A/N - I'm back and I'm so sorry for the wait. Between normal life stuff and this whole Corona Virus outbreak, things have been kinda slow. I have to asked though, WHAY IS ONLY THE TOULET PAPER GONE! I mean I realize it's good idea to stock up, even if you don't take the virus seriously, since it's all getting bought up, but shouldn't people be buying food too, otherwise what are you gonna use the paper for.

Anyway, this chapter is kinda short, since I was trying to get something out fast to make up for the long wait, but I've already started wrighting the next one, so hopefully it will be out not long after this one.

Also, this story has exceeded two thousand views, so thank you to my readers.

Now enough ranting from me. Happy Reading everyone.

Wings of Freedom

Chapter 15

Eren fell to the floor like a limp rag dall and panted as he lay there on his back "Scarlett" he thought to his Dragon and received a weak and equity winded "yes".

Eren groaned as he looked over at her, also laying on the floor and panting with exhaustion "Kill…Me." he punctuated his words as his limbs throbbed with agony and while the Dragon might have normally been angry with her Rider from carlessly throwing those words around as a joke, she instead moaned in equal amounts of exahstion "me first" she quipped back.

Before that could continue though, a loud thumping, echoed though the tree and they looked up to see Thalia looming over them "come now, is that all you have?" she quested like a drill instructor and the two partners moaned in response.

It was only the second day of training and yet already they were in hell.

Eren heard more moans of pain and looked over to see Armin, also on the flooor and drenched in sweat and panting with exhaustion and with half lidded eyes.

Then Eren look up to see Mikasa, miraculously still standing but clearly not in much better shape then them, as her shaky legs, struggled to hold her up and her arms sagged a little as she struggled to hold up the wooden sword in her hands.

And then Eren looked over to see Roy, standing there, having not even broken a sweat and popping his neck as he casually twirled his sword. The flames may have been extinguished and the blade blunted by magic so as not to hurt them, but it still looked as glorious as ever.

Eren's earlier admiration for the blade was a little tainted at the moment though as he still felt the bruises from their training session "I'm starting to regret my life choices" Armin grunted out in a daze and Eren gave a strangled chuckled before wincing in pain.

Roy gave a sigh as he sheathed Wyvern "alright, I believe that is enough physical training for today" he said and Mikasa promptly dropped her wooden sword and fell on her rump, despite her best efforts to stay on her feet while the others let out sighs of relief "this…is…hell…" Eren said between breaths and Roy gave a sympathetic smile as he kneeled next to them and tended to any cuts and bruises they had "don't worry. Training will become easier with time and once you are all healthy again" he reassured them. Eren grimaced a little at Roy's words though and, with effort, lifted his slightly emaciated arm to look it over.

Despite all their hard work in surviving out in Titan territory, Eren and his friends were still malnourished and weak, so the training so far, hadn't really been about getting them ready to fight, it was about getting them healthy again so they could start training in earnest.

Eren then spared a glance at his Dragon, who wasn't much better. Even before meeting Roy and Thalia and leaning about Dragons, Eren knew Scarlett was only eating enough to survive, so she wasn't in much better shape, which caused Eren to feel a little guilty. Scarlett felt his guilt though and directed a light growl at him "not …you…falt" she tried to say, her German still coming out broken.

Never the less, Eren looked back to his hand and gripped it as tightly as his torn muscles would allow we will get stronger he thought with deturmanation.

Eren's thoughts were interrupted however, by Roy picking him up and setting him on his feet "come on, you all need to rest. Overworking yourselves can be just as bad as, if not worse then, doing nothing" he said as he helped Eren and Mikasa walk over to the fireplace to sit down and rest, and Eren gave a sympathetic glance to Armin, who Roy was actually carrying and Armin was too dazed and exhausted to protest.

Armin truly wasn't suited for fighting and it showed, but Roy was confident Armin could at least become competent at it with time.

Eren and Mikasa, both collapsed into their chairs, as soon as they reached them and Armin seamed to melt into his as Roy set him down and there was a heavy thud as Scarlett crumbled into a heap, next to Eren. Roy chuckled a little at the display "alright, you guys relax while you can. Once you are back on your feet, we'll cover the more academic side of being a Rider" he said and Eren groaned a little while Armin actually seamed to perk up a little.

The, "academic side" while covering manny fields, mostly consisted on learning the Ancient Laguage and learning about magic. More so with Eren, seeing as he was the only actual Rider among his friends at the moment, and he was quickly learning that, like Roy, he was not suited for it.

While Eren was dreading his coming studies, Mikasa quirked an eyebrow at Roy, in spite on her exhaustion "what are you ganna do?" she asked and it was Roy's turn to groan with irritation "I am going to get back to work on the rooms in this tree" he said while looking around at the unfinished rooms around them "I mean, you kids can't keep sleeping on the floor forever" he joked half heartedly before turning and walking to the other side of the tree and clearing his throat before quietly singing the rooms into shape.

Meanwhile, the kids all sighed as they relaxed their throbbing muscles "well, as much as this may suck. It does feel good to have a goal to work toward again and actually be able to reach it" Eren said with a small smile, which Armin returned "yah, I know what you mean" he said, before wincing a little "still though, I do hope this gets easier" he said while rubbing his arm.

Mikasa wasn't paying much attention though, as her gaze lingered on Roy and Thalia's room, or more specifically, the eggs resting within "hay" Armin said, snapping her out of it "don't worry. Roy and Thalia said that we have two weeks for them to hatch, so I'm sure we don't have anything to worry about" he said with a reassuring smile and Mikasa gave a sigh "I know, it's just…" she trailed off, not knowing how to put her feelings into proper words.

Mikasa then felt a light punch to her arm and looked over at Eren, sitting beside her witha a reassuring smile "hay, everything will be fine ok. I know it will" he told her with determination and Mikasa just stared at him for a few seconds before giving a sigh "thanks…I'll try not to think about it too much" she said and Eren smiled a little.

Meanwhile, Roy paused in his singing to listen in on the kids conversation a little. He didn't like eavesdropping but after everything they had been through, he and Thalia were a little concerned for their mental health, so he decided to keep a close eye on them for the time being "Eren and Armin are coping better then expected" Thalia commented from where she was sitting next to him "aye, that they are, but it's Mikasa that concerns me" Roy replied and the Dragon hum of agreement "indeed. If I did not know any better, I would think she was bonded to Eren" she agreed before giving a concerned hum "and I do not wish to think what she might do, were he to parish or be separated from her" she said and Roy nodded in agreement "exactly" he said but then frowned with concern "but there's a bit more to it then that" he said.

The Dragon shifted a little to face him better "what is it?" She asked and Roy paused in his singing again to look back at Mikasa for a moment "that emomotionless mask of hers. How nonchalant she is. I've only ever see that kind of expression twice before. Once from that guy in the underground city at the capital here…and after we rescued that kid from bandits during our training that one time" he said and Thalia growled a little at the memory of that day "that poor hatchling…yes, I remember that look on that child's face all to well" the Dragon agreed before giving the Dragon equivalent of a sigh "unfortuantly, it is not unexpected for her to be like that after what they have been through" she said with sympathy.

Roy grimaced however "yes, but there's more to it then that" he said, earring his Dragon's attention "judging by what we've learned of them so far, it would appear that she's been this way since before the Wall was breached and…and then there was how she reacted while we were training" Roy trailed off while casting his eyes to the ground "she understands combat in a way no child should be capable of and…that look in her eyes when she attacked and the lack of hesitation…I'm almost certain that she's killed before" he finished.

Thalia jumped slightly with surprise before turning to look at Mikasa and gave a sad hum "I'm sad to say that I can believe that" she admitted and Roy sighed as he nodded in agreement "it's possible Eren my have to. He certainly had that same look when he talked about killing the Titans with his bare hands" he added and Thalia hummed as she thought over her Rider's words "all the more reason to keep an eye on them" she said and Roy nodded as he tilted his head a little so he could better pick up their conversation with his enhanced hearing.

Meanwhile, the kids hade been discussing their training and their current lot in life, when Eren suddenly seamed to grow a far away look, which was only emphasized when Scarlett whimpered at him and set her head in his lap "hay, are you ok Eren?" Armin asked, a little worried he might be reliving his time in the Titan's stomach again.

Fortunaty, Eren seamed to snap out of it quickly "huh? Oh I'm fine, I was just…" he trailed off as he grew a thoughtful expression and absentmindedly stokes the scales on Scarlett's head "I was just wondering how many people made it to Wall Rose. If anyone from our distinct made it, like…well, like dad" he explained and the others stiffened a little at Eren's words "oh…yah, I guess with everything that's been happening, I never really thought about that" Armin admitted while casting his eyes to the ground and Mikasa did the same "well, your dad was headed to the interior to give someone a check-up, so maybe he made it" she said and Eren hummed as he continued to look down at his Dragon "yah…maybe…"he trailed off.

Eren really did hope that his father had survived, but he couldn't help but worry about him does he think we're dead? Is he just sitting there hoping that's we'll show up with the refugees? Eren pondered with more then a little guilt and yet here we are. Not even planing on coming back…not for a long time anyway.

Something nudge on Eren's chest, snapping him out of his thoughts and he looked down to see Scarlett, looking up at him with large eyes "here…learn. Then…fight" she tried to say. Eren just stared at her for a second before suddenly cracking up a little and then trying vainly to stifle his laughter.

Everyone looked at Eren with confusion for a good moment before he got himself under control "I'm sorry, it's just…it's weird herring you talking like that sometimes while sounding like a teenager" he admitted and Scarlett jerked her head back in surprise, but then gave light growl at him, only prompting Eren to laugh more.

The others soon found themselves chuckling lightly as well, and Scarlett whipped her head around to growl at them as well, before turning her back to them and sitting on the ground with and irritated grumble "I'm sorry ok" Eren tried to apologize to his Dragon, but it was hard while he was still stifling his laughter and the Dragon's only response was more grumbling.

This only elicited more giggling and chuckles from the group "wow, Roy wasn't kidding when he said Brightscales were vain" Armin chuckled quietly as they watched the Drgaon pout it feels good to be able to laugh like this again he thought with a small smile.

Armin's expression became a little more thoughtful for a moment though as he thought back on everything that lead to this point and he couldn't help the wide smile that came to his face at one memory in particular "hay guys, do you remember when Thalia killed that Titan?" He asked, earning everyone's attention "you mean when she literally breathed fire on it and incenerated it? How could I forget!? I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that Scarlett's ganna get that big AND breath fire too!" Eren said with excitement and admiration, which did cause Scarlett to stop pouting a little.

Armin chuckled a little "I know, me too. But do you remember what was left behind after?" he asked and both Eren and Mikasa tilted there heads in thought "I don't know. With everything that was going on, I wasn't really paying much attention" Mikasa admitted and Eren nodded in agreement.

Armin was a little disappointed that they hadn't noticed but he couldn't stop grinning as he remembered it "water like fire" he said and his friends eyes widened in shock while off to the side, Roy simply quirked an eyebrow in confusion "are you serious!?" Eren asked and Armin nodded "yes! I don't know how or why, but I saw something from my parents old book out there! Something from outside the walls!" He said with excitement and the others smiled widely too, even Mikasa.

Meanwhile, Roy and Thalia were feeling a combination of happeness and sympathy for the kids "I knew the people inside the walls were isolated, but I didn't know it was this bad. Though I suppose lava isn't that common of a thing everywhere but still" he thought to his Dragon and Thiala whined a little "indeed, it pains me to ponder what else has been kept from them" she replied and Roy grimaced a little at that, but then a small smile quickly replaced it well at least we can help these kids with that he thought as he refocused on his work for a moment as the kids carried on their conversation.

A/N- Am I doing Mikasa well? She's usually so monotone in normal conversations so I honestly forget she's there and to wright dialog for her.