Enter Abyss

Chapter 15; Matched.

Pip glared at the dark haired prince, her stomach coiling in revultion. At least now she would be allowed to hit him without getting in trouble.

"How odd," the prince purred smoothly, "You seem to have beaten all of my best fighters."

"THOSE were your best?" Pip retorted, raising a brow. 

"Quite so. And I pray that you will tell me you name, for someone of your skills must be remebered."

"Piper Bram. My friends call me Pip, you can call me ma'am."

The prince's smirk grew intoa near smile and he bowed low and elegantly. "Prince Mordren, soon  to be king of the Abyss when my wretched brother finally dies of his weakness."

Anger crackled in Pip's chest as she gazed at Mordren with obvious disgust. And while Galen was not her favorite person in the Abyss thus far, he HAD been wonderfully kind to them and Archer was practically in love with him. Making Mordren's words twice as hurtful. For it was common sense to Pip that if someone insulted her cousin's friends, they insulted her cousin. 

Meaning she was allowed to punch them.

She watched as Mordren stepped into the ring, removing his shirt in one fluid motion-- a few girls in the crowd screamed at this, while Pip rolled her eyes.

"Want me to take my tunic off as well?" she taunted.

Mordren's expression gave nothing away and he replied simply, "If you think it would help you fight better, then I have little problem with it."

Gritting her teeth, Pip ignored him and took up a ready stance, clenching her fists harder than usual.

Yet just as she was about to strike, Mordren lunged forward, catching her across the jaw faster than she could have blinked. The pain alone left her in a momentary daze before she quickly recovered and sprang back, aiming for his bare chest.

He dodged her, landing a solid hit to her shoulder as he spun out of her line of sight. It sent Pip stumbling and the crowd hissed in empathy as Mordren planted a kick to her lower back that made her sprawl to the floor.

Springing to her feet, Pip growled and came at him again, using all the tricks she had learned on the street. Analizing his body, his movements. Noting that the prince was mostly dependant on his left side and his blows were weaker coming from the right. Thus, she kept to that side, managing to throw a few good punches before he caught on. Once he did, he made sure to keep her on his left-- a fact that Pip noted almost instantly. And thus the fight drew on longer than she would have liked, for he was obviously more experienced than she had originally thought. Though Pip was good, Mordren was undoubtedly professionally trained and that gave him an advantage she did not have. It sent a thrill through her as their sweaty bodies clashed, fists flying, flesh against flesh. 

Only once had Pip been beaten in a fight and that had been by one extraodinary boy... she would not let Mordren join that boy on the list. With weariness tugging at her limbs, she moved in closer, beating almost desperately at his chest to the point where she was simply pounding blindly at him. Then, suddenly, her feet flew out from under her and her back hit the ground, the air in her lungs whooshing out of her.

With a collective groan, the crowd despersed, no doubt disappointed at her loss and tired of watching the fight. As they walked away, Pip stayed on the ground, gasping for air and looking up at a grinning prince.

To her surprise, instead of gloating over her defeat, he extended his hand to help her up. Pip ignored it and stood shakily on her own, watching as the once-adoring crowd left.