The Injury Conundrum

The Trost Incident Pt.1

He knew from experience that these titans were many meters high, even dwarfing many of the tallest buildings he'd known in Shingansina, yet from where he was they looked tiny. Almost harmless. As if he could simply reach out and squish them all between his fingers.

It was certainly a bit odd, and he could see how the Garrison could easily grow complacent in their positions, as it almost seemed unfathomable from here that these creatures could cause any type of damage to the massive city held within, but Eren knew better.

The vast expanse of destroyed cities ahead of him, an entire part of their civilization gone and lost at the hands and feet of the titans, the only thing left being partially destroyed houses and the faintest dusting of titan ash from when the cannons secured a lucky shot reminded him.

That being said, the view was still breathtaking, as he could see miles and miles in front of him as the vast land of buildings and forests filled his sight until they faded along with the clouds into the horizon, all blurring together.

It was...glorious, for a lack of a better word, and it made him sincerely regret the fact that he never had the chance to stand atop Wall Maria at the furthermost point of Shiganshina, as it would have allowed him to look out at the vast landscape that the walls had barred him from his whole life.

His birthright that had been taken within the grubby fingers of the titans and turned into nothing but bloodshed and destruction.

He'd see it one day though, a fleeting dream that had recently gained more and more traction as he realized the reality of his powers.

And so he continued to stare out into the horizon, simply admiring the view, the vast expanse that he'd be seeing up close and personal from now on, but for the moment upon a safe area, and Eren was reminded of a bird on a perch.

A small thing that he'd seen when he was younger, being sold by one of the many rich merchants when the expanded market came to town.

It had been a pretty little thing, all white feathers that would occasionally spike up into rich yellow plumage, forming what almost looked like a crown all made out of body and bone, and Eren would simply sit and stare at it. Stare until the merchant would see him and chase him off again, as he had no need for the poorer families of Shiganshina and was simply stopping by, and would listen to it speak.

This bird had everything it could want. Total protection, a pretty shelter, and a caretaker that would feed it and take care of it's every need only for one trade off, it's freedom.

Sometimes when one of the richer families came to buy he'd sit and watch as the man took the poor creature from its cage, placing it upon his arm or the stand to display its friendliness as it desperately flapped for freedom.

A child had once asked why the bird didn't just simply fly away, as it certainly had it within its abilities and would be free in no time, and the main explained that the bird's wings were clipped.

A small bit cut off that destroyed any chance it had to escape, but that wasn't the main reason it didn't try.

According to the man it had been raised sheltered all its life, never experiencing anything more than a slight discomfort, so when it tried to escape it would feel how hard it was to survive outside, how terrifying the world outside of its cage was and become scared. That way, no matter how far it wondered it would simply come running back to the safety of its owner, the one who provided everything for it. It's god, in a sense.

And so Eren thought, as he stood at the very edge of Wall Rose.

He thought about the bird, and humanity, and himself, stuck somewhere in the middle, currently unable to make much of a difference in anything, still bound to the expectations of his superiors.