Kuroinu 2: Artur's Quest
Chapter 1
A Fateful Mee
Direc Rond, Captain of the Black Dog Knights of Negramstia, couldn't bring himself to accept what had happened here. A caravan carrying some slaves back was mysteriously attacked again. This makes five attacks so far. And with all of them, the only similarities that stand out are that the slaves were gone, the men were killed, and that only one lived to tell him everything. The man in question was in deep shock from it all. He said it happened all so suddenly. A man was shot off his horse by a bolt of light and then one man came out from the bushes and proceeded to kill all the guards. The man said that this lone attacker was unlike anything he had seen. It was like a demon had just crawled out of hell and murdered everything on sight, save for the slaves. He claimed this savage manipulated the wind, split the earth, and tore the men asunder. The worst part about it was that no one could even touch him without having an arm cut off. The sword he carried was like a whip. It killed whoever tried to take him on. He killed the horses so that they wouldn't escape. He couldn't believe it. One man couldn't have done this. It had to be an ambush by those Holy Alliance bastards. They must have had agents placed along their trade routes to catch convoys and free the slaves.
But what kind of unit would be capable of such feats? And to go so far as to mutilate bodies as well? There were bodies, but some had been mutilated to the point where some were just unrecognizable.
"I don't get it..." A voice said.
Direc turned to one of his subordinates, a Werewolf called Ryukaon. His sense of smell was impeccable. If he knew something was wrong with the air, he'd figure it out before anyone else would pick up on it. And when he knows something is wrong, he's usually right.
"What do you have on this lone bastard?" Direc asked.
"The smell is unlike anything I've smelled. I'd say he's human, but he's not a pureblooded human." Ryukaon said.
"Half-elf?"
"Nope, too sweet for that." Ryukaon said, "And I wouldn't say he's half dwarf either."
"So what the hell are we dealing with?"
"Like I said, not entirely human."
"That's not enough."
"Ok, I got one thing we can work with." Ryukaon said, "This scent is telling me that the guy is from the east."
"Turul?"
"No, FAR east."
"From the Far East? How is that possible?" Direc asked, "Nothing beyond Turul could ever make it here, let alone survive beyond Eos."
"Then maybe my nose isn't working right." Ryukaon said, "Or maybe you've got a stick up your ass for once."
"This isn't funny." Direc said, "There's been five attacks on our supply convoys and all the slaves we got are gone. How am I supposed to explain this to Radomira?"
"How am I supposed to know? This guy is in shock and he can't give us any more info until he calms down." Ryukaon said, "I'd say we leave before we end up having our bodies mutilated. I'm done with this damn massacre site."
Direc was still bothered by it all. It just doesn't make sense. None of it adds up. How does one man simply do all of this? It was impossible.
Artur has learned a great deal of this land through the locals. The women said that they were being taken by soldiers of the 'Cuntry,' a place with a very strange name indeed. He asked if there was a better name he could go with and they gave him one. Negramstia. Sounded a whole lot better than Cuntry. Yeah… it was gonna stick with him now. These soldiers of Negramstia were nothing compared to him. These soldiers were easy to kill and they break easily. The weapons he carried were more than enough for him to take them down. He had skinned one of the wolf-men he killed and made a blanket. He learned how to skin animals from his father as well as how to bind the fur together to form various items. He knew what it meant to hunt for survival, and even for sport.
His father taught him everything he knew about hunting. Among those teachings was something his father described as a reversal of roles. If he were to be hunted by predators or hunters, he must act like a hunter. He must hunt his hunters. His senses had been honed during the rite. None dare try to sneak upon him. He'd catch wind of it through smell or hearing. None dare to attack from a distance. His eyes would see it long before anyone else could. None dare to blind him, for that only leaves him with his other highly enhanced senses. His strength and stamina have improved under duress. He could take a bear on with his bear hands and still win.
He picked up on the smell of an animal coming closer. He drew his sword and heard the bushes rustle. There were four animals. Foxes. A pack? No. Impossible. Foxes don't live in packs. Solitary hunters. All of them were female. Something was amiss. He heard the bushes rustling even more. He could tell that the foxes were not ordinary foxes. He quickly flicked his wrist and had the chain sword go into a bush. The chain stopped and suddenly came back, pulling a woman with the ears and tail of a fox. He caught the woman and had the blade at her throat.
"Are you from Negramstia?" He asked.
The woman was speaking, but in a language he couldn't understand. With those Negramstians, it was fairly easy, but this lady… he knows not what she speaks. But her tone was saying that she had no affiliation with Negramstia.
"Then why are you hunting me?" Artur asked.
"Because I believe you are an interesting fellow." A female voice spoke.
He looked to see a red haired woman wearing little clothing and more steel armor. Her arms and legs were covered in steel, her chest guarded by a plate, her skin supple and white. Her eyes were green. She had a sword sheathed by her side.
"Who the hell are you?" Artur asked.
"Iris Arcadia of the Holy Empire of St Aurelia." The woman said, "I've heard about you from a few informants I have in the Cuntry. You single handedly tackled multiple slave caravans in this region. You've got Radomira wound up."
"Radomira? Who's she?"
"The Empress of the Cuntry."
"Then who the hell is this Direc Rond?" Artur asked.
"The second coming of the Mercenary King Volt and a prominent figure in the Cuntry's army."
He had knives at his head.
"Now put the fox down and maybe we can continue discussing this like civilized people." Iris said.
He slowly withdrew the sword and sheathed it. The fox woman backed away from him.
"Tell me warrior, who are you and where do you come from?" Iris asked.
"I am a warrior from the steppes to the east of some mountains I passed seven days ago." Artur said.
"Beyond the mountains… beyond Turul…"
"Turul?"
"I'm asking the questions here." Iris said, "I want your name."
"Kathorn. Kathorn Artur. Son of Kathorn Ghirn." Artur said, "I am what some of those people call a barbarian."
"And I don't blame them. You look like one." Iris said, "Of course that wasn't an insult just now."
"So what do you want from me?"
"I'm here to cut you a deal." Iris said, "I want you to join me and my allies in a war against the Cuntry."
War. That word got his blood boiling with excitement.
"In exchange for your services, you will be paid money in which you can use to buy food and own property." Iris said, "But of course, you will have to abide by the laws of the kingdom and its allies."
"Glory, riches, but no women? Is that a joke?"
"What?"
"My father told me that to fight is to gain glory on the battlefield, to obtain the spoils of war and riches from my enemies, and to have women, lovely women, strong-willed women who will gladly satiate any desire a man has and bear his young so that they could bask in the glory and riches of the clan." Artur said, "You said you want me to fight alongside you and I would fight for the glory. You said that with your 'money,' I could 'buy' food for myself and even 'own property,' which sounds like riches to me. But what about the women? Shouldn't I have women by my side?"
"Exactly…" a male voice said.
He turned around and backed off as a man wearing black steel armor came out with a bunch of soldiers.
"And you are?"
"Direc Rond, you?"
Artur's blood boiled with excitement. He smiled as he drew his sword and pulled out his shield.
"I am a warrior who sees you as worthy game!" Artur said, "I'll kill you and hang your head around my waist to show that I vanquished the strongest man of this region!"
"But before you do that? You'd say you'd join her if she gave you glory, money, and women?" Direc asked, "Don't even bother trying to win a deal with that slut."
"You—!"
"I'm sure the Cuntry could use you. I mean, you got desires you want satiated and there are plenty of women who can do that. Just ask and they're yours." Direc said.
"Don't trust him! He and his people have—!
An arrow narrowly misses her.
"Don't talk." Direc said, "So, what do you say to that?"
Artur looked to the woman behind him. He remembered a saying his father had. Men weren't the only ones with desires that needed quenching. Women have desires as well. And if women wish to fight for glory and riches, then they shall fight for it. If the women want children, then the men shall give them children. If the women want their desires quenched, the men will satiate those desires. If she is a warrior…
"Iris, if you want me to fight for you, all you have to do is say that you want me to satiate all of your desires." Artur said.
"WHAT?!" Iris exclaimed.
"The fuck?" Direc bluntly said.
"If I am not what you desire, then—"
"H-Hold on! Y-You mean—! What am I supposed to say?! That I want you?! I may not have an heir to my throne, but I would—!"
She stopped.
"No heir to your clan you say?" Artur asked.
"H-Hey! What the fuck are you trying to pull?!"
He had the blade at Direc's throat.
"Speak only when spoken to." Artur said, "If I join you, you'll have your heir and I'll fight alongside you. That's worth something, isn't it?"
"Y-You'd… I—! Then again, you raise a—! But that's—! I—! Ugh!" Iris said, "Did your father teach you how to get into a maiden's head?!"
"Funny enough, he said something along those lines." Artur said, "All women have desires just as men have desires, am I wrong?"
"Well… not exactly… but—"
"Then tell me that you desire me like you mean it." Artur said, "Do that and I'm all yours."
"So you'd join her if she just says she wants you?! What kind of man are you?!" Direc said, "Where is the logic in that thick head of yours?!"
"Like I said, all women have something that only men can give them, the same could be said of men." Artur said, "And I'm just a warrior from the steppes of the east."
He looked at Iris.
"I'm waiting for your answer."
Of all the—! What has she gotten herself into?! If she doesn't fall through with his ridiculous demand he'll just join the Cuntry! But if she does fall through, he'll join her, but…
She took a deep breath.
"I… I WANT YOU!" She screamed at the barbarian, "JOIN ME, GIVE ME AN HEIR! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! JUST HELP MY PEOPLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE CUNTRY!"
There was a deafening silence. Iris' face turned red from the embarrassment.
'I can't believe I said that…' Iris thought, 'After this is over, I'll put that barbarian in his place!'
Artur got her response. He smiled.
'Good answer…' Artur thought, "Direc was it?"
The man was speechless.
"I… Ugh… Do you really want to bang her? I mean, Radomira is way more sexy than—"
"Enough talk!"
He kicked the man back and swung his sword at a different man, flicking the wrist and sending the chained sword at the man. The blade cuts the man across the chest. He cuts another man down with the sword. He sheathes the sword and brings the staff out. The gem and bracelet glow as electricity crackles to life. A bolt of lightning shoots through the air and zaps a man right through the chest. He puts the staff back before getting his spear. He swung it, summoning a gust of wind to force the men back. He turned back to Iris, who was red like a woman who is too embarrassed to admit to anything.
"So, you wanted me that badly?"
"Shut up! I only did it because I had no other option!"
"And to be honest, I feel slightly bad for tricking you into doing that."
"YOU WHAT?!"
"I was going to join you anyway." Artur said, "Besides, I couldn't ignore a well endowed woman like yourself. Besides, I haven't gotten a taste of a woman at all and let's just say I think you'll do nicely for a first taste of the women here."
"YOU UNCULTURED PERVERTED SWINE!" Iris said, "Why you're no different from these men!"
"Except I'm strong, and they aren't."
"Want to test that?"
He turned and brought the shield up. He blocked a downward strike. He headbuts the man and makes him back off. Artur bashed the man with the shield and smacked him across the face. He pulled the axe out and swung it down. Direc backed away. Artur went for a chop. Direc tried to block it, but the sword broke with one powerful impact. Artur shield bashed the man squarely in the face.
"Looks like I'm still the stronger man."
A fireball slammed into a tree.
"We got to leave! Now!" Iris said.
He cocked a smile at the man.
"Lucky you, you get to live." Artur said, "I got a few ladies to get in bed with."
He ran off with Iris into the woods.
Direc got up, looking pretty darn livid. He heard footsteps and turned to see a dark elf. It was Luca. She was her subordinate.
"Sir, what the hell happened—?" Luca stopped, "What happened to your sword?"
"It got broken by a really ballsy bastard who just signed his own death warrant today." Direc said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get myself a better sword."
Iris was frustrated by all of this. She couldn't believe that it was all an elaborate trick! Making her say those things out loud! Just what was that barbarian trying to pull?! She turned to the barbarian.
"Well, I hope you're happy about all of this because I am not." Iris said, "Making me say such vulgar things! Like I'd want to have an heir with you of all people!"
"But you're a woman. Surely you must have desires that you won't show to anyone."
"Oh don't you feed me that drivel!" Iris said, "I don't want to hear it!"
"But wouldn't you want to experience it?"
"Just be glad that you'll be fighting against an enemy you want to crush."
"And to see them tremble before me and hear the lamentation of their women." Artur said, "And perhaps I could hear your voice as we have a dance in the night."
She shot a glare at him.
"Bite me!" She pouted.
NOM!
He bit her on the collar. A vein popped in her head as she felt a tingle down her spine. She swiftly backhands him and storms off.
He was going to love this land. The women here are very strong willed. He followed her across the land, hoping to find something out there in this land that will make this all the more better.
A/N: And so Artur has met Iris and joins the alliance.
Artur being a cheeky barbarian
He's a barbarian. He does what he wants and will try to seduce women by being the cheeky bastard we're going to love.