Chapter 4

Feliciano held onto Ludwig as they flew into the night sky, Ludwig was hanging for dear life for he was not a fan for heights. He is not terrified of them, just normal scare of heights. Feliciano looked down at Ludwig, smiling, "You are missing the beauty of this night, Ludwig. Look around, it is beautiful." Feliciano said as he looked a head as they enter an unknown land that Ludwig has never seen before. Ludwig looked around and was astonish at how beautiful the forest and the land was. It was like sunlight never touched the land. "Feliciano where are we?" Ludwig asks as he felt being slowing down. "We are in a land that sun doesn't shine, I know it is impossible, but there is a land like that. It is covered by mountains and the tallest tress. The valley is very deep but it never gets flooded cause there is a water way to drain out of the water when it rains here." Feliciano said as he stopped and started to descend onto a very old castle that was the center of the valley. Ludwig looked around as there was no sighs of life or anything. It felt a bit eerie as they landed at the gates. "Welcome to Dark Valley Castle. This is the home of the council and the laws which we vampires fallow for years." Feli said as he took the back packs from the bats and handed Ludwig's his. "So we don't need to worry about the sunlight for we can stay here for days, even weeks. Come I will show you the place. It is run down,so please be careful where you stepped." Ludwig nodded as they enter the castle.

Once they enter, Ludwig was amazed at the beauty of the castle walls. There was some torn pictures and some torn tapestries hanging on the walls. He felt sorry for them since they hold so much beauty and history to them. "What happen here? I am sure nature didn't do any of this." "It was the hunters, they found the castle and started to destroy it so that we didn't exist. According to the books, they were wiping us out, in fear of us attack humans. We do not attack them, we only take the ones that are fit to become our food. We do not drain them at once, that is not us. We keep them, raise them as our food, but we love them as they were part of the family. If they want to become part of our clans, we accept them and turn them. It is painful to watch them turn. According to them, they said it was like their bodies were on fire and they were in great pain. But some with very strong will, do not feel it." Feli said as he lead the way to the Great Hall where the council sat. The Great Hall was huge with a dome roof, there were chairs sat like a circle around the center, like a round court house. There was a huge chair at the center of the circle on the top rim of rows. Then on the lower part of the circle, in the center was some chairs that hand straps on them. "SO I guess that this is where the guilty sat awaiting their trail?" "Si, many innocent sat here, awaiting for their death to come. But this is not a place to judge, it is also a place to talk and discuss matters that need to be dealt with." Feliciano said as he lead to a door under the head chair, "this is the record room where everything you need to know is here, but it was forbidden for non-members to come in and read them without the head Elder's permission. But since they are dead, we are aloud." Feli said.

Ludwig nodded as they enter the room and it was huge, like the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. There was book and scrolls everywhere. Feli smiles, "Well have a go at it, I know you cannot read them, but there are pictures in every book and scroll. We made sure of that for those who cannot read them in case our ancient language dies away with time. We feared time for we try to keep to the old ways, but time was taking it away, so the council decided to make sure that we can understand the books we put pictures of what the words meant. So they hire very talented artist who knew the ancient text to draw them. I was one of them, the youngest among them. I did my clan proud when I did this. I made friends with some of the. One of them was a young Asian male name Kiku. He was my best friend along with a shy blond and a very temper Britannia blond. We did our jobs, but we had fun as well. I never saw them after my father's death, for we were outcasts. But I kept getting bat mail from them telling me that they knew my father was innocent and they will try to prove it, but I never heard from them after that." Feliciano said as he walked among the large desks where they did their artwork. There was old dust paints and torn pages along the desks. The books were ripped but some were persevered perfectly. Ludwig picked up a scroll and open it carefully, "Feliciano, have you try to find the documents that were said to make your father guilty? Maybe they might be still here." Ludwig asks as he read the scroll and saw the pictures on it. It was about a war that ended all wars and the beginning of the council till Feliciano's father's death. Feliciano shook his head, "I am sure they were burn after his death, I try to find them, but never found them."

Feliciano sighs as he walked around the desks and headed towards the forbidden ward of the library and enter it. He looked around the area and found that it was filled with books, no scroll. This a bit weird for Feli was sure that this place was filled with scroll and no books when he was here last. Looking around he found out that all of these books were rewritten and looked a bit newer then the rest of the books. "Ve... what the.. Someone rewrote the scrolls and turned them into books. To hide them.. cleaver. I bet that was Arthur for he wanted to do that for years." Feli said to himself as he looked at the numbers and found the book he wanted to see. "Ludwig, come here." Ludwig came and saw Feliciano holding a book, "someone took all of the really old scrolls and turned them into books to hide them. But I found the book that I was looking for. It is has the records of every clans disagreement that were taken in the Great Hall. The Head Elder order that all meetings were to be recorded in case of trials that might take place. So each book here is a record, not a journal that I read to you last night. It like how the courts of your times are recorded. So I am looking for the clan that wanted my father gone and I am sure this clan member went to the council to discuss a matter." Feliciano said as he open the book and turning the pages to the year he thinks this all started. "Hmm.. Alastor from Clan wind had a disagreement with Arthur's family again. Even Alastor is Arthurs older brother -giggles-. Lets see.. um.. no.. no.. hey wait.. Ivan of Clan Ice wanted the land that my father owned north of this land. It was our winter getaway since we don't get much snow where we live. He found this lovely mountain and build a winter castle for us. I don't remember a clan Ice ever recorded when I was doing the artworks. Must of been a new clan..." Feliciano said as he read more and Ivan's name was keep coming up with other clans but most of them were of his father. Then he read the date of his father's trial and there was Ivan's name as a witness to a crime that his father never done. Ludwig looked at Feliciano's face and knew he found something. "So.. you found who was doing this..." "Si.. It was Ivan of clan Ice. He wanted land that was ours and he wanted for himself. But I feel that he wanted to remove my father for we are known to be the most powerful clan there is."

Ludwig sighs as he looked at the book and his face turned white. He saw the last name of this Ivan and he nearly fainted, "No... it cannot be.. Feli this guy, his family name. It is the same name that my father is doing business with. Braginski they own a company from Russia and the deal with coal mining and other stuff. But is it possible that.. they have human descents?" Feliciano shook his head, "No it is impossible to marry a human and have a half vampire child and continue till they are no longer vampire. It was never proven or happen since all of us vampires are pure. But I think it might of happen when the hunters came and to conceal their vampire lives, they marries humans to hide their lines." Feliciano said as he put the book down and find the most resent record book, there was only one, but it was small. Feli grabbed it and read it, "Lets see here.. ah, the hunters came into light when a murder was murdering people who died of lack of blood. The council made sure that it was not one of us and found out it was one vampire, but his identity was removed from the records to hide it from the hunters. The hunters stormed the castle, destroying everything... This was written in after the attack by someone- Wait.. 'To my fratallo, who I know will find this place to learn of our father's death, if you are reading this, I am alive. I return back to the castle here to write this down. Please find our kind, we are in deep hiding that only you can find us. Also find that Ivan, kill his line for they are alive, living as humans. They disgrace our kind and as the Head Elder of out clan and the vampire kind, I order you to kill Ivan's family before he learns his ancestors and become a vampire again.' Oh... Fratello.. I thought you were dead... You are alive..." Feliciano said as he cried hard holding the book close to him. Ludwig looked at Feliciano and sighs, "It seems that you found out the truth your family is alive and so is your kind. Also we can find them."

Feliciano looked at Ludwig, nodding, 'Si.. but before I find them.. I must do what I am order to do. I have to kill Ivan before he learns his past cause according to the records here, my Fratello had a hard time killing him, Ivan was near death when he fled towards this Russia you say and did something to make sure he was always alive, inside a human. He is more dangerous and if I find my kind, Ivan would regain his power and kill them all, including you Ludwig. I have to do that before I find them. Ludwig... where does this Ivan live?" Feliciano asked as he looked at Ludwig. Ludwig gulp, "Well um.. it is a bit complicated Feli, for you see.. he is in charge of a huge company and if you kill him, it will be all over the news. They will check the crime scene and they will sure to find out it was you. But.. if you kill him when he is away from the company and away from prying eyes. since there are people that fallow Ivan where ever he goes." Ludwig said as he was worried that Feliciano might be going over board a bit. Feliciano looked at Ludwig and sighs, "Maybe you are right... I might find away to kill him without humans knowing that vampire exist. So will you help me Ludwig?" Ludwig looked at Feliciano and shook his head, "I cannot, for I too will be in trouble. I will be charge with helping and I will go to jail as well my father might loose his company as well. I do not want him to do that, so Feli you might have to do this on your own... I cannot risk my family in this. I love you, but I cannot do this.." Ludwig said.