The Cadet's Origin

Chapter Fourteen - The Forest

Kenna yawned as she put on her ODM gear. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before. Nightmares of what had happened that horrible day the walls fell kept flashing in her mind. Kenna knew exactly why the nightmares just wouldn't stop: it was time for them to start their training with ODM gear in earnest. Kenna walked with Sasha and Mikasa as they headed to the carts. Today, they would be taken to the middle of the forest. It was up to them to use their ODM gear to get back to the carts. Kenna got into the cart. They were riding with the group of boys they always hung out with: Eren, Armin, Jean, Marco, Reiner, Bertolt, and Connie. Krista, Ymir, Annie, and a few others were riding in the cart with them. As usual, Annie barely acknowledged anyone.

"Are you guys excited for today?" Krista asked.

"I wouldn't say I'm excited," Jean said as he stretched his arms over the side of the cart. "But I am happy that I can finally leave you all in the dust. It's going to be good to stretch my legs."

"Shut it, Jean," Eren grumbled. He looked even grumpier than usual.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Jean said. "You sad that Mikasa isn't going to be able to save your ass up there."

"Why..." Eren tried to fight.

"Stop it," Reiner silenced the fight. "It's early enough without having to hear you two going at it. Do us all a favor and either stop arguing or shut up."

Eren crossed his arms and looked away while Jean muttered to himself. Kenna wasn't as happy for the silence as the others were. As much as Jean's and Eren's fights annoyed her, it would have been a welcome distraction. Kenna closed her eyes and rolled out the kinks in her neck. She focused on what she did know. The steps of using the ODM gear kept replaying in her head. She was picking the tricks up easily on the training lines that were set up all around camp. Kenna always knew her place in her ODM gear and could always adjust to make it the most stable. The only thing that had her worried about today was that they were actually going to be in the air; on the training lines, they were never more than ten feet above the ground at a given time. Kenna pushed back the memories of the last time she was higher up in the air than that. The wagons began to roll out. Kenna felt a lump forming in her throat and her heart racing in her chest. Kenna picked at her nails as she looked to the dark landscape. She just hoped that her face didn't give too much away. Kenna didn't want to have to answer any questions about why she wasn't looking forward to today.

Luckily, it was too dark to really make out anyone's faces. Plus, most of the other cadets were basically falling asleep in the wagons. Those who managed to stay awake were all too caught up in their own excitement to pay any attention to her.

By the time they had gotten to the middle of the forest, the sun was fully in the sky. The wagons stopped in a place with lots of trees. Kenna could see old scraps from ODM gear on the bark. Everyone got out of the carts and waited for Shadis's instructions.

"It's time for your first real test of ODM gear mastery," Shadis said. "We have dropped you here in the forest. It is your job to find your way back by using your ODM gear in the trees. If you arrive to the wagons on foot for any reason other than a gear malfunction, your time at the Cadet Corps is over!" Shadis glared at all of them as he paced. "The military has no use for anyone who can't master the one thing that means the difference between life and death, do I make myself clear!"

"Yes, sir!" all the cadets shouted.

"I and a few others will be joining you to make sure that none of you maggots lie," Shadis said. "Any walking back to the wagons due to gear malfunctions must be approved by me!" He was silent.

No one moved. Everyone glanced nervously at each other. Kenna kept her eyes focused on the tree in front of her and her hands clasped behind her back. She clenched her fists. Kenna felt her nails dig into the skin of her palm.