black_shadow Winning Entry

I never used to believe in Pandoria's magic, you know. Long ago, when I first arrived out of the mists, and stepped foot into the strange land you all know as Mistica, I believed in only three things: survival of the fittest, strength in numbers, and don't ever turn your back on the enemy. Those were absolute truths; things I had seen with my own eyes, experienced with my own body. That was a long time ago however ,before I reunited with my bretheren, those who had fallen so far from grace. All of them went to that cave to escape their fates, to pause time so that they could become stronger. I went there because I was lost. What I found mystified and amazed me.
A human boy named Shadow greeted me, told me who he was, where I was, and then asked if I wanted his help. I told him I wasn't sure; I didn't know where I was despite being told, I was afraid, and I was sure that at any moment something would leap out from the shadows of that cave and kill me.
But the one known as Shadow told me I had nothing to fear from the cave or it's inhabitants. Imagine that - a human, telling me, a Jinx, that I had nothing to fear! But I listened to his words, and entered the cave. He gave me a room, showed me where his own room lay, and told me that I was welcome to stay for as long as I liked. I thanked him, and settled down in that cave. Two long months passed, and soon snow began to fall. I considered leaving the cave; I had yet to venture outside my own room at all. Shadow brought me food and toys to play with, and stayed to talk on occassion. I remember the day I started believing in Pandoria's magic. Shadow had come in, and asked to speak with me. When I have him permission, he sat and began telling me of the god-like figures known as Mods. Apparently these mods created shopkeepers around Mistica, and one of these shopkeepers was Lady Pandoria, a magician if you will, with the ability to create odd but powerful objects. One of these objects was called a Pandoria's Box, and it was very rare and very expensive. I asked him why he was telling me this. Do you know what he told me? That he knew me: he knew my name was Zeromus, and that my brother was Zalera, who was within the cave that I had almost refused to enter. And then he presented me with a box. The box was green, and had a tree atop of it. He told me that this was his invitation to me, to remain with all of them, as a family.
Needless to say after that, I didn't turn him down. I accepted the gift, and became what you see now. At the same time, I gained a new family, people I would gladly protect with my life. I always will. No matter what.