Retrieving •Eremika

Chapter 17: Boom

Mikasa's P.O.V.
Levi had attempted to keep the noise level to a minimum, yet the horses' hooves were causing more sound than necessary to alert the enemy. We had our 3DMG prepped beside us, along with our blades. I was holding the hilt of my sword, prepared to latch it to a blade whenever someone from our squad spotted an incoming rival.

From the distance, the birds were squawking louder than before and they had taken flight, flying overhead, away from the hills we were riding towards.

"What was that, Coporal?" Petra whispered as the horses slowed to a halt, shaking the carriage. I peered out the window, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Bloody Yeager's scream scared all the birds off," Levi made a 'tch' sound with his tongue. How did this have anything to do with Eren? Without consciously realizing it, I had said it aloud, noticing only after everyone's gaze rested on me.

"Of course you wouldn't know. We just brought you along because of your skills. Just stay in formation at all times, behind Petra. Don't try running off, it'll do neither you nor Eren good," Levi fidgeted with the strap wound around the hilt of his blade, pondering on whether he should tell me more. I wasn't in the least satisfied with his curt answer but now was not the time for questions. The petrified horses had begun to move again, at a slower rate this time as if they had sensed danger ahead of us.

My grip on my sword tightened, my knuckles whitening.

*****

"Alright, we're here," Corporal kicked the wooden side door ajar with his ankle, leaving the carriage in one graceful movement. His squad filed out in an organized manner, standing behind him to obey his commands. I was the last to hop off, having chosen a spot in the innermost corner of the carriage.
The view was picturesque, with lush bushes and vast dense pastures surrounding us. The road we had come from led to the foot of the mountains, which was where we first heard the boom.

"We're heading east," Levi jerked his chin in an easterly direction, uphill. The quiet was deafening. There were no birds, no rustling in the undergrowth, nor was there a single tree within our line of sight. Staying in this ghostly place for more than a mere minute defied all my instincts. The squad had their blades in their hands and 3DMG well-prepped. A neutral look crossed all their faces.

"There's nothing around us, Corporal, how are we going to find them?" someone had asked, and instantly regretted it as he received a 'death' stare from Levi.

"They're behind this mountain, idiot," the leader replied, trudging on, wary of the environment. He abruptly stopped when he reached a certain point, which was perhaps the peak of the hill. He retrieved his blades, positioned in a fighting stance. As soon as he had his weapons out, everyone else followed suit, spreading out into their formation. I was at the back of the formation; I was the back-up. Behind the hill we were on, shadowy figures had begun to emerge from brick structures at the base of the hill. There were derelict house-like buildings at the bottom, the roofs indented and the walls collapsed. People, with various choices of weapons, were facing our direction, ready to advance. We were undoubtedly outnumbered.

"Mikasa, you go around the top with Petra to seal them off in case they run away with Armin and Eren," Levi ordered, "Rest of the squad, down we go!"

Petra, with a single glance, signaled for me to follow her. "Our main aim is to find Eren. He holds the power to a lot of... things. I'm sorry I can't tell you what I really mean now but he's really important to humanity," she trailed off, running beside me to skirt the top of the hill. I could see the rest of the group scaling the near-vertical slope with their 3DMG, descending to confront our enemy.