The Academy is almost completely self-sustaining. All of its food is grown during lessons or as punishment. The same goes for its buildings, clothes, and anything else they might need to make. Whenever they cannot produce raw ingredients themselves, they can purchase it using the sales of their wares and services.

As Chad and Jet arrived at the tailor shop, Quartz came running up to meet them.

“Really, Jet? You just left me there trapped and waltzed away with the person who trapped me? What kind of sister are you?”

“The kind that thought it was about time her brother learned a lesson.”

“And you, new guy, that was amazing! Four spells so quickly, and starting under a shadow no less! You have got to teach me that. I see that you weren't made an apprentice for nothing. I take back what I said earlier; I will take care of you for the next three weeks!”

“Umm... my name is Chad. I don't—” Chad didn't get to finish what he was saying because Jet cut in.

“Oh, so now you are willing to help, now that he has shown himself capable of taking care of himself? And what would you have done if he hadn't been able to get out of that, moron?”

“Oh come on, Jet! I was just trying to help him know what life is going to be like here. I still would have helped him, really!”

Chad watched on, amazed as the two continued to argue in front of the tailor shop, completely ignoring him and their surroundings. He was not too surprised when he heard a passerby say: “It looks like the Millers have found a new victim. This time it's a farmer. I wonder how bad his luck is to be assigned them as his guide on campus.”

After a couple of minutes, Chad decided to take things into his own hands and headed into the shop, leaving the siblings arguing outside.

Upon entering the shop, a bell rang and Chad was greeted by a slovenly dressed woman with a cheerful disposition. “Hello! I am sorry, but we are really busy right now. Maybe you could find a novice outside who could help you get to wherever you are going?”

Having said her piece, the young lady turned back to directing the apprentices who were working on making clothes.

Chad murmured, “Um...excuse me.”

There was no reply.

This time a little louder, “Hello, excuse me.”

Still no reply.

“EXCUSE ME!” Finally the woman turned back around and Chad continued. “I am sorry, but I am actually a new apprentice. I need robes. Here is a letter from the vice principal saying so.”

“Oh,” she said looking at the letter. “So you are, so you are. In that case, you can find what you are looking for over there. Apprentices are to wear black robes with a white sash. For now, you get one set of formal robes and two sets of the standard issue clothes. If you want anything different, you can either make it yourself or try and get one of our tailors to make it for you, but please wait until after we are done with the big rush for the fall quarter.”

Chad went to the indicated location and found piles of clothes with sizes small enough for children and large enough, if just barely, for Chad. The standard issue clothes consisted of a linen black tunic, white belt, and black trousers. The formal robe was black wool and floor length with slits raising slightly above the knees in front and back. It was accompanied by a white linen sash. Chad realized that all of the clothing was designed to balance ease of motion and practicality, being neither too loose nor too tight. Because they were mass produced though, the effect was not as good as if they had been tailored just for him.

As Chad finished picking out clothes that looked like they would fit him, he realized that Jet was standing nearby looking at some felt caps. When she saw that he was done, she waved him over.

“Quartz is waiting outside thinking over his actions. Before we head out to meet him, you also need some sandals, and I would recommend one of these hats.”

The hats she mentioned were the felt caps she had been looking at earlier and came in any color of the rainbow, plus black and white. Chad went to grab a green one but Jet stopped him.

“No, you can't have that one. We apprentices can only dress in black and white. If you want to dress in green you need to become an abecedarian and study enchanting.”

Chad absently grabbed the nearest black cap and sat it on his head. Jet let out a slight giggle before saying, “Okay, now grab yourself a pair of sandals and we can be off.”

Chad looked down at his well worn leather boots. “No thanks, I am content with just my boots.”

“You say that now, but when you are dressed all in black in the heat of the summer, you are going to want as much ventilation as possible.”

Chad selected a pair of leather sandals and they headed out of the shop to where Quartz was waiting. When Quartz saw Chad's hat, he burst out laughing.

“You let him take that one, Jet? And you called me the mean one.”

“Oooh, I thought it looked cute and whimsical!”

As soon as Quartz started laughing, Chad pulled off the hat and looked at it. It was made out of pitch black felt except for a white triangular patch above the left temple. He had already taken it out of the shop, so he just put it back on his head with a sigh.

“Okay, where to next?” asked Chad.

“Well, “ replied Jet, “the dining commons and the dorms are right next to each other, so we can go to either one next.”

“Food!” put in Quartz as he started walking. “Definitely food first.”

“But Chad would have to carry his new clothes the entire time, so we should find him a room first.”

The siblings continued arguing and bickering all the way to the dormitory complex. Chad didn't understand all that they were saying, but he was able to learn a couple of things. Apparently, all novices and apprentices lived and ate at the complex, which consisted of a women's dorm, a men's dorm, and dining commons. Abecedarians and above usually lived with other members of their discipline, though they often ate in the commons. Also, the clothing he got was for summer. He would need to go back to the tailor at the beginning of the fall quarter for heavier clothing. In addition, he was allowed to wear anything he wanted as long as it fit the color scheme assigned to his status. He could make it himself or pay the tailor shop to make it for him. How all of that information made it into an argument about where to go next, he was not entirely sure, but he thought it might have been the siblings' way of helping him.

The final decision was to go to the dorms first so that Chad could change and put his clothes some place. He was getting the feeling that Jet probably won most of the siblings' arguments. However, when they got there, the Abecedarians who were in charge of the dorms were not there. So Quartz grabbed Chad's bundle of clothes, stuck it in a corner, and said: “There! Now he doesn't have to carry anything. Let's go eat!”

When they got to the dining commons, Jet said they should first let Master Sanders, the head chef, know that they would be serving kitchen duty for the next three weeks. As they were approaching the kitchen, Quartz spoke up with a slight tremor in his voice.

“On second thought, Chad, you can do the reporting. I am sure Master Sanders wouldn't mind not seeing us right now”

“I think Quartz is right.” Jet added, with just slightly less of a tremor than Quartz. “Chad, would you mind telling Master Sanders that we are going to be on kitchen duty? Just say our names and I am sure he will understand. Sanders will be the big man with the white hat. Good luck!”

The siblings made a hasty retreat, leaving Chad to head into the kitchen alone. As Chad entered the kitchen, he noticed the crystal clear glass ceiling that was common to most of the Academy's buildings and thought that it was very out of place in a kitchen. As he was thinking this, a very big man with a white hat and apron approached him.

“I'm sorry, I can't help you right now. I don't know why you are here, be it for sales or charity, I don't care. We are busy. Please return to the gates and find somebody there to help you.”

“Here we go again.” thought Chad, before pulling out his letter and saying, “Actually, I am a new apprentice. I was told to report in for kitchen duty until the end of the quarter along with Jet and Quartz...”

Before he could say the siblings' last name, Sanders growled and moved his arm as if he was throwing something at the floor. There was a strange flash in which everything had a weird greenish tint as the red light around them was absorbed by Sanders. Suddenly the whole kitchen was bathed in red as giant fireballs shot out of all of the chimneys and their light shone through the ceiling.

While Chad was still standing there in shock, Sanders said, “Sorry about that. The last time those two were in my kitchen, they finally convinced me to let them help with the cooking. I gave them a pot of water to boil and they managed to burn all of the day's bread. The pot of water never even got warm.

“Now, back to you. I see here that you are indeed an apprentice. Also, because you will not be working here as a form of punishment, you will be getting paid. I am master blazer Louis Sanders. What's your name, kid?”

“Chad Lawrenceson.”

“Good to meet you, Chad. Have you eaten yet?”

“No sir, but Jet and Quartz are waiting for me.”

“Well, off you go, then.”

As Chad was about to leave the kitchen, Sanders called out to him again. “One more thing, kid. Please rub it in to those two that you will be getting paid and they won't.”

When Chad found the siblings, they already had food and a table for the three of them. As they started eating, Chad asked how payment works for everything at the Academy.

“Well,” said Jet, while Quartz kept digging into his food, “basic needs such as housing, meals, and clothes are covered by the work we do for the Academy during the course of our studies. If you want stuff beyond the basics, you can find a job in the Academy. For example, all of the clothes you got were made by apprentices. The Academy keeps track of your earnings and spending. You can check where you stand at the gate house, which is also where you can exchange your earnings for coin. Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason. Master Sanders just mentioned that I would be getting paid while you guys won't be.”

“WHAT!!! Not fair!” said Quartz, who finally decided the conversation was more important than food.

When they had finished their lunch—having to endure Quartz's constant mutterings of “it's not fair” the whole time—they headed back to the dormitory. Chad was glad to see that there were some abecedarians there now. As they approached, an abecedarian called out to them.

“Oh, hello Jet, Quartz, I see you have a friend with you. Unfortunately, we are really busy right now. A novice tried to use an enchantment in his room and it is now a jungle. Speaking of which, Jet, do you think you could start work early....”

“Actually,” Jet quickly put in as the abecedarian started to say 'work,' “This is Chad Lawrenceson, he is a new apprentice. He needs lodgings.”

Jet looked at Chad and nodded her head towards the abecedarian. At her prompting, Chad handed his letter to the abecedarian.

Glancing over the letter, the abecedarian shook her head sadly and looked at Chad. “Oh, I see. I am sad to say that we only have one room with open spaces right now. So, you will have to be in the same room as that thing.” Saying so, she pointed at Quartz.

“I have a name you know!”

As Quartz led Chad to their room, Chad didn't think it was a good sign that Quartz was complaining about his name rather than that it was a sad fate to have to room with him.