Enter Abyss

Chapter 41; The Dance of Blades.

When Pip saw Cogs standing on the battlefield, her blood froze within her.

Digging her heels into the ground, she wrestled out of Mordren pull, yanking her arm free. 

"No," she spat, "I won't do it. I don't know what sort of bloody sick joke this is, but I'm not going to fight my friend--"

She was cut off when Mordren suddenly lunged, gripping her by the back of her neck and holding  a dagger up to her throat. His eyes were alight with a dangerous glint, a glint that told Pip he would do anything to make her fight.

"Listen to me," he hissed, his breath hot on her face, "It is your head, or theirs. And if you lose, mark my words when I say I shall have your friends'."

"You can't kill Archer till the Duel is over," Pip growled back, "And besides, you would still need to win the other two challenges to have his head-- and you might never win."

His grip on her tightened, and she fought the urge to gag. "Yes. But your blond friend is not under the protection of the duel. He is a citizen of the Abyss and I may do to him what I wish. Thus, it is your choice. If you lose and he doesn't kill you, I will. Then I'll have his head as well."

"And if I do win?"

"The duel is to the death; your friend dies either way." And with that, he released her, shoving her toward the arena. 

Towards the death of her friend.

                                  .................................

Cogs swallowed nervously as Pip stood before him, a longsword in hand.

He had chosen a standard arming sword and a shield and while that meant he could only use the sword with a single hand, he would never give up the oportunity to fight with a shield.

Perhaps it would be the element between life and death.

Staring at Pip, he attempted to push down his shock, his feelings of betrayal, knowing that there was no way that she would want to fight him willingly.

Not like this.

"What happened to you?" he whispered, "Why are you here?"

Pip shrugged, the light gone from her eyes. "Modren gave me a choice; if I lose, you and I die. If I win, you and Archer die and I live-- so long as I never betray Mordren's trust."

"Sounds like a bloody awful choice." Cogs replied, forcing his tone to lighten, even though he could feel tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. "Besides, even if I do lose, Archer would only need to win the third round to live and--"

But Pip only choked out a sob, not bothering to hide her distress. "Don't you see? It's to the death, you idiot! That's what Mordren meant when he said that you die if I win!"

Cogs' blood ran cold, and he felt as though his heart was going to stop beating any moment now. He tried to stutter out a reply, but by then the priest of the Ancients had already approached them, raising his hands to the surrounding crowds for silence.

Looking around, Cogs spotted Archer at the edge of the arena, his mouth hanging open, tears pouring unchecked down his face. His eyes looked desperate, as if he wanted to rush in and stop the fight.

But there was nothing he could do. Fate had decided.

Snapping his head back to face Pip, Cogs readied himself, trying to calm his pounding heart as the priest spoke aloud the rules of the battle.

Cogs did not hear a rule he spoke.

He breathed in and out, slowly, his palms growing sweaty, the anxious sounds of the crowds around him muffled to his ears. And he stared staright into Pip's eyes, even when the horn blew, signaling the start of the fight.