BARBARIAN INSTINCT (c)

Thank you for finding this story. 😊 This is a short tale, with erotica and smut, mostly in the final part. Adult language ahead. Please see any trigger warnings!

(C) Please don't copy! ©️

🛑 18

(Galadorn Year 1125)

All was quiet and cold. The evening twilight was starting to end and Staxos had been hunting all afternoon. His feet were begining to tire but this didn't stop his resolve. He wouldn't let a large and smelly mountain troll outsmart him.

His sword was aloft and poised ready. His ears were listening intently for any sounds out of the ordinary. His eyes were sharp and keen, adjusting to the dark.

Staxos was one of the few remaining barbarians left wandering Alaris. He was strong, cunning, skilled. His large muscles were intimidating and his long dark brown hair framed his chiseled jaw and face. He sported a small mustache and short beard.

Staxos had been tasked by the high king Darius to rid the northern borders of a group of mountain trolls that had ventured too far south from Vanion. Galadorn had no tolerance for these beasts, and the northern villages had reported sightings and even deaths at the hands of these vile beings.

With the last strands of light fading, Staxos began to hear noises through the sparse undergrowth. He slowly drew nearer, watching every twitch and flutter of anything that moved. Ahead, he saw his prize. King Darius had offered Staxos a thousand gold coins to rid Galadorn of these trolls. And a quarter of that he had paid now, the rest upon successful completion of his mission.

Staxos relished in the hunt. He enjoyed the challenge of a much larger foe. He had taken on mountain trolls before, so taking one down was nothing new to him. His unusual strength gave him a big advantage compared to the average man.

Stalking his prey, Staxos approached the creature, which was slowly wandering through the woods with what looked like part of a creature in its hand. The troll was bringing the carcass to its mouth and tearing off pieces as it munched on whatever it had ensnared. Perhaps a deer. Or a pig. Or a person!

He was mere meters away from the troll. A couple of trees and small bushes separated him from his kill. Staxos lifted his sword and gathered his posture. His heart slowed, his breath steady, his eyes wide. The moment came to strike.

Suddenly, breaking branches startled both the troll and Staxos. The silence was broken and a whistle of an arrow pierced the evening air. With a shriek, the troll dropped it's snack and hunched over in pain.

Staxos stood still, shocked at this sudden interruption. Within a second, another arrow zipped through the trees and landed right in the trolls throat, a loud gurgling growl escaping it's mouth.

Staxos looked around, his eyes darting this way and that. Where were the arrows coming from?

The troll slumped and wobbled, before finally falling back and landing with an almighty thud. Staxos was just a few meters away and watch as the lifeless beast crashed into the dirt.

The barbarian was annoyed. Who could have tracked the troll as good as he? And who had the skills to fire arrows with such precision and ferocity, it would take down a mountain troll?

Gazing out into the trees, he soon heard movement and rustling of branches. Honing in on the sounds, he saw a figure jump down from a tree some distance away and scuttle through the undergrowth. He ran quickly, in the direction the figure had gone.

His eyes watched as he moved with speed, looking for the person. He saw branches sway, heard twigs and leaves underfoot as they ran. He was close.

"Hey," shouted Staxos.

The footsteps of the figure were almost next to him. He tried to discern which direction they were from. Suddenly he heard heavy breathing as if someone was right on top of him.

Staxos stopped and looked through the bushes on his right. Someone was there. He could almost see their silhouette in the gloom. He moved some of the branches to get a better view.

Staring back at him was... Was.... He couldn't quite make them out. The darkness in the woods was now making it hard to see clear. But the breathing he could hear sounded rather light, more like a woman's.

He stared and the figure stared back, both not moving for a moment. His eyes drew in as much as he could, and he saw the long hair and curvy body of what was definitely a female.

"Oy," Staxos said. "You killed my target." He was about to push through the bushes and grab whoever it was. But the woman suddenly rushed off and sprinted into the trees.

As she ran into the darkness, Staxos couldn't keep track and eventually lost her.

He turned and went back to the fallen troll. As he made his way back through the trees, he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Who in Alaris was that? He was even doubting if it was a woman. Every characteristic he saw said it was. But to make a kill as quick and efficient as that, she had to be someone very trained and extremely clever.

An elven woman possibly, he thought. They can be masters of the bow and great at hiding in the trees. But to take down a troll in the dark... Hmm maybe.

Checking the fallen creature over, he gave it a small kick to ensure it was indeed lifeless. He then saw the two arrows stuck in it's hide. Staxos pulled one out, it's thick arrow head struggling to get through the skin. The weight of the arrow was rather heavy and it was almost forty inches in length, almost ten inches more than most standard arrows. Small stains and drips of troll blood dotted the last few inches near the tip.

Seeing the weapon used, Staxos suddenly had an idea of who the woman could have been. Only one species usually has arrows that long. Only one can manage the weight of them. And the skills used in taking down that troll would add up.

Another Barbarian! Staxos was not alone.

That night, Staxos dined on some fine troll meat. He found a nice rocky sheltered area in the woods and got a small fire going.

He thought back to when he met King Darius, not even three weeks ago. Darius had been warned about mountain trolls in the northern province's. About five had been sighted, a typical size group for these lumbering cumbersome giants. He had been told to rid Galadorn of all of them. Remove these creatures, or drive them back at least, and a thousand gold will be his.

He slain one three days ago. And this would have been number two. He was rather pissed off that another had done his work for him. But it did mean another troll was taken out.

As the forest was still and quiet, and the fire burned low, Staxos laid back and rested. Despite the uneven ground and odd tree root, like all Barbarians he managed to sleep pretty much anywhere.

The next morning, as the sun rose, Staxos was awakened by scuffling sounds. Some small animal was fiddling about nearby. His keen hearing could easily pick it up.

He sat up sharply and quickly looked around. The morning sunlight glinted through the trees. The bird songs were breaking the dawn silence.

A quick hunt around saw Staxos find a couple of rabbits which almost made it back to their burrow had it not been for the barbarians quick reflexes and skills in snatching them. He stoked the fire and managed to have some breakfast.

After a while, the typical forest sounds were shattered by the thunderous crashing of trees and the grunts and groans of something large not far away. Staxos quickly turned his head, listening and gathering what discernable information he could. They were barely a couple of hundred meters away. Sliding his knife back into his belt, he grabbed his sword and darted off into the trees.

Yes, he knew it. Moments later he saw what was creating the racket. A third mountain troll. Probably following his friend from yesterday, picking up where he left off. Mountain trolls don't usually get along well, hence the small groups of any do at all.

This time he would get his kill. He wasted no time in quietly sneaking closer to the creature, watching as it tore down large branches from the trees.

His eyes kept watching all around. His ears kept listening. This one would have to be quick. No playing around this morning.

Meters away from the troll, Staxos suddenly heard movement. He turned sharply and before he could even react, and arrow whistle shot past and hit the troll smack in the shoulder. An immediate second one found target in the neck once again.

Stunned at what was happening, Staxos could do nothing but watch as the beast slouched and went down to one knee.

Out of the woods appeared the woman from yesterday, running with speed, sword ready. She knew exactly what to do, thrusting her blade deep into the immobilised troll. Ten seconds and the beast was flat on the floor, another quick kill under her very skillful belt.

Once everything was still, Staxos stood looking at the fallen troll, and the barbarian woman next to it. She looked at him, and he looked back at her.

The woman was about as tall as Staxos, slender yet muscly. She had long brunette hair which hung past her shoulders. As with all barbarians, her attire was minimal, nothing but a loin skirt and bra covering her. Her forearms wore leather bracers from wrist to elbow and her shins were covered with greaves.

Staxos was lost for words for a moment. All he could do was stare at this woman before him. She was young, strong, had smooth skin, wide hips, ample breasts and was indeed pleasing to his eye.

"Not again," Staxos said, managing to finally gather words.

It felt like minutes were passing by, like time was stood still, and both just stared at each other.