Apocalypse Reset: My Crab Can Heal the World! - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Recollection in Red
Ordella is in chaos in the wake of Donatella’s attack. The once-proud historic district has been reduced to ruins, though thankfully there are no human casualties. The historic district had been something of Adon and Adea’s ‘playhouse’ at times, and as such most of the citizens of Ordella naturally avoided it.

Haima, Godrick, Clancy, and Eldrie collect themselves in the wreckage. Each one of them has been injured in some way – even the mighty warrior crab is clicking a little slower than normal.

“Someone needs to tell Master Barnacles what happened here,” Eldrie says. Everyone looks at him, the least injured by far.

“Uh…right,” Eldrie blushes. “I guess it’s me. Your Majesty, would you mind finishing up the speech?”

Clancy gives Eldrie a salute. Eldrie hurriedly returns the favor.

“SPEECH TIME!” Clancy belts out, scuttling away. Haima and Godrick exchange a look.

“I can’t believe this is our life now,” she murmurs loud enough for only Godrick to hear.

“You’re tellin’ me, Haima. Now, assuming this Sentinel doesn’t come right back and finish wrecking the place, maybe we can have our little date tonight, uh? Take the edge off all this stressful morning.”

Godrick aches as he speaks, taking a knee for a moment. He’s badly hurt from the fight earlier.

Haima puts her hand on his back and leans down next to him. “We can hang out in the hospital,” Haima nudges him playfully. “How about that?”

“Oy, oy! Haima, watch the ribs!”

The two struggle to walk away from the scene together, and Eldrie hurries away as well. He’s fast on his feet and can run for hours – all the makings of an excellent scout. He’d be back to Dimartino in no time.

Eldrie flits through the bayou like a phantom, leaping from point to point with feline poise, his measured speed undeniable – but even the best fall down sometimes.

Eldrie narrowly clips his foot on a knotty root and tumbles down – he’s running too fast to break his own momentum. He breaks into a roll, hitting a tree as he falls.

He lays on the ground for a moment, spitting dirt out of his mouth. As he rises to his feet, he glimpses something out of the corner of his eye.

He reaches down into the dirt and grabs it. A strip of scarlet fabric.

“This is just like the – ugh!” Eldrie interrupts himself, grabbing his head and screaming. Memories flood into his mind of a life he doesn’t recognize. He sees his grandfather Wilfort in brief flashes, stronger and paler than he remembers. He sees the love of his love, Incantra, covered in blood, laughing – and the blood belongs to someone else. Her scarlet dress, torn, flows nebulously like quicksilver in his hazy memory. He remembers the dress. He bought it for her.

Eldrie finds himself out of breath, overwhelmed by the images that flood into his mind. As quickly as they begin, his mind goes blank.

He stands up, adjusting himself. Giving his body a once-over, making sure nothing is injured.

‘Was that…’ Eldrie stops himself. He doesn’t even want to think it true. He’d rather never recover his memories from when he was a vampire. If he knew the extent of what he did as a bloodsucking monster, could he ever forgive himself?

He drops the scarlet cloth back on the ground, kicking dirt to bury it.

“Hello! You’re Eldrie, aren’t you?”

His head shoots up at the sudden noise. He doesn’t see anyone at first – but quickly his discerning eyes see a young policewoman running up. He can tell by her black uniform – it’s what Underhill has all the police wearing these days. She’s got a huge backpack on – probably delivering some critical supplies to Ordella.

“That’s me,” he says awkwardly. He recognizes her only vaguely.

“I’m delivering a message to Ordella – the legendary hero Barnacles has taken his allies north to investigate a Hidden City of ten thousand humans.”

Eldrie narrows his eyes. This sounds familiar – did he learn about it when he was a vampire?

“The…Chatran Plateau settlement, is that right?” Eldrie asks, his mind focusing. She says something, but he tunes her out. More flashes of dark days bleed into his mind, but no one picture is clear enough for him to truly understand.

“Well, I sure am glad to run into you, anyway,” the girl says, taking off her backpack. “Underhill sent me with something just for you! One moment, sir…”

As she rifles through her bag, Eldrie wonders what Underhill’s gift could possibly be. He peers over but accidentally just stares at her large and tender breasts…

He snaps back to it right as she finishes searching her bag.

“He said you’re an archer, is that right?” she asks, handing him a long, wrapped bundle. As if she can’t see the longbow on his back or the quiver of arrows he wears on his belt.

“Mr. Underhill said these are specially made to give that Master Vampire hell!”

Eldrie accepts the arrows, looking at them. They don’t seem to be anything special, but the arrowheads are coated in a chalky substance, and made from bone.

“Thanks,” Eldrie says, adding them to his quiver. They have distinct red fletching compared to his normal arrows.

“Mr. Underhill would also like you to follow after the legendary hero. He thinks that those arrows might be needed for their mission!”

Eldrie thinks for a moment. He had a message that he needed to get to Underhill as well.

“I wish I could,” Eldrie says. “But I have a message to deliver as well. Ordella was attacked by someone calling herself a ‘Sentinel’…”

As Eldrie divulges the information he learned from his time in Ordella, the young woman gives him an earnest claw salute. He follows suit – he can’t believe he forgot to do it earlier!

“I will report back to Underhill on your behalf, sir! Delivering those arrows to you is my primary objective!”

Eldrie smiles. The girl reminds him of Incantra, somewhat. Something about her eyes, and her hair – she’s captivating, innocent. That’s the way he remembers Incantra – not as a blood-magic using vampiress.

“You’ve been a huge help,” he says to her, and she looks away to blush. Unbeknownst to Eldrie, the young policewoman has a bit of a praise kink.

“Good job,” he continues. She feels a nosebleed coming on.

Eldrie doesn’t notice any of her wiggling and writhing – he’s focused on the task at hand.

“Rendezvous at the Chatran Plateau…alright. Thanks again, ma’am. I need to catch up with Master Barnacles!”

“Er – Jordan! My name’s Jordan!” she blurts, her plump thighs bouncing as she waves. “Let’s meet again, okay!?”