My Inner Demons: The Rise of a Devil

Chapter 37: Soldier

(2 hours before the Titan attack)

Shortly after reaching Utgard Castle, the small group of veteran and rookie scouts sought refuge for the night inside its walls while the horses sipped water from a trough outside. After making their way inside and up a few flights of stairs, the group came upon a peculiar sight. A pile of supplies lay scattered around the room as if someone had been there not long ago. A small fire long since dead had painted the floor black with soot as boxes of supplies and steel mugs lay on the floor. Whoever had been there, it appeared as though they had left in a hurry. The small group of veteran scouts sat around another fire they had made while the recruits hugged their knees close, tired from the day's ordeal.

Henning: Someone was here not that long ago.

Nanaba: A place this close to the wall?

Lynn: Maybe a bandit camp? A place like this would be a great place for a hideout.

Nanaba: A sign outside had the name of this place on it, Utgard Castle.

The door creaked open as Gelgar walked into the room with a bottle in his hand and a smile on his face.

Gelgar: Take a look at this. 

Lynn: Is that what I think it is?

Gelgar: Yep, though I cant read the label on it. 

Lynn: You're not going to drink it now are you?

Gelgar: Of course not. I'm saving it for later.

Henning: There are worse ways to spend the night than having access to top-shelf contraband. 

Nanaba: Careful, you're starting to sound like an outlaw.

Gelgar: You kids should try and get some rest. There shouldn't be any Titans roaming around right now. Be ready to leave a couple of hours before dawn.

Krista: What if Wall Rose isn't compromised? Where do you think they could be coming from?

Gelgar: It's our job to find out, starting tomorrow.

Krista: Is the situation as bad as we think? 

Henning: She's right. We haven't seen all that many Titans when you think about it. At least compared to when we're on an expedition.

Nanaba: Even with the initial sighting, there was only a modest handful. 

Ymir: Conny, what about your village?

Conny: Gone. Everything was destroyed.

Ymir: I...Wow, I'm sorry.

Conny: I never thought I'd have to say this, but now I know how Y/n, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin must have felt. The only silver lining is that there were no bodies. I'm holding out hope that my family is alive, however slim it might be.

Ymir: Wasnt everything destroyed though?

Conny: Only the houses were. There was no blood anywhere so that has to mean they got out, right? Even with that in mind, there's still something I cant get out of my head. In my house's ruins, a Titan was lying on its back. Its body was deformed, so it couldn't move. It was staring at me and, I have no idea why, but it reminded me of my mom.

Reiner: Conny, what did I tell you?

Ymir: Come on, seriously? We all know there's no way humans can just become Titans. You said it yourself they all got out, right?