Chapter 8

Overseer Warren...

The fireplace burned dimly with old books that's pages curled and blackened into patches of ash and soot. It sent warmth and light throughout the room. Pots and pans of iron, and of copper and black tin hung from the rafters and plates scattered the floor from the previous meal, if someone could call it that. A cook would not see it as food but as dirt to feed to the hounds, but for my tastes, it wasn't too bad.

As the light from the day streaked through the partly boarded window, I decided to walk over to it and lift the spare board up and fit it into place. The room became darker because of it but the fire more than compensated for it.

As I sat back down in the blanket-covered chair and with my mask placed on a nearby table, I couldn't help but try to distract myself from the object in my pocket. It burned. I could feel it beckon to escape; the chiming never ceased. It was a plague on the mind and cut away at my self-restraint.

My hand slowly slid into my pocket.

How I wanted to throw it away and to forget it existed. It was a curse. The black markings engraved into its center seemed to mock me and my grip on the Void-saken object tightened.

"You should rest," the Witch said. "You've been looking at that for hours now. You take it out of your pocket, stare at it and then put it back. It's quite strange."

"I can't," I said and looked away. "It is my duty to return it to the Abbey."

"Then maybe you should rest."

My glare back was my answer.

She gave a small shrug and covered her mouth as she yawned. "Suit yourself. I just cannot afford liabilities. Even you have to sleep sometime and I'd rather have it now then when we're out there."

I leaned further back in the chair. "And what makes you so sure that I will come with you?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Why wouldn't you? You do need to catch these people, yes?"

"I can go back to my order and they can carry on from there."

"But they won't."

"What makes you say that?" I asked in slight interest.

"The Leighton family are highborns. You know, influential, wealthy?"

I scoffed. "No position prevents Overseers from doing their job. Justice will be done."

"Justice?" She frowned. "No, it won't. Not for me. Besides your order will simply think that you went mad and will go back to blaming me for it. The Leightons will realise that not all my family died and will send people to come for me. I already have Overseers on my back. I don't need assassins or bounty hunters too."

It frustrated me to think that she had a point. Due to my lack of success with her capture and with what happened to... Ervin, how guilt still haunted my dreams because of it, it was more than possible that my brothers would not believe or even listen to me. In truth, I knew I had no chance with Brother Devitt. The fool hated me. He would convince the others that what I said was nonsense and, because of his rank, they were honour-bound and obligated to agree. Curse him.

An idea slowly formed in my mind. There was still the option to capture the Witch and send her back to the Abbey. Maybe the Leightons weren't responsible and she simply hid the rune inside the safe to fool me.

No, I thought. That couldn't have been possible. I saw the hold the object had on her and the way she reacted was with pure surprise. Besides, I could not take the easy way out. That would go against all that I learned, all that I knew and would leave what was left of Dunwall to the Leighton's will. I could not allow that to happen. I would not.

As my fingers uncurled, the rune's ringing continued. I had heard of some that would consider the noise a melody. When I was younger, I saw first-hand what a rune such as that could do to a person. A man was brought into the Abbey and we were to observe his reactions when it was torn from his hands. The man was mad. He seemed patient, even calm at first, but when the Warfare Overseer touched the stone, the man's demeanour changed completely. He fought the other Overseers and chanted mad ramblings that barely made any sense. After a while he was put down but the way he reacted and the way the stone had such control over him gave me nightmares for many weeks. I wondered if I even had the willpower to carry such a burden until the Leighton's were brought to justice.

"You should rest," the Witch repeated. There was a hint of emotion in her eyes. It looked like... concern. Hmm. Interesting.

"You rest, Witch," I said.

"It's Katherine, not witch, and I don't trust you."

"Nor I you, but do not worry. I will not kill you this night."

"Has my charming personality finally won you over?" She smiled.

I couldn't help but laugh at that and shook my head. "Not tonight, Witch."

"Then curiosity to see if what I say is true?"

Curiosity? I thought. Yes, perhaps it was.

With the rune back in my pocket, I took hold of my mask and twirled it around in my hands. The light caught its gold colour and created several shapes on the walls and floor.

"What do you plan to do now? Go to the Estate District and break into the Leighton home?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "I actually have a plan."

"You do?"

"Of course. I've had many months to plan this, you know. I've just not had the chance to put my plan to practise." She took out her map and rolled it out on the wooden floor. Iron cups were placed on either edge to keep the map still while she marked off areas with her quill. "Believe it or not, there is a small community of survivors that live in the deeper parts of the sewers. Don't ask how I came across them but know that I have a few friends down there that might be able to help us get to the highborns."

I learned further over my seat to get a better look and pointed to the Eastern part of the Distillery District. "You want us to go past John Clavering Boulevard? The City Watch has that place quarantined. Slipping past the men there won't be easy."

"But you're an Overseer, are you not? You could pass through with ease and could take me with you."

"Perhaps but the City Watch aren't exactly pleasant towards my order."

"I'm sure you will think of something, Overseer." She re-folded the map and set it to one side. "The sewer system is located on the riverbank, past the small docking area. If we can get past the guards then it'll be simple finding the entrance. I covered it in fishing net to avoid others from finding it."

"Then shouldn't we be going now?"

She shook her head. "It's better to leave at dusk. We'll attract less attention that way."

"Fine," I said and covered my brow with my hand. My eyes were heavy and I could feel the affects of exhaustion claim me. "You better not slice my throat while I sleep, Witch."

"I wouldn't even dream of it, Overseer."