Shorter Than Me

17 Ecyn

As we race back to where we came from, I think of everything that has gone wrong on this expedition. First Toshal died, then the group of titans attacked Eren and them, then Eren ran away and fell off a cliff. His maneuver gear was destroyed so they were going to leave me all alone. Then we had to split up and now this is happening. I was so relieved we were going back to where it's mostly safe, but now we're risking our lives again.

Eren said this was the decision he would regret the least. So he's calling the shots now? I thought Captain Levi was the supreme dictator on this expedition.

"Captain, why did you want to leave them behind?" I ask.

"There are better chances of our surviving if we left them. Now we might die and they might die. Or we could not. There's no way of knowing."

"Oh," is all I say. We keep riding as fast as we can to where the cloud is now dissipating in the sky. I see titans first. Eren is fighting two or three. As we get closer, I see people fighting.

There are no dead bodies so far.

When we're close enough, Captain Levi jumps off his horse and flies toward a titan. I pick a titan and go after it.

I didn't know it was possible, but I've forgotten how many titans I've killed. Maybe I'll get an award.

Or maybe I'll die this time.

I jerk to the side in order to dodge a hand that came much too close for comfort. I twist around and try to avoid a new titan trying to eat me. Thankfully, it collapses to the ground and I see Mikasa race to another titan. There must be at least twenty of them.

I have nothing to grab onto, so I land on the ground. I run to avoid another hand and jump into the air again. I kill my fifth titan today. Or is it sixth? Maybe it was four. I don't have time to remember before another comes toward me. I drop my blades and draw two more. Then I swing around one titan to cut another's neck.

I hear a scream and turn. One of the members of Hanji's squad is in the grasp of a titan. I try to adjust my position to help him, but I don't notice what's behind me until my body is enveloped in fire.

In one split second, I realize three things: I am being held by a titan, everyone is busy with their own problems, and I am going to die.

In the next split second, I notice one thing. Captain Levi isn't busy with his problems- if he has any. He glances between me and the other Scout for half a second before zipping toward me. It's barely been five seconds and I'm free. I fall to the ground and pull myself out of the steaming grasp of the titan, only to look up and see two legs disappear in the other titan's mouth.

And all I can think of is Dren. How I was too late to save him as well. How my last glimpse of him was in a titan's mouth. How he died so uselessly.

I collapse to my knees, eyes locked on the titan. But I don't see the titan. I blink for a second to make sure what I'm seeing is real.

Dren.

His head.

Bitten off.

Bloody.

Dead.

Right in front of me.

It can't be real. He was eaten.

But it is.

He's dead.

I know he is.

But it hurts. It hurts a lot.

I'm slightly aware of the tears on my face. I'm slightly aware of my lack of breathing. I'm slightly aware of my surroundings.

I blink heavily and see Captain Levi choosing to save me instead.

The choice he'll regret the least.

I'm slightly aware of the ground coming closer to my head.

Then I'm not aware at all.

Don't know how to end a POV? Make them pass out. I seem to be doing that a lot. (This is added as I go back and read this book a year and a half after it was published.)