Chapter 6: The Shia Warlock

Meanwhile, Radu, who was in Turkey, was speaking with a Shia warlock in his private quarters.

He saved him from Mehmed’s soldiers who were about to execute him for spying in 1450. One look at the old man and Radu could tell he was not a kind of person who could do a spying job. He then ordered the soldiers to release the old man.

He brought him into his private quarters then and investigated the old man himself.

“Tell me where you are from, old man,” Radu asked him at the time.

“I am from the Galatian region, m’lord,” his truthful reply in a careful tone, it seemed. His dark eyes glanced at the handsome prince.

“Your religion?”

“Shia Islam,” he answered quietly, bowing his head.

Radu heard about it and its rituals. A thought dawned on him, and he smiled slowly.

“Do you happen to come here with an intention?”

The old man could not speak.

“Why, old man? I can let those soldiers execute you if I say so,” Radu threatened.

The old man was hesitant. He did not want to die without taking his revenge to the old sultan Murad. He had to.

The old man gulped slowly before he lifted his eyes to Radu once again.

“Tell me. It would be our little secret. And in return, you can stay by my side protected from those who want to harm you.” Radu’s face was close to the old man’s, who remained seated in a chair some meters away from the door of his huge bedchamber.

“My daughter was once a servant here. She was… murdered…” he began.

“Ah, and you are looking for the murderer?” Radu straightened out and looked down at the old man who was sitting on a chair.

“Yes, m’lord.”

“Well, I will not be on your way if you wish to find the murderer. As I have said, I will protect you so long that you would stay by my side. And in return, you would do me some favor.”

The old man swallowed and lowered his dark gaze, weighing Radu’s words.

Now, Radu was pacing here and there while the warlock Shia was looking at him with candid eyes. The prince was still thinking what he would ask from the warlock since that day he had his first conversation with him.

“M’lord, what is it you really want from me?” the old man inquired curiously.

Radu stopped pacing, and he stood in front of the Shia warlock who was now standing before him with his head slightly bent down.

“Create a Jinn for me that I can command whenever and whatsoever I wish to!” Radu said excitedly. His eyes danced mischievously.

The warlock old man was taken aback. He looked at the young man with reluctance and fear.

“Did you hear what I said, old man?” Radu’s eyes became hard and dangerous, jaw clenching.

“Y-yes, m’lord.”

“Then, do it for me!” he urged.

The warlock old man nodded slowly and resignedly. “May I know to whom you are going to use the Jinn against, m’lord?” he bravely asked but quietly.

Radu bored his eyes on the warlock old man’s face. “Against my enemies of course, old man. That includes my older brother, the current Prince of Wallachia!” he revealed.

The warlock old man seemed to see fire in Radu’s eyes as he mentioned his older brother. He did not know the story between the two brothers, but as per their agreement, he had to help this young man in exchange for saving his life from the soldiers of the current sultan, Mehmed II.

It was because of this young man that he was able to avenge his precious daughter. The old Sultan Murad II fell ill for a year from winter of 1450 to 1451 because of his Sihr. The old sultan felt tiredness at first after an unsuccessful effort against Albanian resistance headed by Skanderbeg. Then he complained about stiffness and muscle aches, headache, dry cough, sore throat, congested nose and, later on, high fever that did not get to lower down. The sultan died not knowing what his illness was and what or who had caused it.