Blood and Tears - Grumbo Vampire AU

Chapter 17: Flashback

"Mumbo?" Iskall called out, wandering through the dark woods in search of the man. It was late into the night, barely a sliver of the moon left in the sky, with only the faint light able to guide in their search. The forest felt eerily silent, the only sound being the occasional sway of the leaves from overhead.

It felt far too calm, too quiet for Iskall's liking. They had been a monster hunter for quite some time (even though Stress didn't like it), so they were more than capable of handing a creature or two if they would show themselves.

But Mumbo...well, he wasn't exactly a man built for combat. He was thin as a twig and not an ounce of fight in his bones. To be completely honest, Iskall could likely snap him in half. And the beasts in the forest? They could probably kill Mumbo with a growl.

He wasn't exactly weak...He just wasn't very good at fighting or handling himself. That's why Iskall was there. They were meant to be the sort of 'big brother' to Mumbo, to protect him. And of course, the one time Mumbo insisted he could handle himself, he ended up vanishing for days.

Iskall stepped into a clearing, drawing out a silver blade. They were deep into the forest now, much farther than many would be willing to travel. Beasts would begin to show themselves, stalking their prey in the shadows of the trees. It was impractical to call out for Mumbo now, it would simply be leading monsters towards them.

The sound of rustling came from behind, though Iskall was quick to notice. They whirled around, pointing their blade towards the shadows. "Mumbo?" The hunter asked quietly, spotting a tall figure that lurked behind a tree.

Lowering their blade a bit, Iskall still remained on guard. Shapeshifters were rare, but not impossible to find. "Hey, it's me." They said, careful to speak with a low voice as they began to step closer. "Mumbo, is that you? It's Iskall. I need you to speak up."

"Is...kall." His voice was fumbling, though it remained steady and quiet. Mumbo sounded mentally lost, almost as if he had just woken up from a daze.

"Mumbo, I need you to tell me something only you would know." Iskall spoke, raising their silver weapon once more. "There are shapeshifters around here, I need to make sure it's really you."

He didn't answer, rather he began to slowly walk forward. Mumbo was shaking and stumbling, barely able to stand on his own. As he stepped out of the shadows, Iskall could see just how exhausted he looked.

His clothes were ragged and slightly torn, mostly covered in mud and dirt, maybe even bits of blood. His face looked pale and drained, with his cheeks sunken in and eyes hollow. Mumbo groaned as he collapsed, Iskall dropping their knife to catch the exhausted man in their arms.

"What..." Iskall paused, noticing Mumbo's pointed ears and bite mark on his neck. "...what happened?"

"A-attacked—" He could barely speak, his claw-like fingers digging into Iskall's arm for support. "Hurt, hurt—"

It was as if he had shut down, resorting to single word answers like a toddler. Iskall held the man in his arms for a bit, silent as Mumbo gasped for air. His claws sunk a bit deeper into their skin, causing Iskall to flinch.

"I-I need you to let go." They said, trying to pull Mumbo off. "Your nails—, they're digging into my skin—"

Mumbo was forced away, shoved by Iskall. Though with the force, and his newfound claws, he had managed to dig into the flesh of the Swede's arm. "Ah," Iskall hissed a little, pressing their palm against the wound. "Ain't too deep, luckily. Just a little scratch."

They looked at Mumbo, who was staring back at Iskall with wide eyes. His red pupils were sharp and dilated, almost feral, as a low growl managed to build in his throat. Iskall took a step back, holding their wound. "You were bit." They muttered, "Mumbo, you were bit!"