There were traditions at the Dragon Hunter Academy that every student heard whispers of, but only a few ever experienced directly.
One of them was the Sponsorship.
It was not officially written into the curriculum. Not something one could ask for, or apply to, or even prepare against. It came quietly, like a shadow in the night, whispered about between the alumni with the reverence of those who had survived something greater than they could explain.
A Sponsorship meant that one of the Academy's lecturers—powerful Dragon Hunters in their own right—had noticed you. More than that, it meant they had decided to back you, quietly but firmly, feeding resources, guidance, and opportunities that other students would never dream of.
But there was a catch.
