fist down on a button.

With a whir and a roar, the belt-fed guns along the boat's sides sprang to life, tracking the origin of the incoming blasts. The weapons moved in near-perfect synchronization, locking onto the faint trails of light in the sky before opening fire. A dazzling array of bullets filled the air, each one finding its mark with unnerving precision, taking down the unseen attackers. Explosions lit up the fog like fireworks, each flash and boom reflecting off the water in a chaotic, brilliant display.

Evelodie squeezed her eyes shut, clutching Gorral's arm. Even Malakar's confident smirk wavered as he squinted into the blinding bursts, bracing himself against the rail but unwilling to back down.

"Gotta love a welcome party!" Fibber shouted with glee, steering the boat through the barrage with skillful ease.

As the last of the incoming fire was blown from the sky, silence slowly settled around them, the only sound the quiet hum of the engine and the soft hiss of steam from the boat's weapons cooling down. The mist closed in once more, thick and undisturbed, swallowing the remnants of their chaotic welcome.

Fibber glanced over his shoulder, a grin plastered on his face. "Well, that'll teach 'em not to mess with theNic Titan!"

A collective breath released, and the crew exchanged glances, each of them tense but ready. Whatever lay beyond the mist, they'd proven they could face it.

"We're not gonna make it to the main shore in one piece," he muttered, glancing back at the group. "But we might just manage the small shore on the outskirts—if we can create a big enough distraction."

Fibber's eyes glinted as he reached for a red button on his console, barely visible among the array of levers and switches. "Now, let me show you why this ship is called theunsinkable!"

The massive rocket at the stern of the boat suddenly whirred to life. Its gears creaked under the strain, metal grinding as rusted parts reluctantly engaged. Fibber grinned wildly. "Hold on!" he shouted, his voice almost gleeful.

Gorral gripped the rail tightly, murmuring a quiet prayer as the rocket began to roar. For a moment, the others expected the rocket to propel them forward, a final push toward the shore. But instead, with a thunderousfwooom, it detached from the boat and launched skyward, arcing toward the distant shoreline.

Everyone watched as the rocket veered abruptly, moving in a wild zigzag along the shore. Then, with a flash, it split apart into smaller rockets, each one sailing in a different direction. The smaller rockets lined up along the coastline, and a beat later, they erupted in a chain of deafening explosions. The shore lit up in a blinding flash, each burst larger than what the separate rockets seemed capable of.

Fibber cackled over the rumble, glancing back at the stunned crew. "It's called the scatter bomb! Won it in a game of Hearthstone! You shoulda seen the look on his face when I took it. Boy, was he mad!"

As the last of the explosions faded and the shoreline lay shrouded in smoke, the boat sped toward the outskirts, the sounds of chaos covering their approach. The smoke curled into the mist, creating a shield that hid them from prying eyes.

"Brace yourselves!" Fibber called, steering the boat with precise, practiced movements as he guided them closer to the shore.

With the scatter bomb's fiery distraction behind them, the team readied themselves, each gripping their weapons, alert and prepared. Fibber's grin widened as he powered through the waves, their path now clear for the next leg of their journey

After the chaos had died down, a Forsaken commander strode along the charred remains of the shoreline, his expression as grim as his rotting face would allow. All around him lay the aftermath—bunkers reduced to rubble, mortars dismantled beyond repair, and bodies strewn across the scorched sand.

"Was it the resistance?" he asked, glancing at his sergeant.

The sergeant shook his head. "Negative, sir. Intel suggests it was a lone ship. Came in from the direction of Menethil Harbor."

The commander stopped, turning to his sergeant in disbelief. "One ship did all this?"

The sergeant hesitated, a hint of unease in his hollow eyes. "Yes, sir. It was theNic Titan.Fibber's vessel."

The commander clenched a bony fist, rubbing his skinless temples with his other hand. "That gnome… He's going to be the second death of me."

"Sir," the sergeant continued, his voice low. "There's something else. Before the attack, scouts reported three others on the boat. Two humans and… apparently, a night elf death knight."

The commander's skeletal face darkened, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "We'll have to report this to Sylvanas. If that gnome's working with them, we may have more than just a rogue vessel on our hands."

He cast one last glance at the decimated shore, his eyes narrowed with grim intent. "Seems we may have another complication."

Turning sharply, he strode off to prepare his report, the gears of war already turning in his mind.