The beasts in this city are hideous and the danger that looms around every corner made Francis shake with fear. He was lucky to have Karla with him. She was the best warrior he had ever seen and he was honored to have her at his side. He still wondered why she didn’t abandon him, maybe out of sense of duty or because he was useful to her. In any case, he used her for protection and hoped to reach the Cathedral ward soon.

He was afraid that he wouldn’t find any live member of the church to administer blood to them though. This fear grew inside of him every time they encountered blood thirsty beasts. What he witnessed at the aqueducts horrified him to death. Starting from those tall monsters to the crawling corpses, there wasn’t a single safe place left in central Yharnam. The pressed on and reached the bridge that he had seen earlier. The voice from the tunnel beneath them still made him shiver at the thought of what laid there. Half a dozen corpses welcomed them at the bridge. “Stay on your guard Francis. I don’t like the look of this” Said Karla. She unsheathed her sword and walked slowly, pricking her ears for the slightest sign of ambush or attack. Then they saw him, at the top of the stairs which marked the end of the bridge, Paul was standing, brandishing his axe in the air.

“We finally meet, woman. I was dying to see you again and chop you to pieces” “We saw you running from that beast like a frightened little boy.” Replied Karla in a sarcastic tone. Francis repressed a laugh then looked fearfully at Karla. “Don’t worry old man, I’ll drag you along until you show me what you know of this so called healing church, but first,” he descended the stairs “We have a score to settle.”

Paul dashed towards Karla and kicked her in the stomach. She let out a painful cry as she gasped for air. He proceeded then to strike with his axe at her exposed head. Karla miraculously dodged that execution and retaliated with a quick jab behind Paul’s ear. Disoriented, Paul almost took Karla’s sword in his face. He barely managed to block with his weapon and threw her back, away from him. “You’re a nimble woman, but you’re no match for me. The blood from these beasts made me even stronger.”

Karla looked shocked at Paul’s statement, the latter punched her hard in the face throwing her backwards, rolling on the cobbled floor. She had lost her weapon, and Paul was standing on top of her. “Don’t worry I’m not going to kill you. I’ll just enjoy seeing you suffer, then leave you to die on your own.” He sheathed his axe and began hurling punches at Karla. Francis was horrified at what he saw. Paul had become worse than the beasts they have been fighting. Karla took the punches though without a single grunt. Annoyed at her perseverance, Paul took a hunting knife from his boots and put it on her neck “let’s see you keep calm after this” he said in a menacing voice.

He started by cutting her fingers, one by one, leaving them hanging only by a thread of skin. He went on to her chest and stomach and started making straight lines that ran from her upper chest towards her abdomen. Francis fell to the ground and covered his ears. Karla’s screams made him want to die and end this nightmare. To add salt to injury, the psychopathic Paul laughed hysterically every time he heard one of Karla’s howls. With the pommel of his knife, he proceeded to breaking her knees. The more she screamed the more he enjoyed himself.

“Ah, she passed out! Too bad, I wanted to have more fun with her” Said Paul in a placid voice. “You don’t even feel remorse for what you’ve done to her?” exclaimed Francis in a shaking voice. “Hahahaha, you mistake me for some lowly human like you, I just wanted to see her suffer as she made us run away earlier. No one humiliates me like-“

Francis watched with an open mouth as Paul’s head rolled down the ground. He was decapitated in one strike. “I hate this kind of scum. The poor woman, to die like this… Pitiful.” Francis saw a silhouette in front of him. He knew that it was a woman from her voice, but nothing from her garb could have suggested her gender.

She was wearing a long sleeved shirt with crow feathers covering the sleeves and the collar. She ironically was wearing a plague doctor’s mask and looked like a crow herself. She was all dressed in black and only her gray beak offered a change in color.

“Where are ya headed old man?” said the woman. “C-c-c-c-cathedral ward,” said Francis, he was shaking and frightened.” We want to meet someone from the healing church there.” “Well good luck findin’ anyone with their wits about ‘em.” She said and started giggling. “I cannot believe people are still searchin’ fer blood healin’ and miracles in this god forsaken city.” “You mean to tell me that the church is no longer operational?” Said Francis in shock. “I can still walk and talk, so there must be some more humans left in ‘ere. Go and find out.” “Can you save my friend please? I need her to reach the church.” “She’s gone. Ya shouldn’t worry about ‘er anymore. You should worry about the road you still have to go through.” Said the woman in a sarcastic tone. “Can you lead me there yourself then? I’ll reward you handsomely” “Not my business old man. Go through the cemetery over there and you’ll find your way towards the church.” She looked at him seriously and made a grotesque bow gesture “Fare thee well!”

The woman disappeared as she walked towards the area where he and Karla came from earlier. Francis sat there for a long time, looking with shock at Karla and Paul. He decided to stand up and check the graveyard the woman spoke about.

****

“Please Iosefka my friend doesn’t have much time to live. I really need to save her.” Surgit was back at the clinic and was knocking at the door from which he usually speaks to Iosefka. He heard footsteps approaching and was relieved to hear her voice. “What is it good hunter? What happened?” Iosefka was genuinely worried. “My friend is gravely injured and I need one of your vials to help her. I already used one on her but the damage she took was far too severe to save her with just one injection.” said Surgit, breathless. “Don’t panic, if you injected her already, she will have enough vitality to survive and wait for you to come back. Here, now go and save your friend.” She said as she handed him another one of her vials.

On his way back from the bridge towards Iosefka’s clinic, Surgit had discovered a shortcut leading directly to the secondary bridge and old graveyard. An elevator had to be activated from below and took Surgit on a plaza right behind Gilbert’s house. The door he had seen the first time he discovered the blue lamp next to Gilbert’s house was locked from the other side. By taking the elevator near the bridge, Surgit had access to the door from behind and unlocked it. He had now a faster way to get to the bridge and he ran as fast as he could to reach Karla.

“Here I got us some help” said Surgit as he reached for his pocket and drew Iosefka’s blood vial. “I told you I didn’t want the blood of those beasts in me” exclaimed Karla, still breathless. “It’s not taken from their blood, this from a doctor, she made it herself” replied Surgit and he made to inject her with the vial. “Ah you naïve thing, do you really believe everything people tell you?” Karla tried to push Surgit’s hand away but her strength failed her. “Well, forget it just inject the damn blood already.”

Surgit injected Karla with the syringe and they both watched as her tissues reconstructed and as her skin regained its pinkish color. Karla stood up and inspected her body. She retrieved her sword and gave it a few swings. “Well, their blood is as miraculous as ever” she said, although sounding a bit vexed. Noticing the tone of her voice, Surgit replied: “What? You would have preferred to die?” Karla took a deep breath and with a cold look replied.

“I saw how Paul became corrupted with the blood he had used on himself. You told me that he received a vial from you and it makes sense that the blood had made him lose his mind. Not that he was sane to begin with.” “But I’m not insane nor am I crazy from imbibing the blood of those beasts.” Voices chuckled inside Surgit’s head. “You should have seen yourself after you killed that huge giant. I could swear I saw your arm become something else for a brief moment”

She had touched a sensitive spot there. Even Surgit was scared of what he’d become. He still had many questions in mind he had no answers to. One more thing was bugging him though.

“What happened to Francis?” He looked at Karla with grave eyes. “I don’t know, I passed out from the pain and when I came to, I found Paul’s head next to mine” “Do you think he did it?” said Surgit, although the answer seemed clear in his mind. “The coward couldn’t even walk straight when Paul ambushed us here. I highly doubt it. He must have run off. As to the reason why Paul had been beheaded, I’m as puzzled as you are.” “You should take a rest. Take the elevator on the right from the end of this bridge. You’ll find a plaza there, I’ll go scout the place here and come back to you.”

Karla was indeed lacking strength and found the idea of taking a rest very welcome.

“Very well then, I’ll wait for you there.” And she disappeared in the distance.