Tainted Hearts
Chapter 1
In the months that followed the death of the empress, my life, like everyone else, had changed. The rat plague got worse and spread through Dunwall like a wild fire, but in my opinion it was much more brutal and merciless. The city guards and Overseers prowled the streets, which didn't give me many options when it came to scavenging. It was no secret that the weepers roamed the sewers below and I wouldn't dare go down there. There weren't many survivors left that didn't work for the Lord Regent, city watch or street gangs. Simple folk like myself were left to waste away. No one cared, especially the Overseers. Over time I noticed that they became paranoid over the Outsider and took away anyone who was hinted to have practiced black magic. It was always people like me though, survivors. No noble was ever accused.
I once saw one of the mansions further up Dunwall. I remembered the lights and heard the sounds of people cheering and the tap of raised glasses in celebration. I always wondered why the rich were so cheerful in such troubled times. Perhaps it was because their life hadn't changed much. I knew they ill-favored commoners and to them the plague was probably a gift rather than a curse. Perhaps it was a charade that distracted them from the nightmare I had to live. Perhaps, to them, ignorance was bliss.
A low howl brought me out my thoughts.
My thumb circled my teardrop-shaped pendant. It was the only thing I had left of value that reminded me of my family.
I watched as the two masked men patrolled the streets with their wolfhound. Sporadically, the wolfhound spotted something in the dark and dashed over to investigate. I waited for those moments. My fear was that the Overseers would find me.
The building to my left, abandoned, but I saw its open window and hope fluttered in my chest. I bit my lip and carefully crept past the empty whiskey bottles scattered across the streets. I tried my best to stay away from the lamps that hung motionlessly in the evening air.
Rats scurried past my feet, mostly likely in search of their next meal. It was strange how we had that in common. The window ledge was low enough for me to climb through. I hoped that no one noticed.
The hallway was how I expected: covered in a fine layer of dust with most of the doors boarded up. The house was unsurprisingly cold, the air whistled through the cracks in the walls and nipped at my skin. The floorboards creaked under my weight and my eyes searched for any valuables that could have been left when the previous owners abandoned the place.
One of the doors was parted and led to a bedroom. The burgundy drapes and chipped flooring reminded me of my home. I remembered the light shone through the window each morning and the annoying yet strangely amusing laughter of children outside. My younger sister would sometimes wander in if I had missed breakfast. She would try everything to get me to wake up.
The room gently turned back to the way it was; the drapes were torn in a variety of places, the window left cracked and broken and the floor covered in dried blood. Images of fire, the house aflame and my parents' screams appeared in my mind. I was trapped in the room, the only chance I had was to escape through the window, but as the smoke rose I heard my father scream my name. He was on the other end of the door when-
The sound of broken glass filled my ears. The memory faded and I saw the smashed vase on the floor beside me. I must have knocked it over. I waited for a few moments to make sure no one had heard and then collected the pieces and placed them back on the table. I didn't want to remember the past and yet the memories seemed to always resurface.
'Why can't I just forget?' I thought.
Some of the cupboards were empty but surprisingly there was food in the wardrobe.
'Why would someone hide food in here of all places?' I wondered.
I stuffed the clothes and food into my sack. I was glad to have found some sort of food and clothing. I couldn't remember the last time I ate a decent meal.
The thundering noise echoed through the darkness; the repeated drumming of wood and turning metal made me realise that I was not alone. I pulled my knife out and held my breath.
"Open up. We know you're in there!" the man's voice was shrill, spine-tingling, like nails on a chalkboard. My grip on the weapon tightened. "It's no use. Get this door open."
"Shit," I cursed.
Before I knew it the men flung themselves at the door. I grabbed the sack and jumped out of the window. My body trembled when it hit the ground.
"There she is! There's the witch!" the Overseer screamed.
The world around me shook and blurred; grey and black filled my vision as I raced through the labyrinth of buildings. A burning sensation filled my lungs and I gasped for air. My heart drummed fiercely beneath my aching ribs and I knew that if it had not been for the adrenaline that coursed through my veins, I would have passed out, left to the fate of my hunters. They were so close that I could practically feel their heavy breaths against my neck. Their angry calls drowned out all other sounds. They tormented me with false promises if I surrendered to them. I knew better than to stop.
A war between exhaustion and survival ravaged my body, each as constant and demanding as the other. I didn't want to consider what might happen if, or maybe when, they caught me. The shouts of my pursuers continued. Distracted by them, my leg was pulled back and thrashed in all directions.
"Get off of me!" I shrieked; the appearance of the wolfhound almost paralyzed me with fear.
The animal loosened its grip. The Overseers closed in on me, their swords pointed at my chest and their twisted masks hid the smirks I knew they had. The hound circled us and the Overseers looked between one another.
"What should we do with her?" one of them asked, his voice dripped with venom.
The other pointed to the alleyway. "We'll take her back to the Abbey. Those were the orders."
He slowly turned to me, took off his mask and frowned. "To think we've spent two weeks looking for you, woman." His dark eyes, hidden under dark circles, narrowed. "Not so tough now, are ya?"
I gritted my teeth and carefully pulled out my knife. He reached for me but before he could react I lashed out. He growled when the knife slashed his cheek and drew back. A fine trail of crimson slid down his face and covered his hand.
"You bitch!"
I forgot about the other Overseer and within a few moments a sharp pain ran through the back of my head. My eyes darkened and I fell to the floor.
"You'll pay for that!" the Overseer yelled.
I stilled at the wolfhound's low growl and the ear-piercing screech the Overseer's sword made against the stone. I covered my face and waited for his inevitable strike.
"What the-?" the Overseer cried. I forced my hands away and watched with disbelieving eyes.
White and black figures drew into the light. Long, disfigured tails trailed behind them. Their beady eyes were attentive, they watched as the Overseer staggered back. Their jagged fangs became more pronounced and when the Overseer fell they knew it was their time to strike. Arms and legs were flung in all directions as the rats conquered him. Chunks of flesh were ripped from the body, some of the rats left their pack; satisfied with their part of the meal.
The other Overseer stared at his friend with wide eyes and even when the wolfhound tried to help he didn't move. He was frozen in place and all colour drained from his cheeks.
The light ringing that plagued my ears dragged me out of my state. It was difficult to focus, black spots warped my vision and my head span but I managed to pull myself up with the use of a nearby wall.
The man's cry was soon a distant echo, but it might have been because he had lost the will to speak. The sack fell from my shoulders and I rubbed my forehead.
"Thank the Outsider I got out of there," I sighed in relief.
"You're going nowhere, witch!"
With a pained grunt the Overseer lifted me into the air.
"You are going to pay for what you've done!" His expression reminded me of the look a wild animal gave its prey before it ripped its throat open.
"Let me go!" I screamed.
I struggled against him with the little energy I had left. My foot came in contact with his groin and my fist hit his cheek. He slumped against the wall; his eyes tightly shut. I took that as my chance to leave. I grabbed my sack and ran away. I didn't stop until I was sure I was safe.