The F Ranked Journey (BL)

Mike POV:

It was an honor to be in a party with king Nathaniel, even though he didn't want to speak about his status. I got the impression, earlier, that he was just someone who wanted me gone. Not only that, but that he was pissed at me.

I could see why. The looks he gave Lars when Lars was not looking at him were telling enough. Not only that, but Nate, as he talked me into calling him, held Lars' hand at every opportunity. If that wasn't sweet, I didn't know what was.

My gaze was not on the two lovebirds, but pointed at the ground. For a boar to be more than five meters long, it had to have huge hoof prints. The problem was, that we already reached the last farm which was attacked by the hungry animal, yet there were no such hoof prints.

The garden looked like someone had ravaged it, no mistake there. But where were the hoof prints?

"Guys, I think we have a problem," said Lars, his eyes pointed at the sky.

"No worries, we can make it," I said absentmindedly.

"No, we really have a problem. Look up," I finally did so, and then...

How the hell was the boar sleeping on a cloud?

"Nature spirit," said Nate, as he scratched the back of his head. "We can't kill it. Kill a nature spirit, and then you will get bad luck."

"And natural disasters," piped in Lars as well.

"Well, we can't leave the boar here. This whole village is made up of farms," I didn't like the idea that we had to kill the nature spirit, but what other choice did we have? The pig had eaten from the farms, we will get paid to kill it.

Not only did we need to make sure that no gardens will ever be ravaged, but we also needed to bring proof. No one would ever expect that we won't keep the meat for ourselves, no. But at least a tusk or two was a must-have if we wanted to be paid.

It was not like we could afford to skip this quest. The other parties took the easy quests, and there was the quest quota to think of.

"Most of the nature spirits have a human form. We can't kill him or her. It is not right," said Nate, as he pressed his hands around his mouth. "Sir or Madam, please, we would like to warn you of the danger you are in!"

I bit my lower lip. Nate didn't trust me yet, and for what I had in mind, I needed his complete trust. My father had died for him. If Nate was just a spoiled prince, then dad wouldn't have faced off against twenty assassins just to save him.

So, I let it all happen.

The boar shifted on its feather bed, which was actually a cloud, and then looked at us. It snorted, and then turned around. It was obvious that it had eaten its fill, and now had no interest in us.

"Please, Sir!" I didn't know why Nate would address it as a male, but the boar shifted. It snorted again, then without any warning it jumped down. I blinked a couple of times, as a light enveloped the boar. Soon a Halfling stood before us.

"What danger?" he asked, as he scratched his nose. The Halfling was well-build, but he looked around our age. The fact that he could turn into a boar was something that unnerved me, but I smiled. For a couple of seconds, the Halfling stared at me, and then he made a step towards.

"Why do you smile?" he asked, and I smiled wider.

"Your hair is soft," my entire life I was prone to joking. It made the people in my life more forgiving. This man, or better said, boy, narrowed his eyes.

"And should it not be?" he made several more steps towards me, but I made no steps back. It was good when a nature spirit took interest in you. Most often than not, they gave you blessings. I was already giddy to make a good impression.

"Are you a human, or an elf?" I got that question a lot. My ears were not as long as those of other elves. I chuckled, as the nature spirit laid a hand over my heart.

"Elf, Sir," I couldn't help it. I hugged him. Back then, I didn't know what took over me, but his hair was soft to the touch, and his body was all hard muscle and fine lines. Perfectly huggable. 

It is not like I hugged him because most people don't want to be hugged by a giant like me, no. People who assume such things about me were the ones who couldn't get hugs!

Instead of pushing me away, as I feared, he took a deep breath.

"I have nothing against half-elves," he murmured. I could practically hear it, as he inhaled my scent. "And I have nothing against you as well, Mike."

Nature spirits were really something else! Could he also read my thoughts? Oh, he must have a good name! Something melodic and true to his nature.

"What is your name?" I didn't want to assume that he could read thoughts. That was just rude, and more than one person got a beating by asking a wizard that. Then again, most wizards came from Arkano, so they were bastards anyway.

"Jean," I was right, it was a good name. Could have passed perfectly to a girl as well. I smiled.

"My full name is Mark, but you can call me Mike. Everyone does," I held him, as he shifted a bit in my arms. Our gazes met, and he snorted again.

"Mark is a mouthful. But Aurelius is a good last name," ah, so he could read thoughts after all? Good to know. "From now on, you are under my protection."

He snapped his fingers, and a tusk appeared next to me. I didn't know why a nature spirit would offer me companionship, but one day, after years of joy and friendship, strife and sorrow, I would find out.

At that moment, though, I could already hear the clinging of coins in a red velvet bag.