Attack on Titan: Revelations

Old Friends

2 Months Later, Age 16

James: Section Commander! Another messenger is coming!

I looked tiredly up from the maps and letters on my desk lit by the lantern and candles I had lit. Outside torrential rain and strong wind battered the coast of Paradis in the late night, soaking all of my soldiers on watch duty whilst the others slept. I had looked over at my clock I had brought with me and saw it was gone 8pm, I rubbed my eyes and yawned before throwing my pencil away in frustration. This had been what must have been the 8th message this night, ever since I was alerted to a Marleyan landing party I had sent and been sent many messages from various other scouting detachments regarding current events and the Marleyan's whereabouts.

The messenger came in with her taking her hood down and withdrawing a letter from her satchel, I could see she was one of the newer recruits we had taken on. She was soaking with cold rainwater and her hair looked dishevelled. She handed me the later hastily whilst shivering, it couldn't be easy to ride and deliver messages in this weather at night time. I looked at her sympathetically before opening the letter and reading it, moving back to my desk and sitting on it as I did.

Y/n,

The Marleyan force was taken by surprise and captured with no violence, the boat they used is drawing closer and we have dispatched Eren 5 miles down the coast to transform and swim around to take them by surprise. We plan to negotiate first however and I want all senior officers present at this negotiation, your expertise about Marley may be useful. Please come at once to the forward scouting HQ.

Erwin.

Sighing, I stood up from my desk and placed the later in my letterbox before walking to my coatrack and donning my scout cloak. I fastened it tight and turned to look at my lieutenant, James, and the messenger who had just come.

Y/n: James you're in charge of the command tent until I get back, I know you don't outrank him but if for any reason another Marleyan force somehow arrives make sure Floch doesn't overdo it with them. Tell him that's an order from me if he objects. Messenger if you have no further orders from your superior then you're welcome to rest at this camp for the night.

I had my horse brought to me out of the stables we had erected before I rode through the now lightly drizzling rain towards the west, where the others waited for me.

It had been so tiring, for the last two months we had been waiting and erecting watchtowers, small camps like the one I commanded and other facilities like the main fort by the coast for the military to use. The garrison had been hard at working engineering compact dirt roads for us to use, leading between these facilities and the walls themselves which were now only a day's ride away. We had been seeing Marleyan forces skirt around the island and other ships from other nations, military or commercial in this time although recently it tended just to be Marleyan. Up until now they hadn't come any closer so I was completely shocked when I had heard an hour prior from Erwin that a forward reconnaissance team of Marleyan's had been spotted landing on the island. This troubled me, if Marley was landing they must be sure they could win with such a small force but apparently, they had been easily captured...

Y/n: What are you playing at?

After 15 minutes of riding I turned a corner through the hills to see many bright lights between hundreds of tents and a few watchtowers and a tall stone wall enclosing the encampment down in the valley. It was the fort the military's engineers from all branches had created for the purpose of having a main coastal encampment for Paradis and this also served as the main forward operating base for the scouts which was manned year-round by garrison soldiers. Beyond that, about a mile to the east the sea gleamed in the pale moonlight and a small Marleyan ship could be seen just off of the rocky coast. I frowned in a mixture of confusion and annoyance.