St. Cyril and Methodius School for boys, Bucharest, December 15th, the Year of Our Lord 1520.
Rosario had settled well in at school…under Vladimir’s wing, he found that he was left more or less alone by Zoltan and his friends…and he was very glad he had met his friend. Vladimir was a strange boy…he emanated power, and was very like his father, the Count Vladimir di Dracula I . Nothing got past him, and Rosario was aware that some part of him was beside him even when they were not together. They laughed, cried, played, but, deep down, Rosario knew that Vladimir was fighting with a dark secret…He resolved to talk to him about it that very night.
He found Vladimir sitting on the bench by the small lake in the school grounds, looking u at the darkening sky, as if he was searching for something, waiting for something to appear. The look in his eyes betrayed his feelings, and Rosario knew that there was something that was eating away at his friend…
“It’s going to rain…”
Rosario, who was behind him at this stage, goggled. How did Vladimir know he was there? He hadn’t made his his presence known yet. And Yet…
“Rosario…it is going to rain…it will rain so hard and the storm will be epic…Look- the sky is darkening so…”
“Yes… when it starts, we had better be inside…The rain is very unforgiving..”
Wordlessly, Vladimir got up, turned around, and started walking back towards the school. Rosario followed…As they entered the school hall, Vladimir saw Zoltan and his cronies, looking at them with the classical sneer that was his normal face.
“The Vampire and the Priest-boy!” jibed Zoltan. Vladimir ignored him. “What strange bedfellows! Their friendship will not last after the Christmas season…”
Vladimir turned to answer, but Rosario pulled him away.
“Leave them…They have nothing of value to say or offer…”
“You are probvably right, Rosario…but I can’t help feeling…”
The rain had started…and soon after, the first rumble of thunder. Vladmir winced. Something inside him began to ache…fear, pain? He knew not what. By the time the boys had reached their room, the storm was in full swing, raging to all four points of the compass…Standing by the window, They could see the courtyard below. They saw Father Gerontius fighting with the wind to cross the moat and reach the safety of his herbarium…Then the cry went up:
“Help me!!!!” The voice of Father Gerontius rag across the courtyard, cutting through the noise of the storm. Vladimir turned to see the old man being swept off the narrow bridge and into the moat. Without thinking, he opened the winow and jumed the shor distance to the ground. Rosario followed., but he could not keep up with his friend. It was as if Vladimir had acquired a turn of speed so great that he was almost flying. He reached the moat just as the unfortunate monk was swept off the parapet and into the water. Vladimir jumed after him, ansd reached him just as he was about to sink into the muddy waters. He struck out for the bridge, where Rosario and the Abbott and his servants were waiting to pull them out.
“Well done, young Dracula…” The abbott was suitably appraising…” You saved his life. You did a wonderful thing today.”
“You taught us to respect life, Father Abbott-with God’s Will and hgelp, I managed to preserve the life of Father Gerontius..Praise be to God .”
Vladimir crossed himself.
“Go and get changed my son…you will catch a chill in this storm. ” The Abbott smiled. Father Gerontius took Vladimir’s hand.
“I thank you for my life, my young lord…I hope in the future that I may be able to do as much for you when the time comes…” Vladimir thought he saw a look of sadness in the old man’s eyes.
“Goid bless you, my son.”
Father Gerontius looked away as they carried him to the sick room. Vladimir suddenly felt a cold sweat take over him, but he said nothing to Rosario.
Back in their room, he opened the subject.
” Rosario…I am worried…what di Father Gerntius mean when he said ‘when the time comes?’ What is going to happen to me?”
” Rosario looked up at his friend.
“I wouldn’t worry…nothing is going to happen. We are going home for Christmas, You will be crowned and I will be ordained…full stop.”
” No, there is some thing going on here…When I jumnped out of the window earlier on, I was two floors up, yet I didn’t get hurt…”
“Neither did I…God was watching over us.”
“Yes…but I reached the moat before Father gerontius was beyond help…How could I run that fast?”
“You were always a good athlete, Vladimir…”
“Yes…but this felt different..I felt a power within me that should not have been there. It was almost…dark.”
“Rubbish! You saved the poor man’s life…what is so dark about that?”
Vladimir stood up and turned to face Rosario.
“Rosario- the visions are getting worse…very vivid…I am cold…I am asleep…I awaken and the world is dark…Rosario, what is happening to me?” In my dreams my father is burying me…I am wearing my robes of state…and they are sealing the tomb…sealing it agaist what? I am dead in my dream, yet when they are gone, I awaken…”
Rosario had heard of the curse placed upon the Dracula family…but it was only gypsy magic…nothing to be taken seriously…or was it? If it was real, his friend’s soul was in mortal danger…If Vladimir became a vampire, his only hope of redemption would be if a woman was found that loved him enough to strike the fatal blow…if he were to be killed with hate in the heart of the striker, he would be cursed forever in Hell…
” Vampires do not exist, Vladimir…it is all a legend…Do not fear these people…they cannot hurt you.”
But even as he said it, Rosario was beginning to have grave doubts…The superfast speed, the slightly red eyes…
Back at Castle Dracula, preparations had begun for the Christmas festivities…and Vladimir’s coming of age and coronation…