Sighişoara, Transylvania, 15th century.

Vlad III’s first cry rang at the devil’s hour, at 3 A.M., in December 1431. The snow was constantly pouring outside of the one-story concrete house where he was born, while the German-speaking Saxon merchants were having a meeting on how to make more money.

Vlad’s father Vlad II, Prince of Wallachia, requested the Saxons that he and his family may live within the city walls of Sighişoara, Transylvania, as he was chased away by Ottoman supporter boyars. In return, he gave a striking trading deal with the Saxons. Themerchant Saxons, who lived in this great military fortress, naturally agreed.

Years passed and he gathered supporters in Transylvania to seize the throne of Wallachia. So in 1437, his father successfully killed the prince, Alexandru I, and his father became the occupant of the throne. His family then came to live in Wallachia once again.

However, his father was under political pressure by the sultan of Turkey. Therefore, even though he was a vassal of the king of Hungary and a Knight of the Order of the Dragon, he promised to pay tribute to the sultan and was forced to give up his two younger sons, Vlad III and Radu.“I promise to be your vassal and as a pledge to this promise, I give up to you my two valuable sons.” Vlad II sighed as he looked at the sultan’s fierce face.

The dark-eyed sultan nodded slowly. His eyes probed Vlad II’s.

“Then you can have the throne, Dragon,” the sultan acknowledged.

Vlad III was thirteen years old when he was given hostage to the sultan together with his younger brother Radu. The two young brothers looked at each other with fear when the Ottoman soldiers took them away from their castle.Vlad III looked at his father’s stoic face. Deep inside, he wanted to shout at his father why he had done such a thing. Why did he and his brother have to be taken away from their family and far away from their beloved home?

Vlad then saw his mother, Princess Cneajna of Moldavia, running and crying while she dashed to the castle grounds to see her sons taken away. Their father caught her by the waist and embraced her and saw him broke into tears as well. Their older brother, Mircea, was looking at them with a helpless expression on his face.

Vlad III looked away from his parents and older brother and held his younger brother’s hand instead. A determination formed in his youngbut formidable eyes.

“I will take care of you, Radu. I promise,” he told his brother.

“Yes. I know that, brother.” His brother nodded and smiled bravely at him. Confidence oozed from Radu as he trusted the older boy.

****

Turkey, 1444.

The two sons of the Wallachian Prince were welcomed by the sultan in his big royal house. Soldiers and servants were everywhere. Vlad then realized that he and his brother could not easily escape as necessary. And yet, he wasn’tone to easily give up. He knew he could do it one day.

“From now on, consider this place your own home,” the old sultan spoke and smiled at them with his arms wide open.

Mehmed II, the son of the sultan, stared at the two young boys with probing eyes. He was a year younger than Vlad but three years older than Radu.

“Tomorrow, you shall begin your training,” the old sultan told them.

The two boys were silent but Vlad’s fists were tight at his sides. He knew the sultan would merely use them one day. But he swore tohimself that he wouldn’t be used as the sultan would please. He glanced at his brother whose face seemed to be excited at the thought of undergoing training.

They were given separate rooms. Thus, Vlad could not speak to his brother freely. He could barely sleep that night, remembering his parents’ teary face, especially his mother’s. She was his beloved teacher and tutor. She taught him the values of justice and love.

A year or so later, they got news that their mother died of an illness. Vlad’s heart seemed to be crumpled painfully in his chest. He looked at Radu whose eyes were downcast. He ran away from the training ground and wentinto his room and cried his heart out.

One day, he promised to himself, I shall take my revenge.

****

The years quickly passed by. The two young boys were now young adults. They constantly went on training with pro-Ottoman boyars, the high-ranking soldiers and with Sultan Murad II himself.

The sultan, even though abdicated his throne to his son Mehmed II in 1444 to 1446, was forced to take the throne back because of the Janissary revolution.He was so strict and ruthless. The young adults were taken to different garrisons at Ediner. Also, they were taught logic and the Quran. Then they were educated in Persian and Turkish languages as well. They learned horse riding, warfare and literature at the same time.

Whenever Vlad behaved stubbornly or rebelliously, he was beaten and put into prison. Radu, he realized, was taken into Mehmed and did not even want to speak to him lately.

He was outraged when he learned that Radu wanted to convert himself to Islam. He was so furious that he even beat the boyar who taught him how to fight that day.In 1447, while he was on his way to his prison room with two soldiers behind him, he saw his brother together with the sultan and a messenger.

“The Prince of Wallachia, Vlad II, and his son Mircea had fallen, great sultan.” The messenger seemed to be happy delivering the news.

Vlad heard it and stopped in his tracks. He looked at the old sultan and his brother with anguish. His curled fists were so tight at his sides, and his eyes probed dangerously as he glared at the trio.

“What does this mean?” Radu asked the old sultan.At the time, Mehmed walked into the room and looked at Vlad. “Father, it is time to appoint the new ruler of Wallachia then,” he suggested to his father.

“Yes, I know that,” the sultan agreed.

Vlad walked closer to the group, and hedemanded, “What happened to my father and my older brother?”

The old sultan turned to look at him. “Your father who wanted to play it neutral was killed by the noble boyars who are loyal to the king of Hungary. Now, if you want revenge, I can put you on the throne.”

Vlad swallowed and looked at his brother. “But how about my younger brother?” he asked.

One night in 1448, Vlad was summoned by the old sultan. He saw his brother was seated next to the old sultan’s throne.

“You shall prepare for Wallachia early tomorrow morning. I am officially freeing you with an army to take the throne from the Dăneşti clan,” the old sultan declared in a strong, hard voice.

Vlad knew better than these words. His eyes transferred to his brother. “Radu, will you come home with me?” he asked in spite of the old sultan’s presence. He was still trying to convince his brother to come home with himand forget about the Turks and their religion that brainwashed Radu since they arrived years ago.

“I shall remain here. Old Sultan Murad said so, brother,” his younger brother answered with his lips only a thin line.

“Radu shall remain here in case you will be overpowered in the battle, Vlad,” the old sultan told him straightforwardly, making a logical point.

Vlad swallowed while he sharply looked at his handsome brother and the old sultan. He already realized he was going to be a pawn in this battle game. And he knew then that the oldsultan would try to make him a puppet ruler in Wallachia. This, he did not want to happen. He gritted his teeth with a rebellious heart.

****

Together with an army of Turks, Vlad invaded Wallachia and drove Vladislav II away. He was happy he had triumphantly seized the throne at last, at the age of seventeen.

“Clean up the rooms and the entire place!” he ordered the servants of the castle.

They did as it was ordered by the new ruler of Wallachia. The soldiers cleaned the battlegrounds from dead soldiers and were all buried outside the city.Vlad looked around the palace as he thought of his family. He promised to himself again that he shall avenge their deaths.

However, two months later, Vlad who was barely on the throne to make some changes of some Wallachian laws was invaded by Hunyadi. He was forced to flee to Moldavia, where his uncle, Bogdan II, lived.

“I shall protect you with my life, Vlad,” his uncle promised. “I knew how much your mother loved you when she was still alive. Even with her last breath, she wished to see you and your brother once more. However, her fate was too cruel!” He was embraced by his uncle, his mother’s brother.Vlad silently shed a tear as he embraced his uncle back.

While he stayed in Moldavia, he trained himself more in the art of fighting together with his cousin Stephen, his uncle’s son.

By the following year, his uncle became Prince of Moldavia after he defeated Prince Alexăndrel. His power then grew, and he could protect Vlad more securely. However, he was assassinated two years later by Petru Aron of the rival clan.

Vlad fled to Hungary at the breach of the Moldavian civil war. It was bloody and many lives were destroyed until his cousin Stephengained the throne in 1457.

Meanwhile, however, during the Moldavian civil war, he fled to Hungary to take his chances. Whether or not he would be killed by Hunyadi, he still led his horse towards the enemy territory.

Inside his grand castle, Hunyadi was seated in a well-carved chair and looked at Vlad who was standing in front of him. He did not even kneel down or bend his head as he spoke to him.

“I offer you my allegiance. I know how the Turks fight, and I can offer you a huge quantity of information.”

“Very well, son of the Dragon. I shall make useof your knowledge about the enemy.” Hunyadi smirked with satisfaction. He was impressed with Vlad’s knowledge and took him as an adviser and vassal. However, Vladislav II, whom he put on the Wallachian throne, switched sides, aligning himself with the Ottoman Turks. Thus, Hunyadi regretted it and supported Vlad in his quest to reclaim the Wallachian throne.

Hunyadi was killed in 1456 when he and his army invaded Turkish Serbia, while Vlad and his army invaded Wallachia at the same time. He killed Vladislav II and gloriously regained his father’s throne in Wallachia.

Vlad’s heart was full of victory and happiness as he watched the staring but lifeless eyes ofVladislav II. His head was separated from his body by the Son of the Dragon’s sword.

Vlad’s vengeful eyes bored into his enemy’s.

‘Death puts an end to your power,’ he thought.

Weekend. Present time in Belmont, Wisconsin.

Elise woke up with her heart beating so fast, and bullets of sweat were scattered on her forehead. She wiped away her sweat by the back of her hand. She had a bad dream. She was staring at the eyes of a dragon, and she was immobile.

She got up and went into the bathroom. She switched on the light and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes grew wide unconsciously as she saw a dragon with red sclera and the pupils were cat-like and green. Then she saw something like a crest, with a dragon showingits side view, a castle on a mountain and a bloody battle.

She leaned her palms at either side of the mirror and forced herself to shut her eyes and the images ran through her mind’s eye. She shook her head several times as if to shake off those images. Then she breathed long and hard afterwards. She opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Must she tell her brother about her visions this time?

She swallowed hard and washed her face. She stood like that for a long time until she heard a knock on the door.

She left the bathroom with its light on andopened her bedroom door. She saw her brother’s silhouette standing there.

“I had a bad dream,” he said. He looked calm though.

“What is it?” Her brows furrowed.“I saw a dragon.”

“What? How is that possible? I dreamt of it, too.” Elise was confused.

Eric just stared at his confused sister. He himself didn’t know what that dream could mean.

****

“We had the same dream?” Diana blurted out when they met at the famous local fast food in town, Menominee’s Hut, by mid-morning.

Good that Kent had already arrived last night from Massachusetts. His father wanted him to study in one of the prestigious universities inthe said state—Harvard University. He agreed but in one condition: that he had to come home in Belmont every weekend and special occasions.

His father could not help it but had to agree with it. His father thought it was kind of a punishment that Kent did this to him after almost a lifetime of not giving him attention and for keeping himself busy with their business in New York.

While Kent studied, Mazoi was left in his apartment in Massachusetts like a prisoner. Pity Medjay.

Kent toyed a slice of pizza on his plate, with theuse of a fork. He looked at Diana who just spoke. “You three had the same dream. I did not have that kind of dream,” he said coolly.

The three pairs of eyes stared at him.

“I did not sleep last night. I had to study for our exams next week.” He shrugged as though it was the most logical reason to it. “How about you, Mazoi?”

The ancient dark man just shrugged. “I did not sleep as well. I was watching you.”

“Then what do you think about our dream?” Eric asked his best friend.

“I’m not sure. Maybe it is just a coincidence,”Kent replied, looking pensive nonetheless.

“Yes, it could be but it could not be, too,” Elise insisted. She was quite frustrated to have that kind of dream. Because if it was going to be come true, how could they face a real dragon in real life?

“If it is not a coincidence, then we will see what it means later on,” Kent said resignedly and laid his fork on his plate before he sat back on his chair.

Diana was chewing on her lower lip as she looked at Eric thoughtfully. “Alright, let’s just say that it is not a coincidence. I suppose this has got to do with the next mission of Elise,”Kent replied, looking pensive nonetheless.

“Yes, it could be but it could not be, too,” Elise insisted. She was quite frustrated to have that kind of dream. Because if it was going to be come true, how could they face a real dragon in real life?

“If it is not a coincidence, then we will see what it means later on,” Kent said resignedly and laid his fork on his plate before he sat back on his chair.

Diana was chewing on her lower lip as she looked at Eric thoughtfully. “Alright, let’s just say that it is not a coincidence. I suppose this has got to do with the next mission of Elise,”she finally said.

Eric swallowed and looked at his sister who was actually staring at Kent almost dreamily.

“What are your interests lately, Elise?” Kent asked her while they looked at each other.

“Nothing in particular,” she answered truthfully but distractedly. “But I did have visions last night. I saw a dragon, a crest with a dragon and a battle.”

“A battle?” Eric asked with curious eyes.

“Not again!” Diana shook her head. “I don’t want to face another shrieking priestess!” she complained.“Well, that’s interesting.” Kent’s eyes twinkled with excitement.

Then Mazoi and the two guys smiled at each other and cracked their knuckles. The two young ladies sighed resignedly.

They realized that after the battle in Ancient Egypt, the two guys were always pushing themselves on training martial arts and secretly honing their talents in magic.

Elise and Diana just looked at each other with bewildered eyes.

“I guess we have to brace ourselves, too, Elise,” Diana commented.“But I don’t know where we’re going next. Could it be in another time and place in Egypt?”