Blood and Tears - Grumbo Vampire AU

Chapter 16: Stressed

Grian walked up the steps to the second level of the cabin, a short hallway with a couple doors on either side. He noticed a figure sitting outside of one of the doors, back against the wall as the man stared down at the many bite marks along his arms. The architect felt his heart sink, horror filling the pit of his stomach as his feet suddenly moved on their own.

"Oh, hel-"

He grabbed Wels by the arm, pulling the knight to his feet. "Wels?!" Grian's eyes widened as he stared down at the many vampire marks along his pale skin. "What are you doing here!? Y-you were back at the castle before, how did you—? W-why—?"

Wels pulled his arm away, his gaze turning frightened as he backed away from Grian. His red eyes were unnatural and glassy. "I-I don't know who you are." The knight shook his head, "What are you on about?"

"It's me, Grian!" He tried to help the hypnotized man remember. "You and I went to hunt vampires together! You were my guard!"

"Hunt vampires?" The knight's eyes went a little wide, "Oh nonono, I protect vampires. Ex saved me. I'm indebted to him, sworn to protect and serve him."

"Wels, he must have done something to your head. Vampires can hypnotize people! Your eyes—, they're red! You're under his control!" Grian tried to shout, grabbing his friend by the wrist, his eyes desperately pleading.

"I need you to remember. That vampire in there, he's dangerous. He's the reason Mumbo is a vampire! Come on, we need to leave!"

Grian tried to pull Wels downstairs, though the guard tugged his wrist away, as he was much stronger than the architect. "I'm not leaving his side." He said, posture straightening as he spoke. "Ex needs me."

"Please—" Grian began to plead, though the door to the bedroom that Wels had been guarding suddenly opened.

Out walked that beast, the creeper, if Grian remembered correctly. He was tall and intimidating, smoke coming out of the corners of his mouth. His head turned, his one eye staring down at the human. "Hmph," Doc huffed. "You must be the 'help' TFC mentioned."

"I—"

Doc grabbed his wrist, shutting the human up rather quickly. His piercing yellow eyes were filled with a hatred that was unexplainable, like a gaze that could kill. "You don't get to speak." The creeper said as he snatched Grian's wrist, pulling him inside the bedroom.

"Hey, be a bit nicer." A zombie lady with fiery orange hair spoke up, "He's clearly confused. Ex told me that human slaves don't tend to stray far from their masters. He probably doesn't understand what's going on."

"Humans are humans, Cleo." Doc growled as he tossed Grian forward, causing him to stumble as he fell to the wooden flooring. "Even hypnotized, they're evil beasts."

"Hey, I was a human once too!" The girl snapped, seated upon a small couch that was worn and dirty.

"Come on, dudes." A new, calmer voice spoke up. Grian looked over to him, a seemingly normal man. He was wrapping bandages on Ex, acting like a sort of medic. "Shouting is only gonna scare the fella even more."

"You don't get it, Ren." Doc huffed, pacing with his hooves clopping against the floorboards. "You were just cursed. You weren't born this way."

The man frowned, his brows furrowing as he stared at the creeper. "Yeah. Cursed to be a werewolf. Pretty much the worst curse anyone could ever have, thank you."

'Is that the same werewolf that attacked Mumbo and I?' Grian thought back, staring at the man as he continued to bandage the vampire's wounds.

"Come on, let's just get this over with." Doc said, lifting Grian off the ground by the collar of his shirt. He sat the human down on the edge of the bed, close to the vampire's reach.