In the mountains of the Dragon River a long time ago a dirty peasant boy and his grandma were climbing up a steep mountain track. They had journeyed a long way, 10 miles as the crow flies. Being an old woman of 80 and a boy of just seven they’d had to work extra hard for every mile.

After leaving the dirt track and walking along a pristine White Rock Road they reached the entrance to a school where around 50 students, all dressed in white, stood lined up to enter.

At the gates, three administrators stood, collecting payments, checking family lineage and welcoming new students into the school. When the small peasant boy and his grandma reached the front. The officials stared at him and then laughed.

‘This is not a school for peasants,’ they said, ‘This is Swan Academy, the most prestigious school of magic and warfare in the east. Who do you think you are?’

The boy trembled. He was only seven. He did not have much courage inside of him. He had walked a long way and truth be told, he didn’t entirely want to be there.

It was the grandma who spoke.

‘The emperor of the Dragon River Region has commanded that schools be open to every child, no matter their parents. No matter their wealth.’

The administrators stared at the old woman. The smiles dropped off their faces and were replaced with scowls.

‘I didn’t realize the order had got out to the peasant villages.’ One of them muttered.

‘How do you know about this?’ The short, squat one at the desk asked.

‘I know many things.’ The old lady said, ‘I have been on this earth, three times longer than you. And I know when an emperor makes a decree, young snakes such as yourselves are not able to go against it.’

The three rose up and stood over her. ‘Who are you to talk to us in this way?’ The tallest one said, ‘If you weren’t so frail already, I would beat you.’

The old woman just laughed. ‘I am a nobody. I am a peasant, but I have been on this earth and lived enough of a life to no longer care. This is my grandson. Sparrow. He is just beginning his life. I want him to have the best opportunity possible. I do not want him to pick turnips for the rest of his days. I want him to be someone. And that is why you’re going to teach him. We’ve travelled a long way to get to the best school in the entire area. Now let him in. Or else…’

The three balding administrators stared at each other. None of them spoke – but they’d all been through the same school and upbringings – they were all thinking the same thing.

Yes, we could force the lady to leave. But we’ve never met a peasant so bold as her. What if word reached the Emperor or one of his many spies and officials? We could be doomed. No, it isn’t worth the risk.

It was then that the short, squat, administrator began to smile. He nodded to the other two.

‘Very well then. We shall admit young Sparrow into the Swan Academy. All we need now is the 12 silver coin fee.’

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The elderly woman gasped – 12 silver coins was more than her entire family made in a year.

‘I did not know there would be a fee,’ she said.

‘There isn’t a…’ One of the other administrators began to say, but the other two elbowed him in the ribs.

The short squat administrator coughed. ‘Yes, the fee – 12 silver coins. But I understand you have walked a long way and honestly, I want to give you a chance.’ His smile began like that of an angel then slowly turned into the grin of the devil. ‘If young Sparrow can take our exam. We will let him in. Without a fee.’

Sparrow glanced at Grandma – it had been a long, wearisome walk. Sparrow’s bones and muscles still ached. And even though he’d practised his writing, and his knowledge and his history as best he could back at his home it was hard when he was trying to pick enough turnips to help his family survive through the winter.

He wasn’t so sure he was ready for an exam, but his grandma was his biggest supporter.

‘My boy is always ready for an exam. My Sparrow is going to be the greatest student to ever walk out of this academy. Of course he is ready.’

Three administrators just laughed this off. The squat one raised his hand to shush the others.

‘Very well, then we will have our exam. Right here, right now.’ he clicked his fingers, ‘Rhino-xi, come here.’

Out of the shadows of one of the buildings came a boy twice the size of small Sparrow. He was twice the size, not only in height but also in width. His arms were larger than the small boy’s head. He already had a nose broken in two places from fighting, and scars along his knuckles from punching trees.

Sparrow began to tremble. The administrators laughed. ‘Very good.’

The squat administrator nodded to Rhino-xi, ‘This boy wants to take an exam. You are his exam.’

The medium-sized administrator pulled a sand timer from the desk.

‘If you are able to last until all the sand runs out, young Sparrow, you will be allowed to join the Swan Academy.’

Sparrow looked at the sand timer. It was huge. Rhino-xi was also huge, almost the size of a grown man. Two boys who had emerged from the shadows with Rhino-xi pulled pieces of chalk from their pockets. They drew a square, five meters by five meters.

‘If you leave this square,’ the squat administrator was saying, ‘You will leave with shame hanging on your neck, you will not learn at the school. The only way you enter the gates is by staying within this square the whole time.’

The administrator nodded to Rhino-xi.

Sparrow’s grandma had watched the whole thing with a sense of weariness. Her knees cracked as she bent to Sparrow’s level.

‘Listen here my grandson,’ she said, ‘This is your moment of truth. This is the moment where you at such a young age, must decide your destiny. Do you want to pick turnips, for the rest of your life?’

Sparrow swallowed. ‘Picking turnips isn’t so bad, grandma. It’s not as scary as facing Rhino-xi.’

Grandma snorted. ‘Okay then. If you’re not going to do it yourself. Do it for me, please. You are so smart and talented – everyone except these monkeys know it. Your grandma would be very pleased to go home and to finish off her life, knowing that one of her daughters’ son was on the path to greatness.’

Seeing that Sparrow’s brow still wavered, Grandma pulled a turnip out of her pocket. It wasn’t just any sort of turnip though, it was a golden turnip – ultra-rare.

A golden turnip only appeared once in a million turnips. Fortunately, grandma had harvested over a million turnips in her life. She’d come across a golden turnip twice. The first one she’d sold. They were incredibly valuable. Warriors, noblemen, kings all loved the taste and the magical properties of the golden turnip. But the second golden turnip she kept just for a moment like this.

‘Here Sparrow.’ she said, ‘Eat up. And then fight up. We may be peasants. But we have our dignity.’

Sparrow almost spat out the golden turnip when he put it in his mouth. It was horrible, like rotten butter. It was like a turnip, only 10,000 times stronger. Still, the turnip was much less scary than Rhino-Xi. Sparrow swallowed most of the yellow lump and put a few remaining slices in his pocket. Then he turned to face Rhino-Xi who had stripped off his shirt, revealing a chest criss-crossed with muscle and scars. Sparrow gulped. The turnip hadn’t made him feel any stronger. In fact, he felt like he was about to puke.

The squat administrator appeared between them, held up the glass sand timer and reminded them to stay within the lines. Finally, the squat administrator looked to the strong young master Rhino-xi and whispered the words, ‘Kill him.’