"Yeah, don't worry about it, I get lost in my thoughts too. So I assume you're a returning student like me? Mars asks, not even noticing the flinch. He takes a bite out of some bread it's a bit cold and he quickly heats it up with some magic. He checks his battery and sees that it's about 40% filled. He also has some cheese and a bit of meat to eat. Clearly he doesn't eat much. This is surprisingly good. I don't remember which section I got it from, but at least it tastes decent. He also looks around and sees how many people/monsters/chimeras are here. He at least should talk to someone while he is here so the guy next to him seems to work. Maybe he could actually make a friend, he chuckles to himself at the impossibility. @semicolon

Madock silently enjoyed the entrance ceremony video from the back of the herd of students. He had showed up late for the event, because he was previously off wandering around, enjoying the scenery. Luckily, he didn't wander too far away; otherwise, he would have missed the announcement to go to the cafeteria. He was excited to get there. He wasn't much hungry, he had eaten plenty of the food he packed with him on the train. The real reason he was excited was that breakfast in a cafeteria is the perfect place to socialize and make friends.

He watched as the students ahead of him began to move, following the older student. His eyes excitedly scanning the crowd, looking for the first few people he would contact first. There were so many. The first few to stand out was a boy who stood well above the crowd who just finished what seemed like a pleasant conversation with another student. He seemed like the type of person that he would hit it off quickly with. More students that stood out were a boy expertly handling a stack of playing cards, and the overly pale girl next to him. One after the other, Madock kept spotting more and more intriguing people that he wanted to talk too. He couldn't help but give a wide-eyed grin. He couldn't choose who to talk to. How could he? He was surrounded by a plethora of interesting people. He reached up and stroked his matted hair, letting a chuckle escape his lips. He was just going to dive in and see who he found first.

Once his section of the students began to move, Madock began weaving his way. back and forth, through the crowd. He was just too excited. He just had to get to the cafeteria as soon as he possibly could. He was almost half way through the pack when he reached the cafeteria, but in his haste to get through the doors, he seemed to bump into and knock over somebody. When he heard the thud of a body hitting the ground, Madock swirled around.

"Oh my, I am most terribly sorry!" He said with sincerity, "Allow me to help you to your feet." His western drawl accented his sincerity as he stuck his hand out to the unkown student on the ground.

Azerus

That was it. The last straw for Azerus. As he hit the floor a wave of rage instantly washed over him and had him seeing only red. All the sounds and happenings of the cafeteria around him quickly drowned away.

Tired of being touched, tired of being pushed, his temper had reached its limits the exact moment he saw his specific and methodically chosen tray of food splatter out across the same floor where he now lay. He wasn't sure of the exact happenings that brought upon this predicument, the how, the who or their reasons why, but he didn't much care. Someone would pay.

For him or not, the apologetic words fell hopelessly on deaf ears. With no words nor warning, just a guttural growl, Azerus ignored the outstretched hand as he quickly jumped up and violently thrust out both arms as hard as he could, viscously shoving at the clumsy student before him.

@HeartlessNobody

---

---

"Hey, hey! Watch it, you're standing on one of my wings, ya jackass!", the voice underfoot said. Ohon had been dashing down the hallway in a desperate bid to make it to breakfast and check out the newbies when he was distracted by an insanely hot girl nearby and crashed head-first into a normal-size student: Madock Holliday. Given Ohon's small size, Madock seemed to have assumed he'd bumped into Ohon instead of the other way around.

Ohon glared up at Madock from the tiled floor, refusing to take his hand. Ohon might be stupid, but this had happened before. Several times. And he'd already had his wings ripped off when he took someone's hand once -- he wasn't making that mistake again. Two days in the infirmary having his wings grown back on was an enormous pain in the, er, nothing really. His wings didn't have any nerve endings and couldn't feel pain, but having to walk places and lie in bed all the time pissed him off.

Before he had the chance to ask the other boy to get off of him, someone else Ohon hadn't seen before absolutely flipped his shit and tried to shove the one standing on his wings. This would probably hurt. A lot. Fuck.

@HeartlessNobody@Dark Light

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Cafeteria @Eragon

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"I've only been here a year myself, Never been intrested in fighting mosters or anything for that matter. I'd rather help people and myself other ways. I came to this school mostly for classes like Astrology rather then enhancing magic abillity or becoming a better fighter. Mars says with his rather gravelly voice. He notices Celeste's gaze wander slightly and looks back. He sees Azerus and chuckles to himself. Who else to start the first fight?

"So what are your magical abilities? Actually before getting to that, what would your name be? You can call me Mars."
as Mars launches into these questions one thing is obvious. He quite clearly isn't that great at starting a conversation. He still sounds friendly at least, if nothing else.

Mars is somewhat nervous socializing, but it's always nice to at lest sometimes talk to someone. He takes another bite of bread and a semi snake like tongue could be seen. He is half tempted to eventually join in the fight, but that's more of a fantasy then anything, just to give that aggressive kid something to think about.

@semicolon

Lester Astrante

Lester was aware of the cutting sarcasm in the girl's words, and he minded none of it.

Extending a both hands to the side and then pressing on the cards on his right hand a bit, he propelled them forward towards his other hand, not a single one of them falling to the ground in the process.

"Just like that. Got it?" Lester smiled then, before following up with an explanation. "The trick is to not be an idiot, and a bit of magic, but mostly not being an idiot."

Lester was about to hand the deck of cards to the girl, but the sudden start of the Entrance Ceremony cut their chat short, as Lester turned his full attention to the words coming from the speakers.

He knew most of these already but, in a way, they served to strengthen a resolve deep inside him.

If the pale girl said anything to him during this period, he probably didn't listen to her at all. Once everything was done and someone asked them to follow him to the cafeteria, Lester seemed less than excited to do so. Instead, he turned to his would-be-apprentice in the art of parlor tricks and asked, "Got something interesting to do? Or do you just plan to stand here, looking dumb? That does seem like a talent of yours, dearest."

@Jay Kalton

Berke Bayamaar

Berke was eager to fill his plate up quick, though not for the sake of a meal. While he could be a big eater when he wanted to be, Berke was more concerned about sitting down and having a good chat with his new buddy Azerus. He didn't want to keep him waiting too long, so he didn't want to take too long choosing a meal. At the end, it was a fairly simple collection of meats and starchy fruits and vegetables. He always needed to keep his protein up. However, it was not a happy moment that awaited him upon finishing his task, but a dismaying one. It seemed that Azerus had been jostled by somebody else this time. But the worst part was that Azerus reacted with aggression, shoving back at his jostler with much force.

Placing his food down, Berke moved closer to the hostile pair. "Whoah, friends! Let's not have a fight on the first day of our attendance, shall we?" He spoke clearly, but ultimately meekly. Berke had never had the heart to get in the middle of two quarrelers, and had usually left it up to others to keep people in line. All he really knew how to do was ask politely for them to stop. He could only hope that would be enough.

@Dark Light@HeartlessNobody

---

Alexander watched silently as the Administrative building's side doors opened suddenly, and several people in what could only be Mordhaben's ceremonial uniform stepped out from it. As the make their way to the bottom of the Front entryways steps, several chairs appear, in which these oddly cloaked officials take a seat. One of them, with a head wrapped in bandages, reached upwards to the sky, and created a barrier. Alexander, curiously looked up, as a soft smile spread across his face as he watched the water pool up over the invisible surface, and eventually pour down the sides of it, creating a visually stunning wall of water. As he watched the water flow, an enormous Chimera emerged from the front gates, however, Alexander failed to notice this until after a film began to play on an enormous canvas that seemingly appeared from nowhere.

Alex watched, with a Grim expression on his face as the film turned from something light, and patriotic, to a visual description of war. Something, thanks to his Parents and Grandparents, he was all too familiar with. However, what this video didn't detail where the effects of war on it's soldiers. The video didn't tell the students about the decades of cold-sweats and nightmares that would follow, it didn't tell the stories of families sobbing over the suicide of men and women who once fought, and it surely didn't tell the students that it would break them, and turn them into a hollow shell of who they once were. However, Alexander had seen these truths first-hand. He would always remember the first of many Funerals he had attended, a closed casket. The man had been his father's closest friend in both life and war, but this did not stop him from turning the cold barrel of a rifle against himself. With a slight shudder and a Grimace, Alexander turned his thoughts away from the memories, and focused instead on the Man in a black military uniform, calling for the students to follow him to the cafeteria.

---

Thanks to his earlier preoccupation with the lovely foliage present in the Institute's courtyard, Alexander was at the tail-end of the cluster of students making their way to the courtyard, and as he walked he noticed a particularly bubbly looking young man with an interested shade of Auburn hair, The man was practical bouncing as he made his way through the cafeteria doors, Alexander not far behind.

However, the gent's exuberance seemed to have created a bit of an incident, as there was now a "three-body" pile up. With an Expression of concern apparent on his face, Alex quickly made his way over to the "accident", intent to help. Incidentally, that plan changed moments after; just as he was within arms distance of the trio, the largest of them stood with a growl in his throat. The Chimera then shoved his arms forward towards the Auburn headed-man; instinctively, Alex exercised his abilities, creating multiple points of gravitational fluctuation around the Chimera's arms, the strongest of which being placed inches in front of his Palms. The others acted to balance the offset of gravity, ensuring that nothing strange would happen, such as a temporary release or concentration of atmospheric pressure. Alex doubted anyone would be happy about a tornado, or something similarly destructive occurring due to his brief bout of heroism.

"That's enough." He stated gravely, in a voice much larger and significantly more intimidating than the tone he normally spoke with. If his lineage had taught him anything, it was how to take control of a bad situation.

---

---

The boy proceeded to give an actual demonstration, which surprised Mallory. Perhaps he was the type of person to not be shaken by the words of others, however harsh or crude or overwhelmingly sarcastic. The type of person Mallory could dish out playful insults to, knowing that neither of them probably didn't care. That's what she assumed, anyway.

The cards in the boy's right hand seemed to fly into the left, all in one flawless move. Again, unexpectedly, Mallory found herself in awe at the smooth motion. She had the feeling that this was likely one of his simpler stunts; maybe investing time in perfecting card tricks wasn't as strange as she had thought.

"Just like that. Got it? The trick is to not be an idiot, and a bit of magic, but mostly not being an idiot," he said.

But before Mallory could say anything back, the opening ceremony decided to start.

“Ooh, it's actually starting!” she squealed, knowing that the faster this ceremony went the quicker she could get out of this terrible rain.

After the odd introductions from the administrator and his assistant, a short film began to play against a canvas screen. What started off as an observation of a peaceful society descended into a film about the horrors and tragedies of war. The shift in tone was alarming, and Mallory could see that in a few of the faces around her. The scene with the blackened town specifically seemed to draw out a few gasps, the horrifying screams of the dark orb in the town square made ever more mysterious from the crackling audio quality. The film would soon come to an end, some people still with their hands clasped over their mouths.

Mallory said nothing.

"Got something interesting to do? Or do you just plan to stand here, looking dumb?"

Looking as if she had just been shaken awake, Mallory snapped her neck around to face her so-called 'teacher'. She turned around so fast that she was sure she heard her neck crack.

"That does seem like a talent of yours, dearest."

“I plan to get out of this depressing rain and get myself a long awaited meal, actually,” she smirked. “I guess I'll find the time and effort to do some cute card tricks some other day, because my stomach is not waiting for anyone.”

Mallory was not going to stand around while the other students filed into the cafeteria. The girl skipped away, waving a hand to her conversation partner before she was swept into the crowd.

“Until next time then, dearest.”


The second time Mallory snapped her head around to look at something was when she found herself within earshot of a minor catastrophe. She was walking over to a table to sit down and eat, minding her own business for once, when a rather unhappy student a few metres away started having a go at another student. He looked so angry that Mallory thought he was going to explode right then and there, either emotionally or physically. Or maybe even both. Some of the surrounding students seemed to think so too, and some even tried to intervene before the unhappy student was pushed over the edge of sanity completely.

Mallory simply raised an eyebrow, watching the whole spectacle unfold from a safe distance as she sat down and bit into her bread. She looked towards the two students that sat near her, looking slightly confused about he whole ordeal.

“That looks kinda bad, doesn't it?” she said, wincing at the student on the receiving end of wrath itself. Mallory glanced at the students before her; what appeared to be a Chimera and what appeared to be a human.

“I'd gladly stay to watch some stupid bickering between stupid people any day, but that over there looks like it's going to turn into a riot more than anything!” she continued, letting out a low chuckle. Mallory would stay put for now, because honestly, it didn't seem like the best time for anyone to jump in and intervene. And considering the type of person who appeared to be causing all the trouble, getting involved probably wasn't the smartest idea.

@GrafRoy Zeppeli @Eragon @semicolon

Madock Holliday

Madock barely had time to react. He was currently standing on someone's delicate looking wing, and another student had become suddenly aggressive. The shove itself wouldn't have been that big of deal, but he was still on the other kid's wing. The most he could do in the time he had was to shift the weight to his other leg and lift his foot so he didn't take the kid's wing with him. He then closed his eyes and braced for impact. The impact never came. A few moments later Madock opened his eyes to witness some sort of magical field restricting his aggressor's arms. It took a few seconds for Madock to digest what exactly was happening, and let out a chuckle.

"Now that's pretty neat!" He said to the boy who's firm voice confronted him and his aggressor. He let a smile cross his lips as he looked around to see the crowd that had quickly formed around them and gave a quick admiring whistle. "Now this escalated quickly, didn't it?" He asked as he turned to his aggressor, "Now, I'm not quite sure the excess violence you just demonstrated was necessary, but I apologize nonetheless if I was the one to trigger it." He let the comment sink in for a moment, "That being said! If you have an issue with me, I'm not one to turn down a challenge. I will gladly take you on if that is your whole hearted ambition, but I would prefer if you would wait until we are not in a cafeteria and after exams. It's a time for making friends and preparing for what's to come after all!" His smile dissipated, "Now if you wait and we duke it out later, hopefully we can vent whatever ales us and move on and be friends. That being said, If you insist on continuing this senseless violence here and now, I will have no choice but to defend myself and maybe enlist the aid of some nearby students who find your sudden attacks just as unjust as I do," His hands drifted down to his revolvers as he said this. He then looked to the tall student trying to mediate and the stern student who saved him from falling on his ass, "Now were all good people here. I would hate to think otherwise," His smile returned and his hands moved away from his revolvers, "Let's not allow a silly quibble like this get in the way of what's suppose to be a good day, eh?"

@Dark Light@hagroden@Etranger@Azereiah

---

The train station was mostly deserted save for a few railway personel and one unimpressive individual wearing what might roughly be considered a generic military uniform. The small figure had their arms crossed and tapped one foot impatiently, glaring at a much taller man operating a nearby telephone. This man seemed to be having an uncomfortable conversation with the person on the other end, and the mounting irritation of the one waiting on him only made things more unpleasant. With a 'yes sir' and an apology for the trouble the man on the phone finally hung up and turned to the person that had been waiting on that particular call. He opened his mouth and began to relay what he had been told, trying to work in an apology while he spoke.

"You're cleared to keep the rifle on your person as long as it remains unloaded at all times. I'm sorry for the delay, miss-"

"Finally!"

The waiting Yrhen Oharra, a young woman who was not at all a soldier despite her choice of dress, interrupted the man before he could even finish speaking. She stepped forward and snatched up her prized 13mm anti armor rifle as the older man recoiled from her abrupt and aggressive approach. She slung the oversized gun over her shoulder and picked up her duffel bag with her free hand. With one last scathing look at the man she abruptly turned and set off at a very brisk walk. He watched her go and shook his head.

"When did kids get so scary? I hope my daughter doesn't turn out like that."


Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit- ow! DAMMIT!! I cannot be late for my first day, I just can't. First impressions! What kind of a mage shows up late to where they need to be? Yrhen thought of numerous curses as she ran down the path towards Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages, most of them directed at the man that had held her up so long at the rails. She had already been dead last off the train in the first place; by the time approval to carry her rifle came, every other passenger was long gone to attend the opening ceremony. Besides not wanting to be late because it was a standard she held herself to, the ceremony itself was important. At least it was to her. Just as she intended to make a good impression on her soon to be mentors, she hoped the Institute would leave a good first impression on her, too.

Up ahead, at last, she could make out the intricate front gates and an open space just beyond. That's it! I made it! With a burst of adrenaline fueled speed she quickly covered the remaining distance and ran past the open gates into the courtyard beyond. The empty courtyard.

Too late.

She slowed to a stop, the only sound apart from the rain her own boots hitting the stonework. She stood there, alone, crestfallen. Looking around it was plain to see there was not so much as one person here, not even a staff member to wait for potential late arrivals. She was just that far behind. She had missed her chance. The best she could hope for was that missing the opening ceremony did not count as a negative mark on one's record. Yeah right. If I could be so lucky I would have made it here on time.

She sighed and felt the full effect of the chilly weather as the adrenaline seeped out of her. It was very uncomfortable actually. She guessed it was just above freezing out here and the rain made it feel even colder. Some of the raindrops were still frozen when they reached the ground, ticking against the stone and her hat. Even her heavy coat did little to protect her from the icy chill in the air. The fact that it was so cold in turn brought her attention to the flowers planted around the courtyard.

"In this? How?"

She walked towards the beautiful blossoms, setting her duffel bag down gently as she neared. There was an impressive array of flora present, most of it unfamiliar to her. Some were wildflowers she did recognize, however, and she knew most of those only bloomed this well in warmer months. She knew it had been closer to summer weather just a few days ago but even just one day of this temperature should see some of them wilting. That these were so vibrant and healthy could only mean magic was at work here. But how? Is the the air near them kept warmer? Or are they enhanced to handle the cold better? She held a gloved hand just over the flowers, trying to feel any difference in temperature through the leather.

It wasn't the air at all but it did feel slightly warmer closer to the flowers. Resisting the urge to remove her glove altogether she touched a bright pink petal. Her eyes widened slightly when she did so. The flower itself was warm, notably so compared to the air. And yet the courtyard was not blanketed in a thick fog, either. The gardeners here are amazing. Such skill and attention to detail... The slightest smile came to her face as she gently caressed the beautiful plants, and took in their sweet mixed scents. Oh well. I may have missed the ceremony, but as much as that sucks... I still have this moment all to myself. All in all? Good first impression, Mordhaben.

Celeste Azur

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Cafeteria @Eragon @Jay Kalton

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---

Shit was hitting the fan faster than Ohon had expected. He wasn't much of a fan of big brawls, but while looking up at the ceiling, he saw the big student throwing his hand towards the asshole standing on his wing. He'd have to thank the big one later. He blinked once and almost missed it, but a stream of just barely visible energy erupted across the room towards the big one and halted the strike before it landed. The other student lifted his foot, but Ohon didn't notice and continued lying on the floor - as much as he hated having his wings damaged, he very much couldn't feel what may as well have been iridescent sheets of paper sprouting from his back.

"I thought I told you to fucking move, asshole. You have three seconds. One..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of one of his acquaintances from the previous year, Celeste. Cel was one year ahead of him at the Institute, but may as well have been four years ahead, given the disparity between their grades. Ohon's previous year had been spent in remedial courses, half of which he'd almost failed: not out of lack of effort, but out of lack of brainpower. He had to retake his mathematics and science courses again and was on par with entry level students in all areas but single combat and magic usage.

If nothing had happened, Ohon would have cemented his poor reputation in the minds of all of the entry level students just as he had with the older ones. His weapons and magic equipment were in his locker, but his fists were hard enough to put any of these doughy softies down. But something that, on further reflection, should've been completely expected did happen.


"HOLD IT!"

The air froze, and all students involved found themselves petrified and silenced by the force of unimaginable magical energy wrapping about them, holding them in place.

The double doors at the back of the room slowly came to a close with a severe looking woman standing before them. She was dressed in the olive green greatcoat of Mordhaben's Institute's staff uniform, with a pair of black combat boots planted firmly upon the floor and her arms crossed behind her back. Dark golden skin and shining green eyes drew attention to the thoroughly unamused look on her face, sitting below an ancient, stereotypical wizards' hat, black and crumpled with age. Older students would immediately recognize her as Professor Katarina, disciplinarian and doctor in Common and Writing. She periodically appeared in upper level courses, taking classes alongside the other students to further her already vast knowledge, and was in charge of doctoral courses in Common comprehension and philosophy.

She turned to the pileup and addressed the crowd, one by one. "Azerus. Keep your rage in check. You don't know what others are capable of, and your first punch may also be your last."

"Holliday. Save the monologuing for when you become a comic book supervillain. If you have something to say in a tense situation, say it quickly like Breckenridge."

"Breckenridge and Bayamar, you showed good judgment here. Breckenridge, I see you came prepared and made good use of your Condenser, but there are rules in place here at Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages regarding carrying equipment. I know you're new and that we haven't assigned lockers yet, though, so I'm willing to overlook it this time."

"Ohon... God damn it. You know my usual lines, so I won't waste my time."

She indicated each student with an open palm as she addressed them before continuing. "Those of you who aren't aware of how Breckenridge used magic of that magnitude, he used a type of energy storage device known as a Condenser." She held up a small ceramic cylinder the size of an AA battery, with two small prongs at one end. "You will be given training on how to use these at a later time. For now, just know that using magic without a Condenser or other convenient energy source requires taking it from your own body, and you will generally be limited to low intensity and nonlethal magic usage unless you intend to exhaust yourself into a blood sugar coma. Condensers are categorized as weapons, and your weapons will be stored in a locker outside of combat courses, with the exception of an unloaded rifle or pistol which you will carry with you at all times. You now have seven minutes to finish eating - do it quickly, as the Entrance Examination is starting in ten. If you don't finish on time, leave the tray where it is: there will be wrapped protein bars handed out at the testing area and our staff will clean up after you." After the short lecture, the veil of unbreakably powerful magical energy lifted, and Madock found himself standing two feet to the left, away from Ohon and his wing.

Ohon leapt up and dashed through the air to a seat on the other side of the room with a loud buzzing sound and a blast of air from the beating of his wings, and sat, carefully nursing the crinkled and nearly torn footprint on his top left wing. A soft glow swept over it as he worked to fix it.

---

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---

The old, red-haired gardener stepped outside into the rain. A new student had entered the school grounds and after the staff were given an alert by the railroad platform, he was found to be the closest person. Some sort of mixup regarding weaponry had happened - most likely a new employee at the railroad station who wasn't yet informed that Institute applicants and students were permitted to carry weapons on the train. With a wave of his hand, the rain stopped - or rather, it started striking an invisible dome over the courtyard again.

The new student was fairly small and gave off an odd scent that nobody but a trained outdoorsman like himself would have caught. She was admiring his handiwork, sending a surge of personal pride through him. Not many people noticed the different breeds of flower and tree he had planted about the campus, and the tropical plants surviving in the courtyard were one of his greatest works.

"I see you like my work," he said to the new girl as he walked over, his back creaking with strain with each step. Despite the arthritis, he was lithe and fit and forced his way through the pain. "Arthesian Corpseflowers. Morbid name for a beautiful plant - you wouldn't believe the lengths I went to to get them to stop eating every squirrel that hops the fence. The skeletons were getting hard to clean up. 'Course, I still let them eat the moles and rats, heh!"

He gave the girl a careful lookover. Her scent suggested she wasn't quite what she seemed and his sharp eyes caught glimpses of tiny details that others would never notice. But he opted to say nothing, instead reaching into a pocket and pulling out a handful of small bars of fruity gelatin with a thick, chewy texture. The wrappers read, 'Quikmag, the breakfast for mages on the go!', and were packed with protein, vitamins, and carbs. Nothing about the wrappers suggested they tasted good in any way whatsoever.

"If you're here for the entrance exam, it's starting soon. Breakfast is over, but... Eh. Here, have these. You'll need the energy. Follow me, it's this way."

@FlitterFaux

---

---

After the students finished their breakfast, Professor Katarina raised a hand to emit a bright flash to catch their attentions. "We're heading to the testing area now. Follow me: the written portion of the exam is first, followed by more... practical testing."

The Professor turned to leave the Cafeteria through the double doors, glancing back over her shoulder to check who all followed along. Ohon joined the group, along with a small group of older students, who quietly chatted to themselves about what the entrance exam this year might be. They seemed like they wanted to watch, and the applicants could hear whispers of how many had failed the exam in past years and how. By all reports, it was very difficult to pass.

The group passed through the administration building and exited through a large pair of doors on the other side from the courtyard to a huge open area with neatly trimmed grass. Walkways and a wide street cut through the campus, with several large groupings of buildings three stories tall in front of them. Off to the left were rows upon rows of three story buildings that looked like dormitories, and to the right was a road that lead out of the main college campus. A series of armored, open-top cars rolled down the road pulling carts full of students in the school's combat uniform, all armed to the teeth, and disappeared over a hill towards the training grounds.

Three minutes after leaving the cafeteria, the group had entered the first building across the street on the left, walked down the wide hallway past herds of students wearing casual outfits (the uniform code seemed lax), and came to a pair of double doors. Inside would be a series of large desks and chairs of varying sizes from human scale to monstrously large chimera-friendly desks and stools for students with tails. An exam booklet and a stack of answer sheets sat upon each desk with a series of booklets written in the Common equivalent of braille for blind students and small audio ribbon based recording devices for their answers. The braille sheet desks were surrounded in a visible Silence field to avoid other students being disturbed by the answers.

Professor Katarina moved to the front of the class and sat at a desk in the front, facing the classroom in front of a chalkboard no less than ten meters wide and three meters tall, covered in scribbled notes on page numbers and schedules. In the middle, in large lettering, was a list of instructions on how to take the exam. An hour was given to answer fifty questions covering every major educational topic, with a further half hour given after the first hour was over for an essay on why each student wanted to become a professional Mage.

---

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11:00 AM, August 6th, 1210PW. 42 Degrees Fahrenheit. Cloudy.

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Boorkat Malkin took his position as Administrator of Mordhaben's Institute for Aspiring Mages today, following his predecessor's scandalous usage of entrance exams to gain sexual favours from applicants. - The Unoctoc View, January 12th, 1207PW

---

After the written exam had finished, Professor Katarina had passed the applicants to Professor Brovak, who had taken them by bus to a location far outside the school. All in all, the trip had taken a half hour, and the applicants and observers stepped off of the bus to the sight of an old, burned out town. Buildings were only barely standing, the brickwork scorched but intact, and buildings taller than two stories seemed to have collapsed after the woodwork crumbled. It was an ancient place, preserved through magic. The crowd of applicants was slightly smaller than it had been - perhaps some of them had decided to turn back and go home instead of risking their lives trying to become Mages.

Professor Brovak walked towards the burnt-out town some, then spun about. "Applicants will stand at attention in a single line, side by side. The Practical Exam begins in fifteen minutes. I will go over what you will do during the exam." He waited patiently for the potential students to order up before continuing, "We will be doing things slightly differently this year. The Exam Commission has been instructed to accept as many new students as possible and only reject those who are completely and totally unsuited for Magery. We are not happy about this, however. Instead of rejecting students based on poor choices, we have opted to instead make the practical exams as unpleasant as is safely possible (and I use that term very loosely). You will be permitted to give up and leave at any moment if the exam is too painful or difficult, and I strongly encourage you to do so. I am required to inform you that medical services will be given after the exam is over, and staff will be overseeing the exam to intervene and prevent any untimely deaths through advanced medical and temporal magic. Standard issue rifles and ammunition will be passed out, as well as Condensers, as this is going to be a full-force, objective based combat test."

"Organize yourselves into squads of three. You have ten minutes, and I do not care how you choose to do it. Those left without partners will be grouped with eachother at random, so unless you want to risk being stuck with someone completely useless, make your decisions now."

@Eragon@HeartlessNobody@Dark Light@semicolon@GrafRoy Zeppeli@Etranger@hagroden@Jay Kalton

The power was overwhelming. Azerus had never felt something so intense before. A faint uncontrollable tremble of fear ran through his helpless body.
It shook him to his core. That thought and feeling of utter uselessness, despair. With a short warning it was all over and movement returned to his body. He once again had some semblance of control. It was only now that he was free and moving again did he notice the deep strain within his muscles caused by his manic and unnoticed futile struggle. Without words his stare alone told the others that this was not over. He chose not to eat and carried on out to the testing with the rest. Ever weary of the teachers powers.

---

'A written test!? What the fuck is this!?' Azerus instantly found that rage again as he was presented with a room full of desks covered in exam paperwork.
'Rubbish standardised testing bullshit!' he thought to himself, so almost nearly vocalising his concern. Having expected that he was already in the school and accepted, he wasn't ready for this. He had to fight every impulse that told him to just tear up the paper,?kick the desk over and spit on it... He did none of those, instead ignoring everyone else and taking a suitable seat.

With much disgruntled disappointment he got into it. His pace was slow and steady. The math came to him, it was just a matter of time. While Azerus's interests included biology he hadn't the luxury of a proper education on the matter. His knowledge was all self learned and while he could understand form and function of many organs and systems, the names and fancy titles were mostly beyond him.
He knew nothing of medicine but the very basics and of history only what he heard in stories. Azerus looked around and an internal disdain grew for all those attacking the test with confidence and assurance. He resented those of a privileged past.

Then he came to the point in the exam where he had to explain why he wanted to be a professional Mage. His steady momentum came to a sudden grinding crashing halt as he was stumped how to answer it. He paused and pondered for quite some time. 'Revenge? Acceptance? Power? Control?' surely he could not write any of these things down, although he still considered them all a viable and good as any reason.
Then it dawned on him, a simple and honest answer that they would easily understand. He scribbled it down.



And that was the end of his written exam. He hoped it would be the last for a long time as it was a most unpleasant experience. He looked around to see many had already completed it before him. He held no confidence in his answers and was eager to move on to the next challenge.

---

After a bus ride and some fair warning they were told to form their own groups of three. It seemed as though there was going to be some sort of competitive combat. Azerus was not one to shy away from challenge but how was he expected to compete with those far more senior than himself. His motivation moved away from winning or losing, as he looked around amongst the other students he didn't search for team mates but for targets.

Seemingly unconcerned who he was teamed with Azerus simply waited. A smaller imp-like chimera eventually approached him seeking his support, Azerus merely scoffed at him and laughed off the gesture. While he didn't approach or seek anyone, Azerus had his own standards.

---

Yrhen noticed a distinct lack of icy rain hitting her head and back as it was quite sudden and not gradual. Curious, she looked up, only to see the rivulets starting to form thin waterfalls in midair. What is that? A solid magical dome or water flow control magic? She neither saw nor heard the groundskeeper approach, such was her fascination and certainty that she was alone.

Hearing the voice Yrhen let out a short gasp and shot to her feet. She turned to the speaker and delivered a sharp salute, just as her grandparents, retired military themselves, had taught her. Her reflexive reaction did not seem misplaced when she saw the man that had addressed her. Older, but still with brightly colored red hair. Hunched and using a cane, but towering and fit and undoubtedly an experienced mage. A mage with a sharp eye, assessing her as she assessed him. He seemed to be the groundskeeper from what he said, but from what she saw such a title seemed too simplistic, she would have guessed him to be one of the professors.

"I was trying to analyze the magic behind the flora's preservation, sir. I mean, I think they are very aesthetically pleasing, and I think student's morale will be higher overall for the work you've done here. Yuck. I sound like one of those snotty elitists. Is it ok to say what I really think? If I don't behave or give the answers expected of me... But this is one of the staff here. He may already know about me. And besides, what artist doesn't want to know their work is appreciated? If we're alone it should be OK, just this once.

She looked all around, making sure no one else was in earshot or even within sight, then made her decision. She moved closer to the man so he could better hear her as she whispered.

"They're... abolutely gorgeous. Sir."

Upon hearing the entrance examinations would be starting soon she gratefully accepted the offered nutrition bars, and reverted back to her usual serious demeanor.

"Yes sir!" She snapped another salute at the groundskeeper before picking up her bag and following his lead. She was glad he had been here, she had no idea where she was supposed to be.

A real breakfast would have been nice. Oh well, I should be grateful I got anything at all with how things turned out. I wonder what kinds of things they serve at a prestigious school like this? Must be nutritious at least, military soldiers and magic users alike use a lot of energy, right? I just hope it's nothing to bland or artificial tasting. I wonder if they'll have-

Her train of thought was completely derailed as she unwrapped and bit into the allegedly fruit flavored bar. Her stern expression soured notably as the flavor assaulted her unprepared taste buds. In the end, she was happy to not immediately choke or spit it out. A look of grim determination settled on her face as she chewed, forced herself to swallow, and took another bite.

I swear to all that is worth a damn in this world, I will never let myself be late for a meal again.

Having arrived so late walking into the room for the written exam when everyone else was already seated was nerve-wracking enough; never mind the fact that she was not very accomplished academically. Fortunately it seemed the groundskeeper took the time to explain things to their current instructor, a woman who looked terribly intimidating with little effort. She took one of the few remaining seats silently, staring straight ahead and not meeting anyone's eyes. She resisted the urge to look around and mentally braced herself She noted the instructions on the board and got right to work, forcing her face to remain calm and unemotional.

The test itself was about as grueling as she expected; there were very few questions she could answer confidently. On top of this some of the questions seemed a little off or had small errors in how they were worded. She answered these as best she could but her already limited confidence was used up quickly. Then came the essay. She had expected to have to explain why she wanted to be a mage, and a military mage at that. Military life was not easy or pleasant and more was expected of a professional magic user than the common soldier. Thus she had thought long and hard about her answer, and she often recited it in her head. An essay would just be a more detailed version of that and so she got started on it right after the last question, not waiting a beat.

Halfway through she suddenly stopped writing, and stared at the words she had written. In order to protect those that cannot protect themselves, and to uphold the values of our great nation... Now that I look at it on paper it all feels so... plastic. She scratched out everything she had written so far and flipped the paper over. Using her arm to cover her paper from any potential wandering eyes she began again.



With the mentally and emotionally taxing written test complete Yrhen had made it a point to be one of the first in line for the next test. She also made a point of ignoring every other student that came near her, repelling conversation with an especially intense scowl. It seemed to work, much to her relief, no one so much as sat in the seat next to her. That and the unexpected pleasure of the busride through the countryside did wonders for her frayed nerves. By the time she filed off the bus to follow the unusually garbed professor Brovak she felt much better.

She shifted a few feet to the right when everyone was told to form two lines, and she listened very carefully as professor Brovak spoke. She couldn't help but to feel hopeful to hear there was a higher chance of applicants passing this year. Even if this test was going to be harsh she felt this was going to be her best chance at passing. She was fairly sure she had flunked the written test despite her best efforts.

Of course now there was the matter of forming teams with the others. This, too, she had known to expect. Teamwork was an essential skill to learn in most professions, and in particular the military. If she was lucky her skill set would land her the role of sniper scout and she could operate mostly solo. But even then she would still need to know how to function as part of a team. And of course she had to actually qualify for Mordhaben's Institute in the first place, and that meant performing well in this potentially dangerous team exercise.

Doesn't mean I have to like it. As if that's worth anything..

She scanned through the people around her, finally assessing her peers properly. Within moments she did not like what she saw. The few that might meet her standards of a potential bearable teammate all had something about them she didn't like upon closer inspection. There was a really tall guy that she could provide covering fire for if he was willing to take point. But he smiled way, way too much and was too friendly by far for her liking. There was a sharply dressed boy with glasses and a deck of cards who looked far too smug for his own good. There was a very pretty and very pale girl who she couldn't actually read very well, but there was something sly about that one that raised a major red flag. Another red flag was from someone that otherwise looked like a good choice for a teammate. Again it was a subtle look in the eyes that made her wary. Also the more she looked at him the more ill fitting his clothes seemed on certain parts of his body. Ultimately the dark, brooding boy reminded her of herself.

That's not s good thing. At all. Wait! That one there, not too dark, not too bright, relaxed.. honestly his whole body language reminds me of my grandfather. He's fit and as much as a look can tell I get a sense of competence from him. Maybe I should grab him before someone else does- Oh. Why are his eyes so red? Has he been... crying? Maybe not as good a choice as I thought. Hm.

And then one boy caught her attention hard. Not because he was a good potential teammate, but because she recognized him. That was just plain alarming, no terrifying. She remembered where she had seen him. She remembered that day very well. The day she bought her rifle with her grandfather was one of the happier memories of her life. And he might remember her as well. A dozen possible lies or ways she could avoid this boy flew through her mind. She turned her body, trying to prevent a clear line of sight between him and her rifle. The same rifle the Holliday boy had sold to her last April.

Dammit! I thought I would never see this guy again. What the hell are the odds we'd both end up attending the same school, and worse, the same year? This is terrible...

Maybe he won't notice me?

---

Alexanders eyes were dangerously focused on the Chimera before him, however after hearing the fairly attractive Auburn-Headed boy's monologue, he wasn't particularly sure which of them he should be more attentive of. This problem, was solved fairly quickly as he heard the loud slamming of door announcing the presence of a staff member. Within seconds Alex felt a strong, and familiar, sensation of being routed in his place through the use of well-practiced Magic. The Woman spoke, and Alexander listened without peeling his eyes from the Chimera. Thankfully, the woman had finished the task he had set out to do, and successfully quelled to situation.

After the magic holding him and the others was released, Alexander gave a steely glare to both the Chimera and the monologuer, and walked away from the situation. Rather then spend the next few minutes attempting to consume as much as he possibly could in the small, seven-minute timeframe, he made his way to the Exam room, thankfully taking one of the nutrient bars offered to him by a member of the university's staff. After making his way to the testing room, he found a seat in the middle of the classroom and began preparing himself for the Exam.

---

The Exam had passed fairly quickly, from Alexander's perspective, and he found himself to be one of the first finished. His parents and Grandparents had taught him well, tutoring him with the knowledge they had learned from Mordhaben long ago. Because of this, he was confident in his results, and slightly entertained about the handful of trick-questions presented. The only section he lacked extensive knowledge in was regarding medicine, regardless, he knew enough to have done well on the exam one way or the other. The written essay he wrote was based on his personal reasoning for attending the school, something he wasn't completely sure on himself, So he wrote an essay reflecting such. He knew he wished to broaden his knowledge of the world surrounding him, and he wished to hone his existing skills in case they ever became necessary.

---

After the written Exams were finished Alexander was loaded on to one of several buses, and after about thirty minutes he had arrived at whatever location it was he was being taken to. He spent several moments studying what appeared to be a destroyed ghost-town, knowing that it would be useful to have a slight lay of the land. Before long, his observations were put to an end as their instructor ordered them all to line up before him. After the professor explained the premise of this portion of the exam, Alexander quickly moved to the nearest person he deemed as an acceptable teammate, a small women wearing an outfit that was clearly influenced by Military uniforms.

"I hope you don't mind teaming up, I'm Alex." He said softly, his voice almost timid. This however, was simply a part of the way he chose to present himself, it was always best for others to underestimate yourself.

---

As she was looking away from the one boy, pretending to be intensely interested in the town ruins (which wasn't hard as she felt the place was quite beautiful), a shadow fell over her. She turned to look at who had approached her and found herself staring at someone's upper chest and collar bone. Tilting her head back to meet the eyes of this annoyingly tall boy with a surprisingly soft voice, she saw it was the one with the red around his eyes. Technically he was the least upsetting potential teammate she had seen so far, though she was not keen on openly admitting that fact. But he had possibly saved her some trouble by approaching her first, as she now realized her indecisiveness might see her stuck with someone much worse in the end.

Geez, he even looks like a teenage version of Pe'pe, grey hair and everything. All he needs is a short scraggly beard and to lose those bags under his eyes.

"Maybe. If you can resist bursting into tears or running home when things go badly." When. Not if. She honestly believed there was no way this trial would go smoothly. She also wanted to see how he dealt with her insults before impulsively teaming up with him. He seemed like her best bet now but he could still be useless or rotten at the core. She had been wrong too many times. Even this boy who reminded her of her grandfather was an unpredictable unknown. So she stared at Alex with cold, unfriendly eyes.

"What good are you, anyway? Can you do anything useful besides act as a human shield?"

---

He laughed softly at the Girl's comment about crying, before gesturing to the reddened bags under his eyes.
"Family Trait, All us 'Black-Holes' have them." He retorted with a slight smirk. Grey Hair, and Red Eyes were the men in his family's "crest," a strange genetic trait that always appears on the boys. His Uncles had them as well, and his Grandfather said they'd been in his family for centuries, long before they became the renowned military family they currently were.

Alexander's eyes were the antithesis to the Brunette's before him, full of empathy and warmth, a fair reflection of his own personality. He was however realistic, and took note of her choice of words, glad that she understood the seriousness of the matter before them. It was likely that some of the other students wouldn't take this very seriously, given the professor just said that the university was taking Anyone they could. His attention returned to the girl before him as she asked, rather bluntly, "What good are you, anyway? Can you do anything useful besides act as a human shield?"

"I have about twelve years of experiance with Firearms, but I'm most efficient at range." He stated softly, before continuing;
"And I also have about seven years of experiance with Gravitational Field Manipulation, though I specialize in Density Manipulation." He concluded, before checking the charge level of his Condenser, and taking a step backwards. With a bit of focus, he found himself levitating several inches off the ground, and lowered himself back down gently.

"So, I showed you mine..." He said softly, with a slight smirk.

---

This is getting... almost creepy. His personality is almost just like Pe'pe, on top of everything else.

Listening and watching very carefully Yrhen's decision was made on his level of competence. And she knew she definitely needed this guy on her team before someone else tried to steal him away. Even if he was a psychopath or some other kind of deviant behind that smile, right now she needed someone reliable like this. But she knew she couldn't look too eager; such a thing was an easily exploitable weakness after all.

Twelve years? I only have about eight under my belt. And I bet he's familiar with more than just a few different models. And seven years of gravity magic? That must take way more energy than my own techniques. I couldn't even attempt something like that without passing out. The way he talks, and how easy that levitation looked for him... formal training? Dammit, I should have known! It looks like I'm the useless one after all.

Yrhen kept her thoughts and emotions off her face thanks to a lifetime of practice, but her confidence had taken another dive. If this was just the first person she met and he had that much more experience than her, how well trained were the others? She dropped her duffel on the ground in front of her and knelt down to open it. She started taking out her weapons and ammunition. Bet that train conductor would have had a fit if he knew I was carrying all this on me.

"I suppose you'll do, Alex. You can call me Oharra. And it should be obvious what I do."

She grabbed an enormous thirteen millimeter round from her bag and took her rifle off her shoulder. She looked up pointedly as she loaded the bullet in a practiced, efficient motion. She then went back to retrieving and checking her backup weaponry, which included an unusual piece, a sharpened steel boomerang. At the same time she took these things out she hastily grabbed her own hand-me-down condenser and stuffed that into a pocket. It was a very old model her grandparents used, with far less capacity than modern Condensers. She would prefer not to advertise the fact that most of her equipment was low budget.

"I prefer to conserve my magic when a bullet will do. I don't do show and tell." More like I can't afford to demonstrate...

As soon as she had everything in its proper place she stood and slung her rifle over her shoulder again.

"Third member. Need someone who's not a complete idiot."