In the dark and humid death mines of the western wilderness, at this time, it has become more terrifying and gloomy than before.
Because, now, there is no popularity, no voice, no light anymore. Not long ago, a group of tin men wearing bright white armor shouted various slogans and attacked straight in... They wantonly Hacking and brutally killing every living person they could see!
After that, not long after, when everything calmed down, this death mine truly became a new place of death... Here, there was only death...
Vanessa Van Cleef carefully worked her way out of a pile of slag. She didn't dare to make too much noise. She was worried, fearing that those evil Tin Woodmen had not left yet. Those people must be bad guys, right? Very bad, very bad kind...
The reason Vanessa was hiding in this pile of slag was because her father forcibly covered her inside with a pile of wooden planks and a mine cart before the battle began. At that time, he also told her many times that she was absolutely not allowed to come out until the noise outside was over.
Vanessa listened to her father's words and stayed so quietly in this pile of slag, even though there were a lot of screams and clashes of weapons at the beginning of the battle, even though she saw her with her own eyes When her father was captured by a group of ferocious tin men, she did not dare to move more... She was frightened at the time...
It wasn't until a long, long time later that it became quiet outside and until her stomach became unbearably hungry that she carefully dug it out from the slag pile.
Vanessa didn't know what happened here, or why it became like this... She could only struggle to rely on the ashes and fire that had not been completely extinguished, and began to stumble slowly from the mine toward She climbed out outside... Even though there were many wounds on her body caused by sharp rocks, she didn't even notice...
When she finally ran outside the mine and saw the clear sky, it was already approaching dusk.
There is not a single living person outside the entire mine...
Here, there are all kinds of corpses scattered everywhere...
Countless black crows are gathering high in the sky, stopping on the eaves and among the branches of trees. They... are preparing for a carnival feast...
Now, Vanessa looked around blankly. She could no longer see any living people here... There were no uncles and aunts here in the past, nor were there those ferocious Tin Woodmen who had just rushed in. She was just stunned. He stayed at the entrance of the mine and stood there for a long time...
"Vanessa... wants daddy..."
In the end, and for some unknown reason, she just started following the traces of those iron armored men when they left, taking her small and fragile steps, and followed them unswervingly...
She didn't know why she did this... She always felt that maybe, as long as she followed the footsteps of these Tin Woodmen when they left, she would be able to find her father, her father Edwin...
The days just pass by...
Vanessa was still stubbornly and firmly walking in the direction where the bad guys left...
When she was hungry, she would go to the fields or houses to steal some food... When she was thirsty, she would go to the creek or the jungle to drink some dew... When she was too tired to walk, she would run Farmers piled them into haystacks in the fields and slept for a while. When they had had enough sleep, they set out again on the road that seemed to never reach the end...
During this period, she was chased by a vicious dog from a farmer's house on the roadside...
I was also chased and beaten by some bad boys with sticks and stones...
I was also lucky enough to ride on the carriage of a taciturn businessman...
Of course, there were some kind-hearted uncles and aunts who gave her food and wanted to take her in...
However, they were all stubbornly rejected by the little girl Vanessa. She had to follow the path walked by the Tin Woodmen, catch up with them and find her Edwin before these traces disappeared completely. dad…...
Finally, she didn't know how many days had passed before she finally followed the traces and came to a tall and majestic huge city... But now, it rained heavily in the sky, and the traces on the ground were... It can never be found again.
Vanessa knew that she had completely lost the chance to find her father. She could only let the cold rain soak through her thin body. Then, she began to walk towards the huge silhouette in front of her at a loss. walking to the city...
Vanessa was about to go to the huge city gate to take shelter from the rain, but... there were two bad guys in iron armor guarding there. This made her feel very scared, so she hesitated, just so cowardly. The ground huddled in the cold rain, not daring to move forward.
"Hey, boss! Look, there seems to be a little girl over there?"
One of the sharp-eyed Stormwind soldiers quickly spotted Vanessa in the distance, so he began to ask the guard captain who was standing guard with him in the city gate opposite him.
"Hmph! You have nothing to do when you are free, right? She is nothing more than a little beggar. There are many of them outside Stormwind City, so you don't need to pay attention to her!"
The team leader glanced in the direction pointed by his soldiers and ignored them. There were too many little beggars like this outside of Stormwind City. How could they manage them? These are things that kings and noble men should only worry about!
Besides, instead of wasting money and materials on disaster relief, it would be better to give him a drink! What use are these beggars and homeless people to the Kingdom of Stormwind? Pull them all down!
Finally, after she could no longer stand the bone-chilling rain and saw that the two bad guys didn't seem to want to pay much attention to her, Vanessa carefully walked forward step by step. She found that there was a man next to the city gate. A small corner will not be affected by the rain.
So, she waited until she got close to the two tin villains, and when she saw that they really didn't want to pay attention to her, she quickly walked to the corner far away from them and squatted down. Now, here, she I won’t be caught in the rain anymore.
However, Vanessa still feels very cold now... She urgently needs to take a good rest. It would be great if there was a cup of hot water here...
It's a pity that no one cares about her life and death here, and there is no Edwin father to take care of her. Therefore, she can only huddle up tightly with her thin body, huddled up in the place where the rain can't reach her. At the foot of the city wall, he put his hands in front of his mouth and breathed softly.
I don’t know why, maybe I’m hungry? Or exhausted? Vanessa felt that her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, and she seemed to want to sleep here...
…
At the same time, outside the square of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City, although today is not a good day for worship or any important celebration or festival, and although there is still a cold drizzle in the sky, here now, But inside and out, it was packed with citizens from all walks of life in Stormwind City.
The reason why they crowded here with great interest was because today, here, a thug whom they hated to the core was going to be executed - Edwin Van Cleef! He is the villain who led the Masons' Union riot in the past and is now the leader of the Defias Brotherhood. At the same time, he is also the most wanted criminal in Stormwind City!
Earlier today, the citizens unexpectedly discovered a piece of news on the bulletin board. Their great King Varian actually led the troops himself and captured the Death Mine without a word, and at the same time Captured alive Van Cleef, the culprit who single-handedly created the Fidia Brotherhood!
Finally, this evil Van Cleef is about to be executed on the newly built execution platform in the square of the cathedral! As for the citizens of Stormwind City who have nothing to do, they will definitely not miss such an important and exciting event!
Therefore, the citizens of Stormwind City, as long as they did not have important matters at hand, braved the cold rain falling from the sky and came here with great enthusiasm. They just wanted to see that thug, that Van Kree The exciting moment when the husband was pushed to the guillotine!
"Your Majesty, Duke Bolvar...Why don't you tell me about His Majesty the King's private expedition to the Death Mines?"
Countess Katrana Presto is now standing under the eaves of the church door behind the execution platform. She sees that on the wooden platform, she has been tied tightly and is being kicked by the executioner, but she still stubbornly does not want to Kneeling down, Van Cleef smiled, and in a slightly coquettish tone, she asked softly to the Duke of Bolvar, who was standing next to her.
At this moment, although Katlana Presto was smiling on her face, she was already cursing in her heart!
This idiot Van Cleef and his Fidia Brotherhood were a good move that Katrana managed to pull off with great effort! But now, he was inexplicably deposed by King Varian like this?
Or...could it be that he, Varian, had some clue about Katrana's identity? That's why you deliberately hid it from yourself? Let's kill first and then show off? Countess Katlana narrowed her eyes slightly and began to think wildly.
Is all this a coincidence? Or specifically targeted?
If it is really the result she least wants to see, then it will really be a big trouble for her in the future! Maybe, all the hard work she has put into the arrangements in Stormwind City over the years will probably be in vain. If the situation really gets that bad, that will be the last thing she wants to see.
"Oh! No, dear Katrana, you must believe me, I did not deceive you in any way! Even I don't know about this!"
Bolvar saw that the Countess next to him looked a little angry, and he quickly explained in a panic that he really didn't know about this!
"I have asked the commander of the king's royal guards before. He said that at that time, His Majesty the King was indeed planning to go out of the city to hunt and relax, so he brought less than two hundred royal guards with him."
"It's just that when His Majesty was wandering outside the city, for some reason, His Majesty suddenly became upset and angry. Then, in a fit of anger, he directly led the soldiers stationed south of Goldsmith Town to attack the west. The wilderness was gone... At that time, they didn’t even have time to send someone back to report!”
In Bolvar's opinion, His Majesty the King really made a spur-of-the-moment decision this time. Not only did Bolvar not know about this matter, but at that time, none of the noble members of the Kingdom's Parliament or anyone else in Stormwind City even responded to this matter. Know everything!
"Well, it seems that I really misunderstood you, so let's do this. I'll treat you to lunch another day, and I'll treat it as an apology."
After hearing the explanation, Katlana nodded slightly, then shifted her gaze, frowning and continuing to look at Van Cleef, who was still cursing with the executioner on the execution platform.
The more she looked at the other party, the angrier Countess Katlana felt!
That bastard Van Cleef is really an idiot! How could he be caught by Varian's army so easily? How could their Defias Brotherhood dare to go head-to-head with the regular legions of Stormwind City?
The Countess really wanted to grab the other person's head and ask: This is obviously something that cannot be fought, won't you run away in advance? If you dig into the mountains below the mine, will Varian send an army all over the mountains and fields to look for you? Are you so determined to stay in the mine? Now it’s time to catch a turtle in a urn, it’s not going to be easy to catch you!
"Dear Katrana, why do we need another day? Why don't we just do it tonight..."
Just when Bolvar was about to say something ambiguous to the countess, King Varian, Bishop Benedictus of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City, and two royal guards behind them, solemnly walked out of the cathedral. walked out.
Bolvar was so frightened that he quickly stopped what he was about to say to tease the countess, stood up straight, pretended to be serious, and looked intently at the high platform in front of him.
After a burst of heavy footsteps of armor hitting the ground, King Varian came to the door of the cathedral and stood under the eaves with the nobles. Then, he nodded slightly to Bishop Benedictus who was following him. , then, the other party nodded slightly at the same time, and braved the drizzle and walked towards the wooden platform that was built.
"Bovar, do you think... is it really okay to behead Van Cleef like this without interrogating him for a few days or putting him on trial?"
Katlana didn't know what she was thinking, she seemed to want to try again.
She didn't want such a useful chess piece to be killed inexplicably. She needed to give it a try and see if there was any room for improvement? As long as this Van Cleef doesn't have to die now, she has 10,000 ways to get him out of prison!
"Sigh... I also know that this matter is a bit rushed... However, now that the matter has come to this, it is better to end it as soon as possible! Don't bring up everything in the past, so as to avoid any further troubles..."
Bolvar sighed. He misunderstood the meaning of Countess Katlana, thinking that her idea was to straighten out the mess of the Masons' Union first, and then execute Van Cleef when the kingdom stood on the moral high ground.
It's just that... in Bolvar's opinion, there is no way to delve deeper into this matter. Once we get deeper into it, it turns out that it will be the Stormwind Kingdom that is embarrassed in the end... So, it is better to catch the opponent now and kill him with one blow!
This is currently the best solution Bolvar has thought of for the Kingdom of Stormwind!
Fortunately, His Majesty the King was smart and led his troops to capture the other party without even saying hello. Otherwise, once the formal process is followed, I am afraid that the troops have not been sent out yet. After Van Cleef heard the news, he would have been ready to evacuate with his men, right?
"Hey...it's such a pity..."
Seeing that there was no room to turn around, Katrana sighed softly again. For a moment, her expression seemed a little sluggish, and her whole person was languid.
"Yes, it would be a pity to kill this man!"
Bolvar also nodded in agreement. He seemed to have misunderstood the true meaning of the Countess.
"Edwin VanCleef is a great engineer. The planning and layout of our Stormwind City came from his handiwork!"
"We all saw it at the beginning. Under his leadership and efforts, as the leader of the Masons' Guild, the Masons' Guild convened a large number of manpower to carry out the work of building the new Stormwind City... This majestic city in front of us is... In the hands of their group of talented masons, Stormwind City was revealed, showing the majestic momentum and majestic demeanor that our Kingdom of Stormwind should have..."
Bolvar looked at Van Cleef on the high platform and sighed deeply.
"No one can doubt this! In the field of masonry engineering, Edwin Van Cleef was indeed a genius... Now, he died in such an dishonorable way... This is really It’s such a shame.”
Duke Bolvar spoke so eloquently that Katrana next to him couldn't help but laugh or cry for a moment.
What she just meant was actually saying: This Van Cleef was a good chess piece that she had worked hard to support, and now he is dead, and it is a pity that her efforts were in vain! What does it have to do with whether he is a genius? How could she care about the other person's achievements in the field of masonry? What does this have to do with her? ha! This is really true. Where did Bolvar get you involved? It’s simply unreasonable!
"Edwin Van Cleef, poor lost lamb, may the Holy Light..."
Archbishop Benedictus finally walked up to Van Cleef while Catlana and Bolvar were muttering quietly.
Looking at the handsome black-haired man in front of him who was unwilling to kneel down, Benedictus also sighed. When he was about to read out the quotations from his Holy Light Book as a routine, the other man's mouth was filled with blood. The thick phlegm spat violently onto his face.
"Ah! Get away, old man! I don't believe the hypocrisy of your nobles! You, ah..."
When Van Cleef, who was full of disdain, wanted to say something, the two executioners behind him kicked him hard on the waist and legs, forcing him to interrupt his words and stand there in frustration. Kneel down.
"Okay... then, let's pray for the mercy of the Holy Light now, lost child..."
Since the other party is so disrespectful to him now, Bishop Benedictus doesn't want to entangle any more here. He decided that the process can be shortened and speeded up a little.
Therefore, he didn't bother to wipe the saliva from his face and let the rain wash it away. He just stepped forward and made some routine gestures to Van Cleef, and then cast a holy light spell on the other person's body to purify and expel the undead. , to ensure that the other party would not be transformed into an undead after death. Then, he nodded to the two executioners, walked off the platform in a slightly embarrassed manner, and returned to the eaves of the cathedral door with a dark face. under.
"Edwin Van Cleef! Do you have anything else to say now? This is your last chance!"
King Varian pressed the hilt of the sword on her waist, took two steps forward, and let the cold rain that began to get heavier and drenched her cloak and cloak. She looked at the upper part of the high platform with a cold face. Van Cleef was kneeling and began to shout and ask questions.
"Hmph! If you want to kill me, kill me! What can I say to you dirty nobles? What the hell!"
Even though he was half-kneeling on the ground by the two executioners behind him, Van Cleef still looked at Varian, the so-called King of Stormwind Kingdom, in front of him with a mocking look on his face with disdain.
"Don't you feel the slightest remorse for your crimes?!"
Continuing to have a livid face, Varian glared at Van Cleef, who was still unrepentant even on the verge of death. He increased the volume of his voice and continued to question.
If the other party hadn't gone too far, if they hadn't killed his Queen Tiffin, and if the Defias Brothers hadn't caused too much damage to the Kingdom of Stormwind, Varian really didn't want to do what he was doing. This is the point where there is no end to death!
"Hahaha... This is the funniest joke I have ever heard in my life!"
After Van Cleef laughed wildly for a while, he began to retort loudly. He first looked around at the crowd of people watching and the magnificent city built by the masons' union with their hard work.
"Before you say these words hypocritically, please take a look at this beautiful city around you. Please open your eyes and take a look! This is Stormwind City, which is the result of the hard work of our Masons' Union! Look! Look, it is so resplendent and magnificent..."
"But! Look at the people around you, and then look at yourselves!"
Van Cleef gradually increased his tone and stared at King Varian in front of him with fierce eyes.
"When you are filled with the joy of returning to your hometown, when you sit on those stone benches and admire the beautiful fountain gardens, when you walk on the cobblestone streets and admire the beauty of Stormwind City When looking at the scenery, have you ever thought about who has done all this heavy work for you? Who has worked so hard to complete all this for you? And who has built a new home for you without getting the slightest benefit? Repay?"
"Ah? Why, you don't dare to speak anymore?"
Van Cleef looked mockingly at the livid-faced King of Stormwind Kingdom, and then glanced at the crowd who started to become silent before he started laughing loudly.
"Hahaha... Are you mute now? That's right! All of this was done by us! It was our Masons' Union who did it! So, I can't see at all, where are the crimes you keep claiming against me? Who can Tell me, where is our crime?"
Like a wild beast, Van Cleef glanced at the high-ranking officials and nobles of the kingdom standing in front of the church door with bloodthirsty eyes without flinching.
"When you nobles of Stormwind City expelled us with disregard and indifference, when you so-called citizens were eating dinner in warm houses, we, the Artisans Guild, and our families were expelled from this place by you. A city built with our own hands!”
"When we are facing the threat of hunger and wild beasts in the wilderness, struggling to death in the cold and mud, and women and children are dying, what are you doing? Have you repented again?!"
Van Cleef used his last strength, and took advantage of the two executioners' daze to get rid of them. Then he stood up directly. He made no other moves and just stood on the high platform. Looking straight at King Varian in the distance.
"So! I can tell you clearly! I do not regret everything I have done! I will not repent to the Holy Light! Because, I do not believe in it!"
"I will not admit any of the crimes you have imposed on me! I will not ask for the hypocritical mercy of nobles like you! I only firmly believe that justice will be done one day! Everything will be repaid eventually. !”
"Come on! Now, please come and chop off my head! I firmly believe that one day, the hungry and cold people who are oppressed by you will eventually step on my blood and kill you filthy people. The nobles have pulled down your hypocritical throne! Just continue to be proud. I firmly believe that my death is not the end, but just the beginning! Hahahaha..."
Van Cleef just stood there, in the heavy rain that started to become heavy, and he raised his head and laughed wildly and loudly without any scruples. He laughed so wildly and unscrupulously... …
After Van Cleef finished speaking, the nobles he questioned also began to commotion. They were communicating in a low voice, either sincerely or falsely...
Perhaps, among them, there are indeed many enlightened people who sympathize with the Masons' Union... However, the current Stormwind City is a maelstrom of murderous people, and everything is not done by just a few or two people. It can be changed easily.
"you……"
asshole!
King Varian forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart, and also suppressed his urge to step forward and kill the opponent with a knife. After taking several deep breaths, he looked coldly into the heavy rain. That figure who laughed wildly.
According to what the other party said, should everything be blamed on the Kingdom of Stormwind, on him as the king and these nobles? What is the logic of this? He didn't pay them the masons' union wages in time because he was incompetent as a king. Varian also admitted this!
However, before the king personally came forward to mediate with the parliament and the nobles, the masons' union launched an armed riot and killed Varian's most beloved queen, Tiffin! Could it be that everything the Masons’ Union did at that time was all right?
After taking two more deep breaths, Varian closed his eyes as if resigned to his fate, turned around and walked into the cathedral without saying a word, with a dark face.
He knew that this would be a confusing account that could never be clarified or resolved... However, from today on, everything will be over... For this matter, he believed that time would dilute everything... Perhaps, from now on, this matter will never be mentioned again, never again.
"Your Majesty the King...what exactly does this mean?"
After seeing Varian walking directly into the cathedral without saying anything, Duke Bolvar was a little confused. Your Majesty, what does this mean? Should this Van Cleef be killed or not? You can give me an accurate answer!
"Ha! Bolvar, you are really hopeless! Forget it, since none of you want to bear this infamy, then let me, a woman, do this kind of thing now..."
Katrana Presto shook her head, smiled brightly, and stunned Bolvar, who was annoyed by what Van Cleef said and His Majesty the King's reaction.
"Executioner, obey my order...execution!"
After the countess put a magic shield on herself to protect herself from the rain, she took a few steps forward into the rain curtain and shouted coldly to the executioners on the high platform.
Originally, she, Katlana, did not want this Van Cleef to die so easily. But now, after hearing what the other party said just now, she suddenly thought of a brilliant idea. It seemed that... if this useless Van Cleef died now, what would happen to her next plans? , will be more beneficial! In this case, it is better to ask him to die quickly.
Click!
Under the heavy rain, with the harsh friction sound of the guillotine sliding down, a handsome black-haired head rolled down quietly...
Now, the executioners don't even need to deal with the splattered blood, because the heavy rain has begun to wash them away... After the weather clears tomorrow, there will be no traces of blood left in the square of the Cathedral of Light. Any trace... this place will still be as solemn and solemn as before...
While the heads were rolling down, in the rain that no one could see clearly, Countess Katrana Presto's mouth curved with a proud smile. No one knew what she was thinking about using this. What the hell are you planning...
At the end of the twenty-year winter of the Dark Portal, the Defias Brotherhood, which had been wreaking havoc on the Kingdom of Stormwind for a long time, was finally declared to have been completely suppressed! The bandit leader Edwin VanCleef has been beheaded in front of the square of the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City during a heavy rain, in this magnificent city built with painstaking efforts by their stonemason union...
…
"Hey! You lazy idiots, hurry up! Hang this Van Cleef's head on it! As for you, hurry up!"
When Vanessa was trembling and ready to sleep to death, she suddenly heard bursts of noise coming from the city gate next to her. This immediately woke her up. When she Shivering and confused, she looked up with difficulty, but unexpectedly, she saw a scene that she would never forget in her life...
Vanessa's most beloved father, her father Edwin who loved her so much, was his head placed in a wooden cage and hung up by those tin villains?
"No! Dad!!!"
Finally, at this moment, the stubborn Vanessa collapsed. She never expected that this would happen... These days, when she followed through all the hardships, she finally saw such a terrible scene in front of her. ?
So, she finally began to burst out the little strength left in her body that had been tortured by hunger, cold, fatigue, and cried loudly and rushed towards the wooden stake hanging her father's head...
"stop!"
One of the city gate guards had quick eyesight and quick hands. He grabbed Vanessa's thin arm and held her tightly.
"Let me go! Let me go! No..."
Vanessa still wanted to struggle, but unfortunately, her strength seemed so insignificant in the hands of the soldiers...
"Haha! Brothers, we are really going to get rich! Look, these are the remnants of Van Cleef! Did you all hear it? What did she just shout? Dad? Haha! Great!"
The guard captain ignored the crying and struggling little girl, stepped forward and grabbed Vanessa's dirt-covered face, and then began to carefully compare it with Van Cleef's head hanging on the wooden stake.
"Sure enough, they look alike. Look at the hair and eyes! That's right, it must be his cub! Let's go, brothers, let's capture her and collect the reward! The money for tonight's drink can be regarded as It’s settled, hahaha!”
The captain of the city gate guard was so happy that he immediately carried the crying little girl on his shoulders, not caring about Vanessa's wet and dirty hands and feet kicking him. He just waved to his companions wantonly, asking them to go with him to receive the reward.
For them, this is really a lucky day! Even he didn't expect that in this cold rainy day, they guarding the city gate would actually encounter the windfall brought by Baba?
"Hey! Who is that? I think...you guys must be the kind of very bad villains with this look, right?"
When the guard captain rearranged the manpower on guard and prepared to carry the little girl back to Stormwind City, another little girl's voice came out from the rain outside the city.
This voice in the rain curtain is little Annie.
She had just said goodbye to Brian today, and teleported directly north from Stranglethorn Vale several times before finally finding the Stormwind City of Roush that the bearded dwarf uncle had spoken of!
In Little Annie's opinion, the bearded dwarf must not be able to tell the difference between east, west and north. This Stormwind City is obviously in the northwest direction, okay? As a result, she teleported incorrectly several times and traveled a long way to find this place.
What made Annie more upset was that when she teleported here, it happened to be raining heavily, causing her to be soaked in the rain all of a sudden!
But before Annie could start to cast spells to isolate the rain and dry her clothes, she saw something that made her even more unhappy at the city gate - several strong human soldiers, they were actually bullying a and A little girl about her own age? So, little Annie thinks, these people must be bad people, right? It must be, right?
"Haha, there's another one here! This one must also be an accomplice! Come on, arrest her too, and let's go to trial and receive the reward together!"
When he saw a little girl walking out of the rain again, the captain of the city gate guard was extremely happy. Today is really good, it’s a double happiness! Look, two of Van Cleef's remnants were easily caught in one fell swoop. After today, they are really going to get rich!
"Why are you laughing! Is this funny? As soon as I see you, I know you are a very bad villain! Then..."
When little Annie was still hesitating whether to take action or how to punish them, she didn't expect that the bad guys on the opposite side actually sent two soldiers and drew bright knives, and wanted to come over to catch her? ha! That's great! Then, they must be bad people, absolutely right!
"flame……"
Several soldiers who were still unaware that death was coming rushed into the rain in ecstasy.
When all they could think about was the shiny gold coins they got for this, they seemed to vaguely hear the little girl in the heavy rain. She seemed to shout something slightly with her clear voice, and then , they saw a flash of red light in front of their eyes and knew nothing...
