'It had been a day just like any other and no one could force or what happened that afternoon. Just like that everything changed, at terrible moment in our hearts we knew that home was a pen and that we humans were nothing more than cattle. My name is Hiccup Haddock, and this is the day when my tale began.'

A bunch of soldiers wearing capes which had the schedule of a dragon rolled through a dense forest on horseback. All of them were wearing strange equipment around their waists which had grappling hooks and sheathes filled with detachable swords for two hilts.

"Come on people," said the commander. "Unless we secure mankind's first stronghold beyond the walls, we will die."

"Target approaching!" said a large man with a thick red beard and emerald green eyes.

That's when they saw exiting through the trees was a large humanoid creature, completely bone naked.

"Split into five groups now!" the commander ordered. "Group 1 will act as the bait, all squadrons engage Omni-directional mobility gear!"

The soldiers then immediately pulled out their hilts and then pressed on a trigger and immediately launch grappling hooks which attach themselves to the trees. The gears then turned and pulled them towards the trees and they began swinging through the air as if they were monkeys.

The men on horses began riding around the creature while the men with a strange gear swung around trying to find an opening.

"Hit it from every angle!" the commander ordered.

The soldiers on the rigs then immediately plunge their hilts into their sheaves and attached the sword blades onto them. One soldier then swung around the tree and appeared right behind the creature and headed straight towards the back of its neck.

"For my brothers! For humanity!" he yelled.

He then spun around and plunged his blade into the back of its neck.

While all this was going on two 10-year-old boys and a girl were relaxing in the countryside. One of the boys was slightly smaller than the others and had burning auburn hair and emerald green eyes, his face covered in freckles. The other boy had chocolate brown hair and eyes and was the tallest the three. The girl had golden blonde hair and steel blue eyes, she also appeared to be the fittest out of the three of them.

"Heard that your parents went over the wall again, Hiccup," said the chocolate brown hair boy looking at the auburn hair boy.

"Yeah, he's on another expedition with the Scouts," Hiccup nodded. "Though I hear your mother's pretty busy as well, Ragnar."

"She is a doctor, possible the best one within the wall," said Ragnar and that he looked at the girl. "What about your mum, Astrid?"

Astrid merely shrugged. "Telling me to stay out of trouble as per usual. My uncle on the other hand is still the useless drunk he's always been."

Hiccup shook his head. "Come on let's get the word and get back home. My grandpa's is probably wondering what happened to me. Plus I suspect that Astrid's mum will find some way to blame me if we're late."

The year was 845 and the two children were living inside the largest wall anyone could ever conceive. It wasn't the only one, just the largest out of three impenetrable walls that surrounded the area. They lived in a small district on the southern side of Wall Maria.

This will not the only wall as there were two others and all three of them were about 50 m in height. The three walls were called Wall Maria, Wall Rose and Wall Sina and their primary function was to keep out the enemy of humanity, the Titans.

The Titans were giant humanoid creatures that roamed the countryside, devouring any human in their wake. According to the history books humanity beyond the walls had been devoured and this was the last safe haven for humanity. No one really knew much about the Titans as not many people are brave enough to venture outside the walls.

The Walls themselves were complete mystery, no one knew who created them all what they were even made of. There was a religious cult that believes that the walls were gifts from the gods and they kept on preaching how the war should not be defiled by anyone or anything. In fact the only thing that people really knew about the wars was that they were created more than a century ago.

Inside the district was a priest talking to the crowd and most people shot him off as nothing more than a fanatic.

"These walls are gifted by the gods!" he said. "River rock, stone, mortar… No, my brethren! They are bastions of faith! Will of heaven manifest."

People just ignored him and carried on with their business like they did every single other day.

Hiccup and the others soon reached the gate I would take them into the district.

"Ah, you finally came back," said a soldier approaching them beard.

He had a muscular frame and a long blond beard, he was also wearing knee uniform with a sigil that resembled a fortress.

"Uncle Finn," said Astrid.

"How is my favourite niece?" Finn smiled.

"I'm your only niece," Astrid reminded him. "And have you been drinking again?"

They then heard some laughter outside and saw bunch of soldier's playing cards.

"I'll take that the yes," said Astrid glaring at him. "If my brother finds out she's gonna give you an ear full."

"Now now, no need to get your mother in this," said Finn holding his hand out.

"Shouldn't you be on watch, sir?" Hiccup frowned.

"Yep, watching the old gate we are," Finn nodded. "It's thirsty work playing sentry it's the only way to play off the boredom. Every nip now and then keeps our courage for a spell. Perks of being a guard."

Astrid looked at him furiously. "It also dulls your perception and your reflexes! How do you expect a fight?"

"Now why on earth would I have to fight?" Finn asked confused.

"I don't know, maybe there's an off chance that they may break through the wall," Astrid glared. "If that happens we'd be sitting ducks on your watch!"

"Astrid, would you please use your inside voice," Finn groaned.

"Your niece certainly has some fire in her," said a soldier approaching them. "Law the only thing that they have done to the wall over the past hundred years is scratch at it. I have a feeling that they get it through their big heads to do something else we would be more than ready for them."

"Somehow that does not reassure me," Astrid glared. "Name one thing that any of you have actually done to be ready for them since you are stationed here?"

"She does have a fair point," said Hiccup. "My father says that we have to be constantly ready."

Finn shook his head. "Your old man is a Scout, he would say that."

"Yeah, but my mother says the same thing," Ragnar added.

"I suppose I can't argue with her, she did single-handedly save us from the plague," said Finn rubbing the back of his head. "There again I think she's only talking about her scalpel, I mean what we do is in is half as important. No disrespect to your mother, but the soldier's time beyond the wall does put the whole issue into a different perspective. You see them groping around out there so mindless and dead eyed."

"You make it sound as if they're not dangerous," said Hiccup folding his arms.

Finn chuckled. "I suppose so, though I imagine the stories that your father tells you are quite different."

"If you don't consider much of a thread maybe should stop calling yourself a garrison, it might give people the wrong idea!" Astrid snapped.

"Good point," Finn chuckled. "Look at it this way, if the garrisons are actually doing what people think we ought to, we're up a creek. Personally I take a lot of stock in being called a freeloader. It means things are good. It's how I measure peace of mind."

"Good?" said Astrid through gritted teeth. "We live in a cage. All we ever do is eat and sleep, that's it end of story. We have the peace of mind as livestock."

Finn was quite taken aback by her outburst and view of the soldiers merely chuckled.

"Man, you're right about your niece having fire."

"Carefully it doesn't go out."

"You coming back to the game or what?"

"Yeah," said Finn and he watches the three kids made their way back into the city district. "Hey? Where you three going?"

"Your niece certainly has a temper, gets it from her mother," a soldier chuckled.

"Those three tend to dream bigger than life really wants them too," Finn sighed.

Hiccup and the others were still walking around carrying the firewood on their backs.

"We'll stop off at your place first, it's closer," said Hiccup looking at Astrid.

Astrid looked at him uneasily. "You sure that's why is? You know my mum doesn't want me anywhere near you."

"I know, but since when do you take no for an answer?" Hiccup asked.

"Talk about calling the pot the kettle black," said Ragnar under his breath. He then looked at the two of them. "Still maybe you should let go of joining the Scout Regiment."

"Don't tell me you think that there are a joke as well?" said Hiccup looking at him stunned.

"Of course not, but you of all people should know how many casualties they've taken in the last few months alone," Ragnar pointed out. "Maybe you should think about joining the Garrison, you could still see some action and still be safe behind the walls."

"And become as carefully as my uncle?" said Astrid bitterly. "I think not."

They then heard the sounds of bells, which signify the opening of the gate and that meant only one thing.

"Their back," said Hiccup excitedly. "We could make it if we hurry."

"Think we'd get a chance to talk to your folks?" Astrid asked.

Ragnar sighed and followed the two of them as they headed straight towards the gate.

The Scout Regiment soon made their way out of the gate and there were a large group of people watching as they made their way through, the three kids had to step on wooden crates to get a good view. Hiccup then saw his father, a large mountain of a man with thick red beard and emerald green eyes.

Hiccup waved at him, but he had a very solemn look on his face and looked away from his son.

"I don't think he's in the mood to talk right now," said Ragnar.

Ragnar was right, the Scout Regiment wasn't in exactly a heroic site. Most of them work battered and bruised and covered in blood and there were far less of them than they had been going out.

"Sure taken a hit, haven't they?"

"Yeah, the rest of them got an eaten. That's what happens when pride takes you outside of the walls."

"Olaf! Olaf" a woman cried as she burst through the crowd. She then approached the Scout with a frantic look on her face. "Excuse me, where is my son? He should be with you all, please tell me that he made it."

The commander looked down at her. "I wish I had better news." He then looked at the soldier next to him. "Give it to her."

The soldier then gave her something wrapped in a cloth which was covered in blood stains. She then frantically remove the cloth to reveal a severed arm. She then immediately covered it up and burst into tears.

"I'm sorry," said the commander. "It's all that was left of him."

The woman then fell to her knees and hugged her son's severed arm and the commander bent down towards her. "He did good, yes. He was brave? Tell me that my son stood his ground to the bitter end. That is death meant something! Tell me that his sacrifice gave us a better chance!"

Everyone was utterly quiet, because they all knew that the boys sacrifice had been in vain.

"He was brave," the commander assured her. "But his sacrifice meant nothing. So with all our losses, it's ever the same. The day was lost! We have nothing! Your son died because of me! I sent him to his death! I sent all them to their deaths! And there's nothing to show for it! All of it amounts to nothing!"

The commander clearly had a nervous breakdown and soon the Scout carried on down the street and out of the district. Hiccup knew that his father and mother wouldn't be able to return instantly, at least not until they write a full report of the mission.

"Uplifting, huh?"

"Oh sure, nothing like seeing our hard earned taxes going towards keeping those bastards fat and happy on human gristle."

Astrid glared at the man and was about to make her way over towards him, but she was stopped by Hiccup and Ragnar.

"Stop, it's not worth it," said Hiccup.

"He can't go around saying that," Astrid snarled.

"It was uncalled for, but he's not wrong," said Ragnar as the two of them dragged her back down the street. "Everyone just become complacent ever since we had behind those walls and everyone is afraid of change."

They then made their way to Astrid's house in order drop off the firewood.

"I'm home," said Astrid. "And I've brought friends."

Astrid's mother was currently cooking some stew, she turned around and narrowed her eyes the moment she saw Hiccup.

"I see," she said with a dark expression. "Tell them to drop off the firewood and leave."

Astrid narrowed her eyes at her. "Mum, can you be any more polite?"

"I don't understand what you hang around with that boy," she said as if Hiccup wasn't in the room. "He's a bad influence. You keep on getting into fights and now you got this harebrained idea of joining the Scouts."

"I'm the one who gets us into fights and Hiccup has no influence over me joining the Scouts," said Astrid harshly.

"However we all calm down before we say anything we regret," said a new voice.

They turned on to their surprise they saw Ragnar's mother, Freida was in the house. She had chocolate brown eyes like Ragnar, but her hair was as black as night. Her bag was open which indicated that she had done a check up on Astrid's mother.

"Mum? I had no idea you were here," said Ragnar.

"Just checking up on Sigrid," Freida smiled.

Sigrid looked at her. "Why aren't you saying anything to your son? Surely as a doctor, you don't see your son throwing his life away."

"I admit that they have no idea what the outside is like," Freida admitted. "However, putting all the blame on Hiccup just because both his parents Scouts is a little uncalled for. Beside your daughter is not wrong on many things, especially with the estate of affairs and the laxity from the soldiers."

Sigrid through our hands up into the air looking frustrated. "You could at least say a few words, instead of trying to encourage them."

Freida shook her head. "Ragnar, it's best that you stay with Hiccup for few days, I'll be out of the city for a while."

"More patients to check on?" Ragnar assumed.

"Something like that," she said as she made her way to the door.

"Aren't you going to scold these children?" Sigrid asked harshly.

"And what good will that do?" Freida asked. "Think this through, Sigrid. Mere words won't hold back their curiosity." Her eyes then turned towards Ragnar. "Ragnar, I expect you to behave while I'm gone. If you do are even let you in on what I've been doing in the cellar. Agreed?"

Ragnar then saw her mother holding out a key that was strapped to her neck. Ragnar knew that his mother had been working on something mysterious in the cellar at their house. Not once in his life they ever stepped foot in the cellar.

"You got it," Ragnar nodded.

"Have a good trip, ma'am," said Hiccup.

"You make sure my son stayed out of trouble," she said smiling at him.

"Have a good trip!" Ragnar waved.

When Freida was gone, Sigrid then immediately turned on Hiccup. "I want you to stay far away from my daughter."

"Mum!" Astrid glared.

"You are no longer welcome in this house and if you ever step foot I'll make sure that the soldiers lock you up," Sigrid threatened.

"Do you have a problem with my friends?" Astrid yelled furiously and then she immediately ran off.

"There she goes again," Hiccup sighed as he ran after her.

"What did I just say?" Sigrid yelled.

Ragnar rolled his eyes. "You can lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink it. And Astrid is one stubborn mare. That being said Hiccup is one stubborn stallion."

Sigrid her forehead. "What am I going to do with that girl?"

"I better make sure those to stay out of trouble," said Ragnar.

"And make sure you bring Astrid home," said Sigrid as she marched her way back to the house. "Without that boy!"

Ragnar sighed and followed Hiccup and Astrid.

In an alleyway a bunch of boys were picking on a large husky kid that was about 14 years old. He had short blonde hair and clear sky blue eyes. Despite his size his legs were quite small and he was shaking, despite the fact that he was stronger than any one of the bullies. His name was Fishlegs and he was another friend of Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar.

"Where's the sacrilege now, huh?" said one of the boys pinning him against the wall of a building. "Or does your philosophy say it's wrong to fight back too."

"As a matter of fact it does," said Fishlegs. "I would rather take a few lumps then brawl like a beast."

"Oh, so now I'm a beast?"

"Take a good hard look of yourself and tell me you're not acting like one. You resort to violence because your brain is the size of a walnut. So pummel me all you want, I've already won."

"Yeah, you know what? I'm a sore loser."

The boy was raising his fist preparing to strike Fishlegs, but it was that moment that Hiccup turning round the corner.

"Leave him alone!" Hiccup ordered.

The boys turned and smirked when they saw Hiccup.

"It's Hiccup!"

"Back for more?"

"You would have thought that he had learned his lesson."

"Leave this one to me."

The three boys were preparing to fight Hiccup, but they start when they saw Astrid and Ragnar stepping out from behind the corner. Now they knew that they could take on both Hiccup and Ragnar, but Astrid was another matter entirely.

"Oh, crap! She's with them!"

"Run!"

The boys then immediately ran with their tails between their legs.

"What a bunch of cowards," Astrid grunted. "One look from us and they run scared."

"Actually the only scared of one of us," Ragnar pointed out.

Hiccup then helped Fishlegs to his feet. "Where did they get you this time, Fishlegs?"

"I'm fine," said Fishlegs as he rose to his feet with his own strength.

They then made their way down to the riverside and Fishlegs began to explain why the police attacked him.

"They heard me rattling on about how mankind's future lies beyond the Walls," Fishlegs explained. "I doubt they understood half of it, but still…"

"Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with this place," Ragnar sighed. "No one seems to want us to dream."

"That's because the Walls are a powerful ideal," said Hiccup. "We have survived for over a hundred years because of them, no one is tempted to tempt fate. I may not agree with that sentiment, but I could see whether coming from. It's just pure human nature, when all is said and done the government's policies are just a fragment of our fears."

"Maybe the rest of the herd maybe, I say to hell with them," said Astrid bitterly.

"Calm down," said Fishlegs softly. "Someone's going to hear you and I doubt you will be attacked by a bunch of cowardly bullies like I was."

"Still mad at your mother, huh?" Hiccup sighed.

"I take it that she still doesn't approve of you two been friends," Fishlegs assumed looking at Hiccup and Astrid.

"Apparently a bad influence, and Astrid's mother seems to think that I'm convincing her to join the Scouts," Hiccup shrugged.

"In fairness that's possibly because you want to join the Scouts," Ragnar reminded. "And unsurprisingly she doesn't like the idea of her daughter putting herself in danger."

"I think it's sad," said Fishlegs as he looked up at the sky. "What most people here are willing to settle for an exchange for a fleeting sense of security?"

"The point is it is fleeting," said Hiccup. "Despite what people believe, I doubt the walls will hold forever. It's only a matter of time."

Hiccup had no idea how right he was, because a few seconds later there was a huge explosion and a flash of light outside the walls as of lightning had just struck. It was so fierce that it could be felt throughout the entire district, knocking people off their feet.

"What was that?" said Fishlegs.

"I don't know, but it looked like lightning," said Ragnar.

"But it's a clear day," Astrid pointed out.

"Whatever was it came from beyond the Wall," said Hiccup and then he rushed towards the Wall .

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" Fishlegs asked as he and the others followed him.

They followed Hiccup during huge group of people, all of whom who were just staring Wall rooted by fear.

"What's going on?" Ragnar asked.

He soon got his answer when he looked up towards the Wall and his eyes widened, because he could see a giant skinless hand.

"That's impossible," said Hiccup. "That wall is 50 m high."

"Odin help us," Ragnar gasped.

Then suddenly a large head appeared directly over the Wall, its lips were like that of a corpse and like it hand it was completely devoid of skin. All they could see was muscle tissue and and steam was coming out of it.

"It's a Titan," Ragnar gasped.

This was the first time they had ever seen a Titan, and it would be something that would be buried in their memories for long time. However, the immediate concern was the fact that the Titan could even be this big and that it had shown up from nowhere.

They couldn't see because of the Wall, but it was raising its leg and then kicked down the gate. The gate was destroyed instantly sending a massive shockwave throughout the entire district, rubble flying everywhere and killed everyone that was at the foot of the gate.

Then just as quickly as it appeared it then disappeared, leaving a massive hole in the Wall.

"It blasted a hole, like it was kicking a rock," said Fishlegs fearfully.

And then they saw a Titan emerging from the whole, it was a good 15 m tall and the moment people saw it they ran.

"Run for your lives!"

"They've reached the Wall!"

"We need to go," said Hiccup. He then noticed that Astra was staring off into the distance. "Astrid!"

"My house is in that direction, my mother's all by herself," she said horrified.

Hiccup looked at Fishlegs. "Fishlegs, by my grandfather and get into through the inner gate. Will join up with you as soon as we can."

Fishlegs just stared as both Hiccup and Ragnar and after Astrid. "This is the end. Their inside… we—every last one of us his going to be devoured."

Hiccup and the others were running down the street as quickly as they could with Astrid leading them. People running away in the opposite direction desperate to get away from the Titans as more work storming into the district.

'Our house is fine,' said Astrid frantically. 'Our house is fine. We'll turn the corner and it'll be standing there in one piece. Just like always.'

They then ran around the corner and to Astrid's hole she found that a massive boulder had landed on their house.

"Mum!" Astrid screamed.

Thankfully they found that Sigrid was alive, but she was pinned down by the rubble.

"Astrid," she said.

Astrid looked at the two boys. "Help me lift this up!"

The three of them tried to lift the rubble off of Sigrid, but it was too heavy for them. Then to make matters worse they had giant footsteps and saw Titans wandering close by. One in particular with short blond hair and a large grin was making its way towards them.

"Hurry up!" Astrid yelled.

"We're trying!" Hiccup winced.

"It's not exactly featherlight," Ragnar pointed out.

"You have to get out of here," said Sigrid. "There's no helping me, the three of you run and don't look back."

"Believe me I want to more than anything, but first we have to get you out!" Astrid yelled.

"Astrid, my legs have been crushed," she said. "Even if you could get me out here I can't run. There's no time."

"We can carry you!" Astrid yelled defiantly.

"For once in your life you listen to me!" Sigrid snapped. She then turned and looked at Hiccup. "Hiccup, you know it's hopeless. Tell her!"

Hiccup just looked at her, deepdown she knew that she was right, but how was he going to convince Astrid. He looked at Ragnar and he had the same conclusion, it looked as if they might be forced to drag Astrid out of here, but it was doubtful whether the two of them combined would be able to accomplish such a feat regretfully Sigrid knew that as well.

The Titan was only just a few blocks away, it was moving slowly, but with its long legs that didn't matter. Astrid defiantly kept on trying to lift the rubble, her hands were covered in splinters and blood was pouring out from beneath her fingernails.

Sigrid looked at Astrid. "You want the four of us to die?"

They then heard a noise and saw Finn approaching them wearing his ODM gear.

"Finn!" said Sigrid looking relieved. "Take the children and get them out of here!"

"Come on, Sigrid," said Finn with a smile. "That's not our only option. I'm a trained soldier, my skill set is killing Titans and saving lives."

He then immediately drew his swords and ran towards the Titan.

"No! Wait!" Sigrid pleaded. "Don't do this please!"

'Nothing fancy, just take it down,' said Finn. 'Get all four them out of harms way. Make good on the debt you owe.'

He then came to a stop when his eyes fell upon the Titan and fear overcame him. He then knew instantly that Astrid and Hiccup had been right about not taking the Titan seriously enough. It has been years since he last used ODM gear and he never used against a Titan, it was very likely that he would be killed and then it would make its way towards Sigrid and the children.

He then sheathed his blades and ran back towards them. Knowing that both Hiccup and Ragnar would follow him, he decided to grab Astrid who would refuse to run.

"No! What are you doing?" Astrid yelled as she kicked and screamed. "Put me down!"

Finn looked at Hiccup and Ragnar the two of them nodded and they then ran away from the Titan.

Sigrid looked at Finn gratefully. "Thank you, Finn."

"We can't just leave her!" Astrid screamed.

"I love you!" Sigrid yelled with tears in her eyes directed at her daughter. "Stay alive!"

Sigrid burst into tears wishing the last conversation they had had been an argument. She knew that her daughter would join the Scout after this, but after today she would just be happy if she got out of this alive.

"I love you," she said.

The Titan was now directly over the house and Astrid could only watch as the Titan shop the way the rubble and grasped her mother with its huge hand.

"Stop it! Mum!" Astrid cried.

To Astrid everything looked as if it was going through slow motion, she watched as her mother slammed her fist against the giant hand trying in vain to force the Titan to release her. Slowly the Titan brought her closer and closer to its mouth, it opened its mouth wide and then brought its jaws down on top of her causing blood to fly every direction.

'And just like that everything changed. At that terrible moment, in our hearts, we knew… home was a pen and humanity were the cattle.'