p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The Scouts' concern regarding the intentions of the government turned out to be well warranted, though they never got the chance to discover this for themselves. Just as the sun was creeping its way up from behind the neighboring mountain range, a small and unassuming military party could be found walking purposefully through the halls of the housing branch of the parliament building, coming to a stop at the end of the hall and knocking gently on Armin's door./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"President Wohl assured his worried cabinet members that this was not an arrest; maintaining the image of friendship with the Eldian heroes was of utmost importance if they wished to avoid any more civil unrest, and he only desired more time to reason with them before they became tangled up in something they couldn't possibly understand. Armin and his people were as just and valiant as they had always been, but the risk of open war was more than Marly could withstand under the current climate and had to be avoided at all costs, even if that meant discord between the races they governed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"More than his desire to hold the broken pieces of his country together, Andre Wohl was terrified, though he would never admit to it. Why were these children so keen to dig up the past and test the strength of their already compromised world? The memory of their conviction surfaced in President Wohl's mind as he paced his office in the growing sunlight, awaiting the arrival of the Scouts, and the power behind their courage sent a shiver down his spine. What kind of fire burned inside those war-hardened youths that allowed them to greet the end of days like an old friend; to stare down the barrel of a gun wielded by the universe itself and still take one step after another, despite the odds?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Wohl knew firsthand the effects war could have on a person, having fought through them for most of his life as a commander in the Marlyean Army. Half the time, those who witnessed the death and cruelty of combat were left a hollow shadow of the people they had once been, and their minds never quite left the graveyard that was a battlefield. But every war he had taken part in had been against people; folks from distant lands who saw the world through a different lens than he did, so therefore was a threat to their way of life./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"These kids, however, especially the Paradis natives, have been fighting their whole lives against enemies Wohl could barely wrap his head around. Not only had they spent countless years under the weight of the Titan's massive feet, but they also grappled with the wrath of an entire world in the process. The life they led should have crushed them; the pressure placed on their shoulders should have driven them to madness long ago, and yet here they were, ready to take on another insurmountable task with the weight of humanity's survival on their backs, like it was simply their lot in life to do so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"They fought against fate itself, and President Wohl couldn't help but admit that as the record stood, they had been more or less successful in this endeavor. If his mind hadn't been so addled with fear as it was, he may have been able to say that despite the current condition of Marly and the rest of the world, it was the fortitude of Armin and his people that allowed humanity to survive, if only partly, and maybe, just maybe, they could do it all over again, one more time./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"But he emwas/em afraid, and in the end, it was that fear that drove him forward, dwarfing all his thoughts and feelings and condensing them down into one singular thought: the protection of his country, and to a lesser urgency, his own skin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He could now hear several sets of hurried footsteps making their way down the hall towards his office, and the President of Marly turned to his door expectantly. Gripping his hands tightly behind his back, Wohl braced himself for the onslaught of anger that would surely be directed at him, trying fruitlessly to mask his hysteria with some form of righteous authority./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"It's better this way, my dear Armin./span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" He thought as the large brass doorknob began to turn. emOtherwise, who knows what kind of trouble you might get yourself into./em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/em/p
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/em/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe salty water of the channel moved in large swells against the sides of the Azamabito transport boat as it pulled out of the harbor, sending a spray of mist and foam up over the edges of the railing and high into the morning air. The water droplets were creating translucent rainbows along the hull that shimmered in the sunshine next to the ship, obscuring the fading Veritas coast with their colorful hues. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The blue sky above was cloudless, and Pieck watched happily as a flock of birds took turns diving into the water near the stern of the boat, easing through the gaps in the waves, and surfacing once more with wriggling fish clutched in their beaks. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The whole scene was incredibly pleasant, if you could get passed the reason they were out here in the first place. To her, there was no sense in getting all worked up over it, anyways; the time would come for action, or it wouldn't. Right now, though, there was little to do besides enjoy the morning's warmth and watch the birds./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Tucking her dark hair back over her shoulders, Pieck smiled warming at Connie, who was resting with his back to the rails next to her, allowing the sun to warm up his waxy complexion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Do you think they tried to stop us from leaving?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He shrugged, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he threw a glance over his shoulder; the receding city vanishing behind the curvature of the river and out of sight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I don't know, but I sure would have loved to be a fly on wall when they realized our rooms were empty."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Or when they found the unconscious gate guards."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The boats suddenly pitched hard to the side, and Connie closed his eyes tightly, the strain of keeping his mouth closed evident by the tenseness of his jaw./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"She laughed in response, reaching out her hand to allow one of the larger swells to coat her arm in moisture, then flicked the condensation at him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""If you're going to be sick, please do it elsewhere."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I'm fine." He whispered back through gritted teeth, pulling a small flask out from the folds of his coat and taking a large swig./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Does that stuff even work?" Pieck asked doubtfully when Connie shivered with disgust, shoving the medicine back into his jacket pocket with a grimace./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""When Arya makes it, it does. Tastes like ass, though."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You have a lot of experience with that flavor?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He poked his elbow into her side playfully, and Pieck giggled. Turning around to mimic Connie's stance against the rails, they both looked out over the ship's deck, watching the sailors run up and down the weather-worn planks dutifully between the other members of their party, who were talking between one another in hushed voices barely audible above the splashing of waves and the churning of engines./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""At least you're doing better than Oz." Pieck muttered, dipping her head towards the far end of the bow. Oz was bent over the railing with a sheen of sweat plastered on his face; one she suspected had nothing to do with the damp ocean air./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Oz had been acting… emodd/em since their boarding. His usual friendly and levelheaded demeanor had been replaced with obvious anxiety; the nearly overwhelming kind that had him looking around restlessly between the open water of the channel and the Scouts, like the dangers they were heading towards were already on top of them. He spoke very little, which was not a quality that he had possessed until this morning and was currently standing as far away from their group as he could without flinging himself overboard./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Connie and Pieck weren't the only ones who had picked up on this strange behavior, it seemed: every few minutes Armin, who was seated on a large, padded crate in the center of the deck, would glance over to where his chief engineer stood, eyeing him speculatively. Pieck could imagine the questions that were boiling over in their commander's head, primarily whatever reason lied behind Oz's near miss with their secret departure. He had disappeared for almost an hour during the time they spent loading up the Azamabito charter boat and hadn't returned until their last moments before boarding, claiming that he had forgotten something./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"There had been little time to press him on the subject, but Pieck secretly suspected that it wasn't just Arya who was having doubts about what was to come; they had all experienced a moment, one time or another, when turning around and running away seemed like a much better option than pushing forward, so whatever Oz was feeling now was certainly understandable. He would rally, just as they all had, when the time came. For now, all they could do was wait./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Shivering as another tip of the boat sent a volley of water up their backs, Connie gestured towards their gathered comrades, anxious to find a more enjoyable place to stand./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Come on, let's go find Arry."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe miles spanning from the Veritas and Cirrane harbor to the end of the channel would take less than a day cover by boat, shaving off nearly a week they would have spent going around it on horseback. Once they were back on dry land, they had at least another six days of trudging through deep forests before they reached the area in which the Children of Light temple was supposed to be, and the expected exhaustion of such a feat was already weighing heavily on the Scout's morale. They were all trying their best to enjoy the ease of their time on the boat, but the further the day progressed, the more their conversation shifted into contemplative silence./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"As afternoon turned into early evening, the end of the channel finally came into view as not much more than muddy and reed-filled banks that sloped steeply up towards the vast woods that surrounded it. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze blowing up from the channel, their branches curling in an almost gesturing manner, inviting them into the labyrinth beyond the water like they were expected company./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The border between Southern Marly and the unclaimed lands was still half a dozen leagues away, and several towns lay between them and what was once the kingdom of Eldia, but this area was unfamiliar to them. It already seemed as though they had stepped into another world, a place where mysteries laid beneath every rock and root and ghosts of lost generations hovered just out of sight. It was like travelling into the past; time had little bearing on a place such as this one./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Standing next to Annie on the furthest tip of the bow, Reiner rung his hands around the railing tightly. Even more than it had on their return to Paradis, his chest gave an uneasy squeeze around his lungs as he looked at the endless wall of trees that bore down on them. It felt to him like purposefully walking into the jaws of some enormous beast./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""It's not too late to just stay on the boat." He mumbled, half to Annie and half to himself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The fact that they did have a choice in the matter provided little ease to their tension; only highlighting the truth behind the madness. They were doing this on their own volition, which meant they all must be two sandwiches shy of a picnic. There was no denying the importance behind this move, but Reiner was sure this choice spoke more of their own insanity than for the good of the people./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You're welcome to stay behind, just like the rest of us." Annie replied. "But I've been sitting on the sidelines long enough. We see this through, and it all ends, for good this time. That's too pretty a sentiment for me to disagree with."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"It took a moment before Reiner nodded, having caught sight of Historia's furrowed brows as she lugged a crate of supplies down the gangplank, and he released the railing, rolling his broad shoulders./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Right. Let's get moving, then."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"By the time they had fully unloaded their cargo the sun had long since set, and the troop was already covered in mud and sweat from their exertion. The flames from the torches they had stuck into the ground barely made a dent in the thick darkness that had gathered around them while they hastily set up makeshift tents against the sides of their wagons, knowing that it would be foolish to trample through the underbrush this late in the day./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"There was little to do now but to watch as the lights from the ship receded from the coast, disappearing down the river and back towards civilization, and wait for morning to come; then the mission could begin in earnest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Perched atop one of their two convoy wagons, Mikasa surveyed the darkened trees around the edge of their tiny camp with rapt attention. Even the most menial sounds of wildlife seemed muted by the heavy shadows whispering at the edges of their circle of light, like a fortress of solitude amidst the unknown. Her normally keen senses felt dulled, yet the slightest shift in movement from those around her sounded much too loud./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Mikasa flinched at the soft cough from Reiner from the other side of camp; her muscles tensing from Levi's subtle shift in posture from his position on the other cart. Her heart slammed painfully against her ribs when Armin, who sat just a few feet from where she stood, leaned against the crate he was propped up next to, creaking the wooden planks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The night may have been silent out there in the looming forest, yet she couldn't help but feel as if there emwas/em something within the trees that needed her utmost attention, pulling on her awareness like a fish caught on a line, just waiting for the chance to be dragged into the light. Every hair on her body was standing on end; this couldn't be just plain old paranoia, could it? The resounding effect of what was to come, or worse, what would come to pass if they failed?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"No, she didn't think it was. Mikasa had learned very quickly to listen to her instincts, which had saved more than a few lives in her time. It was that instinct that had now turned into an uneasy sense of warning, as if one small slip in her concentration would spell the end of all they were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"A strangled cry was at the tip of her tongue when the wagon suddenly shifted under her feet, through no more than a moment's glance around told her it was only Jean, who had climbed up onto the cart after completing his rounds. He was looking at her with a worried crease between his eyes, assessing her defensive stance and, more likely than not, the wildly fearful look Mikasa knew she was wearing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You good?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Even his low whisper ached painfully in the dense quietness, and Mikasa turned away, trying to smooth away her unease./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Yeah, I'm fine."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"This answer didn't seem to satisfy him, and soon she felt a large hand fall gently onto her shoulder. When she reluctantly turned her eyes back up to his face, he wasn't looking at her; instead, he was peering out into the inky tree line as she had been, an unfathomable look on his angular face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You feel it to, huh."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"So, it wasn't just her, then. Mikasa was unsure if that fact offered any kind of relief./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Yes. But I don't know what it is."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Jean's expression tightened, and beads of sweat dampened his forehead from the muggy air./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""It's like the trees are watching us." He mumbled, and Mikasa thought this was a fairly accurate description of the sensation she was feeling. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"More than anything, she was certain that they were not alone out here in the wilderness, despite the stillness around them. It wasn't just the scenery that had changed, though; something in the world had shifted. The same way that small rivers flowed into raging waters, it felt as though they were being pulled along by the current now, thrown from their path into something much larger than themselves, racing towards whatever end they were meant to reach./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The tide was going out and taking them along for the ride./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"President Wohl assured his worried cabinet members that this was not an arrest; maintaining the image of friendship with the Eldian heroes was of utmost importance if they wished to avoid any more civil unrest, and he only desired more time to reason with them before they became tangled up in something they couldn't possibly understand. Armin and his people were as just and valiant as they had always been, but the risk of open war was more than Marly could withstand under the current climate and had to be avoided at all costs, even if that meant discord between the races they governed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"More than his desire to hold the broken pieces of his country together, Andre Wohl was terrified, though he would never admit to it. Why were these children so keen to dig up the past and test the strength of their already compromised world? The memory of their conviction surfaced in President Wohl's mind as he paced his office in the growing sunlight, awaiting the arrival of the Scouts, and the power behind their courage sent a shiver down his spine. What kind of fire burned inside those war-hardened youths that allowed them to greet the end of days like an old friend; to stare down the barrel of a gun wielded by the universe itself and still take one step after another, despite the odds?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Wohl knew firsthand the effects war could have on a person, having fought through them for most of his life as a commander in the Marlyean Army. Half the time, those who witnessed the death and cruelty of combat were left a hollow shadow of the people they had once been, and their minds never quite left the graveyard that was a battlefield. But every war he had taken part in had been against people; folks from distant lands who saw the world through a different lens than he did, so therefore was a threat to their way of life./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"These kids, however, especially the Paradis natives, have been fighting their whole lives against enemies Wohl could barely wrap his head around. Not only had they spent countless years under the weight of the Titan's massive feet, but they also grappled with the wrath of an entire world in the process. The life they led should have crushed them; the pressure placed on their shoulders should have driven them to madness long ago, and yet here they were, ready to take on another insurmountable task with the weight of humanity's survival on their backs, like it was simply their lot in life to do so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"They fought against fate itself, and President Wohl couldn't help but admit that as the record stood, they had been more or less successful in this endeavor. If his mind hadn't been so addled with fear as it was, he may have been able to say that despite the current condition of Marly and the rest of the world, it was the fortitude of Armin and his people that allowed humanity to survive, if only partly, and maybe, just maybe, they could do it all over again, one more time./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"But he emwas/em afraid, and in the end, it was that fear that drove him forward, dwarfing all his thoughts and feelings and condensing them down into one singular thought: the protection of his country, and to a lesser urgency, his own skin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He could now hear several sets of hurried footsteps making their way down the hall towards his office, and the President of Marly turned to his door expectantly. Gripping his hands tightly behind his back, Wohl braced himself for the onslaught of anger that would surely be directed at him, trying fruitlessly to mask his hysteria with some form of righteous authority./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"It's better this way, my dear Armin./span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" He thought as the large brass doorknob began to turn. emOtherwise, who knows what kind of trouble you might get yourself into./em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/em/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/em/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe salty water of the channel moved in large swells against the sides of the Azamabito transport boat as it pulled out of the harbor, sending a spray of mist and foam up over the edges of the railing and high into the morning air. The water droplets were creating translucent rainbows along the hull that shimmered in the sunshine next to the ship, obscuring the fading Veritas coast with their colorful hues. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The blue sky above was cloudless, and Pieck watched happily as a flock of birds took turns diving into the water near the stern of the boat, easing through the gaps in the waves, and surfacing once more with wriggling fish clutched in their beaks. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The whole scene was incredibly pleasant, if you could get passed the reason they were out here in the first place. To her, there was no sense in getting all worked up over it, anyways; the time would come for action, or it wouldn't. Right now, though, there was little to do besides enjoy the morning's warmth and watch the birds./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Tucking her dark hair back over her shoulders, Pieck smiled warming at Connie, who was resting with his back to the rails next to her, allowing the sun to warm up his waxy complexion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Do you think they tried to stop us from leaving?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He shrugged, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he threw a glance over his shoulder; the receding city vanishing behind the curvature of the river and out of sight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I don't know, but I sure would have loved to be a fly on wall when they realized our rooms were empty."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Or when they found the unconscious gate guards."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The boats suddenly pitched hard to the side, and Connie closed his eyes tightly, the strain of keeping his mouth closed evident by the tenseness of his jaw./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"She laughed in response, reaching out her hand to allow one of the larger swells to coat her arm in moisture, then flicked the condensation at him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""If you're going to be sick, please do it elsewhere."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I'm fine." He whispered back through gritted teeth, pulling a small flask out from the folds of his coat and taking a large swig./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Does that stuff even work?" Pieck asked doubtfully when Connie shivered with disgust, shoving the medicine back into his jacket pocket with a grimace./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""When Arya makes it, it does. Tastes like ass, though."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You have a lot of experience with that flavor?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He poked his elbow into her side playfully, and Pieck giggled. Turning around to mimic Connie's stance against the rails, they both looked out over the ship's deck, watching the sailors run up and down the weather-worn planks dutifully between the other members of their party, who were talking between one another in hushed voices barely audible above the splashing of waves and the churning of engines./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""At least you're doing better than Oz." Pieck muttered, dipping her head towards the far end of the bow. Oz was bent over the railing with a sheen of sweat plastered on his face; one she suspected had nothing to do with the damp ocean air./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Oz had been acting… emodd/em since their boarding. His usual friendly and levelheaded demeanor had been replaced with obvious anxiety; the nearly overwhelming kind that had him looking around restlessly between the open water of the channel and the Scouts, like the dangers they were heading towards were already on top of them. He spoke very little, which was not a quality that he had possessed until this morning and was currently standing as far away from their group as he could without flinging himself overboard./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Connie and Pieck weren't the only ones who had picked up on this strange behavior, it seemed: every few minutes Armin, who was seated on a large, padded crate in the center of the deck, would glance over to where his chief engineer stood, eyeing him speculatively. Pieck could imagine the questions that were boiling over in their commander's head, primarily whatever reason lied behind Oz's near miss with their secret departure. He had disappeared for almost an hour during the time they spent loading up the Azamabito charter boat and hadn't returned until their last moments before boarding, claiming that he had forgotten something./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"There had been little time to press him on the subject, but Pieck secretly suspected that it wasn't just Arya who was having doubts about what was to come; they had all experienced a moment, one time or another, when turning around and running away seemed like a much better option than pushing forward, so whatever Oz was feeling now was certainly understandable. He would rally, just as they all had, when the time came. For now, all they could do was wait./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Shivering as another tip of the boat sent a volley of water up their backs, Connie gestured towards their gathered comrades, anxious to find a more enjoyable place to stand./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Come on, let's go find Arry."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe miles spanning from the Veritas and Cirrane harbor to the end of the channel would take less than a day cover by boat, shaving off nearly a week they would have spent going around it on horseback. Once they were back on dry land, they had at least another six days of trudging through deep forests before they reached the area in which the Children of Light temple was supposed to be, and the expected exhaustion of such a feat was already weighing heavily on the Scout's morale. They were all trying their best to enjoy the ease of their time on the boat, but the further the day progressed, the more their conversation shifted into contemplative silence./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"As afternoon turned into early evening, the end of the channel finally came into view as not much more than muddy and reed-filled banks that sloped steeply up towards the vast woods that surrounded it. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze blowing up from the channel, their branches curling in an almost gesturing manner, inviting them into the labyrinth beyond the water like they were expected company./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The border between Southern Marly and the unclaimed lands was still half a dozen leagues away, and several towns lay between them and what was once the kingdom of Eldia, but this area was unfamiliar to them. It already seemed as though they had stepped into another world, a place where mysteries laid beneath every rock and root and ghosts of lost generations hovered just out of sight. It was like travelling into the past; time had little bearing on a place such as this one./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Standing next to Annie on the furthest tip of the bow, Reiner rung his hands around the railing tightly. Even more than it had on their return to Paradis, his chest gave an uneasy squeeze around his lungs as he looked at the endless wall of trees that bore down on them. It felt to him like purposefully walking into the jaws of some enormous beast./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""It's not too late to just stay on the boat." He mumbled, half to Annie and half to himself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The fact that they did have a choice in the matter provided little ease to their tension; only highlighting the truth behind the madness. They were doing this on their own volition, which meant they all must be two sandwiches shy of a picnic. There was no denying the importance behind this move, but Reiner was sure this choice spoke more of their own insanity than for the good of the people./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You're welcome to stay behind, just like the rest of us." Annie replied. "But I've been sitting on the sidelines long enough. We see this through, and it all ends, for good this time. That's too pretty a sentiment for me to disagree with."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"It took a moment before Reiner nodded, having caught sight of Historia's furrowed brows as she lugged a crate of supplies down the gangplank, and he released the railing, rolling his broad shoulders./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Right. Let's get moving, then."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"By the time they had fully unloaded their cargo the sun had long since set, and the troop was already covered in mud and sweat from their exertion. The flames from the torches they had stuck into the ground barely made a dent in the thick darkness that had gathered around them while they hastily set up makeshift tents against the sides of their wagons, knowing that it would be foolish to trample through the underbrush this late in the day./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"There was little to do now but to watch as the lights from the ship receded from the coast, disappearing down the river and back towards civilization, and wait for morning to come; then the mission could begin in earnest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Perched atop one of their two convoy wagons, Mikasa surveyed the darkened trees around the edge of their tiny camp with rapt attention. Even the most menial sounds of wildlife seemed muted by the heavy shadows whispering at the edges of their circle of light, like a fortress of solitude amidst the unknown. Her normally keen senses felt dulled, yet the slightest shift in movement from those around her sounded much too loud./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Mikasa flinched at the soft cough from Reiner from the other side of camp; her muscles tensing from Levi's subtle shift in posture from his position on the other cart. Her heart slammed painfully against her ribs when Armin, who sat just a few feet from where she stood, leaned against the crate he was propped up next to, creaking the wooden planks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The night may have been silent out there in the looming forest, yet she couldn't help but feel as if there emwas/em something within the trees that needed her utmost attention, pulling on her awareness like a fish caught on a line, just waiting for the chance to be dragged into the light. Every hair on her body was standing on end; this couldn't be just plain old paranoia, could it? The resounding effect of what was to come, or worse, what would come to pass if they failed?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"No, she didn't think it was. Mikasa had learned very quickly to listen to her instincts, which had saved more than a few lives in her time. It was that instinct that had now turned into an uneasy sense of warning, as if one small slip in her concentration would spell the end of all they were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"A strangled cry was at the tip of her tongue when the wagon suddenly shifted under her feet, through no more than a moment's glance around told her it was only Jean, who had climbed up onto the cart after completing his rounds. He was looking at her with a worried crease between his eyes, assessing her defensive stance and, more likely than not, the wildly fearful look Mikasa knew she was wearing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You good?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Even his low whisper ached painfully in the dense quietness, and Mikasa turned away, trying to smooth away her unease./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Yeah, I'm fine."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"This answer didn't seem to satisfy him, and soon she felt a large hand fall gently onto her shoulder. When she reluctantly turned her eyes back up to his face, he wasn't looking at her; instead, he was peering out into the inky tree line as she had been, an unfathomable look on his angular face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You feel it to, huh."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"So, it wasn't just her, then. Mikasa was unsure if that fact offered any kind of relief./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Yes. But I don't know what it is."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Jean's expression tightened, and beads of sweat dampened his forehead from the muggy air./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""It's like the trees are watching us." He mumbled, and Mikasa thought this was a fairly accurate description of the sensation she was feeling. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"More than anything, she was certain that they were not alone out here in the wilderness, despite the stillness around them. It wasn't just the scenery that had changed, though; something in the world had shifted. The same way that small rivers flowed into raging waters, it felt as though they were being pulled along by the current now, thrown from their path into something much larger than themselves, racing towards whatever end they were meant to reach./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The tide was going out and taking them along for the ride./span/p