Dampyr Speciale #1 (2008) Pages 3-4: Hooves on the lake

This gallery contains the entire 176 page "Dracula Park" story. For background on its inspiration, please see its main gallery page.

Page 3 begins the story, because Italian fumetti count both sides of the front cover as the first two pages. Many Dampyr issues start with a historical prologue, but this one dives right into modern times, as a man walks his horse out over a frozen lake which the caption identifies as "Snagov Lake, Romania." A trio of sneaks hear the noise but cannot identify it, as they break into an Orthodox monastery:

“Did you hear? That noise... it was coming from the lake. If the ice breaks, how will we get back?”

“Shut up, Ion. If you're so scared, you shouldn't have come.”

“Keep your voice down, Mihail. You might wake the monks.”

“So what? We of the 'New Order of the Dragon’ are not afraid of some old monk.”

“Well said, Mihail. If the monks hear us, too bad for them.”

Veteran readers may be able to identify the rider as Draka, Master of the Night, vampire lord, and father of series protagonist Harlan Draka. He is not the same as the fictional or historical characters of Dracula. Indeed, this story is all about the differences between these three figures.