Eren slowly got up, stumbling as he tried to gather himself,nearly falling back down on the ground.He rubbed his head as he looked around the army of trees surrounding him with a couple of them having their branches broken off.He wiped off the leaves stuck to his clothing and hair.
He pulled out his phone he checked only to see there's no reception."Armin!Mikasa!Floch!Jean!"Eren shouted,echoing through the forest.
Eren saw a few of Floch's feathers spread out in the immediate vicinity.He picked it up and took a big sniff.When he opened his eyes,a light brown aroma path,showing him the way to Floch.Eren immediately started to run to meet up his friend.
'Shit…I can't fail here!If I fail,not only do I have to wait until next year but I would break my promise I made.'
He suddenly heard rustling coming from a large bush that was shaking violently making some of the leaves to fall out.He created a fireball from his hands and slowly approached the shaking bush.He was about to throw it until Armin clumsily fell out from the bush,startling Eren and causing him to still throw the fireball anyway,grazing the blonde's shoulder.When Armin saw his lit up shoulder,he screamed before he began roll around in the dirt,suffocating the fire and killing it.
Eren ran to the blonde teen and helped him up. "Oh shit,Armin!Are you okay?"
"Yeah…I am now."
Eren scratched the back of his head. "Sorry Armin…"
Armin sighed. "It's fine.You just got scared.But right now, I'm more worried about Floch."
Eren remembered that the rich girl's arrow that hit Floch. 'How the hell did dhe manage to hit him even when she couldn't see through all that smoke?'
"Where's your glasses?"Eren asked.
Armin sighed as he held out his broken glasses with one of the lenses completely shattered,one of the arms was broken off and the bridge was snapped.
"Damn,your glasses got fucked up."
"Yeah, they got messed up in the fall,"Armin said as he flicked the leaves off his shirt.
"Can you see?"
"Only closely.I'm nearsighted so i can't see far."
"How far can you see?"Eren asked.
"Well, I can see you clearly since you're in front of me."
Eren took a few steps back. "What about now?"
"I can see you…kinda…i mean all i could see is a silhouette,"Armin squinted.
"You really can't see shit,huh?"
Eren took off his bomber jacket,held on to the end of his left arm sleeve and gave the other sleeve to Armin.
"Here take this."
"Why did you give me your sleeve?"
"So that we won't get separated,don't worry,Armin,I'll be your eyes. I found one of his feathers,so I know where to go,"Eren explained.
"Okay,but please don't get distracted."Armin said a bit worriedly.
The duo were following the path that Eren discovered to get to Floch until he noticed a 4 foot green and yellow prickly caterpillar slithering on a tree,he let go of the jacket to get better look at the caterpillar,causing Armin to trip over the jacket.
"Eren?Eren?Where did you go?"Armin said,scared.
"This is gonna be so funny," Eren murmured to himself as he gently grabbed the caterpillar and wrapped it around him like a scarf.
Eren went back to Armin with a grin. "Hey,Armin,like the new scarf?"
"You got a scarf?I don't remember you wearing a scarf," Armin carefully reached out his hand,touching the caterpillar and flinched when he felt the prickliness of the so-called scarf.
"Why is it so prickly?"Armin asked.
"Because,it's actually a very long caterpillar,that's why."
Armin screamed and moved a few steps back. "Get that away from me!It could be poisonous."
"Caterpillars are poisonous?!"
"Some of them are!"
Eren quickly got the long insect off his neck and grabbed the left sleeve again as he gave Armin the right arm sleeve again.
"Eren,please focus.I have to rely on you to get through the forest."
"Sorry,It's not everyday you get to see a long caterpillar."
Eren sniffed the feather again before they continued their journey through the forest,going into bushes and stepping on small branches.When Eren stepped on the first of many,it made Armin shriek he heard a snap but Eren assured him that it was a branch that he stepped on making him sigh out of reilef.Eren tightened his grip on the sleeve as he continued to search for the others and get back on track.
'Fucking hell,we're lost and all of us got seperated.Not only do we have to get back on the path,we also have the others.'
Eren and Armin continued to their way in the forest until he heard the sound of splashing water.
'That sound!Could it be?!'
Eren tugged on his jacket a couple of times,making the blonde startle.
"What wrong?!Is there some threat nearby?!"Armin said,panicky.
"No,it's just that i think i hear a waterfall."
Armin's face brightened up."Really?How do you know?"
"I can hear it."
"Okay,since you have much better hearing than me,i trust you.Just be careful."Armin said.
Eren nodded as he and Armin went closer to the source of the sound,being more careful as they got closer and closer.Eren was able to hear the source better and he knew that it was most likely a waterfall.Eren tugged the jacket again,telling Armin to start jogging.The blonde said okay before pushing his pace.They jogged closer and closer on towards the source until Eren saw a small waterfall with a some rocky terrain under and surrounding the pool that the water was falling into.
"It is a waterfall!"Armin said,a bit relieved.
"Good,i'm thirsty as hell,"Eren dropped his sleeve as he walked the natural pool of water,making a small and wet cracking sound whenever he stepped on the terrain.Armin followed suit as well as Eren dipped his hands into the water and grabbed a handful of water before shoving into his mouth.
"Ahh,now that's some good water!"Eren said before he got another handful and put it into his mouth.
The water was a tiny bit salty but that was becuase of his keen sense of taste rather than the actual water itself.At first,he had trouble eating things becuase his taste buds were too sensitive but with some help and training from her,he was able to get used to it and even able to control his senses,toning them down similar to how they were before.
'I will pass this test.No matter what!'
Armin drank some few more gulps of water before taking out his glasses again.
"I wish there's was a way that i can fix the bridge,"Armin said,analyzing his glasses.The blonde looked at his glasses before his eyes slightly widened.He went into his other pants pocket,taking out a few black straps."I totally forgot about these,thank you grandpa!With these,I could fix the bridge and the arm!"
In a couple of minutes,Armin was able to fix the bridge and the arm to the best of his ability.The bridge between the lenses were connected again and the arm was attached again tying a couple of the straps in loops like a shoelace to hold it together but he couldn't fix the broken lens,so he pushed it out in fear of a shard possibly getting into his eye.
"There we go,fixed!"Armin said,putting on the newly repaired glasses.
"Good job,Armin.Now i don't have to be your guide dog,"Eren said,splashing some water on his face before putting on his bomber jacket and using its left sleeve to dry his face.
"Now,since we got refreshed and your glasses are fixed,we can get back on track."
Eren took the feather out of his jacket pocket and sniffed it,showing him the path to Floch again.As they continued their way to Floch,climbing over small hills and sliding down slopes.Eren was humming to himself until Armin asked:
"What are we going to do after we find Floch?"
"I don't know but we can't waste any more time looking for them.We can only hope that
Mikasa and Jean are both with Floch or already heading to the finish line,"Eren replied.
"But i think we should at least try to find Jean since he was bleeding out before we crashed down."
Eren scoffed. "Why should we?Do you think that he would try to find you if you were in his place?"
"I-I don't know," the blonde said. "But if he wants us to trust him,he would try."
"Sure,Armin.The guy who bullied you for years would try to help you if you were in his position."
Armin was silent for a few seconds before he sighed. "I'm just trying to be hopeful.I just don't want any of us to fail this test and have to go back home."
'I don't have a home to go back to.'
"But…maybe it's a sign that we're just not ready,"Armin continued. "Maybe we should wait a couple years before we try again."
"No."
"What?"
"We will pass this test.All of five of us."
"What?!Eren,look at the situation we're in!We don't know where Mikasa or Jean are,Floch is most likely be injured too.We don't even know where to the trail is and there's no reception out here.Eren,the best that we could do now is just find them and wait for help."Armin said.
The scent grew stronger as Eren got closer to it.A big bush was in front of them and when they through it,there was big open field with a big auburn bird in the middle of it.
"Floch!" The two teenagers coincidentally shouted as they ran to him.
"Oh…it's you guys…"he said,struggling to move.
"Relax,don't push yourself too hard,"Armin advised.
"Just take out the arrow out of my shoulder.I can't move in my bird form."
Eren climbed on top of the bird and yanked out the arrow,making the arrow disintegrate into blue sparks.
He hopped off of Floch before he reverted back into his human form.
"That stupid rich piece of shit!"Floch cursed as he slowly stood up and used his right hand to put pressure on the wound of his left shoulder. "When I get my hands on her,I swear I will fuck her up!"
Eren chuckled. "Not with Reiner around her."
"Listen Floch,I understand your frustration but have you seen Mikasa?"Armin asked.
"I don't know.I was passed out for a while, until I woke up a minute ago.When I woke up,I was by myself,"Floch said.
Eren closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose,smelling if anyone else had passed by.
'Wait,that smell!'
Eren opened his eyes."Mikasa was here."
"Really?" Armin said happily.
"Yeah,but it's a little faint,so she was here but not for long."
"Maybe she went to check on Floch before going to look for Jean,"Armin guessed.
"Mikasa looking for Jean?Good joke,Armin.Now let's get Mikasa and catch up with the others,"Floch said,tying up his shoulder wound with his sweater.
Floch and Armin followed Eren as he led the way to Mikasa.The blonde stayed a couple of feet from Floch in case he needed help from him.Eren continued to follow her scent as it got stronger.Floch stumbled a few times mostly because he had to climb up a slope so Armin helped him up.
"Eren,is the scent of her getting stronger?"Floch asked.
"A little.Jeez,how far did she go?"
"Let's hope not too far,we still have a trial to complete," Floch reminded. "Like fuck,how much time do we have left?"
"Uh guys, was that timer always there?"Armin pointed up to the sky.
"Wait,what?"Eren looked up to sky to see a timer seeing there was 15 minutes left with under it said 'Open spots:45/70'.
"Uh,oh already more half of the examinees already made it,"Armin said,worried at the available spots.
"Then,we have to hurry the hell up if we want to pass," Floch said.
Eren nodded as he decided to push the pace to find the raven haired teen.The aroma was getting stronger but then a metallic-like scent silently kicked in.
'That smell,is that-?'
"I'm smelling blood,"Eren said.
"Are you sure it's not from me?"Floch said.
"No, it's coming from the same direction as Mikasa."
"Is there a monster nearby?"Armin asked.
"I don't know but let's hope not," Floch said as Armin went next to him to help them out.
"Yo, you're okay?"Eren went to the injured Floch.
"Yeah i just need a break,that's all,"Floch leaned on a nearby tree.
"Floch,get on my back,"Eren said,kneeling down with his back facing the auburn haired teen.
"What?No,Eren.I'm fine I just-"
"We don't have time for that!"Eren shouted. "I get that you're in pain right now,but we can't waste any more time than we have now.Just get on my back and let's go!"
Armin helped Floch to get on Eren on his back before he stood up and turned to Armin.
"Armin can you try and keep up with me?Because Mikasa's scent is getting stronger,so we're on the right path and i'm going to go as fast as i can,okay?"
"I'll be right behind you, so don't worry about it," Armin said with a weak smile.
Eren nodded."Alright, then. Let's go!"