Hey guys, here is the next update in this fanfic. Sorry for the long wait for this update but anyway, hope you enjoy this new chapter.
Enjoy the read.
Chapter Cover: Sarah, Ymir, Krista, Connie Reiner and Berthold all standing together as they were looking down toward the Titans around the tower they stood on.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Terror at Utgard Castle
"EVERYONE GET UP NOW,"
I was startled into awakening by the loud shout. My heart suddenly hammered within my chest as I pulled myself into a seating position blearily looking around, the shadow of sleep still upon my face, my hair falling down around my head no longer tied in a band. I glanced around taking notice of everyone getting up as well and from beside me Krista was waking up as well, her blue eyes looking tired and still faded from sleep.
I looked up at the stairs above where I was lying down, finding one of the Scout, the other woman in the group apart from Nanaba, looking down toward us with wide eyes. She looked tense as her skin was completely white from fear.
What the hell…
"Get to the top of the tower immediately," the woman yelled again.
I pulled myself up to my feet, as everyone was still sleepy but the urgency in the woman's tone forced me to push sleep to the side. Exchanging concerned look with the shorter blonde girl, the two of us followed the soldier back toward the top of the tower were the moonlight was shining quite brightly in the sky above us now. There was a small fire burning in the middle of roof to keep warm against the cool night air considering it was getting colder as the days passed by.
However, the place that was completely deserted when we were on horses was now completely overtaken by Titans. Just the sight of them was enough for me to pause in shock at what was happening, completely taken aback by the sight of the numerous Titans that were appearing all around us seemingly walking out of the darkness like a legion of undead soldiers.
I stared at the Titans, shock and horror coursing through me at the very sight of them.
"I couldn't see them in the dark," the female Scout said, "But with the moonlight…"
"How can they move?" the leader of Connie's squad argued, "It shouldn't be happening…the sun went down hours ago."
I glanced around the area of the castle only finding Titans as far as I can see. This shouldn't be happening…given all the thoughts I had about what happened to the Wall. Even so, Titans can't move around after the sun set…
But why are these guys…still moving and how?
"Um…guys, just what the hell is that?" Connie asked pointing to something in the distance.
I followed the direction he was pointing and found myself staring at a large thing. It was easily taller than any Titan I have seen before safe for the Colossal but the one thing was that it was covered with air almost like it was a beast of some sort. It had long arms…twice longer than normal and shorter stout legs and as he was walking its movement were awkward like he was going to stumble if he moved too quickly. The massive beast didn't even spare us a glance at all and none of the Titans seems to even seem to notice that it was present at all. I stared at the large Beast, feeling my eyes wide with shock.
"Th…That's some kind of Titan right?" Connie asked, "But you ever seen one covered in fur…it looked like some kind of beast?"
"I don't know Connie," I said, and the fear that I was feeling was very well represented in my voice as I stared at the Titan that was walking past the castle and aiming straight at the direction of the Wall in the distance.
But it didn't last for the tower sudden shook terrible and I lost my footing falling into the nearest person to me meaning Reiner but the young man managed to steady me. I shot him a look to say thanks but Reiner's attention was fully on something else, and there was strange look in his eyes almost like he was looking at something in wonder…
I didn't have time to question it at all for the tower shook again.
"Hey back up, don't be coming up here…go bother someone else," the man growled looking at the Titans bellow us, "Damn it, I should be drinking right now damn it…you're standing between me and a tanker of ale."
He had drawn his sword and stood on the edge of the tower staring down at the Titan with such hatred in his eyes that seem like he was trying to make them disappear with his own eyes.
"I've earned the right to get sloshed," he bellowed.
"Rookies stay where you are," Nanaba said as she and the other Scouts member approached the edge as well, "We've got this. Let the ODM gear do what it was designed for."
She turned forward and jumped off, the three other Scouts following after her.
"ATTACK," she yelled.
I instantly approached the edge looking at them fly down toward the Titans which were nearest of where we are and they started to cut them down quickly. It was quite a sight to see experienced soldiers in action as they cut down some of the Titans that were nearby thought my attention returned back toward where the strange Beast Titan had gone but I lost sight of it completely.
Then suddenly one of the Scout was in front of us.
"The door had been breached," she spoke her tone hurried and urgent, "Titans are in the castle. Get bellow and improvised on some sort of barricade. Be careful and retreat back up here only as a last resort. Now hurry, the rest of us will keep any more from getting through and they're quite a few."
The lady turned her gaze back toward the numerous Titans that were surrounding Utgard.
"So, this might be it for us," she said, "But by god we'll fight to the last breath. Our heart and soul to the cause, right? Now Go."
"Right,"
We all turned away from her and ran back toward the inside of the Castle. Reiner was already in front of us quickly grabbing a torch and running ahead.
"I'll go and see how far they've gotten in," he yelled, "You find something to barricade the door, whatever isn't nailed down."
"Reiner wait," Krista yelled at him.
"Hang on," Berthold said, "I'm coming along."
"You've got to be kidding me," Connie said, "Why is it he always has to be the one to step up? C'mon man, give us a break.."
"It's a habit of his," Berthold admitted to us.
"It's reckless," I added.
"Look, I'll deal with Reiner," Berthold said, "You help Krista and Ymir."
With that he left us behind and I turned my attention toward the other two as they were already starting to search around the level that we were in to try to find anything to help at all. Connie found a knife but other than that…
"Look at this thing," Ymir said.
She had opened up a door finding a canon standing there. It was old and they were cobwebs all over it and from the rust upon the metal that formed the tube, I doubted that it had been used in a long while. I approached the cannon.
"Think it'll help?" I asked, "Can this thing even fire?"
"I doubt it's been used in a while," Ymir said, "But that's the best we've got…"
Suddenly a shout came from below us.
"IN HERE, THEY'RE IN THE TOWER. GET DOWN HERE AND HELP ME,"
It was Reiner's voice and I quickly glanced back toward where it came from before looking at the two others that were with me. Ymir's face had turned white and Krista was already pale from the fear.
"Don't have a choice," Ymir said, "C'mon help me."
I didn't even need to be told twice. I rushed toward the taller girl and with Krista's and help Connie, we managed to push the cannon through the empty room and straight toward the open-door Reiner had gone through just moments ago. It was slow work given the squeak of the wooden wheels and I was desperate to get this thing to it's location so that Reiner or even Berthold for that matter didn't ended up as Titan food and we managed to push it through the door.
A floor bellow us, both Reiner and Berthold where there facing a small Titan whose upper torso had almost broken through the door and had a hoe stabbed straight though it's eyes…thought it was still fighting against the duo who were struggling with it.
"Guys head up, incoming," Ymir yelled at them.
Both of them turned their head toward us.
"Where d-you find… Anyway, good work. Do you have any ammo?" Reiner yelled.
"I wish," Ymir yelled, "It was pure luck that we even found this…Get out of the way."
Ymir, Connie and I pushed against the cannon with all our might and the object went sliding down the stairs following the small cove that had been built in the stairs aiming straight down toward the door Reiner and Berthold were standing in front of. The two young men jumped out of the way at the last moment as the cannon smashed straight into the Titan's form causing a wave of dust to blow everywhere at once. I raised a hand toward my face to shield myself from the dust trying to see if the Titan was going to come through but there was no movement coming in the darkness beyond at all.
I walked down the stairs following after Connie who was still holding on the knife he had found.
"The miracle never ceases," Ymir said, "Huzzah."
"Just damn lucky we found the cannon," I said, my voice shaking lightly from fear or adrenaline I didn't know.
"Yeah, It's not getting up from that," Reiner said, "Good thing it was a little one."
"So, what do we do now?" Connie asked, "All that we have left is this knife…should I cut the nape or…?"
I place a hand upon his shoulder drawing his eyes toward me.
"Don't risk it," I told him, "I doubt a knife is going to do much against a Titan's skin."
"Sarah's right," Reiner said looking at us, "Get grabbed and you're dead."
"Then our best course of action is to return back upstairs," Krista said carrying a torch in her hand, "We have no way of knowing if that's the only one who got…in…"
Krista trailed off and I looked up at her as her eyes were went wide with horror at something that was behind both me and Connie and at the same time the sound of the rubble being moved came from behind. I chanced a glance behind and find myself face to face with another small Titan who strangely enough had both it's eyes closed but it seems to know exactly where we are for it suddenly lunged aiming straight for both me and Connie.
Connie was frozen where he stood however, I pulled on his shirt and yanked him away just as the Titan reached me. I heard him yell out in pain from where he fell and the next thing I knew, large hands had taken hold of my other arm and a large pair of teeth clamped down upon my shoulder.
Pain and blood completely overcame me causing me to scream out. I can feel several things happening around me as someone screamed my name out and someone was beside me in a flash smashing away at the Titan's face and then there was a flash of silver from somewhere and then the Titan's jaw allowed me to go and I fell down upon the ground, completely covered in blood…my blood…
Someone was saying something to me…but for the life of my life I couldn't figure out what they were saying at all before I was lifted from the ground and they were even more yelling…sound of something screaming again and even more sound of feet against the ground…footsteps…
"…was stupid what you did…"
"…Can't let her die without trying something…,"
Whispers of voices were arguing around me as I let out a cough causing a silence before someone appeared in my vision. I noticed the ceiling and then clear blue eyes filled with tears and concern was there looking down at me along with shining blond hair reflecting against the light of nearby torches.
"Sarah…can you hear me? Can you speak…?"
"K…Krista…," I spoke, "The Titan…where…?"
"Don't worry about that for now," Krista said, "I'm going to try to take care of the wound…?"
"She's already at death's door Krista," another voice spoke.
Ymir.
"Don't say that," Krista said looking off at her and since I was on the ground, I couldn't do anything but listen with my labored breathing.
"Even if you tried to help, without proper medication, she'll be dead by morning," Ymir said, "Not like the rest of us have a better option with Titans swarming the area. We'll be lucky if we are alive by morning."
"Don't be like that Ymir," another voice, Connie argued, "One of our comrades is dying right in front of us and that's all you can say…?"
"I'm simply being realistic about the situation," Ymir answered.
"I don't care, Krista do whatever you can to keep her alive," Connie said.
The blonde nodded and started to work on the wound removing the light clothing I was wearing.
"I'm going to use some alcohol to disinfect the wound," she told me, "It might sting…I'm sorry…"
"I…It's ok…," I breathed.
The liquid that fell upon my skin burned and I let out a gasp of pain as Krista worked upon what she was doing. Her touch was gentle almost like she was trying very hard not to hurt me anymore and I simply closed my eyes, letting the soothing touch take away the burning pain from my wound. It was pulsing feeling the pain almost like an heartbeat of it's own…
"...ake up…, Sarah wake up,"
I opened my eyes finding both Krista and Connie looking down at me.
When did Connie get here?
"Don't fall asleep alright," Connie was saying, "Whatever you do…you can't fall asleep."
"Connie…when did you… get here?"
A look crossed the young man's face but it was gone too quickly for me to truly decipher what it meant. He was still holding upon the knife from before but he let out a small chuckle.
"Cmon,' I've always been here," he said, "And you're going to be alright okay Sarah. When we get out of here we'll find some place to get up back on your feet."
I smiled lightly.
"T…That'll be nice…," I murmured.
Then there was sudden boom coming from outside drawing both Connie and Krista's attention from me and toward the others. The group was silent as well before another boom shook the entire room, we were in.
"Just what the hell…?" Connie said shocked.
"Those aren't cannon fire…but what could be powerful enough to damage the tower itself?" Ymir spoke from somewhere.
"Then let's go see what it was," Reiner said.
"We can't just leave Sarah down here…"
"I'll carry her," Berthold spoke out, "Best she stay close to us in her state…if you want to keep her alive that is."
I was lifted up from the ground I was lying on and my eyes found themselves looking at Berthold's pale features and then I was moving swaying lightly in his arms as he was moving forward. He looked down toward me and there was a flash of something in his eyes as he was staring down at my wound…
"Steam?" he whispered softly, "Sarah…you are…?"
"Berthold, what's the hold up?" Reiner asked.
"It's nothing."
I couldn't understand much of what was going on around me after that other than the arguing voices that were fading in and out because of how much blood I probably lost because of the Titan attack against me…however, that time was hardly peaceful for I could hear people screaming and voices arguing sounding a lot like Ymir and Krista somewhere and then there was a sudden wave of heat and bright yellow light…
The tower shook some more I could feel someone carrying me but I couldn't figure out who it was at all. The world shook and crumble and I can feel a heat coming from somewhere as there was a light upon my skin now forcing me to open my eyes.
The sky which was inky black when I was last awake was now staring to show sign of blue and the morning sun was shining down from the heavens. I turned my gaze finding myself lying down upon a makeshift bed or some sort. I could hear voices talking somewhere and I turned my head to the side finding Connie there but there was also someone there as well, someone dressed in a green cloak with the Scout insignia upon it, long dark hair dancing lightly in the wind…
"She pulled me away when the Titan came and…," he stopped talking when he caught my eyes and instantly approached toward me.
"Sarah are you okay?" he asked.
But my eyes were upon the person that was beside him. I should have recognized her sooner but with how much blood I lost, and the wound and being completely out of it, my mind was working at a much slower pace than normal.
Mikasa Ackerman was kneeling beside me as she looked down toward me, her face was carefully blank of emotion but I could read something in her eyes. A quiet relief perhaps?
Then I closed my eyes once more letting the sleep take me once more…
The Scouts returns...and Sarah falls asleep...
Next Time: Enemies in our Midst.
Jacques0 out.
R&R
