Chapter 800

Chapter 800: Don’t Think About It

"The dragon-slayer Jesse Seso actually remembered my name," the Troll Witch Doctor said as she stepped down the stairs, swaying slightly while approaching the two.

"Did you tell her my true identity?" Jesse asked, looking at the goblin.

Before Miserheld could reply, Silvia chuckled, "News of Vereesa Windrunner’s arrival in Booty Bay has spread to every Forest Troll’s ears. So the human with her must be Jesse Seso himself. You don’t think living in that cramped cave means I know nothing about the outside, do you?"

"Well, nice to see you again, Silvia," Jesse said dryly.

The Troll Witch Doctor gave a small nod. The goblin glanced at them and said, "So it’s settled. Silvia can help you; she has the potion recipe the Amani Empire witch doctors used to talk with spirits, right?"

"I’ve got plenty of that potion," the troll replied.

"Tell me how it works. I don’t understand a thing," Jesse said.

The troll explained, "It’s a light green potion. After drinking, it takes about half an hour to kick in. If ghosts are around, you’ll slowly start seeing them clearly over that time, without messing up your normal sight."

"How long does it last?" Jesse asked.

"Depends on how much you drink. A small sip—human-sized—lasts about half a day," Silvia answered.

Jesse nodded. "I might need a lot. Is it pricey?"

"Twelve silver coins a bottle," Silvia said.

"How much is in a bottle? Or what size is it?" Jesse asked.

"Tiny," Silvia said. "If you need more, I can give it in a leather pouch. This potion isn’t as fragile as those Dalaran Alchemists make; you could even drink it from a bowl."

"Enough for three or four people for a week," Jesse noted. "Are you raiding the Shadowlands?!" the goblin asked, surprised.

"Not that bad, Bucks Miserheld," the Troll Witch Doctor said. "So I’ll charge two gold coins. Deal, Jesse Seso?"

"Deal," Jesse agreed.

"Then follow me." The troll wiggled her thick fingers as she went down the stairs.

The witch doctor’s cave looked almost the same as when Jesse last visited, full of messy roots. Jesse stopped at the entrance. Silvia turned back and asked, "Not coming in? Or do you prefer staying out here with this scentless odd succubus?"

"I’ll skip it this time," Jesse replied.

The troll nodded, sneered, and vanished inside.

Molofeel crept closer and whispered, "Can’t you feel it, master? She wants you in… Just go; I won’t tell that Quel’dorai."

Jesse pulled his hood tighter and counted out two gold coins from his pocket. "Enough talk," he said.

After a moment, the witch doctor came out holding a dark brown water pouch. "Here," she said. Jesse handed her the coins and asked, "What skin is this made from?"

"Not human skin," Silvia said. "If that’s your worry."

"Not elven skin?" Jesse pressed.

"Of course not," Silvia replied. "So no need to fret about offending the Farstriders. But I won’t say more. It’s tough leather, won’t rip easily. But it costs an extra four silver coins—fair, since elven skin would be pricier."

Jesse nodded and added four silver coins. After taking them, Silvia warned, "Remember, just a small sip each time. Too much causes hallucinations, and long ghost vision can mess with weak human minds like yours. You lack our training."

"I’ll remember. Thanks a lot."

Jesse pulled out the cork and sniffed the potion, smelling a bloody scent mixed with a faint, unpleasant floral note, like shadow-tainted roses.

"I’ll try a taste first."

"But no ghosts are here to test it on," Silvia pointed out.

"Let’s see if I can handle this potion first."

Jesse took a small sip, and it tasted like plain water with just a bitter edge.

After swallowing and waiting a bit, he didn’t feel sick, so he nodded, corked the pouch, and put it in his bag.

Silvia looked at him and said, "You’ve changed a lot, Jesse Seso. In every way: your looks, your size, even your heart. When we last met, you were a wanderer who didn’t care about anything. Now I can feel you’re stronger, but you’re more tied down. You care too much about things, and those things are ropes that will bind you tighter and tighter, maybe even destroy you."

Her voice was rough and scratchy. If you didn’t see her lynx-like face, you might think a cranky old witch was mocking some clueless kid.

"Are you a prophet in the Hinterlands?" Jesse asked, looking up.

"No," Silvia said.

"So this is just empty talk that fits anyone," Jesse said.

"I mean well," the troll smiled, showing her sharp teeth.

Jesse didn’t say more. He glanced at Molofeel to signal her to follow, then turned and left the witch doctor’s lair.

Before they reached The Salty Sailor Tavern, Jesse could already hear loud dwarf laughs inside; Greed must be having fun.

It was dark out, and a bunch of ragged people crowded the tavern entrance.

Anyone wanting to go in had to squeeze past them, gripping their bags tight and eyeing those shady figures warily, afraid they’d grab something.

But when Jesse got close, Molofeel’s presence made the crowd part easily. Every time he came to Booty Bay, Jesse thought being a hated warlock had some perks—after all, "people" here didn’t care about good or bad, rich or poor.

Deep in the tavern, a group of tough guys was yelling around a big wooden target. A bare-chested goblin aimed a short axe at it while other goblins cheered him on.

Greed stood nearby, arms crossed, watching coldly with a sneer. He was so into the game he didn’t notice Jesse at the door.

"Over there, master," Molofeel whispered in his ear, pointing to a corner. Jesse looked and saw Vereesa waving at him.

The tavern was packed. Even though folks were scared of demons like Molofeel, they couldn’t make room for Jesse. He had to inch through with the succubus until he sat next to the elf at the table.

"He’s been playing a long time," Vereesa shook her head. "Should we eat now or wait for him?"

"Let’s wait," Jesse said.

Vereesa wrinkled her nose, tugged Jesse’s cloak, and sniffed. "It stinks."

"Stinks?" Jesse sniffed awkwardly. "I haven’t washed it in a while."

"Not your smell," Vereesa leaned in and whispered. "It’s troll. What did you do?"

Jesse explained, "I bought a potion from a troll witch doctor that lets you see ghosts."

Vereesa frowned. "Witch doctor? I thought you were getting Ghost Glasses from a goblin. What was that goblin alchemist’s name? Bucks…?"

"Bucks Miserheld," Jesse said. "But the Ghost Glasses had problems. The potion is better, and that goblin knew a troll witch doctor who could fix it."

"Using troll stuff feels weird," Vereesa said. "Forget their creepy witchery and poisons… just their recipes! Trolls use all kinds of body fluids—not just blood, but sweat, spit, pee—to make potions. Doesn’t that gross you out?"

"It does, but I try not to think about it," Jesse said.

"You’re something else," Vereesa sighed, rubbing her temples.

Jesse pulled out the troll’s potion pouch and set it on the table. "Want to taste it and see if it’s strange?" Vereesa eyed the pouch, gulped, but shook her head.

Sitting there, watching people come and go, Jesse thought about how to help Ursula with some simple advertising.

Should he just stand up and shout, "Listen up, everyone!"?

He hadn’t thought much when he agreed, but now he felt he had no talent for ads.

Just then, Greed pushed through the crowd excitedly and slammed a black short axe on the table. "Check this out!"

"Don’t know," Jesse said.

The dwarf shot back, "It’s a treasured heirloom from a Dark Iron captain, called the Ribbreaker! I won it off some fool in Shadowforge City!"

"Impressive," Jesse said flatly. Vereesa chuckled. "You two are boring."

Greed plopped down, put the axe away, and stared at the potion pouch. "What’s this?"

"Troll potion," Vereesa said. "Jesse claims it helps you see ghosts, but I doubt it works."

"Drink it, wait half an hour, and it lasts about half a day," Jesse explained. "I took a sip when I got it to test. It shouldn’t hurt, and I should see ghosts now, but there aren’t any around to check."

"We could try it on the coast tomorrow," Greed said. "Vereesa said our ship doesn’t leave till the day after. There might be drowned sailors or folks killed by Naga, with spirits hanging around."

"Chances of that are slim," Vereesa said.

"There are troll ruins near Gurubashi Arena, with a graveyard. We could look for troll ghosts there," Jesse said.

"That sounds more likely," Vereesa said.

Greed shot her a look. "Whatever Jesse Seso says, huh?"

He picked up the pouch and examined it, his face turning serious. "Did the seller give you this pouch?"

"Yeah," Jesse said.

"Did he say what it’s made from?" Greed asked.

"No," Jesse said, feeling uneasy.

Greed slammed the table. "This is dwarf skin, damn it!"