It is said that dragons hoard their wealth.
Vlad was no different.
Prince Ferenc followed Vlad into the depths of his little lair under his tower.
"Don't you think this is all a bit much, Vlad?"
"No."
"You have to admit it's a bit childish?"
"No, it isn't. What if I need it one day?"
"When will you need it? You're a Count. When was the last time you needed anything?"
They stood in front of a large pile of gold and gems.
Weapons, taken in battle, had also been tossed onto the pile along with other meaningless trophies.
Vlad chortled as he displayed his wealth to the Prince.
"Isn't it amazing, though?"
The Prince sighed. "Really. What are you going to do with it?"
"One day, you'll thank me for keeping it. You'll want to buy something big. Like Poland. And you'll come running to me and you know what I'll say?" Vlad grinned at him. "I'll say I will need fifteen per cent interest, calculated annually."
Ferenc snorted. "I'm your Prince. I could just take it."
"You wouldn't dare!" Vlad stared at him in horror.
"Why not?"
"Because we're friends!"
"Yet you want to charge interest!"
"Yes, but you're a noble Vampire Prince! I'm just a stinky Count!"
Ferenc's laughter echoed in Vlad's ears as he watched Elder Janus return from the depths. Galosh sat on a block nearby, tentatively rubbing his ankle.
Vlad grinned at him. "Long fall?"
"You knew!"
"Knew what?"
"That there was a hole."
"How could I know that?"
Galosh squinted at him. "I don't know. But, you did!"
Vlad smirked at Galosh until the fledgling looked away in disgust.
"Incredible," Elder Janus said, gulping as he dusted himself off. "Simply incredible. We must… Tibor? Be a good lad. Fetch Elder Matyas. And tell him to bring the others. Tell them… Just tell them."
"Yes, Elder," Tibor said with a bow before rushing off.
Elder Janus swept his arm. "Alright, everyone. You may return to your rooms for now. You have worked hard. Please have a rest." He clapped his hands. "Off you go."
A dozen heads turned to Vlad, who gave a small nod.
A sigh of relief went round before they called; "Yes, elder!"
Vlad climbed to his feet to leave with the others, only to freeze as the elder's hand clapped down on his shoulder.
"Not you, Vlad. I have a feeling the Count might wish to speak to you."
Vlad made a face but sat down again.
While they were waiting, Elder Janus studied the young fledgling. Something about the boy was unsettling him, but he couldn't say what.
Perhaps it was that they were standing in the boy's namesake's tower.
Or the ruin of it.
"Did you know what was down there?"
Vlad shook his head. "How could I know such a thing, elder?"
"Then why did you ask young Galosh to dig here?"
"The ground sounded hollow. I thought there might be a cellar."
"Hmm."
"Elder Janus," a calm voice called. "What is it that has gotten our fledglings in such a fuss?"
"I'm not sure if you'll believe me if I tell you, my Lord," Elder Janus said. "I think perhaps it's best if you come down and see. We'll need to climb, though. The stairs are rotten."
"Very well. Lead the way."
Vlad watched impassively as the Count followed the elder into the dark.
As they disappeared, he sighed.
"That's a big sigh, boy," another voice said, making Vlad jump.
"I was just tired, Elder Matyas," he said.
"Working hard were you?"
"Very hard, Elder."
"Strange. From where I was watching, it looked like the other fledglings were doing the work."
"What?" Vlad shot him an outraged look. "I work very hard, Elder!"
"Of course you do," Elder Maryas said wryly. "It takes a lot of effort to beat another fledgling with that stick of yours."
Vlad nodded along, blowing air between his cheeks. "It's not easy."
Elder Matyas' slap was quick.
Not quick enough that Vlad couldn't have avoided it if he'd wanted to. But he judged that the Elder was mostly trying to get his attention and not cause him harm, so he took the blow to the side of his head.
"Cheeky brat." He leaned in close, whispering. "You should be kinder to your brothers. One day, you might need them."
Vlad returned the Elder's gaze with a steady look of his own. "I will keep that in mind, Elder Matyas."
"It would be best if you did." He glanced to the hole. "What have they found, then?"
"I don't know. I haven't been down there. Galosh found it. He told Elder Janus, but didn't tell me."
"Do you want another slap?"
"No, Elder."
"Then stop pretending. I'm no fledgling." He leaned closer, almost pressing his nose to Vlad's. "What did they find?"
"Gold," Vlad sighed. "And gems."
"Gold and gems? How much?"
"Lots," Vlad said morosely. Then tightened his lips. "That's all I heard."
"Right." He turned to the hole. "Well, I suppose it'll be me being sent down to count it all."
It didn't take long for the Count to rise out of the hole. He paused to give Vlad a calm stare, then looked to Elder Matyas. "You ought to go down, Matyas. Janus is waiting for you. He'll assist you in counting the, well… I think it's best you see for yourself."
Elder Matyas frowned.
Then dropped into the hole.
Leaving the tall Count staring down at Vlad, who carefully tried not to pick at his fingernails.
"It seems the Black Dragon Court might owe you a great debt, Vlad." He paused. "Again."
"Again?" Vlad squinted at the old vampire.
"It was you who arranged for the walls to be cleaned, wasn't it?"
Vlad shrugged.
Silence stretched between them.
An odd silence, Vlad thought.
Not tense. Or even suspicious.
Just calm.
The old vampire wasn't a complete fool, then.
"Come to my rooms tomorrow, Vlad," the Count said at last. "We will discuss your reward."
Vlad's ears perked up. "Reward?"
"Of course. We can't let such good deeds go unrewarded, can we?"
"Hmm." Vlad rose, sensing that was his dismissal. Eager to get out of the old vampire's serene gaze, he started walking away.
Then paused.
Turned.
"We need more Renfields," he said. "And Dolls. It's not right that the Renfields give their blood. They work too hard as it is. Their blood is weak because they're barely surviving. The old ones will die soon if things don't change."
The Count's smile didn't waver. "It will be the first thing I arrange, I assure you."
"Alright."
And then he walked away.
Leaving the Count to watch the young fledgling's back.
"He's a cheeky little shit," Elder Amir remarked, stepping out of the shadows. He was a thin vampire with a heavy cowl over his head to hide most of his face. He gripped a black staff with slender gnarled hands.
He'd been old when he was Turned.
"But he is not wrong."
"No," Elder Amir sighed. "He's not. But there's proper ways to say such things…"
Vlad stepped into his room and threw himself into his coffin. It was too small.
It felt cramped.
"Ugh," he growled, thinking how comfortable his life could have been if he'd just secreted the gold out of his old lair and left the castle behind. He writhed in his coffin, trying to get comfortable. "I must be crazy."
He went to sleep with Ferenc's mocking laughter in his ears.