Pardon me, but I'm just gonna set sail some shipping boats and entice you as I go along huehuehue... Sorry for the late chapter! Hope you enjoy it!
Eren's sudden jerking of his head caught Levi's attention immediately. Even though his partner was situated at the opposite end of the room with the other Scout Legion members, the movement didn't go unnoticed by the corporal's keen awareness. Levi knew something must've happened for Eren to wear his current frown.
The meeting, which had been an hour long thus far, had yet to turn into a nasty internal bicker regarding the human titans. Though there weren't any fingers pointing, the first target tend to be the unusual couple whose relationship was almost considered taboo, along with the offspring they bore. Many of the Scout Legion members foresaw a possible verbal war, but not under such a sudden, unexpected circumstances.
Wooden doors flung open quickly. The sound of the creaking hinges along were enough to grab people's attention, and the doors slamming against walls caused several others to jump in surprise. Appalled by the sudden interruption, the head of Wall Rose's western district stood from his seat, and being a short-fused individual, yelled at the man who had just intruded without permission.
The man, who wore the uniform belonging to the Stationary Guards, entered the room and took a saluted stance. His face was pale yet beaded with sweat, and his fist shook where it rested on his chest. "Report! A rogue titan has been sighted in the plains!"
It wasn't another second the Levi and Eren stood from their seats. The former near the raised front podium glared at the man.
"That's not possible." Levi gritted his teeth. They had met rogue titans once in a while, but the last combat with a night-active titan was more than two years back. Which hole did this one crawl out of? "What of the stablekeepers?!"
"They were in midst of returning to Shiganshina, but were attacked. Only half of them managed to get back safely-"
It was a second's slip, but most of everyone in the room saw the change in Levi's eyes. They were wide with shock. The corporal stormed up towards the man who had just walked in, questioning loudly and with urgency: "And the baby?!"
The Stationary Guard returned a confused look. He ended up looking down at shorter male who now stood before him, piercing him with a fiery gaze that made him flinch.
"Charles was injured, Mandy is fine, but none of them were holding any..." The man paused, searching his memory.
Up on the walls, he remembered seeing the couple playing with a child, thinking he was their grandson or something. But the chaos at night could not be witnessed due to the darkness, and when the stablekeepers returned, none of them had the said child. But why would Levi be concerned about a kid? Unless he belong to...
Initially puzzled eyes turned into ones of fear and dread. "Oh god, Corpora-"
Levi clenched his fists by his ears, as if refusing to hear any more. His form hunched over, making already small frame even smaller when he dropped to his knees. Everyone, especially the Scout Legion members, watched on with unease. The atmosphere in the air was suddenly thick and dreadful, one that was often present in times of death. And for the person kneeling, it was hell.
If there was one thing that every person within the walls knew, it was that Levi's voice was never raised past an angry yell. The sudden scream from the male tore through people's hearts even though hadn't lasted long. Hearing people scream or cry upon knowing the death of someone close wasn't new for anyone in the room, but the fact that it was the usually calm and collected corporal had all sick in their stomachs.
Christa buried her face into Ymir's chest, tears already flowing down her cheeks. The latter could only bow her head and hug the blond comfortingly. Jean placed his hand on Armin's shoulder, knowing that the other's lowered head was merely to hide the grief he was experiencing. Mikasa retreated behind her scarf, cluthing it so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. Next to her, Annie had interlocked their fingers tightly, looking ahead at the hunched figure. Reiner and Bertholdt exchanged brief glances of sadness, while Connie and Sasha were trying to swallow the lumps in their throats. Even the commander of the Scout Legion could only close his eyes and hold his breath, and where Hanji sat the woman had removed her glasses as if refusing to see the truth.
In a heartbeat, Eren was by his lover's side, arms around shaking shoulders. Levi didn't care that he was before a hundred people; he grabbed the front of Eren's shirt and held the younger male close. His face hid between the open jacket, concealing a set of clenched teeth and tightly shut eyes.
The brunette hugged his spouse tightly. His own pain and dread ate at his soul the moment he heard the rushed footsteps outside the hall. Hearing the news, memories of the ugly past resurfaced. Yet again another family member had fallen prey to the titans, and this time, a child of their own. One who had yet a chance to live or experience anything... The pain was indescribable. Tears were starting to sting Eren's eyes, and fury was beginning to boil his blood.
It was almost tempting to rip his own flesh off in order to induce his transformation, and run rabid into the plains to hunt down the titan that had caused all this. Even tearing its limbs bit by bit wouldn't be enough to staisfy him. It provoked his inner monster to run wild, crushing and killing whatever stood in his way. And he's probably run this through days and weeks before his anger can be finally qualm. But no matter what, the pain was going to last forever.
"Elliot is still alive," a pained voice sounded behind them.
Recognising the voice, both Eren and Levi immediately raised their heads. Charles was standing by the doorway, an arm slung around Mandy who supported the old man. The male stablekeeper had crimson bandages around the base of his left elbow, to which his lower arm was no more. As the Stationary Guard had said, Mandy returned unscathed, but the look in her eyes proved otherwise psychologically.
Charles struggled to stay conscious from the pain as his wife brought him up to the couple. Mandy placed a hand on the Eren's shoulder, squeezing it. "He's in the bag strapped to Orie, and the titan took no notice of him as it was chasing us."
"Elliot is still alive, then," Eren said in slight relief, disbelieving what he had heard. But he wanted to believe it – betting on an almost irrational level that his horse was intelligent enough to save his son from titans.
"Yes, but only if you get him before the titans do," Charles' calmer voice replied. "Go, now!"
"Stop right there, old man. In case you've forgotten, we're in midst of a meeting!" A deep voice from the other end of the hall. "You hold no jurisdiction over this matter. Leave this instant, and we'll pardon your intrusion. We shall finish this before planning our approach to the threat."
"Are you seriously telling us wait this out while our son is out there, in danger!?" Eren snapped first, giving in to his shorter fuse. He glared across the hall at the militarians of another district neither Shiganshina nor Trost. The closer the military squad reside to the inner district, the more hostility it had with the Scout Legion.
"If anything, the Scout Legion's priority task is eliminating the rogue titans outside the walls. You people weren't recruited to be a search party," a female woman huffed out.
Levi clenched his jaw. Every passing second could mean everything, and the high-ups weren't helping the least bit by bickering among themselves. He was about to make a comment when one of the military commanders stepped out of their seats, tossing the people in the middle of the room a dark, crooked smile.
"Besides it's probably for the better since it's that child."
Those words were enough to set off the a big group of people who hadn't taken the comment lightly. Though, because it had been a higher authority who had said it, most of the people who were angered by it could say nothing except raise themselves from their seats in apprehension.
Armin was by the couple's side swiftly, an arm pressed against Eren's chest to hold his friend back from advancing further. His other hand had to grab Levi's arm to prevent the man from committing murder. The brunette tossed a glare to the person who had intruded for a second, but upon realising who it was, backed down. Knowing Armin, he was sure his best friend had something up his sleeve to get them out of this situation. Hopefully.
Eren took Armin's place, and not caring the least bit that he was before a whole military crowd, wrapped his arms around Levi's shoulders. It served as a comforting gesture, as well as to hold him down. He heard Levi give a sharp click of his tongue in both anger and annoyance, but tried to calm himself down. Although at this point in time, it had been the hardest thing to do.
Once Armin knew that the two weren't about to kill someone, he turned to face the higher ups seated at the other end of the hall.
"We're not looking for trouble. We're just requesting the Scout Legion to be excused for this matter," the blond started.
The militarian scowled, upset that his taunt had failed to cause sufficient anger to the freak of a couple. He approached the blond, pointing fingers. "You all seem to have a lot of time to spare just for a kid. Shouldn't you be adhering to what your duties are?"
"What if it was your child who needed help instead? If that's the case, we Scout Legion should just ignore it because it isn't our duty to rescue those in need," Armin snapped back. "And all the more, it's because 'it's your child'."
"Why you little... Just who the hell do you think you're talking to!?" The militarian grabbed the front of Armin's shirt. Armin didn't back down the least bit, but made no move to free himself or retaliate.
"Whether it's killing the titans or saving someone, there shouldn't be a fine line to what we do. If we're limited by our own duties written on paper, we'll never advance to serve better."
The militarian was stunned by the words escaping this person who was decades younger than he was. Abruptly, and his face heated up with embarassment. "Don't start preaching like you know it all!" He yelled angrily, and a fist was raised into the air. It was only then did Armin reflexively flinched back.
A hand intercepted the blow, grasping the entire fist in the palm. Stunned, the militarian glanced to the side to see the commander of the Scout Legion single-handedly prevent the blow. He retreated, glaring at the man who towered him slightly. Armin took his stand next to Erwin, glad that he had saved him from a nasty bruise.
"Commander," Jean called out, heading to the sides of the two blondes. He threw a scowl at the man who had dared to reach out against his partner.
"I'm leaving you two in charge. Go; I'll deal with this," Erwin flickered his eyes towards the doorway. Everyone in the Scout Legion got the message quickly, and made their decision regardless of the punishment they may face later. Nothing at this point in time would have been more important than saving Elliot, and the determined faces of the people made the couple undeniably grateful.
"Commander Erwin!" Protests shouted from every corner of the room as the Scout Legion made their way out through the doorway in dashes and sprints. The moment the last Scout Legion member fled the hall, Erwin took his spot before the wooden doors, arms crossed at his lower back. Like a hound guarding the gates of hell, he narrowed a dangerous gaze at the people before him.
"Now, I believe we had a meeting to finish?" Erwin's voice came out in a fashion that made the blood of every occupant freeze. The blue eyes were searching about for anyone who dared to challenge him, and although his rank within the room was still below a handful of others, these people thought twice about speaking to the person who displayed a deathly aura and cold exterior.
It wasn't often that he exhibited his anger. However, the fact that the men were hindering the important task at hand, and had even threatened what belongs to him ... Let's just say the people left in the hall were in for a surprise.
XXXX
"Where should we start?" Armin questioned out loud over the hustling and bustling of people in the stables. He looked over at Eren who was preparing a spare horse provided.
"It's a guess, but Orie has a tendency to run towards forests because it's where he knows we use our gear," the brunette replied.
"Is that the one we were racing towards the last time?" This time, it was Jean who asked, about to take his horse out of the stables.
"Most likely. It's not far out, and we've gone there for several drills before."
"Stop your idle chit-chat and get moving," Levi's harsh voice cut into the conversation from the back. Everyone looked over to see him already mounted on his horse although it wasn't recommended to do so within the stables. The corporal said nothing more and directed his horse out.
Eren watched the silhouette of his lover exit the stables. He could tell his partner was edgy because of what had happened. The brunette was worried as well, though it hadn't shown as much. He had chosen to believe that Elliot was alive, and that Orie was an animal capable of doing more than he imagined. Maybe that was why he seemed less anxious. It hadn't helped that Levi was often more pessimistic than he was, and Levi's current attitude might've been the result of it all.
"He's really worried," Mikasa uttered out on the side-lines.
"So am I." Eren's eyes never left the spot where Levi had turned around the corner. His fists had been clenchd around the reigns so tightly that his knuckles turned pale without his knowing. "I'm the worst husband and father. I don't know how to tell Levi that it'll be okay... especially when I don't know if it is, even."
"Hey, it'll be fine," Armin's hand landed on his shoulder gently. "You need each other the most... regardless now or later." He didn't want to bring up the worst outcome, but deep inside, he knew the couple were preparing themselves for it. It pained him to know that this could've happened in the first place, especially to someone -Eliiot- who shouldn't have been involved in the first place.
"Like the corporal said: no time for idle chit-chats," the young lieutenant followed suit and took his steed out to the open where the other Scout Legion members were assembled. Once ready, Jean's voice commanded loudly for everyone to move out.
The Scout Legion thundered through the narrow doors of Wall Maria, exiting into the dark plains with the moon as their guide, and the flame torches some men wielded as their source of lighting. The looks on most of their faces were that of determination rather than fear despite having to fight titans in one of their weaknesses.
XXXX
Orie laid down on the leaf-littered ground, perhaps exhausted from his speedy outburst to escape from the creatures he had recognised as 'enemy'. The leverage against the floor caused the bag he carried to become shallow, allowing Elliot to poke his head out.
The sound of Orie's harsh nasal breathing filled quiet air. In the background, there were choruses of tiny insects, but none of which were enough to steal the baby's attention. He was more curious about the orange-hued bedding the horse was resting on. In his attempt to grab the item for himself, he rolled out of the bag, tumbling. The thick layer of leaves on the floor saved the baby from a nasty bonk to the head, and Elliot squealed excitedly, never once realising that his loosened red scarf had fallen off his shoulders.
Distracted by the things he was crawling on, he wandered a few feet ahead, only sitting when he found a particularly interesting leaf which held a spring-to-autumn shade. Shaped similar to a maple, his eyes followed the border of the leaf, examining the edges with outmost curiosity. He never had a chance to pick stuff up from the floors before; his mother wouldn't let him. A small snap from his mother was enough to make him stop whatever he did.
But speaking of mother...
Elliot glanced about. Apart from his pet horse and he, there was no one he recognised in sight. All there were was tall, brown things that had orangey-green 'things' for hair. They were much, much taller than what his parents stood at. He gave a soft 'eh' towards the tall, brown things, but they hadn't responded to him.
Out of everything around him, only Orie moved and made noises, and Elliot lost interest in things that didn't. He crawled back towards his horse, and the steed bumped its huge snout into the baby's middle, sending him rolling onto the leaves.
Amused by the antics, Elliot merely squealed in delight, attempting to grab the horse. When Orie nearly had a hand up his nostril, he retreated up onto his feet, stepping around the baby carefully. His head was raised high, eyes and ears keeping a look out for any danger. He would consider the singing of insects, and once in a while, calm chirps from the trees above. They were indicators that it was safe, for now.
Elliot's soft babbling towards the ground displayed his interest in picking things up again as he waited for someone he could recognise again.
He waited, and waited. This was the first time he had been left alone for such a long time. Unless he had just awaken from sleep, more often than not, he would have company from either his parents or other people. He started to feel a little nervous.
Everything around him was dark as well. He was never too afraid of it until now. Yes, he saw everything more than in just shades of grey, and the moonlight which peeked through the canopy above was decent enough for his to see. There would be a little flame in this darkness that made everything a little brighter, but this time, there was no candle.
In the end, Elliot decided to do something he always did when he wanted to achieve something: he propped himself up on his hands and knees, and started to ruffle through the bed of leaves. Orie watching over him merely followed in curiosity, wondering where this small, supposedly two-legged creature, was trying to go.
There's another chap! I know there's not much this time, but rest assured, the next one will be pretty action-packed! I hope I haven't been too mean...
Now, I'm doing a GIVEAWAY for my birthday (31 Jan). This time, it's really special because you are getting MULTIPLE items if you win! Just scoot along to my FB page Yumiii, and you'll see it there! The giveaway ends on the 14th of February, so be sure to catch it!