Aftermaths: The family reunited
It was a long few minutes before the pair got to their feet, though Corvo kept his hands firmly on her shoulders. "What are you doing working with…these people?" She asked.
"It's a long story." Corvo sighed. "What are you doing with…that?" He gestured to the mark on her hand.
"It's a long story." She giggled a little.
Corvo looked back up to the statue. "You nearly killed me back there."
Emily sobered. "I know. I thought you were Daud. But I couldn't even kill him. Not in front of mother."
Corvo looked at her sharply. "Have you? Killed, I mean?"
She shook her head vehemently, and he let out a breath in relief. "At least there's that. But still…you're not the same little girl anymore, are you?"
Emily looked down. "I don't think so, no. It's not been long, but…Corvo it's all gone!" She gestured helplessly. "My mother is dead, I destroyed half the old political scene trying to get back into power, and then the people who were helping me betrayed me the moment they saw I was a witch, my only friend is gone, and I don't even know where he is. I'm…I'm alone."
"Not anymore." Corvo responded firmly. Then he paused. "Actually…." He reached into one of the pockets of his coat. Emily watched in fascination as he pulled out some sort of heart; the scientific one, not the love heart she saw on decorations sometimes. This one however was covered in mechanical additions, and it was…beating.
And then, in a voice she had gone too long without hearing, "Oh, my dear Emily. How you've grown!"
She gasped. "The Outsider's doing." Corvo explained. "A present as much as a torture device for me. She is dead, but…it's her."
"I'm sorry I had to leave you. In death, my separation from you was my only regret. If only this form allowed me to wrap my arms round you one last time…"
Emily reached forward instinctively, but her arms fell straight through the heart as though it wasn't even there. "Mum…what do I do?"
"It's…so hard for me to feel like this, so hard for me to care. All I am meant to do is hear, and say. But…" There was a pause, as the heart continued to be slowly. "I care for you both. I care for my people."
Flakes of the heart began to peel off, turning to ash and blowing away in the wind. "You are strong now, Emily. I have seen you. You are strong enough to lead this Empire, if you wish. Or don't. All I want is for you to be happy."
The Outsider had clearly decided that they had had enough time to talk. The heart was disintegrating as they watched, spellbound. "My job is done. It's time for me to go. Only remember…Emily, Corvo…I love you."
A few metal scraps fell to the floor, and the two were left alone.
The traitors to the crown
Havelock slammed the whiskey bottle onto the table. "Sokolov, Pierro and Samuel have already abandoned me, I will not have this from you two as well!"
"We aren't betraying you damnit Havelock, just think about this!" Martin appealed.
They were on a boat. A large, official looking boat, on the way to a new lighthouse that Burrows had begun construction on. "What is there to talk about?" Havelock snarled. "Aren't you a man of the Abbey?"
"Yes, this overly pompous uniform isn't for nothing." Martin responded, frustrated. "It's just…Everything the abbey's teachings tell me of witches is like night to day when compared to that girl!"
"Are we waxing poetic again?" Pendleton spoke up from his position sat at the table. He was quite drunk.
"Nothing poetic about it." Martin snapped. "To be honest I can't think of a single stricture she has broken, barring lying tongue, of course…though did she ever really lie to us?"
"As much as I often find myself irritated by children, I can't say I ever disliked her." Pendleton admitted. "Do you know: when I asked her to deliver a letter to the ever vile lord Shaw, the confrontation ended with him unconscious and embroiled in quite a large scandal!" He laughed to himself.
"And again, I say, there is nothing to talk about." Havelock responded. "We have been seen with the girl, and as far as the rest of the isles are concerned, she is on this very boat. As far as our most trusted guards are concerned, she has been kidnapped by the urchin boy, and any witches discovered are to be taken alive for interrogation."
He sat down heavily. "Besides, she'll be back soon enough. Heavens know she's broken into my room to many times to count. Another few days and we'll have the empire, mark my words."
The other two exchanged glances, but said nothing.
The Knife of Dunwall
Daud was just thinking that Corvo was taking a rather long time with this one before the door to his office slammed open. Looking up, he saw Corvo, mask-less, and a little girl wearing a bone tiara who he'd last seen in Dunwall tower.
"Ah. I see you've found her then." He said, conversationally.
Others wouldn't have been able to see the resulting blur of motion (because no time actually passed when it occurred) But it resulted with a window being blown out and Daud being thrown bodily from the room and crashing onto the roof of a nearby building. He spat some blood out his mouth and looked up at the two stood over him, judge and jury. He wondered who would be the executioner.
"Wait." He held up a hand to try and forestall the blow. "I know this may seem an unreasonable request, but…I ask for my life. I've had enough killing. All I want is to leave this life behind me."
His eyes focused on Corvo. They had discussed this moment, the two of them.
"You don't need to tell Emily that I helped you save her life." He had said. "If she needs a boogeyman to hate I'll be it, I am for almost the whole of Dunwall already. I wonder, when you find her, will you come back to kill me, knowing me as you do?"
"I don't know you." Corvo had responded, to which Daud had laughed grimly. "You don't? Perhaps try looking in the mirror. We aren't too different, you and I. perhaps if I'd had someone to protect, I would have…but the point is moot."
He looked up at that man now. And that man turned to Emily. Emily looked at Daud, and then slowly paced towards him. He remained kneeling, knowing any further show of aggression would be his last. "I was expecting a monster." She said, quietly with her height, she was at his eye level. "What with the masks, and the magic…I didn't expect to find a man."
She stood up. "Corvo didn't let his hate for you cloud his judgement. Neither will I. Go. Put down your blade and find some other life. This is not a decision I will be able to make again."
Turning, she nodded to Corvo, and they began to walk away. Daud had a distinct feeling of being dismissed. "So that's your choice? Interesting." He mumbled under his breath. As the Empress and her protector walked away, he returned to a standing position. And vanished into the shadows.
Sorry about the wait, Christmas happened. Next weeks chapter should be up on time though; i'm reaching the end of my backlog but plan to write a lot more.
