Apocalypse Reset: My Crab Can Heal the World!

It’s nearly morning when Eldrie is discovered by Osmond, who’d been floating overhead, searching high and low for signs of the vampire bat. Osmond recognizes the master archer from above and dives down to greet him.

As Osmond lands on his feet, he senses something different about Eldrie. A familiar-sort of darkness. Osmond is immediately put on guard.

On Eldrie’s end, he hardly notices Osmond. He clutches his left eye, from which an unfathomable discomfort emanates.

"Hello? Are you alright?" Osmond asks, anxious to get any closer than he is.

Eldrie glances upward as if he has only just noticed Osmond’s presence.

"Oh, hello, Osmond," Eldrie says, forcing a smile. He loses his footing and stumbles to the ground, catching himself before he completely faceplants.

Osmond hesitates for a split second before running to Eldrie’s side and helping him back to his feet. As he does, he gets a good look at Eldrie’s eyes. He sees the left eye, crimson red, staring back at him, a dried tear of blood still plastered on Eldrie’s cheek.

"What in the hells," Osmond gasps, backing away from Eldrie. "Your eye!"

Eldrie winces. "Not looking good?"

"It’s…it looks just like a vampire’s eye, Eldrie. Are you okay? Did something happen?"

Eldrie reaches into his bag and throws the dead bat at Osmond’s feet. "I’m certain this was Adea," Eldrie says, kicking dirt on the stiff rodent. "Found her on my way over here."

"But your eye?" Osmond asks again. "Did she…did she bite you, or curse you in some way?"

Eldrie shakes his head. Though he feels horrific power coursing through his left eye, he senses no hint of a lingering will or evil within his mind.

"After I touched it - the bat, I mean…I think I absorbed its power. Thankfully it was already dead, or else I might have absorbed a little bit more than just some vampiric energy."

"So…you’re a vampire again?" Osmond narrows his eyes. He’s not one to talk - he is a demon, after all, but lately the kingdom of Dimartino has had somewhat of a ’no-tolerance’ policy for vampires.

"This is not how it was before," Eldrie confirms, looking at his hands. He’s grown no paler, and compared to his vampire form, he’s still nowhere near as muscular or agile.

"Whatever this is, I can control it," Eldrie says, determined. "Don’t worry about me. Do you…do you know where Barns is? I’ve come to assist in the fight. Is Adon still out there?"

"Barns killed Adon just a few hours ago. I was out here trying to find this bat."

Osmond scoops up the mangy corpse from the ground, holding it by one wing. "So this is Adea, huh? Feels good to see her like this, after the beating she gave me. I shall have it stuffed and delivered to my darling Maria - she is the one who deserves the trophy after all she went through to get it!"

"That or a dumpster, I don’t care - let’s just show it to Barns."

…

Barns and Skado are waiting patiently at the bottom of the mountain, eager to hear any word from Osmond and maintaining a vigilant watch. The people who’d fled the city earlier were all safely placated and brought back up the mountain plateau.

An uneasy peace settles over Barns and the denizens of the hidden city. But, at least to Barns, trouble remains on the horizon, and that vampire bat could return at any time with a vengeance.

He suddenly fills with tentative relief as he sees Osmond and Eldrie approaching from afar. He jogs way from the train station into the field, giving them a big overhead wave.

"Barns! We were just talking about the wonderful way that Maria - "

"Don’t need to hear it!" Barns yells back. "Did you find anything!"

As if two people screaming at each other from across a field is normal, Osmond replies.

"Yeah! Eldrie killed the bat!"

"Oh, nice job Eldrie!" Barns’ throat is getting a little hoarse. "I didn’t even know you were coming! How are things in Ordella!"

Eldrie rolls his eyes. "I’m going to wait until we’re next to him to respond," he mumbles to Osmond.

"Hi, Barns," he says, once he’s only a few steps away. "About Ordella. Everyone is safe! But there was a bit of a problem…"

"Problem?" Barns tilts his head. Then, he sees it. The way the light catches Eldrie’s left eye - it gleams red. Not human red, but deep, hungry red. His shoulders tense. "Uh…Eldrie? What’s with your eye, man?"

Eldrie turns his head away from Barns. He wears a turtleneck sweater to hide the scars he has from Adea. Will he need to add an eyepatch to the look?

"It’s a long story," Eldrie confesses. "But we can talk about it in private later. Ordella was attacked, Barns, by a human calling herself a Sentinel."

"Sentinel?" Skado says, his voice elevated and full of concern. "You can’t mean…"

He covers his mouth with his hand. "It is not my place to speak on this matter. Barns, we must report this to the leader of my people. She knows more, but for me, I cannot say."

"Do you know something about the sentinels?" Eldrie questions. "If you do, please tell us. She was so strong, Barns - incapacitated both Haima and Godrick like they were nothing. Only King Clancy could hold her at bay, and she destroyed much of Ordella in spite."

"She was a match for King?" Barns’ limbs grow cold and stiff. Fear sets in.

"What were her powers?" Barns asks, his voice authoritative and calculating. If she was a match for Clancy, she had to have some incredible Secret Art.

"I…I don’t really know," Eldrie says, biting his lip. "I can only tell you what I saw. She was able to teleport objects, and move things with her mind. Barns, she was able to lift an entire house off its foundation just with a look."

"Just when I thought we’d have a moment of rest," Barns snickers, cursing his luck. Sure didn’t feel like a ’20’ to him.

The group looks around at each other - each one of them dead tired. It has been a long night.

"We have earned ourselves a small victory, Barns. Now, would you all please join me - you as well, Osmond. It’s time to properly show you to the Hidden City - Lantafort."