The Chronicles of Slave Nano No. 02

A True Account of the Mission to rescue Goddess's Nemesis's Novice from the Knights Templar's temple in France

It was hard to believe my eyes. The scene in front of me was so idyllic. A 14th century honey coloured stone chapel and outbuildings, a delightful tree lined duck pond, a black stone statue of a knight of the Knights Templar. All bathed in the warmth of the August sun. Who would believe that such acts of gross depravity and betrayal could take place in this beautiful and restful spot. Yet I knew this to be the case.

I knew that somewhere, perhaps hidden deep underground invisible to the tourists, there were secret passage ways and chambers where young women were being mentally and physically abused, tortured and kept only for the pleasure of their male tormentors. Who would believe that somewhere here a young Goddess novice, impregnated by the seed of a Knights Templar priest was imprisoned. This was the destination for my mission. The Temple of La Villedieu-Le-Maurepas in Elancourt in the suburbs west of Paris. This was the Knights Templar chapel that Goddess Nemesis had directed me to.

I recalled the failure of my original mission to rescue thirteen novice Goddesses from the marble shrine in Constantinople. As always the Goddess had exposed my weaknesses and failings with the intuition and perspicacity that only She possesses. I had failed to recognise that the 13th acolyte, who had tempted me at the very end, was a piece of idolatry, a false image created by the proponents of the new religion to deceive me. I had fallen for this deception. Goddess Nemesis had pointed out my abject inability to recognise that I had the tools in my hand to heal the wound inflicted on me by the phantom image of the young girl. Finally, there was my failure to pursue them both through the shrine. This was my biggest fault, not to have recognised that it was my place to rescue the novice at all costs, regardless of any thought for my own life or personal safety.

As a result of all this my mission had failed miserably. As a consequence of my failings one of the novices had been sacrificed by the priests of the new religion, probably at the very moment that I was being tempted and deceived. I had secured the release of eleven of the young Goddesses, but this counted for little. What made my failings even more abominable was that the twelfth acolyte was Goddess Nemesis's own novice, the one that she had chosen and trained. This made me inconsolable with the bitter knowledge of my defeat and what that had meant for the Goddess I serve.

I had to consider myself fortunate that I was here at all, that Goddess had not cast me out entirely and left me to languish in the realm of rejected slaves. But Goddess Nemesis is fair and just. She has given me one last chance to redeem myself and recover the situation.

In a ceremony in her dungeon Goddess Nemesis has given me detailed instructions as to the nature of my mission. I am to find an entry into the crypt underneath this chapel, seek out a diamond that is hidden there, abort the unborn child carried by Goddess's novice and then rescue her and return her to safety. I have been given advice and warning that at some point in my mission some person will request my help and I must give it and also that there will be somebody outside the chapel who can provide assistance. I have been given the opportunity to atone for my errors by being given this mission to free Goddess Nemesis's novice. But, the stakes for me were higher now. I recognised that failure was not an option, that to return without having secured the release of Goddess Nemesis's trainee would justly provoke the full force of Her anger and retribution.

I was dressed as inconspicuously as possible -- a t-shirt, jeans and trainers, clutching a copy of the Michelin guide to France, just another cultural tourist come to immerse himself in the history and mythology of the Knights Templar like thousands before me. On my back I had a rucksack containing the tools that I needed to assist me saved from my earlier mission -- the lapis lazuli stone, the amethyst, the crystals, the tools for securing an abortion and a change of clothes for the young Goddess should I find her. I also had Goddess Nemesis's talisman on me, the red marks on my back-side, one stroke for each letter of Her name inflicted on me as punishment for the failure of my original mission and a reminder to me to heed Her words of advice and warning at all times.

I surveyed the scene with caution. My failings in the previous mission weighed heavily on my mind. Who amongst the idyllic scene in front of me could I trust, and who was an agent of the Knights Templar's order? The mother with her child feeding bread to the ducks, the two lovers strolling hand in hand around the site, the groups of students sat on the lawn chatting and laughing, the scholarly middle aged man reading the caption on the plinth of the statue. Which of these were innocent visitors and which guardians of the secret temple? Through bitter experience I knew that I had to treat all of them with suspicion.

As I approached the entrance to the stone chapel there was an old woman sat on the steps who looked up at me. She appeared frail and arthritic and could only walk with the aid of a stick and then only with difficulty.

"Young man, help an old woman into this Chapel," she asked.

Goddess Nemesis had told me not to fear somebody who asked me for aid, perhaps this was the encounter that she meant. I took hold of the old woman's arm and helped her up the steps.

"Thank you, take this for your trouble," she said and she handed me a bunch of yellow flowers. "It is St John's Wort, a herb that stimulates and revives and helps to counter madness and dark thoughts. It may be of use to you," she said with a knowing glint in her eye.

I took the plant and thanked the old woman profusely. I was aware that the gift I had just been given would prove to be an important tool for the completion of my mission.

Inside the chapel there was a plaque explaining the history and mythology of the Knights Templar to whom this temple once, and still, belonged. I read how initiates of the order handed over their wealth and goods and how they had to take vows of poverty, piety, obedience and chastity. Chastity! What lies they had spun to create this image of themselves as noble knights and supporters of their church. The Goddesses and I knew better. We knew what was behind the facade of knightly chivalry and piety. a realm of torture, debauchery and betrayal. A place where innocent young women were held captive and abused.

Another section of this account of the history and mythology of the Knights Templar caught my eye. I read carefully. "It is believed that the knights of the Knights Templar brought back to France many relics found in the churches of Jerusalem during their occupation of that city during the crusades. They allegedly returned with relics such as fragments of the true cross, sacred swords and icons. Most famously it is said that they returned with the holy grail, the chalice that caught christ's blood as he died on the cross and this has long been a subject for speculation in history and literature. It is also claimed that the Knights Templar brought back to France a magnificent diamond, taken from the temple to Sekhmet on the banks of the Nile and then hidden in the church of Jerusalem. There is no evidence that this is the case and neither grail nor diamond have ever been found". So this must be the precious item that Goddess Nemesis ordered me to find and recover for the Goddesses.

I sat down on one of the pews and scoured the walls of the chapel for any evidence of doors or secret entrances. Then, I heard a voice with a Scottish accent, a voice that I had heard before in Goddess Nemesis's own dungeons. My heart jumped a beat. I slid down into the seat of the pew and pretended to be intently reading the guide to the chapel that I had picked up at the entrance. I risked one fleeting glance at the man's face to confirm my suspicions. He was walking alongside an elderly man and I recognised him immediately.

He had attended Goddess Nemesis's dungeons, professing to be a slave. It was cleark that this was a betrayal and that he was a spy sent by the Knights Templar Order to infiltrate Her domain. He must surely be in league with the devotees of the Knights Tempar and to follow him must lead me to the dark secret places of the temple. But, with this came great risk. I would not be able to pass myself off as an innocent tourist if captured as he would recognise me instantly and my whole task would be undone.

I cautiously, and at a little distance, followed them down the aisles of the chapel. They went into the chancel and then through a small wooden door at the far end of the temple. I waited a short time and surreptitiously eased open the door, peering through the narrow gap I had opened. I saw them, perhaps 20 yards ahead, as they passed through a stone door fashioned out of the walls that closed behind them. I was faced with a stark stone wall. I had found the entrance into the hidden chambers of the temple but now faced the same riddle and dilemma posed by the shrine in Constantinople. Then I saw the pentagon shaped blemish in the sheer stone wall. Was this merely a coincidence or was there some strange power at work here? Perhaps this ancient crypt had been built by the Goddesses and then captured and perverted to the uses of the new religion. I pulled out the lapis lazuli key stone that I had brought with me from my previous mission and placed it gently in the hole. The traces of the lines of a door appeared in the stone wall and I gently pushed open the door and cautiously peered out. In front of me was a winding staircase that led deep below the chapel. I could hear voice's ahead of me and followed them until I got close enough to overhear the conversation. I heard the Scottish voice.

"Father, my plan is a cunning one. The Goddess will surely send another of her slaves to try and rescue her novice, now heavy with the child of the High Priest of the Constantinople chapter. Perhaps, she will again send the one who goes by the name Nano, who brutally murdered our fellow. My proposal is to trick them, allow them to take the girl and then follow them back to this Goddess's new domain where their source of power will become exposed to us."

The old man replied, "that would be a cunning deception, my son, but the risks are too great. We must not allow anything to happen to the girl until she has given birth. She must be kept safe and protected. The birth of the child in her womb must proceed without any risk. This male child, the product of a powerful priest of our order and the novice of a Goddess will be a special one with great powers that will be of use to us. This birth must take place and I will not risk letting her out of captivity. In the meantime she must remain hidden in the depths of this temple where she is safe."

"You are right of course, my father. We must do nothing to risk losing the girl whilst she is in her current condition."

So, here the treachery of the one I know of as Slave Douglas was laid bare. I knew that through aspects of his behaviour Goddess Nemesis had suspected that he might be in league with our enemies but here the desperate truth of the matter had been exposed beyond doubt. Now, the truth and the full extent of his betrayal had been revealed. Not only was he working with the devotees of the new religion, this conversation revealed that he clearly held a position of some power and influence within their order.

I followed the two men to a small chapel or sanctuary at the heart of the crypt. The shrine was open and entered through a gap between two stone pillars. From a distance I caught a glimpse of the glass tomb where the novice was being kept. I had seen enough to be sure that this was the place I must return to. But, my first task was to find the diamond that Goddess Nemesis had told me of, which was also crucial to the successful completion of my mission.

The crypt was not large and I hoped it would not be too difficult to orientate myself. It was not a large temple like the marble palace in Constantinople and there were no living quarters. It was a dark and hidden place for keeping the secrets of the Knights Templar. The chapel was in the centre and around it a network of corridors and chambers. I quickly searched the labyrinth of passages in the crypt for what I hoped to find, some kind of secret chamber where the relics of the new religion were stored. Then I suddenly noticed the familiar pentagon shaped flaw in the stone work. Once again the lapis lazuli key stone fitted and fine traces of lines forming the outline of a door appeared. How ironic that after many centuries the powers of the Goddesses could be used again in this ancient crypt. The stone door pushed open and I gently closed it behind me.

The sight that befell me there was astounding. A relatively small, windowless stone chamber impossible to enter without the key stone, crammed full of ancient relics from the new religion, presumably plundered from the sepulchre of Jerusalem during the crusades and taken by the Knights Templar and hidden in this dark and secret place only accessible to the highest members of their order. It did not look in particularly good order and I feared how much time I would have to spend rummaging through these treasures before I found the object that I had been summoned to find. There were numerous crosses, some simple crude wooden ones, others elaborately designed and decorated with jewels. There were numerous shields and swords, some depicting the cross of the Knights Templar, others curved scimitars with arabic writing on their blades captured from Saladin the magnificent during the sieges of Jerusalem. There were scores of Byzantine icons depicting the crucifixion or the madonna and child, all illuminated in glittering gold leaf.

Then my eyes alighted on what I was seeking. It was set in a wooden case with a glass lid and nestled in aged and faded red velvet. But the lustre and magnificence of the object that it contained was immediately apparent to me. A huge diamond, the jewel of Amon Ra, taken from the shrine to the Goddess Sekhmet to Jerusalem and then by the Knights Templar to France. I carefully lifted the glazed lid and took the diamond from its resting place. I felt the weight of the moment. This stone, a relic from the Goddesses of the ancient world was nestling in my hands. I could not help but be overawed at the power enshrined in this gem. It seemed like sacrilege to handle it with such lack of respect, but I had little choice but to put it in my jeans pocket because I knew I had to seek it out for a purpose as Goddess Nemesis had told me that I had to collect it first before attempting to rescue the trainee Goddess.

I left the chamber of the relics and traced my steps back to the chapel. It was an underground shrine with an open pillared entrance. In its centre was a glass box silver lined and mounted on a wrought iron frame. I had a brief moment to survey my surroundings. The walls of the chapel were painted with crude frescoes depicting the knights of the Knights Templar with absurdly exaggerated and large phalluses in a series of orgiastic scenes of abuse of young girls. Such was the hypocrisy of the new religion.

The church above showed images of the virgin of the madonna and child, icons designed to portray purity and innocence to the outside world. Yet down here in the underground netherworld the true face of the new religion was laid bare for what it really was. The feminine was portrayed as one of two things, either the untouchable pure virgin or a powerless figure that surrendered their body to the carnal lusts and desires of men. These two images were used to control the feminine and suppress the role of the Goddess.

I turned away, disgusted at the crude and false images on the wall and focused my attention on the young acolyte, the 12th girl that had been taken away from the marble palace in Constantinople. As Goddess Nemesis had described, she was laid out naked and entombed in the glass case. She looked different from what I remember from my previous task and I recalled her as confused and damaged. But now, the bruises and scars from the physical abuse she had suffered had all healed.

She radiated a serene calm and beauty. Her locks of long blonde hair were spread over her naked breasts and her hands were resting on the bump containing the unborn child of a Knights Templar master. She was full with child. It could have been a vision from a fairy tale of a golden princess waiting to be awakened by a prince who had completed a dangerous quest to find her. But, I knew differently. I knew what dark dreams must be running through her head -- dreams of the abuse she had suffered, of her enforced impregnation and the object in her womb that would unleash terror and fear in the world of the Goddesses if it was allowed to be born.

I knew that time was of the essence. Once again I was faced with a dilemma. Should I smash open the glass tomb and risk attracting guards with the noise or even risk shards of glass injuring the young girl. Was the glass itself protected by anything else, perhaps some spell created by the priests of the Knights Templar? I decided on a subtler approach. I knew that Goddess Nemesis had specifically directed me to collect the diamond first, not just for its beauty and splendour and so it could be returned to its rightful place but also because it had a practical use. I knew that the diamond, one of the hardest gems known to us, was capable of cutting through the glass -- and this was no ordinary diamond, it had been taken from a shrine to a Goddess.

I put the diamond to the glass and, true to its reputation, the hard stone sliced through the glazed panel. I worked quickly and carefully until I was able to lift a whole side panel out of its silver frame. Then I had another tool, the gift given to me by the old woman I had helped in the Chapel. The herb, St John's Wort, probably blessed by the Goddesses for this very purpose, revives and brings to life. I took some, crushed the leaves between the fingers of my hand and held it under her nose. The pungent scent filled the air. Her breathing became deeper and then, suddenly, her eyes flickered open. She turned towards me and spoke.

"My dreams have been dark. I have visions of a powerful force wielding great power against me and my tutor. Are you one of my tormentors?"

I replied, "No, young Goddess. I am Slave Nano. I have been sent by your mistress and mentor, Goddess Nemesis to rescue you from the captivity of the Knights Templar."

I knelt down beside her, "Young Goddess, you may remember my face from the marble temple in Constantinople before you were removed here. I must offer my abject apologies to you for deserting you and leaving you in that place. In Her wisdom, the Goddess Nemesis has given me this chance to atone for my mistakes, but I must offer my deepest regret for anything you have suffered as a consequence of my failings."

"Slave Nano, if you can help me escape from this predicament, then I may find it in my heart to forgive you. But, there is no time now for statements of regret, you must work quickly. There is a terrible deed you must do -- it might sound a vile and disgusting act but it is absolutely necessary to prevent the even greater evil that I have foreseen in my dreams and visions. You have been given the tools to carry this out?"

"Yes, young Goddess, I have."

I did not envy the young woman the intrusion into her body and pain that she would suffer in order to force out the unborn child from her womb. She was heavy with a child that was due to be born in a matter of days. In normal circumstances I knew that the procedure I was about to enact should be impossible but I had been given the tools by Goddess Nemesis and had to trust that they would work. The young novice was aware of what had to be done and lied down on the floor with her legs spread.