Thread: Overtly Barbaric (Broomhandle45 and BobSaget)

Artus moved slowly through the dense foliage of the greenwood forest. A land predominately controlled by the elves, yet the only means of access from the far north to the human capital that laid to the south. Well, of course not the only means, but to cut the travel time in half was a necessity for him. The only issue here was the magical beasts that inhabited the trail from the elven kingdom through to the grasslands of the humans was far too powerful for the average adventurer or warrior. Although, not the 'average' warrior, Artus wasn't necessarily the most skilled being amongst humans anyways. He wasn't necessarily the strongest or the most efficient, but what he lacked for in battle power he made up for in strategy and overall agility. The reason Artus so vehemently pursued the dream of becoming a warrior was based on a fairy tale from his younger ages. The story of a lone barbarian warrior with the power of a thousand men. The ability to strike down entire hydras and even rival the strength of a god. Said to have stopped tsunamis with a single breath, and calmed quakes of the earth with a single stomp. The story of Yael was world renowned as a tale amongst children and adults alike. Many knights and warriors built themselves in the image of Yael, a powerful man built like a mountain with the elegance and agility of the wind itself. The reality of it was, Yael was Artus' idol. In every sense. Artus had built himself in his image, unable to build muscle like the folk hero he managed to make up for this lack of strength by building his knowledge of combat through texts and long stories passed down from generations of demigods that fought amongst themselves. Artus built himself in the hope that one day he could serve Yael, as a disciple of the nigh godlike entity. Yet, the only way he figured to find Yael was to build his own name. Serve the human kingdom and produce his own stories and tales in hopes that Yael would find him out of what he could only presume would be curiosity. Although, Artus was far too young, and inexperienced to travel alone. In his mind however...he was more than ready to take on the world and the dangers that lay within. But he could never have been more wrong. A loud screech resounded throughout the area. The shrill cry caused his blood to freeze as his movements stopped in his tracks. The tall hooded figure placed a single hand on the hilt of his blade that sat on the right side of his hip, his eyes peering from beneath the dark hood over the large crystal blue lake that lay beside him. As if attempting to peer into the depths of the dark waters his eyes failed at seeing anything other than his own reflection, that is until the large green tentacle that fired out from the surface of the water struck him in the side. The open pores of the tentacles suction cups pressed against his back pulling him into the grasp of the beast that lay beneath the blue waters. The stories of the forest were true, guarded by a demibeast said to have been placed by one of the gods himself laid a Kraken. The massive creature reared it's ugly head from the water as it's massive mouth spread open to reveal hundreds of rows of razor sharp teeth. The creature reared it's head back as the screech that followed caused him to reel in physical pain. If it were not for the enchanted earrings that adorned him, he would have surely lost all hearing up to that point, yet the creature in the water did not finish. Then followed the dozens of tentacles that broke the surface of the water once again, lashing out wildly around the lake as it struck trees and wildlife that approached the surface of the clear blue water. He had been too transfixed on the direction he was going that he had let down his guard, unable to pay attention to his surroundings and thus ending up in a...not so great situation. Fuck! Artus exclaimed at the top of his lungs as the tentacle wrapped around his shoulders, pinning his arms to his side as he was pulled over the lake. The Kraken stood an easy twenty feet tall, yet Artus felt like he was in space from the height he was now held...surely this would be the end of the young adventurers travels. And...sadly he had only just begun.