Elemental Eclipse

🌻Chapter Seven; Part Two: Office Hours🌻

Griffin lead the group of ragamuffins to a deserted section of the building, before stopping at the end of the hall.

"Is there supposed to be something here?" Rachael asks looking around confused.

"Just hang on a sec." Griffin says, running his hand along the wall, pushing a wooden panel, that sank into the wall. A ladder dropped from the ceiling to reveal a trap door.

"Is this place just full of secret passageways?" Rachael asks.

"The college has been around for over three centuries. Logically, there are places the general student body doesn't know about." Beckett says.

"And it's a lot nicer than just hiding out in an empty classroom." Griffin smiles, starting to climb the latter.

Rachael looked around at the others, letting Shreya and Zeph go first. Beckett gestured for her to go next and she started to climb up the ladder. Her foot slipped about halfway up, and she fell down a rung, before Beckett caught her by the small of her back, and helped her grab on and get her bearings back.

"Thanks." Rachael smiles down at him. "Love it when my hero saves my reckless ass before I can hurting myself."

"I-I didn't do anything..." Beckett blushes a bit, starting to climb up the ladder after she was at the top.

"My uninjured body disagrees." Rachael smiles, looking around at the large room with a bunch of beanbags strewn across the room, a large bookshelf, and a massive air hockey table in the middle of the room.

"Welcome to the Roost." Griffin smiles gesturing at the room around them.

"Wow...I want one." Rachael gasps looking around.

"Me too! Imagine if this were a secret spa, with built in hot springs...It'd be just like the one I have back home." Shreya says.

Everyone got situated in a circle on the floor either sitting in the bean bags or the floor. Rachael started to explain what had happened to her earlier and her and Shreya took turns filling in the gaps for Griffin and Beckett.

"Back up for a moment? You're saying you were attacked by some kind of monster?" Beckett gasps.

"Yeah, and that's not the first time it happened, either. I got attacked the first day I was here, and I saw that weird reflection then too! Except this last monster left behind some kind of rock. That's never happened before." Rachael says.

Griffin cleared him throat. "When Zeph said you lived a sheltered upbringing, I didn't realize you knew nothing about magick."

"Forget about that! I was right! I knew that creature that showed up on your first day wasn't just some prank!" Shreya says.

"Yeah, It seems that way. Swan thinks I'm being targeted by someone." Rachael sighs.

"But who would want to attack you, Rachael?" Zeph gasps.

"They must be assuredly talented if they're getting through the school's wards." Beckett says.

"Why do you sound so impressed?" Zeph questions, making Beckett's posture shrink out of embarrassment.

"Do you have any idea who could be behind it?" Griffin asks.

"I think it's another student." Rachael says. "They wouldn't have to get through the wards if they were already here."

"And that would explain how they know where you are all the time! Oh, when I get my hands on them, I'm going to kick their ass-" Shreya grumbles.

"This seems like really powerful magick, though. Most students wouldn't be able to conjure something that strong." Griffin says.

"Then maybe it's a teacher." Rachael sighs, leaning back a bit. "This isn't adding up. Swan said the monsters were after me specifically, but it's not like I did anything to provoke something like this. None of this makes any sense. There's the monsters, my reflection, and this rock, but there must be something I'm missing...How am I supposed to figure this out on my own..."

Shreya places a gentle hand on her shoulder, flashing her a soft smile. "Well, you won't be on your own. You have me, and let's be honest, with my mental aptitude and business savvy, you don't need much else."

"Yeah, I'm not about to run away when things have gotten interesting around here." Zeph smiles.

"We're a team, Rachael. We'll have your back no matter what." Griffin says, kindly.

"And look at this motley crew, I suppose I have no choice but to help if anything's actually going to get done." Beckett adds, snootily.

Rachael looked around at everyone for a moment before a small smile appears on her face. "Thanks guys. I think we can do this...together."

"Hear, Hear! And that's a perfect segue into..." Shreya smiles, digging around in her bag and pulling out five different colored string bracelets. "They're friendship bracelets! I really didn't want to do my Potions homework, and I figured you all needed some accessorizing. Oh, and they're enchanted so you never have a bad hair day."

"I think you mean they're enchanted with the power of friendship!" Zeph laughs.

Shreya handed everyone a bracelet, stopping at Beckett. She seemed to debate for a moment before handing him one. His eyes went wide as he took it in his palm. "Yes, Yes, There's one for you. You're lucky I was so conceived Zeph would break his, that I made an extra."

Rachael smiles to herself, trying to tie the bracelet around her wrist, but it kept slipping through her fingers. She struggled for a minute before Beckett looked up at her, chuckling a bit at her struggle.

"Can't you do anything on your own?" Beckett smiles at her.

"Oh, let's see you put yours own on without any help." Rachael retorts, with a smile.

Beckett smugly tried to tie the bracelet around his wrist, almost dropping it on the processes. He blushed a light pink. "I just don't feel like wearing it right now! I'm perfectly capable-"

Rachael rolled her eyes and took the bracelet from him, tying it around his wrist with ease. His blush deepened and he looked away, only turning back to her to tie her bracelet on when she was done with his. "There was that so hard?" She smiles.

Once everyone had their bracelets on Shreya observed them intently. "Perfection. We already look so much better."

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal over a bracelet." Beckett says.

"Why knot?" Zeph snickered.

Rachael snorted as everyone laughed. Beckett just shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose disappointedly.

"We're officially a team now. Everybody in." Griffin smiles.

"Wait! We need a team name!" Zeph interjects quickly.

"But we already, have one! It's 'Pend Pals'. Didn't you read the bracelet?" Shreya says.

"No, we need something we all agree on!" Zeph says.

"I like Pend Pals." Rachael shrugs.

"Obviously, that's the correct choice. I've had plenty of experience naming things for Mistry Inc. and alliteration is always the way to go." Shreya says.

Griffin holds out his hand and everyone stacked theirs on top. They all raised their hands to the ceiling shouting Pend Pals.

"I hate to be the burster of bubbles, but shouldn't we keep Rachael from getting killed before celebrating?" Beckett asks.

"Uh, Yeah, good point. Anyone have any idea where we should start?" Rachael asks, looking around at them all.

"Honestly, do I have to do all the work around here? We should start in the library. Preferably later, so some of us can get our homework done." Beckett sighs at them all.

"Let's meet up in the library at ten, then." Rachael says.

Everyone stood up and headed towards the trap door. Everyone climbed out of the Roost and headed down to their dorm rooms.