Chapter Seven

A tour of the renowned Brennenburg Castle.

A boom of thunder awoke Daniel from his sleep. The clouds hanging in the sky grew heavier by the second, giving the forest a very gloomy atmosphere. Rain could be smelled in the air, quickly approaching their location. Despite the fact that thunderstorms remained his favorite type of weather, it did nothing to lighten the mood, only to set it.

   The glow of lanterns could be seen breaking through the thick fog, yet nothing beyond it was visible. Dusk was quickly arriving and it felt as if the day had just begun. Daniel was not thrilled for the night that lay ahead of him. He could only hope he received a room with comfortable sleeping quarters. Doubts filled his mind about whether or not he would truly be safe. Being around other people should at least keep the monster busy.

   Wind rustled the pine needles, bringing the ever-growing threat of rain. The carriage jumped over a rock as the lights appeared closer. Parts of grand, stone walls protruded from the fog, showing windows and drapes splattered against their faces.

   "You up back there?" yelled Max. "We're nearing the castle. Best shape yourself up to meet Alexander."

   Daniel comber his fingers through his thick, light brown hair, setting it back into an acceptable position. He straitened his vest before he froze as his eyes glazed over the scene ahead of them. The castle was beautifully built into the side of a cliff. Vines snaked their way up the walls, yet it still looked to be in very good shape.

   In front of the two massive, wooden doors stood a slouching figure, who's silver hair shone from the lamp light. The man appeared old and weak, but he held a great and confident posture.

   The carriage slowed to a stop a few meters away and Max came around to help Daniel jump out of the cab. He skirted around the horses and strode up to the man.

   "Ah, Daniel, nice to finally meet you," said the familiar voice from the telephone conversation. "As you might have guessed by now, I am Alexander." He stared into Daniels eyes as the light flickered to reveal his face. His glare was sharp and piercing, but not unkind. "I presume you've brought the object of interest?"

   "Yes I have," Daniel replied while Max set his briefcase down next to him.

   "Good, then I will show you around this great castle of mine. I do hope you'll make yourself at home." Alexander motioned and the two grand doors swung inwards, seeming on their own accord.

   A woman displayed in a simple dress ran out to greet them. Daniel could feel his heart catch as he watched her hurrying towards him. Her blue eyes met his own for a while before she curtsied. "Good evening, Master Penrose, would you like me to take your bag up to the room?"

   "Oh, yes, thank you." He handed her the suitcase with utmost care.

   "This is Suzanne, the servant I had assigned to you." She curtsied again as Alexander introduced her then turned to enter building. "I have a great many workers with me in the palace. They are here to help me restore it and assist in my research.

   "And without further ado, I now introduce you to Brennenburg Castle." They made their way through the portal and into a grand entrance hall. Straight ahead of them sat a fountain of what seemed to be a snake with the head of a long-dead human, water protruding through its lips. Two staircases on either side of the room wound up to a balcony above with two doors leading deeper into the castle. Under the balcony were a few couches and a staircase that lead down to a lower level. Also, off to either side of Daniel was yet another doorway leading off to other sections of the castle.

   "This looks magnificent; it is truly in great shape."

   "Why, thank you. We have put a lot of work into restoring it. The last time it was occupied, the occupants had vanished without a trace and let the place become quite overgrown. Though I have to admit, this place does get a little bit spooky at night, so I wouldn't wander off alone, at least not without someone by your side."

   Daniel nodded, contemplating what was possible, what could really save him. "So, what kind of experiments shall we be conducting here?"

   "Well, on your part, we'll be doing a lot of research. I'll have to spend time teaching you what I know of the orb and its guardian. If we are able to rid you of this curse, you will be free to leave, but not a moment sooner than that."

   That made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "So what you're saying is that I could die here."

   "You brought that upon yourself when you first laid your greedy hands on that orb. I'm only trying to help."

   The left door on the balcony opened and closed as Suzanne came out and headed for the next entrance on the right. "The room she just exited will be your room for your stay. She will be staying with you in there, as I really don't trust your safety when you're alone. I hope you don't mind."

   "Oh, no, sir, not at all. Thank you."

   "Shall we move on with our tour?" Daniel nodded. "Down the stairs to your left is the storage room, which shouldn't be of any importance to you. The stairs going down right ahead of us leads to a long hallway that I'll take you through tomorrow; it leads to a library and my laboratory. The door Suzanne just entered is our study, feel free to help yourself to any book or paper your find there. And finally, we have the elevator room to our right. Come with me."

   They entered through the door to their right, advancing upon a red carpet towards the elevator. Two statues of resting lions towered on either side of them as they entered the compartment. "Have you ever ridden an elevator before, Daniel?" questioned Alexander, closing the gate shut behind them.

   "I have, once or twice. I've ridden up to the top floor of the FIA headquarters in London."

   "Well, then I think you may find this elevator particularly interesting." He pushed forward on the lever and the elevator rose slowly, stopping at the next floor. "This level is where my workers sleep, but also where you may find the kitchen."

   They stepped out into a long corridor, passageways branching off every so often. Glancing down a few of the hallways, Daniel noticed some men running from room to room, preforming menial errands. At the end of the corridor, double doors opened to a large scale kitchen. "There is a chef in here day and night, so please feel free to request anything at anytime. They often find themselves bored in here, so you may be doing them a favor."

   Alexander turned to a man slouching over a counter nearby. "One cup of green tea sent to my room, please." The man nodded and rushed into the depths of the compilation of stoves and counters.

   "Anyways, I am tired, as I sure you are too. We'll get started on our research in the morning. Just take the elevator back down to your room, Suzanne will be there if you need anything. Don't drift off into too many nightmares, Daniel. Sleep soundly while you are here."

   "Thank you again, Mr. Blu. Have a nice night." Daniel turned and walked out of the kitchen, the eyes of Alexander pounding into his back. He seemed like an honest man, so there should have been no reason he creeped Daniel out so badly. He blew off the idea, thinking it was probably just the feel of the castle itself. Comfort would come in time.

   Walking into his room, the first thing he noticed was a naked woman and a quite shriek sounding from her. His heart jumped to his throat and he closed the door, covering his eyes out of respect. "I'm sorry, Master Penrose, I thought you'd be gone awhile longer," Suzanne said as the ruffle of fabric told him that she was quickly covering herself up.

   "Please, call me Daniel." His heart pounded hard within his chest.

   He could hear her smile as she walked by, brushing his shoulder. "As you wish."

   He uncovered his eyes to witness her brushing the curly, brown hair that rested atop her head. "So why is a woman such as yourself working here?"

   A silence that seemed to last an hour followed before she replied. "I just felt it was the right place to be, that's all."

   "Don't you have a story, though?" he asked, resting on the mahogany bed nearby.

   She glanced back at him a moment before standing and taking a seat next to him. "You may just have to wait and find out."

Reviews

[brenda]

oooh!!! this is getting good !:) keep writing :)

[Truth]

Hehehe Suzanne. Hehehehe.