Max and Eddie flopped onto the ground. Standing groggily up, the bully scratched his head, giving Rat a kick. Rat stood up, his thin face scrunched up in confusion.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"How should I know?" Max replied, rather irritably. "Let's go see where that smoke's comin' from."

Eddie was used to following Max, and both of them walked along the dirt path to where the smoke was swirling up into the cool morning air. He looked at the huge, sprawling campsite, his mouth dropped in awe.

"Wow! Let's go an' see what it is!" Max, once he took a look, thundered forward.

Suddenly, a rat guard stepped in front of the pair, snarling. "Who are yer, an' wot d'yer want?"

"We want to see that camp!" Max said.

"Oho! A bold one, are yer? Well, come 'ere, an' I'll show yer our leader--none other 'n Bane th' Killer." The rat replied. "You shall address him as Milord, or Yore 'Ighness, or ye'll feel me pike in yer gut. Yew address me as Rezzo."

Dumbfounded, the pair followed the rat. Rezzo swept aside a tent flap, and the two entered. He knocked them flat with the pike haft. "Bow to Bane th' Killer, new recruits!"

Whimpering, Max and Eddie were thrown flat onto the ground. Bane nodded. He was a ferocious-looking fox, his golden eyes shining with a violent temper. Bane was muscular, almost twice the size of a normal fox, and he had pure gold fur. He wore a long crimson tunic, and had a large scimitar thrust into his big belt.

"New recruits, eh? Well, we'll shape ye up, swabs!" Bane smiled a false smile. "Do you have any weapons? C'mon now, speak up."

"Weapons? Well, er, no Milord." Eddie replied.

"We'll have to change that, won't we? Here, catch." Snatching four random weapons from a pile beside his throne, he tossed a dagger and a pike to Max, and a curved cutlass to Eddie, who almost fell over with its weight. Rat also recieved a small knife. "Your tent is tent three, just in front of mine." Bane's tone changed, and he snarled. "Try any funny buisness, an' you'll be dead afore you can say 'Vermin'."

Max whimpered. "Yes, your Highness."

"Good. Well, what kind of beasts are you?" Bane demanded, before they left his tent.

"We're humans."

"Hmm...never heard of you. You must've come from down south, or up north."

The two frightened bullies entered tent three.