SATURDAY - DAY 15 - 8 AM

Mya sat in a chair in sunlit room that was very clean and polished. The wooden table in front of her was long and rectangular, seating up to four people on the sides.

She had been told wait in this room, so she took a quick look around, while also trying not to be too snoopy.

The door to her left was open and it lead to a small balcony overlooking the city. She could hear the long, dark green curtains ruffle as the soft breeze came into the room and lightly brush the fabric of her pants under the table. The room also consisted of symbols on the walls, one of them being a horse with a horn on it.

As she twirled her thumbs, she tried to remind herself to act as presentable as she could. No slouching, no interrupting, and no stupid questions. Was her hair okay?

She felt the top and as she did, the door to the hallway opened.

Mya quickly put her hand down and sat up at the table as a young woman with short blonde hair and glasses entered. She carried with her a clipboard, but held it close to her chest.

"I'm back with the documents. So, you must be wondering why you were called in here. Allow me to explain."

She set the clipboard on the table, leaning forward towards Mya on the opposite side.

"Do you remember that time when you were training with the survey corps a few days ago and you practiced using maneuver gear?"

Mya nodded.

"Well, lots of people took notice of your talent, and now we're trying to figure out the next best option for you. To move forward. You see, nobody makes that amount of progress in that short of amount of time. Especially with something they've never done before- you've never used maneuver gear before, right?"

Mya shook her head.

The woman tilted her head to the side, as if expecting to hear something different.

"No? Not once?"

"No," said Mya in a low tone. Her eyes looking up and down.

"Okay, because even if you did, it's still a time-consuming skill. It takes time to learn what you did. So, last time now, did you use maneuver gear before two days ago?"

"No" said Mya, looking the woman straight in the eye.

The woman sighed and then walked over a chair next to Mya and sat down.

"Alrighty then. So, what I have here are some forms."

She laid out the three forms that all had different symbols stamped at the tops.

"Firstly, we would like for you to be properly trained for maneuver gear most of the time from now on. Training usually takes a few months, but you could be out much sooner than that. Therefore, you will be with the survey corps for now, and training with them."

She slid out the form on the table in front of her.

"That's what this form is about and explains more thoroughly. Next, we have your living arrangements."

She slid out the second form.

"Because you will be with the corps most of the time, you will be moving into their quarters located south of the training grounds. Your room will be furnished, and food and supplies will be brought to the quarters."

Then she laid the last form on top of the other two.

"Lastly, and this is the most important one. And you can choose not to do it, but this is a form saying that if we could use you on the field, you would be summoned with whoever else is assigned for that mission. I don't think that they would want to pull you out when you are so new, but because survey corp soldiers are one of the smallest branches in the military, if they needed extra numbers, you would be agreeing to go outside of the walls. You do not have to sign if you don't want to, I would completely understand. But it's something to think about. Now, do you have any questions?"

Mya sat in her chair as she tried to recollect this new information. Moving? With the survey corps? Training for manever gear starting now? What about the rest of the her training?

"What about.. the rest of my military training?"

"You will technically still be in training, but instead you will be focusing more on certain aspects than others. Does that make sense?"

"Yes" said Mya hesitantly.

"Good. So, if you could sign these at the bottom, you'll be all set."

Mya fathered the forms in her hands and quickly read them over. At first everything sounded like things were changing for the better. But after reading the fine print she remembered that the survey corps had the highest number of deaths in the entire military. After a few months... would that be all that she would have before she was...?

"And, um, what if I refuse? To sign these?"

"Well, then you would finish completing your training just like everybody else. If you made it into the top ten, you would qualify for the military police, and if not you would still be able to choose which division you would like to be apart of."

The woman paused as Mya nodded while looking down.

"Of course, it's completely your choice if you did not want to join the corps. It's a big decision."

Mya sat still in her chair in thought. It was a big decision. Possibly one of the biggest decisions she's ever made. If they really think she would do well in the corps, then maybe it was good for her to join. But, what if she wasn't good enough? Would they send her back to training? Would she be with the corps full time?

"What would happen after my training with the survey corps?"

"If we feel like you would be a good fit, then it would be perfectly fine for you to join. That is where maneuver gear skills are the most valuable."

"I see... is it possible for me to take some time to consider...everything you just explained to me?"

"Of course! Let's see, how about you train with the corps for a week and then see how you feel. How does that sound?"

Mya nodded.

"Okay! Now, once you've gathered your things, you can head over to their headquarters. It's a few miles behind the training grounds, so I'll have someone ride over there with you. I'll send for someone now so you can ride to your cabin."

The woman took Mya's forms and then lead her into the hallway where she introduced her to a man who had grey hair and a weird expression on his face. It didn't take Mya long to realize that he was a bit odd and full of himself.

"Sure, I'll do it, but I have this very important meeting in half an hour so she'll just have to wait until after I'm done."

"How long will that take?" asked the woman.

"About an hour. Maybe two."

Mya looked around the hallway and then saw a familiar face. It was the guy who had helped her learn how to use maneuver gear. Asher. He made eye contact with her and smiled, walking towards Mya.

"Long time, no see pupil. Word on the street is that you're going to be training with us for a while"

The woman with Mya turned to Asher.

"I thought that was private information?"

"Someone must of let it slip. It's pretty usual, so I guess it's for people takin'."

The woman shook her head and then collected herself.

"You wouldn't happen to be free at the moment? I need someone to take her to the survey corp headquarters to get settled in."

"Umm, well, now that you mention it, I am available." said Asher.

"Perfect! Thank you sir, but Asher will take it from here. Talk to you soon, Mya!"

The man with the grey hair looked offended that the job had gone to someone else, giving the woman a dirty look as she walked away, before giving Mya a weird glare as he also left.

Mya looked at Asher.

"Let's get your stuff" he said.

They both rode on horseback to Mya's cabin where together they packed the few things that took up part of the cabin. They loaded the bags onto the sides of the horses as the sunshine escaped from the edge of the clouds, highlighting the greenery around the cabin.

Then Asher got up on his horse and lead the way, galloping past the main fort, down the pathway into the woods, as Mya followed a few feet behind.

After a few minutes, Asher slowed his pace, allowing Mya to trot beside him as the branches made it too hard to gallop though.

"I see you already know how to ride pretty well" said Asher as they trotted on the gravel road.

"My family owns a farm, so since I was little I've been riding. It can be pretty relaxing sometimes."

"Yeah..."

They rode in silence for several minutes. As Mya looked around, she could only see the thick woods that seemed to stretch for miles, showing no signs of clearing. As they continued down the path, it started to lean to the right. As it did, Mya made out a very tall tower that was located about a mile away. As they moved further down the road, she realized that there were multiple towers that were all connected.

"Here we are. Welcome to our castle." said Asher as the trees opened up to reveal a large, grey castle in the distance, made up of stone.

"We-we have a castle ?!"

"Yup. It's one of-... well. It's a perk." said Asher as they galloped to the main entrance.

They got off of their horses by the stables that were by the main doors. About twenty other horses were out in the field, grazing. Asher lead both horses through the gate and removed their bridals. Then they gathered Mya's bags and walked up to the large wooden doors.

As Mya stepped inside, she realized just how huge everything was. The ceiling seemed to be nonexistent in the hallways and everything seemed so widespread. They took a rounded staircase up to the second floor where several rooms were.

"We have plenty of rooms available. Just pick whichever one you want."

Mya stepped into a room where the sun shined through the large window. It had a long bed, dresser, mirror, rug next to the bed, and then on a small table was a stack of candles.

It looked very bleak, even with the sun shining in.

"Are there other people on this floor?"

"No, everyone else in on the main floor. Sorry, but there's no more room down there."

Mya looked around.

"This is great then. Thanks for helping me get here."

"Sure thing. I'll let you unpack and then you can come down when you're done."

Mya nodded as Asher left.

She spent the next half hour putting her clothes away and rearranging the furniture slightly. It was a nice, spacious room, but she couldn't help but feel very small as she tried to adjust to her new surroundings.

Mya managed to crack the window open slightly-as it wouldn't open all the way- and let the summer breeze inside.

"If I had a vase of flowers, that would liven things up here" she thought to herself. She put her hands on her waist and looked around to study the room once more, but was interrupted by another person.

"Oh, are you the new trainee?"

Mya quickly turned to see a young woman standing outside her door in the hallway. She had long, blonde hair and had a very slim figure, standing a few inches over Mya, with her bright blue eyes, shining in the dim room. After a moment, Mya realized it was Kathryn, a nice woman she had met while learning maneuver gear.

"-wait. Mya? Are you the new addition? What?!"

Mya blushed and shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess I'm going to be here now."

Kathryn jumped up and down, clapping with excitement.

"That's amazing! Are you unpacked? I could give you a tour? Are you hungry? I'm hungry-" she laughed.

Mya and Kathryn made their way downstairs to the kitchen. It was a nice, large room that had multiple sinks, cabinets filled with large pots and pans, and a large fireplace to cook over, complete with one large room that contained all sorts of dry ingredients.

Kathryn offered to show her how to cook eggs and use the kitchen machinery. As they eat at the counter they laughed and talked as their plates slowly got less and less full.

Kathryn described in detail what each squad member was like, but did so in a kind way, even if they weren't the best at times.

"Richard, he's the one with the parted grey hair, has been here for a few years, and Diane, you probably haven't seen her around yet, but she's "good friends" with Richard." Kathryn winked loudly at Mya.

Mya nodded with interest, laughing.

"Oh? Is she?"

"Yeah. I don't know if you know, but it's frowned upon to have relationships with other members of the military, because it could interfere with missions and create drama between team members."

"That makes sense."

"So, keep that in mind... but otherwise, things are pretty normal around here. We just come and go from the castle, and then talk and make meals together. You can cook for yourself anytime, but they encourage us to eat together at least once a week. It gives people a chance to get to know each other better. And also pitch in and help make the meal."

Mya nodded and shuffled in her chair.

Kathryn looked outside and saw that the sun had moved a bit since they had started talking. She got up and collected both of their dishes and put them in the sink.

"Also, you are responsible for your own dishes. The Captain likes it very neat and tidy around here, so keep that in mind too."

"Okay."

Kathryn quickly washed both of their plates and put them away. Then she turned back to Mya at the counter.

"Do you want to see the garden?" she asked with excitement in her eyes.

"Yes!" said Mya, carrying half of the excitement that Kathryn had.

Kathryn then lead Mya out the side door by the kitchen to an area outside only several feet from the side of the castle. It was a long, rectangular garden that was divided into sections. One had long, wooden sticks where something very tall and green seemed to be growing, and in another area: pumpkins, another area: peas, and lastly cucumbers.

"Wow, this is amazing!" said Mya as she stood next to the tall, green plants.

"Those are tomatoes" said Kathryn. "I don't know how, but we managed to get this kind that can grow several times taller and bigger than the average ones. They can grow up to the size of your hand!"

"Wow..."

Kathryn suddenly knelt down and began pulling stray weeds that grew several inches away from the garden in the green grass.

"I like to come out here in the morning and pull away the weeds and water everything. This is considered the squad's garden, but I planted everything this year, I am usually the one taking care of it."

She threw away the weeds into a spare bucket and wiped her brow.

"It's hard work, but I grew up with a garden, so I know all of quirks that help make everything grow better. If you ever want to plant anything, let me know and we'll figure something out."

"Thank you. This looks so amazing!" Said Mya as she looked at the garden. Everything looked so healthy and rich from the soil.

"Why, thank you !" said Kathryn with a weird voice.

Just then someone else stepped outside.

"I see Kathryn showed you her sanctuary.." Asher said as he walked into the sunlight, his hands in his pockets with his eyes squinting as he walked closer.

"If you can't find her anywhere else.." he stopped once he was next to a very ripe tomato to touch it, "she's probably here." He put his hand back in his pocket.

Kathryn rolled her eyes with a small smirk on her face.

"Well, you're always welcome to help Asher. Then I might not be out here so often."

Asher looked at Kathryn.

"If I can find the time, I would be happy to."

Mya shifted a bit, not sure where to look.

After a pause, Asher spoke again. This time with a bit more spring in his voice.

"We're having our team meal on Sunday. Tomorrow. I have a main meal planned out that I was going to cook myself."

"What's on the menu for tomorrow?"

"Pasta. With a creamy sauce."

"Sounds tasty." said Kathryn plainly.

"If you both could make a side dish-"

"Sure. We'd love to."

"Okay. I'm going to start cooking early afternoon tomorrow."

"Great."

"Okay...sounds good. I'll see you ladies later then. "

Asher walked away a little slower than before and shut the side door behind him.

Kathryn seemed on edge more so than before. She took the hoe in her hands and pulled out small rocks that got into the rock soul around the u.

"Damn Asher sometimes.. I wish he would talk to me like a person, and not like a boss. We've been living together for six months and he still acts this way. Sorry, but it's something I just don't get about him sometimes."

Kathryn patted down the soil where she had dug up the rocks until it was level with the rest of the it.

"Sorry. I'm just overwhelmed a bit with everything. He's a good guy-just don't listen to me right now".

She set the hoe aside and wiped her brow.

"Let's continue with the tour, shall we? But first I need some ice-cold water..."

Kathryn drank some water and then showed Mya the rest of the castle grounds. She lead Mya through all four levels of the castle: the top floor, where old equipment from who-knows-when has been lying around for years and empty rooms lay untouched. The second floor, where Mya's room was, and showed her the metal ladder that was meant to be a fire escape that was attached to the roof, going down toward the ground outside her window. The third floor, or main floor, where the main entrance lead to the long hallway into the kitchen on the left and dinning room on the right. And in another long hallway to the right of the dinning room was the rest of the rooms where everyone else stayed.

"This is my room!" said Kathryn cheerfully as she opened her door to reveal a brightly-lit room with the sun coming in through the large windows and several plants that were in full-bloom on a table by the glass. A large bed with yellow sheets lay in the corner and a desk with books and sketches spread everywhere stood on the other side of the room.

Mya wandered up to the desk and noticed that they were drawings of flowers and were tinted different colors.

"Wow, your an artist!"

"I dabble." Said Kathryn as she walked up next to her.

"How did you get these colors to look this way?"

"I call it water coloring. I find some plants that bleed different colors, and then I soak them in water until the color bleeds out. Then I paint with them. I like to sketch the plants that produce colors and then paint them with the colors I get. So this one was a purple plant, so I just used the color that I bled from the plant itself."

Mya looked at the water color paintings fondly before setting them back down on the desk.

"That's very cool."

"Thanks! I am thinking of making a book that describes in detail about the plants I've found and what they could be used for. Some have healing abilities, or they can numb pain. I've tested a few myself and found that some can help with headaches or anxiety. I'm no expert, but I like doing it."

Mya looked at the large stack of drawings on the other side of the desk. Katheryn really did enjoy anything about plants. She easily could have become someone scientific, or become a doctor. It make Mya wonder why she chose the military lifestyle instead.

Kathryn lead Mya down the hallway by the other rooms.

"This is Ashers, and Richards... and this is Captain Levi's. So, boys on one side, and girls on the other. And here's the side door."

Then she lead Mya out the door where they rounded back to the front of the castle.

"And here are the stables. Now, since you're going to be with us, you get to have your own horse! We have a few unclaimed ones over here. Why don't you choose one for yourself?"

They walked past the stables into the enclosed pasture where all of the horses were grazing the fine, green grass. Katheryn closed the gate behind them and then looked out into the open field.

"Let's see... no, no, ah, that's Tambry. The brown one over there-what am I saying, they're all brown. Okay, um, lady over there isn't taken I believe, and.. Twilight is over there in the corner."

"Okay.. are they all pretty friendly?" asked Mya.

"Oh yeah, they're well-trained to be compatible with their riders. I think Tambry takes a little getting used-to, and Lady is very fast, and Twilight...um, Twilight is a pretty mellow horse. Why do t you walk up to him?"

Mya slowly walked over in the direction of Twlight, and slowly got closer and closer. It wasn't long before she could touch his face. She was surprised that he didn't seem to care either way. Then she stroked his mane and brushed off any loose dirt on his back.

"See, he's very calm. Almost a little too calm at times, but I think he might be a good fit for you."

Mya nodded.

"Do you want to take him out for a spin-?"

As Kathryn spoke, the sound of hooves got louder from behind her. They both turned to see someone on horse back coming up to them. As the horse came to a hault, Mya saw that it was a tall man with a young face and blonde hair.

"I have a message from Commander Erwin. He wants Mya Evans to meet with him right away to discuss training."

Kathryn looked at Mya and then back at the man on the horse.

SATURDAY - DAY 15 - NOON

Mya's first test run on Twilight ended up as no test, as she rode the horse up to the main fortress with the man riding ahead of her.

They got off of their horses at the front and walked inside where the air shifted almost instantly and felt slightly damp, but colder than it was outside.

He lead her down the hallway to a door and knocked on it. A voice told them to enter and they both stepped inside. Mya followed behind the man as he approached a wooden table and turned to the left where he quickly made his hand into a fist and slammed it over his heart in salute.

"Commander Erwin."

A man sitting at a desk from across the room looked up. Even when sitting down, he appeared to be very tall and had a face that had a look of determination written all over it. He stopped writing.

"At ease."

"This here is Mya Evans."

Mya instantly made the same salute as the man beside her.

The Commander seemed a little skeptical but didn't say anything.

"Thank you. You may leave."

The man quickly walked out and suddenly Mya was alone in a strange room again.

"Please sit here" said the Commander.

Mya walked to the the chair in front of the desk and sat down. It squeaked slightly and she tried not to move.

"I hear that you have a knack for maneuver gear."

Mya nodded. She was starting to get the feeling that she was in trouble and that she could be considered a liar. She waited for him to ask if she was being honest, but the question never came.

"I want you to begin special training where you will continue to progress with maneuver gear, and also be taught military tactics that will be used outside of the walls."

"Wait," Mya found her lips moving before she could stop them. "Outside ? I'm going outside of the walls?"

"Yes. Eventually. If you can continue to make steady progress with your skill, then I would like for you to be out on the field as soon as you are able."

Mya felt a lump in her throat.

"Oh. I see."

"According to your papers, you haven't decided yet on whether you would venture outside of the walls.."

Mya didn't know what to say except the obvious: death was a bit of a concern.

"I understand that you may be frightened, and if you are, I don't think leaving the walls is ideal for you. However, when you are given a talent as great as the one you have, sometimes the hardest thing to be able to do, is to use it."

Mya looked into his wide, ocean-blue eyes that seemed so focused on not letting her look away.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Mya nodded.

"Why did you join the military?"

Mya hesitated. She could lie and make up something, but she was terrible at lying when she knew how pathetic the truth was.

"I just, um.. wanted to help people."

It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the complete truth either.

The Commander's expression remained unchanged.

"Then this might be the best way to help those who need it."

He seemed to stare into Mya's soul as he spoke.

"The scout regiment is not a easy branch that many soldiers aspire to join in the military. Our numbers continue to decrease every year and that is because it is not guaranteed that everyone makes it back."

"But- it is a necessary step forward if we ever want to escape from the pain we know now. We try our best, and we live to protect. If there is no wall, then we become the wall to protect those that need protecting. We are the first line of defense. We dedicate our hearts to protecting what is left of humanity. And we have been the ones to keep you safe in your home til now."

The Commander continued to hold his focus even after he had stopped talking. Mya finally looked away in thought.

Why was she so hesitant on what to say? She knew that military life would be dangerous, so why was she scared?

She looked back at Commander Erwin and saw that he wasn't starring her down anymore but looking at the papers in front of him. She glanced down and saw that it was her papers from earlier today that were missing her signature.

She glanced at the pen in Erwin's hand and looked down at her hands in her lap. She looked at the lines in the palms of her hands and then looked up again.

"Okay. I'll do it."