They followed the Aberrations, trying their best not to make a sound. For the first time in their lives, they stared at the beasts' backs without readying their weapons. They were surprisingly nimble, dashing through the city as if it were their home. Which technically wasn't too far from the truth. In those six months, Karabell hadn't seen any nests or eggs. So where did all those things come from? Not that it mattered at that point. If there really was some sort of being that ruled over all Aberrations, then that being could very well have been responsible for their emergence, too.
Een glanced at his watch. It was almost noon. They'd wasted too much time... But the creatures weren't in any hurry. He found himself thinking about Shono and Alice. Things weren't looking bad on their end, but he had no way of knowing if those two were safe or not. He shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. Een couldn't stand himself for being so indecisive.
"One thing at a time... Focus," he whispered to himself. A drop of cold sweat ran down the right side of his face.
With each passing second, the Gargling was starting to annoy them more and more. At last, the creatures stopped in front of a three-story building, seemingly staring at its rooftop. Karabell squinted, but he still couldn't see anything up there. Moreover, the Aberrations didn't seem to have any intention of entering the structure. A muscle twitched in the Captain's jaw. The creatures had purposely let them pursue hem. He'd assumed that from the start. Still, something wasn't right. That one was just a Gargling. It shouldn't have been that smart. Was it because of the Superior's influence? Swallowing his uneasiness, he griped his spear's shaft. Een was surprisingly calm. The Gargling let out a sudden screech, just like the one they'd defeated the day before. Een gave an irritated shrug as the Aberrations walked away from the building.
"Yup, there we have it," he said, and his voice was imbued with a sense of urgency.
"So that wasn't a dying screech... The creature was communicating with the Superior, probably telling it to stay away from us. It was a warning," Karabell voiced his thought. "Alice suggested something like that yesterday, but I simply didn't want to believe it."
"I think it's safe to assume that what we're looking for is in that building. I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared. We've fought a lot of Aberrations. But this is the first time one has led us to its hideout. It doesn't add up. We should expect an ambush."
"An ambush can't exactly be expected. That's its whole purpose. They won't just attack us, either. The Superior must have a goal. They're not supposed to be as intelligent as us humans. This one is way too smart, even for a Superior. Maybe it wants to snag our weapons or something. Though I don't think they other creatures would know how to use them."
"I'm curious about those shrieking Garglings myself... It's not like they're smarter or stronger, but those odd screeches is definitely new. I wonder what's up with that."
"Who knows?" Karabell hissed through his teeth.
They approached the entrance carefully. Een finally pulled the axe from the side of his hip. The Aberrations' smell wasn't strong, but it was distinctive. And that place reeked of it. The Captain's movements, however, betrayed no sign of hesitation. He stepped foot inside the building as if entering their old shack. Surprisingly enough, nothing happened.
They Aberrations had looked at the rooftop, which meant that the Superior was probably resting there. If that was indeed the case, then their fight had just become infinitely harder. One wrong move could lead to an ugly fall. And a certain death. Trying to expel such scenarios from his mind, Karabell raced up the stairs. He didn't care about anything else... He had to kill that Superior. They'd tired themselves out, all because of it. All because of those creatures. The Captain grimaced. He'd already banished all thoughts of his old life from his mind. Things would never go back to the way they'd been before, and he knew that. Aberrations... He didn't need to destroy each and every one of them. No. He simply needed to eliminate those ringleaders. First, the Superiors. Then, whoever or whatever was behind all that madness. And he didn't have to do that alone.
*
"Scales... Should've expected it. But you're out of luck. We have the advantage in terms of speed. So, what'll it be?" Karabell said coldly as the beast came into view.
"Captain... With utmost respect, you're insane." Een panted behind him. "You're trying to intimidate an Aberration, you know?"
"Oh, I'm sure that thing can hear me. It should be able to understand what I'm saying, too. Be ready to fight. I reckon the others will come from behind us, attempting to block our way out. We'll have no choice but to kill them all."
"You're out of luck. You're insane. No choice but to kill..." they heard a twisted, toneless voice say.
An Aberration had just spoken... It had used proper words. But Karabell pretended not to hear it. He spun his spear around, already searching for an opening. The creature was intelligent, but not enough for them to gain any information out of it. It had merely repeated their words. Thus, they had no use for the creature. But that Superior was special, Karabell couldn't deny that fact.
"Should I go in?"
"Peel away those scales and we win. But watch your step. The Aberration might try to push you off the edge. If that happens, I can't do anything to help you."
"Roger that," Een replied, a little too quickly. He'd almost choked on his rage. They'd all grown tired of fighting. But now that they had a clear goal in mind, each victory meant getting closer to achieving it. So they had to win. As he charged towards the best, axe in hand, a familiar sound echoed through the staircase they'd just climbed. Karabell sighed. More enemies, just like he'd expected.
"Those were two Garglings just now. We should wrap this up before they get here." The Captain mustered a faint smile that he did not feel.