Glory For Mankind | AOT [book 1]

Ch.6:Dignity

Another useless expedition.

No matter how many times they go out there and exterminate the sons of bitches, they just keep on coming back. It was as if there was just no end to them. 

They went out, strong in numbers, but came back barely in groups of ten. They would always return slaughtered, and now they were walking through the town, silently listening to the hushed insults of the civilians and common folk who observed them. 

There were outbursts of anger at them for wasting their many and resources. Ruvik was riding his horse next to Shadis, who stared straight ahead, silently ignoring the angry cries for justice. Other soldiers kept their heads down, ashamed to come back from another failed expedition.

A few expeditions before this, Ruvik used to snap at anyone in the crowd who had the audacity to berate those who sacrificed themselves for the fate of humanity within the Walls, but Shadis taught him better than that. He taught Ruvik that there was no use with getting angry at them, that it would just be fueling the fire and prove them right. It would be better to just keep your head held high and ignore their anger--so that was exactly what Ruvik did.

Shadis was like the father Ruvik wish he had. The man cared for Ruvik more than anyone ever had. Shadis was the only one who believed that Ruvik would destined for greatness, and damn was he right. Ruvik remembers the satisfaction on Shadis' face when all the people who had doubted the kid were proven wrong. The man looks at the kid with pride, he raised Ruvik to be the goddamn soldier he is today.

The two had a strong father-son bond. 

Being a bastard son to a wealthy household, Ruvik quickly didn't fit in with the others in the Training Corps. He was younger, and his family name even haunted him there.

He absolutely hated it.

Until Shadis approached him, trained him during his spare time, teaching Ruvik all he knew and what it meant to fight for survival. Shadis would train him with a real knife instead of a wooden one. Sure, it was dangerous, but it kept Ruvik on his toes.

He became stronger.

He became quicker.

He became smarter.

And later, he had become one of the best. 

It was thanks to Shadis, that Ruvik got to meet his friend, Erwin Smith. 

Erwin, the smarter, calm and collected one, and Ruvik, the brutal and ambitious brat. But despite their large differences, they got along quite well. Like Shadis, Erwin also took a gamble on him. The blond cadet had admitted it to himself that he was impressed by his idiotic determination. The two couldn't be anymore different.

Whenever Erwin got into trouble because of his intelligence, his ability to outsmart his opponent, he would throw Ruvik into the fight in his place as his strength. Whenever a person would become aggressive towards Erwin and threatened him, Ruvik was always there to have his back. He never did waste a perfect opportunity to beat the hell out of merchant pigs.

 Unbelievably so, this was what sparked their companionship. 

Ruvik was lost in thought, using the one of the methods Shadis had taught him to use to help drown out the cruel words the residents of the town liked to spat when the crowd of injured soldiers passed by. However, Ruvik returned to the land of the living when he noticed a hostile civilian, holding a knife, marching his way from the sidelines towards Shadis. Ruvik acted quickly.

Ruvik dismounted his gray horse and rushed to place himself in front of Shadis, shielding him from the threatening oaf. He stuck one foot out, kicking the back of the man's ankle and shoving the man's head to the ground with his hand. The man on the side of his face, and Ruvik stood over him, recognizing him as the father of one of their deceased soldiers from the expedition before the one that they just returned from. Unfortunatley, the Scout Regiment was unable to retrieve this man's daughter from beyond the Walls. The titans had eaten her body wole, and that did not sit well with the woman's father.

Because of the death of his precious daughter, the man was well intended on killing Shadis.

Not on Ruvik's watch. The brown haired Scout disarmed the man that was struggling beneath his grip, pinning him with his own knife by holding it next to his neck. Ruvik dug his knee against the back of his, gaining more leverage on his hold of the furious father. Irritated, Ruvik yelled for him to stand down.

When he still kept struggling underneath him, Ruvik pressed his sword closer to his neck, growling. "Don't test me."

There were gasps of shock from the towns people as they witnessed the whole scene before them.

Ruvik ignored them, glaring daggers at the man who finally stilled under his knee.

Shadis frowned at this, and when his eyes locked with Ruvik's, he jerked kis head and continued leading the rest of the Scouts back to Headquaters. Understanding his Commander's message, he removed himself from the man's body and stole the knife away from him for safety measures. He walked over to his horse that was waiting by the passing soldiers, mounting his saddle and made his way back to the front of the line. With Ruvik at Shadis' side, he won't allow anything to happen to the old man. He's one of the few people he has respect for.