"Judgment": A Dishonored Fanfic

Chapter 1

Elaine was thoroughly relieved to finally step off the whaling vessel and onto dry land, even though it wasn't completely a safe haven. Almost anything was much preferred to spending one more second aboard a rickety old tub full of coarse whalers, even coarser booze, and buckets of blood and assorted viscera, the metallic smell of which still seemed to cling to her clothes and hair. No, this was her first and last journey on one, thank you.
She checked that all of her belongings were exactly where they should be, still stuffed into her handbag, backpack and one regular-sized travelling case, then she walked across the pier and away from the accursed thing as fast as she could manage while still trying to look moderately dignified. Ahead, someone was waiting for her, waving her over with a friendly arm.
"Miss!" He yelled. "Over here, m'lady."
A friendly, easy-going sort, Elaine guessed. He wore simple, serviceable clothes in shades of brown and green, with a white button shirt, brown shoes and brown tweed flat cap. His hair was silvered at the edges, and his face bore wrinkles fashioned part from being near the sea and part from honest toil. So as she got closer to the beckoning welcomer, she smiled warmly despite how much her arms were aching from the weight of her items.
"You were sent to meet me?" She inquired.
"That's right, ma'am." The gentleman nodded. "Samuel's the name, I'm a good friend of those at the castle. They're all very eager to see your ladyship, I might add."
She gave him another warm smile. "You're very kind, Samuel, but I'm afraid that I'm not a noblewoman. Nothing of the sort."
"T'aint always blood that makes one noble, milady." Samuel insisted. "There's an air 'bout someone. A grace they have, how they speak an' all, how polite they is. That weighs more here than how much gold or land you got." He then took her travel case.
What a dear fellow, she thought to herself.
"I'll bear that in mind." She beamed. "And thanks for your help with my luggage. Is it far to the castle?"
"Not really. Lot less further than you've come." With that, Samuel turned on his heels and began to lead the way towards his own humble little tug boat, moored over the opposite side. "I can assure you that this ain't no whaler, milady." He added. "Never had no fish in here at all, so you'll be right proper in this."
"...I'm glad. I'll never become a whaler, that's for sure."
"From what I heard, you don't need to. Once I've cast us off, I've got some tea in a flask that I can give ye. Bit chill this eve."
She easily made it over the step and onto the small vessel, and sure enough, was presented with a steaming cup barely a minute later after the chug of the boat's engines had pushed them clear of the pier's brine-stained boards.
Maybe this whole expedition wouldn't be so bad after all.

As far as official job descriptions went, she was moments away from being presented to the Child Empress as Miss Elaine Havisham, a studier in and expert of paranormal activity. She was also an expert on cultism and the arcane, and during her short lifespan of thirty years so far, had even delved into some areas of flora and fauna study. She'd been thoroughly bored while living at Tyvia, that was her usual humorous excuse. In truth, she had a voracious enthusiasm for wanting to learn about all manner of unusual things, oddities, phenomena, whatever they may be, and her expertise was rather well-known in many parts of the globe. The kid that had never grown up in her, had finally found its use.
And now, she had another challenge to unravel; that of the great plague that had befallen Dunwall and its poor folk. Vividly she remembered the tale of the tall, cloaked visage of one Corvo Attano arriving there a couple of weeks ago, on a mission to beg anyone and everyone for all possible aid in combatting the horrid menace. Elaine wished she'd found out about the visit sooner, but it couldn't have been helped. With all haste, she'd sent a letter to Empress Kaldwin and now, here she was, firmly on-board and hoping to succeed. Time was running out, after all.
Elaine already felt the pressure and the weight of responsibility resting on her shoulders, heavier than even her over-zealous packing for the trip, so she chattered to Samuel while the little boat chugged its way into the castle lock and was lifted with the patented waterway system that Dunwall was famous for inventing.
"I take my leave here, Miss Elaine." Samuel told her once the boat was almost at the top of the lock. "If you leave here and head straight, you'll soon run into whoever's gonna be waitin' for you from the castle. I've got a couple errands to run before I get near it, so take care."
"Hopefully I'll see you another time, then." Elaine offered. "You're a good man." She gave him a few coins as thanks.
He smiled and clutched them tightly. "Aye, I'll be about. Empress likes me to be, the others too. We all go way back. Goodness don't cost, but I'm still grateful to ye."