The Book of Esme: An attack on titan stand alone story

Chapter 2: Soldiers

Esme has now turned 11 and was going into town for the day  with her friends. It was about time she got out a bit. The dark haired girl silently walked pass her dear mother who gave her a kiss on the head before giving her a basket. Abel looked over at her and huffed,
"You better not be a klutz you hear?"
Esme silently hummed in agreement before taking her leave with her friends standing right outside
Luckily for her, her two friends ,that were siblings, were not so boring to be around. Arid was a deep brown haired boy with hazel eyes and Phoenix a rose blonde haired girl with rose gold eyes. They all went into town to walk around the area and mess around, but of course, there were soldiers there. Arid piped up, "it's the military police, I wonder who got in trouble...."
Phoenix rolled her eyes and gave a bratty remark, "they live here to you know! Stop being so stupid!".
Arid huffed and looked down at the short Esme who had a straight face.
"What about you Esme? What do you think?", he waited for a response. The dark-brunette looked at him and opened her mouth, "They live here too.... like Phoenix said." Arid sticks out his tongue before a line of men on horses came through the gate. Arid pulls Esme and Phoenix to where they can see the soldier's faces. The men looked destroyed and beaten, some missing limbs or having them broken, some only had minor cuts and bruises with bandages.  One caught Esme's eye, a man with a dark aroma and a straight face passed by, he could sense her stare and would stare back before looking away. The man seemed shocked or ashamed about something..... like he knew or recognized esme but the thing is.... he doesn't even know Esme.... does he? These men.... these women.... are so brave..... I wonder what they were facing out there... and that man.... he seems... familiar
Esme looked down and then looked over at arid who was staring at her along with Phoenix.
"What was that you said?", she asked softly.
Arid chuckled and gently patted her head while Phoenix only gave a smile. That was a great day for her. It was almost like everything was normal.....but she still thought of those soldiers..... what did she miss... what was she not aware of? Who gave them those injuries?.... she might never know? Will she?

She walks inside her home, seeing her mother setting the table for supper and her dad reading his books. She attempts to walk toward her father, catching a glimpse of a tapestry on the wall. It was gold and had a sewn picture of a giant titanic figure, staring at a person. Esme then looks at her father and sits across from him at the table,
"Father, what is that on the tapestry?"
Abel looked up and at the tapestry, he sighed and spoke in a low toned voice.
"That.... is a titan....they have been around for quite some time.... no one knows where they came from or why they appeared but.... it's a titan youngster."
Esme was confused, a titan? What is it and what is it capable of?
Esme spoke again, "what do they do?"
The man looks up with a cold stare,
"They destroy.....certain places and objects... we will put it that way and that's it." The man was a little harsh with his words. One way or another esme would find out the answers about the beasts they call titans.