Moffitt jolted awake after panicking in a dream where a cobra was draped over his neck. It wasn't trying to choke him, but it was still a deeply uncomfortable feeling. His hands flew to his neck as he gasped for breath, and slowly relaxed when he found there was no cobra there.

Within seconds, Kaulbach was running over to him. "Sergeant? Are you alright?"

"F-Fine. Just bad dreams."

Kaulbach gave him a concerned look. "This is the second bad dream you have had since you came out of surgery." He sighed, then grabbed a chair to sit by the bed. "I have been operating here since I was sent here in February of 1941. I am no stranger to shell shock. I have stayed up for hours on end trying to make sure men do not kill themselves with their own shaving razors because of their nightmares. Whatever you are dreaming about, you can talk about with me. I am not going to think that you are mad."

"I can assure you, Oberstabsarzt, that my dreams are not related to shell shock." Moffitt looked Kaulbach in the eye. "I do find it odd that you immediately jumped to assuming my behavior in surgery was related to magic."

"All based on past experience, son. We have no interest in harnessing magic or using it against you." Kaulbach lowered his voice. "That distinction belongs to a branch of the SS. A few weeks before the Second Battle of El Alamein, we discovered one of their men, who happened to be a warlock, had been hiding with us for a long time, but we did not figure that out until he killed two of our soldiers to use their kidney stones as potion ingredients. To be honest, I am surprised that you and your group have not been harassed by any magic users."

"We have experienced strange things, but nothing that could be definitively proven to be related to magic or the supernatural in any way, largely because we did not stick around to see."

"I still hope you understand where I am coming from. I have met plenty of good witches and the like, but I do not want any of the bad ones sneaking into our ranks." Kaulbach looked toward the entrance of the tent. "There is definitely something strange about this place."

Moffitt agreed with that. All the more reason to get out of here soon.


Kautner was beckoned over to sit with Rommel and Dietrich in the officers' mess tent. Much to his surprise, Lehning was with them, and the colonel was looking displeased. "Is everything alright, sirs?" Kautner asked, sitting next to Dietrich.

"I am leaving today, Lieutenant," Rommel said. "Before I go, I want to make sure that everything is clear in regards to these… recent visions with cobras."

"We should leave this area, then," Lehning growled.

"No, you are not going to leave without my explicit permission." Rommel's voice was firm as he glared at Lehning. "Not unless it becomes dangerous."

"I think highly venomous cobras lurking around is dangerous enough."

"I do not think the cobras are out to hurt anyone, Colonel," Kautner said. "In all the times I have seen them, they seem curious. It is almost like they are trying to tell me something."

"I know I said yesterday that it seems unlikely that this is connected to an ancient Egyptian curse, but I am ordering you, Kautner, to take a small patrol out and search around in a five-kilometer radius. If you find anything, return and take our guest with you." Rommel glanced around at the men at the table. "Is that understood?"

Lehning rubbed his face. "Yes, sir. If we find anything, do we have permission to destroy it?"

"Yes, Colonel, I would like more ancient curses placed on my men. Surely, that will help us win the war." Rommel gave Lehning a hard look. "Absolutely not."

"Alright, sir."

Dietrich spoke up next. "Given that the rest of the Rat Patrol has not showed up yet, I have a hunch that they may be planning their breakout of Moffitt carefully this time, which is quite unusual for Sergeant Troy." He looked at Rommel. "I suggest having Kautner take Moffitt with him at all times. Troy will only be interested in getting Moffitt back, and it would minimize casualties if he were to attack a singular patrol vehicle."

"That all depends on what Kaulbach says," Rommel said. "It has not even been a full two days since we captured Moffitt. He might not be ready to be moved."

"I am sure Kaulbach will agree that he does not want to deal with more wounded. This is a numbers battle, Field-Marshal. We would be risking one man to save hundreds more."

Rommel nodded. "I am in agreement with that, but you will still follow whatever instructions Kaulbach gives you. He is, after all, technically superior to both of you." He turned to Lehning as he stood. "I am not sure when I will return, but I trust I will not be back sooner than expected."

Lehning bit his lip. "You can trust me, Field-Marshal."

"I understand this is difficult for you, given your history with the supernatural. For all of our sakes, I hope this turns out to be nothing."

Life around camp continued as normal after Rommel left. Kautner began putting together a small group of soldiers to take on their expedition to find any potential ruins, and mapped out their route. He didn't want to spend too much time out there, but knew it was possible that these visions and dreams could mean that something detrimental was on the horizon.

Sergeant Weidrich peered into Kautner's tent as the lieutenant was poring over a map. "Sir? Everything is ready to go. We just need you and the prisoner."

"Alright. Thank you for letting me know." Kautner folded up the map, and headed to the hospital tent. Inside, he saw Moffitt was sleeping peacefully, his right arm above his head. Kaulbach will not be happy with this request. Kautner took a deep breath, and headed to the back of the tent, where Kaulbach was examining a corporal whose left knee was swollen and painted with various shades of blue, purple, and red.

"That was a nasty spill you took there, son," Kaulbach muttered. "But do not worry. Miraculously, your knee is not broken, but stay off it for a few weeks. I will tell Colonel Lehning you are off-duty until then." As he wrapped the corporal's knee, Kaulbach looked up at Kautner. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

"I am conducting an investigation of the surrounding area for ancient ruins that could potentially be the source of the snake visions. Sergeant Moffitt is an archeologist, and we need him to accompany us."

"No. He needs at least another week of rest before he can start safely walking."

"These orders come from Rommel—"

"I would not give a damn if Hitler himself signed an order for this. Moffitt is not leaving that bed."

"Sir, there is a high chance that the rest of Rat Patrol will come to Moffitt's rescue. It would be better if they ambush a small group of us rather than the whole camp. You heard what Dietrich was describing yesterday. A lot of people would get hurt or killed if we let the Rats ambush the camp."

Kaulbach sighed, looking over at the stack of files on every soldier who had been injured in the raid two days prior. The last thing he wanted was that stack getting taller. He looked back toward Kautner. "Alright. On one condition—I am coming with you."

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Yes, I am."

There was no arguing with Kaulbach. Regardless of rank, nobody argued with Kaulbach, as he was the one in charging of stitching people up and making them well again. Even the cantankerous Lehning didn't argue with Kaulbach. Kautner nodded, and left the older man to get his gear ready as he went out into the post-op section of the tent to talk to Moffitt.

Kautner froze in his tracks when he saw Moffitt's right arm was now raised above his face, with a black cobra wrapped around his wrist. He and the cobra were staring at each other. He sees them, too. Kautner slowly approached, and said, in English, "You see the snakes, too."

Moffitt turned his head in Kautner's direction. The cobra vanished.

"I see them," Kautner said. "They surrounded me in my cot a few nights ago, and coiled around my wrists, and—"

"There's something strange about this place," Moffitt interrupted.

Kautner nodded. He felt as though a massive barrier was just kicked down. "Sergeant, I was given permission by Field-Marshal Rommel himself to explore the area around the camp. We both suspect this could be connected to the ancient Egyptians, as they worshipped this particular cobra. We want you to come with us, as you are, as Dietrich has mentioned, an archeologist."

Moffitt sat up, wincing a little. "Your doctor is alright with this?"

"He will be accompanying us."

"And I take it I don't have much of a choice in this matter?"

"We want to know why these snakes are appearing. Honestly… I think they are trying to tell us something."

"Perhaps. To be frank with you, Lieutenant, I don't have a lot of experience dealing with enchanted artifacts and the like."

"I am not an expert, either. I have only done a lot of reading." Kautner was quiet for a moment, thankful that he was managing to break the ice with Moffitt. He opened his mouth to continue talking when Moffitt spoke first.

"How do I know you won't try to steal anything from any ruins we come across?"

"That is not my mission. I would not undertake such a mission anyway. Or, at least, try to get out of a mission like that if it were assigned to me." Kautner didn't expect Moffitt to believe him, but know that they were both aware of the cobras, perhaps the ice and battle lines would continue to thaw and fade.


"This is a bad idea," Kaulbach grumbled as he gave Moffitt a fresh bandage before they left the hospital tent. "You are in no shape to be going anywhere." He sighed before putting his surgical tape back on the bedside table. "Alright. Try standing."

Moffitt braced himself on the table as he tried standing. A slight tugging sensation suddenly manifested all around his healing incision. It felt like needles were being shoved in all directions from his wound, and a dull ache pulsed up and down his left side. It was a challenge not to grimace.

Kaulbach watched him closely. "I would strongly suggest you avoid using your left side as much as possible. In general, you are going to feel like crap, but do your best not to make yourself feel worse."

As he tried to stay standing, Moffitt felt as though blood had rapidly drained from his head. Shaky and dizzy, he grabbed what was nearest to stay upright, and the nearest thing happened to be Kaulbach's shoulder.

The Oberstabsarzt didn't seem to mind. He kept smoking his cigarette, then glanced up at Moffitt. "Like I said, try not to push yourself too hard. Are you alright?"

"Fine, Oberstabsarzt," Moffitt grunted.

"No. Do not ever tell me that you are fine. I have been doing this for far too long to know that someone telling me that they are 'fine' is lying. You are not doing yourself any favors by lying about your own health." Kaulbach lowered his voice. "I doubt it would do the rest of your Rat Patrol any favors, either. I saw several old fractures all over your body when I took radiographs after your surgery, including some that were not from typical injuries." Kaulbach gave Moffitt a concerned look. "I take it you have been tortured, son?"

I can only imagine what Troy and Hitch and Tully's radiographs would look like, Moffitt thought, still holding onto Kaulbach's shoulder. "Yes. I have been tortured." He refused to go into detail.

Kaulbach nodded a little, but didn't go into the topic any further.

It was going to be a while before Moffitt could truly stand without dizziness or feeling a sharp, shooting pain in his side, but once both sensations had subsided a little, he said, "Alright. I am ready to go."

They went out to the waiting vehicle once Kaulbach had put on a white helmet and tunic, both marked with red crosses. Lieutenant Kautner was in the passenger's seat next to a sergeant. Two corporals were behind him, with one in a seat and another sitting on the back of the seat. Kaulbach and Moffitt occupied the remaining space, with Kaulbach sitting above Moffitt, claiming that he would be more visible to anyone thinking about taking a shot at them.

Before the sergeant, who Moffitt learned was called Weidrich, could drive off, a familiar voice called out, "Wait! I wish to come as well!"

Moffitt looked to his left to see Captain Dietrich walking over to them.

"Why?" Kaulbach asked.

"If this is going to be a lure for the rest of the Rat Patrol, I want to be there to see it."

"You do understand that our mission right now is far more important than your grievances with the Rat Patrol, right?" Kautner asked.

"I am aware of that, Lieutenant," Dietrich replied. He got into the back, wedging himself between the two corporals and Kaulbach and Moffitt.

"You two better behave yourselves," Kaulbach muttered when Moffitt and Dietrich made eye contact with each other.

"You will not have to worry about me, Oberstabsarzt," Dietrich said, "as long as Sergeant Moffitt promises the same thing."

"Oh, please, Captain, when have I ever violated a truce?" Moffitt asked. "And do I look like I am in any condition to do so at the moment?"

"Drive on, Weidrich," Kautner ordered, ignoring the two in the back.

No one said a word as Weidrich drove the small group out several kilometers away from their basecamp. Occasionally, Kautner would stand, looking around the horizon for any signs of ruins. The third time he did this, Moffitt spoke up, "I hate to say this, Lieutenant, but it is entirely possible that any ruins that are out here may have already been buried by the sand."

"I agree with you, but I also feel that if we are meant to find something, then it will not be buried," Kautner said.

"Maybe. Have you considered the possibility that we might not be looking for ruins?"

"Yes, but I would like to search for ruins first."

"Fair enough." Moffitt shifted to sit up straighter. He had traveled a fair bit around North Africa, both during and before the war, but this particular area, a very wide valley between jagged hills and soft, wavering dunes, was unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time. As they drove through the valley, he tried to ponder where he had seen this place before.

"Does it feel like you have been here before, Moffitt?" Kautner asked.

"Yes and no." Moffitt suddenly felt a weight around his neck, and saw yet another cobra draped on both shoulders. It looked around curiously, then moved to try and get out of the car. "Kautner, stop!"

Kautner ordered Weidrich to stop, and whirled around in his seat. He spotted the cobra as well, and both men watched it slither out of the car and into the sand, leaving a winding trail behind it.

"What are you looking at?" Dietrich asked.

"The cobra visions have returned," Kautner said. He looked at Moffitt. "I think we should follow it."

"Agreed." Moffitt grimaced in pain as he got out of the car. Kautner held his arm out, and, reluctantly, Moffitt let the German help him. They walked together behind the snake, which had paused to let them catch up. It was funny, in a way; Moffitt had grown up on stories where snakes were considered the villain, or at the very least, something evil. He was never terribly afraid of them, especially after studying ancient cultures and how many of them respected and revered snakes. To see a snake demonstrating something akin to compassion was still a strange sight, but one he appreciated nonetheless. Then again, this probably wasn't an ordinary snake, was it?

The cobra waited patiently at the crest of a dune. Kautner, still assisting Moffitt, approached the crest, overlooking the huge, empty valley. Moffitt felt goosebumps rise on Kautner's skin as the lieutenant said, "Look. What is that?"

Moffitt squinted, seeing a car and a truck parked next to two large pyramidal stones sticking up high from the sandy ground. The stones were badly eroded, though their height and shape told Moffitt they were part of the remains of an Egyptian temple. "Can I see your binoculars, Lieutenant?" Moffitt asked, quietly.

Nodding, Kautner handed him the binoculars.

The style of the architecture was definitely Egyptian. The two large stone structures were connected in the middle by an entrance gate. Jutting from the pylon, above the entrance, was a relief of a cobra. Beyond the entrance were several crumbling columns that once supported a roof, along with a small structure just past them. None of the structures, save for the cobra statue, were decorated, which struck Moffitt as odd. At the same time, he told himself, it was largely exposed to the elements, and any paintings had probably been faded by the sand and wind.

"What is it?" Kautner asked.

"It is a temple, one that has clearly seen better days," Moffitt replied. "I would have to get closer to tell you exactly what era it was from, although—" He looked through the binoculars again, "Its isolation is curious. There are no other ruins around it." He paused when he saw movement by the gate, and focused on two men in German uniforms dragging a third out into the sand. "Do you recognize them?" Moffitt handed the binoculars back to Kautner.

Kautner put the binoculars to his eyes. After a moment of studying, he lowered them. "No. If they would turn, I could see their insignias—wait, one of them is turning." He quickly put the binoculars back up. "They are not Afrika Korps. They are SS. They all have the death's-head emblem on their caps."

"What could they possibly be doing out here?"

"Well, I think it is safe to assume that they are not ordinary or even Waffen-SS. I think they are Zauberei-Abteilung."

"Sorcery Division," Moffitt translated aloud.

"Yes, and the name means exactly what you think it means. Their mission is to harness magic for use in combat, and if Germany wins the war, their mission will be to integrate magic into the German people and truly make us the most powerful race on Earth." Kautner shook his head. "I… cannot let that happen. W-We have to do something, but we would all suffer for it, as will our families. I have a woman back home whom I love and want to marry. I cannot bear the thought of her getting executed for something she had no involvement with."

"You may not be able to do anything, but I am already a nuisance to you. If we can get Troy and the others, I am sure we can put together a spectacular show, and you will not have to worry about the SS. They would not suspect a thing." Moffitt looked back in the direction of where the SS officers were standing over their companion. "What exactly are they after, though?"

"They are after a crystal ball," a voice behind them said.

Moffitt and Kautner turned to see Dietrich walking up to them. "How do you know this?" Moffitt asked.

"Because Sturmbannführer Augenstein visited my camp several days ago and wanted to know if I had seen those ruins." Dietrich folded his arms over his chest. "I asked why, and he said he was looking for a crystal ball, said to have been constructed during the Ptolemaic period of Egypt, and guarded in a temple by the familiar of the witch who helped build it. The familiar was an Egyptian cobra, who was tethered to the crystal ball as one of the witch's final acts before her death. The cobra has been standing guard over the crystal ball for over two thousand years, and she is not to be trifled with. The area surrounding the temple is home to hundreds, maybe even thousands of cobras, descendants of the original few brought there as additional guardians. Augenstein wants that crystal ball."

"Wait—" Kautner glared at Dietrich, "you knew about this, and you said nothing to Rommel and Lehning?"

"Rommel does not trust the SS, but he could face stiff penalties for interfering with them. And besides, he would not bother doing so anyway. Lehning would let his emotions guide him, and he would risk death if it meant the Sorcery Division does not get what they want. Then what? His entire regiment faces punishment for his decisions. There is a simpler way to handle this." Dietrich focused on Moffitt. "Neither of us want them getting a crystal ball."

"You mean, you would not want to know our every move so you could capture us more easily?" Moffitt offered a slight grin.

"I doubt even a crystal ball would be able to keep up with Troy's brain. Not only that, there is no challenge in it, and crystal balls are illegal to produce, buy, and sell for a reason."

"They are made with the liquified brain of a psychic," Kautner said.

"The Egyptians removed the brain whenever they mummified their dead," Moffitt replied. "They would use a hook to remove the brain through the nose—"

Dietrich looked at the ground, trying not to look ill in front of the others. "Sergeant, please, we do not need the little details." He sighed. "The big difference is that in order for a crystal ball to work, the brain is removed while the psychic is still living. The removal is what kills them, obviously, but they must be living while it takes place. Something to do with keeping their powers still concentrated in the brain."

Kautner nodded. "It is murder. Oftentimes homicide, but the most evil of witches and warlocks are not above killing their own relatives if they are psychic and refuse to cooperate with them."

"How delightful," Moffitt murmured. He looked back over at the temple ruins. "Now, we just need to get Troy and the others here somehow. We could probably take out those two vehicles and all of the officers there pretty easily with just the jeeps."

"They are not the only ones," Dietrich said. "There is a basecamp a few kilometers south of here. You will need a lot more than just two jeeps to wipe them out.

"I hate to suggest this, but we should discuss this with Lehning." Kautner's gaze switched between Moffitt and Dietrich. "Once we locate the rest of your group, Moffitt. Lehning strongly distrusts magic and would probably be willing to work with you to prevent the SS from getting ahold of that crystal ball. He is quite stubborn, though. As long as the rest of your men are cooperative, Lehning will be cooperative. Then again, he can be a bit moody and it is hard to judge whether or not he will be amicable or aggressive. He was a boxer. He understands strength."

"Ah, so he and Troy should get along swimmingly, then."

Dietrich shook his head. "I have not interacted much with Lehning, but I can say with confidence that he and Troy will butt heads before they even think about working together, and since they both have very thick skulls, that will go on for some time."

"I am sure having a common goal with convince them both to have sense."

"Let us hope so," Kautner said. "How do we make contact with Troy?"

"He is probably already on his way to rescue Moffitt," Dietrich replied. "It is only a matter of time."

"We may not have time."

"It will not take a lot of time, Lieutenant. We may even run into him on our way back to camp."