Chapter Fourteen

Alea Iacta Est – Part One of Two

When we arrived in Dunwall, the moon was still high in the sky. From the position of the moon, I was able to determine that it was just past midnight. We would have to wait an entire day before our meeting with the Spymaster.

At least we will have plenty of time to make it to the Financial District.

It was a struggle, continuously performing transversal after transversal with my brothers and my Master. I was quickly tiring, and my head was throbbing. They did not slow, except for Kieron. He stayed close to me, occasionally grabbing my wrist and transversing me with him. In the end, I forced myself to continue on, despite the pain I felt. I was a Novice among Masters. This was a chance for me to show my capability as an assassin.

And I had to take it.

Much to my surprise, we had made it to the Financial District rather quickly. An hour or two, at most, had gone by. I found the district to be a foreign place. It looked as though some kind of natural disaster had occurred here, in this particular section. Buildings were damaged, many of them for sale or rent, or outright abandoned; and the ground was practically mud.

This is strange, for such a prominent district. Should it not be in better shape than this?

I suppose I do not need to dwell on it. I have more important things to worry about.

Master Daud led us to a two-story building, a former clothing store. Surprisingly, a lot of the merchandise had been left behind to rot away with the structure. Much of the clothing left behind was still in pristine condition. No one had looted the place yet? How curious.

I wonder…Is thieving, and looting, better than murdering?

"Aedan, Misha, Kieron, Arissa," Master Daud said, going around the room and lighting the lanterns hanging from the ceiling. "Good work, for making it here so quickly. We'll use this storefront as an outpost, while we wait for tomorrow's dusk. In the meantime, keep your guard up, but try to get some rest, if you can. We're going to have a long day ahead of us."

"Where are you going, Master?" Misha inquired.

"We're in an abandoned section of the district, aren't we? I'm going to look for supplies."

"May I accompany you, Master?"

"I suppose. Let's go."

Master Daud and Misha left the outpost. Once my brothers were certain that they were out of the line of sight, I saw them take off their vapor masks. I quickly followed suit. It was…definitely a lot easier to breathe, without the mask on.

"How are you holding up, little sister?" Mentor Aedan asked.

I ran my hand through my hair, and rubbed my eyes. "I have been better…My head is killing me."

My Mentor laughed. "I remember when I first got my powers. Don't worry your pretty little face about the pain. After a few months of training, transversals become second-nature to you. Kind of like breathing, actually."

I tilted my head questioningly. Aedan is the Mentor who trains us in the use of ranged weaponry. He was smaller than Kieron, perhaps more of Thomas's height. His short hair was dark, with flecks of silver throughout it. Yet, his green eyes held a certain intensity to them. I knew from his voice that he was native to Dunwall. So, unless I have forgotten some of the common tongue during my institutionalization, his wording about my "pretty little face" perplexed me.

"It's just an expression," he said, evidently seeing my confusion. "By the Outsider, I'm too old to have an interest in a young girl like you."

"How old are you, Mentor?"

He smirked. "Old enough to be your father, but not old enough to retire."

I rubbed my eyes again, then looked over my shoulder. Kieron was holding up a pair of trousers that were…Outsider's eyes, is that chartreuse plaid? Who in their right mind would pay coin for that?

"Kieron…" I stared at him, astonished. "Really?"

"What?" he said. "Oh, you mean these? They're not for me."

"Then who are they for?"

He shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. I'm thinking either Lurk or Dodge."

"You should give it to Dodge," Mentor Aedan said. "Everything, and everyone, will want to dodge him, then."

I absently began to look around the store, more focused on the conversation that my brothers were having than anything else.

"How well do you think he can dodge without those bone charms of his?" Kieron asked.

"A bottle of whiskey says he can't."

"A box of cigars says he does."

"You don't even smoke."

I found an unlocked drawer, and I opened it, peering inside. Towards the back, something glimmered. Curious as to what it was, I reached inside of the drawer.

"You said whiskey, I answered with cigars," Kieron replied. "I didn't see a problem. Do we have a problem, Aedan? I outrank you, anyways."

"Ha!" Mentor Aedan paused. "Outsider's eyes, you're right. Damn. How do you, of all people, outrank everyone except for Thomas and Lurk?"

"I'm good at my job, that's how."

I pulled an intricate barrette out of the drawer, along with a black ribbon. And they were…beautiful. I have never seen anything like them before…

"I propose that the next time Dodge goes to bathe," Mentor Aedan said, "we break into his locker and steal his bone charms. Then, fire a few wristbow bolts at him."

"Alright. But you're going to be the one shooting. And when I win, I want the good cigars, not the cheaply made Dunwall kind."

"What do you even want them for?"

"What do you think? I'm going to sell on the black market. Cigars from Cullero fetch quite a price, if you know where to sell them."

This looks like something the Empress would wear…Maybe she does wear them? Would it be right to keep it? This place is already abandoned, after all…

"Arissa, what is that you're holding?" Kieron asked.

"Huh?" I quickly clenched my hand, to hide what I had found. "Nothing…"

Kieron was patting me on the shoulder. "There, there. Assassins are allowed to feel pretty too, you know."

"So you want to be a princess now, Kieron?" Mentor Aedan propounded.

"No, I'm already roguishly handsome. But I heard your mother was a princess, when she worked at the Golden Cat," Kieron retorted.

Mentor Aedan gazed blankly at Kieron. He was about to say something, then shook his head and turned on his heels, walking to the other side of the store.

"Wow, Kieron," I said. "That was rather…malignant of you."

Kieron shrugged. "What? It's not my fault that I am roguishly handsome. Or, wait…is it handsomely roguish?"

I smiled for a brief moment.

"Seriously, though. What did you find?"

I sighed and opened my hand, embarrassed.

Kieron laughed. "Hey, Aedan."

"What?"

"Our little sister is growing up! And, most likely, she is going to be an aristocrat."

"How so?"

"She likes shiny things."

I covered my face with my free hand, to try and hide my embarrassment.

"It's okay, Arissa. You're allowed to like shiny things."

"It's called a barrette, Kieron."

"I know. And I thought all girls liked wearing them."

"I…suppose so?" I paused. "Actually, how would I know? I grew up with one older sister, who hates me."

"To be fair, she hates all of us," Mentor Aedan chimed in, as he came out of his transversal to stand next to us. "No matter what, though, little sister, don't be afraid to find things you like. When you become a Master, you'll actually have days where you need to be a civilian."

"Wait…There are actually days where we do not have to be in uniform?"

Mentor Aedan nodded. "You never noticed?"

I shook my head no.

Kieron was grinning. "Aren't the Novices adorable when they start growing up, and the realization hits them that they'll have certain degrees of freedom?"

"I'll admit, it is. It reminds me of my days as an Officer of the City Watch."

"Wait, what?" Kieron and I said at exactly the same time.

"Brother!" Kieron spoke first. "You never told me that."

Mentor Aedan crossed his arms. "I've never had a reason to tell anyone, except for our Master. In fact, during my time as an Officer to our great City, I worked in two different locations: Dunwall Tower, and Coldridge Prison."

"Why did you quit, Aedan?"

"The best explanation I can give is that I couldn't take the Royal Spymaster's constant harassment, or the corruption of the Empress's Court. It's a nightmare at the Tower, and Corvo's the only person holding the damn place together."

"Does Master Daud know you worked in the Tower?" I asked. "Is that why he wanted you here?"

"No. He doesn't know where I specifically worked. Nor do I ever intend to tell him. He only knows that I was an Officer, nothing more, nothing less."

I put the barrette and the ribbon in one of my bolt pouches. "Mentor, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Do you think the Royal Spymaster wants to kill the Empress?"

Mentor Aedan shifted uncomfortably back and forth on his feet. It took him a very long time to answer. "The Spymaster is a weasel of a man. Yes. I believe he would commit regicide."

"Do you think Daud would?"

"I think our Master is willing to do anything, without giving any forethought to the possible consequences behind an action. It's amazing how the potential of coin can motivate a man, isn't it? You're obviously acting as a body double, if not something worse, for our meeting with Hiram. This means that you're in quite the precarious position, Arissa."

"I…I am aware of this, Mentor…"

"If I was in your position, I would take my chances, and put a bolt between Hiram's eyes now, before his inanity can amount to anything. The Empress is a very compassionate woman, and one of the greatest rulers in the history of Dunwall. For what it's worth, I enjoyed working at the Tower. But I became an assassin, with the sole purpose of getting a chance to strike at any corrupt bastards who would cause harm to the Kaldwin family."

Kieron and I exchanged glances. He spoke. "Chances are that our Master isn't going to let us kill him. He'd sooner kill us than a high-profile client."

"Maybe, maybe not. He certainly won't kill her."

"Oh, no…You are not getting me involved in any more schemes!" I protested. "I have had enough of all of this! And if Master Daud will not kill me, then what will he do to me? Because I promise you, he will do something worse to me than put me in another institution, or something even worse than death!"

"Arissa, listen to me, and listen to me well," Mentor Aedan said. Why did he sound so similar to the Outsider, in that moment? "If you can kill the Spymaster, and potentially save the life of our Empress…wouldn't you? There is a lot more at stake than just Jessamine's life. We're talking about the future of the Empire."

"Stop it!" I screamed. "Just, please…Stop…"

"Arissa…"

"No. I…I cannot keep doing this…"

Kieron grabbed me by the shoulders, and looked me dead in the eye. "Yes. You can. You're nervous, I get that. You have every right to be. But nothing about the life we have chosen to lead is easy, Arissa. Sometimes, there are sacrifices that need to be made. And it's unfair that we have to ask this of you. You're our best hope," he paused. "If Master Daud has the gall to hurt you, then I want you to know that we'll be there to help you heal. I'll be there. As long as you're with us, no one will be able to touch you."

"Now and forever, we're family," Mentor Aedan said. "Every word that Kieron said is true. We need you to be strong for us. Can you do that?"

I hesitated, and looked down at the floor.

"Please, Arissa…"

I nodded, suddenly feeling very lightheaded. "Do you promise that you're not manipulating me?" I whispered in Serkonan.

"I would never dream of it, my little sister," Kieron replied, and sat down with me on the floor. "I swear my soul to the Outsider. And on my dead mother's grave."

I laid my head down on Kieron's shoulder, and closed my eyes.

Before I even knew it, I was out cold, taken into the embrace of sleep.