The Dragomir Heir (Watty Award)

The Duel against Seven

As Valentina stood in her personal royal tent adjoining the arena, she casually flipped her platinum stake from one hand to the next. She knew that the vampires filling into the arena would be thinking that this is her first duel.

“They are very wrong, my friend”, she said to her beautifully designed stake. Her stake was immediately constructed after her birth and designed by her father and grandfather. All Dragomirs had a platinum stake like hers and she was proud of her family’s uniqueness.  After 17 years, her stake was still beautiful with a sharp blood-stained tip and a rose head on the other end, instead of a blunt end. 

While adjusting her boots, leather pants and black singlet, Vladius and Vera entered the tent. Vera hugged her friend and started braiding Valentina’s hair. Before leaving the tent to join her sister, Vera informed Valentina that her request was met and winked.

There was silence in the tent because Vladius knew this duel was nothing compared to the others that Valentina had faced. A trained assassin had no need for petty reassurances. He only kissed his granddaughter’s forehead and repeated the phrase that all Dragomirs uttered before their enemies: “Burn them all”.

As Vladius left the tent, he reflected on his granddaughter’s life and questioned himself. Did he regret taking her to one of his duels at the tender age of four, causing her to kill a vampire for the first time before he staked Vladius? Was he wrong for putting her in an intensive training camp in Egypt, where her skills drastically improved by being stabbed and trying to avoid being stabbed? Was 12 years too early for Valentina to start hunting down vampires that might oppose her rule and assassinating them? NO

If Vladius sugar-coated her world, Valentina would be a naïve teenager, too unfit to rule. He was certain that she would be dead by now. At peace of mind, Vladius sat next to his wife in the royal suite of the arena, drinking from his goblet of bloody wine and waiting for the duel to begin.

 Valentina walked out onto the field at exactly 0800. Emilian and his sons were already there and in their army gear. Midway in his push-ups, one of the sons stopped and leered at Valentina but she only smirked. It was foolish of him to try to pump up muscles now when they will soon be useless to him.

“Well, well…my lady, have you said your goodbyes?” mocked Emilian as he stood feet apart and stared down at Valentina. Locating the youngest son, she merely shrugged.

“It was nice of you to decorate the arena with our coat of arms”, Emilian pointed to a large wooden display placed on the wall of the arena, which Valentina had requested Vera to do. It was indeed time to show all the vampires today that she meant business and that it would be foolish to cross with her again. “Are you anticipating defeat? I’m sorry but I can’t let you live”, sneered Emilian. “Oh, but maybe for a while so that my sons can ravish you as their reward”. Valentina simply smiled at the stocky Dragos, who will be too slow to defend themselves.

“Let the duel begin”, announced Vladius.

 Before the youngest son could turn around to face Valentina, she ran, pounced on him and staked his heart. Roughly removing her stake and letting the body of the son fall awkwardly to the ground, Valentina eyed the remaining Dragos. The men circled Valentina, figuring out who should attack first. Looking into their eyes, Valentina could see their amazement and confusion, which made her grin wickedly.

After five seconds of no action, Valentina made a move to attack the man on the right but instead, she tripped the man on her left. As the man fell, she staked his heart and then quickly removed her stake to whack the rose end across an approaching soldier’s face. The man howled at his pain and screamed as he felt his face. Skin was ripped out along the trail of the rose end, revealing the superficial facial muscles and the beginning of a cheek bone. It didn’t matter because Valentina will destroy him after taking care of two more of his brothers.