Chapter 3 - (MC-Intro) My Legacy - 3

---

"What are you waiting for, you bunch of conspiring traitors? Just come and fight before I drop dead from exhaustion."

As Vlad said that, his breathing began getting a bit forced and difficult. Yet this didn't stop him from showing a ferocious side of the infamous Impaler. A worthy warrior that created rivers of blood in his marches. He took out the young nobles, but this was also an effort and energy that he wanted to rather conserve to the best of his ability. 

Even a simple cut at your hands or legs could be a deciding factor in a sword fight. Every serious sword fight should be treated with precise movement as if you would be a surgeon doing a brain operation. Any mistakes in a sword fight that was in itself a match against death could spell your doom easily. The sharpness of the swords was so high that a strong youngster could easily cleave you apart. 

You only had one chance in a sword fight. Everything was permitted. Rules there were only for the hypocritical idiots who didn't value life itself.

If you mess around, even a king will die at the hands of a peasant soldier. In this way, life continued functioning without stops. Everyone has an equal chance at something. What could that be? War and death is the only aspect that is equivalent to one another.

.

"Heh, Impaler, you really grew old. Your swordsmanship is no longer what you showed in the fight against Vladislav or the constant fights against the Turks. It's really a shame a master like you would find his hand against us, amateurs of the sword."

The nobles started to approach Vlad with hurried steps, not wanting to take second chances with him. As they got closer to the sword range, they could see Vlad's expression. He was wearing a tranquil face, not bothering much with the situation he was actually in.

What would expect from a monster that could survive against the Ottomans? Nothing more.

The deaths he had seen, the ways people would scream and howl in anger towards him, with "FOR GOD" or "GOD IS GREAT" right before being slain by him. The indifference he shows now was his true self, not the maddened one that only thought of revenge, but the cold butcher of fields, Vlad the Impaler.

He was a just ruler, but that was only with the people who deserved such a privilege, people who themselves were honest, not thieves or beggars who would only eat from his country and not give back one bit. But, at the coin flip, he was also the mad ruler who would punish anyone that would even think of going against his rules. He had all types of tortures for them in the back of his mind.

He was a calculating killer. He lived the life of a field butcher, sometimes on the battlefield, sometimes on the back lines giving different orders. Yet, at this moment, he was a human, not the infamous monster.

"Your highness, you're indeed a true warrior, you killed those three morons so easily that we actually felt some grief for them and wanted to tag in, but unexpectedly we made an agreement to not join in the fight and let your highness enjoy seeing some blood. Take it as a final gift before sending you to meet Satan." added one of the middle-aged nobles while ending his speech with a bow.

Meanwhile, Vlad, who was celebrating his breath, turned his head to stare at the noble who said that and said to them. 

"Should I take this as a compliment, you fools? Sigh, how much I wished that I alone would be able to win wars, fight everyone like a crazed monster, but my human body is limited. So much I wanted to no longer bother myself with you useless soldiers.

Being surrounded by fools and greedy bastards who only think about their benefits, instead of thinking long term, for the good of this entire realm and our Vlach and Roman people."

Ending saying that one of the other nobles told to him as if disdaining his flawed thinking.

"Cut the bullcrap, Impaler. We only have one life, don't you know it? Enjoying life to the fullest and at least assuring our descendants a stable life is all we wish. Why should we bother with some peasants?"

Hearing this sarcastic question and response, Vlad, who was staring coldly at them, added in his clear mind.

"You fools will regret it. This era could have been ours if we didn't have divergences, and you guys didn't plot so much against my Basarab family and me. From my grandfather Mircea who had to fight against the Turks' expansion, to my late father, you damned traitors from your peasant families always found dumb reason to fight over the throne. 

Do you think the weight of the throne is something you incompetent fools can casually put on your head? It is heavier and more poisonous than the crown of thorns wore by Jesus, but don't worry. After my end, your descendants will for sure regret your choices until nothing remains of them.

If you want my Vlachs to be slaves to greater powers, you will have to end me for that."

As he ended saying that, in the face of boyars who stared at him, as what he said to them being meaningless, he then heard the voice of an older noble, adding still in the same ridiculing tone.

"Your highness, do you want a time break to take your breath back, or should we just finish this?"

"Why should you give him time to rest? Are you out of your mind? Don't you know what this monster is capable of?" one of the older nobles called Mircea questioned with a tone of reminding the rest of them of what they were up right now.

After hearing this, Vlad looked coldly at the six nobles that started to surround him from all directions in the grand hall of his castle. He could only sneer and take a guard stance and expect the incoming assault to come.

His grip over his sword got tighter. The atmosphere around him started to get tenser. For him, it was one of those critical moments in life that he should give his best and remain clearheaded.

The noble's attack came. The nobles choose to attack first and, in so taking advantage of this sword fight.

A series of strikes opened the fight. Vlad was already on a Longpoint guard, using his sword to parry most of the nobles' strikes. The relentless attacks took some time before Vlad's guard showed signs of breaking.

"And this is what you call a legendary monster? Vlad the Impaler, who is so feared by Muslims and Christians alike, now made to only be able to block strikes." said one of the middle-aged nobles.

He seemed relaxed a little bit when he took notice of Vlad breaking guard. However, his thought process was interrupted some seconds later.

"You imbecile, don't relax. You never know when your head would be next to fly the ground!" exclaimed an older noble

"Just focus you, morons, don't even think about taking your eyes off him!" said Ian yelling.

When all the arguments between the nobles happened, Vlad was parrying blows to his body while being in Ochs guard. Noticing all of this commencing, he was reading to go for the kill.

His first choice was to go for the older noble. He adjusted his footstep and attacked him with a throat cut. The noble didn't have much time to prepare for this unexpected attack. He rose his sword with the hope of defending the strike. Their swords clashed a little bit, yet Vlad, as the attacker, had an advantage. The noble last moment was seeing the point of Vlad's sword reaching his throat.

He was dead. At least he had time to enjoy the wonders of life and was killed in his old age.

After Vlad finished that old noble, he took some deep breaths to refill his resources, and while taking a defensive stance, he began thinking in his mind.

'Finally, one down, I even had to trade to take his old life, giving up my left arm.'

'The pain is excruciating, but even if I cry out in pain, I would only leave myself open for attacks. I still want to take one or two of them before breathing my last.'

'While being able to stand is something to cheer yourself after a crazy exchange of blows, there's always something to cry instead. I want to see who can deal with five people with a missing arm by wielding a longsword with only an arm. Now I can only look at them with their arrogant mugs, thinking that they already killed me.'

'I need to provoke them, to let them make mistakes. Only doing so can give me some chance for an open strike like before.'

Ending his thought, while blocking strikes with everything he had, he asked them disdainfully.

"So this is all is about you guys? Attacking someone with numeric advantage. You are pathetic. It is clear why I lost my wars against the Turks. Most of you privileged bastards never focused on training yourself and only lived comfortably in your estates. Look, you've lost one of your own, come take revenge for him, or not even this simple process can be achieved by you fools?"

"Hmph, shut your dirty mouth Dracula." said one of the middle-aged nobles while attacking Vlad's guard.

Blocking that strike, Vlad continued ridiculing them and putting more wood on the fire.

"If I knew you guys were so pathetic, I would also have you impaled back then or made you slaves and put you into rebuilding my castles. At the same time, your remaining families would stay at my side to enjoy the wonders of life. At one time, a daughter, while at other times taking a wife of yours to enjoy myself or maybe both.

Ahh, now that I imagine all these scenes in my head, I wouldn't deny such pleasure, knowing most of your daughters and wives. As for your boys, why should I care about them? I'll take their heads off clean, so they stop spreading your infested genes that would, later on, parasitize this country of mine."

After saying this, Vlad put on a Fool's Guard, the only guard he could use without discomfort on his right arm.

The noble's eyes were twitching from fury from what they heard but still chose to continue with their attacks. Being the winning side, why would they mess up with this chance to finally end Vlad's tyranny.

They exchanged blows for a little while. However, Vlad was already at a considerable disadvantage, only blocking strikes coming at him with difficulty.

As feeling the end of the fight, Val said with the confidence of this win.

 "Your end is near Impaler. You should pray that you get killed by now, or else you would be even more miserable than this."

"You might think so, but for me, it could also be a liberation. I will no longer be surrounded by damned cowards and traitors and have the chance to meet the great warriors of this world. Alexander the Great, Decebalus, Burebista, Augustus, Caesar. Those are worthy people of my time, not bastards like you." replied Vlad with some shortness of breath.

"You are senile Dracula and also delusional. You compare yourself with those heroes of ancient history? Fool, your end is in hell with the greatest villains of all history."

.

.

The fight did not last long. It was humanly impossible for Vlad to win a fight of such scale, where he was surrounded from all sides and also didn't even have a chance to escape.

It ended in he was defeated by this coalition of boyars. His legs were injured, losing footing. He could only kneel in the hall. His body was full of cuts from small to larger ones and evidence of how grave this fight was.

The nobles didn't feel any better than him. The older nobles could only use their swords as support, while the younger ones could deal with this rebellion's aftermath.

Val was taking his time, studying now the kneeling ruler, almost savoring this moment in his mind. "Your highness, for all we did now, and all you did in the past, we would let one single person give you the sentence. Specifically, we're talking to his majesty, the sultan Mehmet II."

Vlad's pained expression turned white pale from hearing what Val had to say. He surely didn't expect the nobles to make a deal behind his back so fast with the enemy ruler at that.

His only reply to Val while looking at him was. "Do what you have to do if you consider that by removing me, the country could be in a better state. You're more than welcome to do so. However, be warned, you will regret everything, or at least your descendants will curse you while you are in hell. Meanwhile, I will see everything from God's side."

As he said that, making the nobles more furious, he added to them while looking at his lost limb.

"I never wanted to revisit my distant friend after that assassination attempt. Whatever, I'm already a dying man so why should I whine?" chuckled a bit Vlad before continuing to ask. 

"Will we meet him in the Giurgiu region?"

Val was expecting Vlad to get the destination right. Furthermore, he confirmed Vlad's guess. 

"Indeed, your highness, after making that deal with the sultan, he was generous enough to come closer to us to see for himself as your head hits the dirt.

Thinking a little bit, Vlad started laughing maniacally and added. 

"He still holds a grudge that I tried to kill him myself that night in the camp he proudly built to butcher my people.

Well, there's no bother. It would help if you treated my wounds a little to let me still live and see my final moments of shine," finished Vlad while giving a crazy laugh.

The time passed so slowly in those moments, five days, to be more specific.

Vlad's injuries after the conflict ended got treated enough to keep him alive on the journey ahead. However, he had to have people drag him because he couldn't walk. The remaining chunk of his left arm was all mangled in bandages. Simultaneously, his body was also in bandages except for his face and right hand that managed to escape from the noble's betrayal.

Together with the captured Vlad, Noble's envoy arrived in a secluded area in the Giurgiu zone.

Before getting closer to the specific area, a squad of soldiers arrived at them. At close inspection, their armor looked similar to the Janissary armor. Still, it was more decorated. They were the royal guard of the sultan army.

The soldier was getting closer, noticing Vlad and in what state he said in Turkish. "Brother, you aged well. Your body is so prepared for the executioner that you wouldn't feel a single thing."

Vlad only looked at him with cold eyes and spit at him. What followed was a straight jab to Vlad's face.

Forgetting this small incident, they arrived at a larger tent.

Vlad was dragged inside the tent. The soldiers left right before pulling Vlad inside the tent and bowed down to a person sitting calmly and drinking something from a cup.

Vlad could only smile bitterly at this sight.