Shorter Than Me

6 Ecyn

"Why is Commander Erwin there?" I ask. The commander is standing with the instructors at the stables. It's a sunny day with barely any clouds in the sky.

"He's assessing the cadets individually for the next several days," Briine answers. "You didn't know?"

"How do you know?" I ask.

"Captain Zebbo told me."

"My instructor told me too," Dren adds.

"That explains it. Captain Levi never tells me anything," I grumble.

"It seems like he's working you too hard. You almost fell asleep at dinner last night." Dren sounds concerned.

"I guess he is. But when we're fighting titans, they won't let us rest, so why should he?"

"Captain Levi isn't a titan," Dren points out. "And we're not fighting titans right now."

Oh my gosh! Levi would be the shortest titan shifter ever!!!!! I want Levi to be a titan shifter!!!!!!! Pleaseeeeeee!!!!!!!

"I know. I just... I don't know."

As we near the commander, we form almost a straight line and salute him until he says, "At ease." He keeps talking. "For the next several days, I will be spending a day with each of you to assess your skills."

I can't help glancing quickly at Captain Levi. He's looking straight at me, so I look back at the commander.

"Today, I will assess cadet Lenden Corr. The rest of you will go with your regular instructors." He turns to Lenden, who steps forward. This sets the rest of us off to our own instructors, and I shoot a reassuring glance to Lenden before approaching Captain Levi.

"We're not going to get horses today." He tells me. We walk to get maneuver gear.

"Sir?" I say.

"Yes?" He doesn't look at me, just keeps walking.

"Why didn't you tell me the commander was going to assess us, sir?"

"It wasn't necessary. It would have made you more nervous and hindered your learning."

"When am I going to be assessed, sir?"

"Tomorrow."

Tomorrow? So soon? Am I ready?

We put the maneuver gear on and run to the forest. I'm way behind him, as always, and he keeps running in the trees. We run for a while until he decides it's time to activate the 3DMG. He goes up to the middle height. I face him.

"Clearly you aren't understanding what I'm trying to get you to do."

"Sorry, sir."

"So you're going to try something different."

"Yes, sir?"

His face stays in it's normal blank expression, even though what he says is too crazy to be real. "Save me." He starts falling and my heart stops.