Chapter 1
Jantis Versuch P.O.V.
"Such vile creatures," I thought to myself as the group of dismembered Titans squirmed around aimlessly. I was full speed ahead in the formation, as a group broke off to engage the creatures. Soon I heard the zips of 3D maneuver gears at work and the sounds of rendered flesh filled my ears. My squad leader came into view through a cloud of blood and mist, being thrown headlong backwards to dodge the colossal body fall back to the earth in a smoldering corpse. I was still on my horse at the time, when my squad leader and other teammates joined with me back in the formation. He was tall, about thirty years of age, yet with a weary face and grayed hair; his name was Ren, squad leader Ren of the Scouting corps.
The blood was steaming off his hands as he turned to me, "Well rookie? Ever seen a Titan before?" I shook my head, I was fresh out of military training, and honestly, felt helpless against the mysterious enemies. The other green hooded members snickered, when my squad leader silenced them, "Don't think too much about it," he said "They should know what its like to have that first sight and fear of combating a Titan." I only gulped at the thought of that, yet felt some anxiety...the good kind. I joined the Survey Corps for a reason, and that was to be free and advance humanity's cause! I felt that excitement of being able to leap over any obstacle and defeat enemies who could even darken the sun itself! I only then had this passion burn. I wanted a Titan to come, I wanted to defeat it.
Suddenly I heard a boom, and looked up to the sky to see green streaks navigating us to our next location. We rode our way to an old waypoint that the corps set up on their last expedition, and already we were settled in. I dismounted my horse when Ren sighed and came up to me, promptly I saluted him and waited for his words. "Jantis, take to that building; You're apart of the first lookout team."
I replied with a, "Sir!" as I jumped forward and sent myself on top of the building with my gear. My cloak flourished as I landed on the tile roof, and with each step a clack was created until I reached my lookout point onto a grass plain. I swiped my hair aside, and stared at the field for hours. Eventually, I sat there as the sun was setting, and let out a yawn. I thought to myself, "How unfitting to be outside of the wall and to have no Titan disturbances..."
When finally something caught my eye, a large figure within a distant forest. I prepared to warn the others until I felt the steps of the 15 meter running towards the camp. I yelled to the camp, "Titan! From the North!" This was my chance! This is the moment I waited for! I drew each blade to the point where sparks came flying forward, and I leapt towards the titan as fast as I could. Squad leader Ren was at my side the second I lept off, and another scout member whom was wearing a cloak at the time, with only strands of hair being revealed from the shadow of his hood. The titan immediately engaged us, It leapt towards the hooded member who barely was able to hook onto a nearby building to avoid the giant.
It fell to the earth with a loud thud as it missed; Ren went to the other soldier to check on him, as to where I had an opportunity to finish it off! I latched onto its nape as began to fly towards it. I prepared myself as I shouted and brought my blades to an angle to finish it off, with Ren turning to yell, "No!" with my current path. The titan suddenly turned itself around and threw me off course, grabbing me in the process. Fear, utter fear, as the smiling, dark eyed creature stared at me. I began to panic and thrashed about within its grasp, trying to break free, only for the monster to lift me to eats mouth to eat me. What seemed like an instant, a streak of green flew by and cut the arm away from the titan.
I fell to the ground, with the grip broken and the newly dismembered limb already steaming. I rolled off the hand panting with the adrenaline and shock still affecting me. Ren came zipping down to pick me up and flew back on top of the building. He asked me in his craggy voice, "Jantis! Are you ok?!" I still was in shock but had enough stability to let out a scampering "y-y-yes-I-sir!" He nodded and told me "Be more careful next time! Work as a team." I nodded as he sprang forth again to assist the other hooded soldier who was making quick work of distracting the titan. Ren latched onto the titans heels and sliced away at its flesh. The beast roared as it came tumbling down, only for the hooded soldier to quickly blind the beast with his current blades.
Ren look towards me and yelled "Finish it, Jantis!" Suddenly fear turned to courage, and I quickly took back to my gear and charged the nape as fast as I could. "Die, you filth!" I said as my whirlwind of death finally met the titan for its final blow. The titan fell to the floor in a steaming heap, as I landed back onto the ground to meet the others. Ren came up to congratulate me, "well done, Jantis! First kill! Very clean I might add." Although, he began to chuckle as I realized I was steaming with the Titans blood, and began to freak out a little as I swatted away the steam on my cloak and jacket.
The hooded figure also came down, and finally revealed himself. He was about my height 6'0 ft. with blue eyes, and shaggy blonde hair. He greeted me, "Hello! I'm Ventus! Not bad of a kill!" I thanked him, only to realize he was also in my group of graduates. I replied, "Wait, weren't you in my graduating class!" He nodded, I was a bit shock to hear he already killed a tian! "Wait, YOU KILLED A TITAN!" I said, Only for him to laugh "no no!" He said, "I was positioned in the front of the formation so I already have some experience dealing with them!" I felt some relief inside, to not feel so much like a rookie. Ren then told us to get back to our prior positions...for me to only realize the body wasn't decaying...I was too late for Ren as the regenerated titan grabbed the squad leader.
Chapter 2
Ventus Trauer P.O.V.
With a foul snap of its jaw, Ren's legs were detached from his torso. Both Jentis and I were hit with a stream of blood. The force of impact knocked my comrade's hood off, revealing his scruffy brown hair. "This way!" He barked, zipping his way to the top of a scraggly tree.
I followed him, hooking my grapple onto a branch and meeting him within the foliage. "Look at that thing," I commented, trying to make his face any less stoic, "He's dead...he's really killed Ren."
"You think I don't know that?" Jantis mocked, "now, shut up, I'm trying to think of a way out of this hell."
I was taken aback by his abruptness, but quickly brushed it off. "The name's Ventus, Ventus Trauer."
"Now?" Jantis questioned, "You're doing this now?!"
In all actuality, he was right, this wasn't the best time; the gargantuan beast waddled its way to our tree, stepping on the remains of Ren and his gear. "It seems, quite apparent that we're going to die," I whimpered, "I'd just like to know I'm dying with a friend."
He smiled, "my name's Jantis Versuch, my bunk mates used to call me Jan though...don't call me Jan."
Jan threw his hood over his silver eyes and turned towards me, "but we're not going to die." The green cloaked figure leapt from the miniscule branch and skyrocketed to the Titan's maw using the remainder of his gas. He attached two fresh blades and struck its eyes letting out an explosion of the titan's pain. "Now!" He shouted, yet I was paralyzed in fear.
The black eyes of the beast met mine as they regenerated, he lurched Jantis onto the fields. His swords were strewn about and the Titan was closing in.
"How could I let this happen?" I pondered, all the while cursing under my breath. I quickly snapped out of this trance like state to fire my gear at the back of its head, in a burst of noxious gas I was at the warm, hairy neck of my adversary.
"Die!' I screamed as I lopped the chunk of its neck into oblivion. The giant's eyes rolled into the back of its skull as his body toppled to its knees, then to the grass below.
"Are you alright?" I asked, offering a hand.
"I can do it myself," Jantis snapped. He got up with shaking legs and gathered his blades.
"You look hurt, I'm signaling for Squad Heilen," I reached for my flares but was stopped. Jantis's burnt hand was grasping mine, our eyes met.
"We don't need their help."
I thought he was delusional or suffered brain damage from the fall, but his face proved my theory wrong with a stern look. "We're not even supposed to be this far off from the rest of the squad to begin with!" I argued, but he was having none of it.
"I told you I can manage!"He yelled in a fiery voice, only to quickly release his grip and topple to the ground, "Do what you want."
I felt sympathy for the boy, although we seemed the same age, he was remarkably more frail in the mental sense. I had half the nerve to listen to him but my instincts took over and I launched a spark of purple fire into the air.
The timing couldn't have been worse; bursting through the dense woods was an aberrant with straight, ebony hair. It singled us out of the barren field and scuttled as fast as it could.
"Run, Jan!" I ordered. He jumped to his feet and followed my direction, through the network of rocks that lay about 20 meters from our position. We trampled the greenery until we reached our destination, hurrying through with no time to spare.
"Hey," he spoke again, "I told you not to call me, 'Jan!'"
"Now?!" I began to mimic, "you're doing this now?!" He smiled. The out-of-place joke seemed to lighten the mood until I was lifted from our cover by two, spider-like fingers with yellowed nails. I locked eyes with the humanoid being, I wanted a clear look at my murderer.
"Ventus!" He screamed, climbing out from behind the rocks with his dented blades drawn. "Hey, over here!" The Titan didn't bother to even glance over to Jantis, only to move my helpless body closer to its crooked teeth.
In a flash of silver, I saw a hooded figure fly in and slash the monster's achilles, sending us both to the ground. Seven horses galloped in with similar hoods aboard. The riders brandished their blades and leapt into the sky. I, laying on my back, saw the group swarm around the struggling Titan until the back of its neck was more than 5 meters away.
Through the hot steam emerged a delicate silhouette of a woman. She lowered her green to reveal a soft face, surrounded by curly blonde hair. "Squad Leader Heilen, at your service," she saluted, "are you two ok?"