The district was teeming with activity. Dark grey clouds hung above the bustling city, swirling with the promise of snowfall. The large group slowly made their way forward, the hooves of their horses clicking against the dark cobblestone. The white and blue Wings of Freedom stood out against the grey, fur-lined trench-coats of the horseback riders, causing heads to turn. People dressed in cottons and leathers paused, attention caught.
The Survey Corps? In the Northern regions? This was certainly an unusual sight, and it attracted the eyes of many. Small children excitedly pointed, begging their parents to look, while merchants halted their advertisements momentarily to watch the soldiers proceed forward. Each person was outfitted with a fanny pack-like belt and a backpack, presumably carrying rations. There were no wagons; each person was in charge of themselves. Instead of the average military uniform, they wore grey, fur-lined trench coats.
A soldier glanced at the crowds out of the corners of his green eyes, brown hair tucked underneath his grey hood as he waited on horseback with the rest of the soldiers. He couldn't have been older than 15; his young features seemed shadowed by his hood, the grey atmosphere causing small highlights of light to run along his face's edges. Something was bugging him immensely, though he could not quite place a finger on it. Uneasiness caused chills to run down his spine, and he found himself gripping his horse's reins tightly. Why are they all staring? Don't they have military here? His thoughts were troubled. No, everyone always stares when we pass them on missions. This isn't any different. I'm just uneasy because I've never been in the North before.
The teen's thoughts were put to an abrupt end as the screeching sound of the gate opening filled his ears. He looked ahead, expression grim as the outside world slowly slid into view. The Survey Corps faced semi-mountainous terrain, the pale rocks offering stark contrast against the gentle, green grass and small, purple wildflowers. The smells wafted through the gate, caressing the soldiers and giving the false impression of peace and tranquility within Wall Maria.
The Survey Corps knew otherwise.
"Eren." The voice came from his left, and he turned, eyes meeting the source. It was a young soldier of around 15; her black hair brushed against her shoulders, grey eyes narrowed slightly. A red scarf was tied around her neck, the sides tucked neatly between the folds of her coat. Mikasa.
"Yes?" Eren's response, while innocent in nature, held a dark undertone, revealing his discomfort. His eyes met hers, and a short silence grew between them before she finally spoke.
"It's going to be okay."
Eren felt his eyes narrow. "I know," he muttered. He turned away, eyes wandering among the crowd of troopers. The unease was not isolated to him; it was spreading like wildfire, with each person growing more and more anxious to begin the expedition. He turned, glancing at the soldier to his right, who seemed the most on edge of the entire group. He was also around the age of the others, his blonde hair brushing against his jawline and glowing a light yellow color in the dim light. His large, blue eyes were slightly narrowed, a grin on his face- seemingly to ward off inquirers. A dark look shadowed his face, and Eren found himself opening his mouth to speak.
Before he could say anything, however, a booming voice spoke from the head of the formation. "Survey Corps, proceed on the 58th mission to reclaim lost Titan territory."
The Survey Corps charged forward, and Eren kicked his horse up to a strong gallop, falling into place in the formation. Hooves kicked up clumps of dirt and grass, the wildflowers swaying in the drifts caused by the horses' pumping legs. The terrain was different; forested hills rose up to their left, while the flat grassland continued up ahead. To the right lay a magnificent forest. There are probably Titans swarming in there, Eren mused, green eyes locked on the trees. We'll just have to wait and see.
"It's too dangerous to carry out the formation! We are in new terrain, so stick together." the voice called once again, this time easier to hear due to the absence of ambient sound. "Engage only if your life or your comrade's is on the line."
A spark of anger lit inside Eren's chest, and his head lowered, expression darkening. "How are we supposed to defeat the Titans if we're not even allowed to fight? What the hell's gotten into us!? We're like a bunch of scared little animals, too freaked out about nothing to do our job as soldiers!"
"Eren, we are allowed to fight," Mikasa stated gently, riding up beside Eren. "We just can't do it without reason."
Eren met her grey stare, eyes narrowing. "Yeah, okay," he muttered begrudgingly.
The formation rode onwards, murmured conversations occasionally sparking and dying. The smells of blooming wildflowers and distant snow blew against the soldiers in the form of a slight breeze, and the tension they had felt in the Utopia district seemed to lift with each hoof beat against the grass. There were no signs of Titans anywhere. Where the hell are they? And why aren't they attacking?
"They'd be on top of us by now," a dark voice murmured, and Eren turned his head, noticing that his blonde-haired comrade had finally spoken. "Maybe it's just the cold."
"Hey!" a female soldier exclaimed, her voice full of excitement. "We've gone a few kilometers without so much as a single encounter! That means we can reclaim the Northern regions of Wall Maria!"
"Yeah!" another soldier agreed. "This is great! We can take it back! Hear that, guys? We're one step closer!"
"You're right for once," another replied. "Nice job."
They're right, Eren realized. We can take back the Northern regions!
"I wouldn't assume success," Eren's blonde-haired friend muttered, somewhat shakily. "We're not out of the dark yet, despite not seeing Titans yet."
"Lighten up a little, Armin," someone grunted. "Let us have a little excitement, alright?"
Armin lowered his head a bit at that, shifting his gaze towards the road. "There'll be plenty of excitement later," he muttered. "Going this long without seeing any Titans is a surefire sign we'll run into a mob of them at a later date."
Eren felt his heart drop at that. He's right. We're going to be severely outnumbered when we do finally encounter Titans. Or maybe he's just overthinking this? Eren blinked once, lowering his gaze back towards the road, as well. "Either way," he muttered, "we shouldn't let our guard down too much. If we learned anything as trainees, it's that anything can happen when we least expect it."
"Lighten up," someone scoffed, and a tall soldier of around Eren's age appeared beside him. Jean. His brown hair was styled in an undercut, brown eyes narrowed and focused on the soldiers ahead. "It's too cold for Titans, or did you not pay attention in class? They don't frequent the cold regions as much as they do the warm ones."
"That might not be the reason," Armin responded before Eren could speak. His blue eyes seemed focused intently on the small road they were following. Eren watched this for a moment, confusion briefly flashing in his eyes. Huh? What's he talking about? He had the same classes and learned the same things as us, he can't possibly know something we don't… right?
"Eh? What do you mean?" The brown-eyed soldier's brow creased with skepticism.
"Well, when you think about it, Titans have an extremely high body temperature, so they wouldn't be bothered by the cold," came the response. "It's more likely they have difficulty crossing the terrain, which would explain their absence. If that's really the case, then taking back the Northern regions will be easier than we thought due to the sheer absence of Titans."
"Makes sense," Jean replied slowly. "You've always been a bit too clingy, but that doesn't take away from your brainpower."
"Let's be honest here," a different soldier said, riding up beside the blonde and staring him in the eye. His head was clean-shaven, golden eyes glinting as he kept the pace. Connie. A hint of a smirk was evident on his young face. "I was a little confused by you in the beginning; I wrote it off as you just being with Eren."
"He's right," a female soldier suddenly said, riding her horse level to Connie's. She leaned over the horn of the saddle, peering down the line of soldiers. Her brown hair was parted down the middle and tied in a ponytail, side bangs falling over her cheeks and shining a light golden color in the grey sunlight. She was one of the few who were not wearing their hoods. Sasha. Her brown eyes were wide and locked on Armin, shining in the faint, dying light. "You've always been hanging around Eren, and I wasn't real sure of how to take that. I thought you were a couple, too."
Armin rolled his eyes at that, brow furrowing and eyes narrowing. "Jean told me the same thing. I'm not that clingy, you know."
"What do we have here," a new voice said, and up rode a tall girl with her hood lying flat against her back. Her brown hair was tied up into a short ponytail, and freckles dotted her face. Ymir. Her golden eyes were narrowed, lips curled into a grin; she was staring at Armin, eyes glinting in the same manner as Connie's. "Looks like someone can't take a joke."
"I can take a joke, I just want to clarify that I'm not clingy," came the response.
By this point, the terrain had become increasingly strenuous; the path wound up the mountain, sand-colored rocks littering the ground as boulders veered up on both sides. They were making their way through a canyon of sorts, and small snowflakes blew into their faces, the wind blowing their hair back and the cold increasing. Eren gripped his leather reins tightly, crimson mittens squeezing around them. It was getting cold.
"We're going to set up camp here!" a loud voice suddenly called. The formation slowly pulled to a stop in a large, grass-covered clearing, the path continuing to wind into a forest further on. There were a few trees scattered about, all of which the perfect size to tie the horses to. None other than Commander Erwin, with his blonde hair parted neatly to the side and his piercing blue eyes shining in the faint light, pulled his chestnut horse to the side, dismounting and tying his reins to a tree. The formation followed suit, the soldiers hopping off of their mounts and tethering them respectively.
They began to group up, with several soldiers branching away from the others to collect dry firewood. By the time the moon fell behind the tree-lined horizon, a large campfire had been created, and the soldiers sat cross-legged in a circle around it, munching on their rations and laughing amongst each other. The first stars began to slowly fade into view as the sky melted from dark blue to a deep black. The half-moon shone down on them, but it was not light enough to cause activity among the Titans; for now, the Survey Corps was safe.
Sasha was stuffing her rations into her mouth with force, gnawing through it as though she were cutting through paper. Crumbs tumbled from her mouth as she ate, causing Connie to snort in disgust.
"Hey, eat with damn manners!" he exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed. "We're all hungry, you're no different!"
"I can't help it! I'm so hungry…!"
Eren listened to the exchange with slight attention, eyes focusing on his stew. Mud with seasoning, he begrudgingly thought, eyes narrowing as he looked at the fire-lit tin pot. Nobody in their right mind would enjoy this stuff. He held the pot to his mouth, forcing down chunks of potato.
"Come on, Armin!" he heard someone exclaim, and he lowered the pot, glancing towards the blonde-haired boy, distracted from his dislike of the rations. The same person spoke again. "You're really quiet today! What's the matter?"
"Yeah, you are a bit quiet," the brown-haired boy added to the conversation, green eyes softening. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh! Ah- just overthinking!" Armin quickly said, flashing an awkward grin and jerkily shoving his tin pot to his mouth. "As usual." He took a long gulp of the contents, and Eren felt himself relax.
"Oh, good," he said, dismissing the response as ordinary. Always overthinking- huh?
Armin had taken a leather-bound journal out of his belt bag, and was scribbling something inside of it. Each individual had been assigned a journal, and were ordered to keep records of anything interesting that had happened- so what was Armin writing about? A thought came to mind, and Eren felt a grin grow on his face.
"Hey, Ar," Eren quietly said, leaning closer to his friend and glancing down at the journal. "Who're you getting in trouble this time?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm not-"
"It's okay, you can tell me," Eren grinned.
Armin lowered his gaze a bit, glancing back towards his journal. "Well, I was actually recording information about camping out. Just the little things…"
"Which includes writing dirt, right?"
"Don't worry about it, okay?"
Alright, Armin, whatever you say.
The sky was beginning to lighten, but the camp had been taken down long before then. The Survey Corps soldiers prepared themselves for the day, rolling up their sleeping bags and packing their things into their backpacks. A light snow was falling, and clouds covered the sky, their dark forms moving slowly across the atmosphere.
Eren held his lantern up as he finished packing his bag. His grey coat offered plenty of protection from the elements, as did the red scarf he had pulled around his face. They had expected snow, but the biting cold nevertheless seemed to unnerve the soldiers; they moved quickly, likely motivated by the prospect of returning to the warmth within the Southern regions. All of them had their hoods and scarves pulled up, their crimson-colored mittens keeping their hands warm as they worked.
The sooner the mission was finished, the better.
Eren made his way towards the tree where he'd tied his horse for the night. He noticed other soldiers doing the same with their mounts; it would be time to leave soon. The boy was greeted by a snort; his horse perked its brown ears as he approached, lifting its head and reaching forward. Eren held a mitten-clad hand out, and the horse sniffed it before pulling away and returning to its casual posture. The boy reached over and quickly untied the reins, placing them around the horse's neck before getting into position. He reached up with little difficulty and grabbed the horn of the saddle, pushing a foot into the stirrup and pulling himself up.
"Armin!" he called, noticing a familiar face mounting a nearby horse. "Do you think there's a chance we'll get to kill some Titans today?"
The blonde soldier paused, lowering his lantern and revealing the distinct frown on his face. "…possibly," was all he replied before turning and quickly hopping atop his horse, holding the lantern in one hand and holding the reins in the other. He kicked his horse to a trot and steered towards the rest of the group, path illuminated by the gas lamp.
Eren watched him leave, confused. What? What's with that answer? That doesn't tell me anything! He stared after his friend, green eyes betraying his emotions. Why won't he talk to me?
The thick dark was beginning to lift, the white snow gently drifting to the ground and resting against the soft grass in a blanket. Eren kicked his horse to a steady walk, eyes locked on the blonde soldier's grey coat. White flakes floated onto his hood, covering his shoulders and bag with a soft film. Something had caught his eye… he turned slightly, shifting his gaze from Armin to a familiar figure. The soldier was waving him over, and he rerouted his horse, quickly approaching the boy at a smooth trot.
"Hey, Eren!" Connie exclaimed when the brunette finally arrived. "Sash and I were wondering when we're gonna get going." Despite the freezing temperatures, the boy's hood was down, his clean-shaven head exposed to the elements. His breath formed white swirls in the air as he spoke, golden eyes wide and determined.
"Now," a deep voice interrupted, and Erwin appeared from the dim lamplight, a metal lantern clutched between his fingers and a brown bag slung over his shoulder as though it weighed nothing. The grey horse he was mounted gave a low nicker, head bowed and brown eyes angled towards Eren's chestnut horse. Erwin stared at his inferiors with a small frown, blue eyes commanding in the faint, orange light. His grey hood was pulled over his head, white lining pressing against his blonde hair in tufts. "We will be leaving immediately. Mount your horses if you haven't already, and we will proceed forward."
Connie straightened his posture, right hand clenching into a fist and pressing against his heart while his left hand balled up and pressed against the soft of his back. The military salute. "Yes, sir!" he exclaimed, grabbing his lamp from his backpack and activating it before slinging his bag across his back and turning towards the remaining horses. He took off at a swift walk, followed closely by Sasha, who stared down at him with soft, brown eyes. The crunching of their boots against the snow faded as they walked further away, and Eren watched them disappear from immediate view with a small frown.
We're leaving now? Maybe I can get Armin to talk to me. He's normally really talkative, what's up with him?
The village was silent. Eren's attempts at conversing with Armin had been unsuccessful; every time he spoke, his comrade returned the endeavor with brief responses. The brown-haired teenager was certainly confused, even after Armin's first short reply. Even now, after having been traveling for two hours, he couldn't help but shake the sense that something was severely wrong; the soldiers were moving at a slow walk, forced into three single-file lines in order to squeeze through the abandoned village they had come across. The dilapidated buildings loomed out of the snow like ghosts of a bygone era, their crumbling rooftops and shattered windows outlined in the thick, white light.
"Connie," a voice whispered, and Eren turned, finding himself looking at Sasha. Her brown eyes were wide, expression grim as she stared at the eerie landscape. "Do you think we might end up meeting Titans?"
"Don't be ridiculous," came the response. "We haven't found any Titans yet, what makes you think we'll find them now?"
Several soldiers' expressions darkened at that, and Eren found himself doubting every word Connie said. There could be anything hiding here, he thought. Anything.
The snow swirled through the sky in large flakes, falling against the ground and crunching beneath the hooves of the Survey Corps mounts as they proceeded. Time seemed to slow down; the world stopped revolving. Eren's green eyes slowly swiveled between the faces of his comrades, his friends; their breaths came from their mouths in swirls of vapor, their eyes wide and their faces pale.
Everything changed in a single, prolonged second.
Shards of wood and glass sprayed the soldiers as a single foot slammed into a hut to the left. The booming sound that followed filled Eren's ears, and his immediate response to instinctively reach for his 3DMG holsters, only to come to the realization that his gear was packed away.
The Titan stood at an impressive 12 meters, and it began to reach down, fingers curling around a soldier and lifting him into its mouth as though it were eating a mere ant.
"No," Eren mouthed, watching in horror as his comrade was chewed apart. A single scream was all that remained as the beast finished its meal, red blood dripping from its gaping jaws as it reached down to pick out another.
Four more looming figures stepped forward, their footsteps causing the ground to vibrate, their shadows casting over the soldiers. Eren stared up at them in horror as they began to reach down, hands grasping for whoever they could grab. The brown-haired soldier found himself pulling his horse to a stop; they were trapped.
The snow continued to fall on the group, soft, white flakes giving off a very false façade of peace and safety. Eren stared around as more and more Titans began to appear; their large, shadowed bodies faded from the white light, hands reaching through the air and fingers wrapping around soldiers. Eren couldn't tell how many were being eaten; the screams drowned out the sounds of footsteps, and the boy found himself frozen, rage burning brighter within him with each scream of agony.
"Ackerman, Brouse, Springer, Kirstein." Erwin's voice rang above the screams, calling the cadets to attention. Eren squinted through the thick snow, trying to see ahead; he could make out the faint silhouette of the commander, who was holding what appeared to be a smoke signal in his hand. It was raised to the sky, held steady. Not a single cloud of colored smoke was visible.
The four soldiers were by Erwin in an instant, and Eren urged his horse forward, peering through the snow and thick fog. Screams continued to fill the air, much to the boy's dismay; we're losing. He tried to listen in on what Commander Erwin was saying; Mikasa, Sasha, Connie, and Jean were all proficient with their 3DMG, more so than the other cadets. What's going on? Is he really going to have them use their gear in weather like this!?
What Eren failed to realize was that the conditions were improving; the snow was beginning to die down, the fog less intense and the scene easier to decipher. Sasha, Mikasa, Jean, and Connie were unbuttoning the bags on their horses, unbuckling the leather straps and pulling open the flaps. Each of them reached into their bags, holsters in hand; Eren narrowed his eyes. They weren't possibly going to fight the Titans head-on… were they?
Their hands reemerged, blades drawn as they made eye contact with one another before looking at Erwin. He gave a nod, motioning with his free hand for two of his comrades to join the cadets. A short man and tall agender rode forward out of the fog, blades drawn, as well; the agender wore thick-rimmed goggles, their brown hair tied back in a messy ponytail. The man's black hair was parted lopsidedly down the middle, bangs falling over his squinty eyes and disappearing over an undercut.
Hange? Levi? What's going on?
Eren felt as though the world were slowing down; instead of soldiers frantically trying to calm themselves and their comrades, he saw the six blade-wielders, as well as Erwin's raised gun. He began to realize what was going on, and reached his hands to his ears, covering them as he watched the others do the same.
Erwin fired the noise grenade. The air fell still; the world silenced itself, all sounds drowning in the thick ringing that engulfed the village. Deep undertones vibrated through Eren's ears, and he found his gaze locked onto the group of six. They were riding away, away from the turmoil, away from the confusion; their blades in hand, they disappeared into the fading fog, each person faced in different directions. It was at that moment that he realized: they were going to take out the Titans.
One by one, the looming figures began to fall to the cold ground, crashes vibrating the ground and causing snow to bounce off of the rooftops. Eren stared around the village in awe; it was working. The Titans were distracted by the large congregation of soldiers in the center, and therefore seemed to be ignoring the individual soldiers; the beasts were dropping like flies, dispatched quickly by the fleeting forms of the agile sword-wielders.
Not another minute passed before the majority of the enemy were grounded; the six sent to dispatch of the pests returned on horseback, appearing from the now-thin fog with auras of individual pride. Erwin gave them curt nods, dismissing them; Mikasa immediately steered towards Eren, trotting over to him with distinct worry in her grey stare.
"Eren, are you okay?" she asked, wiping the blood from her face- it appeared as though, despite their success, they had suffered injury. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine," Eren replied briefly. "Good job taking those things down."
The black-haired girl froze at that, and she began to turn, eyes scanning the survivors. Eren peered closer, curious; what was she looking for?
"Where is Armin?"
The question took the boy off guard, and he, too, began to glance around, searching the faces of those who stood in the village still. His eyes met large, blue ones, and he breathed a sigh of relief, turning his horse and steering towards the soldier. Mikasa followed, tugging at the rim of her red scarf slightly with a finger.
"Hey, Ar!" Eren greeted, grinning as he arrived next to the cadet.
"Oh, you have the wrong person," a squeaky voice answered, and the person turned, her blonde hair falling over her eyes in thin strands as she did so. Eren felt a wave of embarrassment roll through his face, and he turned, smile instantly dropping from his face.
"Sorry, Krista," he replied, continuing to scan facial features. "I couldn't really see that it was you through all of the fog."
"I don't blame you," a voice chuckled, and Ymir turned from her place next to Krista. Her horse bowed its head slightly, allowing her to move without losing balance. The girl reached an arm out, resting her elbow against Krista's shoulder. "Krista's too sweet to be ignored, after all!"
Eren didn't respond, instead focusing his efforts on searching the faces. Maybe when we leave the village we'll find him. He has to be here, he was here the entire time!... wasn't he?
"The Titans have been defeated," Erwin announced, causing the remaining soldiers to look up from their conversations and activities. "We will count our losses tonight. Let us continue forward; we cannot afford to lose time during this mission, especially not with less soldiers than before."
Eren felt heat build inside of his stomach. "No," he growled. "I'm not leaving Armin behind." Without another word, he turned his horse around, kicking it to a solid gallop and taking off in the opposite direction of the soldiers. Snow flew behind the horse's hooves at it ran, its legs pumping and tail billowing in the air. Eren's green eyes seemed to display rage as he urged his mount forward- he would find his friend, even if it killed him.
"Eren" The cadet heard his name called behind him, but he ignored it, continuing to race forward, eyes frantically switching between buildings in search of his friend. He's just hiding. He ran away and hid in an alley. Without protection, he's pretty weak, after all.
Mikasa was following closely behind him, also searching the village. Eren ignored her for the most part; his mind was geared towards one thing, and one thing only: finding Armin, dead or alive.
