"Great things never come from chance, they come from change"- Unknown
Abel quivered slightly as he felt a cool wind slide over his legs, that dangled over the edge of aircraft he was riding in. Or rather, his leg, for lack of a better term. He felt the metal padding beneath his body.
It was cold and rigid, yet rejuvenating all the same to him. It had been a while since he had sat on anything that wasn't leather. Just the thought of sitting on the material once again sent chills running down his back. But he knew had would have to, one way or another. After all, having only one leg made traveling on foot "slightly" difficult.
The creaking sound of rusted and aged metal admittedly made Abel jump a bit. He always did hate that sound and what it entailed. Of course, he didn't hate who created the sound. It was his dearest assistant and personal caretaker, Elisa, slowly bringing his wheelchair towards him. "
Hate the sin, not the sinner," Abel thought to himself. Why would he hate her? She was the most faithful and endearing companion to ever accompany him throughout the ages. She was only doing her job, caring for her dearest childhood friend.
Abel's acute senses were both a blessing and a curse. On one side, it made his job easier. On the other, he could smell the rustic crimson oil-like paint that covered the handles of his wheelchair.
But what was his job exactly? Why he was going to be a professor teaching at the renowned Beacon Academy. To be precise, he specialized in medicinal knowledge. Herbs, drugs, concoctions. Those were his preferred fields of expertise. It allowed Abel to use his acute senses properly, not being wasted on smell the equivalent of a handicap's personal purgatory.
But the headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin, invited him to teach about something far less materialistic. Something that disallowed the use of one's five senses. Rather, it incorporated the sixth sense. Aura healing.
He was especially blessed with his knowledge and foresight in the fields of medicine, yes. But even so, given enough years, a mere amateur could exceed a prodigy like Abel with their own prowess in the field of medicine. Aura healing, however, was a gift specifically tailored to his very soul. No amount of training would allow someone else to surpass Abel.
A soul cannot be grounded up into powders within bowls or boiled into liquids to fill vials. A soul cannot be viewed from the lenses of a microscope. A soul is a person, both flexible and very much capable. But most importantly, unique.
Abel was one of a kind, without a doubt in anyone's mind. Though, he never asked to be such.
Truthfully, he found it to be bothersome how often people would go out of their own daily routine to seek him. He hated this for two reasons in particular. For one, he liked living on the outskirts of Vale. In particular, he had found a spot that yielded such a unique feeling towards him, as if beckoning for him to stay. It was on a mountainside where the moonlight would kiss the Madonna lilies that engulfed the soft dirt below, every single night. There was a waterfall nearby that would peer over the valley below.
You would be forgiven for nearly falling off the cliffs, for the fireflies that would dwell near the edges practically captivating any creature that drew too near.
But if you were to follow the dirt path winding up the mountain even further, you'll simply find a small workshop at the top. Abel's clinic. A place where he could do what he loved, away from the quarrels of Remnant. Depending on the day, you may be greeted with the smell of mints and sweets. On others, it may be a sour and bitter smell.
Nonetheless, the smells were simply the product of progress. Everything happened for a reason within the confines of the clinic.
Even if that "thing" just so happened to be a bit of an argument. In a short synopsis, it took very many confrontations and convincing from Ozpin's personal assistant, Glynda Goodwitch, for Abel to even consider the prospect of teaching. He wasn't comfortable with teaching the next generation of hunters. Hell, social interaction was something he never really liked, period.
He was a man of few words, and spending over an hour chatting away to others rapidly drained him. Not to mention, an hour would only cover a single class before another new batch of students would simply replace the previous one. However, Ozpin assured Abel that he would only be teaching an "optional" class. Students would only choose this class for the sake of extracurricular work.
Et voila, now Abel was leaning forward on the airship, attempting to peer past its wing to see his destination.
"Ten minutes till we reach our destination, sir!"
Those were the exact words the pilot yelled to Abel and Elisa just a few moments earlier. Abel let out an audible sigh as he attempted to mentally prepare himself for his new, "promising" career. Elise slowly brought his wheelchair beside him, trying not to create the loud creaking noises that always seemed to upset Abel. But to no avail.
Instead of a sigh, it was a small grumble that emitted from Abel's throat. He reached over to his right side and picked up his walking stick. Carefully, he angled his body and shifted his weight onto his remaining foot. Using the stick as support, he propelled his body upright and into the embrace of the wheelchair. Abel did this all in one careful and somewhat unsteady motion.
"Alright, we're here," the pilot said just as Abel sat himself down on his personal, wheeled prison. He turned around and looked at Elisa, flashing a quick and faint smile. It was as if he was trying to assure her, but Elisa knew Abel was just trying to comfort himself. She quietly giggled to herself and began to ruffle his jet black hair. Abel's pale skin flushed a little as he gave Elisa a pouting face in return.
The two of them always seemed to have this kind of relationship with each other. For as long as either of them could remember. Teasing was the name of the game. Playful teasing, as if the two were like brother and sister.
Finally, the aircraft landed in the courtyard of Beacon Academy. At this point, Abel's hair was in complete disarray. Instead of his jet black and snow colored hair being separated at the back of his head with a tie, it all meshed together in an overlapping blend of opposing shades.
Elisa was trying to snuffle her laughter by biting her bottom lip, but tears were visible in the corners of her eyes. Abel was hunched over, overexaggerating his "defeat". Elisa quickly began to clean herself up and gently patted Abel's head, as if saying "Okay, okay. I'll clean it up."
Though she didn't verbally say the words, a simple pat was enough for Abel to formulate the words for her.
She was in the middle of fixing his hair when Ozpin and Glynda came to greet Abel and Elisa in the courtyard. Upon looking at the entertaining scene of the pairing, Ozpin simply smiled and quietly sipped his coffee while Glynda let out a small sigh as she playfully rolled her eyes. Still trying to fix Abel's hair, Elisa began to wheel him off of the airship to meet the headmaster and his assistant waiting for just a few feet away. Abel this brief moment to fully absorb his surroundings.
Numerous buildings engulfed the campus, each one fulfilling their own niche within the confines of the academy. He could already sense the enthusiasm and hyperactive tendencies of the students. It both made him feel anxious yet... excited all the same. The urban vibe the campus gave off was animated, completely contrasting the rural tranquility that Abel felt back in his clinic. It would take some time for him to get used to it. That was a given from the start.
"But perhaps..." Abel began thinking to himself.
"A change of pace may be nice... Keyword being may," he concluded to himself as Elisa stopped Abel right in front of Ozpin.
Now standing (and sitting) face to face with one another, Ozpin took his lips off of his mug and looked deeply into Abel's sapphire eyes. The two of men had never met in person, but even so, Ozpin could tell that Abel held great promise within him. Ozpin would be forever grateful that Abel had accepted his invitation to teach at his academy. He looked forward to the distant years they would spend working with one another.
Extending his hand forward, Ozpin said both warmly and confidently, "Welcome to Beacon."
