Deluge of Desolation | l. ackerman

New Horizons

"Mistrust begets mistrust; trust begets accomplishment."

Lao Tzu

(chapter four)

Never in my life had I ever seen walls as tall as the ones just in front of me. Standing at about fifty, or so, meters high, its shadow hung heavily over my dad and I as we frantically looked around for any form of life, titan or human.

Confused, tired, and delirious from the slumber we both just awoke from, Dad yells out a measly "help!" in the face of the walls. It was afternoon, probably the next day, and I wondered how we got here. I don't remember being knocked out nor do I remember what happened to that lone soldier who dropped the bomb of truth on us the day prior. And I never would have thought I'd see these colossal barriers.

They were but a tale I used to be fed on a daily basis (before Mom and Dad decided to endanger our family), something so far-fetched that I laughed at the idea of people actually inhabiting this island with the imminent threat of the beastly carnivores that roamed the lands in search of a quick snack looming over them.

But my laughably ignorant thoughts were quickly devalued as a man with brown hair and deep eyes rode up to us on his mount and asked what the hell we were doing outside of the walls. He wore a tight uniform, something I would have found funny had our situation been better, with straps lining his body. Two rectangular boxes hung loosely at his side with small tanks connected above them.  Unnerved by this newcomer, I hid behind my dad and planted my hands on his arm, gripping tightly in fear.

My dad responded subordinately, attempting to sound nice and show his manners as he shook in apparent fear and confusion. It didn't take much persuasion, though, for the soldier, whose name I learned was Kieth Shadis, to fly us to the top of the wall with his strange gear. Despite barely knowing the man, I grabbed onto him tightly as he somehow levitated us to the wide surface of the wall. There were no others atop the plane which I was thankful for. Being bombarded by a bunch of new faces didn't seem too desirable, especially as I was left alone for a few moments for Shadis to grab my father and bring him to safety.

Similar to the wall I was to meet my fate on yesterday, each side held grand views of scenery I hadn't seen before. On one side lay my dad, Shadis, and rolling hills covered in tall evergreens that stretched meters up and canopied a great radius of space. Few titans were seen wandering around aimlessly as exotic species of birds soared past my blowing hair. It was awfully pretty. The other side held an abundance of homes, practically stacked atop each other; groups of people sauntering the streets happily, ignorant to the monsters that lay just south of the wall they put their entire faith into. Although this was no mere stockade, the titans just beyond this will were no mere animals, either.

I hung close to the wall, letting my knees fold in and elbows hit the concrete, afraid to fall off even with the wide surface. It wasn't until I heard the unfamiliar zip of a line that I tore my gaze away from the poor city. Up came my father and Shadis, both seemingly helpless as the latter man offered a drink for answers. Dad begrudgingly agreed, not entirely knowing the lay of the land and governmental power here; if all government spawns obediently followed their leader's every wish and command.

With concern and feigned confidence, the soldier brought us down to earth in a more quiet, unpopulated part of town. On the walk to the local tavern, Shadis began his interrogation. He started with our names, which Dad immediately answered, knowing that we weren't in any position to decline, considering our situation could be much, much worse. It wasn't until we sat in the bustling pub that reeked of laughter and rum did Shadis ask us where we came from. Beside me, Dad stretched his legs under the table, nervous but prepared for this question.