The Entrance Tests (1)

The hall was terse. Most of the applicants were staring into space, not knowing exactly what to write. Vinn knew why, because she, just like everyone in the hall, had inquired from past applicants on what the essay topics were usually on and from the feedback they were….

How to Tame A Dragon

The History of Dragonia

Gloptara's Intention When Creating Dragonia

The Unending Strife Between the Witches and Dragonia

They were pretty basic stuff, general things that an average Dragonian would know about.

But Why Dragonia Will Never Win Against Witches? Apart from the fact that it was asking them to basically talk smack about their country, it was a tough essay topic that would have been usually reserved for dragon riders in their finals at the academy. And not applicants like them.

Funnily enough, there was no minimum word count, but there was a maximum word count. 10, 000 words. Seriously? Basically, the examiners were saying you can submit an empty paper if you must, and at the same, you can write all you can. We have all the time in the world to go through your shit. Oh, and they only had two hours to write so-called ten thousand word essay.

Instead of thinking about useless things in an examination hall, Vinn got to actually writing. They wanted an essay on why Dragonia will never win against witches? Well, she happened to have many points on just that.

Before the two hours elapsed, Vinn was done with cross checking her work for grammatical and punctuation errors. Satisfied with it, she placed her paper upside down on her desk as they had been instructed, her quill back into the case it was originally in.

"Time up, file out of the hall in the reverse manner you entered." Malone's voice cut through the air, signalling the end of the test. The applicants slowly filed out, their expressions a blend of hope and uncertainty.

Outside, Vinn walked aimlessly, indifferent to the curious glances around her. It wasn't fear that drove her to keep a low profile; it was sheer exhaustion. The rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore enveloped her, offering a moment of peace.

The Island of Isles. A place that decided the fate of over 1,500 applicants. More than five hundred were already down, now, they had less than 1,000 applicants to go, and in the next few hours after the essay results were out, fewer would advance to the second tests.

"Vinnandra!" A voice Vinn recognized to Kaelan's stopped her as steps approached her. Besides him is Thalia, following reluctantly.

"Are the both of you friends?" Vinn asked, trying not to be disgruntled at the attention the duo gave her.

Most people greeted her with either fear, revulsion, awe, or a mix of the three. But none dared approach her so far.

Thalia frowned, her light green eyes a mask of barely subdued revulsion, "No. But we kind of sat together."

Of course they did, both of them were from the west and the sitting arrangements were made according to regions.

"Where is Xander Lenklock? He came for you right?" Kaelan inquired, darting his eyes side to side as if looking for the centre of his admiration.

Vinn rolled her eyes internally, of course Xander could be the only reason why the western prince was hovering over her like a bee.

"Why would I know where a senior is, and just call me Vinn." She answered, stressing the word 'senior'. Her first mission when she entered Academy was to make sure that everyone understood that while she might share a bond with a Xander, they were far from being cushy friends. Vinn tried to reach out to Astrid, or even Xander from their bond. But with the former she met a block, and the latter, an even fiercer block that gave her a headache whenever she tried to reach to him.

But while it seemed that Astrid was blocking her, Xander's block was more intentional, like he didn't want her to know what he was doing. But he needn't try so hard, not like Vinn was interested.

After all, she was yet to master the arts related to bonding, and every other baggage it came with. She wasn't that experienced to access his mind at her will and caprices. Meanwhile, Vinn put a tight lid over her mind and every measly thought in it. She was on guard against Xander… although, truth be told, he had never shown any interest in accessing her thoughts, which well, was very fine and good.

Very.Very.Fine.And.Good.

Extremely.Splendid.

Where was he by the way? Where were they?

"Of course. I think Vinnandra is too long by the way." Kaelan said in response to her request.

That was not….

It was not….

It was hardly….

Deep breaths.

Her name being long or what not was certainly not the reason for her request. Vinn was sure of that. And she was even more certain that it had nothing to do with the fact that only one man thus far, called her by her full name, and she liked how it rolled off on his tongue. No, that was certainly not the reason.

"Do you think they will be able to manage marking all one thousand essays, and assign the results within two hours." Thalia asked Vinn. Of course they would be able to do so but Vinn wasn't about to answer that. Not when those two people kept talking to her like they were friends.

"Of course they will," Kaelan answered, puffing his chest with a pride reserved for someone who had the exclusive knowledge of a thing. Vinn was beginning to notice something about him, Kaelan seemed to be an encyclopaedia of knowledge and that might not have anything to do with his status as royalty. "They're almost five hundred examiners marking the scripts. Every one of them is an academician within their own rights from all the regions. Each person will have about two scripts to examine, so no biggie there. I will say they will be done in about thirty minutes with the marking itself, but the result computation and vetting the three most outstanding essays will take up the remaining time."

Vinn was surprised, not because he was right but because of how casual he was with Thalia. In the real world—which they were in—Thalia was a subordinate, and Kaelan, her superior. As ridiculous as it might sound, blood divided them, and people like Kealan saw people like Thalia as dirt unworthy to stain their feet.

It didn't matter that Thalia was the daughter of a lesser lord and not a commoner.

"Why are you so casual my lord?" Thalia throws the question in her steed, her eyes tinged with anger and my lord, drawled a little sarcastically.

Hmmmm… well over to you Kaelan, Vinn was going to wait out this one. Just two weeks ago she was an official slave, and now, she was a commoner registered as royalty…her status was as unclear as muddy, murky water.

Kaelan clears his throat as if he was about to say something very important, then puts left palm over his chest in a salute. Then in a voice louder than Vinn was anticipating, he says, "I, Kaelan Baldrig have made a vow to spearhead an equality system in Dragonia that she has never known of.

"I will ensure that all men and women irregardless of their gender, class or colour shall not be discriminated against. I will become a light shining like the brightest star for all commoners who have been humiliated and scorned. From the dirt, I will raise them up and I will offer them a shining torchlight that will enable them to shimmer as brightly as the so-called upper class. So help me Gloptra."

What the hell?