Chapter 8: Gifts

The next step in his plan was, in essence, quite simple: gather a group of people with specific useful skills and turn them into his servants. The advantage of being a vampire with complete control over his nature was that he could create others without the usual drawbacks of his kind. The sun wouldn't reduce them to ashes (though it would weaken them slightly); they wouldn't lose control of their thirst, as they could sustain themselves on ordinary food—avoiding unnecessary massacres and unwanted rumors.

But most importantly, Vlad would be the progenitor of his own bloodline, the first link in a new and powerful lineage. His abilities weren't those of some common vampire from legends: he wielded blood magic, could turn to mist or vanish from sight, shapeshift into various creatures, move with superhuman speed, and exert impossible strength. Yet his greatest advantage was the power to turn others and bind them to his will.

Anyone who received his "embrace" would be tied to him forever. His new offspring would retain their minds, autonomy, and free will—to a degree—but an unshakable impulse would live within them: the need to obey him. No matter how they resisted, Vlad's will was law.

Thus, his true plan took shape. Beyond conquest by force, beyond the brutal might of his horde, he would weave a hidden web of influence. Influential merchants, courtesans with connections, assassins, politicians, spies—he'd select them carefully, turn them, and scatter them across the world like seeds of his future empire. In time, his control would stretch beyond the Dothraki Sea, reaching the Free Cities, infiltrating Slaver's Bay, and eventually Braavos—even the Iron Bank itself.

But before all that, there was a more urgent matter. Vlad needed information—about the last Targaryens. And he knew exactly where to start.

His arrival in Volantis marked the next phase of his expansion. Infiltrating the youngest daughter of Valyria posed no challenge. Vlad didn't storm the city with his khalasar; he came alone, draped in a dark cloak and fine clothing, the night wind of Essos caressing his face. His army remained camped outside the walls along the Rhoyne, already negotiating with the city's rulers for compensation—the usual way Free Cities rid themselves of unwanted Dothraki.

Volantis wasn't Meereen or Yunkai. It wasn't ruled by whips, but by an elite of nobles—the Tiger Party—backed by Red Priests and mercenary companies that kept the peace.

Truthfully, the Red Priests piqued his curiosity. Before the Red Comet, they'd been little more than parlor magicians, but they truly held secrets of pyromancy and blood magic—knowledge Vlad would drink with pleasure.

On his first night, he hunted two of them in the alleys near the pyramid. Their bodies were drained dry by the time he finished. Their blood burned with a strange heat, similar to what he'd tasted from his Valyrian slaves, but far more potent. Surely, it came from the magic in their veins. From them, he extracted useful information, mastery of new languages, and—most crucially—the location of Volantis's true library of magic... and of Kinvara, the High Priestess.

She was a woman of high rank: influential, beautiful, and ambitious. If she was anything like Melisandre, she'd extended her life through magic and sacrifice. Vlad had no trouble capturing her in her own chambers. He moved faster than she could react, knocked her unconscious, and once she lay helpless, forced her to drink his blood before snapping her neck.

What happened next was... amusing.

As expected, Kinvara was reborn with absolute loyalty to him. But this wasn't mere mind control. She remained her own person, keeping her fanatical devotion to the Lord of Light. Her mind, unable to reconcile the contradiction, reached an inevitable conclusion: Vlad was Azor Ahai reborn.

Frankly, Vlad didn't care what she believed. He siphoned her knowledge of blood magic and pyromancy, then ordered minor reforms in the Red Faith: no more human sacrifices, more focus on aiding the people. He also tasked her with secretly converting the city's most influential nobles, securing his control.

He imposed restrictions: she must restrain her thirst, feed only in private, and avoid suspicion. The beauty of being a progenitor was his telepathic link to his offspring. If Kinvara stepped out of line, he'd know instantly.

With Volantis under his influence, Vlad departed.

During a brief return to Meereen, he found Belkaro, a slave trader with more gold than he could count and connections he never admitted publicly. Vlad didn't bother negotiating. He simply turned him.

Under his new loyalty, Belkaro received clear orders:

Find the Targaryen's.

Purchase dragon eggs at any cost.

Expand Vlad's control through trade and shipping routes.

One night, as Vlad walked Volantis's shadowed canals, he sensed a follower. No common spy—this one was trained, but too green. Compared to others, he moved like an elephant in a glass shop.

Vlad didn't confront him. He simply led him into a dark alley. The young man took the bait.

The attack was direct: a dagger aimed at his throat. Vlad barely moved. He caught the assassin by the neck, lifting him as if he weighed nothing. The boy struggled, but his strength was meaningless.

Vlad studied him with curiosity, noting the shock on his face.

—You're young to be a Faceless Man.

A dry crack echoed through the alley as he snapped his neck.

He dropped the body without a second glance. He knew what this was: according to his system, one of his rebirth's "drawbacks" was that a novice Faceless Man would eventually come for him.

Had he been human, it might've been dangerous.

But he wasn't human.

Next, he sent his men to Westeros. He needed to confirm whether events followed the path he remembered or if his presence had altered fate. Thanks to his telepathic bonds, news would reach him swiftly.

With that settled, he set sail for Braavos with two goals: infiltrate the Iron Bank and reclaim the dragon egg promised in his rebirth. According to his map, it lay hidden somewhere in the city's heart.

It was time to claim it.