Chapter III: Perdition...

With a sigh, I push open the doors, facing the cold evening air for the first time since my... joining. The breeze, soft, soothing yet strangely unnerving, meets my face as I proceed to retrace my steps through the graveyard in front of the clinic, pushing my way past the barred iron gates, and into the city proper. The last rays of the sun push their ways past the intricate design of the gothic rooftops of Yahrnam, adding a gentle shine to the filthy pavement tracing the path into the city. Layers of filth, broken down carriages and coffins, sealed as if to keep the dead in check, frame the path, and as soon as I proceeded, I could literally smell the nauseating odor of sweat and fresh blood from further into the city. Surpressing disgust, I pushed for a better vantage point, sneaking silently up a ladder towards one of the upper areas of the city... The place felt empty, cold, and almost hauntingly quiet, yet i made my way further, step by step...

As I proceeded, my eyes caught glimpse of what appeared to be a group of the same creatures that guided me inside that dream-like place from before, crawling one on top of another towards what appeared to be a small lamppost. An eerie, almost ethereal aura surrounded the strange object, its soft, ghastly purple light pulling at the inside of my mind, calling me closer, almost urging me to touch... Instinctively I reached forward, as the glow, apparently feeding on my very presence, brightened. As I leaned in to touch, my mind suffered a moment of darkness as I started envisioning in unnervingly vivid detail the image of the Dream... As I felt tethers pulling me further, I stepped away. Logical guessing marked the lamp itself as a sort of beacon, anchoring this...waking... world to the strange dream. yet I deemed it unfit to try to return. Instead, I pushed forward as my attention was drawn by yet another lamp, and as a voice called to me, I was caught off-guard.

"Are you a hunter?" The voice asked. Slightly confused, yet unable to sense any malignancy, I decided to take the opportunity to question the mysterious citizen about the city proper, as well as about the healing blood I was looking for at the beginning of my journey, now feeling like a distant memory... As the man, obviously confused, suggested pushing towards the cathedral ward, home of the Healing Church, I couldn't help but feel like I had forgotten something important... The more I tried to focus on the thought, the more it seemed as if it eluded me further, and as such I put it away for the moment, making a mental reminder to think about it further once i have managed to proceed deeper into the city... Politely thanking the man, I made my way further down a cobblestone path leading downwards, to my right. With each step, I caught onto more and more voices, whispers and screams both, together with the sound of footsteps and the clank of metal hitting metal. Remembering the little I objectively knew, the same familiar scent of sweat and blood filled the air...

The thought was cut short as my attention was caught by a loud THUMP. What appeared to be a man, dirty and slightly malnourished, if not outright malformed, charged me wildly, swinging a rusted cleaver. The weapon, unfit for proper combat yet nevertheless dangerous, forced me to sidestep as i lifted my bladed cane, ready to riposte. The man, while apparently insane, was lacking in finesse as he flailed his arms wildly, yet I was faster... Switching the grip on my cane, I used the curved handle to catch the inner edge of the attacker's blade, flinging it out of his reach with a flick of the wrist. Surprised, the man pulled backwards with a grunt, yet it was too late... The cane's bladed edge sliced diagonally, severing several of the savage's arteries as he collapsed, lifeless, onto the filth below... Further steps were met by bright light, as I approached a nearby ledge... As if to confirm my earlier thoughts, the smell hit me again as my eye was drawn towards the convoy marching in the street below...

Dressed in ragged clothes and armed with tools best described as makeshift weapons, the street was crowded by what could only be described as a witch hunting mob... Torches and angry faces, contorted as if unnaturally, lead the charge, the dancing sparkles of the flames glittering on the edges of forks, axes and others as such... The air itself was brimming with hostility, as the mob walked slowly, scouting the side areas and the tiny walkways between the houses, as each brought more to the rallying group... Taking advantage of what appeared to be a decently guarded position, I started considering a plan of action. The mob, despite very probable inexperience with the use of proper weaponry and lacking in both finesse and tactics, compensated in sheer number. I was confident that facing the crowd would be trivial if it were not for its pure size, as I would be eventually surrounded. Further careful scouting revealed that several more members of the angry group, this time armed with rifles, lay resting against the walls or ledges, eyeing the surroundings, as the bulk of the horde gathered around what appeared to be a huge bonfire made up of the broken down carriages littering the streets. The decision left no place for argument; if I was to have any chance of success, a more careful approach would be preferable. Gathering several tiny stones nearby, I began tailing the crowd. Rolling first behind a nearby carriage, then another, i managed to close the distance to the first of the shooters... The man, dressed in a filthy coat and top hat, breath smelling of a mix of pungent blood and alcohol, lay alone in the filth, guarding the entrance to a set of stairs that appeared to lead to a ledge overseeing the bonfire. Quietly, I approached from behind, and quickly reached out, grabbing him by the mouth as I quickly slit his throat before he managed to attempt to struggle... A stab through the heart sealed the deal, as I pulled the corpse behind the carriage, making my way onto the ledge...

Proceeding slowly, I was charged from a nearby alley by two of the madmen wielding kitchen knives and sickles, yet I was prepared for the assault. Tension filled every muscle fiber in my body, as I let my reflexes take over and quickly cut down the two before their wild swings managed to connect. Crouching, I moved towards the other two that seemed to be patrolling the area. Monitoring them, I watched as one of the two, a tall slender figure with a ragged beard and long, tattered black coat, proceeded into a nearby alley, letting his companion take the lead. Following swiftly, I approached him as he pulled out his manhood, taking a leak in a dirty corner. In a flick of the blade in my hand, the careless assailant was now yet another filth decorating the city floor... With that taken care of, I proceeded to tail his companion, following with a quick beheading from the back.

Crouching behind a fence trailing the edge of the ledge I was on, I peeked carefully at the mob below. At least thirty men gathered around the fire, screaming obscenities related to outsiders and waving their weapons energetically, as several figures rallied the crowd. Random bits of dialogue echoed through the buzz, covering the evening atmosphere in sounds of violence... Taking in the surrounding area, I noticed on one of the carriages on the other side of the small clearing, one of the shooters... The man, squinting heavily with his gun drawn, scurried the surroundings with care... In the heat of the moment, I decided I could try to snipe him, thus leaving only one more to deal with. Pulling out my flintlock pistol, I extended my arm and took aim towards the head... the smell of blood and quicksilver filled the air as, with the slightest twitch on the trigger, a loud bang overwhelmed the cacophony as the bulled rippled, yet the trajectory failed to meet its target.

Shit... In a single moment two gunshots were heard as they hit the pavement in my direction. With killing intent, a string of angry, blood crazed fiends entered pursuit, climbing nearby obstacles while others charged straight for the stairs behind. Quick reloads marked several salves of fire to attempt to stave of the horde, as I tried to push myself into the side alleys, in a desperate struggle to form a beeline towards me, easing the pressure. As I dragged the mob towards the back alleys, a sharp pain shot through my left shoulder as a bullet rippled through my coat and flesh both. From a sidewalk, a rabid bloodhound charged, doing several sprinting zigzags as it finally leaped for my jugular. I narrowly avoided and punched it in the gut, causing it to tumble into a nearby wall. Recovering, the beast started barking menacingly, approaching carefully as the others pushed me further towards a corner... Another burst of pain erupted from my left shoulder, the warm rivulet of blood sliding under my sleeve, dripping from the tips of my fingers as I forced myself to bite through the pain and tighten the grasp on my pistol... The pain, though sharp, however, served a different purpose...

Another shot... The bullet flew and pierced through my top hat, sending it tumbling into the pit behind the fence preventing my fall... My mind, enclosed by a strange sense of familiarity, detached itself from the surrounding grimness of reality. In a second I remembered my origins, as the instinct behind years of training once again took over, as with the beast beforehand... Pulling further towards an edge, as to obscure the angle of the shooter behind the crowd, I brought my hand to my mouth and licked the blood pouring from under my wrist. A brief burst of confidence appeared, as I felt my pupils contract into slits yet again, image focusing to crystalline quality, as I felt with my fingers for the button hidden on the handle of my cane. Feeling it, I placed my finger ready and let tension flow yet again through my body, bending knees as I stood, poised to kill. Then the first of the group made a mistake... Unable to make himself wait any further, a bulky brute of the man charged at me with a butcher's knife, swinging wildly. I ducked and proceeded to let my arm whip forward, slicing through the man's hands, forcing him to drop the blade. Towards the side, the hound made another lunge for my throat, yet my reaction was faster... I grabbed for the collar of the man I cut earlier and pushed him towards the animal, sending both tumbling to the side. As the group gained courage and started their assault, I pressed the button. Disintegrating into itself, the Threaded Cane rearranged, dozens of tiny blades lining the steel string now replacing the straight edge. With a quick pirouette, I began the dance of death, whipping cut after cut into the assaulting horde... Slice after slice, I managed to give myself some room to breathe, as the hound attempted a third attack. Prepared from the inside of my swirling chain of death, I flicked up the hand holding the gun, the dog's lunge being met by a point black shot, silencing the animal for good. Whip after whip, I let myself be intoxicated by the pleasure of battle, the scent of fresh blood feeling my lungs, as if energizing me with each new body laying in the collective rubbish paving the city streets. Deep inside my mind I felt a pool, as if the collective sensation of the death of many was drawn inside my very core, their final thoughts serving to fuel my rage. The outer edges of the crowd started a slow, unsteady retreat, as the whirling torrent of blades mowed the front ranks, slowly pushing towards them. Attempted escape overwhelmed the survivors, yet my blade was sharper... A scream pierced the evening sky as the bladed whip wrapped around the neck of the final escapee...

Left alone, handling the shooters proved to be a nuisance at most. Further into the plaza past the bonfire, Thump after loud thump could be heard from the gates... A brutish, gargantuan creature, vaguely resembling an overgrown, hulking beast of a man, repeatedly smashed its bloody fists into the gates beside him. Noticing my approach, I was taken off guard as the monolithic beast charged, a leap faster than its size would lead one to believe possible, sending me tumbling into the wall. Another running attack came, yet this time I proved to be faster. Swinging what appeared to be a stone brick, the wide arching move left the gargantuan man wide open for an attack. Taking the chance, I used my blood to empty 3 blood bullets into the beasts chest, staggering him. In a moment of confusion, I lunged with a thrust for the heart, sending the beast to its knees... I was suddenly taken aback by the perseverance of the beast, which even though gravely wounded, forced itself back unto its knees, pushing from all four to attempt to stand. With a slight hesitation given by the painful reminder of the holes in my arm, I finished the job...

Upon the creature I found several flasks of a crimson substance with a pungent smell, appearing similar to the blood that was pumped into my veins as I received the transfusion back when I first arrived. Sniffing the now open bottle, I took a quick sip of the liquid, feeling a rapid return of strength... My body was hit by sharp pain as I felt my flesh literally tear into itself, my wounds tightening, greatly diminishing the bleeding... With slow steps, caused by fatigue and loss of blood, yet pushed by determination, I forced myself further into the city, onto a nearby bridge which apparently led into the Cathedral Ward... Yet there, on the bridge, they stood... Black, bloodied fur glistening in the last rays of dusk, two huge wolf-like beasts patrolled on the bridge. In a moment, their sharply stopped in their tracks, sniffing the air loudly... I froze. I was tired and wounded more than I wanted to admit, and knew that in my current state, I couldn't take that level of brutality... My heart racing like crazy, I dashed and let myself slide as the two monsters lunged towards me, claws glistening as their eyes reflected ravenous, maddening bloodlust... Overwhelmed by instinct, I blindly charged into a nearby house, slicing my way through three surprised men, yet nevertheless armed, as I pushed down the stairs and out the front door, leading me into what appeared to be a damp back alley...

The area, while silent, reeked of puke, blood, rotting flesh and piss, marked here and there by old signs of depravity and struggle... The air was damp and stank of blood, mostly my own, as I allowed myself a moment of respite, after assuring myself I wasn't followed... Ripping a piece of cloth from my already tattered cloak, I quickly tied a tight, improvised tourniquet on my shoulder as I forced myself, step after painful step, in the only direction I could... A sigh of relief marked the moment I reached a gate with a lever nearby, as I realized my journey took me back through an accidental shortcut, to the lamp from before... Reaching my hand out towards its ethereal glow, I let my consciousness fade from reality, as I was pulled back into the dream...

Author's Note: Yes I ain't dead, nor have I forgotten the story... Life gave me a rougher period in my studies, and I found myself left with less time... That, combined with a loss of connection with the story itself due to time away from the Bloodborne world lead to a rather... slow update, for which I wish to apologize. Nevertheless, please enjoy, review and criticize, yet, if you will, humor me for a bit and leave in your reviews between who you think the romance will end up being... Also, as a small spoiler, Cleric Beast is coming next... Cya:*