Arcane Transmogrification

by Robert Harper

  As they walked through the elven forest, Danny was expecting the trees here to look different, but it almost appeared to be a continuation of the Great Forest.

  Cranny chimed in, *What was up with the old fart holding our hand and looking longingly into our eyes?*

  Danny shrugged to himself, confused as well.

  *My money's on him noticing your recent upgrade. I mean, who wouldn’t notice you looking like you were made from jello.*

  They emerged from the forest to find a dirt road and three carriages awaiting them. Looking up and down the road, Danny didn't see a reason why they chose this spot to stop. Probably because it was closest to where his group had entered the elven forest.

  The groups were split up, and Danny got into one of the carriages with the girls. Wizard Basalt first carefully place Ivy inside. As soon as Danny sat down on the opposite side, Jade pushed her way past Brooke to sit next to him. Danny took this to mean the girl's recovery must be going well. That was until she promptly fell asleep on his shoulder. In fact, after the other two girls closed the curtains, it wasn't long before Brooke too had given in to the sandman.

  “Thank you Danny, for saving my life today,” whispered Ivy from across the carriage.

  Danny fidgeted uncomfortably, “I am sorry I didn’t save you sooner.”

  Ivy leaned forward and placed her hand on top of his, admonishing him, “Don’t you dare do that, Danny. We all worked together to pull through back there, and you did everything to the best of your ability.”

  Frowning, Danny nodded slowly, before smiling and asking, “I think I made up my debt for that time you saved me from getting my head ripped off by the forest troll.”

  Ivy chuckled sleepily, “No, you still owed me for two more times before that.”

  Danny froze, lost in thought, before laughing himself. Looking back over, Danny realized Ivy had fallen asleep when he hadn’t been looking. Somehow, she had fallen asleep while still holding his hand. After a few minutes, his arm grew tired, so Danny slowly let go, and Ivy didn’t even fidget.

  Danny hadn’t really had much opportunity to ride in a carriage in this world. These noble girls obviously were used to this mode of travel. So, Danny was the only one still awake, left with only his thoughts. Danny peeked outside the carriage to see more of the same forest passing by. The light that was let in by this caused Jade to start fussing in her sleep. Not wanting to wake the exhausted girl, Danny decided it was best to keep the curtain closed.

  ***

  Hours passed as Danny tried to ignore the drool slowly working through the shoulder of his shirt and down his back. The loud snores coming from Brooke's corner of the carriage were getting hard to tune out. He was pretty sure someone had passed gas, and he took a little time to practice his innocent face. The rest of the time Danny spent quietly talking with Cranny about how best to handle his Flame Aspect.

  *Danny, look outside!*

  Peeking out the carriage window, Danny saw what must be the elven capital. He thought it was odd that there were no city walls or obvious defensive structures. The city seemed to just suddenly grow right where the trees stopped. The outskirts of the city consisted of beautifully crafted homes of wood and stone. There was an obvious attempt to make each home appear organic or natural. Like an earth and stone hillside, with growing moss, or interlayered logs of wood made to look like a small grove of trees. The thing that surprised Danny the most was what comprised the center of the city.

  *Danny, they have trees filled with mana!*

  Danny reached over and pulled back a curtain all the way to better see that they were now moving through an area of the city made of living trees. Each building was made of numerous trunks rising from the ground to twist around each other in an elaborate dance of architecture. Whether it was one large tree with multiple trunks or multiple smaller trees braided together, Danny couldn't tell. Some of the structures were as tall as three stories while others were squat and short. Each one looked natural in its placement, giving Danny an uncanny sense of rightness.

  Looking up the canopy was filled with leaves of different colors that seemed to refract the light that passed through them.

  Through his mana sight, Danny could see mana coursing all throughout the trees. There was something else about what he was seeing that he couldn't put his finger on.

  *Danny, their cellular structure is similar to yours!*

  An image of the inside of one of the trees was suddenly inlaid over Danny's vision. He could see the same crystal structures embedded throughout the cells’ structures.

  *The mitochondria look like yours, and their chloroplasts look changed as well... Maybe they use mana to generate carbohydrates. Though they actually need to ‘breath.’ This is crazy!*

  Danny shook his head but didn't have time to dwell on it anymore, as their carriage came to a sudden stop. The girls all awoke at the sudden movement and looked around, confused.

  Brooke rubbed her sore neck and asked, “What's going on?”

  The door opposite to Danny opened, and a male elf in bright green armor politely greeted them, “Welcome to the royal palace. When you are ready, please step this way.”

  CHAPTER 9

  The lights in the room flickered on and off, on and off. Danny stood transfixed by the door, brushing his hand across a patch of what looked like brightly colored moss. Each pass of his hand turned a bulb of tree flesh hanging from the ceiling into an orb of light. When the lights turned off, the moss took on a bioluminescent property, easily visible in the now dark room.

  “Danny, what are you doing? You are going to make yourself go blind playing with it like that...”

  *Wait, what did she just say?*

  Brooke stood in the entryway to the guest room assigned to Danny. He really wished the elves used something more substantial than the heavy fabrics covering doorways. Danny turned to stare dryly at Brooke while still turning the light on and off repeatedly. The staring contest began.

  Danny finally gave in and blinked first. Turning in frustration, he pointed up at the ceiling, “How is that doing...that! I can't do that with my Affinity Aspect. I have to change my whole body, while this...this tree can change just a small portion of itself. That would be an extremely useful ability.”

  Brooke nodded her head, obviously pretending interest, “Yes, you’re right, it would... So, you going to come eat supper with us or play with your room all night?”

  Danny stopped staring at the ceiling and sighed, “I'm coming. Just let me go to the bathroom, and I will be there.”

  The guest room provided to Danny in the palace was spacious. The room’s shape was best described like a bread bun. The corners, walls, ceiling, and floor were all one continuation of each other. Leaves grew out of the ceiling, which made zero sense from a light gathering role, though with the fresh air, it could help parts of the building not feel so stuffy. Furniture was crafted by hand and consisted of a bed, dresser, desk, and small table with chairs. A large opening exited out onto a balcony overlooking the elven capital.

  The bathroom was an attached, much smaller, room with a toilet, counter with sink, and a large tub. They all had more moss activators that turned the water on. The tub even had a special activator that heated the water. How they got the tree to use Flame Affinity without lighting itself on fire was going to be another mystery to drive him crazy trying to figure out.

  ***

  After stepping out into the hallway outside his room, Danny headed down toward the large foyer to the guest wing he was in. This area doubled as a sitting room and dining room for non-official functions with visiting guests.

  Everyone was already gathered around the table and apparently waiting on Danny to arrive.

  Danny had expected to be rushed off to meet the Queen and the Elders immediately when they arrived, but apparently, it was considered rude to hurry things along like that when visitors had just come on a long journey. Palace guards had guided them to their guest rooms, and the palace staff had
shown up immediately afterward to make sure everyone had what they needed.

  While the Basalts had received a room to themselves, Danny had been separated from the girls. Danny had expected the girls to argue, and they looked like they wanted to, but they kept quiet about it in the end. Danny didn't want to be rude and just followed the palace guard to his private room. Which turned out to be a good thing in the end, since he would have driven the girls crazy studying the lights in the room.

  Danny was surprised to see that they were not going to eat by themselves tonight. The Basalts and the girls all sat on one end of the dinning table while a group of elves took up the other side. Danny recognized Leaf and Elder Breeze, but Danny had not met the other four elves at the table. Danny’s vision flared as Cranny highlighted a number of other individuals hidden from sight all around the room. Danny assumed these were here for the protection of the additional dinner guests.

  The elves stood to greet him as he approached the table. The Basalts and the girls quickly stood as well.

  Danny paused, unsure of what was happening, until Elder Breeze moved over to guide him toward the far side of the table.

  “Danny, it is good you were able to join us. Please let me introduce you to everyone.”

  Danny looked around and mumbled, “My apologies for making everyone wait.”

  Elder Breeze's hand moved through the air as if swatting a fly, “Don't worry about it. You already know my grandson Leaf.”

  Danny smiled at the young male elf, “Hey Leaf, how are the ears growing back? None of those odd things I mentioned happening?”

  Leaf smiled, “No Danny, they are better than ever. Thank you again.”

  The Elder waited for the two to finish before directing Danny over to the four elves he didn't know. The strangers had gathered on the side of the table Danny had been approaching. There was only one empty seat right next to Ivy. The elf who would be sitting on his other side from Ivy was a tall boy who, if he was a human, would appear to be in his twenties. He had bleach blonde hair and vivid crystal blue eyes. He was dressed in what Danny assumed was a military uniform, dyed to match the color of his eyes. Take away the elven ethereal features and his face could be considered classically handsome, what with the chiseled features and high cheekbones.

  The Elder gestured to the young elf, “Danny, this is Prince Hawke, heir to the elven lands.”

  Danny, while bowing politely, did his best to hide his surprise at a male being able to inherit here. No one had mentioned this to him, and they did not cover that in the elven culture and language book he had read back at the academy. This place was starting to look better and better. Though he didn't fail to notice the girls stealing glances at the prince.

  Doing his best to hide his jealousy, Danny greeted him, “It is a pleasure to meet you, your royal highness.”

  Prince Hawke's face split into a huge grin as he nodded to Danny, “It is good to meet the one who saved the life of my best friend, Leaf. Please if you ever need anything, just let me know.”

  Danny bowed again, “Thank you, but I did not save him on my own. I could not have done it without, Ivy, Brooke, and Jade.”

  The Prince nodded and smiled toward the girls, “Of course! I have also extended my offer to each of them as well.”

  “Your highness is too kind.”

  Turning to the two who had walked over from the other side of the table, Elder Breeze introduced them, “Danny, this is the commander of the elven forces, Prince Consort Barrow, and this is Princess Willow.”

  Danny bowed to both of them individually, as he had been instructed beforehand.

  The Prince Consort was impressive for an elf. Most of the elves he had seen looked lithe and built for speed. The Prince Consort was not only taller than most, but he looked like he was also built for ripping trees apart with his bare hands. He had the whole ruggedly handsome thing down to perfection, with dark hair and eyes to top it all off. He also wore a military uniform, but unlike the Prince's, he wore a sash that crossed his chest with different medals and insignia sewn into it. His collar also sported golden leaf pins shaped like the leaves of the tree they were currently inside. While his demeanor was polite, Danny couldn't help but notice the Prince Consort was looking at him as if sizing up a potential enemy.

  The princess looked to be in her late teens. Her beauty was a given, but it was even exceptional for one of the elven race. It was obvious she took her coloring after her father. Dark blonde hair and aquamarine eyes sat on a petite face with fine features. She wore a gown that flattered her youthful figure. The princess tried to smile at Danny but couldn't seem to stop the confusion from showing on her face as she kept glancing at his forehead.

  Before the Prince Consort could speak, the princess suddenly stepped closer to Danny, looking above his eyes, “Are humans supposed to lose all their hair when they become druids?”

  Danny was too humiliated to speak and tried to shrink in on himself.

  The last elf, a statuesque woman who had yet to be introduced, reprimanded the princess, “Willow, that is no way to speak to our guests! Can't you see you have offended him greatly? You will apologize immediately!”

  The princess looked shocked and turned to Danny, contrite, “My apologies, Danny. I did not mean to offend you. While I have seen humans without hair on their heads, I haven’t seen one without eyebrows before.”

  Danny, face still beet-red, nodded and mumbled, “It’s alright. It will all grow back soon.”

  Elder Breeze was frowning, but when he realized Danny was looking, quickly replaced it with a smile. Directing Danny to the woman who had just reprimanded the princess, “Danny, it is my pleasure to introduce you to her majesty, Queen Kestrel.”

  Danny quickly bowed as low as he could, “It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”

  The queen was statuesque with a bearing one would expect of someone in power. When Danny had walked into the room, the way she carried herself left no doubt about who she was. She wore a long flowing gown that hugged the full curves of her body. Her beauty would be unrivaled except for some odd scarring that appeared to radiate from her left eye. Whatever had caused the scarring must have damaged her eye as well, because Danny had yet to see her open it. It was a testament to her appearance that this did not detract whatsoever from her overwhelming beauty.

  The queen happened to be turned so that her back was to the Basalts and the girls when she suddenly opened her left eye. Inside was what looked like a polished stone with the coloring of an opal. Tiny fractures along the stone’s surface started to glow with a white light.

  Danny tensed, not sure of what what was happening. He quickly prepared himself for the worse.

  The queen closed her left eye after a few moments and smiled at him. “Danny it is an honor to meet one such as yourself. I see now that Elder Breeze’s initial assessment was correct, and you are more than what we had been informed.”

  The Basalts visibly tensed upon hearing these words spoken by the queen. Arya and her trio slowly moved toward Danny. The girls looked unsure of what was happening but followed the Basalts’ lead. Ivy cautiously moved forward to stand in front of Danny.

  The walls of the room shifted as elven guards, completely covered in the camouflaged armor Danny had seen before, appeared to grow and separate from the tree wall behind them. Each guard had a hand ready to draw his weapon.

  The queen frowned and raised her hand in the air, “Hold!”

  Turning to the Basalts, the queen spoke calmly, “Do not worry, we are not barbarians to just take him away from you. We hold our alliance with your people too important to do that.”

  The Basalts visibly relaxed, but only slightly. The elven guards seemed to fade back into the tree, though with his mana sight, Danny could see them standing there, watching.

  The queen called for everyone to return to their seats, and dinner was promptly served. The food was delicious, and soon, everyone seemed to be acting as if the tense moments from before had never
happened. The elves kept to mundane conversation topics, asking about Danny’s family and the academy.

  Sitting next to him, the prince turned to Danny, “So Danny, you said your hair would grow back?”

  All the individual conversations around the table stopped as everyone focused on him.

  Danny had been coached beforehand on what he was and wasn't allowed to say. Seeing as the elves seemed to know something about his new abilities, he figured his origins were the only thing he would remain silent on.

  Taking a sip of the watered down wine that had been served with the meal, Danny cleared his throat, “Yes, recent events have led to me attaining new ways of using my magical affinities.” Danny proceeded to explain to them his first attempt at using Flame Aspect. Instead of laughing, the elves seemed shocked.

  Elder Breeze spoke up from across the table, and almost in an admonishing tone said, “That was very dangerous, Danny. You could have burned yourself alive.”

  Danny nodded, “Yes, but I had reason to believe otherwise.”

  Elder Breeze hesitated before continuing, “If you wish to try another of these aspects, then please have me or one of the other elders there in case something happens.”

  Danny smiled, “I would like that very much, thank you.”

  This visibly pleased the elder, who nodded to him, smiling.

  Danny spoke up again, “I can't help but ask; are there elves here like me? You seemed to recognize what I am when we first met.”

  Elder Breeze started to speak but turned with a questioning look toward the queen.

  The queen who had been listening bowed her head as if deep in thought. After a few moments, she seemed to have come to a decision, “I would like to speak with Danny, alone with Elder Breeze if possible.” With this said, the queen looked across the table at the Basalts, specifically at Arya.

  Arya took her time responding, her gaze switching back and forth between the queen and Danny. During this moment, not a single emotion was expressed on the shadow leader’s face, even when she finally replied, “Yes, of course, Your Majesty.”