Attack on Fortress

Chapter 7: Explosive Confrontations

"There's a mess of reports sir! The Armoured and Colossal Titan have both been spotted at Trost and the gate has been- sir, they've destroyed the gate. The Titans are laying siege to the city of Trost!" yet again the young blonde interrupted the lord.

The sound of glass shattering echoed through the still air as Lord Wald dropped his wine cup. The fine, red liquid ran freely around the floor. "T-T-Titans!? Titans!?" the Lord manage to say in his shocked state of mind.

Everyone in the room shared his state of shock. Servants look on in horror, soldiers grit their teeth in fear and several more guests were up on their feet, struggling to do anything other than pace around in worry. The only one who doesn't seem affected by this was Pixis. His face once holding a shy and embarrassed expression turned stone-cold at the drop of a hat. As soon as the word of Trost's current predicament reached his ears, he put on the face of a fearless commander. Pixis stood up from his cosy chair and proceed to take a swig of the wine bottle left alone on the table.

After the heavy swig and a loud gulp, Pixis smiled and faced his lord, "Ah! This vintage is worthy of your good taste. One man of action to another, I obsequiously accept it as a gift" and with that, Pixis walked out the door with his two escorts and the messenger in tow.

As they did, the lord was forcefully snapped out of his shaken state and jumped out of his seat in haste. Running through the door, his loyalist guests in tow, he found his departing Commander walking by the courtyard, almost to the stables. Wald was on hot pursuit, pleading and ranting to Pixis as he waddled towards him, "Where are you going!? Pixis wait! You can't just march off! I command you to stay! Preparations must be made to prevent the Titans from breaching my estate! Assemble your troops and establish a Garrison here, this instant! Damn it all, it's your sworn duty to defend us from the Titans!"

Not taking the little fat imp's endless questions no more, the bold Commander stooped in his tracks and faced the lord with an emotionless face. "Lord Wald sir, I am certain that a number of our brave comrades in arms are laying down their lives in the defence of Trost as we speak" the Commander stated to the lord.

One of Pixis escorts walked up before him, "Sir, I'll ready the horses, sir"

Pixis nodded in agreement to the young soldier. As she left, Pixis continued his conversation with Lord Wald. "When the dust settles, there may be more graves to dig than there are people to dig them" Pixis spoke to the scared noble.

Pixis then narrowed his eyes and continued in a grim voice. "An astronomical number of lives snuffed out in a twinkling. Good men and women in defence of their homes and the ones they hold dearest to them"

Lord Wald stuttered at Pixis' response, "Yes well, there's no help for it, is there? If it's their time... besides, what earthly good can the presence of a man who persistently loses to me at chess do for them now? Why not remain where I can assist you?" Lord Wald reasoned.

Pixis stared blankly at the noble, not moving a single inch nor responding to him. While Wald thought the old man was having one of the many mental blanks he experienced playing chess, the remainder of Pixis' escort thought otherwise. Gustav spent several years under his command; he knew all the micro-expressions the Commander had. From sleepy and smugness to simmering anger. Much of the latter was showing on his stoic face. He stepped forward beside Pixis and faced the lord. "Your lordship, if I may speak freely? Should the commander actually face a Titan in battle, he won't feel compelled to play down his skill to appease it" Gustav politely informed.

The blunt wording and the implications stunned Lord Wald speechless. His previously conceived skills at chess were instantly shattered at the soldier's statement. To think all this time he thought he was smart enough to beat a commander but in truth, the commander was downplaying his own skills to please him. To stroke his ego!