Apocalypse Reset: My Crab Can Heal the World!

"I have long been...at odds, you can say. With a certain two vampires living in what was once Ordella. If you kill them, then it shall be as I said. I'll keep one hundred, and remain here. You can have the rest of my humans."

"That's all?" Osmond questions. His suspicions are high as ever.

Francois turns to face Osmond, her tongue rolling around her sharp teeth sensuously. "If he's offering more, who am I to say no? He he. Legendary heroes don't come around every day."

Barns hears her voice, but it sounds distant. His thoughts are blurry, his hands twitching.

"Barns. Barns, stop!"

He blinks. His foot is halfway off the ground. He hadn't even meant to move.

Francois' lips curl, staring at Barns' shaking leg. She decides to take the initiative and steps toward the hero.

"Francois!" Osmond belts out. "You take another step and the deal's off!"

Her foot steps off the dais and onto the same level as Barns, but she doesn't take another step. Instead, she sits on the side of the dais and giggles.

"Is this all you want, little brother?" Condescension rings through her every pointed word. "I know it can be hard, Osmond. Lacking control. Who are we all to defy fate, hm? To be human is to surrender control willingly. Something you and I have always lacked, my dear brother."

Her nostrils flare. "Though I think I should like to give it a try. Hmmm. All these years since the apocalypse. I thought it would be our heaven. But even paradise can grow stale. Don't you think, Osmond? You stand before me with a man bent on resetting the apocalypse. You must understand."

Osmond ponders her words as she draws her attention back to Barns. "If you stay here tonight, I can promise not to suck out your soul, hm hm. But I would like a little taste."

The hairs on the back of Barns' neck stand. He didn't know if he was mortified or aroused by the notion.

"Absolutely not," Osmond barks.

"Yes, fine," she says, giving up the fight. "What about my deal, little hero?"

"I can't in good faith leave one hundred humans to misery." It hurts him to refuse her. He's burning with desire to yield. "But I can't leave twenty thousand to that fate either. I'd like to make the deal, Francois. But how can I know you'll keep your end of the bargain?"

"Do you have a choice but to trust me?" A mischievous smile lights up her face and her pupils dilate. "I'll let you leave here with a little gift. A symbol of our new friendship. Would that put you at ease?"

Barns shifts again. The feeling of her eyes on him was dreadfully exhilarating. "Depends what the gift is, I guess."

Francois laughs loudly but as her candor slowly fades away so too does her voice, into a low, satisfied moan. Barns' brain is firing on all cylinders.

She licks her cherry-red lips in a circle. Barns stares at her mouth.

"It is the best gift you could ask for right now, little hero. I will teach you how to kill a vampire without being killed yourself. Here you go. It should be showing up now."

Barns wasn't sure what she meant, but suddenly a system message appears in front of him.

"A...map?" he says, looking at the screen. It's semi-translucent, and he can see her eyes watching him from behind the screen. It makes his stomach twist.

"An interactive map of the whole continent. And I've had Pallas mark a few locations on it for you. One is the town of Ordella. The other two are...we can call them treasure spots. You'll find what you're looking for there. The power to kill the twin master vampires. Do you need more, little one?"

Barns stares at the map. "If these locations are correct, it'll be a great help," he says, dismissing the map. He didn't know how to re-open it - he'd have to ask Maria.

"Tell me more about Pallas, before I go. What is it? How did it know I was here?"

Francois thinks out loud, making a loud 'hmm' as she taps her finger to her chin. "Pallas controls the southern half of the country. Even the machines are tired of this apocalypse, hero boy. You've arrived at an interesting time. Hm, hm..."

The implication that something greater is only just beginning behind the scenes - it's all Barns can think about, surpassing even his lust.

Francois rises to her feet, turning away from the two men. Her kimono drops down off of her shoulder, and she clutches her arms together to prevent the whole garment from falling off her.

"I had a wonderful time, Barnacles," she says, her voice dreamy and wistful. "After all, lust isn't about the act, it's about the ache. You and I have both relished in delectable sin today, haven't we? Farewell. I look forward to hearing of your great success, hehe..."

Osmond and Barns begin their journey home, pleased that their time in the vampire's lair did not end in death. Still, the deal they made was not a great one, and would surely spell trouble down the road.

The sun is beginning to set when they step outside - eerie orange light darkens the layer of fog above and casts the Pale Court in an ominous glow.

"We won't make it back home by nightfall, but I'll be damned if we have to camp out anywhere near this city. Let's walk a few hours at least."

Barns agrees - the further from here the better. They continue their journey home, long after darkness blankets the land. Late in the night, they finally break through the barrier of fog, and breathe a collective sigh of relief once they find themselves under the light of the moon.

"Still about two or three hours left to go," Osmond says. Judging by how long they'd been out, it's around 9PM. "Do you want to push through?"

"Man, I'm beat," Barns says. "I don't want to camp, but maybe we could use a rest for an hour or two."

Osmond nods, glancing back toward the fog. "I'm confident we weren't followed. A short rest sounds nice."

On that note, the two find a secluded area in the nearby forest and take some time to relax.