My skin felt like it was burning. I let out a small yelp and open my eye's. I look around quickly to look at my surroundings. I was sitting on a tree branch next to Ymir.
"Y-Ymir..." I mutter. She looks at me then turns away without saying anything.
"Oh, your both finally awake." Reiner says. My head snaps to where his voice came from. He stood on a branch a few meters above our one with Bertholdt next to him.
I heard someone struggling on the other side of Ymir and leaned forward to get a glimpse of who it was. Eren was struggling to get his arms out of his cape by the looks of it. He free's his arms and steam comes out. He is missing both of his arms.
I quickly check myself to see if i'm missing anything. But. I'm not. My skin is bright pink and felt sensitive but I wasn't missing any limbs. "Huh?" I look up at Reiner again.
"Oi, why am I not damaged like them two?" I ask, glaring at him.
"Because when we take you home with us I don't want to get into any trouble with the Tyber's because your still regenerating." He reply's blankly.
'Tyber's? Who are they?'
"Tch, why are my arms missing then?" Eren demands.
Reiner turns to face him. "Oh, that's my bad. I was kind of in a hurry. So when I bit the nae of your neck, I forgot to account for your arms." He responds.
Erens head falls. "I see..." He utters sadly. "So... I lost, huh." I looks up at Reiner with a deadly stare. I keep my gaze fixed on Eren to see what he will do next. He lifts his arm up to his mouth and bites down on it.
"Eren, stop!" Bertholdt shouts at him. Ymir grabs Erens arm and bring's it back down to his side.
"Don't be so hasty, Eren. Take a good look around us." She says. I look down and see how high up we are. Is this the Forest of Giant Trees? There was Titans scratching at the tree below. "We're in a giant forest inside Wall Maria. This place is a long way away from the walls. That means we're deep in titan territory. Look down there." My eyes land on a Titan that's laying on the ground, it's hands behind it's head like a human. "I think that one on the ground is an Abnormal. It may not look like it's just lounging around, but it hasn't taken its eyes off us. And there are a lot of small ones down there. That alone is dangerous. Theres also another big one behind us there. It's staring at us, but not coming any closer. Guess it's a bit on the shy side." I look behind me to see a tall Titan, peeking it's head round the tree to look at us.
"And finally, we've got these two. Dirty bastards." She says putting a hand on my shoulder. "They're the only ones here with 3D maneuvering gear on. Reiner took Eren's gear when he was out cold, and Bertholdt took Ezlyn's but I can't remember when. At this point becoming Titan's isn't going to help the situation. Not only can they transform too, but they can escape into the treetops. And there's still the matter of all the Titans around us. Getting out of Titan territory alive is no easy task, even for us. Get it now? This isn't the time to charge into a fight." Ymir says reasonably.
I sigh and fall onto my back. I stare up at the leaves above that are swaying gently with the cool breeze.
"More importantly," Reiner starts. "You three can't even transform right now. So don't get any ideas. Your bodies are wrecked. Just repairing the damage is taking everything you've got."
"So that means I can't transform because my skin is burnt?" I sit up to look at him.
"Yes." He reply's. I fall back onto the tree, looking back up at the sky.
"Are you stupid? Why would I trust a goddamn thing you're saying?" Eren growls, anger and annoyance lacing his voice.
"Well... It's not like I know the detais of how this ability works. This is one of the things I'm pretty much clueless about, unlike you two. Hey, Reiner. You said you would talk once these two woke up. About just what it is that you two plan to do with us." Ymir asks them.
"Like I said to Ezlyn, we're taking you to our hometown. I know you don't want to cooperate with us, but Ymir was right about the number of Titans out here being dangerous. If we were to start battling right now, the other Titans would just come and eat us at the earliest opportunity. So we have no choice but to wait here until night, when the Titans can't move. Any escape plans you might be thinking up, as well as our plans to take you away, will have to wait until night." Reiner explains.
"Why didn't you just run all the way home as the Armoured Titan? What's the point of stopping here? Did you get tired and need a break?" Ymir inquires.
Reiner crosses his arms over his chest. "I'll leave that one up to yor imagination."
He says there is no possible escape route until nightfall, but why should I listen to a traitor like him. He and his stupid lanky friend took away my happiness within Wall Maria. My home, my friends, my sanity. Wait, he says we cannot transform because we have sustained injury's, but if I can produce flower's I can transform. I'll try bloom a small daisy and if it works Reiner was lying. I'll transform and wipe all those Titans out down there with a sword.
I hide my excitement and start creating a small flower from the palm of my hand. I cover my hand with my cape so he doesn't notice if anything happens.
"So are you just going to wait here until nightfall?" Ymir questions.
"Maybe I am." Reiner retorts, looking down on us. They won't wait that long, they'll seize us when we're still weak and take us.
I feel something happen to my hand. Like it's opening up. That means my plan is working and Reiner lied. I now need to talk to him about a random subject to keep him distracted.
"Hey, Reiner. You know how your Titan has the name 'Armoured Titan' and Bertholdts is the 'Colossal Titan', does mine have a name by any chance?" I ask him. He turns and looks at me.
"Yes it does infact. It's a very special Titan, one of the strongest. It's name is the 'Bloom Titan'. Not only is it powerful in Titan form, It enhances your senses in human form. Like your strength and creating flowers out of air. It is a hybrid between two Titans." Reiner explains.
"Huh? What's a hybrid?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.
"I can't tell you right now, but when we arrive at the destination I'll tell you."
"But didn't you say we were going to your hometown? You said you lived in Laio Village. Or was that another part of your deceptive act?" I inquire.
He scoffs. "'Deceptive act'? That stings, I was just trying not to get caught. Anyways, why are you acting like this?"
"You two are the reason why my best friends died. Your also the reason why Carla died aswell. I thought I had found my new mother!" I yell at him.
"Whos Carla?" Bertholdt asks. I hear Eren grunt.
"My mother, the one that was crushed by a piece of wall you, Bertholdt, kicked!" He snaps, standing up. "Are you fucking with us!?"
"Huh? Why are you getting angry, Eren? C'mon, aren't we both soldiers that trained together?" Reiner asks, putting his hand up.
"If you want to die so badly, say it outright!"
"Hold up you two. There has to be something going on here. Isn't that right, Bertholdt? If you know something about this, speak up already, would you?" Ymir says, putting her arms out in front of us.
Bertholdt has a sad look on his face."Reiner... You're not a soldier, remember? We're both actually warriors." He says in a low tone. I notice Reiners eyes widen and he starts hyperventilating. He looks scared, or shocked.
"Right... That's... how it is." He mutters and places his head in his hands.
"Huh. What's that mean?" Eren questions.
"I think I know whats going on with him. I thought it was strange. Why would one of the guys who broke the wall risk his life to save Connie? He doesn't even realize how much his actions contradict themselves. I can only guess how he ended up like that, but I bet. He started off as a warrior who came to break the wall, but after pretending to be a soldier for so long, he stopped being able to tell which identity was real." I look over at Reiner. "No... Maybe he couldn't handle the guilt of what he'd done, and in order to maintain his own sanity, he had to tell himself he was a soldier protecting the wall. And he believed it a little too much. That's how he ended up with lost memories and wavering loyalty. This can't be the first time Reiner has gone off the deep end. Bertholdt's expression gives it away. It's amazing really. How someone as honest as you managed to-"
"Shut up!" Reiner snaps, cutting Ymir off. "Shut your mouth." He looks up and glares at her. Ymir sits there dumbfounded.
"Sorry about that. I might've gone too far." She apologises, relaxing her features.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me. After all this, you're trying to play the victim? What exactly are you getting at? Way back then, why the hell did you let me confide in you? Tell me, Bertholdt. I'm talking to you, you damn lackey. I told you two about everyting that happened to me. About when I watched my mother get eaten alive." Anger seeth's through his teeth as Eren speaks. "Isn't that right? Since a piece of rubble from the gate you kicked in flew straight into my house, my mother couldn't get away from the Titans. You remember, right? I told you my story."
"And remember, that first time you looked at me, after knocking the ones dearest to me off the wall. You looked at me with confusion, as if you didn't know what you were doing was wrong! What the hell were you thinking when I told you about that, huh?" I shout at him.
"Back then... I... felt sorry for you both." He reply's nonchalantly.
"Oh... I see... You guys... You're both neither soldiers nor warriors. You're just murderers. You're mass murderers who killed countless innocnt people in cold blood!" Eren says in a dead voice, matching his face that was mortified.
"You think I don't know that!? I don't need you to point that out to me!" Reiner snaps, firing his hand out to the side as if he was trying to make a point.
"Then stop pretending like you're one of us! You can't even call yourselves human anymore! You're responsible for turning the world into a living hell! Do you understand that, you murderers!?" Eren screams back.
"What's the point of slinging insults now!? Do you want us to regret it? Do you want us to apologise!? Would that make you feel better? The people you thought we were don't exist! If you think screaming at us is gonna help anything, then go head and scream your damn head off!" Reiner yells at him in a threatening tone.
"That's right... I'm still... too naive. I just... have to keep fighting. I'm going to keep fighting to make sure you guys suffer the worst death imaginable. That's a promise." Eren smiles madly. He's lost it. But he's not the only one.
"I'm going to contribute to that promise as well," I say standing up. "Right now!" The small daisy that was in my hand turns into a long-sword and I grab the dagger out my boot and hurl it towards Reiner. He lifts his arm up to cover his face and the dagger goes right through his hand. His face remains expressionless and he doesn't wince at all.
"Put the sword down... Ezlyn." He says gravely. A shadow casts upon his face.
"Make me." I reply with venom lacing my tone. We all suddenly hear a distant gun-shot. I look to where the sound came from and a green flare was up in the sky. "Scouts..."
"Dammit!" Reiner curses, drawing his sword.
"Reiner. What are you right now?" Bertholdt panics, running up to Reiner and places his hands on his shoulders.
"Relax, I'm a warrior." Reiner says, brushing Bertholdt off his shoulder.
"You're a warrior and you want to trust Ymir? Isn't she the one who ae Marcel?" Bertholdt stammers. My gaze falls on Ymir who looks down at the ground.
"That's exactly why we can trust her. Her motives are simple. After becoming human again, she probably spent a long time living an aimless, selfish life. Until she met Krista. And as cute as Krista is, we have better reasons for wanting her on our side. Her family is affiliated with the Church. If it turns out neither Eren or Ezlyn isn't the Coordinate, we'll have to come back here again. If it comes to that, having Krista around will make the search much easier." Reiner says. Another flare came up and it was red; signalling a Titan sighting.
Crap, will they be okay?
"Reiner! Come down here and fight me!" I yell at him, thirsty for blood.
Bertholdt and Reiner look at eachother then nod. Reiner comes down from the branch and starts approaching me. "Don't resist, Ezlyn." He says.
"Never!" I lunge for him, ready to cut open his throat. But he dodges and I feel him chop the back of my neck and I instantly feel my consiousness slip away from me making me fall into a deep sleep.