Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

O' Capt-A-in

Year 842 roughly two years before the colossal titan attack

More notes, more notes. It was constant writing, re-writing. Fixing the mistakes, and editing the parts we missed. It was checking, and checking again. We had to make sure everything was perfect. My fingers traced over my delicate drawings. Horses marching, and titans advancing threw trees. I had to make sure this formation was correct- because we knew what would happen if it was not. I had been sitting here for god knew how long. Just slaving over paperwork, Erwin had told me to- of course I'd complained but I always did it in the end. Because it wasnt for him, it was for everyone. I glanced up and looked into my reflection in the small wooden window. My slightly tangled red hair, and vibrant green eyes. Dull with tiredness. Lack of sleep was a painful thing.

I looked down at my calloused hands with an exasperated sigh. By this rate I would reach old age before I was forty. I held my breath in my cheeks for a moment, and placed my hands upon my swollen cheeks and let out a "bfffit" noise between my lips. Sometimes, acting childish was the only cure for the sickening depression that sunk into these walls. I heard a knock on my door, and turned to face the person entering. A trainee, a young woman with chocolate colored hair and large brown eyes. She smiled and waved her had politely to me. "Commander Erwin requires you in the courtyard Ma'am." I stood and rolled up the papers that had been sprawled out upon the tiny desk before me. Stuffing the withering documents into my hands. I moved down the steps towards the wooden door. Stepping outside into the bright sunlight. I squinted slightly to fight the burning golden that reflected into my green eyes.

Erwin was standing in front of a batch of new recruits. Some, returning and some fresh off the block. Others I had never seen before, but they boor the seal of our Core. I stepped up beside the commander. "Meet, Captain Alya." I saluted the new brave souls. Fifteen our so, not our largest group but not our smallest. My eyes went down the line, slowly I scanned each of them. The last one, on the far right. Black hair covering his eyes, he was looking down. The returning. The hardest ones, already broken. They've been to hell and back, seen the fires down below... and burned with the flames. 

I watched him, waiting to see if he would look up while Erwin went on. Erwin went down the line, handing the new their garments and patting the returning on the shoulder. The boy looked up as Erwin touched him, and I was taken aback by his stare. Cold. Dead. Like I was staring into the face of a living corpse. He grabbed Erwins hand and slapped it away. "Do not touch me." He spat aggressively into the blonde commanders face.The commander stepped gracefully away from the boy. "Hanji, show them to their quarters." Erwin gestured as the new memebers slunk past us. I eyed the black haired boy, then turned to the blonde commander. "Well, whats his deal?" I asked. Erwin rubbed his head with a quiet sigh. "Ex-con, watched his partners in crime get murdered by a titan right infront of him." I winced. "Ouch..." I watched the trainees wander into the stone palace. 

"I want you to keep an eye on him, if you dont mind." I shrugged and rubbed my shoulders. "I dont see why not, I could knock some sense into him." Erwins eyes clouded slightly but he just nodded and turned away from me walking into the headquarters. Leaving me by myself. I glared at the walls that towered infront of me, there glaring shadows slowly clawed their way towards my feet. Like dragons that slowly moved threw the grounds. Claiming all the light, I stepped inside slowly away from those shadowy creatures that moved ever so silently across the land. Accepting the quite hum of the palace. The boy I saw before walked in front of me. He glanced at me, a frown crossing his brow. "What the hell are you looking at woman." 

I scowled. "Listen, I dont want to start out on the wrong foot-" 

"To late."

I felt frustration bubble from below my stomach. "Listen, kid." He scowled back at me. "Kid? I'm older then you are!" I moved up to him, poking my finger into his chest. "I'm just trying to help, can you atleast tell me your name?" I snarled. He pushed against me. "Its Levi. Just... Levi. Now, stop trying to help you got what you wanted." he shoved past me and up the spiral stone steps. I glared after him. "Well. I have my work cut out for me... Dont I."