Clipped Wings

1

The sun was warm on my skin, the grass was soaked in my comrades' blood, steam from titans whirled around a stench that would make anyone's stomach turn. I stand in sorrow as I am the only survivor of a deadly attack. I have to gather my comrades' bodies and take them home. I have to look Erwin in the eye and tell him one of his most powerful and skilled squads has fallen.

The titans that I slayed in a fit of rage are steaming away, most of them are skeletons by now. Most of my comrades' bodies are unattainable. I pick up what I can and put them in a wagon that will be pulled by their horses. It will be hard to identify who is who, except for those who seem mostly in tact. Unfortunately, that means they suffered the most.

After gathering my fallen squad, I make haste with the horses. There are still thousands of titans in the area, I need to be careful. The sun is setting, however, which means I should have a relatively quiet journey back. My mind is full of the many ways I can explain what happened, the ways I'll have to tell every single one of their families that their children have been eaten or smashed by titans yet I am the only one remaining.

The half moon lights my way to Wall Maria. No titans come around me, which I'm thankful for. I'm so tired. I want to scream, to curse at the sky. Why is our world so cruel? What did humanity do to deserve this unending wrath of titans?

As the sun rises, I have made it to Shigashina. Levi and Erwin's squads should have made it back before me, or they're still out there, I've lost track of time. The gate opens and there's hundreds of people crowded on the sides of the road. They whisper their disappointment and scoff at my sorry appearance. One woman from my squad is from Shigashina. Her mother is waiting in the middle of the road. I stop the horses and hop off, sending aches through my sore body.

"Where is Clara?" Her mother is crying.

"She dedicated her life for the sake of humanity," I turn to find Clara's body in my wagon, "Here is her body, may she be put to rest in her home town."

The mother turns violent, she starts to curse at me, she is clawing at my tattered uniform, she even smashes a rock onto my forehead. I just bow my head and get on my horse once more. The crowd erupts with louder discourse.

"Why are we still sending them out there?"

"What a waste of tax dollars!"

"What a joke!"

The voices fade away as I make it to the boats. The MPs look at me with pity but allow me onto a boat. I find my room after ensuring my wagon and horses are secured in the lower deck. As soon as I get inside my room, I collapse on the bed and darkness envelopes my mind and body.