Pedestal

Chapter 3

A/N: New character in this chapter!

Hope you enjoy,

~ Muuji

Uyumi was the first of the two friends to hear about the change in assignments. Previously, all the critically wounded would be carried to the small forest village Yanjue and those who could fight would carry on to support the melee soldiers who were defending the city Lords. It irritated Uyumi how the Lords had little compassion for the civilians they had sworn to protect. He supposed that because of the poverty that thousands of families were living in, a few hundred deaths from the hostile enemies wouldn't matter to them. Thinking about the horrific incidents a few miles away made his and Aelon's issues seem tiny in comparison. Despite this, he still refused to meet Nihmadel's curious gaze.

They had received a report from the captain of the melee unit a few minutes ago stating that team 1 had been forced to retreat to a safer area due to the majority of their group being annihilated. They would regroup with the ambush unit to form three man squads who would separate to fight the Chaos on their way to the capital, Tullhon.

Uyumi still wasn't quite sure how the new groups of three formation would work, especially with mostly long ranged fighters who were used to picking off enemies alone. There was also the issue of whether team members would be compatible with one another. If Aelon were to be paired with Nihmadel then their relationship could ruin a battle. Likewise, if he and Aelon were to be together it could be troublesome since they were both so determined to save each other.

The sound of a bell ringing made him aware of the situation around him. There was a small crowd of fatigued soldiers dressed in armour beginning to line up and they were being handed slips of paper. Uyumi scanned the crowd carefully, evaluating each person and wondering who he would end up with. Although he was a complacent person, there were some personalities that he couldn't help but clash with. A few of his fellow healer's names were called out and paired with brutish looking men carrying multiple axes by their sides and feral women who could snap said men's necks in seconds. Uyumi's ethereal self couldn't help but be intimidated.

When he heard his name called, the elf's heart fluttered with anticipation. After all, he'd have to spend weeks or even months with these three people. He watched the small group closely for whoever would emerge.

She was slight but the strength she possessed was evident in the way she walked with power and grace in her stride, not unlike his castanic friend. She was small, as many faunus were, and her animal counterpart was clear. The dark skin, curled brown hair and large dark eyes strongly hinted to a doe. She was smiling at Uyumi, at least that's what it looked like from afar. After years of reading Aelon's face in order to decode his emotions, it was easy to see that behind that facade were a pair of calculating eyes which read his every move.

"Uyumi, I'm Aster." She said cheerfully. "Let's take a walk."

Uyumi took Aster down a similar route to which he and Aelon had passed through earlier. Their footsteps were hushed by fallen leaves and the lack of human noise made the elf anxious. He needn't worry though, Aster would chime in with the odd question about elves every now and then. Not that it helped subside his stress any.

"Do you like the forest?" Aster said. "You don't seem like the forest type yet you still chose to come down here." Uyumi stopped hesitantly and looked at her curiously. She shrugged nonchalantly in return and carried on walking.

"You really are observant, which is good as my power tends to run on emotions." The elf said, feeling embarrassed. "Anyway, It is my friend who seems to prefer the company of trees over people. It's sort of become a habit to walk in forests I suppose." The faunus girl smiled slightly.

"I see. Tell me more about this friend of yours." She spoke calmly, as if she were collecting information rather than having a pleasant conversation. Uyumi was still confused as to why she was so invested in his personal life? Hadn't she heard of basic manners?

"Is it not my turn to ask you some questions now?" The elf asked, trying not to let annoyance slip into his tone. Aster tutted.

"But aren't I the guest here? I want to know about your friend, so you'll tell me. It's basic manners, no?" The elf gaped at her and then sighed.

"He's...different." The elf paused, trying to string together the correct words. "Sort of like a spring. He bundles all of his emotions inside tightly but if someone lets go of him then he explodes but at the same time becomes very vulnerable. He's taken to wearing this hostile shell constantly but it's almost funny how quickly it breaks. The slightest awkward situation and he'll be blushing like a bride." The elf smiled at the thought until he saw Aster laughing.

"Sounds like an interesting character. What's his name?"

"Aelon."

"Excellent. This is going to be better than I expected." Uyumi looked at her quizzically but decided against asking what she meant. "Well, I'll speak to you later, Uyumi. Along with the other team member of course."

"I forgot to ask, who is the other member?"

Aster grinned wickedly.