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As he clambered out of the nuclear sphere, Lalna spotted the mage high above, surveying the progress that the scientist had made on the nuclear reactor. It had been four days since Rythian had broken in and though the scientist’s back no longer felt raw, his memories of that morning were still incredibly vivid. One thing in particular stuck in his mind, the question of how Rythian had managed to enter his castle. He had checked the outer force field hoping to see traces of where Rythian had broken through immediately after he had returned from the factory that afternoon. The scientist had quickly found the single empty block several yards to the left of the main gate, the field generation hampered by a few lengths of red alloy wiring.
The wiring had puzzled him. Lalna had long known that it was possible to keep the force field from generating single blocks with wire. However, red alloy wiring was hardly something that Rythian would have on hand, not to mention the fact that whoever had placed it there must have done it when the force field had been lowered. The scientist had a very good idea who else could have done it, but decided he would rather be certain before he confronted anyone. The only one who might be able to tell him anything for certain was Rythian and now he was right there.
Dropping down into his sorting room, Lalna quickly fashioned a blow dart gun. He tipped a tiny dart with a sleeping potion, before edging back up to the roof. Reaching into his pocket, the scientist deactivated the outer force field. Rythian immediately bolted, slipping out of sight. In a moment, the scientist again caught a glimpse of him, hidden on a narrow ledge of the smallest tower. He raised the blow gun to his mouth and shot him.
The mage slapped at the dart, twisting round to see who had hit him. He spotted Lalna and dived out of sight, hoping to escape the scientist even as he felt himself grow weak. Halfway through his descent, he lost consciousness. Rythian plummeted down into the castle’s courtyard, his fall cushioned by his Swiftwolf’s Rending Gale. Feet first, Lalna rapidly dropped into the grass beside him and scooped the mage into his arms. He jetted upwards into the castle, making his way into his bedroom.
He set Rythian in a chair, allowing the unconscious mage to slump against him for a moment. Lalna first worked at the straps of his armor, tossing it aside piece by piece. Then he stripped the mage to his waist, slowly guiding his limp limbs out of his clothes. Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, Lalna disentangled himself from the mage. He took the man’s armor, weapons and rings and piled them inside the chest in the corner. Finally, he removed his own quantum armor.
When Lalna turned back, he spent a moment simply staring at the mage. Rythian’s head lolled to the side, his visage calm and smooth for once. Weaving his fingers through Rythian’s dark hair, Lalna lifted up his head. He swung his hand back, hesitating for a moment before he struck him across the face. When the mage did not stir, he slapped him again. This time Rythian flinched back, tucking his chin against his chest. “Lalna?” he muttered, barely cracking his eyes open.
“Feeling alright?” the scientist brightly asked, without seeming very concerned. He leaned in again, resting his hand on Rythian’s shoulder.
“Fuck off,” the mage groaned in return. He quickly shrugged off his grogginess and looked around, noting the absence of his cloak. “You couldn’t wait to have my clothes off, could you?”
“I thought I’d get straight to the point,” Lalna chuckled. “Same rules as last time?” he proposed.
“You mean where you’ll let me leave when I want?” Rythian considered him for a moment, toying with the scar in his lower lip. “Alright,” he finally agreed.
“Come on then,” Lalna grasped his elbow and dragged him out of the chair. The man stumbled into him, caught off balance. He grunted deep in his throat when the scientist slammed him into the wall and pinned his hands against the stone.
“You took notes last time, didn’t you?” the mage grinned breathlessly.
“Shut up,” Lalna smiled, his mouth teasingly close to his captive’s. Ever impatient, Rythian leaned forward to bridge the gap. He eagerly pressed his tongue between the scientist’s lips, brushing the tip against Lalna’s own tongue. Lalna finally jerked away to breathe, now holding the mage by his forearms. “You don’t think I have better plans for you than that?”
“I don’t think you’re very creative,” Rythian leaned back against the cold stone brick. Lalna pressed his knee between his legs, grinding his thigh up against his crotch. The mage’s breath hitched in the back of his throat. “Science will do that to you,” he added mischievously, barely managing to keep his voice steady.
Sliding his hand down to the small of Rythian’s back, Lalna moved closer, pressing his entire body against him. “So you’re just expecting me to beat the hell out of you?”
“More or less,” the mage shrugged. Underneath his nonchalance, Lalna glimpsed a flash of wariness in his eyes.
“That wouldn’t be any fun,” he grinned wide, grabbing at Rythian’s ass.
“What are you going to do then?” Rythian asked cautiously, caught somewhere between curiosity and anxiety.
“You know, I don’t think pain’s your thing,” the scientist slowly spread kisses along the strong line of Rythian’s jaw, lips brushing over his scars. “I don’t think it’ll get you,” he added as he mouthed at Rythian’s throat. “Am I wrong?”
The mage glanced down at him, wondering if he really wanted an answer. “What are you going to do?” he repeated.
“I’m going to punish you,” Lalna pressed his hands against Rythian’s shoulder blades as he dipped down to kiss his bare chest. “You shouldn’t have broken into my base and you shouldn’t have destroyed my reactor.”
“It’s hardly been one sided,” Rythian returned. “You’ve done-” he broke off with a hiss as Lalna’s teeth nicked his nipple.
“We don’t need to go through that again,” Lalna said sharply. “Go lie down,” he released the mage and indicated the bed. Rythian hesitated, instinctively resisting the order. The idea of permitting Lalna to demand things of him made him uneasy. Slowly, he padded over to the foot of the bed and paused.
“Shit,” Rythian cursed as he was suddenly slammed into the mattress. Lalna shoved him down, forcing him to awkwardly bend over the bed. The scientist reached beneath Rythian to undo his button and fly, before dragging his trousers and boxers down to his knees.
“Are you going to fuck me?” Rythian craned his neck to look at him, noting the small bottle of lube Lalna had placed near his shoulder. “That’s hardly a punishment.”
“You really want it, don’t you?” Smirking, Lalna pinned him against the bed by the base of his neck. “You’ll have to wait,” he told him, running his free hand up the back of Rythian’s thigh and over his ass. Lalna then raised his hand and struck his ass. Rythian yelped, more surprised than hurt. He squirmed and tried to stand, but Lalna held him down. “Stay still,” he warned him, punctuating his words with another blow.
The mage hissed when Lalna slapped him again, but remained still. He turned his face against the mattress as the scientist continued to strike him, stifling his gasps. Every few slaps, Lalna paused to watch, fascinated, as a few pink handprints bloomed into patches of bright red skin. He rubbed his hand across Rythian’s warm flesh, making him whine. Then he continued.
“Come here,” the scientist directed, digging his fingers into Rythian’s bicep. He flipped Rythian around, now pressing his back against the mattress. Rythian arched up, flinching away from the mattress. Gingerly, he settled down, reluctant to let his stinging skin touch the sheets. The scientist took his chin in his hand, forcing him gently but firmly to look up.
It took Rythian a moment to meet Lalna’s eyes, his cheeks flushed. His eyes had a vulnerability that Lalna had never seen before. “Enjoyed yourself, didn’t you?” the scientist observed. Rythian’s cock was hard against his thigh. Lalna wrapped his hand around him, and Rythian sighed, a hint of a grateful smile tugging at his lips. “Before I fuck you, I want to ask you something,” Lalna murmured, leaning in to kiss his forehead.
“What?” Rythian breathed. He shifted his hips, rocking slightly against Lalna’s hand as he let his eyes fall shut.
“Spread your legs for me,” Lalna directed him and was surprised by how easily the mage obliged.
He reached back to pick up the bottle of lube and spread some over his fingers. “How did you get into my castle before?” Lalna asked quietly as he pressed a few fingers inside him.
Eyes suddenly open, the mage watched him suspiciously. “I found the red alloy wire that let you get in, and I know you wouldn’t have done that yourself,” Lalna continued. “And you know, the only person who’s visited me here recently was Sjin.”
Rythian worked his jaw, barely managing to stifle a moan as Lalna’s fingers slid deeper inside him. He knew there was no point in lying now, not after the scientist already knew the truth. Still, he could not bring himself to affirm Lalna’s suspicions, despite the fact that he felt no particular allegiance to Sjin. Lalna sighed and inclined his head. “You’re not going to tell me anything are you?”
“No,” the mage replied shortly. He groaned as Lalna withdrew his fingers and dragged him up onto his knees. Rythian eyed him warily, fully expecting the scientist to strike him again.
Sensing his anxiety, Lalna shook his head. “I’m not going to try to make you tell me. It’s pretty clear I’m not going to get anywhere.” He settled back against the headboard and unzipped his trousers. “I guess what’s more interesting is why Sjin would do that. I bet it took some-” he paused, smiling knowingly at Rythian, “convincing.” He lifted his hips to work down his trousers and boxers. Rythian glanced away from him, somewhat embarrassed by how easily Lalna had guessed the truth.
“I’ll admit, that’s a pretty good image,” Lalna murmured as he palmed his cock. “Come here,” he reached out towards Rythian. The man shuffled forwards until he straddled his lap. Gripping Rythian’s hip with one hand, Lalna guided himself inside him with his other.
Slowly, Rythian sank down onto his cock, his mouth falling open as he lowered himself. He leaned in close to Lalna as he began to move his hips. “If only you knew what I did to convince him,” Rythian teased, glad to have some control. He kissed the scientist, catching his lower lip between his teeth as he pulled away.
He leaned back, seeking a better angle in hope that he could get Lalna deeper inside him. Rythian moaned as he found the right spot, lurching at the sudden rush of sensation. Lalna reached up to steady him, placing a hand on either side of his waist. Rythian began to jerk himself off, riding the scientist a bit faster. Lalna groaned, now lifting his hips to meet his body. The scientist came, his fingers biting into Rythian’s skin. A moment later, Rythian swore and came as well.
Exhausted, the mage drew himself away from Lalna. He gingerly found a place to sit beside him, reclining against the headboard as well. “I’m surprised you haven’t used your magic or whatever yet to get rid of the pain,” Lalna raised his eyebrows as he watched him. “It’s almost like you it’s something you want remember.”
Flushing scarlet, Rythian immediately summoned a swirl of magic around his fingers and allowed it to flow into his body. The scientist chuckled.