Chapter Seventeen
The 57th Reconnaissance Mission Begins!
HAPPY SECOND ANNIVERSARY!
A/N: Yes, this took a LOT longer than it should. I had some personal issues effecting my ability to write. This was supposed to be posted last month, but I'm in the process of moving, which left me with no internet at our new place. But we have finally entered the Reconnaissance Mission, and I am super excited to get through this arc and into the next. I have much planned and cannot wait to present my ideas. For now, please enjoy. And please: review, review, review! The opinions and comments of my readers actually boost my motivation to get the next chapter posted 3
Disclaimer: Attack on Titan does not belong to me, I only own Emalina and any other OC's. The new story picture does not belong to me; I hold no Copyright and found the picture through Google Images.
~ oOo ~
Point of View
Emalina
"FORWARD!"
Freyja gathering on her hind legs, thrusted forward, wind gathering in my hair as we sped through the Karanes District leaving the city behind to enter a wild terrain now belonging to the titans. Goosebumps traveled up and down my arms as we burst through the wall, appearing on the other side, traversing into a dead zone of skeletons, lost memories and decay. Crumbling buildings lay on both sides as the entire Scout Regiment burst forth, horse hooves creating a permanent indent of those who would not return later that day.
"It's officially begun! The fifty-seventh recon mission. SCOUTS! MOVE OUT!"
Commander Erwin's words seared my core. For five year's I'd been waiting for this moment; for three years I'd been training; and for one month I'd been mourning. Pinching the skin of my wrist, now was not the time; the grief for Marco still clouded my vision some days, yet this day would not be one. My comrades needed me at my fullest and I would grant them the strongest abilities I could pull from within. Their would be time for grieving when I could be alone.
Because within the Scouts, there was never time to truly grieve.
"We've got a ten-meter closing in on the left!" Hange's voice pulled me from my reverie. Angling my eyes in the direction, I could see the monstrosity; the decoys would distract and destroy the titan so we could carry on long enough for the regiment to expand into the Long Range Formation.
"Forward! Ride for all your worth!"
Stealing one last glance at Jean, this would be it, and he felt it too. Reaching out for my hand, we stole this moment. Grasping his fingers was magical, and if I were to grieve over his corpse once this mission was over, I would cherish this second for the rest of my being. But that's how long it lasted. The broken city loomed behind us the longer we rode on, though the signal we needed was here.
Stretching his arm straight out, Erwin yelled loudly, "Long Range Formation; let's go!"
At that moment, everyone began to scatter.
Beside Armin, Reiner retracted his horse, moving into position with another veteran soldier. "See you around. Good luck!" Nodding at him, he nodded too, moving his horse backwards.
Jean and I loosened the speed of our horses. He would remain in the same position just in the row behind Armin, yet I needed to make it over into the Right Wing of the formation. "Do us all a favor, would ya? If you run into one of them, don't piss yourself!"
Shaking my head at Jean's words, I steered Freyja to the right. "Remember everything we talked about!" I said, catching Armin's eye. "Avoidance is the goal out here unless necessary, but it's up to you to make that judgement. And you," I looked at Jean as the gap between us grew wider. "No regrets."
"No regrets," he repeated.
Hearing what I needed to, I was off. My position was located near the back, having asked personally by Erwin if I could be placed within the Right Wing Spotters to detect the titans. I didn't mind at all, though the discussion between the Commander and Levi was, let's say, fairly entertaining that night. Compared to my friends, I had more experience with the formation and was most skilled with equipment in the field with Freyja; at least, that's how Erwin argued and notably won against my brother. Nevertheless, telling Jean about my position was another story. He wasn't ecstatic either, though knew I could take care of myself.
Maneuvering Freyja to my position, I was met with another veteran who acknowledged me as wepushed on.
For the most part, it was quiet. Was I expecting some action? A titan here and there, maybe; I wasn't so sure. From past missions, I'd heard some spotters had been overrun from titans and others didn't see a single monster. I couldn only speculate what this mission would contain.
"We've got a titan on our right!" Eyes snapping to see the monstrosity, he was correct.
But…
Something doesn't feel right.
Reaching into the satchel fastened to Freyja's saddle, I grabbed a silver barrel, attaching it to my flare gun. Raising my arm, the barrel exploded, igniting a red flare high into the sky, indicating to the surrounding Scouts there were titans nearby. Beside me, the veteran nodded as we moved on, the titan ignoring us completely, our steeds pushing us forward. We continued on, trailing through the open terrain, brushing past several trees here and there, luckily still with no titans in sight. This was no battlefield to partake, for there was no leverage for our ODM gear to grasp when attacking. Out here, we truly had to fend for ourselves, which, most of the time, that meant run for our lives unless we absolutely had to fight.
And well, right now…
"Emalina!"
"What?"
"Look over there!" Glancing towards the edge of the formation, where the other spotters were, my eyes nearly budged from their sockets; flares upon flares suddenly scattered into the sky, one red smoke signal after the other. "The hell…?"
"Goodness…" Breathing, I couldn't seem to understand, until…Seizing Freyja's reins tightly, my back was zapped with electricity until I was perfectly straightened. All senses were blocked except for my hearing, roaming through the differential sounds between me and what I was searching for; but then I found it. Hooves. The hooves of innumerable horses bound in our direction.
And what was worse? They were being chased.
"There's not just titan's in the area!" I exclaimed, keeping my head to the side.
"What're you talking about, Varlen?!" The veteran screamed beside me. "Of course it's just titans, what else would it be?"
"No! The spotters are being chased! They're headed in this direction!"
"H-How do you - ?!"
"TITANS!"
From there, all was frantic. Screams from the other Scouts permeated our hearing as the veteran and I were caught in disbelief, seeing our comrades run for their lives with titans of various sizes right on their tails. Freyja reared on her legs, sensing the uneasiness in the air, knowing hell had already broken loose. Turning my stetted around, I made to surge forward when the veteran harshly took hold of my arm, refraining me from running towards their rescue.
"Run, Emalina!"
Shocked I would be told to do such a thing, my head shook. "I won't just leave you and the others!"
Unsheathing his blade, the man pointed the device at me. "I told you to run!"
Bracing myself for an altercation between the two of us, we were stunned, suddenly having to cover our ears. A high pitched, murderous scream echoed across the plain, resonating the deepest fear within to grapple my being. Frozen in place, my head swiveled around, seeking the source of such a piercing shriek. Across from where our comrades were being chased, there appeared another titan; this one, once at full height, startled my ability to comprehend our situation. Its height, appearance, even the fact this titan had hair was staggering. The only other titan to have similar features was…
Eren.
It screamed again, bellowing its ferocious cry in the direction of the titans already chasing my comrades. Watching, it seemed the titans seemed to move faster, quickening their speed to reach their next meal. As the thumps of the titans running stole my hearing, it was this new monstrosity that captured my vision. This beast seemed content; even from my position, I could see a smirk grow on this titan's face. It lasted for only a second when she - I somehow just knew it was a female - turned and took off, leaving the other titans to
"Emalina! I need you to get out of here!" The veteran yelled once more, turning his horse so he could make way to save his comrades, his friends. "Go tell the Commander what we've seen!"
"No, I - !"
"I SAID GO!"
~ oOo ~
Point of View
Jean
Emalina was right; once you're past the wall, there's really nothing our here. Nothing but silence; the eerie stillness of not knowing if you'll survive or be eaten.
As we had all been disbanded into our position within the formation, my attention focused all around. I had my eyes facing forward, my ears searching to the sides and ensuring my backside was just as secured. We were taught that, out here, anything could ambush our positions, and it was best to be prepared. Beneath me, Trigger pushed forward, his hooves chiseling the earth, making his mark that we were truly here. Alone in…somewhere between Wall Maria and Wall Rose, everything seemed to be escalating smoothly. If I had to guess, it might've been at least thirty minutes, maybe an hour or so since we left Karanes District; out here, time didn't exist. We truly were on our own.
With my thoughts the only way to occupy my time, here's what I was struggling with: the formation.
The Veterans have even admitted this isn't even foolproof. But what I don't understand is how the Scouts don't lose any members here in the wilderness due to the formation and not the titans? We're supposed to rely our safety on the Commander maneuvering the entire regiment based on smoke signals? It was faulty to begin with, and I was fearful of someone being left behind. It's thoughts such as this I could only share with Emalina; hell, the woman even agreed with me. There was no time for such thinking in a place like this; I had to focus on surviving or I would never see her again.
Scanning my head, I was surprised I hadn't spotted those ugly beasts just yet. Trigger grunted; his hooves burrowing into the dirt below; birds flew from their perched positions in trees; but no titans.
"Something's not right," I muttered. "It's just too damn quiet." Neighing from below, Trigger suddenly thrashed his head to the side. Following his line of sight, I noticed a horse headed straight towards us, galloping frantically as if its own life depended on it. Sharply anchoring the reigns, I urger my steed to alter our direction. If there was a Scout aboard the other horse, I needed to see if he needed any medical attention.
Racing in its direction, the other steed seemed to notice me rushing towards, its speed diminishing until we met in the middle. Whinnying uncontrollably, I jumped off Trigger, keeping my hands outward. "Woah, easy, easy," I said softly, trying to calm the poor thing down.
In a matter of seconds the steed froze, allowing my hand to stroke its nose. Peering around its neck, I gasped, noticing a Scout assigned to the Right Wing Spotters; the poor man leaned against the beast in distress.
"Hey, hey!" My voice yelled, shaking his shoulder. Fortune somehow smiled on the soldier as he was able to turn his head around. "…you!" Recognizing the man, I was shocked to find it was Hendrickson; he was the Scout assigned to work with Emalina in the Spotters!
"Y-You're…Jean, r-r-right…?" he weakly said, blood slowly slipped past his lips, dripping from his chin onto the grass below.
"I am…What happened? Where's Emalina?!" Coughing, the man covered his mouth, blood still spilling over his fingers as he hacked away his pain. Glancing him over, that's when I realized his situation. The man's OMD gear was gone, his attire torn, bruises forming across his face; who knew what internal injuries he was suffering.
"E-Emalina's…fine," Hendrickson huffed. Straightening his back, the man gasped, hands gripping his side, choking as I noticed there was blood on his fingers as well. Shit he's just bleeding everywhere. "I forced her to leave b-before we were attacked."
My eyes nearly popped from their sockets. "…the titans."
"It was hell," he sputtered. "I'd never seen anything like it. T-They came out in troves…attacked us from all sides!"
Another coughing fit had the man doubled over, his blood now slithering past his lips like a river. "Save your strength!"
"There's no time! I must reach Commander Erwin and t-tell him! The Right Wing Spotters have been decimated, and Emalina is the only one remaining. You must find her, Jean! She's the only one who can describe the titan that brought the others to kill us all."
"Wait…just wait!" My hand instantly raised to pause the conversation. Gazing around our position, I had to make sure we were safe. "You're trying to tell me…onetitan brought the others that wiped out the Spotters?" Hendrickson nodded. "Then where'd it go? Where is she?!"
"I don't know, but it w-wouldn't surprise me if Emalina went after the bastard."
"Fuck!" I mumbled.
Slowly taking hold of the reigns, Hendrickson edged his steed away from my position, eyeing me closely. "Jean…thank you for stopping. I don't…" he grimaced, hand still holding his side. "…don't think I'll survive, so please, find Emalina! I know you two are together, but at least make sure she survives! The Scouts need her!"
"But…!" Of course I was going to save Emalina, I didn't need anyone else to ask me to do such a thing! "What about you?! There must be something I can…?"
"Not," he interjected, his red, sickening lips curling into a smile. "I'm just happy you stopped to helped. I will die, that is a fact. And as a Scout, I w-will use the last of my energy to reach the Commander and warn him of what's happened!" Glancing downward, our eyes locked. "God speed, Jean; Emalina spoke highly of you, so I'm glad we were able to meet, despite these terrible circumstances." Slashing the leather reigns, his steed instantly recovered and took off. I could only watch the soldier as he barely held on while riding, his form fading soon disappearing as he headed straight towards the Commanders position.
Provided with an urgency in needing to move, I quickly mounted Trigger, taking my comrades words to heart. Not knowing if there were more titans on their way, my heels dug into my steed, his hooves bursting into the ground once more we we regained our speed and began covering distance across the open plains of titan territory. Back on track in my assigned position, it didn't take as long as I thought it would to see something…unordinary.
Ahead of me off into the distance, I could barely make out the backside of a massive titan, roughly the same size of Eren's titan form. Curiously, it was running in the same direction as the formation. Coincidence? Who the hell knew. The only thing I was aware of were two soldiers who were also chasing the damn thing. Glancing towards my right where the spotters had been located, I wondered if there were any survivors and if they were chasing this monster. Thinking back, I was reminded of what Hendrickson said, something he was adamant had happened.
"…a titan brought the others to kill us all…"
Could this be that titan? Then…where was Emalina?! Frantically searching, the brunette was nowhere in sight. There was nothing except a vast, open grassland with trees scattered here and there.
My fingernails dug into the palms of each hand. I was still struggling in accepting that my duties came first and Emalina was to come second. Teeth grinding into one another, I decided to take charge, my hand grasping the flare gun attached at my hip. Reaching for a colored canister, I attached the damn thing, making sure it clicked correctly into place before raising my arm high into the sky to fire directly above. Firing the loud mini-canon, the yellow smoke flew high overhead, signaling the abnormal titan I was now following.
Surging closer to the other two soldiers, I was surprised to find they were not Right Wing survivors; no, it was Reiner and Armin. Just as I merged Trigger to ride beside the shorter blonde, numerous flares exploded, yellow smoke ignited by those remaining in the outer right side of the formation.
"Oh shit, that's not good," Reiner stated. "The Ring Wing Spotters have suffered too many casualties to carry on."
"Yeah, apparently most of them were wiped out by a titan ambush; it was bad. Those bitches were lightening fast." Thinking back to Hendricksons injuries, who knew what he witnessed when hell broke loose. "The spotters didn't even have time to react; whoever's left is trying to hold them off, but now that means there's no one left on look-out duty. Talk about a set-back, right? If we don't watch ourselves, we're all gonna get wiped out."
Peering behind Armin, Reiner raised an eyebrow. "Wait a sec, how the hell do you know all this? You weren't assigned a position as a spotter."
"I ran into Hendrickson, the one who was stationed with Ema. The guy was beat up pretty bad and explained everything. He even said - "
"Woah, woah! Then where's Emalina?!"
Again, I thought. This eagerness to know everything about Ema seems more than just friendliness to me.
"He sent her off when they first noticed the attack." Unclenching my hands from the reigns, it was good to feel blood pump through my fingers again. "Apparently, there was one titan that led the others to the Spotters location and Hendrickson made Ema follow it as a way for her to escape."
"…the fuck?" Reiner could help but mumble. "She could be anywhere then!"
Armin quickly interjected. "Wait a minute, she came from that direction." Taking a moment to process what had already been said and his next thought, he then raised his voice by saying, "If that's true, could she have led them here, like a commander?"
Blinking, I glimpsed at the female titan before us, as we were still, somehow, keeping the same pace as it. "Who…her? Why the hell is she running from us, by the way? Is she an abnormal?" It hadn't struck me as odd until then how this titan wasn't even trying to attack or eat us. If it was an abnormal, it was already acting out of its typical character.
"No, she isn't. I…still don't know how it's possible, but I think she's another human whose take a titan form." Armin remarked, face stern and locked with absolute seriousness. "She's someone who has the same power as Eren!"
"Please say you're not serious," I added too quickly. If Armin was correct, which he, just like Emalina, typically were, we were screwed.
"…really." Seeming unfazed by the argument, Reined glanced over at Armin. "How do you think that?"
Watching the blonde was the same as watching Emalina. Anytime they needed a moment to gather their thoughts they would stare off into the distance, almost like they were retreating within themselves to find them answer. Where the hell are you Ema?!
"Titans eat people sure, but they're not murderers." Eyes flickering back to the present, Armin twisted his head between the two of us. "Yeah, the kill is part of the process, but they just feed on instinct like any creature. This one is different. When the others went for her nape, she struck them down in cold blood; swatted them like flies! She didn't eat them, she killed them and moved on. That's out of character, even for an abnormal. The titans that took out the Right Wing, the one you said that brought them here, Jean…it's gotta be her! Just the like the Armored and Colossal when they struck. I just know it! She's not just satisfying some bloodlust, she has it in for us. Or, more precisely…I think she might be after someone in particular. At which point, the question then becomes who and why…hey, wait a sec, could it be Eren?!
"Eren?" Reiner question confusingly. "He's with Levi's Squad, they're spearheading the Ring Wing; or, they were."
"Wait…" My head shot forth as I leaned across Trigger's neck. "Levi's team? I'm pretty sure you're wrong there, big guy. My copy of the plan had them in the Left Wing."
Humming, Armin said, "That's odd…because my copy had them placed in the Right Wing too…which now that I think about it doesn't make sense. Putting them in the Vanguard like that wouldn't be smart, strategically."
"Then…where exactly are they supposed to be?"
Stating as fact, Armin said, "Come on, where else? The safest position in the formation: rear of the Center Rank."
This only caused my frustration to fester even more. "Ugh, the hell?! Seriously, what're they thinking in deliberately giving us copies with false positions on them? I mean, this has gotta be a fucking joke - "
"Hold on Jean! Stop talking!" Hand shooting upwards, we still pressed onward, yet Reiner's eyes searched for something out in the open plains. "I could've sworn I heard…" That's when we heard it too.
Having ridden past clumps of small forest patches here and there, all three of us where nearly thrown to the ground when we approached the nearest one when, not one, but two abnormals suddenly burst through the outer tree-line. Crushed trunks didn't stand a chance in their wake as the two monstrosities completely ignored us, running straight for the female titan. What the hell? I thought as we struggled in calming out steeds, thankful we hadn't crashed against the earth ourselves.
"GET BACK HERE!"
Heads thrown towards the trees, our surprise evident when our mouths dropped at the exact moment. Galloping on her familiar black horse from the forest mere seconds after the titans, was none other than -
"Emalina!" we all screeched. Quickly turning her head towards us, I swore she smiled in our direction, or, maybe she was just happy to see other people? Regardless, the woman gained her speed on Freyja as we pushed our own steeds forward to follow. Now, we were trailing the female titan, two abnormals and Emalina.
"Where did she come from?" Armin asked, perplexed.
"I have no idea!"
Reiner only laughed. "Seriously Jean, your woman is a badass."
There he goes again, I noted once more. Ignoring the notion, for now, my eyes rolled. "Don't I know it. A badass, and a stubborn one at that."
Roaring with laughter, the big buy's face soon fell. "Now we have two abnormals and the female with the ass. So what's the plan now?"
"Nothing, look!" Pointing forward, Armin has his eyes fixed on the woman.
Placed in the middle between us and the two abnormals, Emalina was slowly gaining speed on the titans. Gearing backwards, the woman jumped onto her feet, crouched upon the saddle. She was analyzing her situation, that much I could tell. Was she planning on taking down both titans on her own? She had the power and wrath to do so; if we wanted any chance to attack the female, we had to eliminate the two threats standing before us. And I'm fairly certain she realized the same notion just seconds after she merged between us and then.
"Freyja, now!"
Increasing its power with additional speed, Freyja galloped her way closer to the one abnormal lagging behind. Standing from her crouched position, Emalina jumped from her steeds back, igniting her gear, the hooks connecting into an ankle of the beast. Freyja slowed her speed her partner dragged in the dirt; catching her foot with enough momentum, Emalina was then able to twist her body around the ugly creature. Gradually making her way upward, the titan realized she was there, as it snatched at her like a toy.
But this was my girlfriend risking her life; the woman knew what she was doing.
Shaking death off like it was nothing, she altered her momentum, flipping backwards, zooming around until the neck was in her sight. Screaming into the air, Emalina sliced her blades trough the titans weak spot like butter, the monster halting its movements the second her blades left its skin. Dropping atop its head, her agility and balance never ceased to amaze me as she stayed standing whilst the titan began to fall. Nearing the ground, her whistle entered our ears as we noticed Freyja making her way back towards her owner. Just as the titan crashed into the ground, Emalina jumped, landing perfectly upon her steed, the two pulling back to us as the monster lay dead for good.
Grinning like a mad man, Reiner couldn't stop himself from peering over at me. "A fucking badass," he reiterated, as if to affirm the statement as fact. It was fact, but I already knew that, he didn't have to tell me.
Even Armin was grinning slyly. "Where does she get this power from?!"
"Tch, why is it everyone asks that?" I groaned.
Glancing over at me, Arming reciprocated with, "Because Emalina continues to surprise us every time she fights."
And that's when she finally joined us, positioning Freyja beside Reiner as the four of us continued moving forward. "What in the hell, guys?!" She glanced at each of us separately, her blue orbs lingering on mine a few seconds longer. "What're all of you doing here?!"
"Us? What about you! Jean told us what happened to the spotters, so where have you been?!" Poking her shoulder, the big blonde buy laughed as the woman scowled.
Eyebrows raised, she peered back at me. "How did you…?"
"I…ran into Hendrickson who told me everything." Trying to hard to avert my attention from hers, I failed. The hope on her face was too painful to watch.
"He survived?!"
Biting my lip, I grimaced. "Barely…but, he didn't think he had much time left."
"Oh…" Face ashen with the news, she shook her body, shoulders straightening as she watched the two titans still running before us. "I was chasing the female until I ran into the two abnormals when I lost sight of her. They weren't interested in me at all and I followed them here."
"Wait…" Armin narrowed his vision. "If they didn't want you, then why didn't they come after us?"
"Seriously, just what the hell is going on?" I groaned again, my frustration growing with each passing second.
"The only answer I have…is the female called the abnormal and is following her." We all stared at Emalina, her eyes wide from our glances. "…what?"
"What're you talking about, Ema?"
"Think about it. She's the one who summoned all the titans that attacked the spotters; trust me, I witnessed it all." Shaking her limbs, Emalina reached forward, stroking Freyja behind the ear. "If that abnormal was called by the female, what if it tracked back towards her…like, it's waiting for a different command?"
"Hmm, it's possible," Armin speculated. "We can't really say for sure. Regardless, it's following her, and ignoring us."
"So…is there anything we CAN do?" Switching his glance between us and Emalina, Reiner didn't seem convinced there was anything we could really do.
Something in me snapped, and I think Emalina noticed too as she smiled over at me, the subtle lift of her lips encouraging me to state what was now on my mind.
"Reiner, now's not the time to be chasing our tails around this. We've gotta get word out how dangerous this one is! And this time, smoke signals aren't gonna cut it!" Peering over at my female, she was still all smiles, her lips struggling to hide her laugh. I couldn't fathom what she found so funny, all I knew was that the four of us were the last defense between this titan and her possibly reaching Eren, if he was her goal.
Fuck, my thoughts began taking over. I still don't believe I'd make a leader like Ema or Marco said I would…but this? No…someones gotta do what's right in order to survive. Cheeks burning red, my fingers would only tighten on the reigns so much. If this is the risk I must take to keep my woman safe, then bring on everything you've got world! Because as long as I have her, I'm not scared to risk my death for her life.
"At this rate, she'll cut own the Command Squad; we let that happen, and the formation goes to hell and we all die!"
Quick to rebuttal, Reiner asked, "Your have a plan?"
Silent for a moment, my face fell. Starring up at the bulky man, I looked right passed him to the only goddess in our group; hell, the entire Scouts. "More of a wing and a prayer.," I finally said. "Look, we've gotta try and distract her so the platoon has a chance to retreat. If we're careful from this distance, we should be able to manage it, and make it out alive…well maybe."
The others were silent for a moment, either taking in what I said or confused that I had even offered an idea, considering Armin was the genius. Besides Emalina, of course, except she was being unusually quiet, having not provided her input.
"She's smarter than the ones we usually deal with. You can take my word for it; from her perspective, we're little more than insects. One swipe of that arm and were all flattened," the blonde spoke truthfully.
My voice was shaky. "I-Is that a fact…what a terrifying thought."
"Alright, seriously, what've you done with the real Jean?" I couldn't tell if Reiner's statement was an insult or a compliment. "No offense man, but…the one I knew could only be one to look our for himself."
Now I was insulted. "Your peoples skills need work," I grumbled.
"That's because you never took the time to learn about the real Jean underneath!" Snapping harshly from Reiner's side, all three of us swiveled our heads to see Emalina glaring at the big guy, her piercing blue orbs glowing with vexation. "You're still thinking of the Jean from training who would openly boast everyday about joining the MP's, or…or the one who only thought of himself, who picked a fight with Eren just because. That's not who he really is, Reiner; what you're seeing now is the real deal. He's willing to take a risk, make a sacrifice, face death in the eye because he understands what it's like to be on the losing end…isn't that right, Jean?"
An toothy grin fell off my lips, a laugh falling through; my ears actually in denial she had spoken out against the taller blonde. Armin's mouth fell open and I don't think I'd ever seen Reiner's eyes so wide in bafflement. "You heard my girlfriend," I stated proudly, but then my face fell the instant I thought of my reasoning for changing my beliefs, for changing into the man I'd become. "Believe me friends," the strong, proud voice I had now turned into a growl. "I'm still all about number one; except, the number one person I'm looking after…is that woman right there."
My finger pointed at Emalina.
"I just don't want to end up as a pile of bones where she can't identify were mine. Thing is, I get it now. I get what needs to be done if we're going to survive this fight." Her mouth having fallen as well, Emalina was glowing. Could it be from me taking a stance? "And last I checked no one forced us to take on this position, now are you with me and Emalina, or not?!"
I shouldn't have assumed she'd be in on my plan.
"Whatever Jean's got planned, I trust him completely."
I take back what I said, my mind thought as the woman gave me a thumbs up.
However, the other two males were still lost in their own thoughts, considering my words as their silence rang within my ears. Armin's facade was set in stone, as if he could analyze my own expression to see if my statement was the truth. Moving swiftly, the blonde grabbed the hood of our Scout cloaks. "Pull your hood al the way over as it covers you; she won't try to kill if if she can't see your face. If she's looking for someone specific, she won't mow us down until she knows it's them."
"Huh, good idea," commented Reiner, pulling his over hood over his head. "As far as she knows, any one of us could be Eren beneath this cloak. Now that's actually kind of an encouraging thought. Hey, you never know, maybe we'll get lucky and she'll be nearsighted to boot."
Doing so as well, the green fabric fell over over face. "Armin, I'm not gonna lie, the way you hung onto Eren like a security blanket used to always creep me out but I always knew you were brilliant."
"Careful Jean," the bulky Scout scoffed, casting a quick eye at Emalina. "I could say the same thing about you two." Snickering, the larger man was shot down when Armin reached out and actually punched him on the arm. "Aw, come on Armin, you can't admit it's the same?"
"No, besides this isn't the time for that!" Thankful Armin was able to get the big guy to shut up, there was one person between the four of us who was still refrained from speaking, which concerned me. She had her moments of silence, but this just wasn't like her. There was something on her mind that was causing Emalina to forget her surroundings.
"You're really quiet, Emalina," I stated her full name, as she turned in my direction.
"I'm thinking…" Facing forward, she furrowed her eyebrows. "If we do this, we have to do so carefully since there's two. There's no doubt Armin's correct that she's intelligent, meaning she probably knows we're onto her."
The blonde's mouth fell open. "The abnormal."
"Precisely," she nodded. "If we straight attack her, whose to say she won't have the abnormal attack us? No, we need to get rid of that beast first."
"Yeah, but, then we run the risk of the female attacking us while we're getting rid of the abnormal," Armin pointed out. "Either way, we're ill prepared."
The woman shook her head. "Mmm, not exactly."
"Sounds like our Ema's got a plan," Reiner smirked. "Whatcha got, girl?"
"I'll take care of the abnormal at the same time one of you works on trying to eliminate the female."
~ oOo ~
Point of View
Emalina
"Hmm," Watching Jean contemplate within himself was difficult, but even he must've known this was the only way we could go about this. "I agree with Ema," he suddenly said.
So now, we had a plan set in motion. All four of us would ride towards the titans, myself set on the abnormals as the others would trek to the female. Jean elected himself to attack the female and I was so unbelievably proud of him. Sharing one last look at each other, we separated our horses, giving enough space to accomplish what we planned to start. My limbs jolted with electricity; excitement, maybe? Possibly fear. As I stole a glance through my peripherals to Jean, my heart jumped against my ribcage. Yeah, it was definitely fear.
Maneuvering Freyja further away than the others, I swallowed the bile crawling up my throat. As Jean had said: we had to do this right. The moment I was to leap and attack, he would do the same against the female. Deducing how we could attack one and the the other, we decided on not simultaneously. Each would be occupied to assist the other. And so, once rubbing the soft patch of hair between Freyja's raised ears, I slapped the reigns; for it was agreed that I would make the first move.
"Fly med vinger, Freyja!" I screamed, not caring about gaining the titans attention. Quickening her speed like never before, Freyja flew against the wind, hair whipping around my face we she galloped onward to our enemy. Still, the bloated abnormal never glanced back to see us approaching him. The damn monster was cocky as it flailed its limbs without a care in the world. Heh, well, I was about to give the damn thing something to care about.
Removing both blades from their sheaths, I hopped upon the saddle, balancing myself as I waited for the opportune moment. Narrowing my line of sight, I noticed every few steps the abnormal would land heavily on its left foot, momentarily stalling until it stepped on its right. There's my moment, I thought. Waiting until the beast limped once more, I prepared my attack.
The titans thud radiated a monstrous vibration against the ground.
Jumping as I'd done before, Freyja galloped off from underneath me, my feet dangling as the ODM gear attached at my side ignited. Zooming with haste, I pushed my gas, the rush of air thrusting my body upwards, twirling around the titan. The goal was the damn things nape, being on the ground it would take some work making my way up the titans body; yet as I continued to push my gear, I could see Jean had begun his assault as well. We timed it perfectly as planned; this might just work! Now I just need to take care of this asshole then I can assist my friends!
My wire pierced the ankle of my target.
Jean's did not.
All attention on this titan, I hadn't witnessed Jean's failed attack, nor the tricky maneuver the female used to remove his hood, revealing his identity. Flying around the one titan, I couldn't comprehend Armin being targeted until his name was flowing from Jean's lips and straight into my ears.
"Armin!" Jean screamed. Stealing a peek, I noticed three things: my boyfriend running a foot towards the female; Reiner racing on his horse towards Jean; and Armin, laying facedown in the grass, the titan peering creepily downwards at him.
Biting down on my teeth, I then screamed. This abnormal was now flinging its arms at me, to which I had more difficulty with this one than the last. "I don't have time for this shit!" Engaging more gas, my body flipped around as I hastily tore through the monsters neck. Cutting across the exact measurements, it immediately stopped moving, dropping dead to its knees as Freyja reappeared by my side. Dropping to the saddle, we wrangled our way closer, watching as Jean zig-zagged through the air, still trying to find the best moment to take this bitch down.
But wait…The way she's moving seems…familiar.
What…the hell?
"Jean!" Reiner's concerned tone lulled me from my thoughts as we both were growing closer.
Oh no! Now I could see what the big guy saw. Not only had the female blocked her nape with one hand, she was smiling as she stared back at my partner. Her spare palm raised high, ready to pummel my golden-eyed hero into a pile of death. Slapping my reigns against Freyja, I yelled, "Fly med vinger, Freyja! Fly med vinger!" My wonderful steed grappled the earth with all her might, hooves tearing up the grass and dirt as she flew to save my comrade and lover.
"Jean! Don't let that suicidal maniac die in vain!"
Mouth dropping as I gasped, the female titan abruptly froze just as she was about to thrash Jean with a backhanded jab. Still being flung mid-air by his ODM, I could only watch as he released the mechanism, flinging himself a good distance away as the man rolled against the ground. Jumping off, my legs slid to him, hastily grabbing his arm as we scurried behind a tree, hoping she still wasn't interested in attacking my Jean.
"She did it; she's the one who killed him!" Armin continued to scream. Lifting himself to kneel, the poor blonde had blood running down his forehead, falling past his eyes onto the ground. "I told him the Right Wing was suicide, but he went along anyway. And now he's dead thanks to her!"
"What's Armin think he's doing?!" Jean whispered harshly, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist.
Fingers tracing the tree bark, I knew what our friend was playing at; it was risky, though considering the situation we were in, desperate times called for desperate measures. "For one, he saved your ass. Two, he just discovered that Eren truly was her target all along."
"But we know he's know dead."
"But she doesn't, that's the point. And if she believes he's dead, maybe she'll leave."
"Oh fuck…You were able to figure all that out in a matter of seconds?" I nodded. "Shit, you are a badass." Chuckling, I had no idea where that came from, but I still shoved my shoulder into his.
Armin's crushed voice continued to filter our ears, all the while Reiner was still racing in our direction; though the closer he grew, I realized he was headed for the female. "She crushed my best friend, I saw it with my own eyes!" Our muscular friend jumped, his gear piercing her shoulder as he moved to attack. What's he thinking? She'sstill blocking her weak spot! Reiner…you need to get outa there!
"His entrails were stuck to the bottom of her foot!"
A scream echoed from Reiner…and then we all gasped.
"NO!" I yelled.
The female caught him perfectly in the palm of her hand. My knees grew weak, Jean's hand the only strength holding me up. All we could do was watch as the female…wait, was she still smiling? Hold on, I thought, eyebrows knitted together. She did the same thing when she was about to smash Jean! And then, to our astonishment, the damn female took her thumb and shoved Reiner's head inside her inclosed fist, before squeezing her fingers to deliver the final blow.
"No," was all I could weekly mutter, fingertips scraping against the bark as I trailed down against the tree.
"Hhhgnn…Yah!"
Three heads lifted in sync with three different eyes witnessing the same miracle: somehow, Reiner survived and had escaped her grasp! Swiveling with all his might, the big guy swung behind the female as she sat in a state of shock, I guess? Seizing Armin by the waist, the brute ran, making a quick escape on foot to put some distancebetween us and her. Taking Jean's hand in one and Freyja's reigns in the other, we followed Reiner, as all three males were now down a horse.
"I'm sure that bought the platoon more than enough time, so let's follow suit and get outta here! If she doesn't have an appetite for people like you say, I'm guessing she's not gonna follow us!" Cocking his head behind just as we caught fit up with his speed, we noticed the female stand to her feet, running off in a different direction entirely. "Alright, looks like she's in retreat. Damn thing's returning home with her tail between her legs!"
To me, it seemed cowardly to run; with an intelligent on the tail of the Scouts, I felt it was our duty to eliminate the damn thing completely. Then again, the way it moved and its features, my mind still couldn't shake the familiarity I was sensing in my gut. There's no way if this female was actually a human trapped inside, that it would be a person I would know; the idea itself was preposterous. Then again, never could I have imagined a persona having the ability to shift into a titan whatsoever, and all along Eren held the power and ability. Could it be so?
Taking one last look at the female, I thought, Could you be someone I know? Oh god; I acknowledged something else as we ran towards our safety.
That bitch is heading straight towards the center of the formation. She's going tight towards Eren and Levi!
~ oOo ~
Point of View
Jean
Across this vast, open grassy plain, my whistle echoed far and wide.
It had been approximately twenty minutes since we escaped the female, having found a decent set of secluded trees to hide our whereabouts. However, my horse, Trigger, ran off in all the commotion and though we thought Reiner's did as well, no! His steed actually found him as we were making our escape. With the big guy's horse and Emalina's, we had two; that wasn't enough to carry four soldiers in full ODM gear. And so, with my fingers in my mouth, I continued to whistle on.
From behind, I could hear Reiner mumble, "Where'd they get this? How old's your gear?"
"Don't worry about it," Armin replied weakly. "It came off like it's supposed to so it didn't break, so it should still be in decent shape."
"Alright," the big guy said. "That's something then. Still, we're down a horse though, not an ideal situation. We can't get moving until Jean's ride show's up." He was still bandaging Armin's head, the blonde sitting on the grass starring blankly off into the distance, almost as if he could still see the female glaring over him.
Emalina, on the other hand…
She and Freyja, about fifteen feet away from where I stood, took it upon themselves to relax in the time we had. Freyja, curled upon her side with her owner leaning against her belly, starred aimlessly into the open plain that was now our battlefield. Curling herself into the horses neck, Emalina would switch her gaze to glance at us, but I knew she was thinking; whatever ideas were interconnecting her thoughts, she did not want to share.
Heaving a large sigh, allowing my shoulders to sag, I whistled a few more times. Just my luck. Reiner's horse comes back like an old lover; why the hells my gotta go awol?!
Another whistle as I watched carefully to see any movements out in the open.
Damnit! We can't afford to stay out in the open like this. If worse comes to worse, one of us will have to get left behind. Gulping, I shivered, turning to face my male companions behind me. What're we supposed to do, draw straws?! Armin's hurt; Reiner's to big to rise with safely; and Emalina's…damn. She'd never let any of us stay behind.
Maybe…maybe I should just take my chances horse retrieving on foot. I would never hear the end of it from Emalina, but she knows I'd gladly sacrifice myself for her to have a chance. Then again, she's braced these waters before, wouldn't surprise me if she, herself, agreed to stay behind instead of us. "This is fucked up that we even to consider this!" I growled lowly to myself. Out of the frying pan into the fire; that's what we get for narrowly escaping death!
Through my whistles, Armin and Reiner would talking amongst themselves. My ears caught wind of their conversation, the buy guys last words throwing my head around to face them. "One of us is gonna have to stay here. Now we just need to figure out who."
"What a sec!" Armin said frantically. "I-I mean, shouldn't we at least fire up a smoke signal first?! If everyone kept straight, Row Four Squad Three ought to be in close proximity right about now!"
Seeing the fierceness etched in his face, my shoulders tensed, still battling my own inner demons with this mission. Grabbing the flare gun, I attached the appropriate colored barrel, shooting it off straight into the sky. The purple mist flew as high as the castle headquarters in Trost. Maybe someone will actually spot the damn thing and have the balls to try and help.
Holstering the gun, we all watched the smoke gradually dissipate. "Well…that's the emergency signal, but who knows; I doubt anyone's gonna see it and think 'hey somebody must need an extra horse'." Walking off, my legs led me towards Emalina, who now sat cross-legged, eyes closed as she listened to us talking. Behind me, Reiner was still conversing about how someone was to stay behind if no one came to our rescue.
Dropping beside her, my legs curled too, matching the woman perfectly as my arms folded against my chest. "You're still unusually quiet," I said. "Come on, spill; what's go you thinking so much you put yourself over here?"
Head falling into her chest, Emalina released a heavy breath, eyelashes finally open, blinking against the blinding afternoon sun. "Everything," she admitted some seconds later. "One thought, then another and another…"
Placing a hand on the small of her back, I inched myself closer. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Her lip curled upward slightly, then it was gone just as quick as it had appeared.
"I'm aware sweetie, it's just…" Peering directly at the other two males, Emalina shook her head. Lowering her voice, it surprised me she didn't want to share her thoughts. "Something's bugging me about the female, Jean, and I can't put my finger on it."
"Alright, well, start with what's bugging you. What's got you overthinking this?"
"You're just gonna laugh."
"Tch, I would never!"
The woman narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips; it was then I couldn't resist but to laugh. "See?!" She slapped my arm, rolling her eyes as I wiped at mine.
"Oh come on, how could I not when you make such an adorable expression like that?"
"Seriously? Me glaring at you is adorable?"
"Truth be told, yeah; just as long as I'm not in any trouble."
Emalina rubbed her face. "Oh goodness. We're stranded in the middle of titan territory and here we are talking about how you find my glare adorable."
"At least," I lowered my face down towards hers. "…at least it took your mind off of some things for a minute." She nodded. "Come on, tell me what you were gonna say."
Bringing her knees up to her chest, she inhaled deeply. "Something about that female titan seemed…familiar. I can't exactly sat what it is but…I feel uneasy about the rest of this mission." In a smaller whisper, she added, "My gut says it's not safe to speak about this here."
"Then we won't," I replied adamantly. "Wait until we're alone or after we return to Karanes." Flicking her head, I then leaned closer and placed my lips against the reddened skin. "I'm curious to know everything you're thinking."
Her cheekbones grew pink. "Heh, you couldn't handle what I'm thinking; especially right now."
This piqued my interest. "Mmm, of really now? Should I start guessing?"
"You can try."
"There's that sass I love." Kissing her cheek, my head fell to her shoulder. "Fuck," I groaned. "Why d'you have to be so god damn tempting?!"
She in turn kissed my forehead. "Comes with the territory, I guess." Lifting my head, she cradled my cheek, her skin warm, having been kissed by the sun. "Hey, you did great out there today, I hope you're aware of that." Staring openly at her, my lips opened to reply when Reiner and Armin continued to talk behind us, continuing their discussion about who should stay behind. Emalina's head snapped towards them, mainly at Reiner's next statement.
"Armin, listen: we only wait three minutes. If no one shows, we have to decide who stays - "
"It should be me," Armin cut him off. Beside me, Emalina quickly stood from her position, Freyja following her owner as they stepped closer into the open clearing. "But, if I'm going to be left out here in the open, I need you to relay a message…"
Knowing Emalina, my attention needed to be on her. Stepping next to her, my hand went to wards Freyja, scratching her nose as she leaned into me palm. "What do you hear?" I asked quietly. If it was a titan she sensed, I didn't want to attract the fearful attention from the others.
"I think…someone's coming." Eyelids closed for a moment, her magnificent blue orbs opened as she smiled brightly up at me. "Someone's coming our way! I can hear it!"
Cupping my vision to block the sunlight, I peered out into the plains. Scanning nothing but grass and trees, it took me a second to notice the soldier headed our way. Holy shit! "Hang on Armin!" I interrupted out blond friend, my voice elated as the woman beside me was nearly jumping in joy. "Looks like you'll be able to tell the Commander yourself. Somebody answered the call! Emalina noticed there's a Scout headed our way!"
"And they've got two horses with them!" she nearly squealed from her excitement.
"Fuck! Who'd risk making their way out here?" Stepping in our direction, Reiner and Armin were in denial until the solder grew closer and I could see who it was.
"Whoa. It's Christa!"
"Hey guys! You alright?!" She screamed at us, hauling the two additional horses perfectly in tow. Meeting her halfway, I gasped in noticing one of the steeds was mine!
Stroking the poor things neck, he seemed frantic, licking my face as Emalina and Freyja appeared next to me. "Well damn, that's my little runaway! Easy Trigger," I cooed as he neighed. Stroking his nose, I chuckled, happy that my steed was safe and sound. "It's ok, I forgive you."
"The poor thing!" Christa interjected. "He ran to me like the devil was on his tail. So, did you guys have to fight a titan? Oh no, Armin, your head! You've been hurt!"
"Oh, it's nothing Christa, I promise," Armin answered softly. Watching Christa, she seemed to believe him. As I turned to Emalina, she appeared grim, checking her steed's saddle and reigns for security.
Reiner stepped forward. "I'm impressed, somebody actually answered our distress signal."
"Well, I wasn't far away so, that and I found Jean's horse."
"A lot of people wouldn't have risked the trek over here. You're as noble as the steeds you tame. We're all in your debt."
"It was nothing," Christa answered honestly. "I'm just…" She sniffled, myself watching as she brushed aside a few tears. "I'm just glad you're all ok, what would we do without you?"
Now, I had never been one to fall under the spell Christa cast over the men surrounding her, yet as my movements halted from adjusting Trigger's saddle, I wasn't all surprised to see how Reiner and Armin froze upon her statement. Written clearly across their faces, they were considering how our friend from training could be a goddess, the nickname she had received very early on when we were in the Cadet Corp. They were mesmerized by the beauty others claimed she had, the honesty, the pure innocence she held. Personally, I didn't see it; and apparently, neither did Emalina.
"Oh, gag me, please." Barely louder than a whisper, my breath caught in my throat as I choked, astonished in hearing Emalina speak in such a way, nevertheless her words alone! Walking around Trigger, locking the two of use between our horses, the woman didn't acknowledge my presence.
Taking hold of her chin, I needed her to focus solely on me. Her face, those blue orbs, said everything that couldn't be spoken. "You are my goddess, kitten." Forcing her chin away, Emalina smirked, though the redness creeping across her cheekbones spoke more than her silence; she was jealous. Capturing her lips with mine, she squeaked, leaving me with a lopsided smile as she attempted in hiding her face behind Freyja. "Hey…between you and me, you're the better one at taming horses than Christa. That, and you're my kitten, not her; my eyes are only on you, Emalina."
Meekly, she peered over the leather saddle. In a timid voice, as if she didn't believe me, asked, "You promise…?"
"Always," I said quietly, only wanting this conversation between us.
Quickly, Emalina shook her head, lifting her lips to hide herself away from the others. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Chuckling, I sloppily left a wet kiss on her cheek. "Besides, I've never seen you jealous. It's…kinda hot."
"What?!" Fuming, the woman grew redder as she luted her lips. "I-I was not! Hmph!" Hopping upon Freyja's back, I followed suit, the other three looking to Emalina for guidance. "I think it's time we rejoin the formation. If we wait any longer, we'll be left behind."
"She's right. Hell, they might be ordering a retreat any minute now."
Within minutes, the five of us were galloping away in the direction the formation had been headed. We were on our own still, though confused as we hadn't seen other signals to call for a retreat. "I'll just say it," I spoke out after we had been riding for some time., "I'm glad we survived, but heading back after only an hour? Not really something to be proud of if you asked me. And while we're on the subject, is anyone else curious why she's headed away from the Command Squad?" Still seeking answers, I wanted to gan the opinions of my comrades while keeping the conversation Emalina and I had to ourselves. She would determine if she wanted to spread her thoughts and to whom; for now, we just needed to understand what the hell was actually going on.
"S-She…?" Christa questioned, still not knowing what led us to be stranded in the first place.
At that moment, green flares appeared to our left, signifying a slight adjustment to the formation and that we were to continue. "Green smoke?!"
Armin frowned. "So, I guess it looks like we're not heading back after, just changing course."
"Yeah but, that doesn't make sense!" cried Christa.
Growling, I was even more at a loss for words. Seriously, just what the hell was the Commander thinking? "What the hell, is Commander Erwin out of his damn mind?!"
"Every one of us has the authority to declare the mission has failed." Even Reiner seemed to be growing pissed. If the big guys attitude was changing, then something truly wasn't right with our situation. "So why isn't anyone speaking up? Is the Command Squad too far ahead to see their signals?"
"Possibly, but either way, I think our course is clear," stated Armin. "It's clear the Commander's got this." He took hold of his flare gun, shooting off the green smoke into the sky for all those who remained in the formation behind our position.
"They've either got this under control, or there's something else we're missing," Emalina hissed. "But I know where we're going."
"You do?" I asked, genuinely surprised Emalina could ascertain our location and the location we were headed.
She nodded. "The Commander is taking us to the Forest of Giant Trees."
Emalina stayed quiet the rest of the way. But, low and behold, the woman was right. I wasn't the one to doubt her, but Reiner and Christa sure were surprised when the massive tree trunks blurred our vision. Riding closer, I couldn't shake the same feeling I had before: something's off with this mission, and we're not the only one's who are gonna pay for any secrecy.
"Fuck, you're kidding me. We on a sightseeing tour now or what?" Christa, Armin, Reiner and myself followed Emalina's orders as she instructed we were to go around the outskirts of the forest until we found a higher ranking Scout to give us further commands. "How much further are they wanting us to stray off course? This is ridiculous."
"Hmm, so be it." I wondered if Armin was agreeing with my thoughts as we both stared off into the mystifying darkness that was the forest. We couldn't see anything past the first few tree trunks; god only knows what was happening on the inside. "Commander Erwin must have something in mind, perhaps the situation compelled him to improvise that."
"Tch, that gives me a lot of confidence," my voice sneered. "Maybe he's looking for a nice shady spot to throw all the rookies a picnic."
"Uh," Armin seemed to think I was serious. Was I? "I rather doubt that."
"Lighten up," I mumbled. Emalina, taking control of our direction, had glanced back at me as well, as if she, too, wanted to speak the same as Armin. Having been around the Commander longer than us, she knew Erwin and was probably wanting to speak on his side. Couldn't blame her, considering they saved her life. "Point is, I'm praying he doesn't intend for us to camp here. Not with that female titan fighting on our ass. We'd bee sitting ducks; he's gotta know that."
"He does, Jean," Emalina commented, sitting perfectly astride her steed. "I don't have a clue what it is, but Erwin's got a plan. I know he does."
"You sure we're not just passing through on the way to somewhere else? Come one, no one in his right mind would make a stop here."
"ALL SOLDIERS HALT!"
Head jerking forward, Emalina curved our small party towards the tree line where we were met with one of the veterans. Dismounting, the five of us glanced at each other; Emalina being the only one who seemed to understand what was happening. "Alright rookies, listen up! We're assuming intercept position within the trees. Unsheathe and find a perch! If any titan attempts to enter the forest, stop them with whatever it takes!"
Bewildered that my statement turned to be true, as Emalina had countered, I was at a loss for words. This entire mission had left me confused and speechless. "Uhh…excuse me, sir. What exactly is…?"
"I've given you an order! Varlen!" The man turned towards our Squad Leader, his voice still screaming in anger even at her. "You're to be vigilant at all times! I expect you to keep an eye on the rookies and to take care of any abnormals that we may encounter!"
"Sir!" She saluted as the man flew away with his ODM, quickly finding a perch to stand as he refused to glance our way.
"Ok…Emalina, what the hell is going on?"
We all turned to look at her, the smile she had gone. Sighing, she whisked away stray pieces of hair away before facing us. "I was not informed of this at all, so it's is all new to me, just like you guys. For now," she unsheathed both her blades, the metal glinting in the sunlight as she peered down at both. "We find our perch, we sit and then we wait."
"But, what're we waiting for, Ema?" Reiner questioned, arms firmly crossed.
"I'm not sure, Reiner." Tightly gripping her handhelds, it was easy to see how Emalina wished she was included in this secrecy. Or…was she thinking what the Commander's plan was? "C'mon, let's get into position." Turning her back to us, the woman whispered to herself, whether she knew or not that we could all hear her. "I'll protect you all; I won't lose anymore comrades."
~ oOo ~
"Fly med vinger, Freyja" : "Fly with wings, Freyja!"
Please review, every opinion brings a smile to my face. And if I'm to be honest with all my readers, I've been needing a smile these last few weeks.
Chocobocolina :3