A/N: Hey there folks. First off let me say thanks for taking the time to check out my fic and give it a read. I wholly appreciate you giving it your time and I hope you enjoy it! I do also wish to make it clear that me starting this new fic does NOT mean that I have discontinued work on my other fic, "Unbroken". It's still very much in production, but this is something I've really wanted to do for a while now. Also, this fic is currently rated "T", but I do recommend that you select to "Follow" it just in case I decide (or am forced) to change it to "M". That way you don't end up losing it. Thanks again for taking the time to read!


"Eren! Eren you need to get up, right now!"

The twelve-year-old boy awoke with a fright to the frantic screaming of his mother, already dragging him out of his bed and pulling him by the arm in a haste towards the door of his bedroom.

"Mom? What…what's going on? I don't understand! What are you doing?!" Eren asked as he was pulled along, his bare feet plodding along the wooden floor of his room as he simply tried to gain his bearings. Less than a minute ago he was fast asleep in bed, and now he was forcibly getting tugged away by his highly panicked mother while wearing only his beige pair of linen pajama pants. His confusion quickly began to be replaced by fear once he heard a bloodcurdling scream emanating from outside of his home; when he turned his head to try to look out of a window they were passing, he could see flames dancing in the distance where a house once was in his village.

"There isn't any time to explain anything Eren! We just have to leave right now! It's not safe here, but I am not going to let anything happen to you or Mikasa!"

It was only then that Eren realized his adopted sister was already awake and seemingly waiting for their mother to return with him in tow while she stood by the back door of their modest home. Apparently she was also not afforded the time to get properly dressed, wearing just a plain black undershirt, a pair of white bed shorts, and the red scarf he'd given to her as a present when she came to live with them. Her fear was just as evident to Eren as his mother's was, despite her expressing it much differently. There was no shouting or impassioned action, but he knew Mikasa well enough to sense it all the same. Her dark eyes were almost as large as the full moon itself that hung up in tonight's sky, her breaths came in sharp and quick succession, and ever so slightly was she trembling where she stood. As much as she tried to keep it hidden, it was to no avail in this situation.

"Let's go! Out the door! Both of you, get into the back of the cart and lay flat on your stomachs! Keep yourselves hidden under the tarp and stay there until I tell you to come out! Understand?" Carla, their mother, instructed them as they bolted out of the door and into the backyard; leaving it hanging wide open on its hinges while they rushed away from it and towards their apparent vehicle of escape. It was the wooden, four-wheeled cart that they used to take goods to and from the village market. It was quite a simple thing, but it was going to have to do; it was all they had to make their getaway in.

They lived near the center of the village, which fortunately meant that whatever was besieging it and laying it to ruin would have to take a bit of time to progress through towards them. A crier had come running through shortly after the attacks started, hoping to give some of the townsfolk enough time to flee before it was too late. Carla had made use of those extra minutes to get both of the family's horses harnessed in front of the cart; they were by no means thoroughbreds but she prayed that they were capable enough to get them all to safety.

Eren and Mikasa spoke not a word as they hastily followed their mother's orders and clambered up into the back of the cart; lying down flat on their fronts as they'd been told and pulling the tarp forward so that it covered the whole top of the cart and kept them concealed. It also prevented them from being able to see anything transpiring around them, which was likely for the best if the screams and chaos echoing all around them were any indicator. Carla meanwhile has climbed up into the driver's seat at the front of the cart, waiting for her son and adopted daughter to be fully hidden beneath the tarp before gripping the reins in her hands and giving the pair of horses the command to start walking.

It thankfully doesn't take much effort to get them moving and out of the yard, but Carla can sense their reluctance once they reach the cobblestone road leading through the village. With all the commotion and unfamiliar noise swirling around, there's a good chance of the docile animals being spooked and unsure of themselves. She gives them a bit more motivation to progress with her heart beating rapidly in her chest, and to her minor relief it seems to do the trick as they trot out forward and onto the road. The cart jostles around somewhat as it transitions from grass and dirt to the even but segmented cobble of the street. The downside to living this close to the heart of the village is that it means there is no quick means of fleeing. They will just have to follow along the road until it reaches its end, and then travel until they find shelter in one of the nearby towns or hamlets. That is, provided that they're still there and weren't already felled prior to this one being attacked.

One glance to the left was all that was needed for Carla to guide the horses in the opposite direction; the plumes of smoke and greater density of terrorized screams serving to ward away anyone hoping to get out that way. It was unfortunately the more direct route to take the road out through the south, but going east would not take much longer. She only hoped they'd be able to make it to safety in time.

"Mikasa…do you know what's going on?" Eren asked his sister now that he had been able to take a minute and catch up with everything that was occurring, hoping that she had more information than what little he did glean for himself during the haste to get out of bed and into the cart. His voice was a whisper that could only just be heard over the din of whatever was taking place outside, plus the rumbling of the cart as it moved at brisk speed along the bumpy cobblestone.

"No…I don't know." Was the only response that she could muster, coming even more quietly with her mouth partially covered by the scarf she had around her neck. She gripped onto the fabric tightly within her fingers, hoping it would bring her some comfort during this ordeal like it had many nights in the past. It wasn't working very well, exactly, but strangely it still made her feel better knowing that she had it with her…and that Eren was here. As if on cue, she felt one of his hands grasp onto one of hers, and it made her breath momentarily catch in her throat.

"It'll be okay…we're going to make it out of here. I promise." Eren said to her with conviction in his voice that took on a reassuring quality. Mikasa could tell that he wasn't just saying it to make her feel better either; he truly believed that they were going to make it through this in one piece. His spirit was one of the things she admired most about him. She didn't need to say anything back. Eren knew his words had had their intended effect merely by feeling his sister squeeze his hand back.

The cart lurched sideways just a bit as Carla took another turn in the road in an effort to get out of the village as quickly as possible. This pathway wasn't meant for horses to be traveling through at high speeds, let alone a whole cart, so it wasn't the simplest of tasks to maneuver through town and she was unable to move as quickly as she would have liked to. Her grip on the leather reins tightened as she heard a shrill scream that ended abruptly, followed closely by a wicked snarl. The morbid sounds were far too close for comfort, and the realization came that the monsters were making swift progress. What little militia they had must have completely fallen. She couldn't help but wonder how many of them had chosen to save their own hides and flee instead of defending the citizens. She couldn't even bring herself to blame them if they did; they were not equipped to fight against something like this.

Up ahead she spotted something moving in the distance. It was difficult to tell for certain with the fog of night and the smoke being cast over the village, but the outline most definitely did not appear to be one of man. Without thinking she yanked back strongly on the reins, causing the horses to rear back in agitation and let out a pair of loud whinnies as they were forced to halt so abruptly. If anything it only served to catch the attention of the creature that she was now faced with. Slowly, almost methodically, it began to make its way towards the now immobile horses and cart. Carla cursed furiously under her breath at her mistake as she frantically tried to kick the horses back into motion. They heeded, but by the time they had begun to get back up to speed, it was already upon them.

One of the horses was cut down almost immediately by a set of claws slicing its way through its entire right side, ripping through organs and spilling blood copiously onto the street where it fell. The second horse reacted to this with panic, desperately bucking to try breaking free from its harness and only succeeding in toppling the cart over onto its side with the imbalance of weight. Carla was thrown hard onto the ground while Eren and Mikasa tumbled roughly into the wooden wall of the cart, although the tarp remained attached and kept them concealed.

"Mom!" Eren exclaimed after shaking off the blow, starting to scramble forward in an effort to break out of the cart and help his mother, but felt his leg grabbed by Mikasa. "Urrggh! Let me go! I have to help mom!" He cried out in protest, but to no avail.

"She put us in here for a reason Eren! To keep us safe! She wants you to stay in here!" Mikasa replied, trying to talk sense into her adoptive brother while continuing to tug back on him to prevent him from leaving and going outside to a near certain death. Eren didn't want to hear it, didn't want to accept it, but it was of no use either way. Thanks to the way they fell when the cart flipped over, there was no way for him to untangle himself from Mikasa and break away from her hold. His fingernails clawed into the wooden boards beneath him, and he felts tears well in his eyes as he was rendered unable to do anything but wait.

Carla meanwhile had managed to pick herself back up and retreat for momentary cover by ducking into a nearby alleyway. She crouched down against the wall of one of the buildings and peeked out to try to get a view of the beast that wished to lay her to waste. She couldn't spot it from her angle, but she could hear the surviving horse neighing in pain and fear as it lay on the ground still trying to free itself. Its suffering was ended in short fashion, as she heard teeth rip into its equine flesh with a victorious growl. With a heavily trembling hand, she reached to her side and unsheathed the iron dagger as her only means of self-defense. With only this, she had no chance of slaying the beast, but she hoped she could at least hinder it enough to run off once it was finished with her. As long as Eren and Mikasa stayed safe.

Gathering all of the courage she could muster, she stood back up and took measured steps out of the alley and back onto the street. As if it had been waiting for her, the beast strode around on all fours from the opposite side of the cart to meet her. Its fur was the dull color of charcoal, and its eyes were a piercing yellow. Its silver claws and white fangs were stained red from the blood of the horses it had already mauled. There was no doubt about what this monster was: a lycan.

A werewolf.

Even on four legs it stood nearly five-feet tall, and now here it stood in front of her, ready to pounce. The beast began to walk towards her, apparently in no hurry to dispatch of its nearly helpless prey. Carla wondered if it was toying with her as she responded by taking steps backward, holding the dagger pointed outward towards the werewolf and searching for an opportunity to strike at it. She figured that going for the eye would be her best bet, but that required skills and reflexes that she likely did not possess. All she could do was wait for it to make the first move, and hope to evade it while doing minor damage in response.

Eren and Mikasa froze in fear as they both heard the low, rumbling growl emanating from mere feet outside of the cart. They couldn't be sure what manner of monster had stopped them in their tracks, but they both had their suspicions. Only now did Eren begin to falter in his faith.

"You won't take me…I won't be killed by a mongrel the likes of you. Come on…let me stake this dagger in your fiendish heart." Carla sternly told the werewolf that was backing her down, refusing to show it fear even while knowing that this is where she would die. All she wanted was for her sacrifice to not be in vain; for it to mean that her children could continue to live. If she could just hamper this beast enough then—

She was caught off-guard when it did finally leap at her, not expecting it to move with such speed. She attempted to raise her arm up and stab with the dagger, but she instead found her forearm pinned against her chest and her wrist awkwardly twisted thanks to the weight of the lycan bearing down upon her. Its heated breaths were repulsive upon her neck and face, and she squirmed underneath it in the slim hopes of being able to wriggle herself free. She didn't have the necessary strength however, and she quickly came to terms with this being her end.

"Blessed be my soul and blessed may it remain in the next world…Mother grant me salvation and watch over my kin." She gasped out while struggling to breath, reciting the beginning to the universally known Prayer of Grace to the heavenly Mother; requesting transcendence into the afterlife and guidance for those closest to you. "Mikasa…Eren…" It became harder to breathe with the wolf pressing down upon her chest, and then she felt its claws pierce into her to finally make her succumb. With her dying breaths, she managed to transfer the dagger into her opposite hand, and drive it upwards into the vulnerable underbelly of the beast that had claimed her life.

It let out a howl of unexpected pain as it felt the cold iron plunge into it from below, causing it to retract its claws and jump backwards off of the woman it had just killed. It could feel its own blood beginning to seep out, although the wound itself was very minor. The regeneration power that lycans possessed would heal the injury within the next couple of minutes. It was free to move on and continue cutting down anyone who attempted to flee from the village that its pack was laying waste to. It began moving forward, leaving the cart and the carcasses along with it, but paused after picking up a scent in the air that it had not noticed before.

Turning back around, its yellow eyes came to rest on the toppled cart. There was no mistaking that this previously undetected presence was coming from within – something living nonetheless. It licked its own lips savagely with its tongue at the thought of more to dine on; and more to kill. Slowly it approached, remaining cautious just in case whatever or whoever was inside decided to launch some kind of ambush effort. The beast stopped in its tracks once it was only a few feet away from the cart and the source of the scent, taking stock of the target and preparing to use its claws to rip through the covering. Suddenly there was more in the air. This new presence was distant, but rapidly getting closer. After seconds the smell was joined by sound; the sound of several sets of horseshoes banging along the cobblestone road from the direction of the village boundaries.

The creature thought it best to turn tail and flee before the reinforcements could arrive, but as it tried to make its own escape it felt something pierce into its hindquarters that dropped it in place. Turning its head around to look back, it spotted the shaft of the arrow sticking out from its own body, and through the smoke and fog saw the armored soldiers on horseback bearing down on it. It struggled to get back up onto all fours, but found itself severely weakened by the new injury it had sustained. By the time it finally did manage to arise, it took two steps before it was ran through by the sharpened silver blade belonging to one of the riders.

"Go! I'll catch up!" Called the rider who had impaled and slain the werewolf, pulling his horse off to the side so his companions could continue their press into the town to repel the lycan horde while he retrieved the sword that he had stuck into the foul beast. He dismounted and walked over to hound's corpse, his eyes catching sight of Carla's body lying on the ground only a few feet away. "Son of a bitch…just a couple minutes faster. Maybe we could have saved her." He muttered to himself as he grabbed the hilt of his weapon and slid the blade back out; the gleaming silver now covered in blood and other viscera.

As he was about to turn back around to get back onto his white steed, he heard a thump come from inside of the wooden cart which had been overturned on the side of the road. Approaching it, he kept his blade at the ready, but found it to be unnecessary once he peeled the tarp back and found the two terrified children huddled together inside.

Almost as soon as the cover had been pulled back and he identified that this was a friend, Eren sprang up out of the cart to confirm what he had feared.

"Mom..…MOM!"

He rushed over to her and splashed his bare feet in her still warm blood before collapsing down onto his knees at her side. Tears flowed from his turquoise eyes like waterfalls, but in an eerily silent fashion as he had lost the strength to make hardly any sound. He convulsed as he sat there and sobbed, nearly broken by the tragedy of his mother's sacrificial death. Mikasa meanwhile slowly walked up behind her brother and dropped to her knees behind him, wrapping her arms around him and embracing his shirtless body securely just to be there for him. She knew however that this could not last.

"Eren…we have to go. She would have wanted us to leave…to be safe." She whispered into his ear, unable to tell if any of it even got through to him in his current state. A few seconds passed before he registered any kind of response, slowly reaching his shaking hand out and taking the handle of the dagger that his mother had used to try to defend herself against her murderer. His knuckles turned as white as the winter snow from how hard he gripped onto it, while allowing himself to be lifted back up onto his feet by Mikasa. The rider, who during this time had stayed quiet out of respect, took this opportunity to speak up.

"My name is Lieutenant Hannes. I'm with the Hallowed Vanguard. I can take the two of you back to our castle. You'll be safe there." Said the older man with the short blonde hair as he addressed the two preteen kids, knowing that they would only be two of many refugees that would be seeking shelter with the Hallowed Vanguard tonight after this attack. Neither of them gave a verbal response, but the girl with jet black hair looked up at him with her intense eyes and nodded in affirmation.

At this, Hannes sheathed his sword and led Mikasa – who in turn led Eren – away from the wreckage of their cart and the multiples corpses around it, towards his horse which would be just about able to carry him and the two children as well. He hopped into the saddle first, and then extended his arm to assist the two of them in climbing up. Mikasa sat behind Hannes and Eren behind her, his head resting weakly against her upper back while his hands locked instinctively around her waist once the horse began to move and take them out of the town and towards the castle. As they left the scene, his eyes rested upon his mother's body one last time, and it was in that moment that he vowed to himself to live for one purpose above all others.

Slaughter every single, last one of these monsters that he could find.