Kei pulled one of the knives from her hip. She traced a finger along the blade, yawning heavily. She was in Karabell's squad, which meant that she wouldn't have to fight anytime soon. Even if they got attacked, Alice and Shono were probably going to protect her.
"I should be grateful for that. They've risked their lives for my sake before, and I'm sure they'd do it again without a second thought. But, in the meantime, I haven't been able to help them in any way," the girl mumbled, glaring at the weapon. "I really dislike it, being such a burden."
The others had already eaten breakfast. For some reason, Kei's appetite was nonexistent. She walked towards the narrow staircase, still holding the knife in her hand. Captain Karabell and Alice had spent all that time training her. Why was she even there? She wasn't even an actual soldier, and it wasn't like she'd battled Aberrations before. She was just a kid, Kei was aware of that fact. Even so, they'd taken her with them on that mission.
"When facing an Aberration, there're only two possible outcomes," the girl said, recalling Karabell's words. "You either win and take its life... or lose yours."
"Glad to see you're awake at last, Kei. But who're you talking to?" she suddenly heard Alice call out to her. She found her waiting downstairs, looking out one of the large windows.
"I was just going over what Karabell taught me one more time. By the way, where's everyone else?"
"They went outside. Apparently, Ono got into an argument with one of the Garglings. Something about the creature asking for seconds, though I'm not sure. Things had already calmed down when I got there. Honestly, those guys..."
*
Frederick kneeled in front of Gull. The Superior stared into his eyes, obviously troubled. It had agreed to Karabell's unreasonable request. But Gull had never tested the full extent of that unusual ability. Not even the feathered creature knew what to expect. One thing was sure. They could use that power to pinpoint their foe's location. Aside from that, however... they didn't know anything.
Frederick grinned and told Gull to hurry up. Karabell's shoulders tensed. All of a sudden, the Commander clutched his chest and begun panting. Lyra took a step in his direction, only to be stopped by Shono. The man shook his head, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"It would cause them more harm than good, trust me. Everything will be over soon."
The Superior's features cringed. Its mind was connected with Frederick's. Gull could feel every last bit of the pain he was experiencing. But there was something even stronger than that pain... Something so strong that the Aberration was having a hard time focusing on its task. How had it not felt it the first time? Frederick's hatred towards the world... It was overwhelming. His thoughts were full of resentment, as if his very soul was imbued with those feelings. The Commander hated Aberrations, everyone knew that. However, Gull hadn't expected something of that magnitude. Everything he'd done so far, and everything he was planning to do. It was all for the sake of wiping them out. He'd completely dedicated his life to the sole purpose of ridding the world of Aberrations. His very being had become disposable to him.
The creature's throat constricted, and it swallowed hard. Frederick's arms fell to his sides. At last, they'd managed to find it. The first time they'd used Gull's ability, it'd been impossible to confirm the Ringleader's location precisely. However, one thing was certain. That horrendous aura hadn't moved a bit. First of all, what was that thing? Gull closed its eyes.
"It's on the other side, am I right?" Frederick asked. His face split into one of his famous grins. "I'm getting good at this. Quite the handy talent, if you ask me. Though I could do without the agony. This time, even I was able to sense it... What was that bloodlust?"
"That's my line. But I'm not necessarily referring to the enemy. That being said... Shono, give me that map for a second," the Superior said, scowling its face. "We must hurry. I've got a bad feeling about this. Over there," Gull added, pointing towards a spot labeled "Reserve."
Karabell looked at the map. The Reserve was a large wooden barn that had once served as a storage room. It'd collapsed during a storm, long before the base's destruction, and nobody had bothered to rebuild it. The building was fairly close to their old base, at the edge of a small forest. The Captain had to agree with Gull. He didn't like it either. Both the Agency's building and the Reserve had been annihilated. There was that cramped hut they'd lived in for a short while, but it was way too small. For the Aberrations to have built an underground base wasn't beyond the realms of possibility either.
"Frankly, I've no idea where that thing could be hiding." Karabell sighed.
"Guess we'll have to find out," Een whispered, petting Sasha's face.
After a couple of minutes, Frederick finally mustered his strength and got up. He couldn't tell if he felt better or worse, but he was obviously worn out. Shono propped him up, helping him walk towards one of the horses. The Commander's temples were pulsing.
"No, it's worse. it's definitely worse. When it rains, it pours, huh?"
Annie moved closer to the horses. They needed to get moving. Suddenly, one of the trainees pumped his fist in the air, shouting. Annie cowered next to the mare, startled by the outburst. Almost immediately, the entire group exploded into cheer.
"We'll be the ones to end this! This is not time to look so bummed out!" one of the girls yelled. She was doing her best to keep her voice from shaking. They were all in desperate need of some cheering up.
Een smirked. He raised his trusty axe in the air, releasing a battle cry. Karabell stared at him, trying not to burst into laughter. Hadn't they done the same thing the day before? What even was the point?
"Well, that's that. Ono and Ergo, you two go get the wagon. Shono, help Frederick mount that horse. Alice, Kei, I leave Sasha in your care. Squad A, lead the way. Just like yesterday, Squad B will bring up the rear," Een added loudly, looking at Fen and Arago. "Is this alright, Captain?"
"Naturally," Karabell answered promptly, a bit startled. "Sorry, I was spacing out. You know, you're a great leader when it comes down to it, Een."
"I may be good at giving orders, but I'm no match for you. You're way more charismatic than me, Captain," he joked, patting Karabell's shoulder.