Aot: Surviving The Rot (Ereri Zombie AU)

Chapter 4: The ruined village

It was early in morning when Erwin and Gelgar decided to set off to the village to discover what was happening and to check the gate into Karanes.

"Mike, whilst I am absent you are acting commander" Erwin said before he set off.

"Understood, me and Nanaba will keep things in control while you are gone" Mike replied.

Erwin and Gelgar had began to walk off but suddenly Erwin halted and turned to group of around 20 survey corps soldiers and spoke in a loud booming voice "Men stay vigilant while I am scouting out the village" he paused for a few seconds before speaking again "Under no circumstances are you to come after me unless you see green flare" Erwin finished by saluting the gathering and they all gave him a salute back.

"It's odd to see him so worried" Nanaba told Mike, "does he know something we don't?"

"He never fully let's on does he?" Mike turned to Nanaba as he spoke. "Let's keep things in order here"

Erwin and Gelgar arrived at the village around midday, having opted to leave their horses back with Mike, as they walked into the village they were instantly hit with a foul smell, that they could only describe as burning flesh mixed with gone off food.

"Did it always smell like this?" Gelgar asked the commander.

"No, I've never noticed this smell before" Erwin answered in his usual manner, not letting his guard down.

"Up ahead, Gelgar mind checking that out?" Erwin asked instead of ordering.

"Sure thing boss" Gelgar answered as he approached the square up ahead, as he drew closer he saw what the commander must have meant for him to check, a single dead body laid in the middle of the square, the body was heavily decayed and missing an arm.

"What the hell caused this" Gelgar spoke softly to himself as Erwin approached him.

"Soldier, what have you found?" Erwin asked.

As Gelgar turned to tell Erwin the situation, he suddenly felt and arm around his neck and pull him to the floor, Gelgar managed to jolt his head back to headbutt whoever had grabbed him, as Gelgar turned around he saw, to his shock that it was the decaying corpse that he had just observed.

"That's new" Gelgar said to himself as the corpse grabbed him by the collar and went to bite his neck.

Just as the corpse was an inch away from making contact with Gelgar a sword enters the side of the corpses head killing it for good this time.

Gelgar fell backwards on to the floor, the now dead corpse landed on top of him, he pushed the body away from him as Erwin moved to help him up.

"The fuck was that?" Gelgar asked the commander.

"I don't know, but let's try to stay alive" Erwin said as he helped Gelgar to his feet.

"Yeah, about that" Gelgar said as he pointed out a crowd of about twenty of the rotten creatures.

Meanwhile near the Forest Eren, Levi, Mikasa and Armin had just woken back up after resting for the night.

"What should we do now?" Eren asked the others.

"Well... To me it seems like when people get bitten by these creatures they turn into one themselves, I've never seen anything like this before" Armin said to the three.

"We need to let the others know the situation, especially the commander, we should head in his direction right away" Levi stated to the trio.

"Our own safety should take priority at a time like this" Mikasa added her piece to the conversation.

"Well if we need to get to the commander in a hurry, and he's at the front of the formation that means he's a fair distance away, the horse's are still tired and seem restless, if I were to turn into my titan form and carry us there it should be safe" Eren suggested.

"Don't be stupid brat" Levi responded

Mikasa glared at Levi and was about to say something when Armin suddenly spoke up.

"Levi's right, we've seen these things turn when bitten, we don't know what would happen if Eren was bitten whilst in titan form" Armin informed the group.

"While I can manage Eren in human form and titan form, I'd rather not lose him" Levi said in an uncharacteristically worried voice, which caused Eren to quickly look at Levi.

"Very well, we'll wait till the horse's have eaten then, grab something ourselves and then head out?" Eren spoke again.

"Yes, that sounds agreeable, I'm going to take a moment in the forest before we leave, you three eat and make sure the horse's are ready when I return.

Levi walked into the forest alone, contemplating the day before.

"I've got to see if he's okay" Eren said to Armin.

"He said he was taking a moment, leave him be" Armin replied as Eren walked off into the Forest, as if he hadn't heard him.

Mikasa took a moment to  watch him walk away, but before she could think about it any longer she went straight back to preparing the horses.

Eren had entered the forest to see Levi sat on the floor staring at the ground deep in thought.

"Ah, you followed.... I can't say I'm surprised" Levi said as he got to his feet and went to lean against a tree

"I'm not surprised, but I'll ask why you followed?" Levi questioned as he just folded his arms and stared at him.

"Well.... I....I guess I just worry" Eren said to the captain.

"Tch" was the only noise Levi made.

There was a long awkward silence followed as the two men just stood in the forest.

"We should get back to the others" Levi said to Eren as he walked past him.

Eren was taken by suprise as Levi put
An arm on his shoulder as he walked past. "I care too" he said before setting back off towards Armin and Mikasa.

To be continued...