Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
Each beat of his heart aligned with your own, bringing you life.
Alive. He's alive. Oh, Goddesses, he's alive.
You pressed your face even further into his chest, tightening your arms around his limp torso.
You couldn't imagine ever letting him go.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
You felt that his shirt was wet where your face was pressed, and you wondered whether or not you were crying. You noted that you didn't care either way. A fog surrounded you and Eren, and everything outside the fog... was muted. Like a blanket had been thrown over it, dulling your sense of hearing. All that mattered, all that you cared about, was that Eren was here, with you, and he was alive.
You had been kneeling by his side for seconds, for minutes, for hours, days, you weren't sure, before you noticed the tapping on your shoulder and it got too insistent to ignore.
"What?" you snapped. At least you tried to snap. The voice sounded so weak, too weak to belong to you. Somewhere in the back of your mind you were embarrassed by how small it sounded. It didn't sound like you at all.
Armin's soft voice was what reached you through the fog. "[First], we have to take him back. We can't just keep sitting around up here. He needs to be examined to make sure everything is… alright. And we probably need to report in, as well."
You let your eyes fall closed, drawing in a deep breath. "Okay. Just give me one more minute. Please."
Armin hesitated, blonde eyebrows rising in concern. "...Alright. Just one more minute. Then I will carry him down and you can follow. You're still injured."
You wanted to argue, to insist that you would be okay and that you wanted to help. But after a brief mental assessment of the state you were in, you realized he was right. Your injured legs were barely strong enough to carry you alone, and your arms weren't doing much better. You were battered and bruised, and dried blood from you-weren't-even-sure-what was caked onto the side of your face, over the old scar. You had a headache that may become a problem later. Perhaps a concussion. You wouldn't want to risk trying to carry another person, in case you dropped them or something else happened.
You sighed, relenting. "Okay, fine, but -"
The zip of someone landing nearby made you break off your sentence and look up to see the new arrival, whoever it was. It was Jean.
He stood awkwardly a few feet away, shifting restlessly. It gave you a bad feeling.
Your eyes narrowed.
"Um, hey," Jean said reluctantly, scratching at the back of his neck.
"You're all done with the debriefing?" Mikasa asked. She sounded as suspicious as you felt.
"Yes," he continued, and you didn't like the tone of his voice. "The higher-ups are... concerned about Eren. Upset, actually. They want you to bring him to the courtyard just over the wall ASAP. They... suspect that he's allied with the titans. That he is a titan. Or something."
Your jaw dropped.
"What?" you heard Armin's incredulous voice. "I mean, I know it seemed bad, but that's impossible. People can't be titans. Or vice versa."
Mikasa didn't seem to care about that. "What are they planning on doing to him?" Mikasa growled.
You pulled Eren back towards you protectively, like Jean was the threat. You knew it was pointless, that he was just trying to help, but you couldn't help it.
"I don't know," Jean said quickly, sadly. "I'm sorry, you don't have a lot of time. I'd have come sooner but they just let me go. They're sending someone to get him now. I just thought I'd give you a head's up so you can, I don't know… try to figure something out." He was backing away, towards the edge of the wall, fingers twitching on the triggers of his gear.
"Jean, wait -" you called.
But he was already gone.
You looked at Eren with concern.
"A titan? But how? We've known him for years..." you whispered.
"I've known him his whole life," Armin said, distraught. "And never seen or heard of anything like that. No one has. But... that is what it looks like. He emerged from the titan's weak point, suspected to be their central system. It... makes sense. But it makes no sense! How can a person be a titan?"
"I don't know," Mikasa said fiercely. "But it doesn't matter. He didn't hurt anyone! He only killed titans. Surely they will understand that."
"I don't know that they will," Armin spoke quickly. "His actions aside, they are not likely to bet the whole population's existence on an unknown variable. And Eren's... titan is an unknown variable. We don't even have more than one experience to show that the probability is that he is harmless to humans. And we don't know whether it will ever happen again so we can have that chance! It vaporized! Maybe that was that. Maybe it wasn't even 'his' titan. Maybe... maybe..." Armin fell silent, eyes wide. "I don't know."
You stood up and crossed your arms, looking out over the destroyed district. You took a deep breath, trying to ground yourself again. Trying to collect yourself. No more weakness and dramatics, you scolded yourself.
Eren was alive. Now it was your job to make sure he stayed that way.
And Eren was in danger.
"It doesn't matter what the deal with that titan is right now," you said, rounding on the two, relieved to find that your voice sounded strong again. Eren still lay prone. "The most immediate issue here is how we're gonna stop the higher-ups from doing anything to hurt him."
Armin nodded, brows furrowing. "You're right. There will be plenty of time to figure out this rogue titan thing later."
Mikasa spoke quietly, but her voice was hard. "We will do whatever it takes to keep him safe."
The two of you nodded in agreement at her resolution.
A second zipping sound tore through the air and you heard a pair of boots fall heavily to the surface behind you.
"Cadets," a voice called. "Come with me. I will carry… that," he said with disgust, pointing his chin at Eren's unconscious form.
Anger flared in you, but you held your tongue. "…Yes, sir."
The other two echoed you. "Yes, sir." The tone of Mikasa's voice was downright terrifying.
The soldier looked perturbed, but said nothing. He picked Eren up by his midsection, holding him under his arm and clipping him to his harness as a safety measure. "Follow."
Without another word, he left.
Angry and filled with purpose, the three of you obeyed.
You landed roughly on your sore legs in a small clearing, the courtyard the soldier mentioned, surrounded by a huge crowd of soldiers, seemingly all members of the Garrison Regiment. Every face had one thing in common - the dangerous look of a person who is both angry and very, very frightened.
The soldier who had escorted you unclipped Eren and dropped him unceremoniously onto the stone. You flinched.
"Now step aside and let us proceed with the interrogation, cadets," he ordered, turning to leave.
"He isn't even conscious yet," Armin countered.
"We're not going anywhere," you growled.
Mikasa merely glared.
The soldier turned slightly to face you. "Then, when he gets executed, you will go with him," he warned, throwing a nasty look at the unconscious boy.
When?
"If that happens, you will have to go through us anyway," you snarled. "So we are not going anywhere."
The soldier raised his upper lip in an ugly sneer. "If you would defend him, you can be judged with him as a traitor to humanity. Doesn't matter to me."
He turned and strutted off towards what looked like the leader of the group. Captain Kitts Woerman; you could see him now. The same crazy-eyed garrison official who had given such an 'inspirational' pep talk before you were all dispatched to your squads earlier in the day. It seemed like a century ago, so it was hard to believe it was only a few hours. But he looked even more haggard now. The dark circles under his eyes were visible even from your distance. You could see the whites of his eyes.
The first soldier said something to him, and then the captain looked out towards your group sharply.
"Cadets!" he called, voice cracking with strain.
You heard a groan from down by your feet.
"Eren!" Armin whispered, sitting him up gently. "You have to wake up! Now!"
You looked over your shoulder with concern and saw that he was still unconscious. You turned to face Woerman again, you and Mikasa both stepping forward, blades out, to create a wall in front of the two boys.
Eren groaned softly again. "…I will kill them all."
Eren's voice chilled you to the bone.
"Eren!" Armin gaped.
After a few silent seconds, Eren gasped. He must have realized the situation you were all in.
You and Mikasa both turned slightly to look at him, keeping your bodies facing the soldiers... the threat. Eren was kneeling next to Armin, his arm slung over the blonde's shoulders for support, and he looked horrified. He looked at Mikasa and then to you. You held his gaze, and nodded.
"Stay calm. We'll figure this out," you mouthed to him.
You couldn't tell from his face whether or not he understood.
Armin was speaking rapid-fire, trying to assess Eren's mental and physical state. Eren said nothing.
"Did you hear that? He wants to kill us!" someone shouted from the group.
"Yeah! He said it, clear as day! You heard him!" another called, enraged.
A chatter rose up from the group, surrounding the four of you with the noises of anger.
"What the hell are they talking about? Why do they have weapons trained on us?" Eren said softly. Uncertainly.
"Cadets Jaeger, Ackerman, Arlert, and [Last]!" Woerman screamed from his perch. You tensed. "Your actions constitute treason! I am conducting an inquiry to decide what to do with you! If you don't tell the truth, or if you move from that spot, we will fire the cannons without hesitation!" You felt the blood drain from your face and noticed, for the first time, the cannons upon the wall. "Answer directly! What are you? Human? Or titan?"
Eren was silent for a few seconds, staring with wide, confused eyes at the captain. "I don't understand your question!"
"Feigning ignorance?" Woerman scoffed. "You monster! I dare you to say it again! I will blow you away! You won't even have a chance to show your true form!"
Eren responded more quickly this time. "…True form?"
Woerman's voice rose an octave in outrage. "There are plenty of witnesses! They saw you emerge from within the titan's nape! We allowed an unknown creature like you to pass into Wall Rose! You may be cadets of His Majesty's forces, but it is our duty to eliminate any threat swiftly! I AM NOT WRONG!"
Woerman's desperate and crazed screaming made evident the fact that… he was just afraid. He didn't know what to do.
You almost pitied him.
"The armored titan could appear at any time to destroy the wall!" he continued, voice shrilly battering your brain, making your headache worse. "Humanity is on the brink of extinction! Don't you see? We can't spare the soldiers or the time to deal with you! I will fire a shell into you without hesitation!" he cut his arm down like a sword, pointing an accusatory and shaky finger at Eren.
Is he trying to convince us or himself?
A small, ashen-haired woman next to him spoke something to him softly. You could not hear what.
After a few seconds, one of the soldiers called out to kill Eren while he was still vulnerable in human form. There were shouts of agreement from all around.
You saw red, and your skin heated up with prickly anger.
You stepped forward, ignoring the rows of soldiers shifting their guns to train them on you.
"NO!" you shouted, stranding your ground, feet shoulder length apart. You still held your blades, but they were lowered.
Everyone fell silent, looking toward you.
"You will not touch him," you snarled. Your own voice seemed to belong more to an animal than any human. "I will kill anyone who even dares to try."
Mikasa stepped up beside you, eyes dark with malice.
Captain Woerman's face blanched and his mouth feel open. "Traitor! The cadets defend him! For all we know, they are all like him!"
There were cries of outrage.
Another soldier next to Captain Woerman, a blonde man, spoke softly, and Woerman seemed to consider Mikasa carefully.
"[First]? Mikasa? Please, tell me what's going on!" Eren's panicked voice rose up from behind you, but you forced yourself to ignore it, maintaining eye contact with the captain. You needed him to see how serious you were.
You would kill him in a second if he tried anything.
"Guys, killing other humans won't accomplish anything! They'll hunt you down! There is nowhere to hide inside the walls!"
That was Armin's voice, coming from the same small area as Eren. He must still be supporting him. Eren wasn't strong enough to get away, and all of you were injured to an extent.
It would be hard, but you would figure it out.
"I will kill anyone if that's what it takes to prevent Eren from being killed," Mikasa hissed. "I don't need another reason."
You said nothing, continuing to glare at the captain.
"Just talk with them!" Armin begged. "No one understands the situation! They're just afraid!"
Woerman's voice broke through the still air. "I will ask you once more! What are you? Are you human? Or are you titan?"
You turned slightly. You could see the despair on Eren's face as he struggled with his memories, trying to find some ground, something solid, to rely on. His eyes shot around, from his friends, to the soldiers, to the walls and the cannons.
You saw the moment he came to a decision.
"I'm human!" he screamed at nothing and everything, sweat dripping down his temple.
There was complete silence.
Captain Woerman's mouth closed and he stared straight ahead, almost tiredly. The lines in his face were so sharp they looked to be made of glass. The only movement belonged to the debris being blown around in the soft breeze.
"I see," Woerman said sadly. "Please don't hate me. I have no choice. Since no one can prove... that you aren't evil."
His hand snapped into a stiff upwards gesture. You could hear movement from up on the walls - by the cannons. They were being loaded.
Mikasa kicked into action first. "Eren! [First]! Armin! We have to get out - up! We have to go up!"
She ran back, tackling Eren and picking him up into her arms seemingly without any effort. His eyes widened and trained on the cannons being loaded.
"No, don't!" he yelled, slamming his feet down and pulling hard on her arm. "No time!"
Eren twisted, thrashing until he fell from Mikasa's hold. He gripped her wrist and yanked her after him, charging towards you and Armin, taking you both into his arms so tightly it hurt and the breath was knocked out of you like in a vacuum. Your nose was digging into his clavicle, your fingers tangled in his ruined tunic, and he was holding you up so tightly that your feet weren't touching the ground. Armin was in a similar position, while Mikasa was simply held in close by her arm linked with Eren's, and although she seemed reluctant, she trusted him and did not try to break away.
You heard a blast and felt the air shift, like the fraction of a second after a dam breaks.
The cannon had been fired, and you were all directly in its path. It would be zooming towards you now like a falling star, fire and rage, injustice, death impending. Your eyes fell shut in wait.
At least I get to be with them when I die. With him.
At least I got to see him one last time.
But it was not to be. Not today.
Eren's arm wrenched around your neck and you gasped in pain. He pulled his hand up to his mouth. You were pressed against his side, four pairs of legs tangled together.
You felt a small splatter of blood hit your cheek and wondered where it had come from.
Lightning struck.
An explosion like you'd never experience again wrenched you away from the others, rattling your every bone, shaking your teeth, and you heard a prolonged crashing. Eren was gone. Your knees hit the stone with a thud.
Long, white beams shot around you, Mikasa, and Armin like a bone prison.
Bone.
And flesh.
You couldn't see what was happening, but at last, you heard the explosion of the cannon and squeezed your eyes shut, bracing for pain.
It never hit you.
You opened your eyes to smoke.
You were sitting now on the stone. It stank of... you didn't even know what. It was horrible. Pungent. And it was hot. You clenched your teeth and felt your eyes open impossible wide.
The three of you sat within a massive, fleshy ribcage. Nothing below it, just the upper part of a torso. Somewhere above you, you could make out a massive, skinless skull and one shoulder of muscle and tendons. The fleshy arm attached to it had been thrown out in the direction of the cannonball, likely to intercept it before impact. It left a gruesome mess as a result. The other half of the body was far less developed, and merely had some pieces of… skin… hanging off it in certain areas. If you weren't so shocked you might have gotten sick.
Tiny shards of bone fell from the shifting skull, lightly bouncing off your skin. Not... intentionally, it seemed. It was disintegrating.
You could hear Woerman screaming, but you couldn't make out the words through the ringing in your ears.
You vaguely remember hoping that you wouldn't go deaf from the explosion.
You felt the thing, the titan, shift, almost twitch, and then heard a loud hissing noise. Eren must have freed himself from it.
You looked down, gathering your senses as the ringing in your ears subsided, and were shocked to see a few purple flowers from the courtyard peeking up through the stone, unaffected by all the chaos. They bent lightly in the breeze.
As the skeleton started to decompose, steam and smoke poured out even faster, covering up everything outside the ribcage. They definitely couldn't see you now. The three of you sat within, Mikasa being the only one with any semblance of calm.
Armin started murmuring. "All I remember is the cannon shot... and now we're inside a giant skeleton." He sounded half curious, half horrified.
"Eren protected us," Mikasa stated firmly. That was one of the things you appreciated about her. She bounced back so quickly, and there was never any bullshit.
You tried to make a meaningful contribution to the conversation.
"There are flowers," you pointed out flatly.
The others followed your gaze, eyes wide.
"Hey!" Eren's voice called as he ran out of the smoke. "Are you guys alright? Nobody is hurt?"
You could see one of the ribs behind him start to burn away like paper in a bonfire. You couldn't find the words to answer him.
"What happened?" Armin asked, his blue pupils tiny in his wide eyes.
Eren froze for a second, then shook his head. "I don't know. Look, we need to go. The titan is gonna vaporize soon."
The three of you stood up and followed him out into the smoke where you could see the group of garrison soldiers a little better.
Eren continued. "They are either still watching us or preoccupied with something else. When they see we survived, they will likely continue their attack. After this, I highly doubt talking will accomplish anything," he said bleakly. "…But I did remember something. When I was… inside. The basement. The basement in my old house in Shiganshina. My father said I would understand everything if I went there. I am this way because of something my father did," he growled. "If I can get to the basement... I'll learn the truth about the titans."
He punched a rib. The bone fractured under his fist like glass.
"Damn it! If he knew, why did he hide it? Isn't that information vital to humanity's survival? Thousands of scouts have lost their lives trying to learn as much!" he raged. The three of you remained silent as he paced around the small area inside the crumbling skeleton. "And he kept it hidden away in our basement. What the hell was he thinking? And where has he been all these years?"
His anger was reaching dangerous levels, so you stepped in. "Eren," you spoke softly, laying your hand on his arm. He froze, not facing you. "We have to worry about our current situation right now. We can discuss all this later."
He immediately cooled down. He nodded and turned to face you, resolute. "Yeah."
A side of the ribcage collapsed and the head finally broke free, crashing to the ground nearby and shattering, sending a wave of smoke and dust out. You all bent down to cover your faces as much as possible. You coughed softly.
People were screaming and barking orders from outside, alarmed at the sudden crash, no doubt. The smoke was clearing. You were running out of time before you'd be forced to confront them again.
"...I'm getting out of here," Eren said from his crouch before straightening up.
Armin gasped, grabbing Eren's elbow. "What? But where will you go?"
Eren shrugged, a dark expression in his green eyes. "Anywhere. For now. After that, I'll scale the wall and head to my old basement. I'll become a titan again, to protect myself."
You shook your head. "How do you even do it?"
Eren made a fist with his hand, staring at it, thinking hard. "I don't know how I do it... how I know. But I know I can. The same way I can't explain how I move my arm," he said, flexing his arm lightly. "Earlier, I just reacted. The only thing I was thinking was that I had to stop that cannon shell. And it happened. That's why my body didn't have... functionality or movability. It had that singular purpose." He flexed his hand and closed his fist again, shaking in anger. "I'll do it again, better this time. A fifteen-meter, like the one who killed all those titans before!"
You noticed a bead of blood drip from his nose.
"Eren," you said softly, reaching out.
"Your nose is bleeding," Mikasa observed.
Armin's eyes narrowed. "You're pale and your breathing is ragged. It's clearly messing with your body."
"I don't care! Right now, my condition doesn't matter," he snapped, as stubborn as he ever was. "I have two ideas right now. If you guys don't actively try to protect me, you won't be killed. You've already been in enough danger because of me…. From here on, I should go alone."
You snorted. "Like hell you will! I'm going with you."
He shot you a glare. You could tell you were in for an argument. "No. You aren't."
"If I can't keep up, you won't have to worry about it," you challenged with a smirk.
"And technically, you can't stop us," Mikasa added fiercely.
"I'm telling you to forget it! I'm not your kid brother and I don't need you to take care of me!" he shot that last one towards you, but you held your ground, sticking your chin up at him like a child. You didn't care. You weren't going to lose this battle, no matter what.
"I watched you die once," you said lowly. "And I will not be forced to do it again."
That shut him up.
"I saw one titan bite off your leg and watched you fall twenty feet onto a rooftop and skid until you were missing some skin," you snarled. "I saw Mina, Nack, Millius, and Thomas die horribly. I watched you push me and Armin out of the way of danger so could sacrifice yourself and get eaten by this huge, grisly monster that is burned into the backs of my eyelids so I see it every time I blink, don't you dare think you are going to be able to talk me out of this."
You knew you had taken it too far by the look on Armin's face, but you couldn't bring yourself to care.
Eren watched you quietly for a moment. "...I'm sorry."
You shook your head. "Don't be sorry. Just don't expect for me to just abandon you now, not after all of that. We're in this together or not at all."
He paused, but then nodded in understanding. "Well, I said I had two ideas, didn't I?" he reminded gently, with a small smile that told you - you had won the argument.
"Don't keep us waiting, then," you replied, with a triumphant grin.
Eren turned to face his friend. "Armin, the rest is up to you."
Armin was drawn out of his stunned silence. "…Huh?"
Eren began, "I know this will sound ridiculous, but the most effective use of this new 'titan power' would be to strategically use it on behalf of the troops," he stated decisively. "This may sound crazy, but if you can convince the Garrison Regiment that I don't pose a threat... I will believe you and do whatever you say I need to. That is my second idea. If you don't think it's possible, I will go with the first idea. As a last resort."
You all turned as you heard the cranking of the canon being re-sighted somewhere above.
Eren turned a hard gaze on him. "You have fifteen seconds to decide. Whether you can or can't. I will respect your decision either way."
The cannon clicked into place.
Armin shook his head incredulously, dirty, blonde hair falling into his face. "Eren... How can you leave such a huge decision up to me?"
Eren smiled grimly. "Because you always know what to do when things get hairy. I trust your judgement."
You and Mikasa nodded in agreement.
"When have I ever...?" Armin asked, brows furrowed, searching his memories.
"Plenty of times!" Eren said. "Like when Shiganshina fell. If you hadn't told Hannes what was happening, Mikasa and I would be dead. Devoured."
Armin's face went blank. The spine of the rogue titan collapsed behind him, but he didn't seem to even notice.
"Armin, we're running out of time!" Mikasa said in an unusually pitched voice.
"The cannon is reloaded! On your order, sir!" That sounded like the woman standing near Hannes.
Armin lowered his head and you watched him, your skin itching. You looked nervously through the clearing smoke and then back to Eren, who was watching Armin with steady, tired eyes.
You'd never seen him look so old.
Armin stood up abruptly, shaking you out of your reverie. "I will convince them. You three do your best to look as non-threatening as possible."
You all nodded as Armin turned and marched straight through the smoke, his boots clicking on the stone with each purposeful step.
He unclipped his harness and started to run.
Bad idea, you thought, bracing yourself.
You could hear Woerman scream and a gun being cocked.
You froze, and felt the hairs rise on your arms and neck.
Will he…?
But the shot never came. Armin stopped, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"So you've finally shown yourself, monster!" Woerman screeched. "I'll do it! I'll give the signal!"
"He is not an enemy of humankind! He is willing to share everything he's learned with you!" Armin shouted bravely.
"It's too late to beg for your lives! We've seen what he is! You have no proof that he is anything else!" The sound of his voice sent a shiver through your body.
"I don't need proof!" Armin shouted back. "The issue here is not how we regard him! You said there were many witnesses! Then all those people saw how he only fought other titans! They saw the other titans gang up on him! In other words, the titans regarded him as prey, just as they do to humans! No matter how you rationalize it, that fact is irrefutable!"
You could hear the array of disbelieving and hopeful chatter rise up among the troops.
"He has a point."
"A titan on our side?"
"That's impossible... right?"
Captain Woerman floundered, trying to found ground to stand on. Coming up with nothing, he fired his arm up. "Prepare for attack! Do not fall for their trap! Their behavior has always been beyond our understanding! They take our form, and they use our language! That means they can trick us as well! WE CAN'T LET THEM HAVE THEIR WAY WITH US ANY LONGER!"
That seemed to snap all the soldiers out of it and many of them drew their paring blades, the angry hissing of metal surrounding you.
Some however, still looked uncertain.
All the color drained from Armin's face.
He looked back over his shoulder at the three of you.
You maintained his gaze steadily. You saw Eren nod beside you and Mikasa smile softly.
Armin's face transformed. You saw a glint of determination in his eyes that seemed foreign to his face. He pivoted sharply and saluted.
"I am a soldier who has pledged his heart in order to resurrect humankind!" Armin screamed, eyes closed tightly. "If I perish while serving that pledge, I can ask for nothing more! By combining his 'titan power' with our remaining troop strength, it might even be possible to retake this town! In the name of glory for humankind, in the few moments I have left to live, I argue for his value as a fighting asset!"
Woerman froze.
Even you were shocked by the conviction and power behind Armin's words. Despite yourself, you were curious to hear Woerman's answer.
"Captain Woerman," spoke up the blonde man beside him who had remained quiet throughout most of the hearing. "I think it's wise if we consider -"
"Silence!" Woerman screamed, rounding on Armin once more. Almost in slow motion, you saw him raise his arm again to give the signal.
You heard Mikasa draw her blade.
You closed your eyes. A familiar hand gripped yours tightly.
You looked beside you. Eren stared straight ahead towards Woerman.
You closed your eyes once more, squeezing Eren's hand, and for the umpteenth time that day, you resigned yourself to death.
"Stop," barked a gritty voice. Your eyes flew open. A wrinkled hand gripped Woerman's arm, preventing him from slicing it down to give the signal. "For a big guy, you're as fragile as a fawn."
"General Pixis!" gasped someone from the crowd.
The man, Pixis, lowered Woerman's arm and you saw his face for the first time. He looked more like an empty burlap sack than a man, his skin was so dry and wrinkled. Still, he had the glint in his eyes of mischief, and had an aura of pride and authority. His jacket was emblazoned with the symbol of the Garrison Regiment, and you recalled what the soldier has said. This was the General of the Garrison Regiment, Dot Pixis. The highest ranking authority in the Garrison.
Woerman's superior.
"Can't you see the magnificent salute he's showing you?" Pixis said with a wry grin, bearing a mouth full of surprisingly present teeth.
You realized he was referring to Armin, who still stood in a stiff salute, his eyes still squeezed tightly shut.
"I just got here after being informed of the situation by an official messenger," Pixis mused. "You go and take charge of the reinforcements. I think I should listen to what these people have to say."
At his words, Armin fell to his knees with a relieved smile and tears in his eyes, panting. Eren squeezed your hand reassuringly. Pixis dismissed Woerman with a wave of his ancient hand.
The out-of-place purple flowers swayed softly.