Our Garden of Dismay

Part 3

We crowded ourselves into a relatively small classroom, three rows of large desks, each fitting two and made of a heavy dense wood line the inside; even going as far back as having over a dozen of columns. Instructor Vidal stands at the front, standing before a large blackboard and random chalk markings made about it as she was testing her utensil before we arrived. Us Cadets have a poorly made notebook with a damaged writing utensil to scribble notes down for today's lesson. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Dietrich playing with his pencil, tossing it around, and attempting tricks. He only stops when Instructor Vidal walks over and smacks his hand with a pointing stick.

"This may be the most important lesson you will ever receive here, so it would be in your best interest to pay attention."

Her voice resonates throughout the room with a heavy echo as her brash voice assaults our ears. She then turns and draws a relatively small outline of a human, turning back to us with a glare.

"Does anyone know the average height of a human?"

No one answers and she turns to continue writing.

"About 1.7 meters would be the average height for a male, and a little less than 1.6 for females."

She then turns and draws the outline of another human but over twice the size of the first drawing.

"And this-"

She begins but Giordano shoots his hand into the air, so she points to him so he can speak.

"Is that how big a Titan is?"

His voice is genuinely filled with curiosity.

"Well, you tell me, Cadet Giordano. Was this how big the Titan was at Cosfeld?"

He goes silent and Instructor Vidal gives a mean-spirited smile.

"How do you know?"

He asks in shock.

"I know where all you come from, I know all of your pasts as well."

She then quickly turns and draws a circle around the larger figure.

"This is a Titan: they look like humans, they have hair like humans, eyes, nose, a mouth, four limbs and even walk like humans; usually. They also feast on humans, eating them and killing them for pleasure; they sit at the top of the food chain, they are the apex predators in the world."

She says without ever turning to look at us.

"They tend to have disproportionately large mouths, they have no reproductive organs whatsoever, and mostly appear masculine in their shape. The Titans also have an internal temperature at such a high level that touching their skin with your bare hand could burn you; and if they are ever cut or injured, steam will emit and that will leave you with severe burns so don't take them lightly."

The room is silent beyond the constant scribbling of all of us taking notes; even Dietrich is scribbling major points when he typically doesn't take notes at all.

"They also have exceptional regenerative abilities."

She says as she erases the Titans left leg.

"No matter the wound, it will be shrouded in steam and repaired within minutes. How? We honestly don't know, cannon fire could remove its head entirely-"

She erases the head of the Titan as well but then promptly redraws the missing features back.

"-and it will regenerate injuries all the same. Decapitations, lacerations, broken bones, eviscerations, all of it."