Captain Royce scowled discreetly at the security guard in front of him. "Cap'n Royce, is it?" The guard asked, scrutinizing the Captain's badge and credentials before he raised the long metal bars blocking the entrance to the Aequalis Institute.

"Sir." Royce agreed superciliously. The guard glowered at him; Royce just smirked up from under his aviators. He was an arrogant jerk, and he knew it. He also knew the guard's type: big, strong, but probably too stupid to make it into the army after the recruiter came and spoke at his school.

That was Captain Royce's job. When he wasn't on active duty, he was out recruiting at high schools and universities all over Europe. People back at the base bet on how many kids he would be able to recruit; the current entry fee was forty credits. The lowest number of kids anyone had bet was seventy. Nathanael Royce wasn't good at much, but he was the best of the best at recruiting lost souls for the Equilibrium army. He had a way of connecting to kids who just wanted to fit in, and there was no easier place to find a family than the army. Royce knew that from experience, and since he was only twenty, kids found him instantly likable despite his strict appearance and attitude.

"Alright." The guard finally said, his tone begrudging as his ragged young face. He made a sign with his hands and the man at the next station raised the metal bars blocking Nathanael's car. He smirked triumphantly and drove forward into the schoolyard.

"I hate it when you do that." The Captain's partener grumbled. Nathanael shot him a warning look.

Bryson Cheng was one of Nathanael's own achievements. He was a great soldier, though he had a tendency to forget his manners outside of the base. He was barely any younger than Nathanael, but his scrawny frame made him look like a sixteen year old fresh out of the streets of Hong Kong. He was good at connecting with kids, and Nathanael figured he'd be an even bigger help at Equilibrium. Along with a steady sniper hand, Bryson also held a small magical ability. It was nothing much, but it was enough to help him levitate sensitive cargo out of enemy territory while on a stealth mission. At a school like Aequalis, that would be useful.

"D'you think the Myrddin girl's gonna be here?" Bryson asked. He was almost vibrating in his seat with excitement. Everyone had heard stories of the Myrddin family. They were direct descendents of the Golden Age of Arthur, more powerful in their magic than any family in the world, though the only one left was a single daughter, the so far nameless celebrity. Before the girl's parents, they shocked everyone when they denied involvement with the FAE; they even sent their daughter to Aequalis to show their alliance. Sadly, soon after, her parents had died in an accident said to be caused by the FAE, leaving the Myrddin under the care of the school's headmaster according to the newspapers. Nathanael figured she'd have resentment towards the FAE for killing her parents. He could use that; if they could get the Myrddin on their side, the war would practically be won. No one really knew how powerful she was, but there were stories that could send chills down any man's spine. Nathanael didn't exactly know what to expect, but he knew it was going to be big.

"She's supposed to be in the crowd." Nathanael answered coolly as he drove into the parking spot he was directed to. "She's graduating this year. Only seventeen, but I've heard she's good." Bryson snorted.

"Good? She's supposed to be brilliant. The legends say that her family could talk to dragons. Dragons!" Royce cut him off with a sharp glare as the car jerked to a stop.

"Let me make something clear, Sergeant." The Captain said quietly. "This is will go as usual. No failure. This is just a regular job." Bryson grit his teeth and nodded. He knew that tone of voice; it meant one thing and one thing only. The Captain meant business.

They got out of the car and gathered their materials from the back before marching towards the school.

The Aequalis Institute was originally the castle of Camelot, as the legend goes. The history around the place was amazing, and the halls were still furnished and decorated like the old castle would have been. The renovations had taken years, but, using magic, they managed to make the castle as tall and as beautiful as it would have been in its glory days. Many of the locals and students just referred to the place as Camelot; other than the modern wiring and appliances, it was exactly as it would have been. the walls around it had been built back up as a security check, and what few cars that ventured onto the grounds were held next to what looked, and smelled, like the stables. It was built tall and completely stone with high towers and intimidating pillars. No one but the best could break in, and the castle was protected from the sky by spells. The school was a shining beacon of hope in the midst of a harsh war.

On the other hand, the Institute was not without its faults. In the days of King Arthur and Merlin, it was said that many trap doors, secret passageways, and underground tunnels had been installed into the entire castle. The students liked to tell rumors that somewhere in one of the secret passageways, the last living dragon guarded the ancient sword Excalibur and the staff of Merlin, forever lost in time. Few believed these myths, but many were shunned into a thoughtful silence when they considered the possibility of it being true. The Castle of Camelot had a dark history, though few chose to dwell on it for long.

Other than the occasional rumor and outbreak of forest animals in the halls, Aequalis was at the height of its reign. And, with Myrddin girl rumored to go there, Captain Royce was more eager to get inside than he'd like to admit.

The giant oak door opened on freshly-oiled hinges when the two soldiers approached. Inside the gargantuan courtyard, a large tree blossomed with a golden brown trunk, silvery leaves, and blossoms that almost looked to be made out of crystals. The tree was another one of the mysterious Aequalis Institute's secrets: The Forbidden Tree of Luna-Leera, goddess of the Moon and all glittering jewels. Nathanael didn't really believe the "goddess" bit - she was probably just a powerful sorceress, but her power must've been hard to deny. The tree was a sight to behold, strong and majestic, stretching out its glittering leaves to join the sparkling stars in heaven.

"Is that-" Nathanael cut Bryson off with a subtle motion of his fingers and continued his march to the door labeled "Office" just around the side of the tree. This door, just as the previous, swung open eagerly as soon as they stepped near it. Inside was an average sized stone room with carpeted floors, embroidered furniture, and paintings of past headmasters along the walls. Behind an extravagant mahogany desk sat a strange secretary.

"Is that a cat?" Bryson whispered not-so-quietly. The sleeping tortoise-shell long hair opened a sleepy vibrant green eye and glared.

"Um..." Nathanael paused, for once in all of his crazy life confused. "I'm Captain Royce, with the army? We were told to meet with the headmaster before anyone else." The cat nodded its head and stretched languorously before patting its paw on a bell at the edge of the desk. A loud thump! ensued from behind the unimpressive wooden door behind the desk. An old man with a long silvery white beard and small spectacles shuffled out of the from behind the door, coughing as he did. His clothes consisted mostly of a light blue robe, but Nathanael could see the edge of ducky pajama pants and fuzzy pink kitten slippers peaking out of the edge of the ankle-length robe. His expression was that of annoyance, but he soon broke out into a wide, toothy grin. He held onto his baby blue sleeping cap as he shuffled closer, offering a hand to shake.

"You must be Captain Royce and Sergeant Cheng. It's great to have you! Haven't had a recruiter around here in years!" His grip was loose but he shook like a madman, his grin never faltering. The cat meowed.

"Wha-oh, yes! Thank you Maggie." He cleared his throat. "My apologies. My name is Headmaster Wisrik Meriwether, but Meri will do just as well. The students have already been congregated in the theater. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you! Just let me clean up a bit and I'll-oh, boggarts-" The Headmaster cut off and reached into his pocket. He was muttering, but Nathanael couldn't understand. He briefly caught the words didn't get a translator and hope she pays attention before he finally gave up on looking for whatever he needed in his pockets.

"Is it true the Myrddin goes here?" Bryson blurted. The headmaster's head shot up as his eyebrows disappeared into his already overgrown hairline. "Yes." He said, his tone suddenly wise and nostalgic. "Indeed she does." Bryson looked eager.

"What's she look like?" He asked. Nathanael's normally death-inducing glare wasn't working. Bryson was enthralled. Meriwether raised an eyebrow even higher.

"You'll know her when you see her." He said simply. He cleared his throat. "Sorry, gentlemen. I'll be with your shortly. Ms. Magdalene will show you the way." Headmaster Meriwether said. Bryson raised a questioning eyebrow and looked around for another adult, but his eyes were soon drawn to the cat. She got up and stretched again, this time leaping off the table. Her tail curled as she waited patiently at the door for them to follow.

"Magdalene. Maggie." Bryson whispered under his breath. "Of course it's the cat, why wouldn't it be the cat?" He was cut another sharp glare from the captain as they walked to follow the fluffy cat.

The cat, Ms. Magdalene, showed them the scenic route through the wide, tall main hallway. Students could be heard but not seen behind the closed classroom doors along the way, but Nathanael wasn't paying much attention. The artwork on the walls was plentiful and extensive; the tapestries showed prophecies, the paintings showed past figures, and the gargantuan window at the end of the hall was a stainglass of a fire-breathing dragon guarding a sword in a stone. Nathanael could have stared at it for days, but Ms. Magdalene didn't hesitate but for a second before turning down one of the small hallways that branched off of the main hall. This hallway was still much wider than that of the halls at the Equilibrium Base, but the ceilings were much shorter, and the only light came from the bright torches alternating between the two walls. Abruptly, Ms. Magdalene turned opened one of the many doors that lined the walls. This lead to a spiraling staircase that eventually led them higher in the fortress.

Finally, Ms. Magdalene opened a final door, and they were ushered into the theater. It was a large, grand hall carved perfectly from stone, but the stage was wooden, the floor carpet, and the ceiling glowing dimly in the warm daylight pouring in through the almost opaque crystal that acted as the ceiling. Despite its appearance, Nathanael's footsteps resonated when he stepped; any orchestra or performer to perform on the large stage would likely be heard beautifully without any assistance. A group of about fifty students stood at attention as they marched down the aisle. Their poses were sloppy, laid back, but they weren't the worst the Captain had ever seen. Overall, he'd only ruled out about three people as distinctly not army; he could easily reel in half of them, maybe three quarters if he chose his words right. However, he didn't see anyone that looked like the Myrddin girl. He wished the headmaster had been more specific. Was she the one with the highlights? The one with brown hair? Tall? Short? Dark? Light? He didn't know. "At ease, ladies and gentlemen." Nathanael said in his best Captain's voice. The students glanced at him gratefully and sat down in unison. His boots thumped regularly on the resonating ground until he'd finally made it onto the stage. Bryson began setting up the materials as Nathanael began speaking.

"My name is Captain Nathanael James Royce. The man behind me is Sergeant Bryson Lang Cheng, one of the magicians on my team. His talents came into great use one day not even a year ago when we were captured by a team of FAE pirates." Nathanael continued on with his story. On that specific occasion, magic had been essential in getting them out. They had to use it to unlock the chains around their cages, and it was only one of his soldier's minor shapeshifting abilities that had gotten them to dry land safely where they could contact the base. The students all watched attentively, their faces masks of terror, amazement, and intrigue. When the story was finally complete and it was time for questions, at least half of the students raised their hands. He chose a short girl with choppy black hair first. "What about healers?" She asked. Nathanael almost broke his stoic expression with a raised eyebrow. The girl didn't look like a magical healer; her choppy hair was highlighted with electric green streaks, and she had piercings on both her eyebrow and her lip.

"You wouldn't be in my department, but I know someone who would be happy to have you. Our medical resources have been dwindling lately as it is; anyone with a natural magic power would be accepted with open arms." Nathanael said. The girl nodded, seemingly content.

"D'you still take non-magics?" Another boy asked. Nathanael could have hit his head on the wall.

"Of course. I still can't even blow out a candle. Our army is mostly non-mages, but Cheng is a good example of our recently expanded magical division, not our entire army." The boy nodded at the response. They continued answering questions as they came, Bryson stepping in at times to add his side. When no more questions were asked, Nathanael clapped his hands together eagerly.

"Now we get to the fun part." He grinned at the wave of uneasiness that settled over the students. "As you know, the magic scale is based on one through ten, though no one has ever been recorded above a nine point eight. Today, we're going to test your magic levels. Please line up in order of your previously recorded magical number that you should have received upon entering this school." They all hurried to do so, lining up at the edge of the stage obediently. One by one, they came up and had their fingers pricked. Bryson would collect the blood with a strip before putting it into the small, high-tech meter in his hand. The screen would whir and buzz for a moment before finally blinking the number at them. The students came and went.

About twenty two 1's and 1.7's or below. About fifteen more 2's. Five 3's. Three 6's. There was one person left.

The Myrddin.

If Nathanael was being honest, he expected more. As the last person walked on stage, he waited with baited breath, envisioning in his mind a small, ethereal girl with inhuman grace and a rich, chilling voice. Instead, a tall, lanky girl with unassuming clothing and the longest golden hair he'd ever seen walked up the stairs. She still held the ethereal appearance, he supposed, with her pointy ears, softly bowed lips, and vibrant green eyes, but she was so...basic. If she had a figure, it was hidden behind her clothes; her jeans were old and worn, her green shirt long sleeved and inconspicuous, tapering off around her hips naturally. Her hair was her most noticeable feature, but only because it was so long that it rolled down her back and to her calves even though most of it was tied in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. The Myrddin smiled softly at him as she made her way on stage, a knowingly sad look in her eyes. She held out a pale finger for Bryson to prick. She watched the machine warily as he put it in, bringing her finger back towards her body gently as they waited for results.

The machine buzzed and whirred familiarly. Then it made a frantic, high whining sound. Bryson frowned and suddenly dropped it.

"Bugger! It's hot!" He hissed. Nathanael and Bryson took a step back, along with the rest of the school body, but the Myrddin just watched it with an apologetic look in her eyes. It jumped and skittered across the floor before finally stopping with a loud bang! Nathanael reflexivity crouched to the ground at the sound. Bryson simply fell to the floor.

A pair of brown leather flats approached Nathanael's downcast eyes. The Myrddin crouched down, the machine in her hand, and set it at Nathanael's feet. She smiled apologetically and exited the stage. The meter sat close to Nathanael's feet, still magically blinking its answer after the mechanical workings had exploded.

Thirteen. The meter read thirteen.