1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386, 387, 388, 389, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439, 440, 441, 442, 443, 444-
I paused, huffing, my legs screaming for a little rest, my eyes travelling up to what's in front of me that's resumed in one words: steps.
Steps, steps, and more steps.
The pathway to get to Arkhane War College is vastly known all over the Empire of Donaar, it wouldn't be a surprise if it's just as known outside our borders either, and it's as admired as it is feared. Admired by the outsiders, feared by those who are picked to take part in the deadly test that goes on after you're chosen to take part in the damn college. If you don't die before you get there for the test, or if you don't die during the test, nor during your first day in it, neither before you can graduate after 5 years, you will become part of the strongest quadrant of Donaar.
But that's the catch: if you survive.
Every year on the 1st of July, 11111 people are chosen by the tears of Belaxarim, the leader of the dragons, who is bonded to the Supreme Commander of Arkhane War College. Out of 11111, only 8888 survive the pathway up to get to where the test happens, and out of those 8888, only 888 survive the actual test to get in that takes place right after everyone gets to the top of the mountain. By the end of the first year there, only 555 of them are alive, and by the end of their 5th year, only 111 graduate.
It ain't probability, it's a fact. It's something that happens every year.
A survival ratio of 0.11%, hence why it's feared.
11111 are picked every year, 111 survive it all.
It's as cruel as it sounds, which is why they tell the "chosen" ones not to get attached to anyone, because they will either lose everyone or die, and their deaths won't be nice. Graduating itself is a hard job, you can't get out of the college until the end, and some people get stuck in the years.
Year 1 is said to be the most populated and the most dangerous, because to get through graduation day, you have to get chosen by a dragon in the Falling, which takes place every winter's solstice in December 21st. Dragons are eccentric and hard to satisfy, they are picky with their bonds and not many of them choose to pick one at all, since the connection they form is deep and can be heartbreaking in a environment such as Arkhane War College. And if in the Falling, a dragon doesn't like you, you will get burnt to death, yay.
If you are not picked by a dragon, you are forced to stay behind and repeat year 1 again, and again, until you either die or get picked. Which is why it's the most populated year, with the biggest disparity of age, since it all starts when you 20 years old, and ideally you should finish it up at 25. And during the first month of your bond with the dragon, you're the most vulnerable because the dragon doesn't care for you yet and any of the repeaters might try to kill you to steal the dragon from you.
You may get in it innocent, but Arkhane reaps that innocence out of you by force, forcing you to be a cold-blooded and heartless murder. A place where to survive you have to kill or get killed, a place where nobody can be trusted, not even the dragon that picks you until you solidify the bond.
And it doesn't end there, it gets worse.
Once you are bonded, you are linked for life to the bonds of their mates, whoever they are, hating them or not. In some rare occasions, you end up mating the bonds of their mates, which is actually the only nice outcome for that.
The only upside of bonding a dragon is that your lifespan gets extended, you go from having a deadline of about 80 years, to being able to live up to 280, it's a wonder. A wonder barely anyone was able to live enough to, since bonding a dragon puts you in the battlefield and the possibility of you dying within 10 years after you bond is... 88%. Proved.
Those who survive beyond 10 years bonded are rewarded profoundly and gain lots of benefits and privileges, as well as a high position in power in one of the 888 surveillance towers that are spread all around the borders of the Empire. In theory, it's amazing, it's incredible, it's dreamy. Key words: in, theory!
Even with the death flags all around the tests, the Empire has about two billion and and 800 million people living in it, it's the greatest and widest Empire in the world, easily. Out of those 2.8 billions, not even 1 million of them live well and wealthily, 800 thousand people make up the elite of the Empire, 50% of those people are noble families, Barons to Grand Dukes, 30% of them are the Ark-Riders, 15% of them are the successful Von-Scholars, 4% are the people that surround the Emperor and the Empress-Consort, and 1% belongs to the Imperial family.
But what is 800 thousand next to 8.8 billion?
Its barely nothing, it's not even 1% of the population at all, which leaves the Empire in great disparity of classes, because most of the people don't live well. Which is why many actually dream in taking part in Arkhane War College, because the second you are chosen, your family gets into a program to get a monetary help of 888 arks per month, even if you die in the entrance, they will keep receiving the money for 10 years, and if you pass the test and get into the College, it goes up to 8888 arks monthly, if you get to the 3rd year it goes to 88888, and if you manage to graduate your family will get a 888888 allowance monthly.
The arks are extremely worthy, they are more worthy than the common monetary coin of the Empire, since the arks are forged in Arkhane's forge, made to honor those chosen to be a rider and those who actually make through it all to become one. 1 ark equals 50 crowns.
Whereas the college that makes the scholars, those who study and create things, the place for the smart kids, is Von Damme College, with an acceptance rate of 3%, it only accepts 3000 kids to make the entrance test, also 20-year-olds, and only 90 make through it to become scholars, with a death ratio of... 0%. They give an allowance to the family of all the kids that make to the test of 333 vons, 3333 vons to the families of those who make through the test, 33333 vons to those who get to the 3rd year, and 333333 to those who graduate. 1 von equals 30 crowns.
It's clear why Arkhane War College give more money: Hey, it's dangerous out here and you will probably die a gruesome death, get traumatized for life, lose everyone you come to care for, probably lose some limbs, and if you graduate you will have a life span of 5 years and a half from graduation, so, why not join us, see a dragon, die and provide for your poor little family for the next 10 years?
No wonder the poor keep having children non-stop, so they will have more candidates yearly to die and give them more money. That's one of the reasons why the Empire has such an overwhelming population.