Chapter Text
The first time he sees a Titan it's a distant figure on the horizon, absurdly large against the sunset. It turns and heads for the west, for reasons he doesn't question.
Away from their farm. That's all that matters.
He stumbles, staggers, crawls towards the house, leaping over the fence and dragging Darius with him. The eight year old tries to shrug him away, not knowing the reason for his panic and complaining loudly.
"Ori! HURTS!"
Not stopping, Auruo scoops the protesting boy up and runs with him the last few hundred yards through the field to their tumbling down farm house. He yells out for their father and something in his voice brings their mother out of the kitchen.
There's a spoon in her hand. He remembers this, even years later. The worry on her face, the flour in her hair, the spoon dripping porridge mix onto the floor unheeded.
"Titans!" He gasps, the word struggling through burning lungs and up a throat that's far too tight, like there's someone's hands closing in around his neck.
She mouths emptily at him, unable to find words. Or maybe she's got too many jostling for priority. Either way he shoves Darius toward her and races into the kitchen. She join him in ripping food from the cupboards, throwing it into the empty sacks they use sometimes to take things to the market. Altair tugs at the hems of his shirt, asking what's going on while Darius hovers in the corner holding Saul, who is wriggling and squawking, wanting to be put down."Get them ready, shoes and warm coats. Can you do that?" Auruo shot at the boy, slinging the full bag over his shoulder.
"Get everyone out to the barn, we'll take the cart."
He sets off in the direction of the south field, the one that they graze the cattle in. The beasts blink at him unconcernedly as he sprints past them, the heavy bag clunking painfully against his lower back. Their deep brown eyes that he once thought were so soulful are now cold. What do they care about the approaching titans?
There's screams distant on the horizon when he find his father and Edrian. They are both standing, staring. There is a gap in the tree line here, allowing them to see down into the valley.
The valley is already filled with titans. Just a few, really, but they loom over the houses. One is crouched like a child before a dolls house, reaching inside and drawing out a doll sized human.
Except children don't eat their dolls.
"Auruo." his father snaps from his horrified trance. All at once he hoists Edrian onto his shoulders and they set off back to the house together.
In the barn Darius is struggling to get Bess attached to the old cart they have. The plough horse whickers softly and tries to nose inside Auruo's top pocket where he keeps oats or carrots that he sneakily feeds her when nobody is looking. She whinnies and tosses her head in disdain when she finds the pocket empty for the first time ever.
His father brushes Darius aside and hooks up the harness with quick, efficient hands. Auruo helps his mother into the cart and she winces, clutching at her full belly. She shouldn't travel, not when she is this heavily pregnant, but what else are they meant to do?
They meet no Titans on the road, because they are all in the village eating everyone they've ever known.He sits rigidly beside his father, fingers clenching his knees and resolutely, determinedly-
Not. Looking. Back.