Chapter 12: Grave Digging |
Varian looked at Allen with considerable suspicion. Is that the right question to ask?
What do you mean, where are their remains buried? What are you going to do?
Allen sighed and, facing the confused gazes of everyone, explained, "While in Alterac, I learned a unique spell that can determine information about the murderer through the corpse of the deceased."
Everyone nodded thoughtfully. So that's it. It must be some kind of divination-type spell.
The high priests of Stormwind occasionally perform similar spells, using the power of the Holy Light to obtain fragments of the deceased's final moments.
While rare, this was not incomprehensible.
Allen didn't plan to explain further.
Varian stared at him for three seconds. A flicker of hesitation passed through those young eyes, but... he gritted his teeth and decided to trust Allen one more time.
He shot a glance at Shaw.
As an outstanding agent, he had long since memorized all the information regarding the de Montmorency massacre, including seemingly useless details, such as where the remains were kept.
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The night was deep, the moonlight obscured by thick clouds, only occasionally leaking a few strands of light through the cracks.
The five of them, wrapped in dark cloaks, slipped silently through the streets and alleys of Stormwind, exited the city through a side gate in the Old Town, and headed north along a path overgrown with wild grass.
After walking about two miles, a cemetery emerged from the darkness.
This was Stormwind's Northshire Cemetery, its official name being "Serenity's Rest," the final resting place for the city's nobles and wealthy merchants.
The cemetery was built against a hillside, with layers upon layers of tombstones stretching from the foot of the hill to halfway up the slope. At the very top were several stone family crypts, crouching in the night like silent giant beasts.
The cemetery's iron gate was locked, but Shaw just fiddled with it lightly for a few moments. The lock mechanism emitted a soft click, and the gate opened.
They filed in one by one.
The cemetery was even colder inside than outside.
Suddenly—
Pat-a-tat.
Something scurried out from the grass at Stella's feet, dragging a long, furry tail, and whoosh, darted into a nearby bush.
Stella jumped up as if she had been stepped on.
"Yah—!"
She let out a shriek, her tiny body leaping into the air and landing on Allen's head. Her two short legs clamped tightly around his neck, her hands clutching his forehead, her whole form like a blue furry hat plopped on his crown.
"G-g-g-g-ghost!!!"
Allen staggered from the impact, nearly falling over.
"Get down," his voice came out muffled.
"N-n-n-no no no!"
Wen Lei looked at this comical scene, her mouth twitching, then reached out and plucked Stella off Allen's head.
Once her feet touched the ground, Stella immediately hid behind Allen, tightly clutching the hem of his clothes, peeking out with only one eye to scan the surroundings warily.
Shaw expressionlessly withdrew his gaze and continued leading the way.
The group passed through the noble section of the cemetery and arrived at a relatively remote corner.
Shaw stopped and gestured with his chin towards a direction.
There stood the gravedigger, an old man with a hunched back, patrolling the cemetery while holding a dim lantern.
Shaw walked over, and the two exchanged a few words in low voices.
He discreetly handed over a small pouch of coins and showed a unique insignia.
"Oh, honored guests... coming to pay respects to family at this late hour, you must be careful for your safety," the old man said tactfully, not asking further questions. He headed towards the cemetery entrance with his lantern. "I was just about to go to the tavern for a drink to warm up. This cemetery gets very chilly at night..."
Watching the gravedigger's figure disappear into the darkness, Shaw turned around and nodded to the group.
Next was finding the target.
The moonlight flickered in and out, making the inscriptions on the tombstones hard to read.
They checked the epitaphs on the tombstones one by one.
"de Montmorency..." Wen Lei muttered softly, squatting before one tombstone. "Not this one."
After walking past a few more rows, Shaw suddenly stopped.
"Found it."
Everyone gathered around.
It was a medium-sized tombstone, white marble glowing faintly in the moonlight.
The top of the tombstone was carved with a family crest: a shield with three wavy diagonal stripes across its surface, which in heraldry usually represented the sea or rivers.
The tombstone was inscribed:
Alfred de Montmorency
Year 24 Before the Dark Portal — Year 8 After the Dark Portal
May his sword forever guard his homeland
Below was a line of smaller text, carving out his significance to the family.
Head of the de Montmorency Family.
Allen looked at the tombstone, then at Varian, and said seriously, "Alright, let's dig."
Everyone stared at him in shock.
"We... have to dig it out?"
Allen nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Of course. How else am I supposed to perform the spell?"
Varian held his forehead, feeling his temples throbbing.
"Are you insane?" he hissed, though the shock in his tone was impossible to suppress. "This is a noble's remains! Even if their family was marginalized, they are still nobility! You want to dig up a noble's grave?"
Shaw quickly offered an alternative. "Wait a moment... weren't there also servants from the de Montmorency household who were massacred along with them? Guards, servants, stable hands... that sort."
He paused. "Let's go there instead."
Five minutes later, the five of them once again crept out of the cemetery in the dead of night, skirted the foot of the hill, and arrived at a desolate slope.
This was Stormwind's public cemetery, or to put it bluntly, a potter's field.
Grave mounds were scattered haphazardly among the wild grass. Some had simple wooden markers, some had nothing at all, only slightly raised mounds of earth proving a person was buried there.
According to the intelligence Shaw possessed, the seven servants of the de Montmorency family were buried in this area.
They split up to search.
The moonlight was blocked by the clouds, plunging the surroundings into pitch blackness.
Stella's hand clutched Allen's clothes tightly, her little hand icy cold.
A long, drawn-out wolf howl came from the distance—
Awooo—
The sound echoed through the valley, one after another, growing closer.
Stella shivered violently, suddenly hugging Allen's thigh, burying her face against his knee, her whole body trembling.
"There really are ghosts here..."
Allen sighed helplessly, "peeling" Stella off his leg and lifting her up like a small animal.
Stella struggled in the air for a moment, realized she couldn't break free, and instead tightly wrapped her arms around Allen's arm.
Just then, Shaw's voice came from not far away:
"Found it!"
Everyone hurried over.
It was a simple grave mound, slightly larger than the surrounding ones, with a crude wooden marker.
The writing on the marker was somewhat faded but still barely legible:
Harvey Granger
Captain of the Guard, de Montmorency Household
May he rest in peace
"Harvey Granger," Shaw confirmed. "Captain of the Guard for the de Montmorency family, served the head of the family for twenty years."
Varian was silent for a moment, then placed a hand over his chest facing the simple marker.
"My apologies, Harvey Granger. To track down the true murderer of your master, we must disturb your rest." His voice was soft, carrying genuine remorse. "May you understand."
Shaw took a cloth bundle from his back, opened it, revealing a brand-new shovel.
He took a deep breath and drove the shovel into the soil.
Shhh-shhh-shhh—
Clumps of earth were dug up one shovelful at a time.
A faint, cloyingly sweet, putrid smell began to permeate the air.
Stella covered her nose, her face pale, but she didn't cry out.
Shaw's movements were efficient, looking like this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this.
After digging about half a man's depth, the shovel hit something hard.
It was a simple, thin coffin, not even painted, the wood already somewhat rotten.
Shaw jumped into the pit, pried open the coffin lid with the shovel, and a much stronger odor assaulted them.
Everyone held their breath and peered inside.
A corpse lay in the coffin, still wrapped in tattered clothing, its empty eye sockets facing the night sky.
All eyes swiveled to Allen.
The look in their eyes clearly said: Your turn. Begin.
Allen took a deep breath and stepped forward.
He closed his eyes, and then, began to chant.
Allen's voice was low, as if reciting an ancient prayer, or calling out to something slumbering.
Faint ripples began to appear in the air.
The ripples grew stronger, forming barely perceptible currents of air swirling around Allen.
Wind gathered from all directions. The wild grass on the tombstones began to wither.
The moonlight completely vanished into the clouds, plunging the surroundings into utter silence.
Allen continued chanting, his voice growing more and more resonant.
Finally, a powerful surge of necromantic energy converged and poured into the coffin.
Thump.
The corpse actually sat up.
Its empty eye sockets slowly turned, fixing on Allen.
Varian's expression became extremely complicated. Did I trust the wrong person?
This setup, this grand display of necromantic magic... are you the Horde remnant, the necromancer?
Shaw had already drawn his dagger, placing himself in front of Varian, ready to protect his king at any moment.
Wen Lei fell into self-doubt. Is Allen the one I'm supposed to be investigating?
Only Stella's eyes were sparkling with stars...
Oh my god, my savior is just too amazing!
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