Een looked around, trying to assess the situation. There were around thirty apprenticed there, give or take. Not taking Annie, Fen, Ono and Ergo into account. Gull and Kirru's troops numbered a bit over forty Aberrations. The food wagon posed yet another inconvenience. Een adjusted his coat. In short, they needed to devise a formation. One that would allow everyone to advance unhindered.
"Bring me a piece of paper and a pencil, now!" Een shouted violently, pinching the bridge of his nose.
He hadn't expected such a problem to arise... just like he hadn't expected the Captain to accept their proposal. A large scale operation like that couldn't be conducted without any planning. He glanced at Karabell. The Captain nodded, telling Een that he'd understood his intention. After a few seconds, one of the girls brought him the items he'd requested. Een laid the paper down on the ground, drawing a bunch of lines in the blink of an eye.
"Listen closely. I'll only explain this once, since we're short on time. Normally, I'd have all of you study this formation. But, once again, we're short on time," Een said with a note of disapproval. "First of all, we'll need as close a full view of our surroundings as we can get. That's why we'll be set apart at intervals, divided into smaller groups. There'll be three main teams. First, the wagon escort team, Squad A. Fen, you'll be its leader. Take half of the trainees, Ono and Ergo with you. Kirru and his Aberrations will also be a part of this team. Squad A will be our vanguard, with the wagon remaining as close to the formation's centre as possible. The other group, Squad B, will bring up the rear. The remaining trainees, along with Gull's subordinates will be led by Arago. Don't worry, Gull can pretty much read our thoughts and relay everything to the Aberrations. Squad Ress will remain in the middle of the formation, the safest possible position. Annie and Gull will come with us. We'll be the smallest team, allowing us to make a run for it in case anything happens." He heaved for breath. His throat had become dried than a desert. "This strategy ensures that we'll be able to protect Frederick, Gull and Karabell. This way, we'll also be able to spot and engage Aberrations much more efficiently. Of course, buildings could obstruct our view, possibly even slow us down, but there's nothing I can do about that. In case our formation is breached, our top priority will be defending those three. Is everything clear?"
They all stared blankly at Een for a few moments. He realized he was putting them on the spot. Complying with such a hastily put together strategy wasn't an easy task. But the Captain had said it himself, they were soldiers. They couldn't expect everything to always go their way.
Fen's features hardened. Out of all everyone there, Een had requested him to lead Squad A. He stole a glance at the apprentices. First and foremost, he was their teacher. Fen knew exactly what their weak and strong points were. Despite himself, the man smirked. Hr had always wondered how it felt to be a captain... But being in charge of such a large team was way too nerve-racking. He immediately called out to the fifteen kids who were going to be part of his squad.
"Een, why did you ask me to go with you?" Annie whispered, leaning in to hear his answer.
"You're the one who started this, aren't you? Besides, our squad will mostly play a passive role. I'd rather have you slacking off there than anywhere else. Makes sense if you think about it, really."
Annie's eye twitched. That certainly wasn't the kind of answer she'd expected. But then again, it wasn't surprising, coming from him. Een's plan had greatly increased their chances of survival. It wasn't flawless, but nothing.
They got back to the abandoned factory, basically shivering with anticipation. Just like Een had suggested, Gull made sure that everyone understood the strategy. Kirru only had ten subordinates, compared to Gull's twenty-nine, but they didn't make any changes to the plan. If anything, Squad B actually needed to be stronger than the other two. The trainees' weapons weren't coated in the new poison, but the old one was more than enough to slaughter regular Aberrations. Een bit a nail. It stil felt like he'd forgotten something, but he couldn't figure out what.
"Calm down... You can't get cold feet now of all times." Alice put a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "You've done plenty already, so take it easy. Everything will be alright, weren't you the one who said that? Am I really the only one who knows better than to overwork herself?"
"Yeah, I did say that. Sorry, I'll get a grip on myself."
Soon, Squad A was in place. Karabell turned toward his horse, mounting in one swift motion. Aside from the ones pulling the wagon, they only had four horses. Fen had offered to bring more from the base, but Karabell had refused vehemently. They couldn't take their only means of escape away. What if something bad, like another attack, were to happen? They just had to ride double or take turns.
"Well, I'd advise against that. Your weight won't be dispersed evenly, so you risk injuring the horse," Shono stated, crossing his arms. "We can just walk, it's not such a big deal. Een, Frederick and Karabell will be the ones needing the horses. Well, Alice can ride with Kei, since they're both light."
"I'll name her Sasha. That seems like a good name. Do you like it, Sasha?" Alice asked softly, stroking the horse's mane gently.
"You really love horses, huh?" Karabell chuckled. "Maybe I'll give this guy a name too, if I feel like it. But I have a feeling he wouldn't like it," he added, looking at his mount.