Rise of the Night/Run of Night

The makeshift mess hall rang with laughter as Shiva started dragging the two men off. Lyla hopped from her seat and started to follow. Someone touched her arm as she passed and she turned to see Kit. He smiled.

"Hey, I'm still struggling with the lower levels. Can you help me when you've got a few minutes?"

"Heh, yeah, sure," she said, bounding off down the hallway.

"See you later then!" he called after her.

She waved absentmindedly as she chased the two captured men, laughing. Shiva didn't drag them far before Lyla was trying to free Shadow.

"What about me?" Congo protested, trying not to laugh.

"I can only save one, Congo!" she said, smacking Shadow in the leg for flailing around while he laughed. "Hold still!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Shiva said, stopping outside the door to her dungeon and picking the last of the egg out of her hair. "Lyla, you're pathetic with rope."

Shiva walked over and untied Shadow's leg, helped him up, and then retied his wrists together.

"There," Shiva said, handing him back to Lyla. She continued down, dragging Congo who just shrugged. "C'mon, you."

Lyla grinned at Shadow and tugged his ropes. He smiled sheepishly and followed her.

"This could have its uses," Lyla teased. "Magi on a leash."

"Very funny," he said, trying to be serious though he was still smiling.

Without more warning than a quick "get in there," Shiva suddenly shoved the both of them into a side room. The door slammed behind them. Lyla turned back and looked at Shadow. She smiled.

"Now what to do with you," she mused.

"You could untie me?" he asked, holding out his wrists.

"I think I'll take a page from Shiva's book and say no," she said, backing him up against the wall. He was trying not to smile but it kept tugging at his lips. She kissed him, gently at first, then harder as he responded.

"Lyla," he said, his voice already husky as she nipped at his neck. She looked up at him as she slowly slid down to her knees in front of him. He watched her closely, flexing his fingers as he moved against the ropes tying his wrists. She grinned and unzipped his pants.

He let out a soft groan as she took him into her mouth. She gripped the back of his left knee, using her other hand to stroke him. Pulling away a moment, she returned with running her tongue up and down his length before paying special attention to his tip. He was breathing heavy by the time she put her mouth back around him. She moved her mouth up and down his dick, sucking gently and and flicking her tongue around the head.

Shadow leaned back against the wall, his legs tensing as she worked on him. She could hear the ropes straining as he inadvertently struggled against them. At the moment, she liked him not being able to touch. The control was somewhat comforting.

"Doing okay?" she asked, still stroking him with her hand. He nodded lazily, his eyes closed. He was moving his hips towards her so she obliged and went back to blowing him.

Lyla took a certain satisfaction in listening him get closer and closer to release. When he finally did cum with a deep throated moan, she grinned up at him and swallowed. She gently released him and zipped his pants back up, standing back up and holding her hands on his sides as he caught his breath.

"Damn," he grunted, smirking. She kissed his cheek as she untied him. As soon as his hands were free, he had pulled her close. She hugged him back, content.

They both froze when they heard Shiva and Congo somewhere else in the dungeon. She was yelling and Congo was obviously making some bad joke. Lyla and Shadow laughed before making their escape.

"I need to catch up to Kit," Lyla said, holding Shadow's hand as they walked. "He's really having a hard time with the lower levels. I always forget that not everyone grew up here and in the catacombs."

"I'll drop you off with him then," Shadow said, squeezing her hand. "Just have him drop you off at our room when you're done."

They walked back to the mess hall and were greeted by whistles and hooting from the gang that remained. They both blushed and stayed close together as they weaved they way over to the runners amongst the congratulations and pats on the back.

Kit jumped to his feet when he spotted them and met them midway.

"Hey, ready?" Lyla asked, giving him a light punch on the arm.

"Yup!" he said, smiling. He turned to Shadow and shook his hand. "And don't worry, I'll keep her safe."

"Thanks," Shadow said, nodding. He kissed her on the cheek before letting her go.

Lyla led Kit down to the lower levels of the mine, reviewing some of the tunnels they had covered earlier in the day. He nodded, repeating their destinations and intersections as best he could. Lyla joked with him when he messed up, trying to keep him from feeling frustrated.

"So you and Shadow, huh?" he asked when they took a break on some crates.

"Yup," Lyla said, smiling. "Finally."

"Heh, that's good though," he was watching her closely, the way he normally did. It always seemed like it was because he was so intent on learning, but today it made her squirm a little.

"We should head back up," she said, standing and brushing herself off. "Shadow wanted me to meet up with him."

"Sure thing, sweetness," Kit said.

Lyla froze.

"...what?"

Kit stood behind her, completely still as he smiled at her. Lyla's heart was racing.

"I told you I'd see you again, didn't I?"

Lyla swallowed. She was cornered against the crates and the panic was setting in so fiercely that she felt rooted to the spot. It couldn't be. Not here. Not one of her own. No!

"Very... Very funny, Kit," she tried to laugh but it stuck in her throat.

"I don't think it's funny, Lyla," he said, advancing on her so suddenly she barely had time to gasp before he had thrown her roughly against the wall. He held a hand against her mouth as she tried to scream. "And call me, Jon, darling, this 'Kit' lie is tiresome."

Lyla struggled against him but he held her still without much effort. He laughed softly at her attempts.

"Now, we have places to be that are far from here. Unfortunately, your little magi wised up with those discs of his. Would have worked better if I hadn't already been inside the barrier, of course. But that is to our benefit."

He pulled out a long scrap of fabric and gagged her with it, barely noticing her attempts to fight it. He tied her wrists next and pulled one of the gang's guns out of the waist of his pants and held it to her head.

"Now, I want you understand that even though I look forward to spending more time with you, I do not cherish the idea of fighting my way out of here. Cause me problems here and I will kill you. Do I need to shoot a leg to prove my point?"

Lyla shook her head vigorously, tears already blurring her vision.

"Good girl," he said and started leading her towards one of the lesser used back exits.

Survive, Ly. She told herself. You just have to survive. Do what he wants. Run the first chance you get but until then, survive. It's all you can do.

When they neared the exit, Pierce, still looking like Kit, stopped a step behind her. She saw the discs Shadow had distributed laid out on the floor.

"Move them," he said. "Pile them up over there." He pointed at an alcove with his gun.

Lyla picked them up as best she could with her wrists tied and piled them where he indicated. She looked around for more and didn't spot any. Pierce nudged her forward with the gun and they passed safely through the gap.

They walked for several minutes before disappearing into a grove of trees. A truck sat waiting. He sighed and the pretense of Kit slid away from his features like shimmering water. He was just as well kempt as before and grinning. Lyla found herself shivering.

"That's better, don't you think?" he asked, though he didn't look at her for an answer.

He opened the side door and helped her in. Out of the glove box, he pulled another strip of fabric and used it to blind fold her. Then he buckled her in.

"I'd take the gag out, sweetness, but I've heard your people have quite the bite," he said, testing the snugness of both. "I'll put some music on for the drive though, so we don't get bored without conversation."

He closed and locked the door. She could hear him walking around to the driver's side. He got in the car and started it up.

They drove for so long that Lyla couldn't begin to guess where they were. She did her best to be strong, but it wasn't long before she was crying. Her attempts to be quiet only brought pained shudders and whimpers.

Then Pierce reached over and squeezed her thigh and she found it in her to stop crying. The shaking she couldn't quit but so long as he couldn't hear her crying, he didn't touch her.

When they arrived, he picked her up out of the truck and walked across gravel. She heard a door open, though she never heard another person. Pierce muttered something to himself and she could see light through her blindfold. He walked for what seemed like ages, the sounds of heavy doors following them.

He finally put her down on what felt like a bed and the shaking renewed. She could hear him digging around in what sounded like a bedside table before he took her arm.

"For your own good," he said and the prick of a needle made her jerk away from him. "Ah, ah, you'll break the needle, hold still."

Whatever it was, it worked fast. She almost toppled over backwards but he caught her and laid her down. She felt weak, like her muscles and brain had a delay so severe she could barely raise an arm.

"Now I know you're thinking Shadow will find you like he did at the docks. Let me reassure you, he cannot find you within my halls. He may know ways to keep other magi out, but I know ways to keep us hidden. Though those little bombs are useful for me here as well."

He took off the blindfold and smiled at her. "Step one, check. Step two, won't be as easy for you, I'm afraid. But it is necessary and with those drugs, you won't care as much."

She stared at him, trying to focus and understand what he was saying.

Then he lifted a heavy looking wrench and hit her with it.

Congo was sorting through reports when Luke burst into his office, panting heavily.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning at the distressed looking runner.

"I found this during patrols," he panted, holding out a manila envelope. "I thought you should see it first."

Congo took the envelope and went through the contents. Once he was done, he put them back down on the desk and sighed heavily.

"...you're right. Does anyone else know about this?"

"No, I went straight here."

"Good. Get Shadow and be quick about it. I need to catch him before he does something stupid."

Luke disappeared and Congo looked back down at the three photos and the note. The first photo showed Lyla, laid down on a bed with a gag. It was slightly blurry and the details were hard to discern. The second showed her still lying down, her face already beginning to purple on one side. She looked dazed, maybe drugged, he wasn't sure. But the blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth was enough to make him glare.

The last photo showed her propped up in a corner, slumped forward slightly, her arms tied behind her back in nothing but her shirt and underwear. The note was what worried him the most.

Shadow,
Funny how traditional methods are useless on you. But here we are, years later and I've finally found out how to properly torture you. And I don't even have to touch you. Interesting, isn't it?

Behave and I won't do worse. I like her pretty as much as you do.

I offer a trade. Your life for hers. You'll know she's safe and the council gets what they want. We all walk away happy.

Leave your response in Ponyville. I'll be sure to get it, one way or another.

-Jon "Kit" Pierce