SSV: The Raven- Part 2

Prologue

Jake skulked through the shadows of the keep with a silent diligence. He was on the hunt for a specific target and subtly was key to his success. He was currently clinging to a column and resting his feet on the thin railing that surrounded it while he watched his target. His tactics had changed along with his persona as The Raven from outright attacks to a more predatory approach; he preferred to take out any enemies from the shadows and instill fear into them as he worked. Maybe it was Goth rubbing off on him or maybe it was because these days he felt more at home in the darkness, but whatever the reason he found the approach both natural and enjoyable. His current target was alone in the dark, say for the company of the dimly lit torches that dotted the room, and he had been stalking them for about ten minutes. This one was a tricky one and had shown a knack for detection and danger, so he had to wait for his opportunity to strike. He waited for them to let their guard down before he moved in for the attack.

Beth had been wandering in the dark for a while now and she was growing frustrated. She was here to find and eliminate a specific target, but they were proving to be elusive. She kept a single pistol drawn and one hand free in case of any surprise attacks, but she routinely found herself touching the small stone that dangled from her neck. She had been entrusted to Pamela after her failed attack on Goth and the woman had presented her with a collar as proof of ownership. She wore it with no small amount of pride though she would never admit it out loud to anyone aside from the woman she called mistress. After about a month of being kept inside the castle walls she had been allowed to go out on various assignments for Goth. She wasn't a fan of working for the Goth Goddess, but she had to admit it felt good to be able to get out and stretch her legs. She was still tailed by Pamela most nights, but she didn't mind considering she never seemed to step in and intervene. So long as she completed her jobs she was tolerated by the court and viewed as an asset; it helped that each successful mission earned her a little favor with her mistress. She could currently feel herself being watched and she was growing tired of waiting for her opponent to strike. She came to a stop and attempted to concentrate on the sounds in the darkness for anything that might indicate a presence.

Jake watched as his target continued to walk blindly in the dark, but it seemed their guard was constantly up. He could see them drawing closer to his position, but he knew he was too high up to be seen in the darkness that surrounded him. He'd become quite adept at blending into the shadows when out on assignments after all. He watched as they came to a stop and seemed to begin to zone out. He briefly wondered if his Goddess or a member of her court had decided to make an appearance. The way the individual suddenly came to a stop and seemingly entered a trance seemed like an effect of the magics they wielded, but he couldn't be sure. After a moment of waiting for any movement from his target he decided to act. He kicked himself off the column and flew towards them. He extended a leg for a dive kick and it seemed like fortune was in his favor, but unfortunately for him his target spun around and aimed a gun at him. It was too late for him to stop as the gunshot rang out and a sudden pain filled his chest as he tumbled to the ground in a crumpled heap. He lay there for a moment before getting up in anger, "God damnit Beth!" he yelled, "That shit hurts! Why the hell did you shoot me?!"

Beth smirked at her friend as she twirled her pistol before holstering it, "Don't make so much noise and you won't get shot," she said confidently, "You gonna lay there all night or stand up and fight?"

Jake grumbled as he got back to his feet, "You and those fucking guns, I miss when you didn't use them."

"Yeah well I miss when you weren't such a coward," she spat back, "You spend so much time sneaking around, can you even still fight?"

He glared at her as he produced a practice staff and took a fighting stance, "I can still beat you," he said.

"Says the guy who just got shot in the chest," she pointed out as she took a fighting stance of her own and drew a set of wooden knives.

They looked at each other for a moment before beginning their sparring match. These moments were far and few between these days; the moments when things seemed semi-normal for them. They had been allowed to train together since most of their missions involved working together, and it was in these rare moments of levity that they felt like their old selves. Their styles had changed both in combat and attire, but their bond remained despite everything that they had been through. Some things were just too ingrained to be removed, and years of fighting and training together had created an unbreakable dynamic between them.

Jake flew into a series of alternating horizontal strikes that his friend that she blocked with ease. He knew she would be able to telegraph most of his moves, but it was a two way street. When she went in for a thrust he parried her attack and smacked the back of her leg with his staff. Her leg buckled at the impact, but she spun herself around in a sweep kick that caught him by surprise. He caught himself and flipped backwards to create some distance before preparing his next attack. Beth rushed at him in a serpentine pattern before launching one of her knives at him, but he easily deflected it with his staff. He pulled his staff to his side with one hand choked up and the other in towards the middle. He stepped back and brought it up in a swift upward arc as Beth approached, but she jumped to the side and went in for a slice at his throat. As she approached, Jake changed the direction of his swing to bring it down on her shoulder. The sudden swift motion caught Beth off guard and sent her to the ground, but when she went down she used her legs to take Jake down with her. The two began a struggle for dominance as their fight turned to a grappling match.

"That's enough!" the authoritative voice of Pamela called out.

Beth was the first to disengage and untangle herself from the fight and she scrambled to her feet. Jake pushed himself back to his feet and smirked at his friend as he elbowed her and whispered, "Whipped."

She glared at him and openly asked, "Are you seriously making that joke at me?"

He blushed and closed his mouth as Pamela approached the two, "You two have fun?" she asked and when Beth nodded she continued, "Good, Jake your form is improving although you took too long to pounce. Kitten, you seem to be distracted while in battle tonight. Your technique was sloppy and I could tell your mind was wandering; focus on your opponent and not what we do when we're alone."

Beth blushed as her mistress pointed out to her friend the fact that she'd been preoccupied with other things. She could practically feel the smugness coming off of her friend, but she didn't dare act on her urge to smack him in front of Pamela. It wasn't that she would have been mad at her for it, but more the fact that she had been right. She nodded and kept her eyes down as she simply said, "Yes mistress."

Her blush intensified as she felt Pamela's warm breath on her neck, "Next time I want you to show me a little of that fire you keep inside," she said before walking back around to face the pair, "Now, Jake we have an important meeting to attend hence why I put a stop to your little scuffle. We don't want to keep our Goddess waiting, do we?"

Jake's demeanor instantly changed at the mention of Goth. The slack in his form switched instantly as he straightened up and simply nodded. He had almost forgotten that Goth had specifically requested a meeting with the entirety of her court this morning. That had been hours ago and the last thing he wanted was to keep her waiting. His time spent enduring the intense punishments that she had implemented had instilled a new form of fear in him, one that kept him obedient to a fault. He gave a nod to Pamela before saying, “No mam, excuse me while I go change.”


He took his leave and spared a parting glance to his friend as he left them alone. Pamela approached her pet and said, “Unfortunately, Kitten, this meeting is only for members of the court, so you’ll have to wait in our quarters for my return.”

Despite being considered somewhat of an asset to Goth’s cause, Beth was still far from court status. In the eyes of the denizens of the castle she was little more than a slave; it was something that she knew and for the most part accepted, but being kept from the important meetings was something that still bothered her. She looked to her mistress and asked the same question she had asked countless times, “Mistress, please is there no way for me to just sit in and listen? I promise to keep my mouth shut.”

Pamela smiled as she moved in closer to her pet. She knew the girl only wanted to be in the room because of her concern for her friend, but unfortunately for her it went against the wishes of the Goddess. She reached a hand out and cupped her cheek as she ran her thumb across one side and said, “You know I cannot go against the will of the Goddess, Kitten. None of us are above her word for it is law, and I know you are aware of this. Besides, you and I both know that keeping that pretty mouth shut isn’t one of your strong suits; return to our quarters and wait for me.”

Beth’s shoulders slumped at the words of her mistress and she tried one final time to argue, “Mistress please-”

“Do not argue with me, Kitten,” Pamela warned, “I have given you your orders and I expect them to be carried out.”

Beth knew that tone of voice and what it meant. She looked away and gave an obedient nod as she turned to walk away, “Yes mistress.”

She was stopped when she felt a hand take hold of her arm. She turned to look back at Pamela, slightly afraid that she had done something wrong, but was surprised to see a soft look on her face. “I know you are worried for Jake, but you have nothing to be concerned about,” she said as she moved for a kiss, “If there is anything serious going on I will inform you as I always do; return to our quarters and try not to worry.”

Beth closed her eyes as Pamela’s lips made contact with her own, and for a brief moment her fears and worries fell away. This had become something of a norm for her over the last couple of months. Pamela may have been a few years younger than her, but she had an air of control and concern about her that gave Beth some semblance of peace. They broke the kiss and Beth gave her a nod as she wordlessly began to depart from the training room. She would do as she was told as she often did whenever her mistress issued a command.

As she walked back to the room she shared with Pamela she thought back to the events of the last couple of months. So much had changed since her defeat at the hands of Goth. She had gone from a free woman to serving a member of Goth’s personal court that she had once murdered, and her friend had gone from delusionally devoted to petrified and obedient. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be serving at the feet of another woman of her own accord she would have laughed them off, but here she was obeying and eagerly serving Pamela. Her mistress often remarked that submission suited her well and at first she would argue against it, but as time had gone on she found herself happier not having to worry about the smaller details of her life. While serving Goth still bothered her, it helped her to cope by focusing on serving Pamela.

Pamela had an odd way about her that had once confused her. Whenever the two were in front of the court or in public she would remain stern and rather strict with her, but it was when they were alone that she showed a more soft and compassionate side. It had baffled her at first as to just why this was, but as time had gone on she had come to understand it was a matter of appearances. Goth made no secret of her disdain for her and the feeling was mutual for Beth, so it made sense as to why Pamela kept the appearance of distance and discipline when they were around others. She had slowly started to show more of her softer side around others as she continually proved her loyalty by completing assignments.

Jake had changed into Goth’s preferred attire for him before making his way to the throne room for the meeting. He tugged nervously at his collar with his free hand and played with the leash in his other. He always felt a bundle of nerves each time he entered the throne room, and his revealing clothing didn’t help matters. This evening he sported the familiar mesh top and a tight set of leather shorts that were currently hugging his groin and adding a new layer of discomfort to him. After his rebellious act with Beth, Goth had seen fit to place his jewels into a chastity belt that had taken some getting used to. Between the tightness of his shorts and the pressure from the steel around his groin his walk wasn’t pleasant.

He pushed the large doors to the throne room open and immediately felt the eyes of the court on him. Goth was sitting in her large throne with Pamela and Aurora standing at the base of the stairs. Nastia leaned up against one of the columns that dotted the room, and to his surprise he saw Goth’s sister Bitch Breaker not far from Nastia. He cringed at the sight of the woman and her hateful look; Beth had a case of RBF in her own right, but even she didn’t have anything on Goth’s sister. He tried to avoid eye contact with the court members and the unexpected guest as he made his way down the carpet and took his place beside Goth. He handed her the leash and clipped it onto his collar as he stood at attention beside her.

Goth smiled at the sight of her Raven as he silently approached his place by her side. She could feel his discomfort as soon as he entered the room, and she drank it in along with the fear that rolled off of him. Some deep part of her regretted some of the punishments she had implemented on him, but a much larger part of her savored the after effects of them. Since his return from her personal dungeon he had been more well behaved and loyal than ever; it may have been out of fear, but she had him at her side and that was all that mattered. She still feared that his heroic and rebellious nature would rear its head once again, but she had a plan in place to prevent just such an act. It was part of the reason she had called this meeting, and while she wasn’t ready to announce everything she was close to something big. “I am glad that you all could make it,” she began, “Some of you may have noticed that we have an esteemed guest this evening. My beloved sister has taken it upon herself to grace us with her presence, and it is because we are close to something both wonderful and breathtaking.”

Bitch Breaker gave a wicked smile as she said, “I’m glad you decided to include me in this, sister, I was beginning to feel left out.”

“You have my deepest apologies, sister” Goth said, “Things have been chaotic over the last few months, but we have finally managed to reestablish some order. I wanted to take a little time to congratulate both my Raven and Pamela for their efforts in bringing us closer to something magnificent. The diligence of my pet and Pamela’s own little slave have been invaluable and have been working towards something big.”

Pamela suppressed a wince as she heard Beth referred to as a simple slave. She was well aware of her pet’s status amongst the castle, but she preferred her to be referred to as a pet and Goth knew this. She reminded herself that her Goddess held no love for her little pet and that this was just the way things were; it was a good thing that Beth had been left out of the meeting as she doubted she would have been able to keep her little mouth shut. She gave a nod of appreciation to her Goddess and tried to subtly defend her pet, “Thank you, Goddess, but I assure you that my Kitten has acted out of her own loyalty to our cause rather than any conditioning I may have instilled in her. She has learned her place after her failed attempt to overthrow you.”

Goth waved her off by saying, “While there may be some truth in this, Elizabeth continues to prove your worth over her own. Any progress she may make only furthers your own as both a disciple and asset to my court. Perhaps if she continues to succeed then maybe I can believe that her loyalty lies with my cause as opposed to with you, but until then her accomplishments are yours and yours alone. Tomorrow night I will be sending Elizabeth and my Raven out for a final assignment that has two objectives. I have received word that some of the local gangs have been attempting to take control of one of my warehouses in an attempt to rebel against my new order. The particular warehouse they have chosen to occupy has some valuable materials that I require, and I need Elizabeth to remind these low lives what happens when you cross a Goddess. I would like for my Raven to apprehend some of them and bring them in along with the items I need, so Pamela please stress to your little pet that I need some of them alive.”

Pamela nodded her assent and understanding, “Your will be done Goddess, I will ensure that my Kitten shows restraint.”

“Excellent,” Goth said with a grin, “If all goes accordingly then I will have some terrific news for you all in the coming days!”

Jake had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Goth hadn’t mentioned anything to him outside of gathering strange odds and ends when he and Beth were out, but he had thought little of it until tonight. Whatever was going on, it had him more than a little on edge. He was curious as to what these materials were going to be used for, but figured he would find out whenever he had finished gathering them. For the time being he would focus solely on the tasks he was given to ensure he remained in the favor of his Goddess. The last thing he wanted was to revisit her personal dungeon and relive the horrors that he had endured.

Beth found herself once again at the mercy of Goth as she struggled in her clutches. She couldn’t recall when she had decided to go against her, but whenever it had been it wasn’t going well. Her back and body ached after the intense beating she had received moments ago, and she tried her hardest to get away from the sadistic Goddess that held her throat. Her eyes were wide and filled with an undeniable terror as she watched her produce a familiar circular device from nowhere. It was the collar she had once worn that had eliminated any and all resistance from her in one simple motion. The memory of the pain from before reinvigorated her struggles as Goth spoke, “Such a pathetic and foolish little slave you are, Elizabeth, twice now you’ve chosen to go against me and twice you’ve failed. I think this time once you’ve been collared I’ll simply have you kill yourself in the slowest and most agonizing way I can imagine, or perhaps it would be better to have your mistress issue that order.”

She panicked and tried to fight off the amazon before her, but it was no use as she was far too worn down to resist. She felt the familiar tightness of a collar that she had come to know, but then she felt the sudden agony and anguish as the device began its wretched work. The horrific feeling of something burrowing through her neck and attaching itself to her spine filled her with dread and fear alongside the immense pain that was garnered from it. She screamed as she felt the strange substance begin to take full control away from her and her eyes slammed shut in an attempt to block out the pain.

The sound of a door opening caught her attention and the blurred lines of reality began to settle in around her. She felt a sense of panic born from the terror of her own nightmare, and her hand quickly found the gun that rested on the table beside her. Her vision was blurry and her head pounded, but whoever dared to approach her would suffer the way she was suffering. She wouldn’t let anyone near her, not now anyways. The calm voice of Pamela caught her attention and caused her resolve to waver, “Lower your gun and I won’t punish you.”

Pamela watched her pet carefully as her arm slowly dropped to her side. She was sitting in the chair on the far side of their room, and from the way she was acting she had clearly fallen asleep without her. It had been something of a common occurrence since she had taken the girl in that when she slept she suffered from intense night terrors. They seemed to happen more frequently when she slept alone and when it happened Pamela felt almost guilty for not being there to comfort her. The moments when she awoke were almost more painful than the nightmares themselves as she often struggled to tell what was real and what was fiction; this was the case this night as she held her head in her hands. She couldn't stand to see her pet in such pain, but she knew that approaching her now would be dangerous. Beth was well behaved for the most part in her presence, but her wild nature had a tendency to come out when she was afraid.

She slowly and deliberately made her way to the bed and took a seat before attempting to call out to her, “Kitten,” no response, “Elizabeth,” still nothing, “Beth.”

Beth heard the sound of her mistress, but it sounded far off and she couldn’t be certain it was real. It wasn’t until she heard her name out of her mouth that she knew she was really there; Pamela only used her preferred name whenever she was in trouble or when she had a nightmare. She had fallen asleep while she was cleaning her guns and must have had another one of her nightmares. She looked up from her hands to see the worried look of her mistress, “I-I’m sorry mistress, I-I didn’t mean to-I mean I just…” she trailed off as her head pounded and made it difficult to concentrate.

Pamela could feel the pain and fear coming off of the girl; she hated to see her like this, and not for the first time she wished that she would let her erase the memories of the failure she had endured. She had stopped asking as the answer remained the same, she wanted to keep the memories to ensure that she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. It was admirable in its own way, but it didn’t make the sight of her any better. She patted the bed beside her before she began to undress, “You have nothing to apologize for, Kitten,” she said, “Come here and lay with me.”

Beth rubbed the back of her neck and felt the leather of the collar that Pamela had given her a month ago; she felt a small comfort wash over her at the familiar feeling of it, and she used that feeling to ground her enough to move towards Pamela. She sat herself down on the bed and removed her boots and undressed herself; Pamela preferred her to sleep in little more than her panties, which was fine with her considering that was how she had usually slept before everything had happened. Once she was down to her sleepwear she looked up to see Pamela nude and already laying down on their bed with open and waiting arms. She released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as she leaned herself into the embrace of her tall lover. It was silent for a moment so she decided to ask, “Anything interesting happen at the meeting?”

Pamela wrapped her arms around her pet and spoke softly, “We have a guest in our little home, our Goddess’ sister Bitch Breaker is here with us. I don’t want you wandering about without me while she is here; Aurora is bad enough already, but having her here I worry about you falling into their hands or mouthing off. Did you have another nightmare?”

Beth swallowed nervously as she answered softly, “Yeah, the...the one with the collar again.”

Pamela frowned before she leaned down and kissed her forehead and said, “I won’t ask to remove the memory because I know your answer, but I will remind you that as long as I am your mistress and you obey you will not end up in that device again.”

Beth smiled at the words of her mistress; she appreciated the fact that Pamela seemed to honestly want to protect her. She didn’t understand it considering their history, but she had stopped questioning it. She furrowed her brow as Pamela’s earlier statement set in, “What do you mean ‘mouthing off’?!” she asked, “I keep my mouth shut...most of the time.”

Pamela laughed at her pet’s incredulous question and her quiet admission, “I will remind you that for one I haven’t given you permission to speak freely or informally, and for two, have you forgotten your last conversation with Aurora?”

Beth blushed as remembered the interaction, it hadn’t gone well and she had found herself chained to Pamela’s wall for three days. It had been an unpleasant experience, but Aurora had started it as she pointed out time and again. “I-sorry mistress,” she said sheepishly, “Permission to speak freely?”


“Granted, Kitten, but do not bring up anything about Aurora starting it or deserving it,” she said, “You may be my pet, but in the eyes of the court you are simply a slave.”

Beth huffed and rolled her eyes at Pamela’s words. She didn’t need to be reminded of her status, “Fine, so why is Bitch Breaker here?”

“It would seem that our Goddess has something special in the works that requires her presence,” Pamela said as she pulled Beth closer to her, “You have another special assignment scheduled for tomorrow night with Jake. The Goddess has requested that I stress to you that you are not to kill everyone. One of her warehouses has been taken over by some fools seeking to rebel against her, and she would like you to remind them of what happens to those who get in her way.”

Beth knew all too well what fate awaited those who disobeyed Goth’s will. She had become an instrument of fear for Goth and was often brought out to remind the underworld of who was truly on top. She honestly looked forward to the assignments as it gave her a chance to take out some of her frustrations, “So I’m going out to kill a few idiots and scare some others while Jake does...what exactly?”

Pamela chuckled at Beth’s basic assessment of her mission, “Jake will be accompanying you to both ensure that you don’t go overboard and to procure some items that the Goddess requires.”

Beth looked up at her mistress and asked, “So are you going to be following me again?”

“I may or I may not,” Pamela said wryly.

“I still don’t get why you follow me on missions,” Beth said, “I thought I was allowed to go out without supervision, plus doesn’t this little stone thingy let you keep tabs on me?”

Pamela rolled her eyes at her pet’s clear misunderstanding of enchantments and magic, “It is a runestone carved out of an opal, Kitten,” she corrected, “Something I handpicked to compliment those pretty little eyes of yours and yes it does allow me keep an eye on you, but I prefer to watch you work in person. I’ve told you this before, I enjoy seeing you work and the feelings that come off of you when you’re in the field.”

Beth grinned as she nuzzled into the breast of her mistress and teased, “You’re so fucking weird.”

She jumped when she felt a rough twist on one of her nipples, “I may have granted you permission to speak freely, but that doesn’t mean you can insult me,” Pamela reprimanded, “Besides, this is coming from the girl who dreamt about worshipping my feet only a few nights ago.”

Beth tried to glare at her, but she couldn’t hold it and smiled as she laid her head back down, “I knew I shouldn’t have told you that, and I didn’t say being weird was a bad thing. I like your weirdness.”

Pamela smiled as she kissed the top of Beth’s head, “Let’s get some sleep, shall we Kitten? I need you at your best tomorrow and I want to have some fun after you rest up.”

Beth nodded and yawned as she began to relax. She didn’t understand most of the magic things that Pamela talked about, but she understood that her collar had been a special gift for her. She appreciated it as much as she appreciated everything that her mistress had done for her. She was glad she was able to be a bit relaxed around her at times like this because it helped her to hold onto some form of sanity in the craziness that had become her normal. Still, she wondered just what was going on behind the scenes. Goth had to be working on something and it had some part of her worried, but she trusted that Pamela would keep her safe through whatever it was. It was that trust that helped her find her way into a peaceful sleep alongside her mistress. Whatever was going on she would find out soon enough, but for now she would simply enjoy this closeness while it lasted.