I slammed through the wide double doors into the next room, revealing a massive ballroom with vast empty space. Crystalline chandeliers hung from above, reflecting so much candlelight that it was almost blinding to look at the ceiling. Aside from a few sconces and decorative fixtures that were scattered amidst the walls, like the great stained windows that let light pour into the space, the room was bare, leaving everyone's attention fixed on the group in the center.
James' hands were wrapped around a massive shadowy and furry forearm, some sort of monster casually holding him in the air with one hand as it growled and spit in his face. He battered his fists against it to no avail, flailing helplessly in its grip.
The girl from the gate stood beside the two, arms crossed, face showing visible irritation. That emotion only grew in her expression as she witnessed our group rushing through the door, and she snapped at the monster next to him.
"Get rid of him! He's in the way!"
With a grunt and a turn, the shadow monster grabbed James and hurled him at the nearest wall, the boy smashing into the hard stone with a sickening thud as the wall cracked upon the impact, sending stone dust and a candle sconce to the ground. The girl slapped the monster upside the head as she practically hissed at it with venom.
"Gently you stupid monster!" She stared at the broken segment of wall with a wince, and then turned back to us with anger and frustration. I stared at James' limp body with a frown. I doubt he could have survived that.
"You have been hampering us since the beginning, undead. Enough! The people clamor for a new world, a new existence! Twice now I have told you to turn back, and my third warning will be the last! Turn back now!"
"I'm afraid that's not happening little lady." Red raises an eyebrow at my choice of words, but doesn't say anything more. I continue, ignoring the pointed stare.
"I don't suppose you could just let us walk on by? We'd really appreciate it. Promise we wouldn't stab you in the back?"
The girl in front of us stood in stunned silence, before shaking her head with disgust.
"You truly don't understand the scale of what is happening. You never have. And even now, you joke and make light of this situation. Well then." She pulls a rapier from her side, and snapping her fingers as the monster lets loose an bone-shaking howl.
"You can't die monster. That doesn't mean you can't suffer! How many of your companions do I need to slay before you break?!"
The shadow creature lunged forward, rushing forth to impale me on jagged claws as I stepped backwards, trying to pull my sword from my sheathe before it skewered me. A red blur rushed past me first, slamming into the monster and sending Red Hood and the beast sprawling across the room. I saw blood splatter the ground amidst a rush of movement as they struggled, but I couldn't tell who was wounded. I had no time to think about her however, as I spun my head to the left, the point of the rapier grazing my ear as it cut through the air. I stepped backwards as the girl in front of me assumed a stance, keeping her left arm behind her back as she held the rapier before her, waiting for me to let my guard down.
In all honesty, I didn't have much experience with rapiers. Or fighting humans for that manner, it had mostly been giant monsters for the majority of this quest. She stabbed at me again as I ducked quickly, jumping back and trying to think about what to do. The girl grit her teeth in frustration as I clumsily dodged another stab.
"Stand and fight you goddamned zombie! Are you just going to run?!"
I narrowed my eyes in annoyance. I was getting really tired of her making fun of my condition. I stood still as she rushed forward, stabbing towards my heart. But I pivoted with the blade, the tip missing me by an inch as I grabbed her extended arm, pulling her close and kneeing her in the stomach with the momentum of her own thrust. She fell to the ground with a shocked utterance of pain and breathlessness, and I kicked the rapier away as she struggled to hold herself up on her hands and knees. I turned towards another frightening, albeit much weaker, roar. The shadow monster, bloodied and wounded, was lunging at me from across the room, staining the ground red as it charged at me in a rabid fury. But it's bad manners to ignore your opponent, and Red jumped onto its back, stabbing her knife into the top of its neck and dragging it down along its spine. It fell to the ground like a broken doll, and Red kicked it away violently, the monstrous corpse landing a few feet from James. To my relief, he was beginning to stir. I was worried that his skull had been broken by the impact.
