From The Dark

by Tobey Alexander

  In a heartbeat Claudia discarded her sword and sprinted to where Gabe clung to the jagged rock. Skidding along the ground Claudia grasped her father’s battered hand as he slipped beneath the edge and tumbled.

  Her hand grasped Gabe’s forearm, and she felt her arms strains as her father’s weight tugged at her strained muscles. Screaming in defiance Gabe had nothing on which he could get a purchase to help his daughter. The overhang of rock kept the stone far beyond the reach of his legs and as he dangled he could see his daughter slipping over the edge.

  ‘Let me go.’ Gabe croaked as he looked up at his daughter, her eyes filled with tears and face tight with the effort.

  ‘I’m not losing you too dad.’ The tears fell from her face and landed on his cheek.

  ‘You’re not dying for me my daughter.’ Gabe looked up at his daughter, his heart swelled with pride at the strong young woman she had become.

  As he looked up at her Gabe saw his wife in her eyes. She carried the same soft innocence as her mother and for all the time he had spent running from his past, at his loss, he had failed to see that Sara was still with him in Claudia.

  ‘I’ve been so wrong to hide, forgive me for everything.’

  ‘There’s nothing to forgive.’ Claudia wept as she fought to hold her father’s weight but they were slipping nearer to the edge.

  ‘I love you my baby girl, never forget that.’

  Gabe closed his eyes as he allowed himself to accept his fate. All the choices he had made had led him to this moment. Never in his lifetime would he have considered his end would come in the depths of a volcano have faced creatures of myth.

  ‘Your mother would be proud.’

  Claudia slipped further over the edge until her waist was only just keeping her in place. She could do nothing to hoist her father back up. As she prepared for the inevitable and readied herself to release her shaking grip on her father’s wrist Claudia felt a tug at her feet.

  ‘Hold him tight.’ Nahem bellowed as she planted her feet into the floor and pulled Claudia with all her strength.

  Inching painfully slow, Nahem dragged Claudia back from the edge. The rough floor dug into Claudia’s torso but she gripped her father as tight as she could. After what felt like an age Gabe’s hands appeared over the edge of the rock and he could grip at the stone to secure himself in place.

  All of them panted, hearts racing and breaths ragged as Gabe clambered back over the edge and lay back on the warm black rock of the platform.

  ‘Congratulations,’ Vincenzo laughed as he moved to stand beside Logan on the ledge above them. ‘But I’m afraid all you have done is delay the inevitable.’

  Gabe was too exhausted to move and only moved his head to look at Logan, Vincenzo and the Magdon high above him.

  ‘Logan knows what is right; he understands what we must do. We must protect her and move into a new future, a new world where the Magdon can emerge from the shadows.’

  Gabe’s heart sank as the Magdon, followed by Vincenzo disappeared into the tunnel. Logan was the last to leave as he looked down at Claudia, Gabe and Nahem laying on the volcanic rock below.

  ‘Goodbye,’ was all Logan could muster as he turned his back on his family and disappeared into the darkness.

  Something rocked the cavern one last time as an explosion caused the mouth of the tunnel to crumble. As the dust settled in the tunnel's mouth all three of them realised they were trapped inside the volcano.

  Gabe sat himself up and looked to the two women sat beside him. Claudia’s clothes were torn and stained with blood from a multitude of cuts where she had dragged him from the edge. Nahem looked no better, her skin was marked with dirt and her face showed the scars of her fierce battle with Vincenzo and the Nivags.

  They had come so far, the three. While they had failed Gabe realised there were no other people he would want to be with at that moment. Wrapping his arm around the two of them he pulled them close. Kissing his daughter on the head he allowed himself to cry.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered to her as he turned to face Nahem.

  The young Indian woman looked uncomfortable as if she were intruding on the intimacy of a family moment. As she moved to shuffle away Gabe grabbed her arm and locked her gaze.

  ‘Thank you,’ Gabe murmured. ‘We couldn’t have made it this far without you.’

  Before Nahem could say anything Gabe placed his lips to hers and kissed her.

  Surrounded by the heat of the bubbling lava it was far from ideal but it was what they had. Archy was gone, Gabe, Claudia and Nahem were trapped deep beneath the earth and the Magdon was free. All that Gabe could hope as he allowed himself to accept their fate was that Logan could tame her enough and his betrayal would not have been for nothing.

  Overcome with exhaustion and heat Gabe allowed his eyes to close and his body to drift.

  EPILOGUE

  Mount Nyiragongo

  Three days later...

  The summit of Mt Nyiragongo was quiet, the wind whipped around the broad mouth of the volcano sending the plume of cloud spiralling skyward. Nothing had moved on the mountain in days, and the recent activity had seen all the geologists leave the mountainside at the reports of earthquakes within the crater.

  Fearing an eruption, they had promptly evacuated the shacks and descended the slopes in haste.

  An eerie silence hung over the mountain and as a white-necked raven tumbled through the air and landed on a pile of rocks beneath the lip of the crater. Preening itself the bird pulled a loose feather from its wing and released it from its beak. As the feather danced in the hot air, the raven watched the feather’s flight for a moment.

  A sudden noise caught the bird’s attention, and it tipped its head to look at the pile of rocks on which it sat. Hearing something the raven hopped on the rock as a small stone dropped out a little way above it.

  Curious but cautious the raven watched as a second small stone tumbled down, and finally, something moved from beneath the rocks. At the sight of what emerged from the ground the raven spread its wings and launched itself out into the jet stream of warm air.

  What emerged from the rock as a small thing, a mixture of flesh and bone that sang jubilantly as the sun bathed its mottled skin.

  ‘The top we find and safe at last, come now come look two days have passed.’

  Yebot danced on the rock as he turned to peer back through the small opening from which he had clambered not seconds before. Dragging aside another handful of rocks Yebot allowed a small tunnel of light to pierce the darkness below.

  In the darkness, three pairs of eyes peered up at him. The faces of Gabe, Claudia and Nahem were covered in dust and dirt. They looked exhausted and broken, but they had finally found their way out from the dark.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Tobey Alexander has always lived in Nottingham, England and always had a very active imagination. From telling over-imagined stories to his children as they have grown up, it seemed time to put ideas down onto paper. Seeing his middle son grow and nurturing his own very active imagination it seemed the right example to give him.

  Working full time in law enforcement in the United Kingdom it has always been an interesting journey and way to unleash the imagination by creating adventures and stories away from his profession. Having now established himself as an interesting and intriguing addition to the world of fiction Tobey intends to continue to establish himself in the hope one day the right person will see the potential in his madness.

  No journey is ever easy and along the way Tobey has always wanted to lead from the front and inspire a sense of creativity and adventure in his own children. Seeing his oldest son in hospital suffering a little-known illness just a month after conquering Snowdon creating stories helped give release when things got tough. Using stories as a release, not only for himself but also for his children who sometimes need the distraction and inspiration it has been something he has enjoyed from start to finish.

  Each story aims to add somethi
ng different be it new additions to The Magdon legacy, independent adventures such as Blackout or the in-development trilogy Reaper’s Journey there is always something bubbling in his mind.

  INTO THE DARK

  The first feature-length novel in The Magdon Series and the start of Gabe’s adventures in a world of Magdons, Veks and Nivags. Discover where the story began in the enticing award-nominated adventure.

  AVAILABLE NOW

  ORIGINS OF THE MAGDON: ANTHOLOGY

  The Magdon was born from a white-lie told to Tobey’s youngest son. From there he grew the story into a five-part novelette series. Discover the episodic tale of Archy and his first encounter with the Magdon in 1911. The five novelettes offer a snapshot of key events in Archy’s life taking you around the world including Hadrian’s Wall, Egypt, India, Vatican City and South Africa.

  AVAILABLE NOW

  MORE TITLES FROM TOBEY ALEXANDER

  “THE MAGDON NOVELETTE SERIES”

  Origins Of The Magdon: Vercovicium

  Origins Of The Magdon: Valley Of The Kings

  Origins Of The Magdon: Valmiki Nagar

  Origins Of The Magdon: Vatican Archives

  Origins Of The Magdon: The Journey Ahead

  STAND ALONE BOOKS

  Footprints On The Other Side

  Blackout: A Time Travel Novel

  CHARITY CHILDREN’S BOOKS

  Blue Light Christmas

  Blue Light Christmas 2: A Cry For Elf

  FIND OUT MORE

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  NOW AN EXCLUSIVE SAMPLE FROM TOBEY ALEXANDER’S TIME-TRAVEL THRILLER....

  CHAPTER

  ONE

  Michael Swann loved the isolation of climbing. Rubbing his chapped palms together, perched on the rock face high above the ground, he admired the view. Held in place with his bruised knees wedged in a ragged fissure on the cliff he was glad to ease the pressure on his weary muscles.

  As the sun broke on the distant horizon, painting the sea in a rich hue of oranges and reds Swann was at peace. Free climbing always offered him the edge. That immense feeling of danger whenever he faced a challenging path on any climb and today was no different.

  The coastal town of Kalymnos was only just stirring in the morning's light sun. Already a third up the Telendos climb it had been a treacherous start. With only the slightest twilight he had begun the climb, and all but fumbled his fingers along the stones to find his grip and footholds. Again, the danger tickled his enjoyment all the more.

  ‘No better place,’ Swann sighed as he shook the tiredness from his arms.

  As the pressure on his knees grew as he supported his body weight wedging them into the fissure, he moved again. The sparse climbing equipment he carried, for emergencies, jangled as Swann adjusted his position and resumed his climb.

  Stretching over the rugged face of the cliff he made sure progress until the sun was casting its glow across his exposed shoulders. Long shadows painted themselves across the stone, and once again Swann cast a glance to the world far below him.

  Dipping his hands one at a time into the pouch that dangled from his waist he rubbed chalk across his bleeding fingers to aid his climb. Although there was a chill to the morning air, his body was drenched with sweat.

  Swann kept himself in peak condition, he always had. The outdoors had been his playground, even more so in the years following his divorce and losing his son. Having turned his hobby into a well-paid profession, he had featured photographs and articles in National Geographic several times in the last five years. The fact he could couple his inability to settle, combined with an insatiable desire to be alone and always on the edge of danger made perfect bedfellows and offered him the chance to visit places off the beaten track.

  Although a tourist spot, his vantage point on the face of Telendos gave him another such an opportunity.

  Clipping himself to one of the many anchoring bolts attached to the rough stone he adjusted himself to get the right position. Seeing the spectacular view around him, as always, took his breath away. The rippling crystal sea and golden coastline looked, to him, picture perfect. Crowned by the rising sun, the colours looked like the brush-strokes of a forgotten painter.

  Fishing out the camera from his backpack Swann adjusted the pan and zoom until he had framed the view to his liking. Snapping as many photographs as he could he made minor adjustments as he reviewed each image on the screen until, he had something he could work on.

  Swann, attached to the face of the cliff by only a metal anchor and aluminium clip, had no care for the danger. The ground far below seemed inconsequential as he twisted and turned himself to get the picture he wanted.

  When he was happy with the images, Swann returned the scratched camera back into his pack and resumed his climb. It was only another half hour of the climb before he pulled his aching body over the lip of the cliff and could rest.

  With his legs hanging over the edge he turned to admire the picturesque view before him. Breaths ragged, and his heart pounding in his ears, Swann’s body fought against the exertion he had put his body through. Even though Telendos was not the most challenging of climbs he had endured, it still forced his body into a state of exercise, and he could feel his body protesting against it.

  Resting himself on the precarious edge, he allowed his lungs to swallow the morning air. As his ragged breaths returned to normal, he could taste the saltiness of the air. Soon his senses returned to him, and he could hear the rustle of the dry brushes around him and the crashing ocean far below.

  Closing his eyes for a moment, Swann allowed the sun to paint him. The heat grew as the sun climbed higher into the sky. Although the gentle breeze chilled his damp skin he did not feel cold, he felt at peace and relaxed.

  Without warning, a strange sound woke him from his relaxed state.

  A sound, something akin to the crackle and fizzle of electricity filled the air behind him. Opening his eyes, he turned his head to find the source of the noise but found nothing. In the rugged landscape stretching far off behind him, he was the only living soul, isolated and alone.

  Curious but satisfied that he had imagined the noise he returned his attention to the view beneath the cliff.

  As he turned his head, the same sound filled the air behind him. This time something disturbed the air close to the back of his neck as the sound repeated again.

  Swann snapped himself around and raised himself up to his weary feet. Turning to face back towards the open scrubland a flicker of light caught his attention. Stepping across the dusty ground, he walked towards a strange flicker of dancing blue light that hovered above a quivering bush.

  Leaning closer Swann tried to make out the strange sight. It appeared as if a piece of luminescent smoke coiling above the ground and glowing a faint hue of blue. Reaching out towards the smoke, his fingers found no resistance, and they passed through the hovering haze.

  Another crackle, behind him once again, snatched him from his hypnotic trance staring at the light smoke. Spinning around Swann now found himself surrounded by tendrils of the same smoke. The smoke wafted around him until a movement to his side caught his attention.

  Turning, Swann felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him as a woman walked towards him.

  ‘Where did you come from?’ Swann stammered, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

  She said nothing to him, she paid him no attention as she sauntered towards and then past him without uttering a word.

  Swann could not make sense of her appearance. Standing on the ledge, he had been alone atop the cliff. Between him and the nearest modicum of cover was an impossible distance the woman could have tr
avelled in the time it had taken him to explore the tendrils of smoke to her sauntering past him.

  As she walked past him, he could only stare and take in her appearance.

  An apparition of confidence she stood as tall as Swann, her frame taut and her posture filled with an air of presence. Shoulder-length brown hair carried the signs of lighter highlighting which framed her face which had a light tan. She wore a curious ensemble of clothes. An all-in-one suit in charcoal grey clung to her figure, and even in the morning air Swann could not help but wonder how she was coping in the outfit. Long sleeves and full-length leggings hugged to her as she walked, and in her hand she carried an odd looking mask.

  There was something about her appearance that Swann recognised, but as he went to speak again, the electric sound crackled behind him.

  Snatching his attention away from the silent and mysterious woman Swann turned to locate the source of the noise, and upon finding nothing, he returned his attention to the woman.

  Except, she was no longer there.

  Where the woman had been walking was now a concentration of the blue smoke. The tendrils seemed to focus on the bright centre of the mass and almost appeared to be pulling in towards a bright epicentre in the exact spot he had last seen the woman. Awash with curiosity Swann stepped closer and raised his hands towards the dancing line of smoke nearest to him.

  The smoke moved like the swimming tentacle of an octopus, bucking and weaving through the air. As Swann’s fingers reached towards the smoke, he felt something physical against his skin. Unlike a few seconds earlier when the smoke had been nothing but that, air, he now felt something tangible between his fingers.

  Acting on instinct Swann pinched his fingers together and felt the smoke like a physical rope between his thumb and forefinger.