Inhuman Knowledge
Short Stories fed off from the original fiction: 'Knowing More Than You Should'
This story is added from chapter 1.
Selene's Outlook on Alchemy
So Alchemy...it's a science. People who perform this science are called alchemists.
There are two basic rules. Number one, Equivalent Exchange. The second, components in the element must be of similar compounds. So, transmuting gold from nickel would be an illegal act, breaking the laws. Some alchemists search for the philosophers stone, to break and bend every true rule of alchemy for their own use. Though I know it's a deadly cause.
Transmutation circle. The key variable in the transmutation. The circle concentrates the drawers inner strength into the transmutation, breaking down a compound and making it into another shape or substance with the same amount of mass. Thus, Alchemy.
Not as simple as it sounds; it takes practice and knowledge to get the right substances and amounts into the final product. You also need the appropriate symbols in the circle, or the transmutation won't be right. Some transmutation are more advanced than others, taking more skills and knowledge.
Alchemy shaped their world up until today. That's how alchemy evolved in one world. In another, it was different.
In my world, alchemy evolved as chemistry, many people devoting their entire lives to the science. Many alchemists tried but failed in creating the philosophers stone; the mythical substance that contained the elixir of life and could turn any material into gold.. Many had tried making gold without the stone. The believed every material and matter we have today is made from a base element. By breaking down these compounds and reforming them using heat and chemicals, gold could be fashioned. Sometimes the process took months, even years and still the desired product would not come out.
This process was called transmutation, making one substance into another. One who tried these transmutations were known as the common alchemist. Alchemy was founded in Alexandria Egypt, and by the end of the 17th century was abandoned and replaced by more modern day chemistry theories.
The only positive result alchemy held, were formulas for new compounds and elements discovered in transmutation. It ultimately gave us the chemicals and medicines we have today.
As in both worlds, the philosophers stone was faked several times for one's own greedy cause. In our world, fake alchemists would make a seemingly red chemical turn to gold in a matter of minutes; a process that took years. What would really happen was the alchemist would stir a heated amount of mercury, in the dowel used to stir, it would be hollow and have gold powder sealed in with a bit of wax. At a certain heat, the wax would melt, letting the gold pour into the mixture. The mercury would evaporate, leaving only a gold nugget; the 'philosophers stone'
In another world, it took human lives to make both real and fake stones. The fake stone was usually just an incomplete version of the real thing. It contained some of the qualities of the actual stone, but as quoted by Edward, was just a cheap imitation. The most the fake stone, usually called red stones, could accomplish was out-of-the-ordinary power. Either for better or worse; miracle healing or super strength.
In each world, alchemy evolved and was used differently. But however you look at it, alchemy is a science.