Some Scars Never Heal

Chapter 6-Deaths Playground

The longer they rode the more audible the thuds got. Her gut was twisting into knots inside her, it felt like riding to certain death. She couldn't get over how absolutely wrong this felt. The complete silence, the fidgeting animals, the tremors, it was all different. She didn't know what would cause it, but if the source of the odd rumblings would be the cause of her sisters death, she would do all she can to avoid it.

Everything in the world seemed to stop when she heard the first sound other than thudding and her horses feet. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized what it was.

Screaming.

So many people, it was faint, but it came from the small town. It sounded like chaos, the teen could only imagine what was happening. When time seemed to speed up again she ground her teeth together and kicked her horse in the sides. Her ever reliable steed listened and speeded his charge towards imminent danger.

She had to figure out why. The closer she got the louder the screams were. She was absolutely terrified, her hands shook in fear and the thuds shook her to her core. She could feel them through Echo's brief and fleet steps. The little village was just over this hill, she would finally find out what was haunting her these past days. She would figure out why she's been so afraid. She tried to stop her trembling hands, but she couldn't. It was all because of whatever these things are.

The closer the top of the hill came, the more she urged her steed to slow down. She had to know, but she didn't know if she wanted to. If she wanted to know why they were screaming, crying, begging for mercy or help. It felt like an eternity to simply reach the top of the hill, to have the sight of the village on full display to her, and what she saw the moment she crested the rise was like nothing one would have ever imagined.

Shivers ripped down her spine, racking her body in slight tremors. Her blood froze completely, turning as cold as ice, the pupils resting inside soft violet eyes constricted to the size of pinpoints at the gruesome sight. Time seemed to freeze in order to let her take in the view.

The town was bathed in blood.

It covered the walls, the small cobblestone streets, the shingles of the rooftops. Very few places were still clean. Limbs of the people she once knew were scattered throughout the village. A stray arm, foot, even a couple heads, simply strewn across the streets.

Then her eyes landed on the causes of the complete destruction.
They were massive.

The few seen varied in body proportions, height, and size. They were all somewhat humanoid, with the exception of completely off proportion body parts, and all of them walked with that slow lumbering gait. The creatures lifted every human being they could get their grubby hands on, all the way to their revolting mouth. They didn't care that the beings screamed and fought, they simply feasted, like an oversized goat at a buffet. It had taken almost too long for the train of thought in her head to stop and freeze on one fact, these disgusting creatures were titans... inside wall Maria.

Kitsune wanted to help the towns people, she really did, but she had to warn her family, she had to make sure they're safe. Time sped up as she tugged on Echo's mane, turning her back the direction they came, and they were off. She dug her heels into the steeds sides until they were moving at a speed faster than any time before.

So much was riding on getting to her house, her sister, her mother, her father, all of their lives, were riding on this. She felt the wind ripping through her hair, the white mane whipping her face.
She felt it tear the tears from her reddened cheeks.

The thunderous stomps of the titans followed her the whole way to her small home. That only faltered when she rode through he forest in between the plains and her family's homestead. Hopefully she could get them out in time.
She knew some of the giants followed her, she knew, but she didn't want to believe it. Kitsune didn't want to believe this was happening.

What in the name of the walls could have let the titans inside. The giant creations that protected them had stood strong for over 100 years, what changed. Those things only brought death where ever they went. Why were they even alive, roaming this world, trapping her own kind in a cage.

And just like any other thing, the fences to the sheep pen wore down and rotted with age. The whole time the wolves watched and waited, waited for a weak spot to appear, and when it did, they strike. Destroying they fence, and invading the corral, devouring everything in their path. The amount of blood shed was unrealistic and the horrified girl had to fight down a bout of nausea as an image of the village came to mind. The screams filled her ears and she realized the moment of terror. The blood, the body parts, it was all too much. The same questions that she had been thinking of earlier wormed their way into her thoughts.