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James spent the days leading up to the rooming assignments on the grounds around X-Solae, which he learned were the main meeting rooms and dorms for the new students at the Quintessium. From what he could tell, all of the buildings used magic to make themselves bigger on the inside. It was a bit like what one could expect from the Doctor's Tardis, especially when the inside was 10-100 times bigger than the outside.

James also visited Synthesis a couple of times. Because he could not cast the teleportation spell, he was given a special amulet with the sigil on it. When he stood on the platform, he tapped the center 3 times and it activated, although it had a limited number of uses each day. He almost got lost once, but managed to find his way back to the platform, and ended up discovering the Magical Zone, the area where shops sold Arcian clothing, staffs, weapons, potions, and other things that James didn't even know the uses of.

But today was finally the day James got his roommate assignment. The other students were going to be teleporting in shortly, and so James was finishing up in his room. His Arcian garb, when put on, shifted into its normal coat form, and he walked outside, ready to meet the other students.

He put on his Arcian garb, which shifted into its normal coat-form, and walked outside to meet everyone.

As James walked out of X-Solae, he saw that the grounds were very crowded, and more people were arriving by the minute. The teleport platform was constantly being refilled, as students and their parents appeared and then were immediately ushered off by Quintessium staff to make room for more arrivals. The variety of species was also astounding. James saw many that he had seen before, but an equal number he didn't recognize seeing when he had gone out to Synthesis. "One of them will be my roommate too."

"Attention all arriving students and guardians," Headmaster Sherru said, using magic to amplify his voice. "If you would please make your way over to the Coliseum and get settled in, we can begin to give out roommate assignments. Thank you."

Immediately, the entire mass of people began to move towards a building at the far end of the grounds, and James followed. Although it was not shaped like the Coliseum on Earth, the inside was very magnificent and spacious. However, with all of the buildings being bigger on the inside, the real benefit to the Coliseum was that it had the biggest doors.

Eventually, everyone, including James, had found a seat inside the huge meeting hall. There were over 100,000 thousand new students in the hall, and this was only one of many groups that would be arriving all over the planet in the coming days. It hurt his brain to think about it. Headmaster Sherru walked out to address the aspiring students, accompanied by several masters, the heads of their departments.

"Greetings students. It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Arcane Quintessium for this school year! Out of the trillions of applicants, you were selected because you had the most potential out of all of your peers. Some of you are from rich families, some of you are from poorer families, but all of you have an equal opportunity here to grow to become leaders and inspirations to all around you. The abilities you develop here will assist everyone in the universe, including those on your own planet, no matter how big or how small. I look forward to seeing you grow as you learn from your teachers, peers, and experience here, at the Arcane Quintessium."

Sherru waited for the clapping to die down before he continued. "But before we can get to the end of the story, we have to start at the beginning first. So, we will begin with the roommate assignments. The person who will room with you may become your best friend and a shoulder to rely on, so I would recommend getting to know them as best you can. Now, masters?"

Each of the masters stepped forward, sigils crackling in their hands. With a nod from Sherru, they clapped their hands together all at once, sending magic cascading through the hall. James felt his teleportation amulet heat up briefly and tug where it sat in his pocket. Around the hall, he saw students pulling similar amulets out of their pockets, wondering how they had gotten there. Each was glowing softly and tugging towards a different direction.

"These amulets are guiding you to your room," Sherru said. "They will also act as a room key, teleporter, and communicator until you can cast those spells on your own. Each of you must now say goodbye to your guardians and find your room using your amulet. Your things have already been transported up by our staff. When you find your room, you have the rest of the night to bond with your roommate and explore several areas of the Arcane Quintessium. I will see you all tomorrow for a very important meeting. Until then, have a wonderful time."

The room exploded with people trying to get up and leave, so James stayed in his seat until most had left. He followed the amulet tugging at his hand as it led him out of the Coliseum and onto the grounds. He saw many kids saying goodbye to their parents and promising to stay in touch, but he ignored the pangs of sadness he felt inside.

James was led towards a circular building with a small fountain and river outside. The exterior was covered in vines and a sign carved into the stone names it as The Moonglade. James walked inside and found himself inside of a forest, with chairs made of plants and trees. The amulet tugged on, so James decided to be stunned later and continued onwards.

He eventually came to a huge tree trunk and, looking up, realized that the roof of the lobby was the underside of the branches of a massive tree, with sunlight peering through to illuminate the whole area. There was a doorway cut into the tree and when James walked inside, he saw that there were stairs cut into the interior of the trunk. They went up as far as the eye could see, with platforms every so often. The amazing thing was that the trunk was so big, there was still about 5 or 6 meters of open space in the middle. It was truly a massive and majestic tree.

"Young master, if you do not wish to climb the great tree, perhaps a lift?"

Air began rushing up the center of the tree. James was handed a huge green leaf, speckled with silver.

"Simply step in and ride the wind. The tree knows where you need to go."

"Thank yo..." James stopped, just a bit surprised that a little floating ball of light was talking to him.

"Any time, young master."

The wisp floated off and James briefly hesitated but figured that the Quintessium wouldn't want to kill students, so it was probably safe. He leaned over the edge of the platform he was on, held each end tightly, and let the edge of the draft catch the leaf. Instantly he soared up, zipping past platforms, and he yelled in exhilaration.

Suddenly, James began drifting towards the wall of the tree. He panicked not knowing how to control his ride and worries that he would crash into a platform, but his fears were unnecessary. The wind lifted him up and set him down gently on a platform and then vanished. "I guess the tree really did know where I needed to go," James thought, noticing that his amulet was tugging him towards a door set into the wall of the trunk's interior, leading to somewhere outside the tree. He wasn't initially sure what to do with his leaf, but it shimmered suddenly and transformed into a green bracelet around his wrist, with a wood carving of a tree. James laughed, understanding that this was a truly amazing place, and opened the door to outside the trunk.

The room he stepped into was absolutely stunning. Towering trees surrounded a forest glade, with a lake in the middle. A waterfall and stream emptied into it, and the grass surrounding it was a vibrant green. Chairs and tables made of wood surround the lake, and the branches that crossed overhead and scattered the sun made an almost mystical atmosphere. It was beautiful.

The amulet has stopped its tugging and sat comfortably in James' hand. "THIS is my room?" James asked, almost disbelieving. He enjoyed the outdoors almost as much as his science experiments, and he had gone on trips with Uncle Radcliff once a month, hiking in forest or camping under the stars. And this was one of the most stunning places he had ever visited.

Wood made up most of the chairs and tables, but Janes got the shock of his life when he went to sit down, and the ground swelled into a chair for him. He wasn't sure, but he figured that the room must somehow have reacted to his thoughts. He was just about to test his theory when he heard a whoop from outside the still-open door.

A green-scaled hand pushed open the door, which James idly noticed was set into a tree trunk, and the boy from the park walked in.

"Holy realms, that was AMAZING!"

"Hello again."

"Oh hey! It's you from the park. See, I guessed right. You were going to the Quintessium after all. James right?"

"Yes. And you're Delta?"

"The one and only!" At this point, Delta caught sight of the glade and fell silent out of shock. "This is our room?" he asked a bit reverently.

"Yep. Pretty fancy right? I had the same reaction when I came in, and I'm still getting used to it."

Delta was examining everything but made a beeline for the lake when he spotted it.

"Wow, the water's so clear. It's just like back home."

Delta dove in without hesitation, swimming all the way to the bottom. James was surprised by how fast he could move, but if he swam a lot at home, then it made sense. Delta was under for a very long time, and James was about to see if everything was alright, but he came back up and began to float on the surface.

"How can you stay down there for so long?"

Delta tapped the side of his neck. "We have gills because our planet is over 95% ocean. Why? How long can you guys stay under for?"

"About 1-3 minutes maximum."

"Really? That's pretty sucky of you."

And Delta dove back under the water, laughing, with James following close behind him.

They played for a while, splashing around in the crystal clear waters and enjoying the falls. Finally, they crawled out, exhausted.

"How are your clothes not wet?"

"95% water on our planet remember? Every kid is taught how to cast a spell to protect their gear once they can swim on their own. But you look like you don't have anything like that on your planet."

James was soaked to the bone. He took off his coat and hung it up to dry, and sat on the grass in the sun, enjoying the warm air. Delta went and sat down beside him.

"So, where are you from anyway? You didn't have time to tell me before I was yanked away by my parents."

James fumbled for the excuse Sherru had given him. "I'm from an experimental colony out in the far reaches of the Milky Way galaxy."

"Hm, never heard of it. Although the universe is a big place; there are thousands of worlds out there. So not a big surprise."

They both watched the trees for a while before James remembered what he had been about to try before Delta walked in. He stood up and put his hand out, concentrating. Delta gave him a questioning look, but James ignored him and continued thinking. Before their eyes, nature created a bed complete with a nightstand and lamp, all of it made it of plants and natural materials. A tree sprang up nearby, and copies of James' coat appeared hanging on its branches.

"Holy cow!" Delta said. "How did you do that?"

"I'm not 100% sure, but I think the room reacts to our thoughts. Try it for yourself."

Delta concentrated and the water in the lake rose up to make a chair, which he promptly lounged in. "This is so cool! I wonder why we can do this, though?"

James thought about for a minute. "I think they want us to create our ideal room. I don't see any beds or closets or anything, so I think we have free rein."

"Awesome! Where are you going to sleep?"

"I'm thinking about something hanging from the trees. Maybe a hammock?"

"What's a hammock?"

"Right. Ocean dweller. You'll see. Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna make my bedroom at the bottom of the lake if that's ok with you. It's the closest I can get to back home."

"Sure, go for it."

Delta and James spent the next few hours crafting a room to stay in, with chairs, tables, and sleeping areas for them both. James created a hammock out of vines that hung between to trees and Delta spent quite a long time creating a sort of palace for himself beneath the water, using river rock as his main material. Afterward, they worked together to test the limits of what they could create.

"I'm thinking this was a pretty good first day," said Delta, floating in the lake. "What about you, James?"

"Yeah, I think so too." James was lounging on a very large lily pad he had created, floating alongside Delta. They had also created multiple fish and plants for the lake, and Delta had even created a species of fish that was unique to his planet.

When the sun filtering through the trees began to set, they climbed out of the water and created a roaring fire, confident that the magic of their room would prevent a forest fire. Soon, the glade was lit not only by flame but by the light of the moon and the little wisps that emerged, lazily floating through the air. After chatting a bit more, mainly about their favorite things and home planets, they went to bed under the moon, extinguishing the fire and ending their official day at Arcane Quintessium.

The next day, James was woken gently by the rising sun. He then spent the next 15 minutes throwing rocks into the lake trying to wake up Delta. Finally, the boy popped up out of the water, only mildly annoyed. They washed up, using a separate waterfall they created for a shower and sink, and then spent a short while examining each other's Arcian clothing, mainly because they were vastly different in nature. James wore his normal coat, but Delta had on a set of what looked like bone armor that extended around his chest and the flowed into a metal-ish suit that covered his arms and legs, with more bones built in. Delta explained that it was what was worn on Xxntry, his home planet and that the bones were made from different species of fish, but he was interrupted by a ding. Both of their amulets -Delta's in his wrist, like a watch, and James' in his pocket- began to glow.

"Hello students, this is Master Altrius." His voice came out of each amulet like a wallow-talkie. "I hope that have gotten settled in nicely and are getting along well with your roommates. There will be an important meeting in the Coliseum at 1 o'clock today. Attendance is mandatory, as we will be discussing the beginning of the school year and how it pertains to you. If you need assistance getting there, simply ask a staff member or your amulet for guidance. Thank you for your time."

The amulets stopped glowing and James and Delta looked at each other.

"We've got a little time to kill. Want to get something to eat?"

"Sure, let's go."

They walked out of their room and stopped at the edge of the platform, looking down.

"Holy crap. That's a long way to jump. Are we supposed to take the stairs?"

"I don't know. How'd we get up here again?"

"We used the giant leaves to ride the wind, remember? And mine formed into this bracelet." James held up his arm with the green bracelet.

"Mine too," said Delta. "I wonder if there's some way to use it again. It doesn't look like it comes off."

He eventually resorted to waving his arms in the air like an idiot. James turned away to start walking down the stairs, laughing at his roommate's antics, but spun around when he heard a FWOOSH followed by a "WOAH!"

Delta was perched at the very edge of the platform, holding on to a huge leaf. James pulled him back all the way on and they both examined the leaf critically.

"How did you do that? You were just waving your arms around like an idiot."

"Hey! I think I looked dignified."

"Yeah, a dignified idiot."

"Shut up. Think that the last thing I did was put my arms up like this..." Delta put his arms together above his head, "and then moved them apart, kind of like stretching. I've already got my leaf; you try it."

James put his arms above his head and pulled them apart like he was miming drawing a sword from a scabbard. When his hands got far enough apart, his bracelet flowed over his hand and FWOOSHED into his giant leaf. Although he was ready for it, it still dragged him forward a good distance.

"Cool. So... now we jump?"

"Uh, no way. Going up was cool, but that was an 'in the moment thing'. You go first and then I'll follow."

"No way. I'm not jumping before you."

"Why, scared of heights?"

"No! I just... you know what, let's go together. On 3."

Together, Delta and James jumped down into the middle of the trunk, hanging on to their leaves. They were surprised to have their falls slowed down quite comfortably, and had a fun time flying down to the bottom of the tree. At the bottom, their leaves collapsed back into bracelets and they stepped out into the lobby of the Moonglade. Many other students were around, either leaving for the day or lounging on flower chairs and tree stumps.

A wisp, exactly like the one that had advised James the previous day, approached them both. "Hello, young sirs. Did you find everything in your accommodations to be pleasing and acceptable?"

James and Delta looked at each other. "Yeah, we did," James said.

"I am pleased to hear that. Your room was consuming quite a bit of magic last night, so am I to assume that you discovered that you could alter your room with your thoughts?"

"Yes, we did. Is that a problem in any way?"

"Not at all. Just be aware that you only have a limited supply of magic to use each day, as we need enough for each room. It is banked for each day you do not create or change anything and if you run out you must wait until the next day to continue. Understand?"

James and Delta both nodded.

"Very good. I am glad you are settling in nicely. Now, we heard you discussing getting food and we have some recommendations for you, sirs. Would you like to hear them?"

James nodded. "That would be very helpful. I've been around Synthesis, but it's so huge, I have no idea all of the places to visit."

"Yes, it is quite big. In the Magical Zone, there are several good restaurants that serve a variety of foods from all different planets. I would recommend Salthor's. In addition, there are restaurants located in the eastern areas of Synthesis that can provide food from your planet, Mr. Xe 'Xndry. There are many other locations on the planet, but as there is a meeting later, I would not recommend those for today due to the lack of time."

"Thank you," James said. Delta was already almost out the door, but he suddenly turned back.

"Do you have a map or something?"

The wisp hummed. "Simply tap the center of your amulet and 'Map'. You can then search for anything you need. In addition, all the locations I have mentioned will be marked for you."

"Cool!"

"I hope you enjoy your day, young sirs. If you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask at the Moonglade or anywhere else, or you can call us using your amulet as well."

The wisp floated away, and James and Delta walked in the direction of the teleport platform, talking about where they wanted to eat. James also demonstrated how to use the amulet to cast the teleportation spell. When they arrived in the city center, James tapped his amulet and said, "Map." A square of light, like a hologram, materialized in front of them and showed the city from a top-down view. Delta and James were represented by little symbols, while everyone else was a dot.

"Holy cow, this is so cool! We have to use paper back home, or we have our maps on a tiny screen. But this just moves with my mind!"

"Be happy you at least have maps. Back home, we just memorize the layouts of the sea and use seafloor landmarks to guide us. It's a nightmare the first couple of times you have to find your way home."

James and Delta enjoyed a good lunch at Salthor's before heading back to the Coliseum for the meeting. All of the students from their group were there, and the returning students would have another meeting at some point in the future. They both settled down and waited for the last students to trickle in so they could begin.

Headmaster Sherru walked in, accompanied by who James assumed was Master Altrius.

"Hello, students. Have you enjoyed your first day at the Quintessium? I trust your lodging matched your tastes?"

Everyone cheered.

"I wonder if everyone got a magical room like we did," James thought. "I'll have to find out what the other dorms are like later."

"As you have had fun today, it is now time to begin your education. As a starter question, who has figured out some of the extraneous features of your amulets? They do more than guide you to your rooms, you know."

A girl with ludicrously insane green and pink hair waved her hand. "Ooh, OOH I KNOW!!! YOU CAN USE THEM AS A COMMUNICATION-THINGY!!! LIKE MASTER WHAT'S-HIS-FACE DID THIS MORNING."

Every student's ears started bleeding and Sherru grinned. Altrius looked a little annoyed.

"Yes, Lydia. The amulets can be used as a communicator. Although I'm sure that everyone else can hear you just fine."

Lydia flushed a bit at Sherru's comment and put down her hand. "I was still right," she grumbled.

"Joking aside, as Master Altrius demonstrated this morning, the amulets you carry can connect to each other and send verbal or textual messages. Simply tap your amulet in the center and say 'Call' followed by the person's name. Messages will be translated as well, so don't worry about communication errors. In addition, your amulets will serve as the primary way for our faculty to communicate with you, so have them on you at all times. Anything else?"

Delta raised his hand. "The amulets allow to you to teleport to Synthesis. And probably other places too."

Sherru looked surprised. "Very good. Someone's been adventurous on his first day. Yes, the amulets can cast the teleportation sigils required to use the platforms. Right now you can only go to Synthesis, but you will receive access to other parts of the planet and school as you gain more classes and seniority. Maps are also included for every part of the planet."

"Aw, I was gonna say that." James put his hand down, dejected.

Delta patted him. "Next time, bud."

"I am very impressed with what you have managed to figure out on your own thus far. However, this is a school and as such you will be receiving teaching on all manners of things; by the time you are finished here, those amulets will seem like playthings. But in order to teach you, we must first know what you will be good at, and that brings me to my next topic: The Quintessential Analysis."

James has no idea what he was talking about and glancing around, he saw that no one else did either.

A boy in the front spoke up. "Sir, what exactly is that? Some sort of test?"

Sherru smiles. "Yes, it is a test, although not the sort that you can fail. We will be testing you to determine your magical specialty, that is what type of magic you would be most suited to learning. It is based off a combination of your innate energy and personality. Every first-year student takes this test and you would have taken back on your homeworlds as well. It is a monumental event in your lives, and is the beginning of your journeys into the grander realms and mysteries of the universe!"

No cheering this time, but the excitement was palpable. Sherru continued.

"This test will take place 1 week from now. Do not stress over it; it's impossible to fail and many have described it to be eye-opening about their true selves. Rather, spend time around the academy and in Synthesis. Meet other student and make friends that you can rely on during this year and remember that if you need anything, you only need to ask."

As the students filed out of the building, James turned to Delta. "I'd like to check out some more of the shops in the Magical Zone. Want to come?"

"Nah, I've got to contact my parents; they always get super worried about me. I think they're just overprotective. At least they can't use telepathy off-planet."

"Wait, your species has telepathy?"

"Yeah can't exactly talk underwater, you know? They have a tendency to be a bit loud, though."

James remembered back to when he met Delta in the park. Now his behavior made a lot more sense.

After checking out more of the shops around Synthesis, James returned to the park where he had arrived. He walked around aimlessly, looking at the trees and reflecting on the past days. He remembered his old friends, his comic books, his experiment. He remembered that the day he left, his Uncle had been coming for his birthday. He thought about what his family was thinking, and how frantically his parents must be searching for him. James' eyes watered and he collapsed on the ground, missing his home and his family. He lay on the ground, all of the thoughts he had been holding at bay rushing forward and wept in the silver and blue tree-grove.

On the day of the analysis, James was still having thoughts about Earth, but his excitement was real and helped him push through. He awoke bright and early, spent 10 minutes waking up Delta, and then they soared down the tree, eager to find out what magic they would be learning.

The exam was being held in a massive arena in a northern part of the school, so Delta and James used their amulets to teleport to the nearby platform, and the walked the rest of the way, admiring the buildings as they went. It was completely different from Synthesis; here everything was rounded and like ice. It was a lot colder too. James' breath came out in icy puffs and Delta was shivering, even under his thick armored suit.

Luckily the huge arena was much warmer. They found their seats, but James had scarcely sat down before Delta started freaking out.

"By the worlds! That's Highlord Eternius down there! Awesome! I've always wanted to speak to him. It's said that his words are full of wisdom and that he speaks like a heavenly saint!"

James raised an eyebrow. "When he's talking in public maybe, but when I talked to him he sounded just like any old guy."

Delta blew out of his chair. "You MET THE HIGHLORD?!?!?!"

"Call down. You're talking like that girl from the other day."

"For good reason! Do you even realize who Lord Eternius is?"

"Yeah? He said something about being the ruler of a couple of planets or something. And that he's, like, several billion years old. "

"A couple of planets? Gods no! Eternius is the God of Space! How did no one tell you that?!?"

"I dunno. Just never brought it up. What's that mean exactly?"

"He's a God. Like capital G-O-D. I don't know what that translates into for your language, but it basically means he's the ruler of all of space, namely the entire universe. Every single world answers to him."

"Why? Is he powerful?"

"Do you not have a good translation of God in your world? Highlord Eternius is one of the strongest beings ever to live. He helped to create the entire universe. This entire planet of mages couldn't even scratch him if they tried will all their might!"

"Holy crap," James thought. "I met a god. That's a little surreal."

"Hello, incoming students of the Arcane Quintessium. I am Highlord Eternius and it is my pleasure to conduct this year's Quintessential Analysis! Hundreds of thousands of students are here for the first time, and so must identify the talents and skills they should study. In a moment, you will all be transported downstairs and divided into groups. Each group will be tested individually, and your results will be announced. Are you ready!?!"

An overwhelming roar answered him. In response, Lord Eternius raised his arms and formed a sigil. He clapped his hands together with a bang. "Then let the Quintessential Analysis BEGIN!"

The room around them shifted and each student found themselves in a huge chamber, already divided into groups. Delta wasn't with them, but that frizzy-haired girl, Lydia, was there, although not talking.

He decided to wait around with his group, as he didn't really know when they were going to test. But he was snapped out of his thoughts when small body crashed into him, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey, lava brains, watch where you're going. You could burn someone."

"Yeah small fry go back home. We don't want any of your kind here; we'll crack you like a geode."

James got up from the ground, shaking his head, and saw a boy lying on the ground, made of rock with what looked to be lava flowing inside. Several other well-dressed boys, all of them human, had pushed him to the ground and were insulting him. Naturally, James didn't stand for anything like that and went to say something, but before he could a piercing voice cut him off.

"SHUT IT BOZOS!! STOP YOUR BULLYING!!"

James recognized her from the other day. No one could ever forget that voice and hair.

The oldest boy, who seemed to be the leader, turned on her as well.

"And what do you know, fat head? Shut that mouth before you say something you'll regret. My father's the Head of Commerce for the entire Vinjin Region, and I'm Ren Den-Tok, the heir to his entire fortune. Don't cross me, and anyway, what do you care for a weakling like him? Are you friends or something?"

"NO, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T..."

Ren violently shoved Lydia, knocking her to the ground. "Didn't you hear me before?" he snarled. "Don't tell me what to do, you wretch."

James was instantly in front of Lydia, glaring at Ren. "Pick on someone who's as pathetic as you, jerk."

"Who the hell are you?"

"James Newman."

"Humph. What a stupid name. Where are you from?"

James was seething inside, he kept on a cool façade. "From a colony on the outer rim."

"Well, then how dare you stand in my way, you weakling!"

Ren reared back to punch him, but James held his hand up.

"You don't want to do that. The masters are taking notice."

Indeed, a master had been looking over, and if Ren had punched, there would have been consequences, regardless of his family's position. Ren obviously noticed this as well, because he pulled himself up and smoothed out his clothes.

"Fine, but I'll be looking forward to seeing your test today. Come on guys, let's get out of here."

James didn't bother responding, he had already knelt down to help Lydia up.

"YOU KNOW, THAT WAS LUDICROUSLY STUPID OF YOU!"

"I don't really care."

"You know, you shouldn't have done that," a soft, gravely voice said behind him. James turned around and saw the kid who had crashed into him. "He's going to go after you as well."

"Like I said, I don't care. He can try, but he will fail."

"So confident," Lydia thought. "Why exactly did you help us?" she asked.

"I had my own fair share of bullies when I was younger. I can't stand to see them beat people down to make themselves feel better. I know your Lydia, but what's your name rockman?"

"My name is Algon," he smiled a bit timidly.

"Nice to meet you."

James hung around Lydia and Algon while they were waiting for their tests to begin. He decided to ask about their home planets to pass some time and build some friendships.

Lydia, when asked, smiled awkwardly. "MY HOME IS VERY WINDY. WE CALL IT HOWLING PLATEAU DUE TO THE SOUND IT MAKES; YOU CAN'T EVEN HEAR YOURSELF THINK."

"Oh, so that's why you're so loud when you talk?"

"A LIFETIME HABIT IS PRETTY HARD TO BREAK, BUT I'M WORKING ON IT. IS THIS ANY BETTER?"

"It's a little quieter, but keep on trying."

Algon was much harder to get information from because he was so shy. James eventually discovered that he was from a volcanic planet, which is why his body was composed of stone and lava. He also mentioned a little something about how Ren's father had recently begun to oversee things on their planet, but clammed up the minute James pressed for details.

After talking with Lydia and Algon for a while, he decided to try to go and find Delta. However, before he could leave the group, the world shifted abruptly and they materialized in the middle of the arena. It was finally time for the Quintessential Analysis.