Wall Rose, 845, Days after the breaking of Wall Maria
Alto blinked his eyes before the 10 year old yawned and rolled back to sleep.
"Master Alto." A servant gently shook him awake. Alto groaned and slapped him away.
"Thank you Terrance but let me do this." Kyren entered the room, unbeknownst to him, Alto was edging his hand for a glass of water
Kyren inhaled, but right before he could roar, he was blasted with a face full of water.
"Don't even try it." Alto said, Kyren spit out the water,
"Alright. Anyway, breakfast is ready, the cooks made bacon!" Kyren said.
Alto lept out of bed, and hastily dressed himself before running out the door. He lept onto the stairwell, sliding down the rail and rolled into the dining room right as food was being served.
"There's enough for everyone Alto." Gertrude held him right as he prepared to scramble for the bacon. "Sit down. And wait your turn." She dragged him into a seat.
Alto huffed, but waited for the food. Annabeth, Kyren, and William filled in while Alto was happily stuffing his face.
"So. Big sis, you excited?" Kyren slung his arm around Gertrude's shoulder.
"To get the Titan? Course I am!" Gertrude said cheerily.
William glared at her, it was no secret that William wanted it. However, it didn't exactly help to sleep during all the private tutoring and training sessions they gave.
"Aw lighten up!" Annabeth hugged him, "You'll get your turn! At the rate Gertrude is going she won't have any kids!"
Gertrude flushed red, "H-hey!" She looked down abashedly.
"It's not too bad! I mean, the ancient warrior maidens were virgins right?" Kyren joked.
Gertrude only flushed even redder,
"Alright. Your sister's love life is none of your concern." Astell Burke, patriarch of the Burke Family and Section Commander in the scouts, walked in, his scout cloak swished as he walked. Sighing, he slung it over his seat.
"Dad! You're back from your expedition!" Alto chirped, "How was it? Did you give those ugly ba-" Victoria Burke, a captain in the MPs and Matriarch of the Burkes, pulled on his ear,
"Language!" She scolded.
"Ow. Ow!" He pawed at his mother's hand, trying to get her to let go. Finally she let go, and patted him on the head before giving Astell a kiss on the cheek and sitting down.
"So. Gertrude. Now that you're going to inherit the Flare. You should probably start thinking of finding someone to court." They knew it was bureaucratese for "Get a boyfriend!"
"Don't bother, mom. Gertrude's a warrior maiden, sworn to defeat evil and remain pure." Kyren joked.
In a voice mimicking Gertrude's Annabeth said, "'I must protect my honor! Slay the Titans! Boyfriend?! Ha! I don't have a clue what you're talking about! I swore to remain a virgin and I have no intention of breaking my oath!'"
"Hey at least I don't have to check my own reflection every ten seconds to make sure my makeup isn't flaking off!" Gertrude shot back, "'Oh I'm Annabeth! All I care about is settling down with a nice rich husband! Preferably an MP!' You'd screw Dimo Reeves if he payed you enough!"
"How dare you virgin!" Gertrude and Annabeth soon began bickering heatedly, with Kyren throwing in a snide remark here and there about both of them.
"Children..." Victoria shook her head.
Astell inhaled, and then, he roared. A loud, earpiercing roar that made even the servants recoil. Gertrude slunk back into her seat, Kyren quickly shut up, and Annabeth fidgetted with her hair. "That's enough." He said, calmly taking a bite of bacon.
After Breakfast
Astell led the children down into the crystal chamber. William yawned, sleepy and listless as usual. Kyren slapped him in the back of the head, "Make it through the ceremony, and I'll put you to sleep myself."
"So... why exactly is Gertrude getting the Titan?" groaned William.
"Because she's the oldest, performed the best in training out of all of us, and is going into the Scouts." said Kyren.
"Oldest doesn't matter. It's not like we drop dead after 13 years." William replied
"Why don't we die after 13 years?" Alto popped out from behind William.
"Jeez, I've told you this a thousand times. We don't die because we're not descended from the flesh-eaters Maria, Rose, or Sheena. The Titans curse only applies to those who devoured Ymir's flesh and their descendants. Revenge for desecrating her body Alto." said Kyren dramatically
"Ugh, can you shut up about that?" Annabeth fidgeted with her golden hair. "It's not like that Alto. Ymir is physically incapable of vengeance, unless ordered to of course."
"You four, hush it." Their mother turned around,
"Right!" They walked the rest of the way in uncomfortable silence.
The Burke family was a rather happy one. The transfer of the Flare Titan was a festive occasion, as it was not necessary for the current user to be eaten, instead, a simple transfer of blood would do. When they reached the chamber, they were amazed. It was the first time they were here.
Gertrude was pacing around on the crystal floor.
"Nervous big sis?" William teased
"Oh shut up Will." She playfully bit his arm,
"Ow! Hey!" He watched as a bit of blood welled up from the spot, he brought it up to his mouth and drank it, and the wound closed instantly.
"Hey. You guys aren't kids anymore. No biting." Their father Astell Burke, and the current Flare Titan, emerged.
"Aw it's just good fun. Not like we're hurting anyone." William pouted.
"It was cute when you were five, not so much when you're fourteen." He pointed out, he turned to Gertrude. "Shall we?"
She nodded, grabbing a knife, she made a diagonal cut across her hand. Annabeth groaned,
"Squeamish Annie?" Kyren teased.
"You wish mudbrain." She flicked Kyren in the eye.
Astell got the knife, and dragged it across his hand, creating another cut.
"Ready?" Astell asked, Gertrude nodded, they stuck their hands out and were about to touch one another's bleeding hands when suddenly an explosion rocked the chamber.