As Edelgard slaughtered her way through members of Those Who Slither In The Dark she made a mental note of all of the discarded bodies from deceased adults and children. All horribly mutilated and with bleached white hair.
Flashes of long buried memories of her brother's and sister's lying dead and decomposing. Their remains slowly getting digest by rats. And Edelgard screaming for someone, anyone to come and save her.
One more thing those monsters will pay for. Not a one will leave this place alive.
Edelgard grumbled to herself as she descended further into Shambala. Now with only one more room left to check, she gripped tightly to Aymr as she slashed at the door, cutting it into pieces.
Not wanting to waste any time Edelgard charged into the room readying to take out whoever was inside but stopped herself and glared at the individual lurking in front of her.
"Thales!"
Edelgard growled out as she saw the man who was possessing her uncle's body, type away on a device of some sort.
"Ah, the Emperor of the parasites has finally made her move... How predictably." Thales turned from the device and glared at Edelgard with hatred dripping from his mouth.
"Now with the last of the Nabataens wiped clean from this desolate land, we Agarthans can finally reclaim our rightful land that was taken from us."
Nabataens? Agarthans?
Who are they?
Are Nabataens Rhea's people? And Thales's people Agarthans?
Dragging Edelgard from her thoughts she heard Thales turn back to the device and with a single press of a button, Thales launched the room into a chaos as suddenly the walls surrounded the room collapsed and revealed four horrifying monstrosities towering over the Emperor. Two directly behind Thales, one on either side of them both.
From the many bodies that she came across on her way here, which were mutilated, these must be the 'successful' experiments. Instead of the Demonic Beasts resembling birds or reptile, these monstrous beings looked more like plants. Their eyes became black and red, their skins are only visible from the neck up, while the rest of them are covered by a tall black vine-like bodies with red accents on their shoulders and hands. The shoulder plates resemble leaves while a large, toothed structure resembling a carnivorous plant stands behind their heads.
Truly whichever fiend that created these heinous Demonic Beasts will need to be put to the sword.
"Allow me to introduce to you the latest experimental breakthrough from one of our finest minds, The Hegemon Husks!" Our mindless weapons that are key to reclaim our lands, and soon the known world." Thales said while bowing with a sickening sneer spread across his face.
As the Demonic Beasts shambled towards Edelgard, the Emperor tightened her grip around Aymr.
"Hegemon Husks, please deal with this nuisance while I tend to our other guests."
With that Thales disappeared, teleporting away with his dark magic. Though what Edelgard again, took notice of was his last few words.
Other guests?
Had he found Petra's group already? Or are these guests someone different?
Edelgard was nearly caught by the Demonic Beasts claws as she was trapped inside her head. Leaping backwards at the Last second, she managed to get away from these Hegemon Husks.
Later. These questions can be answered later once she reunites with Hubert and the others.
For now...
Once again Edelgard gripped tighter to Aymr as she breathed in and out slowly. As the demonic beasts slowly shambled their way towards the Emperor, fire started to engulf her axe as she was ready to attack.
I will set your souls free from your torment. Free from their control.
What their silent approach when deal with Those Who Slither In The Dark had afforded them had been for naught as Petra, Caspar, Catherine and Count Leopold von Bergliez were quickly being overrun by Demonic Beasts. Catherine had just finishing plunging Thunderbrand into a Demonic beasts' neck while riding on its back Petra stabbed her sword into the beast's neck from the ground. The combined attack managed to take it down as it slowly dissolved into a dark mist.
Caspar and his Father on the other hand were busy dealing with a Titanus that had charged towards the group. With Petra and Catherine joining the pair, the Titanus were quickly dispatched. With nothing baring their way the small group pushed onwards till they came across a Slither mage that ran towards a room. The small group swiftly followed the mage. Caspar and his Father took the initiative and charged into the room first, with Catherine and Petra behind them.
What they saw stunned them into silence. Inside were what looked like small chambers tucked away in the corner with two people inside of them. Air bubbled inside the small chambers indicating the two occupants were still alive despite their eyes being closed. While one was not familiar to the small group, the other definitely was.
"That's!" Casper gasped.
With red hair that reaches just below her neck and red eyes, she was instantly recognised as the daughter of the former Baron of Ochs, Monica.
"But how is that possible? I thought she died." Catherine questioned as she walked closer towards Monica's chamber.
Petra nodded her head as she answered. "You are being correct. Byleth said the mage that took Tomas's body, Solon, killed Monica's body snatcher in an attempt to take Byleth away from us."
"So, if her body snatcher is dead, then who is this?" Count Leopold asked as his eyes drifted from the glass container that held Monica, to the other container.
The question sat on the air with no answer. Instead, the Count turned his focus to the other person in the chamber.
"Anyone have an idea for who this is?"
The others turned their gaze to the unknown person that was in the other glass container.
With long, curly, purple hair reaching down to her back. Her bangs covered over the space where her right eye would be, though horrifyingly what the group could see at an angle was that her eye was missing from its socket.
"Ahh, I see you all have found our special guests. This shall not do." A shrill, yet familiar voice spoke up from behind the group, startling them. But almost immediately they were back into their battle stances.
"Thales!" Petra and Caspar snarled out.
The two were about to attack but were stopped as Thales held out a device that held a button on it.
"Ah ah ah." Thales waved his finger around dismissably as a smirk spread across his face. "Another step and those two will suffocate inside their chamber pods."
Petra and Caspar lowered their weapons as did Catherine and Leopold. As soon as they did, blades were at their throats as the Slither Mages emerged from the shadows, holding tightly to their hands, blocking them from getting out of their tight grip.
"Did you all honestly think we did not expect you parasites to try and wipe us from your miserable existence? Pathetic." Thales said dismissably as he walked over towards the two tubes that had Monica and the mysterious woman.
"As you can see before you, this is Monica von Ochs. The real Monica von Ochs. We had planted our mole inside Garreg Mach to ensure Edelgard stayed in her place, but once she was discovered and threw our plans into disarray, which was why Solon made an example out of Kronya." Thales placed his hand on the tank that held Monica in place.
"However, you cannot waste a valuable resource. While this worm is a human, she has latent magical ability that can be of significant use. When another of our kind shows such promise that Kronya wasted, then she will wrack havoc onto the ants and reclaim our lands."
Thales then turned his attention to the tube next to Monica's. To the unknown woman.
"This however is a specimen that will be our saving grace. To ensure our victory. It is a Simulacrum, a vessel for Epimendies. Perfected in our image to wage war against the Nabataens. But since you all took care of them, then it can be our weapon to reclaim our lands and kill the Fell Star."
Hearing how Thales described the pair as weapons only angered Caspar and Leopold.
"They're not just things for you to use and throw away. They're people like all of us."
Thales spat in annoyance. "That is where you are wrong. We all would give our all, to ensure the future of our people. If I send one hundred men to their deaths, so be it. They will have served in the betterment of our proud race. Even I have my role to play, if it is at the end of a sword, then so be it."
A malicious smirk then settled over Thales as he turned back to Petra, Caspar, Catherine and Leopold. "Not like you all with survive long enough to witness such an achievement."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Leopold grunted as he wrestled his arm free while holding a round device in his giant hand. "Shield your eyes."
On command Petra, Catherine and Caspar held their hands over their eyes as a bright flash erupted in the room blinding the Slither Mages as well as Thales. As they recoiled, Petra and Catherine made quick work of the Slither mages, cutting them down in mere moments. Thales on the other hand tried to teleport away as dark cloud circled around him.
Not wanting him to escape again, Leopold charged at Thales just as the dark clouds grew more intense. Diving at him at the last second as the dark clouds started to dissipate along with him, Leopold joined the Slither member as they both disappeared from the room, much to Caspar's horror.
"Father? Father! Where are you?" Caspar called out but his father did not reply, instead while Catherine and Petra were busy cleaning up the mages, one shambled back to his feet and stumbled closer to Caspar with a dagger drawn. Catching the mage lurching towards a distracted Caspar, Petra quickly overpowered the mage and finished him off while sprinting after the mage staggering towards Caspar.
"Caspar!" Petra shouted to him, trying to grab his attention. Thankfully, he turned to see the mage shambling towards him and raised his gauntlets and quickly dispatched him.
With the lab now devoid of any alive members of Those Who Slither In The Dark, Petra and Catherine turned to Caspar, who looked towards the space that Thales and his Father disappeared into.
Catherine slowly approached him and carefully placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Your father will be all right. I've heard stories of his legendary prowess against unsurmountable odds, he'll be fine." Caspar raised his head and nodded his head with a small smile, though he couldn't help but see Petra look on with a conflicted expression etched on her face.
Not wanting to press her on this, Caspar turned his attention back to the two individuals' insides the pods unconscious. One that held captive the real person that they all had thought they had killed, and another that was created for the world's destruction.
"What do we do with them?"
"Come on Hubert, stay with me. Edelgard and Ferdinand can't have gone far." Bernadetta pleaded to the dark mage as she carried his limp body with one of his arms draped over her shoulder. With a wound spurting blood on his hip as well as one from his right eye.
A Titanus's blade had slashed across his right eye and his left hip while covering Bernadetta's attack on another Titanus.
Though darkness clouded his right eye, Hubert could barely keep open his left eye as he battled to stay awake, and more importantly to stay alive.
"D-Don't want to... worry... Ferdinand." Hubert mumbled out, but loud enough for Bernadetta to hear.
"And you won't, just please stay awake. For Edelgard and for Ferdinand." As Bernadetta struggled to move herself as well as Hubert, but as her eyes came across a room that had its door cleaved open.
"We can rest in here; I have some bandages that will help."
Though as the pair got closer to the room, Bernadetta spied cages at the far end of the room. Sending a chill down her back over imagining what went on in this room, while also bringing forth memories of what her father had done to her.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Bernadetta carried Hubert as they took a step inside the room. Though almost immediately a Lance was thruster at her neck.
"Ah!" Bernadetta screeched, but thankfully the Lance lowered as a chuckle from beyond the door.
Out from the side of the door was Ferdinand appeared with a grin etched on his face. Though as soon as he eyes laid contact onto Hubert, that grin fell into a worried frown.
"Hubert!" Ferdinand rushed to Hubert's side and picking him up into his arms, carrying him further into the room. "See what happens when I'm not there. For once these extra healing lessons Byleth taught us are coming in handy."
As Ferdinand took his lover further into the room and his hands started to glow over his love's wounds, Bernadetta heard quiet whimpers and cries coming from a corner of the room.
Following the cries, she saw ten children huddled into a corner watching on with fearful expressions on their faces. Though what startled the archer was seeing the scars all over their bodies on display with the loose-fitting clothes.
Those poor children. Rrg. These monsters are worse than father.
"They're friends. Bernadetta and Hubert are friends of Edelgard. Besides, I don't think dear Bernie would hurt a small spider." A smirk spread across Ferdinand's face as he dressed Hubert's wounds on his eye and his hip as best as he could.
Bernadetta pouted as she glared at Ferdinand. "I'll have you know Bernie is strong and ferocious. Byleth and Edelgard told me so."
A small laugh escaped from one of the children as Bernadetta and Ferdinand turned their attention to the owner of the voice. It led to the same girl, Ferdinand noted, that was the first to reach out to Edelgard. Tanned skin and long black hair.
Another one of the children's eyes trailed over to Hubert wounds. A boy with darker skin with short brown hair.
"Is your friend going to be, okay?" He timidly asked.
With a bandage wrapped around his now non-existent right eye as well as around his hip, Hubert made it back to his feet, with assistance from an overly cautious Ferdinand.
"I'll be fine, in time. It is Those Who Slither In The Dark I would be worried for. Those vermin have crossed the line." Hubert declared as a small ball of Miasma appeared in his hand. For his part, Ferdinand placed his hand over the exact same hand as Hubert formed the ball of Miasma from and interlocked his fingers with the Dark Mage. Slowly bringing them to his mouth and pressing his lips to them.
"Agarthans." Another boy spoke with fairer skin with short blonde hair said.
"While the others were asleep, I overheard those people call themselves that."
Hubert gave the young boy a solemn smile, thanking him while also pushing that piece of information to one side for now.
"They also said something about bringing back the Ten Elite's and someone called Nemesis." The same boy answered again though this time it caught everyone off guard.
"The King of Liberation himself. That will complicate matters." Hubert contemplated as he rested his fist underneath his chin.
"But how would they achieve such an undertaking? To bring back to life not one person, but eleven. It is impossible." Ferdinand said as their enemies' goals.
"We thought someone possessing two Crests was impossible, but those vermin found a way." Hubert explained, but shortly after shook his head. "No matter, her Majesty will need to know of their plans. Where is she?"
"She went on further into the facility." Ferdinand answered, though his answer only infuriated Hubert.
"By herself? You know what these animals did to her."
Ferdinand tried to calm down his irate lover by placing his armoured hands in front of him.
"I know I tried to persuade her, but you know how she is when her mind is set on things. Plus, we did not want to leave the children unguarded."
Before Hubert could say anything more, Bernadetta heard three sets of footsteps nearby. She held out her hand towards Hubert and Ferdinand as the latter motioned for the children to hide. With the children scurrying away to the corner, Bernadetta and Ferdinand drew their weapons as a ball of Miasma formed in Hubert's hand.
Sweat dripped from Edelgard's forehead as she put down another of Thales monsters. Five of the beasts laid dead on the ground, but more keep on appearing. As she tiredly heaved Aymr back into the air, ready to strike, an arrow zoomed by her head and lodged itself into one of the husks.
Then quick as a flash of lightning, she saw a familiar Brigid Princess charge forward stabbing another husk. Aymr fell from Edelgard's hand as exhaustion overtook her, though a small smile appeared on her face as she saw her friends come to her aid.
That's right. I'm not alone.
She sank to her knees as she saw Bernadetta crouch down to help her up.
"Are you okay, Edelgard?" Bernadetta asked as she helped the Emperor to her feet by hanging one of Edelgard's arms over the Archer's shoulders.
"I am now with you here." Edelgard smiled as she saw Hubert appear as several Dark Spikes circled around the remaining Hegemons until they suddenly pierced the monstrous husks.
"I hope I was not too late, your Majesty." Hubert spoke, but noticed the bandages wrapped around his right eye.
Edelgard clenched her fist tightly. The metal grating against her fingers enough to almost draw blood.
Those monsters will pay.
"Your timing was as perfect as ever, Hubert."
Edelgard then turned her attention towards the horde of Husks as she moved her arm from Bernadetta's should and picked up Aymr.
"Are the children safe?" Edelgard asked as she sliced at a Husk that was getting too close to Bernadetta.
"Catherine, Ferdinand and Caspar are back at camp with healers checking them over." Bernadetta answered as she fired an arrow into one of the husk's heads.
Edelgard nodded her head, thankful that the no more harm shall come to the children.
"Thales was using that device over there." Edelgard pointed with Aymr to the far end of the room. "Not a single speck of Shambhala shall stand. The technological advancements, nor their experiments are worth the lives lost here. This place has to burn."
Bernadetta nodded her head. "I'll get to it Edelgard."
"I'll work on a teleportation spell that will take us all back to camp." Hubert spoke as he started to concentrate on his spell.
Petra and Edelgard cleared the way of the Hegemon husks so Bernadetta could make her way to the device. Dodging swipes from the creatures along the way.
As soon as Bernie's hands grazed over the device, it lit up with a bright blue glow. A screen appeared just above the device. It was blank so far, but as she pressed one of the keys, a box appeared on the screen. Amazed by it, Bernadetta pressed on the pad as the area around the group battling the Hegemon Husks lit up the room.
Whoa...
"Have you been finding a way to destroy the facility yet, Bernie?" Petra grunted out as her sword grinded against one of the long black claws of one of the Hegemon Husks. With a swipe from Edelgard with Aymr on its back, Petra easily over-powered the monstrous creature.
"Not yet."
Focus Bernie. Focus. The others need you. Your friends are trusting you to get this job done. They're counting on you. You can't let them down.
The Archer took one deep breath and slowly exhaled to settle her racing heart and her rising nerves, before she started tapping away at the keys on the device.
As she tapped away on the pad, Edelgard, Petra and Hubert were pushed back towards Bernadetta as more of the Hegemon Husks appeared.
"We are being overrun." Petra cried out.
"Bernadetta? Are you close to finding a way to destroy the facility?" Edelgard asked as she dismembered one of the claws on a husk.
"Almost there." Bernie muttered as she busily typed away on the keypad.
"The teleportation spell is almost complete, my Lady." Hubert said as Edelgard and Petra continue to battle the Husks.
Finally, after a few more minutes blaring alarms echoed throughout Shambhala.
"I got it!" Bernie yelled with an excited smile spread across her face.
"FACILITY SELF-DESTRUCT HAS BEEN INITITATED! SELF DESCTRUCTION CANNOT BE ABORTED! PLEASE EVACUATE SHAMBHALA!"
A proud smile spread across Edelgard's face as she glanced at the Archer.
"Well done, Bernadetta." Edelgard cheered, as she turned her attention towards her vassal. "Is the spell ready, Hubert?"
"Of course, Lady Edelgard." A smirk spread across Hubert's face as purple clouds started to swirl around Edelgard and her group of Black Eagles.
Just in time to see the facility to start to explode in the far distance. As soon as the explosions started to spread and got close to the group, they vanished. Whisked away back to camp with a cloud of purple smoke left behind just as the room was engulfed in fire.
