Chapter 62

                                    

                                          
After Saul left, things became slightly more controlled: I cleaned up the pie massacre so Warren wouldn't have to. When I was done with that, everyone hung out and shared hilarious stories. Honestly, these are the moments I live for. While they're few and far in between, they're the most cherished. I mean, there's nothing trying to kill me or any of my friends. We don't have to worry about a mission going haywire or something unplanned happening. I can actually enjoy some peace and quiet for a change.
                          
  Nova tinkered on her scattershot rifle again. Only, she was gingerly working on the compartment that housed the piece of ethridium, which sat on the table before her. It glowed a dark shade of purple, and it seemed to pulse with energy. Erron saw her working and scooted closer to see what she was doing.
                          
  "What's wrong?" He asked her curiously.
                          
  Luckily, Nova didn't flinch when Erron spoke: "Eh? Oh, I'm just reinforcing the ethridial chamber so it doesn't explode when the weapon heats up."
                          
  Erron's face paled: "Wait, explode?"
                          
  Nova nodded, glaring at the piece of ethridium that sat in front of her: "Yeah, this isotope of ethridium gives off a shitton of energy at the expense of being highly unstable."
                          
  "What does that word mean?" Erron inquired.
                          
"Oh, isotope?" She mused, "It's a fancy word that means a different form of the same element. While ethridium isn't listed on the official periodic table, scientists in Volhime are vouching for it and saying that it should added. Ironically, they're still learning about ethridium, so they know next to nothing about its composition-or how it's structured on the molecular level."
                          
  He nodded slowly, "Huh...What type of magic is this?"
                          
  She chuckled, "It's called science. Most people call it black magic, but it's more innocent than that. Heh, there are even some scientists in Volhime who're seeing what happens when you combine science and magic together in various applications, like the freezer in Helix's house. It works because of the insulated material that's been added to keep the chilliness localized in the freezer and ice magic that generates the chilliness. In small applications like the one I just listed, that makes things more convenient for us."
                          
  "Egad..." Erron mused, "That's extraordinary."
                          
  I grinned, "I understood almost everything you talked about Nova, but keep in mind that this is a foreign topic to most people who live in this country. While old traditions are being cast aside thanks to the changes brought about by the Dread Decades, the subject of science is still one that's feared. Only the intellectuals of Volhime truly grasp this topic."
                          
  Nova shrugged, "Eh, tu'she. I grew up learning this stuff, so I'm used to talking about it casually. For what it's worth, I don't give a damn what people think about it. It's knowledge that comes in handy when I have to repair a generator that runs off of ethridium or if one of my weapons is overheating."
                          
  "Perhaps you could teach us more about ethridium so we can better understand your work?" Erron suggested.
                          
 "Me? A teacher?" Nova inquired.
                          
  "Yeah!" I chimed in, "You know what you're talking about, Nova. Sure some of your weapons blow up, but that's merely trial and error. Considering your friend Dante supplied most of us with ethridium-powered weapons, we need to know how to take care of them and what to do when it's about to explode."
                          
  Nova smiled, "The maniac is hardly my friend, but I see your point. How about I teach you guys tomorrow? Maybe I'll have a semi-decent lesson thrown together by then."
                          
  I chuckled, "Sounds like a plan to me."
                          
  Luna smiled, "Aye."
                          
  Ben gave Dorrian the stink eye: "Don't blow yourself up tomorrow, Dorrian."