"Thomas. The fort is gone. The natives burnt it all. We can't stay here. We need to go to Croa-"
"I know, Eleanor. But we cannot forget about the fort fifty miles inland. It is a sound location for us to established a permanent settlement,"
"We can do both," The woman said. She was wearing a loose-fitting gown, one of the few nightdresses she had brought with her from Britain. She wrapped her arms around his torso, lying her head against his back. She took to stroking his chest and abdomen while he held a lantern over the table. He was reviewing the map of Roanoke, marking the locations of every breach made by the natives. "My father wanted us to go to the fort. But we need to fix things with the natives. We can not possibly grow here without their support,"
The man she called Thomas turned around in Eleanor's grasp, pulling her closer by the waist. He kissed her eagerly, something she hungrily returned. He pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers as he tried to think. Eventually, he came to a conclusion. "We will do both. John will take the eastern side to the Croatoans. You and I will lead the western side to the fort. Once we've established the fort, we can reconvene and establish a more permanent settlement,"
"We can start a new life here, Thomas," 'Thomas' took a deep breath. He had lived a very long life. And the last time he had heard that, it didn't end well.
Marley-Hizuru War Arc
~ Chapter 5: Three Years ~
September 3rd, 843
Three years after their victory against the Middle-Eastern Alliances Fort Izu, Team 53 had grown into strong, formidable soldiers within the Marleyan Armed Forces. Despite being between the ages of nine and ten, the children on Team 53 were some of the best soldiers the Marleyan Armed Forces had ever seen. Under the leadership of Harry Potter, the team undertook severe physical, mental, educational, and tactical training, pushing themselves to the limit every day to ensure they were the best at what they did. Each member of the team undertook different training regiments to better prepare for the powers of their respective training.
Reiner Braun trained in the art of strength, endurance, and speed, three key factors belonging to the Armored Titan. He was now the largest of them all, having built a lot of muscle weight. He had trained in endurance by being repeatedly beaten to a pulp, lasting much longer after each beating. Reiner could now be beaten for nearly four hours before he gave up for the sake of rest. And for speed and more endurance, he ran thirty miles every day. Ten before breakfast, ten after lunch, and ten after dinner. He was very fast now, but he was outranked easily by Harry Potter, Annie Leonhart, and Marcel Galliard.
Bertholdt Hoover specialized in strength and agility, needing extreme control of his body and its functions. He worked out every morning, evening, and night, building muscle and strength that would go towards strengthening his titan. And for agility, he ran a training course several dozen times a day, gaining speed and agility with every lap. Bertholdt had come far in his time training and was no longer considered the worst on the team. He could hold his own in a fight now, and no longer needed Reiner's help in most situations.
Annie Leonhart had been appointed to the Female Titan, which required her to be strong, fast, and agile. She needed maximum endurance. She trained the hardest out of all of them, training nearly sixteen hours a day so that she was at the top of her form almost all of the time. And when she wasn't training, she was eating her meals, sleeping, or spending time with Harry. The two of them had become great friends in the three years that had passed, and they seemed to rely on each other more than anyone else. They often walked out of the Fort to the nearby forest after dinner, finding their spot beneath one of the largest trees. There, they spoke for hours about anything and everything, confiding in each other about their thoughts and feelings about the past, present, and future.
But the feelings Harry did not share with her focused on Annie herself, and his feelings of attraction towards her. Yes, he was only ten, but Harry had been experiencing strange feelings of attraction towards both Annie and Pieck, though more towards Annie than Pieck. The feelings only sparked when he saw her do something he liked, which seemed to be everything she did. But he became particularly happy when she smiled, something Harry saw rarely. But it made him feel special when she smiled, mostly because she only did it around him. When the others were around, she remained stoic and apathetic, but when they talked privately, she was herself. Happy and free.
As for Pieck Finger, she had received the Cart Titan. She practiced mostly her endurance, running hundreds of laps a day while trying to build her stamina and speed. It seemed to be working well, seeing as she lasted longer than anyone in the whole fort on the training course. Harry spoke with Pieck almost as often as he did Annie. When Annie was off training or resting, Harry was training, eating, or talking with Pieck. While Harry and Annie were best friends in private, Harry and Pieck were considered best friends in public. They were inseparable, and they only separated when Harry went off to hang out with Reiner, Bertholdt, and Marcel.
Marcel Galliard was to receive the powers of the Jaw Titan, and as such needed to work on his strength, speed, and agility. Porco - Marcel's younger brother - did the same exercises, only he added in throwing practice. This way, he could inherit either the Beast or Jaw Titan powers, being ready for a switch if one were to come.
And Harry? He did everything. He ran laps around the track, he ran the training course a hundred times or until he passed out, he did the same exercises as Reiner, Marcel, and Annie, and he was the hardest worker on the team in terms of physical and mental training. Harry studied strategy and tactical formations with General Bonzen every day before lunch, and he was allowed to run training drills alongside Commander Hoyt in the mornings. He was the youngest Corporal in the Armed Forces, having been promoted due to his successfully co-leading a massive invasion against Hizuru in 842, resulting in Marley seizing roughly two/thirds of the enemy nation. Harry had even been awarded several medals to go along with the victory. A crowning achievement that could one day award him the title of War Chief among the Warriors.
But despite the heavy workload piled onto Harry with basic training, something else had been thrown into the mix. 'Magic Training' was what it had been dubbed by some of the higher-ups. They had Harry training in the evenings trying his best to hone his abilities, something that had evolved quite significantly in the past three years. His powers had expanded beyond senseless murder, and could now be used in an array of applications. He could repair broken objects with a wave of his hand, make things invulnerable to damage, and he could reproduce resources, doubling or even tripling them if need be. But he had yet to work out controling the four elements or unlocking the wings Annie and Bertholdt said he had.
When the knowledge of his abilities eventually got out, the people of Marley suffered from mixed reactions. Many believed he was the spawn of the Devil of All Earth, having come down to smite the Marleyans for their actions against Eldia. But others believed in his loyalty to Marley and considered him one of the best military assets Marley had ever possessed.
So Harry Potter had become one of the busiest people in the entirety of Fort Tatakai. By the morning, he was eating breakfast after training new cadets alongside Commander Hoyt. Once he was done with that, he trained on the training course until he was ready to pass out. But he didn't pass out. Since his magical awakening, his abilities wouldn't allow it. And so he continued with his day, reading books on strategy and tactics alongside General Penzon until lunch. He would eat with his teammates, acting like the child he was before going off to train more. In the evenings he did nothing but train, training for hours until dinner time. During and after dinner, Harry continued to read his books, studying and taking notes to better understand some of the best tactical leaders of the past and how they thought.
It wasn't until a few hours before lights out that he had any free time. Most of the time he spent it with Annie, going to their tree in the forest nearby. If she was busy, he hung out with Pieck, running the track with her as she trained. And if they both were busy or he wasn't in the mood for more training, he spent time with his third best friend. Marcel.
The two were closer than ever before, with Marcel being Harry's closest male friend. They spoke often about their future, and the lives they wished they could live if it weren't for the thirteen years they would have after inheriting their titans. Harry spoke of moving to a remote island to the west, living out the rest of his days in solitude alongside his wife and children, and dying at the old age of 145. But he laughed off that dream, and instead listened to Marcel's dream. Marcel dreamed of returning to Liberio to find his wife, and grow old with her in his hometown. They would be worshipped due to Marcel's Warrior status, and the lives of his children and grandchildren would be the happiest they could hope for. So while Harry got along with Reiner due to their need to be the best, Harry got along with Marcel due to their hope for a better future. A nonexistent future...but a hopeful one.
So it was leaning against his favorite tree on September 3rd, 843, with Annie lying against his shoulder, that Harry Potter thought about his future. How he would look and act in the next five, ten, twenty years. How people would think of him. What he would be doing. Whether or not Annie would be there with him. Annie spoke, whispering because she was so close to Harry's ear. "You don't believe the General, do you? And what he says about Eldians?" It was an odd question. One that caught Harry off guard. But he thought about it. General Bonzen was a Marleyan at heart and believed wholeheartedly in the fact that Eldians deserved the pain they underwent to pay for their sins. And he tried instilling these thoughts in Harry, trying to turn him into the perfect Marleyan man. But Harry didn't believe him. Harry believed that everyone deserved a chance to be happy, no matter their race.
"No. I think what he says is blatant propaganda surgically implanted into his brain. It's all stupid anyway. Everyone deserves to be happy," It was a fairly new philosophy Harry had adopted. After their attack on Fort Izu, Harry had believed solely in his power and had been determined to rid the world of the Paradis Eldians as well as the Hizuru and Middle-Eastern Alliance. But after three long years of studying and growing his mind, Harry was able to understand people much better, understanding their purpose and needs.
But he had another reason for changing his minds. He had been having dreams. Visions. Glimpses into what felt like past lives. Lives where he had different names but the same face, with slightly different hair length and facial hair. But he learned quite a lot about himself from them. What it meant to be good and evil. He also learned about his powers by seeing himself use them. But it was in these discoveries that he found out his true purpose in life. It wasn't to inherit the Founding Titan and bring death and destruction to billions.
No.
His true purpose was as a peacemaker, bridging the ancient gaps between Marley and Eldia so that everyone could one day live in peace. He dreamed that one day he could live in a world without discrimination. Without hate. Without pain. A world filled with love for your neighbors, no matter their race or the color of their skin. That was his dream. His hope. The hope of a better world. He told this to Annie, and her reaction was unexpectedly great. She remained silent for several minutes thinking. And then she turned and kissed Harry on the cheek.
Annie turned away, flushing red from embarrassment as she examined the skyline. But Harry wasn't embarrassed. She had given him a gift. Something he would carry with him always. He wanted to repay her, but he wasn't sure what to do. His instincts told him to kiss her, but his mind was much too smart for that. It wasn't right to do that. She might have only done that to be nice, and not as a sign that she thought of him the same way he thought of her. If he kissed her, he would be crossing a line. And so he did nothing. He merely watched her with a smile, his thoughts occupied solely by her. But Harry was pulled out of those thoughts by a sudden movement nearby. It was Marcel. He was running towards them with both an urgent and incredibly joyful expression. Annie separated herself from Harry, getting to her feet as he did the same. When Marcel arrived, Harry greeted him with "Hey, Marcel!"
"Harry. It's today!" Marcel exclaimed. Harry stilled. Today? Today? Why today? What made today so special, out of all other days? Harry asked. Marcel answered. "The current owner of the Armored Titan is sick. The higher-ups got scared and wanted us to do it early. They're taking all of us to do it tonight!"
"Tonight," Annie whispered. Harry turned to her. But she wasn't scared. Instead, she seemed content. Ready. As if her entire life had prepared her for this moment. And it had. Everyone but Harry and Porco would be turned into a Titan tonight, inheriting their power. They would join Zeke Jaeger - the new Beast Titan of one year - on the battlefields in Hizuru, continuing the campaign Harry had helped start the year before. Their lives would change once again. They would be real Warriors. It was happening.
"Robert!" He turned from his position at the tip of the boat, his eyes landing on an italian man with curly brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black and white cloack with a black hat.
"What is it, Christopher?"
"We found land! We've reached the East!"
He smiled. How naive of the navigator. But 'Robert' wasn't phased. He knew what this discovery meant. What it would make of the future. And he was ready to take his place in establishing it.
Despite the buzz of the inheritance ceremony surging through the Warrior candidates, Harry Potter couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be receiving his titan tonight. The five current inheritors of the Armored, Colossal, Female, Jaw, and Cart Titans were all present in the chamber. Among those present were General Bonzen, Commander Magath, Commander Kien, and the current War Chief and Beast Titan Zeke Jaeger. They all welcomed the Warrior Candidates into the chamber, leading everyone but Harry and Porco into the inheritance chamber. Those who would be observing were led inside through another door where they were lined up against the wall.
Harry was positioned between General Magath and Zeke Jaeger, both seeming interested in witnessing the events that transpired today. Harry was wearing his service uniform - which was now filled with earned awards for honor and bravery - and it seemed Mr. Jaeger noticed. "Mr. Potter. I've heard a lot about you from Commander Hoyt over in Hizuru. He speaks highly of you and your abilities on the battlefield. Is it true that you single-handedly captured Fort Izu on your first mission as a Warrior Cadet?"
"Not single-handedly. It was my team. We took it together,"
Jaeger smiled. "I'm impressed. Six months into my training, I was struggling to run four laps around the training course. But you seven, you seem to have something within you all that I've never seen before. It makes me believe that this set of Warriors will be the strongest in its history. It just saddens me that you won't have such an active role in it for some time,"
"Yes. Not until the operation," said Harry. Jaeger's eyes widened, and Harry couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "Oh, I'm aware of the plans for that operation, and I'm aware of what it might entail. Trust me, sir, I'm willing to wait," Jaeger frowned, turning away from Harry as if he was digesting what was just said. They didn't speak again until later that night, the inheritance getting in the way.
"We are here today for the transfer of power between the current Warriors to the next rendition, graduates from Fort Tatakai who have come here today. We will start first with Reiner Braun. Step forward," Within the massive inheritance chamber, Reiner took a step forward. He was grabbed by one of the workers, who grabbed a large syringe filled with grey liquid from a box offered to him. Titan spinal fluid. Without hesitation they jammed it into Reiner's neck, injecting it quickly before sprinting away. The reaction was instant. A flash of yellow light. And then Reiner was gone. In his place was a large, ten-meter titan, hunched over on its hands and knees. It was an ugly thing, and Harry couldn't believe that it was actually Reiner.
The titan that resembled Reiner ate the tied-up Armored Titan, biting the man in half before consuming the rest. It only took five minutes for Reiner's titan body to disintegrate, leaving only a very exhausted Reiner on the floor. This continued four more times. First with Bertholdt, then Annie, then Pieck, and finally Marcel. By the end, they had all inherited their titans and were escorted away so that they could gain rest. Harry and Porco were led to the feast being held by the General. It was a massive celebration.
But Harry wasn't focused on the meal. His mind was on his friends. Annie. Pieck. Reiner. All of them. They were titans now. And in thirteen years they would die the same way as the past inheritors had died tonight. They would be eaten, their power being transferred over to the next inheritor. He wanted to see them. To visit their chambers to make sure they were fine. That they were alive. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. Harry would stay with the main group, chatting uselessly with Porco and the higher-ups of the government.
All the while, something else was on his mind. His magic stemmed from his core and his blood. If he gained the power of the Titans, Harry wondered if he could use magic while in his titan form. It would be an interesting test, and if it worked he would be ecstatic. After all, two powers were better than one.
"Mr. Potter," It was Zeke Jaeger. He was accompanied by General Magath and Commander Kien. The three of them wore very serious expressions, telling Harry that they needed to speak with him privately at once. Harry obliged, standing from his seat at the table as he followed the three men into a private office on the floor above. There, the three men took a seat at the table in the center, helping themselves to bottles of whiskey while Harry stood by the door. Jaeger smiled. "There's no need to be nervous, Potter. We just want to talk,"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm not nervous, Mr. Jaeger. I'm examining the situation. You want to talk to me about what I said to you earlier,"
It was Jaeger's turn to be surprised. "Why, yes. That is exactly why we wanted to talk to you,"
"Don't be too surprised, Zeke. I told you the boy was smart," said Commander Kien, who was casually drinking a glass of whiskey while skimming through a file in something.
Jaeger smiled, nodding his head. He turned back to Harry. "Potter. You were able to successfully guess that an operation to Paradis Island is being planned. The plan is to send a select number of your team to Paradis on a mission to collect the Founding Titan's power and return to the mainland for future use. When the time comes, you will be the one to inherit the Founder's power," Harry smiled. So he had been right. They had planned from the beginning to give him the Founding Titan. But what interested him was who exactly would go on this mission to Paradis. When he asked, Jaeger frowned. "We haven't decided who will go just yet. But those who are our first picks are yourself, Braun, Hoover, and Leonhart. Braun due to his inherited strength and endurance. Hoover because of his ability to create destruction. And Leonhart due to the Female Titan's ability to draw titans close with her screams,"
"So Pieck, Marcel, and Porco will remain to fight in the wars on the mainland while Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie and I go to Paradis to retrieve the Founder and its power," Harry concluded.
"Indeed. That is the plan," Jaeger replied.
"When will this plan take place?"
Magath grinned. "It won't be for a few more years. We need your help in gaining more territory within Hizuru. If all goes well, we'll have the entire empire in our grasp before you leave for Paradis," Harry sighed. Of course. They wanted to finish the war with Hizuru before launching any sort of mission against Paradis. And while he was gone, they would utilize his efforts in Hizuru to make a push against the Middle Eastern nations. "But do not be surprised if we call you back from Paradis suddenly. Hoover will be needed in battle alongside Braun, and we cannot risk waiting years for you to return. Understand?"
"Yes sir," Harry answered. "But sir. What if the Founder isn't where we expect it to be?" Jaeger, Magath, and Kien all exchanged odd expressions amongst each other before turning back to Harry. He continued. "If one from outside looked at Marley, they would see the monarchy and assume the country was run by the king and his cabinet. But those of us in Marley know the truth, that this country is truly run by the Tybur family, who have chosen to hide in the shadows. What if Eldia chose to do the same thing? What if we reach Paradis and discover that the king doesn't possess the Founder?"
"Then search for the true Founder. But do not run off on assumptions. Pursue the King first and then anyone else you might suspect to have the Founder," Magath explained, appearing annoyed. "And if you discover that the Founder somehow isn't on the island, you'll return to the mainland immediately and report it to either myself or your War Chief," He added, motioning to Jaeger.
"And what will happen if the Founder isn't on Paradis?" questioned Harry.
Kien spoke this time. "Then we will act accordingly," Harry knew what this meant, of course. If the Founder somehow wasn't on Paradis, then the island would be free reign for the Marley Empire. Paradis would be invaded and scoured for resources. The Eldians on the island would be gathered like cattle to be slaughtered. It would be genocide. Harry didn't like that idea, but he held his tongue and listened as Jaeger, Magath, and Kien continued their explanation of the mission. When it was over, Harry left, choosing to go to his room inside the facility instead of one of the others. He was too tired to think about visiting one of his friends. And so he entered his bed-chamber, pulling off his uniform as he fell into bed.
In a single day, his hopes for the world were sapped dry by Mr. Jaeger and the others. He would not gain his dream of world peace, because no nation seemed interested. Marley was a power-hungry nation intent on dominating everything it saw or touched. The Hizuru were stubborn, unable to grasp the concept of change. And the Middle-Eastern Alliance was too proud of its achievements in the past to even consider peace with Marley. And Paradis? If they learned of the things Marley had done to them in the past, the Eldians of Paradis would be beyond pissed, also unable to consider peace. The world was doomed to die in a blaze of fire and brimstone, and Harry could do nothing but sit by and watch.
But he could do something. With the power of the Founding Titan, Harry would have supreme control over every single Eldian in the world. He could control titans, creating and controlling them at will. If he wanted, Harry could create his empire built from nothing but Eldians and an army of Colossal and Pure Titans. The Rumbling. The Rumbling was an idea created by King Fritz nearly a hundred years before. The use of the Paradis Wall Titans against the rest of the world, using the Colossal Titans inside to trample everything living outside of Paradis. The idea interested Harry for exactly two minutes before he decided that genocide was not the answer he was looking for.
So what was his answer? He could create his own empire, sure, but what would that do besides giving Marley another enemy it would want to conquer? No. Harry needed something else. People with influence inside the other empires would be open to peace and would be able to help him gain it. But he couldn't think of a single person in any of the empires that would help him. Once again, everyone was too selfish in their attempts to gain power that they all seemed to blend as one. Harry wouldn't find help for a long time. The thoughts storming his mind made him quite tired. And so with one final yawn, Harry fell into a deep slumber.