Chapter 1: the blonde one.
She had seen him before... His blonde hair was different than everyone else.
Jowan said the boy had spent two years here so far.
Pandora didn't recall that at all. "What do you mean you don't remember?" Jowan asked her, confused.
Jowan was a boy of 13 years of age, her age as well.
He wore gray apprentice robes and his black hair covered his green eyes in a sloppy mess on his head.
Pandora frowned, Her crimson robes covered most of her growing feminine features.. what little they were. Her brown hair slid to her right side of her face and ended towards her back.
"I don't remember that at all" she whispered.
The first Enchanter had just told her that now she was moving into the apprentice bunks with the older children.
And she was bunking with.. the blonde boy in Green robes.
He was the only one in Green.
"... What do the green robes mean?" she asked Jowan nervously.
They were just outside of the library, looking in, the blonde was standing there, thumbing threw a book.
"I don't know.. something different I guess?" he shrugged.
The Templar standing just at the door huffed at the two children, listening to their predicament.
Although they couldn't see his face, they were sure he was annoyed with them.
He finally turned and looked down to the Girl.
"Girl, just go speak to him. They are the same as you." he ordered and returned to being watchful.
Pandora wasn't expecting the Templar to speak to her at all.
She frowned, thinking.
And within a moment, she lifted up her fists,
"Alright... I will do this" she stood up straight and walked into the Door way,
prepared to go and speak to the Blonde boy.
She walked out into the hallway. Her Bravery overcame her thought process of running away and walked over to The blonde.
She didn't have to greet him, the blonde noticed her in his area of comfort about two feet from him.
She stopped and stared at him.
His caramel eyes greeted her happily, seeing him smile.
The blonde's hair was pulled back in a pony tail and his loose strands swayed to the left side of his head. His face was still roundish but showing signs of a growing man.
He seemed to recognize her, closing the book and tucking it under his arm.
Pandora blushed Feverishly and turned away from him, speed walking away from the blonde.
Jowan sighed from his hiding spot and jumped up to Greet the blonde, who was now left in confusion.
He was pouting, trying to understand what just happened.
"I apologize for Pandora... she's... um... shy?" Jowan offered with a shrug.
"I see that" The blonde responded sadly, "She is my new bunk mate right? I was hoping to say hi..." he looked to Jowan, his big brown eyes seeming to burst with tears, "... Was it something I did?"
Jowan raised a brow at the weird blonde teen and shrugged, "No no... I am sure it wasn't anything you did.. she is... shy?"
He couldn't come up with a better word honestly.
"Anders, is this kid messing with you?"
A taller boy walked over, This boy's hair was brown and he had it cut short. He was starting to show scruff on his chin. He had to have been 15 or so. He wore robes that were also grey.
The blonde shook his head, "No no, this is one of my bunk mates friends" he explained to the taller boy.
The short haired boy stopped and looked to Jowan.
"Oh..." he muttered.
"I am Anders... This is Karl" The blond introduced the two of them.
"I am Jowan... Pandora and I were just moved into the the older quarters with you all" Jowan explained as Karl softened his glare at the boy.
"Oh... you're the one bunking with Niall right?" Anders asked, smiling.
Karl began to ponder, stroking his chin in thought, "I just had an idea Anders..." he got the blonde's attention.
"Lets initiate them" he shot him a smirk.
Anders stared up at the taller teen and smirked, now turning his caramel eyes to Jowan.
Jowan's face turned fearful, "Initiate? Into what?" he asked.
But before either of the older two could answer, Jowan's name was called.
"JOWAN!" it was another teen age boy, about 14.
His hair was to his shoulders and dangled into his face. He was brunette with light brown eyes. His robes were the color blue.
"Oh thank the maker I found you" Niall walked over, "Pandora is in her new bunk, crying. What did you do to her?"
Jowan's arms raised in defense, "Wait wait, you have the wrong guy" he began to defend himself.
Anders' face dropped into a shocked sadness, "...She's... She's crying?" he asked, hurt that he hadn't spoken to her first.
Niall turned to Anders, "So this is your fault? If one of the elders finds her crying, we will all be in trouble" he glared at Anders.
Anders pouted a moment and then shot Niall a smile, "Then lets go cheer her up" he offered them.
The other three boys shot each other a confused look and then back to Anders with their confusion.
Pandora found herself in the mist of her new pillow and blanket.
She couldn't speak up.. she couldn't find her voice.
She could have said anything, even if it didn't make sense.
She should at least have said something.. saying nothing made her look like a complete fool and she couldn't even bring herself to get out of the bed now.
She should just die here where she laid...
"Pandora Amell?" A voice asked her.
It sounded like a boy... someone her age?
She didn't dare turn around to the voice.
She put the blanket over her head, hiding further.
"Come on Pandora, is that anyway to meet your bunk mate?" Jowan sounded.
Pandora flipped over and moved the blanket down, to show her face.
Her eyes were dried red with her tears, it had scared down her cheeks.
The blonde was the first person she saw.
She immediately ducked back under the covers.
She couldn't... she couldn't...
She felt the covers being gently pulled, seeing the blonde boy smiling down gently at her.
"hey now" it was the first voice who said her name, "Relax, We won't bite"
"I might" The tallest boy muttered out with a cheeky Grin.
The blonde chuckled and hit the taller boy with his hand.
"I am Anders, the tall one there is Karl" The blonde named Anders spoke.
"You and I are bunk mates... so will you please come out?" he asked with a soft smile.
Pandora felt her face heat up again and ducked down into the blanket.
Jowan began to laugh as Anders looked into the hole that was left where she sunk in from.
"Come on Pandora, Don't be such a baby" Jowan chuckled.
Niall sounded after, "That is mean to say. Some people are just scared of being in the center of attention" He explained, "Its a fear for some"
Anders looked to Niall during his explanation and then pulled away from the blanket in thought.
Silent for a few minutes before Anders stuck his head back into the blanket and laid there, staring down at a raspy breathing Pandora.
"Hi again. I am still Anders-"
"You've said that already" Pandora spoke sarcastically.
Anders smiled at that, "Good. Glad to know you can speak. I thought we should get to know each other... you know... sit and do stuff" he tried to explain as she sat up, pulling the blanket away from the two of them.
Anders was half way on her bed how, laying over her pillow.
The other three boys stood there, watching Anders make a fool of himself.
"Get off my bed" She tossed the blanket at him, hitting him and knocking him back to the floor.
She glared down at him as He struggled with the blanket and put it down to the floor to look at her.
"Jeez you are Violent..." Anders pouted at the girl.
Her face was filled with scars left by the tears, red, new...
Anders heart dropped and he reached up to her face. His hand began to emit a blue energy and the scars left by the tears vanished.
She backed away after he was finished.
Jowan and Niall's mouths both opened in shock.
"So that's what the green means" Jowan basked in the healers presence.
Pandora backed to the center of the bed. "... a healer..."
"I've shown you my magic... now you show me yours" Anders jumped back up onto her bed, his legs dangling off the bed again.
Pandora sat on her knees, staring down at Anders.
She lifted both of her hands and closed her eyes.
In her left hand a flame ignited and her right was slowly encased in ice.
Anders watched entranced and smiled as she stopped and put her hands down, now staring at him with a soft stare.
"What was that for?" Jowan finally asked.
Anders got up and put her blanket over her pillow. "Connection" he told them. "She is scared right? Show her you can be trusted" he explained and walked around the bed to the front, crouching down to her.
She was small compared to the boys around her.
Anders found her adorable and smiled at her. "How about we play a game? You can choose"
Pandora raised a brow at him and shrugged, "Do.. uh... do you know how to play Diamondback?" she asked, keeping her eyes away from his gaze.
At that the taller boy sounded, "Hey... isn't that a betting game?" Karl asked, sounding miffed.
Pandora looked up at him, glaring. "It is if you make it so" she told him.
Niall frowned, "We shouldn't be playing betting games..." he whispered to them.
Anders stood up and nodded "Then we shall play Diamondback in the eve"
he told them and looked to Karl, "We will go down there and play" he smiled.
Karl nodded and walked away, folding his hands to his chest with a smug grin.
Niall and Jowan stared at each other and then back to Anders who shrugged, "We will play after night fall" Niall asked First.
"all of us?" Jowan asked, slight fear in his voice.
As the day turned to Night, Pandora found herself sleeping rather peacefully.
She was snuggled into her blanket softly.
But her sleep was interrupted when She felt something shake her awake Gently.
"Pandora" Anders' voice whispered, "Its time to play Diamondback..."
Pandora groaned and sat up slowly. Although it was dark, the place wasn't pitch black.
Soft candles were light up about the circle's tower to make sure the Templars could see.
"Its past curfew" Pandora whipped the sleep from her eyes, "Lets not..."
Anders pouted to her, "But you suggested it.."
Pandora huffed and nodded, pulling a small box that would hold cards out from under her bed.
She stood up, her robed night gown thick.
Anders was wearing something similar.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the corner of the room, right across from their bed.
There was some shelves and behind one was a latch on the floor.
He walked over and pulled up the latch, He held it open for her to jump in.
Pandora looked to Anders, glaring at him. "Jump in, hurry up" He whispered.
Pandora sighed and jumped into the hole in the floor.
She dropped down a few feet into a small walk way in the floor.
There was a ladder just to the right of where she landed to head back up and then the ladder continued down into a hole.
Anders landed next to her, shutting the latch above them.
The room they were in was probably about 5 feet in height.
Pandora lit her left hand up in flame, not particularly liking the dark. The room was especially bare.
"Down the ladder" Anders told her, waiting for her to go first.
Pandora sighed and tried her best to not fall down the hole itself.
They didn't go very far, they ended about six feet down.
They reached an area that actually lit up a bit, due to the moonlight coming in threw a hole above the cave.
Just under this widened hole was a tree, about ten feet high.
It bore no fruit and under it was Karl, Jowan, and Niall.
Karl was sitting on the ground Lazily while Jowan and Niall were carving into the tree.
Anders walked ahead of Pandora, showing the way as Pandora allowed her flames to disintegrate from her hands.
"You were supposed to wait for us" Anders complained to Karl, who shrugged.
"Whoops" he laughed as Anders grumbled angrily.
Pandora walked up, staring at the tree's unearthly glow.
"...How... How did you two find this place?" She asked.
"I saw Karl going down here one day" Anders told him.
"Apparently some old apprentices left a map to this place in one of the books. Karl found it first" Anders explained and sat down next to Karl as Jowan handed the Dagger to Niall.
"Pandora, you made it" Jowan rushed over to the only girl. "You have to carve your name into it too" he explained to her.
Pandora's face dropped to a glare. "Why?"
Anders huffed, "Do you question everything?" he asked, slightly becoming bored.
Pandora looked to Anders, "That tree feels pain too! Why would you hurt it like that?" she argued against Anders.
Anders face read confused innocence. "...Trees feel pain?" he asked.
Pandora huffed, "Well.. I don't know... but that's what I've heard" she explained.
Karl sighed, "Just carve your name into the tree.. so we can play Daimondback already" he grumbled, now laying back into the ground.
Niall pulled away from the tree finally and Pandora walked over.
"This is horrible... I hope you boys know that" Pandora took the dagger from Niall and carved her name into the tree with them.
They all watched in silence as Pandora came to the realization that there were more than just their names here.
"Who... who are all these people?" Pandora finally asked, dropping down towards the base of the tree to look at the names.
Anders smiled, "All the mages who found this sanctuary before us" he explained, holding his knees to himself, "Cool isn't it? Its kind of a legacy. Something we will have to keep going when we leave..." his voice trailed as Pandora dropped the dagger at the roots.
She turned back to them and they all sat in a circle, awaiting to play and be taught to play Diamond back.