judas | armin arlert

chapter 12 | war chief

Juliet sighs in relief at the idea, "Yeah. That sounds nice." In the quiet moment, the wind whispered softly through the air, its gentle caress stirring the stillness.

The sudden rumble below them interrupts their moment of peace. Bertholdt and Juliet get up and run to the other side. Their eyes were met with the Beast Titan making its way up the wall, clawing at its pillars to make his way higher. As soon as Zeke hits the top, he rests his Titan right next to them and exits the Beast. The steam leaves surround him as he appears from the nape.

Simultaneously, Reiner was climbing up the walls with Ymir on his back.

"Why the hell are you naked?" Juliet speaks first. Her eyes are furrowed in a certain disgust, "And when did you get so old?"

"Guess you've grown to have quite the attitude, huh?" Zeke takes his glasses off to wipe them off with a cloth he pulls from his pocket. He jumps down, letting the Beast evaporate behind them.

"Is this the Founding?" Zeke looks over at Ymir. She keeps quiet by Reiner's request.

"No," Reiner says, "This is the current holder of the Jaws Titan."

"Excuse me?"

"It's complicated, sir. She was one of the mindless Titans we encountered on our way to the walls. She was resting in the ground and well—" Reiner is cut off by Zeke.

He lets out a chuckle making Reiner stop talking. Juliet feels chills run up her spine, "What a pity. And you didn't come running back? Who's bright idea was it to keep going without Marcel?" Ymir gets an understanding of why Reiner asked her to keep quiet. However, she is enjoying seeing Reiner so uncomfortable.

Reiner avoids eye contact, letting the sweat falling from his forehead do the talking. Bertholdt and Juliet, in a silent agreement, stay quiet as well.

"War Chief," A deep voice is heard from below the walls.

"What the hell is that?" Ymir whispers as she sees a Titan crawling on all fours. The Cart Titan, held by Peick, stands out for its quadrupedal form, resembling a massive beast with a body structure reminiscent of a cart or a beast of burden. It has a low profile compared to other Titans, with a long, streamlined body and powerful limbs that allow it to move swiftly on all fours. Its face features a more elongated snout compared to other Titans, giving it a somewhat animalistic appearance.

Despite its somewhat unassuming appearance, the Cart Titan possesses a large saddle on its back to carry cargo and to be equipped with supplies, armor, and weapons. Currently, Pieck holds an empty saddle, perfect for carrying the Warriors captive.

"That's your ride," Juliet says quietly enough for only Ymir to hear.

"Pieck. Bring this girl to the ship and tell them to send her out immediately. She has the Jaws Titan," Zeke gives instructions to the Cart Titan, "I'm sure Commander Magath will have a joy seeing this."

"Yes, sir," the low voice of the titan responds. Without instruction, Bertholdt assists Ymir to the Cart, grabbing her swiftly before scaling down the walls.

"Tch. All these years and this is what you report back," Zeke looks at the two in shame, "And where the hell is Annie? Did you idiots lose her too?"

"Her identity was unraveled," Juliet says nervously, "We have reason to believe she's been captured and possibly being tortured for information."

"I think we should work to get her back before anything," Reiner suggests, "Annie is one of our strongest. Fighting without her would be a mistake. And if it's true that they are torturing her–"