Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-39711609-20191116164907/@comment-39711609-20191129200118

Chapter 5

'''That evening, Sophie hailed Team Valiant, deciding that they would be the right people to help her research shadowflux and quintessence and their respective relations to magsidian and ethertine. Fifteen minutes later, when they had all gathered, Sophie told them what she knew. '''

'''“So starting with quintessence, here is what I know. Quintessence is used in making frissyn and is gathered from Elementine.”'''

Sitting next to her, Biana said, “Well, I know that Lady Zillah said quintessence pulses when you’re near it.” 

'''“And Lady Gisela said ethertine is a combination of lightning and starlight, quintessence specifically,” said Stina. '''

'''Wylie replied, “For dwarves, it’s supposed to heighten emotion dull inhibition, and ethertine was used to control Tam, so I guess it also gives control over the mind?” The mention of ethertine set Sophie’s brain whirling even more than it already was. A memory from her philosophy class with humans pricked her mind. Something about quintessence… Oh! It was Aristotle who had called ether the fifth element. Did that mean that ethertine was really the fifth element instead of quintessence? '''

'''“Care to clue us in about these crazy mood swings I’m feeling?” Stina asked, sounding so much like Keefe that she blushed, hoping they would just think it was about what she was going to share, not anything else. She shoved all the worrying thoughts into a box marked To Deal With Later, and continued talking, telling her friends what she knew.'''

'''Sophie was somewhat embarrassed about her human knowledge since so much of it was wrong. But maybe Aristotle had known elves and had actually known about ethertine.'''

'''That thought was almost too big to fit in her mind. Previously, she had imagined elvin and human history as separated, like they were now. But now she could imagine their histories weaving together and overlapping. '''

Dragging her thoughts back on track, she asked, “Well, what about shadowflux and magsidian?

'''Wylie spoke up now. “Well, I know that only dwarves can mine magsidian, and it will do different things based on how it is carved. “'''

'''“Didn’t Nubiti, or should I say Queen Nubiti, say that magsidian is made by meteors that fell long ago and mixed with shadowflux?” said Dex. '''

'''“I know that Umber could track Fitz’s and my echoes, and Tam said when he called the shadowflux out of our bodies that it just slithered away. And Lady Zillah said that it carried the will of the one commanding it,” said Sophie.'''

“Well,” said Stina, “That’s a lot of information, but what does it mean?” 

“I can answer that,” said a voice behind Sophie.