"Huff huff huff"
Corvo stands on top of a building outside of the high overseers office.
Having been spotted by a group of patrolling guards, corvo had to dispatch them all quickly. Quicker than he has ever been before, quicker than he thought possible, to make sure none of them alerted the hundreds of them just on the other end of the building.
"…that was too close. Way to close."
A breathy voice leaves his mouth showing his exhaustion. Together with his drooping eye lids and aching body you can visibly tell he is extremely fatigued.
'I suppose it makes sense. I've been in a prison cell for half a year barely moving. But since I've escaped I've been running and jumping around like a mad man. I suppose this body has just been able to ignore it until now.'
He concluded thinking of his Predecessors body as well as the life he has lived to forge a body like this.
'Anyway.. the guards numbers are continuingly increasing, I should leave as soon as I can.'
And he starts running. Jumping of one building to the next and blinking from the gaps he can't cross. until he makes it past a high wall and into the back yard of the overseers building.
He pulls out the heart as he stands on top of a swinging platform while feeling the presence of some runes or bone charms nearby calling out in an ominous tune.
Low and behold, he was right. To corvos left is a bone charm, but to get through you would need to cross a broken window with a incinerate trap on the other side.
To his right is a one story building and inside is a rune with a guard standing on said building patrolling from higher up.
And a final bonecharm being at the end of the territory. Inside a broken abandoned building standing on the side of a cliff facing the open the sea.
Deciding it was the most efficient with the time remaining corvo took a hard left, blinking into the building and disarming the trap with efficiently.
Sliding down a chain hung from the roof corvo descended down through the broken floor, only to be met with a giant civilisation of blood thirsty berserk rats.
'Wow. I don't want to drop down there haha, perhaps it's a dud.'
Corvo almost finds the state of the room almost humorous due to its absurdity. Having to climb, dodge and run away from a bunch of rats is ridiculous, especially when the have a better chance at killing you than the humans outside .
But alas he quickly swings over and grabs the bone charm in the hold of a vice clamp and climbs back up to the broken window via the chains before checking out its effect.
Bone charm:
Undertaker-Increased movement speed while carrying a corpse
Increased movement speed while carrying a corpse
'Great… just what I needed.'
Of course in the actual game this would be a nice thing to have. Especially when wanting to challenge yourself for the ghost route or speed running it. But it's effects are unnecessary in real life as you aren't always always going to be running and sprinting constantly just to be fast and save time.
With a frown covering his masked face, corvo left the building with the hope that the next charm will have better effects.
Soon after we see him running across the roofs, feet making little to no noise then leaping high into the air when reaching the edge. Dropping down right onto an overseer with a sword straight to the neck, killing him instantaneously.
Finished with the kill Corvo takes a look around,searching for ways to enter the building. Though he only finds a window, or more accurately a pane of glass to allow for sunlight to enter and not anything else. The only way to get in would be to smash the glass, but…
Activating dark vision corvo could see a large groups of gaurds travelling around the area periodically searching around with the purpose to find a culprit to the one who dishonoured their order.
'Yeah- no, I'm not smashing the glass and bringing all the guards to corner me in a small building.'
So he continues searching, both the rooftop and his memory's for a potential entrance to the building.
'Maybe I can pick the lock. I know corvo acquired those skills in his youth, though since his memorised haven't fully transferred over (blessing in disguise) i haven't actually got the skills to do so, only the memories so it may take longer.'
Finishing his thought he starts by Taking out a metal wire coil from his storage bag and shaping it into a make shift version of a pick lock that will quickly break.
So corvo goes through some of the wire and makes a couple more just in case.
When he finished corvo reactivated dark vision, looking around for any overseers in sight before dropping down to the front of the door below.
Looking at the lock in front of him and cross referencing it with the received memory to show him how it's done.
Figuring the process out corvo inserts a slightly bent bigger chunk of shaped metal wire into the bottom of the lock, creating tension, following up with a thinner piece fully inserted into the lock also bent but this time at a right angle and a lot shorter than the former.
Pushing the smaller pick into the pins above until he fekt a satisfying click.
It took a few minutes but eventually he got them all. So he started turning the bigger one, twisting it until he heard the click of the lock opening.
… only to pull out a broken pick with the door remaining locked.
'Shit.'
Taking a second just to breath and complain internally, corvo got back to it, eventually managing to open the lock.
'Finally. Best to ask pierro to make me a pick lock set just in case for the future.'
But as he was about to open the door.
"Sir, How long do you reckon we will be out here. It's already been thirty minutes and I'm freezing my ass off here!"
"Stop complaining, your not the only one suffering! We'll be out to the culprits found, so keep searching."
The groaning gaurds walk past the spot where corvo was just picking the lock. Though a quick use of blink and he wasn't spotted.
Appearing back at the door he unlocked, corvo entered and walked into a sort of research/experimentation room with crossbow bolts fired into training dummys.
Around the corner is the real reason why he's actually here though. The rune of course!
But this rune appears to have been in the process of being studied with it being placed under some kind of microscope. There also being a book filled with research notes right beside it.
Corvo grabs the book and flips through it to a random page titled "the ancient music".
"Throughout the natural world there are ripples that we can barely perceive with our senses, an Ancient Music permeating everything as a Fundamental structural rule. Through it, you can work wonders without violating the natural world or begging favors from unfriendly spirits.
Throughout my studies i have Found a 17 note scale derived from this phenomenon, and with the right equipment those notes allow for astonishing effects.
Not the least of these is the ability to calm the turbulence originating in the Void, which we attribute to the Outsider."
'Interesting. This ancient music could possibly be the void and the world interacting and creating a tune/vibration, or what the void naturally produces by itself like how bone charms and runes create some sort of song. This could also explains how when using my abilities I can faintly hear some sort of music or distorted group of voices speaking out incantations.
Also maybe the void is the one that pumps mana into the world and that is the ripples and vibrations this guy speaks about. And by becoming more attuned to the void it increases your sensitivity towards the mana.
Hmm.. I should take these notes as well as the music box with me. Perhaps study of it will show me the way to more powers, it could also be useful when facing Daud and his whaler assassins.'
Corvo comes out of his deep contemplation after coming to a decision.
He unstraps the body clad anti-magic music body from the mannequin abd fastens it securely onto his back to tightly to make sure it doesn't fall.
The music box is made fully out of heavy metals focusing on that one function that is to produce that certain noise, not on the comfort or mobility of its user, so corvo is weighed down heavily by it and will be unable to move properly nor silently as usual.
So he pulls out the four runes he has acquired since unlocking agility and kneels on the floor, making sure no one's about with swift use of dark vision, and absorbs the rune energy one by one.
The runes energy flows through his veins with a sense of dormancy, waiting to fulfill its purpose, waiting to be out to use.
So with the energy if five runes total corvo focuses his intent on unlocked the second level of blink.
His rune lights up in a duo coloured light, shining even brighter than other power acquisitions.
Until it stops as suddenly as it started, dying down until it's in the resting black colour.
He activates blink, testing the feeling usually gets that tell him of his limit to the distance of transport seems to have expanded to practically double than before, perhaps even more to its previous distance.
'Good. Now I can carry this with ease, not having to move at all. Though it will cost me a lot of mana so I will use a couple spiritual potions on the move.'
Finished with testing out the upgrade corvo focuses back into the mark with the intent of using up the remaining energy and sending it at the presence of an inactive power that's been calling out for him.
Sending the remaining runic energy as he has temporarily dubbed it, he felt the un-activate power switch on and become apart of him.
'As much as I want to play with this immediately, I better not. I need to leave as soon as possible, for real this time.'
Thinking this he rembered a blueprint that was locked in the chest across from him and is promptly distracted soon after expressing his intention of not being distracted anymore.
Grabbing a bottle hidden away in the corner on top of a shelf he unplugs the cork and picks the key out before going to the chest, unlocking it and then looting the coin and blueprint inside it.
Then finally corvo double checks for any guard passing by before opening the door and blinking out of it.
Blinking in and out of existence across the rooftops.
——
Sliding down a long chain to the dock below, corvo has to hold on for dear life. His exhausted body combined with a heavy weight doesn't make for the best combinations.
Though just as he was about to blink the rest of the way down a voice called out to him from below.
"Corvo! Is that you?"
Looking over and zooming in with his mask he can see that it was Samuel calling out his name.
Sliding the rest of tbe Corvo quickly makes it down and walks over to the old boatman.
"It's done, let's leave."
Corvo speaks to Samuel expressing his intention to go back to houndpitts pub.
"I see. From the way I hear it, Campbell lived a pretty posh life. Maybe it's not my place to say, but men of faith shouldn't live like barons. Anyways let's go."
And off they go back through the river back to houndpitts.
——-
The two men take a while to make it back to their base of operations, but as they dock up and start disembarking a string of gunshots rings out in the yard in front of them.
Corvo ducks on instinct to take cover, activating dark vision to get a view of his enemy's were abouts.
…only to see havelock and pendleton messing about with the guns and shotting random things.
'Wow. While I've been out all night they have probably been drinking and messing about… great.'
Now with a lower mood corvo gets of the boat and takes off his mask, storing it in a compartment inside his coat.
He initially was to go and speak to pierro about the blueprints he acquired but is stopped by Callista
"He's alive! Thank you corvo, truely thank you! My uncles a Good man, and one day he'll prove it."
Callista interrupted herself to give corvo a tight but brief hug of thanks before pulling something out of her pocket.
"Here, I know you did this for the right reasons, but I want you to take this as a reward. It's an old heirloom one of my aunts gave me."
She hands over a piece of Jewelry that has a runic mark carved lightly inside.
"I see, no problem."
And with that brief exchange corvo heads over to pierros workshop to find him walking down from the top floor.
"Hello corvo, how can I be of service to you?"
"Hey pierro, I've got some blueprints from out in the field that I thought that could be used for upgrades as well as one that might intrest yourself."
"Well of course, then let's see them if that's alright with you."
The two head over to a desk where corvo brings out the metal and wire that he acquired as well as the three blue prints.
"Yes! This is great corvo, well done! Exactly what I needed. And with Sokolavs recipe I can explore what was going through his mind upon its creation and maybeimprove my own by comparing each of them and their effects.
I can take the restoreation if the mind and body and rid it if any traces of the plague!"
Pierro quickly is off into his own world, rambling about some experiments and inventions that makes corvo feel like he was speaking another language.
"Anything else corvo?"
Finishing his train of thought pierro turns to corvo with wide open eyes and almost bloodshot sclera ,looking at corvo as if urging him to leave so he can get to his work.
"Yeah… how you ever seen a bone piece that has some sort of compass rune on top?"
It takes a moment but he seems to recognise what corvo was talking about so he runs upstairs, rummages through his storage before rushing back down.
"You mean this?"
"Yeah that's the one, how much?"
"500."
Corvo undertands pierros 'subtle' gestures and sees that he has overstayed his welcome even if he only just got here, so they rush through the formality's and the like before he leaves with another rune in his hand.
Not before taking off his uniform minutes his trousers and shirt as well as his mask leaving them for upgrades and also requesting a set of professionally crafted lock picks.
'Nice. Now I better go and see those turds, havelock and Pendleton so I can finally get some much needed rest to recover.'
Corvo then travels over to the yard opposite the workshop too the chatting loyalists.
As he walks over he over hears some parts of their conversation.
"They're all corrupt. If this is going to work, we have to take down the Lord Regent and all of his key allies, you know that." Havelocks speaks out to the man next to him.
"Yes, hopefully the High Overseer is the first step along that path." A skinnier lanky man beside him replies. Obviously being his bum buddy lore Pendleton.
Havelock replies while saying the obvious.
"And we must Find the girl, Emily, poor thing. Who knows what her mind is like, being there when her mother was killed."
Though they soon stop when they notice corvo walking to the from the side.
"Corvo, you did it! Somehow you took down the high overseer against tbe odds. I knew you were out man. With Campbell gone, we've hurt tbe lord Regent immeasurably. And with Martin back we'll have the finest strategist alive."
Havelock states confidently with the full 'team' together.
Over to the side though pendleton drinks a strong liquids before replying humorously.
"The lord regent must be shitting himself right about now in dune wall tower, ha."
"Yes, and Campbell's journal, let's not forget. Our hope is that, in these encoded pages, the location and condition of Emily Kaldwin can be discovered. Our…"
Havelock pauses mid sentence to also take a long sip of alcohol and to fire his gun at some glasses.
"…entire movement will mean nothing if we can't place the rightful heir on the throne.
We must act Fast. No doubt the Lord Regent is holding Emily somewhere, waiting to reveal her, to step out as the hero and Further cement his regency."
"he doesn't bring the young lady Forth soon, there'll be in-fighting among the nobles as to who should succeed the Empress."
Pendleton carries on havelocks sentence.
"Yes, time is against us. But now you should take a well earned rest, Corvo. We will decipher the contents of the High Overseer's journal and share them with you later."
"Yeah, I'm going to head right up now. It's been an exhausting day." Saying this corvo hands over the book to havelock.
"Haha, I bet it has corvo. Rest well."
"See you tomorrow corvo."
The two say their good bye as corvo turns around in the wrong direction, heading for the roof.
"Admiral, where is he going? The way to his room is the other way."
"I'm not sure Trevor. Perhaps the man is just tired."
But the two are soon shocked, watching corvo effortlessly leap up meters onto the roof of a small building.
And further shocked by him running across said roof at high speeds and clearing the gap between the roof, onto the next building.
They watch him perform a few more superhuman actions before coming out of their stupor.
"… i guess the rumours arnt exaggerated then, am I right Trevor."
The admiral speaks out loud, voicing his thoughts to both himself and the man next to him.
"…yes I suppose you are right. But seeing it in person…."
Corvo leaves the two shocked out of their minds, but he himself finally makes it to bed and throws himself onto it face first, almost instantly falling asleep.
——-
Acquired bone charms:
Robust- health potions effects are quicker to set in and longer lasting.
Swift shadow- noise produced by movent is subdued slightly.
Undertaker-Increased movement speed while carrying a corpse
Increased movement speed while carrying a corpse
And one corrupted bone charm that were unusable
Acquired powers:
Blink 2- upgraded version of blink that extends the distance that can be crossed.
Bend time- significantly slows down time to but but the users of this ability and the items they hold on thier person.
Agility- The user is granted enhanced running speed, enhanced jumping power as well as a naturally dispering harmful kenetic energy from falls of large heights, lessening fall damage.
——
Word count: 3,242