"Shall we get started?" Gull asked stiffly.
Frederick, Karabell and Een took a step forward. It was only six in the morning, yet they were already at the factory. They'd barely managed to get any sleep, but it didn't matter. Kei squeezed Alice's hand,huddling next to her. Alice yawned, stretching her free arm above her head. Shono crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. He'd asked Fen to get four horses ready. Thankfully, the teacher had agreed to his request without asking any questions. He didn't like hiding the truth from all those people who were so eager to help them. Shono found himself thinking about those carefree days, when he was still an apprentice. Fooling around at the Agency, knowing that the soldiers would protect them no matter what. Base Tau's children weren't any different. The Captain's old world, a world devoid of Aberrations... Marno had told them a little about it. Would they be able to bring back that peaceful world if they won?
Gull moved closer to Frederick, closing its eyes. For a split second, the Commander's grin faded. It felt as if a jolt of electricity had run through his body. At the same time, he was alarmingly calm. His mind was connected to Gull's, Frederick relized that much. He couldn't move.
"See as I see..." Gull whispered, looking like it was in pain.
Suddenly, the world around him started to spin violently. Frederick narrowed his eyes, trying to comprehend what was happening. He'd regained control of his movements. Karabell, Lyra, they were all surrounded by some sort of weird aura. Was that the energy Gull had talked about? But he couldn't sense that frightening presence the Aberration had mentioned.
Frederick slumped to the floor, coughing. His head hurt, and his muscles felt like they were going to burst. At least he'd discovered what had caused Gull's pained expression.
"Commander, are you alright?" Lyra shouted, rushing over to him.
"This much is nothing." Frederick grinned. "More importantly, how are things looking, Gull?" he continued as Lyra helped him to his feet.
"To the south... Somewhere in the Lower District." Gull's expression shifted slightly. "I'm sure of it. That thing's in the Lower District. We need to get closer, there's no way I'll be able to find its exact location from here. But to think that it was right under their noses all this time..."
Karabell blinked rapidly and nervously. That was certainly odd. He'd anticipated having to go somewhere far away, perhaps even travelling for weeks on end. Yet the Ringleader they wanted to defeat was in the Lower District, their old home. Karabell smirked, his eyes flickering with joy. Where, how or when they took it down didn't matter at all. Gull's idea had worked. They could use that method to find their enemy. They could win.
"Then why're we still here?" Een asked, tilting his head to the side. "Let's get going. The Lower District's a ways off, you know?"
On the spur of the moment, everyone let out a cheer. Even Gull and Frederick went with the flow. At long last, they'd were finally started to make some progress.
Fen was, indeed, waiting for them in front of the small house, along with the four horses... and a bunch of other people. Ono and Ergo were there as well. It looked like they really wanted to give them a proper send-off. Karabell recognized the older trainees he'd chatted with the night before. Annie walked towards the Captain, waving excitedly.
"What's up with all this, Annie?"
"Well... Wait, why're you so surprised? It's our duty to support you. Didn't I say this before?" the woman answered Een's question, beaming. "This time, we'll move forward side by side with you. Captain Karabell Ress, your mission isn't an easy one. Although he didn't go into much detail, Een told me about your plans. We know what you're about to do. That's why I'm begging you. Let us give you a hand, just this one time."
Karabell stared at the small crowd. They looked so young... He couldn't put their lives in danger, they were the very ones he'd sworn to protect. Even so, a part of him knew what Annie had just said was true. They had no way of knowing how many Aberrations they'd encounter along the way. Frederick was glaring at him, awaiting his decision.
"Annie... There's a big chance we won't win. I can't lead all these kids straight to their deaths. However, I agree with you, it won't be an easy task." Karabell took a deep breath, letting it steady his nerves. "That being said, I'll take you up on that!" he suddenly shouted. "I can't guarantee your safety, that's for sure. But if all these brave soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives so we can get rid of that thing, then who am I to stand in their way?"
The apprentices broke into thunderous applause, releasing a roar of joy. Their eyes were glued to the Captain. Karabell couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. But he'd made his choice. He began explaining the situation as best as he could. They didn't have enough horses for everyone, but that wasn't a huge problem. They wouldn't have gone at full speed anyway, since the Aberrations wouldn't have been able to keep up with the horses.
"Gull's ability definitely takes its toll on us. Since we can't move our bodies too much while he uses it, walking is completely off-limits. That's mainly what we'll be using the horses for. Does anyone have any questions?" Karabell finished. Surprisingly, they didn't seem all that shocked by the fact that they were working together with Aberrations.
"See, it's just like I told you. Those guys're something else. They managed to tame the Aberrations! No, wait, maybe they just became friends with them or something. Still, it's amazing!" Ono claimed proudly. Upon hearing that, Een slapped his forehead loudly. Naturally, that guy hadn't been able to keep that a secret from the others. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that..."