Disclaimer- Do not own south park or Dishonored and I in no way will make profit from this story and truly most of the ideas aren't original either.
Inspired by- Misha Novak another author here on FF I read her Jew Bride story way back when and the idea always seemed to just work. So when I finished playing dishonored the other day I suddenly saw what I must do! Thank you and I hope this story lives up to the one that inspired it!
P.S. If you haven't read The Jew Bride go read that when you are done here, its good.
Dishonored – A South Park tale
The small boat rocked as it approached the tower, the passengers quiet contemplating the dark tidings they did bring. The man at the front of the boat turned to address the silent passenger sitting starting out at the city of South Park.
"It's been an honor traveling with you, lord protector" the man said. The lord protector looked up at the man who was the captain of the ship he had commandeered and smirked.
"We've traveled together for many months Clyde, no need to be formal now." The other man seemed surprised slightly but recovered quickly.
"Stan then...? I hope the Empress has better news than we do." He said bringing up the source of their dark moods. They had been traveling around the Colorado empire, from Denver to Conifer, through snow and wind and rain, searching. Always searching for some cure to the plague that had gripped the city for the last year, laying low nearly a third of its population since then.
"Surely things can not be worse than when we left." the lord protector proclaimed as the boat moved into the water lock and Clyde called up to bring them up. Water poured down the sides of the tall rectangular building the boat now floated in. The gate behind them had closed and because of the water being let in the boat began to rise until it reached the top of the tower where a dock rested and guards stood ready for the passengers.
"The lord protector has returned!" the first guard shouted in surprise. He turned to a small boy dressed in the clothes of a servant.
"Run to the Empress with word of the lord protectors early return." But before the boy could turn Stan spoke up.
"That will not be necessary good sir, I intend to see the Empress immediately myself." He began to stride past the guards with the confidence that came with being the royal bodyguard and adviser all in one. The guards stepped out of his way and the boy looked at him in awe. He was not a very tall man in any sense reaching only five foot and seven, but it was said his eyes could take the fight out of any man just as easily as his sword could take their life.
"My apologies m'lord, but would you not like to rest? You must have been traveling for days without rest to reach here so soon..." The guard tried to continue but he waved him off.
"Exactly why I wish this business to be done so that I can rest, until I make my report my mission is not complete." He strode off with purpose knowing exactly where he would find his liege. Behind him he heard Clyde chuckle and mutter something like "always so serious...". He'd been away for three months and he knew that things had indeed gotten worse the moment he reached the tower grounds. There were less servants and most seemed weary and cheerless which never would have been the case before, the Empress considered all those who resided in the tower friends and close family and treated them as such ensuring the children of servants received the best schooling and never asking more work than someone was capable. A sudden horror occurred to him. Had the plague reached the tower? He broke into a sprint startling a few of the servants as he seemed to move faster than a man of his small size should be able. He bounded through the royal gardens past Mephisto painting a portrait of the High Overseer Gregory, standing posh in his garb that hardly seemed fitting for someone supposedly who was part of the abbey of the "Everyman". Stan had never liked the man and so paid him little attention. He cleared the last steps to the gazebo in time to see the Empress dismiss the one man he disliked even more than the Overseer. Spy master Eric Cartman strode past with all his bulk and arrogance. It was no secret the Spymaster disliked the Lord Protector as much as the reverse. Especially since the Lord protector's voice of reason often overrode the Spymasters when it came to advising the Empress. Cartman fumed every time he saw the "Lord" Protector, a man of low birth who'd been no more than a servant here in the tower as boy. One who had befriended and gotten into trouble along side the Empress who should have been his friend. But no the poor boy had interested the Empress much more than refined noble Cartman, something he would never forgive either for. At some point when they were all teens assassins had broken into the tower and tried to murder the soon to be Empress and the servant boy wielding a sword he'd stolen, as was the commoner's way, he repelled the attackers and no innocent blood was spilled that day. The current Empress's mother had cried and bowed, before the dirt covered servant wielding a stolen sword. She asked him where he learned to fight and he told her that he'd simply been watching the guards practice in the yard. Fancy that, he was a natural warrior, something Cartman had never been, another sleight he would repay. After that the servant boy Stan was appointed as the current Empress's body guard, they were even more inseparable dashing all plans Cartman had of winning favor. When the Empress was crowned Cartman was made Spymaster, the second most powerful in the empire, for his family's loyal service. As if to spite him on his grand day, the Empress created a new position "Lord Protector" who would be the equal of the Spymaster. He would be forced to treat a lowborn servant as his equal and even worse it was obvious to all who wielded more influence when it came to the Empress and those within the tower. That all changed today.
"Welcome back Lord protector, home early, you are full of surprises." Cartman sneered as he walked by and then quietly to himself. "But so am I." The servant boy didn't hear and ran past to where the Empress waited. The Empress wore strikingly rare features for anyone in the empire. Fire red hair and milky pale skin that seemed to catch the light. He turned and smiled at the return of his greatest adviser and closest friend. Stan dropped to one knee and bowed before his best friend.
"Empress, I have returned." keeping his head down.
"You ass, stand up, you know I hate it when people bow, and even more being called Empress, i'm a man." the fire haired man huffed hands on his hips. He was shorter than Stan by about five inches making him shorter than most men in the empire, but while he was fair and young in appearance he was definitely a man. Lean of muscle his bright sharp face was rarely without a smile he made even his best friend gawk occasionally, it was said the royal family had been crowned solely because of their exotic and otherworldly looks.
"Sorry Kyle, but I haven't been around to tease you for three months, I just couldn't resist." He sprung to his feet and wrapped his best friend in a hug. "I missed you." they held each other for a long moment. Many of the female servants like to gossip that the two of them were secretly lovers and often would turn red when the two of them displayed these less than manly feelings for each other. The two of them had been together their whole lives however and nothing seemed more natural.
"I missed you two, and I hope you bring good news, we are in sore need of it." Kyle said frowning. And now that Stan got a better look his friend looked dreadfully worn out. "The plague has spread through all the poorest parts of the city, only the nobles district and the bridge over Stark's pond remain untouched." He pressed his fingers to his temples. "And then there's been the nearly endless visits from our dearest Spymaster since you left, almost as though he were trying to take up the space you left." he sighed frustrated wondering not for the first time if he'd made a mistake raising such a selfish boy to such a high position. He had hoped it would humble him but it seemed to make him even more arrogant.
"Heh, he wished to fill my spot? He already takes the place of two men when seated at the table does he truly need a third seat for his noble ass." He made a mocking waddle of a stride and they both burst out laughing for what seemed the first time since the plague had hit. They were both twenty three Stan being older by only a few months barely out of boyhood but they wore the mantle and responsibility of men. "But in all seriousness my friend, how are you holding up? You don't look well, are you sleeping?" Stan was concerned, his friend had always been sickly growing up and would be bedridden for weeks at a time when he finally caught something. That however was when Stan had practiced and perfected his fighting techniques as otherwise he would be too busy getting into trouble. He had needed something to take his mind off his concern for his friend and the focus required for the martial pursuits had suited him perfectly.
"I am...tired, this plague weighs on me greatly...dude...I'm failing my people". Stan's ears perked up at the old name he and his friend had called each other as boys. They rarely did anymore but when he did it meant things were bad. "We haven't been able to even slow the spread, people are dying and we sit here locked in our tower safe away from it all. Did you know the Spymaster has forbidden travel to and from the tower? We only get news over the broadcast system from the guard posts. The people must think I'm a coward hiding up here in my little tower." He bit his thumb and looked out over the garden to the city in the distance across the water.
"We both know that's not true. The people have always and will always love you, you've ruled fairly and given much to raise the poorest among us up alongside everyone else. I'm a fine example of that. Made a nobleman out of a dirt covered servant boy." He smiled softly at his friend who was still facing away from him. He heard him sigh before he turned back around.
"I know but I still feel so helpless. So whats the word? Have they faced this before? Do they have a cure?" Stan looked at his friend and sadness overtook his face. He hated to bring this news to his friend because he knew it would break his heart.
"No, they have not met with this plague before and there is no known cure..." He watched the hope dwindle in his friends eye as he started to sink to the ground. "But that does not mean one cannot be found! Surely Mephisto the royal physician has been hard at work trying to find a cure!" He was grasping at straws he knew but he needed his friend to have hope.
"He says he's close to a breakthrough but I don't know...it feels as though everything is falling apart..." Stan hushed him quickly. "What? What is it?" Kyle whispered looking around.
"Do you hear that?" Stan said looking around his hand going to the sword on his hip. Kyle listened as hard as he could but heard nothing.
"I don't hear anything..."And then it dawned on him, the Tower was never this quiet especially not around him there were always servants and guards buzzing around. "Where have the guards gone? Who sent them away...AH! Stan!" Stan whipped around to face his friend just in time to see several figures materialize out of puffs of smoke. They came at him blades bared all savagery and bluster, no match for him as he drew his blade with his right hand and parrying the first downward cut from the assassin on the right. These men seemed awfully familiar but he could not place it. The assassin came back in slashing low at his hip but instead of stepping back like he was supposed to, Stan stepped into the attack and caught the assassins wrist with his left hand driving his sword through the assassins breastbone with frighting speed. He spun away from the first assassin towards the other as though dancing and brought his blade to bare parrying a thrust from the second assassins and the following with a quick cut that laid open the wicked mans throat. He tried to rush to Kyle but was suddenly hit from behind. But how? He had been sure there were only two other assassins besides the one who held kyle, who could have snuck up on him? As he struggled to stay concious he saw a man with dark hair much like his own but with eyes red as blood step towards Kyle with a wickedly curved dagger. Stan tried to wheeze out a plea for his friends life but the third assassin kicked him in the face and all went dark.
To be Continued...
A.N. - Sooooo what cha think? :) this story is gonna take me a long time to complete but its not like i've got anything more productive to do with my life so I guess I can try and write a chapter a night. Hope you guys like it and if you do review!