Chimera’s testing aside, not much happened after she had almost killed the captain.

  The crew seemed to be treating her as an exotic animal that had taken up the cargo bay as its territory, and were simply watching out in case the beast went wild.

  Chimera didn’t mind.

  After all, she knew that whatever the situation, she could start putting holes in the ship immediately with her knew space oak blueprint.

  Apparently that had been the name of the substance, which made sense in context.

  Wood that can breathe and not be crushed in space, easy.

  Chimera mused that there must be a massive tree in this capital the crew were talking about, all made with the stuff.

  And it’ll be huge, like a spire shooting into the clouds.

  She laughed at the thought.

  As if, the tree would be visible from space if that was the case.

  A soft chuckle came from her new lungs.

  It was odd after all the testing, that the one thing that changed in Chimera besides the obviously new body, was her voice.

  She had a lighter tilt to it now, unlike her tomboyish old voice, almost fully feminine.

  It didn’t really bother her, after all, she could always just change it back.

  But, despite the difference, she felt that it fit her new body well.

  Now I sound as haughty as the rest of these elf bastards. Bet I can pull a smug look off while I’m at it.

  Totally going to look my nose down on this Empress. ‘You may be a ruler, but I am a diplomat from another world! Ohohohoho!’

  Chimera burst into giggles, startling the four guards that stood at the perimeter of her little territory.

  “Is she crazy?”

  “I don’t know…”

  “After the captain locked her in that box, maybe she went nuts?”

  “Oh crap, why did I have to get this detail?!”

  Chimera smirked evilly at the guards.

  Should I mess with them? Sounds like fun…

  But before she could pull off anything, a flower bloomed overhead on the ceiling.

  This beauty was a conal shaped thing with a few glistening pistils tracing along the edges. Its vivid red color and purple leaves gave Chimera the thought that it was made to mimic her looks.

  What came after though was a shock, as the flower began to speak.

  In fact, it sounded like a certain doctor.

  “Ahem* Attention crew of the Meras-102, This is Imperial Harrier and Head Researcher Bayleaf Bristlebranch. All hands prepare for docking and reentry. Repeat, all hands prepare for docking and reentry. We are T-minus ten minutes till reentry.”

  Chimera tilted her head, wondering about the announcement, but as she thought on it…

  “Oh thank the Goddess, no more of this stupid detail!”

  “We’re finally back!”

  “H-Hey guys, she can hear you!”

  “Home at last!”

  Clarity hit Chimera as she nodded.

  “Oh, so we’re near your home world now?”

  One of the guards, the one that warned the others about Chimera overhearing them, nodded sheepishly as he smiled back.

  “Ye-Yes! That announcement means we’re about to land on the docking branches. Once we do, it’ll lower us down to Steros, and the capital, Cinderbough.”

  “Docking branches?”

  The crewman nodded, “How else are we to get through the atmosphere unless we use the docking branches of the World Tree?”

  Chimera blinked at that.

  “W-Wait a second, you have a tree, and you use the branches to lower you down? From Space?”

  The crewman nodded, with an obvious look of confusion of his own.

  “Well, yeah. The Meras-102 is one of the branches on that tree, and we departed from it with the help of the captain and the druids… oh wait…”

  He put a hand over his mouth as the other three guards glared at him.

  “Tem!” one of them whispered, “you can't go and give sensitive data like that!”

  “Seriously dude, the hell?!”

  “S-Sorry!”

  “Idiot.”

  Chimera was too stunned by the revelation to notice the fight between them though, as the thought entered her mind.

  They grow their ships… the reason for the wood is because its a part of the damn tree they call home… they just snipped it off and boom, spaceship. What the fuck?!

  That would mean that this empire, these elves and everything about them is centered around this tree…

  And Chimera could make more of this material…

  Crap! I got to get off of this ship! Screw meeting their damn Empress, if they find out I can replicate this, I’ll never get away!

  D-Did, they plan this? He saw me use the space oak… maybe they all pretended to be afraid in order to lull me into a false sense of security!

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Chimera looked back at the crewmen.

  Nope, those are genuine… but I don’t know about the rest, or even that doctor Bayleaf…

  Chimera panicked as she thought about the implications.

  Screw the power up genetics she could give them, if she could make more trees like this, trees that could be used to make space ships…

  I need a map though… I need one if I want to escape and make it back… and the only place that has something like that…

  It would be the place that was kept the most secure, a place like the Imperial Palace.

  The captain could have one too… but it doesn’t have the context I need, I need a full map, one that can show me all of the surrounding space. Once I have that, I’ll grow my own ship and get as far from these imperial elves as I can.

  Still, I can't be here when they come for me. I have to get off!

  A creaking noise sounded overhead as the ship came to an abrupt stop, jostling the crew as they tried to grab a hold of something.

  Chimera fused herself to the ship to keep from moving, unlocking herself from it once the shaking stopped.

  “Oh, we’ve arrived!”

  Chimera took that as her queue, immediately rushing towards the neares cargo door.

  “W-Wait!”

  She didn’t, shifting into a spike of space oak and sliding through a small opening she had made.

  The door led her out into an open area, surrounded by space oak and crates.

  It was a warehouse filled to the brim with creatures, supplies, tools and personnel as far as she could see. It almost seemed as if the warehouse just went on forever.

  Chimera didn’t care about that.

  One problem at a time, I’ve got to lose the crew here and find a way out.

  An alarm immediately sounded as she landed in the warehouse, her feet touching down on space oak as several of the Elfari turned to her immediately.

  H-How are they doing that?!

  She looked down at her feet, terrified that she was going to see roots shoot up and try to grab her.

  Wings!

  A pair of pelican wings shot from her back as she took to the sky around the warehouse, flapping frantically to gain height.

  A few of the Elfari grabbed staves from the ground and started casting magic. Leaves with bladed edges, spears of wood and even the wind started to chase after her as Chimera dodged and weaved around the attacks.

  Hell! Damnit!

  She shifted to a smaller size, increasing her agility to the limit of her abilities, her P.E.Gs churnign through her access energy to feed her increased usage.

  She couldn’t maintain this for long, maybe fifteen minutes with the current amount of P.E.Gs, but all she could think about was getting away from the Elfari.

  For a while, she was safe, as the attacks that came started to peter off once she made it past a mountain of the crates.

  She eased up on her usage.

  Only for a wooden aircraft to start launching from one of several air pads she passed over.

  Once again she was in a race, her eyes frantically trying to find an opening, or some kind of exit to reach.

  “Attention please, I repeat, Attention please. Unidentified Bio-Form loose in docking bay M. Mobilize Security forces immediately.”

  Chimera shot down into the crates below as she flew as close to the ground as she would dare.

  This isn’t good! They got this whole place set to find me. I need to get out!

  Rising back up, Chimera rushed into the air to get a better view, despite knowing she was revealing her location.

  Come on… Come on… There!

  Her eyes spotted an opening, with a massive barge-like vessel. At first she thought it might be some kind of shuttle, but it began to move downward.

  An Elevator!

  A net launched up at Chimera just as she spotted the elevator, and it was only thanks to her instincts that she narrowly avoided the electrified net.

  Move damnit!

  Titling her body into a dive, Chimera shot towards her target with increased speed, all the while dodging and avoiding missiles and nets.

  She shifted, allowing her momentum to carry her as she shifted into her blobby form.

  With a thud, she landed on the barge, just as the massive doors sealed shut behind her.

  A few thuds echoed afterwards.

  Ugh… hope none of those were people.

  Chimera rested on her butt as she shifted into her Elfari form.

  Disguise set, now all I gotta do is get out and blend in.

  She took a breath as she smiled, the oddly clean air filling her body with both oxygen and mana.

  Well, thats a welcome surprise. Need to refill the pegs anyway.

  Taking a sitting pose, Chimera ballooned her body and sucked as much of the energy she could, before letting it flow back into her.

  Clean energy, clean air, and just a feeling of cleansing filled her as Chimera drifted into a nap.

  W-Wait… gotta stay awake…

  However, the comforting feeling simply wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Chimera felt herself nod off just as the door to the barge opened.

  …

  Chimera woke up as a hand brushed her red hair.

  “Wha?!”

  “Relax, you're safe here.”

  A flowing, glowing sentence hung above her as Chimera took stock of her surroundings, recognizing the dream space she was in a few days ago.

  “Oh… dream place. Well that’s good I guess.”

  “You think? Why did you run off like that?”

  Chimera took note of the… notes floating above her head, reading them out as she answered back.

  “Meras, that you? I had to run, those elves were going to use me to make space ships. You got to be careful about them Meras, I bet you anything they might use someone as nice as you too!”

  “...Chimera, are you suuuure about that?”

  Chimera took a moment to collect herself.

  “Well, no… but I don’t know that they won’t do it either!”

  Meras floated in front of her, her leafy features ruffled and taking on a pleasant vibrant hue.

  “Mmm… feels good to be home. Anyway, you know they’re gonna find you right?”

  Chimera tilted her head at that, “Home… wait Meras what do you mean by that? I got away from them just now.”

  Meras’ vibrance turned into a green glow around her as she sat in front of Chimera, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips.

  She started to write once more, “Chimera, I can’t say much, since I promised Mother, but you should speak to the Empress. I know it might sound nuts right now, but you want to go home too, right?”

  “Not you too! Did they already get to you? Meras! Those elves surely are evil after all!”

  “Stop being an idiot and listen.”

  Chimera looked back at her strange plant friend as she looked down at her.

  “Mom says that she’ll let you go without being caught, but you got to go talk to the Empress if you want to come see me again. Mom says you’re a bad influence or something.”

  “Bad Influence?! I should have words with your mom for that! I’m a damn hero! A saint even!”

  Meras smiled back, giggling softly, which sounded like leaves dancing in the wind.

  “My mom says its because of your sense of humor. Dunno what she’s worried about though, I’ve always been like this.”

  Chimera smirked, “a troublemaker?”

  Meras stuck her nose in the air, “a ‘proper’ lady is a boring one, anyway.”

  Chimera nodded, “couldn’t agree more… alright, I’ll take your advice Meras.”

  Meras nodded back, “good, I think she’s right about that at least. Hope I see you again Chimera. Just head back to the tree if you want to talk again.”

  Meras waved at Chimera with her leafy hands in a big exaggerated way, which made Chimera giggle as well once she faded away.

  “Alright… Guess I gotta break into the Imperial Palace.”

  Chimera laid her head back, letting sleep take her as the weird world around her shifted back into the familiar room she found herself in earlier.

  The barge had stopped moving, the door outside of it slowly opening to reveal a massive ball of light.

  “Subject-102C, Do not resist! Surrender yourself immediately, or you will be forced to do so!”

  Chimera sighed as she looked outside to see a platoon of soldiers, all pressed uniforms and baring rifles that glowed a verdant hue.

  “So… how the hell do I get out of this?!

  …