Fear the old blood

I awoke with a jolt, sitting up in bed. I grab my head, as a headache took over me. The dream I just had seemed too … real. It was if I actually had somehow managed to be teleported to a world of technicolor horses. As my body wakes up, I begin to arise from my bed to get dressed. After all, Master Wilhem said that today’s expedition would finally prove his theory of ascension.

“ah, Laurence. Look who finally decided to regain consciousness.I was worried I had hit you over the head to hard when you refused to go rest.”
I chuckle at master Wilhem’s jape.
“What can I say. I can hardly put down a good book.”
As the other students begin to arrive, I notice something strange. Many of them had some sort of gardening tool, or weapon. I understood Gehrman, since he did lawn keeping after lectures,but the other students made no sense. For some reason Micolash brought what appeared to be a metal laundry hamper. After quickly shushing them, master Wilhem began his lecture.

“Students of byrgenwyrth. By now, you are all wondering why I have gathered you, and why I told you to bring these strange objects. I can see that some of you decided to bring, let’s just say…unique equipment for today. And there is a good reason. For just yesterday, we have evidence that a great one has washed up on the shore of a local fishing hamlet. Or at least, it’s corpse. After washing up, however, things started to go wrong.”

“ Strange beasts have appeared along side the corpse, and it is believed that they slaughtered the townsfolk. This is the reason you brought these tools. To fend for yourself. However, I will also be ensuring that you are not unprotected, as I am also sending the tomb prospectors with you. As you know, the tombs are dangerous, and thus, the tomb prospectors have been trained in combat. They will be ensuring your protection while you search for evidence of ascension. Search the cranial cavities of the creatures for eyes, and make sure that you alway have at least one tomb prospector nearby. I do not want any innocent humans getting hurt.”

It was a nightmare. The hamlet was in flames, and the smell of burning corpses filled my nose. Most of the students look on in disgust as the tomb prospectors killed the creatures in ways so brutal, that the Spanish Inquisition seemed to be a group of gentle masseuses. They tore open their heads, and stuck their hands into the grey matter, seeing if they could find any eyes. Even Gehrman, who I know for a fact had to slaughter animals on his parents farm, looked on in horror. Even if they were mindless monsters, did they deserve to be violated in such a way?

After the village came the shoreline, in which a creature that had resided within the corpse was slain. It had looked so scared, as if it wasn’t a monster. As if… it had just been born.
“what have you done!”
We all turned around, surprised to see one of the creatures. Had it just spoke?!” We have done nothing, and yet you burn our homes, kill us, defile our bodies, and then kill the poor, orphaned child of the great one we worshipped?! You shall know the pain we have suffered, one way or another. Curse you fiends, your children too. AND YOUR CHILDREN, FOREVER TRUE! A BOTTOMLESS CURSE, A BOTTOMLESS SEA, PUNISHING ALL THOSE THAT ARE, AND WILL BE!”

I awoke with a start. I had been dreaming about the hamlet again. As I get out of bed, one of the stewards opened the door.
“Vicar Laurence, are you alright?”
As I catch my breath, I look to the young boy.
“Yes my child, just a nightmare. Thank you for checking up on me, may the good blood guide you.”
As he shuts the door, I sigh, and get dressed. I shall start my duties early today.

As the day progresses, nothing of not happened. A ceremony here, a blood transfusion there, and a bit of politics sprinkled in. However, as the sun set, things changed.
“The moon is red? What tidings does this bring?”
“Sir!”
A hunter, Valtr the constable, master of the league, enters my office. He is one of the few higher ranks in the church I trust.
“Is everything alright, confederate Valtr?”
“No, it is not! In fact, EVERYTHING is wrong!”

“Calm down, old friend what is happening?”
“Beast activity has skyrocketed. Not only that, but many seem to be infested with vermin, making them more aggressive. We have lost all contact with the holy blades as well.”
My eyes shrunk at the news. The holy blades were another group of hunters, much like the confederates, and the best in the church. Their leader was another person I trusted, so I began to worry.

“What of Ludwig? Surely no beast could take him down, with him having the holy moonlight blade and all?”
“Thats just the thing. They found what was left of his horse, and an immense amount of blood.His backup blade and a piece of his cloak were found nearby We fear the worst. ”
I sit down in my chair, reeling in this news. Ludwig, the best hunter since the disappearance of Gehrman, and one of my best friends, was believed dead. Just what the hell is this blood moon?

After the news, Valtr escorts me to the grand cathedral, where many high ranking healing church members have decided to call an emergency meeting. As I arrive, many look worried, and even scared. Micolash is nowhere to be found, as usual, as well as the choir’s representative.
“I want to know everything that is happening out there, stat!”
“First off sir, it appears that this blood moon is speeding up the transformation process, and increasing their aggression. The people have began to show signs as well, becoming much more violent and snapping at anything they see.”

“This is dire news. What of the hunters?”
“The holy blades have gone completely missing, as well as many of the older hunters. The powder kegs were sent down to old Yharnam, and the black church hunters were sent to central Yharnam. The Madaras twins sealed off the forbidden woods, and the Yahargul hunters seem to be abducting yharnamites.”

“What about mensis, or the choir? Any words from them?”
“The choir has completely locked their doors, and the only word we have from mensis is a single letter saying that they succeeded.”
“Of course Micolash would be behind everything going to shit. Anything else I should know about?”
*bang*
The doors fly open, and a single, heavily wounded powder keg limps in.

“there were too many of them. Couldn’t do anything. Old Yharnam has fallen.”
Silence fills the air. Old Yharnam is where many of my friends lived, and is where I grew up. How could this happen?
“So what your saying is that not only have many good hunters, including my friend have gone missing, but my home town is now burning, my people are going mad, and half of my church has either abandoned trying to help, or are the reason this even happened?”

“Thats not all. We tried to use the water from the river down there to put out some of the fires, and get a drink, but we discovered something. There was a substance contaminating the water, making it flammable and extremely toxic. The river was poisoned.”
“Who would poison the river of old Yharnam?” That’s when it hit me. The ashen blood ailment. It all made sense now. Why nothing could cure it, and how it came out of nowhere. The church. My own damn church went behind my back, poisoned my homes water supply, and then sold them the solution, to help push the usage of the old blood. Ever since the beginning, my own church has been going behind my back.

Shortly after, another hunter runs in.
“Sir, why did you shut the gates to the cathedral ward? We can’t provide backup to the city!”
I was fuming.“WHO AUTHORIZED THE GATES BEING SHUT?!”
I could feel myself slipping. No matter what I did, the church always went against my wishes. Human experimentation, expelling my most trusted advisors to replace them with these corrupt fools, and now the abandonment of my people and the burning of my home town. What was the point of being the head of this church if no one obeyed me?

I had lost everything in one night. My friends, my people, my home, and my dream. With nothing left, I began to laugh. As others looked on in confusion and fear, my laughter became more deranged. My mind had snapped, and I had finally lost my humanity. That’s when the pain started. I could feel my flesh rip, and my bone break and regrow. My nails extended, and my skull burst open, allowing two antler to poke out. All the while, my mind slipped further and further away, until I was left as a passenger in my own body. But right before I began to tear into the terrified heads of the church, I heard a shout.
“ENOUGH! BEGONE NIGHTMARE, FROM THIS CREATURES MIND!”

I was now standing in a white void, confused. What had just happened? Where am I?
“I must apologize, Vicar Laurence. We did not know thy shared our pain.”
“The pain of not being respected. Of being a leader, but no one trusting you due to their own interests. The pain of being used by those you thought you could trust.”
“ The pain of finally letting go, and giving in to the darkness. And the pain of being forced to hurt others.”
“I guess we are kindred spirits, you and I. We have both made mistakes, and hurt others.”
And now, we must make up for it. Come, new friend. Let us take this journey of redemption together.”

As Luna held out her hoof, I gripped it, and brought her into a hug, which she gladly reciprocated. As the night went on, we continued to talk. I may have had another nightmare, and I may have a long way to go yet. But I know one thing. Even after the darkest of nights, the sun always rises. And I promise myself to cherish these new friends I have made, and the second chance I was given. For what makes us human is our ability to cherish others, and I will never make the mistake of throwing it away again.