The trap door shut behind him as Norbert walked down the stairs. After the first few steps, they changed from wood to stone, cut out from the earth itself. Needing to duck down slightly, or else his head would scrape against the roof, Norbert clutched onto the rail on his left as he made his way deeper into the earth in complete darkness.

The echoing of the steps ahead of him and his own rattled around, sounding like an army making their way through the stairwell. Step after step, Norbert made his way down, catching up with Count von Count as the two of them walked in silence.

Obsius comes back over to his shoulder, eating another biscuit. Minutes went by, Norbert losing track of how long they had been walking down “How much longer?” Norbert asked Count von Count.

“Just around the corner.” Count von Count replied.

“Hardy har har.” Norbert responded before continuing, “But really, how long until we get down there.”

“You can just see the light at the end of the tunnel ”Count von Count said to Norbert, pointing at the bottom. Norbert looked over his shoulder seeing a white light at the end, previously, he couldn’t see it as it was being covered by Count von Count’s head.

“Not towards the light; don’t walk towards the light.” Norbert whispered loudly, chuckling as he heard it echo around him.

He was still chuckling to himself as they made it to the bottom. Norbert looked out, wondering what this base would be; instead, he was just disappointed. At the bottom of the great walk was a set of train tracks.

Concrete on each side depicting where the station was, signs written in what he assumed was Italian showing with a red dot on a map. Walking towards it Norbert saw it was a criss-cross of connections making its entire way across the country.

Whistling as he looked over the map wind starting to blow against his face. Sighing that the dead air had some movement, Norbert felt it cool himself down.

SCREEECH

Norbert turned around, looking at the source of the sound. From one side of the tunnel, lights were now shining on the rocky platform. Several seconds later, the light got brighter and brighter, the sound getting louder and louder until it started getting quieter again.

CHUG CHUG CHUG

Seeing the contraption appear from the tunnel, with a hiss, it stopped in front of Count von Count; looking down on the ground, underneath his feet was a painted yellow rectangle, with hazmat lines running across it.

Staring at the train, it seemed to be just a motor cart with a carriage cut in half on the back with two lines of seats. Staring at it, Norbert saw Count von Count climb over the edge, sitting on the far side of the cart.

“You have three seconds to jump on!” Count von Count shouted to Norbert, Obsius having jumped off his shoulder and around at the bottom of the cart.

Panicked, not wanting to be left behind, Norbert jumped forward, hand over the railing as he flung himself inside. Landing hard on the wooden seat, Norbert breathed in, as it started to rattle off slowly.

Watching the train went into the tunnel, lights on the side flashing past them, the wind starting to pick up now that they moved faster and faster. Clutching onto the seat to stop himself from flying off the cart, wind whipping around his head, Norbert looked over to Count von Count, just smiling as he looked at Norbert, the vampire sitting there without a care in the world like he was just on a Sunday picnic.

Looking down on the ground, Norbert found Obsius on the far left side, sitting still, eating her biscuit, only a few pieces left now, protected from the wind by the cover in front of them. Looking up at him, Norbert almost seeing a smirk on the birds face as he was battered around, before going back to finish off the biscuit.

No longer increasing in speed Norbert seeing the lights on the side of the tunnel flash constantly, nearly being engulfed in light with the speed they were going. Suddenly they were bathed in light, before it disappeared again, having passed through another station in the blink of an eye.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Down the tunnel they went, changing tracks to the other side at what seemed like random; as time went by, Norbert heard carts zoom past on the other side of him, the wind buffeting him around as he held on even tighter.

***

The train started slowing down, by now Norbert was used to feeling being pushed against the back of the cart, leaning off to the side, now feeling his body slowly right itself, the screech filling his ears. Norbert looking at the side and seeing the occasional sparks coming from the wheels of the cart in front of him.

Slowly Norbert heard the cart screech in protest, opening up to him as he was bathed in light, now turning off his night vision so he could see properly, now out of the flashing tunnel.

This one of the similar type as the one he arrived in, seeming to be cut out of a natural cave, looking up almost expecting to see stalactites above, but seeing none, just a smooth flat ceiling.

Stepping out of the cart, Obsius flapping their wings and landing on his shoulder as they followed Count von Count out of the area. Seeing another set of stairs leading up the vampire turned to the right instead, leading down a corridor.

Once inside the tone of it changed, gone was the natural look now to common, concrete walls and ceiling, white lights on the ceiling shinning the constant light. The still air cool on his face, Norbert took his mask off, seeing no reason to be wearing it now the wind wasn’t making his eyes tear up.

Opening his mouth to ask something Norbert closed it again, waiting for it to be finished. Now walking past entranceways showing other places, dorm rooms, meeting rooms, a food hall, weights area Norbert just looked, seeing duplicates of many, seeming to be copy and pasted from one area to the next.

Finally at the end of the corridor, opening up to an entranceway, a long table taking up the centre of the room, countless chairs on either side of it. On one head of the table no chair was there, on the other sat a throne.

On the throne, the red seat with big armrests, the satin fabric and gold embroidery Norbert stared up, squinting slightly at the distance.

Count von Count bowing as he stood next to Norbert. Norbert just staring, not moving a muscle as he stared at the person sitting on the throne. White skinned like Count von Count, their raven black hair flowing down past their hips, falling off the side of the chair.

In a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, clashing completely with the room and the position the man held. Squinting and focusing on his eyes, Norbert saw the twin points of fangs sticking out over the bottom lip.

“Glad to see you Count von Count. I’m assuming this is the one that has caused the recent headache for our team over here. Norbert was his name?” The vampire upon the throne asked.

“That is correct.” Count von Count said, still looking down at the floor.

“Excellent, bring him over here and wait outside.” The vampire upon the throne ordered.

Count von Count nodding, as he stood up straight, spinning on his heels and walked out of the room, Norbert looking around and seeing him wait in the hallway outside, no barrier stopping the sound from traveling over there.

Seeing nothing more happening Norbert made his way forward, down the table. As he walked Norbert counted the chairs on this side, no food set or cutlery on the table, just the empty seats, the wooden table a cherry red, the lacquer sparkling, looking freshly done.

Reaching the other end, counting sixty one chairs on this side, surprised at the amount. Looking up at the vampire sitting in the chair Norbert stopped, before smiling. The black eyes staring back at him. A grin forming on the man’s face as Norbert gulped, starting to send energy through his body, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

“So, Norbert, welcome to a Solution.” The vampire said, arms spread out, showing the empty hall. Their words echoing around it.

Norbert just nodding as he replied “Ah geez thanks, just what I wanted, forced to join another organisation.”

The vampire looking back at him, the grin forming even larger than before “Oh, Count von Count did not lie at all about you. I like it.” The vampire said.

Norbert nodding his head, gulping down his nerves, already in the lion’s den and needing to continue forward “Anyway, what can I call you and what do you want me to do?” Norbert asked the vampire.

“You may call me, Geoff. And you’re going to fix all the problems between the magic folk that pop up. Now off you run. A Solution will be in touch when needed.” Geoff said to him.

Norbert shivering at the voice, before darting back, wanting to get away. As Norbert reached the other end of the table the voice echoed out once more.

“Oh, and could you leave me some of your blood. I’ve heard it is quite unique?” The vampire upon the throne asked.

Norbert without turning back stuck up his middle finger, earning a cackle of laughter from Geoff, the sound echoing off the large ceiling room that Norbert just left.

Seeing Count von Count ahead of him Norbert nodded, the count not walking away as Norbert caught up.

Turning to Count von Count Norbert asked “And where to now?”

“The airport. Time for you to go back home.” Count von Count replied.

“And how am I going to get to the airport from the middle of nowhere?” Norbert asked the vampire. Silence filling the room as the two of them walked back through the hallway. Stepping forward into the cave section Norbert saw the stairs, Count von Count pointing at them.

“Well up there of course.” Count von Count replied.