The Last Swordmaster

Code Name: Flamey Hair

The ballroom wasn't hard to find, considering that all we had to do was follow the sounds of laughing and drunk yelling to the left. We walked into the open oak doors before I scanned our surroundings. 

Wow.

The entire ballroom was stonework, even the balconies and the arches carved against the wall. Scenes that I recognized from history were also sculpted into the walls of the ballroom. From where I stood, I recognized the rubble of Pompeii after Mount Vesuvius erupted, the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution, the sinking of the Titanic, and multiple other significant moments. If demons hadn't made a game out of trying to recreate the faces of the minuscule people in the carvings, maybe I would have spent more time admiring them. Instead, I searched the room for Isabelle. She said she would be waiting somewhere... 

"We'll have to look around," I concluded, looking over at Jack. "Let's split up. We'll find her faster that way."

Jack nodded and pressed a small red button into my hand as discreetly as he could. "Press this twice if you find her, and press it four times if you're in trouble. If the other person presses it, the button will vibrate."

"Sounds good to me," I told him, looking up at him one more time before turning to my right, towards the food table. Plenty of demons had gathered around the stone and silver table, piling food onto small, silver plates, so it seemed like a good place to check for Isabelle. I kept my distance from the table. I didn't want to be anywhere near those gross pigs. Seriously. How much could a demon eat?

"Looking for someone?"

I turned to find a man looking at me. Yes, a man, not a demon. His hair was dark brown, and his eyes were a dark, foresty green. Was he a Swordmaster? "Oh, no," I lied, throwing him a grin. "Just observing for now. I like to know who I'm... surrounding myself with."

The well-dressed man sent me a sly smile before taking a few steps towards me. "I see. You aren't fond of your company?"

"Well..." I turned to look back at the demons scarfing down food behind me before continuing, "let's just say I have high expectations of people that I choose to associate with."

He laughed and took another step closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and ushering me away from the table, in the opposite direction of the entrance. "That would make sense. You seem like a lady with very fine taste, Miss...?"

His question surprised me, and I almost choked on the words before I could get them out. "I don't give out my real name, and hopefully you understand that and won't take that as a sign of disrespect. I call myself Lamia around strangers."

"The snake demon? From Greek mythology?"

I nodded. "I liked the sound of it, and I like snakes. They interest me much more than most humans do."

The man remained silent for a moment as we walked. In the back of my mind, it worried me, but when I looked over at him, he seemed amused. "But you didn't change yourself into a snake woman?"

"Why become a snake woman when I can look as good as I do naturally?"

Another laugh tumbled out of him. "I suppose you're right. You do look quite lovely compared to our... other guests," he observed, looking at a woman with hooves and over sized teeth that resembled a horse.  "It's a pleasure to meet such a fine demon woman among such scum. I'm Claude, the host of this party, as you must know. I'm going around trying to find demons that I would like to ally my group with, and you, my dear, seem to be an excellent option."

"Oh, you think so?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do I seem like someone powerful enough for what you have in mind?"

His eyes raked me up and down in a way that I really didn't appreciate before looking into my eyes. "I think you seem different than the others." 

At those words, I almost stiffened. "Different?"

"You seem like a lady who knows precisely what she wants and will do many things to get it. I have respect for people like that. I do have a question, though. What is it that you want, Miss?"

I had to think for a moment. What would a pretty demon girl want the most? What would she do almost anything for? "I want to be as powerful as I can be," I answered honestly, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal. "I don't ever want to feel helpless or powerless, and I want to repay those who took me as a fool."

Claude nodded slowly. "I see. Well, if I can assist you in any way, my lady, don't hesitate to ask for me. I'd love to... talk with you again soon."

With that, he'd slipped off into another group, easing his way into the conversation naturally. He was a sneaky one. I'd have to remember that.

As I turned my head forward again, I could see two grey eyes heading towards me. Isabelle. Finally.

She gestured for me to follow, so I trailed after her, ducking through various types of demons. You know, the kind that ooze, the kind that blaze, and the kind that fly.Once she'd finally reached the other side of the ballroom, Izzy turned to wait for me, and we walked through the large, oak doorway together. "I was so scared when Claude approached you," she whispered. "He's a very skeptical man. Thank goodness you stayed so calm."

I laughed and raised an eyebrow. "I never would have volunteered to be here if I didn't trust myself to stay calm. Anyways, where's Jack? Have you seen him yet?"

"Yes. I pointed him in the direction of Claude's office. It's this hallway on the left, two doors down on the left side. I would go with you two, but... well, to put it plainly, I'd be killed if they knew it was me, and they'd recognize me on sight. They have absolutely no clue who you two really are."

With a nod, I looked over at her. "Thank you, Isabelle."

She shrugged. "Please don't thank me. If this fails, it will be my fault, and I'll never forgive myself."

"We won't fail," I replied calmly, walking towards the office. "We never do."

I turned back once to see Izzy slip back into the busy ballroom, but I quickly looked forward again. I made sure to glance around the corner once before I walked down the hallway, and I almost ran to the second door on the left. There was no light on, but I gently opened the door, stepped in, and closed it behind me. There was no sign of any life in the large room, though. "Hey, red eyes?" I called in a hushed tone. "Are you in here?"

"Is that meant to be an insult?" he responded, lighting a flame in his hand as he stepped out from behind a bookcase.

It was nice to feel a little at ease in such a stressful place, so I let out a soft chuckle. "No. It was directed at you, the guy with the red eyes. It's a fact, even if you're disguised. I'm just telling the truth. I had to find a code name."

"Your code name is Flamey Hair, then," he insisted as he beckoned for me to follow him.

A.N.~~~

So I'm not dead, and I haven't forgotten about this book! I've been trying to make Wrath on Radish my priority, and since I'm only able to update that one every 3-4 months, I don't update this one much at all anymore! I'm getting back into this one, though, and the writer's block is waaaaaaaay less intense, so hopefully I can write some more now! XO's!

~TheSilverFairy 💋