Delilah had been one of those sly foxes, watching in the shadows as the game shifted then made her move with her best interests in mind. A tactic that had managed to get her to where she was at the moment. With the fall of a player like Redfall, opportunities were waiting to be had and she knew where to look.
A lady who had never lost charge with what she did felt backed into a corner at the moment. She was overpowered and any form of direct confrontation would result with nothing more than losses on her end. 'Damn these two! Giving up Redfall would be a significant loss on my end. After all having a kingdom under my lead would be great.'
She weighed the pros and cons, the favor of the gamble she was offered was extremely risky. 'But what use would it be if I'll be these two puppets? It would be better to get what I can and leave. But would they let me leave?' That was the question, with how easily these two killed, it was hard for her to gauge whether she would walk out with her head still intact.
"My patience is running thin Delilah." Guinevere mused to pressure her. "I'm sorry but I'll have to decline your offer. As tempting as it sounds, I think that it wouldn't benefit any of us that much." Her excuse well crafted in her mind. 'After all what could these two gain from a kingdom? A ruined one at that?'
She had concluded that with their high ranks, a kingdom like Redfall wouldn't bear any significant yield to the two. "That's a shame to hear Delilah." Callista said, her hands folded on her lap as she stared at the garden ahead. The warm bristly wind had now fallen silent, the atmosphere of the room going cold.
"You think that you'll be nothing more than a puppet with us pulling the strings. Though your fear of relinquishing power is adorable, you're aware of what you'll be losing out on. Sure neither of us have any needs with this kingdom but a demon like you could easily see the potential lurking here." Guinevere posed though her mind wasn't that determined in winning her over.
'If she doesn't want to yield then I'll find someone else that will. But still I should have something that might interest her with his anarchic kingdom.' Delilah who was ready for her execution was shocked when Guinevere went on. "The anomalies at the border though strange are clearly the work of experiments."
"At the demonic wastelands, far beyond the empty expanse there should be a research facility creating these beasts however they have two major problems. The first being that they can't control what they make and the second being that the resources are running thin. I could help you with both problems if you'd wish."
Delilah squinted her eyes in suspicion. 'How did she come to know about that base? Though intel can be bought, it's heavily monitored within the demonic faction sphere.' She had heard vague rumors about a base where bizarre mutants were being produced however she couldn't verify this information.
With Guinevere's help, not only could she gain control over this project but acquire Redfall. Her standing in the political game could rise significantly. 'Hah! Guinevere really knows her way with me.' She couldn't help but wonder as to how she came to know this.
She looked back at Callista, the girl long falling silent as she was entranced in her own world. "I'm sure that you know demons and humans don't have a great relationship since the birth of this world. Most of those demons would pause, taking you as a threat with your information and power."
Of course this was common knowledge to her. "With our alliance I'm sure that we can change that, however if you're not interested then there's no need for this conversation." Her patience was burning thin ready to look for more suitable pawns to toy with. 'Varcel, I'm curious how your face will be when you come to learn about this.'
Guinevere pondered as a playful smirk formed on her lips. 'Mmm...this is definitely a chance I can't afford to miss. After all the chances of coming in contact with another Hollow Saint are nonexistent. Having the protection of these two could be great.' As much as she wanted to address the flaws, the positives of this trade wouldn't be something she could brush off.
"I...accept this deal." She sighed eventually lighting Callista's face. "That's great to hear." Showing a smile that never quite reached her ears. "However for you base, it would take time to make, possibly five months or more." The two expected this. "Of course, however I do have to tell you, that you'll be sharing that position with someone else. With your hands being full and all."
Delilah nearly rose in rage at Guinevere. 'She really changed the terms of our deal so easily?' Her hateful glare resting on Guinevere's composed face. "What? Did you think that you were the only one who bothered to approach me. And besides the other human kingdoms would plot to poach you hearing a demon ruling over a human kingdom."
"And frankly it's a headache that can be solved with a dummy taking the stage." The more Delilah heard this, the more her rage waned. 'This is true and despite having the protection of a Hollow Saint, the fact of having people constantly plotting my fall isn't good.' As much as it didn't sit well with her, she knew that this would be the best outcome.
"As for the demons, they'll no doubt want me dead so tell them not to bother if they don't want that bunker they've been building to fall like a house of cards." Though perplexed with what she meant, Delilah could only assume that Guinevere knew more about the demons more than her.
'After all she knows about the secret mutant base.' She sighed inwardly, terrified with the level of information Guinevere seemed to have. "What about the abominations at the borders?! Their numbers aren't small and difficult to deal with. Most of the soldiers of Redfall have either fled the scene or have fallen, few choosing to keep on fighting."
Guinevere didn't seem flustered. "Well you do have our protection so I'll have Callista take care of it. You just handle the rest." Callista who was lost in her own world was jolted upon hearing her name. "Why do I have to do the dirty work while you sit here and dine?" Her tone though filled with resentment was theatrical.
"Because you're dangerous when you're idle. Besides I want to see just how capable you are with your abilities before I choose to expand on them." Delilah wondered the relationship between the two. It was clear that one was superior over the other. 'So it would seem that Guinevere's the one in charge and Callista's nothing more than a student.'
"Oh, well. I was wondering when I'd get to see blood again." She mused rising to her feet. "How about a game?" Guinevere's interest piqued chose to indulge. "What kind of game?" From watching the interaction between her and Jarren back at Horshaw, she came to admire her playful edge.
'Fitting for a cat I suppose. No wonder he gave you that collar.' She chuckled inwardly. "About death, how many Redfall soldiers do you think I'll kill at the end of it all and how long I'll take?" Guinevere paused in contemplation before stating her answer. "Could be a week, maybe less if you're quick."
Callista flashed her jewels of teeth at Guinevere, her canines sticking out almost feline like. "Not a bad guess. If you're right then you'll have to teach me and if you're wrong you'll have to tell Jarren to personally teach me. With how you kiss, I'm skeptical of other fields you dabble in." A jar Guinevere laughed off.
"Hilarious as ever Callista." She joked letting out a dry laugh. 'Regardless of the outcome, she'll end up being taught.' She scoffed at her unabashed tactics. However what happened next took her by surprise as she swooped in for a kiss. Her figure disappearing from where she was and her lips colliding with Guinevere's.
'Are these two in a romantic relationship? And who is Jarren?' Delilah couldn't help but wonder as the two dragged on their kiss. "Not bad... though you still need work with your technique. It's way too choppy." Callista critiqued making Guinevere fall into a pout.
"There's no need for you to be so harsh with me. I'm still learning after all." Strands of saliva broke from their break and in a blink Callista's figure vanished from the scene. Delilah though taken aback didn't bother with questions. Guinevere's hazed state quickly melted away and reverted back into her cold temperament.
"I'll get to it. I'll brief you with the details of the mansion when it's done." Delilah didn't bother staying any longer taking her leave. Guinevere watched her figure leave, intrigued with what Jarren would think of her. 'What a beautiful gem. However Callista won't be pleased with this.'
Rising to her feet, she made her way to the main entrance where Varcel's butler was waiting. "Tell him to come here himself." Her tone cold before sinking back into h palace.
***
"That wasn't part of the deal!" Varcel grit his teeth, his face sour as he stared at the jade beauty seated across from him. "Well deals change under the right conditions. Besides, it's more of an add on rather than a removal to what we agreed on. You'll have eyes in the demonic sphere on top of Redfall in your hands."
Unlike Delilah, he knew and had come to terms with Guinevere interfering with the political games but her allying with demons wasn't something he had anticipated. "The other kingdoms will target us with no exception. I'm not sure whether you know this but there's some arsenal capable of leveling kingdoms with the press of a button."
His tone filled with worry and concern. "The only way they would know is through incompetency on your end. Besides as a Hollow Saint, do you dare underestimate my power?" She admired her skills of coercion and negotiation. When she thought that she could take on Jarren in the planes above, she would recruit millions of gods and horrors.
Her skill of persuasion was evident in her talk unlike Callista who would resort to force and blackmail. "Not at all but I think that it would have been better for you to inform me ahead of time." His tone dripping with nervousness. "The beasts at the border should be taken care of by Callista, you focus on rebuilding this ruined state of a kingdom. With the growing rate of beasts to come, security, a priority to the rest will be a luxury to you if you don't do anything stupid."
Her tone low and imposing making Varcel shudder. "...I understand." His tone rang filled with restraint. Guinevere's eyes narrowed, peering into his mind and the delusions he doused himself in. 'It wild seem that someone's not happy with this deal but you'll see that it was the best strategy later down the line.'
The two discussed for a little longer before coming to an amicable conclusion. Watching his departing figure, Guinevere leaned back in her chair, once Roderic's before sighing in her heart. 'This bastard though sly isn't as careful or hesitant as Delilah. He's more to rely on luck with his work which isn't a proper strategy if he plans on winning.'
She had seen all kinds of individuals from all planes, some ambitious and brilliant, others foolish and ignorant. Though they all faced the same fate of fodder for Jarren, she learnt something new each time. Her dainty fingers drummed the table furnishing falling into thought.
'There's still a matter of those gods and their pests for champions running amuck. It's a shame that Jarren wants to make them bleed before swooping in for the kill.' Given Jarren's playful tendency, she would rather take it in her hands to wipe them with a swipe of her hands.
'I'm not stopping you from killing them if you wish. However I want the champions to regret their privilege and wallow in pain. You can ignore this in your cute little palace of yours.' Jarren's condescending tone rang through her head though it had a charm of playfulness to it. 'I'm sure this world won't miss it's gods and creator.' She chuckled evilly.