150 Chapel Dweller

Silence reigned over the streets of Central Yharnam and the Cathedral Ward. Surgit had been busy since he came back and settled at Oedon Chapel with the rest of the refugees. There was the nun named Adella, Arianna the prostitute, the narrow minded man and the old rude lady.

The Chapel Dweller was ecstatic. He never expected the hunter to actually go and look for survivors. His appreciation for the hunter increased. His simple mind quickly accepted Surgit as his closest friend. Although he couldn't see what he looked like, the hunter's scent was engraved in his mind.

While he was thinking about that, he heard footsteps approaching. The hunter's scent entered his nostrils and he smiled. For an outsider looking at the dweller, they'd feel fear grip their heart. The beggar wasn't good looking. He didn't even look human. Apart from a mouth, nose and eyes, his other features had nothing human about them. His arms were as long as Surgit's legs. His hands could easily cover up all of Surgit's head. On top of that, his skin complexion was strange, charcoal grey. Surgit had never seen someone with such a skin color.

If the dweller could stand up, he would easily tower over Surgit. But he never stood up or left the place. When Surgit approached him, the dweller revealed a scary smile. His bright white eyes formed a great contrast with his skin complexion. With his large mouth and pointy teeth, he looked grotesque.

When Surgit saw the dweller's smile his eyes widened and his heart beat faster. 'This little fella looks exactly like the kidnappers of Yahar'gul.' If the dweller stood up and donned a grey robe instead of his red one, he'd definitely be mistaken for the kidnappers. 'How didn't I notice this before? After all those things gave me a hard time back then…'

Surgit was absorbed in thought. He even forgot what he came to ask the dweller about. The latter just sat there, patiently waiting for Surgit to speak. After sometime, Surgit cleared his throat. "How did you end up in this chapel anyway? You don't look like someone who's able to walk."

After getting back to the Chapel, Surgit started a little investigation around Yharnam. Surgit met sane people in Yharnam. That fact alone alleviated the pain and loneliness in his heart. But after he spent some time conversing with the people he brought over, he realized that something wasn't quite right about the city.

He'd met many people in Yharnam, but he was only able to convince a few of leaving their houses. He started getting very suspicious after he was met with refusal. Yharnamites didn't trust outsiders, Surgit knew that full well. He could clearly see that the people were running out of incense though and the chapel wasn't short on that at all.

His selfish desires drove him to knock on all doors and even clear the streets of all the beasts that roamed about. He was desperate to create a little community around him and regain a semblance of life. He hadn't forgotten about reaching Byrgenwerth, he just wanted to have a "home" to return to after a difficult hunt.

The dream was just an empty shell for him. He hadn't been there since he created his little community. "I've always been'ere." The dweller's voice reached Surgit's ears and brought him back from his daydreaming. Surgit asked the people he brought in about the dweller but none of them gave him a plausible answer.

The narrow minded man told him many things before; among them were ramblings regarding the dweller. The gist of it was that the dweller was a beggar with a murky past. In short no one knew where he came from. Surgit couldn't seem to get anything out of him though, no matter how many times he tried. It seemed like the blind guy didn't even know about his own past. The dweller would always give him vague answers like the one he just got.

Surgit sighed and was about to leave for Central Yharnam when he heard the strange gentle voice of the dweller. "I often get this… desire. A desire to help others." He spoke as if in a trance, even his accent was gone. "This place here is safe. Why not invite others to seek shelter?" a creepy laugh came after the question. That laugh alone would make anyone who met him suspicious.

"It feels like…" The dweller winced, as if in pain. Surgit felt like the strange creature struggled to speak. "like something… or someone…" The pain intensified and the poor creatures let out a soft moan. He went silent, and after a little while spoke again.

"Ahh, the hunter. Alive and well, at that! This place is a haven now, for so many. Thanks to you. I'm...overjoyed, really. That you'd even give me the time o' day! I don't suppose there's anybody out there worth savin' anymore. But you did all ya could, and so many owe you so much. Amazing, really. Not 'cause you're a hunter, but because you're you. Hee hee hee... "

'What the hell is wrong with this guy?' Surgit was shocked at the rapid change the dweller had just gone through. There was a trace of fear in his heart too. Not from the dweller, but from the pain he seemed to experience to let those words out. 'This chapel is safe, and no monster could come inside. If this one had any ideas he wouldn't be sitting inside here. There's something more sinister going on…'

Noticing Surgit's silence, the dweller spoke again. "Makes me think, once dawn breaks, maybe I can just, you know, start-over. Makes it easier to bear all o'this, you see? You've made life easier. Thank you."

Surgit's heart wrenched. He didn't know why but something inside made him feel extreme sadness. He faintly smiled at the dweller. "I'm just trying to get these people to a safe place, like you." With those words, Surgit turned around and made for the library downstairs. He had to visit Iosefka and Gilbert one last time before he headed to Byrgenwerth.

"Kind hunter… Please… save me…"Extreme pain was visible on the poor dweller's face. He couldn't fight it anymore. It felt like sharp needles drilled into his mind every time he tried to think of getting up or leaving the place.

He'd tried that many times but was always met with unbearable pain. He could barely remember that. His mind would always be wiped clean and he'd get back to his usual self after a while. Arianna looked at the poor creature with a sad smile on her face. She wanted to help, but she had enough on her plate as well. She couldn't be bothered with something beyond her comprehension.

Surgit turned around and looked at the dweller. He felt like the beggar had just spoken to him. 'Must be imagining things… this little guy isn't hiding anything. It feels like something is hiding in him instead. I just can't figure out what it is…' He sighed and went down towards Central Yharnam.

Once Surgit reached the entrance to Oedon tomb (where he fought Gascoigne before), he saw Eileen standing by the gate. He approached her and was about to speak when she put her index finger on her plague doctor mask. "Do not to go near the tomb below. Henryk, an old hunter, has gone mad. And he's my mark..."She spoke in a faint whispering voice. Surgit looked at the old woman with indifference in his eyes. "Need a hand?"