Surrogate

Upon reaching the Grand Cathedral, Gehrman summoned two of his trusted hunters. "The lady is sick, take her to my workshop. I'll tend to her myself." The hunters obeyed and carried the ailing woman to the hunters' workshop.

"What's the meaning of this Gehrman? Haven't you just said that we'll proceed with the ritual?" Laurence asked on edge.

"Calm down Laurence, the lady is paramount to our ritual. Tonight, we will put an end to this damnable curse." Gehrman's eyes sparkled in the dark. "What this woman has told us. We cannot let it happen."

"What will you do with her then?" Karla asked. It was more out of curiosity than concern over the woman who had just tortured her.

"You go tend to her needs. I have matters to prepare," ordered Gehrman. The tone of his voice brook no argument.

"Laurence, we have a ritual to prepare. Summon your doctors. I'll get reports on the hunt." The old man disappeared into the night sky. Yharnam's buildings stood tall over him. 'A noble lady with ancient blood in her, tonight we shall find salvation.' Gehrman disappeared into the dark streets, looking for his trusted scouts.

Karla walked towards the tower in which the hunters' workshop was situated. She didn't encounter any beasts on the way. The Cathedral Ward was well guarded. It was the most prominent district in the city after all. She soon reached the workshop. The old wooden house, which stood out from Yharnam's general architectural designs, was surrounded with beautiful white flowers. Karla couldn't recognize the flower type. She could only stare at it with bewilderment.

"Don't tell the lady about what happened in Cainhurst," a hunter, who guarded the place, warned her.

"The lady is obviously in no mood for such news," Karla replied.

"Great, we don't want her to feel worse," the hunter said. He knew Karla. Her fame among the hunters increased after her last exploit near Hemwick. "We know she doesn't fancy the nobles at the castle but," the hunter leaned towards Karla, whispering. "To storm the castle at a time like this! They even destroyed the bridge that linked to the castle. No one knows of what's happening in there now."

"The lady must not hear of this. I'll take care of her while master tends to his affairs. He said he'd be back soon. He'll know what to do," Karla was shocked at the news. She hoped that the lady had some affection for her family. She'd take pleasure in seeing her suffer. The torture that woman had put her through was deeply engraved in her mind.

Karla got inside the wooden house. Lady Maria was placed on top of the sofa, opposite the fireplace. Karla sat on the armchair next to it and observed the feverous lady. She moaned as she clutched her stomach hard. 'One moment she was fine, the next she shrieked like a fox being skinned alive. This kind of pain is only Karma paying her back for what she did. I don't even know what kind of research she oversaw up there.'

"You must hate me," the lady said in a weak voice. Karla silently observed the ailing woman, not uttering a word. "You don't understand the sacrifices we had to make to reach these heights. The Healing Church, The Hunter's Order, all of it was but a dream. No one expected Gehrman and Master Willem's student to gain such power. But behind every successful endeavor, there is hard work. People only see the end result. They don't see how much one had to struggle to reach the top."

As the lady spoke, Karla thought of the mystery that surrounded Yharnam. Everything was shrouded in fog when she first arrived to the city. After she was sent to the past by that mysterious man, the fog cleared up a little. She was lucky, or unlucky, to end up in the Old Hunters' era.

"Don't you think that your actions, the cherished sacrifices you speak of so much, are the cause of Yharnam's demise?" she finally asked.

"That only proves your ignorance. We're working hard to save the people we serve, from a curse that threatens to end us all. Cainhurst has forgotten its duties ever since they discovered that vile blood. The people became their cattle. I could stomach it no more. So I left, to fight for a cause I believed in." Lady Maria spoke slowly. Her speech was interrupted by the pain her stomach cramps caused her.

"What are you fighting for then? I've seen men chase after impossible dreams, only to be mercilessly crushed later." Karla thought of Francis and Surgit. She saw Surgit die in front of her eyes. The man's eyes extinguished before he could make a move. She was certain that Francis had met the same fate.

"I fight for what all Byrgenwerth scholars have always dreamt of. We are weak. A insect can get into your nose and crawl its way into your insides. You'll die painfully, unable to fight the insignificant creature that caused your demise. We want humankind's transcendence. It is no simple matter, only by trampling the heavens could we hope to achieve that state."

"Which means you give yourself the right to slaughter a whole village, experiment on innocent humans; you proclaim yourselves the Gods of this world."

Lady Maria looked up at the woman sitting on the armchair in front of her. "Presumptuous bitch! You know nothing, yet you give yourself the right to judge us. Who's playing almighty now?"

"Enlighten me oh dear lady! I'm just a lowly woman, ignorant to your ways."

"Forget it," the lady laid down again. She was unable to stand or sit. The pain crippled her. No blood vials could ease her suffering.

"Gehrman tried everything on you. Medicine, blood vials, your pain doesn't subside. If you know so much then at least tell me what's happening to you."

"There's nothing more dangerous than someone who acts like they have nothing to lose," the lady started. "You hate us all, don't you?" Lady Maria asked to which Karla answered with silence and a dark look.

Lady Maria sighed. "I can feel a new life brewing inside me."

Karla's eyes widened. "What?"

"I can feel it writhing in my womb. It is not an ordinary child. I can feel it growing, sucking the life out of me."

Karla was speechless. She looked at the lady, her mouth agape. A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. A guard came it to announce the news. "My lady, a messenger had come bearing ill news. Old Yharnam had fallen to the beastly scourge. Master Gehrman is heading their way now."

Lady Maria dismissed the guard then stood up with great effort. "I feel powerless. The blood they injected me with was absorbed by the thing growing inside me. I fear this will be the end of me. You stay with me, Gehrman can take care of the matters in there."

Lady Maria looked at the silent Karla. The woman seemed to be absorbed in thought, holding her words back. "You wish to know how I managed to get pregnant. How I never showed signs of it before?" Karla nodded to the lady's question. "There's this legend in my family. The queen firmly believes it.

"They say that the blood of our ancestors that runs in our veins was chosen by the Great Ones long ago. They say that a woman can be blessed with immense power once chosen. But from what we saw of the old ruins of previous generations, that power was just a story to give people hope. I believed the royal family came up with the story to strengthen their claim on the throne. I was a woman of science. I believed in what we could prove. What I saw when I joined master Gehrman changed me."

Lady Maria clutched her lower mid-section, groaning. "You should lie down," Karla said. She got up and helped the lady get into a comfortable position, lying on her right side. "I never liked the hunters. The way they used blood from slaughtered prey disgusted me. Blood consumption changes people. It distorts reality, making them worse than the crazed fiends they fight. When I saw Gehrman and Laurence slaughter those praying people, my opinion of hunters only strengthened.

"I despise being a hunter. It's not that I act like I have nothing to lose. My life has been in turmoil ever since I made one mistake. I never asked for this. It was rather forced on me. I was a dead woman, if not for a hunter who saved my life with your cursed blood. I watched that hunter die, right in front of my eyes. That bastard made me watch before he opened up my stomach, or was it the other way around?

"It's funny how we can't seem to remember the details, just the thing we feel as we experience events in our life. That bastard might still be waiting for me there. Bring me my summons, he said. He only cared about a piece of paper, for that he slaughtered my friends in cold blood."

"Did you have a necklace with a lion sigil on it?" Lady Maria asked.

"How do you know?"

"It's my family's sigil. That item is an heirloom, distributed by the Queen. It says it can save someone's life. Given they can reach the altar of despair. The altar is deeply hidden here in Yharnam. Laurence never allowed me to see it or know of its location. He's a sly one that scholar.

"As for the chair, many people tried using it but none got a result from it. You were the first to ever have used it successfully. Perhaps it's got something to do with the state the city is in the future."

"Can I use it to get back?"

"In theory yes, you can try reaching it in the Upper Cathedral Ward. Laurence's quarters are in that mansion up top. He takes care of the orphans, trains them on the way of the church."

"And you're letting me go after all the torture you've put me through?"

"You could have told me what I needed to know. Your stubbornness brought it upon you. Gehrman will be back soon. Old Yharnam has fallen, I believe he'll purge the place and close it down. If it weren't for Djura, Gehrman would have done it long ago.

"Go to the Upper Cathedral Ward. Look for Laurence and tell him that I have important information about the crimson moon. I can feel death creeping on me. If Gehrman comes back and finds you here, you're a dead woman. He only kept you around to serve me while I suffer here. Perhaps he likes you too. You don't want the old man to strap you to a chair. What I did to you was mercy."

Karla felt chills run down her spine. "Thank you my lady. I will depart at once."

"That hunter who sent you here, what weapon did he use?" the lady asked.

"It was similar to yours. A sharp blade that whistled as it cut through the air."

"Beware of the vilebloods. Even with your current power you might not be a match for him. Their blood attacks are deadly. If they don't kill you, they'd poison you."

Karla nodded. She stood up, shot a last glance at the lady who lay on her side, clutching her stomach, then made for the door. At that moment, the guard got inside the wooden house again. "My lady, master has ordered all the hunters to guard the Cathedral Ward. The situation in Old Yharnam was hopeless. They torched the place and retreated here. Master is on his way."

"Very well," she answered. "You can leave us now." The hunter obeyed and left the room. His hurried footsteps could be heard climbing down the stairs towards the exit.

"Don't let Gehrman see you. Laurence will want to come here, but don't tell him yourself. He'll drag you here with him. Send a messenger and hide in the dark. The city is in turmoil. Use that opportunity to make your escape. The pendant had already been broken and merged with your body. You can use the chair as long as you think of the place you want to reach. Think of it clearly. You'll believe in magic when you consciously experience it."

With a wave of her hand, Lady Maria dismissed Karla. The woman happily obeyed and made for the door. The bad feeling she had when she set out for the fishing hamlet hadn't subsided. It only increased. 'Something bad is brewing in the darkness. I must hurry.' Karla left climbed up the tower towards the Upper Cathedral Ward. She soon reached the last floor where she stopped to take a look at the majestic city from above.

The view was breathtaking. The city's architecture was unique, unlike anything she had ever seen before. It soothed the soul but at the same time filled one heart with terror. The terror came from its scale, its high buildings that seemed to pierce the sky. This reminded Karla of the time she was trapped in Yahar'gul. The thought made her shudder. Down below, Karla saw Gehrman crossing the bridge towards the tower.

That bad feeling submerged her. 'What is this old man planning? What ritual is he preparing?'

Karla looked behind her. The Upper Cathedral Ward was behind her. The pregnant lady who tortured her was dying downstairs. From what she told her of the first hunter, the old man wasn't about to save her. She suspected that he was planning something bigger, something she could never have thought of. 'This is my only chance to understand what happened here. If I go back without knowing, I might as well have died to that hunter who opened me up.'

Karla followed the old man silently. She knew he'd be at the workshop. She kept her distance. She didn't want him to hear her approaching. As soon as she reached the tunnel leading to Gehrman's old wooden house, she took off her shoes and tiptoed towards the workshop. She took the blue liquid Dumb Jack had handed her and used it to get inside unseen.

Nimble Karla climbed up the large tree behind the house and sat there observing. Laurence reached the workshop a few minutes later. 'I could've crossed his path, trying to reach his quarters. It's a good thing I stayed behind.'

"Gehrman, the city's falling to the scourge. It's worse than we've ever experienced." Laurence was hysterical, shouting at the hunter who was supposed to protect their city.

"The red moon is upon us old friend. Beasts will roam the streets lest we put a stop to it." Gehrman's raspy voice reached Karla's ears. He didn't seem bothered with the events that plagued Yharnam.

"We do not have the cord Gehrman, what are we to do?"

"We wait," answered the old man. "The lady is with child. The legends of her family were true after all. She will give birth, and we'll use the child to summon her."

"Flora," said Laurence

"The night will end, and the blood will be purged. Laurence, once Flora descends upon us, I hope you know what it entails." Gehrman's tone was serious, Karla's heart tightened upon hearing those words. She didn't know why Gehrman's voice made her shiver.

"Yes old friend, I know. We'll put an end to this once and for all."

"You'll allow me time to bury the woman I care for," said Gehrman.

"I'll help you do it."

"No, I shall do it alone. It is my sin to carry. I never thought it would come to this." Gehrman's words only increased Karla's anxiety. 'What the hell are they planning?'