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The rowboat had the word “whore” carved along the side in scratchy spelling. Each time he rowed, he pushed against the water toward the island. Jaguero Island. The hut was starting to appear at the distance. Tia’Zula emerged from her hut and welcomed him with open arms. Cris pulled the rowboat toward the shore and walked into her arms, his legs making an extra effort to push him along.
She glanced behind him and noticed the empty boat. “Joo say joo ‘ad someone to introduce ta me.”
“There’s no one, Tia.”
The troll looked at him and still holding him, she led him into her hut. As soon as the door opened, the large white wolf Misae jumped up on him and began to lick his face. For a moment, Cris smiled, a genuine smile and he hugged the wolf tightly. “Hey there, girl. I missed you too.” He sat in a chair by a table and the wolf sat beside him, her head on his lap and her eyes looking up at him, longingly, as if she really wanted him to pet her for eternity.
“She senses sumthin’ be wrong.”
“She’s a faithful girl. She loves me unconditionally.” Cris sighed softly and petted the wolf’s head.
“Ah, girl problems. Is dat not why joo died?”
“Different girl.”
“In two months? Joo work fast. Cheat on dis one too?”
“No, Tia, I did not. I was more than faithful to her.”
“Ah. Payback ‘urts, don’ it?”
Cris rolled his eyes and looked down at the wolf. “She’s the only girl for me. Yes you are, Misae.” The wolf panted and rubbed her head against his leg.
“So, what joo want to talk about?”
“I was told by some trolls that I was condemned to death either way. That the spirits would never release me from this…” He placed his hand on the shark tooth and sighed, “…thing.”
Tia chuckled. “Sum trolls, eh? Sum trolls don’ know what dey say.”
“It was a witchdoctor.”
“Witchdoctahs are all differen’. We all ‘ave different contracts on our lives. And joo be on mine.”
“Me?”
“Ay. If joo fail, I will no save you again. So joo die. End of story.”
“Will they stop, Tia?”
The troll leaned back and pushed her pink braids back. She reached behind her and grabbed a box. Before responding, she pulled out a cigar and lit it up with her fingers. The flame seemed to not burn her as she puffed on the cigar to light it up. “Ay, dey be stoppin’”
“When?”
She exhaled in front of her and seemed to examine the puff of smoke before it dissipated. “When dey decide.”
“Tia, I’m getting the urge to kill.”
“So kill den. Joo a pirate. Dat wat joo do.”
Her words seemed so casual and nonchalant. The signs were growing more and more each day, showing him his new direction in life. “Fine.”
“Gud. Now, I be bathin’ you.”
“You’re what?”
“Joo reek of bad juju. I ‘ave sum ‘erbs dat will be ‘elping joo wit whatevah is wrong wit joo.”
Cris slumped against the chair and nodded. “Couldn’t hurt, I guess.” He touched the shark tooth with his fingers, but his palm rested above his heart, as if he were guarding it, or soothing it.
Tia took another puff of her cigar before putting it out and placing it back in the box. She stood and walked toward a counter covered with jars and plants. She took a mortar and began cutting leaves off the plants. “Dis one meant a lot to ya, no?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Joo are a good man, Cristianno. Emotional tings like dis are obvious.”
“I don’t want to be obvious anymore.” Not after a third time of disappointment.
“Joo should talk to Da Captain. ‘e will show joo ‘ow to live. Look at ‘im. No wench and plenty of life.”
“Well he does have that one wench. The human that comes and goes.”
“Ya, but she no ‘is. She is married, ja know dat?”
“Yeah to some human in Stormwind.”
“Ya, mon. Joo should get joo sumone like dat.”
Cris sighed, leaning forward and running his hands along his hair. “I don’t date whores.”
“ ‘ho said anyting about dating?” She turned to look at him and grinned, her tusks pulling back her lips. She turned back and carried with her the mortar and a bucket of herbs, as well as a few jars of powdered substances. After they were placed on the table, she walked to the door and shouted, “Tik! Boil da watah, den cool it down a little. We need a bath.” She walked back in saw Cris with his head hanging low. “Joo look broken.”
“Do you blame me?” His hand petted his wolf’s head, which she never removed from his thigh.
“Yes.” He looked up at her and lifted an eyebrow. “Joo ‘ave survived death, Cristianno. Joo ‘ave fought against ships and won. And joo die ober a girl?”
“She was more than just a girl. She was my life.”
The troll walked quickly toward him, snapped her fingers at the wolf, moving her away, and straddled Cris’ legs. “Dis be joor life.” She held on to his shark tooth. “Dis be why joo are alive. Not some girl. Love be a gud ting if joo ‘ave it, but it can also be a curse. Joo are not alive because of some girl. Joo are alive because you want to be alive. Joo are joor life.”
Cris looked up at her and sighed heavily. “I don’t want to love anymore, Tia.”
She grinned wickedly and played with his hair. “Dat can be arranged.” She let out a cackle and pressed her body against him, but he simply sighed again. “Joo don wanna love? We make joo stronger den.” She snapped her teeth at him and cackled again before getting off his lap. “Joo need to revitalize joor mojo, without the need for love.” Tia walked back to the shelf and reached for a few more items. “Joo sure about not wantin’ ta love?”
Cris stared at Misae, who was lying on the ground, her eyes gazing at him, as if awaiting his response as well. “I don’t want to fall for another woman.” Tia nodded and chuckled. “Or man, Tia.” He narrowed his eyes as he heard her chuckle again, her hand putting back a jar she had reached for. “I want to love my friends and those I call family, but I don’t want another woman to hurt whatever is left of my heart.”
Tia turned and glared at him with a cruel smile. “Joo jus wanna lust.”
Cristianno lifted his eyes and stared at her. “Whatever.” She nodded and placed a pink powder on the table. “What’s all that for?”
“For strength, for cleaning, for clearing da bad juju, for luck, for clearing your mind, for lust….”
“Clearing my mind?”
“She canno’ stay in der, Cris. She will kill joo.”
“You’re wiping my memory of her?”
“No, da ‘eart is stronger den da mind. I will simply fog joor mind of her. Like if all was a dream. Dat’s all.” She walked toward the door and nodded at the goblin outside. Cris didn’t like the idea of losing his memories of her. He wanted to hang on to them and cherish them silently, but perhaps she was right. Perhaps she was going to hinder the next stage of his life. He looked at Tia and saw her waving at him.
“Come on, Cristianno. And lose da clothes.” He obeyed and removed his clothing, the same clothing he had been wearing for days. The same clothing he had worn the last time he saw…
He walked out of the hut, naked and his head hanging low. Tia saw him and sighed, shaking her head. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the wooden tub outside the hut. “Joo be a strong…” She looked him up and down and smirked, “…good lookin’ man, Cristianno. Walk straight.” Cris lifted his head and saw the ocean ahead of him. By the tub, a shy goblin’s eyes widened at the sight of the nude elf and he gazed away. Tia laughed and patted the goblin’s head. “ ‘ee be jus’ a man, Tik. Nuttin’ wrong wit nudity.” Cris looked at the goblin, who lifted his head and helped him enter the tub.
Once he was settled, Tia began to pour the herbs into the tub, the warm water triggering the scents that the petals and plants emitted. Cris closed his eyes and simply inhaled the soothing scent while Tia gently scrubbed his body. The goblin watched for a brief moment before he simply walked away, back into the hut. With a sponge in one hand and her free hand rubbing his body, she leaned against the tub, close to his ear, whispering, as if she were fine-tuning his psyche.
“Joo be strong, Cristianno.” She rubbed his torso, gently, a purr against his ear. “Joo be the man joo want ta be, not one controlled by emotions.” She went lower, beneath the water. Cris shivered slightly as she touched his waist, moving further below. He smirked, but didn’t say a word, keeping his eyes closed. Tia seemed to hug him as she reached over to rub his legs. “What joo want, Cristianno?”
“What do I really want?”
“Anyting in da world.” She whispered into his ear, her breath sending shivers down his spine. “What is it joo really want?”
“I want a home, Tia.” His words were soft, quiet. “I want a family. I want to be what my father wasn’t.”
“Joo canno be dat and be wat joo are.”
Cris sighed softly, “Then take it away. Take my desire away from me. The thought of family, of love, of a home.”
“I canno take it away. Like I sed, it be ‘ere, in joor ‘eart.” She moved her wet hand up to his chest, inches away from the shark tooth. “But I can fog joor mind. When joo find da one who is willing ta give joo what joo really want, the clouds will be gone.” She rubs his torso as she removes her hands from the water. She reaches down and gives him a cup with a white, swirly substance. He opens his eyes and looks at her. “Drink and it would all ‘ave been a dream. Don’ drink, and joo will be a slave to joor feelins’”
“I won’t forget her?”
“Oter thoughts will keep joo busy.” She touched the center of his chest. “But she be livin’ ‘ere if joo let her. No potion stron’ enough to take dat away from joo. If joo are reminded of ‘er, joo will remember.” Cris nodded and reached for the concoction. He stared at it for a while before lifting the cup to his lips and tilting it back, he swallowed.
For a brief moment, as he gasped, he saw an entire run of his relationship. The moment they met, the promises, the intimacy, the touch. Her smile. Soon, the images began to cloud in his mind. He wanted to say her name. Once more. Just once more. He wanted to say…
“Cristianno, come back ta me, Cristianno…” Tia’s voice whispered into his ear while her hands rubbed his chest and caressed his head. “Come back, Cristianno.” Cris blinked and gulped, staring at nothing. “What be on joor mind?”
“I…I wanted to say something…”
“Wat be dat?”
“I…I don’t know.” Tia smiled and nodded, kissing his cheek.
“Come. Let us get joo inside. Joo be cleansed now.”
“I feel…empty.”
“Joo gonna be fine, Cristianno. Speak to Da Captain. ‘ee will show joo da way.”
Cris nodded, walking naked back to the hut. Something was bothering him, but he didn’t remember what. Tia kept talking about the herb to prevent pregnancies, about the concoction he added to the water to increase his drive, about finding The Captain, but all he could focus on was trying to figure out what he was thinking about; what bothered him. He touched his shark tooth and sighed, turning to Tia, who was smiling wickedly at him.
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