Beyond The Wall {BxB} Book 1 #COMPLETE

18

It was difficult to say how many perished in the first day of retaking back more land. It was the first frontier for humanity's survival. The hopes of many civilians rested on the shoulders of the last twenty five percent of scouts left. It was difficult to say at this point how many would come home. How many would rush back to their families and never let them go. There was an upside to this choice in career: it gave each solider that survived a perspective to never take life for granted. To never be ungrateful of what you were given in life. It did, however, cast doubt on the point of living. The odds of surviving outside the walls were slim to none but, maybe that was the point. The point to rebel against their birdcage and to carry on exhibitions to the foreign land outside. A sense of hope forever lingered over the long tortured humans.

"We'll have to wait till this over to count and identity the dead." Arik said as he rubbed the back of his neck. A cigarette hung between his cracked lips, hair disheveled, and shirt hanging open to reveal a well built torso plucked free of hair. Scars peppered his body as well.

"Well," Marco yawned. "Who do you not see around us?"

Arik ran his eyes over the camping out scouts on the thick branches a couple meters above the ground. He recognized each face there. But, some familiar faces had vanished. He was beginning to have a good idea of who was missing in action or, MIA. Each leftover scout was either passed out leaning against someone else and the tree or they were awake and whispering amongst comrades.

"Trevor, Amber, Marissa, Erik, Connor, Lux, and many more." Arik pulled the cigarette from his lips and exhaled the smoke from his lungs, dispersing the burning from his lungs and into the air. He stood under the moonlight peaking through the leaves, letting the light glisten over his bronze skin.

"Yeah. How should we advance tomorrow?" Marco asked as he cleaned a sword with a torn off piece of cloth from a fallen soldier. He cleaned off all the blood and tissue he slashed through. It was a mix of human and Titan.

Arik brought the lit cigarette back up to his lips and inhaled then blew out the smoke from his lips. He dropped it onto the branch, stepped on it and squished it. He sat down beside Marco and leaned his back against the tree. He looked up, gazing past the thinning branches jutting out and passed the leaves to the clear night sky.

"Commander?" Marco stopped cleaning and twisted his head to the silent man beside him.

Arik chuckled softly. "Fuck it all, Captain, fuck it all. I don't mind dying at this point."

"Why do you say that?" Marco raised a quizzical brow.

"Because, Captain," Arik pointed back in the direction of Maria. "I have nothing or no one to go home to."

"What about your wife?" Marco questioned.

"She left. I...it was a confusing time, let's just leave it at that. I'm alone back home."

Marco sighed, pulling out a flask and tilted his head back and guzzled the alcohol down, ignoring the burning in his throat. He held it out to Arik, offering him a drink. Arik shrugged and took it graciously. He chugged down a huge gulp.

"Ah, much needed." Arik handed it back to Marco and wiped the excess liquid from his chin.

Marco screwed the cap on and tossed it over the edge of the branch, hearing it clatter onto the grass far below.

"Whatever happened with the twink? Didn't some shit go down a couple years back?"

Arik grimaced, sighing sadly. "Yeah but alas, it wasn't meant to be. I was still married and I couldn't dishonor my family. Trinity stirred bizarre feelings in my belly but, it wasn't supposed to be. Besides," He pointed to Sven and Trinity leaning on each other on the next branch, sleeping.