In a world governed by the laws of alchemy, where elementals called ishim live among humans, and alchemists are revered... the woodcutter Yrsa cares little about any of that. Her village is too poor for alchemists or ishim to bother with, and monsters frequently threaten it. All she wants is to protect her village however she can.
Then an encounter with a mysterious alchemist leaves Yrsa bonded to an ishim of her own. However, rather than being powerful or fierce, Uribel is a gentle pacifist, a water elemental with a love for all living creatures - and as a result is entirely useless to Yrsa, or so she thinks.
But as Uribel continues to aid her in his own way, could Yrsa eventually come to accept that there is more to strength than power, and more to love than the love she'd given up on?