Adventures of Nayr in the town of Gerberia

It was early Saturday morning in the small town of Gerberia. It is early winter, the snow is not yet deep. Nayr awoke in his room to sun shining into his eyes. He stretched and growled as he looked around the room -‘tsk… forgot to close the curtains again… ah well! time to get up’ he said in a deep voice as he leaped off the bed, landed heavily on his feet and growled once again. After his morning exercise routine and grooming session, he got dressed to head out.

In this world, Nayr worked as a private detective of sorts, a mercenary if you will, muscles for hire. He didn’t shy away from any jobs, but the week has been slow, the winter season has always been slow for his business, but no matter, he’d always go to his office and hope for new clients every day at the same time! Nayr did not allow himself any breaks and today was no different. After getting dressed he headed outside, it was snowing again, lightly. He was well-loved by everybody.

Small town of Gerberia merely had a few thousand people and Nayr was the only Hrothgar there so he was quite famous. He made it to his office and sat down, no clients, hours passed by, and another. To entertain himself he exercised, hence why he’s so big and muscular. As time passed and his boredom grew, he opened his window and looked outside at kids playing snowball. ‘cute little buggers’ he said as he observed them when suddenly he heard a knock on the door.

It was so unexpected that he turned his head and hit it on the window, then tumbled while shouting. ‘COMING!’ and then stubbed his toe on the table’s corner, which knocked down a tennis ball onto which he stepped while cursing, causing him to lose his balance and fall over. Quite the ruckus. THe door slowly opened and a red-headed miqo’te stood there, shyly, peeking through the door.

“A…are you alright good sir?”

Nayr stumbled to his feet as fast as he could and bowed.

“Yes of course! it’s all part of my… daily routine!” he said with an awkward smile.

“I welcome you at Nayr & Co! How may I help you?”

She chuckled a little and came in, smiling.

“I… My name is Kaine! I heard you do detective work good sir! I hoped to…hire you” she spoke, nervously, looking at the large hrothgar before her who was smiling awkwardly, tough looking  he was, but kind at heart she could tell.

He walked around the table and sat down, pulling his notepad out and adjusting his glasses.

“Miss Kaine, please have a seat… what’s the job?”

She nodded.

“An elder in the village but 20 minutes from here needs a special potion, I was there delivering herbs and she made that request to me, I’m a merchant on the west side, of course I couldn’t turn down a business request but… I haven’t a clue where to find such a potion you see? i hoped you could help me!” he nodded as he made some notes.

He looked up from his notebook.

“So? What’s the potion?” she snickered.

“Oh… it’s a little awkward actually! She… wants a gender changing potion.”

Nayr’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

“A….an elder demands gender change potion…? how… peculiar, alright! I’ll take on this task.”

Kaine chuckled and nodded.

“Yes, i thought the same! Very well! how much will this be?”

Nayr looked at her and smiled.

“For you, dear, I’ll merely ask for 50 coins, I reckon I’ll find the potion in no time! What shop do you run? I’ll bring it to you when I have it” she wrote her shop’s address on a piece of paper and bid him farewell. Nayr looked over his notebook with a grin. ‘Ah! finally! A TASK!!! not…a fun 1…. hunting bandits or finding a cat is more entertaining but this’ll do!’.

He went out with a clear plan in his mind. ‘first visit the alchemy shop, the owner of it, Hisa, should have potions of all sorts, if she doesn’t, perhaps the old vampire in the mountains will be able to give pointers! Should he too not know anything…the guardian of the forest… ugghh, don’t wanna see that talking moose again, but he is wise!’ Nayr thought to himself as he planned his actions out in his head.

Nayr made his way through town, enjoying the fresh winter’s breeze through his fur as he made his way to the Alchemy shop, he swung the door open and spoke loudly but in a friendly manner.

“HISSAAAA!!??? Where are youuu??”

He heard a shriek from the storage room followed by a bang and a whimper.

“Ow ow owww…”

He walked up to the counter and looked into the storage room where he saw Hisa getting up.

“Nayr! How many times did i tell you not to be so loud? You scared me and I fell!”

Nayr chuckled at her.

“Ahh sorry! can’t help that you’re clumsy! Hey Hisa,I got a job, searching for a gender-changing potion, surely you got some laying around, hmmm???” he looked around sniffing the air, the fragrance was sweet, almost perfume-like.

“Ah, making more perfume are ya?”

Hisa lost in thought, ignored his final statement and went back into the storage room.

“Let’s see…. gender…gender….”

While he waited he was looking through the shelf and reading potion names. Most potions were named pretty boringly. ‘healing, minor healing, mana recovery, sleeping, antidote, detox’ but 1 that Nayr grabbed next made him almost drop it, luckily he caught it before it hit the floor, the name of it read ‘Carbuncle Special’ Not willing to risk his sanity any longer Nayr placed the potion back on the shelf and awaited Hisa’s return. She came back and shrugged.

“Nope! not a single 1 left… I do have 1 that will make your fur soft and silky if you’d like.”

He chuckled.

“No need, my fur is the best as it is! Thanks Hisa… guess i’ll go see the vampire in the mountains next!”

She smirked.

“Ah! it can get quite cold in the mountains, here take this!” she tossed him a red colored small flask.

“The potion of warmth!”

Nayr caught the potion.

“How much?”

Hisa just smiled.

“Free for a friend! you’ve done me plenty of favors too! Have fun there.”

He stashed the potion in his coat’s pocket and walked out.

“See you soon” he went out and walked towards the northern city gates which faced the mountains. A guard stopped him.

“Nayr? Where ya off to? The weather is quite bad today! Will ge’ worse, I suggest ya stay in city!”

He chuckled.

“Ohh boy, you needn’t worry about me! just a quick trip to the mountains.”

The guard did not stop him any longer, after all, who would dare stand in the way of someone like that.

The mountains were about 3 hours walking away, luckily the snow wasn’t deep, Nayr took only 2 hours to get there, jogging through the forest. ‘ah! nothing like exercise on a cool winter day!’ he huffed as he caught his breath standing at the base of the mountain. ‘darned vampire HAD to live in the mountains though, doesn’t he know we hrothgar prefer forests? tsk!’ He began his ascend.

Halfway up the mountain it started snowing harder. The guard did warn him of an upcoming storm, but that’s no issue, Nayr could handle any storm without issues, his thick fur would keep him warm, and his eyesight was near perfect at night. He continued climbing up the mountain, and before long he reached the peak, the sun was starting to set and the blizzard was picking up. He growled as loud as he could so the vampire would hear him.

As the vampire heard him, he lit up his fireplace so Nayr would be able to smell the smoke and navigate that way. Did not take Nayr long to find the house despite the blizzard. As he got to the house, the vampire opened the door and smiled at him.

“Nayr, you’re an idiot, making your way up the mountain in a storm of this strength? truly an idiot.”

She giggled as Nayr walked through the door and shook, cleaning snow off of his fur.

“Ah hush Evelyn!!! You know a small storm won’t hurt me!”

He made his way inside and took a seat. Evelyn brought him a warm cup of tea and joked.

“Would you like some goat blood, virgin blood, or tea?”

He chuckled at her.

“Ahh of course I’ll have some virgin blood, though this green tea is mighty fine as well!”

they both laughed for a moment, and then in the crackling of fire and fire-lit room she tilted her head and asked him.

“So.. what brings the great detective to my mountain?”

her eyes glowing slightly red as Nayr sipped on his tea calmly.

“Ah yes! I got a job! I need to find a gender-changing potion, figured an ancient vampire might know something about that, since the best alchemist in our kingdom Hisa doesn’t have any…”

She leaned back in her chair.

“A gender-changing potion….FOR YOU??? What’s the occasion?” she chuckled.

Nayr growled.

“Grrr what do you MEAN for me? no no! I told you it’s a job! I am to find 1, not to drink it! Do you even lean to me?” she chuckled.

“Hehehe, I know I know. But, let me see, wait here” she got up and left for another room. Returning 10 minutes later she placed a book on the table and opened it to a page titled ‘gender bender’ In there, a recipe described.

“Yeah, I have the recipe for it, but the problem isn’t cooking it, but the ingredients!”

She pushed the book towards him and pointed at step 4 and 7 of the process.

“Step 4. grind to dust a dry 7 leaf clover, and step 7. the forest spirit herb… Both of those items are practically legendary rarity, there are only 2 ways to obtain them. One is to search in the kingdom of fae…and the other….”

Nayr interrupted her.

“And the other is to have the guardian of the forest provide you with the mystical items, yes… ggrrrrr” he growled again, angrily this time, and then sighted.

“Alright…guess I’ll have to go see the darn moose again…. I really hate that guy though.”

But as he set his cup down on the table and turned to leave, Evelyn grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“Ohh but I’m not doing this for free, you know that right?” he let out a sigh.

“What do you want?” she smirked.

“Ohhh, i thirst for miqo blood! Bring me a vial of finest female miqo’te blood as payment!” when she said that he realized the job giver, Kaine, was the finest of all miqo’te.

He nodded.

“Sure… a small vial… I suppose I can do that!” she nodded.

“Very well, safe trip to the heart of the forest” he stormed out the door back into the blizzard.

“Ahh! somehow this is quite refreshing! Take care Eve!” he said as he began sprinting through knee deep snow down the mountain, smiling the entire way.

As he made his way down the mountain the blizzard seemed to ease up, making it easier for him to see and traverse the forest. He walked for an hour, and then another. As he got closer to the heart of the forest, the weather got better and better. He could see squirrels and foxes running all around him now. ‘ah yes, the damned servants of the forest guardian…’ occasionally he’d growl at the squirrels nearby and then laugh.

“Ha ha ha! don’t worry little ones! you’re too small for me to eat!”

The squirrels would squeal at him angrily but continue escorting him until eventually the snow stopped entirely and Nayr found himself standing near a beautiful, slightly glowing lake.

“Ah! Don’t mind if I do” he approached the water and put his hand in it, scooping some up and drinking it, as he did he could feel his tiredness fade away and his energy return, he growled, like the king he is, and as he did, from behind a tree a moose emerged, speaking in an annoying old man’s voice.

“Now now little kitty! Don’t growl so loudly in my forest!”

Nayr turned and looked at him.

“Hah! as if a moose could order a lion!” the moose smiled and tapped his foot on the ground, as he did, vines emerged and wrapped Nayr up.

“Say what???”

he said as he approached the tangled up Nayr who was unable to resist. Nayr smirked.

“Alright alright your majesty! I do humbly apologize!” the moose tapped his foot once more and vines untangled Nayr.

“So, what brings you here, old friend?”

Nayr stretched.

“Ah! i seek the ‘spirit of the forest’ herb and the ‘7 leaf clover’” he spoke humbly, the moose turned his head.

“And what need do you have with items of the fae realm?”

Nayr grinned.

“A gender-bender potion! Obviously.”

He winked at the moose in a taunting manner. The guardian took a step back, his moose eyes widened and his mouth opened.

“Nayr…good friend…have you hit your head? why do you seek to become a woman?”

Nayr couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into a laugh.

“Ohh you old fool! I got you! I should’ve seen your face! haah! That was priceless! PRICELESS! The mighty ancient guardian of the forest staring at me like a deer in shock!”

The guardian shook his head.

“Ah you silly child making such jokes! But now to be honest, why seek you those items?”

Nayr leaned against the tree.

“It’s a gig old man! i got hired to find a gender changing potion, so I lie not when I say it’s for the potion.”

The guardian squinted his eyes.

“ I see…. well, i owe you one favor, so let there be ‘forest spirit’ herb for you.”

He tapped his foot on the ground and a glowing, lotus looking herb grew right before Nayr.

Nayr grabbed the herb and stashed it in his inner pocket.

“And … the 7 leaf?” the guardian smirked.

“Oh not so fast young kitty! You’ll have to do something for me before you get it!”

Nayr looked at him.

“Eh…. the usual… what do you need?” the guardian looked at the water.

“At the bottom of this lake resides a great turtle, he guards the great pearl which is what gives this lake’s water it’s magical properties, I need you to bring the pearl to me for it needs to be cleansed.”

Nayr looked at the lake.

“Alright… fight a turtle, bring a pearl, easy enough.”

The guardian smiled.

“Yes, but harm not the turtle.”

Nayr nodded.

“Sure!” he took his coat off and hung it on the branch, remembering the potion Hisa gave him, he decides that cold water is probably too much for his fur so he consumes the potion, it instantly makes him feel warm and comfortable, any sensation of discomfort is gone. He sprinted towards the lake and leaped in, diving deeper into it, he felt no cold ‘i’ll have to thank Hisa for that 1’ he thought to himself as he continued diving. Shortly after he could see a large shape at the bottom of the lake, about 15 meters deep at this point, his trained lungs could easily last another few minutes underwater ‘no problems’ he thought as he approached the great turtle. He appeared to be asleep, he swam around it but couldn’t see the pearl, must be under the turtle he assumed, so, being the great detective, of course, his decision was… to boop the turtle on the nose in order to wake it up.

And so he did, and the turtle snapped at him, dodging it’s bite he swam away a little as the turtle charged at him. Athletic as he may be, underwater combat is no easy feat. He dodged the approaching turtle and rolled over its back, he could see the pearl where the turtle was before. He tried to swim for it but the turtle was a lot faster in the water. It turned fast and chased after him. Nayr dodged out of the way again, grabbing onto its shelf this time he rode it as if it was his mount.

while the turtle tried to shake him off its back, with no luck at that as Nayr’s powerful hands and claws dug into its shell to hold on. As the turtle made another pass by the pearl, he reached down and grabbed it with his feet. Holding the pearl with his feet he used the turtle’s motion to accelerate himself up and then letting go he swam to the surface as fast as he could! But the turtle chased after him. Just as he approached the surface he grabbed the pearl and tossed it out of the water towards the guardian, but as he did the turtle tried to bite his legs. Nayr swiftly turned and grabbed its jaws as due to the turtle’s momentum they both flew out of the water in an epic scene of Bayr holding a giant turtle’s jaws open. The moose could be heard laughing in the background at the scene of Nayr battling a giant turtle.

As they splashed back down he let go of the turtle and swum to the land. Crawling out and laying on the ground he breathed heavily.

“Ar.e…you….happy???” he spoke to the guardian who examined the pearl, and then laughed.

“Oh i was mistaken, the pearl is perfectly fine, that was unnecessary! BUt thank you for your efforts kitty!”

Nayr stood up, water dripping from him he stormed towards the guardian.

“You mean to tell me that I risked my life for nothing?” the guardian winked at him.

“No… why? You entertained this old moose!!!”

Nayr growled but softly.

“Ughh! you old bastard just like to torture others for your own entertainment! Now what?”

The guardian kicked the pearl back into the water and a 7 leaf clover great where the pearl was.

“Here’s your reward! As promised.”

Nayr stood watching the pearl splash back into the water, he shrugged as he knelt to pick up the 7 leaf clover.

“Alright old moose! i’ll be on my way then” the moose nodded.

“Yes! do take care, and thank you for the entertainment” he spoke in an annoying, smug, teasing voice.

Nayr threw his coat back on and rushed back up the mountain through the blizzard once more. The snow beyond his knees now.

“Thank you Hisa for that potion” he said again while climbing the mountain, his fur freezing into icicles, looking like a hedgehog more than a lion at this point.

He made his way back to Evelyn’s house and handed her the resources. She retreated into her cellar for the next 30 minutes while Nayr sat by the fireplace, melting his frozen fur and drying it, waiting for the potion to be made.

Time passed and she came back with the potion.

“Here ya go, and the blood?” she looked at him, Nayr grinned.

“I’ll bring it tomorrow! I need to find you the finest miqo’te female in the area first” she nodded.

“Very well, just make sure u don’t accidentally drink it yourself” he laughed at her.

“I am no fool! Farewell Eve, see you tomorrow!”

And thus he sprinted back down the mountain again, careful not to trip as to not risk the potion. He made his way back to the city of Gerberia.

It was now the middle of the night though, so he decided to head home and rest for the night and go find Kaine at her shop in the morning. The night passed with no events, he slept a few hours and was out to her shop in the morning. He found it without problems and went inside looking for her, her smell filled his nostrils. ‘this is the right place’ he thought to himself and smiled when she walked out to the counter.

“Good morning si… ohh? It’s you!? Have you fulfilled my job request so fast?”

He nodded and proudly placed the potion on the counter.

“Crafted by the vampire from the mountains with ingredients provided by the guardian of the forest, this potion is of the finest quality! Hisa would pay a great amount to have this potion in her shop!”

He smirked and rubbed his nose proudly, standing tall, expecting praise.

but Kaine looked at him with a smug face and smirked.

“But… how do you know it’s actually a gender-changing potion? Have you tried it?”

Nayr’s confident facial expression changed to a nervous one.

“T…tr…no….?? i why…why would I???”

He spoke nervously looking around.

“I…trust the vampire to not fool me!” she smirked.

“Oh, then perhaps… should I maybe try it? can’t be trading unverified goods!”

Nayr nervously grabbed the potion.

“NO WAY!! Fine! i’ll do it!”

but she just laughed.

“Hahah! pheww…you’re so silly, so easy to tease. I’m just joking, I trust you” she held her hand out.

“Thank you for your work.”

Nayr nervously looked at her.

“So…. uhh… yes of course!” he handed the potion to her and laughed.

“Yeah i wasn’t gonna take it! I was just…testing you.”

Kaine chuckled as she put the potion in a bag.

“So…for your payment.”

Nayr looked aside shyly.

“I….ah…. how about a date?”

Kaine smiled softly.

“Maybeeee” she said in a teasing tone.

“After i deliver the potion, i’ll stop by your office” but nayr shook his head.

“Allow me to accompany you.”

Kaine nodded and smiled.

“Fine, won’t say no to company!”

It is said that the 2 got married and lived happily ever after.