IMMORTALS • Levi Ackerman

chapter thirty nine

039: we'll survive

"Commander Erwin!" I called.

The blonde's head whipped fast enough, I could almost swear he suffered from a short moment of whiplash. His face contorted into a look of alarm at the recognition of my voice before it eased into a look, of what I can only describe as relief. 

"You're safe." He commented. "The others?" 

"We're back. Eren and Historia have been retrieved by Squad Levi." 

There was a passive look of shock on his features before he nodded as I led him the way. Levi, the rest and Armin that was driving the cart where Eren, Historia, and Hange were came into view and fully to a halt.

"Erwin." Levi greeted once he pulled on the reigns of his horse to stop in front of the Commander. 

"Is everyone all right?" 

Levi nodded subtly. "Hange is our only casualty. Although just an injury." 

The blonde turned to the woman who was lying on the cart. She waved her hand up in greeting, a small smile of her face to indicate that she was not bothered-- a very Hange-like move. I could see the way Erwin's shoulder relaxed, only for a split second before he regained composure again. 

"Seems like nothing too serious. Well done, everyone." he commended before looking back at the huge titan crawling its face towards the walls, a stoic look on his blonde's face. 

"I've got a whole stew of things to report but first..." Levi gave an unpassed look of seriousness towards the obvious problem at the moment. 

"What's that Titan?" Erwin asked when he didn't finish. 

"It's Rod Reiss." Levi's immediately reply brought a new found expression of surprise to Erwin, he silently looked over to me as if he was in disbelief but I could only offer him a short nod of confirmation. "I think we'll need your call on this one, Commander." Levi advised.

An inaudible sigh left Erwin. The blonde took a short glance towards Eren and Historia's direction before he continued. "Regardless, we don't have time to stand here and chat. Return to Wall Sina." he advised. 

"You're going to let that big ass titan crawl up to the wall?" Levi mused, sarcastic that it almost made me snort, if only the situation allowed it. 

"To Orvud District, actually" Erwin clarified. "That's most likely where it's headed."

And so we set off, once more, to the direction of Orvurd as the night progressed with the warm air of burning trees, brought down to ashes by the raging titan of Historia's father. 

"Okay... Let's put this all together." Hange spoke her words out as we rode through the landscape. The slight drawl in her tone went against the rough sounds of clicking hooves, and once in a while, light hissing of fire embers from the carried torches to serve as guide. 

"Basically Rod Reiss was after the Founding Titan inside Eren. However, unless it is someone from the Reiss blood, you won't get it's true potential. Though even if a Reiss inherits the power, they're still controlled by the will of the first king and refuse to liberate humanity from the Titans." The woman paused. "Eh?... Isn't that interesting." she finished with a small huff. 

"And to the first King, this is true peace?" 

"This is only convincing me further that the royal family were assholes." I mumbled, earning a short lived attention from Historia. "No offense to you though, Historia. You're cute and nice." 

But even at my small attempt to lighten the obviously heavy mood that constantly surrounded my fellow cadets, Eren was still in his haze of thoughts. "In other words... we still have an option. If that Titan eats me, Rod Reiss will turn into a human. Which means it's still possible to have a true Founding Titan."