From the Flames- Book Six

Ch. 1- Double Trouble

The blow to the face left blood gushing from my nose. I quickly wiped it off with my finger and stared straight again. At my opponent. I backed up, noticing that he had more injuries than I which meant that I was winning. Good. I could feel his own heart growing tired after every hit he missed. But he wasn't showing it, since he was giving me a toothy grin. I gave one back and asked, "Are you growing tired yet?"

The crowd was cheering nonstop below us but I chose to ignore it since I was more focused on the fight before me. I stood in a fighting stance, ready to leap toward the muscled man in front of me, while crimson lay on the grey concrete floor underneath our feet. There was a cage keeping us from escaping and the different kinds of creatures screaming my enemy's name from coming in.

"Only if you are." the male said, sweat dripping from his bare chest, only wearing sweats that had his own blood stains on it. His long mud hair was away from his face, but a few strands escaped as we were at this for hours already. I, on the other hand, wore my close to red hair in a tight braid along my back, making sure that I wasn't bothered by it during the fight. I wore leggings and a top that only covered my breasts. A uniform made for a woman who loved punching and kicking, I assumed.

I tilted my head to the side, admiring at how confident this man was at beating me. "Hmm, are you tempting me, mister?" I cooed.

"No, princess, I'm not. I would just love someone like you spitting blood for a change." he said matter-of-factually.

I opened my mouth and moved my hand to cover my heart as if I were hurt. "Someone like me? Did you mean as a woman or a princess? Sometimes I get those two mixed up."

"As a filthy halfling," he snarled. I stopped short as he leaped for me, kicking my legs so that I fell to the ground. My head throbbed for a second but it eventually went away as the male held me to the cold concrete, pinning my arms and legs so I would be trapped. "You're a disgrace to the entire world. You and your family."

I stayed quiet, keeping myself controlled as my temperature began to rise. "I think you like pinning girls to the ground, don't you?" I said after a few seconds, trying to weaken him by my words. "Even when they don't want you to, you take it upon yourself to do it. But it's not only that, Peterson. You're thinking about it now, aren't you?"

"How do you know my name?" he growled, his hand moved at my base of my throat, ready to squeeze the life out of me.

"You know my name, how can I not know yours?" I managed to say as I darted my eyes to the crowd that was now at eye level with me. And in the crowd, I saw the one person willing to come to these events with me. His face was fully of worry as it always was, but I just rolled my eyes. I can handle myself. He stared right at me, as if one second might change everything. But I only gave him a slight nod before turning my head to male on top of me. His hand was not holding my neck hard enough so I started speaking again.

"I know who you are and what you did Peterson Adams. Ever since you have been undead, you have liked abusing woman until they are nothing. You have gotten away with it in a few countries but not in mine. No, you have spent some years in the prison, haven't you? And you broke out during the war, right? So let me tell you this, are you ready to lose and go back to prison or try to kill me and end up as a pile of ash?" I told him. "Your choice."

My opponent forcefully lifted himself off of me and backed up. Blood still rushed from all over my face, making it more swollen as time passed. I stood up and covered my chests with my fists. "You wanna fight dirty?" he snarled. "Fine, lets fight dirty."

And then he leaped toward me and started swinging. But I blocked him by moving my head down so I wouldn't get hit. And the crown cheered once more. Once he realized that he missed me, he turned around and I punched him in the jaw, but not before he did the same to my ribs. I doubled over and I grabbed my stomach to keep the pain within me. To keep the powers controlled.