"Sat suffering, I knew him when
Fair-weather friends of mine
Try not to think, I merely blink
Hope you wish away the lies...
Can you protect
Me when I'm wrecked
I pretend you're still alive
Yeah..."
-Get Born Agan, Alice in Chains
The stench of death lingered in the air around the abounded mill house as Ara moved Sloane's dead body outside. Armin saw her legs near the corner of the house, his blue eyes narrowed at the sight. These Slayers are willing to do things that wall dwellers would cringe at. Armin moved his eyes to the opposite side of the house and saw Layla's silhouette leaning against the windmill.
He was about to walk over until he felt hands on his shoulders. He nearly jumped out of his skin and turned his head to see Reiner hovering over him.
"Where did the dark maiden go?" Reiner questioned causing Armin to blink up at him.
"If you are referring to Layla, she's over in the shadows of the wooden mill." Armin pointed over in her direction and Reiner looked over in the direction. Armin's eyes lowered to the grass below. "You might want to leave her alone. I mean, she just...you know..."
Reiner ignored Armin and walked past him, heading over to the wooden mill. Armin was about to follow him until Ara shouted in his direction, "You, blondie. Go and find me some wooden sticks so I can make a fire. Hurry up."
Armin only nodded and walked around the house, looking for sticks or firewood. As Armin looked for the supplies, Reiner made his way to the wooden mill.
Layla had her hood off and was observing the sword that once belonged to Sloane. Her arm brace is still wrapped around securely around her shoulder and the left side of her stomach is coated in blood.
She looked over at Reiner for a moment and then returned her gaze to the sword. "Wall shit." She addressed him with a nod of her head.
"I saved your ass. You shouldn't be calling me that." Reiner commented and he swore he saw a faint smirk appear on her dark lips.
"True," she answered and turned her head over to look at him. "I never asked for your help though." She placed the sword in the holster on her side and turned her body to face his.
"You did risk your life to save mine. Why?" She questioned and he was taken back for a moment. He gazed to the side and shrugged his broad shoulders.
"It would be a waste to let a warrior like you die," he countered and she nodded slightly at the observation. "Besides, finding you women was our top pority. I didn't want to come empty handed."
Layla walked closer to him, her blazing white hues on his face. "Interesting. But do you truly think that Ara and I will follow you into the city? Being in these walls is bad enough." She was silent for a moment, but she spoke once more. "You saved my life wall dweller. You and that tall boy, the one who put my shoulder back in, I owe you."
Reiner blinked at the words 'I owe you' and he shook his head. "You don-"
"I do," she interrupted and pulled out a talon from her belt. She placed the knife against her palm, causing blood to be exposed. The knife pressed around the cut and she lowered the talon toward the ground so her blood dropped to the grass below.
"That is a blood oath, wall dweller. Until I save your life and his, my debt cannot be repaid. You should be honored that I am making a blood oath with you." She placed the talon back into its holder and walked past him, leaving Reiner speechless but his hues were on the blood stained grass.
Armin returned with the piles of wood but dropped one, causing him to mumble in annoyance. When he leaned down to pick it up, Layla was already there with the wood in her hand.
"Oh, Layla..." He whispered her name and she nodded.
"Smart one," she addressed him and he blinked at his nickname. She did not refer to him as 'wall dweller' like the others, he wondered why. She placed the wood back into the pile in his hands and nodded her head toward Ara. "Don't keep her waiting. A rotting body might attract a Titan."
He nodded slightly, keeping his eyes upon the wood. She started to walk away but he looked up at her. "You did the right thing."
His words caused her to stop in her tracks and she looked over at him. Her white blazing eyes on him. He had to look away from the intensity of her eyes. "Sloane was dying, she would have suffered if you did not….kill….her. I thought it was wrong, even evil at first but, I would rather my friends kill me than a Titan eating me."
Layla stared at him for a moment and she nodded. "I suppose you're right but it is not easy." Armin stared up at her and noticed her white eyes weren't as bright as before. "You better go to Ara," Layla mumbled and walked past him toward her horse.
Armin watched her walk away and he returned to Ara. They built a pile of logs and then Ara made a fire from two sticks, it started off small but then consumed the logs. Layla returned the fire as did the squad, Sloane's body laying beside the flames.
Ara picked up her body in her arms and Layla walked to her side.
"She deserves a proper ruital as well." Layla spoke to Ara and the skeleton woman glared down at her.
"She tried to kill us, she is a traitor Layla. This is enough for her, better than she deserves." Ara responded angrily.
"You know it is our duty as Slayers to give her a proper ritual." Layla contered causing the woman to growl to herself but nod.
"Fine," she answered. "But you do it. You were the one who sent her to the Reaper."
Layla nodded and Ara threw Sloane's body into the fire, causing the flames to erupt into a huge flame. Layla took a step forward and got onto her knees, placing her hands onto the grass. The only sound was that of the embers of the fire.
"In the name of the goddess of creation, Ariadnile. In the name of the god of bloodshed and war, Masshes. In the name of death, Reaper." She was silent after that and even Ara bowed her head at the names. Layla then drove one of her swords into the ground and placed her head against the hem of the sword, " Vernut'sya nas zimniye zemel'. Nayti yey zemlyu, chtoby byt' v bezopasnosti s zhatki. Sna i pomnit' moye posledneye zhelaniye. Ogon', dostavit' yeye tuda."
Armin did not understand the language at all and looked over to Ara. "What did she say?"
Ara gazed over at him and then back to the fire. "That is our true language, the language we were taught. It means, 'Return us to the winter lands. Find her a land to be safe with the reaper. Sleep and remember my last wish. Fire, deliver her there.' It is a prayer common to our people, usually sang but not this time."
Armin looked over and watched as Layla stood up, bowed her head at the fire and returned to Ara and the squad. Ara looked at her sister.
"It is time we left. We need to abandon our mission, and report to the Reaper." Ara spoke to Layla but Layla had her eyes on the squad.
"No Ara," Layla said which caused the woman's eyes to widen. "You report to the Reper, you are part of the Reaper council. I'm staying and finishing what we started."
Ara pushed Layla's shoulder, hard, causing Layla to sway for a moment. "Hell no you aren't. We walked in the flames of hell, together. I'm not leaving you in the flames with these people. They will see you as a trophy or a freakin' test subject. We have stayed in hiding because we hate wall dwellers, and you are going freely!?"
The squad took a step back, expecting the women to have a fight any moment. Armin stared at the women and his mind was swimming with questions. So, the myths were right. Yet, it did not answer why there are Slayers and why they have been in hiding for years from the walls. Perhaps his questions will never have answers because these women refuse to open up about Slayer history.
Layla turned to face her sister and shoved her back just as hard, but her shove nearly caused Ara to fall to the grass. "Stand down! We might be sisters and Slayers, but don't forget that I am superior to you. I am Blood Circle Clan and I'm staying. You need to go back to the village; you're the Reaper's lapdog after all."
Ara glared at Layla with anger in her blue eyes. "Layla. You won't be accepted, you're a monster in their eyes. You might be killed and that could start a war between us and the wall dwellers. Wall dwellers will never accept Slayers nor will we ever accept them. Let's just leave!"
The word war caused Armin's eyes to widen. Titans are bad enough; they don't need a war with Slayers. Would they really start a war with the walls? Ara had a point as well, Layla's methods are considered barbaric to others. What if the military police took her into custody, she would answer in bloodshed, he knew that.
"It's a chance I will have to take," Layla replied and Ara shook her head. Layla took a step over to the squad. "Ara, we have to be honest with ourselves. Titans aren't what we thought. Humans can transform into them and I'm gonna find out how. And how to stop it. We need information that the wall shitters might have, and you know that."
Ara looked to the side but she nodded. "I know, but I don't want you going with them. You're the best warrior we have." She was silent for a moment and studied the squad. "If they kill you. I'm bringing an army to avenge your death."
Layla laughed to herself, it was a gentle laugh, one Armin did not except her to have. "You know me Ara. Anyone who tries to kill me will have to pick their teeth off the ground with a fingerless hand."
Ara smirked at the comment with a shake of her head. She glared at the squad and then back to Layla. "I will tell the Reaper you went 'missing'."
Layla nodded, "Fight well, Ara."
Ara turned her back to Layla. "Kill well, Layla. Masshes is with you, I know that for a fact."
Ara climbed onto her horse, took one last look at her sister and then kicked her horse on its side. She disappeared into the darkness of the valley as Layla watched. Then, she turned to face the squad.
"Looks like I'm stuck with you wall dwellers. Just remember that I'm coming with you on my free will but if you fuck with me, I'll rip your arms off. Got it?" She asked and they nodded. She looked over the fire, only to find Sloane's body was nothing but ashes now.
Armin took a step over to her, "Are you sure you want to return with us. Life in the city of the wall might be…difficult for you."
"You shit heads need help. You're weak, spineless, and pathetic. I'll make you strong like me." She balled her hand into a fist. "I came on a mission and I'm going to finish it. Besides," she looked over at Reiner and Berthold. She was silent for a moment as she stared at them, her expression completely unreadable. "I made a blood oath with them and I'm not leaving till it is finished. So, let's go before the sun returns."
The language of the Slayers is Russian, and I'm sorry if you are Russian and I ruined the language. I used a translator. Please reivew and let me know what you think of my story!
