Abbadon Rising - (NaNoWriMo2016)

Chapter Two

ABI sat down next to Dario at a long mahogany table, and look around at all the other trainees. A great variety of teenagers were seated at the table, and their aged ranged from around twelve to probably about twenty one. All the trainees chatted amicably with each other, and then a hush fell over the room as a gruff looking man walked through the entrance. The trainees stood up in unison, Dario nudged Abi until she too rose to her feet. The clearly aging man strode to the head of the table and sat down, which must've been some indication that it was okay for the trainees to sit down as well. As they all took their seats, the old man's gravelly voice spread over the room.

"You have a long day at work," the man looked out at all of the trainees, "and now it is time to eat!" The trainees cheered, getting up from the table and going to the long table at the end of the hall that was filled with food.

"That's Cruz," Dario nodded at the old man, who was chatting with some of the older-looking trainees. "He's the one in charge of all of our training and stuff." Abi nodded, and wondered how such an old man could lead training of a bunch of teenagers.

'I suppose he does look sort of gruff,' Abi considered Cruz's frame and the hard lines of his body. 'In an old man sort of way.'

Dario led Abi to the table and piled both of their plates high with delicious food. Abi and Dario walked back to the table where a group of four Elementals were chatting amicably.

"No way you won that spar!" A girl with light blonde hair protested as she stuffed her face with food.

"Of course I did, my electricity can beat your little breezes any day!" A dark skinned girl with curly brown hair leaned back in her chair cockily and almost lost her balance, only to be saved by the boy sitting next to her, a young man around 15 years old with brown hair and deep brown eyes.

"Jo you'd really better be more careful, you're gonna get hurt someday." The brunet ruffled Jo's hair, and Jo leaned her chair forward again and stuck her tongue out at him. As Jo leaned forward Abi could see the gem pattern peeking out from under her shirt, trailing up her neck and stopping just under her bottom lip. Her gems were bright yellow and Abi could see that she was clearly an electric Elemental.

The blonde swept her hair off her forehead with her hands and smiled broadly. She glanced up and finally saw Dario and Abi standing off to the side.

"Dario! I didn't see you there! And who you have with you?" The blonde stood up all to shake Abi hand, then stopped as she realized that Abi's hands were full of food. Abi noticed the blonde's gem pattern tracing from up the backs of her hands to her elbows and her gems were a pale yellow, almost white.

'This Elemental must be an air Elemental' Abi realized.

"This is Abi" Dario gestured in her direction, "She's a fire Elemental." Abi let a smile slide onto her face, and she pushed her scarlet hair behind her ears to show her gem pattern off to the group.

"You can sit next to me!" The blonde chirped, and Abi followed her to her seat and sat to her right. "I'm Talia, but my friends call me Tal."

"I'm Marcus," the brunet boy nodded at Abi before continuing, "I'm an earth Elemental." Abi's insides turned cold, and her face froze before she responded.

"Small world." She replied curtly, then abruptly turned to Dario, who was busy chowing down on his food, and regarded him curiously. "So, Dario, what Element are you?"

Dario looked up from his food long enough to mumble a quick "Water," and then continued assaulting his pile of food. Throughout dinner Abi talked with Dario and his friends in order to learn more about what in the goddess' name was going on, but all Abi really learned was that Dario, Marcus, Talia, and Jo made a team. All of the trainees were split into teams of six, each teams containing one of each type of Elemental; fire, water, air, earth, electricity, and spirit.
"But," Tal explained, "Our team is missing a fire elemental." The group fell quiet, and Abi sensed that she was missing something but didn't push the matter.