Crusade Gone Awry Ch. 11

Talia's thoughts were interrupted by the high-pitch noises of the turantas. She jerked her head around, incredibly annoyed. From a field away, all of the monsters were pointing at her with their claws, chirping almost like birds.

"What?" Talia demanded. "Is there something else you want from me you ungrateful...!" She didn't get to finish. Something hit the back of her head, hard. Stars exploded in her eyes, and everything went black.

When the lights in Talia's head started to come back on, she realized that she was being dragged. Her legs were trailing in the sand, and something had a hold of her arms. Bit by bit, the cobwebs cleared, and she lifted her head. The moment she did, a streak of fear shot through her. On both of her arms, pulling her along, were two pigmen. She instantly began to resist, but they only erupted in laughter. There were several others around her as well. They were like a gang, dragging her away from the fruit fields. Despite her best efforts, they managed to take her over a hill, where she discovered that there even more of them. Close to two dozen pigmen were gathered around, whooping and hollering at their catch. In the center of them was apparently the leader, a yellow handprint on his face. He grinned in immense satisfaction, showing off his yellow teeth. Talia twisted and turned, kicking and screaming. This only seemed to amuse them, as two more grabbed her feet and pulled her forward. When they reached their leader, Talia saw that this yellow-painted pigman had something in his hands. It looked like a waterskin with a horn on the end.

Talia was forced on her knees in front of their leader. The yellow pigman stuck the horn towards the crusader's face. She saw that there was a hole on the end, and some liquid was dripping from it. They wanted her drink it, and it was likely some kind of poison! Talia jerked her face away and clenched her mouth closed. She could feel more hands grab at her face. They tried to open her mouth but couldn't manage. Ultimately, they covered her nose, cutting off her breath. Talia squeezed her eyes closed. The end of the horn was poking at her lips, and her lungs were starting to beg for breath. It was only a matter of time before they forced it into her!

Just as Talia was about to gasp for air, the pigmen squealed. She opened her eyes to see that the yellow-painted pigman had stepped backwards. The waterskin had apparently burst open and soaked the ground. Something had ripped it. Talia turned her eyes to the side and saw that an arrow was buried in the ground. Her stomach sank. There was only one person around here that she knew had a bow and arrow, and he was vastly outnumbered.

"I'm going to have to ask you to unhand the lady!" Renard shouted. The yellow pigman snarled and threw what remains of his waterskin to the ground. He screamed in Renard's direction. The fox-man lowered his bow and wrinkled his brow.

"What?" he asked.

The pigman squealed again.

"You have a yellow cock?"

The porcine monster stomped his foot and yelled again.

"Oh, you're the Yellow Chief? What even is that?"

That was met with more loud shrieking. Renard reached up and grabbed his head.

"Why do you people have to yell EVERYTHING? You know what, screw it. Give me the girl!" Renard reached to his waist and drew a sword. Talia felt her heart pound in her chest. If they all rushed him Renard would be slaughtered! What was he doing?

The Yellow Chief only chuckled. He drew his own sword and began approaching Renard. The fox-man took a defensive stance, giving Talia some hope. The pigman charged his last few steps and took a mighty swing. Renard blocked it but stumbled backwards a bit. He was apparently shocked at the power this chief had. Moving much quicker and lighter on his feet, the fox-man began deflecting and blocking every single blow, dancing around the battlefield. The longer it went on, the more Talia's stomach knotted. After a short while, she began to realize what the problem was.

It was clear from Renard's style that he didn't have much offensive training. In all likelihood, whoever taught him swordsmanship only taught him how to defend himself. The pigman on the other hand was both strong and skilled at attacking. More and more Renard was pushed around as he grew tired. He just continued to parry and deflect, over and over again. Finally, he slipped. He didn't fully deflect a heavy blow swung at him, and it cut across his leg.

Talia shrieked as Renard fell onto the ground. The pigman stuck his sword in Renard's face, grinning malevolently. Renard gasped for air as the point of the blade was directly at his eye. Talia could feel a sharp, painful spike in her heart. It was hot and intense. Renard couldn't die! He couldn't! He had saved her life too many times! He was the only one who treated her like a person! He didn't deserve this! She didn't want to be without him!

The Yellow Chief said something with his hideous voice.

"Last words?" Renard asked. "Well, I suppose I should tell you I wasn't trying to actually defeat you?"

The pigman squealed at him.

"Oh, I was actually just trying to delay you. For this."

A split-second later, a small spear arched out of some nearby grass and stabbed into the chief's shoulder. He screamed and stepped backwards. In a fury, he reached up and yanked the small weapon away. His leather armor had taken most of the damage, only inflicting a flesh wound. The pigman whirled his head around, clearly infuriated. His face fell, however. From all directions around the gang, the turantas emerged. There were over a hundred of them, all armed with spears and knives. They didn't move very fast, but thanks to Renard's distraction, none of the pigmen noticed until they were surrounded. All of the pig monsters began drawing their weapons and looking around, trying to find an escape as the slow turtle monsters closed in.

The two pigmen holding Talia on her knees weren't paying attention either. The crusader took her chance. She yanked one of her arms away, grabbed the pigman's sword, and drew it. She cut the other's arm, earning a shriek. Then she was free. She scrambled to her feet and surged forward, her eyes fixed on the Yellow Chief. The second she got close she took a mighty swing. The pigman saw her at the last second and ducked. When he popped back up, he met Talia's second swing, clinching their swords together.

The pigman tried to overpower her and got a surprise. Talia let him push her sword to the side, but then she instantly popped the hilt into his face. The monster stumbled backwards, shocked. Talia swung viciously again, making the pigman scramble. Once he got away from her, he glared. She was clearly more skilled than he bargained for. They then both began furiously slashing at each other. Talia never directly blocked him, but deflected or dodged. She knew that if she tried to match strength, he would easily knock her down. The monster was clearly starting to get tired, sweat pouring down his face.

Quite abruptly, Talia locked their swords together, as if in a test of strength. The pigman grinned, thinking it was his chance. He began pushing Talia down. He was going to enjoy stomping her into the dirt before raping her into submission!

Pain exploded across the Yellow Chief's leg. He turned his head to see Renard. The fox-man's sword had been stabbed through the pigman's calf. The chief fell to one knee and briefly lost all his strength. That was all Talia needed. She shoved his sword out of the way before slashing her blade back across his neck. It was cut wide open, and a powerful gush of blood poured down the front of his armor. He gagged for a few moments, trying to breathe, then collapsed onto the ground, dying.

"Such an uncivilized little shit," Renard muttered bitterly as the pigman twitched. The two of them quickly turned towards the other pigmen. but found the turantas didn't need any help. Apparently, their shells were incredibly hard and few of them were injured. They were also quite heavy, and many of them had sunk their crab-like claws into the skin of the pigmen, weighing them down and bringing them to the ground. None of the other pig monsters escaped as the turtles closed in around them.

"Well, that was messy," Renard added. Talia quickly approached him, looking at his wound.

"Your leg..." she began.

"Oh, it's fine, I think," Renard said, looking down at it. "It isn't too deep. I think if it's just stitched closed it'll heal on its own." The fox-man turned back to Talia and then got the surprise of his life.

Talia grabbed his face and pushed hers into his. Without warning, she shoved her lips against his, leaving Renard flabbergasted. A few seconds later, she pulled away, looking just as surprised as he was.

"Talia..." Renard said weakly. He could see that Talia's beautiful blue eyes were filling with tears. She had been terrified that he was going to die, and her emotions were boiling over. They hesitated for a second. Then Talia leaned back up to his face. This time, Renard reciprocated. Despite his canine-like mouth, he was able to move his lips to match hers. Their arms entwined each other as in that moment their friendship grew into something more.

Just as abruptly as it began, Renard pulled away from her and yelped, holding his injured leg. A turanta was standing beside him and had apparently struck him to get his attention.

"What the hell?" Renard complained. "Can't you just give me a minute? We were having a moment there!"

The turtle monster only narrowed his (or her maybe, it was hard to tell the difference) eyes at Renard. It let out a few high-pitch chirps.

"What?" the fox-man asked, sounding outraged. "No, you can't eat them!"

The turanta made a complaining noise that Talia swore sounded like "why."

"Because we're made of the same...stuff! We're all part demon and part human and...whatever! We don't eat each other!"

The turanta squawked again.

"How am I supposed to catch extra fish if my leg is cut? Have you ever gotten salt into a wound?"

The turtle monster motioned towards Talia, made some noises and then turned away before leaving.

"Yeah, she'll pick up the slack, my ass! Sorry little ingrate!" The turanta ignored Renard as it returned to its compatriots who were already picking over the corpses, taking their stuff.

"Still sure about your people's alliance with them?" Talia asked.

"It's looking worse by the day," Renard complained. They then gazed at each other, not saying anything. Now that the tension of the battle was gone, they had become awkward again, not knowing what to say to each other. It was Talia that broke the silence. She held out her hand towards him.

"Should we walk back to village to cool off?" she asked.

"Yeah," Renard said quickly. He put his paw into her hand and wrapped their fingers together. They then left the rude turtles behind, heading back to safety by themselves.

They walked in silence the whole way, hand-in-hand. Talia wasn't sure where she was going, but Renard led her back to the pier. For the longest time they stood there, just staring at the ocean. It calmed their spirits as they wound down from the violent attack.

"So," Renard finally began, slowly. "What brought on this change of heart?"

Talia took a shuddering breath. "I thought you were going to die."

"Sorry, I couldn't tell you the plan," the fox-man replied.

"I know," Talia said. "All the same I just...I had all these concerns and these reasons why I couldn't. I knew you had feelings for me, but I told myself it was better for us not to be together. Then I saw you on the ground and I felt this pain in my chest. It was like someone was ripping my heart out. All the reasons I had to not be with you just seemed so...stupid! You were going to die, and I was going to lose the only person I cared about and..." Talia paused and wiped her eyes with her free hand. Renard squeezed her hand tighter. She took a breath before continuing. "Then I saw you were fine, and I just didn't care anymore. I didn't care about the rules, or the reasons, or the future, I was just happy you were okay, and I wanted to be with you."

"Are you sure?" Renard asked, turning towards her.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Talia said, turning towards him. They both leaned forward and kissed again, this time gentler and more tender. Talia could feel her heart pound in her chest. She wanted to be closer to him, closer than this. She abruptly pulled away.

"Tonight," she said simply.

"Huh?" Renard asked, dumbly.

"I want to be with you tonight," she replied.

Renard raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?" He repeated.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Talia retorted, annoyed.

The fox-man thought for a moment. "This would be your first time, wouldn't it?"

Talia's sapphire eyes cut to the side and her face flushed. "Yes."

"Are you still sure?"

"Yes!" Talia was beginning to sound angry.

"Just checking," Renard said with a smile. "I've got an idea. I'm going to go get ready." He released her hand and began limping away.

"Where are you going?" Talia asked.

"I know just the thing needed for a first time! Prepare to get your world rocked!" Renard continued to walk away.

"What is it?" Talia demanded.

"Be surprised!" Renard made his way off the pier and began heading down the beach. Talia put her hands and her hips. Ultimately, she sighed and gazed out onto the ocean, blushing again. Renard had a lot more experience than her, so he probably knew what he was doing. She was incredibly nervous but knew that she wasn't going to back down now. Even if this turned out to be a mistake, she would rather live with her mistakes than die with regrets.

*

Talia spent the rest of the day milling about the village. The turantas, for their part, ignored her. It seemed like they had found the pigmen's camp. It had been full of food, which the turtle people were now sharing among themselves. Talia was too nervous to eat. She just kept waiting for Renard, but he didn't show back up all day. As night fell, Talia went into their hut and continued to wait, her stomach in knots. Fortunately, shortly after that, Renard returned.

The moment the fox-man entered, Talia's head perked up. Renard was carrying a bowl, but nothing else. The moment he saw Talia he smiled widely.

"Eagerly awaiting my return, were you?" he asked.

"Considering you didn't tell me where you went..." Talia muttered.

Renard chuckled. He placed the bowl on the ground and sat down beside her. As far Talia could tell, it appeared to be filled with some kind of oil.

"I needed to get some plants I saw earlier up the coast. This stuff will make everything much easier."

"You mean...for a first timer?"

"For an any timer."

Talia gulped and her eyes darted back and forth. "So, uh...should I take off my clothes...?"

"Oh, yes please!" Renard replied. Talia grunted and rolled her eyes. All the same she got to her feet. She wasn't wearing much, considering she had lost her armor on the way there, and the weather was quite warm. She just had a shirt and a pair of pants. She slowly shed them before turning to Renard and letting him gaze at her, and gaze at her he did. Renard's dark eyes went up and down. Talia was perfectly proportioned, with wide hips, large beasts, and a beautiful round face. Her skin that hadn't been exposed to the sun was creamy white, and the portion that had was a deep bronze. The contrast allowed Renard to see the sacred parts of her even better. She was absolutely stunning, and now it was the fox-man's turn to feel his heart beat out of his chest.

"Well?" Talia asked nervously.

"Wow..." Renard said in a low voice. "I just...I've never seen someone as beautiful as you are Talia." She blushed and turned her head away. Normally when someone called her pretty or commented on her body it infuriated and disgusted her. Right now, when Renard said it, it made her supremely embarrassed, in a good way.

"Your turn," she said, looking back at him. Renard chuckled and got to his feet. Unlike her, his clothes were a single piece and were light and airy, clearly made for the desert. He easily pulled them up and over his head, his tail briefly flapping as it popped free from the hole in the back. It was Talia's turn to look at him. As she had noticed before, he was quite muscular, with his chest and ab muscles visible even through the cream-colored fur on his chest. As her gaze went lower, she was a little relieved to see that his private parts appeared completely human. Although she would have done this either way, she wasn't entirely sure what to do with them if they operated more like a canine would.

"Satisfied?" Renard asked.

"Y-yeah..." Talia muttered, blushing again. She couldn't be a proper judge on the size of his dick, but from the few she had seen he appeared to be quite large. "So um, how do we start? Do I just lay down and you...?"

"Just lay on your stomach," Renard instructed, picking up the bowl. "I have a method to this."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give a massage."

"A massage?"

"You've had a stressful time lately. You could use one!"

Talia wasn't quite sure what his angle was, but she was willing to trust him. As she laid down, Renard knelt beside her. He dipped his paws in the bowl, then rubbed them together to make sure they were well-covered. The fox-man took a moment to admire Talia's back and butt cheeks. Even those were perfect. He then tipped the bowl over her, letting the slick substance dribble onto her. Talia sucked in through her teeth. It was kind of cold.

"It'll get warm in a minute," Renard explained, setting the bowl aside. He then set his hands on Talia's skin, rubbing and smearing the oil all over her. Once that was done, he began to work with more strength. Talia could feel his fingers squeeze and press her muscles around her shoulders. Although she initially tensed up, as he worked, she began to relax. She hadn't been aware of it, but her muscles were stressed, likely from all the things she had gone through. They relaxed around his movements, giving her a sense of relief. Renard's paws moved lower down her back, making her feel wonderful in places she didn't even know she had. Talia began to let out small moans as pleasure began to dance around her body. Renard grinned, clearly pleased with himself.

"That's it," he cooed. "Just relax." His paws drifted lower, now coming to her butt cheeks. Mostly for his own satisfaction, he sank his fingers into her flesh, enjoying the elasticity. His slick paws rotated around each mound of flesh, getting a good feel of them.

"Enjoying yourself?" Talia asked.

"Immensely," Renard replied. Apparently having his fill, his fingers went down to her legs, where he again began to press and massage her thighs and calves. Talia began to bite her lip and arch her back. The tension he was releasing felt like heaven on her body.

That was when she noticed something. The oil that was smeared all over her was beginning to feel warm, like unnaturally warm. Her skin was also beginning to tingle where it touched. It was making the movements and touch of Renard's hands feel even more intense.

"My back feels hot," Talia said, groaning a little.

"It's supposed to do that," Renard said. "Just feel it." Now that she was soaked, his paws drifted back up. Now when he dug his fingers into her muscles Talia gasped and trembled. The sensations were increased many times over. The inside of her body was also heating up, causing her to fidget her legs a little. This only seemed to make Renard chuckle. He sat down on her knees, as if to prevent them from moving.

"Like I said," he began, leaning over her body. "Just relax."

"But...but I..." Talia whined. The fox-man ignored her. His fingers crept all up and down her back, eventually finding her shoulders. Talia twisted her whole body as he dug into them. It felt like her whole body was melting as the tingling oil continued to torment her. She could suddenly feel Renard's hot breath on the nape of her neck. He began kiss and suckle at the sensitive area. His tongue, much more like a dog's, was longer and broader. As he ran it over her neck, Talia whined.