Damned with Benefits Ch. 01

Prologue

Hell - The Second Circle. Somewhen beyond Time.

The Primordial Wind howled. Blinding in intensity, hurricane in force, it vortexed within the Second Circle.

It had milled about since the second day ever, an unnoticed bastard child.

The ungrateful souls that came after it gave no thanks even as it soothed their sunburnt skin, uttered no praises as it stirred their carefree spirits, not a single by-your-leave as it filled their disgusting noses with the rich scent of a world teeming with life.

Nobody paid any attention to it whatsoever. Thousands of birthdays had come and gone and it never had any cake.

Well. How do they like me now? It thought to itself.

Much like a giant blender dislodging a sticky bit of detritus from its walls, it picks up the occasional human soul clinging desperately to the Second Circle's ruined slopes and consumes them within its restless chaos.

To Vashut de Vau's amusement, one such soul was deposited rather violently upon other members of the damned, knocking them all wailing and twisting into the wind. For beings like her, the wind manifested as nothing more than a gentle summer breeze.

"Happy Birthday Wind," she said.

Thank you, the Primordial Wind whispered back, playing with Vashut's pearlescent white ponytail that peeled away from a pair of small black horns. Vashut's hair fell past pointed ears to the middle of her back like a radiant waterfall.

You wouldn't happen to have any cake? With candles perhaps? That I could...blow out? It asked hopefully.

"No I'm afraid not, I'm a little busy you see," Vashut lied on both counts.

Oh?

"Master's got a new toy, I'm supposed to meet him here and break it in."

Sounds fun. The Wind replied disinterestedly.

"You could play with me before he gets here," Vashut offered. She twisted her bare female form seductively. Exposing her perky breasts and smooth pussy to the Wind, her freshly oiled scarlet skin was completely hairless from the neck down.

No thank you, the pleasures of the flesh lack appeal when one is missing said flesh. The Wind replied.

"Manifesting isn't that hard, especially here. You're just lazy," Vashut pouted.

Try tossing damned souls about for a few thousand years. See if you feel like manifesting after that, the Wind replied defensively. It's easier this way, no muscles to ache, it flung a wailing soul with wanton ferocity to prove its point.

The pair of almost prehensile bat wings covered in soft, short, deep purple fur sprouting from Vashut's lower back twitched agitatedly. She had thought about what position her Master would like to find her in and tried them all. She had ranked and re-ranked her sexual partners on every metric she could think of while playing with herself.

All else had failed to entertain, she was reduced to watching the Wind do its job and trying to have a meaningful conversation with it.

Even the devil in her idle mind has handed in its resignation and left to find a workplace with better benefits.

"How about I join you in torturing some of Lucy's toys while I wait," she sighed with resignation.

Be my guest. The Wind gestured invisibly at the sea of naked human souls plastered across the ground.

Vashut's bright yellow pupils roved the hellscape with her vertical slit irises, surveying the souls straining to hold onto the ground. She selected a balding man, bleeding fingers tense pitons dug into the hard rock.

She squatted down and wrapped warm caring fingers around the man's cold straining hands. He slowly looked up at her, eyes squinting in the blinding wind, mouth an incredulous gaping hole at the attractive young woman seemingly unaffected by the hurricane.

"Let go darling, I've got you," Vashut gave the man a reassuring smile and gripped his wrist firmly.

"Oh thank you, thank you, salvation at last!" His delirious clamour was accompanied by tears of joy leaking into the wind at this unexpected reprieve.

Vashut bore his weight with an easy grace, holding the man by one wrist while the rest of him fluttered diagonally upwards like a flag.

"Who are you?" Still squatting, she fixed him with a curious gaze, planting kisses on his stiff fingers and massaging them with her free hand.

"Pablo," the man was crying in relief, his once flaccid member now stiff and flapping in the wind with the rest of him.

An unapologetic upper class southern English voice cut in from behind Vashut, "Lets go, and put some clothes on," accompanied by an equally cold bespoke oxford prodding Vashut's bare derrière.

"Master!" She would have wrapped her pointed tail around his leg in joy if she still had it.

To Vashut, her Master Dov'had was tall and broad-shouldered. His facial features averaged the human male, he had quite literally checked every box in the "Race" category when manifesting his form. His features would change every time she looked at him, but in such a way that she'd SWEAR his new face was the one he had ALL ALONG. It offered both familiar comfort and alien terror, it drove her insane with excitement.

It was unclear what Pablo was seeing, but he was frantically trying to free himself from Vashut's grip, the wind helping pull him away from the pair with discreet glee.

"I am waiting," Dov'had said in an accent that conveyed he was born with a silver ladle shoved down his throat so deep, it would have taken a team of skilled surgeons to extract it.

"Yes Master," Vashut eyed his handsome indeterminate features dreamily. They were chiseled on a bald murky brown head with similarly coloured pupils.

Dov'had was in a dark gray three piece suit. The highly observant would notice that each article of clothing bore exactly 6 buttons, the mark of the Beast worn only by the Devilish nobility. Beneath his formal attire, his defined muscled frame had enough metaphysical power to make Michelangelo's David carve a new robe in shame. He had considered manifesting a stylish hat, but the Primordial Wind had stolen his last two pieces of headgear out of sheer jealousy.

Like a child holding a balloon on a string, Vashut manifested some attire for herself while holding the flapping soul.

Three open gold rings materialized and plunged themselves into her nipples and clit as she inhaled in pain. The piercings seamlessly sealed themselves shut, while link by link, a golden chain appeared, snaking through her new piercings in a "Y". A close-fitting band of gold wound its way around her neck as a golden chain leash extruded from her new collar towards her Master...

"Stop." Dov'had commanded, "do it properly or you shall not be allowed to play with my new toy."

"You shall not be allowed to play with my new toy," Vashut replied in an exaggerated nasal voice as she rolled her eyes.

Living flames danced within Dov'had's eyes and every one of Vashut's manifested nerve endings flared like a thousand suns. She had forgotten her Master's temperament in their time apart.

"AAAHHHH!" Vashut stiffened and screamed in agony, the sensation burned like her veins were filled with molten steel. Pablo was relinquished to the wind, a horror-stricken kite.

She screamed in torment until her voice cracked before her Master released her as a quivering heap.

"Your humble slave hears and obeys. Thank you for the punishment Master," Vashut croaked as she collapsed, sweat glistened from every pore, angry red ants gnawed on her tingling nerves.

All piercings, chains, and collar disappeared. In their place was a sensible knee-length floral-patterned summer dress and wide-brimmed sun hat. The Wind whistled nonchalantly and considered stealing the hat, but thought better of it.

"Better. Now move. Our guest awaits," Dov'had walked up to an unassuming cliff wall and much to the cliff's astonishment, stepped right through it.

Still gasping softly in pain, Vashut stumbled after him.

Chapter 1

Dov'had's domain - Howling Refuge. Somewhen beyond Time.

Through her dream-fog, the bleary sleeper heard a smooth baritone say, "Vashut, wake our guest." The sleeper realised she was being kissed. Full and sensual, a soft, warm tongue explored her lips, tempting them to part. Her first instinct was to get up and shove whoever was kissing her off, but as quickly as the thought came, it was smothered by an overwhelming sense of all-embracing warmth.

"Give in," a voice seemed to say, "you'll like this next bit," the sleeper parted her lips and allowed a forked tongue to flicker past them.

Electric excitement suffused the sleeper's body, goosebumps prickled her skin, her nipples rubbed against her bra as they stood, she squeezed her thighs together as the excitement reached her sex.

The kisser's tongue then playfully retreated, inviting the sleeper to explore its owner. The sleeper eagerly obliged. She did not want to wake up, this dream was wondrous.

"Well done, now we need to talk," a sharp stinging slap across her cheek snapped the sleeper awake. Straddling her was the scarlet-skinned Vashut, her yellow eyes beheld the sleeper in a hungry predatory gaze.

"Good morning Kitty, as Lord and Master of this realm, I bid you welcome," Dov'had intoned from the side.

"Where am I?" Kitty mouthed breathlessly. Vashut's kiss left a taste of ripe peaches and a desire for more.

She tried to remember how she got here, but her memory proved a slippery fog.

"We are in my little corner of Hell, the Howling Refuge. My name is Dov'had, Baron of the Second Circle," Dov'had answered.

Kitty's eyes darted around, they were on a neatly kept lawn in front of a modest stone manor with a red shingled roof punctuated by two small chimneys. A short pebble path wound its way across the lawn towards a wood that surrounded the unfenced compound. The trees whispered quietly in the cool summer breeze as a playful sun peeked at the three of them from above the canopy. The air smelled earthy and the grass was insect-free. If this was truly Hell, their public relations department on Earth needs to be fired.

"I see you are enjoying Vashut," Dov'had said, the succubus grinned devilishly at Kitty. "Just like you, she is my slave, bound to me for eternity. Vashut will be helping me in your training, you are to obey her as you would..."

Ah, so that's the catch, Kitty thought. She did not wait for him to finish, Kitty pushed Vashut off her prone form and sprinted towards the treeline.

"Told you she was a runner," Vashut beamed while lying on the grass.

"Guess I owe you head," Dov'had shrugged.

"I know humans better than you," Vashut laughed.

"That is debatable. Also, Fetch."

"My pleasure," Vashut stood up, stretched, and darted quickly after Kitty.

Kitty ran on the pebble path until it gave way to a dirt track within the forest. Her sneakered feet pounded the soil, shoulder-length black hair whipped from side to side as tears leaked from terrified eyes. Her ragged breath came in barely controlled gasps as she sought to put as much distance between herself and the manor.

Suddenly, the trees winked out of existence and much like Dorothy, she was whisked off her feet by the Primordial Wind. She did not even have time to scream.

"Hey Sis, you should really stay here with us, it's dangerous out there," Kitty jerked to a halt, Vashut was holding on to her ankle, preventing her from being consumed by the hurricane.

Aww that was mine! The Primordial Wind complained.

"Technically, they're Lucifer's, you're just the caretaker," Vashut retorted.

Well up yours then. The Wind flipped an invisible birdie.

"Ha, you're welcome to if you ever get the hang of manifesting."

Hand over hand, Vashut pulled a crying Kitty into a lover's embrace. Kitty felt the succubus plant a kiss on her forehead, patting her reassuringly. They walked slowly back towards the manor, Vashut held her hand in a soft yet firm grip the entire way.

"You lucked out on your eternal damnation all things considered. Being Dov'had's slave is hardly the worst that could happen," Vashut mentioned as they walked.

"What is worse than being a slave for eternity?" Kitty asked.

Vashut pondered this a little, then answered, "you could be one of those poor souls out there in the Wind for eternity."

"What did they do?"

"Adultery. They're like itchy sweaters, bad gifts from Father to Lucifer. Lucy doesn't give a rat's dick about them."

Kitty walked in silence for a moment lost in her own thoughts, then asked, "and what did I do?"

"Sold your soul. Think of it as negotiating a better deal for yourself," Vashut jested.

"I wanted to be a slave?" Kitty winced, aghast at the news.

"Probably in exchange for power, revenge, or something silly while you were alive, but as always, Master is having the last laugh," Vashut nodded.

"So I was tricked?"

"Come now, you get to have the second last laugh, which is more than can be said for those poor bastards out there who haven't had the sense to negotiate while they had the chance. Here she is Master," Kitty felt Vashut's fingers comb and smooth out a few wayward strands of her wind-tossed hair, "almost lost her to dear old Lucy out there."

Dov'had stroked his chin thoughtfully and addressed Kitty, "Would you like to explain why you ran off and almost got yourself lost in the Second Circle? You could have ended up in excruciating pain for an indeterminate length of time."

Faced with her future owner for eternity, Kitty's composure crumbled, "I'm dead! I'm in Hell! Eternal slavery! Becoming your...your property! All those people out there being tortured! And...And..." she blubbered. Dov'had placed a hand on each of her shoulders and held her until she stopped.

"Your place is here now. This is distressing to you but rest assured, I swear by my name as a Baron of the Second Circle, that under no circumstances will I throw you away to Lucifer Morningstar or any other Devil. You belong to me," as Dov'had spoke, Kitty felt his words settle into the very fabric of reality around her. It became a truth as undeniable as gravity was on Earth.

"Nine Heavens, that was quick!" Vashut laughed, "Master, how long did I have to grovel before you accepted me?"

"Seventy-six years, three months, twenty-five days, four hours, and fifty-one minutes," Dov'had mentioned offhandedly, "and you loved it."

Kitty observed a black leather band appearing in his hand, it had a ring attached to the front. A silver heart-shaped pendant hung from it, "Kitty" clearly engraved on one face in black cursive. Its reverse side said,"If found, return to Baron Dov'had - Howling Refuge, Second Circle" in block letters.

"Hold up your hair," Dov'had commanded. Kitty hesitatingly did as she was told. She felt him slide the smooth leather around her neck and connect the ends at the nape, the inch-wide leather band seemed tiny in his powerful hands.

As he stepped away, the scent of clean, laundered clothes wafted off him. She instinctively touched her new collar, there was no indication that it had ever been anything other than a whole circular strip around her neck.

"Now what?" Kitty noticed Dov'had was surveying her, running his eyes all over her body like a pair of searchlights in a clinical fashion.

"Now you shall obey my every command until the end of time. I am your almighty, my will be done," Kitty shuddered, "you shall address me as Master."

"Yes...Master..." Kitty tried the unfamiliar words on for size. "Master, I have so many questions, what was our..." Dov'had held up a hand.

"If you are obedient, I shall answer them all in time with neither lies nor deceit. You are mine and I shall look after your every need. However, defiance shall be met with punishment, this too I swear by my name," as before, Dov'had's promise wove its way into the fabric of reality, implying an impossibility of it ever being broken.

"Vashut shall prepare you for use," Dov'had conjured a leather armchair into existence and reclined on it. "You shall obey Vashut, she shall guide you in becoming the perfect slave."

Vashut did a little fist pump of victory.

"Take off your clothes," Vashut demanded and advanced on her new charge. Kitty looked askance at Dov'had, who merely motioned for the women to continue.

A thin cane appeared in Vashut's hand and was applied sharply to Kitty's buttocks when she hesitated. Kitty yelped and quickly began pulling off her black T-shirt, her denim shorts followed suit. Despite it being a warm summer day, Kitty shivered in her nude coloured bra and panties.

"All of them, shoes and socks as well," Vashut slashed at Kitty mercilessly with the cane, across her breasts, back, abdomen, and thighs, grinning evilly all the while. Red stripes marked Kitty's body where she had been struck as she squirmed away from every strike.

Underwear and footgear flew off Kitty's body in her desperate attempt to avoid being hit again. Soon, she was naked save for Dov'had's collar around her neck. When she tried to cover her breasts and neatly-trimmed sex, a quick caning to her hands put a stop to it. Kitty hunched over and cringed under the gaze of both Hell's denizens.

"Kneel," Vashut punctuated the order with a swish of her cane. Kitty went on her knees and quickly spread her thighs the moment she saw where Vashut was aiming for next. The soft loamy earth formed two depressions in the lawn to support her knees.

Kitty's pulse was racing and her bosom was rising and falling rapidly, the intensity of Vashut's treatment was leaving her breathless. She eyed the cane fearfully as Vashut waved it in an exaggerated fashion.

"A fast learner! I like you, you're smart," Vashut tapped an open palm with the cane. With her new stripes still stinging and the older ones burning an angry red, Kitty did not feel very smart at all.

"Lock your fingers behind your head, elbows to the side, chest out, pull your shoulders back, back straight, sit on your heels," Kitty obeyed promptly without Vashut having to complement the staccato commands with any caning.

The cane's tip was placed under Kitty's chin and her head tilted back until her eyes met Vashut's yellow orbs.

"Some Masters like their slaves subdued. Our Master likes us obedient, yet fearless and confident. Think you can manage that?" Vashut drew closer until their noses almost touched. Kitty felt like she was staring into the eyes of a hungry tiger.

"Yes..." Kitty began.

"Mistress," Vashut continued, her breath was the familiar scent of ripe peaches from before.

"Yes Mistress," Kitty finished. She found that her new posture made her unable to hunch over. It made her feel vulnerable and exposed, yet imbued with confidence, proudly declaring herself to the world as her Master's property. I might not have much, but at least I can maintain a proper bearing. This must be what military recruits feel like during boot camp, she mused.

"Kiss the cane," Vashut flicked the flexible rod a few inches from Kitty's lips, whereupon it was obediently kissed.

"Now give thanks for the punishment."

This is really messed up, Kitty thought. Nonetheless, she replied as earnestly as possible, "Thank you for the punishment Mistress."

"In time, you might actually mean it. Until then, whenever you forget to give thanks for your punishment, we shall restart it," Vashut said.

"Yes Mistress," Kitty replied.

"I wonder, should I make you put your clothes back on so that I can cane you as you take them off again. You know, just to drive the point home," Vashut twirled the cane as she spoke.

Kitty turned pale, her reddened skin still hurt, "That won't be necessary! I'll be a good little slave!"