I knew that we must be close to our destination, a marble temple erected as a place of worship and rest for Goddesses on the outskirts of Constantinople. Goddess Nemesis and I had reached the end of one of the long secret network of tunnels fashioned by the Goddesses of old under the surface of the earth drawing their source of power from the meridian lines that they followed.
Goddess had already briefed me on my mission in a ceremony held in her dungeon. The ancient temple had been taken over by the supporters of the new religion, disciples of The Knights Templar, an ancient and extreme arm of the female hating new church. The knights had captured thirteen young women who were being trained as Goddesses and taken them to this place. They had been penetrated and implanted with the seed of soldiers and priests of The Knights Templar.
My quest was to enter the marble temple, which could only be penetrated through a series of four gates fashioned in turn from gold, silver, crystal and quartz. Goddess had provided me with a detailed explanation as to how each of the doors operated and how to gain access through them. To pass through these gates would require purity of heart, courage and ingenuity. Once inside the marble palace my mission was to use the tools given me by Goddess Nemesis to abort the enforced impregnations in the thirteen young novices, rescue them from captivity and return them. The shrine was protected by a guardian who might be able to aid and protect me at times during my task.
Goddess Nemesis turned to me. She was still wearing the long plain black dress, the silver necklace embedded with red stones and the feathered and beaded mask that she had worn for the briefing ceremony in her dungeon. I had pledged to follow the Goddess wherever she desired to take me and to fulfil the mission that she had set me.
"Slave Nano, we have come to the end of the journey. This is the point where our ways must part. I can come no further with you. Remember everything that I have told you. On this mission you will be tested severely in every way. Your physical, mental and intellectual strength will be pushed to their uppermost limits if you are to succeed. You must demonstrate the attributes of risk taking and caution according to needs of each new situation that you face. This task will not be easy for you Nano, it will be full of challenges but it is of vital importance to our cause. I do not expect failure from you Slave Nano. Go now Nano, be brave and true to the Goddesses."
"Thank you for your words of warning and encouragement Goddess. I hope that your trust in me is not misplaced. I will endeavour to serve you to the upmost of my abilities to fulfil this mission successfully for you and all the other Goddesses," I replied.
At this I set off up a set of winding stairs that led from an underground chamber to the surface of the earth. I emerged on the surface amongst a clump of trees. I appraised the scene in front of me. I was on the hills outside Constantinople. When I looked back in the distance I could see the huge dome and pointed minarets of the Church of Hagia Sophia. In front of me, as Goddess Nemesis described, was a pure white marble temple.
From my view point I could not see beyond the sheer flawless and windowless white marble wall. The setting sun cast its light over the wall basking it in an orange glow. Beyond the temple were cliffs that faced onto the straits of the Bosphorus. Although just a few miles outside of Constantinople this was a quite and secret place, perhaps some power protected it from the eyes of outsiders and unbelievers. I walked warily the couple of hundred yards towards the marble wall and the first gate.
I stood before the sheer golden gate, a single sheet of pure gold dazzling in the twilight sun. There was no lock, no hinge, no blemish and no sign of how it would be possible to enter. I was confused, how could I possibly enter through this. Then, I recalled that Goddess Nemesis had told me that the temple was protected by a guardian who would help me. I was conscious that every lost moment in my mission could be vital, at every minute the seed in the impregnated Goddesses was being nurtured by their bodies and was growing larger. Yet, I chose patience.
I was convinced that Goddess had not chosen me for this task to knowingly fail at the first hurdle. I knew that I would have to demonstrate fortitude and cunning to penetrate the marble temple, but I did not believe that it was her intention that I should fail so miserably at the first gate. I sat leaning against the juniper tree outside the gate, keeping watch and eating some of the dark blue berries to provide me sustenance during my vigil.
The sun sank in the west and darkness descended, but the walls of the marble temple remained illuminated by the luminous glow of a full moon. I felt in my bones the deep spirituality of this moment, a sense of impending change and foreboding came over me. All of a sudden I was conscious of a presence. There beside me was a large wolf with a shaggy red coat. It turned its head towards me and fixed its yellow eyes on me.
"You are Slave Nano. I have been forewarned of your arrival and of your mission."
The wolf's voice was obviously feminine, but also strangely deep and husky.
"Yes, I am Slave Nano. You must be the guardian of this temple that Goddess Nemesis told me of."