The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 35

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"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown" - H.P Lovecraft

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"Fear the old blood" - From an experienced master to his ambitious student.

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"Master Willem, I've come to bid you farewell."

"Oh, I know. I know. You think now to betray me.", said Willem to his student Laurence. Laurence has always been valued by Willem. To the point, where he would see his departure as a form of betrayal.

"No, but you will never listen.", this is a point where the views of the student and the master differs. Master Willem feared the old blood and believed in using insight and knowledge to ascend to the realm of the old ones.

Laurence on the other hand, believe that they should study the remaining blood of the old ones to ascend and evolve further. He believed in the power of blood.

"I tell you I will not forget our adage."

"... We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open ..."

"Fear the old blood ... I must take my leave."

"Fear the old blood. By the gods, fear it, Laurence."

And so, Laurence left Byrgenwerth with a small group of rebels. They would then go on the form the Healing Church.

Willen simply remained at Byrgenwerth and attempts to elevate his thoughts to a higher plane.

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[Marco POV]

"Byrgenwerth ... I must go to Byrgenwerth for answers." He found himself to be mistaken. Very mistaken. He thought himself to be sinful.

But the gods that the church was worshipping was far mor sinister. He had already escaped from the church. He was not as strong as Fabrizo but escaping from mere scholars was no problem for him.

While going around in the church, he came across a letter.

"Master Willem was right. Evolution without courage will be the ruin of our race."

Everyone in Yharnam knew of Willem. But only a few might know who the owner of his letter was.

"Master Laurence.", he spoke to himself. The founder of the church. Although, he appears to be cut out from the main duties of the church.

He was naive. The church who controlled the entirety of Yharnam is destined to never be simple.

He knew that Laurence was once a student in Byrgenwerth. According to what he learned; they are not merely trying to live forever. They were trying to ascend.

"How old is Master Willem anyway?", he thought to himself. Master Willem had been old when the Church was founded. It have been a few centuries yet he still lives.

Both Marco and Fabrizo merely learned how to read and write. "Fabrizo might know more about this.", he thought to himself.

According to how the church operates, he found it strange that the church would care about his 'little sins'.

Just as he was about to leave, he found a Church giant. 'Damn it!', he thought to himself once again. Church giants were giant men that guarded the Church.

They were fairly weak. But the problem was that other people in the church would immediately gather.

Another problem was that he had no weapons at the moment. But it was too late to get away now that the giant has spotted him. He had to kill the giant with his bare hands to proceed.

The giant brought down his axe. He managed to dodge it easily as it was slow. He gathered all his strength in his foot and kicked its knees. He shattered its kneecaps which made it kneel.

He then grasped its arms and break it so that it could no longer make a move. Grabbing its hat, he then punched it in the throat several times.

The giant didn't even hit him before dying. But the blow that he dodged had created a noise that could have been mistaken for an earthquake.

And now, two other guards were coming towards him with their staffs. Now, the entire church was alerted of his movements. He grabbed a random stick on the ground and mauled one of them.

The other tried to hit him. He didn't have enough time to take the stick out of the first man. So, he took the staff from the injured man and smashed it in the side of his head after dodging the blow from the guard.

The staff broke and man rendered unconscious. He could hear other guards heading in his direction.

He was still in his lab clothing. So, he stripped the man of his clothes and ran away. He did not forget to take the intact staff of the other guard with him too.

The journey to Byrgenwerth is going to be a long one.

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[A few weeks later]

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Marco hated swamps. He loathed their very existence alongside the inhabitants withing. He hated the birds with dog heads and the dogs with bird heads.

He never knew the scourge of the beast to be this bad. It must have affected animals too.

On his way to Byrgenwerth, he managed to get some proper gear.

A top hat, which is the common theme in all of Yharnam, a fashionable trench coat, an elegant stick, and a firearm. He had no trick weapons as of this moment, but a sword does fine.

One might think that he was weak, but he never forgot his practices with Gehrman, not even after joining the church and becoming a 'doctor'.

He was still weak in experience but his fight with beasts on his journey to the school had not been in vain.

He finally stepped into Byrgenwerth. It was surrounded by lakes and great forests. It was an enormous place.

He slowly walked towards the lake where he saw an old man sitting in a rocking chair. He looks more like a pope in a church.

But Marco knew better. All of Yharnam knew this old man in a rocking chair looking at the lake.

"Although you may be as good as one, you are no hunter. Why have you come here stranger?"

"Master Willem, I came here seeking for the great old ones."

This caused him to look at him. One does not simply come here demanding for an audience with the gods.

"What might cause a man to seek them?"

"I wish to hunt them."

He said nothing and simply pointed at the lake. It looks like he no longer wished to speak to a man with a death wish.

But Marco understood that under that lake lies a great old one. He is weak for now. He will have to gather as much blood as he can to strengthen himself before hunting them down.

He will then take ownership of the old blood. He must become a great old one to revive his family. Everything can come after else as he will then have unlimited power.

Seek power and the rest will follow. He will use their blood against them. He now knows their location. All he now has to do is get stronger.

He didn't even bother to greet Master Willem and set off to find everything that will strengthen him, whether it be tools, runes, insight or blood. He only had to be stronger.

He will then, hunt them down like the beasts they are.