Seeing Kael summon his serpent, the rest of the squad caught the excitement.
"Oh, oh! My turn!" Junie chirped, eager to show off. She clapped her hands together, and a splash of bright blue light materialized on the grass right beside her. Out popped a sleek, adorable otter. It rolled onto its back, playfully wriggling in the dirt before letting out a happy squeak and looking up at Aster. "This is my partner! Super fast in the water and great for distraction!"
Eva smiled softly at Junie's enthusiasm and held out her hand. A gentle, earthy green glow shimmered around her, and a graceful deer materialized, its coat speckled like sunlight filtering through tree leaves. It stood tall and serene, perfectly matching Eva's own calm and composed aura.
Right next to her, Elio nodded in his usual quiet way. He took a slow breath, and a pale, translucent shimmer hovered in the air around him. Out floated a mesmerizing jellyfish, its delicate tendrils drifting through the air as if it were swimming through water. Despite Elio being the tallest guy on the team, his floating partner gave off a incredibly soothing, tranquil vibe.
"And don't forget about me!" Finn grinned, snapping his fingers. A flash of fiery orange light zipped around his legs, and a clever-looking fox materialized. The fox sat down, its fluffy tail sweeping back and forth, and gave a sharp, mischievous yip that perfectly mirrored Finn's own playful attitude.
Aster looked around the circle, completely amazed. From a regal snake and a graceful deer, to a soothing jellyfish, a clever fox, and a playful otter—Squad 4's animals were just as unique and diverse as the people themselves.
Kael looked over at Aster with a welcoming grin. "See? We're a bit of a misfit crew, but everyone brings something special to the table. Whenever your eagle is ready, he's going to fit right in."
The four spirit animals—the emerald snake, the graceful deer, the floating jellyfish, the clever fox, and the playful otter—all settled around the circle, their eyes joining their partners' as the entire squad turned to look directly at Aster.
"Your turn now, Aster!" Junie beamed, leaning forward with anticipation.
"Yeah, come on, let's see if we can get a glimpse of that proud bird," Finn encouraged with a wide grin. Even Eva and Elio gave him quiet, supportive nods, waiting patiently.
Aster felt five pairs of human eyes and five pairs of animal eyes locked onto him. The pressure was on, but it didn't feel malicious—they were genuinely excited to welcome him.
He swallowed hard, looking down at his own hands. He didn't even know how to properly channel his energy yet, but seeing everyone else's amazing partners made a small spark of determination light up in his chest. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to concentrate, focusing on the image of the stubborn eagle he had seen before. Come on... just a little bit. Just show them you're there.
For a second, nothing happened. Then, a faint, flickering gust of wind whipped up around Aster's boots, rustling the grass. A tiny, brief flash of silver light sparked near his shoulder, and a sharp, distant, and incredibly piercing screech echoed faintly in everyone's minds.
But just as quickly as it came, the wind died down, and the light vanished. The eagle had flat-out refused to manifest, giving Aster a mental vibe that felt suspiciously like a door slamming shut.
Aster opened his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish, red-faced smile. "Uh... yeah. Like I said, he's really stubborn. I think he just went back to sleep."
Kael let out a hearty laugh, the sound instantly dispelling the lingering tension in the air. He leaned over and gave Aster's shoulder a firm, reassuring pat.
"Don't worry about it, Aster! It's completely normal for new people here," Kael said, his eyes crinkling with amusement as his emerald snake nudged his wrist. "Trust me, building a bond takes time. When I first tried to summon this guy, he didn't just ignore me—he actually tried to strangle my neck! I spent my entire first week breathing through a straw."
Finn snorted, nodding in agreement. "Oh yeah, I remember that. We almost had to call a medic on day one."
"And my fox bit my boot and hid under a bench for three days," Finn added, chuckling at the memory while his fox gave a little chitter.
Eva offered a gentle, grounding smile from across the circle. "Prideful beasts require a prideful partner, Aster. Your eagle is simply testing your resolve. Do not lose heart."
Hearing their own embarrassing starter stories made Aster's anxiety completely melt away. They weren't disappointed at all; they had all been in his shoes before.
Aster let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, a genuine smile finally breaking across his face. Hearing that even a strong leader like Kael had almost been strangled by his own partner made his stubborn eagle seem a lot less intimidating.
He leaned back a bit, watching the center of the circle where the spirit animals were now interacting. Without the pressure of having to perform, Aster could actually appreciate how incredible they were.
The little otter was currently the star of the show. It had scurried over to Eva's deer, scaling up its front leg with clumsy enthusiasm until it managed to flop onto the deer's broad, graceful back. The otter let out a victorious little squeak, making Junie giggle. The deer didn't seem to mind at all, merely tilting its head back with a calm, gentle blink, as if used to being a playground.
Meanwhile, Finn's fox was cautiously sniffing at the low-hanging, glowing tendrils of Elio's jellyfish, which drifted lazily in the air just above the grass like a floating lantern. Kael's emerald snake slithered down his arm, lazily curling up in a sunny patch of dirt near the center, watching the chaos with quiet indifference.
Seeing them all playing together like a real family made a warmth blossom in Aster's chest. He looked up at the sky, thinking of his eagle hidden away in his consciousness. It might take some time, and a lot of patience, but looking at Squad 4, Aster knew he was in the right place to figure it out.
Aster looked at the lively scene before him, the warmth of the squad's laughter and the playful antics of their spirit animals washing over him. For someone who had spent his life in his old world shutting everyone out, this chaotic, welcoming family felt like a breath of fresh air.
He looked down at his reflection in the polished wood of his temporary bow, a quiet spark igniting deep inside his chest.
I will try my best, Aster said to himself, his fingers tightening slightly around the bow. I'm not going to let them down, and I'm not going to let that stubborn bird keep me behind.
"Hey, Aster!" Junie's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was grinning, pointing at the otter who was now trying to slide down the deer's neck. "You're spacing out! Are you hungry? Because after a workout like this, Kael is definitely buying us dinner, right Kael?"
Kael groaned playfully, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "Alright, alright, fine. The rookie's welcome meal is on me."