Chapter 13

Castle von Wulfcastle

“So that’s the truth of it then” Wulfcastle said with a sigh of relief.  He had told them everything about the history of the Wulfcastle family that dated back to the renaissance.  “It was true about how my family got this land and this castle, but it was only after the renaissance that my family fell into dishonor and was tasked with fighting the very evil that assailed Greydorf and headquarters.

After the clean-up effort began around the castle, Schroeder began pressing the baron into answering some of the questions that Fallion had told him.  Kruger threatened to throw him into the brig, but word had already spread about what Fallion told Schroeder.

“Ludwig von Wulfcastle the second betrayed his own brother” Fallion said to Schroeder.  “What did he do to betray him?” Schroeder asked plainly, not minding the fact he had a gun pointed at him.  “I see no reason to continue talking to you with a gun to your head” Fallion lowered the pistol “But Duchess here will keep an eye on your lover” he said as Duchess nodded in response.  Fallion pulled up a chair for both himself and Schroeder.  “Nice to see a cold bloodied bastard like you behaving like a gentleman” Schroeder said sarcastically.

“Come now lad” he said in a diplomatic tone “Just because we’re on opposite sides of the chess board, doesn’t mean we can’t come to a truce.”  “Some truce you have here” Schroder looked back at Helga, seeing the Duchess’s right hand still maintaining the knife around Helga’s throat, while her free hand was grabbing and squeezing at Helga’s breasts, causing her to be somewhat aroused.  “Herr Schroeder, I would like it very much if you could just here me out about the Wulfcastle legacy and see who you can really trust” Fallion said trying to maintain his cool.  “Very well then, what dark truths are there about the Wulfcastle family?”

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“Fallion has a way of manipulating the truth, but what he said about my family was true.  The people who attacked us were Blood Knights, but the real masterminds are an organization called the Black Skull Society.  It was founded by Helmut von Wulfcastle, my ancestor’s disgraced brother” Wulfcastle explained.  “What did your ancestor’s brother do that made him disgraced?” Bruckner asked plainly.

“When the renaissance began, that’s when my family moved from military and political affairs to the sciences and philosophy.  They not only thought of it as a way of improving the methods of fighting wars, but also believed in how it could benefit humanity in the long run.  All the science experiments you have seen conducted upon your arrival here were all thanks to my ancestor Ludwig von Wulfcastle the second.  He believed in the sciences, literature and philosophy so much so, that not only did he often bring his teachings to the peasants of what he had learned to the nearby villages, but also taught the children there as well, including orphans form other parts of the country.”

“But his brother Helmut von Wulfcastle the first, didn’t share the same beliefs his brother had” Wulfcastle sighed.  “He believed that what he learned should not only remain in the hands of the nobility and royalty, but also it should be used to practice darker and more nefarious purposes.  When in the year of our lord fourteen-eighty-five, Ludwig the second came into town to promote his teachings, he was then asked by some of the villagers why had some of the members gone missing and what was slaughtering the livestock.

“He didn’t know why the villagers had gone missing or why their cattle and pigs were being butchered.  He then had some of his personal house guards to launch an investigation with the townsfolk into what was going on.  Several nights had passed without answer until one night, when the moon was full, the townsfolk and the guard got an answer.  What they had seen slaughtering their pigs and cattle was a vile beast that was fused by science and witchcraft.  Many good men lost their lives that night trying to slay the beast, but it was my ancestor that dispatched the creature.  It was latter revealed that the beast had been one of the villagers.”

“My ancestor knew nothing of what had gone on or where that creature came from, he explained this to the emissary’s of the emperor, the regional lords and even representatives of the Catholic Church, by which I mean Inquisitors.  What it all came down to was the fact that he had been accused of using both sorcery and science to terrorize the folk and even plot a war to gain the emperor’s throne.  Before judgment could be rendered on my ancestor, they came across the most horrifying thing that even Wulfcastle the second never even dreamed off.  His brother had a secret lab.”

“They were spending so much time searching his lab, that they never did a through check on his brother’s lab.  While being detained under house arrest Wulfcastle the second notice something odd about his brother’s behavior.  How cool he seemed and how he was not defending him as strongly as the villagers were.  He one day followed his brother to his personal lab without alerting him and noticed that behind a book shelf, was a secret passageway leading down into what was once the castle’s dungeon.”

“The brother had informed the Inquisition of this and despite their suspicions about my ancestor; they still wanted to check it out.  When they found the entrance to the secret lab and entered it was what they founded horrifying, even blasphemous.  There were torture racks form the old days with dissected human bodies on them, human heads and brains in jars along with various other body parts and in the cells were the vilest things ever seen.  Ape like men that had been once men, human bodies with the heads of rams and various other demonic looking creatures.”

‘It was then they discovered that Helmut von Wulfcastle was worshipping the devil and practicing the black arts while attempting to combine them with sciences.  It was then that the inquisition ordered the destruction of the creatures in the cells and the images of the fallen angel.  At that very same time, Helmut came in.  He had been outraged by the fact that his experiments were being destroyed and that the people who were destroying it had no grasp of the sciences.  Wulfcastle told his brother how much of a fool he was for using his time and talents for the destruction of humanity rather than the preservation of it.”

“That’s when Helmut tried to escape, but his brother wouldn’t let off so easily.  When he escaped through one of the secret passages that went outside the castle, he tried one last time to reason with his brother, but Ludwig the second refused to be swayed by his treachery, betrayal and vile deeds that he had committed in the name of science.  Ludwig von Wulfcastle the second had no choice but to kill his brother.  With a single thrust from his sword, he ran Helmut through his black heart; his body falling over a cliff into the forest, his body was never found.”

“After that was over with, Helmut’s secret lab was put to the torch, destroying all his experiments and research, then afterwards it was then collapsed and sealed for all time, never again to be entered.  Lord Wulfcastle the second was absolved of his crimes.  He from that day swore that when he wasn’t using his science for the good of humanity, it would use it to fight the evil that people like his brother would do unto humanity.”

“So that as you can see is why my family history has been kept a secret” Wulfcastle finished.  The group of soldiers along with Schroeder, Helga, Bruckner and Sheila were dumbfounded by this information.  “Who else knew off this?” Helga asked.  “The general” said Kurt as he appeared out of nowhere “and of course myself.”  “You knew of this and didn’t bother to tell anyone” Sheila said with an icy tone in her voice.  “Sheila, you have been like a sister to me, I wouldn’t want to see anything happen to you or your new lover here.  Besides, the real villain here is Lord Blackthorn, Fallion and their other minions, who continue to pursue Helmut’s way of thinking” Kurt responded plainly.

“If Helmut’s research and experiments were destroyed, how did people manage to come across it?” Schroeder asked.  “Because before he was killed” a voice grunted across from the terrace that overlooked the main entrance.  It was General von Krieger being wheeled in a wheelchair by a Wulfkorp trooper.  “Before he was killed he had an army of followers just as he began conducting his experiments.  His original research and experiments may have been destroyed, but his followers continued it even today they are still conducting such experiments.”  Kurt nodded at the general before speaking.  

“Right now what Fallion and the rest of the Blood Knights, along with the Black Skull society are trying to divide us and with the way you’re treating the baron, it’s giving them what they want.  We should be focusing on our efforts on reorganize and tracking their whereabouts” Kurt stated.  “We already have a network of spies in places” Harbin said, coming in from the entrance that the general came in from “and it looks like it’s paid off” he finished with a smile.

“What have you got Harbin” Helga asked.  “Coordinates that indicate where they are operating from, it’s too small to be their headquarters, but it’s large enough to house two battalions worth of troops and large experiments.  It’s somewhere on the northern coast of France where Normandy meets Brittany” he finished but still maintained a frown.  “But that’s not the worst of it.  They plan on unleashing the weapon two days from now.”  “Two days!!!!?” That’s insane” Schroeder cried out with a surprise while the others around the murmured their dissatisfaction.

“We’ll never make it in two days to stop them” Bruckner cried out “Even if we manage to round up enough people, we’ll never make it in time.”  That’s when the general put up his left index finger.  “By foot you may not make, but by sea and air you shall.”  The soldiers had a confused look on their faces.  “I can understand Herr General how we can get their in time by sea, but how do we get there by air.  Surely you don’t expect us to grow wings and fly” Cadet Schwartz asked.  General von Krieger smiled “You’re right, I don’t expect you to grow wings, but with the method that you’ll be shown, you won’t have to.”