The mid‑15th century. The heyday of the Ottoman Empire. Vlad the Impaler, loyal to the empire, was approved by Sultan Mehmed II to rule in vassal Wallachia. But soon the young ruler began to deal harshly with the Turks and drive them out of his lands, and he returned the messenger sent by the enraged sultan with a stake in his head. Mehmed created a special unit, known as the “Unit of the Fearless,” which was led by seven of the empire’s best warriors. The Ottoman dervish warriors, clad in animal skins and carrying wings on a frame on their backs, were always known for their stern disposition. They would carry out any order of the s...