Vladimir's Dragon

Dracula is alive after years of war against other vampires and the humans, with only one General left to protect him and carry out his orders. In the beginning of the birth of vampires, only the strongest of vampires could shift into animals, and even then it was mostly bats or wolves. Dracula, being the lord of the vampires, was the first to be able to turn into an animal. His first transformation was into a wolf. Unfortunately a human caught him in mid transformation and thus began the legend of werewolves. He taught his followers how to transform but when some raised against him using their new power of transformation, he began to practice how to shift into stronger animals. Years of practice later, he achieved the deadly dragon. Learning from his past mistake, he only taught his most trusted followers, and named them his Generals. They defended his name and castle, and carried out all his orders. Over their thousands of years of service to Dracula, some rebelled against him; others died in their service to him. Leaving his last and strongest of Generals, Roman, left to live the rest of his immortal life with Dracula.

It has been many years since Roman had left Dracula’s Castle. Ever since the end of the vampire wars in the 1400s, Dracula had been resting and recruperating his strength. Roman continued to patrol the Castle, in case of an stray vampires or humans dared to venture in.

“My Lord, it is still quiet on all fronts of the Castle.” Roman entered Dracula’s inner quarters.

“Roman, after all this time you still refuse to call me by my first name?” Dracula sighed with a small smile at the stubbornness of his last General.

“My Lord it is not respectful to call you by your first name.” Roman felt he owed Dracula everything, and could never disrespect him in any way.

“For the last time Roman, it’s just us now. Call me Vladimir. Or even just Vlad if you can.”

“I will try to work on that, sir.” Roman left Dracula and resumed his rounds around the castle. Constantly patrolling as year after year passed by without even a blink of an eye for Roman.