Epilogue: Ghurs and Ghurali from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
Surprisingly, Luka didn't show up right away. A couple of weeks later, I visited the snow people's settlement again and began my training in handling the stones. Sometimes the Tribal Leader worked with me, other times, other shamans did. As it turned out, there were several of them here, each with their own specialization. Each shared their own knowledge, but I grasped the main point: they didn't perform any complex rituals; they simply communicated with the stones, each according to their task.

Chapter 21: Homecoming from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
I woke in the morning, rose from the bed, and felt literally overflowing with energy. It seemed if I jumped, I might just fly. But I didn't jump—who knows, I might actually take off, and then I'd have to live with that. Instead, I looked around. My gaze fell on the tub of moonshine, and I shuddered. Ugh, what vile stuff this homebrew... I mean, moonshine is. I pulled myself together and stepped out of the dwelling.

Chapter 20: The Div, the Raven, and the Log from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
The next morning, an unexpected problem arose: I couldn't decide what to take with me. The ingredients for catching the unknown spirit were clear enough, but the rest... Packing for a full-scale expedition seemed pointless—I had a place to stay in the settlement, and they'd feed me if necessary. However, the journey was through the mountains, and it was better to be safe than sorry. So I sat there, racking my brains about what to take and which backpack to pack it all in. I could manage with a small one, but what if I needed extra space?

Chapter 19: The Gift of the Stone from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
Approaching the elder's dwelling, I saw him in the yard. He was sitting on the stones by the entrance, talking to the girl who brought me food. Spotting me, he said something else to her—apparently finishing the conversation. She nodded and immediately dashed off. So, she always ran like that. By then, I had reached him.

Chapter 18: In the Spiral of Search from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
The following days blurred into one another. Each morning, I shifted into the wolf and roamed the surrounding area. I had divided the territory into sectors and chose one each day, combing through it in a spiral pattern, increasing the radius as I moved further from the center of the settlement. I ended up with eight sectors—and for eight days, I ran through them. But even this thorough search yielded nothing. The only positive was that I learned a great deal about the lives of these snow people.

Chapter 17: The Enigmatic Killer Spirit from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
The journey took a couple of hours. We walked along the far-left tributary—if looking from the center where the streams converged to form the main channel of the Ziddy River. Ugh, I keep slipping into the familiar names, but this isn’t the river I know. The dwellings of the settlement stretched almost to the eternal snow line, falling just short of it. This was truly a remote place, set apart from the main cluster of homes. The distances between them were even greater here. There must have been a reason for that, though such dispersion only worked in the killer’s favor.

Chapter 16: The Settlement of the Snow People from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
After sitting and thinking on the spur, I descended back into the gorge where Uga was waiting for me. He showed no signs of impatience — he just sat there, staring into nothingness. Interesting, are they all this calm, or is my escort just special? As soon as I descended, he silently stood up and walked in the direction he had intended before I climbed the spur, turning right.

Chapter 15: Encounter with the Snowman from Bear Metamorphoses

≪ to the previous chapter
Upon waking, I lay motionless for a few moments, scanning my surroundings. Everything seemed normal; the warning ward hadn't been triggered. I crawled out of the tent and went about my usual morning routine. The entire time I was doing my warm-up exercises, drinking coffee, and breaking camp, nothing happened, and I no longer felt that foreign attention. Alright, time to move on.

The Snowman (Ghul) in Tajikistan: Mysteries of the Pamirs and the Hissar Range

The Snowman, also known as Ghul, Yeti, Bigfoot, or Almasty, is more than just a legend – it's a phenomenon that has stirred the minds of researchers and mystery lovers for decades. Tajikistan, in this sense, is a special place. Its harsh mountains, the inaccessible peaks of the Pamirs, and the mysterious gorges of the Hissar Range guard many secrets, and the history of searching for the Snowman here goes back decades.