Attack on Titan: A Blacksmith's Tale

Chapter 53: Rekindling Sparks

(Five hours prior)

Of course, most people wouldn't be riding a horse at breakneck speed in this weather, but that's exactly what Dillon was doing. He needed to get to Yarckel District, and get out quickly. Not only were the Scout leaders demanding his immediate return, but given how hated he was, it was best not to make his presence known to the Interior, especially in light of Stohess. The shoddy weather provided an excellent excuse for civilians to stay indoors and give people like Dillon the chance to go about where he needed to be without much conflict.

After nearly two hours of riding, he finally reached Yarckel District's Walls. It had been nearly two months since he had been home, though he wasn't ready to visit his home right now. Whatever happy memories he had of his time in the Interior were a bit too tarnished. Someday, he'd work up the gumption to see his house again, but right now, he had a mission to complete.

"Halt!" the Garrison sentries ordered as he approached the gate.

Dillon pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a clean stop.

Three soldiers propelled down the Wall, blades at the ready. The middle one seemed to be the leader since he approached the Psion while the other two flanked him. The corporal rank was also a dead giveaway. "Who are you and what is your business here?"

Slowly, Dillon pulled out his identification and tossed it to him. "I'm a Wall Sina citizen, Corporal. Unless the rules have changed or my citizenship has been revoked, I don't believe I owe an explanation."

The corporal narrowed his eyes. "Dillon Amsdale. Only an idiot such as yourself would come back here after what you've done."

His two flunkies tensed considerably, waiting for the go ahead to attack.

"Am I under arrest, Corporal? Have I committed a crime that the courts found me guilty of?" he asked calmly. "If not, please open the gate. I would hate to involve Supreme Commander Zackley on such a trivial issue."

The man grunted under his breath before yelling, "Open the gate!" As the gate slowly rose, he approached the blacksmith with a glower. "Enjoy your freedom while you can, freak. You can't hide in the Scouts forever."

"Not exactly hiding," Dillon corrected with a smirk. "Find the Scouts, you find me." With a crack of the whip, he took off down the street.

"I am not sure how antagonizing those men will benefit you in the long run," a familiar voice commented.

"Come on, Ymir," he replied mentally. "There were about as terrifying as a newt."

She let out a sigh. "Just try not to get yourself arrested for cheap thrills like that. You are in a place of high corruption after all."

That sobered him up considerably. "Yeah, you're right. Now that Kyler is dead, I suppose more scum is gonna be about."

"And your Captain Levi would be quite displeased if you got yourself into trouble," she added.

Dillon winced. It took a lot to convince him to let him do this.

"So, you want me to grant you permission to head to Yarckel, fix up your mom with your powers, and then come back after you assaulted one of your cadet buddies, lost control of your abilities, and the doctors themselves revealing they have little to no confidence in your mental state, all three of which happened yesterday?" Levi gave Dillon a blank stare. "Why the hell would I even consider not kicking your ass out of my office?"

"Mom knows a lot about Marley and Project Psion," Dillon answered. "I revive her, we might be able to get information beneficial for our side."

"Like how to make Psions?" Hanji was excited at that possibility.