The Secrets of Gotha Castle-7- by wretched

-Chapter 7-
Alexi felt as if he had slept for a long time. Sunlight was spilling through an open window at the top of the wall. Standing up he moved around the room. Trying to look threw the window, Alexi stood on his toes but even then all that he could do was place his fingertips on its ledge. Alexi stepped back from the wall, he was standing in a circular chamber maybe fifteen feet across in cased in stone. Alexi’s eye caught something shinning on the floor walking over he leaned against the wall and started at the object. Having his curiosity get the better of him, Alexi reached down and retrieved the object. Sitting himself against the wall he started examining the item by placing it in the palm of his hand. Alexi saw a polished silver chain necklace with a heavy, silver snake intertwined at the base of the necklace. Starting at it more closely, Alexi felt that it strongly resembled the necklace that he ware around his neck.

Not sure of his suspicions, Alexi reached towards the back of his neck and untied his necklace. Pulling it down Alexi compared the two snakes. Although Alexi’s snake was held by horsehide, the other silver, the two snakes were identical in detail. Yes, the silver once was slightly bigger then his was, but all of the other detail in the eyes, mouth and scales were an exact replica of on another. Thinking back on the day before, Alexi remembered that all of the doorknobs were in the shape of snakes. “There Had to be a Connection, maybe the snakes were part of a family shield,” Alexi thought. But then that didn’t make sense to him. Why would he possess a snake also? As a child he was given the necklace from his mother, being told that it was a family heirloom. He had been poor all of his life, working on other farmlands with his father. There was no way that the two necklaces could be in any way related.

With a start, Alexi jerked his head towards the iron door standing a few feet from him. In the bottom of the door a small square box opened up and a bowl was pushed inside of the room. Walking quickly towards the door, Alexi started pounding on it. The only response to Alexi’s pounding was the square being shut. Looking down at the bowl, he found that it was filled with broth. Until now Alexi didn’t realize how hungry he had become. Falling to his knees Alexi picked up the broth and drank it hungrily.
He could only remember being dragged down a few stairs until he lost consciousness. Now he didn’t even know if he was in the same building. And was Julia really safe or not. What had happened when he went to attack Nikolai who was it that hit him from behind?

Days went by of Alexi sleeping, eating, and being carried away in his thoughts. And as the sun disappeared out of Alexi’s small window one evening. Alexi lay dozing on the floor when the door opened and light came pouring through the opening. Squinting through the bright light, Alexi saw a bulky man stepping into the room. Alexi rose and stood in the middle of the chamber. The man stepped up to Alexi and grabbed him by the upper arm, dragging him out of the room. Not knowing what was going on Alexi fallowed by being pulled up the stairs out side of his cell to the top of the tower. Looking at the man Alexi saw a grotesque image of a humane face bubbled flesh stretched across a bony figure. Long black rags covered most of the body and hit Alexi’s as he was pulled behind the man, filling his nose with the smell of mildew. The man bang Alexi to the same room he was in once before and like that previous time Nickoli sate in his high backed chair.

Alexi stood in front of Nikolai and spoke the first thing that came to mind as always, “What has happened to Julia?”

Nikolai looked at Alexi, “She is fine, safe for the time being. I will let you see her after we talk. And you listen to what I have to tell you.”