Baphomet - Veiled Knowledge

[stnylan]

Aaah, nothing quite like a crisis of faith, and I have a feeling that this is but the beginning of that Crisis from Daniel's point of view.

 

[Herbert West]

Just you wait. Though you'll have to wait for a long time, I dont intend to solve the msytery before chapter 10.

 

[Herbert West]

Sadly, I have to announce that both my AARs are now put into an on-hold-esque state, meaning that updates will be rather the exception then the law. I wanted to write updates today, but then I'd have no time left for RL.

 

[Herbert West]

Sathariel


​

​

Two months into his stay at the Temple Mount, the Grand Master approached Daniel after one nightly prayer in the chapel. The Grand Master seemed upset about something, which was very much unlike him, but Daniel dared not ask as they strode across the grand stone halls, illuminated by a the candles flickering in te rooms of his brothers. The only sound to be heard was the thumping of two heavy pairs of boots on cold stone. Finally, they reached the Grand Masters quarters, and, still in eerie silence, the Grand Master sat down.


Brother Daniel! I see you spend much time in our chapel, even more than what is prescribed by our charters. Yet, we rarely see you outside our stone walls? Does the city of God terrify you?

What was it he Master intended with him? Why did he ask such questions? Why did he doubt his faith? Daniel did not understand. The feeling of command, the aura of superiority of the Master almost forced the words onto his lips, he spoke them before he even thought of them.

I. I do not feel that I am pure enough for the honour of seeing this city, Master. I feel I need to purify, to cleanse my soul of all impurities with prayer, so I may be worthy of Jerusalem.

Brother, you make and excellent monk, but do not forget, we are also warriors. It is very easy to remain steadfast in faith, to pray oneself pure when one is tucked safely behind stone walls. You, I, we are warriors of God! We are his swords, first and foremost, not his prayer beads!
Do you not feel the same? Are you not a warrior of God?

I am, Master. But I do not feel pure enough.

Then I shall put your purity to test. There is a secret jewish hideout in the city, and I order you, and some other man, to arrest or slaughter anyone you find in there.

As you ask, Master, but, I dare ask, why?

They have broken our pact with the jews. They openly preach that their God is the only one and that we, „franks”, as they call us, are nothing but heathenish intruders.

Our pact? Why did we have a pact with the jews?

Out of necessity, my bother, and I have taken upon myself great self-punishment for this deed. If we are to control the city, we must control the gold that flows trough it, wether we like it or not. And the jews have a great deal to do with the gold. While our order can sustain itself on donations and pledges, most of the christian host requires payment. Sadly, they lack our zeal, but they make good warriors in a fight against the moslem scum. Yes, I see on your facet hat you disgust their mentality. Fear not, when we have claimed the Holy Lands, we shall purify them, by word or by sword!

This thought shocked Daniel. Slaying christians?

Oh, fear not, we shall only slay those heretics who are beyond redemption.

What was this? Could the Master now read his thoughts? If so, it would be most prudent to agree with his mission without further ado.
Are you ready to go, brother?

Yes, I am.

Then, get ready, your brothers will meet you in a moment at our main gates. Worry not, they know the way.

Master, what should I do when we arrive there?

Listen to your faith, brother.

As soon as Daniel left, the Grand Master fell to his knees in an obscured alcove of his room, and whispered and smiled underneath his beard.

Soon.



Outside the hideout

They journey was a quick one, his brothers certainly knew the way. Once, or twice, Daniel saw some eyes behind a corner, or in the shadows, but his companions told him not to take them heavily, both curiosity and spying are a normal thing in this city.

Once they arrived at the hideout, a small bell chimed, probably a signal of foe coming.

And, indeed, moments later, armed man and woman came out of the small wooden door, swords and axes aimed at Daniel and his companions. While this sudden outburst of violence surprised the templar, who thought this nightly endeavour would consist of arresting elderly, woman, and children, the skill and arms of the jews where no match for them, and soon, all defenders lay dead on the field, while the crusaders were merely scratched and bathed in blood.

Come now, my brothers, let us search their hideous hideout! – Daniel shouted at his companions, and charged into the building, only to find that its only piece of furniture was a now-ruined box, with a trapdoor under it. He quickly dropped down the ladder under it, and proceeded, without much caution, in the underground maze work of tunnels and halls that this hideout was, stopping only when he realised that he was lost.

As he looked around, he noticed something very strange. The room he was in now, was utterly devoid of the colour green, yet, it gave off a feeling of greenishness. As if there was something hidden in the room that illuminated it greenly.

You took a long time to finds me, young one.

Daniel was startled by the voice, and tried to slash his sword into the source.

But he stopped inches before the old rabbis chest.

Oh, come on now, young crusader, kill me. Have you lost your appetite for blood? Have you satisfied your stomach with the guts of my flock, oh, you self-righteous blind fool?

Daniel was speechless. He tried to slay the old man, but his hands did not comply his own orders. He stood there, frozen between two movements, for many minutes, the rabbi looking him into the eyes, until finally the sword fell out of his hand, and he fell onto the cold stone.

Who… Who are you?

I am the rabbi Abimael, once the shepherd of my flock, now, your judge in this slaughterhouse, abattoir.

My judge? Who are you to judge me?

I am a true servant of the one and only, and by this power, I judge you guilty of ignorance! It is the Creator, the High Lord Above, the One and the Almighty, in whose name I speak! You, you claim to be acting in the name of Yahwe, you mislead coward! How can you dare to act in his name, and slaughter his flock!

You, jews, have fallen from the grace of the almighty when you killed his only son, you, you murderous scum! It is only fitting that he, God would send me, his true follower, to weed you out!

You are young and foolish. Do you even know the names of God? Can you recount the creation? Do you know the laws and customs he had given us to follow? Have you even read your own Old Testaments? Or should I say, OUR Old Testament? WE are the chosen people, WE are the ones who have made the Divine Contract with Elohim! Not you! How can you claim to be following God when your blood in unpure!

How dare you insult me?

I insult ungodly ignorance where I see it fit! I am of the chosen people.

But when Jesus died, he died for the sins of all mankind, and, thus, noone is either chosen nor unchosen. We are all children of God.

You are the children of the Nephilim! And your carpenter was a traitor to our people, seeking to take them away from Gods light!

At these words, Daniel felt as if the room had flashed in green.

But isn’t the God of the Old Testament the same God whose only son is Jesus?

You ignorant fool. How could someone be more a son of God than …

The rabbi’s words were cut short by Daniels sword cutting trough his neck. That green feeling destroyed the grip the rabbi had on him, and he had heard enough of his insults.

Now, he could even gather the strength to shout for his companions, and soon, they found him, and they were on the way back to the temple mount, with all the scrolls and tomes they could find in the hideout. His companions assured Daniel that by sunrise, there would not be any bodies, wealth, or anything left in the hideout.

While they were making their way trough the city, Daniel was immersed in thoughts.


Who’s God did he actually serve? Who was God?

 

[Herbert West]

Announcement A:

yes, it is back.

Announcement B: this is not intended as an offense to jews, nor as an actual representation of jewish views, or anything. No offense is intended, and none should be taken. This is a story, not a theatrise on faith.

 

[unmerged(59077)]

Back eh? Which means I can read some more of it.

 

[unmerged(31261)]

Herbert, Great to see you back. Still love the atmosphere and mystery you create. Merry Christmas

 

[Herbert West]

Thank you all who got me one thousand views!

Update in two-three days time. Examus suckicus.

 

[Herbert West]

:S

Sorry, guys, but I dont have time to type it all down. Another goddamn delay.

And I have such a nice pair of chapters planed.

Its a crappy feeling...

 

[Herbert West]

Sacrifice to the god of doubt​

Daniel made his way trough the labyrinth of stone and wood carved by jews, Christians, moslems, then christians again. The slippery stairs led down into the belly of Temple Mount, into the Templar Library, and, rumours said, other rooms he was never to access.

Another sleepless night drove him there, another night of restlessness, of staring at the ceiling, and of thoughts he desperately tried to suppress, for their very essence was heresy and godlessness. Ever since the old rabbi spoke to him, mocked him, sleep evaded until after midnight. A warrior of Christ, a member of the Miles Christi, unable to sleep because of the word of an old, mad rabbi!

The smell of pergamen and papyrus grew thicker in the musky air, and with it, Daniel felt comfort and calmness creep into his chest. Books, words of people greater and holier, words of wisdom, advises and teachings verified by ages always managed to sooth whatever pain remained in his chest when he was young and alone in the library of his home. Now, prayer took over this part, but prayer now felt hollow and thin, and came from his mind, not his heart. The overwhelming rightness that holy books have felt like the only escape from the trap of sleepless doubt.

The Library was lit dimly with a few heavy, thick candles sooting the ceiling, and apart from a few figures shaded by the flickering of light, it was empty. Daniel picked up a particulary heavy Bible from the shelves, and sat down, opening the Book at random, and began to read.

Anno tertio Cyri regis Persarum, verbum revelatum est Danieli cognomento Baltassar, et verbum verum, et fortitudo magna: intellexitque sermonem: intelligentia enim est opus in visione….

(In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
Daniel 10.1)


Reading of his own namesake, and of visions filled him with and unexplainable terror, and he closed the tome with a thump that drew the attention of his fellows. Putting the book back into its place, he noticed a faint greenish glow on one of the books nearby, a Bible from the sixth century, in exquisitely ornamented cover.

The glow vanished the moment he touched it, but putting the book back would attract unwanted attention and spread rumours, so he sat down again, and opened the tome around the place where he though the greenish light to have originated from.

Nolite arbitrari quia venerim mittere pacem in terram non veni pacem mittere sed gladium

Veni enim separare hominem adversus patrem suum et filiam adversus matrem suam et nurum adversus socrum suam et inimici hominis domestici eius qui amat patrem aut matrem plus quam me non est me dignus et qui amat filium aut filiam super me non est me dignus
et qui non accipit crucem suam et sequitur me non est me dignus.​

(Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.And a man"s foes shall be they of his own household.He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Matthew 10.34)

He had read these words, even if only glancing, for Matthew was not his favourite part of the Bible, now such word from the Son Of God had struck him with a strange and uncanny force, had upset him, hit him in his heart.

He knew these were the words of Jesus Christ, but they seemed unfit for him. They were alien and cold, while Jesus was kind and warm. He read the passage over, and over again, hoping it would change with every reading, but the text refused to transform, the word-daggers remained sharp and biting.

A hand touched his shoulder, and he closed the book in fright.


Be at ease, brother Daniel, the Grand Masters voice boomed from behind his back –Why are your reading at nighttime?

His voice shaken from the shock, Daniels voice failed him I, I have trouble sleeping, Grand Master. I hoped to find solace and peace in this Library, but for nought.

The Grand Master sat down, and smiled upon Daniel. Tell me of your troubles, what keeps you awake?

It is this hellish heat that creeps even into our walls, Master. I feel like I am in an oven when I try to sleep. I even tried sleeping naked, may God Almighty forgive me this transgression, but I only sweat even more.

I see. But I also see you are not telling the whole truth. What were you reading, brother?

The Book Of Matthew, Grand Master. After a questioning stare from his commander, Daniel added: And, and I don’t understand it anymore. Are we not the followers of the Messenger of Peace?

Yes, we are.

Then how can Jesus himself have uttered these words? How can He carry a sword? How can he turn his people against themselves?

Brother! Do you carry a sword or not? Do you not fight in the name of God Almighty and his Son? Do you not turn against those who have turned away from God, do you not smite them down, do you not slay the heathen sister but spare the Christian brother? Do you not consider the heathen unworthy of God, but the following, sheeply flock worth of his warm embrace? Do you not let those who do not wear a cross taste your steel, while feeding the cross-bearers with your own food? Are the words of Jesus not mirrors for your, our actions?

They are, but we are man, mortal, failable, bickering, and sour, and Jesus is godly, pure and all-loving. He can not hate!

And he does not hate, but he smites those who need to first be smitten to be loved next.

Such talk would have convinced Daniel earlier, but now, the hole in his heart remained. Yet, to remove doubt from the Grand Master, he nodded and smiled like a lamb.

I see now, Master. Thank you for your words. May I find sleep now.

May God grant you dreams, brother. Hurry to bed, the sun is almost up!

With these words, the Lord Of All Templars left the library, a faint feeling of green accompanying him on the way as Daniel observed his Master. Brushing away the alien feeling of this situation for exhaustion, he turned back to his book, only to find it open. The page shimmered as if the words were etched into an emerald:

I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.


Christ Lucifer
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That Grandmaster's more than he appears.

Glow in the dark books should be easy to find at night

-----

This is excellent so far! I'm eagerly waiting for an update, wanna know what this is all about...

 

[Woody Man]

A very interesting update, and a good point, where does the Crusader draw the line in the war for the Holy Land?

Lets hope Daniel finds his peace..

 

[Herbert West]

You cant belive how much I am rubbing my hands in glee.

Expect your jaws to drop when I finally post the focal update

I do intend to finish this story by the end of the month, so expect at least two updates this week.

(In other words: thank you for your comments)

 

[Herbert West]

All his lonely creatures​

In the days that followed, Daniel’s mind was battling his heart with an ever-increasing ferocity. His mind told him that what he read was true, that Christ did speak those words, that he was not what his heart imagined him to be, and that the service of such ideals was against everything he believed in, even if that belief was built on Christ. His heart brushed these accusations away, always rejuvenated in the solemnity and quiet of prayer, always strengthened in the vicinity of his peers.

And amidst this confusion, his soul had become void, empty, lifeless, unable to decide on the heart of the mind. This inner struggle was slowly, but steadily tearing him apart.

He though of an ancient and well-proven healing method for such problems: fresh air. It was customary for templars to depart on missions regularly, so no one questioned him when he left the Headquarters. He then walked down from Temple Mount, intent to finally mingle with the commotion of the city. Yet, some force seemed to push him further and further away from the Temple, into the wealthy merchant quarter, then past it into the slums and back alleys that infested even the Holiest of Cities, then past even them, out of the city walls, into the rabble of folk that surrounded Jerusalem. Only here did he realise where he was, and that his iner turmoil would prevent him from going back into the City. Even to look at it filled him with a mix of fear, awe, and deep, black despair.

The City represented everything he held dear, and thus everything he felt betrayed by, and felt he had betrayed. With this realisation, he felt some certainty creep itself back into his chest.

He had read of the saint and pilgrims who found God in solitude and suffering. Perhaps the Bible does lie, yes, but God himself can not lie! God himself must love all his creatures, thus even him! And if God loves him, he will surely make himself visible in a vision!

Reinforced by this almost manic thought, he set out into the desert, to find God.



In the depths of Temple Mount, near the Well Of Souls, the Grand Master knelt before a statue of a creature with a goats legs, with hooves, with a woman’s body, and horns adorning it head. There was a green stone, an emerald in its forehead, between the root of the horns, and it was pulsing strongly. The one who knelt before the statue saw this pulse, and smiled. The plans were slowly coming to fruition.


Daniel wandered the desert for days, but God evaded him. He only found sand, dust, and pain. Pain of the soul, and pain of the body, for he had not eaten nor slept in days. As he staggered in the sand, a vision did finally appear:

A green figure of a woman beckoned him:

This way, walker-of-the-dark, she whispered, after disappearing into a green glow.

Daniel staggered towards her, then fell to the ground, exhausted, and his world turned black.


A dim light woke him. Ah, I see you are awake, crusader. Come, have a cup of tea.
The words came from an elderly, skinny man sitting by a fireplace. He wore arabian robes, wrapped loosely around him.

Who are you? And how did I get here? – Daniel shouted while trying to stand up, then immediately hitting his head and falling back to the floor.

The man laughed. I am Abu abd-Allah al-Hatimi, a servant of Allah, the One and Only.

Daniel tried to stand up to smite down the heretic, as this reflex still remained, but could not stand up from the pain in his stomach and his head. Slowly, he crept towards the fireplace.

See, we are all one in God, there is no need for you to try and smite me, and even if you were, you are even more exhausted and weak than I am. You were in a very pitiful state when I found you. How graceful God has been to you, for you have collapsed just outside my cave.

How dare you speak of God, heathen?

God? Allah? Elohim? Yahwe? These are but words of mortal man to denote what is immortal, all-encompassing, all-loving and absolute. God is far too great for us to conceive, and we are only parts of Him.

How can man be part of God, heathen?

Drink your tea first. Time flows slowly.

Daniel complied, thinking of the words this man spoke.

All creations are one with God, for they are his. Man is a creature of God, and thus ultimately a part of God himself. He is All, we are only pieces of the All.

If this is so, how come man is what he is, erring, warring, feuding?

They are not in Adab.

Adab?

Adab means that you acknowledge to be one with God, and thus fold into his own plans, take up your true place, and become One in Him.

But what about free will?

Bah, free will is a narrow-minded concept to escape the need for adab, young crusader! There is no free will, nor can there be any free will if we are all One in God.

You wear the robes of an arab, and speak of arab terms, yet none of the moslems I spoke to shared your views. They all insisted that we were wrong in our God, and that only Allah is the true God.

They are Shiite and Sunni, erring, angry little children. I am a Súfí, a servant of God trough actions of the mind, not actions of the body, which can never be clean. Your priests do not slay anyone either, yet even you, a priestly warrior, wage war against others relentlessly. How children talk of Allah is very different from what Allah is.

And you claim to know who God is?

I am One with Him. God speak trough me, acts trough me, reveals himself through me to you. I do not speak in the name of God, I speak God.

Daniel pondered to himself. What this man said made sense, his words rang bells within his heart, yet, there was something very, very twisted and unnatural about him. If he truly was an instrument of God, why didn’t Daniel feel any love, compassion, or only even care emitting from this man. Surely, he had saved him from certain death in the desert, but this is a gesture everyone shares except for the raiders and bandits, and was more the work of man than God. But if man can not work on his own, than this was the work of God. But if man can not truly act on his own, then all the suffering and pain is not the act of man but God!

He voiced these doubts to the Súfí master, who, again replied that they did not become one with God in Adab.

Daniel was content with this answer for the moment, and turned his attention to his body, nursing it back to helath with the tea and food the moslem had provided him with. Days passed slowly, as the robed man had predicted, and Daniels every attempt to gain an answer was repulsed by the word Adab. Except for once:

But is when man creates and does evil, he does not act on his own, but in an extension of God’s will, then does this mean that God’s will is corrupted and transferred erringly to man?

Hmmm, interesting view, crusader. God’s will reaches us all, we all hear it in our hearts. But how we heed that call differs in each of us. We must first clear ourselves of ourselves to hear God, then only can we become one with him.

But why did God give man his own will and mind if God wants us to shed these things so that we may become one with him?

To test our faith in God, young one.

Daniel though this a very cruel test, unfitting for a God who was supposed to love all his creatures, even the most lonely ones. And for God’s voice, Daniel heard nothing in his heart but empty silence. Frightening, dark, lifeless silence of graveyards and wastes. Wherever this all-loving God was, Daniel did not find him, and God did not care to find Daniel.

And into this void a thought slowly crept. A thought he had considered heretical a year ago:

What if God does not love all his children?​

Even in this empty state, his heart threw away such heresy, but as a shiver of clear, cold thoughts crept up his spine into his mind, he left the Súfís cave, and set out again for Jerusalem. The City had spawned questions, perhaps it would again spawn answers.

 

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Then which one's the child he loves?

 

[Herbert West]

The Whore of Babalon

The City, however, refused to give up any answers it had. Daniel drifted in the outskirts and slums of the City, half-awake, half-numb, and depleted in body by fatigue and lack of food, and depleted in mind from what had happened.

A loaf of bread and a mug of tea dispersed his numbness. He saw a young woman, with dark skin, roasted under the sun and polished by the sand, maybe twenty years of age, before him, smiling.

Eat, crusader. You must be very exhausted.

Thank you, young lady. Who are you and how did I get here?

I am Zakiah, she said, laughing, and I gathered you up in a gutter. It was most unfitting for a servant of God, and for all the good you Templar have done to me, I am grateful to be of help to one of your Order.

Daniel wanted to ask more questions, but the food was warm, the tea was soothing the pain in his throat, and his eyelids were becoming heavier and heavier. He half-noticed the young girl take him by his arm and guiding him to a bed, and tucking him in.

A gentle caress over his lips woke him. A caress like that of his wife. For a moment, he could even smell her hair, and then he opened his eyes, only to shake with terror.

Zakiah was caressing his lips, with a mischievous smile in her eyes, and she put a finger on his mouth to hush him.

What are you doing!

Relax, crusader. And besides, you owe me some entertainment. Without me, you would have perished in the gutter.

And then her hands started to move downwards, onto his chest, and started touching him in places and ways he thought he had forgotten. But flesh remembers, even if the mind does not, and he felt an animalistic urge to kiss this temptress, and had to battle himself to suppress it.

Zakiah, seeing his plight, mocked him.

Don’t try to resist, your vaunted vows don’t last long in this place. You would not be the first Templar to taste my flesh, she laughed, with the laughter of a hunter who found its prey.

Who are you?!

I already told you, I am Zakiah. Of course, this is not my real name, but I though this would be more fitting for my profession.

Your profession?, Daniel asked between two gasps.

Zakiah decided to play a bit longer, and removed her hands from him, although with very intimate caresses on the way. The templar shivered as her hands left his body. His flesh longed for them to return.

I am a “loose woman”, as you overly chaste thughs refer to my kind. Or a whore, if you want. Though I do not do it for money, or at least, I do not charge anything. Your kind is very generous by itself.

Daniel wondered. His kind? The Templar Order may be wealthy, but the templar themselves only had their swords, horses and clothes. And what was this woman speaking of? Templars are chaste!

As if answering his unspoken questions, Zakiah continued:

Oh, its mostly not money. But food, protection, boons, and of course, the guilt that I reap.

And the sheer satisfaction of breaking your will, crusader.

Daniel was now thoroughly shocked. How can God let this happen? How can a crusader let this happen? How can a Templar let this happen to himself?!
He tried crawl away from her in the bed, but one gentle touch of her hands froze his body in bodily joy, and his mind in ecstasy. Only one person was allowed to touch him such, and she was dead!

Oh, how funny it is when you struggle, young one. Tell me, what colour was her hair? Where her breast soft and big? Did she kiss you as good as I do?

And with these words, she invaded his mouth. He wanted to bite of her tongue, but the pleasure froze him. His heart and his mind burned at the thought of another woman kissing him. This can not be!

I am sure you ask you self why I do this, don’t you – she whispered into his ear. Well, you crusaders came to this City not so long ago. My family was wealthy then. And dead, for the most part, after the siege of your kind. Since then every member of my family, for three generations now, was reaping revenge on your kind. This is my kind of revenge. To turn you, to twist you, to break down your holier-than-thou walls, to expose you to yourself as the animals you are! And then, she bit softly, very softly into his ear.

But right now, I tire of your resistance. With these words, she ripped of what remained of his templar garments, and proceeded to cares, to fondle, to kiss, to lick….

Daniels mind screamed inside his head. No! Whatever barriers the past ferw days had destroyed, the sacred memory of his bride remained untouched, uncorrupted, and was not allowed to get soiled with the dirt of life! This woman had no right to do this! She could not do this! This is against nature, against law, against will, against all, against God! And for the first time in days, he actually called out in his heart for God. There came no answer.

He tried to break free of this woman, but his body did not respond. He saw his arm around her, and tried to move them away, but they ignored his plea. Whatever his flesh wanted, it had taken it from his mind with force. The last barrier had been broken.

He felt himself entering her, and opened his mouth to scream

Then, the world turned black.

 

[Herbert West]

Well, only two days late.

Originally, this update was a bit longer, but I cut out some text while making this (turning this update rather short, I fear), as extra, khm scenes of extreme eroticism did nothing to further the plot, and I'm already bad at writing this, let alone at writing erotic stories

As for the question you might ask, Zakiah is a name in arabic, meaning chaste, innocent.

 

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The World turned BLACK? The damned succubus!

Jersualem looks like a dangerous place for a man in the grip of doubts.

 

[Herbert West]

As in "he passed out", I mean.

 

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As in "he passed out", I mean.

No, I figured. I'm just poking fun, a little bit.

Still, the she-devil!