Again, sorry for the long wait. It seems the five hundred words a thing each day may not be helping due to my work hours. I now have the graveyard shift, so I work at night and often sleep till noon. As such, I am now only awake for several hours before I end up having to go to work for another night six days a week. Sunday is my only day off for the week, and it leaves me with little free time now to write chapters for my fanfics. I will try and write them up as much as I can with the available time, but I don't know when I will update my stories with my work hours. I'm not giving the stories up or planning to stop them, and I need to find the time to write my chapters between my work and life. I will do my best to try and get these chapters and stories up as fast as possible. I can only hope that I will be able to write more soon.

Also, I would have probably had this done sooner but sadly I had a rather tragic event happened to me earlier this month. My beloved dog passed away on the 8th of this month. I had the little guy for twelve years, about half of my life, and his loss is one that hit me and my family rather hard. Even after all this time, it's still an adjustment period trying to live my life without him around.

Furthermore, I am pleasantly surprised by the number of likes and support I have gotten from this crossover story. I think I can confidently state that this is possibly the most popular and well-liked story that I have ever written, and I haven't even written that many chapters about it. So, I guess that there is just something about the concept that people seem to like. Well, I can only hope that I will continue with this and live up to your hopes and expectations. Or, at the very least, live up to the hype you all seem to be having with this story.

I know that this is a rather short chapter compared to my previous ones but it's mainly due to me not uploading for such a long time that I felt a little rushed in trying to get this chapter out of so long. Hopefully, the next chapters won't share the same circumstances. This chapter is focused on the Dishonored side of the LOK/Dishonored storyline, and the other part of the crossover will appear again in the next chapter.

Other than that, enjoy the chapter.

(Note: I do not own anything. This is purely for entertainment purposes only.)

The rowboats from the now anchored Expedition ships moved across the clear blue waters toward shore, heading towards a large, shallow cove that could accommodate all these small vessels. The Expedition ships remained not too far away from the cove, though they would be unable to move any further due to how shallow the immediate area around them was. As the passengers rowed to shore, each member of the Expedition was excited about being the first individual of the Empire of the Isles to set foot in the New World...including one young member in particular. Sitting anxiously at the front of his rowboat, which coincidentally was the lead rowboat, Aaron was waiting for the moment where he could jump off the boat and set foot on the sandy shores of the New World.

Aaron took his chance once the boats had entered the shallow cove and were near the edge where the water met the beach. He leaped from the boat with a mighty jump, splashing feet first in the shallow, knee-deep water. Then, ignoring the calls from the others from his boat, he trundled through the water as fast as he could, eager to get to shore (all the while ignoring the wet feeling in his now drenched boots). After about thirty seconds of racing through the water, he finally reached the beach.

Taking a few steps onto the beach, Aaron stood on the white, sandy beach as he immersed himself in the feeling of curiosity and amazement that now seemed to overwhelm him. Turning around to survey his surroundings, Aaron was just in awe by his first impressions of the New World. White sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, the lush jungle that stretched out for who knows how long, and a beautiful, sunny day. None of these were common sights in the Empire, at least in Dunwall or in the other parts of Gristol that Aaron had seen throughout his life. Yet, to see all these things for the first time just seemed so magical to him. So, with a shout of joy, he twirled a few times around on the beach, taking in everything. Aaron was finally in the New World, and the adventure of a lifetime was now finally within his grasp.

At this time, the boats were now landing ashore, with the first wave of the Expedition climbing out of the boats and then dragging them up onto the beach, bringing with them the gear they had managed to fit within the boat. Leading the group was Lieutenant Colonel Richard Sharpe. In terms of appearance, Sharpe a man in his mid-thirties, was over six feet tall, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and an angular, tanned face. The man has a deep scar on his right cheek, which pulls his right eye, giving his face a mocking expression whenever he is relaxed; this disappears when he smiles, which is not too frequent.

His uniform was primarily navy blue in color, with both his trousers and jacket colored like that. His uniform was similar to his men though he had some more elaborate features given how he is an officer and allowed him to have a nicer uniform. His tunic has silver epaulets to showcase his rank and silver cuffs with gold embroidery on the edges. It was single-breasted so there was only a single set of silver buttons going down the middle of the shirt. He and his soldiers had white belts with gold buckles. His men did though was a pair of white straps that crisscrossed over the front and back on their tunics, which Sharpe didn't have on his uniform. Each one had ammo pouches, sheathed swords, and bayonets for their rifles.

They had a red stripe that ran down either side on their pants, which led to a pair of black combat shoes. Another item on Sharpe's uniform was a few silver aiguillette braids that were also meant to help showcase his rank like his epaulets. Along with the more finely made sword and trimmings on his uniform, he helped paint him as a model officer for the Empire's Imperial Army. The last thing that the soldiers wore were white pith helmets with a cheap metal emblem of the Empire of the Isles, which was the coat of arms of the Kaldwin Family.

Sharpe serves as a high-ranking officer within the Imperial Army, the main military force for the Empire of the Isles. And due to his long record of service and distinction within the ranks, he was chosen to be one of the leaders of the Expedition. As such, he was placed in command of the Imperial military forces that were part of the Expedition and tasked with defending its personnel from any threat such as wildlife...or hostile natives to the New World. And in all likelihood, he was perhaps personally tasked by Emily Kaldwin to keep an eye on Aaron during this journey. To make sure that he made it back and didn't do anything stupid.

"I see you haven't wasted any time getting ashore," commented Sharpe as he approached Aaron.

"Can you blame me? I mean, look at this place," said Aaron, gesturing to the jungle before them before continuing. "We might be the first people from the Isles to set foot on these shores ever. We just made history here, and the whole New World is ours to explore."

"I'll admit that this is certainly historic. But let's bring the rest of the Expedition in on this," replied Sharpe before heading back to the others, with Aaron now following close behind. The crown was now gathering together on the beach as the last of the rowboats were finally being pulled in. Then, calling out for all those gathered to listen up, Sharpe took a flag attached to a pole from one of his men before beginning to address the crowd.

"Lads, it's been a difficult week getting here. I won't lie and say that getting here was supposed to be easy. None of us did. But we've passed through the worst of it. Now, look at us. We're standing right on the New World, a place we used to think of as nothing but a story. But now that story is real, and we're living it. This vast, unexplored land before us is now ours, lads. Ours to explore, ours to tame, to colonize. We'll learn everything we can from this place. Find out every one of its secrets and its wonders. And it all starts right here on this beach and the land around it.

I hereby call our new settlement New Dunwall, and claim this land in the name of ourselves, the Empire, and Her Imperial Majesty Emily Kaldwin I."

With that, he planted the flagpole into the sand before him, with the wind fluttering to show the flag being that of the Empire of the Isles. With the declaration, the crowd let out a resounding chorus of cheers and shouts in celebration of this momentous occasion. After a few more moments of this, Sharpe calmed them all down before informing "Alright lads, it's time to get to work now. I want the rest of our people onshore and supplies as well. We need to start chopping up these trees and making shelter for everyone. Let's move people."

With that, the Expedition set about turning this stretch of the untamed jungle into the first Imperial settlement in the New World: New Dunwall. For that, most of the civilians and soldiers set about working to knock down the trees in the immediate area. Meanwhile, the others got back on the boats to ferry the others back on the fleet to shore, along with the supplies and equipment they would need. But, of course, they would need to get this settlement up first before they could do anything else. And that meant they needed buildings, space for tents, and a wooden wall around the settlement for defense against any wild animals...or the off chance of hostile natives.

As Sharpe was helping to organize the construction of their camp, he noticed Aaron was trying to sneak off into the forest. He had just reached the edge when Sharpe called him out, forcing Aaron to stop in his tracks. Turning to face the approaching Lieutenant Colonel, he stood silent as Sharpe asked, "And just where do you think you're going?"

"I was planning to go explore the jungle, but I'm guessing that you're not willing to let me do that?" explained Aaron, already suspecting he knows what the answer would be.

Sharpe simple let out a light chuckle before he mentioned, "One of my jobs along with protecting the expedition is keeping you out of trouble."

"Let me guess. Empress Emily asked you to keep an eye on me?" inquired Aaron.

"In so many words," replied Sharpe.

Aaron could do nothing but roll his eyes at the news. It didn't surprise him that Emily had made arrangements to keep him out of trouble while he was with the Expedition. He and Emily were rather close, with Emily seeing Aaron as something of a little brother. And like a big sister, she would often try to keep him safe and out of trouble, even though said trouble would only find him one way or another. As such, he had to often squirm his way out of Emily's little protective measures.

"Does this mean I'm confined to the beach? Or would it make you feel better if I go with a rifle?" jokingly asked Aaron, wondering what it would take for Sharpe to let him go.

It seemed that his answer was more on the nose than he believed. Sharpe turned his head and gave a whistle, where one of his men marched up to him, with a rifle in one hand and an ammo bandoleer in the other hand. It appears Sharpe was prepared for this. Taking the items from his soldier, he handed them over to Aaron as he stated, "I trust you know how to use one of these?"

"I do carry a revolver, remember? Besides, I've had to shoot people more than a few times. One of the side effects of being friends with the Empress of the Isles. It ends up with a lot of people wanting to shoot you," said Aaron, putting on the bandoleer and taking the rifle in hand, loading a bullet inside.

"Well, if we hear gunshots, I'll send some men to help you out," assured Sharpe.

"Don't bother. They'll likely be dead before your boys get there. But still, if I find a cute little animal, I'll bring you one as a pet," joked Aaron, already turned around and entering the jungle, with his last comment giving a slight smirk on Sharpe's face.

Trudging through the jungle, Aaron took in all that he could in the environment around him. The jungle was both beautiful and mysterious, with it being unlike any of the forests back in the Isles. However, it seemed to add to its beauty. The plants, the trees, and even the atmosphere of the place were so foreign that any forest Aaron had seen before in Gristol just seemed to pale in comparison. He had yet to see any animals, but Aaron figured he would find a few species in the weeks to come. Of course, he had only seen a small portion of this forest, and who knows how vast this New World truly is.

Fifteen minutes into his walk through the forest, Aaron came upon a small stream, where fresh and crystal clear water flowed. Kneeling beside the edge of the stream, he scooped up a handful of the cold water and took a sip. It was more than fresh, and it was practically untouched by anything that could pollute it. If this was paradise, Aaron could only wonder if there was anywhere else in the New World that could top even this.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of rustling in nearby bushes. Eyeing the direction where he heard the noise, he slowly put down the book and reached for his rifle. His hand on the trigger, Aaron aimed it at the bushes, cautiously hoping that whatever popped out wasn't dangerous. He would hate to have his first encounter with something in the New World end on a sour note. Finally, a creature crawled out of the bush, but it wasn't a horrifying creature as Aaron first assumed.

The small creature was some kind of ferret. It had long, soft, reddish-brown fur on most of its body and dark red-brown fur on its short legs. It had a light face with tear markings and robust cranial-dental features. Its roundish head had medium-sized upright ears and a black nose and its long bushy tail had alternating red transverse black rings, though the end of the tail is solid black. All in all, it was a rather adorable little animal. One that gave Aaron a slight smile to his face when he looked at the small creature.

Putting down the rifle, Aaron kneeled and allowed the curious creature to approach him. The ferret was relatively quick in its movements, sniffing at Aaron as he came, likely to try and determine whether the young man was a friend or foe.

"Huh, and what are you, little guy?" asked Aaron, playfully speaking to the small ferret, even though he knew the animal likely couldn't understand a word he said. He was too distracted by how cute and curious the creature was.

As the ferret moved towards his satchel, Aaron theorized that perhaps the animal was hungry, and he could smell some of the food Aaron had within his satchel. However, when Aaron reached into the satchel to try and grab something, his movement startled the ferret, causing it to rush backward, putting some distance between him and Aaron.

"Woah, little guy. It's okay. I'm just getting you something to eat," assured Aaron, doing his best to calm the creature down.

So now slowly moving, he reached into the satchel and feeling around, he pulled out a few small crackers, holding them in the palm of his hand. Then, extending said hand to the ferret, he waited patiently for him to approach. And approach the ferret did, sniffing as he went, to check and see if the food was safe to eat. Once the ferret approached Aaron's hand, he licked one of the crackers before proceeding to gobble them one by one immediately. This act produced a smile on Aaron's face, glad to see the little ferret enjoying the food Aaron had for him. Hopefully, this allowed him to earn the animal's trust.

Aaron got his answer when the little ferret immediately dashed towards him. It grabbed onto Aaron's clothes with his tiny paws and speedingly climbed upwards till it reached his shoulder. Once on his shoulder, the ferret firmly held on and relaxed a bit, seeming like he felt at home. It didn't take long before Aaron figured that the little animal wanted to stay with him (likely so that Aaron would continue feeding it some more crackers).

"You want to come back with me, little guy?" asked Aaron, turning his head to face the ferret.

The ferret merely let out a little squeak which Aaron took as its way of saying 'yes.'

With that, Aaron grabbed his things and began his trek back to the camp, muttering to himself and his new friend, "Oh, Sharpe is going to love you, buddy."

Later that day
Dunwall, Gristol
Empire of the Isles

Dunwall Tower. The home of the Imperial Family, the rulers of the Empire of the Isles. This palace, located in the heart of the Empire's capital, was where Emily Kaldwin governed the Empire and the people she ruled. However, today's workload for the young Empress was relatively light, with her managing to finish the last bits of her paperwork before lunch. With her work now complete, she decided to take some time out of her day to enjoy in leisure. She was currently sitting in her massive library, engaged in reading an old tale about pirates, which had been her favorite since she was a little girl. She remembered her youth, how she had always wanted to have grand adventures and travel across the world. However, that dream went away rather quickly after her mother's death, and she had to assume the throne. When that happened, Emily had to grow up rather quickly to fulfill her role as Empress. But now and then, whenever she had a few minutes to spare, she would indulge herself in relieving some of those childhood fantasies.

Her moment was interrupted when one of her servants entered the room and informed her, "Your Grace, Inspector Lestrade of the City Watch wishes to see you. He says it's rather urgent."

Putting down her book, she looked to her servant and replied, "Very well. Send him in."

The servant nodded before turning to the now open door and gesturing for Lestrade to enter, which he did a few seconds later. After giving Emily a slight bow, he approached her and informed her, "Your Majesty, we've gained a lead in the case against the Count."

Emily blinked a few times in surprise. It had been over a month since they had received a lead in the case against the mysterious Count. Corvo's raid against his deal in the Dunwall underground was the last time they managed to take action against him and his influence. Since then, he has begun to lay low and avoid their inquisitions against him. So to hear Lestrade tell her that they now have a new lead against him was something she wasn't expecting to hear today. Nevertheless, this was news she would accept, and she hoped that whatever Lestrade had to tell her was something worthwhile.

"What did you find?" she inquired.

"Those crates of contraband that we seized from the raid? We've been trying to figure out where they originated from. After digging through some shipping records, we managed to find out how they came into Dunwall. They didn't smuggle these goods into Dunwall. Instead, the Count's men used a legitimate business to bring them in and be retrieved," explained Lestrade.

This bit of news surprised Emily. She would never have expected someone as careful as the Count to try and use a legitimate business to bring in his contraband as it carried too many risks and a high chance of being discovered. But, on the other hand, if he was using legitimate trading lanes to bring in his goods, he was very arrogant, or he had perhaps paid off the right people. If so, it would explain how his interests managed to sneak past customs inspections at the docks. There were always those who could be forced to look the other way for the right amount of coin.

"Do you know which company he's using to ship his goods?" asked Emily. Then, when she saw how uncomfortable Lestrade seemed to be, she quickly surmised what his answer was. And it was one that both knew was going to lead to further headaches down the road. So with a sigh, Emily reluctantly asked, "It's the United Intra Company, isn't it?"

"Um, yes, ma'am. And they're not keen on letting us continue our investigation," informed Lestrade.

"Well, that's no surprise. The UIC isn't known for being open with police investigations into their business dealings. Instead, they'll simply derail and block us until they sweep their problems under the rug," intelligently put Emily. She has had dealings with the UIC in the past, and not all of them were rather pleasant. And now, it seems that she would have to deal with them yet again if she was going to find out the Count's identity.

"So, what are we going to do now?" questioned Lestrade.

"I'm afraid this is where I step into the arena, Inspector. First, I'll head over to the UIC Company House and speak to Lord Torren Lancaster. Hopefully, I'll be able to get him to allow you to look into his customs officials. If I do, then we can continue hunting for the Count," informed Emily, standing up from her seat and grabbing her raincoat, which lay slumped on her chair.

"And how are you going to get the Chairman of the United Intra Company to agree to that?" wondered Lestrade.

Putting on her raincoat, Emily merely sighed as she answered reluctantly, "By doing my least favorite thing: finding out what he wants."

Just a note, the rifle the Empire's military uses here is the Martini-Henry rifle, a single-shot weapon that here fits with the Empire's single-shot hand cannons in the Dishonored games. Here, it's modified. Instead, of being a single-shot weapon, this rifle holds five shots and it's a bolt-action rifle instead of lever-action.

And for those of you who haven't figured it out, the ferret that Aaron has befriended is a Fire Ferret, like Pabu. I know that they usually inhabit the Earth Kingdom, but I figured there are some living within the Fire Nation given its name. It does have the word "Fire" in its name, so I just thought it was natural to assume it came from the Fire Nation.

Also, I based the Empire's military uniforms on those of latter British Victorian era uniforms. I tried to explain them all as best as he could, though perhaps he could have tried a bit better in doing so. The regular army soldiers wear Navy blue uniforms while their marines wear red ones, and they all wear colonial pattern pith helmets with the Emblem of the Empire of the Isles atop their helmets. So in some ways, for the Four nations...the Redcoats are coming! The Redcoats are coming!

Also, extra points for whoever can correctly guess what the United Intra Company, Sharpe, and Torren Lancaster are references to.

As always, leave a review of what you think of this chapter. And if you want to talk to me about this story or have a question about it, please send a PM, and I will answer this as best as possible. For now, see you next time.

- Heinkelboy05