Book 6. The Power of Baphomet. The Mysteries of the Ancient Castles. The Escape from the Craig Fadrig Castle

By Olga Kryuchkova

...I'm returning from Scotland. In general, I come from Languedoc, its eastern part, from the Cavallon Castle.”
“So, you have returned from foreign lands, apparently it’s not sweet there either,” suggested the shepherd.
“Yes, shepherd, you are right: it’s good everywhere where we are not,” Auguste tried to joke.
Auguste took a copper coin out of his purse.
“Here, this is a payment for milk.”
“Thank you, your grace! I forgot what coins look like. Poverty all around, royal taxes are simply exorbitant! His Majesty Philip probably thinks we are collecting coins from trees here!”
Auguste decided to rest a little.
“Tell me, shepherd, what do you know about Montsegur.”
The shepherd cleared his throat, looked at the mountain with the ruins of the castle.
“Yes, Your Grace, what can I say, the castle was majestic. My parents told me about it. I myself was born when Montsegur was already destroyed.”
The shepherd sat down on the ground, spreading the skin of a goat that hung from his shoulders instead of a cloak and slowly began his story:
“Many years ago, the inhabitants of Languedoc, oppressed by the French and the inquisitors, left their homes, abandoned their last possessions and scattered through the forests and mountains. The only safe place was Montsegur Castle. Its owner, Count Raymond VII, died in absolute poverty, leaving no heirs.
After his death, the valiant knight Baron Roger Mirpoix settled in the castle. He rebelled against the Inquisitors, defended the Cathars and gave them shelter and food. Signor Roger, by right a descendant of an old and noble family, bowed his head neither before the king nor before the Pope.
The Dominican monks, faithful dogs of Pope Honorius III, called Montsegur a fortress of heretics and hated the baron. But no one could take the castle by storm, it was impregnable. One day, Señor Roger, with a small detachment, made a sortie to the town of Latuers, where eleven inquisitors stopped in transit. Not a single one remained alive, all eleven members of the tribunal were found hacked to death.
In retaliation, the Seneschal of Carcassonne, with detachments of Provençal and French barons, laid siege to Montsegur. The castle held out for a very long time, food was brought along the mountain paths. It was possible to seize them only with the help of betrayal. The Seneschal of Carcassonne destroyed the castle, and Señor Roger and his associates were burned at the stake. Here is such a story. I was born fifteen years after these events, my parents told me about them.”
“Yes, a sad story... I had already heard something similar, but I knew nothing about Baron Mirepoix. Tell me, shepherd, what has happened in recent years to the castle of Blanchefort?”
“Blanchefort is all right,” said the shepherd. “I heard that old Comte Louis is alive, although he can barely walk, and he is completely ruined.”
“Here, take this,” Auguste took a silver coin from his purse and handed it to the shepherd.
The shepherd was embarrassed, not expecting such kindness from an unfamiliar gentleman.
“Take it, don't be embarrassed. All these lands and the castle once belonged to my Toulouse ancestors. It hurts to look at all this!”
“So the illustrious Count Raymond VII is your ancestor?!” The shepherd was simply dumbfounded with surprise.
The shepherd fell to his knees and tried to kiss Auguste's hand.
“Oh, young master, God bless you!”
“Stop it, I don't need such honors!” Auguste withdrew his hand and handed the shepherd a coin.
They said goodbye, Auguste set off on his journey, he had little time left. As he walked towards the Chateau de Blanchefort, he imagined how Uncle Louis would meet him.
“I’ll tell Uncle Louis that I’m making my way through the Pyrenees from Aragon to the castle of Cavallon,” he thought. “I’ll tell my uncle that I haven’t received news from home for a long time. And I decided to visit him on the way. In words, my st

• Language: English
• Publisher: Olga Kryuchkova
• Release date: Jun 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215623121

Olga Kryuchkova

Olga Kryuchkova began her creative career in 2006. During this time, the author had more than 100 publications and reprints (historical novels, historical adventures, esotericism, art therapy, fantasy). A number of novels were co-written with Elena Kryuchkova.

Book preview

The Knights Templar and the Bloody Baphomet’ Book Series

Book 6

The Power of Baphomet. The Mysteries of the Ancient Castles. The Escape From the Craig Fadrig Castle

Alternate History of the Templar Order

Cover: Images from Pixabay.

Chapter 8

Kilmartin and Bennachie, all Argyll spoke of knights in white cloaks with red crosses as heroes. Especially, the story of the duel of a valiant knight from Kilmartin with a bloodthirsty Englishman was willingly conveyed. Gradually, she acquired mythical additions, turning into a semi-legend. Fathers gladly told their growing sons:

...And then the valiant knight Auguste took out his magic sword-durandal, which was presented to him by the supreme goddess of war Morrigan, who wants freedom for Scotland. And the knight waved his sword: countless hordes of the English trembled, and fear settled in their dark souls. The valiant knight waved his sword for the second time and struck the English lord right in the heart. And the blood of the enemy splashed, irrigating the sword-durandal...

The hero, who drenched his glorious sword-durandal with blood, was in the arms of his wife. He was sincerely convinced that life is beautiful. In addition, the life of the hero is immortalized in legends. And therefore, life will go on as long as the highlanders remember him. Chevalier returned to his beautiful wife Fedelm, crowned with unfading glory, honors and, not least, the recognition of his father-in-law, Lord Mac Kumal.

Fedelm reacted without interest to her husband's proposal to move to the preceptory on Loch-Awe, she did not at all want to part with the usual comfort in the castle of Craig Fadrig. Fedelm politely but categorically refused her husband, despite all his services to Scotland. Auguste was not very upset about this and finally settled in the castle. Of the knights of Kilmartin, no one condemned his choice, everyone understood: this is the desire of his wife, besides the daughter of an influential lord. Even a hero cannot resist such a woman.

***

Time was running fast. Spring has come. Auguste began to think about a trip to the castle of Blanchefort. From the day of the wedding night, great-grandfather Clermont de Montsegur no longer dreamed of Auguste. But he often dreamed of Baphomet. Auguste often woke up at night, he saw everywhere the red ruby eyes of a pagan god.

The wife felt his inner anxiety, explaining this by the fact that her husband was not yet accustomed to the new environment and Celtic customs. She surrounded him with care and attention. Dreams began to come every night, Baphomet pursued the Chevalier. Auguste was in a state of constant inner tension.

Fedelm, seeing the suffering of her husband and wanting to help him, prepared a special drink.

You must drink this drink from your ritual goblet. Otherwise, the drink will not take effect. She insisted.

Auguste, unable to resist, allowed his wife to get the goblet from the chest in which it was kept and fill it with another drink of the druids.

Indeed, the potion had an effect. Auguste found peace for a while. One gloomy rainy morning at the end of March, he confronted Fedelm with a fact:

The time has come, my love, I am going to the south of France.

Fedelm hugged him:

Take care of yourself, Auguste. And come back soon.

Yes, dear, if anyone from the Kilmartin Preceptory suddenly comes looking for me, tell them that I left on an errand for your father. Then there will be no more questions. Tell the people in your castle, on the contrary, that I have gone to the preceptory of Loch Sven, then to the castles of Dunoon.

When you're going? Fedelm asked.

Two days later.

And how long will the journey take?

Three weeks at least, perhaps even a month, Auguste figured.

Oh, how long! I will miss you! Fedelm clung to her husband's chest.

Then, let’s not waste precious time, Auguste took his wife to the bedroom.

Two days have passed. Almost all this time, the young couple did not leave the bed. On the appointed day, early in the morning, the Chevalier woke