'Huh?'
That was the only word Icarus could think as was he sent flying into a hard concrete wall. His impact was so great that it left an impression of his body on the wall's surface. He fell out from the concrete and onto the ground while a stern voice teased him.
"And that everyone, is why you always watch the legs! Rus here was too focused on not getting punched in the face to notice my footwork. Now look at him... I trust he will continue to make the same mistake until he's had enough fun eating concrete!"
Lying on his back, Icarus groaned in pain as he stared at the morning sun and lamented his quick defeat.
'I thought I had a chance but she's even faster than when I was a normal human! She's just a blur!'
Now on his feet, Icarus winced in pain as his body healed its cracked bones.
'Gah! I still don't know how to control the healing! It happens without fail and it causes fatigue. How was she doing this in the middle of a fight? She's a monster, no doubt about it!'
Thalia continued to talk as the youngest orphans watched Icarus hobble back to them.
"Starting today, I will help you begin the journey away from weakness. Before, only Icarus and Ace endured my training, but now you all will do the same. By the time the next wave occurs, you will at least be able to defend yourselves."
Taking an athletic stance, she spoke to her siblings once again.
"I hope you guys are ready! Dane, Kalen, Lucy, Hannah, and Zeke, we're going to play a game of tag. There are NO RULES and if you can touch me even once, you get an extra ration tonight! One of the cookie type ones!"
The children's eyes lit up as they slowly crept towards their older sister. Lucy's high pitched voice broke the silence as they finished encircling her.
"Y-You have to keep your promise okay! N-No lying!"
Thalia was given no time to respond as the children shot at her like bullets, each with an outstretched hand. None were able to catch her, they weren't even close. However, the children remained strong. The cookie-type rations were fueling their single-minded ambition to tag their elder sister.
Icarus slumped on the floor, relieved to get a break. When it was his turn again he wouldn't be playing tag. He looked around the area, wondering why Thalia had brought them to the scrapyard. When it was just him and his brother, she typically held their trainings in the street in front of their house since no one ever passed by. He knew there was a reason for the change in location so he forgot about it and trusted his sister. Her judgement was always correct.
Focusing his attention back on the game of tag, Icarus could see that his youngers siblings were getting much slower. The desperation was still in their eyes, but their bodies no longer moved to match it. He watched on for another minute before Dane, Kalen, Lucy and Hannah gave up, sprawling on the ground as they gasped for air.
To his surprise, Zeke still seemed to have a lot of energy. In fact, it looked like he had sped up. Even so, he watched as Zeke missed a lunge and crashed into the dirt. Recovering almost instantly, the young boy jumped back at Thalia and threw a handful of dust in her face. Caught completely off guard, she was forced to jump back as she struggled to wipe the foreign particles from her eyes. She vocalized her disdain.
"Acckk! Why you little!"
His high pitched voice rang out as he dashed at her once again.
"Just remember you said no rules! That cookie is mine!"
While Zeke zipped over the ground towards Thalia, she smiled with her eyes still closed. Then, she yelled two words as she did the unthinkable.
"No Rules!"
In the next instant, her boot collided with Zeke's right arm bending it an an awkward angle and sending him flying right at Icarus.
'Huh? Wait wait wait wa-'
He was too slow to move out of the way.
Shortly after, Icarus was holding his brother as the both of them sailed through the air and into the wall. This time, it did not crack, although Icarus still groaned in pain.
He looked down at Zeke and was surprised to see him mostly okay, even though the sounds of his arm snapping back into place were very audible. He recoiled in disgust at the sight.
'That must have been painful...'
Thalia spoke up once more.
"Remember everyone! Watch the legs! Also, when I say no rules, I mean NO RULES, even for me!"
Too exhausted to speak, the orphans could only nod their heads at her.
The stern woman walked away towards a slim corridor in the wall of scrap. Before disappearing, she yelled "I'll be back soon, you guys take a break!".
Grateful for the rest, Icarus carried his still healing brother back to his other siblings and fell onto the ground. He was quite impressed that Zeke wasn't crying. Healing from broken bones was excruciating painful because the bones would often tear into muscles as they moved back into places. This in turn would cause the surrounding muscles to have to heal as well.
Curious about how Zeke was so much faster than than his siblings, Icarus called out to his midnight companion.
'Warden? How does one become more proficient in Sever usage?'
[I am not authorized to give you a complete answer. You must discover this for yourself. However, you should know that you have not used any Sever Energy for enhancement today. The first step is to feel the energy and become aware of its movement through your body. You can ask your teacher when she returns but it is unlikely her words will induce a change. A certain type of internal understanding is required. Words typically do not suffice.]
Icarus desperately wanted to curse the midnight orb, but Thalia returned. In her hands she carried a large bundle of seemingly useless material.
Walking before the group of orphans she laid them out flat. Upon closer inspection, Icarus realized what they were. She then looked at the group seriously as she addressed them.
"Choose one that fits your size. You wont be fighting the beasts unarmed if I have anything to say about it. However, before we find you all a real weapon, we are going to practice with these."
Icarus looked down at the pile of old steel pipes. Fortunately they weren't corroded. He picked up one that looked like it would be a perfect fit and whished it around.
Turning to Thalia, he posed a question.
"Hey sis, why are you so much faster than me and everyone else? If it's because of the Sever? Can you tell us how to use it, or even just feel it?"
She walked back into the center of the clearing, not bothering to look back as she answered.
"I could tell you but it would be hard to understand. Instead, it will be better to show you. Come over here."
Curious but also slightly scared, he walked to the center of the clearing to join Thalia. The younger orphans watched anxiously, especially Zeke.
Thalia pointed to the pipe in Icarus's hands.
"Try and hit me with that. Like before there are no rules, so prepare yourself. And yes, before you ask, this will help you. Just come at me with everything you got!"
Sweating profusely, Icarus nodded his head. He knew Thalia was unarmed but he also knew it didn't matter. He was destined to lose, but that wouldn't stop him.
"Here goes!"
In an instant he exploded from his neutral position towards Thalia. Sidestepping at the last second, he aimed to swing at her ribs, but she effortlessly flipped over him.
Trying to catch her in the air, Icarus continued his horizontal swing and turned it into an upwards slash. He was positive that he would at least graze her. She had no where to go right?
In a feat of superhuman acrobatics, Thalia stuck her hand out mid flip and used Icarus's shoulder as a surface to launch her self. The pipe hit open air as she instantly changed directions and landed a few feet away. Full of surprise, Icarus stood still with his mouth open in shock. His siblings matched his expression with Kalen being especially enthusiastic.
"Big sis is awesome! Rus has no chance!"
Icarus panged at his little brother's insult but kept his eyes on Thalia. Inching closer step by step, he dashed at her again. This time however, he led with his left fist towards her shoulder. Staying on the ground this time, Thalia simply sidestepped to the left. Prepared for this, Icarus thrust his steel weapon forward, hoping to cut off her escape.
Once again, Thalia defied his expectations, effortlessly stepping towards him as she performed a light hop while spinning, making him miss. While still in the air, she stuck out her boot and used her momentum to bring a boot down on Icarus's shoulder. He felt the bones crack as he fell to his knees and clutched his injury.
"ARGGHHH"
Still in pain, Icarus saw Thalia's hand only a few inches away and pointing at his shoulder, talking loud enough for the other orphans to hear.
"Look past the pain! What do you feel?"
He grumbled, annoyed with her strange question.
"What do you mean look past the pain!? You absolutely decimated my shoulder you brute! You can't be serious!"
She only looked at him earnestly.
"FINE!"
Icarus closed his eyes and waited. He felt bone splinters being connected back together like a puzzle and felt his torn ligaments and muscles reconnect lost fibers. But then, he felt something deeper. It was as if a patch of ice and fire had somehow gotten trapped beneath his shoulder. The feeling itself was alien, like it didn't belong in his body. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Thalia observed his revelation with excitement.
"That's it! That feeling right there! That's the Sever! Don't forget it. Your body is using it subconsciously to protect you but you don't have complete control over it. That's why you can't enhance yourself and why healing is automatic. You will have to meditate to better recognize its presence and use it on command."
She rose and clapped her hands once as she turned to the younger orphans.
"Now! Who wants to be the first to learn how to sense the Sever? I promise I won't be on rough on you as I was with Rus! It'll only be a finger!"