Pilgrimage

In AD 55 Cappadocia, Matthias is dragged in chains by a mob to be stoned. As the final stone is raised, lightning crackles overhead, hinting at divine intervention and setting the martyr's fate in a supernatural frame.

In 1209, Frère Geraldus arrives at a remote Irish monastery bearing a charter from Pope Innocent III to transport the relic to Rome. The monks reluctantly accept the pilgrimage, fearing the relic's rumored power and the looming crusade.

The group begins their trek with multilingual Brother Ciarán, novice Diarmuid, and a mute labourer. A rainstorm strikes, and the golden reliquary is struck by lightning but shows no damage, reinforcing its legendary power.

The monks learn that the reliquary contains not Matthias' remains but the stone used to martyr him, while the Pope believes its power could benefit the crusade. This revelation intensifies the tension between sacred duty and political manipulation.

A larger caravan is ambushed by Gaelic warriors as they escort the pilgrims toward a waiting boat. The Mute fights fiercely, killing several Gaels and their chieftain, and the Gaels flee with the cart bearing the reliquary.

The Mute and Diarmuid pursue the stolen cart and find Brother Ciarán bound to a tree. Geraldus insists their holy duty is to the relic, not their comrade, prompting Diarmuid to consider a dangerous night operation to recover the relic.

As night falls, Diarmuid volunteers to sneak into the camp to steal back the relic, choosing danger over abandonment. The mission hinges on quiet stealth and the hope of rescuing their stolen burden.

Ciarán tells Diarmuid that he threw the relic from the cart before capture and urges him to find it and leave him to his fate. This shifts the goal from saving a comrade to recovering the relic itself.

Raymond reveals a plan to obtain the relic for King John by using the Gaels to murder the pilgrims. Ciarán refuses to betray his brothers and is killed in the confrontation.

The monks escape and discover the reliquary is missing. They later locate the relic near the spot where Ciarán had thrown it, reigniting their resolve to keep it safe.

Dawn breaks over a fog-shrouded river, signaling both a barrier and a possible escape route. Geraldus interprets the moment as divine sign and urges renewed effort to reach safety.

The ferrymen are asked to help push the boat through the shallow estuary as they near the coast. Pearls and barter create a brief pause in the chase, buying time for the pilgrims to secure passage.

On the shore, the Mute fights Raymond's soldiers and kills several in a brutal exchange. The archer is felled, and the Mute finally overpowers the attackers, signaling the collapse of their pursuers' plan.

In the climactic struggle, Geraldus battles Diarmuid over the relic and goes overboard with it. The relic sinks to the ocean floor, leaving the remaining pilgrims to drift toward an uncertain future.

With the boat still adrift, Diarmuid is left without a clear destination as the ferryman asks 'Where to now?' A supernatural light descends, implying that God has willed the outcome regardless of human plans.