Roots had been blocking the door to prevent the inquisition from entering. As we approached they opened a path. It closed again behind us. We made our way to the central chamber. Minerva was on the couch looking nervous. Thessia approached us, concern was visible on her face.

“Welcome back. I see you are carrying Josef, is he alright?”

“He fainted when he witnessed the power of my lady. He is unharmed and should awaken soon.” Lily explained.

“I see. The inquisition’s fast response is concerning. So far I have sealed the temple and requested that the Empire send someone with more authority to negotiate. As a temple of Sylphania we have a certain amount of autonomy, and serious accusations against us have to be handled by a high ranking official.”

That could be an opportunity. “What are the odds that they send someone outside of the inquisition? Someone we could show proof of the mind control?” I asked.

“Hard to say. We do not know how deep the infiltration goes. And I am not that familiar with imperial politics.” Thessia answered.

“We could just kill everyone! Blow up the palace!” Shani suggested.

Thessia studied the elemental lord. “Greetings, we have not been introduced yet.”

“Hi, I am Shani! Cutest elemental on the plane of wind!” She pondered her own statement. “Cutest elemental on any plane!” She corrected herself while nodding.

Thessia looked slightly lost. So I decided to butt in. “I summoned Shani outside, since she wanted to join us. By the way, sorry for raining on your tree and blocking the sun for a bit.” I had no idea if that was something good or bad for a dryad. Or if she did not care either way.

“Ah. The storm was… enlightening. Knowing you are an archfey and experiencing your might are two different things. Despite being a high priestess, and having lived for a while, I do not often interact with beings of such power.” She gave me a slight nod. “I appreciate you not hitting my tree with lightning. The rain was welcome and had a pleasant spiciness.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Huh. I thought my magic produced normal water. Rain is pretty pure, except for what it picks up from the air on the way down. Then again, maybe magic rain contained minerals? Or is there some magic clinging to the water? I had never noticed any. But it could be so little that my eyes were unable to perceive it.

Meanwhile, Shani was poking the ground. “There is a lazy earth elemental down there. Even with soldiers outside it is sleeping! That is why you should change to air! We are so much better!”

“It is a guardian gifted to us by our goddess. It only awakens when the situation is dire. Please do not poke it.” Thessia said.

“Pfft. Guardian. That thing is useless! Get a nice air elemental! Or water. Water is ok…”

Shani was from the plane of wind but through her storms she had some control over water. Also, lightning was great against wet targets. I wondered if she disliked earth because it was strong against her? Did rivalries exist between the elemental planes?

“Maybe we should wake Josef?” Lucy suggested. “If we can find out more before the Empire sends a negotiator it would be good.”

She had a point. “Sure. Lily, place him near the tree please. Thessia, could you wake him please? And explain the situation. He was sceptical of our claims. Oh, and could you check him for any runes as well?”

The dryad nodded and approached the alchemist. I looked away as she removed his clothing and checked the body. Once she was satisfied that he was not controlled, she put his clothes back on and used a spell to wake him.

“What…” He stared at Thessia, then he looked around. His eyes found me. “This… this is real. Your claims… your power…”

“Take a deep breath.” Thessia said. “I know this is overwhelming and I apologise for dragging you into this. But we are facing a situation that needs your expertise.”

After he calmed down we offered him tea. We moved to the seating area and explained the situation. Minerva showed him the runes that were part of her body. He studied them with a mixture of fascination and disgust.

“This is… sad. That people would use alchemy for such evil pains me. Being able to permanently transform someone has so much potential! You could give people tails, wings…”

I suspected those transformations would be a bit harder. Changing the pigmentation on the body was a lot easier than growing something. Then again, he was the alchemist. While I had some knowledge of biology, how much of that did actually apply in a magical world?

“Can you reverse it?” I asked.

“Not without a lot of research. To permanently change one's form like this means manipulating the soul. There is a lot of magical shapeshifting. Magic that is temporary, that can be dispelled. But your true form, your true being is recorded in your soul. That is why true shapeshifting is rare. It can not be done with normal magic. It is an ability within your soul. I am unsure where to even start…”

Hm. I had created a warlock, which involved the soul. The animal forms of Lucy and myself were natural shapeshifting. Lily, as a succubus, was a natural shapeshifter. Maybe we could help his research somehow?