God of Earth

9. Who Am I?

(This chapter is going to be mostly dialogue, this chapter is all about me introducing myself and interacting with the Survey Corps)

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"So, who are you?"

Alright Alex, move those facial soil chunks and be the best actor the world has ever seen!

I looked up at Erwin, whose eyes are fixated on me. It's as if he is trying to see through me with his piercing gaze. I just sat there and looked back to Erwin, calm as I could ever be, my heart rate didn't even increase. Not that I had a heart anyways.

"I'm Alex, Alex Aoki."

"Alright Alex, I am Commander Erwin and this is Captain Levi. You knew that we are the Survey Corps?"

I chuckled, stretching out my legs on the floor and leaning back against the wall.

"yes, I know that you are the Survey Corps. I mean, who doesn't?"

"Oh? How so?" Erwin slightly raised his eyebrows.

"The legendary Survey Corps, the organization of soldiers who fight against titans, the fearless group of green capes that can fly, the representation of freedom. Look at you, wearing the green capes with the wings on them, how could I not know who you are?"

"Besides, I have found this cape along the forest floor along with some fragments of broken blades, they probably belonged to your soldiers. Well, I use what I can find to survive out here, and your equipment works like a charm. However, I do apologize for using your dead comrades' belongings."

"I knew you guys would come back to this forest again sooner or later, I just didn't expect you to find me here, I wasn't expecting anyone to find me here."

Then the room fell into silence once again. Erwin and Levi didn't speak, I don't really know what they are thinking about. Maybe mourning for their dead soldiers, maybe thinking about me, maybe holding in their anger that I used the belongings of their dead friends. But I didn't interrupt them, I just sat there, patiently waiting for them to recover.

"Apology accepted, you used them to survive, you did nothing wrong. I am sure they would be glad their belongings could help someone survive."

"So, Alex, why are you living out here by yourself? Why are you not in a village? Why didn't you come to the walls?"

"Well, I am from a family of hunters and we have been here for as long as I could remember. I never thought about moving anywhere else."

"Besides, there are no villages anywhere near this forest and I have no clue where the walls are. I would rather stay here than go out into the open fields trying to find a village or the walls, I don't have a horse like you, there's no way I can just walk across that titan-filled land. This forest is just fine, dark enough to limit the number of titans here, and has enough animals to keep me alive. And this cave is well hidden, along with the vines and flowers that block off my scent, the titans walk right by without ever noticing my existence."

"You live with a family? What was it like living out here? Are they still around?"

I froze, my mouth opened and closed but not a word came out. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. 

"I used to live with a family, we were all great hunters. I was trained to hunt since I was a kid, in fact, I was one of the best hunters in the family. I would go out to hunt with my father and the others, but as my mother got older, I had to stay home to look after the younger children. I would play with them, teach them hunting skills, and sing them to sleep at night. Everything was perfect."