In the very quiet sewers, a group of grim-faced people rolled up their sleeves and headed toward the harbor.
At their head was none other than Felix Walkpatin, dressed in blue work clothes. By now, he was every bit the guild leader. Behind him were the surviving workers of Stormwind City's Stonemasons' Guild.
"Felix, I still think this is a trap." Dudmore sounded distinctly unsure of himself. "Think about it. She used that kind of dark magic on the letter. She must be trying to use us."
Felix knew Katrana wanted to use them-just as German Emperor Wilhelm II had wanted to use the Russian revolutionaries.
Wilhelm II had courted and funded several thousand Russian revolutionaries, one of whom was named Ilyich, providing them with a round of angel investment and planning to have them unleash a storm across Russia.
Old Wilhelm had thought that fierce storm would never turn around and sweep him up-then the eighty thousand sailors at the Port of Kiel had taught him a lesson.
That was how evil schemers were: they always imagined their own control to be far greater than it was, and other people's power to be far weaker.
The cunning Onyxia, too, thought the flames she had kindled with her own hands would remain entirely under her control. Yet those scattered sparks were destined to burn across all of Azeroth.
"Dudmore, I'll be careful," Felix said. "All right, I'm going to climb out here now. Bazil, you and Joseph make sure to block this entrance. If this really is a trap set by SI:7, if anything happens up above, if I'm still not back after half an hour, cover the other brothers and get them out of here quickly."
"Remember, don't worry about anything else. Flee to Westfall. You'll be safer there!" Felix gave it some more thought; these men would probably struggle to pull off a rebellion. "Then head to Gilneas. Gilneas no longer belongs to the Alliance, and its relations with both Lordaeron and Stormwind City are very strained. Perhaps you can start a new life there."
Hearing him speak as though he were leaving his last instructions, everyone felt their hearts tighten. "Felix, you-"
A proud smile belonging only to a victor immediately appeared on his face, a pride born of confidence in his own analytical abilities. He believed Onyxia had written the letter, and he also believed she would not do anything to him.
"Don't be nervous, brothers. Trust me, I'll be fine. Don't forget, that kind of mind magic doesn't work on me. Wait here for word from me!"
Then he carefully lifted the manhole cover and stealthily climbed out.
Under cover of the vast darkness of night, he cautiously watched for movement around him while advancing swiftly along the dark road.
A few minutes later, he finally reached the outskirts of the harbor. The journey had gone remarkably smoothly, so smoothly that even Felix found it somewhat unbelievable.
He knew Countess Katrana would certainly find a way to move the troops patrolling this area elsewhere, but he had not expected her to do it so thoroughly. There was not even a single soldier here.
Everything was as though... as though Stormwind City were a peaceful, tranquil city, as though that afternoon's bloodshed had never happened, as though all its citizens lived in peace and contentment and had long since drifted into sweet dreams.
Felix walked onto the docks. Only gusts of cool wind blew here, and with nothing but a thin set of work clothes on, he could not help shivering a little.
"Come out, 'esteemed' lady."
"The rising star of the Stonemasons' Guild is indeed a clever man." A woman's quiet, ethereal voice suddenly sounded without warning. Then a lady slowly emerged from the shadows, and only now could Felix just barely make out her silhouette.
He could neither see any details of her appearance nor sense the presence of any power around her. In short, Katrana Prestor looked like an ordinary country girl who had simply happened to come here for a stroll.
Her disguise is very good, Felix judged inwardly.
"Young stonemason, these weapons are all yours." Katrana raised her hand and waved it. The black cloths covering several shipping containers nearby all rose into the air, revealing the true appearance of the gear beneath.
Felix merely gave them a cursory glance, noting shields, longswords, daggers, bows and crossbows, and even several suits of armor and a pile of muskets.
"Then, esteemed lady, how do you intend to explain the weapons in our hands to the Council of Nobles? You should know that the troops stationed here now are all your people. If we get weapons from here, you won't be able to escape responsibility."
"I have my own methods. Young stonemason, I thought you were a clever man, and clever men know how to restrain their curiosity," Katrana said calmly. Her tone and manner could not help reminding Felix of his elementary school teacher-very fond of lecturing people from on high.
Well, even if she did not say it, Felix could roughly guess what was going on.
Katrana would simply capture some goblins, execute them, and then claim, "The Stonemasons' Guild had been plotting rebellion for a long time. It was through these greedy goblins from Booty Bay that they obtained smuggled arms from the harbor, thus gaining the strength to rebel."
Go ahead and smear our Stonemasons' Guild. Felix did not care.
He who bears the nation's disgrace is called the lord of the realm. If I don't even dare bear a little infamy, how can I aspire to take the entire Alliance?
"Stonemason, you have one hour to take these weapons away. Please make haste," Katrana reminded him with utmost friendliness.
Ten minutes later, Felix returned to the sewer entrance from before. After some whispered conversation, the members of the Stonemasons' Guild climbed out in batches and took equipment suited to them from the harbor in an orderly fashion.
Only after all the stonemasons had left did a unit of dragonkin soldiers from the royal guard emerge from the shadows. They opened the door of a small warehouse, revealing many goblins imprisoned inside, each with an apple neither too large nor too small stuffed into their mouth.
Katrana walked inside and removed the apple from one goblin's mouth.
"Time is money, and reputation is life," the goblin protested. "Under our contract, you have no right to treat us this way... and you still haven't paid us-"
"Have you said enough?" Katrana's gentle voice sounded exceedingly sweet, but the goblin instantly felt his hair stand on end.
Blades rose and fell, and they all collapsed to the floor without a sound. Blood splattered the warehouse's walls and ceiling with many red spots, quite lovely to behold.
"Stage the scene first."
After a brief pause, she added, "These goblin merchants were suspected of smuggling prohibited weapons and were caught by the royal guard after trading with the Stonemasons' Guild. Not only did they refuse to surrender, they even dared to strike back at me. They have all been suppressed and eliminated. Is that clear to all of you?"
"Yes, my lady."
Soon, the dock grew quiet again, as though no one had ever been there.
Azeroth's two bright moons shone upon the Great Sea, with only gusts of cool wind blowing.
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