After the victory over the terrifying, ruthless giant monster, the epic battle had finally ended.
With Znozor losing his temper and Branoc losing his family, the victory felt far from joyful.
Znozor, with no strength left, had somehow managed to bring both of them alive out of the cave.
He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, his entire body covered in blood, dirt, and wounds.
Branoc was still unconscious, lying motionless on the forest floor.
For a moment, Znozor simply stared at him.
The little vampire had fought with everything he had, only to lose the people he had desperately tried to save.
Znozor slowly forced himself to stand.
He gathered some medicinal plants from the forest and used them to aid Branoc's injuries and his own as well.
His hands were tired, but he carefully wrapped pieces of his clothes around Branoc's wounds, making sure the bleeding had stopped as much as possible.
RIP...
The forest had become strangely quiet after the battle.
There were no screams.
No explosions.
No monstrous growls.
Only the gentle sound of the wind passing through the trees.
As time passed by, Branoc finally woke up.
His eyes opened slowly, and he looked around with a tired and confused expression.
He tried to stand up, but his body immediately refused to cooperate because of his injuries.
"Ugh..."
He lowered himself back onto the ground and started murmuring quietly.
Znozor came toward Branoc, smoking a cigar.
He looked down at him and said, "Relax, you're in no shape to stand up."
Branoc looked at Znozor.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
Then tears started coming from his eyes.
Branoc couldn't stop crying because of the terrible incident he had witnessed in front of his eyes.
His parents were gone.
The cave that had once been his home was now buried beneath the earth.
All the things he had fought for were suddenly gone.
Znozor watched him silently for a moment.
Then he gently petted Branoc's head.
"Stop your crying. What are you, a child? Aren't you the Night Saviour, hero?"
Branoc lowered his crying, wiping his tears with his hands.
Znozor took another puff from his cigar and calmly said, "I've killed the giant monster."
He looked toward the collapsed cave before continuing.
"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. I'll put an end to everything soon."
Branoc remained silent.
Znozor then looked back at him.
"Take some rest. I'll prepare something to eat."
Branoc, still saddened, closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.
Znozor turned toward the nearby forest and began preparing food.
He gathered some fruits, mushrooms, and other edible plants before starting another small fire.
CRACKLE... CRACKLE...
The flames slowly grew, providing warmth in the cool forest.
Znozor carefully prepared the food while Branoc remained asleep.
Soon, the aroma of the food began spreading through the air.
The smell slowly reached Branoc.
His nose twitched.
His eyes opened.
He looked around sleepily before noticing Znozor preparing the meal.
Znozor noticed him awake.
"You're finally awake."
Branoc slowly sat up.
Znozor served the food.
Branoc, still sad and angry, started digging into the food aggressively.
CLINK! CLINK!
He barely stopped to breathe between bites.
Znozor watched him for a moment before continuing to eat his own meal.
Neither of them said much.
There were simply too many thoughts in their minds.
Eventually, they both finished the meal.
The warmth of the food and the bonfire helped their exhausted bodies relax.
They both slept near the bonfire again.
CRACKLE...
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, they awoke slightly recovered and energized from the battle.
Their wounds still hurt, but they had regained enough strength to continue moving.
They extinguished the fire and packed some food for the journey.
While they were preparing, Znozor looked at Branoc and asked,
"What are you gonna do now?"
Branoc paused for a moment.
Then he answered,
"I am coming with you on your journey."
Znozor stared at him.
He couldn't immediately say anything.
He knew Branoc had no one left with him.
The little vampire had lost his family, his home, and everything he had been fighting for.
Znozor was worried about leaving him alone in the forest.
After a moment of silence, Znozor accepted.
He warned Branoc about the dangerous journey ahead.
"There won't be anything easy about the road ahead. We don't know what we'll encounter, and you might get hurt again."
But Branoc didn't listen to anything Znozor had to say.
His eyes were burning bright with the weight of his losses.
He had already lost his family.
He wasn't going to lose the only person who had stayed beside him.
Despite the risks, Znozor accepted him into the journey.
They finished preparing their supplies and began moving forward.
The two of them walked deeper into the forest, leaving the destroyed cave behind.
Neither of them knew what awaited them on the road ahead.
But from that day onward, Znozor was no longer walking alone.
And neither was Branoc.