Chapter 3: Night Raid

Maximus traveled about a quarter of a mile away from the camp when he noticed some torches outside a nearby forest. He crept over there to see about 50 orcs coming his way. He hid in a hedge and watched them.

"We ain't going no further till we had a breather!" one of the orcs complained. They must have been running all day.

"Get a fire going!" the orc that Maximus guessed was the captain shouted. Several orcs took axes and began to chop trees down.

Another orc placed something on a nearby rock. Maximus looked through the darkness to see what it was. Children! Tamaranian children! I must free them. There were two children among the orcs. They looked very malnourished.

Maximus turned as another orc began to speak. "I'm starving. We've eaten nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days!"

"Ya. Why can't we have some meat?" The orc looked at the children. "What about them? They're fresh."

"They are not for eating." The orc captain told him.

Some large orcs pulled the children away from the other orcs.

Another orc came up. "What about their legs? They don't need those. Oh, they look tasty."

"Get back, scum!" the orc captain pushed him away.

There was some roaring. "The children are to be brought to Lady Blackfire. Alive and unspoiled." the orc captain said.

"Alive? Why alive?"

"Our duty is to the black lady. Not to stinking Azerath rats." There was even more roaring. A fight was going to break out.

Maximus looked at the children. "No." he whispered.

An orc came up behind them with a sword. "Just a mouthful, a bit off the arm."

"No!" the orc captain shouted. His sword struck the orc and his head flew off. "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"

The orcs roared in unison and began to tear the dead orc's body to pieces.

Maximus saw the children begin to crawl away. Maximus slowly followed.

The children had gotten about 50 feet away when an orc noticed they were gone and caught them.

"Go on. Call for help. Squeal. No one's going to save you now." He lifted his sword but before he could strike, he fell.

Maximus pulled his sword out of it. "Wanna bet?"

A roar went up from the orc camp and 50 orcs charged at Maximus.

Maximus took a defensive position. "Get behind me!" He told the children.

Just then, one of the charging orcs was hit by a throwing spear. They all stopped and before they knew it, they were trampled by Tamaranian cavalry, riding massive beasts that carried 2 men each and even ate their foes. Maximus joined the fray and killed 5 orcs before the rest ran away, with Tamaranian cavalry in pursuit.

Maximus returned to his camp with the two Tamaranian children and the Tamaranian captain. The sun was up and everyone was awake.

"Where were you?" Robin asked. "And who is this?"

"I am Captain Bannzag'r of the Tamaranian Royal Guard and what business does a Tamaranian, an Azerathian, and a bunch of humans have on Tamaran. Speak quickly." The large red-haired Tamaranian said.

Maximus turned to Bannzag'r. "I am Maximus Licinius Scipio of Rome. These are my companions, Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Terra, Rorek, and Sarasim, all from Earth, Raven of Azerath, and I think you know Starfire of Tamaran. We are friends of Tamaran and of Galfore, your emperor."

"Galfore can no longer recognize friend from foe. Not even his most loyal servants."

Starfire gasped. "What do you mean? Is Galfore alright?"

"He's not dead, if that is what you are worried about. The traitor Blackfire has poisoned the mind of the emperor and has claimed lordship over Tamaran. I and my company have done what we could to oppose Blackfire and for that, we're banished." Bannzag'r turned to Maximus. "The black lady, as the orcs call her, is cunning. She walks here and there, they say, as a stranger, hooded and cloaked." He looked suspiciously at Raven. "And everywhere her spies slip past our nets."

"We are not spies." Maximus interjected. "We travel to the Royal Castle to help stop this invasion on Tamaran. Earth was attacked as well."

"Emperor Galfore trusted you. Princess Korinda'r trusts you. I shall trust you." He turned to his company which had just arrived from the battleground. He whistled and two of those massive beasts with no riders came forth. "May these Porkins (from Betrothed but I do not know how to spell it) guide you to better fortune than their former masters. They can carry 5 riders at once each excluding the children. Farewell."

Bannzag'r mounted his Porkin. "If you keep riding nonstop, you should reach the castle by nightfall. But do not trust to hope. Ithas forsaken these lands. We ride north!" He shouted and his company followed him.