Several slain cultists' bodies litter the woods. Many of them looked as if crushed by a boulder or some sort. The Inquisitor in golden power armour stood in the centre with his hammer, which emit a glowing blue field. Lexandros was going from corpse to corpse, shooting them in the head to make sure they stay dead. Rem, with her bloodied flail, stood beside the Inquisitor, still shocked from the result of the battle.

The man in golden armour used a hammer that made a thundering noise with every strike. And the foe that was hit would crumble as if crushed by something heavy. Rem would not have believe such weapon was capable of delivering so much damage, especially a hand held weapon. The man must be incredibly more powerful than he looks, she thought.

A while back, the man in black breast plate led Rem to the man in golden armour, whom he introduced as an Inquisitor. The Inquisitor promised that he will help Rem find Lady Emilia, if she assisted in finding Viktor Forschner. When she agreed, the Inquisitor asked if she knew of a cave near the road to Roswaal's Mansion. While looking for such cave, they were attacked by a horde of cultists, numbering in the twenties. The battle lasted no more than 10 minutes.

"This is too easy. I can kill cultists in my sleep. Isn't there some possessed mutant lying around somewhere?"

Lexandros boasted with a grin across his face, unable to hide his excitement for battle. The Inquisitor sighed.

"Lexandros. Make yourself humble."

Lexandros scratched his head.

"There. I see a cave, sir."

Rem shouted, pointing towards a rocky cave.

"Excellent, Rem. Now let us go find Master Forschner, shall we," said the Inquisitor, resting his hammer over his right shoulder.

…...

A cultist flew into to the cave attached to a giant flail. Forschner recognized this weapon, as it belonged to Rem. Rem entered the cave, followed by two others. Forschner's eyes grew with bewilderment.

"How fantastic! A girl and two others enter the cave with no help, to rescue this man! Fantastic!"

Betelgeuse screamed fanatically, stretching his arms out towards the uninvited guests.

"Ah. I finally find you. Excellent. Lexandros, unbound Master Forschner, will you?" said the Inquisitor, stroking his beard with his left hand. Betelgeuse began to squirm.

"AHHHHH! To be ignored! How cruel."

The cultists lashed out at the group, only to fall under a howl of laser fire. Forschner recognized this weapon as well, Ryza Pattern, Hot-Shot Volley Gun, a favored weapon of the storm troopers. Lexandros fired at the chains that bound the commissar, freeing him.

"My brain... trembles," murmured Betelgeuse.

A hail of shadow like hands stretched from Betelgeuse's back towards the storm trooper.

"Look out!" "Lexandros!"

Both Forschner and the Inquisitor shouted. Instinctively, Lexandros jumped out of the way of the hands, still confused at what just happened. There was a crater at where he formerly stood. Betelgeuse began chewing on his hand.

"It can not be. It can not be The Unseen Hand. Can you see it?"

Betelgeuse turned his face towards the commissar with bewildering eyes.

"My, my. It seems that we have revealed ourselves too quick, Forschner," the Inquisitor spoke with booming voice as he walked towards Betelgeuse, "It seems his 'hands' are only visible to us."

Betelgeuse chewed his hands even faster.

"It can not be. It can not. My Invisible Hand is seen by two people other than myself. It can not be! How truly... How truly!"

Several hands lashed out, this time, at the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor simply chuckled and slashed the air in front of him, causing a thundering boom of bluish mist. The "hands" dissipated as it came into contact with the field of bluish mist. The Inquisitor raised his hammer towards Betelgeuse.

"This wargear, bestowed upon me by the Emperor's Holy Inquisition, is a relic. You, nor any unholy creature, can not best it."

The Inquisitor charged at Betelgeuse, swinging his hammer. Lexandros ran over to the commissar to help him up. The commissar refused his help and got to his feet on his own. The storm trooper handed him a boltpistol.

"Just don't shoot me with it, sir."

Lexandros joked. Commissar took the weapon without smiling.

"That will depend on your action, trooper," replied Forschner.

The Inquisitor swiftly dodged the incoming "hands" and closed his gap, striking at Betelgeuse with his mighty thunder hammer. Betelgeuse manage to escape the blast of energy by maneuvering his body with the help of the Unseen Hand.

Suddenly, a volley of laser fire blew several holes on Betelgeuse, creating mists of flesh and blood where it swept. Betelgeuse looked phased for a moment then proceeded to scream in frustration.

"THIS CAN NOT BE! THIS CAN NOT BE!"

Before Betelgeuse can do anything more, the Inquisitor's hammer descended on the fanatic. With a thundering noise, Betelgeuse was reduced to a mush of blood and guts. His dying body twitched with desperation.

"I was loved by..."

BLAM-

The commissar shot a round clean through the center of the eyes with the bolt pistol, to leave no doubt.

"Your sentence," the commissar declared, "is death."

Forschner looked down at the mangled body of his foe.

"I told you that I will deliver your sentence personally," he muttered.

Rem looked slightly relieved at the commissar's well-being.

"Come to find me, Rem?" asked Forschner, turned towards the maid with a flail.

"We need to find Lady Emilia, sir. She is missing," said Rem, hiding her emotion.

"Lady Emilia?" Forschner repeated with a surprised look. He turned to the Inquisitor.

"I apologize for my late introduction. I am Inquisitor Holtz. That is Lexandros, my follower."

The Inquisitor stepped forward, his towering stature looming over Forschner. Forschner made a slight bow.

"Commissar Viktor Forschner of the 8th Cadian, my lord."

"Yes. I know. I came here to find you, Master Forschner," Inquisitor Holtz said with a chuckle.

"To find me, my lord?"

Suddenly there was a rush of cold air. It was midday outside when the Inquisitor and the others entered the cave. Now, it was freezing cold.

"What in the Emperor's name..."

"Lexandros. Do you throw the Emperor's holy name in vein."

Lexandros retreated slightly. Inquisitor Holtz looked at his gloved hands, slightly frosted, and clenched a fist. He made a grim face and turned towards the commissar.

"Master Forschner. I have a task for you," said Holtz with eyes of conviction, "It is a task of great import."

"I shall give my life if it comes to it, my lord," Forschner swore. Holtz frowned at the commissar's statement but continued.

"I understand your devotion, but I ask you put more value in your life, Master Forschner," said the Inquisitor, "I need you to head to the Roswaal Manor. There you will find the girl with pointy ears and white hair."

"Lady Emilia," whispered Forschner.

The inquisitor gave a nod and continued.

"Yes. But she is no longer the same person that you have known. She is but a husk. Her flesh is worn by a dark entity, an abomination from the depths of the Immaterium."

The inquisitor's revelation was enough to make even a man like Forschner feel the meaning of terror.

"You do not mean..."

"Yes, Master Forschner. It is a daemon that which controls her."

Lexandros spit on the floor and shook off his shutter.

"By the Emperor's blessings, there are a ship full of Tempestus Scions and Adeptus Astartes who specialize in destruction of such entities ready to purge this world of the evil that grasps it."

Rem butt in, lashing at the inquisitor.

"Purge? You didn't tell me-"

Lexandros stopped her path, tapping on his hot-shot volley gun. Rem slowly back off, glaring at the trooper.

"I assure you, young lady, that no righteous will be harmed. They will only purge the evil that dwells here, and unfortunately, they are legion. But they can not began their task if the daemon's name is unknown."

Forschner looked confused.

"But how shall I assist you in this task, my lord?"

The inquisitor raised his hand to stop him.

"Please, drop the 'lord' part. It makes me quite uncomfortable, Master Forschner. Simple 'Inquisitor' would suffice," Holtz corrected.

"But-"

"I insist, Master Forschner."

Forschner nodded.

"As you wish, Inquisitor."

Holtz continued after clearing his throat.

"She goes by the name Satella the Witch of Envy. However, her true name is unknown to us. My visions tell me that you will find her name in the manor, where she awaits you. Lexandros will accompany you for this mission. I... need to have a word with the one who brought this cold. We must hurry, for we are short on time."

Holtz finished with a slight look of bitterness. Lexandros wanted to object but held his tongue. Now was not the place. Instead, he walked up to the inquisitor and whispered over his towering shoulder.

"This is a reckless plan, my lord, but I assume that you have seen the outcome, yes?"

Holtz laughed bitterly.

"The visions... they speak of death. For all of us... Emperor protects."

"But we do win?"

"That I am not certain. My visions do not show victory, but victory is certain as told by the Lord Inquisitor. I can only trust in the Emperor and do as the Lord Inquisitor commands. Master Forschner must do this. I must buy him time."

Lexandros realized something his master's eyes and raised his voice in frustration.

"No... No! My lord, if your visions say otherwise, then you should inform the Lord Inquisitor that-"

"LEXANDROS! Know! Your! Place!"

The inquisitor scolded the trooper with booming voice. Lexandros retreated.

"I apologize, my lord."

"Trust in the Emperor and his servants, for they speak His words. Do not forget your teaching, Lexandros. I believe in the Lord Inquisitor. There are many that I share with you, Lexandros, and there are many which I do not, with great reason. These are one such things."

Lexandros clenched his teeth and muttered under his breathe.

"Emperor protects..."

The inquisitor turned to the maid.

"Young lady... I understand that you must be confused. It is your choice to whether to leave or join Master Forschner in finding your master."

Rem hesitated for a moment but made up her mind.

"Rem was saved once by Master Forschner. I will go with him," she said, smiling at Forschner.

Holtz also smiled as his placed his hammer over his shoulder.

"Excellent. Now, shall we proceed? Tempus fugit."

Having said a strange phrase, the inquisitor walked out of the cave.

"I shall join you outside, sir," said Lexandros, following the inquisitor.

Rem and Forschner looked at each other for a brief moment.

"Never rains, only pours, eh?" said Forschner with a light shrug.

"It's good to see you again, sir. Rem was certain that you were dead."

"As was I. Quite the routine nowadays, I suppose... Come now. We must not keep the Inquisitor waiting."

The two made their way out of the bloodied cave, leaving Betelgeuse's corpse in the dark.