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Description
Wallachia, Romania; December 1476

He stood at the front of his troops. Every one of them hiding silently on the cliffs. About half of the army was made up of his fellow Assassins. The rest were Ottoman troops lent by Sultan Bayezid II. The hooded man cautiously approached the cliffside. He pulled off his mask, revealing his bearded face, and scanned the valley below. His dark-green, almost black robes kept him hidden in the cold, dark night. As he scanned the horizon, the clouds grew thicker, and darker. Snowflakes began to fall.

A young Assassin crept to his side. "Ishak Pasha?" he asked. The older man looked over at his brother-in-arms. "Yes?" he said.

"What exactly should we be expecting to encounter, Mentor?"

"I've heard reports that Vlad has lost most of his support, and that his army only contains a few thousand men. But I would advise you to be ready for anything, brother." The younger man nodded. He wrapped his arms around himself to try and keep warm. Ishak Pasha placed a hand on the Assassin's shoulder. "Don't worry," he said comfortingly. "Once this battle is fought, we will be able to return to Constantinople and be rid of this cold." The younger man nodded and returned to his post. Ishak continued to scan the valley.

Suddenly, his ears caught a noise. It was faint, but he could tell what it was. The sound of footsteps and hoofsteps. And there was a lot of them. He noticed that a few of his men had noticed the sounds as well. They tightened their grips on their sword hilts. Ishak raised his hand, telling his troops to wait. It wasn't long before an advancing army came into view. At the very front of their troops was a tall, pale-skinned man in a flashy red uniform. A wicked-looking sword hung at his belt.

Ishak scowled as he recognized his enemy. The man was the Templar, Vlad III Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracula, or, as many like to call him, Vlad the Impaler. The Transylvanian prince was famed for his cruelty. Ishak recalled a tragic event from years before. The prince called a large group of noblemen, some of which were Assassin spies, to a banquet. They were all slaughtered, and their corpses were hung on pikes. Some rumors say that the Templar drank their blood.

The Turkish mentor tightened his fist, but did his best to stay calm. Vlad's army was in a poor state, but Ishak wasn't going to take any chances. He kept his own men at bay. As he continued to analyze the army, his eyes widened as he saw someone he knew marching by Vlad's side. Vali Cel Tradat. Ishak's jaw dropped. The man was one of the Assassins' most loyal members. What was he doing marching alongside one of their greatest enemies? He moved a little closer to the cliff's edge. He read the two's lips.

"It is an honor to travel at your side, domn," said Vali. Vlad looked at him. "Yes. I imagine it is," he said.

"I mean it, sir! You are my idol! You are the one who kept those Ottoman dogs from conquering our lands!"

"You must have an extremely great appreciation of me if you were this eager to join me. Betraying the Assassins is never good for one's health." Ishak felt his heart sink at that comment. So, Vali has betrayed his brothers after all. The Assassins have lost one of their best men. He continued to read their conversation.

"The Assassins can all burn and die for all I care!" said Vali. "They made peace with those blestemet Ottomans! They made peace with those who shamed our people and wish to take our lands! How could I have stayed with them?" Vlad kept an expression of fake pride towards his new toy. "Well thankfully you are with us now," he said. "And with a man as skilled as you at our side, the Templars will be one step closer to domination."

The army continued its march. Ishak stepped away from the ledge. He stood on a nearby rock, and raised his hand, telling his men to ready themselves. He heard swords being drawn and bows being fitted with arrows. He waited until the army had come closer, and closer, until finally...

"Attack!" Ishak dropped his arm, and the hundreds of men behind him charged forward. Vlad's men barely had time to react. Swords instantly began clashing. Arrows soared through the skies. Bodies hit the ground as the battle kicked up a covering of dust clouds. Ishak ran beside his men on the battlefield. He pulled his sword out and hacked away at the enemy soldiers. He ran his blade through a large man that ran towards him. Before he could pull it out, another man swung his own sword towards him. Ishak let go of his blade, and raised his arms in front of him. The enemy's blade clanged harmlessly off of his armor.

While the Templar staggered, Ishak flicked out his hidden blade, and rammed it into the man's spine, killing him instantly. He turned back to the other corpse and retrieved his sword. He continued to rush through the chaos.

Soon, he saw them. Vlad and Vali stood about ten feet apart from each other, fighting off the Ottoman Assassins. Vali looked over and saw Ishak. He frowned. "So," he called to Ishak. "If it isn't my old mentor."

"How could you do this to us, Vali?" Ishak called back. "How could you turn your back on your brothers like this?" Vali spat. "Brothers?" he yelled as he slashed open a man's chest. "You Assassins are nothing but traitors! You would aid the people who would take my homelands!"

"It is you who is the hain, Vali! The Ottomans will rule peacefully and fairly, unlike your monster of a master!"

"Vlad's methods may be a bit cruel, but he is just!"

"He slaughtered anyone who questioned his power!"

"It was their fault for questioning him in the first place! They should not have doubted his wisdom!" Ishak's heart sank further. Vali truly had been corrupted. He was going to miss his former pupil.

By then, Vlad turned his attention towards the two. His eyes widened as he saw Ishak. "Stop him!" he yelled. "Kill the Assassin!" He began to run in the opposite direction, slashing at anyone that got in his way. Vali grinned evilly at Ishak as he sheathed his sword and pulled out a curved dagger. Ishak frowned. He ran towards Vali, who prepared himself to strike. Ishak ran closer, and closer. And once he was within Vali's striking distance, he jumped. Vali lost his balance as he swung and missed. In one fluid movement, Ishak flicked out his hookblade. The curved end caught on Vali's pauldron, and Ishak used his momentum to lunge over the traitor. The moment his feet touched the ground, he took off running after Vlad. Vali was left staggering to the ground.

It didn't take long for Ishak to catch up to Vlad. He chased him through the battlefield, swinging his sword at his enemies as he ran. Eventually, Vlad ran into a walled off area, and into a small stone building. Ishak followed. He approached the building with caution, as now Vlad could use stealth and easily surprise him. He walked up to the door and pulled out his dagger. A group of bats flew out as he walked into the dark halls, which were lit by little candles.

Surprisingly, Vlad stepped out from around a corner, ignoring stealth completely. The two stood alone, facing each other. "So," Vlad said. "You are the great Ishak Pasha that I've heard so much about. I must say, you Assassins are very good at your job."

"Surrender now, Vlad, and I'll grant you the mercy of a quick death." Vlad chuckled and slowly, menacingly, pulled out his sword. The blade was curved in bizarre angles. Vlad swung it around a few times for show. Ishak got into an attack position. "Very well, then," he said. Within moments, the two were clashing their blades. Each one stepped gracefully as they slashed and sliced. More bats flew through the halls. The two brought their blades together. They stared at each other. Ishak frowned as Vlad grinned. He kicked Ishak backwards. As he fell, his dagger skittered away across the floor.

He quickly stood up, just in time to see Vlad rush at him, his sword ready to strike. The Templar swung with a yell. With lighting speed, Ishak dodged the blow, flicked out his hookblade, and used it to yank Vlad's sword forward. The tyrant stumbled to the ground, and Ishak lunged on top of him. Vlad tried to kick him off, but Ishak held him down. He retracted the hook on the blade and rammed the weapon into his target's back, piercing his heart. Vlad stopped his struggle.

Ishak stood and looked at the dying man. "Your reign of terror has ended," he said. Vlad painfully looked up at him. "Don't think that killing me will change anything," he said through the blood in his mouth. "The Templars will still destroy you and your precious Ottomans. They are weak fools. We won't allow them to rule."

"You are wrong. The Ottomans are fair rulers, who will work to keep the peace."

"And how will they do that? By letting the citizens run around and do as they please? No. Peace can only be truly obtained when the land is ruled with an iron fist."

"Liberty is messy, yes. But it's a priceless right that we all have. Your reign was a cruel, merciless one."

"And it is one that will be remembered for generations. My name will be heard in legends for centuries to come. All because of my methods." His eyes began to roll back into his head. "What... will you be remembered for?" He died. Ishak was silent for a moment. He leaned over and closed the dead man's eyes. "It is up to others to decide what to remember us by. It is not our right to decide for them. Huzur içinde yatsın."

He picked up the body from the pool of blood that had formed around it. He carried it out of the building and to the top of the wall. From his vantage point, Ishak could see that his men had almost won the battle. He shouted at the soldiers, who, one by one, looked up at him. He lifted Vlad's body for all to see. Amongst the soldiers, he noticed Vali, who looked like his world had just shattered. Nonetheless, he held the body high. "Soldiers of Romania," he yelled. "Your wretched leader is dead! You have lost! Flee this place before the rest of you meet the same fate as him!"

Many of the soldiers stared at each other. But eventually, they all began to run. Vali hesitated, but eventually began to follow. He turned and cast an infuriated look at Ishak. "You will regret this!" he yelled. "I will have your head for what you've done! Do you hear me? I will have my răzbunare!" With that, he ran off with the rest of his men. Ishak placed the body down and gave a saddened look for his fallen apprentice.

He had one of his men deal with Vlad's body, and then he returned to his camp. He thought about his next course of action. He decided he would make sure that everyone was in capable hands, and then arrange for a boat ride back to Constantinople. The Templars were still a threat, and he knew that there was still much work to be done.

Description
Wallachia, Romania; December 1476

He stood at the front of his troops. Every one of them hiding silently on the cliffs. About half of the army was made up of his fellow Assassins. The rest were Ottoman troops lent by Sultan Bayezid II. The hooded man cautiously approached the cliffside. He pulled off his mask, revealing his bearded face, and scanned the valley below. His dark-green, almost black robes kept him hidden in the cold, dark night. As he scanned the horizon, the clouds grew thicker, and darker. Snowflakes began to fall.

A young Assassin crept to his side. "Ishak Pasha?" he asked. The older man looked over at his brother-in-arms. "Yes?" he said.

"What exactly should we be expecting to encounter, Mentor?"

"I've heard reports that Vlad has lost most of his support, and that his army only contains a few thousand men. But I would advise you to be ready for anything, brother." The younger man nodded. He wrapped his arms around himself to try and keep warm. Ishak Pasha placed a hand on the Assassin's shoulder. "Don't worry," he said comfortingly. "Once this battle is fought, we will be able to return to Constantinople and be rid of this cold." The younger man nodded and returned to his post. Ishak continued to scan the valley.

Suddenly, his ears caught a noise. It was faint, but he could tell what it was. The sound of footsteps and hoofsteps. And there was a lot of them. He noticed that a few of his men had noticed the sounds as well. They tightened their grips on their sword hilts. Ishak raised his hand, telling his troops to wait. It wasn't long before an advancing army came into view. At the very front of their troops was a tall, pale-skinned man in a flashy red uniform. A wicked-looking sword hung at his belt.

Ishak scowled as he recognized his enemy. The man was the Templar, Vlad III Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracula, or, as many like to call him, Vlad the Impaler. The Transylvanian prince was famed for his cruelty. Ishak recalled a tragic event from years before. The prince called a large group of noblemen, some of which were Assassin spies, to a banquet. They were all slaughtered, and their corpses were hung on pikes. Some rumors say that the Templar drank their blood.

The Turkish mentor tightened his fist, but did his best to stay calm. Vlad's army was in a poor state, but Ishak wasn't going to take any chances. He kept his own men at bay. As he continued to analyze the army, his eyes widened as he saw someone he knew marching by Vlad's side. Vali Cel Tradat. Ishak's jaw dropped. The man was one of the Assassins' most loyal members. What was he doing marching alongside one of their greatest enemies? He moved a little closer to the cliff's edge. He read the two's lips.

"It is an honor to travel at your side, domn," said Vali. Vlad looked at him. "Yes. I imagine it is," he said.

"I mean it, sir! You are my idol! You are the one who kept those Ottoman dogs from conquering our lands!"

"You must have an extremely great appreciation of me if you were this eager to join me. Betraying the Assassins is never good for one's health." Ishak felt his heart sink at that comment. So, Vali has betrayed his brothers after all. The Assassins have lost one of their best men. He continued to read their conversation.

"The Assassins can all burn and die for all I care!" said Vali. "They made peace with those blestemet Ottomans! They made peace with those who shamed our people and wish to take our lands! How could I have stayed with them?" Vlad kept an expression of fake pride towards his new toy. "Well thankfully you are with us now," he said. "And with a man as skilled as you at our side, the Templars will be one step closer to domination."

The army continued its march. Ishak stepped away from the ledge. He stood on a nearby rock, and raised his hand, telling his men to ready themselves. He heard swords being drawn and bows being fitted with arrows. He waited until the army had come closer, and closer, until finally...

"Attack!" Ishak dropped his arm, and the hundreds of men behind him charged forward. Vlad's men barely had time to react. Swords instantly began clashing. Arrows soared through the skies. Bodies hit the ground as the battle kicked up a covering of dust clouds. Ishak ran beside his men on the battlefield. He pulled his sword out and hacked away at the enemy soldiers. He ran his blade through a large man that ran towards him. Before he could pull it out, another man swung his own sword towards him. Ishak let go of his blade, and raised his arms in front of him. The enemy's blade clanged harmlessly off of his armor.

While the Templar staggered, Ishak flicked out his hidden blade, and rammed it into the man's spine, killing him instantly. He turned back to the other corpse and retrieved his sword. He continued to rush through the chaos.

Soon, he saw them. Vlad and Vali stood about ten feet apart from each other, fighting off the Ottoman Assassins. Vali looked over and saw Ishak. He frowned. "So," he called to Ishak. "If it isn't my old mentor."

"How could you do this to us, Vali?" Ishak called back. "How could you turn your back on your brothers like this?" Vali spat. "Brothers?" he yelled as he slashed open a man's chest. "You Assassins are nothing but traitors! You would aid the people who would take my homelands!"

"It is you who is the hain, Vali! The Ottomans will rule peacefully and fairly, unlike your monster of a master!"

"Vlad's methods may be a bit cruel, but he is just!"

"He slaughtered anyone who questioned his power!"

"It was their fault for questioning him in the first place! They should not have doubted his wisdom!" Ishak's heart sank further. Vali truly had been corrupted. He was going to miss his former pupil.

By then, Vlad turned his attention towards the two. His eyes widened as he saw Ishak. "Stop him!" he yelled. "Kill the Assassin!" He began to run in the opposite direction, slashing at anyone that got in his way. Vali grinned evilly at Ishak as he sheathed his sword and pulled out a curved dagger. Ishak frowned. He ran towards Vali, who prepared himself to strike. Ishak ran closer, and closer. And once he was within Vali's striking distance, he jumped. Vali lost his balance as he swung and missed. In one fluid movement, Ishak flicked out his hookblade. The curved end caught on Vali's pauldron, and Ishak used his momentum to lunge over the traitor. The moment his feet touched the ground, he took off running after Vlad. Vali was left staggering to the ground.

It didn't take long for Ishak to catch up to Vlad. He chased him through the battlefield, swinging his sword at his enemies as he ran. Eventually, Vlad ran into a walled off area, and into a small stone building. Ishak followed. He approached the building with caution, as now Vlad could use stealth and easily surprise him. He walked up to the door and pulled out his dagger. A group of bats flew out as he walked into the dark halls, which were lit by little candles.

Surprisingly, Vlad stepped out from around a corner, ignoring stealth completely. The two stood alone, facing each other. "So," Vlad said. "You are the great Ishak Pasha that I've heard so much about. I must say, you Assassins are very good at your job."

"Surrender now, Vlad, and I'll grant you the mercy of a quick death." Vlad chuckled and slowly, menacingly, pulled out his sword. The blade was curved in bizarre angles. Vlad swung it around a few times for show. Ishak got into an attack position. "Very well, then," he said. Within moments, the two were clashing their blades. Each one stepped gracefully as they slashed and sliced. More bats flew through the halls. The two brought their blades together. They stared at each other. Ishak frowned as Vlad grinned. He kicked Ishak backwards. As he fell, his dagger skittered away across the floor.

He quickly stood up, just in time to see Vlad rush at him, his sword ready to strike. The Templar swung with a yell. With lighting speed, Ishak dodged the blow, flicked out his hookblade, and used it to yank Vlad's sword forward. The tyrant stumbled to the ground, and Ishak lunged on top of him. Vlad tried to kick him off, but Ishak held him down. He retracted the hook on the blade and rammed the weapon into his target's back, piercing his heart. Vlad stopped his struggle.

Ishak stood and looked at the dying man. "Your reign of terror has ended," he said. Vlad painfully looked up at him. "Don't think that killing me will change anything," he said through the blood in his mouth. "The Templars will still destroy you and your precious Ottomans. They are weak fools. We won't allow them to rule."

"You are wrong. The Ottomans are fair rulers, who will work to keep the peace."

"And how will they do that? By letting the citizens run around and do as they please? No. Peace can only be truly obtained when the land is ruled with an iron fist."

"Liberty is messy, yes. But it's a priceless right that we all have. Your reign was a cruel, merciless one."

"And it is one that will be remembered for generations. My name will be heard in legends for centuries to come. All because of my methods." His eyes began to roll back into his head. "What... will you be remembered for?" He died. Ishak was silent for a moment. He leaned over and closed the dead man's eyes. "It is up to others to decide what to remember us by. It is not our right to decide for them. Huzur içinde yatsın."

He picked up the body from the pool of blood that had formed around it. He carried it out of the building and to the top of the wall. From his vantage point, Ishak could see that his men had almost won the battle. He shouted at the soldiers, who, one by one, looked up at him. He lifted Vlad's body for all to see. Amongst the soldiers, he noticed Vali, who looked like his world had just shattered. Nonetheless, he held the body high. "Soldiers of Romania," he yelled. "Your wretched leader is dead! You have lost! Flee this place before the rest of you meet the same fate as him!"

Many of the soldiers stared at each other. But eventually, they all began to run. Vali hesitated, but eventually began to follow. He turned and cast an infuriated look at Ishak. "You will regret this!" he yelled. "I will have your head for what you've done! Do you hear me? I will have my răzbunare!" With that, he ran off with the rest of his men. Ishak placed the body down and gave a saddened look for his fallen apprentice.

He had one of his men deal with Vlad's body, and then he returned to his camp. He thought about his next course of action. He decided he would make sure that everyone was in capable hands, and then arrange for a boat ride back to Constantinople. The Templars were still a threat, and he knew that there was still much work to be done.