Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 68: Questing Is A Way Of Life

The door opened slowly, and Deek poked her head out.

"The heck are you doing here?" she asked, sticking her tongue out. "Aren’t you super-cool now, hanging out with Mr. Rav and Mr. Nephilim all day?"

"I came to see you and Cliff," he smiled. "I don’t know many people in this world, and I had an idea that might help out everyone. May I come in?"

"I guess," she said, swinging the door open and wandering outside, brushing past Ezra. "But the old man is in a mood today - when isn’t he? Once you’re done yappin’, come help me with my chores."

Ezra agreed, politely stepping into the house and closing the door behind him.

"Deek!? Where the hell you go?" Cliff shouted from the kitchen.

Ezra took a deep breath.

’You can do this,’ he said to himself. ’Cliff is just a misunderstood old man. You’ve dealt with a hundred grumps just like him.’

Ezra waltzed into the kitchen, his chest puffed out and his head held high.

"Hello, Mr. Cliff," he said with a smile. "We’ve met once before. My name is Ezra, and I -"

"The fuck is this?" Cliff growled, throwing something at the human. He dodged it with grace.

"That good-for-nothing Rav replaced Deek already? Eh. You don’t look any better at anything, do you? And you’re a damn human."

Ezra clasped his hands together. It wasn’t going...terribly.

"I was actually not sent by the Sage," Ezra clarified. "I came here of my own volition, you see. I wanted to..."

Cliff put what’s left of his left leg up on the table, landing with a thud as he lit a cigar. He took a deep drag on it and blew the smoke in Ezra’s direction.

Ezra withheld the urge to cough. "I came here just for you!" he said excitedly. "I’m someone who makes people’s wishes come true. And I want to ask, Mr. Cliff. What’s the thing you desire most?"

"To get my damn legs back."

He spoke with a hearty grunt and pointed at the stump on the table. The goat Ferin took another drag.

"Think you can do that, sonny?"

Ezra opened his mouth, but was stunned to silence. He expected Cliff to ask for something a little more realistic...

But just then, as if the Storyteller herself were amused with Ezra’s attempt at trying to fulfill Desire, a screen opened up before Ezra that only he could see.

[New Quest: Helping Cliff]

He didn’t click on it, but willed it open with his eyes. The menu expanded.

[Cliff lost his mobility in a terrible battle years ago, and all he wants is to see the places that matter most to him again.

Objective: Bring Cliff to Crandle Falls (Incomplete)

Reward: 10 FP]

Ezra lit up. There it was - what he’d been waiting for. A quest. Guidance. Something concrete to make a difference.

"Mr. Cliff," he said with renewed vigor. "Is there a waterfall south of here? Is it...maybe named Crandle Falls?"

"Hm?"

Cliff’s demeanor completely changed. His eyes shifted downward, looking at Ezra with suspicion, though his face softened as he did.

"Sure. I know the place."

Rav’s mention of the waterfall earlier still lingered in Ezra’s mind. Quite the fortuitous suggestion indeed.

"Would you like to go?" Ezra asked. "I...I’ve never seen it before, and I don’t know how to get there."

"Does it look like I’m walking anywhere, you idiot?"

Ezra shook his head. He knew what to do.

"Mr. Cliff. If you wouldn’t mind...I would be happy to carry you. I might not be able to replace your legs, Sir. But I can lend you mine."

"Carry ME? You..."

Cliff lowered the cigar from his mouth, an ’ahem’ turning quickly into a cough.

Cliff looked the human over again. He wanted to say ’A scrawny human like you?’ but he couldn’t. Ezra was built - strapping. Clearly strong. And that was beside the energy that exuded from the human. Something deeper than strength. Desire itself - and power that defied explanation coursing through his veins.

"If you want to carry an old man like me around..."

"I do. It’d mean a lot to me, Sir."

"What’s this world coming to," Cliff grumbled. "Never seen anything like this in my life. A human, offering to carry a Ferin around? Just to see a damn waterfall?"

"Yes, Sir. I hope that isn’t too weird a request. It just seemed like...something we’d both like to do."

Cliff put out his cigar in a dirty ashtray, pushing it aside. "I could use some fresh air, out of this damn house," he said. His voice was softer than it had ever been. The grizzled goat-man couldn’t fight it. It was his deepest desire, after all.

Ezra kneeled, coaxing Cliff forward. "Just hop on, friend," he said. "I’ll get you safely there and back. Just give me directions, huh?"

Cliff huffed. "Yeah, yeah..."

The old Ferin climbed weakly onto Ezra’s back. As he did, Ezra wrapped his arms around the bit of Cliff’s legs that he could, and hoisted him upright.

He tested the old man’s weight on his back. It was as easy as wearing a backpack. His new body’s strength always surprised him.

"Hmph. You’re stronger than you look," the old man noted. He was a big, bulky man - more physically imposing than Ezra in his prime. But old age and misuse of his muscles left his once bulging muscles somewhat atrophied.

"Thanks."

"Don’t take it as a damn compliment," Cliff snipped. "Just surprised a human could even pull this off. You’re not going to drop me halfway there, are you?"

"Not at all. You’re light as a feather, Sir."

"Hmph."

Ezra walked out of the house with Cliff on his back. Even just making it to the front lawn of the homestead was enough to make Cliff gasp.

"This place..." he grumbled. "Deek’s keeping it in pretty good shape, huh?"

"She’s a hard worker," Ezra smiled. In the distance, he could see her in her yellow dress shearing a sheep.

"Alright, Cliff. Which way do we go?"

"You don’t even know which way south is, you damn oaf? That way."

He pointed toward an opening between the trees which gave way to a natural path. A path he’d walked many times, long ago.

"Got it."