Chapter Text
The summertime air was a warm breeze, carrying the faint scent of honey and flowers wherever it went. Night had taken over the sky, leaving hundreds of thousands of stars overhead to guide travelers to their destination. Sadly, they were impossible to see through the thick canopy of branches and leaves overhead, yet glimpses of moonlight managed to slip through the cracks of the greenery.
He was a rather well-dressed man, with an appearance that didn't match the outdoor labor that he was doing now. His clothes were fine and clean, unlike what most peasants wore. He wore a loose-fitting blouse with long sleeves and a ruffle collar on the front, known as a poet's shirt to most. Along with that he had deep brown trousers and black leather boots, with a rather simple cloak to complete his attire.
Normally, he wouldn't be out this late. It was a dangerous endeavor, especially as he wandered through the wild and twisted woods. The forest was on the outskirts of the kingdom, overtaken by lush plants and dense bramble. Very few were brave enough to travel through the forest, rumors of bloodthirsty monsters that lived in the wilderness causing many to avoid the area.
Frankly, Mumbo wasn't one to be superstitious. The rumors were nothing more than stories created to scare off anyone who would try to come near. He assumed that the legends of so-called 'beasts' were created to prevent young children from wandering into the forest, yet somehow it seemed to have gotten out of hand. It was surprising how many had fallen for the tall tale, it even seemed like the ruler over the kingdom believed that the forest was filled with mythical creatures.
Yet that was all nonsense. Mumbo was a sensible man, he knew better than to believe a story made for children. So, here he was, wandering through the woods. One hand gripped the handle of a worn-out axe, its blade dull with bits of orange rust beginning to form. The other hand had a burlap sack thrown over his shoulder, filled with bits of sticks and firewood.
It was ridiculous, doing all this hard work late at night. But the heat of a midsummer's day was unbearable, along with the swarms of bugs that would undoubtedly follow him through his tasks. Even with the shade of the trees, it would be much too hot to work effectively.
Mumbo didn't normally chop firewood. He was actually a bit of an engineer, really. The king would hire him to design all sorts of contraptions. It was mostly bits and bobs like drawbridges or a pulley system, things that were relatively simple to design. Still, it paid quite well. But when he wasn't working for the king, he would help out at a bakery that was owned by a close friend. That was actually what he was doing now.
Stressmonster was her name. She owned a quaint little shop that sold bread for all those who lived in the kingdom, which could be rather demanding. She ran out of firewood for the oven, so Mumbo volunteered to go out and gather more. The brunette resisted at first, she was one to believe all the fables and folktales, but it wasn't long until she eventually gave in.
He dropped the sack of firewood, which landed against the long grass with a soft thud. A tree has fallen in a small clearing, leaving plenty of wood to be easily gathered. Mumbo chuckled to himself, raising the axe over his head before chopping off one of the large branches that had sprouted off the main trunk.
With all the rumors of 'beasts' living here, no one would dare gather the valuable resources that the forest held. Wood could sell for quite a high price, as it was essential for building and expanding the kingdom. Normally, this forest would have been torn down to make room for new homes and structures for the village. But instead, the king decided to expand in the opposite direction, even going so far as to trade for building supplies from other lands instead of harvesting the trees from the woods.
' What does it matter, ' Mumbo shrugged as he swung the axe down onto the trunk of the tree. ' More wood for me, then. '
Just as he was about to tug the hatchet free from the log, a sudden flash of light burst across the sky and caused the darkened forest to glow for just a moment. After that came an ear-piercing clap of thunder that seemed to shake the world, along with a rough gust of wind. Storms like these were quite common on summer nights, they were quick to come and quick to go. Still, that didn't make them any less dangerous.
Mumbo scooped the remaining bits of wood he had gathered into his bag, as they wouldn't do any good for a fire if they were soaking wet. He debated bringing along the axe as well, though ultimately decided against it. It would be too heavy to carry back in a rush, and it wasn't like anyone would steal it.
Bits of rain managed to break through the leaves overhead, though the storm was growing worse. Mumbo pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and within moments, the downpour became violent. Even with the treetops blocking most of the rain, the Brit's clothes were quickly drenched. The ground became muddy and slick, making it difficult to run back to the village without slipping.
There was another flash, then the roar of thunder came soon after. It was hard to see through the sheet of rain and the raging wind was only adding to the disorientation that Mumbo felt. ' This storm isn't going to pass any time soon, is it? ' He thought, dread filling the pit of his stomach. The storm was much too rough to simply be a regular summer downpour, it could possibly last all night long!
He needed to find shelter, and fast. The thunder was growing louder and more frequent, which was never a good sign. He began to run. Where, exactly? Mumbo wasn't quite sure. He didn't know which direction the village was, so he just ran as fast and as far as he could. The forest grew dense as he continued onward, heading deeper through the woods, growing more and more lost with each and every step.
Rain fell in fat droplets, pounding against the engineer's body. He hoped deep down that he was running towards the village, yet Mumbo knew that this area of the woods was unfamiliar to him. He cussed underneath his breath, examining all around him in every direction. Which way had he come from again? And where was the village? How large was this forest?!
" Need a bit of help? " A voice spoke up from the darkness, pulling the Brit straight from his thoughts. A crack of lightning vaguely illuminated a figure watching from the trees. Mumbo gasped, tripping over his feet at the sound of another human. He landed face-first into a pit of mud, before scrambling and slipping in an attempt to get back into his feet.
The voice laughed at him for a moment, before hopping down from the tree branch that they had been seated on. They walked over, offering their hand to help Mumbo back into his feet. "Seems like you've had a rough night."
"You could say that again.." The Brit sighed as he wiped the mud from his face onto his sleeve, taking the stranger's hand afterwards. "Do you happen to know which way leads back to the village? I've gotten quite lost due to this storm."
"Wow, you really have had a rough night. You're near the heart of the forest at this point." They laughed a little, before shaking their head. "But that's no problem at all. I can take you back to the village in the morning. It's a bit of a walk, but it'll be much quicker once this storm dies down. Until then, you can stay with me."
"Oh, thank you! Your help means a lot." Mumbo sighed in relief, following the figure that led him through the trees. They wore a black cloak that was similar to his own, though due to the darkness of the night, it was difficult to make out any physical appearance.
The two walked in silence as the rain continued to pour down, pounding against the treetops and the ground. The figure reached a wall of vines and plant life near an overgrown hill of rocks and stone. They pushed apart the vines, revealing a hidden cave that was nearly invisible to the untrained eye. "Right in here, come on." They urged as another crack of thunder caused the sky overhead to glow, causing Mumbo to quickly scurry into the cave without a second thought.
It was dark for a couple moments, so much so that the engineer could barely see his hand in front of his face. Footsteps came from behind him, then the faint sound of scraping. Mumbo nearly jumped as a flame suddenly broke out, the mysterious figure kneeling beside a pile of sticks and logs. "That's much better." They said while removing their soaking wet cloak, placing it near the fire to dry.
Mumbo studied their face and appearance curiously, the figure unlike anyone he had ever seen before. Their eyes were a dark shade of crimson, like the color of blood as it slowly leaked out of a gash or wound. They looked to be somewhat young, possibly in their late twenties or early thirties. Despite that, the mysterious figure had hair that was pure white. They had pulled it back into a medium-length ponytail, though a bit of stray hair managed to fall into their face. Along with that, they had all sorts of scars, covering nearly every part of their body.
"Take a seat, dry off." They invited, patting the spot on the ground next to them. "I don't believe I've introduced myself, have I?"
Slowly, the Brit shook his head with great reluctance. "Ah, I'm sorry. That was rude of me. My name is Xavier, pleased to meet you."
"I'm Mumbo." He said while removing his own cloak, placing it onto the stone flooring of the cave before taking a seat beside the campfire. "Thank you once again, without your help I may have been lost in the forest for the rest of my life."
"Well it's understandable, the woods are quite large. Most people who go in don't tend to return. Speaking of which, what were you doing out here? It's rather odd, especially for someone who lives in that village on the outskirts of the kingdom. I thought everyone there was afraid of the beasts and monsters that lived here."
"That's all just a bunch of rumors, I personally don't understand how so many could believe those stories. But anyway, I came to collect firewood for a friend of mine—" he gave a pat to the bag of wood that he had dragged along. "—I came at night to avoid the heat and bugs, but I wasn't expecting a storm like this to come out of nowhere."
Xavier let out a laugh that echoed on the walls of the cave. "Rumors? No, those beasts are real. Since this forest is free from humans, mythical creatures tend to roam peacefully here."
"You can't be serious," Mumbo shook his head. "I don't believe you. I'm sorry, but monsters? Half-human, half-animal creatures? Bloodthirsty demons? It just isn't very realistic."
"Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I believe you're talking to one of those 'bloodthirsty demons' that you don't exactly believe in." He said, opening his mouth to reveal two pointed fangs. The Brit could feel his heart stop for a moment, as dread filled the pit of his stomach.
"Y-y-you're a-a—"
"Vampire?" Xavier interrupted, raising an eyebrow with a bit of a smug grin on his face. "Yes, I'm a vampire. I'm surprised you didn't notice sooner. Most people tend to run off screaming the moment they notice my red eyes. I guess I got lucky with you..."
"Wh-..what do you w-want from me..?" Mumbo stuttered as he backed away from the fire, trying to distance himself from the creature that sat across from him.
"Oh, nothing much. I promised that I would help you get back to the village, and I intend to honor that promise, but I'll need something from you in exchange.."
He swallowed the lump in his throat, the engineer feeling his hands begin to tremble with fear at the idea of what could happen to him. Xavier laughed once more, though it sounded more like a dark cackle as it bounced off the walls of the cave. "You're shaking like a rabbit, how adorable!"
"S-s-stay away. Stay b-back!" Mumbo snapped, reaching his hand into the bag of firewood. He pulled out a short branch which was somewhat sharp on one end, pointing the makeshift weapon towards the bloodthirsty creature. The vampire scoffed, slapping the Brit's hand away and causing him to drop the stake.
"You're quite entertaining, you know that?" He smiled, the scarlet of his eyes seeming to glow with devious intentions. "I'm glad I ran into you, I normally don't get a chance to play with my food."
Mumbo's eyes widened in horror, his heart jumping to his throat as it pounded rapidly. He got up to run away, fearing his life was in danger, though it didn't take long for him to get caught. He was tackled to the stone flooring of the cave, a hand on his head to keep his face pinned against the jagged pebbles on the ground. Xavier was on top of him, his claw-like hands gripping tightly to the mustached male's raven hair.
The vampire's pupils were sharp, as though he were a feral cat, Xavier's instincts seeming to have a firm hold over him. He was starving , many of the woodland creatures scarce and difficult to acquire nowadays. Human blood was rather tempting, too good of an offer to pass up. Normally he wouldn't hurt humans, as he mostly wanted to be left alone, though this time was an exception.
His dark chuckle caused the hair on the back of Mumbo's neck to stand on end, the vampire leaning in close as he whispered. "We don't get to eat much, with the forest being rather empty and all. Just a couple deer or rodents. So when defenseless humans like you wander in, us 'monsters' have to take the opportunity to have a good meal."
"Please," he begged with a trembling sob. "I-I don't want to die..."
"You won't die, unless I get a bit too greedy... " Xavier said, mentioning the last part underneath his breath. "Squirm and cry all you want, but you can't escape me. Now be a good boy and hold still before I get even more hungry.."
Mumbo could feel his breathing quicken out of panic, his hands balling into fists as he tried to grab hold of the rocky flooring to have some kind of support. Xavier leaned in close, hissing as his fangs slowly began to extend outward. They grew sharper within moments, easily able to pierce through skin. He shut his eyes as tight as he could, the Brit trying his best to hold back the tears in his eyes.
The fangs stabbed into his neck rather quickly, tearing through the flesh. It was a burning sensation of pain and agony, like a knife had just been pushed through his chest. Tears fought their way out, and Mumbo couldn't stop them. He sobbed weakly, choking out babbles and pleas to end the suffering. He wished for death. He wished for it all to be over.
And in a sudden moment, it was.
Yet, he was still alive.
Xavier was still pinning him down, enjoying the human's blood like it was a five-course meal. But the pain that had caused Mumbo to cry and beg had been washed away within an instant. His body felt numb, tingly almost, with his mind overwhelmingly calm (despite the current position that he was stuck in). He felt his fists slowly begin to relax against his will, while his breathing began to slow as well.
He felt heavy and tired, making it feel impossible to move any of his limbs. The engineer groaned softly as spots of his vision began to fade in and out of darkness, while simply breathing became a difficult task to complete. Mumbo's head and thoughts became fuzzier with each breath, as every bit of strength and energy he had was slowly drained away.
There was a faint sting of ecstasy in the back of his mind, a strange sense of some kind of unnatural pleasure forcing its way through the Brit's body. It was unlike anything he had felt before, though that only made Mumbo even more unsteady about the whole experience.
Before he could question it any further, his vision finally began to fade, while his mind eventually slipped into a state of peaceful unconsciousness.
—
7 months later
February always had a harsh feeling of dread and cold, with skies that were normally stuck painted in a cloudy gray that was dull and bleak. The weather was frightful, from frigid winds to icy hail storms that froze the cobblestone roads. It was hard to farm with temperatures such as this, most crops unable to withstand the sheer cold that they would face this time of year. Wheat was especially hard to come by, as there seemed to have been a shortage during the harvest for winter.
Stress had been lucky enough to buy up extra grain for situations such as this, though it wouldn't be long before she would run out. Many people were short on food, although normally there would be winter crops that would be grown during harsh climates. Farming towns were responsible for these harvests. They were mini-villages that were underneath the rule of the king, yet were a bit far from the kingdom due to the large fields and plantations.
Because of the distance, they were easy to attack, which is exactly what happened. At first it seemed random, possibly a band of robbers that had wanted to sell the crops that they stole. Though it soon became clear that one attack wouldn't be the last. Other small towns were stuck, causing livestock and other resources to go missing. No one was hurt, though that quickly changed with the latest attack.
Someone managed to spot whoever or whatever had been stealing from them. The robber had been carrying a sheep out of its pen in the middle of the night. Apparently the farmer who was being stolen from had thought that it would be a good idea to attack the thief with a flaming arrow. There were no guards out in the farmlands, which means that farmers tend to have to protect themselves. Still, Stress thought that was a rather violent punishment for someone who was stealing a singular animal, though the criminal managed to get away unharmed.
The arrow had missed, and the fire ended up spreading to the wooden fencing of the sheep enclosure, and before long the flames had nearly engulfed half the town. Many people had lost their homes, along with the only way that they could earn money. Some were injured, others were killed. The town was eventually destroyed, along with all of the plants that were being grown and harvested.
It was an awful set of circumstances, leaving many hungry and homeless farmers with no way to earn money after the loss of their crops. Those who had their homes destroyed were currently in the process of moving to the main kingdom, taking anything that survived the fires along with them. Stress watched as donkeys and carts made their way onto the main road, the large flood of people making their way into the village. The baker scanned the faces in the crowd, attempting to spot someone who looked the least bit familiar.
"Stress!" Someone called out from the middle of the group, a man pushing through the horde as he waved towards the brunette. She smiled as glee filled her chocolate brown eyes, waving back at the short male.
He pulled on a rope that was wrapped around his wrist, tugging along a donkey that carried bags of items and belongings on its back. The two broke free from the crowd, heading off to the side of the road where Stress was located. "Oh, are you alright? I heard that the fire was awful! Was the trip long? Do you need to rest?"
"Stress! Stress! I'm okay, I swear!" He laughed joyfully, "The fire just destroyed parts of my house, but nothing of mine was damaged. And I was supposed to move back here anyway for work, so I'm completely fine. No need to worry about me."
"Oh, I know Grian. But you've been gone for so long!"
"It's only been a couple years, but I've written letters to you all the time."
"It's not the same. Oh! Will you finally be living here permanently? No more movin' 'round at random?" She asked with hopeful energy, though Grian shook his head with uncertainty.
"It's difficult to tell, you know how the king can be sometimes." He shrugged, walking over to his donkey to rummage through a few of the bags that the animal carried. "But he wants to expand the kingdom, and he needs an architect to do it, so here I am. But maybe I can talk to him about being permanently reassigned here, if you'd like."
"I'd love that, dear. Everyone has missed you. We would love to have you move back for good!"
"Well then, let's hope my meeting with the king goes well." Grian said with a wink, pulling out a few scrolls of paper from his bags. "I've already drawn up a couple designs for homes and new shops. Maybe we could even give your little bakery an upgrade!"
"Oh, you know very well that I'm happy with what I have." She said politely, tucking a bit of her hair behind her ear.
"Well, if you ever need a bit more space, I'd be happy to help out."
"Maybe someday, but for now you should get goin' to your meeting. Don't want to keep the king waitin'. But stop by afterwards, I'll gather everyone and inform them that you're back!"
"Thank you, I really have missed all of you. The meeting shouldn't be that long, just a routine check-in before I start work tomorrow. I'll head back to the bakery as fast as I can!" Grian said, giving the brunette a quick hug. "Do you think that you can take Donk there? He probably needs rest after carrying all my stuff for the entire trip."
"Of course, love. I'll see you soon!" Stress said while stroking the animal's mane, before waving goodbye to the architect as he ran off.
Grian tucked the scrolls of paper that he held into the brown leather satchel that was slung over his torso, doing so as he ran through the streets in order to make it to the castle in time. His boots clicked against the cobble roads, yet the sound was drowned out by the bustling city folk. Royal guards were marching on patrol with glistening weapons in their hands, while salespeople were yelling to advertise their products. Some yelled of wool clothes, while others spoke of firewood and other materials that were for sale.
Fighting his way through the constant flow of people was rather difficult, though Grian wasn't too overwhelmed by it all. Truthfully, he had missed the busy life that kingdoms and large towns held. He had been assigned to work on constructing housing for smaller farming communities in the countryside, though was requested back to the castle after the latest attack on the village ended up destroying half of the homes.
He made it to the main gate at the front entrance of the castle, nearly out of breath from running. Grian took a moment to straighten his red tunic and brush the dirt off his dark grey trousers, attempting to make himself look tad bit better for the ruler of the kingdom.
Once ready, he walked to the knight that was standing guard at the front entrance. They examined the architect head to toe, studying him for a few moments in silence. The guard then gave a hum of approval, stepping aside to let him pass. Grian ran up the path the moment he was given permission to do so, before climbing the steps that led to the main palace.
It felt strange to see the palace up close again, as Grian could only see it far off in the distance from the countryside. Years had passed since his last visit to the castle, and yet time seemed to have no toll on the fortress. Bits of ivy and moss seemed to grow on the bricks that were closest to the ground, but other than that, there was no noticeable difference from all those years ago.
The architect dragged his fingers against the walls made of stone bricks, which were cold to the touch. Grian took a moment to turn back, the view from the castle looking over the entirety of the village. Not only that, but he could vaguely see parts of the countryside from here. The sky was painted with a burning orange flame that broke through the grey February clouds, giving color to the world in a time that felt weary and soulless.
After a brief moment of thought, Grian refocused on the task at hand. He turned towards the front doors of the castle, grabbing the ring-shaped handles that were made of some kind of dark metal. He pulled at the door, which caused a low creak to echo through the throne room. The king and his advisor were waiting for him there, though neither spoke up as the Brit walked forward.
His footsteps were softened by the carpet underneath his feet, the fresh and vibrant ruby color giving the appearance that the rug was brand new. The architect walked forward towards the throne, fine metals and rare wood had been shaped together to form a seat that was truly fit for a king. Grian stopped a small distance away, bowing his body and his head as a sign of loyalty.
"My liege."