Chapter Thirteen
Revenge Won't Solve Everything
"Outsider?" the mortal whispered, kneeling at the Shrine. "Please…I need your guidance."
Do you, now? Are you certain about that, dear mortal?
"Please. I was wrong. I want to know the rest of the Tales. I…I need their knowledge."
For what purpose, mortal? You have yet to heed any of my warnings. Are you simply out for revenge? Or, will you use this one chance at life to be better than those who have come before you?
The mortal hesitated to answer.
You're not the first child who has sought revenge against their tormentors. And you certainly won't be the last. So, I'm going to tell you why revenge won't solve everything.
…
Once upon a time, there was a little boy, who only knew Humanity by two words: loneliness, and fear. No matter where in Dunwall he went, the boy was beaten and bloodied by those bigger and stronger than him. He was abused by his fellow children, as well as adults who should have been taking care of him.
The lonely little boy would dart from alleyway to alleyway, sleeping in trash bins and eating rotten food. For him, the alleyways were what kept him from being subjected to the beatings. The only friend the lonely little boy had was a pet white rat that he carried around in his pocket.
One day, the lonely little rat boy came across one of my Shrines. I saw that this boy had the potential to alter history for the better. I bestowed my Mark upon the boy, even going as far as to tell him that he had the potential to change the world.
And do you even know his name?
The lonely little rat boy became emboldened, and grew confident in himself. He thought I had given him my Mark so that he would no longer be afraid of his tormentors. No. No, he was wrong. But he failed to see this.
The lonely little rat boy chose to confront the people who tormented him most. He called forth rather impressive swarms of rats to do his bidding. But what he didn't realize is that there is a price for disappointing me. He sealed his fate by choosing revenge. It was no mere chance that some of the rats of his swarm carried the Plague, nor was it chance that he would become infected by the instrument of his vengeance.
The boy was a little fool. Much like you are, mortal. The lonely little rat boy was weeping from the eyes within days. His final breaths were spent crawling back to the Shrine where I first appeared to him. He thanked me for bestowing my power upon him, and letting him live his final moments without a shred of fear.
I never appeared to him during his touching speech. I did, however, watch him die.
And do you know something, mortal?
You're standing right on the spot where he died. Where I summoned a swarm of rats of my own, and had them devour the boy's corpse, thus erasing him from history.
…
"What!?" the mortal screamed. "This…This is the same Shrine!? And you had rats eat his corpse!?"
I shrug. Am I telling you a fairytale, or am I telling you the truth? That's for you to decide.
In any case, dear mortal, I can as easily bestow my power as I can take it away from you. But you didn't know that, did you? I don't particularly enjoy interfering in the affairs of your kind. On the rare occasion that I find I must, well…
Let's just say that it's a good thing the lonely little rat boy died when he did.
My infliction of unending nightmares upon your consciousness would pale in comparison to what Dunwall would have become via the actions of this boy, who chose revenge over justice.
…
Is this the path you wish to follow, mortal?