VLAD

They must've reached Cardona by now, Vlad thought, if they hadn't run into any sort of trouble. He was walking down the stairs of his own castle, the meeting was to be held at the Border. He didn't like admitting it, but something close to fear stirred in the depths of him. Codrin was by his side, a nervous wreck with a bottle of wine in his hand. Both of them have started drinking early today. Vlad only knew one thing, someone was running this game for him and he didn't like his games being out of his control. He needed to get the upper hand, quickly.

Talking to Unknowns was a tricky business and Vlad counted on them remembering he used to fight for their rights. He wanted to stop the absurd exiling and let as many of them as possible live inside the Border. He strongly believed people can get a hold of their temper.

"Remember when you've had this absurd suggestion that we should talk to Bryce during the rebellion? This reminds of that time." Codrin said, smiling nervously.

"I stayed out of that rebellion and that plan failed, Codrin." Vlad reminded him.

"Well, yes, the part where it failed is carved into my memory. This is a bit similar."

"Have some faith, my friend, at least I'm keeping it interesting." Said Vlad.

"I'm an old man, Vlad, I would like to die in peace, preferably with some mead and a woman absurdly younger than myself."

They've reached the clearing in front of the castle and were right now heading for the woods.

"Codrin, it is time to accept that we cannot bribe any woman into sleeping with you anymore."

"I like to think of myself as a wise grandpa, it can be charming." Codrin smiled.

The night was clear and Vlad was grateful, people can get so used to the sun they forget how bright the moon is. They were alone, Dinu was lurking somewhere in case things go wrong, but other than that, Vlad and Codrin were alone on this endeavour. Once they've reached the Border, they sat on a stone in the middle of the woods.

"Why are you so sure they'll even show?" Asked Codrin. In these woods, Vlad had to choose his words carefully, all kinds of things were listening.

"I'm not, but I am certain we can benefit from this meeting." He said, adjusting his eyes to the sudden darkness. Winter was here and the ground was cold. If it were some other woods, they would've probably seen better but the woods around Bran were dark even during winter. Vlad always admired trees for adapting themselves to the harshness of winter, defeating the greatest enemy of nature, by simply creating strong leaves that would never fall off.

"I could benefit from not working anymore." Codrin murmured and Vlad smiled.

"Come on, now, Codrin, you cannot live forever. You're already three thousand years old. Perhaps it's time to die." Pure disbelief was written all over Codrin's face.

"You know, if I had played it better when I was younger, I could've been Jesus now. It could've been Holy Codrin."

"You still can." Suggested Vlad.

"Oh, no, Jesus was a lovely fella, I would never steal his fame."

Right as they went silent, the trees rustled. Vlad had found himself in many dangerous situations during his life and this time they at least had the Border on their side. Crossing the Border didn't disturb those who had permission to enter, only those locked on the outside. Five men stepped out of the darkness, which meant they had much more behind them. But Vlad didn't really mind, they haven't met Dinu. They were dressed in fighting gear and had steel armours across their hearts and around their necks. It was typical for vampires to wear such accessories, seeing as their heart and their neck was the most vulnerable part of them. But in their hands, they had wooden daggers with a steel hilt. Vlad had a sword, a sharp, light sword forged in silver, with a silver spike. In the middle, where no one could see, a wooden interior lay. It was a weapon that cut through skin like butter and once it was inside a vampire's body, nothing could defend him against wood.

The man in the middle was tall and strong, Vlad guessed he had a tough childhood. Certain blood thirst shone in his red, clear eyes. Vlad couldn't see much of his face, because of darkness and his black hair, falling over his eyes. But the scars were obvious, he carried them proudly. He was younger than Vlad, he must've been, for his appearance was crafted around his cruelty and strength. Only young men needed to show off how strong they are.

All the other men had their faces covered and Vlad assumed they wanted to keep the illusion of the Unknowns. They approached in unison and Vlad stood up.

"Gentlemen," Vlad started, "It is my outmost pleasure to meet you. You may not believe it, but I've been waiting for this a long time." Vlad offered his hand and the man didn't take it. Well, there's the pride as the first downfall, thought Vlad.

"We've sent the letter not expecting an invitation of any sort." His voice was rough and hoarse.

"Well, aren't those invitations the best? The unexpected?" Vlad said and smiled. The man simply stared at him and Vlad sighed.

"Our message was clear." He said. He's instructed to be here, Vlad realised. He's got nothing to say, nothing he desires. He's not the leader of the Unknowns.

"And it has been received that way." Vlad said nothing else, this man was sent here to negate every Vlad's proposition and Vlad wanted to check how he operated in the uncomfortable silence.

"Speak your desires, old man." There we go with the insults, Vlad thought. He's been called an old man quite a lot, lately.

"I wish to propose a mutually beneficial agreement." Vlad sat down on the stone and this innocent movement made his interlocutor put a hand on his dagger's hilt. Vlad smiled, satisfied. He loved nothing more than men jumping whenever he moved.
"You see, Bran Castle is soon to be under the attack, one we wish to prevent. You might have felt the threat of the Ottomans, as well. Now, if we were to have a strong army such as the Unknowns on the battle field, we might be willing to open the Border for you, offer shelter from things much worse than the aforementioned Ottomans."

"What do you know about things we deal with?" The man asked. Even Codrin smiled when he heard this.

"We would know a whole lot more if you were to explain what is going on beyond the Border." Codrin said.

"There you go, the noble vampires, those spared of the cruelty of the woods, thinking they are entitled to our help. Where were you when the Monarchy tortured us, killed us, killed little children?" The man asked, his eyes glowing redder.

"This only tells me, you have no clue who I am." Throw the dog a bone, Vlad thought, standing up. Once again, the man's hand was on that steel hilt.

"You are all the same to us." Quiet rage boiled beneath this man's skin and Vlad didn't mind, he would've felt the same if he were on the other side. What Vlad did mind, was this man keeping his hand on the hilt of his dagger, four men behind him mimicking the move.

"Now, if you were to draw your weapon, I would be forced to draw mine. If you knew anything about me, you'd know that that dagger has a much better time staying in your belt. You wouldn't want to ruin such a nice dagger, would you?" Vlad was calm, calmer than he was before, but Codrin next to him shivered with anticipation. That walking corpse sure enjoys a good fight.

"Ladies, ladies, please, I despise violence." A voice came from the woods, catching Vlad off guard. "I am so sorry about this savage introduction, but I had to test you, Voivode."

The man that stepped out was dressed in black, contrasting deeply his pale skin and his white hair. It fell across his chest, shining like a star in the darkness of the night. His eyes were red and his facial features childlike. He was so young when he became a vampire, thought Vlad, perhaps fourteen or fifteen. He had a scar on both sides of his mouth, as if somebody's tried to open them widely to destroy his jaw. This made his mouth seem wider than normal, leaving his teeth exposed. It added to the eeriness, made him seem madder. He approached Vlad, offering a hand.

"My men here might not know who you are, but I do. Non nobis, Domine." Vlad's heart stopped beating in his chest as he took the man's hand, praying to God none of his disbelief has shown. It was an old Knights Templar's saying, one Vlad had repeated so many times, it simply rolled off his tongue.

"Sed Nomini tuo da gloriam." Vlad answered, keeping his voice still. Codrin was confused, shifting his gaze from the man to Vlad quickly.

"My name is Lucien Walchelin and of all the names I've dig up on you, I honestly do not know what to call you." The man smiled and it wasn't pleasant to look at, Vlad could see all of his teeth. He kept his posture.

"You can call me Vlad." Vlad said, purposely leaving the title out.

"I've heard so many stories, Vlad," Lucien began, purposely calling Vlad by his name. "You could almost say I'm an admirer. The Unknowns speak eagerly of you and they remember lots, as well, one would dare say they remember things the Monarchy has forgotten."

"My past is no secret." Vlad said, offering a smile.

"But it is, isn't it?" Lucien asked. "Because no matter whom I ask, no one knows your exact origin." He was taunting Vlad and whether Vlad wanted to admit it or not, it was working.

"You seem to know much about me and it's such a shame I know nothing about you. Perhaps you could tell me, over a cup of ale." Vlad suggested.

"Oh, come on, now, you do know one thing. You know I am resourceful and I wish you would keep that in mind." Lucien began walking around. He had no weapon, Vlad noticed.

"You say the Unknowns speak eagerly of me, then I suppose you must know I've done everything in my power to stop what the Monarchy was doing." It was the truth, Vlad did try his best to stop the murdering of the rogue vampires, as well as werewolves. Lucien stopped and looked at Vlad, his mouth was closed and suddenly, he looked like a simple, innocent child.

"And that, Vlad, is the single reason we haven't killed you in sight." Lucien's men nodded in agreement and Vlad cleared his throat. This might've been a mistake after all.

"I've come to offer a hand, I do not desire to see it bitten off the moment I turn my head." Vlad kept his smile unmoved.

"Oh, but I hear you've come to offer shelter. And I find it funny, how you say you're such an open-minded man, yet this is the first time we hear from you." Lucien began walking around again.

"Well, up until now, you haven't declared yourself as an enemy. As a matter of fact, you haven't spoken up at all. I had to keep Bran Castle in the Monarchy's good graces." Vlad wasn't comfortable, he didn't know who this man was, what he wanted.

"This tells me you're a calculated man, Vlad, and how can I trust a calculated man?" Lucien asked.

"Because, a calculation usually requires at least two numbers. And if we join forces, we can multiply our power." Vlad kept growing restless.

"You said you wanted to keep Bran Castle in the Monarchy's good graces, what changed?" Lucien sat on the stone on the opposite side. Vlad was quiet for a moment.

"We have reason to believe something darker is a bigger threat to us." He felt trouble in his bones, he didn't trust this man, he could not trust this man.

"Vlad, Vlad, Vlad... I must admit you are right. But, you've just found out about this darker threat, as you call it, and we've been living with it for years." Lucien smiled, without showing his teeth, fortunately.

"See, Lucien, I think you aren't honest with me. I think the woods are no longer safe for you." Vlad guessed.

"You are saying we wouldn't be here if we weren't in danger and that might be true. But, Voivode, you wouldn't be here if you weren't in danger, as well. So when I received this... invitation, I began thinking. Why would a man as powerful and protected as yourself, need my help? The Ottomans, the darker things, even us, we shouldn't be able to get to you, isn't that right? You should be safe in your little nest on the top of your castle." Lucien smiled widely and Vlad's heart was in his mouth.

Not good, he thought, this wasn't good. He threw a glance at Codrin, as subtle as he could manage. They are not here to talk, they never wanted to enter the Border, he tried to speak with his mind. Luckily for Vlad, Codrin and him were friends for a long time and they understood each other on a different level.

"Now, Vlad, we both know the Border is your strongest defence. Tell me, why exactly would you offer shelter within the Border if you knew very well the Border is about to fall?" Lucien stood up and Vlad almost reached for his sword. Not yet, he tried calming himself down, not yet.

"We came here as friends. Offering what we can before all shit goes down." Vlad said, the only words he could find to change the course of events.

"I understand that. And whether you believe it or not, I appreciate it. Unfortunately for you, we did not come here as friends, we came here to negotiate." Lucien looked Vlad dead in the eye and determination was there, as strong as a stone.

"Let us negotiate, then." Vlad offered, but Lucien simply smirked.

"Oh, but we did that just now." He said. "And I've come to a simple conclusion. You have nothing to offer that we could use. We just might wait for the Border to fall, let others destroy you and then collect the prize."

Vlad grabbed the hilt of his sword at the same time Codrin grabbed his. Lucien burst out laughing and the sight was thoroughly sinister.

"Why are you here, then?" Vlad asked, his voice sharp as a sword.

"Perhaps to show how serious we really are." The moment Lucien said those words, an arrow flew from the darkness of the woods and Vlad immediately put his weapon before him. But the arrow wasn't aiming him, it went behind Vlad ending in trees. He's realised it a moment before a scream surged through the woods, an awful, dreadful scream. Vlad stepped back, Codrin following him. An animosity, hot as fire, washed over him. Only his well-trained sense of reason stopped him before attacking Lucien. There's six of them, his mind spoke, run. Run now. He put down his sword and looked at Codrin. His face was white as a paper, fear and anguish intertwined in the painful twist of his mouth. Vlad traced his eyes and found Dinu's grey, dead body on the ground behind them. An arrow poking out of his heart. Vlad and Codrin have fallen back within the Border as they watched Lucien hysterically laughing. He couldn't bare looking at Dinu's body, alive and well a few moments ago. Vlad felt exasperation gripping his heart. Once within the Border, Codrin lifted Dinu's body. An arrow went straight through the Border, through his heart.

"Lucien!" Vlad roared.

"I'm still here, friend." Lucien said, emphasising the last word.

"Next time you ask around about me..." Vlad began, approaching the Border, staring at Lucien. "You ask your companions whether they know who Axara is. And if there is somebody old enough to answer that question, you better think through your next step wisely, very wisely." Lucien's eyes widened as his smile disappeared.

"Because, my friend, Axara is coming for you." Vlad turned around, not interested in seeing the shock on Lucien's face.

Codrin and him brought Dinu's body to the castle and as soon as they entered, silence fell. Codrin put Dinu down on the carpet in the main hall and all the disciples there stopped dead. Anton ran down the stairs, his face painted in agony. All the soldiers there gathered around Dinu, their hands down. The arrow was still there. If they took it out, his body would slowly began turning to ashes and Vlad wanted to provide this man with a decent funeral. Vlad threw his robe on the floor and stood there, in front of Dinu's body, staring at everyone. Soldiers murmured a song, a melancholy rhythm, keeping their hands down. Vlad had to bury his pain down, at least for a while.

"This life brings pain." He began, his voice banging on the walls around him. "The pain of knowing our loved ones would never die in peace. This brave, young man didn't die in peace tonight. He died because I," Vlad raised his voice, "underestimated our enemy. And I stand now, in front of all of you, to admit my tremendous mistake. From now on, we do not forgive. We learn how to fight, all of us! Because from now on, we are alone in this mess. And nobody will fight for us, if we won't fight for ourselves." He looked at Anton. "Prepare his body for the funeral."

Without another word, Vlad went towards his tower room. Somewhere along the way there, Alina caught up with him. She's been crying, Vlad realised.

"Please, talk to me. Tell me what happened." She took Vlad's hand in hers and he wasn't even strong enough to shake it off. When he reached the room, he simply looked at her.

"Not now, Alina." He said and she nodded, pain written all over her. He was a bastard and he knew it, but he had no strength left in him, not to hide his own feelings. Vlad closed the door and poured himself a cup of wine. He smiled bitterly at the cup and then threw it at the wall. He flipped the table over. Once it collided with the floor, he hit it with his leg, smashing the world map in the middle, spilling everything on it. Vlad roared at the broken table and lifted one chair in his hands. He smashed the chair against the pile of wood on the floor.

"Fuck!" He screamed at no one. Flashes of dead bodies exchanged in front of his eyes, he leaned onto the wall, gripping his fists. Once again his sight was flooded with memories of lost battles, all the friends he had to bury. Helplessness he rarely felt began taking over his heart.

"God damn it!" Vlad screamed again, hitting the wall with his fist. It almost went through it, as Vlad put all of his feelings into the fist. He hit it again, and again. Until eventually, he could see through the wall. Vlad felt tears gathering in his eyes and suddenly, he felt so small. Like a little child, unable to do anything to end his own misery. He sat under the hole in the wall, tears running down his face. Feeling the wave of rage coming up again, he hit the floor next to him. Vlad jumped between regret and frenzy, sitting on that floor, unsure whether he wanted to kill someone or cry.

A lot of time has passed until eventually, Codrin entered the room. Vlad didn't lift his head.

"We need to talk this through, Vlad. Petre, Anton and I need to know what is going to happen next." His voice was kind, but hoarse, Vlad figured he's probably been calming down the folk all night long and telling what happened all over again.

"He's just started relaxing, showing his potential. He's just started to feel like this could be his home." Vlad said, surprised how soft his voice was, just how beat down he sounded.

"I know, Vlad, but if there's a God..."

"There is no god! Don't you see? We're all alone, this, this damn life thrown upon us. God has turned his back on us." Vlad was so, so tired. But Codrin simply kneeled in front of him and lifted up his head. Vlad stared into this tiny man's eyes, the blue in them washed away with time.

"My dear friend, we do not live this life for us anymore. We live it for them." He gestured behind him. "We will die soon, I pray to God, but they don't deserve to. That is the way we lead this war, like we've got nothing to lose. You and I, Vlad, we will do whatever it takes, to save them." Codrin's eyes were warm, but he's also been crying.

"He did not deserve this." Vlad murmured, shaking his head.

"No, he did not. But it happened. And if he were here, he'd tell you the same thing I am about to tell you now. Lift your ass off the damn floor, lead this war. Lead it for all the others that do not deserve to die." Codrin got up and offered Vlad his hand.

"Let us be such as help the life of the future, Axara." Codrin added. Vlad took his hand, not out of desire but out of responsibility. His tower room was ruined and there was a hole in the wall, but the two men didn't care. When they reached the door, Vlad put his hand on Codrin's shoulder.

"You are a true friend, Codrin." He said, realising he didn't appreciate the old man enough.

"Oh, no, those two have tired me out. Also, everyone else would've already fed my old ass to the dogs." Codrin said smiling.

"That would be way too cruel to the dogs." Vlad said.