CHAPTER IV
HOURS BEFORE THE ATTACK ON TROST
It was a morning filled with joy and nostalgia. Ever since Ilva joined the military, it was rare for the four of them to have an opportunity like this and enjoy breakfast together, but it was happening and all she could think of was how happy they were. Even her sister, who fell asleep crying the night before.
Elia looked at her mother a bit concerned, but those identical eyes to hers advised not to mention a word about the Corps if they wanted Ilva to forget about the stress and sadness for a couple hours at least. Now more so than ever since Captain Erwin and company passed through the main avenue, near their alley, three hours earlier. Ilva tried acting normal, but Elia knew her well; the girl barely slept that night, which was understandable given only a week had passed since she got the order to stay due to her health condition.
Once again, she looked at her mother and discreetly winked at her to reassure, she'd say nothing and just let Ilva enjoy all the exquisite things they baked for her. Aside the military, food was the love of her life; and the way her eyes sparkled as they observed the table said she was genuinely a bit happier.
"This is delicious mom!" the girl said with her mouth full while putting a slice of cake right next to the cinnamon buns Elia prepared for her, knowing they were one of her favorites "And it's not even my birthday!" she exclaimed smiling.
"There's no need for special dates to celebrate we're together" their father said in a cheerful tone as he took a bite of cake. His usual cup of green tea in front of him, and the newspaper in the corner of the table, which he'd read later.
"That's true" the older sister agreed and shook her head towards him. But only her mother understood her worry about the way he was gaining weight. Something the man didn't care much thanks to his scatterbrained attitude "Still, you should be careful, dad. You're not that young anymore, therefore, you should eat less. Remember what Doctor Yeager told you last time, and that was years ago".
"Yes honey, I know. I promise is just today. I'm just happy that we're together" he replied jubilantly as he sipped his drink and jumped when he burned the tip of his tongue. Again, scatterbrained attitude.
"Be careful, dear" his wife scolded him affectionately, but her expression changed right after "By the way, do any of you know something about him?" she asked, looking at her husband, Elia and briefly Ilva "Carla's name was on the list of confirmed victims, but neither he or the children were".
"Grisha was an excellent doctor, and a good friend. It grieves me the way he and his family disappeared" the man replied, discouraged, and sad.
"I'm afraid there was a high percentage of civilians who disappeared without a trace in Shiganshina, mom" replied Elia. There was no need to add more information. She still remembered well to have witnessed way too many expressions of terror, shock, and sorrow in the faces of the people they assisted at the shelters when they volunteered to help.
"If the boys were saved, they probably joined the militia" Ilva's voice was steady but plain. She didn't remember the doctor that well, but she remembered playing sometimes with his son, when they travelled with him "Many orphans were forced into that path".
For Ilva, fighting was a vocation. The way her mouth tightened, and eyes got darker, her family knew it was because she was against how the government took advantage of their situations. Many would end up being cannon fodder just to survive in the walls; but having three meals a day, a roof and health coverage was a dream for most citizens outside and below Wall Sina.
"Reality is hard, my child" her father reached out with a sad smile on his face and grabbed her hand gently.
Their mother imitated the gesture, and Elia couldn't know if Ilva's softened expression was due to that or something else.
"For this very reason, we should always be grateful for the life we have" their mother stated while placing her other hand in Elia's and smiled "We're fortunate".
"That's right, my dear" her husband nodded, smiling calmly as he watched his family.
The truth was that the three of them were quite concerned about what was happening to Ilva. Even being well versed in the healing arts, their mother as a healer and their father as an herbalist, neither had a clue as to what might be affecting their youngest health. Elia, the eldest and who'd learnt from both, was also unsure. She suspected it was Ilva's brain, but if that was the case, there wasn't much to do. For now, they could only hope that having rest, vitamins and staying calm could help her.
Ilva constantly declared herself to feel good, but Elia saw through her "trying not to alarm them" intentions because she wasn't getting better. The discomforts weren't as frequent as in the beginning but some persisted. Sharing a room allowed her to see more.
"Really mom" commented the soldier, mouth full but her radiant face managed easing the dark thoughts "I should take you to the regiment. Things would be very different if you were the cook. I'm certain, even the Captain would praise your culinary skills, and we don't see him eating very often. Just like Dad, he drinks gallons of tea no matter what".
The three laughed at the girl's comment, though it was more about seeing her having a good time and smiling for the first time in days. Especially since the day she got home a week ago and her father asked her about it. Ilva's eyes darkened, and without a reply, she locked herself in their room and slept for hours.
"Well, at least now we know we have a great variety of tea leaves to tempt him with, kiddo" their father assured, remembering the immense admiration his little girl had towards that man, who they had just seen once, from a distance. Nonetheless, that didn't prevent them to notice how intimidating was but, if she believed in him so fiercely, it was for a reason.
"Ha! I wouldn't know whether to laugh or petrify myself just to imagine him here" the soldier admitted "I've never really spoken to him but if I ever make it to his squad, there might be a chance" the soldier laughed but then just tilted her head lightly, considering it "I'm allowed to invite him home, right?" she asked her mother, now excited by the idea "If he accepts, obviously" she pointed out, this time laughing and talking more to herself.
"If there's someone capable of persuading anyone of anything, it's you" their father stated, fondly. From a very young age, Ilva had been extremely tenacious.
"You're one of those who manage to convince either with your energy, threats or until you just exhaust their patience" Elia declared while laughing and receiving a grimace in response "Unlike you, sis. It's nearly impossible to change your mind. Quite contradictory, don't you think?" she said at the same time she looked at the soldier, winked at her and gave half of her cake as a peace offering.
"Yep. You're absolutely right, sister" she smiled and accepted her gift.
That's how they spent most of the morning. It was amazing how different the place felt in the presence of the girl who, despite being a whirlwind and somewhat rebellious person, she always brought liveliness and joy with her stories, crazy occurrences, and endless positivism.
"We're ready to go see Mr. Park at the market now" said their mother after cleaning and getting ready "Elia, honey, please unpack the boxes we received yesterday morning and run the store until we're back in two or three hours" the woman gave her a look that said please look after your sister. Is not a good day for her, and she nodded, well aware.
"Once we're back, I hope to hear you two singing something" their father said, smiling hopeful "I'll find my guitar and join you, okey?" now he was excited. And all of a sudden, he started scratching his chin thoughtfully "Sweety, where did I placed it last time?"
Both sisters looked at each other and laughed, knowing what to expect later.
"You left it in the trunk with your father's things, dear" the wife replied while putting her jacket on. She gave a quick look at the clock hanging in the wall, above the chimneypiece "Mr. Stoltz, if we don't leave right now, I'm not going anywhere with you" the man got right beside her in a second.
"See you later, mom, dad" Ilva said. Elia got right behind her and placed her hands on her shoulders, silently reassuring them that they'd be alright.
"Take care yourselves, girls" the lady said to both of her daughters, with a serious yet loving expression before disappearing behind the door.
10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ATTACK
Two hours had passed, and the girls almost finished placing everything in perfect order.
"I hate staying here, unable to do anything but help in the store" complained the youngest as she sat, allowing her sister to check her temperature and general condition before continuing with the chores.
"You should be grateful mom and dad aren't home and that I'm letting you help me here" Elia said with her hands on her waist, pretending to be offended while imitating her mother's accusing stare "Would you rather having to stay in bed, like I know, mom would say, hmm?"
"No, thank you. I'm doing very well" said Ilva while getting off the stool near the fireplace and began to move the last box near her sister. As soon as she did, the girl went to sit next to the largest window, where she could watch the crowd wandering around, going to the nearby shops for food and other stuff "Is just that, there's a sunny day outside and I wish I could train a little" said Ilva leaning on her elbows, melancholy all over her face.
Elia looked at her sister out of the corner of her eye. She saw Ilva's eyes were fixed in a specific point, making clear her mind was elsewhere. Probably wondering where the Scouts had gone that morning, what the boys would be doing now that she had been forced to stay. Elia knew she was mad and most likely thinking everyone was exaggerating since her symptoms had decreased and persisted only sporadically, severe headaches and unexpected fainting. But those were far from something insignificant. That's why she was grateful to them on making her stay behind; having rest and no stress helped considerably and everything seemed going back to normal with her. If only doctor Jaegar hadn't disappeared, they'd know more due to his expertise in the field. Despite Trost medic wasn't a charlatan, the difference was considerable.
"I'm going to get some fruits" the girl suddenly blurted out.
"Don't take long. Mom and dad might be close by now and if they see you outside and alone, I'll get a good one after" warned Elia meanwhile continued labeling and placing new merchandise on the shelves behind the main counter of the pharmacy. She couldn't notice anything strange in the hasty that Ilva was leaving "Seriously, come back soon" the oldest insisted with affection and thoughtfulness. Elia only allowed her out of bed because she knew how restless Ilva got there.
"I know, I know. Be right back!" Ilva winked and quickly disappeared.
Elia continued to remove and catalogue jars from that box, feeling positive on the fact that her sister hadn't lost her huge appetite. Hopefully, that's a good sign, she said to herself. Two seconds later, her expression showed confusion and she risen her head at the sound of what appeared to be a far-off explosion. Immediately afterwards, the ring of the little bell indicated the arrival of a customer and so she turned, distracted as soon as she saw an elderly man, tall and gray-haired, looking quite nervous.
"Miss" he waved hurriedly, without taking off his hat and just handing over a short list of the herbs he was looking for "Please hurry! Something's happening out there, and the Garrison is mobilizing to evacuate us. We're heading to the gates" he said vehemently. Now that she saw him closer, she noticed the urgency in his frightened eyes "You should go too!"
"What is it?" Elia sensed something was wrong. Ilva said she was coming back immediately, but a couple minutes already passed and now, all she could hear was the constant murmur of frightened people running towards Wall Rose's entrance.
"They've just seen a lot of smoke and..." but the man couldn't finish the sentence.
Suddenly, there was a deafening noise everywhere and a tremor made them both stagger. Elia reached the table and avoided the floor, but the man had fallen, so she rushed to help him as soon as the movement ended. However, while she was on it, her ears caught a whistling sound outside, similar to the wind but much more intense, and the moment she looked by the window, she saw several rocks of different sizes crossing the sky and crashing hard in different places. The ground started shaking again but not as it did before. She looked at the man, who went pale, and suddenly, screams were all she could listen to everywhere.
The client looked at her, horrified, and ran away, taking the brown paper bag Elia had prepared with his stuff. He didn't even pay but with all what was going on, it was the last thing she could care about. Ilva saw something and that's why she left so quickly; there was no other explanation. Elia managed to react, took her shopping bag and place inside some basic necessities, including her sister's medicines. She needed to get out of there and find her soon.
The warning bells rang everywhere, and everyone saw the stationary troops flying in the opposite direction. She followed them with her eyes, realizing they were heading straight to the breach that was now visible because the dust was starting to dissipate; where the gate to Wall Maria had been before, now there was only a huge hole in sight. It was only a matter of time before the Titans got there.
She shook her head and started running while clutching her bag tightly. Finding Ilva was the most important thing, so the barracks were her first guess to check. On her way there, however, she found a middle-aged woman screaming for help. She was holding the hand of a man, firmly grasped while trying to pull him, but it was clear he wouldn't move; the arm was the only part of his body sticking out from underneath a giant rock that had crushed him. Elia approached and tried talking some sense into her, but no matter how much she tried, the woman screamed and refused to leave him. She knew she couldn't waste any more time, but her principles as a healer prevented her from leaving her, so she grabbed her by the arms and made her turn with a little more energy than she intended. Elia needed to urge her to run for her life at least, but the woman just stared at her, no reaction at all. Not until a new wave of desperate, even more powerful, and terrifying screams were heard; clear warning sign about the monsters getting close. Only then the woman did react, trying to break loose of Elia's hands. Who just let go and contemplated the lady running away and leaving her there. At least she ran, she said sarcastically. She was going to turn but her eyes widen the moment she heard a familiar voice coming from above, shouting at her.
"Get out of here, sis!" Ilva said from a roof not far from her "the Titans are coming in. You must go now!" to her horror, she was fully equipped with the vertical maneuver equipment. Two other soldiers were standing on top of the nearest roof ahead and waiting for her.
"Did you see mom and dad?" Elia asked as she tried to get closer, fearing what her little sister didn't say "Are they safe?"
Ilva saw the plea in Elia's eyes. And she knew she'd see the pain in hers and what she'd ask of her. But Ilva couldn't mouth the words that were stuck in her throat; she had seen everything. In the haste to reach the barracks and fetch her equipment, she had encountered her parents in the distance but frightfully witnessed how, one of the many rocks falling, took both of their lives. It happened in a second and at the same, she watched it in sinister slow motion. Ilva gulped with some difficulty, determined to focus on her mission; horror and grief were feelings she couldn't deal with at the time. There was too much left to do, and her head was already hurting. She hoped the Scouts were a few hours away, but it'd be hard to return since there was no safe passage there, and Karanese or Chlorba were the other two options to enter now. She clenched her teeth in anger and despair, knowing the best warriors were far away and, to make everything worse, they'd be outnumbered very soon.
I'm sorry, sister, the soldier said in her heart as she looked at her, perhaps for the last time. Her duty was to fight, and Elia would understand and forgive her.
"You need to get out of here now, Elia!" she yelled and then looked away, hiding those tears filled with fury.
It was then that Elia suddenly stopped and understood what was happening: Ilva wasn't going to say anything because the pain was too fresh. The soldier in her couldn't afford that moment or she'd collapse. She was determined to fight and would do so until her division arrived.
"Ilva, please come with me" begged Elia, who didn't realize she started crying "Please. You're not well yet, you cannot fight like this" deep down, to say that was pointless. Ilva'd say no but she needed to give it a try.
"I must help in here, Elia. Our comrades will arrive soon, and you'll see that we'll push them back" Ilva was lying. There was no way to seal the door anymore. Trost was lost "Once we're done, I'll meet you in Rose. Have faith in us, sis".
Despite knowing the enormous risk involved, Elia nodded. At that moment, both caught the sound of giant steps getting closer as well as the desperate screams from the first victims, forcing them to react. Elia looked at the two man who turned in their direction and started calling on her sister; only then she realized those two waiting were Luther and William. For some unexpected reason, they were here and not with the rest of the Scouts, but she was so glad about it. Ilva always claimed they made a great team together, and this gave her some hope.
"Go! Now!" Ilva shouted, adjusting her blades before launching herself into the vanguard.
"You must come back, do you hear me?!" Elia ordered her, spotting a reckless little smile on her sister's face before seeing her disappear into the air "The three of you" she added in a whisper.
Elia wiped her tears away and started running. At least there was no longer too many people in the streets, only soldiers moving from one side to another and others moving with the equipment. She observed a group heading towards the same direction Ilva and the guys took, but their faces showed nothing but fear. All of them will die, a devastating thought but the truth. The Roses emblem on their jackets indicated they were from the Garrison and most likely never encountered a Titan before.
Unconsciously, her legs stopped and followed them for another minute and took a glimpse at the horror that laid ahead from the hand of several Titans approaching from different directions. She retched out of fear, just not for herself but for the many who'd perish that day. Still, there was nothing she could do, so the healer clenched her fists and forced herself to continue, trying to isolate the screams behind her, whether it came from the victims or their comrades' exclamations of despair while being forced to watch. Elia felt the fear gripping her just to imagine her sister and the Möser suffering the same fate. No! she rebuked herself. If I don't block those thoughts… For better or worse, it was the course they chose. There was a high probability of ending that way, but this was the reality they were trying to change. And even if that hurt, it wasn't something that was imposed on them, especially not on her sister. This was her path and goal: fight for humanity and the freedom of all. And she respected her decision.
Her head felt stunned, but Elia suppressed the nausea and kept going. She ran and ran, and the hope to see them again in a few more hours was the only company beside her.
HOURS AFTER HELL BROKE LOOSE
Riding from southeast, they finally left behind one of the last abandon urban areas inside wall Maria. They had to deviate from the main route to avoid encountering the Titans that were heading in the same direction. And to their surprise, only a couple tried to attack them, but the rest just ignored the troops, as if they knew they'd find more victims north. Still, the soldiers tried to eliminate as many as possible. Unfortunately, that's how Eld got injured.
The man's operational device failed and prevented him from hooking the blades correctly and thus, drawing his blades. Still, he recklessly took one with his own hands and in the process of cutting the Titan's neck, he cut his left arm with the same blade. Luckily, the tendons near his elbow weren't compromised and they controlled excessive bleeding by cutting the circulation there. Nonetheless, Levi didn't have time to hear him argue about riding back on his horse, so he just knocked the soldier out.
For some reason aside that punch, the hand with which he had held the dying soldier hours before, was still pounding. Did this make a difference? Was I helpful to mankind? His words echoed in his mind as he rode at full speed to the new hell unleashed in Trost.
In Erwin's eyes, he caught the concern on the repercussions that this attack could bring upon them. And no matter how free and alive he momentarily felt outside the freaking walls, there was always the growing frustration after seeing the little progress these expeditions were getting, not to mention the cost of lives they keep suffering. Either things changed soon, or the government would refuse to invest in them once and for all. Oh, and they were so eager for that! They've been trying to ever since he and his friends were captured. But if that's the case, what's going to happen tomorrow? Is there a future without the Survey Corps? he asked himself, quite dispirited. Damn it! He cursed, clenching his teeth. Because this wasn't about him. It was about all the lives already given for a cause and nobody, except his comrades, seemed to understand how devastating was to consider such scenario.
"Captain Levi, the vanguard says we must turn northeast" Gunther interrupted his thoughts. He was pointing at the green flare from the group to their right "Should I fire the confirmation, sir?" He asked, looking quite sweaty and Levi understood why.
"Do confirm, soldier" said the man "Once we get there, I want you to focus Gunther. After Shiganshina's disaster, protocols all around the walls were established and they probably evacuated everyone in the district" he might be rough, but he wasn't oblivious to that feeling of trying to get somewhere to aid people he cared for. He remembered that well from his first mission. That, and being too late "Remain calm. And don't wake Eld up yet. It'll take us a couple hours to get there so it's better if he doesn't move much".
"Yes, sir" the man complied with more confidence, and spurred his stallion with renewed energy. He knew his boss wasn't the most communicative man, but he was perceptive. He quietly thanked him for reminding him all that. He probably remembered his family and Eld's fiancée lived inside Trost.
"Captain, what if we attack them from behind, using the breach?" Oluo asked "It'd be faster to get there, and we could set a group to stop them from getting in, right?"
"It's not a viable plan. The Colossus Titan might show up any time and block our way or crush us like insect" said Levi, who already considered the option but discarded it as quickly as it came "Besides, it's useless to set anyone there. The breach won't ever be saved. The way I see it, Trost district is lost".
Oluo nodded, a bit downcast and ashamed for not taking those points into account before saying something to their leader. A part of him was always trying to impress Captain Levi. And Petra.
"Petra" Levi called, getting the woman's attention "Go tell the Commander I advise on leaving all gravely injured soldiers at Karanese" he indicated, and before she left, he added seriously "The nearest hospital to the district under attack are probably crowded and so, we cannot risk leaving them unattended" he said looking sideways at Eld, who was still on the nearest wagon. Erwin was probably anxious to see whatever crap was happening, but Levi also cared for taking care of the lower ranks.
"Immediately, Captain" the redhead nodded and separated from the group.
About fifty minutes later, he was so sure they'd find tons of corpses and pieces of them scattered all around the place; the Corps were still far away from the gates of Karanese and there was no sign of Titan near them. That at least wasn't so bad compared to the pitiful prospect inside the walls.
"Petra to your right, Captain" Oluo informed him from the same flank, while looking at her taking her usual position at the left, with Gunther.
"Sir, the Commander said he'd act as suggested" reported the redhead "He also says he was informed General Pixis is the one in charge and leading everything. He's stationed near the entrance to Trost, right above Wall Rose. Therefore, we'll get there with our equipment and leave the horses inside Karanese, in case the second wall is compromised too".
"Understood. Alright then, as soon as we get there, you all follow me" said Levi "Crossing the district on horseback will not take long, but I need for you, Gunther and Oluo, to carry Eld until we find someone who can assist him. His injury is not severe but I'm sure he'll get anxious and perhaps do something stupid, so I don't trust leaving him in Karanese".
"Sir, what do we do if you he tries to fight?" Oluo asked. Eld was worried about his loved ones, but he also was undeniably a professional and would hate staying behind.
"You knock him out" said Levi with an almost unexpressive voice "His device's already malfunctioning, and nothing guarantees it won't happened again" the Captain's tone change to a dangerous one now "It's a risk I won't take. And even if he switches to a new one, with a cut like that and all the blood he already lost, he's in no condition. I forbid him to participate".
The three soldiers nodded in obedience. They all knew their Captain, though strict, fussy, sometimes harsh, and ill-spoken, he always took care of them. His methods might be quite unorthodox, but never vile.
Levi would never say to them he considered each one like some kind of family he could always rely on, but the four of them knew he showed his appreciation through his leadership, most of the time brutal honesty and continuous respect for their lives. Which they returned with loyalty and absolute commitment.
None of them knew he had been planning to expand the group to eight soldiers in total. That's why he was going to recruit those three privates after coming back from this mission. Sadly, the one who's military career he'd been following, developed some health issues about a month ago. And since this expedition wasn't extremely significant, he made the call and forced her to stay until fully recovered to officially bring her into the team alongside those two well qualified idjits fighting beside her. So loyal to the girl that both got suspended for insubordination over the idea of leaving her behind.
The satirical and dreadful part about it was the fact that they were exactly the kind of people who, for their honor as warriors and their bravery, they were probably dealing with this whole mess right now. Only three Survey Corps among a bunch of regular military forces… Tch, troublesome brats! You better not die today! he thought, slightly anxious and barely hopeful.
Not really a fan of going back and forth, but I felt this was necessary to explain some of the previous things and the OCs backstory. But we're going back to their present in the next chapters.
I'll see you then!
Namárië