Iosefka had agreed to lend him another vial. She even answered some of his questions regarding blood healing. Apparently all beasts outside possess blood with healing capabilities. The blood though needs to be consumed right away or stored in special vials before it coagulates. Coagulated blood had no healing properties and old blood coagulates quickly after leaving the body. In short, Surgit had to collect blood from corpses before their blood goes bad. Iosefka had lent him an emergency kit containing some empty blood vials. He will be able to restore his injuries quite quickly but this will not cure any damage to his organs nor does it give him extra energy. So he’d need to rest from time to time to avoid exhaustion and he’d need to protect his vital organs.

He came back to the town square. The sight of the burning beasts still horrified him. The pounding on the door had stopped and only fire could be heard in this desolate place. He inspected the corpses of the snipers and managed to retrieve some bullets. When he crossed the archway towards the fountain, he saw two silhouettes and his entire body tensed up. It was Damien and Paul. Those two had looked down on him and he wondered if would be able to slice them in half this time around. Damien’s voice broke the silence: “Dear stranger, we mean you no harm.” They didn’t recognize him. He was a stranger to them right now. After all, his physical appearance had changed after the ministration. His clothes were but tatters after the previous fight and he was painted red with blood. They would have never expected that from him. “We would like to suggest a partnership. This town hides all manner of beasts. An alliance will increase our chance of survival” continued Damien. Paul was sitting on top of the troll’s corpse. They managed to kill him. They were also strong. Were they hunters? Surgit decided to keep his identity concealed and accept their request.

“Sure, safety in numbers and all that; just don’t get in my way.” He said, trying to sound confident. “Are you headed to the cathedral ward too? I’m Damien and this is Paul, we’re both seeking the healing church. We’ve had to travel a long way to come here.” “Why don’t we keep our personal stories to ourselves?” said Paul. He was definitely the shadier of the two. “I agree with the big guy” answered Surgit “I’d prefer it if we keep our focus on the beasts trying to kill us.”

Damien was definitely a talkative guy but looking at Paul’s stern eyes, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Paul didn’t trust Surgit but felt that he could use it to survive this terrifying place. From the square, the trio took the stairs up towards another street. Another patrol of three men-beasts with their dog were struck down before they even noticed what came at them. Surgit moved too fast for a human and Paul felt chills going down his spine as he watched the man fill some bottles with their blood. He threw two at them. ‘These have miraculous healing powers. Use them when you’re seriously injured.’ Paul looked at the bottle filled with blood and thought to himself ‘Are we becoming blood thirsty beasts here?’