On the floor, blood and pus leaked all over the body, a trail of fluids leading from the top of the tree squinting. Norbert saw it come from the very top before making a trail down. Splatters here and there on branches, where Norbert assumed the vampire fell, tumbling from one branch to the next, until falling to the ground in a splatter.

Hearing the wheezing breath bellow him, Norbert crouched down, looking at Count von Count, a question on his mind: "You good?" Norbert asked the vampire, a smile breaking the corners of his mouth.

Woken from his daze, Count von Count looked up at Norbert. "Do I look 'good' to you? And before you answer that, it's no; I am not good."

"Sheesh, you don't need to be a grumpy bum about it. Is there anything that I can help you with?" Norbert asked.

Count von Count licked his lips before shaking his head. "No, well. If you could give me some blood, that would be great."

"Eww, no, that's weird, and even my blood ain't normal. I'll look for a bird or something to take. And no, Obsius, I'm not going to take yours." Norbert said, looking up at the sky again, wondering where he would find this precious blood for the vampire.

Climbing up the tree the vampire landed under, following the path the vampire fell, up one branch at a time, making his way up to the canopy. Finally, Norbert looked around, the birds darting above and below the sea of green.

Taking his jacket off and holding it between his hands like a net, Norbert stared at the birds, wondering which would be the best. Norbert saw something flash past his vision; going on instinct, Norbert reached out with the jacket, holding it over whatever was there.

Leaping forward, Norbert went down the tree, falling while clutching the creature in his arms. Holding it down, stopping it from escaping as the two plummeted. Smashing into a branch on the way down, slowing his fall, the creature in his jacket turning into pulp.

Landing on the next branch, stopping himself from going any further down, Norbert quickly made his way down to the tree next to the one the vampire was leaning on.

Standing next to the vampire, opening his cloak, Norbert let the body drop to the floor, staring at his bloody cloak, wiping it on itself, trying to get it clean as best he could. Wiping it on the ground, Norbert looked at the vampire, now covered in blood.

As he stared at the bird being sucked dry, the blood coming off the feathers moving to where the vampire sucked everything the bird had, the fangs out . The blisters on him now receding, his skin now evening out, going away from all of it as the whiteness returned to his skin.

Staring down at himself, still covered in blood, Count von Count spoke, "Well, aren't I a complete mess."

***

With darkness moving over the jungle, the last rays of light leaving for the day. The three made their way off to the village, Norbert watching the vampire shift around the trunk, staying out of the rays of light cutting through the leaves above.

With a plan formed of giving the letter to the traveller to deliver it to whoever it needs to go to, they went through the jungle.

Norbert kept an eye out for any blue smoke that could prevail, looking at the vampire in the corner of his eye, the now constant red pulsing through the vampire. Count von Count slapped Norbert on the back of the head as he pointed forward.

In front of him, the jungle opened up, and Norbert saw lights on the trees above. The murmurs go through the villagers above, pointing at the vampire on his side. Count von Count bearing his fangs to the crowd, everyone backing off a step as they stared.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

One of them ran off, Norbert assuming to go to the head villager or Dousan, as coming out of the jungle with a stranger when investigating a temple that was broken into would be alarming, especially when there was an entity running around at night.

Whistling the two together, Count von Count just stared at them, wondering what they were doing. After several minutes of whistling, Count von Count joined in as well, just the three not even in tune or the same song as they twitted; by now, night had come.

"Well, look at the three of you, with no care in the world, while everyone freaks out about a vampire in the midst." Dousan's voice came from above on the platform on the trees.

The three stopped making music as Norbert looked up, waving to the commander, a smile on his face. "Oh, this guy, he's practically harmless," Norbert said, throwing his arm around Count von Count, tucking it under him and forcing the vampire to bend down. "See, totally harmless."

As Norbert did this, he saw others starting to come up as well on the walkways above, more of the squad he came with lining around, seeing the gear and weapons in their hands.

Unclasping from the vampire, Norbert said louder, "So, what's with the warm welcome?" Norbert asked, indicating with his head to the others forming behind Dousan.

Dobert pipping up from the crowd. "Well, when someone comes out of a haunted jungle in the middle of the night with a vampire, and the two are all chummy, it raises some suspicions."

Norbert nodded along. Dousan interrupted before the two of them continued their conversation. "Yes, like, how does a vampire turn up in the middle of the jungle? Far from their continent?"

Norbert turns to Count von Count. "Well, would you explain how you ended up in a teleportation room? I would also like to know?" Finishing with a bowl and flour, he stepped back and waited for the vampire to advance.

Looking up, Norbert whispered loudly, "This is the part where you are meant to explain it." To the vampire.

Count von Count shook his head as he moved his back, letting the muscles move, staring up at everyone, hands going to weapons on their hips.

Reaching his hand into his sleeve, Count von Count brings out the envelope. "Just here investigating this jungle and the movements happening within." Moving his finger as a second letter appeared from behind the first, "And this one is to allow me to be within Morenas." He said, flicking both up into the air.

Norbert watched as the two letters travelled through the air, Dousan catching it out, inspecting the envelopes, and seeing the seal on both. Picking one up and holding it in the air, Count von Count nodded his permission to look at it, the wax seal already broken and re-stamped with several, dotting the envelope on the back.

Taking out the letter, Dousan read it quietly, after several moments nodding before putting it back in the envelope. "Well, welcome for some time, Count von Count. I hope you keep to the terms."

"But of course, a creature of the night does keep to their word, for we are righteous beings." Count von Count replied.

Dousan stared at the vampire. "I'll get this delivered; anything else you need from us?" Dousan replied.

Count von Count just shook his head and disappeared into the shadows, disappearing into the dark jungle behind Norbert and Obsius.

Norbert looked up at Dousan, the others moving back, only a few staying, Norbert nodding to Azalea above. Looking back to Dousan shouting, "Can I have some more food?"

***

Norbert, with his backpack now bursting with food, walked into the jungle, Obsius returning to his shoulder, nodding with the bird having delivered the letter to Martitia.

"Thanks for that, buddy, really helping me out there," Norbert said to the bird, wondering why she was so helpful, remembering the traveller that the two of them were talking about before, Norbert shrugged his shoulders, and putting it in the back of his mind.

Continuing to walk in the jungle, Norbert kept an ear out; tonight, the sounds of creatures moving were heard, the uneasy stillness from previous nights gone now.

As Norbert continued walking, seeing Count von Count up ahead, waiting for Norbert, leaning against a tree. An insect was walking along his shoulder. As the vampire flicked it off, Norbert saw it turn into a puddle being blasted away.

The vampire pushed himself off the tree and joined Norbert in their stroll through the jungle. "So, what are we doing now?" Count von Count asked.

Norbert spins, walking backwards, replying to the vampire, "Whatever the villagers took from the tomb and what the blue smoke is trying to find is within the Brealk."

The vampire replied, "A Brealk, well, that shouldn't be too hard to take down."

"That's why we are out here, to hunt a beast that is greater than a man, multiple times even," Norbert responded.

Count von Count just stared. "Was that the juice the blue smoke hiding? I should get some of that."