When Olivia said it would take a person a day to walk from one side of Gale House City to the other, Ethan thought it was hyperbole. But as he explored the area near the docks with Barry, he realized it was true. The city was sprawling, covering a stretch of flat land that might once have been notable as a prairie. But now every inch had been paved. Like the floating city, there were still sections reserved as gardens. The planters here were wooden, of course, and the trees seemed to grow much taller.

  Of course, all of this fell to the wayside in Barry's mind as they finally laid eyes on one of the dining halls. There was a massive stone wall that enclosed the area near the docks. This must have been a protective measure to keep the members attending the Academy safe. Near that wall was a massive stone building with large, clear windows at the front. Through the double doors, a small line had formed. Now that Ethan knew what to look for, he could see that each person in the line had a medallion on their chest, similar to the ones they carried.

  "Did you notice how everyone seemed so old?" Barry said, scratching his hairy chest as they waited in line. Nearby, students seemed immediately uncomfortable. “I thought they’d all be baby-faced kids.”

  "I guess it makes sense. If you assume that at least most of these people come from worlds that were destroyed like our own, then age isn't a factor. There may also be some sort of hidden mechanism we don't understand that prevents children from being thrown into this situation. I suppose we need to get more information."

  "You're one of those thinking types, aren't you?" Barry asked, shaking his head. "I'm more hands-on. Back in my world, I was a mechanic. I worked to make vehicles of war functional, although I guess none of that matters now."

  "Maybe it does. The magic we've seen so far makes it appear versatile. People were using cleaning magic where I expected them to simply summon fireballs. Olivia mentioned monsters, so magic that blows stuff up should be normal here. Yet those people were practicing cleaning magic. Maybe there's a place for your skills."

  "And what about your skills?" Barry asked. "What did you do in your world?"

  "I was trying to go to school to program computers, but I ended up just fixing them instead."

  "Hey, so we're not that dissimilar, are we?" Barry asked. "We fix things."

  The line wasn't as slow as Ethan had anticipated. He chatted with Barry as they snaked toward a counter. It was like a cafeteria lunch line, except instead of some old, portly woman behind the counter, it was a massive furry dude with purple fur. He gave them an option of various dishes. Of course, Barry went for the meats, loading up on red meat, white meat, and fish, while Ethan took a selection of vegetables, fruits, and a monstrosity that looked like a turkey leg.

  Although Ethan attempted to identify any cliques within the cafeteria-style seating, he couldn't truly discern any. People were gathered in groups, but it didn't seem as though they were exclusive. Conversation rolled between the students, as though the flow of information was free and welcome. That was good. He put a pin in an issue he had considered even before they had left the floating city.

  Yet even if the groups weren't against each other, none seemed to turn to Ethan or Barry for conversation. That might have been an effect of the shirtless man tearing into the food on his plate as though it were his last meal. Ethan rubbed his stomach, feeling that the hunger of the day was finally settling in after the nauseating awakening. He was ready to get something in him. He started with the vegetables, finding the oversized, bean-like food to be a bit sweeter than expected. The sweetness of the fruits was muted, which was equally confusing. At least the turkey leg looking thing had a taste as though it had been smoked, and the sauce slathered atop it was similar to a tangy barbecue sauce.

  Sometime during his mental dissection of the meal, Ethan noticed that Barry had left. He spotted him at the head of the line, getting more food and moving further down to procure drinks. He was back at the table a moment later, placing one tall glass of something before him and one before Ethan.

  "What is this?"

  Barry shrugged. "I have no idea, but all the other students were getting some."

  Ethan shrugged, taking a tentative sip and finding it to be some sort of fruit juice. It wasn't really doing anything for him, but it was wet, so he drank it down. He didn't know how long the lunch was supposed to be, so he took to eavesdropping on conversations and stealing the ear of anyone who would listen. The pool of people willing to listen to him was small. It took about ten students for him to realize what the issue was.

  "You guys look like hobos." A mousy-looking elven woman grimaced as she looked upon them. "Everyone here thinks you just wandered in from the street and started eating your fill."

  "They haven't given us our school clothes yet."

  "Well, sort that out, and more people will talk to you. As it stands, you're only going to get those feeling charitable. You said you arrived late, huh? Which means one thing: exigent circumstances. The headmaster must really want you.”

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  "That's good to know.” Ethan assessed the situation, figuring she was being more helpful than harmful. “So, as first years, what kind of classes should we take?"

  "Wow, just because I'm willing to call you a dirty hobo, now you think it's okay to talk my ear off?" The elven woman brushed errant strands of hair from her face. She looked down at the book she had been reading and shrugged her shoulders. "You're going to want to take foundational classes. Try to do stuff that plays to your strengths. I would recommend doing classes that are more about community service. Do you have any talent for fighting?"

  "I don't think so.” Ethan’s eyes dragged over to Barry. “He might, but I doubt he'll do so through any magical means. He'll probably just pummel some horned rabbits to death.”

  She nodded knowingly. “I hate horned rabbits… Anyway, if this is your first semester, I recommend taking foundational classes. These are unique because they typically meet only once a week, and the subjects are broad. They are also notable for focusing more on activities, projects, and practical in-class demonstrations. However, avoid classwork at all costs. Self-study is the way to go.”

  "Any more insight on that topic? I'm a pretty good self-starter, so I tend to agree with you, but why the aversion to coursework? Doesn't it have anything to do with the low grading scheme for academic performance?"

  "That's exactly right. How long have you been here?" she asked, her smile turning from tentative to bright. "Since testing and general knowledge are weighted so low in Gale House, you're better off doing activities. You can get on the cleaning squad if you want. We always need street sweepers. Clearing dungeons is also excellent. The nearby countryside is riddled with them. And if you have any talent for magic at all, research is typically the way to get to the top of your list."

  “I promise this is my last question.” Despite the positive response he was getting from the woman, he could tell her patience was wearing thin. It appeared as though she had a busy day. "What's the list you're talking about? Some kind of ranking system?"

  "See, I'd be annoyed if your questions were annoying. But they're not. You're asking good questions. You should hear the stuff people normally ask. Yes, there's a ranking system. It's kind of complicated, but your contributions to Gale House will get you higher on the list. And as you've already stated, only 25% of your academic work goes towards those contributions."

  "So that means we're graded on this list. What happens to the people on the bottom? Are they expelled?"

  "Sometimes, but usually only in exceptional cases. Not in the first year, anyway. If you've been here for five years and you've been at the bottom of the list the entire time, you will likely be kicked out. But no, there's a special class that springs up for those at the bottom of the list. That class is taught by those on the top of the list. They are given mentorship positions, which give a chance for the dum-dums to ascend."

  “Thank you so much for your time.” Ethan bowed his head in appreciation as he stood. A bit of appreciation went a long way. Not enough that another person thought he was greasing them up for no reason, though.

  “Don’t mention it,” she said, watching with a smile as Ethan edged away like prey caught in the sight of a predator.

  Ethan returned to find Barry giving workout tips to a group of young, excited students. He gave each bit of advice with a flex or a pose. Ethan tried not to slap himself in the face and groan. Instead, he got the big man's attention and pulled him to the side.

  "Well, I've got a fair amount of information to work with now, I think the best thing we can do is register and get a list of the classes. Then we can do some investigation to figure out the best ones."

  "Does it really matter? Didn't they say we have a couple of weeks?"

  "They said we have at most a week, but I don't think sitting around and waiting is going to work for me. We need to get into classes as soon as possible, likely tomorrow. Otherwise, we're going to fall behind on those points. I don’t care if the potential for getting kicked out is slim. The fact that it can happen is enough for me to worry."

  Ethan had to understand how the ranking system worked and what it meant if they were at the bottom of that list. Although he didn't altogether hate the idea of getting mentorship from an upperclassman, he liked to do things his own way. Obtaining a list of the classes and figuring out which ones focused on participation-based grades was the best idea. He realized what the elven woman was telling him. If he spent all of his time studying in a class, he wouldn't be doubling down by participating at the same time. But activity-based classes would allow him to go out and sweep the streets, for example, or perhaps help a little old lady get her cat down from a tree. Whatever the case, he needed participation points.

  Because there was no way that list was just a show of who was smart or hardworking. Being at or near the top had to come with other perks. Perhaps perks that could help him get out of the storage house that smelled like fish.

  “One step at a time. How about we go to that administration building?” Ethan offered.

  “Sure. Maybe we can find some discarded bedrolls along the way.”

  “And some clothes,” Ethan said, watching as the heads of those just entering the dining hall turned.

  Heading east, Ethan noted how the area leading down toward the coastline was the only place he had seen with differing elevation. After climbing a decent hill, everything evened out to give decent views of long roads. The city was arranged randomly, reminding him of Boston. Like the city where he was killed, these were likely the original paths established by the first settlers. The duo followed the directions, using the easy-to-read street signs until they found a busy plaza with several labeled buildings.

  “There it is.” Ethan gestured to the grand-looking building. “Now, remember. We’re here to get enrolled properly, but we gotta push for classes.”

  “Do we gotta?” Barry asked, scratching his beard. “I’d like to have that week off.”

  Ethan nodded. That was fine. But it wouldn’t stop him from being pushy. With one last breath, he joined the light crowd of people heading into the administration building.