Chapter 8: The Cainhurst Exile
Maria still remembered that fateful day, years ago, when she was almost thrown out of Byrgenwerth Academy. Were it not for Gehrman's friendship and arrangements, she would have been cast out, or worse, locked somewhere in a cell for fear of what she could do. Kiros, who would later be known as the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst had ran away with a vial of forbidden blood.
After his betrayal, the scholars turned on her; with only Gehrman taking her side and claiming Kiros was acting alone. The man had left the school in absolute chaos, killing five students, stealing an extremely valued vial of blood, and collapsing the narrow bridge back to Yharnam, making sure he couldn't be followed. It would take days for the path to be restored and she worked around the clock with Gehrman, and others, to make it so. She wanted to show everyone she was on their side and didn't deserve to be lumped together with this killer.
It was unfair of them to brand her as traitorous just because the man also hailed from her treacherous place of birth, but she understood why. She was there to learn; to enlighten herself and better mankind through science. Kiros wasn't. Yharnam and Cainhurst people were always at odds with each other, so the tolerance they had for her in the Academy quickly turned into distrust when another of her countrymen did something so wrong.
It wasn't easy for her to join Byrgenwerth and turn her back on her country. But after most of her direct family died, she felt like an impostor in the court. A noble imposter, invited to join only out of some old-fashioned birthright, for she was the Queen's twelfth cousin, seventh removed. Something that meant nothing at all to Maria or to Queen Annalise herself. In Cainhurst's medieval society, your status at Court is everything. The closer you are to the Queen, the more important you are. The further away you are, the less you matter. Maria's spot was the furthest away possible, yet she didn't care, she wanted out. She endeavoured to find a place where she could be valued for her mental and physical prowess not her blood. That place was Byrgenwerth, known as The Tomb of the Gods for its proximity to the Pthumerian Labyrinths. A place of learning where she also found a mentor and a friend in Gehrman.
This was a time when the Healing Blood was starting to be administered to the population. Against Provost Willem's express orders, Laurence was starting to heal people in the city. She didn't understand the reluctance of the school's master though. They had found this blood to be magnificent, to be capable of strengthening people to more than frail humans. She had studied it herself and found it to be magnificent. Although she despised her native land's own obsession with their own blood, she could sense this one was of a different kind. Better. Holy.
Cainhurst was dangerously close to Yharnam, and the castle itself was on the other side of the very same lake Byrgenwerth Academy overlooked. How could there not be tension? Where previously Cainhurst nobles were seen by the populace as something divine and pure, now they were turning to Byrgenwerth, after hearing of their miracle cure. The Queen couldn't be happy. In hindsight, it was naïve of everyone not to expect some kind of political manoeuvre to reposition Cainhurst as a dominant kingdom for the Yharnamites.
However, what was taken was not the Healing Blood, it was something else they found in the dark labyrinthic dungeon depths. If this was something she knew to be different, how could the Bloody Crow not know? Or had he done it on purpose? She thought she'd never see him again, but then she was called by Master Willem himself and asked to go to Cainhurst Castle and negotiate to bring back the stolen blood.
She did embark so, on a mission all alone. Taking a carriage from Yharnam, Maria was taken across the lake, across a giant old bridge that long symbolised the peace between the two powers and also the extent Yharnamites had to go through to reach Cainhurst. Although Gehrman offered and almost begged to accompany her, she refused him. More than once she was forced to say no to the man. She wanted to show her loyalty; to prove she still belonged at the most advanced Academy in the known world.
As Maria climbed down from the carriage that transported her, the freezing snowy Cainhurst weather welcomed her. She was still used to the cold, she even missed it sometimes.
She had announced herself beforehand, which meant the people of the Court definitely knew she was coming, yet no one was there to greet her. It had been a while since she had left so they were probably sizing her up. Odds are she was being watched by many eyes. Finally, she noticed a delegate was walking her way accompanied by two guards. An old man dressed in many luxurious coats who, after getting close to her, greeted her as a noble. Escorted by the delegate and the two armoured soldiers, she was directed to the throne room, where the Queen and King were waiting. Cainhurst was a Matriarchal society, much like Pthumeru in days long past. But there was also a King. In Cainhurst blood is an object of desire, not of worship. The Nobles of Cainhurst were elitist and aristocratic, enjoying form and elegance over strength or functionality. The kingdom also dealt with a few beasts from the dungeons down below, but the way of the Cainhurst Hunter was a mix of nostalgia and bombast. They took great pride in the blood-stained corpses of beasts that they left behind, confident that they would stand as examples of decadent art.
"Kneel" was the only word uttered in the filled but silent halls of the throne room as Maria entered the room. Everyone stared at her in silence, waiting for a reaction to the Queen's words. She could feel the eyes of the nobles she so despised staring at her, and yet she could recognize not a single one face. Annalise repeated: "Kneel" and so Maria did kneel, in front of the Queen and the King of her own country, as she did long ago.
Annalise extended her arm to Maria, who knew perfectly well what this meant. While Yharnamites partook of the blood through injection and transfusion, the nobles of Cainhurst seemed to drink it directly from the source, as Queen Annalise extended her wrist to the ones she deemed worthy of her inner circle and favour. Maria never dreamt she could be granted this honour; nor did she want it, but alas, she took the Queen's wrist and drank from it. The blood of the Cainhurst nobles was said to make them stronger, faster, harder to kill, but the Queen herself was said to be immortal; undead but undying. Her blood was the most special of all and Maria felt something inside her change as she drank it, but knew it had to be done if talks were to be had.
Even before any incursion into the old Pthumerian labyrinths, Cainhurst was a society of blood. Drinking the blood of a noble was the same as becoming of noble blood yourself. And what nobler blood is there, than the immortal Queen's said to come from a long line lost to time itself? Even the weapons in Cainhurst were coated in blood. The infamous blood blades, often imbued with the blood of the user, who could manipulate it to greatly increase effectiveness, damage and range. Before training with Gehrman, Maria learned of these techniques, but was always disgusted by them, and abandoned them when she moved on from the kingdom.
"Cainhurst welcomes its noble daughter! What brings you back young scholar?" asked the King. King Godfrey dressed in a noble gold and blue garment and often let the Queen do all the talking. On his head rested a beautiful crown known as the most important jewel in whole realm. The Queen, however, held no crown; she meant never to be held down by the material world. Her status needed no symbol, for she was the eternally living monarch of Cainhurst, successor of the Old Blood. She was the most important symbol herself. Beloved by her citizens and trusted by the court, she was known as a dominant woman who thrived on overpowering her opponents and asserting herself superior.
"It's an honour to be welcomed back to this Court, your highnesses! I only wish it was under better circumstances…" said Maria humbly, bowing her head. "Sacred Blood was stolen from Byrgenwerth Academy by a Cainhurst man, Your Grace, I came to retrieve it…"
The Court all laughed, as Kiros, the Bloody Crow made himself known, stepping out of the crowd and closer to the Queen. He stood and smiled at the kneeling Maria.
Annalise smiled with glee: "Any chance you could point to the culprit of this crime you speak of?" she asks as the Bloody Crow stifles a laugh.
"It was Kiros, Your Grace, the man standing next to you", Maria knew she was being toyed with, but what could she do? Take it back by force, by herself in a Court full of Knights? She had to play dumb and hope the Queen saw reason.
"Why, this is a grave accusation, I am of a mind to have you produce proof right this second, lest you are accused of slander yourself!" Annalise said in a joking fashion.
"He murdered five scholars, Your Highness, he was seen by two others destroying the bridge to Cainhurst!" pleaded Maria.
"So, a thief, a murdered and a terrorist, my, oh my. These are grave accusations… What do you say in your defense, Kiros?" asked Annalise.
"All true!" yelled the man with a laugh. The entire Court laughed as well.
Maria looked at the Queen and the King, hoping for a reaction. It is Annalise who speaks.
"Congratulations, young Scholar! Your mission is successful! You just got what you came for… That Blood is now a part of me. Did you not feel it in you? Did you not feel the strength of your so called Cursed Blood as you drank it from my wrist?"
Maria took her hand to her mouth in shock. Drinking the Queen's blood was always considered the highest honour of Cainhurst; how could she know to expect such a development? Had the Queen defiled her own sacred blood for the promise of power?
The Byrgenwerth scholar tried to vomit, putting her hand in her mouth, but nothing came out. Instead the royal guards pointed their spears at her.
"You dare refuse our gift in this lowliest of ways? Such impudence!" interjects the Queen, "Men, give this arrogant fool a good beating and throw her out of the castle, let her walk herself back to Yharnam! Perhaps it'll help cool her off…" The entire Court laughed again.
Maria didn't know what to do to be able to complete her mission now, but she decided she at least needed justice for her slain comrades. She stood up and stared down at the Monarchs ahead of her. "You have won", she started, "you tricked me into partaking of this unholy communion. You humiliated me by turning me into a sinner alongside you. Now please, let me bring back the head of the traitor as a gesture of peace and goodwill towards Yharnam."
"What if I say no?" asked Annalise.
"I will not take no for an answer. What's done is done, but I will still seek justice!" retorted Maria, putting on a brave face.
The King stands, a tall and bulky man towering over anyone Maria had ever met, probably almost reaching four metres. "You will do no such thing! This man is under our protection! Guards! Take her away, and don't forget her beating!"
Maria reached for her weapon threateningly, not drawing it yet. "Not one more step! I won't allow you to humiliate me any further!"
"You'd DARE draw your blade?! HERE?! You fool!" Annalise's voice echoes through the halls and sends a chill down Maria's spine.
The King signals the guards again and they strike at Maria with their spears and swords, a big commotion is heard amongst the people of the Court, some eager to watch, others scared about a possible fight breaking out.
Maria's fighting skills were not famous in Cainhurst, so the guards attacked without any worries, to them she was a noble-born Scholar without any idea of how to fight. Sure, she had a sword at her side, but in Cainhurst, mostly every noble did. The first guard to attack tried to stab her in the leg, for he knew better than to kill a guest when the order was for a beating. Maria, however, easily dodged back, then stepped on the tip on his sword, pinning it on the ground.
"What are you doing?" asked the guard panicking, "C-come along quietly!"
"Think again, asshole!" With a swift taunt and an even swifter kick to the face, Maria sent the guard flying into a group of three other guards, knocking him out immediately.
At 1.90m Maria was taller than most men, which means Maria towered over all the guards trying to grab her; and that gave them pause. Most men in Cainhurst were very stuck in their medieval ways and couldn't reconcile her stature and recently displayed strength with their image of a noble woman, who typically dedicated her life to running the house or managing servants; usually only learning embroidery, scrapbooking or singing, and dedicating most of their time to reading novels or poetry. How then, could this woman have just dodged and kicked a guard for metres with minimal effort?
Annalise grew restless and rested her head on her hand, tilting it: "Do your jobs! Grab her and throw her out right this second!"
Maria didn't wait for their next move, she dashed for another group of guards and without ever drawing her weapon, started fighting them. She kicked one in his stomach sending him flying into a bunch of screaming nobles. Then, spinning in the hair, she roundhouse kicked another who was sent with an even greater strength into a group of five who all fell down. A third tried attacking her with a spear again, but she repeated her previous move, stepping on the spear, but this time running up it and doing a vertical loop kick who actually had so much force behind it the guy almost hit the very high ceilings of the Court Room. A kick to the face here, a kick to the testicles there, Maria made her way through 23 heavily armoured guards without ever drawing her weapon. By then, most nobles had vacated the premises in fear of being hit with any more collateral damage.
All of this display was aggravating both the King and the Queen, which prompted the King to stand again and stare Maria down. She stopped moving as did everyone else. At that time the man who would become the Bloody Crow moved and swiped his blade at her, which she again dodged, but then she also saw the King move, charging at her with no weapon, readying a fist with full force. The King was the only man taller than Maria in that entire room, and he was also much, much bulkier, almost built like a tank. Maria dodged another attack from the Crow, then another, realizing too late he made her dodge right where the King was charging; she had no time to dodge him anymore. Drawing her Rakuyo's long blade from its sheathe to defend and help her withstand his punch, she braced for the impact. It didn't help much. The King's punch had his full force and rage behind it, sending Maria flying against the closed doors of the Court which broke open due to the power of the blow. Maria spit blood as she laid down on the stairs leading to the room and saw the King approach those stairs, although he stopped at the threshold. She couldn't move, her body was shutting down from the force of his extreme punch. The Bloody Crow approached him, as did Annalise and a bunch of guards.
"Let me finish her off for you, sir!" begged the Crow.
"No." replied Annalise. "You are not to kill a noble of Cainhurst in the Court House stairs. My order stands. Cast her out and give her a beating she'll never forget, make her walk back to Yharnam!" She then address Maria, who was still lying on the floor, grasping her Rakuyo. "From this day on, I exile you, Lady Maria of Cainhurst. Let it be known, the only reason you still draw breath is your noble Cainhurst blood."
As the Queen spoke, the guards ran towards Maria and started kicking her, she couldn't even begin to try fighting back as she was dragged out of the castle and into the wintery night of Cainhurst. Annalise's last words to her ringing for many years in her head: "If you ever return, you'll be greeted only by death!"
A beating she took, as about ten soldiers hit her with their sheathed weapons, proceeding to kicking her while she laid on the floor. The cold air hurting her almost as much as their brutality and humiliation. They hit her while she was on the ground, they stepped on her hands, they kicked her ribs, definitely breaking some, and when they were finished venting their anger after her martial prowess had emaciated all of them, they spit on her and left. As she tried getting up and collecting her Rakuyo, she saw Kiros looking at her from the Castle's entrance. She could definitely tell it was him, and she imagined him smiling, but the blizzard was too strong and she was too weak to see or do anything else.
Maria rose and endured the chilling cold as she walked the entire path of the bridge back to Yharnam. Her ribs were cracked, she felt her lips dry and splattered with frozen blood, her strength was fading, but she never let up. A carriage passed by her, coming from the direction of Cainhurst, and as it passed, it splashed cold water on her, which froze her up even more as her soaking wet clothes and skin were hit by the blizzard and froze creating a thin layer of ice. Every move she took felt like her limbs were made of glass, grinding and breaking; it was a sound she'd never forget. She would never again would she miss the cold weather of her birthplace. Somehow making it back across the bridge, Maria didn't know how she mustered the strength to survive and not pass out before reaching Yharnam. She collapsed by the entrance of Hemwick Lane and the population there nursed her back to health for what felt like weeks. They were simple Yharnamites who lived outside the city and kept to themselves, however, their gentle and caring nature was what saved the banished noblewoman of Cainhurst.
When she was finally able to, she hitched a ride back to the city and there took a carriage to Byrgenwerth. It was strange being back to a place that distrusted her after also being exiled from her homeland. Suddenly Maria felt like she no longer belonged anywhere and that her feeling of home was forever lost. Indeed most of the scholars didn't welcome her back with open arms, although Gehrman and Laurence did; being the ones of took better care of her as she was still nursing her wounds. Gehrman in particular showed a side of him he had never shown before, when she returned, hugging her for the first time and even letting out a tear. "I thought you were dead!" he said back then. She tried to look strong but he could tell the journey had changed her. Master Willem, on the other hand, cared much more about hearing her tale. Apparently she was thought by most everyone to have deserted the school as well, after being gone for so long, and another messenger was sent with the same mission as her. The messenger's body had, however, been returned to the school cut to pieces and drained of blood; knives stuck in his eyes.
"She drank the blood", told Maria as all the school listened and Gehrman checked her ribs for lingering damage, "and then they all drank her blood." The scholars gasped. The vile, impure blood had not only been consumed, but shared around like a common wine. They rushed to declare this a most vile act; an act that gave birth to the name Vilebloods. Maria would never share with anyone else that she also partook in the blood and hoped there would be no side effects if this happened only that one time. She didn't want anyone to distrust her even more as she would be completely homeless if they did.
Maria was always eager to learn and investigate. The ascension of mankind from mere fragile beings to something far greater was a goal of Byrgenwerth she always wanted to be a part of. However, her mind drifted off ever more than before. She had flashes of her Queen's bloody wrist; of the soldiers kicking her while she was already down of the floor; of the Bloody Crow's laughing confession; of the cold, Cainhurst air, freezing her veins as it entered her wounds; of her limbs feeling they could actually break off every time she took another step in that newly restored bridge. The trauma from that day would never leave her again. The trauma she would have never felt, were it not for the Bloody Crow's betrayal.
When Laurence split from Byrgenwerth weeks later, many people joined him to go to Yharnam and help the population there. Maria didn't know if this was indeed the right thing to do. Master Willem's pursuit of ascension through understanding always felt nobler, but she couldn't stand the eyes and the distrust lingering in Byrgenwerth, so she left and joined Laurence's new Healing Church as a founding member and scholar. She would take no title of Vicar, for she refused to profess anything related to the Church. Maria was there to learn, not indoctrinate. She would now seek ascension through the use of Healing Blood, even if blood itself had come to disgust her more than ever before.
The Schism wasn't born of the traitorous action of the Bloody Crow, but was helped by it. Maria's last day at the Academy was the last time she had seen Master Willem. She knew the Schism felt like an inevitability to Laurence, but still pained him deeply. However, Willem and Laurence were no longer able to see eye to eye. Without distrust and dissention, maybe both sides would have been able to keep their convictions and still work together more than in simply sharing some occasional bits of information. Even Gehrman, she felt, was pained by the split, but decided to follow Laurence to Yharnam when she told him she was leaving alongside him.
As time went by, tales of Vilebloods started to spread throughout Yharnam, and a great guilt invaded Maria every single time she heard that name; Vileblood. Vileblood Hunters started hunting Yharnam Hunters to present their strong blood to their Queen, as an offering, and the town saw them more and more as bogeymen. Among those was Kiros, who would become so infamous and well known for his malice and distinct Crowfeather cape that he gained the nickname The Bloody Crow. He enjoyed the name; he had adopted the Crowfeather cape as a symbol, meant to symbolize sky burial. He didn't just want to leave the corpses of his mangled enemies behind, he meant for his adversaries to know their bodies would be left to the wind and the sun, to be excarnated by the crows and never be able to receive a proper burial.
As much as she tried, Maria never again lived without fear of her own self and the blood techniques she had learned as a noble of Cainhurst. She was one of the bogeyman and that bothered her immensely, even if no one but her knew.
As one of, if not the top academic in Laurence's employ, Maria eventually took over the Research Hall of the Upper Cathedral Ward, where her biggest comfort was a garden of Lumenflowers she had planted. Little by little she moved her office to the top of the Hall's Clocktower, and even started living there for days and days, without ever going back to her actual house in the Lower Cathedral Ward. In time, she became known inside the Healing Church as Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower.