The Turquoise Cure (Eren X Reader)

Chapter 21: The 57th Expedition (pt. 1)

    Your horse's thunderous hooves peddled the compacted dirt that  arose once outside of the confining walls. Even though you'd seen the large expanses of greenery and nature outside of Rose from atop the wall, it felt completely different being apart from it. Being outside of the wall made you feel, perhaps for the first time, freer than you'd ever been. I've been around Eren for too long oh my god. 

    Your thoughts were interrupted as Erwin gave the calling signal to begin splitting into the formation. All around you, your comrades split, moving so seamlessly amongst the hundreds of other horses as they divided themselves into their sanctions, the kilometers between you and them increasing all the while. Meanwhile, the Levi Squad remained firm and compact in the safest part of the formation, near the rear. Levi's jet black horse led the way as Oluo and Eld triangulated behind him, Eren and Petra in the middle, and you and Gunther in the back. Eren had been confused at first as to why you were in the back, but Levi had explained that if anyone would be able to get him to maintain pace and face forward, it would be you. He also explained that in case you were to be followed by an abnormal, you and Gunther would be more than capable of taking one for the team and taking it down. 

    For the most part, the journey was relatively boring and uneventful. It was difficult to hear over the thundering of hooves, but some conversation was enjoyed amongst the squad during the ride. Eren had turned to face you once, but the faux serious nose scrunch that you gave him made him smile, then proceed to turn his ass around. Of course there were the usual flares indicating an incoming titan, during which the squad would alter the course with the rest of the Corps.. However, nothing could have prepared your team for what was to come all too soon...

    As one of the messenger soldiers began to approach your group towards Petra, you could feel that something was wrong. He looked anxious, his face red and his eyes bulging. He was supposed to give the messages discreetly, but he spoke so loudly and stressfully that you were sure the entire squad heard him: "THE ENTIRE RIGHT FLANK HAS BEEN WIPED OUT BY A HORDE OF TITANS, AND THERE IS A VERY LETHAL 15 M ABNORMAL THAT'S HEADING THIS WAY!" Your eyes involuntarily widened, shock overtaking you for only a moment. What could be so strong that it would wipe out the entire right flank? What if Armin was injured or killed too? "Petra," Levi said, calmly as ever, over the roar of hooves, "pass on the message to the nearest sanction." Petra dutifully rode off to the next group, leaving an empty space in the team's formation. You stiffened your body, correcting your posture and narrowing your eyes. Something feels wrong. I don't know if it's the air or the loss of the right flank, but there is something about this atmosphere that just isn't right. A nagging feeling tugged at your chest, the same nagging feeling that you associated with your pneumonia in your childhood years: loss. It was a mournful loss, though; of course you felt bad for the soldiers that had given their lives, but this pain, this was the pain of loss to come... you solemnly refused to let it happen. Your fists clenched more tightly against the reins as you plowed on towards the expansive green ahead of you. 

    By the time Petra had returned to the formation, the losses were amplifying. "Why isn't the damn commander calling off this mission?" Oluo muttered angrily. You wanted to be angry at his disloyalty, but you could taste the bitter dissent from the rest of the squad as you aimlessly rode onward. The red, black, and yellow flares signaled varying signs of distress from different squads, all of them etching their way closer and closer to the Special Operations Squad. Levi remained quiet and taciturn, as Oluo, Eld, Petra, and Gunther fought to keep their nerves under raps. You could see, though. You could see the suspicion and protectiveness for one another crack through the chiseled armor of a facade. Eren, on the other hand, looked absolutely wrecked. He was sweating, his eyes were darting back and forth, and he continuously allowed his horse to sway within the formation. Even sweet Petra had to reprimand him and tell him to gain better control. "Yes, sorry," he had said, his shaky voice so small that it made you think that perhaps you should be more worried. You had pushed every stitch of fear from your mind, however, in fact, you were confident. One thing that you could always rely on was yourself; you could handle the majority of the obstacles you faced, and if you couldn't, you could shoulder the burden and ignore it; but since you joined Squad Levi, you also gained a better trust of others. Seeing how skilled these other, more experienced soldiers were made you more confident that you wouldn't have to lose people so close to you again. You couldn't fathom them joining you in that dream in the graveyard, and since you hadn't dreamt it lately, you assumed that your faith was even more assured in them.