Tampering

-----(River)-----

Watching as the boy entered his hut I thought back to all of our interactions so far and came to the conclusion that something is wrong with him on a fundamental level. He twitches at the slightest noise at a certain level. His eyes dart around looking for unseen foes. His posture is all wrong as if he expects someone to kill him. It could be his instincts or it could be deeper than that.

He also holds himself back after some light probing he thinks his ability is just making magical artifacts, but he is wrong. I mean look at the staff it becomes a living, breathing, and growing snake. In the short time, I have been around the snake it has doubled in size, and the same about its magic reserves. When he created it I don't think it connected in his mind that it is alive once it is in its awakened state.

His magic reserves are being leached off of him to where I can only come up with a few theories. Walking over to the hut I watched the snake's head come over the top staring down at me its mouth softly glowing. Raising my hands "I am not going to hurt your creator. You feel it right? Something is wrong with him." The snake reared its head back opening its mouth at the disrespect to its creator.

Quickly correcting my wording "Not wrong with who he is, but his magic is being devoured at a rate that would have killed lesser men. I have the means to figure it out, but I will need you to let me pass. You can even keep an eye on me..." Moments ticked by as the snake leered down at me narrowing its eyes before uncoiling from around the building giving me a look I know all too well from a wild animal protecting its young. Letting out a breath as the terrifying snake allowed me to pass.

Entering the shed with light footsteps passing over a few improvised traps placed around the room. Reaching into my pouch I grabbed a handful of sleep powder. Looking over at the Grimoire gently resting by the head of the boy I took a shallow breath calming myself. Gently blowing it into his nostrils I watched as his rigid posture slacked as the medicine made him rest deeper. Using a few spells that didn't target him but instead the items he was wearing I checked over all of them.

Looking back over to the book a sigh left my mouth glad that it was working on the intentions and the feelings of those around it instead of its owners.

Having tested it slightly earlier when I was teasing the boy projecting thoughts of manipulating and the intent to harm him. Then the Grimoire reacted to those feelings and thoughts.

Going over the information I saw about the items I was relieved that he didn't include any kind of suicide items. All of them are protection, storage, and offensive items. Nothing too convoluted about what he was wearing. Quickly casting a removal spell on his clothes and times banishing them off of his body into a neat pile off to the side. Checking over his body looking for any markings I didn't find anything until I pulled up his overgrown hair seeing that on the base of his neck was a sealing brand.

Pulling back my magic slowly I realized what I was looking at... a hero's brand from Illias. Dread started to fill me as I pulled back looking over him again... swallowing back the bile from my throat I gently move his penis to the side lifting up his nut sack before promptly placing it back down and closing my eyes realizing what happened to the boy.

After placing him in a stasis spell which should hopefully hold until I return I started pacing around the room going over what I will need done I looked over at the sleeping boy. Closing my eyes pushing the urge to kill him out right as he wasn't corrupted yet. But it was a close call. Going back over the list of items I had removed from him I grabbed the Circular amulet which allowed travel between realities. Placing the rest of his items into one of his storage rings and exiting the shed I watched as the snake tensed up sensing the terror wafting off of me.

Watching as the snake looked between me and its creator I took a deep breath "I will need to get more help from my fellow Elves. Right now he has the brand of heaven and the brand of hell on his body." She snake tilted her head "If one or the other was by themselves nothing terrible would happen, but together the best he can hope for is a quick and painless death." The snake reared back as if hit. Narrowing its eyes at me. Its eyes flicked to me and back to its master a few times before curling around the shed protectively.

"I will need to go get help from my fellow Elves as soon as possible, but right now I need you to keep him from using his magic at all times. Right now the Holy energy from the ground and Hellish energy from the air is stabilizing him." Giving the snake a small smile as it nodded its head. "I will return back here. Following the instructions given to me by my spell earlier, I gripped the Amulet picturing the Queen's sitting room before flexing my energy. Hopefully, I wouldn't be gone too long.

Feeling myself getting pulled across the boundaries of this realm into the familiar feeling of Elf Haven I let out a sigh of relief. Taking a few calming breaths I pulsed my magic in a familiar pattern that the Shadow Elves and the Queen will recognize. Sitting in an armchair I calmed myself thinking over the repercussions of what is about to happen to us monster girls as a whole.

I felt the Shadow Elves entering the room securing it as they always did before the Queen entered in a hurry. No doubt worried sick about me. When she entered the room I got down on one knee my eyes locked to the floor as she rushed over enveloping me in a hug. "I had thought I lost you when the boy left the second time." I felt my shoulder turning wet as she hugged me. Even after all these years she still babies me. Rubbing her back as she pulled me up I let her vent her stress.

"I am fine grandmother, but we have a problem." She pulled back her bright eyes locked onto me as I fed her the information directed into her head. Her eyes widen as she goes over the information. She started pacing across the room swearing telepathically to everyone in the vicinity not caring about proper decorum.

She pulled out a pendent snapping it calling for a meeting with the only Coven left formed of the oldest and wisest of the Elves to come here now. It was a panic button in case of an emergency. After sharing our feelings and plans so far we waited for the Elders to arrive so we can come up with a game plan to stop

As the Queen and the Elders met I started pacing going over the ten's of thousands of spells and rituals we Elves have discovered and or created. At least the one's available to the royal family. There are other spells that only the elders can research. The spells from the first Elves that all of the elders have had a hand in creating themselves. Deemed too dangerous for the others.

Maybe they can find a way to save the boy from the seals. My musings are cut off as the meeting room opened. Blinking a few times at not having realized how long has passed as I was standing here musing over problems I had no answer to.

Closing my eyes while fighting down a yawn as I heard the familiar footsteps of the Queen coming this way along with a few unfamiliar footsteps behind her judging from they way the sound bounced off the walls.

Cracking my eyes I spied the Queen and a few of the elders who all had frowns on their faces. The three Elders nodded at each other before two of them broke off down a fight of stairs. The Queen along with the lone Elder both looked up to me both frowned until the Queen walked up to me. "Granddaughter you need rest." Before a protest made its way past my lips the elder pinned me with a small glare that caused my body to freeze up.

"Rest little one we all know what is at stake here. Don't assume that all hope is lost. There have been several cases where others in similar situations who have pulled through." Giving her a small glare before huffing. Fighting down the urge to yell at her as I know she meant that someone with one or the other seal never has there been a case when someone has had both seals on them. I freeze up remembering something. Sending my thoughts to my grandmother. She grimaced before giving me a small nod.

The Elder heard my thoughts giving me a grin "Yes... you assume correctly the first seal was from Illias. She used the boy and the menially addled wizard. When the seal was cast the boy by some act of god or more than likely some of the dumbest luck." She let out a small laugh "The boy reversed parts of the ritual when he vomited onto the runes causing some of the to short from the negative aspect of the stomach bile. When that mixed with the runes it ended up messing up the ritual by killing the caster adding his soul into the mix was volatile" She let out a giggle.

Sending me a wink "SO don't you worry dear we are working on the seals, and the rituals the boy has been through. We will need to see him so tomorrow we will be heading to hell... Never though I would say that..." She shrugged her shoulders before walking of ignoring us.

Turing to my grandmother she shrugged "Elder Mane is eccentric... she always wanted to go to hell and see... what the demons were like..." Blinking slowly I watched the back of Elder Mane.

"Yes, she is odd..."

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter different pov... it hasn't been a good week but making it. Thanks again for reading.