Trost District - Summer 834
The bright midafternoon sun baked the streets of Trost, causing everyone from the fishermen to street vendors to men and women of all ages to wear loose-fitting clothes and iced drinks to keep cool.
In one of the more well-to-do homes-a mere two blocks from the quays where her husband plied his trade as a merchant-a tall, brunette woman wearing a thin cotton shirt with a lacy collar and an olive floor-length skirt stood at the stove in her sun-drenched medium-sized kitchen stirring a pot of boiling potatoes, carrots and onions. Talia Wolf hummed several bars of an old tune under her breath as she waited for her husband Merrick to return with some red meat. One her mother taught her when she was a child. Her whole side of the family were artistically inclined ranging from singers to musicians, painters and writers.
She sighed, pushing a loose strand of chestnut hair away from her face. Out of her growing brood, her second oldest son Grayson showed the most aptitude and passion for the arts even at the tender age of four.
Jarell-her oldest son at six-preferred physical, kinetic activities like his big sister Sierra. Keenan, the baby of the family at just a year old, was content to lay in his cradle located in front of the living room window the blinds drawn to where the sun couldn't blind him. Cooing and gurgling as his mother prepped dinner.
Sierra. At seven years old she was the leader of the pack, fiesty and stubborn. With long reddish-gold hair pulled back into a bun and striking artic silver eyes it was safe to say her little girl would have no shortage of potential suitors vying for her attention. Which she usually gave in the form of beatings when they teased her, namely for several things. Wearing long shorts, t-shirts and ankle boots with practical soles and the fact she was tougher and stronger than most girls her age.
Talia hoped this was just a phase and her daughter would grow out of it. The woman wanted to teach the girl how to sew, cook and keep house, like a proper young lady. But her husband knew better.
"Dear, you're not going to make a housekeeper outta Sierra." He smiled a knowing smile, one that aggravated her to no end. "It's not her. She's a born leader that one. Won't surprise me if she's placed in a position of authority one day."
"Yes darling," she'd responded masking her irritation with a smile of her own. "But leaders also know how to be ready for anything. That includes doing chores."
Her musings were cut off by the front door banging open accompanied by a rush of feet heralding the return of her eldest son.
"Mom! I'm home!"
Jarell rushed into the kitchen dumping his schoolbag onto the polished wooden floor, his slate grey eyes alight with glee. Unruly locks of burnt sienna hair stuck up in all directions. Talia knelt to wipe dirt off his cheek with the corner of her apron, earning a groan from her active son.
"How was school?"
He shrugged a toned shoulder. "Borin'. Almost fell asleep in math. Stupid numbers."
"Jarell!" Talia scolded. "School is important. It'll help you get a good job when you're old enough." She glanced around. "Where's Sierra? I thought she was right behind you."
He gave her a sheepish grin.
"What? Please tell me she didn't get into another fight."
He nodded as she went to pour him a glass of water.
"Yup. It was Preston again. He said she'd never get a guy if she kept dressing like a boy."
Talia set the glass in front of Jarell along with a plate of apple slices. She could guess what was coming next. Preston Finch was two years older than her daughter and lived in the center of town with his wealthy parents and five siblings. It was well-known that he harbored a crush on Sierra but her tomboyish nature seemed to intimidate the older boy.
"So...what happened?"
Jarell grinned toothily.
"She whupped his butt good. It was sooo awesome!"
Talia sighed as she went to tend to her stew. Merrick had enrolled Sierra in some form of martial arts training when she was five, waving away her protests that a young girl shouldn't engage in fisticuffs.
"Don't be ridiculous Tia. I won't let my kids be powerless. They need to be able to handle themselves. Besides," he'd stopped and stared out the window on the night she urged him to pull Sierra out of the program. "The world is a cruel, unforgiving place that devours the weak."
"Merrick, we're part of the Interior for heavens sake." She'd argued, not willing to concede that he was right just yet. "What on earth could possibly happen inside Wall Rose?"
His answer chilled her bones.
"Anything and everything. It troubles me how blindly you trust in a giant wall to keep predators at bay forever, dearest."
Two years later, Jarell followed his sister's example and was on the verge of completing his first year of the warriors way.
"Dad's bringin' her home. So don't worry." Jarell turned his attention to his after-school snack and began stuffing his face with apples.
True to his word, not fifteen minutes later the front door banged open again.
"Sweetheart, we're home!" Merrick called to his wife as he removed his shoes. Sierra kicked hers off not bothering to look as they thunked against the wall. She was relatively unscathed save for several scratches on her arm, a black eye and clothes smudged with dirt.
"Hey Sis! Yer back!" The girl's mouth curved into a smile at the sight of her little brother running towards her as he engulfed her in a semi-tight embrace. Mindful of her bruised eye.
"Yeah, Jare. I kicked his stupid ass hard in front of his buddies. I don't think he'll be back for seconds anytime soon."
Jarell chuckled as he draped an arm over his sister's shoulder.
"C'mon sis. Ma's got stew on."
Sierra closed her eyes, inhaling the delicious scents of potato, onion and carrots simmering.
"Cool. Pop's got some chicken from the market."
"Speaking of, why don't you two get cleaned up?" Merrick said a kind smile on his face. "Food'll be ready before ya know it."
"Yes." Talia chimed in sternly. "And then we'll discuss the need to exercise self-control where a certain boy is concerned young lady-"
"Mom, don't." Sierra rolled her eyes, expelling an irritated breath. "He keeps bothering me for no reason. I just wanted it to stop." She turned to her brother who stood nodding in agreement. "Let's go Jare." The siblings disappeared upstairs to wash and change their clothes.
Merrick busied himself de-skinning and cutting the freshly bought chicken, fighting the urge to smile. He knew full well the Finch boy was smitten with his little girl but she apparently was fed up with his attempts to mold her into a version HE liked rather than letting her be herself. The beat down in front of the school and his group of friends was his final warning to back off.
He hoped the poor kid took the hint.
...
Stohess - present day
The walls are titans...
Titans are walls...
Titans are people...
Titans are everywhere and anybody...
Titans are inside Wall Rose...
Sierra couldn't dislodge the mantra that took root since she learned what the Walls were comprised of. And to make matters worse, she was running full speed to the southwest corner of Wall Sina to rendezvous with Mike Zacharias, a freak whose nose she'd broken when he tried to "greet" her by sniffing her hair on their first meeting. Needless to say he avoided her like the plague for several months, much to Hange and Erwin's and-to some extent-Levi's amusement.
Frei led the way but Sierra's keen ears picked up on his erratic breathing.
"Control yer breathin' kid. Can't fight if ya burn out."
"Sorry ma'am," he panted, sweat pouring down his neck. "But I'm scared. What's gonna happen to us? Humanity's lost if this keeps up."
"Don't remind me," she said, suddenly wishing she said something..anything to Levi back at the mess hall. "Bad enough we've got people who can turn into these monsters, now they're poppin' outta the woodwork like demonic cockroaches."
Frei grimaced.
"Gross."
In the distance Sierra spotted a knot of people clustered together, all wearing the familiar green cloaks with the Survey Corps Wings. Freaky Mike stood out with his massive frame towering over everyone else. The sun caught in his hair bringing out his golden highlights. Every face she scanned had stunned disbelief and fear etched all over.
Not good.
Just as she was about to yell Mike's name he sniffed the air then turned to face the approaching pair. Sierra chuffed.
Freaky bastard.
Mike's eyes widened.
"Miss...Sierra?"
She snorted as she came to an abrupt stop.
"Who else would it be freak?" Silver eyes took in his entourage: Nanaba and a few others she didn't recognize. "Show me the titans."
The big man swallowed then walked to the edge of the parapet, Nanaba and company trailing behind him as pointed downwards at the open fields on the Rose side of Wall Sina.
Titans of every size and shape were running amok. Sierra felt her training kick in. Ice water flooded her system, sharpened her senses. Her voice came out cold and detached.
"Where's the breach?"
Mike and Nanaba exchanged hesitant glances then the tall man cleared his throat.
"That's what we're trying to figure out."
"So I ran all this way for nothing."
Nanaba shivered beneath her uniform at the shorter woman's glacial tones. She wanted so badly to have a ready-made answer for her peer, but this was a situation beyond their capacity to handle, let alone process that there were friggen titans running around inside Wall Rose.
"I wouldn't say that Major. If it makes you feel better, Squad Leader Hange will be investigating this incident as soon as our scouts warn the rest of the 104th trainees back at base."
Come ta think of it...she thought studying the titans below. Besides that French kid, I haven't seen the others since I got here...
"No. We can't wait for the runners ta come back." She folded her arms. "Soon as the hag's out of that stuffy meeting I'm gonna tag along on this little trip."
"I'm coming too."
Mike's eyebrows shot up nearly to his hairline at Frei's sudden announcement. Isn't this kid one of Erwin's new handpicked recruits? Cadet Evan Frei, if I'm remembering that right.
"And why would a rookie like yourself want to go on this investigation? Have you cleared this with Erwin, Cadet?"
Frei gathered what tiny shard of courage he had and walked over to the stone rampart and clasped his hands on one of the abutments.
"No sir. But...based on what I saw last night with Eren and Ms. Leonhart, I wish to learn more about titans and their behaviors. It might not be much, but I don't want to be ignorant of our enemies skills and abilities. It's clear we still have a lot more to learn, Captain."
Sierra watched Frei discreetly out of the corner of her eye. His speech mirrored almost what she said to Erwin during the debriefing in his office. Huh. He's got a brain after all. Not only did the kid express his desire to learn he wanted to improve his field skills. But he's new. The light's gonna drain out of his eyes soon enough.
"So as soon as Commander Erwin gets out of his meeting with the city council," Frei continued as his lightly quivering irises gazed at the mindless monsters below. "I'll ask for permission to get to the bottom of this mystery sir."
Nanaba cut in.
"Well it looks like you won't have to wait long. Here comes one of his runners now."
A stocky man in his thirties jogged towards their position, nut brown hair slicked back from his forehead over a pair of deep-set blue eyes and a serious face. He slid to a stop and saluted.
"Runner Parker Gladstone reporting in sirs. Commander Erwin requests the presence of Major Sierra Wolf and Cadet Evan Frei to report back at the Mayor's conference room. He's called an emergency meeting regarding the recent titan sightings and is putting together a team to investigate this strange phenomenon with Squad Leader Hange-"
Sierra wasted no time pushing past the man and retracing her steps.
Frei returned the older man's salute.
"Consider us there sir."
Then he raced off after the Major's retreating back, fear and excitement warring in his gut. He had no clue what awaited them outside but he was determined to earn his place as a Scout. I can't do that sitting at some desk filing reports.
But most of all, he wanted to make his Commander and Major Wolf proud.
TBC...
