Elsie Eillenheart

Watching her best friend run around their dorm room with the corners of her mouth curled upward brought a smile to her face. Elsie couldn’t help but giggle at Eleanor’s rabbit-like energy as she fiddled with her newly-purchased suit and skirt. It was about an hour before the meeting, and the redhead could not contain her excitement.

Elsie knew Eleanor was excited that the biggest research project - designed by none other than Eleanor herself, was finally given the greenlight.

“I’m glad you got the go-ahead,” Elsie smiled as she clasped her own suit on, “To think you’re going to get full funding from the school for such a massive project. That rarely happens.”

“I know right?!” The geek squealed, “I won’t have to follow papa’s agenda with this project.”

“Though that also means you’ll have to follow the school’s agenda. Probably even the Chancellor’s agenda.”

Eleanor groaned. “Don’t remind me…” She raised her hand up in front of Elsie’s face, startling her a bit, “Don’t ruin this for me, kay? Today’s going to be a fantastic day.”

The redhead started to rant about how this was an opportunity of a lifetime. The Harpocrates caverns were barred off from pretty much anyone, until now. Whatever strings the Chancellor pulled, Elsie didn’t want to know.

It sent shivers down her spine thinking about that beautifully ethereal elder woman. Whenever Elsie stared into her eyes, she felt like she was drowning in the deep.

She didn’t like the sensation.

Elsie’s eyes glazed over as she entered the wonderland of worry, letting Eleanor suffocate herself in a fit of soliloquy.

Well, it’d have been a soliloquy if Elsie hadn’t been there.

After Eleanor had finished her preparations, such as putting on the suit and skirt, forming a presentation with a folder that had a stack of papers in it, and attached her favorite wand on her hip, her legs started to feel like jelly.

Elsie noticed the redhead starting to move rather robotically, as if someone electrocuted her full of nerves. For all that bravado and nerdism, when it came to confronting something that’ll definitely shape her future, Eleanor would collapse in a puddle of her own anxiety. She wasn’t speech shy, necessarily, but a huge worrywart about her own prospects.

“C’mon,” Elsie tried to cheer her up, “You’ll be fine. You got me backing you up.” She patted her back, “No more nerves. You’re Elea-fucking-nor. You got this.”

Eleanor’s shy smile was sweet. “Thank you, Elsie.”

“Any time.”

*****

Veronica Leylon

She was stuffed in a room full of staff. Most of them were geezers with hidden agendas, like her father. At least her father had better moral values.

Tapping her foot in both nervous anticipation and dread, she had heard Eleanor and Elsie were to appear in a few minutes.

Veronica was eager to see Eleanor, but dreaded seeing Elsie. She hated Elsie. That tomboy disgusted her.

How dare that bimbo lay her filthy rotten hands on her mate? How dare she grow closer and closer to the girl that belonged to her?

No no no, Veronica shook her head, This is about the research project. Not about me.

She had a gut feeling she was going to have to remind herself throughout the entire meeting not to gaze starstruck at her gorgeous mate and glare at that hateful girl beside her.

The Chancellor motioned the two students who just entered to sit in the chairs near the exit door. The staff surrounded them like a judge and jury style court. Veronica didn’t like that.

Eleanor took a seat on Elsie’s left. She was fidgety - something that didn’t escape Veronica’s gaze. The girl frowned slightly, her lips a thin line.

Her mate wore a classy suit. Underneath her arm was an engorged folder, about to pop from the stack of papers it just barely held together.

It was endearing to her seeing Eleanor act so fidgety and shy.

Thump thump.

So cute.

There was one annoying gnat, however, apart from the clingy friend that stuck to her mate like glue, that stopped her from fully enjoying Eleanor’s ethereal appearance.

Michael Hernold.

He was an annoying colleague, who, like her, was part of the committee. Michael used his father’s connections to place himself by Veronica’s side. Nepotism at its finest.

As if his wiles would seduce her. Hah! How disgustingly optimistic. She already found her mate, why should she lower herself to less?

Though, she supposed her mistake was showing him a genuine smile. That made Michael believe they shared a romantic moment and instantly fell for her.

She shuddered. That day, she had a refreshing sleep and even engaged in a full-on conversation with her mate. Veronica still remembered the peachy scent Eleanor had from the shampoo she used.

That foolish boy had thought a spark had grown between them. Veronica was flabbergasted at how Hernold had misunderstood their so-called ‘relationship’.

Veronica internally sighed. She had been so stressed lately. The stress of following her father’s orders, ignoring the annoying gnat boy beside her who kept ogling her rear, trying not to grind her teeth out of sheer rage from that tomboy being too cozy with Eleanor, or barely managing to push back her lustful desire to stretch her wings and just jump straight into the crevice of those beautiful mounta-

AHEM. She nearly went on a tangent here. She was at a meeting. No need to fantasize about the two greatest pillows known to man.

The Chancellor clapped her hands - a gesture she used to announce something. “Eleanor, Elsie, Professor Leylon, and her daughter will be accompanied by four Sanctuary Elves. The Sanctuary was kind enough to provide funds and resources for the Harpocrates trip, and as such have the right to send their own envoys to this trip.”

Eleanor nodded eagerly. Veronica could practically see the gears of opportunity turning in that adorably pouty head of hers. “An opportunity to listen to the most scientifically-refined mages of the century?! I’m totally on board!” She could hear Eleanor say.

Though Veronica was concerned about the Elves. Her mother had terrible stories about the Sanctuary, mainly how ‘Elves were hollow husks’, whatever that meant. Then again, she told those stories when on her deathbed, hateful and delusional.

Should she be concerned? Veronica waved those thoughts away a little too early, as The Chancellor motioned a guard to open the door, letting five Sanctuary Elves in.

One - the leader, was a young silver-haired woman who carried herself gracefully, but in an oddly mechanical way, almost like a golem.

The four behind her were the same. Although all men, they had very feminine features. However, each of the elves were sickly pale and almost bony. They were at the cusp of malnourishment, as if they deliberately starved themselves to maintain their slimness.

Their expressions were the same - blank.

Veronica’s heart sank. If they could see what she saw, they’d be running for the hills.

“Greetings, Chancellor. Greetings to the others in this room. My name is E Thirty. You can address me as Thirty. The men behind me,” she pointed from right to left, “are, Escee Eleven, Thirty-Four, Two, and Sixty-Six.”

A wide soulless smile widened her cheekbones, “I hope we get along in this journey.”

*****

Eleanor Deveena

Seeing the five Elves move so swiftly and in sync had put a slight gnawing doubt in the back of her mind, like an itch she couldn’t scratch. Eleanor should’ve been bouncing in excitement right now, but oddly enough, she couldn’t push herself to feel that way.

What she felt, instead, was wariness. Something bothered her about EE-Thirty and her crew.

The meeting itself was mostly political. It was just a rehash and explanation the College and Sanctuary had over the findings and research of the Harpocrates caverns. It seemed everything was decided behind her back. Although miffed, she was grateful she didn’t have to wet her feet in politics. She sometimes hated her noble background and very much would have loved to just surround herself in academics.

But the way she realized the Sanctuary Elves went about research unnerved her. She felt they disregarded even the most basic of health management while in their Sanctuary.

EE-Thirty seemed nice enough. She introduced herself personally after the meeting was settled, shaking each individual’s hand after a more-or-less friendly introduction. Hell, her scent was like strawberries, if Eleanor was being honest enough.

But there was something in EE-Thirty’s handshake that sent warning signs up her spine. It felt so clammy and loose, as if there was no real strength behind those muscles at all.

She recalled what Elsie said once. “Meeting your heroes is like a slap to the face by reality.”