Prologue
Fire.
Fire is the combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.
That is the scientific term for fire. For the two boys who walked amongst the flames, all they knew was that it burned and burned and burned.
The two boys were frail things, really. The blond one, with hazel eyes, could be considered the weakest out of the two boys. And his health was deteriorating as well. Many burn marks were etched on his face. His left eye closed due to the massive swelling. Pieces of wood were sticking out of his right leg, rendering him useless to walk. He was only able to make it this far because his friend was too stubborn to leave him.
The boy with brown hair and gray eyes practically carried the blonde boy. He was in far better shape than the hazel-eyed boy. Few burn marks were seen, the only indication that he had been walking through a fire was the soot and ash that covered his clothes and face.
Who was to blame for such a thing? Who had the heart to watch this blazing inferno as two helpless boys crossed it, trying to stay alive. Well, the answer is simple. Creatures that don't have a heart.
Titans.
That is what they called the abominations.
And humans were at their mercy. Tenfold for these boys who could do nothing but trudge along.
"J… Just leave me… already…" the blond barely manage to say, coughing and wheezing every chance he got due to the smoke.
"Are you insane!" Gray eyes fired back. "I am not leaving you behind! So just drop the topic!"
The sound of a large footstep was made.
*Thud*
"They're… They're getting closer… at this rate… both of us…" the blond boy couldn't continue, interrupted by his own coughing.
The boy with brown hair cursed their luck. This fire would have never had happened if the people didn't panic. All it took was one dropped lantern to spark this whole disaster.
*Thud*
The beast was getting close.
*Whirl… Zip*
The sound of someone using vertical maneuvering gear was made. Gray eyes looked up with a hopeful expression in them.
"What are you boys still doing out here?! The last train is about to leave! If we don't hurry, we'll be left behind!" A man with short blonde hair and hazel eyes landed next to the boys. He wore the typical Garrison uniform, symbolizing that he was a protector of the walls. Even if said walls were only 15 meters high and made out of wood.
"M-Mister Hannes! Please, you have to take Armin and get him to the train. Taking both of us will slow us down enough for that Titan to catch up!" The gray-eyed boy pleaded to the now named Garrison soldier.
The blonde, who was now identified as Armin, could only wheeze in protest, his vision already becoming dark.
*Thud*
The Titan had just turned the block, its mouth, slightly agape, smiling at its next meal.
Hannes stared at the damn thing with determination.
"You boys keep going. I'll slay that thing and make sure we all return to safety." He spouted off as he started running to the Titan, device in hand to prepare for a quick liftoff.
"No! Wait! You can't take that thing alone!" The boy with gray eyes yelled, but it was too late. Hannes had already engaged in combat with the Titan.
The two boys struggled along. Trying to put as much distance between them and the Titan. The boy with gray eyes looked back to see how Hannes was fairing.
And froze in shock.
The Titan had Hannes in its grasp. The lower half of Hannes' body was nowhere to be seen. And the Titan was slurping up his intestines like they were noodles.
The gray-eyed boy immediately dropped Armin to throw up. Of course, the only thing that came out was saliva and more stomach acid. The poor boy had already emptied his stomach more than once today.
The blonde, having regained his senses from the faceplant into the dirt, crawled his way to a nearby house. Leaning up against the wooden structure, he cast his gaze into his friend, then the Titan, then back to his friend.
"E… Er-"
"Don't talk!" The gray-eyed boy shouted as he wiped the saliva off his face.
"You have to conserve your ener-" the boy stopped as he turned to face his friend.
"Armin… put it down." The boy said cautiously, wide eyes expressed his emotions.
Armin held in his hand a broken shard of the blades that the Garrison use to cut Titan flesh.
*Thud*
He looked at the gray-eyed boy with a smile on his face.
"Please…"
*Thud*
"I want you… to fulfill my dream…"
*Thud*
"Let that… be your sole reason for living."
*Thud*
"Armin! Don't-"
*Thud*
Gray eyes opened upon being awakened from their slumber.
"That dream again, eh?" the owner of the gray eyes spoke.
'Has it really only been eight years since that day?'
*Thud*
That's right. The thing that had awoken him was drawing near.
With a sigh, the boy stood up on the branch that he had used to take his nap.
In one swift motion, he drew the blade from the scabbard that was attached to his back. With his sword in his right hand and his device for his vertical maneuvering gear in his left, he was prepared to face the threat.
*Thud*
"Are you the one that is known as 'The Jaeger'?" The 15-meter monstrosity spoke.
"You can speak… that means you have at least devoured more than a thousand humans, am I correct?"
"Heh, heh, heh," The Titan let out a cruel chuckle.
"Is not that the only way for us Titans to grow in power? We only wish to gain back our humanity. And the only way to gain it…
"Is to devour it."
"... Disgusting. Freaks like you should just crawl in a hole and die. You sure as hell wouldn't be missed."
"Oh? You sure can bark, little pup. But can you bite?"
In response to the taunt, the teenager flipped his hold on the sword, resulting in a reverse grip.
"Yes!" The Titan barked out as soon as the teenager jump from the tree, using his gear to maneuver around the Titan. "Show me your power, Jaeger!"
"Tsk." The teenager scoffed, as he dodged the hand that tried to swat him.
"Why does everyone call me that?" He said while he sliced a single eye out of the Titan as he flew by its head, completing a 180 turn in midair, and shooting a hook that embedded itself on the back of the Titan.
"My name is…"
The Titan roared out in pain as the effect of having his eye cut out registered.
"Eren Yeager!"
Edit: 2/22/2018
-Fixed false information
-Fixed a few misspells and grammar issues
I am not perfect. There is bound to be a few more mistakes that I missed.