43 What real horror sounds like

The image Francis and Surgit had painted to Karla regarding Yharnam was much more enchanting than the real thing. She thought of the job as an easy escort one. She didn't even think they would reach Yharnam as it was only considered a legend. She wasn't the kind to believe in legends and fairy tales. She was sure that they would wander around the sea for days until they decide that the city didn't exist after all.

When the Cathedral clock tower loomed large above the fog, Karla felt her hair stand on end. It looked like a bad premonition… Then came the cannon fire and all the deaths. She considered herself lucky. One can only have so much luck before it all runs out. She could have been anyone of the other bodyguards that died to the assault or the ones that were cut down by those two mercenaries.

She wished to meet one of those two. Her eyes chanced upon Paul running away from the towering beast when they arrived to help Surgit. She didn't pay him much attention at the time. But remembering how they took advantage of the commotion to shamelessly kill so many strong and valuable men… That was inexcusable.

They were lost in the city water canals. The place was a labyrinth. Francis had suddenly gone silent. He appeared to be deep in thought. Perhaps he regretted following the myth to find himself in a dangerous place. Karla knew that if she'd abandoned him, he would've sulked somewhere and awaited death. He was resourceful though, he could use his intellect to get them out of dire situations.

After they'd come down and away from the monster that could've ended them both, they found themselves in the city sewers. He had concluded that it was still the city canals, but the water had gone so bad that it looked and smelled awful. With his help, they managed to navigate through the maze while avoiding the traps that were supposed to catch the beasts that roamed down there.

They moved about, making little to no noise at all. They couldn't afford attracting any attention to them. The water had long gone still and mud had made it much more difficult to move. They looked for higher platforms to walk around and only used the canals when they had no other choice. They were walking in a dark area, the setting sun rays barely reached them. The tall buildings of Yharnam blocked the sun from ever reaching these lower parts.

"I pity the people who had to live in these parts," started Karla in an attempt to break the silence. Even though she didn't like Francis' monologues, she felt uneasy when he'd gone quiet. Francis looked at her startled "Come again?" he asked. He was definitely absorbed in some reverie.

After she repeated her sentence, he scrubbed his chin lightly and said: "Well I pity all the people who have to live through the horrors of this hunt…" he paused for a moment, showing signs of sadness and depression. "Why did we have to follow such a foolish dream? I never thought that we'd end up in a situation such as this one…" He was definitely questioning himself and everything he had ever believed in.

"Look old man," started Karla, putting on her most serious tone and face. "I know things haven't been up to your expectations. And I know you feel down about what happened so far," she quickly glanced at the pants he'd spoiled earlier. Her face twitched and she was grateful that the hood she wore concealed her smirk. "But we are on the right path, we'll soon be at the Cathedral Ward and from there, I'm sure we'll come across a church doctor or a hunter." She didn't believe in the words she spoke but she had to do something about his mood. She couldn't afford having him daydreaming like that. In that darkness, they needed to be alert. The smallest misstep might lead them to their demise. She wasn't willing to die in some dirty sewers.

Francis' face livened up a little. "I suppose you're right. We shouldn't give up yet. Let's press on." At that moment they heard a chilling scream in the distance. It was definitely in the sewers, but they couldn't make out its source. From where they stood, there were several branching paths. Francis had advised Karla to stay on the right. The sun's reflection on the buildings above guided them. They had to keep moving east in order to reach the bridge they had seen from the fountain plaza.

The screams chilled Karla to the bone. She looked at Francis and he was frozen with fear. It sounded like women screaming in unison. Karla knew that scream very well. She worked as a bodyguard for many wealthy families in the past. The women would scream at the smallest sign of threat. That sound usually irritated her, but in this town it scared the willies out of her. She knew that two sane women were in danger somewhere in this maze and that danger could come at them after.

"We should press on," she said in a cold tone. "We cannot help whoever is screaming over there, but we can avoid whatever came at them." She pulled Francis by the arm and started moving fast. His legs started moving only after he recovered from the shock he'd experienced. "Let's move!" she shouted at him, "We can't stay here or we're next!" She had to act selfishly. Yharnam was a brutal place. If the only action you're capable of is screaming then walking outside during such a night would be suicide.

The screams stopped and a howl reached their ears. Karla knew that it was a werewolf and quickened her pace. Those monsters were bad news. She knew she was no match for their speed and one mistake would get her killed. Dying in the sewers was bad, but being eaten by a werewolf in the sewers was worse. Another howl, then an agonizing cry was heard… then silence.

Karla stopped for a moment. She pondered quickly then pulled Francis and moved faster than before. The old man didn't even argue. He understood the gravity of the situation and he didn't even utter a word. They walked for a few steps, in fear and stress. Darkness was their biggest enemy in this case. Lycanthropes had excellent sight, especially in the dark. The women started screaming again. "What the?" muttered Francis. "I thought it was over for them." More moans and cries reached them from the other side of the canals. Karla winced every time she heard one of the women scream. "Oh lord!" gasped Francis. "It's eating them alive!"