Coming for your heart

Chapter 8

Eren's POV

"Who is that guy? Do you think he followed us?" Eren's question went unanswered by Mikasa who strode next to him through the forest. They both kept the firewood in their arms, watching their every step for roots or outstanding stones.

"He is definitely from the army. That uniform...", he grumbled.

"Eren, let it go. He won't betray his promise and we won't tell mom that we ever met someone from the army."

"Yeah, right. She would never let us go again if-"

"Can you smell that?" Mikasa stopped abruptly, listening to the sounds around them. Leaves were shaking in the wind, rustling and crackling like a melody on their own.

"What are you talking about?" Eren held his nose up high and concentrated on whatever his sister meant. Suddenly Mikasa let go of all the wood, sprinting away.

"That's fire!", she exclaimed, not waiting for him to follow her.

Fire...?, he thought puzzled.

Then the words found their way into his brain.

Fire. The army. Marley. MOM.

He ran after her, jumping around rocks and didn't stop to look at the scratches and bruises he got from all those prickly plants around them.

They raced through the forest, only looking at each other when one of them hissed in pain because of some stupid rock or a branch in their face.

They can't be here...they can't be...not yet...mom...

The forest spread out seemingly endlessly in front of them. They ran and ran but the end was just as far away as it had been to the beginning. It was like living the nightmare of every child.

"Why are the forces here already?", Eren shouted over the sound of their steps. "I thought we had some time!"

"Don't think about that, Eren! We have got to get you and mom out of here as fast as possible!"

Eren hated the way she phrased those words. As if they would be the only ones coming out of this alive.

Finally the forest thinned and they saw the first houses in front of them. Smoke rose from them, not in the 'I-light-a-fire' way.

"No...", Mikasa whispered in shock and spun around to him, horror written over every part of her face.

Shiganshina was on fire.

- - -

They heard the screaming from far away.

They were crying like someone ripped them apart with his bare hands.

Eren accelerated his speed. By now his feet were most likely flying over the ground. Ragged breaths came out his mouth but he didn't spend a second to stop his run.

Mikasa followed him on his heels.

Around them there was only fire, accompanied by thick, stifling smoke. It rose up into the sky and colored it in a dark grey. Only the yellow and reddish sparks of the fire showed them where it was heading.

"We have to-" Eren coughed and tripped over his own feet. With a curse he crushed onto the ground and scraped up the palms of his hand.

"Eren!" Mikasa was by his side in an instant, helping him up. He turned his head and watched, terror cold in his veins, how people scrambled to get away, their eyes wide with fear.

They screamed words at each other Eren couldn't hear. Couldn't understand.

They were filled with panic. With the need to get away from the smoke. From the fire. From the danger.

"Eren!" Mikasa got him out of his stupor and he shook his head, trying to get rid of the dull feeling in it. His sister watched him with attentively, determination glimmering in her eyes. "We must get going. Mom might be in danger."

He nodded and again they started running. By now he noticed the burning in his legs and he often heard Mikasa's choked coughs. The smoke was getting thicker and thicker the faster they ran and the closer they got to their house.

"Eren! Mikasa!" Armin's voice made them turn around abruptly, watching the blond running towards them, his hands bloody and scratches and dirt on his face. His otherwise light hair was dark with the ash that was falling from the sky.

"Armin! What are you doing here? Get out of Shiganshina!"

"The soldiers are coming closer!", he informed them in a haste, not minding their words and came to a stop in front of them. "Shiganshina is being invaded!"

"I thought the war hasn't even begun yet!", Eren shouted over the ruckus around him. Children cried, clinging to their fleeing mothers. Houses broke down and the fire destroyed everything on it's way. Far away he could hear the sounds of fighting, swords that met in the middle of all chaos.

"Where is your grandfather? We have to get out of Shiganshina as fast as possible!", Mikasa asked the trembling boy who kept his head low enough for them to miss the pain running across his face.

"Where is your mother? Weren't you with her?"

"We were out chopping some firewood! We only arrived just now!", Eren shouted and looked around frantically. The fire was already dangerously close.

He grabbed Armin's shoulders and said urgently: "Run, Armin. Get away from here and save yourself. We are gonna go find mom. Then we will follow you."

"No! Eren-!"

"Do it, Armin!", Eren screamed and ran ahead, following the path to their house without waiting for Armin's further protests. Mikasa was behind him. Even through the terror around him he knew that he would always be there.

Behind him to protect him from the dangers he himself wasn't aware of.

They ran. And ran. And ran.

They sprinted around every corner and overcame most obstacles without any grave injuries.

When they finally reached the house Mikasa grabbed Eren just soon enough to get him to hide behind the debris of some stony wall. She gestured for him to be quiet when he wanted to protest against the action.

"Find every last one of them!", a male voice shouted across the yard in front of them. "Kill them in the name of our leader!"

Eren peered over the edge of the wall.

Ten soldiers stood in a row in front of the general leading them. He had never seen uniforms like theirs before. But he didn't have the time to think any more about them because suddenly his focus shifted and he caught side of the house behind them.

The collapsed wood, the flames eating what was left of the hut and the crackling of the bright burning fire.

"No...", he rasped. He couldn't avert his eyes.

Couldn't look away from what had once been his home.