From The Dark

by Tobey Alexander

  At first, the stone construction looked to be a well however as they moved closer a portion of the circular wall was missing. Walking around Claudia soon noted a spiral staircase leading deeper down into the dark depths of the maze of caves and tunnels.

  ‘You wouldn't believe this was all here would you?’ Gabe remarked as he unfolded the paper Archy had given him.

  Reading the instructions Gabe looked around the low-ceilinged cavern and then focussed his attention on the spiral stone steps leading deeper down.

  ‘Looks like it’s down there.’ Gabe said as he pointed the beam of light towards the steps.

  ‘How far?’

  ‘Why, feeling claustrophobic?’ Gabe chuckled.

  ‘Not yet,’ Claudia replied defiant and stepped past her father to descend the stairs. ‘Suppose there’s only one way to find out.’

  Without waiting for Gabe, she took the first step and disappeared down and around the steps. Not wanting to leave her alone Gabe followed and descended deeper down into the dark.

  16

  Books, Scripts And History

  Logan awoke with a start and for a moment was overcome with confusion. Nothing about his moonlit surroundings felt familiar at first. Stone as opposed to wallpapered walls, grand stained-glass windows instead of double glazing.

  Closing his eyes, Logan forced his racing mind to settle.

  ‘Aggstein Castle,’ a voice echoed in his memory, the words pronounced with a distinctive Italian twang.

  The memories came flooding back, and Logan dared once again to open his eyes.

  This time the room made more sense as his foggy memory cleared. Logan recalled the conversation with Vincenzo and played it back in his mind. The darkness masked the grandeur of the room, but Logan could just about remember the vaulted ceiling that was now encased in shadow.

  Sitting up in the bed Logan waved his hand in the air allowing the coloured moonlight, tainted by the stained-glass window, to dance across his skin. Moving his hand Logan seemed hypnotised by the colourful beams but brought himself back around.

  Hanging his legs over the bed, his feet felt the cold stone floor, and he recoiled for a moment. Braving the chill, Logan put his feet down and allowed the soles to adjust to the cold stone.

  ‘What’s this?’ Logan asked as he looked to the moonlight bathed table beside the bed.

  Atop the ornate wooden table, a handwritten note in flowing handwriting protruded from a thick leather-bound book. Pulling the letter from the pages Logan read it to himself in the empty room, the dark ink appearing bold in the moon.

  My honoured guest,

  This castle shall be your home for the duration of your recovery. I would encourage you to discover the many secrets amongst the rooms and corridors within. No place shall remain hidden from you during your time here. Might I suggest you visit the library and browse some books and texts held within?

  I have withdrawn one particular book from the library to pique your interest. We completed this book in 1918 and refers to the reason The Veks invested in Aggstein Castle.

  My door is always open as is the entrance to the castle. You are not a prisoner here and are free to leave whenever you please.

  I hope you stay and recover fully.

  V

  Logan read the note twice and could find no double-meaning or sinister undertone to the note. It had been written innocent enough, and as he read it, Logan could hear Vincenzo saying the words in his mind.

  Placing the note on the bed, Logan turned his attention to the book. Relieved to find a lamp beside the bed he pulled the cord and was bathed in yellow artificial light. Casting his attention to the cover of the book Logan read the title aloud.

  ‘Aggstein, The Temple Home. Professor Thomas Bee.’

  Fingering the letters, it surprised Logan how good condition the leather cover and binding was. The gold lettering had long since faded, but the embossed lettering was distinguishable, even more so in the lamp's light.

  Lifting the book from the table, its weight surprised Logan. Straining more than he expected he dropped it onto the quilt and laughed as the bed rocked with the added weight.

  ‘Don’t make them like that anymore!’ He chuckled and opened the cover.

  Turning over the first few pages, passing through the dedications and introductory notes Logan found the first main page. A large picture dominated the page, an old man stood in front of an impressive medieval castle standing on a high hill.

  ‘That must be here then,’ Logan remarked.

  Talking to himself had been a habit he had picked up from his father. Gabe had always had a tendency to speak aloud his thoughts, more often speaking before he thought, but it was a trait Logan had picked up over the years.

  The castle sat on a hill overlooking the winding river far below. Set across three levels, there were several distinct structures that made up the entire site. The taller complex towered up on the far side of the complex, teetering on the edge of the hillside and towered into the sky, all turrets and pitched roofs.

  It was the man standing in front of the castle that caught Logan’s attention.

  There was something familiar about the face. Wild bushy eyebrows protruded from an energetic face, wrinkled and weathered the eyes seemed far more youthful than the face they occupied.

  ‘Professor Thomas Bee, Historian and Archaeologist renowned for his extended research at Hadrian's wall from 1895 to 1915.’ Logan contemplated the stained window. ‘I bloody recognise that name, and I don’t know why.’

  Logan thought for a moment before returning his attention to the book laid on the bed.

  The book engrossed Logan straight away, snatching his attention. As the moon crept across the sky and the colourful beams of light moved across the far wall of the room, Logan took in everything he read. The book explained the early history of the castle, its construction and use before falling to ruin.

  It mentioned nothing of the Magdon until Logan reached a quarter of the way through the book. As the word glared at him from the page, the breath caught in Logan’s throat as he stared.

  ‘The fabled Magdon was once believed to have been captured and imprisoned in the secret catacombs deep beneath the castle. Of note as Aggstein Castle sits some 1,570ft above sea level the tamed beast suffered at the altitude they installed an intricate pulley system to allow it to raise and lower the suspended cage system based on the symptoms exhibited by the beast.’

  Logan’s words echoed around the room, and he felt his mind racing with a dozen questions.

  Looking down at his feet he was overcome with curiosity. Could it be true that a Magdon had once been imprisoned here? Could it be there was one, still?

  Standing up Logan realised there was only one way to find out. Searching around, he found his shoes at the end of the bed and slipped his feet inside. Securing the laces, Logan opened the door and stepped out of the small room.

  Although the note had expressed Logan’s freedom to wander the site, he had still expected to find the room to his door locked. Stepping out into the corridor it pleased him to see the stone hallway bathed in light from rows of burning torches.

  ‘Interesting,’ Logan scoffed as he looked around and chose his direction.

  There was no reason to go the way he did. Maybe, he thought, it was instinct, but in all honesty, it was a fifty-fifty decision that happened to be right.

  Following the corridor, Logan met a set of stairs and climbed them up towards the next level of the castle. It surprised him he had seen nobody on his journey. He had noticed the small, discreet cameras mounted in various places along the ceiling but nothing that caused him concern.

  Emerging out into the chilled night air Logan was awestruck by the view that greeted him.

  Standing on a raised flat roof, Logan could see out across the courtyard bathed in pale moonlight. The stone seemed to glow in the moon emphasising the shadows far below. The courtyard spread off across to another long, high-pitched roof building that sat
to the right of the open space. Far beyond that, an obscure and out-of-place stone jutted from the ground. It was difficult to make out the detail, but from his vantage point Logan could make out a platform or balcony built atop the natural stone.

  ‘What is that?’ Logan whispered.

  Turning his back on the courtyard and buildings Logan walked around the narrow walkway to the opposite side of the main castle building. An almost vertical drop greeted him, and even in the darkness, Logan could make out the winding Danube River far below.

  The majesty and the impressive view took his breath away, and the chill in the air seemed irrelevant.

  Absorbed by the view it caught Logan unaware and off guard when Vincenzo spoke from behind him.

  ‘I told you this would not be your prison, we lock no doors to you.’

  ‘I was surprised.’ Logan replied, unable to pull his eyes from the view.

  Towering trees blanketed rolling hills and stretched off into the dark distance.

  ‘I am a man of my word Logan, and I would hope you will come to believe that.’

  ‘You’re Veks,’ Logan snapped. ‘I appreciate your help, but when I am fit, I will be out the door and return to my mission.’

  ‘And what,’ Vincenzo added dramatic effect and keep Logan’s attention. ‘What would that be?’

  ‘We both know the answer to that.’

  ‘But might I offer you a different perspective in all of this if you would let me?’

  ‘Meaning?’

  ‘Sleep tonight Logan, and in the morning I shall show you things that will let you understand that Viktor twisted our legacy and history to his own end.’ There was regret in Vincenzo’s voice which caught Logan by surprise. ‘Our order is not represented by Viktor and what he did.’

  ‘That’s hard to believe having suffered at his hands and seen the venom of his obsession.’

  ‘Then in the morning, I will convince you that not all is as you would believe.’

  Vincenzo allowed Logan to return his attention back to the mountainous view. Standing behind him, Vincenzo could almost feel the tension and confusion in Logan. He knew it was not the time to push and allowed the young man the time he needed to consider what he was offering him.

  Stepping back towards the open door Vincenzo allowed himself to fade back into the shadows leaving Logan alone on the rooftop.

  17

  City Of Caves

  Winding along the corridors of carved sandstone Gabe and Claudia soon lost all sense of depth and direction. The air was damp and cold as they descended further into the caves and it was difficult to deny how impressive their surroundings were.

  The walls were carved with scuffs and marks showing where tools had cut through the sandstone hundreds of years earlier. Following the path, they found their way blocked more than once but with nothing that caused them much in the way of concern or problem.

  The lack of power forced them to rely on the beams of LED light from their torches. This far along the meandering tunnels and open caves there were no amenities or electricity.

  Mostly, they had renovated the public caves and prepared parts as a tourist attraction. Those tunnels sat on the far side of the City and the tunnel system they now walked through remained far from the reaches of funding and profit. Because of this, the walls were etched with graffiti, and they found themselves surrounded by cobwebs and dust.

  People had etched Graffiti, showing the scars from decades of abuse. Some designs were more impressive and ornate than others.

  Rounding a tight turn in the corridor, a voice caught them both by surprise.

  ‘Mine get out.’

  The voice was hoarse and dry. In the confined space it did not take them long to pan the torchlight around and find the source of the sound.

  A haggard and dirty young man sat wide eyes wrapped in a tattered sleeping bag. The blue fabric was pulled tight around his torso with tethers of worn material flapping in an unfelt breeze. Empty cans of super-strength alcohol sat empty all around him and in his shaking hand the man’s spindly fingers held onto a hot crack pipe.

  ‘We aren’t here for anything you’ve got.’ Claudia whispered, but something wired the man.

  ‘Leave me alone, it’s mine. All mine.’

  The man’s pupils were pinpoint, and he stared up at them wide-eyed and frenzied.

  ‘Come on let’s go.’ Gabe protested and stepped past the man.

  Claudia felt sorrow and pity for the man. His pale skin had not seen daylight for some time, and there was a strong smell of urine and sweat as she stepped nearer.

  ‘What my dad is saying is, we can help you if…’

  ‘GET AWAY!’

  The man screamed, and Claudia recoiled, pressing her back against the wall.

  ‘IT’S MINE, MINE.’

  Grabbing her hand, Gabe pulled his daughter past the drugged up man and around the next turn in the tunnel. Even though the man was out of sight the sound of his voice echoed along the corridor for some time.

  ‘Poor guy.’ Claudia muttered as they journeyed deeper along the tunnel network.

  ‘He made his choices in life Claudia,’ Gabe’s voice did not reflect the concern in his daughter’s tone. ‘I’ve seen what people become, he’s better off down here not causing misery to fuel his habit.’

  Gabe was not open for any more conversation about the vagrant and continued their journey through the dark.

  Gabe consulted the hand-drawn map and realised they were nearing the end of their route. Twisting the sheet around Gabe consulted one number etched into the sandstone wall.

  ‘We need to find an old service hatch, somewhere ahead of us and that will take us down to where we need to go.’

  It was impossible to judge how long they had been down in the confines of the caves beneath the city but it felt long enough. The narrow passage they were in opened into a vast circular room with a large stone table in the centre. The room was labelled Old Tannery on the sheet, and on the far side, someone had scribbled a small arrow showing the entrance they were looking for.

  ‘Somewhere over there.’ Gabe pointed towards the far wall.

  ‘Better get looking then.’

  They searched the far side of the room but found nothing. Whatever the tannery had been used for since they had constructed it they now filled it with years of debris and rubbish. Every type of trash littered the floor ranging from piles of building materials to empty cans and general litter.

  Doing their best the pair disturbed dozens of rats that scrambled in every direction.

  More than once Claudia, and even Gabe yelped in surprise and the scraggly rats leapt and scurried from their shelter beneath the rubble.

  ‘It’s hopeless.’ Claudia grumbled. ‘How are we supposed to find anything in here?’

  Gabe felt the frustration bubbling inside and yelled at the top of his voice.

  It felt right to vent, and the sound of his echoing voice was a pleasant sound in the deep underground caverns.

  ‘Why does everything have to be so damned complicated?’ He bellowed. ‘What the hell are we looking for anyway?’