Chapter 5
Feliciano looked at Ludwig shaking his head, "Ludwig.. I cannot do this without you. You have to help me, your family knows him and it is an order from the High Elder. We cannot disobey their orders." Feliciano said as he was tearing up. "I want to find them I really do, but I cannot risk them out into the open without any protection and what if Ivan gets his powers.. He will kill them... I.. I.. don't know what to do..." Feliciano said as he cried. Ludwig felt hurt as he didn't want to put his family in danger and that he didn't want to be part of this vampire feud that happen in the past. "Look I am sorry Feliciano, but there is a chance that Ivan will never learn about it if we keep your kind a secret from the world. We can find them, rebuild this place for them, and let them live in peace. We don't have to kill anyone and besides... Your brother is no longer the High Elder for he is in hiding. He is not here to order you around like a master. To me the council and the High Elder stuff is all bullshit. It is a way to control your kind, to fallow a blind leaders into wars or into clan feuds. It is all too silly. Your kind had a great history, you had lives like humans did, look I found a scroll that says that your kind and the humans were one, you rely on each other for food and for protection from their enemies. But that all went away cause of one high Elder's selfish ways and it ended in wars." Ludwig said as he sat down facing Feliciano. "Let us just focus on finding your brother and bring your family back together." Feliciano looked at Ludwig and felt that he was right. Feli's heart was feeling better as Ludwig's word cleared up his fears and heart. "You are right, I need to focus on finding my kind and my fratello. Grazie Ludwig, I know that you were meant to become my mate..." Feli said as he turn to the records to find any clues on where his kind went into hiding.
Ludwig got up and left Feliciano and decided to look around the grand castle, he didn't want to miss this opportunity to explore these type of castles. He grabbed his backpack, headed out of the library, and headed into the castle's halls. He uses his flashlight to guide his way through the dark hallways and rooms. He decided to start the upper part of the castle and work his way down to the dark dungeons. Ludwig climb the stairway towards the top floor and found their were rooms for the grand Elder's family. There was rooms that used to hold children and adults. He found a nursery where there was children drawings on the walls and in books. Then he headed into a grand room, the elder's grand chambers and there he found clothes and jewelry that the elders wear when in court. They were beautiful, but Ludwig dare not touch it as he looked around. He found on the walls were paintings of all the past elders and then he found one that looked like Feliciano, but had darker hair and a scowl on his face. 'This must be Feliciano's brother.. hmm.. Lovino Vargas. He looks a bit grumpy in this painting." Ludwig said as he looked around more and found a book on the desk, it was Lovino's journal. Ludwig picked it up and smiles, "This might tell us where they are.. I better keep this with me." He said as Ludwig walked around more. Once he had enough to look around, he went onto the next few floors and found that they were guest rooms with nothing in them. Then he found a door that lead towards a tower were they kept the bats in. There was none in there, except Feli's bats, "Hmm, they must of escaped into the wild and never return."
Ludwig finished looking on the upper floors and went to the ground floor and headed towards the back rooms to find that the castle had a kitchen, dinning room, and a huge ball room. Ludwig was amazed at the decorations of suits of armors and hanging silks. He looked around and found the council privet office and found nothing in there, just torn papers and destroy books. It looked like the hunters went in and destroy everything in that room. Ludwig left the room and found the way to the lower part of the castle, "Well this is the last part to adventure in, I just hope there is no creepy things down there." He said as Ludwig enter the lower parts. Ludwig enter the basement of the castle which leads to many corridors of rooms and hallways. Ludwig looked around and found the armory of the castle and it was huge. There was till weapons there and they looked they were never used for anything. Ludwig saw a very beautiful sword and picked it up. He looked at it and realized it was German made blade that had the countries black eagle on it and the Iron Cross on the handle. He saw some words and read them. Dieses Schwert gehört zur Familie Beilschmidt. (This sword belongs to the Beilschmidt family.) Ludwig gasps, "What is this.. my family's name.. Hmm.. I might be part of this then I know besides of being Feli's mate. My ancestors might of be friends with them and gave them gifts as for friendship." Ludwig said a he slid the sword in his backpack and looked around and found wonderful swords and daggers that were gifts and some were crafted as well. But what shocked him is that most of the blades were German made and he thought that they had a German blacksmith create weapons for them.
Ludwig left the armory and enter many rooms that were used a house arrest rooms for the higher ups as they wait for their trials. He saw that they treated their prisoners well for the higher up ones. Looking around the rooms he found the door that lead down towards the dungeons, he enter the long dark hallway that lead to the worst set of cells that he ever seen in castles. "So this is where they put the ones with the most crimes, this is very barbaric. For their kind, this is terrible." Ludwig said. "They did this cause of our powers Ludwig..." A voice said behind him. Ludwig screamed and turned around to find Feliciano behind him. "Don't.. you dare.. do that.. to me.. ever... gott.. you nearly gave me a heart attack." Ludwig said as he gasps for air. Feliciano giggles, 'Sorry, I was wondering where you went and found you here. Si.. this is a place where they put the terrible ones and did this to them to hold their powers back, so they won't escape." Feliciano said as he looked into a cell and sighs. "But we should leave this place.. there is something down here that you shouldn't see.." "Like what.. I want to explore this place more." Ludwig said. Feli shook his head, "No one is dared to enter the tombs. There are traps or spells to kill whoever steps in those tombs. There lies our past Elders and great clan leaders." Feliciano said. Ludwig huffs, "Nein, I am not scared of any spells or traps. I worked in the German army for 5 years while I was in school and I rise to high ranks cause of my skills, now I want to see these tombs, hey maybe your fratello might be in there." Ludwig said.
Feliciano whimpers as he shook his head more, but when Ludwig mention his brother he fallow Ludwig behind very scared. Ludwig sighs as he enter the long hallway towards the tomb's doors. Which were huge and made out of stone. Ludwig looked and felt the doors, "Wow.. they are hugs and feel heavy.. hmm.. Feli you sure that vampires are forbidden to come to this place, Ja?" "Si.. why?" "Cause.. someone is here.. look the dirt has been disturbed for years..." Ludwig said as he saw that on the ground there was sighs that the door was moved many times. Ludwig pushed the door open and gasps as air the room and blew dust around them. Ludwig flashed his light into the tomb and saw that someone was living here.. just one. As there was blankets, clothes, and dead animal bones around the place. He looked at Feliciano, who's eyes were widen with fear. "What is it Feli-"