EREN
The day was finally here, moments from now I would earn my wings of freedom as I rode out on my first expedition beyond the wall, and I was a bundle of nerves mixed in with excitement and fear at finally taking those first steps beyond the wall.
Everything we had been working toward this last month was finally going to pay off as we filed into Karaness District with our horses and wagons ready to depart from the outer Gate, but first things first, last-minute checks before the big push.
Coming to a standstill in the main street, the Commander and his section commanders went about their final preparations as we all stood by our horses ready to mount up when the Commander gave his signal, and it couldn't come soon enough.
It was time to take the fight to the Titans!
Too long had I waited for this moment, the moment when I would begin to exact my revenge on those murderous bastards for what they took from us. Today was the first step in taking it back once and for all and driving the monsters back to where they came!
"Here put these in your pockets." Aurora's hushed voice startled me from my murderous thoughts as she came up beside me with a large sack over her shoulder and two sealed bars in her hands which she was waving in my face. Pulling my eyebrows together in confusion, I took the bars from her freckled hands with no idea as to what she was giving me.
"Its ration bars" she laughed at my baffled face, "We will be stopping at some point so make sure you eat then. Can't save humanity on an empty stomach".
Why has she got a sack full of ration bars or more importantly, HOW?!
"Where did you get them all from?" I asked incredulously as she pulled the sack from her shoulder and pulled out more bars.
"I have my ways" Aurora winked before she gestured towards my jacket to stuff the bars in.
Man, she's not supposed to have those is she?
"Thanks" I laughed nervously as I stuffed the contraband into my inner pockets out of sight.
"Don't tell me you bribed the quartermaster again?" Rian quipped as he joined us and holding out the bars in her hand, Aurora shook her head at her brother as he too accepted the bars and stashed them in his pockets with a quick look around to see who was looking.
It's not like she is being discreet! She's lugging around the damn sack for god sake!
"I have never bribed him thank you, he just happens to like me." Aurora sassed as she dug back into the bag and pulled out more military issued food. Wait a second, is she talking about the same grumpy old quartermaster that supplies the scouts because I doubt that sour faced toad likes anyone never mind Aurora.
"Aha." Rian drawled as he peered in the sack and scoffed, "There are enough rations in that sack for half the platoon, how on earth did you get them all out here without being caught?"
Aurora pulled a childish face at her brother before she spotted something over my shoulder and smiled slyly.
"Oluo, think fast," Aurora called out as she threw a ration bar at Oluo's unsuspecting head. Snickers erupted around us as the bar bounced of Oluo's forehead and he scrambled to catch it before inspecting the wrapped block of food with a suspicious look on his face.
"You bribe the quartermaster again Aurora?" Eld mockingly condemned as he and Gunther came up behind Aurora and stuck their hands in the large sack, grabbing a handful of bars before they too quickly stuffed them in their jackets as Aurora swatted at them in scorn.
"I've told you already! Old Lowell thinks I'm great!" Aurora exasperated as she pointed a ration bar like a weapon at Gunther and Eld who both held their hands up to surrender.
"That best not be what I think it is Sparhawke!" Section Commander Miche's voiced rang through the small crowd that had gathered as he approached Aurora with an eyebrow raised, and I cringed as I waited for the inevitable ass-kicking she was about to receive.
"Not at all, sir." Aurora smiled mischievously as she lobbed another bar at Miche and catching the object, the tall man sniffed the bar before shrugging and stuffing the rations in his pocket as he moved on without hauling Aurora's ass over the coals like he damn well oughta.
As if she just got away with that!
"Oooh, thanks" Petra cooed, drawing my attention back to Aurora and her smuggling circle.
"See that's the appropriate response." Aurora chided as she gestured to Rian and Eld, "Your very welcome Petra, here have another one for such good manners."
Aurora tossed another bar to Petra before she stuck her middle finger up to Rian and Eld, making both men burst out laughing as she moved off with her sack like she was a gift-giver during the holiday.
She sure is in a good mood, in fact I haven't seen her this happy and hopeful in the last 5 years combined!
"Heeey!" Oluo complained as he followed Aurora and her bag of ration bars towards where Armin, Jean, Bertholt, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha and Reiner were gathering in preparation with their horses.
"You nervous?" Rian asked as he moved next to me and watched with amusement as Aurora was swamped by Sasha and her never-ending appetite.
"Itching for action," I swallowed nervously though I tried my best not to show it.
"That's not what I asked" Rian scoffed as he ruffled my hair with his bare hand and the hairs on the back of my neck shot up on edge.
********
Steam began to rise over the rubble as the last of the Titans fell to their death, and Armin, Mikasa and Rian furiously scrambled over boulders and debris in search of mismatched Grey and Green eyes and wild red hair.
"AURORA!" Rian bellowed as they all searched frantically for his twin sister, though she was nowhere to be found.
"SHES OVER HERE!" Armin's voice boomed, and Mikasa and Rian took off in the direction his voice had come from. Slipping and sliding, Rian battle his way over rocks and steaming Titan limbs to where Armin stood pointing, his face drawn in concern and as he made his way over to where he was standing it was easy to see why.
Not ten feet away, Aurora was knelt upon the ground clutching a severed arm bearing the wings of freedom to her chest as her whole body shook with her quiet sobs of anguish.
"No..." Rian lamented as he slowly made his way over to Aurora, tears springing to his eyes and falling to his knees before her, Rian gently pulled the limb from his sister's hands and carefully placed it on the floor like it was the most precious thing in the world before pulling Aurora into his arms and breaking down.
One by one, the surviving scouts came to stand and bear witness to the mournful cries of two of their own, some had tears in their eyes, others had faces of cold rage for their comrades' pain.
"There was nothing we could do" Connie whimpered as they all watched the redheaded twins comfort each other in their heart-breaking grief.
*******
Why does this keep happening?! What the hell am I seeing!? Why were they crying!?
Am I going mad?
"Rian!" Aurora called out, snapping me back into the now, "Come give me a hand with this!"
"What?" Rian shook his head dazed before looking down at me with a strange expression, "I just had the weirdest feeling" He informed me before he ran his hand through his messy strawberry blonde hair and shook himself.
"Rian! Today!" Aurora called out again as she gestured to Jean's horse whose saddle wasn't buckled up correctly and nodding to himself, Rian moved off as in a daze as he headed towards Aurora who was struggling to correct the saddle, cursing loudly.
Did he see something too?
"Mount up!" The Commander ordered, and everything kicked into gear as people ran for their horses and mounted before moving into their units.
Moving my black stallion into the centre of the Levi squad, I was flanked on all sides by the best Titan killers than had ever lived. Captain Levi was the tip of the spear with Rian to his left flank, Aurora to his right, Oluo and Petra had their back and Eld and Gunther had theirs, all positioned to ensure my safety in the heart of the unit.
"Titans in the vicinity have been lured away! Gate opens in 30 seconds!" a Garrison officer shouted down from above the wall and the atmosphere shifted again to one of anticipation as I leaned forward in my saddle eager for it all to begin.
"Awesome it's the scouts!" a kid's voice cried out in excitement, and I turned to see a little boy and even smaller girl peering up at us from the open window of their house, eyes alight with awe.
"See that symbol they call it the wings of freedom." the boy gushed.
"So cool." the girl giggled, and my eyes softened as I watched them, it seemed like a lifetime ago I was the one watching the scouts with wonder just as those children were doing now.
"You were exactly like that, just far less cute." Rian joked with fondness and Aurora scoffed in amusement as she too looked to the children with kind eyes.
"This is it; the day has come for humanity to take another step forward!" Commander Erwin bellowed, and my heart leapt in my chest, "Now let's show those Titans exactly what we are made of!"
The answering battle cry of the scout regiment sent chills down my spine as the feeling of hope spread like wildfire amongst them, we were ready.
"Open the gate!" A garrison guard commanded and the smiles of Aurora and Rian, my brother and sister, vanished and Aurora and Rian, the scouts, took their place with a fierce determination.
This is it!
"Forwards!" Commander Erwin commanded, and we all kicked our horses into action "It has officially begun! The 57th recon mission! Scouts move out!"
My heart began to slam against my ribs as the entrance of Wall Rose got closer and closer and before I could even remind myself to breathe, we had entered the dark tunnel and emerged to the blinding light illuminating the ruins of the once-thriving wall settlement by Karaness Gate. Gulping in air, I tried to calm my nerves as we pushed further away from the fleeting safety of Wall Rose.
"10 meters closing in from the left Captain!" Aurora hollered as both her and Rian's head snapped to the left and there, true to her word, barreling towards us from the far end of the ruined street, a massive Titan flung its arms around in excitement at the meal we presented.
"Let the support squad handle it" Captain Levi ordered, and Aurora nodded as she tightened her hands on her reigns and hunkered down over her horse.
The zipping of ODM gear shot above us as two soldiers intercepted the Titan's path and engaged it in combat. With one solider distracting the big bastard, the other swung behind it and dug his blades into the monsters neck, but the Titan didn't fall.
"That was too shallow" Oluo grit out, his eyes on the giant Titan as it rocked back and forth on its heels before steadying itself.
"Sasha! Eyes front, their job is to handle it yours is to keep moving!" Rian commanded from his saddle as Sasha openly wailed in terror at the Titan swatting at the scouts flying around its head.
"Forward, ride for all your worth!" the Commander urged as and the column of riders picked up their pace and we pulled away from the shadow of Wall Rose. We would be breaking off as soon as we cleared the ruins and unlike me, my friends would have to go out on their own in full-blown Titan country. I glanced around at each one of their faces as I wondered how many of them would be coming home once the mission was over.
"Loaded question but be straight with me," I asked, dreading the answer"Do you think my friends have a shot at taking down a titan?"
"Really?" Oluo scoffed "I should certainly hope so otherwise what the hell have they been training for."
Most had been training for the MPs not the scouts.
"They will be fine Eren. Aurora and I have seen them training, they're solid." Rian reassured me as he rocked his body in time with his horse's movements.
I hope he is right.
"Now listen and listen well" Oluo commanded, ready to give me a good talking to, "Time to become a scout, that means you have to choke back those fears and-" Oluo gagged as his teeth slammed down into his tongue and blood squirted from his mouth.
He clearly learned from last time.
"Long-range formation, let's go!" the Commander ordered, and the front units began to separate, leaving a daunting vast open space ahead.
"Be safe, use your flares and keep your eyes open!" Aurora called out to Armin, Jean and Reiner as their section began to break off, her eyes severe and tense.
"Yes ma'am" they all saluted, and Aurora gave a stiff nod of her head before turning forward again.
"Good luck!" Rian waved to Sasha, Connie, Bertholt and Mikasa as they kicked their horses into a full canter and moved to take their positions in the formation.
Give em hell!
"Do us a favour, if you run into one of them don't piss yourself!" Jean shouted to Armin as he too broke off from the central column.
Yeah, make sure you do the same horse face!
"Yeah, same goes for you!" Armin called out before he pulled his horse away and slowly disappeared from sight.