The dust gradually receded in time for Shalei to make out a few wriggly silhouettes. Foreboding arose in her chest and it was all proven when one, two and three Infected raised again.
Holy… Shalei let out a gasp. Their… Their bodies weren't even intact anymore!
One had a missing limb, the other's head was half destroyed and fuck, there was even one that crawled its way forward as both its legs had been maimed by the force of the grenade. Sebastian and the others moved to eliminate them, taking advantage of their sluggish time to hack them to pieces until no one was left.
Shalei barely remembered to take a breath, too enamored with watching the brutal way they fought when all of a sudden, Patricia cried out beside her. "Oh no!"
What…? The question barely left her lips when her peripheral vision caught sight of a group of newly emerging intruders.
They were creeping, sneaking in behind Sebastian and his men who were making sure that the Infected were truly dead. Shalei watched with growing horror as the group of Infected came closer. Right in the very front, was an Infected with three heads!
Shalei's mind buzzed and for some reason she couldn't comprehend, she knew that this Infected was different than before. It was larger and nimbler. It seemed to retain intelligence enough to lead the group behind it, unlike the previous batch who were plunging head on mindlessly. Each of the heads were looking in different directions, skimming through the area in alert.
No, Shalei thought as she saw it creeping closer to the oblivious group. Oh nonono...!
Patricia let out a high pitched screech and jumped anxiously in place, waving her arms in exaggeration. "WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU! BEHIND YOU!!!!"
Shalei wished that Sebastian, or anyone, could miraculously glance their way or notice the horde of Infected that were coming their way. But no, such a miracle wouldn't happen, they were too engrossed in eliminating the first batch to realize that the second was arriving.
Shalei gritted her teeth and made a split second decision. "I'm going."
Meagan and Patricia spluttered in shock, their expression comically similar. Astounded with jaws hanging open. Shalei let out a brief laugh, she couldn't help it. It somehow snapped the two out of their reverie. "W—Where are you going, Your Excellency?!"
"I will help them." Shalei looked around and sighed in relief as she found a sword amidst the cluster of weapons on the ground, presumably they were left here by Sebastian as precaution in case the worse scenario happened.
To be convenient, she decisively used the blade to cut her gown short until it was hanging right above her knee. Shalei was glad that she was wearing boots today. Holding a sword, she made her way down only to be blocked by Meagan and Patricia, of course.
They had a do-or-die expression. "Your Excellency, you are not allowed to go."
"I insist." Shalei said impatiently. "They are unprepared and I have a hunch that the three heads is going to be bad news. Get away, Meagan, Patricia. I can take care of myself just fine."
"But—"
Shalei's eyes hardened. "This is an order."
The two women froze and Shalei seized the opportunity to zip past them straight down the stairs. It had been a long time since Shalei had run this fast. Her muscles were aching by the time she reached the first floor, Meagan and Patricia hot on her trail.
"Stay there!" Shalei threw that one sentence before she dashed out of the mansion.
Adrenaline coursed through her blood and she muted out the background sound to focus on the sight in front of her.
Above, the sky abruptly darkened. The golden hue amidst the clouds was gradually dissipating into darkness. Shalei tried to make her footsteps as light as possible as she raced across the woods, heedless of the twigs and branches that grazed her skin. The Infected had gotten closer than she had expected and they were cleverly using the slanting slope to hide their presence.
Shalei followed the source of the conversation to find four men, Sebastian included, engrossed in a conversation as they surrounded a twitching Infected.
"Seth!" Shalei shouted and Sebastian's head snapped to her, eyes widening in extreme shock. Shalei could even hear the questions that were running through his mind. The man subconsciously stepped toward her but Shalei frantically gestured at something behind him. "Watch out! Behind you!"
They finally noticed the hiding Infected and scrambled to position. "I told you not to throw the grenade so fast!" Someone shouted in chagrin. "Now I can't hear anything! Goddamnit, my life has just passed in front of my eyes!"
"Tell me again after you have your ass torn by them!"
"Shut up! Her Excellency is here!"
Now that the Infected had been noticed, they no longer hid and rushed out in a large mass of claws and fangs. Within such a close proximity, she could finally take a clear look on them.
They were even more horrifying up close; their eyes were wholly white and the uneven bumps on their skin was actually their skin that was sticking to their ribcage and inner organs, showcasing the way it jostled with every movement. Sparse fur dotted the skin on their backs. Not only that, their faces were also deformed with the lower half sticking out, numerous fangs peeking out of the obviously stretched out lips.
They were like half-human and half-beast, transforming into neither and stuck in between.
Another full blown fight was breaking out yet Sebastian's frame was standing still, his eyes zeroed in on her as she drew closer in full speed. What was this fool doing?! Couldn't he see that an Infected was looming up on him from behind?!
"Keep yourself… together!" Shalei burst out into a short sprint, her boots thumping on the ground as she latched onto Sebastian's shoulder as leverage to deliver a sharp flying kick to the Infected's chest. It was sent crashing to its companion behind. She directed a glare toward Sebastian in exasperation and raked her fingers through her messy hair. "Can't you focus on your surroundings for once?! You almost got your head crushed to pieces!"
Shalei could swear that as soon as she finished speaking, the fight around her halted for a split second before swiftly resuming again.
"That's right!" Someone piped in with a gleeful tone, whistling. "You shouldn't lose your mind just because there's a beauty in front of you, Sebby!"
Sebastian snapped a glare toward the voice's direction which the said person hastily added. "It's a compliment, Your Excellency! Please don't be offended and that was a magnificent kick, by the way! Speaking of it, can someone give me a helping hand here?!"
"No offense taken." Shalei held back a smile and unsheathed the sword. "Do you mind watching my back, Seth?"
"Why are you here." Sebastian deadpanned. Oops, he looked kinda…angry? And yeah, it seemed so. He didn't even bother to use the title which he liked so much.
Shalei turned sideways to give him the amused look. "Don't you think it's a bit too late to ask that question?" As she spoke, her eyes darted around the surroundings. She was searching for the three head Infected among the chaotic tussle. It had disappeared. Shalei's heart abruptly sank.
"Listen." She raised her voice so the other could hear as well. "I saw an Infected with three heads when I was on the rooftop. But now I can't find it."
"Damn it, three heads?!"
Sebastian leveled her a heavy stare. "...Are you sure?"
"Seth," Shalei replied, helplessly. "I wouldn't lie about something like this. It's… smart, smarter than the others in my short observation. It led the group here and taught them to use the slope to hide. That's why you guys didn't notice anything."
A series of curses exploded behind them.
"My apologies, Your Excellency." Sebastian deftly reloaded his gun. His eyes darted around the area in caution. Yet somehow, Shalei got the feeling that he was deliberately busying himself so as to not meet her eyes. "I didn't mean to doubt your words. Three headed Infected… are never seen before."
"I thought so." She sighed. "It is giving me a bad feeling."
"Stay close." That was all Sebastian said before the Infected swarmed onto them.