The Chronicles of Slave Nano No. 01

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."

"Yes, I am the Wolf Goddess and I have been charged as guardian to protect this sacred site. I have many names and exist in all places and cultures. In ancient Rome I am known as Luperca, the mythical wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. In ancient Greece I am known as Vivian, the Goddess of the moon. In the frozen wastes of the norsemen I go by the name Skadi. In Turkish folklore they know me as Asena. I am also the Goddess of the moon and my powers wax and wane with the shifting phases of the moon.

"I am at my most powerful at the time of the full moon, which is why your Goddess has sent you on this mission at this time. I am condemned to my wolf form and to be protector of this shrine to the Goddesses until the heretics of the new religion have been expelled and the site is once again taken over by the Goddesses. Then I will return in all my glory to my feminine form. In the meantime I am in exile, entrusted as guardian of this place until that time comes.

"You will need my aid to pass through the first set of gates into the courtyard beyond. You will have observed the wondrous and cunning design of the golden gates. A sheer sheet of gold melded into its marble frame with no visible means of passing through it. This was the main entrance to this ancient shrine of the Goddesses.

"The ignorant proponents of the new religion did not have the craft or the mastery of the magic that helped forge these gates. They gave up and knocked through the marble to fashion their own entrance on the other side of this temple. This is why the entrance remains unguarded and safe for you to pass through. Our enemies having long regarded the gate as impenetrable and they have abandoned it. You are only likely to encounter guards after you pass the final gate.

"On your quest, I can offer my protection three times, and three times only. To call for my aid you must chant the following invocation, 'dea lupis, mihi vene, mihi adiuve'. You must use these wisely, do not waste any frivolously or merely to protect yourself. I cannot assist you in tasks that test your own devotion or courage. You must use your first plea for my aid to help you open the golden gate as there is no-one but me who has the power to do that and I only possess this strength at the time of the full moon. On your journey look for things that can help you and remember that everything is not always what it seems. The time has come, follow me."

The Wolf Goddess walked up to the golden gate and I followed her. Her howl would have brought down the very gates of hell. At the sound of her howling some deep magic of the Goddesses of old was invoked. The gates did not open, but their physical form dissipated into a golden mist.

The Wolf Goddess turned to me, "Slave Nano, my power can only hold the gate open for so long. Go now. May the Goddesses give you courage and strength. Much rests on completing your mission. Do not fail your Goddess."

I slipped through the golden dust. As I passed through there was a sensation like light tentacles touching me and a feeling of euphoria washed over me. On the other side I found myself in a courtyard illuminated by the bright light of the full moon. Across from me was the sliver gate and set in its centre was a pentagon shaped hole for a key just as the Goddess Nemesis had described to me.

At some time, long ago, this must have been a courtyard garden for the Goddesses that inhabited the temple, but now it had been left to ruin. I tried to imagine the scene from the past of Goddesses sat by the two ponds with the sound of cool fountains in the background, and perhaps with slaves supplicated at their feet waiting for a command, as they sat and talked or read in a place of quiet contemplation. This was a fleeting vision as now the cool ponds were stagnant and the gardens a mass of overgrown wild flowers and vines.

My instructions from Goddess were straightforward. Find the five sided key made from the lapis lazuli stone and insert it into the key hole. This sounded easy, but where in this tangled mass of vegetation was I going to find the stone? My eyes scanned over the remains of the courtyard garden. To search though the dense foliage of overgrown herbs and wild flowers could take days. This was such a desperate task and time was of the essence, every hour of delay meant more suffering for the thirteen Goddess acolytes and by every minute the eggs inside them fertilised by the impregnated seed of the heretics grew. I became despondent.

Then, my eyes were drawn to a stunning display of black berries from a bush of Belladonna, deadly nightshade. Beautiful, but deadly, just like the Goddesses themselves. The Wolf Goddess had warned that I should look out for objects that would aid me in my mission as I passed through the gates. I believed this to be one of those opportunities. I carefully plucked many bunches of the deadly black berries and put them in my bag.

Then, it struck me that the marble walls of the courtyard garden were decorated with a frieze of scenes depicting Goddesses from various cultures across the world. I had a stroke of inspiration, one that I sensed could be the solution to the riddle of the location of the key. I had learnt from the Goddess Nemesis that in Egyptian times lapis lazuli had been placed in burial chambers to assist the spirit to ascend to heaven. I scoured for a scene that depicted ancient Egypt. Sure enough I found it. An Egyptian Goddess or High Priestess standing over a sarcophagus, her hands upraised. My instincts had proved sound. Sure enough, I saw a rock embedded in the marble in the Goddess's eye. A blue stone flecked with delicate strands of green and gold. This was it.

I gently pulled it out of its mount, a beautifully fashioned piece of polished stone, perfectly carved into the shape of a pentagon. I was elated now and fought my way through the tangled undergrowth to get to the silver door. I carefully placed the stone in the hole where it fitted perfectly and immediately the invisible and ingenious mechanism sprung into action, The piece of lapis lazuli rotated five times in the key hole and then I heard a loud click. Gently, and apprehensively, I pushed the door open and passed through the silver gate.

I was now inside the temple itself. I had stepped through into a corridor that stretched out before me to the left and right for perhaps thirty or forty yards until it curved away. The corridor was lit by flames in chalice shaped beacons mounted on the wall. The significance of this as a symbol of divine feminine was not lost on me. The corridor was eerily silent. There was no sign that the corridor had been occupied and by what means the beacons remained lit was a mystery to me.

In front of me was the crystal door, just as Goddess Nemesis had described it to me. It was one sheer piece of crystal. It was translucent but not clear like glass. Looking through it was like gazing through a light mist or fog, but through the crystal door, even now, I could see the black quartz gate, the final entrance into the inner sanctum of the temple. My heart raced as I could see how close I was to my final destination.

Just as Goddess had said there was a silver hook in the marble wall and hanging from it a piece of amethyst. I took the stone from the hook. It was a piece of rough uncut amethyst, its delicate light purple crystals glinted in the light of the beacons. I was aware of the significance and power of the crystal amethyst. I knew that amethyst was also the birth stone of the Goddess Nemesis and as such I knew that it would have powerful properties that I would need for the next task.

I had been told that the crystal door could only be opened with the power of the mind. My feeble male mind would never be sufficient to wield such spiritual strength to open the door by myself and I understood why the power of the Goddesses, condensed in this small stone, was needed to assist me. But, I also knew that this was a test for me. The power of the amethyst would count for nothing if I was not able to approach my quest with bravery and a pure heart or if I could not truly show the purity of my submission to the Goddesses. I recognised that this was placed here as a challenge for me. The mission would fail if I could not pass this test.

I got a piece of bandage from my bag, placed the amethyst against my forehead as I had been directed and tied it into place. Then, I got myself into a position of supplication. The same position that I would put myself in whilst waiting for the Goddess Nemesis to enter the room, face down on the floor with my head facing the crystal gate. I lied there and waited. If I had expected an instant result I would have been disappointed. There was no sound or movement from the door. I had prepared myself for this.

These were trials put in front of me to test my spirit and ability to complete the task. I knew that my dedication to the Goddess spirit was being put to the test and that I would not succeed without demonstrating a spirit of pure devotion in my heart. I laid still and silent for what seemed like an age. Occasionally I felt my mind and concentration waiver but I pulled myself back, knowing that any interruption to my devotion would break the spell that was needed to release the gate.

I focused on the times when I had been placed in bondage in Goddess's dungeon and been forced to wait for her return. The long agonising moments denied Her presence. The pain of nipple clamps clasped tightly against my chest by a cold stone floor and enhanced by the movement of my own breath. The suffering and discomfort of being spread-eagled on the floor, hog-tied or restrained in a confined cage or dark and silent place. The loneliness and isolation of being denied Her presence, whilst at the same time knowing that she is near by, waiting, waiting until I have suffered enough, until She decides when the time is right to release me from physical and mental imprisonment.

I brought to mind all of those moments of pain, suffering and denial that I have had to endure before I am fit to experience the ecstasy of being allowed back into the Goddess Nemesis's presence. All of these thoughts of pain and submission filled my mind as the time passed. How long was I laid on the floor? It was hard to say, after a certain point time seemed to have no meaning ; an hour, two, perhaps three.

Eventually, after a long period of contemplation on the power and divinity of the Goddess Nemesis I heard a click and then a slow grinding sound as the crystal gate raised itself. I stayed in the supplicant position for a few moments more to ensure that I did not break my concentration for fear of the gate not opening fully. But then, as I sensed the gate slide up into its fully open position, I leapt into action. I knew that I only had thirteen seconds (one for each enslaved Goddess) before the gate closed on me. I grasped by bag and leapt across the threshold of the gate. I counted 1...2....3...4 up to 10 when the crystal gate came crashing down. It had taken me 3 seconds to get through the gate, the exact time that I had to pass through the black quartz gate.

Now, I passed through into the next room, a solid, windowless marble ante chamber. Facing me was the black quartz gate, smooth, shining and flawless. In the centre of the ante chamber was a marble table and on it a goblet and glass flask with a skull etched on it, presumably containing some kind of poison or potion. The marble walls were decorated with images of Goddesses in the same style as those on the walls of the courtyard garden. Before the jet black gate two crystals were set into the floor just as Goddess Nemesis had described.

Now that I had passed through into this ante chamber I began to understand the layout of the temple better. I had passed through a highly protected ceremonial entrance leading to this final gate and, presumably beyond that, an inner temple. The disciples of the new religion had never been able to solve the mysteries of the four gates and had never been able to penetrate this part of the marble palace. I was so close to my goal now. A sense of anxiety grew in me. I had no idea what I would expect on the other side of the quartz gate. As soon as the door opened I would be into the unknown, a place where the guards and priests of the new religion would be present.

But first I needed to find a way through the gate. I lied in the supplicant position for some time holding onto the two pieces of crystal as I had been told. My mind and body were still in a transcendent state from the trial of opening the crystal gate. I stayed in this position for some time. Then I stood up, took up the two pieces of crystal from the ground and put them together. They locked perfectly into one another. Nothing. My heart sank. Had I not approached the task with sufficient purity of spirit? Had I not been in the supplicant position for long enough?

Then a thought occurred to me. The Wolf Goddess had warned me of tests and of using what was put before me and also of things not always being what they seemed. I switched my focus to the black quartz table, the silver goblet and the bottle of poison. It had to have some purpose. What if the poison symbol was there only to stop the faint hearted from taking the elixir in the bottle? What if it were not poison but something crucial to the completion of the quest and placed there as a trick to see if the person being tested had the courage to drink from it? If it was truly poison then all would be lost and the thirteen novices would be condemned to captivity. I made my choice. My instincts were telling me that they had to be there for some purpose and I followed them. I took up the glass flask, removed the stopper, poured the fluid out into the goblet and drank it.

The elixir was the colour and consistency of the Goddesses golden wine but slightly darker and stronger tasting. After I had gulped the last drop from the goblet I realised that I might have made a fatal mistake. I immediately felt nauseous and my head began to spin, I felt that I was slipping into unconsciousness or into some terrible nightmare. The marble ante chamber had disappeared from my site and all I could see was darkness. I felt myself in free fall, descending into some forgotten netherworld.

Then, I saw hands reaching out to me. I heard the anguished calls of forgotten slaves. I realised that I had descended into a purgatory, the in between world of deprived slaves that the Goddess Nemesis had introduced to me. But this was far more vivid. I was not a spectator listening to the screams of pain and rejection from a distance, I was actually there. I could see the faces of the rejected slaves swirling before me, their eyes and mouths screwed up in an agonised visage of loss and rejection.