A/N: WHAT IS UP MUCKAAAACHUNGAAAAS!? IT'S TRAVEZTY! And today I'm going to be bringing you guys another chapter of A Nocturne of Ice and Fire! Before I begin, I would like to thank a reviewer by the pen name of Trafford! He is the first of my reviewers, and, apparently he read my previous version of this story as well! So thanks for returning, Trafford, and I have also taken your suggestion into account.
Speaking of their suggestion, they had desired to see a bit more "Kingdom Building" which my previous story, unfortunately lacked, and it was such a good suggestion that I had to restart this chapter from the very beginning, sure it caused a delay, but it was very much worth it as I had time to actually flesh out the Draculya's territory this time. Speaking of which, I finally found out how big Wallachia actually was irl, 29,568 Square Miles in Area, just under 30,000 square miles. Now to give credit where I can, I'm going to be giving credit to ScrivaTV on YouTube via his "Houses of the Riverlands" Video and the Game of Thrones Interactive Map for helping me determine the boundaries and size of Vladi's territory in the Riverlands and, whoo-boy, it is so much bigger than I had expected it to be!
Also a bit of a spoiler and trigger warning, but due to lore reasons for this story, there will be a live Vampyre Vivisection in this chapter, and what I'm going to present fke the Maesters to speculate about is thanks to Thought Potato's "Vampire Biology Explained | The Science of Vampirism" Video, with a few of my own mystical D&D twists. Also, if there are any of you guys who are Edmure Tully Fans, please forgive me, but I've seen too many fanfics where Edmure Tully rags on Jon Snow unjustifiably to like him. Also for those who are wanting for there to be a bit more impaling in this story, trust me, we will get to them soon enough.
Finally, I have decided on Vladi's "brides" and I'm going to have them be influenced by the Brides of Dracula from "Van Helsing'' but that will have to wait for another chapter or two, because I need to make a few adjustments to my Way of the Greatwyrm Monk Subclass before I continue on with the story. Plus I'm working on an actual Dragon Homebrew Race that just needs a little bit more fine-tuning before I present it on D&D Beyond. In any case, I have indeed decided on one of Vlad's Brides, and I think you guys already know who she is. I will also be posting a poll soon so that you guys can vote on who could take the last two places, and I'll even post an update with the candidates for those of you who wish to vote via reviews. When I post the next chapter I will reveal the results of the vote and I'll see about making your fantasy come true.
Anyway, I think that is enough out of me! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with anyone and everyone you know who likes Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire and Dungeons and Dragons content! Catch ya on the Flipside!DRACARYS!
Chapter 2: Symphony of the Night
Harrenhal, The Riverlands, Winter, 280 AC
It has been nearly 4 weeks since Harrenhal has had it's lands and incomes transferred over to Vladislaus, who is smiling as he sits in his office, sipping a glass of wine with a smile as he goes over the figures one more time to make sure they are right, his Maester, Qyburn, smiling as he does one final check. "It is so good to finally be in a place of power once more…" Vlad says, smiling, "Now I can do some real good for this world…"
"My Prince, if I may be so bold…" Qyburn asks, "Was there a specific reason why you requested somebody of my talents to be at your castle?"
"What do you mean, Qyburn?" Vlad asks, looking at the man.
"You see, my lord, I was being put on a trial by the Archmaesters of the Citadel, one that would have caused me to lose my chain due to my insatiable curiosity, and my hunger for knowledge of the darker variety, especially in my studies of medical knowledge on living beings and necromancy. Yet, as the trial was set to take place, you had requested a maester with my particular talents specifically, something that the Archmaesters had felt was a good way to get rid of me, by having somebody like me become ingratiate with you."
"Well, good Maester Qyburn, I will tell you exactly why…" Vlad says, sipping his wine, "As my father had once said "The Blood is the Life"... To us, life is horrifying, dark, grizzly, and to make it brighter and spark hope in others, a ruler must commit dark deeds so that the light within the hearts of his people don't die out. In Wallachia, to protect my land from hostile invaders, I executed over 20,000 soldiers by impaling them on large stakes to create a forest of corpses to drive my enemies away and protect my people, the smell and sight was enough to terrify my enemies into leaving us be… As such, it gave my people a time of peace and prosperity… I also had to resort to cruel and vile tactics in order to ensure that those who had harmed the rest of society would not spread their rot amongst the people. While I do regret the lengths I went to in order to prove a point, the years I bought for my people's prosperity were worth it."
"So you are willing for me to perform similar deeds in order to ensure the people of Harrenhal and Harrentown don't suffer as well?" Qyburn asks.
"I am asking you to draw Blood from Stone, Qyburn, and if it costs a few lives to save many more, then so be it. I'd rather be remembered as a villain that saved a million, than an honorable fool who only saved a handful because he refused to compromise on his morals." Vlad says. Qyburn looks to the man with a look that Vlad recognizes immediately, admiration and respect, and "Besides, Necromancy is a powerful tool that only fools would dare to reject. I've seen first hand how Necromancy can turn the tide against Vampyres."
"How so, my Prince?" Qyburn asks.
"Necromancers, who reach great enough levels of power, obtain the ability to be able to control undead, but the higher the intelligence of the undead, the harder they are to control. That is why I need you. You're a burgeoning necromancer, and by encouraging and nurturing your talents, you can aid us against the Vampyre Menace." Vlad explains. "Besides, even the "Holier-than-Thou" Clerics, despite all of their protestations to the contrary and hatred of Necromancers, they constantly ignore their signature ability to resurrect the dead is Necromancy."
"Resurrect the dead?" Qyburn asks.
"I think we should end this conversation here… We still have a lot of work to do today, and I'm rather famished. Maybe we will get into that conversation another time." Vlad says, "When we have more time to discuss it."
"Of course, my Prince! I look forward to it!" Qyburn says, "I will take my leave then."
"See you later, Qyburn." Vlad says, filing the papers away with a smile as he sips his wine again and begins to make his way to the kitchens. Thinking over the past few weeks as he passes by a window, he smiles as he reviews everything that has happened so far.
To say that the people of Harrenhal were not happy that they had received a new Lord after the massacre of the Whents, whom everyone genuinely loved and respected, was an understatement, especially once he brought over his soldiers from the Isle of Faces. However, after everyone had moved into place and settled in, he had started by learning about the local area. According to the maps he had found, Harrenhal's Territory is situated along the Northern half of the Godseye Lake, but also is set within the watershed region of the Trident River. What's more, the regions surrounding Harrenhal are fertile and virginal, ready for a good deflowering if one puts their mind, and magic, to it. Thankfully, amongst his ranks there were many druids and clerics of the Nature Domain, so their talents will make things all the more simple when it comes to planting and growing crops. To this, Vlad would set to work on giving those who sought to own plots to build farms the help they needed, and would provide them with seeds and the tools they needed to begin planting. Thankfully, with the aid of the Druids and Clerics, the crops have been growing well.
Amongst the Crops he had set to be grown, there were plenty of those the natives were familiar with Apple Trees, Barley, Cabbages, Carrots, Corn, Grapes, Oats, Onions, Pear Trees, Plum Trees, Rye, and Wheat to start with, before introducing them to new crops that belonged to Wallachia, like Rice, Potatoes, Soybeans, Sugarbeets, Tomatoes, as well as nut trees, such as almond, walnut, hazelnut, pistachio, and chestnuts. This was only just the start as he had known that his territory would likely be infiltrated by Vampyres sooner or later so, as a precaution, he had asked his druids to, once he located the boundary lines, to set about planting specific flowers that would ward away vampires from without, and trap those within, flowers like Garlic, Roses, Wolfsbane, and Nightshade.
After that, Vlad got a good look around the region which he would now start calling his home, and, much to his surprise, he had learned that he actually had a pair of Landed Knights in his service, or rather, he would have, for he would learn that these two knights had been attacked by the Vampire Spawn, but, thanks to the Maesters, they were able to help him understand the new extent of his land, as, thanks to them having become the new liege lord over what would've been the lands of the two knights, he was given their combined lands after the fact of their deaths.
Thanks to their aid, he managed to learn that his territory, with this new addition, comprised of the entire God's Eye Lake, and extended as far as east as halfway to Maidenpool, and as far west as the tributary river that lead into the Blackwater Rush, as far south as half the length of the God's Eye River, just meeting the Crownlands, and as far North as Halfway to Lord Harroway's Town and Darry. Taking all of this information in, Vlad deduces that his territory, from North to South, is 300 miles long, whilst, from East to West, is about 300 miles wide, meaning he has over 90,000 Square Miles with which he has control over. In his mind, he recalls how large Wallachia was 29,586 square miles, just 414 square miles shy of 30,000 square miles. This means that his new territory is more than thrice the size that Wallachia ever was. With this new territory in his mind, Vlad realized he had to expand upon the marking of his borders, as, thanks to him sending news to the King just a few days later, he had learned from Rhaegar that the Lands of House Wode were now being added to his own, marking his territory as one of, if not the, largest territory in the Riverlands, rivaling the lands of House Frey, Darry, and Tully!
When he looked over the Map, however, he realized that the three keeps of Harrenhal, as well as the two castles of the Wode Brothers, Willas and Willam, were situated in a Perfect Equilateral triangle to each other, meaning that between the brothers and their liege lord, theoretically, the lands were divided evenly between them, which made it perfect for Vlad, who knew that if his brothers ever returned, they could easily take control of the other keeps. What's more, each of the two keeps, much like Harrenhal, were situated along the Shores of the God's Eye, with one of them being on the southwestern shore, the other on the Southeastern shore, in a perfect equilateral triangular formation, which made Vlad smirk. However there were two other castles within reach of his territory, both of them proclaimed to be ruins, their names being Castlewood and Stonebrook, the former homes of Houses Harlton and Goodbrook. Their houses had died prior to his arrival in Westeros under mysterious circumstances, and all investigations revealed they had been massacred, but King Aerys has been hesitant to give these to any prospective knights or minor lords, which sparked a few ideas in Vlad's head.
There were a good few amongst his ranks that might be able to hold these castles as well as investigate them. The ones he had in mind were that of a pair of Blood Hunters amongst his ranks, the first being Leon Belmont of the Order of the Ghostslayers, and the other being Gabriel Van Helsing of the Order of the Lycans. These two were his most trusted honor guards, and there would be no other people he would trust with not only investigating these castles, but also laying claim to them. As such, once he flew back to Harrenhal, he had began making preparations not only for the upcoming Tourney, he also sent a message to Rhaegar about the two castles, luckily the Ravens of this world are much faster than he had expected, and, by nightfall that very same day, he had received a message, granting permission for Vlad to send his men out to both Castlewood and Stonebrook, both to investigate the disappearances of the noble houses of Harlton and Goodbrook, and, if possible, request to Hoster Tully that the castles be added to his holdings.
With permission granted, he sent out his men, and requested to speak with Vassal Lord Hoster Tully, either at his castle of Riverrun, for him at Harrenhal. Thankfully, Lord Hoster was willing to come to him and, as such, he was on his way to the kitchens to not only get himself some food, but also to check on the preparations for Hoster Tully to join them. The Tourney of Harrenhal was still at least two weeks away, which, thankfully, Rhaegar had given him the time for preparations. Arriving at the Kitchens, he sees the Chef finishing up a dish. The man himself was from the Summer Isles, his name, according to his culture meant "cook" or "Chef" so he just has everyone just call him that. "Hello, milord!"
"Hi Chef!" Vlad says. "You got anything easy for me today, I am looking for a quick bite so that I can finish preparations to host Lord Hoster Tully."
"Of course, I was actually experimenting with some of the blood recipes you gave me and I came up with something interesting!" He then brings over a bowl of rice, and then ladles in a black broth with pieces of chicken boiled in the broth, with crushed black pepper, and with a lot of herbs, and, best of all, the scent of blood coming from it. "Try this!" Vlad does so and carefully tastes the broth, which causes his ears to itch, his skin to get goosebumps, but his tongue is singing as he can taste blood in it, chicken's blood. He can also taste onions, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, vinegar, and something he never thought he'd taste again, Soy Sauce. "What do you think?"
"It's so good! But… Where did you get the Soy Sauce?"
"Well funny you should say that, my lord… I was actually preparing to use the beans in an experiment for a soup, but then a hooded stranger came to me and told me there was a better way to use the beans…" Chef says, "To this, he actually showed me how to create the sauce, and I was shocked, but happy. Supposedly, the man claimed he was a druid, and used his Druidcraft to expedite the process of fermentation, and, within a few days, we had a batch of soy sauce ready! When I tasted it, I was completely shocked by how it came out, only for the hooded stranger, and another, to tell me how to use it in one of your favorite dishes, Chicken Blood Soup!" Vlad drops the spoon, in shock, his eyes tearing up as he then sniffs the air, looking up to see the two hooded strangers waiting in the rafters before jumping down.
"Mircea…? Radu…?" Vlad asks, shedding tears, the brothers removing their hoods, and Vlad sheds tears as he rushes to his brothers and hugs them, openly crying as he finally has his family back.
4 Hours Later…
Riding down along the King's Road from Riverrun to Harrenhal, Lord Hoster Tully, his face hard as he is joined by his brother Brynden, as well as his son, Edmure, who simply looks annoyed. "Father, are you sure we should be meeting this man here? He hasn't sworn fealty to you at all, and, what's worse, the King has practically gifted him a kingdom within the Riverlands!" Edmure says.
"Ah shut up, nephew." Brynden says, "This man is a Prince from a foreign country, and as such, he has no obligation to swear fealty to us or any other lords within the region. Besides, all he is going to be doing is asking permission to lay claim to the abandoned castles that lie within his territory."
"But we could claim those castles for ourselves!" Edmure says.
"Oh Father's sake, Edmure, think! This man, though having no obligations to us, is requesting permission from the Vassal Lord of the Region, knowing he doesn't know very well when he is overstepping his boundaries and is just merely trying to learn where the limitations are." Hoster says, reprimanding his son. "And you will show this man the respect due to that of a Prince, like that of Prince Rhaegar."
"Yes, Father…" Edmure says, scowling as the host makes their way through the street of Harren's Town. They find many foreign people mingling with that of the locals, all of them seeming happy as there are soldiers that appear to be patrolling the streets, but there is something about them that makes Hoster and his men uneasy. That is when suddenly a little girl runs across the street, in front of Edmure's horse, causing the young lord to fall off his horse, and Edmure, glaring at the child, stands up. "You damned peasant brat!" Edmure shouts, picking up a stick and raises, the girl screaming in terror.
"Edmure no!" Hoster shouts, only for a man to appear out of nowhere and punch Edmure, sending him flying, and pulling the child in close. Much to the surprise of both Brynden and Hoster, the man is dressed in armor, and his hair flows backwards to reveal pointed ears, and the man opens his mouth, unleashing a menacing snarl-like hiss, baring his four log fangs in his mouth, his jaw unhinging to make up for the excessive length. This startles the Riverlord's soldiers, and Edmure looks terrified as he sits up, looking at the man protecting the child.
"You!" Edmure says, regaining his composure. "You dare strike me!?"
"You!" The man says, mocking Edmure, "You dare raise your hand to a child! A Girl especially!"
"You will not address me as "you", you will address me as "Lord Edmure Tully of Riverrun"!" Edmure shouts.
"Edmure Tully, well forgive me my lord, but I, as well as my brother, Prince Vladislaus, expected better from the son of a Vassal Lord!" The man says, shocking the men as they turn to him.
"Your brother?" Lord Hoster asks.
"I am Mircea Draculya, older brother to the Prince!" Mircea says, to which the Dhampyres look at Mircea with shock and begin cheering.
"The Elder Dragon has returned!" One of them shouts!
"He's come back!" a woman shouts, cheering.
"That doesn't matter!" Edmure shouts, drawing his sword, and rushing towards Mircea.
"EDMURE, NO!" Brynden shouts, only for something to send Edmure flying back and all the soldiers look in shock as a great black figure flies over them and circles back around, landing right behind the young lord and pinning him down, before turning him over to face him. Edmure looks absolutely terrified as he soils himself. "A fucking dragon!?"
"It's Balaur!" A woman shouts, everyone excited whilst the people were in awe as they see the Drake pinning down Edmure.
"My Lord, or is it Prince?" Hoster asks, recovering his wits.
"It's Lord, my brother is the Prince." Mircea says, "You better have a good reason why I should spare this brat, for your sake, my brother isn't as forgiving as I am."
"My son is clearly in the wrong, and it appears he's as incompetent as I had feared him to be. I ask that you spare his life just this once, but should he make a mess of the situation again, I will leave his fate in your brother's hands." Hoster says, looking at Mircea with fear.
"Hmmmm…" That is when he brings out a coin, "Let's have the Raven Queen decide… Heads…" He shows the silver coin with Vlad's face on it, "I spare his life here and now… Tails…" He shows a star with five point and a gemstone in the center, "I execute him here and now, as I am well within my rights to do, as he not only attempted to hit an innocent girl, but also drew his sword on me…"
"Wha-?" Hoster asks, shocked at this, in which Mircea flips the coin as it rises several feet in the air.
"Tails! Tails! Tails! Tails!" The people began chanting, especially those with the same ears as Mircea, their eyes glowing with anticipation. In which Mircea grabs the coin once it is low enough and then slaps it against the back of his palm, before moving his hand away. Much to Hoster's relief, the coin had landed on heads, and the Lord of Riverrun breathed a sigh of relief, and the people sigh in frustration.
"Balaur…" Mircea says, "Release him…" The Drake backs away, and Edmure pushes himself backwards, terrified as he looks at the creature, which snorts at him angrily.
"Father, this is a bad idea, we need to leave!"
"Silence Edmure! You've shamed me enough for one day!" with this, Mircea mounts Balaur and guides the men through the gates of Harrenhal, where, as they enter, Vlad walks out with a smile, bringing with him salt and bread. "My Prince!"
"Lord Hoster, here!" He offers the bread, in which Hoster takes the black colored bread and dips it in the salt before eating it. "Harrenhal is yours!" He then leads them inside, where he shows them to their rooms, and Edmure, gratefully, changes his clothes and cleans himself up. After this, Lord Hostet and his family are treated to quite the unique luncheon, in which, much to the Horror of Lord Hoster, all the food being served to them has animal blood as a key ingredient, in which demure fails to hide his disgust. What's more, it seems like Vlad and his siblings are dipping their black bread in blood as they eat it. Branden, not wanting to seem rude, tried the sausages they are given and, much to Hoster's surprise, his brother's eyes light up.
"Hoster, you have to try this! It's so good!" Brynden says, "The filling is meat and is spiced in a way I can't describe, and the rest of the filling is some sort of grain that I can't identify tiny, but it just fills the stomach!" Hoster, hesitantly, tries it, and is surprised when he finds it to his liking. The stew served to them is really salty, but it is rather addicting. There is even bread that is made with blood, but it tastes just like normal bread. Demure, however, refuses to eat, finding himself sickened by the prospect of eating foods made with blood. This is something that Vlad notices, glaring at Edmure for doing. That is when a serving girl walks over with a pitcher.
"More wine, my lord?" The woman asks politely.
"Yes…" Edmure says, holding out his cup as the woman pours him a glass of ruby. To this, Edmure swirled the drink in his chalice a moment before tasting it. However, that is when he spat it out in a spray. "What in the Seven Hells is this crap?" He smacks the pitcher out of the girl's hands.
"Wallachian Blood Wine, my lord!" The Serving Girl says, terrified.
"Do all of your barbaric traditions include blood in it!?" Edmure shouted.
"Barbaric?" Vlad asks, looking at Edmure. "The Blood is the Life, Lord Edmure…" Vlad curls back his lips, revealing his sharpened teeth in a threatening snarl. "Our traditions were forged during times of crisis, when we had to make the most of every situation and opportunity. Could you not sat the same?"
"I wouldn't stoop so low as to disgrace myself as to drink blood to survive." Edmure says.
"Edmure, enough!" Hoster says.
"No, Father! I have had enough of this! No Vassal Lord should be made to endure such monstrous traditions that they end up enjoying them! I think you are the one who is unfit t-" That is when Vlad opens his wings and grabs Edmure by tye neck.
"You dare, in my castle!?" Vlad shouts angrily.
"Oh no…" Radu says, an evil chuckle on his lips.
"My Lord Hoster, I'm sorry to say this, but your son is an idiot, and he is fucked…" Mircea says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Once my brother gets angry, there is no convincing him to stop…"
"No, I should apologize…" Hoster says. "I always knew my son was an idiot, but I refused to see how far it went…" Edmure, hearing his father, kicks Vladislaus off him and draws his sword as the guards surround them.
"Stay back!" Edmure says, terrified. Vlad, recovering, smirks as he walks to Edmure again.
"You can't kill me, Edmure…" He then launches himself onto the sword, allowing the blade to pierce his chest next to his heart, and forces himself all the way to the hilt. "I'm already dead…" Grabbing the young lord by the shirt he pulls him in, Vlad opening his mouth wide as he turns to have his face in the direction of Hoster, his teeth transforming into serrated fangs as he bites deep into Edmure's neck. Edmure, in vain, removes the Sword from Vlad's body, and attempts to swing down, only for the man to drop the sword as his body goes pale and limp, before Vlad tosses the young lord's body aside, smiling as he wipes the blood from his mouth.
"Monstrous…" Brynden says.
"That brat was lucky…" Mircea says, "Normally Vlad would have resorted to something far more cruel and sadistic… Since Vlad was already hungry, and getting angry only makes him both even more hungry and angry, he made a meal out of him instead."
"Then that was your brother showing restraint?" Hoster asks.
"The highest amount of restraint I've seen him show to be honest…" Radu says, "He rarely listens to anyone when he's angry, we're the only ones he might actually listen to, but even then that is rare." Vlad merely Sighs and then bows to Lord Hoster Tully.
"Forgive me, my lord… I know he was your son but I couldn't stand the way he has treated my people or our traditions, it is unbecoming of one who seeks to be a Vassal Lord, let alone a Prince. I am also sorry for how I handled the situation as well."
"There is nothing to forgive, my prince, we came here seeking to make peace with you, and, instead, Edmure's actions only incited violence… But let this blood be the last spilled between us." Hoster says.
"Of course, my lord." Vlad says. Afterwards, much to Hoster's surprise, Vlad has Edmure's body be taken to the castle morgue, where Edmure's body is to be embalmed and prepared for transport back to Riverrun for it's funeral. Hoster, surprised by this, asks Vlad why he would go so far. "I had taken so much from you already, it is only right that I ensure you are able to bury your son. I never got the chance to bury my father, hated him as I did, but even he deserved to be buried with our family."
That Night
Late into the night, the Prince and Vassal Lord speak of Castlewood and Stonebrook, and soon the messages come in that the castles have been cleared of Vampyre infestation, and that the people of the surrounding lands are now safe. "Vampyres, my prince? Those creatures you came here to hunt?"
"Yes, and make no mistake, Lord Tully, these creatures are no laughing matter." Vlad says, to which he notices some men walking past the door with a thrashing man with his head covered. "Qyburn?" Vlad asks the guard.
"Yes, my prince, we had captured a Vampyre Spawn, and we thought it pertinent that the monster be handed over to the Maester for study." One of the guards says.
"Good…" Vlad says, to which Hoster Tully gives him a questioning look, "Most we ever get to research on Vampyres is after they are dead, and even then their corpses don't last long… Most healers in my country can't get past the fact that Vampyres still resemble humans despite being undead, so we need somebody who is willing to loom past it to see if they can find anything useful while the creatures are alive."
"You're one cold blooded mother fucker…" The Blackfish says.
"Sometimes the world doesn't need another hero to save it." Vlad says, "Sometimes what it needs is a monster." The discussions continue into the night, and soon, Hoster and Brynden get their sleep as Vlad makes his way to Qyburn's Laboratory. There, he sees the Maester having strapped down the Vampyre, with a metal gag in it's mouth as Vlad's siblings make their way into the lab as well.
"Ah! My Prince, you're just in time! It took the guards a few minutes to get this creature restrained properly, but we can begin the vivisection!" Qyburn says, smiling.
"Good, let's get this over with…" Vlad says, though he knows his inner Demons are going to get a kick out of this as several maesters with medical links in their chains approach.
"Remind us again why we are performing this while this man is alive?" One of the older maesters asks.
"Vampyres are Undead…" Vlad states promptly. "The moment their bodies cease to function, their corpses begin to decay at an alarming rate, a rapid and violent decay that causes the body to either explode into liquefied flesh and rancid blood, or rapidly burn up and turn to ashes, depending on weather and environmental conditions. The magic that keeps them animated is just that fragile and volatile that it will destroy all means of dissecting a corpse to learn it's secrets."
"That is why we must perform this examination whilst the Vampyre remains alive. While it's regenerative properties will keep it alive, we will need to be very careful, one false move and we can kiss our examination goodbye." Qyburn says. "So please proceed with caution, and if you see the restraints coming loose, inform us and we will have them tightened." The maesters, though hesitant, nod as Qyburn brings out a knife tipped with a Dragonglass Blade. "Dragonglass, it cuts just as fine as Valyrian steel, perfect for our purposes…" He then brings his knife to the Vampyre's face. "Let us begin with the eyes… I'm most curious as to how a pair of crossed sticks can repel them."
He takes his knife and carefully removes the eyelids as the Vampire let's out muffled screams as it strains against his restraints, Qyburn taking the utmost care to remove the lids with slow and precise cuts as he then takes a pair of forceps and moves then around the eyeball, the maesters watching with disgust as this monster takes out the Rye as the vampyre let's out a muffled scream. Placing the organ on a pan, the man opens it and, after draining the fluid, motions for one of his compatriots to take a look, who begins writing what Qyburn says. "The eye's pupils appear to be hyper-dilated, giving them what appears to be an extremely strong sense of sight, with a specialized structure in the back, similar to the tapeta lucidum found in some animals like cats, granting them the ability to see in the dark, but without the protective structures that certain animals have, making them extremely sensitive to light." He examines the eye further, "It also appears that certain nerve structures that would appear normal in us humans seem to have been crosswired by the magic. I believe this is why the Vampyres can't stand the sight of crosses or certain geometric shapes… It could be possible that exposure to such instances causes the nerves to fire at exactly the same time…"
"Causing the Vampyres to become overestimated to the point of confusion, inducing hysteria and panic…" A Maester says.
"It could also be possible that prolonged exposure to such stimuli may end up causing violent seizures… Seizures that end up having extremely hazardous effects on the Vampyres." A Third Maester says, in which an artist does his best to draw the diagrams of the eyes, while the scribes write down everything as quickly as they can. "It could be that the Vampyres were more used to hunting more primitive humans, or possibly the fabled Children of the Forest, where nature has little to no such angles."
"I think that is all we're going to get from this for now…" Qyburn says, smirking as he looks to his lord, who gives an approving nod to continue. "Where to next, gentlemen?"
"I'm interested in how these Vampyres gain their strength and speed, despite still looking near identical to humans." The Second Maester says, the man adjusting to the experiment. Qyburn nodded and then thinks on where to make his next incision, and decides to start on near the inner left thigh. The Vampyre whimpers before letting out a muffled blood curdling screech as Qyburn slices open the monster's leg and everyone looks as Qyburn returns to his notes on human anatomy, taking out a measuring stick as he examines a nerve.
"Incredible!" Qyburn says, "This thing's nerves are extremely thick, twice the thickness of a humans!"
"That must be how they gain their superhuman speed, making them at least twice as fast as a human!" The Fourth Master says, "Look at the muscles as well! The layout is more consistent with the Fast Twitch muscles!"
"It seems the magic, or disease, has likely mutated the musculature to make it so that the Vampyres have muscles more suited for and hunting than that of normal humans…" That is when the vampyre's leg jerks a bit and sprays out some blood, the men turning away, but when they look back, Qyburn notices the Vampyre's legs aren't bleeding as heavily as they should. "Maester Molton… Give that muscle a gentle massage, would you?"
"Yes…!" The second maester, hesitant, does so and when he does as instructed, blood begins to flow out as the vampyre tries to thrash as it groans in pain. "It seems there is a possible reason why vampyres have no heartbeat… It could be their heart has atrophied to the point they need to use muscles movements to keep their blood circulating…"
"Could that be why this thing's hand was twitching so much before Qyburn started cutting?" The Third maester asks.
"It's possible, we'll need to open the chest cavity to be sure." Qyburn says as he closes the leg and, before the very eyes of the maesters, the wound seals itself up on it's own, and the Vampyre Spawn faints from exhaustion. "I believe if we were to examine the nostrils and the ears, we may assume to find similar adaptations to the eyes, correct?" The other maesters agree, and one of them begins examining the hands of the vampyre, where one shows his compatriots that the nails are exceptionally thicker, tougher, and seem to have developed to a point they may be sensitive to touch. With a gentle massage to the knuckles, much like a cat's claws, the nail extends and reveals the length is about 3 inches in size. The next maester goes to examine the teeth, where he he finds all but the molars have become sharpened, all of them designed to not only slice open flesh to allow blood to flow, but also to rip and tear…
"Raven Queen preserve us, how did we manage to fight such creatures?" Radu asks, shocked as he overhears the conversation. "With all of their advantages, they should have decimated us already!"
"The examination isn't over Radu…" Vlad says, but gives his brother a sympathetic look. "Do you…?"
"No, brother, I'm fine… I am really… Just overwhelmed." Radu says.
"If it gets too much for you though, you are free to leave." Vlad says, Radu smiles at his brother appreciatively. Qyburn then pulls out a vial and wafts a smell under the Vampyre's nostrils, the creature waking up as it drools, trying to bite at the vial but the gag prevents it from opening it's mouth.
"Good, you're awake…" He pours the liquid into the Vampyre's cheek, causing the creature's eyes to roll back with a state of euphoria. "Alright gentlemen… Time for the really "in-depth" part…" He then takes his blade and the screams the Vampyre unleashes are horrifying as Qyburn uses his tools to cut open the undead's chest, then, using a saw and tools, removes the ribcage, much to the disgust of a few maesters, who move to nearby buckets to vomit before returning. Vlad and his brothers step closer to see what is going on with a clearer view. Mircea, never having examined a medical book before, holds his mouth, Radu turns green and proceeds to vomit like the other maesters… Vlad, however, his analytical eyes are examining what he is seeing before him. "It seems you were right, Maester Molton…" He points to the heart of the vampyre, which is the same color as a normal heart, but with black veins, and extremely atrophied to the point of being vestigial. "The heart is no longer beating due to extreme atrophication…" He then gently rubs the heart with a finger, and then it starts beating all of a sudden as what appear to be glowing runes spread across the veins, the vampyre screaming in agony. "I see now… So this is the source of the Curse…"
"Or rather it's anchor…" Vlad says, "The heart has atrophied, but it is a defense mechanism to create a smaller target for any would be vampyre hunter… And those runes… Radu, can you make anything of them?" Radu takes a closer look...
"It's a form of Necromancy that fuels the Vampyre's immortality. As long as they continue to feed, it fuels the spell and allows the vampyre to regenerate and come back from near death… These runes on the heart are Abyssal, the Language of the Demon Realm… Definitely Orcus's trademark…" He examines them further, "It seems all of these words may be protections against all but what the runes say… I'll need somebody to copy them down so I can translate them later."
"I'll take care of that, my lord!" The scribe says.
"Finally, our first big break in years! Now we may have an even greater chance at defeating this menace…!" Mircea says, smiling. The brothers nod, and then Vlad looks at Qyburn.
"This doesn't explain why they burn in sunlight, why is it so dangerous to them?"
"I think I have a way to explain that, my prince!" Qyburn explains, "It is rare, but not u heard of that there are individuals in our world who burn under the effects of sunlight filtered through heavy cloud cover These people are known to be trapped inside for most of their lives, only coming out under the less harmful effects of the Moon. I think Vampyres have a far more extreme version of this thanks to their curse." Qyburn then looks to see his compatriots have become a bit exhausted and disgusted. "It seems my compatriots cannot stand anymore."
" I think we've learned all we can from this examination, Maester… Let's put this creature out of it's misery and then call it a night…" Mircea says, in which Vlad immediately grabs a Dagger and stabs the creature through the exposed heart. The Vampyre Spawn screams as it's Vody rapidly decays and explodes from the decomposition, much to the Horror of the maesters who watch this scene. However, Vlad makes the sign of the cross on his body.
"Odihnească-se în pace…" Vlad says, speaking in Wallachian. The Vampyre Spawn's corpse is then removed as the guards burn it to ashes and then spread the ashes into the water of a nearby water source that isn't the God's Eye.
When dawn comes, Vlad looks to the sky, and folds his hands in prayer, and kneels towards the retreating shadows. "O Raven Queen, forgive me of the wicked sin I have thus allowed to be committed against another creature. I know that I have transgressed against you by performing such a barbaric action as to allow the vivisection of a Vampyre Spawn… I even beg your forgiveness in finding pleasure in how cruel and sadistic the operation became for the sake of understanding our enemy." Vlad says, holding the crucifix in his hands as he sheds tears. "I hope that this cruelty will not be in vain so that we may defeat your mortal enemy and save this world as we had failed to save mine. I know I cannot be forgiven, but that doesn't change how I regret the actions I took both as Prince of Wallachia, and now those I may perform as Prince of Harrenhal."
His hands shake as he begins to speak a prayer, "Oh Mother, who art amongst Shadows… Hallowed be thy name… Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in the Shadowfell. Give us this dawn and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…" He takes a steadying breath, "Mother…" That is who his goddess was to him now, his Dark Mother, the one who saved him from being a servant of a Demon Lord, who answered his prayers for salvation, and gently, but firmly, guided his training to master his abilities, "Please forgive me for the wrongs that I have done…" Vlad raises his head as his eyes glow, holding the cross tightly in his fist… A Raven looks at him with a message tied to it's leg, "And for those… That I am about to do…"
