Chapter Text
It was a cold dreary day as Mumbo was flying over the English countryside, he missed the smell of smog free air, the sound of crickets chirping in fields. Did he miss it? Sure but he missed it in the same way he missed when the monarchy was in charge of the law. He loved his new life he really did but there were moments he wished he could just lash out on people with his claws or take his bat form without having to hide but he chose to leave that life behind when he left Oakhurst and he’d do it again if necessary. Getting so lost in his own thoughts, he had started flying in the wrong direction, shit he thought Tango’s going to kill me he turned himself around and started flying at full speed shit shit shit.
By the time he arrived at the meeting spot, night had fallen, and Tango was already there; he hadn’t changed since Mumbo last saw him. He had been wearing the same cloak since he was turned, still had the same gold key hanging from his side that Mumbo was pretty sure hadn't been used in millennia. The only noticeable difference was the glasses resting on top of his head, with red stained lenses and golden arms, they looked relatively brand new maybe within the last few centuries.
“About time you showed up” Tango said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice “I’ve been waiting for hours” Tango was always one for dramatics, although he did feel bad since he had been turned around for about an hour.
“Yeah sorry about that, it's been a long time since I was in the countryside, got a bit lost” it had been about 800 years since he wasn’t in a city, he’d lived in London for around 7 centuries but when the industrial revolution started he moved to Birmingham which had been making waves in innovation especially when it came to the railways, which was had become Mumbo’s field of interest, “I see you’ve not changed one bit since I last saw you, when was that again?” it had been so long he genuinely had no idea, was it last century? maybe when parliament was almost blown to smithereens? After all, when you've been friends for 2 millennia it's hard to keep track.
“Hmm, I think it was around the time of the English reformation, unless wait no, maybe it was Anne’s beheading either way sometime then” That sounded about right, he remembered being there for both events so it wouldn’t be strange if that was the case, he really couldn’t wait that long to see him again.
“Well, we really can't wait that long to see each other again” He always enjoyed the time he spent with Tango, reminded him of the old days. “Ready to go then”
“After you” with that they both took to their bat forms and started to fly to their old domain.
—
As they approached Oakhurst (which it was apparently called now) a wave of memories washed over Mumbo, some from good times others from bad. After all, when you spend a millennium in one place it's guaranteed to hold an interesting spot in your cold dead heart.
The old tower came into view as they flew over, it looked more decrepit than he remembered then again it had been centuries since he was there. As they started to get closer, getting ready to dive to regain speed, Mumbo felt this weird sensation like garlic burning his throat but his entire body had this feeling, it felt similar to whenever someone held a cross too close to him. He brushed it off trying not to get worried.
“Hey, I’m going to see Torchy, it's been awhile” Tango said, already veering in the direction of Torchy's old shack. Mumbo was worried, maybe Tango had forgotten but he didn't mention it, it wasn’t his place to say.
“Alright, meet at the castle bridge in 20 minutes”
“Sure, don’t be late,” he joked. Mumbo responded with a face of joking annoyance.
Mumbo was unsure what to do, however thanks to his fledgling he knew humans were back in Oakhurst, which meant most likely another massacre was approaching. Thanks to spending time within the human society back home, he looked quite human already, if you ignored the dark red eyes and whitened ends of his hair, he wore what most railway mechanics wore making it easy to blend in.
He landed on the forest edge making sure that he wasn’t seen in bat form and walked into Oakhurst. He hadn't stepped foot in the town since he was accused of being a vampire and ran out, ironically that's probably what caused him to turn.
As he entered he was met with an overwhelming about of people, there a boy, he couldn't have been more then 20, with a mop of blonde hair wearing a noble’s cloak with green trimmings, he was talking to a young woman, again Mumbo estimated she was around 20 as well although most likely older, she had this muted red hair wearing a dark red dress of similar colour with a military discharge badge with the engraving ‘For Queen and Empire Services Rendered’. There were many more however the one who caught his attention most was a person with bright ginger hair and deadly nightshades woven within. They looked around 30 but their eyes appeared to be decades older, they took an immediate notice of Mumbo, shit maybe I do stand out he thought, they wandered over clearly wondering who he was.
“Come here” they muttered, before he could react Mumbo was grabbed by the wrist and pulled away to the woods by the edge of town. “Who are you and what do you want?”
As Mumbo was about to respond, he noticed something about them, there was a bite mark on the side of their neck, “Why don’t you tell me child” he whispered, clearly recognising the tone of his voice, they panicked almost with fear like he would hurt them, the only ones who would recognise that tone would be thrawls or fledglings.
“Cleo my .. my name’s Cleo” they responded with fear in their voice. Straightening themselves up now with a sound of authority in their voice “now if you wouldn’t mind, answer my question, who are you”. He didn't know how to react to the way they answered, he recognised the fear, it sounded like the fear he felt from his old sire. Something about Cleo made him nervous, from what he could tell, Cleo had been raised to assert their authority or make sure people were afraid of them.
“Well Cleo, I've gone by many names over the years, now i need to know has there been a Scott Goldsmith here recently”
“What? How do you..? You’re… No that’s not possible” they had clearly begun to recognise him or at least why he was there.
“Oh yes it is, you clearly know who I am now Cleo and if you’re as smart as i hope you’ve probably figured out what I want and why I’m here”
“Scott left Oakhurst, he's living in the castle, he's starting a coven without following the rules” Cleo spat it all out at once, what intrigued Mumbo wasn’t that Scott was back in the castle but was their mention of coven rules.
“I see” he took a minute to take in all the information “You say he’s starting a coven without rules, how do you know about the rules if Scott never taught you” the fear returned to their eyes when he said that.
“That's not important right now” they said, Mumbo respected it he didn't need to know Cleo’s life he wasn't their friend after all, although he wished he could stay longer they seemed like an interesting person to get to know.
“Well then Cleo, I best be off, things to do, places to be” he gestured and with that he turned around to fly before turning his head back to Cleo giving them a nod and turning into a bat flying towards the castle bridge.
—
Tango flew over to the dead wood lake, the dead wood was well dead it had been like that for as long as he could remember, something his sire told him about a witch cursing it long before Tango had been turned, apparently it used to look like the rest of the forest, sprawling woods and full of wild life, a vampire’s favourite hunting ground.
Now it was full of rotting wood, dead flowers and no life, the perfect spot to be alone. Oakhurst didn’t hold the fondest memories for Tango. He didn’t ask to be a vampire, then again maybe that was his fault for walking into a vampire's den unarmed, he never wanted this life and being here brought back a lot of that hatred for the curse. He hated Oakhurst, he was young, naive and scared he ran from one shit place to another, and he could only blame himself for that. It was his fault he hurt them, he didn't think he just acted on instinct, No dont think about that he thought that was long ago, no one would remember what he did now, only he would know, maybe that was worse being the only one to remember.
He snapped out of his thoughts now he was here, Torchy’s Shack. Tango heard noises from inside the hut, Torchy was always looking for stuff.
“Torchy?” He called out trying not to sound too excited, he hadn't seen his friend in over a thousand years. He missed him. The door creaked open slowly, as if the person opening it was paranoid. Tango waited. Nothing. He didn’t want to assume the worst, maybe Torchy was just busy or didn’t recognise him, for it had been a while. He decided to make sure they knew who it was, “Torchy, it's me Tango” he knew he sounded concerned, even slightly scared but he didn't care he just wanted to see his best friend again.
“Tango…” a voice said, barely audible, they sounded scared, before Tango could respond the figure walked out, he looked just as Tango remembered them. Tall with hair that almost looked like fire and wearing his classic brown clothes, that's where the nickname came from they looked a bit like a torch. Tango launched himself at them and engulfed him in a hug.
“It’s been so long,” Tango said, still trapping them in a hug, “I missed you”.
“I missed you too Tango” they gasped out “But can you stop suffocating me ..please” Tango released them from the hug giving him a chance to breathe, “I didn’t expect to see you again, I thought you left Oakhurst for good”.
“I thought so too, but Scott’s been up to something according to Mumbo” Torchy titled his head in confusion at that remark “Through his Sire/Fledging bond” he forgot Torchy wouldn't know about that, why would they, they’re not a vampire. “But I thought since I was in the area I would say hi”.
“I'm still confused, why did you come then if Mumbo is Scott’s sire?” they asked, it was a valid question, Tango didn't really know himself he just felt like he should, some obligation to his brother via vampirism.
“Well, um I felt the pull back here too, it felt like something was about to happen and when Mumbo mentioned what he saw though his bond, I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence”
“Right then, would you like to come in” they gestured towards his shack.
“Yeah, I’ve got time” he followed Torchy into their shack, it was dusty then he remembered he could smell rooting wood and saw what looked like char marks everywhere on the floor, the walls even on Torchy himself.
“So, what have you been doing since you left, I don’t remember if you told me” Neither did Tango. It had been centuries after all.
“I joined a coven, but I left about 100yrs ago. They turned out to be awful, they killed someone in cold blood, forcing her daughter to be a thrall, so I ran in the middle of the day when everyone was asleep, grabbed my stuff and fled. I joined a new coven after that, it’s small compared to most maybe about 30 vampires total, they’re all really nice”
“Sounds like you have a nice life now” they said sounding genuinely happy for him even if there was a tinge of sadness behind it “Want some blood, I think I still have a bottle or two round here let me have look” Tango would be surprised if he still had blood, even if he did it probably wouldn’t taste good anyway unlike wine blood didn't taste great when aged.
“Uhm thanks for the offer Torchy, but I can’t stay much longer or Mumbo might stake me” he joked
“Oh, Ok” they sounded disappointed about Tango having to leave. He felt awful for it but he came back here for a reason and as much as he wanted that reason wasn’t Torchy. Tango started walking out the shack, as he opened the door to leave Torchy asked him something “Wait, Tango .. will I ever see you again” he didn't know how to answer that question.