The Anointed Prince of Dragons: Chapter 2.

It had been nearly seven days since the events of that dreadful night, when Scotty lost everything. Vladimir had explained to him that he never specifically promised to save his friends, but that if he wanted his friends to live, he would release him. After the battle, by some dark sorcery, he had raised the pirates and many of the crewmen of the Lancaster from the dead, yet they were not truly alive. He was unable to raise Captain Warwick, however, something about him being of the "Elect", and could not be touched by necromancy.

Scotty had no idea what he meant by the "Elect", and he didn't care. He hated this man, Vladimir, but he knew that he could not stand up to him and live to tell the tale. "Who is this man?" He asked himself. Though he knew the name, he did not know anything else about him, even how he came to be on this ship. The question of what he was also needed answering. Was this man truly a man, or was he some kind of demon?

Oddly enough, he only ever walked the upper deck at night. Scotty found this, as well as everything else about the man very unnerving. One night, Scotty was on the bow, looking up at the stars, and Vladimir came to his side. "It is beautiful, is it not? The night sky, moon and stars alike." He said, before turning his head and looking down upon the boy, forming a smile that seemed warm and welcoming, but Scotty knew it was insidious in nature. "You need not fear me, young Scotty. I may be a monster, but there is no sport nor reason to kill a child. Afterall, it is not as though you are a threat to me. Granted, neither was anyone else on board these ships. Not truly, at least. Scotty heard his words, but he would not be so easily swayed, refusing to look at him. "You are angry, I understand… I regret that I could not bring back your friends, but they were sealed by a power far greater than even my own." Vladimir said, in an oddly sympathetic tone. Scotty scoffed at that, "You already gave me your excuse. I don't care what you have to say." At this, Vladimir hummed thoughtfully, then looked up at the night sky once more. "No matter. In time, you will come to see me as a friend, perhaps even as a new father figure." He said, confidently as a smirk formed upon his face. It was then that Scotty turned his head and looked up at him. "Who are you? What are you?" He asked him, staring at him unblinking. Vladimir raised his brow at the young lad's first inquiry. "Who am I? Have I not already answered this? As for what, that is…" He paused for a moment, as though mentally searching for the right word, before finally saying, "Complicated." Scotty quickly retorted, "You told me your name, but that doesn't really answer my bloody question, does it?" Vladimir suddenly narrowed his eyes at the boy, "Language, mind it!" he said, to which Scotty was taken aback and gulped. Vladimir looked away, silent for some time.

"Master!" Captain Blackheart called out as he rushed up to the bow, and both Vladimir and Scotty turned. "What is it, Captain?" Vladimir asked, raising his brow, before putting a hand on Scotty's shoulder. "I was just becoming better acquainted with our cabin boy. This disturbance had better be important." Blackheart opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated as though fear hindered him. "We're nigh three days away from the New World, I just thought you should know." Blackheart finally managed to get out. Vladimir stared at him, his gaze as cold as ice. "You are telling me something that I already know, Captain. The only reason I am going to forgive this mistake is for the sake of our young friend, who does not need to witness my wrath unleashed upon you. Return to your post, now!" Vladimir commanded, and Blackheart quickly bowed his head before returning to the wheel.

"I truly detest such ruffians." Vladimir said, before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, then adding, "Although, I suppose to many, I am not much better. Still, I am far more sophisticated, even in my methods of violence." He chuckled in a low, dark and cruel manner, before returning his gaze to Scotty. "You asked me who I am? For now, I will tell you only who I was. I was born on the second day of March, in the year 462 of…" He paused, and turned around to look back over the bow, towards the horizon, before continuing, "Of Him." He would not say the words, "Our Lord".

"My mother was a slavic woman of noble birth, from Hungary, and my father was the Graf, or Count in English, of a place called Drachenburg, now a ghost town. As you have probably guessed, I inherited my father's title upon his death, as well as his authority. Count Vladimir von Drachen, has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" he formed that sly smirk of his, then continued with his story.

"My first name, Vladimir, a slavic name meaning "Anointed Prince", and then there is my family name, von Drachen, which means "of Dragons", so I claim the most fitting alias of the "Anointed Prince of Dragons"." He returned his gaze to the boy, then continued. "Of course, dragons are far more rare nowadays." He sighed deeply, then looked up at the night sky again. "A man can have anything, if he is willing to sacrifice everything, and I unwittingly sacrificed everything I ever knew and loved, thinking it would all be preserved. I will give you a word of warning, young Scotty; never trust a devil to keep his word."

Scotty stood there, watching and listening. This was all so surreal to him. Dragons? Deals with devils? On top of it all, this man, Vladimir von Drachen, was claiming that he was over a thousand years old. But no man could live so long, right? He recalled that in the Bible, that men had supposedly lived near that long in the beginning, with at least one person being somewhat over, but those were all just stories, right? It certainly did not sound as though this man's longevity was natural, though, unlike the original men.

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you." Scotty said, looking away, skeptical of all this. Vladimir chuckled again, in that same dark manner, amused by this. "You have seen what I can do, and yet you think I am lying? Of course, I do not blame you." He looked away to the sky again. "This is my gift and my curse; immortality. Though I will live forever on this earth, if you can truly call undeath living, I have damned my soul to an eternity of suffering, come Judgment Day." He looked upon Scotty once more and said simply, "In order to gain immortality in this life, you must forsake all hope for your immortal soul."

Scotty blinked at this, still not fully processing what Vladimir was talking about. Vladimir sighed again and looked forward before speaking again. "I see, you do not understand. Worry not, everything will be more clear in time. You are young, afterall, and unable to understand such complicated concepts." Scotty scoffed, indignant as Vlidimir's words. "I can understand, I just don't buy that bloody rubbish!" he lied straight through his teeth.

"That is your prerogative, although I do not believe you are being honest with either yourself or me." Vladimir said, before looking back down at the boy. "It is of no consequence, though. You really do not need to know much about me, in order to serve me." Scotty looked away when he said that. "You know, the second I get a chance, I'm just going to run away." He said, foolishly giving away his intentions. Vladimir, however, simply chuckled. "Oh, I think not…" he paused and looked forward again. "You see, I have no doubt that in time, you will warm up to me." Scotty turned his head to stare at him in disbelief, "You failed to save my closest friends and murdered the rest! Why would I ever warm up to you?" he asked, annoyed that Vladimir had even suggested it. Vladimir simply stared at the boy, for quite some time, before looking away for a last time and finally giving his answer, "I have a way with people."