Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12742356.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage
  Category:
      F/F, F/M, M/M
  Fandom:
      Shingeki_no_Kyojin_|_Attack_on_Titan, How_to_Train_Your_Dragon_(Movies)
  Relationship:
      Levi/Eren_Yeager, Mikasa_Ackerman/Jean_Kirstein, Armin_Arlert/Erwin
      Smith, Carla_Yeager/Grisha_Yeager, Bertolt_Hoover/Annie_Leonhart, Krista
      Lenz_|_Historia_Reiss/Ymir, Moblit_Berner/Hange_Zoë, Sasha_Blouse/Connie
      Springer
  Character:
      Eren_Yeager, Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Eren_Yeager's_Parents, Armin
      Arlert's_Grandfather, Armin_Arlert, cannon_fodder_-_Character, Jean
      Kirstein, Marco_Bott, Ymir_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Krista_Lenz_|_Historia
      Reiss, Reiner_Braun, Connie_Springer, Hange_Zoë, Rod_Reiss, Moblit
      Berner, Petra_Ral, Eld_Jinn, Gunther_Schultz, Oluo_Bozado, Sasha_Blouse,
      Hannes_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Keith_Shadis, Erwin_Smith, Annie_Leonhart,
      Mikasa_Ackerman, Dragons_-_Character
  Additional Tags:
      Crossover, Translation, Alternate_Universe_-_Dragons, Dragon_Riders, War,
      Alternate_Universe_-_Pirate, Top_Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Bottom_Eren
      Yeager, Omega_Eren_Yeager, Alpha_Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Omega_Armin
      Arlert, Mpreg, Top_Armin_Arlert, Armin's_Grandfather_is_called_Franklin.,
      (Because_Reasons...), Good_Parent_Grisha_Yeager, shocker_-_Freeform,
      Another_ABO_Fic, Alpha/Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Top_Jean_Kirstein, Hand_Jobs,
      Blow_Jobs, First_Time, First_Kiss, First_Love, Levi_&_Eren_Yeager_are_the
      Same_Age, long_ass_chapters
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-11-16 Chapters: 1/? Words: 9344
****** How To Train Your Dragon ******
by Easyan, SuperSizeKinkAnon
Summary
     This has Nothing to Do with the Movies! It's just set in the world!
     Shinganshina was a real paradise.
     It was a large and prolific Island. It had, a harbor, vast forests,
     and tall mountain peaks that were so tall even the hardiest man had
     trouble climbing it. It also possessed a great variety of defenses,
     like the steep rocky reefs that surrounded it, making any enemy
     approach almost impossible. It was only the natives of the island,
     the experienced navigators, who were entrusted with the heavy task of
     trading with the outside or defending the land, that knew enough
     about the waters to sail without danger.
     Shinganshina was really a place to live in ...
     At least if there was not, this little, very little problem ...
     "DRAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS! "
Notes
     This is not an exact translation. I had to add stuff that was not in
     the original and I may have tweaked the story a little for my own
     selfish reasons. It's nothing game changing.
  This work was inspired by
      How_To_Train_Your_Dragon by Easyan
Chapter 1: The Prodigal Son
Shinganshina was a real paradise.
It was a large and prolific Island. It had, a harbor, vast forests, and tall
mountain peaks that were so tall even the hardiest man had trouble climbing it.
It also possessed a great variety of defenses, like the steep rocky reefs that
surrounded it, making any enemy approach almost impossible. It was only the
natives of the island, the experienced navigators, who were entrusted with the
heavy task of trading with the outside or defending the land, that knew enough
about the waters to sail without danger.
Shinganshina prospered thanks to agriculture, the forge, and more importantly,
its breeding. Because the pastures of the island were so green and rich, it
allowed sheep, goats, chickens, horses, and cattle, to be breaded in abundance.
Year after year, Shinganshina consolidated its economic power that it had
gained from the ruthless era of piracy. It had been barely a hundred years
since the various dynasties of pirate chiefs had chosen to settle down. The
Jaëger emblem, one of the fiercest pirates' clans, had never been more imposing
than in the present, under the command of Grisha Jaëger, the undisputed leader
of Shinganshina.
Unyielding, fair, and determined, his people respected and revered him.
Loyalty, discipline, and courage were the creeds associated with the Jaëger
clan. His men were fearless, his ships splitting the water faster than any
other. Shinganshina was really a place to live in ...
At least if there was not, this little, very little problem ...
"DRAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS! "
The gong announcing an impending attack resounded throughout the village.
Immediately, everyone was in action, preparing for the hard fight. And
naturally, Eren was not left out... at least, he would have liked. With a sword
in hand, he was already about to leave the relative safety of his house when a
dry voice interrupted him, "Eren. Where do you think you are going?”
Eren froze standing in the doorway. Grisha looked at him imperturbably,
eyebrows raised. The man was already wearing copper armor, a shield to deflect
the flames, and his almost legendary weapon, a mace, so impressive that no one
could believe he was able to handle it with such agility, hung on his arm. Eren
raised his head and puffed out his chest and yelled "I am doing what everyone
is doing! I am preparing for battle!”
Grisha heaved out long sigh before striding toward his son and said, "I clearly
do not have time to take care of you! This is the third Dragon attack this
month!”
“More reason to let me help!” Eren yelled.
Grisha gripped his son by the collar and began to drag him after him while
reprimanding him, "Eren, we've talked about it a thousand times! You're not
allowed to fight, you must...”
“All because I'm an Omega!” Eren screamed.
Without stopping for a second, Grisha continued to pull firmly the teenager who
was stamping under his grip and said, "Exactly! But it's mostly because you're
my son! My only son! Shinganshina will need you soon...”
“Need me?! They need the blood from my descendants! That's it, isn’t?!” Eren
yelled.
As Eren yelled a shadow passed over their heads. Shouts rang out everywhere.
The fighting was going well. A few houses were in flames and the howling of the
cattle added to the ambience of total chaos. Grisha clenched his teeth and said
roughly, "Yes! That's it! You're not even able to carry a sword worthy of the
Jaëger name, how do you plan to fight them, huh?”
“It's not the size that counts, it's how we use it! We never told you that
Daddy?” Eren yelled out passionately.
The man rolled his eyes and with a well-placed kick opened the smithy door
loudly before screaming, "Frank! I entrust you with Eren!”
The old blacksmith lifted his head and nodded cheerfully, "Do not worry, I'll
take care of Grisha”
The old blacksmith turned his to Eren and kindly said, “Eren, come help Armin."
“I do not want to help out at the forge! Dad!” Eren yelled.
But already, without paying him the slightest attention, Grisha had turned his
back and left, taking care to close the door behind him. The enraged teenager
dropped the sword he was holding in his hand and gave a scream filled with
frustration and anger. The old blacksmith smiled, wiping his hands in his
charred apron and said, "Come on Eren, you know very well that he is just
trying to protect you from hurting yourself.”
“Protect me?! But, I'm his son! I am the next Shinganshina Chief! I am supposed
to inherit the fleet. He cannot continue to treat me like a baby!” Eren yelled
out at the old man.
"Nonsense, your future husband will inherit the fleet and the village." Said
the old man.
Eren glared at the old man. Despite his advanced age, Franklin Arlert was a
tall fellow, with a slightly curved spine, but his muscular stature still
allowed him to work and fight like he was a young adult. He had braided his
long white hair into a thick braid, and his beard was carefully shaved to avoid
accidents with the ovens of the forge. His skin was tanned like old leather and
he had large and powerful hands. He slammed one of them on Eren's shoulders and
exclaimed, "What's wrong with being an omega, son? It is extremely rare! And
your children will be stronger than...”
“I'm not a damn baby machine!” Eren said through his gritted teeth.
The back door opened more than it already was, and Armin stepped out from
behind it. The blond had, unfortunately for him, inherited the stature of his
mother. He was small, frail, and pale, and the inhabitants of Shinganshina
looked cruelly at his general appearance, even though he spent as much time as
his grandfather near the infernal fires of the forge.
Armin gave him one of his smiles that shined brighter than the sun itself and
said, "Eren!”
Eren swallowed a little bit of his anger to approach his best friend, unable to
prevent himself from stomping every single step. The blond hugged him briefly,
his eyes shining and said, "I thought I heard yelling?! Are you still trying to
convince your father to let you participate in the dragon hunt?”
Eren frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, "Of course! Nobody hates
these dirty beasts as much me! Also, I am perfectly able to fight!”
Armin sighed and said. "Eren, you're not able to lift the weapons mad to kill
Dragons. How do you plan to confront them without a weapon?”
Eren gripped Armin’s shoulders forcefully and said, "I plan to fight them your
help! Your inventions are perfect Armin! We don’t need to have the brute force
of an Alpha to become a warrior worthy of the name! With your help, I'm sure
I'll be able to prove to everyone that..."
Franklin coughed interrupting them dryly and said, “Eren. As delighted as I am
to see that you have not lost your determination to prove that you can
accomplish the impossible, I will have to ask you to stop putting these wacky
ideas in Armin's head. His 'inventions' are just a useless waste of time and
energy! It would be much better for him to use the lessons he learned at the
forge to assist his future husband when it comes time for me to retire. Stop
encouraging him in his childishness!”
Eren's jaw tightened and Armin looked down. They were both Omegas. Which meant
that even if they were both males primarily, they were still able to carry
children. And not just any kids, solid and sturdy Alphas or even better, other
Omegas. Moreover, they did not possess the strength or the same regenerative
capacity as the Alphas or Betas of the village. This, in the opinion of all,
was enough to make them as unfit for combat, as were a small percentage of the
village women, the infirm, or the very old. Eren could not be more mortified
than by this assertion. Just as much as he despised all the tales of good women
who portrayed the Omegas as 'Breeders', unable to take life from the most
insignificant of creatures because of their unusual maternal instincts or their
natural inclination to gentleness.
All of that, is a complete lie to make omegas look weak. But, they could be
fierce and hateful as well. Eren was the living proof. Since an attack by
Dragons had snatched his mother from him as an infant, there were no one on the
island that hated the dirty beasts more than Eren. Also, when morons had
started to systematically attack Armin, Eren had never hesitated to throw
himself into the fray to inflict as much damage as he could. It was also one of
the reasons why they were so inseparable today.
Armin grabbed Eren's sleeve and said, "Come on. Let's go to the back shop.”
Franklin had already gone back to work again, carefully preparing a new
Dragonwing sword. Without saying a word, Eren followed his friend. He knew he
was wrong to try and convince the blond while his grandfather could hear them.
Eren was known throughout the village for his unorthodox attitude and his habit
of getting into fights with the local Alphas. But Armin did not cause trouble.
According to Hanji, the Village Healer, Franklin's heart was fragile, and that
the blonde was doing everything possible to make his grandfather’s life easier.
But Armin wouldn’t let that stop him from pursing his passion. Armin dragged
Eren to a dusty corner of the design studio, and without hesitation, lifted the
heavy blanket that hid a wooden barrel. Eren gave Armin his best smile and
together they each grabbed one side of the water barrel and moved it to the
side, to uncover the hatch it was hiding.
Many years ago, Franklin had decided to seal the entrance to the cellar,
following torrential rains that had flooded the place. But since then, the
water was a distant memory and Armin had used this discovery to store his small
illegal experiments.
The door of the forge had just opened with a crash and panicked voices were
talking with the blacksmith, "We need your help Franklin! Nightmares are
setting the town on fire! We urgently need you take water from the well to stop
fires in the North!”
Monstrous Nightmares were surely the worst kind of Dragons possible. They were
about 18 meters long, had an incandescent red skin streaked with black, their
belly a deceptively soft cream color, and more importantly, they could ignite
entirely. Crossing the sky like a giant fireball, surly a nightmarish vision
for anyone who laid eyes on one of them. They were ferocious and rare and a
monstrous difficulty to kill.
The village was going to undergo some serious damage. Both the Men and the
buildings will burn today. Eren hoped with all his heart that his father would
get away without injuries this time. Although, Grisha complained of the warlike
character of his son, Eren had not inherited much of his audacity.
The chief never hesitated to go to the front line. He had an impressive
quantity of Dragon corpses on his mantel and he was always eager to add more.
Eren and his father butted heads more often than they could discuss anything
calmly, but at the mere thought of losing him, the teenager felt like he was
being crushed with a hammer. Armin put a reassuring hand on his forearm and
said confidently, "Don’t worry, he'll be fine. He always is when these types of
things happen. Your father is the fiercest of the Warriors, it's not his first
Nightmare.”
Eren was struggling to swallow, but he nodded nonetheless. His neck stiffened
by the tension that invaded his shoulders. Often, Armin's ability to understand
his anxieties without him even having to express them aloud seemed like a gift
from the gods. Franklin shouted suddenly, "Armin! Eren! You stay in there! I
need to give a quick hand to help get the water to put out the fires! Armin,
I'm counting on you to dissuade Eren from playing Hero!”
The front door closed with a crash. The two Omegas took a quick look and then,
as one, they rushed into the hatch. Armin had already lit the torches that were
hanging on the stone walls. In front of them were several blankets. The fair-
haired boy walked with an assured step, the one he had only in the intimacy of
his secret realm, towards his most recent invention. He paused a few steps from
it and grabbed the blanket covering it. And with an energy so pure it could
make the cruelest man smile, Armin pulled the blanket off and moved out the way
exclaiming, "I present to you, 'The Crossbow'!”
“Ah Ha! Did you get inspired by a normal bow?” Eren had approached, his eyes
shining.
Armin had an unparalleled talent for inventing all kinds of objects and
weapons, each more ingenious than the last. Armin continued his presentation,
with a big smile, "I haven’t been able to make an arrow that would survive the
pressure of the shot or that could, without error, pierce the skin of a Dragon,
but I do have this!”
Armin leaned forward to lift a thick net whose ends were weighted with one
stone each. Intrigued by the net, Eren helped Armin carry his burden. The blond
explained, "The Crossbow allows you to shoot that at your target. The net
unfolds in the open air! Just place it in there."
Armin opened a strange wooden box that sat on the large wooden table they had
improvised in the absence of Franklin, thanks to a thick board that they had
borrowed during the construction of a new cottage one or two years earlier.
They had a bitch of time to make it go down through the hatch, but it was well
worth it when they had finally succeeded.
Eren shouted out, "This is fantastic Armin! With this net, we can improve our
catch rate! This we will allow us to imprison more Dragon’s, so that we will be
able to train more warriors easier!"
The blond blushed from the compliment and then he scratched his throat and
said, "Maybe, but today's attack just reminded me that a simple net trick will
surely not help us face a Monstrous Nightmare. It can just set the net on fire
and escape. And what about a Hideous Zippleback? It will be just as
inefficient. They have two heads, one of them could…"
Eren let out a low threating growl and let go of the net he was holding causing
Armin to lose his balance and almost fall forward. Eren frowned and began to
reprimand Armin, "Stop saying your inventions wouldn’t work! What’s the point
of inventing something if you’re just going to defeat yourself. Nobody had this
idea before you! Not me, not my dad, not your grandpa, and not even Hanji! You
can still improve it! You don’t have to automatically destroy your progress,
just because you think it may not work on the first try!
The blond boy pushed the net in the box and lowered his eyes, "You're right,
Eren."
Eren patted Armin’s shoulder and said, "Keep your head high Armin! With a
little more effort and we will show all those pretentious Alphas that everyone
can shoot a Dragon as well as they can!”
Armin gave Eren one of his shy smiles. Eren rolled up his sleeves and asked,
"What can I help you with?”
His best friend smiled more beautiful and rolled up his sleeves in turn and
said, "I had this idea to create a metal arrow that will be able to kills a
Dragon by itself.”
* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x
* x * x * x * x *
As expected, the village had suffered more damage than usual. In the end,
Grisha and Keith Shadis, his faithful right hand, had managed to knock out and
capture the terrible Monstrous Nightmare. And as with every new attack,
Shinganshina waded in a greyish mood. Those that achieved a new victory were
feasting, while the dead were mourned. Reconstruction began on the houses that
were destroyed in the attack and a count was taken to find out how many cattle
the winged monsters had stolen from the fields. The Dragons always took sheep,
cows, or others with them, and spread terror on their way. The Dragons seemed
to think that the island was their own personal hunting ground and it was a
complete headache for the residents.
As after each attack, Grisha returned well after his usual time. His body was
blackened with ashes, and the dirt made it difficult to see any burns or
injuries. Eren’s father had barley entered the house when Eren was already
helping him get rid of his armor, taking advantage to examine it for any
damage. Grisha sighed, and fell back into his chair, just a stone's throw from
the front door and said, "This is the third attack this month. It looks like
these dirty beasts are getting hungrier every single day."
 
Eren gritted his teeth as his father continued his momentum, "I think we need
to plan a new trip out to sea in the hope of finally finding their nest and
finally rid ourselves problem once and for all."
The teenager widened his eyes and raised his head suddenly and yelled, "What?!
You can’t do that! The last time we tried to wipe out the we lost a quarter of
our fleet without even finding the place!
Grisha sighed and forcibly asked, “What do you recommend then? Do you want all
of us to starve to death at the claws of these vile creatures?!”
Eren swung his fist through the air and yelled, “Dying at sea will not save us
anymore than us sitting here and doing nothing!”
They stared at each other for a moment until Grisha stood up and pushed his son
out of the way and stomped off toward the bathroom. Eren followed his dad and
yelled, "Your limping!”
Grisha sighed and said, “I had a bad fall, that's all. In a few days it will be
back to normal.”
Eren scoffed, “I bet you didn’t even visit Hanji.”
Grisha shook his head and said, “She had a lot to do tonight, Eren. There were
people with more serious injuries than me, and they are still waiting for her
to be able to help them. I can wait."
Eren had already taken care to fill the large basin that they used to clean
themselves, while he was waiting for his father to return. All Grisha had to do
was get in. The man undressed under the scrutiny of his son. Eren was relieved
to see that his dad only had a few minor burns on his arms and legs, with no
new scars on his father's hardened body. Grisha dropped softly into the bowl of
hot water and sighed with pleasure.
Eren picked up the big bath sponge and began scrubbing his father's back while
Grisha washed his face in silence. They always agreed that they would have
these kinds of moments after a Dragon attack. It was a way for Grisha to
decompress and for Eren it was a chance for him to make sure that his father
was still alive and that he had no serious injury that could kill him. After a
few minutes of scrubbing his dad, the teenager asked, "How much livestock did
we lose this this time?”
Grisha grunted and said, "We will not be able to sell sheep this year. We
barely have enough left to fill the flock."
Eren clenched his fists and yelled, "And you think it's a good idea to risk our
ships in a suicide attack on a nest, whose location we do not even know?! You
will still end up dying, before you even have a chance of making it pass a
fifth of the way through the Death Fog!
Grisha frowned and yelled, "Eren! We have already discussed it!”
Eren laughed and yelled, “No! You just talked about it and ignored absolutely
everything I had to say, as usual!”
Grisha ran a hand over his face, visibly exhausted. Eren took the opportunity
to add, "Seriously! Dad, at least, with our boats in working order, we will be
able to repel enemy attacks and perhaps we can also fill our crates with
plunder.”
Grisha scoffed and asked, “By playing the Pirates without faith or law? Son! It
has been over a hundred years since our ancestors realized that piracy was not
a viable way to prosper. We have chosen to establish ourselves, we have formed
some commercial alliances, and we are not going to sabotage our future just
because we have been unable to protect our animals against those annoying
Dragons!”
With these words Grisha straightened up and left the wooden basin. He grabbed
his towel and faced his son. His green eyes of water were sharp when he added,
"Everyone is doing best to repel the threat of heaven, son. And the only thing
that allows us all to survive are the bonds that we managed to weave with our
neighbors. We will not start breaking these links by looting our allies! So,
start thinking like a true Chief before you want to take up arms."
Eren blushed with shame before replying, "I'm not afraid of Dragons! But
finding their nest is…”
Grisha held up his hand and said, “Eren, I'm exhausted. We need to begin
repairs tomorrow and we also need to start preparing the next expedition.
Hopefully, we will solve the problem before the next attack. In the meantime, I
need sleep and you should head to bed too.”
Dry and clean, Grisha put on his long tunic and left the bathroom. Eren looked
down at the bath sponge and saw that he was squeezing it so tightly that his
knuckles had turned white.
As more time passed, Eren felt the sense of urgency to finally prove himself.
He wanted to have a voice, to finally be seen with pride and gratitude by
father, that he would probably have won long ago if he had the chance to be
born an Alpha. If Grisha had had the opportunity to have another child before
his mother was killed, maybe he would not have felt so bad about being an
Omega. The idea of not being able to meet the expectations that he was entitled
to have, because he was the sole heir of an ancient dynasty of Pirates. But
life had not given him the gift of being an Alpha and Eren, just as his mother
had been, was an Omega. Unfit to lead the fight that decimated his people and
threatened the prosperity of his island. But, Eren was an Omega that refused to
admit defeat.
* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x
* x * x * x * x *
When he was not taking writing, reading, and history lessons with the village
elder, Eren was trying to make himself useful where he could. He went to the
woods and helped to transport materials for the reconstruction of the village.
He went to the fields to help save the plants that had not been completely
burned or to cultivate the fields that had been spared by the attacks. He
participated in some construction sites. He helped in the forge to replace the
weapons that had been destroyed in the fight against the Dragons. He even went
fishing or hunting with the Fishermen or the Trackers. Eren did anything that
could to help the village and although he had the gift of always getting into
trouble, all the villagers extremely appreciated him.
Yet the place he preferred to be outside of Armin's secret workshop was
Hanji's, who was the Healer and Herbalist of the village. Hanji was extremely
particular. She had been the very young disciple of Carla, Eren's mother,
during her lifetime. Hanji was a bit zany, energetic, and noisy, but she was a
very special woman who, in the opinion of all, certainly had several mental
problems. But, she was also the most gifted healer in the history of village,
so she was forgiven for her shenanigans. Hanji had always, discreetly,
encouraged Eren to look much further than his Omega condition. She had always
told him that a simple hereditary determination could not decide his future or
his dreams. Eren was very fond of Hanji. She did not hesitate to say what she
thought and always found a way to affirm her thoughts. Even when she was the
only one in the world to think as she did.
The Dragons fascinated Hanji. They did not frighten her, or at least not as
much as most humans. Instead, they fascinated her. She almost worshiped them.
Some of her words were simply terrifying. When a Viper Dragon had burned her
parents alive, she had only survived because a trio of Warriors had arrived in
time to kill the monster. She had seen her father and mother burned alive.
Since then, the Village Elders sincerely thought that Hanji was completely
insane. Instead of hating the killers of her parents, she had started to become
infatuated with them. Some would even dare to say that she loved them. Although
she never said it herself. Her obsession could have caused a lot of trouble in
the village but on the contrary, it had become an asset.
Thanks to her, the villagers learned that percussions disoriented the Dragons.
That they had different weaknesses by species. Hanji had also discovered that
not all species of dragons could breathe fire. She had listed and detailed them
with passion and meticulousness in six categories. Blasters who made use of
other things than simple fire, the Trackers who were much more comfortable on
the ground, Rocky Dragons with a thick hide that prevented them from receiving
a lot of damage, but at the same time caused them to move slowly, Sailors who
could spend some time underwater and attacked mainly with the help of sound,
the Enlightened, such as the Monstrous Nightmare, and then there were the
Mysterious, the Dragons with abilities that seemed totally different from those
possessed by the other categories.
Hanji had demonstrated that this knowledge about the Dragons indispensable and
thus she had earned the right to be different. Eren liked being in her company
because she never tried to change him or convince him that he had to play a
predefined role. For that, he was even ready to close his eyes on her
disturbing love for the worst creatures that the Earth can carry.
“Eren, I know you had a bad time." Hanji said as she continued to bandage the
arm of the girl who faced her without looking up at the Healer. Her perky voice
put Eren’s nerves on edge. Hanji was delighted with the discomfort of her
interlocutors, no wonder she decided to settle right next to Eren to continue
her monologue, "Are you still angry because your beloved Papa had forbidden you
to participate in the last Dragon attack, or have you found a new reason to
scream at your Dad? You Jaëgers sure do have a funny way of showing your love
for each other." Eren glared at him.
The girl thanked Hanji and quickly left the consultation room of the cottage.
Hanji had barely raised an eyebrow under the piercing gaze of the teenager. She
exclaimed, "I know I've already said it a thousand times, but you look just
like your mother! The only thing you inherited from your father was his
beautiful eyes, a true work of art."
Eren frowned and said, "Thank you Hanji, but it pains to tell you, even though
you are a beautiful Alpha, you're a little too old to try court to me."
The healer busted out laughing. The teenager straightened up and began
replenishing the pots of ointments and potions on the shelf. Hanji barely
calmed down when he finished the first row of jars. She caught her breath and
asked, "What's going on Eren? I can see that something is bothering you. You
know you can talk to me about anything.”
The teenager hesitated for a split second then exploded, "My dad wants to go on
an expedition again to find the nest! This subject had weighed on my heart for
a little over two weeks.”
The village had not suffered any other attack since then and Grisha had seen
the perfect opportunity to put his plans into action. Eren was still not
convinced of the merits of such a maneuver. It was not because the Dragons were
the worst threat that one should automatically forget that men were also
dangerous. Although the Jaegers refused to plunge back into piracy in difficult
times, some clans were not so honorable. They raised their flags and plundered
allied, enemy ships, and they even attacked villages whose protection had been
diminished by the absence of some of their Warriors and Sailors.
Going in search of the hypothetical nest of the Dragons so close to the Monsoon
season, was absolute suicide. Everyone imagined that Death himself was on the
other side of the Death Fog, but that part of the oceans did not get his name
for nothing. It was impossible to navigate. If you didn’t get stuck on the
reefs concealed by the mist, then you’d either end up in the stomach of a
Thousand-Thunders Dragon, or burnt to a fine crisp by any other Dragons that
just so happened to pass near the fleet. Humans were unable to see anything
within 10 meters of the Fog, the Dragons however, did not have the slightest
trouble detecting and attacking the enemy in such conditions.
Eren felt that his father was giving way to despair and rage rather than any
thoughtful decisions. And he hated to think that this could be the moment when
Grisha signed his death warrant.
Eren was barely fifteen years old. He was not ready to take over for the great
Grisha Jaëger, although he does not doubt that he will be able to do it one
day. Eren wasn’t ready to lose his Father, the last family. Eren felt his heart
sink again. Hanji had remained silent, which is a rare case for her. Eren
turned to her, intrigued. Her nose was wrinkled, and she had her eyes closed,
as she liked to do when she was thinking hard about something. Her thick brown
hair was tied into a poorly made ponytail, her arms crossed over her chest. She
never took care of her appearance because she could care less about how she
looked. At almost thirty years old, despite her gracious and attractive face,
Hanji did not have any trying to claim her. Eren often suspected that they were
purposely running away from Hanji. She opened her eyes again and sighed, “It is
their territory. I guess Grisha hasn’t really digested the fact that one of
them could snatch your mother out of his own home."
Eren looked down and bit his bottom lip. Very few people were still talking
about the night Carla had been snatched from her family by a Dragon, in a full
nighttime attack. When the vile monster set their home on fire, Grisha had
braved the flames to rescue their son, but the vile beast had made off with his
mate. It was a painful memory for their Chief. Finding a true mate was
extremely rare. The Alpha / Omega pairs were famous for offering a strong
lineage, and when the pair are predestined to meet, it was a Jackpot. When Eren
remembered that he was the result of a true mate union, he could not help but
think that all those stories about destiny and the perfect pair were still a
nice pile of bullshit. What was so special about him? He was slender, but his
muscular stature had remained fine even though he was as physically fit as any
Alpha of his age. Although, didn’t have super human strength, and he didn’t
have the extraordinary power of regeneration.
Hanji put a hand on his shoulder before squeezing it briefly and said, “Don’t
worry Eren. I will try and to talk to your father, to stop him from doing
anything too stupid."
Eren let out a bitter chuckle and said, "Good luck with that. When he has an
idea in his head, no one can take it from him."
Now it was Hanji's turn to sneer, "Like father, like son!”
Just then a new heard of villagers arrived in the consultation room. These
villagers were the ones that received the least amount of damage from the last
attack. There were the people who had only a few scratches or burns that were
difficult to heal, or those who suffered from various strains or badly placed
bruises, and of the usual regulars that consisted of the cripples and the old
bastards that had troubles taking care of themselves. Hanji never had time to
rest.
* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x
* x * x * x * x *
That evening, Grisha came home on time. Eren had already prepared dinner, set
the table, and was quietly curled up in a corner of the living room, surrounded
by a pile of woolen blankets, with a book in his hand, when his father entered
the house, scowling. The young Omega looked up as Grisha's angry shadow
overshadowed him. Grisha’s piercing gaze flashed like lightning as he yelled "I
can’t believe you dared to complain to Hanji!”
The teenager grimaced. Hanji was willing to help, but she wasn’t diplomatic
enough or discreet enough to avoid a backlash. Eren sighed and looked up at his
father, looking sullen as farther yelled, "I guess I have to make you
understand reason, right? This is for the good of the people!”
Grisha ordered Eren to stand up with a wave of his hand. They looked at each
other in silence. Then Grisha ran a nervous hand over his face. A gesture he
tended to make when he simply did not know what to do with his son. In other
words, it was almost a real tic. The man snarled, "It's not your role to make
decisions! Your role is to learn our history and our treaties, to ensure the
future of our way of life and our…”
Eren snarled back at his father, “I don’t want a stupid secondary role! I want
to be a Chief, just like you! I want to be able to make the decisions that will
affect the lives of our people! If I had been an Alpha you would have listened
to my opinion and…”
Grisha interrupted Eren by screaming loud enough for the entire village to
hear, “But you're not a god damn Alpha!!!”
Eren jumped under the violence of the scream. Grisha himself seemed surprised
by the force of his exclamation. The teenager moved away, his eyes lowered and
said, "That's the whole problem, isn’t it? Why did Mom have to give you such a
useless, worthless, troublemaking, Omega?"
Grisha stepped forward, hands in the air, not knowing what to do to comfort his
son. He wanted to hug him, but Eren tended to take a bad show of affection when
he was angry. The Alpha lowered his arms, displeased, and said, "Eren, you know
very well that is not what I meant…”
Eren snapped back, “That's exactly what you meant. You never even given me the
slightest chance to prove myself! All you do is had me over to Armin’s
grandfather every time trouble rears its head!”
Grisha sighed and said, “Eren, you're different, but different does not
necessarily mean bad, you know, that right?”
Eren scoffed, “Different means, different. I'm not what you expected!”
"My son, you…" Grisha finally yielded to his first impulse and placed both
hands on the teenager's shoulders, even though he refrained from pressing Eren
up against him. Their eyes met. Eren's eyes were off, they looked hurt. The
Omega might make him turn into a jerk, but Grisha hated not being able to read
his son’s magnetic gaze, the same sparkling flame that animated him when he was
leading the village. The Alpha declared with renewed determination, "You are my
son. My heir. And I thank all the gods for giving me strength to save your life
that night we lost your mother. But you are different and therefore, I expect
different things from you.”
Eren push his father away and yelled, “I don’t want to be different! I just
want to be your son! I want to have my place and not just serve as a
springboard for any Alpha that I have been forced to marry because I know all
they want is power!”
Grisha sighed and said, “No one will force you to marry anyone. You will choose
your mate in time. Whoever has won your favor and is worthy…
Eren crossed his arms and yelled, “Go fuck yourself!”
Grisha sighed again and said, “Eren, you... You must understand that the
future, the future, is something much more precious than the present and the
past together. That's what I'm telling you, that's what I see when I look at
you. A future. That's what I protect when I protect you...”
Eren snorted and asked, “What's the good in having a future if I am not able to
hold on to myself? What good is a future if I am weak and useless?!”
Grisha met Eren’s gaze and said, “Eren..."
They stared at each other in silence for a while, until Grisha raised his arms
in sign of forgiveness, and said, "All right, you win.”
Eren blinked, surprised, and asked, "What did I win?”
The Alpha took a few steps towards the table, "I accept that we can make
compromises. It's been months since the war started and I'm exhausted."
Eyes wide, Eren rushed to the pot that was heating in the den of the fireplace.
He wanted to take advantage of the moment, where finally, the impenetrable
barriers of his father seemed to lower. The teen served him a full plate of
stew, his hands shaking with nervousness. What was he going to ask? What kind
of agreement would he manage to get from his father? Eren got some stew for
himself and sat down at the table.
Grisha began, "I want you to learn History, and I want you to learn how to read
and write."
Eren nodded sharply and asked, "I want to learn how to fight the Dragons with
other young Alphas and Betas my age."
Grisha swallowed a spoonful of stew and replied, "Very well. You will also
learn how to fight the Dragons in the arena when the training season begins."
Mouth open, the teen stared at his father without moving. He was about to jump
with joy, fists in the air, when his father added, "In return, you will accept
to shelter yourself with the Armin’s grandfather when I give the order.”
Eren’s eyes widen and he asked, “What? But what's the use of teaching me to
defend myself if I am just...”
Grisha held up his hand and said, “Eren, either you accept the compromise, or
it vanishes. It's like that.”
The teenager’s twitched his jaw, and thought fast and then he gritted his teeth
and said, "All right. I accept.”
Eren didn’t argue because when is fully trained he could finally prove to his
father that he was quite capable of fighting alongside the Warriors. In the
meantime, the most important thing was to have access to the training grounds.
Eren kept going, "I do not want you to lead a new expedition in search of the
nest until the next Spring."
Grisha paused, and then he admitted, "Hanji talked about her doubts today on
the council. I will agree to postpone the Expedition until next spring
arrives.”
Eren smiled at him, delighted, "Great! We will need every possible arm to
consolidate the houses, drive the flocks and trade when the sea begins to
freeze. In addition, dragons are more ferocious in winter so...”
Grisha quickly interrupted and said, “In exchange, I want you to accept the
Alphas requests as soon as you turn sixteen.”
Eren felt a stone fall into his stomach. Requests allowed the clan's Alphas to
officially start courting him. Give him gifts, ask for appointments. Although
Eren retains the right to reject any Request that displeases him, it was
usually not a good idea to extend the time of Requests for more than a year.
His father wanted to make sure he was married as soon as possible. The teenager
lowered his eyes, his hand tightened around his spoon. He refused to be demoted
only to the rank of a trophy.
He refused to only be the Mate of the future Chief. But he could not risk the
future of the village for such selfish reasons. It was not the attitude
expected of a future leader. Grisha knew it and he knew above all that his son
was fully aware of it. Eren could not refuse this deal, especially if it
allowed him to postpone the next Expedition. The Omega was once again the
victim of one of his father's strategies, a lesson that was hard to acquire.
The sense of duty. Eren lifted his head and said in a firm voice, "It’s a
Deal.”
They were still staring at each smiling when the chilling sound of a gong
shattered the silence of the night. The sound was followed very closely by the
terrifying howl of the sentry, "DDDRRRAAAGGGOOONNNSSS! "
* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x
* x * x * x * x *
Night attacks were without a doubt the absolute worst thing ever. They are
events that should only ever happen in hell. Even the best sentries could only
spot the swarm of Dragons when they were just a few feet away. These surgical
strikes were usually quick, deadly, and extremely expensive in terms of
livestock and material damage. They were so sudden in fact, even the strongest
warriors in the village had trouble defending themselves against the invaders.
In a few minutes, Grisha had already donned his armor and grabbed his weapon.
He glanced furtively at his son. The teenager’s pupils were dilated with fear
as he stood in the middle of the living room, petrified. Eren was only an
infant when Carla had been snatched away in the clutches of a Dragon, so
whenever a night attack happens, it causes Eren to freeze, which lead Grisha to
believe Eren still suffers trauma from that horrible night. Most of the time,
the Alpha had to fight against Eren to prevent him from taking up arms and
joining the fray. The night time attacks however, simply made Eren incapable of
any logical reaction.
Grisha yelled out, "Eren!”
The teenager jumped and clenched his fists. Once Grisha was certain that he had
Eren’s attention, the man ordered, "Go and hide at the forge and do not leave!”
Eren nodded softly and quickly put on a pair of shoes. The forge was one of the
only buildings that benefited from the natural protection of a rocky section
that made it almost impossible to be attack from the air. It was buried in the
wall of the cliff, and with its protection and its proximity to the village
center, it was a very important strategic point. The well of water that
Franklin used to cool his works allowed them to extinguish the multitude fires
started by dragons and it allowed them to store water for hard times. The
second building to benefit from this geographical advantage was the Hut. A huge
construction that was matched only by the Coliseum where the training and the
Warrior Festival were held. It welcomed the villagers unable to fight in case
of an attack and the Elders stayed there permanently. It was also the place
where the important figures of the village gathered to make all the decisions.
As Grisha's house was only a few steps away from the forge, it was obvious that
he would choose the safest and nearest place to house his son. The situation
was dire, because Franklin Arlert one of the best Warriors Shinganshina had
ever known in his youth, was, was also helping, even though he was relieved
from combat because of his medical condition. Grisha opened the door with a
sudden gesture and rushed out into the night, screaming like a banshee. Eren
took his time to catch his breath and struggled to ignore the furious beatings
of his heart as he also left the relative safety of his cottage.
As Eren ran outside, he saw that Shinganshina was in flames. The giant torches
that allowed the sentries to scrutinize the darkness from the top of their
watchtower were irrelevant. Fires broke out everywhere, unopposed by the
inhabits of Shinganshina. Eren had not even walked ten steps when he saw him in
the distance. An ugly, pissed off, Zippleback. It was eleven meters in length.
Its greenish scales were stained with a purple color that seemed to burn in the
night. His two heads were screaming, flailing from side to side, threatening to
impale anyone with its horns, that had decided to try and get close to it.
The Zippleback may not have a significant amount of fire, but each one of his
fire attacks was devastatingly dramatic. One of the heads spit out a greenish
gas, very fragrant, and the second ignited with a spark. Their flames covered
an extended area and had the ability of being able to stay in the air for
several minutes. The only chance the villagers had was to through water in the
open mouth of the head that was responsible for providing the deadly spark.
Eren could fell his blood freeze. The presence of a Zippleback usually involved
the presence of a swarm of Terrible Terrors. These Dragons were barely fifty
centimeters tall but couldn’t be snappier than they already were. They were
able to shoot at least ten fireballs before falling back on their claws and
sharp fangs to shred their enemies. They moved in pack, adding to their attack
strength, and some number advantage. They usually targeted chickens, lambs, or
calves, but caused a significant amount of crop damage as well. Their
appearance was reminiscent of the Monstrous Nightmares, they had zebra stripes,
wore two horns on the top of their skulls, and had large triangular spines
along the spine.
As soon as the thought crossed Eren's mind, a Terror had landed a few meters
away from him. She uttered a shrill, threatening cry, staring at him with
narrowed eyes and protruding fangs. Not even wasting a second the Omega grabbed
the nearest stone and without an ounce of hesitation, threw it at the Dragon’s
head. The beast uttered a little cry of surprise and backed up a, slightly
dizzy. As soon as the dragon backed up the Omega took off running. He had run
out of breath when a noise broke through the night. As if the wind had been cut
in half. Suddenly, an incandescent blue ball of fire soared through the sky to
hit the house to Eren’s left. The explosion threw him to the ground, a shower
of dust, wood and a few pieces of rock hit him from all sides. Eren groaned.
His ears were ringing, and the heat of the fire already caressed his skin.
Yet Eren had no trouble hearing the mad cry that pierced the dancing shadows of
the inflamed darkness, "NIGHT FURY!!!”
The teenager's heart skipped a beat. A Night Fury? No! Impossible. Eren tried
to straighten up. The Night Furies were the worst kind of plague, no other
Dragons were even comparable. Nobody had ever seen one, or even manage to kill
one. It was the ultimate enemy of the human species. A mystical creature that
melted into the darkest night, that could spit out an unlimited number of
explosive blue fireballs. This fast and elusive Dragon was considered the only
child of thunder and death. The characteristic noise of its flight that hissed
through the air, was reminiscent of crackling lightning. Eren finally
straightened up, staggering.
Many of the Warriors were occupied by their confrontation against the
Zippleback, as the Terrors looted the houses, and attacked some villagers that
were barely armed. Children and teenagers were trying in vain to extinguish the
fires that were spreading everywhere. The death toll was going to be
catastrophic. The teenager let his arms fall down his sides, his heart was
beating faster than ever. Rampant. Blood was pounding him in the temples. Eren
clenched his fists. Shinganshina was his home. His haven of peace. Those men
and women who faced death were his people. No offense to his father, the
Ancients and all the thoughtful gods of his people, being an Omega did not
prevent him from wanting to defend his territory. He turned his back on the
battle and without losing a minute Eren ran to the Forge.
As Eren pushed open the door, he saw Armin standing in the middle of the room
alone, holding a hammer and crying. At the boy’s feet was an unconscious
Terror. Eren didn’t even have time to ask Armin the slightest question, when
the blonde started yelling, "Grandpa has gone to help with the fires! As soon
he left a terror broke in here! The ground is shaking, and I can smell fires!
Eren what's going on!?”
The teenager walked passed Armin towards the back room and said, "Zippleback
and Night Fury."
Armin let out a desperate moan and followed his best friend, shaking, "What? A
Fury? No! I hoped there were no more!!”
Eren let out a choked laugh and said, “I guess we all hoped in vain then. The
capture of the last Nightmare had to of convince the Dragons to send some heavy
artillery. Or these dirty beasts are as desperate as we are when the monsoons
come.”
The Omega threw the heavy blanket off the barrel with a sudden gesture and
without even asking for help from his friend, he moved the barrel of water that
covered the secret hatch. Armin who was surprised with Eren’s actions asked,
"Eren, what are you doing?!”
Eren snarled, “I do not care about their reasons. If the Fury is here to send a
message, I intend to send them one too. Something that will dissuade them from
coming back to bother us for a long time.”
Armin titled his head and said, “Eren?”
The teenager however was already descending into the trapdoor. Armin followed
him. When the blond saw exactly what his friend thinking, he could not help but
intervene, "No! Eren, it's a prototype, you can’t..."
Eren's flaming eyes nailed Armin to the spot, "There, outside, it looks like
the god damn Apocalypse! People are dying, our friends are fighting, and fires
are raging. If I can manage to get rid of that damn Fury, I can save the
village! It is out of the question that I will stay here with my thumb up my
ass, while everyone else defends our home! So, you can either help me out and
arm this Crossbow, or you can get lost! Nothing you say will be able to
dissuade me, Armin…"
They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Armin's azure gaze hardened
as remembered the Terror that had just attacked him upstairs.
They used the previously barren entrance to the cellar to push the craft out of
the Forge. The cellar was used for a time as storage for various goods,
weapons, barrels of alcohol or tools. Its entrance had been dug to allow carts
to descend without difficulty. Eren and Armin struggled for a moment to raise
the Crossbow. Once outside, the blond took a minute to observe the apocalyptic
decor that faced them. The Flames, the cries, the opacity of the dark night
traversed by the compact smoke of the various fires, and the shrill screams of
the Dragons... Eren looked at the boy and shout, "Armin! Let's hurry!”
The Omega shook his head and hurried to start pushing his invention again.
They had to dodge the streets strewn with large debris and they had make a few
detours to get around the areas where the Terrors were roaming, but finally,
they reached the pulley that allowed the craftsmen to renovate the watchtower
where they had chosen to position themselves. With a nod, Eren indicated to his
friend that he was planning to climb to the top, Armin nodded, and they sprang
into action. The Omega started climbing and in a few minutes, he was at the top
of the tower. The sentry who was supposed to be there for the night had already
left to help contain the attack in the center of the village as best as
possible. Eren watched as Armin turned the crank that raised the crossbow up to
him.
Once the machine was installed and its ammunition was in place, Eren wiped his
hands nervously on his tunic and moved into position. He had barely realized
that his head was bleeding and that his arms were covered with scratches. He
was dirty and thirsty. His hands were shaking, and his heart was beating so
hard that he felt like he was just hearing himself. Still, he was decided.
Tonight, he was finally going to make a difference. He scanned the darkness for
any hint that could indicate the position of the Night Fury. In the distance, a
bluish fireball hit the tavern of the village. Eren prayed that the tavern
owner had already been evacuated and without losing a second, curled up so he
she could place his eye in the crossbow visor. The vibrating sound of the
flying Fury pierced the night but not a single trace of his presence could be
seen. Eren swore between his teeth. The Dragon couldn’t just be invisible?
Right? There was only one solution...
The Omega placed his viewfinder towards the great torch that illuminated the
horizon for a few meters. If the Dragon had just left the vicinity of the
tavern and was following a normal flight route before having to turn back to
attack again... The shadow barely passed through the telescope as the teenager
pressed the button of his weapon. In a sound of tense rope, the projectile
cracked the air and an inhuman scream tore through the night. Surprised, Eren
blinked and wiped away the dripping blood that was threatening to blind him.
Had he hit home? Was the beast down? His questions kept increasing over the
seconds that followed his shot. As he was about to reload the machine, in
doubt, a blue ball of fire burst from the void and hit the watchtower.
Frightened, the Omega clung as best he could to the crossbow and howled with
all his might. The attack of the Fury exploded, and the tower collapsed.
Eren barely had time to register his fall. He had a vague awareness of falling.
Because the tower was going to crash in the city center. Because he had a great
chance of hurting Warriors and knocking out the Zippleback. At least his death
would not be futile. In a monstrous crash, the building crashed to the ground.
Eren was thrown by the violence of shock and lost consciousness when a large
piece of wood hit him in the head.
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!