Get Lurantis’d

The forges of Teragon were awash with rumours of a new metal. The blacksmiths and redsmiths and silversmiths and goldsmiths all put aside their differences to investigate brass, where methods to separate the mysterious other metal from familiar Copper had come to light. Red light faded to grey, and the truth was crystallised. Analysis by alchemists confirmed: a new element. They called it Zinc, for Zinc was his name. He was brought to headquarters of the Smithing Guild by Copper, who introduced him to his discoverers. He slouched behind her, fretting with his hands, but grinning from ear to ear. A barrage of questions were launched at him; he looked to Copper for guidance on what he was supposed to say. The locations of zinc deposits; identifications of zinc-containing minerals; methods for smelting zinc more efficiently. Zinc answered as he was able, but didn’t have that much useful information. Copper advised him not to give them any information which was outside of the scope of their understanding. The Elementals were entreated to a hearty dinner by the Royal Alchemists- much more than Zinc needed as an element with five stable isotopes, but Copper gladly welcomed it. When they left, Teragon’s vision of the world was expanded. They would spread the news: to Orre, to Xylos, to Marin. A new element. A new tool to shape their destiny.

“Well,” Copper looked up at Zinc, “How was that, then?” Zinc relaxed his face, his smile finally fading.

“I must admit, rather tiring,” he lamented, “these mortals, they’re very chatty, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s a lot,” she admitted, scratching her head, “but honestly, I love them all the more for it. They are so curious and eager to learn! It’s wonderful!”

“Yeah, it’s…it’s great,” Zinc mumbled, “I guess this… you know, opens up a whole world of new experiences…”

He started to choke up. “Yes, and you are going to have a blast!” Copper jumped up on a nearby rock to get to Zinc’s eye level, “it’s perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about this, by the way. This is completely new for you! But I promise you’re going to fall in love with these mortals over and over again!”

She smiled cheesily at him.

He believed the words when they came out of Copper’s mouth. If Copper thought he’d get along with the mortals, then how could he disappoint her?

“Heh… alright then,” Zinc hiccupped, nodding while wiping his eyes, “We’ll see how it goes.”

Minutes passed in silence as Copper allowed Zinc to regain his composure.

“Say,” she finally posited, “us First-Contacters have meetings a lot more often than the Periodic Assemblies. We like to catch up with each other about our experiences with the mortals, and decide which discoveries we should tell the rest of the Table about. How about I bring you along to the next one? I’m sure everyone would be happy to see you there!”

Woah…. A secret First-Contacter club? And I get to join! This prospect was more exciting to him than being pestered by mortals.

“Count me in!” he chuckled.

Elemental Mountain towered proud over Aethereal Valley - the haven of the Elements, hidden from prying mortal eyes. While many Elements were out travelling the furthest reaches of the continent in the intervals between Periodic Assemblies, the First-contacters would habitually travel back to the Mountain from their stations in mortal society. These were the only Elements permitted to have such positions as per the Law of First Contact - as the mortals had discovered their elements out in the wild. This was an exclusive club, limited to the lucky few whose elements occurred natively, or needed only simple smelting to be extracted from ores. And now Zinc was one of them.

As Copper led him down the winding corridors that led to the deepest depths of the mountain, Zinc couldn’t help but worry about how the others would react. What if his presence upset the group dynamic? What if they all felt too awkward around him to freely discuss what they wanted to? He steeled himself, taking a few deep breaths.

Come on, Zinc. You know these Elements. The Planetary Metals were his friends! Especially his fellow group 12 metal Mercury. They had all shown him nothing but kindness. But in all honesty, being their equal didn’t sit right with Zinc. “Are you ready?” Copper enquired, hand on the door. He inhaled sharply and balled his fists.

“Let’s do this,” he announced.

The door opened.

The first thing Zinc was greeted with when he crossed the threshold was a slap on the back and a hearty handshake from Mercury. “Ah, Zinc!” she remarked, “It’s wonderful to finally see you here! I trust that Copper has told you all you need to know about being one of us?”

She looked pointedly over Zinc’s head at Copper.

“I can assure you I’ve been very helpful,” Copper scoffed, crossing her arms and looking away from Mercury.

“Yes, very helpful!” Zinc corroborated, trying as hard as he could to convey that he was telling the truth.

“There’s nothing he needs to know,” a snarky voice interrupted, “You metals take this much too seriously.”

Antimony leant back on his chair with his feet up on the table. He turned his nose up as Mercury turned to glare at him.

“Antimony, to live amongst the mortals is a privilege and a responsibility,” she chided, “You don’t take it seriously enough.”

The metalloid sighed, “Zinc, don’t be boring like her. There are no hard rules to this. Have a little fun!”

“Mind you, ‘fun’ to Antimony means killing people,” Lead sneered disparagingly.

“I would prefer to call it ‘enacting vigilante justice’,” Antimony retorted. He ran a hand through his greasy hair.

“Well…uhh… I don’t know if I’m going to be doing that, really,” Zinc mumbled, “but I’ll try to enjoy myself…”

“Yes, you do that,” the metalloid smiled toothily at him.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” Copper asked, directing Zinc to sit between her and Mercury.

Mercury narrowed her eyes at Antimony. Sulphur gently touched her tensed-up arm, and the metal relaxed, burying her face in her shoulder.

Iron leant in, a goofy grin on his face, “Hope you’re enjoying yourself, Zinc! That’s just a taste of the madness that ensues when we all get together!”

“Yeah….hehe…” Zinc laughed, flustered.

“So where did they find you?” Gold enquired.

“Oh, er… up in Teragon,” he answered, “They were investigating my metal within brass.”

“Ah,” Gold remarked, the corners of his mouth twitching up, “Ter-riffic.”

Was this ill-fated pun a futile attempt to make Zinc feel comfortable? Or a dismissal of his discovery as an amusing piece of trivia?

“I was wondering how long it would take them to discover the zinc in brass,” Silver mused, ignoring Gold’s joke, “what with how much the mortals have been using brass since its invention.”

“They just put whatever bullshit into their copper and see what sticks,” Antimony scoffed, “Bless their little hearts, but the mortals have no clue what they are doing. It’s just the ’mysterious impurity’ that makes the copper do shit that they need a metal to do.”

“Hey!” Copper yelped indignantly, “I can do plenty just fine!”

“Mmm, yes… the mysterious impurity that they add to copper…” Tin turned to look at Antimony. His tone was stern but there was a twinkle in his eye.

“I’m not talking about bronze!” Antimony sighed, leaning in and ruffling the crystallogen’s hair. Tin giggled quietly. Lead rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Zinc,” Iron drew his attention away from the metalloid’s antics, “To be real for a moment, please don’t feel bad about the mortals alloying your element. While Copper finds it demoralising, she’s forgetting that it is the nature of an element to be combined.”

“Well, not always,” Gold pointed out, as Copper huffed exasperatedly.

“Your Noble Highness, you are not helping my point,” Iron snapped at him.

“Okay, well, sometimes I feel bad that my metal doesn’t suffice on its own,” Copper grumbled, “But that’s just how I feel, Zinc. Don’t be like me.”

Zinc was taken aback to hear such an admission from Copper. Would Iron have forced Copper’s hand to confront her shortcomings if he hadn’t been there to prompt the conversation? Guilt welled up in his core; it was his fault Copper felt bad. The door creaked open, and Carbon tramped in, leaving a trail of dirt. The first of the First-Contacters, and always the last to show up.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Zinc at the table, paralysed with indecision on what to say to Copper. His tail bristled and his nostrils flared for a moment.

“Another metal,” he said coldly, “Great.” The Planetary Metals all glared at him in union. “You people are embarrassing,” Antimony muttered under his breath. “Carbon!” Sulphur sputtered, coughing acrid smoke, “You are aware there are many more metals than non-metals in the Table. So few elements have been discovered; it is perfectly likely that the next would also be a metal! You know this! Don’t be so surprised!”

Mercury patted her on the back in an attempt to ease her coughing, still staring daggers at Carbon. Carbon stood there for a second, his tail swishing. He observed the apprehensive faces of the Planetary Metals. Zinc was beset with icy fear at the notion that they would all gang up on the non-metal in front of him. “....My apologies, metals,” Carbon eventually hissed dejectedly, “My reaction was… impulsive. I was not thinking straight.” “You fully looked at Zinc and calculated your reaction,” Mercury growled, “but thank you for your apology.”

“A rare sight, eh?” Lead elbowed Tin as Carbon pulled up the empty chair between Sulphur and Antimony.

“Count yourself lucky,” Carbon growled, narrowing his eyes at the other crystallogens. Silence fell over the table. “Don’t let my presence distract you from whatever it is you were talking about,” the non-metal scoffed.

Zinc found his voice again. “A-about what you said earlier, Copper,” he stammered, “You shouldn’t feel bad that your element is diluted with mine…. I should, really…it’s better for my element not to sully yours.”

The star-shaped mark is what remains of an incision scar from during her first instar, when her mother Rhalkxu used her blood to resurrect Chekorhothk. It has faded with each moult and is not present in her imago form.