As the next day arrived Claude had gotten the former Golden Deer members together and put them to work. Helping with the orphans in whatever they required. Some required food. Others wanted a change of clothes. Then there were those that just needed someone to listen to their worries.

Overall, it was an eye-opening situation for the former Golden Deer students. That was why it is imperative that they succeed. That was why Claude, Holst, Lysithea, Leonie, Lorenz and Judith were huddled around the custom war table in their own camp, just a few miles south of the supposed Those Who Slither In The Dark stronghold.

"I still feel bad for leaving Hilda and Lady Edmund behind." Holst sighed heavily leaning on his axe as the blade dug into the ground.

"Marianne didn't want to leave the children unprotected, and Hilda didn't want to leave her alone. Trust me, they're going to be fine." Claude spoke up with a smirk.

Everyone shared a knowing look, apart from Holst though he didn't comment.

Then two scouts entered the tent. One Empire scout and one from Claude's close contacts.

"Ser, we've finished canvassing their Base of operations. It's... Unlike anything we've ever seen before." The Empire scout spoke as she gave her notes to Claude.

As Claude read it, Lorenz stepped forward. "Where there any people that looked familiar?"

"Yes, my Lord." Claude's scout answered. "We weren't sure at first, but we counted Count Gloucester and Lord Acheron among their number."

Lorenz gritted his teeth and gripped tightly to his Lance after hearing the confirmation he didn't want to know.

While Lorenz was focusing on his traitorous father's loyalties, the others were focusing on the other name.

"That snake!" Leonie spat. "Playing both sides to see which one is more favourable."

Lysithea shook her head. "It doesn't matter, if he's with them he dies."

Claude thanked the two scouts as they left the tent. "Horse and Wyvern's won't get in. Their Base is underground and too narrow for them to move around. It's best to leave them."

Claude then turned to Holst. "Get the men ready. We attack in two hours."

Mostly everyone nodded their heads and moved to exit, however Lorenz stood immobile.

"Lorenz, talk to me... please." Lorenz stood silent.

He didn't come back to his senses till Claude touched his shoulder and gently took the Lance from his grasp. His shoulders relaxed as soon as he felt Claude's touch.

"Hey... I'm sorry Lorenz."

Lorenz shook his head. "No, I should be the one to apologise. I... I didn't want to believe my father would join them, but now I just needed to make sure."


Everything was ready and set. The soldiers composed of Empire and Claude's forces were ready outside the Those Who Slither In The Dark's stronghold for the former Alliance area, after disposing of their lookouts.

The former Golden Deer students were also ready and waiting for Claude to arrive back with Lorenz, Holst and Judith, and a small group of soldiers that scouted all around the area.

A few minutes later, and the group popped into view as the reconvened with the others.

"The lookouts have been taken out, and the guards that were in the area were quickly silenced." Lorenz noted to the others as they all regrouped.

"Then we have the object of surprise over them. Good." Leonie spoke as she smirked at the group. She then turned her attention over to Claude. "Okay, 'Bird Master' any last inspiring words to see us through this."

Claude returned Leonie's smirk, with one of his own.

"Easy, don't die."

"How inspiring." Lysithea deadpanned causing Judith and most of the soldiers to chuckle to themselves.

"Glad to see you approve." Claude teased again, but his smirk then dropped as he turn his attention to the entrance to their enemies' stronghold. "Everyone ready?"

He turned back and saw that every soldier and his friends bore a look of fiery determination as they all nodded their heads.

"Let's move!"


The small group took full caution as they traversed through the Those Who Slither In The Dark's stronghold. Never have they seen technology this advanced. It was a marvel to look at. If it were any another civilization, Lysithea would want to study their technology and how it works. She's sure that Hanneman and Linhardt would feel the same.

But with the technology belonging to Those Who Slither In The Dark, it's best to be destroyed. No matter how much it could improve the lives of everyone in Fódlan and beyond. The human cost for that technology was just too much. As for Lysithea it would be a personal pleasure to erase this technology from history, so no one could be inflicted with the horror it brings.

"How are the subjects fairing?" A voice asked, halting Claude's forces.

Thankfully, for them they were covered behind the corner of the two enemy soldiers. Claude places his finger over his lips as the rest of the squad listened in silently.

"Most of them died immediately when we attempted the Crest transfusion. We did get a modicum of success, however. While a few of the test subjects did manage to transform into the beasts we are after. Pity they died before we could collect more data."

The soldier grunted disdainfully. "Brats are more trouble than they're worth. At least you're getting some success."

"Indeed. The failed experiments have helped us to identify a clear hypothesis however." The scientific mage placed his hand on his chin. "The younger the test subjects, the harder it is to successfully perform the Crest transfusion."

The soldier didn't retort, so the mage continued. "The younger specimen are still developing, so it is next to impossible to accurately predict how a Crest will develop. However, the subjects that are in their early adolescents most have fully developed Crests. Though it is a guessing game if they survive the experiments."

"Ha!" The soldier bellowed. "At least no one will miss those human filth."

The mage smirked. "Yes, it is quite fortunate that Lord Gloucester is sending orphans as our specimen. It's a lot easier to dispose of failures if no one will look for them."

The two maliciously laughed, as anger and vengeance settled over the small team. Lysithea's hands glowed purple as two balls of Miasma formed. She sent the two Miasma spells towards the soldier, dissolving their flesh from their bones in an instant.

The mage couldn't react in time as a cyclone of arrows pierced his chest and face.

Leonie and Claude lowered their bows as the squad moved up towards Lysithea. Their soldiers not far behind.

"Not a single one survives." Claude declared with venom spitting from his mouth.

His companions agreed without uttering a single word.


The group charged further into the stronghold, coming across several members of Those Who Slither In The Dark. They were quickly dispatched without a second thought. However, the group had not come across any of the experiments the mage from earlier spoke off, nor of Lorenz's father. However, this was not their only problem as the small team had come across a corridor that split into two directions.

Something that greatly irritated the Gremory.

"Rgh! This is getting annoying."

Lysithea was expecting a snarky comment from Claude, or something condescending from Lorenz, as soon as she spoke, but got nothing. It honestly took the mage aback.

"Judith, you go with Leonie and Lysithea. Lorenz and I'll take the soldiers." Claude spoke, but a soft smile melted away his stern face. "Just you all better come back."

A smirk settled over Judith. "Of course, princeling."

Though the smirk quickly faded as she nodded her head at Lysithea and Leonie. The trio quickly departed as they dashed down the corridor taking out a couple of Mages along the way.

Claude turned his attention to the Empire soldiers behind him and nodded his head at them. A few walked ahead the other corridor with bows and swords drawn, with the others covered their rear.

Claude nudged Lorenz's shoulder who was staring down the hallway as if he were glaring at his enemy.

"You ready?"

Hearing Claude's voice and nudge slowly brought out Lorenz from his deep inner thoughts. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself and wash away his nerves.

A small smile spread across Lorenz's face. "I am now."

Claude winked at the armoured Knight as he moved forward with the soldiers.

Not wanting to be left behind, Lorenz quickly jogged forward and caught up to Claude.


Judith had sliced in half as Lysithea, and Leonie finished off clearing the wide room. With the room now cleared the trio could get a clearer view of the room they were in.

Something on closer inspection, that they wish they hadn't.

"What the...?" Leonie was speechless.

She looked around and saw tubes connected to a large vertical tank of water. Though it was inside the tank that made her speechless. Inside the tank, floating around, was a horrifically disfigured creature. It didn't even look human. Just a malformed creature that has monstrous human face.

Pincers were growing out of its back, and one jutted out where it's left hand would be. Its right hand was completely missing, cut off at the beginning of the forearm. The rest of its body was similar to a maggot larva. On the right side of its body were small insect legs.

Though as Lysithea and Judith horrifyingly found out, it was not the only one. As Lysithea lit up the room with fire magic, she discovered there were more tanks that held these creatures. Not only that however, but it also turned out this area was a laboratory creating these monsters.

"Ah... I see you have found my new pets!"

A sinister voice cackled throughout the makeshift lab as the door that led onto the lab closed behind them.

Leonie ran to the door and tried to push it open, but it was no use. They just wouldn't budge.

"You are only wasting what little time you have left. It would be a shame if you all tire yourselves out and died before I can collect adequate data from my pets." The voice bellowed out as he appeared from the shadows.

He was wearing a vastly different mask than all of the other Those Who Slither In The Dark Mages they had encounter here. This mask was a lot more intricate in its design. Meaning he was at least an important member to the faction. Apart from his mask, this mage was wearing a robe similar to the one that Solon was wearing when he was slain.

Judith and Leonie readied their weapons as they glared angrily at the mage. Ready to end the mage's evil machinations. However, Lysithea on the other hand began to waver as her eyes began to unfocused on everything but the mage's mask.

"Y-You..."

Blood rushed from her face as her hands started to tremble. Her magic slowly disappearing.

"Back then..."

Leonie stepped closer to Lysithea, but still kept her blazing eyes on the mage.

"Ly..." Leonie quietly spoke but all it caused was Lysithea's demeanour to change again.

"You!" Lysithea growled out as her hands started to be filled with her magic once more. One hand will Miasma, the other burning with a hot fiery blaze.

"Ah, I thought you looked familiar. My first test subject. My, you have grown. It's a marvel that you managed to live this long." The mage then maliciously laughed at the Gremory. "Though how long have you got left. Two years? Maybe one?"

A sly and virulent smirk spread across the mage's pure evil his face. "Or maybe a few months."

Lysithea snarled and screamed, hurling balls of fire and miasma at the mage. He however, easily dodged them and smirked maliciously at the three members of the Black Eagle Strike Force.

"If you're all so desperate to throw your lives away, then allow me to awaken my pets." Within a few seconds thunder arced from his hands and hit the ceiling above. From there the electricity split into six different directions as it followed the tubes heading to the monsters.

Lysithea, Leonie and Judith followed the electricity travel to the large tanks. As soon as the electricity hit the water tanks, bubbles started to pop above the surface. The three Black Eagle Strike Force Members readied their weapons. For Lysithea's case, her left hand grew considerably colder as ice magic coursed through her hand, while fire magic warmed her right.

Suddenly, six loud and spine-chilling shrieks echoed throughout the laboratory. Judith, Leonie and Lysithea stood back-to-back as water started to burst out from the tank containers.

"Come, my children. I have brought you some pests to fest on."


It had been slow progress trying to find Lorenz's father. They had lost the soldiers that were accompanying them, to a surprise attack that neither Lorenz nor Claude saw coming. However, they gave their lives and protected Lorenz and Claude. Something they will get revenge for when they find Lorenz's father.

Something that would be paid with a heavy cost.

"The Javelins of light are ready, my lord. The destination has been set and cannot be altered. Soon the filth will tremble before our might." The pair heard from behind a low hanging wall.

Lorenz and Claude peeked over and saw what the Knight had feared the most but unfortunately expected.

"It is good to know that some of you vermin are somewhat useful." A second voice familiar voice spoke. Lorenz recognised the voice belong to Edelgard's uncle, or rather the man posing as him

From what little Lorenz and Claude could see Thales wasn't in the same area as Count Gloucester. It looked like Lorenz's father was talking to a miniature, but translucent version of Thales.

Count Gloucester bowed to the miniature Thales. "I will do everything I in my power to see your vision, of the known world, come to fruition my lord. I swear it."

Thales smirked. "Make sure you do."

Without another word Thales disappeared into fin air, as Count Gloucester raised his head and walked towards a wall that lite up as soon as he approached it. Extending from a small slot underneath the lite up wall was a small rectangular pad of buttons. The rapidly pressed on the buttons as a large triangle shaped object whorled to life.

First this device glowed red, then a loud noise filled the area until the device finally settled on a muted sound but coloured a Neon blue.

"I wish you could see the world I'm building, my son. The power we would wield if we wiped away the lowly filth and squash them beneath our heels. We could've lived like Kings if we allied with my Lord earlier, instead of you lending yourself to that brat Edelgard." Count Gloucester sighed as he dreamed of his deluded future.

However, hearing his own father say those things about his friends set him off as anger took over.

Lorenz moved from behind the wall and stalked over towards his father, catching Claude off guard, and forcing him to chase after him.

"I don't see how siding with genocidal fanatics will raise us above our rank, father." Lorenz regarded his father will full malice and spite.

Hearing his son's voice sent a shiver up the Count's spine. Shakily he turned around and met face to face with his furious son.

Count Gloucester tried to reach out for his son but was intercepted by a stray arrow from Claude. It whisked past his hair as it missed him and impacted a wall just mere inches from his right eye.

"Not another step closer." Claude glared at the Count as he notched another arrow. "Next time, I won't miss."

Claude wasn't the only one with his weapon drawn and ready to attack, as Lorenz had his lance pointed directly at his father's throat only mere inches away from its target.

The Count raised his hands slowly to surrender, though Claude nor Lorenz did not budge their weapons. Something that annoyed the Count.

"Is this any way to treat your Father? Someone of a lower class. Treating me like a criminal." The Count barked at his son while sneering at Claude. "This is because of your influence. You and that infernal Emperor. You've corrupted him!"

Immediately, the Count lowered his hands and blasted both Claude and Lorenz back with Wind magic. Then followed that up by caging Lorenz inside a fire cage, made entirely from fire magic. The bars around him were made from pure raw fire as the flames roared intensely.

"Lorenz!" Claude called out to him as he recovered from the wind spell.

Lorenz reached out to Claude, but as he touched the fiery bars in front of him, it started to melt away his armoured gauntlet. The fire was so hot that as soon as Lorenz recoiled from the heat, he felt burns and blisters form on his hand.

He pulled off his gauntlet and sure enough the skin on his hand was peeling away and red blisters started to form. Lorenz grunted in pain as he tried to find a way out of this cage. Not wanting to damage his hand any further, he hugged his hand closer to his chest, and turned his attention to his close friend as the Count stalked over towards the Duke's son with his hands dripping with Miasma.