R.B.R. BARRETO
It was surprising that they had found such a intact structure in that location and underground.
The small caravan spent a few days traveling through the cave. The paths were winding and so similar that they got confused several times. At a certain point, early in the journey, they realized they were walking in circles and needed to create markings that would allow them to distinguish the sections they had already covered. Luckily, the ventilation system that circulated between the ducts did not only serve to create different sounds and melodies. It also allowed the air to be renewed and maintained an ideal level of oxygen for everyone. There were chambers or halls connecting some stages of the path and a dim light illuminated some sections, indicating that sunlight also penetrated somehow through the cave ducts. However, if they had not had the material to make torches, they would have been lost in the darkness that enveloped most of the sections they traveled. The sound system that circulated between the chambers allowed them to distinguish where to find water, and so they could calmly refill their canteens, bathe, make coffee, cook soup and relieve the animals.
A little more than halfway along the path, they reached a large "hall" that received a little more light than usual. They could see a waterfall of reasonable volume that fed a lake with a diameter slightly larger than the others they had encountered along the way. On the banks of this lake, just to the left and stretching along the entire wall, stood an old but perfectly maintained building that seemed to have served as a shelter or something similar. The travelers were surprised. They could have expected many things, but a building of that size inside the cave was surprising.
— Caravansarai???— Ladslav observed, visibly surprise
A caravanserai is a type of inn found in regions among of the various deserts of the Middle East, in ancient Persia and others further up. In addition to offering lodging, water, and food to men and animals, they also served as a warehouse for exchanging and storing products. They served as a support for the movement of merchants and goods during the great caravans of the Silk and Incense Routes. However, it was surprising that such a structure had been found almost intact in that location and underground.
Hamad, always cautious, extinguished the torches and sneaked into the building to examine it inside. He found it empty, but not in ruins. He found warm clothes, blankets, some grains, flour, and other non-perishable foods. There were also torches available in the rooms and material for making fire.
—There's no one there, it's abandoned,— he said, lighting one of the torches again, —but it seems to have been used recently.
—Why would they build a structure of this size, inside, if we're already sheltered from anything that's outside?— Júlio Meirinho asked, surprised.
It was hard to understand, but the truth is that the inn, or whatever it was, took advantage of the structure of the cave itself. The walls were built of the same granite and clay material found along the way. They served to limit spaces according to their functions. There was an area clearly designated for animals with separate stalls, small fences, feeders and waterers. Another resembled a large pantry to store supplies and goods. In the various compartments there were drawings on the wall, just like those found at the entrance to the cave.
— The Templars must have passed through here. Probably on the run, perhaps heading for the coast. — Júlio Meirinho commented.
— Not just the Templars, more recent groups must have known and used this route. — Hamad observed as he pointed to some symbols printed on the wall whose features seemed to have been drawn recently.
Meirinho and Ladslav examined the symbols. There was an insignia with two crossed Saracen-style swords, protecting a winged heart from which a rose sprouted.
All the symbols, from the swords to the rose, were constructed from Arabic characters.
— I don't know this insignia. — Júlio Meirinho said, adjusting his glasses with interest.
Hamad, in turn, discreetly stood in front of the symbol, placed his right hand over his heart and lowered his head, silently praying. The foreigners were so engrossed that they didn't notice the gesture. Only Kadir looked at him in surprise, but didn't say anything.
The group spent the rest of the day resting, updating their notes, and reproducing the new symbols they had found. Some of them seemed to have been drawn repeatedly in specific positions, over angles and cracks. Vladmir began to examine one of them, noticing that the painting was more fragile than he had thought. When he touched the symbol, part of the crack over which it was drawn began to crumble and turn to dust in his hands.
— If I were you, I wouldn't touch those symbols, my friend! — Hamad warned.
— I'm just trying to understand them so I can reproduce them,— the Russian explained as he shook off the dust that was left on his fingers.
—That's true,— Meirinho agreed cautiously. —Who knows why they were drawn there, in those cracks. They could be some kind of seal or warning.
The geographer made an evasive gesture with his head and sat down next to the crack with his notebook, trying to record the details of what was left of the symbol. At first, for everyone, that caravanserai was a true oasis on the road. He allowed the animals to rest and satisfy their hunger and thirst. However, sleep was not peaceful for any of the travelers. At a certain time of night, the whispers in the cave became more intense and ghostly. Dreams turned into nightmares for both men and animals. The horses began to show signs of restlessness and neigh. If they had not been tied up, they would have fled.
The men were tossed about in nightmares and private visions, which caused sweating and trembling. Suddenly they were awakened by a resounding scream of terror. It was Ladslav, who had fallen asleep with his notebook still by his side. He had jumped up with one hand on his neck and a look that glimpsed endless terror.
— Where is she, where is she? — he screamed, almost on the verge of madness.
The others, equally frightened, got up and approached their friend, trying to help him and calm him down.
—Who is she?— What are you talking about, my friend?? – asked the Portuguese man in a very frightened tone.
Hamad approached with the torch, illuminating the room. They then noticed that there was a certain amount of blood in the neck area that the Russian was holding with one hand. A trickle ran between his fingers and stained his chest.
— Let's see this!— Hamad said worriedly.
After a quick examination he concluded:
— I think our friend was bitten by a bat or something like that. We have to get out of here quickly, he's going to need help.
— Good God!— exclaimed Meirinho
—For Allah's sake!! — said Kadir
Ladslav, in turn, seemed to be entering a feverish state in which he continued to have repeated hallucinations.
— Where is she? The woman?— he repeated in anguish
— What woman, my friend? There's no one else here. – said Meirinho, trying to calm him down.
— A woman, — he continued, making a visible effort to gather his thoughts, —as beautiful as a lady from the Arabian Nights. She was dressed in black, transparent veils with lots of gold embroidery. She passed through an opening in the wall, floated and approached with a beautiful smile. I stood still, mesmerized. She leaned over me as if she were going to kiss me. She looked deep into my eyes and then...then transformed her self into a horrible being!! A monster with sharp teeth that sank into my neck. I felt the burning and the blood flowing out of me as if my life go out with it. That was when I managed to shake off my torpor and scream.
Meirinho almost instinctively made the sign of the cross, while Kadir stood up in astonishment, calling out one of the names of Allah invoked in situations of danger.
—Al Muhaymin, Al Muhaymin! Protect us in this terrible hour.
As he narrated his incredible dream, Ladslav became increasingly pale and trembling. At the end, his voice was almost a whisper. Júlio Meirinho, sensing the fall, caught his friend before he hit the ground.
— We have no time to waste,—announced Hamad. —Whatever attacked our friend could come back at any moment. We need to help him as soon as possible.
— Let's get out of here first,— said the Portuguese man, almost shouting.
In an unusual rush, they gathered their things and the animals as best they could. The geographer was unable to walk, so he was placed as best he could on the back of one of the horses. They set off with lit torches in the direction where the whispers were getting louder.
— By Allah! May we find a way out soon!— prayed Kadir.
But the road, although wide, was full of curves. They continued in silence. They tried to keep a fast pace and pay attention to what was ahead. At a certain point they realized that in addition to the whispers, a buzzing sound was also growing around them.
— What could this be now, my God!!,— whispered Meirinho in a whispered voice.
The noise grew louder, bringing a terrifying mix of sounds that resembled whistles, the rustling of wings and a high-pitched sound that made the eardrums tremble.
—Run!!—, Hamad shouted, pointing the torch at a dark mass that was growing in one of the corridors.
The light of the torch had the momentary power to stop the strange creatures. A horrific scream came from the mass hit by the light as if it had hurt them terribly. At a glance, they saw figures that resembled giant bats, with pointed and transparent wings, claws, teeth and ears disproportionate to anything they knew. Stunned and full of terror, they only had the impetus to run in the opposite direction. Hamad, realizing that the fire was scaring them away, tried to block the way to gain time while the others looked for ways to protect the animals and their injured friend. However, the strange predators soon got used to the light and began to advance again, coming along the ceiling, crawling on the floor and walls, taking advantage of the trail of shadows that the light of the torch could not cover.
Hamad was not a man to run. His impetus was to face danger, using his weapons, courage and cunning. He took upon himself the defense of his friends, and, if necessary, he would fall before that mob could reach them. He drew his sword and with his other hand brandished the torch while the creatures tried to surround him. As soon as the Portuguese man and the young Kadir had settled Ladslav, they came to his aid, also bringing their torches and facing for the first time a fear they had never felt before.
Sometimes loyalty overcomes fear and the two, although terrified, had enough courage not to abandon the tuareg. The Portuguese man had a pistol and began to shoot at random, hitting one or another creature. Kadir recited a prayer, tirelessly calling out the 99 names of Allah. He stood erect, brandishing the torch and standing firm in his posture of faith, giving God his remaining courage. They feared that in the end all their efforts would be useless. The creatures continued to advance and were in number much greater than they could have imagined. They were together, already feeling the monsters' claws on them, when they heard a sound like several trumpets sounding at the same time. With a horrific scream and in unison, the strange mob stopped and began to retreat. At the same time, a rain of incandescent arrows crossed the ceiling of the cave, hitting some creatures that succumbed to the flames above their heads. With terrifying screams and whistles, those that did not fall disappeared almost instantly, returning to the depths from which they had emerged.
The three friends, who had fallen to the ground, protecting themselves with their hands and the still-lit torches, turned in the direction in which the arrows had left and saw a group of knights dressed in black robes, mounted on black horses and still holding their bows and arrows. It was a group of about ten men. They stopped at a safe distance while one of them, probably the leader, dismounted from his horse and, before saying anything, made an imperative gesture of silence and headed towards the place where the creatures had fallen. Some were still panting on the ground with one remains of life. With a blow of his sword and a gesture of blessing or exorcism, the man put an end to the suffering of each of them. Then he sheathed his sword again and approached the group:
— Salam Aleikum!
— Aleikum Salam!! – repeated the friends, their voices altered by the emotion they had just experienced.
Hamad stood up and stood before the knight with his right hand on his chest, in a demonstration of profound respect. The man, whose face was hidden under the cloths of his turban, repeated the same gesture.
— May the peace of Allah be with you, friends! What are you doing in this God-forsaken coffin?? How did you get into this trap??
Without much to say, the three friends were confused, each searching within themselves for a suitable answer. However, it was Kadir who spoke first.
— Actually, we were looking for my Master Balam. We followed his trail to take a shortcut and ended up here, in this state – he explained embarrassed
— A shortcut?? – said the man, looking surprised – but this trail doesn't lead anywhere. At least nowhere that you know. Where are you going??
Meirinho tried to answer as best he could. They were heading towards Medina or Mecca and ventured into the gorge in the hope of finding caves and passages that would shorten the journey. Thinking about it, none of them knew exactly how they had ended up there.
— It was pure madness,— agreed the Portuguese man, — and now we have our injured friend, at risk of death.
As they spoke, they approached their companion who had been placed on blankets in one of the most protected corners during the attack by the terrible creatures. The Russian was unconscious and his jaw was chattering of fever. He was no longer able to continue riding his horse.
—Was he bitten by one of those creatures?— asked the man as he examined the wound on Ladslav's neck.
— I believe so,— said Hamad.
With a quick and worried gesture, the man signaled to some of his companions who dismounted and quickly approached.
—Then we have no time to waste. He needs to be treated immediately.
With effort, they improvised a stretcher for Ladslav and quickly tied it to one of the horses. Hamad, Kadir and Meirinho were blindfolded and also seated on their animals. Soon after, without much delay, the group began to gallop uncontrollably. Even blindfolded, the friends could feel the variations in the path, sometimes downhill, sometimes with deep curves. The whispering sounds gradually lost volume until they stopped altogether.