A/N - Well I'm back and this is a pretty big mile marker for me, because this story has now exceeded a thousand views. Also, this is about were my computer ate everything I had written on this story, forcing me to re-wright it from scratch a SECOND TIME.

So yah, this is a pretty big moment for me.

Fair warning though, this chapter has a lot of exposition. Way to much of it in fact, and I couldn't even fit it all into this chapter so it's going to bleed over into the next one a little and I am sorry about that.

But anyway, thank you to everyone who's read up to this point and as ways, happy reading.

Wings of Freedom

Chapter 12

The stars slowly began to shine as the last of the sun's rays, gave way to the black void of the night sky.

The silhouette of a large, winged beast, temporarily blocked the light of a few stars, before moving on to others as it flew.

Thalia drove her wings down tiredly as she flew. It wasn't physical exhaustion or the added weight that caused her wings to hesitate in fallowing her commands though. All the emotional tension that she had been holding in and compressing like a loaded spring, had finally come loose. For the first time since before even arriving in this strange and insane land of giant cannibals, Thalia had finally relaxed. The Dragon hadn't even realized how much tension she had been holding in all this time and now she was feeling the cost of it, now that she had finally allowed her emotional muscles to relax.

Thalia stole a glance down at the young Dragon in her paws as she flew and was a little concerned to see her head, hanging and her eyed clenched shut "she's ok Thalia" Roy silently told his Dragon, causing her to look back up and glance over her shoulder at him. Roy then shifted so she could see Eren a little better, who also had his eyes clenched shut and was just sitting there, holding onto Roy so he wouldn't go flying off "they both are like that and their minds are dug into each other like their lives depend on it. I think their trying to…ignore the flight, and focus on each other" Roy explained.

Thalia's eyes widened slightly and she felt something like pride and joy radiate from within her "I am glad to see their bond is already so strong" Thalia said but then a sense of guilt worked it's way in "I only wish they could have flown with each other first" she added and Roy sighed "I know, but in a way it will still be meaningful since they're intentionally blocking out everything" Roy added and Thalia perked up a little. Roy then glanced back at Eren "still, it is surprising that they are so close already, especially since he only now knows what his partner really is" he added and Thalia gave a huff in acknowledgment "indeed, but it is not unwelcome, and I am just happy she is alive and has found her Rider" she admitted.

Roy gave a sigh "yes and that is what I find even more amazing" Roy said before looking back over his shoulder at the kids behind him. Even before Eren's little trip down the Titan's gullet, the kids had looked terrible. Their clothes were ether rags or patched together, oversized and scavenged. Plus it looked and smelled as if they hadn't bathed properly in weeks and judging by the age of Eren's Dragon, Roy had a good guess how many.

But, no matter what reservations Roy may have had in revealing himself to locals as opposed to simply dropping them off at Wall Rose, Roy's heart went out to these kids. They had clearly been through a lot, and besides, the fact that they already had prolonged contact with a Dragon, meant any plans he and Thalia had for the future, had just gone down the drain. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Roy couldn't help but chuckle as he watch Armin, looking all around in wonder, when he wasn't clinging to Mikasa for dear life. Said girl however, was not as focused on the flight and was instead focusing on Eren with concerned eyes "I still can't believe these kids have survived out here this long and found the egg" Roy thought to his Dragon and felt the same feeling radiate off her in turn "yes, it is remarkable that they have survived this long and that she decided to hatch for that boy" Thalia responded and Roy grunted in agreement. Dragons, usually delayed hatching in times of distress to ensure safe conditions when they hatched and to make sure they're not being tricked. Granted Roy didn't know how long the egg was lost, what condition it was in or how long the kids had it before it hatched, but still…that might also explain why their bond is already so strong Roy pondered as he turned to face forward again.

Meanwhile, Armin felt like he was about to explode with excitement as he looked all around them this is amazing! he thought as he watched the land fly by, below them and he looked out and saw over Wall Maria, out in the distance "Eren, can you believe this!?" He called over the wind with excitement but frowned with concern when he didn't get a response "hay Eren, are you ok!?" He called out and Mikasa began eyeing Eren with even more concern "Eren!?" she called out as well and grew more concerned when there was still no answer "Eren!?" She called again and went to shake him "leave him be" a voice called out from inside Armin and Mikasa's heads.

The kids both jumped with surprise. They were still getting used to Eren and now the Dragon they now rode, being able to communicate telepathically, so it still came as quite a shock to hear this new voice and it took them a moment to realize it was Roy "you can communicate like this too!?" Armin asked and Roy glanced back at them "Eren has already leaned to communicate with others like this?" Roy asked with surprise and Armin nodded.

Roy and Thalia both shared shocked expressions. Communicating with his Dragon was one thing but to already know how to communicate telepathically with others was unprecedented for one as inexperienced and uninitiated as Eren "why are you even communicating like that anyway?" Armin asked, snapping Roy from his thoughts "it's easer then yelling over the winds" he answered with a hint of sarcasm and Armin blinked as said winds buffeted against his face "oh" he answered simply.

Mikasa grimaced though as she eyed Eren with concern "but what about Eren!? What's wrong with him!?" she asked and Roy looked back at her "aside from focusing on keeping his Dragon alive, he is trying to block out what's happening around him and focus solely on her" he explained and the two kids looked at him like he had just told them fire is cold "what? But that's so unlike Eren! Why would he want to ignore all of this!?" Armin asked while looking back out at the sky they were flying through.

Roy gave an exasperated sigh "it is…not something that's ease for those who aren't bonded to a Dragon to understand…" he started and cast his gaze down to Thalia who gave a sad hum "their first flight should be together, not with me" Thalia explained for him and Armin and Mikasa looked at each other with confusion. Roy sighed again "look, it's a Rider thing ok. It's actually a good thing what Eren's doing" Roy explained but the kids still didn't quite understand. Armin seamed a little bit more willing to accept Roy's explanation for the time being but Mikasa was still concerned and continued to watch over Eren with concern.

Armin hummed as he looked to his surrounding once again and it didn't escape him that they were moving away from Wall Rose "where are we going anyway!?" He asked and Roy perked up as he gazed further out ahead of them "there" he answers simply while pointing ahead and Armin leaned over a little to see a forest of giant trees.

Armin was confused at first but then he saw it and his eyes widened with amazement. In a small clearing in the forest, was a tree, easily four times as big as the others around it and up in the top was an a landing, leading into an enormous hollow that could comfortably accommodate two Dragons the size of Thalia, and along the sides, Armin could have sworn he saw windows and a chimney protruding from the top.

Armin stared at the tree with amazement "Mikasa, you need to see this" he said and the girl hesitated for a moment before taking her eyes off Eren and looking out at the tree and her eyes widened "h-how…I've never seen a tree that big before!" she said and Roy chuckled "magic" he answered simply but with amusement in his mental voice "be carful though. The tree is warded to keep those creatures off…Titans I believe you call them. So if you try climbing up from the outside, you will be blasted back as if you were by a cannon" Roy warned as they came in closer.

Armin cast Roy a suspicious glance at his words, not just at the mention of magic though but his apparent ignorance of the Titans I wander… he thought as he began to form a theory.

Armin's thoughts were interrupted though as Thalia flew into the hollow of the cave and he briefly felt an odd tingling sensation as they crossed the threshold like static electricity and was amazed as the cool night air, seamed to disappear, instead feeling more like a drafty house before the hearth was lit.

Thalia set Scarlett on the ground and then hovered over a little before setting down and laying on her belly. Roy then turned in the saddled and shook Eren "hay, we have arrived" he said, with words this time and still having trouble with the language and Eren's eyes flutters open "where are we?" he asked and Roy thought the question over for a moment, trying to find the right words "home" he finally answered but inside he wasn't quite convinced of that himself.

Eren looked around the dark hollow but then his eyes flew wide and he immediately zeroed in on his Dragon "Scarlett!" He called and hopped down off Thalia without hesitation and ran to his Dragon and latched onto her as she rapped a wing around him while weakly coiling her neck around him as much as she could.

Roy smiled at the scene while Thalia hummed in approval but Armin and Mikasa didn't know what to think as Roy helped them down. Armin then began looking around, trying to make out the dark room "I can't see anything" he muttered and Roy smirked before looked up to Thalia, who gave almost amused hum before stretching her head up and gently breathing white flames into makeshift braziers, hanging from the walls and Roy looked to a few of the torches and candles around the room "Brisingr" he called out and a white flame, burst to life in his hands and with careful precision, he split the flame and sent it flying about the room like embers, each one going strait for one of the before mentioned fuel sources and igniting them.

The fires quickly shifted to a natural yellow by the time the two were finished and Armin and Mikasa gasped as the hollow was illuminated. It was massive, with unfinished balconies and windows, lining the walls at head level with Thalia, and both on the balconies and on the ground there was furniture that looked as though it had been grown directly from the tree. In fact everything made of wood and the room it's self, looked as though it had been grown from the tree.

Against one wall there was a fireplace, with a stone chimney, leading up and out of the tree and in front of it was a chair and a small table holding some books and off to the sides were a few extra rooms, but most looked unfinished. And finally, against another wall was a "chamber" of shorts. A massive room with what looked like a bed and next to it was a large collection of leaves and stow, big enough to accommodate a Dragon of Thalia's size.

While Armin and Mikasa were still looking around in wonder, Eren was still rapped up in Scarlett's wing. Eventually she uncoiled her neck and he pulled back enough for them to look at each other and after a moment, they noticed the change in the light. Eren rubbed his eyes a little and then took in his surroundings "whoa!" he yelped with surprise and looked around the hollow with wonder.

Roy chuckled slightly at the kids' reactions "show off" Thalia silently teased him and Roy rolled his eyes "you're one to talk" he responded before turning his attention back to the kids, more specifically Eren and his Dragon.

Roy walked up to them and kneeled beside them as he cast another healing spell to see how she was recovering. Eren took notice and pulled himself free from gawking at the massive hallow in favor of learning how his Dragon was doing "so, how is she?" He asked and Roy spared him a glance before turning back to his work and after a moment, lowered his hands and turned his full attention to Eren "she has recovered enough that she can survive without you lending her strength, but it would still be best if you stay close" he explained, though it was unlikely that Eren would be leaving his Dragon's side, anytime soon. Roy then fixed Eren with a stare and held his hand out "now, I'd like that circlet back" he said and Eren blinked with confusion for a moment before remembering the circlet on his head pulled it off and handed it over. eren immediately felt drained but not as bad as he did before.

Eren shook it off though as the floor shook a little as Thalia walked over and doted over Scarlett, giving off a few hummus and chirps, which Scarlett returned. Eren on the other hand, just looked awkward as he sat there under his Dragon's wing, most likely feeling the emotions his Dragon.

Meanwhile Roy was looking the circlet over and examined the gem in it, which no longer glowed as it had before it's completely drained he thought but then heard hesitant footsteps and stowed the circlet before turning to see Armin and Mikasa, walking over and looking between him, Scarlett and Thalia.

After a long moment, Armin finally worked up the courage to voice his questions "so…Roy…" he started, a little hesitantly "who exactly are you and what is going on here?" He asked and Roy ran a hand down his face with a sigh as he muttered in his native language "where to start?" He said rhetorically as he looked between the kids and the young Dragon and gave a thoughtful hum "look I know you guys have been through a lot but it might be easer to explain if I knew how much you already know, so do you mind explaining your side of the story first?" He asked and the kids gave him hesitant and suspicious looks.

Roy gave a sigh "I swear that I speak the truth and will do so of why we are here" he swore in the Ancient Language, earning several surprised and confused looks from the kids "what was that?" Eren asked as Armin rubbed his chin in though "you said something similar to that before, and both times I've felt almost like I could trust you…why is that?" He asked and Roy sighed again "I swore in the Ancient Language that I am speaking the truth and will tell you why we are here" he explained and Armin arched an eyebrow while the others looked at him in confusion "I don't see how it's any different just because it's in a different language" Mikasa said with her usually monotone, which had returned now that she'd had time to process everything.

Mikasa mask cracked ever so slightly though, as Thalia gave a low growl "do not take such oaths so lightly. The Ancient Language is the language of magic, each word embodying the nature of that which it represents. No lie can be uttered in the Ancient Language and no oath sworn in it may be broken. It becomes physically impossible for one to do so once done" Thalia explained with compleat seriousness and the kids looked up at her with surprise before looking back to Roy, who nodded "indeed, I now must tell you the truth of our purpose here, wether I wish to or not. It is also partially for this reason that you felt as though you could trust me both times. Even to those who are…unversed in the language, can understand the idea being conveyed on an…unconscious level" Roy explained while giving a light grunt of irritation at having to string together so manny foreign words.

The kids looked amongst each other as they thought over Roy and Thalia's words. They had no way to confirm they're claims but if it was true, then Roy and Thalia were putting a lot of faith in them.

Armin eventually sighed "alright, I guess it all started when Wall Maria fell" he started and for the next few minuets, the three of them told their story, explaining every painful detail and Roy and his Dragon were both sympathetic and amazed by the tail. They were really surprised when they heard how soon Scarlett hatched for Eren and when Eren explained how he discovered his telepathy. And then finally there was Eren getting eaten by the Titan and Roy and Amin noticed Eren grow a distant look as he recalled the event for the first time since Scarlett ripped him out of the Titan's gut, and said Dragon pulled him closer with her wing and coiled her neck around him again.

Over the course of the story, the group had moved over to the fireplace and Roy had gathered up a few chairs and some bread and other foods and drink that the kids had been deprived of for weeks and Roy felt a ping of sympathy as the kids looked at the meager chairs, fireplace and food as if they were gazing at the gates of paradice. These kids truly had been through hell and they partook of the creature comforts they were provided, almost reverently, though Eren opted to lay on the the ground with his Dragon.

There was a moment of silence as they finished their tail and Roy found his gaze lingering on Eren's replaces limbs and unnaturally colored hair as he unconsciously traced the scar over his eye and Thalia gave a low hum as she draped a wing over him, which was a little awkward look, with him sitting and a chair and her being so massive. The Rider then sighed as he rested his forehead on his clasped hands as the light of the fire cast shadows over half of his face. Eventually, Roy took a deep breath and looked up at the kids seated in front of him "well…damn" he said with a mirthless chuckle and fixed the kids with a look of respect "what you kids have done…it's…I can think of some Rider who would give out if put in the same situation as you…" he mused and Thalia rumbled in agreement.

The kids weren't quite sure what to make of the compliment. They were still dealing with the surreality of the situation and hadn't quite come to terms with what Thalia was and that their adorable little Scarlett would most likely grow to be that big some day.

Mikasa managed to keep her head on strait though as she cast Roy her usually, neutral stare "ok, now it's your turn to explained" she said and her friends immediately snapped out of whatever thoughts they hand and gave the Rider their undivided attention. Armin in particular, seamed especially interested.

Roy and Thalia shared a looked and they both took deep breaths to steel themselves for the coming explanation "ok, this is going to be a very long and crazy story" he started as he contemplated how to begin "well first off, in case you haven't figured it out yet, me, Thalia and Scarlett, are not from the Walls" he said.

Eren's eyes widened in shock and even Mikasa's emotionless mask, cracked a little at the news, but Armin on the other hand, while still amazed, simply muted "I knew it" causing the others to look at him "Armin?" Mikasa asked and the boy blinked a few times as he realized he'd interrupted "oh, sorry it's just…well there are different accents in the Walls but only one language and while he doesn't look extremely different like you Mikasa, he still doesn't look like our race exactly. Additionally, there's never been anything recorded about Dragons in our history, even in my parents' book, so he couldn't be from inside the Walls" he explained.

Roy made a mental note to not underestimate Armin. The kid might not have been physically gifted in any sense but he was sharp. Eren was still staring at Roy in shock though "you…your from outside!? You've seen what it's like out there!?" He asked with excitement. Thalia let out a massive puff of air and shifted her weight to remind them of her massive presence and cut off Eren's excited questions before they began "calm yourself. We do not know of the land surrounding your walled world nor where it exists in relation to our land" she explained, eliciting confused looks from the others.

Roy lifted a hand to stop them before they asked "calm down, we'll get to that eventually. For now just let us explain" he said and waited for them to settle down before continuing. Roy then sighed as he leaned back and laid a hand on his Dragon, sitting behind him, as he dug up the painful memories "we come from a land called Alagaësia, and it is a land very different from this one" he said and saw Eren's face contort as he tried to sound out the word "you do not have to try to pronounce it" Roy said and saw Eren physically relax "oh thank god" he muttered and Roy shook his head with a smile "anyway, Alagaësia is very different from this land. The most glaring difference is that it is not infested with giant, mindless cannibals" he said and just sat there for a moment as he waited for inevitable explosion.

"WHAT!?"

And there it was as Eren screamed in disbelief and Roy nodded "indeed. The only creatures that could possible match the…Titans, in shear ferocity and power are Dragons, but even then Dragon are highly intelligent and far more powerful as you no doubt have noticed" he said while eyeing the still stunned Eren "anyway, as a result of this, we aren't constrained by walls in the same since you are. Most towns still have walls but none as massive as yours and usually people could come and go as they pleased"

"Additionally, we've access to the majority of our land and have a far greater variety of terrain" Roy continued as the kids listened with stunned expressions. It was all just so unbelievable to them, the idea of a land without Titans "wait, so you've see other places, like the sea!?" Armin asked with excitement in his eyes and Thalia gave a puff of steam through her nose "our home, Vroengard, rested on an island out at sea, just off from the mainland" she said and Armin's eyes widened with wonder.

Roy took note of Armin's reaction but continued "yes, and the mainland was also home to a desert and mountains, as well as other environments. The land is also divided up among the various Human kingdoms as well as the Elven and Dwarf kingdoms and the various Urgal tribes" he explained but paused as they just gave him funny looks.

Eventually Roy realized his mistake "oh, apologies. Humans and Dragons are not the only races that live in Alagaësia. In fact Dragons and Dwarves are the only truly native races of the land and Humans are the most recent" Roy explained quickly before getting back on track "anyway, hundreds of years ago, before Humans arrived on the continent, there was a war between Dragons and Elves and it ended with the blood pack, a magical bond between the two races in which some Dragon eggs would have a spell cast on them so that they would not hatch until they come into contact with the one they deem good match to bond with" he explained.

Eren stiffened a little and looked over at Scarlett for a moment "yes, you're beginning to understand how rare and significant what happed with you and Scarlett is" Roy commented, drawing Eren's attention again "Dragons only bond with Humans from the ages of twelve years old to about twenty and Elves of equivalent age and they will wait centuries before hatching if they must" Thalia explained and Eren looked at Scarlett again with a greater understanding of how important their bond was.

Armin noticed something off though "wait, centuries!? How long do Dragons live?" he asked and Roy quickly raised his hands "patience, we'll get to that in a moment" he said, hoping to avoid that particular point of interest till last.

Roy pinches the bride of his nose as he tried to not only arrange the massive amount of information he had to explain but also translate it damn it there is just too much of this to explain in one go he though before giving a sigh and refocusing "now, back on track. The purpose of this pact was to form a group to maintain the peace between the races and became known as the Dragon Rider Order. Humans we later added to the pact after our own war with the Elves and we've been acting as an elite force of peace keepers for the past few centuries…or at least…we used to…" he trailed off with a bitter edge to his voice that the kids picked up on.

Roy stood and walked over to stand over the fire and ran a hand though his hair as he collected his thoughts and Thalia gave a sound somewhere between a whine and a growl as she drew her head in close and batted her snout again Roy gently.

The kids began to grow a little worried as they observed Roy's distressed condition "w…what happened?" Eren hesitantly asked and Roy let out a shaky breath "we were…betrayed…" he finally answered and turned slightly to look back at them and they noticed his eyes with little read with unshed tears.

At this point, Thalia's whimper/growl, had shifted into a full growl as she peeled back her lips, revealing sharp teeth, her eyes became slits and she dug her claws into the floor "Galbatorix" she spat with venom dripping from her words and the kids shifted away slight with nervousness and Thalia suddenly calmed slightly in response but it was obvious that she was still fuming.

Armin "w-who is Gal…Galb…" Armin trailed off hesitantly as he tried to pronounce the foreign word "Galbatorix" Roy supplied with a sigh of barely contained rage but he took a deep breath to calm his nerves before turning fully to face them "he was a Dragon Ride, but he and his partner were ambushed by Urgals and his Dragon was killed" Roy explained and Eren instinctively clung to Scarlett a little tighter as Roy shook his head "the bond between Dragon and Rider runs deep and loosing his partner drove him mad with grief, as it does with most all who loose their partner. And then when the elders refused him another Dragon, he took…unthinkable measures…" he said.

Before the kids could ask anything, Thalia let loose a feral and enraged growl "he murdered a Rider and took his young Dragon partner and forced him to bond with him, driving the Dragon insane. He then conspired with Shades and convinced thirteen other Riders to join him and then the betrayers destroyed our home and slathered nearly every Dragon in Alagaësia!" she fumed with months of pent up anger and smoke billowed from her nostrils and between her clenched teeth.

The kids froze at the Dragons words and Scarlett's ears folded back and she whimpered a little "wait, are you saying…" Eren trailed off as he held Scarlett tighter and Roy gave a depressed sigh "yes…aside from the traitors, the occupants of this tree may very well be the only living Dragons left" he said with a voice that spoke of utter defeat.

The kids sat there stunned by what had just been said. It was all already unbelievable as it was, but the idea that such massive and powerful creature could be wiped out, just seamed impossible to them. Eren couldn't help but feel the loss and pain that flowed off his Dragon ether and that just made him feel worse.

Armin felt the tension in the air as he looked between the depressed and enraged Rider and Dragon, then he looked to Scarlett and he smiled slightly "well, at least you two are still alive" he said and Thalia's mood immediately eases as she looked over at Scarlett "yes, there is that" she agreed with no anger as she came in and nuzzled Scarlett, who leaned into it and Eren smiled as his Dragon calmed down.

Roy smiled too "yes, we were fortunate that we had her egg with us when Vroengard fell. And we've been at our wits end trying to find her" he said and Armin arched an eyebrow "why did you have her egg?" He asked and Roy looked up at his Dragon and had a privet discussion. Thalia then looked down to Scarlett and gave a happy purr "because she is my hatchling" she reviled and Armin and Mikasa stared at her in shock while Eren simply smiled. This did not go unnoticed by Mikasa "you knew?" She asked and Eren shrugged "she told me and Scarlett both when they saved us earlier, and plus, it's kind of hard not to notice when I'm literally feeling her emotions" he explained.

Roy smiled as the tension in the air evaporated and the mood became more happy. Which is why he regretted what he had to do next.

Roy sighed "I hate to bring the mood back down, but there's more that you need to know" he said and his serious demeanor did not escape the others "Armin, you asked how long Dragons live" he started and said boy nodded "well…so long as they aren't brought low by grievous wound, poison or disease, then a Dragon with never die" he tried to explain and watched the kids look at him with confusion at first but then their eyes widened with realization "wait, you're saying their basically immortal!?" Armin asked in shock and Thalia huffed "we can still be killed, but we do not suffer the afflictions of aging and we grow continuously" she explained.

The kids took a few moments to let that sink in but then Armin caught on to something "wait, you said that people could go mad when their Dragon dies, but what happens when the Rider grows old and dies?" he asked and Scarlett tensed a little but Roy and Thalia looked at each other with worry before turning their attention to Eren "yes…about that…" he said as he tried to explain it without causing them any stress but in the end, all he could do was give it to them strait "Eren" he said with absolute seriousness and Eren began to grow nervous "Eren, our Dragons ideally do not need to be concerned with us dying of old age because…from the moment we bond, we share in our partner's near immortality" he stated.

Had Eren been standing, he would have fell on his rear with shock as his eyes grew as wide as possible and he and his friends stared in absolute shock.

A multitude of emotions ran through Eren's head, but as he processed everything, he began to feel excited I could see everything. It wouldn't matter how long it took, I could see the whole world he though, but then he looked up and saw his friends and the hard reality hit him I'll outlive them…I'll loose the last bit of my family left and I'll be alone…we might not get to see the world together… he thought as his depression returned and grew worse.

Scarlett noticed and pulled Eren closer with her wing "not…alone…" she tried to reassure him with her broken german and it did help a little but not much. The others looked over at Eren as this realization hit them too and Roy and Thalia took notice of just how badly it hit Mikasa "i-is there anything we can do?" Eren asked numbly, without even thinking and Roy gave him a sympathetic look. He had see and experienced many relationships and friendships ripped apart by becoming a Rider and he gave a sigh "there are spells that can extend life but I'm not versed enough in magic to even attempt them and even if I was, your brains would eventually rot away while your bodies remained the same" he explained.

Roy saw Eren practically deflate at those words and Mikasa looked near a mental breakdown. Roy grimaced and looked up at Thalia "Thalia…maybe we should tell them" he silently said and Thalia gave a slight growl, carful not to let the others hear "I know you feel for these children and it is especially strong for me, being a Dragon, but we do not yet know if we can fully trust them" she said.

Roy fixed her with a glare "Thalia, do you honestly think these children would use this knowledge against us?" He asked and Thalia huffed as her tail whipped a little "no…but what you are suggesting is not a matter to be taken lightly" she retorted "Thalia, look at them. They've suffered enough and…" he paused to take a breath "Thalia, we can't help the people here as we are, not with my…condition…" he said and Thalia laid her ears back and whimpered a little "now we have a new Rider and two promising candidates…Thalia, this isn't just a chance to do what's right and help them, this is our only chance" Roy said and Thalia grew quiet for a moment as she looked over at the depressed kids and pondered her Rider's words. Eventually she gave the Dragon equivalent of a sigh "alright" she relented.

Roy smiled as he turned to the kids "there might be a way" he said, immediately earning their undivided attention and was a little taken aback by the near fanatical look Mikasa gave him.

Roy took a breath "there is a slim chance that we might be able to help" he said and Mikasa jumped to her feet "how?" She said with a cold determination that sent chills down even Thalia's spine. Regardless, Roy met her gaze as he said "we have more Dragon eggs".