Group role-play: Maeyja, Raife

Part 1 - Dance
Part 2 - Recruitment
Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Maeyja | Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Raife

Maeyja - New recruit
'FLOMPH.'
The sound was that of a very determined cat, pouncing between the folds of a great sea of wool bedding to a wriggling target of string. She ducked between a particularly large fold, her golden eyes enormous and her bottom wiggling intently as she eyed her prey. A gentle purr was emitted from her throat as she prepared to pounce.
'FLOMPH.'
She landed again, this time catching the piece of string in her paws. She rolled on to her side in triumph and began chewing at the piece with her sharp little teeth. In a few seconds she was tangled up in her defeated target, purring contentedly.
Maeyja laughed joyfully at that cat's antics and scooped her up in her arms. She nuzzled the kitten who protested firmly in her arms to be set back down and return to gloating. 'I know, it's horrible to have someone love you, isn't?' she said sarcastically, setting the cat back down on the bed. The cat glared at her icily and then took to bathing.
Maeyja sighed and stared blankly into the fire at the far side of the room. She enjoyed these small moments of entertainment. They were so few and far between in the days since her interlude with Raife. She didn't have the option to leave, so she spent most of her time thinking or sleeping and it wore on her quite heavily.
'Maeyja?'
She turned her gaze to the door, analyzing the voice outside of it. Of course, who else? It was Raife. He turned the handle of her door and stepped inside, studying her apprehensively. A long silence passed between them before he spoke again. 'Are you ill? It is afternoon and you're still in bed.'
'Oh,' Maeyja muttered, pulling back her tousled hair. Bathing hadn't really occurred to her in these few days since she spent so much time sleeping. 'No, I'm fine. I've just been tired lately.'
'Well, bathe and get dressed. You're training with Mernak.'
Maeyja's jaw dropped. 'Training? What? For what?'
He looked at her sternly. 'I'm recruiting you for the army. You're a spy and you have potential. I might as well make the most use of you. Get dressed and meet Mernak out in the training field on the west side of the base.' And with that he turned to leave, not even giving Maeyja a second glance.

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Maeyja - Power
This story is continued from Mernak’s 'Training Maeyja'.
'Damn you Mernak,' Maeyja spat as she trudged wearily through the stone halls of the base, rubbing her bruised back with her tired arms. It was hard enough that she didn't have nearly enough stamina for combat let alone being flung into a stone wall. After the intense training, all she really wanted to do was sink into a warm bath and relax.
After entering a vacant bathing room, she stripped and settled into the tub, letting her aching body slowly relax in the warm water. Her mind that had been screaming a million lewd oaths about being recruited into this damned army finally subdued and she began to think rationally.
'I suppose it's not all so bad,' she thought to herself. Spying was something she could do well, but fighting was completely different. It was intriguing to her to see how stealth and combat could be used together and she picked it up fairly quickly. 'But what about the reasoning behind this? Raife doesn't randomly make decisions. I suppose I can't really regret any of this... in fact, this is a better offer than I imagined. Rather than being put to my death I've been given skills to become a very deadly woman beyond a mere Nadrak dancer. Perhaps I don't mind being in this army after all... the power that could be gained from this...' she trailed off, gloating in the possibilities.

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Raife - Black
Raife watched Mernak and Maeyja train from a balcony with a grim satisfaction. The master spy was building up a sweat deflecting the Nadrak's blows, that meant Maeyja had the potential. Although she didn't look very elegant flying across the courtyard with her legs sprawled over her head, but perhaps it would be good for her stubborn attitude if her pride suffered a little. Watching them for a few more minutes, he went inside to grab some lunch before the rest of his day.
He was in quite a good mood. Earlier in the morning he had dealt with Gethrk...not killing him of course, but making sure he was scared enough to stay in line and not run to Cyras. Even if Cyras was the Dragon God's right hand, Gethrk was merely a pawn and would not be spared if he went crawling to the Archgrolim. The poor pawn would not be attending any meetings for a while, he needed time to recover from the hot iron rectal exam he received. Remembering his screams of pain brought a rather large smile to Raife's face and passing by soldiers looked at him questioningly until he glanced their way and they went to attention.
All on all things were looking much better then they had last week. He hadn't heard from Cyras in a long while, which suggested that he was occupied with other activities. With any luck he wouldn't bother Raife for a long time. Grolims always had a way of messing up good plans with religious fanaticism.

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Maeyja - Decisions
Maeyja finished her bath and wearily made her way back to her small room. It was a complete disaster from her earlier hysterics and she immediately set to straightening it up again. After it was organized to her liking and a fire stirred in her hearth, she sank into her bed and began to contemplate.
'If Raife chose not to kill me, he must feel I'm valuable. In order for someone to be valuable, there must be a plan for you.' She paused to mull that over in her mind. 'What is his plan for me then?' She tugged at a piece of her hair and began to chew at it ruthlessly. 'He knows Cyras hired me, but sure he doesn't know why... even I don't know why I was hired. I know I was meant to gather information, but for what?'
Her last thought dropped and a slow smile crept across her face. 'Ah... ' she said aloud, her eyes twinkling with delight. 'I bet Raife wants me to find out why Cyras is doing this for him. Perhaps I'm not surrounded by enemies after all. Isn't it quaint that his master spy, who more than likely discovered my employment, is training me? ' She laughed aloud. 'How devious of you Raife... or stupid. What a very complicated way to force us to collaborate with each other. This whole mess seems to be made a lot more complicated than it should be.'
'But then what happens to me after we do find out the truth? Will I then become another Nadrak enslaved in this army?' She frowned at the idea of losing her power from her association with Raife and specialized training with Mernak.
'Well then, I suppose I will have to prove my worth. But do I really want to make my allegiance to a hateful God?'
She was half propelled by fear to make this final decision within herself and half driven by her lust for power. She feared enslavement and brutal treatment, but reveled in the idea of being valued and deadly. And perhaps if she made herself worthy in the eyes of the Army, she would do so in Raife's eyes. She had much to gain... and a lot to lose.
'Well, Holy Torak, it seems you do have some beauty in you after all, ' she said with a sly smile. 'I may not be more than a mere soldier now, but I will prove my worth. And perhaps with this collaboration with Raife and Mernak, I can gain some ounce of respect and standing. This all weighs heavily on Cyras' "purpose" however, so I must see to it that this plot is unraveled. I will talk to Raife after my training in the morning.'
She sighed with exhaustion and leaned back into her bed. After a few moments she drifted to sleep with a faint smile drawn across her lips.

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Maeyja - Teacher's pet
The following morning Maeyja awoke just before dawn, jer limbs were aching from her training the previous day. As she pulled herself from her bed, she felt as though someone had filled her body with gallons of sand. It took her an hour to coax the strength back into her muscles and ready herself for yet another day of training.
She entered the training field to find Mernak leaning against a stone wall, throwing small knives with deadly precision at distant practice dummy. He didn't bother to look at her as she entered but merely commented on how clearly he could hear her dragging her feet through the halls of the base. She grimaced at that and turned her attention to the ground as she waited for him to finish his target practice. She barely heard the whistle of a blade fly toward her as her mind wandered and immediately felt the pain of steel searing flesh.
'Pay attention,' Mernak snapped, slipping the remaining daggers in his pocket. 'In combat you don't have the luxury of staring off into space. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you should always be completely aware of your surroundings.'
Maeyja glared at him hotly as she felt the small cut on her neck. 'Looks like you missed your target,' she said sarcastically, wiping away the trickle of blood from her pale skin.
Mernak laughed wickedly. 'What makes you think that my intention wasn't to graze your neck?'
Maeyja brushed off the comment, hiding her awe at how someone could have such acute accuracy. 'Well, what are we working on today Master spy?' she asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

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Maeyja - Blinded
'We'll be working on your sense of hearing.' Mernak stated calmly as he pulled out a blindfold from his black pocket.
'Oh, like I haven't heard this line before' Maeyja muttered, rolling her eyes with disgust. As she did so, Mernak soundly kneed her in the stomach, sending her reeling on the ground.
'I don't much care for your attitude woman. I don't care if you're a Nadrak and I certainly don't care about your customs. I know how you women are. You think that you can give every man around you attitude just because you've got a few shiny daggers belted at your waist. This isn't Gar og Nadrak Maeyja, and I'm not some silly fur trader. I'm a trained spy and I won't put up with your antics. You're in the army now. Your beauty won't earn you respect, only your skill.'
Maeyja refrained from looking up at Mernak and spitting some rather crude insults. Images of driving her dagger into her chest flooded her mind, driving her into an irrational rage. She bit her lip hard to calm herself, forcing herself to reason. What he said was true. She was a soldier now and her female charms would do her no good here.
'All right then,' Mernak said, pulling Maeyja up from the ground. She looked at him calmly, her blue eyes hard as ice. 'I'm going to blind fold you. Everything we do from now on, you do with your ears alone. This will enhance your awareness and give you an edge in combat. Let's get started.’

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Maeyja - Developing the senses
Maeyja's training with Mernak proved to be fruitful. At first she felt exposed, barely able to hear any movement from around the field. She suffered many blows from her mentor and her body was heavily bruised and marked with minor cuts. Over time, however, her hearing improved and she was able to hear the slightest sounds and movements. She did have a bit of a problem discerning between sounds and found herself attacking bushes that rustled in the wind or a passing soldier, but that too improved with time.
'Well Maeyja, you really are showing some promise,' Mernak said as he removed the blindfold from her face. She gasped as the light of the sun seared into her eyes, sending flashes of pain through her skull. 'Oh yes, I forgot about that. I suppose we should have went inside where the light is dimmer. Oh well, you'll adjust.'
Maeyja smirked, covering her eyes with her hands and gradually adjusting them to the sunlight. 'Mernak?' Maeyja asked quickly as she heard his faint footsteps turn to leave.
'Yes?'
'Would you accompany me to Raife's office? I need to speak with him and I think it is necessary for you to be there as well.'
Mernak raised his eyebrow at her. 'May I inquire the reasoning?'
'I'll explain when we get there,' Maeyja said, dropped her hand from her face now that her eyes were fully adjusted. 'It is something that affects all of us, however, and I think it needs to be brought in the open and discussed.'
He nodded slowly in agreement. 'Well then, let's go,' he said, walking with Maeyja to the interior of the military base.

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Raife - Two Assassins and a Funeral
Footsteps echoed through the halls as Maeyja and Mernak strolled through the sea of soldiers all on their various tasks. Maeyja walked with determination, Mernak with inclination, together they had little trouble parting the young recruits that blocked their path.
Upon barging into Raife's room they found him studying a rather old and haggard text. Looking up from his readings he asked 'And to whom do I owe the pleasure? This visit is rather unexpected? ' He looked to Mernak but was greeted with neither answer nor explanation as Mernak glanced to Maeyja. She raised her head and started to speak, from the sound of it she had prepared this speech. 'Now that we are all together, I'd like to discuss something that has been on my mind. Recently interesting events have begun to unfold in front of me and I have been left asking myself why. The only logical conclusion is that something is being kept from me.' She turned to Raife. He sat in his chair for a while with a perplexed look on his face. 'All right' he finally admitted. 'Perhaps something is being kept from you, but what would possess me to share this information?' 'Because I l... ' Maeyja began in a moment of hot headedness but immediately change her sentence 'lack Murgo blood that I might not be privy to such scheming. If I am not brought in on this plot I refuse to take part.'
Mernak, who was watching the two came in slowly, 'Might I interrupt, how do you know what is participating and what is not?' he asked rather smugly. This caused Maeyja to glare at him. She did not like being poked fun at. 'Okay my friends' Raife suggested in a quiet but serious tone. 'I do not have the time for such bantering and my head has been split open with an axe.'
Mernak and Maeyja looked expectantly at Raife, neither of them knew the reasoning behind his decisions and both were at least a little bit curious as to why they were working together. 'It's rather simple,' Raife stated 'I need to find out what Cyras is up to and Maeyja is the only person who might be able to ferret that information for me. Gethrk knows this but I have silenced him. Maeyja cannot go to Cyras with this information because he will dispose of any threats so she is stuck. ' Both listeners seemed rather upset by the information he had given, they expected something a bit intriguing. Raife chuckled at the two, 'Purely politics, do not forget that Cyras and I still have the same mortal enemy.'
The two assassins left the chambers shortly, mumbling about the stupid games of rulers. Maeyja grumbled a bit more because she was a pawn caught between two kings, but at least it was better then being dead.

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Maeyja - Thoughts
Maeyja wandered through the halls of the military base, her mind empty and her body feeling ragged. Two days of training was taking its toll and she knew it would only get worse from here. She tried to remind herself why she chose to continue this life, but her reasons were of little comfort. Everyone desires power, but at the end of the day when the body is torn and the mind burnt out, it means little and Maeyja was at this point.
She decided once again to relax herself in a private bathing room, letting the warm water soothe her aching muscles. She was emotionally frustrated on so many levels that she finally went numb to all of her concerns. Raife was confusing he didn't seem to have the slightest interest in her. She smiled ruefully as she thought back to their first days together when he was enamored with her Nadrak charms. Now she was just a traitor to him and now a pawn in some political chess game. His interest in her seemed to wane dramatically and that hurt more than anything.
She couldn't decide what bothered her more, the fact that she would put down her barriers for him or the fact that he rejected her. Half of her wanted to build up her resolve and push him out of her life. The other half of her wanted to strive and succeed in hopes to impress him. At least then she'd have respect. Both choices held little hope.
Somehow she had to find out what Cyras was up to. How was she supposed to outsmart one of the highest ranking Grolims? Did Raife honestly believe that she was at all capable of such a task? Perhaps he knew she wasn't and thought this to be an easy way to get rid of her. She sighed, splashing warm water on her face to clear her thoughts. The fact of the matter was, she knew very little of anything. Raife was right, she was no more than a pawn in a game that only Raife knew how to play. 'I wonder what his next move will be, ' she muttered, sinking further into the waters as her mind wandered.

The story continues in RP channel log 11, then in the RP channel logs, then continues here in the storyboards.

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Raife - Good Morning!
It was late in the afternoon when Maeyja finally pulled herself from her slumber. The evening before had proved to be quite an eventful one and she was exhausted and her muscles sore. With a sly smile, she looked over at Raife's half exposed body beside her and patted him lightly on the cheek... His other cheek.
Despite Raife's exhaustion, he immediately responded to the touch and rolled over in his bed with a heavy groan. He groggily opened his eyes and looked at Maeyja who was giving him a very seductive smile. 'Good morning, ' he said sluggishly. He really wanted to roll over in bed, but the look Maeyja gave him made it fairly clear that she had something in mind... Again. 'You know, with all that stamina you could slay a whole army, ' he muttered, as the little Nadrak rolled on top of him and began showering him with kisses.
'I guess I can't really complain, ' Raife thought inwardly, brushing a lock of her hair from his face that was tickling his nose. 'I could really use some sleep though... Mmmnever mind.'

The story is continued in the RP channel log between Maeyja and Raife.

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Maeyja - Good morning sunshine
Maeyja awoke early the following morning before the first white rays of sunlight stretched across the Kahsha desert. She stood next to the single, squat window in the far side of the living area, looking out upon the barren streets longingly. That window teased her, constantly reminding her of the freedom she once had. Even the desolate streets with the brooding Dagashi filtering through looked more inviting than her current situation. She sighed and finally settled down into a chair across from Raife, pulling a blanket around her shoulders.
'Lazy ass,' she grumbled, staring at Raife's sleeping form. His arm was contorted grotesquely and his head had fallen back leaving his mouth hanging wide open. She half expected him to join her in bed last night despite her hysterics and was surprised to find him asleep in the living area. Almost in response to her grumbling, Raife snorted and adjusted in his chair for a few short moments, trying to find some manageable position to sleep in.
'Good morning. I half expected you to sleep all day,' Maeyja said tartly. He winced as he adjusted his body once more, slowly pulling himself up from the chair. 'Well? Aren't you going to say something?' she asked, her tone clearly revealing her irritation.
'Good morning,' he said laconically as he began liberally rubbing his neck and shoulder. 'Is there anything to eat?'
Maeyja pulled herself up from her chair and meandered into the tiny kitchen, giving Raife the cold shoulder as she passed him. He shook his head, muttering under his breath. Lately, she had been nothing but irritating to him. Her moods fluctuated constantly from a doting wife to a lethal snake. Her verbal assaults grew more wild and exotic to the point where they were almost intolerable. When her mouth wasn't running off, she was busy throwing up in a bucket and consumed wit h illness. He assumed the visit from the Murgo woman last night was to treat Maeyja's illness, but he had a feeling there was more to the visit than what appeared.
'Maeyja,' he began seriously as she set down a plate of bread and cheese. 'Are you pregnant?'

The story is continued in the RP channel log between Maeyja and Raife.

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Small talk
Raife bowed his head underneath the hood of his black robe. His body felt tired and uncomfortable from the unnatural heat of the Araga desert. He rode astride Captain Keltek and three other Dagashi who all wore similar black hooded robes. They traveled at a steady pace through the endless stretch of white sand.
'How much further?' Raife croaked, his throat parched and dry.
The Captain turned to him and shrugged. 'A few days at best,' he said and began rummaging through a pack tied to his horse. He pulled out a flask made of animal hide and handed it to Raife. 'Drink sparingly,' he said. 'We packed enough water, but it is better to ration it in case of an emergency.'
Raife nodded in agreement, taking a swig of water and handed it back to the captain. He turned his gaze back to the desert, his eyes beginning to glaze over as he fell into a heat-induced daze.
'Daydreaming General?' Keltek asked a while later, his lips curved into a bemused smile.
'Just pleasant thoughts of being home in Rak Cthol is all.' Keltek nodded soberly. 'The life of a military man is always subject to the whims of their superiors. I was lucky to have a few months with my wife. She is six months pregnant and we suspect that it will be a boy.'
'Congratulations Captain. I'm also expect...' Raife's voice trailed off.
Keltek laughed. 'You worry too much General. I've seen some strange things in my lifetime and your situation isn't all that bad. Our Dagashi are a bit rough around the edges, but very skilled and I'm sure your son will do fine.' 'Well Captain, you're well on your way to a promotion with that kind of flattery,' Raife said, grinning broadly. 'However, I don't think the rest of the Murgo population would be so accepting of my situation. I'd prefer to keep it a quiet affair.'
'I wouldn't worry too much about it General. Perhaps you could take on a Murgo wife later? It might help your image.'
Raife shook his head. 'No, I'm afraid Maeyja would gut me in my sleep with one of her daggers. I'd rather keep my life than a sparkling reputation.'
'Well General, look at it this way - if you remain favored by Cyras, I doubt anyone will question you. I'm fairly sure everyone would be too afraid to even think about it.'
Raife laughed. 'Cyras' favorite? I'm more like a play toy. I always throught Murgodom strived for seperation of church and state affairs, but lately it feels like the church is running the state affairs altogether.'
'King Urgit is a bit of a weakling. He probably has no idea whose strings Cyras is pulling... including his own. When you put a disciple of Torak together with the High Priest of the Grolim hierarchy, things began to look a little frightening for everyone... King and citizen alike.'

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Misfits
Raife raised his eyebrow. 'Who? What do you mean?'
'Oh,' Keltek said, furrowing his brow. 'Zarnal is the new High Priest. Didn't you know that? Him and Cyras seem to be close friends. Well...as close as any Grolim really gets to one another which is always at a daggers length away.'
Low chuckling erupted from one of the black robed Dagashi with them. Raife and Keltek looked at each other questioningly and then at the Dagashi.
'Forgive me for eavesdropping, it's a way of life,' he said, shrugging beneath his cloak.
Raife chuckled. 'A Dagashi with a sense of humor? Well, we really are turning into a band of misfits.'
The Dagashi slowed and reared his horse in next to Raife. 'My name is Moriar,' he muttered. 'I'm sort of Jaharb's personal eyes and ears.'
Raife bowed his head slightly to Moriar. 'A General then?'
Moriar laughed wryly. 'Hardly. Just a little quicker on my feet than the rest of these bastards.' He jerked his tumb at the two Dagashi trailing them.
'I wonder why he would s end you to escort me then. It seems like a fairly petty thing to do.'
'You're a fairly important man at the moment General,' he said bluntly. 'There's more going on than you've been told yet.'
Raife frowned. 'Oh?'
'Aye, the general stationed at Araga isn't the only one who has been assassinated. It turns out the leaders of several other military bases are dropping like flies.'
The light air that had surrounded the traveling band seemed to darken noticeably. Raife's expression deepened into grave concern as he thought over the Dagashi's words. 'Taking me to my doom then?' he asked.
Moriar shook his head. 'Not if we can figure this out before they put you under. For your sake, let's hope whoever the assassin is makes a bad mistake or else this may become really ugly.'

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