Our Garden of Dismay

Part 9

"Regardless, you two have to go find some way to be useful."

Radenovic barks, heavy on the bitterness.

"Easy big fella, they can easily be useful."

Stinley retorts as he steps in between Radenovic and me.

"Is now really the time to fight?"

Liese asks while looking at Fischer and me, she then steps over to us and stands by Fischer's side which might have been a mistake. Radenovic now sees it as picking sides so he beckons Finnegan to him.

"Yeah, I think he's right."

Finnegan says with a sigh as he marches over to Radenovic.

"We are not picking sides, Liese knock it off."

Stinley's tone becoming more impatient.

"We have to do something, those Titans are on the move and they're taking out Garrison soldiers by the dozens."

Fischer finally pipes up, showing a small flash of her old sassy self.

"She has a point, you two should probably go find reinforcements. See who you can get because we'll need anything we can get."

Stinley finally gives in and sends Finnegan and Radenovic off after seeing just how stubborn they're being. Radenovic seems angry at first but he just storms off and Finnegan follows him like a lap dog.

"Alright, I'll take the lead and Liese you take the rear. You two think you can handle wings?"

I have no objections, especially not an order from the third-best Cadet. Since all our targets are identified we don't have to worry about communication but as wings rather have to just stay aware of the surroundings so we aren't snuck up on. He turns and we all stand in formation, Fischer and I share a look of worry before leaping off and heading into the battle below.

"That's our target, right there!"

Stinley shouts, his blade pointed at a Titan who stands out quite easily. The Titan is a fourteen-meter tall giant, lumbering slowly as it wanders along the wall. No soldiers have dared attack it yet, so Stinley must assume the duty is up to us. I can admire his confidence but I don't think this will end very well.

"I got the legs, Liese you got the hands! Buchanan attack the eyes on my mark!"

His order is loud and clear, so when he swoops down and slashes its heels, Liese perfectly flies by and slashes off all five fingers on its right hand. When she retreats, I fly at its head from behind and prepare to swing around to strike its eyes. Right as I prepare to swing around its face, the large beast turns and tries to catch me with its mouth. In the blink of an eye, the Titan has its jaws opened wide and I find my legs inside its maw. I immediately close my eyes and brace for the pain of it biting down but the pain never comes. I land onto its tongue and look at my surroundings, shock fills me when its jaws are bursting with blood and steam. Fischer then lands on its bottom jaw and begins to pull me out of its mouth.

"What happened?"

I ask, incredulous at the last five seconds. She gives me a warm smile and then heaves me out so I begin falling but catch myself by anchoring onto the Titans legs.

"You were about to be eaten, but Fischer sliced its jaws so it couldn't bite down."

Stinley answers with an impressed grin.

"Now's not the time to be in awe, we have to kill this thing."

I snap out of my confusion at Liese's statement. She has a point, I have to stay focused when fighting a fourteen-meter Titan, but I'm certainly asking Fischer about that later.