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Game of Monsters - 177
🕑 Added 2025-02-25 17:53:15 +0000 UTCWould You Be Scared?
[Carmilla Karnstein]
She found herself doing her absolute best to keep her hands – which rested on her lap as was proper – from shaking. Her back hurt from trying to keep her posture from breaking. Her breathing was slow and deliberate as she tried to keep from panicking.
‘This meeting hasn’t even started and it’s already not what we were expecting,’ she thought, and she didn’t know if she wanted to curse, scream or cry. There was one thing Carmilla knew she couldn’t do though and that was avoid this. Not only would it be a grave breach of etiquette that she’d never allow herself to go through, but it also wouldn’t help the situation any.
Where was all this coming from?
Joshua Davis.
A magician, if admittedly an extraordinary one, but that was all he was supposed to be.
Carmilla had asked her people to pull all the information they could about the man when they got a rather strong petition for a meeting. For a definition of the word petition, that is, because almost all their contacts with the outside world had said the same thing. They had to meet the man or things would get very, very ugly for everyone involved, especially for her faction and her.
So, when that happened, Carmilla had pulled strings of her own. Granted, much of her influence was gone those days, but she was still one of the strongest vampires in the world, arguments could be made about her being the strongest. If only the Tepes… That wasn’t the point. If she wanted something, she got it… Except this one time, apparently, because the information she’d gotten had evidently fallen short.
All her sources had the same thing to say about Joshua Davis and that was that he was a magician, first and foremost. Admittedly a very skilled one, maybe even the most skilled in his field, but a magician all the same. His list of accomplishments was nothing to scoff at and his skills were commendable… but he was supposed to be a magician.
So, why was it that a faction leader was walking towards her?
‘He was supposed to have the backing of the Egyptians, not be their champion! How did we not know about this?!’ she exclaimed internally, while keeping her expression firmly under control. Carmilla had felt him appear immediately and his presence had bombarded them without stopping ever since. It wasn’t even the sensation of just any faction leader. He was no High Deity the likes of Zeus, Odin or Indra, but he was also firmly above the lesser leaders like magician association directors and normal species leaders such as herself.
She’d thought she wasn’t underestimating him like she’d heard many had done before, but she’d evidently been wrong. He wasn’t just a shooting star the likes of which the supernatural hadn’t seen in quite some time. No, he was far more than that. He was a monster, she decided, her mind adjusting to this new development as best it could.
Nobody got from where Davis had supposedly started to where he was in that short a time being anything short of a freak of nature.
Now though, she also had to decipher how she was going to navigate this meeting. Because suddenly this was no longer a matter of interacting with someone slightly below her or even an equal, as she’d been prepared to before. She was the one on the backfoot here and that was without even considering the fact that he might know about her rather precarious current situation. If he did know then…
Worrisome, very worrisome.
“Welcome, Lord Davis,” she greeted, showing none of her inner turmoil as she regarded the man that walked in. Immaculate and strong, that’s the first impression she got as she saw him. Then, Carmilla quickly added dangerous to that list when those icy blue eyes regarded her, almost apathetically. Not an unknown tactic in political meetings, to reveal nothing, but it was the fact that he did reveal something that got to her.
The annoyance that flickered behind those sharp, ice shard-like, eyes frightened her more than she’d like to admit.
“Lady Karnstein,” he returned the greeting with a nod and she almost flinched.
Not Queen Carmilla, but Lady Karnstein.
He knew.
Was that his way of showing his displeasure? Was that the annoyance she’d seen bleeding through? If so, what had she done to the man? Was this meeting to be something even more worrisome than she’d even realized moments before?
How bad were things going to get?
She was very afraid, considering the rate at which the day was progressing so far.
“I hope you don’t mind that I brought company,” the man commented calmly, turning and gesturing towards the girl beside him. She looked young, but Carmilla could recognize a devil when she saw one. Although, she could be anyone as far as she was concerned. “Ravel Phenex, my secretary.”
“It’s not a problem at all, Lord Davis. I’m happy to be your host, to both of you,” she replied, because what was she supposed to say other than that? That the girl wasn’t welcome? She could imagine how that’d fly with someone this powerful that seemed to already be cross with her and that had pulled a great deal of strings just to talk to her.
Carmilla might be immortal, but she wasn’t in the habit of testing just how immortal.
“Please, do take a seat. May I offer you something to drink, something to eat?” she asked, giving the man across from her an inviting look as she gestured towards the sofa in front of her. With no hesitation, Davis moved to take her up on her offer, sitting, leaning back and crossing his legs. He was relaxed, in control.
He knew he was the one with the power in the room.
Carmilla almost wanted to gnash her teeth together.
As if she didn’t get enough of that as it was.
“Tea would be alright. Ravel?” the man easily agreed, a polite smile much like her own appearing on his face. Carmilla couldn’t tell if it was faked or not and her sensing capabilities were giving her next to nothing to work with.
“The same, please,” the devil answered, but it was obvious that she was just as Davis said, his secretary. She didn’t seem to have an ounce of power in that relationship. Nothing new, considering the information Carmilla had on Davis’ relationship with House Phenex and there’d even been a thing or two about this supposed secretary. Looking at the man now, she could read between a few more lines than she had before.
However, it was a different thing entirely to see a human with such a powerful being just… serving him.
“I have to say, your request came as a surprise,” Carmilla commented, appearing casual as she waved for one of her servants to go look for the drinks. And some blood for herself, because she really needed something to get her through that meeting, she could already tell. With that done though, it was only her and Davis once more, figuratively speaking.
“I’m sure,” the man replied, his smile turning a little amused. Was he mocking her? “I’ve been looking into your race’s factions for a while. Sorry, faction,” he corrected, but if that wasn’t intentional, Carmilla would eat human food.
“And why is that?”
“Curiosity, for one,” the man answered freely, uncaring and relaxed still. “The youkai are very interesting, just like angels, fallen, devils… And I thought I’d look into other factions. I hope you don’t mind or take offense, but vampires are fascinating.” Did he have to sound like such a mad tinkerer?
“I’m sure we can humor your curiosity no problem, Lord Davis,” she said and there it was again, the flicker of annoyance. Was she using the wrong title? She was very sure that she wasn’t, but then what was the problem? “Was that all, however? You needn’t have used so much influence for such a small thing, I have to say.”
“Hm, I’m not so sure about that myself,” Davis told her and Carmilla felt herself grow more nervous, if that were possible. He didn’t change the way he spoke, nor did he shift his stance or his expression, but there was something hidden behind that smile. She hadn’t gotten as old as she had without learning a few things about reading people, after all. “That aside though, I’m here for another reason.”
“... And that would be?” she asked when it became obvious that Davis was in no hurry to continue. Although, that might have been because of the arrival of their drinks. Speaking of, if the man was at all disturbed by the blood on her wine glass, he didn’t show it.
“Your situation, of course,” Davis answered, as if that were in any way, shape or form an acceptable response. “For one, I have to say, your defenses are so… lacking. I can definitely put up something that’ll actually keep enemies away, besides some… you know, quality of life spells here and there,” the man said and Carmilla wanted to be insulted by the “offer”.
She wasn’t though, because if there was one thing that her research had stressed, it was that Davis was quite possibly the best magician in his field. Although, being fair, maybe the word “fields” applied better. Defense magic was his thing, wards, hexes and even boons. If it could defend a place, then Davis knew it inside out. Adaptive spellcrafting, power, skill and knowledge, the man had it all to make a name for himself and he’d done so in record time.
Truly, record time was understating it.
And if her research had missed something as glaringly big as him being Egypt’s new Pharaoh, then she imagined there was much more that she didn’t know either.
“And how much would these defense upgrades cost us?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and with a denial at the tip of her tongue. Another bit that her research had stressed was that Davis seemed to relish making people indebted to him. He would do things for people and then deny them the chance to repay him, thus having them owe him for the future and amassing amounts of favor that left even her pitying the sad little humans of the magician associations.
“Ravel here has the specifics of it,” the man answered smoothly, leaving her blinking. Carmilla didn’t have time to say anything, however, before Davis continued. “Money is a given, of course, but I’m much more interested in knowledge, so any unique or rare book, tome or scroll you might have on hand, I’ll be more than interested in. That can be discussed. Same with artifacts. I’m sure we can come to an agreement that will suit everyone, Lady Karnstein.”
“I do have some ideas of what we can bargain for and with, from what we’ve gathered about your faction,” the Phenex girl commented, but her voice held no strength in comparison to Davis. Carmilla almost ignored what she said completely. Not only because of that, but also because…
Well, that was all very… surprising.
“Truly,” she commented blandly, all but narrowing her eyes as she tried to analyze the situation. Something wasn’t quite fitting in her mind and that bothered her. There was definitely something she was missing. “I find it hard to believe that you did all this and came all the way here to offer to increase our defenses and ask questions about our race.”
“Nobody said anything about just asking questions,” he pointed out while taking a sip from his cup of tea, a smirk poorly hidden by the container, and this time she did narrow her eyes. What was the man even-? “But you’re right. Neither of those were the reason why I came here to talk to you. You see, I’m the representative of a pantheon that has been disconnected from the rest of the supernatural for entirely too long. I’m trying to make the Egyptian a power worth considering, worth respecting.”
“And we fit in this… how?” Carmilla asked, wary but intrigued all the same.
“How would you like to be a power worth considering and respecting yourself? Again, that is,” Davis asked and she pursed her lips, her eyes twitching as her anger threatened to break through her mask. “The Tepes have had you under their thumb for a while, haven’t they? That’s why you’re not actually Queen Carmilla anymore. You’re just Lady Karnstein now and barely of noble standing at that, considering how you and your faction were… subjugated.”
“You’re well informed,” she said, keeping her temper under control. She was still the inferior one, much as she was loath to admit. “Not many know what’s been going on in our little slice of the world.”
“I am and I do,” Davis said, putting down the cup in his hand back on the table. He kept his expression just as it was, in placid apathy, as he shifted his seating position. Instead of leaning back, relaxed and in control, he straightened, serious and almost looming. “There’s something going on here and I’ll benefit a great deal from getting involved, I’m sure. So, this is the part you were expecting before, Lady Karnstein.”
“I’m sure I don’t know-”
“The part where I do something for you and you are left owing me,” Davis said, lips pulling up into a smile that sent shivers down her spine. “And unlike before, you won’t be able to say no, I’m afraid, but I’m reasonably sure you'll be happy in the end.”
She had words of doubt almost out of her mouth in an instant, with words of denial right behind. However, somehow, someway, she didn’t find it in her to let them out. Instead, Carmilla looked at Davis and tried, once more, to get a read on him.
He was sure of what he was saying and that grated on her a great deal.
Almost as much as the amused smile that the Phenex was trying and failing to hide.
Were they mocking her, both of them, right in her own home? The gall of this magician, but she needed to be smart about this. She wasn’t a faction leader for nothing and she was used to being on the losing side and having to swallow all her issues with things. Tepes had made sure she learned what “her place” was and as much as she despised the whole situation, she’d only make it all worse if she acted up.
So, she needed to be smart, she needed to think.
“And what, pray tell, is this miraculous solution you have to offer me?” she asked, knowing that rejecting outright would only risk insulting this powerful man. She couldn’t afford more enemies, so she’d have to see how she managed to wiggle herself out of this… situation she found herself in, preferably without costing either herself or her people much.
Beggars couldn’t be choosers though.
“How’d you like for things to return to what they were, Lady Karnstein? How’d you like for things to be reversed even?” Davis asked and, for a second, Carmilla wondered if he was the devil in the room. He sounded so sure and if he was saying what she thought he was saying… “How’d you like me to take care of your Tepes problem for you, Carmilla?”
‘... A devil indeed.’
[}-o-{]
[Ravel Phenex]
“Those terms are… agreeable,” Queen Carmilla – Ravel didn’t think she had it in her to call her Lady Karnstein like Joshua did – said, sounding like she was pulling her own teeth out rather than speaking. To be fair, it wasn’t like she didn’t understand though. Few people were happy to get a leash put around their necks, after all, and Joshua was all but forcing the vampire to put the metaphorical collar on herself.
“I’m glad you think so,” the human in the room replied, pleased as he could be, if still keeping his political face on. A face that was very… impressive. Ravel would have used other words, but those felt awkward for some reason. She also didn’t fancy her chances against three faction leaders, admittedly. “Now, with that out of the way, I think I have some things to prepare to get started and I’m sure you’ll need some time on your end too.”
“That would be appreciated,” Queen Carmilla replied, her voice clipped, but she was doing a remarkable job at keeping her composure for someone in such a situation. Ravel knew many people that’d have cracked already. Shame that though, since they had plans in place to make the leash that much more tight if she did. Alas, they’d have to content themselves suffocating the woman with kindness as Joshua preferred to do.
Ravel wasn’t sure that was actually a better choice for his “victims”, if she was entirely honest.
“Well, I do believe this has been a productive meeting, wouldn’t you say?” Joshua asked, but for once he wasn’t oblivious. He couldn’t be, considering how much they’d planned for this one meeting. All the information he’d gathered through a long time and all the time he’d thought things over, nevermind how he’d asked for advice from everyone dependable that he knew.
Joshua couldn’t not be aware of something. At least, not of anything that Ravel herself could pick up on. There was always a chance of a surprise, after all, but none of that had happened. Ravel did love when things went according to plan.
“You’re sure you can deal with them by yourself?” Carmilla said instead of answering Joshua’s question, breaking character more than she had through the whole thing. It was still a very small, subtle shift, but Ravel picked up on it all the same. The vampire’s calm and confidence crumbled just a tiny bit and instead Ravel saw doubt, nerves, fear.
“Carmilla,” Joshua said, really driving home that point. Ravel would admit – in the privacy of her own mind and maybe away from the woman herself – to enjoying the diminutive twitches Joshua’s way of addressing her caused on the vampire, be it calling her Lady Karnstein or later just Carmilla. “I’ve done much, much more difficult things. If the Tepes somehow turn out to be a problem, it’ll be nice. I always do like a challenge.”
It also helped that Joshua didn’t much care for the vampire faction, really. He just wanted to follow the leads he’d found regarding Khaos Brigade and that was that. If the other faction turned out to be troublesome, then nobody would suffer other than the Carmilla side. Ravel rather doubted Joshua would just let something happen to them, but it was also true that he’d be less torn up if something did happen than if it were, say, Yasaka’s youkai faction.
They weren’t going to tell Carmilla that though, of course.
“Now, I believe all has been said. Ravel and I should be on our way now,” Joshua said, standing up without their host saying anything. “If you need me, feel free to call,” he added, waving a hand towards the small charm that he’d leave for Carmilla to contact him if she so wished. “We’ll see ourselves out, but don’t be a stranger, Carmilla.”
And with that, in a move that would have appalled her parents, Joshua left without being dismissed. And Ravel followed right after him, calm as she could be. The disrespect was on purpose, after all. Not only did it drive home Joshua’s current standing above the likes of Queen Carmilla, but it also did so with the fact that the vampire’s situation was far from what it had once been. That way, she’d be even more desperate to deal with her enemies, to recover some of her power.
Joshua could win her over with his excessive amounts of kindness once Khaos Brigade was dealt with.
“I think that went well,” Joshua commented, walking through the halls towards the outside of the mansion like he owned the place. He looked very pleased with himself, which Ravel imagined was genuine, even though that was part of the plan too. They were being observed by the servants, after all.
Still though, that meeting had gone very well indeed. Joshua had addressed all the points he’d needed to and he hadn’t broken character at any point. There were some parts that Ravel would have done a little differently, but considering how much Joshua loathed anything remotely related to politics, she counted the whole thing as a massive victory. Although, to be entirely honest, she was a little disappointed that she hadn’t gotten to do much during it.
She knew she was just back up, but she’d still kind of hoped she’d get to do something.
Well, another time, hopefully.
“That it did,” she replied, plastering a smile that she didn’t even have to fake on her face. “Should we leave properly from further or-”
“Nah,” Joshua answered before she even finished and she giggled as the teleportation circle formed under them right outside the main door. That wasn’t very polite either, but then again, they’d done the bare minimum they should before the meeting and at the start of it. Then, progressively, they’d gotten more and more disrespectful as they revealed why they were there.
By then, it was all an effort to mess with Queen Carmilla’s mind so that she’d be more inclined to deal with her Tepes problem. It might alienate them a little too, but the risk was worth the chance. And if all else failed, then Joshua was sure that Queen Carmilla herself would give him an excuse to get involved if she snapped at them.
Win-win situation if there ever was one.
“I take it things went well?” Gabriel was the first to ask when they got back and Ravel refrained from negatively reacting to her. She’d have to get used to the angel and, truly, she didn’t really mind. It was just… very awkward and a little unnerving for her. Ravel was getting there though.
“I really wish there comes a day when I don’t have to deal with this nonsense. No wonder the Egyptians are playing homebody,” Joshua said, letting go of his political persona as she slumped and dragged his feet to the closest free seat. A can of beer appeared beside him and the man grabbed it out of the air. “Ravel, if you don’t get tired of me, I hope you can take care of all these things for me in the future.”
“I would never, Mr. Davis,” she replied, beaming at the man. Being the spokeswoman for a faction leader with as much influence as Joshua was likely to be? She could only hope she’d be so lucky. Alas, it was unlikely that Joshua would need her by then. At that point, he likely would be able to pull away from the world and be a hermit while the women in his life took care of what little might come his way.
It hurt a little, but maybe she’d be lucky. Joshua wasn’t the kind of person that’d just discard her once she was no longer useful. So, maybe he’d keep her around even when he didn’t need her and have her do some things here and there for him. That’d be enough for her, really.
Better than going back to being the fourth child and the only daughter in a noble family of immortals of a race of people that already had trouble dying.
At least, with Joshua, it felt like what she did mattered.
“Someone’s being dramatic~”
“I don’t want to hear that from you, Sera,” Joshua replied wryly, taking a sip from his beer.
“She’s not wrong,” Yasaka pointed out, making the man deflate even more. “Now, tell us how it went. Maybe we can point out where you could have done better for future reference.”
“Do we have to?”
“We should,” Gabriel answered with a nod and Joshua groaned.
“... If we must,” the man grumbled, standing a little straighter as if it was a great effort. However, instead of addressing the three women around the table, he turned towards Ravel, who had prepared herself to stand there and take notes. “Ravel, you were working on the list of things to ask Carmilla for payment, right?”
“Yes, Mr. Davis. Did you have something new in mind?” she asked, a little surprised and she wasn’t the only one, judging by the looks on the three women around Joshua.
“Yeah, make a note of looking for something that’d be good for the Stars, alright? One item each. Maybe we can get something generic to use as a prize for a class competition too, one for each class?” the man commented, as if that were a normal thing to do. Ravel did as she was told though, because she was slowly getting used to her employer’s antics.
Those poor students though…
Oh well, their problem.
[} Chapter End {]
Hey guys! How’s it going?
Ugh, politics.
Why do they always worm their way into my stories? Why?
Every single time, man.
And then I get to look like a fool because I don’t know how politics work, so I always try to keep it simple and it probably looks dumb as fuck. But oh well, such is the sadistic nature of the Muse, I guess. I just gotta deal with it.
All in all though, I guess I did a good enough job with this, probably. A good job by my estimation, which probably doesn’t mean much. I’ll take that though, if you guys don’t mind.
I hope you agree with me that this is at least passable.
Discord Link: discord.gg/UTDransjJZ
Random Question: Do you like politics in stories? I don’t mind them, but I’m not a great fan either. If the storytelling is good, then great. I just don’t like writing them myself because… ugh…
See you.
