Goldtooth Pirates

"Fine. If you've made up your mind, I won't try to stop you," Nak sighed. "Just remember you've got a friend here!" He didn't ask anything else. As far as he was concerned, Andy could be an Elf or any other race—he'd still helped Nak out of a huge jam.

Two days later, Andy set off south. According to his memories of World of Warcraft, the southeastern corner of the Barrens bordered a vast swamp. On the eastern shore stood a human fortress called Theramore Fortress. It was the only fortress the northern human kingdom of Lordaeron had built on this continent. Andy didn't know whether it had been built yet at this point in time, but he was homeless, so he might as well try his luck there.

Andy said goodbye to Nak and set off alone. The only difference this time was that he brought food and drinking water; unlike when he'd first set foot in the Barrens, he wouldn't have to eat raw meat and drink blood. From the Crossroads to Theramore was still a long way.

He traveled on and off like this, and five days later, his food and water were nearly gone. Andy rummaged through his pack and shook his head helplessly. It looked like he'd have to start worrying about food again. After all, he couldn't carry a huge pack filled with all the supplies he might need on the road—that just wasn't practical. Unless he could get his hands on a magic bag. It was a specially sewn pouch enchanted by a high-ranking mage, giving it an immense interior space while remaining no bigger than a small backpack on the outside.

Andy had rationed his food carefully, and what he had left kept him going for two more days. By noon that day, he'd eaten the last of it. Fortunately, he spotted what looked like an oasis in the distance. He walked toward it for a while, and once he was sure it wasn't a mirage, he hurried on. The sooner he reached it, the sooner he could replenish his fresh water—and there had to be food there, too.

The oasis wasn't very big, but Andy saw a strange creature there. Dinosaurs! You heard that right—dinosaurs! A species that had been extinct on Earth for countless centuries was still alive in this world. They weren't the colossal beasts Andy had imagined, but he still decided to wait until they left before going out to restock.

Actually, what Andy had seen weren't real dinosaurs, just beasts that looked a lot like them. They were called Raptors, though the locals also called them raptor lizards. Their heads looked a lot like those of this world's dragons.

The group of about ten Raptors drank their fill, then slowly left the small oasis. They headed southwest, gradually disappearing from sight. Andy crouched by the pool with his waterskin. First, he cupped some water in his hands and drank his fill, then filled the skin.

A fish suddenly leaped out of the depths of the pool. "Hey, there are fish!" Andy was thrilled. He'd catch a few and satisfy his hunger first. He pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back. It was newly made; Nak had made him a whole quiverful. Taking aim at a fish in the water, Andy plunged the arrow in, but the fish shot away.

Andy wasn't discouraged. He waited patiently for the right moment and, after more than a dozen tries, finally caught one. It was a big, fat fish, and he was sure it would taste good. Holding it, Andy started to get up and head into the oasis to pick some wild fruit he'd seen on the way in.

Just as he was about to rise, Andy's gaze sharpened. There seemed to be movement behind him. Evasion activated silently. On close inspection, his body now seemed to be shrouded in a faint glow. He suddenly drove his leg backward with a kick. With a thud, his foot struck something.

There was a sharp smack, and Andy instinctively dodged to the side. With Evasion active, dodging any attack came easily. But when he turned around, he couldn't help staring in shock. A ring of short, green creatures stood around him. They had huge heads, pointed ears, and mouths full of oversized teeth. Each one held a dark, tube-shaped weapon, aimed coldly at him.

Goblins! He couldn't believe he'd run into those greedy bastards in the middle of nowhere.

Andy immediately raised both hands and didn't dare move. Was this the world's version of a gun? No wonder that sound had seemed familiar. He held his hands up and stared coldly at them. His Evasion skill only lasted so long; there was no way he could dodge bullets from all of them at once. Besides, their guns were loaded with buckshot. He had no desire to find out what it felt like to take a volley of gunfire.

"******!" a furious shout came from the bushes nearby. "How's this kid so strong?"

A large Goblin cursed as he crawled out of the bushes, spat out a couple of mouthfuls of grass, then staggered over. Andy was surprised by his own strength, too. After advancing, he'd gotten a lot stronger—strong enough to kick the Goblin six or seven meters away.

"Kid, you're out of luck running into me!" the large Goblin said, glaring at him. "Take all his weapons!" Two Goblins rushed forward and took Andy's bow, arrows, and curved blade, along with his skinning knife. Another Goblin searched through his pack. Apart from the waterskin, it held nothing. "He's a pauper!" the Goblin muttered.

"Kid, do you know who I am?" the large Goblin asked, rocking his head from side to side.

Andy sneered as he looked at the Goblin. Three earrings were lined up along his right ear, and he wore two large rings on his left hand. They looked like gold. When the large Goblin opened his mouth, Andy saw two big gold teeth set among his other teeth, one on top and one on the bottom.

Andy shook his head without saying a word.

"This kid doesn't even know who you are, but he dares show his face around here? He must be tired of living!" one Goblin said, raising his gun toward the large Goblin.

"Yeah, tell him who we are!" the large Goblin said.

"Listen up, kid! We're the Big Goldtooth Pirate Crew, and this is our leader, Big Goldtooth!" the Goblin announced, his face brimming with pride.

Andy stared blankly at the large Goblin. Big Goldtooth? Goldtooth was a Kobold—when had he become a Goblin? It must just be someone with the same name. Andy chuckled. "You're pirates, and you're this arrogant and proud of it? I've had enough. Hey, whatever-your-name-is, Goldtooth—could you stop sharing a name with a dog?"

"Damn it, you've got a death wish!" the Goblin cursed. "I'll blow your head off!" He raised his gun and was about to pull the trigger.

Andy prepared to activate Evasion again to dodge the Goblins' attacks. He'd only dared to tease this Goldtooth Pirate because he knew his Evasion skill was ready.

"Wait!" the large Goblin suddenly said. With a pistol in hand, he circled Andy twice, prodding his body with the long barrel before continuing, "This looks like an Elf! Well, what a lucky find! Our trip out here wasn't for nothing. Elves are in high demand at the gold pit. We've struck it rich!"

"That's right! That's right! He really is an Elf! What a beauty!" the Goblin who'd threatened to shoot Andy cheered along.

Andy stared at the group of Goblins, dumbfounded. So they were going to sell him!