She emerged from the tunnel after what seemed an age but was probably closer to five minutes, judging by the number of times she'd moved each knee on her crawl. Only once had she needed to crouch down lower and worm through on her belly, but it had been a terrifying moment. What if she got stuck here? Nobody would ever know what had happened to her.
It was with huge relief and gratitude that she spotted the light around a bend in the tunnel. The tunnel sloped gently downwards but got taller at the same time, so that by the time she got to its mouth, she could have stood upright. Briefly, before turning the last corner, she considered. Would her captor prefer her to crawl or walk? She brushed the stones off her palms and went back to crawling, knowing the answer.
The tunnel opened into a cave perhaps twenty feet in each direction, strangely symmetrical for what looked on the surface like a natural formation. The ceiling ranged from ten to about fourteen feet above her head, showing the natural variation she'd have expected, but the floor was as flat as a patio deck and the walls were not much rougher. Her mind catalogued these details while her eyes took in the contents of the room.
The centre of the room was dominated by a huge wooden X shape, with iron rings at each of the four points. Not far from that was a piece of furniture reminiscent of the horses she had once jumped over in gymnastics class, though this one had a sharp angle where the padding would have been on those. Around the room were benches, stockades, and other devices Hyori couldn't name. Along one wall was a row of wooden cabinets, closed.
She did not have time to wonder at their contents before Mireu swept into the room. She was still gloriously nude, and in the brighter light of the big room, it was clear the greenish glow to her skin had not been a trick of the light. She smiled at Hyori, a predatory look, and the girl shivered. In two steps she had crossed the room. She took Hyori's chin between two fingers and forced it up until the girl was meeting her eyes.
"Did you enjoy your little trip through the tunnel, toy?" she purred. Not waiting for a response, she pulled her captive to her feet, unlatched the girl's arms, and pushed her toward the X, catching her by the elbow when she almost lost her balance. In moments, Hyori's arms were chained to the iron rings at the two upper points of the X. She could see the locks this time, but it was clear that even if she could have reached them, it would have done her no good. The padlocks appeared to have no keyhole, and she wondered if she was stuck there forever.
She tried to crane her neck around to see what Mireu was doing behind her, but a sharp slap on her cheek dissuaded her. "Your curiosity has already gotten you in trouble today, toy. We will need to work on curbing that."
Hyori wasn't quite sure what that meant, but she didn't have time to think about it. Mireu's hands were once again on her breasts from behind, working the nipples and bruising the soft flesh with each pass of her talon-like nails. She moaned and twisted, wondering why she wasn't protesting.
Mireu next moved her hands to the waistband of the girl's pants. She ran her hand inside them, caressing and kneading Hyari's ass until she squirmed. Then her hands moved to the front and Hyari felt the button being undone and the zipper lowered. When her pants fell off her hips, she came back to herself and stopped moving.
"What's the matter, toy? Not pleased with my little game anymore?"
She screwed up all her courage and said, "Why are you doing this to me?" Her voice, normally forceful to the point where her mother despaired of making a lady of her, now came out on a note halfway between a plea and a moan. Inwardly she cursed. Where was her forthrightness when she needed it?
Mireu stepped back, and the touching stopped. Despite herself, Hyari craved it, and had to force herself not to move her ass towards those devilishly provocative hands. "So, perhaps you're not just some power in a pretty body," Mireu remarked thoughtfully. She leaned in close, her mouth at Hyari's ear, not touching her. "You fell into my lair on a day of power, and that makes you mine," she whispered. "I can do anything I want to you and you can do nothing to stop me. But you're not just any fresh offering. You're the descendant of a witch of my own people, and that means we can help each other, you and I." The tips of her nails brushed Hyari under the leather collar, then raked downwards. Hyari cried out as the nails scored her back in four long tracks, wondering if she were now dripping blood. "But before we can do business, you need to understand your place in this deal. You see, I hold all the power, for you are untrained and bound by my magic. You will have the choice as to how long you serve me, but not how, nor whether to serve. Think on that as I use you for a day and a night, for at the end of that time, you will have a choice to make." Her captor took a step back, then reached down to tug at the pants around her ankles. "Kick these off, toy, or you will have nothing to wear should you choose, tomorrow, to go back to your world," she cooed.
