Blood and Tears - Grumbo Vampire AU

Chapter 31: Arguments

Hi all! Happy (late) pride! Sorry that this didn't come out sooner. I've been EXTREMELY busy working on a VERY VERY VERY cool project which, yes, includes Grumbo! Stay tuned for a new fic, but trust me when I say it's so much more than that. Thanks for all the support, especially as things are coming to an end! Let's hope no one dies...

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Wels peered out of the darkened alleyway, noticing the absence of guards and commonfolk. "It's alright to come out." The knight said as he stepped into the street, gesturing for the others to follow him. Stress, Iskall, and Xisuma all were cautious to leave, though they followed close behind as they headed into the castle grounds.

"You two find the monsters that Scar took out of the dungeon—" the vampire hunter said to Stress and Iskall. "—Wels and I will head down to the dungeon to free the remaining beasts."

"How many did Scar bring out of the dungeon?" Stress asked, her eyes serious and colder than her normal, kind demeanor.

"Only a couple," X glanced towards the castle, looking up at the looming shadow of the building. "But it's likely they'll be separated and heavily guarded. Be careful."

"Most guards might be dealing with this...situation." Wels gestured to the village around them, jumping a little at the distant sound of destruction that came from Mumbo.

"Now's the best time to do this. We won't get another chance." Said Xisuma.

"We won't get another chance if we get caught.." Iskall murmured slightly, Stress looking back with a glare that could kill, which quickly shut her ex up.

Wels and Xisuma could sense the tension between the two, leading to an awkward moment that hung in the air for a little too long. "We'll...meet up with you later." They shared a look with one another before heading the other way, the two heading into the castle while leaving the exes to bicker.

Stress rolled her eyes and turned to head down the path, beginning her search around the outskirts of the castle. Iskall perked up a little now that they were alone, running to catch up with their partner after she stormed off. "H-hey! Now that it's just us, maybe we could talk about—"

"No." Stress spat as she glanced over her shoulder, her gaze icy and sharp. "I'm not changing my mind."

"You know, I was doing it for us! How else did you expect to keep the bakery and get married?" Iskall was annoyed as they spoke, their brow furrowing as they followed close behind Stress.

"Oh I'm SOO happy you hunted down my friends. I'm absolutely swooning." She scoffed.

"How was I supposed to know!?" Iskall raised their voice a bit, "You never told me! You kept this giant secret from me through everything! I would ask if you cared about me or those monsters more, but you've clearly already made your choice!"

"Shh!" She waved her hand behind her, trying to shut Iskall up as she glanced around their surroundings.

"Oh, what? You don't like hearing about how you messed up? Yeah, it's not all my fault! Maybe if you told me that you were friends with a vampire before we started dating, I—"

"Iskall, shh!" She turned around this time, her glare enough to shut them up quickly. "Do you hear that?"

They paused, listening for a few moments. Iskall looked puzzled, and shook their head. "I don't hear anything."

"I know." Stress glanced over at the village, a bit of a smile across her face. "Mumbo's rampage... Grian must have stopped him." She let out a relieved sigh.