July 24th, 851

Columns of yellow smoke ascend into the summer sky. There are dozens of them, soaring through the heavens high above the ruins of a once forsaken city. For several moments, everything is still. Not a soul among us dares even to breathe. All we do is watch, unsure whether to believe what our eyes are telling us. This has to be a dream, a mere fantasy. Accomplishing a feat such as this…has always been thought impossible, always was impossible. Yet here we stand, atop the ashes of our enemies, stunned into silence by the magnitude of what has just been achieved. Smoke trails, the color of alpine poppies. As inconceivable as it may seem, their presence can mean only one thing, victory.

When the reality finally set in, there isn't a word I can summon to describe how all of us must have felt. Some cheered, some started crying, others collapsed from relief. A few dozen soldiers discharged their muskets into the air, whooping and hollering like madmen. People began embracing, dancing, drinking, and celebrating. In this moment, it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from. Whether you're a Scout, MP, or in the Garrison, whether you're an aristocrat or a low born; none of it means anything anymore. We stood shoulder to shoulder with one another. We fought, bled, and fell side by side. Here and now, we're the same. All of us stand as equals, brothers and sisters united in the pursuit of liberty.

There are many things that I will remember about this day. From the smiles on the faces of my comrades, to the hope in everyone's eyes, and the taste of freedom on my lips; these things I will remember well. But, above all else, there is one thing that will stand out in my memory. The sunset is so beautiful today. The glorious shades of gold and orange, the magnificent hues of violet and crimson that danced across the clouds. Protracted shadows stretched across the district as the vestiges of that summer afternoon sank low along the ramparts of the outer wall. The end to a long, bloody day and the end to six years of pain and terror. More than that though, it marks the twilight of more than a century of human oppression and a new beginning, for us all. When next the dawn comes, things are going to be different.

After today, we will no longer be made to cower in the face of our enemy. There will be no retreat, no withdraw, and no going back. We will advance, we will conquer, and we will be the ones to bite back. This world belongs to humanity and united we shall forge ahead to reclaim that which was taken from us. Centuries from now, people will look back on this day with pride and reverence. The day when we changed the course of human history. The day when our race roared in triumph over the monsters that enslaved us.

My hands tremble with excitement; even as I am writing these words I can hardly believe what we have accomplished. After all this time…all this hardship and struggle…we did it.

We have retaken Shiganshina. —From the journal of an unknown member of the 62nd Reconnaissance Mission.

After that, things definitely changed, they'd been right about that much. The victory in Shiganshina served as a rallying cry for all of humanity. Just as Trost had the previous year, this win proved that we could stand against the titan threat. It gave us strength, gave us faith in one another. We became more united then than at any point in recognized history, and that enabled us to push toward the next horizon. In the months and years following the reclamation of Wall Maria, humanity resolutely stepped into a new age.

Spurred by our triumphs, mankind once again began to grow and progress. The lands within the outer wall were resettled and communities prospered anew, rising from the ashes. Breakthroughs in the fields of science and medicine brought an end to almost two dozen diseases. Even the medical miracles of Dr. Grisha Jaeger were in comparison humbled by such achievements. Advances in industry granted us astounding new agricultural, mechanical, and engineering technologies, making possible even greater successes for our species. Famine was eliminated; long range communication and transportation became realities. We also developed increasingly devastating weaponry to employ against our enemy, with great effect.

These innovations eventually allowed us to go beyond our borders and recover vast swathes of land for our people. The advances in engineering made retention of these lands possible with the construction of two new, reinforced bastions. Wall Isabelle, and Wall Angeline, forged over three generations with the help of titan shifters and the blood, sweat, and tears of tens of thousands of men and women. In the north, we gained access to the seas again, emboldening us to cross the waters in search of the world beyond. Our endeavors in the south and east even managed to reunite us with isolated enclaves of people, tribes who'd scraped out an isolated existence in the mountains and forests beyond the borders of the realm.

The astronomical increase in our domain, alongside a dramatic increase in average life expectancy, enabled the human population to skyrocket to levels not seen since before the titan's arrival. We went from just a few hundred thousand, at the time of the reclamation of Wall Maria, to nearly ten million in the intervening centuries. Once a tiny state desperately clinging to life in a dark and violent world, now humanity had become a fledgling empire. Slowly but surely, we were reclaiming the globe, and our freedom.

Still, just as with every empire throughout history, ours did not remain united forever. Even with how far we had come, our nature as a species was inescapable. The more we expanded, the harder it became for all of us to strive towards the same goal together. Humanity began slipping further and further into its' old ways as the years went by. Greed and corruption ran rampant once more, and our nation became plagued with dissention and strife. Our people bit and scratched at one another for power, money, and blood. Increasingly divided by politics and ideologies, we soon began turning on one another, utilizing the same weapons we had built to counter the titan threat to slay our fellow man.

The human race had spent hundreds of years crawling out of hell, only to plunge back into it of our own volition. We've been bogged down in that dark pit for decades now. I'm not even sure if anyone alive can recall the days when we weren't shooting at one another. By the time I was born, the country had long been enveloped in a costly and brutal civil war. Soldiers patrol the boulevards, and the government, headed by the royal family, rules over the people with absolute authority.

At one time, the bells of liberty had echoed down every street, in every city, at every corner of the empire. Peace of mind, happiness and prosperity had been a reality for all people. These days however, you can't hear anything above the clatter of machine guns, the thunder of artillery fire, and the rumbling of tank treads.

April, 1350

Five hundred years after the battle of Trost.

7th Scout Regiment Headquarters; the Port City of Nordheim, Northern Border of Wall Angeline.

Sometimes when you're young, you don't always make the best decisions. You don't always think ahead, make a plan, or consider the repercussions. You're just right there in that moment. You don't realize that a single moment has the potential to change your life forever; at least, I didn't realize it. If I had…well let's just say I probably would've quit while I was ahead.

The warm light of the midday sun streamed through the open window. A gentle breeze carried the pungent scent of briny seawater into the room. In the distance, one could make out the squawking of gulls, and the clang of ship bells. Two people in military attire stood opposite each other in uncomfortable silence. One of them awaited the words of the other, and the other desperately searched himself for words to say.

From behind an open folder, Captain Egill Randrup regarded the young woman before him with tired eyes. "I don't even know where to begin corporal." He sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"…I'm not apologizing to them sir, if that's what you're asking." The dark haired girl said mildly.

He narrowed his gaze, incredulous. "Apologize?! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?! The MPs are demanding that I have you flogged, maybe even shot!"

"I'd like to point out in my defense sir, that they're the ones who started it."

"Oh yes, and you most definitely finished it!" The captain threw a packet of papers down on his desk. "There are three men in the hospital right now being treated for numerous injuries, including several bone fractures! The report even says that one of them is still pissing blood! I'm not even going to go into the amount of damages that the bartender is suing for!" He slammed his fist down on the documents. "Assault, battery, aggravated assault against a law enforcement official, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, felony destruction of property; the list goes on! I shouldn't even have to tell you how much trouble you're in!"

"That is complete bullshit; they're the ones who assaulted me!"

"They attempted to restrain you because you were actively engaging in a bar fight, with civilians no less!"

The girl threw her hands up. "One of the drunken bastards was taking swings at me! What the hell was I supposed to do?!"

"Handle the situation like a soldier; not some damn barbarian!" The captain's face was turning red from all of the yelling.

"Oh sure, and the MPs coming in and wailing on everybody was so civilized right?!"

"Watch your tongue Corporal, it is not the actions of the Military Police that are being questioned here, it is your own!"

"I was defending myself and they treated me just like the rest of those freaking thugs!"

"For God's sake Sara, stop trying to shift blame and take some responsibility for what happened!" Egill lowered himself into his desk chair. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before looking up at her again. "Regardless of how the other parties involved acted, you yourself took things to an unnecessary extreme." He folded his hands in front of him. "What you did in there was disgraceful and I had expected much better from a soldier of your caliber. This incident brings dishonor on your regiment, yourself, and your noble bloodline."

Sara clenched her fists behind her back. Dishonor on your noble bloodline, what a crock. Her family's legacy had cast a shadow over her for her entire life and she grew tired of being constantly reminded of it. The circumstances were similar for most descendents of the twenty one, a cohort of young soldiers who had been instrumental in helping humanity turn the tide in the eternal war they waged against titan-kind. Names like Eren Jaeger, Sasha Braus, Mikasa Ackerman, Jean Kirstein, and others had gone down in history, forever immortalized as heroes. Their descendents had been bearing the weight of that honor ever since. Many of them ended up serving a several year stint in the armed forces as a direct result. All because society held it over their heads that such selfless sacrifice was expected of them.

Sara had never bought into it, instead working the majority of her twenty years on earth to get out from under the boots of her forebears. "With all due respect captain, there's a hell of a lot more to me than the history of my last name. My ancestors don't define who I am, and they never have. I'm entirely my own person, Kassmeyer or not." Defiance shone from the depths of her piercing blue eyes.

Captain Randrup sighed again. "You know, if you weren't so damn stubborn, you'd be the best soldier in the whole company. Lieutenant Becker often refers to you as the battalion's finest junior NCO and you're performance in the field reflects those statements. However, even considering your overall stellar record and the multiple commendations you earned on T-Day, I can't get you out of this. The MPs are raising all kinds of hell about it, and they've got headquarters breathing down my neck. I've got to make some decisions here." Of course that's how it was playing out. Just like always, officers were running around shifting responsibility in an attempt to cover their own asses, military bureaucracy at its finest.

"So what then is to become of me sir?" She asked sarcastically. "Prolonged incarceration, public disciplinary action, capital punishment?"

"Good Isam almighty, no! Executing you would be a waste. As for corporal punishment, the very notion is barbaric and has no place in the modern army. And I'll be damned if I let a soldier like you rot in a cell in Gray's Watch. So with all of those options off of the table, I'm left with only one choice. I've put in the paperwork to have you transferred. I'm also docking you a month's pay and busting you down a couple of ranks to lance corporal."

She blinked a few times, confused. "Transferred…you're kicking me out of the 7th? This is like a second home to me; all my friends and comrades are here! What's going to happen to my fireteam?!"

Egill held his hand up to quiet her. "Don't start getting all hysterical. Your troopers will be placed in capable hands I assure you. As for the transfer, I realize that's a bit of a pill to swallow, but the order came directly from colonel Sorensen. There's nothing to be done. Besides, it'll only cause more friction if you remain here in Nordheim. The best I was able to do is reassign you somewhere you can still do some good."

"And where exactly would that be captain?" Sara said, crestfallen.

"I'm sending you down south to join up with the 10th Regiment as part of the roster for K Company."

Sara's jaw nearly hit the floor in shock. "K COMPANY?! YOU'RE SENDING ME TO K COMPANY?!" She shouted. "Goddammit sir, you should have just let them shoot me! It would have been a hell of a lot faster!"

"I understand that you're somewhat…taken aback by this revelation, but—"

"Of course I'm taken aback!" She slammed her hands down on the officer's desk. "You're shipping me off to a damn penal unit!"

"The Premier and the High Marshals find that term…distasteful. They prefer to think of it as an unconventional warfare unit."

"Oh come off it sir. You could at least give me the courtesy of not pissing down my neck. K Company is made up of the dregs of the military; criminals, low lives, thugs, and murderers, the lot of them. I'm quite aware of what kind of outfit it is." She snarled.

The captain rested his elbows on the desk. "Then you're also aware of their impressive operational history are you not?"

"I've also seen their casualty figures too. It's blatantly obvious that the brass has a penchant for using them as fodder."

"Scouts have always been assigned the most dangerous and costly missions. Given that the 10th Regiment engages in regular combat against both the titans and insurrectionists, such mortality rates are to be expected. It is also why veterans have come to be considered humanity's vanguard. We have been baptized in blood and fire. We have endured where so many others have fallen."

"Those are pretty words captain, a nice bow to put on top of this pile of scheisse. The ornamentation doesn't change the facts though. "

"Regardless of the reservations you may have about this assignment, the point is moot. The papers have already been signed. Gather your belongings and equipment; you'll be boarding the first train to Altensiel the day after tomorrow." He stamped several papers before handing them to her.

Sara's eyes darted back and forth across the documents like it was a diagnosis for some terminal illness. "But…but captain—"

"That will be all corporal. You are dismissed." He waved her away.

"Sir, I jus—"

"I said you are dismissed Corporal Kassmeyer!"

Sara grudgingly stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. In the hallway beyond she roared indignantly, cursing fate and kicking over a trash bin. A number of those in the corridor eyed her anxiously from behind their desks. They all quickly averted their gazes when she looked up, pretending not to have noticed her frustrated outburst. Sara shook her head, allowing herself a few deep breaths before straightening up and taking leave of the building. Privately, she was grateful that she didn't have to march past all of those pencil pushing jackasses on her way out the front door.

She replaced her scout cap as she stepped out into the midday sun. Plodding down the steps of the district headquarters, she had to fight the urge to go back and flip off everyone inside. Deciding against it, she strode off in the direction of the company barracks, her blood boiling. All of this was yet more proof that nothing good ever happens on a Monday.

The rest of the day passed at a painfully slow pace. Being a soldier, one didn't really have many belongings to get together, so she was all packed in less than fifteen minutes. Now she had a good thirty two hours to kill before she boarded the train south. She'd have liked to go out and enjoy the city while there was still time, but she found herself unable to summon the energy to do anything. Sara spent much of that afternoon lying on her bunk, staring blankly at the ceiling as she tried to come to terms with the cruel blow fate had dealt out. It was official; her life was over. Not in the angsty teenager sense either, the real honest to God sense. She might as well go down to the coroner's shop right now and pick out a tombstone.

Despite the carefully chosen words of her company commander, no one was ever transferred to K Company, they were sentenced. Just as in a prison, once you went in, there was almost zero chance of getting out. You either died there or somehow survived long enough to earn your retirement. Given the nature of the missions frequently assigned to K Company, the latter was next to impossible. This is where the army attempted to dispose of their problem children while avoiding the negative impact of outright executing them. It was often billed as an opportunity for the guilty to find redemption for their transgressions. Oh how the ones in charge loved adding that touch of romanticism to everything. Yeah, like coating crap in glitter makes it anything other than sparkling crap. Redemption was probably far beyond the reach of the K Company scoundrels anyway. The bureaucrats probably just slept better knowing that all of their rotten eggs were in the same basket.

Dwelling on all of this only served to worsen Sara's already sullen mood. She let out a long groan and laid her arm across her face. Her sense of regret was growing with each tick of the clock. She'd definitely pissed in the wrong person's oatmeal. What was she going to tell her squad mates, her friends, or God forbid her parents? There wasn't exactly an easy way to drop that barrage on someone, especially someone you cared about. There were a thousand questions rattling around inside her head. None of them had a worthwhile answer. The whole mess was making her head hurt. It was times like these that made knocking back a few bottles sound good. She wasn't exactly a fan of alcohol, but the numbness would feel nice right about now.

"Yeah…I kind of want to be done feeling for today." She mumbled, closing her eyes. "Hell of a way to start out the week." The way things currently stood, she might as well just stay in bed until Wednesday, catch up on some sleep. Though right as she began drifting into unconsciousness, someone burst into the room, shouting frantically.

"Sara, I just heard the news! Please tell me it's not true!" The person said, half whimpering.

"I guess I forgot how fast word travels around here…" She said to herself. She lifted her arm away from her eyes to see a small, trembling blonde girl on the verge of tears. "Chrissy, calm down and please don't start crying." It tended to get uncomfortable for everyone involved when she got upset about something.

"I can't be calm at a time like this! You're being transferred out of the company, out of the 7th entirely! That means I may never get to see you again!" She shouted. Chrissy wasn't usually given to bouts of hysteria, but once something had her unhinged it was difficult to settle her down.

Christina Reiss, a girl of nineteen years who stood barely five feet tall and weighed about one hundred pounds soaking wet. She had eyes as big and blue as the summer sky and a temperament that could easily be described as saintly. You could travel the world twice and not find a girl as sweet, loveable, and loyal as she was. Since they were both old enough to walk, she'd been Sara's best friend.

"Geez, that's a little dramatic don't you think? I'm changing units, not going to the dark side of the moon." Granted, given her destination, the moon seemed markedly easier to return from.

"You're still leaving me, and that's not okay! We promised that we would always stick together no matter what!"

"I'm not happy about it either, but there's no getting around this. My soul's been sold off to the devil. They already signed and sent the paperwork."

For as long as Sara could remember, the two of them had been nigh inseparable, come hell or high water. Up until now nothing, not the army, or the war, or life in general had been able to threaten that. Still, if they had to part ways, she was glad that she wouldn't be dragging Chrissy into this hell hole with her. Someone as kindhearted as her didn't deserve to be raked over the coals like that.

"Well if that's how it is then I'm coming with you." She said resolutely.

Sara sat up. "There is no way in hell that I'm letting you do something so stupid. The people where I'm going will eat you alive, and if they didn't the titans definitely would."

Chrissy scrunched up her nose. "Sara I'm not a helpless child; I'm an expeditionary regiment veteran just like you are. Besides, if the company you'll be keeping is as dangerous as you're making them seem, I can't let you go alone. Someone needs to be there to watch your back."

"Keep arguing as much as you want, it'll get you nowhere. You've come along with me on some crazy tangents over the years: our cross wall road trip, climbing Mount Gerlach in the dead of winter, joining the scouts, that week we spent at Lake Reiwen, what a week that was, and the list goes on and on. This time though, I refuse to let you get sucked into my insanity. Nothing good will come out of it."

"That's what you said about that karneval in Saarhein, but look how that turned out."

Sara rolled her eyes. "This situation is a bit more concerning then a street festival Chrissy, and considerably more dangerous. I'll say this a third time, you're not coming with me. Heck, even if I was okay with it, you can't just decide to transfer to K Company. It's a disciplinary unit; you have to be sent there."

"Where there's a will, there's a way." The small girl said pointedly.

Sara got to her feet and grabbed Chrissy by the shoulders. "For the love of all that is holy, stop talking like that! I love you like a sister, but you're making me want to slap you at the moment. I dug this hole myself and you are not jumping in to get buried with me, period. Just please trust that I'm saying this for your sake. Please don't fight me on it alright?" She hated when things got all melodramatic like this. It always ended up feeling like a scene out of a cheesy movie instead of something real. Not to mention, the longer it went on the more the cheesiness seemed to "infect" her. So she did her best to stop encounters from getting too cliché.

Chrissy looked at her friend sadly for a handful of seconds before giving her a hug. Though she wasn't fond of touchy feely stuff most of the time, these embraces Sara actually really enjoyed. How could someone not? Chrissy's hugs were like being wrapped in a blanket made of pure sunshine. "We're all going to miss you. Me, Ludwig, Ivan, Felicia, and everyone else in the platoon too." She said. "It's going to be a lot less fun around here without you, and there's no one in the unit that could possibly be able to fill your shoes. How are you going to manage all by yourself down there?"

She patted her friend on the head. "I'll figure something out. I always do. There's got to be one or two people in the unit I can stick by. Until I find them, I'll just have to keep my head down and watch where I step. Like my mom always said, you have to take things as they come, one day at a time. Something else, do me a favor and don't talk about me like I'm dying okay? It'd be nicer if I got to focus on happy things during my last day and a half." She was already thinking more than enough about death.

"Then I'll get the whole gang together to send you off. Depressing though it'll be for us, a little going away party is probably just what the medic ordered."

"Promise me you guys aren't going to make any speeches, and please don't buy me a freaking cake. Some good food and good company is all I need."

Chrissy tilted her head back and smiled. "I'm sure we can do that for our favorite team leader." She laughed.

In the end, neither of those things happened, and her requests went completely ignored. Ludwig ended up purchasing a monster of a cake, and once Ivan brought out the alcohol, any chance at a relaxing evening went right out the window. Almost immediately, everyone started tearing up and getting emotional, like they were at a memorial or something. There were cheesy speeches and the whole nine yards, most of which ended up being more embarrassing than heartfelt. Sara had fixed Chrissy with an agitated glare while their comrades drunkenly recounted all manner of stories. The latter had simply smiled at her like nothing was wrong. They may as well have been having afternoon tea with her grandmother for all the concern that she was showing. Who knows, maybe in the confines of her sweet, innocent imagination such things appeared in a much more innocent fashion and the unseemly reality of life remained hidden from view? That would definitely explain how the world hadn't been able to corrupt her pure heart in any way as of yet.

Still, even if that was the case, it didn't give anyone else a pass on their actions. The others could have shown a little more self-restraint. Had Sara actually expected something different to happen though? In battle, these were some of the fiercest, most disciplined soldiers in the entire regiment. They could lay low an entire platoon of enemy combatants without even breaking a sweat. Off the field, they had about as much composure as a dog in a meat locker. On top of that, it always seemed like none of them listened to a word she said. Nine times out of ten a request basically went in one ear and out the other. After almost twenty four months of such antics, why did she bother trying anymore? She'd have gotten just as far by keeping her mouth shut. For the rest of the evening, that was more or less what she decided on doing so that she could somewhat stomach the rest of the intemperate festivities.

The "party" ended up running for a nearly unbearable five hours, in which her brothers and sisters in arms managed to polish off three bottles of schnapps and half a liter of Karanese brandy. Even an alcoholic would tell you that that's a bit excessive. Their behavior was even more upsetting their booze intake. Felicia kept hugging and asking to marry her, Ivan was shouting curse words at inanimate objects, and Ludwig just casually stripped down to his under garments and strolled about like it was the most natural thing in the world. As the quintet traipsed about the avenues, they drew glares of revulsion from passersby. Again, Chrissy carried on the whole time like it was just another ordinary evening. For her part, Sara did her best to ignore the judging eyes of nearby strangers and pretend she was somewhere else. Burying her face in her hands helped with that once or twice.

It took most of the night for the boozy trio to settle down and come back from their state of delirious ecstasy. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the paid dearly for their overindulgence, staining the streets of Nordheim with the multicolored vestiges of their last meal. Throughout that disgusting ordeal, they somehow managed to keep smiles on their faces. Occasionally one of them even opined that the group should hit up another bar. Given that they were having trouble remembering how to walk; reaching their beds already seemed like too much of a stretch. Not that there was any way in hell she'd allow them to drink further anyway.

It was three in the morning by the time that they got back to the compound. Ludwig, Felicia, and Ivan passed out on the way to their room, forcing Chrissy and Sara to carry them to bed one at a time. When that was done, the two of them plopped down on their bunk and followed suit. It'd been a really long night. Oddly enough however, despite being horrendously awkward and having to babysit three drunks in the aftermath, Sara actually didn't completely hate the affair. It wasn't exactly the send off she'd have chosen, but it was definitely going to be one that would stick with her for a long time. Somewhere down the line she'd look back and these would be the kind of nights that became fond memories, mementoes of the time spent with the boys and girls of C Company. They'd been good to her these last two years. Though, this also served as a notice that she should never drink around Ivan, Ludwig, or Felicia, ever.

The day following their little soiree faded faster than you could say "gone". In the instant it took to blink, Wednesday morning had come, bringing her time in this city to an end. Sara had packed her gear, the few personal possessions that she had, and made the jaunt across town to the rail station. Her team members accompanied her all the way from the barracks to the train platform. An ominous, steam-shrouded locomotive waited there to transport her to the end of the earth.

"I suppose this is it then huh?" Ivan said with a sigh. "You're off to bigger and better things."

"Well, I guess that's one oxymoronic way of putting it."

"Are you nervous about all this?" Ludwig asked.

"Nervous, are you kidding me?! I'm way past that point. You're nervous when you have to put together the slides for the regimental briefing. Shipping off to K Company is more like leaving an academy officer in the munitions dump with a welding torch. Bad things are going to happen."

"Sorry…that was a stupid question."

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as you're thinking. Most of what you hear is probably just bogeyman talk." Felicia said reassuringly. "At least you're getting a chance instead of being thrown in a cell."

"It's hard to look on the bright side at a time like this. You'll have to forgive me for not sharing your optimism Fel."

Chrissy smiled broadly. "Things will work out one way or another Sara; you know that."

She shrugged. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I kind of doubt it. At least I can take solace in the fact that none of you guys got dragged through the mud with me."

Felicia placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, no matter where you go we'll always be your fire team. The five of us are bound in blood, family. Just write to us every now and again so we know how you're keeping alright?"

Sara smiled mirthlessly. "Yeah, you bet." The group stood quietly for a few seconds, grimacing.

"ALL ABOARD THE 1032 FOR ALTENSIEL!" A man in blue shouted from one of the train cars.

"That's my ride…" She said without looking up.

Ivan clapped his hands together several times. "Okay everybody, group hug, c'mon. We have to get the mushy goodbye in." The four of them wrapped their arms around Sara for a couple of moments, attempting to get as much out of the farewell embrace as possible.

"Damn I'm going to miss you guys." She said softly.

"Take care of yourself okay?" Felicia murmured, tapping her palm against Sara's back.

"I'm going to try." She sniffed.

"LAST CALL FOR 1032 TO ALTENSIEL! ALL ABOARD!" The conductor's call was followed closely by the screeching report of a whistle and the clanging of bells.

Time's up. Sara let out a deep breath, squeezing her friends tightly for another instant before breaking away. She pulled her rifle and duffel bag around her shoulders, jogging over to the nearest coach and climbed up onto the entrance stairway. At the top, she turned around for one last look at her long time companions. A pang of sadness resonated in her chest when the four of them snapped to attention and crisply saluted. The whistle blew it's long, sorrowful note again and the train lurched into motion. Sara wanted to say something, but the words refused to form in her throat. So she merely returned their gesture in kind, albeit with a bit less enthusiasm. The train was steadily pushing away from the station platform. The sound of the pistons churning got faster and faster as the locomotive started gaining speed.

"HEY SARA!" Felicia cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted. "You better have some interesting stories for me when we see you again! Do us a favor and slay a few titans will ya?!"

She gripped the handrail on the side of the doorway. "YEAH! I sure will…" She waved at the quartet as they began receding further and further into the distance. Sara watched until they became nothing more than silhouettes and the train passed out of the yard. Then she ruefully ducked inside the carriage to find a seat. It was going to be a long trip.

From the now deserted platform, the members of Sara's squad stood waving until the last coach had rounded the bend towards the inner gate.

"You're going after her, aren't you?" Ludwig inquired after a few moments.

"Oh yeah. I just need a few hours to get some stuff together and requisition a vehicle." Chrissy said nonchalantly.

Ivan looked down at her. "She's bound to be more than a little pissed when you show up down there."

"I know, but in the long run this is the best course of action. Time will come that she'll be glad that I didn't listen to her. I'm a little surprised though that none of you wanted to stop me."

Felicia chuckled. "Please, it's not like we'd really let her leave all by herself. Someone's got to go with her; better you than any of us. Just tell us what kind of kit you need to get and we'll find it ASAP."

Chrissy grinned. "Well then I'd like to start by asking a question. Do any of you have an issue with committing a couple felonies?"

The engine was well underway now and the clack-clack of wheel against rail quickened with each passing minute. After a few minutes of searching, Sara managed to find herself a quiet seat for the lengthy journey ahead. She laid her belongings on the empty bench opposite her and fell back onto the wooden chair. To her right, the densely packed cityscape of Nordheim flew past the windows in a blur. In the distance, rising above the clusters of homes and businesses was the gleaming ivory façade of the Weiss Klippe, a massive natural promontory that stretched nearly three hundred meters into the sky at the district's northeastern corner. From its' peak, one could see for over one hundred kilometers in any direction. Some writer or another had once said that standing there was as like viewing the world through the eyes of God. It had been Sara's favorite place to visit. Now it was just another bullet point on the list of things she'd probably never get to see again. That list kept getting longer as the train sped through the rail gate and into the interior.

Inside of Wall Angeline were vast plains of fertile farmland and dense tracts of evergreen forest. Small villages dotted the lush landscape and prosperous townships lined the banks of the River Trabel. Time was that this would've all been buried in a snow drift. Centuries ago, the lands north of Wall Maria had been icy tundra, a climate shift caused by some event or other millennia ago. The snow-capped peaks of the Krottengross range stood sentry above the myriad collection of settlements, streams, hills, and valleys. A mighty remnant of those long forgotten days. At the center, Mount Gerlach soared beyond all its' siblings. Sara placed her hand against the window and sighed heavily. There was yet another memory that would be left in the train's wake. It probably wouldn't be the last one before she reached her destination either. Each of the hundreds of sights along the way had the potential to bring about old revelries. Though, their fondness would likely be lost on her today. Aside from occasionally scribbling something into her journal, Sara passed much of that day by staring out of the window next to her. She watched the world drift past at seventy two kilometers per hour, listening to the low rumble of the engine until the sound eventually lulled her into a deep sleep.

She didn't awaken until the following morning, and only once the conductor had kicked her several times did she groggily rise from her place of rest.

"Get up soldier girl. I don't care if you want to keep sleeping, so long as you go somewhere else. I've got a schedule to keep." He said irritably.

"Yeah, yeah, keep your panties on old man." Sara groaned, wiping the sleepers from her eyes. She yawned and scooped up her equipment. "We're in Altensiel now right?" She asked while pulling on her fatigue jacket.

"Yes, so I'd appreciate it if you'd leave already. There are other passengers waiting to get on."

"Calm down alright, I'm going…you crotchety bastard." She muttered the second part under her breath as she shuffled out and onto the platform. A large clock jutted out from the wall above her. She squinted to read the dial through a layer of dirt and grime. 11 o'clock. It had been a little more than twenty four hours since she'd departed from the station in Nordheim, though it had felt more like twenty four years during the interim. Despite sleeping for a good portion of the journey, she was exhausted. Wood benches didn't exactly make the most comfortable beds. Her back was doing its utmost to drive that point home at the moment. Sara was already touchy at best and this made yet another thing to be bitter about. If she had to wait for her ride to Eisenstadt, she was liable to strangle someone.

Thankfully though, that didn't become necessary. No sooner had she stepped onto the street then she spied a tan skinned man in Scouting Legion uniform standing beside a transport truck bearing the 10th Regiment insignia. She exhaled and pulled her kit tighter around her shoulders, sauntering over to the gentleman.

He raised his eyes when she approached, cocking an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you must be the new girl eh?"

"I'm guessing."

A broad grin crossed his features. "Then I bid you welcome aboard my humble chariot; Lance Corporal Tomas Stenger, at your service ma'am." He bowed theatrically.

"Um…nice to meet you, I think?" Sara said, taken aback by his instant change in demeanor.

"The pleasure is mine. By what name shall I call thee fräulein?" Tomas said in a heavily accented tone.

"…Sara should be fine for now." She said warily. "Soooo, you're the one taking me to Eisenstadt district?"

"You bet your ass I am. Toss your crap in the back and climb on in. The sooner we get back into town, the happier the good captain will be." He stepped up into the cab of the truck and motioned for her to do the same. She did so somewhat reluctantly.

"How long is the drive going to take?" She asked, not wanting to spend a lengthy amount of time in a vehicle with someone as…eccentric as Tomas appeared to be.

"Shouldn't be on the road for more than forty minutes or so, give or take. Really depends on how closely we have to follow the speed limits. If conditions are favorable, I could probably shave ten or twelve minutes off of the trip."

"No no, driving the speed limit is perfectly okay with me."

"I suppose there isn't a moment to waste then is there?" He smiled, sliding the key into the ignition slot and firing the engine. "Thank you for choosing K Company bus lines as your preferred method of transportation today. This begins our nonstop service from Altensiel to Eisenstadt. Our journey today is expected to take a little more than half an hour, Isam willing. Refreshments are available upon request. If you feel like you are getting motion sickness, we have several paper bags on hand for immediate use. Please remember to keep arms and legs inside the cabin at all times and never, ever adjust the radio without express permission from your driver. We appreciate you riding with us." With each passing second, Sara was starting to see walking as a much more attractive option.

With that increasingly unsettling smirk on his face, Tomas put the truck in gear and was probably, Sara imagined, about to floor the accelerator. Just before he had the opportunity however, a woman with messy blonde hair and a camera dangling around her neck sprinted up to the passenger side door. An expression of pure excitement was smeared across her features.

"Did you guys say you're heading to Eisenstadt?!" She panted.

"We sure are sweetheart." Tomas responded cordially. "If you're looking for a lift, hop on in."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" She clambered inside of the cab, wedging herself in next to Sara before she could say anything.

"Thank you for choosing—"

Sara cut him off. "Firstly, don't get started with that spiel again. Secondly, what's the matter with you? We can't just offer rides to random civilians!"

"Excuse me, I'm not a civilian; I'm a war correspondent. I even have a press card and everything." She beamed, flashing a plain white pin affixed to her blouse. The woman proffered her hand. "Sonja Christiansen, Hanselt Weekly, it's a pleasure."

"Um, what exactly are you here to…correspond?"

"I'm going to chronicle the daring exploits of the men and women of K Company! Do you have any idea how many people would kill for an inside look at the army's most controversial unit?" Her face was mere centimeters from Sara's and her eyes shone with what could only be described as mania. As Tomas started driving the truck towards the edge of town, Sara began to wonder whether or not she'd have been better off walking.

You see, within our brains are little alarms that go off whenever we start to feel unsafe or uneasy. They exist as a sort of warning system to aid our natural survival instinct. Sitting in the cab of that truck, every single one of my alarms were ringing like church bells. I figured that I could chalk it up to anxiety and my long train ride though. So I brushed them off and tried not to show how uncomfortable I was. The cramped confines of the front seat didn't exactly help that effort.

Within a couple of minutes, the vehicle was outside of Altensiel proper and into the rolling countryside. From the get go, things were quickly becoming annoying. Sonja's mouth hadn't shut for more than five seconds since she'd joined them. The only time she would quit rambling on about this or that was to snap a quick photo, of which she'd probably taken two dozen already. At least six of them were headshots of Sara, whom Sonja proclaimed to be incredibly photogenic. Tomas wasn't making the drive any easier either. He flew around corners, sped through small hamlets, and generally drove like there was a red hot poker up his backside. In contrast to his actions, the radio station he'd chosen was playing nothing but classical music. That, coupled with his unfathomably calm demeanor, was making his driving method ten times more terrifying.

It took about twenty minutes before Sara couldn't handle being in the truck any longer. The mixture of fear and frustration overcoming her composure at last. "THAT IS IT! STOP THE DAMN CAR!" Tomas slowed the vehicle to a halt atop a grassy hillock. The Wall, and Eisenstadt district were clearly visible a few miles away.

"What's the problem?"

"What's the problem?! You're driving like a schizophrenic off his meds! You're going to get all three of us killed; how fast were you going?!"

"I'm not entirely sure. The speedometer only goes up to 50kpm before it stops working." He shrugged.

"Then get the hell out, I'm going to drive the rest of the way. You can ride shotgun with—" A low rumble reached her ears mid sentence. She'd heard it many times when on deployment with the 7th, the telltale echo of heavy artillery guns. She turned around in the direction of the city. A pillar of grey smoke was climbing into the sky at the district's edge. There were more explosions, the number increasing until the collective sound was like heavy rain drops against wood. "What the hell is happening over there?" She wondered aloud.

"Looks like the titans are besieging the outer gate again." Tomas said flatly as Sonja quickly started snapping photos.

"Again?! You've seen this happen before?!"

"Oh sure, once every couple of months or so. The insurrectionists like to lead packs of them down here from Drenigrad to try and breach the wall." He said, stepping down from the cab.

"They do what?! How on earth can you be so nonchalant about that?!" Sara asked him, dumbfounded.

"Well, I guess I'm just used to it. Stuff like this is part of regular life in our neck of the woods. Just don't sweat these things too much and you should be fine. Remember your training and all that motivational garbage." Tomas spun on heel to face the two women, spreading his arms wide. "Without further ado, I bid you welcome my fair ladies, to the City of Iron."