Amon loved control. It was what he had built his life around; controlling events, controlling people, even controlling the very blood that flowed through every person’s veins. When he lost control, things could get very ugly. Very ugly.

This situation, therefore, was a nightmare for him. Captured in a way that he couldn’t avoid by some spiritual force and imprisoned in a city that he couldn’t escape? He had never in his life had less control. But, even so, he didn’t panic. What would that accomplish, really? If there was no way out of this city, then so be it. But he wasn’t going to take that for granted. He was going to search for a way out; his brothers and sisters needed him. And, if there truly was no way out...he would find a way to establish proper equality here instead.

The masked man walked through the city streets, having taken a few minutes to memorize the instructions given to him. If he was going to be staying here and operating here, he would need to not only understand the physical layout of the city, but also the people as well. It was, after all, the people that made the city.

People tended to gather in places where they could seek some sort of satisfaction; restaurants, markets, drinking establishments. If he wanted to find out the life of this city, that was where he would have to search. His first destination, therefore, was the market district. At the pace he set, it was a short walk. And, when he arrived, he found that it was, indeed, relatively busy compared to the other streets he’d been on. Yet it wasn’t as busy as would be expected in an open market in a city of this size. 

Already, he was learning valuable information.

Trying to find work in Obsian was much harder than it looked. Despite being a dark, desolate, and disturbing place, Obsian didn’t have a lot of openings. The pubs needed no waitstaff or dishwashers. Emily had no experience in cooking. An unfortunate consequence of having grown up in privilege. Working in the markets was only profitable if she had her own shop. Of course, that’s why she’d been working with Jack–Emily had no desire to run a business.

This is how she’d come to work at the docks. It was actually very comforting. Dunwall–and all of the islands–relied on the sea for livelihood. Emily knew more than a bit about the sea, having studied how to govern sea-locked lands entire life, so the dock manager took pity on her. There was no possible way she could load and unload cargo like the other dockers. Tying knots and securing cargo was no problem. Lifting? Emily had lots of talents but being exceptionally strong was not one of them.

The manager, Hadrick, liked her well enough. Maybe. It was a bit difficult to tell because she wasn’t sure he was human and his face was strange. But he gave her a job working in a small office as a quality control manager. At least, that’s how Hadrick had described he position.

He’d wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder and squeeze. “Ah! S’always goodta see the newcomers! Haven’ta seena person accustomeda the waters in a bit of time!” He then squeezed harder. “Buta lady like yous? Nix!”

So, into the office she went. Well, “office” was a bit generous. Stacks of yellowed crumpled papers that dwarfed her sat everywhere but in the area where a dirty desk sat. One window looked out on the dark sea. Not quite what she’d been training for all her life, but at least she was familiar with mundane bureaucracy. And it paid a glimmer and a half a day. Honestly, a bit horrible considering every day she was expected to visit all the docks and draw up daily inventory reports.

Hadrick often asked her, “S’how yous get by’fore this?”

Well, I’m an empress who was stolen by Obsian and I placed a large amount of trust in the first man I met. After a few small odd jobs, I started working for this man. But then this man and I grew close. Very close. If I didn’t know certain things about him and had I not put him through a large amount of pain, I probably wouldn’t be avoiding him. Or the other way around. I’d like to avoid any more… I don’t know what. But, I had to stop working for him. I just didn’t tell him I stopped working for him. Also, I’d like him to not know about what I was planning on doing but I’m afraid that if he asked, I’d tell him because I trust him. But, I also don’t trust him.

Emily walks toward River View, thinking about how to explain the situation to him.

“It started at the library, with a cat,” she practiced. But how to make speaking with a cat seem reasonable? Unfortunately, the truth. “It addressed me with my proper title: empress. I didn’t want to tell anyone here about myself because, where I’m from, there is... trouble.”

Alright, that part was possibly a bit harder to get around. “Trouble” would have to suffice.

“Please, don’t ask. Just trust that I was afraid that someone from my land would be stolen and it would be one of my enemies. But this cat knew so I listened to him. It’s a very long story so suffice to say that I discovered there might be artifacts from my land here. Very powerful artifacts that, truthfully, I’d like to possess.”

You know why you took that mark, princess? It’s because you wanted power, just like everyone else does.

No need to explain that she’d been in a self-imposed moratorium on leaving St. Angus for three days. Or that she and Jack had fought. Frowning, Emily didn’t know what to do about him. They hadn’t exactly resolved what had occurred but when she left, he didn’t seem angry. But who knew?

“So, this cat, Bodfree, tells me that for a price, I can have a map to... the prison.” Emily didn’t know how that piece of information might be received. “My plan was to break into the prison, by myself, and retrieve these artifacts.”

Then there was the issue of Daud. How did one explain him?

“But, I don’t need to tell you how stupid that plan was. But now, I’m even more afraid. Someone from my land is here now and I absolutely do not trust him. Again, another story with length.”

She reached River View.

“Which means I don’t trust myself with this because I’m afraid that I’ll be more tempted to break in and find the bone charms. But if I do that, I’ll be putting all of us in danger. The constables at the very least will be more active.” The map. She was going to give him the map. “You seem the pragmatic type and someone I can trust. I want you to take this.”

Yes. That seemed sufficient.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, hoping someone would let her in.

“D, V, A?”

Droog had shaken his head. “No, it’s like diva. Y’know. Like opera singers.”

She wasn’t quite sure why Jack had described her as “pink” because she was dressed in a formfitting suit of mostly a purplish blue although accented with pink and white. It was probably her cheeks, Emily had decided. Very rosy, very bright. Strange symbols adorned her suit.

She wasn’t quite sure why she’d decided to follow her--what would she say?--but she was concerned. This was not the type of young lady who should be so closely connected with a man like him. Emily almost wish she had been linked to him just so this poor woman wouldn’t have to be.

But then she realized she was much happier with a kind and resourceful person like Wendy. The least she could do was check up on Hana though.

Hana didn’t seem to be doing anything in particular. Just looking around at the wares. Emily kept what Amar had said, about jumping in front of people with no warning. She didn’t want to scare her.

Emily walked up to Hana, cautiously waving at her. “Pardon? Hana Song? D.Va?”

The young woman turned, looking pleasantly surprised.

The doors to the boarding houses were never locked--not that she ever found--so when she knocked, she didn’t expect anyone to answer. So, when no one did, there was nothing unusual about it. Emily opened it, crept in. When she closed the door, she stood against it and took in a deep breath.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. Her heart pounded. This was the first time Emily had visited Jack in his home. But after a few minutes ago, she was desperate. And what had she just told herself about being desperate? Bold measures, Emily. Boldest is safest, most efficient. She tip-toed toward his room. It wouldn’t be hard to miss. He’d adorned it with a bright yellow H.

She stood in front of it, her hand ready to knock on the mostly closed door. It was ever so slightly cracked--a consequence of the door being old and unable to close all the way. There was some rustling noise.

Emily frowned and quietly knocked. “Jack?” she called out quietly.

She definitely heard a chair move. More tiny noises.

She rapped on the door with the back of her hand, a little more forcibly this time. “Jack, I’m serious. Please, don’t make light of this.”

But there was no answer.

She bit her bottom lip. What a fantastic mistake--believing she could come to Jack of all people for help. His business the last few weeks had grown such that he seemed happier, more at home with the role of someone who could control everything.

“Jack, I need money. Lots of it,” her voice wavered, cracking a bit. “And I don’t expect you to understand but I did something... something that I’m not proud of.” And then soft tears began softly rolling down her cheeks when he still didn’t answer. Emily became angry. “But of course this is what you want, isn’t it? You want people at your door, begging you for help so that you can have all the power.”

She stopped knocking and instead sat on the floor, facing away from the door. She thought she heard a chair move. Emily focused more on wiping away what tears had spilt.

“But what would you know about sacrifice?” Emily half-spit, half-whispered. “What have you lost but a stupid business and people to boss around?” She clenched her left hand.

And then she heard the door creak open.

After Emily finished her morning routine, she fed the tiny thing. It was mostly brown on top but underneath was a gorgeous swath of cream and orange and brilliant blue. Even Adra, one of the few shopkeepers who sold songbirds, mourned the loss of such a pretty thing. “My best nightingale,” she’d sighed. “But fifteen glimmers is a fair price.”

All of her hard work and even having to deal with Jack came down to spending most of her savings on this bird. She had a few shards and splinters left, so she’d get by. But they had a meeting today. One that had taken Emily weeks to set up. If she missed it, she’d cook the damn bird and ask Adra for a refund.

“Come along then, dear,” Emily placed a dark swath of cloth over the copper cage which sported a few streaks of vibrant green. “You are very important for this trip. Aren’t you lucky?”

She’d left St. Angus early enough, no one else would be up. She wanted no questions, knew that the old cage would creak in the silence. So, Emily and the bird left for the clock tower. Emily didn’t mind walking in the early hours--such that they were--in Obsian. A few of the glowing insects were still flying about, flitting about in such a way that made her impending task a tad more bearable.

It wasn’t that she felt nothing about this. These were desperate times and the boldest measures were often safest, more effective. From St. Angus to the clocktower, she walked the length of the river. Since yesterday, Emily had let the bird sing freely. It wasn’t fair for her to control it. Not in this situation. The poor thing was quiet now, thinking it time to sleep. Emily frowned.

Eventually, they reached the clock tower. Emily exerted no effort jumping and then teleporting up and up and up. Every no and then, she had to rest so she found something to hold onto but with one hand, it was preferable to reach the top sooner rather than later. Taking the stairs was out of the question as she didn’t trust the clockworkers and...whatever it was they did.

The top wasn’t that much safer though. She’d been told there was a large enough opening on the south side that she could use to get inside. As soon as her foot stepped in, it fell through was rotting wood. Her heart leapt into her throat but she breathed in and out, yanked her foot back. She tip-toed around the dilapidated beams and ducked underneath low-hanging chains. The large clock face from the other side was just as broken as it was on the other side--perpetually wrong and moving either too fast or too slow.

“Hey!” Emily hissed. “I’m here, just as we agreed.” She held up the cage but didn’t remove the cloth. “With the payment.”

From the shadows, a large cat slinked out. It sported a smart black and white coat, the colors evenly distributed fashionably. It wasn’t fat but rather lean and muscled as if it often climbed the stairs to the top on a regular basis. It regarded her, cocking its head to one side.

“An empress who fulfills her word,” it purred. “Quite unusual for a politician.”

They had met in the library some time back on one of her many trips. It refused to give her his name but had allowed her to call him Bodfree.He’d caught her attention in the very beginning by addressing her as empress. When she was taken aback, he’d acted as if were a fact of the world. “You carry yourself like one, speak like one, dress like one... fight like one who’s had everything taken from her and will do anything to get it back.”

But this meeting was about Obsian.

“I suspect that the Scarlett Queen, Madame, and the Ferryman are more fickle with their subjects but I strive for wisdom and justice.” Even to her own ears, it sounded slightly heavy-handed but Bodfree seemed convinced.

He padded over to her and sat down. “Well, make yourself comfortable. We’ll be here for a moment.” His tail flicked and he perked up one ear, as if hearing something. But then he relaxed. “Have you thought about what I said?”

She had. “If you can guarantee Wendy’s safety. She’s not like me--I’m faster, stronger, less likely to wear down as quickly. She’s got her dolls but that’s it.” Wendy had been her connection all along. It had been difficult to reconcile but not awful--being linked to Jack would have been awful.

Bodfree yawned. “Your connection’s safety should be the last thing on your mind.”

True. This plan was madness incarnate. But she was still connected and Emily wanted no responsibility in hurting the woman. “Be that as it may, it is on my mind.”

“Fine,” he yowled. “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.” His eyes flitted towards the cage. “May I see it?” His tail flicked wildly back and forth.

Emily rolled her eyes but uncovered the cage. The bird hopped up and down happily upon seeing her but froze when it heard Bodfree titter in excitement. His eyes glittered and his pupils became large.

“First, the map.” Emily held out one hand.

Bodfree sighed but complied, walking over to a pile of junk. He dug through and pulled out a piece of rolled parchment with his paw. Picking it up gingerly with his mouth and then dropping it in her hand. “You are mad, your Imperial Majesty.”

Emily flipped the door to the cage open and the bird didn’t dare move but Bodfree took great pleasure in spooking it to death. “The prison has something I want but I’m not going on there blind.”

Bodfree pawed at the bird some more, the nightingale shrieking in terror with its feathers fluffed in fright. “Going after the skull of the librarian are you?”

“That is the idea.”

“A empress regnant in prison,” marveled Bodfree. He hissed as the bird snapped at him. He pinned it down with claws extended. “Going after a pile of bones.”