Realizing that he will need more power in order to defend his territory and his people, Vlad seeks out the vampire's cave.
Master Vampire: You returned. No one has ever returned.
Vlad: It seems no one has ever had the privilege of leaving, either.
Master Vampire: Neither will you. Those whom enter reek of fear. In you, I sense hope. Your silver offends me. Cloak it from my sight. What kind of man crawls into his own grave in search of hope? Hmm?
Vlad: A desperate one. The Turks threaten to destroy my kingdom. With power like yours, I could stop them, save my people, save my family.
Master Vampire: How supremely noble, Lord Impaler. House Dracul, Son of the Devil.
Vlad: You're mistaken. It means "son of the dragon." "Protector of the innocent. "
Master Vampire: Do your people know how many innocents you have killed? Was it hundreds?
Vlad: Yes.
Master Vampire: Lie to me again and I'll open you from your belly to your brain and feed you your intestines.
Vlad: Thousands.
Master Vampire: And when you put them to the stake, what did you feel? Shame? Horror? Power? Answer me!
Vlad: Nothing! I felt nothing. A greater crime than the act itself.
Master Vampire: Then why spill blood if not for the pleasure of it?
Vlad: Because men do not fear swords. They fear monsters. They run from them. By putting one village to the stake, I spared 10 more. Sometimes the world no longer needs a hero. Sometimes what it needs is a monster.
Master Vampire: And you believe you know what it is to be a monster? Hmm? You have no idea. But I'm going to show you. For centuries, these moldering walls have been my gallows. For I'm bound to this cave, condemned by one who turned me. Oh and I have waited an eternity for a man of your strength, your gifts, your will.
A man worthy of the dark and all its powers. For if I am your salvation, you are mine. Drink. You will have a taste of my power. The strength of 100 men. The speed of a falling star. Dominion over the night and all its creatures. To see and hear through their senses. Even heal grievous wounds.
Vlad: At what price?
Master Vampire: Once you drink, your thirst for human blood will be insatiable. But if you can resist for three days, you will return to your mortal state having sampled my power, and perhaps, saved your people.
Vlad: And if I feed?
Master Vampire: The price would be worse than if you'd never stepped in here. For I will be set free having granted the darkness a worthy offering. You will become its vessel as I am. A scourge on this earth destined to destroy everything you hold dear. Your lands, your people, even your precious wife and son.
Vlad: I would die before I harmed them.
Master Vampire: Indeed you will, I'm afraid. I, however, will at last be free to unleash my wrath against the one who betrayed me. And one day, I will call on you to serve me, my pawn, in an immortal game of revenge.
Vlad: This is not a game!
Master Vampire: Ah, but what better way to endure eternity? For this, little prince, is the ultimate game. Light versus dark, hope versus despair. And all the world's fate hangs in the balance.
Vlad: Then it will be my great pleasure to disappoint you.
Master Vampire: Drink. Let the games begin.
Vlad: What now?
Master Vampire: Now, you die.
Vlad experiences a series of nightmarish images as he transforms. He awakes in a river bed, exploring his new powers - the strength to crush rock, his wounds heal almost instantly, he can hear animals in the distance, sees creatures in pitch black with an infrared-like view, and turning into a swarm of bats for faster travel.
Vlad: That's useful.
Upon his return from the cave Vlad observes a Turkish siege of Castle Dracula.
Turkish Soldier: Prepare to fire!
Mirena: You came back.
Vlad: I always will.
Mirena: Where were you?
Vlad: Searching for the strength I needed.
Ingeras: You're back!
Vlad: They wanted our sons! We can't fight. A good prince would have given them up. A good prince would have paid that price for peace. But I give you my word, we will not be defeated! They've brought war to our land. And they will pay dearly for it.
Turkish Soldier: Fire!
Turkish Soldier: Charge!
Vlad single-handedly takes on the besieging force, killing them all.
Soldier: [whispering] What? Wait.
Vlad: Negotiations failed. Do not ask me what happened on this field tonight. Trust only that I will use all I have to keep us safe. But we will not be safe if we stay here. We must leave directly for Cozia Monastery. It's high in the mountains, too remote for cannon fire. It's our best chance of survival. We'll take enough of our people so that our absence is noticed. That way, when Mehmed learns what has happened here, he will come hunting for us.
General Omer: Word from Castle Dracula. Vlad has defeated 1,000 of our men.
Mehmed: Then send 100,000. I will lead them. When I march into Europe, I will have his head upon my spear and his child at my side.
Dimitru: We can fight the way our great-grandfathers fought. Use the forests, the mountains around the Borgo Pass. Four or five months of that.
Vlad: Not months. I'm gonna win this war in three days.
Dimitru: Why not two? That'd really impress us.
Around a campfire, Vlad watches his soldiers feast on regular food, but his hunger for blood grows stronger. For distraction, he goes to Mirena to engage in intimacy, but the blood flowing through her neck veins is tempting him to strike.
Master Vampire: Feed.
Mirena: What is it?
Vlad: I need some air. I'm sorry.
Vlad: Don't think I haven't noticed you following me.
Shkelgim: You're mistaken. I follow them. [indicating a swarm of bats above] They recognize one of their own. The night is their kingdom. Blood, their sustenance. And some, they say, have lived for as long as there have been prey to devour.
Vlad: Spare me your ravings.
Shkelgim: They say the one who escaped the mountain hides behind the face of a man.
Vlad: Well, if that man is me, you'll know a knife will not do you any good.
Shkelgim: Of course not. Why do you think I stayed? I know there is only so far on this earth we can run, and it is not far enough. Let me serve you.
After slicing his hand with a knife, Shkelgim offers Vlad of cup of his own blood, but the prince knocks it to the ground.
Vlad: Stay away from me.
Shkelgim: Yes, master.
Looking at the spilled blood, Vlad hears voices whispering and laughing.
Master Vampire: Fulfill your destiny. Set me free.
Omer: [to Mehmed] We found him in the field. He asked for you.
Turkish Soldier: A message from Prince Vlad. He hopes you enjoy the view.
Vlad: Mirena!
Mirena: Your scars are gone. What's happening to you?
Vlad: I'm the thing men fear on Broken Tooth. Not a ghost. Something else.
Grabbing a knife, Vlad rips a hole in the tent to show her what daylight does to him.
Mirena: No! Stop it! May God strike down whoever did this to you.
Vlad: I chose this.
Mirena: This is the strength you sought? But why?
Vlad: Because I sent corpses back to Mehmed instead of our son.
Mirena: You did this for us?
Vlad: In two days, I'll be restored. I just have to resist.
Mirena: Resist what? Resist what, Vlad? Tell me!
Vlad: A thirst for blood.
Mirena: And if you were to give in?
Vlad: Then I become this for eternity.
Mirena: You will undo this, won't you?
Vlad: Yes. I swear it. I will not give in.
Mirena: Then God will forgive you.
Dimitru: Vlad. Mehmed is getting closer. We might want to move out soon.
Vlad: I need you to get to the monastery as quickly as you can. Mehmed's men will be close by.
Mirena: No.
Vlad: Listen to me. I will reach you after sundown. I promise you. I love you.
Mirena: My husband agrees with your counsel. We will depart now under your temporary command.
Dimitru: What? And where's Vlad going to be?
Mirena: Spying on the Turks. He insists on doing his own reconnaissance.
Dimitru: No. I won't have it.
Mirena: It's too late. He's already gone.
Dimitru: All right, everyone, prepare to move out.
Soldier: Prepare the horses.
During the second night, Bright Eyes and his Turkish forces spy on the Transylvanian party, preparing an ambush. He instructs a message to a soldier with a homing pigeon.
Bright Eyes: Tell the Sultan where his enemies will be buried.
The sun disappears, allowing Vlad to transform into a swarm of bats and catch up with the Transylvanian party.
Mirena: Listen.
Man: We're nearly there.
Bright Eyes and his Turkish forces launch their ambush. The Transylvanian soldiers try to defend the citizens.
Petru: Cover the rear!
Dimitru: Mirena! Mirena! Ingeras! . . . . . Couldn't these monks have built their gates a little bit closer?
The prince swoops in and once again wipes out the Turkish forces. Bright Eyes confronts Dimitru.
Dimitru: Stay behind me.
They engage in a swordfight, but Bright Eyes gets the winning strike.
Dimitru: Don't the Turks teach you anything new? I saw your blade coming from . . .
Dimitru collapses to the ground from a serious wound. Bright Eyes turns his attention to Mirena and Ingeras.
Mirena: Ingeras, run.
Bright Eyes: Where is your prince now, My Lady?
Vlad circles Bright Eyes as bats, toying with him and finally causing him to fall off the cliff. He then rushes to the collapsed Dimitru.
Vlad: Dimitru. It's okay. It's okay.
Dimitru: Vlad.
Vlad: Dimitru,listen. Listen! No!
Dimitru dies. Vlad goes to Ingeras.
Vlad: Dimitru,listen. Listen! No! . . . . [to Ingeras] Come here. Come here.
Ingeras: Never leave us again, Papa.
Vlad: Never. I will always watch over you.
Although victorious in the engagement and the party completes their journey to the monastary, Vlad's powers begin to attract attention from his closest advisers.
Petru: Through the gates! Keep moving along! This way!
Moments later it is revealed Bright Eyes did not fall to his death as we see him climbing the cliff wall.
Cazan: You should never have strayed from us, whatever your reasons for leaving were . . .
Vlad: Quiet. Get these men off their knees. Stand up, do you hear me? Stand up! The Turks are coming! Prayers will not defend these walls!
Moments later, Vlad, Ingeras, Petru and other soldiers are in the armory.
Petru: Do you believe we can do this?
Vlad: Mehmed's men will be coming from the north. Double our sentries on the perimeter walls. Go. Do it now.
Ingeras notices a locked heavy door.
Ingeras: What's in there?
Vlad: Something I hope to never use again. Come now.
General Omer: The men say that Vlad has become a monster. I fear this will only inflame the rumors of the Prince's dark magic.
Mehmed: Only if we allow it. Men cannot fear what they cannot see.
The next day, Mehmed addresses his army.
Mehmed: Remember when you first joined my army. You wanted to pick up your sword and fight! When my generals blindfolded you, you did not believe that you could march without seeing. But you could. Now march with me! Your sultan will guide you!
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