"Claire?" asked Kremidal
"Yep, she helped me escape while she and her sister beat the shit out of our evil headmistress" said June.
Kremidal crosses his arms "How can I know I can trust you, even after you almost slit me throat open? Honestly I'm impressed that you managed to sneak up on me."
June pulls out his phone, dials Claire's number- calling her via loud speaker. After ringing a few seconds right before Claire straight up answers
"[Hello? June?! Oh my god I can't believe it, you're alive!]" June looked at kremidal with smugness, right before answering back to Claire. While Kremidal had his face perk up and his jaw dropped.
She fanned her hand "yeah, yeah, I'm alright. Also, I think we found your dad~"
Kremidal stuttered "B- but I'm not her-"
June cuts her off as she tuck out her hand at Kremidal "Sush, I'm talking to her! He's here right now, wanna go talk to him?"
Kremidal took the phone as June handed it out "Hello Claire, you know this girl?"
"[Hehe yep, she's the one that help me sneak into the headmistress' office]"
"Oh, before you end the call, have you finally recovered from your fever? Poppy told me you had a blazing fever"
"[Oh, no worries- I'm all good. Anyway, I've got a boss to beat in this game; bye Krem! By June!]"
"Buh-bye!"
"Byeeeee"
The call finally ends. June crosses her arms "So, let's get you to camp while the evening is young"
Kremidal raised his eyebrow "camp?"
June fans her hand at Kremidal "Nah, we'll explain later" She presses a remote and her scooter quickly drives itself towards her.
"Hop on father Swanson"
Kremidal hopped onto the backseat of the scooter. Only for it to teeter up its forewheel.
Kremidal grimaced, "I think it's better if I take the wheel"
The switch seats and Kremidal still makes the scooter look like a toy
Fast forward into the night
The gang had finally arrived at the site. Tucked between a treeline and a jagged rock face — good cover from the sky, Kremidal noted — the camp sprawled out in a loose cluster of tents, tarps, and salvaged scooters parked in uneven rows. Strings of christmas lights, clearly scavenged rather than bought for the occasion, were looped around tent openings and draped between support poles, throwing a warm, mismatched glow across the whole site — reds and greens flickering next to a lone strand of blue that blinked out of sync with the rest.
Near the supply tent, a cluster of teens haggled over a crate of scavenged weapons — someone trading a dented crowbar for a half-charged taser, another arguing that his knife was worth more than the guy's pipe wrench. Off to the side, a girl no older than sixteen sat cross-legged with a rifle across her lap, wiping it down with a rag like it was the most normal thing in the world, occasionally glancing up at whoever passed by.
Closer to the campfire, someone had a guitar going — off-key, missing a string by the sound of it — while another kid beatboxed along, badly, to a song Kremidal didn't recognize. A few voices sang over it, more enthusiasm than actual talent. And a few feet from all that, completely unbothered by the weapons trade happening ten feet away, a group of girls ran through a dance routine in perfect sync, phone propped against a rock.
Kremidal walked through the middle of it all, and the noise seemed to dim wherever he stepped. Conversations trailed off mid-sentence. The girl with the rifle froze, rag still pressed to the barrel. Even the beatboxing stumbled out of rhythm for a beat before picking back up. His sheer size alone made him look out of place among them — head and shoulders above the tallest kid there, shoulders broad enough to block out a good chunk of the Christmas lights behind him.
Dozens of eyes tracked him as he passed, wide and unblinking. A few of the younger ones whispered to each other behind cupped hands. One kid straight-up pointed before getting smacked by the friend next to him.
By the time he reached the other side of camp, the noise had mostly picked back up behind him — but the stares hadn't quite stopped.
They finally enter at June's tent; Apollo entered first, June followed but she waved to Kremidal before he could enter. Due to how short the tent is for him, he squatted down - ass to the grass, then waddled inside, the two kids were giggling as he entered.
Kremidal smirked, "What's so funny?"
June shook her head giggling "Ohoho, nothing~"
Kremidal was clearly cramped, his hair bun and shoulders were visibly bulging from the inside of the tent.
Kremidal shook his head "Anyway, why did you invite me here again? "
June stopped giggling and cleared her throat "Claire told me you were one of the people who saved her from an attack a month ago and-"
Kremidal interrupts her "I don't wanna hear a sob story, get to the bloody point"
June answers "W- we need your help; Claire told me you were good at combat, like really good at combat."
Kremidal crosses his arms "Whatever drive you're trying to achieve, I'm not helping - I've already got me name stained in one city."
Apollo spoke, leaning his hand against his knee. "We're not gonna make you a muscle, we just need someone to stand by our side tonight."
Kremidal raised an eyebrow "Why's that?"
Apollo explained "Y'see, most of us escapees from Cavéz Avinolia
An outbreak of a drug spread all across the city; Noctum, they advertised the drug to give the person immense strength, greater intelligence, and a never ending life"
Kremidal implied "So it's like an elixir of life?"
Apollo nodded "Not quite, in return these people… they become vampires"
Kremidal whispered under his tongue "Oh shit, Johnny Z" then he cleared his voice "I think I've killed someone Noctumized before"
Apollo asked "really? How?"
Kremida twists his shoulder to stretch while saying "Well, all me and me partner did was keep killing them 'till they can't regen"
June scoffed "pfft, easy for you to say - most of us are not good, nor last long in fighting. Which is why I looked for you because you're built different. And we can't keep fighting them forever - every night they attack, and we… *sighs* we need a safe haven"
Kremidal crossed his arms and leaned back "I'm flattered~, but what's innit for me?"
"Umm…"
"Errr…"
Both kids side-eye each other, while Kremidal's eyebrow perks up.
June's voice shakes "We haven't really thought of that part"
Apollo cleared his throat "We didn't really expect you to be interested in our plan"
Kremidal leans both of his hands on his thighs as his legs were crossed "Well I'm losing interest, so make it quick"
"W-we can supply weapons!"
Kremidal shook his head "Already have a supplier"
"Manpower?"
Shook his head again "-Already have departments for that"
"Enternainment"
Kremidal's head recoils "Absolutely not, you're all minors!"
Apollo clasped his hands together "Please father swanson, we really need your help. We may not offer anything, but your fighting prowess is unlike any others."
June joined in "Please father, I know this is cliche- but you're our only hope."
Kremidal stuck his hand out "Please stop talking like that. You're making me cringe, also I don't like people begging for me."
Both of the kids frowned, as June followed "Welp, at least we tried"
But then Kremidal's eyes lit up "I got it! I have a friend that's currently running for mayor, and she might need the manpower that you kids can provide, and she can take care of you in return"
Apollo stuck his hand out "Can do father! But not all of us are kids, some of us are formerly part of a working class in an orphanage"
June added "and some from Cav Avi (Cavéz Avinolia) itself!"
Kremidal nodded "Good, so fill me in on this" he twists his hands as he spoke "Vampire infestation"
Apollo's eyes sharpen at Kremidal "Since the night is still young, we need a camp gathering"
Fast forward into the central bonfire of the camp
Apollo circles around the group, walking while he speaks "alright everyone, this tree of a man is here to help us fend off against this night's vampire swarm, father Swanson- the floor is yours"
He walks to the middle, right in front of the bonfire, casting a massive shadow over them "Listen up! I'm pretty sure you are all aware that these parasites regenerate to hell and back. Most of you will not be able to fight them to death one on one
Using guns is a great way to leave them distant, but it's terrible for sustained combat. You need to rely on your elongated weapons, because the one thing you shouldn't do is let a vampire close"
He pulls his claws out, as the moonlight reflects against it, giving it a sickly shine "The more lethal the wound, the faster they age. They're immortal yes, but their immortality has a cost
They are stronger, so you need to be smart
They are faster, so you need to have foresight
Also, they are greedy, so you need to be cautious
So the best way to kill them is to beat them while they're down"
One of the camp members raised their hand "But what if they're standing, should we still beat them?"
Kremidal tucked his claws back "No. Like I said earlier; one needs to be cautious, for they will take advantage of your greed, and strike you from behind"
Another raised their hand "What about if they get back up again?"
Kremidal smiled "Incapacitate them, ensnare them, stun them; do whatever it takes to stop them from moving, then deliver a killing blow again and again. Two people against one vamp helps a lotl"
Another, this time an adult asked a question "What if we get outnumbered?"
Kremidal sighs "Then your best option is to flee, for this night is no longer young."
June shot up from her seat "Do you hear something?"
Everyone turned.
Out past the treeline, the dark horizon shifted. Dozens of eyes — pale, hungry — blinked open one after another. The first shapes broke into a run, low and fast, heading straight for the camp.
Kremidal shouted "Everyone listen up good!"
Everyone focused on him
"If you think you can tank a few hits, stay up front! Stand your ground!.
If not hide behind the tents, keep your weapons cocked and ready"
One stammered "W-what about you father?"
Kremidal walks past by them all the way past the camp, revealing his claws "I'll show you why they call me The God Slayer"
The ground between the treeline and the camp vanished in seconds. The vampires came low and fast, a ragged wave of pale limbs and glowing eyes, some sprinting on all fours, others leaping between the rocks like the distance meant nothing. Dust kicked up behind them. The Christmas lights suddenly felt too bright, too exposed. Up front the stronger kids locked their stances, weapons raised. Behind the tents the rest clicked safeties off and held their breath. Kremidal stood alone past the last row of scooters, claws fully extended, shoulders loose, watching the swarm close the final stretch without a single step back.
Then one leaps towards Kremidal with its fangs already out, growling at him, preparing to strike.
Kremidal sidesteps dodging the leap, then lodging his claws at the back of the vampire, piercing through the chest, he lodges his other hand ripping the vampire in half.
June shouts "Kremidal be careful! They can see in the dark!"
He looked back "Then stay away from the dust cloud, and watch for this one!" He points at the split vampire "He'll be up in minutes"
She asks "What dust cloud?"
Kremidal's body pulsed electric sparks all over, as he changed through the vampires in crescent motion, slicing through every body he comes across, leaving behind a dust cloud, distorting the vampires' visions despite having night vision.
June scoffed "oh" she tightens the grip on her weapon: a machete.
They stop to look around the dust cloud, turning their heads every time they hear his step.
SHRRAK
A vampire looks behind them, only to find out their friend's head had been sliced laterally down to the jaw. Then they soon discover metal claws were already lodged onto the back, as the tips of the claws pierced, becoming visible through the chest. Kremidal pulls it, gripping so hard that he pulls out the vampire's internal organs along with it's broken rib cage. Then he uses said ribcage to slash the vampire's face behind him, right before delivering a slicing uppercut, gutting the vampire like a fish.
The rest of the campers cloud only hear screams and slashes through the dustcloud. However, for the vampires that got around the dust cloud, they were immediately shot by the campers with guns.
One of the frontliners tried to charge, but Apollo yelled "No! Did you listen to him?! Stand your ground!"
The front liner steps back.
The vampire that had been split in half, fully regenerates. Then the backliners opened fire BRATATATATATAT turning the vampire into swiss cheese. There came another and another, every vampire that escaped the dust cloud was met with a rain of bullets, as each step they took weakened. However some of the vampires that got through the bullets were about to clash with the front liners.
One got terribly close, leaping towards them, then THWANG. Their head crushed by a swing of a sledge hammer splattering pus to the sand, it was a stocky highschooler that swung it. Wielding a sledge hammer and a plastic table as shield, he was wearing football shoulder padding and a helmet.
"You remember what the big man said, stand your ground and keep your distance!"
Another comes, it was quickly blocked by a student with a steel door-shield, then pinning the thing down with a spear. More adversaries continued to clash against the front lines. The vampires continue to pile up on the front lines. They were beginning to be pushed back, thus the back lines shifted their focus on helping the frontliners, but then one of the vampires hopped through the frontlines, then another and another- inching closer to the backlines - then
SLASH SHING GASH
The vampire's shoulder was cut open, the other's head sliced from behind, and the other slashed on the spine by June, as she's wearing her custom LED infused mask. She shouts in a distorted tone "Don't let them corner you! Stand your ground!"
But then another vampire leaped towards them "WATCH OUT!" a camper yelled
BANG the vampire was shot square in the face, cracking the thing's face open. As soon as the midliners turned around behind them, to see Apollo and a few campers already riding their electric scooters.
"Vamps piling up?" He cocks his shotgun "we'll thin them out, so stand your ground!"
They continue to drive around the pile as a handful of vampires follow each rider, shooting them down as soon as they get close
Meanwhile on Kremidal's side.
The dust cloud was almost settling, things had gotten a little more silent - however a few seconds passed, he noticed that the moonlight shining on him had been briefly blocked, he looked up in the sky - waiting for the shadow to pass over him again. Then in a split second, a giant multi-winged figure was diving towards him, spreading its talons out. Kremidal parries just in time. After parrying, he struck the giant creature, splattering pus on the sand. Noticing this he whispered to himself "They can fly now?"
He saw the flying creature flying towards the camp, so he ran in the same direction. The frontlines are still repelling the vampires trying to break the phalanx, with their positions still stout, barely moving just to keep the swarm at bay.
Kremidal closely reached the battle lines as he yelled "Calling all lines! We have company up above!"
Everyone at the camp looked at the sky, finally seeing the winged creature. June saw this as well, she gasped under her breath "She's here!" She looks around to the back, shouting "Everyone that's got a gun, shoot that bitch down now!!!" She points at the flying creature swooping around them.
RATATATATATATATTATAA
TUGTUGTUGTUGTUGTUG
CHAAKAKAKAKKAKAKA
All of the campers armed with guns started opening fire at the flying creature, causing it to fly off course, then avoiding their range all together. June looked to her surroundings; she sees the front line successfully repelling the swarm of vampires, the e-scooter riders successfully thinning out the swarm by pulling them away from it, the back liners piling up the bodies - remaining to open fire even when the bodies are still down, and Kremidal taking out the vampires one by one while their backs are turned.
June smiles under her mask as she raises her machete to shout "YEAH! Show these cocksuckers that they ain't shit against us!
The other people cheered around her, then the backliners, then the frontliners when the wave thinned out.
However
The winged creature swoops in from behind the camp, then WHOOOOOOOSH the winged creature rained blazing blue fire against the backliners hiding in the tents, scorching them, and fleeing, scattering them in the process. This made the vampires pick them off while they're on fire.
The smile on the entire camp's faces disappeared.
Then the rain of azure flame was about to rain down on the midliners, where June was included.
Then FWOOOOOOO fire blanketed the midlines. Luckily, Kremidal reached to push them away from the blast just in time, saving June lifting her up to his shoulder just in a nick of time.
Kremidal lays her down, then June says "No, this can't be!."
Kremidal shook his head "What are you saying?"
June answered by taking her mask off, her face was pale as a ghost "The Noctum Queen… she actually showed up!!!" Then she spotted the frontliners about to get blasted by open flames "Father save them!" She points at the front.
Kremidal sprinted towards them, electric sparks in his body flashes the closer he got, and even ran faster. Finally arriving at the scene - about to push the front liners away.
Expecting the winged creature to blast them, the creature steered. Everybody's faces stretched open in shock. As the creature instead aimed for the armed riders; the riders noticed this for the last second, so they floored it! Fire started blasting against the ground, as they were only inches from it, as even though they were going full throttle, the fire has finally reached their bikes. The riders even tried to duck to reduce air drag, but it was no use.
They were swallowed in flames.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO" June screamed her lungs out; tears running down her face, reaching for the riders as she saw Apollo's charred corpse through the distance.
While trying to save the frontliners, Kremidal shouted "RETREAT!!! We can't bulldoze through this one!" He starts to wave at June's group in the distance shouting "BOOK IT NOW! We're thinning out!"
The remaining campers in the distance made a run for it, with most of them leaving their weapons behind.
With clouds gathering in the sky, casting shadows from the moonlight, the flying creature steers towards the retreating group, the campers running faster when they notice it about to dive towards them. Kremidal notices this, with the creature just inches away from the group, Kremidal used his electric flash step, dashing close to the creature in a blink of an eye; jumps in the air; the sky began to rumble, flashes of light started to glow within the clouds, then-
In slow motion; lightning reaches down - creeping in towards Kremidal's hand, raised towards the sky, the lightning bolt latches onto his hand, then
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSHHHH
A deafening lightning bolt strikes the winged creature, slammed by Kremidal, its sound causing a shockwave in the surrounding area, gusting the dust away from the strike area. Everyone; the campers and the vampires, dropped to the ground due to the massive impact.
The winged creature was smoking on the ground - as the feathers were burning. Kremidal standing before the creature, looking down on it.
"False angel!
No — demon of hell, heed my words.
As you taste the wrath of God, the one true God,
may you rise again so that I may strike you down again.
Let the angels sing when they hear my roars.
Let the warriors cheer when they feel the shock of my strikes.
And may God Himself weep with joy as He tastes your blood through my hands.
Yet I still offer mercy.
Flee now, and you will spend the rest of your days begging to escape my face.
Stay… and you shall be crucified for your sins."
For the first time, the vampires stopped. Staring at Kremidal with sunken, droopy eyes, gritting their teeth. While the campers' eyebrows pressed together, as their jaws dropped.
The winged creature heals the burns caused by the lightning strike, slowly gaining its footing, yet covering its body, except for its glowing eyes. It's wings acting like a cloak, standing there right before HISSSSSS. The creature spreads its wings open without revealing its very body. Quickly flying towards Kremidal, so he squares up. But the creature flew over Kremidal, he looks back and sees the other vampires run away.
Sighs of relief swept through the entire camp.
Kremidal walked towards the remaining camp members, and once he got close, he stopped to ask, "Who was that?"
June said hoarsely, "That... was the Noctum Queen. She doesn't usually show up, let alone fight herself."
Kremidal sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've pushed them so hard, I—"
June cut him off. "No, Father, you did good—it's just... can you give me a moment?" She stood and walked past him, heading toward the burning camp, weaving around the fire as she pressed on, until she reached the burnt riders and knelt at Apollo's side.
She buttoned up his charred jacket as tears fell onto the fabric, crying silently at the corpse's side. Then she heard the soil beside her crunch, and looked up to see Kremidal lowering himself to his knees, bowing his head, closing his eyes, and clasping his hands.
He stayed there with her for a good minute or more
June looked at him as her tears subside.
Someone held her shoulder from behind - a member of the camp, looking at her with drooped eyes, and their lips pursed, then another hand held, then another stepped in, more, and more campers gathered beside all of the different bodies caught in the fire. Blanketing all of the dead with the clothes of the living.
Kremidal stood up from his knees..
June was still kneeling, yet she asked "Why did you let her go?"
"I don't mean to offend you, but to answer your question; I've gathered that this Noctum Queen you call, is a coward."
June's face perked up as she heard that word "What- what do you mean?"
"Wasn't it obvious? She never came within reach of anyone. When she found out I could hurt her, she went after the weak ones from above, and the second I got close, she ran."
June grits her teeth looking down again "That just means she's smarter"
"No," Kremidal said, "that just means she's just as weak as her minions. When I struck her with that lightning bolt - I saw it. The fear in her eyes. I scared them so much that even the ferocious vampires you were clashing with earlier… froze"
June raised an eyebrow "What are you suggesting?"
"We need to know what shakes her. For a moment, in those eyes… I saw motivations beyond hunger."
June finally stood up, looked behind her - only to realize that there was less than half of the camp left, she signed "Our numbers are dwindling, we can't keep living like this.
You mentioned earlier that a friend of yours can help us - yeah?"
Kremidal looked down at her, smirking
Later that night at Misty's apartment
"I'm sorry, what?" Misty asked.
"Please, ma'am, give us a chance," June said, clasping her hands. "We'll leave you alone once the campaign's over."
"Hold on. All of you just got here." Misty glanced at Kremidal, who was texting like nothing was happening. "Kremmy, why have you brought these... people again?"
"They're students, luv."
"STUDENTS?!"
"Yeah, they're just lookin' for a safer place to hide from junkies."
Misty leered past him at the students. Every one of them looked raggedy, sleep-deprived, and one of them looked like they're about to collapse from starvation. "Look, I can't enforce child labor, you know that!"
"They won't be working for you, they're volunteering."
Misty opened her mouth, then stopped. Her eyes flicked over the crowd again, and something behind them started running numbers. "...How many of you have highschool level education?"
A dozen hands went up, some of them wobbling.
"Right, no, still a bad idea," she said, shaking her head,tilting her head, staring straight at Kremidal.
"I can already see that look in your eyes," Kremidal said. "You're about to say..." He pitched his voice up into a prissy falsetto down to her faint slavic accent. "Noooo, Kremmy, they can't stay at my apartment. Both of us can barely even fit on the bed."
Somewhere in the back, someone coughed. Someone else snickered and got elbowed for it.
"Blyat" Misty's face went completely red. She lunged and clamped a hand over Kremidal's mouth, smiling at the students - speaking without moving her jaw.
" He's joking. He knows a lot of jokes"
Kremidal, muffled behind her palm, eyes squinted from a smile underneath.
June raised a brow, "Wait, are you two married?"
Kremidal pulls down Misty's hand "friends with benefits!" then Misty clamped it back shut again saying with an awkward smile.
"No, we're just close friends!"
One of the student's stomachs started to rumble. Everyone heard it thus darting their head towards the sound.
Misty giggled "Looks like you all had a long night, why don't you all stay in the kitchen and I'll whip you up some soup?"
All of their faces lit up
"But you all need to take a bath first while I cook"
Later that night.
Almost everyone had bathed by now. The apartment smelled like steam and cheap soap, and the camp kids padded around in the clothes they'd packed, some a size too big, some patched at the elbows. Wet footprints trailed across the hallway floor.
June was the last one out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her chest and another around her hair. The kitchen was already loud when she passed it, the kids settled in like it was a house party. Kremidal stood at the sink beside Misty, sleeves shoved up his enormous forearms, drying dishes and looking almost domestic. Other students laid out bowls and mismatched spoons along the table.
June smiled at the sight and slipped into the wardrobe with her bag to change. In the dim, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the lock screen.
It was a photo of her and Apollo, shoulder to shoulder against a wall of graffiti, both mid-laugh. The smile she'd been wearing slowly faded, and she let out a long, shaky sigh before locking the phone.
By the time she came out, rubbing her hair dry, everyone was eating. Steam rose off the bowls as Kremidal and Misty went down the table ladling soup. Kremidal spotted her from across the room.
"Oi, June! Be a dear and take a selfie of us all on my phone, yeah?"
June nodded with a smile, and he tossed the phone across the kitchen. She caught it, opened the camera from the lock screen, and turned her back to the crowd, holding it up high.
"Everybody smile for the camera! Three, two, one... smiiiile!"
The kids crowded in, some with spoons in their mouths, a few making peace signs. Over the top of the phone, Kremidal's eyes met hers, and his expression softened for a second. He said nothing.
She tossed the phone back. He caught it one-handed, and Misty nudged him with an elbow.
"Kremidal, I think I have an idea for our first project."
"What's that?"
"A feeding program in the projects of this city," she said, watching the kids scrape their bowls clean. "Like the Teeth of Cydonia."
Kremidal shrugged and took a slow sip of his soup. "Can't see how that's a bad idea!"
Misty cleared her throat, while everyone else still continued filling the room with noise. She cleared her throat even louder. Still nothing.
Then Kremidal notices as he glanced at her, so he started clanking his spoon against his bowl. CLANK CLANK CLANK .
They finally got everyone's attention as it was followed by silence.
Misty cleared her throat one more time "Sorry to interrupt you all, but our first project will be within the teeth of Cydonia; I will be conducting a feeding program there, so I humbly ask for your assistance"
"Sure ma'am" June said with still some bread in her mouth
"But I need you to answer me a few questions - what did Kremidal mean when he said you are hiding from junkies?"
All of the students glanced at each other as they whispered.
One short discussion about Noctum later
Misty sighed "So it's gotten that bad, but how is it so fast?"
One of the campers answered "rumor has it that a whole media team backing Noctum up, they're advertising it as an elixir of life, it can make anyone become immortal"
Misty followed with "And the fuel for their endless life is blood" a brief silence ensued before she talked again "Our worst case scenario is that, this might affect the campaign, which is bad news for all of us un-noctumized people"
June asked, "But what about the feeding program?"
Misty lays her fists on her hips "Oh don't worry, we'll make that happen" she lets out a sharp sigh while pursing her lips "I'm just worried for all of us that's all"
Her face perks up as she glances at Kremidal "Krem, where do you plan on making them stay?"
"Well, the church is currently under reconstruction, all hazards are clear. So that means some and I mean some of the rooms are livable right now"
Misty smiles as she slaps her fist on her palm "Okay! That is that then. Volunteers, let's meet this Saturday and give back what this city has given you! Davai!" Misty raised her spoon
"DAVAAAAII!!" all the campers raised their hands and some were even clanking their spoons in celebration.