Protector, Prize, or Plaything?: A Fantasy RP

I originally posted this in the story ideas forum and someone suggested I bring it here. I've never done an RP 'round here before, so I'll admit to being kinda fuzzy on SOP, but I've done similar things elswhere. I hope that anyone interested would help me figure out how these things work Anyways, here goes:

The vast realm of Arlim is a chaotic land, filled with thousands of polities, and all manner of wonders, and terrors. The people of Arlim are kept safe and the nations kept at peace, by the actions of Hani Jome, a heroine who possesses a mind of great brilliance, a heart of great compassion, a spirit of great courage, and (most importantly for our purposes) a face and body of great beauty.

Now, Arlim is surrounded by three great Empires of great power that exist in a state of perpetual Cold War: Oriah, Bisail, and Shir. The King of Bisail (called Bisail) learns of Hani and falls madly in love with her. In order to win her, he has a massive army invade Arlim. Then he sends messengers to Hani that if she'll marry him and become his Queen, he'll pull back his forces. If she won't, then said army will destroy Arlim and take her as a slave-concubine for his harem. Realizing that Arlim doesn't stand a chance againt the Bisailan army, Hani agrees.

However, the Kings of Oriah and Shir (called Oriah and Shir, respectively) learn of Bisail's obssesion and decide to hurt him by capturing Hani first, and send troops to attack the caravan carrying her. However, they both have different intentions towards her. Oriah intends to make her a concubine-pet. Shir intends to make her a slave-concubine, and whore her out to his army.


A bit more info:

Arlim is a sub-continent, bordered by the Ocean on two sides and the three Empires on the other two. The Empires also share borders, and are constantly fighting each other. This is one of the main reasons none of them has tried to conquer Arlim before. The other is that they lack the preponderance of magic and magical phenomena that Arlim does, and are kinda freaked out by it.

Hani lives in Ourindak's Citadel, a magical fortress. She generally gets around in a flying cauldron and carries several magical weapons. She is equally skilled in the uses of battle, diplomacy, and magic, and is no stranger to using her considerable sex appeal to manipulate people. She also is smart enough to know when to appear to surrender and bide one's time.

She came by her skills and gear in the following manner: when she was about 8, she the Sorceror Ourindak acquired her. He erased her memory and placed a geas on her that forced her to train as hard as she could to become Arlim's protector. When she was 20, he decided that she was ready to serve as Arlim's protector, placed another geas on her to this affect, and then killed himself, leaving her his Citadel and possessions. That was 12 years ago. Since that time she has proven Ourindak's confidence to be justified; discovered that Ourindak bought her from her parents in exchange for wealth and immortality, rather than kidnapping her as he'd always said (she doesn't really care for her birth-parents very much beacuse of this, and on several occasions their immortality is the only thing that stopped her from killing them); had the geas removed but decided to keep the job anyways; and adventures too numerous to count. She appears to be (and is) a very confident and athletic woman and is possessed of several scars that do more to add a touch of the exotic to her than decrease her beauty. She is not personally very vain, but knows how useful a tool her looks are.

OOC:

Okay, upon browsing through several threads, it would appear that SOP is to start with a story post.

I'll be playing several characters until other people decide to play them. The exception is this guy:

Name: Igwari.
Occupation: Keeper of the Royal Harem of Bisail; Leader of the delegation to Hani Jome.
Description: A tall, physically powerful man in his early forties. Close-cropped blond hair, boyish face, brown eyes that reveal depths of cunning and cruelty. Is a eunuch of unusal type: his cock was removed but not his balls. As a result, he has sexual desires, but can't do anything about it. He sublimates this desire into a drive for power and cruelty to others, particularly women.
History: Igwari is the bastard son of a tavern wench who's treatment of him shifted between indifference and abuse. When he was eight, she kicked him out onto the streets of Umbrex, the Bisailan capital. He survied by petty theft until he hit puberty at thirteen. He took up burglary in order to impress girls and proved to be spectacularly bad at it, being captured on his first try. He was stripped of his freedom and made a slave of the Crown. Normally, he'd have been sent to the mines to be worked to death, but because of his age and no small amount of luck, he was instead made a laborer on the massive public works project the King had just launched. He was fifteen when it ended, and thanks to growth spurts and the enormous physical labor he had become a veritable mountain of a man.

As a capstone to his public works project, the King expanded his Harem, taking several hundred new concubines. His Harem Guards were unable to cope with this, so he expanded it as well. Igwari was recruited because of his size. Like all Harem Guards, he was made a eunuch, but unfortunately for him, the surgeon who castrated him was a sadistic sort who made sure that he'd still desire women, but not do anything about it. Driven by an existing misogny and by his mutilation, Igwari kept the concubines to which he was assgined on an extraordinarily tight leash, utilizing savage and brutal punishments whenever they stepped out of line. His dedication was noticed and he began to rise through the ranks, eventually becoming Keeper of the Harem. When Bisail decided to make Hani Jome his queen, he sent Igwari to lead the delegation and to escort her back. However, for the past two years, Igwari has been secretly working for Shir. He has been promised that if he brings Hani to Shir, then he'll be given a prosthetic penis. And that he'll be permitted to use it on Shir's harem, starting with Hani.

IC:
*Ourindak's Citadel, Arlim: Igwari sat astride his horse in the Citadel's courtyard. As instructed, he'd left the rest of his party outside the walls and gone in by himself. He was equal parts annoyed that he'd been stripped of his minion, anxious that Hani Jome might decide to "kill the messenger", and excited that he'd be the first member of the group to speak with the magnificent Hani. After a few moment, Hani walked inot the courtyard. She wore a tunic and trousers that allowed freedom of movement, and well made boots and a sword-belt, complete with sword. All of it was simple and unadorned. Of course, she didn't need adronment: her natural beauty was more than enough to dazzle anyone attracted to females. She spoke in a wonderuflly sexy voice, in a tone that demanded instant obdeience.*

Hani: "Alright, give me your King's message. Let's get this over with."

*Despite himself, Igwari felt no small amount of fear as he handed her a scroll from his saddlebag. She had a lot more spirit than any of the Royal concubines. Hani scowled as she read the scroll and then glared at Igwari. His heart-flipped as she turned her gorgeous eyes on him, filled with fury and shock.*

Hani: "Is this some sort of sick joke? He can't be serious!"

*Inwardly, Igwari smirked at her discomfiture.*

Igwari: "On the contrary, His Majesty is quite serious, milady. He and his army are sitting at the border. If I do not bring you to him in five days, he will invade."

*Hani shook her head in disbelief.*

Hani: "I'll need to think about this."

Igwari: "You have a day."

*And with that, he rode his horse back outside the gates.*

*Royal Palace, Luxarch, Oriah: Oriah sat in his bedchamber, looking at the magical image before him. It showed Hani Jome after slaying the Tiunxis Dragon. In the image she was clad in scorched and damaged armor, exhausted, wounded, and covered in the Dragon's blood. And yet even thus disheveled she possessed an astonishing beauty. Oriah shook his head in wonder. He could almost understand why Bisail had become obssessed with the girl. Of course, in doing so, he'd left himself vunerable. If Oriah could capture Hani, then he would have a definite advantage over Bisail. Mind you, he was not the kind of man to let such beauty go to waste...*

Royal Palace, Archoir, Shir: Shir, like Oriah, was looking at an image of Hani Jome, and like Oriah, he was gleefully contemplating how he could use her to weaken Bisail. Unlike Oriah however, his glee came not from calculation, but from hatred. Years ago, Shir had been in love, engaged to a girl he considered to be the most beautiful in the world. But a few days before the wedding, his intelligence service discovered that his future father-in-law was a Bisailan spy. Feeling betrayed, he’d had the whole family executed, only to discover later that the girl had not the slightest idea of her father’s activites. Shir was enraged, and he had hated Bisail ever since. Now he would have his revenge!*

Hani Jome

Hani sat in the musty library of the Citadel. Most of Arlim's people still called in Ourindak's Citadel, after the archmage who had been the Protector of Arlim for so many years before Hani herself had been thrust into the role.

Hani poured over the tome before her, dark violet eyes close to watering as she tried to review Archmage Klath's research. Popular opinion held that Hani was skilled in swords, magic and diplomacy. In truth, the High Art was too difficult and unpredictable for anyone to truly claim to have mastered it. Even Ourindak himself had known the limits of the High Art.

A small bell tolled in the study, indicating riders approached. The Citadel had been shaped by ancient archmages who had known the High Art better than anyone since; It took care of itself with no need for servants.

Hani rose, smoothing her simple white tunic and hitching up her sword belt around her slender waist. She pulled her slightly disshelved golden hair back into a long tail and stalked out into the courtyard to meet the rider.

It wasn't a message from Arlim's vast and chaotic Senate. It was a message from the king of Bisail. Hani felt a touch of annoyance. A treaty from a foreign king should have gone to the Senate, not to Hani.

Hani opened the letter and read it. Her mood changed from annoyance to a combination of shock and fury as she read the threat and ultimatum of Bisail.

As soon as the rider left, Hani turned and dashed back into the heart of the Citadel, her white trousers whispering as she ran into Ourindak's old Observatory. Hani went over to the summoning circle, placing the rare mix of herbs inside and whispering a request.

Soon, the air seemed to ripple and darken. It was scarcely tangible, but Hani knew what she was looking for.

"Thank you for coming," she said politely to the two Sylphs. Magic was unpredictable, and spirits the most unpredictable of all, but Hani had learned how to work with the Twins long since.

"I beg a favor," Hani continued politely. The Sylphs loved flattery. "Bisail threatens war with us. I ask one of you to fly as only you can, to the border. Find Bisail's army and count their numbers, then return. The other, I must ask to carry Bisail's letter and a letter of my own to the Senate, to warn them."

The air flickered as the Sylphs considered her requests. Hani smiled slightly, "In return, I offer this pitcher of milk, spiced with cinnamon."

The air flickered again and then stopped. Hani knew the Twins had accepted her offer and were already flying to their destinations.

As soon as she was finished, Hani rose and padded to the walls of the Citadel, looking down on Arlim from her gate tower, worrying for the future.

OOC:
Apologies for the delayed reponse. I've been a bit busy lately, though that has thankfully been ended.

IC:

*Dakchko City, Arlim: Koib Istriv, Headman of Arlim's Senate sat in his office, preparing to address the fractious group in a few minutes. He was slightly suprised by the appearance of a Sprite, who left him a letter from Hani Jome, and a scroll. He opened Hani's letter, read it, and then swore. He did NOT need this. Hani's support was just about the only thing that kept him from being assassinated, and he was just about the only thing preventing the Senate from collapsing or worse, become a tool of the stronger polities against the weaker ones. On the other hand, there was no way Arlim, disorganized as it was, would be able to form an army capable of repelling a Bisailan army. He took a drink, and then ran into the Senate Chamber and made the announcement. It produced a considerable uproar, and several hours of debate, but the eventual result was a decision suggesting that Hani accede to Bisail's terms.*

*Outside Ourindak's Citadel, Arlim: Igwari was in a foul mood. His encounter with the beautous Hani had left him tremendously aroused. Normally, he'd take out the resulting frustration on some unlucky Concubine, but that wasn't an option here. The only available females were other Royal Messengers, and he doubted the King would be too pleased if he injured one. He instead went into his tent and pulled out a rat in a cage he'd kept along for just this reason, and began to pull it apart. He couldn't wait until he gave the stuck-up bitch to his true master, and was given the ability to be a real man again.*

Hani stood on the parapet of the Citadel walls, looking off to the distance. She was sharp eyed enough to catch a distant tendril of campfire smoke, likely the Bisailian messengers. The smoke wafted over the thin trees near the wall ominously and after a few minutes, Hani went back into the Citadel to await the return of the sylphs.

The first of the twins appeared just over an hour later. The air rippled with its excitement and Hani set down a large basin of water. The sylph circled over it. As Hani peered into the clear water, the reflect changed, becoming the sylph's memory of the Bisailian army.

Bisail had mustered the hard heart of his strength it seemed. His cavalry alone outnumbered anything Arlim could muster. His infantry was even more numerous. Hani was a bit stunned that Bisail would spend this much effort on her; Sending so many troops to Arlim could have left Bisail exposed on it's borders with Shir and Oriah.

Hani spent the next several hours studying the border maps, trying to find a way to fend off Bisail. It was dusk outside when the other Twin returned, with a letter from the Senate.

She opened the missive and read Istriv's words, then sighed heavily. The Senate, ever brave, suggested strongly that she surrender to Bisail. They didn't dare order her, not in this, but Hani could almost hear the worried senator's tones as they wrote the letter.

Arlim can't defeat Bisail's army alone, Hani thought to herself, pensively. And even if they could, Arlim would be so weakened that Oriah or Shir would attack.

Go and be Bisail's queen, or risk being made his slave-concubine and have Arlim ruined by his armies in the bargain. When she thought about it like that, the choice seemed obvious to Hani, but her innate dislike of being bullied into a decision made her back stiffen.

With another long sigh, Hani wrote a second short note, this one to the Bisailian messengers camped practically on her doorstep. "I have decided I will return with you to Bisail. If only to convince your King to abandon this foolishness. I wish to leave at first light." Hani signed her initial to it, then sealed it and handed it a sylph with a murmured request to deliver it to the camp beneath her walls.

With that, Hani returned to her quarters to pack for her upcoming, unwanted journey.

IC:

*Outside Ourindak's Citadel, Arlim: The members of the delegation were preparing to bed down. The exception was the Messenger on watch, who were rather startled when the air around her began to flicker and a scroll was thrust into her hand. She saw the seal and immdiately ran over to Igwari's tent. Igwari was pissed at being disturbed, until he was given the note. He immdiately wrote a short missive to the King, informing him of Hani's decision, than went over to the small tent holding a trio of messenger birds, tied the message to one, and sent it off. He then retired to his tent and began rummaging through his supplies until he came up with a locked metal box. He opened, it revealing several vials. As he examined the vials and their contents, making sure they were in good condition, he smiled to himself. Three vials of poison, one of sedative. The former would be more then sufficent to kill the other members of the delegation, while the latter should suffice to keep Hani unconcious or at least docile for the time it would take to hand her off to his Shirite contacts. Meanwhile, a short distance away, what would at first seem to be a small rock unfurled it's wings to reveal a tiny Imp. The Imp noticed the activity of the Bisailan camp, and took off towards it's master.*

*Cidom, a small village a few miles from Ourindak's Citadel, Arlim: "General" Plizvir Hoin, currently the leader of a good size group of mercenaries/bandits, sat in a seedy tavern as his Imp servant flew inside. It alighted on his shoulder and began whispering into his ear. So, the Messenger's were preparing to move out! He told the Imp to fly off to his "army's" camp outside the town, and prepare to move out as well. He mentally reviewed the plan. His force would ambush the Bisailans, kill them all, and capture Hani, then take her to the border with Oriah and hand her over. He grinned. He'd wanted revenge on that interfering cunt ever since she'd forced him to return control of Hizmoth Port to it's Town Council. With her gone, and his force equipped with the best gear Ori gold could buy, nothing would stop him from regaining control. Of course, Oriah's agents had neglected to tell him that Bisail was liable to conquer Arlim if he didn't get Hani.

*Royal Pavilion, Bisailan Camp, Agzor City, on the Bisail-Arlim Border: Bisail grinned widely as he read Igwari's message. Soon Hani would be his! Quickly, he put a damper on his enthusiasm. He hadn't managed to hold the throne by being stupid. He picked up an intelligence report from his desk. It was from one of his top agents in Shir, confirming that one member of his delegation was a Shirite spy. Well, he wasn't going to let that keep him from his love. He stalked out of his tent, and walked over to the Cavalry Officer's tent. As he pushed aside the tent flap, a bell rang and the occupants stood up and came to attention when they realized who their visitor. As always, Bisail was pleased at their discipline and reaction time, although he wished some of them wouldn't sleep nude. The highest ranking Cavalry officer, General Unorv, spoke.*

Unorv: "Majesty! We await your commands!"

*Bisail grinned and sat down at a map table. Unorv took the hint and sat down as well.*

Bisail: "General, I want you to dispatch a cohort of elite cavalry here," he indicated a point on a map of Arlim about two days away from their camp. "I want them to be there to meet thr Messengers carrying my bride, and escort them back here."

OOC:

Just a note, I'd like to try to keep Unorv's gender ambigous for as long as possible.

Hani

Birdcalls, the first of the new day, woke Hani from her light, fitful slumber. She rose and padded over to the window, looking out. Dawn was approaching fast.

Hani crossed her bedchamber to her study, slipping her night gown off her shoulders as she did. She pulled on the tight leather pants she had set aside the night before, quickly lacing them closed. Next, she pulled on a leather vest, lacing it half way up her full bosom. The thin leathers were dyed dark blue, which set off her midnight sky eyes nicely. They were light enough to travel, but heavy enough to offer some protection from the elements and even glancing blows. She slung her sword belt around her slender hips, touching the hilt of her sabre lightly. Hani prefered skill to strength and the quickness of the unadorned sabre had surprised several brawnier opponents. Lastly, Hani pulled on a hooded travelling cloak, simple grey and lined with fur, set in place at her neck with an sapphire brooch.

Hani quickly tied a small purse of coins to the side of her belt, and slid a sheathed dagger into the belt at the small of her back, concealed by her cloak. Afterwards, she picked up the two packs. One carried supplies, food, pens, and a few important reagents. The other contained carefully folded clothes, including a rather fetching silk dress suitable for a King's Court should it come down to it.

Tying her long, golden blonde hair back into a pony tail that fell half way down her spine, Hani turned and strolled down the steps. She went to the stables of the Citadel, to retrieve her white palfrey. She patted the horse on the nose, then settled the packs in place in the saddle bags, before swinging up into the saddle and riding out to the Gate.

The Gate creaked open with a gesture from Hani. She road across the drawbridge over the moat, and the Gate closed behind her. It would not open again till she returned, she knew.

A quick tug of the reins pointed the nose of her palfrey towards where she had seen smoke the night before. The tall, golden haired woman clucked her tongue lightly as she touched her heel's to the mare's flanks, setting a quick trot to the messenger's camp.

She arrived promptly at day.

"Good morning," Hani called briskly. "Let us be off, shall we?"

IC:

*Outside Ourindak's citadel, Arlim: Most of the male Messengers and even one or two of the female ones, gaped at the vision of loveliness that was Hani. Several of them had very visible erections. Igwari noticed this and glared them. They'd already packed up and where on their horses, and at Igwari's signal, they fell into line and began riding off, forming a square around Hani, three to one side, three to the other, four ahead, and four abreast. Igwari led the column. One of the messengers fell in next to Hani, and tried to start a conversation.*

Messenger: "So, erm, have you ever left Arlim before?"

*Outside Agzor City, Arlim-Bisail Border: Unorv looked over the cavarly unit as they corssed the border. One hundred light cavalry, with leather armor, armed with sabres and javelins. 75 horse archers, wearing leather armor, armed with horse-bows. finally, 15 Lancers, in full plate, with lances and broadswords. Many of the Lancers also carried maces, axes, or warhammers as well. All carried dagers of course. As a mark of status, the general carried a pair of flintlock pistols. The things had almost no range and were useless in the rian, but tey had quite a bit of stopping power.

Hani's violet-blue eyes narrowed in annoyance as Bisail's messengers promptly formed a box around her. She didn't particularly enjoy or appreciate the gesture.

Still, there was no need to be rude. A little friendliness might win her an ally or two that could help her out later in Bisail. "I've left Arlim once or twice on business," she replied serenely to the Messenger who approached her, flashing a small, warm smile. "But I prefer to stay close to the Citadel when I can."

With that, Hani gave the messenger a gracious nod and tapped her horse's flanks, pushing ahead. She wove her horse between the messengers in front of her, taking up a spot at the head of the column alongside Igwari.

"I prefer not to be boxed in, thank you," Hani told him with a cool gaze. "We should head to the road from Cidom. It's paved and will be quicker at this time of year."

With that, Hani gave a small tug on the reins, changing her horse's angle slightly, clearing the woods and reaching the beaten road that linked up to the highway that passed from Hizoth Port Town through Cidom and then followed the coast towards Bisail.

IC:

*Hizothian Way, Arlim Igwari's previous positive mood had evaporated and he was once again feeling foul. Having Hani riding next to him was sheer torture. Her every movement simply oozed sex appeal. Intellectually, he knew it wasn't deliberate; any woman with as much physical training and natural beauty as she would have that efffect. However, that didn't help much. He attempted to distract himself by keeping his eyes on the road, but his mind constantly turned to thoughts of Hani, and what he'd do to her when he got a new cock. This only made things worse. Then, something happened. In front of them, there was a flash of light, and a huge, hermaphroditic appeared before them. The horses spooked, except for Hani's. It's name was Grildruthkirch (Gril for short), and it had known Hani for a long time. Years ago, Ourindak had summoned it to train Hani in the Arts Carnal, and every now and then it provided her with information about what was going on in the Nether-Realm of Charn, usually in return for sexual favors. Of course, Igwari and the other Messenger's didn't know this, and reached for their weapons. Then the deom spoke, in a loud, booming voice that was as androgynous as it's appearance.*

Gril: "Hani, my dear, I've heard the most awful rumor! Are you really leaving us?"

Hani pulled her horse up short as the flash of light appeared before them. There was a distinct smell of sulphur and ash. She held her hand up for the messengers to stop.

Attacking Gril was foolish and dangerous. The creature was a daemon and more than capable of it's own defense. Still, it wasn't by nature violent: Daemons fed off emotional energy, and Gril fed off lust in particular. It could be termed a succubus or an incubus. Gril could be either sex at need.

"Good morning, Grildruthkirch," Hani replied formally, with a polite nod. "King Bisail demands a word or two with me, and threatens war if I don't grant it."

Polite, but cool.

"Don't worry, Gril. I'm sure I'll return soon enough. And you'll find something to keep yourself amused in the meantime, I know."

That was a given. Gril was very good at keeping itself amused.

IC:

*Gril grinned momentarily, showing a massively fanged mouth, and then frowned. It continued in a voice that was bit more masculine, and quite a bit more agressive*

Gril: "Are you sure, darling? Because I've hear dthat he wants to marry you. I can't see any man willing to allow a female as delectable as you slip out of his grasp. I certainly wouldn't."

*Igwari did not like the way this was going. The Daemon seemed to be preparing to try and stop them. He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a pistol with mystic symbols engraved on the barrel. He pointed it at the Daemon.*

Igwari: "Okay, that's enough, This weapon is Blessed, so it can hurt you, and at this range, it might even kill you."

*Gril snorted*

Gril: "Oh, please! You couldn't use a Blessed weapon if your life depended on it!"

Igwari: "Maybe. But I'll bet at least one of them can."

*He pointed at the other messengers, who were drawing bows and crossbows, all engraved with the same symbols as the pistol.*

Hani arched an eyebrow quizzically as she eyed the weapons the Messengers bared. Then she exchanged a look with Gril.

The messengers seemed to have come prepared to deal with Arlim's population of spirits, elementals and daemons. Of course, violence was usually the worst way to deal with a daemon; Many fed of it. It was usually best to try to puzzle out the creature's bans and needs and deal with it subtly.

Hani shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know if the 'blessed' weapons would have any extra effect on Gril, but she decided that a skirmish here would only cause things to escalate. "Just because he wants to marry me, doesn't mean I want to marry him, Gril," she told the daemon quite serenely.

"But, that might be a discussion for another day?" she continued sweetly.

Gril looked at her for a moment, then fade back into a more amorous form. "Perhaps it is, Hani," it said in it's neutral voice, then faded away from sight.

"Shall we continue?" Hani said to Igwari as soon as Gril had disappeared, then heeled her horse's flank, urging it forward along the road.

She could feel Gril trailing along with them, but invisible, she doubted anyone but her would be sensitive enough to be aware of him. It probably thinks this is a rare game and a chance for gossip.

IC:

*Hizothian Way, Arlim: Igwari and the other messengers looked relieved that that was over. Igwari turned to Hani.*

Igwari: "Should we expect more interruptions like this?"

*Some distance from the Hizothian Way, Arlim: Hoin sat astride a riding raptor, looking through a scrying crystal. He observed the encounter with the Daemon and cursed silently to himself. He couldn't tell if it had actually left or just shifted-shape. And he had no clue what it's capabilites were. He shrugged and then turned to his force, several hundred veteran mercenaries equipped with the best gear available in Arlim, waiting for his signal to attack. Well, it didn't matter. He'd just have to wait and see. *

Hani shrugged her slender shoulders, her full breasts rising and falling beneath the loosely laced leather vest she wore.

She chuckled softly and shot Igwari a playful smile.. "It's good to have friends, isn't it?"

She smoothed her horse's mane and then continued, "I'm a well known woman in Arlim. I expect I have both friend and enemies that will be interested in this."

IC:

*For a moment, Igwari was mesemrized by the movement of Hani's beautiful breasts, but he shrugged that off and snarled.*

Igwari: "Great. Let's hope that they don't happen often enough to delay us. It'd be a shame if we were late and His Majesty launched an invasion."

*Most of the rest of the day was spent in silence, as any attempts by the other Messenger's to strike up a conversation with Hani were squelched by angry glares from Igwari. Eventually, the sun began to set, and Igwari stopped his horse.*

Igwari: "We shall stop and make camp now."

*He signalled to several of the messengers to start setting up the camp. The Messengers worked with practided effceincy, and had set up several tents and a cookfire in less than an hour. Dinner was very quiet, Igwari continuing to hover over Hani like a vulture. The other Messengers got the hint and stayed away from them.*

Hani

After the encounter with Gril, the day took a decided turn for the worse. Igwari showed a remarkably sullen streak, refusing to speak and glaring away any messenger who rode to near to Hani. Hani just shook her head and rode quietly as they followed the road along the coast towards Bisail.

They stopped at dusk, near the side of the road on a plateau over a beach. Hani mentally reviewed her knowledge of Arlim's geography. They were very close to Cidom, a small fishing village. They probably could have reached the city before dark, but the messengers seemed to want to avoid encounters with Arlim's citizens as much as possible. Still, the next day, they would reach the Northpike Crossroads. The western fork of that road would lead to Agzor, the border city between Arlim and Bisail. The east fork would lead to Aroich in Shir.

Hani ate her small meal and drank. Igwari hovered near her the entire time, preventing any attempt a conversation.

Hani shrugged her slender shoulders as she rose from the small camp. "What sort of messenger doesn't love light conversation?" she asked innocently to the big fellow. She suspected Igwari wasn't a typical message, though he hadn't revealed his true nature yet.

Then Hani turned and padded off, picking her way down the bluff and onto the sandy beach that lay alongside the coastal road. She turned to face Igwari, unbuckling her belt and letting it fall to the sand. "I'm going for a swim. It'll be refreshing after the ride."

She kicked off her low boots and unclasped her cloak, then began unlacing her leather vest. "I'd prefer privacy, unless you honestly think I need protecting here?" Hani gave that a certain ironic inflection, then pulled her vest off, revealing her round, full breasts. A long white line crossed the upper portion of her abdomen, just beneath the curve of her bosom, where she'd been marked by an old sword cut.

Hani shook out her ponytail, letting her golden hair fall down her back as she unlaced her leather trousers and pushed them down her long legs. Another small white line traced across her right thigh as she straightened. Her sex was shaven bare and neat as she turned and padded across the sand, her round hips rolling gracefully as she shifted her footing with the contours of the beach.

She padded to the edge of the ocean's waters and slipped in, the warm salt water slowly rising up her length of legs till it covered her firm rear and slipped up to her breasts. Then she pressed forward, swimming smoothly out into the water, enjoying the rush of the waves against her nude figure.

IC:
*The Beach of Shadizax, Off the Hizothian Way, Arlim: Gril invisbly watched Hani disrobe, and licked it's lips. It had seen Hani nude more than just about anything elese, but the sight always aroused it. It slipped into the water, taking the shape of a clear liquid that was only slightly more viscous than the water. Gril was reasonably certain Hani knew it was there, and was gratified that she felt no need to cover herself. It decided to make it's presence known in a more active way: wrapping it's watery form around her body and then reforming it's head and kissing her on the lips. As always, Gril felt satisfaction not only from the kiss, but from knowing that Hani permitted it to do such things, whereas anything else who tried it would soon find themsleves beaten to a pulp.*

Gril: "Good evening, my sweet. I saw you bathing and I couldn't resist joining you! But I wonder why you're alone. You really ought to have invtied some of those strapping young Messengers along. After all, it may be your last chance at having a little variety."

Hani swam out into the ocean for a few minutes, enjoying the water around her body as she floated in the waves.

She came up out of the water, blinking and rubbing the salt out of her eyes. She could swear she saw lights further out in the ocean, a passing ship most likely.

At that moment, the water around her became somehow thicker, like it was congealing and an amorphous head appeared rising out of the jelly water around her. Hani felt a jolt of fury as Gril reappeared and tried to kiss her. She turned her head to the side, quickly turning away.

"Gril!" she began sharply, "I don't have the time or the patience for your games. Stop following me now!"

She held on to the feeling of anger. Gril couldn't feed of anything but lust; Focusing on her irritation denied Gril what it needed. After a few moments, the water around her uncongealed and she was alone in the water.

Hani took a few moments, treading water and focusing on her breathing till she suppressed her annoyance and sublimated it mostly. Then she turned and began swimming back to the shore.

The beach was deserted. Igwari had apparently gotten bored and left. Hani pulled her water darkened hair back into a tail, stripping the salt water from it and running her hands down her arms and torso to shed the rivulets of water as she shook herself off.

She padded over to where she had left her belongings. Hani blinked. Her riding boots had had their laces tied together in an elaborate knot. She looked around quickly. Her sword belt was missing. Hani felt a sudden rush of alarm as she grabbed her leather trousers, pulling them on with a quick hop.

The seams of her trousers instantly slid apart. The thread that had held the garment together was gone and the trousers fell into limp pieces.

An imp, Hani surmised, furiously. Sabotage and thievery was an impish thing to do. Where is Igwari? she thought, looking up at the bluff where the messengers had camped, wondering what had happened.

IC:

*Bisailan Messngers Camp, Off the Hizothian Way, Arlim: As requested, Igwari turned around as Hani entered the water. However, he couldn't help but take a peek. Bad idea. The site of Hani's gloriously nude body burned itself into his mind. He felt the familiar pain in his balls, and suppressed a scream of frustration. He stalked back to the camp, and found that the campfire was going, but there was no one around it. His face took on an expression that was half smile and half snarl. Excellent, he had a justification for thrashing his subordinates. He was about to go do so, when he heard a peircing yell*

"Hoin! Hoin! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

*He turned to see several hundred heavily armed warriors of various races approaching the camp, led by about a dozen riders on mounts of various species. He noted that the apparent leader was wearing brand-new armor of Ori make. He quickly deduced that these were mercenaries hired by Oriah to abduct Hani. As he cursed, the other Messengers popped out of their tents, girding themselves for battle even as they ran. Igwari looked at them, and at the approaching horde, mere moments from crashing down on the camp. There was no way his less than a dozen Messengers would be able to stop the attackers. Snarling, he commanded one of the Messneger's to grab a flag of truce so they could surrender. He only hoped that the raiders would be willing to negotiate.*

Hani had just started to hustle up the bluff back to the camp when a red flare shot up from the camp, burning brightly in the night sky.

A minute later, horsemen began to appear, clearing the bluff and riding down onto the beach. At half a dozen, she knew she was in trouble. At two dozen, she stopped counting.

They were lead by a man in finely wrought plate armour, who swung down from his horse in front of her.

"Hoin," Hani greeted him coldly, folding her arms across her breasts and glaring at him. "What is the meaning of this?"

Hoin smirked and tapped his plated chest. "Orian. The best."

Hani glared at him, but before she could respond, a rider with a crossbow approached and said, "The Bisailians fled after we shot at their standard bearer. Most headed north west to Bisail, but one broke north east towards Shir."

Hani was incensed. "You shot at men with a banner of truce?"

Hoin smirked again. "Oriah doesn't carry about truces. He wants Hani Jome delivered to him and he's offered me a galleon full of weapons and armour, enough to outfit three companies..."

Hani shook her head in reply. "You're a fool."

Hoin shrugged and ponted to the beach, where a small landing craft had beached. "A rich fool. Here comes my weapons.. And they'll want you as well."

Hani struggled briefly as two of the riders seized her, but naked and unarmed there was nothing she could do. "You'll regret this," she called over her shoulder to Hoin as the riders began to muscle her towards the boat.

"By this time tomorrow, you'll be one of Oriah's pets. I won't regret that at all," Hoin shouted back at her.

Then Hani was shoved into the boat and soon the small craft was lurching away to the waiting Orian galleon.

IC:

*Beach of Shadizax, Off the Hizothian Way, Arlim: The two Ori sailors quickly bound Hani's arms and legs with heavy chains. She noted that said chains were engraved with mystic symbols, wards against her using magic. As she was hoisted onto the ship, she also noticed that all of the male crewmen had the boyish, beardless faces of Eunuchs who'd been castrated before puberty. Obviously, Oriah wasn't taking any chances. She was carried into a well appointed cabin, the walls painted with symbols similare to those on her chains, and left there. After a few minutes, a man wearing the uniform and insignia of a Commodore in the Ori navy walked in, flanked by several burly Marines. All of them appeared to be eunuchs as well. The Commodore unchained her, and then spoke.*

Commodore: "Good evening. As you can see, this room is warded against magic, and there are will be at least five marines outside the door at all times. You will not be permitted to leave until we arrive at Archoir tomorrow night. This cabin is stocked with food and drink as well as a privy. The closet has several outfits appropriate to your new status as a Royal Concubine. There are also several books and scrolls that will serve a simple purpose. Again, good evening."

*And with that, he left the room.*

Hani didn't bother with useless struggles against the marines. She listened to the commodore, careful to keep a diplomat's expressionless face till he left.

As soon as she was alone, Hani leapt to her feet and padded towards the door, leaning against it and listening closely. She could hear the shift of feet and muted mutter. Clearly, there were indeed several guards outside.

Then she walked over to the walls, examining the wards. Ori magic was simplistic compared to what Ourindak had taught her and all magic was unpredictable by nature. In time, Hani thought she could unravel the wards, but it would take her longer than this sea voyage.

With a disconsolate sigh, Hani walked over to the bookcase, quickly glancing over the titles to see what there was. That done, she went to the closet to investigate her wardrobe options.

OOC:

Just a note: HGS stands for His Grace's Ship.

Shirite vessels are HHS, for His Highness' Ship and Bisail vessels are HMS (I don't think I have to say what that stands for)

IC:

*Aboard the Ori Galleon HGS Pride of Brytgleau, Sea of Arle: Hani examined the bookshelf. As could be expected from the Commodore's comments, they had titles like The Arts of Love, Pleasures of Submission, and similar things. The clothes followed a similar theme: totally impractical outfits that would serve only to display her body.*

*Hizothian Way, Arlim: Igwari stopped running to hold his breath. By now, it was obvious that the mercenaries weren't interested in chasing him. He began to think furiously. There was no point in going back to Bisail. Knowing the King's temperment, he had no doubt that all of the other Messengers would be executed for failing their mission as soon as they arrived at Bisail's camp. However, Shir wouldn't be too happy with him either. The only way he was going to come out of this fiasco with any advantage was if he could recapture Hani. He was wracking his brains trying to figure out a way of accomplishing that, when he received a tremdnous bit of fortune. The Daemon that had accosted them before, Gril, appeared before him and began demanding to know what had happened.*

Gril: "What's going on? Where's Hani, why are you alone?!"

*Igwari grinned inwardly as a plan began to form. He gave the Daemon a slightly edited version of the recent events. The Daemon was incensed, horrified, and determined at the same time.*

Gril: "Attacked by Hoin's men and given to Oriah? That's horrible! We have to rescue her!"

*If he wasn't carefully controlling his expression, Igwari would be beaming. The Daemon was acting exactly as he'd hoped.*

Hani was miffed and somewhat amused by what Oriah had left her in the way of clothes. She quickly pulled on something, in the opinion that some clothing was better than none.

After she was dressed, Hani went over to the bed, flopping down on it a bit ungracefully. She stared at the ceiling, examining the runes on it carefully. Afterwards, she closed her eyes, going over the runes in her head, thinking about how to crack them.

After a while, Hani dozed off, falling asleep till they reached the port.