The scents of dust and decay sat on Romania's shoulders as he walked toward the ornate door at the end of the old hall. He'd been down this particular part of the castle several times before and seen it change as technology improved over time. What was once a bare hall suited for withstanding the toughest of sieges now had paintings of his former bosses lining the walls. The floor now was covered in carpet, and a few chairs sat at opposite ends. Rows of torches provided the only light in the darkness, illuminating the hall and the portraits that extended until the door. Romania stopped at the first one and smiled. The torches crackled in the background.

"If only you were still around, Vlad. You'd be proud to see how much I've grown."

He rubbed the dust from the portrait's plaque between his fingers with disgust, then wiped it off with a handkerchief. The one who had single-handedly made an entire Turkish army flee due to fear of him! As Romania chuckled at the memory of an entire army of men running away like cowardly chickens, his mind jumped to the night that had started this culture of vampires. Despite it being well over five hundred years in the past, he could remember each detail of that fateful night.

January 1461, Wallachia

"Are you sure this is going to work, boss? And shouldn't we have England or Norway here before attempting to summon anything like a demon?" Romania asked as he lugged a keg of gunpowder to the top of a small hill and handed it off to other soldiers to be scattered on the ground. Vlad Dracula, his current boss, had built his reign on fear and bloodshed. He had recently acquired the nickname "The Impaler" for executing several high-ranking Ottoman officials with no remorse. Now he had only a few months to prepare before the Sultan's armies would march onto Wallachia. He turned his attention back to Romania, who had continued rambling about the current plan. "I wrote a letter to them about summoning rituals, and they both said if you mess up the spell, it could backfire, and the results could be…"

Vlad placed an arm on his shoulder.

"Relax, Romania, I've studied this spell for years and am well-aware of the risks. And with the power of a demon, we'd be able to rid this land of those Ottoman succubi!"

Vlad unclipped the clasps on his pouch and revealed a leather-bound book with yellowing pages. He had unearthed it within the vast Ottoman libraries during his time as a hostage and dedicated his life to studying it. It held many mysteries, some of which contained more questions than answers. What was clear, however, was that when using the book, no good would result. Romania felt uneasy whenever he saw it, and this time was no different. As Vlad flipped through the pages, Romania mustered up a weak protest.

"You've already slaughtered the nobles involved with your brother and father's deaths. Why would we need more power in a time of peace?"

"You have much to learn as a nation Romania, but here's one thing I've learned. Peace never lasts, and the Sultan won't take their deaths lightly. They will attack again, and with more force than before. We must be prepared to fight back with all we have," Vlad explained.

One of the soldiers approached him and nodded. Vlad nodded back and flipped to the page he needed. "Step back men! It's ready!" he shouted.

He spoke from the book, and twisted words were carried through the air by the chilly winter breeze. The wind licked the scattered gunpowder into the shape of a pentagram, which caught alight with ebony flames. Some of the men fled at the unnatural sight but suddenly found themselves unable to move due to sheer terror. Romania ducked behind Vlad, who grinned eagerly at the sight. A deep, deadly, reverberating voice spoke, sending shivers down the men's spines.

"What do you wish for?" the voice asked.

"I wish for the power to raise an army that will crush any other to exist," Vlad responded without showing the slightest hint of fear.

"And what will you give in return?"

Vlad smirked. "My loyalty and soul, and the souls of all who come under my ranks."

The flames swayed and twisted like the coils of a snake as Romania held his breath. If the demon were to reject the offer, he couldn't begin to imagine what wrath it would unleash upon him and his citizens. After a few more seconds passed by, the demon responded.

"Very well, your wish is granted."

The flames sputtered out, leaving the men alone in the dark with nothing but the wind howling in their ears. Vlad lit a torch, and the men gathered around with Romania right behind. Just as Vlad was about to address them, however, he froze in place. The group of men did so too.

"Boss?"

Romania walked up and shook his shoulder. Vlad clutched his throat and wheezed as he fell towards the earth, his skin bleached of color. Romania panicked and caught him before he hit his head, then watched as the men collapsed like flies, one by one. He placed two trembling fingers on Vlad's throat, but after searching for a pulse for several minutes, could not find it.

"Boss! You can't be dead! We still have Ottomans to battle, and without you, I'll fade like the Roman Empire!" Romania coughed and clutched his neck. He stepped back and collapsed to the ground. His throat burned like he hadn't drunk anything for many days. As he held himself up on shaking arms, he watched his skin pale to the shade of porcelain.

"I don't understand! The demon accepted Vlad's wish! Why is it doing this?" He wheezed and gasped, struggling to breathe. He collapsed on his side and peered up at the starry night sky.

'My people need me!' he screamed in his mind. He tensed as a strange numbing cold swept over his body and brought his pounding heart to a standstill. His chest burned as each breath he took festered in his throat. As the last bit of consciousness faded, he swore he could hear Vlad's muffled voice barking orders before he rose to his feet again, filled with newfound strength.

Romania shook himself out of his daze and glanced back up at the painting, but the torches caught his eye. They flared and darkened to a bloody crimson red and flickered back to normal within seconds.

"My magic must be acting up again." Romania extended his hand towards the nearest torch, but the flame stayed put. "At least this entire mess will all be solved in the next few days."

"Wh-what will be solved sir?"

The voice came from behind him. Romania jumped and turned to find one of the younger servants of the castle waiting for him. He didn't recognize the boy but noted that he bore a strong resemblance to Latvia.

"It… it's nothing." Romania readjusted his necktie and continued. "Who beckons me?"

"Báthory, sir. The court is in the midst of a quarrel, and she cannot hold her tongue much longer." A few shouts and loud thumps echoed down the hallway, and the servant flinched. "I do not know how long the lords can keep the lady waiting. Is the court always this violent?"

"It usually is. Nobles are always pissed about something. Pass it on that I am ready to address the court whenever she is." Romania sent the servant away. He returned a few short moments later and gestured for him to follow. As they approached the door, the servant piped up.

"Sir, are you nervous?"

"Nervous of what?" Romania asked, flashing a toothy grin. The servant shuddered.

"I-I mean sp-speaking to the court on your own. So many vampires have stood there, and some have met their end in that very room."

"I've addressed the court before, and I'm valuable to the lady. She and many others know that I am not an easy foe, and not one to be easily fooled."

"I see." The servant knocked on the door. It cracked open, and he whispered to the other servant before it shut again. A few minutes later, the door opened fully, and Romania stepped inside the court. It closed with a loud "thud" behind him. The hundreds of vampires making up the court turned their attention toward Romania, including Báthory, who sat in front of him surrounded completely by the nobles.

Romania cleared his throat and spoke with a grin.

"After many long and countless nights of preparation, I have finally decided to shed my rank as a fledgling and fully integrate into the vampire court."

The court erupted into chaos as some vampires cheered and others objected noisily.

"What will happen when the minister realizes Romania has left him? It will give him an excuse to exterminate us!" One of them hissed.

Another vampire stood and objected, hands sparking with magic. "The benefits far outweigh the risks! We'd have better control of the population and may be able to grow our ranks."

As the arguments grew heated, some of the nobles drew their weapons while others readied spells. Romania sighed and crossed his arms, waiting for the fighting to cease or Báthory to lose her patience — whichever came first. After a few minutes, a piercing shout from Báthory caught the court's attention. The bickering nobles grew silent.

"Enough! Let Romania answer your questions one by one. I will take any others."

She gestured for Romania to speak.

"Thank you," Romania said as he bowed his head. After a few moments of muttering, one of the older vampires spoke.

"The full moon is within the next night. Art thee sure thou art apt to battle a fully changèd lycan? coequal with thy immortality?"

Romania nodded and answered. "Yes, I am ready to fight a werewolf. Even with my immortality, it will still be a tough battle, but I have been preparing since well before the last moon."

"Is it fair to have you undergo such a ritual due to your immortality? Seems awfully unfair to me that you will make it out alive, while hundreds of others have perished in their attempts."

The court erupted into another argument as Báthory huffed and stood up, signaling for Romania to follow her through one of the side doors. Once they were out of sight, she spoke.

"You're finally starting to embrace your vampiric side. I can sense it." She gave him a firm pat on the back. "And now that it's official, one thing has been lingering in the back of my mind. Why did you fight your nature for so long?"

Romania's fangs lengthened enough that they brushed past his lower lip.

"I was a fool for rejecting it for so long. It merely caused me more pain than necessary. I grew sick of having to constantly live in two worlds and decided enough was enough."

"I see," Báthory said, clearly pleased with Romania's answer. "Now, before you go, tradition says that I must grant a boon to aid you." She walked down the hall and entered another room, then emerged a few moments later with a silver necklace. A bright red ruby sat in the center of the charm, surrounded by a cage of silver, woven together to resemble basketweave.

"What will this do?" Romania asked.

Báthory smiled. "This will give your magic a meager reserve in case of you grow tired in the middle of the fight. Here, let me put it on you," she said as she motioned for Romania to turn around.

"And why must I put it on now? I still have another day before I'll need it."

"Only for you to acclimate to it. I've known many vampires who've used it, but never a dhampir. I don't know of any… effects that it could have on your more human side, but it's better to err on the side of caution."

As soon as she fastened the clasp, Romania felt a rush of heat travel up his spine to his skull. His vision blurred and body swayed as his world spun around. He grabbed onto the stone wall and shut his eyes, waiting for the dizziness to fade. A sudden ache in his stomach caused him to lose his grip and slump to the floor, wrapping his arms around his torso. His throat grew parched and his tongue papery. His stomach growled, the ache turning to insatiable hunger. Romania staggered to his feet as Báthory stepped back and grinned. His pupils narrowed to pinpricks, and he hissed, baring his fangs. She revealed a small vial of blood from her sleeve and held it up. Romania snatched it and greedily gulped it down, reveling in its metal taste. The hunger faded, and he regained his senses. He wiped his mouth with his arm, out of breath, then noticed the stain on his sleeve.

"What exactly happened?" he asked, rubbing his temples. He noticed his fangs were aching, but it was on the back of his mind currently.

Báthory shook her head and sighed. "Bloodlust. I've seen it in the new vampires whenever they starve themselves to the brink of death. Have you been feeding regularly?"

"I've never needed to do so. Since my human citizens outnumber vampires, I've never felt the urge. Can I take this off?" He reached around to the back of the necklace where the clasp was. After realizing that the clasp was gone, he attempted to tug the necklace off and break the chain, but it would not budge.

"It won't. It's spelled. It will release when exposed to the blood of a werewolf," Bathory informed him. "Now, due to your little…" her eyes drifted to the blood on his sleeve," episode, I expect you to drink whenever you feel hunger begin to creep up on you. It seems you're turning even quicker, and that vial won't last you long. No solid food, as that will only make you sick. Understood?"

"Understood," Romania grumbled through clenched teeth. "Is that all, Lady Báthory?"

"Yes, you are excused to your chambers." Bathory flicked her wrist, and Romania turned on his heel and made his way to his room. As soon as he was out of earshot, another noble approached and Báthory whispered into his ear, "Tell the court to have the things I requested ready by sundown tomorrow."

"Yes milady." He bowed and left.

Well, it's certainly been a while since I've posted and I'm sorry. Most of my energy has been focused on my studies, but since I have some free time I decided to get another chapter done. Stay healthy everyone! Wash your hands! Get a hobby! Do some history research! Just don't go insane!

(Beta-read by Syntax-N)

Published on Sunday, March 29th, 2020