Vlad motioned for Cosmin and Costel to pay attention to Ismail Pasha. It was obvious this man knew what he was doing when it came to sword fighting. They could learn much from him. Sergiu cared nothing for fighting and he moved to the shade of a nearby olive tree. Soon he was chatting merrily with some of the soldiers. He never met a stranger.
The lesson continued until midday when the sun grew too intense. The men retired indoors for their studies — which meant a nap for many of them. Cosmin and Costel could not wait to take their hoods off and get away from the bright sun.
“The latest in Arab medicine.” Sergiu picked up another book. “The latest in Arab sciences and inventions.” He truly did not know where to start.
Vlad was not interested in any of it. He was anxious to get back to training — he wanted to become the best. His brow furrowed as he asked Ismail, “You do not seem concerned that we are not Muslim.”
“The Osmanlis judge people on their skills and potential. If a person is of value then we do not care about their religion, or the color of their skin. Look around you; many of the Janissaries are Christian born. The sultan’s lead doctor is Jewish and the best doctor to ever roam the earth, I’d imagine. Of course, to gain status and become a commander or even the Grand Vizier one must convert to the religion of the Prophet Mohammed — may God forever protect his eternal soul. While the men may study what they choose, we do emphasize the teachings of the Koran. Of course, we welcome converts but do not require it for lower level infantry.”
Sergiu’s ears had perked with interest. He joined Vlad and Ismail with an armful of books. “I have heard people in the north speak of you. They say that the wise sultan is infinitely fair. Sometimes the tax to the Osmanlis is less than what they were required to pay under their former Christian rulers. Also the people you conquer tend to be content because they are allowed to keep their religion.”
“Yes, the sultan’s father, Osman, blessings forever be upon him, believed that it was best to conquer and tax rather than conquer and convert. This way people are much less likely to retaliate. This leads to fewer problems in maintaining the lands we conquer and fewer uprisings. As long as they pay their tribute to the Sultan Orhan, they have our protection and they can live out their lives as they wish — retaining whichever religion they choose.”
“That is ingenious.” Sergiu looked at Vlad as if to say, Are you taking note of all this?
“Aye, the sultan and I were born as nomads and now we command almost all of Anatolia and even up into Europe itself — over half a million people under our command. And we have no intention of stopping.”
“Inch’ Allah,” Sergiu injected.
The Pasha laughed. “Always! Only if God is willing. Always, Inch’ Allah!”
Sergiu whispered quietly so only Vlad could hear, “That is a typical overstatement of power. They only control the northern regions of the Anatolian peninsula and they have barely begun to venture into Europe across the Dardanelles.”
Vlad chuckled at Sergiu’s secret correction of the Pasha’s boasting.
When the sun was low in the sky, they headed back outside to train. Late that night after a large meal of roast goat and rice, they sat around a campfire. The man Vlad had bested in the sword fight sat off to himself and glared at Vlad.
Sergiu pointed to the man with his eyes and gave Vlad a shove toward him.
Vlad knew Sergiu wanted him to make peace with the man. “But how,” Vlad whispered.
“Go. You will figure it out. I do not want him to cause trouble for us.”
Vlad moved to the large man’s side and asked if he could take a seat.
The man grunted in response.
Vlad shot Sergiu a irritated glower and Serg nodded for Vlad to continue.
The silence streteched thin between the two men.
“I like the swords you use here,” Vlad finally said. It was a stupid thing to say but it was the only thing he could think of. He was not a master of words as Sergiu was.
“They are scimitars,” the man scoffed. He quickly brandished his sword from his side.
Vlad reflexively jumped.
The large man chuckled. “You see the broad body and the elegant curve.” He ran his hand down the back of his sword as if he was caressing the curves of a beautiful woman.
The men around them watched with interest; some appeared concerned, while others looked hopeful that another entertaining skirmish might break out.
Vlad longed to inspect its craftsmanship. “May I see it?”
The man looked at Vlad as if he were mad, so Vlad continued. “Here.” He slowly took his long straight broadsword out of its sheath and offered the handle to the man.
He took it with reluctance and inspected it. The man handed Vlad his scimitar.
“The craftsmanship is quite good,” Vlad said. Not as good as one of my own swords but good.
“And this is an extraordinary sword.”
“I made it myself. It is yours now.”
For the second time that day the massive man looked at Vlad with wide eyes.
“An offer of my good will. May it always serve you well, my friend.”
The slightest smile crept across the large man’s face. “I cannot take this without giving you something in return. You must accept my scimitar.”
Vlad studied the lovely sword in his hand. “It would be an honor. My name is Vladislav.”
“Vlads ... ”
“Vlad is fine.”
“They call me Abdullah.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“If you think that scimitar is something, you should see my most prized treasure; a gold-handled scimitar inlaid with precious stones. That is simply my common practice sword.”
“I see how you are. I give you my very best sword and you give me rubbish in return.”
The big man laughed from his belly and Vlad could not help joining him.
This seemed to lighten the tense mood in the camp. Soon all were relaxed and joking with one another as comrades do. Vlad and his men were unofficially part of the Janissaries.
Vlad knew Sergiu would be pleased that his attempt to make peace had worked. Sergiu smiled at Vlad as if he were a proud father. It was a look Vlad had rarely received from his own father. He would have done most anything to earn such favor from Sergiu.
In the days that followed they learned much. It was easy to see the value in training with Ismail Pasha. He had been a skilled fighter and was an excellent trainer. It only took a couple of days before they caught the eye of the sultan himself. He came to examine his new recruits. Ismail informed them that Sultan Orhan had been pleased with what he saw and had invited them to a feast in his palace that night. Sergiu was able to charm the sultan and they endlessly discussed politics. After an hour or so Vlad grew bored and found himself jesting with Abdullah and a few of the other Janissaries.
Sergiu continued to learn from the sultan — or perhaps it was the other way around — and Vlad and the twins continued their training with Ismail. They accompanied Orhan on several missions that year. Sometimes they set out to maintain Osmanli lands and sometimes they went to conquer new territories. Orhan, like his father before him, would divide any loot acquired during these conquests between his soldiers as a reward for fighting for him. This helped to ensure the Janissaries’ loyalty. Vlad desired such loyalty from an army of vampires so he studied Orhan’s methods. The man was a down-to-earth leader, as his father had been. He even shod his own horses. Vlad figured this must have originated from their humble background. Orhan was a fair leader and seemed to care about his men and their well-being.
Sergiu and Orhan became inseparable much of the time; a relationship which appeared to concern the pasha. Eventually the sultan would ask for Sergiu’s advice as much as he would consult his own pasha.
Rather than spending time with the sultan, Vlad usually preferred the camaraderie of the soldiers. It appeared that without women around, Vlad could get on well with the men. W
omen and men were kept separate from one another in this society. Women of high status such as Orhan’s wives, mother and daughters were kept under lock and key in their own part of the palace and never seen by the Janissaries. They would never venture out to the market place or be seen on the streets for any reason. The only women that were seen in town were servants and lower class women who had to sell their goods as a means of survival. Of course, Vlad was not interested in any of those women. His sights were set on the powerful — a woman with a name behind her.
Chapter 31 Northern Anatolia 1355 A.D
Over the next year Vlad and the twins became skilled fighters under the pasha’s tutelage. Sergiu preferred to study while they trained. He stayed behind with his books rather than head into battle with the Osmanlis. Most of the lands the sultan conquered were smaller Christian villages and towns. They were not well defended and the fine-tuned Osmanli fighters made quick work of these areas. More often than not it was hardly a fight. The Janissaries did not truly need Vlad and the twins, so Vlad ordered Cosmin and Costel to hang back.
“What would you have us do then, Master?” Cosmin asked.
“Keep your eyes and ears peeled. Our job is to protect the Janissaries. If any of them get into trouble then it is your job to save them.”
This was a worthy goal that seemed to pacify them.
Next on Orhan’s list of lands to conquer was the Gallipoli peninsula. This was well defended and not the easy raid the other missions had been. The siege at the fortress of Gallipoli lasted for weeks. The men grew weary and bored. They preferred quick and easy loot. Here there was no such compensation for days on end.
This time the vampires played an active role in the battle. They defended the sultan’s slaves as they slowly built massive earthworks that would allow the army to ascend the walls of the fortress. Two such earthen ramps were built simultaneously so that the Osmanlis could pour into the city from two different vantage points, thus making it harder for the smaller Gallipoli army to defend the city. Yet with three vampires leading the soldiers over the wall the Gallipoli forces would not be able to stop the intruders anyway.
Vlad fastened several shields together which Abdullah held. From behind this enhanced shield, Vlad would fire continuous arrows at the sentries guarding the wall. Costel would hold a similar large shield while Cosmin fired onto the city wall from the second earthwork. This kept the Gallipolians on their toes and made it difficult for them to fire down upon the sultan’s slaves. Vlad saved Abdullah on numerous occasions, knocking away the enemies’ arrows time and again, keeping them from finding their mark in Abdullah.
As Cosmin defended the second earthwork, an arrow found its way through his arm. Costel ripped the arrow out and quickly bandaged the wound. After only a couple of hours of rest Cosmin demanded to return to battle. The three vampire soldiers were becoming legends amongst the Janissaries.
It took a couple of weeks before the massive earth ramps reached the top of the outer city walls. This allowed the sultan’s men to finally enter the city. Vlad and Abdullah led the way into the city from one ramp, while Cosmin and Costel were in the front line of the other. The Ottomans' superior numbers overwhelmed the Christian soldiers. It was thousands against hundreds.
Sultan Orhan himself wanted to enter the city with his army. And enter he did. Up until this point they had only lost a few men, mostly slaves. Vlad knew there would be more casualties as the remaining Gallipolian forces defended their city. Vlad could not protect all the Janissaries, so he focused on the sultan and Abdullah. He kept them both in his sights at all times.
Ismail was getting too old to be of much use on the battlefield. He hung back, barking commands at the men from the safety of the rear of the army.
The sultan’s men flooded the streets like waves of black ants. They would finally get their long-awaited spoils of war and the glory they so desired.
Orhan positioned himself at the top of a small hill in the town square. This was where he planned to deliver his victory speech to the Janissaries. A handful of Gallipolian soldiers crept up behind the sultan. No doubt they understood the limitation of the Osmanlis — which was the sultan himself. All centered around him. If he were to fall in battle, there would be no one who could maintain order and the Janissaries would fall into chaos. They would become nothing more than mercenaries with no leader. If one could get to the sultan he could end the battle, not to mention, win back the city.
With Orhan’s attention on the chaos in front of him, not even his personal guards noticed the small group of soldiers about to ambush them. Vlad shot an arrow into the bowman whose arrow had been pointed at the sultan’s back. In a flash, Vlad left Abdullah’s side and came up behind the enemy from the rear. By the time Orhan heard the commotion behind him, he found the Gallipolians decapitated and Vlad covered from head to toe in blood. Vlad struggled to fight back the long fangs that were threatening to form. He drove a spear into the ground and staked the head of the would-be Gallipolian assassin on it.
“A gift for you, My Sultan.” Vlad bowed to Orhan.
Orhan was pleased beyond measure. At the victory celebration in the newly conquered city that very night Vlad, Cosmin and Costel were the honored guests who sat at the sultan’s table. He named them the Guardians of the Guard — the Protectors of the Janissaries. There was much cheering and merriment as the sultan had lost only a handful of men and gained much. With the fall of the fortress, the long peninsula of Gallipoli was now under the firm control of the Osmanlis. This gave them a strong foothold in Europe itself and would make future raids into Eastern Europe all the easier.
As their reward, the three vampires were offered first rights to the best of the loot and any captured Gallipolian slaves, who would be Osmanli slaves from this day forth. Vlad did not feel the need for slaves — they would only slow him down. The sultan would have better uses for them. Vlad and the twins settled for a pile of gold coins and a handful of precious stones.
Chapter 32 Northern Anatolia 1355 A.D
Being fully trusted by the sultan and held in the highest regard, it was time for Vlad to find out how high he could rise in this regime.
“If you were to convert to Islam, I would be glad to offer my youngest daughter’s hand in marriage,” Orhan said to Vlad. “You are the finest young man I have ever met.”
“If I were to marry your daughter, I could become the heir to the throne?” Vlad inquired.
The sultan laughed. “No. Of course not, my ambitious young friend. My son Murad will be the next sultan of the Osmanlis. Only a son from the lineage of Osman himself can be sultan. We are not like the Romans. I hear that they have, at times, passed the inheritance of the throne through an emperor's daughter. These are usually for political alliances or in the rare case when there is no male heir. That is why men should have many wives. My son is strong and intelligent. Yes, Murad will make a fine ruler someday.”
“Surely you speak the truth, Sire — may his rule be prosperous.” Vlad’s thoughts raced. He needed to find a princess of the Roman Empire to marry. Then when he usurped the throne it would be seen as legitimate. The Osmanli Empire was set on having a son of Osman as the ruler. Vlad would never be viewed as a legitimate sultan, even if he converted to Islam.
That night Vlad informed Sergiu and the twins that it was time to move on. “We have learned as much as we can here. I want to find soldiers of my own.”
“Leaving will make us deserters,” Sergiu said. “We will have to sneak away in the night and hide from any Janissaries we may come across, at least until enough time has passed that our desertion is forgotten.”
“I want to take Abdullah with us. I think he will be loyal and he is brave and strong.”
Sergiu frowned. “Not only are we deserting the sultan, now we are taking one of his best men?”
“We cannot very well stay here forever, pretending to be human,” Vlad countered.
“I like it here,” Costel complained.
“After the
conquest of Gallipoli there is likely to be a period of rest before the sultan makes his next move into Europe. Life here will be a bore until then. We have learned much but our time here is over,” Vlad said with finality.
“I would like to see what else awaits us,” Cosmin spoke up.
“Thank you, Cosmin. We will leave on the morrow. Serg, you should be content in that I am not going to kill the sultan and his son Murad and take the throne by force.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea, Master!” Cosmin lit up. “We will have to feed soon, why not on the sultan and his heir?”
Sergiu exhaled in disgust.
“I like the way you are thinking, Cosmin, but we must be smarter than that. The Janissaries are loyal to a fault. They will follow only a sultan of the House of Osman. Only a son of Osman himself would be seen as a legitimate ruler. Even if I were to marry a daughter of the sultan’s, I would never be allowed to rule as sultan. Not to mention the entire religious barrier. This would make usurping the throne even more difficult. I don’t think we will be converting to Islam anytime soon. We have time. We must be patient and do this right.”
“Not to mention the sultan is a good person and a dear friend,” Sergiu spat. “They have been nothing but kind to us. They welcomed us with open arms, as if we were one of them.”
Sergiu was as close to fuming as Vlad had ever seen him. This meant that he remained calm and collected on the outside but Vlad knew better. It was only the slight redness in his mentor’s cheeks that gave proof of his anger.
“Thank you, Sergiu, for being our moral guide. It may serve you well to remember our end goal. It will be easier if you do not become so attached next time,” Vlad replied.
Of Princes and Dragons: Book 2 (Lords and Commoners) Page 12