Chains Unseen

[Jasmine]

((Closed))


Jasmine stood in the wings. Out on stage a young woman danced to the cheers, catcalls, and suggestive comments. Jasmine detested having to resort to dancing at places like this, but money was running low and there were no other jobs to be had right now. Fortunately, she had her own costume and did not need to borrow one from one of the tavern’s regular dancers.

The black haired beauty wore a pure white dress that reached down to the middle of her calves. It had no sleeves, the back dipped to the middle of her shoulder blades, and the neckline dipped just low enough to reveal a small portion of cleavage. The dress clung to her body, accenting every curve. As she moved, the dress swirled around her, hinting at what lay beneath, but never revealing it. Her feet were adorned with white leather boots. A highly polished and decorated dagger hilt showed from the top of each boot.

At last the other dancer came off stage and it was Jasmine’s turn. She took a deep breath then strutted out on stage. She stopped in the middle and looked out over the crowd. Steadying herself with one more deep breath, she raised her hands above her head and began to clap out a beat. Clap...clap...clapclapclap, she repeated the pattern until everyone was clapping with her to her satisfaction, then she began to dance.

At first, she moved slowly, then she started adding in more complicated movements as her dance became more sultry. Her long black hair was free of its usual braiding and flowed around her like fine silk. Eyes as blue as sapphires sparkled as she got more and more into her dancing. She nearly laughed out loud as she watched the faces of the men in the audience. She knew very well the effects her body, clothed as it was and moving as it was, would have on them. Those expressions were why she had a dagger in each boot.

Abruptly she came to a halt, then sauntered off the stage, never once looking back. The cheers as she left rang in her ears. The looks of jealousy on the faces of the other girls made it sound that much sweeter. She was a much better dancer than they were and the crowd knew it.

Unknown to Jasmine, there had been one person in the crowd that was not there for fun. He was there to find exceptional dancers and was quite pleased to find that he’d found one. The man was tall, probably around six feet. He wore a hooded cloak over his clothing so none could distinguish where he was from by his dress or his facial features. Standing, he quickly went to the tavern keeper and talked with him about the young lady that had just danced so well.

She would be back tomorrow night. This was perfect. He had a tall order to fulfil, but it would seem that luck was with him. So far, he had not had any trouble in finding dancers for his employer.

[Jasmine]

The next night, the man was not alone. With him were five other men. All were large and not that interested in the dancing on the stage. That is, until Jasmine came out. They watched her with great interest and agreed with their leader, she would be perfect for what they needed.

Her belongings had already been collected from the small room she’d been given as a dancer. All of them were bundled up in a sack and lay on the floor beside the leader’s feet. The men waited patiently for Jasmine to finish her dancing, then, when she disappeared back into the wings of the stage, they moved to their places.

Jasmine chatted briefly with the other girls then left the dressing room. She was done with her gig for the night, but was not yet quite ready to go up to her bed. Instead, she went into the tavern area to get a drink and some food. She had not been seated long when she found her table surrounded by the six men who had been watching her so interestedly.

“Well good evening, m’dear. You dance very well. What would you say to dancing in a much better place and for much better pay?”

“I’d say you’re talking to the wrong girl. This is my last gig, hopefully. Would you please leave me alone now?”

“No, I think you will be coming with us whether you want to or not. Shall we go talk outside? I’d hate to have to make scene in here.”

Jasmine thought for a moment, then nodded. She would have more space to fight back if she was outside. The chair scraped against the dirty floor as she pushed it back and stood. She led the way outside then knelt quickly to grab her daggers. She never got the chance.

The leader of the men followed her swiftly and grabbed her wrist in a powerful grip. He smiled ruthlessly at her as she struggled in vain to get free. He yawned as if bored and one of the other men came up behind her. A coarse, moist cloth was pressed over her mouth and nose and held there tightly. Seconds later, the leader caught Jasmine in his arms as she collapsed, completely unconscious.

“Mission accomplished boys. Let’s get back to camp. Tomorrow we can find a few other dancers and then we’ll have enough.”

He slung Jasmine over his shoulder, letting her upper body drape down his back. Her hair dragged in the dirt as they walked, but it was no concern of his. He had the girl and that was all that mattered.

[Jasmine]

Jasmine woke groggily. Sitting up she realized she’d been lying on a floor covered in straw. The straw poked through her dress and stabbed at her legs. Her daggers were missing, but other than that, she had everything she was supposed to have.

“Where am I?”

A guard started and looked up. He smiled a crooked grin at her and tipped and invisible hat. “Well good morning, Lass. It would appear you’ve woken up at last. You are in the camp of Dogorth. He’ll probably be around to check on you sometime later today. In the meantime, you may as well relax, cuz you ain’t going nowheres.”

Jasmine stood and tried to dust herself off. She only succeeded in getting a small portion of straw off. She would need a proper bath and to wash her clothes in order to be presentable.

“Why am I being held prisoner?”

“Because, my dear, you are an excellent dancer and I am in need of such.”

The tall man from the tavern approached her with an oily smile pasted on his face. The other women would not have been a problem and were already being cleaned up for presentation. He had a feeling though, that Jasmine would take a little more than a simple bribe of a better stage and better pay.

The young woman pulled herself up proudly and grasped one bar in each hand as she glared out at the man. “Dogorth, is it? What do you want with me? There are plenty of other dancers that are more interested in dancing than I am.”

“That is not the point, Jasmine. Whether you want to or not has nothing to do with it. You will dance, because if you don’t you will be severely punished. Antoine, see that the collar and wrist braces are put on her properly. I wouldn’t want this one to get away.”

The guard nodded and fetched the requested items. Two others held Jasmine down while the collar was fitted around her neck and the braces snapped around her wrists. Her eyes glittered darkly purple as she struggled against her captors.

“You may as well stop, my dear. You won’t get very far anyway. Those bands will not allow you to get more than five feet away from me.”

“I won’t need to get away...” Jasmine growled as she launched herself at Dorgorth. The man calmly stepped back and spoke a few short words in a language Jas had never heard.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

She fell to her knees as pain coursed through her entire body. Dorgorth watched cruelly as she continued to scream in pain. After what seemed an eternity to Jasmine, but was in actuality only a minute, he spoke another set of words in the same foreign language and the pain stopped. Jasmine lay there moaning as she pushed herself up to look at her captor.

“That would be the fault of your new necklace. Like it? I need only say a few words and you are filled with incredible pain. It works very well for keeping slaves like you in line. Now, you have a choice, Jasmine. You can either co-operate with me or I can make your life a living hell. Which is it to be?”

Jasmine glared angrily at him, then spat at his feet. “Fine, wench. You can stay here all by yourself for a little while longer. I don’t have to have you ready for sale for another two weeks yet anyway.” He muttered a few other words in that strange language then turned his attention to the guards. “Every hour, ask her if she’s ready to submit. If she says ‘No’, then activate that neckband for two minutes. When she finally submits, send a message to me immediately.”

She watched as he turned on his heel and left, her eyes filled with hatred. When he was gone, she went over to a corner of her tiny cell and sat down in the straw. She wanted to cry because of the pain that still coursed through her body, but she refused to let her enemies see her weakness.

[Jasmine]

The following two weeks were filled with hours of extreme pain for Jasmine, but at last she could take no more. On the morning of the 13th day, writhing in pain, she gasped out that she’d had enough. She moaned weakly as Dorgorth spoke the words to end the torturous pain.

“That’s much better. See to it that she is made presentable then bring her to join the rest of my dancers.”

Jasmine offered no resistance as she was helped to her feet and led to a tub of warm water. It felt good to soak her aching muscles in the water and to finally be clean. She had not been permitted to bathe during the entire two weeks. All too soon, she was forced out of the tub and given back her clothes. Those at least, had been cleaned recently and were mostly presentable.

Once she was with the other girls, she saw that they too all wore the same wrist and neck bands that she wore. Most did not look too pleased with their situation, though it was clear they’d already accepted their fate. Dorgorth stood in front of all the ladies and addressed them regally.

“Ladies, you have all been chosen for your remarkable dancing skills. In a little over an hour, the woman who commissioned me to find you will be arriving. She will make her selections for her dancers from among you. Rest up ladies, for some of you, your lives will be changing once again in an hour’s time.”

Jasmine did not listen as he spoke to them. She didn’t care what he had to say. She sat down on the ground and waited for the hour to be up. She didn’t care who had commissioned this slaver either. All she wanted was for it to be over and done with. As soon as she could steal back her other belongings, she would simply run away.

The hour dragged slowly by. Making Jasmine and few of the others slightly nervous as it came closer to the time when the mysterious woman would show up. Then came the order to stand and be ready, she was here.

I wonder who it is that would commission a slaver to capture dancers rather than go to the taverns and hire them herself?

[Raelyse]

She had only ever seen his face once, but the number of times that she heard the words that emerged from those unseen lips was almost too many to count. She had been his subordinate ever seen he had arrived and to a certain extent, this annoyed her. He never sent her on important missions, always choosing her for the menial tasks, the ones with minimum risk, minimum gain and even less excitement. He never trusted her with underlings of her own, yet he never sent someone to supervise to report the progress that she made. But that didn't matter because she never made progress. How could she when the tasks that she was given could be accomplished by a child?

But despite this, she still respected him. He was a charismatic and able leader, much greater than any of the past ones she had worked under. That was why she followed his every whim, hoping that she would eventually steal his eye and he would let her in on the more important missions.

"Your next task," his voice pierced her ear drums, the few words ringing inside of her head for what seemed like forever. It did not help that every time she listened to him, she envisioned his devastatingly handsome face. She had only seen it once, but in her mind she had never stopped seeing.

"Go to Dorgoth."

She nodded, bowing briefly and taking a few steps backwards. She stood up straight, moving backwards towards the door before opening it and leaving. Before she did so though, she looked before. He still stood in his chair, facing the opposite direction. As soon as the door closed behind her, she grabbed her chest and breathed in deeply. She could barely function in his presence. He spoke few words to her, clearly flaunting his superior position within the organization. She did not care though, all she wanted was to see his face again. Those handsome features, she yearned to see those lips move in sync with whatever words he would say. Was she in love? She never would have known. In this male dominated organization, she had seen her fair share of men but none captured her intrigue anywhere near as him. Every time he spoke to her, the only thing she would think about would be pleasing him. She had always been slightly ambitious in the organization, always trying to prove herself to her superiors. The first time she saw the face of her present leader though, she knew that he was special.

Composing herself, she moved forwards towards her quarters, where she would prepare for the mission ahead. She hardly knew anything about the few words that he had provided her with, but she was happy that she had another chance to prove herself. As she slipped on her leather gauntlets, she could not help thinking...

Maybe this would be the time.

The rest of her armor seemed to fly onto her, her enthusiasm for this mission growing and growing the more the seconds flew by. She had always been cautious and even if there was no real danger, she had always created a little bit of extra excitement in all of her missions. When she was fully dressed, she reached to grab her weapon. She was proficient in its use, but had always thought that its appearance frightened most of her enemies anyway. Hooking it onto her belt, she left.

As she strode through the building, she could not help but wonder what was in store for her. She felt that maybe he was being the same way he was always, giving her the trivial missions. Somehow though, in the back of her mind she could not help but think that this time would be different.

When she reached the exit, a man instantly rushed to her, handing her a rolled up scroll of paper. She instantly unrolled it, reading it. As she did so, she could not help as her eyes widened in excitement.

This was her's.

[Jasmine]

Jasmine looked tired toward the door from which this woman would enter. She had not gotten much sleep over the last two weeks and it showed. Dark circles showed under eyes as she let her head droop down to her chest. It was almost all she could do to stay awake and upright.

The other girls stood quietly. No one talked as each girl kept looking nervously toward the entrance. Standing behind them were guards, evenly spaced down the line. As luck would have it, one of those guards was directly behind Jasmine. He was a large man and stood easily with his arms folded across his chest.

A long yawn escaped her chapped lips. How much longer would it be before she could get some decent sleep? She couldn’t dance if she was tired, how was she supposed to do her job? Trying to keep herself awake, Jas shook her head and looked up at the sky. It was beautiful, a mockery of the ugliness held within this Dorgorth’s camp.

Dorgorth walked up and down the line, making sure of the perfection of each of the dancing beauties he’d kidnapped or coerced into coming here. He stopped in front of Jasmine, a triumphant grin hanging about his lips.

“Ahh, so much better looking now that you’re a little cleaner. Too bad it took you so long to give in, those bags under your eyes could really hurt your price.”

Jasmine glowered at him, but did not have the energy to do anything more. She didn’t answer him, knowing that it would not do any good and that it would likely bring back more of the excruciating pain he used to bend her to his will.

How much longer?

[Raelyse]

Miranda loved to ride. It took her mind off things like nothing else. Where there was a road and her horse, she would be there, flying down it with incredible pace, the only thing that stopped or slowed her down would be the arrival at her destination. Unfortunately for her, this time she had a place that she needed, not wanted, to go to and it was relatively near to where she had started. As the minutes started to pass, she started to feel more and more forlorn at the thought of having to jump off the back of her animal, secure it and then accomplish the task at hand. It was a rather frivolous one that she did not really feel like doing but then, she did want to get his attention more than anything and she could not do that in the way that she wanted by defying orders. Sighing, she whipped the reins and braced herself as she sped off into the distance. A rare enjoyment, she was sure on a rather boring mission ahead.

Her destination was designated by a small red flag with a white circle atop a building, a disgusting disguise for the trade that was about to happen. Miranda, once again protested against the act that she was about to commit, though for the person the task was for, she felt that she would do anything. She stopped the horse about five hundred meters from the flag, securing the animal to a tree and patting it slightly. "I'll be back soon," her soothing voice calming it down before she moved off.

Her leather boots gathered the dust from the ground below, but she did not seem to notice. Most of her effort was focused on securing her whip to her waist. Her pride and joy was this weapon, which she had been trained to use for animal training and "self defense" alike. Her outfit hugged her figure very closely, accentuating her womanly curves. The only thing that demonstrated the slightest bit of modesty over the skin tight material was a leather breast plate which protected her chest and shoulders, though her arms were left revealed. A (obviously male) design in her armor accentuated her chest area, which also sacrificed protection to allow revealing of cleavage. Below her armor, she wore a tight belt in which she had a variety of useful tricks and also the holster to which she secured her belt. Her slender figures were protected by leather gauntlets, which reached just below her elbow.

From a distance, Miranda looked quite imposing. The majority of her outfit was bright red in color, with the beige belt, armor and gauntlets contrasting. As she approached the guard to the rather small complex, she began to compose herself. She had always been aware of what she could achieve as a woman and knew that this was why she was always sent on these types of missions.

"I'm here for the dancers," she said softly, though it was audible enough that the man in front of her could hear. As she threw her long blonde hair backwards and gazed at him with her ocean blue eyes, "My name is Miranda and I work for the Order."

As proof, she removed her left gauntlet and displayed her palm, upon which was painted the symbol of the Order.

Without second thought, the guard hid his blushing cheeks and lusting eyes, quickly calling his comrade from the main area. He arrived even faster.

"Right this way, Ma'am... I assure you that our dancers are even bett-"

Miranda quickly cut him off. "I'm not here to chit-chat with you..." she allowed herself a small smirk before they made their way towards the largest building in the area.

"Worm."

[Jasmine]

“Right this way, ma’am.”

The guard quickly led the way down the short hallway to the courtyard outside. The girls looked up tiredly as they heard the sound of footsteps grinding across the gravel of the courtyard. Dorgorth turned and smiled regally. Walking over to Miranda with fluid grace, he bowed extravagantly, then rose with a flourish.

“Greetings, Miss Miranda. The dancers are here, ready for your inspection and selection. Should you want any display you have only to tell them so yourself. Excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back. Go ahead and begin your browsing.”

While Miranda could begin looking at his wares, Dorgorth slipped off to his office for a moment. When he returned, he held a heavy looking box. An oily and highly pleased smile hovered on his lips as he quickly caught up to Miranda.

“Are there any that you fancy yet, Miss Miranda? They are all excellent dancers. Each chosen because she was the very best I could find.”

Jasmine watched from the far end of the line. She could not hear what was being said at the other end of the line. With 20 or 30 other girls here, it would be a little while before they got to her. Blue eyes watched apprehensively as the woman came slowly closer and closer, hoping fervently that the order would be filled before the armor-clad woman got to her.

[Raelyse]

Miranda smirked as she walked from one end of the prison cell to the other, watching at these pathetic examples of women. They deserved this fate, for selling their bodies to understand men who were pathetic. For a moment, she paused as she began to draw parallels between these girls and her, with reference to her relationship with him. Was she that different to them? She sighed for a moment and suddenly started to feel angry. Her fingers reached for a whip, eager to race back to his horse, sprint back to Erebus and show what she really could do.

Miranda only entertained that thought for a few moments though, because she quickly composed herself. She comforted herself by telling her that at least she still had her dignity, unlike these ones who were covered in dirt filled scantily clad outfits. Her smirk only grew wider as she walked down the aisle, before stopping in front of a girl. She wore what could only be described as a piece of string which just barely covered her nipples and reproductive organ. Her breasts were largely the size of her head and her body seemed to be perfectly sculpted.

"You," Miranda said, staring at the girl through the bars. Her fingers instinctively wrapped around her whip, slowly and unknown to everyone present, pulled it from its holster. "What's your name?"

"Tiffany," she replied in an almost bright, almost positive voice.

Miranda nearly laughed out loud. "And where did you... how do I put this... Where did you... arouse men?"

Tiffany blinked for a second, before she smiled and replied. "The Dwarven Fondler, of course!"

Miranda cocked her head back and laughed out loud, repeating the name of that institution many times before continuing to guffaw, louder and louder each time.

Tiffany did not find it nearly as funny and pushed her face straight into the bars, spitting at Miranda.

"That's not funny, you whore! Do you know why I work the-"

Instantly, the laughter stopped. Her fingers tightened around the grip of her handle. She cracked it, before thrusting it forward, whipping the blonde beauty across the face. She followed it up by raising it again, this time whipping her across the chest. Her fragile body fell to the ground, the two wounds instantly drawing blood. The male slavers took a step back, watching as Miranda drew in her whip and wrapping it around her fingers.

"Now, listen here," she said as she gazed around the room, eyeing everyone, regardless of gender. "These women are worse than animals. No, excuse me... these bitches are worse than the dirt that covers their bodies."

She began to walk down the cell again, smirking as she did so. She eyed each and every one, talking as she did so. "And not even animals have the right to talk back, so why should any of these whores?"

When she reached near the end, she spied a black haired beauty that looked like she would have some semblance of intelligence.

"You," she said, cracking her whip loudly again. "You look slightly less likely of caring a venereal disease.... What's your name?"

[Jasmine]

Jasmine’s blue eyes flashed amethyst for a brief moment, before she caught Dorgorth warning glare. Swallowing her pride, she spoke up, doing her best to keep her tone humble and her voice calm. She had watched with some apprehension as she showed the expertise with which she could use her whip.

“It is Jasmine, ma’am. I was dancing at the Swallowtail Tavern but only because there were no mercenary type jobs available. These cretins didn’t even give me a chance to fight back.”

Her efforts to keep her pride out of her voice failed toward the end. She did not look at Miranda or any of the other guards. She knew she would probably be punished for her insults of her captors, but she didn’t care.

The guards remained silent and Dorgorth stood still, waiting to see what Miranda would do about this young woman’s answer. Having seen the way she treated Tiffany, none were quite sure how this whip-carrying woman would react. Jasmine didn’t care. The other girls peered down the line to see how it would end.

Always knew Tiffany’s big mouth would get her in trouble. Bet she’s hoping I get the same treatment. Maybe this lady will figure out that I don’t even want to be a dancer. Stupid lack of jobs! If I had one I wouldn’t be in this situation...

Still berating herself for not being able to get a job, Jasmine still did not meet Miranda’s eye. She stared straight ahead, waiting for whatever punishment was going to come.

[Raelyse]

The Ghost Hand Order would soon have a hearty supply of women and no doubt, that would result in perhaps, a swift and effective promotion for her. Like she had felt just as she left, this seemed to be the time for her to gain her promotion, to become the warrior and commander that she deserved to be. Her fingers tightened on her whip, eager to demonstrate its power on this young dark haired woman. Miranda did admit to herself that she was a bit different to the rest. She definitely had more brains than at least the other one, who seemed to have brains that even her horse would refuse.

"Why, what a nice big imagination you have there, Jasmine. Did you get it when this disgusting creature," she turned to look at Dorgorth, who had summoned two lackeys. "... was fucking your brains out? Half of these 'ladies' seem like that is their problem. Their brains appear to be fucked out."

She turned and laughed before turning and walking back down the aisle, quickly counting the amount of girls that were here. There were thirty in total and because she had received no explicit instructions as to how many dancers she was to bring back, Miranda decided to bring the bulk of them back with her to Erebus. Maybe that would impress him.

"Ma'am?" Dorgorth said, slowly, almost lecherously. "Out of curiosity, what's your there breast plate made out of?"

"What?" Miranda, asked out of surprise. She was beginning to grow agitated at this situation and swiftly decided at that moment that she wanted to accomplish this mission immediately. "Keep your perverted eyes to yourself."

"I just wondered, your master... he'd pay much more if you were one of the dancers, wouldn't he?" the slaver said, licking his lips. Instantly, two men appeared from behind some crates, each grabbing one of Miranda's arms. Her lanky ones were no match for their larger, muscular ones. Dorgorth and his other two lackeys advanced on her, licking his lips more and more vigorously as she approached. "You little cocktease bitch. Think you can come here and order my men around, insult me, damage my goods... without repayment?"

"Dorgorth, who do you think I am?" Miranda said, almost amused at this situation.

"In a few moments," the large man replied.” You’ll be nothing more than a bleeding hole." He chuckled to himself before walking towards the staircase slowly, before telling his men, "Do what you want, boys."

The two men formerly with Dorgorth had already begun undressing and advancing on their target. Miranda tossed her blonde hair backwards, laughing loudly. This would be fun.

She lifted both of her legs up, slamming her boots onto the toes of the two men who held onto her. They instantly let go of her, yelping in pain as they moved backwards. By slamming hard on her boots, Miranda also triggered a foot long blade to thrust forward from within her shoe. Instantly, she took one step forward and lifted one up, using her left foot as support before she planted her right boot blade in the side of the torso of the nearer thug to her. He instantly fell to the ground, dead but was quickly joined by his comrade. He tried to run, but Miranda instantly let her right foot land on the ground, before using it as a pivot and slamming the back of her left boot into the other thug's waist. Before he even had a chance to groan, her left foot landed on the ground and functioned as a second pivot, repeating the maneuver to stab the lackey in the side of his torso.

"Bastards," she laughed to herself. The other two thugs had seen what had happened and looking to have nothing more than bruised toes, turned and belted off in random directions, hiding behind whatever was in this dank basement.

"Cowards!" Dorgorth screamed. He instantly started to try to do the same, but felt his leg fall from beneath him, his chin landing hard on the ground below, instantly knocking a few of his teeth out. He felt Miranda's whip tightening around his right leg, and before he even had a chance to scamper away, she was upon him. She flipped his body over so he now lay on his back, his obese belly revealed.

"Now, Dorgorth," she pressed the bottom of her boot on his chest, letting the blade slowly descend ever so slowly. "Now that you know what I can do, let me tell you something. Never mess with the Order and particularly not me. Do you know who I am now? I'm a Ghost Hand Partisan, I'm the elite, the best of the best. And the only reason I'm here must be because my master wants me to do something to you, though he doesn't care as long as I bring him back his dancers."

She threw her blonde hair backwards and flashed him a sadistic smirk. "So tell me, after that little stunt you tried to pull... can you give me a reason why I shouldn't take the initiative and just... skin you alive?"

[Jasmine]

Jasmine struggled not to speak out again as Miranda delivered her little speech. The battle showed clearly on the young woman’s face, but she won the battle in the end. She nearly had to bite her tongue to do so, but she managed to keep her mouth shut. Sapphire eyes watched the woman make her way back down the aisle. They glanced over to Dorgorth and saw the anger at her insults there.

What’s he gonna do?

The question was answered sooner than she expected. Apparently, Dorgorth’s men thought they could over power Miranda easily and did not stoop to the same level to get her as they had done with Jasmine. Her look became amused as she watched Miranda easily defeat the clumsy oafs then attack Dorgorth. Though she despised that the woman was there to purchase slaves, she could not help but feel pleased that Dorgorth was to receive some type of punishment.

Dorgorth watched in amazement as his men were quickly dispatched before his attempt to flee. This was not turning out as good as he had hoped. Before he could get very far though, Miranda had him pinned to the ground and a look to kill in her eyes. He just lay there for a moment, completely speechless, then the words came out, tumbling over themselves in his fear.

“Y-you need me, Miss Miranda. I’m the only one who knows how the slave bands work, Without me you won’t be able to get them out of here let alone deliver them to your master. Please don’t kill me! I’ll even cut the price in half for all those you wish to take, just please, please spare me!![/I]

Jasmine’s amusement turned to disgust as the slaver begged and pleaded for his life. She knew he was right though. He was the only one that knew how to get the bands off and what words to say to make them work. If Miranda killed him, but whatever means she chose, they would all be stuck for quite some time. Anxious now, Jasmine watched and waited to see what Miranda would do.

[Raelyse]

"Pathetic," Miranda dug her boots deeper into the chest, though she did retract the boot blade. Dorgorth breathed a sigh of relief, happy that he was no longer going to be stabbed to death. Unfortunately, the boot of the girl before him was digging into his lungs and he was on the verge of choking to death. Even the comfort at being able to stare up her armor at her well developed chest did not make up for that, or maybe in his perverted mind it did. She spat on him, then laughed out loud. This one was hearty, lasting at least ten seconds before she stopped and lifted her foot off his chest for a few seconds, before bringing it down again.

"Dorgorth, you attacked me, my dear friend," Miranda mocked. "And now you think a little settlement is going to appease me. I'm a woman, after all, unlike the beasts you sell in your little cages."

She looked around, before smiling. Maybe they could reach a little settlement. "Do you know why they sent me, without any bodyguards at all? Do you know why?"

Dorgorth, shook his head violently and Miranda indulged him, lifting her foot briefly off it. She then moved it to his stomach, instantly knocking the air out of him. At least he wouldn't die, then. "It's because... my master wants to burn this place to the ground and take all of your slaves, all of your lackeys and all of..." Miranda looked down at the man's considerable size. "... All of you and feed it to the dogs. Your bitches, he's going to use them as entertainment for his own purposes."

Dorgorth was clearly shaken, but Miranda gave him no time to respond, she began talking shortly afterwards. "Now, because I'm a lady, I've decided to let you off. You have two choices: One is to die right now, that's probably my favourite. The second is for you to release all of the slaves," her smirk grew wider as her face tilted to examine the reaction on everyone of the girls. "ALL of the slaves. Then load them into that carriage I saw on the way in, the green one with the red stripes. Then, you are to teach me this magical rubbish you speak of."

Miranda then lifted off and walked towards the bars again, stroking them slowly, and looking condescendingly at the girls which stood, their bodies dirty, within. "And then, you and one 'associate' will accompany me to Erebus where your payment will be arranged. See, now you don't have to die? Aren't I nice?"

By now, Miranda had moved while she spoke towards the stairs that took her to the ground level. She threw her hair backwards and looked at the now standing, but shaken Dorgorth. "And Dorgorth, you disgusting pig, try anything and the Seventh Ghost Hand Partisan division will emerge from the forest, set me free, burn this place down, and rape your wife, your mistress, your daughters and your sons faster than I can blink."

She then cocked her head back and laughed out loud, this one was much louder and much longer than the one before it.

"Are we in agreement then?"

She didn't care what he thought though, she simply strode cockily up the stairs, shaking her attractive bottom as she did so.

[Jasmine]

Dorgorth stared after her lustily, still wishing he could find a way to keep her. Then, remembering the ease with which she had defended herself, he changed his mind and strode up to the first girl.

“All right, you heard the lady, men. ‘Tis time for these girls to see their new home.”

One by one, he went down the line and exchanged the plain steel bands around their necks and wrists, for bands that looked far more decorative. They still had the same type of enchantment on them, but they would look nicer than the plain steel the girls had worn once they were captured. The process was taking a bit of time, but went smoothly.

Jasmine watched morosely. Any chance that she might have of making a run for it was completely zeroed out. Each time Dorgorth took off the neck band, a large guard held the girl’s arms so she could not get away. When the change over was complete, another guard would escort her to the waiting carriage. At last, Jasmine’s turn came.

“Well now, me pretty, it looks like I have to let you go. Still, I might be able to get Miss Miranda’s boss to give me a good price for you.”

Out of his box of enchanted steel bands, he drew forth a lovely, delicate looking neck band. It had several loops hanging from the half inch band that went around her neck. Each loop had numerous white and clear beads strung on it, giving it a slightly exotic look. The wrist bands were narrower than the ones she had worn previously, but were just as fanciful as the neckband, with white and clear beads strung onto them as well. The new “jewelry” matched her outfit well, but all Jasmine could see were chains.

“There, that’s the last. Take her up to the carriage and wait for me there. I’ve chosen you as my accompanying associate. Make sure to bring her other belongings. Her new master might like her to have other clothes to change into.”

Turning on his heel, Dorgorth led the way out to the carriage. It was already very full and looked like there might not be enough room for Jasmine, but the guard shoved her in anyway. He then climbed up to the driver’s seat and waited for Dorgorth and Miss Miranda. Dorgorth went in search of Miranda to inform her that all was ready.

“Madam, the slaves are all in the carriage. We are waiting only for you to show us the way. Oh, I almost forgot, here is the paper with all the magic words you’ll need to control the slaves. A description of what each phrase does is next to it. You can change how far away they can get from either a person or a thing. You can also inflict pain and suffering without damaging them outwardly. Is there anything else that you require, Miss Miranda?”

Dorgorth stood, silent now, as he awaited Miranda’s answer. He was still a bit shaken from her display of speed and agility. He had no intentions of arousing her anger again, but he could not help the lustful look in his eyes as he gazed at her.

[Raelyse]

Miranda grabbed the piece of paper form Dorgoth's hands, reading the crap that was scribbled on it. Having no magical aptitude at all, she did not find any of it meaning anything more than chicken scratching. She simply shoved it into her belt, before turning to look at her spoils from this mission. Even her expectations were exceeded, so she could not think what her leader would say. As she had thought so much in the previous hours, she was so confident that this would be the time. This would be the time that she would succeed.

"Bring three lackeys and get yourself in the main carriage, I'm driving. You don't know the way to Erebus, anyway..." Miranda began, watching as Dorgoth motioned for three men to get inside. After they did, their master went inside but could not help gazing lecherously at Miranda as he climbed inside. Instantly, the woman grabbed him by his ankles and threw him to the ground, her boots stepping on his throat again. "Look at me like that ever again and I'll make sure that I'll strap one of those collars to your crotch and sing those songs until the cows come home."

She lifted her boot off his throat and watched as he climbed onto the carriage, a smirk forming on her face. She was used to men giving her those kinds of looks, but this was the first time she was able to act on her emotions. Miranda then moved towards one of the guards, her fingers grabbing her whip as she did so.

"You," she began. "Find my white horse in the plains somewhere around this camp and follow me to Erebus. Oh and if you mistreat it, I'll know. And I'll kill you."

Miranda turned around and made for the carriage, though she grabbed two large branches along the way. She shoved one into either side of the carriage door in between it and the rest of the carriage, to ensure that the doors would stay shut during their journey. She then jumped into the driver's seat, whipped the horses as gently as she could and moved towards Erebus.

When the mountain figures became evident and their destination was nearing, Miranda opened up the small window between the carriage and the driver and spoke. "Dorgorth, once we come to a halt, you will stay there until my master arrives. You will not leave the carriage until that happens. When it does, you will show him the dancers and he will take... ALL of them."

"And what about my price?"

"My master is wealthy, he'll give you..."

Miranda could not finish the sentence and instead cocked her head of long blonde hair backwards, shut the small window and laughed so loudly and so sadistically that her eyes nearly teared up.

[Jasmine]

Dorgorth quickly obeyed Miranda. He wanted to get done with this quickly now. In the carriage with the rest of the girls, Jasmine sat on the floor. There was barely enough room, most girls had another girl in their lap to make room and others, like Jasmine, sat on the floor. The carriage started moving slowly and Jasmine tried to get up to where she could look out the window. Maybe she would see some kind of landmark that would tell her where she was so she could escape.

It didn’t do her any good. The landscape around them was completely unfamiliar to the young woman. She didn’t even know where they were going. With a heavy sigh, she plopped back down on the floor, waiting for their arrival at wherever it was that Miranda worked. From what she’d heard Miranda say, it was the woman’s boss who wanted the dancers. Who was her master, as she had called him? Why did he want a bunch of dancing girls? How was she to escape?

The carriage rolled on, its inhabitants unaware of where they were going or what awaited them. The only thing that any of them knew for certain, was that their job would be simple. Dancing was something they all did well and they knew that it was all they needed. What else might be required of them was yet to be revealed.

The other girls chatted amongst themselves, sometimes trying to get Jasmine into the conversation. Jas ignored them and eventually they gave up. Jas was trying to concentrate on ignoring everything that was in that carriage. In a corner opposite her, she could hear the sounds of two of the girls kissing and fondling each other, completely unashamed of being in front of a bunch of other people. Jasmine only wanted to get out and get away.

Eventually, the carriage rolled to a stop. Voices could be heard outside, but Jasmine could not understand what was being said. Then, the door opened and she was pulled roughly out of the carriage. Her head swivelled this way and that, trying to get her bearings as she was pulled off to one side, then instructed to stand still. All she could tell though, was that she was in front of a large building she’d never seen before.

Dorgorth remained in his carriage. Clearly afraid to disobey Miranda’s previous orders.

Jasmine stood in a line with most of the rest of the girls. Not all of them were pulled out of the carriage, just enough so that it wasn't so cramped. They faced a large door, through which came a man dressed as a messenger.

"Prince Raelyse will be with you shortly. In the meantime, no talking."

Jasmine stared at the messenger, the name he spoke ringing in her head. Flashes of barely controlled anger boiled up within her as the feelings following the morning after she'd met him returned.

Raelyse? Surely not, he couldn't really mean Raelyse, could he?

[Sword-for-Hire]

Alright this was a nice thread. Quick read and fairly easy to follow. Good job to both of you and now onto the judging!

Introduction: I was slightly let down here. Although I learned that Jasmine was pretty much broke, I knew little more about her. In the introduction, make sure you give a quick sentence or two briefly describing where she was last or something memorable that she did very recently. Dropping us off like that in a strip bar is fine and dandy. Authors do it all the time, but they make sure to give the reader some type of history about the character. Rae did a decent job of doing this with Miranda. I eventually learned she wasn't as quiet and humble as I first thought her out to be. (5)

Setting: This wasn't so great. Wasn't "omgz u r teh sux" bad, but it definately could've been better. The areas weren't described very much and I often found myself lost without a anchored background. The people in them were definately solid and punctuated, but make sure you both work on describing the area around you a bit more. (3.5)

Strategy: I liked this. Very much. In fact, I loved it. I'd like to marry it. You both performed actions that were believable and noteworthy to every character, especially Dogorth. Jasmine did a fine job of playing the helpless part since she "knew" every plan could be foiled and Miranda just completely kicked ass. She wasn't "overpowered", but I'd becareful of that fine line you were walking. If you killed anyone by simply looking at them, I feel I may have had to consider powergaming. But you didn't and neither did any of the NPCs, so good job to both of you on that! (8)

Writing Style: Rae has a solid grip on a style of writing, which is blocked and works well with the context; also very few errors. Some "he she" issues, but nothing terribly bad. Jasmine did a good job of keeping things moving smoothly and vert little errors as well. At times I did feel a bit of rough reading, especially during the scene of the fighting, so you might want to reread your fight scenes. (5)

Rising Action: This worked well with the Strategy, since Miranda was so explosive, I couldn't tell when she'd pop the next guy. You let things come up and let them drop, just like another judge said, pretty much like a rollercoaster. Good job on working together on that. (6.5)

Dialogue: Limited. I wasn't as impressed with this as I'd hope to be, but you did a decent job with it. The main problem arose when you'd both use Dogorth. When someone uses an NPC that isn't theirs, be sure to revise the speech patterns with the creator. Tell them what you want him/her to say and have them give you a sentence. It might seem tedious, but if you had...this would've easily gotten an 8, but Dogorth's off-beat talking really threw me off. (6)

Climax: I'd say this was done fairly well. Dogorth quickly learned he'd be castrated if he messed up after his encounter with Miranda and was submissive throughout. You worked well using his actions (both of you), so I gave you an extra point for that. (6.5)

Character: Another great part. I was completely into Jasmine and Miranda and they had me tearing through every post. I especially liked the way the other dancers were acting (*coughmakeoutcough*) and the guards after they got worked. Also, the way you added the line "Worm." at the end of that post was awesome. Right away I was starting to wonder who this Miranda girl was and what she was capable of. Good job! (7.5)

Conclusion: Damn. I must say this wasn't very neatly nailed down. The last line did well in the whole "Wait what? She's knows him? How? Where?! Why isn't there another damn post!?!"....BUT...You failed to keep the interest there. If you would've hinted towards how she knew him or from where or from what rumor or whatever, really would've finished the thread. However, Rae's incredibly long laugh at the end with Miranda did well in hinting at what was going to become of Dogorth and his men. So it balanced out in the end. (6.5)

Wild Card: Well, all in all, good job. Hope to see the sequel to this thread and don't hesitate to request me when you finish! (7.5)

Total Score: 62

Jasmine gains 1612 exp and 125 gp!
Raelyse gains 2604 exp and 150 gp!

[Thoracis]

EXP and GP added!