Pilgrimage

by Andrew Dobell

  PILGRIMAGE

  Tales of the MAGI SAGA

  By

  Andrew Dobell

  By Andrew Dobell

  Book list

  The Magi Saga – Urban Fantasy

  When Amanda discovers she’s a Magi after being attacked by a werewolf on the streets of NYC, she’s introduced to a magical society and drawn into a hidden war for the fate of mankind.

  Epic Calling: The Magi Saga Book 1

  Shadows of Darkness: The Magi Saga Book 2

  Black Dawn: The Magi Saga Book 3

  Infinities’ Edge: The Magi Saga Book 4

  Wasteland Road Knights

  Liberation

  Tales of the Magi Saga

  Uprising

  A Thoroughly Modern Witch

  Pilgrimage

  The New Prometheus - Cyberpunk

  When Frankie’s brain is transplanted into a Cybernetic body after being shot, she must go on the run from the mega corporations who want her and her cyber-body’s designer dead.

  The New Prometheus

  The Prometheus Gambit

  The Prometheus Trap

  Prometheus Vengeance

  The Magi Saga Short Stories

  Only available through my mailing list;

  www.andrewdobellauthor.co.uk

  The Angel of Tarut: The Magi Saga Prologue

  His Love: A Magi Saga Short Story

  Casino Red: A Magi Saga Short Story

  Anthologies I am part of:

  The Expanding Universe – Sci-Fi

  Summer of Magic – No longer available.

  Alchemy & Arcana

  For more of Andrews work, visit:

  www.andrewdobellauthor.co.uk

  About Tales of the Magi Saga

  The Tales series collects short stories and novella’s that are set within the Magi Saga Universe. They vary in length, subject and protagonist and while each story can be read alone, and the series in any order, they do usually fit within the greater narrative of the Magi Saga.

  Enjoy.

  About this book.

  This story was originally published in the Short Story Anthology, “Alchemy & Arcana”, which is no longer available.

  The story fits into the main Magi Saga chronology just after book 4.

  I love looking at the world of the Magi through the eyes of those outside of it, who have no understanding of how it works. I have several ideas for stories that for that kind of viewpoint as there’s a lot of potential for drama there. This was one of them.

  I hope you enjoy it.

  1

  The car bounced along the dirt road through the small town. There were very few tarmac roads in this part of Romania, and most of the locals were using horse and cart rather than cars. There were times when Chris found it amazing that there were still parts of the world that had not really caught up with the modern digital world of the west, with its super-fast broadband internet and modern luxuries, but it was also kind of reassuring and quaint that places like this were still somewhat untouched by progress.

  They weren’t entirely untouched, though, as he noticed another local speaking on a mobile phone. They were everywhere these days.

  The old car bumped through another pothole as Chris spotted the pub up ahead. Is that what they called these places in Transylvania? Or was it a tavern? He wasn’t sure, so he figured he’d call it a pub.

  Whatever; it was a drinking establishment. And it was also where he was due to meet with Teodor. He got a sinking feeling in his stomach then as he wondered what he was getting himself into. The thoughts of what they might be walking into brought back that paralysing fear he had felt in the Himalayas about a year and a half ago. Now, he found himself just staring at the building.

  ‘Hey, errr… Hello? Hello?’ the driver called to him, breaking the daydream suddenly and snapping him back to reality and the realisation that the car had stopped.

  The man said something to him in the local language, but Chris wasn’t sure what the man had said. He had his hand held out, though, and suddenly, the gist of the words were clear, he wanted paying.

  Chris pulled out some money, passed it to the driver, and extracted himself from the car, pulling all his gear with him as well.

  The driver waved goodbye to him and pulled away, continuing to bounce along through the potholes and dodge the horse-drawn carts as he went.

  The street wasn’t busy, not like a London street, but there were still people going about their business; many of them looking over at the strange looking foreigner who had just appeared in their village. Further along, some kids played a game, running here and there, while a couple of older men sat smoking their pipes, their conversation paused for the time being as they eyed Chris with curiosity.

  Well, he thought, no time like the present. So, he swung his bag onto his shoulder and made his way over the street towards the pub, dodging a pile of stinking horse manure as he went.

  He stopped just outside the door and looked around him, noticing all the faces pointed his way, their eyes filled with curiosity about this new stranger.

  Above the buildings on the opposite side of the street, the tall Romanian mountains towered high into the sky, partially veiled in mist and low hanging clouds to give them a mysterious and creepy feel.

  He wondered if, in the next few days, he would come face to face with the terrors he’d met once before on the slopes of the Tibetan mountains. The thought chilled him to the bone, but he also knew it was something he had to do. He had to prove something to himself once and for all.

  Chris sighed. This would be an eventful few days, of that he had no doubt.

  He turned, opened the door to the bar, and stepped inside. The room beyond was only dimly lit both by the hazy light that streamed in through the dirty windows and the old electrical light bulbs that were placed haphazardly around the room.

  There were a few tables on either side of him, and a few small alcoves as well. He felt like he was in some kind of western when the hero walks into the saloon and everything stops as the locals turn to look at the new arrival.

  It probably wasn’t quite as bad as that, but many of the people who were getting a drink in here did stop what they were doing and look at the newcomer.

  Chris smiled nervously, and started to look around wondering if Teodor would be here by now.

  ‘Chris,’ said a voice to his left.

  He turned to face a middle-aged man with greying hair that was combed harshly back from his face. He wore silver-rimmed glasses with circular lenses and sported a neat, if slightly flamboyant, moustache and goatee beard that complimented his tweed jacket and dark trousers. But his smile and the look in his eyes was bright and welcoming; just as he’d remembered them from their last meeting back in London.

  ‘Teodor, you beat me here. It’s great to see you,’ Chris said.

  ‘It is a pleasure for me, too,’ Teodor answered in his Romanian-accented English. ‘It has been too long, my friend. Thank you for coming. I appreciate your help with this,’ he said.

  ‘Not a problem. You were there for me when I needed someone to believe me, and for me to talk to. I feel I owe you for that, and, anyway, I think I need to do this for myself as well, too.’

  ‘To confront your demons…’

  ‘Something like that, yes.’ Chris smiled. The smile was not one of happiness, though. Rather, it was an indication that Teodor had hit upon some kind of truth, and he was admitting it to himself as much as to Teodor.

  ‘This is good. Come, sit with me and meet my new friend,’ Teodor said.

  ‘Friend?’ Chris asked, and looked behind Teodor to the table he’d been sitting at and noticed a young woman there, looking at them and waiting patiently.

  ‘Yes. Here, this is Katelyn Attwood
; she will be joining us on this trip,’ he said, gesturing to the woman sat at the table.

  She smiled and stood to greet him, offering her hand to Chris with a radiant smile that lit up the room. Chris smiled back a genuine smile this time, and gladly took her hand in greeting.

  ‘Christopher Riley, explorer and adventurer extraordinaire. It’s a pleasure to meet you,’ she said in her American-accented voice that sounded sweet and perfect to Chris.

  ‘Well, I’m not sure about that, but I do enjoy a good climb up a mountain,’ he said.

  ‘Don’t be so modest. I’ve been aware of your work for a while now. Hard not to be with all those television appearances,’ she smiled back.

  ‘Aaah, well, it’s been a while since I did one of those,’ he said.

  ‘I know. I saw the news reports about that incident in the Himalayas, the investigation into the deaths of your teammates. That can’t have been easy,’ she said.

  Chris’ smile faded as the memories flooded back: the sheer terror he’d felt up there in the ice and snow; seeing his team get torn apart right before his very eyes only for that… thing, to spare him.

  ‘Why don’t we sit down and get you a drink,’ Teodor said and signalled the barman.

  ‘Sure, thanks,’ Chris answered as he sat in one of the empty chairs at the table.

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,’ Katelyn said.

  ‘It’s fine; I’m okay,’ he answered her. ‘I’ve had to deal with much worse these past few months. At least, it seems to have calmed down now,’ he said.

  ‘Well, we’re grateful to have you with us. Your expertise will be needed on this expedition,’ she said.

  The bartender delivered another ale to the table, which Chris took a sip from. It wasn’t the best beer in the world, but he was grateful for it anyway.

  ‘So, are you going to tell me more about what we’re going to be hunting for, then, Teodor?’ Chris asked. As far as Chris knew, Teodor had found a lead on a long forgotten mystical place in the mountains of Romania, and he needed Chris’ help to find it. Trekking into the mountains was a dangerous business, and they needed someone who knew what they were doing.

  ‘But of course, now that we’re all here, I don’t see why not,’ Teodor said from where he sat on Chris’ left. ‘There is a place, a cave, I suppose, that legends say used to be the home of a witch: a powerful and terrible woman who terrorised this region hundreds of years ago with her magic. This cave has been spoken of for hundreds of years, but few have actually found it; less, still, have lived to tell the tale. At least, that’s what the legends say.’

  ‘And what do you say?’ Chris asked.

  ‘I think it’s real, and we both know that there truly are things that defy explanation. The myths and embellishments, well, that’s typical local superstition, but I think there is something there. Even today, that place is avoided by the locals and, of the few who venture there, some never return,’ he said.

  ‘You’ve known about this place for a while, now?’

  ‘Indeed I have, and I have attempted to find it before as well, but with no luck. It’s been one of those little side projects that I return to from time to time, but when Katelyn here came to me with what she knew, I figured a return trip would be needed,’ Teodor answered him.

  ‘I believe I can find the cave,’ Katelyn said from Chris’ right.

  Chris turned and looked at her. He was sitting next to her now and could get a much better look at her. She was a creature of rare beauty and had a bookish look to her. Her dark hair was pulled tightly back from her face where a pair of dark rimmed glasses perched on her thin nose.

  Her dark eyes were captivating and seemed to bore deep into his soul. She wore a shirt beneath a woollen sleeveless top and a tweed skirt that hugged her hips where she sat.

  He couldn’t help it. He found himself incredibly attracted to this woman, and she’d barely said three sentences to him. It had been a while since he’d last been with a woman after his marriage had broken down following the incident. He’d found it difficult to meet someone new. The stigma of the investigation into what had happened, and with him being the prime suspect, had never left him.

  ‘You know where it is?’ Chris asked.

  ‘I believe so,’ she said.

  ‘So, where is it?’

  ‘In those mountains,’ she said.

  ‘Can you be more specific?’ Chris asked.

  ‘Now that we’re all here, sure,’ she said.

  ‘You haven’t shared this with Teodor yet?’

  ‘Not fully, but I was just protecting myself. I didn’t want him going up there without me,’ she said.

  ‘But you’re happy to share the details now? Because if you don’t, I walk,’ he threatened her. He wanted to know what he was getting into.

  She looked up at him then, clearly weighing him up and assessing him. ‘Yes, I’m happy,’ she said.

  ‘Okay, but before you do that, what exactly is it we’re looking for here? Teodor said something about a cave that used to be a witches home?’ he said. The idea of them going to find a witch felt strange. It felt like going to find Santa’s house; the idea was just slightly ridiculous.

  Katelyn smiled. ‘They’re called the Wailing Tunnels. It’s a cave system high up in the mountains where, as legend has it, a witch once lived, back when people believed in these things. She used to rule these lands, held the locals in the grip of fear, and demanded sacrifices from them. Rumours say that the locals used to give her gold and riches and that it’s all still up there for the taking. People have tried to find it for years, heading up into the mountains seeking their fortune. Most return empty-handed, having found nothing, but a handful return having gone mad, saying they saw things, terrible things, and then, a few, maybe one every year or two, never come back.’

  ‘So, it is a witches home?’ Chris asked.

  ‘That’s right. Her name was Jasamen, I believe,’ Katelyn said.

  ‘Are you serious? You mean you believe this?’ Chris asked.

  ‘And you don’t? The man who was attacked by the abominable snowman?’ Katelyn challenged him.

  ‘That was different,’ he countered.

  ‘Oh, really? Please enlighten me,’ she said.

  Chris opened his mouth, ready to argue his case, but he came up short. No, his story was as crazy as hers sounded. He couldn’t argue with her. She was right.

  ‘Okay, you win,’ he conceded. ‘A witch it is. So, okay, tell me how we find these Wailing Tunnels,’ he asked.

  Katelyn smiled, clearly pleased with herself after winning that little disagreement. He found he didn’t mind. He wasn’t sure he believed in witches yet, but he’d go along with it and see what they found up there. He knew what he’d seen in those mountains a year and a half ago, something that he could only refer to as some kind of Bigfoot or Sasquatch, and it had killed his entire team but spared him and left him with a warning to stay away. The thing had actually spoken to him, and that was the craziest thing of all. Of course, he was dragged through the press. People thought the altitude had got to him and he was the one who had gone mad and killed his team. In the end, he’d been acquitted due to lack of evidence. But his career was effectively over.

  He was lucky. He had savings built up from years of sponsorship and television deals. He wouldn’t be struggling for a long time yet, if ever.

  Chris listened as Katelyn went over the details of the expedition as best she knew them. The directions she had were kind of vague and concerned landmarks more than anything else. He hoped he’d be able to make sense of them on the path up the mountain. He found himself fascinated by this feminine creature beside him, though. She was certainly attractive, and there was something about her that just reeled him in. He felt sure that beneath that straight-laced exterior there was a wild cat.

  Or maybe that was his testosterone speaking. Maybe he was projecting his own fantasies onto her. After all, it had been a while, now.

  When she
stood up at one point during the discussion and bent over the table to point something out on the map they had unfolded onto it, he couldn’t resist sitting back and enjoying the view for a second or two.

  He had to shake his head and return his focus to the task at hand, though, and felt a little dirty for looking at her like that. She wouldn’t be interested in him. She was clearly a woman of refined tastes; and a scruffy washed up climber would surely not really register on her radar.

  Eventually, the night drew on as they finalised their plans.

  ‘And we have a guide meeting us tomorrow, right?’ Teodor asked.

  ‘That’s right. I arranged one before coming out here. He’ll meet us at the edge of town,’ Chris said.

  ‘Does he know where we’re going?’

  ‘No, he doesn’t. He thinks we’re going for a scenic hike and that’s all,’ Chris said.

  ‘Probably best not to mention our true goal to him, then. It might spook him,’ Teodor explained.

  ‘Agreed. They can be a superstitious lot, these guides,’ Chris said.

  The rest of the evening was spent in more friendly conversation over drinks and a meal before Teodor suggested they all get an early night. Chris agreed, although, he felt it was a little too early for him. Still, Katelyn seemed keen on retiring so he figured it was best to follow suit. He’d already booked his room a little earlier that evening, and they were all staying in the guest rooms above the bar. The room was small with peeling plaster, paint that was cracked and worn away in places, but it still looked like one of the better rooms in the village. There wasn’t much to his room, just a bed and a desk with a chair and one small window. They would be sharing a bathroom, apparently.

  Chris had stripped down to his underwear and was laying on his bed, wondering just what he had gotten himself into this time. Witches and caves and people going missing, is that what his life had become? Well, at least, he would be getting paid for this. Teodor had funded his trip over here and had promised a bonus on safe return. That was something, at least.