After a long and grueling task of navigating through the large city, Tha-Nar had finally emerged from its bowels. He sat resting on a rock next to the wide cobblestone road which led to the largest and Capital city of Lanatheas: Traliseth. It was almost dark so the usual bustle of the road had died down to a trickle of one or two travelers or a wagon. He was a fair distance from the city walls, yet the massive stones still towered over him, from where he sat he could make out tiny specks on the walls, sentries he recalled, he had passed a pair at the gate where he exited the city. Thinking to himself that he’s rested enough, Tha-Nar got up and continued his trek down the cobblestone road. Not long after he started he begun to hear screams echoing from further down the road, he continued at his usual pace until he came upon a gruesome scene: a carriage lay overturned on the side of the road, the Half-Orc warily approached it while reaching for the hilt of his sword. As he got closer he noticed the ground was slicked with the blood of almost a dozen soldiers that lay dead on the ground, he carefully stepped around them and walked to where the roof was, as he went by he heard a faint whimper followed by gasping sounds. Tha-Nar stopped and put his ear to the canvas roof of the carriage then quickly ripped it apart revealing the body of a well dressed man, who was bleeding uncontrollably from a large gash in his chest. His chest heaved heavily and his breaths came in rasps, Tha-Nar unsheathed a small knife from his belt and held it to the man’s throat. “Cannot save, only end pain” he said stoically. The man’s hand shot up suddenly and caught his arm, “please……save…her” he cried “save…..my….daughter…….save……Laura….please….save….” Tha-Nar felt the man’s grip loosen on his arm and then watched as it fell softly to the ground, the light in his eyes faded as his breathing stopped.

Tha-Nar straightened himself and looked towards the forest that stretched out about a mile away from the side of the road then grunted as he noticed the bloody footprints leading away.

“Problem not mine” he said gruffly as he walked away from the scene, shortly after that he heard another scream echo from the forest.

He tried ignoring it and continuing on his way but somehow his legs received the wrong message and he found himself making a mad dash towards the trees, his powerful legs pounded the soft grass beneath him as he closed the distance in a mere matter of minutes, he thanked his “father” for his Orc blood as he rushed between the trees. While he ran, Tha-Nar focused his keen hearing and sense of smell on locating the girl. His ears twitched and he suddenly made a sharp turn and hoped he wouldn’t be too late. After what felt like hours to the young Half-Orc, he finally started to see a clearing up ahead, where a group of ten stood in a semicircle around something. Tha-Nar heard sobbing up ahead and decided he was in the right place, he raced forward, unsheathed his broadsword then made one powerful sweep with it cleaving through the two the men closest to him as he came to a stop. The others quickly turned in shock as the severed bodies hit the floor in a rain of blood and entrails, the blood making Tha-Nar’s sword glisten in the dim light that peeked through the canopy above. He wasted no time before continuing his assault, he quickly chopped off the arm of the closest bandit who had already recovered from the shock and was in the process of driving his sword forward. The bandit screamed in pain as his arm and sword fell, Tha-Nar quickly dispatched of him then spun and blocked a knife strike aimed at his neck, he delivered a powerful kick to the attacker’s side and cringed inwardly as the man’s bones shattered and broke through his flesh on the other side, the man upchucked a sickening amount of blood, but Tha-Nar was already back in action parrying two attacks from individual men who snuck into his guard while he was distracted. He jumped back and rolled to the side as a another sword struck the ground where he was standing, Tha-Nar stopped and analyzed the situation briefly then he spun back into action, avoiding the brigands who swung for his exposed sides, his mighty sword sliced through one as he unsheathed his knife and threw it into the throat of the other who clutched at his neck in shock before falling over. The remaining brigands started circling Tha-Nar as the one he assumed to be leading them grabbed the crying girl and pointed his longsword at her.

"Stop!” he snarled “You’re here for her aren’t you?” He smiled darkly “she’s a real beauty I’ll admit, how about a deal Mr. Orc?”

“Deal?” Tha-Nar inquired

“Yes”

he paused and fondled her breasts, which made her scream and thrash her arms about to hit the man, but he simply held his sword to her neck and she stopped.

“You and I can come to an understanding see? You can have your way with the girl, and then when you’re done, my boys and I will take her and be on our way. What do you say Mr. Orc, is it a deal?”

Tha-Nar finally understood what the man was getting at and he couldn’t believe his ears, they seriously believed he came all this way just to violate the poor girl. This is why he despised humans, they rarely saw him as a person; to them, he was a monster of sort, and he hated it. He stared at the bandit in contempt before snarling a response.

“No”

The bandit stared back at him wide-eyed and simply shook his head.

“Ah well, can’t say I didn’t try to be civil.”

He gestured to his remaining friends who were still circling Tha-Nar warily.

“Kill him, and let’s be on our way.”

Tha-Nar's eyes went red with fury as he let out a terrifying roar which emanated a red sound wave numbing everyone in the vicinity. He dispatched of the four in an instant then rushed the leader who somehow managed to break out of his trance and block his sword just in time, he knocked Tha-Nar's sword to the side then jabbed at him with the point of his, but missed narrowly as Tha-Nar dodged left and delivered a powerful punch to his chest that sent him flying into a tree which a sickening crunch.

He looked to the girl and tried smiling without looking terrifying; which failed miserably as it made her back up to a tree with a frightful look in her eyes. “Stay” he commanded as he slowly moved towards her.

The girl nodded and braced herself against the tree and started to remove her dress while she continued her sobbing, Tha-Nar stared dumbly at her as she removed her clothes revealing her smooth flawless flesh, his mouth gaped as her ample breasts came into view. It took a while before he snapped back to his senses.

“What you doing!” he exclaimed as he covered his eyes and spun around.

“I’m sorry, would you rather undress me yourself?”

She was crying heavier and the tears raced down her face, as she closed her eyes and looked away. Tha-Nar spun back around, his anger rising, humans really didn’t think much of him.

“Tha-Nar. Not. Rapist.” He roared.

“I’m sorry….” She gasped as she pulled her clothes tighter “I thought….I mean…..” she fixed her clothes properly as she fumbled for words “you’re a Half-Orc” she finally said accusingly.

“And?” Tha-Nar screamed.

“You’re from a warmongering people who rape helpless damsels in distress” she half shouted “I assumed you saved me with the intention of conquering my…….you know?”

“Where you learn that?”

“From books…….bedtime stories….” She hesitated then trailed off as it dawned upon her just how foolish she had been.

“Orcs be Good, Orcs not evil than humans. Why do you kind treat Orcs bad? We just like you…….green an big, but same” Tha-Nar spoke with touch of sadness to his voice, as he looked at her. “Why humans make lie about Orcs? Why humans learn other humans that Orcs bad an evil?”

They stood staring at each other in awkward silence for a lengthy moment, Tha-Nar’s words had surprised them both and they were now at a complete loss as to how to proceed. The girl took that moment to take in Tha-Nar’s visage. He wasn’t half as ugly as she’d heard, he was most certainly not handsome by any means, but he had a certain beauty about him she thought. He had two small tusks jutted out from the corners of his mouth; they weren’t nearly as huge as she’d expect and she thought it looked a little cute. His pointed ears looked similar to that of Elves but were turned at an angle and pointed behind him slightly and his eyes were black where white should have been and in the middle was a bright fiery orange. She stood admiring him for awhile and as a result, missed what he had finally spoken.

“What was that?” she asked

“Sorry” Tha-Nar sighed and sat on the ground, he took a cloth from his pouch and started to wipe the blood and pieces of viscera from his blade. “For explosion”

She sat on the ground in a graceful and ladylike manner and smiled softly at the Half-Orc, she gagged as he picked at a few bloody chunks on the sword. She swallowed it and regained her composure before he noticed.

“I apologize for my rudeness.” She sighed “It’s been a long day and I’m afraid I do not know much about your kind, other than what I’ve heard from others and from books”

Tha-Nar tried not to look frightening as he attempted another smile. “No need, heard worse before”

“That doesn’t matter, as a lady of RoséHearth, I shouldn’t have made such assumptions about my savior” her voice was calm and there were traces of an authoritative tone.

“May I ask why it was that you saved me though? I assume you had good reason, giving me your name would also be lovely” she smiled at him and continued “For courtesy's sake, I am Laura Von Strauss, Lady of RoséHearth and only daughter of Duke and Duchess Von Strauss of RoséHearth.” She extended her hand and waited on Tha-Nar to return the favor.

“Tha-Nar Thak, of IronHorn Orcs.” He looked at her extended hand in visible confusion.

“This is where you kiss my hand Tha-Nar” she smiled kindly as he delivered an awkward and clumsy kiss to her wrist.

“Encountered destroyed carriage on road, dying man inside sent me to save daughter” Tha-Nar explained without consideration as to how the young lady would take the news, and as a result was utterly shocked when he saw her reaction.

Laura was aghast once she had heard Tha-Nar’s words, her demeanor changed as her smile faded and her shoulders drooped, she was filled with dread as memories of her life flashed before her eyes, followed by the terrors of the bandits' attack earlier. This isn’t real…..it can’t be she thought to herself “No!” she quickly stood and rushed past Tha-Nar her tears flowing freely once more, her father wasn’t dead, she refused to believe it….not until she saw it with her own eyes.

Tha-Nar watched and cursed himself silently as he hurriedly sheathed his broadsword and followed after her, taking note of a dragon engraving on one of the swords which lay discarded by their owners who were lost in eternal sleep.

Night had fallen and the woods were now only partially lit as only a few rays of moonlight was capable of penetrating the foliage above. The two trekked along cut-out paths on the woodland floor; one determined and careless in their steps, and the other, indecisive and careful. Tha-Nar walked a few feet behind Lady Laura, which is what he had decided to call her, as she moved through the wood oblivious to the world around her and with one singular thought. He kept a watchful eye on his surroundings as they quickly moved, his hand on the hilt of his trusty steel. Shadows danced above them which startled the young lady occasionally and elicited a quiet chuckle from Tha-Nar, despite that, the girl seemed to be braver than he initially expected, and a lot kinder too. He was used to the racial stereotypes people believed about his people, but it wasn’t often that someone apologized after being wrong about him, it never happened, in fact people were more likely to be even more discriminating after he tried telling them they were wrong, Laura had been the first to ever apologize to him. As a result, he had ended up not being bothered about it anymore, and somehow he felt a strange bond with her as they walked silently through the woods, as if he was in charge of her safety from now on. They walked in complete silence for a few minutes until they were out of the woods and were walking towards the main road, Tha-Nar peered out in the distance looking for the wreckage he saw earlier; making out the silhouette in the darkened night, he carefully guided Laura to it.