In Between The Ends

Chapter Thirty Eight

     Carefully walking through the ash and rubble left by the aftermath of battle now bathed in the light of morning, General Loren came to a stop before a pile of the dead. Accounting for all the casualties would take days, and for now the bodies of those that lost their lives in the room meant for Queen Historia's execution had been unceremoniously dumped off to the side, soldier and noblemen alike.

A strange calm stole over Loren as he peered at their charred remains; his eyes coming to settle on Commander Bernard Angelo, who by comparison appeared untouched save for a bullet hole directly between his eyes. The sight of his second in command's lifeless body didn't so much as make him flinch: in fact, the circumstances behind Angelo's death and not his own were oddly reassuring.

What else could have made Arya pull her shot at the very last second, other than her desire to keep him alive? The carnage she had brought down on her own people was inexcusable, though perhaps something of the woman he once knew remained, buried underneath the poisonous influence of the enemy. If there was, it would only be a matter of time until he got the chance to drag it out of her himself.

Along with Commander Angelo the Council had lost two other members: Lady Clara and Lieutenant Tobias. Regrettable, but a minor loss compared to what they had gained by their deaths. Ymira remained within their grasp, uninjured, and to General Loren that was more than worth the blood that had been spilt. Another silver lining existed as well, and that was the survival of the Kobbu Koya dignitaries.

The small country of Saharsa was nestled far to the Southeast, almost completely overlooked by neighboring provinces due to the tense civil war that had been raging within it's borders for the better part of the last century. Not as technologically refined as Hizuru, and not nearly as structured as the nation of Marly, Saharsa had been left to its own devices, most of which were centered around war and power.

It was specifically this fact that had enticed the Council and Jaegerist government into forming an alliance with the Kobbu Koya, one of the most powerful tribes Saharsa had to offer. Where they lacked in refinement and influence on a global scale they made up for in both manpower and vengeance.

Just as the Eldians of Paradis aimed to regain their rightful place atop humanity, the Kobbu Koya looked to prove themselves worthy of a higher station. It was within this common goal that a deal was struck, one that did not seem to have wavered after the destruction of the Mitras fortress.

Loren turned to face the door as what remained of the Council entered, chattering furiously with the foreign representatives.

"General." One of the Kobbu Koya members stepped forward; a young man by the name of Aahan, whose severe expression dug canyons into his wheat-colored skin. "If there had been any doubt to your claims prior to this, I can assure you they have been soundly put to rest. It is clear that the country of Marly will stop at nothing to regain their hold on the world, and I'm sure my father would agree that it's high time we put a stop to this."

Ah, yes, the son of war chief Bhavesh Chakrabarti.

It had been Aahan's father that had accepted the Council's proposition. A man who, if the claims they had heard were true, held the station of most decorated and experienced general within Saharsa. It appeared these traits had been passed down through lineage, and Loren nodded in response.

"The Council apologizes for the risk that has come to the lives of you and your people, however now you have witnessed firsthand the devastation Marly wishes to inflict on the people of Paradis."

Sweeping his gaze over the gathered committee, he raised his voice to address them all.

"This has been a tragic day for Eldia; scores of good soldiers lost to the tyranny of the mainland once again. Yet this has not been in vain, as now we are tied together in common purpose. Those of us that remain will carry on, bringing forth the retribution that is owed to us."

"We cannot waste a single moment." High Priest Elias growled; his face contorted in rage. "The heretics responsible for desecrating our most sacred of days must be brought to justice! I say we send out a retaliation immediately, send word to our allies and-"

Isaac Elias's passionate rant was brought to a halt, Loren having raised his hand to silence him.

"That will not be necessary, Elias."

The High Priest opened his mouth to protest, but the General continued.

"I agree that those responsible for the attack must pay for their sins against Eldia, however it is my belief that they will come to us in the end. We have something invaluable to them, after all. There is no doubt in my mind that Historia will stop at nothing to bring Princess Ymira back into her clutches, which we cannot allow under any circumstances."

General Loren looked down at the ground for a long moment, his mind returning to the day the Allied Alliance stood in the courtroom and told their story. Something they had said resonated with him now, and he chuckled inwardly at their naivety. To think, in an attempt to share their knowledge, they may have inadvertently gifted Eldia with the means of their salvation.

"Three years ago, the perpetrators of the ruin you now see before you came to us, sharing what they called the truth. Amid the lies they spouted there were several grains of verity, though, for Eren Jaeger spoke of it Himself. It is known that when a person who possesses the power of the nine titans dies before they can pass on their power, this strength is born again in a child. Eren's life was lost before he could gift his titans, and what better child to pass down His almighty glory to then that of his own?

Ymira may not outwardly possess this power, but the potential for greatness is buried in her very life force; a connection to Eren no one else has. What we need is a way to draw it from her."

Looking down once more to Angelo's lifeless face, General Loren pondered the possibility. The origin of the titans was still a mystery, even to those more knowledgeable that he. The Founder Ymir had stumbled upon it by mere chance over 2000 years ago in some unknown place forgotten by time. Was it possible that the source of this Godly power remained hidden, sleeping somewhere within the world it had torn apart?

If it is, Loren thought, watching as pillars of smoke drifted lazily from the piles of debris and into the air above, perhaps it is time we wake it up.

     Two floors up from where the General stood considering the possibilities, Jaime Bowen was forming a different kind of idea. Sitting in the dark room he once shared with Elise; the place where they laughed together, cried together, and held each other tight when the fear wouldn't let them sleep, he plotted. Anger and betrayal scorched his lungs, and every pleasant memory he had of their days in the cadet corps turned sour by the image of Arya's face.

I loved her like a sister; we bled, sweat and triumphed at each other's side. I spent years missing her, terrified that she was dead, and how did she replay that loyalty? By taking away EVERYTHING!

Jaime's nails dug into the skin of his arms and his face contorted with hatred. The woman he once called his friend swam behind the tears in his eyes; the look on her face as she showed her true allegiance burned into the folds of his memory. She had been proud of what she did, PROUD of the side she had chosen and righteous in the execution of her own people... of her own friends.

Blood was now trickling slowly down Jaime's arms where he gripped them, and a manic smile plastered his once kind and lighthearted face. Arya had chosen the enemy over them, and in doing so guaranteed that she would die as one of them, too. She was the worst person to ever walk this earth, and she deserved every last terrible thing that was now coming her way.

Arya will pay for what she has done, even if I have to kill her myself.