VW[19]: Princess Mirna Polietkova (VII) The peasant woman opened her eyes in surprise at the gift she had received. She wasn't breathing, but she could feel her blood rushing through her veins and her heart beating with renewed strength, not only because of her transformation, but also because of the vampire who held her in his arms and had given her the gift of eternal life! "The castle is ours, my master!" Alexander shouted, as the head of the last huntress nun rolled across the ground. Vladic was badly wounded, bleeding profusely from several wounds. He had only taken a small amount of the peasant woman's blood, which he then returned in abundance, pouring his own into her mouth to bring her back like a vampire. He was more vulnerable than ever, but he hadn't lost an ounce of his composure or authority. Face to face with Alexander, he rebuked him for his failure: "Damn you, Alexander! I almost died trapped in this hole. Crucio died, and the other two vampires who were with me also died. Why were those nuns here, and why did they set this damned trap for us?!" "My Master, I'm sorry!" "Do you feel it? How the hell was it possible that the vampire I put in charge of my intelligence, who's been watching this region and this damned castle for two months, didn't notice that ten fucking hunting nuns had arrived?" Alexander lowers his head and tries to stammer an excuse, hoping the former Romanian colonel will slit his throat right there for his blunder. But he was lucky. One of the mercenaries who had accompanied the Romanian vampire to the castle came running in, desperate, announcing that they had withstood an attack by five hunting nuns and more than 70 soldiers at the entrance. His father, Pale, had fought like a lion and killed three of the nuns, but now he was dying, gravely wounded. Vladic quickly shifted his focus. His priority was no longer Alexander and his colossal failure, but the health of his old friend, Pale. Immediately, with a cool head, he issued three orders: First, the bodies of the ten hunter nuns were to be removed and thoroughly examined. The nuns fight in teams of five, led by a leader. This leader always carries small vials of powerful medicinal elixirs capable of working miracles on human wounds and illnesses, so there must be at least two leaders. When the nuns are found, they must bring the medicine to the castle entrance. Second, without looking Alexander in the face, gave him a chance to live. He had to try to find out what had happened and how on earth not 10, but 15 hunter nuns had managed to sneak into the castle. His safety in the castle depended on this information, as more nuns could be on their way. Finally, he ordered one of his vampires to find a suitable room for the peasant woman and to change her blood-stained clothes. He looked at the peasant woman and ordered her to accompany his vampire; he would speak with her later. Then the Romanian vampire ran out through the tunnel, accompanied by Pale's son. The peasant woman felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She wanted to chase after that man with all her might, but no matter how hard she tried, her legs wouldn't obey her. Now he had orders, and she had to obey, so she resigned herself to watching him leave. In the forest halfway between the castle and the fort… The victory of Vladic's forces had been complete. One hundred corpses of Russian soldiers littered the narrow path leading to the castle. Only three mercenaries died, four were wounded, and the vampires were unharmed; the soldiers' blood had healed their wounds. Gretel took command and ordered the third vampire who accompanied her and her brother Hansel to take the wounded and the remaining mercenaries and seize the fort. Yugalov, twenty years older as a vampire than the brother and sister, and therefore stronger and of higher rank, would have preferred to go to the castle to help Vladic. However, not wanting to anger his master's chief lover, he decided to obey the order. As the Hungarian vampire and the mercenaries set off for the fortress, Gretel and Hansel ran through the forest in the opposite direction, toward the castle. Back at the castle… The scene that greeted Vladic at the entrance was desolate. The Romanian vampire, accustomed to witnessing death and the chaos of a battlefield since his youth as a soldier under his father's command, remained unmoved. His two vampires, who had stayed hidden in the carriage, lay dead alongside the nuns and dozens of Russian soldiers. With a gesture from Vladic, the son of the Pale, he went directly to retrieve the body of the nuns' leader and the medicinal elixirs. Further on, the corpses and the bodies of his wounded mercenaries—just three of them—still stood guard. Pale was leaning against a wall, holding his own entrails spilling from his stomach. His eyes were closed, but the vampire's enhanced senses heard his heartbeat and breathing. He walked over to him. "Wake up, it's not time for a nap!" the vampire said jokingly. "I told you in the walled house that it smelled like death, but it seems it was only mine!" the African giant said with a smile. "Don't talk nonsense! You won't die here today, surrounded by blood and death in this gloomy castle lost at the ends of the earth! I've told you before, you will die of old age, lying in your own castle bed, surrounded by your wives, children, and grandchildren. You will die as the king you were destined to be. I will make your descendants mourn you for ten years, and they will respect your memory and legacy until the end of time, or at least until I die!" "Vladic, will you still keep your promise after I'm gone?" "Until the end of time, my friend!" The vampire and the African giant laughed uproariously when Palé's son approached with the elixirs. There were three small vials; a few drops would have sufficed, but because of their size, Vladic gave them to the giants to drink completely. Then the former Romanian colonel ordered Palé's son and the three remaining mercenaries to bandage the giant and move him to a comfortable, warm room to recover. When they left, Vladic walked over to the surviving mercenaries. They were badly wounded, several of them dying. "Don't worry, the nuns' medicine is coming. Everyone will get out of this alive!" Vladic said. A minute later, a vampire arrived with the six vials belonging to the two nuns who had died in the underground coliseum. All the wounded who were still alive were descendants of Pale, except for one: a fierce Hungarian mercenary who had been fighting for Vladic for about nine years. While the medicine was being administered to the others, Vladic knelt beside Bojta. "Do you want medicine or to serve me for the rest of eternity?" the vampire asked. Bojta, unable to speak, clasped his hand and nodded. To be continued… Why did Vladic grant the gift of eternal life to the Russian peasant girl and the Hungarian mercenary, but not to Pale and her descendants? It's a mystery that will be revealed in the not-too-distant future. #BigVerso #OriginalStory #BCHNostr
