Attack On Fairytales

Beautiful Beast

Eren

Ever since he was young, Eren had been interested in reading books because of his brother Armin, they would enjoy reading by the lake instead of picking fights with other kids like Mikasa does.

"You two are guys yet you prefer reading pictureless books?" Mikasa would often say and they would ignore her since they were busy, sometimes they'd go to the forest to gather firewood and Eren would always pretend he was flying, running around as if he has were wings.

Mikasa would laugh at his imagination, but she didn't mean to insult, she just found him funny. Armin would join in which made Mikasa join as well and they'd run around pretending they were birds.

One day, as they got home, Eren's father was already packing his tools, it seems that he's on his way to another patient. But before he left he asked them of anything they might like to have "I want books! New ones!" Armin said "Let me guess, you read all afternoon?" Grisha laughed.

"No, we flew!" Eren said "Really? And how high did you reach?" Grisha laughed, playing along, even Carla giggled at the sight. "Eren reached the river, actually he landed straight to it!" Mikasa laughed and Eren was red with anger.

"I told you not to tell them!" He pouted "Then Eren, how about I buy you a pet bird when I get back?" Grisha said and Eren was delighted "What about you Mikasa?" Grisha asked.

"I want a sword"

.........

However, weeks, months and years had passed and the books, the bird, and the sword never came. Eren, Mikasa and Armin waited and waited, but the door never opened. And their father never returned.

"We have to find him!" Eren said "No Eren, we need to work, we barely have enough money to buy food for next week!" Mikasa said "But what about father?!" Eren raised his voice "Eren!" Carla said in a sad voice. Eren knows his father is gone, but he doesn't want to accept it.

"For now, I could look around to see if there are jobs at the market, you two need to get what you can find and try to sell them" Mikasa said "Huh?! Sell them? We're not selling anything!" Eren said "We'll starve if we don't!" Mikasa said.

Finally, Armin spoke up "I... I could sell my books..." he said "Armin no! You treasured those books!" Eren said "I still do Eren, I read them countless of times but I never get tired of the adventures, the romance, the tragedies, the amazing worlds written on paper, and I'm sure the person who will read them will feel the same" Armin said

"Armin..." Eren was outnumbered, he decided to agree and sell some of his books as well, but he hid one in his bag. It was his favorite, and he will not let anyone else have it.

Armin was tasked with taking care of their mother while Mikasa looks for a job and Eren goes to the neighboring village to sell the books.

He rode his horse and set out on his journey to the next village, his mother packed him with some bread and a flask of wine, when he was out of sight, he slipped out his book and began reading along the journey.

Due to his distraction, he got lost and found himself in a strange part of the countryside, blinded by the dark, tired and hungry, he sought for shelter. He had already eaten the bread and drank the wine. There was none left.

He urged his horse forward, hoping to find the edge of the forest since there was no sense in turning back to the path he couldn't remember. And to make things worse, it started to rain.

A flash of lightning illuminated an ornate set of gates, overgrown with ivy. He decided to stay there for the night, he pushed the gates open and squeezed through with his horse. The stables were dry and clean, so he left his steed and went to the main house to beg for shelter.