Dunwall's Shadow ( A dishonored inspired Novel)

Chapter 3

Billi

When Maro had come back from the Ragged Haggard, he seemed overjoyed, I wasn't sure why though. Then he filled me in with what had happened. After a brief explanation, I said, "So, how do you expect to break into the Boyle estate? After the plague started infecting people in that area, their security went up ten fold!"

"I know, that's why I want you to break in first." He told me calmly.

I looked at him in shock. "Relax! I only want you to find any hidden entrances that I could use." He said with a grin. I let out a sigh of relief. Maro hadn't changed since I'd met him, three years ago.

Three years ago...

It was tough being in the slums, there were thieves and murderers everywhere, especially at night. If a rich aristocrat was thrown into this area of Dunwall, he'd be torn apart by the mice alone. Over the years, I have had to adapt to the harsh terrain and back stabbing citizens, I trained with a sword, knife and pistol. That still wasn't enough though, most of the people here were tougher than me anyway. That's why I trained to climb, the residents of the slums were usually stupid and couldn't hold a pipe, let alone climb a building. There was a time when I would just give in to thieves, but now I would give them an uppercut to the nose and run up the nearest wall. No one ever followed me up the buildings, so they were pretty much my domain.

But this time, things were different, there was a gang in the slums named the Crows, known because of the crow insignia worn on their chests. They were experts at climbing, running and fighting, which meant that there was no escape if they surrounded you, so there was no point in resisting.

I was taking a stroll back from the local tavern, spending the coins I had earned on the black market on bread and water, when I heard the Crows call. My first instinct was to run,  but I knew that was a stupid idea, so I stopped to see what they wanted. The first one jumped down off of the roof of a nearby building, he was obviously the leader, he wore a large crow head round his neck and held two large, wicked looking daggers. He stared at me and smiled, showing the yellow mess that were his teeth, "Hello there, my pretty. I see you have acquired us our dinner." I looked around and saw three others jump down from the rooftops and sneer at me with evil mouths. One was more heavily built than the others, he made it seem easy to wield the large metal rod with two working clock tower gears on the end as a weapon. The second one, a woman, wielded a rapier than seemed sharper than a diamond. The third man, simply held a sword, but something about it seemed wrong, their were strange runes carved into it, making it seem to steal the power from its surroundings.

"You're going to give us our dinner and you can be on your way." Their leader said after I had finished observing his group. "I don't think so, I worked hard to earn these and I won't let them go easily." The leader of the small group laughed, cracking his knuckles. "We've got a fighter here, Amelia? Why don't you dance with this fighter."
The woman with the rapier stepped towards me, wielding the deadly blade with unparalleled finesse. She stabbed at me with the tip of the blade, I dodged that easily,  but her second swipe came as a complete surprise to me. The blade caught my hip, opening a wound that made me almost cry out in pain. I managed to reposition myself to dodge her next flurry of attacks, all the while getting a few attacks in myself.
After about five minutes, we were both injured and worn out, each of us not willing to attack the other. Until finally, the leader of the group shouted, "this is ridiculous!" And grabbed me from behind, putting me in a headlock I wasn't going to break out of anytime soon.
"You've caused us rather a lot of trouble, girl. I think you should hand over your food and maybe I'll consider letting you go." I could hear the man was smiling. "Des, put a few cuts in her, maybe that'll be enough to change her mind." I started to struggle in the man's arms as the third man, Des, drew his blade and put it closer and closer to my skin, until the blade finally touched my cheek and...

"Stop!" A voice sounded behind me, it sounded as though he was wearing a mask, "Crows! What have I told you all about robbing the poor? We only steal from the corrupt ass-holes that are the rich." The man who held me in the headlock released his grip, letting me fall to the floor, gasping for air.
A hand stretched out in front of me, beckoning for me to take it. I obliged and was hauled up onto my feet. The man the hand belonged to was strange, to say the least. He wore a black cloth trench coat and had a navy blue hood shrouding what was visible of his face, the rest was covered by a bandana. He had a number of strange tools attached to his belt, but the most notable one was the strange whale bone charm strapped to his chest. "Are you unharmed, my lady?" I had never been called that before, I was merely a peasant. "I-I'm fine, thanks," I replied. "You must be very angry at my men, but forgive them, they haven't eaten in days. My name is Maro Arc, and I am the leader of the Crows." I looked at him for a moment, taking in everything about him. He was definitely a thief, but there was something noble about him. "Why are you telling me this? I could go straight to the City Watch and report you." I said.
"Aye, you could, but by the way you fight, you seem self trained. Which must mean you haven't had much help from the City Watch over the years, which probably means you have no love for them." He was right, I despised the City Watch. "I'm telling you this because I want you to join us, I want you to become a Crow and help us give what the rich did not earn, to the peasants who did."

From that day on, I was trained by Maro, becoming one of his most trusted Thieves, and one of his only friends. I trained to be seen only when I wanted to be, and to disappear in the blink of an eye. I trained with a blade, but I also learnt of mercy, and how to strike fear into the hearts of Nobles with only the blink of an eye. From that day on, I was a Crow, until I die, I will be a Crow.

(Continued in Part 4)