I have these wings, but I cannot fly.
Every young soldier that joins the survey corps is granted a gift, for their bravery, and for giving their lives up for the sake of humanity. The gift is entirely the same, but different for everyone. A pair of wings for every soldier; mimicking those of the greatest masters of the skies – the birds. Depending on you and yourself, you may have a different pair of wings than the man standing next to you. The survey corps no longer needs 3-D Manoeuver gear, it is cumbersome in comparison. Great heroes are not defined by their feathers, but by their hearts.
But, in the end, it all boils down to whether or not you can reallyfly.
Crowds gathered for the arrival of the Survey corps. Crowds gathered to admire their feathers, and their unique pattern of flight. Nothing like the birds they saw over their heads, and nothing like a normal human moves. Everyone has an underlying jealousy of the Survey Corps, some are more violent with it, that's all. Everyone trapped behind those walls would give their souls to fly above the heads of titans and reach the earth's end.
Commander Erwin lands just inside the walls, his spread, eagle wings fluttering with the breeze. They stretch well over two metres each side, trimmed with dark brown and fixed to his back at the shoulder blades. You can see the power behind them. Two more Survey Corps drop to either side of him, tucking in their tawny wings to their bodies, and straightening up. They are carrying once-heavy sacks that once held supplies. Further along the procession lands Hanji Zoe – her wings are black, peppered with white markings. Behind her comes squad Levi, led by the infamous Captain. Levi Heichou's wings are entirely black, sharp edged and extremely well-defined. They are much smaller than the huge wings of Commander Erwin. Levi's squad each have most well-defined and sharpest wings. They are the best flier's humanity's ever seen.
The crowd cheer for the Survey Corps, but grim faces are given in return. There are too few returning. Too many are returning with lost limbs, or lost entirely.
Eren Yaeger shuffled from foot to foot. He is a soldier, getting his wings. He's asked so many elders 'What's it like?' , but he never really gets a real answer. They seem reluctant to speak of it. Eren glances around the waiting room he's in, met with the anxious faces of his squad mates. They are what is left of the 104th training division. They are getting their wings today. That means they are undeniably prepared to give up their lives for humanity, apparently. Eren hopes his Titan shifting does not affect the new appendages he will be getting.
He feels different. Lighter, stronger, faster – the air tastes fresher and the world looks sharper. He moves the wings on his shoulder blades; the feeling of having two extra limbs is strange. He can feel the tendons and muscle moving, but nothing feels heavier than before. His head is still spinning from the process of attaining his feathers. He knows his bones are lighter, his lungs are larger and his chest is stronger. This fact does not stop his head from pounding or his back from aching, or his hands from shaking. There is a mirror, so he turns around and examines himself in its surface. His wings are those of what he thinks is a Hawk. Dark brown and speckled on top, creamy coloured underneath. He is too excited to find out what it's like to really fly – not fly with 3DMG, but really carrying himself along the wind by his own means and relying on his own body, and only himself. The Titans would have no idea what was coming for them. If only his mother could see him now, he hoped that she would be proud. Maybe she was watching from above, maybe Marco was too.
After a while, the next soldier joins his in the exit room. It's ceiling is arched and tall enough to fly in. The windows are wide open, so the room is cool and airy. There are beams running from wall to wall, higher up, as perches. The soldier that joins Eren is Armin. Armin's face is pale and he does not look himself, his walk is wobbly. The wings that stretch from his bare back are snowy- white, like an owl's. Eren makes his own way to his best friend. Not soon after, more soldier's meet them in the exit room. They each are sporting wings on their backs. Mikasa's are cut-edge and Falcon. Jean's are owl-ish and a dusty brown. Reiner's are huge and a cream colour, marked with smudges of a darker shade. Bertholdt's are also so large and long, the feather's reaching so far out. They are light grey, merging at the tips to a dark grey. Like a stork.
Annie's are small and tucked tightly against her body defensively when she enters the exit room. Connie's are short, but wide, and a dark grey colour. Sasha's are splayed and arched, mimicking the wing pattern of all the birds of prey. Christa's are small and a muggy grey. Ymir's are stark black and huge.
There are too many details that the soldiers need to discover. Not anyone alive knows everything about the transformation from human to bird. Not much is known about the interior design of the bird-humans. Why and how are they so light-boned, and why they can see so sharply and in detail, from so far away?
The young soldiers have too short a time to learn to fly. For, if they do not learn to fly, how on Earth will they make sure that humanity does not fall?
~End of Chapter 1