Vlad The Dragon

The Vampiress

"Well, if it isn't Vlad the Impaler," said a tall, thick man in the middle.

Vlad takes a short bow. "Dragon salutes Dragons."

"How are your wife and my nephew?" the man in the middle asks him.

"They fare well, Uncle" Vlad replies.

"Well, let's get down to business. I'm sure you've heard of the Sultan's campaign to conquer Europe. Fortunately for us, he has thought to start with our beautiful country, Romania." said Bagdan the second, Vlad's uncle.

"I thought they were just rumors, sir," Vlad says.

"Oh, they are far from being rumors, Impaler," the man on Bogdan's left answers. "A few miles from here, the Sultan has set up his camp. Our spies say he readies his troops to march in four nights' time."

"Then we meet him at battle then," Vlad says confidently.

The men look at each other, surprised at Vlad's boldness.

"I appreciate your confidence, Impaler, but we cannot battle the Sultan. His forces are too numerous," Bogdan says.

"But they are not used to our lands. They do not know how to navigate our dense forests," Vlad counters.

"So, you truly believe we can defeat the Ottomans, Impaler?" Darius asks skeptically.

Vlad studies the map, his brilliant mind racing. "Of course."

"I wish all men had your confidence, Vlad. Then this war might be easier," Bogdan says wistfully.

"The men's spirits will be uplifted if we execute successful attacks. But if we stay in this tent every day and go to bed every night without taking any action, then what do they have to believe in?" Vlad argues.

"You only speak with such confidence because you have not seen the might of the Sultan," Tokovic, the slender man on Darius's right, says condescendingly. "You forget that I have served in the Sultan's courts. I know exactly how mighty Mehmed's forces are."

"Well in that case, Impaler, it would be your job to coordinate these attacks." said Bogan.

"It would be my honor, Dragon, I'll return to my castle and make preparations, for I had not expected a war."

Vlad took a short bow and left with his men behind him.

Vlad returned to his castle, he sat on his throne, with Justina by his side, in the court room being briefed about the things that happened while he was away.

"Sire, the people are panicking, they see the increase in the amount of soldiers at the forts and it's putting them on edge."

"What do you expect me to do, leave my lands unprotected?"

"No sire, what I am saying is try to make it less obvious that there's impending war."

"It is good that they know and they prepare themselves also, is there anything else."

"Yes sire, there is one more issue."

"What is it?" Vlad said, trying to hold his irritation at his whining delegates, Justina squeezed his hand to calm him down.

"Well, two bodies were found in a stream not too far from the castle, they had on the armor of the Ottoman Empire, we figured them to be spies."

"Well, if they are dead, how are they still an issue?"

"It is not they that are the issue sire, but how they died."

Vlad narrowed his eyes and motioned the man to continue.