The Dracula Chronicles: The Path To Decay Read online

  The Dracula Chronicles: The Path to Decay

  Copyright © 2006, 2013, 2014 Shane KP O’Neill

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  This book is a work of fiction. To give validity to the story, I use real historical characters and set them within true historical events. Any other similarities to anyone living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Shane KP O’Neill has asserted his moral rights in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  Published by

  Shane KP O’Neill

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9556701-4-5

  ISBN-10: 0-9556701-4-4

  I acknowledge that in the 15th Century the New Year fell on or around March 22nd. I only use January 1st for purposes of simplicity.

  For this novel I would like to thank Helen Baggott, Denna Holm and Michelle Willms for their insightful editing contribution, their expertise and great suggestions.

  As always, I want to thank the team at Blue Harvest Creative, who design my book covers and prepare my books for publication in both paper and digital form.

  My thanks go to my good friend, Sia, for the wonderful book trailer she has produced for this book. I love her talent.

  Shane KP O’Neill

  This book is dedicated to

  Travis Luedke, Melodie Ramone and Karen Prince,

  three wonderful writers, and people,

  who give so much of themselves and of their time,

  to help other Independent writers.

  Thank you.

  On a cold night in December, 1431 two sons were born to the great Vlad Dracul, following a prophecy from Valeria, an old gypsy woman. She claimed he would sire two sons; one an angel and the other, a devil. His wife, Maia, bore him their second son, Vlad, in the fortress at Sighisoara in Transylvania. It was from here that Dracul guarded the southern frontier between Transylvania and Wallachia. Unbeknown to him a gypsy girl, who he had forced himself upon, gave birth to another son in the north of the country on the border with Hungary. The seventh child of a seventh child, Andrei was unlike any other newborn in over fourteen hundred years.

  This was no ordinary night and these were no ordinary births. In breathing life in the very same moment, Vlad and Andrei signalled the most momentous occasion in the battle for Heaven since the end of the First Great War of the Angels many hundreds of thousands of years before. This war began after God’s creation of man and Lucifer’s resulting jealousy. To end the war and prevent the annihilation of His angels, God agreed a truce with Lucifer. By the terms of this truce, Lucifer could contest the soul of every man and woman, as long as he did not interfere with their free will. Ultimately, every living soul had to choose his/her own path, be it good or bad. Should Lucifer control more souls than God at any time, then he could ascend again to Heaven with his fallen legions and cast God and His angels out. In that event, he would have free reign to wipe out the human race he so despised.

  Lucifer used his great cunning to turn man away from God and enjoyed alarming success. In a bid to counteract this, God sent His prophets, one after another, to bring man back to the path of righteousness. The plan failed and in an act of desperation, He sent His son made man, Jesus Christ, to try and save man from himself. When Christ gave his life on the Cross, he wiped away man’s sins. Because he gave his life of his own volition, Lucifer could do nothing but stand by and watch. In one master stroke, all his work was undone.

  The Catholic Church was born that day and stood as a constant reminder to Lucifer of God’s victory over him. Lucifer decided then, as he started from scratch in the battle for souls, that he had to destroy this great icon of God. If he succeeded, then he could turn man against God once more. For many centuries, he searched the earth for the candidate to help him achieve this end. When the crusades began in the Holy Land, with Christian fighting Moslem, he believed this conflict would provide him with the one he sought.

  When the conflict ended without producing the one he was looking for, Lucifer began to monitor the births of all the princes in the Balkan region. It was there that Christianity and Islam had found a new battleground. In December, 1431 he witnessed the birth of the second legitimate son to Vlad Dracul. As the baby Vlad uttered his first cry, Lucifer sensed that he was the one.

  At the time of the birth, Dracul had the rank of commander of the southern frontier where Transylvania bordered Wallachia. Earlier in the year, Emperor Sigismund had invested him into the Order of the Dragon. On his promise to defend the Catholic faith, the emperor charged Dracul with the protection of this border. Dracul accepted this role on the promise that he would one day assume the throne in Wallachia where his half-brother, Alexandru, ruled. Five years later, Dracul realised his dream and took the throne without a challenge.

  The first five years of his reign saw a time of great prosperity for Wallachia. This enabled Dracul to amass great wealth and consolidate his power. Maia gave birth to a third son, Radu, to provide him with a secure lineage. Vlad thrived in his early years, striving every day to outmatch his older brother, Mircea. For many hours every day, they practised with both sword and bow. With access to the very best tutors, they studied hard and learned the art of war.

  Life was not as easy for Andrei. Born into a group of travellers, they met with prejudice wherever they went. His mother’s death on giving birth to him, left him and his six siblings as orphans. The elder of the tribe, Constantin, and his wife, Helga, adopted them as their own.

  The gypsies knew the moment he was born, that Andrei was special. To them, a seventh child of a seventh child always possessed abilities unlike any other. The dazzling blue aura that surrounded his crib was proof enough of that. Little did they know of what was to come.

  Andrei was only four years of age when he performed his first miracle. On the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary, an ice storm struck from nowhere. Andrei had seen it coming and despite his warnings, Constantin suffered a badly broken leg from a falling chunk of ice. While the women and children stood around and watched, the blue aura returned to Andrei. With his tiny hands, he restored the leg to its same condition prior to the injury.

  In the summer of 1442 the Turks launched a new invasion across Dracul’s territory and into Transylvania to the north. John Hunyadi met this far superior force, led by Sihabeddin, at Vaskapu and crushed it.

  Hunyadi was a brilliant general and a remarkable man. Born of lowly status to a Transylvanian peasant woman, he rose to the lofty heights of the Viceroy of Hungary. Thought by many to be the illegitimate son of the emperor, Sigismund, he amassed vast wealth and estates both in Hungary and in his native Transylvania. It was he that met the Ottoman threat any time they encroached his territories.

  Although Hunyadi had supported Dracul’s rise to power, their strained relationship saw Dracul sign a treaty with the sultan, Murad II. When his army suffered such a crushing defeat, the sultan launched an immediate inquiry. In the resulting reports, Dracul’s lack of support for Sihabeddin’s army led to a summons from the sultan.

  Dracul answered the summons and travelled to Gallipoli with three hundred men. His trusted captain, Alin Rodrigul, rode at his side. At Rodrigul’s suggestion, he also took his sons, Vlad and Radu, on the trip despite the protests from his wife.

  His decision proved to be the wrong one and almost at once, the Turks took his sons from him. They separated Dracul
and his men and kept them for a year in captivity. In Dracul’s absence, his son and heir, Mircea, sat on the throne in Wallachia. The Turks placed an army around the capital at Tirgoviste to protect it, but that too fell to Hunyadi. Hunyadi forced Mircea to flee with his army and gave the throne to Dracul’s half-brother, Vladislav Basarab.

  The sultan released Dracul a year later and sent him home with an army to win back his throne. As a condition of Dracul’s release, the sultan kept Vlad and Radu in his custody. This he did to ensure the Wallachian’s loyalty. Dracul met up with Mircea and the ten thousand men he had left at his capital. Together, they marched on Tirgoviste and took back the throne without a fight. Basarab fled north to Brasov and the protection of his brother, Mihail.

  Vlad put his time in Anatolia to good use. He worked, almost fanatically, every day to improve his skills with sword and bow. With the best tutors on hand, he studied many languages, as well as the art of war. He built the strength in his body to a level way beyond his years. Those around him observed him closely with a degree of fear and awe, marvelling at his prodigious skills. Even by the time of his thirteenth birthday, he was the equal, or better, of any soldier at the palace.

  At this time, Ladislas III, the king of Hungary and Poland, began a new crusade against the Turks at the behest of the pope, Eugenius IV. With Hunyadi at the head of his army, they marched into Serbia and then Bulgaria where they enjoyed one victory after another. At Nicopolis, they summoned Dracul to attend a summit.

  Dracul took a large contingent of four thousand cavalry on the journey. On the way, he stopped with Mircea at the island of Snagov to visit the monastery there. The boatman warned him of the bloodshed to come and of a crushing defeat for the Christian coalition in a vision he had seen.

  At Nicopolis, Dracul and Hunyadi clashed again. The result saw Dracul walk out and vow to take no part in the campaign. When Mircea volunteered to carry the Draculesti banner in his place, Dracul had no choice but to agree and left the bulk of his force with his son.

  The Christian army met with an almighty Turkish force at Varna. Despite a courageous effort, they suffered a devastating defeat. Hunyadi only escaped with his life due to the bravery of Mircea. After a successful retreat, Mircea returned to Tirgoviste with Hunyadi and some others allied to the great general.

  Forced to remain at Dracul’s capital, Hunyadi grew openly hostile to him. Dracul learned of a plot against him hatched by his unwanted guests. Yet he chose not to act on it. Instead, he opted to wait for the coming inquiry that would investigate the disaster at Varna. He believed the inquiry would hold Hunyadi to account for the defeat and result in his execution.

  Events did not transpire the way Dracul had hoped or expected. He did not take into account the coalition would need Hunyadi again in the future. Even though they held him responsible for the defeat, they decided not to punish him. In response to Dracul’s attack on him, Hunyadi vowed to settle the score.

  The sultan was incensed that Mircea carried the Draculesti banner into battle at Varna. He had Vlad and Radu thrown into cells where they received meagre rations that were often spoiled. Every day, the guards forced them to watch the executions outside in the courtyard. On one occasion where a guard assaulted Radu, Vlad reacted and attacked all four that entered the cell. Despite his young age, he tackled them with ease, inflicting injuries on each of the men. Through his near fanatical training regime, he had acquired the strength, physique and ability of one well beyond theirs.

  Murad exacted a serious punishment on his return. With Vlad tied to the bars of the cell, he administered the whip himself and forced the other boys to watch. Vlad resisted the urge to cry out until the very last lash, which he received across the backs of his thighs. His captors left him alone in his cell in the dark where he lay battered and bleeding. It was that night Lucifer made contact with Vlad for the very first time.

  Lucifer went to him in the form of a woman. As Lucy, he offered Vlad comfort and tended to his wounds. The two talked for a short time before Lucy left again. It was enough to draw Vlad in, his only memory being of a soft voice in the darkness and of one who showed him kindness where no one else had. The next time Lucy came to him, they made love.

  Over the next two years, Vlad worked even harder to improve his combat skills and his knowledge. Lucy nurtured and advised him, saying he should study the Turks and know them better than they knew themselves. This he did to great effect. He thought only of the day he would hold the throne of his father and wage war on those he hated. By the time of his fifteenth birthday, he had grown into a fighting machine. The sultan kept his very best soldiers in his personal guard, but none could match him. Every man and woman in the palace knew it, and looked on him with a degree of awe.

  On the day of his fifteenth birthday, Vlad received a visit from the sultan’s chief advisor, the intimidating Kodza Hazar. He advised Vlad the sultan had a very special gift for him. Vlad followed the vizier to the seraglio, the sultan’s personal harem. It was a rare gift and a great honour for the sultan to grant him access to the beautiful array of women he kept there.

  Vlad made an instant connection with Ayshe. As the head odalisque, she was strictly the property of the sultan. Yet she was the authority within the seraglio and ruled over all that happened there when the sultan was not present. She felt an instant attraction for Vlad, which quickly developed into something deeper and more meaningful. For the first time in her life, she gave herself to a man of her own choosing. He might have only been fifteen years of age, but everything about him showed her a man the likes of which she had never seen before.

  They spent three magical days together before Vlad left the seraglio. Their union infuriated Lucy, who visited Vlad the moment he returned to his rooms. She warned him that a union with such a woman would lose him his head, and that it had to end with immediate effect. Lucy then went to Ayshe and appeared to the odalisque in her true form. As the monstrous beast, Lucifer, the message was an easy one to convey. A terrified Ayshe agreed she would never look upon Vlad again. As soon as their love had begun, it had come to a swift and brutal end.

  The time came for Hunyadi to exact his revenge on Dracul. Late in 1447, he led a brutal coup to overthrow Vlad’s father. He seized control of the throne in Wallachia, which he passed to Vladislav Basarab a second time. The boyars that did not defect to his side, he had put to the sword. All others loyal to Dracul met with a brutal death. They blinded Mircea, and then buried him alive. Vlad’s mother, Maia, they violated and hanged in the piata in the city.

  Despite his treaty with Dracul, the sultan could do little to help him. The coup was too sudden and well executed. He agreed with his advisors to send Vlad with three hundred of his best cavalry to lend support. Vlad took little more than a week of hard riding to make it back and found his father on the day of his sixteenth birthday.

  Dracul was in a sorry state, hiding in the countryside with the little that remained of his army. It delighted him to see his son again, but did little to lift his spirits. That all changed when Litovoi arrived at his camp. The mighty warrior was the famed leader of the Red Hand Tribe, a group that had never known defeat. They agreed to join the fight and restore Dracul to his throne.

  News reached them that Mihail Basarab and his army were not too far away. Dracul sent Vlad south to engage Vladislav Basarab and prevent him joining forces with his younger brother.

  Vlad rode south to Oltenita and attacked the town. Basarab escaped with the majority of his force and left the town undefended. Vlad captured eight of Basarab’s family. He had all but one impaled, the beautiful Natalia, who was a sister of his enemy. Before leaving the town, he burned it to the ground. On his orders, they also attacked and burned the next town en route back to Dracul’s camp.

  Events took on a serious edge when Dracul learned Mihail and his army had reached Balteni only two hours’ march away. Mihail had learned of his location and now wanted to end the short war. Dracul decided to meet his force and engage it, for fear
of it intercepting and attacking Vlad’s unit. He marched with his three hundred men, without the support of the Red Hand Tribe at his side.

  The two armies clashed in a brutal battle, Dracul’s numbers far inferior to those of his enemy. He fought the greatest fight of his life, but by the time Litovoi arrived on the scene, the battle was all but lost. Exhausted and bloodied, he met Mihail in combat. They fought a vicious duel, but the much younger man prevailed.

  As Dracul dropped to his knees, Maia emerged from a beautiful white light to take him with her. He reached out, and as their hands touched, his lifeless body slumped to the ground.

  WALLACHIA.

  THE CAMP OF VLAD DRACUL

  TO THE EAST OF BUCHAREST.

  THE EARLY HOURS. DECEMBER 12, 1447.

  Earlier that day, the Vlach rode down from the mountains. They camped in a location between the Dimbovita and Arges Rivers. A heavily wooded area, it provided them with good cover. It was not ideal for cavalry to fight in, but Litovoi did not expect any sort of a confrontation there. The only people his scouts saw anywhere near their location was a large gypsy tribe near the river, and they were no bother to them.

  They camped close to the west bank of the Dimbovita. Three miles downstream, a bridge crossed over it. It led to a road that passed the northern outskirts of Bucharest. They were no more than thirty minutes ride now from their planned rendezvous with Dracul. Litovoi sent a rider to inform him they had moved.

  By the time Vlad had reached Oltenita, his father began to worry. His scouts had worked tirelessly to follow up on Vlad’s lead about Mihail’s whereabouts. They had remained west of them, not too far from Balteni. His concerns now centred on Mihail and Vlad.

  He turned to Rodrigul. “There is one thing we have not considered.”

  “What is that, my Lord?”