Attack on Titan: Bloodline – Chapter 23 (March 10, 2021)
Hours flew by and soon, the sun had set. Lorraine rode along the wall, moving along a path that had been trampled, presumably by the Scouts, into the grass. Her shirt was sticking to her in places where the sweat from earlier hadn't quite dried and a strap on her gear was broken and hanging by her side.
"This gear is completely busted. I can't do anything even if I got new equipment. I just need new straps. When I get somewhere safe, I'll just drop the gear."
She figured she'd come across the others sooner or later. Fiona trotted along the side of the wall at a comfortably slow pace while Lorraine held back her tears and pushed her dark thoughts to the back of her mind. As the full moon rose higher into the sky, she began to see the world cast in a pale blue light. She sighed and said, giving Fiona a reassuring stroke through her mane, "It's alright. W-we'll find them. I promise."
She jumped and gripped the reins as Fiona reared up, letting out a frightened whinny.
"Woah, Fiona! Woah! Easy!"
She looked up into the starry sky and saw a long trail of green smoke. She exhaled heavily and smiled as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.
"Reiner."
She looked down at the mare and said, "Come on. Let's go. That way." She tugged lightly on the reins and kicked the horse's sides lightly. Fiona started walking, then trotting, then running in the direction of the hill where the smoke came from. She leaned forward. The wind whipped through her shirt and hair as they neared the hill, spotting the tall tower of a castle. Her eyes widened and she felt a warm relief wash over her. She crested the hill and stopped, looking out at the castle for a moment. There was light coming from inside and she saw shadows of people moving. She kicked Fiona back into gear towards the stables.
"They're really here. I'm coming, Reiner."
The cool winds stung her eyes, cheeks, and throat. As the pair neared the stables, they slowed down to a canter. Lorraine noticed a worn out, wooden plaque with old writing on it. The writing was in another language and was practically illegible, but she didn't care to figure out what it said. All she cared about was reuniting with Reiner and the others. She pulled the reins, stopping Fiona, and hopped off the mare's back, instead, leading her to a resting spot. She tied up Fiona and sighed, giving her a light hug before turning and heading towards the large, wooden doors. She didn't hesitate to push open the door, sending a very loud creaking sound echoing through the empty halls. She took a few steps inside and called out.
"Hello?"
Her voice bounced off the walls, reverberating deep into the castle. She looked around as she walked into the darkness. The halls, only lit by the moonlight through the windows, went many directions. She grew worried, but called out again.
"Hello! I-is anyone here?"
She ran part-way into one of the halls and raised her voice, "Reiner! Krista! Bertholdt! Please, someone! Answer me!" She whipped her head around.
"Hello! Is anyone h-"
She saw it. The warm glow of a torch approaching quickly. She ran towards the light until she finally saw him. The young couple came to a full stop, locking eyes for but a moment before they ran to each other. He dropped the torch, running to her, arms open to her. She practically leapt into his arms, beginning to cry into his chest. She squeezed his waist tightly and sobbed uncontrollably. He held her tightly, running his hand through her hair and gently shushing her.
"It's alright, Love. Y-you're okay. You're safe now."
She pulled herself together, choking back the rest of her tears, and said, "I-I'm sorry...! I shouldn't have gone...!" He smiled and said gently, "It's okay. You're here now." She looked up at him and he leaned down. Their lips pressed together and she felt one final tear slip down her cheek, her worries melting away once again as their bodies intertwined and the familiar, comforting warmth of his body engulfed her. Her heart finally slowed and her tears settled down. As they broke away, he held her head to his heart and she closed her eyes, just listening to the steady beating of his heart. From behind Reiner came an annoyed scoff.
"Are you two lovebirds done? We really should get back."
Lorraine sighed. Reiner turned and said sternly, "Knock it off, Ymir." Ymir brushed him off with a hand gesture, picked up his torch, and turned to walk away. Krista let out a squeal and asked, "Lo! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Lorraine shook her head. Krista let out a sigh and said, "Thank goodness. I think we were all quite worried...Reiner was the worst of us." Lorraine said in a low voice, "Thank you, Krista. I'm sorry if I worried anyone. I'm okay, though." Krista turned to follow Ymir, who had already started walking back through the hallway, and said, "Come on, you two. Let's go rejoin the others." Reiner took Lorraine's hand and they walked with Krista.
Walking into the room, there was a commotion already going on that she really didn't care about. She heard the word "booze" in there somewhere, but she ignored the conversation. Bertholdt stood up sharply, stating softly, "You're back." Lorraine nodded. Nanaba turned and asked, "Lorraine. Are you okay? What about Miche? Where is he?" Lorraine let go of Reiner's hand and looked down at her feet. She said softly, "I-I'm sorry. He...he sacrificed himself...to save me." She looked up and said, "I leaped into action carelessly and...and I got grabbed...h-he cut my cables and..." Reiner looked down at her. Nanaba sighed and said, "I see." Lorraine said solemnly, "I'm sorry, Nanaba." She shook her head and said, "No, it's alright. Th-thank you for your report." Lorraine sighed and walked over to where the other former Cadets had set up. She sat next to Reiner and asked, "Connie. Did you make it back to your village?" Connie nodded and said, "Yeah. It was completely destroyed. Crushed into rubble by Titans."
"Oh my God... I'm so sorry, Connie."
Connie perked up a bit and said, "Hey, on a positive note, nobody got eaten. I'm pretty sure everyone made it out before the Titans showed up." Ymir sneered and asked condescendingly, "Didn't you just say your village was destroyed? What makes you think they got out?" Connie said, looking up at the brunette, "Yeah, The houses and stuff were demolished, but there wasn't any blood or human remains, so that's the best guess I have." His face turned serious.
"Still...I-I can't stop thinking about what we did find." Reiner's expression turned grim and he furrowed his brows. Connie continued, his voice shaking.
"I-it was collapsed right on top of my house, even though its limbs were too weak to carry it. I-it's...it's odd. I'm not sure why...b-but it...it reminded me of my mom. What...what could that-"
Ymir's high-pitched, hysterical laugh pierced the quiet atmosphere, earning stares of shock and disbelief from the group. She laughed loudly, "You really are an idiot! You think your mother may actually have been that Titan!? How'd you wind up so damn short, then, huh?! Come on, Connie! I knew you were stupid, but wow!" Krista spoke in Connie's defense, but the freckle-faced girl ignored her.
"If that really is true, then your daddy must be a Titan, too. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to-"
Connie snapped, "Shut up, wench! Just...oh, let's just get some sleep!" Ymir continued to chuckle, but Connie stormed off to a corner, away from Ymir. Reiner and Lorraine went to the spot where Reiner had already laid out a blanket. Before she laid down, Lorraine removed the rest of her broken straps, leaving herself in just her off-white pants and Reiner's dark green shirt. As she dropped the mess of straps, Reiner sighed. Lorraine turned and saw that he was watching her. He said softly, "You're wearing my t-shirt." Lorraine blushed and said, a small, timid smile forming on her lips, "Y-yeah. My button-down was dirty from Stohess and I found the one I was supposed to repair in my bag, so I decided-" He interrupted her explanation, "It looks good on you." She fell silent, then said softly, "Thanks." She walked over to him and laid next to him, nestling close to his body, facing him. He wrapped the blanket around the both of them, his arms nearly completely hiding her from the world.
"Lorraine? You warm enough?"
She nodded and hummed. He rested his chin gently on the top of her head and said, "Good." She smiled and said in nearly a whisper, "I love you, Reiner." He closed his eyes, but she asked sweetly, "Hey, Reiner? When we get home, can we go out to the market again?" He smiled and said, "Sure thing, Love." She chuckled under her breath and closed her eyes. Reiner lay awake for several more minutes, just listening to her steady breathing, until he finally felt himself fading. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Hours later, Reiner jerked awake, having heard a door being stealthily opened, then heard it creaking slowly shut. He looked down at Lorraine, making sure she was still asleep before moving her tenderly aside and slipping away to investigate. He turned and knelt next to the sleeping Ackerman girl. He reached down and brushed a strand of her raven-coloured bangs away from her eyes. He gazed lovingly down at her peaceful face and sighed as he stood up. He slipped out, following Ymir into a small storage room where he found her rummaging through old crates.
Lorraine woke up, sitting up and looking around. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Reiner was gone. She sighed and pulled her hair around her neck and over her right shoulder, playing with it absentmindedly.
"He probably went to the bathroom or something. Still, he seems a bit...distant."
Lorraine moved the blankets aside and stood up, stretching and yawning again as she walked over to the nearby window. She looked out at the moonlit grounds outside.
"Something doesn't feel quite right, but I can't explain it. I must just be paranoid. Yeah. After what happened with Miche...I guess I'm still a bit shaken."
"Everyone, wake up! Get to the tower! Quickly!"
Lynne was shouting from the top of the staircase that led to the rooftop. The rest of the group awoke with a start and scrambled to get to the tower. Reiner came rushing into the room, running straight to Lorraine.
"What's going on?!"
Lorraine shook her head and said, "I don't know! Let's just go!" The two followed the rest of the group to the rooftop. The armed soldiers were already engaging several Titans down below. "Titans?!" Lorraine gasped, "But, it's...it's night time! They shouldn't be out now!" Bertholdt glanced down at her. He recognized that she was more on edge than she normally would be, even in this situation.
Nanaba, Gelgar, and the few other armed soldiers were already engaging the Titans. The smaller Titans scratched and clawed at the doors while the larger ones climbed up the castle walls. The soldiers slashed at them one by one, finally toppling one of the largest ones, crushing the little ones by the now-broken door. Nanaba landed on the rooftop and said, "Alright. The Titans have broken through. All of you, go back downstairs and form some sort of barricade. If you can't block them, retreat back up here as a last-ditch effort. That doesn't necessarily mean we'll be able to help you, though. I'm not sure if we'll even still be alive if it comes to that. Understood?" Lorraine and the others saluted and she said, "Roger. Come on, guys! You heard her!"
The group sprinted downstairs together, but Reiner sped ahead of the rest of them and said, "I'll go see how far the Titans have made it! You guys grab boards or rods or something! Bring whatever you can carry!" Bertholdt called after him and followed. Before Lorraine could do the same, Ymir grabbed her by the wrist and said, "Hey! I've got an idea! Come with me, everyone!" Ymir led them to a closet where a cannon was being stored, collecting dust. Lorraine looked around and said, "Nice! Are there any cannonballs or-"
"Nope! We're just gonna use the cannon!"
Krista cheered, "Alright! Let's go! Push!" The group worked together to push the cannon out of the closet and down the hall until they reached the staircase where Reiner and Bertholdt were struggling against a 4-meter Titan. Ymir and Krista shoved the cannon and Lorraine shouted, grabbing their attention, "Oi! You two! Get your asses in gear and move out of the way!" Reiner and Bertholdt jumped away as the cannon rolled down the stairwell.
Reiner and Bertholdt looked up at the group who were all running down the stairs. Lorraine chuckled, "Way to go, Ymir. Looks like that did it." Reiner said breathlessly, "Yeah. That Titan's not getting up any time soon." Connie drew his knife and sighed, "Now what? All we've got left is this knife. Should I cut off its nape, just to be safe?" Reiner grabbed Connie's shoulder and said, "Nah. Don't even try. It's too dangerous. If it grabs you, you could be seriously hurt." Krista, standing at the top of the stairs said, "Let's retreat back upstairs for now. Th-there could be more than just the one-" Her eyes widened in horror. Behind Connie, the rubble had been moved and the 4-meter Titan crawled out.
"Connie, look out!"
The Titan was standing behind Connie, mouth wide open. Connie turned around, his eyes wide, but right before the Titan could take a bite out of him, Reiner leaped in front of him, shoving the Titan's jaws away from him. The Titan turned its focus to Reiner and Lorraine shrieked, "Reiner, watch out!"
The horrible, wet sound of bones crunching and flesh tearing was heard. Lorraine gasped. Reiner grunted in agony, his face contorted and tears welling up in his eyes from the pain. Lorraine and the others watched in horror as he grimaced, bending his knees, and picked up the Titan, throwing it over his shoulders, his forearm twisting visibly. Blood started to run up his arm towards his elbow as the bones crackled under the pressure of the small Titan's jaws. Connie asked, watching Reiner struggle to walk towards the window, "R-Reiner, what're you doing?" Lorraine gasped, "Don't tell me you're gonna jump!?" Reiner said through his teeth, "I-I've got...no other choice!" Connie gripped the knife in his right hand and said, "Hold on! If I can just slice open its jaw...!" He reached up as Reiner sat on the window sill and stabbed the Titan's cheeks, slicing through the jaws.
"There!"
Reiner stumbled back and Lorraine grabbed him, holding him protectively, watching as the Titan turned around to look at them. It snarled, but Ymir took the opportunity to kick it as hard as she could, sending it falling to its death. Lorraine sighed, resting her head on Reiner's good arm.
"Thank God."
Lorraine turned to Reiner and said, "Your arm. Let me see." He held it up to her. She gently took it, but he pulled away instinctively and grunted. The skin around the bite was already turning black and blue and the wound itself was quite deep. She could see that the Titan's teeth had made it all the way to the bone in one spot.
"Krista. Find something to sanitize this with. Please."
Krista nodded and ran off, grabbing a torch that was laying on the ground. Lorraine led Reiner to the bottom step and sat him down. She knelt next to him, giving his arm a thorough examination.
"I'm sorry, Reiner. I-it's broken."
Reiner sighed, "Yeah. Just my luck, isn't it?" Krista ran down the steps and handed Lorraine an old-looking, brown bottle full of liquid. Krista said, "This should work well enough." Lorraine took the bottle and said, opening it with a pop, "Thanks. Brace yourself. This is going to hurt." She wasted no time in pouring the strong alcohol over Reiner's arm.
"Ouch! Shit!"
Lorraine paid no mind to his protests and poured the entire bottle over his arm, washing the blood off and sanitizing the area. She grabbed a small chunk of wood as a splint and asked, "Do we have any bandages here?" Krista looked around, but then tore off a chunk of her skirt, revealing her knee-high boots and even some of her thighs. Reiner stared at her in disbelief. Lorraine took the cloth and went on moving the pieces of bone at least mostly back into place, causing Reiner to wince, and wrapping the splint into place and tying the cloth around his neck as a makeshift sling.
"There. That should work...at least until we get back to a proper medic. Are you okay?"
He nodded and said, "Yeah. I guess so. Thanks, Lo."
Connie said, "Sorry about that, Reiner. It seems like you're always saving my ass. I've gotta pay you back sometime." Reiner shook his head while Lorraine helped him up to his feet.
"Nah. It's the right thing to do. We're soldiers, after all."
Lorraine gazed down at Reiner. Something seemed different about him.
"He still seems...oddly serious. I mean, I know he's always been driven and focused on becoming a soldier, but...he always tries to be optomistic... What could be the matter? He only gets this serious when something's wrong. No. I must be overthinking it."
Ymir said, "I hate to kill the moment, but we really should get going. We ought to get back up to the tower." Lorraine stood up and offered her hand to Reiner, who took it and stood, as she said, "Yeah. Ymir's right. Let's get back up to Nanaba and the others."